I WOULD make you an archer, Strife, I really would, except that there is no aspect of life in which they do not suck. I don't think they even get the weapon preference bonus from your bowgun.
Also, you probably noticed that you are now carrying a weapon. The problem with ranged weapons, is that when you're carrying one the only punching you do (with Fist Fight emblem) is counterattacks. So obviously if you're going to be using a one-handed ranged weapon, you need a one-handed melee weapon as well. So since ArcAngel has Fist Fight I just took his long sword and gave it to you. I also took away his shortbow, so that he can decently fight.
Anyway, before we head off to Ardea, we're going to boldly go where nobody has been since we crashed on this godforsaken continent. Lutra!
That's the place where Rictor crashed the boat, and we got ambushed by Stan way back on like page 2, remember? But if we actually go there, it's a completely different map. The good news is, the new place has treasure. MOAR LOOT!
But on the way, we pass through Vespa and there's a cutscene apparently. (you might be able to see the sword in the map on top of Vespa's icon)
Huh. Guess it's not me in this cutscene.
Middle Aged Man: Man this sucks.
Woman: Yeah Nichart really buggered that one up. But nothing's happening on the west side of the continent.
Woman: Rictor? He got lost. (no he seriously did)
Middle Aged Man: Rolled a 1 did he? Heh. Guess we don't need to worry about him for a while.
Woman: Yes, if only. A lot of people were killed in the forest of Gryllus when Lodis took over, so there's lots of dead people there. *foreshadowing*
Middle Aged Man: Completely changing the subject for a sec here, we need to find the Sacred Spear before Shoruke and Rictor do, or else they'll have a way to beat the final boss. And we can't have that.
Woman: Agreed. But this IS a cutscene, so I think we should just refer to it as 'it'.
Middle Aged Man: Oh right. Wups.
Woman: Oh and by the way he escaped from Formido, so he's able to see us from Vespa somehow...
Middle Aged Man: Oh crap. Stop the cutscene!
So anyway, here we are. Not pictured is us picking up a trident, a healing salve, an I-forget-what (it wasn't valuable at ALL), and another glass pumpkin. Also Aqizzar got Embodiment of Desires.
So now off to Ardea!
Another fight? I wonder what the 'plot' for this one will be. Hah! Plot! I hope it's at least better than Vespa.
*This is literally the ONLY talking this whole fight, unless someone dies*
Shoruke: Umm, Cybil? You're the only spellcaster here. The only who's going to lag behind is you.
Cybil: Hush, it's called motivational speaking. As a leader you should learn it sometime.
Shoruke: Why? Nobody ever needs it in this game.
Shoruke: Okay, so, 3 hawkmen, 2 fairies, 2 griffons. This is gonna be easy. Everyone try to stay on dry land if you can, us human types take penalties for standing in water. Except me and Inaluct, we're ninjas and stand on top of the water.
Strife: Lucky much...
Shoruke: Yup. Anyway, CHAAAARGE!
*1 turn of charging later*
ArcAngel: Nice fencing, Inaluct.
Inaluct: Hey at least he didn't get me.
Shoruke: Hey guys, check this out. It's the whip Nichart used on me back in Formido. I wonder why it's here... Anyway it's worth money, we'll sell it in the next town.
Inaluct: Yeah yeah that's great Shoruke, anyway it's time to try out my fancy new thrusting sword combined with the ninja's weapon preferance.
Duke: That wasn't so great there, dude.
Strife: Yeah, ninjas are geared more towards AGI than STR.
Inaluct: Well FINE! You do it then!
Strife: I accept your challenge!
Shoruke: Nice shot. Now if only ranged weapons didn't suck quite as much.
Strife: Aww, there goes my soldiering fantasy... *sob*
Okenido: Don't you have other ones?
Strife: Oh yeah.
Aqizzar:
Enough of this heavy mode weak stuff! Time to get serious!Duke: Wow. I think I'm going to need some mind soap.
Strife: Yeah, serious fail there Aqizzar of the Funk. Elemental terrain bonus, enemy in water, weapon preferance, and you still can't do much damage.
Aqizzar: Oh shut up I still did three times as much as you.
Aqizzar: Mph! Bastard!
Cybil: ALL OF YOU stop the Naruto Abridged referencing, right now!
Random Enemy Hawkman #1: Hehehe, while they're arguing amongst themselves about obscure YouTube references, I'll just sneak up to this soldier and...
ArcAngel: Ow! Hey, no fair! No fighting during dialogue!
Shoruke: Fail...
Random Enemy Hawkman #2: Hey that worked pretty well, I'm gonna try that.
Duke: In retrospect... I probably should have seen that coming...
Cybil: Oh gods I've had enough of these low numbers. THIS is how you fight!
Shoruke: Very nice.
Joshua: I can't wait to be able to do that.
Shoruke: Well actually about that... you can't be an offensive spellcaster if you're lawful, which you are.
Joshua: Aww!
Shoruke: Don't worry, there's an emblem that clerics and priests can get that lowers your alignment towards chaotic once. You'll have to get three kills as a cleric, but you can manage it.
Duke: Hell with all this spellcasting, class-changing talk!
Duke: Hah! Finally killed one.
Strife: Okay I'm gonna redeem myself! I'm gonna do it!
Strife: Aww...
Shoruke: Okay it's official, beast tamers fail. I suppose your 1 extra movement is a LITTLE helpful, but not enough to make up for that little damage.
Inaluct: You're ALL pathetic! Watch this! I'm the only one here who can do this!
ArcAngel: Ummmm, congrats? You can burn the grass off a rock. Whoopdy-doo.
Shoruke: You'd be surprised. There's actually treasure right there, and for some reason you have to burn the grass away to be able to find it.
Okenido: That... doesn't make a whole lot of sense...
Shoruke: Video game logic. Sure it does.
ArcAngel: Well, regardless of buried treasure, I'm going to try and land a hit now.
ArcAngel: How ya like them apples! And by apples I mean pwnage!
Random Enemy Hawkman #2: I think them pwnage are sux. I'm not out yet!
Cybil: Yeesh. I wonder if ANYONE but me knows that in tactics games, you aren't supposed to be able to kill someone in one hit...
Shoruke: Don't even say that. You'll break my perception of reality.
Cybil: Oh yeah?!? Well I can do this!!!
*the hawkman lived*
Shoruke: NOOOOOOO! AAAAAAAAH!
Okenido: Um, ignoring that my leader has gone crazy, time to kill something!
Okenido: Wow! I learned so much from delivering that one punch, that I am stronger, smarter, and faster! And also other people will now learn more from me if they hit me!
ArcAngel: That's tactics games for ya.
*short time later*
Shoruke: Okay here's why AoE spells are great.
Shoruke: No chance of getting counterattacked, 100% chance of hitting, and if your INT is high enough (which mine unfortunately isn't) then it hits 5 spaces. It's pretty sweet.
So we won the battle, and picked up a bunch of stat-boosting expendables, luckily including a sorcerer's cup to increase someone's MP. Just in case Joshua can't be a cleric quite yet.
Shoruke: So Cybil. What are we going west for again?
Cybil: Didn't I tell you? I'm a religious freak.
Shoruke: ...For F*** sake. I get rescued by a hottie, and of course she's with the church. God dammit. So anyway... once again... why are we going west?
Cybil: We're heading for Urodela.
Shoruke: I see, I see, so what do we want with mermaids?
Cybil: Nude women, of course.
Shoruke: ...Seriously?
Cybil: Well they are naked, but that's not why. I want their spear.
Shoruke: Oh yeah, the horn of the fallen... angel... demon... person... thing.
Cybil: Yeah that one.
Shiven: Mistress Alinda...
Cybil: Oh hi Shiven.
Shoruke: What? Who are you?
Shiven: I'm Cybil Alinda's personal ninja-scout-guy. I was also in the cutscene at Formido, but you edited me out of the LP game, you jerk.
Shoruke: Oh... right... THAT ninja.
Shiven: Yes. Anyway, you'll have to fight when you get to Urodela.
Shoruke: Well duh, we have to fight every single time we go somewhere new. Although I admit I am surprised that this 'random story fight' is explained beforehand.
Shiven: Whatever, your interpretation of the plot is up to you. Bye. *Ninja's away*
Shoruke: I've always held people who can ninja as a verb in the highest respect.
Cybil: Yeah he's pretty damn useful for off-screen info gathering.