Update 12: Unexpected Baboons



...Oh my gods, this is really good! Remus must have good connections to get the recipe for this...
Either that, or he paid good money for it. Brownie recipes usually don't come cheap.
When you say "don't come cheap," do you mean the food the recipe makes, too?
Most of the time, yeah.
Dosen. We can never let anyone learn about this recipe. Imagine the enterprise we could--
I, um, kind of hate to burst bubbles, but... Raven and Mio already shared the recipe with some other explorers.
...Well, not every good idea pans out, I guess.



Let's take care of 8F proper now.

Which is pretty much just the right side of the map. The upper-left corner is an optional area plus a bit of secret area we won't be going to for a while.

Fun.

(Obtained 1 Dolomite naturally, 2 Razorstones from Iseria, and 1 Dolomite from Sasha.)
8F, F5 Mine Point


You're starting to feel tired from walking through this place for who several hours, when suddenly you hear a noise like someone groaning. Thinking this is strange, you approach to investigate, only to find an adventure straining to move a large rock.


Well, uh... Hi. You look...really similar to Cecil.
Cestus 3 is the best portrait, what can I say
um yeah duh thank's
(the hair is supposed to be similar to Highlander 1 from EO2U because that's what Glock was in EO2U)
They tell you that they're Glock, from Guild TFKrew, and apparently they'd told their companions to go on ahead while they picked up something they'd left behind.
What is...that? What is with its bizarre cone-with-peaks shape?
It resembles a ball, almost...


This is a Feats of Strength check.
Iseria steps forward and suggests that they can hold up the rock while Glock recovers their item.
A sound plan, no?
Why not let Slab of Beef 2 lift the boulder? Are you sure someone of your build can do that?
Behold!
After an exchange of nods to confirm the plan, Iseria lets out a shout and raises the boulder by pushing it from the side.
...I will admit, that is impressive.
Meanwhile, Glock picks up their item, apparently some sort of [s]charm[/s] ball. Glock thanks you profusely and takes out some flat white bread to offer you as thanks.


(Obtained Whitebread!)
After you accept the bread, they leave the area. You, too, return to your exploring.


Victim of the fallen rocks

You encountered an explorer in trouble and made use of your incredible strength to help them out.
For the record, failing the Feats of Strength check means a random character gets damaged. You'll still finish the Episode, though.
Specifically, you make a lever out of a stick but it snaps and hits someone in the face.





What a hideous baboon.
How can you tell it's a baboon under all that hair?
Pretty sure big noses aren't what baboons are known for.
...Have none of you, besides Lanzon, seen a baboon before? Do you not know about their-- Never mind.
Haughty Hermits (henceforth baboons) usually aggro on you as soon as you enter a room, and will do either of these two things: try to shove a rock in your direction, or if that's not possible, directly chase you.
For what it's worth, the monster is clearly based on a tengu, a kind of goblin from Japanese folklore. They're known for both their long noses and for dropping rocks on people from mountains.
Their internal model name is even "tenguzaru," which is basically "tengu monkey."

We can't get past that baboon as is without killing it, so we'll have to take the side way.

Remember how I said baboons usually aggro as soon as you enter? That's only the case if there's no rocks they can shove on you.

Notice how this one is right behind the rock, and has its "preparing to shove" animation active. If we get on the same vertical axis as it, and then take another step...

Right before you step forward, a monster pushed a rock pillar onto your path! Even worse, it was clearly aiming for you!
You cheeky monkey.
Never underestimate an ape's intelligence.
You should probably expect them to try this again in the future, so you make sure to watch your step.
The baboon will shove the rock towards us, and then aggro on us.
Getting hit by the rock directly deals like 300 damage to the entire party, essentially leaving everyone at 1 HP.

Evading that one's no problem.

This room's much larger than the last one, and has far more boulders for the baboon to shove on us.

...It's kind of hard to see because of draw distance, but there's a chest near that boulder.

For the record, EO5 changed how the engine renders dungeon floors to be more similar to how the DS games did things, which is why draw distance is a thing again. EO4, EOU, and EO2U all pre-baked the dungeon floors as individual giant models and rendered everything the player could see. For performance reasons (EO2U had some FPS issues with certain large areas, especially in the 4th Stratum), and to reduce the game's overall size on the cartridge/SD card, EO5 instead programatically defines floors in table files, and then assembles them on the fly using individual part models.

MY EARS! Why is that monkey screeching so loudly?!
Gonna guess it's angry that we shoved the boulder before it could.
If we shove a boulder before the baboon gets to, it'll aggro on us, and move away from the boulder it was preparing to shove.

...Sorry.
Welp. Now we're boxed in by the baboon.


I have no choice but to engage the Haughty Hermit in a fight and immediately run, for...certain reasons.

It can't catch us if we run that way!


I never wanted to know what it feels like to be chased by a baboon!
What is with this bizarre monkey? Is it just this territorial?
Actually, baboons aren't really--
Less biology lecture, more running.


(Obtained Poison Knuckle!)
That was so not worth it.
that 10 ental could save your life some day...

The fact that the baboon is behind me meant I could just immediately beeline for the door, and get out safely.

One last room: we could either go for the simple solution, or go for the treasure chest at the very back, the path to which has a high potential for me to screw it up and get boxed in by a baboon.

...I apologize if I sound rude, but who is responsible for navigation decisions?
Hello.
Why are we going for this treasure chest?
The sign of the Dinogator, much to my chagrin, knows all. Do not question it.
I...beg your pardon?
Listen, I'll...explain later. Let's just go with it for now.


We, uh... We appear to have boxed ourselves in for...1000 en.
The sign of the Dinogator knows all.
Please tell me we have an Ariadne Thread.
Pardon, but what's an Ariadne Thread?
...Iseria. Dear. Were you responsible for preparing our provisions today?
Yes? Why do you ask?
We don't have a Thread, do we.
I AM GOOD AT ETRIAN ODYSSEY

We don't have much of a choice.
If I'm gonna go down, might as well go down fighting.
You can always use the Full Retreat Union skill to go back to the beginning of the floor you know.
Yes, but where's the fun in that? (Also force of habit is very strong and I keep forgetting that exists.)



Haughty Hermit

HP: 6448
STR: 67
INT: 52
VIT: 46
WIS: 46
AGI: 51
LUC: 47

Skills:
Drops:
Damage Resistances:
125% 125% 125%
100% 100% 100%

Disable Resistances:
50% 50% 50% 50% 75% 50% 50%
50% 10%
50% 50% 50%
Haughty Hermits are actually fairly weak on their own, but the problem with them is Call Allies, since having to deal with other enemies means you're losing TP on dealing with things that aren't the Haughty Hermit.

Iseria'll use Chain Shock when Lanzon's not gonna use Fire Bomb, and Chain Fire otherwise.

Sasha will alternate between Line Guard and Gun Mount.

Lanzon'll summon another ghost.

Flash of Both Wings apparently has priority or something, so I have Gram use Target Arrow to combine with Chains.

And I have Magda use Poison Smoke--if not to actually inflict poison, then to combo with Poison Bomb.

Target's right there, Falz.


Allow me, first!


Well then. I...didn't expect that.


OH DEAR GODS I DIDN'T EVEN KNOW I COULD FEEL PAIN ANY MORE!


Toss this wretched baboon in a shallow grave, and then I might consider contributing!
You don't have much of a say in this matter, B. Don't get cozy just yet.


Ugh.


That baboon is...vomiting quite viciously.


Unfortunately, 6448 HP will take quite a while to whittle down, even with poison damage.

(Normal attack.)
Getting desperate already?


Oh yeah, I recasted Hawk Whistle to restore Falz's HP.

That was kind of boneheaded, in retrospect. The summon row isn't targeted very often and I could've had Magda use Cure Herb or even just tossed Falz some Medicas.

That fur of yours looks quite combustible.


Please, why couldn't you summon C?
You can't shirk your duties that easily, B, dear.


It's so...mangy. Eugh.


Here's how hard Iseria hits with the Smoke Rot debuff, incidentally.

(Tengu Fist.)

If both of the ghosts decide to do something when they're not being blown up, I get around 80 damage a turn from summons.

Chewing through this much HP at our current level is still something of a slog.

(Call Allies cast 1.)
We haven't actually seen Bounce Parrots in a fight yet, so here's their info.

Bounce Parrot

HP: 541
STR: 55
INT: 44
VIT: 37
WIS: 34
AGI: 40
LUC: 36

Skills:
Drops:
Damage Resistances:
100% 100% 100%
100% 100% 150%

Disable Resistances:
100% 150% 100% 50% 100% 100% 100%
100% 100%
100% 100% 100%
Bounce Parrots are incredibly annoying to take down exclusively with physical damage, which is...basically all we have.

Except for poison and Fire Bomb. We can thankfully clear them out using those.

Oh yeah, Magda also has Tri-Attack. Let's use that!

Quas...wex...exort! Yes, I think that's what the reagents were.
Tri-Attack hits all enemies for three instances of INT-based damage--one fire, one ice, one volt. It's useful for random encounters, or any fight with multiple targets.

(Substitute.)
Using other monsters as meat shields? Hoho, quite the devious monkey.


(Both Bounce Parrots used Parroting.)

Obnoxious avians, trying to outsmart us.
Flash of Both Wings, which I used earlier, outspeeds everything because priority, so the parrots basically wasted a turn!

Please, end this!
wait what B no

The merciful release of vanishing into the ether...
You'll be right back, don't you worry.
dammit

Can't say I ever wanted to know what parrot vomit looks like... Or parrot innards... Or parrot innards covered in parrot vomit... Urp...


(Dark Smoke.)
Wait, those aren't tears... Are those...melted baboon eyeballs?!
Do you have a better idea for blinding them?
A-as murderous as they are, they're still living beings! What's wrong with you?! At least kill them mercifully!


Still pretty slow-going.

I decided to start using Fire Bomb.

It helps make this go faster.

(Call Allies cast 2.)
A couple of turns where nothing happens later, and we get two incredibly annoying enemies thrown into the mix.

(Dying Curse.)
FUCKING OOPS.

At least I was able to apply poison again.

As long as nothing terrible happens, I'll probably actually win this.

Such brutality...is the way of wild beasts...
me and my big mouth

there goes my primary damage dealer

Damn...overgrown monkey...
and there goes a key support

...Medicine for counteracting death exists?! How in the world--
You'll be better off if you just don't question how Nectars work, trust me!


Even without poison, I predict the baboon will die on this turn.

Ah, perfect, I only singed, not burned, the baboon's hair.
Hey, look, I was right.


I'd say "that had no business working," but honestly, poison's actually pretty strong. That could've been slightly quicker if I was less lucky with Poison Smoke, but them's the breaks.


(Obtained 1 Dolomite naturally, 1 Rozafern from Iseria, and 1 Rozafern from Sasha.)
8F, B5 Mine Point


As you travel through the Labyrinth, you notice a small hole in the cliff. What's more, you think you caught a glimpse of a white light coming from inside. You can either investigate it or not.
Why not, honestly?
As you approach the hole, a single squirrel merges and bares its teeth at you in a threatening way. Whatever the source of the light was, you'd have to get through this squirrel first. When you examine your surroundings you notice what seem to be the leftovers of Labyrinth Berries scattered about. Perhaps the squirrel likes to eat those.


Luckily, you happen to have some on hand.
Not having any Labyrinth Berries means the squirrel will electrocute us. The Adventure Episode will end after that.
Oh, what's the harm? Go on, have some!
You take a berry out of your bag and hold it up to the squirrel. While it's wary at first, once it gets its nose close enough to sniff it, it readily accepts. As if to thank you for the gift, it then leaves its burrow. Upon investigation, you find a pile of Lunarian Silver Coins.


(Obtained Lunarian Silver Coin.)
You stuff the coins in your bag and return to exploring.


Encounter with a squirrel

You noticed something shiny in a hole, and peacefully negotiated with its resident to obtain some silver coins.





I went back to town without going up to 9F since going anywhere in the Labyrinth with a dead party member and no Ariadne Thread is really goddamn risky.
Parrot Waddy (+38 ATK, +57 MATK, AGI Up 1, Bronze x3) is made from 1 Parrot Crown (Bounce Parrot rare).

Namioyogi (+47 ATK, +32 MATK, STR Up 1, Bronze x3) is made from 1 Razorstone (2nd Stratum Mine 2).

Magii Irana (+45 ATK, +45 MATK, STR Up 1, Bronze x3) is made from 1 Crested Bird Wing (Bounce Parrot normal) and 1 Chipped Goat Horn (Cliff Goat).

Burial Urn (+39 ATK, +51 MATK, VIT Up 2, Bronze x3) is made from 1 Dolomite (2nd Stratum Mine 1).

Carrot (+41 ATK, +61 MATK, Purifying Flame, Silver x3) is made from 1 Tengu's Long Nose (Haughty Hermit normal). Note that sometimes equipment skills are just normal player skills, not their own unique things--in this case, the Carrot (seriously what's with that name) has the Shaman skill Purifying Flame, aka Not-Monarch March.
Seriously, someone tell me what's up with that name. There are a lot of obscure foreign weapons and items used in this game (I didn't know what a waddy was until I did this, and Magii Irana is Okinawan for Big Scythe), so it's probably some kind of burial device that sounds sort of like carrot?
Slice Armor (+30 DEF, +20 MDEF) is made from 2 Razorstones (2nd Stratum Mine 2) and 2 Pudding Cores (Pop Pudding normal).

Nose Mail (+32 DEF, +26 MDEF) is made from 1 Tengu's Long Nose (Haughty Hermit normal).

Green Leaf (+19 DEF, +29 MDEF) is made from 2 Crested Bird Wings (Bounce Parrot normal).

Wing Mitt (+13 DEF, +14 MDEF) is made from 2 Parrot Crowns (Bounce Parrot rare).

Damper Shield (+19 DEF, +9 MDEF, +15% bash resistance) is made from 1 Poisonous Pudding (Pop Pudding conditional) and 1 Dolomite (2nd Stratum Mine 1).

Luck Necklace (+15 TP, +12 LUC) is made from 1 Rozafern (2nd Stratum Mine 3).


I remembered I had level ups to spend after going back in to the Labyrinth.

I had Lanzon learn Athletic Training to boost his LUC a bit.

I'd say "now we go back to town for real," but I actually have a bit of an optional area to take care of.

SO MANY GODSDAMNED MONKEYS RUN RUN RUN!


Firstly, beeline for the other side of the giant room. Do not stop.

Next, shove this boulder out of the way.

Thirdly, laugh at the baboons' inability to catch you.

Lastly, get into a battle, for karmic retribution.

(Obtained Unihorn.)
Unihorns dispel all enemy buffs and debuffs. Contrary to EO2U, where buffs and debuffs were an incredibly big part of the game, not many bosses in EO5 really buff themselves, so this isn't terribly useful.

(Obtained Gorgon Bow!)
The Gorgon Bow (+50 ATK, +40 MATK, Petrifying Hit) is...interesting. Petrifying Hit costs 3 TP, has the same damage as a normal attack, and attempts to inflict petrification with a 34% base chance.
ugh ailment weapon toss it
It's got a low chance, but given that petrification is normally pretty hard to inflict, with only a few advance classes having weird conditional skills that deal it, it's not a bad thing to keep around.


Okay now it's town time.
My little sister is a-DO-rable. She's got this quiet elegance paired with a blazing seriousness. She's always saying these super cool things like, "I have two terrible role models, so thank you; I know exactly what kind of person not to be when I grow up." Haha, yeahhhh, take that, Sis! Shade! THROWN. Ahahahahaha!
G-Genetta, dear... Perhaps think about who the other "terrible role model" might be?
What huh? You're saying that I'm the other one of the two? She's including me? ...Oh my god, she totally is. N'hawwww... I feel so betraaaaayed...



So, you know, we Brownies stay small even when we're adults, so other races always treat us like we're kids our whole lives. But, frankly, this is more of a point in our favor than anything when you're thinking business- people really let their guard down when they're dealing with kids, merchants or noblemen alike.
Shrewd.
Not to mention that legendary assassin, who approached his targets with an innocent smile that screamed, "I wouldn't hurt a fly," before he-- Why am I telling you all of this?! Hahahahaha! Hey, why don't you just be a pal and forget I said all that, right? Right.
...C-Ceric, is there something you're hiding from us...?


One forge for Iseria's sword.

So you saw a giant mammoth in the Labyrinth?
We had to chart a path around it. I feel that goes beyond "saw it."
I've heard that there's evidence that mammoths like that called "Oliphants" used to live all across the continent of Arcadia. To think an animal from ancient times is still living and breathing in the Labyrinth... Yggdrasil never fails to surprise.


Patrons.

#1: Slender-eyed doctor:
Doctor: Hahaha, I can't believe I ran into another huge nuisance... It's those giant parrots this time. Once they put put up their guard, they'll counterattack no matter how you smack 'em. Beak to the face! Now that's what they call parroting, if you'll pardon the pun. But it doesn't seem like they can counter magical attacks. Not to mention they seemed pretty weak to lightning. Maybe that's what I should be aiming for.
#2: Casmir the bug enthusiast:
Casmir: Hmm... Would you kind folks happen to be interested in bugs?
Oh, yes!
Casmir: I knew it! Kindred souls! You looked like the types! Feel free to come talk to me if you ever miss any notable insects in the Labyrinth. I'd be willing to part with the same type for a reasonable sum!
You can look at and then buy bugs from Casmir. I'm blanking on what they do right now.

Quest time.

#1: New menu development journal II:
So you've taken that one, huh? Thanks. Remember that time you had to go get a giant crayfish claw? Well, I checked out the restaurant, and apparently the client was just an airhead. The manager was really giving him hell for it, asking him how the hell anyone could possibly get that mixed up, when they already had plenty of shellfish anyway. But to cut a long story short, they tried cooking it anyway and the customers loved it. The restaurant's getting pretty popular, so no harm no foul. Anyway, this request is from the same scatterbrained client. This time he wants 1 Milk, 2 Eggs, and 3 Wheat. All sounds pretty normal to me, so at least we don't have to worry about this being another mix up. And if you don't have a way to get the goods, maybe you could even just buy them from the merchants who sometimes stop by the bar. Either way, good luck.
#2: A favor for Ceric I:
So you've taken that one? Okay. That one's...let's see here...oh, it's from Ceric. That's the third one you've taken from him, so do I even need to explain? Just go talk to him to confirm what he wants. And be careful out there.


Quest patron: Man with large pack:
Pack Man: Hm? You need something? Oh, you're wondering what's in this bag? Ingredients, mostly. I come to town to sell them. What, you need some? I'd be happy to sell you them if I've got 'em. ...Hmm, so you need Milk, Wheat, and Eggs? Sure thing.


I, uh... It turns out I already have everything.







Looks like you've got the ingredients. Thank you. Hopefully the kid won't get scolded this time. I'll be delivering them, as usual. Here's your reward, and keep it up.


(Obtained 1800 en.)


I forgot to spend the level ups before ending the update. WHOOPS.


If you're floundering with monsters, take a breather on lower floors you've already explored. Give yourself a bit to tweak your set-up. Especially equipment; you want to be balanced between "kill" and "don't die." It's work, and it's boring as hell, but it'll save your life.



...Hmnaaaaauuuuuuunnnngggghhh.
You okay? That's an exhausted yawn if I've ever heard one.
Oh. It's you all. I'm, er, I'm sorry, I should be more on point in front of you. I'm just tired. The Council's been very busy mediating disputes between the four races--they were bound to occur with us all in one town, but I can't help but feel drained. In all honesty, I'd appreciate it if you'd come to talk like this more often; it's a nice change of pace.
And that does it for 8F. Next time: 9F.
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