Update 40: Beautiful Fighter! Dangerous Dryad (Nameless vs. Dryad)
Magda, please. Please tell them. They've been laughing at me all day. I dunno, I think it's pretty funny too! Plus, it's not like you see Gram saying anything. It's a rite of passage to get laughed at, Kaelin. Same thing happened t' me when I was your age. Buck up, buddy! You don't understand.
You see, she lives in a faraway country, you can't meet her. But she has the biggest-- Dictionary! Hahahahaha! It's funny entirely because it's true!
So? After all these months, you're really gonna blame them for poking fun at you that way? That's not all, though. Some of their jokes are even becoming...licentious.
It is undignified of me to laugh at this juncture. I will not laugh. And with all the ancient ma'jycks of the Lunarians at my whim, I bequeath unto you the forbidden incantation: Lemme Smash!! Gghhhkkk...kkkha... Hahahahahahahaha!
So, Genetta, you seem to be doing quite well so far. Hehehehe, I'm so popular! It seems like everyone wants to be my friend! ...But they're all explorers! Everyone in this town is an explorer! Nobody my age hanging out being socially acceptably anti-establishment anywhere! ...You remember Sasha, yes? Iseria? Jana? ...Kaelin? ...Ugh, myself? Except the explorers who are my age but you know what I mean. I guess making friends is a challenge akin to the carp's trek up the waterfall to morph into a mighty dragon WAIT I JUST HAD AN IDEA! Let's go to the bar! For information! That's what bars are for, right? Being tutorialized? Let's hit the bar, my friends! Bar hopping! I just know there'll be a hint waiting there, at the bar! To the bar! Bar! Hey, Raven, what was that thing you and Mio called Genetta? Moe? Yeah, uh, are moh-ayy characters usually this...hyper? Sometimes! ...I'unno what you guys see in them, really.
That Genetta...thing prompts a quest bar patron to spawn.
Man looking at the menu:
B&E Expert: Oh, who are you? You need something? Yes. Would you happen to know of anyone in town around Genetta's age? B&E Expert: Genetta? You mean that Genetta who works at the inn? Hmm, let's see... Oh, I know, there's been a rumor lately about people seeing a girl beyond the locked door on floor 3. Uh. B&E Expert: If it's true, then maybe she'd be a good friend for Genetta? Well, the stories do say she had something of a dangerous feeling about her, but what do you expect from someone who can walk around the Labyrinth on their own? Just be careful if you're going. My self-preservation instincts are screaming right now.
See? I told you! Bars are for tutorializing, and that's tutoriamazing! Wahoo! Anyway, so if what that lovely gentleman said is true, then we can meet a girl in the Labyrinth! Haste breaks down waste! Let's go, let's go, let's go, let's go, let's go! Genetta. Please take a moment to evaluate the situation. If no-one has seen this girl in town, and she spends most of her time in the Labyrinth, what conclusion does that obviously lead to? I can't wait to make my first friend oh MAN I'm so excited-- Actually I have to go tell my older sister to take care of the inn and stop being so drunk all the time. Meet me there?! ... Now you know how I feel.
You stop as hear a familiar voice.
Sorry I'm late, I, uh, hah, it uh it took longer to catch my sister than I thought it would. To make up for making you wait, I offer you my fleshy body in service! P-please don't ever s-say that again! ...Come to think of it, this is the second time I've joined your party, isn't it? Perfect chance to show you the results of my training under the rushing waters of the inn's sink! Gwahahahahaha, let's get this done! Okay? Okay! Great!
(Genetta has joined the party.)
...Is that... Greg? With Frederich on his back? Genetta asked Gram if she could borrow Greg as a mode of transport for Friedrich. Y'know, I've seen a lotta Hounds, with either a dog, bird, or both... But I've never seen one with a cat.
Genetta has actual skills this time, compared to when she was with us for that Owlbear fight. She knows level 10 Dog Whistle, has a level 5 Target Arrow, and decently-leveled Hunter Shot and Foot Pierce. As all of that might imply, she actually has a bow this time as well.
We may have mentioned this earlier (or not), but if we'd had two Hounds in the same party, they'd be able to share the same pets. By which I mean they could both give dog commands on the same turn and the dog would simply get two actions that turn. Technically this makes each extra Hound in your party add more value than the last, since you're losing relatively less auto-attack damage from the pets. Er... I mean normally when you use a pet attack with the Hound (which are most of them) you have to mentally subtract 100% pet damage from the effective damage of the skill. But the extra Hounds don't. So it's better to have 5 Hounds than 1. You heard it here first.
So what you're saying is that a party based entirely around giving a good dog pets is in fact extremely optimal?
As you ascend the stairs while hunting for a friend for Genetta, you notice some kind of unknown object. Can we go five steps in this place without bumping into a monster?
What's that? Ooh, I should poke it! Genetta approaches the mysterious object with you right behind her. Is everyone prepared for battle? I figured this would happen, so, yep.
Good morning.
I hope you've enjoyed what will be your last sunrise.
Right before your eyes, something that looks like a girl emerges. That said, this creature is clearly inhuman, and must be some kind of monster! While it is young in appearance, the threat you feel from it is far beyond anything from this stratum! However, your thoughts are interrupted by a cheerful voice from beside you.
Oh, wow! Are you the girl from the rumors?! Whatcha doing all alone up here? Hi, my name's Genetta, I run an inn back in town. I-- You, get back right-- Apparently not realizing that this is a monster, she carelessly approaches it even closer. You grab her arm and pull her away. That's when you notice something about the area. There are human bodies piled up everywhere, most likely the work of this monster! As you look around in horror, the monster begins to make a noise like a chuckle. It seems to enjoy your reaction. Oogh... Okay, gotta just pretend the bodies aren't there... ...I can't believe this. Why?! Why must you walk this evil road?! As you were wondering what to do, Genetta, who had been strangely quiet for a few moments, suddenly raises her voice. You can hardly believe it's her, since she sounds angrier than you've ever heard her. I had briefly known the elation of making a friend, but... Has nobody taught you that murder just isn't right?! Oooh, Miss Genetta's RAGE VOLTAGE is rising! Come, peasant! Allow me to teach you the path of a good Therian! With those harsh words, she takes up a battle stance. It seems she intends to defeat the monster alongside you. If you're ready, then start the battle to take down this fiendish beast! I'll get over my incredulity at Genetta being combat-capable later. For now, I've got some...ugh, bombs...that need testing.
Hey, Cecil, 50000 en says I kill this monster...girl...thing while doing acrobatics on her tendrils! I will accept this wager. Now, please, focus on ending her.
Hey, look, our first proper fight with End of the Raging Waves as the music.
It's not Scatter About. Oh happy day.
I could open the fight by using Chain Blast for binds, but that feels a bit overkill when Dryad doesn't have any accumulative resistance. I'll have Cecil use One-Two instead, with infliction chance amplification courtesy of Black Mist.
Brittle Miasma is basically Raven's standard way of opening fights while he's in the Death-Warding spec.
Four Gods is literally the only thing Jana is going to do this fight.
Kaelin's going to cycle between Multistrike Fireballs and Multistrike Earth Spikes.
Panic is an insanely powerful ailment and Dryad has a 75% vulnerability to it. Ergo, Magda's going to try to inflict it.
On the off-chance Cecil doesn't inflict arm/leg binds, Genetta will try to provide backup on that front.
Oh, come on, I had to get special herbs for that one.
Four Gods isn't nearly as fun as something like, say, Lead Blow or Scythe of Transience, I'll admit. However, one shouldn't neglect the fact that Jana has the highest non-conditional damage output of anyone in our guild. She doesn't need any setup, she can just start hitting from the word go. She did about 1200 damage here, for example.
Dryad always seems to open with Outburst, so binding her legs was the really important part though. Would've been nice to get a head bind too, though.
Kaelin does what he does best.
Dryad doing...that...is telegraphing that she's about to use Earth Healing. In other words, it's the game blaring a very loud siren warning you to EITHER PANIC HER OR BIND HER HEAD IMMEDIATELY.
Grrr... I... I thought you didn't like doing this disabling stuff? Why are you getting angry it's not working? If I'm doomed to a fate I don't want, I might as well be good at it.
CEASE.
No Earth Healing for you.
...That cat's got some serious bite.
Genetta's damage isn't wow fantastic, but hey, it's not terrible either.
Man, I love Scythe of Transience.
Lead Blow is similarly fun, even if it's not quite as punchy. ...Punchy in terms of damage, but-- Oh, never mind.
Finally.
And now Cecil has a full Lead Blow combo.
I'd normally say "dammit" at the binds falling off, but I've still got a decent chance at re-inflicting them.
Now that the head bind has fallen off...
Let's Chain Blast this idiot.
Hey, Kaelin, didja conjure up those chains with the power of love? I implore you, Jana, STOP. Oh my, the mighty Kaelin imploring someone and using their actual name while doing it? Pfft.
Kablooie. Yes.
Dryad is not long for this world.
...Here's your ental. Thank you very much.
(Defeated Dryad!)
...Oops.
I, uh, left the 3x EXP accessory on Cecil after using it to grind up a few levels. Oops. Whatever, it doesn't matter too much.
Cecil walks the path of a good Saiyan.
The girl and the enormous vegetation connected to her give out a scream before suddenly collapsing like a puppet with its strings cut. Once she's confirmed that the fighting is over, Genetta slowly walks over to its corpse. With tears in her eyes, she gently bends down and touches its face.
Sayonara... My dearest friend. When did you become friends with that literal monster? Um, m-more importantly... Don't let it get you down... I guess. Oh, you're just too kind... Thanks. This... It was inevitable. It's a message all Therians learn in our childhood reading: martial artists bond and communicate through their fists. Don't worry, Dora, mistress of the vegetation. You communicated your feelings splendidly. K...kuh...! Kuuaaaauuuughhhh! Genetta. You're scaring me. ...M-my friends... My request ends here. I'll go back to the inn ahead of you. ...No, I need no comfort... This is all just the folly of our youth. Excuse me.
With those words, Genetta takes out an Ariadne Thread and returns to town. ...What just happened? Sometimes I wonder if we're going to leave town without ever truly understanding Genetta. There's not much here for you to do other than shrug your shoulders at it all, so you turn to leave. However, that's when you notice that your bodies are overflowing with strength! Could it be that fighting the Dryad has awakened something within you? You feel like you can grow even stronger than before.
The level cap has been increased to 80!
Dryad's the first of a trio of postgame bosses that increase our level cap upon defeating them, replacing the dragon trio from previous EO games. Oliphant is not in this group, incidentally.
So you finished Genetta's request. She came by to tell me herself: sounds like you made a friend for her. Um. Not...really. Oh? But that's what she told me. "Today, Miss Genetta has made an irreplaceable friend, and we all had a lot of fun in the Labyrinth! It was kinda like having a birthday party, except my older sister was actually awake and not hung over!" Or something like that. Man, and I thought my sisters were a bit annoying at times... I can't always follow what she's saying, but she sure seemed happy anyway. Anyway, since you fulflled her request, here's you reward. Good work. I'll let you know if another request comes in.
Obtained 5 Amrita IIs.
I remembered to take off the EXP accessory for this.
That does it for now! Next time: maybe a few quests I have in my backlog, followed by 27F.
Everyone. I have dire news. Lay it on me. Kaelin wasn't lying. He does have a girlfriend. And it's Magda. ...aaaaaaaAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA Oh no! C-Cecil! No, it's funny, but it's not that funny! Get-- Get a medic! Get a medic over here! I don't think he can breathe! Sorry, she's too busy snogging Kaelin! Hahahaha, oh no, that shouldn't be funny but it is!
Amrita IIs.
