Beyond the Beyond: Update 75: The Plight of the Navigator (to Barbaros)

[ladyabaxa]

Beyond the Beyond: Update 75: The Plight of the Navigator (to Barbaros)

When last we saw our adventurers they had made a long trip along the northern coast of Gebergheim and Greenheim. Although they didn't find any clues as to the whereabouts of Shutat and the lost battleship they did come across some elves, a sidequest that cannot be addressed until much later, and an odd little cave. Now however they have another target for their journey.

That target would be a place they've heard about several times: Barbaros. Although they were already headed in Zalagoon's direction I went ahead and warped there with the Light Orb to save some time. Thanks to the restoration pot in that little cave they didn't even need to stop by the inn to heal up.

I still don't understand why Edward insists on living outside the castle while he's here. Surely his aunt and uncle would provide a room for him if he asked, right?
He's lived in a castle his whole life. Maybe he just wants a change of scenery for awhile?
Besides if anyone tries to rob him he can just set them on fire!
That too.
Praaar! Zalagoon's a pretty town anyway. I'd live outside the castle too!
Speaking of people who'd set you on fire if you tried to rob them...
Except that A, Steiner doesn't breath fire and B, he doesn't carry anything with him to steal.
Why would I need to breath fire anyway? That's what you humans are for.

Are you kids sure you want to go to Barbaros?
It's just about the only place we haven't been to yet. Why do you ask?
I'm not sure I agree with this decision.
What? Worried about all that talk of noble savages and what not?
Barbaros seems to like being cut off from the rest of the world. Hmm...
I can't speak for anyone else but I promise I'll be on my best behavior while we're there.
I promise not to kill anyone unless they try to kill me first.
What? Why's everyone looking at me? I'm not making any promises. I know better!
It seems you've been outvoted, Samson.
That's not...! Agh, whatever. Let's just get this over with.

(Click for full size version.)

So we want to go to Barbaros. That's easier said than done. Even when launching from Zalagoon (which is the fastest and most efficient way) it's still a bit of a slog. I could start at Leaf Village, go south around Aridia, then turn north but that trip is slightly longer and a bit more dangerous. It's also a great way to take a wrong turn and waste a whole bunch of time. Jonowan would be a decent option but it's a bit too far south for my liking. Ophera would also be a good choice to launch from as it's almost directly west from Barbaros. I opted for Zalagoon since Edward was already there.

The ship pulls out of the now-familiar bay near Zalagoon Castle.

Sir Samson's worried about going somewhere? Should we be concerned?
From what I've heard there's nothing to be too scared of.
I never said I was scared.
You're just worried about something.
It's just kind of weird to hear you talk like that.
Well he's not a diplomat and if we go to Barbaros he'd basically be representing Marion.
So Finn and I don't represent Marion? Hmm, that sounds about right.
Does that mean we should bring Edward with us? We can still do that.
Ha! Our giant friend will have to cope.
You're enjoying this aren't you?
I will admit this brings me a certain degree of joy.

Thanks to the bickering and snickering the group doesn't notice a Succubus and a Siren Harpy fly onto their boat.

What about those monsters? Do they get a say in this?

The result of being ambushed is entirely predictable. We were lagging on being the target of group nukes. The game has clearly decided that it is time for us to catch up.

For her part the Succubus decides to beat the stuffing out of Finn.

What the hell? Isn't Tont the one you should be angry at?
Hey I might magically compel them to fight for me but I otherwise treat them right!
That's rather easy to do when they only stick around for a few minutes.
Hey I make those few minutes count.

Tont manages to defeat an enemy with a physical attack. I can't decide whether this indicates the team is getting seriously overleveled for the enemies they're facing or if Succubi are just low on the defense scale for their tier. It is nice that he can do this from time to time and save some MP.

Unfortunately Finn doesn't get to avoid being groggied because the Siren Harpy decided to chain nuke. This was a Wind 1 spell. I figured a Wind 2 or possibly Ice 2 spell was probably incoming so I had Domino defending. That explains why he took half damage from this spell.

Naturally of course while waiting for Finn to recover so he doesn't miss the experience award the team takes another Wind 1 spell. Like I said the game has decided the team hasn't been nuked enough and is going to amend that little... oversight. I don't even know why I bat an eye at this stuff any more. We've cleared established that Beyond the Beyond is full of hatred for the player.

But hey at least Domino hit level 19 after this fight so it wasn't a complete waste of time!

After reaching the northwestern edge of Gebergheim the team turns south and sees some small breaks in the shoal line. This doesn't make it any easier to find Mistrall but it does make for a slightly shorter walk.

So why do all the elves live around here?
Maybe they're scared of humans?
Elves live on other continents around humans. This part of the world is just weird.
Weee! We get the weird part!
You just made Steiner's day.
Woohoo! *flies around excitedly*

Well at least this trip is fun for someone.

Venom Giants will live up to the venom in their name if they get a critical hit in. All it means at this point is that Annie has to spend a turn using Cure 1. Finn doesn't even take any damage from the poison because Annie goes first.

The same Venom Giant then drops a Cure Herb. Uh, thanks, I guess? I didn't need said herb and I won't use it but the thought counts.

Continuing south the kids see the bridge that connects Aridia to Gebergheim. I'm pointing this out because this bridge and the one connecting Gebergheim and Greenheim are the reason we have to either take a long continent-rounding path or our route from Zalagoon if we want to reach any destination that's on the "exterior" face of the continents. Those two bridges are impossible to sail through them which effectively breaks the game's ocean into two zones. Given how frequent random encounters are getting anywhere in a timely fashion requires understanding that fact.

The team continues to hug Bandore's western coast and eventually spots this stretch of peaks that borders the ocean. There are no hidden caves around here. They just have to continue south.

So that's the western border of Barbaros?
Maybe. It depends on what the locals consider part of their kingdom.
Is this place full of volcanoes like Bandore?
Not that I know of.
I'm starting to understand why no bothers to visit Barbaros.
Not many people out here, honestly. Can't blame 'em. This land isn't friendly to humans.
Hey, Tont, I think we might be getting close to finding a spot for your evil lair.
Those mountains do have some promise.

The enemies who somehow manage to get aboard the boat are things we've seen before. Here are a pair of Evil Summoners and a pair of Giant Goblins. Giant Goblins are exactly what their name suggests (and seriously, giant goblins) but I'm still at a loss as to how the Evil Summoners are evil. They've never really done anything but attack the party. I suppose from the team's perspective that's evil.

Oh hey this might be interesting!

Interesting? I don't want some freaky spirit or something dropped on my head. Steiner!
Let's do this! RAWR!

A tiny dragon roar spells the doom of one Evil Summoner. We hardly knew ya! A 64 damage critical hit - that might be a new record for Finn.

The next thing that happens is the other Evil Summoner tosses out some sleeping powder. Despite the levels the team has gained they're still near the stop of the turn order. Fortunately it only worked on Finn and Annie and they already took their turns that round.

Sometimes I wish attacks would wake up sleeping characters. It would prevent silly things like double attacks going unnoticed by sleepers.

Tont had to use an herb to try to head off the possibility that Annie might end the fight groggied.

Finn manages to wake up before the last opponent is killed.

Agh! What happened? Did we win?
Almost. That goblin over there really should just run away.
But what if they can't swim?
Still better odds than fighting us!

And Domino gets the finishing blow.

If they valued their lives they wouldn't invade my ship to begin with.
Do you think they have any idea what they're signing up for when they volunteer for that?
Don't care.

Eventually the ship manages to crawl its way to the mouth of a river where the shoals split and open water allows the ship to approach the river banks. There's also a break in the high mountains showing off plains and forests.

Where to now?
Do we hike it from here?
No.
Huh? Then what do we do?
We sail on.

What? Up the river?
Aye. Barbaros is on the northern side. I know it looks peaceful but trust me that river's a beast. Those deep waters have claimed many since I took to the water. We won't make it across unless moor the ship to the northern shore.
If the other kingdoms can manage to build bridges why not Barbaros?
I don't think Barbaros has any control over this land. It's very wild.
Awesome!
Will your ship make it against the current?
I've done it before. Once. We'll have to use the oars.
Sooo then it's a good thing we've got Samson with us?
Aye. Come. We have to lower the sails first.

Barbaros's corner of the manual map isn't all that helpful for finding the actual route to it. It makes it look like there are layers of mountains surrounding the castle which should be impassable and thus require air travel. That's a bit misleading but thankfully it is otherwise geographically accurate enough to get a start. The team launched from Zalagoon rather than Leaf Town because there are two rivers that reach the sea in this area but only one leads to Zalagoon. The southern river leads to a part of Aridia that is uninhabited and only serves to get the player turned around.

Given the way that random encounters zones are laid out this leads to some... well let's just say someone new to the game might be in for a rude surprise.

As the team makes its way up the river the random encounters keep on rolling in. The game does serve up some larger, more interesting formations like this group. Two Vampire Bats, two Hydras, and a Dark Elf thrown in for good measure.

You know what? Elves do live all over the place. Most of them just aren't friendly.
I wonder why. It's not like we've done anything to them.
You mean besides all the relatives we've killed?
Hey, they attacked us! It was self defense!
I never said it wasn't. I'm just pointing out that the other elves might not care about that little technicality.

All things considered the battle goes smoothly. The team manages to not get Thunder 2ed!

Why are there so many damn bats everywhere?
Is that a rhetorical question?
No! I really wanna know! Where do these things keep coming from?
I don't know. I guess bats have just been very successful at breeding in the last few years.
Oooohh, maybe there's someone running a breeding program or two. Somebody who loves bats!
Whoever they are they need to stop! This is beyond ridiculous!
Pryaar! Finn's going into another episode.
Is he going to start hyperventilating again? We still have a lot of rowing to do.
I just don't like bats, okay?
Just think, Finn, Shutat could have big bat ears instead of horns!
That is an image I don't need right now!
If Shutat were smart about this he'd show up dressed as a giant bat.
A man dressed as a bat? You humans are weird.
He could sneak around at night terrorizing the good people of the world from the shadows!
Yeah but then Shutat would actually be accomplishing something.
Well he did convince the emperor to build an awesome new battleship which he stole and used to kill the emperor. Isn't that an accomplishment?
About as much as me picking lint out of my toenails.
I'm perfectly happy if he gets nowhere, sis. Honest!

Tont actually found an excuse to summon Undine. It makes short work of the Hydras and seriously damages the other two enemies.

You know I think I might have an idea about why some elves might hate us.
Oh? Do tell.
They probably think we're rude for blathering on while they're standing there.
If one walked up, introduced themselves, and invited us to a tea party I'd be all ears.

After a backbreaking amount of work the team manages to get Domino's boat up the river and weigh anchor. At least they don't have to park as far away as possible and hike over woodlands and across bridges. Just don't think too hard about the fact that Beyond the Beyond has actually managed to be a bit merciful in a way that's designed to leave one wondering just how the hell Domino's ship manages to do that.

After disembarking the team has days of slow, painful hiking through mountainous terrain to trudge through.

Are we there yet?
I don't see any signs of civilization so I'm saying no.
How did anyone get all the way out here to begin with?
They got very, very lost and stayed that way?
I really hope nothing weird happens once we get there. I might just sleep for a week before we head back.

It's a tossup if the encounter rate is higher out at sea or in rocky terrain. It feels about the same rate: every four or five steps. Fortunately it's all stuff the team can kill in two or three hits. Remember when an Evil Summoner was part of what the game tried to pass off as a boss battle way back in the reclamation of Marion Castle? To think the developers thought they'd still be a decent threat to a party by this point.

That doesn't mean Annie doesn't stay busy. Quite the opposite.

So is that your favorite spell yet?
I'd prefer a spell that keeps us out of trouble to begin with but until I figure that out this will do.

The rocky crags hide all sorts of things like this group of a Dark Elf and two Succubi. A formation like this is pretty much guaranteed to end painfully for the team. They turns their attention to the Succubi because Annie's the only person on our side faster than the Dark Elf. Killing them before this Thunder 2 spell went off was therefore highly unlikely. Finn went next however finishing off the Succubus that Annie double attacked.

Instead of getting an Ice 2 spell Domino just gets kicked in the face and groggied. That's not exactly the most glorious way to be dizzied. At least he recovered the same turn.

So do the bat-winged ladies count as bats, Finn?
No. Not nearly as creepy.
They also haven't tried to bite us.
But the bats we've faced haven't tried to bite either. They've been skilled pugilists.
I don't know what that word means but I'm going to assume it's "good at hurting Finn."
Close enough.

Eventually the team makes its way through the spiral and descend into a thick forest. One day they spot a castle peaking out of the forest.

A castle? We're saved!
Unless it's full of bats.
*goes wide-eyed and makes a variety of squeaky noises*
That is an excellent bat impression, Finn!
Now he's hyperventilating.
Told you I could do it!
Your magic can handle that, right?
We're about to find out.

Next time on Beyond the Beyond - Barbaros!

Update Seventy-four | Index | Update Seventy-six