Beyond the Beyond: Update 6.5: More Marion

[ladyabaxa]

Beyond the Beyond: Update 6.5: More Marion

When last we left off Update 6 hit the character limit but the kids weren't done scouring Marion to find out what has happened. Given that their country has just been invaded and taken over by Bandore finding out is pretty important to them right now. Let's catch up with them and see what they're up to.

With new equipment in hand allowing Annie to almost 1-round the starter monsters in the area each time she attacks (Finn's been able to 1-round slimes when he rolls well) we head west to this bridge. Although I'm pretty sure it takes more then one day to cross Marion if we were being realistic since everything is in rpg time and Beyond the Beyond has no day-night cycles it is only a few minutes (and some random battles) of walking over grasslands. Sure Prince Edward is scheduled to be executed tomorrow but "tomorrow" will never come.

Either that or, following their easy victory, Bandore is partying hard right now and keeps pushing back the execution date out of sheer drunken laziness. That sounds like fun so we'll run with that explanation.

Stepping on the tile next to the bridge brings us to a stone structure. Nobody seems to be home so we head inside.

Percy, question.
Yeah?
Did Marion used to have a garrison here? It seems pretty empty.
Of course they did.
So how did Bandore cross into Marion without our side knowing it?
That's... a damn good question.
Prrr. This is quite a remote post in the kingdom is it not?
Yes it is, er well I should say was, one of those posts way off by itself.
Didn't Dad keep new recruits in line by threatening to assign them here?
Hahaha! Yeah he did!
That still doesn't answer my question.
Okay, in hindsight sending the worst and most dysfunctional knights to guard the border with a hostile nation wasn't such a good idea but Bandore barely protected their side of the bridge. It never seemed to be a big deal to anyone. As long as the seasonal reports back to the capital said nothing was wrong and there were no emergencies this place largely ran itself.
Bandore is far, far away from here. I bet their soldiers didn't like being sent to a place so remote for them either. Prrr. Lonely for both garrisons...
How old is this bridge anyway?
I have no idea. It's just always been here. Hey, that reminds me. The next time we're in Isla we should ask Dad about this bridge. Maybe he knows how Bandore crossed the border during the last war.

Inside we find a small room with an empty pot and a staircase down. Below that is a set of stairs and the exit to the floor below. These are separate screens in game but I merged the screenshots together to save screen space.

Down that staircase we come to where the guardhouse meets the actual bridge. Unfortunately it appears to be blocked off right now.

Halt, citizen! In the name of the Emperor of Bandore and Lord Shutat, no one is allowed to cross.
Not even for emergencies?
NO! Unless you have official orders beat it!
Okay, okay, we're going! You don't have to get hostile!

Well we've checked one bridge so we might as well check the other one. On the way there we pass by Isla Village and being good little spies drop by to report what we've seen. Also because we've tripped another event flag and a couple NPCs have updated dialogue.

Welcome back, Finn! Have you noticed anything odd?
What do you mean?
Bandore is behaving strangely. We should be careful.
Strange? How so?
You know? The sightings of their scouts in the countryside? Huh? Why do you look so depressed? Did something happen at Marion Castle?
Umm...
I guess not... Wa ha ha!

Gee, Grandpa keeps talking about noises at night.
Noises?
Why won't he shut up?! There's nothing going on here.
But...
*pulls Finn away* Finn, let them have their ignorance right now.
I don't understand, Percy. You're a knight. Don't you want to warn them of the danger?
Do you see that look in their eyes? They're terrified. They already know something is terribly wrong. The laughter and denial are what's keeping them going right now. Don't rob them of their small comfort.
Okay... I guess.

You're back sooner then I expected. Sonya, dear...
I know, darling. I have some work to do out in the yard.
Mom?
If I don't hear what is said I can't be forced to repeat it later. *leaves the room*
Now then. What news is there?
We've been gone for a week. You really expected us to take longer? The roads were open everywhere we went.
Finn I don't have over thirty years of experience in the service for nothing. Now out with it.
Bandore troops are crawling all over the capital, Dad. It was weird. Finn, Steiner, and myself were able to walk into the castle courtyard and none of the soldiers seemed to care.
They just don't expect kids to be a threat.
Well, it's true. We're not much of a threat to them.
Yeah but the castle was, uh, what's the word I'm looking for? Pristine?
Yes Percy did say he was completely surprised by their nighttime assault. Hmm, that is troubling. We never stood a chance.
Not entirely. Sir Samson is still alive but Bandore is threatening to execute Prince Edward if he doesn't turn himself in.
Yeah but they keep pushing the execution date back. They keep saying "at dawn tomorrow!" but nothing ever comes of it.
If they kill Edward they'd have nothing to threaten Sir Samson with. Classic blustering. We don't need to worry about the prince right now. Bandore won't play their hand unless something forces them to.
Should we help him if an opportunity presents itself, though?
*laughs* Of course, but don't get careless. Now then, is there any news of the king?
Nothing so far. Everyone in town is talking about the prince or what the soldiers have done to them personally.
Hmm, alright, thank you. Keep your eyes and ears open for any other news. Bandore soldiers haven't bothered us yet. I'm not sure they know where this village is and I don't think anyone in Isla has noticed a change in Marion yet, but anything can happen. I'll stay and protect Isla so you guys take care of Marion, all right?
Sure thing Dad! Oh! Don't forget the bridge, Percy.
What's this about a bridge?
I didn't forget, sis. Dad, we checked on the western bridge and it's controlled by Bandore now. We wanted to ask you, since you might know, how did Bandore cross the border during the last war?
Ahh, yes. I know what bridge you're talking about now. Well to answer your question it's quite simple really. Bandore sits on the coast of Aridia locked between rivers and volcanic mountains. To survive in that harsh land they long ago established sea trade with other countries and townships. Pirates are a constant thorn in their side. To deal with them Bandore has built up quite a navy over the years.
You mean they didn't invade by crossing the bridge last time?
Precisely. Bandore may be far away but they've gotten better at moving their army by sea. I suspect they invaded Marion much like they did last time - by landing troops on our southern shores. There's heavy forest there and few people live on that patch of coast because of the constant threat of pirate attack. The Knights have never really had the numbers necessary to keep a close watch down there
No one thought to do anything about it?
What could we do? Marion doesn't have any shipyards and the crown has always refused to build any under the pretense it might be seen as an act of aggression by Bandore. The Marion Knights successfully fought off the last invasion in a huge battle just south of the capital. After that the crown seemed convinced we couldn't be beaten by Bandore in direct combat. It's not like a ship can attack the capital directly.
The knights became complacent...
...Finn, did you learn what happened to your father?
No. Nothing. I'm sorry.
You have nothing to be sorry about. The four of you had best leave the village for awhile. If you're seen coming and going often people will get suspicious.

As Galahad recommends we depart from Isla Village and continue on our original plan of checking the eastern bridge. If you're unclear of our route thus far consult the map of Marion Kingdom provided earlier in this update.

Along the way we run into some new enemies. Kobolds and Killer Bees are only slightly stronger then the starter monsters we have been fighting but it brings in a couple of new features. Killer Bees can poison people when they score critical hits. This is also the first battle screenshot with Percy in it. He does rather stand out compared to his younger companions doesn't he?

Kobolds are the first of several enemies that will sometimes run away by jumping clean off the battlefield. I guess the animators didn't want to have to draw running and flying away sprites for everybody. Instead people in this world are able to make any Final Fantasy dragoon jealous by use of situational jumping skills.

After a couple of battles the group reaches the eastern bridge. It's identical to the western version except the tilemaps are flipped horizontally and a couple of empty pots are strewn about. Even the guards say the exact same thing. Since we can't cross and there's nothing to do here let's keep moving.

Just north of the bridge is this remote church that exists on Marion's far eastern border. In fact its name is Border Church.

The church has its own graveyard but there's nothing readable on any of the tombstones nor do they hold fabulous treasure. Bummer. At least the undead aren't clawing their way out to attack us. Then again neither Darksol nor Dava are in this game. The stained glass windows are pretty though.

Tucked away amongst the bushes on the other side is the most valuable item in the game - a solitary Resist Jewel. Why is this so valuable? All will become clear later when I put it to use. It won't be soon though. For right now Finn tucks this into his pocket alongside his drug stash and goes on his merry little way.

Inside is quite a spacious church. There's an antidote in a pot to the right and a bookcase on the left with a copy of "Marion Church Dictionary Vol. 1" for our non-reading pleasure.

Checking the save screen I realize I should probably be hard saving a bit more often. Some spoilery things have been blacked out but Beyond the Beyond is at least more generous with save slots then any of Camelot's rpgs up to this point. Six save slots? *swoon* (I'm only half-joking here. Shining Force 2 has a whopping 2 save slots on its cart and that can get frustrating if you're like me and try to always have a back-up save in case you break the game.)

In other news Beyond the Beyond is rather merciful in preventing accidentally overwriting a save file. After choosing a slot a Yes/No prompt comes up where the cursor defaults on No. This catches me by surprise way more often then it probably should so I usually have to go through the whole process a few times to get it right. It still beats losing a critical save via misclick by a long shot so I will take the mild inconvenience.

Welcome! How can I, a servant of Arawn, help you today?
Krrr! This is a really nice church!
Why thank you little dragon.
Wait? You're not scared a dragon is talking to you?
Should I be?
0.o
Ha, ha, ha! I think someone's finally thrown Steiner for a loop!
He's right though. I've never seen a church this impressive. Why is it all the way out here though?
This is a very old shrine that has long served as a stopping point for people journeying between Marion and Zalagoon. The priests would give food and shelter to the hungry and sick and in return those who could spare a few coins would show their appreciation for Arawn's mercy.
I can see a path out back. Where does that go?
That's part of an old hiking path that leads to the original shrine farther up the mountain.
The original shrine?
Yes. It hasn't been used in a long time though. When the shrine needed to be repaired this chapel was built. Now and then pilgrims will go there but most visitors are content to pray and rest here. With the recent disturbances I'm afraid I had to close it to all visitors.
Disturbances? You mean Bandore soldiers have come here?
Yes but as you can see I'm the only one here and I have nothing of value to them.
You said you closed the shrine. Did Bandore try to search it?
Please understand young man that although I can tell from the insignia on your sword that you're one of the Marion Knights I cannot get involved in this conflict. The church must remain neutral so that we may continue to serve all of Arawn's people. I can only say that I am not currently in need of the Knights' assistance.
*grumbles* All right.
Is there anything else you children would like to know?
No. I think we're good.
It was nice meeting you.
I have few visitors these days. It was a pleasure talking to you - even you little dragon. Arawn is guiding you, always! Come back anytime!

Well we've run out of NPCs to chat with save a handful in Marion Town.

Next time on Beyond the Beyond - just where did Samson wander off to anyway?

Update Six | Index | Update Seven

Comments

[omnimirror.livejournal.com]

This is an awesome read. I'm enjoying the extra dialogue that's going on between the characters. More importantly, I'm glad to hear you're doing at least a little better (aside from the monthly respiratory infections). Hopefully your health will trend upward going forward. :) Have fun with the rest of this project, and I hope life in general is going well for you.

[ladyabaxa.livejournal.com]

Thank you I am feeling a bit better. Not constantly being around allergic triggers helps. This project has been a lot of work so far but I love narrative LPs and have wanted to try writing one for a couple years now. Oddly enough I'm actually finishing up an update that will be posted months from now while listening to J. Michael Straczynski's audio commentary in Bablyon 5's first season. I watched the hell out that show as a kid.