Time to do that storyline quest.
Metsueno is here to check some of his steampunk devices.
Dehl: “You travel in the outlands often? The grounds here are rife with danger, it seems.”
Metzino: “Don’t worry your little snout; I have several methods of defending myself if need be.”
Wow, condescension and superpower combo. Metsueno is really racking up the sue points.
I’m starting to wonder if we’re supposed to hate him and I just never noticed it before? He’s just so pompous and hateable – And that overconfidence is exactly what leads to his fall.
Tehgonan assumes he means magic, but
Metzino: “Actually, I’ve shied away from magical arts. Weapons are all one needs, right Sikohlon?”
??? Does he know anything about the Sikohlon? It sounds like he’s just throwing around fancy terms he doesn’t actually understand to sound smart, especially because he follows it with “Well, you are a Shra. Shra cannot use magic. They are versed in weapon wielding instead.” in which case why didn’t he just say “shra”?
We then get the conversation we really should have gotten at the trial re: shra and magic. Tehgonan says Dehl totally can use magic and gives us our only in-unverse description of Spirit Crush: “Show him that thing where you turn his soul inside out!” So apparently Dehl is destroying people’s souls! Such a pacifist.
Metzino: “Hmm. All tests the scholars have conducted showed a lack of elemental manipulation. Some were able to crudely control and project energies and forms already in their grasp…”
Okay but what does that even mean.
I’ve mentioned before that the magic system here is pretty loose; the wild variation and inconsistency with various characters’ abilities makes it seem more like an excuse for cool powers rather than a consistent, well-defined system. But then we hit Fortifel and it all becomes a tangled mess because the story tries to use the magic system as a plot point and insist it totally makes sense.
Logically, what is the difference between controlling energies “already in their grasp” and… however the other species do it? (They draw in energy from the surroundings, I guess.) It should still be the same process, just with a different source. They’re still performing magical energy manipulation if they can pull off the same flashy effects.
Granted, I can see the elitist Fortians jumping on any reason to exclude other casters, but it’s still weird that the game makes such a big deal out of it. The conclusion of Moke’s storyline isn’t that the distinction is purely semantic and the Council was just being a bunch of jerks, implying there’s more going on. The most I can make of this is that the game’s trying to imply that shra magic is fundamentally different and just isn’t expressing that very well.
(I also find it weird that we spend so much time on this but never learn about fih’jik magic. Is that any different? If it’s the same, why? Did Fortian scholars debunking their faith-based magic as a perfectly scientific process cause any friction?)
Anyway, on to the main course. Tehgonan asks what they can do to help.
Metzino: “Hmmhmm, that depends. Are you familiar with magmatic pressure and power delivery?”
“No? Excellent, you won’t steal my design!”
They aren’t, obviously. Dehl suggests Qualstio might. Metzino is all ha, him? No way! So even the most educated member of their group doesn’t know what he’s talking about. There was no point in asking except to humiliate them, then.
“It is so simple that even a Shra can do it, however.”
And he proceeds to rub it in. Dehl just says “We would be happy to assist you […] You’ve done so much for us, after all.” because Dehl is Stockholmed good.
Before they leave, Metzino asks Dehl how he performs in hot environments.
Dehl: “Not particularly. I am cold-tolerant in nature.”
…
Okay, so I’m thinking this is to justify why him being afraid of the snow is odd. If all shra hated cold, it wouldn’t be noteworthy that he’s huddling away from it all the time. And to be fair, magic can excuse a lot. (Also it’s probably an attempt to integrate game and story elements since he’s cold-elemental – for all we know, his blood is liquid nitrogen.)
Still weird, though.
Ques: “The bridges appear enveloped by fire. That is not a normal state, I take it.”
Oh, Ques. Never change.
It’d be interesting if this was the normal state, and a purposeful defense mechanism to keep people from tampering with the device. Come to think of it, why doesn’t that ever come up? We’re constantly told that the Council hates Metsueno’s inventions with a fiery passion, yet there’s never any sabotage attempts and Metsueno seems to leave them largely unmonitored and undefended.
Alito says this occurred because the pressure systems failed, but fortunately there are manual bridge-raising switches which operate on a hackneyed system where only one can be raised per area. He also gives us our objective: the guild has to reset the main pump valves, which is all they need to do to fix everything. Apparently no machinery was broken during this catastrophic pressure failure.
Alito talks a lot about transferring “energy” with this steam system but they don’t have electricity. I suppose he’s talking about heat and pressure, then, but why doesn’t he just say that instead? “Energy” has too much of a connection with electricity in common parlance for this to be anything but awkward and confusing.
Anyway. Unlike the last two, this is a pretty straightforward quest. It’s actually completely linear, too, because key bridges are locked until you reach certain pump valves.
…If it’s disconnected what is it doing here? Is it normally like that, or did it break and that’s what caused the pressure failure? (Also, only “usually” in steam form? What else would this thing expel?)
Ah, this is making me nostalgic for OFF.
It’s a good thing Metsueno made those bridges lava-proof! Everything in Fortifel is, probably.
To the left is a small fireproof sack. It can withstand very high temperatures without igniting. Something is inside… There are some glass-corked bottles inside filled with some dark liquid. This must be fire wine, which ferments readily around high heat. Metzino doesn’t have a drinking problem, so they probably aren’t his. Whose are they, then? Who leaves random wine lying around Metsueno’s contraptions? Aren’t there trespassing laws for that sort of thing? This is therefore a clear case of littering, and must be remedied. Thievery: it’s okay when the heroes do it! I get 5000 clarity essence and, presumably, the anger of some wine brewers.
Because this is an RPG, I have to fight things to progress. At least these ones probably aren’t sentient. Probably.
It’s time to show off Procure Status! It does this really cool circle-scanny animation and then…
…Screw you too, game.
This switch only raises half a bridge, in the process demonstrating that the RTP bridge graphics are really not equipped for what the developer tried to do here. To complete the bridge you just have to go to the other side and throw a symmetrical switch. Meh.
…I guess nobody at Enterbrain thought anyone would want to make T-junctions.
This bridge is weird. You have to flip the left switch on the southern island, which deactivates the northern bridge, forcing you to go all the way around to get here. Like the elemental enchantment “puzzle” earlier, this feels like it’s just artificially padding out the quest with byzantine obstacles rather than anything that requires actual puzzle-solving.
Obsidomina attack! This is unavoidable; it attacks as soon as I step off the bridge. They’re awfully aggressive.
After The Drop, it’s weird to see non-heat obsidomina.
FFFFFFFFFFFFFFF
I try it again and it works. All I can see with rank I is max hit points, but that’s really the most important stat (there are no low-HP high-defense tricks or anything like that, though now that I think of it that would have given more incentive for higher Procure Status levels). Obsidomina have strong bodies but weak minds.
This is the real draw of Procure Status, at least for me. Every enemy has a unique thought snippet, so when Procure Status finally works, you get some neat flavor text for your trouble. It does make me feel bad, though, because if monsters can think then they’re sentient and I shouldn’t be killing them. Some of the thoughts, like this one, are weirder or very simple, which I guess implies their minds aren’t as sophisticated? But in The Drop obsidomina can clearly feel pain and anger, so… :(
I beat this one through soul damage, so it should be okay. Hopefully.
This is the final area. The flames indicate which valves are active… somehow. Colored flames seem pretty magical to me, despite this supposedly being a magic-free system. The fancy-looking thing to the right is the “main line valve” I need to throw to win the quest, but I can’t activate it before the last pump. This last pump is like ten feet away from the main line valve (guarded by a matterfiend because those things are everywhere), which makes it a pretty pointless obstacle. And… that’s it.
I feel like this quest could have been more interesting if it was non-linear. Have the main valve toward the start, and let the sub-valves be activated in any order, perhaps with more sophisticated bridge puzzles to add more challenge.
Metsueno goes on to brag about how “There is not one sparkle of magic in this entire system.” despite the magic flame indicators right there. He then goes into a monologue about how his devices are the future and he hopes to create a world where everyone can contribute to society equally, regardless of magical talent. He implies he’s mainly doing it for shra, even though he’s been kind of a racist dick prior to this.
You know… I want to be on his side here. I really do. Equality is a noble goal, and settings where magic is an innate ability always bother me. But that’s not really the case here. Metsueno talks as if magic in the Reconstructionverse is innate (“life will not be restricted to those blessed [with magic]”), but it doesn’t seem to be. Anyone can learn magic, even shra. And elitist though Fortians may be, they do allow foreigners to join their academies, so magical education is (theoretically) available to everyone. The problem here is institutional, not inherent. Convincing Fortifel to accept shra magic (and maybe making the academies more accessible) is really all you need. Metsueno’s proposition, on the other hand, could very well just replace one form of intellectual dictatorship with another, if mechanical knowledge is similarly controlled. His proposed changes are ultimately just a new skin of paint, and he makes no claim about fixing the underlying problems. No one in Ilganyag knew how his inventions worked; does he plan to change that in his ideal world, or not?
He also has a supervillain-esque line about magic having “no place” in his future society, which implies a Luddite-like rejection of all magical advancements. He’s throwing out the baby with the bathwater and wants to knock the world back to the stone age, all for a paradigm that may not be any better than the current one.
I’m thinking he’s just saying this to make himself look good and really just wants in on that sweet, sweet power monopoly that the Council had before magic tutoring got leaked to Wadassia. Without magic, people would be wholly dependent on his knowledge and inventions. And wouldn’t that be such a fitting conclusion for this arc about a corrupt technocracy? Knowledge is power, and power corrupts.
Ques has something more substantial to say this time:
Ques: Rank 14 acquired. And so swiftly. Friends, I feel I must remind you of our situation. Nearly one year has passed since I was first assigned to manage Ilganyag. My contract will expire soon. Please bear this in mind as you continue your work.”
This is a nice development. In a lot of games, there’s no sense of time passing. You always have the same mission control and missions always have the same format; status quo is eternal. Here, Ques said he’d only be employed for a year, and we’re actually seeing that play out. Ques won’t be with us forever. Changes are brewing.
This cutscene actually occurs if you return to Fortifel at any point, but Metsueno takes the guild back to his mansion at the end of the last quest, which triggers it.
Skint: “I look forward to any fate other than freezing.”
So Dehl is a weird freak, then.
Dehl is naturally all what the heck, Skint? The Fortian says “Th-this Shra is… is trying to rob me!” but of course he’s lying, because he hesitated. Skint claims the guild’s with him, which seems like a really stupid move because he knows they hate him and have no reason to support the lie. Even Tehgonan refuses to put up with that crap and tells him off. (He actually tries to walk toward Skint, but Dehl very quickly stops him, which I think is a nice touch to show the seriousness of the situation. It’s also the first time there’s been any acknowledgement that things might be too dangerous for the eleven-year-old.)
Skint raises his knife and demands the Fortian tell him… something. When the Fortian says he doesn’t know anything, Skint flips out and threatens to kill him. It’s actually uncharacteristically angry; normally he has more of a cold, snarky anger, but whatever’s going on here is enough to whip him into a frenzy. Dehl finally puts his foot down, saying he won’t let Skint murder anyone on his watch.
Skint: “Oh? And how would you stop me, whelpling?”
Dehl: “If you strike that man, I shall ensure what remains of your life is rife with regret.”
Yes but how, Dehl? That’s a really lame threat that doesn’t actually answer Skint’s challenge. For some reason it makes Skint stand down. I presume the idea is that Dehl’s pacifistic idealism makes him nostalgic or… something? Skint does an Enigmatic Chuckle™ in response so there’s clearly something going on, but it’s not entirely clear what.
Skint: “Know this, Kuranio. The Scourge Clad has eyes in every place you frequent.”
Names for everyone! Although I have to wonder how two foreigners who just arrived can have a network of spies. He could have set up shop with the local shra populace, although given that most of them seem to like Fortifel I figure that would be harder here than in Nal. Could also be a bluff, I suppose.
He runs off and Dehl Dehls it up about how if Kuranio was a criminal Skint should have let the authorities deal with him. Gods, Dehl is dense. I mean the apparent flaw in his reasoning is supposed to be that Fortifel’s obviously corrupt, but Skint was clearly doing this for a different reason than vigilantism to begin with. For some reason Skint doesn’t point this out and just lectures him about crime being subjective and how he’s an idiot.
Dehl: “I have no desire to understand what it is you are trying to do.”
No, Dehl! Bad protagonist! Plus someone that’s so concerned with peace should know the importance of understanding and information. Maybe if he knew what Skint wanted, he could help him accomplish it in a nonviolent way.
“You, however, are a frequent obstacle to peace, as I have noticed.”
That may be an intentional character flaw, though. Dehl lectures everyone he comes across about pacifism but is pretty crappy at it himself. Not only is violence his go-to solution for everything, he’s stubborn and hostile toward people he doesn’t like. He refuses to understand or conciliate with Skint due to perceived ideological conflict, when reaching out to your enemies is exactly what a good mediator is supposed to do. He’s a D&D paladin: condescends to everyone from a high horse, but really enjoys the violence just as much as anyone else and refuses to compromise on anything, even when it could avert conflict.
We then get an… interesting exchange:
Skint: “You are brave to confront me, whelpling, when I could crush your body with one arm.”
Dehl: “‘Brave’ is a subjective term, Skint. I could merely be desperate, for what you know.”
So he… just admitted that he’s only posturing because he feels that’s his only option, and he’s actually terrified. Am I reading that wrong? Because that just seems so unbelievably stupid, even for Dehl. Like before, this just makes Skint laugh and leave him alone, inexplicably.
Before he goes we get a scene with Zargos interrogating him about the armor and wow I do not care. Skint refuses to directly answer his question because we need to drag this annoying subplot out, and only says he didn’t side with the monarchists. This of course makes Zargos fume and curse his back, but Skint doesn’t elaborate because he’s a troll I guess.
Skint: “I fight for no lucrative ends. The past is just that…past. Irrelevant.”
That’s a nice line and one that Zargos (and Dehl) really needs to hear, but I still don’t see why he doesn’t just tell the full truth. Surely he can tell they hate him and won’t put up with vague nonsense?
Zargos calls Skint a “savage”. Classy. Dehl tells him to chill.
Dehl: “Remember, we are Wadassians. We seek naught but the high road, even abroad.”
See? D&D paladin. Total hypocrite.
Tehgonan pipes up about how Dehl standing up to Skint was awesome, but of course Dehl is all OH BUT I SHOULD APOLOGIZE, LET’S ALL BE FRIENDS. Maybe if you upheld those beliefs when you actually talked to him you could have made some progress, Dehl. I think what’s going on here is that Dehl has anger issues and that’s what’s tripping him up. When he’s calm and rational he can be a model Sikohlon, but the moment anything makes him emotional it all goes pear-shaped. But of course he really wants to be a model Sikohlon, so every time his anger messes him up he hates himself more and that makes him angrier and…
That would logically lead to this after-the-fact admonishing. Once he calms down, he realizes he was an idiot and desperately starts spouting Sikohlon doctrine to make himself feel better. Maybe that’s his coping mechanism: everyone makes mistakes, so he just has to try harder next time, right?
Poor guy.
On a different subject, the other guild subplots really suffer this chapter. I presume the greater focus on a main plot pushed them out. The Blue Guard doesn’t appear at all despite having an earlier hook, and we only get this short, contextless thing with Skint. This feels like it was part of a larger storyline that was trimmed down. I mean, why is he here in the first place? Even his primary goal of liberating the shra shouldn’t have drawn him to Fortifel since they’re treated better here than in Nal. Maybe he wanted some shra-Fortian scholars on his side, but intrigue doesn’t seem his style in general. I don’t see why he wouldn’t stay in Nal to cement his power base. And what did he want Kuranio to tell him? Can’t be the Pazzato-Metzino feud, that’s irrelevant to him. I don’t see why he’d care about secret political happenings in Fortifel at all, honestly. I don’t know why he’s such a doormat to Dehl either; if anything, he should be discouraging Dehl’s brand of resistance since he believes that idealism only sets you up for failure and misery, yet here he is reinforcing it.
It’s also weird that Kuranio has both a unique sprite and a portrait. Did he originally have a larger role?