Fourth Stratum- Part 2: Absurdly Spacious SewerSo, onward to the Underground Facility! Why we have an entire underground complex on the fourth stratum, I have no clue, but it's something that we can loot, so let's just get it over with, shall we?
Funny, we never saw the original Sylph, and yet here we have a Sylph Princess? Okay then. It's weak to Earth and packs a mean punch like it's lesser cousin we could have encountered back in Bhava-agra.
That was fast. I was hoping to get my first TPK sometime after this, but whatever. Let's try again, shall we?
These are Gales. They're weak to Earth. Patchy has Kaguya on, who can set Hourai Jewel to Earth elemental. Not really a problem, these guys.
Okay, so these are sewers. Why are there sewers underneath the fourth stratum? What is the actual point of these besides being filler dungeons until I get to wherever Mima is?
Elite Tanukis here can buff people and don't do much else. I think they're weak to Fire. Not threatening by themselves.
Damn, they locked the door. However can we get through?
That door on the left was open, and beyond there was a switch that locks the door behind me yet opens the other door. Thankfully, it can be undone, so we can keep going.
A Deep Deyusu, or whatever that translates to properly. Weak to Light like its other demon cousins.
And Alien Roach can be found in the back, being all chill. Actually, being chill would be bad in its case, as its weak to Water. I forget what it does besides being annoying.
There's a Hima Snake back there, and I think it can use Coil. I forget. Water. Kill it with. Now. Xia.
After a while, I stumble through a door and into a cutscene. I don't think cutscenes are physical enough to stumble into, but enough English semantics!
Alright, it's the hermit herself! So, what's up, Kasen?
She's out and about because obviously there's something wrong with Gensokyo. Like I couldn't already tell. So, despite the fact she's a hermit, she's willing to do something about the situation.
For some reason, Reimu slips into her Wild and Horned Hermit personality, wherein she realizes that resolving this incident could attract people to her shrine since, you know, she'd probably get some good publicity for it. Why you haven't gotten good publicity for the previous incidents you've resolved I have no idea (canonically I believe it has something to do with an article Aya wrote about her and the fact she hasn't really given enough credit to Reimu regarding them).
Kasen takes the time to talk to Reimu about her greed, and Byakuren joins in because, well, she can. You know, I'd expect Eiki to be the one to lecture her, but Eiki's sort of not with us.
Reimu of course does not take it well.
Uh...
Uh...
Some time later...
So, uh, how long have you guys been talking? You made Yukari fall asleep. And Meiling and Angra are just kind of shooting the breeze. Why you two didn't stop the lecturing I have no idea, because we sort of cannot waste time on this sort of thing. After this, however, Kasen joins our party! She's about debuffs, starting with Thorn Bind and Flash as well as +5 to the success rate of Variety effects, +15% to the effect of Variety Effects (whether this is both positive and negative or just negative I don't know), and 25% resistance to Variety effects. I'm not sure if I'm going to use her or not. Not now, though.
So, where does this go?
More sewers. Wonderful. This is the actual Underground Waterway (not the one from Final Fantasy IV, mind you), and it has
Oriental Dark Flight as a theme. So, which of Marisa's themes have we not heard remixed yeah? A couple, I know that much.
We are filling in more of the map, though, so that's good, at least.
Here's two new enemies. The High Succubus up top can inflict Charm, which is bad. Worse, she can do it to the ENTIRE PARTY. WHYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYY...
Ahem. She's weak to Light. The Hell Viper (or Jigoku Viper, if you prefer the traditional word) is weak to Water and does... something. I usually get off "Dancing Spray of Blood" before they do anything major.
The Ivaruti at the bottom has some pretty dangerous Blunt skills, and I think its weak to Light.
Besides the darkness which makes it a bit hard to navigate, there are these pillars you need to push in order to open up passageways. Not too bad.
In the back is another annoying enemy, the Pteranodon Rongikepusu, or something like that. Weak to Electric, but it has some pretty devastating attacks, so be careful.
That's a Mr... uh, crap, this is where my enemy list stops. Stupid computer crashing...
According to the wiki, it's a Mr. Heitai. What the hell that's supposed to be a reference to, I have no idea. It has devastating poison that can one-shot you, but he's weak to Electric. Go Otoha, then!
There's an Amazon. At least I remember her. She has pretty much a lot of the skills that Eirin had when we fought her. So be careful.
An Electric Catfish lurks in the back, threatening to TPK the party with devastating Electric attacks. We've got Earth attacks, though, so we can put it in its place. Maybe.
Is that...?
It is! Back to the good ol' surface, where Alice in Wonderland plays. I really like that song. Even in its original form. You can't beat the classics.
Settle down, game, I'm not really for that quite yet. Maybe some other time.
We're going to have to go back underground, aren't we? Damn. Also, what's up with that modern-looking chain fence?
What could be off to the right?
Yukari notices something. What are you talking about?
She's referring to that shadow... I don't know what it is.
What!? What are you doing here... crap, I forgot which one you were.
Okay, she's Toyohime. Still, what're you doing here?
This incident hasn't escaped the attention of the Lunarians. Granted, how you can even tell something was up in Gensokyo or the fact that you care is beyond me, but okay.
Eirin?
I missed the biggest exclamation mark ever. It literally spanned from Toyohime's head to the top of the screen. Maybe if it shows up against I'll screenshot it.
I know, you haven't seen your master in a very long time. Granted, she's kind of a fugitive now. It's kind of hard to return when you are responsible for, you know, murder.
They exchange some pleasantries and Eirin explains what's been going on. So at least Toyohime knows what's up now. She also agrees to help us out! Well, that's actually good. Granted, you and your sister cheat at Spell Cards (summoning gods to manipulate your opponent's bullets is against the rules, in my opinion, which makes Cirno a cheater as well), but I'll overlook it for now.
She asks Eirin if she can come back to the Moon. Eirin says she cannot. Of course she can't, she's a wanted criminal. Why you haven't dragged her off in chains is beyond me, but I guess she kind of quelled the whole situation on the Moon regarding invaders, despite the fact that she made it possible for Reimu and the others to get to the Moon in the first place. But it was all part of some plan I didn't really follow. That's what I get for not reading Cage in Lunatic Runagate. Meh.
Toyohime? Any reason for holding Yukari back?
She asks if she had anything to do with the missing sake. I remember that! Yuyuko took that. I'm sorry Toyohime, but it's sort of been passed through some girls' digestive systems. In other words, you aren't getting your really old sake back.
Run, Yukari!
Don't let her catch you, if you don't want to be bound by that fiber stuff again.
As for what Toyohime can do, she's got Professional Vacation, Immortal (a field effect that has a chance of reraising dead characters), and Dispel. She also offers a +1% increase to casting speed. Not worth it, in my opinion.
So, where does this go?
According to the translation, the Institute of Magic. Huh. I don't get how that fits under the ground, but I'll go with it.
We've already gotten through quite a bit, haven't we? But what awaits us beyond the Institute of Magic? And who is that boss that I neglected to fight? And will we have to reenter the Clock Towers of the End? All that will hopefully will dealt with next time!
Summary:
Treasure: Mercury Drop x3, Veil of Night, Viking Shield (someone, I forget who I gave it to), Keystone x2, Platinum, Magic Light Stone x2, Fuyuitoabusoriyu, Liquid Iron (drop), Ancient Disk, Bio Guarder, Mystery Bamboo, Anointofureiru, Crystal Skull, Dark Crystal, Light Crystal, Damascus Steel, Eikushiruniru (Angra), Large Mirror
Skills: Demonbane (Suika), Mass Element Barrier (Xia), Stone Shower (Suwako), Emperor's Brandish (Meiling), Comet Sword (Suika), Active Mental (PC-98 Marisa)
Passives: +20 Defense (Suwako)
Recipes: Ice Sword, Gurishiza, Soul Hammer, Maple Leaf Shield, Solar Eclipse Shield, Great Sage Robe, Exorcism Armor
Synthesis Done: Water Crystal, Ice Sword (Meiling, just like my first run)
TPKs: 1 this update, 1 overall
Frustration: Rising a bit. I didn't expect a TPK THAT early. But it happens, I guess.
