Yuunaru! Introduction

So, this is a rather different concept from the previous ones posted here. Yuunaru is a strange little hybrid that  popped up in my strange little brain after playing the strange little game Ginga Ojousama Densetsu Yuna (also known in the States as Galaxy Fraulein Yuna). The concept is a bizarre combination of the aforementioned Yuna games, the unusual game Soul Nomad and the World Eaters, the Persona series, and what is known as boy's love dating sims. Yes, this game has man-on-man romance! If such things disgust you, then please avoid all posts with the Yuunaru tag, as you will not find them enjoyable.

Those of you who remain, the premise of Yuunaru! is a fusion of SRPG and dating sim. You could get a good idea of the system by thinking of it as "Persona 3, if Persona 3 was an SRPG instead of turn-based." It is designed to be made as a series of three games--or a single game divided into three "chapters"--named for the three sections of Dante's "Divine Comedy," which also helped to inspire it. On the battlefield, the player forms all available allies into multiple squads of up to three characters each, then maneuvers them around the field to attack enemies using strikes and spells. Off the battlefield, the player controls the main character--Hiro--as he builds relationships with his friends and allies, searches for clues to solve the mysteries surrounding his sudden empowerment, and strives to foil the plans of increasingly dark and dangerous groups and individuals.

The name "Yuunaru" is a Japanese word meaning "superb" or "outstanding." Believe it or not, I did NOT pick this name in order to be supremely weeabo, although several people I know would likely accuse me of it (and not without justification). I actually chose the name because I wanted a name for this game that in some way played off the name Yuna, as Galaxy Fraulein Yuna was definitely the original inspiration for the concept. For those who don't know, Galaxy Fraulein Yuna is a game series with a 99% female cast; it is wacked-out, adorable, and fantastically random, and I love it to pieces. Thus the name.

You will also quickly notice that all of the characters have Japanese names and backgrounds. This game is indeed set in Japan, again as an homage to its origins. Consider it an alternate universe modern-day Japan where a boy comes across something highly unusual after school one day...

Spectrum: Chapter Three 4/8

   The mountain was topped by a large, flat mesa covered with what had once been a beautiful forest. However, to Seles’ great sorrow, the trees were ablaze with fiercely burning flames. Pyre balked at entering the burning wood, pointing out rather logically that it was far too dangerous, but when Clara held up the Garnet Wreath, she could feel it was connected somehow to something in the middle of the flames. With a stab of intuition, she declared that the Crimson Palace had to be in the center of the wood, and they’d never reach it without taking the risk.

   And what a risk it was. The moment they set cautious foot into the wood, the flames turned on them as though they were alive, forming great beasts and serpents of fire. To get too close to these Burning Beasts and Flame Dragons was suicide; the heat thrown off by their colossal bodies injured Pyre when she tried to attack with her sword. Only the long-range capabilities of the Bow, the Rod, and the Whip could damage these foes without suffering burns.

   Faience’s magic was their salvation more than once. Niay’s Gift of Life not only restored their fighting spirit but could also soothe the burns left by the attacks of the flaming monsters, curing them as though they had never been. Clara stayed well back, attacking from afar with her Spitting Earth and Avalanche spells so that Pyre could borrow her Magical Rod to attack. And Pyre, when she found she couldn’t fight at melee range as she was comfortable with, learned instead how to focus her chi through her chakra, transforming it into a bullet she could fire from afar while she flung magic from Clara’s wand.

   Tinderflies identical to the one Seles had fought to save Clara zoomed overhead, adding to their troubles as they worked their way into the burning wood. A few times Clara tried using her Earthquake magic to knock some of trees down and clear them a path. This didn’t always work—the trees had to be quite large and positioned in just the right way so that they would fall away from them without blocking the way—but Clara was surprisingly precise with it, and on the occasions where she wasn’t sure, Niay used Faience’s powers of Augury to predict the outcome of the tree’s fall. Without these spells, they might never have found their way to the Crimson Palace.

   But find it they did; an enormous scarlet building like a giant cathedral, the walls shimmering with golden flickers from the surrounding flames. They pulled open the heavy doors and dashed for safety inside.

Spectrum: Chapter Three 3/8

   When they entered the Ringcon Caves, Clara tried holding up the Garnet Wreath in hopes that its power would be rekindled. However, nothing happened, and the group knew that they would have to do things the hard way.

   The water from the flood that had stranded Clara in the caves had mostly seeped away or dried out, which made several tunnels that had been previously impassable now accessible. Unfortunately, this had also allowed some of the more dangerous local wildlife to move back into the area. The Silverfish were gone with the water, now replaced instead by hostile Wyrms, Fleshy Fungi, Tendrilled Slugs, and Luminous Slimes.

   Despite Clara’s protests at the, er, unattractiveness of their opponents, Seles realized that this was a good place to get used to their new magic. The Luminous Slimes had the ability to immediately and asexually divide themselves into two identical beings, providing more enemies to practice upon, and the Fleshy Fungi could plant spores that would soon sprout into new Fungi (although this was accompanied by a spray of the dangerous spores, which had to be avoided). Clara’s disgust aside, the experience they got was valuable and the battles quite necessary.

   They combed the Ringcon Caves as thoroughly as they could, searching for any clue to the entrance to the Crimson Palace. However, they found nothing until Seles realized that in the middle of one particular, otherwise unremarkable tunnel, he could feel something of a breeze. He tracked the breeze down to a slim hole in the wall that led to a long, low tunnel sloping upward. To their surprise, the tunnel came out into the bright sunshine high up in the Twilight Mountains, much higher than they could have climbed on their own. Whether this had anything to do with Rogalian or not, they weren’t sure, but it was certainly something worth exploring.

   There was something of a path out there on the side of the mountain, and they picked their way up it, fighting off Gold Vipers and Bright Eagles. The Bright Eagles used magic of their own; it was called Bedazzle, and it would blind one of them with a brilliant light, rendering them temporarily defenseless. Fortunately, Bright Eagles hunt solo, so even if one of the friends was stunned by Bedazzle, the other three could easily protect them from the Eagle’s beak and claws.

   It wasn’t until they reached the top of the mountain they were climbing upon that they realized they had unwittingly found their goal.

Spectrum: Chapter Three 2/8

   As they trekked back toward the Ringcon Caves, they experimented with their newfound magical powers, for—as Pyre said—it would be best to have the best understanding they could of their new skills before the next difficult battle came upon them. Pyre practiced enchanting her weapons with the power of earth, deciding to call the ability Stonestrike, and found that these enchanted attacks could turn an enemy to stone themselves. As she landed blows under the influence of Stonestrike, she could feel the energies of the earth building up inside of her. Whenever she built this energy to a certain strength through a continuous combo, the princess became capable of releasing a powerful magical martial art called the Midgard Crush.

   Niay and Clara practiced drawing upon their new spells. As Faience had said, Niay had obtained the power to heal and protect, while Clara had been given the power to strike down their enemies. Niay began to keep a close eye on his allies even when attacking so that he could pause to heal them when necessary, and Clara practiced mixing spells in with her physical attacks. Both confessed that after casting spells, they began to feel tired and worn out, although the thrill of hand-to-hand combat did invigorate them over time. Seles recalled Faience’s words about the source of their new powers and cautioned them to take things easy until they had developed greater tolerance for the drain on their spirits.

   Seles himself held back on using his own gift. True, Faience had told him to call her at any time, but he was wary of taxing her limited strength.

Spectrum: Chapter Three: The Union of Earth and Fire

   They knew that Merope was trapped by Acheron in Mount Hellena Bas-Crysalli, but still needed Rogalian’s power to reach him. Rogalian’s palace, according to Faience, lay in a familiar location—the Ringcon Caves—but reaching it, she had said, would not be easy. And they had a third quest in the name of the mysterious blacksmith, Fu. How were they going to find him? Even Faience had not known his location, although she said she felt certain that he would come to the Opal Scroll once he sensed its power.

   They had to return to the Ringcon Caves and find the doorway to the Crimson Palace. It was the only way to save the king.

League of Legends: Teemo Build

This is a bit off the beaten path for this blog, but in a similar vein to the links to my GameFAQs guides, I'm going to begin adding my typical build orders for the champions I play in the online game League of Legends. Those of you who don't play League of Legends (also known as LoL) are free to skip these posts, as they likely won't make much sense to you. Those of you who do play, maybe one of these builds will help you out someday!

Today we'll be looking at my typical build for my number-one main: Teemo, the Swift Scout. He might be underpowered as hell at the moment, but he's SO much fun to play, especially with that adorable laugh. I find the only way to get respectable damage out of him is through an on-hit build, especially since this also allows him to build a bit tankier with Wit's End and Frozen Mallet. Seeing as he's so fragile, that extra survivability is paramount. Without further ado:

Teemo: On-hit Carry Build

Madred’s Bloodrazor

Mercury’s Treads

Frozen Heart

Malady

Wit’s End

Frozen Mallet

Long Sword/ Cloth Armor -> Madred’s Razors

Grab this item first. I can’t stress enough how much it will help you with farming. Take the Cloth Armor if you’re soloing top or worried about facing a heavy AD-team; otherwise, grab the Long Sword.

Boots of Speed

The next time you recall, things are highly dependent on your money:

420 – 839 gold: Buy one Dagger.

840 – 1049 gold: Buy two Daggers.

1050+ gold: Buy one Recurve Bow.

If you got one or two Daggers, your next item should be Malady. If you got the Recurve Bow, build toward Wit’s End.

Chain Vest -> Glacial Shroud

I find this important to grab early on. Not only is the armor helpful for obvious reasons, but around now, you ought to have your ult. CDR reduces the amount of time it takes for your mushrooms to restock, and running around dropping them everywhere takes a lot of mana. For this reason, I like to try and build Glacial Shroud at this time, around level 6.

Upgrade Boots of Speed to Mercury’s Treads.

Next chance you get, build the item (Malady or Wit’s End) that you didn’t build before.

Upgrade Madred’s Razors to Madred’s Bloodrazor.

Long Sword -> Phage

Upgrade Glacial Shroud to Frozen Heart.

Upgrade Phage to Frozen Mallet.

Final Fantasy 19: BOSS: The Mantis Devil

Mantis Devil
Level: 13, HP: 1290, MP: 370
Rewards: Hi-Potion (always)
Absorbs: Fire, Resists: Ice
Special: !MP Absorb: Attack x0.5, drains MP from the target
Vulnerable to: Paralyze
Attacks: Attack, !MP Absorb, Blink, Fira
Sketch: !MP Absorb, Blink
Blue Magic: None
Draw Spell: Firaja

BGM: Final Fantasy II Boss Theme A

The Mantis Devil is definitely a diabolical disputant. At the beginning of the battle he will cast Blink on himself, making it very difficult for your physical attacks to hit him. On subsequent turns, he alternates with equal preference between a very powerful physical attack, the irritating !MP Absorb, and a devastating casting of Fira. The onslaught is crushing and relentless; he never pauses to use Blink again, and unlike Azure Highwind, he lamentably has no weakness to Badger's Compression.

What the Mantis Devil IS susceptible to is Ferret's Shriek. It won't often hit, due to Blink, and it won't last very long, due to the Mantis Devil's high magic defense, but it'll give you a turn or two to breathe every so often. Have Ferret spam Shriek until it hits, then let her take a turn or two to dispense healing items while Badger and Ultimecia attack. Once the Mantis Devil is moving again, resume Shriek-spamming. If you didn't have Ultrasonic before this battle, you should afterward.

Ultimecia will, once again, be your main source of damage. Whatever would you do without her? (You'll find out soon enough, but for now, just enjoy it.) The Mantis Devil absorbs Fire, unfortunately, so Firaja is not an option, but Thundaja gets the job done nicely. It'll probably take three or four Thundajas to eliminate this beast, and it will likely drain some of Ultimecia's MP along the way, so be prepared to Draw some MP out of it before the battle's over. Note that if you didn't get Firaja from a Gigas Worm in the Chaos Shrine, you can pick it up here instead.

Badger's time is best dedicated to healing, as Compression doesn't do enough damage and Dia is ineffective. If he has a spare moment while the Mantis Devil is paralyzed, it's time to do some Sketching; 75% of the time, this will restore a bit of Badger's MP, and the other 25%, it'll bless one ally with Blink, which will save Badger a lot of MP in the long run by reducing the number of attacks he'll have to heal from.

In short, Badger should Cure when the Mantis is active and Sketch when it's paralyzed. Ferret should Shriek until the Mantis is paralyzed and then use items. And Ultimecia, as usual, should Thundaja the massive mantodea into next week.

Ferret's confidence in Ultimecia is even more firmly entrenched by this encounter. Badger is more besotted by the moment with his lovely, powerful lady. And Ultimecia is seized by a giant fiery vortex that rips time and space asunder, sending Badger and Ferret spinning helplessly through the Void only to land with a WHUMPF in the middle of a land of darkness and starlight.

...What? Did you think I was joking?

Final Fantasy 19: The Lakeside Woods

Location: Outside of Gatrea
Party members: Badger, Ferret, Ultimecia
Opponents: Goblin, Hornet, Leg Eater, Tonpole, Screamer, Grey Ox
Items: Horse Rock, Antidote x4, Phoenix Down, X-Potion, Tent x2
BGM: The Wind Sings of a Journey (Legend of Mana OST)

A nondescript forest surrounding the small village of Gatrea, normally ignored by all and sundry who pass through it. Unknown to all those preoccupied humans, however, this little forest actually contains one of the greatest civilizations (if you listen to Ferret) ever known: the esteemed Ferret Empire!

Preparation: Watch Ferret's HP carefully until she gains a few levels. Her parameters are never going to be that great, but they're going to be especially low when she's several levels behind Badger and Ultimecia. Some of the enemies here (namely the Tonpole and the Grey Ox) can one-shot Ferret with startling ease, so be sure that Badger keeps the sanitary sovereign topped off with Cure spells at all times. Ultimecia is strong enough to handle damage-dealing-duties alone as long as you conserve her MP, so this shouldn't prove difficult.

Monster formations:
Goblin, Hornet, Leg Eater, Hornet, Goblin
Goblin, Tonpole, Goblin
Goblin, Screamer, Leg Eater, Screamer, Goblin
Leg Eater, Leg Eater, Leg Eater
Screamer, Screamer, Screamer
Grey Ox, Grey Ox

Goblins, Hornets, and Leg Eaters are neither new nor impressive; Ferret's multi-target megaphone physical attack should be able to one-shot them even at level 1. It's the new faces you actually have to concern yourself with in this dungeon: Tonpoles, Screamers, and Grey Oxen.

Tonpoles are luckily rather rare, but pretty nasty when they appear. They have high HP, Strength, and Defense, which makes them difficult to damage and hard to outlast, and also cast Water, which is their way of one-shotting Ferret if you're not careful. Irritatingly, once you get a Tonpole low on health, they have a 66% chance of using Yawn to restore their HP to full (the other 33% of the time, they'll cast Water). At least the spell puts them to sleep after the health restoration.

Tonpoles would probably be unbeatable for Badger and Ferret without Ultimecia around. Fortunately, the creatures are weak to Thunder, and Ultimecia has that lovely little tool called Thundaja in her inventory. Tonpoles have too little magic defense to survive Firaja either, despite being resistant to it, but Thundaja will produce higher damage numbers, and we all like seeing higher damage numbers, right? Sketching them is unwise, as the portrait will likely use Water, which the Tonpole absorbs. Stick to Thundaja.

Despite this easy way to one-shot Tonpoles, it is well worth your time to get a Tonpole to low HP at least once so that Ferret can see Yawn, as this is the very first Blue Magic skill she can learn. Although Yawn's uses are limited, this early time where her HP and damage output is so low is definitely one of the places where it shines: if Ferret takes a heavy hit and Badger's turn isn't up, use Yawn to restore her to full HP immediately. It might save Ferret's life, and since she probably isn't doing much damage anyway, her falling asleep isn't going to cripple your team.

Anyway, enough about Tonpoles; on to Screamers, which are apparently radishes with vocal cords. They'll alternate between a regular attack (50%) and a regular attack that can induce poison (50%) every odd-numbered turn, and either do nothing (50%) or use Shriek (50%) every even-numbered turn. A Screamer's Shriek is identical to Ferret's Shriek; that is to say, it has a good chance of Paralyzing your party. Fortunately, Screamers have stultifyingly low Strength and Magic, so even if they manage to paralyze your entire party, the chances of their being able to kill you before the paralysis wears off are slim to none. Kill them with fire, that is, Firaja, which they are weak to.

The last enemy in this area is the Grey Ox. Unlike Tonpoles - which I highly recommend you use Thundaja on - or Screamers - which should be Firaja'd just to save your time and patience - Grey Oxen are actually dangerous. They have almost twice as much HP as Tonpoles and more Strength than Ferret will have in ten
levels; all they do is physically attack, but that's all they need to do to ensure your grisly defeat. Just to sweeten the deal, these lovely animals will always appear in pairs. It doesn't matter whether you grill them with Thundaja or bake them in Firaja; whatever you do, just do it fast, because it only takes one attack to fell Ferret, two to bury Badger, and three (maybe four) to unhinge, yes, even Ultimecia.

If, for some reason, Ultimecia is out of MP or (heaven forbid) dead, your only hope lies in Grey Oxen's vulnerability to status effects. Ideally, slap Mini on them with Badger's Compression to change the situation from fatal to laughable. Ferret's Shriek might paralyze the beasts, which can give you time to Compress them to a more manageable size; Ultrasonic is an even better solution, should you have it, as the Grey Oxen will begin attacking each other and finish the battle for you. The preferable solution, however, is a nice, high-temperature -ja spell from Ultimecia.

To recap: use Ferret's physical attack to clear any battle of Goblins, Hornets, or Leg Eaters. Badger should stay on healing duty; if healing is DEFINITELY not at all necessary, he can physically attack, as Sketch is mostly useless here. Ultimecia should ALWAYS save enough MP for Thundaja in case of an encounter with the Grey Oxen; when she gets low on MP, use Draw on Tonpoles or Screamers until this is no longer the case.

Let's talk for a moment about two special drops that can be received here. Grey Oxen have a small chance of dropping the Oxen Stone, a handy accessory that raises the Strength and Defense of its equipper. Should you be lucky enough to get one, give it to Ferret immediately; she needs every defensive boost she can get. Tonpoles have an even smaller chance of dropping the valuable Water Jewel, which offers a Magic boost and an extremely valuable resistance to Water. The Magic boost makes this item perfect for Ultimecia, but its drop rate is so low that it's unlikely you'll get one.

The Woods are not exactly complicated, but they are quite long and circuitous, particularly if you're looking to pick up all the items squirreled away in them. If you're just looking to advance the story as quickly as possible, head north from Gatrea to enter the northern section of the Woods straightaway. The path meanders north to the lake, bestowing two fairly obvious Antidotes and a Phoenix Down in chests along the way. The boss will overtake you close to the lake, so once you see the save point in view of the water, take a moment to heal up with Cure and Potions.

If you want to pick the Lakeside Woods clean of all its contents, it's best to start on the east side. Located underneath an overhang of rock in a small clearing is a Horse Rock, the same accessory you could have obtained from a Crazy Horse outside of Cornelia. The Horse Rock, again, raises the equipped character's Strength and Speed, making it a great option for Badger or Ferret. Pick this item up first, then proceed through the rest of the Woods in a clockwise manner, picking up:

An Antidote and the Horse Rock in the eastern Woods.
A Tent and a rare, well-hidden X-Potion in the southern Woods.
Another Tent and a fourth Antidote in the western Woods.

Once you move beyond the save point in the northern Woods, Ferret begins chattering about the beauty and majesty of the Ferret Kingdom...until she is abruptly interrupted by an insect of immense proportions.

Valkyrie Profile Hrist: Artifacts

.While exploring dungeons, you will come across artifacts: items from Asgard long lost to mortals and the undead. Upon discovering an artifact, you have the choice of keeping the artifact for yourself - thereby lowering your Evaluation Level - or sending it up to Odin - losing the item, but increasing your Evaluation.

.Regardless of your decision, finding an artifact will increase your Hero Level slightly.

Valkyrie Profile Hrist: Ley Lines

.Sealstones' effects only affect a small area in dungeons. To spread their effects into different areas of the dungeon, you must utilize ley lines - lines of power that run between different sections of dungeons and can carry a sealstone's power with them.

.Ley lines are frequently blocked by mini bosses or sealing puzzles that must be overcome to free the flow of power. Once unblocked, a ley line will run to the nearest Dais and pick up the attributes of the placed sealstone.

.If Hrist contacts a Dais that has a ley line connected to it, she has the option of spreading that line to all other nearby Daises.

.Using crystals, Hrist can block the flow of ley lines between Daises or shut the line off entirely by shooting a crystal at the source of the line.

Valkyrie Profile Hrist: Sealstones

.While in dungeons, Hrist will come across sealstones, crystallized energy from Yggdrasil that possesses special powers.

.When held, a sealstone will grant Hrist its benefit or detriment.

.When placed on a Dais, sealstones will project their effects onto all enemies in the surrounding area.

.When placed on a Shell, sealstones will have no effect.

.Springs are openings into Yggdrasil that you can use to store or retrieve sealstones. Placing a sealstone into a spring allows you to retrieve that sealstone from any dungeon in Asgard. Dungeons in Midgard, however, are limited to the sealstones native to their dungeon.

.Some sealstones will have different effects on allies than enemies.

Valkyrie Profile Hrist: Dungeons

.While exploring locations suffused with evil, Hrist has many tools at her disposal.

.Hrist can doublejump to avoid enemies or surmount obstacles.

.Hrist can attack with her equipped weapon to destroy objects or initiate combat. Swords have short range but a quick swing. Spears have a longer range but a slower swing. Bows have a long firing time but a very long range.

.Hrist can project stone crystals at her foes. While Lenneth's ice crystals could freeze enemies and create platforms and Silmeria's photon crystals could hold enemies and teleport them, Hrist's stone crystals serve a different function. In addition to encasing enemies in an immobile but temporary stone prison, these crystals can forcefully push objects they make contact with from a great distance - including petrified enemies!

.Shooting a crystal into the ground will create shockwaves that will distract enemies or knock over certain objects, and holding the firing button will charge up a Grand Crystal that can cause the object it impacts to explode.

.Hrist can push and pull movable objects of reasonable weight with ease.

Valkyrie Profile Hrist: Malice Sense

.Lenneth has Spiritual Concentration; Silmeria has object reading; Hrist has the ability to sense malice and evil-doing in the air, which she calls her "Malice Sense." When the Malice Gauge on the side of the screen fills and begins to flash, be it in a town, a dungeon, or the world map, activate this ability with the Select button to uncover the source of the negative energy.

.If the Malice Gauge only rises partway in an area, make note to come back later once you hear rumors, find artifacts, or recruit Einherjar related to that location.

.In a town, the Malice Gauge will often respond to the beginnings of an Einherjar Character Quest or recruitment scene.

.In a dungeon, the Malice Gauge may uncover a new section of the dungeon or a hidden monster.

.On the world map, the Malice Gauge will usually reveal the location of a new dungeon.

Final Fantasy 19: Vocal Training

Location: World Map. Between Gatrea and the Lakeside Wood
Party members: Badger, Ferret, Ultimecia
Opponents: Goblin, Hornet, Leg Eater
BGM: Final Fantasy II Main Theme

Although Ferret will eventually become a powerful party member, for now she is on level 1 and possesses one skill, Shriek, which, although useful, isn't going to be enough to pull her weight. We may have just gotten her some spiffy new equipment, but the prissy ferret princess will definitely need some training.

Ferret learns her helpful Vocalize skills in a variety of ways. Some she learns through leveling up; others by using her previous Vocalize skills a certain number of times. The remainder - primarily the Final Fantasy series theme songs she can learn to sing - are taught through side quests. Well, obviously we can't do much about learning that last type, but we can get a head start on the other two kinds at this very moment.

Since Vocalize skills do not cost MP, you can feel free to abuse them - and should, in the interest of learning more. Ferret's skills progress in this manner:

Shriek  -  Default skill
Ultrasonic  -  Use Shriek 25 times
High C  -  Use Shriek 50 times
Piercing Scream  -  Use Ultrasonic 50 times
Lullaby  -  Learned on level 10
Requiem  -  Use Lullaby 50 times
Cheer  -  Learned on level 20
Elegy  -  Use Requiem 50 times
Aria di Mezzo Carattere  -  Complete the Jidoor Opera House sidequest
Calling  -  Complete the Eidolon sidequest
Eyes on Me  -  Play every piano in the game
Melodies of Life  -  Speak to Hurdy in Alexandria
Suteki da ne  -  Complete the Blitzball sidequest
Real Emotion  -  Use Suteki da ne 20 times

Conceivably, you could sit here and level until Ferret had learned every skill shown above (that doesn't require a sidequest, of course). However, this would bring ridiculous new definitions to the term "overkill." As long as you use Shriek at every available opportunity, you should easily have Ultrasonic by the end of the coming dungeon, which is an excellent start.

Preparation: None is necessary. The world map outside Gatrea is exceedingly small, as setting foot in the forest terrain immediately puts you into the next dungeon, and the enemies upon it are terrifyingly unimposing. Proceed with abandon.

Monster formations:
Goblin, Goblin, Goblin, Goblin
Goblin, Leg Eater, Leg Eater
Hornet, Hornet
Hornet, Leg Eater, Hornet
Leg Eater, Leg Eater
Leg Eater, Leg Eater, Leg Eater

You've certainly seen Goblins before, but Hornets and Leg Eaters are new to you unless you've played Final Fantasy II before. Hornets score high in annoyance points because their physical attack has a small chance of poisoning you, but as Leg Eaters frequently drop Antidotes, this isn't quite as annoying as you might otherwise think. Leg Eaters themselves are the owners of a rather creepy name, a very creepy sprite, and little else. If you were curious, their vine-like bodies contain a sap that functions as a restorative, which is why they so often drop Antidotes.

To reach the Ferret Empire, you'll have to make your way through the Lakeside Woods. Reaching the Lakeside Woods is easy enough, as all you have to do is step on any forest tile surrounding Gatrea; however, the tile you step on will influence the part of the forest you enter first. The Woods are a large, circular area that surrounds Gatrea, and if you leave Gatrea, walk to the west, and enter the Lakeside Woods from there, you will be on the west side of the Woods. The Ferret Empire is on the north side of the forest, but if you explore the rest of the Wood thoroughly before entering it, you'll be able to pick up a large amount of helpful additional items. So, advance the story quickly or pick up some additional supplies? The choice is yours.

Final Fantasy 19: CHARACTER: Ferret

"You don't want her to scream. You really, really don't want her to scream."

Strength 32

Speed 32 

Stamina 31

Magic 29

Attack 18 

Defense 48 

Evasion 9 %

Magic Defense 26 

Magic Evasion 1 %

Class: Blue Bard

Equipment: Megaphones

Starting equipment:

R-Hand Megaphone

L-Hand N/A

Head   Fancy Collar

Body   N/A

Age: 4

Birthdate: December 10

Blood Type: O

Hometown: Ferret Forest, Fynn

Treasure: Her voice

Likes: Karaoke, jewelry

Dislikes: Dirt

Often embarks on cleaning rampages.

Ending Credits Theme: Habanera

She is the Fairy Princess of the Fairy Ferrets from the Ferret Forest, born with the ability to melt specific mineral compounds with special high-frequency sound waves (read: her scream melts metal). Ferret is the loudest, crudest, bluntest fairy princess you've ever imagined. She curses like a sailor and sasses like it's going out of style; in fact, the only thing she enjoys more than telling people how stupid they are is shopping for jewels, which she has an unhealthy obsession with (although if you ask her, it's simply her natural right as a princess to own every jewel in existence). Her identity is supposed to be a secret - she is hiding from Emperor Mateus, who is trying to take over the Ferret Kingdom as part of his plan for world domination - but since she uses her royal status as justification for every illegal action she performs, nobody is fooled.

She first encounters Badger and Ultimecia when she tries to bully a shop owner in the village of Gatrea into giving her free jewelry, and is so bedazzled by Ultimecia's gemmed costume that she decides to tag along. Once she finds out that this weird thing called "money" can be found by killing monsters, well, sign her up for Sorceress Protection Duty! Oh, yeah - saving her kingdom is somewhere on her priority list too, I guess.

- Ferret hates dirt, which she labels "contamination" and cleans immediately.
- The Fairy Ferrets of the Ferret Forest are actually descended from Eidolons, which is why Ferret has such powerful vocal cords. This also means that Ferret is distantly related to Phoenix, which terrifies her.

Desperation Attack: Lion's Roar
Ferret unleashes her most powerful scream upon her enemies. Damages all enemies.

Special Skill: Vocalize
By meeting various NPCs, performing various sidequests, and playing every piano you come across, Ferret will learn how to sing various theme songs of Final Fantasy. Being the theme songs of the world, these songs have a multitude of special effects that will aid you in battle.
Shriek  -  May cause paralysis to all enemies
Ultrasonic  -  May cause confusion to all enemies
High C  -  May cause instant death to all machine enemies
Piercing Scream  -  Removes all positive statuses from all
Lullaby  -  May cause sleep to all enemies
Requiem  -  Deals high damage to undead enemies
Cheer  -  Raises all allies' Strength temporarily
Elegy  -  May set Doom on one enemy
Aria di Mezzo Carattere  -  Grants random positive statuses to all allies
Calling  -  Restores MP to all allies
Eyes on Me  -  Causes foes to focus on Ferret
Melodies of Life  -  Sets Regen on all allies
Suteki da ne  -  Lowers damage taken by allies
Real Emotion  -  Increases damage dealt by allies

These songs can be learned in the following manner:
Shriek  -  Default skill
Ultrasonic  -  Use Shriek 25 times
High C  -  Use Shriek 50 times
Piercing Scream  -  Use Ultrasonic 50 times
Lullaby  -  Learned on level 10
Requiem  -  Use Lullaby 50 times
Cheer  -  Learned on level 20
Elegy  -  Use Requiem 50 times
Aria di Mezzo Carattere  -  Complete the Jidoor Opera House sidequest
Calling  -  Complete the Eidolon sidequest
Eyes on Me  -  Play every piano in the game
Melodies of Life  -  Speak to Hurdy in Alexandria
Suteki da ne  -  Complete the Blitzball sidequest
Real Emotion  -  Use Suteki da ne 20 times


Special Skill: Blue Magic
In addition to feats of vocal brilliance, Ferret can learn several monster attacks if they are used while she is present and conscious. Ferret will NOT learn Blue Magic if it is used while she is dead, Blind, Asleep, Petrified, Confused, Stopped, or Frozen.

1000 Needles  -  Deals 1000 damage to one target
Aero  -  Small wind damage; selectable
Aera  -  Medium wind damage; selectable
Aeraga  -  Large wind damage; selectable
Angel Whisper  -  Restores all HP and cures status for one target
Bad Breath  -  Causes multiple negative statuses
Chocobuckle  -  Deals more damage the more you have run away
Clean Sweep  -  Medium water damage to all enemies
Death Force  -  Grants instant-death-immunity to one target
Degenerator  -  Causes instant death to one target
Evil Eye  -  Lowers enemy’s parameters
Explode  -  Sacrifices Ferret to cause damage to all enemies
Frog Song  -  Causes Toad and Sleep to all enemies
Magic Breath  -  Large Fire/ Ice/ Thunder damage to all enemies
Magnify  -  Increases all spell damage and healing by 50%
Mighty Guard  -  Grants Protect, Shell, and Haste to all enemies
Nova  -  Large holy damage to all enemies
Stone Breath  -  Causes Petrify to all enemies
Suppress  -  Reduces all spell damage and healing by 50%
White Wind  -  Cures all negative statuses on all allies
Yawn  -  Puts Ferret to sleep; restores HP to full


Special Status: Rage Gauge
One final, hidden aspect to Ferret is her Rage Gauge: an invisible bar that slowly fills as she takes damage in battle. The more Ferret gets hit, the angrier she becomes, until finally she can't take it anymore and explodes into a murderous rampage, unleashing powerful spells for no MP cost. This is almost certain to end any battle in a matter of moments, but it takes many, many battles to charge up, especially since resting at an inn will empty the gauge to 0 again. Ferret's character portrait will flash red the closer she gets to Rage, allowing you to plan for the activation of the state; save it up for a powerful boss battle and let Ferret go to work.

Attacks used in Rage:
Laser Eye  -  Ferret's a-firin' her laser. Damages one
Furious Shriek  -  100% chance of paralyzing all enemies
Tetanus Wind  -  Inflicts Poison, Sap, and HP Leak on all enemies
Lunatic Voice  -  Inflicts damage and Berserk, Confusion, or Doom on one
Lion's Roar  -  Automatically used when Ferret's HP drops below 1/5

Final Fantasy 19: FF2 Nostalgia: Gatrea

Location: Gatrea
Party members: Badger, Ferret, Ultimecia
Opponents: None
Items: ??
BGM: Final Fantasy II Town Theme

...right smack-dab in the middle of podunk nowhere. Seriously. This place is so small, the weapon shop has actually gone out of business and the item shop has been turned into a grocery store.

Grocery Store:
Apple
Bread
Carrot
Cheese
Eggs
Flour
Milk
Rice
Sugar

Apples, Bread, Carrots, Cheese, and Milk will restore 5 HP if used in battle. Flour, Rice, and Sugar will have no effect. Eggs will give you salmonella, aka Poison you. The real purpose of ingredients such as these is to cook with them, an aspect of the game that will be explained soon. For now, however, you need to advance the story by going to the armor shop.

Why the armor shop? Well, it turns out that said armor shop is being terrorized by a banshee of a ferret with pink fairy wings, who is attempting to bully the poor shopkeeper into giving her various pieces of jewelry for free, claiming that it is his duty as a loyal member of the Ferret Empire. Oookay. Things get even weirder, if you can believe it, when the demented ferret gets an eyeful of Ultimecia's outfit and demands to know where she got all those gemstones from and whether she has paid proper tribute to the Ferret Empire for them. Once the ferret learns that she can get money - which is shiny - and trade it for gemstones - which are shinier - she becomes exceedingly happy and forces her way into your party so that you can show her how it's done. Badger is not entirely sure he is sanguine with this, but the more protectors Ultimecia has, the better, right?

Armor Shop:
Bronze Bangle
Silver Bangles
Fancy Collar
Hairpin
Costume Crown

You can decorate Badger with a Fancy Collar, a Hairpin, or a Costume Crown, but as none of these offer a Defense boost and his Magic Defense is high to begin with, you're probably best off sticking with a Floppy Hat. Ferret's Fancy Collar is useless but pricey, so sell it off and give her Ultimecia's Hairpin instead, as her defenses suck. Ultimecia can make do with the Floppy Hat you found in the Chaos Shrine. Silver Bangles are unanimously good for everybody, so buy three of those and spread the bling. Yay for shiny upgrades!

Leaving the armor shop, Ultimecia decides it's time to take stock of this new location. Ferret, however, is full of helpful information: this is the land of Palamecia, under the sway of Emperor Mateus, who is attempting to take over the world. Ultimecia remembers this from her history texts; apparently, it didn't turn out well for the guy. Ferret is overjoyed to hear this, as her Ferret Empire (which she is...NOT the princess of, no, of course not,) is one of the few bastions of resistance against the evil Palamecian Empire!

This is where Ferret gets her first brilliant idea: maybe Ultimecia's magic is the secret weapon that enables the Ferret Empire to stand up to Mateus. Badger, not too sure he really wants a pushy princess around, brings up a good point: if Ferret is supposed to be in hiding, then he and Ultimecia can go to Castle Ferret on their own while she stays in Gatrea. Ferret is, however, inexorable; with Ultimecia to protect her, surely she'll be fine.

Didn't she sign on with the party to protect Ultimecia, not the other way around?

Oh well...

Valkyrie Profile Hrist: Endings

.There are four possible endings to the game. Your actions, Evaluation Rating, and Hero Level all influence which ending you receive.

.Fail in your duties and you will get the Bad Ending, wherein Freya slays you and reacquires your soul.

.The C Ending ends at the boss fight against Genevieve. Hrist is praised for her work and allowed to continue.

.The B Ending ends at the boss fight against Lady Beliza. Hrist is praised but considered to be going rogue, so Freya renews her seal, wiping her memories.

.The A Ending ends with Lenneth and Silmeria joining your party, a boss fight against Queen Hel, and the salvation of Dyn. In this ending, Hrist is viewed with suspicion by Odin, but Lenneth and Silmeria stand up for her. You must have a high Hero and Evaluation rating to obtain this ending and have performed a certain number of Character Quests.

Valkyrie Profile Hrist: Leone

.When around mortals, Hrist takes on the form of the mercenary Leone. In this form, Hrist can only jump once and cannot project crystals.

Valkyrie Profile Hrist: Sending Einherjar to Odin

.Your purpose as a Valkyrie is to supply Odin with warriors to cross swords with the enemies of Asgard. To this end, you are obligated - from Chapter 2 onward - to send up at least one Einherjar per chapter that fulfills basic requirements Odin has requested through Freya.

.During the Sacred Phase between chapters, Freya will inform you of Odin's requests for the coming chapter. He might request a specific type of unit such as an archer; a character who knows or has mastered a specific skill; a character with a Hero Level greater than a certain number; a character who knows certain skill or has been trained to a certain level; or any myriad of other requests.

.During the chapter following the Sacred Phase, train as many or as few Einherjar as necessary to fulfill Odin's requests, then use the menu command to Send those Einherjar to Asgard. Note that the sent Einherjar will be removed from your party after doing so and can only be returned to it during War Battles or the Seraphic Gate.

.During the next Sacred Phase, your compliance with Odin's requests will figure prominently in your evaluation. Follow them to the letter to reap great rewards.

.Note that you cannot send an Einherjar whose Character Quest you have started but not completed.

Valkyrie Profile Hrist: Einherjar

.All the forces of Asgard are at your command...as long as they are not already on assignment. Request the services of any inactive Einherjar from Odin during the Sacred Phase to have them added to your party for the next chapter.

.At times, Odin will require that you find him a warrior to complete a specific task for him in Asgard. You must send up an Einherjar trained to suit Odin's needs or risk displeasure and divine punishment. Successfully answering the request will result in a windfall of rewards.

.While traveling Midgard, Einherjar may encounter old friends, old enemies, or old schemes that haunt them even after death. Einherjar vie for positions on Hrist's journeys because they know she will take vengeance for them despite her position. Complete these Character Quests for a variety of rewards, including items, new quests, new Einherjar, and augments or strength or skill buffs for participating Einherjar. Note that, if you are in the middle of undertaking a Character Quest, any participating Einherjar cannot be returned to Odin's employ until the quest is complete.

.Unlike the gods, human Einherjar possess character traits that influence their Hero Level, which players of Valkyrie Profile: Lenneth will be familiar with. Hero Level is often a crucial characteristic for Odin's requests and influences a character's performance in battle. Hero Level can be raised by leveling up, raising character traits with skill points, or completing Character Quests.

Rambling: Bosses: Ulfgar

Ulfgar

Class: Dwarf

When Fought: Episode 1, Stage 4 (Opposite Edge)

                      Episode 5, Stage 25 (House of Flowers)

                      Episode 10, Stage 87 (Last Breath)

An incredibly obnoxious dwarf Hana and Yuki encounter early in their journey. Much to their displeasure, their first meeting with him will not be their last; nor will it be the least pleasant.

Movement: 4

Method of Attack: Shovel

Omega Attack: Black Gold

Skills

Dig - Ulfgar digs a hole and comes up underneath a foe.

Spiral Shovel - A rising spinning attack topped with a downward swing.

Mine - Throws mines at foes and blows them up.

Dwarf Artillery - Ulfgar fires missiles, mines, and more from a dwarven tank.

Skill Statistics

Normal Attack  -  Lvl 0, MP 0, Short-range

Black Gold  -  Lvl 0, MP 0, Omega Attack

Dig  -  Lvl 0, MP 7, Short-range

Spiral Shovel  -  Lvl 9, MP 22, Short-range

Mine  -  Lvl 17, MP 17, Long-range

Dwarf Artillery  -  Lvl 35, MP 60, Medium-range

Rambling: Monsters: Firebirds

Method of Attack: Gust from wings, vicious peck

Omega Attack: Wings of Light

Types

Roc

Firebird

Thunderbird

Phoenix

Movement: 7

Spellbook Slots: 1

Magic Experience Gain Rate Chart

   Fire: 30  -  Water: 05  -  Wind: 25  -  Earth: 05

   Lightning: 20  -  Holy: 05  -  Darkness: 05  -  Medical: 05

   Strength: 05  -  Weakness: 05

Skills

Fire Wings - Unleashes fire upon enemies.

Thunder Wings - Unleashes lightning upon enemies.

Funeral Pyre - Sacrificial pyre incinerates the user and surrounding foes.

Skill Statistics

Normal Attack  -  Lvl 0, MP 0, Short-range

Wings of Light - Lvl 0, MP 0, Omega Attack

Fire Wings  -  Lvl 5, MP 8, Medium-range

Thunder Wings  -  Lvl 9, MP 20, Medium-range

Funeral Pyre  -  Lvl 21, MP 45, Short-range

Rambling: Monsters: Toy Soldiers

Method of Attack: Tiny saber, tiny rifle

Omega Attack: Toy Charge

Types

Tin Soldier

Iron Soldier

Steel Soldier

Silver Soldier

Movement: 3

Spellbook Slots: 1

Magic Experience Gain Rate Chart

   Fire: 05  -  Water: 05  -  Wind: 05  -  Earth: 10

   Lightning: 05  -  Holy: 05  -  Darkness: 05  -  Medical: 10

   Strength: 05  -  Weakness: 05

Skills

Bayonet - Attack with tiny metal bayonets.

Cannonball - Fires a tiny metal cannon to great effect!

Skill Statistics

Normal Attack  -  Lvl 0, MP 0, Short-range

Toy Charge - Lvl 0, MP 0, Omega Attack

Bayonet  -  Lvl 5, MP 2, Short-range

Cannonball  -  Lvl 12, MP 15, Medium-range

Rambling: Monsters: Imps

Method of Attack: Trident poke, jack-in-the-box, bomb, streamer, pranks

Omega Attack: Pyro Prank

Types

Snuff Imp

Manikin

Boggart

Pishogue

Movement: 4

Spellbook Slots: 1

Magic Experience Gain Rate Chart

   Fire: 20  -  Water: 05  -  Wind: 10  -  Earth: 10

   Lightning: 10  -  Holy: 05  -  Darkness: 05  -  Medical: 05

   Strength: 05  -  Weakness: 05

Skills

Fireball - Throws a handful of fire at a foe.

Black Dust - Throws explosive powder and detonates it with a fireball.

Illusion - Rampaging copies of the user storm the foe.

Skill Statistics

Normal Attack  -  Lvl 0, MP 0, Long-range
Pyro Prank  -  Lvl 0, MP 0, Omega Attack

Fireball  -  Lvl 5, MP 4, Medium-range

Black Dust  -  Lvl 9, MP 10, Long-range

Illusion  -  Lvl 15, MP 16, Medium-range

Rambling: Monsters: Elementals

Method of Attack: Throwing manifestations of their element

Omega Attack: Chaos Overload

Types

Fire Elemental

Water Elemental

Wind Elemental

Earth Elemental

Flare Elemental

Holy Elemental

Movement: 3

Spellbook Slots: 2

Magic Experience Gain Rate Chart (Fire Elemental)

   Fire: 25  -  Water: 05  -  Wind: 10  -  Earth: 15

   Lightning: 10  -  Holy: 05  -  Darkness: 05  -  Medical: 05

   Strength: 05  -  Weakness: 05

 Magic Experience Gain Rate Chart (Water Elemental)

   Fire: 05  -  Water: 25  -  Wind: 15  -  Earth: 10

   Lightning: 10  -  Holy: 05  -  Darkness: 05  -  Medical: 05

   Strength: 05  -  Weakness: 05

 Magic Experience Gain Rate Chart (Wind Elemental)

   Fire: 10  -  Water: 15  -  Wind: 25  -  Earth: 05

   Lightning: 10  -  Holy: 05  -  Darkness: 05  -  Medical: 05

   Strength: 05  -  Weakness: 05

Magic Experience Gain Rate Chart (Earth Elemental)

   Fire: 15  -  Water: 10  -  Wind: 05  -  Earth: 25

   Lightning: 10  -  Holy: 05  -  Darkness: 05  -  Medical: 05

   Strength: 05  -  Weakness: 05

 Magic Experience Gain Rate Chart (Flare Elemental)

   Fire: 15  -  Water: 15  -  Wind: 15  -  Earth: 15

   Lightning: 15  -  Holy: 05  -  Darkness: 25  -  Medical: 05

   Strength: 05  -  Weakness: 25

Magic Experience Gain Rate Chart (Holy Elemental)

   Fire: 15  -  Water: 15  -  Wind: 15  -  Earth: 15

   Lightning: 15  -  Holy: 25  -  Darkness: 05  -  Medical: 05

   Strength: 25  -  Weakness: 05

Skills

Fire, Water, Wind, and Earth Elementals learn the offensive magic spells of their element and one other secondary element up to Tier 3 by gaining levels.

Elemental  -  Sympathetic Element

Fire  -  Earth

Water  -  Wind

Wind  -  Water

Earth  -  Fire

Skills for Flare and Holy Elementals

Flare Elementals learn up to Tier 4 Darkness magic by gaining levels. Holy Elementals learn up to Tier 4 Holy magic by gaining levels.

Skill Statistics

Normal Attack  -  Lvl 0, MP 0, Medium-range
Chaos Overload  -  Lvl 0, MP 0, Omega Attack

Tier 1 magic  -  Lvl 5, MP Varies, Long-range

Tier 2 magic  -  Lvl 15, MP Varies, Long-range

Tier 3 magic  -  Lvl 30, MP Varies, Long-range

Tier 4 magic (Flare/ Holy Elementals only)  -  Lvl 60, MP Varies, Long-range

Rambling: Monsters: Birds

Method of Attack: Pecking, scratching, divebombing, pooping
Omega Attack: Phantom Flock

Types

Crow

Raven

Skeleton

Spectre

Movement: 7

Spellbook Slots: 1

Magic Experience Gain Rate Chart

   Fire: 05  -  Water: 05  -  Wind: 25  -  Earth: 02

   Lightning: 05  -  Holy: 05  -  Darkness: 15  -  Medical: 05

   Strength: 05  -  Weakness: 10

Skills

Feather Missile - Fires black feathers at a foe.

Dive - A powerful dive wrapped in energy.

Skill Statistics

Normal Attack  -  Lvl 0, MP 0, Short-range
Phantom Flock - Lvl 0, MP 0, Omega Attack

Feather Missile  -  Lvl 5, MP 8, Long-range

Dive  -  Lvl 8, MP 8, Medium-range

Rambling: Episode One: Stage Four: Opposite Edge

Stage Four: Opposite Edge

Enemies: Ulfgar lvl 3 x1 (Boss)

         Snuff Imp lvl 1 x2

         Tin Soldier lvl 1 x4

Replacements: Ulfgar with Raven lvl 3 x1

   Ulfgar has ticked off your entire party. Now he challenges you to a showdown and not even Yuki is against it. This is your tutorial on fighting Boss monsters.

   This is the first battle you actually have to exercise some concern with. It takes two hits from Yuki to finish off a Tin Soldier and only one from Hana or Flo, so having Yuki target the Tin Soldiers is a waste of effort. Focus her attacks on the Snuff Imps, which she can knock out in one hit, while Hana and Flo take on the Soldiers. With his satellite monsters gone, Ulfgar's options are limited. He will likely pull out his Dig attack early on, which can do substantial damage, but he can only use it twice. Heal up from the assault using Flo's Fairy Magic, then attack Ulfgar with Briar Rose and Paper Cut and he should go down in no time.

   Following the battle, a panicked Ulfgar runs away. Good riddance, the girls unanimously agree.

Rambling: Episode One: Stage Three: Open Fields

Stage Three: Open Fields (One-shot)

Enemies: Roc lvl 5 x1

         Crow lvl 1 x4

Guests: Ulfgar (Dwarf) lvl 3

   In this map, Ulfgar is being kidnapped by a very large Roc bird. Hana and Flo are against helping the big jerk, but Yuki insists out of natural politeness.

   This map exists to explain to you about combos and Omega Attacks. Right off the bat, Hana, Yuki, Flo, and Ulfgar will all attack the Roc under computer direction. The barrage of attacks fills the Happy Ending Gauge, allowing Hana--as the character who attacked first, starting the combo--to pull off her powerful Omega Attack, Roses for a Grave. This will take the Roc down to a fourth of its starting HP, making it quite manageable despite its high level.

   The Roc will not attack you at all, but goes continually for Ulfgar, who runs about the map attacking nothing and keeping himself alive with Candy. Kill the Crows and then attack the Roc. Whoever kills the Roc will receive a massive experience boost, so plan your attacks to dispense that experience to whomever it will benefit most.

   When you rescue Ulfgar from this final threat, the mouthy dwarf manages to insult Yuki at last.

Rambling: Episode One: Stage Two: Irrigation Channel

Stage Two: Irrigation Channel (One-shot)

Enemies: Water Elemental lvl 1 x2

Guests: Ulfgar (Dwarf) lvl 3

   Another tutorial map, this time trying to save Ulfgar from Water Elementals he managed to irritate by trying to fish in an irrigation canal. Although you cannot possibly reach Ulfgar before the Water Elementals do, Ulfgar instructs you in the mechanics of throwing to help. Simply have Yuki pick up Hana or Flo and Throw them closer to the fray to distract the Elementals from their target. The Elementals are fragile, so you should have no trouble disposing of them.

   However, Ulfgar is still tangled in his fishing rod and line, so Yuki snips off still more of his beard. Ulfgar becomes even madder than before and ticks Hana off.

Rambling: Episode One: Stage One: Field Edge

Stage One: Field Edge (One-shot)

Enemies: Crow lvl 1 x4

Guests: Ulfgar (Dwarf) lvl 3

   This is the first “tutorial” map, in which Ulfgar (the dwarf) yells moving and fighting instructions at you. Follow his directions, galling as it might be, and beat down the weak Crows using physical attacks. As a tutorial battle, there's nothing remotely complicated about it; enjoy the attack animations and move on back to more story.

   After the battle, Hana and Yuki try to wrestle Ulfgar out of the trunk, but cannot get his beard free. So Yuki gets out her scissors and snips the end off, sending Ulfgar into a rage. He storms away, ticking Flo off.

Rambling: Episode One: Snow White and Rose Red: Fields

   While guiding Hana and Yuki to Legend, Flo takes them across some wide fields, where they find a dwarf trapped by his beard in a fallen tree trunk, being attacked by large birds.

Rambling: Characters: Flo

Flo

Recruited: Beginning of game

Method of Attack: Heavy-duty kicking and smashing with magic wand

Omega Attack: Happily Ever After

Miss Florence is a new fairy godmother who has just replaced Hana and Yuki’s old godmother, Miss Sacharissa. However, Flo isn’t like most fairy godmothers. She’s a hotheaded, straightforward, bull-stubborn young woman who will as soon kick you as look at you – and she kicks HARD. There’s no helping from the sidelines with this godmother! Flo takes Hana to the city of Legend to become a hero, and she’s going to make sure it happens if she has to kick every other hero out of the Heroes’ Society to do it.

Starting Level: 1

Movement: 6

Spellbook Slots: 2

Magic Experience Gain Rate Chart

   Fire: 25  -  Water: 10  -  Wind: 15  -  Earth: 10

   Lightning: 15  -  Holy: 15  -  Darkness: 05  -  Medical: 20

   Strength: 25  -  Weakness: 15

Skills

Fairy Magic - Uses fairy magic to heal an ally.

Finishing Touch - Gives enemy a delicate touch. (Read, powerful kick.)

Home Run - Kicks enemy up and uses magic wand like a baseball bat.

Fairy Gift - The gift of a fairy heals an ally.

Star Burst - Fires explosive stars out of wand like a gatling gun.

Godmother Rage - A godmother’s ultimate combo attack!

Fairy Light - Shining fairy light heals allies.

Skill Statistics

Normal Attack  -  Lvl 0, MP 0, Short-range

Happily Ever After  -  Lvl 0, MP 0, Omega Attack

Fairy Magic  -  Lvl 0, MP 5, Long-range

Finishing Touch  -   Lvl 2, MP 8, Short-range

Home Run  -  Lvl 9, MP 12, Short-range

Fairy Gift  -  Lvl 15, MP 15, Long-range

Star Burst  -  Lvl 18, MP 22, Medium-range

Godmother Rage  -  Lvl 36, MP 42, Short-range

Fairy Light  -  Lvl 45, MP 30, Long-range

Rambling: Characters: Yuki

Yuki

Recruited: Beginning of game

Method of Attack: Throwing paper and glass snowflakes, planes, balls, etc.

Omega Attack: Yuki Xerox

Yuki Shiraka is Hana’s twin sister. She has looked after Hana ever since they were little, always the voice of reason and always the one who gets Hana out of the scrapes her forward nature gets her into. When Hana goes off to be a hero, Yuki of course accompanies her to make sure she doesn’t get into trouble. However, when Hana kisses awake a very handsome prince, Yuki’s feelings begin to turn complicated.

Starting Level: 1

Movement: 4

Spellbook Slots: 3

Magic Experience Gain Rate Chart

   Fire: 10  -  Water: 30  -  Wind: 25  -  Earth: 20

   Lightning: 15  -  Holy: 25  -  Darkness: 25  -  Medical: 30

   Strength: 20  -  Weakness: 20

Skills

Paper Cut - A large paper plane zooms by and cuts the enemy.

Xerox Machine - A demented xerox xeroxes off a huge amount of paper at foes.

Shatterstorm - Surrounds foes with glass orbs and shatters them all.

Blizzard - Envelops foes in a storm of paper snowflakes.

Divebomb - Paper planes swoop down and drop bombs on the enemy.

Origami Army - Fashions an army of animals from paper and sets it loose.

Diamond Storm - Rains huge chunks of exploding crystal ice.

Skill Statistics

Normal Attack  -  Lvl 0, MP 0, Long-range

Yuki Xerox  -  Lvl 0, MP 0, Omega Attack

Paper Cut  -  Lvl 0, MP 4, Medium-range

Xerox Machine  -  Lvl 3, MP 10, Long-range

Shatterstorm  -  Lvl 8, MP 16, Long-range

Blizzard  -  Lvl 13, MP 14, Long-range

Divebomb  -  Lvl 25, MP 25, Long-range

Origami Army  -  Lvl 31, MP 26, Long-range

Diamond Storm  -  Lvl 42, MP 44, Long-range

Rambling: Characters: Hana

Hana

Recruited: Beginning of game

Method of Attack: A rosevine whip

Omega Attack: Roses for a Grave

Hana Shiraka is a young girl who wants to become a hero. Unfortunately, heroes are always male, making hers an impossible dream – until she solicits some help from her fairy godmother. Thanks in truth more to her brains and determination than her rather undependable godmother, Hana manages to become the first female hero. But her journey as such won’t be easy.

Starting Level: 1

Movement: 5

Spellbook Slots: 2

Magic Experience Gain Rate Chart

   Fire: 20  -  Water: 20  -  Wind: 22  -  Earth: 25

   Lightning: 15  -  Holy: 22  -  Darkness: 10  -  Medical: 20

   Strength: 20  -  Weakness: 10

Skills

Briar Rose - Wraps enemy in blooming briars.

Scent of Roses - Revitalizes ally HP and status with rose petals.

Rose Wind - Attacks foes with a whorl of rushing thorned roses.

Rose Coffin - Squeezes enemy within a cage of thick briar stems.

Wall of Thorns - Protects allies using a wall of prickly thorns.

Roses are Red - Locks enemies within a thicket of blossoming briars.

Bloody Rose - Impales enemy on a thorn and swallows them in a rose.

Rose Cannon - Releases an intense laser beam from a blossoming rose.

Skill Statistics

Normal Attack  -  Lvl 0, MP 0, Short-range

Roses for a Grave  -  Lvl 0, MP 0, Omega Attack

Briar Rose  -  Lvl 0, MP 5, Medium-range

Scent of Roses  -  Lvl 2, MP 7, Long-range

Rose Wind  -  Lvl 6, MP 8, Long-range

Rose Coffin  -  Lvl 14, MP 12, Medium-range

Wall of Thorns  -  Lvl 20, MP 20, Long-range

Roses are Red  -  Lvl 22, MP 16, Long-range

Bloody Rose  -  Lvl 34, MP 32, Medium-range

Rose Cannon  -  Lvl 50, MP 100, Medium-range

Rambling: Episode One: Snow White and Rose Red: Cottage in the Glen

   Sisters Hana and Yuki Shiraka have reached their fifteenth birthday, and their proud widowed mother teaches them how to summon their fairy godmother. However, their old godmother, Miss Sacharissa, has retired and been replaced by Miss Florence, a young and very unbusinesslike woman.

   Hana asks Miss Florence how to become a hero. Heroes are always male, giving Florence the misimpression that Hana wants to be a man. However, once she gets the idea that Hana wants to become the first FEMALE hero, she decides to take time off to take her to the capitol city, Legend. Yuki wants to come as well, and they leave, despite their mother’s rather bemused protests.