We head out and the place is just around the corner, guarded by a few guys. Once we're inside, we find that Vossler is the guy we're delivering it to. Basch is already there defending himself against the slew of accusations that he's a traitor. He seems to convince Vaan, but Vossler is still on the fence. Eventually though Vossler decides to trust Basch for the time, but he's going to keep a very close eye on him. Even if he's telling the truth, it means that his brother is a Judge.
Back in the city Basch asks Vaan to help him find Baltheir. Coincidently, when we find Baltheir, we also find that Penelo has been snagged by that bounty hunter who's after Baltheir. Normally Baltheir wouldn't care but he's feeling a little guilty, and he needs something where they're keeping her anyway (Bhujerba). Basch also has business there, so the four of us take off in Baltheir's airship.
We arrive at a city in the clouds, which is pretty sweet.
We head toward the meeting place, the Lhusu Mines and along the way we pick up another Guest. A boy named 'Lamont' who's dress screams noble. We're not in the mines long when we hear some talking and go to spy on whoever it is. When we get there we see a Judge walking with a noble who Baltheir identifies as the Marquis, Halim Ondore IV. The Marquis is assuring the Judge (Ghis) that the purest of the magicite is being diverted from the Empire directly to Lord Vayne as instructed, discretely. What's Vayne up to? He's obviously working against his father in some fashion.
After they leave we continue on downward, Lamont comments on what he finds. He pulls out a stone and calls it Nethicite, it absorbs the energies of magicite. He comments on something to the effect that this is indeed where all the magicite is coming from. Eventually we come face to face with the bounty hunter. When we ask where Penelo is, he tells us that they cut her loose a while ago. Well... since they don't have Penelo we just bail. Idiot.
Once we get out of the mines, Lamont, who was ahead of us, is already talking to the Judge and Marquis. While we watch from the shadows we hear the Marquis call 'Lamont' by his real name, Larsa, who happens to be the fourth son of the emperor and brother to Vayne. We also see that they have Penelo, who Larsa claims as his guest and retreats to the Marquis' manor with her so she's not thrown in prison by the Judge.
Back at the estate with Larsa and Penelo, Larsa explains that the Empire is good and trying to help Dalmasca. That all the men of his family try to help the people of the empire selflessly. He believes that his brother Vayne is a good man. Kid has a good heart and a good head but he's blind, Vayne is not the good guy here.
Back with the main party, we set up a meeting with the Marquis. We arrive at his palace that night and are greeted as welcome guests at first.
But as Basch explains that he plans to rescue the resistance leader Amalia from Vayne, the Marquis has them arrested. He explains that the fleet is arriving as they speak to pick up Larsa and Judge Ghis. That Penelo will go with Larsa, and that they will be delivered to Vayne. He has no choice.
This is all too reminiscent of Lando (Marquis) turning against his friends because of the Empire (the Empire) at his Cloud City (Bhujerba). We have our sky pirate Han (Baltheir) being chased by the bounty hunter (Banga). We have our Princess Leah (Ashe) who's the leader of the resistance (Rebels) fighting them. Anyway, enough plot stealing. We cut over to Vayne with Judge Gabranth (Basch's twin) talking about the loyalty of the Marquis, but Vayne has just gotten word that the Marquis has captured Basch for them. Gabranth swears he'll kill Basch when Ghis brings them back. As Gabranth leaves, Dr. Cid enters and has a discussion with Vayne.
In the morning the party is taken up to the fleet, specifically the Dreadnought Leviathan (I like how all the capital ships of the Imperial fleet are named after old FF summons).
Aboard the ship we're taken to the bridge where we find Amalia, who's introduced finally as the Princess Ashe, waiting with Judge Ghis. She slaps the traitor Basch who supposedly killed her father when he comes in. After that little bit of drama, Judge Ghis explains that Vayne wants the help of Dalmasca royalty to help bridge the peace in Dalmasca but anyone falsely claiming the blood of royalty will be executed. Basch expalins that he knows the location of a stone which will prove her royal lineage. Well, it just so happens he's talking about the Dusk Shard, which Vaan has with him, and it starts to glow. So her blood is proven right there on the spot. However, the Judge doesn't really care, Vayne just wanted the stone. He sends Ashe and the others back to prison, to be executed later I think.
On the way to their prison (separated from Ashe already), Baltheir and Basch beat down the guards with the help of an undercover Vossler. Free of our bonds, we head off to rescue Ashe. After a bit we come to the Princess and she joins our party. Now we're roaming the Leviathan and the alarm is going off. I'm supposed to find the control panel to disengage the alarm but instead I used the opportunity to gain a few levels for all of my people. This almost backfired though when I stumbled onto a boss fight with no MP and everyone at about half health. Barely surviving, I moved on, and as we came to our destination, Vossler left the party to find another solution to help Dalmasca, leaving Ashe in Basch's hands. I guess everyone finally trusts him.
When Vossler leaves, Penelo and Larsa find us. Larsa helps us get away, and before he goes he gives Penelo the nethicite as a gift. When we ask him why he's helping, he says that Basch and Ashe were claimed dead by his brother for a reason. The fact that they live will bring plots to light, and the longer they live, the more that plot will be revealed. Larsa must know what's going on.
We finally arrive at the transport and have to face off with Judge Ghis to continue. He attempts to just kill Ashe with one spell but the nethicite that Larsa gave Penelo absorbs the attack. He's gonna have to do it the old fashion way I guess. After we got him to about 20% health, his mask fell off and he gave up. This was my first time getting to experiment with the new limit break system. Vaan had recently gotten a 'Mist' on the license board and when his MP is full, he has the ability to go off for a special attack. The attack system takes some getting used to, but eventually I got it. Knocked off about half the Judge's health in one hit. We escape the fleet on the transport.
Arriving back in Bhujerba, we meet with the Marquis again, this time he's not so ready to turn us in. We find out that Ashe is his niece and she wants his help. But he says he can not do anything until she can get proof of her blood, the Judge has the Dusk shard now. She explains that there's one other stone which can do that, the Dawn shard in King Raithwall's Tomb. The Marquis says she'll stay in Bhujerba with him until they can figure out what to do.
The next scene is her trying to steal Baltheir's airship. But Vaan and then Baltheir and then everyone else comes in. She convinces Baltheir to 'kidnap' her. She promises huge treasures in the tomb. So in Han Solo fashion, the greedy leading man will help the princess once more.
Back in Arcadia, we see Judge Gabranth meeting with the emperor. The emperor is dying and he worries that there will be a war between his two sons once he's gone. He knows Vayne is ambitious and might kill Larsa if necessary. He also knows that the senate (hah) prefers a more pliable emperor, someone younger and easier to manipulate like Larsa, and they may go after Vayne. The emperor wants Gabranth to be Larsa's shield, to protect him from harm. We also find out that a long time ago the empire destroyed the home of Gabranth and Basch. But where Basch fled to Dalmasca, Gabranth joined them. Lastly, Gabranth reports that Cid is helping Vayne doing some experiments in some research laboratory.
Back to the party, Baltheir lands quite a ways from the tomb, something about the field not letting the ship get any closer without shutting down. We turn on the invisible cloaking system on the ship and head out on foot.
Very fun game to play and just tool around in. Love the lack of random battles, just because I hate loading and unloading the battle system every other minute. Nice to just be able to run around and, with gambits, I can just run up to a mob and the party will kill it, heal themselves, and continue. I only have to really get involved if things get out of hand. Kind of refreshing.
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