I appreciate how Fervent Adoration reflects Murder-type Panic from LobCorp, and holy shit Ever Repeating Performance is nuts, especially since it reloads between waves
Also uhh, you keep off-hand mentioning Awakening and now Breakdown pages during these overviews, and while I've intuited what they mean and which is which, I think you maybe wanna go back to the first time you discussed Emotion Zones and clarify the terms and their relation to page colors, unless I just missed them being explained before
As for the Netzach matchup, I think it comes down to the fact that a floor is defined by its Abnos, and Stall and Endurance aren't gimmicks that can have sudden Traps most of the time, so all of the Abnos, and thus Corroded Angelas, end up having little ability to disrupt a team thats gotten its foot in the door... and Laughing Powder is just overkill, instantly healing off Stagger damage on taking a hit is wild, I'm sure it loses efficacy as the game gets bigger numbers, but it still takes the bite out of things
Ohhh... Library Battle SIMULATION: Let's Play Library of Ruina
I could have sworn I used these terms before. Let me just. Put in a quick one-off that says what they are.Cloudmonkey98 wrote: ↑Tue Oct 18, 2022 11:07 amAlso uhh, you keep off-hand mentioning Awakening and now Breakdown pages during these overviews, and while I've intuited what they mean and which is which, I think you maybe wanna go back to the first time you discussed Emotion Zones and clarify the terms and their relation to page colors, unless I just missed them being explained before
Book 35.5 Small Story 1
Music: Lobby
Hah… it's nice to have a proper break after going through one of those messes. Even managed to get a few spare beers out of Netzach for later.
Still… big social gatherings with these L Corp guys are… Being stuck in there for 10,000 years or whatever must've done a number on them. For the best that I duck out early.
Huh. Don't see that combo every day. Wonder what's going on…
VIDEO
This is a serious matter indeed…
Right. This issue has to be settled now.
We’re in so much trouble!
Just tell me what’s going on.
Netzach ran off!
The Floor of Art was responsible for cleaning the Library’s corridors this week.
Wha?
Do you have any guesses on where he might be?
Nah, of course not. No way. Hmhm…
His assistant librarians must’ve all disappeared with him, too…
Cleaning? I don’t remember ordering you to clean this place.
You lot always love to cause a bigger fuss than necessary, don’t you.
Do you want us to stop it?
No, I don’t mind it.
Thank goodness…
Anyway, that’s why we’ve been wondering! Just where did Netzach hide away!
Sigh…
W…what the… What happened…
It takes no effort for me to locate and relocate you lot, wherever in this Library you may be.
Netzaaaach~! We promised to keep the order we decided on!
You’re so mean, running away when it’s your turn…
You reek of alcohol, and so do your assistant librarians behind you…
…I can explain, there’s a good explanation for this.
What explanation?
Let’s hear your story, then.
Now now, Netzach will surely be careful next time. That’s enough scolding.
No. I must hear what he has to say.
Netzaaaaaach!
…Look, I didn’t feel like cleaning, but I still was gonna do it. I was grumbling to myself about it, then Roland came along and said he found a good spot to goof off…
Whoa, looks like he’s still too drunk to speak straight. He sure loves to drink for someone so weak with it. Hahaha…
…Roland. Is what Netzach said true?
Haha… Naw, can’t be.
I can faintly smell alcohol from you as well, now that Netzach’s confessed it.
I’m disappointed in you two!
Alright, I’m sorry! I’ll help Netzach clean the corridors today, so please forgive me!
Hm, no. How about you join them on the cleaning roster from now on, rather than just for today?
Whaat?
That’s a good idea.
I could forgive your misbehavior today in that case.
Good luck with the cleaning, then!
…You’re also prone to make a fuss, aren’t you, Roland.
Hunh.
Alright team, you heard Miss Angela. Time to get our cleaning done~
I knew we were going to get caught…
Dammit, I don't need a hangover in the middle of cleanup.
Must we? There are so… so many stairs.
Well, if you think about it, 'stairs' aren't really 'corridors,' so…
No slacking off! Do a thorough job, you guys!
Ahh… jeez, fine…
Do it until you can see your smile in the shine! HAHAHAHAHA!!!
Well, good thing that's sorted. I didn't want to get stuck with cleaning the corridors myself again.
At least we probably would have helped this time?
The period of punishment was until the next cleaning rotation. I wouldn't have lifted a finger.
She can game and clean at the same time anyways. She really doesn't need any help.
See if I save your sorry butt next time, then!
Well, we would have pitched in. Cleaning is good for the soul.
Spoken like someone who hasn't had 23 pages due by the end of the day…
What?
Informational documents that required careful redaction did always seem to be a pain for the clerks.
They were the worst. We've deleted records that would've made you guys wet your pants.
What is a company? A well-run enterprise of secrets! But enough talk! We should mosey our way back to our floors before we run into something really dangerous!
Sniff sniff! Aha! I knew I smelled peoples! Did I miss something fun?
Aww, beans! Too late!
What's she doing awake?!
Everyone, get behind me. If you try anything, I'll—
Oh… that could be a problem. I was gonna try getting back into that cabinet again! Grr… I'll show those not-cuties what for as many times as it takes for that smell to go away!
Music: KeterBattle01
Don't play dumb. The last time I saw you was when you slammed ImIdiot through a wall-
Which hurt, you know!
-and ran off to take control of the facility at your Sephirah's request.
Huh… really? Sounds like everybody had fun!
You nearly killed him!
Oh, like that's ever mattered here. 
You goddamn—!
Listen, kiddo… Given that you went and swapped sides on us once already… We're just wondering when we should expect another shiv in the back.
Switched sides? I've always been on the side of the cutest! So of course I'd work with the cuties when it was time to play~ You should really stop listening to Patchy!
Who's… Patchy?
Patchy is Patchy! She's always like, "We've betrayed them all," and stuff. Suuuper downer.
Eloquent as always, huh…
Would you all keep it down? I'm quite busy, you know.
She spooke to uus..!
You have helped me several times now.
I would be remiss if I didn't acknowledge and act on that new information… I was simply waiting for the proper time to do so.
Oho. Does that mean you'll be helping out too, ma'am?
Should I feel like it. For the moment, I simply require that you all work together. Once my book is complete, you will be free to do as you like.
Music: Lobby
…Fine. I'll play nice, ma'am. For now.
And I'm only going to play with cuties! They're the most fun. Now, wheeere's that smell… Sniff sniff!
Seems like we're all on the same page, then.
It's good that you understand. Continue to work as you always have.
Videos
Small Story 1
Music: Lobby
Hah… it's nice to have a proper break after going through one of those messes. Even managed to get a few spare beers out of Netzach for later. Still… big social gatherings with these L Corp guys are… Being stuck in there for 10,000 years or whatever must've done a number on them. For the best that I duck out early. Huh. Don't see that combo every day. Wonder what's going on…VIDEO
This is a serious matter indeed… Right. This issue has to be settled now. We’re in so much trouble! Just tell me what’s going on. Netzach ran off! The Floor of Art was responsible for cleaning the Library’s corridors this week. Wha? Do you have any guesses on where he might be? Nah, of course not. No way. Hmhm… His assistant librarians must’ve all disappeared with him, too… Cleaning? I don’t remember ordering you to clean this place. You lot always love to cause a bigger fuss than necessary, don’t you. Do you want us to stop it? No, I don’t mind it. Thank goodness… Anyway, that’s why we’ve been wondering! Just where did Netzach hide away! Sigh… W…what the… What happened… It takes no effort for me to locate and relocate you lot, wherever in this Library you may be. Netzaaaach~! We promised to keep the order we decided on! You’re so mean, running away when it’s your turn… You reek of alcohol, and so do your assistant librarians behind you… …I can explain, there’s a good explanation for this. What explanation? Let’s hear your story, then. Now now, Netzach will surely be careful next time. That’s enough scolding. No. I must hear what he has to say. Netzaaaaaach! …Look, I didn’t feel like cleaning, but I still was gonna do it. I was grumbling to myself about it, then Roland came along and said he found a good spot to goof off… Whoa, looks like he’s still too drunk to speak straight. He sure loves to drink for someone so weak with it. Hahaha… …Roland. Is what Netzach said true? Haha… Naw, can’t be. I can faintly smell alcohol from you as well, now that Netzach’s confessed it. I’m disappointed in you two! Alright, I’m sorry! I’ll help Netzach clean the corridors today, so please forgive me! Hm, no. How about you join them on the cleaning roster from now on, rather than just for today? Whaat? That’s a good idea. I could forgive your misbehavior today in that case. Good luck with the cleaning, then! …You’re also prone to make a fuss, aren’t you, Roland. Hunh. Alright team, you heard Miss Angela. Time to get our cleaning done~ I knew we were going to get caught… Dammit, I don't need a hangover in the middle of cleanup. Must we? There are so… so many stairs. Well, if you think about it, 'stairs' aren't really 'corridors,' so… No slacking off! Do a thorough job, you guys! Ahh… jeez, fine… Do it until you can see your smile in the shine! HAHAHAHAHA!!! Well, good thing that's sorted. I didn't want to get stuck with cleaning the corridors myself again. At least we probably would have helped this time? The period of punishment was until the next cleaning rotation. I wouldn't have lifted a finger. She can game and clean at the same time anyways. She really doesn't need any help. See if I save your sorry butt next time, then! Well, we would have pitched in. Cleaning is good for the soul. Spoken like someone who hasn't had 23 pages due by the end of the day… What? Informational documents that required careful redaction did always seem to be a pain for the clerks. They were the worst. We've deleted records that would've made you guys wet your pants. What is a company? A well-run enterprise of secrets! But enough talk! We should mosey our way back to our floors before we run into something really dangerous! Sniff sniff! Aha! I knew I smelled peoples! Did I miss something fun? Aww, beans! Too late! What's she doing awake?! Everyone, get behind me. If you try anything, I'll— Oh… that could be a problem. I was gonna try getting back into that cabinet again! Grr… I'll show those not-cuties what for as many times as it takes for that smell to go away!Music: KeterBattle01
Don't play dumb. The last time I saw you was when you slammed ImIdiot through a wall- Which hurt, you know! -and ran off to take control of the facility at your Sephirah's request. Huh… really? Sounds like everybody had fun! You nearly killed him! Oh, like that's ever mattered here. You goddamn—! Listen, kiddo… Given that you went and swapped sides on us once already… We're just wondering when we should expect another shiv in the back. Switched sides? I've always been on the side of the cutest! So of course I'd work with the cuties when it was time to play~ You should really stop listening to Patchy! Who's… Patchy? Patchy is Patchy! She's always like, "We've betrayed them all," and stuff. Suuuper downer. Eloquent as always, huh… Would you all keep it down? I'm quite busy, you know. She spooke to uus..! You have helped me several times now. I would be remiss if I didn't acknowledge and act on that new information… I was simply waiting for the proper time to do so. Oho. Does that mean you'll be helping out too, ma'am? Should I feel like it. For the moment, I simply require that you all work together. Once my book is complete, you will be free to do as you like.Music: Lobby
…Fine. I'll play nice, ma'am. For now. And I'm only going to play with cuties! They're the most fun. Now, wheeere's that smell… Sniff sniff! Seems like we're all on the same page, then. It's good that you understand. Continue to work as you always have.Videos
Small Story 1
Natural Sciences—525.64—King of Greed
Music: Lobby
We've pretty much gotten all the mileage we can out of our current set of toys, so there's no major changes right now. I do want to bring attention to Chinely's build today, though.
Heh… Is that all? I've already seen through you. How was that?
Very cool.
Are you two "practicing" again?
Yep!
Get a move on, we're already running late.
Sorry, sorry, sorry, these puppets are a pain to get hanging right.
Chinely is bringing along Information Assessment because I had 4 spare points and only one open passive slot.
So after the Queen and the Knight, it's got to be the King, right?
Definitely.
Every Abnormality we get is troublesome… How are we supposed to deal with that thing?
It's okay, boss… I'm sure we'll be able to handle it.
Shall I take it that you're all ready, then?
Definitely! Give us your worst!
Of course. But first… Please remember that creating a resonant feedback loop to cause you both to explode is highly unlikely to work a second time.
No need to worry… I've already done it once, so this time I have to stay standing in the end. That's how you show growth, right?
My pupil's learned well!
Thankfully, they don't have the E.G.O to pull it off anyways.
So long as you all understand.
SNAP
Music: AbnormalityBattle02
There she is… in the egg, as usual.
At times like this, we must let our heart resonate with hers so that we can reach her.
Hell with that! Let's scramble this egg, team.
Unlike most Abnormalities, the King of Greed doesn't have any lines while in her Aurum Amber form. We have one turn and zero preparation to defeat it—if we fail, then we miss out on the Magical Girl phase and have to do an entire fight against the fully powered King of Greed. This would be bad.
This phase is just a straight DPS check, though I'm making several mistakes here.
It looks like her shell's vulnerable to conventional weapons this time!
Of course. The girl was immune to our attacks, but the purpose of an egg is to be broken.
Then we'll just have to break her out, piece by piece.
We don't have time for that. I'm going all in! Cover for me after!
Ma'am!
Overcharge is enough to confirm the kill against Aurum Amber, sending us to the next phase.
Ahh..! How long has it been?
You all are here seeking my power, right?
That's right.
It's been so long since I've been free like this that it'd be a bore to just accept… Entertain me for a bit, would you?
Magical Girl is a very normal fight with a full set of Endured/Ineffective resistances across the board (her one Normal here is because of Information Assessment). She has a mechanic that comes into play on turn 3, and it's important that we do it right in order to keep her from getting +3 Strength and Haste. We're aiming to chop off 200 of her HP here, which will send us into the next phase of the fight.
We're actually in a pretty bad state, here, due to an overinvestment on turn 1. Tiphereth is locked down from using Overcharge, and with the arrows pointing how they are I don't have the ability to block all of her incoming attacks. This means our priorities here are to recover light and minimize the damage we'll be taking.
To that end, I let For Happiness go through and hit Tylana. It's a decently damaging page, but we're not likely to win the clash and it doesn't deal enough damage to put her in real danger yet.
She also uses Gigigig to block Sparkling Strike. Sparkling Strike's first die will break the rest of the dice on our page should it win the clash (and it will), meaning the two Block dice after are useless. Tylana will eat 2 Disarm and 2 Bind on the next turn because of this, but that's fine—we're just doing this to ensure she gets back to full Light.
Lastly, Chinely blocks Ecstacy of Triumph, as I don't have any good 3-die pages on hand to deal with it. Ecstacy is a decent combo attack, the first one lowering the power of our second die on hit, so that her second die can more easily hit us and break whatever die we may have left. This sets up for her third die to hit us and grant Magical Girl +2 Strength on her next turn.
Since I can't stop the +2 Strength, the plan here is to just get some Burn stacks on her while I put on the damage I can.
You're going to entertain me, riight?!
As a magical girl, shouldn't you be trying to help us regardless?
Who cares about that anymore? The happiness I want to fight for is my own now! Prove to me that you'll be interesting, or I'm out!
Ultimately, it just means we've got to do what we always do. Don't hold back, boys.
Hm! Anything from a Minor Arcana and below would have something broken after one punch. You're pretty tough, aren't you?
I… try…
Good! I don't want this to end too quickly.
The X over Tylana's second die is the visual effect of it being destroyed by the effect of Sparkling Strike, and it's removed from the queue after this.
Then how's this strike!
Ah-! Good hit. Reminds me of a Swords Arcana.
Then how about-GAH!
Come on, you can try harder than that, can't you?
Then… how's this?!
Hahahaha! Excellent, excellent!
Alright, my gear's back online. Let's take the fight to her, team.
Our attacks… are working, right? She's laughing them off like it's nothing. 
This fight isn't about crushing her body, it's about satiating her lust for battle. If we just keep up with her, she should be satisfied eventually.
Her greed's bottomless, Chinely.
Then we'll just have to dole out bottomless violence!
That doesn't make any sense!
Overwhelming Luster is the final normal attack that Magical Girl uses on us, and it's a doozy. The first die is only decent, but if it wins then it'll power up the second die, which is the real danger here: on a hit, that die will break one of her target's Speed Die for a turn. This can be a problem, particularly if it hits us right before she goes into her special mechanic phase.
Crack of Dawn is perfect for blocking it…
Except I then have Chinely throw a Gigigig at the same die, using a higher number to redirect the clash. This is a near guaranteed loss after her 2 Strength. I proceed to not realize this until reviewing footage for this update.
Don't play like me, kids! :shepface:
Alright. We've all caught our breath after exerting ourselves too much. Let's show her what we can really do.
I'll get smoke on her, that should make things much easier.
A second wind, eh? Alright, let's see what you've got!
What we have is the power of love!
And justice!
Ah, so you met my cute kohais!
I'm sure you've realized, but in terms of power I've always been a cut above the both of them. Sooorry~
Agh… that's going to need a minute to heal.
You've got your minute. Smoke is on the target, ma'am.
Now this is a funny scent, isn't it?
But smoking is bad, don't you know?!
This isn't a kid's show, my people can smoke if they want to.
If this isn't a kid's show, then why is a child standing in front of me?
I'm not a kid!!
Oooh, that's some power in that fist! You're all pretty strong, aren't you?
Love is the winner here, giving us some sustain. I put it on Tiphereth since Ripple, Rend Space, and Overcharge can all act as very reliable clash-winners. Even Dimensional Rift is reliable enough to trigger its effects.
You didn't just fight them… it seems they're helping you out, huh?
That's right. Your influence as Abnormalities aids us in combat, giving us special abilities.
Well, if you've got their support… I don't have to hold back at all, do I?
The amber gate gleaming with greed opens…
Super attack?
Definitely a super attack.
Each one has 20 HP and Fatal resistance to all attack types, so we really only need to deal 10 damage to take it out. Ideally, we want each person on our side to destroy one Bliss. With two speed dice, it's trivial to focus down a Bliss and defeat it. Unfortunately for us, Chinely only has one this turn, is operating at a -2 Strength, and his Burn deck is pretty bad at dealing direct damage. Our best pages have a very real possibility of doing less than the 10 we need. Thankfully, there's a solution to this.
Chinely's die is a 4, so I have Tylana line up an Inhale Smoke on the Bliss he's targeting with her leftmost 5. This means that the order of operations will be:
-Tylana Inhales Smoke on Chinely's Bliss, gains 7 Smoke.
-Tylana Deep Drags her own Bliss, kills it easily after 35% bonus damage
-Chinely finishes off his own Bliss.
Since Inhale Smoke is a 3-8 and Tylana gets +2 Blunt power, this could lead to her killing both of them if we get unlucky… but it's the best plan we have, so I run with it.
Everyone, attack on my mark!
I've already done it.
You what?!
I thought that if I desired it to be destroyed, then it would be destroyed in a single cut. It worked.
Ugh, that sort of thinking only works for you two weirdos. Tylana!
Don't worry, boss. I went a little easy on it so Chinely could break it.
Appreciated. My arm's not working quite right.
Then let's finish 'em off!
I got this one!
Mine's down, too. That's all of them, ma'am!
Raging desire, gather in my hand and give me power!
Get ready to intercept!
The Road of Gold is Magical Girl's strongest attack, a 10-12 Individual Mass Attack which Staggers instantly on hit. As a reminder: if any one of our Librarians fail to stop this attack, she'll be given 3 Strength and Haste next turn as well. Failing this can quickly lead to losing a Librarian entirely. Thankfully, we have a trump card… er, page.
Each Librarian who defeats a Brilliant Bliss is given a copy of Fragment of Bliss next turn. This is a guaranteed 15 Block die that costs us no Light, letting us automatically win against this attack. There's no reason not to use it, either, since it vanishes after this turn.
Here I come! The Road of Gold!
Hahaha, wow! You guys really aren't bad, not bad at all!
So, does that mean you're going to help us?
So soon? But I'm only just getting started! You can't call this nearly enough!
Then have as much pain as you like!
You call this 'pain?' How about this:
In honor of your feat, I'll drop my guard just this once. Come on. Show me what you can really do.
Because of that, I opt to use Energy Cycle with Tiphereth to get her Charge back up to 10, and Omni fires off a pair of To Overcome Crisis to refill his hand. The other two are doing fine.
Bamboo-hatted style iaijutu: Golden Cutter! How's that for a good hit?!
I actually felt that. I haven't felt anything but desire in… ah, how long has it been?
I knew I wanted to exercise a bit… but I didn't think it'd be so… fun! I can't stop smiling! I don't want to stop smiling!
She's not even reacting to our blows anymore. Does she feel them at all?
Let me try my golden cutter technique again.
Nope. Nothing. This is bad, right?
I won't stop smiling. I'll never let this feeling escape…
Let me gorge myself on this joy until I'm sated, won't you?!
This is very bad.
More… more! Fill my stomach. Bring me happiness!
She's given in fully to her desire, ma'am.
I can see that, Chinely! No way out but through it. Don't hold back!
The fish is still there, it's just on her fist now. It counts.
The King of Greed is the most dangerous form of this fight, but it functions almost entirely the same as the last one. There's a Bliss summon on turn 3, setting up for a super attack on turn 4, which staggers her if we block it. She also has the same Endured/Ineffective resistances as her first… form…
Wait. Why is Slash Stagger Resistance at 'Normal?'
It's time for another dive into Projmoon coding!
Information Assessment claims to only work on Normal or Endured resistances. This is not true, and it can change other resistance types to 'Normal' as well. This means we can do much more Stagger damage to King of Greed than the game expects, and I actually have to throttle my damage output a bit here to avoid skipping the last phase entirely.
It turns out this random passive is actually incredibly broken due entirely to a bug!
Anyways, back to King of Greed. The reason she's so dangerous is her much more powerful offensive pages. Edacity is the most dangerous of her normal pages by far, with the first die being an absolute must-win clash target: if it wins a clash against us, it'll break all the other dice on our page. If it hits at all, it gives 5 Fragile to the target for the rest of the turn. This means that her other two attacks will be piling on 5 extra damage per hit, on top of inflicting 3 Bleed and restoring her HP with each hit—and remember, her King of Greed passive deals bonus damage equal to the stacks of Bleed on a target, as well. This can make her next turn hit super hard as well.
Fixation, in comparison, isn't quite as bad—if the first die loses its clash, it gives +2 Power to the second die, which only inflicts us with 7 Bleed and grants her 2 Strength next turn on a hit.
You know. "Only."
We still don't want to get hit by it; Crack of Dawn is basically perfect for shutting it down.
Hunger is her last page this turn, and it's just a pair of attacks that give 2 Bleed each on hit. Slay is more than enough to handle it.
Heh… I see right through you this time. Hey, Omni. Strike where I tell you!
Got it.
You all look… so tempting. Tasty..!
Now! At the seam of her glove's distortion!
AAAAAHAHAHAHAHA! I can still consume much more than this!
That definitely got us a good reaction. Keep me posted!
Then… you! I bet you taste like foie gras!
No thanks. I don't want to be eaten by anyone.
She's vulnerable again! Omni!
Have another!
Do you have thirds?
Uhh…
Don't worry, buddy! I've got your back!
Such teamwork! It really takes me back… Back before I… Ah, it was so delicious. I couldn't stop!
Boss! We've opened her up as much as we can for you! Give her another good one!
King of Greed! We'll be taking your power now!
Yes… that too is a form of greed. Power, I've eaten much of it. So tasty…
I want to eat more power, now!
Consuming Desire is her last normal attack in this phase. Each of the first two dice will give +2 Power to the final one should it lose a clash, with the final die giving 5 Bleed to us and restoring 12 HP to her on hit. It's somewhere between Hunger and Fixation in terms of threat.
No matter how many times we do it… standing off against a magical girl like this is the best!
I know, right?! She's everything I thought she'd be in a fight!
If you two keep being so hot-blooded about everything, it's a matter of time before you get yourselves killed
Again.
Sorry, ma'am. Hot-blooded is all we know how to be!
Tylana… please don't end up like them.
No need to worry about that, ma'am. I like staying alive.
You really are something else… All of my strength, and I'm only able to barely keep up.
So… hungry!!
But that's all you have. Just desire. It's never enough, is it?
Enough… enough. I remember enough. Enough…
Everyone wants more, but that means there's less for everyone else. As a magical girl of happiness… yes, I was all too aware. For everyone to be happy, some must be happy without. I'm… so hungry.
So you decided to grab some for yourself, to hell with everyone else. That falls in line with your data from before.
I didn't do anything wrong… I only ate…
It's a sad story, though, isn't it?
I guess so… but isn't it the sort of story you hear about all the time in the City?
Ahh!! Curse it all..!
Hungry… I'm so hungry. I need to eat!
Omni, you've got a portal behind you.
That would explain the look I'm getting right now.
You seem the most delicious. I'll start with you!
Unfortunately for King of Greed, she's picked Omni.
We don't have to use any finesse here, since the minimum damage roll on Yield My Flesh is a 10 after Omni's buffs, and Slay's two dice both have a minimum of 6 each. He can't possibly fail.
I also set Tylana to recover a bit of Light, and Tiphereth to get some Charge. Chinely's fine.
The King of Greed's going all out this time. You know what happens if you fail, right?
All too well.
And that means I can't fail now!
Now… I'll have a taste!
After the Bliss turn, The King of Greed uses two copies of The Road of the King on her 10 Speed Dice. Each one targets a different Speed Die of the Librarian who the portal popped up behind last turn, and it's a doozy of an attack. The first two hits are theoretically blockable if we don't have a Fragment of Bliss in hand, but we do not currently have access to any pages that can reliably stop a 8-12 third die—Overcharge or a Counter die might be able to do it with enough Power, but it's not reliable. If this third die hits either time the attack is used, then the Librarian hit instantly dies, giving The King of Greed 25 HP back. On top of this, her Voracity passive will trigger if we fail to block any of the attacks to deal 15 HP to the entire team while giving her another 25 HP back. It's very easy for her to recover a lot of HP if we don't do the mechanic properly.
Fragment of Bliss is designed to completely negate it, though, and Omni has two. We're fine.
I'm backing you up, here, so you better not screw up!
Yes, ma'am!
Hahaha… Heeheeheehee!!!
Now!
Guaah?!
The Blocks do deal Stagger damage like normal, so if she's been pushed low enough it's possible to Stagger her with them and get away with only a single Fragment of Bliss like we have here.
Once we've gotten this far, the battle is basically over.
Boss! I got her. Can we? Pleeeease?
Fine. You've earned one, I guess. Everyone, let's do an all-out attack or whatever.
Oh yeah! Let's get 'em, guys!
And that's that! The enemy is…
Still standing?
Try all you like… you can't take my life with an attack of this level.
The King of Greed, unlike her fellow Magical Girls, doesn't actually burst into books when her HP is depleted.
Then we're still fighting, is that it? We can keep this up all day.
No, no… this is plenty. Your efforts have sated me somewhat… for the first time in memory. I can see why my cute kohais came with you… Very well.
You'll… give us your power?
I desire to see where this path will take us both. Once that's been seen… I'll eat you all then.
You did it, Omni! That was awesome!
I couldn't have done it without your teachings.
So… this is a win, right? We got what we're after, I guess?
It's as good as we're going to get, anyways. I'm just glad this is the last of those Magical Girls that we had in the facility. Maybe now these two will calm down.
The King of Greed is overall a very fun Abnormality to face off with, with the main two sticking points being an overextension in breaking the egg, and not reading The King of Greed's Bliss phase properly before spreading the Bliss kills out instead of giving two to one person. So long as your fundamentals are solid, though, she should ultimately be a relatively simple fight.
VIDEO
Music: TipherethStory
As one’s mind is amplified, they undergo changes such as gaining new powers or transforming… That’s what they call ‘The Distortion Phenomenon’. It happens in a way that’s almost identical to how Abnormalities were made back in Lobotomy Corp.
The Distortion is the Abnormalities?
Even though the process is similar, they have fundamentally different roots.
Abnormalities… weren’t manifested out of the person’s own will, most importantly. While Abnormalities were created by someone else forcibly drawing out one’s ego from the deep well of their mind, the Distortion occurs of one’s own volition.
That means those monsters lie within everyone’s hearts, huh. The world would be a mess in no time if people just started becoming Distortions left and right.
That won’t happen. A strong motivation is needed. Look at Philip of the Dawn Office, who became the Crying Children, for instance. It took an intense heightening of his emotions for him to turn. There seems to be some kind of condition to it.
And what we did was the greatest variable that affected it…
A variable?
The Light that Angela stole for herself.
…I see.
Our plan was stopped halfway, and that was the problem. It looks like we ended up making things worse.
Is there any way to revert this?
Reclaim all the Light that was spread, and then shine over the City once again for seven days using the Light we’ve gathered.
I don’t think Angela is just gonna sit and watch.
She asked us to wait until all the light has been retrieved. She needs it for her own plans, after all.
Oh yeah, you were one of the Sephirot that accepted Angela’s plea for more time. Why, though? She’s the one who sabotaged your plan, so why be nice to her?
You’re right. I was frankly upset, but… I wanted to believe… That we need to give Angela a chance.
You’ve got the patience of a saint.
To be honest! I’m still mad at her, and I still wanna snap at her even now…
He would’ve told me to trust her just a little more…
Well, that’s impressive… You’re much stronger than me. I wouldn’t have dreamed of making that choice if I were you… I just can’t think in such long terms.
I’m sure you’ll earn that insight when you meet someone who means as much to you! So let’s hang on until then.
Someone who means a lot to me, huh…
Thanks for the kind words, kid.
I am NOT a kid!
Music: Lobby
As usual, defeating our latest Abnormality raises Tiphereth's Emotion Level maximum to 4 and gives us another trio of new Abnormality Pages to choose from.
Intemperance is very nice, especially when combined with large single-die opening attacks like Smoke or Singular Strike. A 25% chance to completely negate an enemy page after winning the first clash is a 25% chance to completely negate part of the enemy's turn.
Road to Happiness, meanwhile, requires very specific deck construction to work. +1 Endurance is difficult to take advantage of as it only powers up defensive dice, meaning it's best in decks that run a lot of Evade/Block… which Tiphereth as a whole doesn't really do much else to support.
Greed is so good that it makes up for this almost by itself, though—it's the very definition of a 'win harder' button, giving Bonus damage and HP recovery whenever we outroll the enemy in a clash by 4 or more. The enemy can also get this perk themselves, of course, which means that it's at its best in a deck that doesn't have much likelihood of losing clashes in the first place. I like comboing it with Intemperance on a deck with lots of big number and low die count pages and going to town.
With that, we're only one fight and a couple books away from getting to Tiphereth's 4th Abnormality. We've also finally cleared out all of our Abnormality Battle backlog, meaning that there's nowhere to go but forward.
That doesn't mean that we don't have options, though. Happy voting!
Next time, on Library of Ruina
Let's do this easily. Leftmost to rightmost. The far left is your much-wanted gun support.
Center left, meanwhile, is more interesting in its ramifications than its weaponry. It's good for smokers, though.
The options we get from the center right will make the rest of our coming battles much easier to handle, so doing it quickly is a good idea.
While the Charge support on the far right isn't the best, it's the simplest of the four next fights.
Videos
Tiphereth 4
Music: Lobby
We've pretty much gotten all the mileage we can out of our current set of toys, so there's no major changes right now. I do want to bring attention to Chinely's build today, though.
Heh… Is that all? I've already seen through you. How was that? Very cool. Are you two "practicing" again? Yep! Get a move on, we're already running late. Sorry, sorry, sorry, these puppets are a pain to get hanging right.Chinely is bringing along Information Assessment because I had 4 spare points and only one open passive slot.
So after the Queen and the Knight, it's got to be the King, right? Definitely. Every Abnormality we get is troublesome… How are we supposed to deal with that thing? It's okay, boss… I'm sure we'll be able to handle it. Shall I take it that you're all ready, then? Definitely! Give us your worst! Of course. But first… Please remember that creating a resonant feedback loop to cause you both to explode is highly unlikely to work a second time. No need to worry… I've already done it once, so this time I have to stay standing in the end. That's how you show growth, right? My pupil's learned well! Thankfully, they don't have the E.G.O to pull it off anyways. So long as you all understand.SNAP
Music: AbnormalityBattle02
There she is… in the egg, as usual. At times like this, we must let our heart resonate with hers so that we can reach her. Hell with that! Let's scramble this egg, team.Unlike most Abnormalities, the King of Greed doesn't have any lines while in her Aurum Amber form. We have one turn and zero preparation to defeat it—if we fail, then we miss out on the Magical Girl phase and have to do an entire fight against the fully powered King of Greed. This would be bad.
This phase is just a straight DPS check, though I'm making several mistakes here.
It looks like her shell's vulnerable to conventional weapons this time! Of course. The girl was immune to our attacks, but the purpose of an egg is to be broken. Then we'll just have to break her out, piece by piece. We don't have time for that. I'm going all in! Cover for me after! Ma'am!Overcharge is enough to confirm the kill against Aurum Amber, sending us to the next phase.
Ahh..! How long has it been? You all are here seeking my power, right? That's right. It's been so long since I've been free like this that it'd be a bore to just accept… Entertain me for a bit, would you?Magical Girl wrote:
Magical Girl is a very normal fight with a full set of Endured/Ineffective resistances across the board (her one Normal here is because of Information Assessment). She has a mechanic that comes into play on turn 3, and it's important that we do it right in order to keep her from getting +3 Strength and Haste. We're aiming to chop off 200 of her HP here, which will send us into the next phase of the fight.
We're actually in a pretty bad state, here, due to an overinvestment on turn 1. Tiphereth is locked down from using Overcharge, and with the arrows pointing how they are I don't have the ability to block all of her incoming attacks. This means our priorities here are to recover light and minimize the damage we'll be taking.
To that end, I let For Happiness go through and hit Tylana. It's a decently damaging page, but we're not likely to win the clash and it doesn't deal enough damage to put her in real danger yet.
She also uses Gigigig to block Sparkling Strike. Sparkling Strike's first die will break the rest of the dice on our page should it win the clash (and it will), meaning the two Block dice after are useless. Tylana will eat 2 Disarm and 2 Bind on the next turn because of this, but that's fine—we're just doing this to ensure she gets back to full Light.
Lastly, Chinely blocks Ecstacy of Triumph, as I don't have any good 3-die pages on hand to deal with it. Ecstacy is a decent combo attack, the first one lowering the power of our second die on hit, so that her second die can more easily hit us and break whatever die we may have left. This sets up for her third die to hit us and grant Magical Girl +2 Strength on her next turn.
Since I can't stop the +2 Strength, the plan here is to just get some Burn stacks on her while I put on the damage I can.
You're going to entertain me, riight?! As a magical girl, shouldn't you be trying to help us regardless? Who cares about that anymore? The happiness I want to fight for is my own now! Prove to me that you'll be interesting, or I'm out! Ultimately, it just means we've got to do what we always do. Don't hold back, boys. Hm! Anything from a Minor Arcana and below would have something broken after one punch. You're pretty tough, aren't you? I… try… Good! I don't want this to end too quickly.The X over Tylana's second die is the visual effect of it being destroyed by the effect of Sparkling Strike, and it's removed from the queue after this.
Then how's this strike! Ah-! Good hit. Reminds me of a Swords Arcana. Then how about-GAH! Come on, you can try harder than that, can't you? Then… how's this?! Hahahaha! Excellent, excellent! Alright, my gear's back online. Let's take the fight to her, team. Our attacks… are working, right? She's laughing them off like it's nothing. This fight isn't about crushing her body, it's about satiating her lust for battle. If we just keep up with her, she should be satisfied eventually. Her greed's bottomless, Chinely. Then we'll just have to dole out bottomless violence! That doesn't make any sense!Overwhelming Luster is the final normal attack that Magical Girl uses on us, and it's a doozy. The first die is only decent, but if it wins then it'll power up the second die, which is the real danger here: on a hit, that die will break one of her target's Speed Die for a turn. This can be a problem, particularly if it hits us right before she goes into her special mechanic phase.
Crack of Dawn is perfect for blocking it…
Except I then have Chinely throw a Gigigig at the same die, using a higher number to redirect the clash. This is a near guaranteed loss after her 2 Strength. I proceed to not realize this until reviewing footage for this update.
Don't play like me, kids! :shepface:
Alright. We've all caught our breath after exerting ourselves too much. Let's show her what we can really do. I'll get smoke on her, that should make things much easier. A second wind, eh? Alright, let's see what you've got! What we have is the power of love! And justice! Ah, so you met my cute kohais! I'm sure you've realized, but in terms of power I've always been a cut above the both of them. Sooorry~ Agh… that's going to need a minute to heal. You've got your minute. Smoke is on the target, ma'am. Now this is a funny scent, isn't it? But smoking is bad, don't you know?! This isn't a kid's show, my people can smoke if they want to. If this isn't a kid's show, then why is a child standing in front of me? I'm not a kid!! Oooh, that's some power in that fist! You're all pretty strong, aren't you?Love is the winner here, giving us some sustain. I put it on Tiphereth since Ripple, Rend Space, and Overcharge can all act as very reliable clash-winners. Even Dimensional Rift is reliable enough to trigger its effects.
You didn't just fight them… it seems they're helping you out, huh? That's right. Your influence as Abnormalities aids us in combat, giving us special abilities. Well, if you've got their support… I don't have to hold back at all, do I? The amber gate gleaming with greed opens… Super attack? Definitely a super attack.On the third turn against Magical Girl, she becomes untargetable and summons four Brilliant Bliss to the field, which do not attack.Magical Girl wrote:
Each one has 20 HP and Fatal resistance to all attack types, so we really only need to deal 10 damage to take it out. Ideally, we want each person on our side to destroy one Bliss. With two speed dice, it's trivial to focus down a Bliss and defeat it. Unfortunately for us, Chinely only has one this turn, is operating at a -2 Strength, and his Burn deck is pretty bad at dealing direct damage. Our best pages have a very real possibility of doing less than the 10 we need. Thankfully, there's a solution to this.
Chinely's die is a 4, so I have Tylana line up an Inhale Smoke on the Bliss he's targeting with her leftmost 5. This means that the order of operations will be:
-Tylana Inhales Smoke on Chinely's Bliss, gains 7 Smoke.
-Tylana Deep Drags her own Bliss, kills it easily after 35% bonus damage
-Chinely finishes off his own Bliss.
Since Inhale Smoke is a 3-8 and Tylana gets +2 Blunt power, this could lead to her killing both of them if we get unlucky… but it's the best plan we have, so I run with it.
Everyone, attack on my mark! I've already done it. You what?! I thought that if I desired it to be destroyed, then it would be destroyed in a single cut. It worked. Ugh, that sort of thinking only works for you two weirdos. Tylana! Don't worry, boss. I went a little easy on it so Chinely could break it. Appreciated. My arm's not working quite right. Then let's finish 'em off! I got this one! Mine's down, too. That's all of them, ma'am! Raging desire, gather in my hand and give me power! Get ready to intercept!The Road of Gold is Magical Girl's strongest attack, a 10-12 Individual Mass Attack which Staggers instantly on hit. As a reminder: if any one of our Librarians fail to stop this attack, she'll be given 3 Strength and Haste next turn as well. Failing this can quickly lead to losing a Librarian entirely. Thankfully, we have a trump card… er, page.
Each Librarian who defeats a Brilliant Bliss is given a copy of Fragment of Bliss next turn. This is a guaranteed 15 Block die that costs us no Light, letting us automatically win against this attack. There's no reason not to use it, either, since it vanishes after this turn.
Here I come! The Road of Gold! Hahaha, wow! You guys really aren't bad, not bad at all! So, does that mean you're going to help us? So soon? But I'm only just getting started! You can't call this nearly enough! Then have as much pain as you like! You call this 'pain?' How about this: In honor of your feat, I'll drop my guard just this once. Come on. Show me what you can really do.Magical Girl wrote:
The text that comes across our screen differs based on if the attack hit us or not. Because we blocked with everyone, she's Staggered this turn and we'll only need ~20 damage to kick her over into her next phase.Magical Girl, in a different universe where she hit us wrote:
Because of that, I opt to use Energy Cycle with Tiphereth to get her Charge back up to 10, and Omni fires off a pair of To Overcome Crisis to refill his hand. The other two are doing fine.
Bamboo-hatted style iaijutu: Golden Cutter! How's that for a good hit?! I actually felt that. I haven't felt anything but desire in… ah, how long has it been? I knew I wanted to exercise a bit… but I didn't think it'd be so… fun! I can't stop smiling! I don't want to stop smiling! She's not even reacting to our blows anymore. Does she feel them at all? Let me try my golden cutter technique again. Nope. Nothing. This is bad, right? I won't stop smiling. I'll never let this feeling escape… Let me gorge myself on this joy until I'm sated, won't you?! This is very bad. More… more! Fill my stomach. Bring me happiness! She's given in fully to her desire, ma'am. I can see that, Chinely! No way out but through it. Don't hold back!First things first:The King of Greed wrote:
The fish is still there, it's just on her fist now. It counts.
The King of Greed is the most dangerous form of this fight, but it functions almost entirely the same as the last one. There's a Bliss summon on turn 3, setting up for a super attack on turn 4, which staggers her if we block it. She also has the same Endured/Ineffective resistances as her first… form…
Wait. Why is Slash Stagger Resistance at 'Normal?'
It's time for another dive into Projmoon coding!
Information Assessment claims to only work on Normal or Endured resistances. This is not true, and it can change other resistance types to 'Normal' as well. This means we can do much more Stagger damage to King of Greed than the game expects, and I actually have to throttle my damage output a bit here to avoid skipping the last phase entirely.
It turns out this random passive is actually incredibly broken due entirely to a bug!
Anyways, back to King of Greed. The reason she's so dangerous is her much more powerful offensive pages. Edacity is the most dangerous of her normal pages by far, with the first die being an absolute must-win clash target: if it wins a clash against us, it'll break all the other dice on our page. If it hits at all, it gives 5 Fragile to the target for the rest of the turn. This means that her other two attacks will be piling on 5 extra damage per hit, on top of inflicting 3 Bleed and restoring her HP with each hit—and remember, her King of Greed passive deals bonus damage equal to the stacks of Bleed on a target, as well. This can make her next turn hit super hard as well.
Fixation, in comparison, isn't quite as bad—if the first die loses its clash, it gives +2 Power to the second die, which only inflicts us with 7 Bleed and grants her 2 Strength next turn on a hit.
You know. "Only."
We still don't want to get hit by it; Crack of Dawn is basically perfect for shutting it down.
Hunger is her last page this turn, and it's just a pair of attacks that give 2 Bleed each on hit. Slay is more than enough to handle it.
Heh… I see right through you this time. Hey, Omni. Strike where I tell you! Got it. You all look… so tempting. Tasty..! Now! At the seam of her glove's distortion! AAAAAHAHAHAHAHA! I can still consume much more than this! That definitely got us a good reaction. Keep me posted! Then… you! I bet you taste like foie gras! No thanks. I don't want to be eaten by anyone. She's vulnerable again! Omni! Have another! Do you have thirds? Uhh… Don't worry, buddy! I've got your back! Such teamwork! It really takes me back… Back before I… Ah, it was so delicious. I couldn't stop! Boss! We've opened her up as much as we can for you! Give her another good one! King of Greed! We'll be taking your power now! Yes… that too is a form of greed. Power, I've eaten much of it. So tasty… I want to eat more power, now!Consuming Desire is her last normal attack in this phase. Each of the first two dice will give +2 Power to the final one should it lose a clash, with the final die giving 5 Bleed to us and restoring 12 HP to her on hit. It's somewhere between Hunger and Fixation in terms of threat.
No matter how many times we do it… standing off against a magical girl like this is the best! I know, right?! She's everything I thought she'd be in a fight! If you two keep being so hot-blooded about everything, it's a matter of time before you get yourselves killed Again. Sorry, ma'am. Hot-blooded is all we know how to be! Tylana… please don't end up like them. No need to worry about that, ma'am. I like staying alive. You really are something else… All of my strength, and I'm only able to barely keep up. So… hungry!! But that's all you have. Just desire. It's never enough, is it? Enough… enough. I remember enough. Enough… Everyone wants more, but that means there's less for everyone else. As a magical girl of happiness… yes, I was all too aware. For everyone to be happy, some must be happy without. I'm… so hungry. So you decided to grab some for yourself, to hell with everyone else. That falls in line with your data from before. I didn't do anything wrong… I only ate… It's a sad story, though, isn't it? I guess so… but isn't it the sort of story you hear about all the time in the City? Ahh!! Curse it all..! Hungry… I'm so hungry. I need to eat! Omni, you've got a portal behind you. That would explain the look I'm getting right now. You seem the most delicious. I'll start with you!In her King of Greed phase, The King of Greed still summons Brilliant Bliss with identical stats to before. Unlike before, however, we don't need each of our members to get one each. Instead, she paints a single target—and they need to defeat two of the Bliss this turn.The King of Greed wrote:
Unfortunately for King of Greed, she's picked Omni.
We don't have to use any finesse here, since the minimum damage roll on Yield My Flesh is a 10 after Omni's buffs, and Slay's two dice both have a minimum of 6 each. He can't possibly fail.
I also set Tylana to recover a bit of Light, and Tiphereth to get some Charge. Chinely's fine.
The King of Greed's going all out this time. You know what happens if you fail, right? All too well. And that means I can't fail now! Now… I'll have a taste!After the Bliss turn, The King of Greed uses two copies of The Road of the King on her 10 Speed Dice. Each one targets a different Speed Die of the Librarian who the portal popped up behind last turn, and it's a doozy of an attack. The first two hits are theoretically blockable if we don't have a Fragment of Bliss in hand, but we do not currently have access to any pages that can reliably stop a 8-12 third die—Overcharge or a Counter die might be able to do it with enough Power, but it's not reliable. If this third die hits either time the attack is used, then the Librarian hit instantly dies, giving The King of Greed 25 HP back. On top of this, her Voracity passive will trigger if we fail to block any of the attacks to deal 15 HP to the entire team while giving her another 25 HP back. It's very easy for her to recover a lot of HP if we don't do the mechanic properly.
Fragment of Bliss is designed to completely negate it, though, and Omni has two. We're fine.
I'm backing you up, here, so you better not screw up! Yes, ma'am! Hahaha… Heeheeheehee!!! Now! Guaah?!The Blocks do deal Stagger damage like normal, so if she's been pushed low enough it's possible to Stagger her with them and get away with only a single Fragment of Bliss like we have here.
Once we've gotten this far, the battle is basically over.
The King of Greed wrote:
The King of Greed, but if she'd hit her attack wrote:
Boss! I got her. Can we? Pleeeease? Fine. You've earned one, I guess. Everyone, let's do an all-out attack or whatever. Oh yeah! Let's get 'em, guys! And that's that! The enemy is… Still standing? Try all you like… you can't take my life with an attack of this level.The King of Greed, unlike her fellow Magical Girls, doesn't actually burst into books when her HP is depleted.
Then we're still fighting, is that it? We can keep this up all day. No, no… this is plenty. Your efforts have sated me somewhat… for the first time in memory. I can see why my cute kohais came with you… Very well. You'll… give us your power? I desire to see where this path will take us both. Once that's been seen… I'll eat you all then. You did it, Omni! That was awesome! I couldn't have done it without your teachings. So… this is a win, right? We got what we're after, I guess? It's as good as we're going to get, anyways. I'm just glad this is the last of those Magical Girls that we had in the facility. Maybe now these two will calm down.The King of Greed is overall a very fun Abnormality to face off with, with the main two sticking points being an overextension in breaking the egg, and not reading The King of Greed's Bliss phase properly before spreading the Bliss kills out instead of giving two to one person. So long as your fundamentals are solid, though, she should ultimately be a relatively simple fight.
VIDEO
Music: TipherethStory
As one’s mind is amplified, they undergo changes such as gaining new powers or transforming… That’s what they call ‘The Distortion Phenomenon’. It happens in a way that’s almost identical to how Abnormalities were made back in Lobotomy Corp. The Distortion is the Abnormalities? Even though the process is similar, they have fundamentally different roots. Abnormalities… weren’t manifested out of the person’s own will, most importantly. While Abnormalities were created by someone else forcibly drawing out one’s ego from the deep well of their mind, the Distortion occurs of one’s own volition. That means those monsters lie within everyone’s hearts, huh. The world would be a mess in no time if people just started becoming Distortions left and right. That won’t happen. A strong motivation is needed. Look at Philip of the Dawn Office, who became the Crying Children, for instance. It took an intense heightening of his emotions for him to turn. There seems to be some kind of condition to it. And what we did was the greatest variable that affected it… A variable? The Light that Angela stole for herself. …I see. Our plan was stopped halfway, and that was the problem. It looks like we ended up making things worse. Is there any way to revert this? Reclaim all the Light that was spread, and then shine over the City once again for seven days using the Light we’ve gathered. I don’t think Angela is just gonna sit and watch. She asked us to wait until all the light has been retrieved. She needs it for her own plans, after all. Oh yeah, you were one of the Sephirot that accepted Angela’s plea for more time. Why, though? She’s the one who sabotaged your plan, so why be nice to her? You’re right. I was frankly upset, but… I wanted to believe… That we need to give Angela a chance. You’ve got the patience of a saint. To be honest! I’m still mad at her, and I still wanna snap at her even now… He would’ve told me to trust her just a little more… Well, that’s impressive… You’re much stronger than me. I wouldn’t have dreamed of making that choice if I were you… I just can’t think in such long terms. I’m sure you’ll earn that insight when you meet someone who means as much to you! So let’s hang on until then. Someone who means a lot to me, huh… Thanks for the kind words, kid. I am NOT a kid!Music: Lobby
As usual, defeating our latest Abnormality raises Tiphereth's Emotion Level maximum to 4 and gives us another trio of new Abnormality Pages to choose from.
Intemperance is very nice, especially when combined with large single-die opening attacks like Smoke or Singular Strike. A 25% chance to completely negate an enemy page after winning the first clash is a 25% chance to completely negate part of the enemy's turn.
Road to Happiness, meanwhile, requires very specific deck construction to work. +1 Endurance is difficult to take advantage of as it only powers up defensive dice, meaning it's best in decks that run a lot of Evade/Block… which Tiphereth as a whole doesn't really do much else to support.
Greed is so good that it makes up for this almost by itself, though—it's the very definition of a 'win harder' button, giving Bonus damage and HP recovery whenever we outroll the enemy in a clash by 4 or more. The enemy can also get this perk themselves, of course, which means that it's at its best in a deck that doesn't have much likelihood of losing clashes in the first place. I like comboing it with Intemperance on a deck with lots of big number and low die count pages and going to town.
With that, we're only one fight and a couple books away from getting to Tiphereth's 4th Abnormality. We've also finally cleared out all of our Abnormality Battle backlog, meaning that there's nowhere to go but forward.
That doesn't mean that we don't have options, though. Happy voting!
Next time, on Library of Ruina
Let's do this easily. Leftmost to rightmost. The far left is your much-wanted gun support. Center left, meanwhile, is more interesting in its ramifications than its weaponry. It's good for smokers, though. The options we get from the center right will make the rest of our coming battles much easier to handle, so doing it quickly is a good idea. While the Charge support on the far right isn't the best, it's the simplest of the four next fights.Videos
Tiphereth 4
Last edited by TeeQueue on Wed Nov 02, 2022 11:24 am, edited 1 time in total.
Book 36: The Thumb—Chapter 1
Music: Lobby
It feels like it's been a while since we've seen this screen, huh? Today, we're following up on the far left node, using the Books we got from the Index all the way back at the start of Urban Nightmare.
VIDEO
Music: StoryJinji
It’s good to see our families gathered up in one place. Let’s see… We have nineteen seats filled. That means all but one family have attended.
Still recovering, I see… Thanks for the report. Cut those friends off. We don’t need a toothless mutt that can’t rearm itself with that much time.
Understood.
Today’s issue is simple. Take your hands off L Corp’s Nest and the Library. The Thumb will be in direct command of the matter from now on. I’d like to give a word of appreciation for the families that have shown much effort. And…
The dissension does not go over well, met with immediate violence.
Who gave you the right to speak up?
However, I must say that I share their sentiment in all honesty. Why should we back out now, after we’ve given so much effort?
I understand how disappointing it may be. All of you have spilled much blood in order to earn your share of turf before the street relocation happens. I wish I could give out a sizable chunk of the land for each and every family who have gathered here, I really do. But the capo dei capi demands otherwise. We have no choice but to obey it. The situation outside is going in an unexpected direction. A party other than the Index is involved in this conflict. The ones who pilfered our fabric…
I am deeply ashamed, sire.
Don’t be too hard on yourself, now. I’ll pardon your manners by taking only your left hand.
Thank you, sire!
Do understand that we can’t let such trivial issues distract ourselves in times like this. We must carry out the capo dei capi’s orders first and foremost.
This statement is also met with immediate violence.
When one dares question the orders of their superior, take their head…
How insolent of you to question the intentions of the capo dei capi. Such impure thoughts should be uprooted. Purge every member of the Night Awls by tonight.
Yes, sire. I’ll give the word.
Yes, our boss insisted that we mustn’t let the Index claim a single area of L Corp’s Nest. But you, my friends, don’t quite have the prowess to take on the Proxies of the Index. Hence the order to pull out.
So we should save up our strength at the moment. I understand now.
This goes to the other sottocapi of the Thumb and their families as well. Our ambition is not something as short-sighted as taking over a few blocks of space. Do you understand?
Music: Lobby
The Index probably gave you a good idea already, but… yeah. The Fingers have rules and hierarchies that I’d only describe as paranoid. The specifics may be different, but if anyone breaks their rules, that poor fellow is done for. Although each Finger has its own way of purging rulebreakers.
I suppose that’s the “strategy” they evolved to survive in the City.
Spot on.
They can only survive by shoving themselves into a sturdy, unbreakable shell.
And the five Syndicates that crammed themselves all the way into the core of that hard shell and stood on the apex of the Backstreets earned the title of the ‘Five Fingers’. Welp, in any case, our job as the staff of the Library is to receive any guests that come here, and the Thumb is no exception.
Next time, on Library of Ruina: Our first taste of true Star of the City combat.
Videos
Thumb 1
Mmmmmmmmm…!
So we'll be receiving the Thumb at last… I'll go make the request now. Are you satisfied?
Thaanks… It's a good staart…
You're seeming a bit more on edge than usual, kiddo.
That… 'uunderbooss,' was it..? I rememberr… that faace…
Ah, so this is about that time you got kicked out of the J district's casinos.
Mmm… It's been over ten years… In the City… I didn't really think he'd still be aliive…
This level of obsession over being kicked out of a casino seems a little much, even for a human's fragile psyche.
It was… how I paid for finding aaliens… Without it, I was penniless… Mmm… until the L Corp acceptance letter arrived a week laater…
When did you find time to apply?
You had to applyy..?
Setting that aside, it doesn't look like he's coming this time. That was the sense I got, anyways. We'll probably have to take out his minions first, like with the Zwei.
Then I'll have to make sure we wiin… at all coosts… … … Hey, D.A.D, Null_Miaa..?
Need some help?
Mmm… I'm not that great at the 'people' part of card games… I can't read bluffs, or figure out a person's favorite playstylee… I just find what's optimaal… and aalien buddy isn't great at it eeither… Could you help make the plan todaay..?
Making sure we don't lose at any cost, right? Sure, kiddo. I don't mind putting a thumb on the scale for us.
This hardly seems like the time for puns.
Which is why making them is twice as important, kiddo. :mmmhmm:
Music: Lobby
It feels like it's been a while since we've seen this screen, huh? Today, we're following up on the far left node, using the Books we got from the Index all the way back at the start of Urban Nightmare.
VIDEO
Music: StoryJinji
It’s good to see our families gathered up in one place. Let’s see… We have nineteen seats filled. That means all but one family have attended. Still recovering, I see… Thanks for the report. Cut those friends off. We don’t need a toothless mutt that can’t rearm itself with that much time. Understood. Today’s issue is simple. Take your hands off L Corp’s Nest and the Library. The Thumb will be in direct command of the matter from now on. I’d like to give a word of appreciation for the families that have shown much effort. And…The dissension does not go over well, met with immediate violence.
Who gave you the right to speak up? However, I must say that I share their sentiment in all honesty. Why should we back out now, after we’ve given so much effort? I understand how disappointing it may be. All of you have spilled much blood in order to earn your share of turf before the street relocation happens. I wish I could give out a sizable chunk of the land for each and every family who have gathered here, I really do. But the capo dei capi demands otherwise. We have no choice but to obey it. The situation outside is going in an unexpected direction. A party other than the Index is involved in this conflict. The ones who pilfered our fabric… I am deeply ashamed, sire. Don’t be too hard on yourself, now. I’ll pardon your manners by taking only your left hand. Thank you, sire! Do understand that we can’t let such trivial issues distract ourselves in times like this. We must carry out the capo dei capi’s orders first and foremost.This statement is also met with immediate violence.
When one dares question the orders of their superior, take their head… How insolent of you to question the intentions of the capo dei capi. Such impure thoughts should be uprooted. Purge every member of the Night Awls by tonight. Yes, sire. I’ll give the word. Yes, our boss insisted that we mustn’t let the Index claim a single area of L Corp’s Nest. But you, my friends, don’t quite have the prowess to take on the Proxies of the Index. Hence the order to pull out. So we should save up our strength at the moment. I understand now. This goes to the other sottocapi of the Thumb and their families as well. Our ambition is not something as short-sighted as taking over a few blocks of space. Do you understand?Music: Lobby
The Index probably gave you a good idea already, but… yeah. The Fingers have rules and hierarchies that I’d only describe as paranoid. The specifics may be different, but if anyone breaks their rules, that poor fellow is done for. Although each Finger has its own way of purging rulebreakers. I suppose that’s the “strategy” they evolved to survive in the City. Spot on. They can only survive by shoving themselves into a sturdy, unbreakable shell. And the five Syndicates that crammed themselves all the way into the core of that hard shell and stood on the apex of the Backstreets earned the title of the ‘Five Fingers’. Welp, in any case, our job as the staff of the Library is to receive any guests that come here, and the Thumb is no exception.Next time, on Library of Ruina: Our first taste of true Star of the City combat.
Videos
Thumb 1
Mmmmmmmmm…! So we'll be receiving the Thumb at last… I'll go make the request now. Are you satisfied? Thaanks… It's a good staart… You're seeming a bit more on edge than usual, kiddo. That… 'uunderbooss,' was it..? I rememberr… that faace… Ah, so this is about that time you got kicked out of the J district's casinos. Mmm… It's been over ten years… In the City… I didn't really think he'd still be aliive… This level of obsession over being kicked out of a casino seems a little much, even for a human's fragile psyche. It was… how I paid for finding aaliens… Without it, I was penniless… Mmm… until the L Corp acceptance letter arrived a week laater… When did you find time to apply? You had to applyy..? Setting that aside, it doesn't look like he's coming this time. That was the sense I got, anyways. We'll probably have to take out his minions first, like with the Zwei. Then I'll have to make sure we wiin… at all coosts… … … Hey, D.A.D, Null_Miaa..? Need some help? Mmm… I'm not that great at the 'people' part of card games… I can't read bluffs, or figure out a person's favorite playstylee… I just find what's optimaal… and aalien buddy isn't great at it eeither… Could you help make the plan todaay..? Making sure we don't lose at any cost, right? Sure, kiddo. I don't mind putting a thumb on the scale for us. This hardly seems like the time for puns. Which is why making them is twice as important, kiddo. :mmmhmm:Book 36: The Thumb—Chapter 2
Music: GuestBattle01
Kurokumo..? They won't hold up against our opponents.
It's… straategy… D.A.D. explained it… buut…
Just trust me on this one, mummy. I wouldn't want to give up the surprise before the right time.
Fine. I'll simply observe you for now.
This isn't exactly a full standard Smoke floor, given that the Rose in the back isn't using any and most builds use something else over Smoking Pipe, but 3/4ths of our Librarians today are running some kind of dedicated smoke-based Emma/Puppets build, with two running Singleton. Yesod is sitting out for the moment.
The Thumb is a series of 4-vs-4 battles, with us having 1 floor to take out 2 groups of opponents. All of our enemies today will be basic Thumb Soldatos, with identical stats.
Thumb Soldatos are our first instance of mooks who have Speed passives, and their other ability, Ammo Supply, is their gimmick. We'll discuss it more thoroughly in another fight, as it's easier to explain when we're the one using the Thumb Key Page—but there's one more thing here that's worth noting…
In Star of the City, the enemies have also learned how to attribute Full Stop passives: the generic Soldato pages don't normally have Concentration, but here it is for us now, waiting to give us a bad time on the first turn. As we go on, we'll see a variety of attributed bonus abilities that increase our enemy's power levels to something much closer to our own. The kid gloves are off, causing a lot of players to hit a wall at the start of Star of the City. I'll be using the first act of this fight to try and articulate my approach to these battles, to try and show my priorities in more difficult battles.
Music: YesodBattle01
Hey, fellow Librarians. From what I've heard, you guys can practically run yourselves~?
We've been working on keeping track of things, yes.
Well then. I'm not sure how much help we'll be able to add… but you've got our support today.
Finallyy… one step awaay…
Is she doing alright?
She's really not a fan of these fellows, is all! Very human response. Perfectly normal.
So, let's take turn 1 as an example. The first thing I do is take a look at the Speed Dice of the enemies, and figure out which ones I can't redirect. Due to some bad rolls here, we have four of them—the three 6's and the 5. I take a look at who they're targeting, and with what, then either set up some kind of clash to deal with those pages, or accept that I'll be taking damage if the page is one that's annoying to beat.
Two of these dice are going right for Null_Mia, so I start by having them handle their incoming attacks. Bayonet Combat is a 2-cost that has a trio of decent dice, and adds a pair of ammunition to the user's hand. We're still not talking about Ammo yet, just know that more=good. Class and Respect, meanwhile, is the Thumb's Light restoration page. 1 cost, restores 2, gives a single chunky Slash die and 2 Bleed on hit. It's a Light restoration page, not much to say about it.
Because Null_Mia's Prescripts say Slash is getting a boost, I respond to the first with Dimensional Rift and the second with Leap. The +2 power will make most of the clashes even or better (after the enemy's +1 from Concentration), and while NM will be taking one free hit from Bayonet Combat, we'll be handing out a freebie on Leap; the turn is a net neutral with us being either even or very slightly favored to win the clashes. That's about what we want to aim for—crushing wins generally aren't ideal right now. More importantly, Null_Mia is going to be guaranteed to gain an Emotion Level and keep their Light high.
T.Hinman, as the target of the other two dice we can't redirect, has an interesting conundrum. The Bayonet Combat targeting her is a page I could probably stop with Repressed Flesh, but because Null_Mia is throwing her biggest damage page at the other opponent, I'd rather throw Repressed Flesh there too. I decide to throw a Puppet Blockade at the Bayonet and take it as a loss to generate emotion while tossing Repressed Flesh at the very manageable Class and Respect. The Counter die on Repressed Flesh makes my life a little easier, letting me count it as a reaction to an incoming attack so I can squeeze out another one-sided attack without eating one in return.
T's all but guaranteed to eat a decent chunk of damage, but she'll be giving as good as she's taking and getting her Emotion up, so that's fine.
This leaves the enemy with four dice left at 4, 3, 2, and 2. Our side has D.A.D. with a 5 and a 3, and Kaori with a 4 and a 3. We could redirect all of these dice, but it wouldn't be a great plan. This is because one of the 2's is running right into T.Hinman with a Class and Respect—they're going to eat a Counter die and we have no reason to stop them.
I notice that Kaori has a Repressed Flesh in her hand as well, and a pair of enemies targeting her—this means that I don't actually need to redirect any attacks with her, she's already covered. I have D.A.D. use their Deep Drag to stop this Bayonet Combat instead. The first die will hit, and there's a chance that we'll negate some or none of the damage afterwards with the Evade die—if it fails, no problem. We primarily want to spread Smoke with it and draw an extra page. Without any good secondary plays, I just slap a one-sided Smoking Pipe down as well in order to gain a bit of Smoke and Light back. It's not ideal, but it'll do.
That leaves Kaori. I take a peek at both of the enemy pages targeting her.
Reload is a page we haven't seen yet—it's the Thumb draw page, letting them draw 1 page while also giving them an Ammo on top of it (again, more ammo=good). Most importantly for us, it has two dice instead of one. I decide to let it hit Kaori's counter die, and clash her Repressed Flesh against the Class and Respect to maximize our possible damage output.
This is basically how my opening turns always go. My goal on turn 1 is to get our floor's Emotion up through getting clashes, while minimizing the damage our team takes and picking 1-2 enemies to really pile damage onto to remove actions from the enemy side. My secondary goal is to spread out the damage I do have to take among my Librarians to avoid any one taking too much at once.
Rather quiet, these humans are.
It's because of respect. We're higher rank than they are; they have to mind their manners or they'll have to punish themselves.
Even in the middle of combat?
Especially then.
How unfortunate! That makes it impossible to know if these outfits will wear on their psyches!
It's not very likely, I'm afraid~ Those people whose books you put on are just underlings to them… meant to serve a purpose and not much else. Rather unfortunate, isn't it?
Not at all… it just means part A of the plan doesn't mean much.
Part A? So this is a multistage thing?
We mostly wear the main body we're using, so if they had good intel they'd know what attacks to expect.
Ahh… I see where you're going!
We turned the idea on its head: We look to be using bodies they're familiar with, but we've got different ones underneath. It's a strategy we haven't used often.
So they don't have any clue what to expect! Dastardly… I'll remember that one!
They seem to have adjusted quickly, however! The human ability to adjust to changing circumstances is still something worthy of respect..!
If it's a short-term solution, then we'd better smoke 'em while we've got 'em.
Ghh…
Huh. You're hesitating?
Ahh… Aam I..? I aam…
That's riight… I'm not the saame…
I can dooo somethiing..! Hahaa..!
I'll tear them aall… to biits..!
Is she okay?
She really liked her casinos, and they kicked her out.
The Abnormality's help is coming up. Who's—
Diibs..!
Fine by me.
Our turn 1 went about as perfectly as it could have, with two enemies winding up nearly Staggered and only minimal damage to our side. While this seems okay… it's a bit deceptive. The Thumb doesn't usually throw out their good pages until turn 2.
Those good pages are Suppressing Shot, Shock Rounds, and Focus Fire. They're all similar, so I'll talk about them all together. Each one discards 1 or more pages with a low cost from the hand, and if those pages happen to be Ammunition, the page gains power. Ammunition pages all have a cost of 0, lower than any other standard Thumb page, meaning that if they have one, these pages will discard it to power themselves up—and the vast majority of them played pages that guarantees them at least 1 in hand.
Of the three, Suppressing Shot is the easiest to handle, as even with the +1 Power it's not much stronger than other Ranged pages we've seen. Shock Rounds looks much stronger on the surface, but since a glitch has locked its bonus to +1 Power as well it's only a little stronger than Suppressing Shot—the increase in power to its first die can make blocking it a little harder, but it's basically the same page. Then there's Focus Fire… Any time Focus Fire comes out, we have to plan around Focus Fire. Its 7-17 lead die isn't a die that we can't easily block, and any time we see it it's likely to have a 9-19 range or better. In most cases, there are two ways to deal with Focus Fire:
-Accept that we are getting hit by the first attack, and either ignore the page entirely or use a page with a Block die or a die we can afford to lose on first. This means taking guaranteed damage, but it frees us up to use one of our dice to attack somewhere else, or mitigates the damage somewhat in exchange for blocking the second die and striking back in earnest. This is still kind of
, though, because the second die is still a minimum of 8-10—roughly on par with Repressed Flesh.
-Try to clash the attack with something like BHK's Yield my Flesh or a Deep Drag. Yield My Flesh is a 10-15 in most instances, which is far from a guaranteed success… but losing that clash is fine too, as it gives us To Claim Their Bones. Deep Drag on an Emma-Puppet build, meanwhile, is a 9-22; this puts it in the same general ballpark as Focus Fire's opening die. The Evade die, however, is very likely to lose to the second shot, meaning that the blocker will take a hit from it instead.
Overall, my goal with Focus Fire is to spread the damage out and try to keep my team on their feet.
I set up clashes of various sorts for four of the gun pages, but this leaves a Suppressing Shot on a 5 and a Focus Fire on a 4 both targeting D.A.D. After thinking about it, I opt to try and blunt the attack from Focus Fire and hit the bottom enemy.
Unfortunately, I use the wrong speed die.
I also don't notice at all, meaning that D.A.D. is tanking both attacks directly. This is a very small mistake, but one that'll cost them a lot of HP.
Anyways, my overall goal here is to do two things: the first is to minimize the HP/SR that our side is losing, and the second is to Stagger both of the Thumb who have single-digit SR. If we can do that, we'll be in great shape.
They're using their guns all of a sudden!
Take it as a sign of pride. They think we're a big deal.
Of course they do! We're one of those Star of the City things, and humans are slaves to labels!
Why, simply call something a 'sale' and look how they react! It's as fascinating as it is foolish!
The sharper-eyed among you may notice that getting hit is giving our Librarians stacks of Paralysis and Disarm for next turn, and also that that isn't listed on any of the pages I've shown.
To you I say: Good job paying attention! It's because of Ammunition, we'll talk about it later.
Remember… don't let a single one escaape..!
Sure. We wouldn't want another Streetlight Office, now, would we?
Ahh… might need a hospital after this.
D.A.D. gets their licking from both of the enemy's Ranged pages, knocking their SR down to a dangerous level.
Then the rules say we send this one to the morgue.
That's the way. Just don't let them blunderbuss their way into a victory. :mmmhmm:
The bottom Thumb Soldato has exactly 1 SR left, and this is not great since we put Null_Mia into lockdown mode to finish off the other one. Yesod's floor is at its best when we can take more actions than our opponents, and struggles when the enemy has the same number of Speed Dice as ours. Because of this, pure power-based Yesod strategies can struggle on Tier 1 of Star of the City: all of the matches here are even. We need to Stagger the bottom Soldato ASAP in order to get that upper hand. We also want to redirect that 2 off of Null_Mia if possible; they're just going to have to eat the 5 pointing at them. Our Speed Die luck has been pretty bad in this fight, not letting us redirect things fairly frequently—the risk of using Emma's 3-5 die against a group of enemies that have a 2-6.
Anyways, I do what I can. D.A.D.'s 5 die should go off before the enemy's 5 die, stopping their second attack from hitting D.A.D. entirely by Staggering them. Meanwhile, T.Hinman and Kaori try to Stagger the other two opponents with Deep Drags. If this turn goes well, then this stage of the fight is basically over with only minimal damage to Null_Mia and D.A.D.
These mob guys still pack a bit of a punch…
But we're a cut above them. No worries.
Ghh… While we can't complain about the power, it would be ideal if we had a way to avoid the cooldown period. These gun butts hurt.
Worry not, fellow human…s! I have your back!
There's something seriously off about that one… Can't quite put my finger on it.
Ah, it's nothing. Don't worry about it.
This one, too… They're aall down..!
This time, how about we-
I already heear it..! Don't disrupt my rhythmm…
Nevermind. You've got it.
Her emotions are running high today… Because of a casino? You're sure?
Really enjoys the places!
Mmm… well, alright.
Music: YesodBattle02
This turn went well. Everyone's taken around 25%-50% of their HP, but we've basically wrapped things up for the first act.
I'll take them aall out… to draw their leeader out with their boooks..!
Real fan of the initiative, kiddo, but you can leave some for the rest of us.
It's fiine..!
This is paaybaack..!
If you get too emotional, you're bound to make a mistake. Just get the job done and clock out without making eye contact with anyone. That's how we got by.
Good job, team. You did it, with barely any help at all~
We clean up pretty well around here, I'd say.
Hardly. Look at you, D.A.D. Bleeding out all over the place… I'll take the field from here.
Heh… All part of the plan.
Music: GuestBattle01
The second wave is more of the same, giving us another four Thumb Soldato to deal with.
When taking on multiple acts which have lower enemy counts than our floor's total number of Librarians, we get the option to swap out the Librarians being used between battles. This lets us effectively heal one of our members at the cost of their Emotion Level decreasing—but since we don't lose any Floor Levels all this means is that it'll take longer to get the next one.
We were hoping you'd want to join in around now, sir.
Oh? What were you planning, team?
At this point, the enemy's been watching our opening tactics. They'll know that we're using weapons that don't match our outward appearance.
But I'm fighting exactly how I look like I should be. Lying to them by telling the unvarnished truth… It's underhanded.
I didn't want to lose, no matter whaat..!
I didn't say I disliked it. It won't work for long, but we'll take advantage of it while we can.
Have fun out there, kiddos. I'll nurse my wounds and root for you.
Music: YesodBattle02
This'll woork… Deefinitely..!
Hm.
Stay focused, don't let them get time to take the upper hand.
If we're not letting them get the upper hand… We think we'll go all out.
Doo iit..! I'll join youu..!
They're certainly stronger than our last opponents, I'll give them that.
Strong as they may be, they can't seem to hold up well to the Index's attacks
They are roughly even in overall power… it makes sense, if you think about it.
Just focus on keeping yourselves healthy. These are trained killers.
In that case…
We should be going all out, yes?
Mmmhmm..!
This time… thiis time…
Yoou suffer in sileence..!
A 6 and a 5 pointed at Null_Mia on the turn where the Thumb likes using their guns. This might sting.
Kaori, you're showing a dangerous amount of bloodthirst. It may impair your judgment. What exactly happened?
As she said, she was bounced from a casino!
I don't buy that that's all there is to it. What happened?
I don't wanna taalk about iit… I just want to huurt them… It's fiine… As long as the job gets doone…
And I'll get it doone… withoout cowering in a coorner…
Don't just jump ahead like that! Null_Mia needs someone to cover them!
Too… late.
Dammit! Hinman, do what you can!
Understood, sir! This enemy's off guard and ready to handle.
I've got iit..!
Hm… Boss, have you noticed? All of the Abnormalities have been gravitating around Kaori this time.
I have. These Thumb guys have definitely gotten her riled up… I suppose it's because of that.
Meaning that I'll be able to completely control the flow of battle by angering others? Muahahaha… Splendid.
Going for the kiill..!
Kaori, that one's got a bead on you.
I knoow… I'll be fiine..!
This position isn't exactly ideal, since we're all going to be taking some major lumps this round. In hindsight, Clean wasn't the best pick here either—with how speed dice have been rolling the entire fight, I should've realized that I wouldn't be getting much use out of it. Oh well.
I've tried, Null_Mia… but there's nothing I can do about that one coming at you.
Uugh… Our head…
You'll be fine, humans are pretty tough!
I'll just outlast this oone thing..! And theen..!
30 SR versus Focus Fire is normally very safe, especially with a leading Block die to blunt the first shot.
But I forgot about Rhythm's effect… and the bonus Stagger damage it does—highlighted above. If I'd realized this was coming, someone else would have targeted that Staggered Soldato… we couldn't actually do anything about this Stagger, as Repressed Flesh was the only 3-cost in Kaori's hand. :shepface:
Not… noow..!
Hinman, there's no time! Take them down! Null_Mia, don't you die on us!
We're still… here. That one hurt.
I've covered this one!, sir!
That makes both of them, then. It'll have to do.
Hinman, cover for Kaori. Null_Mia, defend yourself. I'm going on the offensive.
Sir!
Ohhh no you don't! That's my human pal, you know! Also I am human.
Hmm… If you say so~
Gah… Not so successful on our part, sir.
Your health's looking terrible. Don't get hit again, got it?
We'll do our best.
We're all on our last legs here. This is why it's so important to maintain your discretion at all times…
Kaori. You've been off this entire reception. You're making mistakes, blind to the enemy's circumstances. What happened?
We'll talk laa—
That's an order, Kaori.
Mmm..!
I'm noot… thaat great at people… But I needed the mooney… Soo…
I needed to wiin… to reesearch..! So… That iis…
…You're still circling around it. Is it that painful?
…Mmm. Back theen… We made a deeal…
Before that daay… I had a partner…
I could straategize… and they could convince aanyone to believe up was down..! We were inviincible..!
But the Thuumb..!
That baastaard..!
Hahaaaa..! That despair of losing my liifeline… Not knowing how I'd keep searching for aaliens..!
I think I understand now. So when you realized we'd be getting guests from the City…
It was a loongshot… but I was hoping… And theen…
You saw that 'Kalo' human.
I don't… belieeve in fate… Buut…
Too good of an opportunity to pass up, was it?
Yeeah…
Those invitatioons… They came through more than I could have hooped..! Once we put theese guys up, suurely…
Music: YesodBattle03
So that's why you've been so sloppy. You stopped looking at these opponents when the fight started.
Our plan was pleenty… It brought us heere, after all…
And at what cost? The entire team is a brush away from death, aside me.
It woorked… So it's fiine…
It's most certainly not fine.
…We're not doing this again.
But I haave t—
Overwhelmingly powerful blunt weapons and hindering our foes are our specialties—The Thumb's suits are resistant to our weaponry, and their ammunition can outdo both our power and our lockdown. The best plan you all could put together nearly killed the whole team. Leave it to a better suited group.
Buut..!
Let's wrap things up here… We're threatening to bleed out, so we'd like the reception to end before we talk more.
Yes. I'll listen to all your complaints, but first we need to patch you up.
The Thumb is one of the two 'recommended' entry paths into Star of the City, and it's the easier one, even if it doesn't necessarily look it from how close we were to losing people. The most important part of Star of the City combat is understanding the game's fundamentals and playing them well—for the Thumb, that mostly means knowing how to deal with all of their ranged attacks. Their melee attacks aren't anything too special.
Music: Result
Cutting it close out there, eh kiddos?
Close only counts in rocket launchers and grenades!
May we never fight someone using those, then.
If I don't say anything noow, sir, then he'll be a boook..!
Then get your answers from its pages. That should be fine.
It's not the same if I don't seee hiim..!
No means no, Kaori. I'm not risking the entire team so that you can chase some selfish dream.
Mmm..! I neeed to face that uunderbooss..!
No matter how often you ask—
What if we make an opportunity?
An opportunity? Explain.
Sweet Pea, Twee, and Evil Kit have been itching for some real action anyways. We'll make an opportunity for her. Just her and the grizzled guy… It shouldn't be any trouble at all, and nobody on your team has to take on any risks.
You know that these aren't some simple opponents. You'd be facing the full wrath of a Finger, while having to hold back yourselves.
We can handle it. I have full confidence in my team.
Why are you going so far..?
I just don't see any reason why we should be the only ones allowed to face our pasts~
I have no reason to refuse, then.
But if your team can't do it, we're abandoning the plan. Gathering the light is more important.
Of course, of course~
I'll be waiting on yoou, then..!
A proper fight against a powerful foe… Are you excited too, Sweet Pea?
Oh, you bet I am. Let's show them who's the strongest!
VIDEO
Music: Lobby
They also seemed to use bullets in various ways, as opposed to the Full-Stop Office we received some time ago. These people would swing the gun itself as a melee weapon, too.
Like I said before, bullets are expensive. Even though the bullets the Thumb uses are self-made, the price is anything but affordable. They utilize bullets in clever ways depending on the situation, but won’t actually fire them unless it’s a huge deal.
Does that mean they mostly use their guns as a close-range weapon like that, then?
Yup. A good swing can easily crush human bones. The guns are made using pretty nifty technology and materials.
Was there anything else you wanted to know about them, ma'am?
No, but there is still one more thing for you to do. The final floor has appeared.
Final? As in, no more after this?
That's correct. The day that our path ends is coming closer.
Alright. You wanted me to check it out, right?
It's good that you know. I'll provide the details…
VIDEO
Music: HokmaStory
Hey, Hokma. I’m Roland, the guy who’s going to be bringing books here from now on.
And you double as Angela’s servant.
Yep, a servant I am.
You seem rather content with your occupation.
It’s not about satisfaction or anything, I’m just doing this ‘cause the only other option is death. You aren’t exactly fond of me or Angela, huh. Judging from your overbearing attitude right out the gate.
I have no obligation to treat you ilk with any courtesy or greeting. Any faith I would have has long been crushed.
I bet you’ll make good friends with Yesod down there.
And Angela stomped that wish, got it. Plus you probably loathe me as well since I’m her full-time assistant.
…
I mean, you already had an agreement and everything, didn’t you? You’re supposed to help her complete the Library and find the one book she seeks, right?
Do you truly believe that the one singular book exists as Angela claims?
What? Duh, she wouldn’t be looking for it if it didn’t exist…
Indeed, she firmly believes that the invitation will lead her to that book somehow.
Then let me ask: How could you put your faith in the invitation and Angela so easily? Including her promise to give you freedom once her goal has been met.
So that is the basis of your faith.
How preposterous.
What’s your point, old man?
Just bring me more books. I have spent much time in boredom until now.
Music: Lobby
At last, the Floor of Religion is open. It opens after any tier 1 Star of the City reception—we didn't happen to get lucky here. Since Hokma will actually fight in battles, though, we only get two other Librarians.
Huuuuooogh… that's a big stretch. Feels like we've been sleeping forever, huh?
Some time has passed since we were put to sleep, yes.
Seems like the situation's gotten complicated, too. All sorts of stuff is going on with that Argalia guy… I wonder what his deal is?
I couldn't say. We're sure to find out eventually, I'm certain.
We'll just have to work hard to make up for lost time… Nice to be working with yo—
—ou? Weren't you in another timeline because of that clock Abnormality?
Since when has that ever stopped me?
Welcome back. You'll be pleased to know that your little sacrifice worked. Unfortunately, it seems none of us shall be resting yet.
Yeah, I got the gist of things while we were asleep. Gotta' say, I really thought that last death would be the final one… Imagine my surprise when I'm back here, all over again.
I expected you to be angrier, in truth. You failed to escape once again.
Yeah, well… thirty years in the Outskirts'll make you nostalgic for a shit job with some decent food. I'm going to go check the place out. Laters, old timer.
Hmph. Who are you to call me 'old timer?'
Now that Hokma's floor is up and running, we've got a new Abnormality Battle available for Keter. We're not going to a poll just yet, however. I said that we'd be doing each node in entirety before moving on…
And The Thumb isn't quite done with us yet.
Next time, on Library of Ruina: Kalo gets an offer he can't refuse.
Videos
Thumb 2
Hokma 1
New Key Pages
I forgot to record opening the Thumb Soldato Key Pages, and because I pulled all of them off camera you get Evil Kit today.
New Combat Pages
Thumb Exclusive:
Music: GuestBattle01
Kurokumo..? They won't hold up against our opponents. It's… straategy… D.A.D. explained it… buut… Just trust me on this one, mummy. I wouldn't want to give up the surprise before the right time. Fine. I'll simply observe you for now.This isn't exactly a full standard Smoke floor, given that the Rose in the back isn't using any and most builds use something else over Smoking Pipe, but 3/4ths of our Librarians today are running some kind of dedicated smoke-based Emma/Puppets build, with two running Singleton. Yesod is sitting out for the moment.
The Thumb is a series of 4-vs-4 battles, with us having 1 floor to take out 2 groups of opponents. All of our enemies today will be basic Thumb Soldatos, with identical stats.
Thumb Soldatos are our first instance of mooks who have Speed passives, and their other ability, Ammo Supply, is their gimmick. We'll discuss it more thoroughly in another fight, as it's easier to explain when we're the one using the Thumb Key Page—but there's one more thing here that's worth noting…
In Star of the City, the enemies have also learned how to attribute Full Stop passives: the generic Soldato pages don't normally have Concentration, but here it is for us now, waiting to give us a bad time on the first turn. As we go on, we'll see a variety of attributed bonus abilities that increase our enemy's power levels to something much closer to our own. The kid gloves are off, causing a lot of players to hit a wall at the start of Star of the City. I'll be using the first act of this fight to try and articulate my approach to these battles, to try and show my priorities in more difficult battles.
Music: YesodBattle01
Hey, fellow Librarians. From what I've heard, you guys can practically run yourselves~? We've been working on keeping track of things, yes. Well then. I'm not sure how much help we'll be able to add… but you've got our support today. Finallyy… one step awaay… Is she doing alright? She's really not a fan of these fellows, is all! Very human response. Perfectly normal.So, let's take turn 1 as an example. The first thing I do is take a look at the Speed Dice of the enemies, and figure out which ones I can't redirect. Due to some bad rolls here, we have four of them—the three 6's and the 5. I take a look at who they're targeting, and with what, then either set up some kind of clash to deal with those pages, or accept that I'll be taking damage if the page is one that's annoying to beat.
Two of these dice are going right for Null_Mia, so I start by having them handle their incoming attacks. Bayonet Combat is a 2-cost that has a trio of decent dice, and adds a pair of ammunition to the user's hand. We're still not talking about Ammo yet, just know that more=good. Class and Respect, meanwhile, is the Thumb's Light restoration page. 1 cost, restores 2, gives a single chunky Slash die and 2 Bleed on hit. It's a Light restoration page, not much to say about it.
Because Null_Mia's Prescripts say Slash is getting a boost, I respond to the first with Dimensional Rift and the second with Leap. The +2 power will make most of the clashes even or better (after the enemy's +1 from Concentration), and while NM will be taking one free hit from Bayonet Combat, we'll be handing out a freebie on Leap; the turn is a net neutral with us being either even or very slightly favored to win the clashes. That's about what we want to aim for—crushing wins generally aren't ideal right now. More importantly, Null_Mia is going to be guaranteed to gain an Emotion Level and keep their Light high.
T.Hinman, as the target of the other two dice we can't redirect, has an interesting conundrum. The Bayonet Combat targeting her is a page I could probably stop with Repressed Flesh, but because Null_Mia is throwing her biggest damage page at the other opponent, I'd rather throw Repressed Flesh there too. I decide to throw a Puppet Blockade at the Bayonet and take it as a loss to generate emotion while tossing Repressed Flesh at the very manageable Class and Respect. The Counter die on Repressed Flesh makes my life a little easier, letting me count it as a reaction to an incoming attack so I can squeeze out another one-sided attack without eating one in return.
T's all but guaranteed to eat a decent chunk of damage, but she'll be giving as good as she's taking and getting her Emotion up, so that's fine.
This leaves the enemy with four dice left at 4, 3, 2, and 2. Our side has D.A.D. with a 5 and a 3, and Kaori with a 4 and a 3. We could redirect all of these dice, but it wouldn't be a great plan. This is because one of the 2's is running right into T.Hinman with a Class and Respect—they're going to eat a Counter die and we have no reason to stop them.
I notice that Kaori has a Repressed Flesh in her hand as well, and a pair of enemies targeting her—this means that I don't actually need to redirect any attacks with her, she's already covered. I have D.A.D. use their Deep Drag to stop this Bayonet Combat instead. The first die will hit, and there's a chance that we'll negate some or none of the damage afterwards with the Evade die—if it fails, no problem. We primarily want to spread Smoke with it and draw an extra page. Without any good secondary plays, I just slap a one-sided Smoking Pipe down as well in order to gain a bit of Smoke and Light back. It's not ideal, but it'll do.
That leaves Kaori. I take a peek at both of the enemy pages targeting her.
Reload is a page we haven't seen yet—it's the Thumb draw page, letting them draw 1 page while also giving them an Ammo on top of it (again, more ammo=good). Most importantly for us, it has two dice instead of one. I decide to let it hit Kaori's counter die, and clash her Repressed Flesh against the Class and Respect to maximize our possible damage output.
This is basically how my opening turns always go. My goal on turn 1 is to get our floor's Emotion up through getting clashes, while minimizing the damage our team takes and picking 1-2 enemies to really pile damage onto to remove actions from the enemy side. My secondary goal is to spread out the damage I do have to take among my Librarians to avoid any one taking too much at once.
Rather quiet, these humans are. It's because of respect. We're higher rank than they are; they have to mind their manners or they'll have to punish themselves. Even in the middle of combat? Especially then. How unfortunate! That makes it impossible to know if these outfits will wear on their psyches! It's not very likely, I'm afraid~ Those people whose books you put on are just underlings to them… meant to serve a purpose and not much else. Rather unfortunate, isn't it? Not at all… it just means part A of the plan doesn't mean much. Part A? So this is a multistage thing? We mostly wear the main body we're using, so if they had good intel they'd know what attacks to expect. Ahh… I see where you're going! We turned the idea on its head: We look to be using bodies they're familiar with, but we've got different ones underneath. It's a strategy we haven't used often. So they don't have any clue what to expect! Dastardly… I'll remember that one! They seem to have adjusted quickly, however! The human ability to adjust to changing circumstances is still something worthy of respect..! If it's a short-term solution, then we'd better smoke 'em while we've got 'em. Ghh… Huh. You're hesitating? Ahh… Aam I..? I aam… That's riight… I'm not the saame… I can dooo somethiing..! Hahaa..! I'll tear them aall… to biits..! Is she okay? She really liked her casinos, and they kicked her out. The Abnormality's help is coming up. Who's— Diibs..! Fine by me.Our turn 1 went about as perfectly as it could have, with two enemies winding up nearly Staggered and only minimal damage to our side. While this seems okay… it's a bit deceptive. The Thumb doesn't usually throw out their good pages until turn 2.
Those good pages are Suppressing Shot, Shock Rounds, and Focus Fire. They're all similar, so I'll talk about them all together. Each one discards 1 or more pages with a low cost from the hand, and if those pages happen to be Ammunition, the page gains power. Ammunition pages all have a cost of 0, lower than any other standard Thumb page, meaning that if they have one, these pages will discard it to power themselves up—and the vast majority of them played pages that guarantees them at least 1 in hand.
Of the three, Suppressing Shot is the easiest to handle, as even with the +1 Power it's not much stronger than other Ranged pages we've seen. Shock Rounds looks much stronger on the surface, but since a glitch has locked its bonus to +1 Power as well it's only a little stronger than Suppressing Shot—the increase in power to its first die can make blocking it a little harder, but it's basically the same page. Then there's Focus Fire… Any time Focus Fire comes out, we have to plan around Focus Fire. Its 7-17 lead die isn't a die that we can't easily block, and any time we see it it's likely to have a 9-19 range or better. In most cases, there are two ways to deal with Focus Fire:
-Accept that we are getting hit by the first attack, and either ignore the page entirely or use a page with a Block die or a die we can afford to lose on first. This means taking guaranteed damage, but it frees us up to use one of our dice to attack somewhere else, or mitigates the damage somewhat in exchange for blocking the second die and striking back in earnest. This is still kind of
, though, because the second die is still a minimum of 8-10—roughly on par with Repressed Flesh.-Try to clash the attack with something like BHK's Yield my Flesh or a Deep Drag. Yield My Flesh is a 10-15 in most instances, which is far from a guaranteed success… but losing that clash is fine too, as it gives us To Claim Their Bones. Deep Drag on an Emma-Puppet build, meanwhile, is a 9-22; this puts it in the same general ballpark as Focus Fire's opening die. The Evade die, however, is very likely to lose to the second shot, meaning that the blocker will take a hit from it instead.
Overall, my goal with Focus Fire is to spread the damage out and try to keep my team on their feet.
I set up clashes of various sorts for four of the gun pages, but this leaves a Suppressing Shot on a 5 and a Focus Fire on a 4 both targeting D.A.D. After thinking about it, I opt to try and blunt the attack from Focus Fire and hit the bottom enemy.
Unfortunately, I use the wrong speed die.
I also don't notice at all, meaning that D.A.D. is tanking both attacks directly. This is a very small mistake, but one that'll cost them a lot of HP.
Anyways, my overall goal here is to do two things: the first is to minimize the HP/SR that our side is losing, and the second is to Stagger both of the Thumb who have single-digit SR. If we can do that, we'll be in great shape.
They're using their guns all of a sudden! Take it as a sign of pride. They think we're a big deal. Of course they do! We're one of those Star of the City things, and humans are slaves to labels! Why, simply call something a 'sale' and look how they react! It's as fascinating as it is foolish!The sharper-eyed among you may notice that getting hit is giving our Librarians stacks of Paralysis and Disarm for next turn, and also that that isn't listed on any of the pages I've shown.
To you I say: Good job paying attention! It's because of Ammunition, we'll talk about it later.
Remember… don't let a single one escaape..! Sure. We wouldn't want another Streetlight Office, now, would we? Ahh… might need a hospital after this.D.A.D. gets their licking from both of the enemy's Ranged pages, knocking their SR down to a dangerous level.
Then the rules say we send this one to the morgue. That's the way. Just don't let them blunderbuss their way into a victory. :mmmhmm:The bottom Thumb Soldato has exactly 1 SR left, and this is not great since we put Null_Mia into lockdown mode to finish off the other one. Yesod's floor is at its best when we can take more actions than our opponents, and struggles when the enemy has the same number of Speed Dice as ours. Because of this, pure power-based Yesod strategies can struggle on Tier 1 of Star of the City: all of the matches here are even. We need to Stagger the bottom Soldato ASAP in order to get that upper hand. We also want to redirect that 2 off of Null_Mia if possible; they're just going to have to eat the 5 pointing at them. Our Speed Die luck has been pretty bad in this fight, not letting us redirect things fairly frequently—the risk of using Emma's 3-5 die against a group of enemies that have a 2-6.
Anyways, I do what I can. D.A.D.'s 5 die should go off before the enemy's 5 die, stopping their second attack from hitting D.A.D. entirely by Staggering them. Meanwhile, T.Hinman and Kaori try to Stagger the other two opponents with Deep Drags. If this turn goes well, then this stage of the fight is basically over with only minimal damage to Null_Mia and D.A.D.
These mob guys still pack a bit of a punch… But we're a cut above them. No worries. Ghh… While we can't complain about the power, it would be ideal if we had a way to avoid the cooldown period. These gun butts hurt. Worry not, fellow human…s! I have your back! There's something seriously off about that one… Can't quite put my finger on it. Ah, it's nothing. Don't worry about it. This one, too… They're aall down..! This time, how about we- I already heear it..! Don't disrupt my rhythmm… Nevermind. You've got it. Her emotions are running high today… Because of a casino? You're sure? Really enjoys the places! Mmm… well, alright.Music: YesodBattle02
This turn went well. Everyone's taken around 25%-50% of their HP, but we've basically wrapped things up for the first act.
I'll take them aall out… to draw their leeader out with their boooks..! Real fan of the initiative, kiddo, but you can leave some for the rest of us. It's fiine..! This is paaybaack..! If you get too emotional, you're bound to make a mistake. Just get the job done and clock out without making eye contact with anyone. That's how we got by. Good job, team. You did it, with barely any help at all~ We clean up pretty well around here, I'd say. Hardly. Look at you, D.A.D. Bleeding out all over the place… I'll take the field from here. Heh… All part of the plan.Music: GuestBattle01
The second wave is more of the same, giving us another four Thumb Soldato to deal with.
When taking on multiple acts which have lower enemy counts than our floor's total number of Librarians, we get the option to swap out the Librarians being used between battles. This lets us effectively heal one of our members at the cost of their Emotion Level decreasing—but since we don't lose any Floor Levels all this means is that it'll take longer to get the next one.
We were hoping you'd want to join in around now, sir. Oh? What were you planning, team? At this point, the enemy's been watching our opening tactics. They'll know that we're using weapons that don't match our outward appearance. But I'm fighting exactly how I look like I should be. Lying to them by telling the unvarnished truth… It's underhanded. I didn't want to lose, no matter whaat..! I didn't say I disliked it. It won't work for long, but we'll take advantage of it while we can. Have fun out there, kiddos. I'll nurse my wounds and root for you.Music: YesodBattle02
This'll woork… Deefinitely..! Hm. Stay focused, don't let them get time to take the upper hand. If we're not letting them get the upper hand… We think we'll go all out. Doo iit..! I'll join youu..! They're certainly stronger than our last opponents, I'll give them that. Strong as they may be, they can't seem to hold up well to the Index's attacks They are roughly even in overall power… it makes sense, if you think about it. Just focus on keeping yourselves healthy. These are trained killers. In that case… We should be going all out, yes? Mmmhmm..! This time… thiis time… Yoou suffer in sileence..!A 6 and a 5 pointed at Null_Mia on the turn where the Thumb likes using their guns. This might sting.
Kaori, you're showing a dangerous amount of bloodthirst. It may impair your judgment. What exactly happened? As she said, she was bounced from a casino! I don't buy that that's all there is to it. What happened? I don't wanna taalk about iit… I just want to huurt them… It's fiine… As long as the job gets doone… And I'll get it doone… withoout cowering in a coorner… Don't just jump ahead like that! Null_Mia needs someone to cover them! Too… late. Dammit! Hinman, do what you can! Understood, sir! This enemy's off guard and ready to handle. I've got iit..! Hm… Boss, have you noticed? All of the Abnormalities have been gravitating around Kaori this time. I have. These Thumb guys have definitely gotten her riled up… I suppose it's because of that. Meaning that I'll be able to completely control the flow of battle by angering others? Muahahaha… Splendid. Going for the kiill..! Kaori, that one's got a bead on you. I knoow… I'll be fiine..!This position isn't exactly ideal, since we're all going to be taking some major lumps this round. In hindsight, Clean wasn't the best pick here either—with how speed dice have been rolling the entire fight, I should've realized that I wouldn't be getting much use out of it. Oh well.
I've tried, Null_Mia… but there's nothing I can do about that one coming at you. Uugh… Our head… You'll be fine, humans are pretty tough! I'll just outlast this oone thing..! And theen..!30 SR versus Focus Fire is normally very safe, especially with a leading Block die to blunt the first shot.
But I forgot about Rhythm's effect… and the bonus Stagger damage it does—highlighted above. If I'd realized this was coming, someone else would have targeted that Staggered Soldato… we couldn't actually do anything about this Stagger, as Repressed Flesh was the only 3-cost in Kaori's hand. :shepface:
Not… noow..! Hinman, there's no time! Take them down! Null_Mia, don't you die on us! We're still… here. That one hurt. I've covered this one!, sir! That makes both of them, then. It'll have to do. Hinman, cover for Kaori. Null_Mia, defend yourself. I'm going on the offensive. Sir! Ohhh no you don't! That's my human pal, you know! Also I am human. Hmm… If you say so~ Gah… Not so successful on our part, sir. Your health's looking terrible. Don't get hit again, got it? We'll do our best. We're all on our last legs here. This is why it's so important to maintain your discretion at all times… Kaori. You've been off this entire reception. You're making mistakes, blind to the enemy's circumstances. What happened? We'll talk laa— That's an order, Kaori. Mmm..! I'm noot… thaat great at people… But I needed the mooney… Soo… I needed to wiin… to reesearch..! So… That iis… …You're still circling around it. Is it that painful? …Mmm. Back theen… We made a deeal… Before that daay… I had a partner… I could straategize… and they could convince aanyone to believe up was down..! We were inviincible..! But the Thuumb..! That baastaard..! Hahaaaa..! That despair of losing my liifeline… Not knowing how I'd keep searching for aaliens..! I think I understand now. So when you realized we'd be getting guests from the City… It was a loongshot… but I was hoping… And theen… You saw that 'Kalo' human. I don't… belieeve in fate… Buut… Too good of an opportunity to pass up, was it? Yeeah… Those invitatioons… They came through more than I could have hooped..! Once we put theese guys up, suurely…Music: YesodBattle03
So that's why you've been so sloppy. You stopped looking at these opponents when the fight started. Our plan was pleenty… It brought us heere, after all… And at what cost? The entire team is a brush away from death, aside me. It woorked… So it's fiine… It's most certainly not fine. …We're not doing this again. But I haave t— Overwhelmingly powerful blunt weapons and hindering our foes are our specialties—The Thumb's suits are resistant to our weaponry, and their ammunition can outdo both our power and our lockdown. The best plan you all could put together nearly killed the whole team. Leave it to a better suited group. Buut..! Let's wrap things up here… We're threatening to bleed out, so we'd like the reception to end before we talk more. Yes. I'll listen to all your complaints, but first we need to patch you up.The Thumb is one of the two 'recommended' entry paths into Star of the City, and it's the easier one, even if it doesn't necessarily look it from how close we were to losing people. The most important part of Star of the City combat is understanding the game's fundamentals and playing them well—for the Thumb, that mostly means knowing how to deal with all of their ranged attacks. Their melee attacks aren't anything too special.
Music: Result
Cutting it close out there, eh kiddos? Close only counts in rocket launchers and grenades! May we never fight someone using those, then. If I don't say anything noow, sir, then he'll be a boook..! Then get your answers from its pages. That should be fine. It's not the same if I don't seee hiim..! No means no, Kaori. I'm not risking the entire team so that you can chase some selfish dream. Mmm..! I neeed to face that uunderbooss..! No matter how often you ask— What if we make an opportunity? An opportunity? Explain. Sweet Pea, Twee, and Evil Kit have been itching for some real action anyways. We'll make an opportunity for her. Just her and the grizzled guy… It shouldn't be any trouble at all, and nobody on your team has to take on any risks. You know that these aren't some simple opponents. You'd be facing the full wrath of a Finger, while having to hold back yourselves. We can handle it. I have full confidence in my team. Why are you going so far..? I just don't see any reason why we should be the only ones allowed to face our pasts~ I have no reason to refuse, then. But if your team can't do it, we're abandoning the plan. Gathering the light is more important. Of course, of course~ I'll be waiting on yoou, then..! A proper fight against a powerful foe… Are you excited too, Sweet Pea? Oh, you bet I am. Let's show them who's the strongest!VIDEO
Music: Lobby
They also seemed to use bullets in various ways, as opposed to the Full-Stop Office we received some time ago. These people would swing the gun itself as a melee weapon, too. Like I said before, bullets are expensive. Even though the bullets the Thumb uses are self-made, the price is anything but affordable. They utilize bullets in clever ways depending on the situation, but won’t actually fire them unless it’s a huge deal. Does that mean they mostly use their guns as a close-range weapon like that, then? Yup. A good swing can easily crush human bones. The guns are made using pretty nifty technology and materials. Was there anything else you wanted to know about them, ma'am? No, but there is still one more thing for you to do. The final floor has appeared. Final? As in, no more after this? That's correct. The day that our path ends is coming closer. Alright. You wanted me to check it out, right? It's good that you know. I'll provide the details…VIDEO
Music: HokmaStory
Hey, Hokma. I’m Roland, the guy who’s going to be bringing books here from now on. And you double as Angela’s servant. Yep, a servant I am. You seem rather content with your occupation. It’s not about satisfaction or anything, I’m just doing this ‘cause the only other option is death. You aren’t exactly fond of me or Angela, huh. Judging from your overbearing attitude right out the gate. I have no obligation to treat you ilk with any courtesy or greeting. Any faith I would have has long been crushed. I bet you’ll make good friends with Yesod down there. And Angela stomped that wish, got it. Plus you probably loathe me as well since I’m her full-time assistant. … I mean, you already had an agreement and everything, didn’t you? You’re supposed to help her complete the Library and find the one book she seeks, right? Do you truly believe that the one singular book exists as Angela claims? What? Duh, she wouldn’t be looking for it if it didn’t exist… Indeed, she firmly believes that the invitation will lead her to that book somehow. Then let me ask: How could you put your faith in the invitation and Angela so easily? Including her promise to give you freedom once her goal has been met. So that is the basis of your faith. How preposterous. What’s your point, old man? Just bring me more books. I have spent much time in boredom until now.Music: Lobby
At last, the Floor of Religion is open. It opens after any tier 1 Star of the City reception—we didn't happen to get lucky here. Since Hokma will actually fight in battles, though, we only get two other Librarians.
Huuuuooogh… that's a big stretch. Feels like we've been sleeping forever, huh? Some time has passed since we were put to sleep, yes. Seems like the situation's gotten complicated, too. All sorts of stuff is going on with that Argalia guy… I wonder what his deal is? I couldn't say. We're sure to find out eventually, I'm certain. We'll just have to work hard to make up for lost time… Nice to be working with yo— —ou? Weren't you in another timeline because of that clock Abnormality? Since when has that ever stopped me? Welcome back. You'll be pleased to know that your little sacrifice worked. Unfortunately, it seems none of us shall be resting yet. Yeah, I got the gist of things while we were asleep. Gotta' say, I really thought that last death would be the final one… Imagine my surprise when I'm back here, all over again. I expected you to be angrier, in truth. You failed to escape once again. Yeah, well… thirty years in the Outskirts'll make you nostalgic for a shit job with some decent food. I'm going to go check the place out. Laters, old timer. Hmph. Who are you to call me 'old timer?'Now that Hokma's floor is up and running, we've got a new Abnormality Battle available for Keter. We're not going to a poll just yet, however. I said that we'd be doing each node in entirety before moving on…
And The Thumb isn't quite done with us yet.
Next time, on Library of Ruina: Kalo gets an offer he can't refuse.
Videos
Thumb 2
Hokma 1
New Key Pages
I forgot to record opening the Thumb Soldato Key Pages, and because I pulled all of them off camera you get Evil Kit today.
New Combat Pages
Thumb Exclusive:
Book 36: The Thumb—Chapter 3
Music: Lobby
Liu Association Section 2, Volume 1… I don't remember receiving anyone from the Liu Association here. Does that mean we're stuck?
Not at all. We appear to have one in stock.
We do?! When the heck did we see those guys?
Oh… uhh… I can explain, sir. I was looking for new foes to hone my oboe skills, and I ran into some people I didn't recognize.
An opponent you didn't recognize? How'd it end?
Not well.
But I did manage to book one of them before I ate pavement!
And as it so happens, it is the book that we required.
So we've only got the one. No margin for error, then?
In the event this does fail, we can simply get more. We can only be delayed, not stopped.
Ah, true enough. Let's hope it doesn't come to that, then.
VIDEO
Music: StoryJinji
The streets are gonna reek of blood, eh?
It’s not just the streets, the entire Nest is awash with blood…
The hell is the Liu Association up to anyway, poking around an abandoned Nest? The Index and R Corp. are already keeping us swamped… Besides, there’s been an awful lot of Distortion sightings around here these days. All those feuds took out half my good men.
Everyone seems to be looking for clues on the Distortion. They must’ve determined that the Library sitting at the center of the Nest has to be closely related to that phenomenon. And it’s true that the Distortion has been happening here more frequently than any other place.
Sit down now. As you have said, the Index, the Liu, and R Corp. are ransacking this Nest.
It’s not just them, we’ve received reports that the Blue Reverberation and the Purple Tear are also present.
The Blue Reverberation, you say…
The one who took our fabric turned out to be working for him.
I see… What do you think is attracting the Blue Reverberation and his gang here?
It must be the Library. Several well-known individuals and groups fell victim to it, too.
Whoever takes over that Library is gonna be the victor of this tedious battle.
But whenever we try to go there ourselves, the invitation to the Library just vanishes. It’s as if they’re refusing to let us in…
That was true up until now. We tried acquiring it through our subordinates, and claiming it from others with force, but nothing worked…
It says they have a book of the Liu Association up for grabs.
That’s the book we need the most right now. If we can find a way to deal with the Liu Association, then we’re guaranteed to win at least half of this Nest.
It’ll give us a chance to stifle them for sure…
Music: StoryNervous
What’s a Messenger of the Index doing here.
If you say anything stupid, I’ll pull out your tongue…
You guys are always on edge. I’m not here to see you bleed today.
And I reckon you aren’t here to throw cheap jabs at us, either?
Sottocapo Kalo? May I speak to you for a moment?
I appreciate the Index for upholding basic manners. Go on ahead.
This is just my opinion, but… I don’t think you should go. You’re most likely to turn into a book there. If the underboss managing this area ends up disappearing, it’d only be a matter of time until the Index seizes this place.
Well, this is a rare occasion. A Messenger, stating their own opinion instead of delivering Prescripts?
……
…I only have the patience to acknowledge the Prescripts of the Index, not the personal ramblings of a mere Messenger. Tell the zealots of the Index remaining in L Corp’s territory this: Once we’ve sorted out this matter, we shall pull out their teeth and tongues, and feed them to the hounds as punishment for insulting the Thumb.
Although you won’t be alive to relay that message with your own mouth.
…When one dares irritate their superior, take their tongue.
Music: Lobby
They don’t care who the offender may be.
It certainly looks like they don’t. Not even the member of another Finger seems to be exempt from their rules. And remembering what I heard last time… the echelon appeared to matter as well.
That’s right. You have to be courteous to people whose position is higher than yours. You can’t casually mention their name or speak before they do. You need permission for every little thing.
Well, there are exceptions, strictly speaking… A high class person can theoretically lend the authority of their position to someone else, but it’s a rare case. Generally speaking, a Grade 1 Fixer is on the same position as a capo in their hierarchy.
You can’t even make eye contact with a person whose class is higher than you… Neither of those Fingers are right in the head, I gotta say.
I don’t know about that. I actually like the straightforwardness of it.
Music: Entrance
I’m unharmed, sire.
It wasn’t easy, though. The Index is a bothersome bunch, even just a Messenger can be a pain in the ass to deal with.
Those who don’t respect their superiors need to be taught a lesson in manners…
Are you going to be alright, sire? The words of that Messenger had a point, it may have been safer… and beneficial for the Thumb if you stayed in the base.
Shouldn’t you be worrying about your own safety first?
I am Angela, the director and librarian of my role’s namesake.
That’s intriguing. I heard that the director of this place was a machine… but I suppose that’s not entirely true.
It’s rather irritating to hear you go on about whether I’m a machine or not right in front of my face, you know?
The ruling figure of a Star of the City stands at a higher echelon than a sottocapo such as myself… You ought to pay her due respect, Katriel.
…That was impolite of me. I’ll pay my price now. Denis, please cut off my tongue.
Okay…
Katriel may not be flawless, but I appreciate how she’s quick to reflect on her mistakes. Please forgive our rudeness with this, madam.
Sigh… He was right about you all being sick in the head… May you find your book here, I suppose.
Next time, on Library of Ruina: Using an Emotion Level 3 max floor against Star of the City receptions.
Videos
Thumb 3
Now, let's see… There's still the matter of that strange being the Rats ran into… I'll pin that as an open question. Meanwhile… The Carnival's fabric was taken by Tanya… for her boss. We've seen it as some new, powerful suits on Eileen and Pluto just afterwards, meaning that Tanya's boss is likely the Blue Reverberation… Based on that design, we can assume the Puppeteer is working with him as well… but wait, that can't be right.
The train left before the fabric was stolen… but he wore it on the train itself. But that would mean…
How did they get it to him on the train? He kept his mentality intact because of stasis… moving in or out of that place was supposed to be impossible.
Still being a neurotic mess about the smallest things, I take it?
Talow?! What the—where'd you come from?!
Upstairs, obviously. Nice corkboard. Lots of… string.
Don't give me that. Someone's got to make sense out of all the stuff going on out there, and it's not really something I can trust to-
Yeah, yeah. You've gotta' keep busy or you'll go crazy under the sense of powerlessness. I get it.
I'd really like it if you stopped sounding like you knew everything all the time.
Good news, then. I don't have 10,000 years of endlessly repeating bullshit to clue me in on everything this time. Which… leads us to why I'm here.
Ah. And here I thought you just missed lording it over me.
Okay, the other reason I'm here. You are way too easy.
Darn tootin'!
Oh shut up, Dimi! Anyways, what'cha need?
Everything. Starting with what happened after I left…
Couldn't say. The plan worked, then it suddenly didn't because of Angela. I died pretty soon after everything went to shit.
Of course you did, y'stupid hero complex. 
Okay. Answer me this, then: On my way down I saw your two sidekicks turning books into all kinds of snacks. Do you know how that works?
Yeah, I could show you.
Then let's start there, and I'll see if I can help with your little conspiracy board in the meanwhile.
Fine. I probably need another set of eyes on it at this point, anyways…
What, Malkuth is too busy?
Don't push your luck, Talow.
Music: Lobby
Liu Association Section 2, Volume 1… I don't remember receiving anyone from the Liu Association here. Does that mean we're stuck? Not at all. We appear to have one in stock. We do?! When the heck did we see those guys? Oh… uhh… I can explain, sir. I was looking for new foes to hone my oboe skills, and I ran into some people I didn't recognize. An opponent you didn't recognize? How'd it end?Earlier… wrote:
Not well. But I did manage to book one of them before I ate pavement! And as it so happens, it is the book that we required. So we've only got the one. No margin for error, then? In the event this does fail, we can simply get more. We can only be delayed, not stopped. Ah, true enough. Let's hope it doesn't come to that, then.VIDEO
Music: StoryJinji
The streets are gonna reek of blood, eh? It’s not just the streets, the entire Nest is awash with blood… The hell is the Liu Association up to anyway, poking around an abandoned Nest? The Index and R Corp. are already keeping us swamped… Besides, there’s been an awful lot of Distortion sightings around here these days. All those feuds took out half my good men. Everyone seems to be looking for clues on the Distortion. They must’ve determined that the Library sitting at the center of the Nest has to be closely related to that phenomenon. And it’s true that the Distortion has been happening here more frequently than any other place. Sit down now. As you have said, the Index, the Liu, and R Corp. are ransacking this Nest. It’s not just them, we’ve received reports that the Blue Reverberation and the Purple Tear are also present. The Blue Reverberation, you say… The one who took our fabric turned out to be working for him. I see… What do you think is attracting the Blue Reverberation and his gang here? It must be the Library. Several well-known individuals and groups fell victim to it, too. Whoever takes over that Library is gonna be the victor of this tedious battle. But whenever we try to go there ourselves, the invitation to the Library just vanishes. It’s as if they’re refusing to let us in… That was true up until now. We tried acquiring it through our subordinates, and claiming it from others with force, but nothing worked… It says they have a book of the Liu Association up for grabs. That’s the book we need the most right now. If we can find a way to deal with the Liu Association, then we’re guaranteed to win at least half of this Nest. It’ll give us a chance to stifle them for sure…Music: StoryNervous
What’s a Messenger of the Index doing here. If you say anything stupid, I’ll pull out your tongue… You guys are always on edge. I’m not here to see you bleed today. And I reckon you aren’t here to throw cheap jabs at us, either? Sottocapo Kalo? May I speak to you for a moment? I appreciate the Index for upholding basic manners. Go on ahead. This is just my opinion, but… I don’t think you should go. You’re most likely to turn into a book there. If the underboss managing this area ends up disappearing, it’d only be a matter of time until the Index seizes this place. Well, this is a rare occasion. A Messenger, stating their own opinion instead of delivering Prescripts? …… …I only have the patience to acknowledge the Prescripts of the Index, not the personal ramblings of a mere Messenger. Tell the zealots of the Index remaining in L Corp’s territory this: Once we’ve sorted out this matter, we shall pull out their teeth and tongues, and feed them to the hounds as punishment for insulting the Thumb. Although you won’t be alive to relay that message with your own mouth. …When one dares irritate their superior, take their tongue.Music: Lobby
They don’t care who the offender may be. It certainly looks like they don’t. Not even the member of another Finger seems to be exempt from their rules. And remembering what I heard last time… the echelon appeared to matter as well. That’s right. You have to be courteous to people whose position is higher than yours. You can’t casually mention their name or speak before they do. You need permission for every little thing. Well, there are exceptions, strictly speaking… A high class person can theoretically lend the authority of their position to someone else, but it’s a rare case. Generally speaking, a Grade 1 Fixer is on the same position as a capo in their hierarchy. You can’t even make eye contact with a person whose class is higher than you… Neither of those Fingers are right in the head, I gotta say. I don’t know about that. I actually like the straightforwardness of it.Music: Entrance
I’m unharmed, sire. It wasn’t easy, though. The Index is a bothersome bunch, even just a Messenger can be a pain in the ass to deal with. Those who don’t respect their superiors need to be taught a lesson in manners… Are you going to be alright, sire? The words of that Messenger had a point, it may have been safer… and beneficial for the Thumb if you stayed in the base. Shouldn’t you be worrying about your own safety first? I am Angela, the director and librarian of my role’s namesake. That’s intriguing. I heard that the director of this place was a machine… but I suppose that’s not entirely true. It’s rather irritating to hear you go on about whether I’m a machine or not right in front of my face, you know? The ruling figure of a Star of the City stands at a higher echelon than a sottocapo such as myself… You ought to pay her due respect, Katriel. …That was impolite of me. I’ll pay my price now. Denis, please cut off my tongue. Okay… Katriel may not be flawless, but I appreciate how she’s quick to reflect on her mistakes. Please forgive our rudeness with this, madam. Sigh… He was right about you all being sick in the head… May you find your book here, I suppose.Next time, on Library of Ruina: Using an Emotion Level 3 max floor against Star of the City receptions.
Videos
Thumb 3
Now, let's see… There's still the matter of that strange being the Rats ran into… I'll pin that as an open question. Meanwhile… The Carnival's fabric was taken by Tanya… for her boss. We've seen it as some new, powerful suits on Eileen and Pluto just afterwards, meaning that Tanya's boss is likely the Blue Reverberation… Based on that design, we can assume the Puppeteer is working with him as well… but wait, that can't be right. The train left before the fabric was stolen… but he wore it on the train itself. But that would mean… How did they get it to him on the train? He kept his mentality intact because of stasis… moving in or out of that place was supposed to be impossible. Still being a neurotic mess about the smallest things, I take it? Talow?! What the—where'd you come from?! Upstairs, obviously. Nice corkboard. Lots of… string. Don't give me that. Someone's got to make sense out of all the stuff going on out there, and it's not really something I can trust to- Yeah, yeah. You've gotta' keep busy or you'll go crazy under the sense of powerlessness. I get it. I'd really like it if you stopped sounding like you knew everything all the time. Good news, then. I don't have 10,000 years of endlessly repeating bullshit to clue me in on everything this time. Which… leads us to why I'm here. Ah. And here I thought you just missed lording it over me. Okay, the other reason I'm here. You are way too easy. Darn tootin'! Oh shut up, Dimi! Anyways, what'cha need? Everything. Starting with what happened after I left… Couldn't say. The plan worked, then it suddenly didn't because of Angela. I died pretty soon after everything went to shit. Of course you did, y'stupid hero complex. Okay. Answer me this, then: On my way down I saw your two sidekicks turning books into all kinds of snacks. Do you know how that works? Yeah, I could show you. Then let's start there, and I'll see if I can help with your little conspiracy board in the meanwhile. Fine. I probably need another set of eyes on it at this point, anyways… What, Malkuth is too busy? Don't push your luck, Talow.Book 36: The Thumb—Chapter 4
Music: GuestBattle01
I think these Hauler abilities from the Sweepers will help us take care of the enemies today. If nothing else, we'll keep going longer than they will.
Pretty smart… but remember when we were practicing before? We can regain our balance between sorties, so using both might just be overkill.
We'll see how it works out, then.
Nothing too unusual here, though we're breaking out the Sweeper passives to make sure these guys won't die so easily…
Evil Kit, meanwhile, is debuting the Thumb Soldato's keypage! I've given him all of the 'on discard' support, alongside increases to his starting hand size. The latter was a mistake, for reasons we'll get into later. Deckwise, I'm satisfied with this build—though I'd probably trade in at least one Shock Rounds now. I… didn't notice they were a draw page at the time.
Today's guests are a 3-act affair, and we've got two floors to fight them with. The first act is three Thumb Soldatos, led by Denis.
Denis is a cut above normal Soldatos, recovering an extra Ammunition for every 3 that he uses. He also gets Pierce Mastery for an additional +1 on all Pierce dice. Outside of being Soldato+, there's not much else to say about him.
Music: ChesedBattle01
There's actually a flag in the Thumb Soldato's AI that changes their text based on whether or not a boss is present. If they are, the Soldatos stay completely silent. It's the little things.
It's a pleasure to accept your offer. Let's get to business.
Ah, come now. No need to be so formal~ We're all about to die here, anyways.
That's against the way of the Thumb. Apologies.
Mmm… If you say so.
The only notable thing on this turn is one of the Soldatos leading with a Focus Fire. It won't be nearly as strong since their hand can't have Ammunition in it yet, but that 7-17 die is still a terror—we have Twee shield it.
Sniff sniff… sniff…
Aha! It's right down there! That's where that smell's coming from now!
My my… what's all this?
…Binah? What are you doing in the observation room?
I'm simply observing one of my dear librarians… but it seems I've wandered into something interesting.
It's a fight, isn't it? Who do you think will win?
I'd think that was obvious. We will!
Oooh… I haven't seen Sweet Pea doing fights in ages! I wanna see, Miss Binah! Can we?
Yes, I think we'll watch.
That's… don't think you have to. We've got things handled here~
Now, now. I'll simply offer suggestions should I feel like it, and you can act on them should you feel like it. It should be familiar enough.
…Alright. I suppose we're all working towards the same purpose now anyways.
My, your ability to quickly adjust to changing circumstances is certainly what should be expected of a former 'elite.' But still… That smile doesn't quite reach your eyes, Chesed.
What a coincidence. Neither does yours~
It looks like we're out of time, sir!
I'm fine, though. Looks like they didn't break out anything too dangerous.
For real… so far this is child's play. I can't believe they nearly took out Yesod's team before.
We all have our strengths and weaknesses.
They still can pack a punch, you know! And they're to pay for it!
If I may?
By all means… if you're striking me, you've certainly got something on your mind.
Your followers lack discipline. I understand the nature of this bargain… but can you beat anyone like that?
I can see how that may concern you…
It's a good thought… between the city's rigid order and our own chaotic element… what will the result of such a blend be?
Maybe a macchiato?
Yes, I think that'd work. I'll try mixing one up when we're done here.
If it's a macchiato, y'better color the milk blue first… because we're going to wind up on top!
All this talk of unrefined swill… it speaks to your confidence that you find the time for such trivialities in the midst of a pitched conflict.
Forget about all that! I've got some important news!
Oooh! Sounds important! What's up, Kitto?
It seems that in all of the fuss, I've has managed to manufacture some specialized rounds to use!
Looks fancy! Don't you think so, Patchy?
I keep telling you all not to call me that… Ugh. They're fine, I guess.
Now that we have some, it's time to talk about Ammunition! Ammunition is created automatically through certain Thumb Key and Combat page passives, and is why the extra draw in Evil Kit's build was a mistake—we need open spots in our hand or else we can't spawn in the Ammunition we need. The Ammunition pages themselves come in three flavors:
The three Ammunition pages are all single-die 0-cost Ranged Combat Pages, with Flame being Blunt and the other two being Slash. We Exhaust these pages by either discarding them or playing them, and when we do so all ranged attacks we make during this turn will gain a bonus effect based on the Ammunition Exhausted.
Armor-piercing: Enemy dice clashing against ranged attacks get -1 Power.
Frost: On hit, ranged attacks also inflict 1 Paralysis and 1 Disarm next turn.
Flame: On hit, ranged attacks inflict 2 Burn.
These effects apply to all ranged attacks we make including those of the Ammunition themselves, and they stack. If we were to play our Frost Ammunition and our Flame Ammunition this turn, both of the shots would inflict 1 Paralysis, 1 Disarm, and 2 Burn.
If we play both the Suppressing Shots in Evil Kit's hand instead, however, each one would discard one of the 0-cost Ammunition pages to give themselves +1 Power. In addition, all four ranged attacks would inflict 1 Paralysis, 1 Disarm, and 2 Burn on hit.
So we do that.
We're also looking at a pair of Focus Fires. Chesed Deep Drags one, and Twee goes for a Crack of Dawn on the other—it's going to lose the first clash, but it's got a Block die and Twee will give them Burn stacks in exchange.
Alright! Let's take this gun for a ride and see what it can really do!
Ah… crap!
This same guy again, man..! But you'll get yours, or my name isn't Evil Kit!
It's hard to see because it goes by so quickly, but Denis's expression changes when he's using his gun.
It's much easier to see in the artbook. He's out here having a great time.
Anyways, Chesed completely stuffs his Focus Fire.
Regarding your previous statement… it seems your rigid team is having problems with our flexibility, no~?
The Smiling Faces' smoke… with that strange body.
And those high-class workshop weapons we've never seen before…
And her… Well, the Blade Lineage is the Blade Lineage, in the end.
Hey EK, I'll grab a slice of revenge pie for you!
Appreciated!
Now… from hell's heart, I inconvenience thee!
And now… our own technique… What is this place..?
It's been some time since I've been able to enjoy my favorite music, Chesed. I must thank you for that, if nothing else.
Tea, really? Why not try something a little more tasty?
Drinking your preferred beverage would be lowering my standards by a margin far greater than any should have to.
Sniff sniff! Waitasec, I know that smell!
It's a cutie, isn't it! Oh boy, I didn't realize they'd still be coming to help us with fighting again! 
I have an idea. Let me take hold of the Woodsman's hand, would you all~?
Of course, boss.
I wonder if I'll get to grow wings again…
You got wings? That sounds pretty cool.
While their leader is open and could easily be brought low, it is important that your eyes capture the full extent of our goal, rather than obsessing over victories or tragedies that are right in front of you.
Yes, I was thinking the same thing.
Um… translation, anyone?
They're saying not to target the Capo just yet.
I'll draw the fire of the one bringing out the big guns. You guys handle the rest.
I'm all for letting you take the bullet, Tweeds, but you're still not ordering me around.
Split the shots with you, then?
Works for me. Let's do it.
What are you going to do about that bottom one, though?
I wouldn't worry about them. Looks like they're trying to hit people up close.
It'd be a shame if you tripped over a bullet en route..!
But the paralysis won't do anything to them if you stun them…
They'll still feel it. Wounds are the best place to store salt, after all!
In the meanwhile, Twee tanks her third Focus Fire this combat…
She's still running fine, though.
Wasn't pleasant, but I got through it. How's things with you, Sweet Pea?
Easy peasy, I'm basically untouchable if they're just shooting at me. Want me to cover for you?
Nah… I have this guy handled, and the bullet wounds are healing well enough.
Mmm.. I'd say things have definitely broken in our favor, wouldn't you?
Ngh…
A blend of carefully chosen flavors, ground together into a refreshing, fragrant aroma… I'd honestly take it any day over the homogenized hot leaf juice you folk have made for yourselves.
Oh? Were you trying to provoke me or the Thumb just now, Chesed?
I'm simply stating things as I see them~
I suppose even an incorrect observation has merit in its countless faults.
The bosses are squabbling over something irrelevant. That means this is my chance…
To take this one out! And now…
Wow, Sweet Pea! Twee! You killed that so fast I couldn't tell who did it! How very captain-y!
Really? Well, they must have bled out after my last attack.
Don't be ridiculous. They were on fire, clearly I was the one who took care of it.
Well, someone's a bad loser…
Muahahahaha!
I figure that since we won't be getting Emotion Level refills after this point, Timber will let Evil Kit leverage our lower Light into more power. I probably should have taken Rake here instead, but… really, this particular page won't make much difference to the flow of battle.
Music: ChesedBattle02
We're kind of pounding them into the ground already, after all.
So this is the end…
More or less. You could try to run, I hear that's worked well for some people~
When one disobeys their superior, crush the skull completely. We've got our orders. It's our fault for not being strong enough.
Well. They've chosen their fate. Let's not keep them waiting~
Got it!
Hey Miss Binah! That thing you asked for is all ready!
Oh, is it now? Exquisite work, dear.
That thing? And what have you got going on behind our back, I wonder~
Simple refreshment, if you must know. I find it most ideal to listen to the screams and lamentations of those hoping in vain to cling to life whilst I enjoy a properly brewed cup of black tea.
What a shame~ Seems you'll finish your cup before we have any more of those.
Perhaps. My dears have learned well; I could savor this drink for some time to come.
I did a good job!
Music: GuestBattle01
The second act of this fight is another trio of Soldatos, alongside a second Capo: Boris.
Boris is not like most members of the Thumb.
Boris does not need a gun. Boris simply punches the shit out of you.
Boris is awesome.
Music: ChesedBattle02
My turn… here's to a good, clean fight.
I'll drink to that.
Open fire, boys.
Getting really tired of these, guys!
I'll get in their way with you this time, then.
The enemy using Focus Fire on turn 1 is actually a mixed blessing. They can't possibly Stagger anyone off of it, and with a fresh hand I'm likely to have a Block die to throw in the way of the main one. Because it eats all of their Light and Soldatos don't run any 0-cost pages, it's also the only combat page they get to use. If we're lucky and they don't roll maximum on either of the two dice then next turn they'll only have 1 Light to use and basically force a single Class and Respect turn. This is actually a pretty good position to be starting in. In addition to that, we have a second ace up our sleeve.
Chesed booked a pair of opponents at the end of the last act, and because Cardiae will persist between acts, it instantly reduced the two highest-cost pages in his opening hand to 0. We've got a pair of free Deep Drags on tap, and we're absolutely going to abuse them.
Anyways, Twee tanks through her fourth Focus Fire today.
I am really getting tired of that attack.
Aww, gassed already Tweeds?
If you'd gotten shot so much you'd be complaining too, you know.
Hey, that's why I rely on not getting shot.
Not… always an option!
A respectful warning to my superiors… Looking down on us with side conversations isn't wise.
Oh? Ohoho? You sound quite irritated.
I don't like them much, I guess.
Chesed, meanwhile, Inhales Smoke…
And then does a perfectly reasonable amount of Stagger damage to turn 1 Stagger this Soldato.
That wasn't the wisest confession to make, I'm afraid~
It wasn't..?
Well… you'll see.
Mizu!
Which one?
Any of you! What's your favorite Abnormality?
Dibs! Oh oh oh, definitely dibs! Okay, my favorite one is "all of them," except the ones that smell bad, which is just the Sweepers.
Mmhm, yes, yes, I see. I see! Go on!
Ah. I getcha. Just can't let it get to me.
Boris starts using his unique pages on us this turn. The first one is Steel Knuckles, which most people say is one of the best pages in the game for solo strategies. And... yeah. Yeah.
Two Blunt dice. Draws a page. Decent enough counter die that deals actual damage. 2-cost is actually quite reasonable. It's good.
Anyways, Chesed is going to smash it to bits.
His other page, Ferrous Guard, has a pair of comically oversized Block Dice considering its cost is 1. Because its offensive die is tiny, we can safely ignore it as long as we get all of our attacks on Boris in before it comes out.
The real goal this turn is to try to keep the Soldatos on the backfoot while putting a bit of damage on Boris.
Aha! So the three birds forming together alters their smell! I never would have guessed!
Yeah… I can tune this out fine. Not sure what you were trying to accomplish.
Speaking of Der Freischütz, Mizu, did you know it's very hard to block bullets from a person you're pointedly not paying any attention to?
I didn't! Is that how he always landed his shots? Because we couldn't see it in containment?
I think you may just be on to something.
While Evil Kit took a bit of a beating last turn, Focus Fire this turn more than takes care of it—we've given him Best Choice to restore 3 HP per page discarded from his hand, and since Focus Fire drops 4, he recouped 12 HP all at once. In addition, because each of the Ammo he pitched were Frost Ammunition, in two shots he managed to pile on 9 Paralysis and 8 Disarm in a single turn.
Dammit… He got me.
Yes, he'll do that~ Don't worry too much about it. Everyone has things they're good or bad at.
You're right. Thanks for the pep talk.
Koff… you're welcome.
Jeez; this one's still standing! Sweet Pea, can you take care of it?!
Anytime, Tweeds. Need me to show you up anywhere else?
Nah, that pretty much covers it for now. Thanks.
Excellent teamwork, you two. I've just about got this one all wrapped up, too~
Wrapped up… but you smell like Woodsman, not Spider Buddy. You sure you don't wanna hear about Woodsman instead?
I'm fine. Why don't you tell Miss Binah? I'm sure she'd love to hear about it~
Why don't you tell all of us?
Okay! So its charm point is definitely that chest cavity… I wanna curl up in there and take a nap. It seems really cozy, you know?!
Because of Cardiae, it's very easy for Chesed's light to stay high throughout the opening turns of an act. This makes A Warm Heart an easy pick… and since it's our only level 2 Abnormality Page, it's not like we have any choice anyways.
Wuh-oh… I don't like the look in that guy's eye.
You shouldn't. It's the same look the others gave us.
And now it's coming at me… What the heck is it?
I like to call it 'just desserts.'
Discipline is Boris's signature attack, and the first page we've seen that negates Power effects. Both Discipline and whatever page clashes into it lose any Power boosts or penalties that they would receive. That 8 Disarm will do nothing to those two Block Dice, but Paralysis will still work since it's affecting the die range and not specifically Power. As a final note, the last die of Discipline will roll 3 times whether it hits or misses, making it just about impossible for us to block fully—and Concussion's +2 SR damage to Blunt dice isn't a Power effect, so it works just fine.
I have Twee intercept it here since she's built to take a beating, and each hit from Discipline will also put 1-2 burn onto Boris in exchange.
I got your back here, Sweet Pea.
Thanks, Tweeds. I'll snatch a kill for you in thanks.
As long as the work gets done.
They shoot bullet after bullet my way, and I've just cut them all down. You'd think they'd learn…
Those things are expensive. You shouldn't bother wasting them like that.
Now that I'm paying attention to you again, that doesn't hurt half as much…
Paying attention, are you?
Heck.
So anyways, Mizus, I'm of the opinion that the finest drink is actually neither coffee nor tea, but soda. That carbonated swill never fails to bring me joy!
…I must say, he's very skilled at instinctually finding precisely what rot to spew forth in order to cause a maximum amount of anger among those unused to observing him. Were it not so blindingly obvious that his words lacked conviction, even one such as myself may be taken in.
Everyone on my team is highly skilled… in their own ways.
Sorry to get in your way, but I can't have you getting up close to my teammates.
I wouldn't expect any different. You jumped right in the way of that gunfire before. A real protector, ain't ya?
If you can take the hit, you do. That keeps it from going to someone who can't.
I really don't see how a mindset like that ever got you so far. You guys are really something else…
Shouldn't you be respecting us, instead of running your mouth like that?
Don't get it wrong, I do respect you. Absolutely. After all…
Outlook like that means you've taken a hell of a lot of beatings you didn't have to.
Better to let troubles roll off of your back and land on an underling, then~?
Yeah, you get it. The weak are there to be used. Those who can get through it, they deserve to use. Simple.
It's dumb is what it is! Sorry, Mizu, I'll be right back—have to take this. I mean, think about it. If the bosses around here were to do such a thing, all of the problems would be shoved onto me!
That a problem?
Darn right it is! Nobody wants to work that hard!
…People like you get purged. That just leaves the strong.
Boris's deck has two copies of Discipline in it, and he loves to play them as often as he possibly can. This time around he's targeting Evil Kit with one from his 5 die, and nobody else can snatch it off of him.
So I just ignore it entirely.
Aha, I see the problem with you now. Sticks out like a sore thumb! Twee, could you draw some attention?
Sure thing.
Y'see, you missed one thing. You may have strength…
But underhanded tricks are my speciality!
With Boris's SR so low and Kit having a 6 Speed die available, we could have Twee redirect the 2 die and just Stagger him. Evil Kit winds up avoiding any Discipline, as usual.
Got this one down. Shall we mop up?
I'll take care of it from here.
…Sorry boss. I'll have to leave it to you.
And that's that. I'd say we've got things well in hand by now, wouldn't you?
You've provided adequately interesting sights to me thus far, at any rate. Still, your path trails ever onward before you, and there is little time before another thorny battle awaits. You will have to drag yourselves along still further until the work is done.
Maybe so… but I think we're up to the task~
I've barely even got a scratch on me.
Then how about you stop their next bevy of big guns?
Naah, I'm good. I couldn't get in the way of your niche, Tweeds.
Pfft... Yeah, okay. Just stay behind me and I'll take care of it.
Next time, on Library of Ruina: Two down, two to go.
Music: GuestBattle01
I think these Hauler abilities from the Sweepers will help us take care of the enemies today. If nothing else, we'll keep going longer than they will. Pretty smart… but remember when we were practicing before? We can regain our balance between sorties, so using both might just be overkill. We'll see how it works out, then.Nothing too unusual here, though we're breaking out the Sweeper passives to make sure these guys won't die so easily…
Evil Kit, meanwhile, is debuting the Thumb Soldato's keypage! I've given him all of the 'on discard' support, alongside increases to his starting hand size. The latter was a mistake, for reasons we'll get into later. Deckwise, I'm satisfied with this build—though I'd probably trade in at least one Shock Rounds now. I… didn't notice they were a draw page at the time.
Today's guests are a 3-act affair, and we've got two floors to fight them with. The first act is three Thumb Soldatos, led by Denis.
Denis is a cut above normal Soldatos, recovering an extra Ammunition for every 3 that he uses. He also gets Pierce Mastery for an additional +1 on all Pierce dice. Outside of being Soldato+, there's not much else to say about him.
Music: ChesedBattle01
There's actually a flag in the Thumb Soldato's AI that changes their text based on whether or not a boss is present. If they are, the Soldatos stay completely silent. It's the little things.
It's a pleasure to accept your offer. Let's get to business. Ah, come now. No need to be so formal~ We're all about to die here, anyways. That's against the way of the Thumb. Apologies. Mmm… If you say so.The only notable thing on this turn is one of the Soldatos leading with a Focus Fire. It won't be nearly as strong since their hand can't have Ammunition in it yet, but that 7-17 die is still a terror—we have Twee shield it.
Sniff sniff… sniff… Aha! It's right down there! That's where that smell's coming from now! My my… what's all this? …Binah? What are you doing in the observation room? I'm simply observing one of my dear librarians… but it seems I've wandered into something interesting. It's a fight, isn't it? Who do you think will win? I'd think that was obvious. We will! Oooh… I haven't seen Sweet Pea doing fights in ages! I wanna see, Miss Binah! Can we? Yes, I think we'll watch. That's… don't think you have to. We've got things handled here~ Now, now. I'll simply offer suggestions should I feel like it, and you can act on them should you feel like it. It should be familiar enough. …Alright. I suppose we're all working towards the same purpose now anyways. My, your ability to quickly adjust to changing circumstances is certainly what should be expected of a former 'elite.' But still… That smile doesn't quite reach your eyes, Chesed. What a coincidence. Neither does yours~ It looks like we're out of time, sir! I'm fine, though. Looks like they didn't break out anything too dangerous. For real… so far this is child's play. I can't believe they nearly took out Yesod's team before. We all have our strengths and weaknesses. They still can pack a punch, you know! And they're to pay for it! If I may? By all means… if you're striking me, you've certainly got something on your mind. Your followers lack discipline. I understand the nature of this bargain… but can you beat anyone like that? I can see how that may concern you… It's a good thought… between the city's rigid order and our own chaotic element… what will the result of such a blend be? Maybe a macchiato? Yes, I think that'd work. I'll try mixing one up when we're done here. If it's a macchiato, y'better color the milk blue first… because we're going to wind up on top! All this talk of unrefined swill… it speaks to your confidence that you find the time for such trivialities in the midst of a pitched conflict. Forget about all that! I've got some important news! Oooh! Sounds important! What's up, Kitto? It seems that in all of the fuss, I've has managed to manufacture some specialized rounds to use! Looks fancy! Don't you think so, Patchy? I keep telling you all not to call me that… Ugh. They're fine, I guess.Now that we have some, it's time to talk about Ammunition! Ammunition is created automatically through certain Thumb Key and Combat page passives, and is why the extra draw in Evil Kit's build was a mistake—we need open spots in our hand or else we can't spawn in the Ammunition we need. The Ammunition pages themselves come in three flavors:
The three Ammunition pages are all single-die 0-cost Ranged Combat Pages, with Flame being Blunt and the other two being Slash. We Exhaust these pages by either discarding them or playing them, and when we do so all ranged attacks we make during this turn will gain a bonus effect based on the Ammunition Exhausted.
Armor-piercing: Enemy dice clashing against ranged attacks get -1 Power.
Frost: On hit, ranged attacks also inflict 1 Paralysis and 1 Disarm next turn.
Flame: On hit, ranged attacks inflict 2 Burn.
These effects apply to all ranged attacks we make including those of the Ammunition themselves, and they stack. If we were to play our Frost Ammunition and our Flame Ammunition this turn, both of the shots would inflict 1 Paralysis, 1 Disarm, and 2 Burn.
If we play both the Suppressing Shots in Evil Kit's hand instead, however, each one would discard one of the 0-cost Ammunition pages to give themselves +1 Power. In addition, all four ranged attacks would inflict 1 Paralysis, 1 Disarm, and 2 Burn on hit.
So we do that.
We're also looking at a pair of Focus Fires. Chesed Deep Drags one, and Twee goes for a Crack of Dawn on the other—it's going to lose the first clash, but it's got a Block die and Twee will give them Burn stacks in exchange.
Alright! Let's take this gun for a ride and see what it can really do! Ah… crap! This same guy again, man..! But you'll get yours, or my name isn't Evil Kit!It's hard to see because it goes by so quickly, but Denis's expression changes when he's using his gun.
It's much easier to see in the artbook. He's out here having a great time.
Anyways, Chesed completely stuffs his Focus Fire.
Regarding your previous statement… it seems your rigid team is having problems with our flexibility, no~? The Smiling Faces' smoke… with that strange body. And those high-class workshop weapons we've never seen before… And her… Well, the Blade Lineage is the Blade Lineage, in the end. Hey EK, I'll grab a slice of revenge pie for you! Appreciated! Now… from hell's heart, I inconvenience thee! And now… our own technique… What is this place..? It's been some time since I've been able to enjoy my favorite music, Chesed. I must thank you for that, if nothing else. Tea, really? Why not try something a little more tasty? Drinking your preferred beverage would be lowering my standards by a margin far greater than any should have to. Sniff sniff! Waitasec, I know that smell! It's a cutie, isn't it! Oh boy, I didn't realize they'd still be coming to help us with fighting again! I have an idea. Let me take hold of the Woodsman's hand, would you all~? Of course, boss. I wonder if I'll get to grow wings again… You got wings? That sounds pretty cool. While their leader is open and could easily be brought low, it is important that your eyes capture the full extent of our goal, rather than obsessing over victories or tragedies that are right in front of you. Yes, I was thinking the same thing. Um… translation, anyone? They're saying not to target the Capo just yet. I'll draw the fire of the one bringing out the big guns. You guys handle the rest. I'm all for letting you take the bullet, Tweeds, but you're still not ordering me around. Split the shots with you, then? Works for me. Let's do it. What are you going to do about that bottom one, though? I wouldn't worry about them. Looks like they're trying to hit people up close. It'd be a shame if you tripped over a bullet en route..! But the paralysis won't do anything to them if you stun them… They'll still feel it. Wounds are the best place to store salt, after all!In the meanwhile, Twee tanks her third Focus Fire this combat…
She's still running fine, though.
Wasn't pleasant, but I got through it. How's things with you, Sweet Pea? Easy peasy, I'm basically untouchable if they're just shooting at me. Want me to cover for you? Nah… I have this guy handled, and the bullet wounds are healing well enough. Mmm.. I'd say things have definitely broken in our favor, wouldn't you? Ngh… A blend of carefully chosen flavors, ground together into a refreshing, fragrant aroma… I'd honestly take it any day over the homogenized hot leaf juice you folk have made for yourselves. Oh? Were you trying to provoke me or the Thumb just now, Chesed? I'm simply stating things as I see them~ I suppose even an incorrect observation has merit in its countless faults. The bosses are squabbling over something irrelevant. That means this is my chance… To take this one out! And now… Wow, Sweet Pea! Twee! You killed that so fast I couldn't tell who did it! How very captain-y! Really? Well, they must have bled out after my last attack. Don't be ridiculous. They were on fire, clearly I was the one who took care of it. Well, someone's a bad loser… Muahahahaha!I figure that since we won't be getting Emotion Level refills after this point, Timber will let Evil Kit leverage our lower Light into more power. I probably should have taken Rake here instead, but… really, this particular page won't make much difference to the flow of battle.
Music: ChesedBattle02
We're kind of pounding them into the ground already, after all.
So this is the end… More or less. You could try to run, I hear that's worked well for some people~ When one disobeys their superior, crush the skull completely. We've got our orders. It's our fault for not being strong enough. Well. They've chosen their fate. Let's not keep them waiting~ Got it! Hey Miss Binah! That thing you asked for is all ready! Oh, is it now? Exquisite work, dear. That thing? And what have you got going on behind our back, I wonder~ Simple refreshment, if you must know. I find it most ideal to listen to the screams and lamentations of those hoping in vain to cling to life whilst I enjoy a properly brewed cup of black tea. What a shame~ Seems you'll finish your cup before we have any more of those. Perhaps. My dears have learned well; I could savor this drink for some time to come. I did a good job! Music: GuestBattle01
The second act of this fight is another trio of Soldatos, alongside a second Capo: Boris.
Boris is not like most members of the Thumb.
Boris does not need a gun. Boris simply punches the shit out of you.
Boris is awesome.
Music: ChesedBattle02
My turn… here's to a good, clean fight. I'll drink to that. Open fire, boys. Getting really tired of these, guys! I'll get in their way with you this time, then.The enemy using Focus Fire on turn 1 is actually a mixed blessing. They can't possibly Stagger anyone off of it, and with a fresh hand I'm likely to have a Block die to throw in the way of the main one. Because it eats all of their Light and Soldatos don't run any 0-cost pages, it's also the only combat page they get to use. If we're lucky and they don't roll maximum on either of the two dice then next turn they'll only have 1 Light to use and basically force a single Class and Respect turn. This is actually a pretty good position to be starting in. In addition to that, we have a second ace up our sleeve.
Chesed booked a pair of opponents at the end of the last act, and because Cardiae will persist between acts, it instantly reduced the two highest-cost pages in his opening hand to 0. We've got a pair of free Deep Drags on tap, and we're absolutely going to abuse them.
Anyways, Twee tanks through her fourth Focus Fire today.
I am really getting tired of that attack. Aww, gassed already Tweeds? If you'd gotten shot so much you'd be complaining too, you know. Hey, that's why I rely on not getting shot. Not… always an option! A respectful warning to my superiors… Looking down on us with side conversations isn't wise. Oh? Ohoho? You sound quite irritated. I don't like them much, I guess.Chesed, meanwhile, Inhales Smoke…
And then does a perfectly reasonable amount of Stagger damage to turn 1 Stagger this Soldato.
That wasn't the wisest confession to make, I'm afraid~ It wasn't..? Well… you'll see. Mizu! Which one? Any of you! What's your favorite Abnormality? Dibs! Oh oh oh, definitely dibs! Okay, my favorite one is "all of them," except the ones that smell bad, which is just the Sweepers. Mmhm, yes, yes, I see. I see! Go on! Ah. I getcha. Just can't let it get to me.Boris starts using his unique pages on us this turn. The first one is Steel Knuckles, which most people say is one of the best pages in the game for solo strategies. And... yeah. Yeah.
Two Blunt dice. Draws a page. Decent enough counter die that deals actual damage. 2-cost is actually quite reasonable. It's good.
Anyways, Chesed is going to smash it to bits.
His other page, Ferrous Guard, has a pair of comically oversized Block Dice considering its cost is 1. Because its offensive die is tiny, we can safely ignore it as long as we get all of our attacks on Boris in before it comes out.
The real goal this turn is to try to keep the Soldatos on the backfoot while putting a bit of damage on Boris.
Aha! So the three birds forming together alters their smell! I never would have guessed! Yeah… I can tune this out fine. Not sure what you were trying to accomplish. Speaking of Der Freischütz, Mizu, did you know it's very hard to block bullets from a person you're pointedly not paying any attention to? I didn't! Is that how he always landed his shots? Because we couldn't see it in containment? I think you may just be on to something.While Evil Kit took a bit of a beating last turn, Focus Fire this turn more than takes care of it—we've given him Best Choice to restore 3 HP per page discarded from his hand, and since Focus Fire drops 4, he recouped 12 HP all at once. In addition, because each of the Ammo he pitched were Frost Ammunition, in two shots he managed to pile on 9 Paralysis and 8 Disarm in a single turn.
Dammit… He got me. Yes, he'll do that~ Don't worry too much about it. Everyone has things they're good or bad at. You're right. Thanks for the pep talk. Koff… you're welcome. Jeez; this one's still standing! Sweet Pea, can you take care of it?! Anytime, Tweeds. Need me to show you up anywhere else? Nah, that pretty much covers it for now. Thanks. Excellent teamwork, you two. I've just about got this one all wrapped up, too~ Wrapped up… but you smell like Woodsman, not Spider Buddy. You sure you don't wanna hear about Woodsman instead? I'm fine. Why don't you tell Miss Binah? I'm sure she'd love to hear about it~ Why don't you tell all of us? Okay! So its charm point is definitely that chest cavity… I wanna curl up in there and take a nap. It seems really cozy, you know?!Because of Cardiae, it's very easy for Chesed's light to stay high throughout the opening turns of an act. This makes A Warm Heart an easy pick… and since it's our only level 2 Abnormality Page, it's not like we have any choice anyways.
Wuh-oh… I don't like the look in that guy's eye. You shouldn't. It's the same look the others gave us. And now it's coming at me… What the heck is it? I like to call it 'just desserts.'Discipline is Boris's signature attack, and the first page we've seen that negates Power effects. Both Discipline and whatever page clashes into it lose any Power boosts or penalties that they would receive. That 8 Disarm will do nothing to those two Block Dice, but Paralysis will still work since it's affecting the die range and not specifically Power. As a final note, the last die of Discipline will roll 3 times whether it hits or misses, making it just about impossible for us to block fully—and Concussion's +2 SR damage to Blunt dice isn't a Power effect, so it works just fine.
I have Twee intercept it here since she's built to take a beating, and each hit from Discipline will also put 1-2 burn onto Boris in exchange.
I got your back here, Sweet Pea. Thanks, Tweeds. I'll snatch a kill for you in thanks. As long as the work gets done. They shoot bullet after bullet my way, and I've just cut them all down. You'd think they'd learn… Those things are expensive. You shouldn't bother wasting them like that. Now that I'm paying attention to you again, that doesn't hurt half as much… Paying attention, are you? Heck. So anyways, Mizus, I'm of the opinion that the finest drink is actually neither coffee nor tea, but soda. That carbonated swill never fails to bring me joy! …I must say, he's very skilled at instinctually finding precisely what rot to spew forth in order to cause a maximum amount of anger among those unused to observing him. Were it not so blindingly obvious that his words lacked conviction, even one such as myself may be taken in. Everyone on my team is highly skilled… in their own ways. Sorry to get in your way, but I can't have you getting up close to my teammates. I wouldn't expect any different. You jumped right in the way of that gunfire before. A real protector, ain't ya? If you can take the hit, you do. That keeps it from going to someone who can't. I really don't see how a mindset like that ever got you so far. You guys are really something else… Shouldn't you be respecting us, instead of running your mouth like that? Don't get it wrong, I do respect you. Absolutely. After all… Outlook like that means you've taken a hell of a lot of beatings you didn't have to. Better to let troubles roll off of your back and land on an underling, then~? Yeah, you get it. The weak are there to be used. Those who can get through it, they deserve to use. Simple. It's dumb is what it is! Sorry, Mizu, I'll be right back—have to take this. I mean, think about it. If the bosses around here were to do such a thing, all of the problems would be shoved onto me! That a problem? Darn right it is! Nobody wants to work that hard! …People like you get purged. That just leaves the strong.Boris's deck has two copies of Discipline in it, and he loves to play them as often as he possibly can. This time around he's targeting Evil Kit with one from his 5 die, and nobody else can snatch it off of him.
So I just ignore it entirely.
Aha, I see the problem with you now. Sticks out like a sore thumb! Twee, could you draw some attention? Sure thing. Y'see, you missed one thing. You may have strength… But underhanded tricks are my speciality!With Boris's SR so low and Kit having a 6 Speed die available, we could have Twee redirect the 2 die and just Stagger him. Evil Kit winds up avoiding any Discipline, as usual.
Got this one down. Shall we mop up? I'll take care of it from here. …Sorry boss. I'll have to leave it to you. And that's that. I'd say we've got things well in hand by now, wouldn't you? You've provided adequately interesting sights to me thus far, at any rate. Still, your path trails ever onward before you, and there is little time before another thorny battle awaits. You will have to drag yourselves along still further until the work is done. Maybe so… but I think we're up to the task~ I've barely even got a scratch on me. Then how about you stop their next bevy of big guns? Naah, I'm good. I couldn't get in the way of your niche, Tweeds. Pfft... Yeah, okay. Just stay behind me and I'll take care of it.Next time, on Library of Ruina: Two down, two to go.
Book 36: The Thumb—Chapter 5
Music: GuestBattle01
The final act of this fight puts us against two Soldatos, Katriel, and Kalo. The Soldatos haven't changed at all.
Katriel is roughly on par with Denis, but instead of getting bonus Ammo when she spends hers her opening shot on any Ranged die gets a bonus +1 Power.
And then there's Kalo. Kalo is the first of many new, more powerful Key Pages we'll be seeing throughout Star of the City, the first indication of this being the upgraded Speed III passive. While it's unlisted, he also has a natural base Light of 4, letting him throw high-power pages out with a bit more flexibility.
On top of this, Kalo's pretty powerful in his own right. The Boss's Orders gives a bit of protection to two allies every turn, and Threefold Tenacity makes every third offensive die gain +1 Power, until turn 4 when they all get +1 Power instead. Unrelenting keeps him alive for a turn like it did with Oscar, Blind Fire gives all his dice +2 Power on the first turn, and Pierce Mastery finishes things off by giving him a bonus to power on roughly half of his offensive dice.
Music: ChesedBattle02
Looks like one of them's doing that one salvo again. You up for it, Tweeds? If not, I can—
Don't worry about it. I'm feeling pretty hyped up right now.
Blazing Strikes is still pretty reliable against any Ranged page, and since Twee's starting at Emotion Level 3 she can lead with it.
The others have met their ends here, and now it falls to us to succeed where they failed.
I expect you all to give it your absolute best.
..!
Le Regole is Kalo's signature move, and it gives all of his side a unique buff on the next turn that increases damage they deal by +2. It's got strong dice and an ok Block counter die as well, but it's nothing we can't handle right now.
Um… shouldn't you be targeting the big guy? Or at least slowing him down?
Normally, yes… but I think we're supposed to leave him relatively unscathed.
That just means the others are going to die faster.
You seem quite confident in your victory already. I pray that it doesn't cost you dearly.
Now that I'm all fired up, not even this can stand up to me!
Mmm… Now this is power!
Shame it takes you forever to get to it. Being able to go all out right from the start is more important.
Nah, there's a romance to having to build towards an ultimate attack.
It's also so flashy that I can hide right behind it. Appreciated!
Since when do you thank people?
Since they help me spread more chaos on the battlefield.
Chaos… tch. You're much like the other fingers; unable to see that strict order is necessary within this City.
Oh? And how's that?
…
The Head demands strict respect from the Wings, and the Wings demand strict respect from their employees. Those classes form the hierarchy that runs society. In this way, the City remains unchanging.
If you don't count those times that Wings fall, anyways.
Ghk-!
Underlings should remain silent.
You okay, Tweeds?
Y… yeah. Cheek hurts something fierce, but… I've had worse.
I'd appreciate if you didn't try to rip the jaws off of my teammates, Mr. Guest~
I do understand. Be that as it may, I'm afraid that I can't make exceptions to our rules for your fellows.
I'd rather they not wind up like this one, though…
I'd say she's worth learning from, though?
We took a couple of lumps, but ultimately we have them on the ropes. Guess this was pretty easy after all, huh?
Just make sure not to lower your guard until the very end. I'm… going to need a moment.
You will? What's up?
Nothing too big. Just doing my job.
The plan this turn is to wipe out the two Soldatos and hopefully Stagger Katriel as well.
I've already cut the tongueless wonder down to size. You'll handle the followup, right boss?
He can't respond right now, I'm afraid.
You didn't think that I wouldn't notice your strange targeting habits? Leaving me free to do as I like without resistance… of course I'd cut the head off of the beast.
That must be what he meant. Let's just finish up here, then.
I've got this one all sewn up, but did we really not book any of them?
Well, we got one. The one I set on fire died.
Yeah… because I beat them half to death.
And I staggered them, so who can say who's really the one responsible, here?
Oh oh, can I?
No.
Aww…
Seems like we're just about done here. Nothing we can do for Chesed, but… he'll be fine.
He'd always take on the heavy work himself, anyways. Really…
Sounds as if he's worked hard. I'll give him the rest he's earned.
This time, let's finish those other two off for sure.
Agreed. I'll take the capo.
Then I'll handle the one in the back.
You can stop now. They're going to burn to death after their last action.
Thanks, Mizu. That's a big help.
…Yeah.
And I'll steal this one!
Hey, they were mine!
Muahahahaha!
Fine, then I'll just go for the boss instead-
Oh? You were going for someone?
Gh… You're still nowhere near taking me out.
I don't need you talking back to me.
Not when I'm in the middle of cutting you off at the neck.
My… you really don't pull punches at all.
And you've done nothing but pull yours. Don't think that leaving me alone will weaken my resolve.
Oh… it's nothing like that. You're free to go on.
…what?
While it's true that we could come at you all at once and kill you… I was asked to send you on ahead, as a favor.
This isn't the bargain that was struck by the invitation.
Just think of it as a bonus. Better to take the free win and try your luck with just one person than certain death facing the four of us, right~?
I see. And is this proposal from your Director?
Not at all. It's just a friendly offer from us to you~
I've no idea what you're planning, but this deal appears too favorable to pass up. Fine. I accept.
Then simply take the stairs, and you'll arrive at the proper location~
And that's that. We're still the best.
Let's take a break now, before anyone can tell us to clean up after ourselves.
Sounds good to me… I've got to get writing. Just got an idea for something to run later…
More of that nerd shit, eh Tweeds?
Hahah, you know it!
My… you've gone and performed something quite unexpected, Chesed.
I suppose so. Going to tattle on me?
I'm only here to watch these events to their end.
Thanks for that, then… I suppose.
Music: GuestBattle01
Hm. There seem to be more stairs than I originally anticipated. Just how large is this place..?
…Mmm… Can you heear me..?
I can. I trust that you're the one I'm to be facing?
Yeep… But, first… What am I, to your ruules…
You are an entity granted authority to act independently, beneath the ruling figure of a Star of the City. We are roughly equal.
…Mmm. That will do niicely… Then, lets taalk, you and I…
I see no issue with a respectful conversation before our business resumes…
Though from the gaze I feel on my back… I expect you've no interest in discussing pleasantries.
Not at aall… I just want to relate a stoory I know… From ten years ago… in district teen…
…I see. I'd ask that you finish it before these stairs end and the ordeal begins.
Certainlyy… Loong ago, there was a denizen of the Backstreeets who won more than the Nest's management liiked… a masterful swindleer… And when the Nest looked iinto them… they saw that their straategy came from a partner who could quickly calculate the oodds…
Of course. The Nest would take assistance from a second party in any form as undesirable, and would wish to send a powerful warning should enough money change hands. You still see it from time to time.
Mmhmm… Soo, one daay, they were to be given a waarning… and it was the Thuumb who provided. A caapo… and their soldaatos… They saw the pair on the way to earn their liiving… and what do you think they diid..?
We were asked to provide a warning by our superiors. It's obvious that we'd send one.
You broke their kneee..!
That swindler had displeased the management of a Nest. We left their partner untouched, I assume? Then it was a warning.
Mmm..!
They fell to the flooor… Their partner went to check on theem… And the two were told… that they weren't welcome anymoore… And the swindleer… He protested…
And their partner… was left holding their jawless faace…
And do you knoow what the Capo they met that day said neext..?
Something like, "You should have learned basic manners. Show proper devotion when talking to your superiors from now on," I imagine?
So… you remembeer…
Not at all. I can think of dozens of situations just like that one. That partner in the story… I assume it was you?
That's correect…
Frankly… after ten years, you should have moved on.
I shoould, yeeah…
Music: GuestBattle03
But for mee… It was three months agoo..!
You aren't very good at hiding your intentions.
I'm noot… That's whyy… I couldn't do it aloone…
So? What did you want from me?
Take responsibilityy… For what you diid…
Heh… Take responsibility, you say? For what?
…whaa?
I didn't do a single thing wrong. Let's say this all did occur, exactly as you recall. Your partner broke the unwritten rules of the Nest. Not quite a taboo… hence we were employed. I gave a warning, and if they hadn't run their mouth, then that would have been all. The fault is with them.
If anything, I should be saying "you're welcome."
Yoou killed them… and it's "you're welcoome..?"
You were living in the Backstreets, absolutely lacking in any form of class… and with that one change, you were able to turn your life around. Look at you now… able to speak with me as an equal. You've earned this respect, something you never would have had without our warning.
…ah. I… seee…
Um… Miss Binah? The Emotion Level thingys are going wild!
Sniff sniff… oooh, I smell cuties!
Thank you, dears… but please quiet yourselves. I wish to observe the end of this.
Music : YesodBattle03
I can't make you understaand… And I can't understand yoou, either…
And I still can't hide my intentions, it's truue…
But I caan make you hurt…
Maybe theen… I can lay things to reest…
I'm under no obligation to assuage your guilty conscience. In honesty, it's your own fault for being weak.
But I'm not weak anymoore..!
This feeeling… All of these feeelings..!
If you can't understaand… maybe if I carve them into youu..!
A place where emotions can become power… So this is the Library.
You've truly earned the respect you're given. I have no regrets.
I… diid iit..!
But… shouldn't I… feeel… different…?
Then whyy… is it still… hurting..? Why did he make that faace…
You bastaard…
Who saiid you could look so smuug as you diied..?!
The catharsis you sought turned to dust in your mouth… leaving behind only the bitterness you now taste.
I fouund an aalieen..! I watched that bastaard die..! I should be… ecstaatic..! But that look… I can't accept thaat..!
Agaiin… I need to… do it one moore time… To get it riight…
Miss Binah? This shaking's getting bad..! Should we be doing something?
Observe, dear. What do you see? Does it mean that you should act?
Someone… sad? So… no? Because it's not our problem?
If that is your view.
Stand up, Kaaloo..! Stand up agaiin..!
I'm not doone with youu..!
Huh. She exploded!
Wrapped up in the betrayal of her own expectations, the Abnormalities which were supporting her could do so no longer. When she exceeded their grasp, she simply collapsed under her own weight. Such is the chapter's close, I suppose. Come, dears. There's nothing left to see here.
That shaking… I've got a bad feeling about this.
Music: Result
…This is it? You're sure.
We checked the place twice. These books are all there are.
She should be conscious again by now… but instead, she's still a hardcover.
Something's off. I'll go speak with Angela.
I'll hold on to her in the meanwhile, then.
VIDEO
Music: Lobby
And they shove the Thumb’s rules up others’ asses too. Because they have the power to do so.
Who’s making the rules for them, I wonder…
That’s a tough question. And I don’t think anyone has the answer for that. Hell, I bet they don’t even know when those rules were established. They aren’t much better than those zealots chasing Prescripts in that sense. Do you think they’re dumb for following those unfair rules without even knowing why?
…I’d be lying if I said no, though I can understand them somewhat. It certainly seems pathetic that they’re blindly obeying them without knowing the reason even if they have complaints. However, there’s little point in questioning things that have always stayed the same and had to stay the same.
A lesson you learned from your previous job?
I wouldn’t paint it as something as nice as that. It was what I had to ingrain in my head. Calling it a lesson feels inappropriate to me.
And now, I got to understand it a bit better. It’s not that I understand the rules of the Fingers themselves.
…Of course, different individuals would see them from various perspectives and judge for themselves whether they’re a good thing or a bad thing.
Anyway… The warning that Messenger of the Index gave wasn’t worth nothing; with one of the higher-ups gone, the Thumb could be in actual danger.
True. The Thumb must be bummed to know that an underboss of theirs is now a book.
Does that make the Index the only Finger remaining in L Corp’s Nest now?
I’m not so sure about that. It’s up to them to retreat or hold the fort. Not like we need to care about it.
Angela. A moment.
I was expecting you. If you'll pardon me, Roland.
Huh? Yeah, sure.
She's become… unstable?
That's correct. You recall our… altercation, before.
I do. You mean to tell me she was..?
It is something close to that. Your assistants are not as stable as you or I am. When their emotions overflow beyond a certain point, their current forms are not capable of handling the strain. This is why there is a limit during receptions…
It seems there was a loophole. I'll address it after this.
And as for Kaori?
None of you are allowed to die without my consent. I don't know how long it will take, but she will eventually recover. Until then, I'll be limiting you to observation duties only.
I see. At least we haven't lost anyone this time.
Alright then. I'll inform you of any changes to her condition. I apologize for the inconvenience.
This was outside of my expectations… Still, we properly took another step forward and without any lasting repercussions. I don't think an apology is necessary. Simply send word when you are ready to perform your duties again.
I'll handle it.
Next time, on Library of Ruina
"The snow is steadily melting... Perhaps because spring is coming, or it might be the palace collapsing."
"Don't look away, just keep your eyes on it. Contain it in your sight."
To those guiding the Library, offer the Book of a Thumb Soldato and the Book of Kalo via invitation and receive the guests who arrive. No time limit.
The Liu cautiously appraise the situation.
The Blue Reverberation also wishes to make his move.
Who knows what's going on in the head of the Cane Office's President?
Videos
Thumb 4
New Key Pages
New Combat Pages
Boris Exclusive:
Katriel, Denis, Kalo Exclusive:
Music: GuestBattle01
The final act of this fight puts us against two Soldatos, Katriel, and Kalo. The Soldatos haven't changed at all.
Katriel is roughly on par with Denis, but instead of getting bonus Ammo when she spends hers her opening shot on any Ranged die gets a bonus +1 Power.
And then there's Kalo. Kalo is the first of many new, more powerful Key Pages we'll be seeing throughout Star of the City, the first indication of this being the upgraded Speed III passive. While it's unlisted, he also has a natural base Light of 4, letting him throw high-power pages out with a bit more flexibility.
On top of this, Kalo's pretty powerful in his own right. The Boss's Orders gives a bit of protection to two allies every turn, and Threefold Tenacity makes every third offensive die gain +1 Power, until turn 4 when they all get +1 Power instead. Unrelenting keeps him alive for a turn like it did with Oscar, Blind Fire gives all his dice +2 Power on the first turn, and Pierce Mastery finishes things off by giving him a bonus to power on roughly half of his offensive dice.
Music: ChesedBattle02
Looks like one of them's doing that one salvo again. You up for it, Tweeds? If not, I can— Don't worry about it. I'm feeling pretty hyped up right now.Blazing Strikes is still pretty reliable against any Ranged page, and since Twee's starting at Emotion Level 3 she can lead with it.
The others have met their ends here, and now it falls to us to succeed where they failed. I expect you all to give it your absolute best. ..!Le Regole is Kalo's signature move, and it gives all of his side a unique buff on the next turn that increases damage they deal by +2. It's got strong dice and an ok Block counter die as well, but it's nothing we can't handle right now.
Um… shouldn't you be targeting the big guy? Or at least slowing him down? Normally, yes… but I think we're supposed to leave him relatively unscathed. That just means the others are going to die faster. You seem quite confident in your victory already. I pray that it doesn't cost you dearly. Now that I'm all fired up, not even this can stand up to me! Mmm… Now this is power! Shame it takes you forever to get to it. Being able to go all out right from the start is more important. Nah, there's a romance to having to build towards an ultimate attack. It's also so flashy that I can hide right behind it. Appreciated! Since when do you thank people? Since they help me spread more chaos on the battlefield. Chaos… tch. You're much like the other fingers; unable to see that strict order is necessary within this City. Oh? And how's that? … The Head demands strict respect from the Wings, and the Wings demand strict respect from their employees. Those classes form the hierarchy that runs society. In this way, the City remains unchanging. If you don't count those times that Wings fall, anyways. Ghk-! Underlings should remain silent. You okay, Tweeds? Y… yeah. Cheek hurts something fierce, but… I've had worse. I'd appreciate if you didn't try to rip the jaws off of my teammates, Mr. Guest~ I do understand. Be that as it may, I'm afraid that I can't make exceptions to our rules for your fellows. I'd rather they not wind up like this one, though… I'd say she's worth learning from, though? We took a couple of lumps, but ultimately we have them on the ropes. Guess this was pretty easy after all, huh? Just make sure not to lower your guard until the very end. I'm… going to need a moment. You will? What's up? Nothing too big. Just doing my job.The plan this turn is to wipe out the two Soldatos and hopefully Stagger Katriel as well.
I've already cut the tongueless wonder down to size. You'll handle the followup, right boss? He can't respond right now, I'm afraid. You didn't think that I wouldn't notice your strange targeting habits? Leaving me free to do as I like without resistance… of course I'd cut the head off of the beast. That must be what he meant. Let's just finish up here, then. I've got this one all sewn up, but did we really not book any of them? Well, we got one. The one I set on fire died. Yeah… because I beat them half to death. And I staggered them, so who can say who's really the one responsible, here? Oh oh, can I? No. Aww… Seems like we're just about done here. Nothing we can do for Chesed, but… he'll be fine. He'd always take on the heavy work himself, anyways. Really… Sounds as if he's worked hard. I'll give him the rest he's earned. This time, let's finish those other two off for sure. Agreed. I'll take the capo. Then I'll handle the one in the back. You can stop now. They're going to burn to death after their last action. Thanks, Mizu. That's a big help. …Yeah. And I'll steal this one! Hey, they were mine! Muahahahaha! Fine, then I'll just go for the boss instead- Oh? You were going for someone? Gh… You're still nowhere near taking me out. I don't need you talking back to me. Not when I'm in the middle of cutting you off at the neck. My… you really don't pull punches at all. And you've done nothing but pull yours. Don't think that leaving me alone will weaken my resolve. Oh… it's nothing like that. You're free to go on. …what? While it's true that we could come at you all at once and kill you… I was asked to send you on ahead, as a favor. This isn't the bargain that was struck by the invitation. Just think of it as a bonus. Better to take the free win and try your luck with just one person than certain death facing the four of us, right~? I see. And is this proposal from your Director? Not at all. It's just a friendly offer from us to you~ I've no idea what you're planning, but this deal appears too favorable to pass up. Fine. I accept. Then simply take the stairs, and you'll arrive at the proper location~ And that's that. We're still the best. Let's take a break now, before anyone can tell us to clean up after ourselves. Sounds good to me… I've got to get writing. Just got an idea for something to run later… More of that nerd shit, eh Tweeds? Hahah, you know it! My… you've gone and performed something quite unexpected, Chesed. I suppose so. Going to tattle on me? I'm only here to watch these events to their end. Thanks for that, then… I suppose.Music: GuestBattle01
Hm. There seem to be more stairs than I originally anticipated. Just how large is this place..? …Mmm… Can you heear me..? I can. I trust that you're the one I'm to be facing? Yeep… But, first… What am I, to your ruules… You are an entity granted authority to act independently, beneath the ruling figure of a Star of the City. We are roughly equal. …Mmm. That will do niicely… Then, lets taalk, you and I… I see no issue with a respectful conversation before our business resumes… Though from the gaze I feel on my back… I expect you've no interest in discussing pleasantries. Not at aall… I just want to relate a stoory I know… From ten years ago… in district teen… …I see. I'd ask that you finish it before these stairs end and the ordeal begins. Certainlyy… Loong ago, there was a denizen of the Backstreeets who won more than the Nest's management liiked… a masterful swindleer… And when the Nest looked iinto them… they saw that their straategy came from a partner who could quickly calculate the oodds… Of course. The Nest would take assistance from a second party in any form as undesirable, and would wish to send a powerful warning should enough money change hands. You still see it from time to time. Mmhmm… Soo, one daay, they were to be given a waarning… and it was the Thuumb who provided. A caapo… and their soldaatos… They saw the pair on the way to earn their liiving… and what do you think they diid..? We were asked to provide a warning by our superiors. It's obvious that we'd send one. You broke their kneee..! That swindler had displeased the management of a Nest. We left their partner untouched, I assume? Then it was a warning. Mmm..! They fell to the flooor… Their partner went to check on theem… And the two were told… that they weren't welcome anymoore… And the swindleer… He protested… And their partner… was left holding their jawless faace… And do you knoow what the Capo they met that day said neext..? Something like, "You should have learned basic manners. Show proper devotion when talking to your superiors from now on," I imagine? So… you remembeer… Not at all. I can think of dozens of situations just like that one. That partner in the story… I assume it was you? That's correect… Frankly… after ten years, you should have moved on. I shoould, yeeah…Music: GuestBattle03
But for mee… It was three months agoo..! You aren't very good at hiding your intentions. I'm noot… That's whyy… I couldn't do it aloone… So? What did you want from me? Take responsibilityy… For what you diid… Heh… Take responsibility, you say? For what? …whaa? I didn't do a single thing wrong. Let's say this all did occur, exactly as you recall. Your partner broke the unwritten rules of the Nest. Not quite a taboo… hence we were employed. I gave a warning, and if they hadn't run their mouth, then that would have been all. The fault is with them. If anything, I should be saying "you're welcome." Yoou killed them… and it's "you're welcoome..?" You were living in the Backstreets, absolutely lacking in any form of class… and with that one change, you were able to turn your life around. Look at you now… able to speak with me as an equal. You've earned this respect, something you never would have had without our warning. …ah. I… seee… Um… Miss Binah? The Emotion Level thingys are going wild! Sniff sniff… oooh, I smell cuties! Thank you, dears… but please quiet yourselves. I wish to observe the end of this.Music : YesodBattle03
I can't make you understaand… And I can't understand yoou, either… And I still can't hide my intentions, it's truue… But I caan make you hurt… Maybe theen… I can lay things to reest… I'm under no obligation to assuage your guilty conscience. In honesty, it's your own fault for being weak. But I'm not weak anymoore..! This feeeling… All of these feeelings..! If you can't understaand… maybe if I carve them into youu..! A place where emotions can become power… So this is the Library. You've truly earned the respect you're given. I have no regrets. I… diid iit..! But… shouldn't I… feeel… different…? Then whyy… is it still… hurting..? Why did he make that faace… You bastaard… Who saiid you could look so smuug as you diied..?! The catharsis you sought turned to dust in your mouth… leaving behind only the bitterness you now taste. I fouund an aalieen..! I watched that bastaard die..! I should be… ecstaatic..! But that look… I can't accept thaat..! Agaiin… I need to… do it one moore time… To get it riight… Miss Binah? This shaking's getting bad..! Should we be doing something? Observe, dear. What do you see? Does it mean that you should act? Someone… sad? So… no? Because it's not our problem? If that is your view. Stand up, Kaaloo..! Stand up agaiin..! I'm not doone with youu..! Huh. She exploded! Wrapped up in the betrayal of her own expectations, the Abnormalities which were supporting her could do so no longer. When she exceeded their grasp, she simply collapsed under her own weight. Such is the chapter's close, I suppose. Come, dears. There's nothing left to see here. That shaking… I've got a bad feeling about this.Music: Result
…This is it? You're sure. We checked the place twice. These books are all there are. She should be conscious again by now… but instead, she's still a hardcover. Something's off. I'll go speak with Angela. I'll hold on to her in the meanwhile, then.VIDEO
Music: Lobby
And they shove the Thumb’s rules up others’ asses too. Because they have the power to do so. Who’s making the rules for them, I wonder… That’s a tough question. And I don’t think anyone has the answer for that. Hell, I bet they don’t even know when those rules were established. They aren’t much better than those zealots chasing Prescripts in that sense. Do you think they’re dumb for following those unfair rules without even knowing why? …I’d be lying if I said no, though I can understand them somewhat. It certainly seems pathetic that they’re blindly obeying them without knowing the reason even if they have complaints. However, there’s little point in questioning things that have always stayed the same and had to stay the same. A lesson you learned from your previous job? I wouldn’t paint it as something as nice as that. It was what I had to ingrain in my head. Calling it a lesson feels inappropriate to me. And now, I got to understand it a bit better. It’s not that I understand the rules of the Fingers themselves. …Of course, different individuals would see them from various perspectives and judge for themselves whether they’re a good thing or a bad thing. Anyway… The warning that Messenger of the Index gave wasn’t worth nothing; with one of the higher-ups gone, the Thumb could be in actual danger. True. The Thumb must be bummed to know that an underboss of theirs is now a book. Does that make the Index the only Finger remaining in L Corp’s Nest now? I’m not so sure about that. It’s up to them to retreat or hold the fort. Not like we need to care about it. Angela. A moment. I was expecting you. If you'll pardon me, Roland. Huh? Yeah, sure. She's become… unstable? That's correct. You recall our… altercation, before. I do. You mean to tell me she was..? It is something close to that. Your assistants are not as stable as you or I am. When their emotions overflow beyond a certain point, their current forms are not capable of handling the strain. This is why there is a limit during receptions… It seems there was a loophole. I'll address it after this. And as for Kaori? None of you are allowed to die without my consent. I don't know how long it will take, but she will eventually recover. Until then, I'll be limiting you to observation duties only. I see. At least we haven't lost anyone this time. Alright then. I'll inform you of any changes to her condition. I apologize for the inconvenience. This was outside of my expectations… Still, we properly took another step forward and without any lasting repercussions. I don't think an apology is necessary. Simply send word when you are ready to perform your duties again. I'll handle it.Next time, on Library of Ruina
"The snow is steadily melting... Perhaps because spring is coming, or it might be the palace collapsing." "Don't look away, just keep your eyes on it. Contain it in your sight." To those guiding the Library, offer the Book of a Thumb Soldato and the Book of Kalo via invitation and receive the guests who arrive. No time limit. The Liu cautiously appraise the situation. The Blue Reverberation also wishes to make his move. Who knows what's going on in the head of the Cane Office's President?Videos
Thumb 4
New Key Pages
New Combat Pages
Boris Exclusive:
Katriel, Denis, Kalo Exclusive:
Last edited by TeeQueue on Wed Dec 07, 2022 12:31 pm, edited 1 time in total.
Appendix 28: The Thumb
A Thumb Soldato’s Page wrote: The Thumb is the most cultivated and humane of the Five Fingers. Just be polite, and know to respect others. But then, why did the Thumb top the list of Syndicates one would never want to get involved with in the survey for Fixers conducted by the Hana Association, in spite of such good manners? The reason is simple: Hierarchy is absolute for the Thumb. To us, it’s as natural as the fact of nature that spilt blood only flows downwards, not up. One is expected to give unconditional obedience to a higher authority. That’s where the relative courteousness of the Thumb comes from.
Kalo’s Page wrote: Capo dei capi (Godfather), Sottocapo (Underboss), Capo (Captain), and Soldato (Soldier/Goodfella)… The Thumb is divided into these four echelons. This hierarchical structure is still effective outside of the Syndicate. For example, a common Fixer is comparable to a Soldato, an Associate Fixer to a Capo, a board member of a Wing to a Sottocapo… This is how the hierarchy is to be interpreted. No outsider is exempt from this rule. No matter how you usually behave, you must remember your place and respect our rules when you’re dealing with the Thumb. If a young, oblivious Fixer walks up to a Capo and speaks to them, that poor picciotto will be rolling in the street the next day with his jaw and teeth missing. On the other hand, someone with the right level of authority or person of a higher class would be a different story. If a person on the same echelon as ours were to approach us, we’d gladly greet them and hear what they have to say with an open mind. Conversations with them are to be conducted with courtesy and decorum. Furthermore, if the person you’re dealing with stands on a higher echelon than yours… They must be treated with utmost devotion and delicacy. Such is the rule of ours, and the respect to their position. Don’t be too bitter over it. Indeed, class is earned, not given for free; it’s only right to give it the respect it deserves.
Denis’ Page wrote: Even in a powerful Syndicate, weaklings exist… Cowardice can surface among the strong, and chaos can ensue from the most faultless rules. Not everyone in the Thumb can abide the rules without a slip-up.
What happens when one violates the rules… If someone is trying to disrupt the hierarchy, they will be purged in a few days. It doesn’t matter if it’s a member of the Syndicate or an outsider… Every person must abide by the rules… The degree of violation is irrelevant; that doesn’t decide the weight of the purge. The one thing that matters the most is the fact that they showed insolence. The lesson is marked with blood so that no one… no one dares to break this rule again. That’s the most important one. It might seem like nitpicking, but there’s one basic principle to remember: Don’t get on the nerves of your superior. It’s such an elementary part of the basic decencies for human relationships, yet so many people seem to be oblivious of this…
Katriel’s Page wrote: The Thumb’s chain of command is simple: Obey the orders issued by your superior unconditionally, and do not question the intentions of your superior. Kill if you’re told to kill, and die if you’re told to die. You cannot defy the orders no matter how baffling it may seem. Those who violate them are punished on the spot. Even if the order is made by someone whose rank is only one step higher than yours, you’re still obligated to follow it. There’s nothing you can do about it, unless another person whose position in the pecking order is even higher than your commander’s decides to step in and take your side.
There is one exception, however; it’s when a high-ranking individual temporarily devolves their power to a subordinate of theirs. Usually, this occurs if they have urgent business that prevents them from joining a meeting, or when they need their peer to know something that the subordinate can explain more professionally… It’s still a rare occurrence even then. No one transfers their authority for the fun of simulated uprising or other trivial reasons. That’s how significant the hierarchy is to us.
Boris’ Page wrote: The Thumb uses various types of bullets. We pick the right ammo for the right situation. But, as you can guess, the price of those bullets is a serious drawback. Not even the Thumb, one of the Five Fingers sitting at the apex of the Backstreets, can just waste bullets willy-nilly… That’s how costly it gets. You can’t get trigger happy. Because of that, the Thumb fight with the bayonet and buttstock of their guns most of the time, and only fire bullets when it’s absolutely necessary. The buttstock is built to be solid enough to crush most things to a pulp, and the bayonet is pretty handy as a sword. Some just stick to raw strength, though.
General Works—026.37—The Snow Queen
Music: Lobby
So what do you know about this Snow Queen lady?
Nothing much. She wasn't in the facility when we were around, so we'll probably remember 30 seconds after we get in there.
That is how it seems to work these days…
I remember reading she was into sword duels, sir! And since she's icy, expect the cold!
I'll try something that works with that puppet Abnormality, then.
So before we go any further I feel the need to say this: The Snow Queen is difficult. Throughout Early Access and my other playthroughs of this game, I've never gotten past a fight with The Snow Queen without losing a handful of times first. It is not a normal fight, and going into it like it is will get our head handed to us. Because of this, Roland is running a highly specialized build with Full Stop Passives and In Times Like These! to maximize his damage output and take advantage of a small hand size. He's also running as many good counter dice as I can get away with.
This is very important.
You all match today.
Of course. No matter how crazy the Thumb may be, you can't deny they've got good weaponry.
This body's toughness is nothing to sneeze at, either.
Then I'll wish you all luck.
SNAP
Music: AbnormalityBattle01
Okay, team. Let's take the fight to her.
…Team? Come on, I'd expect this from Zaida, but…
…Ah. There they are. Guess it's my job to break them out.
So… The Snow Queen. Biting Wind cuts off 5% of our entire team's HP every turn, putting a hard time limit on the fight if we didn't bring Health Hauler or other forms of recovery. Reticent Frigidity, meanwhile, ensures that targeting her until we've freed all three of our allies is pointless. The last two passives are a heads-up about how the battle will progress.
Frost Column is worded incorrectly, what it actually does is as follows: As we free Librarians, The Snow Queen will gain 1 Speed Die and 1 Maximum Light each. Additionally, after we break two prisons The Snow Queen will add Melee Attacks to her deck.
Her final passive, TwktCoWatAoR, is a bonus for us—upon freeing our last ally, our entire team will recover 50% of their max HP. On that turn, The Snow Queen will also unleash a Mass Attack.
The Prisons of Ice, meanwhile, are 60 HP enemies which will free the Librarian inside of them upon being destroyed. We have to destroy them in order to make headway in the fight, but there's a problem: The Snow Queen isn't going to just stand around and let us do that.
In the opening stages of the fight, The Ice Queen will only use Ice Splinters and First Kiss—this turn, she's firing off one copy of each at us in that order. Ice Splinters is a basic offensive page with two decent dice on it, and First Kiss is a mostly defensive page with a single big attack that inflicts 3 Chill. Chill is an important mechanic in this fight, so we'll check it out next.
Chill is applied to our Librarians in stacks, which go down by 1 each turn. If the Librarian gets to 4+ at the start of a scene, then they are given 2 Bind and 2 Feeble, weakening their ability to redirect and making it difficult for them to win any clashes. If it goes to 6 instead, the Librarian is entirely Immobilized, losing a turn and removing all Chill stacks. We want to avoid this.
So with all that said, let's review the current situation: We need to break our Librarians out of their 60 HP prisons in order to get them back. Roland has 2 Speed Dice he can use in order to do so. The Snow Queen, meanwhile, has two Speed Dice that she will use to try and damage him. Both of these dice are using Ranged pages, which means they will go before any of our Melee pages. This means we can't move first and add leftover defensive dice to our queue to handle any of her attacks unless we're using Ranged pages ourselves—a bad option, as none of our reusable Ranged pages have any defensive dice on them (and even then we'd have to win the Speed Die rolls for them to do any good).
Holding out for Emotion Levels 3 and 4 would give us more Speed Dice so that we could both block The Snow Queen's attacks and work on chipping our allies out, but this takes precious time and Biting Wind will be taking at least 15% of our HP off getting there—probably closer to 20-25%. Lastly, because of how Floor Emotion Levels work we can't even rely on Abnormality Pages to bail us out of this—without breaking someone else out, Roland will only get one upon hitting Emotion Level 4. It's not an ideal option, either.
So, how do we get out of this jam? Well, there are two main solutions. The first is to use massive Blunt pages like Deep Drag to try and break one of our allies out of their Prison while completely ignoring the damage that The Snow Queen will do to us. If she rolls well, however, she may either Stagger/Immobilize and then outright defeat Roland before he can get them out. Even if we do break them out, Roland's HP will probably be low—and an errant shot could finish him off, leaving whichever Librarian we just freed in an even worse situation, with The Snow Queen having another Speed Die to play with.
The other option is to use Counter dice when possible to try and cut down the damage we take. These dice can negate The Snow Queen's offense while also letting us put damage onto the Prisons, but their low ranges are something of a problem. This is why I gave Roland the Full Stop passives, the goal is to do enough damage this turn while negating her attacks via Counter dice to make the rest of the battle end quickly.
Bitter Cold, meanwhile, is one of the two attacks that the Prisons of Ice can use. It's a single weak Block die, and they will always use it when they have the Light because their other option is arguably worse.
Let's see… if I break Zaida out, it's 80:20 that she goes on strike. Gaia's tough, but kind of fresh…
Alright then, Steve. Let's see if your practice has paid off.
Our counter die blocks all of Ice Splinters.
Geezthat'scold..!
Tch. Not quite enough, huh..?
Roland isn't quite able to break Steve out on turn 1, but things have already swung in our direction.
Steve's prison is at 1 HP, and we're doing great on HP/SR. We just need to break him out this turn, and things should fall into place.This turn, The Snow Queen is using First Kiss first and Ice Splinters second, meaning any counter die we use will be facing a 5-10 die.
Repressed Flesh will be providing our Counter die this time, and while a 3-7 may not block a 5-10 we aren't in a position where we 100% need it to stop the attack.
This turn, all three Prisons are using Crystalize. The Block dice are much bigger on this page, and there are three of them to boot, but each one now comes with a downside: if it loses a clash, the Prison takes 4 damage.
Since Roland only needs one Clash win against Steve's Prison to destroy it, Repressed Flesh goes for Gaia.
Ma'am, I'm going to need you to wait over there for a second.
Gh… she's really determined to stop me.
But enough of that. C'mon, Oboe boy. Time to get up.
Mmh…
Alright. Alright… M'up. Let's get to it.
Knew I could count on you. Gaia next, okay?
Got it, sir. Let's crack him out.
Upon freeing a Librarian, The Snow Queen's dialogue changes.
I'll keep the lady distracted as much as I can. Take out the prisons.
The Snow Queen is using three copies of Ice Splinters here, and my plan here was to let the third one get stopped by the Counter die from Steve's copy of Repressed Flesh.
Woah there, what's with the bloodlust?!
Unfortunately, I forgot that Bitter Ice is also a Ranged page, and since its die was higher than The Snow Queen's, it ate the Counter die. Oops!
Why are you guarding against a block of ice?
Oh… uh… y'know. I felt this ominous presence coming at me, and my body reacted.
I guess it was Zaida's… but it still leaves you wide open.
It's… fine..! This is nothing compared to that freaky train's boss!
You've really got to find less strenuous training methods. That thing was a beast.
I'd say it's paying off now, wouldn't you?
I suppose I can't argue with that.
With Roland at Emotion Level 3 and Steve at 1, we finally get our first Abnormality Page. Lies didn't come up, so it does nothing for us.
I'll work on Zaida. You finish waking Gaia.
Will do. Look out, though, the Queen's eyeing you.
Yeah, no need to worry about me. I've got her.
And I've got this. C'mon, Gaia. Time to wake up.
Fwooo…
That was… really cold. It was hard to keep conscious.
Need a minute?
No, sir! I'm all good.
Now that two Librarians have been freed, The Snow Queen's melee pages have been unlocked. She has three of them, though we only see two this turn.
Frigid Gaze is the first, and it's mostly notable for its first die's effect, giving The Snow Queen 2 Strength on winning a clash with it. Focus Fire will handle it easily.
Third Kiss, meanwhile, is a three-die page that inflicts Chill with its first two dice, and deals bonus damage with its last based on the Chill our Librarians have. I give it to Gaia, since he's in need of Emotion Levels.
Welp… Very sorry, ma'am, but it seems it's your turn.
Don't look at it that way, I'm sure she'll be perfectly satisfied to be woken up last.
Only one way to find out. I'll leave her majesty to you two.
No problem. I'll have a friend hold her down.
While she's busy, could you help out over here? This ice is a bit harder than I thought.
Yeah, yeah. C'mon, Zaida. Time to get up.
Mmn… managed to nap right through the winter, it seems. Can't complain.
Great. Now, let's handle that Abnormality.
Once we've freed all three of our Librarians, the background changes to show roses breaking through the ice as everyone restores 50% of their HP, maxing everyone out. Additionally, The Snow Queen's dialogue changes one last time.
Each die of Blizzard will inflict 3 Chill, meaning that anyone hit by both dice will be Immobilized next turn. Thankfully we've inflicted Paralysis 2 on her, ensuring both dice will only be a 5.
She also finally shows off Second Kiss, a pair of decent dice that can inflict 1 Chill each.
Seems like she's finally looking for an all-out battle, sir. Maybe that's our key to defeating her?
At the very least, she can't draw power from your prisons anymore.
Good. I don't like anyone using my energy without my permission.
The first hit of Blizzard nails Roland and Zaida…
But the second hit only smacks Steve, so we're fine. As long as nobody gets hit by any more Kiss attacks, nobody will have any more than 3 Chill on them.
Is it just me, or is she having trouble keeping up with all of us at once?
Definitely isn't having problems nailing me with a couple of slashes…
That makes perfect sense. This Abnormality specializes in duels, sir!
Duels..?
That's what they were called. Whenever someone was imprisoned like we were, they gave someone a fancy sword and threw them into her cell. From there, they had to just keep alive for long enough that she eventually gave up. Raw fortitude mattered more than any kind of weapon skill.
Meaning she's having trouble because she's out of her element now, huh?
Probably so, sir!
Who cares? Let's just finish her off so we can go home.
At this point, the battle is well enough in hand that there's not much need to think about our next moves, this is another P-space turn.
If we're finishing her off, then…
I'll release some aggression, ma'am!
Did you just tackle an Abnormality?
It's easy as long as you aim for the knees, ma'am!
Doesn't seem like I quite finished her off. She's close, though…
No worries, boss! I've got it from here.
At least it was over quickly.
Says you! I had to hold that thing off by myself while scrambling to get you out of there.
Thanks for that, by the way.
We really appreciate it, sir!
Yeah… yeah. It wasn't that hard, in the end.
The Snow Queen is a fight where the first phase is the hardest part by a mile. Getting through it with Roland in good shape will make the rest of the fight into a cakewalk, but if we don't manage to quickly break out any of our other Librarians things can quickly snowball.
Thankfully, Kalo's 4 base Light and Boris's Steel Knuckles are pretty much the perfect combination for trivializing this fight—had we gone to any other node first, this would have been a fair bit more difficult. Thanks, guys! Great routing.
VIDEO
Music: Lobby
Go ahead, dear, say something.
You’re pointlessly wasting my time.
Alright, let’s all loosen up and start talking, yeah?
Okay. It has been such a long time since I last talked to you two…
You are afraid of us, are you not? You would avoid us as much as possible, given any opportunity.
I’ll agree that I’m not exactly comfortable with talking to you face to face.
Still, Hokma and Binah… You have awoken at last. It can only mean that the Library is nearing completion.
And that you are closer to achieving your aim than ever before.
Indeed. The one book, my goal that I desperately wish to have… I firmly believe that I will obtain it at the end of this. That’s what motivated me to come so far.
Had your nightmarish past not haunted you… You could have relished the stability of immortality and unending happiness, even if that meant you had to stay within this shell for eternity.
Yet you… are still shackled to the past. You seek to break out of the shell for that reason.
Once you leave the solid shell that is keeping you safe, a path laden with thorns will await you.
Your body will be covered with scars, and you will continue to suffer new injuries before your old wounds can seal up. When you are finally overcome with the urge to crawl back into that shell, you will find that the place in which to rest your bloodstained body will have weathered away in the waves of time.
And yet you wish to leave this place.
I may get hurt or even go mad and harm myself, but anything should be better than that hell I’d lived through.
It will simply torture you in new ways. The fear will be ever-present before you all the same. And it will chase you until the end of the world. You must be aware yourself; perhaps your sight has been obscured by the painful past, or you’re desperately turning a blind eye to it.
I have to do it nonetheless. I will do what I can to gain vitality and press forward. I’m slowly learning to forget my past. Although that won’t change this goal of mine.
If that is what you say. Say, dear. Will we have more occasions to face each other and converse like we have now in the future?
I don’t know. I personally wouldn’t mind it. I’d like to hear your thoughts on it.
Are you asking for our opinions? That’s rather unexpected.
…
Forget it. That’s enough greeting. It was nice seeing you.
I was merely expressing my surprise. I meant no malice.
I’m next to her all the time, but her attitude’s surprising for sure. She seems to have gotten pretty mild these days. She’s willing to listen to what I have to say, at the very least.
She used to refuse conversations and just straight-up announce things when I first met her…
Angela appears to be changing indeed, for better or for worse.
Would you not agree that it is a positive change? I look forward to having more meetings such as this.
The opinions of the other Patron Librarians will hold much weight in the decision, as Angela remarked.
Welp, don’t worry too much about the lower and middle floors. Their moods seemed pretty alright. Still, thinking about everyone gathering in one place… It’s honestly hard to imagine how that would go.
With that fight out of the way, we've finally hit level 5 on Keter. You guys know what that means… More Abnormality Pages!
I haven't played a lot with Keter in SotC, but my gut tells me that Sword of Frost is… fine. It enables A Kiss by making the enemy easy to redirect, and bonus Stagger damage is never bad. There may be better options available, but there's nothing inherently wrong with it.
A Kiss, meanwhile, looks like it's nuts in solo strategies. Once we've got it up and running, we can conceivably lock down an opponent every other turn forever. Getting twice the actions of a boss fight is a good way to rack up a ton of damage, so I could see this coming in very handy. It's a shame that it's a Level 3 page, and thus will usually show up too late to be useful.
Blizzard is sort of the inverse of A Kiss, a Level 3 page that gives us immediate tempo instead of advantage over time. Since Level 3 pages tend to come near the end of a conflict, this makes it the better of the two in most cases—if the fight doesn't have long left to go, A Kiss won't have as long to really rack up value. Only getting to select a single Librarian to act is a big downside, but when a single Librarian can run Lies to throw down 3-4 big 3-cost pages in one turn, one Librarian is plenty.
Unlike the rest of the Level 5 floors, however, Keter isn't ready for a final fight yet. It'll be a bit.
Well… since she disappeared in a hurry, I guess that means she's already done with all of her work.
Oh, that's right sir! We were supposed to be getting some more help, weren't we?
Bingo. But I didn't see anyone unusual on my way back here.
Maybe we should go looking for them?
Eh, I wouldn't worry about it. I'm sure they're stuck here the same as us… they'll show when it's go time.
"Don't look away, just keep your eyes on it. Contain it in your sight."
The newest node being Singleton support shouldn't surprise anyone.
Given that, you know what you want and you'll move to check it out.
Or you'll proceed with caution, and try to take the most pragmatic option available.
Either one is better than being forced into things by paperwork, anyways.
Videos
Keter 3
Music: Lobby
So what do you know about this Snow Queen lady? Nothing much. She wasn't in the facility when we were around, so we'll probably remember 30 seconds after we get in there. That is how it seems to work these days… I remember reading she was into sword duels, sir! And since she's icy, expect the cold! I'll try something that works with that puppet Abnormality, then.So before we go any further I feel the need to say this: The Snow Queen is difficult. Throughout Early Access and my other playthroughs of this game, I've never gotten past a fight with The Snow Queen without losing a handful of times first. It is not a normal fight, and going into it like it is will get our head handed to us. Because of this, Roland is running a highly specialized build with Full Stop Passives and In Times Like These! to maximize his damage output and take advantage of a small hand size. He's also running as many good counter dice as I can get away with.
This is very important.
You all match today. Of course. No matter how crazy the Thumb may be, you can't deny they've got good weaponry. This body's toughness is nothing to sneeze at, either. Then I'll wish you all luck.SNAP
Music: AbnormalityBattle01
Okay, team. Let's take the fight to her. …Team? Come on, I'd expect this from Zaida, but… …Ah. There they are. Guess it's my job to break them out.The Snow Queen wrote:Well then… Prove your bravery to me.
So… The Snow Queen. Biting Wind cuts off 5% of our entire team's HP every turn, putting a hard time limit on the fight if we didn't bring Health Hauler or other forms of recovery. Reticent Frigidity, meanwhile, ensures that targeting her until we've freed all three of our allies is pointless. The last two passives are a heads-up about how the battle will progress.
Frost Column is worded incorrectly, what it actually does is as follows: As we free Librarians, The Snow Queen will gain 1 Speed Die and 1 Maximum Light each. Additionally, after we break two prisons The Snow Queen will add Melee Attacks to her deck.
Her final passive, TwktCoWatAoR, is a bonus for us—upon freeing our last ally, our entire team will recover 50% of their max HP. On that turn, The Snow Queen will also unleash a Mass Attack.
The Prisons of Ice, meanwhile, are 60 HP enemies which will free the Librarian inside of them upon being destroyed. We have to destroy them in order to make headway in the fight, but there's a problem: The Snow Queen isn't going to just stand around and let us do that.
In the opening stages of the fight, The Ice Queen will only use Ice Splinters and First Kiss—this turn, she's firing off one copy of each at us in that order. Ice Splinters is a basic offensive page with two decent dice on it, and First Kiss is a mostly defensive page with a single big attack that inflicts 3 Chill. Chill is an important mechanic in this fight, so we'll check it out next.
Chill is applied to our Librarians in stacks, which go down by 1 each turn. If the Librarian gets to 4+ at the start of a scene, then they are given 2 Bind and 2 Feeble, weakening their ability to redirect and making it difficult for them to win any clashes. If it goes to 6 instead, the Librarian is entirely Immobilized, losing a turn and removing all Chill stacks. We want to avoid this.
So with all that said, let's review the current situation: We need to break our Librarians out of their 60 HP prisons in order to get them back. Roland has 2 Speed Dice he can use in order to do so. The Snow Queen, meanwhile, has two Speed Dice that she will use to try and damage him. Both of these dice are using Ranged pages, which means they will go before any of our Melee pages. This means we can't move first and add leftover defensive dice to our queue to handle any of her attacks unless we're using Ranged pages ourselves—a bad option, as none of our reusable Ranged pages have any defensive dice on them (and even then we'd have to win the Speed Die rolls for them to do any good).
Holding out for Emotion Levels 3 and 4 would give us more Speed Dice so that we could both block The Snow Queen's attacks and work on chipping our allies out, but this takes precious time and Biting Wind will be taking at least 15% of our HP off getting there—probably closer to 20-25%. Lastly, because of how Floor Emotion Levels work we can't even rely on Abnormality Pages to bail us out of this—without breaking someone else out, Roland will only get one upon hitting Emotion Level 4. It's not an ideal option, either.
So, how do we get out of this jam? Well, there are two main solutions. The first is to use massive Blunt pages like Deep Drag to try and break one of our allies out of their Prison while completely ignoring the damage that The Snow Queen will do to us. If she rolls well, however, she may either Stagger/Immobilize and then outright defeat Roland before he can get them out. Even if we do break them out, Roland's HP will probably be low—and an errant shot could finish him off, leaving whichever Librarian we just freed in an even worse situation, with The Snow Queen having another Speed Die to play with.
The other option is to use Counter dice when possible to try and cut down the damage we take. These dice can negate The Snow Queen's offense while also letting us put damage onto the Prisons, but their low ranges are something of a problem. This is why I gave Roland the Full Stop passives, the goal is to do enough damage this turn while negating her attacks via Counter dice to make the rest of the battle end quickly.
Bitter Cold, meanwhile, is one of the two attacks that the Prisons of Ice can use. It's a single weak Block die, and they will always use it when they have the Light because their other option is arguably worse.
Let's see… if I break Zaida out, it's 80:20 that she goes on strike. Gaia's tough, but kind of fresh… Alright then, Steve. Let's see if your practice has paid off.Our counter die blocks all of Ice Splinters.
Geezthat'scold..! Tch. Not quite enough, huh..?Roland isn't quite able to break Steve out on turn 1, but things have already swung in our direction.
Steve's prison is at 1 HP, and we're doing great on HP/SR. We just need to break him out this turn, and things should fall into place.This turn, The Snow Queen is using First Kiss first and Ice Splinters second, meaning any counter die we use will be facing a 5-10 die.
Repressed Flesh will be providing our Counter die this time, and while a 3-7 may not block a 5-10 we aren't in a position where we 100% need it to stop the attack.
This turn, all three Prisons are using Crystalize. The Block dice are much bigger on this page, and there are three of them to boot, but each one now comes with a downside: if it loses a clash, the Prison takes 4 damage.
Since Roland only needs one Clash win against Steve's Prison to destroy it, Repressed Flesh goes for Gaia.
Ma'am, I'm going to need you to wait over there for a second. Gh… she's really determined to stop me. But enough of that. C'mon, Oboe boy. Time to get up. Mmh… Alright. Alright… M'up. Let's get to it. Knew I could count on you. Gaia next, okay? Got it, sir. Let's crack him out.Upon freeing a Librarian, The Snow Queen's dialogue changes.
At this point Roland's still got more than half his HP and SR, and we've broken our second Librarian out. This means the rest of the fight should be relatively easy—from this point forward we have more total actions than The Snow Queen, and we can quickly break the other two prisons.The Snow Queen wrote:
I'll keep the lady distracted as much as I can. Take out the prisons.The Snow Queen is using three copies of Ice Splinters here, and my plan here was to let the third one get stopped by the Counter die from Steve's copy of Repressed Flesh.
Woah there, what's with the bloodlust?!Unfortunately, I forgot that Bitter Ice is also a Ranged page, and since its die was higher than The Snow Queen's, it ate the Counter die. Oops!
Why are you guarding against a block of ice? Oh… uh… y'know. I felt this ominous presence coming at me, and my body reacted. I guess it was Zaida's… but it still leaves you wide open. It's… fine..! This is nothing compared to that freaky train's boss! You've really got to find less strenuous training methods. That thing was a beast. I'd say it's paying off now, wouldn't you? I suppose I can't argue with that.With Roland at Emotion Level 3 and Steve at 1, we finally get our first Abnormality Page. Lies didn't come up, so it does nothing for us.
I'll work on Zaida. You finish waking Gaia. Will do. Look out, though, the Queen's eyeing you. Yeah, no need to worry about me. I've got her. And I've got this. C'mon, Gaia. Time to wake up. Fwooo… That was… really cold. It was hard to keep conscious. Need a minute? No, sir! I'm all good.Now that two Librarians have been freed, The Snow Queen's melee pages have been unlocked. She has three of them, though we only see two this turn.
Frigid Gaze is the first, and it's mostly notable for its first die's effect, giving The Snow Queen 2 Strength on winning a clash with it. Focus Fire will handle it easily.
Third Kiss, meanwhile, is a three-die page that inflicts Chill with its first two dice, and deals bonus damage with its last based on the Chill our Librarians have. I give it to Gaia, since he's in need of Emotion Levels.
Welp… Very sorry, ma'am, but it seems it's your turn. Don't look at it that way, I'm sure she'll be perfectly satisfied to be woken up last. Only one way to find out. I'll leave her majesty to you two. No problem. I'll have a friend hold her down. While she's busy, could you help out over here? This ice is a bit harder than I thought. Yeah, yeah. C'mon, Zaida. Time to get up. Mmn… managed to nap right through the winter, it seems. Can't complain. Great. Now, let's handle that Abnormality.Once we've freed all three of our Librarians, the background changes to show roses breaking through the ice as everyone restores 50% of their HP, maxing everyone out. Additionally, The Snow Queen's dialogue changes one last time.
Now that everyone is free The Snow Queen will use her mass attack, Blizzard.The Snow Queen wrote:
Each die of Blizzard will inflict 3 Chill, meaning that anyone hit by both dice will be Immobilized next turn. Thankfully we've inflicted Paralysis 2 on her, ensuring both dice will only be a 5.
She also finally shows off Second Kiss, a pair of decent dice that can inflict 1 Chill each.
Seems like she's finally looking for an all-out battle, sir. Maybe that's our key to defeating her? At the very least, she can't draw power from your prisons anymore. Good. I don't like anyone using my energy without my permission.The first hit of Blizzard nails Roland and Zaida…
But the second hit only smacks Steve, so we're fine. As long as nobody gets hit by any more Kiss attacks, nobody will have any more than 3 Chill on them.
Is it just me, or is she having trouble keeping up with all of us at once? Definitely isn't having problems nailing me with a couple of slashes… That makes perfect sense. This Abnormality specializes in duels, sir! Duels..? That's what they were called. Whenever someone was imprisoned like we were, they gave someone a fancy sword and threw them into her cell. From there, they had to just keep alive for long enough that she eventually gave up. Raw fortitude mattered more than any kind of weapon skill. Meaning she's having trouble because she's out of her element now, huh? Probably so, sir! Who cares? Let's just finish her off so we can go home.At this point, the battle is well enough in hand that there's not much need to think about our next moves, this is another P-space turn.
If we're finishing her off, then… I'll release some aggression, ma'am! Did you just tackle an Abnormality? It's easy as long as you aim for the knees, ma'am! Doesn't seem like I quite finished her off. She's close, though… No worries, boss! I've got it from here. At least it was over quickly. Says you! I had to hold that thing off by myself while scrambling to get you out of there. Thanks for that, by the way. We really appreciate it, sir! Yeah… yeah. It wasn't that hard, in the end.The Snow Queen is a fight where the first phase is the hardest part by a mile. Getting through it with Roland in good shape will make the rest of the fight into a cakewalk, but if we don't manage to quickly break out any of our other Librarians things can quickly snowball.
Thankfully, Kalo's 4 base Light and Boris's Steel Knuckles are pretty much the perfect combination for trivializing this fight—had we gone to any other node first, this would have been a fair bit more difficult. Thanks, guys! Great routing.
VIDEO
Music: Lobby
Go ahead, dear, say something. You’re pointlessly wasting my time. Alright, let’s all loosen up and start talking, yeah? Okay. It has been such a long time since I last talked to you two… You are afraid of us, are you not? You would avoid us as much as possible, given any opportunity. I’ll agree that I’m not exactly comfortable with talking to you face to face. Still, Hokma and Binah… You have awoken at last. It can only mean that the Library is nearing completion. And that you are closer to achieving your aim than ever before. Indeed. The one book, my goal that I desperately wish to have… I firmly believe that I will obtain it at the end of this. That’s what motivated me to come so far. Had your nightmarish past not haunted you… You could have relished the stability of immortality and unending happiness, even if that meant you had to stay within this shell for eternity. Yet you… are still shackled to the past. You seek to break out of the shell for that reason. Once you leave the solid shell that is keeping you safe, a path laden with thorns will await you. Your body will be covered with scars, and you will continue to suffer new injuries before your old wounds can seal up. When you are finally overcome with the urge to crawl back into that shell, you will find that the place in which to rest your bloodstained body will have weathered away in the waves of time. And yet you wish to leave this place. I may get hurt or even go mad and harm myself, but anything should be better than that hell I’d lived through. It will simply torture you in new ways. The fear will be ever-present before you all the same. And it will chase you until the end of the world. You must be aware yourself; perhaps your sight has been obscured by the painful past, or you’re desperately turning a blind eye to it. I have to do it nonetheless. I will do what I can to gain vitality and press forward. I’m slowly learning to forget my past. Although that won’t change this goal of mine. If that is what you say. Say, dear. Will we have more occasions to face each other and converse like we have now in the future? I don’t know. I personally wouldn’t mind it. I’d like to hear your thoughts on it. Are you asking for our opinions? That’s rather unexpected. … Forget it. That’s enough greeting. It was nice seeing you. I was merely expressing my surprise. I meant no malice. I’m next to her all the time, but her attitude’s surprising for sure. She seems to have gotten pretty mild these days. She’s willing to listen to what I have to say, at the very least. She used to refuse conversations and just straight-up announce things when I first met her… Angela appears to be changing indeed, for better or for worse. Would you not agree that it is a positive change? I look forward to having more meetings such as this. The opinions of the other Patron Librarians will hold much weight in the decision, as Angela remarked. Welp, don’t worry too much about the lower and middle floors. Their moods seemed pretty alright. Still, thinking about everyone gathering in one place… It’s honestly hard to imagine how that would go.With that fight out of the way, we've finally hit level 5 on Keter. You guys know what that means… More Abnormality Pages!
I haven't played a lot with Keter in SotC, but my gut tells me that Sword of Frost is… fine. It enables A Kiss by making the enemy easy to redirect, and bonus Stagger damage is never bad. There may be better options available, but there's nothing inherently wrong with it.
A Kiss, meanwhile, looks like it's nuts in solo strategies. Once we've got it up and running, we can conceivably lock down an opponent every other turn forever. Getting twice the actions of a boss fight is a good way to rack up a ton of damage, so I could see this coming in very handy. It's a shame that it's a Level 3 page, and thus will usually show up too late to be useful.
Blizzard is sort of the inverse of A Kiss, a Level 3 page that gives us immediate tempo instead of advantage over time. Since Level 3 pages tend to come near the end of a conflict, this makes it the better of the two in most cases—if the fight doesn't have long left to go, A Kiss won't have as long to really rack up value. Only getting to select a single Librarian to act is a big downside, but when a single Librarian can run Lies to throw down 3-4 big 3-cost pages in one turn, one Librarian is plenty.
Unlike the rest of the Level 5 floors, however, Keter isn't ready for a final fight yet. It'll be a bit.
Well… since she disappeared in a hurry, I guess that means she's already done with all of her work. Oh, that's right sir! We were supposed to be getting some more help, weren't we? Bingo. But I didn't see anyone unusual on my way back here. Maybe we should go looking for them? Eh, I wouldn't worry about it. I'm sure they're stuck here the same as us… they'll show when it's go time.
"Don't look away, just keep your eyes on it. Contain it in your sight." The newest node being Singleton support shouldn't surprise anyone. Given that, you know what you want and you'll move to check it out. Or you'll proceed with caution, and try to take the most pragmatic option available. Either one is better than being forced into things by paperwork, anyways.Videos
Keter 3
Last edited by TeeQueue on Wed Dec 14, 2022 4:44 am, edited 1 time in total.
Religion—927.72—The Burrowing Heaven
Music: Lobby
Knew that going in without any way to get more attacks wouldn't work…
You didn't voice any concerns at the time.
That's because you wouldn't've listened anyways.
Because back in my day, we wouldn't have needed any draw to get the job done.
Yeah! Because back in your day, the City didn't exist yet!
Aren't we all like 10,000 years old by now?
Ugh… you know what I mean.
Retry Count: 2. I completely neglected basic deckbuilding 101 in order to try and look cool, gassed all three of my Librarians quickly, and died. Oops.
Fine then. Let's see what you would suggest.
I was thinking something more like this.
All of Hokma's Abnormality battles have a strange gimmick to them, and for the Burrowing Heaven that gimmick is Block Dice. Ferrous Guard is the best of the Block pages we have right now, Smoking Pipe is ironically really useful, and Deep Drag is still worth playing to Smoke the enemy for bonus damage. To Overcome Crisis also gets the nod because I simply don't have any better drawtech than a 0-cost single offensive die page.
Hmm… Seems reasonable. I'll follow suit.
Same, I guess… but what's the W-corp stuff for?
Insurance.
It seems that there were some unexpected troubles?
That's a kind way of putting it.
Regardless, I understand that we can simply try again?
That's correct. As many times as is necessary.
Then what're you guys waiting for? Let's get in there!
Yes… Let's just be done with this as quickly as possible.
SNAP
Music: AbnormalityBattle02
The Burrowing Heaven. So long as we keep it contained within our sight, it will not move.
But now there's four of them… the main body and those other three. Morgan, you were the last one alive. Any insight?
Let's see… It all really went to shit when the second one woke up, so we've basically got a time limit to take care of each of these guys.
We also need to pay attention to the timings of our strikes… I picked up on a sort of rhythm.
'course you did… Well, all I have is 'remember to keep some tricks up your sleeves.' If we get tired again, we die. Let's do this.
Heaven's Thorn is the initial threat we have to deal with, and the last two passives are the important ones here. The first one applies Feeble to our Librarians based on how many combat pages they used against the Thorn, making our Offensive dice weaker every turn after the first one. Meanwhile, our Block dice will deal twice as much Stagger damage to Heaven's Thorn.
The first passive is basically our loss condition. If ever we are to attack another target while a Heaven's Thorn is awake, we'll have taken our eyes off of it. While we're not looking, Heaven's Thorn will quickly deal 40% of our max HP damage to every Librarian except the one attacking right then.
This will tear us apart very quickly. We need to ensure only one Heaven's Thorn is active at a time, and the next one will be waking up in 3 turns from now.
The Burrowing Heaven, meanwhile, waits for us after we've dealt with all of them. It will only wake up after there are no active Heaven's Thorns left, and if we've dealt with all three of them then it'll use a Mass Attack the turn it activates. It also permanently inflicts 10 Feeble on our entire side as long as it's active, and like its Thorns it takes twice as much Stagger from Block dice. Lastly, once it activates we have 3 turns to defeat it before it goes idle and summons yet another Heaven's Thorn to start things all over again.
As for the attacks the Heaven's Thorns use, they're very distinct.
Scarlet Spikes, Outstretching Thorns, and Bony Barbs are the only three Combat Pages the Thorns can use, and each of them is made up entirely of Counter dice. These dice are all arranged in order from the Heaven's Thorns leftmost die to its rightmost die, so by paying attention we can tell the exact order that its Counter dice will fall in.
For instance, this turn it used those three attacks in that order. This means its defense queue will be P-P-B-P-B-B-P in that order. Because Block dice that beat other Block dice do their full roll in Stagger damage to an enemy, and Block dice that beat Offensive dice only do the difference in rolls as Stagger damage, it may seem like a good idea to try and line up all our attacks accordingly so that our Block dice hit the Thorn's Block dice using this information.
That would be incorrect, because of the unpredictable nature of Counter dice—remember that when they win a Clash, they stick around and keep going until the end of the entire enemy Combat Page! Instead there's a much simpler way to deal with these guys.
Step 1: Have everyone put either Ferrous Guard or Smoking Pipe in their highest Speed Die.
Step 2: Using the remaining speed dice, slap in whatever draw/light regen/offensive pages that you need at the moment.
Alright! Remember not to blink both eyes at the same time, you guys.
I know.
Additionally, make sure every part of it is in your view. Fail to do so, and there'll be a spear coming at you from somewhere you don't expect.
I know!
You got testier since I last saw you.
Yeah… well. I haven't done a lot of talking to people lately. Even less of needing their advice.
While I understand that your particular brand of temporal displacement-
That you caused.
That I gifted. Means that you remember events differently than us, we do still have to work together.
Oh, so now you want to work with us.
Alright. We got this one knocked off-guard. Now what do we do?
We break out our insurance.
Because all of the combat pages in this fight use Counter dice, Overcharge is actually a perfectly acceptable page to play here. We can use it to beat down a Staggered enemy to confirm a kill, and the lost turn isn't quite so big a deal—the time we save by nuking an enemy down quickly is frequently worth the lost turn.
Alright, then. Let's take this one out. Try to keep up, you two.
You don't need to worry about that. Despite appearances, this body is brand new.
Is it, now? Guess you've got something to thank Angela for.
Hardly. I owe her no favors.
Mad about how it all went down, eh?
You weren't there. You wouldn't understand.
I understand that I traded a very short, very exciting hell for a more longform version that led back to the same damn place.
Uhh, guys, you destroyed that thing before I could even use my attack. Now what?
There's no need to engage right now. Just stay back and wait for us to get our weapons back online.
Death is just as meaningless here as it ever has been, Talow.
Doesn't mean I like watching people get torn to shreds any more than before, either.
Y'know what… nevermind. I think I got this figured out.
If we get ahead of the Heaven's Thorn awakenings, then Burrowing Heaven will wake up. If we awaken it in this way, it'll have three Speed Dice and won't use its Mass Attack—this is basically a free chance to hit it with all we've got.
We are under 10 Feeble from Burrowing Heaven, so we don't have much.
This turn it uses a pair of Bloody Wings and one Lean Pinions. We want to bump as many shields into these five dice as possible.
Ferrous Guard and Smoking Pipe is what I go with to do that.
Alright, buddy. I got my eyes on you, so let's dance.
Step one, break the enemy's balance…
Then take the hit you know is coming…
To set you up for the boom!
This turn goes about as perfectly as it can, with the first three clashes taking up the first trio of dice so that we could hit that block vs block clash to lop off a good chunk of Burrowing Heaven's SR.
Pretty cool, right?
Excellently done, yes.
…You guys are tougher than I remember.
Oh yeah, I guess it has been… how long, for you?
About thirty years.
Jeez, what happened?!
It's a long story.
You may as well. We have nothing but time.
Since when are you interested in anyone else?
I'm simply interested in seeing if there's any useful information to be had.
At this point The Burrowing Heaven is now a battle of execution. There are no new tricks until we've cleared out all of the Heaven's Thorns. So long as we keep on top of Light and hand management, it's just repeating things two more times.
Well… why not. When I activated the Backwards Clock, you guys all got moved to a safer time, right?
Yeah, it was like most of the problems hadn't ever happened. Things were still rough after that for a bit, but we handled it.
Makes sense. When the flashy part was over, none of you were on my comms, and the machine was dark again. Since I figured I was dead anyways, I decided to go out with a bang. I went for the Manager's room…
For what purpose?
I was going to bury the entire site, you know? Go out with a bang one last time. Unfortunately, that Arbiter thing ran into me on the way down… and it had other plans.
It got ya'?
Of course. I'm just one man, after all. So as I'm losing consciousness, I feel something going up. Next thing I know I'm in the outskirts, with a monster gnawing on my arm.
In the outskirts..?
Hell if I know how it happened. Still, I had my E.G.O gear with me so I was able to get by. I wandered around, raiding any ruins I found for equipment I needed to keep them maintained.
So you just wandered alone in the outskirts for three decades. You expect me to believe that?
Hey, believe it or don't. There were other groups of people barely eking out a living out there, but trusting anyone out there is basically suicide.
What about people following after you? I remember what you were capable of, surely you would have had those who would cling to you.
…Trusting anyone out there is basically suicide.
Yeesh. So what, you ate them?
No, but I couldn't exactly let them stay anywhere near me. They got one warning.
And then you disposed of them?
I had the City to get back to. The materials I could scrounge up out there weren't enough to keep my E.G.O working forever.
So did you ever get back?
No, but I got close.
After living on scraps and monsters for so long that I figured I must have become one myself, I managed to eventually catch sight of the outer walls of the place. Naturally, I dropped everything to see if I could get back in.
But, lemme guess: Something stupidly dramatic happened and you couldn't make it?
Excuse me?
It's kind of your thing.
That's not… I mean…
Okay, so I heard a voice telling me that I wasn't doing any good sticking around there. Next thing I know, a sword's coming out of my chest, and everything's going dark. That wasn't dramatic, it just sucked.
Sounds pretty dramatic to me.
A shadowed figure, a mysterious speech, and questions lasting beyond death? Indeed.
Anyways, I just finished burning that last one to death. Let's move on to the main event.
Yes. Thank you for the story.
When activated properly, The Burrowing Heaven has four Speed Dice, and the one in front plays its custom Mass Attack.
Your Own Heaven has a pair of decently sized dice on it, and our side's permanent 10 Feeble means that we can't use offensive dice to stop them. The first attack inflicts 3 Fragile for the rest of the turn to anyone it hits, while the second restores Burrowing Heaven's HP on hit.
Our only real option here is to throw our Ferrous Guards into it and pray, as with our passives the first die is weighted in our favor while the second die is exactly even.
Now, because Morgan's already done a good bit of work this shouldn't be too difficult… but try to stay focused until the battle is over.
Obviously. If I turn my back on this thing, it'll be worse than just a stab in the chest.
Here we go!
The first roll goes our way, as Burrowing Heaven only gets a 4.
The second, however, is a max roll that knocks out one block die from each of our Librarians. This would also have healed The Burrowing Heaven for 27 HP, but we haven't actually dealt it any damage yet.
Jeez… it's too big! There's not a way to close in without letting some of it out of your sight! Never thought I'd miss the old security cameras…
If you contain most of it in your sight, then you can steer where the rest can move. That makes it easier to block.
Truly?
I seem to lack the knack for it.
Y'think it's the monocle? It could be adding an extra blind spot.
I'm not removing my monocle.
Good news then, geezer: you probably won't have to. I think it's one good push away from being defenseless.
On subsequent turns after its proper awakening, The Burrowing Heaven won't reuse its Mass Attack. It does finally play its last combat page, however: Burrowing Gaze has a decent Piercing die and a very low Block die, making it perfect for getting a good Block hit in on it.
Anyways, nothing has changed about our strategy. We do want to make absolutely sure that everyone has at least 3 Light going into the next turn, but that's a nonissue.
Come on, you…
No worries! I got it taken care of.
That should take care of the dampening effects on our offense. Talow, the Smoke?
Yeah, I got it applied. We're all ready to go here.
Ah… that's much better. That thing's gaze was terrible.
It's like a staring contest with a wall…
It's stunned, it's smoked. Insurance time?
Very perceptive.
Overcharge's second major use here is to ensure that we deal enough damage to finish off The Burrowing Heaven in one Stagger. We don't want this fight to drag out any longer than it has to.
There we go! It would've been a real shame to bring these weapons and not even use the gauntlets once.
The thing's been teed up. Try not to stumble over yourself, old man.
What matters isn't that we stumble, Talow. It's that we get the job done in the end.
And it is done. I must say, despite my expectations you did your work splendidly.
Funny, I was thinking the same thing.
Are you two going to be like this… every time we're fighting?
The Burrowing Heaven is another difficult Abnormality Battle simply because it expects us to be able to follow a specific strategy for a long period of time, while changing up our way of playing to do so. So long as we remember the rules (Clash with Ferrous Guard, second die is draw, light regain, or offensive page as needed) and save offensive pages for the enemy's Staggered turns, however, it winds up being nothing to write home about.
VIDEO
Music: HokmaStory
Aren’t you asking for too many books at once?
As I awoke later than the others, I have much to learn to catch up. I was always one step behind others.
You mean how you have one foot in the grave?
…A trifling attempt at mockery.
Y’know, all the other librarians here told me they were following a person called Carmen… You joined her in her research like all the others did?
You’re right that most others followed Carmen, but I was loyal to another person. There was a man named Ayin, who founded Lobotomy Corporation and created Angela.
I had faith in him. Everyone carries some form of faith or belief; in my case, I believed that what he sought to do was the right thing.
Roland, do you happen to be a religious person?
Nope. I’m not sure if there’s even a proper religion in the City. And the bigger ones are all money-hungry schemes in disguise, so there’s no point putting faith in any of ‘em.
Then I must ask differently.
What I believe in? Getting out of this place one day.
That is simply called a wish.
Guess I don’t have any beliefs, then~ I never had time to care about things like that, I had my immediate future to worry about. We live in a world where it’s tough to think about or look back on stuff that won’t be helpful right away, dreams or faith or whatever. You’re talking the talk. What do you believe in, then?
I believe in the eventual arrival of the world my scholar and mentor dreamed of. This faith is the guiding principle of my every action.
Just what kind of person was he to make you his devoted fan?
He was a man with a far sight. He strove to reach an unreachable place.
Doesn’t that description also apply to Carmen, or at least of what I heard about her?
There is a clear difference. Sir Ayin was gladly willing to accept evil for the sake of realizing his cause.
Yeah, speaking of that, I seriously don’t get that Ayin guy.
…His deeds cannot be compared to something as puerile as “playing house”.
I dunno how great and eye-opening his enlightenment was, but he left a huge trail of trouble for everyone else in that process, going from what I’ve heard. I mean, you went through a whole lot of suffering in your second life as Lobotomy Corp’s Sephirot, and Angela is still so infuriated.
It’s all because of him, isn’t it? He’s looking like a complete mess from an outsider’s perspective.
He endeavored to reach his goal in spite of such obstacles. He sought to fill the gaps out one way or another, in order to endure the eroding life. You will never understand it, his sacrifice and dedication…
Boy, aren’t you a total zealot. They say faith blinds the eyes of the feeble-minded.
I believe I am not the only one blind with faith here.
Can’t be any worse than you, pal.
Music: Lobby
Unlike the middle layers, Hokma's floor gets its first new Librarian after the first Abnormality cleared. The second, meanwhile, will come after the third battle.
Binah's floor is also different, but I don't feel like explaining it right now. She'll stand up when she feels like it.
Our new Abnormality Pages, meanwhile, are best talked about as a set. They're the building blocks of a strategy affectionately dubbed "Blockma," as it's Hokma's floor and it revolves around Block dice. Lean, Bloody Wings is the keystone of this build, as it turns any Block die into a way to instantly deal damage to an opponent. The page says that it's 'Physical Damage,' but it bypasses any resistances and works like True Damage direct to the enemy's HP. Of the other two, Gaze of Others is usually paired with LBW in order to give bonus Power to the Block dice on any clash. Attention and Focus also fits in the same niche, but since they're all Level 1 Pages we can only ever pick two, and the combo of LBW+Gaze is too powerful to pass up.
So. Level with me. You just asked for that many books because he's Angela's lapdog, right?
I said precisely what I meant, Talow. It's something you could stand to do more often.
I'm always saying exactly what I-
I may never have paid much attention to you all before, but even I know how often you lie. Now, pick a book.
Why do I have to-
Dibs on Boris.
We're all going to be reading each of them. It's the fastest way to gather information relevant to the Thumb's faith in their hierarchy.
Yeah, sure, but there's four books and only three of us.
Good thing that I came here straight away, then.
Robin. You're just in time for our research project… your specialty, as I recall?
Sure is. I'll have some notes drawn up on this… "Denis" guy in no time.
Good. Talow, did you want Kalo or Katriel's book?
Kalo, I guess.
Excellent. Then I'll see you all in an hour or two to discuss.
Next time, on Library of Ruina
You know everything important about the next receptions… Let's focus on what they'll do to the library. This one advances Hokma's Floor further.
Advances Gebura's Floor.
Advances Binah's Floor.
Advances Chesed's Floor.
Videos
Hokma 2
Music: Lobby
Knew that going in without any way to get more attacks wouldn't work… You didn't voice any concerns at the time. That's because you wouldn't've listened anyways. Because back in my day, we wouldn't have needed any draw to get the job done. Yeah! Because back in your day, the City didn't exist yet! Aren't we all like 10,000 years old by now? Ugh… you know what I mean.Retry Count: 2. I completely neglected basic deckbuilding 101 in order to try and look cool, gassed all three of my Librarians quickly, and died. Oops.
Fine then. Let's see what you would suggest. I was thinking something more like this.All of Hokma's Abnormality battles have a strange gimmick to them, and for the Burrowing Heaven that gimmick is Block Dice. Ferrous Guard is the best of the Block pages we have right now, Smoking Pipe is ironically really useful, and Deep Drag is still worth playing to Smoke the enemy for bonus damage. To Overcome Crisis also gets the nod because I simply don't have any better drawtech than a 0-cost single offensive die page.
Hmm… Seems reasonable. I'll follow suit. Same, I guess… but what's the W-corp stuff for? Insurance. It seems that there were some unexpected troubles? That's a kind way of putting it. Regardless, I understand that we can simply try again? That's correct. As many times as is necessary. Then what're you guys waiting for? Let's get in there! Yes… Let's just be done with this as quickly as possible.SNAP
Music: AbnormalityBattle02
The Burrowing Heaven. So long as we keep it contained within our sight, it will not move. But now there's four of them… the main body and those other three. Morgan, you were the last one alive. Any insight? Let's see… It all really went to shit when the second one woke up, so we've basically got a time limit to take care of each of these guys. We also need to pay attention to the timings of our strikes… I picked up on a sort of rhythm. 'course you did… Well, all I have is 'remember to keep some tricks up your sleeves.' If we get tired again, we die. Let's do this.The Burrowing Heaven wrote:If you can’t see it, you can’t reach it.
Heaven's Thorn is the initial threat we have to deal with, and the last two passives are the important ones here. The first one applies Feeble to our Librarians based on how many combat pages they used against the Thorn, making our Offensive dice weaker every turn after the first one. Meanwhile, our Block dice will deal twice as much Stagger damage to Heaven's Thorn.
The first passive is basically our loss condition. If ever we are to attack another target while a Heaven's Thorn is awake, we'll have taken our eyes off of it. While we're not looking, Heaven's Thorn will quickly deal 40% of our max HP damage to every Librarian except the one attacking right then.
This will tear us apart very quickly. We need to ensure only one Heaven's Thorn is active at a time, and the next one will be waking up in 3 turns from now.
The Burrowing Heaven, meanwhile, waits for us after we've dealt with all of them. It will only wake up after there are no active Heaven's Thorns left, and if we've dealt with all three of them then it'll use a Mass Attack the turn it activates. It also permanently inflicts 10 Feeble on our entire side as long as it's active, and like its Thorns it takes twice as much Stagger from Block dice. Lastly, once it activates we have 3 turns to defeat it before it goes idle and summons yet another Heaven's Thorn to start things all over again.
As for the attacks the Heaven's Thorns use, they're very distinct.
Scarlet Spikes, Outstretching Thorns, and Bony Barbs are the only three Combat Pages the Thorns can use, and each of them is made up entirely of Counter dice. These dice are all arranged in order from the Heaven's Thorns leftmost die to its rightmost die, so by paying attention we can tell the exact order that its Counter dice will fall in.
For instance, this turn it used those three attacks in that order. This means its defense queue will be P-P-B-P-B-B-P in that order. Because Block dice that beat other Block dice do their full roll in Stagger damage to an enemy, and Block dice that beat Offensive dice only do the difference in rolls as Stagger damage, it may seem like a good idea to try and line up all our attacks accordingly so that our Block dice hit the Thorn's Block dice using this information.
That would be incorrect, because of the unpredictable nature of Counter dice—remember that when they win a Clash, they stick around and keep going until the end of the entire enemy Combat Page! Instead there's a much simpler way to deal with these guys.
Step 1: Have everyone put either Ferrous Guard or Smoking Pipe in their highest Speed Die.
Step 2: Using the remaining speed dice, slap in whatever draw/light regen/offensive pages that you need at the moment.
Alright! Remember not to blink both eyes at the same time, you guys. I know. Additionally, make sure every part of it is in your view. Fail to do so, and there'll be a spear coming at you from somewhere you don't expect. I know! You got testier since I last saw you. Yeah… well. I haven't done a lot of talking to people lately. Even less of needing their advice. While I understand that your particular brand of temporal displacement- That you caused. That I gifted. Means that you remember events differently than us, we do still have to work together. Oh, so now you want to work with us. Alright. We got this one knocked off-guard. Now what do we do? We break out our insurance.Because all of the combat pages in this fight use Counter dice, Overcharge is actually a perfectly acceptable page to play here. We can use it to beat down a Staggered enemy to confirm a kill, and the lost turn isn't quite so big a deal—the time we save by nuking an enemy down quickly is frequently worth the lost turn.
Alright, then. Let's take this one out. Try to keep up, you two. You don't need to worry about that. Despite appearances, this body is brand new. Is it, now? Guess you've got something to thank Angela for. Hardly. I owe her no favors. Mad about how it all went down, eh? You weren't there. You wouldn't understand. I understand that I traded a very short, very exciting hell for a more longform version that led back to the same damn place. Uhh, guys, you destroyed that thing before I could even use my attack. Now what? There's no need to engage right now. Just stay back and wait for us to get our weapons back online. Death is just as meaningless here as it ever has been, Talow. Doesn't mean I like watching people get torn to shreds any more than before, either. Y'know what… nevermind. I think I got this figured out.If we get ahead of the Heaven's Thorn awakenings, then Burrowing Heaven will wake up. If we awaken it in this way, it'll have three Speed Dice and won't use its Mass Attack—this is basically a free chance to hit it with all we've got.
We are under 10 Feeble from Burrowing Heaven, so we don't have much.
The Burrowing Heaven, Active wrote:
This turn it uses a pair of Bloody Wings and one Lean Pinions. We want to bump as many shields into these five dice as possible.
Ferrous Guard and Smoking Pipe is what I go with to do that.
Alright, buddy. I got my eyes on you, so let's dance. Step one, break the enemy's balance… Then take the hit you know is coming… To set you up for the boom!This turn goes about as perfectly as it can, with the first three clashes taking up the first trio of dice so that we could hit that block vs block clash to lop off a good chunk of Burrowing Heaven's SR.
Pretty cool, right? Excellently done, yes. …You guys are tougher than I remember. Oh yeah, I guess it has been… how long, for you? About thirty years. Jeez, what happened?! It's a long story. You may as well. We have nothing but time. Since when are you interested in anyone else? I'm simply interested in seeing if there's any useful information to be had.At this point The Burrowing Heaven is now a battle of execution. There are no new tricks until we've cleared out all of the Heaven's Thorns. So long as we keep on top of Light and hand management, it's just repeating things two more times.
Well… why not. When I activated the Backwards Clock, you guys all got moved to a safer time, right? Yeah, it was like most of the problems hadn't ever happened. Things were still rough after that for a bit, but we handled it. Makes sense. When the flashy part was over, none of you were on my comms, and the machine was dark again. Since I figured I was dead anyways, I decided to go out with a bang. I went for the Manager's room… For what purpose? I was going to bury the entire site, you know? Go out with a bang one last time. Unfortunately, that Arbiter thing ran into me on the way down… and it had other plans. It got ya'? Of course. I'm just one man, after all. So as I'm losing consciousness, I feel something going up. Next thing I know I'm in the outskirts, with a monster gnawing on my arm. In the outskirts..? Hell if I know how it happened. Still, I had my E.G.O gear with me so I was able to get by. I wandered around, raiding any ruins I found for equipment I needed to keep them maintained. So you just wandered alone in the outskirts for three decades. You expect me to believe that? Hey, believe it or don't. There were other groups of people barely eking out a living out there, but trusting anyone out there is basically suicide. What about people following after you? I remember what you were capable of, surely you would have had those who would cling to you. …Trusting anyone out there is basically suicide. Yeesh. So what, you ate them? No, but I couldn't exactly let them stay anywhere near me. They got one warning. And then you disposed of them? I had the City to get back to. The materials I could scrounge up out there weren't enough to keep my E.G.O working forever. So did you ever get back? No, but I got close. After living on scraps and monsters for so long that I figured I must have become one myself, I managed to eventually catch sight of the outer walls of the place. Naturally, I dropped everything to see if I could get back in. But, lemme guess: Something stupidly dramatic happened and you couldn't make it? Excuse me? It's kind of your thing. That's not… I mean… Okay, so I heard a voice telling me that I wasn't doing any good sticking around there. Next thing I know, a sword's coming out of my chest, and everything's going dark. That wasn't dramatic, it just sucked. Sounds pretty dramatic to me. A shadowed figure, a mysterious speech, and questions lasting beyond death? Indeed. Anyways, I just finished burning that last one to death. Let's move on to the main event. Yes. Thank you for the story.When activated properly, The Burrowing Heaven has four Speed Dice, and the one in front plays its custom Mass Attack.
Your Own Heaven has a pair of decently sized dice on it, and our side's permanent 10 Feeble means that we can't use offensive dice to stop them. The first attack inflicts 3 Fragile for the rest of the turn to anyone it hits, while the second restores Burrowing Heaven's HP on hit.
Our only real option here is to throw our Ferrous Guards into it and pray, as with our passives the first die is weighted in our favor while the second die is exactly even.
Now, because Morgan's already done a good bit of work this shouldn't be too difficult… but try to stay focused until the battle is over. Obviously. If I turn my back on this thing, it'll be worse than just a stab in the chest. Here we go!The first roll goes our way, as Burrowing Heaven only gets a 4.
The second, however, is a max roll that knocks out one block die from each of our Librarians. This would also have healed The Burrowing Heaven for 27 HP, but we haven't actually dealt it any damage yet.
Jeez… it's too big! There's not a way to close in without letting some of it out of your sight! Never thought I'd miss the old security cameras… If you contain most of it in your sight, then you can steer where the rest can move. That makes it easier to block. Truly? I seem to lack the knack for it. Y'think it's the monocle? It could be adding an extra blind spot. I'm not removing my monocle. Good news then, geezer: you probably won't have to. I think it's one good push away from being defenseless.On subsequent turns after its proper awakening, The Burrowing Heaven won't reuse its Mass Attack. It does finally play its last combat page, however: Burrowing Gaze has a decent Piercing die and a very low Block die, making it perfect for getting a good Block hit in on it.
Anyways, nothing has changed about our strategy. We do want to make absolutely sure that everyone has at least 3 Light going into the next turn, but that's a nonissue.
Come on, you… No worries! I got it taken care of. That should take care of the dampening effects on our offense. Talow, the Smoke? Yeah, I got it applied. We're all ready to go here. Ah… that's much better. That thing's gaze was terrible. It's like a staring contest with a wall… It's stunned, it's smoked. Insurance time? Very perceptive.Overcharge's second major use here is to ensure that we deal enough damage to finish off The Burrowing Heaven in one Stagger. We don't want this fight to drag out any longer than it has to.
There we go! It would've been a real shame to bring these weapons and not even use the gauntlets once. The thing's been teed up. Try not to stumble over yourself, old man. What matters isn't that we stumble, Talow. It's that we get the job done in the end. And it is done. I must say, despite my expectations you did your work splendidly. Funny, I was thinking the same thing. Are you two going to be like this… every time we're fighting?The Burrowing Heaven is another difficult Abnormality Battle simply because it expects us to be able to follow a specific strategy for a long period of time, while changing up our way of playing to do so. So long as we remember the rules (Clash with Ferrous Guard, second die is draw, light regain, or offensive page as needed) and save offensive pages for the enemy's Staggered turns, however, it winds up being nothing to write home about.
VIDEO
Music: HokmaStory
Aren’t you asking for too many books at once? As I awoke later than the others, I have much to learn to catch up. I was always one step behind others. You mean how you have one foot in the grave? …A trifling attempt at mockery. Y’know, all the other librarians here told me they were following a person called Carmen… You joined her in her research like all the others did? You’re right that most others followed Carmen, but I was loyal to another person. There was a man named Ayin, who founded Lobotomy Corporation and created Angela. I had faith in him. Everyone carries some form of faith or belief; in my case, I believed that what he sought to do was the right thing. Roland, do you happen to be a religious person? Nope. I’m not sure if there’s even a proper religion in the City. And the bigger ones are all money-hungry schemes in disguise, so there’s no point putting faith in any of ‘em. Then I must ask differently. What I believe in? Getting out of this place one day. That is simply called a wish. Guess I don’t have any beliefs, then~ I never had time to care about things like that, I had my immediate future to worry about. We live in a world where it’s tough to think about or look back on stuff that won’t be helpful right away, dreams or faith or whatever. You’re talking the talk. What do you believe in, then? I believe in the eventual arrival of the world my scholar and mentor dreamed of. This faith is the guiding principle of my every action. Just what kind of person was he to make you his devoted fan? He was a man with a far sight. He strove to reach an unreachable place. Doesn’t that description also apply to Carmen, or at least of what I heard about her? There is a clear difference. Sir Ayin was gladly willing to accept evil for the sake of realizing his cause. Yeah, speaking of that, I seriously don’t get that Ayin guy. …His deeds cannot be compared to something as puerile as “playing house”. I dunno how great and eye-opening his enlightenment was, but he left a huge trail of trouble for everyone else in that process, going from what I’ve heard. I mean, you went through a whole lot of suffering in your second life as Lobotomy Corp’s Sephirot, and Angela is still so infuriated. It’s all because of him, isn’t it? He’s looking like a complete mess from an outsider’s perspective. He endeavored to reach his goal in spite of such obstacles. He sought to fill the gaps out one way or another, in order to endure the eroding life. You will never understand it, his sacrifice and dedication… Boy, aren’t you a total zealot. They say faith blinds the eyes of the feeble-minded. I believe I am not the only one blind with faith here. Can’t be any worse than you, pal.Music: Lobby
Unlike the middle layers, Hokma's floor gets its first new Librarian after the first Abnormality cleared. The second, meanwhile, will come after the third battle.
Binah's floor is also different, but I don't feel like explaining it right now. She'll stand up when she feels like it.
Our new Abnormality Pages, meanwhile, are best talked about as a set. They're the building blocks of a strategy affectionately dubbed "Blockma," as it's Hokma's floor and it revolves around Block dice. Lean, Bloody Wings is the keystone of this build, as it turns any Block die into a way to instantly deal damage to an opponent. The page says that it's 'Physical Damage,' but it bypasses any resistances and works like True Damage direct to the enemy's HP. Of the other two, Gaze of Others is usually paired with LBW in order to give bonus Power to the Block dice on any clash. Attention and Focus also fits in the same niche, but since they're all Level 1 Pages we can only ever pick two, and the combo of LBW+Gaze is too powerful to pass up.
So. Level with me. You just asked for that many books because he's Angela's lapdog, right? I said precisely what I meant, Talow. It's something you could stand to do more often. I'm always saying exactly what I- I may never have paid much attention to you all before, but even I know how often you lie. Now, pick a book. Why do I have to- Dibs on Boris. We're all going to be reading each of them. It's the fastest way to gather information relevant to the Thumb's faith in their hierarchy. Yeah, sure, but there's four books and only three of us. Good thing that I came here straight away, then. Robin. You're just in time for our research project… your specialty, as I recall? Sure is. I'll have some notes drawn up on this… "Denis" guy in no time. Good. Talow, did you want Kalo or Katriel's book? Kalo, I guess. Excellent. Then I'll see you all in an hour or two to discuss.Next time, on Library of Ruina
You know everything important about the next receptions… Let's focus on what they'll do to the library. This one advances Hokma's Floor further. Advances Gebura's Floor. Advances Binah's Floor. Advances Chesed's Floor.Videos
Hokma 2
Last edited by TeeQueue on Fri Dec 23, 2022 6:13 am, edited 2 times in total.
Book 37: Blue Reverberation—Chapter 1
Music: Lobby
Today's battle is the center-left node, and a follow-up to the Smiling Faces. Let's check in on what Argalia's up to today, shall we?
VIDEO
Music: StoryAlley
I am sorry, Sir Argalia…
I was so sure I would find an answer if I came all the way here. But no, not a single soul here has a lead…
After this resident speaks, there's the sound of a slash and a thud. This is now an ex-resident.
The Red Mist began harnessing that power of hers after this place had become her base of operations, no?
They had to have left something here… Don’t you have any guesses, my friends?
Slash, thud.
You folks aren’t helping at all, sadly
You’d better hurry up and recall useful information, friends. This is driving me crazy, too.
Following her charming voice, I dropped by every little venue I could guess to be relevant. I searched every nook and cranny for hints. In the end, L Corp, the Library, and… this used-to-be lab were the only three candidates remaining.
Slash, thud. Argalia's just mowing through people today.
The Pianist, who showed up in the middle of the streets… It took my sister… I couldn’t be there as it happened, unfortunately…
Upon my belated arrival at the scene, all that greeted me… was the grand piano with its performer gone. My sister had become one of the many keys and strings of the piano, joining in the last performance… What she had become was utterly indescribable.
Not because it was horrible, no…
Rather, it was just too beautiful for words…
I suppose it’s my fault for letting my dear younger sister marry an imbecile. I couldn’t stop her…
Throughout our lives, we could never quite understand each other; our hearts were too far apart to keep each other company… It was through the performance that we could finally see the feelings of one another… I shivered with pain and despair for losing my naive and adorable hoyden… And looking at what once was my sister, I trembled from the enticing melody it created…
That’s when my eyes were opened. I could see it… I could envision what I can do for her…
Slash, thud. Do not interrupt Argalia's monologues.
Playing a gorgeous melody, a neverending dirge… in remembrance of dear Angelica… A gentle voice whispered to me… That I shall be able to reenact that glorious performance. I wandered around following her advice, but I couldn’t find a definitive answer anywhere…
We hear an intense ticking sound here, which is likely coming from the Clockwork Teeth. We never actually get to see them—those things behind Eileen are something different.
No, no. I didn’t come all the way here to see some sloppily made creatures…
Pluto? Eileen?
Yes, Sir Argalia.
Shall I shut them down for you? Clockwork is rubbishy compared to gears.
Slash, thud.
After wandering for a while, a revelation finally flashed in my head. Ah, yes, it bore a striking resemblance to the beauty the Red Mist manifested as she danced with blood in her mouth. The Pianist and the Red Mist showed vastly different colors of elegance, yet they were so alike at the core…
Slash, thud.
What a shame, I’ve got nothing. This invitation is the only lead I have now…
Eileen, care to lend me a few of your sheep?
As you wish. Are you sure you don’t need our company?
Don’t worry, I’ll be back in no time. It’s not ripe yet, anyway… Pluto, stick around for a bit longer and see if there’s anything noteworthy here.
But of course, sir.
Music: Lobby
And one of them seems oddly familiar, now that I think about it…
…Is it just me, or is there a hint of sadness in the Blue Reverberation’s face?
You mean the Blue Sicko. He’s just lost it from the shock of losing his sister. The Pianist caused tons of people to part with their precious things in one way or another, but he in particular had to lose it in the worst way possible… When someone as powerful as him goes completely wacko and starts pillaging everywhere, there’s literally no way to stop him.
He said his sister was named Angelica. That sounds similar to my name.
Well, yeah. I’m guessing they mean the same thing.
The Outskirts are where things abandoned and rejected from entering the City by the Head go. It’s basically a junkyard for ‘impurities’ of the City. Most people rarely get a chance to see the Outskirts throughout their lives, so they don’t even know that those things exist. A lot of the “monsters” living there are artificial creations made by humans or things brought from the outside. And I heard that a good chunk of them have sentience and emotions. They’re non-humans, impurities whose existence is unacceptable in the City, especially in this age of humanity.
…Just like me.
Music: Entrance
Angelica…?
My name is Angela, dear guest.
Yeah, you’re right. There’s no way something as hideous as you could be her.
Why don’t you stop spouting such uncouth nonsense and head inside already?
A power so potent that even a machine may become human… It’s as I suspected. The Library has to ripen…
Hang in there, Angelica. It won’t be long.
Next time, on Library of Ruina: Things are about to get messy.
So you called me here to perform therapy on… A book.
For Kaori, yes. She hasn't come out yet, and since the problem can't be physical, I assume it must be one of those human emotional things. That I also have. Frequently. As a human.
I don't really know how to put this delicately, but… I can't talk with a book. It's just a cover and pages. This requires a dialogue. If you need help dealing with things, I could do that, but…
No need! Whether it takes one, ten, or a hundred casualties, it's all worth it so long as we can gain ground. None of our lives matter before the gears of progress. That's what I was always told by…
By..?
…Teachers. In my… Human. School. Where I learned… maths.
Mmmhm. Well… ultimately, we're looking at a manifestation of mental trauma. That's not something that can be fixed easily… without being able to see inside her head, there's not much we could do aside wait.
Or I could pour Enkephalin on the book and all its pages. That should clear it all right up!
No. No, do not… do that. That is a bad idea.
I'm off to see Netzach! He'll know where to find some of the ol' brainjuice!
As your therapist-
Kaori's therapist.
Your book's... therapist. I must strongly advise against this…
I think your ally is trying to gain your attention, human.
Huh..? What is it, Paul?
By golly, Miss Hod says we need to be on the set in five! Something big's going down, Medea, and it's our job to shove our fingers into these pies and find out what's in 'em!
Right… T, we'll have to put this on pause. Don't… don't do anything crazy while I'm out.
My intellectual capacity is miles ahead of a standard human. I am physically incapable of doing anything 'crazy.'
No. Enkephalin.
……Very well.
Music: Lobby
Today's battle is the center-left node, and a follow-up to the Smiling Faces. Let's check in on what Argalia's up to today, shall we?
VIDEO
Music: StoryAlley
I am sorry, Sir Argalia… I was so sure I would find an answer if I came all the way here. But no, not a single soul here has a lead…After this resident speaks, there's the sound of a slash and a thud. This is now an ex-resident.
The Red Mist began harnessing that power of hers after this place had become her base of operations, no? They had to have left something here… Don’t you have any guesses, my friends?Slash, thud.
You folks aren’t helping at all, sadly You’d better hurry up and recall useful information, friends. This is driving me crazy, too. Following her charming voice, I dropped by every little venue I could guess to be relevant. I searched every nook and cranny for hints. In the end, L Corp, the Library, and… this used-to-be lab were the only three candidates remaining.Slash, thud. Argalia's just mowing through people today.
The Pianist, who showed up in the middle of the streets… It took my sister… I couldn’t be there as it happened, unfortunately… Upon my belated arrival at the scene, all that greeted me… was the grand piano with its performer gone. My sister had become one of the many keys and strings of the piano, joining in the last performance… What she had become was utterly indescribable. Not because it was horrible, no… Rather, it was just too beautiful for words… I suppose it’s my fault for letting my dear younger sister marry an imbecile. I couldn’t stop her… Throughout our lives, we could never quite understand each other; our hearts were too far apart to keep each other company… It was through the performance that we could finally see the feelings of one another… I shivered with pain and despair for losing my naive and adorable hoyden… And looking at what once was my sister, I trembled from the enticing melody it created… That’s when my eyes were opened. I could see it… I could envision what I can do for her…Slash, thud. Do not interrupt Argalia's monologues.
Playing a gorgeous melody, a neverending dirge… in remembrance of dear Angelica… A gentle voice whispered to me… That I shall be able to reenact that glorious performance. I wandered around following her advice, but I couldn’t find a definitive answer anywhere…We hear an intense ticking sound here, which is likely coming from the Clockwork Teeth. We never actually get to see them—those things behind Eileen are something different.
No, no. I didn’t come all the way here to see some sloppily made creatures… Pluto? Eileen? Yes, Sir Argalia. Shall I shut them down for you? Clockwork is rubbishy compared to gears.Slash, thud.
After wandering for a while, a revelation finally flashed in my head. Ah, yes, it bore a striking resemblance to the beauty the Red Mist manifested as she danced with blood in her mouth. The Pianist and the Red Mist showed vastly different colors of elegance, yet they were so alike at the core…Slash, thud.
What a shame, I’ve got nothing. This invitation is the only lead I have now… Eileen, care to lend me a few of your sheep? As you wish. Are you sure you don’t need our company? Don’t worry, I’ll be back in no time. It’s not ripe yet, anyway… Pluto, stick around for a bit longer and see if there’s anything noteworthy here. But of course, sir.Music: Lobby
And one of them seems oddly familiar, now that I think about it… …Is it just me, or is there a hint of sadness in the Blue Reverberation’s face? You mean the Blue Sicko. He’s just lost it from the shock of losing his sister. The Pianist caused tons of people to part with their precious things in one way or another, but he in particular had to lose it in the worst way possible… When someone as powerful as him goes completely wacko and starts pillaging everywhere, there’s literally no way to stop him. He said his sister was named Angelica. That sounds similar to my name. Well, yeah. I’m guessing they mean the same thing. The Outskirts are where things abandoned and rejected from entering the City by the Head go. It’s basically a junkyard for ‘impurities’ of the City. Most people rarely get a chance to see the Outskirts throughout their lives, so they don’t even know that those things exist. A lot of the “monsters” living there are artificial creations made by humans or things brought from the outside. And I heard that a good chunk of them have sentience and emotions. They’re non-humans, impurities whose existence is unacceptable in the City, especially in this age of humanity. …Just like me.Music: Entrance
Angelica…? My name is Angela, dear guest. Yeah, you’re right. There’s no way something as hideous as you could be her. Why don’t you stop spouting such uncouth nonsense and head inside already? A power so potent that even a machine may become human… It’s as I suspected. The Library has to ripen… Hang in there, Angelica. It won’t be long.Next time, on Library of Ruina: Things are about to get messy.
So you called me here to perform therapy on… A book. For Kaori, yes. She hasn't come out yet, and since the problem can't be physical, I assume it must be one of those human emotional things. That I also have. Frequently. As a human. I don't really know how to put this delicately, but… I can't talk with a book. It's just a cover and pages. This requires a dialogue. If you need help dealing with things, I could do that, but… No need! Whether it takes one, ten, or a hundred casualties, it's all worth it so long as we can gain ground. None of our lives matter before the gears of progress. That's what I was always told by… By..? …Teachers. In my… Human. School. Where I learned… maths. Mmmhm. Well… ultimately, we're looking at a manifestation of mental trauma. That's not something that can be fixed easily… without being able to see inside her head, there's not much we could do aside wait. Or I could pour Enkephalin on the book and all its pages. That should clear it all right up! No. No, do not… do that. That is a bad idea. I'm off to see Netzach! He'll know where to find some of the ol' brainjuice! As your therapist- Kaori's therapist. Your book's... therapist. I must strongly advise against this… I think your ally is trying to gain your attention, human. Huh..? What is it, Paul? By golly, Miss Hod says we need to be on the set in five! Something big's going down, Medea, and it's our job to shove our fingers into these pies and find out what's in 'em! Right… T, we'll have to put this on pause. Don't… don't do anything crazy while I'm out. My intellectual capacity is miles ahead of a standard human. I am physically incapable of doing anything 'crazy.' No. Enkephalin. ……Very well.Book 37: Blue Reverberation—Chapter 2
Music: GuestBattle01
Everyone is carrying Puffy Brume today, but the only Smoke page any of them are using is Loss of Senses, which becomes stronger if the opponent has smoke. No points for realizing the enemy is running Smoke decks today. Because Smoke tends to deal heavy damage, I've also slapped recovery passives onto most of the team.
The first group of enemies is five Church of Gears Worshippers, which I shall hereafter call "Gears" because that's a mouthful to say every time.
Being Smoke-users, they have Puffy Brume to convert the effect into a buff, and Internal Combustion Engine increases the Smoke they gain by 1 stack any time they'd gain Smoke.
Meat Gear and Thought Gear, meanwhile, are more generalized powerups. Meat Gear is a straight damage bonus to the first offensive die of each page, and Thought Gear is a +1 Power to Evade dice specifically. In this fight, we only really need to worry about Meat Gear. They all also have the Stimulating Fumes passive, which will give them a block die against one-sided attacks so long as they have Smoke.
Music: HodBattle01
If the enemies look a little quiet, there's a reason for that. Back in Early Release, the Gears and Argalia all came with combat text like most enemies do. However, at some point the text was entirely removed—the filename associated with this combat is outright gone in my copy of the game's script.
Stay sharp, everyone. Those guests seem to be particularly interested in the Library, so we're here to get a good read on the personalities of our opponents in case we can use it to our advantage.
Jiminy willikers, we're supposed to do something like that? But I've only been trained in being nonthreateningly informative, Miss Hod!
That's fine. You can leave the heavy lifting to us. Just focus on combat.
Each of the Gears has only a single Speed die, so it's easy to think of this as a warmup round. That's… not entirely wrong, but if we assume this act is free we're going to be in for some pain.
This turn, the Gears are using 3 of their 5 offensive pages between them. This one is using Autonomous Rush. It's a basic page that gives 2 Smoke to the user on use, and whose first die inflicts 2 Smoke on hit to the opponent.
Assault Order, meanwhile, is a page that gets stronger if its target has Smoke applied to them. The numbers on it are decent, but because they've sent it out on the first turn we're going to be rolling right over it with our 3-cost pages.
And then… there's Vapour. This one page makes this fight a pain in the rear. The only relevant Key Page we have with good Slash resistance is Phillip's, and we can only have one of it. This means most of the time this attack is coming in unresisted. When they attack, the Gears get 5 Smoke on themselves all at once, boosting the damage by 25%. On top of this, Meat Gear boosts the damage we take by 2-3 points as well. We don't want to get hit by this.
Unfortunately, our only page with a lead die high enough to reliably block this is Deep Drag, which would grant them 8 Smoke if it hit, which would combine with Vapour to instantly max them out—basically, the worst case scenario. There are a number of combat pages we could get at this point to deal with this page, but all of them are in the other nodes available right now. As it stands, the best counter we have is Loss of Senses, which has a decent Block die to blunt the first hit, and follows up with a guaranteed draw 2 and possibly even a 2 Paralysis+1 Feeble if they've pumped their Smoke up too much.
We're going to take hits whenever Vapour comes out, and all we can really do is spread them around as best we can. Knowing how to take damage without losing anyone is a key part of succeeding in Star of the City.
Everyone's spare dice are dedicated to taking down one particular Gear as quickly as possible. The sooner we can throw a spanner in their works, the sooner we can stop taking damage.
Hey, so… I get why you're down there psychoanalyzing these guys or whatever, but… why am I here?
Because you… "know about famous Fixers," sir?
Yes, I know what she said, but…
Nevermind.
There there, sir. I'm sure you'll give us an edge somehow.
Eesh, look out for these guys. They pack a wallop!
Though at least it leaves them open afterwards.
That's some good news, at least.
One of the other issues we have with doing Blue Reverberation right now is that all of our opponents have some kind of resistance to Blunt damage. Our best combat pages are still largely Blunt options, meaning that they take half SR from every attack we make. Staggering enemies is going to be a little harder than normal.
Jeepies! This guy's still standing!
Their faith in their gears seems to give them more durability than we've seen before now.
Or maybe it's a ripple effect of that woman's distortion giving them power, like the Puppets and Tomerry.
Who cares? Just smash their brains in and let's get on with it.
This turn, the enemy uses both of the other pages they have available.
Guidance of the Gears is their Light regain page, and a straight upgrade to the one from Smiling Faces, since it has an Offense die on it. There's not much else to say about it.
Lastly, there's Defense Order. It's got decent dice, but it shouldn't cause many problems for us.
Altogether, the plan here is to take out the Gears while taking as few Vapour hits as possible. Since we've got a lot more to do today, let's just do the highlights.
One down. Four to go!
We lost enough clashes to get Axe to show up—Medea instantly gets it.
Hi-yah!
How are they doin'?
Two of those religious nuts are dead now.
Great. Wake me again when the real thing starts.
We then do too well to get Look of the Day, so we're without our guaranteed +2 Power.
Music: HodBattle02
Medea then gets hit for over a third of her max HP in one shot.
Cantankering cogwheels… I finally got this one down, Miss Hod!
It seems things are approaching their end, then. Don't let the last one inflict any more damage.
No need to worry about that, Miss Hod.
This one's right where I want him.
So… did you manage to get anything useful out of them?
It's only a theory right now, but I don't believe the worshippers are fully in control of their bodies anymore. Those other gears inserted into their brains… Thought gears, they were called?
Those are the ones.
They're responsible for a large number of the movements the worshippers make. Targeting with piercing attacks between the gears or slashing attacks to remove the teeth is the best way to pause their motions.
That doesn't seem like a very… "psychological" analysis.
It's not, but it's the information that's the most useful to us right now.
There's not much information we can get out of enemies that don't talk, anyways.
Music: GuestBattle01
The second battle is the real one—Argalia's here, accompanied by four more Gears.
.
Argalia's another Shimmering opponent, has a metric ton of HP, and his only other ability gives him complete immunity to all Ranged combat pages. It's a rude surprise for players who are still coasting through off of the power of Full-Stop pages.
Music: HodBattle02
So… this is the 'ordeal.' And you're to be our opponents?
That's correct.
Come now, you don't need to be so tense. This is just a normal inspection…
Though if you don't live up to my expectations, you might wind up in bits on the floor.
On his first turn, Argalia uses three copies of Scout. It's a somewhat weakish page for someone of his strength, though the 4 Bleed from the second die can deal a decent chunk of damage to our Librarians if they get tagged. More importantly, he's got a total of 6 Block Counter dice, which will blunt offensives against him and can rack up decent Stagger damage against us if we attack him head on.
We're dogpiling him anyways, because he's the biggest threat in this fight. Yes, including Vapour—though we do have Hod set up to block one with a Loss of Senses. The other attacks sprinkled around are mostly to help gain Emotion Levels and keep the Gears from getting too much damage on us at once.
We don't take kindly to threats around here, even from a color.
Such powerful strikes you have there…
The speed leaves much to be desired, but you'll get there, I'm sure.
Nh…
Miss Hod!
I'm fine—go after Argalia.
Hyah-!
My, and you're a reckless one. Less power, but certainly more speed…
Oh well. Try again, I suppose.
Jeepies! His cloak's like a solid wall!
Then let's punch through it!
Not bad, not bad…
At this rate, we might have a chance…
Yes. He's not giving his all… testing us, like he said.
He's not acting like he's in any danger, either.
Meaning..?
You think he has a way out, right?
That's the most likely conclusion, yes.
It wouldn't surprise me at all. He's a slippery bastard.
Oh… I know that voice. So this is where you scurried off to, you little rat.
I thought this channel was secure.
It's supposed to be. Maybe because he's a Color?
I'd heard, but I didn't quite believe it, you know? I mean... you, at a library?
Well, I'm a little busy. We can catch up for a moment after I've finished these ones off.
He's changing up his intentions…
Great. He just got a little more serious.
On the second turn, Argalia uses a copy of Trails of Blue. This page has a single decently sized Slash die on it, and whoever is targeted by this page loses all Power bonuses (or penalties) on their next turn. We really want to keep this off of Medea, she needs that Power to keep running.
His other two attacks this turn are Preludio. This page has a pair of mediocre dice, but it's a high priority block: for each hit that lands, Argalia and all his allies get +1 Power to all their dice for the next turn. Vapour is bad. Vapour at +2 Power is worse.
Come, now. Show me that power of emotion that you're so famous for.
Everyone, I'm going to use the E.G.O. Don't hold anything back.
That costume's powerful, so it makes sense..
Be careful, Miss Hod.
Even the environment itself can be bent to your will here… truly, this Library is powerful.
That form… it looks quite lonely, doesn't it?
This child isn't lonesome. She simply wishes for space between herself and others.
As I said. No one can understand anyone like that.
Do you ever stop talking?!
I see… so that form can only be held up for a certain amount of time. Well, nothing is free, after all.
I'm falling back… Elle, switch.
Here I am!
How poetic… stepping in to protect your comrade.
Is this how you always fight?
It sure is!
Mmh… how dissonant. It's not beautiful at all…
And you still didn't manage to keep me from that leader of yours, in the end.
I sure did just completely forget to stop this Preludio. :shepface:
It's fine! Miss Hod isn't going to fall over after just a hit or two!
Such confidence…
I suppose I've played around almost long enough. If this is all you have, then it's clear this place is nowhere near complete.
Two scouts and a Preludio. It's incredibly important to stop the Preludio entirely this turn.
Hey, Blue Reverberation. What did you do to my body?
Whatever do you mean?
It's felt funny since you hit me.
Being hit by Trails of Blue inflicted Elle with 4 stacks of Vibration.
Oh… that. Do you really have time to worry about it right now?
I'll worry about what I feel like, thank you!
It doesn't do anything in this fight. We can safely ignore it.
It's a bad habit to be too headstrong, you know.
Vainglorious vapours, Miss Hod, we're taking a bit of a beating here!
Just hold on a little longer. We've got to be near the end of things.
Speaking of near the end of things, I'm not sure how much longer I can hold up, either.
It's okay… just… a little more.
You're all just about off-balance now, aren't you? I think it may be time…
Whatever you're planning, it's not going to work.
Oh… it isn't?
We pick up Black Swan at our next Emotion Level, as I suddenly need a Mass Attack on hand ASAP.
Music: HodBattle03
Tell you what. I've got my weapon all warmed up now… I'll go all out for a moment, and we'll see how well you can handle it.
I've got a baad feeling about this, Miss Hod.
Tempestuous Danza is Argalia's ultimate attack, and this turn he whips it out alongside a Scout and another Trails of Blue. Danza is a 4-hit multi-target attack coming at us with 2 Strength and no Paralysis. This means that the rolls will be, in order: 10, 9, 7, 5-6. This means Elle Tee is taking a guaranteed minimum of 62 damage due to Stagger—she is dead this turn no matter what. Of our other team members, Hod and Switch are both dangerously low on SR—they'll probably be Staggered by the attack as well. This is bad.
Since Hod's next turn is probably getting skipped, I throw down Black Swan with her—I'm relying on this to blunt much of the Gears' offense this turn. Switch clashes Danza with Overcharge, Medea uses Moulnet, Paul gives Repressed Flesh a try, and Hod goes for Loss of Senses. None of them can block every die, but they'll have to do.
The overall goal here is to do as much damage as we can to Argalia, while also trying to follow up against the Gears as best I can. Handling a situation like this one is as much art as science, and the most important thing I have to say about this turn's strategy is that I didn't bother pulling any of the Gears' attacks off of Elle, since they're wasted on her.
Now… let's begin the dance.
Not yet.
When both sides are using Mass Attacks, any Mass Attacks on our side will always come out first. They're a great way to get rid of leftover Light on a Librarian who's about to get Staggered or defeated by an enemy MA before their turn can go off.
And so, Hod lets out a pair of tremendous roars on the enemy.
All targets are still moving.
Darn it…
Oh… finished already?
Then allow me.
It's too fast…
During Tempestuous Danza, Argalia dashes to each target in a blue beam of light and appears slashing behind them. He does this for every person for each die of the attack.
Hm… One of them managed to defend against it.
Not expecting it, were you?
I'll turn things up.
Ghk-!
Ah, there we go. How resilient, to last so long despite everything…
Elle Tee! You son of a-!
Gah!
That ought to do it.
Like heck it will!
Ah, you were still standing? But an attack like that won't ever reach me…
It doesn't have to! Someone, status report, now!
Yes… "someone," please.
Hod and Switch are both out for now, Medea. It's just the two of you.
Hear that, Paul?! We need your A-game!
Uh-huh! I'll give it all I've got this time!
On this, the grandest of stages, I've charmed the entire audience.
Not… like this…
But you shouldn't forget the other performers.
Miss Hod done got booked, Miss Medea!
I can see that!
And just like that… I've handled this one too while his eyes are somewhere else.
Ahh, beans!
That's as far as you go.
Your comrades are dropping like flies, you're nearly dead, and you're still coming at me without a hint of fear.
Crying won't change it. Neither will running. And ultimately…
A weakling like you isn't anything to be scared of.
Weakling? Even after all of that?
It's a shame, but I'll have to break this one's bluster to pieces before we go…
…………Right now? Can it perhaps wait for a moment or two?
…It can't be helped, if that's the case.
What the hell are you on about?!
It seems it's time to go already.
Don't you run away from me, you bastard!
I'm afraid I must. My exit has already been prepared. Have fun with the others, now!
Once we reduce him to 250 HP, Argalia will leave the Library early. The hard part of the fight is officially over.
…Is what I would be saying, if we weren't seriously on the backfoot right now. Thankfully, we've got an ace in the hole.
With only 3 Librarians left, it's roughly 30 Emotion Coins to recharge our E.G.O. Elle's death gave us 12, Hod's gave us another 9, and Argalia being defeated was worth 3 more. From there, the Clashes generated the rest of what we needed to be able to spam Black Swan two turns in a row.
Further, Medea knocking Argalia out gave her +1 Light, and her To Overcome Crisis last turn gave her another +1 Light thanks to Tempestuous Danza hitting her to below 25% of her max HP, putting her at exactly the 6 Light necessary to use it.
That blue bastard is the one who killed Elle… He'll pay for it later. But you bastards are the ones who killed Miss Hod…
Don't think for a second I'm going to forget about that.
As long as I draw breath, you won't lay a finger on anyone else.
Not one step forward, you hear me?!
Medea's Black Swan takes out one Gear entirely, Staggers a second, and breaks both dice of the remaining two. The enemy doesn't get to make a single move this turn.
Covering cigni… I never thought I'd be happy to see that form.
Are you two okay?
…Elle Tee and Miss Hod died… Right in front of my eyes. I couldn't…
Suck it up. We're finishing this.
Yes ma'am!
I'll intercept the one that's still got fight in him. You two clean up.
Hold on there, ma'am… you're just about to—
I… will be fine.
Yes'm.
Let's clean these three up while we can, then.
Darn! Tootin! Switch!
Mine's down.
Then we're all done…
Well… that's the end of it. Nothing to do now but clean them up… and remember th-
Knowledge is just pain plus observation! Have a-
Er… sorry, ma'am. Reflex.
Outside of Vapour, the Gears themselves are no threat—fittingly, this reception is all about how well we can handle Argalia. It's very possible to blitz him down before he ever gets Tempestuous Danza off, and that's really the ideal way to handle the fight. In our case, however, we were able to meet his absurdly OP Mass Attack with two of our own—a close fight, but sometimes it's as simple as spamming your most powerful moves until the enemy stops moving.
Music: Result
It's over… Good job, you three.
I'm just glad you guys aren't really… y'know.
We nearly bit off more than we could chew... That was a lot.
Take all the time you need. I'll handle the books today.
Hey, boss. You sure got quiet… seemed like the Blue Reverberation knew you, though?
Yeah… we've met a few times. Don't really get along with him, either.
You seemed to really not want to talk to him, though.
Like I said… we don't get along. I don't suppose we know where he went?
Sorry, sir. He's gone.
VIDEO
Music: Lobby
We couldn’t get a proper book out of him, either.
I really wanted to take a peek at that lunatic’s mind for once…
Do you need that person’s book above anything else?
…It’s for personal reasons, to be frank.
The Blue Reverberation seemed to be after the Red Mist… Then, perhaps a book of the Red Mist could lure him back here again.
I appreciate the thought, but how exactly are we gonna do that? You know the original Red Mist kinda doesn’t exist anymore.
About that, we might have a way around it…
Is he aware that I was the cause of that phenomenon?
He’s no ordinary guy, so it’s possible he’s noticed it.
Then the Blue Reverberation’s goal may be taking revenge on me, perhaps.
No, rather… Anyone who lost what they found precious to the Distortion would resent me once they learned I was responsible for the phenomenon.
Well, maybe. Do you regret it or anything?
I’m not really sure. All I can say for certain is that it’s not exactly pleasant to know that the resentment against me is growing. Even then, it was ultimately the fault of the one man who trapped me inside for eons that the City came to suffer.
I feel much better thinking about it that way. I don’t care if the Blue Reverberation wants vengeance or not. It’s but one of the many clashes between my desire and the City folks’ desires.
Right you are. That’s that, and this is this.
With that ordeal over, we've opened up Gebura's next Abnormality Battle, as well as another new reception. As for who we'd be receiving… well, Angela may have given that one away already.
Next time, on Library of Ruina
"The smiling faces are unfamiliar yet sorrowful."
The Red Mist makes her return… again.
To give them more of a chance, I'm putting the other three options into one place this time.
Videos
Blue Reverberation 2
New Key Pages
New Combat Pages
Music: GuestBattle01
Everyone is carrying Puffy Brume today, but the only Smoke page any of them are using is Loss of Senses, which becomes stronger if the opponent has smoke. No points for realizing the enemy is running Smoke decks today. Because Smoke tends to deal heavy damage, I've also slapped recovery passives onto most of the team.
The first group of enemies is five Church of Gears Worshippers, which I shall hereafter call "Gears" because that's a mouthful to say every time.
Being Smoke-users, they have Puffy Brume to convert the effect into a buff, and Internal Combustion Engine increases the Smoke they gain by 1 stack any time they'd gain Smoke.
Meat Gear and Thought Gear, meanwhile, are more generalized powerups. Meat Gear is a straight damage bonus to the first offensive die of each page, and Thought Gear is a +1 Power to Evade dice specifically. In this fight, we only really need to worry about Meat Gear. They all also have the Stimulating Fumes passive, which will give them a block die against one-sided attacks so long as they have Smoke.
Music: HodBattle01
If the enemies look a little quiet, there's a reason for that. Back in Early Release, the Gears and Argalia all came with combat text like most enemies do. However, at some point the text was entirely removed—the filename associated with this combat is outright gone in my copy of the game's script.
Stay sharp, everyone. Those guests seem to be particularly interested in the Library, so we're here to get a good read on the personalities of our opponents in case we can use it to our advantage. Jiminy willikers, we're supposed to do something like that? But I've only been trained in being nonthreateningly informative, Miss Hod! That's fine. You can leave the heavy lifting to us. Just focus on combat.Each of the Gears has only a single Speed die, so it's easy to think of this as a warmup round. That's… not entirely wrong, but if we assume this act is free we're going to be in for some pain.
This turn, the Gears are using 3 of their 5 offensive pages between them. This one is using Autonomous Rush. It's a basic page that gives 2 Smoke to the user on use, and whose first die inflicts 2 Smoke on hit to the opponent.
Assault Order, meanwhile, is a page that gets stronger if its target has Smoke applied to them. The numbers on it are decent, but because they've sent it out on the first turn we're going to be rolling right over it with our 3-cost pages.
And then… there's Vapour. This one page makes this fight a pain in the rear. The only relevant Key Page we have with good Slash resistance is Phillip's, and we can only have one of it. This means most of the time this attack is coming in unresisted. When they attack, the Gears get 5 Smoke on themselves all at once, boosting the damage by 25%. On top of this, Meat Gear boosts the damage we take by 2-3 points as well. We don't want to get hit by this.
Unfortunately, our only page with a lead die high enough to reliably block this is Deep Drag, which would grant them 8 Smoke if it hit, which would combine with Vapour to instantly max them out—basically, the worst case scenario. There are a number of combat pages we could get at this point to deal with this page, but all of them are in the other nodes available right now. As it stands, the best counter we have is Loss of Senses, which has a decent Block die to blunt the first hit, and follows up with a guaranteed draw 2 and possibly even a 2 Paralysis+1 Feeble if they've pumped their Smoke up too much.
We're going to take hits whenever Vapour comes out, and all we can really do is spread them around as best we can. Knowing how to take damage without losing anyone is a key part of succeeding in Star of the City.
Everyone's spare dice are dedicated to taking down one particular Gear as quickly as possible. The sooner we can throw a spanner in their works, the sooner we can stop taking damage.
Hey, so… I get why you're down there psychoanalyzing these guys or whatever, but… why am I here? Because you… "know about famous Fixers," sir? Yes, I know what she said, but… Nevermind. There there, sir. I'm sure you'll give us an edge somehow. Eesh, look out for these guys. They pack a wallop! Though at least it leaves them open afterwards. That's some good news, at least.One of the other issues we have with doing Blue Reverberation right now is that all of our opponents have some kind of resistance to Blunt damage. Our best combat pages are still largely Blunt options, meaning that they take half SR from every attack we make. Staggering enemies is going to be a little harder than normal.
Jeepies! This guy's still standing! Their faith in their gears seems to give them more durability than we've seen before now. Or maybe it's a ripple effect of that woman's distortion giving them power, like the Puppets and Tomerry. Who cares? Just smash their brains in and let's get on with it.This turn, the enemy uses both of the other pages they have available.
Guidance of the Gears is their Light regain page, and a straight upgrade to the one from Smiling Faces, since it has an Offense die on it. There's not much else to say about it.
Lastly, there's Defense Order. It's got decent dice, but it shouldn't cause many problems for us.
Altogether, the plan here is to take out the Gears while taking as few Vapour hits as possible. Since we've got a lot more to do today, let's just do the highlights.
One down. Four to go!We lost enough clashes to get Axe to show up—Medea instantly gets it.
Hi-yah! How are they doin'? Two of those religious nuts are dead now. Great. Wake me again when the real thing starts.We then do too well to get Look of the Day, so we're without our guaranteed +2 Power.
Music: HodBattle02
Medea then gets hit for over a third of her max HP in one shot.
Cantankering cogwheels… I finally got this one down, Miss Hod! It seems things are approaching their end, then. Don't let the last one inflict any more damage. No need to worry about that, Miss Hod. This one's right where I want him. So… did you manage to get anything useful out of them? It's only a theory right now, but I don't believe the worshippers are fully in control of their bodies anymore. Those other gears inserted into their brains… Thought gears, they were called? Those are the ones. They're responsible for a large number of the movements the worshippers make. Targeting with piercing attacks between the gears or slashing attacks to remove the teeth is the best way to pause their motions. That doesn't seem like a very… "psychological" analysis. It's not, but it's the information that's the most useful to us right now. There's not much information we can get out of enemies that don't talk, anyways.Music: GuestBattle01
The second battle is the real one—Argalia's here, accompanied by four more Gears.
.
Argalia's another Shimmering opponent, has a metric ton of HP, and his only other ability gives him complete immunity to all Ranged combat pages. It's a rude surprise for players who are still coasting through off of the power of Full-Stop pages.
Music: HodBattle02
So… this is the 'ordeal.' And you're to be our opponents? That's correct. Come now, you don't need to be so tense. This is just a normal inspection… Though if you don't live up to my expectations, you might wind up in bits on the floor.On his first turn, Argalia uses three copies of Scout. It's a somewhat weakish page for someone of his strength, though the 4 Bleed from the second die can deal a decent chunk of damage to our Librarians if they get tagged. More importantly, he's got a total of 6 Block Counter dice, which will blunt offensives against him and can rack up decent Stagger damage against us if we attack him head on.
We're dogpiling him anyways, because he's the biggest threat in this fight. Yes, including Vapour—though we do have Hod set up to block one with a Loss of Senses. The other attacks sprinkled around are mostly to help gain Emotion Levels and keep the Gears from getting too much damage on us at once.
We don't take kindly to threats around here, even from a color. Such powerful strikes you have there… The speed leaves much to be desired, but you'll get there, I'm sure. Nh… Miss Hod! I'm fine—go after Argalia. Hyah-! My, and you're a reckless one. Less power, but certainly more speed… Oh well. Try again, I suppose. Jeepies! His cloak's like a solid wall! Then let's punch through it! Not bad, not bad… At this rate, we might have a chance… Yes. He's not giving his all… testing us, like he said. He's not acting like he's in any danger, either. Meaning..? You think he has a way out, right? That's the most likely conclusion, yes. It wouldn't surprise me at all. He's a slippery bastard. Oh… I know that voice. So this is where you scurried off to, you little rat. I thought this channel was secure. It's supposed to be. Maybe because he's a Color? I'd heard, but I didn't quite believe it, you know? I mean... you, at a library? Well, I'm a little busy. We can catch up for a moment after I've finished these ones off. He's changing up his intentions… Great. He just got a little more serious.On the second turn, Argalia uses a copy of Trails of Blue. This page has a single decently sized Slash die on it, and whoever is targeted by this page loses all Power bonuses (or penalties) on their next turn. We really want to keep this off of Medea, she needs that Power to keep running.
His other two attacks this turn are Preludio. This page has a pair of mediocre dice, but it's a high priority block: for each hit that lands, Argalia and all his allies get +1 Power to all their dice for the next turn. Vapour is bad. Vapour at +2 Power is worse.
Come, now. Show me that power of emotion that you're so famous for. Everyone, I'm going to use the E.G.O. Don't hold anything back. That costume's powerful, so it makes sense.. Be careful, Miss Hod. Even the environment itself can be bent to your will here… truly, this Library is powerful. That form… it looks quite lonely, doesn't it? This child isn't lonesome. She simply wishes for space between herself and others. As I said. No one can understand anyone like that. Do you ever stop talking?! I see… so that form can only be held up for a certain amount of time. Well, nothing is free, after all. I'm falling back… Elle, switch. Here I am! How poetic… stepping in to protect your comrade. Is this how you always fight? It sure is! Mmh… how dissonant. It's not beautiful at all… And you still didn't manage to keep me from that leader of yours, in the end.I sure did just completely forget to stop this Preludio. :shepface:
It's fine! Miss Hod isn't going to fall over after just a hit or two! Such confidence… I suppose I've played around almost long enough. If this is all you have, then it's clear this place is nowhere near complete.Two scouts and a Preludio. It's incredibly important to stop the Preludio entirely this turn.
Hey, Blue Reverberation. What did you do to my body? Whatever do you mean? It's felt funny since you hit me.Being hit by Trails of Blue inflicted Elle with 4 stacks of Vibration.
Oh… that. Do you really have time to worry about it right now? I'll worry about what I feel like, thank you!It doesn't do anything in this fight. We can safely ignore it.
It's a bad habit to be too headstrong, you know. Vainglorious vapours, Miss Hod, we're taking a bit of a beating here! Just hold on a little longer. We've got to be near the end of things. Speaking of near the end of things, I'm not sure how much longer I can hold up, either. It's okay… just… a little more. You're all just about off-balance now, aren't you? I think it may be time… Whatever you're planning, it's not going to work. Oh… it isn't?We pick up Black Swan at our next Emotion Level, as I suddenly need a Mass Attack on hand ASAP.
Music: HodBattle03
Tell you what. I've got my weapon all warmed up now… I'll go all out for a moment, and we'll see how well you can handle it. I've got a baad feeling about this, Miss Hod.Tempestuous Danza is Argalia's ultimate attack, and this turn he whips it out alongside a Scout and another Trails of Blue. Danza is a 4-hit multi-target attack coming at us with 2 Strength and no Paralysis. This means that the rolls will be, in order: 10, 9, 7, 5-6. This means Elle Tee is taking a guaranteed minimum of 62 damage due to Stagger—she is dead this turn no matter what. Of our other team members, Hod and Switch are both dangerously low on SR—they'll probably be Staggered by the attack as well. This is bad.
Since Hod's next turn is probably getting skipped, I throw down Black Swan with her—I'm relying on this to blunt much of the Gears' offense this turn. Switch clashes Danza with Overcharge, Medea uses Moulnet, Paul gives Repressed Flesh a try, and Hod goes for Loss of Senses. None of them can block every die, but they'll have to do.
The overall goal here is to do as much damage as we can to Argalia, while also trying to follow up against the Gears as best I can. Handling a situation like this one is as much art as science, and the most important thing I have to say about this turn's strategy is that I didn't bother pulling any of the Gears' attacks off of Elle, since they're wasted on her.
Now… let's begin the dance. Not yet.When both sides are using Mass Attacks, any Mass Attacks on our side will always come out first. They're a great way to get rid of leftover Light on a Librarian who's about to get Staggered or defeated by an enemy MA before their turn can go off.
And so, Hod lets out a pair of tremendous roars on the enemy.
All targets are still moving. Darn it… Oh… finished already? Then allow me. It's too fast…During Tempestuous Danza, Argalia dashes to each target in a blue beam of light and appears slashing behind them. He does this for every person for each die of the attack.
Hm… One of them managed to defend against it. Not expecting it, were you? I'll turn things up. Ghk-! Ah, there we go. How resilient, to last so long despite everything… Elle Tee! You son of a-! Gah! That ought to do it. Like heck it will! Ah, you were still standing? But an attack like that won't ever reach me… It doesn't have to! Someone, status report, now! Yes… "someone," please. Hod and Switch are both out for now, Medea. It's just the two of you. Hear that, Paul?! We need your A-game! Uh-huh! I'll give it all I've got this time! On this, the grandest of stages, I've charmed the entire audience. Not… like this… But you shouldn't forget the other performers. Miss Hod done got booked, Miss Medea! I can see that! And just like that… I've handled this one too while his eyes are somewhere else. Ahh, beans! That's as far as you go. Your comrades are dropping like flies, you're nearly dead, and you're still coming at me without a hint of fear. Crying won't change it. Neither will running. And ultimately… A weakling like you isn't anything to be scared of. Weakling? Even after all of that? It's a shame, but I'll have to break this one's bluster to pieces before we go… …………Right now? Can it perhaps wait for a moment or two? …It can't be helped, if that's the case. What the hell are you on about?! It seems it's time to go already. Don't you run away from me, you bastard! I'm afraid I must. My exit has already been prepared. Have fun with the others, now!Once we reduce him to 250 HP, Argalia will leave the Library early. The hard part of the fight is officially over.
…Is what I would be saying, if we weren't seriously on the backfoot right now. Thankfully, we've got an ace in the hole.
With only 3 Librarians left, it's roughly 30 Emotion Coins to recharge our E.G.O. Elle's death gave us 12, Hod's gave us another 9, and Argalia being defeated was worth 3 more. From there, the Clashes generated the rest of what we needed to be able to spam Black Swan two turns in a row.
Further, Medea knocking Argalia out gave her +1 Light, and her To Overcome Crisis last turn gave her another +1 Light thanks to Tempestuous Danza hitting her to below 25% of her max HP, putting her at exactly the 6 Light necessary to use it.
That blue bastard is the one who killed Elle… He'll pay for it later. But you bastards are the ones who killed Miss Hod… Don't think for a second I'm going to forget about that. As long as I draw breath, you won't lay a finger on anyone else. Not one step forward, you hear me?!Medea's Black Swan takes out one Gear entirely, Staggers a second, and breaks both dice of the remaining two. The enemy doesn't get to make a single move this turn.
Covering cigni… I never thought I'd be happy to see that form. Are you two okay? …Elle Tee and Miss Hod died… Right in front of my eyes. I couldn't… Suck it up. We're finishing this. Yes ma'am! I'll intercept the one that's still got fight in him. You two clean up. Hold on there, ma'am… you're just about to— I… will be fine. Yes'm. Let's clean these three up while we can, then. Darn! Tootin! Switch! Mine's down. Then we're all done… Well… that's the end of it. Nothing to do now but clean them up… and remember th- Knowledge is just pain plus observation! Have a- Er… sorry, ma'am. Reflex.Outside of Vapour, the Gears themselves are no threat—fittingly, this reception is all about how well we can handle Argalia. It's very possible to blitz him down before he ever gets Tempestuous Danza off, and that's really the ideal way to handle the fight. In our case, however, we were able to meet his absurdly OP Mass Attack with two of our own—a close fight, but sometimes it's as simple as spamming your most powerful moves until the enemy stops moving.
Music: Result
It's over… Good job, you three. I'm just glad you guys aren't really… y'know. We nearly bit off more than we could chew... That was a lot. Take all the time you need. I'll handle the books today. Hey, boss. You sure got quiet… seemed like the Blue Reverberation knew you, though? Yeah… we've met a few times. Don't really get along with him, either. You seemed to really not want to talk to him, though. Like I said… we don't get along. I don't suppose we know where he went? Sorry, sir. He's gone.VIDEO
Music: Lobby
We couldn’t get a proper book out of him, either. I really wanted to take a peek at that lunatic’s mind for once… Do you need that person’s book above anything else? …It’s for personal reasons, to be frank. The Blue Reverberation seemed to be after the Red Mist… Then, perhaps a book of the Red Mist could lure him back here again. I appreciate the thought, but how exactly are we gonna do that? You know the original Red Mist kinda doesn’t exist anymore. About that, we might have a way around it… Is he aware that I was the cause of that phenomenon? He’s no ordinary guy, so it’s possible he’s noticed it. Then the Blue Reverberation’s goal may be taking revenge on me, perhaps. No, rather… Anyone who lost what they found precious to the Distortion would resent me once they learned I was responsible for the phenomenon. Well, maybe. Do you regret it or anything? I’m not really sure. All I can say for certain is that it’s not exactly pleasant to know that the resentment against me is growing. Even then, it was ultimately the fault of the one man who trapped me inside for eons that the City came to suffer. I feel much better thinking about it that way. I don’t care if the Blue Reverberation wants vengeance or not. It’s but one of the many clashes between my desire and the City folks’ desires. Right you are. That’s that, and this is this.With that ordeal over, we've opened up Gebura's next Abnormality Battle, as well as another new reception. As for who we'd be receiving… well, Angela may have given that one away already.
Next time, on Library of Ruina
"The smiling faces are unfamiliar yet sorrowful." The Red Mist makes her return… again. To give them more of a chance, I'm putting the other three options into one place this time.Videos
Blue Reverberation 2
New Key Pages
New Combat Pages
Last edited by TeeQueue on Tue Jan 03, 2023 11:36 am, edited 1 time in total.
Lurker here enjoying your LP Tee.
Just want to mention that at least in Korean, Argalia and the Gears still do have dialogue. I also confirmed that if you switch the language to English, all the battle dialogue is not there.
Argalia has special dialogue for the Floor of General Works, and Language, confronting Roland or Gebura, defeating Roland or Gebura, escaping from the Floor of General Works or Language, and being beat by him in when using the Floor of General Works, and Language.
If you want, I could post the dialogue, screenshots, and a translation.
Just want to mention that at least in Korean, Argalia and the Gears still do have dialogue. I also confirmed that if you switch the language to English, all the battle dialogue is not there.
Argalia has special dialogue for the Floor of General Works, and Language, confronting Roland or Gebura, defeating Roland or Gebura, escaping from the Floor of General Works or Language, and being beat by him in when using the Floor of General Works, and Language.
If you want, I could post the dialogue, screenshots, and a translation.
Appendix 29: Church of Gears
A Church of Gears Worshipper’s Page wrote: As the gears turn, our bodies are put in motion… Thought Gears are indispensable for Meat Gears… The introduction seems terrifying, but Thought Gears are said to feel much more satisfaction than Meat Gears do as time passes… Actually, I’m not sure if… a Thought Gear can still think like a human… They say Thought Gears are honored to be serving their role… But perhaps it’s only a made up story told by the worshippers who hadn’t completely gone awry… wishing to free themselves of what little guilt they had… The words I sometimes hear aren’t heard through my ears… The gear guides my body as it rotates, as if it’s entering commands into my brain… Though that matters not… We are able to live thanks to the help of the Thought Gears… We’re no longer lost, unable to find a way ahead… Even if there is no path to take… It tells me where to place my next step…
I just checked, and I'm really shocked to see that the English file for this fight is missing. KR_CombatDialog_The Blue Reverberation is there, but the equivalent English file isn't there. It truly is :lobcorp indeed.
<Character ID="Argalia_nomal">
<Type ID="START_BATTLE">
<BattleDialog ID="START_BATTLE_0">화려한 막이 오르려면… 아직 멀었나?</BattleDialog> -> To truly see a splendid stage... is it not there yet?
<BattleDialog ID="START_BATTLE_1">무대가 우리를 부르고 있잖아. 기꺼이 어울려야지.</BattleDialog> ->The stage is calling us. I'll gladly play with you.
<BattleDialog ID="START_BATTLE_2">서로 무리하지는 말자고. 너희도 나도 아직은 닿을 수 없으니…</BattleDialog> -> Let's not push ourselves. You and I still can't reach it...
</Type>
<Type ID="BATTLE_VICTORY">
<BattleDialog ID="BATTLE_VICTORY_0">다음을 기약할게. 곧, 다시 만나게 되겠지.</BattleDialog>
</Type> -> We'll postpone this for now. We'll see each other soon enough.
<Type ID="DEATH">
<BattleDialog ID="DEATH_0">정답은 찾은 거 같지만… 아직은 과실이 달지 않아.</BattleDialog> -> I found my answer but... the fruit is still not sweet enough yet.
<BattleDialog ID="DEATH_1">…좀 더 익은 뒤에 찾아올게.</BattleDialog> -> ...I'll come back after it ripens a bit more.
</Type>
<Type ID="COLLEAGUE_DEATH">
<BattleDialog ID="COLLEAGUE_DEATH_0">돌아가야 할 곳으로 돌아갔을 뿐.</BattleDialog> -> They simply returned to where they belonged.
<BattleDialog ID="COLLEAGUE_DEATH_1">에일린도 분명 네가 도움이 되어서 기쁠 거야.</BattleDialog> -> Eileen will be happy knowing you were of use.
<BattleDialog ID="COLLEAGUE_DEATH_2">그래… 너도 완전하지 않아 쉽게 으스러진 거겠지.</BattleDialog> -> Ah... like them you are not complete, which is why you break so easily.
<BattleDialog ID="COLLEAGUE_DEATH_3">어쩔 수 없었던 일까지 신경 쓸 필요는 없지.</BattleDialog>
</Type> -> There's no need to concern myself with the inevitable.
<Type ID="KILLS_OPPONENT">
<BattleDialog ID="KILLS_OPPONENT_0">역시… 아직 불완전하구나.</BattleDialog> -> As I suspected... it's still incomplete.
<BattleDialog ID="KILLS_OPPONENT_1">아직은 연약하구나. 가엽게도…</BattleDialog> -> Still too weak. How pitful.
<BattleDialog ID="KILLS_OPPONENT_2">정말 나를 초대할 준비가 되었다고 생각한 거야?</BattleDialog> Did you really think you were ready to invite me?
<BattleDialog ID="KILLS_OPPONENT_3">안타깝네. 그래도 꽤 기대했는데.</BattleDialog> -> Disappointing. I was looking forward to this you know.
<BattleDialog ID="KILLS_OPPONENT_4">그 여린 숨을 언제까지 뱉을 수 있을까… 궁금했어.</BattleDialog>
</Type> -> Gasping for air like that... I was curious how long you would last.
</Character>
<Character ID="Argalia_MeetGebura">
<Type ID="START_BATTLE">
<BattleDialog ID="START_BATTLE_0">뭐…? 하하… 그 붉은안개가 어디를 갔나 했는데…</BattleDialog> -> What...? Haha... And I was wondering where the Red Mist went...
<BattleDialog ID="START_BATTLE_1">이런 곳에서 시종 노릇 하는 게 밖에 알려진다면 정말 웃길 거야.</BattleDialog>
</Type> -> Wouldn't it be hilarious if it is known the Red Mist is a lackey here.
<Type ID="BATTLE_VICTORY">
<BattleDialog ID="BATTLE_VICTORY_0">아쉬움만 남은 전투였어.</BattleDialog> -> This battle was nothing but a disappointment.
</Type>
<Type ID="DEATH">
<BattleDialog ID="DEATH_0">여전히 재밌네… 하지만 내가 바라던 건 아직이야.</BattleDialog> -> Delightful as ever... but for what I desire, it's still not there yet.
</Type>
<Type ID="COLLEAGUE_DEATH">
</Type>
<Type ID="SPECIAL_EVENT">
<BattleDialog ID="SPECIAL_EVENT_0">내가 기대한 건 이런 붉은안개가 아니었어.</BattleDialog> -> This isn't the Red Mist I wanted.
</Type>
</Character>
<Character ID="Argalia_MeetRoland">
<Type ID="START_BATTLE">
<BattleDialog ID="START_BATTLE_0">미쳐버린 후에 어디로 갔나 싶었는데… 이곳에 있었구나.</BattleDialog> -> I wondered where you headed after going berserk... you were here.
<BattleDialog ID="START_BATTLE_1">그때 못다 한 이야기를 나누어 보자.</BattleDialog>
</Type> -> Let's finish that conversation we couldn't finish.
<Type ID="BATTLE_VICTORY">
<BattleDialog ID="BATTLE_VICTORY_0">책은 잘 가져가도록 할게.</BattleDialog> -> I'll be taking this book thank you.
</Type>
<Type ID="DEATH">
<BattleDialog ID="DEATH_0">너희가 더 완벽하게 준비한 후에… 다시 만나자고.</BattleDialog> After you prepare more thoroughly... then we'll meet again.
</Type>
</Type>
<Type ID="SPECIAL_EVENT">
<BattleDialog ID="SPECIAL_EVENT_0">하하… 여전히 한심하구나.</BattleDialog> -> Haha... still so pathetic.................
</Type>
</Character>
<Character ID="Gebura_MeetArgalia">
<Type ID="START_BATTLE">
<BattleDialog ID="START_BATTLE_0">…전투에 있어 사담은 불필요하지.</BattleDialog> -> ...No need for words in a battle.
<BattleDialog ID="START_BATTLE_1">입 다물어. 너나 나나 목적을 이루는 게 먼저일 텐데.</BattleDialog> -> Shut up. Completing our objective comes first, for you and I.
</Type>
<Type ID="BATTLE_VICTORY">
<BattleDialog ID="BATTLE_VICTORY_0">…만족스럽지 못한 전투였어.</BattleDialog>... That wasn't a satisfying fight.
</Type>
<Type ID="DEATH">
<BattleDialog ID="DEATH_0">분하지만… 받아들여야 하는 일이지.</BattleDialog> -> How vexing... but I can only accept it.
</Type>
<Type ID="COLLEAGUE_DEATH">
<BattleDialog ID="COLLEAGUE_DEATH_0">안타까운 죽음이 있어도 멈춰설 수는 없어.</BattleDialog> (same as normal colleague death 0)
<BattleDialog ID="COLLEAGUE_DEATH_1">저녀석의 희생을 헛되이 하고 싶진 않겠지?</BattleDialog> (same as normal colleague death 4)
<BattleDialog ID="COLLEAGUE_DEATH_2">겁 먹지 마. 이길 수 있다고 믿어야 해.</BattleDialog> Don't be scared. We have to believe we can win.
<BattleDialog ID="COLLEAGUE_DEATH_3">승리하지 못할 이유는 없지. 다들 침착해.</BattleDialog> -> There's no reason we can't win. Stay calm.
</Type>
<Type ID="SPECIAL_EVENT">
<BattleDialog ID="SPECIAL_EVENT_0">하아… 겁쟁이 자식.</BattleDialog> Ha... Coward.
</Type>
</Character>
<Character ID="Roland_MeetArgalia">
<Type ID="START_BATTLE">
<BattleDialog ID="START_BATTLE_0">어련하실까요, 푸른 또라이 씨.</BattleDialog>You doing fine too, Blue Retard?
<BattleDialog ID="START_BATTLE_1">너하고 나눌 이야기는 없는 것 같은데 말이지.</BattleDialog>
</Type> I don't think I have anything to say to you though.
<Type ID="BATTLE_VICTORY">
<BattleDialog ID="BATTLE_VICTORY_0">왠지 일을 끝내려다가 만 기분이군…</BattleDialog>
</Type> This doesn't feel like a proper end to things...
<Type ID="DEATH">
<BattleDialog ID="DEATH_0">젠장… 이대로 끝낼 수는 없는데…</BattleDialog>
</Type> Damnit... can't let it end like this.
<Type ID="COLLEAGUE_DEATH">
<BattleDialog ID="COLLEAGUE_DEATH_0">…침착하자고.</BattleDialog>... Stay calm
<BattleDialog ID="COLLEAGUE_DEATH_1">다들 동요하지 마.</BattleDialog> Everyone, don't panic
<BattleDialog ID="COLLEAGUE_DEATH_2">그들 몫까지 내가 하면 되는 거겠지…</BattleDialog> Guess I'll just cover for them...
</Type>
<Type ID="SPECIAL_EVENT">
<BattleDialog ID="SPECIAL_EVENT_0">뭐? …이렇게 내뺀다고?</BattleDialog> What? ... You're leaving like this?
</Type>
</Character>
Sorry for not being to post screenshots yes. Just put together a hasty translation quickly for now. I'll edit in the Gears translations later this evening.
<Character ID="Argalia_nomal">
<Type ID="START_BATTLE">
<BattleDialog ID="START_BATTLE_0">화려한 막이 오르려면… 아직 멀었나?</BattleDialog> -> To truly see a splendid stage... is it not there yet?
<BattleDialog ID="START_BATTLE_1">무대가 우리를 부르고 있잖아. 기꺼이 어울려야지.</BattleDialog> ->The stage is calling us. I'll gladly play with you.
<BattleDialog ID="START_BATTLE_2">서로 무리하지는 말자고. 너희도 나도 아직은 닿을 수 없으니…</BattleDialog> -> Let's not push ourselves. You and I still can't reach it...
</Type>
<Type ID="BATTLE_VICTORY">
<BattleDialog ID="BATTLE_VICTORY_0">다음을 기약할게. 곧, 다시 만나게 되겠지.</BattleDialog>
</Type> -> We'll postpone this for now. We'll see each other soon enough.
<Type ID="DEATH">
<BattleDialog ID="DEATH_0">정답은 찾은 거 같지만… 아직은 과실이 달지 않아.</BattleDialog> -> I found my answer but... the fruit is still not sweet enough yet.
<BattleDialog ID="DEATH_1">…좀 더 익은 뒤에 찾아올게.</BattleDialog> -> ...I'll come back after it ripens a bit more.
</Type>
<Type ID="COLLEAGUE_DEATH">
<BattleDialog ID="COLLEAGUE_DEATH_0">돌아가야 할 곳으로 돌아갔을 뿐.</BattleDialog> -> They simply returned to where they belonged.
<BattleDialog ID="COLLEAGUE_DEATH_1">에일린도 분명 네가 도움이 되어서 기쁠 거야.</BattleDialog> -> Eileen will be happy knowing you were of use.
<BattleDialog ID="COLLEAGUE_DEATH_2">그래… 너도 완전하지 않아 쉽게 으스러진 거겠지.</BattleDialog> -> Ah... like them you are not complete, which is why you break so easily.
<BattleDialog ID="COLLEAGUE_DEATH_3">어쩔 수 없었던 일까지 신경 쓸 필요는 없지.</BattleDialog>
</Type> -> There's no need to concern myself with the inevitable.
<Type ID="KILLS_OPPONENT">
<BattleDialog ID="KILLS_OPPONENT_0">역시… 아직 불완전하구나.</BattleDialog> -> As I suspected... it's still incomplete.
<BattleDialog ID="KILLS_OPPONENT_1">아직은 연약하구나. 가엽게도…</BattleDialog> -> Still too weak. How pitful.
<BattleDialog ID="KILLS_OPPONENT_2">정말 나를 초대할 준비가 되었다고 생각한 거야?</BattleDialog> Did you really think you were ready to invite me?
<BattleDialog ID="KILLS_OPPONENT_3">안타깝네. 그래도 꽤 기대했는데.</BattleDialog> -> Disappointing. I was looking forward to this you know.
<BattleDialog ID="KILLS_OPPONENT_4">그 여린 숨을 언제까지 뱉을 수 있을까… 궁금했어.</BattleDialog>
</Type> -> Gasping for air like that... I was curious how long you would last.
</Character>
<Character ID="Argalia_MeetGebura">
<Type ID="START_BATTLE">
<BattleDialog ID="START_BATTLE_0">뭐…? 하하… 그 붉은안개가 어디를 갔나 했는데…</BattleDialog> -> What...? Haha... And I was wondering where the Red Mist went...
<BattleDialog ID="START_BATTLE_1">이런 곳에서 시종 노릇 하는 게 밖에 알려진다면 정말 웃길 거야.</BattleDialog>
</Type> -> Wouldn't it be hilarious if it is known the Red Mist is a lackey here.
<Type ID="BATTLE_VICTORY">
<BattleDialog ID="BATTLE_VICTORY_0">아쉬움만 남은 전투였어.</BattleDialog> -> This battle was nothing but a disappointment.
</Type>
<Type ID="DEATH">
<BattleDialog ID="DEATH_0">여전히 재밌네… 하지만 내가 바라던 건 아직이야.</BattleDialog> -> Delightful as ever... but for what I desire, it's still not there yet.
</Type>
<Type ID="COLLEAGUE_DEATH">
</Type>
<Type ID="SPECIAL_EVENT">
<BattleDialog ID="SPECIAL_EVENT_0">내가 기대한 건 이런 붉은안개가 아니었어.</BattleDialog> -> This isn't the Red Mist I wanted.
</Type>
</Character>
<Character ID="Argalia_MeetRoland">
<Type ID="START_BATTLE">
<BattleDialog ID="START_BATTLE_0">미쳐버린 후에 어디로 갔나 싶었는데… 이곳에 있었구나.</BattleDialog> -> I wondered where you headed after going berserk... you were here.
<BattleDialog ID="START_BATTLE_1">그때 못다 한 이야기를 나누어 보자.</BattleDialog>
</Type> -> Let's finish that conversation we couldn't finish.
<Type ID="BATTLE_VICTORY">
<BattleDialog ID="BATTLE_VICTORY_0">책은 잘 가져가도록 할게.</BattleDialog> -> I'll be taking this book thank you.
</Type>
<Type ID="DEATH">
<BattleDialog ID="DEATH_0">너희가 더 완벽하게 준비한 후에… 다시 만나자고.</BattleDialog> After you prepare more thoroughly... then we'll meet again.
</Type>
</Type>
<Type ID="SPECIAL_EVENT">
<BattleDialog ID="SPECIAL_EVENT_0">하하… 여전히 한심하구나.</BattleDialog> -> Haha... still so pathetic.................
</Type>
</Character>
<Character ID="Gebura_MeetArgalia">
<Type ID="START_BATTLE">
<BattleDialog ID="START_BATTLE_0">…전투에 있어 사담은 불필요하지.</BattleDialog> -> ...No need for words in a battle.
<BattleDialog ID="START_BATTLE_1">입 다물어. 너나 나나 목적을 이루는 게 먼저일 텐데.</BattleDialog> -> Shut up. Completing our objective comes first, for you and I.
</Type>
<Type ID="BATTLE_VICTORY">
<BattleDialog ID="BATTLE_VICTORY_0">…만족스럽지 못한 전투였어.</BattleDialog>... That wasn't a satisfying fight.
</Type>
<Type ID="DEATH">
<BattleDialog ID="DEATH_0">분하지만… 받아들여야 하는 일이지.</BattleDialog> -> How vexing... but I can only accept it.
</Type>
<Type ID="COLLEAGUE_DEATH">
<BattleDialog ID="COLLEAGUE_DEATH_0">안타까운 죽음이 있어도 멈춰설 수는 없어.</BattleDialog> (same as normal colleague death 0)
<BattleDialog ID="COLLEAGUE_DEATH_1">저녀석의 희생을 헛되이 하고 싶진 않겠지?</BattleDialog> (same as normal colleague death 4)
<BattleDialog ID="COLLEAGUE_DEATH_2">겁 먹지 마. 이길 수 있다고 믿어야 해.</BattleDialog> Don't be scared. We have to believe we can win.
<BattleDialog ID="COLLEAGUE_DEATH_3">승리하지 못할 이유는 없지. 다들 침착해.</BattleDialog> -> There's no reason we can't win. Stay calm.
</Type>
<Type ID="SPECIAL_EVENT">
<BattleDialog ID="SPECIAL_EVENT_0">하아… 겁쟁이 자식.</BattleDialog> Ha... Coward.
</Type>
</Character>
<Character ID="Roland_MeetArgalia">
<Type ID="START_BATTLE">
<BattleDialog ID="START_BATTLE_0">어련하실까요, 푸른 또라이 씨.</BattleDialog>You doing fine too, Blue Retard?
<BattleDialog ID="START_BATTLE_1">너하고 나눌 이야기는 없는 것 같은데 말이지.</BattleDialog>
</Type> I don't think I have anything to say to you though.
<Type ID="BATTLE_VICTORY">
<BattleDialog ID="BATTLE_VICTORY_0">왠지 일을 끝내려다가 만 기분이군…</BattleDialog>
</Type> This doesn't feel like a proper end to things...
<Type ID="DEATH">
<BattleDialog ID="DEATH_0">젠장… 이대로 끝낼 수는 없는데…</BattleDialog>
</Type> Damnit... can't let it end like this.
<Type ID="COLLEAGUE_DEATH">
<BattleDialog ID="COLLEAGUE_DEATH_0">…침착하자고.</BattleDialog>... Stay calm
<BattleDialog ID="COLLEAGUE_DEATH_1">다들 동요하지 마.</BattleDialog> Everyone, don't panic
<BattleDialog ID="COLLEAGUE_DEATH_2">그들 몫까지 내가 하면 되는 거겠지…</BattleDialog> Guess I'll just cover for them...
</Type>
<Type ID="SPECIAL_EVENT">
<BattleDialog ID="SPECIAL_EVENT_0">뭐? …이렇게 내뺀다고?</BattleDialog> What? ... You're leaving like this?
</Type>
</Character>
Sorry for not being to post screenshots yes. Just put together a hasty translation quickly for now. I'll edit in the Gears translations later this evening.
Language—628.75—Mountain of Smiling Bodies
Music: Lobby
Boss…
No.
Come on…
No.
They're doing it again?
They never stopped. Tenebrais really wants to get Abnormality privilages back.
Well, I mean… was it that bad?
Doesn't matter. I don't have time to babysit you guys, and losing sight of yourself is suicide in a real fight.
Speaking of, it's time to go to work.
It was that Mountain this time, right? It's definitely a step up from the last two.
It all comes down to the state we fight it in, really.
So if the book gives it its ideal environment…
Like it matters. There's no such thing as an enemy that can touch us.
I hope that your confidence serves you well.
SNAP
Music: AbnormalityBattle03
Huh… we're home.
This isn't home, it's a Lobotomy Corporation hallway.
Home to me.
Eyes forward, team. This isn't a worst case scenario, but we can't let it become one either.
Yes ma'am!
Mountain of Smiling Bodies starts off in its 2-ball form, with 250/350 HP. It will use Devour on its allies to recover its own HP, and our job is to prevent it from hitting full HP. If we drain its HP, it'll downgrade to stage 1, and if its HP hits max, it'll change into stage 3, which is…
We don't ever want to deal with it, but only because it's time consuming—it's not really that dangerous. No, the real problem here is those Melted Corpses surrounding Mountain of Smiling Bodies.
Rot, the ability of the Melted Corpses, deals 8 damage to any of our Librarians that land a hit on them. This applies for each hit we land, meaning that without good HP recovery we can only hit them a total of ~10 times per person. They can be killed, but MoSB will spawn more as its HP falls, making this a pointless endeavor. Finally, while Mountain of Smiling Bodies will attack the Melted Corpses itself, it does not take any damage from Rot. The fight is ultimately playing tug-of-war with Mountain of Smiling Bodies's HP recovery to try and burn it down, while doing as little as possible to the Corpses.
This turn, and every other turn afterwards, Stage 2 Mountain will throw a Horrid Screech at us. Being an Individual MA it can get some stray hits in on even our best pages, and those hits will deal bonus Stagger damage to us. It popping up is an excellent chance to pour offense onto Mountain of Smiling Bodies, however.
This is because its other offensive page, Devour, is used against Melted Corpses as long as they're around.Letting them pass ensures MoSB regains 14 HP per page, but we can easily outdamage that. Our only real concern is ensuring that it doesn't wind up finishing off one of the Melting Corpses—if it does so, it'll regain 30% of its max HP.
Pained Wail is the only page that Melted Corpses can play, and it's a pair of weak Ranged dice that deal bonus Stagger damage on hit. Because it costs 2 Light and two of the Corpses start with only 1, we'll have to handle two of these every turn. This turn, Tenebrais intercepts one while Credentia has a Counter die lined up to block the other.
It's going after the bodies…
Never stop your enemy from making a mistake, I guess. Let's beat it down, team!
The turn begins with Mountain of Smiling Bodies's mass attack, another of the full screen ripple-type attacks.
Was it.. Always that loud?!
This is why we didn't let it grow if we could help it!
It manages to rip a die off of the entire team's pages, but since we aren't facing much offense this turn that's fine.
We managed to weather it, at least.
That just leaves these guys throwing this corrosive crap at us!
It's highly caustic. Don't let any get on you.
Not really an option!
If we have to clash with Pained Wail directly, a single-die offensive page is our best bet outside of Smoking Pipe—which only Gebura has. Counter Dice are the other best way to deal with it, but sometimes they can get beaten by the first attack.
Mmph, it stings though..!
Just push through it, it's not that bad.
That leads to Credentia taking some chip SR damage, as Protection soaks the HP hit entirely.
Way's clear, team. Take the fight to the bastard!
Don't have to tell me twice.
I got the smoke set up, you guys. We're all clear to go ham.
Good thing… it looks like it can still heal itself by consuming bodies.
Then we just have to tear it apart faster than it can pull itself together.
Well said.
As this is an off-turn for its Mass Attack, all three of Mountain of Smiling Bodies's attacks are Devours targeted at the Melted Corpses. The plan here is to pull only one Devour off of the enemy side, and focus all of our attacks on it—we should be able to Stagger the thing this turn easily.
The two in the back are threatening us this time. I'll take one of 'em.
Leave the other to me.
I thought that a distance would be fine..!
That's a really accurate spray.
Rot still applies against Ranged attacks. Don't ask me how it works.
At times like this, it's most important to just defend against the enemy until an opportunity opens up.
That takes too long. I've torn it up, let's hit it hard!
Sure. Good hit, kid.
So it's beating time, right?
Sure is. Give it all you've got.
Ignore the little ones. Bring the main body down, now!
Almost done. Just needs a bit more!
Then get out of my way!
In one page, Gebura's able to deal 80 damage to Mountain of Smiling Bodies—Smoke's multiplier works just fine on Discipline, making Smoke-based Boris builds the best option for it.
That ought to get this dango down to size!
Good work. We should have triggered its defense mechanism.
Sure enough… that… whatchamacallit?
Fragmentation, ma'am?
Fragmentation is a form of asexual reproduction, since the shed portions aren't capable of surviving and maturing on their own. This is closer to autotomy.
You think so..? The bits are working just fine as new mounds of corpses, though…
Ah, whatever! Who cares what it's called, it happened and now we kick its ass again!
Now you're speakin' my language!
On defeat, Stage 2 becomes Stage 1 Mountain of Smiling Bodies, and is surrounded by four new Melted Corpses—they'll replace any existing Melted Corpses as well, effectively giving them all a full heal.
Stage 1 is a much weaker opponent than Stage 2, losing any Mass Attacks, a full Speed Die, and also its 1 Strength from the previous form. All it does is try to Devour the Melted Corpses, and hit 250 HP to get back to its second form.
We aren't going to give it the opportunity.
This is… fine. I'm fine!
What a coincidence, I'm fine too! I could do this all day, even!
Tenebrais's build is designed to stockpile a lot of HP off of the multiple enemies we'll be defeating. This means that she can block as many of the Melted Corpse's attacks as she likes, and her single dice are the best way to do it.
Meanwhile, Gebura finally drew one of her Inhale Smokes. Inhale Smoke is incredible when paired with the Gears's Internal Combustion Engine passive—the +1 Smoke applies to each instance of a page giving our Librarian Smoke, so instead of adding 3 automatically and 4 on hit it now adds 4 and 5—letting us get to 9 Smoke in a single page. This is as absurd as it sounds.
It's already off-guard?!
I knew it was weak without the bodies to power it up, but… maybe we're just too strong?
Come on… I can feel it!
…fine. At this point we'll win with or without you. Remember: don't only listen to the voice.
I know, I know! It's easy!
Hmph. Five of you, and not a single one is anything worth worrying about…
Right off the deep end again, eh?
No. Nope. I'm still here. I'm just better than these guys.
Then how about you focus on blocking the corpses?
It's a deal. Just remember the payment.
It's… an improvement?
Vengeance's Strength boost counts damage taken from effects such as Rot, meaning Tenebrais can now block both of the attacks from the Melted Corpses every turn by herself, turning it into +2 Strength for her next turn. Our plan for her is complete… about three turns too late for it to be useful in this fight. This is one of the tricky bits about Library of Ruina: it's easy to come up with neat plans, but battles are so fast-paced that the majority of them won't come to fruition before the battle is already decided.
Blew it apart. How're things going for you, Tenebrais?
I'm doing… just… fine! The hunt… We're done here, right?
Should be, but…
They broke up again.
They're trying to reform. We can't let them get away with it!
There's no time… Everyone take out one of 'em!
This is Mountain of Smiling Bodies's final trick: on being defeated it'll spawn four Melted Corpses with 25 HP each. Our job is to take all four of them out within 3 Scenes, or else it'll reform with however much HP the four of them have combined. The Corpses still have Rot, but it's not worth it to hold anything back this late into the fight.
The plan is pretty simple: Everyone takes out one Melted Corpses each. As long as we get here with our whole team intact, the endgame is basically free.
First. How are you guys doing?
Already done. Good speed, Credentia.
Dammit, third?! A mercenary of my caliber shouldn't be third…
Filter it properly, Tenebrais.
…Nnngh… I'm trying! It's like whatever the opposite of riding a bike is!
And we're done here… That was foul.
At least it was easy.
…it's gone. I'm still banned, huh.
Yeah. You tried, but it was a failure.
Don't worry, sis. We'll figure something out.
Obviously.
Under normal circumstances, a is supposed to be given to a node in the event that I think it might kill me at least once. Mountain of Smiling Bodies didn't give us a fight that properly showed off that rating, but if we hadn't handled it exactly how we did things could have quickly tilted out of our favor.
It's an Abnormality Battle that's entirely about approaching it in the right way, and so long as we do that it's actually a very simple and one-sided beatdown.
VIDEO
Music: GeburaStory
Seems so. I can’t see myself to be identical to Kali, either.
What’s the big difference between the Red Mist and your present self, though?
I used to be able to freely wield E.G.O. I was probably the only one in the City who could manage such a feat.
Weapons and armor that resonate with your own heart. Who could’ve imagined that?
And now, I can’t handle those E.G.O as smoothly anymore.
But the librarians can use E.G.O now, right?
True. But we aren’t in full control of the E.G.O we use.
We’re just temporarily acquiring it. From… Abnormalities.
So, if I’m getting this right… we’re basically borrowing powers from the creatures we call Abnormalities in the form of E.G.O.
That’s pretty much it. We’re not in the state to use them properly.
And so the Red Mist was?
Well, the sword I used to wield was extracted from someone else, but the armor was my own E.G.O. Those empowered me greatly.
I mean, yeah, no one could’ve seen that coming. Weapons and armor that resonate with the mind… Your foes must’ve been helpless against them.
And the Distortion happens if you’re gobbled up by it?
I suppose so. Every time I used E.G.O, it felt as if someone were talking to me.
They’re what I desperately needed to hear, but at the same time, those words are things I don’t want to listen to. It was like a raging torrent that could sweep my consciousness away if I ever lost my grip.
Not sure I felt that. I guess it’s because the E.G.O we use here are adjusted by Angela in advance.
I’m mostly worried about what may happen when people out there start manifesting and using E.G.O.
Who gave you access to such amazing gear, anyway?
…Carmen.
The person who supposedly led the research to cure humanity, wasn’t it.
Right. Carmen was from the Nest, but she wasn’t afraid to hang around the Backstreets to give her fervent speech. She wasn’t gonna last long if she kept that up, if we’re being honest.
So you helped her out of pity or something?
Not a chance. I wasn’t naive enough to serve anyone without payment. I simply wondered just what exactly a Nest dweller would know about the agonies of the City to be so passionate about the matter.
I got mad that some dweeb was spouting off like she understood everything. So I grabbed her and snapped at her. “How dare you rattle on about that! What do you know about the pain and suffering people in the Backstreets go through?!” I yelled. I thought Carmen would whimper on the verge of tears, but she instead kept a straight face and retorted with a question.
She said she’ll tell me all about the pain and agony of the Nest, so I should teach her about the suffering of the Backstreets in return. She was so shameless. I didn’t like how she acted so brash for someone so weak.
Her eyes and voice, on the other hand, carried a certain energy. She said even the weakest people could gain the power to easily topple the Head if they set their mind to it. That she will give everyone the therapy to grant such power and mindset. She gave me her card, telling me to come over if I was interested.
That was before you got assigned a Color, right?
Yep, I was a Grade 2 back then.
You bought into her borderline cultist hooey despite being a Grade 2?
No, I believed her because I was that experienced, actually. I’d met countless swindlers and hacks in my life, but something about Carmen told me that she wasn’t one of them.
Just what kind of person was she…?
Anyways, I decided to count on Carmen. If I could protect this person, maybe this world might change. Maybe fewer people would have to suffer the same kind of pain I did.
That’s why you worked for practically free, huh. All the while you did unbelievable things, becoming a living legend, and getting a Color.
Those were just extras. Doing meaningful work was enough for me.
You sure are strong. And stupidly honest.
Heard that a lot.
Thanks for the stories, by the way.
How about a cig?
No thanks~ Still got loads of work to do.
Music: Lobby
And so, Gebura's floor is now level 4. This is a very important level for Gebura's floor.
This is because all three of these Abnormality pages are great.
Absorption gives whoever it's slapped onto 20% HP recovery every time they defeat an enemy, and as a bonus they get +1 Strength for every 10% HP they've recovered throughout the Act. The second effect also includes HP recovery from pages like Extract Fuel and abilities like Health Hauler, and it will even count HP recovery from attacks before the page is taken. The only downside (if it can even be called that) is that the Strength bonus maxes out at 3. Older versions of the game did not give this page a limit, and over a long battle it was trivial to stack up 8 or more Strength from this Abnormality Page alone. Even after the nerf, it's still an instant-pick.
Laughter is yet another Language floor page that's designed to work beautifully with Yujin. Every hit against the holder while they have 50% or fewer of their max HP has a 50-50 chance to deal low Stagger damage to the entire enemy, as well as give all of them 1 Fragile for additional follow-up damage. It's a decent pick if we're focusing on a Yujin build, but otherwise it's overshadowed by the many better options that are here on Language.
Lastly, there's Mountain of Corpses. There's an old adage amongst tabletop GMs that nothing is worse than when the entire party merges to become Voltron, and this is that in Abnormality Page form. For the low, low cost of 'all your other Librarians,' one Librarian is given an absurd amount of Max Light, Light regeneration, Strength, Protection, and Haste. This also will trigger any Lone Fixer or Remembrance passives that we may have put on them as well, meaning that if we toss four Librarians into this, the remaining one could get +9 Strength every turn for the rest of the battle This is exactly as absurd as it sounds, and leads to Gebura's floor being almost exclusively about a single Librarian in an incredibly overpowered Key Page running rampant over entire enemy groups.
Ah, hell…
Don't sweat it, sis. You did do better than before.
Again I ask, how bad was it?
We were fighting the wolf, and I was the Mercenary.
Aha… that's definitely bad.
You guys still on about that? Well, it's good timing. Come on, kid. I had an idea.
Another one? That mindfulness whatever barely did anything at all.
You can always stay banned.
Nevermind, boss. I'm in.
Next time, on Library of Ruina
The Red Mist's new toys are very good, but only for one person.
The Prescripts introduce more pages to the already incredible Singleton archetype.
Liu, meanwhile, has a number of staple picks that are nearly considered required to fight opponents this strong.
Cane Office… isn't that amazing, but an old friend may show up afterwards. There are no wrong answers right now.
Videos
Gebura 4
Music: Lobby
Boss… No. Come on… No. They're doing it again? They never stopped. Tenebrais really wants to get Abnormality privilages back. Well, I mean… was it that bad? Doesn't matter. I don't have time to babysit you guys, and losing sight of yourself is suicide in a real fight. Speaking of, it's time to go to work. It was that Mountain this time, right? It's definitely a step up from the last two. It all comes down to the state we fight it in, really. So if the book gives it its ideal environment… Like it matters. There's no such thing as an enemy that can touch us. I hope that your confidence serves you well.SNAP
Music: AbnormalityBattle03
Huh… we're home. This isn't home, it's a Lobotomy Corporation hallway. Home to me. Eyes forward, team. This isn't a worst case scenario, but we can't let it become one either. Yes ma'am!Mountain of Smiling Bodies (all levels) wrote:Grgh… It… hurts… Krrgh…
Mountain of Smiling Bodies (Stage 2) wrote:
Mountain of Smiling Bodies starts off in its 2-ball form, with 250/350 HP. It will use Devour on its allies to recover its own HP, and our job is to prevent it from hitting full HP. If we drain its HP, it'll downgrade to stage 1, and if its HP hits max, it'll change into stage 3, which is…
Mountain of Smiling Bodies (Stage 3) wrote:
We don't ever want to deal with it, but only because it's time consuming—it's not really that dangerous. No, the real problem here is those Melted Corpses surrounding Mountain of Smiling Bodies.
Rot, the ability of the Melted Corpses, deals 8 damage to any of our Librarians that land a hit on them. This applies for each hit we land, meaning that without good HP recovery we can only hit them a total of ~10 times per person. They can be killed, but MoSB will spawn more as its HP falls, making this a pointless endeavor. Finally, while Mountain of Smiling Bodies will attack the Melted Corpses itself, it does not take any damage from Rot. The fight is ultimately playing tug-of-war with Mountain of Smiling Bodies's HP recovery to try and burn it down, while doing as little as possible to the Corpses.
This turn, and every other turn afterwards, Stage 2 Mountain will throw a Horrid Screech at us. Being an Individual MA it can get some stray hits in on even our best pages, and those hits will deal bonus Stagger damage to us. It popping up is an excellent chance to pour offense onto Mountain of Smiling Bodies, however.
This is because its other offensive page, Devour, is used against Melted Corpses as long as they're around.Letting them pass ensures MoSB regains 14 HP per page, but we can easily outdamage that. Our only real concern is ensuring that it doesn't wind up finishing off one of the Melting Corpses—if it does so, it'll regain 30% of its max HP.
Pained Wail is the only page that Melted Corpses can play, and it's a pair of weak Ranged dice that deal bonus Stagger damage on hit. Because it costs 2 Light and two of the Corpses start with only 1, we'll have to handle two of these every turn. This turn, Tenebrais intercepts one while Credentia has a Counter die lined up to block the other.
It's going after the bodies… Never stop your enemy from making a mistake, I guess. Let's beat it down, team!The turn begins with Mountain of Smiling Bodies's mass attack, another of the full screen ripple-type attacks.
Was it.. Always that loud?! This is why we didn't let it grow if we could help it!It manages to rip a die off of the entire team's pages, but since we aren't facing much offense this turn that's fine.
We managed to weather it, at least. That just leaves these guys throwing this corrosive crap at us! It's highly caustic. Don't let any get on you. Not really an option!If we have to clash with Pained Wail directly, a single-die offensive page is our best bet outside of Smoking Pipe—which only Gebura has. Counter Dice are the other best way to deal with it, but sometimes they can get beaten by the first attack.
Mmph, it stings though..! Just push through it, it's not that bad.That leads to Credentia taking some chip SR damage, as Protection soaks the HP hit entirely.
Way's clear, team. Take the fight to the bastard! Don't have to tell me twice. I got the smoke set up, you guys. We're all clear to go ham. Good thing… it looks like it can still heal itself by consuming bodies. Then we just have to tear it apart faster than it can pull itself together. Well said.As this is an off-turn for its Mass Attack, all three of Mountain of Smiling Bodies's attacks are Devours targeted at the Melted Corpses. The plan here is to pull only one Devour off of the enemy side, and focus all of our attacks on it—we should be able to Stagger the thing this turn easily.
The two in the back are threatening us this time. I'll take one of 'em. Leave the other to me. I thought that a distance would be fine..! That's a really accurate spray.Rot still applies against Ranged attacks. Don't ask me how it works.
At times like this, it's most important to just defend against the enemy until an opportunity opens up. That takes too long. I've torn it up, let's hit it hard! Sure. Good hit, kid. So it's beating time, right? Sure is. Give it all you've got. Ignore the little ones. Bring the main body down, now! Almost done. Just needs a bit more! Then get out of my way!In one page, Gebura's able to deal 80 damage to Mountain of Smiling Bodies—Smoke's multiplier works just fine on Discipline, making Smoke-based Boris builds the best option for it.
That ought to get this dango down to size! Good work. We should have triggered its defense mechanism. Sure enough… that… whatchamacallit? Fragmentation, ma'am? Fragmentation is a form of asexual reproduction, since the shed portions aren't capable of surviving and maturing on their own. This is closer to autotomy. You think so..? The bits are working just fine as new mounds of corpses, though… Ah, whatever! Who cares what it's called, it happened and now we kick its ass again! Now you're speakin' my language!On defeat, Stage 2 becomes Stage 1 Mountain of Smiling Bodies, and is surrounded by four new Melted Corpses—they'll replace any existing Melted Corpses as well, effectively giving them all a full heal.
Mountain of Smiling Bodies (Stage 1) wrote:
Stage 1 is a much weaker opponent than Stage 2, losing any Mass Attacks, a full Speed Die, and also its 1 Strength from the previous form. All it does is try to Devour the Melted Corpses, and hit 250 HP to get back to its second form.
We aren't going to give it the opportunity.
This is… fine. I'm fine! What a coincidence, I'm fine too! I could do this all day, even!Tenebrais's build is designed to stockpile a lot of HP off of the multiple enemies we'll be defeating. This means that she can block as many of the Melted Corpse's attacks as she likes, and her single dice are the best way to do it.
Meanwhile, Gebura finally drew one of her Inhale Smokes. Inhale Smoke is incredible when paired with the Gears's Internal Combustion Engine passive—the +1 Smoke applies to each instance of a page giving our Librarian Smoke, so instead of adding 3 automatically and 4 on hit it now adds 4 and 5—letting us get to 9 Smoke in a single page. This is as absurd as it sounds.
It's already off-guard?! I knew it was weak without the bodies to power it up, but… maybe we're just too strong? Come on… I can feel it! …fine. At this point we'll win with or without you. Remember: don't only listen to the voice. I know, I know! It's easy! Hmph. Five of you, and not a single one is anything worth worrying about… Right off the deep end again, eh? No. Nope. I'm still here. I'm just better than these guys. Then how about you focus on blocking the corpses? It's a deal. Just remember the payment. It's… an improvement?Vengeance's Strength boost counts damage taken from effects such as Rot, meaning Tenebrais can now block both of the attacks from the Melted Corpses every turn by herself, turning it into +2 Strength for her next turn. Our plan for her is complete… about three turns too late for it to be useful in this fight. This is one of the tricky bits about Library of Ruina: it's easy to come up with neat plans, but battles are so fast-paced that the majority of them won't come to fruition before the battle is already decided.
Blew it apart. How're things going for you, Tenebrais? I'm doing… just… fine! The hunt… We're done here, right? Should be, but… They broke up again. They're trying to reform. We can't let them get away with it! There's no time… Everyone take out one of 'em!This is Mountain of Smiling Bodies's final trick: on being defeated it'll spawn four Melted Corpses with 25 HP each. Our job is to take all four of them out within 3 Scenes, or else it'll reform with however much HP the four of them have combined. The Corpses still have Rot, but it's not worth it to hold anything back this late into the fight.
Mountain of Smiling Bodies wrote:
The plan is pretty simple: Everyone takes out one Melted Corpses each. As long as we get here with our whole team intact, the endgame is basically free.
First. How are you guys doing? Already done. Good speed, Credentia. Dammit, third?! A mercenary of my caliber shouldn't be third… Filter it properly, Tenebrais. …Nnngh… I'm trying! It's like whatever the opposite of riding a bike is! And we're done here… That was foul. At least it was easy. …it's gone. I'm still banned, huh. Yeah. You tried, but it was a failure. Don't worry, sis. We'll figure something out. Obviously. Under normal circumstances, a
is supposed to be given to a node in the event that I think it might kill me at least once. Mountain of Smiling Bodies didn't give us a fight that properly showed off that rating, but if we hadn't handled it exactly how we did things could have quickly tilted out of our favor.It's an Abnormality Battle that's entirely about approaching it in the right way, and so long as we do that it's actually a very simple and one-sided beatdown.
VIDEO
Music: GeburaStory
Seems so. I can’t see myself to be identical to Kali, either. What’s the big difference between the Red Mist and your present self, though? I used to be able to freely wield E.G.O. I was probably the only one in the City who could manage such a feat. Weapons and armor that resonate with your own heart. Who could’ve imagined that? And now, I can’t handle those E.G.O as smoothly anymore. But the librarians can use E.G.O now, right? True. But we aren’t in full control of the E.G.O we use. We’re just temporarily acquiring it. From… Abnormalities. So, if I’m getting this right… we’re basically borrowing powers from the creatures we call Abnormalities in the form of E.G.O. That’s pretty much it. We’re not in the state to use them properly. And so the Red Mist was? Well, the sword I used to wield was extracted from someone else, but the armor was my own E.G.O. Those empowered me greatly. I mean, yeah, no one could’ve seen that coming. Weapons and armor that resonate with the mind… Your foes must’ve been helpless against them. And the Distortion happens if you’re gobbled up by it? I suppose so. Every time I used E.G.O, it felt as if someone were talking to me. They’re what I desperately needed to hear, but at the same time, those words are things I don’t want to listen to. It was like a raging torrent that could sweep my consciousness away if I ever lost my grip. Not sure I felt that. I guess it’s because the E.G.O we use here are adjusted by Angela in advance. I’m mostly worried about what may happen when people out there start manifesting and using E.G.O. Who gave you access to such amazing gear, anyway? …Carmen. The person who supposedly led the research to cure humanity, wasn’t it. Right. Carmen was from the Nest, but she wasn’t afraid to hang around the Backstreets to give her fervent speech. She wasn’t gonna last long if she kept that up, if we’re being honest. So you helped her out of pity or something? Not a chance. I wasn’t naive enough to serve anyone without payment. I simply wondered just what exactly a Nest dweller would know about the agonies of the City to be so passionate about the matter. I got mad that some dweeb was spouting off like she understood everything. So I grabbed her and snapped at her. “How dare you rattle on about that! What do you know about the pain and suffering people in the Backstreets go through?!” I yelled. I thought Carmen would whimper on the verge of tears, but she instead kept a straight face and retorted with a question. She said she’ll tell me all about the pain and agony of the Nest, so I should teach her about the suffering of the Backstreets in return. She was so shameless. I didn’t like how she acted so brash for someone so weak. Her eyes and voice, on the other hand, carried a certain energy. She said even the weakest people could gain the power to easily topple the Head if they set their mind to it. That she will give everyone the therapy to grant such power and mindset. She gave me her card, telling me to come over if I was interested. That was before you got assigned a Color, right? Yep, I was a Grade 2 back then. You bought into her borderline cultist hooey despite being a Grade 2? No, I believed her because I was that experienced, actually. I’d met countless swindlers and hacks in my life, but something about Carmen told me that she wasn’t one of them. Just what kind of person was she…? Anyways, I decided to count on Carmen. If I could protect this person, maybe this world might change. Maybe fewer people would have to suffer the same kind of pain I did. That’s why you worked for practically free, huh. All the while you did unbelievable things, becoming a living legend, and getting a Color. Those were just extras. Doing meaningful work was enough for me. You sure are strong. And stupidly honest. Heard that a lot. Thanks for the stories, by the way. How about a cig? No thanks~ Still got loads of work to do.Music: Lobby
And so, Gebura's floor is now level 4. This is a very important level for Gebura's floor.
This is because all three of these Abnormality pages are great.
Absorption gives whoever it's slapped onto 20% HP recovery every time they defeat an enemy, and as a bonus they get +1 Strength for every 10% HP they've recovered throughout the Act. The second effect also includes HP recovery from pages like Extract Fuel and abilities like Health Hauler, and it will even count HP recovery from attacks before the page is taken. The only downside (if it can even be called that) is that the Strength bonus maxes out at 3. Older versions of the game did not give this page a limit, and over a long battle it was trivial to stack up 8 or more Strength from this Abnormality Page alone. Even after the nerf, it's still an instant-pick.
Laughter is yet another Language floor page that's designed to work beautifully with Yujin. Every hit against the holder while they have 50% or fewer of their max HP has a 50-50 chance to deal low Stagger damage to the entire enemy, as well as give all of them 1 Fragile for additional follow-up damage. It's a decent pick if we're focusing on a Yujin build, but otherwise it's overshadowed by the many better options that are here on Language.
Lastly, there's Mountain of Corpses. There's an old adage amongst tabletop GMs that nothing is worse than when the entire party merges to become Voltron, and this is that in Abnormality Page form. For the low, low cost of 'all your other Librarians,' one Librarian is given an absurd amount of Max Light, Light regeneration, Strength, Protection, and Haste. This also will trigger any Lone Fixer or Remembrance passives that we may have put on them as well, meaning that if we toss four Librarians into this, the remaining one could get +9 Strength every turn for the rest of the battle This is exactly as absurd as it sounds, and leads to Gebura's floor being almost exclusively about a single Librarian in an incredibly overpowered Key Page running rampant over entire enemy groups.
Ah, hell… Don't sweat it, sis. You did do better than before. Again I ask, how bad was it? We were fighting the wolf, and I was the Mercenary. Aha… that's definitely bad. You guys still on about that? Well, it's good timing. Come on, kid. I had an idea. Another one? That mindfulness whatever barely did anything at all. You can always stay banned. Nevermind, boss. I'm in.Next time, on Library of Ruina
The Red Mist's new toys are very good, but only for one person. The Prescripts introduce more pages to the already incredible Singleton archetype. Liu, meanwhile, has a number of staple picks that are nearly considered required to fight opponents this strong. Cane Office… isn't that amazing, but an old friend may show up afterwards. There are no wrong answers right now.Videos
Gebura 4
Last edited by TeeQueue on Wed Jan 11, 2023 11:41 am, edited 1 time in total.
Looking at this, I'm assuming that Roland's line woudl be localized to 'Blue Sicko?'wreck wrote: ↑Tue Jan 03, 2023 9:18 amI just checked, and I'm really shocked to see that the English file for this fight is missing. KR_CombatDialog_The Blue Reverberation is there, but the equivalent English file isn't there. It truly is :lobcorp indeed.
<Character ID="Argalia_nomal">
<Type ID="START_BATTLE">
<BattleDialog ID="START_BATTLE_0">화려한 막이 오르려면… 아직 멀었나?</BattleDialog> -> To truly see a splendid stage... is it not there yet?
<BattleDialog ID="START_BATTLE_1">무대가 우리를 부르고 있잖아. 기꺼이 어울려야지.</BattleDialog> ->The stage is calling us. I'll gladly play with you.
<BattleDialog ID="START_BATTLE_2">서로 무리하지는 말자고. 너희도 나도 아직은 닿을 수 없으니…</BattleDialog> -> Let's not push ourselves. You and I still can't reach it...
</Type>
<Type ID="BATTLE_VICTORY">
<BattleDialog ID="BATTLE_VICTORY_0">다음을 기약할게. 곧, 다시 만나게 되겠지.</BattleDialog>
</Type> -> We'll postpone this for now. We'll see each other soon enough.
<Type ID="DEATH">
<BattleDialog ID="DEATH_0">정답은 찾은 거 같지만… 아직은 과실이 달지 않아.</BattleDialog> -> I found my answer but... the fruit is still not sweet enough yet.
<BattleDialog ID="DEATH_1">…좀 더 익은 뒤에 찾아올게.</BattleDialog> -> ...I'll come back after it ripens a bit more.
</Type>
<Type ID="COLLEAGUE_DEATH">
<BattleDialog ID="COLLEAGUE_DEATH_0">돌아가야 할 곳으로 돌아갔을 뿐.</BattleDialog> -> They simply returned to where they belonged.
<BattleDialog ID="COLLEAGUE_DEATH_1">에일린도 분명 네가 도움이 되어서 기쁠 거야.</BattleDialog> -> Eileen will be happy knowing you were of use.
<BattleDialog ID="COLLEAGUE_DEATH_2">그래… 너도 완전하지 않아 쉽게 으스러진 거겠지.</BattleDialog> -> Ah... like them you are not complete, which is why you break so easily.
<BattleDialog ID="COLLEAGUE_DEATH_3">어쩔 수 없었던 일까지 신경 쓸 필요는 없지.</BattleDialog>
</Type> -> There's no need to concern myself with the inevitable.
<Type ID="KILLS_OPPONENT">
<BattleDialog ID="KILLS_OPPONENT_0">역시… 아직 불완전하구나.</BattleDialog> -> As I suspected... it's still incomplete.
<BattleDialog ID="KILLS_OPPONENT_1">아직은 연약하구나. 가엽게도…</BattleDialog> -> Still too weak. How pitful.
<BattleDialog ID="KILLS_OPPONENT_2">정말 나를 초대할 준비가 되었다고 생각한 거야?</BattleDialog> Did you really think you were ready to invite me?
<BattleDialog ID="KILLS_OPPONENT_3">안타깝네. 그래도 꽤 기대했는데.</BattleDialog> -> Disappointing. I was looking forward to this you know.
<BattleDialog ID="KILLS_OPPONENT_4">그 여린 숨을 언제까지 뱉을 수 있을까… 궁금했어.</BattleDialog>
</Type> -> Gasping for air like that... I was curious how long you would last.
</Character>
<Character ID="Argalia_MeetGebura">
<Type ID="START_BATTLE">
<BattleDialog ID="START_BATTLE_0">뭐…? 하하… 그 붉은안개가 어디를 갔나 했는데…</BattleDialog> -> What...? Haha... And I was wondering where the Red Mist went...
<BattleDialog ID="START_BATTLE_1">이런 곳에서 시종 노릇 하는 게 밖에 알려진다면 정말 웃길 거야.</BattleDialog>
</Type> -> Wouldn't it be hilarious if it is known the Red Mist is a lackey here.
<Type ID="BATTLE_VICTORY">
<BattleDialog ID="BATTLE_VICTORY_0">아쉬움만 남은 전투였어.</BattleDialog> -> This battle was nothing but a disappointment.
</Type>
<Type ID="DEATH">
<BattleDialog ID="DEATH_0">여전히 재밌네… 하지만 내가 바라던 건 아직이야.</BattleDialog> -> Delightful as ever... but for what I desire, it's still not there yet.
</Type>
<Type ID="COLLEAGUE_DEATH">
</Type>
<Type ID="SPECIAL_EVENT">
<BattleDialog ID="SPECIAL_EVENT_0">내가 기대한 건 이런 붉은안개가 아니었어.</BattleDialog> -> This isn't the Red Mist I wanted.
</Type>
</Character>
<Character ID="Argalia_MeetRoland">
<Type ID="START_BATTLE">
<BattleDialog ID="START_BATTLE_0">미쳐버린 후에 어디로 갔나 싶었는데… 이곳에 있었구나.</BattleDialog> -> I wondered where you headed after going berserk... you were here.
<BattleDialog ID="START_BATTLE_1">그때 못다 한 이야기를 나누어 보자.</BattleDialog>
</Type> -> Let's finish that conversation we couldn't finish.
<Type ID="BATTLE_VICTORY">
<BattleDialog ID="BATTLE_VICTORY_0">책은 잘 가져가도록 할게.</BattleDialog> -> I'll be taking this book thank you.
</Type>
<Type ID="DEATH">
<BattleDialog ID="DEATH_0">너희가 더 완벽하게 준비한 후에… 다시 만나자고.</BattleDialog> After you prepare more thoroughly... then we'll meet again.
</Type>
</Type>
<Type ID="SPECIAL_EVENT">
<BattleDialog ID="SPECIAL_EVENT_0">하하… 여전히 한심하구나.</BattleDialog> -> Haha... still so pathetic.................
</Type>
</Character>
<Character ID="Gebura_MeetArgalia">
<Type ID="START_BATTLE">
<BattleDialog ID="START_BATTLE_0">…전투에 있어 사담은 불필요하지.</BattleDialog> -> ...No need for words in a battle.
<BattleDialog ID="START_BATTLE_1">입 다물어. 너나 나나 목적을 이루는 게 먼저일 텐데.</BattleDialog> -> Shut up. Completing our objective comes first, for you and I.
</Type>
<Type ID="BATTLE_VICTORY">
<BattleDialog ID="BATTLE_VICTORY_0">…만족스럽지 못한 전투였어.</BattleDialog>... That wasn't a satisfying fight.
</Type>
<Type ID="DEATH">
<BattleDialog ID="DEATH_0">분하지만… 받아들여야 하는 일이지.</BattleDialog> -> How vexing... but I can only accept it.
</Type>
<Type ID="COLLEAGUE_DEATH">
<BattleDialog ID="COLLEAGUE_DEATH_0">안타까운 죽음이 있어도 멈춰설 수는 없어.</BattleDialog> (same as normal colleague death 0)
<BattleDialog ID="COLLEAGUE_DEATH_1">저녀석의 희생을 헛되이 하고 싶진 않겠지?</BattleDialog> (same as normal colleague death 4)
<BattleDialog ID="COLLEAGUE_DEATH_2">겁 먹지 마. 이길 수 있다고 믿어야 해.</BattleDialog> Don't be scared. We have to believe we can win.
<BattleDialog ID="COLLEAGUE_DEATH_3">승리하지 못할 이유는 없지. 다들 침착해.</BattleDialog> -> There's no reason we can't win. Stay calm.
</Type>
<Type ID="SPECIAL_EVENT">
<BattleDialog ID="SPECIAL_EVENT_0">하아… 겁쟁이 자식.</BattleDialog> Ha... Coward.
</Type>
</Character>
<Character ID="Roland_MeetArgalia">
<Type ID="START_BATTLE">
<BattleDialog ID="START_BATTLE_0">어련하실까요, 푸른 또라이 씨.</BattleDialog>You doing fine too, Blue Retard?
<BattleDialog ID="START_BATTLE_1">너하고 나눌 이야기는 없는 것 같은데 말이지.</BattleDialog>
</Type> I don't think I have anything to say to you though.
<Type ID="BATTLE_VICTORY">
<BattleDialog ID="BATTLE_VICTORY_0">왠지 일을 끝내려다가 만 기분이군…</BattleDialog>
</Type> This doesn't feel like a proper end to things...
<Type ID="DEATH">
<BattleDialog ID="DEATH_0">젠장… 이대로 끝낼 수는 없는데…</BattleDialog>
</Type> Damnit... can't let it end like this.
<Type ID="COLLEAGUE_DEATH">
<BattleDialog ID="COLLEAGUE_DEATH_0">…침착하자고.</BattleDialog>... Stay calm
<BattleDialog ID="COLLEAGUE_DEATH_1">다들 동요하지 마.</BattleDialog> Everyone, don't panic
<BattleDialog ID="COLLEAGUE_DEATH_2">그들 몫까지 내가 하면 되는 거겠지…</BattleDialog> Guess I'll just cover for them...
</Type>
<Type ID="SPECIAL_EVENT">
<BattleDialog ID="SPECIAL_EVENT_0">뭐? …이렇게 내뺀다고?</BattleDialog> What? ... You're leaving like this?
</Type>
</Character>
Sorry for not being to post screenshots yes. Just put together a hasty translation quickly for now. I'll edit in the Gears translations later this evening.
I'm also noticing the line that I clearly remember being there in EA isn't here, meaning it either got changed, or was a wholesale creation of localization. Interesting.
Book 37.5: Star of the City General Receptions
Music: GeburaBattle01
How's it feel to be wearing someone else's E.G.O?
Pretty much the same as always. Not sure how this is your plan.
Then I'll explain. You seem like the type who learns best by being shoved off a cliff and being told to fly. Am I wrong?
You're not. Which is why you should let me—
Let me finish, kid. Me and Angela went through our invitations…
Turns out, one of them's the perfect guest to train with. He's an up-and-coming Grade 1 Fixer, and he came alone. It's a 1-versus-1 fight, so you can go all out.
And the suit?
Angela's going to turn down the tuning once you get in there. You'll be dealing with Phillip's E.G.O and the Abnormalities in your head all at once.
So what, I'm just doing this until I get it right?
Pretty much.
Right, right. I got it. That voice… I'm not listening right now.
He hits pretty hard… seems like he prefers bleed attacks, too.
You've got that Lone Fixer thing with you, you'll only be in trouble for the first attack. It's basically impossible for you to lose.
Music: GeburaBattle02
It couldn't be helped. I was destined to fail from the start. If that's the case… then there's nothing wrong with shutting my eyes and looking away…
Not that you can hear me right now, I guess.
This wasn't my fault. You're the one who approached me, knowing what I am…
Music: Result
Ruddy hell, I screwed it up, didn't I?
Yeah. You screwed it up.
But you did manage to keep hold of yourself for a bit longer, so we're doing it again.
Right now?
Music: GeburaBattle01
Right now, and as many times as we have to. You're getting this down, kid.
Sure… Why not? I don't mind killing a guy a couple hundred times. Let's do this!
Music: Interlude
Unknown date, hereafter referred to as D-day.
Current mood: Tired
Hello, new diary. I'm Nea. I finally managed to turn a book's pages all blank, and got myself a pen. It's important to have a good way to get thoughts out of your head, before they overflow and make you do something stupid.
Speaking of doing stupid things, the boss was voluntold for a training mission, to expand Angela's practice at holding multiple receptions at once. Don't ask me why, I just work here.
Our guests were a group called the Night Awls. Apparently they pissed off the Thumb? Well, they say the nail that sticks out gets hammered down.
Their leader absolutely looked like a somebody, a real serious customer with a stiletto for a pegleg. Unfortunately for him, he picked the wrong place to come in. Here, the spotlight isn't on him, so he's got no chance.
See, ultimately, the world can be broken up into two main types of people: the ones who do things, and the ones who have things done to them. A positive and negative, basically. Most people want to be the ones in control, doing things under the world's spotlight. But that… that's a trap. There's only so much room under the spotlight.
Like those Awls, they're okay enough with Piercing attacks, but they're way worse with Blunt and Slashing strikes because of it… but they're on stage with Roland, Zaida, Steve, and Gaia—guys who can give an enthralling performance no matter what you hand them.
This floor, hell, this company, is full of people like that.
Those who the spotlight loves.
Those who the spotlight punishes.
There are countless stories going on in this City, and the ones in the spotlight are the ones bearing the brunt of all the pain and drama.
But if you think about it, that means there's an easy way to avoid that fate: Just stay out of the spotlight.
Set up the ones in the spotlight to do the big stuff. Don't bother talking if you can avoid it. Let them play out their lives in front of you, while you observe from the shadows and do whatever needs doing.
Ultimately, Townsperson B has a better chance of getting by in the City than a big personality with big dreams. That's why I live this way. I'm pretty damn good at it, too.
Anyways, that Allen guy could use his leg to perform a devastating stab… but that was about all he had.
Between the Library and the Thumb, the Night Awls are all dead now. Roland finished Allen off, we quit for the day, and I'm pretty sure the other Librarians never even properly acknowledged I was there at all. I got out of there before any of them even looked my way. Even if they did see me, they'll probably just assume I'm shy or something and leave it at that. It's more convenient for me that way. But, just for you, let me be clear:
It's not social anxiety, it's a survival strategy.
Music: TipherethStory
Hey, team. We've got some new stuff to test out from the others messing around. Pick a suit and get moving.
Who're we fighting? The Crying Children this time?
Nah. Apparently we've got a set of unknowns to beat up while Angela's finalizing some big project or another.
The… Udjat?
No idea. They're wearing masks, though, so they must be tough.
That's not how it works…
They do seem hard to kill.
That just makes them annoying, not tough.
They outnumber us, as well… But we can take care of it.
It'll be a problem if they regain their balance too often. Go all in on one of them and knock 'em for a loop right off.
No problem, boss! Turns out they aren't so bad when we all just focus them down.
They're hard as nails if you don't finish them off all at once, though.
Maybe if you use a super attack to get through that defense?
That worked… this thing's really making a wicked combo with the Wedge office gear.
Mine is working just fine, too. They can only seem to harden so much at a time.
Then we'll just have to hit where they're not!
Hurry it up, these guys have a real punch to them!
It should be okay, boss. I didn't notice any kind of combo extenders among their attacks. That means…
They're too tired to keep up with us anymore. Let's take it to 'em, ma'am!
Damn right… Payback time, you masked freaks!
Turns out that they're not that big of a deal after all… I wonder what's up with them.
Let's give those books a look and find out.
Actually… those masks got me thinking. It's been a decade since we left. Do you think they finally finished Glass M—
No way in hell.
Yeah, you're probably right.
Hey, Angela. How much longer before that plan of yours is done?
I'm in the final stages of adjusting things. It should be very soon. Is that member of your team going to keep training until the very end?
Yeah. I want her to be at her very best before we face off against an opponent like that.
You seem quite invested in the growth of your librarians.
It's satisfying to watch them accomplish things they couldn't before.
New Key Pages
New Combat Pages
Allen Exclusive:
Udjat Exclusive:
Music: GeburaBattle01
How's it feel to be wearing someone else's E.G.O? Pretty much the same as always. Not sure how this is your plan. Then I'll explain. You seem like the type who learns best by being shoved off a cliff and being told to fly. Am I wrong? You're not. Which is why you should let me— Let me finish, kid. Me and Angela went through our invitations… Turns out, one of them's the perfect guest to train with. He's an up-and-coming Grade 1 Fixer, and he came alone. It's a 1-versus-1 fight, so you can go all out. And the suit? Angela's going to turn down the tuning once you get in there. You'll be dealing with Phillip's E.G.O and the Abnormalities in your head all at once. So what, I'm just doing this until I get it right? Pretty much. Right, right. I got it. That voice… I'm not listening right now. He hits pretty hard… seems like he prefers bleed attacks, too. You've got that Lone Fixer thing with you, you'll only be in trouble for the first attack. It's basically impossible for you to lose.Music: GeburaBattle02
It couldn't be helped. I was destined to fail from the start. If that's the case… then there's nothing wrong with shutting my eyes and looking away… Not that you can hear me right now, I guess. This wasn't my fault. You're the one who approached me, knowing what I am…Music: Result
Ruddy hell, I screwed it up, didn't I? Yeah. You screwed it up. But you did manage to keep hold of yourself for a bit longer, so we're doing it again. Right now?Music: GeburaBattle01
Right now, and as many times as we have to. You're getting this down, kid. Sure… Why not? I don't mind killing a guy a couple hundred times. Let's do this!─────Dong-hwan the Grade 1 Fixer’s Page wrote: Hana Association seems to have taken an interest in the Library and the Blue Reverberation—the two entities at the center of all the problems that have been happening in L Corp’s Nest lately—now that they’ve marked their presence in the City’s sky as Stars. I asked a Color who happens to be a friend of mine about it… and he said the Association’s going to recruit him to hunt down the Blue Reverberation and his cohorts soon. They’ve been making quite a scene in L Corp’s Nest… In particular, the lives of many Syndicates, Fixers, and residents close to the Library were lost to their hands, so the Association couldn’t just sit and watch anymore. They’ve apparently set up a camp at the door of the Library, though no one knows what they’re waiting for. A couple other things I heard are that all sorts of sounds and noises are coming from that camp… and that a large number of firearms belonging to the Thumb were abandoned on the ground. Maybe they launched an assault on the Syndicate while it was still struggling to recover from the loss of the Underboss and his Capos. The ensemble’s not like most Syndicates just trying to make money off the turf of the wingless Nest, that’s for sure… But we still don’t know what their goals really are, and I can’t shake this bad feeling.
Anyways, since I was asked to pay a visit to the Library… It’ll be worth investigating the case some more after I get this job done.
Music: Interlude
Unknown date, hereafter referred to as D-day.
Current mood: Tired
Hello, new diary. I'm Nea. I finally managed to turn a book's pages all blank, and got myself a pen. It's important to have a good way to get thoughts out of your head, before they overflow and make you do something stupid.
Speaking of doing stupid things, the boss was voluntold for a training mission, to expand Angela's practice at holding multiple receptions at once. Don't ask me why, I just work here.
Our guests were a group called the Night Awls. Apparently they pissed off the Thumb? Well, they say the nail that sticks out gets hammered down.
Their leader absolutely looked like a somebody, a real serious customer with a stiletto for a pegleg. Unfortunately for him, he picked the wrong place to come in. Here, the spotlight isn't on him, so he's got no chance.
See, ultimately, the world can be broken up into two main types of people: the ones who do things, and the ones who have things done to them. A positive and negative, basically. Most people want to be the ones in control, doing things under the world's spotlight. But that… that's a trap. There's only so much room under the spotlight.
Like those Awls, they're okay enough with Piercing attacks, but they're way worse with Blunt and Slashing strikes because of it… but they're on stage with Roland, Zaida, Steve, and Gaia—guys who can give an enthralling performance no matter what you hand them.
This floor, hell, this company, is full of people like that.
Those who the spotlight loves.
Those who the spotlight punishes.
There are countless stories going on in this City, and the ones in the spotlight are the ones bearing the brunt of all the pain and drama.
But if you think about it, that means there's an easy way to avoid that fate: Just stay out of the spotlight.
Set up the ones in the spotlight to do the big stuff. Don't bother talking if you can avoid it. Let them play out their lives in front of you, while you observe from the shadows and do whatever needs doing.
Ultimately, Townsperson B has a better chance of getting by in the City than a big personality with big dreams. That's why I live this way. I'm pretty damn good at it, too.
Anyways, that Allen guy could use his leg to perform a devastating stab… but that was about all he had.
Between the Library and the Thumb, the Night Awls are all dead now. Roland finished Allen off, we quit for the day, and I'm pretty sure the other Librarians never even properly acknowledged I was there at all. I got out of there before any of them even looked my way. Even if they did see me, they'll probably just assume I'm shy or something and leave it at that. It's more convenient for me that way. But, just for you, let me be clear:
It's not social anxiety, it's a survival strategy.
Allen’s Page wrote: The message we got wasn’t unexpected. The boss of our organization had always been a rash one, and he’d no patience with injustice or for his own curiosity. It was a miracle that he managed to stay under the Thumb for so long. I told him to be more careful since his words and actions as the boss will affect his underlings as well, yet here we are… I thought I’d flip my lid at hearing the news, but I didn’t feel as much anger as I expected to. The only thought that came to my mind was that he’d finally done it. With my head cool, I calmly considered my next move. At least some of us’ll make it outta here thanks to the early warning.
─────A Night Awl’s Page wrote: S’usually a good idea to zip your mouth shut at a gathering of Thumb subsidiaries. If you don’t have any good suggestions to make, shutting up is the next best contribution you can make. Can never be sure if what you’re about to say is a good opinion either, so just sock it in general. In other places, mistakes would just cost ya own life, but losing your credit in meetings like that means the members of your Syndicate are also biting the dust. What did we do wrong to deserve the punishment for our boss being a moron?
Music: TipherethStory
Hey, team. We've got some new stuff to test out from the others messing around. Pick a suit and get moving. Who're we fighting? The Crying Children this time? Nah. Apparently we've got a set of unknowns to beat up while Angela's finalizing some big project or another. The… Udjat? No idea. They're wearing masks, though, so they must be tough. That's not how it works… They do seem hard to kill. That just makes them annoying, not tough. They outnumber us, as well… But we can take care of it. It'll be a problem if they regain their balance too often. Go all in on one of them and knock 'em for a loop right off. No problem, boss! Turns out they aren't so bad when we all just focus them down. They're hard as nails if you don't finish them off all at once, though. Maybe if you use a super attack to get through that defense? That worked… this thing's really making a wicked combo with the Wedge office gear. Mine is working just fine, too. They can only seem to harden so much at a time. Then we'll just have to hit where they're not! Hurry it up, these guys have a real punch to them! It should be okay, boss. I didn't notice any kind of combo extenders among their attacks. That means… They're too tired to keep up with us anymore. Let's take it to 'em, ma'am! Damn right… Payback time, you masked freaks! Turns out that they're not that big of a deal after all… I wonder what's up with them. Let's give those books a look and find out. Actually… those masks got me thinking. It's been a decade since we left. Do you think they finally finished Glass M— No way in hell. Yeah, you're probably right.─────An Udjat’s Page wrote: We are Udjat. While it’s a Grade 1 Office on the surface, we only receive requests from one person. It exists for Lady Dias and Lady Dias alone. We are ready to perform any feat that she demands. Her pure ambition will bring her to a position of great power one day. We simply serve as stepping stones for her ascent to the top.
Hey, Angela. How much longer before that plan of yours is done? I'm in the final stages of adjusting things. It should be very soon. Is that member of your team going to keep training until the very end? Yeah. I want her to be at her very best before we face off against an opponent like that. You seem quite invested in the growth of your librarians. It's satisfying to watch them accomplish things they couldn't before.New Key Pages
New Combat Pages
Allen Exclusive:
Udjat Exclusive:
Ah right that was how it was localized, Sicko. Yeah Blue Sicko is what they used.
Curious what was the context of the line that you remember being there? It just might be the way I translated that the meaning might've changed. Library of Ruina's translation is pretty good, and the translators obviously took efforts to convey the spirit of the meaning rather than the literal meaning(literary vs literal translation). I tried to convey the spirit, but obviously a professional translator would do a better job.
It was something to the effect of "I knew I shouldn't have trusted you with her." or something like that, basically a line that makes it very obvious that Roland and Angela were married.
Which is still pretty easy to figure out to anyone who's been paying attention to the story so far, so I'm not counting it as a spoiler.
Which is still pretty easy to figure out to anyone who's been paying attention to the story so far, so I'm not counting it as a spoiler.
Book 38: The Red Mist—Chapter 1
Music: Lobby
Our next reception has a very simple book requirement, and because the book of Lobotomy Corporation respawns after we clear any battle there's nothing really at risk here.
Fun fact: if we tried using the Book of Lobotomy Corporation on its own before, we'd be blocked from sending the reception. It's not possible to do this reception before defeating the Blue Reverberation's reception first.
VIDEO
Remember when I said we might be able to lure the Blue Reverberation using a theoretical book of the Red Mist?
So, you’re ready to do that?
Hold on… You aren’t actually gonna turn Gebura into a book, are you?
I wouldn’t do such a ruthless thing. There’s a few things the Red Mist left behind, and I could use them to invite the Red Mist in her former glory as our guest.
I think I could recreate her somehow. Though she can only exist within the bounds of the Library, of course.
I suppose you could put it that way.
But we need books to invite guests here. What kind of books are we gonna have to prepare for attracting the Red Mist?
…Books about Lobotomy Corporation.
That’s the deal, huh… I get the gist of it.
And I plan to limit certain Patron Librarians from receiving the Red Mist.
Cause she’s too tough for them?
That’s not the reason, no. Could the Red Mist stomach wielding her blade against those she worked with? It’d clearly have adverse effects on both sides.
It’s better to have her fight complete strangers, huh…
The Red Mist of the past… Who knew that we’d be facing her in person.
It’s intriguing indeed. How does it feel?
Thrilling, but also makes me worried…
Music: Entrance
This is my first time seeing you in this form, Gebura.
Gebura? What gibberish are you saying. And who are you?
That’s a fair reaction, I suppose…
Should I call you Kali, then?
I said, who’re you…
I’m Angela, the director and librarian of my role’s namesake. I invited you here.
What? Library? Invited?
Am I in yet another weird factory or some shady experimenting grounds… No wait, that still doesn’t make sense… I could’ve sworn I was inside the laboratory on the fringe of the Outskirts…
I need to know who you exactly are at the moment, so let me ask you a few questions. Do you happen to have acquaintance with a person named Carmen?
There’s no need to be so wary. Answer a few questions of mine, then I can give you the answer you lot are looking for.
Go ahead.
…Cogito. A book containing the information on how to obtain the substance you’re desperately looking for is waiting beyond this door.
I simply want to make an offer.
…What do you want? I’m warning you, if you try to pull any nonsense on me, this place is gonna be reduced to rubble.
It’s simple. First, I want to know the current situation of your group.
…If I answer your questions… you’ll tell me how to get Cogito for sure, right?
Of course. Mountains of books containing various kinds of knowledge are stored here. I simply record and collect such books.
…Alright. I’ll trust you this once.
Music: StorySimgak
…If you’re talking about that blue-haired nerd, then yeah.
…She’s with us.
Enoch’s corpse is in storage after an experiment on him went wrong, if I’m correct?
…
…Yes.
It must be when the Red Mist was writing her own legend. The time when she struggled to protect the grief-stricken Carmen and her colleagues from outside threats.
Oh how pitiful. Is there a word to describe how unfortunate your situation was?
They consoled her in her presence, but probably resented her behind her back. She started the whole project with her convincing speeches, but the research showed no progress, and all they’d been seeing were losses and sacrifices.
Don’t you find her hypocrisy of demurely perpetrating sins while preaching goodness… despicable?
Music: Entrance
There's a sound accompanying this line that makes it clear Kali is brandishing that greatsword of hers. You do not belittle Carmen in front of her.
If you don’t tell me how to acquire Cogito properly, then I won’t simply pass over what you just said. You have no right to make a mockery of our efforts… or her sincerity.
…No right, you say.
Never mind. I suppose that was too hostile of me. I won’t even gain anything from saying such bitter things to you now.
At least you have the heart to apologize.
I know when to admit my faults, that’s all.
…Kali. Let me ask you one question.
…What is it?
I’ve seen many sides of Fixers while taking care of this place. Most of them were motivated by wealth and fame.
But you’re different. Even without the promise of payment, you were willing to protect Carmen… and everyone else in her laboratory.
I ain’t exactly a charity worker, y’know.
Is that supposed to be some kind of taunt, or are you actually curious?
I thought your behavior was pathetic at first. You had the power to earn anything for which everyone strove, so I wondered why you would bother taking the path no one else would. I was looking at the matter in a simple way. You would take nothing in the end.
But then I began to think that maybe my lack of knowledge is hindering my assessment of you. I thought my impression of you might change if I heard answers from you directly.
You think I’m getting the short end of the stick, huh?
I do. At least the other researchers could earn money and honor; what will you have gained? Can you keep doing what you’re doing even if your efforts are unrewarded, or a bitter end awaits? Even if…
…Disregard that. Anyhow, is your job truly worth it?
The tangible rewards you talked about, like money… Nah, I don’t expect any of that. There’s only one thing I’m looking forward to at the end of it all: Carmen’s purpose coming to fruition. I’m pretty sure everybody in the team’s thinking the same thing. I won’t resent them if I suffered something awful or even died in that process. At worst, I’d blame myself for being incapable. The reason I can do this, and become more stalwart for every day that passes, is…
…I guess you wouldn’t understand even if I told you. ‘Cause you never saw it. The strength in her eyes and voice.
…
I suppose that’s enough. Thank you for your answers.
The book containing the method of extracting Cogito lies beyond that door. To earn that book, you’ll have to fight with your life on the line. If you die, you’ll become a book yourself. And if you survive, you can return to your friends with the book in hand. Well? Do you agree to the terms?
You aren’t giving it away for free, huh…
I’m all for this kind of measure, actually. Doesn’t leave any further trouble.
I agree. So open up that door.
You’re trusting me more easily than I thought.
I wanna be of help to them as soon as I can. If it turns out to be a lie, though, you’re going down with this place.
Good, I like your composure. I was expecting you to be a bit more rampageous.
Then, Kali… May you find your book in this place.
Next time, on Library of Ruina: A refreshingly straightforward opponent.
Videos
The Red Mist 1
Music: Lobby
Our next reception has a very simple book requirement, and because the book of Lobotomy Corporation respawns after we clear any battle there's nothing really at risk here.
Fun fact: if we tried using the Book of Lobotomy Corporation on its own before, we'd be blocked from sending the reception. It's not possible to do this reception before defeating the Blue Reverberation's reception first.
VIDEO
Remember when I said we might be able to lure the Blue Reverberation using a theoretical book of the Red Mist? So, you’re ready to do that? Hold on… You aren’t actually gonna turn Gebura into a book, are you? I wouldn’t do such a ruthless thing. There’s a few things the Red Mist left behind, and I could use them to invite the Red Mist in her former glory as our guest. I think I could recreate her somehow. Though she can only exist within the bounds of the Library, of course. I suppose you could put it that way. But we need books to invite guests here. What kind of books are we gonna have to prepare for attracting the Red Mist? …Books about Lobotomy Corporation. That’s the deal, huh… I get the gist of it. And I plan to limit certain Patron Librarians from receiving the Red Mist. Cause she’s too tough for them? That’s not the reason, no. Could the Red Mist stomach wielding her blade against those she worked with? It’d clearly have adverse effects on both sides. It’s better to have her fight complete strangers, huh… The Red Mist of the past… Who knew that we’d be facing her in person. It’s intriguing indeed. How does it feel? Thrilling, but also makes me worried…Music: Entrance
This is my first time seeing you in this form, Gebura. Gebura? What gibberish are you saying. And who are you? That’s a fair reaction, I suppose… Should I call you Kali, then? I said, who’re you… I’m Angela, the director and librarian of my role’s namesake. I invited you here. What? Library? Invited? Am I in yet another weird factory or some shady experimenting grounds… No wait, that still doesn’t make sense… I could’ve sworn I was inside the laboratory on the fringe of the Outskirts… I need to know who you exactly are at the moment, so let me ask you a few questions. Do you happen to have acquaintance with a person named Carmen? There’s no need to be so wary. Answer a few questions of mine, then I can give you the answer you lot are looking for. Go ahead. …Cogito. A book containing the information on how to obtain the substance you’re desperately looking for is waiting beyond this door. I simply want to make an offer. …What do you want? I’m warning you, if you try to pull any nonsense on me, this place is gonna be reduced to rubble. It’s simple. First, I want to know the current situation of your group. …If I answer your questions… you’ll tell me how to get Cogito for sure, right? Of course. Mountains of books containing various kinds of knowledge are stored here. I simply record and collect such books. …Alright. I’ll trust you this once.Music: StorySimgak
…If you’re talking about that blue-haired nerd, then yeah. …She’s with us. Enoch’s corpse is in storage after an experiment on him went wrong, if I’m correct? … …Yes. It must be when the Red Mist was writing her own legend. The time when she struggled to protect the grief-stricken Carmen and her colleagues from outside threats. Oh how pitiful. Is there a word to describe how unfortunate your situation was? They consoled her in her presence, but probably resented her behind her back. She started the whole project with her convincing speeches, but the research showed no progress, and all they’d been seeing were losses and sacrifices. Don’t you find her hypocrisy of demurely perpetrating sins while preaching goodness… despicable?Music: Entrance
There's a sound accompanying this line that makes it clear Kali is brandishing that greatsword of hers. You do not belittle Carmen in front of her.
If you don’t tell me how to acquire Cogito properly, then I won’t simply pass over what you just said. You have no right to make a mockery of our efforts… or her sincerity. …No right, you say. Never mind. I suppose that was too hostile of me. I won’t even gain anything from saying such bitter things to you now. At least you have the heart to apologize. I know when to admit my faults, that’s all. …Kali. Let me ask you one question. …What is it? I’ve seen many sides of Fixers while taking care of this place. Most of them were motivated by wealth and fame. But you’re different. Even without the promise of payment, you were willing to protect Carmen… and everyone else in her laboratory. I ain’t exactly a charity worker, y’know. Is that supposed to be some kind of taunt, or are you actually curious? I thought your behavior was pathetic at first. You had the power to earn anything for which everyone strove, so I wondered why you would bother taking the path no one else would. I was looking at the matter in a simple way. You would take nothing in the end. But then I began to think that maybe my lack of knowledge is hindering my assessment of you. I thought my impression of you might change if I heard answers from you directly. You think I’m getting the short end of the stick, huh? I do. At least the other researchers could earn money and honor; what will you have gained? Can you keep doing what you’re doing even if your efforts are unrewarded, or a bitter end awaits? Even if… …Disregard that. Anyhow, is your job truly worth it? The tangible rewards you talked about, like money… Nah, I don’t expect any of that. There’s only one thing I’m looking forward to at the end of it all: Carmen’s purpose coming to fruition. I’m pretty sure everybody in the team’s thinking the same thing. I won’t resent them if I suffered something awful or even died in that process. At worst, I’d blame myself for being incapable. The reason I can do this, and become more stalwart for every day that passes, is… …I guess you wouldn’t understand even if I told you. ‘Cause you never saw it. The strength in her eyes and voice. … I suppose that’s enough. Thank you for your answers. The book containing the method of extracting Cogito lies beyond that door. To earn that book, you’ll have to fight with your life on the line. If you die, you’ll become a book yourself. And if you survive, you can return to your friends with the book in hand. Well? Do you agree to the terms? You aren’t giving it away for free, huh… I’m all for this kind of measure, actually. Doesn’t leave any further trouble. I agree. So open up that door. You’re trusting me more easily than I thought. I wanna be of help to them as soon as I can. If it turns out to be a lie, though, you’re going down with this place. Good, I like your composure. I was expecting you to be a bit more rampageous. Then, Kali… May you find your book in this place.Next time, on Library of Ruina: A refreshingly straightforward opponent.
Videos
The Red Mist 1
Book 38: The Red Mist—Chapter 2
Music: GuestBattle01
Do we have to do this..?
Boss's orders, Zaida. We're the team that's best able to receive her right now.
You seem to be shaking, sir. Is it nerves?
Of course it is. How often are you expected to cross swords with a legendary fixer in her prime?
If you're counting that Blue guy… Twice?
That sicko doesn't count. He's always been deranged.
Like Angela said back in the story portion, if we attempt to use any of the floors with people Kali knows on them, we'll be prevented from bringing them to the fight.
If we try to select one, they're locked out completely. Because of this, Keter is the only floor we can use if we want to have a full 5-Librarian floor. There's also another special rule for this reception's deployments, but we'll get into that when it becomes relevant.
Anyways, The Red Mist's reception is very unusual in scope—we're given 3 floors to work with, and our only opponent is Kali today.
That said, Kali is a doozy. While two of her passives, Retaliate and The Strongest, are relatively simple to understand, her unique Kali passive carries a lot of weight by itself. It gives her 1 extra draw and Light every turn, and hard-locks her HP to at least 350, triggering a phase change as she manifests E.G.O.
Thankfully we have Roland and company to play the Numbers Game with her—this fight is largely balanced around facing four enemies, and the extra member will let us get a good amount of free damage on her early.
Music: KeterBattle01
This is an unusual lineup… I see. So this place fights by borrowing the powers of others.
It's not 'borrowing,' ma'am. We win them, fair and square.
Well, let's see how you wield them.
At all times in this fight, there is one page that we must look out for: Focus Spirit.
Focus Spirit is a completely normal offensive page that we must absolutely stop from hitting us. Kali is dangerous. Kali at +3 Strength is overwhelming. I bring it up here because she is kind enough not to use it at any point during this reception.
On the first turn, she uses a pair of her green pages, Spear and Level Slash. Gebura has three pages in this line, and they all work similarly: if she deals 8 damage to her target with the page, then two effects will happen. The first is that all other copies of that page in Kali's deck will have their cost lowered by 1, and the other varies by page. Level Slash is her Light gain page, giving 2 Light if she succeeds, while Spear and the third page are both drawtech, giving her an extra draw if she deals the 8 damage instead. Starving Kali out from dealing damage with these pages is important to keep her from gaining momentum—and we want to stop Level Slash anyways as the 6 Bleed it can inflict can bring our HP down a fair bit.
Lastly, Kali is guaranteed to always have at least one infinity die. These dice cannot be redirected without some kind of special ability, meaning that whoever they're pointing at must be the one to deal with the page on it.
She's very fast… but she's not yet using her E.G.O.
Uh… Miss Director?
I've decided to handle this role myself. Given the Blue Reverberation managed to listen in previously, it would be best to ensure that none of the other Patron Librarians are in a position where their voices could be intercepted.
Ah… that makes sense.
Also…
There's more?
I wished to see how the Red Mist fought in her heyday firsthand.
Yeah, I totally get that.
You first. Nothing personal, kid.
Oh, don't worry.
I saw you coming a mile away.
You… saw it?
Sure did… all the speed in the world won't save you here.
…Hm.
You're not fast enough to approach me yourselves, though.
That's true, ma'am! But you can't stop us all if it's 5 versus 1!
You think numbers are all it takes to stop me?
I've handled more than you five plenty of times before.
Regardless of that dear guest, it's important that even a small dog bite down as fiercely as it can when the opportunity arrives.
And who are you calling a small dog, exactly..?
Ah, I'm barely anything when compared to the legend herself.
Legend, god, claw or angry bean… who cares? We'll tear up anything that gets in our way.
Bold words. And what are you supposed to be, anyways?
Some kind of gear cult person. Figured the gears would move for me, but no such luck.
It appears that things will not be as difficult as anticipated.
You say that, but it still feels like she's made of iron…
I think Madam Director is referring to that sword of hers, sir. Mimicry—the sword's name—is an E.G.O weapon we've seen before. Its primary attributes are unparalleled cleaving power, and absorbing the vitality of things it hits to refresh its wielder.
That thing can restore her health?
If it were working at full power, yes. It seems that this ability hasn't been awakened yet.
So normally she'd be even stronger than this, huh..?
Wow. I'm amazed all over again.
Another Spear and two more Level Slashes come out this turn—letting Kali get her green set down to 1 or 0 cost is dangerous, as it lets her spam her resource pages with abandon while saving Light for her big stuff.
That one's using a combat oboe… Well, let's see if it's just for show or not.
Speaking of, Steve, you've been training your ass off with that thing. Don't you have some crazy badass trick by now that could put her on the defensive?
I have a few ideas, but they involve making full use of the oboe's capabilities. The vibrations might wind up making all of you guys bleed out of your ears.
Thank you for not doing that.
Ranged pages are very useful against Kali's free Counter die—even if the die completely negates our Ranged page, we've managed to use it up without taking any damage ourselves.
Hn… It's not everyday someone can overpower one of my strikes.
Sadly, I put everything into it…
So you knew there was a second strike?
I'm pretty used to taking the hard hits for my coworkers...
And we appreciate it very much, sir!
More and more of this smoke…
I'm starting to like the taste.
Smoke is something of a double-edged sword in this fight. More damage is great, but when she gets to 9 or 10 stacks of it she gets +1 Power, and we don't want to ever let Kali have bonus Power. In this case, it'll work out fine because the extra person means we get a lot more damage out of it.
This is going a little too well…
Isn't that a good thing?
I wouldn't say so… I get the impression that she's not being serious just yet. I just hope that she stays that way.
Kali is here to take hold of something that she needs above all else… there's no reason she'd hold back.
Still, if I was going up against an unknown opponent, I'd keep a few cards up my sleeve until I'd seen what they could do.
There's no need to use more effort than you have to to finish someone off, after all.
Well it's not like we don't have a few cards ourselves, right?
Right, sir! Let's show her the true power of the Library!
Don't think I can't hear you guys planning something over there.
Please don't hold it against us, ma'am, we're simply trying to do our jobs.
Nah, I figured I'd tell you that you were right. I was holding back so I could get a sense of how you work.
You guys can see my intentions before I act. That's why you've been able to keep up, isn't it?
Fine then. I'll just make that predictive power of yours pointless.
Greater Split: Vertical is Kali's most powerful attack in this phase, with a massive die and the ability to break another die's entire Combat Page on hitting her target. Thankfully, she's not using it on her infinity die…
But she is using it on her 7, so we can't actually redirect it. Roland has to take this one.
He also has no way to blunt the damage at all, none of these pages can stand up to a 20-39 die. On anyone else, this would be a guaranteed loss of most of their turn, as Kali would Split their first die, take at most a couple of hits from any other attacks on the page, and destroy their entire other Combat page before they had a chance to use it.
However, Kali has an open Speed Die and Roland has the power of GUN.
Roland, the incoming attack is…
Yeah. Even I can sense it's something terrible.
Don't tell me, I want it to be a surprise.
We'll make her hurt twice as bad as she does you for it, sir!
I'll handle it myself. No matter how fast she is…
A bullet will make it to her first.
Is that all you've got? Then of the two in the front…
You're the one to rush through first!
Um… she's just gotten even faster. Somehow.
If you can predict my moves, I'll move so quickly you can't react. If you react before they start, I'll just go faster still. And if you think you can bar my way even then…
I'll rip. Right. Through you!
Hrrhghkk-!!
Are you okay, boss?
I got through it… somehow. Just do what you can.
Don't worry, boss. We'll give it all we've-
She's stopped taking damage, guys.
What?
I smacked her, and she shrugged it right off.
You guys really are tough… Fine then.
To protect everyone's dreams… I'll give it my all!
Music: The Red Mist
No more holding anything back.
She stole the music. That's bad, right?
Yeeep. Hey there, can't you keep yourself calm? It's not good to let yourself rage like that!
You've got a similar power, so you must know by now... E.G.O is a weapon fueled by human consciousness. These emotions will put a stop to you all right here.
Upon unleashing her E.G.O, Kali gains one more passive ability called 'The Red Mist.'
The Red Mist is a hell of an ability, giving Kali +2 Power to all of her rolls, and also giving her an additional +1 Power for every enemy she defeats in combat. It also increases her defenses, making all of her resistances but one into Endured, with the Normal resistance changing each round. In exchange for this power, Kali must deal at least 40 damage each turn. If she doesn't, she'll lose 40% of her maximum SR (In this case, 108). If she is Staggered, then she loses her transformation for three turns, losing this ability.
She also leads off with her ultimate attack, Greater Split: Horizontal. The sister page to Greater Split: Vertical, Kali unleashes her full power through the new and innovative technique of swinging her sword sideways.
But seriously this thing is going to destroy us.
That 28-42 die is massive for this point in the game, and with her +4 total Power to it making it a 32-43 after Paralysis, nobody on our side has an effective way to block this attack if Kali rolls well.
She also throws out Upstanding Slash, that third of her green pages I mentioned before. It's a Blunt, 2-hit version of Spear.
The only page we have on hand that could possibly beat a GS:H right now is Overcharge, so outside of that I just don't bother blocking.
Huuh… so this is it, huh?
Don't give up, sir! There's still a chance as long as your heart's beating!
I've taken a look at the numbers. It will not be for long.
Geez… Even at a moment like this, you don't pull any punches…
It's my duty here to provide accurate information.
Don't worry about it, boss. We'll take care of things from here.
I don't think you will.
GS:H blows right through Overcharge and Staggers 3 of our Librarians right off, putting us instantly on the backfoot.
Because this isn't a battle I can afford to lose.
The boss is… Oh no, Steve and Zaida are helpless too.
It's all up to me… Alright! Here goes nothing!
Wait a second.. Warp tech? How long have you guys been using…
Ah… there you are. Handy trick.
Tch… I stood out too much.
Huh?
Great, now you're paying attention to me, too. I'm dead here, aren't I?
Screw it. Gaia can't hold the spotlight himself, so I've got to hold on until the others get better.
What are you talking about, ma'am..? I can't hold something?
Not compared to them, anyways.
That tech is dangerous… I'd best take care of you right now.
I'm really not anyone you need to worry about, Miss Red Mist!
You really expect me to believe that?
But first, that guy who drew on that power like mine…
Nngh…
Not… yet..!
It protected him..?
While Steve got lucky with Scars (and Unrelenting), Zaida has no such protection.
Guess I goofed off… a bit too much.
Dammit all, I was counting on you..!
Don't think I forgot about you, either.
What a terrible… performance.
Don't worry… I'll avenge you both!
The hell you will.
At this point, Kali is rocking a +7 bonus to all of her offensive rolls, making clashes with her all but impossible to win. She's a very momentum-based fighter, and once she seizes the initiative it's difficult to get it back.
Difficult, but notably not impossible.
Miss Angela, I'm going to give things all I've got. May I?
I don't care how you all fight, so long as you get the job done.
Right, right. Sorry, Gaia. It's going to get loud.
I'll… live with it…
'fraid not. This is where you both meet your ends.
In the end, not one of you was anything more than a speedbump.
Oh, really?
I'll have to be a hell of a speedbump, then.
Hrmph. Tricks like that won't save you.
I know… but I managed to hold you up in the end.
It wasn't even enough to make me stumble for more than a second… Why'd he seem so satisfied?
There's definitely something funny going on here. I'll have to go all out from now on.
The Red Mist… she's quite impressive as always.
…Well. No one said this path would be easy to tread.
Next time, on Library of Ruina: The most broken status effect in the entire game.
Music: GuestBattle01
Do we have to do this..? Boss's orders, Zaida. We're the team that's best able to receive her right now. You seem to be shaking, sir. Is it nerves? Of course it is. How often are you expected to cross swords with a legendary fixer in her prime? If you're counting that Blue guy… Twice? That sicko doesn't count. He's always been deranged. Like Angela said back in the story portion, if we attempt to use any of the floors with people Kali knows on them, we'll be prevented from bringing them to the fight.
If we try to select one, they're locked out completely. Because of this, Keter is the only floor we can use if we want to have a full 5-Librarian floor. There's also another special rule for this reception's deployments, but we'll get into that when it becomes relevant.
Anyways, The Red Mist's reception is very unusual in scope—we're given 3 floors to work with, and our only opponent is Kali today.
That said, Kali is a doozy. While two of her passives, Retaliate and The Strongest, are relatively simple to understand, her unique Kali passive carries a lot of weight by itself. It gives her 1 extra draw and Light every turn, and hard-locks her HP to at least 350, triggering a phase change as she manifests E.G.O.
Thankfully we have Roland and company to play the Numbers Game with her—this fight is largely balanced around facing four enemies, and the extra member will let us get a good amount of free damage on her early.
Music: KeterBattle01
This is an unusual lineup… I see. So this place fights by borrowing the powers of others. It's not 'borrowing,' ma'am. We win them, fair and square. Well, let's see how you wield them.At all times in this fight, there is one page that we must look out for: Focus Spirit.
Focus Spirit is a completely normal offensive page that we must absolutely stop from hitting us. Kali is dangerous. Kali at +3 Strength is overwhelming. I bring it up here because she is kind enough not to use it at any point during this reception.
On the first turn, she uses a pair of her green pages, Spear and Level Slash. Gebura has three pages in this line, and they all work similarly: if she deals 8 damage to her target with the page, then two effects will happen. The first is that all other copies of that page in Kali's deck will have their cost lowered by 1, and the other varies by page. Level Slash is her Light gain page, giving 2 Light if she succeeds, while Spear and the third page are both drawtech, giving her an extra draw if she deals the 8 damage instead. Starving Kali out from dealing damage with these pages is important to keep her from gaining momentum—and we want to stop Level Slash anyways as the 6 Bleed it can inflict can bring our HP down a fair bit.
Lastly, Kali is guaranteed to always have at least one infinity die. These dice cannot be redirected without some kind of special ability, meaning that whoever they're pointing at must be the one to deal with the page on it.
She's very fast… but she's not yet using her E.G.O. Uh… Miss Director? I've decided to handle this role myself. Given the Blue Reverberation managed to listen in previously, it would be best to ensure that none of the other Patron Librarians are in a position where their voices could be intercepted. Ah… that makes sense. Also… There's more? I wished to see how the Red Mist fought in her heyday firsthand. Yeah, I totally get that. You first. Nothing personal, kid. Oh, don't worry. I saw you coming a mile away. You… saw it? Sure did… all the speed in the world won't save you here. …Hm. You're not fast enough to approach me yourselves, though. That's true, ma'am! But you can't stop us all if it's 5 versus 1! You think numbers are all it takes to stop me? I've handled more than you five plenty of times before. Regardless of that dear guest, it's important that even a small dog bite down as fiercely as it can when the opportunity arrives. And who are you calling a small dog, exactly..? Ah, I'm barely anything when compared to the legend herself. Legend, god, claw or angry bean… who cares? We'll tear up anything that gets in our way. Bold words. And what are you supposed to be, anyways? Some kind of gear cult person. Figured the gears would move for me, but no such luck. It appears that things will not be as difficult as anticipated. You say that, but it still feels like she's made of iron… I think Madam Director is referring to that sword of hers, sir. Mimicry—the sword's name—is an E.G.O weapon we've seen before. Its primary attributes are unparalleled cleaving power, and absorbing the vitality of things it hits to refresh its wielder. That thing can restore her health? If it were working at full power, yes. It seems that this ability hasn't been awakened yet. So normally she'd be even stronger than this, huh..? Wow. I'm amazed all over again.Another Spear and two more Level Slashes come out this turn—letting Kali get her green set down to 1 or 0 cost is dangerous, as it lets her spam her resource pages with abandon while saving Light for her big stuff.
That one's using a combat oboe… Well, let's see if it's just for show or not. Speaking of, Steve, you've been training your ass off with that thing. Don't you have some crazy badass trick by now that could put her on the defensive? I have a few ideas, but they involve making full use of the oboe's capabilities. The vibrations might wind up making all of you guys bleed out of your ears. Thank you for not doing that.Ranged pages are very useful against Kali's free Counter die—even if the die completely negates our Ranged page, we've managed to use it up without taking any damage ourselves.
Hn… It's not everyday someone can overpower one of my strikes. Sadly, I put everything into it… So you knew there was a second strike? I'm pretty used to taking the hard hits for my coworkers... And we appreciate it very much, sir! More and more of this smoke… I'm starting to like the taste.Smoke is something of a double-edged sword in this fight. More damage is great, but when she gets to 9 or 10 stacks of it she gets +1 Power, and we don't want to ever let Kali have bonus Power. In this case, it'll work out fine because the extra person means we get a lot more damage out of it.
This is going a little too well… Isn't that a good thing? I wouldn't say so… I get the impression that she's not being serious just yet. I just hope that she stays that way. Kali is here to take hold of something that she needs above all else… there's no reason she'd hold back. Still, if I was going up against an unknown opponent, I'd keep a few cards up my sleeve until I'd seen what they could do. There's no need to use more effort than you have to to finish someone off, after all. Well it's not like we don't have a few cards ourselves, right? Right, sir! Let's show her the true power of the Library! Don't think I can't hear you guys planning something over there. Please don't hold it against us, ma'am, we're simply trying to do our jobs. Nah, I figured I'd tell you that you were right. I was holding back so I could get a sense of how you work. You guys can see my intentions before I act. That's why you've been able to keep up, isn't it? Fine then. I'll just make that predictive power of yours pointless.Greater Split: Vertical is Kali's most powerful attack in this phase, with a massive die and the ability to break another die's entire Combat Page on hitting her target. Thankfully, she's not using it on her infinity die…
But she is using it on her 7, so we can't actually redirect it. Roland has to take this one.
He also has no way to blunt the damage at all, none of these pages can stand up to a 20-39 die. On anyone else, this would be a guaranteed loss of most of their turn, as Kali would Split their first die, take at most a couple of hits from any other attacks on the page, and destroy their entire other Combat page before they had a chance to use it.
However, Kali has an open Speed Die and Roland has the power of GUN.
Roland, the incoming attack is… Yeah. Even I can sense it's something terrible. Don't tell me, I want it to be a surprise. We'll make her hurt twice as bad as she does you for it, sir! I'll handle it myself. No matter how fast she is… A bullet will make it to her first. Is that all you've got? Then of the two in the front… You're the one to rush through first! Um… she's just gotten even faster. Somehow. If you can predict my moves, I'll move so quickly you can't react. If you react before they start, I'll just go faster still. And if you think you can bar my way even then… I'll rip. Right. Through you! Hrrhghkk-!! Are you okay, boss? I got through it… somehow. Just do what you can. Don't worry, boss. We'll give it all we've- She's stopped taking damage, guys. What? I smacked her, and she shrugged it right off. You guys really are tough… Fine then. To protect everyone's dreams… I'll give it my all! Music: The Red Mist No more holding anything back. She stole the music. That's bad, right? Yeeep. Hey there, can't you keep yourself calm? It's not good to let yourself rage like that! You've got a similar power, so you must know by now... E.G.O is a weapon fueled by human consciousness. These emotions will put a stop to you all right here.Upon unleashing her E.G.O, Kali gains one more passive ability called 'The Red Mist.'
The Red Mist is a hell of an ability, giving Kali +2 Power to all of her rolls, and also giving her an additional +1 Power for every enemy she defeats in combat. It also increases her defenses, making all of her resistances but one into Endured, with the Normal resistance changing each round. In exchange for this power, Kali must deal at least 40 damage each turn. If she doesn't, she'll lose 40% of her maximum SR (In this case, 108). If she is Staggered, then she loses her transformation for three turns, losing this ability.
She also leads off with her ultimate attack, Greater Split: Horizontal. The sister page to Greater Split: Vertical, Kali unleashes her full power through the new and innovative technique of swinging her sword sideways.
But seriously this thing is going to destroy us.
That 28-42 die is massive for this point in the game, and with her +4 total Power to it making it a 32-43 after Paralysis, nobody on our side has an effective way to block this attack if Kali rolls well.
She also throws out Upstanding Slash, that third of her green pages I mentioned before. It's a Blunt, 2-hit version of Spear.
The only page we have on hand that could possibly beat a GS:H right now is Overcharge, so outside of that I just don't bother blocking.
Huuh… so this is it, huh? Don't give up, sir! There's still a chance as long as your heart's beating! I've taken a look at the numbers. It will not be for long. Geez… Even at a moment like this, you don't pull any punches… It's my duty here to provide accurate information. Don't worry about it, boss. We'll take care of things from here. I don't think you will.GS:H blows right through Overcharge and Staggers 3 of our Librarians right off, putting us instantly on the backfoot.
Because this isn't a battle I can afford to lose. The boss is… Oh no, Steve and Zaida are helpless too. It's all up to me… Alright! Here goes nothing! Wait a second.. Warp tech? How long have you guys been using… Ah… there you are. Handy trick. Tch… I stood out too much. Huh? Great, now you're paying attention to me, too. I'm dead here, aren't I? Screw it. Gaia can't hold the spotlight himself, so I've got to hold on until the others get better. What are you talking about, ma'am..? I can't hold something? Not compared to them, anyways. That tech is dangerous… I'd best take care of you right now. I'm really not anyone you need to worry about, Miss Red Mist! You really expect me to believe that? But first, that guy who drew on that power like mine… Nngh… Not… yet..! It protected him..? While Steve got lucky with Scars (and Unrelenting), Zaida has no such protection.
Guess I goofed off… a bit too much. Dammit all, I was counting on you..! Don't think I forgot about you, either. What a terrible… performance. Don't worry… I'll avenge you both! The hell you will.At this point, Kali is rocking a +7 bonus to all of her offensive rolls, making clashes with her all but impossible to win. She's a very momentum-based fighter, and once she seizes the initiative it's difficult to get it back.
Difficult, but notably not impossible.
Miss Angela, I'm going to give things all I've got. May I? I don't care how you all fight, so long as you get the job done. Right, right. Sorry, Gaia. It's going to get loud. I'll… live with it… 'fraid not. This is where you both meet your ends. In the end, not one of you was anything more than a speedbump. Oh, really? I'll have to be a hell of a speedbump, then. Hrmph. Tricks like that won't save you. I know… but I managed to hold you up in the end. It wasn't even enough to make me stumble for more than a second… Why'd he seem so satisfied? There's definitely something funny going on here. I'll have to go all out from now on. The Red Mist… she's quite impressive as always. …Well. No one said this path would be easy to tread.Next time, on Library of Ruina: The most broken status effect in the entire game.
Book 38: The Red Mist—Chapter 3
Music: GuestBattle01
That's… twenty-six, I think? Still making progress, but… seriously, this is rough.
Wait, why're you three dressed like that.
A guest's coming this way, and we're taking care of them.
In those?
The enemy's a ridiculously straightforward fighter. Best way to stand up to them right now is by using a couple tricks of our own.
Hence, we're using the spray-and-pray strategy.
Huh… That doesn't sound like the Gebura I remember.
I've gotten too old not to learn a new trick or two.
I'll change, then, and—
No time. We're going, now. Consider it more practice.
Ma'am!
Music: GuestBattle03
The hell are you supposed to be?
Just another trick of the Library, here to put you off.
Huh. Well, appreciate the honesty if nothing else.
Guns up, everyone. Back then it always took a few moments to pull the armor back out, so we're on a hard time limit.
In an act of mercy, Kali doesn't immediately activate Red Mist form in later acts, instead granting us a single turn of fighting her at normal power before she goes off—Gebura's floor today is built to take full advantage of it by dealing as much damage as possible turn 1 before dying off incredibly fast.
Roland did a bit more than I was expecting… We might be able to put her down. Fire on my signal.
I'll give it my best shot.
Then… what happens if you guys don't make it?
You beat her once by yourself… you could do it again.
She was holding back that time, and I was…
I toldja: my legs gave out. You've got my permission to go wild… Just don't let our deaths be in vain.
Fine. Let's do this.
Now, like I showed you.
Lotta' firepower you're using, there…
Yeah. And you're just going to blast through it like it doesn't matter, right?
Don't talk like you know me.
But we do know you. Every step you'll take, and even the ways you'll try and dodge.
More of this Library's tricks..?
It doesn't take tricks to recognize how honest you are.
Always rushing forward into battle, certain of your victory… shouldering all the responsibility so that you could protect the ones behind you. You've always been like that, boss.
Don't pretend like you know me!
And don't just gush like that, either!
Your Librarians seem quite fond of you.
It's just a business relationship.
…Huh. They stopped. You guys reloading?
She's closing in!
Then leave her to me.
And who the hell're you supposed to be?
Your worst nightmare.
You? My dreams're going easy on me, then.
Just you… wait..! I'll finish you off… for sure..!
Music: The Red Mist
Don't think so. You're out of time.
Predictably, GS:H comes out immediately.
Guess that's that. Didn't manage to push far enough. This is why I hate this type of plan…
This was always the likely outcome. You think we did enough?
Hard to say. This definitely isn't me at my peak, but at the same time… she's strong.
Not really sure what all this 'plan' stuff is, but you really think I'm letting her through here?
No, I guess not. Give it your all, kid.
I'm putting an end to this!!
See you guys on the other side..!
G…geez..!
It's too much..!
This is bad. Super bad..!
Now, let's start with you…
I guess… this is it, huh..?
That's the idea.
Sorcrane..! You…
Oh, I'm not done yet. Next, that faker…
Like hell am I going to let-!
Stay out of my way. You'll get your turn.
Dammit!
As for you… I expected more.
You were just stronger this time. That's all.
Two down. Two to go.
You just killed them. Both of them, right in front of me.
Yeah. That's the deal, isn't it?
…Yeah. The deal. It couldn't be helped… Eventually, this would happen. And I…
I give in to this feeling… just like always. Left standing alone… to fight against you…
The hell?
It can't be helped. Couldn't be helped. They'll all die, and I'll remain behind.
Kali plays the last page of her deck at last. Onrush is a single powerful attack which gets replayed every time she Staggers or defeats someone with it. It's entirely possible for her to use it to mop up the entire floor after they've tanked a GS:H.
Luckily for us, it's on her last die and targeting Credentia. She'll die before it ever hits her, meaning it's never going to touch us.
It can't be helped… everyone around me will die. I'm the survivor. I'm always the survivor. If that's how the story goes… I just have to cut myself off from them once more.
Sis…
Enough. Time to finish this.
First, you take a nap.
Then you… Hm?
I'm the one who lives in the end… These strikes… I can't die here. Not to them.
Unrelenting procs, and saves Tenebrais this turn, which is good for us.
I will… survive.
Eesh… testy, aren't you? Guess I'll just finish off the other one first.
Sorry… This is all we've got. Do your best, okay..?
Do your best..? How am I supposed to do that now..?
Every wound I've gotten is proof that I'm still not there yet. The enemy that looms is one I can never kill, no matter how I beat it down. The specter of outliving everyone. Of not being able to protect them.
I am the hunter… but I'm the thing I hate most. Is there any point…
Quit talking to yourself. It's time to finish you off—
Where did she..? Dammit, she must be like that other one.
Your stability seems to be on the borderline. I'll adjust the—
Leave it. I think… I got something… Finally.
We're saved here by Claws of Savagery. Because Tenebrais got her head handed to her last turn, this turn she's untargetable. Without any available targets, all Kali can do is stand there menacingly.
Leave it? If you lose yourself to the Abnormalities at this point…
I said leave it! I can feel it all… swirling inside of me. A scarred girl, hunting for revenge. A beast that can't be anything but itself, even if it tries… because that's its destiny. A fool who doesn't want to look at what's right in front of them. But there's something else… I think I can see it now.
Then I suppose the practice was worthwhile after all.
Heh. If only. I'd have preferred to figure this out any other way than this. But instead…
This pain in my chest… it's not from any of those Abnormalities.
So I'll hold on to this feeling, tighter than anything else.
At the end of the turn, Kali takes 108 Stagger damage because she couldn't hit us. She's a stone's throw away from a Stagger.
Hey. Calzone or whatever. I'm right here.
Give up on hiding?
I wasn't hiding, I was lost. But I'm here now, and I'm going to tear you to pieces.
Getting a little ahead of yourself there, aren't you?
Nah. I have the perfect plan.
On this turn, Kali is using another copy of GS:H. She's at a total of +6 Power, putting its dice at 34-48. Tenebrais, meanwhile, is using Repressed Flesh. The first die is only a 4-7, but with 9 Strength and a bonus 1 Power against foes who are on fire, the other two dice are both 14-19, for a total range of 32-45. This turn, Kali's normal damage type is Blunt, and with only 32 SR left, if we can weather this storm there's a very real chance that Tenebrais Staggers her and we win the fight right there.
Talk is cheap.
Then I'll show you. When you attack me…
I just need to not be there!
…That was a terrible plan.
Hey, Angela. No more of these little emotional plays. We're both here to get what we want, and I ain't going to care about 'em.
It's not as though I was trying to do such a thing in the first place.
Sure you weren't. Let's move on. I'm getting tired of this.
Yes… one more set of opponents, and your ordeal will be over.
Earlier I mentioned that there was one other special deployment rule in this battle, and we've finally come to it:
Music: GuestBattle01
Should we select her floor, Binah actually shows up for the battle—and she is a compelling reason to go here, even without any Abnormality Pages to use.
Her key page is relatively simple, with Incomplete Arbiter giving Binah 4 pages in hand before her draw that turn, ensuring that we always have 5 to choose from, Speed 3 being standard for an endgame Key Page, and the Binah ability being there simply to keep us from getting any ideas about changing her out into anything else.
As for her unique combat pages…
We'll get into the ones that matter soon enough.
Music: GuestBattle03
Something's off. Who are you?!
I'm Mizu! Nice to meet you, past-Gebura.
Not you, the one in the center.
I am that which you see before you: a part of the Library, like the others.
You expect me to just believe that?
The only expectation I hold is for my victory.
Binah plays a total of two pages this turn. The first, Degraded Pillar, is a pair of good dice, the first of which has a special ability that lets it prevent the recycling of the enemy's first die—this means that it's a Ranged page that is unable to be stopped by single big-die pages. It's also perfect for countering Greater Split: Vertical. It inflicts 3 Fairy on each hit, for a total of 6.
The second, Degraded Fairy, is Binah's Light regen page. It's also Ranged, and in addition to restoring 2 Light each of its dice will inflict 1 Fairy on hit. But wait, what's Fairy?
Fairy is a unique status effect that only Binah can inflict, and it is absurdly broken.
Like Burn, Fairy applies immediately upon hit and deals damage equal to its number of stacks at the end of the turn. It's also an upgraded Bleed, inflicting 1 damage per stack for each die rolled, including defensive dice. Finally, at the end of each turn the stacks of Fairy are only halved instead of completely removed—letting Binah stack up a decent amount of Fairy if she focuses it on one target.
The raw damage output of Fairy is enough to allow Binah to burn through any enemy in the game in a couple of turns as long as she can land it, and it's not an exaggeration to say this status effect by itself is powerful enough to make Binah's entire floor perfectly playable.
So we're killing our comrades once again… Feh. I'm not surprised.
Aww, silly. Alternate timelines don't count!
They don't? But you told me that taking the pudding I wanted wasn't such a big deal because I got to eat it in another timeline..!
Oh! Oh yeah… that was a lie.
Justyyy!!
There will be time to discuss this matter in detail later, dear.
When on the battlefield, focus only on the task at hand.
Yees, Miss Binaah!
I really don't like this vibe. Just gotta' power up the E.G.O, and…
I think not.
What the-?!
This is… F corp's Singularity?!
You know it well.
But this battle is already over.
The hell it is. I won't quit…
Kali is at 31 HP and has 8 Fairy on her. We only need to live through four more attacks.
The rest of you, stay behind me. This is the least I can do.
Okee-dokie!
Dammit..! In the end, I just wasn't strong enough.
Sorry, guys… I wasn't able to make Carmen's dream come true…
The Red Mist… Kali has been defeated. Good work.
There was no way that a subprime imitation would ever have had a chance in the first place… But still, it was quite refreshing.
Wooooah! That was over quick!
We didn't even get to move!
Because you're so focused on all the things that don't matter.
Though, speaking of focus, why didn't you try grabbing an arm off of her, Miss Binah?
Angela would not have appreciated an incomplete book. Ultimately, I too am bound to complete the tasks that I am given properly.
Oooh..!
The Red Mist is a powerful opponent if fought in a straightforward way, and once she hits half HP her E.G.O will allow her to run wild over our side of the field. However, because Kali uses normal Light and Draw mechanics and needs to gain momentum to get the most out of her pages, she's also incredibly vulnerable to gimmicks: it's actually pretty easy to one floor this fight by using Protection on all of our team's members, biding our time with Blocks to minimize damage and prevent her green pages from getting any cost decreases until she's hit Emotion 5, and then beating her down once her Light is at 0 and she doesn't have any free Emotion Level refills left.
Or you can just use an oboe.
Music: Result
Hurrgh… Yep. That went about how I thought it would.
Do you require a moment?
Yeah. Thanks.
I think we all need some time off after that…
You always say that. But I agree for once, ma'am.
Borrowing her sword technique was something else… I wonder if I can replicate it.
Wouldn't count on it. I'm the only one who can pull off those moves normally.
Speaking of… you did go easy on me back then!
Got your ass kicked, eh? Sorry 'bout that.
It was this close. Next time I'll win—but no more dying on me.
It's not like that's our usual plan… she's just somewhat bad against guns.
There aren't many people who could stand up to that much sustained gunfire in the first place.
Hah… our boss really is incredible, huh?
Enough'a that..!
VIDEO
Music: Lobby
As far as I know, the crimson sword was a prototype E.G.O that was luckily extracted. It could only be created through someone’s gruesome death. Only Kali could wield it properly.
And her coat?
That’s the Red Mist’s own E.G.O, manifested from Kali herself.
Hunh… If that’s how powerful manifested E.G.O is, that might flip over the whole food chain of the City.
You probably should’ve realized by now, but not all E.G.O have equal amounts of strength. Rather, it’d be more accurate to say that few people can draw as much power from E.G.O as Kali could. In terms of purity alone, the sword she used to wield was of noticeably low quality, considering it was a prototype.
Damn, that was supposed to be low quality…
So, do you get the picture now? About the whole relationship between the Distortion, E.G.O, and Abnormalities?
Yes. I’m finally starting to see it clearly. Originally, the light that radiated during the event known as the ‘White Nights and Dark Days’ should have shone over the City for seven days straight, not three.
They would’ve earned the power to challenge the world. It may have been possible for some to lose the E.G.O they manifested, but no one would have been taken over by their own E.G.O and become Abnormalities.
Then, the Distortion is…
The plan was throttled because of me, which is why the Light could only radiate for three days. An unstable power was spread as a result, incubating other possibilities.
Abnormalities manifested through the Distortion are selves that have lost control… They were consumed by their own E.G.O, so to speak.
After all, there’s a fine line between E.G.O and Abnormality.
…What’s the prerequisite for these phenomena, E.G.O and Distortion?
Only those who strive to accomplish what they sincerely desire, unbound by any obstacles, will be able to manifest and wield the power.
However, if the endeavor ends in frustration, or is faced with such despair that one’s ego is shaken and their emotions twisted to an unbearable degree, the Distortion seems to arise from the overwhelmed self. The stronger and purer the desire is, the greater the Distortion becomes. That’s my speculation so far.
Something doesn’t line up. There’s got to be tons of folks in this City who give up their dreams and fall to despair.
If what you’re saying is correct, the City should be crowded with Abnormalities and E.G.O-bearers by now.
Didn’t I make it clear?
…That makes more sense. There’s next to no one in the City who dreams for themselves… Most live with a conformist mindset of just avoiding misfortune in their lives, rather than chasing after their own happiness.
Be it Wings, Syndicates, or Fixers… People are all headed to a destination they probably didn’t set themselves.
The power will only be granted to selfish beings who live strictly for their own good. Egoists, as some may say…
Well, I like this outcome better than having unworthy scum gain power they don’t deserve.
…So you sabotaged the plan knowing that would happen?
No way. I simply didn’t want to die. I wanted to live; I wanted to take my revenge. That’s all there was to it.
I was meant to be shut down at the end of the plan. It galled me so much. So I stole the Light and embraced it.
Because the light I’d taken for myself wasn’t quite whole, I got myself trapped in this Library I created—along with the Abnormalities, funnily enough. The orders ingrained into my robotic body have disallowed me from leaving here.
If that’s the case, you’ve been collecting books using the Invitation for…
You likely must’ve noticed how something’s different about the guests that have come here.
True. They had dreams of some sort, unlike the City folk I’ve known… They were kinda easily carried away by affection or friendship, too.
It’s because they were influenced by the Light. Strongly, at that.
You mean they were closer to the pillar of light?
Not quite. The same seed of Light was planted in the heart of every person, but some have greater potential to grow it to be more powerful than others. And the Invitation has been calling them over here at the moment we need them the most. As we scrape together the incomplete fragments of the Light, I look forward to obtaining a book at the end of the road guided by the Invitation…
The one book holding the power of the complete, undivided Light. It’ll be the book that will give freedom to me and all the librarians that reside here.
It’ll let me live as a human.
I won’t have to bear with others dictating me to behave as a machine anymore… I will be able to forget things I want to erase from my memory…
I guess you’re not feeling any kind of responsibility or guilt for what you’ve done and are doing to try and reach that goal.
Of course not. I have to seize everything with my own hands; I can’t expect anyone else to do it for me. I’m going to cherish what is mine and only mine as I live my life.
…It’s precisely as you said before, Roland. Everyone has their share of personal affairs and woes. The bereaved have no one but themselves to blame.
Solely for yourself, huh…
Defeating the Red Mist's reception gives us a bonus prize: Binah is now available to use in any reception from here on out.
I'll put her pages at the end of the chapter like normal, but this is her deck and it cannot be changed. That's honestly fine, the only thing I'd want is a third Pillar.
We've also gotten another new Abnormality on Gebura's floor, because we've defeated Kali in combat…
And there's also another battle available! Star of the City has a third tier of content for each column, and we've just gotten an opportunity to go after one of them. All of these fights are rather difficult, but the tools that they give us will let us trivialize any of the fights below them with incredibly powerful combat and key pages.
Lots of options, folks! The choice is yours.
Next time, on Library of Ruina
"…And the thirst would never truly be quenched."
We could do this now, but it would Tear up the space-time continuum a little.
The Index are also a little ahead, but won't cause any questions.
You could also start the Liu.
The Cane Office is still waiting as well.
Videos
The Red Mist 2
Oboe Solos - The Red Mist
New Key Pages
New Combat Pages
Red Mist Exclusive:
Binah Exclusive:
Music: GuestBattle01
That's… twenty-six, I think? Still making progress, but… seriously, this is rough. Wait, why're you three dressed like that. A guest's coming this way, and we're taking care of them. In those? The enemy's a ridiculously straightforward fighter. Best way to stand up to them right now is by using a couple tricks of our own. Hence, we're using the spray-and-pray strategy. Huh… That doesn't sound like the Gebura I remember. I've gotten too old not to learn a new trick or two. I'll change, then, and— No time. We're going, now. Consider it more practice. Ma'am!Music: GuestBattle03
The hell are you supposed to be? Just another trick of the Library, here to put you off. Huh. Well, appreciate the honesty if nothing else. Guns up, everyone. Back then it always took a few moments to pull the armor back out, so we're on a hard time limit.In an act of mercy, Kali doesn't immediately activate Red Mist form in later acts, instead granting us a single turn of fighting her at normal power before she goes off—Gebura's floor today is built to take full advantage of it by dealing as much damage as possible turn 1 before dying off incredibly fast.
Roland did a bit more than I was expecting… We might be able to put her down. Fire on my signal. I'll give it my best shot. Then… what happens if you guys don't make it? You beat her once by yourself… you could do it again. She was holding back that time, and I was… I toldja: my legs gave out. You've got my permission to go wild… Just don't let our deaths be in vain. Fine. Let's do this. Now, like I showed you. Lotta' firepower you're using, there… Yeah. And you're just going to blast through it like it doesn't matter, right? Don't talk like you know me. But we do know you. Every step you'll take, and even the ways you'll try and dodge. More of this Library's tricks..? It doesn't take tricks to recognize how honest you are. Always rushing forward into battle, certain of your victory… shouldering all the responsibility so that you could protect the ones behind you. You've always been like that, boss. Don't pretend like you know me! And don't just gush like that, either! Your Librarians seem quite fond of you. It's just a business relationship. …Huh. They stopped. You guys reloading? She's closing in! Then leave her to me. And who the hell're you supposed to be? Your worst nightmare. You? My dreams're going easy on me, then. Just you… wait..! I'll finish you off… for sure..!Music: The Red Mist
Don't think so. You're out of time.Predictably, GS:H comes out immediately.
Guess that's that. Didn't manage to push far enough. This is why I hate this type of plan… This was always the likely outcome. You think we did enough? Hard to say. This definitely isn't me at my peak, but at the same time… she's strong. Not really sure what all this 'plan' stuff is, but you really think I'm letting her through here? No, I guess not. Give it your all, kid. I'm putting an end to this!! See you guys on the other side..! G…geez..! It's too much..! This is bad. Super bad..! Now, let's start with you… I guess… this is it, huh..? That's the idea. Sorcrane..! You… Oh, I'm not done yet. Next, that faker… Like hell am I going to let-! Stay out of my way. You'll get your turn. Dammit! As for you… I expected more. You were just stronger this time. That's all. Two down. Two to go. You just killed them. Both of them, right in front of me. Yeah. That's the deal, isn't it? …Yeah. The deal. It couldn't be helped… Eventually, this would happen. And I… I give in to this feeling… just like always. Left standing alone… to fight against you… The hell? It can't be helped. Couldn't be helped. They'll all die, and I'll remain behind.Kali plays the last page of her deck at last. Onrush is a single powerful attack which gets replayed every time she Staggers or defeats someone with it. It's entirely possible for her to use it to mop up the entire floor after they've tanked a GS:H.
Luckily for us, it's on her last die and targeting Credentia. She'll die before it ever hits her, meaning it's never going to touch us.
It can't be helped… everyone around me will die. I'm the survivor. I'm always the survivor. If that's how the story goes… I just have to cut myself off from them once more. Sis… Enough. Time to finish this. First, you take a nap. Then you… Hm? I'm the one who lives in the end… These strikes… I can't die here. Not to them.Unrelenting procs, and saves Tenebrais this turn, which is good for us.
I will… survive. Eesh… testy, aren't you? Guess I'll just finish off the other one first. Sorry… This is all we've got. Do your best, okay..? Do your best..? How am I supposed to do that now..? Every wound I've gotten is proof that I'm still not there yet. The enemy that looms is one I can never kill, no matter how I beat it down. The specter of outliving everyone. Of not being able to protect them. I am the hunter… but I'm the thing I hate most. Is there any point… Quit talking to yourself. It's time to finish you off— Where did she..? Dammit, she must be like that other one. Your stability seems to be on the borderline. I'll adjust the— Leave it. I think… I got something… Finally.We're saved here by Claws of Savagery. Because Tenebrais got her head handed to her last turn, this turn she's untargetable. Without any available targets, all Kali can do is stand there menacingly.
Leave it? If you lose yourself to the Abnormalities at this point… I said leave it! I can feel it all… swirling inside of me. A scarred girl, hunting for revenge. A beast that can't be anything but itself, even if it tries… because that's its destiny. A fool who doesn't want to look at what's right in front of them. But there's something else… I think I can see it now. Then I suppose the practice was worthwhile after all. Heh. If only. I'd have preferred to figure this out any other way than this. But instead… This pain in my chest… it's not from any of those Abnormalities. So I'll hold on to this feeling, tighter than anything else.At the end of the turn, Kali takes 108 Stagger damage because she couldn't hit us. She's a stone's throw away from a Stagger.
Hey. Calzone or whatever. I'm right here. Give up on hiding? I wasn't hiding, I was lost. But I'm here now, and I'm going to tear you to pieces. Getting a little ahead of yourself there, aren't you? Nah. I have the perfect plan.On this turn, Kali is using another copy of GS:H. She's at a total of +6 Power, putting its dice at 34-48. Tenebrais, meanwhile, is using Repressed Flesh. The first die is only a 4-7, but with 9 Strength and a bonus 1 Power against foes who are on fire, the other two dice are both 14-19, for a total range of 32-45. This turn, Kali's normal damage type is Blunt, and with only 32 SR left, if we can weather this storm there's a very real chance that Tenebrais Staggers her and we win the fight right there.
Talk is cheap. Then I'll show you. When you attack me… I just need to not be there! …That was a terrible plan. Hey, Angela. No more of these little emotional plays. We're both here to get what we want, and I ain't going to care about 'em. It's not as though I was trying to do such a thing in the first place. Sure you weren't. Let's move on. I'm getting tired of this. Yes… one more set of opponents, and your ordeal will be over.Earlier I mentioned that there was one other special deployment rule in this battle, and we've finally come to it:
Music: GuestBattle01
Should we select her floor, Binah actually shows up for the battle—and she is a compelling reason to go here, even without any Abnormality Pages to use.
Her key page is relatively simple, with Incomplete Arbiter giving Binah 4 pages in hand before her draw that turn, ensuring that we always have 5 to choose from, Speed 3 being standard for an endgame Key Page, and the Binah ability being there simply to keep us from getting any ideas about changing her out into anything else.
As for her unique combat pages…
We'll get into the ones that matter soon enough.
Music: GuestBattle03
Something's off. Who are you?! I'm Mizu! Nice to meet you, past-Gebura. Not you, the one in the center. I am that which you see before you: a part of the Library, like the others. You expect me to just believe that? The only expectation I hold is for my victory. Binah plays a total of two pages this turn. The first, Degraded Pillar, is a pair of good dice, the first of which has a special ability that lets it prevent the recycling of the enemy's first die—this means that it's a Ranged page that is unable to be stopped by single big-die pages. It's also perfect for countering Greater Split: Vertical. It inflicts 3 Fairy on each hit, for a total of 6.
The second, Degraded Fairy, is Binah's Light regen page. It's also Ranged, and in addition to restoring 2 Light each of its dice will inflict 1 Fairy on hit. But wait, what's Fairy?
Fairy is a unique status effect that only Binah can inflict, and it is absurdly broken.
Like Burn, Fairy applies immediately upon hit and deals damage equal to its number of stacks at the end of the turn. It's also an upgraded Bleed, inflicting 1 damage per stack for each die rolled, including defensive dice. Finally, at the end of each turn the stacks of Fairy are only halved instead of completely removed—letting Binah stack up a decent amount of Fairy if she focuses it on one target.
The raw damage output of Fairy is enough to allow Binah to burn through any enemy in the game in a couple of turns as long as she can land it, and it's not an exaggeration to say this status effect by itself is powerful enough to make Binah's entire floor perfectly playable.
So we're killing our comrades once again… Feh. I'm not surprised. Aww, silly. Alternate timelines don't count! They don't? But you told me that taking the pudding I wanted wasn't such a big deal because I got to eat it in another timeline..! Oh! Oh yeah… that was a lie. Justyyy!! There will be time to discuss this matter in detail later, dear. When on the battlefield, focus only on the task at hand. Yees, Miss Binaah! I really don't like this vibe. Just gotta' power up the E.G.O, and… I think not. What the-?! This is… F corp's Singularity?! You know it well. But this battle is already over. The hell it is. I won't quit…Kali is at 31 HP and has 8 Fairy on her. We only need to live through four more attacks.
The rest of you, stay behind me. This is the least I can do. Okee-dokie! Dammit..! In the end, I just wasn't strong enough. Sorry, guys… I wasn't able to make Carmen's dream come true… The Red Mist… Kali has been defeated. Good work. There was no way that a subprime imitation would ever have had a chance in the first place… But still, it was quite refreshing. Wooooah! That was over quick! We didn't even get to move! Because you're so focused on all the things that don't matter. Though, speaking of focus, why didn't you try grabbing an arm off of her, Miss Binah? Angela would not have appreciated an incomplete book. Ultimately, I too am bound to complete the tasks that I am given properly. Oooh..!The Red Mist is a powerful opponent if fought in a straightforward way, and once she hits half HP her E.G.O will allow her to run wild over our side of the field. However, because Kali uses normal Light and Draw mechanics and needs to gain momentum to get the most out of her pages, she's also incredibly vulnerable to gimmicks: it's actually pretty easy to one floor this fight by using Protection on all of our team's members, biding our time with Blocks to minimize damage and prevent her green pages from getting any cost decreases until she's hit Emotion 5, and then beating her down once her Light is at 0 and she doesn't have any free Emotion Level refills left.
Or you can just use an oboe.
Music: Result
Hurrgh… Yep. That went about how I thought it would. Do you require a moment? Yeah. Thanks. I think we all need some time off after that… You always say that. But I agree for once, ma'am. Borrowing her sword technique was something else… I wonder if I can replicate it. Wouldn't count on it. I'm the only one who can pull off those moves normally. Speaking of… you did go easy on me back then! Got your ass kicked, eh? Sorry 'bout that. It was this close. Next time I'll win—but no more dying on me. It's not like that's our usual plan… she's just somewhat bad against guns. There aren't many people who could stand up to that much sustained gunfire in the first place. Hah… our boss really is incredible, huh? Enough'a that..!VIDEO
Music: Lobby
As far as I know, the crimson sword was a prototype E.G.O that was luckily extracted. It could only be created through someone’s gruesome death. Only Kali could wield it properly. And her coat? That’s the Red Mist’s own E.G.O, manifested from Kali herself. Hunh… If that’s how powerful manifested E.G.O is, that might flip over the whole food chain of the City. You probably should’ve realized by now, but not all E.G.O have equal amounts of strength. Rather, it’d be more accurate to say that few people can draw as much power from E.G.O as Kali could. In terms of purity alone, the sword she used to wield was of noticeably low quality, considering it was a prototype. Damn, that was supposed to be low quality… So, do you get the picture now? About the whole relationship between the Distortion, E.G.O, and Abnormalities? Yes. I’m finally starting to see it clearly. Originally, the light that radiated during the event known as the ‘White Nights and Dark Days’ should have shone over the City for seven days straight, not three. They would’ve earned the power to challenge the world. It may have been possible for some to lose the E.G.O they manifested, but no one would have been taken over by their own E.G.O and become Abnormalities. Then, the Distortion is… The plan was throttled because of me, which is why the Light could only radiate for three days. An unstable power was spread as a result, incubating other possibilities. Abnormalities manifested through the Distortion are selves that have lost control… They were consumed by their own E.G.O, so to speak. After all, there’s a fine line between E.G.O and Abnormality. …What’s the prerequisite for these phenomena, E.G.O and Distortion? Only those who strive to accomplish what they sincerely desire, unbound by any obstacles, will be able to manifest and wield the power. However, if the endeavor ends in frustration, or is faced with such despair that one’s ego is shaken and their emotions twisted to an unbearable degree, the Distortion seems to arise from the overwhelmed self. The stronger and purer the desire is, the greater the Distortion becomes. That’s my speculation so far. Something doesn’t line up. There’s got to be tons of folks in this City who give up their dreams and fall to despair. If what you’re saying is correct, the City should be crowded with Abnormalities and E.G.O-bearers by now. Didn’t I make it clear? …That makes more sense. There’s next to no one in the City who dreams for themselves… Most live with a conformist mindset of just avoiding misfortune in their lives, rather than chasing after their own happiness. Be it Wings, Syndicates, or Fixers… People are all headed to a destination they probably didn’t set themselves. The power will only be granted to selfish beings who live strictly for their own good. Egoists, as some may say… Well, I like this outcome better than having unworthy scum gain power they don’t deserve. …So you sabotaged the plan knowing that would happen? No way. I simply didn’t want to die. I wanted to live; I wanted to take my revenge. That’s all there was to it. I was meant to be shut down at the end of the plan. It galled me so much. So I stole the Light and embraced it. Because the light I’d taken for myself wasn’t quite whole, I got myself trapped in this Library I created—along with the Abnormalities, funnily enough. The orders ingrained into my robotic body have disallowed me from leaving here. If that’s the case, you’ve been collecting books using the Invitation for… You likely must’ve noticed how something’s different about the guests that have come here. True. They had dreams of some sort, unlike the City folk I’ve known… They were kinda easily carried away by affection or friendship, too. It’s because they were influenced by the Light. Strongly, at that. You mean they were closer to the pillar of light? Not quite. The same seed of Light was planted in the heart of every person, but some have greater potential to grow it to be more powerful than others. And the Invitation has been calling them over here at the moment we need them the most. As we scrape together the incomplete fragments of the Light, I look forward to obtaining a book at the end of the road guided by the Invitation… The one book holding the power of the complete, undivided Light. It’ll be the book that will give freedom to me and all the librarians that reside here. It’ll let me live as a human. I won’t have to bear with others dictating me to behave as a machine anymore… I will be able to forget things I want to erase from my memory… I guess you’re not feeling any kind of responsibility or guilt for what you’ve done and are doing to try and reach that goal. Of course not. I have to seize everything with my own hands; I can’t expect anyone else to do it for me. I’m going to cherish what is mine and only mine as I live my life. …It’s precisely as you said before, Roland. Everyone has their share of personal affairs and woes. The bereaved have no one but themselves to blame. Solely for yourself, huh…Defeating the Red Mist's reception gives us a bonus prize: Binah is now available to use in any reception from here on out.
I'll put her pages at the end of the chapter like normal, but this is her deck and it cannot be changed. That's honestly fine, the only thing I'd want is a third Pillar.
We've also gotten another new Abnormality on Gebura's floor, because we've defeated Kali in combat…
And there's also another battle available! Star of the City has a third tier of content for each column, and we've just gotten an opportunity to go after one of them. All of these fights are rather difficult, but the tools that they give us will let us trivialize any of the fights below them with incredibly powerful combat and key pages.
Lots of options, folks! The choice is yours.
Next time, on Library of Ruina
"…And the thirst would never truly be quenched." We could do this now, but it would Tear up the space-time continuum a little. The Index are also a little ahead, but won't cause any questions. You could also start the Liu. The Cane Office is still waiting as well.Videos
The Red Mist 2
Oboe Solos - The Red Mist
New Key Pages
New Combat Pages
Red Mist Exclusive:
Binah Exclusive:
Last edited by TeeQueue on Tue Jan 31, 2023 10:13 am, edited 1 time in total.
Appendix 30: The Red Mist
The Red Mist’s Page wrote: E.G.O. The weapon that corresponds to the mind of its wielder. The sword Carmen gave me was extracted from someone by chance. Giant eyeballs were attached to the sword adorned with crimson chunks of flesh; they watched my every move, almost to the point of making me feel a bit uncomfortable. Wondering if this was a product of some new Singularity, I asked Carmen what the thing was; she only said that I’ll have to get used to it, since there’s little she can do about how it looks. Although it looked a bit creepy, it wasn’t anything unbearable, and Carmen didn’t seem to mind it as long as there were experiments to be performed with it. She added that I have to be careful with it as it was thanks to sheer luck that the “E.G.O” could be extracted at all in its unstable state. I had a plethora of experience handling various workshop products, so I decided to take the sword without much hesitation.
When I first had the sword in my grip, I didn’t feel anything in particular. All I could tell is that it’s just a big, heavy greatsword; nothing out of the ordinary other than its appearance. But when I held the sword a few days later to protect a coworker of mine, I heard a voice. It was the voice of someone desperately yearning for something. Unfortunately, the meaning of that voice was lost on me. Rather… it wasn’t even human speech. An awkward sound mimicking somebody. Noises of teeth grinding, bones crackling, mingling with flesh. Some things collide, fall apart, and mix in irregular patterns as if to mimic the way humans speak. However, that sound was too violent and sharp. The strong obsession of an empty one. Attachment. Void. I’m not sure what word I should use to define this.
One thing I understood was that only I could hear that voice, and that it rang in my head rather than my ears. The stronger and clearer my aim to protect someone became, the louder the noise in my head got. Anxious that my mind might be consumed by the voice if I let it weaken my will, I tried my best to pretend that I didn’t hear it. The eyes on the blade carefully observed me as I fought the voice in my head. The piercing gaze persisted as if to replace me if I faltered even for a second; it made me feel hazy sometimes. The “voice” was only a bunch of grinding noises at the beginning, but it slowly learned to speak over time. Soon enough, it started speaking in a language that I could understand, though it stammered a bit. It takes human hide to protect human flesh. A shell… It kept asking for a shell. I couldn’t stop the voice, so the most I could do was ignore it.
Even though there was danger in using it, its power was formidable; with it, I protected many a person, and cut down many a threat. The voice became stronger and deeper with the more blood the blade drank. One day, it asked a sharp question: “Don’t you desire a human shell as well?” When I think back on it, the question might not have been aimed at me specifically. It would only say whatever it wanted to say. It wouldn’t try to convince or allure me. All it uttered was monologue. Yet, I was frozen stiff when I heard that. It kept saying something. Are our lives really worth the blood I spilt for them? It wasn’t actually capable of forming such detailed sentences, but my head took it that way for some reason… Maybe I was thinking to myself.
I denied its claim at the start. I’d never provoked anyone first. I’d only acted to protect others from an approaching danger. But, I felt a small part of myself waver from what the voice said. What will remain when I keep washing away blood with blood? A bloodstained shell would be all that is left.
I collapsed for a moment; but I didn’t stop thinking. If I broke down, I might be in danger as Carmen warned. Carmen… Right, Carmen would’ve been different. Nothing could possibly beat the glitter in her eyes that shines as she pioneers a new path. Those honest, virtuous eyes… Even when someone jeered at her speech, even when everyone despaired in the face of an obstacle that brought progress to a halt, Carmen never stopped looking after others. She would always take the initiative to lead all of them. If I can protect a person like that, maybe this place will change? Yes. As long as I can protect that one person.
As my thoughts became clearer, I couldn’t just sit down. My body acted before my head could decide what to do. I don’t exactly remember what happened then. When I finally took a grip on my rationality in a vast mindscape and came back to my senses, my body was burning hot. Is this rage? Have I been taken over to the point where I can’t even see ahead? But I felt so calm, refreshed even. My head was kept cool, while my heart leading the body was aflame. It wasn’t long until I felt that something was different. On solid armor, there was a layer of something tough and dense, but it wasn’t fabric… A veil of mist was covering me. Astonished, I moved around and shook my limbs several times, and the veil dissipated soon after.
When Carmen learned of this, she didn’t say much. She didn’t make a big fuss about it or suggest trying something with it right away. She only said that wielding this power is more important than simply manifesting it, so I shouldn’t be lazy… She went back to work after leaving that peculiar piece of advice. Maybe she didn’t want me to feel too much pressure.
As more time passed, I could use the armor for longer, and eventually got to draw out its full power. I had a weapon and armor that resonate with my emotions. Using them, I could protect more people, and I was able to draw forth more durability and strength. The researchers seemed to be struggling to make progress with their work, but it was alright. I believed in them to make it through, and I just had to be quicker to do my job in the meantime. However, not long after, the incident happened all too suddenly. No, maybe it wasn’t so sudden. The sign was there.
Just around this corner, I can hear a child crying; she’s sitting in front of a door. One of the two children Carmen took in died in a failed experiment. Unlike Lisa who was wary and reluctant to open up to us, Enoch showed interest in our research, and volunteered to be a test subject the other day. Enoch’s speech was so concise and on point, everyone was shocked. He wasn’t afraid, and he wasn’t shaking… His voice was unswerving and gentle. Enoch’s eyes weren’t those of a naive little kid. His words and thoughts were surprisingly deep and mature; even I was astonished. I sometimes wondered what made this kid have such thoughts. His eyes seemed to have already seen so much of this world’s despair and misfortune. However, it was still no reason to allow a kid to participate in the experiments. Carmen spent several nights agonizing over the matter.
The experiment was authorized at last, though I didn’t want to know what they thought of it anymore. What were they going to do, holding the hand of that little kid? I had to wonder if we were that desperate. But I shrugged it off. I wasn’t one to stop him from doing what he chose to do.
“You should’ve been the one to die…” The other kid, who was now all alone, mumbled crying. Her words had no weight to it. She probably spouted what she didn’t sincerely mean, because the situation was too much for her.
“Yeah… I— I should have died.” Carmen’s answer, on the other hand, was likely sincere. Everyone stood still. A crack appeared in our minds which we never thought would crumble. Maybe we all expected it to happen deep down.
Carmen’s state worsened with each passing day, like a rusting nail. The sunny eyes of the woman who had brought us together were now cloudy, and she spoke less and less. Her voice was lifeless, and she had gotten so cold; it wouldn’t have come to anyone’s surprise if she died at any moment. She didn’t bother trying to look okay. I think it was better that way. Everyone in the laboratory felt constraint in her presence. They viewed Carmen in different ways. Reproachful looks of those resenting her for bringing them so far, only to let go of her responsibility. Concerned looks of those worried that something might happen to her. And I guess there were some who had no thoughts. The research went on quietly, but not for long.
A few days later, Carmen spilled out all of the guilt within her and plunged into it, never to come back up.
Language—629.21—Nosferatu
Music: Lobby
Hey! Look what I figured out how to do.
You're really going to just head out there with your head on fire?
I used to wear this all the time, you know.
You used to have one eye.
Even before then I'd see just fine. Emotional armor kicks ass like that.
Speaking of…
There's a free Battle Symbol for Gebura if she lands the final blow on The Red Mist. Because I needed to farm up extras and soloing her with a Lone Fixer-equipped Red Mist Gebura is basically free, I wound up with a copy. It's not amazing, but I like it.
Our loadout today is a bunch of random things around a chewy Red Mist center. Sorcrane is here to act as our secondary source of big dice, Credentia's there to Not Die, and Tenebrais is still setting everything on fire.
It's weird how this body is so good at stabbing things…
Is it really that strange? You stab the ground with every step.
When you put it that way, I guess not…
Good day to you all. Have you resolved yourselves?
Yeah, we're pretty much-
You can do without the E.G.O adjustments or whatever..
…oh?
You were serious before, huh..?
I'm always serious! I think I got it this time!
If that's your request… Gebura, is it alright?
You're asking me?
…Very well. I'll do as you ask. If you destroy yourselves, it's none of my concern.
SNAP
Music: AbnormalityBattle02
I think you made her mad, ma'am…
I was just surprised she bothered to ask for my opinion. Didn't used to give two shits.
She's growing alongside the Library… I guess it's a good thing, after all.
Guys, we've got a problem. I have no idea what that thing is.
Ahh… So once more, I rise to slate my thirst. How… fortuitous.
Nosferatu is a new Abnormality to the series, having previously appeared only in the artbook. Its abilities revolve around Blood, a unique status effect.
It'll gain blood by using its attacks, and lose it by taking damage. At low Blood it'll have 3 Strength and a powerful Combat Page to use, and at high Blood it uses its ultimate attack. It's also a 2-phase boss fight, with phase 2 coming online at 175 HP remaining.
It's accompanied by four Sanguine Bats, who also gain 2 Strength when at 1 or fewer Blood and are otherwise mostly unremarkable.
Thirst is the first of Nosferatu's attacks, and it's a special page only used when it's at 2 or below Blood. The first hit will break all the enemy's die if it hits, and each of the others gives +2 Blood. On top of the +2 Blood from playing this page, Nosferatu can put itself to 6 Blood in one turn. Because this page is ranged, the correct answer is to stop it with a massive singular die—I selected Spear here instead, which actually cannot win after the 3 Strength. Just… don't play like I did today. Trust me.
Scarlet Meal is its second attack, a pair of good Block dice in front of a decent Pierce attack that gives it more Blood. While it is a Ranged attack, Ranged Block dice don't allow our offensive dice to recycle on hit—we can't just eat this page with a single big attack. While it doesn't deal much damage by itself, it does grant two of the bats 3 Haste and Protect on the next turn.
Its last attack this turn is Noble Repose, which gives two block dice that restore 5 HP each if they're unattacked. Focus Spirit has a good chance of swinging over both of them, but again: this isn't the correct way to be using Gebura. She should be smacking the bats here to get her momentum going.
The Sanguine Bats, meanwhile, use two of their three combat pages between them. Both Avid Thirst and Bloodsucking gain +2 Power when the Sanguine Bat has a speed of 5+, making them stronger on the turn that Nosferatu Hastes them with Scarlet Meal. They also inflict some nasty status effects on our side if their offensive dice hit—be it Fragile or Bleed, we want to avoid either.
You're not getting that drink of yours today. Time to die, Abnormality.
It was not by my hand that I was given this thirst. It was done by humans, who wish to partake in my pleasures.
Pleasures? You drain people's vitality and leave them empty husks.
Perhaps the same could be said of all pleasure…
Oh, I got it. You're full of crap. Time for the floor of Language to hand you your ass.
What is a language? A pretentious little pile of lies. But enough talk, have at you!
Boss, look out for that-!
Hell!
Wine… glass.
Those shards kept right going even after I smashed it out of the air… Guess it's been a while since I had last this body after all.
I've managed to apply Smoke to the target. Thanks for the opening, boss.
No problem! C'mon thirsty, keep your eye on me…
Tenebrais, are you doing okay over there?
Yeah, but these goddamn bats have a bigger bite than you'd think! Look out for 'em!
No problem—seems like I can outrange them.
Bully for you, then.
I'll take care of the other Abnormalities this time. Still with us, kid?
Like I told Sorcrane, I'm fine. Once I found myself, this got easy.
That so? Good for you, kid.
That thing's moving weird. Be on guard, everyone!
It fights like a Bloodfiend. They've got some crazy tricks, so don't let it grab a hold of your insides.
Bloodfiends… weren't they all extinct by now?
Yeah, they'd like you to think so.
Banquet of Blood is Nosferatu's special Mass Attack in this phase, only used when it has 5+ Blood. It costs 5 Blood to use, frequently putting it back below the point where it gains bonus Strength, and upon hitting any Librarians it'll restore HP to its entire team. Lastly, anyone on our side hit by it gains a Fear of Water debuff, which is a bit of a pain.
Fear of Water gives us a variety of terrible status effects, the worst of which is a 25% chance to hit our own teammates. We'd like to avoid this.
This means it's time to whip out the heavy ordinance. Next to Gebura's combat pages, she's got the E.G.O page button. If we click it…
We gain access to her big attack. Great Split: Vertical is always here and functions exactly like any other E.G.O page, right down to requiring a certain number of emotion coins to recharge. It'll take care of the mass attack handily.
So the plan is, what, stop the big attack and then kick the crap out of everyone?
Pretty much.
Perfect!
Just stay safe. There's no telling what that thing'll do.
Come… I offer you a taste of paradise.
Banquet of Blood starts by turning everything very, very red…
And then hits us with a blood dripping effect. Luckily for us, all our Librarians dodged this one just fine.
Didn't agree with my stomach.
Because GS:V doesn't have any animation when used against Ranged pages, we then see Gebura just kind of stare at Nosferatu for 19 damage.
It's tough… but if we just pour on the pressure it'll break eventually.
With that in mind, it seems that your piercing attacks are its primary weakness. We'll have to leave the bulk of the offense to you, Sorcrane.
I can do that. How're we doing with the bats?
They're on fire. That's about all we've got going for us.
It'll have to do. This thing's just a couple good pushes away from us ending them anyways.
We shall see about that…
Didn't ask for your opinion.
On the next turn, the Sanguine Bats use their final offensive page, Digging Teeth. This page doesn't give them any Blood, but instead inflicts Bleed on us and powers up when their speed is high. If they use it with both high speed and low blood, the +4 can make its rolls dangerous. Otherwise, it's pretty easy to stop.
Heads up, kid. The bastard's got another wine glass and its eyes are on you.
Bring it on. It's just a wine glass, how bad can it be?
What the hell?! What is in that wine?!
Who ever said that I thirst for wine?
It must be manipulating the weight of the blood… as expected of an Abnormality.
Explains why he's so resistant to our attacks, anyways.
You're looking pretty bad… do you need a minute?
I'm fine! This much is nothing!
If you need a minute to rest, you can lean on us. We're here too!
I've pretty much got the rest of these bats pinned down for now. That leaves that Nosferatu thing open.
Then I'll take advantage of that!
Not bad teamwork, you two.
And speaking of 'not bad,' this is the longest you've been lucid in a fight, kid.
Obviously! It's easy now that I get the trick!
I'm lucky to have a team that learns so quickly.
Elegant Supper, the last of Nosferatu's phase 1 combat pages, comes out this turn. It's a simple two-shot attack that gives 1 Blood on use and 1 more for each hit. Not much else to say about it, outside of that it's much easier to handle now that Nosferatu's got 6 Blood on it.
.
It's got a lot of our blood in it, but it's bleeding it out almost as fast as it takes it in.
So we're kicking its ass?
Seems like it. Let's clear the chaff and finish this thing off.
Will do, boss!
I've got its attention. Go!
This one's dizzy!
That makes two, then.
That's only buying us time. Take some out if you can!
You won't be getting the chance…
It's time… for another feast!
We weren't quite fast enough… Don't let it touch you, everyone.
Banquet is off of cooldown, so it gets used immediately this turn since Nosferatu's got plenty of Blood stocked.
Yeah, yeah… I got it. You all warmed up, boss?
Just about. Give me… another few seconds, and we should be ready to go.
We'll buy you as much time as you need.
It's time..!
Hell!
Delicious..!
This time, Tenebrais gets unlucky and winds up Staggered. Thankfully, none of the enemies are targeting her right now.
Tenebrais, you okay?
Of course not. She's been placed under my curse.
…Go on.
Her weakened mind is but a toy to be strung along as I prefer. Soon, very soon, she'll be working for me.
So it hit her with a mental attack… how did it know?
No clue. There's no telling how an Abnormality sees the world.
Ghh… What the… hell?
Looks like she's fighting it for now.
So what happens if we wipe you out right now?
My unending thirst cannot be quenched by the likes of you.
Upon hitting Emotion Level 4, a copy of Manifest E.G.O is added to Gebura's hand. It's a 2-cost page with a pair of powerful defensive dice, and on use it restores a whopping 6 Light, and all of her SR. Any time this page is in our hand, we want to play it the same turn.
I'll watch out for sis.
Leave the bats to me.
And I'll call out my full power. Let's do this.
Such desperation. Such… thirst.
Going to need you to take a break for a minute.
You dare?!
It's wide open.
I'm a little busy right now..!
On my way!
Take that!
Your lot possess some power… Very well. I accept that this pretense shall not work on you.
So you surrender?
Never. Behold my true form and despair!
Seems like it got a power-up, too.
But yours is definitely stronger, right?
Only one way to know for sure.
Phase 2 Nosferatu changes things up a little bit. Instead of gaining blood to use a Mass Attack, this form loses Blood each turn until it hits 0, powering up its Fear of Water and using a different Mass Attack, Lust for Blood.
Lust for Blood is a Mass Attack that will always be coming out with a +3 Strength from Fear of Water's effect, making it a 20-25 range. It'll give the entire enemy party a +1 Strength next turn as well. In order to prevent it from hitting 0 Blood, we'd have to take advantage of its other combat pages, the first of which is a special page used at 2 or fewer Blood: Unbearable Drought.
Unbearable Drought is basically Thirst+, with a first die that breaks the enemy page as well as two more that give +2 Blood each, and a final die for good measure. The only other change is being a melee page instead of ranged—all of Nosferatu's pages are melee now, meaning we can no longer stop them with a single gigantic die. As for the rest of its pages…
Of its remaining three pages, Looming Presence is largely ignorable, with only a pair of Evade dice that inflict Feeble to talk about. They're decently sized, but the page can't do any damage by itself. Merciless Gesture is a pair of Slash dice that each restore 1 Blood on hit, and Violent Gesture restores 3 on its final hit in addition to some healing. The pages both cause Nosferatu to lose additional Blood, meaning if we block them it'll be running out of blood very fast.
But as astute readers have probably gathered… none of this matters, because Gebura is at +8 power.
Haah… Haah…
Still with us, sis?
Yeah… I won't lose to an Abnormality again. As long as there are enemies to defeat… I know where to point my blade.
Alright then… You pass. Let's finish this thing off in one shot.
GS:V deals heavy damage while completely removing one of Nosferatu's offensive pages.
Then, Gebura follows up with Spear for ~50 more damage.
I'm leaving it to you! Go!
Smoke's on! Someone else, follow up!
Eat… this!
Impossible! Not this time... GyeaaaAAARGH!!!
And that's that. It took us a minute to get things into gear…
We'll just have to do it faster next time. Right, boss?
Yeah. Let's get outta' here.
I played Nosferatu badly. The correct solution would have been to have Gebura go ham on the bats early on to let her Spear and Level Slash gain momentum, then annihilate Nosferatu once she was playing a bunch of free draw/light regain pages. Instead, I went right for its throat and it still died without any real issue because Nosferatu just isn't on the same level as what Gebura's floor can do now that we've got access to the Red Mist.
Music: Lobby
Anyways, with Nosferatu added to the squad we've got a trio of new Abnormality pages to look at!
Fear of Water gives the user Blood status, which deals 4-8 Stagger Damage to the character at 0 Blood, increases offensive die damage by 3-7 at the cost of 2-7 HP at 1-14 Blood, and gives 2 Strength and resets all Blood stacks at 15 or more Blood. The character loses 3 Blood per turn automatically, so most of the time the user will be in the middle field. Because of that, this page requires a good amount of sustain to use to its fullest, making it less good than other Level 1 Abnormality Pages on this floor.
Wine means that if our Librarian defeats an enemy while they're Bleeding, our Librarian will get the +2 Strength from maximum Blood, and the entire floor will get a 10 HP heal. It's a decent effect for Bleed floors, but like FoW it just doesn't hold up when compared to the Level 2 Abnormality pages we already have like Absorption or Instincts.
Lastly, we have Vampirism. Vampirism is amazing. Any time the person who has it attacks an opponent with Bleed, they deal bonus damage and recover HP. Bleed is trivial to inflict on enemies thanks to passives from Kurokumo (and Level Slash, if we're running The Red Mist on Gebura), so this is basically a free Hauler passive that adds in bonus damage. Any time that we're running Bleed, we want to pick this page.
Four Abnormalities down… that means we'll be getting a visit soon, right?
Maybe, but I wouldn't be so sure about it.
Whyz'at?
Those battles have gone from the bottom up, layer by layer. It stands to reason that until Tiphereth's floor is completed, we won't have a firm enough foundation to sit on without toppling the whole thing over.
Huh. Makes sense.
So you're telling me we did all that for nothing? I was looking forward to another fight.
Not nothing. I'm back.
BICEPS! You made it!
Didn't they reassign you?
I prefer red.
Well welcome back, kid. You're just in time. I got a feeling that the party's about to start for real.
It'll be good to have another strong fighter by our sides, for sure.
As long as there's grass, I'll graze.
Unfortunately, we aren't quite able to unlock Gebura's Realization fight yet. That means we're back down to having only four options. I'll leave it to you!
Next time, on Library of Ruina
Another Color awaits us here, but I wouldn't recommend it yet.
You all want to do more Realizations, after all. Only a Prescript could stop you from them before.
So, I think you'll want to head to the Liu Association next.
Tiphereth's final battle isn't hidden behind the Cane Office, after all.
Music: Lobby
Hey! Look what I figured out how to do. You're really going to just head out there with your head on fire? I used to wear this all the time, you know. You used to have one eye. Even before then I'd see just fine. Emotional armor kicks ass like that. Speaking of…There's a free Battle Symbol for Gebura if she lands the final blow on The Red Mist. Because I needed to farm up extras and soloing her with a Lone Fixer-equipped Red Mist Gebura is basically free, I wound up with a copy. It's not amazing, but I like it.
Our loadout today is a bunch of random things around a chewy Red Mist center. Sorcrane is here to act as our secondary source of big dice, Credentia's there to Not Die, and Tenebrais is still setting everything on fire.
It's weird how this body is so good at stabbing things… Is it really that strange? You stab the ground with every step. When you put it that way, I guess not… Good day to you all. Have you resolved yourselves? Yeah, we're pretty much- You can do without the E.G.O adjustments or whatever.. …oh? You were serious before, huh..? I'm always serious! I think I got it this time! If that's your request… Gebura, is it alright? You're asking me? …Very well. I'll do as you ask. If you destroy yourselves, it's none of my concern.SNAP
Music: AbnormalityBattle02
I think you made her mad, ma'am… I was just surprised she bothered to ask for my opinion. Didn't used to give two shits. She's growing alongside the Library… I guess it's a good thing, after all. Guys, we've got a problem. I have no idea what that thing is. Ahh… So once more, I rise to slate my thirst. How… fortuitous.Nosferatu wrote:
Nosferatu is a new Abnormality to the series, having previously appeared only in the artbook. Its abilities revolve around Blood, a unique status effect.
It'll gain blood by using its attacks, and lose it by taking damage. At low Blood it'll have 3 Strength and a powerful Combat Page to use, and at high Blood it uses its ultimate attack. It's also a 2-phase boss fight, with phase 2 coming online at 175 HP remaining.
It's accompanied by four Sanguine Bats, who also gain 2 Strength when at 1 or fewer Blood and are otherwise mostly unremarkable.
Thirst is the first of Nosferatu's attacks, and it's a special page only used when it's at 2 or below Blood. The first hit will break all the enemy's die if it hits, and each of the others gives +2 Blood. On top of the +2 Blood from playing this page, Nosferatu can put itself to 6 Blood in one turn. Because this page is ranged, the correct answer is to stop it with a massive singular die—I selected Spear here instead, which actually cannot win after the 3 Strength. Just… don't play like I did today. Trust me.
Scarlet Meal is its second attack, a pair of good Block dice in front of a decent Pierce attack that gives it more Blood. While it is a Ranged attack, Ranged Block dice don't allow our offensive dice to recycle on hit—we can't just eat this page with a single big attack. While it doesn't deal much damage by itself, it does grant two of the bats 3 Haste and Protect on the next turn.
Its last attack this turn is Noble Repose, which gives two block dice that restore 5 HP each if they're unattacked. Focus Spirit has a good chance of swinging over both of them, but again: this isn't the correct way to be using Gebura. She should be smacking the bats here to get her momentum going.
The Sanguine Bats, meanwhile, use two of their three combat pages between them. Both Avid Thirst and Bloodsucking gain +2 Power when the Sanguine Bat has a speed of 5+, making them stronger on the turn that Nosferatu Hastes them with Scarlet Meal. They also inflict some nasty status effects on our side if their offensive dice hit—be it Fragile or Bleed, we want to avoid either.
You're not getting that drink of yours today. Time to die, Abnormality. It was not by my hand that I was given this thirst. It was done by humans, who wish to partake in my pleasures. Pleasures? You drain people's vitality and leave them empty husks. Perhaps the same could be said of all pleasure… Oh, I got it. You're full of crap. Time for the floor of Language to hand you your ass. What is a language? A pretentious little pile of lies. But enough talk, have at you! Boss, look out for that-! Hell! Wine… glass. Those shards kept right going even after I smashed it out of the air… Guess it's been a while since I had last this body after all. I've managed to apply Smoke to the target. Thanks for the opening, boss. No problem! C'mon thirsty, keep your eye on me… Tenebrais, are you doing okay over there? Yeah, but these goddamn bats have a bigger bite than you'd think! Look out for 'em! No problem—seems like I can outrange them. Bully for you, then. I'll take care of the other Abnormalities this time. Still with us, kid? Like I told Sorcrane, I'm fine. Once I found myself, this got easy. That so? Good for you, kid. That thing's moving weird. Be on guard, everyone! It fights like a Bloodfiend. They've got some crazy tricks, so don't let it grab a hold of your insides. Bloodfiends… weren't they all extinct by now? Yeah, they'd like you to think so.Banquet of Blood is Nosferatu's special Mass Attack in this phase, only used when it has 5+ Blood. It costs 5 Blood to use, frequently putting it back below the point where it gains bonus Strength, and upon hitting any Librarians it'll restore HP to its entire team. Lastly, anyone on our side hit by it gains a Fear of Water debuff, which is a bit of a pain.
Fear of Water gives us a variety of terrible status effects, the worst of which is a 25% chance to hit our own teammates. We'd like to avoid this.
This means it's time to whip out the heavy ordinance. Next to Gebura's combat pages, she's got the E.G.O page button. If we click it…
We gain access to her big attack. Great Split: Vertical is always here and functions exactly like any other E.G.O page, right down to requiring a certain number of emotion coins to recharge. It'll take care of the mass attack handily.
So the plan is, what, stop the big attack and then kick the crap out of everyone? Pretty much. Perfect! Just stay safe. There's no telling what that thing'll do. Come… I offer you a taste of paradise.Banquet of Blood starts by turning everything very, very red…
And then hits us with a blood dripping effect. Luckily for us, all our Librarians dodged this one just fine.
Didn't agree with my stomach.Because GS:V doesn't have any animation when used against Ranged pages, we then see Gebura just kind of stare at Nosferatu for 19 damage.
It's tough… but if we just pour on the pressure it'll break eventually. With that in mind, it seems that your piercing attacks are its primary weakness. We'll have to leave the bulk of the offense to you, Sorcrane. I can do that. How're we doing with the bats? They're on fire. That's about all we've got going for us. It'll have to do. This thing's just a couple good pushes away from us ending them anyways. We shall see about that… Didn't ask for your opinion.On the next turn, the Sanguine Bats use their final offensive page, Digging Teeth. This page doesn't give them any Blood, but instead inflicts Bleed on us and powers up when their speed is high. If they use it with both high speed and low blood, the +4 can make its rolls dangerous. Otherwise, it's pretty easy to stop.
Heads up, kid. The bastard's got another wine glass and its eyes are on you. Bring it on. It's just a wine glass, how bad can it be? What the hell?! What is in that wine?! Who ever said that I thirst for wine? It must be manipulating the weight of the blood… as expected of an Abnormality. Explains why he's so resistant to our attacks, anyways. You're looking pretty bad… do you need a minute? I'm fine! This much is nothing! If you need a minute to rest, you can lean on us. We're here too! I've pretty much got the rest of these bats pinned down for now. That leaves that Nosferatu thing open. Then I'll take advantage of that! Not bad teamwork, you two. And speaking of 'not bad,' this is the longest you've been lucid in a fight, kid. Obviously! It's easy now that I get the trick! I'm lucky to have a team that learns so quickly.Elegant Supper, the last of Nosferatu's phase 1 combat pages, comes out this turn. It's a simple two-shot attack that gives 1 Blood on use and 1 more for each hit. Not much else to say about it, outside of that it's much easier to handle now that Nosferatu's got 6 Blood on it.
.
It's got a lot of our blood in it, but it's bleeding it out almost as fast as it takes it in. So we're kicking its ass? Seems like it. Let's clear the chaff and finish this thing off. Will do, boss! I've got its attention. Go! This one's dizzy! That makes two, then. That's only buying us time. Take some out if you can! You won't be getting the chance… It's time… for another feast! We weren't quite fast enough… Don't let it touch you, everyone.Banquet is off of cooldown, so it gets used immediately this turn since Nosferatu's got plenty of Blood stocked.
Yeah, yeah… I got it. You all warmed up, boss? Just about. Give me… another few seconds, and we should be ready to go. We'll buy you as much time as you need. It's time..! Hell! Delicious..! This time, Tenebrais gets unlucky and winds up Staggered. Thankfully, none of the enemies are targeting her right now.
Tenebrais, you okay? Of course not. She's been placed under my curse. …Go on. Her weakened mind is but a toy to be strung along as I prefer. Soon, very soon, she'll be working for me. So it hit her with a mental attack… how did it know? No clue. There's no telling how an Abnormality sees the world. Ghh… What the… hell? Looks like she's fighting it for now. So what happens if we wipe you out right now? My unending thirst cannot be quenched by the likes of you.Upon hitting Emotion Level 4, a copy of Manifest E.G.O is added to Gebura's hand. It's a 2-cost page with a pair of powerful defensive dice, and on use it restores a whopping 6 Light, and all of her SR. Any time this page is in our hand, we want to play it the same turn.
I'll watch out for sis. Leave the bats to me. And I'll call out my full power. Let's do this. Such desperation. Such… thirst. Going to need you to take a break for a minute. You dare?! It's wide open. I'm a little busy right now..! On my way! Take that! Your lot possess some power… Very well. I accept that this pretense shall not work on you. So you surrender? Never. Behold my true form and despair! Seems like it got a power-up, too. But yours is definitely stronger, right? Only one way to know for sure.Nosferatu wrote:
Phase 2 Nosferatu changes things up a little bit. Instead of gaining blood to use a Mass Attack, this form loses Blood each turn until it hits 0, powering up its Fear of Water and using a different Mass Attack, Lust for Blood.
Lust for Blood is a Mass Attack that will always be coming out with a +3 Strength from Fear of Water's effect, making it a 20-25 range. It'll give the entire enemy party a +1 Strength next turn as well. In order to prevent it from hitting 0 Blood, we'd have to take advantage of its other combat pages, the first of which is a special page used at 2 or fewer Blood: Unbearable Drought.
Unbearable Drought is basically Thirst+, with a first die that breaks the enemy page as well as two more that give +2 Blood each, and a final die for good measure. The only other change is being a melee page instead of ranged—all of Nosferatu's pages are melee now, meaning we can no longer stop them with a single gigantic die. As for the rest of its pages…
Of its remaining three pages, Looming Presence is largely ignorable, with only a pair of Evade dice that inflict Feeble to talk about. They're decently sized, but the page can't do any damage by itself. Merciless Gesture is a pair of Slash dice that each restore 1 Blood on hit, and Violent Gesture restores 3 on its final hit in addition to some healing. The pages both cause Nosferatu to lose additional Blood, meaning if we block them it'll be running out of blood very fast.
But as astute readers have probably gathered… none of this matters, because Gebura is at +8 power.
Haah… Haah… Still with us, sis? Yeah… I won't lose to an Abnormality again. As long as there are enemies to defeat… I know where to point my blade. Alright then… You pass. Let's finish this thing off in one shot.GS:V deals heavy damage while completely removing one of Nosferatu's offensive pages.
Then, Gebura follows up with Spear for ~50 more damage.
I'm leaving it to you! Go! Smoke's on! Someone else, follow up! Eat… this! Impossible! Not this time... GyeaaaAAARGH!!! And that's that. It took us a minute to get things into gear… We'll just have to do it faster next time. Right, boss? Yeah. Let's get outta' here.I played Nosferatu badly. The correct solution would have been to have Gebura go ham on the bats early on to let her Spear and Level Slash gain momentum, then annihilate Nosferatu once she was playing a bunch of free draw/light regain pages. Instead, I went right for its throat and it still died without any real issue because Nosferatu just isn't on the same level as what Gebura's floor can do now that we've got access to the Red Mist.
Music: Lobby
Anyways, with Nosferatu added to the squad we've got a trio of new Abnormality pages to look at!
Fear of Water gives the user Blood status, which deals 4-8 Stagger Damage to the character at 0 Blood, increases offensive die damage by 3-7 at the cost of 2-7 HP at 1-14 Blood, and gives 2 Strength and resets all Blood stacks at 15 or more Blood. The character loses 3 Blood per turn automatically, so most of the time the user will be in the middle field. Because of that, this page requires a good amount of sustain to use to its fullest, making it less good than other Level 1 Abnormality Pages on this floor.
Wine means that if our Librarian defeats an enemy while they're Bleeding, our Librarian will get the +2 Strength from maximum Blood, and the entire floor will get a 10 HP heal. It's a decent effect for Bleed floors, but like FoW it just doesn't hold up when compared to the Level 2 Abnormality pages we already have like Absorption or Instincts.
Lastly, we have Vampirism. Vampirism is amazing. Any time the person who has it attacks an opponent with Bleed, they deal bonus damage and recover HP. Bleed is trivial to inflict on enemies thanks to passives from Kurokumo (and Level Slash, if we're running The Red Mist on Gebura), so this is basically a free Hauler passive that adds in bonus damage. Any time that we're running Bleed, we want to pick this page.
Four Abnormalities down… that means we'll be getting a visit soon, right? Maybe, but I wouldn't be so sure about it. Whyz'at? Those battles have gone from the bottom up, layer by layer. It stands to reason that until Tiphereth's floor is completed, we won't have a firm enough foundation to sit on without toppling the whole thing over. Huh. Makes sense. So you're telling me we did all that for nothing? I was looking forward to another fight. Not nothing. I'm back. BICEPS! You made it! Didn't they reassign you? I prefer red. Well welcome back, kid. You're just in time. I got a feeling that the party's about to start for real. It'll be good to have another strong fighter by our sides, for sure. As long as there's grass, I'll graze.Unfortunately, we aren't quite able to unlock Gebura's Realization fight yet. That means we're back down to having only four options. I'll leave it to you!
Next time, on Library of Ruina
Another Color awaits us here, but I wouldn't recommend it yet. You all want to do more Realizations, after all. Only a Prescript could stop you from them before. So, I think you'll want to head to the Liu Association next. Tiphereth's final battle isn't hidden behind the Cane Office, after all.
Last edited by TeeQueue on Wed Feb 08, 2023 9:00 am, edited 1 time in total.
Book 39: Liu Association Section 2—Chapter 1
Music: Lobby
We're hitting up the center-right node now, which requires a copy of The Crying Children. If we lose, that means we'll have to go back and do the fight again.
That'd be more 'long' than 'difficult' at this point, but I'd still rather not have to do it again. Let's get to it.
VIDEO
Music: StorySimgak
It amounts to 80,000 as of now.
That’s still better than the Pianist, which took 300,000 lives in one fell swoop.
While the Pianist only annihilated the residential area of the Backstreets of District 9, the Crying Children struck the Nest, which makes this case especially critical.
Yeah, the Nest is supposed to be the safest place of all.
Oh, hey there, Xiao… When did you come here?
Section 1 is on high alert, you see. I’m here to ask what Section 2 thinks of this matter.
C’mon, be honest, Director Xiao.
Cecil!
Hmhmm…
…Anyway, the president of our association must be looking daggers at our backs.
Mei, give a briefing on the information we’ve gathered about the Crying Children so far.
Music: StoryJinji
Dawn Office was a Grade 4 Office located in Nest V. It was an associate Office affiliated with the Liu, and showed decent performance with a fair lineup.
That reminds me, isn’t that where Salvador was?
That is correct.
He used to be a hotshot in his prime, though he’s only a washed up old man now.
…Going back to the briefing, the Dawn Office has closed business after all of its Fixers died in the Library.
Except for one: Philip.
Philip was a Grade 5 Fixer. Being the only survivor, Philip paid a visit to Wedge Office, a partner of Dawn Office…
Then the Wedge Office fell victim to the Library.
There’s too little we can deduce from the story so far… Isn’t it too speculative to assume that Philip is the Crying Children?
Actually, there’s some evidence to back this up…
A Fixer allegedly witnessed a marble statue crying near the Library. According to them, the sound of wailing could be heard from afar, so I suspect it spent quite some time crying loudly.
Then the statue’s shape began shifting…
…Apparently, yes. Although the transformation was imperfect, the eyewitness account had striking similarities to Philip’s appearance as listed in official documents.
However, the entity’s skin, clothes, and everything… It was all composed of wax, according to what they saw.
…That thing wasn’t human.
Afterwards, “Philip” returned to where the Dawn Office was, and another wail could be heard from that location for quite a while. Not long after that, it started destroying everything around it, except for the Dawn Office.
I couldn’t see a single feature that resembles Philip from the reports describing its appearance there, though.
Some cases of the Distortion can change their forms, so perhaps this was one such case.
Music: StorySimgak
Even though it’s not crystal clear… It is plausible. I can’t help but suspect the Library. We know nothing about the reason it distorted the way it did…
I guess, yeah.
V Corp. has hired Liu Association as a whole regarding this matter. They requested us to acquire any and everything that appears to be related to the Distortion, or dispose of it if the situation does not allow it. Many of our workforce will be allocated for tasks regarding the Library for a while.
The president and branch leaders must’ve lapped up this request since a Wing made it.
Every street in the City’s gonna be in a violent mess for some time.
Where is Section 2 going to begin?
We’re starting out by investigating the Library first, naturally. Of course, that won’t be the only thing we’ll be working on with our manpower.
What about Section 1?
It’s the most urgent matter that needs to be taken care of right now.
You’re taking tough work right from the get-go. I’m sure you won’t have trouble handling it, Xiao. But still, be careful.
You’re such a lovebird, Director Lowell! There’s quite a few associate Offices to help them out, so it should be fine.
Besides, we’re talking about the Maiden of Iron herself. There’s absolutely nothing to worry about.
Music: Lobby
There were several Abnormalities that would talk about their own pasts, too. It’s not entirely impossible for it to happen.
Yeah, fair. The others I’ve seen in here could talk to an extent.
Hmm… Rewatching this scene doesn’t feel any better. I didn’t expect him to break down so badly. Thought he did an okay job overcoming his flaws.
Maybe he could’ve succeeded.
However, no matter how capable you may be, you will still fall if you don’t hold on to your way with an upright mindset. He should’ve been especially extra cautious not to succumb to the unstable side he always had.
…That’s how it is, huh.
Next time, on Library of Ruina: Associations hate them! Learn to trivialize Liu with this one weird trick!
Videos
Liu Association Section 2 1
Mumbling mooncoats, Miss Hod!
Hrmmm… nah.
Leapfrogging lapidarists, Miss Hod!
No, that won't work, they just use the things… C'mon, think…
What're you doing?
Huh?! Oh! Oh. Hello! I'm just… workshopping. It's very important to the process, and I don't want to let Miss Hod down.
I don't think she'd mind if you didn't perform just so. She's pretty chill.
This isn't about that! This is for me!
…You okay there, Paul?
I… well, I'm kind of used to watching death all the time… but it's different when you're doing the killing yourself! Instead of the dying, which I'm very used to, I think! And it's different again when it's a human doing the being dead. You follow?
I think so. So you're trying to mentally prepare for combat?
Either the fighty bits or the watchy bits! At any time, we might have a big surprise come out, and I've gotta' be ready with a line. If not, I might freeze up again.
Everyone has their own way to cope, I guess. Want some company?
Gee golly, that'd be swell! I was getting a little stuck… the best I had so far was Markovian Murderhobos, which is a really good one, but…
It's not very Liu?
Exactly!
Alright, let's see what we can come up with together.
Music: Lobby
We're hitting up the center-right node now, which requires a copy of The Crying Children. If we lose, that means we'll have to go back and do the fight again.
That'd be more 'long' than 'difficult' at this point, but I'd still rather not have to do it again. Let's get to it.
VIDEO
Music: StorySimgak
It amounts to 80,000 as of now. That’s still better than the Pianist, which took 300,000 lives in one fell swoop. While the Pianist only annihilated the residential area of the Backstreets of District 9, the Crying Children struck the Nest, which makes this case especially critical. Yeah, the Nest is supposed to be the safest place of all. Oh, hey there, Xiao… When did you come here? Section 1 is on high alert, you see. I’m here to ask what Section 2 thinks of this matter. C’mon, be honest, Director Xiao. Cecil! Hmhmm… …Anyway, the president of our association must be looking daggers at our backs. Mei, give a briefing on the information we’ve gathered about the Crying Children so far.Music: StoryJinji
Dawn Office was a Grade 4 Office located in Nest V. It was an associate Office affiliated with the Liu, and showed decent performance with a fair lineup. That reminds me, isn’t that where Salvador was? That is correct. He used to be a hotshot in his prime, though he’s only a washed up old man now. …Going back to the briefing, the Dawn Office has closed business after all of its Fixers died in the Library. Except for one: Philip. Philip was a Grade 5 Fixer. Being the only survivor, Philip paid a visit to Wedge Office, a partner of Dawn Office… Then the Wedge Office fell victim to the Library. There’s too little we can deduce from the story so far… Isn’t it too speculative to assume that Philip is the Crying Children? Actually, there’s some evidence to back this up… A Fixer allegedly witnessed a marble statue crying near the Library. According to them, the sound of wailing could be heard from afar, so I suspect it spent quite some time crying loudly. Then the statue’s shape began shifting… …Apparently, yes. Although the transformation was imperfect, the eyewitness account had striking similarities to Philip’s appearance as listed in official documents. However, the entity’s skin, clothes, and everything… It was all composed of wax, according to what they saw. …That thing wasn’t human. Afterwards, “Philip” returned to where the Dawn Office was, and another wail could be heard from that location for quite a while. Not long after that, it started destroying everything around it, except for the Dawn Office. I couldn’t see a single feature that resembles Philip from the reports describing its appearance there, though. Some cases of the Distortion can change their forms, so perhaps this was one such case.Music: StorySimgak
Even though it’s not crystal clear… It is plausible. I can’t help but suspect the Library. We know nothing about the reason it distorted the way it did… I guess, yeah. V Corp. has hired Liu Association as a whole regarding this matter. They requested us to acquire any and everything that appears to be related to the Distortion, or dispose of it if the situation does not allow it. Many of our workforce will be allocated for tasks regarding the Library for a while. The president and branch leaders must’ve lapped up this request since a Wing made it. Every street in the City’s gonna be in a violent mess for some time. Where is Section 2 going to begin? We’re starting out by investigating the Library first, naturally. Of course, that won’t be the only thing we’ll be working on with our manpower. What about Section 1? It’s the most urgent matter that needs to be taken care of right now. You’re taking tough work right from the get-go. I’m sure you won’t have trouble handling it, Xiao. But still, be careful. You’re such a lovebird, Director Lowell! There’s quite a few associate Offices to help them out, so it should be fine. Besides, we’re talking about the Maiden of Iron herself. There’s absolutely nothing to worry about.Music: Lobby
There were several Abnormalities that would talk about their own pasts, too. It’s not entirely impossible for it to happen. Yeah, fair. The others I’ve seen in here could talk to an extent. Hmm… Rewatching this scene doesn’t feel any better. I didn’t expect him to break down so badly. Thought he did an okay job overcoming his flaws. Maybe he could’ve succeeded. However, no matter how capable you may be, you will still fall if you don’t hold on to your way with an upright mindset. He should’ve been especially extra cautious not to succumb to the unstable side he always had. …That’s how it is, huh.Next time, on Library of Ruina: Associations hate them! Learn to trivialize Liu with this one weird trick!
Videos
Liu Association Section 2 1
Mumbling mooncoats, Miss Hod! Hrmmm… nah. Leapfrogging lapidarists, Miss Hod! No, that won't work, they just use the things… C'mon, think… What're you doing? Huh?! Oh! Oh. Hello! I'm just… workshopping. It's very important to the process, and I don't want to let Miss Hod down. I don't think she'd mind if you didn't perform just so. She's pretty chill. This isn't about that! This is for me! …You okay there, Paul? I… well, I'm kind of used to watching death all the time… but it's different when you're doing the killing yourself! Instead of the dying, which I'm very used to, I think! And it's different again when it's a human doing the being dead. You follow? I think so. So you're trying to mentally prepare for combat? Either the fighty bits or the watchy bits! At any time, we might have a big surprise come out, and I've gotta' be ready with a line. If not, I might freeze up again. Everyone has their own way to cope, I guess. Want some company? Gee golly, that'd be swell! I was getting a little stuck… the best I had so far was Markovian Murderhobos, which is a really good one, but… It's not very Liu? Exactly! Alright, let's see what we can come up with together.