Let's Blog Suikoden - Part 16

Hiddly-diddly-bo, into Sonaire we go. The guards on the gates fall for our forged papers, and we begin to explore the prison. Unfortunately, fake papers aren't so affective against monsters, so we still encounter a fair number of tricky battles on our way to rescue Liukan. Juppo Watch: Juppo has been used, and is rather useless. His 'Trick Rune' is a cool-looking move involving a little 'Bomberman'-type fellow falling from the sky and attacking the enemy, but for very little damage, and his stats are rather weak, even after levelling up. Juppo Watch will most likely end here today as I can't see myself using the character much in the future.

We progress down, down, down through the prison, collecting an Opal along the way (we'll give that to the girl who wanted one as soon as I remember her name and location). In the dungeons themselves we are forced to fight our way through hordes of guards to unlock some cells and obtain some treasure. One of the items we obtain is called 'Sound Setting 0' and I really do wonder what on Earth that is. 

Well, gentlemen, I'm a prison inspector. We've heard reports that guards are being employed here to stand in front of cells containing treasure chests for no discernible reason. Do we need to protect inanimate objects now? Do you believe the chests are going to stage a daring escape attempt? Good God man who's in charge here!? Okay fine let's just fight 'cause I want that treasure

Quite quickly, we find Liukan in his cell. He recognises us as the troublemakers who visited him earlier and joins up with us as we attempt to bust him out of here. Advance warning: Things are about to take a horrible turn for the worse. I felt like this little trip to the prison had gone a little too smoothly; we'd made our way in without any problems, quickly located our target, and were more or less strolling out the front door without a worry when suddenly Milich appears. He'd been waiting for us near the exit.

Viktor wants to fight him right away, an idea I would certainly support, especially since he doesn't even have a dragon alongside him this time. However, Milich refuses the idea of a battle, revealing instead a little present he's prepared for us: a bottle of Spores of Agony. The vicious, man-eating spores are quickly released from their glass prison as he smashes the bottle on the floor and makes for the exit, locking us in on the way. Oh dear.

Alright, quit your moaning and groaning you old fool, it's time to go

The room we're trapped in contains a lever that opens and closes a door back into the dungeons, but this door can only be opened and closed from this room. Thus, someone is going to have to stay behind, and I think anyone who has been following the blog recently will have some idea as to the identity of the doomed volunteer.

Without a moment's hesitation, Gremio pulls the lever and tells us to go. The party runs through the door, expecting him to follow as they've forgotten the door can only be closed from that room. He closes the door behind us. Akami screams at him to open the door, telling him it's an order, that there must be another way. The camera pans away from the room and I quickly realise that will be the last time we see Gremio on-screen.

What the... why are you carrying them around!?

He refuses to open the door, saying we don't need him to look after us anymore and that we've made him proud. As he gradually weakens and even loses his sight, he tells us it's time to say goodbye, and ends his life with what he calls his "first and final request": that we follow our heart. It's true, Gremio never did ask for anything, always content to serve and protect those he cared for and who cared for him. He was a true symbol of loyalty and honour, and as the camera finally pans down, revealing nothing but his green cloak and axe laying in the room, I personally can't help but feel heartbroken by this loss.

I have to say, as far as deaths in video games go, particularly at the era of Suikoden's release, this is an impressive scene. The way the camera panned up, giving the player the same experience as those characters, helplessly blocked behind the door, unable to see their old friend and appreciate him one last time, only to hear his final words and ultimately his cruel demise, it was very well done. 

That's the last time you'll see Gremio on this blog, folks, savour it

Right, that's the artistic side of things covered, now I can grieve. It really was a moving moment in the game, obviously with all that had been said before, we knew something unfortunate was heading Gremio's way but I kept hoping that death wasn't the fate that awaited him. A brutal death, to top it all. As I've said before, Gremio didn't have the sharpest blade, the quickest wit, or the most interesting tale to tell, and yet his death hit me harder than any moment in the game up to this point.

He was a servant, a friend, a loyal guardian. He looked after Akami and the others, he always appreciated honesty and abhorred betrayal, he was the embodiment of good values. All we can say is that at least he went out in a way he would have wanted: looking out for his friends, and putting the safety of others, particularly Akami, far ahead of his own.

A cruel loss

A short while after these tragic events Mathiu arrives to free us, as is often the case. He'd been worried after we'd been gone so long, and even brought the troops with him. At the sound of such an announcement, all I can think is "Let's go take down Milich right now", but we have to go back and rest first. Before he leaves, Akami kneels down to the cape and bows his head sadly: a depressingly powerful moment. Viktor also returns to the room of Gremio's demise, but we don't see what it is he does. 

Later on, we wake up at home, with friends waiting outside our room to offer their thoughts and condolences. Viktor offers to command the battle for us, Camille says we have to savour our life now after such a sacrifice, Pahn can barely speak, Flik begins to understand why we're in charge, and Cleo ponders that naturally death and war go hand-in-hand, but this death is so much harder to take. The game tellingly lacks any music in this brief section.

As a pissed off guy looking for vengeance, I must wholeheartedly agree with you Mathiu

We head straight to Mathiu, there'll be no screwing around exploring the castle this time, I want vengeance. He advises us to attack the castle immediately and those words are music to my ears. Liukan offers his antitoxin to protect us from the poisonous pollen, and also his future services, pledging allegiance to the army as he realises the life of the hermit was not his true calling. The Battle at Scarleticia Castle begins, and this time it's most certainly personal.

Our new recruits present with a few more options in battle. The 'Merchants' team has the ability to persuade enemy soldiers to turn against their own forces, and a few more attack teams have formed. It's not all gains though, as the loss of Gremio results in the 'Commander's Team' losing a lot of firepower.

New abilities!

Since I'm yet to use a magic attack in these battles, I decide to randomly kick things off with one. Luckily, it's a huge success; the battle begin with a force 12,000 strong against our 9,000 soldiers but after my initial attack they're quickly reduced to around 8k. The enemy was preparing a charge at the time, thus I realise magic is the clear counter to charge. Afterwards I send in the thieves, but they do their job a little too literally as Krin returns with 2,000 bits and no information on enemy strategy. Our new merchants are sent in next, but they fail. I have to go for it and decide on a bow attack, taking out another few thousand of their men. 

The battle is going quite well so far, huh? Well, it continues in the same fashion! The 'Strategists' (now featuring Apple) boost my power and in goes the 'Commander's Team' sans Gremio. Amusingly, the odds are more than a little uneven at this point; the enemy has 279 men which is represented by one guy on the battle screen whilst we have over 6k. A final charge finishes them off and our huge victory is assured. Part one of our Gremio revenge has gone smoothly, now to finish the job.

Damn right

Mathiu suggests we break into the castle and burn the roses once and for all. Viktor and Flik join the party seeking revenge for Gremio, and I decide on Cleo, Lorelai, and Luc to fill up the slots: a reliable friend, a new face, and my finest magician. The castle is a brief dungeon, I meet a painter named Ivanov and a singer named Kasios, both potential recruits I imagine but not yet. First their master must be destroyed.

As with Kwanda, we arrive out on the balcony, finally cornering Milich who has nowhere left to run. Suddenly, as with Kwanda again, he complains of pain from his wrist. He claims he has been given a rune by Windy and suddenly doesn't know why we're here or what's going on. My immediate reaction is one of huge disappointment, along with a little distrust. I was so eager to make someone pay for the death of Gremio that I was well and truly ready to finish Milich off but this changes things. However, Kwanda's arm glowed and he even asked us to kill him himself at one point. Milich's supposed pain and confusion were far less convincing.

Much of the party is blinded by anger at this point, it's touching to see how deeply the loss of Gremio has affected us all

Pahn, Cleo, and Viktor are ready to rip him apart but Milich truly seems to have no idea what anyone's talking about. Mathiu asks if he was wearing a black rune, which he was. Viktor and Pahn don't even care and make for the fallen general. I'm given the chance to intervene and I'll admit it was a tougher choice than last time. I don't think that necessarily means I care more about avenging Gremio than the whole village of elves that were killed by Kwanda; I just wasn't as easily convinced, or perhaps didn't want to be, by Milich's show. 

Perhaps he could be tricking us, I'd feel terrible if I save his life only to discover he truly did voluntarily slaughter Gremio, but Milich wasn't there to see Kwanda suffering from his rune. How would he have known to copy such an act? I begin to realise it is indeed likely that he has endured the same fate as the general who now fights alongside us, and the benefit of the doubt has to be applied. Cleo and Viktor are confused by my choice, but for once Flik defends our reasoning and says the leader must not be questioned.

Both are true, but we'll take the vengeance out on Windy

When Milich then asks to join our cause, I feel my choice is vindicated. He explains how the Emperor has been besotted with Windy who bears a resemblance to his late wife, and is now woefully under her control. Milich wants to restore order and realises we're the chaps to help with that. He wouldn't have joined us if he'd been faking. At least I don't think so, it'd have to be an elaborate undercover ploy to pull off if he was. We'll see, I guess.

In bursts Stallion, of all people, screaming that an army is arriving and we're needed at The Castle. Back at the HQ, we go to see Mathiu who is meeting with a young boy named Kasumi, a ninja from the village of Rokkaku. Rokkaku has fallen... to Teo's forces. I should've thought of it before, I know, but it's only now that I begin to wonder about our own father being under the same spell as Kwanda and Milich. 

Uh-oh

Kasumi then joins the army and we prepare for battle against Teo. Gen bursts in to report the arrival of a ton of troops on the shore, and Mathiu suggests a brief skirmish. I'm given the choice to agree or tell my friends I'm not willing to do battle with my father. Tune in next time for what could very well be the fight against Teo McDohl!