Matt Addison's blog

And so a new journey begins.

Inserting the disc into the tray of the Playstation 2 that I have had to dust off, the whirring click of gears in motion lets me know that the console is still in an operable condition. Picking up the television remote to change the settings of my LCD TV, I am greeted by the traditional fanfare of the Final Fantasy franchise as the opening movie exhibits itself and fades into an image of a Judge before a logo that depicts the game title in harmonious font. I edit the settings for my new game, and sit back as I am drawn into the adventure...

So it all begins with the marriage of Ashe to Rassler and the occassion seems to be quite joyous, mounted with celebrations and attendance of all the races in a royal accord, following a float that descends through the city of Rabanastre, where flower petals fall in abundance to mark the occassion. Switch to a war scene where the King is alarmed to hear that Nabudis has fallen to the enemy army of Archadia. Basch, a general of Dalmasca, and Rassler determine that they will head in for back up in an attempt to overthrow the enemy and put them in their place.

Unfortunately, the situation is a lot worse off than it would have originally appeared. Knights of the Archadian army are swarming like ants across the vast expanse of the city with the enemy airships being scant held back by a large erected Paling that soon falters when the mages sustaining it are slayed by knights. In the distraction, Rassler is shot in the chest with an arrow from an enemy soldier and is grievously wounded. Basch collects the man before he falls off his Chocobo, and defiantly battles his way through the soldiers to safety.

Back in Rabanastre, Princess Ashe grieves over the death of her husband as he is sent off with a few words of prayer. The battlefield over Nabudis is now ridden with corpses and the remains of those that sought to battle for the land rights, leaving the place a barren wasteland fit for no race to live at all. Crows pick at the scant remains of what was once a mighty nation.

Marquis Omdore narrates a piece of the story which highlights a tumultous event that heralds in the tutorial where Basch and Vossler stand over an awakening Reks as he comes to his senses. Scant a man, barely seventeen years of age he doesn't seem fit to weild a sword - but that he must to defend his homeland as they make their way to where their soverign lord is about to sign a treaty of peace between the lands.

It is soon discovered that the battle system that is inherent within Final Fantasy XII denotes that a red line suggests that an enemy is targetting you, whereas a blue line dictates who you are targetting and finally a green line dictates on whom a healing magick is being cast. After defeating the Archadian knight, the party will move forward and be confronted by an Air Cutter Remora. Keep your distance and use Thunder on the contraption leaving the other knights to attack it physically. By doing thus, you should be able to avoid it's Remora Strike attack. Should your health get low at any point there is always the cure spell, or a short supply of Potions handy to keep Reks perky.

Basch will step in and perform a Quickening to finish it off. It calls to its companion, Antlion seeking permission to leave. After it sustains enough damage it will explode in a colourful display of light and smoke. Permission is granted and it will fly off leaving a winded Reks and his comrades behind. Heal up and then head toward the doorway ahead.

Basch will advise you that to view a map of the place you simply need to press SELECT. Doing so will reveal that there is a room with a large X and circle a few areas ahead with a notation that Reks must reach the King before he signs the treaty. So, let's go!

Head into the fortress and you'll find a few soldiers along the way that will try and oppose Reks. Nothing that he and his friends cannot handle, right? However, Vossler appears to be missing. Hmm... The group head in toward the stairway and begin their ascent.

Near the top of the stairs the group will be caught by following enemy soldiers. Reks volunteers to stay back and stave them off. Take them out, heal yourself and then continue.

Finding a large room in the fortress Reks is shocked to find that the King of Dalmasca, his soverign ruler is slumped on a throne, blood gushing from a wound in his chest just moments dead. Turning, he finds the kiss of steal bite into his chest as a dagger sinks its teeth into his flesh, projected by none other than his very own captain, Basch. Watching in horror as the scene unfolds, in his last few minutes he witnesses the fall of Dalmasca and the rise of Archadia to grasp it like an insidious poison, blanketing over the land. In response Marquis Ondore casts forth his voice asking that the people of Rabanastre cast down their swords lest they be branded traitor, cast from the same cloth as the one whom murdered their King.

In his speech the Marquis advised that not only had the King been assassinated, but so too had the Princess Ashe passed in her grief over the loss of loved ones. The traitorous Basch was also put to death. The loss of so many pivotel parties in the ruling of the nation would surely be a blow to the communities that resided within.

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Enter Vaan, Reks' younger brother. He is beneath the town in the waterways with his friend Kytes, as he dispatches some rats in practice for what fiends lie in the desert beyond the walls of the capital. After dispatching the rats, he and Kytes head up above ground to the city proper.

A guard is caught taking wares from a peddler without paying and Vaan sees fit to swipe the guy's gil pouch in compensation. Way to go! Evading the guards he eventually runs into his childhood friend Penelo who takes the pouch from him and keeps some of the gil in compensation for food that Vaan had earlier attempted to eat for free. Woops! Just as they are about to move on, an airship flies overhead, displaying that Vaan wishes that he could pilot one of them in the future. Penelo leaves and advises that Vaan should see Migelo. So, let's be off!

"What could Migelo want? Better go and see him at his shop".