On day 33 of my Final Fantasy Marathon, I finished Porom’s Tale and started Edward’s Tale. Today, I’m on my way to Baron to talk to Cecil about the message he sent to Damcyan.

The emissary from Baron

We arrive back at the castle and the Chancellor tells Edward that Baron’s emissary has arrived. Edward welcomes the emissary and tries to make some small talk, but he says he is there for business not to chat.

The emissary says that Cecil requests that Baron be allowed to handle the matter of the meteor exclusively. Edward asks why.

The emissary says he was not given any additional information. Having delivered his message, the emissary is ready to peace out.

However, Edward questions why Cecil didn’t come to deliver this message in person. The emissary says he will pass Edward’s message on to the King.

Edward’s plan

The Chancellor wants to know what the meaning of the message is. Edward says he trusts that Cecil has due motivation for his decision.

However, he thinks he should go see Cecil in person. Edward doesn’t want to bring a military presence with him, but the Chancellor insists he take guards.

Edward agrees and the Chancellor tells the three generic guards to go with Edward. Edward stops to say goodbye to Harley on the way out of the castle, but she says she is going with him.

He says no, but she insists as his secretary that it is her duty to be present at a diplomatic meeting with the king of Baron. Edward agrees and then snatches some Damcyan Flowers out of the flowerbed as a gift for Cecil.

That fucking waterway again

We learn the Feast of the Land band while crossing the desert to the Subterranean Lake. I find a Bronze Tail in the lake.

I get an Iron Sword from a chest and give it to one of the generic guards. As we travel through the waterway, Harley begins to show signs of illness, but claims she is just tired.

We rest at a save point and then keep going. I find another Bronze Tail and a Silver Breastplate, which goes to Edward.

I also find the tail collector. He offers to exchange a silver tail for five bronze tails or a gold tail for five silver tails.

I trade him for one silver tail. We exit the waterway and cross the desert to Kaipo.

Kaipo

Shortly after we arrive in Kaipo, Harley collapses. We take her to someone’s house, where a man says she has desert fever.

Edward knows this means they need a Sand Pearl and he resolves to go get one, but first he will get some rest. He visits the graves of Anna and Tellah and plays the one song he knows on his harp.

Anna appears briefly and Edward asks why she seems so sad. As he walks away, Tellah appears and calls him a spoony bard.

He says Anna wants him to live. Edward doesn’t understand. Tellah tells him to take a good hard look at himself.

The next morning, Harley’s fever is worse. Edward vows to get the Sand Pearl no matter what.

Harley apologizes for forcing Edward to bring her and then getting sick. Edward tells her not to be ridiculous.

The generic guards want to go with Edward, but he refuses, saying they should stay with Harley. I loot the town before setting out, and find another Bronze Tail.

Antilion’s Den

I set out back through the fucking Underground Waterway to the Antilion’s Den east of Castle Damcyan. I find a Lamia Harp, which I don’t equip.

I make my way to the place where the Antilions lay their eggs and this time Edward’s claim that they are peaceful creatures proves true, as I’m able to grab a Sand Pearl with no resistance.

I also get some Adamantite from a chest. I make my way out of the den and back to Kaipo.

Return to Kaipo

The game developers take some mercy on the player here and have Edward accosted by Jawas shortly after he enters the fucking waterway again. They want the Sand Pearl.

He charges at one of them and promptly loses his balance, falling into the lake. The waterfall washes him all the way to a spot near the exit.

Harley sees the light

I make it back to Kaipo and head for the residence. The unnamed man there tells me to shine the light of the Sand Pearl on Harley.

I do and Harley wakes up, again apologizing for being so much trouble. Edward promptly passes out.

Fortunately, he doesn’t have the Sand Fever. I assume because the developers knew that their lives would be in danger if they forced players to go back through the fucking waterway with just Harley to get another Sand Pearl.

Edward wakes up and apologizes to Harley for worrying her and she natters on about how he went halfway around the world to get her a Sand Pearl. The unnamed man spills the beans that she sat up all night with Edward, even though she’s supposed to be resting.

She tries to play it off, but everyone knows Harley has the hots for Edward. Too bad she kinda looks like she could be his grandma.

Journey to Baron

We leave Kaipo and board a ship to Baron. Edward and Harley have an awkward conversation about their health and then Harley changes the topic to the moon.

Edward is surprised to learn that Harley knows about Golbez. She says she did some research on the topic.

She says this moon looks different to her than the Lunarians’ moon. Edward agrees.

A sailor spots Yang’s ship and we get the scene from Yang’s Tale where Yang’s ship breaks down and Edward just leaves him stranded. We arrive at the docks near Baron.

Baron Town

I start by looting the town of Baron. I get a Silver Tail from a chest behind the weapon dealer.

Baron Castle

We approach Baron Castle and the guards don’t seem to recognize Edward. This pisses Harley off.

We tell them we are there to see Cecil about the message he sent. The guards let us in. We exchange pleasantries with Cecil in his throne room.

Edward observes that Rosa and Ceodore are nowhere to be seen. Cecil claims Rosa is feeling ill and Ceodore is out training.

Edward asks Cecil about the meteor and Cecil reiterates that Damcyan should let Baron handle it. Edward asks Cecil about the moon.

Cecil asks Edward what he thinks about it instead of answering. Edward says he believes it portends ill times ahead.

Cecil says that’s all the more reason to let Baron handle the meteor. Cecil bids Edward farewell, but as he is leaving, has his guards present Edward with a small box as a gift.

Edward responds by giving Cecil the flowers he picked. Cecil makes a snarky comment about how very fitting flowers are as a gift from Edward.

Edward seems to be waiting for something, so Cecil asks if something is wrong. Edward says he’s glad Cecil likes the flowers and then leaves.

Bard, King, Gardener, Spy

We get back on the ship to go home and Harley demands an explanation for Edward’s behavior. Edward says that person was not Cecil.

As proof, he whips out a Damcyan flower. He says the real Cecil would have known what his gift was.

The pair hear voices coming from the flower. A female voice asks if that was wise. A male voice assures her there is nothing to worry about, even though Edward was acting extremely suspicious of him.

The female voice says weaker creatures need to be more cautious. The male says Damcyan is a hub of commerce, not war and its military is no more than mere ceremony.

I have to say that based on the performance of the generic guards, he has a point. He says seizing Damcyan would be a simple matter.

The two speakers conclude that they can take the Fire Crystal from Damcyan any time they want. Edward explains to Harley that the flower he is holding is Whisperweed.

He put some in the bouquet he gifted Cecil, because it allows you to hear voices and sounds from faraway places. We hear the female voice saying that overconfidence is ill-advised.

The male assures her that it isn’t overconfidence and his plan is already underway. Edward tells Harley that the gift Cecil gave him is likely part of their plan and they can never open it.

He believes it contains a Carnelian Signet, which is the ring the former Baron King had Cecil carry to Mist in FFIV. Their conversation is interrupted when a sailor spots Yang’s ship approaching the giant whirlpool.

Edward shouts, “Leviathan!” We see Yang’s ship approaching the whirlpool and Edward’s Tale ends.

Kain’s Tale: Prologue

The start screen for Kain’s Tale says Kain returns at last from Mount Ordeals only to besiege Baron Castle, bearing Mysidia’s Water Crystal in hand and accompanied by a mysterious girl. What can his dark mutterings about killing Cecil really mean?

What has happened to Cecil, Rosa, and Ceodore? When they all meet again in Baron, the fate of their small blue planet will begin to change forever.

Mount Ordeals

Kain’s Tale has you load a save file from Ceodore’s Tale. It begins with Kain standing on Mount Ordeals.

I make my way to the plinth, but nothing happens there, so I start down the mountain. I find some Mythril gear that Kain already has.

When I try to leave, Kain says he can’t leave yet. He hears an unknown voice say, “You…”

As I walk back up the mountain, Kain here’s more cryptic messages from the voice. I return to the monument and Kain hears the voice again.

Kain enters the Mirror Room, where the voice continues to speak, but the message seems incomplete. Kain’s reflection steps out of the mirror and seems to attack.

The scene shifts back to Kain standing on Mount Ordeals.

De ja vu all over again

Kain hears a woman scream and we get the scene from Porom’s Tale where Kain saves her from the undead. The scene shifts again to Mysidia.

Kain is making his deal with the Mysterious Girl. Kain follows her into the Devil’s Road.

The Devil’s Road

Kain asks the Mysterious Girl who she is and she replies, “all in due time.” He follows her through the Devil’s Road, occasionally asking questions and getting similarly unhelpful answers.

Baron

Eventually, Kain emerges into the town of Baron. I do some looting and then go on to the castle. The guards tell Kain that no one may pass on orders from the king.

However, the Mysterious Girl tells them to let Kain in. She asks Kain what his plans for Cecil are and Kain repeats that he plans to kill him.

I loot the parts of the castle that aren’t blocked off and then go to the throne room. Cecil is not there.

The Mysterious Girl says she wants to test Kain’s resolve. She tries to get him to hand over the crystal but he tells her not until he kills Cecil, as they agreed.

She questions if the crystal is so important to him. He says he doesn’t care what she does with it, as long as he gets to kill Cecil.

She wants to know why he hates Cecil so much, but Kain doesn’t answer. She tells Kain she will give him his audience with Cecil if he gets two more crystals for her.

She says she still needs the Wind and Fire Crystals. Kain says he will go to Fabul and Damcyan.

The Mysterious Girl tells him she will lend him an airship and some soldiers. Kain boards one of the Redwings and the scene shifts.

Still climbing mountains

Ceodore and the Hooded Man arrive in Mist. Ceodore says he heard the path ahead has been blocked since the mountain caved in.

I loot the town and find a Blood Sword, which I give to Ceodore. Ceodore whines about climbing the mountain.

The Hooded Man says that it’s the only way they can escape their pursuers. We start climbing the mountain.

I find a Bone Wrist and a Sleep Blade and give them to the Hooded Man. We find a save point at the summit of the mountain and I decide to stop there for the night.