La-Mulana - Wishbringer

[Awoo]

Dang computers are stealing all of our jobs.

[FPzero]

I really thought that ladder would come back. Hmm...

So Voltgloss,

how do you plan on showing a map of Temple of the Sun now? It's not just something he can get later like in the Mausoleum if that ladder is never gonna come back. I can think of a couple different puzzles that rely pretty heavily on knowing certain room names in here...

[moogy]

Always found it interesting how Mulbruk went from not existing (original), to recurring helper NPC (remake), to main character and series fixture (LM2) over the years. IIRC there is only one point in the remake where you actually need to talk to her? I get that Naramura wanted people to realize that she's helpful but it's very possible to forget she even exists before then.

[Crow]

"i can't suppose the game will let you get softlocked, that'd be silly"

oh you sweet, innocent child

[Voltgloss]

So Voltgloss,

how do you plan on showing a map of Temple of the Sun now? It's not just something he can get later like in the Mausoleum if that ladder is never gonna come back. I can think of a couple different puzzles that rely pretty heavily on knowing certain room names in here...

We'll see what happens.

In any event, here's the Temple of the Sun music! Not one of my personal favorites, but I can appreciate the music reinforcing the slightly menacing, somewhat claustrophobic atmosphere developed here. I just find this track overshadowed by... ah, but I'm getting ahead of myself.

"Sacred Tomb" (theme for Temple of the Sun)

[Kleetus]

This is the part of the game where the mythological inspiration for the enemies becomes more apparent.
The miniboss raocow fought was Buer, a demon that appeared in various grimoires from the late 1500s. Buer is said to teach natural philosophy, logic, and botany to one who contacts him.

A lot of grimoires are styled after Pseudomonarchia Daemonum, which is in turn based off of the earlier Book of Spirits. Pseudomonarchia Daemonum which was included as an appendix to On the Tricks of Demons, which interestingly is a book refuting witchcraft. Presumably, the idea was that the contents of Pseudomonarchia Daemonum were so out there, people would not take witchcraft seriously.

For anyone interested in the origins of enemies in the game, a lot are based on occult demons so this important.

Returning to Buer, Pseudomonarchia Daemonum gives him the title of President, but most have monarchist titles.
I can see what On the Tricks of Demons was going for; if you told people you had summoned forth President pinwheel lion of the Republican Kingdom of Hell to help you with your Boolean algebra homework, people might think you're a bit unscrewed.

[SAJewers]

I really thought that ladder would come back. Hmm...

So Voltgloss,

how do you plan on showing a map of Temple of the Sun now? It's not just something he can get later like in the Mausoleum if that ladder is never gonna come back. I can think of a couple different puzzles that rely pretty heavily on knowing certain room names in here...

At least one YT comment has told him to reload from an earlier save in order to get it. Whether or not he does we'll see.

[KobaBeach]

This is the part of the game where the mythological inspiration for the enemies becomes more apparent.
The miniboss raocow fought was Buer, a demon that appeared in various grimoires from the late 1500s. Buer is said to teach natural philosophy, logic, and botany to one who contacts him.

A lot of grimoires are styled after Pseudomonarchia Daemonum, which is in turn based off of the earlier Book of Spirits. Pseudomonarchia Daemonum which was included as an appendix to On the Tricks of Demons, which interestingly is a book refuting witchcraft. Presumably, the idea was that the contents of Pseudomonarchia Daemonum were so out there, people would not take witchcraft seriously.

For anyone interested in the origins of enemies in the game, a lot are based on occult demons so this important.

Media portrayals of demons and beasts from mythology and religion is always something that fascinated me, and what draws me to games like RPGs and Castlevania as well as the furry fandom (when it comes to the more beastly, animalistic sort of creatures). Not to say that original ones don't interest me, I enjoy mon series and fictional species design for a reason (humanoid and otherwise).

Romancing SaGa 3's main party of "ominous baddies that lurk behind the scenes" are actually based on demons from the Pseudomonarchia Daemonum and Ars Goetia (which in turn was based on Johann Weyer's Pseudomonarchia).

Namely Duke Buné (Byunei), Marquess Forneus, President Amy (Aunas) and Duke Alocer (Arakes).
In parenthesis are the 2000 English patch names for them, which I feel like the upcoming English release might follow due to Byunei being used in Japanese media already and Romancing SaGa 2's English translation not being a prized pig itself (it's above Final Fantasy IV SNES and VII at least?).

All this to say that, I've enjoyed Buer's appearance in the Temple of the Sun and I am looking forward to whatever kind of weird shit awaits us in the coming days.

[Grounder]

Missed opportunity to have player character stop and stare at the player blankly today.

[Filbi]

Namely Duke Buné (Byunei), Marquess Forneus, President Amy (Aunas) and Duke Alocer (Arakes).

I'm sorry, President Amy?

[KobaBeach]

yas

[Sebby19]

Hmmmm. Like I alluded to with Sakit, I think you might be under equipped for the next boss, again. But you might clutch a win anyways. So charge forward! Like a ninja!

Don't you enter the Temple of the Moon by just simply jumping up into the Sun? Or do you need to find an item first?

[Voltgloss]

As raocow's next stated goal is to earn enough money for a shop purchase, how about we have a listen to the theme for shops in the ruins? It's less than a minute, won't take long anyway.

"G-U-I-L-D" (theme for shops inside La-Mulana)

[CrappyBlueLuigi]

Don't you enter the Temple of the Moon by just simply jumping up into the Sun? Or do you need to find an item first?

you have to hit the sun until it falls off; then you can jump into its spot and be taken to the temple of moonlight. though, it's not the only way into the temple, and it's not mandatory to use it.

[Sebby19]

Hmm, I don't remember having to hit it in the original.

[FPzero]

Nice work taking out Ellmac with no subweapons. I basically fight him subweapons only because the positioning to hit within melee range is so finicky as you discovered. But the knife is really good if you can get up close. In fact, it's stronger than your whip at the tradeoff of having tiny range. You can see this in some of the videos already, where it takes 3 hits to defeat a skeleton with the whip, but only 2 with a knife.

I think you're playing with a 360 controller, right? Or at least something that maps to a standard 360 layout? You should try and see what pressing the shoulder buttons and triggers does.

[CrappyBlueLuigi]

Nice work taking out Ellmac with no subweapons. I basically fight him subweapons only because the positioning to hit within melee range is so finicky as you discovered.

this comment, comboed with a comment on youtube--

--makes me want to highlight (spoilers all over the place in this linked video, even in the timestamped portion and even in the title!!) my preferred method for taking down ellmac.

[BobisOnlyBob]

my preferred method for taking down ellmac

Yeah, that's the weapon I was thinking to myself of when considering the tools available, I never like shuriken spam.

[KobaBeach]

Giant anthro frilled lizard

i want to marry this?

i want to love this?

i want to kiss this?

i want to ask this out for a coffee or two and strike a relationship with this?

i want to surprise this with a beautiful diamond ring and ask if this would be my loving husband?

i want to share a bed with this and share a loving embrace with this?

i want to grow old with this and start a family with this?

i want to unleash him on my political enemies and exploit their large size as a deadly weapon?

i want to ask their opinion on their favorite pokémon?

[BobisOnlyBob]

Happy Birthday, your present is giant frilled lizard monster

Unless you set your twitter to like a random date but all the same

[KobaBeach]

it is my birthday also i read that as "your president"

EDIT: Billowing Toxic Gas

[Crow]

raocow has misinterpreted the usefulness of the heatproof case and i'm excited to see him suffer for it tomorrow

[Sebby19]

Ah, I forgot you could find the 2nd entrance to the Twin Labyrinths so soon after finding the first one in the Mausoleum. I thought it was much deeper in the game.

I think today's boss was the... fifth one I took down?

[Kleetus]

In the Vita version's bestiary, Ellmac is said to be an avatar of the Egyptian early monotheist sun god Aten. This isn't mentioned anywhere in the game, and doesn't have any mythological basis. It was probably a change to make Ellmac seem less out of place in the Temple of the Sun, which is odd, as Amphibanea is a Greek myth inhabiting an Olmec themed part of the ruins.

If I recall none of the other guardians culturally match with their location's architecture, barring Sakit who isn't based off of any specific myth.

Amphibanea was a two headed snake born of Medusa's blood, because Perseus didn't think of putting Medusa's severed head in a bag or something. Getting gorgon blood everywhere isn't sanitary Perseus. Amphibanea eats ants, sometimes human corpses, quite a varied diet.

[Awoo]

"I won't use my gun immediately, but I do have the option of shooting him in the face if I so desire" - raocow, 3/29/2019
Truly, words to live by