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| Pier Solar owned by WaterMelon. Images used for educational purposes only. |
Reja Forest
Reja Forest (or simply Forest) is divided up into four distinct locations on the main map. Two are north of Reja’s Farm; one is to the northwest; the last is to the southwest. We’ll start with the sections actually labelled as Reja’s Forest… though only after we address a major facet of game play: combat.
Combat
Battle sequences in Pier Solar are turn-based. At the beginning of each turn you give your characters a series of commands, which they then proceed to carry out, with the fastest character going first. You can resort to normal attacks, ‘gathering’ to power up those same attacks, or spells, the latter of which will cost MP to use. The only option that’s mildly complicated is gathering, and even it operates on a fairly simple rule: the higher your character’s gather, the stronger their attack. Note that your character can only hold five charges at a time, and will lose them if they’re not used… but characters can pass charges off to one another to allow for quicker gathering.
The other important thing to note about combat is defending. Defending in Pier Solar serves the usual purpose of blunting enemy attacks. That said, it can also be used to defend other characters… and if your defender gets lucky (which usually happens), they’ll use a counterattack on the enemy after taking a hit. Quite often they’ll even get in a counterattack before taking damage. Defend is a superior combat choice in Reja Forest, and will keep your team alive a whole lot longer than attacking normally. (Until you have better equipment, anyway.)
Hoston is your primary attacker, and will take the least amount of damage. He’s the guy who should always be in the front row defending the rest. Alina is a healer, and absolutely required for taking down flying enemies with her bow, and Edessot straddles the realm between attacker and utility character. All three have their uses, and these uses will expand as they level up and gain new abilities.
Forest
We’ll start with the two sections of Forest that are off on their own, as they are unconnected areas. If you pop into the northern Forest you’ll find a chest containing Berries a short walk from the entrance, and if you head further west you’ll find a split in the path ahead. Head south and you’ll find an Antidote on your right; head north and you’ll find an area that is, currently, blocked off. Come back here later.
Take on the southern Forest and you’ll find a Gold Bar in a chest to the right of where you come in. The path splits here, leading in three directions… and you’ll find absolutely squat down all three paths. Poo.
Reja Forest
- The main section of Reja’s Forest (the dangerous one) is connected, so ultimately it doesn’t matter which side you enter first… though we’ll enter via the left location, as it speeds the process up a teensy bit.
- Start by heading north. There are stairs on your left that lead northwest. You’ll find a chest containing a Caffeine Pill on the edge of the map.
- Return to the entrance and make your way east through the forest until you reach a small, lit clearing. (Note the gate along the way. Can’t get through now; just sayin’.) Just north of the clearing, behind a bush, you’ll find a chest. It contains a Feather.
- Backtrack a short distance and go up the stairs to your right. The path splits ahead. Go south until you find a bridge on your right, then keep following it as far south as you can go. This twisty path leads to an Iron Sword. Grab it and head back north. (Note that, if you keep going north along the right side of the screen, you’ll find the other entrance to Reja Forest.)
- Back to the split. Head north until you see a chest on your right. Keep going north ’til you find stairs. They lead down to the chest, though you’ll suffer a bit of twisty-turning. The chest is locked, requiring a Gold Key from the bounty hunter at Headquarters to open. Inside is a Vaccine. (If you return this to the bounty hunter and call the guards on the guy you’ll get to keep this item. Whistle ‘em up.) Go northeast from this chest to find another set of stairs; these lead to a chest containing Gold Coins.
- Head west of the chest and, soon after a cut scene, you’ll discover a new destination: Reja Cave. Ooooo.
Reja Cave
- Aside from a slight upsweep in the number of flying enemies, Reja Cave is populated by the same baddies you’ve been killing since you entered Reja Forest. In other words, no big deal. Cut a swathe of destruction through the place.
- Start by heading north of the entrance. You’ll find what appears to be a dead end, in front of a pond… though if you check on your right you’ll find a shaded path leading up, left, and around to an open area. Here you’ll find a chest containing Berries.
- Back to the entrance. Take a right this time. The path will lead you past several torches as you head north; look to the left of the second torch for a chest containing an Herb. Then take a right and follow the tunnel as it twists east, eventually leading to a chest that contains Magic Gum. Head back north after grabbing it and look along the northern wall for a cave passage. It’s difficult to see, but it’s there, to the right of the torches.
- Follow the passage east and south after a quick cut scene. Check to the right of one set of stairs for a chest containing Metal Coins, then go as far south as you can. Fumble about here to find a set of stairs in the dark leading to another area.
- To the east is a chest containing a Green Chili and a save point. Make sure you use the save point, as it’s a telltale sign of impending disaster.
Guardian
Accompanied by an Amoeba and several Mini Poos, the Guardian is a fitting first boss… but not a terribly difficult one. The Guardian will either flit to the top of the screen and rain Mini Poos down onto the field (ew) or it will attack one of your characters. The Amoeba and the Mini Poos will attack normally. Only the Guardian hits hard, but with enough enemies on the screen at once… problematic. Clear the field by gathering once on Edessot and using Fireball. This will destroy the Mini Poos and do decent damage to the Guardian. Then have your party focus on smacking away the Guardian’s HP, repeating Fireball as needed to wipe out more Mini Poos. Easy.
- Climb to the top of the Guardian’s building after killing it off. You’ll find a Potion in a chest near the top, and at the very top is a Garden. After some cut scenes inside, check north of the statue to find Meinshu Herbs. Find Edessot once that’s done and you’ll be teleported out of the dungeon and back to Hoston’s home.