Primrose's third chapter takes place in Noblecourt, an aristocrat community in the northeast of Orsterra - and her hometown. You'll get to Noblecourt by heading northeast of Atlasdam, via the North Atlasdam Flats and the Western Noblecourt Flats. Take the eastern path through the flats to find the long, obvious road to Noblecourt.
There's a good chance you've come through Noblecourt before, as part of Therion's second chapter, though if you haven't there are plenty of things to see and do:
- The Inn is right beside the entrance of Noblecourt. Up the stairs from the Inn is a small courtyard with several townsfolk. The leftmost, female Townsperson has a Soul Knife to Purchase / Steal that is an excellent weapon if you can manage to grab it. Also here is an Affable Antiquarian with Lorie's Diary, an item to Purchase / Steal that's part of a Side Story originating in Cobbleston.
- Down the stairs from the courtyard is an Elderly Woman in front of a house. She's also carrying a Soul Knife, as well as a powerful Sorcerer's Robe. You can Challenge / Provoke the Elderly Woman - she's a strong opponent, though beatable past level 25 or so - and if you beat her you'll find a purple chest containing 10,000 leaves inside her home.
- Down the stairs from the Elderly Woman are two men by a house. The Accomplished Graybeard is holding a Codger-friendly Bow that's part of a Side Story, while the other man has... not sure. Need to be level 30. Come back to this!
- North of the courtyard is the Provisioner. West of the Provisioner is a large house that you can't approach until you do so as part of a Chapter. The Fashionable Traveler on this road has the A Use for Textiles info that's part of a Side Story.
- Head east along this upper road and you'll find East Noblecourt.
More town? More town. Let's keep looking around:
- The Townsperson near the save point ahead has a Crescent Dagger you can Steal / Purchase.
- Also near the save point is the Tavern. The patrons inside have a number of good things to Purchase / Steal, most notably an Imperial Vest from the Tavern Patron on the far right. The right Tavern Patron at the bar as the Discount at the Inn info, if you care to Scrutinize / Inquire him, and the left Tavern Patron at the table will give you the New Weapons for Sale info.
- There's a fountain outside the Tavern. The Townsperson on the right has an Invigorating Nut (M) and an Elemental Heavy Armor to Purchase / Steal.
- There's a small graveyard in the south of this part of town. You'll find a chest here containing an Olive of Life.
- Just east of the Armorer is a large house. Out front is a Townsperson with the Thieving Tips & Tricks info to make your criminal life with Therion a little easier.
- North of the fountain is a sizable mansion. It will look familiar if you've been keeping up with Primrose's story. Just to the left of the front door is a chest containing an Herb of Light.
Primrose's Chapter
After defeating one of her three targets outside Stillsnow, Primrose returns to Noblecourt after many years away, seeking the second of her father's killers. The last man said she would find the 'truth' here, though instead she just finds trouble. There's a dead man in the nearby square upon her arrival, and word that 'his lordship' is to blame.
Primrose spots one of her father's former friends, Revello, nearby, and as she follows another face from her past, the playwright Simeon, greets her. He's a flirty - albeit sympathetic - fellow, and they have a friendly relationship. You'll get to see more of Primrose's past. (Doesn't Simeon seem a little, uh, old for her in those flashbacks...? Well, whatever...)
Once Simeon leaves you can look around again. Go down the stairs near the Tavern and you'll wind up at the graveyard, and Revello is laying down flowers. He'll talk about Primrose's beauty a little too often, and she'll explain what she's been up to all these years. Revello will then explain that the Obsidians rule Noblecourt now, and begs her to flee the town. Undaunted, Primrose convinces her old friend to show her the way to the Obsidians' hideout.
After the conversation you'll be free to prepare for the battle to come. Speak to Revello when you're ready and you'll be taken to the Obsidian Manse, a shady home in the heart of Noblecourt.
Obsidian Manse
A den of evil, the Obsidian Manse is about as dangerous as the home of assassins should be. You'll run into the following enemies when you step inside:
- Constituent I - Weak to Polearm, Axe, Bow, and Dark. Can blind your party members. Pretty easy to stun, which is good, since their Running Slash attack is pretty painful.
- Constituent II - Weak to Sword, Ice, Wind, and Light. Can also blind your party members, as well as buff themselves. A little stronger than Constituent I, though easier to kill since they have only one defensive shield.
- Shaggy Spider - Weak to Dagger, Axe, Staff, Lightning, and Light. Can debuff your party and put them to sleep. Relatively strong, but less of a threat that it appears.
- Icky Slug - Weak to Dagger and Light. Can heal itself; otherwise generally a physical nuisance. Worth stunning.
- Dire Ash Raven - Weak to Polearm, Dagger, Bow, and Wind. Can inflict blindness on everyone and terror on one person. A worthy creature to target first.
- Light Sentinel Mk.II - Weak to Sword, Polearm, Axe, Staff, and Dark. Favors Light Skills. Can easily be stunned en masse with Primrose's Night Ode.
- Thunder Curator - Weak to Polearm, Bow, Staff, and Wind. Uses Lightning Skills, but generally tends towards normal attacks. Easy to stun.
You'll start out at the bottom of some stairs. Walk west along the ground floor to find a chest containing a Healing Grape Bunch, then go up the stairs. At the top are several rooms. The first room doesn't appear to have anything in it, though if you check the upper-right wall you'll find a path to a purple chest. It contains an Elemental Hat.
The next door over contains a chest with 5,000 leaves inside. Go back into the main hall and there will be a path to the left and stairs down to the ground floor. Head down to the ground floor and check to the west for a chest containing an Inspiriting Plum Basket, then go back to the second floor and trek west. There's a save point nearby, and a door behind it. (Don't worry, no boss. Yet.) Check to the right of the door out of the area to find a secret store room. Inside is a chest containing an Antidote Stone.
Head through the door and you'll wind up in another split-floor hallway. Going up the stairs to the north leads to a dead end and naught else, so take a right from the entrance instead. You'll hit a carpeted path that leads east. Halfway across you can walk north; do so and you'll reach a small storage area with an Energizing Pomegranate (M). Continue all the way east and you'll find a chest behind a desk. It contains an Olive of Life (L). North of here are stairs; look to the left of the stairs, under the upper balcony, for a hidden room. Inside is a chest containing a Silver-filled Pouch.
Head upstairs. The next two doors lead to a connected dining room with nothing inside, so don't bother unless you like the scenery. Further west you'll come to another save point, right next to an ornate, obvious doorway. Check to the left of the door for a chest containing an Inspiriting Plum (M), then head inside once your team is all healed up. The conversation that follows is quite revealing of what happened to Primrose's daughter, and then the fight will be on.
Weakness: Sword, Dagger, Bow, Wind, Light
Weakness (Obsidian Officer): Polearm, Axe, Fire, Lightning
Albus is a deceptive opponent, true to his role in the story. He starts off as a physical character with a penchant for inflicting blindness on your party with Eye Gouge, and otherwise just smacking you around. The only tricksy move he has is Death to the Unseeing, which instantly kills anyone who is blinded, and you can get around this by quickly curing blind or breaking Albus before he can use it. Do enough damage, though, and Albus will increase his number of actions per turn to two, as well as eventually summon in two Obsidian Officers to completely cover his weaknesses. They can also inflict blindness, and so long as they're around Albus can't be broken. Once the Obsidian Officers are around Albus can 'show you true darkness', and if you don't stop his Boost mode he'll use Eye Slash on the whole party on his next turn. It hurts, and can inflict blindness on everyone.
The first half of this fight is pretty easy. Target Albus' weaknesses and chip away at his health, healing blindness as needed. Alfyn's Concoct move Curious Mist (Soothing Dust + Curious Bloom) will keep everyone's vision clear. It gets a bit harder once Albus can act twice, and kicks into overdrive once the two Obsidian Officers show up. Once Albus can use two moves, save up your Boost levels a bit, then spend them all to stun and quickly wipe out the Obsidian Officers. If you're not fast Albus will threaten you with Eye Slash, and if you're very unlucky and everyone gets blinded he can kill your whole party with Death to the Unseeing. Get those weaknesses unlocked again and the fight goes back to being not a huge deal.
(Side note: You can Steal Obsidian Garbs from the two Obsidian Officers if you have Therion, or another Thief, in your party. You can't get this equipment anywhere else in the game.)
You'll receive an Inspiriting Plum Basket for defeating Albus and his men, assuming they showed up. Things will seem okay... though, of course, a certain someone will stab Primrose in the back. (Or her gut.) Primrose will survive the ordeal, and she'll learn that her final target has fled to Everhold, in the mountains to the south. Primrose's journey is almost over.