It's been a while since the last update, and believe me, shit has been going down in the meantime. The Maru Cru have been venturing around hearing about the Final Key and Popo just underwent a class change to Sage granting him access to all Priest and Wizard spells. After doing this and then grinding back up to a half-reasonable level the team ventures back out by ship in search of the Final Key and the orbs.
They hear about an island kingdom that snooty and won't let folks in, but they learn about an invisibility herb in Lancel called the Hide Herb. The team also discovers a town called Soo, and are told there is something called the Dry Vase that was taken to Castle Eginbear, which is on the island with the snooty folks. The Cru then heads to Castle Eginbear and uses the herb to sneak in past the guards. There they fine the Dry Vase. They are also asked by someone in a clearing on the coast not too far from Soo to find a Dealer to help create a new town. So after fetching the Dry Vase the Cru head back to Alihan to recruit a fresh face. The new Dealer, Dars, is taken to the site of the future NewTown where he will create a merchant paradise (presumably).
At this point Pidg started advocating for a crack at a class change, and switched to a Thief. This seems to have impacted their combat ability minimally and granted them some fun spells to help locate treasure. It is agreed that this is no problem at all. Ack decides he still really likes hitting things real hard, so no change there.
On getting more hints from Soo, Maru and co. find some shoals out in the ocean and use the Dry Vase, which dries out the shoals and allows access to a sunken shrine. There they find the Final Key. The Final Key prompts the team to revisit old haunts, looting jail cells, castle treasuries, and opening random doors to access Travel Gates. The team spends some more time leveling up with Pidg and Popo and then sails to Zipangu, where the residents are terrorized by Orochi, and only Himiko can keep Orochi at bay by sacrificing maidens. Yayoi is the next to go, and after meeting her Maru's Marauders decide to raid Orochi's cave. They find the dragon and beat the crap out of it only for it to escape through a portal which leads right back to Himiko's room. Himiko offers to let them go if they keep her secret, but who turns down a chance for another boss fight? Maru takes the Orochi Sword and the Purple Orb for their trouble.
A quick hop back to nearby Tedanki nabs the Green Orb. 2 orbs of 6! Booyah! They Cru pays a visit to Dars to discover the tiny NewTown slowly growing. Good work, Dars! While there, the team checks back in at Soo as well. The folks in Soo spoke not only of the Dry Vase, but also the Echo Flute, which helps locate orbs. The Cru decides to go exploring for it and in the process discover two things: a fountain with a fairy in it who will return Maru's weapon and give him a free stick (WFT?) if he is honest and doesn't lie to her, all while teasing him with a Demon Axe, and the town of Muor, where they LOVE Ortega and mistake Maru for him, leading ultimately for Maru reclaiming his father's helmet. Only one of these things was actually helpful. But they do eventually find the Tower of Arp and upon traipsing up and down the tower, they claim the Echo Flute.
Using the Echo Flute and some hints, the Cru learn an orb is in Gaia's Navel, a shrine you can enter from Lancel. Conquering this dungeon nets the Blue Orb.
Maru and company are halfway there, and Popo and Pidg are slowly catching back up in levels. What's next? Tune in next time to find out!