Secrets of Zeal: Behind Closed Doors [Book 3, Chapter 2]

Their dreams have finally come true--sort of--T and G are on their way to Zeal, kingdom of magic! Ready to shake off the dreck of the bleak future (and their experiences in the distant past), the party sets out to correct the latest time anomaly… until uninvited guests arrive, anyway. So much for a little rest and relaxation! In our world, T and G have similar dreams coming true as we finally have the chance to talk about the coolest place in all of video game history (probably): Zeal… but only just a taste! This time, we take a look at just the secrets of Zeal, including: * The things you might have missed: with only a short bit of time spent in Zeal, you may have missed many fabulous treasures and bits of lore (maybe even a side-quest) but we’ve got you covered! * Secrets of… Chrono Trigger! Specifically, what elements were cut out of Zeal that could have been, and how the gameplay and narrative of this section of the game play out in the rest of the game! * The ultimate question (which we will probably bring up again): What makes Zeal so great?! Magic? Floating cities? Maybe we’ll never know! We also talk a bit about how it’s at least a little bit problematic for a lot of reasons. Editing, scripting, and podcast visual design by [Nick Terwoord](https://nt3rp.io). Special thanks to Square Enix for making that game that we love, Chrono Trigger ...and for not suing us. ## Episode Cast Alphabetically, by actor: * Manda Whitney in the role of Azala * Nick G in the role of his fictional self, and discussion host * Nick T in the role of his fictional self, Robo, and discussion host * Nick Z in the role of Gaspar, and Zeal Scientist B * Patrick "TrickyLove" Moylan in the role of Zeal Scientist A * SMZeldaRules in the role of Lucca Ashtear ## Musical Credits * [00:00] We’re going to Zeal - [Inception](https://www.jamendo.com/track/1208449/inception) by [The ARTISANS Beats](https://www.jamendo.com/artist/464776/the-artisans-beats) used under [Jamendo’s standard license](https://help-licensing.jamendo.com/hc/en-us/articles/211293289-What-can-I-do-with-a-Standard-License-) * [01:09] Kajar - City of Magic: [ReMix: Chrono Trigger "Zeal Breeze"](https://ocremix.org/remix/OCR03641) by [RebeccaETripp](https://ocremix.org/artist/14375/rebeccaetripp) from [http://ocremix.org](http://ocremix.org) used under [ocremix.org content policy](http://ocremix.org/info/Content_Policy#If_you.27re_using_our_content_elsewhere_.28.22Terms_of_Use.22.29%E2%80%A6) * [06:08] Secrets of Zeal - Behind Closed Doors - [Inception](https://www.jamendo.com/track/1208449/inception) by [The ARTISANS Beats](https://www.jamendo.com/artist/464776/the-artisans-beats) used under [Jamendo’s standard license](https://help-licensing.jamendo.com/hc/en-us/articles/211293289-What-can-I-do-with-a-Standard-License-) * [33:31] What is going on? [ReMix: Chrono Cross "To Times Once Forgotten"](https://ocremix.org/remix/OCR01386) by [Vampire Hunter Dan](https://ocremix.org/artist/4574/vampire-hunter-dan) from [http://ocremix.org](http://ocremix.org) used under [ocremix.org content policy](http://ocremix.org/info/Content_Policy#If_you.27re_using_our_content_elsewhere_.28.22Terms_of_Use.22.29%E2%80%A6) * [35:18] I hesitate to say… Haunted? [ReMix: Xenogears "Xenosphere"](https://ocremix.org/remix/OCR01319) by [Oceanfire](https://ocremix.org/artist/4507/oceanfire) from [http://ocremix.org](http://ocremix.org) used under [ocremix.org content policy](http://ocremix.org/info/Content_Policy#If_you.27re_using_our_content_elsewhere_.28.22Terms_of_Use.22.29%E2%80%A6) * [36:35] Outro: [Inception](https://www.jamendo.com/track/1208449/inception) by [The ARTISANS Beats](https://www.jamendo.com/artist/464776/the-artisans-beats) used under [Jamendo’s standard license](https://help-licensing.jamendo.com/hc/en-us/articles/211293289-What-can-I-do-with-a-Standard-License-) ## Special Announcement: The Race Against Time VII The Race Against Time is a twenty-four hour marathon to do two things: raise money for charity, and beat all the endings of the greatest game ever made: Chrono Trigger. On August 14 and 15, 2021, we’re raising money for [Trans Lifeline](https://translifeline.org/)—a grassroots hotline and microgrants 501(c)(3) non-profit organization offering direct emotional and financial support to trans people in crisis. Join the Nickscast family and friends as we embark on a magical journey to save the world of Chrono Trigger and our own _all_ while giving away fabulous prizes. [Donate now](https://tiltify.com/@theraceagainsttime/chrono-trigger-vii), or follow us on [Twitch](https://twitch.tv/theraceagainsttime), [Facebook](https://facebook.com/thenickscast), or [Instagram](https://instagram.com/thenickscast) for more details. ## Special Announcement: Livestream for the Cure > “My name is Nicholas Haskins, and I care deeply about fighting for a world and a future without cancer. Over fifteen years ago I lost a very good friend in his early twenties to a rare form of cancer, and since then I have wanted to do anything I can to raise money and fight against this terrible disease. Since then I've lost other loved ones to cancer, something I am sure anyone reading this can relate to. Cancer affects us all--no matter our race, gender, age, orientation, or what have you. The event began during my time on the Epic Film Guys, a weekly film podcast, as it gave me a platform on which I felt that I could host an event and give something back.” [The 5th Annual Livestream for the Cure](http://livestreamforthecure.com/) takes place May 19th - 23rd, 2021 over 50 hours. For more information about the event and for information about partners taking part in it, please follow it on [Facebook](https://www.facebook.com/livestreamforthecure), [Twitter](https://www.twitter.com/livestream4cure), and [Instagram](https://www.instagram.com/livestreamforthecure). ## Additional Notes **Secrets of Zeal** * Lots of secrets in 12 000 B.C. that are easy to miss... * If you talk to everyone, you will no doubt encounter a Nu who says “Water summons wind… ...wind makes fire dance” * ...And if you’re looking around in Enhasa and Kajar, you might even encounter a bunch of books that reveal those elements when opened! * In Enhasa, if you follow the Nu’s advice, you’ll encounter a room with six Nus to battle! Beat them all to win a Magic Tab and a Speed Tab * Nus are a good source of XP and TP, and aren’t super hard considering they randomly do one of two attacks: 1 HP damage, or all your HP minus 1 (but this attack won’t hurt you if you’re at 1 HP) * ...Falcon hit (or any powerful multi attack) * In Kajar, reveals a room with a neat passage about Nus, but also a Poyozo doll which has a Black Rock inside… * Why can you not equip the Black Rock on everyone?