Cove

Who Is Cove?

Cove is a gatherer who knows the City Forest better than any market scout. She trades mushrooms, herbs, and forest-route shortcuts for practical help rather than coin — a personality that fits Gadola's lower rings without tying her to Slums gang politics. Unlike guild recruits from the standard companion roster, Cove enters through exploration and foraging beats tied to Port District travel and forest fast travel unlocked in patch Ver.1.0.8.

For ending purposes Cove represents Condition 2 on the All Endings page: Hills must meet Cove in the forest outside the city and help gather mushrooms before Night 6. Missing that window does not game over immediately — it downgrades the run toward ED.3 Burning Gadola when Conditions 1 or 3 succeed but Cove's chain never completes.

Meeting Cove and Condition 2 Deadline

Cove's introduction routes through early Port and forest nodes available Days 2–5 on most schedules. The Town Guide shows forest pins once Hills completes initial Market District errands; prioritize the gather-mushrooms scene before optional dock grinding.

Condition 2 checklist:

• Enter City Forest from Port-side travel before Night 6.
• Accept Cove's mushroom gathering request and finish the foraging loop same visit or the following daytime block.
• Return materials to Cove's camp — v1.0.8 added direct fast travel to camp after successful material handoff.
• Verify journal route flag for Cove before sleeping on Night 6.

Pair Cove scheduling with Reda/Micoco Condition 1 and Misty Mayor jobs (Condition 3) on the Town Guide — all three deadlines converge on Day 6.

Material Gathering and Sika Potions

Cove's gatherer role continues after Condition 2 clears. Forest runs yield mushrooms and herbs that Sika converts into battle potions at the Port clinic chain. Successful material runs unlock stronger brews before Tentacle Alpha and mid-game boss checks.

Ver.1.0.13 let Hills ask Sika to brew potions after certain story conditions even if Cove material gathering failed — a safety net for ED.1 potion access, not a substitute for Cove's route flag. Failed gathering still triggers alternate events (Guard Station chain after Noble Item Shop theft per v1.0.12) that waste action points.

Ingredient economy expanded in Ver.1.0.10: the Port Item Shop sells Ingredient Packs for Old Coin ×2, but Cove-sourced materials remain cheaper for bulk brewing. Stack ingredients to 99 after the same patch — plan one forest day per two story days until mid-game.

Rescue Cove and Tentacle Alpha

Later in the forest arc, the Rescue Cove! quest fires when Cove is captured during a tentacle cult incursion. Hills reunites with Micoco for a mandatory three-person fight against Tentacle Alpha — high HP, add summons, and a raid-style action economy unlike early Slums skirmishes.

Party composition is fixed: Hills + Micoco + Cove. Micoco's Ultimate Endless Rampage provides AoE pressure on the boss and tentacle adds; Cove keeps passive regen online; Hills guards and feeds link meter. Full step order and the Ver.1.0.15 repeat-quest fix are documented on Rescue Cove.

Defeat without preparation routes toward bad ending exposure. Brew Sika potions, save before accepting the raid, and read the Tentacle Alpha section on Boss Strategies before the fight evening.

Relationship and Route Priority

Cove tracks affinity through forest visits and successful handoffs rather than lodging heart events alone. Higher affinity unlocks bonus gather yields and extra dialogue during Rescue Cove — not required for ED.1, but useful for potion stockpiling before gala week.

First-run priority: Condition 2 before Night 6 → continue material runs when AP allows → complete Rescue Cove when the Town Guide marks it blue → bring brewed potions to Tentacle Alpha. Skipping Cove for Port tavern flavor or Mayor jobs is the most common ED.3 mistake on otherwise "good" saves.

Cross-reference All Endings Conditions table and Day 1–5 Walkthrough for AP templates that fit Cove without delaying Micoco's guild meeting.