______ _____ _ _ _ ____ _ _ \ /\ __ \ / \ __ . ` / /\ \ _ _ \ / ____ \ ____ _ _____ _ \_/_/ \_\______ ______ _ _ _______ _______ __ __ _______ ____/\ \ __ __ /\ / ____\ \ / / \ \ / /_ _ __ / \ \ / \ (___ \ \_/ / \ ^ / __/ /\ \ . ` / /\ \ \___ \ \ / \ \ / ____ \ \ / ____ \ ____) / . \ _ _ _ /_/ \_\_ \_ _/_/ \_\_____/ _ /_/ \_\_____

_____ _ _ _ _ _____

-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=FAQ/WALKTHROUGH by Shotgunnova (P. Summers) / shotgunnova @ gmail.com -=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=[DISCLAIMER] This guide is intended for private, home use ONLY, and may not be reproduced via electronic or commercial means without the expressed written consent of the author (P. Summers). It also cannot be hosted, edited, distributed, or given away as any part of a paid package. All rights reserved to respective parties, even those not explicitly said here. Respect FAQ writers' efforts and report plagiarism when found! [STATS]---------------------------------------------------------------o One-player game 94kb on a PS2 memory card Analog control Digital control Vibration function NOTE: MUST have controller with an analog function to play this game!

[INDEX]---------------------------------------------------------------o I. Controls . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . CNT1 II. Th' Basics . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . THB1 Battling....................................................BTL1 License Board...............................................LCB1 Transportation..............................................TRN1 Purchasing Equipment and Skills.............................PRC1 Statistic Explanation.......................................STT1 Status Effect Explanation...................................STX1 Traps.......................................................TRP1 Chaining....................................................CHN1 III. Walkthrough . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . WLK1 001 002 003 004 005 006 007 008 009 010 Beginning + Configuration.............................BGCF Nalbina Fortress......................................NLF1 Gerasmythe Waterway...................................GRM1 Rabanastre............................................RBN1 Dalmasca Estersand....................................DMT1 Rabanastre............................................RBN2 Lowtown...............................................LWT1 Giza Plains...........................................GZP1 Lowtown...............................................LWT2 Gerasmythe Waterway...................................GRM2

011 012 013 014 015 016 017 018 019 020 021 022 023 024 025 026 027 028 029 030 031 032 033 034 035 036 037 038 039 040 041 042 043 044 045 046 047 048 049 050 051 052 053 054 055 056 057 058 059 060 061

-

Royal Palace of Rabanastre............................RPR1 Gerasmythe Waterway...................................GRM3 Nalbina Dungeons......................................NLB1 Barheim Passage.......................................BRH1 Dalmasca Estersand....................................DMT2 Rabanastre............................................RBN5 Bhujerba..............................................BHJ1 Lhuzu Mines...........................................LHZ1 Bhujerba..............................................BHJ2 Dreadnought Leviathan.................................DRL1 Bhujerba..............................................BHJ3 Dalmasca Westersand...................................DMW2 Ogir-Yensa Sandsea....................................GRY1 Nam-Yensa Sandsea.....................................NYS1 The Tomb of Raithwall.................................TMR1 Shiva.................................................SHV1 Rabanastre............................................RBN6 Giza Plains...........................................GZP2 Ozmone Plain..........................................OZM1 Jahara - Land of the Garif............................JLG1 Golmore Jungle........................................GMJ1 Eruyt Village.........................................RYT1 Ozmone Plain..........................................OZM2 Henne Mines...........................................HNM1 Golmore Jungle........................................GMJ2 Paramina Rift.........................................PRR1 Mt. Bur-Omisace.......................................MTB1 Paramina Rift.........................................PRR2 Stilshrine of Miriam..................................STM1 Mt. Bur-Omisace.......................................MTB2 Nalbina Fortress......................................NLF2 Mosphoran Highwaste...................................MSP1 The Salikawood........................................SLK1 Phon Coast............................................PHC1 Tchita Uplands........................................TCH1 Sochen Cave Palace....................................SCP1 Old Archades..........................................LDR1 Archades..............................................RCD1 Draklor Laboratory....................................DRK1 Balfonheim Port.......................................BLF1 The Feywood...........................................FYW1 Ancient City of Giruvegan.............................CTG1 The Great Crystal.....................................TGC1 Ancient City of Giruvegan.............................CTG2 Balfonheim Port.......................................BLF2 Ridorana Cataract.....................................RDC1 Pharos at Ridorana - First Ascent.....................PHR1 Pharos at Ridorana - Second Ascent....................PHR2 Pharos at Ridorana - Third Ascent.....................PHR3 Balfonheim Port.......................................BLF3 Sky Fortress Bahamut..................................SKF1

IV. Sidequests Extra Esper: Zalera.........................................EXZ1 Extra Esper: Zeromus........................................EXM1 Extra Esper: Adrammelech....................................EXA1 Extra Esper: Cchulainn.....................................EXQ1 Extra Esper: Exodus.........................................EXX1 Lost Cockatrice Flock.......................................LCF1

The Great North Bank Village Escape-o-rama..................NBV1 The Great South Bank Village Search-o-rama..................SBV1 Into the Wyrm's Nest........................................WRM1 Ann (Uh) and Her Sisters....................................NNH1 The Four Fragments..........................................THD1 A Second Medallion..........................................ASM1 A Third Medallion...........................................ATM1 Boozin' Bhujerbans..........................................BZB1 Viera Matchmaker............................................VRM1 Teaching a Man to Fish......................................TMF1 '-Fishing the Nebra........................................FTNB '-Message in a Bottle......................................MSGB V. Bounties....................................................BNT1 -Montblanc's Rewards.........................................MNTR VI. Bestiary....................................................BST1 VII. Rare Game Outfitter Quest...................................RGQ1 VIII. Frequently Asked Questions..................................FAQZ IX. Updates and Thanks..........................................UPD1 o-----------------------------------------------------------------------------o I. CONTROLS [CNT1] o-----------------------------------------------------------------------------o ____ ____ L2 BUTTON --> /____/\ /\____\ /____/\ \_______ _______/ /\____\ SQUARE ---------> TRIANGLE -------> X BUTTON -------> L2 BUTTON ------> L3 BUTTON ------> R2 BUTTON ------> L1/R1 BUTTON ---> ANALOG BUTTON --> UP/DOWN @ DPAD -> L/RIGHT @ DPAD -> L ANALOG STICK -> R ANALOG STICK -> Un/pause the game Bring up/cancel map display "Cancel" button Speak with certain NPCs Display party menu Confirm/speak with NPCs Toggle zoom in menus Toggle zoom @ map, license b. Change menu pages (sometimes) Move up/down in menus Target enemy or NPC in range Walk/run (depends on angle) Controls camera view --------------BATTLE CONTROLS --------------Un/pause the game Bring up/cancel map display "Cancel button" Bring up/cancel battle menu Display party menu Display battle menu/inspect Lock-on (hold down) Defaults the camera POV Flee battle (hold down) Change battle target groups Change party leader Target enemy/friend/NPC Walk/run (depends on angle) Controls camera view

NOTE: Analog mode can't be turned off. Sorry.

o-----------------------------------------------------------------------------o II. TH' BASICS [THB1] o-----------------------------------------------------------------------------o This is a basic run-through of the "stuff" encountered in the game. Stop me if I ramble, now. o-------------o i. BATTLING [BTL1] o-------------o Battling is one of the draws to FFIX, and it's a change-up from what is the normal ATB (active time battle) system. Sort of. To start, the characters in the player's main party -- three normally, four with a guest -- walk around in dungeons and other areas where monsters have nested and infested. They [monsters] appear on the field, often times in plain view but sometimes hidden underground, and the party can "encounter" them by nearing them. When the party members and monsters near, everyone breaks out the weapons/skills and gets ready for a skirmish. FFXII uses a menu-driven battle system, half ATB gauge, half real-time fighting. To attack, select the Attack option, various magicks/technicks, or items; when selected, a time bar with the name of the skill shows up to the left of the character's name. It will fill until it's complete and the action will then be executed on the target(s). Actions are taken throughout the battle until the enemy is killed off; it then can no longer be selected as a target, naturally, and drops experience and LP (license points). When all enemies are dead, the party puts the weapons away and can run around normally again until the next enemy is put in their sights. And on and on. Techniques can be used when running around on the field even without being in battle -- you don't have to be fighting anything to Curaga someone or toss items around. Offensive options are "sealed" when there is no enemy around, although it /is/ possible to cast bad statuses and such on the party via R1 target-switching. o-------------------o ii. LICENSE BOARD [LCB1] o-------------------o The license board is the "sphere grid" of the game, and the means of getting everything from new abilities to stat/skill upgrades to equip permissions. Each person starts out with initial abilities filled; after that, the rest's up to the player. LP (license points) are used to purchase these licenses, and can be received by killing monsters in any form. A basic rundown of the board is that you can't unlock new licenses without first buying ones you already have. When you spend LP to get an ability, the licenses surrounding it (when applicable) will light up and give way to some different ones; by purchasing those, you open up more, and so on. The skill costs gradually go up as the expansion continues. Separated into four groups, the board caters to all facets of gameplay. The top section is composed of all the abilities (magicks/technicks), permanent stat increases, battle augmentations (ex: upgrade magic potency), as well as accessory equip-permissions. The bottom part of the board is reserved for the rest of the equipment-permissions, from weapons to armors.

That's the default license board in a nutshell. Eventually after fighting and defeating espers (summon creatures), their spots appear in various places on the grid and can be bought. o---------------------o iii. TRANSPORTATION [TRN1] o---------------------o FF games typically have a wide array of options for getting around and this game is no different. The following are how one navigates the world 'round these parts: [WALKING] Yeah, the most basic of the basic, running is the cheapest and slowest way to traverse the landscapes. Enemies can be encountered while walking and one has to depend on a map to navigate to the exit. Generally the worst in getting from place to place, but also the one the player will be doing the most often. [CHOCOBO] Anyone who knows anything about FF has probably seen these fluffy, yellow ostrich-looking things. I mean, they're a mascot! In this game they've been domesticated and are loaned out for gil (currency). Unlike previous games where the ride's been free of time constraints, once hired, the chocobo can only be used for a certain amount of time before it goes back and leaves its owner in the wasteland. Enemies cannot be encountered when riding choco-back but chocobos aren't exactly the fastest things either; however, they can be fed greens (up to three times) to sprint like the wind. Sometimes the player can encounter wayward domesticated chocobos and, should the inventory have any Gysahl Greens in it, they can "hire" the chocobo without paying. Since these errant birds are found in out-of-the-way places, this is mostly for convenience in getting back. Another downpoint is that once you get off the chocobo, it's gone... Also, chocobos can only be used for travel in one area. If you rent one for Ozmone Plain, fr'instance, it stays there and wants you to dismount if you are to continue. Real penny-pinchers these chocobo owners, I tell ya... [AIRSHIP FLIGHTS] Ivalice has charter flights from the big-name cities for a fee which takes a person through the skies to the destination. The player decides if the ship arrives immediately or if Vaan can meander around with the passengers, visit the shops onboard, basically loiter around. Ships can be booked from town aerodromes and nowhere else. Later in the game when a private airship is free to command, the player can instantly travel to destinations without having to pay the service fee. Of course, you still can't control the things manually... =( Although generally the "long way around" for traveling, the shops do stock some great items, including X-Potions and the Bubble spell, later on. [TELEPORTATION] Yeah, the big daddy of all maneuverings. During the course of the journey orange save crystals can be found in dungeons and towns. Not only do these act as healing points, but they also have the "Teleport" option. The catch

is that there has to be a "Teleport Stone" in the inventory for it to work, and even then, one can only teleport to previous teleport stones. This is probably the quickest way to get around, but teleport stones can only be gotten as monster drops for most of the game. As soon as airship flights become available, however, you can buy them in bulk [200g]. There are other types of in-house dungeon teleportation devices called "way stones" that simply warp the party on a room-to-room basis, but they're free to use. o-------------------------------------o iv. PURCHASING EQUIPMENT AND SKILLS [PRC1] o-------------------------------------o Once equipment or skills are bought, it's time to use 'em, right? Wrong. Any thing that is "bought," with gil or LP, has to have a corresponding license before it's battle-ready. This is the system of checks and balances that will keep players from powerhousing too early and, with the exception of a couple story items that require no license, applies to EVERYTHING you buy. Well, not items. There's a common question that is "why can't I use _________!?!?" and this is the answer: get the license first. o---------------------------o v. STATISTIC EXPLANATIONS [STT1] o---------------------------o In case you missed out on what the manual said, Uncle Shotty's here to lay it straight: LEVEL - This relates to any one character's current level. Going up levels increases stat parameters (HP, MP, etc.) by a little each time. This obviously builds up after awhile, so higher levels are better than lower ones. Defeating enemies gives EXP, and EXP makes a character go up levels. Duh, right? HP ---- This stands for "Hit Points" and is basically the lifeline of every character and guest under the player's command. When hit points are reduced to zero, the character is put in "KO" status and can't act in battle any longer. To reverse the effect, use Raise, Arise, visit a save crystal, or use a phoenix down item. MP ---- A.K.A. "Magic Points," the currency of mages everywhere. Using magick consumes MP and, when MP bottoms out at zero, magick can no longer be used. This is told to the player by grayed-out options in the command menu's magick sections. To refill MP, either visit a save crystal, use an Ether/Hi-Ether, cast Syphon on an enemy, or walk around on the field; the latter is natural regeneration. EXP --- This is the character's EXPerience total. Defeating enemies will add to the EXP total and leads to a level-up. The "NEXT" that appears in the character status menu relates how much experience is needed to go a level-up. ATTACK - This total is determined by the equipped weapon (and ammunition if applicable) and relates how much physical damage can do to targets in battle. The Strength stat also figures in to the damage dealt. DEFENSE- A high total in this category will conversely give lower physical damage, and is something to strive for when buying different equips. Armor is what factors in here.

MAGICK - Self-explanitory mostly, this is how resistant the character is to a RESIST magick spell or magick-type attack. The defensive stat for magicks, if you want. Since many enemies rely on powerful magicks in the late parts of the game, keeping this total high is invaluable. EVADE -- As you can imagine, a character's evasion ranking determines how well s/he may evade an attack. Evading an attack means the attack misses (any avid FF fan knows this) and no damage is dealt, so keeping this high is to one's benefit. Shields are the main source of raising the stat. MAGICK - Like "Evade," Magick Evade relates how well one can sidestep EVADE attacks and be dealt no damage. Weirdly, this stat isn't put the player's control until far in the game when shields just to offer augments in this category. Because many enemies use -damaging or -annoying magick attacks, packing a high rating area is smart. magick into start highlyin this

STRENGTH - This factors into determining the potency of physical attacks. To raise it, gain levels and buy Battle Lore licenses (which add +1 to the permanent total). MAGICK - This determines the effectiveness of magic and, like Strength, can POWER be raised through levels and buying Magick Lore licenses. A few weapon types' damage uses magick power as a damage variable (katanas and staves?) VITALITY- This useful stat determines if and how long negative statuses will last. Going up levels increases it, but beyond that, artificially raising it through equipment (mostly armor/hats) is the only other way. SPEED -- What's there to say about speed? Having a high speed makes the ATB gauge fill faster (naturally) and also factors into some weapons' damage calculations, being ninja swords, I believe. Either way, to have low speed is to act slower, and that's certainly not what any smart player wants. o-------------------------------o vi. STATUS EFFECT EXPLANATION [STX1] o-------------------------------o A mainstay in the FF series, status effects are ways to augment a character's ability, either in a good or bad way. Save crystals remove ALL bad statuses upon being touched, but those aren't in that big of an abundance out in the wild, sadly. The bad statuses to look out for are: BLIND -----> Probably the game's most common annoyance, Blinding a character will make his/her physical attacks miss more than usual. Since it doesn't wear off, Eye Drops and Remedy are the item cures, with Blindna and Esuna being the magickal removers. SILENCE ---> The bane of mages everywhere, Silence prevents magick users from being able to cast spells of any kind. To get rid of this lip-sealer, use Echo Herbs, Remedies, or Vox/Esuna magick. If you are KO'd with this on, it will not self-alleviate. SAP -------> Sap is basically the opposite of "Regen" magick, and the HP will steadily decrease and does not wear off. Counteracting against

this nagging status is as easy as casting Regen (which puts that status on instead, not cancelling them out) or using a Remedy with a Remedy Lore 1 license. Unlike Poison, Sap cannot kill a character and stops damaging at 1 HP. STOP ------> Probably the worst status to get hit with in battle, Stop makes a character's actions shut down and changes them into the enemy punching bag. Time gradually wears this status off, but KOs can come easily before then; use Chronos Tear items or Remedies w/ a Remedy Lore 3 license. Esuna ain't very useful here, but this status (strangely) can be removed with Dispel. SLEEP -----> Much like Stop and a fully-petrified character, this can impede a character taking action by conking them out. Fortunately, any person in this status can be hit (suffer damage) to be woken up or given an Alarm Clock item. Esuna also works here. DISEASE ---> OK, maybe this is the worst status in the game. Disease ensures that a character cannot recover HP through healing methods and, what's worse, is that if s/he is KO'd with this status on, s/he is revived with 1 HP! To get this effect off, use Vaccine and Remedy (+ Remedy Lore 3 license) items. Cleanse magick becomes available later in the game and removes this, also. Be aware that while in Disease status, positive statuses will miss with 100% accuracy and as you lose HP, your current HP will become your maximum. POISON ----> When a character is poisoned, s/he will undergo HP decrements until the status wears off. It can be cured with Poisona and Esuna magick, as well as Antidote and Remedy items. CONFUSE ---> This horrible infliction makes an ally unable to distinguish between friend and foe, and so s/he will indiscriminantly take up arms to either. When the character takes damage from friend or foe, s/he will return to normal; until then, Smelling Salts and Remedies (+ Remedy Lore 2 license) work on the item end, and Esuna picks up the slack where magick is concerned. Note that you cannot run away or pick targets while confused, as in some other FF games. SLOW ------> That which makes the ATB load far slower and thereby make the battle last somewhat longer, Slow status popularity among the enemy's ranks isn't good news for you. Esuna does not cure it, but Haste reverses the effect (not cancel it); Remedies/Dispel remove the status as well. OIL -------> First seen in Final Fantasy Tactics, Oil isn't necessarily bad on its own, but should an enemy use a fire attack on an Oil-ed character, the damage is magnified greatly. Handkerchief items remove it, and Remedies can also after buying a Remedy Lore 2 license. PETRIFY ---> Whereas some FF games have had this as an instantaneous status, the game falls more in line with "Gradual Petrify" from FFIX. Instead of being instantly taken out of battle, a countdown will decrease from 10 to 1; when it finishes, the character is taken out of battle. Gold Needle items can cure this status, and so can Stone/Esuna magick. Remedies have to have a Remedy Lore 2 license before they're of use.

DOOM ------> Much like Petrify, this status also has a countdown from ten; except, where Petrify can be cured and a character returns in the same health they left, doom inflicts Death on a character and takes off any temporary statuses. With a Remedy Lore 3 license, Doom is as good as gone...plus, it's the only way to get it off short of dying. BERSERK ---> Almost self-explanitory, Berserk status sends your enemy into a blind rage at which time it only uses physical attacks that have been powered-up a little. Coupled with other statuses, this can be used to cripple an enemy of its specialty skills. When used on a character, it has the same effects and can be cured with Dispel or the passage of time. NOTE: This can be a good or bad thing. I find losing control to be a bad thing. =p IMMOBILIZE > Similar to the "Don't Move" status in Final Fantasy Tactics, this status freezes a character in place. They can still take action and all, but aren't able to freely move around. Esuna magick cures this right up, and Remedies with a Remedy Lore 1 license do as well. X-ZONE ----> Some characters in the game will use Teleport or Telega, which sends them into this status. Made familiar in FF6, this will throw them into a dimensional pocket and they'll be unable to act in battle...or do anything in battle, since they won't be there any longer. The first Demon Wall boss at a certain tomb will try this, but its usage is far and in between, so don't bother protecting yourself from it -- there are none. It wears after awhile, though; just leave the room you're in. Well, that's all for the bad statuses. But, these are just one side to the coin: good statuses are simply great times to be had by all. Unlike some of the bad ones, though, these wear off after awhile, provided you're not in a town or save point area where no monsters lurk (time does not pass there). Dispel/ga can take these off, too. They are as follows: o----------------------------------------------------o NOTE: Positive statuses can be removed with Dispel o----------------------------------------------------o LIBRA -----> One of the first technicks one should get in the game, Libra can allow a player to see an enemy's level, HP, and weakness values. This is indispensible throughout the entire game and it has no downsides itself; however, some enemies, like bosses and a few rare game, cannot be "scanned" and will give a bunch of "????" values instead. HASTE -----> The complete opposite of Slow status, Haste speeds up the ATB gauge and allows the target to take actions sooner. Hermes Sandals can put this status on permanently, but Haste/ga magick does the trick for all other instances. PROTECT ---> Like a knight taking up shield, Protect status reduces damage inflicted by physical attacks for a short while. Shielded Armor puts this effect on permanently, but Protect/ga is what's used to kickstart the status normally. SHELL -----> The cousin to Protect, Shell is the "shield" that reduces magick

damage on characters. Equipping the Shell Shield puts this good status on permanently, but Shell/ga is what's used besides. BUBBLE ----> This new status is ever-useful since it doubles a character's current HP and makes that the new maximum (i.e. 5000/2500 HP). Though it wears off after a short while, Bubble magick can be bought midway through the game after some hunts, and the Bubble Belt (auto-Bubble) accessory is obtained in the same way. Also, when in Bubble status, it prevents you from being inflicted with Disease. REGEN -----> This boon gradually restores HP in increments, just not as fast as its estranged cousin "Sap" would. It wears off after a short while, so equipping a Renewing Morion hat (auto-Regen) is a good idea to ensure it stays on. Sadly, there is no Regenga magick (sounds stupid) so single-serve castings will have to do. BRAVERY ---> Fit for the finest warriors, Bravery increases attack damage on the target. And that's it. It wears off after awhile, like all good statuses. FAITH -----> This lovely status increases magickal potency, not just magickal damage. It'll make Firaga hurt more, it'll make Cura heal more. Anyone packing a staff instead of a sword should be packing this spell as well. REFLECT ---> Only as "positive" of a status as one makes of it, Reflect is a mixed bag when it comes to battle use. Essentially, it can throw back (some) magicks at the caster, letting them take HP damage instead of the target. Problem is, unless an ally has an Opal Ring equipped (magicks pierce Reflect status), magickal buffing and healing isn't possible on the player's characters! There is a way around this, however, known to most FF players: should you want to cure your allies but have Reflect status on them, bounce the magick off the enemy's reflect and it will work on your own characters! Mirror Mail armor has auto-reflect on, but it takes a smart user to really make this status shine. Gambits can often screw up here unless tweaked accordingly. LURE ------> Sort of a positive status, sort of not, using Decoy on someone will send them into this status...and make them and them alone the beating bag of the nearby monsters! Naturally, this works best on a "tank" character, someone with high HP and defensive/ magickal resist, but it does have select uses in boss fights to stop the randomized attacking fashion. Like Reflect, this should also be used wisely. o------------o vii. TRAPS [TRP1] o------------o Coming off the status explanations, there are invisible traps one encounters when walking the field that can blow up in your face, in more ways than one. It sounds like it slights the player, but by using Libra, they'll be visible to the naked eye, looking like little red pillars of light. It does one well to avoid all of them since the vast number of them are negative statuses; but, since that can be impossible with party members flailing around behind the leader in passages, here are the types: OIL BUG --------> Inflicts Oil

CHOKING GAS ----> BLINDING SMOKE -> SWARM ----------> STONE GAS ------> SILENCE GAS ----> LEECH ----------> WIZARDSBANE ----> BEFUDDLEMENT ---> STASIS ---------> GIL BUG --------> EXPLODER -------> STEN NEEDLE ----> MANAFONT -------> REJUVENATION ---> FUSILLADE ------>

Inflicts Sap Inflicts Blind Inflicts Disease Inflicts Petrify Inflicts Silence Reduces all MP to zero Reduces all MP heavily Inflicts Confuse/Berserk Inflicts Disable/Reverse Makes player lose some gil Inflicts minor-to-medium damage Inflicts random (mostly heavy) damage Refills all current-party allies' MP to maximum Refills all current-party allies' HP to maximum Inflicts random (mostly heavy) damage and/or Death

By the way, monsters CANNOT set off any traps. o----------------o viii. CHAINING [CHN1] o----------------o As you fight through the game's leagues of enemies, you'll often find a chain counter that tallies up a number of creatures you've killed. Chaining occurs when you kill one enemy (ex: Gespenst) or one type of enemy repeatedly (ex: Striker & Wendigo). The chain breaks when you kill a different type of enemy than the ones you've been killing or enter a town area, thus resetting the chain. Touching a save/teleport crystal and boarding the Strahl also defaults the chain. So just what is the chain for? Well, chaining allows you to go up "levels" which govern the amount and rarity of the enemies' dropped items. Most rare items have an extremely low percentage of being dropped regularly, but by going up chain levels, their probability of occuring rises. Anyone can simply kill stuff and go up a level, but what may not be obvious is that by avoiding the dropped loot, you can go up chain levels sooner. As the chain levels rise and you get more items of better quality, you'll also find that picking up bags of loot can cure your current party members as well as give some positive statuses on occasion (Protect, Shell, etc.). The loot bags gain qualities gradually, healing first and incidental statuses after that. One tip for chaining is that using Break on monsters does NOT break chains, but lets you get good drops from them just like you had chained them over and over. For example, if you kill a bunch of Wyldhares and petrify a Sprinter, the chain remains intact and you may get a rarer item from the Sprinter than normal. This "trick" is useful for getting better drops from enemies that are a pain in the rear to chain manually (Entites, rare game, etc.) o-----------------------------------------------------------------------------o III. WALKTHROUGH [WLK1] o-----------------------------------------------------------------------------o The walkthrough you're about to read operates like so: o-------------------------------------------------------------------o [0] - [ 1 ] [2] o-------------------------------------------------------------------o [3]

o-------------------------------------------------------------------o [4] [5] [6] [7] [8] [9] o-----------------------------o-------------------------------------o [0] [1] [2] [3] [4] [5] [6] [7] [8] [9] ID number Name of area Cntrl+F ID number Key/mandatory items in area List of enemy names and levels Enemy HP Enemy EXP (level-approximate) Enemy Gil (when applicable) Enemy LPs Enemy weaknesses

Any items given their own section are ones you can get 100% of the time, either through certain tasks or mandatory events. Random pots and stuff will not be listed unless they hold rare items. EXP values are based on three party members + a guest if applicable. And if I use some phrases you're not familiar with: "SPAWNING" -> "FARMING" --> "BUFFING" --> "ZONING" ---> Appearing or reappearing in an area, area section, etc. Fighting monsters over and over to get their dropped items Casting any number of positive statuses on your allies Respawning enemies in a certain section by leaving that area and going into any other part of the map, two areas away.

o-------------------------------------------------------------------o 001 - Beginning + Configuration [BGCF] o-------------------------------------------------------------------o Select 'New Game' on the main title to bring up the pre-game feature options, which include: OPTIONS o o o o o o o DEFAULT

Controller Vibration - toggle it on/off Off Screen Shake - toggle it on/off Off Subtitles - toggle subtitle display on/off Off Screen Size - Change to/from Normal & Widescreen Normal (4:3) Flicker Filter - toggle filter on/off On Sound - Toggle Pro Logic II/Stereo/Monoaural sound Stereo Screen Position - change viewing for your television ---

You can restore defaults at the bottom, and can also change all of these features in-game by using the Config menu. Let's start 'er up! o-------------------------------------------------------------------o 002 - Nalbina Fortress NLF1 -----------------------------+-------------------------------------o ENEMIES HP EXP GIL LP WEAK Imperial Magus ~80 ----- --- ----Imperial Swordsman A ~80 ----- --- ----Air Cutter Remora [BOSS] ~700 ----- --- ----o-----------------------------o--------------------------------o [AERIAL GARDENS]

As you start the first area (as Reks), Basch will give you a small tutorial on moving around. The commands appear in the upper-left and tell what Basch wants you to do. Twist teh camera, move over to him, then talk to the Dalmascan by the gate. Walk up to the iron gate fourthly, and inspect it with (X) to open it. Easy-peasy. [INNER WARD] After entering the hall beyond, you can use the party menu and examine your equipment and inventory (with Triangle). An Imperial Swordsman attacks you, though, and Basch walks you through the targeting and fighting system. If you mess up, your allies murder the guard for you. =) These guys will follow you around (Basch did say he would take up the rearward guard), and heal around if needed. Continue down the long stone path and a boss fight will ensue with an Air Cutter Remora. Everyone will start flaying into its metal hide, and you can't really lose it due to the ally soldiers healing abilities. After awhile, Basch damages the unit's engines and makes it disengage. Laff. Three more Imperial Swordsmen appear immediately following, which get disposed of quickly, whether you want to or not. Sprint up the far stairs to the open doorway. Basch explains that the minimap may not be enough to get one's bearings; pressing [SELECT] will bring up the Location Map. Bring it up and it will tell you the room you're currently in (and which I will separate the dungeons by). Enter thru the dots on the ground. [LOWER APARTMENTS] Cutscene and you can move again. Ignore the long left corridor and head north (assuming up is north on map) to have Basch tell you the way to retreat -- hold R2. There's no shame in fleeing from battles that serve no purpose, after all. Imperial Magus enemies can appear from hereon in, and cast magick which makes them a prime target for slaughterin'. Dispose of them first off, if possible. In that same corridor where you learned the escape ability, go right into the small antechamber and inspect the urn there to get a [POTION]. Lead the men into the second horizontal hall and go vertical hallway (right hallway is dead end). There adjoining this path with an upward stairway. Before the rest of the length of the hall and find another nook. Head upstairs when you're ready to move on. [UPPER APARTMENTS] Approach Basch and he'll tell you about a save crystal nearby. It is possible to save here (dur!) and also refill HP/MP along with the action. Always remember to save, folks. Ascend the stairway to exit. [THE HIGHHALL] Reks tells the others to move on as move cronies come here. You'll be fighting these guys solo, so make use of your magick and heal if you need to. You can backtrack to the save point to heal up once the blood's off your sword. Your upward climb gets stopped short by a into the second is an ornate room you ascend, walk [POTION] in a

gate you can't open; use a door in the adjoining hallway. Enter and arc around right to the other open door, where you will automatically enter the treaty room. Events insue, then it's off to the... o-------------------------------------------------------------------o 003 - Garamsythe Waterway [GRM1] -----------------------------+-------------------------------------o ENEMIES HP EXP G LP WEAK Dire Rat ~60 3 --- 2 -----o-----------------------------o--------------------------------o [OVERFLOW CLOACA] You'll now be in control of Vaan. Hooray? Anyway, he's fighting the city vermin down in some sewer-type place. You can straight-up deal out some murder, but it's not such a bad idea to use Vaan's Steal Technick, which lets you get Fire Stones and Rat Pelts from the baddies. Once all of them are dead, Vaan and Kytes leave to... o-------------------------------------------------------------------o 004 - Rabanastre [RBN1] o-------------------------------------------------------------------o ITEMS Orrachea Amulet Writ of Transit -----------------------------+-------------------------------------o ENEMIES HP EXP G LP WEAK None ------ ------ --- --- -----o-----------------------------o--------------------------------o [EAST END] Another scene. =p Penelo joins your party after this (^__^) and comes license points in accordance with about how many you've earned already. She starts out with White Magick 1, Light Armor 1, and Daggers 1. Suit her up license-wise however you see fit, then leave to the east. [GIZAS NORTH BANK] Penelo gives Vaan three [POTION]s and two tufts of [PHOENIX DOWN] to help with monsters. What a sweet girl! You can now change leaders and issue party commands, as well as use Gambits for each character. You can't modify the gambits you have currently, but can still turn them on/off. Meh. Jinn's supposedly south of village, so time to round 'im up. Head west and you'll see a strange creature -- that's an Urstrix, which you (probably) haven't seen before. Slavens appear 'round here, too. Leave to the south. [GIZAS SOUTH BANK] Hehe, you may see hunters here, but you can't fight them; they're on the "good" side. Nice shiny rifles, though. Regardless of which route you take, the exit is in the very southwest corner. [CRYSTAL GLADE] There's a save point here, right next to a sleeping kid. Who is it? Jinn, natch. He's hurt his leg and is resting up instead of heading back to the village with an insufficient Sunstone quota. Whatta trooper. You can "explain the situation" to him or "leave"; pick the former. Jinn will give you a [SHADESTONE] and explain the process of making a Sunstone. There are 4 shining dark crystals in all of Giza Plains at the moment, and a percentage gauge shows up to show how much the Shadestone's absorbed. Jinn marks all the locations on the map and

tells you to bring it back to him when you're done. The locations of the shinies are: o o o o Starfall Field Giza South Bank Warrior's Wash Gizas North Bank

Since you have to bring the stones back to him, you might as well go with the easier ones first. Exit west. [STARFALL FIELD] Go to the dark crystal here and hold the Shadestone up. Vaan should get an amount of energy, approximately thirty percent worth. You'll also see some gigantor Werewolf enemies around here -- they'll maul your face off if you try to tango with 'em, so avoid them and they won't come after you (there's only two, anyway). The northwest area exit leads to the Dalmasca Westersand, but that is out of the way at the moment. Cut back through the Crystal Glade to the southern banks area. [GIZAS SOUTH BANK] Soak up the rays from the crystal in the northern section for some fifty-odd percentage points. Exit to the upper bank. [GIZAS NORTH BANK] The dark crystal here should max out your rock and turn it into a [SUNSTONE]. You automatically appear back at... [CRYSTAL GLADE] Jinn checks out the Sunstone and you race him back to... [NOMAD VILLAGE] For helping her out, Masyua gives you [50 GIL], two [POTIONS], and two [TELEPORT STONE]s. Yowza! She seems happy as a lark. Time to head back to Rabanastre. Doesn't matter how you get there, so long as you hit up Lowtown. o-------------------------------------------------------------------o 009 - Lowtown [LWT2] o-------------------------------------------------------------------o ITEMS Crescent Stone Potion x 2 Eye Drops x 4 -----------------------------+-------------------------------------o ENEMIES HP EXP G LP WEAK None ------ ------ --- --- -----o-----------------------------o--------------------------------o Penelo leaves the party as you approach the old man's house. She was supposed to be minding the store, anyway... Check out Yugri's Magicks store in town if you want to; it'll pay to stock up before you continue. Shops now carry:

+ + + + +

White Magicks 1 & 2 Some Green Magicks Mystic Armor 1 & 2 Shields Bow Ammunition (Onion Arrows) @ Migelo's

[DALAN'S HOUSE] Vann hands over the Sunstone to get the Crescent Stone back its magicks. The secret passage to the castle lies in Storehouse 5. You might have visited it while going to the Gerasmythe Waterway. There are two doors there; the left one's been locked up until now. That path leads into the waterway, and the waterway leads to the cellars. So what of the Crescent Stone? It opens the hidden treasury entrance! The key to remember is: "The signet yearns for sunstone's strength, to light the clouded way." The palace's signet tile will lead the way. Vaan gets the [CRESCENT STONE]. As you leave, a scene takes place in which some soldiers are already in the waterway...doing something nefarious? Perhaps. [SOUTH SPRAWL] Head north into the...well, North Sprawl. [NORTH SPRAWL] Head straight north to the top of the screen and you'll find a bunch of orphans atop boxes. Enter Storehouse 5 nearby and you'll find Kytes inside -- the left door's now open. He also gives you two [POTION]s and four [EYE DROPS] for the long journey ahead. Enter the left door and descend into the depths of... o-------------------------------------------------------------------o 010 - Gerasmythe Waterway [GRM2] -----------------------------+-------------------------------------o ENEMIES HP EXP G LP WEAK Lv. 2 Dire Rat 77 12 --- 1 Water Lv. 3 Dire Rat 97 14 --- 1 Water Lv. 2 Steeling 94 18 --- 1 Earth Lv. 3 Steeling 110 22 --- 1 Earth Lv. 3 Ichthon 130 17 --- 1 Thndr Lv. 4 Ichthon 141 21 --- 1 Thndr Lv. ? Razorfin ~160 34 --- 2 ????? o-----------------------------o--------------------------------o [CENTRAL SPUR STAIRS] Save point here, but nothin' else, really. Head around the corner opposite the stairs if you want a treasure pot at a dead end; go up the nearest stairs when you're ready to continue. [NORTHERN SLUICEWAY] From the lamp-lit walkway, continue north to the top of the channel. Due east is a grating-type walkway which bridges across the aqueduct system below.

Continue east along the high ground before ducking south to find a watery, eastern road, also lamp-lit. On the other side is a passage almost a mirror image of the one you just came through. Cross to the north to find more grate bridges and take the down-stairway around to the exit. [NORTH SPUR SLUICEWAY] Time to get soggy! The path extends west across the screen, now. Beyond, some flying fish monsters (Ichthon) are around, but Thunder spells drop their life expectancy rate to zero. Keep heading west to come to a stairway. Cross west, to a passage where more Ichthons roam. A Razorfin also floats along here, so make sure to kill it -- drops 2 LP! Head up the near there, press on... waiting for north passage and get onto dry land via the small stair coming to the level's exit. You can choose to stay or No immediate boss fight or anything, so don't bother HP/MP to refill.

Enjoy the scenes! o-------------------------------------------------------------------o 011 - Royal Palace of Rabanastre [RPR1] o-------------------------------------------------------------------o ITEMS Goddess's Magicite -----------------------------+-------------------------------------o ENEMIES HP EXP G LP WEAK None ------ ------ --- --- ----o-----------------------------o--------------------------------o [CELLAR STORES] As the save point tells you, you won't be able to exit this area easily. Think about saving the game in a second or third slot if you're unsure of yourself. Not a bad idea, since Vaan says he ain't leaving the royal digs empty-handed. Touch the urn here for a map of the royal palace before leaving the room. NOTE: If you plan on getting the collect-all-maps icon in the Sky Pirate's Den, make sure to get the map. It will only be available for this dungeon. [CELLARS] There's a large pillar corridor here, with working servants and laborers. Let's get busy. Continue north to find some guards who say no one's getting past them until they say so. Approach the guard who tells you to wait for further instructions; this catches the attention of a piggy palace servant. He'll tell you to press [] to call a guard, then he'll handle him when he comes. Funfun...basically, you're sneaking up without him noticing. Call the guard and stand by the barrels stuffed under the stairway.

When the guard passes out of view, run up the stairs and exit. Thx pig-snout! [LOWER HALLS] Vaan recalls Dalan's saying about the "signet yearns for sunstone's strength, to light the clouded way." Time to find a certain signet. A word of advice: you'll have to Shout at enemies to get their attention, and enemies always stop at any intersection or when they get to a bend in the path. Let's go... S = Start L = Lion Signet 1 = Patrol [etc] _ _ __ ______ E __ 6 ______ __ ______ __ 1 __L___ __ ______ S __ ______ 2 ______ ________ There are stationed patrols all over this corridor network, but this isn't so hard to navigate. Vaan's big mouth can finally be put to good use. ___ First, head east and shout to the "2" soldiers, 5__ then flee south at the crossroads and down near the "3" guard. This one won't bother with you, ___ same as 4, 5, and 7 -- you have to try to pass 4__ before they tangle with you.

___ The "2" guard will stop at the crossroad near 3__ the exit, leaving you able to continue north. Go to the "L" and use the Crescent Stone to make a dead-end somewhere light up with a glow. ___ __7__ OK, now you have to distract the guards so you can get up to the "E" on the map. Go back to the path elbow south of where the "2" guards are currently standing and shout at 'em to make them go south. Head right, north, and west to where they were just standing and make the "1" guard go south. Loop around the long way to where the "1" guard was just standing and holler at the "6" guard to make it come to your current position. You can now use the northernmost horizontal passage to get to the "E" on the map. Inspect the suspicious-looking wall with the faint glow and a door makes itself known! [SECRET PASSAGE] The door closes behind Vaan...aww. Follow the path to find an odd-looking door/wall and a dead end. Find the hidden switch in the dead-end portion and you can enter the wall. [TREASURY] Vaan meets a Viera and her human companion, both of whom you saw in the earlier cutscene. After some voices rabble-rouse outside the door, they give up on trying to take Vaan's treasure and he receives the [GODDESS'S MAGICITE]. He automatically ends up... [THE GARDEN STAIRS] The only thing to do is keep following the path, up and up. Scenes play where Vaan and the bandit from before meet. The Viera (Fran) comes on her bike and saves the day, as a huge battle takes place below, and you end up even further below in... o-------------------------------------------------------------------o

012 - Gerasmythe Waterway [GRM3] -----------------------------+-------------------------------------o ENEMIES HP EXP G LP WEAK Lv. 2 Dire Rat 77 12 --- 1 Water Lv. 3 Steeling 110 22 --- 1 Earth Lv. 4 Steeling 218 19 --- 1 Earth Lv. 5 Steeling 234 20 --- 1 Earth Lv. 5 Gigantoad 341 43 --- 1 Fire Lv. 6 Gigantoad 361 44 --- 1 Fire Lv. 4 Garchimacera 287 31 --- 1 Water Lv. 5 Garchimacera 302 32 --- 1 Water Lv. 6 Ghost 334 34 --- 1 Holy Lv. 7 Ghost 340 35 --- 1 Holy Lv. 5 Imperial Swordsman 170-210 --- --- 2 ----Lv. 5 Flan x 4 [BOSS] 360-420 --- --- 2 Fire Lv. 7 Firemane [BOSS] 3571 --- --Water o-----------------------------o--------------------------------o [EAST SPUR STAIRS] Vaan is introduced to Balthier and Fran, two sky pirates, all of whom have crashed into the lower aqueducts. Time to partner up to get out of this alive! They join the party, so check out their skills and teach 'em some new ones -- both have excess LP just waiting to be spent. Once again, the save point reminds you that you may not be able to escape this place easily. Consider another save, if you please. --Exit down the stairway nearby to have Baltheir teach you about the Gambit system. To use the system (which is now available, btw), you need to select an action and a target for it. New Targets have to be picked up at gambit shops. Also, Gambits in the #1 slot get to have precedence any others that may follow, so plan accordingly. The Party option is now available in the menu, too. 'Kay, that's all. Inspect the fallen soldiers nearby to hear Balthier's poetic tongue before walking down the tunnel into... [EAST WATERWAY CONTROL] Take a left turn (south on map) to find a fancy urn with a map of the Garasmythe Waterway. The other pot nearby contains [EYE DROPS]. Down the watery path, take the first stairs and cross the grate bridge -- the opposite stairs are broken, but you can raid an item pot. Descend and dip back into the water. Around the corner is another stairway that ultimately leads to the southern alley complex. There are not treasures here, so simply exit down the main passage and lead your party members into the spillage. Exit's in the south. [NO. 11 CHANNEL] This should be semi-familiar territory. Head down the southern path straight in front of your characters, which will arc east. Two urns are visible across the water, but a sleeping Gigantoad is ruining the easy advance. Sneak-attack it with some fire skills before it

can use Angel Song to give itself Regen status. Follow the path south again (like one big, piece of spaghetti...) until you get onto some high ground above some more snoozing Gigantoads. Kill 'em if you haven't done so already, then follow the bridge beyond them south. The upward slant leads to... [EAST SLUICE CONTROL] Cross the sluice and find the save point on the other side. Use the stairway nearby to descend, and you'll have a new girl in your party for awhile. You also have to fight with 4 Lv. 5 Imperial Swordsmen, which are pretty pathetic for a mid-boss troupe. Cast Blind if you have it or use elemental skills if you don't. One enemy starts with Protect, but it shouldn't stop you from a romp. The girl introduces herself as Amalia and will join your party as a guest -- meaning, she won't take orders from anyone and will leave whenever she feels like it. Continue beyond where Amalia stood to leave. [SOUTHERN SLUICEWAY] As you enter, you'll find a large, flat platform. Continue forth platform and you'll be subjected to a gooey ambush o-------------------o-------------o------------o BOSS: Flan x 4 HP: 360-420 Weak: Fire o-------------------o-------------o------------o Well, at least one good thing comes of this -- they're ALL weak to fire-elemental spells. Concentrate on one at a time and use Blindna to counter the bosses' Blind spells -- if you're just casting magic though, don't bother; it doesn't affect magic success rates. Unlike in previous Final Fantasy games, the Flan's soft body doesn't quite make it strong against physical attacks. Fire-elemental skills are just the easier way out to an easy battle. Once you're done making pancakes out of the enemy, continue out the other side of the room, opposite of where you start. [WEST SLUICE CONTROL] Up the stairs, dispatch the Gigantoad and the Garchimaceras as they reside near the bridge. Continue north and down the walkway, into... [NO. 10 CHANNEL] Ignore the stairway on your right and round the 1st left corner to find an item pot. Go north across the makeshift bridge, then take the grate bridge east across the channel. Go south once across and you can find a second item jar in the rounded part of the path's shape. Make your way east again, where you can exit into... [CENTRAL WATERWAY CONTROL] This room is shaped like a...lesse, a protractor (XD), so get into the 'interior' where you can see four rusted devices. There's also a save point. Nothin' else to do here, so approach the door that leads to...

[OVERFLOW CLOACA] Ahh, the very beginning of the dungeon. You're faced with a boss here, who appears out of nowhere... o----------------o----------o-------------o BOSS: Firemane HP: 3571 Weak: Water o----------------o----------o-------------o Yes, that's really how much HP he has. Cast Protect if you have it; if you don't, keep your cure spells at the ready. Mess around with your gambits to get "Ally: HP Cure" on all applicable people (probably Vaan and Fran). Firemane has two main attacks: Rush and Brushfire. The former is a strong physical attack, while the latter can do damage and also poison multiple people (in range). Its Kick and Fire attacks are fairly easy to swallow. All in all, it's got a lot of HP but it's not too hard considering the rate of attacks. After battle, the consul appears and all the "thieves" are taken to... o-------------------------------------------------------------------o 013 - Nalbina Dungeons NLB1 -----------------------------+-------------------------------------o ENEMIES HP EXP G LP WEAK Lv. 8 Daguza 232 ------ --- 2 Fire Lv. 7 Gwitch 142 ------ --- 2 Fire Lv. 7 Galeedo 158 ------ --- 2 Fire Lv. 6 Imperial Magus 197 21 8 1 ----Lv. 8 Imperial Magus 201 28 8 1 ----Lv. 8 Imperial Hoplite 275 24 10 1 ----Lv. 9 Imperial Hoplite 283 30 13 1 ----Lv. 7 Imperial Marksman 264 21 6 1 ----Lv. 8 Imperial Swordsman 229 21 8 1 ----Lv. 9 Imperial Swordsman 237 28 11 1 ----o-----------------------------o--------------------------------o [STOCKADE] The bottom of a sealed-off fortress, these dungeons are. Save crystal's in the very north, but a prisoner warns you not to go in that direction. Like the prior dungeons, you're advised not to save in one slot alone if you think it might cause trouble down the line. Exit north. [ARENA] Vaan sets in alone and gets dragged into the arena by three Seeq brutes. You must fight them, of course. o---------o---------o------------o Daguza HP: 232 Weak: Fire o---------o---------o------------o Gwitch HP: 142 Weak: Fire o---------o---------o------------o Galeedo HP: 158 Weak: Fire

o---------o---------o------------o They may have confiscated your weaponry, but both you and Balthier are more than enough to fry these piggies. One Fire spell should be able to put one away, with the exception of Daguza. He has Protect status, so tag-team him last. Use the Knots of Rust you have for quick attack-item damage, although there's little chance you'll need to. When more troops appear in the arena, Fran gets you out under a portcullis. After a scene, you'll have to make your escape. They just don't build prisons like they used to... [THE CONFISCATORY] NOTE: If you want the collect-all-maps icon in the Sky Pirate's Den make sure to get the map here -- it's only available for a short while. Approach the save point and you'll find your stolen loot and also a map of the Nalbina Dungeons. Exit in the hallway. [THE BLACK WATCH] Balthier's had his fill of turnkeys...time to tread lightly. Along the western wall is a treasure chest with an [Ally:HP=p Proceed directly south down the ramp to find Behemoths by a device. Trigger it and continue south to lowest part of the map, finding two Mythril Golems guarding a gate stone. Kill 'em, then trigger the construct to disappear a gate in the middle of the area, letting you descend farther (there are no more gates) Do watch out for the Vivian (Malboro type) enemies' Putrid Breath, which can put Disease/Slow/Confuse/Immobilize/Oil/Sap/Petrify/Sleep on a target. At the very bottom of the coiled ramp, by two more golems, a secret path springs up in between them as you approach. [THE AADHA WATER-STEPS] Yes, it's like the same previous screen, dangit. Watch out for the Diakon Entites around here, also, kupo. :p Continue south to another gatestone betwixt two golems. Press it and continue down the ramp (north) to another golem-guarded gate, which opens the barrier by the first. Continue south past the Vivian ranks to a bulbous-looking treasure floating in the path -- [WHITE FANG] probably. Around the southernmost bend, a lone golem guards a gate-opener. From there, you can proceed to the lowermost section from that third gate and exit out another 'hidden' green-dot path. [THE HAALMIKAH WATER-STEPS] Open the Chronos bulwark to find a (regular) save point. Head out the Hemera bulwark once you've put numberous positive statuses on yourself (won't wear off as fast if in no-encounter area, remember). [GATE OF FIRE] No enemies here, so you're free to explore. The area itself is at a tilt. Locate the middle path and the two dead-end offshoots in the

northern and southeasternmost parts. In between those, on the middle path, you can open a hidden road towards the gigantic orb-thing in the distance... o--------------o----------o-------------------------------------o BOSS: Tyrant HP: ???? IMMUNE: Slow, Blind, Silence, Sleep o--------------o----------o-------------------------------------o HP? Over 100000+. A bit daunting, no? Technicks will be unusuable here, meaning you can't use Charge to bring back MP. Dispel its Protect/Shell, Haste yourselves, and lay in with the physical attacks. Like Daedalus before, this baddie can also be Confused, which should buy time to use Ethers. Its Piercing Graviga attack deals half one's Max HP to a those in range, but it can miss (thankfully). Equip Flame Shields to reduce damage from its Fireball (1-target) attack, which can do 1000+, and take off Sap status with Remedies (+ Remedy Lore 1 license). Have the main tank you use (for me -> Basch) cast Decoy to get it off the warpath and have someone continuously use Cura to prevent any mishaps. If you have Bravery/Bubble, cast them on the Decoy'd character and you can keep the entire battle under your thumb. If you don't have those two spells (or Faith), consider buying some X-Potions, at Balfonheim Port or airship flights. The battle ends and a waystone appears. Save back at the previous point and take the device into... o-------------------------------------------------------------------o 053 - The Great Crystal [TGC1] o-------------------------------------------------------------------o ENEMIES HP EXP G LP WEAK Lv. 44 Ose 6739 629 -- 1 Holy Lv. 45 Ose 7059 687 -- 1 Holy Lv. 45 Reaper 9931 1061 -- 1 Holy Lv. 46 Reaper 10111 1115 -- 1 Holy Lv. 45 Mythril Golem 17733 1143 -- 2 Water Lv. 47 Mythril Golem 18213 1308 -- 2 Water Lv. 48 Mythril Golem 18453 1392 -- 2 Water o-----------------------------o-------------------------------o No map here... [A PRAMA VIKAARI] A waystone with three paths here: one on either side of the waystone and one blocked by a scorpion seal. Take the declining path. [KABONII JILAAM PRATII'VAA] There are two Ose enemies by a platform here. Use Libra to see the trap and get the [ELIXIR] out of it. Take the lower path still. [KABONII JILAAM AVAA] Leads down to a lone platform and another slope. [DHA VIKAARI BHRUM]

Take the Waystone VII to... [A VIKAARI KABONII] Three paths here: two downsloping ones and the middle, up-sloping one. Facing the upward climb, take the left downward path. [STHAANA CANCER] In the center of the platform is the Cancer Gate Stone. Trigger it and leave through the road you haven't "made" yet. [BHRUM PIS AVAA] Take the treasure here and exit out the other side. [A VIKAARI KABONII] You're back where you came in awhile ago. Facing the upslope, take the right-hand, downward slope. [BHRUM PIS PRATII] The Cancer Gate is now gone and you can path through the platform to another downward slope. [DHA VIKAARI TRAHK] Kill the Reaper here and take the Waystone V to... [A VIKAARI BHRUM] The Gate Pisces blocks one way out of here. Take the lower path out here. [TRAHK PIS PRAA] At the platform, take the low road again. [STHAANA PISCES] There's another gate here (Aries), but you can switch off the Pisces Gate, too. Do so and backtrack two screens. [A VIKAARI BHRUM] Where the Pisces Gate was (has two floating things flanking exit) you can now enter. Do so. [DHA VIKAARI JULA] Take Waystone III to... [CRYSTAL CORE] After viewing the nethicite core, take the road down to a regular save point. Cast a bunch of positive statuses on yourselves, save (in second slot, to be sure) and take Waystone I back to... o-------------------------------------------------------------------o

054 - The Ancient City of Giruvegan [CTG2] o-------------------------------------------------------------------o ITEMS Treaty-Blade o-----------------------------+-------------------------------------o ENEMIES HP EXP G LP WEAK None ------ ------ -- -- ----o-----------------------------o-------------------------------o [GATE OF WIND] Proceed through Bulwark Minas to find... o-----------------o----------o BOSS: Shemhazai HP: ???? o-----------------o----------o This esper has about 100000 HP like Tyrant. Dispel the initial Haste status and cast Bubble on your comrades if they're not in such status. The boss likes to use Syphon to drain MP; hopefully you've brought X-Potions as suggested. Shem uses Shock (large thunder-elem damage to one, 1500+) and Flare (lare fire-elem damage to one, 3000+) after draining MP, but with Bubble each of these can be "eaten" and cured without much trouble. Still, cast Shell while you have the MP. Silencega can annoy if you're relying on Cura/ga; Echo Herb it up if that happens, or equip protective equipment for the moment. In the latter part of the fight, its defensive power increases and it uses Shock/Flare more often. Keep Curaga coming and it will eventually fall. Steal a Sagittarius Gem if you can spare the time. The party earns the privelege of summoning Shemazai the Whisperer once she's done for. Continue south through the bulwarks and go to the Empyrean Waystone. Read the description and teleport off to god knows where where a scene takes place. Turns out the power of the nethicite stems from the Sun-cryst and the [TREATY-BLADE] Ashe obtains will destroy Venat. After more scenes, take the Tellurian Waystone back to... [GATE OF EARTH] Teleport back to Balfonheim. o-------------------------------------------------------------------o 055 - Balfonheim Port [BLF2] o-------------------------------------------------------------------o ENEMIES HP EXP G LP WEAK None ------ ------ -- -- ----o-----------------------------o-------------------------------o The port now has better magicks -- Arise, Curaja, Protectga, Shellga, Esunaga -- which should all be bought in the near future. Same for new equipment. >=p But, the essentials are: + Lots o' remedies + Cleanse magic (removes Disease) on all main party members

[SACCIO LANE] Talk to the manse guard and enter. The Sun-cryst is apparently at the Naldoan Sea's lighthouse, and Reddas will accompany the party (as a guest) to ensure that the Nabudis tragedy is not repeated. The Strahl will also be able to fly into the jagd, thanks to Nono. If there was ever a time to do hunts and such, it would definitely be when you have an able-bodied guest swordsman. Before you leave, buy remedies so you can cure disease status at the next dungeon. Head to the aerodrome when ready and talk to the private flights docent to get airborne. o-------------------------------------------------------------------o 056 - Ridorana Cataract [RDC1] o-------------------------------------------------------------------o ENEMIES HP EXP G LP WEAK Lv. 47 Cassie 9080 1135 -- 1 Wind Lv. 47 Deathclaw 12922 1026 -- 1 Ice o-----------------------------o-------------------------------o If you don't have the Remedy Lore 3 license (and the previous incarnations), buy it now. The boss ahead will put Disease on you and it's much easier to cure all statues at once. Also, if you'd like auto-haste, you can buy Hermes Sandals from Burrogh in the Barheim Passage; you just have to have the Barheim Key to gain entrance. See "SBV1" for details. [FOOTFALLS OF THE PAST] The ship's anchor is docked here, and you can return to the Strahl to leave if you choose. Head east to the save crystal and exit. [ECHOES FROM TIME'S GARDEN] Deathclaws here can use Pulsar Wave to inflict Disable, so watch out for them and the Cassies' Putrid Breath. Take the southeastern exit. [COLOSSEUM] Enter into the arena's open middle portion (use Libra to see the traps) and go north. You should see a tiny little offshoot to the west of there (connected to passage) and in the dead end within, a map of the entire Cataract area can be found. Exit to the very north of there. [CITY OF OTHER DAYS] Head north until you get to the large crossroads, then take the east path out. [PATH OF HIDDEN BLESSING] No monsters here, but there is a huge chain of traps by the railing that leads to the save crystal; use Libra to see 'em. Keep climbing until the party arrives at the foot of... o-------------------------------------------------------------------o

057 - Pharos at Ridorana - First Ascent [PHR1] o-------------------------------------------------------------------o 01F ENEMIES HP EXP G LP WEAK Lv. 48 Mimeo 10541 657 -- 1 Holy Lv. 45 Mistmare 12180 1153 -- 1 Fire Lv. 46 Mistmare 12340 1197 -- 1 Fire Lv. 47 Mistmare 12500 1241 -- 1 Fire Lv. 45 Chimera Brain 9992 729 -- 1 Holy Lv. 46 Chimera Brain 10112 772 -- 1 Holy o-----------------------------o-------------------------------o 10F ENEMIES [NEW] HP EXP G LP WEAK Lv. 49 Aeronite 18004 1539 -- 2 Thndr Lv. 50 Aeronite 18684 1589 -- 2 Thndr Lv. 46 Brainpan 15358 893 -- 1 Holy o-----------------------------o-------------------------------o 28F ENEMIES [NEW] HP EXP G LP WEAK Lv. 46 Deidar 14407 893 -- 1 Holy o-----------------------------o-------------------------------o Given how long and annoying this place is, and how there isn't a teleport crystal for quite awhile, bring in the following magick spells to make this place easier: + + + + + Dispelga Esunaga Protectga Shellga Curaja

[THEY WHO THIRST NOT] Mortal kombattttttttttttttt! o-------------o----------o---------------o BOSS: Hydro HP: ???? IMMUNE: Blind o-------------o----------o---------------o This boney freak has about 120,000 HP. Yawn! Cast Slow first thing (sorry, the Phoenix-Down-Kills-Undead trick ain't workin' here) and this will be easier. It's pretty standard fare of wyrm attacks -- Fireball and Lunge -- but it comes at you with a new one, Curse, which puts Confuse/Disease/Poison/Sap on all parties in range. Good thing a Remedy + Remedy Lore 3 license will rectify the situation (Esuna doesn't get rid of Disease). Any confuseproof armor you have here will be tip-top equips to use. Its other attacks are pretty crappy, 400/500-dmg. attackers, but it does know Bio (inflict: damage + Sap). As long as you keep the Protectga/Shellga's going, Curse and Fearga (drains all allies in range of LOTS of MP). Use Charge to counter the latter. A user-submitted strategy: cast Reflectga on allies, then Curaja. Since Hydro is undead, it will instead do high amounts of damage to it. Couple it with Faith and Hydro is gravy (the chunky kind). Aren't you glad you know Remedy Lore 3? Yeah, I'll bet. Exit east to the large door and the entrance will open.

[THE WELLSPRING][01F] There will now be a counter in the screen that says "01F". It of course means you're on the first floor. Save at the teleporation crystal. On the south side is the Altar of Night which speaks of monsters holding black orbs... Hmm. Take the north stairway by the waystone. [WELLSPRING LABYRINTH][01F] NOTE: You can steal Celebrant's Miters [+50 Magick Resist] from the Chimera Brains. Enemies will now start dropping Black Orbs after battle. If you see one left behind, pick it up. There are a whole bunch of intertwined rooms here, some with pots in them. The pots made of a shiny, silver lustre are Mimeos and can Leech large amounts of life; avoid those if possible. You may also notice that this entire area curves around the center room of "The Wellspring." Follow it clockwise around to the (very) south to find a dead end with a First Ascent's completed map. When you have three Black Orbs, find the three altars in "The Wellspring" area (some are accessible only by the labyrinth) and trigger them. This breaks the Seal of Night on the eastern door of the labyrinth (glows red on the mini-map when near). Save at the teleport crystal (boss coming up) if you want. It says the ancient door leads to Blackrock Vault on the map, but when you enter, it transports ya'll into... [DUNES OF PROFANING WIND][01F] No exit back into the labyrinth here. See those big, blistered-looking head statues? Approaching them sends you back to the start so avoid 'em. There's no mini-map here, either, so I can't really describe things. Head up the sandy slope and approach the far head without detouring into the cliff alcoves. When you get near, the "head" will get up and you'll find it's a turtle boss! o--------------------o----------o---------------------o BOSS: Pandaemonium HP: ???? IMMUNE: Slow, Blind o--------------------o----------o---------------------o HP's about ~120000. Or something. Dispel the boss' Protect and Silence it. The usual status effects fail to work wonders here, so you'll have to rough it. Bravery + Bubble + Haste seems to do pretty well, and as long as someone is throwing Cura/ja around, the healing upkeep should go well. Much like its brethren, this turtle casts Flash (inflicts Blind on all in front of it) and Stone Gaze (inflicts Petrify on all in front of it). Physical damage can be Protectga'd down, but it can still crush those in range with Power Spin and Flatten. When its HP gets to the halfway mark, it will use Perfect Defense to makes all attacks ineffectual; however, the barrier fades away after awhile. If you need extra boosts, Oil + Firaga works wonders here. Steal an Ancient Turtle Shell if you have time to spare [sells for 1337 gil, laff].

Once the turtle's sleeping under the sands, you end up at... [BLACKROCK VAULT][01F] Yep, it's still here. The notification says the waystone's power has been restored. [THE WELLSPRING][01F] Go back to the waystone by the entrance and save at the teleport crystal. If you're lacking essential items or magicks (Esunaga), go stock up 'em now. Our favorite ancient warping device leads to... [WELLSPRING RAVEL - 1ST FLIGHT][10F] Go up the eastern stairway and kill the two Brainpan enemies there (they know Self-Destruct, so watch out) to make a green bridging path show up; walk over it and it will be permanent. Continue making your way east and keep killing the Deadpans, since they create the path forward (laff @ the sonar-ping noise). Once the second bridge is finished, take the path to the northern exit. [WELLSPRING RAVEL - 2ND FLIGHT][10F] Kill all Brainpans you have and you'll form a bridge from corner of the (visible) map south. Along the way, though, large walls along the northern walkway that can be broken Fools' Facades. Tiny shortcut, not really worth anything. along the bridge you made to the exit. [WELLSPRING RAVEL - 3RD FLIGHT][28F] Kill Brainpans as you head to the eastern "knot" of rooms. Diedar enemies is encountered here, so kill that as well. Once the bridge is set, continue south and you'll end up around the thirty-fifth floor. Destroy the respawning Brainpans/Deidars to make the north-shooting bridge. Once you cross, you can see another red-colored bridge. If you have killed enough Deidars, you'll be able to cross; if you haven't, you might want to go back and do it, since it leads to treasure. It may only be possible to create the red bridge by re-entering a couple of times. If you don't want the treasure, you don't need to kill all the Deidars. The ones in the following floor help the cause, though. The treasures are [DUELING MASK] and a [ZEUS MACE], to be sure. [WELLSPRING RAVEL - 4TH FLIGHT] Killing the Deadpans makes bridges in the far northwest, which is quite a ways from the start. When you get to the 47/48th floor, a rare monster Vishno may appear (looks like Diedar). Speaking of which, after killing a bunch of statues on your way up, the ones back in the 3rd Flight (35F and down) should be back. Continue up the staircase to the ancient door and beyond. [HORIZON'S BREAK] In the waterfall room is a save point and a triangular room nearby with the exit staircase. the NWmost there are down as Continue

[HORIZON'S CUSP] Head through the pillared passage to the foreboding door into the large room, which leads to... [MARSH OF PROFANING WIND][50F] Oh no, it's... o------------o----------o------------------------o BOSS: Slyt HP: ???? IMMUNE: Blind, Silence o------------o----------o------------------------o HP = ~80000 Dispel Regen and Slow it (though Slyt use Enrage to put its Regen back on). Cast Bravery/Haste on your main fighters and Faith on the best healer. Slyt seems to rarely use any skill, instead relying on defensive attacks which, inevitably, makes this battle incredibly fast-paced and simple. Its defense does rise when its health dives however, and it uses Enrage more often (the skill does increase atk power, btw). Keep everyone in Protect status to make this a cinch. One can steal a common Yensa Scale. --DeAtHsCrEaM87 writes: "When you fight Slyt, you can just cast oil on and firaga. Takes off 9,999 HPs. I thought I'd just share that with you. ^^" --Continue into the waterfall room where there is a lit-up waystone here, which whisks all to the land of... o-------------------------------------------------------------------o 058 - Pharos at Ridorana - Second Ascent [PHR2] o-------------------------------------------------------------------o 60F ENEMIES HP EXP G LP WEAK Lv. 48 Bune 13239 1153 -- 1 Water Lv. 49 Bune 13659 -- 1 Water Lv. 49 Reaver 22771 1634 -- 2 Earth Lv. 50 Reaver 23191 1675 -- 2 Earth Lv. 47 Abaddon 13239 1153 -- 1 Holy Lv. 48 Crusader 10772 1257 -- 1 Holy o-----------------------------o-------------------------------o [THE REACH][60F] The northwest part of the circular room has a save point. Four are the rooms around this waterfall, and four are the altars that stand in front of them. Each blocks a command for the area ahead: o--------------o-------------o----------------o---------------o ROOM ALTAR OF... BLOCKED OFF... ALTAR COLOR o--------------o-------------o----------------o---------------o Northeastern Wealth Item Command Yellow o--------------+-------------+----------------+---------------o Northwestern Steel Attack Command Greenish-blue

o--------------+-------------o----------------+---------------o Southwestern Magicks Magick Command Light blue o--------------+-------------+----------------+---------------o Southeastern Knowledge Screen Minimap Purple o--------------o-------------o----------------o---------------o Mini-map is the most useless one, so that's the one to nullify. Touch the Altar of Knowledge to send the seal reeling across the falls, then enter the newly-lit-up door. The mini-map is sealed here, so make your way up the side-staircase (all lead to the same room). [STATION OF BANISHMENT][61F] The mini-map may not function, but the larger map can still be your guide. This entire area is full of Crusader skeletons who aren't afraid to use Slowga... You're looking for an upward stairway into the next screen and there are two: one in the southwest and one in the northeast. Both lead to... [STATION OF SUFFERING][62F] Lots of Bune enemies here and they are definitely tough. Protectga everyone and search for the two upward staircases, located in the southeast and northwestern room complexes. Just for reference, the staircases look like this on the large map: ___ _ Arryl --> Sassan Take them one at a time and when Sassan finally gets across, he'll give Vaan a [KOGA BLADE]. Once all six cockatrice have been flung back into their pen, return to the nomad village (provided it's the dry season) and find Terra. She gives you [HI-ETHER x 2] for the successful round-up. o-------------------------------------------------------------------o The Great North Bank Village Escape-o-rama [NBV1] o-------------------------------------------------------------------o OBTAIN: 1000 Gil, Wyrmfire Shot '---------------------------------' Complete the Flowering Cactoid mark and earn the Cactus Flower key item. Talk to Dantro at the Estersand outpost and he'll want you to deliver it to his wife at the South Bank Village who's nursing some

sick traveller. Talk to her there and get a [BUNDLE OF NEEDLES] for your trouble. ################################################################### NOTE: Must be past Tomb of Raithwall events to take the riverferry! ################################################################### Re-enter the village and go to the dock. Talk to Tchigri and agree to accompany him to the North Bank Village. Once there, you find a cactoid bandit group's holding the ferrymen hostage. Speak with Ruksel to learn the cactoids are looking for their relative Dran who's been causing trouble around the desert (and also earned a mark on his head). Back in South Bank Village, talk to Dantro's wife to learn she's boiled Dran's head-top flower and thrown it behind her house. Go and claim it to find that Dran's back! Have Tchigri take you back to the northern village and they'll buy the fraud. Vaan obtains [1000 GIL] and [WYRMFIRE SHOT], plus the village regains its once-lost population. o-------------------------------------------------------------------o The Great South Bank Village Search-o-rama [SBV1] o-------------------------------------------------------------------o OBTAIN: Barheim Key, Magick Gloves '------------------------------------' Okay, so maybe it's not that 'great,' but still... After the North Bank Village ferry is back in commission, talk to Dantro's wife who bemoans her lack of semclam shells. She bids you to find some along the banks of the river. Leave the village and go into the shallows, picking up the "mysterious glints" that are the semclams. Get three, return to her, and she'll need some Nebralim to staunch the wound -- Dantro should have some. Go to the Estersand outpost and Dantro says there's some in the crates nearby. Get the phial of [NEBRALIM] and bring it back, to which she asks for Valeblossom Dew from the Broken Sands area in the north. ################################################################### NOTE: Must be past Tomb of Raithwall events to take the riverferry! ################################################################### When you get there, look in the lower-middle section for a tree/ shrub with white flowers. Get some [VALEBLOSSOM DEW] and return. That's the last of the foraging you have to do, but if you have the Great Serpentskin loot (Obtain from the Nidhogg mark) give it to her as well. Re-enter the village twice and the bed-ridden man will be well again. Talk to Dantro's wife to learn he's in the back of the house. Talk to her to learn she's a treasure-hunter who found something of great use in Barheim Passage. She gives you the [BARHEIM KEY] as the reward, and also [MAGICK GLOVES]. YOU WILL ALWAYS GET THE BARHEIM KEY FOR COMPLETING THE SIDEQUEST! The Great Serpentskin only affects if you get the best reward or not.

o-------------------------------------------------------------------o Into the Wyrm's Nest [WRM1] o-------------------------------------------------------------------o OBTAIN: Wind Globe, Windvane '------------------------------' Available later on in the game, the sidequest allows passage into the "Wyrm's Nest" area of the Dalmasca Westerand, eternally blocked by a sandstorm. But only for a little while longer. At Dalmasca's Westgate, find the Bangaa named Rimzat. Tell him you will aid him in gathering information on the sandstorm. Go to the "Southern Plaza" area nearby and find Cotze sitting in the center fountain. He directs you towards Storehouse 5 in Lowtown where his old friend is. Find Northon down near the entrance to Garamsythe; he's the stooping NPC. He tells that he and his friend used to have an item that quelled the sandstorm, but they broke into two so no single person would have complete access. This item is the Windvane, and Northon hid his half in the Westersand under some Dynast-Cactuses. Incredibly vague hint on its own, but if you return to Cotze, he says Northon probably hid his half in the "Shimmering Horizons" area's NW dead end. To find the cactus that marks the spot, head into the Shimmering Horizons area and EXIT northwest into the dead end part of the "Windtrace Dunes." There are two cactuses here; the one on the SW side contains the treasure: a [WIND GLOBE]. Go back to Westgate and meet up with Rimzat and his companions. Cotze gives you his half and you obtain a [WINDVANE] to persevere through the Wyrm's Nest. So, where exactly is this nest? Well, it is in the northeasternmost area of the Westersand, but can also be entered from "The Yoma" area (north of North Bank Village) in the Estersand. Either way, head into the place and... o--------------o-------------o--------o----------o Earth Tyrant HP: ~70,000 LP: 21 EXP: n/a o--------------o-------------o--------o----------o STEAL: Hi-Potion, Tyrant Hide, Tyrant Bone Although this is probably the largest dino you'll ever see, it can be tamed with a simple formula. First, cast Blind on it to reduce damage from its massive maw, then cast Berserk to prevent it from going buckwild with Sonic Fangs (damage + Death). Later, if you need to buy some healing time, cast Confuse/Sleep on it and cure away. It's also susceptible to the ever-useful Slow, but can also be Silenced. When its HP is put into critical, it serves up a defensive boost (use Quickenings) and starts to use Screwtail, a move that just does damage to allies in front of its face. If you have Bravery and Hastega, just dole those out and beat the dude senseless when it can't do anything but chomp at you. When the tyrant dies, so does the sandstorm. Nice to have you back, visibility! Anyway, the dino's death makes those long sandstorms seem to spawn in less abundance, although they can still occur. As for the great reward? Sorry, there isn't one. But, if you speak to Montblanc,

he'll give you 1200 Gil... Well, maybe the Bestiary entry was worth the trouble... o-------------------------------------------------------------------o Ann (Uh) and Her Sisters [NNH1] o-------------------------------------------------------------------o OBTAIN: Ring of Renewal NOTE: Must be up to Balfonheim to start '-------------------------'-----------------------------------------' NOTE: Can start after Bhujerba storyline events but cannot finish until you get to Balfonheim. Recommended you hold off until it can be done all the way through, for rememberance's sake o-------------------------------------------------------------------o 'Kay, first and last Woody Allen joke there, I promise. Private flights are something that can go by the wayside in the course of the game, but should you happen to fly, this sidequest is ripe for the taking. To start it, take a flight and head into the sky saloon. Look for a man hassling the female chief steward named Ann. Long story short, Ann asks you to deliver some letters to her siblings in order to balk the womanizer who's been wanting her to marry him. You'll receive the key item [ANN'S LETTER] and can now get to work sticking it to the man! To search out Ann's other similarly-employed sisters, you'll have to take more flights and check the sky saloons (make sure to fly with the leisure craft option). The order you do this in doesn't make a difference, but you can always tell if you haven't delivered Ann's note because there will be one of the womanizer's brothers hanging around her. Go over to her and pick the "I have a letter from Ann" option Depending on which flight you find Ann on, that may screw up any five-step plans you have going for you. Here's the order I found mine in (Ann = Balfonheim Bhujerba for me): ------------------------+------------FLIGHT TO TAKE SISTER FOUND ------------------------+------------Nalbina Ft. -> Archades #1 Liddy Archades --> Balfonheim #2 Twarra Balfonheim ---> Nalbina #3 Carryl Nalbina ---> Rabanastre #4 Sanne Rabanastre --> Bhujerba #5 Lyseth Once you've found the first five, sister Cisset is on the one route an easier time figuring this out, can be taken overall (in order of The sister you find will always be the same, no matter which order you perform the searches in, however. KEEP TRACK OF ALL THE FLIGHTS YOU TAKE!

Lyseth tells you the youngest you haven't visited yet. For here's a table of flights that storyline appearance):

-------------+--------------------------------------. FLIGHT FROM: CAN GO TO: AND ALSO: HERE, TOO: -------------+------------+------------+------------+ Rabanastre Bhujerba Nalbina Archades -------------+------------+------------+------------+ Bhujerba Balfonheim Rabanastre -------------+------------+------------+------------. Nalbina Ft. Archades Balfonheim Rabanastre -------------+------------+------------+------------+ Archades Balfonheim Nalbina Rabanastre

-------------+------------+------------+------------+ Balfonheim Bhujerba Archades Nalbina -------------+------------+------------+------------+ Since the flight the sixth sister on is random, you'll have to learn which flights you've already taken. Flights to and from two different places (Balfonheim Nalbina will always give you one person) are the same flight at the core, you can cross both of them off on the above table. If you didn't have to double-back to any town as I did (Nalbina twice), you should be able to cross out twelve flights and get the last one; if not, you'll have three or four to do through trial and error. Deliver the letter to Cisset and she gives you a smashing ring for your success at defeating the idiots in House Laschiell... a [RING OF RENEWAL]! o-------------------------------------------------------------------o The Four Fragments [THD1] o-------------------------------------------------------------------o OBTAIN: Dull Fragment, Grimy Fragment, Blackened Fragment '-----------------------------------------------------------' NOTE: To get Ro'kenmou/Ro'kenmu to appear, you must first talk to Ma'kleou in Nabudis (second area from Salikawood). --Talk to Roh'kenmou in Old Dalan's house (Lowtown, South Sprawl) and he will tell you of a medallion that was split into four pieces for safe keeping. The first one he clues you into finding is that which was in a man's possession before he died... Each time you find a fragment, you can go back and give it to the Nu'mou or wait off -- doesn't matter. --------------------THE DULL FRAGMENT --------------------NOTE: Must have completed White Mousse hunt and have the Sluice Gate Key in your possession to continue! After completing the Wraith mark hunt, if you go into the residence in Lowtown you can find the key item [DUSTY LETTER] on the table near the Seeq. Reading it, you can find the clue: East -> Southeast -> East -> Southwest -> Southeast Now, this may seem like directions for navigating the Garamsythe waterway (as the letter talks about in detail, but not in the key item description), but in reality, it's the method for operating the switches in the "Central Waterway Control" area. Go down there and face south, so the switches look like (from north facing): _________________________ _ _ \ / (_) (_) \ / _ SE SW _ \ (_) (_) / The switches correspond with the directions, of course, and you'll have to operate them in the

E W certain sequence to get _____________ EXIT ____________ the prize. So, with all the switches starting in the "off" position (not lit up), flip the switches. If y