_____ _ _ _____ _ __ _____ ___ | ___(_)_ __ __ _| | | ___|_ _ _ __ | |_ __ _ ___ _ _ \ \/ /_ _|_ _| | |_ | | '_ \ / _` | | | |_ / _` | '_ \| __/ _` / __| | | | \ / | | | | | _| | | | | | (_| | | | _| (_| | | | | || (_| \__ \ |_| | / \ | | | | |_| |_|_| |_|\__,_|_| |_| \__,_|_| |_|\__\__,_|___/\__, | /_/\_\___|___| |___/ FINAL FANTASY XII FAQ/WALKTHROUGH v0.22 for the North American release game developed and published by Square Enix for the Sony Playstation 2, 2006 document created by Dan Aelo (Daelo) danaelo[at]gmail[dot]com version 0.5 - 11 December, 2006 ############################################################################### PLEASE READ THIS BEFORE SENDING ME AN EMAIL - PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE READ THIS I have received several emails about information that I've 'missed' in the tables at the end of the guide. While I appreciate your help and look forward to your assistance on things I may have actually passed by, the tables at this point are horribly incomplete and I know this. For the most part, I have the 'missing' information I just have yet to commit it to the guide. Thank you for your diligence though and please do send me an email if you see I've missed something in the Walkthrough or Game Basics sections. ############################################################################### All original work is owned entirely by its creator, me. The guide may appear ONLY at the sites listed below. If you are interested in hosting this guide on your own site, please ask my permission first. Just send an email to danaelo[at]gmail[dot]com, it most likely won't be a problem. Do not claim any of this work as your own and do not host this document, in full or in part, without my prior consent. If you do I will hunt you down and call you dirty names. SITES PERMITTED TO HOST THIS GUIDE: ----------------------------------- - GameFAQs http://www.gamefaqs.com - Neoseeker http://www.neoseeker.com If you have any questions about the game or the guide, or if you would like to point out an error on my part, feel free to send me an email. If I use any information I receive from you, you will be credited accordingly. Please note, however, that if you send me something uninteligible I will not respond. And, please, read the FAQ section before sending me an email. To be sure that you are viewing the guide as was intended, check that your text editor or browser width is set to 79 characters per line. You should not see any text spilling into the margins beyond the alphabet string below. ABCDEFGHIJKLMNOPQRSTUVWXYZABCDEFGHIJKLMNOPQRSTUVWXYZABCDEFGHIJKLMNOPQRSTUVWXYZA Thanks and enjoy! ``````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````` ABOUT THIS GUIDE Full-width lines will demarcate areas of the guide. Lines of ====='s are main headers used to indicate major sections, ie. the Walkthrough. Within the major sections there are sub-sections, indicated by ----'s. These sub-sections are particular areas such as the Armor Lists. Get it? The Armor Lists (----'s) is a sub-section of the major section, Lists (===='s). OK. Within sub-sections you will also find ````'s. These are simply used as dividers to keep everything it its right place. For instance, within the "Errand Boy" sub-section of the walkthrough, the Rabanastre and Dalmasca Estersand sections are sub-divided by a line of ````'s. It's really all very simple and probably doesn't need explaining. ``````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````` NEW TO THIS VERSION Version 0.5 : December 11, 2006 : 268 KB o Re-formatted the Bestiary yet again. o Weapons List is almost complete! o Added Accesories List. o Completed Magicks List. o Colmpleted Items List. o Added Technicks List. o Re-formatted Gambits List. =============================================================================== Table of Contents =============================================================================== I. Game Basics 1. Game Information 2. The Premise 3. Characters 4. Controls 5. Party Menu 6. Exploring 7. Battle System 8. Gambits 9. Licenses II. Walkthrough 1. Nalbina Fortress 2. Rabanastre 3. Dalmasca Estersand 4. Giza Plains 5. Garamsythe Waterway 6. Royal Palace of Rabanstre 7. Garamsythe Waterway 8. Nalbina Dungeon 9. Barheim Passage 10. Dalmasca Estersand/Rabanastre 11. Skycity Bhujerba 12. Lhusu Mines 13. Skycity Bhujerba 14. Dreadnought Leviathan 15. Oglr-Yensa Sandsea 16. Nam-Yensa Sandsea 17. Tomb of Raithwall 18. Airship Shiva 19. Rabanastre/Giza Plains 20. Ozmone Plain 21. Jahara 22. Golmore Jungle 23. Eruyt Village 24. Ozmone Plain 25. Henne Mines 26. Golmore Jungle 27. The Paramina Rift 28. Mt. Bur-Omisace 29. Stilshrine of Miriam 30. Mt. Bur-Omisace 31. Mosphoran Highwaste 32. The Salikawood 33. The Phon Coast 34. Tchita Uplands 35. Sochen Cave Palace 36. Old Archades 37. Archades III. Side Quests & Other Business 1. Mark Hunting & Clan Centurio 2. Sky Pirate's Den 3. Grimoires 4. License Board Diagram 5. Bazaar Items 6. Sage Knowledge 7. Original Soundtrack IV. Lists 1. Weapons List 2. Armor Lists 3. Accessories List 4. Items List 5. Loot List 6. Magicks List 7. Technicks List 8. Gambit List V. Beastiary VI. Frequently Asked Questions VII. Final Words 1. Version History 2. Mad Props =============================================================================== I. Game Basics =============================================================================== ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- I-1. Game Information ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Title : Final Fantasy XII Platform : Playstation 2 Developer : Square Enix ESRB Rating : T - Teen JP Release : March 16, 2006 NA Release : October 31, 2006 EU Release : October 31, 2006 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- I-2. The Premise ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- This section and the one following it were taken verbatim from the instruction booklet packaged with the game, hence the quotation marks. So don't blame me for the murky explanations therein. "A world called Ivalice... An Age when Magick was commonplace and airships plied the skies... Our tale begins. As war looms on the horizon, the might, Archadian Empire begins a campaign to subjugate its neighbors. The small kingdom of Dalmasca shares their fate. Two years after its fall, in the capital city of Rabanastre, the people line the streets to wait for the appointment of the consul from Archadia. To Vaan, a young man living in the streets of Rabanastre, the Empire is a hated enemy who took the life of his brother, the only family he had left. Vaan hatches a plot to break in to the palace and take back the spoils of conquest from Dalmasca's occupiers. He gets more than he bargained for when he meets Princess Ashe, the sole surviving heir to the Dalmascan throne, thought dead since the war. Our story follows Ashe, Vaan and his friend Penelo, the sky pirate Balthier, and his partner Fran. Accompanying them is Basch a captain of the Dalmascan army who turned traitor and slew his king. Join them on an adventure spanning Ivalice that traces the mysteries behind the Archadian Empire's invasion." ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- I-3. Characters ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- VAAN ---- "A boy who sees freedom in the skies." Age : 17 Race : Hume Gender : Male "Living in the Rabanastre slums, Vaan maintains an air of hope even under the oppressive rule of the Empire. But he longs for more; a life without borders or authority. He dreams of becoming a sky pirate, free to go where he will." PENELO ------ "Vaan's friend." Age : 16 Race : Hume Gender : Female "Like Vaan, Penelo calls Rabanastre's Lowtown home. She watches over Vaan, trying to keep him from getting into too much trouble." Though she lost her family in the war with the Empire, Penelo is ever cheerful, making her way by doing odd jobs in and around the city. She enjoys the lighter side of life, but Penelo is not altogether unfamiliar aith battle. While she remains untested in a true fight, her brothers, who belonged to the Order, taught her the fundamentals of combat. Penelo believes that in perseverance, there is hope." ASHE ---- "A princess who had lost everything." Age : 19 Race : Hume Gender : Female "The only child of King Raminas and sole heir to the Dalmascan throne, Ashe is believed dead following the invasion. She meets Vaan and the others under the most unlikely of circumstances. Ashe knows all too well she lacks the power to right the wrongs committed against her and her kingdom, but she will not allow herself to admit defeat." BALTHIER -------- "A dashing sky pirate." Age : 22 Race : Hume Gender : Male "He would describe himself as a noble thief, stealing only from those who deserve it. He goes wear he pleases, swearing fealty to no one. While roaming the skies of Ivalice with Fran, his Viera partner, he still makes time to charm the ladies with his silver tongue and put wrong things to right -- grinning all the while." FRAN ---- "A master of weapons." Age : ? Race : Viera Gender : Female "A Viera warrior, Fran is as much at ease with a sword as she is her bare hands. Her proficiency with a blade is matched only by her skill with a wrench, as she also handles the maintenance of Balthier's airship, the Strahl. The lifespan of the Viera is far greater than that of Humes, and many secrets lie hidden in her long history. Yet, the divide of race does nothing to diminish the bond of trust between her and Balthier." BASCH ----- "A loyal knight branded as a traitor." Age : 36 Race : Hume Gender : Male "A captain in the Order of the Knights of Dalmasca, Basch achieved renown as a gallant and brave hero credited with countless victories on the battlefield. He is a man of justice who cannot abide inequity. Unlike the other captains, who are chosen from the aristocracy, Basch is of common blood and enjoys the love of the people, until he inexplicably murders the King on the eve of a treaty-signing with Archadia. He is away in chains. What could drive so lyal a man to slay his oathsworn liege?" ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- I-4. Controls ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- GENERAL CONTROLS ---------------- Left Analog : Move character Right Analog : Move camera X button : Confirm selection Talk with NPC Inspect an object (a door, sign, chest, etc.) O button : Cancel Return to previous menu screen Tri. button : Display Party Menu Display conversation log Scroll quickly through lists (Triangle + Up/Down) Sq. button : Talk with NPC L2 button : Toggle zoom R2 button : Zoom in/out on map and license board R3 button : Initialize camera position Start : Pause game Select : Display map BATTLE CONTROLS --------------- Left Analog : Move character Right Analog : Move camera X button : Display Battle Menu Confirm Selection Inspect an object (a door, sign, chest, etc.) O button : Cancel Return to previous menu screen Tri. button : Display Party Menu Sq. button : Display Battle Menu L2 button : Lock on to target R2 button : Hold button to run from enemies R3 button : Initialize camera position Start : Pause game Select : Display map ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- I-5. Party Menu ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Coming soon! ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- I-6. Exploring ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- The world of Final Fantasy XII is known as Ivalice and it's a big, big place. From the very beginning of the game, when you're thrown into the streets of Rabanastre, you can't help but marvel at the enormity of the place. Such is the case with many of the areas you will explore through your journey: they are large and if you aren't familiar with your surroundings and well-prepared to handle them, you may meet your demise earlier than you had planned. So if you are stepping into Ivalice for the first time there are some things you should take note of. Let's start at the beginning: Rabastre. Being the capital of the formerly sovereign state of Dalmasca, the city is rather grandiose. You wouldn't be out of line if you weren't expecting to encounter a larger city than Vaan's hometown, this place is just damn big. It can be a bit daunting at first. If, like me, you've grown accustomed to simple, quaint villages, Rabanastre may take some exploring before you commit the lay of the land to memory. Unfortunately, at the very start of the game you don't have access to all the shops and various points of interest but you should still take note of where they are. First and foremost, you need to check out your map; over the course of the game, in cities, overlands, and dungeons, the map will become your best friend and most trusted ally. So hit the select button to bring up the map. You should notice immediately that there are a handful of distinct areas connected by lines that run between pulsating blue marks. In reality (er, in the reality of FFXII) each of these lines only serves as a 'guidline'; each area is actually connected seamlessly with the next. However, due to the hardware limitations of your Playstation 2, you must pass through the blue lines (represented in gameplay as a line of glowing blue dots) to reach the next area. Also on your map you should notice the icons for various shops and other locations of interest. By pressing the X button you can bring up an icon key that will define each icon for the area you are in, should you forget. Also at the top of the map is the name of the particular area you are currently in. Take note of these names as I will reference them periodicaly througout the guide. It's much easier to say "head to the southgate" than it would be to unilateraly explain how to reach the southgate from the Sandsea Restaurant. So, now we're familiar with the map as it pertains to Rabanastre; you can rest easy knowing that the function of the map is pretty much the same wherever you are. You will, however, have to 'fill in' your maps by either exploring areas or purchasing maps from Moogle merchants spread throughout Ivalice. Now I would like to discuss a few general points to keep in mind when travelling through the land. First of all (and this should apply to pretty much any RPG) you should speak to as many people as you can in every town you visit. They are valuable sources of information that should not be overlooked. Also be sure to visit the shops frequently. The shop system of FFXII is a bit different than most games. That is, as opposed to each town offering a different set of weapons, armor, etc., most merchants sell the same items in every town. This isn't always true, of course, but for the most part you can expect the same basic weapons to be sold at most weapons shops. Rabanastre tends to be the main hub of commerce, though, and you will usually find the most items in the shops therein. New items are typically added as major story points are completed, so be sure to check back in from time to time to see the lastest merchandise. Adventuring in the overlands and dungeons can be a much different experience as well. There is no world map to speak of; for the most part you will reach different areas of Ivalice on foot by crossing through the various overlands. (There are other modes of transportation to speak of but those will be covered below.) The overlands and dungeons function in much the same way as the towns; there are usually several seperate areas within these larger zones, each connected to the next. When travelling outside of towns you are bound to encounter a number of enemies. Battling is covered in the next section so let's discuss the other aspects of extra-city exploration. Scattered throughout the world are treasure chests. Usually tucked away in corners, the treasures are typically random and, like enemies, they re-appear after re-entering the area. Because of their randomness you won't usually find me discussing what treasures are located in an area. Just be sure to always keep your eyes peeled; the treasures usually aren't make-or-break affairs but it never hurts to pick up an extra Potion or two. The easiest way to zip from one location to the next is via the orange Teleport Crystals spread across the land. These crystals look the same as Save Crystals except for their color and allow you to save your progress as well. Once you locate a Teleport Crystal it will be marked on your map and you will be able to return to any previous Teleport Crystal you have activated. Doing so isn't exactly free, though; you will need a Teleport Stone to use the crystals and, at times, these can be hard to come by. They sell for 100 gil and, especially early on, this can be a tempting transaction. You would be wise to resist the urge and hold on to as many of Teleport Stones as you can get your hands on. Within Rabanastre there is a similar, but more local, service called Moogling. By speaking with the various Moogles located on the streets you can teleport to and from different areas of the city, making inner-city travel much easier. There are Mooglings located at all three gates, the Sandsea, and the Bazaar. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- I-7. Battle System ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Arguably, the biggest change to hit the Final Fantasy series in some time is FFXII's battle system. Unlike previous efforts the game has no turn-based combat; everything takes place in a psuedo-realtime environment. According to most the game's battle system is very much a descedent of FFXI and other MMORPGs. Not being a fan of the genre, I can't tell you much about that but I can say that it is very different from what most TRPG players are accustomed to and may take some time to grow adept to its many nuances. Without turn-based battles there is no battling sub-screen. That is, you ecounter your foes on the same map you are exploring, there is no 'warping' in or out of battle. When crossing the large areas inhabited by enemies you will see them ahead of your party, usually alone, sometimes in groups. Once in range of the enemy you can bring up the Battle Menu by pressing X. From here you can attack, steal, heal, etc. As this can be a daunting prospect for those unfamiliar with similar styles you are given a number of options in the Party Menu to adjust the flow of battle. You can adjust the overall speed of the fighting (how quickly the action meter fills) under the Config option. You can also select between the Active and Wait options here. If you select Active, action meters will continue to fill when you bring up the Battle Menu; if you select Wait, action meters will pause when the Battle Menu is up. For most regular battles I prefer the Active setting and to set the Battle Speed at its fatest option. In boss battles, which are typically more demanding affairs, I slow down the battle speed a bit and choose the Wait option; this gives me a bit more time to plan my attack. Regardless of the options you choose, you'll have to do some fighting. I suppose at times it can seem a bit hack-and-slash but if you aren't power- leveling it is a rather intricate system. Except at the very beginning of the game your party will depend mostly on Gambits, perhaps you could even set your party leader to auto-attack. I prefer to manually control my party leader and have my allies follow using Gambits. This isn't where I would like to involve myself in an in-depth discussion of the Gambit system, so for more on that scroll down a few sections. If all else fails, just hold down the R2 button and run for your life. QUICKENINGS ----------- Quickenings, Mist Abilities, whatever you want to call them, cause a lot of confusion amongst FFXII novices. Heck, I'm not still not sure that I understand them entirely. Simply put, Quickenings act as 'Limit Breaks' or 'super' attacks or something to that effect. Mist Abilities are purchased via the License Board (explained in detail below); each character can obtain a maximum of three and they can by acquired in any order by any character. After you purchase a Mist Ability for a character you will notice that their MP guage is a glowing orange. This represents a Mist Charge. When multiple Mist Abilities are acquired, there will be two or three Mist Charges; this essentially doubles or triples your character's maximum MP as well. To execute each Quickening level a corresponding number of Mist Charges are required; i.e. for a level 3 Quickening you'll need all three Mist Charges. Once initiated, you will be given four seconds to pull off the longest chain you can. After selecting your Quickening of choice, you will see three lines, one for each ally, at the bottom right of your screen. Each character will have a corresponding button assigned to execute their next ability: triangle for the party leader, square for the second character, and X for the third. If a character's name and ability are in white their corresponding button icon will appear and you will be able to execute the displayed ability. If the character's name is dimmed out, their ability cannot be used. Sound tricky? Well it is, sort of. What determines whether or not a character's ability can be used? That's where things get dicey. Essentially, it is determined randomly. As explained by earvcunanan (credit for the Concurrence table below also goes to him) you can think of it like a slot machine. After each Quickening, your subsequent selection is pretty much a crapshoot with a number of outcomes available. So you just have to hope for the luck of the draw and cross your fingers that you'll have white lines, not dimmed lines, appear. There is also the possibility that the term 'Mist Charge' will show up. In that case, selecting the character's icon will recharge his or her Mist and allow them to perform another attack. If, in the unfortunate event all three characters' names are dim, you can press the R2 button to shuffle your Mists; you may or may not be given another opportunity. Remember, you only have four seconds in total to pull it off. If you are able to rack up a long enough chain, chances are you'll trigger what is called a 'Concurrence'. Concurrences are just icing on the cake, more bang for your buck, if you will. The requirements for all eight Concurrences are listed below. Again, credit for this goes to earvcunanan. ------------------------------------------------- CONCURRENCE Chain ------------------------------------------------- Inferno 3x Level 1 Cataclysm 7x Level 1 Torrent 2x Level 1, 3x Level 2 Wind Burst 5x Level 2 Luminescence 5x Level 3 Ark Blast 2x Level 1, 2x Level 2, 2x Level 3 Whiteout 3x Level 1, 3x Level 2, 3x Level 3 Black Hole 4x Level 1, 4x Level 2, 4x Level 3 STATUS EFFECTS -------------- Over the course of your journey your party will undoubtedly be inflicted with an assortment of status effects. In the table below I've listed the effects, both negative and positive, and their their treatments. ----------------------------------------------------------------------------- STATUS Description Treatment ----------------------------------------------------------------------------- Blind Lowers weapon accuracy Eye Drops, Remedy, Blinda, Esuna Confuse Character cannot be controlled and Smelling Salts, Remedy**, may attack allies Esuna, Physical Attack Disease HP cannot be recovered Vaccine Doom A countdown timer appears over the Remedy*** character's head. When it reaches zero, the character is K.O.'d Immobi- Character is unable to move Remedy* lize Oil Inreases damage inflicted by Fire Hankerchief, Remedy Petrify Character turns to stone when the Gold Needle, Remedy**, Stona, timer reaches zero. Esuna Poison HP slowly reduced over time Antidote, Remedy, Poisona, Esuna Sap HP slowly drained Silence Character is unable to use Magick Echo Herb, Remedy, Vox, Esuna Sleep Character is unable to move or act Alarm Clock, Remedy*, Physical Attack Slow Character's action gauge fills Haste slowly Stone Character is unable to move or act Gold Needle, Stona, Esuna Stop Character is unable to move or act Chronos Tear, Remedy*** * First Remedy License required. ** Second Remedy License required. *** Third Remedy License required. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- I-8. Gambits ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Also new to the world of Final Fantasy is the Gambit system. Along with the battle system, this seems to be one of the most polarizing features of FFXII; players seem to either love it or hate it. Those who seem opposed to its implementation claim the system to be little more than a hack-n-slash, auto- battle gimmick. Perhaps that's a bit of hyperbole, but if you can't find a place in your heart for Gambits you likely aren't investing enough time in the feature. Early in the game, when your foes are rather simple and your Gambits are sparse, the whole system seems rather disposable. But as your adventure progresses, as the battles become more intricate, Gambits become a valuable resource. So what exactly are Gambits? Simply put, Gambits allow your party members to automatically react to an incredible variety of scenarios, simplifying the Active Dimension Battle system and maximizing your party's potential. This, of course, depends on proper utilization of the Gambits at your disposal so let's dig a little deeper. If you are familiar at all with simple logic gates, growing acustom to the Gambit system should be a breeze; and even if you aren't, it shouldn't take long for you to pick it up. When activated, a Gambit instructs a character to perform X action on Y character when Z condition is met. Sounds simple, right? Well, let's break that down a little more. 'X action' can be a basic attack, the use of an item, the casting of a spell, or the use of a Technick; basically any action your party member can perform. 'Y character' can be an ally or a foe; basically, you can set your Gambits to heal allies or attack enemies. Finally, 'Z condition' refers to the actual Gambit itself, the item you must acquire to make the whole thing come together. This becomes much clearer using an example. Among the first Gambits your party will acquire are of the 'Ally: HP < ____' variety. For this example, we'll use the 'Ally: HP < 100%' Gambit. By assigning the Gambit to a party member, say Vaan, you are instructing him to automatically perform an action when ANY ally's HP falls below 100%, regardless of whether you are currently in battle. So if you chose to use a potion for this Gambit and the Gambit is activated, every time an ally's HP is not at 100% Vaan will use a potion on that ally, this is of course if you have potions in stock. Obviously this is an impractical set-up: you wouldn't want Vaan wasting all your potions every time an ally took the slightest damage. A more useful set-up would be to use something like the 'Ally: HP < 60%' Gambit; this should insure that your party members stay healthy with minimal intervention on your behalf. So we now have a basic idea of how to use Gambits. However, the real power of the system lies in the ability to create a multiple Gambit set-up for your party members. Characters are initially given only a few Gambit slots (usually just one). You can acquire additional slots via the License Board for a maximum of ten slots per character. (For more information on the License Board, see the section towards the end of the guide.) Once your party members have multiple Gambit Slots, you can open up a wide variety of battling possibilities. One of the most basic early-game set-ups involves provisions for both attacking your foes and healing your allies. Again, let's look at an example to clarify things. Below is a good set-up to get your party going in the early stages. I'll explain how things work after the illustration. PARTY LEADER ------------ 01. Foe: HP = 100% --> Steal 02. Foe: Nearest Visible --> Attack CHARACTER 2 ----------- 01. Ally: HP < 60% --> Potion 02. Foe: Party Leader's Target --> Attack CHARACTER 3 ----------- 01. Ally: HP < 60% --> Potion 02. Ally: Status = Blind --> Eye Drops 03. Foe: Party Leader's Target --> Attack This is an extremely simplistic example but it should give you an idea of how the system of 'logic gates' works when using multiple Gambits. Let's look at each character individually and explain why the Gambits are in the order they are. For the Party Leader, his first objective should be to steal; if you've read the above sections on battling and exploring you should realize the importance of stealing. With his first Gambit he will attempt to steal only when the target's HP is at its maximum; this likely means he will only attempt to steal once, as your allies will have attacked the foe before the Party Leader gets another turn. If that is the case, that is if the target's HP is not at 100%, the condition for the first Gambit cannot be met. Here, the Party Leader will move to the second Gambit and attack the nearest foe whose HP is not 100%. So you should now see when a Gambit's condition cannot be met (in this case when the target's HP is less than 100%) the next Gambit will be triggered. In the instance that the second Gambit can also not be met the next Gambit will be triggered and so on. Character 2 is set up to heal first and attack second. This is an important concept. Considering the above explanation of conditionality, if a character is set-up to attack first and heal second, they will never heal during battle. So you can see that Character 2 and Character 3 will first look to see if any ally's HP is below 60% before attacking. You don't need to worry about overlapping Gambits. That is, you don't need to worry that if the Party Leader's HP drops below 50% that both Characters 2 and 3 will use a potion; only the charcter first to act will use a potion, the other character will move on to his or her next Gambit. In the case of Character 3, the next Gambit is to use eye drops on any blinded ally. Of course, if no ally is blinded Character 3 will follow Character 2 and attack the Party Leader's Target. Hopefully this over-involved explanation of linking Gambits will take you a long way. There are literally hundreds of Gambits and the combinations are endless. This lends itself to a great degree of customization that I will get into towards the end of the guide. Now that you know what Gambits do and how to assign them, it is important that you make sure your Gambits are activated. You can turn individual Gambits on and off in the Gambits sub-screen on the Party Menu. If, for instance you didn't want Character 3 to use all your eye drops, say you prefered to dole them out manually, you could go to the Gambits menu and deactivate that Gambit only without dumping your entire system. You can also toggle on and off a character's entire Gambit list on the Battle Menu. You will know if a character's Gambits are on by the golden 'G' icon located beside his or her action meter. If the icon is there, the Gambits are on; if it isn't, the Gambits are off. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- I-9. Licenses ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- If you're familiar with FFX's Sphere Grid, you should have an idea of what to expect from the License Board. For those who aren't as well-versed in FFX or anyone who would like a better explanation, here goes. The basic concept behind the License Board is that you have to 'purchase' the ability to use weapons, equipment, spells, and technicks. For the most part, every every character 'upgrade' not handled by basic leveling is dealt with on the License Board. Of course if you want to buy anything you'll need money -- the currency of the License Board are License Points (LP). LP can be earned by defeating enemies. When a foe is vanquished you'll see two numbers appear on-screen: the EXP earned and the LP earned. While EXP figures can climb pretty high, don't expect to earn more than one or two LP from an enemy very often. So you've made your way out to a battlefield of your choice, knocked out some bad guys, and picked up a pretty good chunk of LP. What next? Once you amass LP you can check out the License Board on the Party Menu. (If you're reading this passage, you most likely haven't progressed very far in the game and it's doubtful that you have more than one or two characters in your party. However, for the sake of explanation, I'll assume you have all six.) So now that you've selected License Board from the Party Menu you'll be greated with illustrations of all six members' individual boards. This will give you a rough idea of how many licenses you've purchased for each character and how many you have remaining, but it doesn't mean much to us now. Select any member of your party, we'll use Vaan here. After selecting Vaan you'll be taken to his individual License Board where you can see everything you have purchased and everything you have not. Most likely, you haven't purchased any Licenses at this point or, if you have, you weren't really sure what you were doing. So let me explain exactly what purchasing a license means. First, hit the R2 button to zoom out and see the entire board. You should notice two distinct sections, two seperate boards. The top board contains licenses for Magicks, Techniks, accessories, and augments. Don't worry about what each of those categories are right now, we'll get to that later. The bottom board contains licenses for weapons and armors. For this explanation we'll be purchasing Swords Licenses, but all categories work the same way. The first License (Swords 1) has already been purchased. Once you purchase a license the adjacent squares become active and you are then able to purchase those Licenses. So with Swords 1 already out of the way, you can now but the License for Swords 2. The cost is 15 LP and, once purchased, you will be able to use the Broad Sword and Long Sword. The squares adjacent to Swords 2 will also now be available for purchase. For the most part, the Licenses for a particular category will be in succession. That is, after purchasing Swords 2, you can purchase Swords 3, etc. This isn't always the case, though, and you may have to do some searching to find advanced Licenses. Simply purchasing a License isn't enough to equip an item or use a spell or Technick. You must also buy, find, or steal the item in addition to purchasing its License. Obviously, the same goes for buying items. You can't use the Broad Sword or the Fire spell or any other item until you purchase the appropriate License. To assist you in your item buying, though, you can easily tell if a character has the appropriate License before purchasing the item. When in a shop, scroll to an item. If the character's portrait at the top of the screen remains dim he or she does not have the License for that item. If the portrait lights up, the License has been purchased. As stated above there are five basic categories of Licenses. On the top board you have Magick Licenses (seperated into White, Black, Green, Time and Arcane), each Magick group has its own seperate Licenses; you also have Technicks (in the lower right of the board), Accessories (in the upper right) and augments (in the lower left) which are useful for a number of things such as HP bonuses and extra Gambit slots. On the lower board you have Licenses for weapons and armors. The weapons Licenses are on the left half of the board and are seperated into their distinct groups (swords, handbombs, etc.). The armors Licenses are on the right side of the board and are sub-divided into more particular groups: mystic armor, light armor, heavy armor, and shields. In addition to these basic categories you will also find 18 Mist Licenses (three for each character) and a number of Esper Licenses. Unlike standard Licenses the Mist and Esper Licenses can each be purchased by only one character. The Esper Licenses do not appear on the board until you have defeated the Esper itself but the Mist Licenses can typically be found in the various corners of the board. Once you purchase a Mist License, that square will disappear from other character's boards. The License Board allows for much more freedom in character development than the Sphere Grid of FFX. Whereas early on the Sphere Grid limited your choices in development and offered a fairly linear path, the License Board has no such restrictions. There is no 'best' path to take for any given character and if you do enough hunting you should have plenty of LP with which you can experiment. =============================================================================== II. Walkthrough =============================================================================== Here we are, the meat and potatoes. The Walkthrough. This is probably the most read part of any guide, so I've done my best to make it easily navigable. Instead of giving each area an individual sub-heading, I've broken the quest into separate 'adventures' or 'chapters' or whatever you would like to call them. Within each of these sub-headings you will find sub-sub-headings (!) for more particular areas. Get it? Good. Before we dive into it, though, here are a few final reminders: o Save every chance you get, there is no reason to skip Save Crystals. o Talk to the townsfolk. While not like the blabbering citizens found in Final Fantasies of yore, the inhabitants of Ivalice still have plenty to say worth listening to. o Steal, steal, steal. After the battle system, and plot, and Vaan's abs, the biggest complaint about the game is the difficulty in acquiring gil. You're unlikely to ever become very rich but stealing will certainly help line your pockets. o After completing major story events be sure to head back to Rabanastre to check the shops for the latest goods. o Do not sell your Teleport Stones. While not altogether 'rare', these items are fairly hard to come by. And the 100 gil you'll make by flipping one of these at a shop is hardly worth the hassle of re- crossing an overland or three because you don't have any Teleport Stones. Finally, I've done my best to keep the guide as spoiler-free as possible. area names are, for the most part, unavoidable but I've never heard anyone complain about that. I've indicated when characters join the group, either as guests or full-time, but that's about the extent of the 'spoilers' included below. Anyways, enjoy! Of course, if you have any questions or comments don't hesitate to shoot me an email at: danaelo[at]gmail[dot]com ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- II-1. Nalbina Fortress ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Enemies in this area: o Imperial Magus o Imperial Swordsman * For more information on enemies, including dropped loot, see the Bestiary section (CTRL+F [0040]) below. You begin the game controlling a fella named Reks. You'll be given a short tutorial by Basch on the basics of moving your character and the camera. Once you're ready, move ahead to the Dalmasca Soldier and press X to speak with him. Head to the gate and press X to enter. Once upstairs you'll engage in your first battle with an Imperial Swordsman. Your party members will take care of most of the work, but press X to bring up the Battle Menu and attack the enemy. Next your party will be attacked by a Remora; a mini-boss battle of sorts. Physical attacks are all you'll need here. Once he's out of the way continue heading north. As your party begins to encounter enemies, you have the option of fighting or escaping by holding R2. At this point, there isn't much point in either, so the choice is up to you. In this area you should pass two treasure chests, when you get close you'll hear a chime sound and a (!) will appear over Reks' head. To open the chests, simply approach and press X. Continue your way through the Fortress until you reach a Save Crystal. By approaching the crystal and pressing X your party's HP and MP will automatically be restored and you will be given the option to save your game, so do it. Keep moving ahead and Reks will be forced to take on three Imperial Swordsmen alone. No big deal, physical attacks will wipe them out. Head through the door above and watch the ensuing scenes. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- II-2. Rabanastre ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Enemies in this area: o Lv. 1 Dire Rat * For more information on enemies, including dropped loot, see the Bestiary section (CTRL+F [0040]) below. You now are in control of Vaan, our fey hero. The first order of business is eliminating the three Dire Rats. Again, simple physical attacks are all you need to worry about at this stage. Once you're on the streets above you'll need to find Migelo. Head south, if you can't get your bearings straight (it is a pretty large city) just hit select to bring up the city map. After speaking with Migelo you are allowed entry into most buildings, including shops and the Sandsea restaurant. Make your way to the Sandsea and inspect the bulletin board located on the wall across from the bar. After your conversation you will be given the Clan Primer and your first Mark, the Rogue Tomato. You will also watch a tutorial on Licenses, so the License option is added to the Party Menu. For more information on any of these subjects see the corresponding sections above. At this point, you're free to visit any of the shops, but you don't really have much business there now. The next order of business is to head to the northernmost section of the city and visit the Clan Headquarters. It's located directly opposite from the Gambit store in the northwest corner of the map. Speak with the Bangaa outside and you will be allowed entry. Head up the stairs and talk to, Montblanc, the Moogle standing on the banister. After the conversation, you are now a memeber of the Clan. Congratulations! For more information, check out the Clan section below. Once you've gotten all this out of the way, head to the Eastgate. If you're having trouble finding it just hit select and check the map. Speak with the guard and you'll be allowed passage to the outside of the city. Hit up the Save Crystal before you make your way out to the Estersand. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- II-3. Dalmasca Estersand ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Enemies in this area: o Lv. 1 Cactoid o Lv. 2 Cactoid o Lv. 2 Wolf o Lv. 3 Wolf * For more information on enemies, including dropped loot, see the Bestiary section (CTRL+F [0040]) below. The Estersand is a pretty expansive area and, as the enemies regenerate, it would be wise of you to do some hunting to level up Vaan and earn some loot. You can also check out the small outpost to the south but there's a sandstorm ahead and you won't be able to go any further. Whatever you decide to do here, avoid engaging the Tyrannasaurus. He won't attack your party unless provoked but, if he is, your party will certainly be decimated. Your primary order of business here is the Rogue Tomato. You can find the little guy directly in front of the entrance to the area, he'll be dancing around on a small cliff. He's pretty much a pushover, just physical attacks will do the trick. After you reduce his HP to around 50%, he'll fall off the cliff and you'll have to go after him to finish the deal. Be careful, though. You'll be close to the Tyrannasaurus and the Rogue Tomato will attempt to lure you closer. After the battle you can stick around and do some hunting or head back to Rabanastre. One thing I'd like to point out if you decide on hunting here is to make liberal use of Vaan Steal Technick. The enemies in this area shouldn't be very difficult and gil is hard to come by -- every bit of loot helps. You should at least earn enough LP to purchase the license for Libra. Cure would be a welcome addition to your spell list, but remember to buy the spell at the spell shop also. Once you're back in Rabanastre, you need to return to the Sandsea to claim your reward. You can check out the board again for your second Mark, but unless you did some serious leveling up in the Estersand you probably should hold off for now. You now need to make your way to the Southern Sprawl of the Lowtown to speak with Daran. Head for the green stairs on your map. Daran instructs you to go to the Giza Plains, so run to the Southgate and out of the city. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- II-4. Giza Plains ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Enemies in this area: o Lv. 1 Giza Rabbit o Lv. 2 Giza Rabbit o Lv. 2 Hyena o Lv. 3 Hyena o Lv. 3 Urstrix o Lv. 5 Slaven o Lv. 20 Werewolf * For more information on enemies, including dropped loot, see the Bestiary section (CTRL+F [0040]) below. Once on the plains, go directly south and you'll reach a small outpost. Speak with the leader of the camp. After your conversation Penelo shows up to help you in your search for the missing kid. She also gives you some goodies, 2 Phoenix Downs and 3 Potions, and teaches you about the Gambit System. For more detailed instruction on Gambits, see the corresponding section above. Exit the camp to the south and you'll find Jinn on small area of the map near the Save Crystal. In order to get the Sunstone you need, you'll need to do a little work of your own. In making your way through the area, you've undoubtedly noticed the large, radiating rock formations. Once Jinn gives you the dark Sunstone, your job is to head towards the glowing rocks and draw their energy into your stone. There are three glowing rocks but you should only have to visit two to complete your task. The rocks are fairly easy to find, you need only to stop and rotate the camera across the horizon to see them. They are also located on your map. After charging the Sunstone, your party will end up back at the camp where you'll be given the stone along with a another goody bag of Potions and such. You'll also receive your first Teleport Stones, but more on them later. Now that you're finished you can head back to Rabanastre. In Rabanastre, you need to return to Daran's place in Lowtown. Penelo will leave your party now, but Daran gives you the tools and information you need for the next task. Make your way to Storage Room No. 5 (ED: This paragraph is being written from memory, so pardon me if the details are a bit fuzzy. I would gladly accept any clarification.), located in the Northsprawl of Lowtown. Be warned that once you head through the door, you won't be able to return. So be sure that you are sufficiently leveled and have plenty of Potions and the like. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- II-5. Garamsythe Waterway ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Enemies in this area: o Lv. 2 Dire Rat o Lv. 3 Dire Rat o Lv. 2 Steeling o Lv. 3 Steeling o Lv. 3 Ichthon o Lv. 4 Ichthon * For more information on enemies, including dropped loot, see the Bestiary section (CTRL+F [0040]) below. Garamsythe is our first expansive indoor dungeon, but don't be afraid of its size. For the most part, the waterway is fairly linear. Being that as it is, there isn't much guidance I can lend here. Just follow the straight path and keep an eye on your map and Vaan's health. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- II-6. Royal Palace of Rabanstre ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- You'll find Vaan in a small room with a Save Crystal and an urn. Save your game and open the urn to find a map of the area before moving to the next room. Move towards the stairs at the other end of the hall and you'll be stopped by a guard. Talk to the guy nearby and he will assist you in sneaking past the guard, just press square to lure him towards you. Once he begins to make his approach, walk (DON'T RUN) by slowly moving the left analog stick forward. Stay a good distance from him and you'll be able to ascend the stairs without incident. This next section can be a little tricky so I've created a rough illustration of what the area looks like. A Crude Illustration of the Guard Maze: __| |_________________| | X : Starting Point *__ 4 _________________ 5| * : Destination | | | |___ 1-5 : Guards | | | ___ L : Lion Signet __| |_________________| | __ 3 ________L________ | | | | |___ | | | ___ __| |_________________| | X__ 1 _________________ 2| | | | | | | | | | |_________________| | |___________________ |___ | ___ | | | |___ |_____ What you'll need to do is clear the path by yelling at the guards with the square button. When you do they will follow you a short distance. First pull the guards at [1] down. Then have the guards at [2] follow you to where the guards at [1] previously were. Head up to the [L] and activate the Lion Signet with the Crescent Stone. You'll be shown the exit, now you just have to find it. Draw the guards at [3] east and the guards at [4] south and you'll be able to head for the secret passage. You can't fight the guards and if you are caught you'll simply restart the area with all guards in their initial positions. Here there is a hidden switch on the left wall that will open the door on the right. Hit the switch, walk through the door, and watch the following scene. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- II-7. Garamsythe Waterway ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Enemies in this area: o Lv. 2 Dire Rat o Lv. 3 Steeling o Lv. 4 Steeling o Lv. 5 Steeling o Lv. 5 Gigantoad o Lv. 6 Gigantoad o Lv. 6 Ghost o Lv. 7 Ghost o Lv. 5 Imperial Sw. * For more information on enemies, including dropped loot, see the Bestiary section (CTRL+F [0040]) below. Back in the Waterway Balthier and Fran join the party. Hit up the Save Crystal and descend the stairs to learn more about Gambit functions. Again, the Waterway is a pretty straightforward affair, so there isn't much explaining to be done. Just continue heading south and keep your eyes and ears open for treasure. Ashe will join the party as a guest and you'll have to fight an Imperial Swordsman. No big deal. Before moving to the next room, though have your party prepared for a pretty tough fight. BOSS FIGHT: Flan (x4) The Flans won't deal an extrodinary amount of damage but they can take plenty. They're weak to Fire spells, so have Fran lay into them. The smaller Flans will heal the larger one, so take them out first to make the battle much easier. After the battle move onward for another boss fight. BOSS FIGHT: Firemane Unlike the Flans, Firemane is strong against Fire and weak against Ice, so avoid Fran's Fire spell. His most powerful attack will damage all characters with Fire magic and may inflict Poison. If that happens, use Antidotes and Cure spells to replinish HP, Potions should come in handy also. There is a pretty lengthy scene that plays out after you defeat Firemane so sit back and enjoy. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- II-8. Nalbina Dungeon ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Enemies in this area: o Lv. 6 Imperial Magus o Lv. 8 Imperial Magus o Lv. 8 Imperial Hoplite o Lv. 9 Imperial Hoplite o Lv. 7 Imperial Marksman o Lv. 8 Imperial Swordsman o Lv. 8 Imperial Swordsman * For more information on enemies, including dropped loot, see the Bestiary section (CTRL+F [0040]) below. You'll be greeted with another fairly long scene before being thrown in the ring with three Seeq guards. Unfortunately, you won't have any equipment so you'll have to take them out bare-handed. After the battle you will eventually regain your lost equipment before being given control of the party. Make your way through the dungeon, taking out as many guards as you can. They don't put up much of a fight and there are lots of good items to steal. Once you reach the door to Barheim Passage, head through and you'll meet Basch. He'll join your merry tribe as a guest. Now move on to the next area. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- II-9. Barheim Passage ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Enemies in this area: o Lv. 7 Battery Mimic o Lv. 7 Bomb o Lv. 8 Mimic o Lv. 7 Seeker o Lv. 8 Skeleton o Lv. 7 Steeling o Lv. 8 Suriander o Lv. 9 Suriander o Lv. 6 Tiny Battery o Lv. 7 Tiny Battery o Lv. 7 Tiny Mimic o Lv. 8 Timy Mimic o Lv. 7 Zombie * For more information on enemies, including dropped loot, see the Bestiary section (CTRL+F [0040]) below. Until now your adventuring has been pretty straightforward. The dungeons haven't had many tricks to them and, for the most part, it has been a short, straight shot from beginning to end. The Barheim Passage is hardly a labyrinth, but it is likely the first challenging dungeon you'll face. From your starting point head through the passage until you reach an area with a large mechanical structure on a platform. Examine the platform and you'll find a busted switch. Spiral on down to the bottom of the room and your party will encounter a Bangaa merchant. In addition to stocking up on Potions and the like, you will receive a Tube Fuse from the peddler. Haul back to the broken contraption and use the fuse to turn on the power. You can now head back to the large gate and open it. The merchant will explain to you that while you were able to restore power to the area, there are enemies in the passage slowly feasting on the power grid. And you don't want the lights to go out in a place like this. Also, opening gates, such as the one in front of your party, will drain the power by 30%. So to keep the power coarsing through the cave, you'll need to defeat the enemies sucking the juice from the lines, known as Battery Mimics. Not as hard as it might sound though, the guys are pretty much pushovers and are clearly indicated on your map. When you destroy a Battery Mimic he will return the energy he stole to the power lines, thus restoring your meter to 100%. So when your party comes across a Battery Mimic, ignore any other beasts in the area and concentrate the whole of your efforts on the Mimic. It isn't likely to happen, but if you let the power meter reach 0% some pretty nasty monsters will come out and it'll be pretty tough sailing. Despite the added complexity of the Battery Mimics, the Barheim Passage doesn't offer much difficulty in the way of tricky navigation. I'll just hit the highlights here. In the area 'Great Eastern Passage' (check your map for area names) the road splits. If you head to the right you'll find a dead end with a small overlook to the path below. You may or may not notice an urn down there, so head back down and around to the other side of the overlook. Pop open the urn and you will find the completed map of the dungeon. Now that you have the map in your inventory you will see the Battery Mimics marked with exclamation marks. Also on your map you will see a purple icon that looks like a set of gears. This is the icon for a switch, get used to seeing those because you'll find them in most dungeons. Head towards the area with the switch and activate it by pressing the X button. The large gate will open, again draining 30% of the power, so make sure you have defeated all the Battery Mimics in your path. If you miss one, it will continue draining power until the meter reaches zero. When the gate opens, you will encounter a pair of Bombs. Unless you've done plenty of leveling already, it is probably in your best interest to avoid these guys. They are fairly strong and if you can't defeat them they will self-destruct, inflicting a lot of damage. Continue onward until your encounter a dead Imperial. Basch will swipe the guard's gear, becoming a pretty strong character in the process. From here, just keep moving south until you reach the Save Crystal. Logic tells us that where there's a Save Crystal there is likely a boss ahead so let's make sure you're ready. If you haven't been using Gambits up to this point, it's a good idea to set them up now. I like to set my party leader (typically Vaan) to auto-attack the nearest foe, but I usually just control his actions myself. The other members of your party should be set to heal first and attack the party leader's target second. The boss ahead can poison your party, so it's a good idea to have plenty of Antidotes in tow. Once you're ready. Head to the next room for the fight. BOSS FIGHT: Mimic Queen The Mimic Queen alone is a pretty strong enemy; she doesn't attack much, but her HP is fairly high. The real struggle in this fight is the barrage of Tiny Mimics she releases. These little guys are rather weak but, like their big brothers the Battery Mimics, they will suck the power from the exposed cables lining the wall. Your first priority should be taking out as many of the Tiny Mimics as you can so the power stays on. Leaving one or two behind and focusing on the Mimic Queen isn't a bad idea, just be prepared for her to release more. Avoid using Thunder, it will heal the Mimic Queen and the Tiny Mimics. Blizzard does extra damage to her so if you purchased the spell from the Bangaa merchant, use it liberaly. After the battle your party will exit the Passage to the Estersand. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- II-10. Dalmasca Estersand / Rabanastre ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Enemies in this area: o Lv. 8 Cactoid o Lv. 7 Cockatrice o Lv. 8 Cockatrice o Lv. 9 Ichthon o Lv. 6 Wolf o Lv. 7 Wolf Back in the Estersand, you want to make your way to Rabanastre to the southwest. If you like, however, you can head north where you'll find a small camp. There you can activate the Teleport Crystal and purchase the map to the area. There is also an item shop in the camp if you need to stock up on supplies. Whatever you decide, your next stop is Rabanastre. Your party members will temporarily leave once you get back to the city. After watching a few scenes, you'll need to re-unite the group. Your first order of business is to head to Migelo's to locate Pinelo. No luck there, so go down to Dalan's in Lowtown. After your conversation, go the western part of Lowtown where you'll find a fellow named Balzac sitting on some boxes. Speak with him and he'll permit you passage into the back room. After the scene Basch returns to your party. Go back to the surface and cross the city to the Sandsea. If you don't feel like walking, you can now use the Moogling service near the Teleport Crystal at the southgate. Just talk to the Moogle and you will be able to teleport through the city. However you decide to get there, once you're in the Sandsea walk to the balcony area and speak with Balthier. A short scene plays out and your party is now back in order. You have some free time before your next task, so do some shopping if you'd like. Once you're ready head to the Aerodrome and speak with Balthier inside to move on. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- II-11. Skycity Bhujerba ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- More scenery ahead, eventually Larsa will join your party as a guest. You can't do much shopping yet but you can pick up maps of the city and the Lhusu Mines from the Moogle. Keep heading east until you reach the mines. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- II-12. Lhusu Mines ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Enemies in this area: o Lv. 09 Skeleton o Lv. 11 Skeleton o Lv. 08 Skull Defender o Lv. 09 Skull Defender o Lv. 10 Skull Defender o Lv. 11 Skull Defender o Lv. 10 Slaven o Lv. 07 Steeling o Lv. 08 Steeling * For more information on enemies, including dropped loot, see the Bestiary section (CTRL+F [0040]) below. The Lhusu Mines, like previous dungeons, is a straightforward shot. Its a pretty big place, but impossible to get lost in so just keep heading straight. Be sure to use Libra on one of your party members here. In addition to learning more about your enemies you can see traps on the floor. The Lhusu Mines is the first dungeon with traps so avoid the red glowing pillars unless you're a glutton for pain. If you're in the mood this is a great place for hunting. The enemies aren't too strong and you can steal some pretty valuable items, Bone Fragments, from the Skeletons. After making your way through the dungeon you'll encounter Ba'Gamnan and his friends. Technically this is a boss fight but you don't have to stick around for it. Just hold down R2 and run in the direction from whence you came. After escaping the Bangaas you can stick around and do some more hunting or head back up to Bhujerba; the choice is yours. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- II-13. Skycity Bhujerba ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Back in Bhujerba you need to spread word that Basch is alive. You do this by simply running through the streets with Vaan and pressing the square button to shout some pretty silly lines at the townsfolk. There is meter in the top right corner of the screen that will show your propaganda progress, ultimately you want to get the meter to 100%. The easiest way to do this is to talk to crowds of two or three people. Be on the look out for guards, though. If you shout your message near one of them you meter will decrease significantly. Once you reach 100% you are allowed an audience with the Marquis. Simply check your map to find his residence; it's on the north edge of the city. When you get to the gate, speak with the guard and your party will be granted entry. After the scene your group will be aboard the Dreadnought Leviathan. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- II-14. Dreadnought Leviathan ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Enemies in this area: o Lv. 11 Judge o Lv. 09 Imperial Gunner o Lv. 11 Imperial Hoplite o Lv. 12 Imperial Hoplite o Lv. 10 Imperial Magus o Lv. 10 Imperial Swordsman o Lv. 11 Imperial Swordsman o Lv. 11 Mastiff * For more information on enemies, including dropped loot, see the Bestiary section (CTRL+F [0040]) below. Aboard the airship the very strong Vossler will join your party as a guest. After the scene plays out hit up the Save Crystal and grab the map from the nearby urn. Your objective is to reach the northern section of the ship. You can check the destination on your map. While running through the area you are bound to encounter a series of laser sensors. Passing through these sensors will sound the alarm and alert the guards for a short time. Really, this is only a benefit unless you are adverse to combat; the enemies are fairly weak and you will only encouter Imperials. This allows for some pretty high chains in this area -- I believe my first 50 and 100 chains came here. You can do plenty of leveling by just running back and forth through the lasers and waiting for the guards to show up. BOSS FIGHT: Judge (x2), Imperial Swordsman (x3), Imperial Magus Upon arriving at your destination you will be forced into battle with a few judges and Imperials. The judges can prove to be a tough match but if you take out the Imperials first, the much stronger judges will less of a hassle. After the battle you receive a cell key for the room ahead. In the second cell on the right, you will find Ashe. There is also a Save Crystal and a Moogle merchant in the adjacent cells so make use of them. In the cell with the Save Crystal you will also find the System Access Key, be sure to grab that. Now that you've assisted the princess in her escape the alarm will sound permanently. Again, I suggest you take advantage of this and route the swarms of Imperials you'll encounter to rack up some mighty long chains. Check your map for the location of the System Control Room, which you should have already passed through. Inside you will also see two panels marked on your map. Approach one and use the System Access Key. The alarm is deactivated for 60 seconds, giving you just enough time to make your escape. With the alarm off, head west and Vossler will leave your party. Penelo rejoins the group though, so you now have all six members in tow. Before you have proper time to catch-up with one another, though, you are thrown into battle with Judge Ghis. BOSS FIGHT: Judge Ghis, Imperial Swordsman (x3) Ghis brings along a few Imperials so, like most boss battles with auxillary targets, take out the guards first. Once you're able to concentrate your efforts on the judge, there isn't much too worry about. He has a few particularly strong effects -- Aero can deal some serious damage to all allies in range -- so keep an eye on your HP or, better yet, make use of Gambits to auto-heal your buddies. Ghis doesn't have any real weaknesses and is immune to Libra so just keep banging on him until he gives way. After the battle your party will return to Bhujerba. Speak to the guard in front of Ondore's when you're prepared to leave; I would certainly recommend selling the loot you picked up in the Leviathan and stocking up first, though. When you're ready to leave just speak to the guard and you'll be off to the Olgr-Yensa Sandsea. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- II-15. Ogir-Yensa Sandsea ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Enemies in this area: o Lv. 11 Alraune o Lv. 12 Alraune o Lv. 13 Alraune o Lv. 11 Danbania o Lv. 12 Danbania o Lv. 13 Danbania o Lv. 12 Urutan-Yensa o Lv. 13 Urutan-Yensa o Lv. 14 Urutan-Yensa o Lv. 15 Wyvern * For more information on enemies, including dropped loot, see the Bestiary section (CTRL+F [0040]) below. The Ogir-Yensa Sandsea, and the Nam-Yensa Sandsea which follows it, is a very large area. There are two paths to take you to the next area, one to the north and one to the south. You can take either with little consequence, however, by taking the southern route you will stumble upon a useful Teleport Crystal, so I recommend going that way. Whatever way you decide to go, Vossler will show up and rejoin the party before you get too far. The enemies in Ogir-Yensa are perhaps a bit stronger than what you may be accustomed to. The rewards for fighting them are manifold, though. You can again hit some pretty high chain levels and they have valuable items to steal. If you haven't stealing loot up to this point, now is the time to start. As you cros the Ogir-Yensa you may come across an area called Zeltinian Cavern. The monsters there are light years ahead of your party at this point, so just steer clear for now; you'll be back later. For the most part just keep heading west until you reach the Nam-Yensa Sansea. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- II-16. Nam-Yensa Sandsea ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Enemies in this area: o Lv. 14 Alraune o Lv. 13 Axebeak o Lv. 15 Axebeak o Lv. 14 Bagoly o Lv. 15 Bagoly o Lv. 16 Bagoly o Lv. 12 Bull Danbania o Lv. 11 Danbania o Lv. 12 Danbania o Lv. 16 Urutan Eater o Lv. 13 Urutan-Yensa o Lv. 14 Urutan-Yensa o Lv. 17 Wyvern o Lv. 15 Yensa o Lv. 16 Yensa o Lv. 17 Yensa * For more information on enemies, including dropped loot, see the Bestiary section (CTRL+F [0040]) below. In the northeast section of the Nam-Yensa you can find a Save Crystal and a distressed Moogle. Speak with the little guy and he'll inform you of an Urutan Eater causing trouble nearby. Head back to the previous area and you should immediately spot the beast in combat with a group of Yensas. Defeat the Urutan Eater and return to the Moogle. He will direct you to the Yensas who informed him of the trouble, they are back to the east of the Moogle. Head back that way until you find them (you can't miss them) and after the scene return yet again to the Moogle. You will be rewarded for your efforts with an Ixiro Fruit, hold on to that for later. Now make your way through the Nam-Yensa, moving southwest. You will eventually come across a merchant who will offer to heal your party and allow you to save your progress. After taking care of business here, it's on to the Tomb of Raithwall. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- II-17. Tomb of Raithwall ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Enemies in this area: o Lv. 16 Lesser Chimera o Lv. 17 Lesser Chimera o Lv. 18 Lich o Lv. 18 Lich o Lv. 17 Lost Soul o Lv. 18 Lost Soul o Lv. 16 Ragoh o Lv. 17 Ragoh o Lv. 18 Ragoh o Lv. 15 Seeker o Lv. 16 Seeker o Lv. 17 Skull Warrior o Lv. 18 Skull Warrior o Lv. 16 Zombie o Lv. 18 Zombie o Lv. 16 Zombie Mage o Lv. 17 Zombie Mage o Lv. 18 Zombie Mage * For more information on enemies, including dropped loot, see the Bestiary section (CTRL+F [0040]) below. BOSS FIGHT: Garuda Surprise! You are greeted at the front door by Garuda, a pretty tough boss. He is probably your first flying enemy which can provide some headaches if you try to use melee attacks. If you haven't already, simply sub-in to your party anyone with a long-range weapon (bows, guns, etc). Assuming you took the time to pick up the Ixiro Fruit, use it on Garuda to make the fight a bit easier. After the battle, the merchant from the Nam-Yensa will be at the bottom of the stairs. You can either buy items from him or use the Teleport Crystal at the top of the stairs to zap back to Rabanastre. Either way, save your game using the crystal and activate the Way Stone beside it to head inside. Inside you will immediately see another Way Stone but it isn't active yet, so mosey down the stairs where your party will encounter the ever-annoying boss of Final Fantasies past, the Demon Wall. BOSS FIGHT: Demon Wall To make a long story short, there are actually two Demon Walls. The one staring at you now and the one in the next room. Both are pretty strong foes, but the second has a much shorter distance to cover before your party is crushed. I suggest running from the first Demon Wall (just hold down R2, there is a door behind your party) and taking on the second Demon Wall. Really, though, the second Demon Wall is blocking your exit so you are forced to defeat him. Luckily you have much more time do so than with the first. He has a pretty high HP, but laying into him with physical attacks will get the job done. Having plenty of Eye Drops or, better yet, Remedies will come in handy as the Demon Wall can drop a litany of status effects on your allies. If you decided to stick around and fight the first Demon Wall, your efforts will not be without reward. After he is defeated approach the shining spot on the wall behind his previous position and two bridges will be raised. Head down one of the bridges to pick up some treasure. After defeating the second Demon Wall head up and into the next room. Here you will find three Way Stones, the center stone will transport your group back to the entrance but the flanking stones are deactivated for now. Behind the center stone there is an urn with the dungeon map, so be sure to snag it. Bring up the map and you will see two rather large, winding corridors to either side of the center platform you are currently on. You will eventually need to explore both, but it doesn't matter where you start. In the center of each corridor you will find an altar with a glowing stone and a Way Stone that will return your party to the center platform. After activating the second glowing stone the path to the back area will open. Follow through the next two areas and you will happen upon Belias, your first Esper battle. It can be a demanding battle -- this was the first time my party was wiped out -- so you may want to teleport back outside the tomb to heal and save your progress. You also want to stock up on hankerchiefs if you haven't already. BOSS FIGHT: Belias This fight can be a real pain in the neck if you don't approach it properly. Such was the case for me the first time I was here. Being of the firey persuasion, Belias is weak against Ice spells so make good use of Ice if you have it. The thing to look out for is his Firaja attack (basically a level 4 Fire spell); it not only causes massive damage but will inflict its victims with the Oil status, making them even more vulnerable to fire. Use your prefered method of dealing with Oil, I suggested hankerchiefs above. It is possible to avoid the attack by moving out of range, so keep an eye on the Combat Log. When he prepares Firaja, run. There are two treasure chests to either side of the area. I'm not sure if they are randomly generated but I believe both times I fought Belias they were an Elixir and a Phoenix Down. Just make sure your characters' HP stays in the 400 range to avoid being K.O.'d by Firaja. After the battle, the Belias License will appear on your License Board. Any ally can purchase the License, so assign it as you see fit. For more on Licenses and/or Espers, see the above sections. Now continue past the door previously blocked by Belias. You'll receive the Dawn Shard after a short scene. You can now exit the Tomb using the Warp Stones which are all activated now. Outside another scene will play out and Vossler will leave your party. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- II-18. Airship Shiva ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Inside the ship another, much longer, scene will take place before you are thrown into battle with the maligned Vossler. BOSS FIGHT: Vossler, Imperial Swordsman (x3) Much like the Judge Ghis battle before, this fight is much easier if you take care of the guards first. Fran will be in berserk status unless she is K.O.'d and subsequently revived so you probably won't have control of her. As his HP decreases, Vossler becomes increasingly more difficult. His attack increases and he may cast Reflect on himself. With Reflect, your spells are useless so keep an eye on that. After the battle you'll watch one of the coolest scenes yet before returning to Rabanastre. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- II-19. Rabanastre / Giza Plains ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Enemies in this area: o Lv. 18 Hyena o Lv. 19 Hyena o Lv. 18 Ichthon o Lv. 19 Ichthon o Lv. 20 Ichthon o Lv. 21 Ichthon o Lv. 19 Gigantoad o Lv. 20 Gigantoad o Lv. 20 Great Tortoise o Lv. 21 Great Tortoise o Lv. 21 Wooly Gator * For more information on enemies, including dropped loot, see the Bestiary section (CTRL+F [0040]) below. Back in Rabanstre you should have gil to spare so spend it wisely. I suggest one of two routes: either buy as many top-shelf weapons and armors as you can afford or stock up on all the basick Magicks you don't yet have (Fire, Ice, Lightning, Esuna, Shell, and Protect are all useful in the areas ahead). The Giza Plains area is now in its rainy season so it not only looks much different than before but the monsters have become more difficult accordingly. Head southwest to reach the next area, the Ozmone Plain. If you encounter an enemy that looks like a shiny ball of lightning, run. This is an elemental and he will decimate your party. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- II-20. Ozmone Plain ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Enemies in this area: o Lv. 19 Black Chocobo o Lv. 20 Black Chocobo o Lv. 21 Black Chocobo o Lv. 22 Hybrid Gator o Lv. 20 Mesmenir o Lv. 21 Mesmenir o Lv. 19 Ozmone Hare o Lv. 20 Viper o Lv. 21 Viper o Lv. 21 Wu o Lv. 22 Wu o Lv. 23 Zaghnal o Lv. 21 Zu o Lv. 22 Zu * For more information on enemies, including dropped loot, see the Bestiary section (CTRL+F [0040]) below. The Ozmone Plain is littered with much tougher enemies than any you have previously encountered and, to compound the situation, they tend to travel in packs. I suggest picking a few fights in the first area where there aren't as many large groups of foes. If you can handle the beasts with little problem, you should be OK here; if not, there is no shame in running straight through this area without fighting anything. Either way, continue south. You are likely to encounter a Garif warrior battling enemies, the same guy you might have seen previously in the Giza Plains. He won't interact with your party, but feel free to join in the fight. Keep making your way south and you will eventually come across Jahara. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- II-21. Jahara ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Inside the village you will find a Teleport Crystal, so make use of it. Speak with the guards at the gate and you will eventually be allowed to enter the town. There isn't a lot happening here, you can check out the merchant if you like but the primary goal in Jahara is to advance the story. You'll need to do a bit of running around so first head west to speak to an elder. He isn't much help but you'll be given an item. On the far east of the town you can hand over the item to the War-Chief to trigger the next scene. After the scene, Larsa will join as a guest again. You can leave town now but before you do, speak with the Moogle outside to purchase a map of the Ozmone Plain. You are also allowed free rental of a Chocobo, which makes traversing the plain much easier. Using the Chocobo is optional for now, but you will need him later so go ahead and hop on. Back on the Ozmone Plain, head west to reach the Golmore Jungle. Outside there is another Save Crystal. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- II-22. Golmore Jungle ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Enemies in this area: o Lv. 23 Gargoyle o Lv. 24 Gargoyle o Lv. 37 Hellhound o Lv. 38 Hellhound o Lv. 22 Malboro o Lv. 23 Malboro o Lv. 21 Panther o Lv. 22 Panther o Lv. 23 Panther o Lv. 24 Treant * For more information on enemies, including dropped loot, see the Bestiary section (CTRL+F [0040]) below. This place can get a little tricky with its winding paths, but most areas are blocked off so you are forced down the only open path to the south. There are also a number enemies who can deal out some nasty status effects so make sure you have Esuna and/or plenty of items handy. In the second area you will find a strange seal blocking your path. One thing leads to another and your party winds up in Eruyt Village, home of the Vieras. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- II-23. Eruyt Village ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Inside the village you'll find a Teleport Crystal and the same Moogle merchants you met inside the Dreadnought Leviathan. Take care of any business you might have and advance into the village. It's pretty much a straight shot here, just keep ascending the tree path until you reach the top. There will be a short scene and you will be informed of your next destination: the Henne Mines. After you are finished here, exit the Golmore Jungle and return to the Ozmone Plain. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- II-24. Ozmone Plain ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Enemies in this area: o Lv. 19 Black Chocobo o Lv. 20 Black Chocobo o Lv. 21 Black Chocobo o Lv. 22 Hybrid Gator o Lv. 20 Mesmenir o Lv. 21 Mesmenir o Lv. 19 Ozmone Hare o Lv. 20 Viper o Lv. 21 Viper o Lv. 21 Wu o Lv. 22 Wu o Lv. 23 Zaghnal o Lv. 21 Zu o Lv. 22 Zu * For more information on enemies, including dropped loot, see the Bestiary section (CTRL+F [0040]) below. Outside you will encounter a pair of defeated Imperials. Speak with the one on the left, give him a potion and you'll be allowed to make use of his Chocobo. Exit to the next area of the plain. The entrance to the Henne Mines is 'hidden'. That is, you can only access it with the Chocobo and if you aren't paying attention, you are liable to run past it. Don't worry about the Chocobo timer or the speed bursts; you have plenty of time to find your target and using speed bursts may cause you to miss the hidden path. In this area you want to head south and hug the rock barrier on the left. You should eventually notice a small thicket with Chocobo tracks outside. These Chocobo tracks indicate an area only accesible when riding the big chickens. On the other side of the Chocobo path you should see the Henne Mines straight ahead. Aproach the entrance and hop of your feathered friend to continue. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- II-25. Henne Mines ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Enemies in this area: o Lv. 24 Jelly o Lv. 25 Jelly o Lv. 24 Nightmare o Lv. 25 Nightmare o Lv. 23 Redmaw o Lv. 24 Redmaw o Lv. 22 Seeker o Lv. 23 Seeker o Lv. 23 Thunderbug o Lv. 25 Thunderbug o Lv. 26 Tyranorox * For more information on enemies, including dropped loot, see the Bestiary section (CTRL+F [0040]) below. The Henne Mines are much like previous underground adventures, insofar as that your party is offered a relatively staightforward path. You will also find a number of switches that are imperative to your progress. Each switch will activate a set of doors. Each door is designated by a light alternating from red to blue, by flipping a switch you raise one door while simultaneously closing another door. Hitting the switch will also bring about a large group of Flans so don't go swatting the swtiches all willy-nilly. I may have made that sound a bit more complicated that it really is. You can progress through the mines rather easily by just hittin each switch as you come to it and then advancing through the opened door. There is an urn with a map inside, but you don't need it much and to find it you'll have to fight your way though several groups of Flans. Here the costs outweigh the benefits. Making your way through the area you will come across a pair of Tyrannasaurases (remind me to spell check that eventually). There will be one to the right and one to the left. You most likely can't deal with either so just run by them. You'll need to get past the one to the left to reach the last area of the dungeon. Inside you'll find a Teleport Crystal so you know something large and scary waits around the next corner. It is, in fact, another boss fight. If you have trouble with the battle, you can use the Teleport Crystal to warp out of the mines and do some leveling up and/or shopping. BOSS FIGHT: Tiamat Tiamat is, in some ways, similar to Belias but much easier. His attack seems to come slowly but it can deal a mighty blow. Having Vaan or Basch equipped with an Iron Hammer seemed to help my efforts. He can cast Stone so have Esuna, Stona, or Golden Needles ready. His Aero attack will cause significant damage to all allies in range but it isn't as worrisome as Belias' Firaja spell. Larsa is probably your greatest asset in this battle, he has an infinite number of Hi Potions so you would be wise to keep him alive. The easiest way to take Tiamat out quickly is using Quickening Chains. At this point every member of your party should have at LEAST one Mist ability. When I fought Tiamat each of my characters had two, except for Ashe, and Vaan, Basch, and Balthier had three. If you find yourself without many Mist abilities, it would be wise to earn some LP and purchase as many as you can before this battle. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- II-26. Golmore Jungle ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Enemies in this area: o Lv. 36 Couerl o Lv. 38 Couerl o Lv. 27 Diresaur o Lv. 28 Diresaur o Lv. 23 Gargoyle o Lv. 23 Gargoyle o Lv. 22 Great Marlboro o Lv. 37 Hellhound o Lv. 38 Hellhound o Lv. 39 Hellhound o Lv. 22 Malboro o Lv. 23 Malboro o Lv. 21 Panther o Lv. 22 Panther o Lv. 23 Panther o Lv. 24 Treant * For more information on enemies, including dropped loot, see the Bestiary section (CTRL+F [0040]) below. Your party will return to Eruyt Village to tie up some loose ends. Once you are finished there, exit to the Golmore Jungle and head through the seal that was previously blocking your progress. You'll find a small area with a Teleport Crystal, so you know what that means. BOSS FIGHT: Elder Dragon, Treant (x2) I've heard a lot of people complain about the difficulty of this battle; while I did find it challenging, I was able to defeat the beast in my first try. Obviously I'm not braggin here, if you've been following the guide you've read that I met my demise at much earlier bosses. There are two central issues in dealing with the Elder Dragon. The first and most obvious is the the two Treants on his side. The Treants aren't difficult enemies by any means but their HP is a bit on the high side. As you have surely learned by now, taking out the Treants first will make the balance of this battle much more easy-going. The second issue with here is the Elder Dragon's main attack. When used, a barrage of status effects will be dumped on your poor, innocent party members. You'll see a combination of blind, confuse, silence, sap, and oil when he unleashes the attack; I'm not certain but it seems to come as you reduce his HP to 75%, 50%, 25%. Don't quote me on that though. Using Esuna will take care of most of your problems, but you'll need plenty of hankerchiefs to deal with the oil. If you don't cure the oil effect, your party members will certainly be knocked out by his powerful Fireball attack. Regen comes in handy also. Using two Quickening chains will do a lot of damage, it isn't enough to knock him out but it will eat away at most of his HP. Having allies with long-range weapons is a plus also, as they can avoid most of his physical attacks and keep their HP intact. Really, though, this fight is just a battle of attrition. Use your Quickening chains and keep your allies status-free and well-healed. After the battle head east to exit the jungle. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- II-27. The Paramina Rift ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Enemies in this area: o Lv. 28 Baritine Croc o Lv. 25 Dark Skeleton o Lv. 26 Dark Skeleton o Lv. 25 Lizard o Lv. 25 Skull Knight o Lv. 26 Skull Knight o Lv. 27 Slaven Warder o Lv. 28 Slaven Warder o Lv. 24 White Wolf o Lv. 25 White Wolf o Lv. 25 Wild Onion o Lv. 26 Wild Onion o Lv. 27 Yeti o Lv. 29 Yeti * For more information on enemies, including dropped loot, see the Bestiary section (CTRL+F [0040]) below. Just your general, run-of-the-mill battleground. There are some tough monsters lurking here so you can do some decent leveling if you'd like, just be sure to avoid the Ice Elemental. Your destination is to the northeast. Paramina Rift is pretty big and there are exits to other areas, so don't get lost. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- II-28. Mt. Bur-Omisace ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Before you actually reach the temple you'll find a small area with a few merchants, including a Moogle selling maps to the area, and a Teleport Crystal. The only item necessary to further exploration is the Ice Shield; buy as many as you can if you don't already have some. When you're ready, head through the next two areas to reach the temple. Inside a scene will play out and you'll be ready to head to the Stilshrine of Miriam. Leave Mt. Bur-Omisace and head south through the Paramina Rift to reach the shrine. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- II-29. Stilshrine of Miriam ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Enemies in this area: o Lv. 28 Balloon o Lv. 29 Balloon o Lv. 27 Blood Gigas o Lv. 28 Blood Gigas o Lv. 29 Blood Gigas o Lv. 30 Darkmare o Lv. 29 Dragon Aevis o Lv. 30 Dragon Aevis o Lv. 31 Dragon Aevis o Lv. 26 Facer o Lv. 27 Facer o Lv. 29 Facer o Lv. 27 Ghast o Lv. 27 Ghoul o Lv. 28 Ghoul o Lv. 29 Ghoul o Lv. 29 Miriam Facer o Lv. 28 Miriam Guardian o Lv. 26 Redmaw o Lv. 27 Redmaw o Lv. 27 Zombie o Lv. 28 Zombie o Lv. 27 Zmobie Warrior o Lv. 28 Zombie Warrior o Lv. 29 Zombie Warrior * For more information on enemies, including dropped loot, see the Bestiary section (CTRL+F [0040]) below. Take the long straightaway to reach the entrance of the temple. There is a Teleport Crystal just outside, so use it to save your game. Inside the first large area there are stairs to either side leading down to locked doors, there is also a waystone at the back of the room but it is also out of commision for now. You'll need to make your way to the center of the room where you'll find a pedestal. Simply touching the pedestal will have no effect, expect to waken the sleeping zombies behind your party. Equip the Dawn Shard to your party leader and touch the pedestal to be transported to the next room. Here you'll encounter some pretty tough enemies. Fight your way through them and down the stairs where you'll come across what looks like a crystal. Upon approaching it, however, you will realize it's a trap. Defeat the crystalbug and it will transform into a Save Crystal. Make use of it and head down to the next room. More Blood Gigases await, so dispose of them; when the path splits head left, the door to the right is locked for now. Head straight, take out the tough Darkmare and approach the large round block to open the locked door behind you. In the room you will find a Way Stone, approach it and your party will return to the first area. Take the stairs to the west and open the door ahead. Head straight through the first room. In the second area there are three paths, take the rightmost to reach a small landing with a statue. Rotate the statue clockwise once to face east. Why east, you ask? Well, including the first, there are a total of three such statues in the shrine; you need to rotate them to face the center of the shrine. After rotating each statue, it will appear on the map as an arrow. Now, go down the stairs and follow the path through the large door. A slew of Zombie Warriors will pop up in the next room so take care of them and move through the door ahead. This room is very large and is a bit of a maze. Before going up the stairs, go southwest around the base to snag some treasure. Now go back to the stairs and up. The exit is in the northeast corner, so wind your way around to there. Along the way you'll find another statue, rotate it to face north. In the next room, take the exit to the right and head down the stairs for a boss fight. BOSS FIGHT: Vinuskar Your party will immediately be engulfed in a magnetic field, slowing down members with heavy armor equipped. It shouldn't be much of a problem though so I wouldn't bother with de-equipping anything. Unfortunately, my advice on Vinuskar is rather limited; both times I've faced him, he was done after one Quickening Chain. After the fight, make your way to the back room. Rotate the statue to face west and grab the map in the urn nearby. The path under the giant statue in the first room is now open so head back there. You have a boss fight coming up so you may want to duck back outside of the shrine to make use of the Teleport Crystal. Once you're ready, use the waystone to teleport downstairs. Head straight through the newly opened passage and open the door ahead. BOSS FIGHT: Mateus Now you understand the need for Ice Shields. Quickening Chains should pretty much do in Mateus as well. He summons four minions to help out but, at the very least, they should be wiped out with the Quickening Chain. His most powerful attack is a Blizzarja spell which, similar to Belias' Firaja, will deal a lot of damage to everyone, hence the Ice Shields. You should also be prepared for a Sleep spell, Alarm Clocks will work here. The Quickening Chain, if not the end-all-be-all, should at least take out most of his HP. Physical attacks should take care of the rest. Just watch out for Blizzarja and keep everyone awake. This is your second Esper fight so, after winning, the Mateus License will appear on your License Board. After the fight, head to the back room, watch a scene, exit the shrine, and make your way back to Mt. Bur-Omisace. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- II-30. Mt. Bur-Omisace ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Use the Crystal located outside and return to the temple. Inside you'll encounter your next boss fight, another Judge. BOSS FIGHT: Judge Bergan, Judge (x3) Before turning your attention to Bergan, take out the three Judges behind your party. They aren't too tough; physical attacks should get the job done but a black magick spell targeting multiple foes will take them out much quicker. With those chumps out of the way, you can foucs on your main target, Bergan. You want to divide your party into one, if not two, tanks and a healer/support magick caster. Bergan will frequently counter attack, so having Gauntlets equipped to your tanks is a wise decision. As far as Magick is concerned, he'll cast Aero, Watera, and Dark so have your third party member ready with Regen, Protect, and Curaga spells. After the battle speak with the NPC outside. You will be give the Stone of the Condemner; this will allow your party to acquire the optional Zeromus Esper located in the Stilshrine of Miriam (For more on that see the Esper section below.). Your next destination is Arcadia, and it's a long, long ways away. The quickest route is to use the Teleport Crystal located at the entrance of Mt. Bur-Omisace to return to Rabanastre. From there, take the eastern exit in the Yardan Labryinth area of the Dalmasca Estersand. (If you have already ventured to the outskirts of Nalbina you can Telport to the Crstyal there.) Either way, from Nalbina head west to the Mosphoran Highwaste. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- II-31. Mosphoran Highwaste ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Enemies in this area: o Lv. 32 Humbaba o Lv. 29 Python o Lv. 30 Python o Lv. 32 Python o Lv. 30 Slaven Wilder o Lv. 29 Worgen o Lv. 30 Worgen o Lv. 31 Worgen o Lv. 32 Vulture * For more information on enemies, including dropped loot, see the Bestiary section (CTRL+F [0040]) below. Some pretty nasty monsters lurk around these parts, but you should be safe in the first few areas. Make your way north until you reach the central area, Babbling Vale, here you can activate the Teleport Crystal and purchase items. When you're prepared, exit to the northwest. Here is where things can get ugly. Most of the beasts in this area and the next are flyers. If your party isn't stocked with long-range weaponry, just dash past them. You will eventually encounter a verdant bridge that will lead your party to the Salikawood. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- II-32. The Salikawood ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Enemies in this area: o Lv. 32 Bomb o Lv. 33 Bomb o Lv. 34 Malboro King o Lv. 35 Malboro King o Lv. 32 Pumpkin Head o Lv. 33 Pumpkin Head o Lv. 33 Sprinter o Lv. 34 Sprinter o Lv. 34 Wyrdhare * For more information on enemies, including dropped loot, see the Bestiary section (CTRL+F [0040]) below. The Salikawood is a rather large, sprawling area with several optional routes. Begin by heading due north until you reach a small outpost with a Save Crystal. Head to the next area and then southeast to find the urn with a map inside. From here, you want to continue moving east until you reach the gate to the Phon Coast. Unfortunately, the gate is broken and you'll have to find the nine slacking worker Moogles. Finding the Moogles is a breeze as the their locations are clearly marked on your map. On your journey to and from the gate you are likely to encounter the King Bomb boss located in the Grand Bower area. This guy is a real pain but luckily he's entirely optional. By defeating him, though, you can access another optional Esper. Being such, this battle is covered in the Optional Esper section below. After locating all nine worker Moogles you will be taken back to the gate and permitted passage to the Phon Coast. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- II-33. The Phon Coast ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Enemies in this area: o Lv. 37 Archaeosaur o Lv. 38 Archaeosaur o Lv. 36 Bagoly o Lv. 37 Bagoly o Lv. 38 Bagoly o Lv. 35 Bangaa Pirate o Lv. 37 Bangaa Pirate o Lv. 35 Iguion o Lv. 36 Iguion o Lv. 36 Mandragora o Lv. 37 Mandragora o Lv. 35 Pirahna o Lv. 36 Pirahna o Lv. 36 Pyrolisk o Lv. 34 Silver Lobo o Lv. 35 Silver Lobo * For more information on enemies, including dropped loot, see the Bestiary section (CTRL+F [0040]) below. Like the Salikawood before, the Phon Coast is a huge area with plenty of optional routes. If you're more intent on reaching Archades than exploring, just make your way to the south and east. Halfway through there is a small village with shops and a Save Cystal. A second Save Crystal awaits your party at the entrance to the next area, the Tchita Uplands. Speak with the Viera and move on. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- II-34. Tchita Uplands ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Enemies in this area: o * For more information on enemies, including dropped loot, see the Bestiary section (CTRL+F [0040]) below. Yet another large area, but we're getting closer. Your main foes in these parts are Coeurls and Serpents so do your best to rack up chains. Avoiding the Malboro Overkings isn't a bad idea as they tend to travel in packs. Moving east you will encounter a small area with a Save Crystal and a young boy. Speak with the boy and choose to accept his hunt. In return you will receive the Soul Ward Key which is essential to your progress. As he instructs, continue north to the Fields of Eternity area. Here you'll find the entrance to the Sochen Cave Palace. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- II-35. Sochen Cave Palace ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Enemies in this area: o Lv. 35 Abysteel o Lv. 37 Focalor o Lv. 38 Gorgimera o Lv. 39 Gorgimera o Lv. 36 Iguion o Lv. 37 Iguion o Lv. 38 Iguion o Lv. 37 Imp o Lv. 38 Imp o Lv. 39 Imp o Lv. 37 Pit Fiend o Lv. 38 Pit Fiend o Lv. 39 Pit Fiend o Lv. 37 Striker o Lv. 38 Striker o Lv. 37 Wendigo o Lv. 36 Zombie Knight o Lv. 37 Zombie Knight o Lv. 38 Zombie Knight o Lv. 36 Zombie Warlock o Lv. 38 Zombie Warlock * For more information on enemies, including dropped loot, see the Bestiary section (CTRL+F [0040]) below. The first area is full of traps, so be sure to make use of Libra. Moving north you will come across a locked door. The Soul Ward Key will take care of that, but be forewarned that a boss battle awaits. Make sure your party is fully healed before moving on. BOSS BATTLE: Mandragoras This battle can be quite perturbing. There are actually five enemies for your party to deal with: an Alraune King, Mandragora Prince, Onion Queen, Pumpkin Star, and Topstalk. The main disadvantage you'll face is their Haste status and their propencity to spread to the far corners of the rather large room. To turn the tables in your favor, use Dispel to rid them of Haste. I don't usually advocate Quickening Chains as a means to a quick and easy victory but you can save yourself a serious headache by pulling off a Concurrence here. The only tricky part is making sure most, if not all, of the foes are in range. If the Quickening Chain doesn't do the trick, your party will likely face a number of negative statuses. All five enemies have the ability to Slow, Stop, Sleep, and Poison the good guys, so have Esuna and/or the appropriate items ready. You don't have to worry much about physical damage from these guys so be ready for a war of attrition. Just do your best to focus your attacks on one enemy at a time and it should be a much simpler fight. This battle was, of course, the Mark commissioned by the boy in the Tchita Uplands. The choice to return for your reward now or later is yours. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- II-36. Old Archades ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- II-37. Archades ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- =============================================================================== III. Side Quests & Other Business =============================================================================== ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- III-1. Mark Hunting & Clan Centurio ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- REGULAR MARKS ------------- 01 : ROGUE TOMATO, "Red & Rotten in the Desert" RANK I Available : From the start. Client : Tomaj (The Sandsea, Rabanastre) Location : Dalmasca Estersand Bounty : 300 gil, 2 Potions, Teleport Stone ````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````` 02 : THEXTERA, "Wolf in the Waste" RANK I Available : After defeating the Rogue Tomato. Client : Gatsly (The Sandsea, Rabanastre Location : Dalmasca Westersand (Galtea Downs) Bounty : 500 gil, Headguard, Teleport Stone ````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````` 03 : FLOWERING CACTOID, "Dalmasca's Desert Bloom" RANK I Available : After defeating the Thextera. Client : Dantro (Estersand Outpost) Location : Dalmasca Estersand (Yardang Labyrinth) Bounty : 500 gil, 10 Potions ````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````` 04 : WRAITH, "Waterway Haunting" RANK I Available : After completing the Barheim Passage. Client : Milha (North Sprawl, Rabanastre Lowtown) Location : Garamsythe Waterway (Overflow Cloaca) Bounty : 500 gil, Ether, Gauntlets ````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````` 05 : NIDHOGG, "Marauder in the Mines" RANK I Available : Client : Aekom (outside Lhusu Mines, Bhujerba) Location : Lhusu Mines (Site 2) Bounty : ````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````` 06 : WYVERN LORD, "A Scream from the Sky" RANK II Available : Client : Sherral (Weapons Shop, Rabanastre) Location : Nam-Yensa Sandsea (?) Bounty : ````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````` 07 : ENKELADOS, "The Defense of Ozmone Plain" RANK II Available : Client : Low-Chief Sugumu (Jahara) Location : Bounty : ````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````` 08 : CROAKADILE, "A Ring in the Rain" RANK II Available : Client : Sadeen (Giza [Wet], ) Location : Bounty : ````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````` MONTBLANC'S MARKS ----------------- ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- RANK Marks Cl. Pts. Reward ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- Moppit 0 0 Potion (x3) Hedge Knight 2 700 Teleport Stone (x2), Warp Mote (x2) Rear Guard 4 8,000 Teleport Stone (x2), Remedy (x3) Vanguard 8 20,000 Teleport Stone (x2), Hi-Potion (x3) Headhunter 10 30,000 Teleport Stone (x2), Ether (x2) Ward of Justice 12 40,000 Teleport Stone (x2), X-Potion (x2) Brave Companion 14 100,000 Teleport Stone (x3), Hi-Ether (x2) Riskbreaker 16 200,000 Teleport Stone (x3), Elixir (x2) Paragon of Justice 24 250,000 Teleport Stone (x3), High Arcana (x1) High Guardian 28 300,000 Teleport Stone (x3), Empyreal Soul (x1) Knight of the Round 32 500,000 Teleport Stone (x3), Megalixir (x2) ------------------------------------------------- BOSS BATTLE Reward ------------------------------------------------- Flans 150 gil Firemane 200 gil Mimic Queen 300 gil Demon Wall #1 1200 gil, Electrum Demon Wall #2 600 gil, Warp Mote Belias Teleport Stone (x2), Arcana (x2) Elder Wyrm 800 gil Tiamat 900 gil Vinuskar 1100 gil Ahriman 1600 gil King Bomb 1300 gil, Mallet Mandragoras 1600 gil Rafflesia 1800 gil Daedalus 1900 gil Tyrant 1900 gil Hydro 2000 gil Four Espers Teleport Stone (x2), High Arcana Eight Espers Teleport Stone (x2), Gemsteel ------------------------------------------ RANK New Item(s) ------------------------------------------ Moppit Potion Hedge Knight Hi-Potion Rear Guard Gysahl Greens Vanguard Teleport Stone Headhunter Nihopalaoa, Reverse Ward of Justice Bubble Brave Companion Faith Riskbreaker Bravery, Bubble Belt Paragon of Justice Warp Mote High Guardian Cat-Ear Hood Knight of the Round Knot of Rust ````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````` 01 : CLUCKATRICE, "Little Love on the Big Plains" RANK I Available : Client : Dania (Nomad Village, Giza Plains [dry]) Location : Giza Plains (Gizas North Bank) Bounty : 1000 gil, Jackboots, Rainbow Egg Notes : For the Cluckatrice to appear, you need to first head to the North Bank and kill all the enemies in the area; don't worry, there aren't that many. Now leave the area and return. You should find the Cluckatrice and friends waiting ahead. ````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````` 02 : ROCKTOISE, "The Cry of Its Power" RANK I Available : Client : Pilika (The Moogle at Khus Skygrounds, Bhujerba) Location : Lhusu Mines (Site 2) Bounty : 1200 gil, 2 Hi-Potions, Heavy Coat ````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````` ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- III-2. Sky Pirate's Den ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- By completing certain tasks in the game you are rewarded with a gift of sorts in the Sky Pirate's Den. There isn't much use for these unless you're interested in completing EVERYTHING in the game. For each achievment you are awarded a character who, I guess, just hangs out in the den. You can access the Sky Pirate's Den under the Clan Primer in the Party Menu. -------------------------------------------------------------- CHARACTER Goal Title -------------------------------------------------------------- Ashe average level > 50 Exemplar Ba'Gamman complete Clan Primer Balthier attack 300 times Assault Striker Basch defeat 500 foes Blood Dancer Belias acquire all Espers Carrot defeat Carrot Chocobo 50,000 steps Wayfarer Crystal acquire all Magicks Runeweaver Daran acquire all maps Death Gaze defeat Death Gaze Devil Dragon defeat Death Dragon Fafnir defeat Fafnir Fran cast 200 Magicks Spellsinger Gabranth Gilgamesh defeat Gilgamesh Gurdy spend 1,000,000 gil Spendthrift King Behemoth defeat King Behemoth Migelo sell 1000 loot Privateer Mimic buy all Bazaar items Montblanc attain 50-chain level The Unrelenting Penelo acquire 100,000 gil Plunderer Reks earn 500,000 clan points Record Breaker Trickster defeat Trickster Sharpshooter Vaan steal 50 times Master Thief Vayne use 100 Technicks Premier Prestidigitator Vossler obtain all Technicks Jack-of-All-Trades Yazmat defeat Yazmat Zodiac defeat Zodiac ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- III-3. Grimoires ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Upon completing certain tasks (listed here as 'Triggers'), 'Forgotten Grimoires' will become available for purchase from the Bazaar. Once bought, these items will automaticaly allow for inceased quality and frequency of dropped loot from enemies. Each Monograph corresponds to a particular class of monsters, except the Canopic Jar which applies to all monsters. They are rather pricey but the triggers are typically very easy and can be accomplished early in your quest. CANOPIC JAR ----------- Cost : 250,000 Effect : Monsters will drop Arcana Trigger : Sell Deimos Clay, Horakhty's Flame, Phobos Glaze DRAGOON'S MONOGRAPH ------------------- Cost : 22,000 Effect : Dragons, Plants Trigger : Read Notice Board 40 times HUNTER's MONOGRAPH ------------------ Cost : 18,000 Effect : Avians, Beasts Trigger : Speak with Gatsly in Muthru Bazaar after defeating Thextara Mark KNIGHT'S MONOGRAPH ------------------ Cost : 19,000 Effect : Giants, Insects Trigger : Speak to Weapons merchant 30 times MAGE'S MONOGRAPH ---------------- Cost : 21,000 Effect : Fiends Trigger : Speak to Magicks merchant 25 times SAGE'S MONOGRAPH ---------------- Cost : 25,000 Effect : Elementals Trigger : Speak to any combination of merchants 100 times SCHOLAR'S MONOGRAPH ------------------- Cost : 22,000 Effect : Constructs Trigger : Speak to Armor merchant 15 times WARMAGE'S MONOGRAPH ------------------- Cost : 20,000 Effect : Undead Trigger : Read Notice Board 20 times ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- III-4. License Board Diagram ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Here I've made some rather crude ASCII diagrams of the License Board. It is divided into two sections for managability: the upper half and the lower half. Below each board is a key so you will be able to more easily distinguish seperate License groups. I've also listed the individual abilities or items acquired for each License; these lists are located below their respective diagrams. Trust me, if you stare at this long enough it will make sense. There are two important things to keep in mind regarding the License Board: 1. Esper Licenses only appear after defeating the Esper in battle. 2. Mist abilities can be acquired by any character in any order. UPPER BOARD ----------- A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q a $ % % % % # @ @ a b % % % % % % % $ @ @ # @ @ b c % % % % % % % # @ @ @ @ $ c d # % % % % % % % @ @ @ @ @ d # Mist Abilities e % % % % % % @ @ @ # e $ Espers f % % % % % % @ @ @ f % Magick g & & & & & & * & * ! ! $ g @ Accessories h * & & & * & & * & ! ! ! h & Augments i # & & * & & & * & * ! ! ! ! $ i * Gambit Slots j * & & & & & & & & & ! ! ! ! ! j ! Technicks k * * & & & & * & & & ! ! ! ! ! # k l $ * & & & & & & & & & ! ! ! l m $ $ $ # # ! ! m A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q ----------------------------------------------------------- GAMBIT SLOTS Loc LP ----------------------------------------------------------- Gambit 1 Kg 15 Gambit 2 Ig 20 Gambit 3 Li 25 Gambit 4 JJ 30 Gambit 5 Li 35 Gambit 6 Gh 40 Gambit 7 Hk 45 Gambit 8 Ei 50 Gambit 9 Ch 70 Gambit 10 Ck 100 ----------------------------------------------------------- MIST ABILITIES Loc LP ----------------------------------------------------------- Ja 50 Lc 50 Dd 50 Oe 50 Bi 50 Qk 50 Km 50 Om 50 ----------------------------------------------------------- ESPERS Loc LP ----------------------------------------------------------- Belias Ng 10 Shemhazai Lb 50 Chaos Cm 50 Zeromus Em 50 Exodus Gm 50 Famfrit Qc 90 Queklain Pi 90 Ultima Ea 90 Zodiac Al 200 ----------------------------------------------------------- WHITE MAGICK Loc LP Spells ----------------------------------------------------------- Level 1 Kf 15 Cure, Blinda Level 2 Jf 20 Vox, Poisona Level 3 If 30 Cura, Stona, Raise Level 4 Hf 30 Esuna, Regen Level 5 Gf 45 Curaga, Cleanse, Dispel Level 6 Ff 50 Curaja, Arise, Dispelga Level 7 Fe 55 Holy, Esunaga Level 8 Ed 105 Renew ----------------------------------------------------------- BLACK MAGICK Loc LP Spells ----------------------------------------------------------- Level 1 Ke 15 Fire, Blizzard, Thunder Level 2 Kd 25 Water, Aero Level 3 Kc 35 Fira, Blizzara, Thundara Level 4 Kb 40 Bio, Aeroga Level 5 Jb 45 Firaga, Blizzaga, Thundaga Level 6 Ib 50 Shock, Scourge Level 7 Ia 70 Flare, Ardor Level 8 Ha 120 Scathe ----------------------------------------------------------- GREEN MAGICK Loc LP Spells ----------------------------------------------------------- Level 1 Je 25 Protect, Blind Level 2 Ie 30 Poison, Shell Level 3 He 35 Silence, Sleep Level 4 Ge 40 Oil, Toxify Level 5 Gd 45 Silenca, Blindaga Level 6 Fe 50 Bravery, Faith Level 7 Ec 105 Sleepga, Protectga, Shellga ----------------------------------------------------------- TIME MAGICK Loc LP Spells ----------------------------------------------------------- Level 1 Jd 20 Slow, Immobilize Level 2 Jc 25 Disable, Reflect Level 3 Ic 30 Break, Warp Level 4 Hb 35 Bleed, Balance Level 5 Gb 40 Float, Haste Level 6 Ga 45 Countdown, Stop Level 7 Fa 110 Reflectga, Hastega, Slowga ----------------------------------------------------------- ARCANE MAGICK Loc LP Spells ----------------------------------------------------------- Level 1 Id 25 Dark, Berserk Level 2 Hd 30 Confuse, Gravity Level 3 Hc 40 Decoy, Drain Level 4 Gc 50 Syphon, Darkra, Vanish Level 5 Fc 60 Death, Bubble Level 6 Fb 70 Vanishga, Reverse Level 7 Eb 105 Graviga, Darkga ----------------------------------------------------------- ACCESSORIES Loc LP Items ----------------------------------------------------------- Accesories 1 Lf 5 Orrachea Armlet Accesories 2 Le 15 Bangle, Steel Gorget Accesories 3 Mf 25 Armguard, Tourmaline Ring Accesories 4 Ld 35 Guantlets, Battle Harness Accesories 5 Me 35 Leather Gorget, Rose Corsage Accesories 6 Nf 35 Amber Armlet, Sash Accesories 7 Md 40 Argyle Armlet, Jade Collar, Blazer Gloves Accesories 8 Mc 45 Jackboots, Golden Amulet, Black Belt Accesories 9 Ne 30 Magick Gloves Accesories 10 Nd 40 Nishijin Belt, Thief's Cuffs Accesories 11 Mb 45 Gillie Boots, Quasimodo Boots Accesories 12 Nc 60 Ruby Ring, Steel Poleyns, Firefly Accesories 13 Od 60 Fuzzy Miter, Winged Boots, Bowline Sash Accesories 14 Nb 70 Pheasant Netsuke, Cameo Belt,