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Ys IV - The Dawn of Ys FAQ/Walkthrough v1.0 by Deuce (deuce@scsn.net) -=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=- Welcome to the Ys IV FAQ/Walkthrough. Note that this is NOT meant for the Super Famicom version of Ys IV, "Mask of the Sun." This is solely for the original PC Engine CD version, which is probably one of the best action-RPGs ever made. -=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=- TABLE OF CONTENTS I. Version History II. Credits III. General Tips IV. The Cast of Characters V. The Walkthrough 1. Prologue and Town of Minea 2. Town of Promalock 3. Village of Arieda/Abandoned Mine 4. Lava Pits of Nelgal and Slano Shrine 5. Selceta Forest and Town of Yupel 6. Earth Village of Laparo/Templar Castle 7. The Sinking Desert/Miyu Shrine 8. Water Village of Libra (aka "The Trouble with Tim") 9. The Selceta Flower 10. Return to Minea 11. Darm Tower 12. The Mountain Shrine 13. Rady's Temple 14. Moon Village of Serene/Romun Castle 15. Torie Shrine (aka "EscherSpace") 16. Lefance Shrine 17. The Forest and The Ritual 18. The Gold City 19. Zanria Tower 20. Lunes Tower 21. Shrine of the Sun 22. The Final Battle 23. Developer's Room -=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=- I. VERSION HISTORY 1.0 - First release. Complete walkthrough of the game from start to finish. Probably overlooked a few secrets and tricks. If I missed anything, Please let me know. Any and all submissions are welcome. -=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=- II. CREDITS Falcom - http://www.falcom.com For making this spectacular game! Damn them for not releasing it in the United States though... :( This game is good enough to have been a real system-seller. -=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=- III. GENERAL TIPS 1. Ys is very unique in its experience/level system in that a certain creature will not always give a specific amount of experience. The amount decreases geometrically whenever you gain a level. If, for instance, a creature gives you 40 experience points when killed, it will only give you 20 experience points once you reach the next level. When you gain yet another level, it will be reduced to 10, then to 5, then to 2, then to 1. The game always seems to round down in this regard. 2. Because of the experience system shown above, it is extremely difficult to overpower yourself. The game is very strictly paced, and in order to make your level unnaturally high, you would have to spend a large amount of time killing monsters that are only worth 3 or 5 experience points. This is tedious and boring, and it effectively prevents one from cheating in this manner, so to speak. 3. Can't beat a boss? Gain another level. Sometimes it makes all the difference in the world. Typically, you should be able to beat a boss if the experience point point value of the most common enemy in the area is 10 or less. Of course, at the beginning of the game, experience given is less, so make your own calculations there. If there are some monsters around which still give a decent amount experience points per kill, then go and kill some of them! Gaining levels doesn't really take that long. 4. When fighting weaker monsters in close combat, try not to attack them head on! You stand a good chance of taking damage if you do. Move up or down (or left or right, depending on the orientation) one "block" and attack. The creature will almost NEVER be able to harm you like this. Just watch out for the ones who change directions suddenly. 5. When fighting small enemies, particularly quick ones, set the game speed to "Slow." The Fast speed will sometimes allow you to pass THROUGH the creatures and thereby make them touch you from behind. This spells damage for you. And you don't want that, ever, right? Just be warned, sometimes the really quick enemies will be able to do this anyway. 6. There are a few discrepancies between the instruction manual and the game itself. The most notable of these is the "Rune Seed." The game itself clearly says "Rune Seed," while the manual says "Rune Shield." In cases like this, the text of the game always has the final say. 7. You will periodically hear the characters in the game make mention of the words "Akage no kenshi." If you're wondering what this actually means, it literally translates to "red-haired swordsman." :) -=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=- IV. THE CAST OF CHARACTERS Adol Christin ------------- The hero of the story, and a wandering adventurer. He and his erstwhile companion Dogi are returning to the land of Esteria after two long years of journeying and adventuring. Adol is the one resposible for saving the people of Esteria from Dark Fact, as well as saving the people of Ys from the reign of Lord Darm. The climax of this second battle is the one shown in the game's introduction. Lilia ----- A young red-haired girl whom Adol met in Ys II. After he sought out a rare herb to cure her of a terminal illness, she developed an extreme crush on him, and never stops hoping that one day he will stay in Minea for good and be her husband. Carna ----- An attractive young swordswoman, Adol meets her early in the game, being harassed by some soldiers of the Romun Army. She turns out to be a loyal friend and ally to Adol, though he sees very little of her throughout the course of the game. She manages to keep in touch with him through the use of her carrier pigeon, and she constantly offers him advice and the occasional item of use. Dogi ---- Dogi's best friend, and fellow adventurer. The two have recently returned from the land of Dogi's birth, known as Felgana. He is more interested in catching up on old times with friends than Adol, as Adol is forever consumed by wanderlust. Dogi also has very little tolerance for alcohol, despite his rather large size. :) Leeza ----- A blonde-haired girl who helps Adol recover from a near-death experience. She has deep emotional ties to the being known as Eldeel, and is sorely tormented by the changes in her old friend. Eldeel ------ The last survivor of an ancient race of winged humanoids. Formerly a very good friend of Leeza, he has changed in recent times... and is definitely no longer the kind, caring soul he once was. Gadis ----- The powerhouse of the Evil Ones, he is large and strong. He also has a very twisted sense of humor, and delights in humbling Adol whenever possible... also holds very extreme grudges. He doesn't take kindly to Adol's constant reappearances in the Evil Ones' plans. Bami ---- This member of the three Evil Ones is a beautiful but evil sorceress. She weilds power of the forces of nature, and also possesses the ability to transform creatures and objects. She seems particularly entertained by using her powers to prey on those weaker than her, especially when they are helpless. Guruda ------ The leader of the Evil Ones, this blue-haired swordsman is a calm, calculating man. He always waits for an opening before making a move, never giving away too much too soon. One to be respected, if not feared, for he is a very dangerous man. He proves to be Adol's greatest rival. -=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=- V. THE WALKTHROUGH Be warned before you begin this, I have included a few spoilers here and there. A totally spoiler-free guide is a little more editing work than I have time for, plus if you need a walkthrough for a Japanese game, odds are you don't understand what's going on to begin with. Anyhow, I have attempted to make this as comprehensive as possible, from solving puzzles to using items to defeating bosses. It should allow you to complete the game with a marginal understanding of what's going on. Unfortunately, my Japanese is not as good as I'd like it to be, so this will be incomplete as far as story goes. If anyone wants to email me at deuce@scsn.net and give me full details of the plot, you are more than welcome. And so, without further adieu... 1. Prologue and Town of Minea The game opens with Dogi and Adol returning to Esteria after their adventure in the land of Felgana (see Ys III: Wanderers From Ys). After getting off of the boat, the two run into Goban, the thief from Ys I and II. After a moment or two of horseplay, the three continue on to the town, reminiscing. Goban explains that Minea has changed quite a lot since they were last there. When you get there, go explore around the town a bit. The people in the shops will recognize you. Go and visit Sara, the fortuneteller. She is in the building in the bottom left corner of the town. She will tell Adol about a land known as Selceta, and request that he journey there. Answer yes, then she will give you an item. Afterwards, go to the bar. Adol, Goban and Dogi will laugh it up for awhile, then the three will go to sleep at Goban's house. In the morning, Lilia will come knocking on the door, wanting to see Adol. Goban goes to wake him, only to find that he is missing... Elsewhere... cloaked figures stand around a strange altar, upon which an almost humanoid form sits. The flesh begins to form and congeal, but it falls apart and melts away. One of the cloaked figures orders the others away, and the three vanish. The introductory animation sequence begins to play. 2. Town of Promalock Adol awakens in the ship, which has journeyed to the town of Promalock. First item of business is to get outfitted, so put on that Cleria equipment and get going. Go around the town if you like. Once out- side, fight the monsters until you reach level 3. It shouldn't take more than a few minutes, since you have some of the most powerful items in the game. Follow the path and you will come across a couple of solders harassing an attractive young girl. She seems capable of taking care of herself, but one of the soldiers notices you and asks if you are friends with her. They prepare to attack, but the girl breaks free and the guards are knocked out shortly after. She gives a quick introduction, says her name is "Carna," and dashes off. Not a moment later, a shouted command of "Don't move!" is heard. An ugly, bald man comes out, with a slew of troops following him. As his conversation with the soldiers reveals, this is General Leo. He orders his soldiers to bring out the cannon, and he demonstrates its power on a nearby tree. You are taken prisoner, and your Cleria equipment is taken from you. If that weren't enough, you're dumped into a dark cell to boot! Inside there, talk to your cellmate. He will tell you his name is Duren, and after a short conversation, tell you to get some sleep. Go to the other bed to do so. A short while later, you will be awakened by the sounds of combat. Who should come bursting into the room but Carna! She says to keep quiet and that she's come to rescue them. Duren is a little too excited to keep quiet, so Carna hushes him and explains that she wants to destroy the Romuns' supply of tanks. Duren notices an armory nearby, and you grab some equipment from it. Unfortunately, an alarm is sounded, preventing Carna from accomplishing her mission. As the three of you prepare your escape, you are surrounded by soldiers, and Duren beats a hasty retreat, leaving you and Carna to fend for yourselves. I recommend wandering around the courtyard for awhile and attacking the soldiers. They're worth good experience and are easy to kill. Just remember, though... if Carna kills them, you don't get any experience for it. When ready, exit out the back gate and head southward. 3. Village of Arieda/Abandoned Mine As you approach the south path, some men will jump from the bushes and threaten you, mistaking you for a Romun Soldier, due to your equipment. Carna will come out and explain to them that you are a friend, and then they will let you pass. Inside the village of Arieda (that's Ah-ree-EH-dah) you will run into an old friend... Dr. Flair from Rance Village. Be sure to purchase an Herb from him, and go to upgrade your armor and weapon as well. Speak to the village elder in the northwest house and she will explain that her son, Lemnos, was taken prisoner inside the abandoned mine just to the north of the village. She will give you the key which will allow you to enter the cave. Inside there, your visibility is extremely limited. The lowest level holds nothing of value aside from an Herb. The higher level holds the boss and the Power Ring, an extremely valuable item. Unfortunately, the chest containing the Ring is locked, and you cannot get the key yet. To get to the chest, follow the left wall. To get to the boss, follow the right. When you reach the boss, you will be best off if you are at least level 4 or 5, and have full life with an Herb available. *** BOSS FIGHT *** The boss is a big spider with obnoxiously long reach on his legs. The pink blob which extends from his mouth is your target. You need to learn how to space yourself so that you hit him without getting hurt yourself. When you hit him, the blob will shift to the hindquarters. (Yuck.) Run down and to the left, then get behind him and attack the rear. It will shift back to the front. Go around the right side this time, and repeat the pattern. When you get him down low enough, he will double his speed. The only way to attack him at this point is to move up and down to hit the blob as it shifts. You NEED to be as healthy as possible by this point, because it will do a lot of damage, and it's impossible to avoid. Use the Herb and keep plugging away and the spider will collapse, revealing the injured form of Lemnos. Carna will rush in with one of the village fighters, and they will take Lemnos back to Arieda. Fight your way back out and go back to the village. Carna will rush off, much to Dr. Flair's chagrin. Buy another Herb and go after her. You will find her shortly afterward, lying on the ground. When you try to help her, a monster will come out from behind a rock and attack. Finish it off, then help her. She will ask you to accompany her, so head north into the nearby cave. 4. Lava Pits of Nelgal and Slano Shrine In the lava areas, you will be aided by Carna, who will follow you around and attack any creatures who come close. She's very powerful, and will kill most enemies in no more than two hits. Don't let her do your work for you, though. You don't get any experience for the creatures she kills. There's no free lunch here, buddy. You may come across a lavaspout that you cannot cross. There is no way to pass at the moment. When you get the Freeze magic later, you'll definitely want to come back here. Keep going through the area. It's totally linear, though it does not look like it, so there's no need to worry about getting lost. If Carna gets left behind, keep going. She'll automatically run in after you if she falls too far behind. You may want to get her "stuck" on a ledge so you can attack enemies without fear of her running in and stealing your experience points. Shortly, you will find a locked treasure chest. Bypass it for now, and keep heading north. There are two paths, the bottom one of which you cannot cross, as there's no bridge across the gap. Go to the top and cross, and you will obtain the Treasure Box Key. This will enable you to open the chest you found a short while ago. Inside of it is the Mattock. Now that you have the key, I suggest backtracking slightly. You can now go back into the abandoned mine outside of Arieda to pick up the Power Ring, which will prove very useful against what is to come. When you return, Carna will automatically be with you again. Also, restock at Arieda if you have to. Now, to keep going, go to the upper pathway again, and use the Mattock. The rocks will drop to the gap below, allowing you to cross to the other side. Once across, you will find a small temple. Go in here and continue fighting the creatures to keep your level up. Just remember to keep ahead of Carna so she doesn't kill them before you get a chance to. At the heart of the shrine, you will find a stone pillar. If you touch it, you will be transported to fight with the boss. *** BOSS FIGHT *** The boss is a suit of armor filled with glowing magma. It attacks primarily by tossing out axes at you, which have very slight homing capability and return to its hands. Your safest bet is to focus on avoiding these rather than trying to do damage. After it tosses its axes a few times, the lava will leave the suit and begin flowing slowly toward you on the floor. The armor itself will warp to your current location. This is your chance to get in plenty of hits. To make the most of the opportunity, try to keep as far away from the lava as possible when the armor warps. Once you have won, the spirit of Slano will grant you magic power, and give you the wand of Fire magic. Carna is nowhere to be seen... make your way back to the entrance and you will find her again, looking for you. A moment later, your reunion will be interrupted by three very vicious-looking characters, who refer to themselves as the "Evil Ones." The first is a large man, named Gadis. The second is a purple-haired sorceress by the name of Bami. And the third, their leader, is a thin, wiry man with blue hair, by the name of Guruda. Bami fires four magical blasts at the wall behind you, and monsters begin to form from the stone. The three leave you to be destroyed, but the creatures only pose a threat if you're REALLY careless. Once they're taken care of, go upstairs, and you will meet the Evil Ones again. Bami prepares to cast another spell to finish you off for good, but a sudden tremor in the ground stops her, and you all escape. They promise that you will all meet again. Once out of the temple, head to the right... a fresh pathway will open up, allowing you easy access back to Arieda. As you approach Arieda, Carna will pull out the Flute of Wind and play it. A small bird flies in and alights on a nearby rock. She gives you the flute and says that she will use this bird, Ruse (or Luse, or Ruusu, depending on how you want to romanize it), to keep in contact with you. Just use the flute near those rocks covered with white substance. What is the white substance? Take a guess... what are birds known to produce in great quantities, particularly on parked cars? But since there are no cars around here, parked or otherwise, the birds will have to make do with nicely conspicuous trees and rocks. Now, go back to Arieda and restock, as always. You may now speak to Lemnos in Dr. Flair's office, who will explain to you that he was transformed into that spider form by the Evil Ones you and Carna met earlier. Once you're ready, head back to the east and this time, head southeast from the cave, into the Selceta Forest. 5. Selceta Forest and Tree Village of Yupel The forest can be a bit confusing, as it has two levels and you must pass through trees to get from one to the other. You should practice using your Fire magic on the snakes and animated flowers that abound here. Also, don't forget that you can charge up your magic attack! Just hold down the I button until your lifemeter starts flashing white, and let go to fire the charged-up blast. Press the II button to cancel the attack. As you proceed, you will find a VERY large tree with a doorway at its base. Go inside and climb to the top to the village of Yupel. There is very little you can do in the village aside from journey to the upper levels, where there are more monsters. The creatures here are somewhat difficult. They are fast and tend to move in random directions. Don't be ashamed to use your Fire magic on them, as close combat is often inviting severe injury. In the first area, go to the right first, and you will see some of the story of the winged ones, as well as be given an orb which will be used later on in the story. At the end of the first area, there will be a Roda Tree Nut lying on the ground. Pick it up and use it if necessary. If you use it, go into the second area and return, then the nut will be there again. *** BOSS FIGHT *** At the end of the second area, you will find another pillar like in Slano's shrine, which will teleport you to fight the boss. This one's quite easy, and you should have no problems if you're level 11 or higher. It's a giant bird that fires sharpened feathers at you and periodically divebombs. Stay out of the direct center of the screen and pelt it with fireballs. When it flies in from the sides, go to the opposite side in the corner and fire some more. If it starts divebombing, stick to one of the upper corners, so it will be less likely to hit you. When you are victorious, the spirit of Talim will give you the Alter magic for your efforts. This will slowly consume your MP, and turn you into a monster for the duration. During this time, you may speak to monsters, are immune to damage, and you can also swim. Go back to the village and you will be guided to the elder's house, where you will be given the Ring of Roda (though the game says "Loda"). This ring is very valuable indeed, as it will slowly restore your magic points without the use of a Roda Tree Nut. Now, exit the village and once out of the tree, go to the left. You will shortly see a strange-looking creature that you cannot do any damage to. Speak to it in Alter form, and he will tell you his name is Robin. He asks that you find him the "Rune Seed." It's definitely in your best interest to do it for him. Remember to always equip the Ring of Roda when in Alter form, so that your MP level will not drop. Hop into the river, and swim around. You may notice a small island linked to the main land by a rope bridge. This is where you will find the Rune Seed. You will have to work your way around to get to it. Bring this back to Robin and he will move out of the way. Move to the spot behind where he sat and you will get the Broad Sword! This will be most useful. Remember Robin, as you will run into him later. Proceed further and you will overhear the Evil Ones talking about you. After they chat a bit, they will leave, and it's up to you to follow them. Take off your Alter magic at this point and head north. You will find yourself on a bridge. At the end is none other than Gadis himself. He will cut the rope bridge, and you will take a nasty fall, leaving you with one hit point. As you start to awaken, a pretty blonde girl will run in to help. She will treat your wound, healing you back up to 10 hit points, then she will leave. Sit tight for a few until your HP are back up to maximum, then keep going. You will see her again shortly. When you do, she will tell you this is her favorite place to relax, because she loves the view. She will eventually realize she has somewhere she has to go, and will leave. Follow her, and you will soon reach... 6. Earth Village of Laparo/Templar Castle This place is something of a welcome sight. You can restock your items as well as purchase better equipment. And you will need it, as a somewhat tougher area is up ahead. You can also talk to Leeza in her house at the northwest. You may want to fight a few creatures outside to raise your level a bit. Watch out for the piglike things that spit fire. Your magic will not harm them. From Laparo, head to the left and then up, and you will find yourself in a very large courtyard. There will be some very speedy armored enemies here who are also immune to magic and can do a good bit of damage to you if you're not careful. They are reasonably good for gaining experience though. At the north end of the courtyard (where is it written that all doors in RPGs must face south?), you will find the entrance to the castle. This place is a bit mazelike, and the enemies inside are dangerous, particularly those speedy blue spinning creatures. On the upside, you can gain a lot of experience here. Search around and you will a semi-long hallway with a staircase going down at the north end. Halfway through this hall, you will find a strange item on the ground. Once you proceed down the stairs, head to the right and you will claim the Shield Ring. *** BOSS FIGHT *** Eventually, you will run into Leeza again, who is calling out for help. A pair of tentacles creep into the room after her, then pull back. It's up to you to save the day again. Prepare your Herb and Shield Ring, and get ready to fight. You should be level 15 for this fight. Go into the next room and you will square off against a really strange creature. The tentacles will block your Fire shots, and you can only hit it when the body is outside of the "shell." It will also spit out three blobs from time to time, which can be killed easily with the Fire spell... but be careful, as they will launch projectiles at you, which can do extreme damage in the right conditions. If you're patient, though, you should be able to beat this creature without even wasting an Herb. When you're done, go back outside to talk to Leeza. She will notice the bandana that she used to bandage your wounds earlier. She thanks you for coming to help her, but says she cannot leave yet, as there is still something she has to do. She walks back into the room where the monster was, and you must follow. (Or else the plot cannot continue! *gasp*) You will find that Leeza has been taken prisoner by the Evil Ones, and Guruda demands that you hand over the magics of Fire and Alter. Having no other choice (and just being the sort of guy you are), you do so. Of course, Guruda seems to have no intention of fulfilling his end of the bargain, until Duren comes in. Remember the guy in the Romun Castle prison? Well, he evidently has a bit of a past with Guruda, and subdues him, allowing Leeza a chance to escape. The Evil Ones fall back, and you follow, Leeza and Duren tagging along behind. In the next room, you come face to face with Eldeel himself, who explains that part of the power he seeks is about to become his... he absorbs the energy from the statue behind him, and it shatters. He then uses this power on you, knocking you unconscious and nearly dead. Eldeel and the Evil Ones then leave, and Leeza and Duren taking you back to Laparo. You awaken in Leeza's house, where she and her father explain what Eldeel used to be like, and how he has changed. It seems all of Selceta is in danger from what he plans. They ask that you help them in their time of need. When you exit Leeza's house, go into the Elder's house, to the right. He will give you an item which will be used in the next area. Remember to equip your Power Ring, since you will have to rely solely on your physical strength to keep going. Now, go back toward the Templar Castle and you can go through the newly-opened gate on the right. Follow the path and you will come to... 7. The Sinking Desert/Miyu Shrine This place is a bit of a puzzle. The first item on the agenda is to attack the big iguana-like creatures to get experience, as they should be worth about 45 experience by the time you reach here. They are definitely worth killing. You can gain a level or two quickly by simply moving up and down the first island, causing the lizard to reappear again and again so you can kill it. Remember, the sands will drag you continually down the screen, so in order to cross from one island to another, you need to find the right place to start, so that the current will not carry you too far. In the first area, there is a treasure chest containing an Herb to the far right if you need it. In the first area, things are simple. Just keep moving downwards and you'll arrive at the "shore." Go to the right and you'll come across a great pyramid, which doesn't seem to have any available entrance. Duren is over by the pyramid, and he is also wondering how to get in. The pathway is hidden, and you must use the item that the village Elder in Laparo gave you. Go to the broken pillar in the top row, the second one from the left, face up, and use it. The pathway will open up. Duren will follow you inside. Once inside, there will be a multitude of slow-moving brown creatures with single blue eyes. Fight these and/or the lizards outside until you reach level 18. Then proceed to the center of the shrine. There is another pillar which will take you to fight the boss. *** BOSS FIGHT *** Prepare your Power Ring and Herb, of course. This guy is a piece of cake. Your only chance to do any significant damage is when his head and tail are both sticking up out of the sand. Attack the tail only, or else you'll get hurt. Move to the left and right over the tail to continuously do damage. Avoid the weird little projectiles that the mouth spits out, and be careful, as they will bolt at you whenever you are at a right angle to them. When he's diving in and out of the sand, stay as far to the top as you can and he should be completely unable to hurt you. When you're victorious (and you have to really be playing around not to be), Miyu's spirit will give you the magic of Warp, a very useful spell indeed. Exit the shrine to the right, and you will find another area of sinking sands, except this time you have to work against the flow. It may take a bit of practice, but if you take the time to gauge how far you can get, you can make it to the top easily. Along the left side, you will find a treasure chest containing the Topaz, an item useful for nothing more than selling later. Neat to have for a full inventory screen though. The exit is at the upper right corner. 8. Water Village of Libra (aka "The Trouble with Tim") This area will probably prove to be a stumbling block for most players their first time playing through the game. When you approach the village, you'll see a man running towards it in a panic. As you enter, you'll overhear him imploring the villagers to help him get back his grandson, a little boy named "Tim." Aside from listen to the peoples' heartfelt pleas for help, there's not really much you can do here. So it's time to go and save the kid. Before you go charging off, however, make a little detour. Use your "Warp" magic to teleport back to Promalock. It is the first item on the list. Select it, then choose "hai" (two Japanese characters). Once you get there, go to the weapons and armor shops to upgrade your equipment. You will definitely need it. After you're done shopping, teleport back to Arieda (second item on the list) and visit Dr. Flair's office to heal up and restock. Once you've done this, teleport back to Libra (last item on the list). Then, be prepared to do a lot of level-gaining. The upcoming boss, known as the "Ice Immurer" or "Ice Murmur," is quite tough. I would recommend working your way up to at least level 21 before attempting to tackle it. Use the brown creatures and the Godzilla-wannabe monsters to gain a level or two, then proceed north and fight the snowmen to gain the rest. There's a blue creature at the top of the mountain, which gives decent experience, but it's difficult to catch, and can also do a ton of damage to you in a hurry. You're better off sticking with the snowmen. Remember, NEVER stop moving in this area. There are some invisible enemies which can and will sneak up on you when you least expect it. Once you're powerful enough, climb to the top of the mountain and enter the cave on the left. The one on the right is a dead end and holds nothing of value. The doorway isn't far. Equip your Herb and Power Ring before entering. As you enter, you will see the old man (Jeff) pounding on a block of ice, inside of which is a little boy. He notices you and pleads for your help. Touch the ice three times and the creature will awaken. With a quick attack, it pushes the old man out of the room, leaving you to fight it alone. *** BOSS FIGHT *** This guy can be TOUGH. Defeating it will require a lot of patience on your part. If you try to rush things, you will never win. It splits into six pieces, only one of which can be damaged. This is the one with the dark blue figure. The rest will hurt you if you touch them. You will have few opportunities to do damage, and you must make each one count. When it merges, the part you can hit will always fly from the bottom right corner, giving you the opportunity to hit it as many as three or four times. As it spins, DO NOT GET CLOSE. Stay in the upper-left corner until it finished forming, then dash behind it to the upper-right. Look out for the blocks of ice it'll drop (just avoid the shadows), and move back to the left, in front of it, when the coast is clear. When it splits again, the part you can hit will usually go off toward you, giving you another (albeit riskier) chance to hit. Repeat and be as cautious as you can. Eventually, you will win. It is possible to kill it at level 21 without using the herb if you watch the pattern enough. Once the Ice Immurer is dead, Jeff will come back in and thank you, as will the boy, Tim. They tell you to go to the back, to the frozen village. Once they leave, head north and enter the open house (there is only one). You will speak to the child, who is the reincarnation of the sage, Enzo. He will detail to you further facts about Selceta's past. As you leave, the woman will give you another orb. 9. The Selceta Flower When you return to the village, all will seem well for a bit, then Tim will develop another problem... his legs turn to stone! (Tim is what is known as a "problem child.") In order to put things right, warp back to Arieda and go to Dr. Flair's office. Don't forget to restock if you need to, and answer "hai" (two Japanese characters) when you speak to him. You'll warp back to Libra automatically. When Flair surveys the damage, he concludes that the Selceta Flower could be used to fix the curse. He asks that you go to find it. Choose "hai" again. Now, remember that old guy who always kicked you out of his house in Libra Village? Leave the town, then come back in. Then go back to his house, and he will build a raft for you. Exit his house and head north to get on it. The raft is automatically guided, and will take you to your destination fairly quickly. Make sure to move around while travelling, otherwise the purple bird-creatures could sneak up on you and do some nasty damage to you. You'll stop off in a cave. Just get back on the raft, there's nothing to be done here... yet. You'll return here later. Once you finish your journey, you'll be in for a surprise. (You're going to love this one.) Shortly after, you will meet up with the Evil Ones again... Gadis will want to just kill you outright, but Bami has other ideas. She puts a curse on you of her own. Nice lady, eh? Anyhow, go up the hill to enter the cave. Fight the creatures for lots of easy experience! You can go up two or three levels in no time here. As you proceed, you will find the Selceta Flower and eventually come to a spring. Enter it and choose "hai" to heal and have the curse removed. Then go back out and head north, to the crack in the wall. Use the Mattock on it to break out of this prison. Then warp back to Libra! Dr. Flair will be most pleased to see you. You will warp back to Arieda to go to his lab automatically. Stock up and wait around. It will take a few minutes before the Elixir is ready. Enter and exit a few buildings. Eventually, you will see a man standing to the right of the north gate. Speak to him, then go talk to Flair again. Time to warp to Promalock! (I think he's just in this for the travel.) If you haven't already done so by warping back here, upgrade your weapons and armor, then head to the shipyard. 10. Return to Minea After arriving, you will soon run into Dogi. After he leaves, go to the weapons and armor shops to get better weapons. You should be able to afford it. Then head out to the field. Things will look quite different from how they did in Ys I. To the south, there is a second Roda Tree, where Lilia is. Talk to her, then head to the northeast, to Zeptic Village. In there, go into all of the houses. The one at the bottom-right holds Jeva, the old woman from Ys I. After talking to her, go to the southwest house, and talk to Luta Gemma's wife. Then, go to the northernmost house and talk to the village elder. Once you speak to him, you will find Luta in front of his home. Speak to him and he will give you the Silver Harmonica. Exit the village and go into the mine to the north. There are no monsters in the mine, so explore freely. There is a treasure chest on the second level which you can open. When you reach the room with the goddesses' statues, stand directly in front of one of them and use the Harmonica. The goddesses will then awaken and speak to you, and give you the Mask of Eyes. Immediately afterwards, someone will come in and tell you that Lilia has been captured by the Romun soldiers! Return to Zeptic Village, and Jeva will tell you that she was taken to Darm Tower... so head north! 11. Darm Tower This won't take nearly as long as it did the first time through. The only enemies will be Romun Soldiers, and they're not that strong. If you do get hurt, remember that you can recover HP on the outer decks. When you reach the long passage lined with statues, put on the Mask of Eyes and enter the hidden area. Once inside, switch to another item, since you can't see enemies while wearing the Mask. Get the contents of the treasure chest, then go back out and keep going upstairs. You will find a treasure chest containing a strange fruit. Save this for later. It will raise your level by one instantly when you eat it, so it's best to use it only at the end, when levels are harder to come by. Shortly after, your path upwards will be blocked by a collapsed stairway. Go back down to the hallway with the statues, and enter the hidden room. Inside there, use the Mattock on the crack in the wall. This will lead you to a shortcut to floor 23. Work your way through the maze of mirrors, and you will reach the very top of the tower itself. Atop the tower, you will find the captured Lilia, held by Gadis. As it turns out, he has taken control of Keith Fact, who attacks you. Don't worry... Fact will defeat you no matter what you do. He's not the real boss. You will be magically healed, then Gadis will step in to fight you himself. *** BOSS FIGHT *** At level 24, you're pretty well-equipped to defeat him. At level 25, it's a walk in the park. His attack patterns consist of drifting across the screen, shooting five fireballs in succession, charging up for a blast of four fireballs at once, a black beam of energy, and an attack with his sword. The ones you have to look out for are the beam and the charge-up attack. The charged attack will take about 90% of your life with one hit if all the fireballs hit you! Don't rush things. Take your time to learn his patterns, and you'll be fine. When you get him down to about 50 hit points, he'll start attacking three times in a row with his sword. Just keep moving and you should be able to avoid him. Once he's defeated, you'll get back your Fire magic! The Romun soldiers will run away, and then Dogi will come in to help, having heard what happened from Goban. Keith wakes up and apologizes. He says that somehow they controlled him because he was the descendant of a priest. The four of you leave the tower, to be greeted by Dr. Flair once more. He says that he finally has the Elixir ready to cure Tim. The two of you warp back together, and Tim is cured. 12. The Mountain Shrine All seems well, doesn't it? Tim's zipping around like a hummingbird on crack, and everyone is happy. However, his attention is taken by a strange little yellow creature. Curiously enough, one identical to the form you take when you used your missing Alter magic. The boy chases after the creature, and Dr. Flair asks that you go and look after him. After all, we can't have the townsfolk worrying even more. Exit the village, and head northwest. The floating eye creatures are tough to kill, and can do a lot of damage, but they're very slow and are worth a lot of experience. Gain a few levels here before proceeding. Enter the shrine when you feel you are ready. Once inside, Tim will lead you on a wild goose chase. He will show you how some flame traps work (and singe you in the process), and then run off again. There is a room FULL of these things coming up, so SAVE WHEN YOU ENTER IT! They can kill you in less than a split-second. The proper path is up the left passage, left until you are flush with the wall, then rush through the two horizontal tiles. You'll have to move diagonally up-right to get to the door unscathed. It takes practice, but it can be done. Eventually, Tim will lead you to a room with two teleporters. He will use the one on the left, but you must use the one on the RIGHT to catch him... keep moving until you see a room with an open door (NOT a stairwell) then proceed. You will end up in a very wide open area. Enter one of the doorways at the bottom, and stick to down and left when possible. You'll end up taking a rather nasty fall, and be trapped in the room with Tim and the creature. The door is locked. Fortunately, Dogi will come blasting into the room shortly, and lead you to the exit. Before you follow Tim and Dogi, however, head Right and then Down. You'll obtain the Heal Ring! A boss fight is coming up, and I would recomment being at least level 27 for this one. If you need to gain levels, an excellent opportunity is provided in the room just north of the Heal Ring. Before proceeding, heal up using the Heal Ring and prepare your Fire magic, as well as the Shield Ring. Use the Ring of Roda to recharge magic if necessary. *** BOSS FIGHT *** The boss may come as a bit of a shock...literally. He attacks with lightning, and has quite an aggressive pattern. He first attacks with a vertical lightning bolt. Time your attacks in between the bolts, and watch his hands to avoid getting jolted. Once you take him down far enough, the hands will separate and fire two separate bolts of lightning while the cloak wraps itself up. You cannot hurt it unless the cloak is open. The hands will exchange turns firing off blasts of blue magic. Just move slightly after it fires and you will not be hit. After both hands are done, get back in the center and attack once more. Once you learn the pattern, this guy is a piece of cake. After you win, you'll get your Alter magic back, as well as the Cleria Shield! By the way, if you go back to Arieda, Dr. Flair will have Elixir available for you to buy... it will restore your life to full automatically in the event that you are reduced to 0 HP. Such power doesn't come cheap, though. The cost is 30000 gold. 13. Rady's Temple Now that you have the Alter magic back in your possession, you can once again swim. Head back to Libra, and hop off the dock to swim north. Once out in the open, head slightly northeast to find a small island with a treasure chest. Inside that chest is the Battle Armor! Once done, go north again to go into the cave. This time, go toward the left, and go up to the dead-end wall with the symbol. Put on the Mask of Eyes and you will be able to get through. Take it off after you pass through the door. Once inside, remain in your Altered form. When you reach the first intersection, go down and swim through the corridors. You will eventually reach a dead-end with a treasure chest, which holds a key. This key will open the floodgates and allow you to access the formerly submerged areas. Backtrack and this time, head up at the first intersection. You will reach a door, and when you open it, you'll be washed up (literally). A bit embarassing, but it'll get the job done. Now, go exploring again. You may have noticed a submerged treasure chest before. Now you can reach it. In it sits the Timer Ring. It is definitely most useful. Now, you may want to take off the Alter magic and fight some monsters. There are several places around here that are good for gaining levels. I'll leave it to you to find them. When you're ready, go and fight the boss. The proper pathway is to the left of the wide submerged area with two small stairways which allow you to get in or out of the water on either side. It's just to the left of where you found the key. *** BOSS FIGHT *** As always, make sure you're stocked up with your Herb. I recommend level 30 for tackling this one. Equip the Shield Ring also, as you'll have to use your Fire magic, which the Power Ring doesn't affect. The boss follows a fairly simple pattern. The energy orbs it sends out will turn into waves of water that damage you. They're easy enough to avoid. You cannot hurt the armor in the middle until you destroy the two statues on the sides. Alternate between them and you should be able to destroy them in no time, while avoiding the water. Once it's gotten out of its shield, you can then attack it normally. It will fire multitudes of water projectiles at you, in some way or another. Most of these are easily avoided. If you MUST get hit (and sometimes it cannot be avoided) then run through the projectiles to take as little damage as possible. When the huge wave sends you back and forth across the screen, try to stay out of the armor's way, or else it'll do some nasty damage do you when it touches you. A little perseverence is all it takes. When you are victorious, the Freeze Magic will be your prize. *************************** SPECIAL ITEM ****************************** The next thing you should do is head back to the lava pits. Remember that area with the lavaspout that you couldn't cross? Use the Freeze magic on it and you can pass. This will net you Samson's Shoes, a handy item. It slows your movement rate to a crawl, but any enemy (except bosses, of course) is killed in one hit. Very handy for gaining experience, and surviving some of the later areas. *************************** SPECIAL ITEM ****************************** 14. Moon Village of Serene/Romun Castle Go back to the village of Libra, use your Alter magic, and hop off the dock. Swim to the right, then down to approach the waterfall. Once you fall, go to the right and attack the creatures here (use the Samson's Shoes) to gain experience. You can gain two or three levels here in no time. Follow the pathways north to the village of Serene. If you go east, you will find your pathway blocked by a large wall of rocks. There is an old woman named Banjo in the center of the village who can mix up a potion to blast away the rocks for you. Talk to her and she will tell you she needs "Kibie Powder" (That's kih-bee-ay) in order to make it. The only people known to have it are the Romuns. So, warp back to Arieda and head north to the castle. Once there, you will need to equip all that old weaponry you stole when escaping in order to get the guard to let you pass. Once inside you must go into the prison building, where you were held, and go upstairs. Talk to the soldier standing still in the lone hallway, and he will gripe to you about the "redheaded swordsman" for a bit, then recognize you, and run off to sound an alarm. Don't bother chasing him, you'll catch up to him later. Go back into the first building and you will be able to go upstairs now. As you pass through, you will overhear General Leo in his quarters, being in a particularly foul mood to one of his officers. He finally gives up and goes to sleep. Proceed upwards, and you will find the soldier who sounded the alarm. Chase him to the dead-end, and he will give you the key you need to unlock the door to the Kibie Powder. Go back downstairs and enter the formerly locked door, get the powder, and warp back to Serene. To get the Black Potion, use Badou's Ash and the Kibie Powder mixed. They are (from the left) the second and third items in the list that is presented to you. Once you have it, head to the wall of rocks and you will use the potion. It will hurt you severely, and an old woman will come up, warn you of the danger ahead, and give you the Talisman. When she leaves, sit tight for a few and heal back up. Then proceed up the road. 15. Torie Shrine (aka "EscherSpace") As you proceed onward, you will encounter a lava pit area much like the one you went through earlier. Attack the creatures outside the pyramid to gain levels. I would suggest level 34 or 35, as the boss is quite tough, and once inside, opportunities to gain experience are few and far between. When you reach the pillar and touch it, you will not be warped to the boss instantly, like you might be expecting. You will be warped into a very strange world. Beware of treasure boxes. Some of them are actually monsters, who can do a lot of damage to you. Test them with a blast of Fire or Freeze before approaching. If it goes through, the take what's inside. Otherwise, leave it be. They're not worth the trouble to fight. One of them will contain the Magic Ring. Make sure you get this before you fight the boss, or else you cannot go back and get it! These two areas are quite mazelike, and could give you some trouble. It is, unfortunately, impossible to make a map out of such a strange layout. The first is relatively simple. Step on one of the red tiles and you'll be warped to the green tile closest to it. This will also put you on the wall. (You'll see what I mean.) The tiles work in reverse as well. Find the Magic Ring here before proceeding to the really big tile. The second area is a bit tougher, and is more of a maze. The arrow tiles may only be crossed one way. So if you're going to use one, save first, so you can avoid having to retrace your steps. Work at it for awhile and you will get it. It's not as hard as it looks. *** BOSS FIGHT *** This boss is one of the tougher ones. Looking eerily similar to Darm, he attacks with incredible aggression. Have your Herb and Elixir prepared, as you very well may need both of them. You can only harm him when his cloak is red and he is solidified. Beware the vertical bolts of pink energy. They will drain your HP rapidly. He will also launch little blue energy pellets which do no damage, but serve to annoy the hell out of you and keep you from moving where you want to go. Avoid the attacks where possible, and keep plugging away at him, and you will eventually succeed. Level 34 makes for a tough fight, and level 35 is noticeably easier. Once you win, the spirit of Torie will give you the Seeker Magic. 16. Lefance Shrine Return to Serene and you'll find things quite different. Everything is destroyed, and there's no one here! The only living soul is an old woman where Banjo used to sit. Talk to her, and she will take an item from you... and then reveal who she really is. It might not be who you expect. Once she leaves, make use of the Seeker Magic that Torie gave you. It will reveal a hidden entrance, inside of which are the villagers. Banjo is still there, and will still make potions for you if you wish her to. The door on the upper left leads to Lefance Shrine. Talk to the woman and she will let you pass. Once there, go to the large statue in the center, and you will meet the spirit of Lefance himself. He will give you the Shield Magic, as well as give your magic a noticeable boost. You'll find your Fire and Freeze magics look considerably different. There are also three small poles with orbs sitting atop them. Looking into them will allow you to hear, once again, the three narratives detailing the story of Selceta. When you're done here, touch the glowing statue. 17. The Forest and The Ritual You will be transported into a forest. You'll find your Freeze magic works well against the enemies here. When you proceed, Duren will hop down in front of you and talk to you for a bit. To the north is a clearing filled with some tough enemies. Here is an excellent place to don Samson's Shoes and kill creatures for experience. At the gates, there is your friend Robin (the creature who gave you the Broad Sword earlier). Talk to him in Altered form. He will tell you that he is hungry, and ask that you find some food for him. Go down to the forest again, and pick up the seed you find at the root of a tree. Bring it back to Robin (still in Altered form), and he will start following you around and attacking enemies with you. If you change back to human form, he will sit still and you can proceed. *** BOSS FIGHT *** Inside the gates is a temple... and some familiar faces. Eldeel has the Mask of the Moon now, and he is no longer willing to entertain your interference. He sends Bami against you. She's actually not that tough. (I suppose her most dangerous attack was that annoying laugh.) You'd better be at level 36, or better yet, 37, before taking her on. She has three basic attacks. One she calls down lightning all over the screen. This is easy to avoid, as you have plenty of warning before it starts doing damage. She will also toss out three blasts of ice. These can be avoided by linear movement, so long as you don't let yourself get stuck in the corner. Her flamethrower attack is definitely her worst. It's impossible to completely avoid, so the best you can hope for is to cross through it when it's a straight line, directly in front of her. That way, you'll only take one hit. Once you've taken care of Bami, Eldeel will perform a ritual to raise the Gold City from the depths of the ground. Leeza is planned as his sacrifice, but something happens which stops him. Let's just say Guruda has a few surprises left in him after all. Afterwards, you and Leeza will go back to Laparo automatically. 18. The Gold City To get to the Gold City from Laparo, exit the town and head to the right. You'll see a pathway which wasn't there before. Go inside, and you'll run into Dogi. He will join you and help you fight your way through. Shortly after entering, you'll come upon a locked door. Dogi prepares to bash his way through, but is stopped by none other than General Leo of the Romun Army... and a cannon, plus a battalion of soldiers. After shoving you aside, he proceeds onward with his men. The pathways are somewhat convoluted, and it's easy to get a bit lost. When fighting, be careful. Most of the enemies here are immune to your magic. Fight where you can, and if you need to heal up, find a secluded corner and put on the Heal Ring. Dogi will stand guard for you, and easily kill any monsters that come your way. Your goal is the large open doorway at the back of the outside area. Once you reach here, you will come across Leo and his men again. They use the cannon to break through another door, but a pair of gargoyles come to life on either side of the door, destroying the cannon and the two soldiers who fired it. Leo proceeds on, undaunted. In the next area is one of the more obnoxious challenges in the game: the fire tiles, as I call them. Leo will repeatedly send groups of his men through the fire, each one getting a bit farther. Pay close attention to them, as they're showing the pattern. Once nearly all of his men are killed, he continues with the last of his troops and makes it through himself. And it's up to you to follow him. This part is quite tricky, and can take a while before you get the pattern down. Just ONE touch of those flames will kill you, and you also have to make sure Dogi is out of harm's way as well, or else he will be fried and you'll have to start over. It took me about ten tries to get it completed. The easiest pattern consists of starting on the right side, moving to the center, up the left side, center, then the right side again. You WILL have to be careful though, as some tiles will flare up twice before proceeding is safe. Once you've made it through, go to the next room. Leo will be there with his men and he will open a treasure chest. However, it does not seem to hold what he is searching for... several blue slime creatures rise from the floor and suck the Leo and the soldiers into the ground. It was a trap all along. One of them will also grab you as well. Dogi calls out your name, and you land in the basement with the other men. Leo leaves his men behind and runs off. At this point, you must proceed back to the room with the fire tiles and make your way through them again. Hey, you did it before, you can do it again, right? Besides, it's a lot easier when you don't have Dogi to worry about. In the next room, you will still have those blue slimes to contend with. You cannot kill them. They're rather fast, and move in a primarily random fashion. The only way to get past here is to use the Timer Ring and avoid them, making your way to the door on the far end of the room. In the next room, Leo is examining another treasure chest, situated on a raised block of stone with a pole at each corner. He opens it, laughing that he has finally found his treasure. Unfortunately, it is also empty. The eyes above the opposite door begin to glow, and Leo is consumed in a bolt of energy which knocks him into a corner of the room. When you talk to him, he says with his dying breath that he wonders why he was searching for something that didn't exist. He dies, and the doorway opens. As you proceed, it appears that it's a dead end. Dogi checks the wall, and breaks through a hollow portion, opening a path for you. As you enter, a rock falls from above, and Dogi shoves you aside, taking a rather nasty bump on the head. *************************** SPECIAL ITEM ****************************** Any time after Leo is killed, you may go back to Romun Castle and look for his original equipment. It is the best equipment available in the game, but getting it can be a bit of a chore. It's in his room, but you cannot enter the tower without some way of sneaking by the guard. The old "wear-the-enemy-equipment" trick won't work here... you need something extra. What you need is an invisibility potion. In order to get this, you need to talk to Banjo, who is now in Arieda at the northeast corner of town. To obtain the Clear Potion which will make you temporarily invisible, you need the two leftmost items on her ingredients list. The second one, Batou's Ash, can be easily purchased. The first you may have a bit of a time with, since you may not remember where you got it originally. But after much searching, I've found out. If you don't have it, warp back to Promalock and head out of the town. Summon Ruse to the tree just outside the town, and he will bring you the item you need. Now head over to Banjo and get her to make that potion! Inside Romun Castle, use the item before you go up the stairs and the guard will not notice you. You will blink rapidly when invisible. Enjoy the newfound power. *************************** SPECIAL ITEM ****************************** Dogi waves you off, declaring that he's all right and that you should go on ahead. In the next area, the creatures all all armored and are immune to magic, not to mention extremely fast. I recommend using Samson's Shoes throughout this place. Any creature you touch will be destroyed, and the safety factor makes it more than worth the tradeoff in speed. You can also use it to gain a few levels, as the creatures tend to attack relentlessly, giving you plenty of opportunity to gain experience. *** BOSS FIGHT *** Eventually, you will come across another large open doorway. Before entering, make sure you are level 39 or higher, in order to stand the best chance against what is to come. Within this place sit another two gargoyles like the ones that destroyed Leo's cannon. They will come to life and swoop to attack. They are only vulnerable to magic, so get it ready. Due to their speed, you should also use the Timer Ring, as it will buy you a lot of time and chances to attack safely that you normally would not have. They will float around, firing blue bolts of homing energy at you. To avoid these, move in a tight circle behind them, and they will be unable to track you. Five of these will typically be fired, then they will switch to a new attack. In the second attack, they will each go to one side of the room and fly up and down, spitting lasers horizontally. Stay at the very top or the very bottom and you will not be hit. When one is near the top of the screen, get underneath it and let loose with as many bolts of magic as you can muster. Be sure not to get too close. For the third attack, they will come together near the center of the screen and unleash a short burst of white energy which will damage anything not at the sides of the screen. After they are reduced to about 1/4 their total hit points, they will begin firing off extra projectiles constantly. Don't be daunted by this, they're not homing and they're not hard to avoid. Keep pressing the attack. You should have plenty of life left to finish them off, particularly if you can save the Herb until now. When they're destroyed, go to the room at the back and open the treasure chest. Inside it is the key to the sealed door back where you left Dogi. Make your way back to that courtyard and enter the formerly locked door. You will find yourself back in Lefance Shrine. Talk to the statue again, and he will tell you that you must find Guruda and get back the Cleria Sword. 19. Zanria Tower Now, you must head to the upper left doorway, which will allow you to enter Zanria Tower. The blue horned creatures on the catwalks are worth rather good experience apiece, and are quite vulnerable to the Fire magic. Fight them and raise your experience level. Once you enter, it should look extremely familiar... namely, the Mountain Shrine that Tim led you through before. Notice all those holes in the walls where Dogi pounded his way through. You will be unable to escape this place. The Warp magic does not work here. To succeed here, you should go straight up, and then when you are warped to the wide open area, go through the bottom passage just to the right of the center. Continue straight and you will be warped to another familiar hallway, before a large door. The green creatures here are worth a TON of experience. However, you cannot hurt them without being injured yourself... unless you use the Shield Magic (not recommended) or the Samson's Shoes. Use them to raise your level to 45 or better, then enter the large door. *** BOSS FIGHT *** Before you step on the floor tile, prepare your Power Ring and your Shield Magic. You're going to come face to face with an old friend. Attack when he is in his solid, humanoid form and avoid the energy spheres which fly around. He's not that tough. You should have him down to virtually nothing by the time your magic runs out, so you can afford to take some damage near the end of the battle. Once you have won, make your way back to Lefance Shrine. You can now use the Warp Magic. You should have a ton of money by now, so go back to Arieda and stock up on everything you can, including an Elixir. Warp back to Lefance Shrine and go into the right-hand door this time, which will lead you to... 20. Lunes Tower This place is easier than it looks... the Samson's Shoes will serve you well here. You will have to work your way through a short but confusing maze, opening "hidden" passages with the Seeker magic. Watch your magic points, as the magic consumes 10 points with each use. Once you've made it past here, you will eventually find a Silver Bracelet in a treasure chest. By equipping this and touching a silver statue, you will be warped to the corresponding silver statue. Follow the pathway (it may take some work) and you will find a room very much like the one in which you fought the boss of Zanria Tower. There is no boss here, only the Gold Bracelet. Once you have the Gold Bracelet, you can warp using the gold statues as well. Eventually, you will find yourself confronted with a room full of sliding walls. This area is quite simple to pass through, and shouldn't take more than a couple of minutes to get through. After you have gotten out of here, you will find yourself in the upper courtyard. Now, it is time to fight Guruda himself. *** BOSS FIGHT *** For this fight, you should be level 46 or better. Equip your Power Ring and the Shield magic, and of course, the Herb. When he leaps, he will try to drop directly on you. If he does, you will be hurt. He will then hop up or down. Here is your best opportunity to do damage. He will warp across the screen, leaving golden scythes spinning in the air, which will fly at your current location. He will also sometimes launch eight at once, which will all attack at the same time. With the Shield magic, just ignore the hits (though try to avoid getting stomped on, to preserve your Shield magic) and press the attack. The scythes aren't too hard to avoid and don't do much damage. He should be down to around 25% life by the time you need to use the Herb. Finish him off and you will reclaim the Mask of Eyes (now the Mask of the Moon) as well as the Cleria Sword! Now, you may warp back to Lefance Shrine (or if you feel like giving your thumb and memory a workout, you can go it on foot), and speak to the statue of Lefance again. He congratulates you, and grants you more power. He says that he will transform the magical silver armor into gold equipment known as "El Doran." After the change is done, Adol's armor and weapons will glow. 21. Shrine of the Sun If you are NOT in possession of the full complement of healing items (Herb, Roda Tree Nut, Elixir), warp back to Arieda and stock up. Then warp back to Lefance Shrine and head to one of the upper doors. Just after going through this door, you should see that the doorway above is now open. Enter this room and step on the tile in the center. The spirits who have aided you throughout the adventure will take the Mask of Eyes from you and transform it into the Mask of the Moon. This item is absolutely crucial for you to proceed. The wall in front of you will open up in a big way and allow you passage. You MUST equip the Mask of the Moon before entering or you will be dead in less than two seconds! Your HP will drop like a rock without it. If you are not at maximum level, just inside is a good place to fix that. The floating slime creatures are worth substantial experience (90 exp at level 47, 45 at level 48). Be careful though, as the other enemies are quick and can do a lot of damage. These creatures are totally immune to your magic. Sit on the stairway with the Heal Ring equipped to heal if necessary. Once you have reached level 49, use the fruit you obtained in Darm Tower, and it will put you immediately at level 50, which is the maximum attainable in the game. (You DID save it until now, right?) This area is actually extremely short. You should have no trouble at all unless you REALLY screw up. When you get outside, the music will change and you must prepare to fight your final enemy. 22. The Final Battle Before you do anything atop the Shrine, use your Herb and Roda Tree Nut if your HP and MP are not at maximum. You will not be able to use either of them when you are in battle. You MUST have the El Doran armor, shield and sword equipped, or else you will not be able to do any damage. Leo's equipment will not cut it. You REALLY should be at level 50 by now. This boss really isn't that hard... I'd rank the Ice Immurer as being considerably harder. Stand directly in front of the tile just above the stairway. Equip your Power Ring, Shield Magic, El Doran equipment, and the Mask of the Moon. When you come out of the options menu, IMMEDIATELY step on, to avoid wasting precious magic points on the Shield spell. The boss has three forms, only the first two of which pose any real threat. For the first form, he will fly randomly about the area and launch bolts of energy at you. Don't worry too much about this, just chase him down, but avoid the bolts where possible. When he launches a barrage of small yellow blasts, try to stay near the center of him, so you can hit without being hit. The longer you can conserve your Shield energy, the better. He will periodically refill his energy, so you want to hit him hard and fast! The more he heals himself, the less powerful the healing. If you're quick, you can kill this form before he even manages to heal himself once. You can even end up with around 100 or so MP to spare for the second form... I did it on the first try, so can you. The second form is considerably different. Rather than just float around, he follows a more recognizable pattern. He will fire out balls of yellow energy, which will explode in all directions. Keep track of where they are before exploding, and you can easily avoid the shrapnel. He will sometimes fly toward the top of the platform and swing his sword, launching wide blasts of energy. He's very vulnerable when he does this, so move in to attack. The most damaging (though easier to avoid) attack is when he flies to the center of the room and calls down a firestorm. You can always see the shadows of the fireballs before they hit, so you shouldn't have much of a problem getting away from them. When he drops, try to be close to him, so you can get in a few good hits. Eventually, he'll go down. You should still have 120 or so HP by this point, WITHOUT having used the Elixir. The third form involves much more of a transformation, and is mindnumbingly easy. It's only dangerous if you're impatient. The three green orbs at his feet are his vulnerable spots. Only one will be open to attack at a time. This is easily judged by looking, as the vulnerable one has no flesh covering it. His one attack is a powerful beam of energy from his mouth, which he sweeps back and forth slowly. If you touch it, you'll take MAJOR damage. But if you're patient, he won't be able to hurt you at all. There are a couple of safe spots in the upper corners. Wait out the beam, and strike the orbs when possible. Each of the three orbs has its own individual lifebar, so you must kill each one in order to win. This effectively gives this form 1200 hitpoints(!), but you do a good bit of damage at this point. He will occasionally sweep the beam across very quickly, and also sweep twice rather than once... so be very careful of when you move in to strike. You should not have any trouble with him, though. If he were more aggressive, then there would be something to worry about. Once he's defeated, sit back and relax. Watch the glorious ending. You've earned it. Now see, why don't more companies make endings this cool? :) 23. Developer's Room Once the credits have rolled and the game is on its final screen (it should be pretty obvious when you see it), hold down RUN and press SELECT to reset. Now, go to the title screen and select "Continue." Instead of choosing a game to load, press the II button. A new, third option will appear here. Choose this to go to the Developer's Room. In this place, you get to talk to all of the developers of the game (though most of them take the form of monster's you've been fighting). If you check your Status and Item screens, you will also find that you are in possession of every single item and piece of equipment in the game! This is handy for letting you see what you may have missed. Although, if you followed all the given instructions in this walkthrough, you SHOULDN'T really have missed anything. The most notable thing is the Black Pearl on the top floor. By touching it, you can view all four of the animated sequences in the game, see the insides of the houses without the text boxes getting in the way. You can also view the images of people when they speak to you outside of houses as well. On the top floor, you will find Robin as well. Switch to your Alter form to speak to him, and he will give you a chance to restart the game, only this time you will be given the Gold and Silver Bracelets at the outset. The Silver will double the amount of experience you earn, while the Gold will double your money. Select "hai" to do restart the game with these. -=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=- Well, that's it. You've played through one of the finest action-RPGs ever to grace a home console system. I hope this walkthrough has proven useful. If you have anything to add, please email me at deuce@scsn.net and I will be glad to include it and credit you as well.