Chapter I: Awakening
The game begins… after the opening cutscene you will find yourself in the world map. Take advantage of this to familiarize yourself with the navigation mechanism between zones: head south, following the dotted line, until you find an area marked with an exclamation point. Press X to enter. You will witness another cut-scene; after it the main character of the story, Ryu, will join the group. At this point, you are free to continue towards the Cliff section, but it is advisable to take advantage of the sections marked with question marks on the world map to accumulate experience through battles. Also, in each of them there is an object hidden, which is each time in a different place. Once ready, head to Cliff as mentioned above. Here Nina will remember that your destination, Sarai, is just on the other side of this section. Go down the slope and cross the bridge on the left. You should see an object, which you can take as you go this way. You will see a wooden walkway leading to another bridge. Ignore it for now and rotate the camera. You should now see a passage that leads to that very object. Pressing X in front of it will reveal that it is a unit of Ammonia. Go back and take the other direction. Nina will now teach you to jump. After the lesson it will be evening, and Nina will recommend setting up a camp to rest. Enter the cave on the side wall and another scene will start. At this point the game will move to Fou-Lu ... After a short cutscene, you can control him. You will notice that this character, at level 64, is extremely strong; no monster will give you much trouble if you're controlling Fou-Lu. A tip: don't pick up the items you will see in the sections of Fou-Lu: you will go through the same sections later with Ryu, and since the latter will be used much more than Fou-Lu, they will be more useful to you. Begin by walking down the stairs to the tomb. You'll find yourself in a forest: as mentioned, the enemies you encounter shouldn't worry you, despite being frighteningly stronger than those Ryu has encountered so far. Go up the ramp on the left and approach the stone to the south - an orange sign will appear that will teleport you through the stones. You will witness a scene; after that, Fou-Lu will acquire the Meditate ability and can use it to transform into a dragon in battles. After the scene, move south to find yourself on the world map. From the starting point, move left to reach the point marked with a question mark. Press X to enter and move left. After a short walk you will find your enemy and the first boss of the game.
BOSS: KHAM
Boss HP: 15000
EXP earned: 16000
Zenny earned: 4200
Items earned: Ambrosia
Boss attacks: Flaming Fist (fire-based attack on a target); Mystic Fire (4 fire element attacks against one target)
STRATEGY: if you want a quick fight, transform into the only dragon currently available: the Astral. Attack the monster regularly, or use the Eraser attack: in no time he will be defeated.
Once the boss Fou-Lu is defeated he will run away because he is being chased by some guards, who will set fire to the forest. Once you regain control of the character, cross the section and cross the bridge. Here you will find the man again and witness a scene, after which control will return to Ryu. You've probably noticed that he too has acquired the Meditate ability - now you can transform him into the Aura, Ryu's first morph! Move north of where you are now to find yourself on the world map. Now head south to get to Sarai. Here Nina will search for spare parts for the destroyed Sandflier, leaving you free to explore your first village. Your priority should be to purchase new items to equip your party - the enemies will get stronger and stronger from now on. Once the transactions are complete, head to the north of the city, where you will find a pub. Talk to the frogman to purchase the Lead Ball key item (see the appropriate guide for more information). Then talk to the man at the counter: he can give you information, but he won't do it at all: you'll have to complete a mini-game!
Minigame - Feed the Old Man
The goal of the minigame is to make the old man happy. You will notice that there are 3 parameters on the screen: Food, Drink, Happiness. You will need to fill the Happiness bar by giving the old man various types of food or drink. Obviously the things you give the old man are paid. You will be able to buy sausages (1 zenny each), Steaks (5 zenny each), Beer (1 zenny each) and Wine (5 zenny per unit). By giving the old man the same thing over and over again, his happiness will gradually drop, so give him a variety of things. Once the Happiness bar is filled, the game will end.
The man will give you the information: the person outside the inn has the information. Exit and you will find Nina talking to the monkey. Choose the first option to avoid getting scammed and head to the guy near the inn. He knows where you can find spare parts, but to find out, you'll have to play another mini-game.
Minigame - Let's make a deal
The purpose of the minigame is to offer the sum decided by the man, which will however be kept secret from you until the moment of your offer. If you offer a large sum, the game is more likely to succeed, but it is always better to stay low on the offers. "Small" hint: the information 123 zenny thing. If you offer the exact amount, you won't risk wasting any more Zenny.
The man will tell you that you can know where to find the pieces on the black market, but you will need the password to be able to trade here. She will also tell you that the merchant who knows her is traveling along a road outside Sarai. It will also give you a unit of Ginseng. Before you go, buy a fishing rod, and go back to the gun shop to buy some equipment for Nina. Exit the village to find yourself in the world map. East of Sarai is another section with a question mark. Explore it .. exiting from the lower left corner you should find the first Fishing spot (for more information check the dedicated guide). If you want to continue the story, know that you will find the merchant who will give you information on the road between Cliff and Sarai. He will give you the password; go back to Sarai, this time entering from the other side. Here you will find the merchant, who will give you Aurum for finding him. To bargain with him, you will still need to know the password; so enter the city from the normal side and re-enter the pub. Talk to the bartender so you can finally talk to the one who can tell you where to find the pieces. Go back to the merchant again, who will tell you about a place called Sandflier Valley, which is actually a dump of broken Sandflier. You will need to head to this place and bring back some wreckage so that he can create some first-rate pieces. Leave the village and head south to reach your destination. After entering the landfill, head to the ramp at the top right and climb it. Open the semi-hidden chest behind the flag. Go back south and examine the wheel to turn it to the right to clear the passage. Go back to where you were and take the previously blocked road, collect the 200 zenny in the trunk and return to the wheel. Change its position twice and return to the starting point and go past the rudder to the south. Proceed in this direction and enter the hole in the hull of the sandflier to the east. Once inside go up the stairs and open the chest. Go back and examine the crank to lower the platform out of this section. Exit and step onto this platform, which will automatically return to its original position, allowing you to reach a new section. Now talk to the old man: he will explain that beyond the door above there is a clearing where you can find Sandflier scrap, telling you that he can provide you with a shovel (for a fee of course) and his dog companion to help you find them. If you agree to pay 50 zenny, another minigame will start!
Minigame - Find the wreckage
The goal of the minigame is to find three debris, but there are seven hidden objects in the sand. At the start of the minigame the dog will wander around the field, stopping occasionally to bark. Make a note of where this happens, because it means that there is a wreck in that spot. There is no time limit for the game, but after a few times you dig the shovel it will break; you will therefore have to be very precise.
Exit this section and return to the world map. Head to Sarai to speak to the merchant, who will deliver the repaired parts to you. At this point you will witness a scene in the pub, after which you will have to have a battle with a boss.
BOSS: JOH
Boss HP: 1200
EXPERIENCE gained: 100
ZENNY earned: 305
OBJECTS earned: Aurum
ATTACKS by the boss: Burn (weak attack of fire element); Flail (multiple attack against an opponent)
STRATEGY: Nina will have to face the battle alone, so adjust accordingly: regularly attack the boss with physical attacks and, when possible, with the Sever magic. Watch out for the Flail attack; if Nina's HP drops below 100, use the Heal spell or the Healing Herb item.
After the battle you will see a scene: you will then find yourself in the world map. Head east to find an area marked with an exclamation point. Enter with X and you will see another scene, in which a merchant will point out the way to Chamba, your next destination. Exit this area and head north to reach the new village. As soon as you arrive, enter the weapon shop and equip party members with new weapons wherever possible. Enter the house near the village entrance to find a pair of Life Sandals - equip them for Nina. Upon entering the inn, you will be able to recover lost HP and AP, and you can find 2 Panacea units by searching for them there. Now speak to the old man at the top of the stairs in the upper right to learn about a certain "Infected Air" (Hex) that plagues the western part of the village. Enter the house in the middle level to find Tahb, the man you need to advance the story. Choose to wait after dinner to talk. You will learn that there is no way to get through the infected air, but also that there is a person who can. By talking to the people of the village, you will find that the guide is not found. Talk to Tahb again, who is standing outside the headquarters this time to witness a new scene. After that, a new character, Ershin, will join your party. Once ready, enter the haunted area. Once inside, walk northwest, then south across the bridge to reach the roof opposite. Proceed south to find a chest, containing 3 units of Healing Herb. Retrace your steps, take the bridge on the southwest corner of the roof and walk past the abandoned house. Continue west up the ladder, past the building until you reach the northwest corner, to find a chest containing 300 Zenny. Take the bridge on the left to reach a chest. Open it and proceed to another screen. At this point, the group will split into two parts. Ershin will descend into the fog alone leaving Ryu and Nina to cross the screen from the rooftops. Like Ershin, go down the ladder and stand in front of the crate blocking the way. Switch control to Ryu, proceed northwest and jump. Then stand on the crate closest to the entrance to raise the crate blocking Ershin's way. Change control again and proceed through the now accessible road. Climb the ladder and open the chest to find a unit of Molotov cocktails. Go back to Ryu and Nina to get them off the chest. Change control again to put Ershin on top of the crate. Go back to Ryu and Nina and go through the crate, which will not lower now. Go back to the previous section and open the chest containing a Waistcloth. Go back and head southeast, then jump to reach a valve. Examine it and switch control to Ershin to get to the other valve. Once you've examined Ershin's valve (you can reach it by going down the ladder) some fog will clear, just enough to allow the group to move on to the next section. Here, jump and run across the bridge.
BOSS: SKULLFISH
Boss HP: 2400
EXPERIENCE gained: 429
ZENNY earned: 291
OBJECTS earned: Antidote, Fishhead
ATTACKS by the boss: Venom Breath (can inflict "Poison" on all allies); Confused (can inflict "Confusion" status on a target)
STRATEGY: Continue to attack the monster with spells such as Burn and Sever, without forgetting that using the magic combo Fire + Wind the spell Firewind will be formed, which will inflict considerable damage on the boss. It uses Ershin to attack, but if the party's HP drops too low, use healing items and spells. Also remember that this boss belongs to the Undead category, so attacks based on the holy element and spells or healing items will damage it.
Once you have defeated the monster proceed towards the ladder and then towards the world map. Head to the section where the game started to find Cray and have him join your party too. At this point, after a scene, you will witness a dream of Ryu. Once you regain control, save your game via the book on the right and head up the stairs. You will notice that next to them are two rooms, each containing an object. When you are ready, take the stairs and cross the hall. Open the door. Then pick up another object and stand behind the curtain: you will see a scene. At this point you will have to walk to the other side of the stage (be careful not to run). Once this is done, the dream will end. Back on the world map, head east of Chamba and enter the Kurok Valley. Continue down the street and you will find the first teacher, Rwolf (for more information on the masters, consult the specific guide). It is advisable, at this point in the game, to entrust Nina to him, since it will lower the physical power to increase the magical power. Once ready, head north to find a chest, go back and take the left path. Continue to the end, turn right and return to the world map. At this point, proceed to the left to reach the Dam. You will witness a scene; after it, head east and go down the ladder. Proceed in this direction: once you reach the bottom, go up the ladder and go down the corridor to the west. At the end, take the exit and go down the ladder. Walk along the wooden walkways and jump to reach the other side of the slime stream. Talk to the man to find out that to close the lock (Sluice) and stop the course of mud, you need a special key. He'll tell you who has this key: the guy south of you. Go to him and talk to him to get this key item. Now retrace your steps and go to the underground area; continue to the entrance and use the key to open the door. Pull the lever to lower a walkway. Go back out and go up the ladder, and go through the lock. Climb the other ladder to reach a chest containing a Short Sword. Go back, go down the ladder and through the door on the east side of the dam. Unlock the door and activate the lock as before to bring down another walkway, but it will lock halfway: to make it go in its place, you will have to complete a mini-game.
Minigame - Activate the lock!
The goal of the game is to activate the lock manually: this will be possible by pressing the Circle key at the right time. To turn the crank, press the directional pad buttons clockwise or counterclockwise. Start slowly and then gradually speed up. When you hear a sound, immediately press the Circle key. If you have good timing, the mechanism will activate. Once the minigame is completed, the catwalk will finally go down completely. Speaking to the worker you will receive a unit of Toad (bait for the fishing minigame - see dedicated section). Exit the south door and go west to find a chest containing two units of Vitamins. Retrace your steps and climb the ladder. Now that the river of slime is dry, go up the second operated walkway and climb the ladder to find a chest containing two units of Swallow Eye. Now go down the ladder and enter the room to the east. Cross the underground passage and, once you reach and take the exit, pull the blue lever to lower a bridge that leads to the other side of the river. Now cross the bridge you just lowered and return the Sluice Key to the man who gave it to you. You will witness a scene, in which you will get to know the Dragon of the Slime (Mud Fragon). After the scene, run to the elevator and examine it to find that it doesn't move. At this point, you will need to quickly and repeatedly press the X key to make it move. Once done, the dragon will break through the dam causing the entire area to flood. You will find yourself in the world map. Head north to enter an area marked with an exclamation point. Enter it and you will see a scene. Choose to give the woman 100 zenny, and she will play a song for you. After another sequence, you will return to the world map again. Head east to reach Kyria. Warning: in this city you could run into traps, which, as you will discover, the mayor has set to protect the citizens. So be careful, because you too could fall into it! They are quite recognizable: if there is a different point in the ground than adjacent areas, it probably hides a trap. The chest behind the inn also hides a trap, and more precisely a battle against three monsters. Falling into the hole in the northwest corner of the city will find a chest containing 400 zenny. After getting back up, use Cray to move the barrels and get out. You cannot enter the mayor's house directly, since if you do you will fall into a trap: you must therefore find a secondary entrance ... Fall into the other hole: going up, you will find yourself right inside the mayor's house. Once inside, examine the shelf to find a unit of Fishhead, then talk to the parrot. Choose, in order, the first option, the second option and then the third option. Finally the fourth option. At this point, you can ask where the mayor is. You will learn that it is in the forest west of the city: you have to go look for it ... Once you are ready (maybe after saving your game, resting and buying better equipment for the group members), leave the city and head west . Once you enter the forest, proceed in the only direction possible to find a citizen who will explain to you what situation the mayor is in. He will also give you an apple, which will serve as a monster bait. If you need more apples, you can safely refuel them using Ershin's special ability against trees. Pass the citizen and you will see an arrow pointing east. Go in that direction to find a source. Go up the hill east of the spring and you will see a cage. Warning: if you pass under it it will fall on the characters (you can still break it with the arrow keys). Next to the cage is a hole - drop into it to land next to a chest containing 4 Healing Herbs. Climb the ladder to return to the surface. Go south of the source and you will see a dangling metal plate attached to a rope. Going under it will fall on the character's head, stunning him for a few seconds. Go up the hill to the south and you will see another cage to the east. Go up the hill to the north and this time you'll find a chest hanging from a rope. If you go under it, it will fall on your head and you can retrieve its contents - a weapon for Cray. Now go back to the cage and go south, down the hill and drop into the hole. You will find another chest. After opening it, go back to the surface and find a tree stump: put an apple on it. A wild boar will arrive and eat the apple running away immediately afterwards: hurry up and follow its tracks, but watch out for the potholes along the way! Walk along the river and jump on the rock near the waterfall. Jump to the other bank and continue along the path, continuing to jump where necessary. Continue to the top and make your way to the waterfall to find a Wisdom Seed. Then continue to the top of the hill to find the mayor and the boar in the next pattern.
BOSS: MAMAN
Boss HP: 3500
EXPERIENCE gained: 1500
ZENNY earned: 450
OBJECTS earned: Apple, Flame Punch
ATTACKS by the boss: Rock Blast (weak ground attack against all opponents); Body Press (physical attack on a target)
STRATEGY: This huge monster is weak to fire element attacks; therefore transform Ryu into Aura and have him use the Flame Strike repeatedly, while Nina takes care of the healing spells and Cray of the physical attacks. Occasionally have Nina use Sever, and NOT have Cray use earth element spells, since the monster is of the same element and would cause less damage than a physical attack.
After the battle you will automatically find yourself in the world map. Head to Kyria and, after a conversation with the mayor, you will receive permission to use the passage for Synesta. As the group rests in the inn overnight, you will witness a scene starring Fou-Lu. Once you regain control of the group, take the passage to Synesta. After entering, head north and then right to find a chest containing a Water Bomb. Exit this room and keep heading north to find a pond. Run around it and jump on the stone in the middle; then exit the cave to the east. After a while in this direction, you will reach a crossroads. First head north to find a chest containing Ammonia. Go back and take the fork heading south. Continue in this direction to reach the exit. Now head north to reach the stairs; as you climb them, be careful: there is a point where you can jump to reach a chest containing 500 zenny. After opening it, continue up the stairs, enter the next section and go up the stairs at the end of this section to find yourself in the city of Synesta. Enter the house near the source for information on the missing Princess Elina. Coming out of here, you will see the woman running after a child, without success; speak first with her and then with the child to provoke his escape: run after him and try to catch him! Try to frame him, knowing that if you go towards him he will run in the opposite direction. After getting it, he will return to the orphanage and the woman will tell you what she knows about Elina. After that, the child from before will challenge you in a hide-and-seek competition: if you find all the children he will tell you where the princess has gone.
BOSS: KAHN
HP of the boss: 3000
EXP earned: 1000
ZENNY earned: 0
OBJECTS earned: Ginseng
ATTACKS by the boss: Shout (a scream that makes all the fighters waver, canceling the moves in execution); Focus (increases attack for next turn)
STRATEGY: The dogma that should guide you through the battle is that Kahn THINKS he is strong, but he's just a deluded poor man. To make the battle as fast as possible, he uses the Aura's attacks while Cray takes care of casting the Slow spell at Kahn. Ershin should then either use physical attacks or heal with Healing Herb. Just in case, put Nina on the front line and have her use the Sever spell or healing spells. In a few bouts Kahn will go down.
After the battle, you will see a scene. Marlok will offer to help you, but he won't do it for free: to get his help, you'll need to catch a thief who recently stole from his property. While you do this, Nina will stay at Marlok's house. Before leaving the city, talk to the man next to the city gates: he will tell you that he saw a man with a big backpack coming out of Synesta. Exit the city and head east via the new path that has been created. Before arriving in the Hideout, however, stop in the area between it and Synesta (the one marked with a question mark) and you will see a sequence in which the thief will show himself. Now go out and go back to Synesta, in Marlok's house. After a cutscene, you will find yourself in the thief's hideout… enter the cave and continue to see the thief running all over the place. Try to catch it, just like you did with Chino, but keep in mind that you can block some passages with barrels (the path taken by the thief is always the same) via Cray's special ability (push). Once you have caught him, the thief will explain his reasons to you in a scene. After it you will have to return to Synesta, but keep in mind that Stoll (the thief) is a master, and he will agree to make you his pupil if you give him all your zenny ... you are free to decide whether to do it or not, but my advice is for now to continue with the story and let go of his "generous" offer. If in the future you decide to learn the moves that Stoll can teach you, you can adopt this tactic: go to a store, for weapons or items, and spend all your zenny, remaining with at least one. Go back to the hideout and agree to hand over your savings. Once Stoll agrees to teach you, go back to the shop and sell any previously purchased items. You will get half of the money spent… better than nothing… so go back to Synesta, and enter Marlok's house, who will assign you to another job. You need to head to Sandflier Wharf, which is north of Synesta. Please note that after this section there will be a series of events that you will not be able to go back for a while… if you have things to do, such as fishing or buying items, do it now. Once at Sandflier Wharf, go up the stairs and talk to the man, who will assign you a task: to clean the warehouse.
Minigame - Clean up the warehouse
Inside the warehouse (the shed on the right of Sanflier Wharf) there are barrels and jars, which must be placed respectively on the south and the north part, in special and easily recognizable sections. You can very well destroy the older barrels, which look different from the others and are not useful for the purposes of the minigame. For the game use a team consisting of Cray and Ershin, so you can nimbly move and destroy the barrels.
Once the minigame is complete, return to the man to receive another task; another minigame will start.
Minigame - Place crates with the crane
The game consists in placing the crates brought by Cray and Ershin on a departing Sanflier, in the correct position (which is represented by a dozen blue squares). There is a time limit, but if you make a mistake you can repeat the minigame anyway.
After finishing this minigame too, Marlok and Nina will appear, and you will witness a cutscene, after which control will be exchanged to Fou-Lu. You can save the game via the book. In case you think you need them, you can take the 2 Proteins behind Bunyan's house, but as mentioned at the beginning of the guide, the places where Fou-Lu passes will also be visited by Ryu, who may need the items more they are there. In any case, once you are ready, go down the mountain following the fixed path. After a while, you will find Yohm and you will see a scene, after which you will have to fight a battle.
BOSS: KHAFU
HP of the boss: 20000
EXP earned: 22000
ZENNY earned: 5800
OBJECTS earned: Fire Ward, Ambrosia
ATTACKS by the boss: Eldrich Flame (multiple fire element attack on target); Heal (heals a small amount of HP); Firewind (fire and wind element attack against all targets.
STRATEGY: Start by transforming into an Astral and hammer the monster with the Frost Strike attack. Treat yourself if necessary. However, the battle will end in a few turns.
After the battle Fou-Lu will escape and you will witness a scene, after which control will return to Ryu and the group, who have come to the village of Kyoin. Here you can improve the equipment of the characters. Once ready, head to the top of the village and cross the Imperial Causeway; then go up the stairs. Take the elevator and, once out, take the nearby door. Continue east to find a room with chests .. continue in this direction and go up the stairs at the end of the path. Open the door to the north to find a room with a chest containing a Glass Domino; exit and enter the south door. Proceed and go up the stairs at the end of the corridor. Exit again and take the elevator to reach the top. After a scene, you will have to face a boss battle.
BOSS: YMECHAF
HP of the boss: 6000
EXP earned: 2000
ZENNY earned: 0
OBJECTS earned: Aurum, Ice Punch
ATTACKS by the boss: Whirlwind (multiple attack against all targets); Sever (weak wind element attack)
STRATEGY: Take on the battle using Cray, Ryu and Nina. Use all available protective spells, like Cray's. He then uses the previously seen Firewind combo to attack the monster and cause him to lose balance, thus making him weak to physical attacks. At this point, attach it repeatedly until it has recovered; then repeat the Firewind combo. By continuing at this rate and using spells and healing items, the battle will soon be over.
After the battle you will see a scene .. after it, the group will find themselves in a tower substantially identical to the previous one, with the only difference that now they will have to go down: to hurry up, you could take the elevator, but you would lose all the treasures of the tower. If you want to take the long way, in order to gain some experience with casual encounters as well, take the stairs to the southeast. Continue down this road to reach a large room: take the south door and open the chest; then exit and continue west and then down the stairs. At this point continue north to find a room with chests, just like in the other tower. Open them and head back to the top to take the elevator, as unlike the previous tower, there is no way to go down to the lower floors. Once you get to the first floor, exit the tower and go to the world map. Then go west to reach the city of Astana. As usual, the first thing to do is to upgrade your equipment. Speaking to the villagers you will learn about a certain aqueduct… go back to the world map and head west to find it. Once inside, head north east and climb the ladder .. go east to find a chest containing some Ginseng; take the west staircase and run east. Talk to the mole man, then use the wooden walkways. For a quick shortcut to the entrance, you can use Ryu's sword and cut some posts that hold up a small bridge. Run east and jump. Climb the ladder and proceed east, then open the chest to find 500 zenny. Go down the ladder and jump again, going back. Climb the ladder and proceed to the top. Then jump into the water to reach the inside of the aqueduct. You will find yourself in the same place where Ryu's dream was set. Rest and save the game via the diary, then cross the room and through the door next to the stairs to find a unit of Life Shard. Exit this room and go up the stairs and go all the way like then .. once you reach the room with the curtain, examine one of the shelves to find a unit of Magic Shard .. then go up on stage to have the same sequence. As before, slowly cross the stage. Once you get to the other side, you will witness a scene and Chapter 1 will conclude.
