Welcome to the Final Fantasy III walkthrough. This will give you all the tips and tricks needed to conquer this great game. Before beginning, though, I must warn you that if you intend to win this game, you'll need to put in hour after hour of effort and attention, so be ready for it.
To start playing, select "New Game" and you'll get to see the story behind Final Fantasy III. Long ago, the War of the Magi was fought by warriors with the awesome power of magic. The world was in ruins. A thousand years have passed since then, and everything is back to normal. However, there are some who would try to become powerful by reviving this deadly force. As the first scene appears, two soldiers and a girl - all three wearing strange mechanical suits - are on a snowy mountaintop. Apparently, there are preparing to invade a mining town that has dug up something called an Esper. One of the soldiers, Vicks, is worried about the girl with them, as she is very powerful. However, Wedge, the other soldier, says she'll follow orders because she's wearing a "Slave Crown". Then they move out.
1. On the Run
When you first arrive in Narshe, the mining town, go to your subscreen and configure it the way you like. Next, begin walking due north. Occassionally you'll bump into the Guards of Narshe, who are determined to keep you out. They also have Lobos with them, but the Magitek Armor you're wearing will get rid of them quickly (have the soldiers use Fire Beam and the girl {?????} use Bio Blast). When you need HP, use the Heal Force technique for a quick recharge. Just keep going due north and you'll eventually reach the mines. Your destination is inside. In the mines are some new enemies, but they're even weaker than the Guards you fought outside. Head north a little and you'll see a blue sparkle on the left. This is a Save Point, and you can save your game here. Continue north and you'll run into a passage blocked by iron bars, but Vicks will plow right through them. But inside there's a new problem: the Guards have brought in a huge monster called the Whelk. As you start to fight, Vicks and Wedge will tell you an important clue. The Whelk can eat lightning for breakfast and stores it in its shell, so just remember not to shoot Bolt Beams at the shell. While Whelk has his head out, use Fire Beams and TekMissiles on it. When it pulls its head back into its shell, stop attacking. Use this time to use Heal Force on yourself, because Whelk can use some nasty spells. Resume your attack as soon as the head reappears. Normally Whelk would be a hard boss, but against Magitek Armor he's nothing. When he's gone continue north and you'll find the Esper, which is encased in ice. Strangely, it starts to glow. The anonymous girl is intrigued by it. Before they can figure out what's going on, a strange light hits Vicks and Wedge, vaporizing them! Even stranger is what happens to the young girl. Energy begins passing between her and the esper, and she is knocked unconscious. When she awakes, she is in a house with a middle-aged man you haven't seen yet. He has removed the Slave Crown from the girl's head, but it has given her amnesia. All she can remember is her name, which is Terra (you can change it if you like, though). However, the Narshe guards have arrived at the man's house looking for her, and you must now help her escape. The man will show you a back door, but before you go, take the Elixir from the clock by the door. Once you're outside, head west to get back into the mines. You'll probably encounter a few enemies in the mines, but they're no big deal. There's also a save point and a few treasures in here. However, you'll eventually be cornered by the Guards, but Terra will step on a loose floor and fall deeper into the mines. The fall also puts her out of comission for now. While asleep, you'll see her remembering somemore of her past, like the man who put the Slave Crown on her, and why: she has been used by "the Empire". Meanwhile, another man appears at the old man's house. This is Locke. He claims he's a treasure hunter, but everyone else calls him a thief. He works for a group called the Returners who oppose the Empire's plans for world domination. The old man has asked him to help Terra. These two also are trying to get Narshe to side with the Returners, as well as Terra. The old man also recommends that Locke take Terra to Figaro (you'll find out where that is later). Locke then finds Terra in the mines, but a whole slew of enemies show up seconds later. Locke can't take them all on his own, but then some Moogles show up. They are headed by a very intelligent Moogle named Mog, and want to help Locke and Terra. They form three groups: Locke and three Moogles, Mog and three other Moogles, and a third with four average Moogles, headed by one called Kushu. You can use Y to switch betwen groups. The object is to defeat all the enemies before they can reach Terra. Start by positioning Kushu's group directly in front of Terra, so you'll have a group there in case any enemies get past your other groups. Then take Locke's group around and start defeating all the enemies you can. Locke can also steal items like Tonics and Potions from enemies, so try that a lot. You should also fight at least one enemy with Mog's group so he can learn a Dance called the Dusk Requium. This can inflict serious damage on enemies. You'll probably take a bit of damage fighting them, especially if the Vomammoths use their Blizzard technique. When they're all defeated, take Locke's party to defeat the main enemy, the Marshal. If you lose fighting him, that's okay; Mog can always come in and finish the job. As Locke, try to steal from the Marshal and you'll get a MithrilKnife. The Marshal will usually start by throwing a Net on one of your characters, making him useless. Begins by taking out the two Lobos that flank him. If you're using Mog, the Dusk Requium is a must here. With that at your command, the Marshal is easy to beat. Once the danger has passed, Mog and the other Moogles leave Locke to get Terra out of here. He carries her to a secret exit that he opens by pressing a switch. Then Terra awakens and thanks Locke for what he and the Moogles did. Locke shows her the way out, and tells her to remember this secret entrance for later use. Before leaving town, though, stop at the building by the entrance. This is the "classroom", where you can learn variou techniques for making the game easier, and find some items too. Remember to search things like boxes, jars, buckets, and pots for items, in addition to treasures. Once you've learned some good techniques, leave Narshe and head sotuhwest until you reach the desert. The enemies out here are no big deal, and since you're on the world map you can save whenever you want. When you reach the desert, head southwest to reach Figaro Castle. The guards will recognize Locke and let you in. Head due north inside until you reach a room with a long red carpet. The small rooms to the side of this room contain shops where you can stock up on items, and a few treasures. Make sure you get a NoiseBlaster and a Bio Blaster from the man who sells tools, but not an AutoCrossbow. You'll be needing these soon. After that, go into the throne room at the end of the carpet to meet Edgar, King of Figaro. Edagr agrees to keep Terra safe here, since Figaro and the Empire are allies (or so it seems). It's mostly because he likes her, but her magical abilities are also a factor. As just Terra, you are now free to wander around Figaro Castle, where you can find out all sorts of useful information. The person you really need to talk to, though, is the Matron in the west tower. She'll tell you about Edgar's twin brother, Sabin, who gave up the throne to become a free man. After you've heard about him, return to the throne room and talk to Edgar. At this point, a member of the Empire arrives and asks to speak with Edgar. You may recognize him as Kefka, the man from Terra's dream who put the Slave Crown on her head. You must now play as Edgar and talk with Kefka (if you check your items, you'll notice that Edgar brings an AutoCrossbow when he joins). First speak to thw two soldiers, then Kefka himself. He tells you they're looking for a missing girl who escaped from them, and heard she may have come to Figaro. When Edgar asks if Kefka's talking about the infamous "Magitek witch", which is actually Terra, Kefka answers that he's just looking for thief. Edgar knows he wants Terra, so he lies and says he doesn't know. When he leaves, head north and talk to Locke. Now you can play as Terra, who was hiding in the back. Follow Locke to find the room where you can rest. When you get there, Locke will tell you that Edgar's just pretending to support the Empire, when he's actually a Returner, just like Locke and the old man in Narshe. Then he leaves Terra alone. The next morning, Edgar awakes to a strange smell. When he goes outside, the enitre castle is ablaze! As it turns out, Kefka is the arsonist here. He demands to have Terra, even though Edgar claims he doesn't know about it. Talk to the man at the door to the throne room and Kefka will ask Edgar if he's changed his mind. Edgar responds by jumping onto a chocobo and riding off. Locke and Terra soon follow. Then on Edgar's command, the entire castle burrows and buries itself in the sand! Enraged, Kefka dispatches a pair of M-TekArmors to pursue you. You must now take them on as Edgar, Locke, and Terra. Use Edgar's AutoCrossbow and have Locke steal Potions. If you want to see a cool scene, use Terra's Fire spell on them. With Edgar's AutoCrossbow, it won't take long to beat them, and Edgar and the others ride off, leaving Kefka to eat their dust.
2. Decisions, Decisions
While riding the chocobos, Locke and Edgar explain to Terra about the leader of the Returners, Banon. They want Terra to meet him so that he can help her decide how to help the good of the world with her magic powers. Edgar knows that if the Empire gets their hands on Terra again there'll be big trouble. Banon may also be able to help Terra understand her own power, so Edgar suggests they head for South Figaro. Ride the chocobos southeast and you'll find a small cave. Save your game before going in. The guard will allow you to pass since you're with Edgar. The enemies inside are tougher than before and come in large groups, but Edgar's various tools will help you deal with them quickly. Be sure to drink at the recovery spring to get your HP and MP back. There are treasures in this cave, but there are other times when you'll be coming back to this cave, and depending on how long you wait, the treasures will become better items. There are some other treasures like that (some are in the mines of Narshe, and others in South Figaro). To get through this cave, head east and then south in the room after the one with the recovery spring. After going up the large staircase there, the exit is easy to find. You'll find South Figaro to the southeast. When you first go in, you might notice a man in black walking around. In you follow him you'll end up in the local cafe. That's when Edgar recognizes him as Shadow, a mercenary who'll do basically anything for money. Remember him. Next check all the boxes, buckets, clocks, and such in town. You'll be able to find tons of good items. One important place to check out is the rich man's house at the northwest corner of town (you might notice him doing something suspicious). In one of the rooms on the top floor, there's a secret stairwell behind a bookcase. When you reach the bottom floor, at the part where you walk south down the hall, continue south unti you can't move, then walk east and you'll be in a secret room, where you can pick up some Running Shoes and a Hyper Wrist relic. Next, get some Sprint Shoes at the relic shop. At the weapon shop, get two RegalCutlasses, and give Edgar's MithrilBlade to Locke. At the armor shop, get three Heavy Shlds, three Plumed Hats, a Cotton Robe, and a Kung Fu Suit. You should also stock up on items like Tonics and Antidotes. With all that done, head north of South Figaro and you'll find a small house. As you walk around the house, Edgar will recognize various things in it. There is also a Tonic in the bucket in the corner, and you can rest in the beds. Edgar realizes that Sabin has been here. Outside you'll find a man who knows the guy who lives at the house, but claims he went into the mountains after he heard the legendary martial arts master, Duncan, had been slain. As it turns out, Duncan's son Vargas is missing too. Before heading into the mountains, spend some time in the forest just east of the South Figaro. Fight enemies and gain levels until all three of your characters are at level 10. Note: any time you see a Rhinotaur, try to steal from it. Occaissionally you'll get a Mithril Claw, which will be useful later on. Once you've reached level 10, save your game and head east to find the entrance to Mt. Kolts. Navigating Mt. Kolts is fairly easy, but the enemies are something else. Between Tuskers, Triliums, and other enemies you'll be needing lots of Tonics and Cure spells from Terra. Luckily, there are lots of good treasures to be found here. When you go inside the second cave, head south and go outside to get a Guardian, an excellent weapon for Locke. Also, in the northeast corner of that cave area, you can walk east behind the wall to reach another room where you'll find an Atlas Armlet. As you continue along the cliffs, you'll often see a shadowy figure who always seems just one step ahead of you. After going around the back of the mountain, go into the first door to get a Tent, then the second to continue on your journey. From there you have no choice of direction, so just keep going forward until you reach the end. Be sure to stop at the Save Point along the way, though. At the end of the road you'll meet up with Duncan's son Vargas. He's the one who's been spying on you as you wandered around the mountain. Apparently he and Sabin aren't the best of friends, and he attacks you. You must now battle Vargas, who is flanked by two Ipoohs. The Ipoohs don't take long to beat. Use Edgar's AutoCrossbow and Terra's Fire spell against them. When they're gone you must fight Vargas himself. Edgar should use the Bio Blaster in this fight, and Terra and Locke should attack. If you still don't have a Mithril Claw, Locke might get lucky and be able to steal one from Vargas. Once you've done some considerable damage to Vargas, Sabin appears. Sabin is angry with Vargas, because he killed his own father, Duncan! Vargas claims that he did it because Duncan had chosen Sabin as his successor, even though Sabin says otherwise. Vargas then gets mad and uses a special technique that blows everone but Sabin away. Now you must fight Vargas as only Sabin, and Vargas uses an attack that starts a countdown that lasts about a minute. When it reaches 0, Sabin will die. Vargas also has tons of HP - too much for one character to inflict in one minute. However, choose the Blitz command and press left, right, left to execute Sabin's Pummel technique, and Vargas will be devastated by it and destroyed instantly. After the fight, Edgar and Sabin experience a joyful reunion, and Edgar tells Sabin that they're headed for the Sabil Mountains. Realizing you're heading for the Returners, Sabin agrees to join you, as he too is unhappy with the Empire's ways. With Sabin in your group, be sure to give him the Mithril Claw if you got it. Continue by going through the cave Vargas was guarding, pick up the Tent on your way out, and save your game once you're outside. You can then find the entrance to the Returner hideout by going north. When you get there, remove all of Locke's equipment. You'll find out why in a moment. The man at the entrance will direct you to Banon's room, where you can also save your game if you like. Banon claims that Terra may be the Returners' only hope against the Empire. Then he goes to get some rest. You later awake as only Terra. Talk to Locke, Edgar, and Sabin and hear what they have to say. There also lots of treasures in this cave, including a secret passage in the eastern corner of the storage room that leads to a White Cape. When you've talked to everyone, go outside and talk to Banon. He'll ask if you want to help the Returners or not. You'll end up helping them either way, but what depending on what you say, you'll get different items. If you say yes, Banon will give you a Gauntlet. If you say no a few times, a dying man will appear and you'll get a Genji Glove from him. If you do say yes, the Returners hold a big meeting and discuss Magitek. They are trying to figure out how the Empire has created such a power. Edgar and Locke report that there is a lot of evidence connecting Magitek with Espers. Banon says that sounds like the War of the Magi, and the last thing anyone needs is a repeat of that terrible age. Banon also says that it's possible Magitek power could be made by draining the magic power from Espers. Since Terra was seen speaking to an Esper, they may be able to have her talk to the one in Narshe to learn more about the matter at hand. After Terra agrees to do it, the dying man shows up (he'll come no matter what you do, but if you got the Gauntlet he won't give you a Genji Glove). With his dying breath he informs the others that the Empire has taken South Figaro, and soldiers are already on their way here.
3. Divide and Conquer
Locke now leaves to go to South Figaro alone in order to slow the Empire down, while the rest of you escape down the Lete River to Narshe. Your party should now consist of Edgar, Sabin, Terra, and Banon. Don't forget to equip any new relics and equipment you found in the hideout. It might also be wise to rest and save again before continuing. When you're ready, head south from where you appeared after the meeting to reach the raft that will take you to Narshe. There is a slight catch while Banon is in your party, though. If he dies, your game is over, so keep a close eye on him. However, Banon has a special technique called Health, which will heal every character. Use this every turn to keep everyone's HP high. The enemies here are no problem since Banon will be using Health all the time. There are two places where the river divides, and you must choose your course. Head straight at the first one, and turn left at the second. There will also be a few places where you can stop and save. After the second save point, you'll run into a purple octopus named Ultros. This guy is a real menace. Make sure Banon uses Health every turn. Edgar should use the AutoCrossbow, Sabin should use his AuraBolt technique, and have Terra cast Fire spells. Ultros' Tentacle attack can be deadly, but Banon's Health spell should keep you in good shape. However, Ultros isn't defeated yet. He hides under the raft and tries to grab Terra, but luckily Edgar is able to get her out of a "sticky" situation. Sabin, enraged, dives into the water to take on Ultros, but Ultros swats him like a baseball, knocking him unconscious and causing him to drift down a different part of the river! The group has now gone three different ways, and it's up to you to decide which one to play out first. You can do them in any order you like, but if you like to play them in chronological order, the correct order is: Banon's scenario, Sabin's scenario, and finally Locke's scenario. Choose a scenario by having Mog talk to that person, but save your game first.
Banon's Scenario
As you start this scenario, you'll be continuing down the Lete River. The enemies are the same as before, and it won't be long before you reach Narshe. Save your game when you reach the end of the river, and head north to reach Narshe. However, the guards recognize Terra, and you won't be able to enter through the main gate. The solution lies in Locke. Use his secret entrance to get into the mines. Continue through the mines, fighting off wimpy enemies, and you'll come to a room with a light that dashes around the room. You must follow its path exactly to proceed to the door. Go up two steps, left one, up one, left four, up three, right three, up three, right three, down three, right one, down three, right three, up seven, left four, up three, left one, then up through the door. In the next room, go through the first door you come to. You'll reach the battlefield where Locke and the Moogles fought, and from there the Moogles' home. There's a treasure there which contains a Rune Edge, which will be very useful later. When you exit through the back door of the Moogles' lair, just head south and you'll find the entrance to the home of the old man who helped Terra at the beginning of the game. Before you get there, though, remove all the equipment and relics from your party members. He will tell you that things are a bit crazy in Narshe, now that the Esper has been found. At this point, everyone is counting on Terra.
Sabin's Scenario
When Sabin wakes up, he's in a place you've never seen before. There's a house just to the east, so head there to see if you can get directions. You'll notice that Shadow is standing outside. Ask him if he knows how to get to Narshe from here. Shadow says it will be tough, as Sabin will have to get past some Imperials who are attacking Doma Castle to the south. Shadow offers to show you the way, and this is an offer you should take up. However, Shadow has been known to take off at any time, so don't give him any relics. Also, give the Ninja Gear he's wearing to Sabin, and give Shadow the Kung Fu Suit. Next, talk to the man who looks like an Imperial Officer riding a chocobo. He's actually a merchant. Stock up on any items you need, and buy some Shurikens. Shadow will make good use of these. The old man in the house is a bit of a nut case, but you can use his bed for a free rest. Leave, save your game, and head southeast. The enemies in this region are a little tougher than before, such as Rhobites and Stray Cats, but Shadow's help will make them easy to defeat. Also, when someone tries to attack Shadow, he'll often counter by unleashing his dog, Interceptor, who'll tear the bad guys apart. After pasing through a forest, you'll come to a small desert. When you step into it, you'll be in an Imperial camp. When you first get there, you must hide behind a wall and eavesdrop on some soldiers. They're worried that Kefka may try to get their leader, General Leo, to go home. If that happens, Kefka may start making trouble. Lucky for the two soldiers - and you - their commander shows up. He orders them to leave their watch and come to Doma Castle to aid in the attack. At Doma Castle, the Imperial soldiers are on the verge of breaching the castle walls. The sentries at Doma are about ready to give up, when Cyan, their finest knight appears. Now playing as Cyan, you can equip him with armor and relics from Sabin's inventory. Talk to the commander and you must fight him. While fighting, use Cyan's Dispatch technique for some quick damage. It won't even take a minute to beat him, and you'll usually get a Black Belt when you win. Seeing the Leader defeated, the other soldiers run in terror. Back at the camp, you can play as Sabin and Shadow. Check Kefka's tent and you'll find a treasure that won't open. You can open it no matter how you hit it, but if you kick it you'll have to fight some enemies, so punch it if you want the easy way out. You should try to avoid the soldiers in the camp, as you'll often have to fight them. When you go across the bridge, you can listen to a conversation between a soldier and General Leo. Leo seems like an overall nice guy, but he is soon called back by the Emperor. As soon as Leo's gone, Kefka gives the order to dump poison into the river and kill everyone in Doma! Sabin simply cat sit and watch that happen, and you must now fight Kefka. Just hit him once and he'll run off. Fight him again and do the exact same. However, don't follow him after the second fight. Go into the tent just to the northwest and you'll find some good treasures. Be careful, though, for one of the contains a Telstar you'll have to defeat. This guy has some strong attacks, so take him out quickly with Sabin's AuraBolt. A Shuriken or two may also help. It's worth the truble though, because you'll get a Green Beret when you win, an strong helmet that will give you boost of HP as well. Once you have the two treasures, go after Kefka again. This time he'll leave right away, leaving you to deal with some Soldiers and Templars. They don't long to beat, but it's enough to give Kefka time to pour the poison into the river. At Doma Castle, sentries start dropping like flies. As Cyan, hurry to the throne room. The king dies, but wanrs Cyan that his family may be in danger as well. Head through the door that is northeast from the throne room and you'll find Cyan's wife and son, dead. Enraged, Cyan rushes to the camp and starts duking it out with Imperial soldiers. Talk to Cyan and lend him a hand in the fight. Every time Cyan gets into a fight, talk to him so you can help out. After a few fights, Sabin and Cyan agree that they need to get out of here. Luckily, they are able to hijack some Magitek Armor. With this at your control, all the enemies who try to stop you will be toast. Leave the camp the way you came in. Just before leaving, Cyan will tell you that you'll need to go through another forest to reach Narshe. You'll have to cross two bridges to get there, and you should save your game before actually entering the forest, which is known as the Phantom Forest. The forest is populated by new enemies like Ghosts, Hazers, and other mysterious creatures. Be sure to stop and take a drink from the recovery spring on the way. In the area after the recovery spring, head north or you'll end up going the wrong way. Eventually you'll reach a train, but Cyan doesn't want you to get on. However, Sabin won't listen, and the party ends up being on the train as it pulls out. Cyan tells you that this is the Phantom Train, which carries the dead to the "other side". Obviously, you don't want to go there, so you must find a way off this train. First, head for the caboose. You'll find a ghost there who will join your group. You can also save your game in this car, and if you talk to the man there he'll tell you that the train's controls are at the front of the train. From the caboose, head three cars to the left and go inside (in the second car there's a ghost who's actually a merchant, and will sell you some nice items if you talk to him). In the third car, and Ghost will try to trap you, but after you beat him, more ghosts start coming from everywhere. You'll need to climb onto the roof of the car to escape. When you walk to the left side of the roof, you can leap across to reach another car and leave the ghosts behind. However, they'll try to follow you, so go into the car and you can hit a switch that will detatch the rear cars. Hit the switch again to proceed. Save your game here as well. In the next car, sit down at the center table and you grab a bite to eat, fully restoring your HP. You should also stop at the back entrance to the car. There's a treasure there with some Earrings inside. In the next car is a treasure guarded by a man named Sigfried, and you must fight him if you want it. You'll beat him fairly quickly, but he takes the treasure with him. You still manage to get a Green Cherry from him, though. In the next car there are even more treasures, but one of them also conatins a Specter, so be careful. After this car you'll have to continue without the ghost, because he'll leave the group. In the next car there's a Save Point, and then you'll at last have reached the engine. In the room is a piece of paper that will give you instructions, but it's hard to find, so I'll just tell you. Hit the switch on the left and the right one, then go outside and you'll find one on the smokestack. However, the train doesn't agree with you, and throws you onto the tracks. Now you must fight the train itself. Sabin's AuraBolt is a great asset in this fight, as are Shadow's Surikens and Cyan's Dispatch technique. However, if you get into trouble, you can use a Fenix Down on the train and it will be beaten instantly. After being beaten, the train will let you off. However, Cyan notices that more people are boarding the train, including his late family! Sadly, there is nothing you can do to stop them, and Cyan is devastated by this. You should now be at the southern edge of the Phantom Forest. Refill your HP and save your game, then head east to reach a mountain. When you get there, remove all of Shadow's equipment if you still have him in your group. At the top of the mountain is Baren Falls. Cyan will tell you that at the bottom of the falls is the Veldt, a vast grassland populated by all sorts of strange creatures. From there you can reach the town of Mobliz. Feeling his work is complete, Shadow now leaves the group. As for Sabin and Cyan, the only way to the Veldt is straight down, so you must now jump over the falls! On the way down you must fight dealy Piranhas. Luckily they have very little HP. However, after you've defeated about ten Piranhas, you must face an even deadlier enemy named Rizopas. His attacks are vicious; he even knows the awesome El Nino technique. Luckily you can get rid of him fairly quickly with your AuraBolt and Dispatch moves. But when Sabin and Cyan wash ashore at the bottom of the falls, they seem to be dead. A strange boy wearing ragged clothes appears and is able to wake them up. Be sure to save your game now that you're on the Veldt. The enemies that appear on the Veldt can be from any part of the game you've already visited. Occassionally you'll run into the boy you saw when you finish a battle. Just hit him and he'll run away. To the southeast you'll find the town of Mobliz. Stop at the weapon shop there and get a Kotetsu for Cyan, and a Mithril Claw if you didn't get one earlier. Stock up supplies at the item shop, at get at least one piece of Dried Meat. There's also a bed you can use in the back of the relic shop. In the house on the west side there's an injured man who wants to mail a letter to his sweetheart Lola, but is weak he can't even write. Go to the house just east of the one where he is and you can mail the letter for him for 500 GP. There's also an Elixir in the clock. Once you've done all that, head back out onto the Veldt and fight enemies until the boy appears again. When he does, use the Dried Meat on him and he'll be very grateful. You'll be able to see just how strong Gau is, as that's his name. In thanks for giving him the food, Gau agrees to give Sabin and Cyan a present, which he has hidden in Crescent Mountain to the south. First, hang around the Veldt for a while a try to get some new skills for Gau. Some good enemies to use Leap on are Templars, Triliums, Ghosts, Hazers, and Dark Sides. When you've learned some good Rages, head south to find Crescent Mountain. Don't forget to give Gau some equipment and relics too. In Crescent Mountain, head for the southeast corner and you'll find Gau's treasure: a diving helmet! Once they have this, Sabin and Cyan eagerly dive into the water and are swept away by the swift current of the Serpent Trench. Gau comes along for the ride as well. There are enemies in the Serpent Trench as well, but most of them will quickly succumb to the Fire 2 spells Gau will cast if you use the Templar's Rage. If you already have Sabin's Fire Dance Blitz (which he learns at level 15), this also provides a big help. There are also places along the trench where you must choose a direction. Always go right; it isn't as direct a path, but you'll get treasures if you go that way. When you reach the end, you'll be in the town of Nikeah. There are lots of shops here, and you'll want to get better equipment - not just for Sabin, Cyan, and Gau, but for your other characters as well. Personally, I recommend you get a Mithril Pike, a Heavy Shld, four Iron Helmets, and four sets of Iron Armor. As for relics, look at what's there and see if you need anything. Don't forget to take the Elixir from the clock in the inn. When you're finished in Nikeah, remove everyone's equipment and relics, then get on the boat for South Figaro at the south dock. From there, our happy threesome will be in Narshe in no time.
Locke's Scenario
Locke was given the job of stymieing and disorganizing the Empire's troops in South Figaro, and he has done his job well. However, he still needs to escape and get to Narshe. After escaping a soldier, equip Locke with some armor and relics, and go into the house he's standing by. In here you'll find a save point, as well as a woman who tells you that there's probably a secret passage under the rich man's house. Unfortunately, you can't get there from here. Begin by going to the item shop, and talk to the mechant there. The two of them will end up in a fight. Have Locke steal from the Merchant and you'll get his clothing, allowing you to wear a disguise. Looking like a merchant, go into the house down the stairs next to the item shop. Downstairs, the boy will now let you through to the back door. From here, there are a couple ways to reach the rich man's house, but this one is more fun. Go up the stairs by the armor shop and head west. Eventually you'll run into an Officer, but you can steal his clothing as well! Now that you're disguised as an Imperial officer, you can talk to some of the soldiers and learn secrets, the most important one being that Kefka is going to invade Narshe! There is one soldier who you can relieve of duty, allowing you to pass to another part of South Figaro. From here, go to the cafe and head down into the basement. Steal the clothes from the Merchant there, and take his cider too. Now that you look like a merchant again, head back to the house you had to disguise yourself as a merchant to get through, and give some cider to the old man who lives there. He says you can find a secret passage into the rich man's house by giving his son a secret password, which is "Courage". When you go through the secret passage, you'll end up in a tiny room full of stuff. Take the Elixir in the clock, then go outside. You'll be right outside the back door of the rich man's house. As it turns out, the rich man was providing information to the Empire which helped them conquer the town, but he's really sorry for it. Remember the secret stairway behind the bookcase? Go down there. When you reach the bottom, you can change back into Locke's normal clothes. Turn right and look through the keyhole of one of the doors. You'll see some soldiers beating up a woman. You may recognize her a Celes, one the Empire's best men (uh, I mean women). Apparently she has turned against the Emperor after hearing about Kefka's plan to poison Doma. One soldier leaves, and the other stays to stand guard. Luckily, the guard quickly falls asleep, allowing Locke to sneak into the room undetected. Remove Celes' chains and take her with you. Before you leave, check out the snoozing soldier and you'll find an old clock key. Don't forget to give Celes some armor and relics, too. You can also save your game in the next room. Next, go into the room to the right of this one and open up all the treasures to find some monster GP. Find the clock in this room that isn't ticking and wind it to make a secret passage appear. In this room, you can walk through some of the walls, such as the one to the east. There also enemies in here, but they're no big deal. There are a total of four treasures that actually contain items in this room, and you'll want to get them all. However, there are also some stairs that go deeper into the basement, and you'll definitely want to find these. There are two treasures down there that you can see, as well as another one due south of the one to the north. This hard-to-find treasure contains a Ribbon, a truly awesome relic. Finally, go back upstairs and head for the stairs that go up in the southeast corner. From there you're home free. Save your game once you're out on the world map, then head for the cave that brought you here from Figaro Castle, and make your way to the recovery spring (unless you want to pick up any treasures you left behind before). As you head for the exit, you'll be attacked. Now you must fight off the awesome TunnelArmr, a type of Magitek vehicle. Have Celes use her Runic technique to ward off any spells the TunnelArmr throws at you. You might have to use a Cure spell or two, but just keep attacking with Locke while Celes does Runic and you'll be in good shape.
Back in Narshe, Terra, Edgar, Banon and the old man are trying to convince the Elder of Narshe to side with the Returners, but he's a bit reluctant. Sabin and his friends appear soon, and are welcomed warmly. However, when the Elder learns of what happened to Doma, he's even more cautious about opposing the Empire. Then Locke shows up with news of the Empire's coming attack. Obviously, there is a slight altercation between Cyan and Celes, but that's resolved fairly quickly. And it's a good thing too, as Kefka's forces are already on their way here. The Elder of Narshe realizes he really has no choice and sides with the Returners. They have moved the Esper up into the mountains, so Banon leads everyone up there. Equip everyone with armor and relics, then save your game. When you're ready to go, talk to Banon. Like the big battle with Locke and the Moogles, you must divide your seven party members into three groups. Instead of protecting Terra, it's Banon you must keep the bad guys from reaching, because if they do there's nothing to stop them from reaching the Esper. Here's the tactic I usually use. The first group is Terra, Locke, and Sabin, the second is Celes, Cyan, and Edgar, and your final group should be just Gau, all by himself. Position Gau directly in front of Banon; he's basically your last defense. Just to the east is corner where to paths toward Banon converge. Use Terra's group to block this passage. As for Celes' group, just go out there and start kicking butt. Edgar's Bio Blaster is a big help against the Troopers you'll fight, likely downing them in one fell swoop. Try to take out the enemies who aren't heading for Terra frist, because that direction's already covered. Use lots of Cure spells to keep your parties in good shape. Also, be very careful when fighting HeavyArmor vehicles. These guys have strong defensive capabilities and attacks as well, but a good counter is to use Celes' Runic technique to cancel out their attacks. If you have Sabin's Fire Dance Blitz, this also works wonders against the enemies here. By the time all the minor enemies have been eliminated, Celes' group will probably be exhausted, so switch to Terra's group and begin your advance. If Terra's MP is low, you may want to use a Tincture. Head toward the south end of the battlefield and you'll find Kefka, as well as one man running back and forth. This is a Rider, and you must fight him first. Have Locke steal from him and you'll get some good stuff. Once you've gotten it, use Terra's Fire spell and Sabin's Fire Dance to put an end to him. His attacks are strong, but using fire attacks will put an end to him in no time. Now you must face Kefka. This guy's attacks are even worse than the Rider's. Again, use Locke to steal items from him. Terra will probably be busy casting Cure spells most of the time, so have Sabin attack with AuraBolt. It may take more than one try to beat this guy, but don't give up. Terra should use Cure on practically every turn to counter Kefka's deadly Ice 2 spell. Once he's "defeated" though, he just runs away. You'll also get a Peace Ring from him. After the battle, everyone goes up to the top of the mountain to see the Esper. However, when Terra tries to talk to it, something strange happens. It transforms her into a strange pink creature, and she flies off to who-knows-where. Next thing you know, everyone else is back at Arvis' house deciding what to do next. They have to go find Terra, but their only clue is that she went westward. However, Narshe still needs to be protected as well, so the group splits up. You're allowed to bring up to four party members with you on the hunt. Locke, Sabin, and Edgar all have special scenes you can see along the way, so you'll wan tto bring those three. It's best if you bring Celes along as well, because you'll need her Cure spells. Edgar will tell you that Figaro Castle can take them to some of the western towns, so that should be your first destination. Before leaving, examine Narshe's various buildings. You can find all sorts of items, including a storage room full of treasures, located on the cliffs at the southeast corner of town. You should also stop at the armor shop and pick up some Mithril Shlds, and sell all your old armor. You can also pick up a Flail for Celes and a Full Moon for Locke at the weapon shop. With these weapons, you can place the user in the back row and still cause just as much damage when you attack! You can also grab a free rest in the back room of the weapon shop. When you're all finished here, save your game and head for Figaro Castle.
4. The Search for Terra
If you have Sabin with you, he will quickly leave the group to look around Figaro Castle when you get there. There is also a little trick I can tell you about when shopping in Figaro Castle. If you talk to the shopkeepers with Edgar leading the group, they'll give you a 50% discount on all items! You should pick up a Flash and a Drill at the tool shop, and stock up on items while you can get them cheap. Then take a rest in the west wing. While you're asleep, Sabin wanders the castle reminiscing about his life here, and about what happened when his father died. The former king of Figaro wanted the land divided between his two sons, but Sabin was disgusted with how everyone was more concerned with the succession than they were about the king himself! Edgar and Sabin both wanted to leave Figaro and live their own lives, but someone had to watch over the kingdom. Edgar decided to have a toss of a coin to decide who would go, and Sabin was heads. Putting his brother first, Edgar had used a double-headed coin, forsaking his own freedom for his brother's. After seeing the story, you'll see a discussion between Edgar and Sabin, and then you'll wake up with your party back together. Head for the first room at the entrance and go down the stairs on the left. Talk to the man and ask to go to Kohlingen. Figaro Castle will burrow underground and travel under the mountains to the west, resurfacing near Kohlingen. Check out the inn and you'll see Shadow. He'll join your party again if you only bring three party members along, but it's usually not worth it, because he often runs away again. Everyone else in town is abuzz with sightings of Terra. They say she went south, toward the town of Jidoor. Before you leave, step into the house at the northwest corner of town. Locke will have flashbacks about his old girlfriend, Rachel. One day, Locke was showing her through a cave to find a treasure, when there was an earthquake or something. Locke was standing on a rickety old bridge that was about to collapse, but Rachel pushed him across and ended up fallng herself. Rachel developed amnesia from the fall, and her parents blamed Locke. When Locke finally returned, Rachel had been killed in an Imperial attack, just after regaining her memory, and now Locke blames himself for her death. Take the Elixir from the clock before you leave. Next go to the northeast house. Go downstairs and you'll meet an old man who kept Rachel's body. However, he claims his herbs have put her in suspended animation, and Locke thinks there might be some way to bring her back. Don't forget to check out the back door to the house; there's a treasure back there with a Green Beret inside. Before heading south to find Jidoor, go up north and you'll find a small house which looks to be out in the middle of nowhere. The man here wants to build a colosseum, but he needs help to finish it. Search the pots in the house and you'll find a Hero Ring, a very valuable relic. Walk around in the woods near his house and you'll find a chocobo stable, where for 100 GP you get an enemy-free ride to Jidoor. Jiddor is a town of mostly rich people. All the poor left for the mountains and made a new town called Zozo. Be sure to check out Jidoor's armor and weapon shops. You'll find yet another chocobo stable in Jidoor, which you can use to ride northeast and into the mountains to find Zozo. Be careful when you're wandering around Zozo. Even though it's a town, you'll still be fighting all sorts of enemies, and there's aren't exactly easy enemies either. Some of them will even steal money from you. Celes will be using a lot of Cure spells while you're here. When fighting lots of enemies, use Sabin's Fire Dance and Edgar's Flash to get rid of all of them at once. The citizens of Zozo aren't a lot better. Everything they tell you is a lie, except for the guy who tells you that the place is dangerous! The shops don't offer much help either, but you can find a Tincture in the cafe and a Tonic in the armor shop. You should also scope out the inn. You'll see aclock that needs to be wound. To figure this out on your own is almost impossible, but you can find it by talking to everyone in Zozo. Everyone will give you a different time, but there's only one that no one says, and since everyone in Zozo lies, that's the correct one. This time is 6:10:50. Setting the clock will lead you to a secret room where you can find the Chain Saw, an awesome new tool for Edgar that can sometimes kill enemies in one shot. Next, head for the really tall tower (supposedly it's a relic shop). It's entrance is just south of the cafe. The guy at the entrance says you might want to check the top of the tower if you're looking for a girl. Begin climbing the tower. You'll still be fighting enemies the whole time, too. In the second room, you'll have to wait in line with some other people to reach the stairs. Back outside, go up three more flights of stairs and go in the door on the right to get a Thief Glove for Locke. This will allow him to both steal and attack at the same time! After that, go down two flights and go through the opening there and over to the window. You can now jump across to the other buildings (if you saw some people lying in the street, these are people who tried the jump and didn't make it). Jump to the left twice and go into the room. Check the pots and buckets here before going out again. Out on the balcony again, jump back across to the first tower and go into the next room. Climb the stairs inside, go back out, go up two more flights, and go into the door. Here you'll find a Fire Knuckle for Sabin. After going up one more flight, you'll encounter a man with an attitiude who tries to fight you off. His name is Dadaluma. He can put up a nasty fight. Use Edgar's Drill and Sabin's Aurabolt, and have Locke use his new Capture ability. However, Dadaluma will also sometimes call in some reinforcements. If he does, use the Flash and Fire Dance to get rid of them and attack Dadaluma simulaneously. You might need a good bit of healing tiems to win, but that's okay. Once he's gone you can reach the top of the tower. In the last room, check on the left and right to find some cool items. At the north end of the hall you'll find Terra, still in her transformed state. At this point an old man named Ramuh mysteriously appears. He tells you that he is an Esper! However, he is a friend. There are many Espers in the world, but they must keep their identities secret. In the War of the Magi, human sgained magical powers by draining them from Espers. Afterward, fearing being sought out for their power, the Espers made a new realm to live in. However, about twenty years ago, Emperor Gestahl discovered the location of this place, and kidnapped many Espers to use to make Magitek weapons. Many Espers are still being held in the Empire's Magitek Research Facility. Ramuh was held there for a time, but he escaped. When you ask if Terra's an Esper, he'll tell you that she's something else, but there is a slight pause, as if he's thinking about something. Terra is afraid of herself at this point, but there is an Esper in the Magitek Research Facility who can help her. Your next objective is to find and free the Espers there. However, Ramuh tells you the grave fact that Espers cannot be drained of their powers unless they are killed and turned in Magicite. Ramuh will give you the Magicites of three Espers who fell trying to escape the Empire: Kirin, Stray, and Siren. He gives you his own power as well. Pick up all the Magicites before you leave. You can equip them on your characters so that they will learn magic spells. On the way out, you'll run into your other two characters, and the six discuss their next move while on their way out of Zozo. Celes agrees to go to the Empire, because she used to work for them and knows her way around it. Locke refuses to let her go alone, and comes along for the ride. You can also add two other people to the group, and again Edgar and Sabin are probably the best choice.
5. Family Reunion
Before going to the Empire, there's a slight problem. The Empire is on the southern continent, and no boats will go there. Head for Jidoor to see if you can find out about any other way to get there. Most people will tell you that only way to get there now is by air, but you don't have an airship. Head for Owzer's house and talk to the man running around by the front door. This is the "Impresario", the director of the operas. At first glance, he mistakes Celes for someone named Maria. On his way out, he drops a letter written to this Maria person, who's actually an opera singer. It says that a person called the Wandering Gambler is coming to take maria away and marry her. A man there will tell you that this "Wandering Gambler" is actually a man named Setzer, who owns the world's only working airship! This guy seems like your only hope to reach the Empire, so head south to the Opera House. Remove all of Celes' equipment when you go in. When you get there, you'll meet up with the Impresario again. He suspects Setzer will show up for Maria at the end of the opera's first scene. Eventually they devise a plan. Locke suggests they put Celes in Maria's place, as they look very much alike. When Setzer grabs Celes, the other can follow him straight to the airship. Celes reluctantly agrees, but what the others don't know is that Ultros is here, and he plans to spoil their fun! As the opera's story goes, the East and West are at war. Maria plays a character who is in love with the West's hero, Draco. After Draco sings for a little while, Locke leaves his seat to go check on Celes. In the dressing room, Celes is still wondering why Locke saved her in South Figaro. Perhaps he didn't want to repeat what happened with Rachel. Now playing as Celes, read over her lines one more time, then head through the back door to reach the stage. Celes must now sing Maria's entire solo. There are three places where you'll have to choose which line is right. The first one is "Oh my hero", the second is "I'm the darkness", and the last one is "Must I". When Draco appears follow him around the stage as if Celes was dancing with him. When he vanishes, pick up the flowers and go up to the balcony to sing the rest of the song. After that, you'll see a scene where Prince Ralse, ruler of the East, is dancing with "Maria", as he has conquered the West. You now regain control of Locke, who was watching from backstage. On your way back to the seats, you'll see Ultros' letter, which tells of his plan. Go back to the Impresario and tell him. When you do, Draco reappears on stage and a battle begins. However, you then see Ultros in the rafters above Celes, with a four ton weight poised and ready to be pushed over the edge and onto her head! It's now up to Locke and your other two characters to catch Ultros before Celes is doomed, but you only have five minutes. First, talk to the man in the right wing, and hit the switch on the far right to unlock the door to the rafters, which is in the left wing. After that, you must race through the rafters to reach Ultos, but you'l have to fight Sewer Rats and Vermin along the way. Make sure you have some Sprint Shoes equipped or you probably won't make it. Sabin's Fire Dance and Edgar's Flash are usually enough to take care of the rats. When you reach Ultros, he'll try to attack you, but all four of you end up falling onto the stage, knocking out Draco and Ralse. At first it seems the opera is ruined, but if that happens Setzer might not fall for their trick. Locke knows this, and makes a really bad attempt to save the show. Luckily the audience likes it. Ultros now takes the place of the bad guy, with Locke and the rest of your party trying to defeat him. If you want to really hurt Ultros, use Sabin's Fire Dance. If you've learned Fire or Bolt from the Espers you got from Ramuh, these are also a big help. If you have Ramuh equipped, it might even be best to use his special Bolt Fist spell. Edgar's Drill is another big help. Ultros have some pretty nasty attacks, but not very much HP, so if you can get him right away he'll be no trouble. However, he manages to get away again. It's at this point that Setzer appear and kidnaps Maria, or Celes as the case may be. He takes her to the airship and locks her in a room, but Locke and the others are able to sneak in through a hole in the floor, where some of the engine parts are. When Setzer returns and finds Celes with these other guys, he realizes she's not Maria at all. Now begins the tough task of convincing him to help you. Setzer doesn't want to turn on an Empire that has made him rich. However, he still finds Celes very attractive, so he agrees to help if Celes will marry him. Locke totally objects, of course. Eventually they decide on a coin toss. If it's heads, Setzer helps, if it's tails, Celes marries Setzer. Thanks to Edgar's two-headed coin, Setzer agrees to take you to the southern continent, and lands at the town of Albrook. If you ever need a refill of HP and MP, head back to Setzer's ship and talk to the man by the entrance. There's also one who will sell you items. Be sure to reequip Celes with all her stuff before you go anywhere. Check out Albrook to see if you can find any items. Don't bother with the weapons and armor; you'll find better stuff soon. Next, head north to find the Empire's capital city, Vector. Right away you'll notice that this place is bad news. Head for the narrow house just to the west. You'll have to fight a few thugs when you refuse to join the Empire, but after that you'l make a friend who will restore your HP and MP at any time. To the northeast of the city's entrance is an undercover Returner. He'll distract the guards, allowing you to sneak into the Magitek Research Facility. This place is a huge maze. There are a great deal of new enemy varieties here, but they aren't too much trouble. Use Locke's Capture ability to get Tents when fighting Commandos. Edgar's Flash and Sabin's Fire Dance are also a big help here. First, go down two flights of stairs and you can walk into the west pipe, allowing to obtain a Flame Sabre. Use the crane to get back to where you came from. To the right are two pipes. The right one leads to a treasure, then take the left one to ride a conveyor belt to the next area. Next, pick up the X-Potion and ride the east conveyor belt to get to a treasure that contains a ThunderBlade. Take the Remedy next, then ride the southern conveyor belt into the next room. Head for the southwest area of the room and take the DragoonBoots, then head up the stairs to get a Gold Shld. Head south from where you got the DragoonBoots and you'll find some doors. Go through the east one and you'll find a secret door in the left end of the south wall leading to a Gold Helmet. A little eastward is another one with Gold Armor inside. To the east are stairs that take you to a Tent, then return to the conveyor belt which brought you here. Head north and go up the stairs there. Go into the pipe on the right and you can find a secret room with a Blizzard and a Zephyr Cape inside. Finally, go back to the conveyor belt and get on the one leading east. When you emerge from the other side, you'll be able to spy on Kefka as he trashes two Espers who've been drained of their powers. When Kefka's gone, jump into the pit after the Espers. Go into the available door and you can save your game, then talk to the Espers. They mistake you for enemies and try to fight you. Regular physical attacks work on both of them, but only certain magic types can hurt them. Ifrit is only susceptible to ice magic, and Shiva is hurt by Fire. Use Cure spells to restore your lost HP, and using the right attack spells will finish this battle quickly. When they realize you're friends of Ramuh, they become magicite and give you their powers, giving you two new Espers. Be sure to equip them so you can learn new spells. After saving your game, head through the door which was previously blocked by Shiva. You'll start seeing a few new enemies at this point, but they're no big deal. Work your way up the stairs and into the next room. The next room is full of glass tubes. Make your way westward, but stop when you pass the last tube on the south side of the room. Standing one space to the left of it, walk as far south as you can, then head west until you hit a wall. Face north here and press A to get a Break Blade, an excellent weapon which can often eliminate an enemy in one hit. In the next room you'll encounter a boss named Number 024. He has a special ability called WallChange which can change his weakness. Use the Scan spell to find out what type of magic to use against him. Of course, Sabin's Pummel and Edgar's Chain Saw and Drill will always work. Use a Cure spell if Number 024 casts spells on you, and you should be in good shape. All in all, he's not too hard a boss. Before heading into the next room, remove all of Celes' equipment. In the next room, you'll see about half a dozen Espers trapped in glass tubes. Hit the switch on the north wall. The Espers tell you that they don't have long to live, and like Ramuh, turn themselves into Magicite in order to help you. Suddenly a man named Cid appears. He sees the Magicite and realizes that it's true that you can't take an Esper's power without killing it. He also recognizes Celes. At first it seems that Celes may have actually been an Imperial spy who made her way into the ranks of the Returners. However, before anyone can clear that up, Kefka reappears. He too claims Celes is still working for the Empire. Although Celes says it's a lie, Locke starts to believe Kefka, and loses faith in Celes. Then Kefka calls some soldiers in Magitek Armor appear, who knock Locke and your other party members unconscious. Only Celes is still awake, and shows she truly isn't a spy by using a spell to take Kefka and the soldiers away, but she ends up being taken away as well. As the rest of your party awakens, Cid appears. The fighting has caused the contents of the tubes to spill, and you must escape now. Cid shows you to a secret elevator. While riding down it, Cid realizes what a horrible thing he's done by killing the Espers, and says he's going to speak with the Emperor about it. When you reach the bottom, you can equip your new Espers: Unicorn, Maduin, Shoat, Phantom, Carbunkl, and Bismark. Save your game and then talk to Cid. He explains that he's known Celes since she was a baby, and has raised her like a daughter. Although she's done some awful things before, she really is a nice person, not a spy. However, he hears Kefka coming, and pushes you into a mine car to escape. The mine car ride is a cool scene, but you must fight some minor enemies along the way. Sabin's Fire Dance will make quick work of the large purple ones, and ice attack work well on the small red ones. Unfortunately, you cannot stop to use items between fights, so you must heal yourself during the fights. Toward the end of the ride, you'l have to fight a mechanical boss named Number 128. Don't be fooled by his name - he's much harder than Number 024. He has three parts which can attack you, but the large middle one is the only one you need to destroy, because the smaller arm parts can grow back after a few turns. Use Locke's Capture ability on the main part to get some good items. This boss has no particular weaknesses, so Edgar should use his Drill and Chain Saw on him. This boss' attacks are very strong, so use the Cure 2 spell if you have it. Sabin's AuraBolt is also useful, but it often hits the wrong piece, so you might be better off using simple attacks with him. Luckily, on my file he was the one with Cure 2, so he did the healing while Locke and Edgar fought. As long as you keep healing, you should be able to win. Don't be surprised if you need to try more than once, though. When you're back outside, use a Tent and save your game. As you make your way out of Vector, you'll have to fight a few enemies, but nothing real big. After a little bit you'll run into Setzer. He quickly takes everyone to the airship. However, Kefka spots you as you try to fly away, and extends two giant cranes to fight you. You must now fight them while you're on the airship. The Crane on the left uses lightning attacks, and the one on the right uses fire. Both have a weakness to water, but the right one is also damaged by lightning. Try to use Capture on that one, and if you're lucky you'll get a Debilitator, a new tool for Edgar. If use have Bismark equipped, his special Sea Song spell will do some serious damage to both cranes. Remember that you also have Setzer in your group now. His special Slot ability is also a big help. With a these special moves, the cranes will be history in no time. Use the airship to return to Zozo. In Terra's room, you'll meet up with the rest of your group (probably Cyan and Gau). Locke holds up the Magicite of Maduin, and it begins to react strangely to Terra's presence. Terra suddenly awakes, and her lost memories are restored - her amnesia is gone! She explains a startling fact: Maduin is her father! You must now play the part of Maduin in the past, who finds a human woman lying at the entrance to the Esper World. Take her in and nurse her back to health. The other Espers don't like having a human here, but they agree to let her heal. Maduin seems to like her, though. Talk to her and she'll wake up. After a short discussion, you'll see Maduin waking up the next morning. Hurry to the Esper World's entrance and you'll find the woman he saved. He offers to let her stay here, but she claims Espers and human can't live together. Maduin begs to differ, and before you know it the two of them had a child. The child's name: Terra. Two years later, more humans appeared, but this time they were Imperial soldiers, led by the evil Emperor Gestahl. He and his men begin capturing Espers in order to create their Magitek weapons. Meanwhile, the elder of the Espers decides to create a whirlwind to send the humans back to where they came from, and then he will seal the gate, even though it will mean his own life. Some of the Esper's suspect Terra's mother of leading the Empire there, and she runs off. You'll find her at the gate which the elder is sealing. It works, and Gestahl and his men are sent away, Terra and her parents are taken as well. Outside, Gestahl happens upon the tiny girl, and realizes that she's half human, and half Esper! That was when he decided to use her for his own personal super-soldier. Terra will realize this things, and at last rejoin your group.
6. A Battle Plan Gone Bad
Back on the airship, Setzer will teach you how to fly it. Then head for Narshe. As you enter the town, some Guards will take you to the Elder's house. Once there, Banon will tell you that Narshe is finally ready to battle the Empire. However, you're still somewhat short on manpower. Banon realizes that to match the Empire's strength, they'll need the aid of the Espers, so they ask Terra to open it. This si your next major task in the game. In town, you'll also hear the a pickpocket named Lone Wolf is on the loose. Head for the building where you found all the treasures after the big battle with Kefka's forces in the mountains. You'll find Lone Wolf here, and he has managed to open the one treasure which was locked, quickly running off with what's inside. Follow him and he'll run into the mines. This is the path you originally took to reach the Esper when riding in Magitek Armor. This time, take the small passage on the right. Following this path will get you up into the mountains where the big battle was, and from there to the Esper. You'll find Lone Wolf here, but he has taken one of the Moogles hostage! You can't seem to get close enough to save the Moogle, but keep trying and eventually he'll break free (it usually happens when you press X). The two of them end up hanging from opposite sides of the cliff, and you must choose which one to save. If you save Lone Wolf, you'll get a Gold Hairpin, an awesome relic that you normally won't find until much later in the game. However, you're better off saving the Moogle, who turns out to be the leader, Mog. He is very grateful for saving his life, and will join your band of adventurers. If you were to save Lone Wolf and take the Gold Hairpin, you could still get Mog, but not until much later in the game. Now that you have Mog, put him in your party and head for the Veldt. Gau should also be in your group now. Mog will learn a new Dance on the Veldt called the Wind Song. It's also good to have Gau learn some more Rage techniques. While here, you can also get magic points to learn spells. Make sure you learn lots of ice spells; you'll need them in your next task. You should also stop in Mobliz, where you can mail another letter for the injured soldier. Once you've got some good Rages, head for Crescent Mountain and jump into the Serpent Trench. Down here you'll learn one of Mog's most powerful Dances: the Water Rondo. This will be essential when you go after the Espers. When you reach Nikeah, head northeast and you'll arrive at where Sabin washed up after the battle with Ultros. From there, retrace Sabin's route to the Veldt so you can get back to the airship. Along the way, you should be able to pick up the Forest Suite and Desert Aria Dances. Also stop at Mt. Kolts to get the Earth Blues, and Zozo to get the Love Sonata. If you've done all this, and have a few ice spells, you're ready to open the Sealed Gate. A good party for this trip is Terra, Edgar, Sabin, and Mog. Equip them and head for the southern continent. At the far eastern end of the continent is a small Imperial base, but it seems to be abandoned. Walk up the stairs there to reach the other side and proceed to the cave to the Sealed Gate. The enemies in this place are mostly fire-related monsters, so ice spells and Mog's Water Rondo are good attacks. Sabin's AuraBolt is also quite effective. Pick up the Assassin weapon in the first room, and the Tempest in the second. The next room contains bridges which periodically switch position. Look for spaces which can be walked on in both positions, and that will help you to reach the next room. Try to get the treasures here also; one of them is a special relic for Setzer called the Coin Toss, which replaces his Slot ability with GP Rain. In the next room, don't go down the steps right away. First, walk along the ledge and you'll find a treasure which contains an Ether. Once you've obtained it, go down the stairs and walk through the small tunnel through the right wall. Go upstairs here, and hit the switch as you walk across the bridge. It will cause you to fall, but a bridge will appear to the northwest which will get you to a Genji Glove. Go up the eastern stairs and hit the switch on the left to reach a save point. Hitting the one on the right will cause a Ninja to appear, which you will have to fight. Next, walk across the bridge to the east, but hit the switch on the wall as you do so to make some stairs appear. Walk down them, pick up the Ether on the left, then walk into the cave on the right (you'll have to walk north inside the wall to reach the other side). Take the Elixir as you exit, and walk down the eastern stairs. Head west and hit the switch on the platform to open a secret door. Here you'll find a cache of great items, including the awesome Atma Weapon, which will be useful later in the game. Head east after this and hit the switches to align the bridges and make a path to the next door. There's also a treasure to the north just before the door. Enter the large tunnel in the next room and you'll find the Sealed Gate. However, when Terra tries to open it, Kefka appears, hoping to nab the Espers who will soon appear. You must hold Kefka off while Terra opens the Sealed Gate. Just hit him once and Terra will be done. However, as the Espers emerge from the gate, they fly off. You can now leave through a small hole in the south wall of the previous room. Return to the Imperial base and get back on the airship. While heading for Vector, the Espers zoom past the airship. Luckily, no one is hurt, but the airship is damaged and crashes near Maranda. Just northeast of the crash site is a forest in which you can find a chocobo stable. Use it for a quick ride northeast to Vector. You'll find Vector in flames, since the Espers have already been there. The Returners are here as well, but they got here after the Espers did. Head north for the Emperor's palace. A sentry will appear and take you to the throne room. The Emperor claims he no longer wishes to fight. Cid will also tell you why the Espers attacked Vector. The Emperor wishes to have a banquet to discuss the matter at hand, but first you must talk to as many of his men as possible in order to convince them to give up fighting. Head south leaving the throne room, and talk to the four men there. Head out the front door to find three more soldiers. I must warn you that some of the men will fight you, so you must move quickly. Next, go back inside and go up the western stairs, into the door on the first landing. There are a total of six men here, plus one in the back room sitting on the toliet. Leave this room and go up more stairs into the next room. Talk to the soldier there and continue. You should now be on the roof. There are a total of five men here, plus one in the small room atop the palace. Go in the door on the right, and then through the next door. You should be in another stairwell. Go in the first door to find two men, and through the door in that room to find the twenty-fourth and last soldier. Now it's time for dinner. During the dinner, you must choose what to say to the Emperor. When he proposes a toast, make it to "our hometowns". When he tells you Kefka's in jail for poisoning Doma, tell the Emperor to leave him in prison. When he mentions the poisoning of Doma, tell him it was inexcusable. When he asks about Celes, tell him "Celes is one of us". When he asks if you have any questions, you'll be presented with a list of three. Be sure to ask all three before you continue with the conversation, but don't ask the same one twice! When talking about the Espers' destruction of Vector, say that they've gone too far. You'll then be presented with the list of questions again, and you must tell him which one you asked him first. When Cid asks if you would like a break, take it. During the break, some of the Emperor's men can test your fighting ability. When you start talking again, ask him to say that the war's over. The Emperor will then tell you that the Espers have headed for a place called Crescent Island. He needs Terra to help him convince the Espers that the Empire is no longer their enemy. He has a ship in Albrook that will take you there, so say yes when he asks if you'll go. General Leo will also come with you. Locke and Terra agree to go, while the others stay behind and keep an eye on what's going on in Vector.
7. Friend or Foe?
On your way out of the palace, one of the Emperor's men will approach you and reward you. Depending on how many soldiers you spoke to and what you said at the banquet, you'll get more rewards. Your best combination is the liberating of both South Figaro and Doma, the unlocking of the storage room in the base near the Sealed Gate, and a Tintinabar and Charm Bangle. You should also examine the Imperial palace for items, including a Gale Hairpin and Back Guard. If you return to the airship before going to Albrook, you can talk to Setzer and learn an interesting tidbit about his past. You also stop in the northern town of Tzen. A man in the northeast corner of town will sell you the Sraphim Magicite for 3000 GP. You can get it later for just 10, but you're better off getting it now. You should also head for the base to the east and clean out the storage room. There's even a Flame Sabre inside the stove! Once you've obtained all that stuff, head for Albrook. Head for the dock and talk to General Leo. He will tell you that he has found some hired help in the forms of Celes and Shadow. However, the ship doesn't leave until tomorrow, so he's paid for you to sleep at the inn. During the night, Locke tries to talk to Celes, but she is upset with him for doubting her at the Magitek Research Facility. Talk to General Leo the next morning and you're off. While on the boat, Terra has an emotional discussion with General Leo. The next morning, the party arrives at Crescent Island and divides into two groups. The first group will include General Leo and Celes, while Terra, Locke, and Shadow form the second. You must control Terra's group. When you land, head northeast to find the village of Thamasa. Stop at the local shops and get a Hawk Eye for Locke. Put him in the back row now that he has it. You should also get a Mystery Veil for Terra and Gaia Gear for anyone who needs it. You should also check the barrels lying around for items. As you wander around you may also see some people trying to use magic! You'll want to head for the house of the old man named Strago. He claims that he doesn't know what Espers are. Then his granddaughter Relm shows up. For some reason, Shadow's dog Interceptor, who attacks people, is very friendly with Relm. However, these two offer little help. When you've talked to them, take a nap at the inn. Be sure to unequip Shadow first. You'll be awakened by Strago in the middle of the night. A fire has broken out at the home of one of Relm's friends, and now Relm is trapped inside. Terra, Locke, and even Interceptor get up to help, but Shadow doesn't hear them. Outside, Strago tries to use a magic spell to douse the flames, and before you know it the entire town is out casting spells at the fire! However, it doesn't work, so Terra, Locke, and Strago must go inside and try to save her. Try to avoid the small flames; they are actually enemies. You can deal with them quickly with ice spells. If you run into trouble, use Strago's Lore ability to cast Aqua Rake. When you encounter two possible paths, always go to the right first to avoid enemies and get items (the first left door is impossible to get through). At the heart of the house is the source of the fire: an evil moster named Flame Eater. As you might have guessed, using fire spells will only heal him. He also summons other enemies like Balloons and Grenades. When other enemies appear, use Aqua Rake to eliminate them quickly. Use spells like Ice 2 on the Flame Eater himself. If you found the Ice Rod in a treasure in the house, Strago's attacks will do some serious damage. Do be careful, as Flame Eater can also cast Rflect to repel your ice spells. However, this is not a very difficult boss. Then you find Relm, and Shadow finally appears to rescue everyone. However, when it's all over, Locke wants to know how everyone knew magic. Strago tells you that the town's citizens are descended of the legendary Mage Warriors, the first humans to use Magicite. They have been hiding here for centuries, because the rest of the world blames them for the War of the Magi. But since you helped save Relm, Strago agrees to help you find the Espers. He suggests looking in the mountains west of town, because there's a legend which says the Espers were created there. Shadow, meanwhile, leaves the group for unkown reasons. Once he's gone, save your game and head west for the mountains. In the first room, open the treasure and take the Heal Rod. This is a weapon you can use to restore your HP by attacking yourself. The enemies in this area aren't too hard, but be careful when fighting Adamanchyts. You may even notice someone following you as you wander around. You should be out on a ledge after going through the first door. Follow the path until you reach a room with three golden statues. These are statues of three goddesses that created magic. However, the real goddesses were turned to stone and hidden somewhere, and are probably inside the Sealed Gate. However, as you leave to continue your search for the Espers, you'll be attacked by Ultros, who has come to steal the statues! Now you must battle him again. Use your strongest fire and lightning spells to deter him. Beware, for his attacks are stronger than ever. He can even use spells like Bolt 3, so use Fire 2 and Bolt 2 to cut him down quickly. Once you've dealt him a good bit of damage, Relm will appear. Use her Sketch technique to use Ultros' own technique against him and he'll run off. After seeing what Relm can do in battle, the others agree to let her come along. If you wish, you can now read the inscriptions on the statues to learn the story of the goddesses. In the next room is a Save Point, as well as three holes in the floor. Jump into the one at the top of the screen to get the Tabby Suit and Chocobo Suit, then return and try the right one for an X-Potion. Finally, jump into the one to the left, and follow that path to reach the Espers. When you find them, the Espers surround you, but realize you're friends once they see Terra. As it turns out, the Espers did not mean to destroy Vector. They were trying to save their captured friends and went crazy. After talking with them, they return to Thamasa with you, where you meet up with General Leo and Celes again. The Espers and General Leo at last forgive each other for their mistakes, and even Locke and Celes decide to put the past behind them. However, Kefka always appears to spoil the fun, and this is no exception. Terra and the gang are quickly knocked unconscious by blasts from Kefka's army of machines, and he begins making Magicite out of the Espers! You must now play as General Leo and fight Kefka before he destroys Thamasa. Leo is an incredible fighter. He can attack four times in one turn with his special Offering relic, and has a special ability called Shock which will hurt Kefka big time. You should have no trouble taking care of him. As it turns out, the Emperor faked the entire peace agreement, and was only out to gather Magicite. He had deceived even General Leo. Kefka then reappears and kills General Leo with a sword through the chest. Suddenly, dozens of Espers come flying from the Sealed Gate and attack Kefka, but they too are turned into Magicite. Terra and the others recover, and bury General Leo on the outskirts of Thamasa. Interceptor also appears, badly injured. It would seem that Shadow isn't as elusive as he claimed to be. But soon Setzer and the others arrive in a repaired airship. They heard about the Emperor's plan and came as quickly as they could. Now the entire party is back together, including Celes, as well as our two new friends, Relm and Strago. However, the worst is yet to come.
8. Crumbling Apart
When you board the airship, you'll find that Kefka and Gestahl are already entering the Sealed Gate in search of the ture Statues. When they are found, the most unusual event yet occurs: the island the Sealed Gate is on breaks free of the Earth and rises up into the sky! You must now attempt to attack this Floating Continent and stop Kefka and Gestahl. However, you must do a lot of preparing first. To begin, head for the Veldt with Gau, Strago, and Relm in your party. You should be able to get some new Rages for Gau and some new Lore spells for Strago. In Mobliz, you can also send another letter for the injured soldier. You should also check out the auction house in Jidoor, where you can get the Golem and ZoneSeek Magicites. You should also go to Doma and pick up any treasures you can. Finally, head back to Thamasa and buy any armor or weapons that look good. Now you need to gain levels. Your best bet for working up at this point is to go to the mountains west of Thamasa, and fight Adamanchyts and Slurms until your characters reach level 30. You can only take three party members to the Floating Continent, and the best group would probably be Locke, Edgar, and Sabin. However, you should also get Celes to level 30; you'll find out why you need her later. It's very important to get Sabin to level 30, because at that point he will learn a new Blitz called Air Blade. This technique will be extremely helpful on the Floating Continent. While you're gaining levels you'll also be able to learn lots of new spells, which will also be important. When you've reached level 30 with all three characters, save your game and return to the airship. Remove all of Celes' equipment and take her out of your party. Now you're ready for the Floating Continent. You can reach it by selecting "find the Floating Continent" at the airship controls. Before you get there, you'll be attacked by Imperial Skr Armor and Spit Fire vehicles. Sabin's Air Blade will take care of them easily. After you've been fighting them for a while, you'll notice a strange pink creature floating toward the airship. This monster is named Chupon, and guess who's with him? Yes, it's Ultros again! You begin by battling Ultros. Bolt 2 and Fire 2 will cut him down to size quickly, along with Edgar's Chain Saw. Once you've dealt him some good blows, Chupon will join in the fight. Finish off Ultros before you try to take care of Chupon. To defeat the big pink guy, use Edgar's Tools and some ice spells. When you win, Chupon uses a Sneeze attack which blows your party off the airship and you start falling. On the way down, you'll have to battle a huge machine called Air Force, which is flanked by a Laser Gun and MissileBay. This is one of the best battles to have Locke in. You can steal a Debilitator from the MissileBay if you don't already have one, an X-Ether from the Laser Gun, and an Elixir from Air Force itself. Later in the battle an enemy called a Speck will sometimes appear, which you can steal an Amulet from. Bolt 2 spells will make quick work of this boss, as will Bismark's Sea Song if you have him equipped. Don't hesitate when using Cure 2 spells, either; this guy's attacks are very strong. However, you cannot use magic when the Speck is present, for it will absorb your magic spells similar to Celes' Runic ability. Still, you should be able to win without much trouble, and you'll get a Czarina Ring when you do. You will land on the Floating Continent when you win. Save your game immediately, then look at the man lying on the ground. It's Shadow, and after the Empire tried to get rid of him, he'll eagerly join you in order to get some payback. If you have a Charm Bangle, it would be wise to equip it on your lead character to limit the amount of enemies which attack you, as they are quite strong here. In fact, it's usually best to run from enemies on the Floating Continent. As you walk along, you'll find places where the walls will move in order for you to pass, as well as small blue structures in the rocks which hold treasures. The first one you find contains the Murasame, a new sword for Cyan. The one to the far right of that contains a huge monster named Gigantos. He is very strong, but if you win you'll get the Hardened, a powerful weapon for Shadow. Once you beat him, walk up the hill just to the right of where you got the Murasame, and you'll be sent to another part of the island. From there, walk south and hit the switch to make a bridge appear. Cross it, then go down one flight of steps and walk east to find another transporter. When you emerge, use the transporter on the left to continue. Step on the switch as you exit to create a new path. To reach it, hit the switch to the north to remove and obstacle, then walk past it and head south to reach the new path. Continue up and down various flights of stairs until you reacha large area with a switch in the northwest corner. Use that to make a transporter appear, but don't get in it yet. Instead, use the one to the south to reach a save point (I seriously recommend using a Tent here). There is also a treasure to the east which contains a Beret for Relm. Get it, then go into the transporter which appeared. When you exit, you'll have a chance to return to the airship if you like, but you'll have to do the entire Floating Continent over again if you leave, so don't. Head west and you'll reach a boss named AtmaWeapon, the counterpart to the sword you found. If you aren't prepared, this can be one of the most difficult bosses in the entire game, but there is a way to beat him easily if you have the right spells. If you cast the Vanish spell on him and then use Doom, he should die in one fell swoop. This technique works on most of the enemies in the game, so remember it. When you win, Shadow leaves the group - at least for now. Head up the stairs beyond AtmaWeapon and you'll find Gestahl and Kefka, along with the three statues. If Celes is not in your party, she will arrive when you reach this point. Some sparks of energy will freeze your other party members in place. Gestahl decides to offer Celes a chance to rejoin the Empire if she kills her friends, but instead she stabs Kefka. Seeing his own blood, Kefka goes crazy and tries to use the power of the statues. Gestahl knows that will only result in destruction, so he tries to stop Kefka, but the statues keep Gestahl's magic spells from affecting Kefka. The statues then summon a bolt of lightning which strikes Gestahl down, and then Kefka hurls him from the island. Celes' attempt to stop Kefka is also foiled, and he then moves the statues out of alignment. Luckily, Shadow reappears and traps Kefka, allowing your other party members to escape. You now have six minutes to leave the Floating Continent before it crumbles apart. The path to the end is easy to follow, but you'll have to fight Naughties along the way. Use Fire 2 spells and Sabin's AuraBolt to get rid of them. If one freezes you, use a Fire spell on your own party member to melt the ice. If you see a treasure, take the long way to reach it or the ground will crumble beneath you. You'll also have to fight an enemy named Nerapa just before the end, but he's fairly easy to beat with AuraBolt. When you reach the end, it will ask if you want to jump to the airship, but tell it to wait. Move and then step on it again, and again say that you want to wait for Shadow, then don't move. When there are about five seconds left, Shadow will reappear and jump to the ship with you. If you didn't wait, you would lose Shadow forever. However, the airship crashes and the party is split up, possibly killed, and the enitre face of the world is rearranged by the statues.
9. Come Together
The next thing you know, your party consists of only Celes, and she is just waking up. Cid is here as well, and tells her she has been asleep for a whole year! Cid has cared for her the whole time. Because of what happened to the world, this small island was separated from the mainland, and Celes and Cid are the only living people on it. Everything in the world is slowly dying. Cid is not feeling well, so you must now play as Celes and try to catch fish at the south beach. Try to catch the ones that move fast, for they are healthier and will restore Cid to health more quickly. It isn't easy, but if you're fast and you only feed Cid healthy fish, you should be able to keep him from dying. Keeping him alive doesn't really affect the game, though. Either way you'll find a raft hidden in the basement and Celes will leave to go search for her friends. When you land, you'll be on the southern continent. The town of Albrook is just to your left, so you can go there to stock up and get some information on what's happened over the past year. You'll learn that Kefka lives in a huge tower where Vector used to be, striking down towns with his "Light of Judgement". You'll also hear that several new monsters are running around, like Doom Gaze, Phunbaba, and eight dragons who sealed away a beast named Crusader. You may also hear about a man who passed through looking for his friends, then headed north to Tzen. It sounds like a good lead, so take it. When you arrive, Kefka's Light of Judgement hits the small town. You'll find that Sabin is the man who was in Albrook, and is now holding up a collapsing house with a small child inside. You have six minutes to get through the house and find the kid. The enemies in here can often turn you to stone or worse, so have a Ribbon equipped. There are five treasures on the first floor. Get all of them except the one by the stairs, which only contains monsters. Then head into the basement. There are three treasures down here, but the one to the left of the child also holds only monsters. You'll find him hanging on the wall in the north room. Once you've got him, get out of there. Sabin will jump clear as the house collapses. Now that that's done, he'll join you in your search. The goal is clear now; you must defeat Kefka, but first you need to reassemble your party. Before you leave, it might be wise to purchase an Amulet from the relic shop. Next, leave Tzen and you'll find a small forest to the mortheast which is the location of a chocobo stable. Ride one east across a bridge to the now-above-water Serpent Trench. Make a right turn and ride to Mobliz, which has been nearly destroyed by the Light of Judgement. You'll see a frightened kid run into a building as you enter town. You can find a Fenix Down in a barrel and take a rest in the relic shop, then follow the kid. In the basement, you'll find a door which leads to a room full of kids! You'll also find Terra here, which one of the kids calls "Mama". Terra will tell you she's lost the will to fight, and has been caring for these kids since their parents were killed by the Light of Judgement. As you try to leave, the town is attacked by a monster named Phunbaba. Terra tries to stop him, but she cannot win and is badly injured. Luckily, you have Celes and Sabin with which to take him on. You'll find that Bio spells can do a lot of damage to this guy, as will Sabin's Suplex Blitz. Celes' Runic ability will also help ward off Phunbaba's lightning spells. Don't let your HP drop below 1000 or Phunbaba may kill you with a Blow Fish spell. You should be able to get rid of him for now, but Terra is too weak to join you. However, one boy will give you the Fenrir Magicite, which Phunbaba dropped while escaping. Leave and you can find another chocobo stable in the woods south of town. Ride one to the other end of the Serpent Trench, where you'll find Nikeah. Along the way you'll pass a large tower surrounded by mountains. Remember where to find this, because you'll need to come back here later. You'll find Nikeah is a good place to shop. Get an Enhancer for Celes, plus any armor which starts with the word "Diamond". This stuff is really good. In the cafe you'll find a gang a thieves who escaped from Figaro Castle, but intend to return to steal some things. They claim to know of a secret entrance to the castle. When you're done talking to them, they'll leave the bar for the dock. Head back into the marketplace and you'll see someone who looks a lot like Edgar. Talk to him a few times and you'll learn he's Gerad, the leader of the gang of thieves you met. His likeness to Edgar seems more than coincidental, so follow him to the dock and stow away to South Figaro. While here, talk to the wife of Duncan (Sabin's mentor) and you'll learn he never perished, and is hiding out near Narshe! You'll find Gerad on the second floor of the inn, but he soon leaves for the cave you came through the first time you came to South Figaro. Continue to follow him. In the room where the recovery spring is you'll see the thieves use a turtle as a stepping stone to reach a cave on the other side of the water. Follow them. Eventually you'll reach the jail of Figaro Castle, which is still underground. Head for the man who usually controls the castle's movements, but pass him and go into the basement. There are monsters down here, but nothing too difficult. When you reach the room with three doors, open the treasures to get a Crystal Helm, Gravity Rod, X-Potion, and Ether, then go through the west door for the awesome Regal Crown. Then go through the central door to reach the engine room, where Gerad and his gang are. You'll find a plant monster attacking the engine. While the thieves run into the next room, Gerad stays and tries to get rid of the monster. Once the thieves are gone, Gerad will reveal his true identity as Edgar, and the three of you must take on the monster together. There are four Tentacles which you must destroy. They have poisoning attacks and can grab a party member, making him or her unusable. Celes will probably be kept busy with Cure 2 and Antdot spells. Attack with Edgar's Chain Saw, Flash, and Drill, and use Sabin's Air Blade to attack all the Tentacles at once. It won't be easy, but you shouldn't have too much trouble defeating them. After the battle, Edgar explains that he wanted to get back to Figaro Castle, and the thieves' secret cave was the only way in. The thieves soon leave, but the treasures they took were worthless anyway. Before you leave, go into the back room and check out the statue to find a Soul Sabre. When you leave the basement, Figaro Castle will resurface. Use it to travel to Kohlingen. You should also sleep in the castle bedroom and buy a Debilitator if you don't already have one. Then save and head northwest to Kohlingen. If you talk to people in the town, you'll hear that Cyan passed through here recently, and Locke is looking for some secret treasure. There's also a strong man at the Colosseum looking for something called the Striker, and in the inn, you'll find Setzer! Although at first he doesn't want to fight, Celes convinces him to rejoin the group, and he'll tell you that you might be able to find another airship in a tomb southwest of town. Before you leave, go shopping some more. Get a Gold Lance for Edgar and Darts for Setzer (the Trump won't help in the next area, but you may want to buy it for later use). You probably shouldn't buy any new armor, because you're about to find some better stuff. Now head southwest to Daryl's Tomb. Setzer will reveal the entrance for you. There are a lot of undead enemies down here, so it would be wise to equip your Ribbon, as well as Amulets. Be sure to have plenty of Revivifies as well. Pass through the first room and enter the second, which has six doors. Enter the lower left one, get the Crystal Mail, then go downstairs. Pick up the Czarina Gown and walk through the secret wall on the right to get an Exp. Egg, then walk through the north door and hit the switch to make a door open elsewere. Now return to the six-door room. Use the lower right one to get a Genji Helmet, then walk through the upper right one. Read the tombstone to open the door to the next room, where you'll find a switch to raise the water level. With that done, go through the center door on the south side of the six-door room, and ride the turtle across the water to the next room. Hit the switch in there so you can ride the next turtle. Get both treasures in the next room, but be prepared to fight when opening the left one. You'll have to fight the Presenter, but he can be beaten quickly by Edgar's Chain Saw. When you win, you'll get a Dragon Claw. Save and go through the next door. When you read the tombstone, a boss named Dullahan will appear. He usually opens with a L? Pearl spell, but it usually won't hit anyone. Do not use Rflect spells when fighting him, or you'll be in for a big surprise. Sabin's AuraBolt will work well against Dullahan, as will Fire 2 spells from Celes, but she should use Runic to block his awesome Ice 3 spell. Have Edgar use Chain Saw and Drill while Setzer uses Slot. It won't be easy, but you can beat him if you don't let your HP drop too much. After Dullahan is history, a door will appear which leads deep underground. On your way down, Setzer will tell you about his friend Daryl and her airship, the Falcon. She died when it crashed, but Setzer repaired it and put it here. Now it'll finally be of use again, as you take off into the sky. Now it's time to get the rest of the party back. You can find them in any order you like; what I have here is just one possibility.
Cyan
When you first take off, Celes will spot a bird flying by. If you follow it, you'll land at Maranda. Check out the armor shop for some interesting items. You'll also hear that Cyan has been here as well. Remember the injured soldier in Mobliz? For some reason, his wife is still receiving letters, even though he passed away long ago. Talk to her and read one of the letters. The handwriting looks like Cyan's, so send a reply and follow the carrier pigeon. You'll wind up in Zozo. You'll see the bird fly up into the mountains. Talk to the man who looks like a merchant. He says you can reach Mt. Zozo via the cafe, and will sell you some Rust-Rid for 1000 GP. Head for the balcony atop the cafe and use the Rust-Rid to enter the mountains. There are some new enemies here, but nothing too nasty. Watch out for an Ursus which might steal your money, and if you return here with Locke, try to get a Muscle Belt from a Borras. In the first room, pick up the Red Cap and Ice Shld, both excellent pieces of armor. Head into the south room and head west. Pick up the Thunder Shld and head north up the other flight of stairs. Here you'll find the Aegis Shld. Go through the first opening in the wall to reach a cliff on which you'll find a treasure with a Gold Hairpin inside. This relic will cut the MP used by spells in half! Head through the next opening, then cross the bridge to the next cave. When fighting large groups of Luridans, use Sabin's Fire Dance to get them all in one shot. In the next room, save your game, then step on the switch to the north. You'll come face-to-face with the Storm Drgn, one of the eight dragons representing wind. This is a tough boss, so you may want to return and fight him later. He has tons of HP and strong wind attacks, but is susceptible to spells like Bolt 2. Have Edgar use Chain saw and Drill while Sabin uses Blitzes and Bolt 2 spells. Whoever has the Gold Hairpin will be busy casting Cure 2. Setzer's Slot will also help. Don't worry if you die on your first attempt; this is one of the toughest bosses around. You'll need to use Cure 2 almost every turn (note that the Ice Shld has a weakness to wind, so you might want a different shield here). Aside from getting closer to finding Crusader, each of the eight dragons has a special item, and Storm Drgn will give you Force Armor when you win. It may be wise to use a Tent and save again before continuing. Head south and and out into the cliffs again. From here head east and you'll find a room filled with flowers like the ones at Lola's house. You'll also find a letter revealing that it was Cyan writing the letters after all, and is sending a final message to Lola explaining the truth. You'll find Cyan on the cliff to the east. Although a bit embarrassed when he hears you read his letters, he will eagerly join your campaign against Kefka. He also says he saw Gau, who also wishes to fight Kefka, and is probably on the Veldt right now. When Cyan is done talking to you, go back out onto his cliff and you'll find a key to open his treasure chest. In it are some books whose purpose I do not know, so I'm interested if anyone knows what they're for. Use a Warp spell and return to the Falcon.
Gau
Take Cyan's advice and head for the Veldt. If you want to find Gau, your party must consist of three members or less. Sabin, Edgar, and either Cyan or Celes make a good trio. The Veldt is now located north of Mobliz. Walk around for a while and eventually Gau will appear at the end of a battle, just like when he returns after you use his Leap ability. Once you have him, stay on the Veldt and learn new Rages for a while. If you want to see an interesting scene portaining to Gau, take him to the home of the old man you saw at the beginning of Sabin's scenario, but make sure Sabin is also in your party.
Shadow
While wandering around on the Veldt, you may bump into a small cave in the southwest corner of the region. Go inside and check it out (you can use the same party as you had on the Veldt). Inside, there are almost nothing but Toe Cutters as far as enemies go, which you can finish off quickly with Sabin's AuraBolt. As you fist enter, you'll see a dog. Follow him through the north passageway. The men in the next room mostly talk about finding Gau, but one mentions a dragon that lives to the north. There is also a treasure which contains a Rage Ring. You'll find out what that's for later. In the northern room is a passage which leads to ways. To the west is a treasure which contains a monster called Allo Ver. Since he's an undead monster, cast Life on him and he's history. As a reward you'll receive the Tiger Fangs, Sabin's strongest weapon! To the south are stairs which lead deeper into the cave. From there, head south two more screens to find a treasure which contains a weapon called the Striker (does that ring a bell?). Then hit the switch and continue east. Continue through the cave until you reach a save point. Save and head southwest. There you'll catch up with the dog, who turns out to be Interceptor. You can tell because he has led you to an unconscious Shadow. However, you're attacked by a monster named SrBehemoth. This guy has some pretty big attacks, but he is weak when hit with Bio and Fire 2 spells. Gau's Templar Rage will work wonders here. A Bio spell at the start of the battle will slowly wear away at his HP also. However, if you have Celes, you may want to use her Runic ability to ward off the Ice 2 spells he casts. Edgar should use his various tools, while Sabin uses his Blitz techniques. If you're using Celes' Runic, Sabin's Mantra Blitz will be a big help. When you think you've defeated SrBehemoth, his ghost attacks you from behind. Again, a simple Life spell or Fenix Down will take care of him. When you win, you'll get a BehemothSuit, a truly awesome piece of armor. Remember that this particular boss can be fought on the Veldt, allowing you to get lots of BehemothSuits (you can get Snow Mufflers if you bet these at the Colosseum) and learn the awesome Fire 3 spell! You'll take Shadow back to Thamasa to heal (if Shadow died on the Floating Continent, you'll find Relm here instead). You'll be in Strago's house on the second floor. walk to the left side of the table, face left, and press A. You should find a Memento Ring like the one Relm had. Next, check out the weapon, relic, and armor shops for anything interesting, then fly to the Colosseum, which is north of Kohlingen. Put the Striker you found in the cave up for grabs and you'll face Shadow as your opponent. You should have no trouble beating him, and you'll get the Striker back when you do. When you win, you'll be able to convince Shadow to join your merry band. The first thing you should try with him is heading for Doma Castle and sleeping a few times. Often Shadow will dream about his past, and I hear that if you see seven dreams (including the one he has when you rescue him from SrBehemoth), his part of the ending will be different.
Relm
By talking to a soldier at the Colosseum, you'll learn that you can find the "secret treasure" by talking to the Emperor twice. The Emperor himself is dead, but you may remember a man who painted a prtrait of him. The portrait is now on display in Jidoor, so head there. Shadow, Edgar, Sabin, and Celes make a good party. You'll hear a lot in Jidoor, including that the Emperor's painting is in Owzer's house at the north end of town. One person says Owzer hired a skilled artist, and another saw a little girl heading there. Could both of these be the same person? Head for Owzer's house to find out. The lobby is dark, but read Owzer's diary and you'll be able to turn on the lights at the base of the stairs. Once the room is lighted, check out the art gallery. You'll find the Emperor's painting here. Check it twice to find a letter which reads: "The treasure is found where the mountains form a star." Check out the picture of the pink flowers. If you press A, they'll come to life and fight you. These Nightshade monsters aren't a huge challenge, but if you fight them on the Veldt later with Locke, you can steal Nutkin Suits from them, which can be bet at the Colosseum to receive Genji Armor! When you check out the picture of the woman, you'll have to fight two Dahlings. When you win, a secret door will appear. From there you can reach the basement. Be careful down here, for it's full of strange creatures. When you reach two doors next to each other, go in the left one first to get a Moogle Suit, then take the right one. Here there are three doors which change position. Look in the hall behind them and you'll find a Relic Ring. Then attempt the three doors. Wait for the one on the left to open, and go through it. Continue from there and you'll reach a room with hovering treasure chests. Step under them and they'll fall, allowing you to open them. When you have them all, check out the picture of the armor. You'll have to fight a Still Life monster, but he's no big deal. Go throught the door that appears, save, then take the second door. Here you'll find Owzer, as well as his artist, who is none other than Relm! The picture she is painting has been possessed by a demon named Chadarnook, and you must now fight it. It has two forms: a woman and the demon itself. The demon is the one to concentrate on, since it has less HP and you only need to destroy one of them. The woman can put your party members to sleep, cause them to gradually lose HP, or turn your own party members against you. Use Remedy spells to counter these afflictions. When the demon appears, use Fire 2 spells, AuraBolt, and Chain Saw or Drill. If you have any Fire Skeans or Ninja Stars, Shadow will make good use of them in this battle. When the woman appears is a good time to heal the damage the demon will do to you. It shouldn't be too hard a battle, but you will probably use a lot of Cure 2 spells. After the battle, Owzer will tell you about a magic stone he bought which probably lured the demon here. Look in the bookcase and you'l find it: the Starlet Magicite. Relm will also leave Owzer to help your fight against Kefka.
Locke
Now that you've found the location of the "secret treasure," it's time to find Locke. Fly to the star-shaped mountain range north of Tzen, and land in the center. This is the entrance to the Phoenix Cave, where you must use two parties at once (you can switch back and forth using the Y button). When I did it, one group consisted of: Sabin, Shadow, Relm, and Celes. The second was: Setzer, Gau, Cyan, and Edgar. Have the second group go in first and step on the switch there to open the left door so the first group can go through it. Note that practically all the enemies in here are immune to fire spells, so stick to ice. Anyway, have the first group make a right turn and step on the switch on the ledge, opening the right door for the second group. Have this group step on the first switch they come to, which will lower some spikes for the first group. The first group should walk north and turn left to reach some stairs. Downstairs, walk south and go up another flight of stairs. Step on the switch there to make a bridge that will allow you to reach the Wing Edge without falling on spikes. Have them walk past the downed spikes again, but this time turn right and step on the switch here to lower spikes for the second group. Have the second group walk past where the spikes were. Ignore the empty chest to the north, but do walk through the southeast wall to find a treasure with a Warp Stone inside. Then go downstairs, heading west until you reach a switch which makes rocks appear. Switch to the first group and go back downstairs. Walk to the right, and you can jump across the rocks to the next area. Pass the treasure behind the spikes - it's empty anyway. Step on the next switch you find. It will close off your own path, but open one for the other group. As for the other party, have them walk back past the stairs and north until they reach the next room. Once there, go down the stairs immediately to your left. Hit the switch there to reopen the path for the first party. Have them head north into the next room and immediately turn left. Save your game right away, then step on the switch on the small rock to the north. This will lower some spikes to the north. Switch back to the second party and walk past where the spikes were, then go downstairs and hop across the stones to reach the next room. Once there, hit the switch. This will drain the water in the room, and empty it into the lava, which then cools and hardens. Switch to the first group and walk west until you reach a switch. Step on it, then take the second group south through the new passage. Here you'll find the Red Dragon, one of the eight dragons which represents fire. Ice spells are the key to winning this fight, but healing a lot is also essential. Red Dragon has about 30,000 HP, so be prepared for a long battle. He can use spells as powerful as Fire 3 and Flare. If you have the Shiva and Bismark Espers equipped, they will deal some serious damage to the Red Dragon, as can Gau if he has any Rages that do Aqua Rake. As usual, Edgar's Chain Saw and Drill are very effective. As with Storm Drgn, you will need to use Cure 2 almost constantly. Don't give up if your first try is unsuccessful; the eight dragons are some of the toughest bosses out there. When you win, you'll get Cyan's awesome Strato weapon. Pick up the Dragon Horn in the treasure behind him also. After that, go up the steps just to the north and step on the northern switch. Have the first group walk westward through the narrow passage and then downstairs. Take the Ribbon from the center of the room, then go up the western stairs. Up above again, head south and jump across the rocks to join the second group. Have each group step on one of the switches to open the way forward. Take either party you like through here, and there you'll find Locke. He has just found what he was looking for: something to revive the dead, the Phoenix Magicite. He quickly takes it back to Kohlingen and uses it on Rachel. It works, but only temporarily. Rachel only has enough time to tell Locke that her death wasn't his fault, and that he must go on without her. Locke is finally able to forgive himself when she dies, and eagerly rejoins the group, bringing with him hordes of items from the Phoenix Cave, as well as the Phoenix Magicite itself!
Terra
Now would be a good time to check on Terra how Terra and the children of Mobliz are doing. Almost any party will work for this part of the game, but as usual, it is helpful to have Sabin and Edgar along for the ride. Fly to Mobliz and go into the basement where the kids are. You'll find that Katarin, the oldest girl there besides Terra, is pregnant. However, she has now disappeared. Terra is missing as well, and Duane is also nowhere to be seen. Head for the house next door. You'll see a dog wander behind a bookcase. Follow it and you'll find a secret room where Terra is comforting a distressed Katarin. Duane appears to make up with her, when suddenly Phunbaba reappears. Take the Ether from the urn at the back of the room, then run outside and prepare to fight. Just like last time, Bio spells and Sabin's Blitzes work very well against him. Phunbaba's attacks are stronger now, and include the awesome Bolt 3 spell. Be prepared to use lots of Cure 2 spells. Once you've done some good damage to him, he will use an attack called BabaBreath which will cause two of your party members to leave the battle (kinda like Sneeze). When this happens, Terra appears and Morphs into her Esper form to join the battle. Now the fighting gets even more intense, but the same techniques will work here. You should have no trouble winning once Terra enters the melee, and this time Phunbaba's gone for good. when the kids appear, they are fightened by Terra's strange appearance. Terra finally realizes that the best way for her to help the children is by eliminating Kefka, so she at last joins your group.
Strago
Any party will work when attempting to get Strago, as long as Relm is in it. Remember the tower surrounded by rocks which you saw as Celes and Sabin. Land there and check it out. You'll find Strago wandering around at its base like a zombie. He has been put in a trance by the Cult of Kefka, whose headquarters is this tower. Only Relm will snap Strago out of the trance, allowing him to rejoin the party. Once you have him, it's a good idea to go out and get more Lore spells before you continue with the game.
Mog
At the base of the tower where the Cult of Kefka are, you'll see a group of thieves. One of them will tell you a secret... for 100,000 GP! He says there's an ancient castle full of treasure hidden beneath Figaro Castle. However, you should pay attention to the second thing he says, which is that the owner of the weapon shop in Narshe is looking for you. That is the next place you'll want to go to. As far as the party you want, just make sure that Locke and Sabin are both in it. As you try to enter Narshe, you'll run into Lone Wolf. He's on his way out, because all the houses are locked and there's only one Moogle that survived the "end of the world". Your first stop should be the weapon shop. I must warn you that since most of Narshe's inhabitants are gone, you will have to fight enemies in the streets. Try to use Steal against Test Riders - you may be rewarded with a Partisan. Any locked doors you find in Narshe can be opened by Locke. When you reach the weapon shop, talk to the man in the back. He has found the Magicite of the Ragnarok Esper. He wants to know if he should make it into a sword. If he does, you will get one the best weapons in the game, but it will be a long time before you can ever learn the Ultima spell. Personally I prefer leaving it as a Magicite, because its special Metamorph is awesome, and waiting until you have the Paladin Shld to learn Ultima takes way too long. If you do take the sword, bet it at the Colosseum and you can win the Illumina sword, which is even better. Next, head for the house up the stairs to the right of the relic shop. The man there will give you the Cursed Shld, a shield with no defensive power which afflicts the user with a multitude of status ailments. However, if you are able to win 255 battles with it equipped (not necessarily consecutive battles), the curse will be removed, transforming it into the Paladin Shld, the best shield the game has to offer. The best thing to do when equipping it is to wear a Ribbon to block all the ailments except one: Condemned. However, if Shadow or Relm equip it, they can use the Memento Ring to counter this remaining affliction. Once you have this, head for Locke's secret entrance to the mines. From there, make your way to Mog's home (where you found the Rune Edge). You'll find that the last remaining Moogle is indeed Mog, who gladly joins the fight against Kefka. He also mentions a sasquatch who lives in the mines that would join you as well. This can only mean one thing: secret party members! Before you go anywhere, press A while standing in the exact spot where you found Mog to get the Moogle Charm. Only Mog can equip it, but it wards away all enemies other than bosses, making Mog an excellent addition to the party!
Umaro
Before you go searching for the sasquatch, return to the airship and put Mog in your party; you won't be able to do this without him. Once Mog is in your party, return to Narshe and make your way up to the site of the big battle you had against Kefka. Fight a battle here and Mog will learn the Snowman Jazz, a new set of Dances. Also here is the Ice Dragon, the members of the eight dragons with the power of ice. Though he may be small, his strength is immense. His Surge attack can be devistating, and his N. Cross attack can encase a party member in ice. If this happens, cast a Fire spell on him or her to melt the ice. Fire spells are what hurt this guy. If anyone hgas learned Fire 3 from Phoenix, use it. Everyone else should use Fire 2 and Cure 2 or Cure 3. Mog's Love Sonata will add some extra kick to your attack when he uses Elf Fire. Sabin's Blitzes also do some major damage to the Ice Dragon. Also he is tough, you may find him easier to defeat than Storm Drgn and Red Dragon were. When you do win, a Force Shld is your prize. Before continuing, save your game. It may also be wise to use a Tent. When you're ready, continue up the mountain until you reach the frozen Esper. When you do, you'll enter a battle screen against it. Use Fire 2 and Fire 3 spells to melt the ice and free the Esper (it may look as though you've killed it, but don't worry). When the Esper is free, it realizes your intentions to end Kefka's reign, it sacrifices itself, giving you the awesome Tritoch Magicite. A hole will also appear at the end of the cliff. Jump into it and you'll find yourself in a new section of the mines. Your first destination should be the cave on the far left. Don't step on the dark spots by the entrance or you'll fall into holes. Here you'll find a treasure, but to get it, you must battle three enemies called Pugs. They are extremely strong. Their only major weakness is to fire, so use Sabin's Fire Dance and the Ifrit Esper if you have it equipped. Fire 3 is another major help. You will probably want to use Cure 2 and Cure 3 almost every turn, because as a team of three Pugs can flict a lot of damage. Your best bet is to concentrate on one of the Pugs at a time, because if you use a magic spell on all of them, you may often be hit with three Pearl spells in a row. If you win, you should get a Minerva, which is well worth the effort. Next, return to the first room and take the second door from the left. Here you'll find a treasure which contains an X-Ether. Once you have that, head to the right until you reach some stairs going down. Down there, walk across the wooden planks to get a Gauntlet, and continue until you reach more stairs. Ascend, then walk all the way to the right and hit the switch there. You'll fall into a room with a bone carving sitting on display. Examine it by pressing A and you'll find the Terrato Esper inside. However, you'll then be attacked by an angry sasquatch named Umaro. This guy has very strong attacks. Sabin's Blitzes and Edgar's Tools are always good, as is Mog's Dusk Requium Dance. Use a Bio spell at the beginning of the battle to start eating away at Umaro's HP. Be careful when uses a Green Cherry - it actually makes him a lot stronger. However, you shouldn't have much trouble winning this battle. As it turns out, Mog has connections with this guy, and orders him to join your group. Not bad having a sasquatch on the team, eh?! He does not learn spells, and you cannot change his equipment, but he can use Relics. The Rage Ring and a Gauntlet make an excellent combination for him.
Gogo
There is one last party member who you normally wouldn't hear about until much later. Mog is a good person to have for this trip, because you'll want the Moogle Charm, but don't equip it right away. Fly to Triangle Island, which is at the very northeastern corner of the map. Walk around and you'll fight an enemy called the Zone Eater. He has an attack called Engulf which swallows a party member. Let him eat your entire party, and you'll find yourself in a secret dungeon of sorts. Don't equip the Moogle Charm yet. Try and fight some of the enemies here so that you can encounter them on the Veldt. The Rages Gau gets from them are very good. Begin by heading downstairs, then turn left. You can hop across the bridges to get the Genji Armor, Magical Brush, and FakeMustache, but beware of the strange men with helmets. They will push your party down to the floor below. However, you'll want to do this at least once, because there is an excellent piece of armor down there called the Red Jacket. Save your game in the room after the bridges, then get ready for something tough. In this room, the ceiling periodically drops, crushing your party and killing them. There are some places where it is safe to stand, though, like in front of the first two treasures. You will see a third spot right after the second treasure. To get the last treasure, start at the third safe spot, grab the treasure, then burn rubber down to the exit. Continuing through the cave, you'll reacha room where you can jump on treasures to cross gaps. Jump to the switch so you can reach the treasures with a Thunder Shld inside, then go through the door to the north. Here you'll meet an awesome character named Gogo. Although most people refer to Gogo as a man, I personally think it's a woman. She will be an excellent addition to the party. When she is in your party, go to her Status screen and you can give her almost any command the other party members can use! She does not use Espers to learn spells. Instead, she can use any spells the other members of your party have. Once you have her, use a Warp spell to get out of here.
10. Summon the Courage
Your party is now one once more, but you're still not ready for Kefka. There are still a few more things to do before the final battle, and as with getting your party members, you can do these things in any order you like.
Palidor
First of all, return to the island where you first awoke as Celes. Head down to the beach where you were fishing and you'll find the Palidor Magicite, and excellent weapon in your fight against Kefka. You should also go to the small desert nearby. Although it is difficult to do, try to use Steal on the EarthGuards there. If you're lucky, you may get an extremely rare Megalixir! You can also steal Elixirs from the Peepers there.
Bahamut
By now, you have probably encountered an enemy while piloting the Falcon. This enemy is Doom Gaze, an elusive monster who you fight at random. At this point you should fly around looking for him. Be forewarned that he opens every battle with a L.5 Doom spell (if Strago is on hand he will learn this as a Lore). His favorite attacks are those which kill you in one fell swoop, like Doom for example. Sabin is an excellent addition to the party for this fight, for his Blitzes are always good. Fire spells also do a real number on Doom Gaze. If he runs away, don't worry. The next time you fight him, the damage you did last time will still be there! Doom Gaze has well over 50,000 HP, but you'll eventually wear him down and defeat him. When he dies, a piece of Magicite pops out of his mouth. It is the Bahamut Magicite, which teaches you the awesome Flare spell and gives an HP bonus of 50% at level up.
Gem Box
For your next adventure, you'll be returning to the tower where you found Strago, where the Cult of Kefka resides. All the thieves there speak of great treasure at the top, so that's where you're headed. However, Magic is the only ability you can use while in the tower. Your party should be composed of Mog, Gogo, and two of your best magic users (at least one of them must have Life 3). If you don't have Wall Rings, buy four of them. Every party member will need one here. Mog should definitely equip the Moogle Charm, for the enemies are tough and they don't give you any experience, either. Begin climbing the tower. When you reach the first door, go inside and get the Safety Bit, then stand to the right of the treasure and press A. A secret door will appear on the floor below, inside which you'll find the Air Anchor, Edgar's last tool. Remove the Mogle Charm in this room and walk around until you fight a Magic Urn. You can find this enemy on the Veldt and use Leap to get a Rage which does Cure 3! Continue up the stairs and you'll find another room with a Genji Shld inside. In the next screen up is a door through which you'll find the Stunner, Shadow's best weapon. Also here is the White Drgn, one of the eight dragons with holy power. He can cast Pearl spells 'til the cows come home. He has no particular weaknesses, so just hit him with your strongest spells. Your Wall Rings will protect you from his Pearl attacks, but take note that they will bounce back and heal him. Bio seems to work pretty well. This guy may seem tough at first, but remember that he only has about 18,000 HP. When you win, your prize is a Pearl Lance. The fourth door up contains Force Armor. After this you'll reach the top of the tower. Go into the room there to retrieve the Gem Box, an awesome relic which lets a party member cast two spells in one turn. Equip it right away. As you try to leave, you'll be surrounded by Cult of Kefka members demanding the treasure be returned. Now you must fight the MagiMaster. This guy can use all sorts of spells, but your Wall Rings will protect you. Cast a Life 3 spell on some one right away (don't worry, Wall Rings don't repel that spell). You'll need this because MagiMaster uses an Ultima spell just before he dies that will wipe out all your party members. It's hard to tell what to use on the MagiMaster because his WallChange ability changes his weakness every turn. There are three ways to counter this and defeat him. One is to bring Umaro instead of Gogo. Since he has no magic, he will use physical attacks even inside this tower, which will slowly but steadily defeat the MagiMaster. The second is to use spells like Ultima and Flare, which have no spell group and will work on anyone, but they are MP costly and hard to come by. The best idea is to cast Bserk on the MagiMaster on your very first turn (even before Life 3). This will keep him from using WallChange, allowing you to use any spells you like against him. He'll be history in no time. Once he's finished, you may leave the tower forever.
Bum Rush
Your next destination is a small group of five trees north of Narshe (make sure Sabin is in your party). Walk to the center tree to find the home of Duncan, the martial arts master who trained Sabin. He will teach Sabin the Bum Rush, an incredible technique that will blow the socks off any enemy.
GrandTrain
Before you begin, I will tell you that you should increase your levels before you move on to the next level. You will want one group of four members at level 50: Sabin, Strago, Relm, and Gogo. Head to the forest just north of the Veldt. Here you will fight very strong enemies: Tyranosaurs and Brachosaurs! Although they may be difficult at first, you'll soon start gaining levels. The Brachosaurs are the most difficult of the enemies here, with spells such as Disaster, Meteor, and Ultima. You may need to use the Vanish and Doom combination to defeat them, but it's worth it. They give you more than 3500 experience points, 10 magic points, and often drop Economizers, awesome relics which reduce the cost of the wearer's spells to one! Once your four party members are each at level 50, fly to Thamasa. If you have both Relm and Strago in your party when you get there, you'll find an injured man named Gungho, who is an old friend of Strago's. He claims he was injured by a monster named Hidon which he and Strago used to hunt when they were younger. Now Strago must go to Ebot's Rock to find the monster. Despite his bickering, you can send the rest of the party with him as well. The enemies inside are sometimes tough and always annoying, so if you didn't bring Mog along, at least put the Charm Bangle on your lead character. The switches you find in this dark cave will randomly teleport you to other rooms. The first room your teleport to will always have a talking treasure chest who likes to eat coral. All the other treasures in the cave contain coral pieces, which you must continue to feed to the talking chest until he has eaten his fill and lets you pass. Once you pass him, Hidon is right there. Before the battle, cast Float on your party. During the battle Hidon is flanked by four Hidonites. To start the battle, use a Quake spell to do some serious damage to your opponents (Terrato's Earth Aura also works well). After that, begin attacking the Hidonites individually until only Hidon is left. Other than Quake, there is no particular type of spell which they are weak against. Physical attacks are usually best. Beware of using spells on the Hidonite in the lower left corner - he has a Rflect spell on which will repel your spells. Try not to attack Hidon. When all four Hidonites are gone, don't do anything. Wait until Hidon uses his special GrandTrain attack. Strago will learn this as a Lore technique, and it is good! Once he uses it, finish him off with your strongest attacks like the Bum Rush. When Hidon's gone, go back to Thamasa and Strago will tell the story to Gungho, who is surprised since he faked the whole thing! However, the whole thing is worth it to get the GrandTrain Lore.
Cleave
For the next part of the game you will need to bring Cyan along, but don't equip him with anything. Your remaining three spaces should include someone with lots of different spells. Terra makes a good addition to the group, as does Gogo. If you don't have Mog along for the ride, equip a Charm Bangle on your lead character to keep enemy encounters at a minimum. It may also be good to bring Strago along if you're still missing some Lore spells. Once you've constructed your party, fly to Doma Castle and take a nap like you did when looking for Shadow's dreams. If Cyan is part of the group, you'll be confronted by Curley, Larry, and Moe: the three Dream Stooges! They jump into Cyan's head, with the rest of your party in hot pursuit. You will find yourself controlling only one character. Save your game, then head left until you reach a trio of doors. The enemies here are very strong, so running isn't a bad idea. However, Strago can learn lots of Lore techniques from many of them, especially Critics. Anyway, head through the door on the right, and do so again when you emerge and you'll find another one of your party members. Step through the door here, then take the one to the right. You should now be back at the beginning. Save your game, then return to the three doors and use the left one. Here you'll find your third party member. Go through the door above you, and take the northern one in this room. Go through the door on the right, then the next door, and then take the door to your left. When you try to go through the door after that one, you will come face to face with the Dream Stooges again. These three make a strong group to fight. Curley (the top one) can cast Life 2 spells and revive his comrades, so take care of him first. Ice 3 spells will quickly put him under. You will want to get rid of him as fast as possible, because when all three stooges are present, they can use some kind of delta attack which is very strong. Next you should deal with Larry, the one farthest from you. Fire spells will take care of him in no time. Moe, the last one, has no particular weaknesses, so use other attacks like the Bum Rush to get rid of him. When you win, proceed through the door and you'll find yourself on a train, with enemies just as strange as before. Head into the car on the left, where you can save your game. Walk through this car and enter the next one. When you enter the car, hit the switch on the north wall twice to reach the treasure and obtain the Genji Glove. You'll find the next treasure to your left is blocked by an empty chest which moves around. The treasure on the far left contains a heavy weight to put into the chest which keeps it from moving. Once you retrieve the treasure behind it, hit the switch on the wall above the six open chests. Three of the chests will close (I believe it's the upper right, lower left, and lower center). In the next car, get the Ice Shld and X-Potion from the chests before you do anything. Then look at the north wall and you will see three switches which move the furniture around. To proceed, hit the right one, then the left, then right, center, right, and finally left again. When you pass this section of the car, you'll again see six open treasures. Close the ones which the switch did for you in the previous car, then hit the switch to open the gate to the next car. Here you can save your game, then proceed to the locomotive. Change the center and right switches, then leave the cab. You'll suddenly find yourself in a cave, and you're wearing Magitek Armor! While you're here, try to find an enemy named Io. Find this mechanical menace on the Veldt later and you'll receive the awesome Flare Star attack! Head through the south exit, then walk east and go through the entrance there. After that, turn around and go back through it. You should find yourself in a new place. Walk across the bridge there and it will collapse, bringing you to the room you slept in at Doma Castle. Here you will meet Cyan's wife and son. They tell you that you're inside Cyan's soul. Cyan has blamed himself for the fall of Doma, and his troubled soul is now at the mercy of a monster known as Wrexsoul. You must now defeat Wrexsoul and free Cyan. Save your game and move on. Be wary while walking the halls of Doma Castle, they are teeming with enemies. However, if you walk around the castle you'll see parts of Cyan's past. Anyway, you should head for the throne room. Here you'll find Wrexsoul, who quickly jumps into a battle with you. The first thing he does is use an attack called Zinger to possess one of your party members. The two SoulSavers which flank him return to life evey time they are killed, so you must do one of two things. One tactic is to cast X-Zone on the two SoulSavers. If it kills both of them simultaneously, the battle is over. The other way is to cast Doom on your own party members until you kill the one Wrexsoul is possessing. When you do, Wrexsoul will reappear. If you destroy him, the SoulSavers will follow. Just as Locke before, Cyan is able to forgive himself for the deaths of his family. When he does, he will learn all the remaining SwdTech maneuvers. When you wake up, head for the throne room before you leave to pick up the Alexander Magicite.
Raiden
Assemble your best party and head for Figaro Castle. Tell the man in the control room to take the castle back to Figaro, and you'll bump into something along the way. Stop to explore by heading through Lone Wolf's jail cell and you'll find yourself in a strange cave. You'll find some new types of enemies here. If Strago is with you, you may be able to learn some new Lore spells. The treasures in the first room include a Wing Edge and an Ether. Once you get them proceed to the next area through the door in the room's southeast corner. The treasure here contains an enemy known as Master Pug. This guy is tough. Use all your best attacks if you want to win. If you show any mercy, he'll crush you with his Step Mine spell. He will also sometimes use WallChange like the MagiMaster, so be careful when using magic. Luckily, a few Bum Rushes should be enough to put him under. Your victory awards you a Graedus, one of the most awesome weapons in the game. When Master Pug is gone, walk through the west wall and you can continue. Here you'll find the Doom Darts, which Setzer will make good use of. Go to the next room by walking up the western stariway and walking through what appears to be the left wall. Pick up the Magicite and X-Potion in this room, then go downstairs and save your game. Go up the stairs on the left and you'll arrive at the Ancient Castle, the site of a famous battle during the War of the Magi. An Esper named Odin was turned to stone while fighting in the castle's hall. Perhaps he's still here! Don't enter the main door right away, though. First, look in the smaller side doors. The right one contains a treasure with a Punisher rod inside. The left doors lead you to a treasure which contains a boss named KatanaSoul. His attacks are very strong, but if you use Sketch on him you might kill him in one shot with his SlayerEdge attack. If not, use strong attacks like the Bum Rush and Chain Saw to finish him off. When you win you receive the awesome Offering, which lets you attack four times in one turn (just like General Leo)! Inside the main door you'll find Odin's statue which becomes a Magicite when you touch it. If you want to learn the Meteor spell, stick around and use this Magicite for a while. Just to the northeast are what appear to be two doors. The left one leads to two treasures: another Gold Hairpin and the Blizzard Orb, which allows Umaro to use his awesome Storm attack. Just southeast of here is another door which leads to a room where you'll find the queen's diary, in which she confesses to loving Odin. You'll also find an X-Ether in the bucket. Now return to the throne room and walk five steps southward from the queen's throne (on your right). Press A when you get there to hit a secret switch. Return to the room where the X-Ether was and go down the flight of stairs which appears. Here you'll find another one of the eight dragons. This one is the Blue Drgn, which represents water. This guy has a variety of attacks, like CleanSweep and Flash Rain. Use spells like Bolt 3 against him, as well as physical attacks like Bum Rush and Chain Saw. As usual, someone will be casting a lot of healing spells, but since you've already beaten four of the dragons, another one should be no big deal. When you win, you are rewarded with the Scimitar, an awesome weapon which will do serious damage to your opponents. Just north of where you fought Blue Drgn is the queen's statue. When you approach it, a tear falls from it and hits Odin's Magicite, turning it into the Raiden Magicite, which will teach you the awesome Quick spell. Once you have this, get out of here and return to the Falcon.
Magus Rod
Assemble a party (Sabin and Strago are good for this mission) and head for the Opera House south of Jidoor. Before you go in, either equip Cherub Down or cast Float on all your party members. Inside, talk to the Impresario and he'll tell you a dragon is sitting on the stage and won't move. Go to the switch room in the northeast corner and hit the second switch from the right. You'll fall onto the stage and come face to face with the Dirt Drgn, a member of the eight dragons with powers of earth. His Quake and Slide spells can be devastating, but your Float spells will protect you from them. However, he also uses a spell called 50 Gs, which increases the gravity and cancels your Float spells. Cast it again if he uses this. Sabin's Air Blade will wreak havoc on the Dirt Drgn, as will any other wind attack. Water spells also work well, so try using Strago's Aqua Rake, which combines both spell groups. This boss will go fairly quickly, and you'll receive the Magus Rod when you win.
You should now be almost ready for Kefka's Tower. Before you go, there are just a few minor details to take care of. First of all, you'll want to head for the forest where the dinosaurs are. Spend a lot of time gaining levels and learning spells here. Your four "best" characters (Terra, Edgar, Sabin, and Gogo in my opinion) should all be at least at level 70. The rest of your characters should be somewhere around level 50. Make sure Terra has lots of HP (preferably 9999) so you can give her the Offering and do some serious damage with the Atma Weapon. You should also get as many Rages and Lores as you can. You should also fight enough battles to break the curse on the Cursed Shld and get the Paladin Shld. If you haven't done so already, try stealing Megalixirs from the EarthGuards on Cid's island. At the Colosseum, trade any extra BehemothSuits you get on the Veldt for Snow Mufflers (you will probably want two of them). You should also trade in the extra Imp Halberds you get from Tyranosaurs. Keep trading what you win in order to get Marvel Shoes and Exp. Eggs. If you get any Nutkin Suits on the Veldt, trade them for Genji Armor. When you're ready, you must land on top of Kefka's Tower in order to get in. When you're about to go in, Celes realizes that destroying the Statues will result in all magic ceasing to exist, including the Espers. Nevertheless, it's time to go in. You must form three groups. Different groups will fight different enemies and bosses, so it matters who is in which group. You can do this in many different ways, but there are some guidelines you should follow. First of all, Strago should be in the first group. Gau, Mog, and Umaro should all be separated, as should Locke and Gogo. Terra's best place would be in group three, and Setzer should not be in the same group as her. Also, when switching between groups, remove all equipment, so only one group is equipped at a time. I am providing my three groups in case anyone is interested. Group 1 = Locke, Strago, Shadow, Gau. Group 2 = Edgar, Setzer, Umaro, Gogo. Group 3 = Terra, Sabin, Relm, Mog. First equip group one and begin by getting the treasure to your right with a Coronet inside. Be warned that the enemies in Kefka's Tower are all very strong, so be careful monitoring your HP. Go into the pipe next to the treasure and go down the escalator to the next door. Here you'll find a treasure with Fixed Dice inside. These are awesome if you give them to Setzer and give him the Offering. You should also hang around in this room until you fight an enemy called Dark Force. If you still need any Lores other than GrandTrain, you can learn them from this guy. The only exception is Force Field, but you can get that somewhere else shortly. You can also fight Retainers here. They always end battles with a Tradeoff attack that kills a party member, but on the Veldt you can learn the awesome Shock attack, General Leo's special ability! About two rooms past here you will be unable to proceed. When this happens, switch to group two. Head through the first pipe. In here you can pick up a Minerva like the one the Pugs had. In the southwest corner of this room are two doors; one going north and one going south. Go into the north one and pick up the Tack Star. In the south room you'll find a monster named Atma. You must now fight him. He can use Fire 3, Ice 3, and Bolt 3, so keep using Cure 3 to counter it. If Gogo has the Blitz command available, use the Bum Rush. Setzer's Fixed Dice will also slaughter Atma, as will the Chain Saw. You shouldn't have much trouble defeating him, even though he has a lot of HP. A Save Point will appear when you win, so be sure to use it. Continue south and you'll fall into the next room. Walk up the stairs and go into the next room. Here you'll find two pipes. Go through the one on the left and pick up the Force Shld as you exit. Go down the escalator, pick up the Force Armor on the far left, then go through the pipe by the escalator. Pick up the Ribbon and step on the switch. This will provide a clear path for group one, but we'll worry about them later. Leave this room and go into the door on the right. Soon you'll find the Gold Drgn, one of the eight dragons who has lightning powers. He can cast any lightning spell you can think of, making him very dangerous. Your best bet is to give Gogo the Lore command and cast Aqua Rake and CleanSweep. Edgar and Setzer should use the Chain Saw and Fixed Dice, and Umaro will decide for himself what he does. The Gold Drgn will probably die so fast he'll barely even get to touch you. Your reward is a Crystal Orb. Continue until you reach a place where again cannot proceed. Stand on the switch there, unequip your party, and switch to group three. Since Mog is in this group, giving him the Moogle Charm may be a good idea. Go down the escalator and pick up the Red Cap on the left, then go through the door above it and pick up the Nutkin Suit and Gauntlet. Return to the first area and go through the southern door and into the pipe. Open the treasure to geta Hero Ring, then stand below the machine by the stairs and walk south, west, south, east, and then north to find a secret room which holds an Aegis Shld. Return to the main room and get on the north conveyor belt. Save your game, then head down the west stairs. When you try to, you'll fight a boss named Inferno, who has three parts just like Number 128. You should worry more about the main body than the arms. Terra should use the Atma Weapon and Offering for serious damage. Sabin's Bum Rush will also kick butt. For extra punch, use Bolt 3 spells on Inferno, but remeber to use Cure 3 also, because Inferno's spells are very strong. Save your game when you win. Continue until you get outside again. Here you'll find a treasure that sparkles. Press A on it and you'll hit a switch that clears the path for group one. Other treasures here contain a Rainbow Brsh and a Megalixir, then go into the door. Inside you'll encounter the Skull Drgn, the last of the eight dragons who has evil powers. He can use attacks like Poison, Bio, and Doom. Again use the Atma Weapon with Terra and Sabin's Bum Rush, but also use Pearl spells. With Terra on your side, he'll die very fast. Your prize for this victory is a Muscle Belt, as well as the awesome Crusader Esper. Continue into the next room and you'll be with group two. Step on the other switch to open a door, then unequip and switch back to group one. Walk south into the next room, then walk east to the next door. Continue until you're back outside, then go up the stairs, get the treasure on the right, then go through the northern door. You should now be in the room where the other groups are. Go through the door they opened and turn left. The path will close behind you. Switch back and move group two off the switch. Then walk south with group one and push the weight onto the switch, and then walk north again and step onto the switch there. Remove your equipment and switch to group two. Have them go into the door and turn right. Move group three and push the weight onto the switch. Then have them step on the switch like group one. Switch to group three and step on the center switch. This will make a new path leading south. Step on the switch there to make two new doors appear. Once that's done, walk north and you'll run into a mechanical boss called the Guardian. This guy is very strong. Most of his attacks include lasers and missiles. Use Sabin's Bum Rush and Terra's Atma Weapon to cut him down to size quickly. Although he has about 60,000 HP, Terra will take care of him quickly. Save your game when you win. Continue up the stairs and proceed until you reach one of the Statues. This boss is named Poltergeist. Although she may appear strong, she has a weakness to poison spells. Hit her with a Bio spell at the start of the battle. Having Terra with the Atma Weapon and Offering combination will make the battle end quickly, especially if you add to it with Sabin's Bum Rush. Victory will provide you with the awesome Aura Lance. Head through the north door and save your game if you like, then jump down through the hole and step on the switch. When that's done, switch to group one and walk down to where the weight was, then walk through the new door on the left. Through here you'll find Doom, the next of the Statues. Doom has more HP than any boss you've encountered yet. Her weakness is holy magic, so try using Pearl spells on her. She is also the only enemy who casts Force Field, so don't kill her until she does it so Strago can learn it. If Shadow is with you, don't be afraid to use a Ninja Star if you have to. If it says "Doom's aura is shaking," try using an Ultima spell or two. When you win you'll receive the Sky Render, Cyan's best weapon. Save if you need to and head north and step on the next switch. Unequip and switch to group two now. Follow the same path as group one and you'll reach Goddess, the last of the three Statues. She is probably the toughest of the three. All of her attacks are very strong, and she has no particular weaknesses. This will be a hard battle, but keep curing and you should be okay. Just watch out for her Overcast attack, which will slowly turn all of your characters into zombies. If you beat her you'll get the awesome Excalibur sword. You can save your game now, but you may realize that you still have your magic, since Kefka has most of their power, so now you must defeat him. Walk into the next room, but do not step on the switch. You must now equip all twelve of your characters. Equip them in order of most important to least important. Your four level 70 characters (Terra, Gogo, Sabin, and Edgar for me) should definitely be the first ones equipped. Then step onto the switch to face Kefka. He tells you he plans to destroy everyone and everything on Earth. When you're ready to fight, put your party members into a lineup from best to worst, so your best characters will be in the battle. If one falls, the next person in line will take his or her place. Before you face Kefka, you must face three different enemies with multiple pieces. Have Terra attack with the Atma Weapon, Sabin Bum Rush, Edgar use Chain Saw, and Gogo use whatever she can (Ultima spells kick butt). Use Cure 3 a lot and heal any status ailments you get. The first monster uses earth attacks like Shock Wave and Quake, so be cautious. However, he isn't much trouble. The second monster has a lot of pieces and can use spells like Haste2, Grav Bomb, 10 Hits, Dispel, and many others. The Atma Weapon will be extremely valuable here. The third and final creature before Kefka has two pieces. This enemy often opens with a W Wind attack, so heal yourself right away. It also uses Pearl Wind a lot to regenrate its HP. Its other attacks include Merton and Train, a spell which can give you all sorts of status ailments. If Gogo has the Steal command in, use it on both parts of this enemy. You'll be in for a real treat. Now it's time to fight Kefka. He usually opens with a Fallen One spell which will reduce everyone's HP to one, so use a Megalixir to counter that (if you need one you can steal it from him). He too can use the Train spell as well as Ultima. Occaissionally Kefka will say "the end comes beyond chaos", and the screen will begin to shake. This means he is powering up for a super-attack called Goner. Depending on your levels, this spell can do anywhere from 1000 to 6000 HP of damage, so replenish your HP as soon as the shaking starts. Use all your strongest attacks, magic, and items, because you have nothing left to save them for. If Terra is still with you, you'll have no trouble with Kefka, and that's the end of the game. I hope you have a lot of time on your hands, because the ending lasts a long time.
Good Luck!!!