With three Dragoons now in your party, when they fight together, and have maximized their SP gauge, a "Special" icon will become available during battle. The character that initiates this command will transform the entire party into Dragoons and a special aura will envelope the battlefield that corresponds to the activating character's element. This has potential pros and cons, so be mindful of a few things: The aura grants an increase in statistics to the character AND monsters of that element; along with allowing the character to perform a perfect Dragoon addition. It also lowers stats of monsters AND characters of the opposite element, so be careful when using.
On the short path to Lohan, we can find our second "special" monster, the Cursed Jar. This thing is a major pain, but with the Magic Signet Stone, we have improved chances to defeat it. Like with the Yellow Bird, it has 4 HP, very fast, and flees regularly, with the addition of being immune to magic. For best success, attack it once, then if it doesn't flee and attacks you, toss the Magic Signet Stone at it to prevent its action for three consecutive turns. You should be able to get in two follow-up attacks before it can act again. Then, if it attacks you one more time after, you should be able to land the final hit. Note: He uses a physical attack barrier frequently, so make sure to guard until he attacks again and lifts it.
The Cursed Jar coughs up 300 EXP and a Night Raid item when defeated. Night Raid is the strongest darkness elemental magic item in the game, and is quite rare, with this enemy being the best place in the game to obtain them. Don't fight too much and leave Shana behind in levels, however.
Immediately upon entering Lohan, Dart will rush off with Shana in his arms to find a doctor. The doctor, Sanator, will be unable to help Shana, but he may know of a way to heal her from the Dragon's poison: the mythical herb, Dragoni Plant, but like the Dragon, the myth may well be true. The party will have to search Lohan for information and you'll then be free to explore the city.
The outside of Lohan is easy enough to navigate, but the inside, consisting of many small rooms packed together, can be a bit confusing, but I've got you covered. First, from outside Sanator's clinic, cross the bridge and enter the green-colored door, then take your first left to pick up a crate with 200G in it, then return back outside.
This next screen is just a minor note. If you enter the red door that is just above the green one, then climb the ladder in the bar you will arrive on the rooftops of Lohan. There's absolutely nothing to find here, but if you enter the window just below the one that exits out of the bar onto the rooftop, there's a merchant standing here in front of a ladder that leads down into a room. I am noting it only because it's a bit suspicious; but this NPC never moves and you can cannot access the ladder or explore the room below. For a kick, try to run across the guy's roof outside and he'll scold Dart.
Back outside, the blue door is the inn, but even if you need to rest, save your Gold as we'll be returning to the Nest of Dragon's recovery pool soon. Next, use the lower-left green door to enter a bookstore. On the second floor, have Dart inspect the bookshelf to access a secret passage. Climb down the ladder and search the furnace for a piece of Stardust.
From the bookstore, exit south to a new area of Lohan. Enter the green door on your left to find the item shop. Nothing much to note here, but Spinning Gale and Gushing Magma magic items are now available to purchase.
From the item shop, climb the stairs to the left-side and use the red door above to enter the weapon shop. Completionists will be returning here often as it holds the best piece of equipment in the game: the Legend Casque helmet. If you can manage to purchase one of these, which I highly advise against until the very end of the game, no magic will even come close to scratching the equipped character; this isn't an exaggeration either: it is that good. Also, it's 10,000 Gold, and that's a lot of Yellow Birds right now, so take my suggestion and we'll come back for these much later. For now, buy Rose a Cape helmet and you may consider a Protector accessory that prevents the arm blocking status. You will eventually find one of these in a treasure chest, but it will be near the end of the game, so you decide for yourself. If Dart is using the Burning Rush addition, a second Power Wrist for him could be considered. As for the other high-priced accessories: the only one you cannot find elsewhere in the game is the Angel Scarf that cuts magic damage in half. More than likely, you will need to purchase the Ultimate Wargod, as well, but there is a -very- minor chance you can get one from a "game". Those that have played before know what I'm talking about, but we'll cover that when we get there. Just take my word that you should plan on coming back for that accessory, too.
Back in the previous area, cross the bridge to the right-side and look outside the blue door for a treasure containing an Angel Robe. This is for Shana when she eventually rejoins, and it provides a chance to auto-resurrect the character if they fall in battle. It's also a one-of-a-kind item you won't find elsewhere.
Enter the blue door to run into Dabas from back in Volcano Villude. Dart will ask him about the Dragoni Plant and he'll find a note in one of his books about them growing in a Shrine near the Nest of Dragon. There's a problem though: a mutant plant is blocking the path, but hopefully the Nest's spring water will destroy it. Note: Dabas' shop was originally the location of a Japanese-only, PocketStation mini-game you could play to find items, but obviously, this was removed from the western versions.
Still in Dabas' shop, climb the ladder to the top floor of the building and search the suit of armor to pocket another piece of Stardust.
To the right of the item shop (green door), there is a small staircase going downward into Lohan's bazaar. The party will be approached by a vendor that attempts to sell a liquid container for an absurd amount of Gold. Have Dart reject every single price the vendor offers to walk away with the Water Bottle item for free.
Take the bazaar's eastern exit and search the discarded baskets on the left-side of the screen for yet another Stardust. There's a crate with 100G across from it, too.
Use the western exit from the bazaar stairs to reach the entrance of town. Look in the jars behind where the soldier is standing, to the right of the town's gate, for the last of Lohan's Stardust.
Make your way back to the Nest of Dragon and jump down the cavity and locate the recovery pool you used in the previous chapter. Dart will scoop some up into the Water Bottle and you obtain the Life Water item. Climb back out of the pit and head south from it, on the left-side of the screen. You'll remember the fork in the road where Shana rested from the poison. Take this path and have Dart use the Life Water (Both Bottle and Water stay in your inventory) on the grotesque plant to destroy it. Follow the path out to the world map and over to our next dungeon: Shrine of Shirley.
The first screen of the Shrine of Shirley is a huge lake of water with stone passageways above it. You'll see a path leading up to a chest, but ignore it, because all of the chests in this dungeon contain only notes from a thief. Instead, make your way around the outside to the Shrine entrance. Here, the Dragoon Spirits will resonate with a sculpture of the White Silver Dragon; there must be a Dragoon here.
Inside, on your left, Dart can touch another Silver Dragon relief and the party will be instantly restored. You can also read the taunting signs the thief has placed around.
Use the first right, opposite of the Dragon relief. As seen above, chests littered around the dungeon only contain text, so ignore them. If you skip across the stepping stones in the bottom-right of the room there is yet another relief the party can use to heal.
In the lower-left of the room, there is a sign near a statue that provides a hint for an upcoming puzzle.
Return to the center room, then use the second set of stairs on the left. Move to the right and have Dart operate the wheel on the wall to open the large door below. Back the way you came, you'll see the a new entrance has appeared where the first Silver Dragon relief was. Venture outside it and look at the note and the direction that the golden statue is facing.
Return to the center and use the stairs leading north. Continue climbing the many sets of stairs all the way to the top of the platform and exit to the northwest. Attempt to open the chest and Dart will fall into a roller-coaster-like trap. As Dart moves along and passes signs, be sure to note the numbers that he calls out; there will be three in all. Unfortunately, these are randomly determined, so you'll have to remember them yourself. The cart will dump Dart in the lake at the beginning of the dungeon. Make your way back to the large room with the staircases, but stop on the second level where this is a circular indentation on an altar. Enter the three numbers from the mine cart ride and a ladder will descend in the northeast for you to access.
Beyond the ladder is a large flight of stairs and two familiar-looking statues. Turn the silver statue to the Left and have the one made of gold face Front, otherwise the stairs will be pulled out from underneath Dart if he attempts to climb them. Make sure to save your game and heal up before going forward into the center of the room where a boss fight awaits you.
Another fairly easy boss, but being a bandit, you can expect a little trickery. If you have any Pellet or Meteor Fall items left over, have Rose toss them for big damage, otherwise, transform all three into Dragoons and use your best attacks. Dart with Final Burst, if he has it by now, or Flameshot, Rose with Astral Drain, and Lavitz can just attack. If Drake sends out a set of bombs or his wire fence, use multi-enemy spells like Explosion, Wing Blaster, and Death Dimension to deal with them quickly. Near the end, he'll emergency heal his HP, but this is nothing more than an annoyance.
Like Greham, Drake has the chance to drop a very nice item: the Bandit's Ring. This fantastic accessory will boost a male character's speed by 20, and while you can farm them later on, this is your first chance to obtain one. It makes a great accessory for Lavitz or even Dart, with myself preferring to keep Lavitz with the Spirit Cloak and Dart with Wargod's Amulet, however. Note: There was a rumor going around for a long while that Drake could drop Bandit's Shoes, the best leg gear for males. This is totally false and he only carries the Bandit's Ring.
It turns out Drake was protecting the spirit of the former White Silver Dragoon, Shirley. She has no Dragoni Plant to give the party, but if you can prove the purity of your heart to her, she will relinquish her Dragoon Spirit that can save Shana.
This isn't a real battle, so only Guard. Shirley will take the form of either Shana, when addressing Dart, or King Albert, speaking to Lavitz. To finish the battle, the men need to answer their questions correctly. Albert looks mighty detailed: might he join the party at some point? Hmmm. Anyway, the following answers are the correct ones:
- To pursue the Black Monster (Dart)
- Of course, get revenge! (Dart)
- Shana (Dart)
- That's not like you! (Lavitz)
- Shana needs me! (Lavitz)
The other questions asked by Shirley can be answered anyway you like. Once the correct answers are given, the battle is won and you're given EXP and Gold. Shirley gives you not only the Silver Dragon DS, only asking that you please use it to heal her protector, Drake, but the Silver Stone accessory, as well. This is a one-of-a-kind accessory that cuts Light elemental damage in half.
After the battle, exit to the north to find Drake's treasure room where he stored all of the Shrine's treasure. There is the accumulative of 160 Gold, a Healing Breeze, and the Demon Stiletto weapon for Rose. This weapon is one-of-a-kind and while having a huge boost in attack power, also has the potential to inflict the Fear status (Lower statistics on enemies); excellent! You can now exit the Shrine and make your way back to Lohan and Sanator's clinic with the Dragoon Spirit.
Just to note: in the area where you fought Drake and Shirley, you will frequently encounter Living Statue monsters. These are the second, and last, enemy that can drop the rare Detonate Rock item. The Crystal Golem monster will also very rarely drop a Sapphire Pin accessory, but its only real use is to sell. The Strong Man carry Fake Power Wrists, which is a joke of an accessory, and you will be able to purchase it soon for your inventory and fairly cheap.
Bring the White Silver Dragon Dragoon Spirit to Shana and it will instantly resonate with her; not only purifying the poison from her body, but signifying her as a chosen one of the Dragoons. Sanator will suggest that Dart may be the strongest man in the world, and that he should enter the Hero Competition that is being held at the Lohan Arena. Back in control, take Shana by the weapons shop and purchase her a Cape helmet and equip her with the Angel Robe you picked up outside Dabas' Shop. Note: If you haven't gotten the Physical Ring by turning in Stardust in Bale, or have any business there, you need to do so now. After the Hero Competition, Bale will be unavailable until the game's next chapter.
The Arena is located to the east of the entrance of Lohan. Outside the Arena, on the screen you found the Stardust in the stack of baskets, Dart can have a small scene where a Minitos in the right-hand corner of the screen attempts to sell him a misprinted ticket, only to find out he himself was duped into buying it in the first place. Swing around the Arena area to the registration counter on the south-end and agree for Dart to enter the tournament. The party will split up, with Lavitz warning against turning into a Dragoon as not to cause a stir, and Dart can enter the waiting area down the nearby set of stairs. Here he meets an old friend, Haschel, whom he traveled with many years ago. They wish each other luck and Dart can talk to the attendant to begin the first match. Before starting: I recommend Dart switch to the Volcano addition and have the Poison Guard accessory equipped.
Your first battle is against Gorgaga, who will attempt to use poison on Dart, which is against the rules of the competition. If you equipped the Poison Guard, the item will miss, but even without it, you can easily use a Body Purifier. Just use your additions and Gorgaga will fall quickly. Note: With all the Arena battles, Dart does not have to win any of them to advance to the next round due to underhanded tricks, but it's easier, and more satisfying, to beat them yourself. After the battle, Dart can return and talk to his party members and save. Trade the Poison Guard back to the accessory you were previously using, as well, before talking to the attendant again to start the second match.
Serfius is a tad bit tougher than Gorgana, but not by much. If you've got any leftover Spear Frosts, use them for huge damage, but they're not necessary. After taking enough damage, Serfius will boosts his statistics, but keep chipping away with additions and watch your HP.
Third round is against Danton, a real heavy-hitter. If you bought some Spinning Gales, they will prove useful here, but again, you don't need them. Keep landing your additions and watch for when he enters a defense stance. Guard or throw magic items until he resumes attacking. When near death he will hit Dart with an All-Out Attack that drops him to 1 HP. Use a Healing Potion or Guard for a few turns to recover, then finish him off. Before the fourth round, you can equip Dart with the Bravery Amulet just to be safe, but if you know the opponent's trick, it's not needed.
Atlow the archer will fire weak shots at Dart's left leg, right leg, then chest area. After the chest hit, if you didn't equip the Bravery Amulet, have Dart Guard. He'll then strike Dart's head, and immediately after uses a special attack that will induce the Fear status. If Dart was Guarding, the status will miss. As long as you don't get inflicted with Fear, this battle is easily won. The final round is next, but don't bother with saving or any kind or preparations.
Lloyd defeated Haschel, and you'll quickly find out why: he dodges every single attack that is attempted. Just keep trying to attack and eventually Lloyd will finish you off after a few turns. Dart has to settle with second place, with Haschel taking third. The duo try to congratulate Lloyd, but he only offers cryptic responses back. Lavitz will come in, only to receive the same from Lloyd; perhaps a little foreshadowing?
Lavitz gives Dart and Shana a few tickets (Not an inventory item) and suggests they have some fun at the games that have opened up around the Arena, then humorously fails to get Rose to go along with his plan.
Not me...Thankfully, unlike most RPGs, the mini-games here are totally optional for completionists and only need to be played once to advance the story. If you talk to the lady at the ticket booth near the entrance, Dart can purchase tickets instead of playing games to earn them, then trade them in for three, unbuyable, but not-so-rare items. These being: Spirit Potion, Total Vanishing, and Healing Rain. Healing Rain completely restores the entire party's HP, which is, obviously, very useful, but you can get all three of these items as drops later on, but you decide for yourself if you'd like to pick some of them up. There are different scenes between Dart and Shana at all of the games, depending on whether your first try was a success of failure, but once you've played at least one, talk to Lavitz to continue on. Note: These mini-games are available for the vast duration of the game, so you can always return.
Lavitz will try to talk some sense into the dimwitted Dart about Shana after their date, then you'll need to attempt to leave town. A wounded knight from Basil will stagger into town and tell Lavitz that King Albert has been taken captive and held at Hellena Prison. Lavitz will attempt to rush off headstrong, but Haschel will come in and knock him unconscious. Back at Sanator's clinic, the group will agree to venture, once again, to Hellena to free Albert, with Haschel joining your party.
Like all characters that join your party, Haschel comes initially equipped with rare items. The Iron Knuckle and Disciple Vest are unique items and cannot be found elsewhere, so make sure not to sell them by accident. The Armet and Iron Kneepiece will be purchasable soon. If you got a Beast Fang from the Lizard Man in the Nest of Dragon, equip it to him now: it offers greater attack power and the chance to stun upon attack. Haschel is naturally thunder elemental, which has no strengths or weakness to other elements. Before we head off to Hellena, just a quick recommendation for equipment at this point in the game.
Dart: Bastard Sword, Sallet, Plate Mail, Leather Boots, Wargod's Amulet/Power Wrist
Lavitz: Lance, Sallet, Chain Mail, Leather Boots, Spirit Cloak/Bandit's Ring
Shana: Sparkle Arrow, Cape, Angel Robe, Leather Shoes, Power Wrist/Knight Shield
Rose: Demon Stiletto, Cape, Leather Jacket, Leather Shoes, Elude Cloak/Physical Ring
Haschel: Beast Fang, Armet, Disciple Vest, Iron Kneepiece, Knight Shield/Physical Ring
