Things return to where they all began: Iselia. The Giant Kharlan Tree is gone, but the destruction of the Tower of Salvation has signaled to Sylvarant that the Chosen's journey failed, and tensions are high. The group decides to take a look around the village while Colette rests. Kratos leaves the party and stays behind at Colette's home.
Besides the bad sentiments towards Colette from the villagers, not much else is new in Iselia. Outside the school, however, a commotion is brewing. Iselia's nameless Mayor is mad at everyone: Lloyd and his father, Colette's failure, Genis and Raine being half-elves, and the "dirty" prisoners you brought to the village from the Ranch. Chocolat tells him to shut his mouth, though, and the rest of the villagers defend Lloyd and his friends; sending the Mayor running with his tail between his legs, never to be seen again. Chocolat is never seen or heard from again after this, either, for whatever reason. What about her mom in the now-destroyed Palmacosta? Anyway...Look for Raine afterward outside the remains of her and Genis' former home. Reunited with Raine, look for two new skits: "Small First Step" and "Is it my fault?".
Kratos and Colette are waiting at the entrance of Iselia to visit Lloyd's father, Dirk. Automatically taken, wait before approaching the house. Two Kratos-exclusive skits are available now: "The Desian Hero" and "Dirk's Skills". Also, the "Cursed Sword of Nebilim" skit, strangely, appears now, and one with Colette called "Is it a Punishment?". It doesn't look like Dirk has the expertise to understand what is going on with Colette's Cruxis Crystal and suggests seeing Altessa in Tethe'alla instead. Kratos tries to leave, but Lloyd stops him. He doesn't understand why Kratos would return to Cruxis after helping them subdue the Great Seed; going against Yggdrasill's orders. He has his reasons, but tells Lloyd to look into Ancient Kharlan War for clues as to help Colette. He departs, passing the returning Sheena on the way out.
The party stays the night with Dirk. Everyone is dispersed around the house, location dependent on their affection for Lloyd; ignoring Sheena and Kratos', however. Whoever is highest will be on the terrace outside of Lloyd's room and you need to talk with them to advance the story. The second-highest is in Lloyd's room. Third, is near Noishe's pen outside. Fourth, is by Lloyd's mother's grave. Fifth, is beside the clothesline. And sixth, is on the bottom floor of Dirk's house. After speaking with Lloyd's current "soulmate" the party is ready to leave for Tethe'alla.
Zelos' "Hunny" Count in Iselia: 7
Next, look for Nova's Caravan that should be positioned in the desert near Triet. If you already defeated the Sand Worm and obtained the Soul Eater Devil's Arm, there will be a scene with Raine about the Monster List. Lloyd can agree with "Yeah." to increase affection with Raine or "I dunno about that...." to reduce it. If you're on a new game+ and already completed the Monster List, Raine will be rewarded the Monster Collector title now, too. Details on that later, though. After this scene, Nova's Caravan will randomly move across the world, to any location we've previously seen it at.
Zelos' "Hunny" Count in Luin (Fully Reconstructed): 8
Over to Tethe'alla now, make a stop in Meltokio. Head for the castle and Lloyd and Zelos will witness Kratos suspiciously making his exit from it. Zelos thinks it's not of any concern to us. Lloyd can respond: "Yeah, you're right." to largely increase everyone's affection, but lower Kratos'. Saying: "We can't just ignore it." largely boosts Kratos' affection, and only slightly for Colette, Raine, and Regal, the remaining characters take a hit in their affection values.
Still in Altamira, make your way toward the elemental railway and Sheena will drop the Pink Pearl Ring she got from the student in Sybak. A lady nearby will pick it up and ask where you got it. She asks if you'll take some money to the student in Sybak as an apology for doing something terrible to him in the past. For completionists, make sure to say "I'm sorry, but we can't.". Agreeing will cause you to permanently lose the Pink Pearl Ring from your inventory at the quest's end. Declining has no effect on affection values and simply ends this fruitless side-quest before it starts and you keep the Ring.
For those that don't care about an, essentially, useless item, accept her request. Return to Sybak and look for the student, Joshua, still near the junk bazaar. From there, to Meltokio in search of the girl, Rosa, in the rich district for a scene. Lastly, talk to Joshua again in Sybak to be presented with a choice. Choosing: "Tell the truth." boosts affection for Colette, Genis, Sheena, and Regal, but lowers it for Raine, Zelos, and Presea. Selecting to "Keep quiet." largely increases affection for Colette and Regal, and slightly for Zelos and Presea; Genis and Sheena get a reduction.
Next on the list is to land in Exire. The music here never fails to remind me of Star Ocean 2. In the northern-end of the city (You always begin in the southern-portion if you have been here before) there's a solitary house you can enter with a man inside. He mistakes Raine as someone named "Virginia". This is the name of Raine and Genis' mother! She must live somewhere in the city, but the man warns that it's probably best that you don't see her. Raine asks Lloyd for his help to find her, though.
Talk with the man in his home again and the party receives the Virginia's Diary item. In it, the love Virginia had for her children is evident as are the events that led her to send them through the Otherworldly Gate to Sylvarant. Raine, being incredibly gifted, was pursued by the Imperial Research Academy to use her, much like they did Kate, as basically, a research slave. Raine and Genis are finally able to find a bit of peace in their hearts after reading the Diary. Upon returning to Virginia's house, the group finds that she simply up and left suddenly. Lloyd promises to help search for her when Cruxis is defeated. These events largely boosts Raine's affection for Lloyd. Look for new skits on the world map afterward: "Mother" and "The Eternal Obsession". For an additional one with Genis and Raine named "My Sister", take a rest at any inn.
To continue the story, head for Altessa's House next. Everyone gushes about how great of a guy Mithos is for saving Tabatha from the falling rock. Altessa seconds what Kratos said: that the party should research the Ancient Kharlan War to find a remedy for Colette's Chronic Angelus Crystallus Inofficium. With Mithos onboard, our destination is the Academic Research Library in Sybak.
When you try to quick jump through the Meltokio sewers, you'll find yourself instead just before the stairs near the city exit. That's because Vharley is conducting more shady dealings down here. It turns out that the Pope has been slowly poisoning the King; no surprise there, and it's only a matter of time before he is dead. Regal and Presea confront him, with Presea cutting him down! Right to the point! With this incriminating knowledge, we can use it against the Pope and clear the group's name with the King. Exiting out of the sewers, look for the new skit "End of the Revenge".
The King and his daughter, Hilda, think that Zelos has come to kill them, but he explains the situation regarding the Pope and his loathsome poison. Raine administers the antidote to the King, and Lloyd asks him for permission to access the castle's archives to search for information on Mithos and his companions. The King agrees, but ultimately never wants to see Zelos again. At this point, both Meltokio, Sybak, and the Grand Tethe'alla Bridge are now fully-accessible again.
The archives are in the castle's eastern-wing, on the second floor, near the save point. The group struggles to find any information regarding Mithos. That is until Colette trips and magically produces the exact book we needed. To create a Rune Crest for Colette, that will subdue the process of the crystallization, we are in need of a Mana Fragment, Mana Leaf Herb, and the mineral, Zircon. Regal thinks we can find information on Zircon at his company offices in Altamira, but we'll need to get to the secluded elven village of Heimdall, that is guarded from entry by the King, to find a Mana Leaf Herb. Mana Fragments are also probably only found in Derris-Kharlan, so that will be saved for last. Go down to the throne room of the castle and the party will ask Princess Hilda for the King's permission to enter Heimdall; she then returns with the King's Letter item, allowing passage. On your way out of Meltokio, there should be a new skit, "Zelos' Hormones", and you can stay at the inn for another skit, "A Fine Chosen".
On the second floor, before they can read them, Kuchinawa swipes the mineral records. Despite the Pope having been disgraced and Vharley's death, he still desires revenge on Sheena. Sheena then challenges Kuchinawa to a one-on-one duel. He agrees, but only returns the records upon Sheena giving up Corrine's Bell as promise to show for their duel. Corrine's Bell is lost from your inventory, but you find from the records that the last shipment of Zircon went to Sybak. If you want to anger Sheena, try to go to Mizuho for the duel before picking up the Zircon.
Note: In case you're wondering, no change has happened inside the Toize Valley Mine.
Zelos' "Hunny" Count in Sybak: 22
Note: At this point, anytime for the remainder of the game, Sheena's duel with Kuchinawa is available. It is incredibly difficult; with no usage of items being allowed, so it's recommended we do this later on. However, if you enter Mizuho, this will automatically commence the start of the duel, and you will be unable to leave, so do not return there until you are ready for the battle.
New Monsters in the Ymir Forest area: Kraaken (Beaches), Duelist, Heavy Armor (Roads)
Outside of the Ymir Forest, most of the enemies are from around the Toize Valley Mine and others we are about to encounter inside the Ymir Forest, itself. There are three, unique monsters to encounter, though. On the beaches, look for the large Kraakens to add to your Monster List. If you head a little southeast, toward the House of Guidance, there are several road areas you can encounter two additional monsters on: the Duelist and Heavy Armor. If you didn't get the rare Lid Shield from the Soldiers in Sylvarant, they are dropped by the Duelist, as well. Also, good news, if you've been following from the beginning: we are completely done with monsters on the world map!
New Monsters within the Ymir Forest: Boar, Baby Boar, Killer Bee, Storm Claw, Dodo, Orcrot, Armaboar
The Ymir Forest is home to many new monsters, as well as a place those that like to maximize their stats will spend countless hours of farming. Killer Bees, which often come in pairs, can drop the +3 Evasion Red Saffron, while the cherry blossom-looking Orcrots can cough up the +3 Defense Red Bellebane. Using Colette's Item Finder Compound EX Skill, they are not uncommon, either, in my experience. Another note, I guess because of the puzzle-like nature of the dungeon, the monsters of the Ymir Forest don't respawn unless you exit back to the world map and reenter. You may need to encounter many of the Boar-type icon to find an Armaboar; they can be quite rare.
Automatically upon entering the dungeon, you're treated to the skit "Heimdall" with Raine. The Ymir Forest is navigated by boardwalks and tree branches, and it's highly suggested you equip Lloyd's Lv2 Personal EX Skill to get around quickly as there will be plenty of backtracking to do. To start, head north and search around the left-side of the large tree to find a hidden chest containing a Resist Ring. This unique accessory is the opposite of the Protect Ring we found long ago: lowering the character's Defense but significantly increasing their resistance to elemental magic. While there is only one of the Resist and Protect Ring, you can switch them back and forth with a Rune Bottle in order to produce more than one, to fit certain situations.
Activate the nearby Sorcerer's Ring altar to change the effect to a special "jingle", that I suppose acts like a dog whistle. Jump onto the stump and use the Ring next to the red flower to summon a Boar that strikes the tree with reckless abandon! Wow, okay.
Return back to the area with the Ring altar, then head east, this time; along the boardwalks, not using the tree. Jump on the tree stump to the south and use the Sorcerer's Ring to have a Boar bash open the locked treasure chest. It contains a Solar Guard armor, that protects against fire and light-based magic, for either Colette or Presea. Personally, I gave it to Presea and kept Colette with the Rune Guard.
From the Gladius treasure, use the northern-most boardwalk to move west, then turn north to the next screen. Take your first left and hop on the tree stump to call a Boar to form a crack in the nearby boulder.
If you take the Blue Seed to the elven boy, he'll tell you the secret to using it effectively, just to note. To continue, take the Blue Seed back to the Sorcerer's Ring altar and plant it in the flower bed next to the red one (The Blue Seed is lost from your inventory). This will cause blue flowers to sprout on lily pads in the Forest.
White flowers have now sprung up in various areas of the dungeon. You can use one on a tree to the far-west of the altar to fly to a lone island with a boar you can fight, but little else. Instead, head up the tree branch to the east, jump across to the white flower, and use the Sorcerer's Ring. Proceed to push the large crate off into the water.
Flying back across to the previous area, move east, then down the tree branch, instead of along the boardwalk heading south. Continue east and you'll cross over the wooden crate you dropped from above. Using the Sorcerer's Ring on the stump drops a Ymir Fruit into the water, but out of our reach.
West from where you originally dropped the Ymir Fruit from the tree, seen in the above screenshot, use the Sorcerer's Ring here to drop worms into the water, forcing the stubborn Ymir Fruit further south.
Use the upper-left boardwalk exit just off the previous lily pad. Hop on the one in this area and wait. You have to time the Sorcerer's Ring use just right or the Ymir Fruit will be gobbled up by one of the creatures in the water, forcing you to redo the entire scenario from the beginning; thus why I advised you to go and save your game first. There are many ways you can do this, but what always works for me is to wait until the mobile creature's body fully disappears to the west, then use the Ring immediately. It will look like a close call, but the fish, and Fruit, will slip by the creature. If you mess up, just reload your game and try it again.
There's another run-in with Kratos at the gates of Heimdall. That can't be just coincidence. He's cryptic, like always, but we've got pressing matters to attend to. Being half-elves, Raine and Genis will have to wait at the entrance for us; we also aren't allowed to talk favorably of the ancient hero, Mithos, here, either.
For weapons, purchase a Wasier Rapier for Lloyd, Northern Lights for Genis, and a Yaksa for Sheena. If you've already picked up the weapons from a reconstructed Luin, you might prefer to just add these to your inventory.
Exiting to the west-side of town, there's very little going on here besides the Elf Elder's house beyond the windmill. Like the inn, there's also a section you can use to pass under the house, further west. There's a stray for Colette to name, Cookie, and a "hunny" for Zelos that isn't thrilled with his flirtations. If you've been following along, Cookie will be the final dog Colette needs to name and she will be rewarded with the title of Dog Lover (Int, Eva, Acc: 40%). Note: If you already have the title via NG+, you won't get notification of receiving it again like some other ones.
Note: Heimdall is, kind of, a temporary area. Although it never disappears, its shops do, as well as many of the "hunnies" Zelos needs to interact with to receive his title, and Colette's dogs. That said, most of the items being sold in the shops and said "hunnies" the dogs, and the Cream Stew recipe in the Elder's house eventually become missable, so take care of your business here as soon as possible. Like always, I will warn you when this is about to occur, though.
Zelos' "Hunny" Count in Heimdall: 12
Before continuing on to the next chapter, since we had quite an upheaval in equipment, here are my current recommendations for our characters:
- Lloyd: Wasier Rapier/Paper Fan, Rune Mail, Rune Helm, Claw Gauntlet, Faerie Ring, Blue Sephira/Rune Boots
- Colette: Solar Spinner/Tambourine, Rune Guard, Rune Circlet, Draupnir, Rune Boots, Rabbit's Foot
- Genis: Northern Lights/Phantasmagoria, Rune Cloak, Rune Hat, Draupnir, Spirit Symbol, Blue Talisman
- Raine: Rune Staff, Rune Robe, Rune Circlet, Katz Mittens, Yata Mirror, Blue Talisman
- Sheena: Yaksa/Money Bag, Rune Robe, Hairpin, Draupnir, Rune Boots, Warrior Symbol
- Zelos: Gladius, Reflect, Rune Helm, Rune Shield, Emerald Ring, Rabbit's Foot
- Presea: Battle Pick, Solar Guard, Maid's Hairband, Claw Gauntlet, Rune Cape, Holy Symbol
- Regal: Crystal Shell, Rune Cloak, Headband, Draupnir, Elven Boots, Blue Talisman