Out on the world map, you're now far-west of the Yraall Region in the Dauna Hills. Down and to the east is a ? location at the base of the mine tracks. Inside the humble dwelling you'll find Emitai, from the Contest of Champions, and his family. Still peddling lies about the Contest, despite Garr being right in his face, he has an offer for the party: For 10,000 zenny he'll become your master and teach you some of his magic specialties. If you've got 40k+ zenny, go ahead and put the money down; if not, we can accumulate some in the next dungeon to put towards this. Emitai is, understandably, an excellent master for mages, or even Garr for the AP he is sorely lacking. Pupils get an impressive +4 to Intelligence and AP, while losing -2 Power and Defense. Emitai's bestowed skills are below:
- Barrier (2): Same as Ryu's spell, reduces magic damage by 25% and can stack four times for up to a 100% increase. Should be given to Peco when available.
- Mind Sword (4): A quirky spell that uses a character's Intelligence to deal physical damage to an enemy. It also takes on the affinity of the character's weapon (Like elemental and slayer type).
- Enlighten (6): The big brother of Meditation, user gets a 50% bonus to Intelligence, and can be used twice for a 100% increase. Unlike Mediation, however, Enlighten's effects don't fade after your next turn and persist throughout the battle. You can even use Enlighten twice, then Meditation twice, for a giant 200% increase for your next turn.
Seek out the field of flowers to the west, across the bridge, and just down the hill to the south. Ten years have passed and Cadis is not happy that Ryu hasn't visited them! And from here begins the construction of the Faerie Village. While not overly complicated, building up the Village does take some fine-tuning at the beginning, before eventually being self-sustaining. Navigating through the faerie's numerous jobs, some of which are rooted in potential failure and undesirable outcomes, to obtain all of its unique items is deserving of its own chapter which will come at the very end of the guide. I will return to this section and link to the chapter once it is completed. For now, I will go over how to get started growing and suggestions for how to best utilize the Village throughout the game.
To start, you'll only have three faeries of varying specialties. Put the one with the highest light-blue bar into the house as a Scholar developing culture and the remaining two as hunters. After some battles, more faeries will be born and you can assign them. Passage of time in the Village is based upon battles fought; whether they be won or escaped from, as opposed to an internal game clock. Everything new that happens within the Village is also posted on the board up the hill from the entrance. It's important to remember that for every three faeries born, one needs to be hunting to keep an adequate supply for the fledgling colony (Preferably one with a long, red bar). When a faerie is born with a longer light-blue bar, make sure to exchange them with the current one developing culture; new, green-barred faeries should be allocated to clearing and building. Once a second house has been created, using another light-blue-barred faerie, assign an additional Scholar to develop jobs. Continue to allocate faeries upon their birth, by their talents, between hunting, clearing, and building, while the culture level and job availability rises. Once you've established these bases, here are some suggestions on how to use the Faerie Village to make the most out of your save file as you play through the story:
- Culture level, which influences the growth rate of the Village like births and expansion, maxes at 7. Once reached, this can be turned into another job.
- The Copy shop is the final job created by the Scholar. It's no longer needed after.
- The number of rooms available to build is capped at 8. Once achieved, you can allocate the faeries under clear and build to other areas.
- Saving before entering the Faerie Village is absolutely vital to the success of certain jobs talked about further below. You should never enter without saving.
- A gift shop should be created as soon as the job becomes available. The talent level of the faerie is not important. 500 battles are required to obtain the ultra-rare Spirit Ring accessory not available outside the Village. You won't know when you have reached this number, but after a long time has passed, save your game, then talk to the gift shop faerie. If it's not the Spirit Ring, reload your save and keep fighting battles. The number of battles is reset to 0 after a gift is received.
- When you have a faerie with a long, dark-blue bar, open Merchant shops with both the Weapon (Ability) and Handyman (Ability) selections. The former will eventually allow you to purchase the best weapon in the game for Nina, the Ouroboros, the best helmet for Peco (And second-best for Nina/Momo) the Tiger's Cap, along with some other useful equipment.
- Handyman (Ability) offers you the Angling Rod; one of only two fishing rods in the game that can expand to the furthest reaches of fishing spots, and the other one isn't available until the very end of the game, so make getting this a priority. Additionally, you can buy the Holy Mantle, Bell Collar, and Soul Gem accessories, along with the Protect-casting Royal Dagger from this vendor.
- You may consider an Item (Speed) merchant, as well, to purchase MultiVitamins that will not be available outside until near the game's end.
- Open a Copy shop and get started duplicating consumable items that are hard to come by. Suggestions: Moxa, Swallow Eye, Wisdom Fruit, Moon Tears, Ivory Dice, and Hourglass. If you are shooting for 99 of every item, there are, of course, a multitude of other items to consider. Failure is common, so always save BEFORE you enter the Faerie Village to check the results.
- When using Copy shops, however, never close the shop or change the faerie working in it during a copy process or else that item is lost forever! Also, I would not recommend running more than two at a time because of the high failure rate. Even achieving success with just two can result in many unwanted resets.
- Have one dedicated team of three Explorers with long, red-bars. Starting with getting the items unique to Daytrip, then moving on to harder ones. As with the Copy shop, failure, which results in the death of the faerie, is common on the Nearby/Distant options, so always save before entering the Faerie Village. You can, however, use this option to get rid of any faeries with bad traits and, possibly, have a better one reborn.
- All other rooms should be packed with Gift givers so you can pick up some free items each time you visit the Village (But be careful not to talk to the one waiting on 500 battles). In particular, after exactly seven battles you receive the Intelligence-boosting Fish-heads that are incredibly rare.
To the west, positioned solidly between two mountain ranges, is the before-mentioned Syn City. Oozing with illicit dealings, but not much else, we can visit the shops along the boardwalk. At the equipment shop, buy the Rood Spear for Garr and, if you aren't using Magma Armor, trade the MithrilArmor for Silver Mails, along with SteelGntlets for the men, as well. Since Nina will be rejoining us before long, I would purchase the WindCutter, if you don't already have the Thunder Rod, and an extra pair of SteelGntlets for her, also. Even without Nina, the WindCutter allows you to cast Cyclone during battle as an item. Buying anything else, even the WindCutter, can wait until a bit later though. The item vendor nextdoor are your run-of-the-mill ones with no new additions.
At the corner of the boardwalk are a few wares handmade by a guy named Sekine. It's pricey, but get the AshurasSword for Ryu. Not only is it a bit stronger and non-elemental compared to the FeatherSword, but it provides a hidden bonus of 75% resistance to death attacks. As for the ManlyClothes, for some insane reason it is described as "unlimited use of skill notes", but it does no such thing and actually functions the same as the Soul Gem accessory and revives a character, at the expense of losing the item itself, when the user is downed. Might as well get one since it isn't found elsewhere. Don't worry if you spend all your zenny here, there is an excellent way for us to gain more in the next area.
Note: You'll notice several new fishing spots throughout the Dauna Hills region, but since we are very close to finally getting a better fishing rod, I will wait and cover them when we do. Also, I will discuss the Dauna Hills random battlefields once we have a full party.
To the southeast of Syn City is the forewarned Ogre Road. Make sure Ryu and Garr have the Magma Armor, Ring of Fire, or at least the AsbestosArmr equipped. It's a small dungeon, but there are a few new enemy encounters and skills to learn. Of most importance are the disgraced former McNeil manor guards (I like to think so, anyway) the Vagabonds. You can lift Moon Swords from them that you sell for a peachy 1000 zenny a piece! If you didn't have enough to pay Emitai or for new equipment, this can fix that.
Slashers perform the learnable Mind Flay skill. A below-average physical attack, Mind Flay attempts to drop the Intelligence of the target by 50%, but can be applied only once.
Note: Slashers are also the only reliable enemy you can obtain the Agility-increasing Swallow Eye item from, but only as a drop and at an unfair rate, even with Charm. It's much efficient to get them from the Faerie Village.
GooTitans, previously seen in the woods around Meryleep's spring, show their googly eye again here. With better equipment and some flame-resistance, they are a lot more manageable now, but learning their Timed Blow skill will likely require several encounters. At 25% HP, GooTitans will either: use Timed Blow, escape, or use Timed Blow and then escape immediately after. Timed Blow is a subpar skill that applies the character's current HP as damage and then reduces it down to 1.
Note: Blinded, GooTitans receive an increase in their stats, with no additional experience, but only cast Burn. You can also swipe Life Shards from them, but not being as frequent of an encounter as they are, I believe Ice Toads in Momo's Tower to be a better farming place, although GooTitans are more common in the next area, Mt. Levett, than the Ogre Road.
To navigate through Ogre Road, head down the slope to your lower-left, then work around the hill containing a treasure chest overhead to the western-end of the Road. To the north, nestled at the base of the hill, are three peculiar-looking plants. Have Ryu slash them to obtain a Horseradish item. Only restoring 5 HP, these are actually a story item needed later on, so go ahead and pick some now. They will respawn each time you enter the Road.
To the left of the growing Horseradish, hug the wall and follow it to an incline you can use to climb to the upper-part of the Ogre Road. Follow the linear path up and around to the east to pick up the Hourglass chest. An item of extremely limited amount in the game, the Hourglass freezes all combatants in battle, except the user, for three turns.
Jump off the ledge near the Horseradish and proceed further south to the Road's conclusion. Before you can leave, the feared monster of Ogre Road leaps out and attacks! More of a story-driven battle than a boss, if you didn't learn the Snap skill early in the game, the Weretigr presents a new opportunity. It will also sometimes use Focus, usually taught by Bunyan, if you haven't picked it up either. Otherwise, have Ryu cast Shield and use your strongest attacks to eventually cause it to flee. On the other side of the Ogre Road is the Yraall Region. Make camp to rest, then march southeast to cross over Mt. Levett.
Another small obstacle on our way to Wyndia, Mt. Levett contains most the same monsters from Ogre Road, with the addition of the unremarkable BlueGbln and return of BossGblns. The presence of the Bosses is actually beneficial to keep the BlueGblins from casting Jolt, though. GooTitans appear to be a bit more plentiful here, too.
From the entrance, turn right, and then up the steep incline shortly after. At the top, attempt to go down the path to your right only to end up deposited down into a cave below. There's a Gold Hairpin to acquire before exiting out back at the base of the incline.
At the top again, head left this time, then turn downward to be presented with two slopes heading back down the mountain. Using the lower-left one places you on a ledge with a bag of 800 zenny. Enter the cave at the bottom and follow it through back to the topside of the mountain. Follow the mountain's edge along to the upper-right, then keep heading down, past the other side of the hole we fell in, to Mt. Levett's exit. Short and sweet.
Note: Throughout the entirety of the game, you are forced to cross over Mt. Levett each time you want to reach the Dauna Hills region. Also, you can switch from the fire-resistance equipment now that we're free of the GooTitans.
It took ten years, but they eventually rebuilt the bridge connecting Yraall and the Dauna Hills. Before crossing, enter the ? location just off Mt. Levett. You can take a Healing Herb from the dresser inside the cozy home, but most curious is the device in its basement you may have seen in other areas of the world. Eastbound, you're forced to stop at Yraall Road where Wyndian troops have put up a blockade due to an ongoing investigation into McNeil. At the Village, Garr suggestion staying at the inn. The innkeeper remarks not only about the mayor's fraud charges, but also that a wounded tiger has been spotted in Cedar Woods. Curious if it is the one that got away at Ogre Road, the old lady let's the party stay for free with Garr's agreement that we go finish what we started.
Note: For an Easter egg, enter the McNeil Farm and make for the manor. At the front gate, you can make out a now-adult Nina talking to a maid: probably the ultra-popular Mina!
Make for Ryu, Teepo, and Rei's burned-out tree house in Cedar Woods. A flashback of a wounded Rei after the attack of Balio and Sunder is shown. Ryu stops Garr and wants to go alone; he already knows the identify of the rampaging beast. Approaching his former home, Ryu finds an older Rei perched around the back, hiding. He had a feeling that was you he had attacked at Ogre Road. He tells about how he has been stalking and attacking members of the syndicate of Syn City in hopes of avenging you and Teepo. Rei is happy to see Ryu alive, but he's not about to stop until he has exacted vengeance upon everyone involved in the destruction of his family and he roars off back towards McNeil.
At McNeil Village, Rei has already attacked Loki (Waiting ten years: that's some restraint from Rei!), but unfortunately you later find out the conniver survived and fled again.
This time, enter the Farm and proceed to the McNeil manor. You witness mayor McNeil, having been arrested, being lead away by Wyndian troops commanded by Nina. The princess reunites with Ryu and Garr and the two explain about the Brood, their questions for God, and all that has happened since Angel Tower. Before worrying about all of that, Nina recommends (demands) that they join her on the further investigation of Syn City and she rejoins the party. Equip her with the extra SteelGntlets you purchased and Gold Hairpin you found. For her weapon, the Thunder Rod is still the best attack-wise, with the Magician Rod continuing to provide a Intelligence bonus if she never uses her physical attack, while the WindCutter is an alternative to the heavy-laden Thunder Rod. From there, we'll then need to take the long road all the way back to Syn City.
Note: Stop by Emitai's house and get Nina started apprenticing under him ASAP!
Rei has already ravaged Syn City when the party arrives. All the shops are temporarily closed, but access to the organization's back room at the end of the boardwalk is now possible. Just before the door, there is a downed man out of camera view who will buy a Healing Herb for 10 zenny, however, each time you refuse he increases the amount by another 10. Say no seven times to receive the maximum of 80 zenny. You're a Syn City natural! In the syndicate's office, take the Old Painting, a very rare "appears valuable" item, treasure in the bottom-left corner. Talk to the bloody man against the wall who tells you the boss has hightailed it to the northern Checkpoint, with Rei likely giving chase, and if the boss is killed, Nina can't interrogate him!
Note: For the upcoming boss, make sure that Ryu is equipped with a Titan Belt and Light Bangle. For Nina, equip the Magician Rod, Speed Boots, and Life Sandals. If you don't have Speed Boots, High Boots will have to do. Garr should have Life Sandals x2, if possible, or the Titan Belt. Only one of either Nina or Garr will be required, however, with Nina being my suggested unless she is at a low level, but she needs to have more Agility than Ryu. Ryu should, hopefully, already be carrying the Influence skill that will be needed.
The noted Checkpoint is to the north of Syn City, but make absolutely sure you have saved before entering. Rei has cornered Mikba, the organization's don, and is going to show no mercy. The party catches up just in time, but the momentary distraction allows Mikba to transform into an armored demon who then fells Rei from behind! You're then prompted to form a party with the unconscious Rei. Mikba is one of the hardest bosses in the entire game and should not be underestimated. Defense-wise, Garr is the better choice, but I actually recommend Nina due to her speed that will be a tremendous benefit.
There are two ways to approach this battle: Win as quickly as possible or stick around to steal an item and learn a skill. The latter is dangerous unless you are at least level 25+. Rei begins the battle downed, and upon his revival, automatically shifts to his Weretiger form before you can enter a command. For a slugfest, on the first turn, have Nina revive Rei with an Ammonia, then Ryu should splice the Miracle, Thorn, and Shadow genes together to create a Behemoth form before Mikba acts. It's costly at 29 AP, then 15 each turn to maintain, but will be immune to Mikba's Venom Breath. The Thorn-enhanced Behemoth will easily be able to trade blows with Mikba with its massive HP, Power, and Defense. If Ryu runs out of AP and reverts, the battle should be nearly over at that point.
If you want to steal and learn Mikba's Multistrike skill, here is an alternate strategy. On the first turn, have Ryu cast Shield and Nina cast Blunt on Mikba; don't revive Rei yet. Mikba begins the battle with Venom Breath which hopefully will be avoided with the proper accessories. With Speed Boots, Nina should easily get an EX turn that she can use to cast Blunt again (Only needed twice) or take care of any residual poison or low HP (Necessary if Lucky Strike occurs). On the second turn, have Ryu cast Shield again, with Nina using an Ammonia on Rei who will take Weretiger form. Third turn, have Ryu use Influence to direct Rei's berserk'd attacks, but don't heal him, we want Rei to be defeated again by Mikba's reprisals. After Rei falls a second time, when he is revived, he will no longer automatically assume Weretiger form. When his turn comes around, enter the item menu and equip him with better things like the FeatherSword, Mithril Helm, MithrilArmor, and any extra accessories you have. You can then focus on stealing his Silver Mail, which you can equip Rei with, then examine, while staying healed, to learn Multistrike. Mikba will also rarely use the Resist skill, if you didn't get it from either the Stallion boss fight or Fahl. Item stolen and skills learned, take the Behemoth form to finish him off.
If wanting, or needing to use Garr, you can have him take over Nina's role, but need to factor in that his turn will come after Ryu's, and probably Mikba's. Ryu should be given the Speed Boots instead of him, however, to EX turn (If he has at least 34 Agility with them). This is for the item/skill strategy, mostly. Equipping the Lgt.Clothing to get Garr's Agility above 15 and higher than Mikba's would go a long way to help.
Note: Multistrike is a crummy skill that randomly delivers 1 to 3 attacks in a row, but no matter how many you ultimately get, your Power is cut in half for each one. If you do manage to perform 3 hits, it is still considerably weaker than Double Blow, and at best, equal to a basic attack. It is free to use, on the upside, I guess. If you don't pick this up from Mikba, it can be gotten later, so don't worry about it.
Afterward, Rei ultimately laments his powerlessness to avenge Teepo upon hearing that it was Ryu who killed Balio and Sunder. He wants to join forces with Ryu to take revenge upon the people of McNeil, but Nina quickly interjects. Rei questions why his power and those of the Brood exist and joins the party on their journey to seek answers from God.
Still at the Checkpoint, enter the guard building and take the Healing Herb and 80 zenny from the shelves, then with Rei in the lead of your party, unlock the storeroom. Within is a chest with the unique Deluxe Rod and a Ginseng and Ammonia in the crates. Finally a new, better fishing rod, it still has the same reach as the Bamboo Rod, though, but hopefully you're working on getting the Angling Rod from the Faerie Village!
For Rei's equipment, he should have the FeatherSword, SteelGntlets, Mithril Helm, and Silver Mail. A Titan Belt (Which you can purchase in the Duana Mines) is a nice addition, too. The shops are once again open in Syn City if you need to purchase a Silver Mail. The ThievesKnife for sale improves his critical hit chance to 9%, and a +5 to surprise; it's 12 points weaker than the FeatherSword though, but we can trade fish for a much better alternate than both weapons. We can buy the ThievesKnife and a Silver Mail for cheaper (And other items) by waiting a bit longer, however. Before doing any leveling, which Rei likely needs compared to the other characters, consider heading back down the mountain and choosing a master for him. All but Giotto and Hondara are now open to us again. For Rei's skills, I will go over them for all characters when Peco and Momo rejoin us shortly.
Rei's Weretiger ability, likely seen against Mikba, is tremendously powerful, however, while similar, works differently than Ryu's Ascension. It is, in essence, the same as the Berserk skill, but without death after 3 turns. In Weretiger form, Rei's Power is tripled, but he will randomly attack any target on the battlefield unless one is designated with the Influence skill, however, without Influence, the odds of him attacking his own group increases with each turn and eventually settles at a 25% chance after five have passed. Rei retains the elemental and slayer affinity of his weapon while transformed, also. Perhaps the the most important aspect, unlike Ryu, Rei keeps all of the status and resistance bonuses from his armor, accessories, and buffers like Might that occur before transformation. The ultimate downside is Rei cannot revert to human form unless he loses all of his HP.
The Dauna Hills random battlefields present a new batch of satchel items, but the same enemies found on Ogre Road and Mt. Levett. Worthwhile items we can find are: Frog (lvl 3 lure), MultiVitamin, Power Food, and Protein.
Now that we have the Deluxe Rod (And maybe the Angling Rod from the Faerie Village) it's time to finally do some fishing in the Dauna Hills region. Let's start directly south from the Dauna Mines. The newest catch here is the Red Catfish with the details below:
- Red Catfish (Frog - 80cm)
- Bass (Any - 40cm)
- MartianSquid (Worm - 80cm)
Note: In regards to the Deluxe and Angling Rods, the Deluxe Rod is vastly superior and should always be used unless needing to extend out to the furthest reaches of the spot that requires the Angling. Expect to lose a lot of bait with the Angling Rod, honestly, but it's going to be our only option until the end of the game.
Southwest of the Checkpoint is another fishing hole with a unique catch: the Barandy. Besides used for trading, having Barandy in your inventory is incredibly beneficial since they recover the entire party by 240 HP, but you'll need a lvl 3 Frog lure or some tec to get them to bite. Below are the specifics of the location:
- Pirana (Any - 40cm)
- Trout (Worm/Sinker - 70cm)
- RainbowTrout (Worm/Sinker - 70cm)
- Barandy (Frog - 200cm)
- Manillo (Coin - 200cm)
Fishing up the Manillo, trade for the outstanding Katzbalger for Rei and a Laurel for Nina. The Katzbalger is 13 points stronger than the FeatherSword and will be his best weapon for quite a while. One Laurel is enough since we will find another for Momo for free later. All of the lvl 3 lures will be for sale soon, so save your fish and don't trade for any of them.
In the Yraal Region, southeast of Ogre Road, is yet another new fishing spot, however, there are no new catches. Black Bass are much easier to find here than the one north of the Plant, though. Potential reels are outlined below:
- Puffer (Popper - 50cm)
- Trout (Worm/Sinker - 70cm)
- Black Bass (Any - 90cm)
Heading east, Nina stops the party at Eygnock Road and informs them that her father is unlikely to give them a new Passport because he blames Ryu for all of her disappearing acts from the castle. Of course, if you will help her in another investigation, this time at the Plant, she's positive that Ryu will be heralded as a hero and change the king's opinion.
Note: For a minor scene, talk to the guard at the entrance of Wyndia castle as Nina.
Arriving at the Plant, make your way to the center, through the winding series of conveyor belts that haven't changed a bit in 10 years. The party meets Honey, who instantly recognizes them; same can't be said for Momo who confuses you for part deliverers. Can't blame her: she thought Ryu died at Angel Tower (Makes you wonder what Garr really told them about what happened there). A lengthy explanation later, Momo discuses the issues with the Plant, most notably the frequent disappearances of director Palet. Momo, even after the fact he sold you out to Balio and Sunder, and ten years of working with him, still hasn't figured out that Palet is a creep and up to no good.
The topic turns to Peco, who Momo has been studying all of these years. She states that he likes to hang out at the giant Yggrasil tree to the east and is likely there now if we want to bring him along. Under Yggrasil's shade, the group finds Peco, surrounded by forest friends, seemingly "speaking" to the solemn tree. You're treated to a brief legend of Yggrasil and Peco rejoins the party amidst an air of mystery.
Note: With Peco back, if you waited until you copied the Flower Jewel at the Faerie Village, make sure to stop by the spring to the northeast and get Meryleep as a master now.
Before returning to the Plant, we need to backtrack a little bit. Make for Wyndia and look for the motley crew loitering by the fountain. Talk to the lanky Bais, who was the little blonde kid who challenged Ryu to hide-and-seek when he was younger. Now dark-haired and balding (Poor guy), he and the group challenge you to play again, but this time hiding is extended to the entire world. They'll drop some hints and the game is on.
Chubby Lang couldn't be bothered to leave the city, so you can easily find him by looking behind one of the headstones in the Wyndian Catacombs.
Now that Momo has rejoined us, head all the way back to the Duana Mines. Remember that busted wall by the MultiVitamin treasure? If not, it's a small room in the upper-right-section of the area Garr pushed the mining cart filled with dynamite. Momo can destroy the weakened wall with her chrysm cannon allowing you to collect the Coupons accessory within. Having this equipped provides an instant 20% reduction in prices at all stores and does so as long as one of your active party members is equipped with it, but like with the Midas Stone, more than one does not provide additional benefits. If for some reason you happen to lose it, the Coupons is not a one-of-a-kind accessory and you can acquire it again in the Faerie Village (Hope it doesn't come to that, though).
Note: The manillo in the house at the far-end of the tracks on B1 of the Mine sells Titan Belt and High Boots accessories if you need them.
Believe it or not, Bais decided to hide himself in the Duana Mine (Self-conscious of his hair?). On B3, right outside the chrysm dragon skull, he's hanging out behind the pillar next to the stairs. We'll have to wait a while longer to find he and Lang's two lady friends.
With the Coupons equipped, head back over to Syn City. Pick up any of the weapons you haven't already and a SteelGntlets for both Momo and Peco. Nina and Momo can use the Laurel and Gold Hairpins for helmets. If you didn't get a Silver Mail from Mikba, you may need to purchase one. Ryu, Garr, and Rei should either have Magma Armor or a Silver Mail, but an additional one of the latter we can pick up in the next dungeon for the required Momo. For reference, here is what my current suggested equipment looks like:
- Ryu: AshurasSword, SteelGntlets, Mithril Helm, Magma Armor/Silver Mail, Speed Boots, Light Bangle
- Nina: WindCutter/Magician/Thunder Rod, SteelGntlets, Laurel, Crepe Cape, Wisdom Ring, High Boots/Life Sandals
- Momo: ShotgunShell, SteelGntlets, Gold Hairpin/Laurel, Crepe Cape/Silver Mail, Artemis' Cap, Wisdom Ring/Titan Belt/Life Sandals
- Peco: Flame Talons, SteelGntlets, Glass Domino, Crepe Cape, Titan Belt, Wisdom Ring
- Garr: Rood Spear, SteelGntlets, Mithril Helm, Magma Armor/Silver Mail, Titan Belt, Wisdom Ring/Life Sandals
- Rei: Katzbalger, SteelGntlets, Mithril Helm, Magma Armor/Silver Mail, Titan Belt, Life Sandals
Note: This is not taking into account the equipment from the Faerie Village. Since it's still early, I will start incorporating them into suggestions later on.
Skills are subjective, but since we have all of our party members now, I'll make a note of what some skills I am using with each character for those that are interested:
- Ryu: Steal, Charm, Double Blow, Frost Strike, Blind, Influence
- Nina: Purify, Mind Flay, Intimidate, Snooze, Enlighten, War Shout
- Momo: Multistrike, Mind Sword, Magic Ball, Typhoon, Lavaburst, Wall of Fire
- Peco: Barrier, Charge, Blitz, Last Resort, Wind Strike
- Garr: Shield, Douse, Gloom, Focus, Shadowwalk
- Rei: Snap, Flying Kick, Air Raid, Resist, Super Combo
Lastly, now that all characters have joined together, let's talk about usage of the Fusion gene. Ryu has a unique Hybrid form for each member of the party, with the exception of Garr. Ascending to these forms requires a specific party configuration outlined below:
- Nina Hybrid: Magic-based, requires a party of Nina and either Peco or Garr.
- Momo Hybrid: Support-based, requires a party of Momo and either Nina or Peco.
- Peco Hybrid: Breath-based, requires a party of Peco and either Garr or Rei.
- Rei Hybrid: Attack-based, requires a party of Rei and either Nina or Momo.
Any other combination of characters result in a Whelp form. All of these forms have special characteristics, but require an additional gene to further expand their capabilities. We are still lacking two of those, however, but when acquired, I will go in-depth on each one.
When you're ready to continue the story, enter the Plant with Momo and Peco in your party. The group will quickly notice that something is off and further in you'll see that chrysm gas has filled a number of the greenhouses. Using Peco, we'll need to catapult rocks from high above and break the glass panels to allow the gas to escape safely. One of the researchers has marked an X on the ground where Peco needs to move the rock, then get a running start to launch the rock into the panels below. The first X is found in the upper-left-corner of the Plant and the positioning of the rock is seen in the above screenshot. Move a rock onto the X, then any others behind, to make a pathway for Peco to back up to the further edge and run straight into the one at the designated position to release the trapped gas.
The next location is just down the nearby conveyor, but this one is a bit trickier. Move a rock onto the X, but there's no room to get a running start to bash it a long distance. Instead, you have to run along the edge of the narrow path and turn upwards into the rock to create the necessary launch. The release of the greenhouse gases has created another problem, though, with chrysm gas now spewing out of the furnace! If you would rather take another character besides Peco into the next dungeon, you can swap him out now, but Momo will be required. Inside the furnace, Have Momo blast the grate off with her cannon to reveal a passage and ladder leading downward into a hidden laboratory.
The underground lab is home to a few new monsters; of which fire is prominent, however, none of them are actually strong against fire, while several are weak against the element. I don't feel this calls for changing equipment unless a character is under the tutelage of Yggrasil, however. The Fly Man, often accompanied by GntRoaches who will try to Douse you, will use Firebreath and the learnable Flame Strike skill. Flame Strike is exactly the same as Garr's Pyrokinesis: a fire-elemental weapon attack.
Fly Men also hold, as a drop, a weapon that cannot be found elsewhere in the game: Garr's Flame Spear. Using Charm, the drop rate is reasonable, but it's only 1 point of attack higher than the current Rood Spear, which makes its usefulness questionable beyond collecting. Additionally, you can steal Scale Mails from the Fly Men you can pawn off for 725 zenny.
Note: The kamikaze ZombieDr have made their way down from the Dauna Mines too, so try to steal as many MultiVitamins as you can from them.
The Big Bulb creature is rather unique, and not unlike the Lava Man from Mt. Zublo. With each physical attack, their statistics and amount of experience after battle increase; the latter which eventually maximizes after 36 attacks. Normally, if you blind them, they will escape, but if you manage to hit them with another physical attack just after blind takes effect, but before their turn comes around, they will remain in battle and be less of a threat as their power rises compared to Lava Men. Since they are rather fragile, you can use Backhand, or a low-power skill like Target, to boost them while their HP regenerates some after each turn. Initially, this is a better place to level than using the Lava Men, but later on in the game, you'll become too powerful for the Bulbs and using Backhand 36 turns in a row becomes maddening relative to the quicker-to-boost Lava Men.
Note: If wanting to level using the Big Bulbs, steal a couple of Bat Amulets from either the Rank and PainWeeds at the Dump to protect against the blinding effect of their Pollen.
At the base of the ladder leading into the lab, head downward and scale the ladder on the wall juxtapose. Search behind the large bails of hay in the loft-like room to pick up a satchel with Skill Ink, then return back down the ladder.
Down the hallway to the right, just off the ladder, is the main control room of the underground lab. With Momo in the lead of the party, search the panel labeled "1". She theorizes that a password is needed to open the doors with the corresponding number on the computer. She guesses "pelet" which is strangely correct considering the guy's name is "Palet", but anyway...All #1 doors are then unsealed. Enter the door beyond the terminals to find a room you can rest and save. There's also a Healing Herb on the shelf to take.
At the end of the hall beyond the entrance ladder is the first #1 door to pass through. Although a bit hard to see because of the overhead ventilation shafts, there are doors numbered 1-3 in this corridor; enter the #1 door to the far-left. Down the stairs, search the bookcase for an Ammonia, then descend another flight of steps to the bottom-right. This room is flooded with chrysm radiation and you only have a limited amount of time to explore before you are forced back up the stairs. There's a Peco-looking, onion mutant obscured by the overhanging vent sitting on the plot of crops seen in the location of the above screenshot. Examine it to find password #2. You'll then need to retrace your steps back to the control room and have Momo enter it into the corresponding terminal.
Once the #2 doors are unlocked, head back to the room you found the Ammonia on the shelf. Have Momo use the #2 panel to unseal the door where you can collect a Silver Mail.
Back out in the #1-3 corridor, enter the #2 door in the center. Just inside, there's an additional #2 door to use where a lever needs to be pulled at the end of the narrow path. Return, then use the stairs to the upper-left of the room, near a #3 terminal. Follow the linear hallway down and around to the right. Just off from the crane (I wonder if Ryu has nightmares about them?) is an exit leading inward. Move around behind the vent, to the corner of the room, to find the #3 password obscured on a note there.
Climb on top of the vent itself and follow it upward to the incredible Force dragon gene. The Force gene is Power-minded: creating the Warrior form for Ryu that sees a +130% bonus in Power, +80% Agility, and small bonuses to HP and Defense. It also automatically comes with one of the best offensive abilities in the game: Aura, a holy-elemental, double-Power attack, but requires a hefty 20 AP. You do not get any breath-type attacks unless paired with an element, however. One downside of Force is splicing it with other genes, like Thorn or Miracle, actually results in a 30% loss in HP, although the bonus in Power outweighs this, in my opinion, but be mindful that HP is considered a negative trait when splicing Force.
At the base of the vent again, use the conveyor belt to ride to the top and out of the room. There's a chest with the Sleep Shells weapon for Momo tucked away in the corner. A one-of-a-kind weapon, it, naturally, attempts to apply sleep to enemies and is a tad bit stronger than the ShotgunShell. Crossing over the conveyor places you outside the main control room where you can enter the #3 passcode. Make sure to rest and save afterward.
Note: The #3 terminal you passed by on the way to the third password leads to an empty room, so there's no need to backtrack to it.
Leaving the control room, the #3 door is directly across from the one you enter through in the corridor with the three numbered doors. There are three chrysm pressure units to examine, but you can ignore them and move around to the top of the room between the machines and tables. As you attempt to pass, chrysm gas erupts from a nearby room and, of course, the party needs to investigate. Inside they find a hideous, Slug-like creature that needs to be disposed of. More of a mini-boss, the grotesque mutation has an annoying evasion mechanic, but this is nulled by a single fire-elemental attack (Enter the item menu and equip Momo with the Flame Chrysm if you are lacking one). Steal a Vitamins (With an S), fortify with Shield/Protect, and use any fire-based attacks to bring it down. Ryu can splice with his new Force gene: including Flame and Thorn, to devastating effect. Have Momo cast Might on the transformation and its Flame Claw will easily overwhelm the HugeSlug, however, watch for it casting Quake and heal afterward if necessary.
The horrifying mutant makes Momo, again, question whether her father was involved in these experiments. Climb the stairs to the left of the HugeSlug room and examine the manual next to the chrysm machines. Normally, you need to use the chrysm pressure to find the final password, but you can skip all that nonsense and head back to the control room. At the #4 terminal, select "Other" and the combination: "1-3-2-5-4" to unseal the final door. Enter into the backroom to rest and save before following the outside hall to a ladder and the #4 door above. Climb onto the ventilation shaft and cross it to a Wisdom Ring treasure. Off the shaft is a ladder leading downward to Palet, so come prepared!
Note: Consider equipping the Ring of Fire on a character that's not Ryu/Garr or equipped with Magma Armor for the upcoming boss. Don't bother with the AsbestosArmr, though. Wisdom Rings and High Boots are heavily recommended accessories, also.
Surprise: Palet's been doing some diabolical stuff with chrysm down here; namely: attempting to bring his dead mother back to life, but implicates Momo's father, Repsol, in starting the research to resurrect his deceased wife (That explains the adult magazines). He shakes his fists angrily, drinks a flask of Yggdrasil sap, and becomes a...Shroom mutant. Despite the ridiculousness, this guy can put up quite a fight. Begin by trying to swipe his Wisdom Fruit, then make a decision on whether to approach with offense or defense. Offensively, use the same splice as you did against the HugeSlug consisting of Force, Flame, and Thorn, and have Momo buffer him afterward with Might. Using Aura, Ryu can easily down the Shroom in 2-3 uses of Aura depending on your level and in Attack formation. Flame isn't totally necessary, but will protect you from its Lavaburst skill (Which you can learn if you didn't already from the Vulcans in Mt. Zublo). The Shroom has no strengths or weaknesses, so your other characters can chip in with whatever they have.
Fighting defensively, Ryu casting Barrier and Momo with Protect on all three characters is essential. Shroom's Ragnarok spell, can and will, cripple your entire party without Barrier cast, and Lavaburst is no joke, either, with no fire protection. The physical-based Head Cracker, then later in the battle, Blitz, hurt considerably without Protect/Shield. If Nina is with you, she can contribute nicely by casting Blunt and Slow to give you more of an advantage; a hit of Mind Flay can do wonders to help, also. Once defenses are set, Ryu can ascend to the Warror form and begin using Aura with castings of Might in support.
Palet gone, nothing is stopping you from pulling the lever and ending the chrysm flow to his mother, letting her rest in peace. Then, on the nearby shelf, you can further humiliate the former Director by stealing his life savings of 400 zenny. Leaving the underground lab and the Plant, the party makes camp. Nina and Momo discuss the legacy of Repsol and Momo decides to accompany the group on their travels east, but first, Nina is hopeful that the resolution of the Plant's troubles has gained Ryu a level of forgiveness with Wyndia's king.
