CHRONO CROSS GUIDE & FAQ By ToastyFrog (J. Parish - jp@toastyfrog.com) ---------------------------------------------- REVISION 2.0 (FINAL) 29 January, 2002 ---------------------------------------------- PLEASE READ BEFORE USING THIS GUIDE: Before you use this guide, I have four simple requests: 1. Don't send me corrections about this walkthrough. It is a done deal - a complete document. It's not 100% accurate, but life is rough like that. 2. Don't email me looking for help. If it isn't here, I don't know. Try other FAQs, the official guide, message boards, whatever. But please be courteous - I've received thousands of emails about this guide. THOUSANDS. Almost all of them have been ignored, because I simply DO NOT have time to be a help line. Square has employees who get paid for that sort of thing; this guide is something I've done in my free time. So please, if you need help, seek it elsewhere. A lot of other people have put great effort into making other very worthwhile guides. Try finding your answers there as well. 3. Don't ask for permission to use this guide on your site. You can't. I used to be a lot more lenient about this, but then a lot of lazy slobs whose idea of a "worthwhile website" is to harvest new documents from GameFAQs.com and never update them posted early versions of this guide on their site and then - ugh - NEVER UPDATED THEIR COPIES. Which means that in January of 2002 I'm still getting inquiries of "when are you going to finish such-and-such section of your FAQ?" Which means people are looking at versions of this guide from more than two years ago. I no longer have the time or energy to deal with the fruits of their laziness and incompetence, so this guide is available ONLY at my website and GameFAQs. 4. And don't send me any more Dario strategies. Geez. And it probably goes without saying, but you'd be surprised at how dishonest (or stupid) some people can be: do not use this guide without my permission. Don't rewrite it, don't hack it up for your website, don't copy it, and don't post it without my name. For most people this is an obvious matter of respect, but I'm worried about the 4 or 5 freaks out there who failed their ethics classes. Think before you steal, eh? Thanks for your courtesy. As a small note, all Flashbacks to Chrono Trigger/Radical Dreamers have been deleted. They're not gone, simply removed; they can be found in my Chrono Cross Flashback Guide, available at fine establishments such as gamefaqs.com and much less fine establishments such as toastyfrog.com. ---------------------------------------------- ---------------------------------------------- CONTENTS: I. ABOUT THIS FAQ II. ABOUT THE GAME A. KNOWN GAME DETAILS (PRE-RELEASE) B. GAMEPLAY SYSTEMS 1. COMBAT 2. MAGIC (ELEMENTS) a. CLASSES b. CUSTOMIZATION 3. WEAPON UPGRADES 4. FIELD EFFECT & SUMMONS 5. COMBINATION ATTACKS 6. THE MENU SCREEN 7. AFTER THE BATTLE 8. STATISTICS C. GENERAL GAMEPLAY TIPS III. WALKTHROUGH - DISC ONE A. CHANGES FROM THE DEMO B. CHRONO'S MYSTERIOUS DUNGEON C. ARNI VILLAGE: Where tides begin to turn D. OPASSA BEACH: A calling from beyond time E. ARNI VILLAGE: Nothing has changed but everything F. CAPE HOWL: A reminder of one's former self G. THE PORT TOWN OF TERMINA: The pride of the Acacian Dragoons H. VIPER MANOR: Where lie the keys to the past 1. GUILE'S PATH 2. PIERRE'S PATH 3. NIKKI'S PATH 4. ALL PATHS I. GULDOVE: Where ripples become waves 1. ODDS AND ENDS 2. HELPING A FRIEND 3. ALTERNATE PATH J. HERMIT'S HIDEAWAY: A meeting with the 'other' swordsman K. FROM PIRATE SHIP TO GHOST SHIP: A mariner's worst nightmare L. ON TO THE WATER ISLE: In search of the dragon blue M. FORT DRAGONIA: Ancient dragon's dream in ruins 1. EAST DOOR 2. NORTHEAST DOOR 3. NORTHWEST DOOR 4. WEST DOOR 5. SHOWDOWN N. DIMENSION VORTEX: Where lost souls wander O. BACK FROM THE DARKNESS: And on with a new journey P. TERMINA: Knight or day? Q. MARBULE: VIllage of the demi-humans R. THE MASAMUNE: The blood-stained sword of evil S. THE DEAD SEA: A place forsaken by the gods T. A PORTAL REOPENED: And the planet begins to shake U. BACK TO VIPER MANOR: A captive audience awaits V. SURPRISE ATTACK!: Pursuers with heavy hearts W. TO THE SEA OF EDEN: Through the hidden holes of time IV. WALKTHROUGH - DISC TWO A. THE ARBITER OF TIME: On whom the Three Fates smile B. CHRONO CROSS: The point where destinies meet C. TERRA TOWER: Caught in the echo of time D. FOR ALL THE DREAMERS: Our planet's dream is not over yet E. NEW GAME+ F. ENDINGS (removed) V. CHARACTERS VI. FAQs VII. ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS, ETC. A. REVISION HISTORY B. LINKS C. MUCHAS GRACIAS ---------------------------------------------- ---------------------------------------------- PART I: ABOUT THIS FAQ The original goal for this Guide was to be a comprehensive resource for the game Chrono Cross. However, I've long since abandoned that naive and childish ambition; all I can guarantee now is that the majority of the game is covered as accurately as I could manage. Story information for the rather convoluted plot is contained at the end; don't read it if you don't want to know. And each event written up does contain story spoilers, so I would recommend you don't read ahead unless you just don't care. As with all guides, the intent is to be a reference for when you get stuck, or to provide general advice, or to let you know what you've missed for a second playthrough. The most recent version of this document will always be available at http://www.toastyfrog.com and http://www.gamefaqs.com. If you're not reading this paragraph, you're not reading the most recent version of the guide. But I guess you wouldn't know that, what with being unable to read this paragraph and all. And finally, there are spoilers aplenty in this Guide. If you don't want to spoil the game for yourself, for crying out loud, DON'T READ THIS GUIDE! You'd think that would be obvious, but then again some woman made millions of dollars because McDonald's didn't tell her that coffee is hot, so you can't be too safe these days. Anyway, enjoy - I'm sure you're sick of my prelude, so here's the Guide. ---------------------------------------------- ---------------------------------------------- PART II: ABOUT THE GAME ---------------------------------------------- A. KNOWN GAME DETAILS (PRE-RELEASE) *Wherein J. Parish offers a brief and delightful preview of the game to come* *A section being retained for historical reference only* Chrono Cross, as you hopefully know, is the sequel to 1995's extremely successful uber-RPG Chrono Trigger. The game takes place 20 years after the original... well, 20 years after the main time period, I suppose, making it 65,000,020 years after Ayla's time and about 979 years before the Day of Lavos. Ah, time travel. Erm, anyway. The battle system is similar to, yet shockingly different from, the system in Chrono Trigger. I'll get to that later; but another major difference is the premise of the game. While Chrono Trigger focused on time travel and the resulting paradoxes (as well as the malleability of the past - who would have known that selling a piece of beef jerky would generate 20 generations of greed?), Chrono Cross focuses more on inter-dimensional travel and the causes thereof. Not dimensions as in 2D and 3D (although CC *does* make the jump from 2D to 3D), but rather parallel worlds and alternate realities. So don't expect to hear Serge say, "Ich bin ein Flatlander!" However, the game does focus on actions and consequences even moreso than Chrono Trigger - the parallel worlds allow you to see "what if?" even more clearly than in CT, but without that icky time paradox. A few CT characters are known to be returning, if only in reference. First and foremost is Lucca, whose presence was indicated by the sight of her home in flames at the end of the Chrono Cross demo. It should also be noted that in the recent Playstation rerelease of Chrono Trigger, new endings were added that presumably lead in to Chrono Cross. Of particular note are the marriage of Crono and Marle (why, Crono, why?!), the marriage of Ayla and wuss-boy Kino, Frog's transformation back into Glenn and his subsequent knighting, and Lucca's adoption of an orphaned child bearing a mysterious pendant. Additionally, the Masamune Sword (aka Grandleon, for those playing the Japanese version) was stolen in one of the new endings. Surely they wouldn't go to the trouble of adding these new details unless they planned to DO something with them, right? The initial plot is based on a Super Famicom text adventure called Radical Dreamers, which was briefly available by Satellaview (a dial-up downloadable Super Famicom game service in Japan). You'll see references to "Radical Dreamers" throughout the game, and even a bit of text from the actual game, so this is important info. Pay attention! In that regard, Chrono Cross is more of a remake than a new game, with a plot centered on finding a relic called the Frozen Flame, which can grant the ability to twist reality according to the will of whomever holds it. Lynx (who is known as Yamaneko in the Japanese version), an anthropomorphic cat in a Soviet military dress uniform, appears to be the main villain. However, this is a Square game, and Square games are noted for their plots twists; I imagine defeating Lynx and acquiring the Frozen Flame are about as likely to be the ultimate goals of the game as much as beating President Shinra was the goal of Final Fantasy VII. The game is being designed so that random battles are rarely necessary. Not only can you see your enemies on screen to avoid them, but you can win the game without spending much time leveling up (boss fights, of course, will be necessary). No doubt people who take time to boost their levels will blow through, but those who are tired of constant combat won't be penalized for their reluctance to fight. Additionally, traditional experience levels are not an element of this game; you earn status improvements a little at a time after many battles, like in the SaGa games. Small, piddling production details: the characters, for better or for worse, are designed by Nobutero Yuuki. Yuuki also designed characters for Record of Lodoss War, Seiken Densetsu 3, Vision of Escaflowne and more recently, Tail Concerto. Serge looks almost exactly like Yugo from Battle Angel, in fact. The prerendered FMV is being churned out by the amazing people who put together Final Fantasy VIII's video sequences. Yasunori Mitsuda (composer for Chrono Trigger and Xenogears) has written the music, which so far sounds excellent. In fact, much of the Chrono Cross staff is comprised of Chrono Trigger alumni, which really shows as you play the game. B. GAMEPLAY SYSTEMS ------------------------- Ok, the preview crap is done. This is the straight scoop from herein. Or at least as straight as I can manage. Chrono Cross has one of the most balanced gameplay systems I've seen (although Serge tends to be too strong, bleah). Combat requires planning before and during fights, and careful balancing of attacks, defense, magic and healing. There are a lot fo factors to take into consideration, so read up now: -- 1. COMBAT --------------------------------- Neither turn-based nor active-time - what madness is this? Why, it's the Chrono Cross battle system, of course. Describing Chrono Cross' battle system is much easier with visuals, so if this text is incomprehensible for you, but alas - my visual guide has long since receded into the annals of history. So here's my best effort at a text-based description. Chrono Cross has three numbers which indicate a character's battle status. The first and most obvious is HIT POINTS, which determine who lives and who dies. The second number is the ELEMENT LEVEL. Rather than using Magic Points, Chrono Cross Element use is determined by a histogram which rather resembles the level displays on a stereo. Refer to the Magic section below for more information. The third number is shown at the bottom of the character status indicator, and that is STAMINA. Stamina determines who can attack, and the number and power of their possible attacks at once. Each character begins battle with his or her stamina at 7 (maximum), the Elements at 0 (minimum) and with however many hit points are carried over from previous battles. Because the game is not real-time like Final Fantasy's Active-Time Battle system, you can stand and stare at your enemy for as long as you want while you devise a strategy. What does determine the flow of battle is Stamina points. For each attack a character launches, that fighter uses a set number of Stamina points. Similar to Xenogears, a strong attack uses 3 Stamina points, a medium attack uses 2, and a weak attack inflicts little damage but uses a paltry 1 Stamina point. But while a fighter's Stamina is being used up by physical attacks, 2 things are happening. 1. Other characters (enemies and allies alike) are recharging their own Stamina to prepare for an attack. 2. The active character builds his or her Element Level for each successful attack landed. A successful attack that costs 3 Stamina Points will add 3 Levels to the Element meter if it connects (and whether or not it connects, everyone else's Stamina will rise 3 points); but a 1-Stamina Point attack will only add a single level to the meter. A strong attack that misses is a real waste - not only do you lose 3 Stamina Points, but you earn nothing on your Element Meter, leaving you more vulnerable. Using an Element attack drains seven Stamina points - so if you have only 1.0 Stamina point left, using an Element will knock you down to -6.0, out of combat for 7 points on the Stamina meter. You must have at least 1 full point of Stamina in order to initiate any move; otherwise you will have to wait until enough combat "time" elapses to bring you up to one Stamina point. When you begin to attack an enemy, a small box opens that displays your chances of landing a successful blow. With each successive strike, your chances improve. Weak attacks are more likely to hit than strong attacks, especially at the beginning. But as you score more damage, you will have more success with strong blows. A 3-point attack may have only a 60% chance of connecting at the beginning of a round, but after landing a few 1- or 2-point strikes, a strong attack may rise to 85% success or even higher. Balancing your attacks is imperative. However, despite the obvious advantage of consecutive strikes, you're not required to strike only a single enemy per move. Nor are you required to attack with the same fighter. At any time, you can switch your attacks to a different foe; you may also choose to have a different character pick up the attack. However, switching targets or fighters will destroy the statistical advantage your successful attacks against an enemy may have generated. But aborting attacks is the key to effective Summoning and Combinations, rather like Xenogears' AP but less tedious. One other consideration - enemies can interrupt your attacks to launch their own strikes between your hits. If an enemy targets the active character (a successful hit isn't necessary, so long as your character is attacked) after two successful weak hits, it will destroy that character's statistical advantage and all hit % ratings will drop to where they started. Personally, I rarely use all 7 Stamina points for attacks. If I'm down to one last enemy, I'll use my last Stamina point for an Element to end the fight quickly. But if I'm up against multiple enemies, especially those which use strong attacks, I'll use my last Stamina point to Defend and reduce damage. Yes, that's right - Chrono Cross may be the first RPG ever in which defending is not only useful, but is something that can be done frequently without bogging down the battle. Amazing but true! Defending cuts physical attacks by as much as 2/3, so judicious defending is a wise combat decision. Be aware that Defending also causes 1 Stamina point to be regenerated rather than used, although a character must have at least 1 Stamina point before they can initiate Defending. Yeah, I know, I know, but it makes a lot more sense when you actually play it. Really. -- 2. ELEMENTS (MAGIC) ----------------------- Elements serve the role of Magic in Chrono Cross; a rose by any other name kicks just as much butt. Like in Chrono Trigger, Elements are divided into a series of classes. Additionally, spells have a power level to them which can be enhanced or diminished depending on their placement in your magic hierarchy. -- a. CLASSES -------------------------------- This is fairly straightforward. Each spell is ranked in a category that seems to match up with Chrono Trigger's system, with a few small changes. Each character possesses an innate Elemental affinity; while anyone can cast practically any sort of spell, the Elements for which they have the most affinity will be more effective. For instance, Serge is White/Lightning, Kid is Red/Fire and Glenn is Green/Wind (in the demo he was Blue/Water, just like Frog, but they wisely changed that for the final game). 1. WHITE - This seems to be the equivalent of CT's Lightning magical class. Attacks are both energy-based (Holy, Laser, Photon) and physical (Comet, Shooting). Also includes RecoverAlly magic, like Revive. 2. RED - Fiery attacks. Surprising, huh? Spells include Volcano, Meltstone and the Salamander Summon. 3. BLUE - Ice, water and healing. Spells include Deluge, IceLance, and Cure/CurePlus. 4. GREEN - Air and nature-based attacks, such as BushWhacker and Tornado. Also incorporates earth-based attacks, like BushBasher. 5. YELLOW - This seems to encompass a number of different spells types, really. Some of them are straightforward electrical attack spells, like Lightning and ElectroJolt. Also, there seems to be a number of earth-elemental spells here as well, such as Uplift. 6. BLACK - The antithesis of White. As you might well imagine. This seems to consist of complimentary versions of White Elements, such as Hell Laser, the yang to Laser's yin. For you CT obsessed types, this is Shadow magic. Elements exist in pairs - White and Black, Blue and Red, Green and Yellow. Enemies with a certain elemental affiliation will be weak to its opposite Element - a Green enemy will take more damage from a Yellow attack than from a Blue or White attack. But Green elements will also damage a Yellow enemy in turn. Furthermore, sometimes using spells of an enemy's type will actually heal it (for instance, certain plants recover HP when hit with Green spells). Use this to your advantage, but be aware that enemies aren't shy about exploiting Elemental opposites either - I've noticed that enemies tend to go after characters who are opposite to their own nature. It seems also that there are "light magic" and "dark magic" - the "light" Elements, or those with curative properties, White, Green and Blue, tend to have a stronger effect on "dark" Elements which can only cure in the form of consumables. This split also has an impact on Pip's nature, but more on that later. Additionally, each element can inflict a certain status ailment on your party or on enemies. An (*) indicates a condition that dissipates automatically after battle. All conditions may be healed with Stock Elements of the same color. GREEN: Poison (saps HP for every battle increment) Afraid (receive critical hits easily)(*) BLACK: Blind (hit accuracy % is cut in half)(*) Cursed (Lose stamina when struck in battle)(*) RED: Burn (receive more damage in battle/on "damage zone" ground). Confused (characters attack randomly)(*) YELLOW: Sprain (attack down/characters can't run while exploring) Dizzy (dodge rate decreases) BLUE: Frozen (characters are inactive for several turns)(*) Flu (Slow stamina recovery/hard to control in field) WHITE: Exhaustion (characters exert additional stamina with each move)(*) Sleep (Character is immobile and vulnerable)(*) -- b. CUSTOMIZATION -------------------------- The Element system is an interesting hybrid of other magic systems. It resembles Suikoden and the original Final Fantasy in that each character has a hierarchy of spells to use - Level One spells are weak, but can be cast with only a single level built on the Element Meter in combat. Level Five spells take five successful physical strikes to activate, but are much more powerful than Level One spells. However, what makes the Element system different from those terribly limited games is that it's completely customizable, like Junctioning in Final Fantasy VIII. By opening the status screen, you will have access to a grid that allows you to switch around the Elements you find. Yep, magic in this game is not learned but rather earned and found. The more you find of a particular Element, the more frequently you can use it. Each spell slot on your grid can only be used once per battle, so you need to use them with discretion. Choosing which Elements to take into battle (should you equip 5 slots with CurePlus, or focus more on heavy-hitting attacks and eschew the curative Elements in favor of offensive spells?) will offer many hours of tingly fulfillment for people who like to twiddle with stats, but it's still simple enough a system not to be overwhelming to a casual player. An interesting note about Elements is that each spell has a default power level. If you put a Level 3 Element in a Level 3 slot, it will be at its natural power. However, if you want to be able to cast that spell more quickly, you can knock it down to a Level 1 slot; but, you will sap some of that Element's strength - a fact denoted by a negative number after the spell's name (i.e., Tornado-2). On the other hand, you can crank up an Element's power by bumping it up to a higher level slot - so taking a Level One spell like Cure to a Level 5 slot will yield Cure+4. Additionally, there are non-Elemental items you can equip, such as curative tablets and capsules. The possibilities are sickeningly immense. Some limitations apply: Summons and high-level Elements like Tornado and BlackHole can only be used by characters who have an affinity toward those elements (i.e., Iceburg is only available to Blue characters). When you're equipping Elements, press the Triangle button to bring up a menu with three choices. These allow you to organize your Element list by function and color, which can make scrolling through the list MUCH easier. As mentioned before, casting Elemental attacks requires 7 Stamina points. So if your Stamina meter is low, using an Element will knock it into a negative number, forcing you to sit out a portion of the battle until your Stamina builds back up. -- 3. WEAPONS -------------------------------- As is becoming increasingly common in RPGs these days, you can't just run to the store and say, "Hey! I'd like to buy Excalibur please!" Instead, you have to build your weapons and armor, much like the system in Final Fantasy VIII - or more specifically, like the barter system in Chrono Trigger's 65,000,000 BC era. However, you don't have to keep trekking to the Hunting Grounds to find your weapon components this time; rather, you find components during regular combat and in chests all around the archipelago. You may then take those bits and pieces to a forge, where you can have a smithy assemble them into new parts. Old gear can be disassembled and the components salvaged; why sell an old copper item when you can use the hard-to-come-by Carapace it's made from to build a better Iron item? Another way to acquire components is to speak to a trader, who will swap Elements for components (however, you cannot acquire the "key" components from most traders). Those key components are: - Ivory (Bone) - Bronze (Copper) - Iron (Steel) - Mythril (Silver) - Denadoro (Denadorite) - Prism (Rainbow Shell & "Shiny" materials) Once you have items from a higher class, you can begin forging equipment of that particular type. The best way to get ahold of better equipment is by theft. Yes, I know your mommy told you that stealing is wrong, but so is all the killing you do in this game; you're damned either way, so you might as well make the most of it. However, it seems that even if you have, say, @Denadorote early in the game, you can't actually create a Stone Axe until you pass a certain point, which is when the smiths learn more advanced forge techniques. So unlike Final Fantasy VIII, where you could theoretically build Squall's most powerful sword as early as Disc Two, the system here is more regimented. -- 4. FIELD EFFECT & SUMMONS ----------------- As you fight, you will probably notice a little series of concentric circles in the upper left-hand corner labelled "Field Effect." The Field Effect Meter is affected by the natural terrain in which a battle transpires and also by the Elements used during combat. Field Effect is the key to using Summons in the game - for instance, Salamander can only be summoned when the Field Effect meter is all red (i.e., three consecutive fire attacks have been used). This is more easily said than done; if an enemy uses an Element of a type other than what you're trying to build on the meter, it can screw up your efforts. And if you're being beaten down mercilessly and have to heal, the Elements or Items you use for healing will register on the Field Effect meter as well. Therefore, expect Summoning to be a difficult and challenging affair, requiring a bit of luck and a lot of good planning. Fortuntely, there are ways to ease the Summoning process, but it requires the proper Elements and setup. Additional notes: To summon a beast, you need to possess Stars. Your party will earn Stars after certain events (such as whalloping a boss), but each use diminishes your Star total, and you have to stay at an Inn to replenish them. And this would seem obvious, but I get questions about it all the time: to use a Summon, you MUST FIND A SUMMON FIRST. Just like in every other video game in the history of the industry. And one other thing: Summons can only be equipped by characters who have a matching Elemental affinity. -- 5. PRISM ---------------------------------- Finding Prism equipment is terribly difficult. You will only find one or two Prism items in the course of the game; the rest you have to create on your own. To create any kind of Prism equipment, you must have Shiny Elements (the type and quantity depend on what you're creating). Depending on what you wish to forge, you may also need a Rainbow Shell. There are only a few Rainbow Shells in the game (I think I've found seven), and the Shiny items are even harder to come by: the only way to create Shiny items is to use a summon to destroy an enemy. The Summon's Affinity determines what kind of Shiny material you receive (one per enemy killed); if you use Salamander to kill four enemies, you will receive 4 Shiny Embers. If you use Sonja to kill one enemy, you will receive one Shiny Leaf. The Shiny items are: - Shiny Leaf (Green) - Shiny Ember (Red) - Shiny Sand (Yellow) - Shiny Salt (White) - Shiny Dew (Blue) - Shiny Soot (Black) See the Weapon/Armor/Accessory lists to see how much of each item is required for various items. A second source for Shiny items are the various Elemental Emblems you receive (Forest Emblem, Fire Emblem, etc.) - these can be disassembled to acquire a single Shiny item per accessory. Not efficient, but there are enemies from whom Emblems can be stolen, so it's a good alternative if you're having trouble with Summons. -- 6. COMBINATION ATTACKS -------------------- And of course, the combination attacks are back. These seem to combine character's unique skills to enable attacks that are vastly more powerful than a lone attack would be (unlike in Chrono Trigger, where combo attacks were often less effective than solo attacks). Combinations require two characters with compatible skills to have built both Stamina and Element Levels to an appropriate degree. For example, Serge and Glenn share a combination attack in the demo called X-Strike (hey, just like Crono and Frog! Err... forget I said anything). For X-Strike to be enabled, both Serge and Glenn need to build their Element Meter to Level 3 so each can use their respective skills that form the X-Strike combo. Additionally, they need to have at least 1 Stamina point. When these prerequisites are fulfilled, either one of them can activate the X-Strike by choosing his respective skill. You can see when they're ready, because the name of the skill will change to X-Strike. When using combos, switching between characters during a round is extremely useful to help minimize Stamina depletion. Undoubtedly, there will be many more combos to discover; hopefully more than one per character. The combos link character-specific skills. Each character has a Lv.3, Lv.5 and Lv.7 Elemental skill. With 40+ characters who have 3 skills apiece, with three possible party members at a time, I think you can see the sheer possible number of permutations, and why it's not necessarily easy to find them. Interestingly, the combo attacks tend to have their own unique elemental affiliation which has no relation to the skills which comprise the attack. Using the X-Strike attack as an example again, the two components are White (Dash&Slash) and Green (Dash&Gash). But when used together, they create X-Strike, a Red skill. -- 6. THE MENU SCREEN ------------------------ The menu screen functions rather like Xenogears' menus, except with more options and polish. In the right hand corner is a small odometer; moving the dial up and down allows you to access various functions. From top to bottom, the menu functions are: STATUS ELEMENT EQUIP ITEM CUSTOMIZE FILE - STATUS: Allows you to examine the current status of your characters. Press Action (Circle button) to toggle between statistics and equipment. Note: press left when the left-most character is highlighted to bring up a list of all characters in your party. You can view their status from the menu. The following are the meanings for the numerical statistics displayed on the character status screen, from left to right, top to bottom (courtesy of tennin): STR. (Strength) Affects the power of physical attacks. ACC. (Accuracy) Affects the hit rate of physical attacks. MAG. (Magic) Affects the power of magical Elements. RES. (Reistance) Affects defense against physical attacks. AG. (Agility) Affects evasion rate. MDEF. (Magic Defense) Affects defense against magical attacks. STAMINA RECOVERY Affects rate of stamina recovery. This is the equivalent of speed. Ten is the base rate, but different characters recover at different speeds. For every 10 points of Stamina RecoverAlly a character posseses, their Stamina Meter builds one point for every point expended by another character. So a character with a 12 Stamina RecoverAlly rating will build up 1.2 points every time another character launches a weak attack; meaning they'll build up to 6 Stamina points in only 5 moves. Conversely, a character with a 9 rating will only recover .9 Stamina points for every weak attack, meaning it will take 8 weak attacks to bring that characters Stamina from 0 to 7. - ELEMENT: Use and equip Elements. - USE: Allows you to make use of Stock Elements such as Tablets and Medicine to heal between battles or power up. - ALLOCATE: Allows you to switch Elements around on your characters' grids. - REMOVE ALL: Allows you to remove all Elements equipped on a character. - REMOVE: Allows you to remove a single Element from a characters' grid. - AUTO-ALLOCATE: This option allows you to place Elements on a character's grid automatically. I'm not certain how it determines which Elements to put in various places, but it can save a great deal of time. You can do this for a single character or the entire party. - FILL BLANKS: Fill empty grid slots with Elements. Sometimes handy, sometimes annoying, depending on how the game allocates skills. This also can be done for a single character or for the entire party. - EQUIP: Allows you to change a character's equipped items. Press left when the leftmost character is highlighted to see a list of all characters. The R1/L1 shoulder buttons can be used to toggle between the three active party members. - WEAPON - ARMOR - ACCESSORY (Can equip up to three accessories per character) - ITEM: Allows you to view Key Items, such as the Heckran Bone and Komodo Scales. - CUSTOMIZE: Allows you to configure your settings to match your preferences (thanks to tennin for help). - SOUND: (Stereo) Mono - WINDOW: (Default) Custom Allows you to change the style of your windows on-screen. I prefer the default until I find new window styles throughout the game (I personally like Red Vision and Porre's Furnace myself). - CURSOR POSITION - (Regular) Memory Regular defaults a menu cursor to its original location. Memory will maintain the cursor position in menus and point at the most recent location when you open a menu again. - BATTLE ATTACK SELECTION - Manual (Auto) When in battle, automatically advances the Attack cursor to the next highest attack with and 80% chance or better of success. - CONTROLLER - (Normal) Custom Allows you to set your controller settings. You can adjust this as you see fit, but I think the default is fine. Interestingly, it seems you can set the "L3" and "R3" buttons to be Action and Cancel, which is a rare feature. - X-BUTTON ON - Run (Walk) Causes Serge and party to run or walk during exploration sequences by default, and to toggle between the two by pressing X. - LEFT STICK SENSITIVITY - (Digital) Analog Active will allow you to switch between walk and run based on how far you press the left stick. Digital means you need to press X to switch. - FILE: Choose to SAVE or LOAD a file. You can only save at Records of Fate, but you can load anywhere. A nice touch! -- 7. AFTER THE BATTLE ----------------------- Once battle has ended, you will see a number of screens as a familiar tune plays. The first screen displays any statistical improvements a character has earned (since Chrono Cross has discarded regimented levels, characters power-up in more frequent bursts of small increments). The second screen gives you three options: - Replenish HP and status using battle Elements - Replenish HP and status using stock Elements - Do not replenish HP and status The post-battle options are fairly intelligent. The first choice will automatically use healing spells up to the Element level your characters have remaining on their meter at the end of battle. So if one character equipped with RecoverAll+3 has his Element meter built to L.7 when combat ends, choice one will cause this character to use RecoverAll on the entire party automatically. Choice two instead uses Elements like Tablets and Capsules to restore HP, and is a useful option after a tough battle where your Elements are expended and levels are low. Choice three simply lets you restore your HP at your own discretion through the menu screen. Note: fallen characters cannot be healed with option one or two; although "dead" characters automatically recover with a single HP after battle, they do so after the auto-recover screen. So be sure to use the menu screen to replenish the HP of anyone who bit the dust during combat. The game will display the Elements you used for recovery; this DOES NOT cause those Elements to disappear from your inventory (except consumables), so don't be afraid to charge up after battle. Your Element levels don't carry into the next battle, so there's no reason NOT to heal up. After the recovery screen, you will receive a list of all the items you have won during battle. D. GENERAL GAMEPLAY TIPS --------------------- -- 1. COMBAT --------------------------------- Learning to make the most of Chrono Cross' battle system can be tricky; but as you learn the game's strategies, you'll find there's a lot of flexibility and strategy in the game. You COULD barrel straight ahead and annihilate everything with your strongest attacks, but that won't always be the best solution. Remember that using an Element, no matter what level it is, requires 7 Stamina points. If you knock your Stamina down to 1 and then cast a spell, you'll be out 6 points. That's 13 measures of combat you'll have to wait before your Stamina is full recharged, and 7 measures until you can even defend again. Obviously, standing there helplessly against a tough enemy can be a very, very bad idea. Learn to defend whenever you can! Defending only causes a single measure of combat to advance, and it can cut the physical damage you suffer by as much as 2/3. Learning to balance attacks is especially important once you start acquiring Level 7 & 8 Elements - even with the Dreamer's Scarf, which automatically gives you a headstart to Level 1 on your Element meter, it will take more than just a single turn (of 7 Stamina points) to boost Elements to 8 and cast a spell. A good technique to use is to stop at 1 Stamina point and defend, then switch back to the character who is building his Element meter once his Stamina has risen a few points. While toggling between characters like this, it's a good idea to have the character whose turn is being cancelled defend as well. Another wise strategy is to assign a single character as a healer in tough battles, and to keep that character's HP high and their Element meter boosted as much as possible. This way if you're hit by a sudden strong attack, you can switch right over to that character and heal immediately - an especially good idea when facing multiple strong enemies. However, don't make that person the only one who can heal! Be sure to give everyone healing Elements to be safe, and try to have a good selection of single- and group-effect spells on hand. Revive spells are hard to come by; be sure not to give them all to a single character, in case that one fighter gets taken out. A nice trick about Revive is that the higher the slot it's placed in, the more effective it is. While a Level 1 Revive spell will restore a fallen character to life with a few HP, Revive+5 will restore that character as well as all or most of their HP. On the other hand, you may not want to have to build five levels on your meter to be able to restore a fallen character, especially if the one who fell was your main healer or attacker, so placing Revive in a low-level slot can be smart as well. Experiment and see what works best for you. Of course, each Element has its opposite type; use this to your advantage. Craft your party to respond to the threat ahead. For example: if you're going up against a Red enemy, it's not always good to use a Blue character as they will be more vulnerable (they'll suffer as much as 50% more damage per attack). However, to use the really good Blue Elements, like Iceburg and the Frog Summon, you NEED the blue character. So there's a trade-off for every decision you make. And be careful not to rely too heavily on a single Element color; an Anti- spell can totally seal off your access to an entire category, making that character much less effective for the duration of the battle. Fortunately, Chrono Cross isn't a terribly difficult game. But keeping these considerations in mind will make the fights much easier, and you'll spend much less time hanging on to life by a thread if you plan ahead. ---------------------------------------------- ---------------------------------------------- PART III: WALKTHROUGH - DISC ONE A. CHANGES FROM DEMO ------------------------- A number of elements, both major and minor, have changed between the demo and final versions of the game. Here is a brief rundown. - Fewer battles in first dungeon, and no boss encounter with SideSteppa. - Post-victory fanfare - Glenn no longer accompanies Kid and Serge; rather, a third party member is selected apparently at random for the duration of the sequence. - Kid and Glenn do not offer assistance in hunting down the Komodo lizards. - Serge's skill, HP and Element levels drop significantly between the dungeon dream and waking up in his village. - Treasures have been removed or changed in various places. - Razzly no longer turns Serge away from Hydra Woods; instead it's some random guy. - The real battle theme and victory fanfare have been added, and much of the music has changed in certain locations. - Enemy levels have been reduced so they don't annihilate Serge. - There's a second section of Arni Village, at its west end, where Radius teaches Serge a lesson humiliation. - The game doesn't end after talking to Leena on the beach. - Battle load times have been abbreviated significantly. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- B. SERGE'S MYSTERIOUS DUNGEON RECOMMENDED PARTY: N/A Enemies in this Area: - Cybot - AlphaBat Items in this Area: - None This bit will be rather familiar to anyone who has played the demo. It's the same area as the opening of the demo, but with the challenge sucked out like a dog sucks the marrow from a bone. Slurp! After an opening cinema which simply displays the Tower from outside, Serge and Kid and a random character plucked from the cast of thousands arrive in an elevator near the top of a dungeon. It should be noted that I've seen many different characters here - i.e. Poshul, Razzly, Mel and Orcha, and I'm sure if I tried it again I'd see a different character. Each random person seems to have distinct dialogue (and even dialect, although I can't really say since my knowledge of Japanese could be inscribed on the head of a pin), which is probably causing Square's translation team to stay up late at night weeping. (Shock shock, the US team seems to have done a great job with the dialects. So before you gripe about them, remember they're just being true to the Japanese, 'K?) This area is pretty straightforward, since all the treasure boxes from the demo are missing, the enemies are toned down, and the boss is in absentia. Use this dungeon as an opportunity to familiarize yourself with combat, and don't feel bad about using your most powerful spells, since you won't be seeing them again for a while. Head left from the elevator to check out your goal - a glowing crystal. Kid gets ticked off that you can't just jump down, but it's not a problem, really. Go back to the right and into the central chamber of the Tower and work your way counter-clockwise around the room to the exterior. Continue to work your way around and up; your ultimate goal is to reach the door in the upper left-hand corner of the central chamber and throw the switch in the room beyond. Once you've deactivated the beam of light, return to the central area and walk to the hub in the center of the room. Press the action button and you'll be transported outside and in front of a large door. Walk up to the door and be creeped out by the freakish cinema... ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- C. "ARNI VILLAGE" "Where tides begin to turn" RECOMMENDED PARTY: N/A Enemies in this Area: - Radius (OK, so he's not really an enemy) Items in this Area: - 200G - beneath bed - Tablet [Consumable] - in Serge's bedroom - Komodo Scale [Key item] - from fisherman beneath swordfish - Shark Scale [Key Item] - from Kiki's father - Heckran's Bone [Key Item] - beneath restaurant bed - Ivory Helmet [Accessory] - in restaurant case - Coral [Window Frame] - next to Element seller - PhotonRay [Element] - in Leena's house - Uplife [Element] - Speak to the barrel in Belcha's shop four times - Cure [Element] - behind tapestry at Radius's house The screen turns black and someone calls Serge's name. Is his mother? Or maybe Jenova? Who knows. Anyway, it turns out that whole dungeon sequence was a dream... which is a real shame, since Serge was about 4 or 5 times more powerful in the dream than in real life. You'll find when you wake up that you have only 50 HP and a mere three slots on your Element grid, as opposed to being the beefy warrior tyke you were in the dream. Oh well. After a yawn-and-stretch-and-try-to-come-alive bit, Serge is up and about in his home. Be sure to grab the 200G stash under his bed; there's also a Tablet hidden on the opposite side of Serge's room. You can rest at any time by "talking" to the bed and choosing the top option. Once you're satisfied with the state of your room, head downstairs where you'll meet Marge, who reminds you to go meet Leena-chan, which you should do... but there's no harm in exploring the village first. I mean, heck, you've left her waiting this long, a little longer won't hurt, right? There are several points of interest in Arni. First off, head out of town to the left, which will take you to the western portion of the village where old man Radius will kick your butt in the name of training. Poshul is also running around here with a little girl and can be recruited (see below). The chief's house is being tended by a fellow named Toma XIV, who will be appearing there and there... Back in the main portion of the village, the fellow standing near the west exit beneath the massive flopping fish will give you a Komodo scale if you butter him up when you speak to him. The woman standing in the depression to the east is a merchant; speak with her to make a purchase. Under each option you have the choice to Forge (use found items to create new equipment), Disassemble (break apart your current inventory to reclaim the components necessary for making other items) or Sell. Also, the Forge option offers three choices: Weapon, Armor or Accessory. You can search her pile of goods for an Aztec-looking coral motif window setting as well. Beyond the merchant is a restaurant run by a large swarthy man named Belcha (lovely name for someone preparing food...). You can chat with people inside, admire the poster of Dynamite Dancer Miki, or be impressed by lovely goth poetry. The back room of the restaurant is guarded by an overly-friendly dog and contains an Ivory Helmet in a trunk and a Heckran Bone under the bed. Poshul can be recruited here by giving her the Heckran Bone (use the Square button to bring up the Item menu, then press Confirm to give it to her). It can be tricky to line up correctly with her, but just offer her the item and she'll join you for a gleeful dose of butt-whuppin'. Behind the restaurant is a boathouse where a fishmonger and a girl with an affinity for Komodo lizards live. She's just a kid, but she's already got the guys eating out of her hands... Show the girl the Komodo scale the fisherman gave you if you make her blush; otherwise head to the odiferous basement and talk to the fisherman, who will give you a shark's scale pendant. You can give the Komodo scale to the boy outside the house (or sell it for 1000 G); if you let him have it gratis (first option), he'll give you an Uplift Element in return. Once you've done all the above, head to the docks at the north end of town, where you'll have a pleasant chat with Leena, who is training to become a nagging wife. I think she rather fancies Serge, but alas she expresses it by being annoying. Serge, being the macho man that he is, volunteers to make a necklace for her out of Komodo lizard scales. And not just any scales! If you try to give her the scale that the fisherman gave you, she'll say, "No, no! I want scales ripped from the warm corpses of lizards that you murdered with your own hands!" Serge is whipped, so he heads out out of town to go reduce the lizard population of the region. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- D. "OPASSA BEACH" "A Calling From Beyond Time" -- 1. WORLD MAP ------------------------------ RECOMMENDED PARTY: Serge, Poshul When you'll leave town, you'll enter the world map, where Arni village is pretty much the center of everything. To the east is Hydra Woods, where some guy tells you it's dangerous to enter. Scratch that. To the north is a valley, where Porre soldiers tell you it's dangerous to enter. Hmmm. Northwest of Arni is a small cliff, where a large stone overlooks the ocean... but to get there you have to fight through a series of steaming geysers. The only enemies here are KomodoPups and BeachBums. -- 2. CAPE HOWL ----------------------------- Enemies in this Area: - SandSquirt - BeachBum Items in this Area: - Heal [Element] - @Bone [Component] You can look at the stone on the cliff, but there's not much to see. Still, this section offer a little extra combat, which means more G and stat-boosting! Once you've explored the world, head west to the small coral forest at the tip of the land. -- 3. LIZARD ROCK ---------------------------- Enemies in this Area: - KomodoPup - SandSquirt - BeachBum - MamaKomodo [BOSS] Items in this Area: - FireBall [Element] - Silver Loupe [Accessory] - Tablet [Consumable] - Ivory Helmet [Accessory] Ah, the grotto. How we love thee. This part was sort of confusing for importers, but in English it's all straightforward: the point is to catch, murder and skin the three lizards. Conveniently, this area is broken into three sections, and a lizard lives in each one. However, catching them will require a little brain work. Or no brain work, if you cheat and use this guide. The bottom right area (just head down from the entrance after pushing the rock out of the way) features a lizard happily walking back and forth in front of a small rock ledge. Running up to the lizard will cause it run away in justified fear. However, to the left of the ledge is a fallen tree that leads to the upper-right screen. Walk up this tree to the next screen, then hang a 180 and head back down to the screen below by way of the rock ledge. You will find yourself looking down at the happy lizard; when it passes in front of the ledge, press the Circle button to leap on it and attack. Be careful with the timing here; too early or too late will cause it to run away. Now kill the lizard and take its precious hide. Jerk. Be sure to knock the rock into the water at the far left of the screen to claim the treasure chest and the accessory within (a Silver Loupe) and then head up to the left section of the grotto. The left section features the easiest lizard to catch, although the fact it doesn't really require a gimmick might make the solution easy to overlook. Simply chase the thing around and around in a counter-clockwise circle. Use your X button if you don't have the controller set to auto-run. Again, when you catch it you'll fight it and take its scales. The left area also features a somewhat tricky chest to reach. Walk all the way to the left edge of the area and look for a lump towards the center of the outcropping. Pressing Circle will cause you to leap into the lump, which is the entrance to a tunnel that will squirt you out at the top of the waterfalls. Head back through the tunnel (guarded by a BeachBum) to snag some Tablets. Return to the action by leaping back into that... sphincter... thingee. Finally, head back to screen you started on where you should see a small rock tunnel. Beneath the tunnel is the last lizard you must violate. Walk around the rock formation (NOT through the tunnel - the lizard will run away and you'll have to leave and come back to reset the screen) and the lizard will scurry through the tunnel. No problem; walk to the large rock and press Circle while standing at its left side. Serge will roll the rock to block the tunnel. Now walk back up to the where the lizard fled and it will try to escape through the now-obstructed tunnel. This is almost too easy - just kill the thing and -- -- BATTLE: MAMA KOMODO ---------------------- Innate: MamaKomodo (Blue) -- face off with a giant beastie. Looks like mama lizard's a bit pissed that you've been practicing genocide with its babies. As soon as the baby lizard bites the dust, the mother will appear (no chance for healing between fights, sorry) and attack. It has some pretty powerful Elements, like Aquabeam and Cold Breath. Hopefully you have 5 Tablets in your Level One slot and at least one attack spell at a higher level (I would recommend putting Fireball in the Level 3 slot, since the lizard is a Water Element). Try and predict its attacks so you can defend when it uses Elements, and keep your HP high. The Cold Breath attack can easily knock more than half of your HP off, so play cautiously. Defeat the mama lizard and you will receive not only the last lizard scale you need, but also some nice status boosts and your very first Star for summoning. Not that you have any Summons yet, but give it time. Once you're through here, you can try to head back to Arni Village, but Leena won't be there. Head to the beach to the west of the grotto instead and she will meet you there. As she talks, that Jenova voice starts calling to Serge and a weird energy surrounds him as a massive wave crashes against the shore. Rather than panic and run, Serge does the manly thing and passes out face-first in the sand with Leena nowhere to be seen. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- E. "ARNI VILLAGE" "Nothing Has Changed But Everything" -- 1. LIZARD ROCK (ANOTHER) ------------------ Serge awakens when some random guy and his pet lizard kick sand at him. Leena is nowhere to be seen, and the random guy doesn't seem to recognize Serge. So Serge heads back the way he came... except now things are... DIFFERENT (cue dramatic chord). Enemies in this Area: - KomodoPup - BeachBum - SandSquirt - OpahFish Items in this Area: - @Bone [Component] Besides the new music that plays during the world map, there are weird flying fish floating about the grotto. And there's a lizard guarding a chest where a Beach Bum guarding a chest had been before. This chest simply holds a bone piece rather than an Element. But that's not a bad thing, as it will allow you to create armor as you begin to develop a party. The enemies seem to be a little more vicious now, but it should be nothing that Serge can't handle. Watch out for the lizard on the rock outcropping - it jumps on you just as you had done to the lizard before. Oh, how tragic this bizarre irony. -- 2. WORLD MAP (ANOTHER) --------------------- Returning to the World Map shows that not too much has changed since Serge passed out, but the music is different. However, heading into the various areas reveals a number of differences. For one thing, the guy in Hydra Marsh no longer cares if you go in further, although the swamp water is poisonous and will sap your HP... best to wait for now. The soldiers in the valley are different, and still tell you to kiss off. But you'll definitely want to take a trip to Cape Howl. -- 2a. CAPE HOWL (ANOTHER) -------------------- Enemies in this Area: - BeachBum - SandSquirt Items in this Area: - @Bone [Component] - ElectroJolt [Element] - Tablet [Element] Besides housing the extremely useful ElectroJolt (unless you got the Uplift in Arni, it's your very first Yellow Element! Cherish it), the geyser area is significant because of the rock outcropping on the cliff, which contains a depressing inscription rather than a message of love. Anyway, now that you've gotten a feel for this strange new world, you should head home. So to speak. -- 3. ARNI VILLAGE (ANOTHER) ------------- Items in this Area: - Tablet - MagmaBomb [Element] Arni Village is really, REALLY different. Instead of being littered with dead fish scraps, it's festooned with flowers. In my opinion, this is an improvement (at the very least it now smells better), but I can see how it would be disconcerting for Serge... especially since no one seems to recognize him. Head into the first building, which is still a restaurant but a dainty cafe as opposed to a manly pub run by someone called "Belcha." The Dynamite Dancer Miki poster has been replaced with a poster of Nikki, a rock star, which is being swooned over by a woman. The overall macho ambience of the store has been transformed into a flowery sort of cheer. Although the girl who used to be a disgruntled waitress now seems to be a disgruntled flower girl (and no wonder; flower girls have rotten luck in Square games). There are items in the back room once more, but the chest which now contains a Tablet is hidden behind a curtain. Behind the flower shop is the home of the fishmonger - although his basement is no longer used for cutting and gutting fish, but rather as a shrine to the one, the only MOJO! Whatever has happened to Arni is strange, but extremely cool. You can't recruit him just yet, though... You can also shop here; refer to the charts at the end of this guide for item pricing. At the moment you're limited to low-end equipment of bone or ivory, but be sure to stock up on the consumable Elements - they're exceptionally helpful at this point in the game. The area of town to the west is quiet, and Radius and Poshul are nowhere to be seen. And Serge's house is... different. Besides the fact that Marge is nowhere to be seen and the cats have been swapped out for dogs and the overall feel is a bit more claustrophobic, Serge's bedroom is now occupied by a lizard that charges him 100G to sleep. Talk about a blow to the ol' self-esteem. On the plus side, you can find a MagmaBomb Element at the far left of Serge's room - walk behind the foreground clutter and press Circle to retrieve it. When Serge leaves his house, a woman walks in and demands to know what he's doing there. He asks where Marge is, but the woman doesn't know and claims (I think) to have lived there for 10 years. At this point I'd be a little dejected. Luckily one thing hasn't changed - Leena is still hanging out at the docks, watching the kids swim. Alas, Leena doesn't recognize Serge and says (I cheated here and confirmed this with the spoilers at www.thegia.com) that Serge died 10 years ago, and doesn't seem to appreciate Serge's claims to be, well, Serge. Even offering her a lovely lizard scale won't turn her callous heart. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- F. "CAPE HOWL" "A Reminder Of One's Former Self" Once you've spoken with Leena, you have two options. You can try to cruise Hydra Marsh or you can go visit the monument on the cliff again. The correct answer here is "the monument"; however, there are some good items to be found in the swamp, and the enemies are easy to deal with in the opening area, so I recommend a side tour through the swamp before advancing. -- 1. HYDRA MARSH PART 1 --------------------- Enemies in this Area: - Potpourri - SwampBug Items in this Area: - Tablet [Consumable] - BushWhacker [Element] - ElectroJolt [Element] - Survey Group Gear [Key Item] The first thing you will notice in Hydra is that the water is poisonous. Walking in the water will take off a hit point or two with every step. This is a Bad Thing, as there's an awful lot of water in the marsh. Fortunately, you don't have to suffer for long - walk up to the swaying plant to the left of the man at the entrance and hit Circle, which will cause it to lower and provide a shortcut for you. Now head left off the screen and you'll walk along a massive fungal growth high above the swamp. There are no enemies in this bit, so it's quite straightforward; just head up and hang a right at the Record of Fate (the little glowing blue pyramid that appears midway up the fungal stalk - there was one in Arni inside what used to be Radius' house as well). When you get to the top, you will meet two men - but be sure to grab the ElectroJolt element first. Speak to the first man, the one in purple, and choose the first option. He will give you a key item called Protective Gear, which will keep the marsh's poisonous water and gasses from harming you. And you don't even have to equip it! Better yet, it works like Final Fantasy VI's Diving Helmet and one set works for an entire party! I love video game logic. Head back down the stalk and into the main swamp area. You can travel through the water without suffering damage, but be sure to check your HP before every instance of combat - many of the enemies use poison in battle. You should also buy 10 or 15 Antidotes from Arni Village (15G, bottom choice in the buy/elements menu) to clear up any poison status you acquire in battle. The only two enemies you'll encounter for now are some insects which can hit for 15-24 HP as well as some passive-aggressive plants. Be sure to take out the insects first, because they attack actively, and because the plants have a dying counter attack which hits you with poison and about 30 HP damage! You can avoid combat if you like, but you can earn some extra cash this way if you need it, as well as some random Elements (I've won several Wind-based elements here). Just be sure to heal after combat. Head up and grab the BushWhacker Element in the chest at the top left corner of the screen. The walk to the right and you'll see two plants guarding a treasure chest... unfortunately, they're up an unpassable slope. Head back to the left and up off the screen and you've gone about as far as you can. There's a bending plant here, but it's a little resilient and snaps back, injuring Serge and making this route unpassable. -- 2. CAPE HOWL ------------------------- Enemies in this Area: - BeachBum - SandSquirt - Karsh [BOSS] - Solt [BOSS] - Peppor [BOSS] If you head back to the cliff where the rock monument was before, you'll see the sun is setting. Head up past the geysers, collecting any treasures you may have passed up before, and examine the monument. Serge bends to look more closely at it, and sees it is in fact... his tombstone. Talk about depressing. Apparently, though, some people have a thing against adventurers who pull a Huck Finn and show up at their own funeral. Or was that Tom Sawyer? Anyway, a fellow named Karsh and his bumbling henchmen Peppor and Solt (what is UP with games/anime and food names, anyway?) appear and try to accost Serge. But they stop in their tracks when a voice from behind mocks them. Pan over to reveal a girl, looking very nice in the twilight. Or at least as nice as you can expect from someone who looks like she hasn't changed clothes in about a year. The girl, Kid, joins Serge in standing against Karsh and co. and of course, a fight commences. -- BOSS: KARSH, PEPPOR, SOLT ---------------- Innate: Karsh (Green), Peppor (Yellow), Solt (Yellow) This is a pretty simple battle, as Peppor and Solt are dismally weak. Kid is also sort of spindly and ineffectual as a fighter, but she has some pretty handy magic. Take out the henchmen first as they sometimes use status-affecting magic. Then focus on Karsh, who is a bit more formidable. Be sure to use your last Stamina point in each attack sequence for Defense (unless you use an Element), because Karsh has a special attack called DragonRider in which he mounts a dragon steed and charges for serious damage. Still, caution is the word of the day, and you should win without any serious difficulty. Victory brings many spoils: another Star, a new Level Two slot on your Element Grid, an Ivory Axe, an Ivory Vest and an Ivory Helm. Also, you join with Kid, whom you can name. Now you have an RPG party! You'll return with Kid to your "house," where a short conversation ensues and Kid gives you the Tele-Porter, which allows you to swap active party members on the world map or at Records of Fate (but at this point, you have a two or three-member party, so there's no one to swap out). NOTE: if you're trying to recruit Leena, you should refuse Kid three times (second option) until she goes away. You'll meet with her soon enough. Leena will join along with Poshul, if you've not yet recruited the mighty purple pooch. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- G. "THE PORT TOWN OF TERMINA" "The Pride Of The Acacia Dragons" -- 1. FOSSIL VALLEY ------------------ RECOMMENDED: Poshul, Serge, Leena At this point, you will be allowed to pass into the Valley to the north of Arni. There are a few enemies here, although nothing totally lethal, if you know what to do (and what not to do). Enemies in this Area: - BubbaDingo - MamaDingo - Dodo - Drongo - Peppor [BOSS] - Solt [BOSS] Items in this Area: - Heavy Skull [Key Item] - Big Egg [Key Item] - Bellflower [Key Item] Near the entrance is a battle with three BubbaDingos, which are utterly baffling... they seem to attack one another, but not the party. When the MammaDingo is around, they'll focus on you, but when it's just babies they're more likely to fight one another. Beyond that is another guard blocking a ladder; tell him you're the Exorcist and he'll step aside. Up the ladder is a massive fossilized dinosaur skeleton. A strange little talking skull painted to look like a clown is hiding in the dragon's skull; choose the first option and it will hop into Serge's inventory. The skull's name is Skelly, and it wants a body. This becomes one of your sidequests. Back down and to the left is a bone ladder going down; a soldier will speak to you when you mount the ladder. Ignore his whimpering warnings and grab the Big Egg in the Dodo's nest; it does not contain the dodo's offspring, so put aside those feelings of guilt. This is your first encounter with a Dodo, which are terribly annoying creatures. They hit pretty hard and have high defensive ratings, but most frustrating is that they respond to Element attacks with a brutal counter-blow that kills a character in a single hit. So please, don't use Elements against them, unless you enjoy dying. Defeating this creature will allow you to take its Big Egg, another key item. I feel kind of sleazy for having killed it, but what can you do? Between this and the Komodo Lizards, Serge is on a crusade to offend PETA, it seems. Climb back up the ladder and head around and up the path. You can fight the enemy there or simply bypass it and take the Bellflower (yet another key item) at the edge of the cliff. Once you've looted the area, head back down to the lower sections and travel to the left of the bottom path. You will encounter Peppor and Solt once again (what's an RPG without wacky recurring enemy fops? Scorpion Army, we salute thee). -- BOSS: PEPPOR, SOLT ----------------------- Innate: Peppor (Yellow), Solt (Yellow) Another fight that's nothing to be worried about. I think this is more an in-game tutorial than a battle; these guys talk about elementary Elements, and then use them - mainly status-affecting Elements at that. You can see their exemplary examples of Element types, or just beat them down in a hurried hurry. Winning will earn you the Element "Uplift," a third Star, a second slot on your Level Three Element grid, and everyone's L.3 Tech (e.g., Serge gets Dash&Slash and Kid learns Pilfer, which as you might suspect allows you to steal from enemies). These skills are not Elements per se, as they are inherent Techs like the non-magical attacks in Chrono Trigger; they're marked with a Yin-Yang symbol and cannot be exchanged or un-equipped. However, using them does affect the Field Effect meter. Head out the exit and return to the world map. -- 2. ODDS AND ENDS ------------------ RECOMMENDED: Poshul, Serge, Leena Passing through the valley of dragon bones opens up a new area of the world map for you; additionally, you can pass back to the Arni area without having to enter the valley again. I would recommend doing just that; now that you have Kid, you can get your third optional party member: the one, the only... Lucky Dan! Oh wait... in English his name is "Mojo." Oh well - whatever. Finding Mojo is pretty simple - he's in the basement that belonged to the fishmonger back in the reality Serge came from. Mojo is actually an idol to a dark god of some sort. Examine the doll and speak to the Another version of Kiki's father, who seems to spend his entire life contemplating this evil effigy. Use the Square button to hand the Shark's Scale (pendant) to the man, who will extemporize on it and hand it back to Serge. If you did this right, nothing will happen until you try to leave... and then, Mojo will come to life, proclaiming himself a messenger of God. "Lucky, Lucky, Lucky!" Let him join the party and name him as you see fit. Mojo isn't particularly powerful, but some of his secondary ratings are excellent - two to three times as high as Serge's. Also, he's quite amusing in combat. And now, back to the story. The only real option you have now is to go to the city of Termina. The eastern woods are blocked by a burly knight named Zoah, and the gates of the mansion are impassable. So head to the western shore and enter Termina. -- 3. TERMINA SQUARE ------------------------ RECOMMENDED PARTY: Serge, Leena, Kid NOTE: The actions you choose here will affect the path the story takes. I recommend Guile's path your first time through the game; it's easy to find, and Guile is an extremely powerful fighter and mage. But if you want more of a challenge, skip down to section H-2. If you want the scenic route, scroll ahead to H-3. Termina is a large, bustling town with festive music... sort of like Aveh, but without the grating slowdown. When you enter, you will witness a scene involving Glenn, a young man seeking Bellflowers. How convenient that you managed to snag that Bellflower back in the valley, eh? Since the flower shop is sold out of Bellflowers, Glenn goes away empty-handed; but not before mentioning Karsh, causing Kid to have a brainstorm and connect two plus two to get four. Note - if you chose to recruit Leena, you will need to travel to the top of the city and view the statue of Viper where Kid will try to muscle her way into your party once more before you can advance any further in the game - you can still turn her down, if that strikes your fancy. At any rate, examining the statue of the general is the "trigger point" for the next bit of the game; the person you talk to next and accept into your party will be your companion for some time to come. Also, make note of a few places that are mentioned here. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- H. "VIPER MANOR" "Where Lies The Keys To The Past" ******************************************************************************* BRANCH POINT ****************************************************************** ******************************************************************************* At this point, the game offers you three paths, depending on your next action. If you go to the west docks first and speak with Miki, you will go down Nikki's path. If you go east and back to the rear area of town, you will go down Pierre's path. And if you head straight to the Bar, you will meet Guile. Before you hunt for Glenn, though, take a look around town. There's plenty to do here, such as stop at the Inn at the lower level, or visit Lisa at her Shop. There are a few new Elements for sale here, so have a look. Be sure to buy several Ointments and Braces, as you probably will be stricken with those particular status ailments soon enough. Lisa also offers you a ticket to Nikki's upcoming concert if you examine the ubiquitous Nikki poster in her shop. Alas, she realizes that she is out of tickets if you accept the offer. At the top of the Square is a statue of Viper, who seems to be the man in charge of this region. Kid initiates a conversation and asks if you will help her sneak into Viper's manor. You can choose an affirmative reply (top) or negative (bottom). Beware: she'll make fun of you if you say no, chicken-wuss. To the left of the main square is a carnival celebrating some 100 year anniversary or another in Termina. Unfortunately, you can't get in for now. You can also mosey up a pink stairway to see groupies standing around Nikki's residence - he's like the Ricky Martin of Chrono Cross. However, you can't get past the throng of swooning fangirls, but you can meet Dynamite Dancer Miki in the dressing room below (please note that speaking to Miki before Pierre or Guile will initiate the Nikki story branch if you agree to help her). To the right of the main square is a number of items of interest. Head up a screen to see a house which seems to be Glenn's residence (be sure to bring Mojo along to examine the practice dummy in the yard for an amusing scene; if you bring Poshul, she'll exchange a barking match with the dog outside the dojo), but he is currently away (keep looking!). To the right of Glenn's place is a smithy run by a man named Zappa, who dislikes being disturbed while forging. If you've found any interesting items while traveling, you can have your weapons upgraded here... but most likely, you will need to explore new areas and defeat new enemies to acquire useful items. The back room of Zappa's shop is occupied by Pierre, who likes to spice up his dialogue with French but is too busy admiring himself in the mirror and complaining about his lost badge to join your crusade (please note that speaking to Pierre and giving him his badge before speaking to Guile or Nikki will initiate the Pierre story branch). You can shop for Bronze and Iron equipment at Zappa's, but I'd recommend waiting to puchase anything until you decide which party you'll be taking ahead, ye ken? At the end of this area is a mansion where an artist named Van lives. Van and his father don't seem to get along too well, but isn't that what being a teenager's all about? To the right of this section, past the fortune teller's tent, some children are gathering to watch a demonstration when a street punk named Korcha scares them away and leaps to his boat below. Work your way further right and then down to follow him. When you get to the next area, you'll see Korcha by his boat but won't be able to reach him. Head counter-clockwise around the pond beneath the shack and trigger the event with Glenn and Riddle. Glenn wishes to commemorate the death of his father and brother; give him the Bellflowers you acquired in the valley and he'll place them at the memorial. If you don't have the flowers, he and Riddel will simply pass you by after speaking. The two will disappear beneath the shack. If you follow them, you can speak with Korcha, who seems unimpressed with Serge. Now, choose your story path. They all converge after the mansion event, but the details and path will be different depending on who you take with you. 1. BRANCH ONE ***************************************************************** GUILE'S PATH RECOMMENDED: Serge, Guile, Leena (or Kid) Head back to the Bar and speak to Guile again. If you agree to help him with his wager he will join your party; this is a very, very good thing. Guile is an excellent magic user, plus his attacks are extremely powerful, despite his fey appearance. His Strong attack hits all enemies simultaneously, and his unique skill, WandaIn, is almost abusively damaging (and downright painful to watch). Now backtrack once more and chat with Korcha. This time, Guile will persuade Korcha to lend use of the boat, which can hold only four people. So off you go to do the ol' attack-from-behind maneuver (for the low, low price of 100 G). Korcha takes you to the cliffs behind the mansion, where you can sneak in without worrying about those pesky gates. Unfortunately, a guard spots you and begins flinging boulders at you. Quite a strong lad, he is. -- 1. OVER THE HILL ------------------------- Enemies in this Area: - Loch Nest - Gobbledegook - Acacia Soldiers [BOSS] - KingMaoman [BOSS] - RedMaoman [BOSS] - BlueMaoman [BOSS] Items in this Area: - Heal [Element] - PhotonRay [Element] - Meteorite [Element] - Tablet [Consumable] - FreeFall [Element] The boulders that fall hit the party for 10 HP per character, so be sure to heal before entering battle if you are struck. There are two kinds of enemies on the cliffs - round bat-like things called Gobbledegooks, and round baskets with mysterious creatures inside, called Loch Nests. The Loch Nests are hard to avoid, as they ambush you while you climb. Neither enemy poses a great challenge, but they do offer decent power-up opportunities, so be sure to battle a few. From the bottom of the cliff, you can go one of two ways. I'd start by going right across the shallows, and up. Head to the far left and climb to the chest which contains a Heal element. Be careful of the geyser - if your party leader gets hit, you will be washed down to the screen below. This is bad, if you're climbing up. However, once you've gotten the Heal chest above, let the water blow you to the screen below, which allows you to access a chest with a PhotonRay element inside. As one of your first White elements, I would recommend giving it to Serge, since he has the highest White affinity. Climb back down to the lowest level with the hanging moss and begin climbing the cliff, this time on the left side. This section is a bit complex to explain in text, so here's a rundown of where the paths lead. Second screen up: Right to Tablet; left to dead end; middle to Third screen. Third screen up: Left to Shooting; right to dead end; middle to Fourth screen. Fourth screen up: Left to FreeFall, middle to dead end; right to top. At the top of the cliff, you will be accosted by several soldiers. This should be an easy fight; unfortunately, the soldiers also manage to irritate some bird men who will give you the first truly challenging fight of the game. -- BOSS: ACACIA SOLDIERS -------------------- Innate: All (Yellow) Just be sure to defend after your attacks until you thin the ranks a bit, then use your elements. Victory will yield a Star. -- BOSS: KINGMAOMAN, REDMAOMAN, BLUEMAOMAN -- Innate: KingMaoman (Black) RedMaoman (Red) BlueMaoman (Blue) KingMaoman is a real pain here, so be careful. His cronies use status-boosting skills on him at the start of the fight to improve his strength. It's imperative to defend constantly! He can launch multiple strikes in a single turn, just like your party members, making him very dangerous if you leave your defenses open. Your first instinct might be to tackle his henchmen first, since they can inflict status conditions and have less HP than KingMaoman. However, this actually is a bad idea; when KingMaoman fights alone, he uses a truly nasty spell on the party called Gravitonne. It can kill a party member in a single hit, which is not good... so you want to avoid being hit by Gravitonne. Use your best attacks on him, especially Guile's In Body, which can hit for nearly 100 HP and is by far your most powerful skill (despite Guile having the same innate color as KingMaoman). In addition to all of this, you have to contend with Red, who uses power-up elements on the enemy party, and Blue, who will cast Nimble (improves enemy accuracy) and Numble (lowers your accuracy). Play cautiously, keeping your HP above 50 at all times in the event that KingMaoman gets mean and uses Gravitonne (he tends to cast it twice consecutively, leaving you with two seriously wounded - or dead - characters). Your well-earned victory here gives you another Summon Star (bringing your total to 5) and a new Black element, GravityBlow. When the battle is complete, you will sneak into the manor. (Skip to H-4) 2. BRANCH TWO ******************************************************************** PIERRE'S PATH RECOMMENDED: Serge, Kid, Leena (sadly, you have to use Pierre instead) If you think a butt-kicking mage like Guile makes the game too easy - or maybe you just think Guile is too macho - you can follow this alternate game path. Start by entering Termina and going to the right. The take the path up, to the Smithy. Enter Zappa's Smithy and walk into the back room to speak with Pierre. Exit Pierre's room through the exterior door (not back into the Smithy) and speak to the kids in Glenn's house once or twice. Exit Glenn's house and speak to the children in the yard. The boy in red should give you a Key Item - a badge with a crest on it. Give that to Pierre and he will join your party. If you give it to Pierre after speaking to Korcha, Korcha will disappear. If Pierre joins before the Korcha event on the bridge, once you trigger it, Korcha will simply boat on past the shore by the shack and you'll never meet him. Refer to the Termina Square info above for a breakdown of the city. Once Pierre is in your party and you're ready to enter the manor, return to world map. The woods are still blocked by Zoah, but that's OK. Pierre's a flamboyant type - so this calls for a frontal assault. Walk up to the guards at the front gate of the manor; Pierre will introduce himself and ask to be let inside. The guards are not impressed. Pierre seems nonplussed, but Kid makes a comment and offers some suggestions - choose option 1 and battle the guards. Victory will net you a Star. -- BOSS: SUGAR, SOLT, KETCHOP --------------- Once you've opened the gate, Peppor and Solt will accost you... but this time, they've brought a friend. A massive, dangerous friend named Ketchop who starts the battle by hitting your party leader for about 600 HP. Yipe... Peppor is considerate, though, and revives your fallen character. Your best bet is to take out Ketchop first; when Peppor or Solt become critical, he grabs both of them and uses them to attack the party, which will almost certainly knock out the member targeted. On the plus side, that attack also wipes out Peppor and Solt. The real challenge of this battle is that Pierre is pathetic - his strong attack is about as powerful as Serge's weak attack. His special skill is to use his badge to restore a few HP, but it only works on himself. He's not terribly inspiring. However, if you can overcome Ketchop's muscle and Pierre's lack thereof, you'll be in the mansion. Pierre recommends hiding until night, which the party does. You will enter the mansion through the front, but you'll still need to get the key from the stables. (Skip to Part H) 3. BRANCH THREE *************************************************************** NIKKI'S PATH RECOMMENDED: Serge, Kid, Nikki This sequence begins at the large ocean liner parked next to the Carnival area in Termina. Make it your first stop; enter the lower door on the ship and speak to the girls twice. Exit, then return and speak to the manager. Miki will enter the room, panicking because of Nikki's absence. Reply to her query with the top response and she will run away to help. -- a. SHADOW WOODS -------------------------- Enemies in the Area: - Cuscus - Bulb - Cassowary [BOSS] - Zoah [BOSS] - Peppor [BOSS] - Solt [BOSS] Items in this Area: - AeroSaucer [Element] - Uplift [Element] - Heal [Element] - Aroma Pouch [Key Item] - Angry Scapula [Key Item] - Skullduggery [Window Theme] Refer to the previous section for details on the layout of Termina. However, you will not be able to find Guile or Korcha or Pierre after meeting Miki. Do whatever you need to accomplish in the city, then exit to the world map and head to the eastern woods. Zoah no longer will be standing in the way, so you can pass through here to get to the mansion. Inside the forest, you'll quickly notice several strange blob creatures of various shapes. These are land octopi, although you won't be able to get them to move simply by talking to them. Make a note of where they're located and which colors are where. Your more immediate concern is on the fellow in the pond on the second screen. If you take the lower path around the pond, he'll be surrounded by the creatures of the forest and leap over them to safety, fleeing to the next screen. Grab the AeroSaucer from the chest above the pond and the Uplift element from the chest at the bottom left of the area, then follow the man. In the next area, the fellow you're chasing runs into a party of Cassowaries. You can help him out by running up behind the Cassowary if you wish. -- BOSS: CASSOWARY (x3) --------------------- Innate: Cassowary (Blue) An interesting battle. This begins with Nikki, the man being chased by the Cassowaries, fighting them off single-handedly. Once everyone has made a few moves, your party will be allowed to attack. These guys are really easy, especially if you have multiple-effect Elements like Bomber. As with most of these fights, you will earn a Star for your victory (no matter which path you take, you'll always net two Stars by the time you arrive at the mansion). You'll also earn a couple of Uplift elements. Nikki isn't terribly friendly - his way of thanking you for his rescue is to run off and disappear behind a small waterfall. Chase the dope and you'll find he's accidentally blundered into a dead end. Speak to him and choose the first option both times - he'll join your party. I would rank him somewhere between Pierre and Guile in terms of usefulness. His attacks and magic are stronger than Pierre's, but nowhere near as powerful as Guile's. He also looks pretty goofy in battle, but hey - glamrockers need love too. Be sure to take the Aroma Pouch in the cave, which will enable you to proceed to the next step in your goal of reaching the manor. Now it's time to put the forces of nature to use. You need to move past this area, but unfortunately the egress is being blocked by a large plant. Luckily, it's a very hungry plant. Even more fortunately, its diet consists of land octopi - convenient, considering you saw some on the way in. The only question is how to convince the land octopi to become scooby snax. In a stroke of sheer fortune, the land octopi enjoy eating the little friendly spore-blobs that the spiky bushes in the forest release. To make this work, you have to grab the Aroma Pouch from beneath the waterfall - this will allow you draw the spore blobs away from the bushes and toward the land octopi. The rub here is that octopi will only eat spore-blobs that are the same color as themselves. Go up to each bush and press the Action button; it will release a spore-blob of a specific color which will then follow behind your party like a puppy. Walk in front of each land octopus with a spore-blob that matches its color in tow and the octopus will follow you. Move quickly, or the octopus will eat the spore-blob and lose interest in you. Play pied piper here until you've led the red octopus to a crunchy death at the jaws/mandibles/petals of the big path-blocking plant. If you lead a differently-colored octopus to the Quaffid, you'll have to fight it - and it's tough. Once the plant is sated, speak to it. Kid will threaten it, but instead of fighting it will simply shrink down and allow you to pass, plus it will give you a new window setting, the strange but amusing Skullduggery motif, by way of apologizing. The last section of the forest is brief, but significant. You will be accosted by Zoah, a knight of the Acacian army, as well as by wacky funsters Peppor and Solt. -- BOSS: ZOAH, PEPPOR, SOLT ----------------- Innate: Zoah (Yellow), Peppor (Yellow), Solt (Yellow) Solt begins this battle by trying to summon a Golem... unfortunately for him, the Field Effect isn't all Yellow. This won't be a difficultly difficult fight; focus on Zoah first, and try to take him down before he uses his DragonRider attack. The enemies will go pretty easy on you in the first few rounds, so you might as well use your best element attacks right away. As the battle wears on, try and predict some of the attacks (especially once Peppor uses Strengthen on himself to boost his strength; that's when he starts using special charge attacks). Zoah runs away in disgrace at the end of the fight, although nothing is shown of his sidekicks. Doubtlessly that won't be the last of them. You'll win a Star here, as always, as well as Uplift and Ivory Mail. Grab the Heal Element in the chest by the tree and duck beneath the tree's roots. -- b. THE ROOT OF YOUR TROUBLES ------------- Enemies in this Area: - Gerridae - Gloop - Wraith Items in this Area: - MagmaBomb [Element] - Deluge [Element] This section is brief and straightforward, but you'll probably end up engaging in more battles than you would like thanks to the numerous quick enemies and narrow maneuvering space. Grab the MagmaBomb in the chest behind the roots, and then run ahead to the cave in the distance. You'll encounter a line of running bugs here (this reminds me of the teenagers where I live who drive around Sonic's parking lot on weekend evenings... scary). Coupled with the fast flow of water, these bugs will make the area unpassable. Unless of course you take care of the problem at its source and staunch the bug flow. Climb the overhang parallel to the bug flow and fight the Wraith next to the boulder. When the monster is gone, you can roll the boulder in front of the hole that's ejecting insects. Now you can wade upstream without molestation. There is a seemingly inaccessible chest above the path on a small alcove (you will be able to reach it later in the game), and a tunnel leading into the back of the cave which connects to a well. When you arrive in the well shaft, the party will automatically climb the vine clinging to the back wall. This will lead you to the mansion yard. 4. ALL PATHS ****************************************************************** RECOMMENDED: Serge, Leena, Guile Serge, Kid, Nikki Serge, Kid, Pierre You will arrive at the manor one of three ways - through the back (Guile), front (Pierre), or the well to the southwest (Nikki). Whichever is the case, you will need to head to the back area before you can enter the mansion proper. The general requirements are the same no matter who you bring, although different characters will witness different dialogue events (particularly Nikki). -- a. TACTICAL ESPIONAGE ACTION ------------- Enemies in this Area: - AcaciaPvt - AcaciaSgt Items in this Area: - Ointment [Consumable] - TurnBlue [Element] - TurnYellow [Element] - Kneepad [Accessory] - Bronze Helmet [Accessory] - Bronze Mail [Armor] - RecoverAll [Element] - Iron Mail [Armor] Now that you're in the manor, you cannot leave. However, if you want to switch party members, you may do so with the Tele-Porter at any Record of Fate. In the back, you'll find yourself in a scene right out of Metal Gear Solid - everything from sneaking around guards to a giant roving searchlight. The good news is that guards aren't in infinite supply, and you can dust them off one by one. But your first priority here is to head up to the stables at the top of the area. Inside the stables is a very welcome Save Point. You might want to make a new file here, as you can't leave the manor (at least not as far as I've found). While you're in the stables, check the top right-hand corner for a Key, which will be needed later. Also inside the stable is a small minigame. Talk to the old man and choose the first option to play a game that requires you to feed the dragon steeds and keep them happy. This game is necessary if you want to acquire the Key to the manor - unless you try feeding the dragons, the old man will refuse to let you take it. How the game works: Serge can carry three bales of hay at a time. The dragons can only be fed while their heads are raised; if they are not fed within a few seconds' time, they become angry and turn a shade of red. If any dragon becomes completely red, you've failed. Replenish your hay by pressing Action at the far left; feed a dragon by pressing Action in front of its stall. The more food you give the dragons, the better the prize. You can choose to feed them 10, 20, 30, 40, or 100 bales of hay. The prizes are as follows: 10 - Kneepad [Accessory] 20 - Bronze Helmet [Accessory] 30 - Bronze Mail [Armor] 40 - RecoverAll [Element] 100 - Iron Vest [Armor] Outside the stable, you can go back down to the door right above where Guile enters the manor and pick up TurnBlue. The Turn(color) Elements cause an enemy to acquire a specific elemental attribute, making them weaker to a specific counter-element. Example: hit an enemy with TurnYellow and it will become weak to Green elements and strong against Yellow elements. Take the door to the lower left, and try to stay off the open path unless you want the guards to see you. Fight the guards by the main entrance and you will be allowed to enter the mansion. Did you snag the key in the stables? Don't miss the Ointment Element in the chest at the top left-hand corner of the yard and TurnYellow in the treasure chest by the main gate. Once inside the mansion, you will have to work through three sections. The door to the second section is straight ahead, but don't expect to get there right away... Note: if you chose not to include Kid in your party, she will follow you into the mansion as an NPC. In the following events, I used a party of Serge, Guile and Mojo, so your sequence may vary slightly if you take Kid along. -- b. INSIDE - FIRST AREA ------------------- Enemies in this Area: - Man-Of-War - Man-At-Arms - Will-O-Wisp - PortalGheist - BigBoxer - Li'lBoxer - Roborg - Potty - Neo-N-Bulb [BOSS] Items in this Area: - TurnGreen [Element] - Silver Pendant [Accessory] - TurnBlack [Element] - Hero's Shield [Key Item] - Bronze Sword [Weapon] - Bronze Mail [Armor] - Silver Earring [Accessory] - Revive [Element] - Dragoon's Honor [Accessory] When you enter the mansion, you will be confronted with three doors: straight, left and right. The left door is locked (well, blocked) and the right door is available. The door straight ahead is flanked by a snake statue. Talk to the snake statue and it will ask for you to input two numbers. You have a 1-in-100 chance of getting it right, so 99% of you are going to fail, which activates a trap door leading to a cage in the basement. Three guards are standing watch by the cage, and two of them run upstairs when you arrive. You can rattle the door, but the guard just says to shut up. Stand around for a while and Kid will sneak up the stairs. Bang the door again to distract the guard; Kid will knock him unconscious and pick the lock. The other two guards rush in and attack, which should be an easy fight. Serge and party will do a Locke Cole and steal their uniforms (no clue about what happens to their bodies...), although Mojo and Poshul won't be able to don a guard outfit... for obvious reasons. (NOTE: If Kid is in your party, she'll annoy the guards from within the cage until one of them opens the door and fights you. In any case, she saves your bacon.) From here you can take the left elevator or take the right stairs. There's nothing of significance downstairs - a guard blocks your way into the dungeon, you will be attacked by a random treasure chest, and there's a rattling grate that can't be opened. Up the elevator, you'll come to a room with both left and right passages. Either way works fine. To the left is the living quarters of the Acacia soldiers. The first door is the mess, where you'll meet Glenn again. Talk to him and he'll leave... affable fellow. There's a Dragoon's Honor accessory in the chest at the top of the room, don't forget to grab it. Past the mess, and behind the second door, is the kitchen, where Orcha and his assistant are preparing food. He cannot be recruited at the moment. Still, that shouldn't stop you from taking the TurnGreen element in his cabinet. The third door is the Acacia soldiers' sleeping quarters, where Glenn has gone. You can grab a Revive element here, or use the Save Point, but be sure to pay attention to Glenn's actions - he faces the wall, and then moves to his bed side? I wonder what was so interesting about that wall... maybe you should look (hint hint). Past the sleeping chambers is a staircase, leading to the first-level basement. There is a Roborg at the end of the hall, which will fight you if you talk to it twice. If you walk down the center section of the carpeted hall, you will be attacked by sentry monsters. Finally, several doors here are guarded by eyeballs - touching the door while the eyeball is active will cause you to enter battle with a very nasty living door called - wait for it - a PortalGheist. The doors can be beaten, but they yield little in the way of power-ups and give you a single Capsule as spoils. They also have strong Lightning attacks and can summon assistant enemies to aid them. You can battle the door if you wish, but you're better advised to run to the door and open it when the eye blinks. If you time it right, you can sneak past it. The first door on this level is unguarded, so pop in and take a look. Here you'll find a girl in a jester costume asleep on a couch. There's also a fighting treasure chest; I managed to win an AeroSaucer here, but your mileage may vary. Whenever you encounter a fighting chest, you have a 50/50 chance of choosing the correct one (it's random). If you mess up, you'll have to fight; if you choose correctly, the chest you attack will give you an item. If you goof, you can run away and try again until you choose the correct box. The second door on this level is guarded by an eyeball, but even if you defeat the eye the door is locked. Tres bummer. You're better off fighting the golem to unblock the door to the main chamber. The golem is tough and has some damaging attacks, but use your best elements and you shouldn't have any trouble. Now you're back in the room you saw when you first entered the manor. If you have the numbers Glenn was blocking, you can use them to pass the snake statue. However, there are a few interesting things to be found on the right side of the building, so take a detour first. Starting from the bottom floor and heading to the left, the first room seems to be a treasure depot. You have to go in here (incidentally, the password is "silence" - choose none of the responses and the guards will let you in), because the passage is blocked by another bronze golem. Kid is already in the treasure room - if you talk to her, though, she'll take off. (Or, if she's in your party, she'll babble for a while and shut up when she sees the Frozen Flame isn't to be found so easily.) You can take the items at the back of the room, including useful equipment like a Bronze Sword and Bronze Mail. There's also a Silver Pendant attached to the right wall of the room; if you choose to take it (first option), it will activate a trap door that sends you into a cage in the next room. This room is occupied by a lady named Luccia, who seems to be conducting research to breed powerful fighting animals. She'll let you out of your cage, but you have to fight two little creatures that look like a cross between Mojo and Peco from Breath of Fire III. -- BOSS: NEO-N-BULBS ------------------------ Innate: Neo-N-Bulb (Green) If you took Nikki's path, you may have seen these guys in the forest... sort of. The Neo-N-Bulbs have been suped up from their original Bulb form by Luccia's maniacal tinkering, and they can actually be pretty tough. Watch for some of their Elemental attacks like BushWhacker and BushBasher - they can be painful. Use any Yellow or White Elements you may have, and keep your HP above 50. Remember you can run if you have to regroup, there's no penalty for backing out of a fight (except your pride). However, if you do defeat them, you'll earn a Star, and an Aerosaucer Element or two. There's a little Pokemon-looking guy with an Elvis hairdo in the cage at the back. You can set him free if you want, but it doesn't make any difference - he'll escape on his own eventually. Be sure to gank the Silver Earring accessory from Luccia's desk - it'll give you a much-needed HP boost. When you leave the lab, you can fight the golem to unblock the passageway. Again, no real problem. The eye-guarded door to the right of the lab is an armory. You can push a snake statue against the wall here, which will cause some Gloops to attack. They yield decent power-ups, so there's no harm in fighting them. You can also choose to take the shield from the wall between the statues if you wish. If you give the shield to one of the guard statues, they will fight you. Defeat them and you can then open a secret switch that takes you to a secret chest surrounded by poison gas... which you can't bypass just yet. Come back later in the game to unravel this particular secret. Back in the hallway, head up the staircase at the end of the passageway and back to ground level. There are two doors here, both of which are guarded by eyes. Inside the first door is Zoah and inside the second door is Karsh. Since you're in disguise, you can ask them various questions about things... Both men have a treasure chest in their room, but they will not let you open the chests (actually, Karsh will give up if you keep trying and let you take the contents. Count to 30...). Now that you've seen the sights, return to the main hallway and input the numbers at the statue. It will open the large doors leading to the second section. Be sure to save before you go! -- c. INSIDE - SECOND AREA (LIBRARY) --------- Enemies in this Area: - AcaciaPvt - AcaciaSgt - Marcy [BOSS] Items in this Area: - TurnWhite [Element] This is a large antechamber. Two guards are blocking the back passage and there's a golem by the right door. This means you can go left and only left, so walk left through the door and across the bridge to the library. A small girl named Marcy and an old man who calls himself "The Prophet of Time" starts to describe the plot using some REALLY trippy special effects. He begins to explain a bit about what's happening to Serge, but since this is only a few hours into the game he doesn't explain everything. For some reason, this revelation provokes Marcy to attack your party. Yeah, a tiny little girl wants to kick your butt... and she's pretty darned good at it, at that. -- BOSS: MARCY ------------------------------ Innate: Marcy (Blue) For little munchkin, Marcy packs a punch. Her physical attacks are only so-so, but her magic kicks your butt. She doesn't have anything brutally powerful, but she uses the Elements she possesses frequently and viciously. Her two most dangerous Elements are WirePhone, which hits for about 50-70 HP, and IceBlast, which damages a character AND stuns him. She can use this on two characters consecutively when her HP is low, so be prepared to finish her off with just one active character. The Turn Elements come in handy here, and it might not be a bad idea to give one or two characters Medicine elements for when she hits you with IceBlast. When you win, you'll receive a Star and an Iceblast element. Marcy runs off, disappointed that she couldn't murder you. The librarian, or rather the "Prophet of Time," seems to find this amusing. Ignore his senility and press the switch that Marcy tapped earlier, the one hidden in the books, to activate the ladder to the balcony. Grab the TurnWhite element up there, because it's oh-so-handy with Black characters like Guile and Mojo around. Run back across the bridge to the antechamber and you will be greeted by both Kid and the jester girl, Harle. Kid and Harle don't seem to get along too well, especially after the jester blows Serge a kiss and walks off. Kid acts annoyed if you try to leave, the guards won't let you pass, and the golem won't fight you. You're going to be stuck here unless you adapt to Square's habit of creating invisible switches. Annoying, no? The switch in this room can be found after long, tedious hours of pressing the Action button - you'll have the most luck if you search near the columns at the back left side of the room. When you find the switch, you will cause an elevator to descend, scaring the pudding out of the guards. It seems the guards don't care much for having the pudding scared out of them and they attack you. Put them out of their misery and take the elevator to the third floor. To be fair, the Prophet tells you about the switch, but I'm stupid and originally played the game in a language I don't understand. Bleah. -- d. INSIDE - THIRD AREA ------------------- Enemies in this Area: - Lynx [BOSS] You can go left or right here, but there's nothing of significance to the right - just a lovely balcony with glowing plants. To the left is a very welcome Save Point. Make use of it and have a look at the doors. The one on the left is locked, but the door on the right leads to an office with a small glowing item on the desk. Kid enters and becomes excited for a moment about the objet d'art, but then realizes it isn't the REAL Frozen Flame - merely a lifelike simulation. As she comes to grip with reality, the bookcase at the back of the office retracts and an old man (Viper, lord of the mansion) steps forth. He is soon accompanied by none other than Lynx. Kid seems to know Lynx and Lynx seems to know both Serge and Kid. The cat man takes this opportunity to pop the top on a six pack o' butt-kick on the young perps who have broken into the inner mansion. -- BOSS: LYNX ------------------------------- Innate: Lynx (Black) Lynx is a tough customer, but actually gave me less trouble than Marcy. He uses Anti-White, which will prevent your characters from using White spells. Showing remarkable AI for an RPG enemy, he's most likely to use Anti-White on Serge. Just play cautiously here, mixing your strong Element attacks with defense and healing. It should be noted that scythes appear to be the tradition for Chrono main enemies these days! When you defeat Lynx, you'll earn another Star as well as a Pendragon Sigil C (which you can also steal from him). But you know, you're only a few hours into the game - surely you don't think this is the last of Lynx? Of course it's not. He transforms into a cat, then reappears as himself behind the cat apparition, and causes more cats to appear as he entices Serge to examine the glowing sphere on his desk. Serge has another vision, in which his face changes to Lynx's ("No, Serge... *I* am your father...") and a city on an island is nuked. Things are starting to look pretty bad as Serge starts a Cloud Strife-style freak-out, but just then Riddel, whose quarters are next door to Viper's office, walks in and Kid takes her hostage (pretty impressive for a spindly little waif). It's a standoff! Serge's party backs out of the office, but then Karsh and several soldiers appear from behind, leaving Serge and co. no choice but to head out for the balcony. Unfortunately, Lynx reveals a throwing dagger with which he hits Kid. Wounded, she plummets to the ocean below, and the rest of the party jumps after her to be rescued by Korcha. And Lynx adds a little intrigue to the plot by shouting a familiar term at Serge as he falls... ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- I. "GULDOVE" "Where Ripples Become Waves" ******************************************************************************* BRANCH POINT ****************************************************************** ******************************************************************************* The story splits here based on your responses to Korcha regarding Kid's health. Once you awaken and walk outside the hut, you'll find the rest of your party. Kid, however, collapses right away and falls ill from the wound she suffered at Lynx's hands. Doc, who appears to be involved in medicine as a side hobby of his other interest in certain herbs, has a look at Kid and determines her wound can only be healed by a potion which is located in Hydra Marsh. But not the Hydra Marsh in this world - you'll have to return to Serge's world to reach it. To enable this, Kid gives Serge the Astral Amulet, which allows him to locate and use a dimensional warp. Once you receive the item, Korcha asks you what your intentions are. Your response dictates the story branch you will follow. - If you give him the TOP reply to his questions (a negative response), he will become annoyed and take the amulet from you, presumably with the intent of helping Kid himself. - If you give the BOTTOM response to his questions, he will join your party as you search for the medicine to heal Kid. Either way, you can take care of a number of odds and ends at this point. While you're in Guldove, be sure to visit the Pub after seeing the Shaman. If you visit the pub before the Shaman, you'll witness a scene of Doc crying into his beer. The Dwarf inside will give you a Green Tinkler [key item], which will give you the ability to bend nature to your will. Literally! 1. ODDS AND ENDS ---------------------------- RECOMMENDED: Whatever works for you Enemies in this Area: - (varies) Items in this Area: - (varies) A few things in Termina have changed. For one thing, Miki is back in her dressing room, although she seems rather oblivious to your presence. If you visit the shack where Glenn placed the flowers by the memorial to Dario, you will witness an event where three people are sending a boat off to the Great Unknown. The person giving the eulogy or whatever is Greco, a Pro Wrestler who apparently moonlights as a priest. Once the sequence has ended, follow him into the shack and speak to him and he will join your party. He kicks quite a bit of butt, so it's nice to have him around. If you don't recruit him now, he'll still be at the funeral procession until the end of the game. There doesn't seem to be anything else to be done in Termina for now, so if you want you can travel to Lynx's manor. The mansion is basically deserted; there's a Cybot at the front gate which can be beaten easily. Once you're inside you can go inside and collect a few items that were inaccessible before. Be sure to note: now that you're on the World Map, press Start to bring up the usual "Vibration On/Off" menu. A second menu will be available beneath that; this is the Wormhole Map. Turn it On to display a small indicator of your current dimensional location, much like the era indicator in Chrono Trigger. Well, OK, not really, but play along, OK? You first stop in the mansion should be Luccia's lab. Luccia and Pip are gone, but the chef's assistant seems to be caught in the large cage trap. You can set him free, though he seems a wee bit suspicious. There is also an Earring (acessory) on the desk, if you missed it before. Luccia, though, is at the balcony where Kid was injured by Lynx. If you talk to her, she will leave and return to the lab after talking about her vonderful scientific genius. Man, this chick is like the Baroness wearing Rufus Shinra's wardrobe. Cool. You can talk to Riddel or explore Lynx's office ("left statue is the key to Spectacle Rock"), but be sure to follow Luccia. When you speak to her in the lab, select the first option and she will join your party. Also, once you find the Life Sparkle, you can return to the balcony and recruit NeoFio (to get the Life Sparkle, use the Green Tinkler in Another Hydra Marsh to cause the flexible plants to bend for you. The Life Sparkle is located at the back right area in a submerged chest for which you'll have to fight two SnobGoblins). You can also enter the private rooms freely now, although some are still locked (such as the dungeon entrance). You can open the chest in Karsh's room to claim an accessory, but Zoah's chest is still locked. Too bad your thief is incapacitated. Outside the manor, you can also explore any areas you skipped before. If you took Nikki's path, you can take the back route and descend the cliffs (which will be MUCH easier in the absence of falling rocks). Nikki's path can be accessed through the well, although to get past the giant plant you'll want to enter through the woods to the east of the manor. These areas are optional, but offer a few useful elements and items and may be worth the time and trouble it takes to clear them. 2. BRANCH ONE ***************************************************************** HELPING A FRIEND Recommended: Serge, Korcha, Poshul Provided you've chosen to help Kid, thus begins a new fetch quest. -- a. GULDOVE --------------------------------- Be sure to explore Korcha's home before you get going, though. In the lower level of the house is a girl named Mel who is very very intent on using crayons. At the docks below his home is a person who can combine Elements to create items for upgrading your weapons... unfortunately, it's expensive, and it seems like everything he has to offer sort of sucks. Don't expect too much here, but it's possible you might be able to find a good combination at the smithy just left of the merchant. If you talk to the Element trader twice, however, he'll give you Skelly's sacro-iliac. West of the docks is a bar where Doc and a girl named Orlha will have a conversation, and Serge decides not to enter. If you come back later, you can enter, and a little big-nosed midget gives you a "Green Tinkler," which sounds like it might be nasty but actually is just a small bell used to manipulate the vine plants in Hydra Marsh. Above the bar is a shop; there's not too much new here, but you might find something worthwhile. At the far west end of the village is a fortune teller's hut occupied by two women named Direa and Steena. Steena will answer various questions about various things. If you show the Astral Amulet to Deria with the Square Button Menu, she'll give you a hint about what to do with it (hint: it starts with "Opassa" and ends with "Beach"). Once you've explored the village to your heart's content, go to the east end of the docks and speak with Korcha, who will take you to Termina (you have no choice in the direction here, sorry) and incidentally expose a much larger view of Chrono Cross' world than you've seen to date. -- b. HOME IS WHERE THE SUBQUEST LIES -------- First of all, speaking to Korcha at the docks will allow him to join your party. If you want to return to his home, simply press Action while facing his boat. Hydra Marsh has changed significantly. In particular, it's swarming with creatures now. This is a good sign, as the boosted difficulty means you're on the right track! If you haven't already picked up the Protective Gear on the fungal stalk at the left edge of the forest, do so now in preparation for the journey ahead. However, you're still going to find yourself at a dead end in Hydra Marsh. You need to pass that unyielding plant, but how? Perhaps if you could find some other means to pass it, like the Green Tinkler? Even so, there's nothing to find in this world's swamp, now that the Hydra is dead. This is where the Astral Amulet comes in handy. If you travel to the beach where Serge arrived in Another world, it will cause a reaction with the spot on the beach which caused Serge to cross dimensions. The Amulet acts like a Gate Key - use it while standing in the energy reaction and Serge will be transported back to his Home dimension. No one here seems particular overjoyed at Serge's return. There's no "Oh Serge! I thought you were dead when you vanished before my very eyes on the beach!" from Leena, no cheerful exclamations from Marge upon your return. Tsk! Well, no matter; Arni isn't where you need to be anyway (although this would be a good time to take care of anything you missed before). Then travel ahead to Hydra Marsh. -- c. HYDRA MARSH (HOME) --------------------- RECOMMENDED: Serge, Korcha, Guile Serge, Korcha, Greco Enemies in this Area: - Potpourri - Swarmp Bug - Dwarf - DaggyDwarf - DaffyDwarf - Beeba - Wingapede - Pentapus Items in this Area: - @Feather [Component] - @Bone x 2 [Component] - Medicine [Consumable] - Brace [Consumable] - BushBasher [Element] - Antidote [Consumable] - RecoverAll [Element] - Beeba Flute [Key Item] - Hydra Humour [Key Item] You'll notice it's not quite as grim and gloomy as the alternate world's version of the area. However, the plant life is just as unyielding. You'll need to find another way around that plant on the second screen. Collect the treasure on the first two screens and then visit the left area, with the massive fungal growth that rises above the swamp. As you venture into this area, a HUGE insect will fly overhead. Luckily for you, it's not interested on making a snack of you, so you can travel unmolested. However, when you reach the third section, near the save point, you will be accosted by a strange little tribal-looking creature called a Beeba-Beeba. It will attack, and the most annoying fight to date will begin. -- BOSS: BEEBA ------------------------------ Innate: Beeba x5 (Yellow) The Beeba isn't terribly strong, but it's fast and unfortunately, it calls friends to assist it. Within a round or two you will be facing not one but FIVE Beeba-Beebas. This is extremely frustrating, because they attack after almost every move you make, which slows the battle down to a ridiculous crawl. Take them out one at a time starting with the leader, and be sure you have your RecoverAll Elements equipped (high slots are good). You may wish to unequip unnecessary Elements like Tears and Detoxin, because this battle will be long and most likely will use up most of your Element slots. Persistence and patience win the day here; when you finally win all you'll get is a crummy Upheaval Element (a more powerful version of Uplift). No Stars, and little status boosting. What a hassle. (If you can kill the first Beeba-Beeba right away, you may be able to prevent him from calling all of his friends. Give it your best shot.) Defeat the Beeba-Beeba and he'll retreat apologetically, giving you a Beeba Flute (key item). Carry on up the stalk (you can sneak around the tribesman at the offshoot above to claim a BushBasher Element if you like) and arrive at the platform where you received the Protective Gear in Another world. Your other party members will make a comment, then rejoin the group. Take a cue from Nausicaa and play the flute you just received while standing in the middle of the platform. The large winged insect you saw, a Hydra, will descend. Unfortunately, when Serge tries to grab the medicine it possesses, the bug attacks (shock!). -- BOSS: WINGAPEDE -------------------------- Innate: Wingapede (Green) This is one nasty bug. You saved earlier, right? It uses a vicious breath attack that slams your party for serious damage, plus it has a physical attack that can be used up to 4 times consecutively! Balance defense with offensive Elements and be careful when it starts to attack multiple times. Using a Yellow character with high offense, such as Poshul, might not be a bad idea. You won't win anything worthwhile from this battle. However, the stress of the battle, coupled with the bug's crash landing, have weakened the platform on which your party is standing. Keep walking across the stress fracture, and in a moment your party will plummet to the depths of the marsh below. Luckily there's a massive land kraken to break your fall. You'll drop into its lair and onto its head, which causes it to become unconscious. You don't HAVE to fight it, but next to the chest bearing a RecoverAll element you'll find a sprite in a cage. If you choose to let her go, the kraken will revive and attack you. Please note: if you choose not to undertake the medicine quest, you will find the Kraken (unconscious) but not the sprite when you come to this area. Presumably, you didn't rescue her in time and she was eaten. Suck, huh? -- BOSS: PENTAPUS --------------------------- Innate: Pentapus (Blue) Not a terribly difficult fight. Again, it can use a multiple hit attack, so watch your defenses. This is a Blue elemental monster, so Red attacks are very effective (FireBall, etc. - multiple effect spells like MagmaBomber are less useful). You'll recieve an Aquaball element for your trouble. Once you beat the kraken, you can free the sprite, Razzly, who was sadly blown by the wind from her village. She will join your party; I HIGHLY recommend taking her along, as her magic is powerful, and she's extremely effective against the main boss of the area. MY PARTY: Serge, Korcha, Razzly Climb out of the kraken's lair and you see a familiar area - it's the ledge overlooking the stupid plant that won't bend! The good news here, though, is that you can skip right past that plant now. Walk to the tip of the ledge and hit the Action button to jump to the back area of the swamp. you can grab an AeroSaucer element here, if you want. Exit to the right and back of the screen to travel to the depths of the marsh. You might want to sneak past the giant plant guys (just like the plant in the Eastern woods where Nikki was, except that these guys fight instead of shrinking) on the next screen. They can be a little tough (especially since a lot of Green elements HEAL them - ouch) and you've just been through two consecutive boss fights. Luckily, there's a Record of Fate just beyond the plants. Here the path split in two. To the rear of the area are some dwarves standing guard; the foreground leads to the exit. You probably won't want to go too far in this direction, but once you've cleared the area the dwarves split and take all the treasures with them, so it's now or never. Talk to the three dwarves at the back path and they will attack. -- BOSS: HI-HO DWARVES ---------------------- Innate: DaggyDwarves x3 (Yellow) DaffyDwarves x3 (Yellow) There are six of these creeps, and they start the battle with a massively damaging group attack called HiHoChorus. Your first priority will be to use a RecoverAll element to restore your party's HP, especially if you brought Razzly along - she'll be hit hard by their Yellow-based attack. Next, try to take out as many dwarves as you can as quickly as possible. Don't be shy, use your best Elements immediately. For reference, the DaffyDwarves seem to have fewer HP than the short ones, so start with them. As you thin the ranks, you also diminish the power of HiHoChorus, so this is one battle that happily becomes easier as you go along. Winning will give you a much-deserved Star, as well as several Equipment items and Elements. One of the dwarves runs away to the right - follow him and you'll encounter another huge insect. This one doesn't have wings, but it's tough nonetheless. Yes, prepare for another boss battle. -- BOSS: HYDRA ------------------------------ Innate: Hydra (Yellow) Once again, watch for the Breath attack. Green Elements are effective here, especially Razzly's special attack which does 150+ HP damage. Use the same general strategy as you used for the Wingapede battle, and you shouldn't have any real trouble. Once you win, you will receive a Star and Uplift. Examine the dead insect to take a vial of medicine for Kid, and you will automatically return to opening area of the marsh. If you wish to return to the recesses of the marsh, the previously inflexible plant is now a bit less lively. Also, the dwarves have ditched. Now you should return to Another world and take the medicine to Kid, who is in the building immediately above the docks at Guldove. Show the medicine to Doc, and watch the events unfold. After Kid is healed and thanks Serge, she rejoins the party... but not until after Mel screws around in the middle of the night with her Element Grid. If go to Steena's tent, and then chase Mel around long enough, you can reclaim the Elements that were stolen from Kid's grid. If you're like me, though, you had a surplus of Elements anyway, and can live without the ones missing. However, tracking down Mel now allows you to recruit her later, after Korcha joins in Termina. And now, freedom! Korcha takes you back to Termina. Once there, leave the town and Glenn will meet you at the entrance. After speaking to Glenn, go back to the Termina docks and speak to Korcha. Kid will feel compelled to kick Serge no matter how you answer, but the abuse is worthwhile because you'll receive Korcha as a permanent member of your party (i.e., he'll stick around even when you return to Guldove). If you don't choose to put Korcha in your party right away, he'll swim on home (quite a distance, I should say). In either case, you now have access to his boat, which opens most of the world map for you. 3. BRANCH TWO ***************************************************************** GIVING UP ON A FRIEND If you give up and don't try to help Kid, Korcha thinks you suck and won't join you. However, Macha will join instead and take you back to Termina. There you will see Glenn, who has become suspicious of Viper now that Lynx is on the scene. Walk back to talk to Macha at the docks, and Glenn will offer to join your party. You should accept, of course, because he rocks. He'll suggest you head to find Radius, who is living in a hermitage to the east of the main island. Basically, the main difference here is the lack of a Hydra Marsh subquest - just head straight to the hermitage to fight Harle, and then to the pirate ship. After completing the pirate ship, you can return to find Kid healed and well thanks to the fortunate intervention of a stranger, and she and Doc will join up. Furthermore, if you do head into the Hydra Marsh (home), you'll do most of the same things, except the Hydra will be gone and Razzly's cage will be depressingly empty... (poor little thing) ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- J. "HERMIT'S HIDEAWAY" "A meeting with the 'other' swordsman" Once you go out onto the world map, you'll see several places to go. Starting in the northwest corner and moving approximately clockwise, here are your options (some names are just the ones I've assigned): 1. Guldove (Korcha's home) 2. Earth Dragon Isle 3. Hermit's Hideaway 4. Island of the Damned 5. Foggy Shroud (Pirate Ship) 6. Dead Sea (Inaccessible continent) 7. Marbule (Town of bug-men) 8. Water Dragon Isle 9. El Nido Triangle (nothing happens) 10. Gaea's Navel 11. Sky Dragon Island Also, there are four places to weigh anchor on the main island: 12. Arni Village 13. Termina 14. Forbidden Island (there's a moss-covered cabin in the woods) 15. Pyre Shore The next place you need to go is the Pyre Shore, the east coast of the of the main island. However, you're free to explore to your heart's content. It's not a bad idea to search around, because many of the areas have Iron and Mythril items necessary for upgrading your equipment in the future. Here is a quick rundown of each area: 1. GULDOVE ----------------------------------- You've been here recently. Be sure to pick up any new Elements you're missing before heading out. 2. EARTH DRAGON ISLE ------------------------- RECOMMENDED: Serge, Kid, Razzly Serge, Glenn, Leena Enemies in this Area: - Fossicker - Bomber Items in this area: - Brace [Consumable] - Capsule [Consumable] - Upheaval [Element] You can explore here and pick up a few small items. Head to the top of the area and jump into the large crater (top option) to explore the subterranean cave. You can cut left or right here to grab the chests; if you want to exit the cave, climb the right side and hop into the small geyser. It will blow you to the surface (luckily the fact that geysers blow boiling water doesn't seem to affect you). Lower down in the cave are some very annoying enemies who possess high resistance to physical attacks and throw a mechanical bomb at you that apparently cannot be defused until after the other enemies are defeated. Take advantage of the fact that these guys have a Yellow affiliation and use your strong Green attacks like BushBasher and AeroBlaster (the Street Fighter-esque attack that resembles Afura Mann's "Big Sucker Gab Slash" technique from El-Hazard). Then kill the bomb; be sure to have the person who takes the brunt of the blast defend. As annoying as these battles are, they're very valuable because Kid can steal @Mythril from these guys. Unfortunately, your progress into the cave will be blocked at the second screen; there's a rock buried in the sand, but it's unmovable. 3. HERMIT'S HIDEAWAY ------------------------- RECOMMENDED: Serge, Kid, Razzly Serge, Glenn, Korcha Enemies in this Area: - Harle [BOSS] This is where you were supposed to go, but it seems Lynx and Harle anticipated your move and decided to gut the place with fire. And now Harle is slowing you down by engaging you in combat. Stay good, Harle, stay good! -- BOSS: HARLE ------------------------------ Innate: Harle (Black) Harle will challenge you to battle, but she's a complete pushover. Smack her with some White elements, and be sure to have Kid steal PhotonBeam from her. You'll win another PhotonBeam element, but no star. When she's defeated, she vanishes and Radius, whom you will probably remember as the village chief of Arni in Home, appears. It seems Radius lives on this island beneath the large tree that has burned down. You can rest in his house and talk to him. There's a bald patch of ground that reacts when you walk over it, but nothing seems to affect it (you can make use of it later... much later). 4. ISLE OF THE DAMNED ----------------------- Enemies in this Area: - Airframe Items in this Area: - Mixed Bones [Key Item] - @Eyeball [Component] This place is bad news. The enemies here are way the heck more powerful than you at this point, and your progress seems to be impeded by mirrors. You can brave it, or you can use some common sense and avoid this place. Items of note in the areas I was brave enough to tread: a bunch of bone fragments to add to the skeleton you're assembling for Skelly. There's an Eyeball in the hollow to the southeast on the first screen, also. That's about all you can find for now; progress past the mirrors won't be possible until later. 5. DEAD SEA --------------------------------- You can't get here... and why would you want to? It's like, dead and stuff. 6. MARBULE ---------------------------------- Marbule seems to be populated by demihumans who don't seem particularly fond of humans. Not much of note here, although you'll be meeting the chief of the village under different circumstances. There's also a big honkin' dragon sleeping in the back left cave, and an Element merchant who'll sell you all of the Turn spells, if you missed them in Viper Manor, along with stat-effect magics. 7. EL NIDO TRIANGLE ------------------------- There's a triangular formation of stones here. Rowing to the center causes a text box to appear, but nothing more. 8. GAEA'S NAVEL ----------------------------- Serge isn't much of a rock climber, it seems, so the sheer cliffs of this island are off-limits for now. 9. SKY DRAGON ISLAND ------------------------ Not much to see here... just a large open space. It would be great for calling a Flammie, if you had a Flammie Drum! But you don't, so... never mind. 10. ARNI VILLAGE ---------------------------- Just in case you feel like getting the cold shoulder from Leena again, feel free to drop by here. 11. TERMINA --------------------------------- You can stop north of Termina if the need arises. 12. FORBIDDEN ISLAND ------------------------ There's a moss-covered hut here in the forest, population one. Nothing really happening, though. This island is located in a cove on the northeast side of the main El Nido island. It's not labeled, but it's accessible. Simply look for the little puff of smoke. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- K. "FROM PIRATE SHIP TO GHOST SHIP" "A Mariner's Worst Nightmare" 1. FOGGY SHROUD (PIRATE SHIP) --------------- RECOMMENDED: Serge, Kid, Razzly Serge, Glenn, Leena This area is vital to your continued progress in the game. Be sure to save outside, as it's a point-of-no-return sort of place. Enemies in this Area: - Polly [BOSS] - Fargo [BOSS] - Man-of-War - Wraith - Crossbones - DeadBeat - DeadHead [BOSS] Items in this Area: - AquaBall [Element] - FirePillar [Element] - Capsule x2 [Consumable] - Panacea x5 [Consumable] - Gravitonne [Element] - PhotonBeam [Element] When you approach the fog bank, you will be given two choices: (1) avoid it and (2) enter. Choose the second option and you will hook up with what seems to be an abandoned ship. Unfortunately, it's NOT abandoned, and you will be surrounded by a throng of pirates, who seem none too happy to have become the targets of piracy on the high seas themselves. Their leader, Fargo, comes forward and calls a slew of Dullahan-looking baddies on you. Whether you win (in which case you receive three capsules) or run (no prize), you will be attacked immediately by a humongous bird. -- BOSS: POLLY ------------------------------ Innate: Polly (Red) A simple fight. Defend, attack, element. Steal a Search Scope and win MagmaBurst, a powerful Red element with a chance of causing an enemy to go berzerker. Once you beat the bird, Fargo himself will attack you. -- BOSS: FARGA ------------------------------ Innate: Fargo (Blue) Fargo's pretty strong, but again it's nothing you shouldn't be able to handle. If you have Red Elements, bring 'em on - he's quite vulnerable. But don't run, as you'll fall unconscious without scoring any victory items. Of course, defeating Fargo will get you nowhere as well, as your party falls unconcious as soon as you win. Win, lose, or retreat, you're a captive. You'll wake up in the hold of the ship, where you have been dumped unceremoniously. Luckily, any nefarious plans the pirates might have in store for you are curtailed by the arrival of a haunted ship full of ghosts - the crew suddenly has their hands full. Exit the hold after using the optional Save Point. You are located at the aft end of the second interior deck of the ship; the door immediately to the right of where you enter the hallway is locked. The first door to the left is open, though; go inside to fight some ghosts for an AquaBall element (climb up on the desk at the corner to get it). You can ask the pirates you help for the key, but none of them know who has it. The second door to the left is locked as well. Beyond that is a ladder leading to the first interior deck, and past that is a chest containing a FirePillar element. Up the ladder there are two doors to the left, but neither of them can be opened yet. To the right is the kitchen and a bunch of burning barrels. You won't be able to pass the barrels, but you can circumnavigate them. Check the vent at the back of the kitchen with the Action button and your party will climb through it into the mess, which happens to be on the other side of the burning barrels. But before you do, move towards the treasure chest in the kitchen, and defeat the Wraith so you can take the Panaceas inside. Talk to the fat pirate at the end of the hall twice, then speak to the pirate on the left, who will give you the key to the door at the end of the hallway below. Trudge back down and unlock the door; now you can explore more of the ship. The weapons room is located here, and you can exit the ship by walking through one of the cannon ports. Run along the exterior to the left, then down, run back to the right beneath the oars and climb to get back into the ship. God only knows how, but Pip, the little fuzzy thing from Luccia's lab in Viper manor, is here. Chase him around, and once you catch him you can ask him to join your party (top option). I wouldn't recommend putting Pip in your party just yet, though, as he's kinda... pathetic. Be sure to grab the treasures in this area before taking the ladder at the lower right area to the exterior again. A note on Pip: Pip can evolve based on the magic he uses. The more of a certain type of magic you use, the more likely he is to evolve into either an Angel or Devil form. Refer to boko-kun's frightfully detailed Pip FAQ at gamefaqs.com for further details. Save your game here and climb to the deck. Once you arrive, you'll witness the pirates fending off ghosts. But it seems ghosts are in plentiful supply, as more appear. Serge and his party run to the front of the ship automatically, where Fargo is battling ghosts. No matter which choice you make here, you will walk to the helm and battle the source of the monsters. -- BOSS: DEADHEAD ---------------------------- Innate: DeadHead (Black) This can be a mildly frustrating fight, due mainly to the fact that Diamonja has a very high evade rate. To make matters worse, he can inflict a black elemental status on your characters, which cuts their physical attack success rates in half. And no successful physical attacks means no magic... If you can spare a non-attack Element, Kid can steal a GravityBlow element - nothing special. When you win, you'll receive a Star, and the element HellSoul (which is Chrono Cross' version of Final Fantasy's Death). Once you've chased away the ghosts, the fog dissipates and the pirates move east, with thanks. However, they're not grateful enough for Fargo to join you, which is a darned shame. The removal of the fog results in the east coast of the main continent becoming accessible. This is your next main destination - through Mt. Pyre to Fort Dragonia. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- L. "ON TO THE WATER ISLE" "In Search Of The Dragon Blue" 1. WATER DRAGON ISLE ------------------------- Enemies in this Area: - Scorpoid Items in this Area: - @Iron x3 [Component] - Sturdy Ribs [Key Item] This island is covered with ruins from some ancient thing or another. You can collect a ribcage here (much to Skelly's delight). Also, there seems to be a small village of sprites here, much like Razzly, including one named Rosetta. Rosetta doesn't seem interested in joining the party, though... I guess one sprite is enough. Despite the name, there's not a lot of water here. Funny, that. 2. THE ICE BREATH --------------------------- Enemies in this Area: - DaggyDwarf - DaffyDwarf - Dwarf - HiHoTank [BOSS] Items in this Area: - AquaBall [Element] - Freeze [Element] - @Bone [Component] - Nimble [Element] - Magic Ring [Accessory] - Scaley Dress [Armor] There is a subquest here (or rather, on this island in a different dimension), but to find it you need to head to Arni (Home) and speak with the old guy sleeping on the docks. Pay him 100G and he'll take you to the island so you can meet with the Blue Dragon and earn the Ice Breath, which will allow you to pass through Mt. Pyre unscathed by magma. Unfortunately, the Faerie Village has been overrun with Dwarves, who were driven out of the Hydra Marsh when the Hydra was killed (makes you feel pretty awful, huh?). Many of the Faeries are dead, and to make it to the Blue Dragon you'll have to battle your way through the Dwarves. After fighting your way down, you'll face off against two bosses: a group attack, and a massive Dwarven tank which can put up a serious fight. -- BOSS: HI-HO DWARVES ---------------------- Innate: DaggyDwarf x3 (Yellow) DaffyDwarf x3 (Yellow) These guys are exactly like they were in the Hydra Marsh; they start with a devastating group attack, but as you pick away at them the power of the attack diminshes. Take out one at a time, and again you'll earn a Star. This iteration of the battle should be easier, since you're now stronger than you were in Hydra Marsh. If you took Korcha's path, you should be an old hand at this fight. Keep traveling through the cave, and be sure to check behind the waterfall for a Scaley Dress, which is probably the best armor you have at this point (though it can only be equipped by the ladies). Down at the base of the falls, you'll have another encounter. As a note, you don't have to fight all the dwarves here, just the unavoidable encounters. -- BOSS: HIHOTANK ----------------------- Innate: HiHoTank (Yellow) Dwarf x2 (Yellow) This thing is nasty and massive. Your first task is to kill the two small Dwarves who fight alongside it; they can repair it for 111 HP apiece, which means you could have a depressingly long battle on your hands if you don't finish them off ASAP. The tank uses a varied-element cannon which can hit any character with an elemental attack of a random color; no matter what, expect that attack to hurt. Bring your strongest Green elements along, as well as lots of healing. It has two lesser attacks as well (a single-character ramming charge and an all-character spinout) but the Element cannon is the real threat. Keep your HP high and pound away, defending whenever you can. Another Star will be the prize for this fight. When you destroy the tank, the Dwarves disappear and you can acquire the Ice Breath item and *FrogPrince summon from the Blue Dragon. The *FrogPrince will be invaluable in the next stretch, so you definitely want to have it. As a side note, if Razzly is in your party here, you will be able to acquire her L.7 skill, but Rosetta will die. It seems like everything about poor Razzly and the faeries is tragic: eaten by krakens, attacked by dwarves, lost loved ones. Anyway, depending on your conscience, it's your call. Second note: sometimes after this sequence you will see a brief scene between Serge and Kid as they camp out on Water Dragon Isle. This scene adds immense insight into Kid's past and personality, but it doesn't always appear, and so far no one seems to be able to pin the criteria to make it happen. If you see it, enjoy it. If not, well, there's always the next playthrough! ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- M. "FORT DRAGONIA" "Ancient Dragons' Dream In Ruins" 1. PYRE SHORE ------------------------------- Here's your next stop. This stop only leads to one area, the Fire Cave, but it's where you need to be. Additionally, if you go back to Marbule now, you'll be able to purchase Trap elements for all the high-level spells, and Level 7 Summons. -- 2. MT. PYRE ------------------------------ RECOMMENDED: Serge, Kid, Razzly Serge, Kid, Glenn Enemies in this Area: - LavaBoy - HotDoggity - CatBurglar - Peppor and Solt [BOSS] - Red Dragon [BOSS] - Karsh, Zoah and Marcy [BOSS] Items in this Area: - MagmaBurst [Element] - Tablet x2 [Consumable] - TrapInferno [Element Trap] - Capsule [Consumable] Mt. Pyre is a bit intimidating, because standing in lava saps your party's HP muy pronto, and there are some big freakin' enemies who seem to attack right as your HP drops to 1. Nevertheless, you're only in trouble while you walk in lava, so buy lots of Tablets and sally forth into the cave and towards... destiny. Or whatever. Of course, you can always undertake the Ice Breath quest (which you have to do now, or never. Once you have the Ice Breath, you can freeze the magma flow by opening the Key Item menu and choosing the Breath; it will cause the magma to harden, giving you safe passage. But be aware that this change is permanent - and any chest submerged in lava will now be inaccessible. Also, the lava slope further into the volcano cannot be climbed if you freeze the magma, meaning you'll miss out on some treasures. Think before you freeze! If the massive lava creatures happen to catch you at an inopportune moment (i.e., your HP is 1), don't be ashamed to run. You may want to pass up some of the out-of-the-way items for now, though. No point in getting slaughtered just for a measly Tablet or two. Whenever you get past a lava area, be sure to refresh your HP. This is especially important in the second screen, where you will face Peppor and Solt yet again. I love these guys - wakka wakka wakka. -- BOSS: PEPPOR AND SOLT -------------------- Innate: Peppor (Yellow) Solt (Yellow) Another not-particularly-tough battle, but these guys are just warming you up for the main event. Win a Star, an Iron Vest, an Iron Mail, and/or a Sky Djinn Ring with your victory here. [NOTE: If you undertake the Ice Breath subquest, you do NOT receive a Star here, as you will have received it already on Water Dragon Isle.] To the right is a large lava flow, which you can tackle if you want. There's nothing to be gained by it, though - you'll just end up at the start of the dungeon. If you follow Peppor and Solt when they run off from battle, you'll enter a third section with a few enemies and treasures. There's a save point here; save and prepare yourself. The next area wil be a challenge. Beyond here is Salamander's cave, although you'll probably have to brave the lava flow to actually meet Salamander. Instead, you're confronted by a mini dragon, who blocks your progress and challenges you. -- BOSS: FIRE DRAGON ------------------------ Innate: Fire Dragon (Red) He's small, but he packs a punch. He has a devastating Fire Breath attack; be sure a few people are equipped with Revive and try to keep your HP above 125 at all times. Don't be hesitant to Steal - Kid can snag a Magic Ring from him, which is a hard-to-find item. When you win, you'll receive another Star and the element Weaken. But wait, there's more! The Fire Dragon wasn't the last opponent you'll face; whatever lies ahead seems to be a big deal, as you're faced by the triple whammy of Karsh, Zoah and Marcy. Sure, you've beaten them one at a time already, but now you have to face all three. -- BOSS: KARSH, MARCY, ZOAH ----------------- Innate: Karsh (Green) Marcy (Blue) Zoah (Yellow) It's the 4 Devas! No, wait, there's only 3. Sort of like the 3 Tenors, but with less squawking. Fortunately, their attacks haven't changed too much, and none of them seem as powerful as they did alone. Karsh represents the least threat, whereas Zoah has a very powerful single-character attack and Marcy has multiple-character attacks that can be very frustrating, especially when she slows you down. Leave Karsh for last and concentrate your efforts on either of the other two; take out one at a time to thin the ranks. Keep your HP high until Zoah's gone, and heal quickly if the enemy concentrates too much on a single character. You'll win a Star, an EagleEye element, a Gold Earring and another Iron Vest here. Once these three are out of the way, Harle appears and makes a comment before disappearing (what, no battle?). Now you're at the exit, beyond which lies the "Mysterious Dungeon" from the beginning of the game. You may find yourself experiencing deja vu here. Do not panic! What you are seeing is a premonition made flesh. -- 3. FORT DRAGONIA REDUX PT. 1 ------------- RECOMMENDED: Serge, Kid, Leena Serge, Glenn, Leena Enemies in this Area: - Dragoon [OPTIONAL BOSS] - Cybot - Combat - AcaciaPvt - AcaciaSgt - AlphaBat - GooGhoul - PaperBoy - GiantGloop [BOSS] - Taurusoid [BOSS] - SunOfAGun [BOSS] - Bunyip [BOSS] - General Viper [BOSS] - Lynx [BOSS] Items in this Area: - Trap Volcano [Element Trap] - MagmaBurst [Element] - FirePillar [Element] - HealAll [Element] - BushBasher [Element] - Antidote {Consumable] - AeroBlaster [Element] - Trap Tornado [Element Trap] - Sea Charm [Accessory] - Flame Charm [Accessory] - Earth Charm [Accessory] Before you can find familiar territory, you have to work! You can start by battling the guard who has been stationed at the bottom of the tower. Gee, an Acacian Dragon rider? I wonder where this guy could have come from. -- OPTIONAL BOSS: DRAGOON ------------------- Innate: Dragoon (Red) AcaciaPvt (Yellow) The soldier here is nothing; the real threat comes in the form of the dragon rider. He possesses both group attacks (Breath) and strong single attacks (Charge). Stick it out, though; for winning you receive a Star AND a summon, *FrogPrince. I recommend bringing Leena or another Blue element-user along at this point, since they're the only ones who can equip this Element. You will probably find Leena to be the single most useful character here now that you have access to her L.5 Tech and *FrogPrice. [NOTE: Be aware if you undertake the Faerie Village subquest, you do NOT fight a Dragoon here, nor do you receive a Star or the *FrogPrince summon, as those were won in the Faerie Village.] Additionally, this victory opens up most everyone's Level 5 skill - those who don't recieve theirs now, will at 19 Stars. Serge can now use a skill called Luminaire; Kid has a group attack called RedPin. Find the combination that works best for you, as you will encounter a wide variety of challenging enemies in the sections ahead. Past the entrance is the main chamber. There are 4 circuits etched into the floor here, and your goal is to open all 4 to progress to the next area. Then you will open two more circuits and activate a transporter to a small structure suspended above the main Tower. Every circuit is connected to a statue of a dragon, which appears as the circuit is closed. Each of the four circuits is controlled by a device behind each of four different doors. These can be tackled in any order, but I am addressing these in counter-clockwise fashion from the far right. --- 3a. FAR RIGHT --------------------------- Past the bridge here is a statue which offers you four choices. The option you choose will cause the platform on which you're standing to rotate and drop, sending you to one of 4 divisions of the area below the statue. The statue's inscription says the Dragon faces north as it defends the fort - this means whichever direction the Dragon is facing is north, and the small platform rotates relative to that. North means you will rotate 360 degrees, South will move you 180 degrees, etc. To avoid confusion I'm just going to describe where each hole leads, starting at the front and moving clockwise. (1) doesn't lead to anything spectacular; to return to the level above, head to the left and climb the ladder. (2) allows you to battle a few Cybots, if you feel the need. (4) gives you access to the switch. Hit it and activiate the first circuit. (3) leads to 4 treasure chests with some decent elements inside (Trap Volcano, an Accessory, FirePillar, MagmaBurst) --- 3b. UPPER-RIGHT ------------------------- You'll find tons of staircases here. Explore them thoroughly to find some nice elements (HealAll, BushBasher, Antidote, AeroBlaster, Trap Tornado). The short route to the end is as follows: left, down stairs, right, up at the branching path, follow path around and then double back to go up stairs. You should reach a switch which will lower a set of stairs to create a shortcut. Beyond that is the circuit switch, but it's being guarded by a massive Golem. -- BOSS: TAURUSOID -------------------------- Innate: TAURUSOID (Green) This guy seems to have mistaken himself for a pro wrestler. He uses attacks like Body Press, Back Drop and Choke Slam. You can steal Trap Tornado from him, which will be useful if you ever come across an enemy that uses Tornado elements (Taurusoid does at times, but obviously you can't use the Trap Element you stole until you win the battle). Hit him hard and keep your HP high; Korcha's Fishing skill works well here. You'll win a Star and the opportunity to hit the second switch when you defeat it. Return to the main chamber to see the results of your efforts. --- 3c. UPPER-LEFT -------------------------- Here you'll find a room with two sets of chests which rotate various platforms as they are opened and closed. Each platform has three positions, low, middle and high. The chests on the left lead to the following: - Low: back to entrance - Middle: a room guarded by an Acacian rider - High: chests on the right side of the room And the chests to the right lead to: - Low: switch and battle - Medium: a chest - High: chests on left side of the room -- BOSS: GIANT GLOOP ------------------------ -- BOSS: HI-HO DWARVES ---------------------- Innate: GiantGloop (Blue) There's nothing terribly spectacular about this battle, aside from the fact that actually making a successful physical strike can be tough. Use your typical strategies and you'll be fine, and if you find yourself missing too much, defend. It can use Iceburg, so if by some odd chance you picked up a Trap Iceberg element in Marbule, you can protect yourself AND gain a powerful element all at once. Kid can Pilfer an Antiviral Cap from the Giant Gloop, which is a fairly useful accessory that protects against Flu (blue) status ailments. If you find yourself missing too much, use EagleEye to help build your Element meter. Win a Star and AquaBall element for your troubles. --- 3d. FAR LEFT ---------------------------- This area is simple once you see how it works, but can be time-consuming. Standing on the green footprints in the left room causes the platform in the main room to rotate by various degrees. The order of your party affects the distance it turns, so you need to switch your party order for best effect with the Select button, or by standing on the blue footprints in the main chamber. The platform needs to rotate to the left to allow you to hit the blue switch that lowers the stairs. Then rotate the platform back around to the lower position so that you can climb the stairs and cross to the large tablet-like structure on the second level. Examine the tablet and the center section will drop. Hit the main switch to activate the fourth circuit and return to the central area. The way it works: each party member is assigned a "body part": head, body or tail. When you examine the tablet in the room on the left, the main chamber's platforms will synch up to your party order. You can switch character positions with the Select button, but you can't change character sequence. So for instance if you're using Serge-Kid-Leena, you can Select to Kid-Leena-Serge or Leena-Serge-Kid. But if you want to change to Kid-Serge-Leena or Serge-Leena-Kid or Leena-Kid-Serge, you'll have to step on the second set of glowing footprints, which will change the actual order of your party members, not just their positions. Speak to the podium in the left room to set your initial order, and then use the following setups to solve the puzzle: Head, body, tail = Access to the blue switch that lowers the stairs. Tail, body, head = Access to the switch that lowers the crystal platform. Body, tail, head = Access to the chest containing an Earth Charm. Tail, head, body = Access to the chest containing an Electrobolt element. Any other permutations are useless. -- 4. FORT DRAGONIA REDUX PT. 2 ------------- The activation of the circuits has caused a large portion of the floor to rise in the main area. Enter the door at the bottom to reach the fifth switch. The way will be blocked by a rather difficult opponent. -- BOSS: SUN OF A GUN ----------------------- Innate: SunOfAGun (White) The SunOfAGun is a white element, which means that Serge's most effective attacks will be rather ineffectual here. Unfortunately, no other elements work particularly well, either, as it has a high resistance to magic. It also has a high resitance to physical attacks. Add to this the fact that it dishes out serious punishment, and constantly changes its mode by changing its expression, causing the field effect to turn white and making the use of summons practically impossible and you have a tough battle on your hands. To make things worse, it uses StrongMinded for protection and WeakMinded to weaken your party. The good news is that Sun Facer has very low HP - I would estimate around only 350. So while your attacks may seem ineffective, keep chipping away at its HP and don't let the field effect become all white, if possible, as that will boost its attack strength. Once you win, you will receive a Star; but more importantly you can hit the fifth switch to activate the elevator to the very familiar fifth area. Items in this Area: - Angel Charm [Accessory] - Daemon Charm [Accessory] - Capsule [Consumable] - MeteorShower [Element] Since you've been here before, there's no need for a walkthrough. Be sure to search out the treasures, though, as they can be quite useful. The sixth switch activates the transporter in the center, and releases the sixth and final dragon statue. Unfortunately, before you can activate it, you must fight yet another boss, and it's tough. -- BOSS: BUNYIP ----------------------------- Innate: Bunyip (Red) Bunyip (Black) This guy starts out innocently enough, but after taking a small amount of damage it dies and an evil spirit arises from it. Despite having cool metallic specular highlighting, the ghost can be pretty nasty. Watch for its deadly eyebeam attack, which can annihilate a single party member without a thought (especially if that person is a white element). Its element changes from red to black with the transition, so plan your attacks accordingly. Kid can steal a FreeFall element from it, which is a VERY useful skill to have against White-innate enemies. You'll win a Star and a Gravitonne element at the end of the fight, and can travel to the transporter. Also, you can trap Volcano (during the first part of the fight) and FreeFall (during the battle with the ghost), which I highly recommend. You might want to save at this point - you have some rough battles and a point of no return ahead. Serge will have a repeat of his original vision when you reach the large doors above the dungeon. Heedless, Kid and the third party member will press on, leaving Serge to follow in their wake. Within the room past the doors are two uninvited but not unexpected parties: Lynx and Viper. -- BOSS: VIPER ------------------------------ Innate: Viper (Yellow) After the past two brutal fights, this guy is a laugh. If you lose to him, I will have no choice but to mock you. Kid can steal a useful accessory from him, a Stamina Ring, and you'll win a Star and a Dragoon Gauntlet. Lynx seems a bit displeased with Viper's failure and stabs him in the back. With friends like these.... anyway, now you get the fight the man himself. Er, the cat. Cat-man. Whatever. -- BOSS: LYNX ------------------------------- Innate: Lynx (Black) He's pretty much the same nasty fellow you fought before, except now he uses his Level Three skill to wreak havoc on your party. You might want to give Serge an Angel Charm or White Brooch, as they prevent Anti-White, so his skills aren't made inaccessible. Kid can steal a Pendragon Sigil B here. Be sure to give everyone a wide variety of healing skills (Cure+3, Heal+2, and so forth) so no one element can be blocked. It wouldn't be a bad idea to use your summon here, if you can manage it - usually Lynx follows up an element attack with a physical attack, so you can set the Field effect pretty easily. Keep your HP high and defend (especially Serge) when not attacking and this battle will be yours, along with a Star and a Pendragon Sigil B. An odd note: this may have been a glitch, but Lynx has actually tapped into Serge's Element Grid before. I have no idea how it happened, but early in a battle, he used MeteorShower on me (very odd, as Lynx usually only employes Black skills). When Serge's turn came up, his MeteorShower+1 element was expended despite the fact that I had not used that skill. I've also seen him snag an Uplift from Serge's grid. Handy ability... Of course, what kind of villain would Lynx be if he was defeated that easily? Instead he tries a psychological attack on Serge, causing a flashback or a metaphorical vision of a cat pouncing to flash through his brain. Lynx activates the crystal in the center of the room, which is the same crystal that gave Serge the heebie-jeebies in the mansion before. It does more than that this time, though - Serge not only freaks out, he turns evil, as can be seen by his creepy expression. Serge takes charge and decides to press the attack on Lynx. -- BOSS: SERGE AND PARTY -------------------- Innate: Serge (White) Others (Varied) You'll find yourself in control of Lynx for this battle, which is basically hopeless. Have you ever wondered what it must be like for enemies facing a violent, dangerous gaggle of teens loaded for bear? Well, now you know. You might notice that Lynx's HP and skills reflect Serge's completely... that's because Serge and Lynx have switched bodies. But don't worry about hurting your friends here; they'll kick your butt quickly enough. Of note: this is the only battle in which Lynx has Dash&Slash as his Level 3, as opposed to GlideHook. More trivia: it IS possible to defeat your party in New Game+, but Serge being the good-hearted soul he is, will go over to make sure Kid is alright after everyone's fallen, whereupon she'll use her last bit of strength to stab him. Once you're laying on the ground licking your wounds, "Serge" decides it would be a good idea to put "Lynx" out of his misery. Kid, catching onto what has happened, tries to stop him and gets stabbed in the gut instead. "Serge" knocks the other party member unconscious and shatters the crystal, which also causes the six dragon statues to shatter as well. Things are looking bad, which is probably why Lynx (formerly Serge) does the usual RPG hero thing and blacks out. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- N. "TEMPORAL VORTEX" "Where lost souls wander" When Serge awakens after a vision of Kid and the ocean, he's stuck in Lynx's body still. He's also trapped in some freaky Impresisonist painting. Enemies in this Area: - TotalChaos Items in this Area: - Revive [Element] - @Mythril x3 [Component] The chest on the left ledge can be acquired easily enough; walk to the very top and push the boulder to the ledge below. Then head back down and walk behind the waterfall to reach the left ledge; push the boulder again to dislodge the other boulder below, which will free up the path to the Revive element. You can't open the door at the bottom; however, you can trick the occupant into opening it for you. Walk out on the tree branch to the right and wait for a fruit to fall. As you move to get the fruit, a little person will dart out from the door and snag the fruit. Instead of going for the fruit, sneak into the door while the occupant is occupied. Inside the house you will meet Sprigg, an ancient creature of the Van Gogh painting. Or something. Climb down her ladder to reach that Save Point, if you so desire. As you try to leave the hut, Sprigg will join your party. She's kind of weak, but can transform into other monsters. She becomes more useful the further into the game you get. MY PARTY: Serge, Sprigg With Sprigg along (don't forget to set Sprigg and Serge's elements!), step into the tower at the peak of the waterfall. Inside you will be drilled (not literally) by Harle. Whether or not you choose to be honest (the top options let you say, "I am not Lynx," "I'm Serge!"), she will change into a likeness of Serge and walk into a door. Mimic "Serge's" actions and walk into the same door he does (albeit on a different floor level) and you will move to the next area. If you choose different doors, "Serge" will change into different characters and eventually you'll end up back outside. You may notice that Serge has new skills as Lynx. The first is Lynx's jumping attack and the second is called FeralCats, which looks like a nightmare right out of Ranma 1/2 and damages an entire enemy party for great damage. Despite his new skills, Serge still uses a Swallow weapon rather than Lynx's scythe. Now that we've done Van Gogh, let's move to Escher. The room you enter now is physically impossible, of course, but it's certainly interesting to look at. And speaking of interesting to look at, Harle joins your party (your responses in the tower have no effect on her action). The switch at the top selects which direction the platform beneath leads, left or right. Walk behind the central pillar to the left or right to access the items here and to reach the portal at the bottom, which leads back to Hydra Marsh in Serge's Home dimension. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- O. "BACK FROM THE DARKNESS" "And on with a new journey" MY PARTY: Serge, Harle, Sprigg The spot where you appear in the swamp glows momentarily with inter-dimensional portal power, but nothing happens. As you leave the marsh, you will pass Razzly, but she doesn't seem to care to be associated with you (and since you look like Lynx walking around with Harle, who can blame her?). There's nothing to do here, so head for the entrance. If you return to Arni Village now, everyone freaks out at the sight of Lynx. Some homecoming, eh? Poshul will give you the cold shoulder too, even if you offer her a Heckran Bone. Bypass Arni for now and head to the beach. Maybe you can find a clue in Another world, right? Alas, nothing of the sort will happen; using the medicine bag on the beach produces exactly zero results. Go back to Arni and look for Radius, who was missing a moment before. If you can't find him, head home and talk to Serge's mother. Radius will show up, recognize Lynx, and challenge him to battle. -- BOSS: RADIUS ----------------------------- Innate: (Radius) Green Now it's payback time for that humiliating lecture at the beginning of the game! This fight is pretty simple, so go easy on the poor old guy. Consider it a senior citizen's discount. For your victory, you'll win a Star, a Heal or Magnify element, and Radius will join your party. With Radius in tow, speak to Serge's mother again. She tells a story of something that happened 14 years ago involving Leena's father Miguel, Serge's father Wazuki and a boat caught in a storm.... ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- P. "TERMINA" "Knight or day?" MY PARTY: Serge, Harle, Radius With Radius and "Lynx" as your party, the soldiers guarding the Fossil Valley run off in fear, opening the way. Enemies in this Area: - MamaDingo - BubbaDingo - Drongo - Dodo Items in this Area: - Infared Vision [Window Frame] - @Mythril x2 [Component] - Mushroom [Key Item] - Forest Charm [Accessory] Be sure to check behind the large skull for a new window setting. The Dodo (well, Dodos) on the ledge below don't offer anything of value, but their fight is pretty simple since all they do is cast Trap ???? elements. Keep attacking physically and you'll be fine. Alternately, trap Unicorn from them. Beyond here you'll see some interesting things. For one thing, Viper's manor is a bombed out husk. The Porre army seems to be in control here - Termina is extremely militarized. The bridge bazaar has been replaced by cannons and guards, and Glenn's home is occupied by Porre troops. Poor Serge; his Home dimension sucks. You can't reach the docks in Termina, but you can do two other things. Stop by Zappa's forge and speak with him and he will join. You'll also receive a new Key Item called the Smith Spirit - it occupies the top right slot on your menu and allow you to call Zappa's shop any time you're on the world map (or in a dungeon at a Record of Fate) and want to upgrade your weapons. Handy. You'll also notice that times have been hard for Van's family - their mansion is but a hovel, and Van's father is a lean, chiseled man rather than the bloated porkpie from Another world. Speak to them a few times and Van will join your party, after his father gives him a boomerang (yes, yet another kind of weapon to keep upgraded!). MY PARTY: Serge, Harle, Van Be sure to stop to visit Lisa at her shop as well. She has some new elements for you to peruse. There's not much else to do in Termina, so go back to Lynx's manor. You'll find the guards have moved out of the way, so you can enter the grounds. Radius describes what has happened here. You need to find Norris, apparently a member of the Porre army who has made his headquarters at the manor. However, you won't be getting in through the front door, since it's rubble. There are two ways to get there: you can descend the well in the manor yard, or you can take the back route through the woods. The woods have a few treasures to collect (a capsule, a mythril item and a Trap Carnivore element), but there's at least one treasure you can't get, which is guarded by a fellow beneath the waterfall cave. If you keep going in the direction of the manor, you'll run into a little boy, and a Wraith, hovering outside a hole. (This bit will look familiar if you played Nikki's path into the manor.) Kill the wraith, and a man will pop out of the hole and give you a rare mushroom from Guardia. Take this mushroom back to the fellow beneath the waterfall hounding his treasure, if you want to recruit a strange mushroom man named Funguy, and take his Forest Charm treasure. All roads lead to Rome, ar at least a Romanesque viaduct system beneath the manor. Climb the ledge beside the spillway in the cave beneath the well and walk into the darkness beyond the water. You'll enter a waterway where a few guards stand alert. You can walk across the barrel here to get to the main section; you can also knock one of the barrels on the platforms into the water where it will lodge into a nook, making half of a walkway. Unfortunately, the other barrel is blocked by a soldier. Take the upper ladder to the dungeon area of the mansion, which has not yet collapsed. The doorway at the end of the hall houses Norris, who will be persuaded into joining your party. MY PARTY: Serge, Harle, Norris You will automatically travel to the west docks at Termina, where you can take control of the boat the end of the pier (the little one, not the massive monstrosity at the bottom of the screen!). Once again, you will open up the entire world map. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Q. "MARBULE" "Village of the demi-humans" Clockwise from the northwest, here's a breakdown of the world map. 1. Guldove (Korcha's home) 2. Earth Dragon Isle 3. Hermit's Hideaway 4. Island of the Damned 5. Dead Sea (Inaccessible) 6. Marbule (Town of demihumans) 7. El Nido Triangle 8. Water Dragon Isle 9. Gaea's Navel (inaccessible) 10. Sky Dragon Island And on the continent: 11. Termina 12. Viper's Manor Ruins 13. The S.S. Zelbess 14. Forbidden Island 15. Pyre Shore 16. Arni Village And not labelled: 17. Bend of Time -- 1. GULDOVE -------------------------------- No one here wants to join the party, and Steena's hut is inaccessible. However, the Element shop has some nice new Elements to sell. Most of these are effect spells. -- 2. EARTH DRAGON ISLE --------------------- Enemies in this Area: - Fossicker - Rockroach - Bomber Items in this Area: - @Mythril x2 [Component] You can enter the subterranean cave here by falling into the sand at the top. Unfortunately, there's a massive turtle blocking the path, and it won't budge. -- 3. HERMIT'S HIDEAWAY --------------------- Items in this Area: - Energizer Suit [Accessory] - Resistance Ring [Accessory] This is where the little cute people hang out when they're not in your active party. If America can have the island of Hawaii, El Nido can have the island of Kawaii. -- 4. ISLAND OF THE DAMNED -------------------- The enemies here are not nearly as tough now as they seemed before. You still won't be able to make much progress though; the doors all wrap around to the opposite side of the main room. There's another mysterious mirror here, but nothing seems to affect it... yet. -- 5. DEAD SEA -------------------------------- As of yet, inaccessible. -- 6. MARBULE -------------------------------- Marbule seems nearly deserted, and ghosts are wandering around town. The guy on the bridge offers details; it's Toma XIV, who was hanging around in Arni. You also will notice a mermaid swim away as you approach the bridge. Stay the night in the first hut by examining the bed. During the night, choose the first option to get up and walk around town. Serge will have a conversation with Toma. The mermaid, Irenes, eavesdrops and comments to herself once Serge returns to sleep. When you leave town the next day, she hails you and mentions that she'll meet you on the Zelbess (the ship docked to the northeast of the main continent) and swims away. -- 7. EL NIDO TRIANGLE ----------------------- MY PARTY: Serge, Harle, Van Enemies in this Area: - Puffy - Schoolmates Items in this Area: - @Mythril x2 [Component] - Star Fragment [Key Item] You can dive underwater and explore here by rowing to the center and pressing the action key. Beneath the ocean you can walk around without air, oddly enough, and search out treasures on the ocean floor. The pufferfish are pretty strong, but this area shouldn't be anything you can't handle. The first screen holds a chest with a Mythril item, and the ladder at the back leads down to a second screen. Run left and counter-clockwise to find another chest with Mythril and descend to the center area (with the massive throng of fish) to acquire the area's treasure, a jewel-encrusted starfish. -- 8. WATER DRAGON ISLE ------------------------- The ruins from Another world are here as well, but have been flooded and are swampy. You can move from section to section by using the lilypads. No word on why Serge can descend underwater at the Triangle area but can't swim here (Note: surprisingly, it's actually explained later. Go figure). There's nothing new here since the Ice Breath quest. But if you want to say hi to yer old pal the Blue Dragon, hey - I'm not stopping you. -- 9. GAEA'S NAVEL ---------------------------- What? Climbing the Cliffs of Insanity? That'th incontheivable! -- 10. SKY DRAGON ISLAND ---------------------- Enemies in this Area: - MegaStarky [BOSS] Items in this Area: - Our Favorite Martian [Window Theme] If you've acquired the Star Fragment from beneath El Nido Triangle, bring it to the treasure chest in the center of the plateau here. You will immediately be attacked by a little green man. Er... big blue man. -- BOSS: MEGASTARKY ------------------------- Innate: MegaStarky (White) This guy is huge. Fortunately, he's a bit weak. He's a White elemental, but his attacks are pretty mild. His ray gun is not much to speak of, and his Elemental power is pretty low. However, he has a ton of HP, so it will take a while to wear him down. You won't win a Star from this battle, but you will get an ultra-swank and highly useful MagNegate element. Once you defeat him in combat, catch him and choose the first option to ask him to join the party. Speak to the man who watches guard here and you will receive a very cool Starky-themed window set! -- 11. TERMINA ------------------------------ Same old, same old. -- 12. VIPER MANOR -------------------------- MY PARTY: Serge, Harle, Van You can dock here and explore the cliffs to collect some items. Enemies in this Area: - Gobbledegook - LockNest Items in this Area: - Capsule [Consumable] - @Mythril x5 [Component] The top of the cliff is blocked by rubble, so don't expect to sneak in to explore areas of the mansion here. There are no falling boulders, obviously, but the enemies will still attack you. Unless you're in need of Mythril to upgrade your weapons, there's nothing of value here. You can also return to the waterway beneath the castle now. The guards are gone, and you can knock both barrels into the water to create a path to the floodgate at the top of the lefthand stairway. As for how to access the rest of the area, well, it'll have to wait... -- 13. S.S. ZELBESS ------------------------- MY PARTY: Serge, Harle, Norris Enemies in this Area: - SageOfMarbule [BOSS] - Grand Slam contestants Items in this Area: - Handle [Key Item] - Fiddler Crab [Key Item] - MonsterMouth [Window Frame] Lots to do here. If you board the Zelbess after sleeping in Marbule, you'll have more events to witness. It seems Fargo has turned his scourge of the seven seas into a New Orleans riverboat sort of affair. The place is "brightened" by artwork of varying degrees of tastefulness, and festooned with posters for Nikki's concert. It's a tourist attraction, filling the void left by Termina's militarization. Or something. The layout of the ship is as follows: Top deck: Lounge, Ticket Desk First interior deck, right to left: 1st room - Restaurant; Miki is on the balcony here 2nd room - Locked 3rd room (up) - Fargo's cabin 4th room (down) - Casino Vegas Second Interior Deck, left to right: 1st room - Inn & Save Point 2nd room - Stage 3rd room - Locked (Backstage) 4th room - Supply room End door - Blocked Third Interior Deck Grand Slam Competition You can explore here, but the real action starts when you visit Fargo's cabin. You'll see a conversation between him and Irenes. They mention Marcy, Nikki and Luccia, then Irenes leaves. In the Casino, you can play a game of Roulette with simple enough rules. You tell the wheel when to stop, and earn points accordingly. You begin with 100 points (100G). North: Double your points East: +50 points South: Sudden Death; you lose West: -50 points In the Stage room, you can watch Snef, the ugly but skillful magician, perform various feats of magic. He suspends a woman, and then when the heckler in the audience bugs him, turns the guy into a cat. Once he's done, you can watch either Fat & Slim's Knife Show, or some sort of slapstick comedy routine involving the ever-popular Peppor and Solt. It's so nice that they found work after the mansion was shelled. The last door on the second deck is occupied by bugmen from Marbule. The formerly dignified chief of the village seems to have been reduced to janitorial duty here. -- a. THE GAMBLER --------------------------- The guy at the end of the hall won't let you through to the Grand Slam contest. Ask Fargo about it and he'll challenge you to a game of Sudden Death Roulette. Follow him to the Casino Vegas and get your butt kicked. You see, Fargo cheats like a madman, and it's impossible to beat him. Well, unless you cheat as well. Go downstairs to the Inn and you'll see the Inn owner climb down a ladder and back into the Inn. His cat tries to climb the ladder, and he scolds it. The party huddles in conference here, a realization dawning upon them. If only they could sneak into that room above, they could probably unrig the Roulette game. Challenge Fargo again, but instead of heading straight to the Casino, go back to Snef's magic show. Choose the top option and the entire party will volunteer to participate in the magic act, which turns everyone into cats. Run out of the Stage area and over to the Casino (you can explore the locked room on the first interior deck as well to grab a few items as well as the Monster Mouth window frame motif. You can also run across the rope at the top of the crow's nest on the deck to talk to Nikki, Miki, or Irenes) and up the ladder. You will watch the Inn proprietor spinning a giant magnet to give Fargo a bit of a boost; when the Innkeeper sits down, steal the handle from the machine. Now go back to Snef's show by walking through the duct in the Stage room and he will transform you back into humans. Challenge Fargo in the Casino and he'll lose. Note: Here's a quick and easy way to beat the Gambling game, courtesy of Adam Ismail (adam.ismail@utoronto.ca): Although you can't use this against Fargo, a strategy for sure-fire double points every round: hit pause as the wheel spins, until you get the red end of the pin within the south-west quadrant of the wheel. Hold circle button, and then unpause - the pin will hit north every single time. The 4th, 3rd and 2nd place prize items are useless, but 1st prize is materials for creating Prism weapons. If you return to Fargo's cabin, you'll see a conversation between him and Nikki - it seems Nikki is Fargo's son. And if you talk to the pirate who was blocking the door to the Grand Slam contest, he will let you through. If you spoke to the Bugman earlier, you'll see him here. Go out the first window and back in it again to catch up with him. You'll talk for a moment and then he'll fight you. -- BOSS: SAGE OF MARBULE -------------------- Innate: SageOfMarbule (White) Don't underestimate this guy - even though he's equipped with Cid's Mop from FF7, he doesn't pull any punches. He can use two Elements consecutively, and he tends to hit you with a "Feel" spell and a counter-element for a nasty one-two punch. I highly recommend bringing Harle to this point, as her Lv.5 skill can provide a great deal of protection for the party. Keep your HP high, because his Elemental power is strong. When you win you'll get a Star and a Mythril Helmet, as well as the Fiddler Crab Key Item. Nikki will enter the room, talk to the sage and discover that even though he's a moody glam-rock goth, he's still special. And now, on to the Dead Sea... -- b. GRAND SLAM ---------------------------- At this point, you're welcome to participate in the Grand Slam competition. It's completely optional, but what RPG would be complete without its own ripoff of Final Fantasy VI's coliseum? This one has a cool premise, but can be a little too hard at times. You have to play through several consecutive rounds with monsters which you control against a party controlled by Janice, the little girl who dominates the tournament. No monsters can be reused; unfortunately, most of the choices you receive are pitiful, whereas Janice receives extremely powerful monsters... it's hard! Correction: Apparently the precise list of enemies changes and grows as you advance into the game, based on Sprigg's Morph skill. I never used Sprigg, so consider this an absolute minimum survival guide - the bare-bones list. If you can win with this strategy, you should be able to win with more powerful monsters available easily. For the covenience of those who have a much larger list of monsters, here is what each of the characters I have listed looks like: THE GRAND SLAM TOURNAMENT Here are the full details and skill sets for your monsters. Winning this tournament is party a function of choosing the right characters, but luck fits into it as much as anything else. Remember, if things look bad, RUN! You only have to start the round over, not the full tournament. Each row is progressively stronger than the last. The first row is pathetic, and the last row is populated only by the butt-kicking Lagoonate. Use his power wisely. ROW 1: BeachBum (Blue) - KomodoPup (Blue) - Wraith (Black) ROW 2: Bulb (Green) - Gobbledegook (Black) - SnobGoblin (Green) ROW 3: SnibGoblin (Green) - CrossBones (Black) - CatBurglar (Red) ROW 4: Lagoonate (Blue) Each character has a particular skill set. Many of these elements are familiar by now, but a few may be new to you. CureAll, for instance, heals all allies (do NOT use this skill if you have an undead character active, such as CrossBones or Wraith - it will wound them). In general, the specialty skills are simply attacks that tend to hit for about weak-to-medium damage. Remember that you can get 2 strong attacks for 6 Stamina, or can use the Elements and get a weaker attack for the same cost plus the added inability to defend. Which sounds like a better idea to you? I recommend NOT using specialty skills in most cases. Note: None of the characters have Level 1 Elements. This chart begins at Level 2 and is structured exactly like you will see the skills on the characters' grid for your convenience. BeachBum - Blue creature with fins. Resembles a Nu from Chrono Trigger. KomodoPup - The green lizards you killed for scales at Lizard Rock. Wraith - A floating wraith who attacks with his shadowy head. Bulb - Like an onion-headed doll. Gobbeldegook - A round, batlike creature. SnobGoblin - A short, fat goblin. SnibGoblin - A taller goblin than the Goblum, with a yellowish skin tone. CrossBones - A pirate skeleton. CatBurglar - A large tiger-man. Lagoonate - Blue and brawny; resembles a Mudokon from Oddworld. --------------------------------------------------------------------- CHARACTER/SKILLS --------------------------------------------------------------------- BEACHBUM ------------------------------------------------------------ CurePlus-1 AquaBall-1 AquaBall AquaBall+1 Atk. All Atk. All Atk. All Atk. All KOMODOLIZARD -------------------------------------------------------- TurnBlue SquirtGun SquirtGun SquirtGun CureAll WRAITH -------------------------------------------------------------- Atk. All HellSoul Anti-White Atk. All HellSoul+1 HellSoul+2 Anti-White+2 Inferno+2 BULB ---------------------------------------------------------------- BushWhacker+1 BushWhacker+2 HealAll Heal BatEye-1 InfoScope-2 BushBasher+2 TurnGreen GOBBLEDEGOOK -------------------------------------------------------- Burning-1 Drain Burning-1 Drain Drain Weaken+1 SNOBGOBLIN ---------------------------------------------------------- Heal BushBasher BatEye AeroBlaster-2 BushBasher BatEye SNIBGOBLIN ---------------------------------------------------------- Heal Eagle Eye-1 AeroBlaster BushBasher-1 BushBasher Eagle Eye HealAll+1 CROSSBONES ---------------------------------------------------------- Atk. Atk. HellSoul+1 HellSoul+2 HellBound+1 CATBURGLAR ---------------------------------------------------------- Weaken-2 Atk. Atk. Strengthen MagmaBomb+3 NinetyNine LAGOONATE ----------------------------------------------------------- Atk. CurePlus-1 Atk. AquaBall+1 CurePlus-1 Atk. AquaBall+1 --------------------------------------------------------------------- You face a set pattern of enemies as well. Round 2 is easily the most difficult, so this is where you want to use Lagoonate. Remember, when things go bad, run and try again! A lot of your progress here depends on how the enemies make their initial attack; keep trying until the odds are in your favor. ROUND 1: Gloop, Taurminator, Beeba USE: KomodoPup, BeachBum, CrossBones The Taurminator is the major threat here; its charge attack can wipe out most characters in a single blow. The pink blob won't attack unless it's the only character left, and it hits pretty hard. Take out Taurminator first with one of CrossBones's instant kill attacks. You can try HellSoul+1; since it's a L.3 skill you can probably use it before Taurminator charges at all. You'll have better success with HellSoul+2 or Inferno+1, though. If your initial attempt fails, run away and start over. Once the boar is gone, focus your attacks on the Gloop (because it only attacks if its the last man standing), then finish off the Beeba as soon as you can. ROUND 2: SpearFisher, Cybot, Goobledegook USE: Lagoonate, Bulb, Goobledegook Be prepared to run. The Cybot has nearly 1000 HP and uses an attack called BeatenEarth which does massive, painful damage - it can nearly kill even the Lagoonate. Unfortunately, there's another enemy, the SpearFisher, who attacks almost as powerfully and much more often; getting rid of him is priority one. Caution is the word here. Open with the Lagoonate against the SpearFisher (he always gets 99% hits for all moves, so hit with 2 strong attacks), then defend. Have another character attack, and switch back to Lagoonate as soon as he gets to 7 Stamina. The less the Lagoonate is idle, the better. SpearFisher should go down in three rounds; now focus on the Cybot in the middle. Don't worry about losing a weak character or even two; just hammer away with your strongest attacks and defend when necessary. Heal with CurePlus-1 if Lagoonate's HP drops below 300. Once you get the Cybot taken care off, polish off the Gobbledegook (which sucks - it has at least 5 times the HP of the one in your party!). Once this round is finished, you're nearly home free. ROUND 3: Cuscus, Cassowary, AirFrame USE: Wraith, CatBurglar, SnibGoblin. This shouldn't be TOO hard if you can take out the AirFrame before it has a chance to use its specialty attack, which HURTS. Hit it a few times with Wraith to soften it up, then use HellBound+1 or HellSoul+2 (I recommend HellBound, personally). If you fail, run and try again. If you succeed, this round is in the bag. Use CatBurglar to pound on the Cassowary in the center, then clean up the Cuscus, which is hardly a threat at all. Congratulations! You've won! Hopefully this didn't take you too long; I'd like to think my painful, frustrating hours of effort paved the way for your success. You'll win a Stamina Belt, then a Resistance Belt, and a Dreamer's Scarf for each round you clear. Additionally, Janice will join the party; although her HP is very low, she's a strong (and strange) fighter and a solid magic user, and can be a good asset to the party. If you want to even out the odds a bit before tackling the Grand Slam, have Sprigg finish off a few baddies in other places. TotalChaos in the Dimension Vortex is good, and you can probably find some Cybots or other toughies in the Bend of Time. -- c. IRENES -------------------------------- Once you've explored the Zelbess, head to Nikki's ship by taking the platform next to the crow's nest of the Zelbess. When you enter the dressing room, you'll see the whole crew: Miki, Nikki, the Sage and Irenes. Everyone but Irenes ditches for rehearsal (sheesh, it's like an ABC After-School Special or something), and Irenes will join your party if you wish (top choice). Note: if you don't agree to save Marbule here, there will be CONSEQUENCES. *dramatic chord* -- 14. FORBIDDEN ISLAND --------------------- Such a distrustful world. The resident of the moss-covered hut here doesn't seem to trust strangers. You can't get in, but when you leave you'll see someone watching you depart. -- 15. EAST COAST --------------------------- The East Coast here still leads to Mt Pyre, which still leads to Fort Dragonia, which you can still explore. While there are no gameplay objectives here, the Fort has some extremely valuable Elements to acquire, so this side trip is easily worth the effort. You could have also gone here prior to the Zelbess, although the monsters would have wiped the floor with your sorry hiney - and if you're not careful, they still will. -- a. MT. PYRE ----------------------------- MY PARTY: Serge, Harle, Irenes RECOMMENDED: Serge, Radius, Janice Enemies in this Area: - LavaBoy - HotDoggity - Tourminator Items in this Area: - @Denadorite [Component] - @Mythril [Component] Not too much has changed, except that some of the new enemies are pretty tough. Hint: don't bring Blue elemental characters (like Irenes) along unless you want them to die pathetically. Side note: the Denadorite items are the next step above Mythril. -- b. FORT DRAGONIA PT. 3 ------------------ MY PARTY: Serge, Harle, Radius RECOMMENDED: Serge, Janice, Sprigg Enemies in this Area: - Gurgoyle - Cybot - Chamellion Items in this Area: - @Denadorite x5 [Component] - ThundaStorm [Element] - Iceburg [Element] - Nostrum x4 [Consumable] - Tornado [Element] - Volcano [Element] There are some new enemies here, including an upgrade to the Roborg called Cybots. They look the same, but they're painfully strong - their LandHit attack can demolish a character in a single hit. The Gurgoyles and Chamellions are pretty easy, but don't get complacent. Luckily, there are no boss battles here, but some of the regular fights are bad enough. The puzzles here are unchanged, so if you have any long-term recall whatsoever, this should be a breeze. Definitely search high and low for the Level 6 Elements here - they are exceptionally powerful and will be a great asset to the party. The only drawback is that they can only be equipped by someone with a compatible elemental affinity; don't expect a Red elemental to equip Iceburg, for instance. Even so, these are definitely spells that should not be passed up. Once you've activated the elevator, go down rather than up. The central energy source is active, and it looks exactly the right size to serve as an incubator. If you picked up the egg in Fossil Valley (Another), try placing it here. You will be greeted by a hatchling dragon who decides Serge is its father. Draggy will join the party (top option). He's pretty strong and is likely to have the second highest HP in the party at this point (right after Serge), so be sure to bring him along. -- c. FORT DRAGONIA PT. 4 ------------------ Enemies in this Area: - None Items in this Area: - Nostrum x2 - Anti-Black - Anti-White Some very, very useful Anti-Elements are here; be sure to grab them as you explore. There are no enemies here at all, so this section should take just a few minutes. Activating the switch opens the transporter to the upper cell of the Tower. However, Serge doesn't have any visions this time, nor does anyone confront you here. There is nothing to do in the Statuary for the time being, as the central pedestal is empty. It is a little strange to see the party shoot down the teleporter, I must say. -- 16. ARNI VILLAGE ------------------------ You can dock here if you wish. Whee fun! -- 17. WARP POINT: THE BEND OF TIME -------- This is not labelled on the map, but to activate the warp, approach the small semi-circular set of islands to the southeast of the main continent. Press the Action key until you find the warp point, which will take your party to a very familiar area. At the far end of the room is a large door, but the land octopus leaning against the light post will not allow you to enter just yet. When I arrived here, there were 5 portals open, with space for at least 3 more. The portals don't seem to lead to other time periods, but rather to random battles and battlefields from throughout the game. I sampled a few battles and they start fairly easy, but seem to become progressively more challenging. That's all that can be done here for now, but it's worth a visit, if for nothing more than nostalgia. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- R. "THE MASAMUNE" "The blood-stained sword of evil" After defeating the sage, you received a small crab-like Key Item. Now is the time to use it. Boat over to the inaccessible vortex of clouds on the eastern edge of the map and activate the crab. For whatever reason (magic, science, plot device, etc.), this causes the clouds to part enough to reveal an entrance to the mist. -- 1. BETRAYAL OF THE PAST ------------------------ MY PARTY: Serge, Harle, Radius When you arrive in the cave at the entrance to the Vortex, Radius will meet you there if he's not already in your party. As you try to enter the cave, you will be blocked by the power of a sword - none other than the legendary Masamune Sword (a small note; this is the same sword from Chrono Trigger, and in Japan it's known as the Grandleon. So if you're playing the Japanese version, realize it's the same weapon: it was called the Grandleon in the Japanese version of Chrono Trigger as well). Radius has a bit of a history with the Masamune and will help you get past its angry power. The Masamune can only be countered with another sword, the Einlanzer. To find the Einlanzer, you're going to have to embark upon -- wait for it! -- a mini-quest. Enemies in this Area: - WillO'Wisp - AirFrame - DeadBeat - Garai [BOSS] Items in this Area: - Garai's Memento [Key Item] - Einlanzer [Key Item] Your first stop is at the solitary island where Razzly has taken up residence. You may have seen Radius living here in Another world; it seems he has an affinity for this place, because he and his comrade-in-arms/rival Garai (Glenn's father, and a fellow with WAY too much armor) sparred here. Radius shares a few flashbacks here, of himself and Garai practicing their skills (and Garai winning), and of Radius finding the Masamune in Divine Dragon Falls north of Arni. After his monologue, he gives Serge a mirror-like memento of Garai. And where else have you seen mirrors? Why, in the cave on the Island of the Damned. MY PARTY: Serge, Radius, Norris The left mirror in the cave is your goal here; get there by passing through the portal at the bottom of the screen, beneath the monster's ribs. Use the Garai Memento at the mirror and you will be able to pass through to the area beyond. Travel around to the left; ignore the empty armor there and enter the lit cave opening in the center. Here you can view a headstone that ominously bears the name of the members of Serge's party. The spectre of Garai appears and shares another flashback, in which Radius was apparently overcome by the Masamune Sword and murdered Garai in cold blood. Obviously, Garai isn't too thrilled about this and attacks the party. -- BOSS: GARAI ------------------------------ Innate: Garai (White) In my opinion, this is the toughest fight yet. What is it with White elemental enemies that makes them such bastards? Well, in this case, it doesn't help that Serge is trapped in Lynx's Black elemental body, making him extra weak against Garai's ferocious attacks. Make sure NOT to bring Harle here, unless you want this fight to be even more lopsided. Zappa, Norris or DragonChild are all recommended, as they are each strong, have good HP and have a good resistance to Garai's attacks. He uses three different modes of attack - a physical attack which can be used as many as three times consecutively; an Elemental physical attack which hits hard; and a White Element called Will Break which can kill in a single hit (especially against Black characters). Start this battle by protecting Serge with StrongMinded - StrongMinded+3, if you can manage it. WeakMinded and Foolish are helpful if you can actually tag Garai with them; Anti-White would be awesome, but I never can get it work for me. Give everyone lots of strong healing Elements for both the party and individuals. Try to equip as many of your strong Black attacks (FreeFall, etc.) as you can cram into your upper slots. Balance strong attacks with as much healing as needed. It's a tough fight, but victory will net you a Star, a Dragoon's Honor accessory and the Einlanzer Sword needed to advance in the game. Once you have the Einlanzer, take it back to the Masamune's cave. Radius will strike the ground with the Einlanzer, shattering Masamune... though it sort of sucks to see that happen after all the work that went into restoring it in Chrono Trigger. Now you can move into the next section, a new close-up area of the world map which appears to be an ocean, frozen solid as it raged about a crumbling futuristic city. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- S. "THE DEAD SEA" "A place forsaken by the gods" This is an unexpected, haunting, yet absurdly cool area. While the rest of Serge's world seems to be at about a Victorian level of technology, this area displays the ruins of a high-tech society trapped in a frozen, tempestuous ocean. The goal here is to reach the center area of the vortex by running along the frozen waves and through the passable areas (denoted by a Save Point pyramid; these are not necessarily Save Points, though, as you can save anywhere on the map here. Enemies in this Area: - RoboDucky - Gremlin Items in this Area: - Anti-Red [Element] - Anti-Blue [Element] - Anti-Yellow [Element] - Anti-Green [Element] Be sure to pick up the useful Anti Elements on the map area while you can. Your first stop will be at a destroyed highway overpass, which you must navigate. -- 1. HIT THE ROAD, JACK -------------------- There are two paths here: left, which leads to various treasures, and right, which leads to the Highway Ruins - South. Enemies in this Area: - Geos - RoboDucky - Highwayman [BOSS] Items in this Area: - Capsule [Consumable] - @Screw [Component] - @Mythril [Component] - FreeFall [Element] To the left is a variety of treasures, including the ever-popular FreeFall Element. Be sure to climb the ladder near the top of the area, and run beneath overpasses whenever possible. Most of the enemies here are very passive, so you can fight them at your discretion. When you open the chest containing FreeFall, the ledge on which you're standing collapses, bringing you back the start. Loop back around and head to the exit. Unfortunately, the way is blocked by a machine of some sort. -- BOSS: HIGHWAYMAN ------------------------- Innate: Highwayman (Black) Highwayman looks an awful lot like Johnny (aka The Man). You remember Johnny, right? The forefather of stupid, badly-implemented minigames that impede progress and have little place in an RPG? Right then. Highwayman doesn't race, just fight. Alas, he's still terribly annoying. He has one attack that's extremely strong, and a group gas attack that causes Black status. This is one of those battles that isn't really hard, per se, but it certainly drags on and on due to your diminished hit accuracy. Once you beat Highwayman, you'll receive a Star and Nimble. More importantly, you'll be able to leave the area now and move to the next section on the World Map. -- 2. LINK TO THE PAST, AND FUTURE ---------- The next area to explore is the City Ruins - North. Walk along the wave crests here to reach various items and locations. Enemies in this Area: - Roboducky - Geos Items in this Area: - Resist Belt - Earring of Light - Kung-Fu Shoes - Stamina Ring Explore and collect here. The Kung-Fu Shoes are hidden in the bottom-most right doorway, the door which doesn't lead to a new screen. Walk beneath the door frame and press Action to open the hidden chest. The most important element here is the middle left crest, which leads to a door where a single computer monitor is still active. Norris will enter here when you press the glowing red button and activate the monitor for you. On screen, you will see something very familiar - a spiny alien creature. The date A.D. 2300 should be familiar to you It seems that somehow, this frozen city was ravaged by the Event of Lavos, despite the fact that Crono and his friends supposedly stopped Lavos 20 years before (technically, 979 years from Serge's time, but you know what I mean). The plot thickens.... -- 3. EYE OF THE VORTEX --------------------- At the center of the vortex is what looks like a gothic castle but appears on the inside to be a shopping mall. Like the rest of this area, it is ruined and frozen. Enemies in this Area: - Tragedienne - Mannequeen - Gremlin - Miguel [BOSS] Items in this Area: - @Feather x2 [Component] - @Mythril x2 [Component] - Prop Sword [Key Item] - HealAll [Element] - CurePlus [Element] - SealAll [Element] - Purify [Element] - Diminish [Element] - HellBound [Element] - Screwy Dress [Armor] - Station Pass [Key Item] - HolyLight [Element] - Medical Book [Key Item] Be sure to explore the mall area carefully, as lots of good stuff is hidden here. There's nothing on the ground level here (despite your feelings of deja-vu, this is NOT the Shinra Building's lobby). Climb the central staircase and head counterclockwise to get a Feather (weapon upgrade component). The third level contains an elevator which will move you up and down between floors. To the right is another weapon upgrade item, and also a separate section. If you go into the right area, you will be halted by a gate which demands your Station Pass. Speak to the ghost-like figure at the right front area of the station and he'll decide it's time to catch the train, drifting away. Check where he disappears and you'll find a Station Pass, which you can use automatically to access the station gates and grab the HolyLight element in the chest, and the Medical Book through the door to the left. On your way out, get the Purify element from the chest on the lower right side. Back in the central area, the left wall is open, leading to what appears to be a open-air theatre in ruins. Climb down from the balcony and an apparition of a young blonde girl in a white dress will appear and vanish. The ghosts here, called Tragediennes, can be surprisingly tough - each ghost appears to be robotic in nature and runs a program that casts a different spell (they announce each spell before casting it). Some spells are weak, but others, like Tornado, can be a real pain. A few will cast curative spells on your party, but watch out for BlackHole, a powerful Black skill that apparently can cause an instant death attack. I've noticed that the Tragediennes announce their skills in the order in which they're listed (Tragedienne A, B, C, D), so start by whacking the Ghost with the Most (most powerful skills, that is). Also, the second Tragedienne to announce her skills seems to be the last to go, so you might want to wait until you encounter a group whose second member has a good Trappable skill like Volcano or BlackHole and keep that Tragedienne alive until she uses her skill, allowing you to up your tally of nifty high-end Elements. There seems to be a small, overgrown stage area here with what appears to be a sword in the middle. Grab the sword and move to the left area, where you will see an apparition of a purple-haired girl who runs to the right. Grab the upgrade items and the Forget spell here and climb the collapsed rubble to the door at the upper-right. When you enter the next room, you'll see a number of ghosts standing about. One of them is a boy with spiky red hair (see a pattern forming here?) who leaps into a vortex at the back of the room. Take the Diminish spell on the left platform and follow the boy. You may wish to save your game at the Record of Fate here. Right above the Record of Fate is a small chamber that, as you may have guessed, will recover your HP and status... but you'll still be hungry (grumble). Also, grab the HellBound element and Screwy Dress armor if you wish. Finally, you encounter the three spirits who led you here. Speak to the boy and Jacob Marley will appear. OK, actually, it's not Marley, it's Miguel, the man whom Marge mentioned before (he's Leena's father, if you recall). He steps out from behind the ruins of a familiar looking bell and describes a "Time Crash." Is time being kompressed? Kurses! It kould be. And, as is kustomary in most RPGs, Miguel greets you with an invitation to kombat. -- BOSS: MIGUEL ----------------------------- Innate: Miguel (White) Miguel is another of those darned White Element guys, although he fortunately isn't as tough as Garai. This will still be a challenge, though. Like the Marbule Sage, he can use two Elements consecutively, although he relies mainly on White element attacks. His physical power isn't anything to worry about, but when his HP gets low he uses Holy, a painfully powerful group attack. Many of his attacks inflict White status as a secondary consideration, which can diminish your combat effectiveness. Be sure to protect Serge with StrongMinded as soon as possible, and keep everyone's HP high. Equip skills besides just Black attacks - Miguel is pretty handy with his Anti-Black spell. Turnabout is fair play; if you have Trap HolyLight, you can make your own life much easier by using it. Just be very, very careful: when he casts WeakMinded, he's about to follow up with his HolyDragonSword attack, which will probably kill whomever it hits. Get that person's HP maxed as soon as you see WeakMinded used! When you win, you will receive both a Star and a Dreamer's Scarf accessory, and Miguel mentions that 1999 is the Year of Lavos. It seems Miguel has been waiting 14 years for the arrival of Serge, the "Trigger" who is to be the cause of the world's destruction. With Miguel's death, the Vortex begins to collapse - Serge and party are fortuitously rescued by a white dragon, who wings them to safety as the vortex explodes. The Dragon leaves, and Serge and co. return to their boat. You can boat into the former vortex area, which is just water now. There are three hotspots here, but when you pass over them, your second party member mentions Wormholes and you automatically leave. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- T. "A PORTAL REOPENED" "And the planet began to shake" With the clearing of the Vortex, Serge again regains the ability to warp between dimensions. Go back to the beach and use the Astral Amulet - with the Time Crash cleared and Miguel dead, it works again. When you arrive at the beach in Another world, you are greeted by the sight of a kid fleeing from Lynx's shadow cats. He's even more freaked out when he sees "Lynx," but the cats get confused and leave. Arni is now mostly deserted, and the West half is blocked off. Seems things have changed... especially when you hear "Serge" has been leading an uprising of monsters in El Nido. The Divine Dragon Falls, where Radius found the Masamune back Home, is now open and people are seeking "Power Spots." There's a shrine or something at the west end of the cave with flickering candelabras, but nothing seems to affect it at the moment. The Pass through the Fossil Valley can no longer simply be passed through; you'll have to fight your way through. There are no new treasures here, although shadow cats and little wizard guys have replaced the pigs and birds. If you bring Draggy along, and go north one screen, you can get his Level 7 skill, BigBreath. Items in this Area: - BigBreath [Element] Enemies in this Area: - ShadowCats - TutanShaman When you reach the other side, you'll find Lynx's mansion has been seized by Porre soldiers - just like Home. You won't be able to enter, and even if you sneak in through the back way you can't get in the front door. Instead, go to Termina, which is becoming militarized by those Porre jerks. If you visit Zappa, you'll find him being threatened by some guards, although they turn yellow when he actually gives them a baleful look of death. Glenn's house is occupied by soliders as well. About the only place that isn't crawling with troops is the bar, where the owner calls you into the back room. There, Guile is waiting for you; talk to him, then examine the back wall to find a hidden room where Karsh and Zoah are waiting. They'll describe the events which transpired immediately after Serge switched bodies and returned Home - Lynx vanished with Kid, and they found Viper wounded. They give Serge the shattered Dragon Crystal, now called the Tear of Hate, and you are given a choice of allies - either Karsh or Zoah will accompany you. Both are great assets; Karsh has tons of HP, and Zoah is a bruiser in terms of sheer hitting power. There's no branch here - the events are the same no matter who goes with you. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- U. "BACK TO VIPER MANOR" "A captive audience awaits" MY PARTY: Serge, Karsh, Janice When you leave town, you'll see Norris (from Another world, not Home) talk to the soliders at the entrance. You now have access to the mansion. Step inside with Karsh; when you enter the building, you will see Riddel being taken captive to the dungeon. Your goal is to rescue her. Of course, you can't just grab her and go. Go left and enter the second door to meet Norris; after coming to grips with "Lynx's" identity, he gives the party a key to the sewer grate. At this point, a solider will also somehow turn the chef Orcha into a blue Orcha, which is pretty weird; apparently, he's evil. Dare I say... smurfily evil? Enemies in this Area: - Lantern Jaw - Spearfisher - Porre PVT - Porre SGT - Roachster [BOSS] - Hell'sCook [BOSS] - Grobyc [BOSS] - Guillot [BOSS] Items in this Area: - Deluge [Element] - @Denadorite [Component] - Nimble [Element] - @Humour [Component] Go downstairs and examine the grating on the floor outside the kitchen. It will open, and you will enter the sewer area. You've explored parts of this area to reach Norris at Home, but now you're entering from the upper left area and are trying to sneak into a different place altogether. The water flow up here is really fast and will knock you down to the lower level, to the area you've seen before. Knock the two free-standing barrels on the platforms into the water to create a path to the left staircase. Turn the valve in the chamber up the stairs to close the spillway and slow the water flow that was too fast to navigate. While you're down here, you can take the southeast exit to reach the forest entrance to the waterway. The path into the tree-root cave is blocked by a grating, but if you hit the grating the insect sleeping on the treasure chest right outside will freak out, knocking the chest to the lower level. You can find this chest later by traveling through the woods or the well to get a Deluge Element. Once that's accomplished, go up the ladder against the back wall in the lower level. You will arrive right outside the dungeon; run back to the grate that you opened before and climb back down to the sewers. You'll be able to cross the water flow now, which leads you to the right-hand section of the sewers. Head up and around; leave the screen at the top-right to find a valve which controls another floodgate, this one on the lower level. Turn it so the lower path is unobstructed and run back around to the previous area. Head to the center section to open another gate, which will let you run to the lower level of the right screen through the water. Once on the right screen, walk up the ladder and to the lower right. Go past the second floodgate that you opened and climb the ladder to reach the valve again; turn it so the lower path is blocked and the upper path is unobstructed. You're almost home-free, but first you have to take care of a nasty, enormous insect that ambushes you. -- BOSS: ROACHSTER -------------------------- Innate: Roachster (Blue) The bug in and of itself is not terribly strong, but its little larvae are nestled on its back and will attack in a swarm, hitting either the group or an individual for big damage. All your Red elements work really well here; if you have a Red character, be sure to protect him or her with StrongMinded or HiRes Defeating the insect and its brood will net you a Star and an Elbow Pad, in case you have a need to go skating sometime soon. Behind the battlefield, you'll find three ladders leading up. The left ladder leads to a cell where Glenn is being held, but he's sleeping like a rock and won't respond to you. (Note: this is only true if Glenn was not in your party; if you recruited Glenn, you'll find him at his home in Termina.) The middle cell contains an old man who completely freaks out when you try to get through. And the right cell has a cot where Fargo is taking a nap. Banging on the grate beneath his cot wakes him up and he lets you in. Then he breaks out of the cell, frees everyone, and beats the thunder out of the guards... not bad for an old guy. Save at the Record of Fate here and enter the door at the far right; you will see Riddel, being interrogated in a less than kindly fashion by Blue Orcha. The party busts in and decides to save her, but the giant culinary smurf seems to have other ideas. -- BOSS: HELL'S COOK ------------------------ Innate: Hell'sCook (Blue) Despite being blue, this guy is a Red element. He's a bit of a pushover, too, as he uses no attacks you haven't seen before. The only real surprise he has is a move called SpiceOfLife, which restores about 175 HP. You'll win a Star and a Gold Pendant for your troubles. The soldiers run off like the lily-liver wuss-buckets that they are. Orcha joins the party now that he's back to a healthy tan flesh tone. Riddel says thanks and heads out of the mansion; unfortunately, the place is crawling with soliders now. If you go left, they'll block the way to the lower levels; if you go right, they'll do the same. In the main chamber beyond the double doors at the back of the entrance, you will be confronted by several soldiers. When you take them down, Grobyc (a mercenary cyborg) joins the fray. -- BOSS: GROBYC ----------------------------- Innate: Grobyc (Black) Grobyc isn't too terribly difficult; I'd put him at about Orcha's power level, or perhaps slightly better. Be very careful when his HP goes critical though; he uses a nasty Element called "Vigora" that seems to give him double Stamina - he hit one of my characters 8 times consecutively, until she went down. He also can use a silly but dangerous group attack called HairCutter as well as a tough single attack. Your victory will be rewarded with another Star, and a Defender accessory. But wait, there's more! When Grobyc is defeated, the last soldier standing activates the mecha standing guard at the right door (it's no longer a bronze golem). -- BOSS: GUILLOT ---------------------------- Innate: Guillot (Yellow) This is a pretty easy fight. The Guillot has a tough Yellow attack, but it's nothing to worry about if you don't have any Green characters. Just pound it with strong attacks; if you've brought Karsh (or Zoah), use NinetyNine to boost his hit accuracy and use 6 Stamina Points at a time for strong attacks, then defend and attack again as soon as his Stamina reaches 7. Unfortunately, you're going to have a Final Fantasy VIII flashback here - the mech won't stop. Serge and his allies run across the bridge to the library with the mech on their heels. Trapped on the balcony (geez, Serge completely forgot about that switch...), you'll fight again. When you stun the mech again, the Prophet reminds you of the switch. Hit it and climb the ladder. The mecha leaps to the chandelier, but Grobyc enters and cuts it loose, allowing the party to make their escape through the stained glass window (a Chrono tradition, it seems) and into the stables. The stable keeper lets loose the dragons, allow Grobyc to catch up and the party to make its escape from the manor. Shock: Grobyc joins the party if you want (and you want, he's a tough sonnuva biscuit). ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- V. "SURPRISE ATTACK!" "Pursuers with heavy hearts" You have a lot of freedom now, because you've managed to acquire a boat during your escape. There are a number of places to go now, as well as some places that can't be explored. -- 1. HERMIT'S HIDEAWAY (ANOTHER) ------------- MY PARTY: Serge, Grobyc, Janice The island where Radius has made his home in this world is now playing host to some guests: Riddel, Marcy, Viper and Zoah or Karsh (the character you did NOT choose in Termina). Speak to Marcy, who apologizes for her rudeness toward Serge before (he tousles her hair by way of acceptance, which is something I've never seen in a video game before). Speak to Riddel and she will join your party; but as soon as she does, the island shakes violently. Viper wakes up and Serge rushes outside when he hears Kid's voice, despite Riddel's word of caution. Kid seems not to realize that Lynx and Serge have switched bodies, and prepares to attack the party. Her attitude is especially puzzling, as she turns out to be in the company of Lynx, who has decked Serge's body in a really tacky-looking approximation of his old dress uniform. The inevitable fight is delayed, though, when Fargo swoops down and saves the day on that bird you fought a long time ago, snatching Serge's party from the grasp of Lynx and Kid. The party arrives at Zelbess, and Serge's thoughts turn to his memories of Kid. He seems a little bummed that she basically hates his guts now. And Harle seems a little bummed that he's bummed. But first things first; go inside the Zelbess and you'll have a serious Suikoden moment as no less than four characters join Serge's entourage: Marcy, Viper, Fargo and Zoah/Karsh (that is to say, the one you didn't choose to take along before). Unfortunately, you'll also lose a character here - Harle seems torn after the confrontation between Serge, Kid and Lynx, and despite the best efforts of Starky to console her, she leaves the party for good (be sure to unequip her first if she has anything good, as she takes it with her). She'll still leave your party if you're sans Starky, although they won't have the same tearful exchange - she simply calls herself a fool, and dematerializes in her archetypal Harle way. If you return to the Zelbess now, you can pick up Pip, who's in the hold. Also, if you missed NeoFio before, you can head to Viper Manor and get her now - remember to put Norris in your party to bypass the gate sentries. -- 2. GULDOVE (ANOTHER) ----------------------- MY PARTY: Serge, Norris, Janice Enemies in this Area: - Orlha Items in this Area: - Blue Brooch (Key Item) When you visit Guldove, you'll see Orlha single-handedly fighting off a bunch of Porre soldiers. When one of the soliders recognizes Serge as "Lynx," she assumes Serge is in cahoots with the soliders and attacks. -- BOSS: ORLHA ------------------------------ Innate: Orlha (Blue) This is one tough chick - don't let the pigtails fool you! She has some powerful physical attacks, and some pretty strong Blue elements as well. When her HP gets critical, she uses Iceburg, as well as drunken technique martial arts. When you defeat her, the soldier discovers Serge isn't Lynx and heads for the hills, while the party takes Orlha to see Doc. She revives and gives Serge a brooch (key item), promising she'll join his party once he returns to his true form. While you're in Guldove, be sure to visit Steena. If you show the broken crystal you received from Zoah and Karsh in Termina, she will give you an amulet with 6 slots (key item) - it looks rather like the Dragon Statue room at the peak of the mysterious dungeon. -- 3. ISLE OF THE DAMNED (ANOTHER) -------------- MY PARTY: Serge, Janice, Grobyc If you use Garai's Memento at the left mirror, you'll discover Peppor and Solt trapped inside - they call Karsh's name. Bring Karsh into the dungeon and you'll be able to pass through the mirror with the amulet. As with the Garai quest, enter the cave in the center of the next room. Peppor and Solt will initiate a flashback involving Dario, Karsh, Riddel and Dario's little brother, Glenn (OK, is this sufficient proof that Glenn is NOT Frog?). In days past, Riddel seemed to have been friends with all three, though she favored Dario the most. Apparently, Karsh was overcome by jealousy and murdered Dario in the pretext of the searching the Isle of the Damned for the Masamune - what is it with this family and being backstabbed in relation to Masamune? Watch out, Glenn - you're probably next! Seemingly incensed at Karsh's trechery, Peppor and Solt attack. Again. BATTLE: PEPPOR AND SOLT Innate: Peppor (Yellow) Solt (Yellow) As always, these guys are total jokes. Put them down quickly and cleanly. You'll receive a couple of Denodoro items for upgrading weapons as well as a Axiomatic element for Karsh. You'll also receive a key item, the Memento Pendant which once belonged to Dario. -- 4. HYDRA MARSH (ANOTHER) ---------------- MY PARTY: Serge, Janice, Radius ENEMIES IN THIS AREA: - Centaurpede - SnibGoblin - SnobGoblin - DeHydrate [BOSS] ITEMS IN THIS AREA: - Ancient Fruit [Key Item] - Upgrade Item x4 - Good Spine [Key Item] - Pendragon Sigil B [Accessory] - Tablet [Consumable] - Life Sparkle [Key Item] You'll finally be able to make some progress into this version of the Hydra Marsh, at long last. You'll notice now that there are monsters on the giant fungal stalks to the left of the swamp, some of which are picking on a Beeba-Beeba. As much as you may hate those guys after the battle in the Home marsh, you should be a Good Samaritan here and help the little guy. You'll fight two SnobGoblins and a SnibGoblin, simple enough, and the Beeba will give you a cactus of some sort (key item). The large platform at the top has a huge hole in it now. Leap in and you'll come to the little room where you may have met the Pentapus before. Now there's just a little dwarf here, who summons the skeleton of a Hydra to fight you. -- BOSS: DEHYDRATE -------------------------- Innate: DeHydrate (Black) This fight is so easy I almost shouldn't list it separately. It's similar to the previous Hydra battles, except that the zombie version is a Black element and spends the whole battle casting Gravitonne. Sadly for it, your defense should be so high by now that you'll suffer only single-digit damage (and zero counts as a single digit!). Just kill it as quickly as you can and receive an accessory and a L.5 White Element that can be given to someone you'll recruit later; it allows her to summon a Hydra in battle to attack the enemy. Be sure to check out the small alcove on this screen after the battle for a Pendragon Sigil B accessory. Everything else is similar to the way it was before, except that there's no big battle at the end - just some SnobGoblins who fight you for possession of a chest holding a flower, called a Life Sparkle. The Life Sparkle can be used at Another Viper Manor in the upper pool to awaken NeoFio, but first you have to be able to get into the Manor, which requires Norris in your party. While you're in the swamp, be sure to check inside one of the caves for a spine for Skelly - now you just need some hips, and he should be good to go. -- 5. VIPER'S MANOR (HOME) ------------------- MY PARTY: Serge, Janice, Norris Items in thie Area: - Scaley Dress [Armor] - Revive [Element] - Mushroom [Key Item] - Forest Charm [Accessory] You can climb into the ruins here. Enter the front of the mansion and look slightly above the main entrance to the rubble. You should see a soldier standing on the wall. Find the hidden path to reach him through the rubble. You can walk past him and climb into the waterway beneath the mansion now. Note: you NEED to do this now, because if you wait until after you trigger the event which causes the Manor to be reconstructed, you'll be unable to access this area. To the immediate right at the back of the area is a chest with a Revive Element in it. These are rare and precious, so be sure to grab it. Explore a bit more to find other items. As a trivial side note, you can use the dungeon key that Norris gave you in Another world to open the cells in the dungeon here. Exit through the passage to the tree-root cave that leads to the eastern woods. When you come to the area that had the stream of bugs that you blocked with a boulder in Another world, run to the right bottom corner of the area directly to the right of the hole where the bugs were running. You will scare another insect, which will hop into the hole and scare a fellow who was looking for mushroom inside, if you missed defeating the Wraith and getting the mushroom before. He'll give you the mushroom; now take the fungus to the man in the waterfall cave outside in the woods (there should be several Cassowaries walking around here). The man will turn into a bizarre mushroom man; he gets pissed that you caused him to change (darrr, didn't HE choose to eat a mysterious mushroom?) and decides to tag along until you can change him back. -- 6. FORBIDDEN ISLAND (HOME) --------------------- RECOMMENDED: Serge, Grobyc, Riddel Enemies in this Area: - Dario [BOSS] Items in this Area: - Mastermune [Weapon] The tiny island with a hut hidden in the woods houses Peppor and Solt in Another world, but here you'll find an unexpected resident if you bring Riddel: Dario, Glenn's brother. You'll also witness a flashback that shows exactly what happened when Karsh "backstabbed" Dario; Karsh was acting in self-defense. Like Radius, Dario was overwhelmed by the Masamune and attacked Karsh. Unlike Garai, Karsh defended and persevered. Enigmatically, Lynx (the real Lynx) took the Masamune sword for himself after this event. However, it seems Dario is back, and possessed by the Masamune once more after the Masamune's apparent demise at the Dead Sea. Note: You must have battled Peppor and Solt at the Isle of the Damned and earned the Memento Pendant, which Riddel will use to jog Dario's memories. Also, if you're having trouble finding this island, it's NOT the same as Hermit's Hideaway (that's what it says "Forbidden Island" rather than "Hermit's Hideaway" above). This small island is contained in a small cove on the eastern portion of the island's north side and therefore is west of Hermit's Hideaway. It's where the S.S. Zelbess was anchored when you first began sailing about Home world. -- BOSS: DARIO ------------------------------ Innate: Dario (White) This is one heck of a battle. Easily one of the most challenging opponents I've ever faced in an RPG. Dario kinda reminds me of that "offensively and defensively perfect" Angel from Evangelion - he hits extremely hard (in fact, he has Glenn's skill Dash&Gash, which can kill almost anyone in a single strike), and attacks once per round. To make matters worse, his physical defense is high, but if you attack with an Element he counters automatically with a counter-Element. It's not too bad if you use Red or Blue, but if you hit him with a White element, you can expect to die from his counter. And if you hit him with Black elements, he simply absorbs it and heals himself with RecoverAll. To make matters worse, one of your characters HAS to be Riddel, who is totally vulnerable to Black attacks (Dario's elemental affiliation). He CAN be beaten... but not easily. I recommend a party of Serge, Riddel and Grobyc, since Grobyc has very high HP and defense and is a Black elemental himself. Use physical attacks and defend, defend, defend. Spread your Revive Elements out among the party members. Give lots of healing Elements to Riddel, as her physical attacks are almost completely ineffectual. Do NOT attack with Elements. Caution is the word of the day here. His pattern is easy to determine (Attack, Dash&Gash, Attack, SonicSword, repeat), but still very difficult to survive. Another strategy is to wait until you can equip L.8 Elements and use the *Saints summon (have everyone cast L.1 Purify immediately after he uses Sword Sonic to change the Field Effect to all-white without activating his counter-attack) - not only does it heal your party for 999, I dealt Dario 1500+ HP in one shot, which took him nearly to critical status. The best part is that *Saints doesn't count as an Element, so he won't counter-attack! [A third strategy, courtesy of Eric Oei: apparently, you can steal an armor item from the Black Dragon (see below) which absorbs Black Elements, like the colored Plate armors in Chrono Trigger. Equipping this on a character will cause Dario's strikes and counter-attack to heal the equipped character rather than hurting him/her. Give this armor to Serge and have him pound Dario with his strongest White Elements! This is extremely effective, and while sorta cheap, this is a fight I don't feel bad about fighting dirtily. Also, you only have to defeat the Black Dragon with this technique, which means you'll have the Mastermune through the rest of the game afterwards. Once Harle is out of your party you're good to go.] PLEASE NOTE: I am not interested in any further "super effective" Dario strategies. I get several a day, and none of them are more effective than the Black Plate technique. Please stop sending them to me - I will not print them. When you defeat Dario, you'll receive a Weapon. Masa and Mune (aka Gran and Leon in the Japanese game), the spirits of the Masamune, declare Serge a warrior with a heart pure enough to wield the Masamune and team up with Doreen, their sister. Serge's Sea Swallow becomes the Mastermune (making him even MORE grossly overpowered compared to the rest of the party than he already was). Dario returns with the party to the ruins of Lynx's manor and decides to rebuild it. At this point, Riddel receives her L.7 skill which can be equipped for future use. A small note about the Mastermune, since I'm a geek and find this sort of thing interesting: the Japanese name for Mastermune was "Grand Dream," which was a play on the sword's original name, "Grandleon." Like Masamune, Grandleon was named after the little guys who transform into the weapon (Gran and Leon) - but unlike Mastermune, so was Grand Dream. Since Doreen and Dream are written quite similarly in Japanese (doriin, doriimu) the weapon's name reflected the addition of the new spirit. Just another fun fact from your friendly neighborhood FAQ dork! -- 7. SKY DRAGON ISLAND -------------------------- A massive white dragon is here, and tells you to collect a bunch of stuff. Or something. Looks like he's talking about the Elemental colors to me. That should be your cue... You can actually start collecting as soon as you return from the Sea of Eden, but since the Dragon God battles tend to be tough, I prefer to tackle some side quests first. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- W. "TO THE SEA OF EDEN" "Through the hidden holes of time" Now you need to hunt down and defeat 6 elemental dragons. This is an almost pleasantly retro quest, reminiscent of the old days. You whippersnappers better appreciate it! These can be done in almost any order; only the White Dragon needs to be approached last. Bear in mind that these dragons are named for the Elements they represent; plan your party and equipment/Elements accordingly. Each victory rewards you with three items: A Level 8/0 summon (which you won't be able to use yet), a Star, and an elemental crest. You can also steal a piece of Plate armor from each beastie if you bring along Fargo (to have Fargo, you'll need to tackle the Black Dragon first - remember, just 'cause I list stuff in a certain order doesn't make that the best order to proceed). And remember: these guys absorb like Elements - Red elements won't hurt the Red Dragon, but rather will heal him. -- 1. THE RED DRAGON ------------------------ RECOMMENDED: Serge, Fargo, Karsh Items in this Area: - Pendragon Sigil A [Accessory] - Poultice Cap [Accessory] - *Salamander [Summon] - Red Relic [Key Item] - MagmaBomb [Element] To find the Red Dragon, return to the Fire Cave in Another world. You'll notice that the exit leading to FortDragoniahas collapsed, the path now blocked by rubble. Your goal is not to pass through the cave, but to find your way inside. This will be far easier if you acquired the Ice Breath earlier in the game, but it's still quite feasible without it. Just bring lots of curative items... On the second screen into the cave, walk right and into the cave where magma flows down and to the right. Dodge the CatBurglar and run to the down flow (not the one headed right; it will lead back out of the cave). Turn a sharp right here and run through the tunnel and to the back of the screen to the exit. Run beneath the arch to the back passage. Here you'll find a large, empty room where Salamander, an enormous fire creature, resides. But Salamander isn't the Red Dragon - instead, you need to talk to the little guy walking around with a pike. Speak to him and he'll challenge you to a fight. -- BOSS: FIRE DRAGON ------------------------ Innate: FireDragon (Red) This is a bit deceptive. The Fire Dragon seems like a pushover, as he's almost exactly like the little Mini Dragon you fought on the way to Fort Dragonia. However, don't blow your best Blue Elements just yet - once you've inflicted a certain amount of damage on the dragon, it transforms into the REAL Fire Dragon. The attacks he uses are basically pumped up versions of his previous attacks (including attacks that hit all characters); be cautious and heal when necessary. There are no real tricks here aside from the need to play it safe if you bring a Blue-affinity character (keep his/her HP above 200 as much as possible), so it shouldn't be hard to win a Star, *Salamander summon and the Red Relic. As you return to the exit, be aware that the lava flow in the room next to the Red Dragon's room CAN be climbed. Be sure to grab the two accessories before you leave! Also, if you explore this same area in the Home world, you can find a few Elements of varying value. Inceidentally, you may be wondering how you're supposed to use a L.8/0 Summon when you have no L.8 grid slots. Patience, young Jedi. You will have the opportunity eventually. -- 2. THE BLUE DRAGON ----------------------- Recommended: Serge, Fargo, Glenn Serge, Fargo, Karsh Items in this Area: - Blue Relic [Key Item] - *BlueWhale [Summon] You may have spoken to the Blue Dragon before, but now you need to return and duke it out with him. Go to the Water Dragon Isle in the Home world and descend to the lowest level. You'll notice two Sidesteppas down there, one of which is blocking the way (one of these guys was the dungeon boss in the demo - I had wondered when they would show up). Battle it and speak to the Blue Dragon. He'll ask you what you wish - tell him you desire his blessing and he will fight you. -- BOSS: WATER DRAGON ----------------------- Innate: WaterDragon (Blue) The Blue Dragon uses mostly Blue group attacks (surprise!). Its Ice Breath skill is pretty weak, but watch for Iceburg, which can do significant damage. You're better off not bringing Red Elements here - just load up your other characters with Red skills. If you have Glenn, bring him along - his X-Strike Tech with Serge is a Red-affinity skill which does major hurtin' the Dragon. Again, the strategies you used with the Red Dragon should be adequate here (but with Elements reversed, of course). You'll win a Star, the *BlueWhale Summon and a Blue Relic for your victory. -- 3. YELLOW DRAGON ------------------------- RECOMMENDED: Serge, Karsh, Fargo Items in this Area: - Explosive [Key Item] - *ThundaSnake [Summon] - Yellow Relic [Key Item] To find the Yellow Dragon, return to the Sand Cave to the northwest of Elnid in the Home dimension. You couldn't get past the turtle here before, but now it has moved, opening the area beyond the sand falls. In this room, you'll see one hole and three geysers. The hole is located right next to the ledge you want to reach; using video game logic, you can deduce that by blocking the geysers, the pressure will be forced to blow through the hole and enable you to reach the ledge. To block the holes, you must defeat the three giant turtles here. The one on the lower level is easy; just defeat it, then examine the shell to push it over the geyser. The turtle on the upper left is a little trickier; fight it while it's stading on the ledge overlooking the geyser, or you won't be able to push it off. The final turtle is at the upper right of the room, but it will neither budge nor fight. Luckily, you have a stick of dynamite (has anyone noticed how much wanton cruelty to animals is in this game?); set the dynamite by the turtle, and it will launch itself onto the last geyser. Jump into the now-geysering hole in the center of the area to reach the ledge above and meet the Yellow Dragon. The Dragon appears to be out of the office, but actually it's up above you and will come down to play when you examine the sand area. -- BOSS: EARTH DRAGON ----------------------- Innate: Yellow Dragon (Yellow) I really recommend bringing Karsh here. Although his Green nature will cause him to suffer more damage from the Dragon's Yellow attacks, his HP are high enough that he should be fine, and the added punch he gives green attacks are well worth the risk. If you have acquired the Axiomatic Element, stick it in Karsh's L.7 slot for some serious power. Watch for Yellow status - you may want to equip lots of Brace elements just in case. Victory will earn you the usual Star, summon and Relic. You can also reach the Dragon's room in Another World now as well, but you will be faced with a sphinx-like creature that asks you riddles involving elements. If you make the wrong choices, he hits you with Earthquake. Sometimes he hits you with consecutive Yellow Elements like Earthquake and ThundaBullet, which will kill you outright (unless of course you stole the Yellow Plate from the Yellow Dragon, which means all but one of your characters will be killed outright). -- BOSS: CRIOSPHINX ------------------------- Innate: CrioSphinx Really, this is a simple fight if you know what to do. Defend the first round and your Element meter will automatically rise to maximum. After that, he begins asking you about certain Elements. Respond properly and he'll move to the next question. The order is set, and goes like this: YELLOW, RED, GREEN, BLUE, BLACK, WHITE When you answer each question correctly, he disappears, and you receive no items. Of course, you can also choose to fight him - in which case you'll be rewarded with a special item called Sunglasses, which boost your party's attack power. However, it won't be easy to win; you'll have to weather incredibly powerful attacks each round, and inflict 13,000 HP worth of damage in less than six rounds. This is probably a job for New Game+... -- 4. THE BLACK DRAGON ---------------------- RECOMMENDED: Serge, Grobyc, Fargo Enemies in this Area: - Lagoonate - Black Dragon [BOSS] Items in this Area: - *GrimReaper [Summon] - Black Relic Now it gets a little tricky. You've probably seen the Black Dragon already, sleeping contentedly in Another Marbule. But how to wake him up? That's the trick. If you're like me, you'll stumble onto it completely by accident. [NOTE: It seems that if Harle is in your party when you meet the Black Dragon, he'll simply wake up and give you the Crest. I recommend fighting, because you can Pilfer a great, and frankly necessary, item from him... Also, if you skip the Black Dragon, it never leaves its cave, which means you can never acquire the Master Hammer! Thanks to CB! for this dire warning.] Before you can undertake this quest, I believe you need to have completed the events on the S.S. Zelbess (see above), the Home version of the S.S. Invincible. Once that is completed, you may proceed. First, take the Fargo from your party to meet Home's Fargo. Another Fargo berates his counterpart for being such a crummy dad and for being such a self-absorbed wuss (I guess Nikki's goth habits are inherited). The Zelbess will automatically travel to Marbule where you'll see a hilarious 70s-style rock opera performance by Nikki and his entourage. Yeah, baby, yeah! Once this is over, you get treated to Nikki's endless, looping cheez rawk as you travel to Marbule and fight the Lagoonates, which are no longer ghost-like. Fargo also acquires his innate L.7 Element Invincible, which he can equip. Ash and Toma XIV meet you at the entrance to the town. You can then dispatch the Lagoonates one by one. Apparently the horrid hair metal weakens them, allowing you to clear them out. Once you've finished, you'll hear a growl indicating someone, somewhere is displeased. At this point, you're free to do as you wish. I recommend stopping aboard the Zelbess; if you speak to Miki in the restaurant, she will join the party. Eventually, you'll want to return to Another world and speak to the Black Dragon at Marbule. It wakes up and fights you. -- BOSS: BLACK DRAGON ----------------------- Innate: Black Dragon (Black) This can be tough. For one thing, it auto-counters White Elements with Anti-White. It also uses a group attack called GravityBomb, which works almost exactly like Gravija from FFVIII - it hits you for about 3/4 your current HP. It ALSO uses SealAll, which causes everyone to lose access to ALL of their Element skills. You can equip the Angel Charm accessory to prevent Anti-White, but even the Charm can't prevent being struck by SealAll. In any case, keeping your HP high is imperative, even for Grobyc. When you win, you'll get a Star, a summon called *GrimReaper, and the Black Relic. And for the love of all that's good, don't forget to steal the Black Plate! -- 5. THE GREEN DRAGON ---------------------- RECOMMENDED: Serge, Fargo, Riddel By far the most complex Dragon to reach is the Green Dragon. First, visit Hydra Marsh in Another world if you have not already acquired the cactus and flower there. Now travel to the Home Hydra Marsh and climb the fungal stalk to the left once more. That stupid Beeba-Beeba is blocking the way again and challenges you to a fight. The difference is that this time you can kick his miserable butt and not have to deal with another annoying protracted battle. Once you've clobbered him, he gives you an Ancient Fruit (if you don't already have one) and tells you how to summon a Wingapede to take you to Gaea's Navel. Talk to the Beeba-Beeba just beyond here and to the right; right next to him is where you need to stand to call the Wingapede. Summon the bug by blowing the Beeba Flute you got long ago (while standing next to the Beeba-Beeba at the edge of the stalk). It will take you to Gaea's Navel, the southwest island which has been inaccessible all along. -- a. GAEA'S NAVEL -------------------------- Enemies in this Area: - PreyMantis - PreHysteric - Pterodact - Tyrano [BOSS] - Green Dragon [BOSS] Items in this Area: - @Denadorite x5 [Component] - Green Brooch [Accessory] - *Genie [Summon] - Green Relic [Key Item] When you arrive, you'll discover a primitive-looking forest which is rather reminiscent of some of the 65,000,000 B.C. areas of Chrono Trigger. And in keeping with the prehistoric theme, a young girl clad in animal skins, named Leah, will join you as a temporary member. Put her in your party - she's only six, but she kicks so much butt it's hilarious. Also, make note of where you arrive - that exact spot is the point from which you'll leave as well. And I do mean EXACT. RECOMMENDED: Serge, Leah, Fargo You can go either left or right here; either way the woods wrap around. If you go left, though, you'll follow along some large footprints. Be sure to check high and low for items; you can climb into trees and down into the ravine using vines. Watch for the little tribesmen - they cast a variety of status ailments on you, including the ever-annoying Berserk. Your objective here is to kill the three Pterodacts, perched conveniently out of the way in the treetops, from whom you can steal ultra-rare Cloud Capes -or- Stamina Belts, and also very occasionally drop Earring of Light accessories. Once you do away with the Pterodacts, the Tyrano will appear. -- BOSS: TYRANO ----------------------------- Innate: Tyrano (Red) Pterodact (Red) This isn't too hard. Both enemies who attack here are Red elementals. Focus your punishment on the Tyrano, and if you use enough area effect spells like Deluge, his Pterodact pal should go down pretty fast regardless. You'll get a star for your very special victory. When the Tyrano bites the dust, a monster cries out. Leah heads toward the back of the area. Save at the left screen Save Point, and follow her. At the next area, you will meet the Green Dragon. -- BOSS: GREEN DRAGON ----------------------- Innate: Green Dragon (Green) This fight isn't hard if you're careful, but it can take a while. The Green Dragon fights primarily by using his poison breath attack, which inflicts cumulative status conditions. However, watch out for when he uses GreenField, which changes the Field Effect condition to all-green; he follows it up a few moves later with Carnivore, which hits your party for a huge amount of damage. You do NOT want to be hit by Carnivore, so don't let the Field Effect stay all-green! Whenever he uses GreenField, disrupt the Field Effect status IMMEDIATELY by using a non-green Element, even if it's some worthless L.1 skill like PhotonRay or Tablet. This will minimize the damage you suffer. And be careful healing - if you use too many Heals or HealAlls, you'll just be helping to set yourself up for Carnivore. On the other hand, this appears to be the ONLY battle in the game from which you can reliably trap Carnivore, so if you have the Element traps and the patience, be sure to stock up. Once you win, you'll receive a Star and the *Genie summon, as well as the Green Relic. Additionally, the fifth dragon you defeat will open up the unique L.7 skills for Serge and Leah, as well as a few other characters. Also, Leah will join as a permanent member now. -- 6. THE WHITE DRAGON ---------------------- Now, return to Sky Dragon Island (Another). The Sky Dragon will take note of the 5 crests you have brought and challenge you for possession of the 6th. Items in this Area: - White Relic [Key Item] - *Saints [Summon] RECOMMENDED: Serge, Fargo, Leah -- BOSS: SKY DRAGON ------------------------- Innate: SkyDragon (White) This guy doesn't fool around. He casts Magnify to boost the effectiveness of Elements during battle. This is worse for you than for him, because he uses Elements a bit more freely than you. Generally he follows up Magnify with Holy Breath; expect it to hurt. You can counteract Magnify with Diminish, which will restore the Mana level to normal. Wear him down, and be careful; Serge is especially vulnerable as a Black elemental. When the White Dragon becomes critical, he uses WeakMinded on two party members consecutively to make them even more vulnerable to his magic. When you defeat the White Dragon, he gives you the final Relic, a Star and the *Saints summon, then flies off. -- 7. IN THE FLESH? ------------------------- Next stop: Guldove (Another) to show Direa the shattered crystal you received from Karsh and Zoah a while back, if you have not done so already. She will give you a six-slotted amulet. Take this amulet to Guldove (Home) and show it to the guard outside Steena's tent; he'll step aside and let you in. Steena will now join the party. She tells you to go to Fort Dragonia once more, so head east and past the Fire Cave. If you haven't beaten Dario yet, this would be a good time to go to the Hermit's Hideaway with Riddel. -- a. AN OLD FAMILAR FACE ------------------- RECOMMENDED: Serge, Grobyc, Steena Enemies in this Area: - Dark Serge [BOSS] You should be familiar with this dungeon by now; you've been here at least twice. You will have to activate all the switches here if you have not already done so; see above information for a walkthrough. Once you raise the central shaft and head toward the elevator, you will be confronted by Lynx, still dressed as Serge. BATTLE: DARK SERGE - Innate: Dark Serge (Black) Dark Serge kicks butt. I'm sure Serge is thinking, "Damn! I didn't have that many HP when I was using that body!" Oddly, Dark Serge is a Black character rather than White, so Serge in Lynx's body has a good defense against him. Steena, on the other hand, is pretty vulnerable. However! Steena's White Element attacks hit him hard - be sure to give her good skills like L.6 MeteorShower, and the L.5 Hydra summon you received from the Hydra Frame. And lots of healing magic for her and everyone else; you're going to need it. Dark Serge has all of Lynx's skills (GlideHook, FeralCats and the painful ForeverZero), plus access to all of the L.6 group attack Elements (Tornado, Volcano, ThundaBullet, etc.). Hopefully you have lots of group recovery spells in your L.4+ slots, and all three of the Revive spells you've been able to find so far. Put Serge in the first position, since that seems to be the party position on whom Dark Serge focuses most of his physical abuse. When he starts using his L.6 attacks, try to keep your healers' Elements boosted so they have immediate access to a strong group heal spell. He tends to use an Element, then attack physically once or twice, then use another Element. It's a tough fight, but when you win you'll get the usual Star, an accessory, and a L.8 slot for many characters! Now you can use the L.8/0 Summons you earned fighting the Dragons. Once Dark Serge is defeated, he disappears and you will have free access to the rest of the tower. Travel to the teleporter and open the main doors at the peak of the dungeon. Serge will enter the chamber alone. Examine the pedestal in the center and the room will activate. A spirit will hover about, talking to Serge and describing how much humans suck. Once it's said its peace, Serge will be surrounded by a bubble, staggering to the floor. The bubble dissolves him and allows him to be reborn as his old self - and quite naked, I might add. I have now seen more of Serge than I ever wanted to see. Once the transformation is complete, the crystal shatters, and Serge fortunately whips out a set of his old clothing (convenient how he had them with him). At this point, your entire party from before the Lynx/Serge switch will rejoin, and you will receive the Tear of Love, the counterpart to the Tear of Hate. Also, Serge has access to his White status once more, including his new L.7 skill, FlyingArrow. Steena mentions something called the "Chrono Cross," but more importantly it's time to head to the Sea of Eden. Miscellaneous notes: If you go back to Guldove now and had defeated Orlha in combat before, she will join your party when you show her the broach she gave you. Also, if you didn't grab Kid's Element Grid from Mel, you can talk to Korcha to get it now that you're Serge. -- b. SWITCHOVER ---------------------------- Now it's time to move to the next quest. Go to the Sea where the Time Crash used to be in your Home world and approach any of the three circles that were left there after the Vortex disappeared. When you enter the area, Serge's boat will warp to the same spot in Another world, and you will be asked to switch discs. NOTE: The game does NOT ask you to save when you switch, meaning that those of you playing the import with the swap method may be in for a rough ride... sorry, I don't know how to swap discs without a mod chip or Japanese system. --------------------------------------------- --------------------------------------------- PART IV: WALKTHROUGH - DISC TWO Now that you're in a previously inaccessible area, be aware you can return to the rest of the world at any time using the three circles that correspond to the warps which brought you here. If you visit the Bend of Time now, you'll note two new light pillars - the one on the top row, furthest to the left contains an enemy called a Gizmotoid, who occasionally drop Power and Magic Seals. You might want to hang around for a bit, and fight a few - Power Seals boost your attack power by 5, while Magic Seals boost your magic power by 4. At this stage in the game, with the difficult bosses coming up, every point counts. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- A. "THE ARBITER OF TIME" "On whom the three Fates smile" MY PARTY: Serge, Riddel, Janice -- 1. THE THREE FATES ------------------------ Enemies in this Area: - Vita-1/2/3 [BOSS] This bit is pretty easy. There are three islands around an enormous triangular waterfall (an island is at each vertex of the triangle). On each island is a statue of one of the three Fates: Clotho, the spinner of threads; Lachesis, who measures them; and Atropos, who cuts the threads of fate when a mortal's life ends. I'm not certain if you have to visit each statue in order, but I did (does anyone know if this works out of order?). Clotho is the statue of the young woman at the southern tip of the waterfall. Examine the Save Point-like object before her statue and it will fly away. Now continue around the waterfall in a clockwise fashion and examine the other two Save Point items. When you activate Atropos' pyramid, you will be attacked by a giant mask. -- BOSS: VITA-1/2/3 ------------------------- Innate: Vita-1/2/3 (1: Red/2: Green/3: Blue) Vita (the number and color are determined by which of the fates you visit last) isn't terribly difficult. However, as you inflict damage on it, Vita gradually adopts stronger and stronger attacks, activating a mode corresponding to each Fate (much like the Sun Facer from waaaaaay back). While Clotho's attacks will barely scratch you (Laser? Pshaw!), Atropos can deal some serious hurt. When it activates Atropos mode, use your best attacks. You probably won't be able to use a Summon here, as Vita-3 attacks frequently with numerous Element types, but you should be fine without summons. As the name changes depending on which of the Fates statues you contact first, so does its attack pattern; Vita-2 starts off hard but becomes easier, but Vita-3 starts off easy and becomes harder as you go. However, there's nothing about any of its modes that will cause any real need to panic. Defeating Vita-3 will earn you a Star and a Diva Dress, a decent female-only bit of armor. Defeating Vita-2 will earn the incredibly rare and useful Element "Vigora." It will also cause the waterfall to retract, exposing a city on an island. This is the city of Chronopolis, and it's where the plot thickens. -- 2. CHRONOPOLIS ---------------------------- RECOMMENDED: Serge, Leena, Grobyc Enemies in this Area: - Gizmotoid - Aero-Guard - Gyroblade - Combot - Polis Police [BOSS] - Fate [BOSS] Items in this Area: - Brooch x2 - Nostrum [Consumable] - CureAll [Element] - Accessory - Rainbow Shell - HellBound [Element] - Magnify - Card Key [Key Item] When you first enter Chronopolis, the PA system will activate and make some announcements (and mention some familiar names like Zenan and Medina as well). The ghost-like creatures in the lobby will discuss some things that conveniently help clarify bits of the plot. There's a small bridge leading into the main portion of the building, but when you cross it you will be attacked by a large robot. -- BOSS: POLIS POLICE ----------------------- Innate: PolisPolice (White) This is a pretty freakin' tough robot. It uses a skill called MegatonPunch (cue screaming old man here) that can deliver massive damage to a single character. Luckily, it's pretty vulnerable to skills like FlyingArrow and so forth, so hit it hard and don't hold back. I recommend using a strong party for this area, such as Karsh and Viper. With allies like them around, the Polis Police should fall pretty quickly. Win a Star and a PhysNegate Element when you triumph. Beyond the bridge is another room, although you can run left and beneath the bridge first to reach a Broach item in a chest. In the second room is a door at the left of the room that is locked. You will need to open the hatch at the right side of the room (check the cabinet at the back for a Potion) to descend to the sewers beneath the building. Well, they're kinda tidy for sewers, but you get the idea. Right above the ladder is a red switch that will extend a bridge to the back of the room. However, you still have to traverse a gap, and the other switch is across the room through a watery depression. You are unable to enter the depression due to some security gates, but you can activate a remote drone with the panel at the far left. Use the Triangle key to cancel the drone. Drive the drone along the raised areas - if you fall in the deep water, you'll have to start over. Be sure to grab the chest in the upper left-hand corner; it contains a CureAll Element, which is a very powerful new healing Element that can only be equipped by Blue users. Maneuver the drone to the upper left-hand corner and activate the red switch there to complete the circuit (notice the drone can move through the security gates...) and walk across the gates to reach the back ladder, which takes you to the back half of the room from which you accessed the sewers. Now you can unlock the door that blocked your progress from the lobby before, allowing you to exit and enter freely. The Gizmotoids patrolling these areas, incidently, drop items of varying degrees of usefulness - anything from MeteorShower Elements, to @Denadorite components, to Power and Magic Seals, so it would behoove you to fight as many as possible. In the next area you'll find an elevator which is innaccessible (Level 2 Security Lock). There are 5 floors in this area, B1 to 4. You begin on 1 and your ultimate goal is B1. Most floors have three doors - left, right and elevator (central). a. FIRST FLOOR -------------------------- In the left door is a watery area with a Save Point and one of this area's ubquitous ghost-like guys (hereafter referred to as "ghosts" for my convenience). To the right is a stairwell patrolled by roaming, non-aggressive security drones. Be sure to grab the chest beneath the stairwell. The stairs lead to floor 2, but the way to floor 3 is locked. b. SECOND FLOOR ------------------------ Entering the second floor will activate a laser tripwire, but the drone it activates is easily avoided. Behind the drone, which resets if you leave, is a door leading to a room with five empty lockers, a coffin/case, and a locked door. The lockers can be opened and shut, and then you need to input a code that corresponds to the doors. Advice: shut them all and enter zero as your number. You'll get a Nostrum. If Grobyc is in the party, have him examine the coffin-like case as the party leader and he'll receive his L.7 skill. In the other direction is the elevator and the left room, which features a ghost or two standing over a projection of the El Nido archipelago. Well... sort of. If you activate the switches, the projection changes to show the area in its original form. While you're in the map room, examine the computer at the upper-left to deactivate the security lock on the elevator. You still can't reach B1, but everything else is accessible. c. THIRD FLOOR ------------------------- The left area houses a display room with images of what appears to be various forms of Lavos, as well as pictures of humans and Reptites. There's a holographic projection of a double helix here, and DNA compounds such as guanine and cytosine are the hot topic. Hello Biology majors! Be sure to visit the backroom to get the piece of Rainbow Shell there. In the right room is a discussion about cloning, and a HellBound Element guarded by another Combot. d. FOURTH FLOOR ------------------------ The right room shows a holographic event involving a black hole. You can go out the right exit into the Stairwell to grab an item, although the third floor partition is unmovable. The left door is blocked for anyone without B-Level access. To open the door, go back to the Save Point room on the first floor and talk to the ghost. It will leave the area; when you return to the 4th floor, the left door is unblocked. Inside the door, you'll learn about Chronopolis' main computer, Fate. It seems Chronopolis is attuned to both Home and Another worlds, watching them and their discrepancies. There seems to be a paradox of some sort that is of concern to the creators of the city. Mother Brain (remember her, from Chrono Trigger?) is mentioned, and there are several inert Save Points here. This will probably remind you a LOT of Xenogears, but without the whiny hero and crappy gameplay. When you defeat the Combot in the left chamber, grab the elevator Card Key in the chest and press the switch. Now that you have the Card Key, you can access the basement. e. BASEMENT 1 -------------------------- The walkway in the basement leads right up to a large dome right out of Akira, labelled "PROJECT KID." The door is locked, but when Serge examines the panel at the left, the machine confirms his DNA match and calls him the Chrono Trigger. The door opens... Inside are Kid and Lynx (still in his Dark Serge guise). It seems this is why Lynx was after Serge's body - he wanted the DNA match to access PROJECT KID. Kid herself is unconscious on the floor. After a brief bit of the usual villain-revealing-his-evil-plot stuff (which involves the tragic deactivation of Prometheus), Lynx transforms into Fate, the central computer. -- BOSS: FATE ------------------------------- Innate: Fate (Black) Fate is no pushover. It behaves a bit like the Black Tyrano from Chrono Trigger, in that it counts down from 5 to 1 and launches a massive attack at 0. Unlike the Tyrano, though, it also attacks after each number. There's a pattern to it - after 5, it uses Diminish to weaken the Element effect in the area. After 4 and 3, it uses Black Element attacks. After 2 it uses FreeFall. After 1 it uses GravityBlow twice (not a problem). At zero, Fate uses Dark Energy, which hits the party hard. Please don't bring any White Elements to this point besides Serge, eh? It'll just make things harder. Your best bet is to use Saints immediately after Dark Energy. Build up Serge's Element meter before Dark Energy and keep his HP above 400. Have Serge use a weak White Element like Laser immediately after Dark Energy, then have the next two characters do the same thing. Have Serge use a weak attack to boost his Element meter back to 8, then unleash Saints immediately. You should be safe here, because after using Dark Energy, Fate's next move is a physical (non-Element) attack, so you have a little longer to crank up the Field Effect to all-White. Saints will slam Fate and totally restore your party's HP. Very nice. At most, Fate should only be able to use Dark Energy twice before you take it down, which will net you a Star and a Magic Shell accessory. Of course, you could always play it cheap and give Serge the Black Plate armor, which means you practically cannot lose this fight... Lynx/Wazuki/Dark Serge/Fate disappears, and Kid reawakens. She seems driven, and Harle confronts her. Kid activates the enormous spherical device here and awakens the Dragon Gods, who fly to Chronopolis and merge rather violently as Sky Dragon Island crumbles and gives way to a massive floating device which rather resembles the Black Omen. Harle disappears, summoned to join the Dragons. The party regroups at the Invincible, and Terra Tower (the Black Omen-like construct) is now a map point. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- B. "CHRONO CROSS" "The point where destinies meet" Go to Divine Dragon Falls north of Arni in Another world with Steena. She will utter the funniest exclamation ever ("By the Great Dragon Gods!" - not only does she look like a comic book character from the '70s, she talks like one too), and the two braziers will begin to react. Set the two broken crystal Tears on the brazier and you will receive the Chrono Cross, a Key Item whose use is at this point a bit opaque. It's mysterious, see, since no one has seen that lost seventh Element in so long. You will also receive Chrono Cross the Element, which is instrumental for uncovering some of the game's secrets. When you have the Element equipped, you will notice musical chimes after every Element you use - a different note for each color. I believe (though I'm not certain) that using Chrono Cross in battle replenishes your expended Elements, which can be very useful if correct. NOTE: You are not able to acquire the Chrono Cross until AFTER completing the Chronopolis quest. -- 1. ASHES OF MEMORIES ------------------------ The appearance of Terra Tower is the initiation of the final leg of the game. However, if you follow Viper's advice and visit Radius, you will initiate a side quest which will restore Kid's health and unveil a bit of her past as well. MY PARTY: Serge, Leah, Janice First, you must have defeated Dario to receive the Masamune. Visit Radius and he will tell you that Kid is here, resting on the bed in an unconscious state. Speak to her and Masa, Mune and Doreen will call Kid the "princess." They warp you into the past, inside of Lucca's house, in order to let you help Kid. Items in this Area: - ???? [Accessory] - Nostrum x2 [Consumable] - Diva Dress [Armor] - Ice Gun [Key Item] - @Rainbow Shell [Component] The house, which has been converted into an orphanage, is burning. You can speak to Gato, who sadly is on his last legs. If you fight the large fire monsters here, you will be able to rescue the children in the orphanage, who will reward you with items and Elements. But you should help them because it's the right thing to do, not for the treasures! The room beyond the entrance area is a stairwell. Be sure to examine the debris where the monster is standing to rescue a child. The door at the back leads nowhere, because burning debris blocks the way. The left stairs lead to a balcony with armor; the left back room contains a note from Lucca. Choose the first option to receive an Ice Gun, which you will need. When you take the gun, though, Mastermune's spell weakens and one of your party members will slip back into the present. If you take the right stairs and walk out onto the balcony, you can rescue another kid. The room at the right rear has a hatch at the back; choose the top option to climb down and bypass the debris you encountered earlier, but first, check under the bed for yet another orphan who has gifts of cash money and prizes for you. Or another item. When you exit the storage room, Mastermune's spell weakens again and your other party member disappears, leaving Serge all alone. Take a moment to look at the drawings here - it seems Kid (who appears in a picture with Lucca) has quite an artistic streak! For a six-year-old, anyway. The room to the right of the drawings is blocked by more flames, but the Ice Gun you grabbed can quench them. Run to the back room, where you'll see young Kid unconscious on the floor, and Lynx standing next to a pair of broken glasses. Harle appears and they vanish. Serge grabs Kid and leads her out of the house, and then comforts her as they watch the house burn (choose the top option to express your condolences). Sadly, Serge vanishes into thin air as well when Mastermune's spells fails, leaving Kid alone in the night... When you return to the present, Kid awakens and rejoins the party. Radius suggests you go to Viper's mansion to see Luccia, which you should do. Luccia gives Kid a letter from Lucca. Kid also receives a rare @Rainbow Shell which falls from the letter. -- 2. ODDS AND ENDS AND LEVEL 7 SKILLS, OH MY! ------------------------- MY PARTY: Serge, Kid, Zoah While you're here, take care of anything in the mansion you may have missed. If Zoah is with you, he can open the chest in his room to receive his L.7 skill. The poisonous gas in the hidden room accessed with the snake statues and armor knights can be deactivated by pressing the panel on the wall where the guard stood before. You'll receive an Pendragon Sigil and Viper's Venom, which is a sword only Viper can equip, and is extremely powerful, despite looking ridiculously impractical. Finally, you can finally go across the right bridge opposite the library, as it is no longer being blocked. Push the snake statues into the recesses to reveal a chest. Don't open the chest from the front, though, as it's a trap door - open the chest from behind. Apparently, all that's there is a note to Karsh from Peppor and Solt, telling Karsh to meet them at the Island of the Damned (if you go there, you can fight them and receive Karsh's L.7 skill). MY PARTY: Serge, Kid, Draggy If you take Draggy to see the dragon skull in Fossil Valley (Another), he will receive his L.7 skill BigBreath (which summons the spirit of his mother, the dead dragon in the valley, to attack the enemy). Poshul can get her L.7 skill from Leena (Home) by speaking to her. You can also recruit Turnip by using Lucca's Ice Gun item on the bare patch outside Radius' hermitage on the solitary island (Another). Use the Ice Gun while standing on the page, then cross dimensions and return to the same location. You'll find a plant has sprouted here. If Poshul is in your party, she can dig up the plant which turns out to be Turnip, a tiny vegetable swordsman. You can speak to the Beeba-Beeba in Hydra Marsh (Home) to get another cactus fruit as many times as you need. Stand at the same point as before and use the Beeba Flute to summon a Hydra to travel to the primitive island. I have not determined if there's anything to be done on the island in Another world, short of stocking up on Denadorites, and playing Whack-A-Pterodact. Finally, if you give the second reply twice to the Element trader outside Doc's hut in Guldove (Another), you will receive Skelly's hips. When you have all of Skelly's parts, return to the house at the upper-right corner of Termina (Another) and Skelly will return to life. He's pretty downright stupid-looking, but isn't that part of his charm? Leave the house, return and speak to him again and Skelly will join the party. He can get his Level 7 Skill if you bring him to Home Termina's bar, and order some squid gut pasta. Head to Marbule (Home) and the city has been restored and repopulated. Even Bro of G's has a swanky shop, and Toma XIV turns out to be a bit randy. Most importantly, talk to the guy in the former Black Dragon cave and buy his Master's Hammer for 10,000 (it's sooooo worth it). Now equip the Master Hammer on Zappa and take him to meet his counterpart in Another world, and they will forge their first Rainbow item. From now on, you can build Prism/Rainbow equipment at any smith's or with the Smith Spirit... provided you can afford the price and have enough components, that is. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- C. "TERRA TOWER" "Caught in the echo of time" Once you've tackled all the extras you want, it's time to head to the Terra Tower. Unfortunately, the Terra Tower is flying high overhead and - contrary to RPG tradition - you have no airship. Fortunately you have an extraterrestrial, who doesn't need no steenking airship to fly. -- 1. UNDER THE SEA ------------------------- MY PARTY: Serge, Kid, Orlha RECOMMENDED: Serge, Kid, Starky Enemies in this Area: - Puffy - SideSteppa - RoyalJelly [BOSS] Items in this Area: - @Rainbow Shell x2 [Component] If you haven't recruited Starky yet, now would be the time to do so. Refer to the information in an earlier section for details. Once he's in your party, head to the southern triangle of rocks in Another world. You'll see a small boat with people warning you of monsters - pay them no heed and descend into the water. Be sure to bring a Red Elemental or two along, as you'll need their skills. The underwater area isn't too terribly different than the one at Home, except that the ultimate goal here isn't a chest with a Starfish, but a crashed UFO. The enemies here frequently give CureAll Elements, so be sure to fight and steal whenever you can to build a really amazingly effective Blue healer. Descend to the underwater area at the back of the first screen and make your way to the ship. Unfortunately, it's guarded by a massive jellyfish. BATTLE: ROYAL JELLY Innate: RoyalJelly (Blue) This guy is resistant to all attacks except Red Elements. Physical blows do no harm, and neither do other Elements. Pummel him with Heat, Volcano, and Salamander if you wish (Salamander and X-Strike hit for 1300+ HP - it's almost unfair!). He doesn't really have any new or devastating tricks, so this shouldn't be much of a challenge. You'll get a Star and a Resist Vest for your abuse. If Starky is with you, he'll open up the UFO (if not, go back to the surface and switch party members). There will be an automatic sequence where Starky removes the UFO's Anti-gravity device and repairs it at Chronopolis. Once it is installed on the boat, you'll automatically fly to the Star Tower. -- 2. TERRA TOWER PT. 1 ---------------------- MY PARTY: Serge, Kid, Orhla Enemies in this Area: - TerraTerror - CytoPlasm - EctoPlasm - Cupoid - Myxomycete - Whoot - Terrator [BOSS] - Pyrotor [BOSS] - Anemotor [BOSS] - Luxator [BOSS] - Gravitor [BOSS] - Aquator [BOSS] Items in this Area: - Nostrum x2 [Consumable] - Pack of Lies [Weapon] - DefenderPlus [Accessory] - Betta Carotene [Weapon] - @RainbowShell x3 [Component] - HealPlus [Element] - Prism Glove [Weapon] - HolyHealing [Element] - BlackHole [Element] The platform on which the boat lands is enemy-free. You can save your game at the Record of Fate here, and you can return to the world map at any time by boarding the boat. You may end up returning here a few times. Also, the tower interior is a good place to use Summons to get plenty of Shiny components for making Prism equipment... Immediately inside the Tower is a yellow glowing sphere. When you try to pass it, the sphere absorbs you and forces you into combat. -- BOSS: TERRATOR --------------------------- Innate: Terrator (Yellow) This is the first of six elemental battles - guardians who protect the Tower. These fights are REALLY easy if you've been tracking down the various sidequests, so spend your time Trapping some of their attacks to boost your skill set. Terrator uses Earthquake sometimes, as well as summoning *Golem. These battles are one of the very few ways to acquire the L.7 Summons, so use the appropriate Trap when the Field Effect turns a solid color! Watch for Omega Yellow, a powerful Yellow attack which hits a single character pretty hard. Regular attacks work well here; Summons work even better. When you win you'll get a Star and the YellowField Element, which allows you to change the Field Effect to all-yellow. Now you can enter the central tower area, which is a series of multi-leveled walkways around the tower's perimeter. Centuries of undersea existence have made the interior a bit dilapidated, so you'll have to find an indirect route to the top. You can grab a Nostrum by running counter-clockwise along the entry level. To the left of the entrance is a slab of stone which can be knocked over to cross the gap beside it. Head out the left south door and descend through the next room. Whether you go down to the left, right, or in the flowing water, you'll end up in a basin of water at the bottom of the Tower. Climb up onto the coral and make your way to the lower left-hand corner of the screen above the floor and enter the door there. Go up and around to the chest at the left - as you walk across the narrow plank beside the chest, your footing will become dislodged, dropping you to the underside of the tower. Luckily Serge and co. snag onto some coral here and avoid plummeting to a watery grave. Work your way to the left, where a mysterious woman will speak to you with a disembodied voice. Re-enter the Tower at the far left and climb up the coral. Be sure to grab all the great gadgets in the chests here (including some Cards for Sneff or anyone else who uses Shot - these are actually as poweful as Prism Pellets - in the chest out the right door). As you climb, you will come to a series of coral strands growing on alternating sides of the Tower - right, left, right, left, right, left. Beyond here is the central Tower area again. Knock both of the planks into place and climb to the center and up. You'll arrive at a series of platforms and ramps. There's a HealLeaf Element at the upper-left, a very powerful Green group healing Element you don't want to miss! When you're ready and equipped with lots of Blue Elements, challenge the glowing red sphere for the second Tower Guardian battle. -- BOSS: PYROTOR ---------------------------- Innate: Pyrotor (Red) Pyrotor is similar to Terrator, except Red! Imagine. He uses a skill called Omega Red (hmm, isn't that gig trademarked?) which can wreak havoc on any Blue characters you may have along. After he uses three consecutive Tablets, he'll often summon *RedWolf - be sure to Trap this L.7 summon! When you win you'll acquire a Star and RedField, which changes the Field Effect meter to solid Red. The next area is a series of hubs patrolled by those goofy little Cupoid guys. Be sure to grab the Prism Glove here. Prism is the most powerful level of equipment, but is very hard to acquire, so every single one you can find is a big help. Once you get to the ruined stairs, be sure to grab HolyHealing at the upper right, which is a combination of RecoverAll and Purify. Then run out the door to the left. Bizarrely, you'll find yourself on the west bridge of Viper Manor here - run across to the Library and meet the librarian again, as well as the three Chrono Trigger kids from before. It turns out the "Prophet" is in fact none other than Belthasar, one of the three Magi of Enhasa from 12,000 B.C., the Guru of Time exiled to the ruined world of A.D. 2300. He tells you that in addition to the six regular Elements, there is a 7th Element - which is represented by the Chrono Cross. "Melody and harmony" is an important clue here, and should help shed a little light into the mysterious chimes the Chrono Cross creates as you use Elements in combat. The four time travelers disappear, but before you head back across the bridge be sure to grab the Black Hole Element on the inner balcony. Oh yeah - before you talk to him, check out the bookcase behind him. There's a secret opening, which leads to a familiar-looking machine, a stammering BeachBum and the Porre's Furnace Window Theme. When you return to the Tower, the way to the library is sealed shut, but a new door in the upper wall of the stair chamber is open. Within are several large crystals which chime in the same tones as the Chrono Cross. Make note of these tones, as they'll come into play later. Past the crystal bridge, you'll encounter the Green guardian. -- BOSS: ANEMOTOR --------------------------- Innate: Anemotor (Green) I was unable to provoke Anemotor to use the *Sonja Summon, but perhaps you'll be luckier. You may want to bring some Carnivore Traps as well, since it seems to enjoy using that annoying spell. Like Pyrotor and Terrator, it can use a powerful Element called Omega Green - watch for it. When you win, you'll get a Star and GreenField. A teleport platform will appear here above the floor. Walk up the stairs and access the platform from the narrow catwalk on the second level. -- 3. TOWER PT. 2 ---------------------------- Past the Save Point here is the upper portion of the Tower - unfortunately, the entrance is sealed shut by two energy beams. Head either left or right and avoid/fight the enemies (errant gusts of wind will shove you into the sentries on the right section, while you can easily dodge the vagrant cherubs at the left). Each side is guarded by another Guardian, each of which can be reached with the aid of a teleporter/catapult. -- BOSS: LUXATOR ---------------------------- Innate: LUXATOR (White) The White Guardian in the right section is probably the biggest pain in the butt among all the Guardians, simply for the fact that it uses Magnify immediately before Omega White and can nearly annihilate your whole party in one move. Use Diminish to prevent Magnify from boosting its power, and use a few other Elements to subtract some White from the Field Effect meter to lower its power. If you're lucky, I think Luxator will summon *Unicorn, although it never happened for me. You may want to use a Trap anyway, just in case. When you win you'll receive a Star and - sorry, not WhiteField - UltraNova, a L.7 White group attack that makes HolyLight look like a gentle slap. Speaking of HolyLight, Luxator has been known to use it - you may want to Trap it as well. -- BOSS: GRAVITOR --------------------------- Innate: Gravitor (Black) To the left is Gravitor, the Black counterpart to Luxator. He represents the biggest threat to Serge's welfare, since he uses a lot of strong single-attack Black Elements (FreeFall, OmegaBlack). He tends to focus his abuse on the lead party member, so switch Serge to the second or third position for better chances of survival. You'll come away from the fight with a Star and BlackHole. As always, sticking the Black Plate on Serge is likely to save his bacon. Once those two are defeated, the door in the center will open. Step inside to teleport to the top of the Tower once you've defeated the final Elemental Guardian - Aquator. -- BOSS: AQUATOR ---------------------------- Innate: Aquator (Blue) There shouldn't be any surprises here. It will summon *FrogPrince, interestingly enough, even though you already have the *FrogPrince Summon (I suppose you can Trap a second *FrogPrince if you REALLY want). Kick its sorry butt with *Salamander and *RedWolf and win yourself a Star and BlueField. At the top of the Tower, your party will climb a long staircase to arrive at the Frozen Flame. No matter who tries to touch it, the Flame will be too powerful and the TimeDevourer (the fused Dragon Gods, including Harle) will attack. -- BOSS: TIMEDEVOURER ----------------------- Innate: TimeDevourer (All Elements) Comprised of every Element, the Fused Dragon gives you a nice, lengthy fight. It begons as a White creature, then warps you to the lairs of each of the six Dragons and adopts their attributes after taking a certain amount of damage. The transformations match the sequence of the crystals from inside the Tower: Yellow, Red, Green, Blue, Black and White again. Each form has access to the entire gamut of Elemental spells from weak L.1 attacks to L.8 Omega skills. When it transforms to an Element opposite that of a particular party member, work quickly to switch its affiliation to minimize damage. The best way to do that is to use an Earth skill or simply three quick L.1 Elements (Tablet, Cure, WeakMinded-3, etc.) followed by a Summon. It's a lengthy battle, though not terribly difficult. Enjoy the music, though, as it's right snappy. My recommended party for this battle is Serge, Leena and Glenn. Although if you don't have Glenn, that's OK, but he makes the fight MUCH easier. This party will give you access to four Elements' worth of powerful attacks to take out several of the opposite-attribute forms of the Devourer in a flash (Leena can summon *BlueWhale and *FrogPrice against the Red form, Serge can summon *Saints and *Unicorn and use UltraNova aginst the Black form, Glenn can call *Genie and *Sonja against the Yellow form, and the Red-attribute X-Strike Tech against the Blue form will cause the Devourer to shift attributes in a single hit, and is in fact yields the most damage of any attack I've seen in the game). This means you'll have to work to get rid of the White and Green forms, but it shouldn't be too hard when you can pound the other forms into jelly in an instant. When the Time Devourer is defeated, it disappears and Gash makes a sudden entrance to give you a Time Egg to resolve the true purpose of the game. The Dragon's spirit fuses with the Frozen Flame, evolving into the Devourer's true form and causing Terra Tower to revert to its original state. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- D. "FOR ALL THE DREAMERS" "Our planet's dream is not over yet" MY PARTY: Serge, Kid, Marcy Once you've escaped the Tower, you're free to do as you please. The Terra Tower transforms and sets root in the ocean, though I am unable to determine a means by which to access it again. (In fact, in the US version there's no location text, which leads me to believe it simply cannot be accessed again, despite the rumors of being able to get Harle to lead your entire party to the structure). The Anti-grav device no longer seems to function for the boat, so stick to the ground. -- WARNING: MASSIVE SPOILERS AHEAD -- If you return to Serge's Home world, you'll notice something new on Opassa Beach after you warp: a glowing purple spot and the three Chrono Trigger kids. Speaking to them helps tie up a few loose plot ends, including one very important thread from Chrono Trigger: Schala. I won't spoil it here, but remember that at the end of the revised Chrono Trigger for Playstation, Lucca adopted a baby wearing a pendant just like Schala's and who appeared from nowhere in the woods... At this point, you can enter the purple Gate by using the Time Egg, where you will battle Lavos. -- BOSS: TIMEDEVOURER (EVOLVED) ------------- Innate: TimeDevourer (White) That's right - this entire game is nothing more than a Chrono Trigger miniquest to resolve the final CT plot thread: what happened to Schala after she betrayed her mother and helped hold Lavos' power at bay? Now you know - she's been trapped by Lavos in the Time Stream. That noise you hear is the sound of a thousand Chrono Trigger continuation fanfics suddenly becoming obsolete. This battle is a cross between the Adel/Rinoa fight from FFVIII and the battle with Richter from Symphony of the Night. You can simply kill Lavos, or you can try to rescue Schala, and your actions determine which ending you'll see. I will describe the strategy for the former and then the latter. - TACTIC 1: DEFEATING TIMEDEVOURER TimeDevourer is surprisingly easy - apparently he's feeling a little tired after vaporizing Crono and getting his butt kicked by Schala. It uses no attacks you haven't seen before, relying exclusively on Elements (MagNegate will take you far). While his spells range from BushWhacker to OmegaRed, I actually found him easier than the Fused Dragons. Use as many summons as you can - they'll all do 900-1300 HP damage, even Saints (despite Lavos being a White Element). When defeated, the Devourer and Schala dissolve back into the Time Stream, to merge with Lavos and plot the destruction of mankind or whatever. - TACTIC 2: REPAIRING TIME This is a major spoiler, so stop reading now if you want to find the secret for yourself. Thanks to JL Lee for unraveling this. To rescue Schala, you must use the Chrono Cross. "Melody and harmony" - for the Chrono Cross to work, you must cause the Elemental chimes to sound in the same sequence you heard in the Star Tower and when you battled the Fused Dragons. Yellow, Red, Green, Blue, Black, White. This is of course more easily said than done, but once you have the tones set up properly, use the Chrono Cross, and Schala will be freed of the TimeDevourer. Enjoy the ending, verbose as it may be... ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- E. NEW GAME+ Once you have finished the game, you are given the option of saving a Game Data file (top choice is yes). To use the New Game+, simply choose to Continue from the title screen, then select the Data file (the one in which your Star total is in yellow rather than white), then choose to start a New Game or Continue a current game with New Game+ stats added. To use Continue+, choose "Continue+" and then select the clear data you wish to use. You may then merge the Clear Data file with a game save from your first time through the game (i.e., not New Game+). It will merge the equipment and stats from your Clear Data into your old game, which can help you acquire rare items much more easily. When you begin a new game this way, your stats will carry over, as will many of your weapons (eschewing the Mastermune and Einlanzer). Please note that you lose all Key Items here, and weapon shops revert to selling their previous stock. If you want Denadorite or Prism equipment, buy it before fighting the Devourer or else your party will be tremendously unbalanced (not that it REALLY matters, since you're so massively powerful in New Game+ that you can breeze through). You will keep all of your Elements except Summons and the Chrono Cross. Your party will be empty again, although who you have found will be kept in memory for later. You begin with three Key Items: A Relief Charm which allows other characters to fight in Serge's place during combat (although Serge will be the one to appear during exploration and story events), a Time Shifter (lets you adjust game speed, very handy), and the Time Egg (once you awaken in Arni), which allows you to battle Lavos through the beach Gate any time. To use the Time Shifter, hold down the L2 or R2 buttons to activate the speed at which the game advances. Man, I wish Xenogears had one of these! Disc Two would have flown by. L2 will slow the game (great for dramatic attacks, but not much else) and R2 will accelerate the game - text, battles, exploration, everything. It looks kinda silly, but it really helps speed things along. The only thing that doesn't speed up are the battle transitions, which CAN'T speed up due to the speed of the Playstation's CD-ROM. Oh well, we can't all be perfect. The backstage pass-like item is useful as well. Use it at any time while exploring to allow someone to take Serge's place in combat. While Serge will still lead the party during exploration, during combat his role will be filled by his replacement. This is nice in that it allows you to diversify your combat roster and vary battle strategies. Of course, in New Game+ you don't really NEED strategies... oh well. Here's something sucky: it seems you lose all weapons, armor, accessories and Elements that are equipped by characters who aren't in your active or reserve parties when you finish the game. This may not matter so much initially, but if you beat the game in New Game+ during the Lynx sequence, it appears you will lose EVERYTHING the characters who are loyal to Serge have equipped, and so forth. I could be wrong, but having permanently lost a Prism Dagger and Glove because I gave them to Kid and Orhla during the opening dungeon sequence and then finished the game without them, I think I'm right. If you return to the Bend of Time, you can find some special battles. Beyond the door which previously had been inaccessible, you'll find a large land octopus who makes a familiar request of you - walk three times around the room, clockwise. Once you've done so, you'll face three old foes from the Time Stream: Soy Sauce, Mayonnaise and Vinegar (aka Slash, Flea and Ozzie). -- BOSS: SLASH, FLEA and OZZIE -------------- Innate: Slash (Blue) Flea (Red) Ozzie (Green) I'm still working on a good strategy for this fight. It's a bit tricky since Ozzie uses a spell that basically functions like MagNegate AND PhysNegate for the entire enemy party! Slash is the least dangerous character here - he just uses a special sword attack every once in a while. And Flea is downright annoying, as she/he uses a group attack that not only is strong but also can cause EVERYONE in the party to go Berzerk. So what seems like a simple, quick battle becomes an exercise in frustration rather quickly. My advice is to take out Flea first, since she (he?) hits the hardest. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- F. ENDINGS So, you've beaten the game, and now you want to find all the extra endings, eh? Well, you'll have to look elsewhere - I'm not chronicling them here, as I've never bothered to find them all. Other people have done a magnificent job of writing them up, so hey - give their guides a go. Just remember that, as in Chrono Trigger, finishing the game early during playthrough (using the Time Egg at Opasa Beach) will yield different endings depending on where you are in the game when you defeat the Time Devourer. There's a special ending for winning with Serge alone, but be sure to equip the Green Plate and a charm to prevent Freeze status effects before you tackle it alone. Also, don't use the Chrono Cross for these endings - just beat down the Time Devourer and Schala with it. ---------------------------------------------- ---------------------------------------------- PART V: CHARACTERS This used to be the Charts section, but I've removed them, because they were wasting space and making the FAQ all bloated and stuff. Chrono Cross has no less than 44 different playable characters. Some of whom look, ahhh... very, well, interesting. You can check for yourself at the GIA (http://www.thegia.com) where you'll find tons of sketches, some of which will probably astound and horrify you. So here, in no particular order, are the characters. OK, actually it's mostly alphabetical order. I've moved this to the end of the FAQ because some of the characters who join could be considered spoilers. Caution is advised! Until I figure all this stuff out, check CB!'s amazing, wonderful, incredible, astonishing, staggering, wonderful character FAQ at GameFAQs for more thorough details. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- SERGE ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- The hero. You can tell he's the hero because he never talks and he wears a bandanna, just like McDohl, and Locke, and Stinger. OK, so probably Serge doesn't want to be ranked among the likes of Stinger, or anyone else from Shadow Madness. Anyway, he's apparently very heroic, being the hero and all. --------------------------------------------------------------- WEAPON: Swallow INNATE: White ORIGIN: Arni Village (Home) OCCUPATION: Silent Protagonist BUILD: Average RACE: Human AGE: 17 GENDER: M DEXTERITY: Right-Handed --------------------------------------------------------------- L.3: Dash&Slash - a quick dashing strike with the Swallow L.5: Luminaire - Like Crono's Luminaire - Serge rises into the air and blasts the enemy with luminous power. L.7: FlyingArrow - Serge projects his spirit, which fires a powerful bolt of energy at a single enemy. Try it with different weapons for nifty effects! FOUND: At the beginning of the game, of course. He's the hero. CONDITIONS: Automatic --------------------------------------------------------------- Comments: Serge, as the hero, tends to be a bit overpowering1. While usually not possessing the absolute highest ratings in each category, he excels in just about every stat aspect. The drawback is that most of the major enemies in the game tend to be the opposite of his innate Elemental color, which can make for tough battles. --------------------------------------------------------------- ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- KID ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- She dresses like a "bad girl," but Kid is actually a good guy. Er, girl. Or so it seems anyway; she's more than happy to throw in her hand and help Serge in his darkest hours... almost obsessively so. If you dont' let her join your party, she's stalk you for the rest of the game until you finally relent. Sort of disturbing, really, but it just goes to show the things that women can get away with in this world of injustice. If Serge doggedly followed Kid for the whole game, he'd be a creepy psychopathic perv, but when Kid does it she's just "enigmatic" and "determined." Feh. --------------------------------------------------------------- WEAPON: Dagger INNATE: Red ORIGIN: Unknown (Another) OCCUPATION: Mysterious Traveler BUILD: Slender RACE: Human AGE: 16 GENDER: F DEXTERITY: Ambidextrous --------------------------------------------------------------- L.3: Pilfer - Kid snags a valuable item from an enemy L.5: RedPin - Flight of the golden wasps! Curtain of death! Kid flings a handful of needles at the enemy, damaging the whole party. Not the same as Frog & Lucca's RedPin Double Tech, but close enough. L.7: HeatShot - Kid smacks a single enemy with one of Lucca's zany devices. L.7 Found: Press the correct button sequence at the equipment in the main room of Lucca's house. The details are found upstairs. FOUND: At Cape Howl (Another) CONDITIONS: Automatic (if you refuse her at the grave, she joins in Termina) --------------------------------------------------------------- Comments: Kid doesn't excel at anything in particular, but her Pilfer skill is very useful (at least, until you recruit Fargo or Mel). While not the best combatant, she's not especially weak, and her Pilfer skill is quite a virtue. --------------------------------------------------------------- ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- DARIO (NPC) ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Glenn's older brother who died under mysterious circumstances. His connections to other characters will make him a key figure later in the game. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- DOC ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- You may be able to persuade this healer to break his Hippocratic Oath and do harm unto others. It would just be the latest in a long line of his failures to be an effective medic, if Doc is to be believed. Maybe tagging along with the party will turn that frown upside-down. --------------------------------------------------------------- WEAPON: Shot INNATE: White ORIGIN: Zenan Mainland (Another) OCCUPATION: Village Physician BUILD: Ordinary RACE: Human AGE: 27 GENDER: M DEXTERITY: Left-handed --------------------------------------------------------------- L.3: HighFive - A single knife undergoes asexual reproduction in mid-air and smashes into the bad guys. L.5: Gnarly - It's a stupid name, but it damages a single enemy pretty well. L.7: HangTen - Heals all characters. A lot. Good ol' Doc. L.7 Found: The Library of the Dead Sea's Geddon Station (Home) FOUND: Guldove (Another) CONDITIONS: Take Macha's path and speak to him after acquiring the boat. --------------------------------------------------------------- Comments: Forthcoming. --------------------------------------------------------------- ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- DRAGGY (DRAGONCHILD) ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Surprisingly enough, this character appears to be a child-like dragon. Sadly for the section of the world's population that adores cuddly li'l things like Draggy, he seems to be the last of his kind. Quite possibly the most powerful infant character ever to appear in a video games (not that infants are commonplace, but hey). --------------------------------------------------------------- WEAPON: Glove INNATE: Red ORIGIN: Fort Dragonia (Home) OCCUPATION: Cute Baby Dragon BUILD: Tiny RACE: Dragonian AGE: 0 GENDER: M DEXTERITY: Front-Left-Clawed --------------------------------------------------------------- L.3: CoughDrop - A small fire ball blasts an enemy L.5: CoughMix - Fans tiny breath to hit all enemies. L.7: BigBreath - The spirit of Dragon Child's mother toasts the baddies. L.7 Found: Take Draggy to the skull at the valley of Dragon Bones (Home). FOUND: Basement of Fort Dragonia (Home). CONDITIONS: Place the egg found in Dinosaur Bone Valley on the glowing recess. --------------------------------------------------------------- Comments: For being one of the game's "cute" characters, Draggy's not too shabby. He tends to have enormously high HP, and his attacks are pretty respectable. --------------------------------------------------------------- ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- FARGO (FARGA) ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- A big, hulking brute. Like Faris, he's a pirate captain. However, he's not a woman. And he smokes. Son of a submariner! We've come a long way since the days under Nintendo's iron fist. --------------------------------------------------------------- WEAPON: Sword INNATE: Blue ORIGIN: Unknown (Another) OCCUPATION: Pirate Captain BUILD: Macho RACE: Human AGE: 40 GENDER: M DEXTERITY: Right-handed --------------------------------------------------------------- L.3: Pillage - Rush 'N' Snag. Steal an item from an enemy. L.5: CannonBalls - a long range volley of cannonballs from the S.S. Invincible smacks the enemy. Sorta like Cid's "Highwind" attack, but without the cursing. L.7: Invincible - A powerful sword strike. Supposedly an ultimate technique, but sheesh, it's not THAT tough. L.7 Found: During the concert event. FOUND: On Zelbess (Another) CONDITIONS: Rescue and recruit Riddel. --------------------------------------------------------------- Comments: Not as tough as I'd expect. But he can steal from baddies, which is always a plus. Not one of my favorite characters, but not a total loss. --------------------------------------------------------------- ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- FUNGUY (KINOKO/MASH) ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Man or Mushroom Man? Imagine if Super Mario's Toad grew up and decided to kick butt. That's Funguy: a cautionary tale of what happens if you love exotic food a little too much and don't research rare, exotic wild mushrooms before you eat them. --------------------------------------------------------------- WEAPON: Axe ELEMENT: Yellow ORIGIN: Termina (Home) OCCUPATION: Mushroom Man BUILD: Light RACE: Demihuman AGE: Unknown GENDER: M DEXTERITY: Right-handed --------------------------------------------------------------- L.3: Axe Attack - Smashes enemy repeatedly with his axe. L.5: Spores - Blows poisonous spores at the enemy, inflicting Yellow status. L.7: Miconoids - Little Funguys attack. BLARGH. L.7 Found: Return to the cave where you met Funguy. Examine the little mushroom growing there and choose NOT to eat it. FOUND: In a small cave in Shadow Forest (Home). CONDITIONS: Give him the mushroom you find in the cave beneath the tree leading to the mansion's well. --------------------------------------------------------------- Comments: Probably a joke character, but he's actually pretty strong. His main draw is really the novelty factor, but Funguy isn't a total joke, either. Stupid name, though. --------------------------------------------------------------- ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- GARAI (NPC) ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Glenn and Dario's father and Radius' former comrade-in-arms in the Dragoon corps. Like Dario, he died under suspicious circumstances and his fate is tied into the story. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- GLENN ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- No, he's not the same Glenn we know and *ribbit* love. But he's still a nice guy, a polite young man, and as strong as Serge by the end of the game. It's very possible not to recruit him (his availability is contingent on the actions you take in Guldove), but he's very much worth tracking down if you're into the whole "brutal devastation of enemies" thing. --------------------------------------------------------------- WEAPON: Sword INNATE: Green ORIGIN: Termina (Another) OCCUPATION: Noble Knight BUILD: Average RACE: Human AGE: 20 GENDER: M DEXTERITY: Right-handed --------------------------------------------------------------- L.3: Dash&Gash - A dashing sword attack. Which is to say he dashes, not that he's dashing. L.5: SonicSword - Just like Dario's attack, it flings a beam of energy at an enemy. L.7: Dive&Drive - Glenn proves to a single enemy that he really kicks patootie. FOUND: Termina (Another) CONDITIONS: Take the Macha branch and speak to him at the entrance to town. --------------------------------------------------------------- Comments: OK, he's NOT FROG. But he's still pretty nifty. For one thing, he is the first character in the game to provide a Double Tech with Serge. My only complaint is that to get him in your party, you have to ditch Kid and let Razzly suffer an unknown and rather depressing fate. --------------------------------------------------------------- ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- GRECO (JILLBERT) ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Greco: the pro-wrestling priest! Now there's an archteype for you. I'm sure there's probably some sort of logical explanation why an ex-wrestler would become a man of the cloth (even is said cloth is a bit garish and covers the better part of his face), and no doubt it has something to do his deceased friend Ghetz. It's still sort of weird, though. --------------------------------------------------------------- WEAPON: Glove INNATE: Red ORIGIN: Zenan Mainland (Another) OCCUPATION: Psychic Ex-wrestler BUILD: Heavy Weight RACE: Human AGE: 33 GENDER: M DEXTERITY: Right-Handed --------------------------------------------------------------- L.3: Clothesline - Greco uses a lariat attack on an enemy L.5: Flip-Flop - He's no Mary Lou Retton, but this gymnastic attack will still make you hungry for a big bowl of Wheaties. L.7: GraveDigger - Greco brings his friend's grave along into combat and attacks an enemy. Sweet mercy, ths is stupid. L.7 FOUND: Have him visit his home in the Home world. FOUND: In Termina at the shack near Glenn's memorial to Dario, following the mansion sequence (Another) CONDITIONS: Speak to him and choose the first option. --------------------------------------------------------------- Comments: Another brawny guy who's not as brawny as he could be. I was disappointed by his surprisingly mediocre attack power. There's nothing to recommend Jillbert over, say, Zappa, making him fairly useless. --------------------------------------------------------------- ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- GROBYC (GYARADUN) ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Looks like Lucca's been disregarding the prime directive... her "research" in the 24th century appears to have yielded some interesting results in the 11th century, like this here cyborg. No explanation is offered as to why, precisely, he looks like a cross between Mac Tonight and Strider Hiryu, though. --------------------------------------------------------------- WEAPON: Glove INNATE: Black ORIGIN: Unknown (Another) OCCUPATION: Cyborg Assassin BUILD: Bionic RACE: Cybernetically-enhanced human AGE: 26 GENDER: M DEXTERITY: Right-handed --------------------------------------------------------------- L.3: RocketPunch - Grobyc's mechanical arm detaches and strikes an enemy. L.5: HairCutter - A beam of energy emerges from his head and hits the entire enemy party. L.7: StrongArm - Fires an "ultimate weapon" which was banned from the Porre army. L.7 Found: Check the "coffin" at Chronopolis. FOUND: Viper Manor (Another) CONDITIONS: Battle him and the Porre mecha, and he will help you escape. --------------------------------------------------------------- Comments: I like this guy! He's strong, has tons of HP, and looks cool. He's also a Black element, which helps round out the party most of the time. --------------------------------------------------------------- ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- GUILE ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Not like the Street Fighter played by Van Damme, but much, much better. Guile stepped straight of the Masquerade scene from Labyrinth. He's a decent fighter and a butt-kicking mage whose major limitation is the Element Grid. And no, he's not who you think he is. I promise. --------------------------------------------------------------- WEAPON: Rod INNATE: Black ORIGIN: Zenan Mainland (Another) OCCUPATION: Masked Magician BUILD: Tall & Slender RACE: Human AGE: 26 GENDER: M DEXTERITY: Right-handed --------------------------------------------------------------- L.3: WandaIn - Causes his rod to appear inside an enemy for a gruesome, powerful attack. L.5: WandaSwords - Transforms his rod into twins swords, which slice the foe. L.7: LightninRod - Guile uses his rod to disprove the notion that lightning never strikes the same place twice. FOUND: Termina Inn (Another) CONDITIONS: Speak to him in the Termina bar and accept his request to help win a bet. --------------------------------------------------------------- Comments: Not a terribly strong fighter, nor is he the strongest magic user around. But, he has some extremely cool attacks that dish out big hurting. The biggest problem is that his Element Grid grows slowly, meaning he can't use much magic in combat... for protracted battles, this is a major drawback. --------------------------------------------------------------- ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- HARLE (TUKIYOMI) ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Lynx's jester, who seems to have ze interest in Serge, oui? Iz she merely a flirt, or iz there something more to her comments? Zut alors, iz by Square! C'est vrai, more motives are to be found. --------------------------------------------------------------- WEAPON: Shot INNATE: Black ORIGIN: Unknown OCCUPATION: Enigmatic Jester BUILD: Unknown RACE: Humanoid AGE: 18 GENDER: F DEXTERITY: Right-handed --------------------------------------------------------------- L.3: MoonBeams - Harle calls upon the power of the moon to attack enemies. L.5: MoonShine - Harle shields the party from damage. L.7: Lunairetic - Massive damage to entire enemy party, plus various random status ailments. FOUND: In the freaky Van Gogh painting. CONDITIONS: Automatic. --------------------------------------------------------------- Comments: She's cute, she's cool, and she has an amusing French accent in the English version. Her attack power is poor, but her magic is strong, and her innate skills are incredibly useful. Alas, she's also a Black element, which makes her redundant while she's in the party... --------------------------------------------------------------- ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- IRENES ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- A mermaid who doesn't seem to have any qualms about flopping about on land, using her tail as legs. She's the kind of character you add to your party out of sympathy ("She looks so lonely sitting their in my inactive list all the time!") or to help balance battles when Serge and Glenn are having a go. --------------------------------------------------------------- WEAPON: Pick INNATE: Blue ORIGIN: The Ocean (Home) OCCUPATION: Late Zelbess' Sister BUILD: Mermaid RACE: Demihuman AGE: 16 GENDER: F DEXTERITY: Right-handed --------------------------------------------------------------- L.3: WaterBreath - Attacks enemy with a burst of water. L.5: MerMelody - Cures a single member of the party for many HP. Possibly Irenes' sole redeeming factor! L.7: SirenSong - Irenes' lousy harp playing angers the gods, who attack with a giant tidal wave. L.7 Found: Speak to the person inside the first hut in Marbule (Home) once the town has been liberated. FOUND: On Nikki's ship (dressing room) next to the Zelbess. CONDITIONS: Meet her in Marbule, then follow the event sequence on the Zelbess. Speak to her after Nikki and his entourage leave for rehearsal. --------------------------------------------------------------- Comments: Not much to speak of. She's a decent magic user, but her defense and offense are horrible. She's a respectable healer, but beyond that there are many better Blue characters you could have in your party. --------------------------------------------------------------- ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- JANICE (JYANESS) ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Janice is a strangely fascinating demi-human with a knack for monster training. If you can out-perform her beasties in the Grand Slam, she'll add her formidable power to your team. Her magic is sort of weak, but she hits hard and there's something oddly attractive about her. Must be the tail. --------------------------------------------------------------- WEAPON: Carrot INNATE: Red ORIGIN: S.S. Zelbess (Home) OCCUPATION: Bunny-Girl Trainer BUILD: Plumpish RACE: Demi-human AGE: 22 GENDER: F DEXTERITY: Right-handed --------------------------------------------------------------- L.3: BeatIt - Janess smashes an enemy with her drum. L.5: 14Carrots - Ryo-Ohki would be so proud. She hits an enemy with carrots, fired like missiles. L.7: WhatsUpDoc - A rockin' drum beat causes geysers to rise. L.7: Speak to the Land Octopus in The End of Time. FOUND: Zelbess Grand Slam Arena (Home) CONDITIONS: Defeat her in the tournament in three rounds. --------------------------------------------------------------- Comments: She may not look it, but she's one of the strongest characters in the game. Her "Carrot" weapon can hold its own against Denadorite weapons, and once she has Betta Carotene she's downright ferocious. The localization team needs a good scolding for making such self-indulgent and painfully punnish names for her skills, though. --------------------------------------------------------------- ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- KARSH ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- He's weak as an enemy, but strong as an ally. He has about the highest HP of anyone in the party, and he's no slouch when he swings that Axe, either. A great asset. --------------------------------------------------------------- WEAPON: Axe INNATE: Green ORIGIN: El Nido (Another) OCCUPATION: One of the 4 Devas BUILD: Solid RACE: Human AGE: 27 GENDER: M DEXTERITY: Right-handed --------------------------------------------------------------- L.3: DragonRider - Mounts a dragon, mows down enemy. L.5: AxialAxe - flings axe like a boomerang to hit all enemies. L.7: Axiomatic - a powerful single-enemy attack. L.7 Found: Fight Peppor and Solt in the Bone Cave (Another). FOUND: Termina (Another) or Solitary Island (Another) CONDITIONS: Choose him in Termina before rescuing Riddel, or he'll join automatically later. --------------------------------------------------------------- Comments: This guy is TOUGH. High HP, high attack, high defense. He seems to have poor magic defense, but if you keep him away from Yellow enemies he and his skills are a great asset to the party. --------------------------------------------------------------- ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- KENJA (NPC) ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- The chief of Marbule in Another world, in Serge's Home world he's just a janitor. Still, he knows a lot about certain secrets, kind like Dilbert's garbage collector. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- KORCHA ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- A creepy little boy who wears nothing but a vest and those tight shorts that Japanese school girls have to wear to gym class. Son, listen - you've got to leave a little more room down there, or you'll be singing soprano at age 30. Just a friendly word of advice. Be nice to him, though - he provides the party with a boat. --------------------------------------------------------------- WEAPON: Fishing Rod INNATE: Blue ORIGIN: Guldove (Another) OCCUPATION: Fisherman & Ferryman BUILD: Thin RACE: Human AGE: 16 GENDER: M DEXTERITY: Right-handed --------------------------------------------------------------- L.3: Headbutt - Korcha leaps into the air and smacks his head against an enemy's noggin. L.5: Hook&Sinker - Korcha casts his rod and snags an enemy. The power of this attack seems to depend either on an enemy's HP or weight. L.7: BigCatch - Korcha reels in a big 'un, which smacks the enemy. L.7 Found: Check the covered tank where Korscha first appeared, then look for a mermaid near Greco's hut (Another). FOUND: After mansion event (Another). CONDITIONS: Ask him to join once he takes you to Termina. He will leave the party whenever you visit his hometown. --------------------------------------------------------------- Comments: For a scrawny little guy, Korcha is a respectable fighter. Not the greatest character, but acceptable. Probably most useful during the Fort Dragonia sequence, as he's one of the few Blue characters you can use at that point to summon *FrogPrince. --------------------------------------------------------------- ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- LEAH (LEEA) ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- A little blond cave girl. Why, she would be just about the right age to be Ayla's child! Except apparently she's not (try defeating the final boss with her to discover the incredibly stupid truth). Leah joins late in the game, but considering that she has the highest HP and attack ratings of any fighter, there's not much reason to complain. --------------------------------------------------------------- WEAPON: Axe INNATE: Yellow ORIGIN: Gaea's Navel (Home) OCCUPATION: Cave Girl BUILD: Infantile RACE: Human AGE: 6 GENDER: F DEXTERITY: Ambidextrous --------------------------------------------------------------- L.3: RockThrow - Leah throws several boulders at an enemy. L.5: TailSpin - Leah whirls her costume's tail, causing a vortex. L.7: TripleKick - Leah kicks an enemy 3 times. L.7 Found: During the Gaia's Navel event while hunting the Green Dragon (Home). FOUND: Gaea's Navel (Home). CONDITIONS: Joins automatically during the Green Dragon quest. --------------------------------------------------------------- Comments: Good grief, this little kid kicks butt. High attack, high HP, high defense, terrible magic. She's basically a pint-sized Ayla. If you're not in desperate need of magic attacks, Leah should be in your front line as a pure physical fighter. --------------------------------------------------------------- ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- LEENA (RENA) ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Serge's childhood sweetheart... or at least, the alternate reality version of her. She secretly thinks Serge is a delusional schizoid, but she's too polite to make a fuss of it. --------------------------------------------------------------- WEAPON: Utensils INNATE: Blue ORIGIN: Arni (Another) OCCUPATION: Sweet Country Gal BUILD: Ordinary RACE: Human AGE: 16 GENDER: F DEXTERITY: Right-handed --------------------------------------------------------------- L.3: MaidenHand - Strikes an enemy with a glowing piece of houseware. L.5: MaidenHeart - Leena recharges her own elements. L.7: MaidenFaith - Chance of instant resurrection. Also causes 99% hits. L.7 Found: Speak to her grandmother at the house in Another world. You have to answer her questions correctly at the beginning of the game (that you remember her promise and all that mushy rubbish) FOUND: Arni Village (Another) CONDITIONS: Fight alone until after you meet Kid, and refuse to let Kid join at Serge's grave (3 refusals). Leena and Poshul will join soon thereafter. --------------------------------------------------------------- Comments: Leena starts off pretty weak, and while she never gains a respectable attack power rating (she's attacking with a broom, for crying out loud) she's one of the strongest magic users in the game. Additionally, her MaidenHeart skill makes her incredibly useful, as it effectively doubles the number of Elements at her disposal - making her indespensible as a healer for protracted battles. Add to that a respectable magic defense rating and Leena becomes one of the more surprisingly effective characters in the game once you learn to play to her strengths. --------------------------------------------------------------- ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- LISA (NPC) ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- She runs the shop in Termina (Another). She's not important, but she does have a portrait, so, uh... there you go. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- LUCCIA (LUTIANNA) ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- A young voman who seems to take fashion advice from Rufus Shinra. Also a mad scientist by day, who likes to work as an adoptive mother when she's not manipulating plant DNA to violate the rules of god and nature. --------------------------------------------------------------- WEAPON: Shot INNATE: Black ORIGIN: Zenan Mainland (Another) OCCUPATION: Scientific Genius BUILD: Thin RACE: Human AGE: 28 GENDER: F DEXTERITY: Right-handed --------------------------------------------------------------- L.3: PinUpGirl - Luccia performs a sort of painful shiatsu on an enemy. L.5: Mix&Match - A kooky konkoktion krashes into the enemy and inflikts a status kondition. L.7: TestAmoeba - Luccia's Test Amoeba secretes digestive enzymes or somesuch, leaving an enemy half-digested. Er, yeah. L.7 Found: Enter the sewage grate in the kitchen of the Viper Mansion and search the large blob in the tunnels there (Another). FOUND: In Lynx' mansion after returning to Termina. CONDITIONS: Return to the mansion and speak to her on the third story balcony. Then follow her to the lab and select the first option. It may be necessary to defeat the NeoBulbs that were rampaging through her office during the mansion sequence. --------------------------------------------------------------- Comments: Luccia is interesting as a character, ho ho ho, but not much in combat. You'll really have to work to get any of her ratings to the point of being even average. --------------------------------------------------------------- ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- LYNX (YAMANEKO) ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Lynx's evil, sure, but you do see him in battle in a fashion you'd probably never expect... --------------------------------------------------------------- WEAPON: Scythe INNATE: Black ORIGIN: Unknown OCCUPATION: Feline Demihuman BUILD: Solid RACE: Demihuman AGE: Unknown GENDER: Unknown DEXTERITY: Unknown --------------------------------------------------------------- L.3: GlideHook - Lynx leaps into the air and slashes into a single enemy. L.5: FeralCats - Lynx summons hundreds to cats who slash and claw the enemy party. L.7: ForeverZero - creates a singularity which dishes out pain to the whole enemy party. FOUND: It's a secret to everyone CONDITIONS: It's much more fun to learn on your own... --------------------------------------------------------------- Comments: I don't want to comment here so as not to spoil Lynx's role in the story. I think you can probably figure out what to do once you find him though. --------------------------------------------------------------- ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- MACHA (MAMACHA) ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Korcha's mother. She's very motherly, and, uh... well, there's really not much more to say about her. She's not really built like a fighter. Personally, I always feel sort of weird making a middle-aged lady in a muumuu fight the dark forces of Lynx and the undead, so I really never use her. Your mileage may vary. --------------------------------------------------------------- WEAPON: Utensils INNATE: Red ORIGIN: Guldove (Another) OCCUPATION: Gutsy Mother of 2 BUILD: Stout RACE: Human AGE: 38 GENDER: F DEXTERITY: Right-Handed --------------------------------------------------------------- L.3: BottomsUp - Macha sets a bad example for her kids by butt-bashing a baddie. L.5: Folding - Macha confuses an enemy for laundry. L.7: DirtyDishes - Macha breaks some plates on an enemy. I would too - it's easier than washing them. FOUND: Termina (Another) CONDITIONS: Will join automatically if you choose not to find medicine for Kid. --------------------------------------------------------------- Comments: Forthcoming. --------------------------------------------------------------- ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- MARCY (MARCELLA) ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- She's 9 and evil. Did William Peter Blatty become a scenario writer for this game while I wasn't paying attention? I think this is who Kefka had in mind when he called Celes a "vicious brat." It should be noted that she's half the age of her brother and about twice as powerful. I'd be a moody glam-rocker, too, if my 9-year-old sister could whomp my arse. --------------------------------------------------------------- WEAPON: Glove INNATE: Blue ORIGIN: Zenan Mainland (Another) OCCUPATION: The 'Diva' of the 4 Devas BUILD: Smallish RACE: Human AGE: 9 GENDER: F DEXTERITY: Left-handed --------------------------------------------------------------- L.3: Cat'sCradle - Strikes a single enemy with her wire. L.5: StringPhone - Hits all enemies with an electrical current sent along a wire. L.7: WebSurfer - A watery earthquake-like spell slams evil! FOUND: Solitary Island (Another). CONDITIONS: Automatic, once she apologizes to Serge. --------------------------------------------------------------- Comments: An impressively strong magic user, and a decent fighter. While not as useful for spell-casting as Leena, she's still pretty respectable... plus some of her attacks pack a punch. If you don't feel comfortable with the physically weaker Leena, Marcy is a good substitute. --------------------------------------------------------------- ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- MEL ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Korcha's kid sister will join the party, but only if you track her down after she steals Kid's Element Grid. Annnnnnnd that's about all there is to say about her. --------------------------------------------------------------- WEAPON: Fly INNATE: Yellow ORIGIN: Guldove (Another) OCCUPATION: Doodling Brat BUILD: Skinny RACE: Human AGE: 9 GENDER: F DEXTERITY: Right-handed --------------------------------------------------------------- L.3: Snatch - Mel snags an item. L.5: Doodle - Mel draws pretty pictures on an enemy with markers. L.7: Tantrum - Mel throws a fit, damaging all enemies. FOUND: Guldove (Another) CONDITIONS: Track her down and retrieve Kid's Element Grid. Later in the game, she will join your party when you speak to her. --------------------------------------------------------------- Comments: Forthcoming. --------------------------------------------------------------- ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- MIGUEL (NPC) ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Leena's father. He was lost in a storm at sea several years ago. His fate is central to the story's plot. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- MIKI ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- In the world of Chrono Cross, women fight most effectively when they're wearing bikinis! For a rock music dancer, she's pretty tough. I'm sure the Spice Girls wish they had half Miki's chutzpah. --------------------------------------------------------------- WEAPON: Glove INNATE: Red ORIGIN: S.S. Zelbess OCCUPATION: Dancer Extraordinaire (Home) BUILD: Slender RACE: Human AGE: 19 GENDER: F DEXTERITY: Right-handed --------------------------------------------------------------- L.3: HeadStomp - Riverdancing from hell! Yeargh! L.5: SexyWink - Wounds an enemy with a chance of inflicting Confusion. L.7: DanceOnAir - Miki makes like in that concert. FOUND: On Zelbess (Home) after the concert CONDITIONS: Speak to her after clearing Marbule of the Lagoonates. --------------------------------------------------------------- Comments: Not too bad, not too great. Used as a supplemental character she can hold her own, so play her as a Red magic-user against a strong Blue or Yellow fighter. --------------------------------------------------------------- ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- MOJO (LUCKY DAN) ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- His name is "Mojo" in the US version, but we know the truth: he's really Lucky Dan. I'm going to keep calling him Mojo, mainly because I've got way too much work invested in calling him by that name. Mere words cannot describe the immense coolness of this guy, but words are all we mortals have. For a thorough biopic, check http://www.toastyfrog.com/ --------------------------------------------------------------- WEAPON: Glove INNATE: Black ORIGIN: Far East (Another) OCCUPATION: Cursed VooDoo Doll BUILD: Waistless RACE: Magical AGE: Unknown GENDER: M DEXTERITY: Dominant Arm Unknown --------------------------------------------------------------- L.3: VooDooDance - Mojo dances around an enemy, laughing in a disturbing manner. L.5: Cartwheel - Mojo giggles and begins rolling in a cartwheel, dispensing respectable damage to the entire enemy party. L.7: HoodooGuroo - A nasty bit of impalement involving a voodoo spike. Somewhere, Vlad Tepes is smiling. L.7: Speak to the cat statues at the shrine in the following order: Left, Right, Middle (Another). FOUND: In alternate version of Arni fishmonger's basement. CONDITIONS: Give Shark Scale Pendant to Kiki's father (Another) after Kid has joined. --------------------------------------------------------------- Comments: Admittedly, Mojo is a worthless fighter, with some of the worst stats in the game (he's a straw doll, after all). But, he's hilarious, and simply exudes coolness. How can you not love the guy? --------------------------------------------------------------- ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- NEOFIO ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- A living flower. Think Peco, but with radishes instead of onions. She's what you might call "utterly adorable," but unfortunately "adorable" isn't the same thing as "skilled in combat." --------------------------------------------------------------- WEAPON: Glove INNATE: Green ORIGIN: Viper Manor (Another) OCCUPATION: A 'Flower Child' BUILD: Undefinable RACE: Demihuman AGE: 5 GENDER: F DEXTERITY: Omnidextrous HANGS OUT: Hermit's Hideaway (Home) --------------------------------------------------------------- L.3: PopPopPop - Shoot itty-bitty, teensy-weensy lady-like bullet seeds at all enemies. L.5: SlurpSlurp - Shoot roots at the enemy to suck their life force. Yum! L.7: BamBamBam - Smack an enemy into the ground repeatedly. L.7 Found: Help the butterfly that the Land Octopus at Another Sky Dragon Island is trying to catch. FOUND: Viper Mansion (Another) CONDITIONS: Place the Life Sparkle in the pond on the upper-level balcony. --------------------------------------------------------------- Comments: Forthcoming. --------------------------------------------------------------- ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- NIKKI (SLASH) ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Nikki's name was Slash in Japanese, but thanks to the wacky-fun Slash/Flea/Ozzie trio in CT, his name was changed to Nikki (presumably because it's cloyingly cutesy when he hangs with Miki, and because there was a hair metal singer named Nikki Sixx once upon a time, thus keeping the musical theme). I'm mad about this whole name-thing, because now all of my Slash jokes sound stupid. --------------------------------------------------------------- WEAPON: Pick INNATE: Blue ORIGIN: S.S. Zelbess OCCUPATION: Rockin' Bard Superstar BUILD: Thin RACE: Half-demi-human AGE: 18 GENDER: M DEXTERITY: Left-handed --------------------------------------------------------------- L.3: GrandFinale - Headbangs at the enemy. Apparently they die laughing; then he smacks his guitar over their heads. L.5: ChillOut - Nikki puts an enemy on ice. He's sooooo cool! Sugoi!! L.7: ShockNoise - Nikki's music becomes so terrible that the enemy is stricken with pain. L.& Found: Have the two Nikkis meet up and chat. Kakkoii!! ^^ FOUND: In forest east of Termina (Another). CONDITIONS: Speak to his entourage at the boat in Termina first. Witness the event with Miki. Help Nikki in the forest and give him affirmative replies in the waterfall cave. --------------------------------------------------------------- Comments: Nothing special. He's pretty goofy in combat, and doesn't have any real strengths or weaknesses. --------------------------------------------------------------- ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- NORRIS (ISHITO) ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Norris seems sort of waifish and insubstantial, but somehow he's managed to work his way up in the ranks of the Porre army. He's one of those swell guys with a heart of gold and suchlike, with morals that fly in the face of the actions of his brothers in arms. --------------------------------------------------------------- WEAPON: Gun INNATE: Yellow ORIGIN: Porre, Zenan (Home) OCCUPATION: 'Black Wind' Leader BUILD: Average RACE: Human AGE: 26 GENDER: M DEXTERITY: Right-handed --------------------------------------------------------------- L.3: SpiralBeam - Fires a spiral beams of energy. L.5: Sunshower - Fires a beam of energy into the sky, which lands on the enemy with extra punch. L.7: FullShot - A super-duper strong attack. Yowza! L.7 Found: Have Norris speak to his counterpart in Another world. FOUND: Dungeon beneath Lynx's mansion (Home). CONDITIONS: Automatic. --------------------------------------------------------------- Comments: As you might expect from a soldier (even one that looks like a sissy), Norris is a good combatant. His special attacks are pretty strong, and while he doesn't really excel at any one aspect of combat, he's a good all-rounder and helps fill out your party adequately. --------------------------------------------------------------- ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- ORCHA (OCHA) ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- A large, bare-chested chef. What is it with Japanese games and warrior chefs, anyway? But hey, if you think HE looks like a goof, wait'll you get a load of FFIX's take on the theme. --------------------------------------------------------------- WEAPON: Utensils INNATE: Red ORIGIN: Guldove (Another) OCCUPATION: Fiery Cook BUILD: Chubby RACE: Human AGE: 44 GENDER: M DEXTERITY: Right-handed --------------------------------------------------------------- L.3: SpiceOfLife - Orcha heals the party. L.5: MysteryMenu - Orcha pretends to be Quina Quen. L.7: DinnerGuest - Gargamel beware when Orcha goes smurfy! L.7 Found: Have him talk to his brother, the chef in Arni (Home). FOUND: Lynx's manor (Another). CONDITIONS: Defeat his evil form to rescue Riddel and allow him to join. --------------------------------------------------------------- Comments: A character I frankly don't care about. You want more description? Tough tookie. --------------------------------------------------------------- ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- ORLHA ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Despite the fact that she wears armor which protects everything but her heart (to show off her cleavage, y'see), she's a sensible fighter who can kick butt and take names. Though there's a sad bit of history in her family's past. --------------------------------------------------------------- WEAPON: Glove INNATE: Blue ORIGIN: Guldove OCCUPATION: Gladiatrix Barkeep BUILD: Muscular RACE: Human AGE: 24 GENDER: F DEXTERITY: Right-handed --------------------------------------------------------------- L.3: MultiPunch - Beats down an enemy with multiple hits. Thus the name. GEDDIT!? L.5: PunchDrunk - Orhla bobs and weaves in an irregular fashion, striking an enemy. L.7: SisterHoods - Orlha and her missing sister team up for a dual attack. Hurts so good, baby. L.7 Found: Speak to Doc (Another). FOUND: The bar at Guldove (Another). CONDITIONS: Defeat her when she attacks you while Porre troops are in the area. Once you've fulfilled her requirements, come back and return the brooch she gave you. --------------------------------------------------------------- Comments: Orlha's cool. She's not as strong as Leah, but dogonnit, she's got style. Her innate skills are respectably clobber-some, and she has decent stats all around. And cleavage! --------------------------------------------------------------- ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- PEPPOR & SOLT SHAKER (SUGAR & SALTON) ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Karsh's bumbling henchmen. The Biggs and Wedge of Chrono Cross? Could be... These guys aren't playable, but they deserve a salute nevertheless. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- PIERRE ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- If you choose Pierre for your party instead of Guile, you're either very brave or very stupid. He's what you call a "joke character." Like Chrono Trigger's Tata, he's a wuss who seems to think owning a hero's medal makes him a hero rather than simply a schmuck with a hero's medal. --------------------------------------------------------------- WEAPON: Sword INNATE: Blue ORIGIN: Termina (Another) OCCUPATION: Self-Proclaimed Hero BUILD: Weakling RACE: Human AGE: 23 GENDER: M DEXTERITY: Right-handed --------------------------------------------------------------- L.3: Medalsome - Pierre holds his shiny badge aloft to restore a meager amount of HP to himself. L.5: FoiledAgain - Pierre actually manages to deliver a decent amount of damage with this double-strike technique. L.7: SlapOfCyrus - Pierre uses a skill made famous by Cyrus. Or tries to, anyway. L.7: Give Pierre ze Prop Sword, mon ami. FOUND: In back room of Zappa's Smithy, Termina (Another). CONDITIONS: Give him the badge proffered by the boy in the training yard directly outside Pierre's home. --------------------------------------------------------------- Comments: OK, Pierre's a joke, but he's an amusing sort. I wouldn't brave his path until New Game+ though.... --------------------------------------------------------------- ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- PIP (TUMALU) ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Pip is a genetically engineered fighting machine wrapped in a Pokemon's skin. Or something like that. Pip can somehow evolve over the course of the game, like a Tamagotchi. The types of magic used in combat determine Pip's final form. I HIGHLY recommend checking out boko-kun's incredibly comprehensive guide on the topic; it will tell you more than you thought you could ever know about the little pompadour-bedecked puffball. --------------------------------------------------------------- WEAPON: Glove INNATE: White ORIGIN: Viper Manor Lab (Another) OCCUPATION: Guinea Pig Experiment BUILD: Unknown RACE: Sentient Beast AGE: Unknown GENDER: M DEXTERITY: Dominant Paw Unknown --------------------------------------------------------------- L.3: Pounce - Tail-launched attack. Zounds! L.5: Soothe - Mugu mugu? Heals entire party. L.7: Pounce+4 - Plain ol' Pip HeavenCalls - Archangel Pip Hell'sFury - Archdevil Pip CanonCannon - Archetype Pip FOUND: Fargo's ship (Another). CONDITIONS: Catch and speak to it in the ship during the Ghost Ship event. --------------------------------------------------------------- Comments: I haven't experimented with Pip's transformational skills, but apparently his value in combat rises dramatically as you change him. According to boko-kun's FAQ, the Angel type is a superlative mage while the Devil type rules as a fighter. Like Sprigg, Pip becomes more useful the longer he fights. --------------------------------------------------------------- ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- POSHUL ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Sort of a cross between Barkley the dog from Sesame Street and Tails from Sonic. And Thylvethter the Cat. --------------------------------------------------------------- WEAPON: Glove INNATE: Yellow ORIGIN: Arni (Home/Another) OCCUPATION: The 'Wonder Dog' ??? BUILD: Roly-Poly RACE: Sentient Pooch AGE: Unknown GENDER: F DEXTERITY: Dominant Paw Unknown --------------------------------------------------------------- L.3: K9-Ball - Poshul bounces up to an enemy and whacks 'em. L.5: DoggyDunnit - Those poo-burying instincts take over as Poshul kicks up a sandstorm. L.7: Unleashed - Poshul's Pretty Miracle Power X kicks in when she whips off her collar and weilds it at the foe. L.7 Found: Speak with Leena at the docks (Home). FOUND: In west section of Arni Village (Home). CONDITIONS: Give her the Heckran Bone and she'll offer her "Pretty Miracle Power X!" to help you. If you pass her by and recruit Leena, Poshul will join with Leena - no Heckran Bone required. --------------------------------------------------------------- Comments: I'm not a big Poshul fan, but hey. If you're into cute, bounding fluffballs, here ya go. Incidentally, she has the second-highest attack power for the early portions of the game, if that makes any difference to you. As a matter of trivia, Poshul is the only character who can be recruited in either dimension (but not both, 'K?). --------------------------------------------------------------- ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- RADIUS ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- The chief of Arni VIllage. He seems to have a number of connections, thanks to his former ties to the army. In Another world, he lives alone on a distant island. --------------------------------------------------------------- WEAPON: Staff INNATE: Green ORIGIN: Zenan Mainland (Home) OCCUPATION: Arni Village Chief BUILD: Thin RACE: Human AGE: 62 GENDER: M DEXTERITY: Right-handed --------------------------------------------------------------- L.3: LongShot - Uses his staff to project a blast of energy at the enemy. L.5: QuickDraw - Similar to Serge's Dash Attack. L.7: VitalEnergy - Similar to Viper's Air Force, but, uh, more geezerly. FOUND: Arni Village (Home). CONDITIONS: Defeat him in combat after failing to activate the warp on the beach. --------------------------------------------------------------- Comments: Well, he's sort of weak, like you'd probably expect from an old geezer. But he's not a total embarrassment, so you won't rip out your hair during the sections of the game where he has to tag along. --------------------------------------------------------------- ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- RAZZLY ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Razzly is delicate and dimunitive, and ohh sooo kawaaaiiii ^_^;; Sadly for her, she's been blown by the wind to land far from her home on Water Dragon Isle. --------------------------------------------------------------- WEAPON: Rod INNATE: Green ORIGIN: Water Dragon Island (Home) OCCUPATION: A lost fairy BUILD: Tiny RACE: Faerie AGE: Unknown GENDER: F DEXTERITY: --------------------------------------------------------------- L.3: Raz-Star - A really freaking huge star smacks an enemy. L.5: Raz-Heart - Like the Razzly Star, but with a big heart. L.7: Raz-Flower - Shields allies, similar to Harle's L.5. L.7 Found: If Rosetta dies after the Ice Breath quest (i.e., if Razzly is in your character list, but not in your active party), you will receive this skill by searching the tree that begins to grow in the faerie village. Or something like that. The specifics comprise one of CC's greatest mysteries. FOUND: In Hydra Marsh, beneath the fungal platform (Home). CONDITIONS: Unlock her cage and defeat the land kraken if you take the Hydra Marsh quest to heal Kid. You gots to save her before you fight the PentaPus or she's mollusk meal. --------------------------------------------------------------- Comments: Razzly is extremely weak to Yellow attacks and has poor defense and HP ratings. But her magic rocks, so she's not a total loss. --------------------------------------------------------------- ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- RIDDEL ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Riddel is everybody's sweetheart. She's demure, delicate, and any other feminine adjectives you can think of that start with D. She's also dismally wussy, but her magic sort of makes up for it. --------------------------------------------------------------- WEAPON: Rod INNATE: White ORIGIN: El Nido (Another) OCCUPATION: Lady of El Nido Manor BUILD: Slender RACE: Human AGE: 24 GENDER: F DEXTERITY: Right-handed --------------------------------------------------------------- L.3: SnakeEyes - Restores HP to entire party L.5: SnakeSkin - Riddel casts a protective shell upon an ally. L.7: WhiteSnakeSeal - Recharges a bucket o' Elements. L.7 Found: Defeat Dario. FOUND: On the Solitary Island (Another). CONDITIONS: Accept her as a member of your party after rescuing her from the Porre troops in Viper's mansion. --------------------------------------------------------------- Comments: Repeat after me: "weak, weak, weak!" That being said, her magic is anything BUT weak. Unfortunately, she's a compulsory character for the hardest fight in the game, but you may learn to like her anyway. --------------------------------------------------------------- ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- SKELLY (SKARLL) ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- When Serge assembles a party, he literally assembles a party! Skelly is nothing more than a skull when you meet him, but if you locate all of his body parts, you will be able to recruit him as a party member - simultaneously macabre and goofy. --------------------------------------------------------------- WEAPON: Glove INNATE: Black ORIGIN: Zenan Mainland (Another) OCCUPATION: Skeleton Clown BUILD: Boney RACE: Former human AGE: 32 GENDER: M DEXTERITY: Left-handed --------------------------------------------------------------- L.3: JugglerVein - Bubbly balls attack the enemy. L.5: BalloonLoan - Annihilates an enemy with compound interest. No, wait - a balloon heals him and boosts his attack power, making him an almost decent fighter. L.7: OnARoll - Rolls on a giant ball toward the enemy. Scary. L.7: Visit the bar in Termina (Another). FOUND: All over the place CONDITIONS: Find his body parts and take them to the old lady at the upper right of Termina's main square (Another). --------------------------------------------------------------- Comments: For all the trouble it takes to recruit Skelly, he's pretty lame. Oh well - he's funny, so if you want to make a party with him and Mojo, have a field day. Don't expect to win any battles, though... --------------------------------------------------------------- ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- SNEFF ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- A talented stage magician and a poor gambler. He makes his living entertaining visitors at the Zelbess. He's also freakin' UGLY. --------------------------------------------------------------- WEAPON: Cards/Shot INNATE: Green ORIGIN: S.S. Zelbess (Home) OCCUPATION: Aged Illusionist BUILD: Ordinary RACE: Human AGE: 58 GENDER: M DEXTERITY: Left-handed --------------------------------------------------------------- L.3: BigDeal - Snef hits an enemy with a barrage of cards. L.5: HPShuffle - Snef shuffles his cards to determine his HP - anywhere from 000 to 999. L.7: SwordTrick - Practices unsafe magic by stuffing enemy into a box and ramming swords into it. FOUND: In the dressing room of the Zelbess. CONDITIONS: Speak to him after returning to human form. --------------------------------------------------------------- Comments: If only we could tap into Snef's colossal ugliness as a source of power... unfortunately, he's a bit worthless. His HP Shuffle skill can come in handy at times, and it can also suck massively. --------------------------------------------------------------- ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- SPRIGG (SPRIGGAN) ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- An ancient creature of the woods who can mimic other monsters. Or as the in-game text says, a lovable old lady. Er, yeah. --------------------------------------------------------------- WEAPON: Staff INNATE: Green ORIGIN: Dimension Vortex OCCUPATION: Lovable Old Lady BUILD: Dwarfish RACE: Demihuman AGE: 227 GENDER: F DEXTERITY: Left-handed --------------------------------------------------------------- L.3: (no L.3 skill) L.5: Doppelgang - Sprigg transforms into another kind of monster. Most of her choices are pretty weak, but they may improve as he defeats new enemies, sort of like a Blue Mage. To acquire new Morphs, Sprigg has to be the one to deliver the killing blow. OR, someone wearing the Forget-Me-Not Pot has to do the deadly deed instead. L.7: (no L.7 skill) FOUND: In the Dimension Vortex. CONDITIONS: Sneak into her hut when she runs to grab the fruit from the tree above. She will join automatically when you exit. --------------------------------------------------------------- Comments: While Sprigg starts out pretty weak, she acquires new Morph skills every time she kills an enemy (she has to deliver the final blow). You can also have other characters teach her new skills if that person makes a killing blow while wearing the cap you discover in Chronopolis. Additionally, there are a couple of special enemies in New Game+ mode who can be mimicked by her as well... The more you use Sprigg, the better she gets. The Bend of Time is her friend. --------------------------------------------------------------- ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- STARKY (STARCHILD) ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Starky crash-landed his spacecraft, the Hutch, in the middle of the El Nido Triangle. Now he grows to giant size and beats up people who find the debris of his ship. --------------------------------------------------------------- WEAPON: Gun INNATE: White ORIGIN: Another Planet (Home) OCCUPATION: A Stray 'Gray' BUILD: Alien RACE: Alien AGE: Unknown GENDER: M DEXTERITY: Ambidextrous --------------------------------------------------------------- L.3: StarLight - Sentai fun! L.5: StarBurst - Sentai fun with more powerful! EX+Alpha! L.7: MeteorZap - Even of more Sentai fun! Go! Go! L.7: Check his spaceship again (Another). FOUND: Sky Dragon Island (Home). CONDITIONS: Following the Vortex scenario, find the Star Fragment, then visit Sky Dragon Island (Another) and defeat the massive alien that attacks. --------------------------------------------------------------- Comments: Starky's not so bad, but he's not so great either. Another cutesy fighter to round out your party o' cuddliness. Does all this vagueness give you the hint I don't use Starky much? --------------------------------------------------------------- ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- STEENA ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- By the great dragon gods! This lady looks like Dazzler. In Another World she's the assistant shrine maiden in Guldove, but in Serge's Home World her ambitions helped bump off that annoying Direa lady so Steena could rise to the top. --------------------------------------------------------------- WEAPON: Sword INNATE: White ORIGIN: Guldove (Home) OCCUPATION: Shrine Maiden BUILD: Tall & Slender RACE: Human AGE: 24 GENDER: F DEXTERITY: Right-handed --------------------------------------------------------------- L.3: DireaShadow - Direa is dead, dead, deader than disco dead in the Home dimension, but she still kicks butt. L.5: HydraShadow - the spirit of a Hydra attacks the enemy. L.5 Found: Defeat the Hydra Frame (Another). L.7: GaraiShadow - And now for some real cleansing action: summon Garai and say good-bye to tough enemy stains! L.7: Return to where you defeated Garai (Home). FOUND: Guldove (Another) CONDITIONS: Speak to her after completing the Dragon crest quest. You will need the six-slotted amulet to enter her tent. --------------------------------------------------------------- Comments: Great mage; pitiful fighter. Well, no, compared to Riddel she downright rocks. You acquire her rather late in the game, so you probably won't get much use out of her. --------------------------------------------------------------- ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- TURNIP (KABU) ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- He looks like an egg, but Kabu is a turnip. As you might expect from a tiny walking vegetable, he really really really really sucks. --------------------------------------------------------------- WEAPON: Sword INNATE: Green ORIGIN: Hermit's Hideout (Home) OCCUPATION: A Total Vegetable BUILD: Round RACE: Demihuman AGE: 3 GENDER: M DEXTERITY: Right-rhizomed --------------------------------------------------------------- L.3: VegeChopper - Jump and slam. The tables are turned when vegetables begin to pare humans. L.5: VegeMight - Turnip pretends to be the gopher from Caddyshack. Do not use this attack vs. Bill Murray. L.7: VegOut - A gigantic Tunip head appears. I don't know how the attack ends, because I turn off my PSX when the big Turnip appears. So scared ;_; L.7 Found: Take Turnip and Fio to the balcony of Viper Manor (Another). FOUND: The solitary island (Home) CONDITIONS: Use Lucca's Ice Gun on the bare patch of ground outside Radius' hut. Then return to the same place in the Home world and pull up the sprout. You may need Poshul to help unearth Turnip. --------------------------------------------------------------- Comments: I don't really see much use for this guy. Considering it's impossible to get him until the very end of the game, you'd expect him to have amazing stats. But no... he sucks. --------------------------------------------------------------- ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- UNA ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Leena's kid sister (brother? this kid is creepily androgynous), who carries around a sack of laundry or something. Not recruitable. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- VAN (BANCLIFFE) ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- A boy after my own heart: a sarcastic, cynical artist. Unlike me, though, he's actually useful in combat, thanks in large part to the fact that he's one of the games very few boomerang users. --------------------------------------------------------------- WEAPON: Boomerang INNATE: Green ORIGIN: Termina (Home) OCCUPATION: Penny-wise Artist BUILD: Smallish RACE: Human AGE: 14 GENDER: M DEXTERITY: Left-handed --------------------------------------------------------------- L.3: JumpThrow - Two boomerangs converge on an enemy. L.5: WetPaint - Flings paint into the air, causing the field effect to become a single random color. L.7: PiggyBoink - Flings a piggy bank at the enemy. The more G you've put into his bank at home, the more damage it does (and the more likely it is to break). FOUND: Termina (Home) CONDITIONS: Speak to him in his home. --------------------------------------------------------------- Comments: Not much of a fighter, but his skills are solid. Additionally, his strong basic attack hits all enemies, which is a useful trick. --------------------------------------------------------------- ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- VIPER (JYAKOTU) ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- This guy looks like a geriatric version of Alucard. He's the beloved lord of the EL Nido archipelago, and a former warrior who once fought alongside Zappa and Radius. Unlike Radius, though, Viper still kicks butt. --------------------------------------------------------------- WEAPON: Sword INNATE: Yellow ORIGIN: El Nido (Another) OCCUPATION: Lord of El Nido BUILD: Solid RACE: Human AGE: 57 GENDER: M DEXTERITY: Right-handed --------------------------------------------------------------- L.3: G-Force - leaps into the air and slams the enemy with a sword attack. L.5: AirForce - smacks an entire enemy party with a chi attack. Or something. L.7: FlagOfViper - The flag of El Nido gives everyone a tingly, patriotic sensation and restores their HP. L.7 Found: Take him to Termina's Bar (Home). FOUND: On Zelbess (Another). CONDITIONS: Rescue and recruit Riddel. --------------------------------------------------------------- Comments: A pretty solid character with decent physical stats (less decent magic stats, though). A good choice for most situations. --------------------------------------------------------------- ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- WAZUKI (NPC) ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Serge's father, who disappeared at sea with Miguel. ZAPPA ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- A brawny blacksmith living in Termina. Weasels ripped his flesh.... RRRZZZ! Ye ken? Even if you never use Zappa in combat, you'll want to have him for the fact that he can help forge Prism equipment. --------------------------------------------------------------- WEAPON: Hammer INNATE: Red ORIGIN: Zenan Mainland (Home) OCCUPATION: Obstinate Blacksmith BUILD: Solid RACE: Human AGE: 52 GENDER: M DEXTERITY: Right-handed --------------------------------------------------------------- L.3: Hammerblow - Zappa clobbers an enemy with his hammer. L.5: Hammerthrow - Zappa spins into the enemy party. L.7: BallsOfIron - *giggle* Sorry, I can't take this skill seriously with that name. FOUND: In Termina at the Smithy. CONDITIONS: Speak to him in the Home version of Termina. --------------------------------------------------------------- Comments: Pretty strong. He's worth recruiting for the Spirit Smith alone, but he's no slouch in combat either. What d'ya expect from a man with BALLS OF IRON? OK, I'll stop now. --------------------------------------------------------------- ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- ZOAH ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- HE WEARS LITTLE MORE THAN BRIEFS AND A HELMET, BUT HE STILL MANAGES... ack, that's getting old. Ahem: he still manages to having an incredibly strong constitution. Not as powerful an attacker as you might expect, but his body is about as durable as a slab of (half-naked) granite. --------------------------------------------------------------- WEAPON: Glove INNATE: Yellow ORIGIN: El Nido (Another) OCCUPATION: Once of the 4 Devas BUILD: Mammoth RACE: Human AGE: 28 GENDER: M DEXTERITY: Right-handed --------------------------------------------------------------- L.3: DragonRider - Zoah charges an enemy on Dragonback. L.5: Gyronimo - Zoah spins into the air and crashes down on an enemy. L.7: Toss&Spike - Hits an enemy with a lighting attack. L.7: Check the chest in his room with Zoah at the front of the party. FOUND: In Termina (Another) or Solitary Island (Another). CONDITIONS: Automatic; chose him in Termina or he'll join later. --------------------------------------------------------------- Comments: Very reminscent of Karsh, but he seems to be weaker than Karsh as well. Go figure. --------------------------------------------------------------- ---------------------------------------------- ---------------------------------------------- PART VI: FAQS Here are some of the most frequent questions I've received - yeah, there are SPOILERS here. Careful now! -- 1. GENERAL FAQS --------------------------- a. WHERE CAN I FIND THE ENGLISH VERSION OF CHRONO CROSS? ------------------------------------------------------------------------ ------- Check a local store, unless you live in Europe, in which case you'll have to import it. You have my sympathy. b. SO WHERE DO I GET THE JAPANESE VERSION? ------------------------------------------------------------------------ ------- I bought mine at Tronix (http://www.tronixweb.com), but there are many other importers of varying reputability out there - www.ncsx.com, www.buyrite1.com, www.animenation.com, www.gamecave.com, and so on and so forth. Remember that you need a Playstation capable of playing imports! c. DOES CHRONO CROSS HAVE MOD-CHIP LOCKOUT PROTECTION? ------------------------------------------------------------------------ ------- No, it doesn't. Maybe Square is getting smart and realizing that the lockouts do nothing to curtail piracy, but simply annoy and inconvenience the importers who typically are their biggest fans. Wouldn't it be weird if a gaming company actually took its customers into consideration for once? d. HOW MANY DISCS IS CHRONO CROSS? ------------------------------------------------------------------------ ------- Two. While it has fewer cinematics than Final Fantasy VIII, there's still a ton of gameplay, so don't worry about getting a Parasite Eve-length game with just two discs. e. WHAT NAMES HAVE BEEN CHANGED BETWEEN THE JAPANESE AND U.S. VERSIONS? ------------------------------------------------------------------------ ------- Here a list of Japanese characters and place names with their English counterparts. If you happen to come across a mistaken name that I forgot to change, this is why. Tukiyomi Harle Yamaneko Lynx Starchild Starky Slash Nikki Lutianna Luccia Bancliffe Van Alf Guile Lord Jyakotu Lord Viper Ridel Riddel Sugar Peppor Salton Solt Lucky Dan Mojo Jillbert Greco Rena Leena Grenn Glenn Ocha Orcha Norris Norris Jyanes Janice Dragonchild Draggy Gyaradun Grobyc Lazully Razzly Cape of Howling Wind Cape Howl Tokage Rock Lizard Rock Gardov Guldove Mabure Marbule Shadow Cut Woods Shadow Forest Death Volcano Mt. Pyre Palepori Porre -- 2. GAMEPLAY FAQS -------------------------- a. I DID SOMETHING TOTALLY DIFFERENT THAN WHAT YOUR GUIDE SAYS. DIFFERENT EVENTS, DIFFERENT CHARACTERS. WHAT GIVES? ------------------------------------------------------------------------ ------- Chrono Cross has branching gameplay paths, so you can do many different things during the game. I've marked all the places that spawn branches with a warning, so you'll know. Remember, you don't have to play in the order I've written things up - one of the more enjoyable aspects of Chrono Cross is that you're rarely forced into situations or sequences, but rather have the freedom to move about as you desire. b. WHY DOES MY TV GET ALL FLICKERY WHEN I GO TO THE MENU SCREEN? ------------------------------------------------------------------------ ------- The menu screen uses PlayStation's 640x480 pixel interlaced high-resolution mode, which means everything looks nice (check the Status menu character models - mmm, Dreamcast-quality) but the refresh rate is weird. At least the English menu screen text is readable; I thought I was going to go blind trying to read the teensy hi-res Japanese text. c. IS IT POSSIBLE TO ACQUIRE CHARACTERS YOU'VE MISSED LATER ON? IS IT POSSIBLE TO HAVE ALL 44 CHARACTERS IN ONE PLAY-THROUGH? ------------------------------------------------------------------------ ------- Some characters can be acquired later in the game if you miss them at first. However, there are certain either/or sets of characters in the game. There IS a way to acquire all the characters, but only in New Game+ mode. The following are the "character sets": SET ONE ----------------------------------------------- Either: Guile Or: Nikki Or: Pierre SET TWO ----------------------------------------------- Either: Glenn Or: Korcha Macha Razzly Doc Mel Basically, you're given a choice between sets each time you play and have to choose the characters from one column of each set (determined by the story branch you choose). You CAN merge a previous game's party into your current party in New Game+ mode by traveling to the Dimension Vortex with the Time Egg and visiting the shrine there. I haven't tried it yet, but I've heard it even allows you to fight the Dragon God with Harle, or to have Kid through the middle portion of the game. No promises, though. d. DOES CHRONO CROSS HAVE MULTIPLE ENDINGS? ------------------------------------------------------------------------ ------- Yes... I know of several. There are others - refer to Zane Merritt's Chrono Cross Ending FAQ at http://www.gamefaqs.com for further details (or at least until I find them myself; I've avoided spoiing them for myself, because extra endings are the best part!). e. DOES CHRONO CROSS HAVE A NEW GAME+ MODE? ------------------------------------------------------------------------ ------- Yes, although you cannot keep your characters or Summons in New Game+ mode. You have to locate them all over again. f. WHAT IS A TRAP ELEMENT? ------------------------------------------------------------------------ ------- A Trap Element not only prevents a specific Element from being used, but also allows you to acquire that particular skill if an enemy uses it. Traps are the ONLY way to acquire certain high-level skills, particularly Summons. Unfortunately, you can only use a Trap once, although there is a shop that sells them later in the game. g. WHAT KIND OF COMBO ATTACKS ARE THERE BESIDES X-STRIKE? ------------------------------------------------------------------------ ------- Quite a few. To find Combos, try combining characters who have complimentary story roles or natural relationships. h. HOW DO I REPLENISH MY STARS? ------------------------------------------------------------------------ ------- Sleep. Go to an Inn or anywhere else where you can rest and recover and your Stars will be recharged. Handy, eh? i. WHERE DO I FIND ALL OF SKELLY'S BONES? ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- There are six parts to Skelly. Here are their locations (all are in Another): Heavy Skull........... Fossile Valley, near the dragon skull. Good Spine............ Found hidden in a shallow cave in Hydra Marsh. Bone Fragments........ In the cave on the Island of the Damned. Angry Scapulas........ Found beneath the waterfall in Shadow woods where you can meet Nikki. Sturdy Ribs........... Found in the Water Dragon Isle. Pelvic Bone........... Acquired from the Element trader in Guldove, right outside Doc's hut. j. HOW DO I CREATE PRISM GEAR? ------------------------------------------------------------------------ ------- It's tricky, but Hot Pepper (jolee@exchange.ursinus.edu) passed along the following tips to acquiring Prism gear: First you have to buy master's hammer after (event spoiler omitted). After that get Zappa to equip it and talk to other Zappa in Another. He will learn the way to make the best weapons and armors. The components to make them are very rare...in fact you have make them. Whenever you kill monsters with summoned monster, you will get the upgrade item that has the same element with the summoned monster you used. you will need every kinds element items for any weapon you are going to make. These special items are called "shiny elements" in English, and to forge Prism gear you need shiny elements of every color. You will sometimes, but not always, acquire shiny elements after using a Summon Element in combat. You can find much more information on this near the beginning of this FAQ, or in CB!'s Character FAQ. k. WHAT DOES THE RELIEF CHARM DO? ------------------------------------------------------------------------ ------- In New Game+ mode, the Relief Charm allows you to use characters besides Serge in combat. Serge will still appear on the exploration screens, but in battle the character you replace him with will fight in his stead. l. WHAT'S THIS ABOUT A CHRONO TRIGGER REMAKE? ------------------------------------------------------------------------ ------- About a month before Chrono Cross was released in Japan, Square reissued Chrono Trigger for Playstation. Like Final Fantasy Anthology, it's largely emulated rather than reprogrammed, but unlike FFA it has barely any slowdown and battle transitions are extremely quick. Additionally, there are several anime scenes added to the beginning, the end and - gasp! - throughout the game. Much to the world's amazement, Square decided to shore up their sorry excuse for a mid-2001 release list with this remake, repackaged with a retranslated Final Fantasy IV as "Final Fantasy Chronicle." The US version is a bit buggier than the Japanese, but it's still the same old game you know and love with a few new anime scenes and a couple of minor text differences. And endings. Go play it, kids. -- 3. STORY FAQS (MAJOR SPOILERS) ------------- Hi kids, I've bumped all the story FAQs into a my Flashback Guide. Refer to version 2 of that for the dirt. ---------------------------------------------- ---------------------------------------------- PART VII: ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS, ETC. A. REVISION HISTORY -------------------------- Rev. 2.0: Trim, slim, and DONE. Don't ever mention this guide to me again. As far as I'm concerned it never happened. Rev. 1.9.6: A year after disaowing all knowledge of this guide, I've decided to dust it off, trim it down and make it suck less. To this end, I've begun removing redundant information, like the flashbacks (available in my Flashbacks Guide) and the bestiary, which can be found in a billion other guides. Expect more trimming and tucking once I finish my Klonoa guide. Rev. 1.9.5: Sept. 23, 2000 I finally got off my lazy butt to do corrections. MASSIVE thanks to CB! for some much-needed editing. If you see weird words like "gank" and such, it's probably her fault. All equipment charts complete. Fully reorganized the walkthrough by chapter names. Table of contents now reflects actual sections. Guide no longer completely sucks. Character descrioptions rewritten. Some useless stuff trimmed out to save space. Rev. 1.9.4: Sept. 1, 2000 Unreleased version; changed format on enemy data Rev. 1.9.3: August 27, 2000 Tons added to the charts. Charts reformatted. While the new format may or may not be nicer-looking than the old format, it's MUCH easier to read, and that's all that matters. Rev. 1.9.2: August 24, 2000 More info added. Rev. 1.9.1: August 20, 2000 Lots o' chart data added. Big thanks to Ed McGlothlin for his magnifantastical work on the Steal list. Corrected many names. Rev. 1.9: August 18, 2000 Having BLOWN THROUGH this game like a man possessed, I've made massive revisions to the walkthrough. Still bringing it up to speed, so it's far from done. Also added Flashback Points for those poor souls who have never experienced Chrono Trigger. Rev. 1.5: July 21, 2000 Major, major improvements and additions being made - I'm so cool. The FAQ has bloomed from 340 K to about 420 K in the past few revs. Yowza. Part of that is my refined formatting style, which should make things much easier to read than they were before. Hey, it's a learning experience. Rev. 1.4: July 17, 2000 I'm beginning to go back and clear up nagging details and inaccuracies to make the transition to the English version easier. OY! Rev. 1.3.3: July 7, 2000 Made some corrections for some stupid errors in the last rev. This is the last update until the English version comes out. Also added comments on character strengths and weaknesses. Rev. 1.3.2: July 6, 2000 Fine tuning; final update before US release. Finally added info on Macha's branch and the Frost Breath quest. A few more English names added, including confirmation of a certain sword's name... Rev. 1.3.1: June 23, 2000 More name corrections thanks to my Deep Throat contact. Rev. 1.3: June 21, 2000 Started changing Japanese names to English (Lynx, Starkey, Luccia, etc.) Tune-ups, corrections, etc. Rev. 1.2.1: Jan. 16, 2000 Slowly, slowly translating names and places Corrected Mash's name (formerly Kinoko) Added OST track listings Rev. 1.2: Jan. 10, 1999 Little bits-n-pieces Rev. 1.1: Dec. 29, 1999 General revisions Rev. 1.0.1: Dec. 19, 1999 Added more on New Game+ Minor corrections Added "My Party" information Rev. 1.0: Dec. 18, 1999 Added final section of walkthrough Future revisions will be less frequent and less substantial! Moved FAQs to the end to minimize spoiler damage Corrected some names Rev. 0.6.1: Dec. 13, 1999 Added walkthrough for the burning house Major Element list overhaul Added info on how to get Orlha to join Rev. 0.6: Dec. 12, 1999 Added some info on Dario and the Jinjirx Began Disc Two walkthrough Rev. 0.5.2: Dec. 8, 1999 Made a few important corrections (esp. the Green Dragon guide) Added what to do after acquiring the six Dragon crests Rev. 0.5.1: Dec. 6, 1999 Added info on how to find Kinoko Detailed quest for the 6 Dragons (Part P) Rev. 0.5: Dec. 3, 1999 Added Part O to the walkthrough Added detailed strategy for the Grand Slam Added FAQs and Gameplay tips Revised a lot of information everywhere! Rev. 0.4.2: Dec. 1, 1999 Added Vortex walkthrough Added info on Starky and DragonChild Corrected Harle's name (d'oh!) Rev. 0.4.1: Nov. 29, 1999 Additional walkthrough information Rev. 0.4: Nov. 28, 1999 Huge walkthrough update Large character update with reformatting Rev. 0.3.4: Nov. 23, 1999 Hydra Marsh quest walkthrough added Various data updated Rev. 0.3.3: Nov. 22, 1999 Post-mansion odds and ends Characters updated, list moved to end of FAQ Rev. 0.3.2: Nov. 21, 1999 Further information on Nikki's branch Rev. 0.3.1: Nov. 21, 1999 Added walkthrough for Lynx's mansion Added walkthrough for Pierre's branch Magic data reformatted; changed class-type names Rev. 0.3: Nov. 20, 1999 Added to walkthrough Character data expanded and revised Update key Items Rev. 0.2: Nov. 19, 1999 Began walkthrough Updated Magic Classes Added new characters Format changes Added information on Menu Screen Added post-battle details Added information on Stars Rev. 0.1: Nov. 18, 1999 Pre-release information B. LINKS ------------------------------------- ToastyFrog Jump! http://www.toastyfrog.com/ A shameless plug. Yet a valid one, for I have much Chrono Cross media and information at my site. Huzzah! The Mojo Fan Club http://www.toastyfrog.com/psi/random_crap/lucky_dan_01.shtml Mojo! Mojo! Join the cult! Now defunct, but still beautiful. Chrono Cross coverage at GIA http://www.gaming-intelligence.com/psx/cc/cc.html Comprehensive information from my close, personal friends at GIA. Go and click their banners a few times - they deserve your love. Tell 'em ToastyFrog sent ya and receive 10% off your first order! Square Soft http://www.squaresoft.com/ Makers of Chrono Cross, Final Fantasy, and the most absolutely annoying webpages to try and navigate. Game Music Online http://www.gamemusic.com They'll be selling the Chrono Cross soundtrack when it's available in December - in the meantime, I recommend the Xenogears OST, also composed by Mitsuda. Compact Disc Database http://www.cddb.com A great place to find import CD tracklistings. Of course, someone has to input the names first. C. MUCHAS GRACIAS ---------------------------- Chrono Cross is the property of Squaresoft, Inc. and will be licensed by Square Electronic Arts LLC in the USA. Everything detailed and described here is theirs. The names and logos and suchlike described in this FAQ (c) and (tm) 1995-1999, Squaresoft, Inc. Big thanks to Tronix (www.tronixweb.com) for getting this game to me quickly and at a fair price. If you're looking to buy it for yourself, Tronix carries my unsolicited recommendation. Credits: - BWA for help deciphering the combo system. - Brian Glick of Gaming Intelligence (www.thegia.com) for help deciphering the combo system and for information on opprtunities in the mansion. - tennin for pointing out the Stamina drain caused by Element attacks. - Zane and Nokusu for help with the Field Effect System. - GameCat for translation advice. A winner is he! Visit his page! - Jonathan V. Bernaldez for pointing out that I'm a careless idiot (although he phrased it more tactfully than that). - Andrew Vestal of Gaming Intelligence (www.thegia.com) for some early pointers as well as some story details. - Robert Estel for a message board post mentioning how to find the switch in the mansion's anteroom. Stupid invisible hotspots... - Exolegacy - For pointing out the alternate path for Nikki. - JL Lee for some corrections and information, and for pointing out my "Chrono Trigger" typo as well as things I've missed. Also for the secret of the Chrono Cross. - Ed S. for the secret of the reaction on the beach. - Strife for info on Freeze Breath. - J.T. Kauffman for a plethora of info, including how to find Leena and Skelly's real (Japanese) name. - Tenoh & James Sheldon for how to acquire DragonChild - Aphel for info about branching paths and Kinoko. - Peter Bartholomew for some corrections and details. - White Tyger for some odds and ends. - Mayo Ibarra for some info on the Lucca scene. - Eric Oei for a good alternate strategy for Dario. - Hot Pepper for info on Kabu, Fio and certain L.7 skills. - David Su (boko_kun@neteze.com) - General info on details. - Adam Ismail (adam.ismail@utoronto.ca) - Gambling cheats. - Alvin Chua (tlchua@brookes.ac.uk) - TONS of L.7 skills discovered. - David Su (boko_kun@neteze.com) - info on status ailments, and other info. - Feryl (feryl@pacific.net.sg) - a bunch of combo attacks - CB! for being such a lovable, cuddly pal. Also, I think some of the info people sent me was ripped off from her Character FAQ, so that deserves mention. - rapier (wade@siliconmagazine.com) for Mojo's new name... - A mysterious stranger with a reviewable copy for lots of info. - Ed McGlothlin (ed@thegia.com) for various things, like the Pilfering tips. - The official game guide, which I have used to double-check names and information (not to gather info, however; this FAQ is copyright-infringement free). Incidentally, the official guide, unlike most, is actually worth buying - it's well-designed and well-written, and seems fairly accurate from what I've seen (barring some typos). - Many other people for small tidbits. Sorry if I've forgotten your name or what you've helped with.. it's hard to keep track with all the feedback I've gotten on this. This FAQ is written by J. Parish, who holds the copyright for this text. It may not be distributed for profit, although you're welcome to distribute it freely so long as the entire FAQ remains intact and I receive my due props. Please do not modify or edit this FAQ in any way, even if you think the lame asides are really annoying. Tiresome as they may be, it makes plagiarism a bit easier to spot (it happens, sad to say). Enjoy!