Tales of Eternia FAQ/Walkthrough for the Sony Playstation by Zhou Tai An (kain@pacific.net.sg) Version 1.1 This is STILL a VERY preliminary version. Only the first parts of the walkthrough have been done, very little system information has been added etc. Expect a lot more and better updates in future. This FAQ right now is basically announcing to people that one is being worked on, it should be pretty damn good when it's done, and help will be appreciated. ^_^ As regards translations, it's the same as all my other FAQs - I will only be doing summaries for the most part, and I will only translate what I deem to be well, worth translating. (Which is basically everything except townsperson dialogue, actually.) ****** Notes : 1) All Face Chats are basically the characters telling you what to do next - useless since you have my guide. ^_^ 2) When I say "same stuff" in Item Shops, I mean the basic list of things you can buy in the first town. If anything new shows up, I will record it. 3) Explanations, lists and stuff are AFTER the walkthrough - check the Contents. ****** Some ramblings before I begin...feel free to skip this if you want, it's just me talking. ^_^ (Before anyone else sends me mail, the Tales series WAS made by Tri-Ace. Although their name is hard to find, they DID aid the Namco people in making the games...in fact, I think they did the majority of the work. So I still consider all of them Tri-Ace games. I mean, how many people know the Phantasy Star and Lunar series of games were made NOT by Sega, but Studio Alex? Same deal.) --- First off, let me start by saying this - I love Tri-Ace. Not love as in "I'm going to marry you" sort of way (though that should be immediately obvious) but love in a "this company produces kick-ass games, they rock" kinda way. And they do. To use a rather picturesque analogy, when my loyalty to Square faltered due to their harsh betrayal, in the long years without good RPGs - they appeared, like a shining light in the darkness. Because yes, I'm actually going to say it (even though I know I will get flamed) - I don't like Square. Once, they were good. Once, their games were everything a gamer desired - graphics, story, music, gameplay and even considerable replay value. Once, they created art where people saw only bits and pixels. They were the heroes, fighting valiantly on in a land where lousy games abounded. Then, Square was pure. Square was holy. How the mighty have fallen. Now, they have sold their artistic talent for money. They hire Tetsuo Nomuras instead of Yoshitaka Amanos (yes, I know Amano still does work for them, but he doesn't have as active a creative hand in the process as before) They produce games with flashy graphics, hoping that they will save them from the dismal lack of story. Their gameplay suffers, becoming ridiculously easy and utilizing weird systems. Even the king of aural bliss, Nobuo Uematsu, no longer evokes the same power as before. (Before you start going ballistic on me, let me say a few things...the piece above is written in that way mainly to keep the flow of the words going. I'll be the first to admit that Square HAS produced quality games in the past few years...but sadly few (Vagrant Story and FFT come to mind) So while you can take what I say with a pinch of salt, remember that I actually believe most of it.) So there I was, bereft of good games to play. Der Langrisser had been satisfying - had been excellent, actually, giving me a look into a good solid, tradtional game. Xenogear's story appeased me for some time. There were some other games which had promise. But I needed more. A great game is like a fine wine...it must be savored, enjoyed. And like any connisseour, I was searching for that rare beverage - that elusive elixer. Then I found it. It was an old game. In fact, it was a remake of a Super Famicom game, but it was considered a classic even then. Standard but pretty graphics, a catchy score, cool gameplay...it was with the realization of it's innovative combat system that it dawned upon me. This was a good game. Then I played somemore. I heard the voice acting, and the funny scenes, and more of the story. No, this was a great game. Well, it was Tales of Phantasia, and it was the game which introduced me to Tri-Ace. It wasn't a revolutionary game...heck, it didn't really that that many new aspects in it. It didn't have super-crisp movies, or a classical soundtrack, or anything really that cool. What it was was an old-school RPG made especially well, and it quickly became one of my favorite games. So began my search for Tri-Ace games. I quickly discovered, along with my newfound respect, things to dislike about them as well. As you play more games, you eventually grow more precise and in some ways finicky...their plot wasn't always good. They sometimes did really weird things with the games. They occasionally needed some graphics and music work. But their characterization was excellent, their voice casting was superb, and most importantly - they were fun. I accepted their faults, and moved on. Then came Valkyrie Profile, and I was converted. I consider that game the single best PSX game in all of creation. I literally cannot find anything bad to say about that game. With VP, Tri-Ace had broken new ground and created a solid, great RPG all in one, deserving of respect and accolades. I had finally found another company to follow. So that's basically the reason for this FAQ. I didn't really like Tales of Destiny (Yume de Aru You ni is NICE, though) but Eternia promises to be good...and so, in homage to this great company, I'm going to write this FAQ. Of course, it's primarily for all you gamers out there who need help, but my love for Tri-Ace is also a factor. And now, I have talked long enough and will begin. Thank you for reading. ^_^ ****** Opening Prologue (I couldn't get everything because the words were scrolling a bit fast...excuse any errors.) When you start, you hear a conversation between a girl and an old man in some strange language with a strange ship in the background, and the old man tells her to be careful on her journey. She reassures him cheerfully, but as she leaves, he remarks sadly that whatever happens after this is out of his control. ****** Then, we switch to a boy walking down the path, then meeting his friend at the top of a tower. Farah (the girl) tells Rid (your hero) that the sky looks strange and that something might fall from Celestia. Rid brushes it away carelessly and they chat awhile before there is a flash of bright light and when the screen clears, the tower is smashed and Farah runs off to check out whatever fell from the sky despite Rid saying that it isn't safe. Go down two screens and pick up a pair of spectacles and a wood shield, then head left two screens to get an apple gummy. Go right to continue the story and follow the blue animal to a broken down thing. Rid wonders who (they don't understand the girl's speech) and what is everything until the 'spaceship' starts to glow and blows up soon after. The girl still cannot be understood, but she hugs Rid and Farah makes a couple of comments about the fact that she seems to like him. A flustered Rid then brings her to the villages elder, who tells them to leave her be...and not let her stay in the village as she will bring disater. His prophecy comes true, as a guy soon blows up the wall in order to get to the girl but you fight him and fend him off. The elder says that the girl will make a tradegy of the past come about again, and that she must go away. Farah says that she will accede to his wishes, as long as she is alowed to go along with the girl. The elser tells her to do as she wishes, and Rid, pissed with everybody, follows Farah. At Farah's house, Farah wants to take to girl to Keel (not the head of SEELE in EVA ^_^) because she believes that he will know her language and be able to talk to her. The girl, however, calls Rid "fuiburiru" (it's the only word she can say) and hugs him again, communicating her desire to be with him, and he complains that his name is NOT "fuiburiru." Farah then says that having a cute girl like him is a good thing that many would want, but he declines this 'honour.' Then, they set out. In the first house on the left, search the pink pig and you will meet "the mysterious cook, Wonder Chef!" who will teach you how to make Sandwiches - you need bread, lettuce and cheese. Search Rid's basement to find a Lens, and the bookshelf at the second floor of the elder's house for the Collector's Book. Finally, the armor in the item shop will yield the Wonder Chef, who will teach you Omelette Rice. Talk to the townpeople and you will find out that the place you ewant to go to is to the west. Before that, search the door of the house that you can't enter (at the entrance of the village) to find another Lens. When crossing the bridge, introductions are made despite the obvious language barrier. The girls name turns out to be "Meredy" and her pet is "Kyuki." Farah then says foolishly, "Maybe we don't have to see Keel anymore.. we quite understand each other!" But this optimistic view is stumped when Meredy starts talking in long sentences of gibberish again. A bit further down the road is Regles Dojo, which you can enter to buy weapons and armor, but Farah won't let Rid join it (according to him, he doesn't want to join anyway). However, searching the second floor of the inn lets you find the Wonder Chef again, who will this time teach you Meat Stew. Next to that is Regles Hill, which the gate to is locked. Head down a bit more and you'll find the Lashuan River Bridge, which in unfortunately covered by rocks further down, making travel to Mintz impossible, to Farah's dismay. Rid thinks you should stay for a night whereas Farah thinks they should find another way across. Their discussion is interrupted by a movie of a large eye materializing in the sky and projecting some sort of energy around itself. The people there tell you it's another manifestation of the Plane of Olbas, and advise you to head back to the Dojo to ask the master there for help on getting to Mintz. Farah thanks them happily and they leave, but not before the l! ast kid there (Paolo) expresses some interest in her... Before you leave the bridge, you'll have another discussion where they wonder where Meredy is from (and she gets the "Travelling Artist?" Appellation) They discuss somemore, and Rid wonders what is "fuiburiru," which appears to be the only word she knows. The moment you get inside the dojo, eight martial artists attack you and you must fight them off alone. The dojo master thinks that Rid is here to learn from him, but Farah clears up the misnderstanding. (The dojo master knows Farah.) She explains everything, including their desire to reach Mintz to help Meredy. The Dojo master gives you a healing technique to help you get to Mintz, and Paolo offers to accompany you there. (As his blush probably means, he likes Farah.) In the next room, a guy will ask you if you want to fight against him, and choose the first option to fight. The next few rooms teach you advanced fighting techniques, and you will get the book of Manual. Search the third room for a Lens, too. The last room is Paolo's room. Enter, and he proceeds to explain some stuff to you about Craymel Gauges - basically, if you have one like him, you are a Spirit Crystal Wielder. (A mage, in normal terms.) Before you leave, check the box in his room for a Lens. Head to the Lashuan River Bridge and the bridge there to find Paolo. He will use his power to calm the waters and incidentally chants in the same language that Meredy speaks. You'll also find out that Paolo is Farah's senior in the dojo. And now it's time to play a mini-game! The controls for this one are simple enough - steer the raft with the directional buttons and increase speed with the Circle one. Note that you will be unable to steer much when increasing speed, though. Finally, you reach Mintz. Rid comments that it will be hard to find Keel in this mass of people, but Farah retorts that since he's a childhood friend, it'll be easy to spot him...maybe. ^_^ The flower in the university cafeteria hides the Wonder Chef, who will teach you how to make Hamburgers this time. Head left to the main part of the university and from there to the right. Farah will meet an old friend of hers (I missed most of this part because I wasn't concentrating, sorry) and then, you can head up to play Craymel Ball! Here are the rules : To actually play, you pick the first option, then the second, then the first. You can select either Rid (topmost choice), Farah (middle choice), or Meredy (bottommost choice). There is no noticable difference in their playing styles. The aim of the game here is to get your opponent run over by the big ball. You need three hits to win one round, and vice versa. At the start of the game, several coloured (pink or blue) triangles will appear at different places. Pick one up and your cokour will be that color, and if your opponent picks up the same colour as you your colour will change to the opposite colour. (Example :- if you picked up a pink crystal, and you're pink, and your opponent picks up a pink crystal too, you'll change to blue.) The ball will eventually turn to pink or blue, and then we can truly start! If the ball is the same colour as you, pressing on the circle button will shoot it away from you, if t is a different colour, pressing the button will draw it to you. Note that after you press the button, you will have no colour and must collect a coloured crystal again. Also, the ball might change colour suddenly and bash you when you want it to go away. There are two strategies to this game - one where, you change to the same colour and blast the ball away and into your opponent, the other where you are of a different colour, go near to your enemy, and draw the ball to you before running away so that it hits your emeny and not you (tthis is a harder strategy.) >From there, go back and head left to eventually get to Mintz University. They try to find Keel...the clerk asks some questions, to which Rid gives normal replies which get them nowhere until Farah takes charge of things and says that they are family of Keel's and have to bring him back because of a family accident. ^_^ Meredy suddenly jumps on the desk, causing a scene and making Rid and Farah beat a hasty retreat. If you continue up to the second-top floor, and enter the left door, you can reach a staple of the Tales series games...the quiz game! Here, they will ask you questions from Tales of Destiny, Phantasia, and Eternia. I'll be working on correct answers and will hopefully have a full list for you after I'm done with it. Entering all the other rooms gets you some funny scenes, which unfortunately I am too busy to translate. Back down on the bottom floor, enter the left room. Farah will head in to ask about Keel and tell them to wait...however, Meredy runs into the room and somehow causes all the machines there to go haywire. The school head comes in and tells them all to get out, along with the person Farah was talking to, Keel's friend named Sanc. After some discussion, you find out a few things : 1. Keel is on study leave in the mountains somewhere because his theory on the collapse of the world met with stern opposition from the principal and most of the faculty. 2. Spirit Crystal Wielders speak the same language (Melnicus) that Meredy does, but they only speak a high variant of it used for spells, and cannot use it to communicate normally. 3. Based on Meredy's speech, clothing and etc, Sanc thinks that she might be an Imperial Spirit Crystal Wielder...but why would one of them be here? You then leave to find Keel and get to the bottom of the mystery. Meredy also gets the "High-Level Spirit Mage?" Appellation. Go south of Mintz to find the Mintz Crags. In the first screen, if you move the boulders to where the flashing ones are (you can push and pull with the Circle button) you'll stop the monsters coming out. Do the same thing in the next screen, and don't forget the chests and bags. Once through, you'll be at Keel's mountain cabin. Upon entering, no one will be in...suddenly, Keel appears and gives a terribly technical explanation about his theory and what he is doing, until he realises that you're not from Mintz at all. Farah then greets him joyfully, and Rid less so...anyway, later on, he is able to understand a little bit of Meredy's speech, but not enough to know what is going on. However, you do get the world explained to you - the sphere of Eternia is divided into Celestia above, and Inferia below and is divided by the Plane of Olbas. Meredy coming from Celestia (they understand that much) causes some confusion, because according to the old records, everyone from Celestia is violent, inhumane and consumes human flesh. Meredy also manages to communicate to them about a massive explosion which will come about if something is not done. After your story is told, Keel lets you look into his telescope and points out a black object in the sky, coming ever closer to Inferia...he says that this is why Meredy came to warn them - the destruction of the world is imminent. Keel then agrees to come along to bring you to someone who is an expert in Meredy's language, despite the fact that it is obvious that he and Rid do not get along. On the path down later when he gets tired, you learn more about his motivations - he wants to reinstate himself in the school by proving that his theory of world collapse (supported by Meredy, living evidence) is valid. Rid doesn't think much of that as he views it as a selfish goal, but Keel insists that he's just searching for the truth. Before you leave the cabin, search around (I forgot where) to find another Lens somewhere. Head to the end of the peninsula and you'll come across the Cave of Lost Hope. A merchant will appear and warn you about the Eggbears in there, which killed his companion. Buy supplies from him and then head on inside. Halfway through, you'll fight your first "boss" - a single Eggbear, which Rid and Keel have to fight with alone. It should be simple, especially if Rid has gotten Raijinken and Kogahazan; just use them repeatedly and it will die in no time. You then get a flashback from the past...an Eggbear is chasing the three of them, and Keel falls down, crying. Farah is about to fight it when Rid fires an arrow and draws it away, leaving Farah and Keel crying. (Well, I guess the stress got to her too.) Later on, while Rid wants to skin the Eggbear for food, Keel disagrees with him, giving another technical explanation about why it's flesh cannot be stored for too long. Farah manages to break up the argument, but not before Rid and Keel's dislike for each other has been made quite clear. Make your way to the Tree Village of Morl and all the way up. You will meet Keel's teacher, who hands them a set of earrings which will apparently let them understand Meredy's speech. It doesn't seem to work, though, and Meredy runs off. Chase her (take the vine leading downwards) and you'll eventually meet your first boss. Now this guy is slightly tough. It's two worst attacks are producing a swarm of bees and rushing towards you...there's nothing much you can do about the latter, but if you use a few well-placed Kogahazans you should be able to deal with the former without too much difficulty. If you're really having trouble, gain a few levels first (increase your Slash and Thrust until Rid is able to use more skills) then come back. After the fight, you amazingly can understand Meredy now, even if it takes some time for Rid to cotton on. ^_^ Keel takes the opportunity to question her (rather roughly, though) about various things, including the stone that she wears...he goes a bit too far and gets pushed back by her. They then settle down a bit and Farah asks Meredy if there is any way to prevent the catatrosphe - what Meredy calls the "Grand Fall" - that will destroy the world. According to her, there is - using her Celestian Craymel Gauge, she will get a Great Crystal Spirit to enter it, thereby stopping the Fall. Keel is initially distrustful, saying that Great Spirits will not enter just any Gauge, but the fact that hers has different materials than his own finally convinces him, and he tells the rest to head back to his teacher since he knows where the Spirits can be found. Meredy is excited that Keel is actually helping her, but the latter gets angry and says that he's only coming along because he! is searching for the truth. Back at Keel's teacher's house, he examines her Craymel Gauge and says that what they propose can be done...but they need a Great Spirit first. To aid their quest, he teaches Farah the Antidote skill, gives you a World Map AND tells you where to find a Great Spirit - in the River of Great Spirits. (Quite a helpful old geezer, hmm?) He also has some parting words for Keel - he tells him that in order to become a great scholar, he must study that which cannot be learnt...most of this goes over the latter's head, though. The fireplace in his house hides another Lens, and the safe in the second floor will become the Wonder Chef, who teaches you Fruit Juice. Search the food shop to find him again and get him to teach you Sour Salad. Head upwards and walk through the forest to get to the river. (You will be walking on its banks for quite a long time, but the river itself is surrounded by a cluster of stones and noticably small.) Don't miss the Feather Robe in the first screen, it leads you to a chest. In the next screen go past the log and get the chest at the bottom. Then head around the edge of the lake and get the blue chest containing an Iron Wrist. Then continue until you enter a cave, where a voice will comment that it is good that you have come so far. It is Undine, and Keel asks if the Grand Fall will really occur, but Undine says that she will have nothing to do with humans and gives no concrete answers. Rid and party try and persuade her to enter the Craymel Gauge, but she tells them that she must see their worth and invites them to fight the spirits deeper inside the cave. Continue right to enter. The enemies in this area are pretty difficult, so level up a bit before you enter. You will also be fighting Undine soon, so be sure to stock up on healing supplies. Explore fully the next few screens to get all the chests - despite what it looks like, all of them can be gotten if you search for hidden paths and passageways all around. Finally, near the Load Point, you'll have your first 100%, true-blue (the plant doesn't count) boss battle against Undine. Boy is she tough for a first boss. ^_^ In addition to having lots of HP, the main problem with her is that both her beam attack and spear thrusts grant her periods of invincibility in which you can't do anything. I suggest you get Keel and Meredy to stay far away from her, casting spells to aid you, while Rid and Farah do most of the work. Set Farah's expenditure of TP on healing spells to 5 to ensure that she keeps you healthy. When either the beam or thrust is released, you can usually see it coming (watch for the glow around her) so get Rid to jump - Farah will be hit, but you can't help that. Try for short combo strings in between her attacks. If you fail, go out and level up again before coming back...I was Level 22 when I finally beat her. Once beaten, Undine will enter the Craymel Gauge and you'll be able to use and summon her in combat. (Read the Craymel Gauge section for more information about this.) The party talks about what to do next - Keel suggests that since getting all the Great Spirits will not be an easy task, they should report the matter of the Great Fall to the king himself. Head down from the river to the forest below, which you couldn't enter before even if you tried. (Now this is the part where my friend was playing the game and neglected to write down what was happening, the result of which is that I forgot most of it. I will write what I remember, though.) In the first screen in the forest, head left (there is a passage) to get a pair of Iron Arms for Farah. There isn't much else of note here, so it doesn't matter if you miss a few chests. The puzzle here can be solved by getting the statues (Light and Darkness, Order and Chaos) to face each other. Once that's done, you have to go around killing all the zombie enemies. You should be out of there and on your way soon. Upon entering the capital Inferia, Rid and Farah remark on how big it is. Keel tells Meredy not to act out of place as she is from Celestia and the Celestians are thought to have brought a great disaster upon the world a long time ago. Meredy disagrees, but Rid and Farah convince her to stay quiet. In one of the houses, a girl tries to flirt with Keel, commenting on how good he looks, but the boy is too embarrassed to make any moves in return. (This scene is not a plot device, it is just very funny... And BOTH Meredy and Farah get angry when she goes out the door saying "I'll be going for now, my prince.") When, you get to the castle, Keel tries to gain entry by saying that a matter that endangers the whole world has arisen but the guards laugh at him and push him away. You leave, and Meredy asks some questions and it turns out that though they are not barbaric, Celestians have no king. They then enter the observatory to get some proof about the Great Fall. You enter the observatory, but a guy stops you and Keel says that he must use the telescope at all costs. Even though proof is given, the guy throws it away and says hat there have bewen no changes in the stars since. After they are chased away, the curator of the observatory comes out and remarks upon how noisy it is has been, while looking at the papers Keel brought...Keel himself, once outside, thinks that they should go to the chruch on the east side of town to tell their story. At the chruch, Keel repeats this message, and they try and convinvce the priest, who appears to believe them at first but then says that they should be taken for qurestioning and the guards capturn then. The captain of the guards (a man named Roein) says that they must be killed for spreading such lies about the destruction of the world. After some hurried discussion, the part decides to follow Keel's advice and let themselves be captured because at least they will get an audience with the king before that. However, the audience turns out to be in an underground cell in front of the king. Keel tries again to explain the situation, and since the king cannot decide, both the princess and queen argue, with the latter winning and ordering Roien to flood you all. It looks like a bad situation...Keel makes the most of it by telling them to make peace with themselves and die happily (^_^) but Farah manages to find a plug, which Rid pulls...it turns out that he doesn't really need to, since the curator Zoshimos from the observatory read Keel's papers and wanted to talk to him about his theories. They both agree that the two worlds are closer to each other than before, and leave to investigate it - the rest of the party, meanwhile, are free to roam about the castle for a while. If you enter the princess's room (first door on the left) Roien will throw you out, so there's nothing to be done there. Continue down until you get to your rooms, which turn out to be more spacious then you thought...Meredy likes the beds, she thinks they're soft and comfy. ^_^ Roien is still on his high horse, however, and warns you to behave yourself in the castle or he will really give you the death sentence. Anyway, Rid slumps on the bed and thinks that it's all over...with the king convinced by Keel and Zoshimos that the Grand Fall is a reality, something will be done to stop it and their work will end. (Little does he know the game has barely started. ^_^) Somewhere in the castle's second floor (I forgot again) there is another Lens. We switch to Keel and Zoshimos working on the telescope for a while, then back to Rid and Co. Farah doesn't agree with Rid's assessment of the situation, because they have one more thing to do - get Meredy back home. Rid wants to sleep and though Meredy wants them all to sleep together (^_^) Farah gets flustered, emphatically says no and drags her to the next room. We then see Keel getting to look in the telescope...Zoshimos asks him how he managed to come up with the theory. He's about to tell him about Meredy when he catches himself and says that it was a sudden revelation. Allendy, the princess, pays you all a surprise visit - Roien is as rude as ever, but Meredy appears to get off to a good start by saying that she's prettier than the church's stained glass. You receive a summons to see the king, so head back up. The princess says that she wants to talk to you, but Roien says that he'll protect her no matter what (his words have a slight romantic connotation) and will not let you see her. Everyone wonders what the princess wanted to see you about, and then you leave to see the king. The king announces that there is going to be a national disaster, but instead you are told that it is a plot by the Celestians to ruin their world. The king readies the armies for war, and Keel asks what is the meaning of this but Zoshimos says that to be a good researcher he must overcome some boundaries (i.e., play dirty) and explains that the Brigde of Light discovered yb a man named Baril 30 years ago is going to be used as a pass between this world and Celestia. You leave the castle and Roien gives a you ship's pass, and wants Keel to stay for a minute. Farah says that in order to prevent war, they should do what they wanted to do (get all the Great Spirits to enter Meredy's gauge). Go out of the captital and walk west to reach the harbour (it might be a little north too....) and you'll be let in and you walk upwards to get to the boat. You board, but it turns out that Keel isn't going with you because Zoshimos wants him to work wth him and that has always been his dream. Farah, despite saying that he is helping with the war effort, lets him go since she doesn't want to get in his way. The squid in the food shop here reveals once again, the Wonder Chef, who will teach you Fish Stew. Onboard the ship, they talk about Keel and Meredy is sad that Keel is now sorta like her enemy, but Farah comforts her by telling her that Keel just wants to know a lot of new things and is not fighting her. Rid acts pretty weird but Farah and Meredy can't get any answers out of him either. There's not much to do at Barol Harbor - if you want the chests, you're going to have to pay the guy. Get the Kite Shield for 4000, but forget about the helmet. A box on the ship has a Lens and the bottommost box hides - you guessed it - the Wonder Chef, who teaches you a dish which name I cannot translate yet. ^_^ (Well, it contains squid.) When you get to the town, you see a man beating up a boy and Farah rushes to help him and tells the man off. After the man has been beaten up, he says that the boy was actually a thief and Farah is very flustered. The man starts threatening her but a merchant-looking guy named Reis threatens him with all sorts of legal punishments. Farah then gets the Appellation "Hotheaded" You treat Reis to lunch at the tarvern, and learn that he is a travelling merchant, which is why his knowledge of the law is so good. He also asks if Farah has always been so short-tempered. Rid says yes, and proceeds to recount a whole lot of past experiences, until Farah is pissed with him. Reis then brings out a valuable pot and reveals that he's been to the Wind Spirit cave and asks you for 50,000 gold to lead you there. Select the second option and he'll let you go with him for free. At the top of the bar is another Wonder Chef who tells you how to make Steak. The accessory shop has another Lens somewhere, and a bed in the inn nets you Wonder Chef again, who teaches you Grantan. When you meet Reis at the inn later, Meredy hugs Reis and that same light that Rid had appears and Meredy says that he has a "fuiburiru" too. Head down to the cave. In the cave, you have to step on the holes when air is coming out of them, if not nothing will happen. Check the poles in the first part of the cave to get Reis to string a rope between them. The rest of it should be pretty easy, except the section with two chests...be sure to take the top route, because the other two will cause you to fall back down. Be sure to get all the chests in the cave. Right at the end, you'll meet your next Great Spirit, Sylph. In true RPG fashion, he too wants to test your mettle, and you'll end up fighting him. While not as cheap as Undine because of his lack of invincibility frames, he's nevertheless still quite a challenge. You'll have to continue to stick to short combos since after about the fourth hit, he will teleport back into the air and you'll have to hit him down again. Use jumping attacks and moves like Kogarenzan (if you have it) to make things easier. Besides that, always stay to his back - his Air Thrust will still hit you, but not his arrow attack, which is more damaging. After beating him, he will join you like Undine. Desert Town Shambal --- Armor and Weapon Shops (Heat Up and Hot Shot) Dao Blade 4400 Crescent Axe 2200 Halberd 3800 Pretty Horagai 3160 Gem Rod 3200 Ring Mail 3500 Cross Helm 3600 Gold Crest 3560 Kite Shield 4000 --- Item Shop (Running Water) Same stuff --- Inn 240 Gold While camping, Reis talks to Farah about various things...he later on makes a comment about her "running away" from something, to which Farah heatedly disagrees, saying she's not scared about anything, except perhaps dead slugs. ^_^ They continue to talk for a bit until Reis apologises for his comment and they both go to sleep. You'll have another camping scene later in the cave, in which Keel is forced to rest because he's too tired. He makes comments about how pathetic he is, but both Farah and Meredy disagree, saying that he's made something of himself with his research. Keel then says that Farah has always been very kind, helping other people out...but makes a last remark which almost gets him in trouble. ^_^ Against Salamander, keep in mind that the only area affected by your blows is his chest, not the flames below, so go for attacks like Hiensoukyaku and Kogarenzan in order to hit him effectively - if not, your attacks will miss completely. Despite having a powerful rushing attack which momentarily stuns, this guy is pretty easy because he can't avoid your attacks the way Sylph and Undine could. Once he kicks the bucket, Undine will appear and restrain him so he can be placed in a Craymel Gauge, since he won't listen to you. First option is Keel, second Meredy. Suddenly, all the spirits will combine and the Spirit of Light, Rem, will appear. He's the most powerful of the three, but he will not help you because he says that humans have to solve by themselves the problems they created...Keel asks how can the Grand Fall have been created by humans, but Rem does not answer and instead gives you the Sorcerer Ring, telling you to use it to pass the Bridge of Light. Despite Keel's pleas to stay to explain, he then disappears, and the rest of the Spirits return to their respective Gauges. Go back to the doors you couldn't open and use the Ring to open all of them - you'll have to fight some monsters, but you'll get treasures, among them another Lens. Back on your way out of the cave, Keel will ask Meredy forcefully about whether she knew about the Grand Fall being the work of humans or not. It turns out it was the work of a man named Baril, who is the like the equivalent of the king in Celestia. Keel gets angry and asks Meredy why she kept quiet about this information until now, but Meredy replies pleadingly that she didn't know how to explain it properly and was afraid - but they should believe her, because it's the truth. There is some more discussion until Rid, in a rare moment of insight, asks Meredy if all Celestians share the same physical charisteristics (skin color etc) as she does...yes, she replies, all but Baril. Rid then asks the group to remember the name of the person who found the Bridge of Light. Guess who? ^_^ Keel can't believe that an Inferian would do such a thing...Farah also reassures Meredy that she believes her. Rid says to an ecstatic Meredy that he'll accompany her until they find the Bridge of ! Light, but there's no special meaning in his doing so. As to where the Bridge is, Keel, our resident scholar, tells them that he saw the Bridge at Farose Church using the Imperial Observatory, earning a rare bit of respect from Rid. He also says that he's only doing to determine the cause of the Grand Fall with his own eyes. (However, he's sweating when he's saying this...^_^) Meredy says that she really likes all of them (obviously a heartfelt gesture of thanks) and you continue on. Farose Church Item Shop (Traveler's Supplier) Same stuff Fortune-teller Farose Church is located in the center of Inferia, the highest mountains there. (Check the map, it's the last town you haven't explored.) In the church, go left into the room and find a Lens in the closet there. The right room has a fortune-teller, but I haven't discovered what she does yet. Answering all the priest's questions correctly also doesn't have any effect as far as I know. Head back into the left room and you'll go to bed. Another talking scene. Farah will ask Meredy about Celestia, and she tells her it's much different from Inferia - the wind doesn't blow, and it's dark and full of machines. Keel cannot believe that their technology can be better (despite the evidence of Meredy's flying machine) - Rid, on the other hand, can't believe that really want to go to Celestia, but the others are quite set on it; he finally goes to sleep in frustration. ^_^ Outside again, the priest will teach Farah another healing skill. Go on up the mountain. Halfway through, a rockslide will occur, separating the party. You'll now lose Farah temporarily, which is Not a Good Thing. Be sure to head back to the church and stock up on Gummies - you'll need them, as the climb is very long and you'll meet plenty of enemies. Later on, you'll discover that Farah has met up with Reis again (whom she sees in a flashback, strangely) and you agree to meet at the top. On the way, Reis will ask Farah why she bothers to do all this - travel the world, try to assemble all the Spirits, even risk her life going against the king. Farah thinks that maybe she might be a strange person...Reis says that she might be, but he has an interest in her anyway. (No, this is not a romantic line.) Camping scene! Keel and Meredy remark about how silent Rid has become since Farah is not with them, and Keel talks about Reis a bit. Then he starts wondering about whether Farah needs a more adult-thinking person and how it's late for her to have a romantic relationship with someone, leading Rid to get quite angry. ^_^ Another scene with Farah and Reis walking together. This time he asks her whether her meeting with Meredy was simply chance, and why she believed her so easily. Farah says that she had a good reason, but Reis goes on to talk about the nature of belief and trust. Farah then asks him who HE believes in, and Reis says his mother, who passed on when he was young...Farah asks about her, but Reis thinks he's talking about worthless things and the two continue on. Now you'll have to get Kyuki to let down all the ropes for you. The first option makes him look around for ropes and travel left and right. Second, travel forwards. Third, look for other routes. (This is just a rough summation, I might be a bit off.) At the top, you will finally meet up with Farah and Reis again. Keel thanks him for taking care of her, and then says they should travel on without him, since he's not involved in their affairs. Meredy and Farah disagree, but Reis thinks he should go off...but not before he tells Farah he thinks they will meet again. Fire the Sorcerer Ring at the door and you will be able to enter. When you enter, you summon the Spirit of Light, Rem, and he makes the bridge of Light appear. Before you can go to Celestia, Reis emerges from behind a pillar and reveals that he is actually a high-ranking night from Inferia, and he must stop you. He also reveals that actually Keel has been working for the observatory and is spying on you, but Rid and Farah are more inclined to want to fight Reis and not Keel. Reis is not a terribly tough opponent. Sure, he has some good skills, but has no way of avoiding a sustained barrage of attacks. Simply surround him and let loose with whatever you have. The team will quickly rush into the Bridge of Light afterwards and you'll be in Celestia. (And incidentally, the second disc.) Once you reach Celestia, Keel will be escastic and say that Meredy is REALLY a Celestian. Meredy is pissed off and asks if he just realised it, but Keel explains that he'd had no real proof (he didn't see the spaceship, remember?) He also talks about how the sky, wind and entire world are different from his own. Meredy suggests you all go to the place that she was born, and assures Rid and Co. that no one will mind them being Inferians. As they leave, Farah is strangely quiet and Rid asks her if she is okay, to which she replies with her usual cheerful comments. Aimen Weapon and Armor Shop (Paps Aimen) Sor Saber 8000 War Hammer 9000 Bardische 8400 Gradius 8400 Silver Knuckle 7600 Ruby Wand 7200 Splint Mail 8000 Anbark Cloak 7800 Crystal Robe 4200 Duel Helm 5000 Striped Ribbon 5200 Fain Shield 6000 Food Shop (Fudou Aimen) Bread 60 Rice 100 Cheese 60 Milk 50 Tusk Meat 150 Lettuce 60 Cabbage 60 Cucumber 50 Tomato 80 Banana 50 Kiwi 80 Amango 80 White Sodei 60 Item Shop (Els Aimen) Same stuff and Lemon Gummy 2500 Liquer Bottle 1200 Walk upwards to reach Aimen, and Meredy says that she'll introduce you to everyone. She then goes off for awhile and they talk about how the earrings allow them to understand each other. The three people all are weapon designers and make Craymel weapons that cannot be found in Inferia. Keel talks about the technology and how advanced it is, and it's revealed that that technology has been around for 30 years, so they don't think of it as anything special. Meredy then drags Keel and everybody else into her house, and explains that Celestians live by themselves after the age of ten. They then chat a little about Meredy's lifestyle, and Celestia's advanced technology. When you go out, Keel will comment that many Celestians use spirit powers to run a whole lot of stuff. Meredy then introduces you to everybody and they are all interested because you are Inferians and ask a whole bunch of silly questions. The Celestians are certainly much friendlier than Inferians, they willingly chat with Rid and Keel. (It is also revealed that 12 year-old Celestian children can already use guns and are permitted to buy them.) Meredy takes Keel to the library, and Rid goes in to sleep. Then, as he turns on the light, he realises that farah has been sitting in a chair. When asked, she says she is thinking - about what Reis said, and why she does everything without thinking, just relying on instincts. Rid says that he thinks Reis is lost, he's come as far as he did and yet he's lost...and then says "The day Farah starts thinking is the day the wind stops blowing," and Farah gets pissed off and he goes to sleep. You ca get a Sprinty Ribbon on the shelf in Farah's room, and the funny robot thing near her door holds a Wonder Chef who will teach you Zarame Rice. The library is hard to find, it's directly opposite the two kids and a big machine, through a small path that's pretty difficult to see, and you go upstairs and find Keel and Meredy pouring over lots of huge books, and Keel looks very happy and talks about how he's found out a lot. Just then, Meredy falls asleep on the floor and it turns out that Keel kept her up all night translating. When Farah comes out of the library, Keel asks is Meredy's okay, then blushes, and mentions that he was thinking about what his teacher said about learning the things that cannot be learnt from books in order to be a great scholar. Rid and Farah both look puzzled, and then we begin the next day after Meredy makes a call (via the Elara Phone) to someone named Galenos and decides that you will all meet him at Rushica, a town to the east. You're about to leave when a guy runs up and tells Meredy to be careful (while blushing), and Rid and Farah pull Keel away (now why is that? ^_^) and you set off to catch your train. However, when you reach the train, the guy says that the train will take them to Rushica but there is no fuel so you have to fo back to Aimen to get it. Back at Imen, Keel asks what sort of person Galenos is, and Meredy says that he's a great researcher and she's his apprentice. Keel can't believe that (as she's so young), and asks her why she was sent to Inferia, to which she replies that didn't allow her to help him on this big invention that he was making. She gains the Appellation "Spirit Engineer." Go back to the guy at the forge, and Keel and he will agree to work on weapons together sand they are both very happy. (^_^) The open book in the left side of the library contains a Wonder Chef. Get the fuel for the train at the weapons shop (push button at the cylindrical object) abd head back to the station. On the train, Keel starts the engine with his Craymel Gauge but gets shocked by the high speed of it, so he sits down to take a rest. The engineer there also gives letters to take to the various stations along the path...which of course means another mini-game. ^_^ In this one, press up to put on the brakes and down to release them. Take note that the train only comes to a complete stop after you are travelling a high speed - i.e, you cannot stop from a slow speed very well. Because of this, I recommend you travel at full throttle, then slam on the brakes when you reach a station. (About a second or so after Meredy says "I see it!" would be good.) I didn't manage to get all the stations, so I don't know what kind of reward you get for doing so. Keel is a bit unsteady on his feet after the ride. ^_^ Rushica Station Weapon Shop (Es Rushica) Great Sword 6600 Silver Knuckle 7600 Memory W 8000 Splint Mail 8000 Anbark Cloak 7800 Crystal Robe 4200 Duel Helm 5000 Striped Ribbon 5200 Item Shop (Tein Rushica) Same as Aimen shop, but has Pine Gummy 3000 Upon entering Rushica, everyone wonders why it's totally ruined. Meredy says it's because of the Ultimate Light Sorcery, and Keel accuses her of keeping quiet again, but she can't explain it properly and wants you all to see Galenos. When you get to see Galenos, he explains tnhe Great Fall and all your other questions in great detail, including what a 'furiburiru' is. It apparently is like a certain 'power' that everyone has, including the gods. The Ultimate Light Socery that destroyed the world is apparently the god's 'furiburiru.' And REid, having a furiburiru of the god of destruction, is supposed to be espically powerful but they have to experiment further to see. When you get back to the room, Rid has to take off his clothes and lie on the bed. Everyone goes off to sleep to spare his embarrassment. As Farah and Meredy get into bed, Farah asks Meredy if she has parents, to which Meredy answers "no." Farah says that though her parents are dead, she has lots of happy memories - the way her mother smelled, the work her father did. She asks if Meredy has memories too, and Meredy gets a flashback that apparently scares her. She replies "Memories.... don't have them." and then adds that since Farah and Keel and Rid are there for her, she's absolutely fine. Farah remarks that Meredy is strong, and then they fall asleep. It turns out that when some conditions are met, the power of the Furiburiru within Rid will awaken and Rid has a very strong Furuburiru sleeping within him. No one knows what the conditions to be met are, and Rid says that he has to go because it concerns his body directly, and even Keel looks interested (to which Meredy says "even Keel is interested, Meredy's so happy!" an he blushes again.^_^) so you set off to Take the train again, and play another mini-game. Unlike the first one, you have to bomb other trains to blow them up so that you do't get attacked by enemies. Just load your bombs, and drop! (each bomb has a counter of 5 seconds.) If you don't bomb in time and they pass you, you'll fight a bunch of enemies on the train. Basically, just drop the moment the trains appears and you'll be fine, only a couple of battles. When you each the statin, Keel will comment that the Earth Spirit's magic is holding it, andt hey can meet the Earth Spirit. Be sure to get the chest beside the tracks. Go into the cave and the first option is scope, the second dynamite, and the third key. \ Well, now we start our mini-game, Ryst. You bascially have 4 elements - fire, water, earth and wind. Some cards are two colours - lightning is wind and water, rock is fire and earth. You have to put card in the same element, and a two-colour card counts as both its elements. A card with two cards upon it is an attack card - it gives your opponent (then one just after your turn) two cards. Your opponent can counter this by placing another attack card and inflicting another two cards (i.e., if you place one, your opponent places another, the third guy gets 4 cards). There are also two other cards - light and darkness. Since every element has a bit of these two, they can be used to change elements. Once you pass the lift, you encounter a boulder, and have to go to the conveyer belt to get it. He haS a very powerful draining attack, it does loads of damage but leaves him open. The clock has a Wonder Chef. Potato Beet Toufu Red Sode Black Sode ****** Basic Hints : Cheap tactic to use in battle - if a character falls and you need him/her up quick, get the person to use an item. The item-using animation will override the time needed for the character to recover. ****** Comboing Techniques : ****** Fighting System : The fighting system in Tales of Eternia is very similar to that in the two earlier games in the series - Tales of Destiny and Tales of Phantasia. So if you've played either or both of them, you'll be able to jump right in. If not, I'll provide a short explanation. Fighting takes place on a 2-D plane (yes, it's 2-D, despite the detailed backgrounds) and is in some ways reminiscent of 2-D fighting games like Street Fighter due to the presence of combos, special moves and the general way the battles proceed. You move one character (in this case, the hero, Rid) around in either Semi-Auto or Manual format (I'm not sure whether you can control more later) Semi-Auto lets you have limited control over your character, while Manual gives you free rein. Skills and Techniques : These are learnt in three ways : having the requisite level, having the requisite amount of Slash and Thrust (or Foot and Hand etc) power acquired, and practicing the previous skills before. Unlike the previous games, Ougi (combinations of two skills) no longer have to be learnt from a book and can now be gotten normally. Every skill (much like in Star Ocean : The Second Story and Tales of Phantasia) has a Count which indicates the amount of time the character has used that particular skill. A high Count will be better for you, because the damage and hit rate of the skill increases with more usage. Rid's Skills : Majinken - (Demon God Sword) How to learn : Will be gotten early on. Description : Rid shouts "Majinken!" and swings his weapon, creating a wave of blue energy which shoots forwards. Evaluation : Standard move which has been with us since the days of SFC Tales of Phantasia. It's a basic long-range move and can keep enemies back/attack from afar, but in most cases you're better off simply attacking. Raijinken - (Thunder God Sword) How to learn : Will be gotten early on. Description : Rid shouts "Raijinken!" and thrusts his weapon forwards, creating an explosion of energy. A lightning bolt then comes down from the sky to deal additional damage. Evaluation : Pretty decent move early on in the game. Because it hits twice, it does stun the enemy, but Rid has some lag after the thrust. Kogahazan (Tiger Fang Breaking Blade) How to learn : Increase your Slash level a bit. Description : Rid does a uppercut with his weapon, then brings it down in a slashing motion. Evaluation : Not bad. It has the added advantage of occasionally knocking down flying enemies. Besides that, it comes out pretty fast and moves you forwards...be careful not to get stuck in the middle of the enemy when using it, though, because the move can take you too far forward and there is some lag later. Chirisazame - ( How to learn : Increase your Thrust level a bit. Description : Rid does a series of several quick thrusts, ending with a longer one. Evaluation : One of the better skills for dealing damage early in the game. It combos very well off your normal moves; the only thing you have to watch out for is the slight lag after it finishes, which can be taken care of by cancelling it into another move. Although it is effective, try not to overuse it since it keeps you in one place for a while, unable to do much. Kogarenzan - (Tiger Fang Consecutive Slash) How to learn : Increase Slash and use Kogahazan a lot. Description : Rid does a Kogahazan, but the first two hits knock the enemy up into the air, whereupon he slashes them two more times. Evaluation : A very good middling move. The advantage of this is not only can it combo easily, it's upwards motion also makes it ideal for taking out flying enemies - furthermore, it keeps the enemy in the air for some time so they can't do anything. It does have some lag, though. Rekkuzan Akisazame - (Autumn Falling Rain) How to learn : Increase Thrust more, use Chirisazame a lot. Description : Rid thrusts furiously with his weapon multiple times in front of him, then finishes with an uppercut. Evaluation : It's basically a better Chirisazame, with some differences. Because it deals more hits and deals then faster, it's generally a better bet than the former, and excellent for combos. The problem is the uppercut at the end - it doesn't do much more damage, and it's irritating it that it takes a long time and leaves Rid wide open to enemy attack. Take this into considering when using the move. Fuuraijinken How to learn : Increase Slash and Thrust, use Raijinken a lot. Description : Rid rushes forwards, swinging his weapon as an explosive of wind occurs around him. A second later, lightning blasts down from the sky a la Raijinken. Evaluation : Not too hot in the damage and combo departments, but this move does push enemies a good distance away when used, so it has it's uses. I personally would stick with something else myself, though. Majinken - Souga (Demon Blade - Twin Fang) How to learn : Increase Slash and Thrust, use Mashinken a lot. Description : Rid does a Majinken, then sends out another larger wave of energy, which doesn't have the same distance as his first. Evaluation : You need to have the correct distance to use this move effectively - the second wave, which is by far the more damaging one, only hits at a certain distance and does nothing if it's in front of or behind the enemy - it has to hit dead on. So if you're going to be using this, be sure to gauge your distance carefully. Besides this restriction, it actually does good damage and can be an effective keepaway/support move if for some reason you don't want Rid to actively participate in combat. Raijinsouhazan Senkuureppa Majinsenretsuha (Demon Blade Thousand Ripping Wave) How to learn : Use Majinken and Chirisazame a lot. Description : Rid does a Mashinken, and then immediately after that, a Chirisazame. Evaluation : Treat as a better Chirisazame. Because his execution is so fast, it's basically tacking on an extra hit to a Chirisazame. Majinrengazan (Demon Blade Consecutive Fang Slash) How to learn : Increase Slash more, use both previous Majinkens a lot. Description : Rid does a Majinken, then with afterimages trailing after him, sends out a whole slew of Majinkens that converge in front of him. Evaluation : Treat as a more damaging Majinken - Souga. It's basically the same thing, although this version does more damage and combos better. All the same rules and restrictions apply here. ****** The Craymel Gauge system : During the course of the game, various Spirits will enter your Craymel Gauge, allowing your mages access to different spells and summons. However, understanding the system takes some explanation, which is of course why I'm here. ^_^ As a Spirit travelles with you, it gains two things - Vitality (the yellow bar) and Experience. The first, when maxed out, allows you to summon the Spirit in battle (When the word "Vitality Max!" and the Spirit's sigil appear.) However, after you've summoned it, it's Vitality goes back to zero. Also, every time you shfit the Spirit around, it's Vitality decreases, so be careful. Experience increases the power of the Spirit. Every time it gains a level, it's spells effectiveness increases (much like your characters) and more importantly, it can now get you more spells! This is where Fringing comes in. Fringing is the third command on the Craymel Gauge screen (I'll deal with the second, Items, later) When certain Spirits reach the required levels, you can select this command to learn new spells. Some are easy - for example, Air Thrust and Eruption can be learned the moment to get the correct Spirits. Some are harder, like Heal, because they require specific levels. In both cases, the mage in question needs the required Spirits inside his/her Craymel Gauge in order to use them - for example, Keel wouldn't be able to use Spread if Undine wasn't in his Gauge, and he wouldn't be able to use Heal if BOTH Sylph and Undine weren't inside. Now we move on to Items. Items basically can increase both the Vitality and Experience of your chosen Spirits, depending on type. Most items fall into the "Fragment" category. More on this later as I continue my research... ****** Lens List : ****** Camping Scenes : Since there appears to be no method of archiving or re-viewing these, my translations are going to have some room for error, and I'm going to have to say - live with it. ^_^ Sorry, but I can't be 100% accurate under these conditions. Rid : "A girl from a strange place...weird clothes...intelligible language. Hmmmm..." Meredy : "%*983(&*#&($&$?" Farah : "Have you thought of anything?" Rid : "No, nothing at all." (The way he says this is kinda funny, though the joke doesn't come out in translation.) Farah : "We have to get to Keel as soon as possible!" Farah : "Hey, hey, Rid, we're finally adventuring in the world together!" Rid : "What do you mean "adventuring?" We're just travelling to Keel and delivering the girl, right?" (forgot this part) Farah : "No, you have to take responsibility right to the end!" Rid : "What a "kind" and "nice" person...(Farah's face bashes him) gaaah!" Farah : "Do you remember, Rid? When the three of us were small, we promised to go on an adventure to explore the world. The three of us, together...Rid, are you listening? Ah, he's gone to sleep. At that time, I thought that there would be a place in the world where I could do something...and I still think it even now." Farah: "Ha! Huh! Ha!" Rid: "Did you learn that stuff at the dojo?" Farah: "Yes, this is just the warming up exercises. After this, there's more..." Rid: "Stop! Just hearing about it makes me tired!" Rid : I wonder why Celestians are like this... Keel : (forgot) Meredy : We're good! We don't do anything bad...just good things! Rid : Well, if someone like you is the king... Keel : I need evidence that the Grand Fall is not the work of Celestians...if I have that, my suspicions will be gone. So all we can do is venture forwards. Rid : Yeah, I guess so. ****** Credits : 1) Tales of Eternian (http://www.talesofeternia.com/) a Japanese site (hell, the BEST site, bar none, that I've found) for Tales of Eternia information. They have everything - Lens lists, semi-walkthroughs, skill help...a lot of information here comes from them, so hats off, everyone! (Not that I didn't do my own work, you know. ^_^)