Walkthrough Part 1

Introduction

The intro, oddly enough, is in English with Japanese subtitles. But the English is pretty hard to make out. 8-) Here's the full text of the intro. (By the way, anyone who's seen Star Trek VI will not wonder why Star Ocean never made it to North America... SUE 'EM! SUE 'EM ALL! The intro is copied right from it... right down to the coffee! 8p)

Captain: "Captain's log, stardate 346. Our ship has completed its mission of deep space investigation, right on schedule. Now we're heading home."
Ensign: "Would you like some coffee, Captain?"
Captain: "Yes, I'd like that. Thank you."
BOOM.
Ensign: "Captain! We've just picked up a huge amount of unidentified energy!"
Captain: "Where?"
Ensign: "Mark 301.209 in Sector Gamma."
Captain: "Resonia Section? Get it on the screen!"
Ensign: "An enormous Rift Wave is approaching!"
Captain: "Shield the ship!"
BOOM.
Captain: "What the hell?!"
Captain: "Stardate 346. Now, through an unknown force, a totally new age is about to begin. Is it God's will, or the irony of fate? And still mankind makes its way where no one has gone before. [SUE 'EM! Bwhahah!] People say the universe is a star ocean."

Starting off, stop by the bottom of the screen you're in to pick up a Blackberry, Flare Bomb, and Resurrect Bottle. You probably won't need them (or any items) any time soon. Leave your house and you'll be attacked by thieves! You'll fight the thieves in two sets of two; just approach a thief to start. Just hack away at the A button and you'll make mincemeat out of the Thiefs. They might also drop Blueberries. Only you and Dorn will fight these battles. After beating the two sets you'll fight three Thiefs and Boss Baird. Same strategy will win it for you.

After tea, you'll wake up the next morning in Ratix's house. Leave and head south. There's a chest hidden behind a tall bush with a Talisman in it. Equip it on Ratix. You can explore a bit now, and you can even leave the town to the north and south now. I recommend waiting a bit to get your other party members before you do, though. You can't enter any shops. Your goal is back in the patrol HQ at the top right (the house you started in).

The elder will tell you of an epidemic in Cool, a town to the north. After a longish scene, Milly will find out some bad news via carrier pigeon. She runs off to the north (yeah, it looks like she went south, but she didn't). Follow her north out of town. The enemies here are wimps as well. Ratix will learn his first skill, Rift Wave, around now. It's a short-range skill, but feel free to use it (your MP will be completely refilled after Cool).

You'll notice a crashed ship to your right as you head north, but you can't do anything with it. At the first crossroads, head north to pick up a Savory, then go back and head west. Head right at the stairs, then down to pick up a Blueberry. Go back up, then head west all the way till you see what looks like a stone tablet. Head left a bit more and take the steps down into the sandy beach. Head south for a Savory, then go back up the stairs. Go north from the stone tablet to pick up 200 Fol, then head back down to the tablet and go right.

In the next screen, take the upper right path at the sign and continue on to Cool. Just before entering, head left and grab a Ruby. Follow Milly to the second house. After the scene, you'll end up back in Clatos. You'll gain control of Ratix and Milly; find Dorn to the left of the patrol HQ, where he'll join you. Now you're off to Mount Metox to find the cure to the epidemic.

Before you do, now's a good time to stop and smell the roses south of town for a bit. The same easy enemies will attack, and this time Milly's in your party as well. Just south of the exit is a chest in plain sight with a Blueberry. Head left, take the stairs up, then back around down to the sandy area. Go all the way down near the surf, and head right to pick up a Necklace; give Milly the Talisman and take the Necklace for Ratix. That's all that's here; head back into town and go all the way back to Cool.

Head to the top left and exit north to reach Mount Metox. Go north and head right; you'll be attacked by two Fellworms. The enemies here (including those worms) are still pushovers, and Milly will heal you if your HP gets low. After the short scene, follow the path up to the top of the mountain. The Killer Bees can be annoying, but not too bad; neither are the Fellworms that appear randomly. In a flower patch near the top another scripted battle with two Fellworms will occur. Another short scene. Continue all the way to the next screen. You may want to de-equip Dorn now. Go to the top of the screen and two people (Ronixis and Iria) will beam down, Star Trek-style. They offer to take you to their ship, the Calnus.

When you regain control, Ratix and Milly are joined by Iria (as an NPC) in a tour of the ship. Go north on the left side of the conveyor belt to reach the elevator pod. You're on the medical floor. Going north again ends up back at the transporter room. Going on the left pod leads up to the bridge, where you can talk to Ronixis.

Going on the right pod takes you down a floor. Go down to see the Holodeck Refresh Room, where you can pretend you're back on Roak. You can't do anything there, though. Going up from the pod on this floor leads to the control room for the Holodeck. Going back to the pod lets you go up or down. Go down to reach the crew's quarters; you can talk to them. Go down yet another floor to reach the entry point for the Calnus. Ronixis will contact Iria and tell you all to return to the Medical Room. After a conversation, an alarm will go off. Run all the way north to the transporter pad. You'll fight twice against two Fellworms; use Rift Wave to make it go faster.

When you gain control of Ratix, head north to the elevator and take the left one up to the bridge. A very long scene will play out. When you regain control, first de-equip Milly and Ronixis of everything they have! You'll definitely find it useful. 8-) Now return to the bridge (all the way up to the main floor, then take the left pod). Another longish scene, then the real game starts! 8-)

Ratix will awake near Iria. This place should look familiar; you're south of Clatos. If you missed any chests, they'll still be here. Iria realizes her clothes will make her look out of place. Ratix will make a choice. Same thing happens either way. Ratix has to find some clothes now! Head into town.

For starters, go all the way right to the trees. Up is a Blackberry, and south is a Spectacles. Near that chest is 420 Fol. You can also get any chests you missed in the future (or present, or whatever). Now, there are three ways to get the clothes. Two involve the clothesline at the east end of town and one involves a shop.

Way 1: Go near the clothesline and you'll get a choice. Pick the top one to steal them.
Way 2: Enter the house north of the clothesline and talk to the old lady. Pick the top choice and she'll give you the clothes.
Way 3: Go to the shop south of the clothesline and talk to the blond man at the top. You'll get a choice; pick the top choice to ask about the clothes (the bottom choice enters the normal shop menu). You'll get one more choice; picking the top choice buys the clothes for 10 Fol.

Whichever way you choose, get them and return south of town, where Iria will change and rejoin you. You can do your first PA here if you wish (press Y). Don't bother buying anything in the shops. Continue north to Hot. The path hasn't changed any (though the crashed ship you might have noticed in the past has disappeared), but you won't be attacked by monsters (good thing too, since you have no weapons). If you missed any chests in the future/present, they're still here.

There are a few things to do in town (a PA is not one of them, yet). After a short scene involving a large man and a weapon vendor, head left, then up; look on your right for a chest with a Flare Bomb. Visit the Inn to see the large man again, but not much will happen.

Heading right from the inn will meet you up with Raddle the Traveler, who wants to go to Portmis, but is lost. Choose the first answer, "north"; you'll be rewarded later. East of Raddle is a shop, and east of that is the skill shop. First go to the left end of the skill shop, talk to the middle shopkeeper, and buy all three Skill Sets (1000 Fol total). Teach any character the Gale skill; you can now run by holding the Cancel button. Divvy up the other skills however you want. Now go back to the first shopkeeper when you enter. His name is Badam, and he'll give you a three-way choice.

Choosing (2) cancels, and (3) opens the shop screen. Choosing (1) will advance the story. You can't take the job he wants you to do because you have no weapons. Bummer. Head back to the entrance of town and talk to the weapon seller, who'll offer to sell you a weapon for 20 Fol. When you try to buy it, though, the large man intervenes, warns you that the merchant is a fake, and then walks off. You might want to exit town and save now.

Return to Badam in the skill shop to discover that the job has been taken by the large man, who enters and introduces himself as Cius. He agrees to take Iria and Ratix with him. Badam then says that you need a pass to get to Portmis, which you'll be given the next day. You'll get 200 Fol, a Long Sword, and a Knuckle (which, if your Equipment Wizard is still on, will be equipped automatically. I always turn it off; it gets annoying later.) If you plan on keeping Cius, check if he has the Originality Talent in the status screen; if he doesn't, you may want to consider restarting and trying again to get it. Assign his skills, give him Milly's Robe if you kept it (it's stronger than Cius's armor!) then go to the inn and stay the night. (You MUST do this to proceed!) Return to Badam to get the Pass Key Item.

Exit to the top left; you're back near Mount Metox. You can do a Private Action now if you wish. Going north, you'll now be attacked by enemies (if you try going back to Clatos, you'll find enemies on the way there too). With your new weapons they shouldn't be that tough. Iria might be a bit weak, though, so give her the Talisman. Watch out for the Bandits' ability to poison you! Bring along a few Aquaberries. And always go for the Slimes first in battle, because they can split into two (plus they have fairly high attack power)!

There's a recovery spring on the first big screen (you've been here before), so this is a good place to raise levels. When you're ready, head left and back to where Ronixis and Iria first met you. Look for a Resurrect Bottle to your right as you go up. When you get there, head off to the left into a new area.

Follow the path till you see a chest; it has a ?Herb (Mandrake). You can't identify it just yet, so keep it where it is. Continue up to reach the world map again (or what passes for it in SO). Watch out for the Bushwhackers here; they can hit hard and fast.

Keep going till you reach the signpost. Left is blocked, so go right. At the crossroads, go down to get a Resurrect Bottle, then go back up. You'll see a bridge. Go left before you get to it and follow the path down to get 380 Fol. Go back to the bridge and cross it to the left. The next bridge you see leads to a dead end, so go north. Look for a Spectacles hidden behind a rock. Continue north and follow the path to Portmis.

Check around for Raddle the Traveler. If you gave him correct directions before, you'll get a Spell Potion. Buy everything at the Skill Shop. Level up stat-boosting Skills until they start getting expensive in terms of SP (7 or more). You can Identify your ?Herb now if you want. Head to the weapon shop (at the top right) to pick up the item Badam wants. Talk to the weapon owner (named Papas, apparently a crossover from Dragon Quest 5). Buy up any weapons and armor you can use, then spend the rest of your Fol on healing items.

Head back to Hot and talk to Badam to get 600 Fol. You'll have to make a choice here: stay with Cius or get Ashlay or Fear? You'll get either of them fairly soon if you let Cius leave. You can get Fear much later along with Cius/Ashlay, but you can't have both Cius and Ashlay in your party at the same time. Also note that if you get Fear now, you'll miss out on her Secret Skill, God of War. The choice occurs after leaving the shop. Choosing 2 has Cius tell you about the entrance to the Metox Ruins, and you get to choose again. Choosing 1 has Cius join permanently, and choosing 3 has him leave permanently.

Head back to Portmis. On the way (if you heard about the treasure and Cius is with you) Cius will point out the entrance to the Metox Ruins. Do NOT enter them now; the monsters are far too powerful for you. If Cius isn't with you, it's a good idea to raise a level or two by the healing spring in Mount Metox.

Head all the way back to Portmis and enter the dock at the left. Talk to the sailor (Ben) at the top of the docks. You'll find out about the pirates that are ravaging the sea routes. You'll then get a 3-way choice. Choosing 2 lets you come back later. Choosing 3 tells you to wait 20 days, but staying in the inn 20 times doesn't change the situation at all. 8-) Obviously, you'll have to choose 1 at some point. When you do, you now have access to the boat to your right. Choosing 1 takes you to the pirates' lair. Make sure to equip yourself with the armor and weapons from the weapon shop in Portmis, and buy lots of berries; you'll need them.

You can re-enter the boat behind you to return to Portmis at any time.
If you're at Level 10-11 (with Cius) or 12-13 (without him) and have equipped yourself, most of the enemies won't pose much of a problem. The only exception is the Velcant enemies, which have over 2000 HP, high evade stats, and can pack a wallop. He's weak to Fire, so Ratix's Blaze Sword attack is good for him. Luckily they don't appear often. You should start building a few Battle skills now for at least a few levels, and you might want to build up your School Skills to level 2.

You'll see a lot of wooden doors around. Some of them can only be opened by running into them while dashing (you need to have learned the Gale skill for any character at least one level). Just hold B and press Up; you don't have to back up more than one step. Dash three times to open the door. Other doors open as soon as you walk into them.

For starters, head to the right door and go straight for a Lavender. Go back down (ignore the path to the right, it's a dead end). The left door leads to a room filled with gas; ignore it for now. Bash down the middle door (straight up from the entrance) and go to the second floor.

Going right leads to more gas; go down instead. Go right and in the door for a Blackberry and Aquaberry. Go right again for a Resurrect Bottle. Head back left and go down to see a locked door. Just head right and hit the switch to open it, then enter. Follow the path to reach the third floor.

Going right leads to a weird-looking device that turns you into a ball of light. It's your first save point! Save, then bash the door and head up to fight a boss. This fight can be tough. The Bushwhacker won't be much of a problem. The Robber Axe, though it doesn't have a lot of HP, can hit *very* hard, so get rid of it quickly (keep Iria away from it! Put her at the very top or very bottom of your formation.) Then go back to smashing the other enemies. Use Blueberries to keep up your HP and watch out! You'll get a Flint Stone when you win. Also pick up the nearby chests for a Rainbow Diamond, Liqueur Bottle, and Sapphire.

Equip the Flint Stone on someone. Now you can press A to shoot out sparks. The sparks can destroy the gas you see around the place (but be sure to shoot the gas from OUTSIDE the cloud; if you're within the gas all your HP will shoot straight to 1!) First head all the way back to the first floor. Destroy the gas in the room to the left to open up a passage to a Blueberry and Liqueur Bottle. You can also take this opportunity to return to Portmis and heal up/stock up on supplies.

Head back to the second floor and destroy the gas up and right from the previously locked door. You'll open a passage to the right. Follow it.
Do NOT destroy the gas inside this room. Head right first, and up through the door to pick up a Magic Color and Magic Card. Now go back left and down. Ignore the spikes to your right (walking on them takes off 20 HP a step, and leads to the same spot as the other path) and continue down through two flights of stairs.

Another save point here. Head left and destroy the gas to open a passage to a Blueberry. Head back right and bash the door upwards, then do the same to the next door. Going left leads to dead ends either way, so head right. Ignore the doors to your left (dead ends). Bash in the door just above you to your right to reach the boss! Make sure to set your characters' AI all on "Use all your strength" before venturing in!

This guy is tough! If you don't have Cius, I recommend at least level 14-15. You might want to use a few Flare Bombs, since they're weak against fire. Rift Wave seems to work pretty well if you ever get trapped between the two juggernauts. Otherwise, Blaze Sword. Definitely get rid of the Velcant first. After that, get to the Velcant Boss from both sides. Periodically he'll scream and everyone will be pushed away from him, but unless the Velcant is still alive, that won't make much difference. You'll get either a Reverse Doll or a Book of Hentai when you win.

Continue up the stairs to the left. Open the door for another Reverse Doll. You'll hear a cat-girl playing her ocarina now. The next door has a Sapphire. Continue left and open the door to her cell. You'll take her back to Portmis, upon which time she'll throw you a raspberry and run away, dropping something shiny at the left side of the dock. Search around where she dropped it to pick up the Ocarina; this is the only time in the game you can get it, and you need it to get a secret character, so make sure to get it! Before leaving the port, talk to the blue-haired boy nearby to get the Saint Elmo, a decent accessory.

If you have Cius, continue below. If you want to get Ashlay, continue here. If you want to get Fear, continue here. If you want to get none of them, skip everything and continue at Parj Temple or you can even skip that if you want and head straight to Van, though it's not recommended.

Ramifications: If you go to Parj Temple you can get Joshua. If you have Cius, you'll need Joshua if you want to get Marvel. The same applies to Fear with an added catch - you can either keep Fear and Joshua or let both of them go. Marvel will always join you if Joshua or Ashlay are in your party.

Talk to Sailor Ben again and he'll offer to give you a free ride to Astral. Talk to him again to get your choice to leave or not. You can return to Portmis at any time by speaking to the sailor at the bottom of the harbor. In town, head up the stairs you see; in the top right corner is a free Poison Charm. You can buy the Technique 2 skill set here. Be sure to get everyone's new equipment, because it boosts all your stats considerably! A man here (near where you start) offers to paint Ratix's or Iria's picture for 5 Fol, but he always ends up with a Scribbles. You can sell those for 5 Fol each, though, so you won't lose any money. Another lady offers to sell you a book for 980 Fol, but it's just a Stalkers Comic, which apparently has no use whatsoever. You can do a neat PA now if you like.

Well, hopefully you're tricked out with new equipment and ready to head south out of town. The only enemies that'll give you much trouble are the Robber Axes; gang up on one of them at a time. Also watch out for the Fudds, which can split themselves. Go down one screen and check behind the rock for a ?Herb (Mandrake). At the first crossroads, head left (down is a dead end). Follow the path up and left across the bridge. At the next screen, there's a chest right away with a Blackberry. Follow the path past another bridge; check behind the large tree for a ?Gem (Rune Metal). Head left and up the stairs to enter Tatoroy.

At the far upper left of town is a Resurrect Bottle in a chest. The shops don't have much that Otanim didn't have, except for the Battle 2 skill set. A woman named Puffy is here, and she'll play a mini-RPG with you; you can also compete in the arena. See Side Quests for info on those. You should be able to beat the first two battle sets easily with Ratix.

Your next destination is Astral Castle. There's two ways to get there: the easy way and the hard way. 8-) The easy way is to head into the harbor to the east of town and talk to the sailor below you; he'll take you there for 80 Fol per person. The hard way is... harder, and longer, but you'll get some neat treasure, and raise some much-needed levels on the way. I recommend it. To start, enter the cave west of town.

In the cave, the Armed Knights show up depressingly frequently, and they are TOUGH. Do your best not to let them throw their boomerangs, because if you get hit both on the way there and back you're guaranteed 450 HP of damage! I highly recommend building your levels up until everyone is at least at level 15. A good way of doing this is by fighting the Fudds outside town, hitting one once, and letting them multiply until the point where you can smash 'em all down for lots of EXP and Fol. Using the Fol you win, buy a bunch of Blackberries in town, because you'll want to use techs a lot inside the cave. In particular, Shock Sword works wonders against those pesky knights. If you're lucky enough to fight a bunch of Slimes, they might drop Blueberries for you.

For starters, head right past the first little platform, up the staircase, left, down the staircase, left, and down a bit; go up the ladder for an Aquaberry and Blackberry. Ignore the bridge; it's a dead end. Head to the top right from here and examine the crystal for a Sapphire. Head all the right and examine this set of crystals for another Sapphire. Go down to pick up a Blueberry. Ignore the large path to the left (it's a dead end). Go all the way back to the start (go back into town to rest up if you like).

At the small sign you see, head left under the bridge and to the next screen. Head up to reach a save point. Head down all the way and left past the little path; enter the little door to pick up a Spectacles. Go out of the room and head left and up; enter this door and hit the switch. Head back to the save point and go up through the now-open door to the next screen. Head left and down through the door. Head all the way down, right, and up a bit; enter the door for 1200 Fol. Head back to where you entered this floor and go right this time. Go all the way right (don't go down) and up through the door. Examine the crystals on the left to get a Crystal, then go up the staircase. You'll see a small scene.

You can now go down or right. Head down, through two doors and into the next room. First go down again to pick up a Saber, Necklace, and Fresh Bottle. Go right to see another two doors; one up and one down. Go up (down just leads around back here anyway). Head right, up, and through the door to reach another save point.

Going left leads back to where you came from, so head up. The switch you see controls the doors in the main chamber. You can collect treasure before heading out: First head right, down to the lower left, then enter the door to your lower left for a Claymore (though you should have this already). Return to the switch and hit it once. Now head down, right all the way, and up (all the other doors are locked). The single crystal at the top right has a Silver, and the small round crystal to its left (just below the crystal cluster at the top left) has an Iron. Follow the path north and left all the way, then up to reach a Hard Knuckle. Go back to the main chamber and hit the switch again. Now head left and up to get a Flare Bomb. Return to the switch and hit it one more time. Now you can head north all the way through.

Follow the path to reach a save point and a golden statue that will restore your HP and MP (phew!) This is a good place to level up if you wish. Ignore the path to the lower-right, you'll be returning here soon. Head straight north to reach Astral (you can save just outside).

After a longish scene, you'll head to the inn and take a room. You'll have a choice: Go to bed, or explore the town first. Of course I'll tell you to explore first. 8p Buy one or two Ring Mails and a Chinese Gi at the weapon shop (plus any other equipment you don't have yet). You can buy Technique 3 at the skill shop, but don't bother buying Battle 3 yet; it's just two skills (Link Combo and Motormouth) and it's not worth it at this point. You can also stock up on goods at the other stores (make sure you've got a bunch of Blueberries and Blackberries). When you're ready, rest at the inn.

You'll wake up in the middle of the night. Head to the lower right of town and exit. Fear temporarily joins your party here. She rocks, by the way; her dual boomerang knives will make mincemeat out of the monsters here.

Start by going to the lower right of the gold restoration statue. As you follow the path, check for a door to your left which leads to a room with a Reverse Doll. The path is long; keep following it until you reach a bridge downwards. Head left (ignore the upwards path). Go down and left, through the door, and right to reach a Poison Charm. Head back to the main room. Going to the top right leads to a one-way door back to near the start of the cave (by a save point). Now head right two screens to confront the monster.

Get rid of the Stropers as soon as you can; they can split themselves, and you do not want to be near a whole bunch of these idiots! The Black Widow can teleport, poison you, and has a web attack that hits everyone at once (albeit for weak damage). Have Fear attack her from afar while Ratix uses items and the other two characters pound her from either side. Just keep wailing on her and she shouldn't be too tough. You'll get a Long Sword +1 when you win.

Fear leaves after the monster fight, and you return to the inn. However, she sends Ratix and co. a messenger. He gives you a present: a Cinderella Vial, Luna Talisman, and 30 free SP for all characters. He also tells you that Parj Temple might have a clue as to where your friends are. You'll now get a choice; 1) to go to Parj Temple, or 2) to skip it and head to Sylvalant. I recommend going to Parj first (you can get both Joshua and Marvel this way; if you don't go, you can't get either of them). Before you leave, buy the Battle 3 skill set by now if you can afford it. Also pick up a Ruby Wand if you're going to Parj. Continue here.

Talk to Sailor Ben again and he'll offer to give you a free ride to Astral. Talk to him again to get your choice to leave or not. You can return to Portmis at any time by speaking to the sailor at the bottom of the harbor. In town, head up the stairs you see; in the top right corner is a free Poison Charm. You can buy the Technique 2 skill set here. Be sure to get everyone's new equipment, because it boosts all your stats considerably! A man here (near where you start) offers to paint Ratix's or Iria's picture for 5 Fol, but he always ends up with a Scribbles. You can sell those for 5 Fol each, though, so you won't lose any money. Another lady offers to sell you a book for 980 Fol, but it's just a Stalkers Comic, which apparently has no use whatsoever. You can do a neat PA now if you like.

Well, hopefully you're tricked out with new equipment and ready to head south out of town. The only enemies that'll give you much trouble are the Robber Axes; gang up on one of them at a time. Also watch out for the Fudds, which can split themselves. Go down one screen and check behind the rock for a ?Herb (Mandrake). At the first crossroads, head left (down is a dead end). Follow the path up and left across the bridge. At the next screen, there's a chest right away with a Blackberry. Follow the path past another bridge; check behind the large tree for a ?Gem (Rune Metal). Head left and up the stairs to enter Tatoroy.

At the far upper left of town is a Resurrect Bottle in a chest. The shops don't have much that Otanim didn't have, except for the Battle 2 skill set. A woman named Puffy is here, and she'll play a mini-RPG with you; you can also compete in the arena. See Side Quests for info on those. You should be able to beat the first two battle sets easily with Ratix. If you don't have Cius, you can pick up Ashlay here as follows: First enter the arena, go to the right door, and go up to the top. Ashlay is directly above the arena floor, looking down. Talk to him and he'll walk off. Now go back and enter a battle in the arena. You don't have to win, just fight in it. Now leave town and save, then re-enter and go to the docks east of town. Ashlay will greet you and you can get him to join you now; you'll automatically go to Astral Castle via boat this way. You can return to Tatoroy via boat, but it'll cost you 80 Fol per person. Ashlay starts far stronger than your other characters, and already has two techniques learned. If he doesn't have the Originality talent, just restart from the save you just did and meet him at the docks again.

Your next destination is Astral Castle. There's two ways to get there: the easy way and the hard way. 8-) The easy way is to exit the harbor to your right. 8p The hard way is... harder, and longer, but you'll get some neat treasure, and raise some much-needed levels on the way. I recommend going back to Tataroy and taking the long way. 8-) Take the ship back to Tataroy and head west from town to reach Astral Cave.

In the cave, the Armed Knights show up depressingly frequently, and they are TOUGH. Do your best not to let them throw their boomerangs, because if you get hit both on the way there and back you're guaranteed 450 HP of damage! I highly recommend building your levels up until everyone is at least at level 15. A good way of doing this is by fighting the Fudds outside town, hitting one once, and letting them multiply until the point where you can smash 'em all down for lots of EXP and Fol. With the addition of Ashlay, though, you should be just strong enough to raise some levels inside the cave. Using the Fol you win, buy a bunch of Blackberries in town, because you'll want to use techs a lot inside the cave. In particular, Shock Sword works wonders against those pesky knights. If you're lucky enough to fight a bunch of Slimes, they might drop Blueberries for you.

For starters, head right past the first little platform, up the staircase, left, down the staircase, left, and down a bit; go up the ladder for an Aquaberry and Blackberry. Ignore the bridge; it's a dead end. Head to the top right from here and examine the crystal for a Sapphire. Head all the right and examine this set of crystals for another Sapphire. Go down to pick up a Blueberry. Ignore the large path to the left (it's a dead end). Go all the way back to the start (go back into town to rest up if you like).

At the small sign you see, head left under the bridge and to the next screen. Head up to reach a save point. Head down all the way and left past the little path; enter the little door to pick up a Spectacles. Go out of the room and head left and up; enter this door and hit the switch. Head back to the save point and go up through the now-open door to the next screen. Head left and down through the door. Head all the way down, right, and up a bit; enter the door for 1200 Fol. Head back to where you entered this floor and go right this time. Go all the way right (don't go down) and up through the door. Examine the crystals on the left to get a Crystal, then go up the staircase. You'll see a small scene if you haven't already taken the boat to Astral and come back.

You can now go down or right. Head down, through two doors and into the next room. First go down again to pick up a Saber, Necklace, and Fresh Bottle. Go right to see another two doors; one up and one down. Go up (down just leads around back here anyway). Head right, up, and through the door to reach another save point.

Going left leads back to where you came from, so head up. The switch you see controls the doors in the main chamber. You can collect treasure before heading out: First head right, down to the lower left, then enter the door to your lower left for a Claymore (although you can't use it). Return to the switch and hit it once. Now head down, right all the way, and up (all the other doors are locked). The single crystal at the top right has a Silver, and the small round crystal to its left (just below the crystal cluster at the top left) has an Iron. Follow the path north and left all the way, then up to reach a Hard Knuckle. Go back to the main chamber and hit the switch again. Now head left and up to get a Flare Bomb. Return to the switch and hit it one more time. Now you can head north all the way through.

Follow the path to reach a save point and a golden statue that will restore your HP and MP (phew!) This is a good place to level up if you wish. Ignore the path to the lower-right, you'll be returning here soon. Head straight north to reach Astral (you can save just outside).

After a longish scene, you'll then head to Warren's house. You'll have a choice: Go to bed, or explore the town first. Of course I'll tell you to explore first. 8p Ashlay won't be with you as you explore, but you can eavesdrop on him and Ryas inside the mansion if you want. 8-) Buy one or two Ring Mails and a Chinese Gi at the weapon shop (plus any other equipment you don't have yet). You can buy Technique 3 at the skill shop, but don't bother buying Battle 3 yet; it's just two skills (Link Combo and Motormouth) and it's not worth it at this point. You can also stock up on goods at the other stores (make sure you've got a bunch of Blueberries and Blackberries). When you're ready, rest in Warren's house (just walk into a bed in the right bedroom).

You wake up in the middle of the night. Follow Ashlay out of the room, then when you regain control, head out of the mansion. Chase after the assailant to the right and down out of town. Enter the cave.

Start by going to the lower right of the gold restoration statue. As you follow the path, check for a door to your left which leads to a room with a Reverse Doll. The path is long; keep following it until you reach a bridge downwards. Head left (ignore the upwards path). Go down and left, through the door, and right to reach a Poison Charm. Head back to the main room. Going to the top right leads to a one-way door back to near the start of the cave (by a save point). Now head right two screens to confront the monster.

Get rid of the Stropers as soon as you can; they can split themselves, and you do not want to be near a whole bunch of these idiots! The Black Widow can teleport, poison you, and has a web attack that hits everyone at once (albeit for weak damage). Just keep wailing on her and she shouldn't be too tough. You'll get a Long Sword +1 when you win.

Ashlay will now leave and Ratix and Iria will have to hoof it themselves all the way back through the cave. If you haven't already cleared it out, your levels will be low enough for it to cause you some problems, but Ratix's new Long Sword +1 should help a bit. Refer above on how to get through the cave again. Return to the castle. Fear will give you a present: a Cinderella Vial, Luna Talisman, and 30 free SP for all characters. You'll then return to Ryas's mansion, and Fear will tell you that Parj Temple might have a clue as to where your friends are. You'll now get a choice; 1) to go to Parj Temple, or 2) to skip it and head to Sylvalant. We'll go to Parj first (you can get Joshua this way; that's the only ramification). Before you leave, buy the Battle 3 skill set by now if you can afford it. Also pick up a Ruby Wand if you're going to Parj. Continue here.

Talk to Sailor Ben again and he'll offer to give you a free ride to Astral. Talk to him again to get your choice to leave or not. You can return to Portmis at any time by speaking to the sailor at the bottom of the harbor. In town, head up the stairs you see; in the top right corner is a free Poison Charm. You can buy the Technique 2 skill set here. Be sure to get everyone's new equipment, because it boosts all your stats considerably! A man here (near where you start) offers to paint Ratix's or Iria's picture for 5 Fol, but he always ends up with a Scribbles. You can sell those for 5 Fol each, though, so you won't lose any money. Another lady offers to sell you a book for 980 Fol, but it's just a Stalkers Comic, which apparently has no use whatsoever. You can do a neat PA now if you like.

Well, hopefully you're tricked out with new equipment and ready to head south out of town. The only enemies that'll give you much trouble are the Robber Axes; gang up on one at a time. Also watch out for the Fudds, which can split themselves. Go down one screen and check behind the rock for a ?Herb (Mandrake). At the first crossroads, head left (down is a dead end). Follow the path up and left across the bridge. At the next screen, there's a chest right away with a Blackberry. Follow the path past another bridge; check behind the large tree for a ?Gem (Rune Metal). Head left and up the stairs to enter Tataroy.

At the far upper left of town is a Resurrect Bottle in a chest. The shops don't have much that Otanim didn't have, except for the Battle 2 skill set. A woman named Puffy is here, and she'll play a mini-RPG with you; you can also compete in the arena. See Side Quests for info on those. You should be able to beat the first two battle sets easily with Ratix.

Your next destination is Astral Castle. The easy way to get there is to head into the harbor to the east of town and talk to the sailor below you; he'll take you there for 80 Fol per person. There's a hard way, too, involving the cave west of Tataroy, but I'd tell you to leave it alone. With just Ratix and Iria, you probably won't be able to beat it. Just take the ship to Astral.

After a scene, you'll head to the inn and take a room. You'll have a choice: Go to bed, or explore the town first. Of course I'll tell you to explore first. 8p Buy one or two Ring Mails and a Chinese Gi at the weapon shop (plus any other equipment you don't have yet). You can buy Technique 3 at the skill shop, but don't bother buying Battle 3 yet; it's just two skills (Link Combo and Motormouth) and it's not worth it at this point. You can also stock up on goods at the other stores (make sure you've got a bunch of Blueberries and Blackberries). When you're ready, rest at the inn.

You'll hear bells in the middle of the night, and wake up to a bit of chaos. Head to the castle and go down into the basement prison (go to the top right, then head around to the left and go down the stairs). Talk to the guard to open the door. Head right to talk to Fear. To advance the story, pick 2, 1, and 1 (anything else will end the conversation, but you can start it again by returning to the cell). Head back left and down; Ratix'll knock out the guard. Go back right and you'll break Fear out; she'll join you. You'll warp to just before the entrance to Astral Cave. Enter.

Start by going to the lower right of the gold restoration statue. As you follow the path, check for a door to your left which leads to a room with a Reverse Doll. The path is long; keep following it until you reach a bridge downwards. Head left (ignore the upwards path). Go down and left, through the door, and right to reach a Poison Charm. Head back to the main room. Going to the top right leads to a one-way door back to near the start of the cave (by a save point). Head right two screens and down to exit. You'll have a conversation and another choice. Picking 2 will make Fear leave forever; picking 1 will have her join you. Another choice will occur now: 1) to go to Parj Temple, or 2) to skip it and head to Sylvalant. It's a bit of a choice. Going to Parj means you have to get either Joshua AND Fear, or let both of them leave. Not going means you can keep Fear without Joshua. I still recommend going and picking up both of them. Also note that Fear can never return to Astral now; whenever you try entering (either via cave or ship) she'll wait outside. This means that there's not much point in going through Astral Cave (the items inside aren't particularly valuable anyway). But return to Astral via ship and buy the Battle 3 skill set by now if you can afford it. Also pick up a Ruby Wand if you're going to Parj. Continue below.

To get to Parj Temple, take a boat back to Tataroy. Head out to the south and head west. Pick up a Moonite along the way. You'll eventually come to a crossroads; head north. At the next crossroads, first go west to pick up a Ruby and Smith Hammer, then head right. At the next crossroads, go up (right is a dead end). Now follow the path till you get to a pair of caves. The left one has 1000 Fol and an Iron. The right one leads onwards. Keep following it till you reach a large clearing. First head right and down for a Lion Statue, then back up. Ignore the staircase and head left. This big gateway is Parj Temple - actually, just the front door, which ends fairly abruptly. ^^;

There are some nasty magic users here; go after the Magiuses first in battle! Their whirling attack can be devastating! They have to charge it up first though, so get 'em. The Sargwens are nastier versions of the Armed Knights, but by now you shouldn't have too many problems. Your stamina will start being high enough that you'll regain MP fairly fast after battles, so experiment more with using techniques.

Keep going up till you reach a large room. Head left and down to pick up a Resurrect Bottle and Spell Potion, then go back to the large room and exit to the lower right. Continue up to enter a room with a switch. Hit it, then return to the large room and enter the now-open door at the top left. Examine the crystal to get 6 free SP for everyone. That's it for here; head back out of the temple.

Go south and right; go up the staircase you saw before. You'll meet Joshua, who'll show you the real entrance to the temple. If you have Cius or Fear, s/he and Joshua will get into an argument. You can choose 1) to have Ratix stop them, or 2) not to stop them. Either way, Joshua will automatically join you temporarily. If you have Ashlay, no argument will take place and Joshua will go in by himself. Follow him inside the REAL temple.

Inside the temple, you'll see some blue jelly blobs running around. They'll teleport you, usually to places you don't want to go; try to avoid them. If you have Joshua already, equip him with your Luna Talisman to boost his HP, and give him the Ruby Wand if you were smart enough to buy it in Astral. Keep him in the back at all times! If your party's level is below 20, you'll have some tough times here. Luckily, you now have a healer in your party; as long as Joshua doesn't die and you have some Blackberries, you can level up fairly easily. You can also find some HP/MP recovering crystals a fair bit into the temple.

First head up; you'll see two doors leading upwards. Enter the left one, hit the switch, then go back out and enter the right one. Here, head right and into the door for a Resist Ring and two more crystals that will give you a total of 6 SP; go back left and up. There are more blobs running around here; avoid them or you'll end back at the start of this room. Your goal is at the top right; you have to keep heading there, avoiding the blobs. It'll take a few tries.

Once there, go left (right is a dead end) and up. If you're with Ashlay, you'll see Joshua fighting a Velcant, a Bushwhacker, and a Robber Axe! This is the same fight from the Velcant Lair, so you can plow right through them. Joshua will then join you. Give him the Luna Talisman and the Ruby Wand (if you have it) and stick him in the back. If you're with Cius or Fear, you already have Joshua. Anyway: you'll see two doors where you are. Take the right door, then go right at the intersection to reach a door with a switch. Hit it, then head back left and go up. You'll reach another door; go left and up for another door with a switch. Hit that too. Now go back down to the next screen. Head through the door. (You're now just above the left door from the original double doors.) Go left now and up through the two now-opened doors.

You're at a save point now. Save, then head up. All the passages here lead to each other, so head right, up, right, and in the door. The left door here has crystals that will refill your HP/MP; the right door's crystals will give you another 6 SP. Head right into the next screen. Here, there's a bunch of red blobs and a single blue blob. Touch the blue blob while avoiding the red ones to proceed. That's tougher than it sounds, because the red blobs all follow you while the blue one stays where it is. RUN to the right as soon as you enter, and lure all the red ones to one corner, then maneuver around them and touch the blue one. You'll enter the boss's room.

Touching the blue blob brings you back to the save point. Go up to fight four Wolf Shapes. This battle is TOUGH. The hardest part is keeping Joshua alive. A good way to try is Astral Shift with Joshua in position 4. Use your strongest and fastest attacks! You'll get at least one ?Gem (Rune Metal) when you win.

Walk up into the next room for a longish scene. You'll be teleported to outside the Temple. Joshua will start to leave. You can have him join your party permanently by choosing 1) twice; choosing 2) in either choice will make him leave permanently. If you have Fear, it'll go a little differently. Here's what the choices will do:
1, 1, 1, 1 - both join
1, 1, 2 - Fear chases Joshua; neither join
1, 2 - same as above
1, 1, 1, 2 - Joshua chases Fear; neither join
2, 2 - same as above
2, 1 - both join

Whatever happens, your next stop is Tropp, a city far to the west.