Ys IV - The Dawn of Ys
                            FAQ/Walkthrough v1.0
                          by Deuce (deuce@scsn.net)

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Welcome to the Ys IV FAQ/Walkthrough.  Note that this is NOT meant for the
Super Famicom version of Ys IV, "Mask of the Sun."  This is solely for the
original PC Engine CD version, which is probably one of the best action-RPGs
ever made.

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TABLE OF CONTENTS

  I.   Version History
  II.  Credits
  III. General Tips
  IV.  The Cast of Characters
  V.   The Walkthrough
       1.  Prologue and Town of Minea
       2.  Town of Promalock
       3.  Village of Arieda/Abandoned Mine
       4.  Lava Pits of Nelgal and Slano Shrine
       5.  Selceta Forest and Town of Yupel
       6.  Earth Village of Laparo/Templar Castle
       7.  The Sinking Desert/Miyu Shrine
       8.  Water Village of Libra (aka "The Trouble with Tim")
       9.  The Selceta Flower
       10. Return to Minea
       11. Darm Tower
       12. The Mountain Shrine
       13. Rady's Temple
       14. Moon Village of Serene/Romun Castle
       15. Torie Shrine (aka "EscherSpace")
       16. Lefance Shrine
       17. The Forest and The Ritual
       18. The Gold City
       19. Zanria Tower
       20. Lunes Tower
       21. Shrine of the Sun
       22. The Final Battle
       23. Developer's Room

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I. VERSION HISTORY

1.0 - First release.  Complete walkthrough of the game from start to finish.
      Probably overlooked a few secrets and tricks.  If I missed anything,
      Please let me know.  Any and all submissions are welcome.

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II. CREDITS

Falcom - http://www.falcom.com
    For making this spectacular game!  Damn them for not releasing it in
    the United States though... :(  This game is good enough to have been a
    real system-seller.

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III. GENERAL TIPS

1.  Ys is very unique in its experience/level system in that a certain
    creature will not always give a specific amount of experience.  The
    amount decreases geometrically whenever you gain a level.  If, for
    instance, a creature gives you 40 experience points when killed, it will
    only give you 20 experience points once you reach the next level.  When
    you gain yet another level, it will be reduced to 10, then to 5, then
    to 2, then to 1.  The game always seems to round down in this regard.

2.  Because of the experience system shown above, it is extremely difficult
    to overpower yourself.  The game is very strictly paced, and in order to
    make your level unnaturally high, you would have to spend a large amount
    of time killing monsters that are only worth 3 or 5 experience points.
    This is tedious and boring, and it effectively prevents one from
    cheating in this manner, so to speak.

3.  Can't beat a boss?  Gain another level.  Sometimes it makes all the
    difference in the world.  Typically, you should be able to beat a boss
    if the experience point point value of the most common enemy in the area
    is 10 or less.  Of course, at the beginning of the game, experience
    given is less, so make your own calculations there.  If there are some
    monsters around which still give a decent amount experience points per
    kill, then go and kill some of them!  Gaining levels doesn't really take
    that long.

4.  When fighting weaker monsters in close combat, try not to attack them
    head on!  You stand a good chance of taking damage if you do.  Move up
    or down (or left or right, depending on the orientation) one "block" and
    attack.  The creature will almost NEVER be able to harm you like this.
    Just watch out for the ones who change directions suddenly.

5.  When fighting small enemies, particularly quick ones, set the game speed
    to "Slow."  The Fast speed will sometimes allow you to pass THROUGH the
    creatures and thereby make them touch you from behind.  This spells
    damage for you.  And you don't want that, ever, right?  Just be warned,
    sometimes the really quick enemies will be able to do this anyway.

6.  There are a few discrepancies between the instruction manual and the
    game itself.  The most notable of these is the "Rune Seed."  The game
    itself clearly says "Rune Seed," while the manual says "Rune Shield."
    In cases like this, the text of the game always has the final say.

7.  You will periodically hear the characters in the game make mention of
    the words "Akage no kenshi."  If you're wondering what this actually
    means, it literally translates to "red-haired swordsman." :)

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IV. THE CAST OF CHARACTERS

Adol Christin
-------------
The hero of the story, and a wandering adventurer.  He and his erstwhile
companion Dogi are returning to the land of Esteria after two long years of
journeying and adventuring.  Adol is the one resposible for saving the
people of Esteria from Dark Fact, as well as saving the people of Ys from
the reign of Lord Darm.  The climax of this second battle is the one shown
in the game's introduction.

Lilia
-----
A young red-haired girl whom Adol met in Ys II.  After he sought out a rare
herb to cure her of a terminal illness, she developed an extreme crush on
him, and never stops hoping that one day he will stay in Minea for good and
be her husband.

Carna
-----
An attractive young swordswoman, Adol meets her early in the game, being
harassed by some soldiers of the Romun Army.  She turns out to be a loyal
friend and ally to Adol, though he sees very little of her throughout the
course of the game.  She manages to keep in touch with him through the use
of her carrier pigeon, and she constantly offers him advice and the
occasional item of use.

Dogi
----
Dogi's best friend, and fellow adventurer.  The two have recently returned
from the land of Dogi's birth, known as Felgana.  He is more interested in
catching up on old times with friends than Adol, as Adol is forever
consumed by wanderlust.  Dogi also has very little tolerance for alcohol,
despite his rather large size. :)

Leeza
-----
A blonde-haired girl who helps Adol recover from a near-death experience.
She has deep emotional ties to the being known as Eldeel, and is sorely
tormented by the changes in her old friend.

Eldeel
------
The last survivor of an ancient race of winged humanoids.  Formerly a very
good friend of Leeza, he has changed in recent times... and is definitely
no longer the kind, caring soul he once was.

Gadis
-----
The powerhouse of the Evil Ones, he is large and strong.  He also has a
very twisted sense of humor, and delights in humbling Adol whenever
possible... also holds very extreme grudges.  He doesn't take kindly to
Adol's constant reappearances in the Evil Ones' plans.

Bami
----
This member of the three Evil Ones is a beautiful but evil sorceress.
She weilds power of the forces of nature, and also possesses the ability
to transform creatures and objects.  She seems particularly entertained
by using her powers to prey on those weaker than her, especially when
they are helpless.

Guruda
------
The leader of the Evil Ones, this blue-haired swordsman is a calm,
calculating man.  He always waits for an opening before making a move,
never giving away too much too soon.  One to be respected, if not feared,
for he is a very dangerous man.  He proves to be Adol's greatest rival.

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V.  THE WALKTHROUGH

Be warned before you begin this, I have included a few spoilers here and
there.  A totally spoiler-free guide is a little more editing work than I
have time for, plus if you need a walkthrough for a Japanese game, odds are
you don't understand what's going on to begin with.

Anyhow, I have attempted to make this as comprehensive as possible, from
solving puzzles to using items to defeating bosses.  It should allow you
to complete the game with a marginal understanding of what's going on.
Unfortunately, my Japanese is not as good as I'd like it to be, so this
will be incomplete as far as story goes.  If anyone wants to email me at
deuce@scsn.net and give me full details of the plot, you are more than
welcome.  And so, without further adieu...

1.  Prologue and Town of Minea
    The game opens with Dogi and Adol returning to Esteria after their
    adventure in the land of Felgana (see Ys III: Wanderers From Ys).
    After getting off of the boat, the two run into Goban, the thief from
    Ys I and II.  After a moment or two of horseplay, the three continue on
    to the town, reminiscing.  Goban explains that Minea has changed quite a
    lot since they were last there.

    When you get there, go explore around the town a bit.  The people in the
    shops will recognize you.  Go and visit Sara, the fortuneteller.  She is
    in the building in the bottom left corner of the town.  She will tell
    Adol about a land known as Selceta, and request that he journey there.
    Answer yes, then she will give you an item.  Afterwards, go to the bar.
    Adol, Goban and Dogi will laugh it up for awhile, then the three will
    go to sleep at Goban's house.  In the morning, Lilia will come knocking
    on the door, wanting to see Adol.  Goban goes to wake him, only to find
    that he is missing...

    Elsewhere... cloaked figures stand around a strange altar, upon which
    an almost humanoid form sits.  The flesh begins to form and congeal, but
    it falls apart and melts away.  One of the cloaked figures orders the
    others away, and the three vanish.  The introductory animation sequence
    begins to play.

2.  Town of Promalock
    Adol awakens in the ship, which has journeyed to the town of Promalock.
    First item of business is to get outfitted, so put on that Cleria
    equipment and get going.  Go around the town if you like.  Once out-
    side, fight the monsters until you reach level 3.  It shouldn't take
    more than a few minutes, since you have some of the most powerful items
    in the game.  Follow the path and you will come across a couple of
    solders harassing an attractive young girl.  She seems capable of
    taking care of herself, but one of the soldiers notices you and asks
    if you are friends with her.  They prepare to attack, but the girl
    breaks free and the guards are knocked out shortly after.  She gives a
    quick introduction, says her name is "Carna," and dashes off.  Not a
    moment later, a shouted command of "Don't move!" is heard.

    An ugly, bald man comes out, with a slew of troops following him.  As
    his conversation with the soldiers reveals, this is General Leo.  He
    orders his soldiers to bring out the cannon, and he demonstrates its
    power on a nearby tree.  You are taken prisoner, and your Cleria
    equipment is taken from you.  If that weren't enough, you're dumped
    into a dark cell to boot!  Inside there, talk to your cellmate.  He
    will tell you his name is Duren, and after a short conversation, tell
    you to get some sleep.  Go to the other bed to do so.

    A short while later, you will be awakened by the sounds of combat.
    Who should come bursting into the room but Carna!  She says to keep
    quiet and that she's come to rescue them.  Duren is a little too
    excited to keep quiet, so Carna hushes him and explains that she
    wants to destroy the Romuns' supply of tanks.  Duren notices an
    armory nearby, and you grab some equipment from it.  Unfortunately,
    an alarm is sounded, preventing Carna from accomplishing her mission.
    As the three of you prepare your escape, you are surrounded by
    soldiers, and Duren beats a hasty retreat, leaving you and Carna to
    fend for yourselves.  I recommend wandering around the courtyard for
    awhile and attacking the soldiers.  They're worth good experience and
    are easy to kill.  Just remember, though... if Carna kills them, you
    don't get any experience for it.  When ready, exit out the back gate
    and head southward.

3.  Village of Arieda/Abandoned Mine
    As you approach the south path, some men will jump from the bushes and
    threaten you, mistaking you for a Romun Soldier, due to your equipment.
    Carna will come out and explain to them that you are a friend, and then
    they will let you pass.  Inside the village of Arieda (that's
    Ah-ree-EH-dah) you will run into an old friend... Dr. Flair from Rance
    Village.  Be sure to purchase an Herb from him, and go to upgrade your
    armor and weapon as well.  Speak to the village elder in the northwest
    house and she will explain that her son, Lemnos, was taken prisoner
    inside the abandoned mine just to the north of the village.  She will
    give you the key which will allow you to enter the cave.

    Inside there, your visibility is extremely limited.  The lowest level
    holds nothing of value aside from an Herb.  The higher level holds the
    boss and the Power Ring, an extremely valuable item.  Unfortunately,
    the chest containing the Ring is locked, and you cannot get the key
    yet.  To get to the chest, follow the left wall.  To get to the boss,
    follow the right.  When you reach the boss, you will be best off if you
    are at least level 4 or 5, and have full life with an Herb available.

    *** BOSS FIGHT ***
    The boss is a big spider with obnoxiously long reach on his legs.  The
    pink blob which extends from his mouth is your target.  You need to
    learn how to space yourself so that you hit him without getting hurt
    yourself.  When you hit him, the blob will shift to the hindquarters.
    (Yuck.)  Run down and to the left, then get behind him and attack the
    rear.  It will shift back to the front.  Go around the right side this
    time, and repeat the pattern.  When you get him down low enough, he
    will double his speed.  The only way to attack him at this point is to
    move up and down to hit the blob as it shifts.  You NEED to be as
    healthy as possible by this point, because it will do a lot of damage,
    and it's impossible to avoid.  Use the Herb and keep plugging away and
    the spider will collapse, revealing the injured form of Lemnos.

    Carna will rush in with one of the village fighters, and they will
    take Lemnos back to Arieda.  Fight your way back out and go back to
    the village.  Carna will rush off, much to Dr. Flair's chagrin.  Buy
    another Herb and go after her.  You will find her shortly afterward,
    lying on the ground.  When you try to help her, a monster will come
    out from behind a rock and attack.  Finish it off, then help her.  She
    will ask you to accompany her, so head north into the nearby cave.

4.  Lava Pits of Nelgal and Slano Shrine
    In the lava areas, you will be aided by Carna, who will follow you
    around and attack any creatures who come close.  She's very powerful,
    and will kill most enemies in no more than two hits.  Don't let her do
    your work for you, though.  You don't get any experience for the
    creatures she kills.  There's no free lunch here, buddy.  You may come
    across a lavaspout that you cannot cross.  There is no way to pass at
    the moment.  When you get the Freeze magic later, you'll definitely
    want to come back here.

    Keep going through the area.  It's totally linear, though it does not
    look like it, so there's no need to worry about getting lost.  If
    Carna gets left behind, keep going.  She'll automatically run in after
    you if she falls too far behind.  You may want to get her "stuck" on a
    ledge so you can attack enemies without fear of her running in and
    stealing your experience points.

    Shortly, you will find a locked treasure chest.  Bypass it for now,
    and keep heading north.  There are two paths, the bottom one of which
    you cannot cross, as there's no bridge across the gap.  Go to the top
    and cross, and you will obtain the Treasure Box Key.  This will enable
    you to open the chest you found a short while ago.  Inside of it is
    the Mattock.

    Now that you have the key, I suggest backtracking slightly.  You can
    now go back into the abandoned mine outside of Arieda to pick up the
    Power Ring, which will prove very useful against what is to come.
    When you return, Carna will automatically be with you again.  Also,
    restock at Arieda if you have to.

    Now, to keep going, go to the upper pathway again, and use the
    Mattock.  The rocks will drop to the gap below, allowing you to cross
    to the other side.  Once across, you will find a small temple.  Go in
    here and continue fighting the creatures to keep your level up.  Just
    remember to keep ahead of Carna so she doesn't kill them before you
    get a chance to.  At the heart of the shrine, you will find a stone
    pillar.  If you touch it, you will be transported to fight with the
    boss.

    *** BOSS FIGHT ***
    The boss is a suit of armor filled with glowing magma.  It attacks
    primarily by tossing out axes at you, which have very slight homing
    capability and return to its hands.  Your safest bet is to focus on
    avoiding these rather than trying to do damage.  After it tosses its
    axes a few times, the lava will leave the suit and begin flowing
    slowly toward you on the floor.  The armor itself will warp to your
    current location.  This is your chance to get in plenty of hits.  To
    make the most of the opportunity, try to keep as far away from the
    lava as possible when the armor warps.  Once you have won, the
    spirit of Slano will grant you magic power, and give you the wand of
    Fire magic.

    Carna is nowhere to be seen... make your way back to the entrance
    and you will find her again, looking for you.  A moment later, your
    reunion will be interrupted by three very vicious-looking characters,
    who refer to themselves as the "Evil Ones."  The first is a large
    man, named Gadis.  The second is a purple-haired sorceress by the
    name of Bami.  And the third, their leader, is a thin, wiry man with
    blue hair, by the name of Guruda.  Bami fires four magical blasts at
    the wall behind you, and monsters begin to form from the stone.  The
    three leave you to be destroyed, but the creatures only pose a
    threat if you're REALLY careless.

    Once they're taken care of, go upstairs, and you will meet the Evil
    Ones again.  Bami prepares to cast another spell to finish you off
    for good, but a sudden tremor in the ground stops her, and you all
    escape.  They promise that you will all meet again.  Once out of the
    temple, head to the right... a fresh pathway will open up, allowing
    you easy access back to Arieda.

    As you approach Arieda, Carna will pull out the Flute of Wind and
    play it.  A small bird flies in and alights on a nearby rock.  She
    gives you the flute and says that she will use this bird, Ruse (or
    Luse, or Ruusu, depending on how you want to romanize it), to keep in
    contact with you.  Just use the flute near those rocks covered with
    white substance.  What is the white substance?  Take a guess... what
    are birds known to produce in great quantities, particularly on
    parked cars?  But since there are no cars around here, parked or
    otherwise, the birds will have to make do with nicely conspicuous
    trees and rocks.

    Now, go back to Arieda and restock, as always.  You may now speak to
    Lemnos in Dr. Flair's office, who will explain to you that he was
    transformed into that spider form by the Evil Ones you and Carna met
    earlier.  Once you're ready, head back to the east and this time,
    head southeast from the cave, into the Selceta Forest.

5.  Selceta Forest and Tree Village of Yupel
    The forest can be a bit confusing, as it has two levels and you must
    pass through trees to get from one to the other.  You should practice
    using your Fire magic on the snakes and animated flowers that abound
    here.  Also, don't forget that you can charge up your magic attack!
    Just hold down the I button until your lifemeter starts flashing
    white, and let go to fire the charged-up blast.  Press the II button
    to cancel the attack.

    As you proceed, you will find a VERY large tree with a doorway at its
    base.  Go inside and climb to the top to the village of Yupel.  There
    is very little you can do in the village aside from journey to the
    upper levels, where there are more monsters.  The creatures here are
    somewhat difficult.  They are fast and tend to move in random
    directions.  Don't be ashamed to use your Fire magic on them, as close
    combat is often inviting severe injury.  In the first area, go to the
    right first, and you will see some of the story of the winged ones, as
    well as be given an orb which will be used later on in the story.  At
    the end of the first area, there will be a Roda Tree Nut lying on the
    ground.  Pick it up and use it if necessary.  If you use it, go into
    the second area and return, then the nut will be there again.

    *** BOSS FIGHT ***
    At the end of the second area, you will find another pillar like in
    Slano's shrine, which will teleport you to fight the boss.  This one's
    quite easy, and you should have no problems if you're level 11 or
    higher.  It's a giant bird that fires sharpened feathers at you and
    periodically divebombs.  Stay out of the direct center of the screen
    and pelt it with fireballs.  When it flies in from the sides, go to
    the opposite side in the corner and fire some more.  If it starts
    divebombing, stick to one of the upper corners, so it will be less
    likely to hit you.  When you are victorious, the spirit of Talim will
    give you the Alter magic for your efforts.  This will slowly consume
    your MP, and turn you into a monster for the duration.  During this
    time, you may speak to monsters, are immune to damage, and you can
    also swim.

    Go back to the village and you will be guided to the elder's house,
    where you will be given the Ring of Roda (though the game says
    "Loda").  This ring is very valuable indeed, as it will slowly restore
    your magic points without the use of a Roda Tree Nut.  Now, exit the
    village and once out of the tree, go to the left.

    You will shortly see a strange-looking creature that you cannot do
    any damage to.  Speak to it in Alter form, and he will tell you his
    name is Robin.  He asks that you find him the "Rune Seed."  It's
    definitely in your best interest to do it for him.  Remember to always
    equip the Ring of Roda when in Alter form, so that your MP level will
    not drop.  Hop into the river, and swim around.  You may notice a
    small island linked to the main land by a rope bridge.  This is where
    you will find the Rune Seed.  You will have to work your way around
    to get to it.  Bring this back to Robin and he will move out of the
    way.  Move to the spot behind where he sat and you will get the Broad
    Sword!  This will be most useful.  Remember Robin, as you will run
    into him later.

    Proceed further and you will overhear the Evil Ones talking about you.
    After they chat a bit, they will leave, and it's up to you to follow
    them.  Take off your Alter magic at this point and head north.  You
    will find yourself on a bridge.  At the end is none other than Gadis
    himself.  He will cut the rope bridge, and you will take a nasty fall,
    leaving you with one hit point.

    As you start to awaken, a pretty blonde girl will run in to help.  She
    will treat your wound, healing you back up to 10 hit points, then she
    will leave.  Sit tight for a few until your HP are back up to maximum,
    then keep going.  You will see her again shortly.  When you do, she
    will tell you this is her favorite place to relax, because she loves
    the view.  She will eventually realize she has somewhere she has to
    go, and will leave.  Follow her, and you will soon reach...

6.  Earth Village of Laparo/Templar Castle
    This place is something of a welcome sight.  You can restock your
    items as well as purchase better equipment.  And you will need it, as
    a somewhat tougher area is up ahead.  You can also talk to Leeza in
    her house at the northwest.  You may want to fight a few creatures
    outside to raise your level a bit.  Watch out for the piglike things
    that spit fire.  Your magic will not harm them.

    From Laparo, head to the left and then up, and you will find yourself
    in a very large courtyard.  There will be some very speedy armored
    enemies here who are also immune to magic and can do a good bit of
    damage to you if you're not careful.  They are reasonably good for
    gaining experience though.

    At the north end of the courtyard (where is it written that all doors
    in RPGs must face south?), you will find the entrance to the castle.
    This place is a bit mazelike, and the enemies inside are dangerous,
    particularly those speedy blue spinning creatures.  On the upside,
    you can gain a lot of experience here.  Search around and you will
    a semi-long hallway with a staircase going down at the north end.
    Halfway through this hall, you will find a strange item on the
    ground.  Once you proceed down the stairs, head to the right and you
    will claim the Shield Ring.

    *** BOSS FIGHT ***
    Eventually, you will run into Leeza again, who is calling out for
    help.  A pair of tentacles creep into the room after her, then pull
    back.  It's up to you to save the day again.  Prepare your Herb and
    Shield Ring, and get ready to fight.  You should be level 15 for
    this fight.  Go into the next room and you will square off against a
    really strange creature.  The tentacles will block your Fire shots,
    and you can only hit it when the body is outside of the "shell."  It
    will also spit out three blobs from time to time, which can be
    killed easily with the Fire spell... but be careful, as they will
    launch projectiles at you, which can do extreme damage in the right
    conditions.  If you're patient, though, you should be able to beat
    this creature without even wasting an Herb.

    When you're done, go back outside to talk to Leeza.  She will notice
    the bandana that she used to bandage your wounds earlier.  She
    thanks you for coming to help her, but says she cannot leave yet, as
    there is still something she has to do.  She walks back into the
    room where the monster was, and you must follow.  (Or else the plot
    cannot continue! *gasp*)

    You will find that Leeza has been taken prisoner by the Evil Ones,
    and Guruda demands that you hand over the magics of Fire and Alter.
    Having no other choice (and just being the sort of guy you are), you
    do so.  Of course, Guruda seems to have no intention of fulfilling
    his end of the bargain, until Duren comes in.  Remember the guy in
    the Romun Castle prison?  Well, he evidently has a bit of a past
    with Guruda, and subdues him, allowing Leeza a chance to escape.
    The Evil Ones fall back, and you follow, Leeza and Duren tagging
    along behind.

    In the next room, you come face to face with Eldeel himself, who
    explains that part of the power he seeks is about to become his...
    he absorbs the energy from the statue behind him, and it shatters.
    He then uses this power on you, knocking you unconscious and nearly
    dead.  Eldeel and the Evil Ones then leave, and Leeza and Duren
    taking you back to Laparo.

    You awaken in Leeza's house, where she and her father explain what
    Eldeel used to be like, and how he has changed.  It seems all of
    Selceta is in danger from what he plans.  They ask that you help
    them in their time of need.  When you exit Leeza's house, go into
    the Elder's house, to the right.  He will give you an item which will
    be used in the next area.

    Remember to equip your Power Ring, since you will have to rely solely
    on your physical strength to keep going.  Now, go back toward the
    Templar Castle and you can go through the newly-opened gate on the
    right.  Follow the path and you will come to...

7.  The Sinking Desert/Miyu Shrine
    This place is a bit of a puzzle.  The first item on the agenda is to
    attack the big iguana-like creatures to get experience, as they
    should be worth about 45 experience by the time you reach here.  They
    are definitely worth killing.  You can gain a level or two quickly by
    simply moving up and down the first island, causing the lizard to
    reappear again and again so you can kill it.

    Remember, the sands will drag you continually down the screen, so in
    order to cross from one island to another, you need to find the right
    place to start, so that the current will not carry you too far.  In
    the first area, there is a treasure chest containing an Herb to the
    far right if you need it.  In the first area, things are simple.
    Just keep moving downwards and you'll arrive at the "shore."  Go to
    the right and you'll come across a great pyramid, which doesn't seem
    to have any available entrance.

    Duren is over by the pyramid, and he is also wondering how to get in.
    The pathway is hidden, and you must use the item that the village Elder
    in Laparo gave you.  Go to the broken pillar in the top row, the second
    one from the left, face up, and use it.  The pathway will open up.
    Duren will follow you inside.

    Once inside, there will be a multitude of slow-moving brown creatures
    with single blue eyes.  Fight these and/or the lizards outside until
    you reach level 18.  Then proceed to the center of the shrine.  There
    is another pillar which will take you to fight the boss.

    *** BOSS FIGHT ***
    Prepare your Power Ring and Herb, of course.  This guy is a piece of
    cake.  Your only chance to do any significant damage is when his head
    and tail are both sticking up out of the sand.  Attack the tail only,
    or else you'll get hurt.  Move to the left and right over the tail to
    continuously do damage.  Avoid the weird little projectiles that the
    mouth spits out, and be careful, as they will bolt at you whenever
    you are at a right angle to them.  When he's diving in and out of the
    sand, stay as far to the top as you can and he should be completely
    unable to hurt you.  When you're victorious (and you have to really
    be playing around not to be), Miyu's spirit will give you the magic
    of Warp, a very useful spell indeed.

    Exit the shrine to the right, and you will find another area of
    sinking sands, except this time you have to work against the flow.
    It may take a bit of practice, but if you take the time to gauge how
    far you can get, you can make it to the top easily.  Along the left
    side, you will find a treasure chest containing the Topaz, an item
    useful for nothing more than selling later.  Neat to have for a full
    inventory screen though.  The exit is at the upper right corner.

8.  Water Village of Libra (aka "The Trouble with Tim")
    This area will probably prove to be a stumbling block for most players
    their first time playing through the game.  When you approach the
    village, you'll see a man running towards it in a panic.  As you enter,
    you'll overhear him imploring the villagers to help him get back his
    grandson, a little boy named "Tim."  Aside from listen to the peoples'
    heartfelt pleas for help, there's not really much you can do here.  So
    it's time to go and save the kid.

    Before you go charging off, however, make a little detour.  Use your
    "Warp" magic to teleport back to Promalock.  It is the first item on
    the list.  Select it, then choose "hai" (two Japanese characters).
    Once you get there, go to the weapons and armor shops to upgrade your
    equipment.  You will definitely need it.  After you're done shopping,
    teleport back to Arieda (second item on the list) and visit Dr. Flair's
    office to heal up and restock.

    Once you've done this, teleport back to Libra (last item on the list).
    Then, be prepared to do a lot of level-gaining.  The upcoming boss,
    known as the "Ice Immurer" or "Ice Murmur," is quite tough.  I would
    recommend working your way up to at least level 21 before attempting to
    tackle it.  Use the brown creatures and the Godzilla-wannabe monsters
    to gain a level or two, then proceed north and fight the snowmen to
    gain the rest.  There's a blue creature at the top of the mountain,
    which gives decent experience, but it's difficult to catch, and can
    also do a ton of damage to you in a hurry.  You're better off sticking
    with the snowmen.  Remember, NEVER stop moving in this area.  There are
    some invisible enemies which can and will sneak up on you when you
    least expect it.

    Once you're powerful enough, climb to the top of the mountain and
    enter the cave on the left.  The one on the right is a dead end and
    holds nothing of value.  The doorway isn't far.  Equip your Herb and
    Power Ring before entering.  As you enter, you will see the old man
    (Jeff) pounding on a block of ice, inside of which is a little boy.
    He notices you and pleads for your help.  Touch the ice three times and
    the creature will awaken.  With a quick attack, it pushes the old man
    out of the room, leaving you to fight it alone.

    *** BOSS FIGHT ***
    This guy can be TOUGH.  Defeating it will require a lot of patience on
    your part.  If you try to rush things, you will never win.  It splits
    into six pieces, only one of which can be damaged.  This is the one
    with the dark blue figure.  The rest will hurt you if you touch them.
    You will have few opportunities to do damage, and you must make each
    one count.  When it merges, the part you can hit will always fly from
    the bottom right corner, giving you the opportunity to hit it as many
    as three or four times.  As it spins, DO NOT GET CLOSE.  Stay in the
    upper-left corner until it finished forming, then dash behind it to
    the upper-right.  Look out for the blocks of ice it'll drop (just
    avoid the shadows), and move back to the left, in front of it, when
    the coast is clear.  When it splits again, the part you can hit will
    usually go off toward you, giving you another (albeit riskier) chance
    to hit.  Repeat and be as cautious as you can.  Eventually, you will
    win.  It is possible to kill it at level 21 without using the herb if
    you watch the pattern enough.

    Once the Ice Immurer is dead, Jeff will come back in and thank you, as
    will the boy, Tim.  They tell you to go to the back, to the frozen
    village.  Once they leave, head north and enter the open house (there
    is only one).  You will speak to the child, who is the reincarnation
    of the sage, Enzo.  He will detail to you further facts about Selceta's
    past.  As you leave, the woman will give you another orb.

9.  The Selceta Flower
    When you return to the village, all will seem well for a bit, then Tim
    will develop another problem... his legs turn to stone!  (Tim is what
    is known as a "problem child.")  In order to put things right, warp
    back to Arieda and go to Dr. Flair's office.  Don't forget to restock
    if you need to, and answer "hai" (two Japanese characters) when you
    speak to him.  You'll warp back to Libra automatically.  When Flair
    surveys the damage, he concludes that the Selceta Flower could be used
    to fix the curse.  He asks that you go to find it.  Choose "hai" again.
    Now, remember that old guy who always kicked you out of his house in
    Libra Village?  Leave the town, then come back in.  Then go back to his
    house, and he will build a raft for you.  Exit his house and head north
    to get on it.

    The raft is automatically guided, and will take you to your destination
    fairly quickly.  Make sure to move around while travelling, otherwise
    the purple bird-creatures could sneak up on you and do some nasty
    damage to you.  You'll stop off in a cave.  Just get back on the raft,
    there's nothing to be done here... yet.  You'll return here later.

    Once you finish your journey, you'll be in for a surprise.  (You're
    going to love this one.)  Shortly after, you will meet up with the Evil
    Ones again... Gadis will want to just kill you outright, but Bami has
    other ideas.  She puts a curse on you of her own.  Nice lady, eh?
    Anyhow, go up the hill to enter the cave.  Fight the creatures for lots
    of easy experience!  You can go up two or three levels in no time here.

    As you proceed, you will find the Selceta Flower and eventually come to
    a spring.  Enter it and choose "hai" to heal and have the curse
    removed.  Then go back out and head north, to the crack in the wall.
    Use the Mattock on it to break out of this prison.  Then warp back to
    Libra!  Dr. Flair will be most pleased to see you.  You will warp back
    to Arieda to go to his lab automatically.  Stock up and wait around.
    It will take a few minutes before the Elixir is ready.  Enter and exit
    a few buildings.  Eventually, you will see a man standing to the right
    of the north gate.  Speak to him, then go talk to Flair again.  Time
    to warp to Promalock!  (I think he's just in this for the travel.)  If
    you haven't already done so by warping back here, upgrade your weapons
    and armor, then head to the shipyard.

10. Return to Minea
    After arriving, you will soon run into Dogi.  After he leaves, go to
    the weapons and armor shops to get better weapons.  You should be able
    to afford it.  Then head out to the field.  Things will look quite
    different from how they did in Ys I.  To the south, there is a second
    Roda Tree, where Lilia is.  Talk to her, then head to the northeast, to
    Zeptic Village.  In there, go into all of the houses.  The one at the
    bottom-right holds Jeva, the old woman from Ys I.  After talking to
    her, go to the southwest house, and talk to Luta Gemma's wife.  Then,
    go to the northernmost house and talk to the village elder.  Once you
    speak to him, you will find Luta in front of his home.  Speak to him and
    he will give you the Silver Harmonica.  Exit the village and go into the
    mine to the north.

    There are no monsters in the mine, so explore freely.  There is a
    treasure chest on the second level which you can open.  When you reach
    the room with the goddesses' statues, stand directly in front of one of
    them and use the Harmonica.  The goddesses will then awaken and speak
    to you, and give you the Mask of Eyes.  Immediately afterwards, someone
    will come in and tell you that Lilia has been captured by the Romun
    soldiers!  Return to Zeptic Village, and Jeva will tell you that she
    was taken to Darm Tower... so head north!

11. Darm Tower
    This won't take nearly as long as it did the first time through.  The
    only enemies will be Romun Soldiers, and they're not that strong.  If
    you do get hurt, remember that you can recover HP on the outer decks.
    When you reach the long passage lined with statues, put on the Mask of
    Eyes and enter the hidden area.  Once inside, switch to another item,
    since you can't see enemies while wearing the Mask.  Get the contents
    of the treasure chest, then go back out and keep going upstairs.  You
    will find a treasure chest containing a strange fruit.  Save this for
    later.  It will raise your level by one instantly when you eat it, so
    it's best to use it only at the end, when levels are harder to come
    by.  Shortly after, your path upwards will be blocked by a collapsed
    stairway.  Go back down to the hallway with the statues, and enter the
    hidden room.  Inside there, use the Mattock on the crack in the wall.
    This will lead you to a shortcut to floor 23.  Work your way through
    the maze of mirrors, and you will reach the very top of the tower
    itself.

    Atop the tower, you will find the captured Lilia, held by Gadis.  As
    it turns out, he has taken control of Keith Fact, who attacks you.
    Don't worry... Fact will defeat you no matter what you do.  He's not
    the real boss.  You will be magically healed, then Gadis will step in
    to fight you himself.

    *** BOSS FIGHT ***
    At level 24, you're pretty well-equipped to defeat him.  At level 25,
    it's a walk in the park.  His attack patterns consist of drifting
    across the screen, shooting five fireballs in succession, charging
    up for a blast of four fireballs at once, a black beam of energy, and
    an attack with his sword.  The ones you have to look out for are the
    beam and the charge-up attack.  The charged attack will take about
    90% of your life with one hit if all the fireballs hit you!  Don't
    rush things.  Take your time to learn his patterns, and you'll be
    fine.  When you get him down to about 50 hit points, he'll start
    attacking three times in a row with his sword.  Just keep moving and
    you should be able to avoid him.

    Once he's defeated, you'll get back your Fire magic!  The Romun
    soldiers will run away, and then Dogi will come in to help, having
    heard what happened from Goban.  Keith wakes up and apologizes.  He
    says that somehow they controlled him because he was the descendant
    of a priest.  The four of you leave the tower, to be greeted by Dr.
    Flair once more.  He says that he finally has the Elixir ready to
    cure Tim.  The two of you warp back together, and Tim is cured.

12. The Mountain Shrine
    All seems well, doesn't it?  Tim's zipping around like a hummingbird
    on crack, and everyone is happy.  However, his attention is taken by
    a strange little yellow creature.  Curiously enough, one identical
    to the form you take when you used your missing Alter magic.  The
    boy chases after the creature, and Dr. Flair asks that you go and
    look after him.  After all, we can't have the townsfolk worrying
    even more.

    Exit the village, and head northwest.  The floating eye creatures
    are tough to kill, and can do a lot of damage, but they're very slow
    and are worth a lot of experience.  Gain a few levels here before
    proceeding.  Enter the shrine when you feel you are ready.

    Once inside, Tim will lead you on a wild goose chase.  He will show
    you how some flame traps work (and singe you in the process), and
    then run off again.  There is a room FULL of these things coming
    up, so SAVE WHEN YOU ENTER IT!  They can kill you in less than a
    split-second.  The proper path is up the left passage, left until
    you are flush with the wall, then rush through the two horizontal
    tiles.  You'll have to move diagonally up-right to get to the door
    unscathed.  It takes practice, but it can be done.

    Eventually, Tim will lead you to a room with two teleporters.  He
    will use the one on the left, but you must use the one on the RIGHT
    to catch him... keep moving until you see a room with an open door
    (NOT a stairwell) then proceed.  You will end up in a very wide
    open area.  Enter one of the doorways at the bottom, and stick to
    down and left when possible.  You'll end up taking a rather nasty
    fall, and be trapped in the room with Tim and the creature.  The
    door is locked.  Fortunately, Dogi will come blasting into the
    room shortly, and lead you to the exit.

    Before you follow Tim and Dogi, however, head Right and then Down.
    You'll obtain the Heal Ring!  A boss fight is coming up, and I
    would recomment being at least level 27 for this one.  If you need
    to gain levels, an excellent opportunity is provided in the room
    just north of the Heal Ring.  Before proceeding, heal up using the
    Heal Ring and prepare your Fire magic, as well as the Shield Ring.
    Use the Ring of Roda to recharge magic if necessary.

    *** BOSS FIGHT ***
    The boss may come as a bit of a shock...literally.  He attacks with
    lightning, and has quite an aggressive pattern.  He first attacks
    with a vertical lightning bolt.  Time your attacks in between the
    bolts, and watch his hands to avoid getting jolted.  Once you take
    him down far enough, the hands will separate and fire two separate
    bolts of lightning while the cloak wraps itself up.  You cannot hurt
    it unless the cloak is open.  The hands will exchange turns firing
    off blasts of blue magic.  Just move slightly after it fires and you
    will not be hit.  After both hands are done, get back in the center
    and attack once more.  Once you learn the pattern, this guy is a
    piece of cake.  After you win, you'll get your Alter magic back, as
    well as the Cleria Shield!

    By the way, if you go back to Arieda, Dr. Flair will have Elixir
    available for you to buy... it will restore your life to full
    automatically in the event that you are reduced to 0 HP.  Such power
    doesn't come cheap, though.  The cost is 30000 gold.

13. Rady's Temple
    Now that you have the Alter magic back in your possession, you can
    once again swim.  Head back to Libra, and hop off the dock to swim
    north.  Once out in the open, head slightly northeast to find a small
    island with a treasure chest.  Inside that chest is the Battle Armor!
    Once done, go north again to go into the cave.  This time, go toward
    the left, and go up to the dead-end wall with the symbol.  Put on the
    Mask of Eyes and you will be able to get through.  Take it off after
    you pass through the door.  Once inside, remain in your Altered form.
    When you reach the first intersection, go down and swim through the
    corridors.  You will eventually reach a dead-end with a treasure
    chest, which holds a key. This key will open the floodgates and allow
    you to access the formerly submerged areas.  Backtrack and this time,
    head up at the first intersection.  You will reach a door, and when
    you open it, you'll be washed up (literally).  A bit embarassing, but
    it'll get the job done.

    Now, go exploring again.  You may have noticed a submerged treasure
    chest before.  Now you can reach it.  In it sits the Timer Ring.  It
    is definitely most useful.  Now, you may want to take off the Alter
    magic and fight some monsters.  There are several places around here
    that are good for gaining levels.  I'll leave it to you to find them.

    When you're ready, go and fight the boss.  The proper pathway is to
    the left of the wide submerged area with two small stairways which
    allow you to get in or out of the water on either side.  It's just
    to the left of where you found the key.

    *** BOSS FIGHT ***
    As always, make sure you're stocked up with your Herb.  I recommend
    level 30 for tackling this one.  Equip the Shield Ring also, as
    you'll have to use your Fire magic, which the Power Ring doesn't
    affect.  The boss follows a fairly simple pattern.  The energy orbs
    it sends out will turn into waves of water that damage you.  They're
    easy enough to avoid.  You cannot hurt the armor in the middle until
    you destroy the two statues on the sides.  Alternate between them and
    you should be able to destroy them in no time, while avoiding the
    water.  Once it's gotten out of its shield, you can then attack it
    normally.  It will fire multitudes of water projectiles at you, in
    some way or another.  Most of these are easily avoided.  If you MUST
    get hit (and sometimes it cannot be avoided) then run through the
    projectiles to take as little damage as possible.  When the huge wave
    sends you back and forth across the screen, try to stay out of the
    armor's way, or else it'll do some nasty damage do you when it
    touches you.  A little perseverence is all it takes.  When you are
    victorious, the Freeze Magic will be your prize.

    *************************** SPECIAL ITEM ******************************
    The next thing you should do is head back to the lava pits.  Remember
    that area with the lavaspout that you couldn't cross?  Use the Freeze
    magic on it and you can pass.  This will net you Samson's Shoes, a
    handy item.  It slows your movement rate to a crawl, but any enemy
    (except bosses, of course) is killed in one hit.  Very handy for
    gaining experience, and surviving some of the later areas.
    *************************** SPECIAL ITEM ******************************

14. Moon Village of Serene/Romun Castle
    Go back to the village of Libra, use your Alter magic, and hop off
    the dock.  Swim to the right, then down to approach the waterfall.
    Once you fall, go to the right and attack the creatures here (use the
    Samson's Shoes) to gain experience.  You can gain two or three levels
    here in no time.  Follow the pathways north to the village of Serene.
    If you go east, you will find your pathway blocked by a large wall of
    rocks.  There is an old woman named Banjo in the center of the
    village who can mix up a potion to blast away the rocks for you.
    Talk to her and she will tell you she needs "Kibie Powder" (That's
    kih-bee-ay) in order to make it.  The only people known to have it
    are the Romuns.  So, warp back to Arieda and head north to the castle.

    Once there, you will need to equip all that old weaponry you stole
    when escaping in order to get the guard to let you pass.  Once inside
    you must go into the prison building, where you were held, and go
    upstairs.  Talk to the soldier standing still in the lone hallway, and
    he will gripe to you about the "redheaded swordsman" for a bit, then
    recognize you, and run off to sound an alarm.  Don't bother chasing him,
    you'll catch up to him later.

    Go back into the first building and you will be able to go upstairs
    now.  As you pass through, you will overhear General Leo in his
    quarters, being in a particularly foul mood to one of his officers.
    He finally gives up and goes to sleep.  Proceed upwards, and you
    will find the soldier who sounded the alarm.  Chase him to the
    dead-end, and he will give you the key you need to unlock the door
    to the Kibie Powder.  Go back downstairs and enter the formerly
    locked door, get the powder, and warp back to Serene.

    To get the Black Potion, use Badou's Ash and the Kibie Powder mixed.
    They are (from the left) the second and third items in the list that is
    presented to you.  Once you have it, head to the wall of rocks and you
    will use the potion.  It will hurt you severely, and an old woman will
    come up, warn you of the danger ahead, and give you the Talisman.  When
    she leaves, sit tight for a few and heal back up.  Then proceed up the
    road.

15. Torie Shrine (aka "EscherSpace")
    As you proceed onward, you will encounter a lava pit area much like the
    one you went through earlier.  Attack the creatures outside the pyramid
    to gain levels.  I would suggest level 34 or 35, as the boss is quite
    tough, and once inside, opportunities to gain experience are few and
    far between.

    When you reach the pillar and touch it, you will not be warped to the
    boss instantly, like you might be expecting.  You will be warped into
    a very strange world.  Beware of treasure boxes.  Some of them are
    actually monsters, who can do a lot of damage to you.  Test them with
    a blast of Fire or Freeze before approaching.  If it goes through,
    the take what's inside.  Otherwise, leave it be.  They're not worth the
    trouble to fight.  One of them will contain the Magic Ring.  Make sure
    you get this before you fight the boss, or else you cannot go back and
    get it!

    These two areas are quite mazelike, and could give you some trouble.
    It is, unfortunately, impossible to make a map out of such a strange
    layout.  The first is relatively simple.  Step on one of the red tiles
    and you'll be warped to the green tile closest to it.  This will also
    put you on the wall.  (You'll see what I mean.)  The tiles work in
    reverse as well.  Find the Magic Ring here before proceeding to the
    really big tile.  The second area is a bit tougher, and is more of a
    maze.  The arrow tiles may only be crossed one way.  So if you're
    going to use one, save first, so you can avoid having to retrace your
    steps.  Work at it for awhile and you will get it.  It's not as hard
    as it looks.

    *** BOSS FIGHT ***
    This boss is one of the tougher ones.  Looking eerily similar to Darm,
    he attacks with incredible aggression.  Have your Herb and Elixir
    prepared, as you very well may need both of them.  You can only harm
    him when his cloak is red and he is solidified.  Beware the vertical
    bolts of pink energy.  They will drain your HP rapidly.  He will also
    launch little blue energy pellets which do no damage, but serve to
    annoy the hell out of you and keep you from moving where you want to
    go.  Avoid the attacks where possible, and keep plugging away at him,
    and you will eventually succeed.  Level 34 makes for a tough fight,
    and level 35 is noticeably easier.  Once you win, the spirit of Torie
    will give you the Seeker Magic.

16. Lefance Shrine
    Return to Serene and you'll find things quite different.  Everything
    is destroyed, and there's no one here!  The only living soul is an
    old woman where Banjo used to sit.  Talk to her, and she will take an
    item from you... and then reveal who she really is.  It might not be
    who you expect.

    Once she leaves, make use of the Seeker Magic that Torie gave you.
    It will reveal a hidden entrance, inside of which are the villagers.
    Banjo is still there, and will still make potions for you if you wish
    her to.  The door on the upper left leads to Lefance Shrine.  Talk
    to the woman and she will let you pass.  Once there, go to the large
    statue in the center, and you will meet the spirit of Lefance
    himself.  He will give you the Shield Magic, as well as give your
    magic a noticeable boost.  You'll find your Fire and Freeze magics
    look considerably different.  There are also three small poles with
    orbs sitting atop them.  Looking into them will allow you to hear,
    once again, the three narratives detailing the story of Selceta.
    When you're done here, touch the glowing statue.

17. The Forest and The Ritual
    You will be transported into a forest.  You'll find your Freeze magic
    works well against the enemies here.  When you proceed, Duren will
    hop down in front of you and talk to you for a bit.  To the north is
    a clearing filled with some tough enemies.  Here is an excellent
    place to don Samson's Shoes and kill creatures for experience.  At
    the gates, there is your friend Robin (the creature who gave you the
    Broad Sword earlier).  Talk to him in Altered form.  He will tell you
    that he is hungry, and ask that you find some food for him.  Go down
    to the forest again, and pick up the seed you find at the root of a
    tree.  Bring it back to Robin (still in Altered form), and he will
    start following you around and attacking enemies with you.  If you
    change back to human form, he will sit still and you can proceed.

    *** BOSS FIGHT ***
    Inside the gates is a temple... and some familiar faces.  Eldeel has
    the Mask of the Moon now, and he is no longer willing to entertain
    your interference.  He sends Bami against you.  She's actually not
    that tough.  (I suppose her most dangerous attack was that annoying
    laugh.)  You'd better be at level 36, or better yet, 37, before
    taking her on.  She has three basic attacks.  One she calls down
    lightning all over the screen.  This is easy to avoid, as you have
    plenty of warning before it starts doing damage.  She will also toss
    out three blasts of ice.  These can be avoided by linear movement,
    so long as you don't let yourself get stuck in the corner.  Her
    flamethrower attack is definitely her worst.  It's impossible to
    completely avoid, so the best you can hope for is to cross through
    it when it's a straight line, directly in front of her.  That way,
    you'll only take one hit.

    Once you've taken care of Bami, Eldeel will perform a ritual to
    raise the Gold City from the depths of the ground.  Leeza is planned
    as his sacrifice, but something happens which stops him.  Let's just
    say Guruda has a few surprises left in him after all.  Afterwards,
    you and Leeza will go back to Laparo automatically.

18. The Gold City
    To get to the Gold City from Laparo, exit the town and head to the
    right.  You'll see a pathway which wasn't there before.  Go inside,
    and you'll run into Dogi.  He will join you and help you fight your
    way through.  Shortly after entering, you'll come upon a locked door.
    Dogi prepares to bash his way through, but is stopped by none other
    than General Leo of the Romun Army... and a cannon, plus a battalion
    of soldiers.  After shoving you aside, he proceeds onward with his
    men.  The pathways are somewhat convoluted, and it's easy to get a
    bit lost.  When fighting, be careful.  Most of the enemies here are
    immune to your magic.  Fight where you can, and if you need to heal
    up, find a secluded corner and put on the Heal Ring.  Dogi will stand
    guard for you, and easily kill any monsters that come your way.  Your
    goal is the large open doorway at the back of the outside area.

    Once you reach here, you will come across Leo and his men again.
    They use the cannon to break through another door, but a pair of
    gargoyles come to life on either side of the door, destroying the
    cannon and the two soldiers who fired it.  Leo proceeds on, undaunted.

    In the next area is one of the more obnoxious challenges in the game:
    the fire tiles, as I call them.  Leo will repeatedly send groups of
    his men through the fire, each one getting a bit farther.  Pay close
    attention to them, as they're showing the pattern.  Once nearly all
    of his men are killed, he continues with the last of his troops and
    makes it through himself.  And it's up to you to follow him.  This
    part is quite tricky, and can take a while before you get the pattern
    down.  Just ONE touch of those flames will kill you, and you also have
    to make sure Dogi is out of harm's way as well, or else he will be
    fried and you'll have to start over.  It took me about ten tries to
    get it completed.  The easiest pattern consists of starting on the
    right side, moving to the center, up the left side, center, then the
    right side again.  You WILL have to be careful though, as some tiles
    will flare up twice before proceeding is safe.

    Once you've made it through, go to the next room.  Leo will be there
    with his men and he will open a treasure chest.  However, it does not
    seem to hold what he is searching for... several blue slime creatures
    rise from the floor and suck the Leo and the soldiers into the ground.
    It was a trap all along.  One of them will also grab you as well.
    Dogi calls out your name, and you land in the basement with the other
    men.  Leo leaves his men behind and runs off.

    At this point, you must proceed back to the room with the fire tiles
    and make your way through them again.  Hey, you did it before, you can
    do it again, right?  Besides, it's a lot easier when you don't have
    Dogi to worry about.  In the next room, you will still have those blue
    slimes to contend with.  You cannot kill them.  They're rather fast,
    and move in a primarily random fashion.  The only way to get past here
    is to use the Timer Ring and avoid them, making your way to the door
    on the far end of the room.

    In the next room, Leo is examining another treasure chest, situated on
    a raised block of stone with a pole at each corner.  He opens it,
    laughing that he has finally found his treasure.  Unfortunately, it is
    also empty.  The eyes above the opposite door begin to glow, and Leo
    is consumed in a bolt of energy which knocks him into a corner of the
    room.  When you talk to him, he says with his dying breath that he
    wonders why he was searching for something that didn't exist.  He dies,
    and the doorway opens.

    As you proceed, it appears that it's a dead end.  Dogi checks the wall,
    and breaks through a hollow portion, opening a path for you.  As you
    enter, a rock falls from above, and Dogi shoves you aside, taking a
    rather nasty bump on the head.

    *************************** SPECIAL ITEM ******************************
    Any time after Leo is killed, you may go back to Romun Castle and look
    for his original equipment.  It is the best equipment available in the
    game, but getting it can be a bit of a chore.  It's in his room, but
    you cannot enter the tower without some way of sneaking by the guard.
    The old "wear-the-enemy-equipment" trick won't work here... you need
    something extra.

    What you need is an invisibility potion.  In order to get this, you
    need to talk to Banjo, who is now in Arieda at the northeast corner of
    town.  To obtain the Clear Potion which will make you temporarily
    invisible, you need the two leftmost items on her ingredients list.
    The second one, Batou's Ash, can be easily purchased.  The first you
    may have a bit of a time with, since you may not remember where you got
    it originally.  But after much searching, I've found out.  If you don't
    have it, warp back to Promalock and head out of the town.  Summon Ruse
    to the tree just outside the town, and he will bring you the item you
    need.  Now head over to Banjo and get her to make that potion!

    Inside Romun Castle, use the item before you go up the stairs and the
    guard will not notice you.  You will blink rapidly when invisible.
    Enjoy the newfound power.
    *************************** SPECIAL ITEM ******************************

    Dogi waves you off, declaring that he's all right and that you should
    go on ahead.  In the next area, the creatures all all armored and are
    immune to magic, not to mention extremely fast.  I recommend using
    Samson's Shoes throughout this place.  Any creature you touch will be
    destroyed, and the safety factor makes it more than worth the tradeoff
    in speed.  You can also use it to gain a few levels, as the creatures
    tend to attack relentlessly, giving you plenty of opportunity to gain
    experience.

    *** BOSS FIGHT ***
    Eventually, you will come across another large open doorway.  Before
    entering, make sure you are level 39 or higher, in order to stand the
    best chance against what is to come.  Within this place sit another
    two gargoyles like the ones that destroyed Leo's cannon.  They will
    come to life and swoop to attack.  They are only vulnerable to magic,
    so get it ready.  Due to their speed, you should also use the Timer
    Ring, as it will buy you a lot of time and chances to attack safely
    that you normally would not have.  They will float around, firing
    blue bolts of homing energy at you.  To avoid these, move in a tight
    circle behind them, and they will be unable to track you.  Five of
    these will typically be fired, then they will switch to a new attack.
    In the second attack, they will each go to one side of the room and
    fly up and down, spitting lasers horizontally.  Stay at the very top
    or the very bottom and you will not be hit.  When one is near the top
    of the screen, get underneath it and let loose with as many bolts of
    magic as you can muster.  Be sure not to get too close.  For the
    third attack, they will come together near the center of the screen
    and unleash a short burst of white energy which will damage anything
    not at the sides of the screen.  After they are reduced to about 1/4
    their total hit points, they will begin firing off extra projectiles
    constantly.  Don't be daunted by this, they're not homing and they're
    not hard to avoid.  Keep pressing the attack.  You should have plenty
    of life left to finish them off, particularly if you can save the
    Herb until now.

    When they're destroyed, go to the room at the back and open the
    treasure chest.  Inside it is the key to the sealed door back where
    you left Dogi.  Make your way back to that courtyard and enter the
    formerly locked door.  You will find yourself back in Lefance Shrine.
    Talk to the statue again, and he will tell you that you must find
    Guruda and get back the Cleria Sword.

19. Zanria Tower
    Now, you must head to the upper left doorway, which will allow you to
    enter Zanria Tower.  The blue horned creatures on the catwalks are
    worth rather good experience apiece, and are quite vulnerable to the
    Fire magic.  Fight them and raise your experience level.  Once you
    enter, it should look extremely familiar... namely, the Mountain
    Shrine that Tim led you through before.  Notice all those holes in the
    walls where Dogi pounded his way through.

    You will be unable to escape this place.  The Warp magic does not work
    here.  To succeed here, you should go straight up, and then when you
    are warped to the wide open area, go through the bottom passage just
    to the right of the center.  Continue straight and you will be warped
    to another familiar hallway, before a large door.  The green creatures
    here are worth a TON of experience.  However, you cannot hurt them
    without being injured yourself... unless you use the Shield Magic (not
    recommended) or the Samson's Shoes.  Use them to raise your level to
    45 or better, then enter the large door.

    *** BOSS FIGHT ***
    Before you step on the floor tile, prepare your Power Ring and your
    Shield Magic.  You're going to come face to face with an old friend.
    Attack when he is in his solid, humanoid form and avoid the energy
    spheres which fly around.  He's not that tough.  You should have him
    down to virtually nothing by the time your magic runs out, so you can
    afford to take some damage near the end of the battle.  Once you have
    won, make your way back to Lefance Shrine.  You can now use the Warp
    Magic.  You should have a ton of money by now, so go back to Arieda
    and stock up on everything you can, including an Elixir.  Warp back
    to Lefance Shrine and go into the right-hand door this time, which
    will lead you to...

20. Lunes Tower
    This place is easier than it looks... the Samson's Shoes will serve
    you well here.  You will have to work your way through a short but
    confusing maze, opening "hidden" passages with the Seeker magic.
    Watch your magic points, as the magic consumes 10 points with each
    use.  Once you've made it past here, you will eventually find a
    Silver Bracelet in a treasure chest.  By equipping this and touching
    a silver statue, you will be warped to the corresponding silver
    statue.  Follow the pathway (it may take some work) and you will find
    a room very much like the one in which you fought the boss of Zanria
    Tower.  There is no boss here, only the Gold Bracelet.

    Once you have the Gold Bracelet, you can warp using the gold statues
    as well.  Eventually, you will find yourself confronted with a room
    full of sliding walls.  This area is quite simple to pass through,
    and shouldn't take more than a couple of minutes to get through.
    After you have gotten out of here, you will find yourself in the
    upper courtyard.  Now, it is time to fight Guruda himself.

    *** BOSS FIGHT ***
    For this fight, you should be level 46 or better.  Equip your Power
    Ring and the Shield magic, and of course, the Herb.  When he leaps,
    he will try to drop directly on you.  If he does, you will be hurt.
    He will then hop up or down.  Here is your best opportunity to do
    damage.  He will warp across the screen, leaving golden scythes
    spinning in the air, which will fly at your current location.  He
    will also sometimes launch eight at once, which will all attack at
    the same time.  With the Shield magic, just ignore the hits (though
    try to avoid getting stomped on, to preserve your Shield magic) and
    press the attack.  The scythes aren't too hard to avoid and don't
    do much damage.  He should be down to around 25% life by the time
    you need to use the Herb.  Finish him off and you will reclaim the
    Mask of Eyes (now the Mask of the Moon) as well as the Cleria Sword!

    Now, you may warp back to Lefance Shrine (or if you feel like giving
    your thumb and memory a workout, you can go it on foot), and speak
    to the statue of Lefance again.  He congratulates you, and grants
    you more power.  He says that he will transform the magical silver
    armor into gold equipment known as "El Doran."  After the change is
    done, Adol's armor and weapons will glow.

21. Shrine of the Sun
    If you are NOT in possession of the full complement of healing
    items (Herb, Roda Tree Nut, Elixir), warp back to Arieda and stock
    up.  Then warp back to Lefance Shrine and head to one of the upper
    doors.  Just after going through this door, you should see that the
    doorway above is now open.  Enter this room and step on the tile in
    the center.  The spirits who have aided you throughout the adventure
    will take the Mask of Eyes from you and transform it into the Mask
    of the Moon.  This item is absolutely crucial for you to proceed.

    The wall in front of you will open up in a big way and allow you
    passage.  You MUST equip the Mask of the Moon before entering or you
    will be dead in less than two seconds!  Your HP will drop like a
    rock without it.  If you are not at maximum level, just inside is a
    good place to fix that.  The floating slime creatures are worth
    substantial experience (90 exp at level 47, 45 at level 48).  Be
    careful though, as the other enemies are quick and can do a lot of
    damage.  These creatures are totally immune to your magic.  Sit on
    the stairway with the Heal Ring equipped to heal if necessary.  Once
    you have reached level 49, use the fruit you obtained in Darm Tower,
    and it will put you immediately at level 50, which is the maximum
    attainable in the game.  (You DID save it until now, right?)

    This area is actually extremely short.  You should have no trouble at
    all unless you REALLY screw up.  When you get outside, the music will
    change and you must prepare to fight your final enemy.
    
22. The Final Battle
    Before you do anything atop the Shrine, use your Herb and Roda Tree
    Nut if your HP and MP are not at maximum.  You will not be able to
    use either of them when you are in battle.  You MUST have the El
    Doran armor, shield and sword equipped, or else you will not be able
    to do any damage.  Leo's equipment will not cut it.  You REALLY
    should be at level 50 by now.  This boss really isn't that hard...
    I'd rank the Ice Immurer as being considerably harder.

    Stand directly in front of the tile just above the stairway.  Equip
    your Power Ring, Shield Magic, El Doran equipment, and the Mask of
    the Moon.  When you come out of the options menu, IMMEDIATELY step
    on, to avoid wasting precious magic points on the Shield spell.

    The boss has three forms, only the first two of which pose any real
    threat.  For the first form, he will fly randomly about the area and
    launch bolts of energy at you.  Don't worry too much about this,
    just chase him down, but avoid the bolts where possible.  When he
    launches a barrage of small yellow blasts, try to stay near the
    center of him, so you can hit without being hit.  The longer you can
    conserve your Shield energy, the better.  He will periodically
    refill his energy, so you want to hit him hard and fast!  The more
    he heals himself, the less powerful the healing.  If you're quick,
    you can kill this form before he even manages to heal himself once.
    You can even end up with around 100 or so MP to spare for the second
    form... I did it on the first try, so can you.

    The second form is considerably different.  Rather than just float
    around, he follows a more recognizable pattern.  He will fire out
    balls of yellow energy, which will explode in all directions.  Keep
    track of where they are before exploding, and you can easily avoid
    the shrapnel.  He will sometimes fly toward the top of the platform
    and swing his sword, launching wide blasts of energy.  He's very
    vulnerable when he does this, so move in to attack.  The most
    damaging (though easier to avoid) attack is when he flies to the
    center of the room and calls down a firestorm.  You can always see
    the shadows of the fireballs before they hit, so you shouldn't have
    much of a problem getting away from them.  When he drops, try to be
    close to him, so you can get in a few good hits.  Eventually, he'll
    go down.  You should still have 120 or so HP by this point, WITHOUT
    having used the Elixir.

    The third form involves much more of a transformation, and is
    mindnumbingly easy.  It's only dangerous if you're impatient.  The
    three green orbs at his feet are his vulnerable spots.  Only one
    will be open to attack at a time.  This is easily judged by looking,
    as the vulnerable one has no flesh covering it.  His one attack is
    a powerful beam of energy from his mouth, which he sweeps back and
    forth slowly.  If you touch it, you'll take MAJOR damage.  But if
    you're patient, he won't be able to hurt you at all.  There are a
    couple of safe spots in the upper corners.  Wait out the beam, and
    strike the orbs when possible.  Each of the three orbs has its own
    individual lifebar, so you must kill each one in order to win.
    This effectively gives this form 1200 hitpoints(!), but you do a
    good bit of damage at this point.  He will occasionally sweep the
    beam across very quickly, and also sweep twice rather than once...
    so be very careful of when you move in to strike.  You should not
    have any trouble with him, though.  If he were more aggressive,
    then there would be something to worry about.

    Once he's defeated, sit back and relax.  Watch the glorious ending.
    You've earned it.  Now see, why don't more companies make endings
    this cool? :)

23. Developer's Room
    Once the credits have rolled and the game is on its final screen
    (it should be pretty obvious when you see it), hold down RUN and
    press SELECT to reset.  Now, go to the title screen and select
    "Continue."  Instead of choosing a game to load, press the II
    button.  A new, third option will appear here.  Choose this to go
    to the Developer's Room.

    In this place, you get to talk to all of the developers of the
    game (though most of them take the form of monster's you've been
    fighting).  If you check your Status and Item screens, you will
    also find that you are in possession of every single item and piece
    of equipment in the game!  This is handy for letting you see what
    you may have missed.  Although, if you followed all the given
    instructions in this walkthrough, you SHOULDN'T really have missed
    anything.

    The most notable thing is the Black Pearl on the top floor.  By
    touching it, you can view all four of the animated sequences in the
    game, see the insides of the houses without the text boxes getting
    in the way.  You can also view the images of people when they speak
    to you outside of houses as well.

    On the top floor, you will find Robin as well.  Switch to your Alter
    form to speak to him, and he will give you a chance to restart the
    game, only this time you will be given the Gold and Silver Bracelets
    at the outset.  The Silver will double the amount of experience you
    earn, while the Gold will double your money.  Select "hai" to do
    restart the game with these.

-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-

Well, that's it.  You've played through one of the finest action-RPGs ever
to grace a home console system.  I hope this walkthrough has proven useful.
If you have anything to add, please email me at deuce@scsn.net and I will
be glad to include it and credit you as well.