Niahak's Place

I have had brief encounters with a couple more recent games than those I have posted about, so I figured I’d post a little something about each.

Reader beware! The following post is meandering, vague, switches focus (and tense) and is likely to bore the hell out of anyone who doesn’t like the JRPG genre. I try to remain somewhat focused for my usual posts, but it has failed here and so I must say: Beware of blog!

A year or so ago, I was trying to figure out what I liked most in RPGs. I laid out the requisite pieces for an RPG – battle system and story – and eventually I decided that a solid battle engine was a necessity, while plot is merely a nice-to-have.

Then I played Persona 3 in August. “Story” split into “Plot” (the main thread of the story) and “Characterization”, since the story of P3 was pretty much unknown until 4/5 of the way through the game. I decided both were good, but not absolutely needed.

Shortly after Persona 3, I played through Skies of Arcadia. Now, I should really have picked up on this with other games – most notably Wild Arms 3 – but I picked up on something entirely separate with Skies. The plot is incredibly cliched, the characters (with 2 exceptions) feel factory-made, and battles are bland and numerous. The setting, however, makes the entire game worth it. Top to bottom, end to end, the game feels hand-crafted. Cities feel entirely as though they belong in their home-country, shopkeepers gesticulate wildly as they ask you to look over their wares, ships careen through the sky on their merry way. It’s hard not to get at least a little bit sucked in by the excitement throughout the game. As I’ve said before – it’s fantasy in the classic sense. An entirely new world to explore.

So it added “setting”. Surely there’s more out there… but a good setting is pretty much necessary, right?

As you might have noticed, I like Destiny of an Emperor. For those of you who don’t know what it is (shame on you), it’s an NES RPG set in the Three Kingdoms. It’s wondrously cheesy yet quite accessible to even modern RPGers due to quick run-time, some really cool features and general awesomeness.

However, all that is about to change… Well, at least the Three Kingdoms part. Read on for more.

I think it should be fairly obvious from my previous posts, I have an irrational love for Three Kingdoms.

This love extended to, while I was in Japan, picking up various Three Kingdoms manga. I found no less than three different takes on Three Kingdoms (four if you count the “split” in the Scholar Bunko series) and one where, while Three Kingdoms is the setting it is not really the focus. I have heard enough of Ikkitousen to know it shouldn’t be considered among these (though I may check it out from sheer curiousity). So I figured I’d write up a bit about each. Read on if this sounds vaguely interesting.

Created by Niahak (http://www.niahak.org)

Final Fantasy Legend 2 (c) Squaresoft.  I had nothing to do with the making

of this game, etc.
Contents
0.0 Notes on this FAQ

1.0 Notes before starting

2.0 Recommended groups

3.0 Walkthrough

4.0 Closing notes
0.0 Notes on this FAQ---------------------------------------------------------
This FAQ is intended to be a guide for Final Fantasy Legend 2 (or SaGa 2:

Hihou Densetsu).  It is not my intention to write a guide that will hold the

player's hand, but hopefully it will give the player an idea of how to play,

possible strategies against bosses, treasures to find, etc.

I am also playing through the game in Japanese after having beaten it a few

times in English, so I will make note of any translation quirks or differences

in-line.  They'll be marked with the following:

Trans: This is a translation note!
Enjoy!
1.0 Notes on the Game---------------------------------------------------------
Before starting a game of Final Fantasy Legend 2 for the first time, it's

important to know if a few of the mechanics.  If you've played it before, go

ahead and skip this part.
1. Usable items have a set number of uses.  This means a long sword, when

bought or found new, can only be used in battle a total of 50 times.  There

are exceptions, but only in certain cases explained later.  Keep in mind that

this even includes spells.
2. There are no "levels".  Characters grow bit by bit randomly at the end of

each battle.  Using a weapon or spell may increase a corresponding stat.
3. There are four character types: Human, Mutant, Robot, and Monster.

a. Humans grow the fastest and are actually quite versatile.  They can be

expensive to keep buying items for, but they can even make good spellcasters

if you're willing to spend the money.  They have just about the best potential

of any character type.

b. Mutants grow slower than humans, but can randomly gain useful traits.

These traits range from a spell-like "ability" like Fire or Thunder to a

passive ability that allows you to attack first more often.  If the ability

has a certain number of uses, they are replenished at an inn.  You can even

select which ability gets replaced based on where you put it in their

inventory.  As a result of their abilities, however, they can't use as much

equipment.

c. Robots don't grow at all.  Their abilities are based entirely on what

equipment you give them.  Give them a long sword and their HP and Strength

increase; a bronze shield and their HP and Defense increase.  Robots are

generally the best front-line character due to high HP and Def potential, but

there is a limit to how good they can be.  Robots can also only use items

half as much as usual; e.g. Give them a long sword with 50 uses and it is

reduced to 25.  However, these are restored upon resting at an inn.  Also,

Robots cannot use magic at all.  Part of the advantage of robots is that they

can equip multiple of any armor type i.e. multiple helmets, so they can have

incredibly high defense.  In addition, the bonuses an armor gives are based

on the material rather than type; i.e. bronze bracers give the same defense

as bronze armor.

d. Monsters grow by eating other monsters' meat.  They generally become the

"same" as an enemy monster you can find in the game; this is both a limit and

an advantage.  Personally, I don't use them often, but I could see why they

could be useful

e. As a final note, there's no significant difference between Male and Female

characters growth-wise.  Strength starts higher for males, Agility for

females.  Male Mutants start with Blizzard as their first ability, Females

start with Flame.
4. You choose your group at the beginning of the game, and you're stuck with

that group until the end of the game, so choose wisely!
5. The main stats in this game are Strength, Defense, Agility, and Mana.

a, Strength affects damage with many weapons and (your) monster attacks.

b. Defense affects how much damage you take.  It isn't just subtracted from

   the "full" damage, so having any amount more defense is useful.

c. Agility affects damage with many non-Strength weapons, speed in battle,

  and chance to hit.  It also has a bearing on ability to run away.

d. Mana affects the damage of spells and some special abilities, as well as

  the effect those have on you (i.e. a character with more mana can be healed

  more easily).  This can only work in your favor, so having higher Mana

  gives you more resistance as well as easier healing.
5. Although growth is based on the weapon you use, it does not seem to be

based on how much damage you do.  Killing an enemy may help somewhat, but it

is still possible to gain stats doing single-digit damage.  It's even possible

to gain stats while missing the enemy!  It does not seem to matter what level

of enemies you fight; enemies from the first world make your stats grow just

as much as those later on, regardless of your current stats.  Also, a

character doesn't need to "act" in the last round of battle to gain stats.
b. After some experimentation, I have to conclude that the growth is entirely

random.  At 13 Agi, I had to fight 13 fights and kill 13 enemies to grow.

Then, I gained one more Agi in the next battle.  Though I thought the stat's

value itself might be the upper bound on battles to fight or enemies to kill

to gain a stat, this is not the case.  At 16 Agi, I had to fight 53 fights

and kill 48 enemies to raise Agi one point.  After this point, I gave up on

trying to figure out how growth works.  Here's the (rather limited) data.
	Agi	Battles		Killed

	13 	13		13

	14 	01		01

	15 	04		04

	16 	53		48
In about this same time, everyone's HP rose about 200 total, and my other two

characters, with Agi starting at 24, rose 1 and 4 respectively (and acted

around the same amount, with a kill on each hit).
6. As you progress through the game, you will acquire MAGI that you can equip

on characters.  Many of MAGI are ability-based and affect a stat, while some

affect elemental resistance or give a certain ability.

a. "Stat" MAGI are Strength, Defense, Agility and Mana MAGI.  These give a

huge boost, particularly early on.  A character with MAGI will usually do

around double the damage of a character without (all stats being equal, etc),

or a DEF MAGI character will be considerably sturdier.  My working theory is

that a Stat MAGI doubles the stat in question for calculation purposes.  The

number of MAGI does not seem to matter.

b. Elemental MAGI give a character resistance to an element.  Not much to say;

only use them if you're in a situation where enemies use elemental abilities.

c. Ability MAGI are found near the end of the game.  By the time you get them,

most of them aren't too useful with one exception I'll note later.
------------------------------------------------------------------------------
2.0 Recommended groups--------------------------------------------------------
Some of these are recommended in the instruction manual, but here they are in

my order of preference.

1. Two humans, one robot, one mutant.  This is my favorite party to use as it

is reliable, but versatile.  You can switch your mutant's role in for either

humans if, like me, you prefer to have a human spellcaster.  The mutant may

fall to the wayside near the end of the game if its growth is too slow.

2. Three humans, one robot.  The ultimate in reliability.  Your robot will be

a good front-line fighter through the end of the game, while the humans each

fill in one of the strength/agility/magic roles. Since the humans generally

have high HP, you don't need to worry as much about their fragility as you

would with mutants.  I'm still trying this party out, but it looks like it is

fairly powerful.  It's rather expensive.

3. One of each type: Also versatile, but probably easier on the GP.  You can

equip the robot with whatever items you find but decide your human and mutant

don't need, and your monster needs no equipment.  Your mutant can be a good

spellcaster, while your human can choose to focus on agility or strength.

The robot makes a good front-liner, while the monster can support depending

on what type it is.

4. 4 humans.  Pretty versatile, but this group can also be very expensive.

One of your party members has to be relatively sturdy, and who has the max HP

will vary throughout the game, so you may have to switch around your armor

depending on who has the most HP.  This is also the most reliable group, as

you can easily manipulate the growth of stats.  It may take a lot of fighting

to get the most potential out of this group.
Other groups are possible, but (obviously) not recommended.

------------------------------------------------------------------------------
3.0 Walkthrough---------------------------------------------------------------
Intro translation notes: The game was originally called Hihou Densetsu, or

"Legend of the Relics".  "Hihou" does not translate well, as most dictionaries

call it "Treasured article"; I think that "Relic" is the closest translation.

MAGI was derived from what most of them are named; Strength, Agility, etc. are

all "Strength MaGi" (pronounced Ma then Gi).  Element MAGI are similar.  It

is no wonder that they simply kept the MAGI word.
The Prism MAGI was originally called "Spirit Mirror".  It is my guess that

all "special" MAGI were not originally called such.  I will note these when

I notice them.
Also, the icons for swords, armor types, and spellbooks were not in the

original.  They were introduced to save space, and actually a really neat

idea.  Many other item names were shortened for the same reason - the "Colt"

was originally "Derringer", while "Hammer" was originally "Battle Hammer".

For most items, I'll refer to the original name.
Hometown----------------------------------------------------------------------
Not much to see here.  Some plot revolving around why your character embarks

upon a quest to track down his/her father by finding MAGI, you choose your

party, etc.
Trans: Mr. S was originally "Sensei" (or simply "Teacher").  He is of class

"Schoolteacher".
You can get potions from the townsperson inside the top house.  Other than

that, nothing to do here.
Mr. S joins your party as you leave.  You don't have him for long, but he's

useful for taking out the larger groups of Jaguars that might otherwise

cause problems.

------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Go to the cave North of town to continue.

As a general note, from here on out, if you have a guest in your party you can

talk to them by pressing B.  They usually don't say anything useful.
North Cave--------------------------------------------------------------------
This is a fairly straightforward dungeon.  On your way through, you'll find

Treasures:	Bronze shield

		Potion

		Hammer

		Bow
The bow is not toou seful.  Damage is based on strength, but I've never got a

stat increase off of it.  The hammer is not useful, either, as you start with

better weapons.  Both shield and hammer might be good robot fodder.
As you exit the cave, you'll be attacked by a small dragon.  He would be a

boss, except he goes down in one Dissolve or a shot from a Colt.

------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Mr. S leaves your party at this point.  Enter the town.
East Town (W1)----------------------------------------------------------------
You'll get a short event with a hat-donning individual here.  Too bad it isn't

that easy to find your father!
I recommend buying some rapiers and longswords here.  If you're planning to

make a human magician, it's better to focus on speed for them early on so they

go faster than monsters and dodge better, so you may want extra rapiers.

Also, the next time you'll have a chance to get the cheap-but-good early

swords is after the first world.  You may also want to get bronze bracers,

as they are cheap and prevent a good deal of damage in the long run.
You'll hear about Ki in town.  Ki (pronounced "Kai") is a priestess of Isis,

working in a shrine West of town.

Trans: She's described as "cute" by one townsperson.  
You have no other leads, so why not check it out?
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------
Keep traveling West to find the shrine.
Shrine to Isis---------------------------------------------------------------
Here, you can talk to Ki and find out that she might've seen your father.

Trans: She asked if he was "a kind of cool-looking man wearing a hat". :)

Apparently your characters get it just from that description.
She tells you that you might find MAGI in a ruined temple to the South.

I believe it was 3 East, 4 South of the mountain in the South.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------
Ancient Temple---------------------------------------------------------------
This is, again, fairly straightforward.

Treasues: 	Whip

		Potion

		3 MAGI
As you progress through the dungeon, it appears to be branching but it is

usually one path.  The only exception is where you can either get a potion

or keep going.  Take it or leave it.
Once you get close to the end, some mysterious men run off, thinking you're

with Ashura.  Be sure to grab the MAGI in the chests in the final room.
MAGI Tutorial=================================================================

Many MAGI can be equipped for special bonuses.

	Stat-based MAGI complement your stats passively.  I'm not sure whether

	the bonus is multiplicative or just a straight-up bonus.  I think it's

	a bonus of +10 per individual MAGI of that stat you have.

	Elemental MAGI give you resistance against that element.  I don't

	think more help.

	Special MAGI give you the ability to use them in battle.  You'll

	encounter them later.

==============================================================================

Here, you get a MAGI each of Strength, Defense, and Magic.  Equip them on your

appropriate characters.
Oh no!  Ashura's men got the other MAGI.  Go back and report to Ki.  She'll

decide to join you to take down Ashura's base in this world, which is in the

North.
Ki is a good healer, magician, and even a decent fighter.  She's a bit low

on life, but since she's the guest enemies almost never attack her.  Her

lightning is invaluable.
On the way, you'll pass North Town.
North Town--------------------------------------------------------------------
I honestly have no idea why this town is here.  The weapons and armor are

way out of your price range unless you're fighting a lot.
It can be, however, somewhat useful soon.

------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Ashura's base is to the East, through some mountains.
Ashura's Base-----------------------------------------------------------------
Zombies roam around in this area and are instant encounters if you talk to or

run into them.  Careful... unless you want to stat-up early.
Treasures:

	Agility Source

	Gold Bracer

	Battle Axe
Mage interlude================================================================
If you're trying to make a human mage (or even a mutant one) then you're

probably itching to get started.  Psi daggers don't seem to help MAG levels

much, so you need a way to make money.
If you keep running into zombies, then Ki can help you take down larger

groups.  The groups of flies are particularly good, netting you 300-400 GP

for each encounter.  Ki usually goes first, but against the larger groups

of enemies you can also stat-gain nicely here.
Keep in mind you need 6400 for a spellbook; I recommend Ice as almost every

group of enemies through the 2nd world has one monster weak to it.
==============================================================================
When you get the Agility Source, consider using it on your Strength fighter.

It's not noticable now, but Agility is required to hit enemies, so you'll have

problems hitting with your physical fighter (if they're human or mutant)

unless they get some agility.
When you come to the branch (going upward), you may as well go left.  There's

a treasure chest on the left side, and nothing on the right, and both meet up

in the middle where there's the next stairway.
Finally, at the end, you'll run into... a Rhino.
He'll go down in a few hits.  Careful as he can do some damage, but you should

have no problems.
The base will start shaking and you need to escape.  Pick up the MAGI on your

way out.  Defense, Flame, and Ice this time.  I recommend equipping the DEF

MAGI on your last character.
------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Go to the weird looking thing north of the base.  This is the Pillar of the

Sky, a sort of heavenly region linking all worlds together.  For now, you can

only move to the next world, Ashura's desert.  And no, there are never really

any branching paths.
It's interesting to note that you can speed up your passage through the

"warps", or slow it down.  This may actually come in useful at some point.
World 2 - Ashura's World------------------------------------------------------
Desert Town-------------------------------------------------------------------
Careful, because this town has random encounters inside it.  You'll probably

want to buy a potion or two, but nothing else here is that great - you'll get

better stuff soon enough!  Talk to the Pub owner to find out where to go next.
------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Note that in this world, there are "Pebble" monsters who are strong against

physical attacks.  Try to use abilities or magic to take them out instead.
Basically, you want to go South of town to the cactus.  Then go West 7 spaces

and South 7 spaces.  There's another cactus South of there.
If you find the clearing, then go to the southernmost part of that and go

East.  You'll see a cactus one row South of you, go a bit further east then

down.
Tower Town--------------------------------------------------------------------
Sorry, another no-name town.  This one has hidden buildings for no reason.

This town has a bit better gear, but you'll still find both a Sabre and a

Battle Sword in the Tower.
Here, you'll hear that a spy from the Guardians was captured by Ashura's men.

Trans: One townsperson said he was "a conceited man wearing a hat".
If you have the spare money, consider buying a Cure spellbook.  If you have a

Mana of 10 or more, they're a lot more convenient than potions, albeit more

expensive.
------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Head South to Ashura's Tower.
Ashura's Tower----------------------------------------------------------------
Treasures:	Saber

		Colt

		Gold Shield

		Mana Source

		Strength Source

		Battle Sword

		Gold Helmet
It's pretty straightforward... again.  Keep going up and you'll find a room

with another plot-related monster...
Woodman is not too tough.
After beating Woodman, a mysterious fellow joins your party.
Mask: He's pretty well-rounded stat-wise, but he doesn't have any equipment...

yet.  He has stats in the 30s and will likely carry your upcoming fights

himself.

Trans: Mask is appropriate (orig. Fukumen).  His class is "Mystery Man". :)

Move forward...

And you find Mask's equipment.  Why?  I have no idea.

Come to think of it, Mask actually has some "natural" defense, as he has 11

defense with all Bronze equipment.  But he gets... a hammer.  If you have a

spare one, give the man a long sword to make the next few fights easier.  You

lose it when he leaves, but it wasn't much of an issue for me.
For once, Mask has something useful to say.  Magic isn't effective against

Ashura, so you should be ready to hit him hard with physical attacks.
Once you reach a long stairwell, you'll notice Ashura at the top.  Prepare

for the battle by ensuring you have a pretty tough defender in the top slot.

Ashura's 6-Arms can do 200+ damage if you're hit by it without much defense.
Trans: Ashura's dialogue is appropriate.  He planned all this, etc, including

the "two birds" remark.
Mask should come out swinging doing 160+ with his sword, or less with his

hammer.  Your next closest in damage will probably be less than 100, so let

him carry the fight if necessary.
One of Ashura's attacks does 100ish damage to your party.  Not much you can

do to heal this at this point; hope you get lucky and it doesn't happen twice.
Ashura should go down in 3-4 rounds.
You get MAGI of: Strength, Speed, Mana, Flame, Ice, Lightning, Poison.
------------------------------------------------------------------------------
You appear back at Ki's shrine.  Go north and talk to the fairy next to Ki.

She says that Ashura's men are in Ki's body, micronized, so you need to go and

see the Giants in their world to find out how to do so yourself.

Said fairy also gives you a Defense MAGI from Ki.
Travel back to the Pillar of Worlds to head to the next world.
World 3 - Giants' World-------------------------------------------------------
Enter the town to the South.
Giants' World Town------------------------------------------------------------
There are, in fact, no giants here.
First off, go to the East through the trees and North.  Talk to the man you

find... it's your father!  He actually recognizes you, but he says that he

can't come home yet... as the world is "full of those who would abuse MAGI".

He leaves another MAGI in your caretaking (Lightning)...

Trans: He mentions why he's giving you it. He says "No one would think a

child of your age would have any".  Of course your character says they're not

a child :)  Dad: "As long as you pursue MAGI to the best of your ability,

we'll meet again."
Careful, as your party's been rearranged.  Don't forget to fix it before you

leave.
Go further along that path and talk to the shopkeeper.  He'll give you a hint

as to where to go next.

Trans: "It's Johnny's secret... I can't tell others!"
Go talk to Johnny.
Trans: "You're after Giant's goods?  Damn that loudmouth shopkeeper..."
You should find out where to go now.
The shops have decent stuff, but nothing particularly great.  Most of the

Giant equipment is out of your price range, but if you've got a lot of money,

the Giants' goods (and the Geta) increase a (non-robot) character's strength.

You'll get a Geta soon, though.

------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Go into the Giant's town to the Northeast after talking to Johnny.
You can't go into the first house you see because you don't have enough MAGI.

The one southeast of that has no entrance, and neither does the far south

one, but the one southwest does.
In the southwest house, you get a Strength MAGI and a Poison MAGI.
Go back to the first house.  In here is a Mithril shield, Geta,

and a Micron (Chiisakuna-re, "Let's become small").

To get to the Micron, you will need to climb the shelves in the back.
------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Believe it or not, this is all you can do in this world.  Good thing there's

the next "dungeon!"
You may want to consider leveling near Giant's town.  Most of the monsters in

this world are a good deal tougher than the Ashura's World ones, and you can

make good money if you fight groups of Terrorists.
Before heading back to Ki, make sure you have plenty of healing items (either

cure spellbooks or potions).  You can leave the next dungeon at any time,

but it's more convenient not to.
Talk to Ki and you'll enter her body to find the MAGI trapped inside.
Ki's Body---------------------------------------------------------------------
As you might guess, this is a dungeon shaped roughly like a person's body.

There are 6 MAGI to find in the first part, and each has its own separate

area.  When you find the MAGI in each part, you're transported back to the

main area.
The monsters in this area come in large groups.  If you have a good magician,

you can take them out quickly, but they can still be rough.  Thankfully they

give a good deal of money to make up for that cost; most groups give 500+.
-Left and Right Hands - Flame, Ice

-Stomach, Heart - Agility, Defense

-Left and Right Feet - Lightning, Poison

-Brain - Mana
You start near the head, but you can't go into the brain since you don't have

enough MAGI.  I recommend starting with a hand, working your way down that

side of the body (stomach and heart are accessed from the left and right side

respectively), then   Some areas are straightforward, but to save you some

time:
-Left hand: The MAGI is in the finger one from the left.

-Right hand: Once again, one from the left.

-Left foot: In the far right toe.

-Right foot: Also in the far right toe.
Once you have all 6 other MAGI, go to the brain.  It's symmetrical.

Ki's cells are protecting the MAGI, so you have to take them out.
Cells - between 6 and 8.  They can be taken out with one spell, otherwise they

can get annoying.

------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Ki thanks you for saving her and says she is praying you can find your father.
Tha shrine is now strangely empty, except for Ki.
Resupply if you need, then move on to the next world.
World 4 - Apollo's World------------------------------------------------------
Go South and East into the large, odd-shaped castle.

Trans: Apollo was originally "Apollon".  Most dialogue here is appropriate.
Trans: Apollo: Welcome to the heroes who defeated Ashura!  Accept this as

thanks.
You get a Defense MAGI from Apollo.  He says it's because he has plenty of

power already.  He also gives you a riddle (which is accurate).
You have three places to find MAGI in this world.  There is only one

restriction; The place where "Darkness shines brightly" has to be done after

the place where "Fire burns under water".
I recommend the cave first, so that's where I'll cover first.
Go to the Northeast and enter a town.  Not much of interest here, but there's

an inn and there are a couple shops.  Bit expensive for the time being unless

you fight a lot, though.  There's also a scholar who says that gods don't

exist and the sound is the wind in the cave.
The cave just North of the town is a dead end, but there's a treasure (Hermes'

Shoes) that is worth getting.  It adds 10 to Agility, which is good for this

point in the game.
When you're ready to proceed, enter the cave further north, around the

mountains.
Windy Cave--------------------------------------------------------------------
Treasures: 	Rocket

		Elixer

		3 MAGI
This is another spot where encounters get a bit tougher, but if you have magic

they're surmountable.
One enemy type to watch out for are the sword monsters (Gae Bolgs).  They're

immune to some types of magic (though thunder does damage).
Progress through the cave is mostly linear, but at one point a couple branches

open up.  Go Southwest to progress.
From the stairs, go North. West is a Rocket (Orig. Rocket Punch).  It's

naturally a good item for a robot.  Go East from there to proceed.
Here there's another branching path, but it doesn't matter which you take.

Careful, as after entering these stairs, you can't go back until you finish

the dungeon.
Go West for an Elixer.
Progress East to find Lynn.  She needs to go back to the town, so you take her

with you.
Lynn has good stats for being a little girl!  I have no idea why her Mana is

so high.  She can only punch and kick, though.  You can give her equipment,

but you'd lose it soon anyway.  Just use kick for now.
Interestingly, the next boss is called "Yama no kami" or "God of the

Mountain".  So the scholar is technically wrong.
It has high defense, but it can be taken out without too much trouble.
After beating it, you get Strength, Agility, and Mana MAGI and a Hi Potion.
------------------------------------------------------------------------------
...You go back to the town and... There's your dad!  But he's Lynn's father...
Your character doesn't believe it (the implication is that he is Lynn's real

father, hence cheating on your mother, etc).
Trans: "There's Dad!  But... no... I don't believe it!  So that's why he

didn't want to return home!  There's no other way to put it... He was cheating

on Mom!  I can't think of him as my father anymore..."

(Bit more sensical than "What's he doing bumming around in a place like

this?", no?  Makes more sense for the next part, too.  Probably was translated

the way it was due to NoA's strict policy).
Go Southeast of the town to reach another town.  Here are more 6400GP+ goods.

There's a scholar here who says the Sea God doesn't exist.  Wonder if he's

right?
When you're ready, leave the town and head straight South, into the water.

Surprisingly, you can move down here.  Go Southwest.
You'll see an underwater volcano.  Head into it, through the lava.
Underwater Volcano------------------------------------------------------------
Treasures:	Str Source

		Mithril Swd

		Fire Book

		3 MAGI
As you move through the lava, you take damage.  It's only one per move, but

that may be enough to make some characters vulnerable.  Be sure to heal every

so often.
There are a few treasures, but nothing you'll miss.  In the room with the Fire

book, you can find a spring to the right that refills your life.
At the end of the dungeon you find Flame and Poison MAGI and TrueEye (acc).

No Sea God.  Guess the scholar was right this time around!
------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Head back to the second town and heal up, resupply, etc.  You may want to pick

up a few Soft Potions, as you can encounter Medusae in the next dungeon.

When you're ready, head Northwest to the place where Darkness shines brightly.
Bright Cave-------------------------------------------------------------------
Treasures:	Str Source

		Giant Bracers

		Thunder Book

		Light Saber

		Revenge Sword

		3 MAGI
Since you have the TrueEye, you can actually see in this dungeon.

Never mind the moving floor; it doesn't do anything.
Eventually, you'll come to a fork.  The left goes further, the right leads

to a Strength Source.
At the next fork, go right to get a Thunder book.  This fork meets up with the

other one, so just continue.
Go along the south branch to get a Light Saber, then head back up and over the

bridge.
At the three-way fork, head right to get a Revenge Sword (orig. Grudge Sword).
The middle fork continues, and the left is a dead end.
You've reached the last room.  On the left side is Lightning MAGI, down the

middle path is Mana MAGI, and on the right is Ice MAGI.
------------------------------------------------------------------------------
You've collected all MAGI in this world.  If you go back to Apollo's temple,

he's mysteriously gone...
Move on to the Pillar of Worlds to the next one.
World 5 - Guardians' World----------------------------------------------------
This world is just a town.  Or so it appears.
In the Pub, if you buy a drink, the bartender will say to "Use the jukebox!".
If you need to know which one, it's 7 down from the first entry.
Trans: "Captain" is more or less right, in a navy context.  Colonel for army.
Trans: One guardian says "Spies from the new Gods are searching for the

secret entrance... I'm worried."
Trans: Another: "The Pillar of Worlds is rather insecure... The worlds may

become entirely separate."
Trans: Another: "The old gods were probably the race that left the relics, but

it seems that they suffered wounds trying to control the power of water and

passed away..."
Go deeper into the Guardians' base to meet the Captain, your father.  He says

that you are probably tired and should rest... you do so and there's a sudden

explosion!
You need to make your way out of the base, defeating mini-bosses one at a

time.  Most of them are no tougher than your average encounter.

The treasure room is empty, so don't bother with it.
The first boss drops a Strength MAGI.  Progress to find your father.
Trans=========================================================================

Dad: New gods managed to find the entrance and attacked.  Everyone else

escaped.  Let's go too!

Main: Wait!  Don't you have something to say to me?!

Dad:(Main)... Not just now.

Main: I'd been waiting for you to come back for years...

Mom was working on her own half to death just to raise me.

And all that time, what were YOU doing?!  To betray Mom like that..

Dad: I haven't done anything to betray either you or your mother.

Main: By nothing, you mean...

O.C.1: (Main)!  You can discuss this at length after we escape.  If we don't

get out soon, we'll never make it!

Dad: That's right!  Let's hurry.
(Makes a bit more sense.  I don't recall the exact exchange in the original,

but it definitely wasn't... that).

==============================================================================

Dad has excellent stats and good equipment, including a sword, SMG, and whip.

I imagine him as a cooler Indiana Jones.  He even has Cure.  I think the

only stat you may have much more of than him is Max HP, although at this point

I had slightly more Str on one character from the Geta and the Giant Bracer.
Fight the next enemy for an Agiliy MAGI, the next for a Defense MAGI.
Now you're out in the town.  Leveling here might be a good idea, since Dad is

in your party.  He's pretty versatile, and you don't have him for very long

after this point.  You should be able to get several attribute points here.
When you're ready, "talk" to the guy at the Pillar of Worlds.  After you

defeat him, he reveals they have the Captain's daughter, Lynn, as hostage in

the next world.  You get a Flame MAGI.

Trans: Your character wonders if Lynn is really his/her younger sister.
World 6 - Monsters' World-----------------------------------------------------
As you progress through the Pillar of Worlds, notice there are shops on the

teleport to the Monsters' World.  These sell the items those in the Guardians'

world did.
Enter the world proper to see... that it is quite small.  As you move onward,

the enemy boss confronts you...
Trans: Here, Lynn reveals she is not blood related to "Dad" and that he was

only a foster father to replace her actual father, lost on a mission for the

Guardians.  He was to remain so until her mother recovered.
Dad gives you an Ice MAGI and distracts the boss to keep Lynn safe.

The rest of the exchange is more or less accurate (minus some swearing on the

part of your character).
You get a Poison MAGI from beating the next enemy.
You also get a Lightning MAGI after the next exchange.
------------------------------------------------------------------------------
You can progress to the next world now, though it's not a bad time to level.

Keep in mind that if you have enough GP, you can always go back to the first

world, buy Longswords and Rapiers, and fight easy enemies for the same growth.

This is probably about the time your Strength fighter starts missing enemies

often, so you may want to level up his/her agility a bit.  Don't worry about

keeping your robot's agility high, as a robot's meatshield status is more

important than attack power anyway.
World 7 - Venus' World--------------------------------------------------------
Well, this is a nice looking place and all, but it seems kind of sterile.

Decent armor at the shops, and you may be able to afford it.  There's a good

selection of Giants' gear that you could probably buy if you did some

leveling earlier.
Inside the town, go to Venus' palace near the center via the conveyers.
Trans: Venus' dialogue is mostly correct.
After talking to Venus, go outside of the palace and notice two people

on the sides of the palace.  Talk to them.
Trans: Flora was originally "Olivia".  Leon was originally "Antony", and

Nils was originally "Yurius".  Dialogue is approximately right.
Leave the town and go Southwest to exit the fenced area.  Head West, then

North to reach another village.
Leon: "I was thrown out of the walls on account of my leg disability... But

compared to a life of just outward appearances, this one is wonderful!  I'm

just worried about Flora..."
There's nothing else to see here, so head East to the Sewers.
Venus' Sewers-----------------------------------------------------------------
Treasures:	Agility Source

		PSI Sword

		Sewer Key

		Elixer

		Giant's Helm

		6 MAGI
Keep going through the sewer until you find a door to the North.  Inside, you

have to fight an easy mini-boss (~400 hp) for the Sewer Key.
A bit further in, there is a door you can enter if you have said Key.  Inside

are Strength, Mana, and Speed MAGI.  Do NOT touch the treasure chest in the

lower right, unless you want to fight groups of enemies much harder than

normal.
Further in, there's another door.  Same deal as above; there are 3 MAGI (Ice,

Flame and Thunder) but the lower right chest is again monster-filled.
Continue South through the water.  When you can go into the water or stay on

ground, go into the water for an elixer than go back up and around.

A bit further on the landscape changes... this looks like Venus' palace.  Go

through.

------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Talk to Venus to see her reaction.  She thinks you're lying about MAGI in the

sewer.  Well, her loss.
Go outside and talk to Flora again.  There's an earthquake and a volcano

appears Northwest of the "dirty" town.
Trans: (Main): If you really do like Leon, you should run away.

Flora: I can't oppose Lady Venus... and I'm scared to be outside the walls.
Go back to the dirty village and talk to Leon.  He doesn't react well.
Move on to the volcano.
Volcano-----------------------------------------------------------------------
Treasures:	Flame Sword

		Mana Source

		Flame Gun (trans: Flamethrower)

		Wizard Staff
Like the previous volcano, there's some lava.  By now the 1hp/step isn't so

bad.
You'll notice someone following you pretty soon, but don't worry too much.
At one point, you can go on a ramp north or south onto land.  Go north and

head southwest to get a Flame Shield.
At the end, you get Flame, Poison, and Strength MAGI.. but the Strength MAGI

is stolen by Leon!  What could he be planning?

------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Head back to Venus' City.  There's a marriage ceremony soon in the left wing

of the palace.  Once you're ready to fight, head over there.
Trans: Venus: Flora, do you swear that you will love this man, Nils, for your

entire life?

Flora: Lady Venus... I...

Venus: Flora!  You do so swear?

Flora: I... I...

Leon: Floraaaa!

Leon: Venus!  I will defeat you with the power of this MAGI!

Venus: What do you expect to do with just a knife and a MAGI?!

Venus: I can defeat your like by simply a touch of my finger... what did you

expect?

Flora: Lady Venus!  Please forgive this man!  I will marry Nils or whatever,

but please forgive him!

Venus: Flora, are you trying to order me around just to save this man?

Flora: Please, Lady Venus!

Venus: No!  Go back to your place.

Flora:... No!  Now I understand clearly.  I love Leon, and I'm not scared

anymore!  I'm going to go outside the wall.

Venus: That's forbidden!

Flora:... Well, then...

*Flora takes Leon's knife and slashes her own forehead*

Flora: Now I cannot stay here anymore.  Please expel me from the city.

Venus: What?!  Destroying beauty is to confront me!  This is betrayal!

Char: That's it!  Venus has gone too far!
Be sure and talk to Leon before attacking Venus, as he gives you the Strength

MAGI he stole earlier.
Venus can do a lot of damage, but she's not particularly tough if you've been

fighting normal enemies in this area.  She has high Agility, though, so watch

out.
For defeating Venus, you receive Strength, Agility, Mana, Flame, Ice,

Lightning, Poison, and Aegis MAGI.
Aegis is the first MAGI you can equip that gives you an ability.  If you equip

Aegis, then you can use the command "Aegis" in battle to use a powerful shield

that is strong against all elements (and covers the whole party).  It might

not be bad for a front-line defense-oriented character to use rather than DEF

MAGI, particularly as it also gives resistance to many status effects.
When you're ready, move along to the next world.
------------------------------------------------------------------------------
World 8 - Dragon Race World---------------------------------------------------
This world contains just one town to the West of the Pillar of Worlds.
You'll find out in the town that Apollo is hosting a dragon race in this town,

with MAGI as the prize.

You can enter if you rent a dragon from one of the houses in the North.  You

don't have much choice, but you may as well get a good dragon.
In the race itself, you'll have random encounters as well as (easy) event

battles, so be prepared.
Dragons range in price from free to 1000 GP, increasing in both price and

speed as you go through the houses from right to left.  I recommend the second

fastest one, as the fastest is almost impossible to control.
Even if you're relatively slow, you turn out to be the only party that can

surpass the barriers, so winning the race doesn't really matter.  You may

find people on the track who were ambushed by monsters and killed...  Not

surprising, as many encounters here are surprise attacks and some are strong

enough that if you're unlucky, you're pretty much dead.
For beating the first group, you get an Agility MAGI.  The second yields a

Mana MAGI, the third Defense and Agility MAGI.
At the end of the race, you win.  Apollo doesn't give you any additional

rewards, so don't worry about things too much.
Head over to the next world when you're ready.

------------------------------------------------------------------------------
World 9 - Edo World-----------------------------------------------------------
First, some preliminary stuff on this world.  It's based on Edo period Japan,

which basically means 17th-19th century-ish.  Look it up if you're interested.

Many players in Japan would be pretty familiar with the setting, in any case.
Go East, then South and into the town on the left.  When you're ready for a

fight, talk to the people on the bridge and they will attack you.  A detective

will drive them off after you beat them.
Trans: Originally the warriors were called Tenchuugumi, or the "Heaven's

Punishment" group.
Notice that in this first town there is a shop, Echigoya's, which sells really

nice stuff.  The price is high, but you can't buy Flare books anyplace else

until near the end of the game.  Consider buying one for later.
Go to the town in the Eastern part of this world.
Trans: In the schoolhouse there's some interesting dialogue.==================

1: I'm making a manga flipbook!

2: (says something stinks, but is a chocobo...)

3: When you have 3 cranes and 4 turtles, how many legs?  is it 24?

("Yes": Nope!  Wrong!  It's 22.  Maybe you should learn from Ronin-sensei?

"No": Right!  The correct answer is 22!  Great job!)

4: (Says "Please don't play this game" in katakana, then translates to

Japanese. then says he has to keep studying!)

5: They say the gods created this world.  So then who created the gods?

I don't know, I have no clue!
The teacher's name is Taro in English, Ronin in the original.

==============================================================================
Talk to Hana (orig. Otama) in this town.  She reveals her father was killed

while investigating Echigoya's shady dealings.  Your characters decide to look

into Echigoya's shop.
Go to the "nice" shop in the first town and talk to thr clerk around the

counter.  He says a shipment just came in.  Go ahead to the harbor to the

Southwest when you're ready for a short dungeon.
Echigoya's Ship---------------------------------------------------------------
Treasure:	Laser Gun

		Tank

		Hecate Shoes
Kame (orig. Tenpachi) says that Hana went to investigate the ship alone.
Trans: "Kame" is Japanese for "Turtle".  Heh.
Go down the bridge to the right of the first one you see and enter the ship.
There is 1 treasure on the 2nd basement, at the South end of the ship.
2 treasures are in the 3rd basement: the Tank and the Hecate Shoes.
==============================================================================

Trans: An interesting note: Hecate Shoes were originally Koumei no Kutsu, or

Kongming's Shoes.  Kongming refers to Zhuge Liang.  In the Three Kingdoms

period of China, Zhuge Liang was the Prime Minister of Shu and a brilliant

strategist and politician.  Folklore associates him with several Taoism-based

magic powers, of which the best known is the summoning of wind.

He would be well-known by most of the game's audience in Japan, occupying a

cultural position somewhat akin to Merlin in Western countries.  I have no

idea why they would change it to Hecate, a lesser-known Greek goddess.

==============================================================================
Hecate Shoes increase a character's Mana by 15, so put them on a caster.
I recommend putting the Tank on a robot, as it does 600-800 to a group of

enemies.  A robot will get a substantial life boost from equipping it and it

will become renewable (though it will be down to only 10 uses).
Go North to see Hana and Taro.
Trans: It's interesting to note Taro almost never says anything much.

He's really tight-lipped.
Here we find out that the ship is just full of bananas... which are forbidden

by law!
==============================================================================

Trans: In the original, the ship is full of opium, which is not mentioned

prior to finding the ship.  The fact that it would be banned would be obvious,

given the Edo government's response to opium (by which the Western countries

had essentially enslaved China at that point in history).
The official translation had it changed to bananas, probably to avoid the

problem of mentioning a drug like opium.  Although the translators could be

faulted for other things, I find bananas to be a thoroughly satisfying

replacement.  Why?  It's such a random good as to be absurd.  There's no

reason to ban bananas... except what you found out later on.  The idea is to

poke fun at the idea of a corrupt, incompetent government, and that is what

the original translation achieved.

==============================================================================
Hana joins your party so you can all go to the local administration and

denounce Echigoya for smuggling bananas.
Hana has good stats, but lowish HP and crappy weaponry.

Sypha (sp?) is probably your best bet for damage.
Leave the ship and go West and slightly South.
------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Go to the courtroom.  See what transpires.  The translation is more or less

correct, though in the original the administrator is very favorable to Hana.
It's interesting to note in this dialogue that Echigoya uses the term "Atashi"

to refer to himself.  This implies either that he is very effeminate or that

"he" is really a she.
In the next event, you find out that Kame snuck into Echigoya's and got

caught.  You manage to hide him from the police.

Trans: The policeman tells Hana to give up the case as the "higher-ups are

involved".
Hana joins your party again to *really* investigate Echigoya this time.
Go back to the first town, once again to Echigoya's shop.  Nobody's here, so

you can just waltz on through.
The first door leads to a bunch of thugs.  Talk to them if you want to fight

endless and possibly difficult battles.  Otherwise move to the next door.
Enter the door to hear talking.

Replace "Bananas" with "Opium" and you've got the gist of the original text.
Afterward, you have to fight Echigoya and his thugs.  The thungs are the same

as from the bridge; there are several of them, while Echigoya uses mostly

guns.  Be sure to take out the thugs quickly or they'll rack up lots of damage

on you.
At this point, Taro reveals it is his job to protect MAGI from misuse such as

that of the shogun.
Trans:

(main): My father was a guardian... he was called the "Captain", but...

Taro: What?!  Did something happen to the Captain?!

(main): Father... died.

Taro: I don't believe it... that Captain could be...  If that's so, then

let us defeat the shogun together!  Hana!  We will defeat the shogun and

avenge your father!
Taro joins your party now.  If you thought Dad was useful, take a look at

Taro's stats.  60+ Str/Agi, 45 Magic, and useful equipment.  Only the Counter

isn't useful, and you'd have to be crazy to use it over the Murasame when it

matters.
When you're ready to progress, go West then North of the first town in this

world.
Edo Castle--------------------------------------------------------------------
Treasures:	Ninja Bracers (Genji Bracers)

		Health Source

		Missile

		Dragon Sword

		Dragon Shield

		Samurai Bow
At the entrance, some guards will stop you.  Although they can damage your

party for quite a bit, they shouldn't kill you at this point.
This dungeon is a bit more windy and confined than most, but it does make the

path you take a bit more obvious.
Once you go up the first set of stairs in the interior of the castle, one room

to the right there are a few treasure chests.

The Health Source increases max HP by 40 on a human or mutant.
After the next set of stairs, the room to the right has a treasure chest.
When you come to the Shogun's room, be sure and open the chest to his left

before you talk to him.
Trans: Samurai Bow was originally Yoichi's Bow, named for Nasu no Yoichi, an

archer from the Japanese epic "Tale of Heike".
The Samurai Bow hits a group of enemies, so it is quite useful.
Trans:

Ronin: Lord Shogun, I have come to partake of your life!

(This is the only way I can think of to show his utter politeness...)

Shogun: Ahhhh!  Someone... someone save me!
Shogun looks about as pathetic as he is.  He only has about 2000 life.
After you beat him, his "father" arrives.  "Magnate" is an appropriate name -

his name is Oogosya.
Trans:

Shogun: Fa... Father!  Save me!

Magnate: How could you have blundered so badly!

I have no use for you!  Begone!

Shogun: S... save me!

(talk to Magnate)

Magnate: Hahaha... come this way!

(talk again)

Magnate: Well, at least my useless son did one thing... My plan was to use

him to gather MAGI and become a god.  But some luck yet remains to me!  For

you, all unthinking, have brought me many MAGI!  Die!
Magnate is the first really tough boss fight..  He uses Thunder (500+ hp) and

Tornado (500+ hp to all) quite often.  He also has a good deal of defense -

enough that Taro only does 350 damage to him.  I recommend using Aegis or

a similar type of shield to prevent the Thunder effect, though the Tornado

is not really preventable.  As far as attacking him goes, he has high Agility

so it's difficult to hit him.  Thankfully he is somewhat vulnerable to magic.

I'm sorry to say this, but you pretty much just have to hope that he doesn't

use Tornado more than once or twice.
For beating Magnate, you get Flame, Ice, Lightning, and Poison MAGI.
------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Trans:

Taro: ...It's over.

(char): What are you going to do now?  Taro?

Taro: Mm... that is... Ms... Hana...

Hana: Sir Taro... Oh, I'm so embarassed!

(char): You're perfect for each other!  I hope you two are happy together!

Kame: This is wonderful!  Hahaha!

(main): Only 10 MAGI left!  Let's keep going!
When you're prepared, head over to the next world.
World 10 - Nasty Dungeon------------------------------------------------------
This world is very short plot-wise, but it consists entirely of an optional

dungeon.
Enter it and talk to the fairy here.  She says,

"This dungeon is incredibly malicious... Better not to keep going in!"
The only MAGI in this world is in the treasure box next to her.  This MAGI

is the Pegasus (orig. Angel's Wings).  You can use it to travel to any town

you've been to so far.
I will cover the rest of the dungeon later on in this FAQ, because I don't

recommend doing it until you're in the last world.  Monsters here are very

strong, and although the treasures here are quite useful, it's better to wait

until later on.

------------------------------------------------------------------------------
World 11 - Odin's World-------------------------------------------------------
You may have encountered Odin before this.

If you die in battle, Odin gives you the chance to do-over the fight in return

for a promise to fight him when you reach his world.
Here's the dialogue if you died up till now===================================

Odin: Welcome, heroes!  This is Valhalla Palace.

Those who are defeated in battle come here after death.

(char): So... we all died in battle...

Odin: Indeed. However... I have the power to restore you to life!

If you take an oath to fight me someday, and you all do not lose the bravery

to face me, I will continue to do so!

Do you have the courage to continue fighting? (y/n)

==============================================================================
Go to the East to enter Valhalla Palace.
Valhalla Palace---------------------------------------------------------------
Be careful in this dungeon, as some enemies ("Killer", IIRC) use the Chainsaw

which can insta-kill your party members.
Treasures:	Defender Sword

		Witches' Staff

		___ Helmet (orig. Circlet)

		Rune Axe

		Flare Book
Enter the room just in front of you for the Defender.
Up one floor, enter the room below for the Witch Staff.
On the next floor, the center is lined with crystals.  Go above or below it;

both lead to the same place.
On the 4th floor, go into the room just next to you to get the ___ Helmet

(I think it was Army Helmet or something originally).
On the 5th floor, go right to enter the crystal maze.  Go to the bottom and

then to the left to get the Rune Axe, which is another PSI 
On the 6th floor, be sure to grab the Flare book.  I recommend equipping it on

a caster so you can use it in the boss fight against Odin soon.
Approach Odin.  If you haven't died and gotten the dialogue previously, the

fight will simply begin.  Otherwise, you get the following.
Trans=========================================================================

Odin: You finally came, heroes!  Do you recall your promise?

Come, you shall fight me!

(char): Why do we have to fight you?!  Tell us!

Odin: If you win, I shall tell you.  Now, come!

(char2): If we defeat you, you won't be able to revive us, right?  We can't

do something so foolish!

Odin: Hmph.  You think you can beat me?!  I won't hold back!

==============================================================================
Odin is pretty tough.  He can use a thunder attack against your entire party,

use Gungnir for a strong attack.  Gungnir bypasses shields entirely and does

900 damage against a character with 50 defense, so watch out!
For defeating Odin, you receive Strength, Speed, Mana, Flame, Ice, Lightning

and Poison MAGI and the Masamune (which counts as MAGI).
You get no dialogue after killing him if you didn't get revived by him before.

Otherwise...
Trans=========================================================================

Odin: Well done, heroes.  Using the power of MAGI, I called out for the aid

of many a warrior... but I went too far.  To do battle with the strongest

of warriors, to experience their spirits, was my desire.  And now, that wish

has come true...

(char): Odin...

Odin: It seems as if my "grandchildren" are gathering around me now...

When I die, you will not be able to be restored to life to fight again!

Keep this well in mind!

...Farewell...

==============================================================================
Take a look at your MAGI total.  76.  Not bad!
Go behind Odin's "throne" and follow the path out.  Go East to keep moving.
------------------------------------------------------------------------------
World 12 - Final World--------------------------------------------------------
Warning: Soon after entering this world, you will not be able to use MAGI

for the rest of the game.  Although MAGI do help a lot, they're definitely not

necessary.  If you feel you need them to complete the World 10 dungeon, go

ahead and do that now.  Otherwise, you can wait until you have one of two very

good guests in your party instead (which is what I prefer).
Go West then North.  Huh.  Another Pillar of Worlds...
Trans=========================================================================

Apollo: You finally came.  I admit I was a bit worried as to whether you'd

defeat Odin or not...

(char): You were waiting for us?! Why?

Apollo: By now, you should have 76 MAGI in your possession.  And I have the

remaining MAGI in my hands!  We will now decide whether you or I will be the

one to have all of them!

(main): I don't know why you've changed your outlook so much, but we aren't

planning on handing any over!

Apollo: Very well!  Servants, come forth!

==============================================================================
I ended up fighting just one of the things, but it attacked with Flame and

Blizzard.  Any sort of anti-element barrier should defuse its primary

damage-dealer.  It also uses a poison attack, so Aegis works wonders in this

battle.  It has a lot of life, but when it can't deal damage you just have to

hit it.  High speed, too, so hitting it isn't easy, but most magic should be

effective.
More Trans====================================================================

Apollo: Hmph.  Such strength is only expected.  But no further!

(Various NPCs appear)

Do you care at all what happens to them?  If so, you will give me all the

MAGI in your possession!

(main): Damn!  It was his plan from the start to let us gather all the MAGI!

What a filthy schemer...

(All 76 MAGI were taken away by Apollo).

Apollo: I will leave you with only your lives... for from now on you are the

servants of the one true god, Apollo!

(main): Wait, Apollo!  You mustn't use the MAGI!  It will sever the worlds

from each other!!

Apollo: Ha!  That nice little rumor that the Guardians spread?  I'm certain

it's all a lie.  Using these MAGI, I will become a true god.  If the worlds

become separate, I will merely put them back together.  Hahahaha...
(char2): It's the end...

(char3): After we came this far...

Ki: (main), I'm sorry... It's our fault that...

(main): ...Now let us pray that the world isn't destroyed... That's all that

we can do now...

(unk): There's still hope!

(main): Dad?  Dad!  You were alive!

Dad: I am immortal!  (main), there's still hope!  You may not have noticed,

but aside from Apollo's MAGI, there is one other MAGI in this world!

(char): Huh?  But that would mean there are 78 MAGI...

Dad: That the Goddess' statue was divided into 77 MAGI... was a lie!

(char2): What?  A lie?! (this could actually mean "you're lying!" too :) )

Dad: Our forces spread false information that there were 77 pieces.

(char3): So then, the remaining one piece is...?

Dad: The final MAGI is inside the Final Dungeon!
(it's interesting to note that they don't note a reason for saying there were

77 pieces... oh well!)

==============================================================================
If you thought guests couldn't get any better, you'd have been wrong.

Dad "mark 2" has 70/70/80/60 - which was equal to or better than all of my

best - and good equipment.  He even has 700 HP, which gives him good

survivability.
Go West and South to find the Final Town.

From this point on, all towns gain a "secondary" item shopkeeper.  They sell

useful end-game armor, but the main reason is that they sell "Doors" which let

you teleport like the Pegasus MAGI did.
The Final Town sells a lot of useful equipment, and since you should have some

money from Odin's World, you can probably buy most of what you need.

Be sure to save some money for Tents.  They work as mobile Inns, so they're

invaluable, especially for Mutants, Monsters, or Robots.
A new type of equipment available is the Heal Staff.  It works as a slightly

less effective Cure, with less uses, but it heals the entire party.  Buy them

if you need disposable cures for dungeons.
When you're ready, head Southeast to the Final Dungeon.  Be sure and bring

a Door in case you get stuck with no easy way out.
Final Dungeon-----------------------------------------------------------------
Treasures:	Karate ("Hell Car")

		Sun Sword

		Arthur('s) Armor (Guan Yu's Armor)

		Psi Gun

		Parasuit (Power Suit)

		Tent

		Excalibur

		Nuclear Bomb
Weird walls, eh?  It certainly does look like a final dungeon...

As you might expect, this area has pretty rough enemies.  The falcon-looking

ones can cast Tornado, dealing ~500 damage to your party.  The crab-type

enemies can cast Blizzard, dealing ~300 to your party.  Needless to say, if

you get unlucky you may die.

When you reach the two staircases, the tunnel-looking one on the right leads

to the Karate.

On the second floor, the Sun Sword is on to the left.

On the third floor, there's nothing inside the tunnel area.  Don't worry about

it.

On the fourth floor, open the treasure chest for Arthur Armor.

Trans Note====================================================================

Arthur Armor was originally Kan u no yoroi (Guan Yu's Armor).  Guan Yu was a

general of the Three Kingdoms period in China.  Like Zhuge Liang, he fought

alongside Liu Bei. Guan Yu is seen as one of the most virtuous, honorable,

and physically strong individuals of the time and holds a status sort of

analogous to that of Arthur or Lancelot.  Arthur is a good translation.

==============================================================================
Arthur Armor gives good immunities and good defense.  Equip it on your first

or second character for best effect.
On the fifth floor, go right for the Psi Gun.  It's a nice Psi weapon.
On the sixth floor, go right again for the Power Armor.
The Power Armor ("Parasuit") deserves special mention.  It takes the place of

all armor types (i.e. can't be worn with helms, armor, bracers, or shoes),

but it gives 73 armor, 15 strength, and 15 speed.  Although this doesn't give

as much as, say, having all Giant's equipment and Geta, it's still useful in

view of the fact that Speed also affects hit percentage, so your strength

character can make good use of speed as well.
At the crossroads on the seventh floor, go right for a Tent.
On the ninth floor, go to the right or left to gain the Excalibur.
The Excalibur is the only weapon with infinite uses.  It also hits an entire

group of enemies, and does hefty damage, so it's quite useful.
At the crossroads on the eleventh floor, go right for a Nuclear Bomb.

Note the Nuclear Bomb has only one use, so giving it to a robot makes it

useless.
Once you finally reach the twelfth floor, keep going North to fight the

WarMech (orig. Death Machine).  In preparation for the battle, you may want

to make sure you have lots of heal staves.
WarMech is still harder than the previous bosses.  He uses Missile most rounds

for ~200-300 to all.  Conveniently, this is about the same amount that a Heal

staff will heal, using a decent magician (or Dad, in a pinch).  He can also

physically attack for 200-350, relatively light at this stage in the game if

you have high defense.  Once WarMech is severely damaged, he will use Nuke for

600 damage to all, so be sure to keep your HP up!
Once WarMech is dead, your party is magically healed.  Nice!
Open the treasure chest for the final, 78th MAGI: Heart.  It was originally

called "Goddess' Heart".  You can head North to exit the dungeon easily.
The Heart MAGI can be equipped and then used in battle.  It can be used once

every rest (Inn or Tent), and will restore all characters back to full life.

Quite useful.
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Here, you have two choices.  Move on