The original Wild Arms taxed players with devious puzzles and strange events, as well as spectacular battles with bosses that would make your skin crawl. The sequel is little different, and so you'll find all the information you need to succeed available below, written as I myself progress through this amazing game.

Disc One

The first disc of this enormous game sets things up extremely well. You are introduced to your characters in three scenarios, which you are free to play through in any order. No particular order will give you any advantage over another, so feel free to ignore the order I have outlined below.

Ashley's Scenario

This scenario is a simple matter of working through one dungeon. Otherwise, everything is fairly self-explanatory. In the first dungeon, you'll need to use a knife to proceed. You can pick up a throwing knife when you drop down the hole to rescue the clumsy soldier who went ahead of you. He'll give you a throwing knife, which you throw at cylindrical torches. Doing so will open doors that allow you to continue. Sometimes you have to throw it against pillars so it will drop and hit a switch, but there's nothing terribly complex here.

After you finish the first dungeon (there's an extremely simple boss encounter at the end), you'll eventually be called to a dinner at the Chapel of Swords. There, you'll mostly just watch events unfold. When you are forced to fight, you'll find the battles are simplistic to the extreme. Then everything blacks out and the scenario is over.

Lilka's Scenario

Lilka's scenario is a little more taxing than Ashley's was. You essentially spend your time working through a rather devious dungeon. The goal is to hit a bunch of blocks with your magic to open doorways, until the final one is open. Things don't get all that tricky, though, until you come to a room with four rising blocks, in several different colors. The previous room connected you to four sepearate rooms, each with an extended column. Visit each of the four rooms and take note of how many levels that column has risen out of the floor (it can only rise up to three levels). Once you've written that down for each of the four colors, visit the room where the four colors are all available. Run across a colored tile to start a block of that color rising. Jump off when it's starting to reach the level you need. For example, if you want it to rise to level two, wait until it has risen to level one, then immediately jump off as it starts to rise towards level two. When you have the blocks arranged, you'll be able to proceed, as blocks that are in your way will burst away.

After the dungeon, there will be a boss encounter in a town you visit. Before that, though, you'll have a bunch of discussions with the people you found. The boss is a bug-like creature, which will attack you out in the town. Then you watch some dialogue and Lilka's scenario ends.

Brad's Scenario

When the scene opens up, you're running from soldiers who are after you. All you have to do is work through a rather simple area. In order to finish, you'll need the help of a dog, which you will find about halfway through your short journey. Once the dog scares away a soldier, head to the right and find an abandoned building. Inside, you can learn a skill that allows you to shock and kick objects. There's also a save point. Collect the new ability, save, then head back left and up to a tree. Kick the tree to lower a stand, which you can ride down to the rest of the scenario. That's the end of Brad's scenario.

Meria

The first adventure in the game, aside from the three scenarios you have just completed, takes place in the town of Meria. You'll come back here often throughout a good portion of the game, so get used to where everything is located. The first challenge here is to catch a cat that has stolen something from a group of boys. They'll ask for your assistance, and there's no way to proceed without giving it to them. Get after that cat.

First you have to get on the roof near the thieving creature (you do this by climbing the ladder you find on the second floor of the bakery). It will run, so you have to chase it around the roof. The first time, it will get away from you by hopping over a lamp post and onto another building you can't reach. Go back and talk to the carpenter you just passed (he's standing near a hole in the roof). He should either talk about the hole or ask if you want his help. If he does the former and doesn't offer assistance, repeat the process and watch as the cat escapes. Turn back and talk to the man, and by now he should offer assitance, which of course you accept. Now race after the cat again (remember that each time it gets away, you must enter the bakery again and climb to the roof). This time, the carpenter will scare it into the hole. Drop down inside and corner it to capture the monster. Then take him back to the kids for some serious rewards. This is, you should note, the only way the game can proceed.

Valeria Chateau

Your next goal is to find Irving Valeria, the man who saved Ashley from the unfortunate incident at the Chapel of Swords. The man lives in a chateau on a cliff outside of Meria. Head south and you'll see a huge, jutting rock area. Search near the top of it to find the chateau, and eventually more exciting adventures.

The Prison

The next adventure will make you wonder if you've been betrayed by Irvin, as you find yourself in a prison. Ashley is locked inside a cell, so you play controlling Lilka. Your first order of business, of course, is to free Ashley.

You have to find the key card, which is located in one of the rooms in the huge island prison. Lilka should begin by opening up rooms by checking the computer consoles she'll find spread about. One will open up a room which contains a save point. Search the lockers there to find the card you need. With the card in hand, go back and talk to Ashley to have him restore your health, then stand in front of the door, go to the item screen, and use the card to open the door.

Your next task is to find that third person somewhere in the jail. After what Irving has said, you may not even believe there's a third party member here. But there is. The man was telling the truth. Once you have freed Ashley, you need to head to where you saw a man standing in front of a door. If you tried to sneak past him before as Lilka, he shot you back out of the area. This time, with Ashley, you can knock him out by tossing a knife from the ledge above. Sneak past him to continue in an area where you'll find a new prisoner, Brad. Use the keycard here as you did to free Ashley. Now you'll want to have Brad in the lead so you can use his items on two different doors. One of those doors leads you to a confrontation with the warden and his machine. After that battle, you'll be free to leave. The game has now begun in earnest.

Under Traffic

Your new destination, after a lengthy conversation with Irving, is the Under Traffic area. From the chateau, you need to head pretty much due south (if you're looking at the chateau and it's directly above you, that would mean you need to head right). As you reach the cliffs, run along them checking for secrets until you find a tiny cave entrance. That's Under Traffic. Now to worry about getting through.

Mostly, you're going to need to keep switching between Lilka and Brad. Use Brad to push explosive crates up against large boulders (with his kick attack), then have Lilka blow them up with her fire magic. After you've gone through several rooms like this, you'll come to an area with water. If you jump in the water you just reappear at the entrance to the room. So instead, stand on the wooden platform. Then have Brad kick at the nearby rock. You'll push off to a new ledge.

To proceed through the caverns, kick the top rock on the second platform. Or you can explore for a while first by kicking the bottom rock (I suggest you do this, as it will lead you to a treasure chest which contains a weapon for Ashley, the Multi-Blast; go to the item screen and use it to master a new weapon). The next area, or one shortly thereafter, will have an area with two rocks against each other, and some crates up on a high ledge. Push the crates off and destroy the rocks to find a treasure chest that contains the map scope (a useful item indeed!). Once you have that, exit the room and re-enter to find that the crates have returned. Now have Brad push them off so they form a natural bridge to cross over the other high ledge. You're pretty much home free now; once you leave the cave, just follow the face of the cliff towards the southeast (should be to the right) and search until you find Damzen City.

Damzen City

Once you arrive at Damzen City, you need to talk to people throughout the town. Refill your life and weapons of course, and buy magic. The people you really need to talk to are near the top of the town. If you still have the man you rescued from the cave-in, take him to the physician at the north end of town. A little left of that you should find the house of someone who encourages you to talk to her whole family. Do so to learn more about the Telepath Tower, which is your next destination. During this time, you'll also be in communication with Irving.

Telepath Tower

This dungeon isn't really all that challenging, except you may lose your sense of direction. It consists of five extremely limited floors, which are connected by both staircases and an elevator. To start with, you'll need to hit some switches to open doors. This is done by throwing crates (Ashley has this ability). Hit the three switches in the main room to proceed. Now you look for levers to pull, which open new areas and get gears grinding.

Along the way through these new areas, you should come to an elevator. Make sure you get off on the third floor and grab the booty call skill for Ashley; it's not hard to reach at all if you just take the small time necessary. Get off on the fifth floor and take the door to the right to find some treasure chests, one of which contains a Crest. Then return to the main room on this floor and work your way around the rest of this tower's challenges. In one room, there are a bunch of switches on the floor. These cause different walls to raise and lower. Experiment until you find the right combination that lets you cross the room. Once you leave, return to the room and play around with the switches until you reach the treasure chest. Use Brad's skill to kick it open and receive the Pineapple weapon, which Brad can use. You're now near the end of the dungeon. There's only a relatively simple boss encounter before you're done in the tower.

Mt. Chug-Chug

East of Damzen City, on a rocky area, you'll find Mt. Chug-Chug. Inside, there are lifts which won't operate at first. And you'll need to use those lifts to reach the save point and the encounter with the giant Ptolomea. Your first action once you enter the mine should be to find the mine cart. That won't be hard, since this whole area is rather small. Find the cart, then have Brad kick it down into a hole. Drop down the hole after it and then kick it once more to take a ride to the other end. There, you'll find a console. Examine the flash you see on the right side of the panel to obtain an item, then switch on the console to start the lifts operating. Ride the first one you find to an upper floor, then work around to a square hole and drop down it. Ride up that lift to find the save point, then proceed to the battle with Ptolomea.

Sylvaland Castle

From the Chateau, head back to the nearby town and give the Empathite to Marina. Events will unfold and you'll find yourself back at the Chateau with orders to go see the queen of a nearby country. Find the communicator and enter. There's a room to the right which you should enter in order to fight a boss.

After that battle, proceed to the room directly up from the area entrance. Search the left of the three emblems to set up the correct destination. Enter the transport. Now go straight ahead and search the center of the forest to find Sylvaland Castle. After a conversation there, you'll find out that there was a raid on the town of Halmetz, located to the east. Save your game and go to the town, searching along the coastline until you uncover it. Inside there'll be another boss battle, then you'll find yourself in Golgotha Prison.

Golgotha Prison

The first order of business is to escape from your cell. Have Brad kick a loose block against the wall, then investigate it again. Now Ashley should pull it away to reveal a passageway. Proceed through the passageway by running through twisting turns. Keep moving where you see tiles with four holes, as spikes come out of those. Pull a lever to open a new doorway. From there, run along the wall. If you don't run, you'll be knocked off ledges by a spear. Run to the end of a long platform and throw your knife to activate a switch. Return to the newly-opened door and enter to find a save point. Continue to a room with several blue doors. Open the third to find a crest, the sixth to find a passageway that allows you to proceed (others contain spears that will inflict damage on your party).

In the next area, there's a board resting against one side of a hole. Kick it back and forth three times using Brad's skill. This will open a new passage to the next room. There, use Lilka's skill to throw fire and light a torch (you have to throw it at the right moment so spears don't deflect it). Then in the next room, keep pulling at the switch to open the prison door and talk to the captured people of Halmetz. From there, you'll proceed controlling only Ashley. Move around a room with spikes, finding a passage to the opposite side. From there, enter the doorway across the hall to eavesdrop, then exit and proceed to the area exit where a battle awaits. After the confrontation with Trask, you'll witness several more events before finding out about your next destination.

Aguelite Mine

After your escape from prison, you're given a choice about where to go next. One possibility is the Aguelite Mine, located in the town of Holst. Go to Holst (it's west of the portal you're instructed to use) and then talk to the people. You'll learn about a prior visitor who went a little crazy with the bombs at the inn. Go to the inn. If you use your Booty Call skill in the upper room, you'll notice there's something hidden in one of the beds. Search to find the bombs, which Brad can use. Now you're ready to enter the mines.

Use the bombs to blow up the boulders near the pits, and then you can proceed. The shaft is pretty simple after that. When you reach the gate, blow up the crate and pull the switch to open the gate. Before continuing, I strongly suggest heading to the right and exploring the rooms there, where you can find crate that contains a new weapon for Brad to use, the AM Cluster (just have Brad kick open the silvery crate to get the weapon). Now you're ready to continue through the gates. There are three potential trouble spots after that.

In one room, you must set four bombs on the four blocks in order to open the new door. In another area, there's a drill machine. Set a bomb in front of the machine to make it destroy the blocking wall. And there's another wall in the next room after that, which you must bomb repeatedly. After a while, the blasts will wear it down and reveal the passageway to the mine's last section. There's no boss encounter here.

Raline Observatory

After the boss encounter that comes as you enter, you'll have two companions for the trek. They're extremely annoying, but they're also your ticket through so you'll have to put up with them. As you come to traps, they'll have suggestions about how to get through. One such trap involves running through an area as walls close in. When one of the companions is trapped, you'll have to save him. There are about six statues on the opposite side of the narrow space. Pull the one that looks different from the others around, then push it into the divide so he has time to escape. Enter the left door now if you want to find the barette, which is good head gear for Lilka. Return to the room where you just saved the lizard. Now proceed and one of the lizard guys will hit a new switch for you. Here you'll have to leave him for a moment. Go to the next room to find a save stone.

Keep moving through rooms, moving blocks (they're a slightly different shade of green than the floor and walls) to make it over gaps, until you get back to your buddy. Now that you have saved him again, back track and find a room with a stone face. Search it and the lizards will once more contrive a brilliant plan to proceed. Ard will use his tail to trip a switch, but it gets stuck. Climb the staircase and have Brad kick the back side of the stone wall a few times to dislodge the tail. Now you can move on once more. After Liz trips a switch and disappears, continue on and climb up the stairs. Make sure you get the Bolt Action from the treasure chest near the next door, even though it means you have to backtrack and risk enemy attack. A new weapon is always worth it, and this one is particularly powerful!

Once you've done that, continue to the next room. Travel on until you find Liz again, and have Ashley throw a knife at him to knock some sense into him. He'll trip the switch and now you can reach the Germatron you came here for. You'll have to battle Liz and Ard if you mean to keep it, however.

Wind Tiger's Den

The Wind Tiger's Den is located on an island that's shaped a bit like a boomarang. It has a launch pad on one end and there's a large mound near the center. On the end opposite the launch pad, search to find a pit that is the den. Inside, wind howls agains the rocks and there are blocks with holes in them. Those are torches, it turns out. Have Lilka light them to open up new rooms. Make sure you light them all at once, as the wind tends to blow them out. A good strategy is to wait until the wind has just finished blowing, then light them all as quickly as possible. Stand in such a place that you can reach most of the lamps just by turning. It's not all that hard. Reach the end and you'll receive the powers of the Guardian named Fengalon.

Baskar Village

If you're having trouble finding the first real destination, you'll be pleased to find that the Valeria Chateau has an 'auto pilot' mode. Just fly around on the field and press the 'O' button in order to access it. You'll go to the landing pad near Baskar. From there, simply head north through the forest until you reach the end of a slight peninsula. Search to find the village (it's hidden amongst the thick forest).

Hidden Trial Area

The Hidden Trial Area is your next major challenge. At the entrance, you'll receive a new skill for Tim: Pooka. This useful pal allows you to investigate things from a distance, and you'll be putting it to good use. In the first real puzzle room, you'll see a pillar with two brown switches. Pressing against one does nothing. But if you have Tim press one and then keep him there while Pooka scoots around to hit the other, you'll lower a wall that allows you to proceed. The next area is really quite similar. Be sure and climb up to the next level and cross to another door. On your way, have Pooka float over to and search the treasure chest for a Crest.

In the next challenge area, you have to raise platforms in order to advance. The first two are raised by a switch Tim presses. Hit it and then sprint over the two ledges so they don't have time to fall before you've crossed them. Now you have to use Pooka to hit the next switch, and now you must sprint over a third hovering ledge (if you mess up, you have to redo the first two).

In the next area, take the side door before continuing straight (you'll find two mini carrots, always useful). When you go straight, you'll face a 'trial,' which is really no more than a battle with a boss named Reguleus. He has around 4,800 HP, but there's really not going to be much of a problem defeating him if your levels are high at all. The next room contains a save point. From here, Tim must venture alone.

The first room Tim faces contains moving floors once more. This time they slide into place if you have Pooka hit the wall switches. Stand near the center of the ledge, have Pooka hit the switch, then sprint over three rows of the sliding platforms. Skid to a halt before you go to far and slide off. If you do drop, you'll restart at the room's beginning (not too bad at all, since no enemies appear to attack here; it's just a matter of getting the rather simplistic timing down). There are only the two sets to worry about in the first room. Then you're on to the next one, which requires you to use the same strategy all over again, except that you can only sprint across two rows this time before pausing to hit another switch.

In a room shortly thereafter, you have to drop down so you're on the same level as a switch. If you have Pooka hit it, you'll make a platform slide to a ledge with a door. Now you have to sprint over to it. I recommend imagining a diagonal line between the switch and the door. Stand Tim on the center of that line, facing the door. Now send out the Pooka and have it trip the switch (Pooka should just barely reach the switch at the edge of his range). While he is hitting the switch, just hold down the 'X' button so Tim dashes as quickly as possible. If you lined yourself up properly, you'll easily make it. Before even doing that, though, make sure you cross the ledge and climb up to the second level to backtrack and find a Crest. Only then should you make the sprint to the door on the ledge that I just described.

Gehenna Nerros is waiting two rooms later to challenge Tim. To defeat him, follow the on-screen instructions and equip the appropriate guardian. Then fight until your points are high enough to use the 'combine' skill. You'll win the fight effortlessly (and you'll see a cool summoning sequence that looks pretty darn cool without lasting too long).

Warship Varukisas

When you first enter, you'll be presented with a lobby of sorts. If you go up, you'll find a save point (which you may as well used). After saving, return to the lobby and head to the right, taking the side door to find a room with a control panel. There, turn on the power and turn off the barriers. Go back out the door and continue to the right, past where a barrier blocked your path before.

Now you can enter a new room which contains a door up on a ledge you can't reach. Climb to the balcony area and pull several blocks over to where others already rest on the balcony. Once they've all been moved, the blocks create enough weight that the balcony crashes down and allows you to proceed. In the next area, the floor of the high area collapses. It's no problem, though; you can eventually get to the next door. In the next room, the upper floor is also weak. If you find a weak spot, you'll have to backtrack and try again. At least, if you look carefully at the floor, you can usually pick out the bad areas (they look slightly raised). Make it across this second raised floor and you can turn off another barrier. Head back to where that barrier was.

In this room, you should be able to reach a console that will allow you to raise a section of the floor. Climb up the ramp, cross the newly-raised section, and find a console where you can confirm the code for Power Plant A (for me, the code was TA2360). Now you need to go on to the next room. In order to do this, you'll have to use the three blue crates to create a bridge over a gap. Do this by trying different combinations. You'll have to get them all pressed against the wall, and you can run around and drop down to get in any holes you might create in the block formation. It's tricky, but possible. In the next room, operate the crane to drop a ledge, which you cross to a console. Enter the code you just got to turn off the power plant.

Go back to the room after where you dropped the balcony. Enter a side door to find a console that gives you the code for Power Plant B (TB8180). Now walk on the upper level of falling floors again. This time, when you reach the second room, drop down onto the line of blue blocks and cross to the console. Enter the code you just received to turn off Power Plant B.

There should still be a hallway left with a white barrier of light. Enter that hallway and go into the side room, where you ought to find several of those blue blocks on the floor. Go to the console and turn off the barrier. You should also verify the power code (TC6503). Now return to the hall and pass through where the barrier once was. In this room, climb up onto the ledge and check the brown switch to lower a ledge. Pass by the ledge and climb up onto an upper floor. From there, have Tim use Pooka to trip the switch and raise the floor back up so you can continue. Now you need to enter the code for Power Plant C.

When you go back to the main lobby area and try to exit one of the doors, Ptolomea will appear and offer a challenge. It's not a tough battle, especially if you have Tim equipped with the Defencer and have him use it every round of the battle. You might not even need to worry about healing yourself. Just use your ARMS and everything should be fine. Once you defeat him, ride the lift he came on so that you arrive in the cockpit. From there, events will unfold and you'll end up at the castle in Meria. Once you find out your next objective, leave the castle and restock everything at the village.

Three Tablets

Your next mission, you soon find, is to retrieve a hovercraft and use it to find three tablets which contain information from the Varukisas. To do this, you need to look on the map. The hovercraft is a yellow dot located west of Meria. Go there and board it. Now you can look at a world map to see where to go. Do so by pressing 'select.' On the world map, you'll see you're in an inland sea. The three tablets are along beaches in the sea.

Tablet One is near the tip of the large penninsula, between it and a tiny island. From there, head pretty much due north and search along the beach area there to find Tablet Two. Now head southwest, so that you're looking west of the penninsula's tip (a shade south of directly west).

Now that you have the three tablets, contact Irving for further instructions. He'll tell you to return to Meria Boule immediately (in case you don't know, it's the castle in the town of Meria). The king and Irving will talk to you, and you'll learn you need to go find a tunnel near Damzen City, in order to reach the Sielje Region. Lilka, who comes from the area, is far from thrilled.

Tunnel to Sielje

Get to Damzen City however you can. I ended up going through Under Traffic. Once you're in Damzen City, talk to an old man in Gunner Heaven, who will give you an item that will allow you to access a new area of Mt. Chug-Chug. Go there now and take the door to the right, using the new item to open it.

The first major room you come to consists of raised planks and three blue torches. First enter the lower left room to get a new weapon for Ashley: Dead or Alive. Now enter the upper right room to find a new wand for Lilka that will allow her to freeze flames. Return to the main, plank-filled room, and then freeze all three torches to make them flash and disappear.

The next major room contains another raised platform, and two large crates. Start by dropping down and moving the lower crate to a spot just in front of the door (you'll see a crate hanging in the air above it). Now climb back up onto the ledge and throw a knife at the switch to make the second crate drop. Now jump from the ledge, land on the crate, and go through the next door. Remember that if you mess up, you can exit the room and then re-enter to try again.

Shortly, you'll come to a room where portions of the floor drop away. There are two chests, which you should search. To get to one that contains a Duplicator, you must intentionally step on a weak section of floor in order to drop down on the raised ledge where the treasure box rests.

Another room you come to shortly has two flashing tiles. Step on one and you'll see it affects portions of the nearby geography. Your first move should be to have Ashley drag a crate around so it rests on the switch furthest from the door where you entered (the second one, in other words). This will lower a new block, which you move to the first switch (the one nearest the door). Now move the block from the second switch to a gap in the pathway. Cross over the now-solid ledge to find the exit of the cave. From there, search through the snow, until you find the Sielje Region at the center of a wide, snowy field.

Sielje Region

Although this is an important location, you won't have much to do upon your arrival. The main thing you should do is hunt down the guy who can read the Tablets. He's upstairs in a building on the right side of the town.

When you find him, he'll reveal that Odessa has a nearby base. He can't read everything, though, for another day. Overnight, someone steals the tablets. You have to go chasing after them. You'll be given the Gate Bridge Key, and also will receive Eat My Dust upon leaving the town.

Your next destination isn't hard to find.

Gate Bridge

As you enter, the story unfolds more and you discover that you have five minutes to reach the end of this area, where Liz and Ard are trying to block your progress.

You'll soon find that five minutes, which stops while you are in combat, is plenty of time to clear this area. Just keep moving up, going through rooms, and battling and avoiding enemies as appropriate.

The only real brain taxer (and it's not all that tough) is that you have to throw knives in the first two major rooms in order to proceed. In the first room, throw the knife, then walk around the floor triggers that shut the gate once more. You can tell where they are because they protrude from the floor slightly.

In the second large room, you'll have to stand by the door you wish to open, then use camera angles and such to have Brad throw a knife at the switch to his diagonal left. Using the camera angles to your advantage is a necessity, here.

After that, the next major challenge comes from Liz and Ard. When you face them, defeat Ard first, as he can punch you so hard that one of your party members is likely to fall instantly. Then focus on Liz.

When you defeat the bumbling duo, you get to face Trask 2.0, who is a bit more of a challenge. The strategy here is to have one person attacking with his ARMs (Ashley seems to have the best arsennal) while Lilka heals and the other uses healing herbs as necessary. This encounter isn't that tough, either.
Now you get to go through a forest you played a portion of in Brad's Scenario, earlier in the game.

Greenhell

This wonderful forest is located to the northwest of the Gate Bridge. Part of it is familiar, and part of it is new, but none of it is really a challenge.

As you enter, head north and pass through the stand of trees so that you come to a fork in the road. Head right and jump down from the ledge. Continue up past a tree surrounded by five wooden crates. Drop down the right side of the cliff here to find a chest that contains a vitality apple. Continue north past five crates to another fork in the road.

At this fork, you have an option. Going right will lead to a cabin with a save point. That's all that's important here, as you should have collected all the items your previous trip through, much earlier in the game. If you go left, you come to that rope and lift. Have Brad kick the tree to ride down to the other side of the chasm.

Now head down the trail to the end of Greenhell. Time to go to T'Bok Village.

T'Bok Village

You'll find the village across a lush field and through a forest to the northwest of the exit from Greenhell Forest.
Start by entering the door to your immediate left, where Brad can kick open a crate to find the Lawnmower weapon. Then refill your ARM's and save the game.

The real reason to come here is to find out more about Odessa, and about Brad's past. Do this by heading north through the village and talking to a dog. Talk to some people about your friend Billy, grab a Crest from the nearby barrel, then talk to the dog again to receive a Teleport Orb and a broken data tablet. You find that your next destination is the town of Quartly. It's located near the southwest part of the Inland Sea, on a bridge that spans a huge rift valley known as Big Valley. Exit the town, then use a teleport gem to go back to your hovercraft.

Quartly

Once you're back in your hovercraft, start by heading along the water, around rocky outcroppings towards the southwest portion of the sea. It's near the town of Baskar. Once you're near Baskar, you'll see a small river along the base of the cliffs. It's on the right side of Baskar. Go down that river and follow a branch to your right that twists to the northeast, until you come to a beach at the edge of a red-sanded desert. Get out of your craft, there. Now you need to head toward the north central part of that desert on foot. Along the way, make sure you check regularly for items. When you reach your destination, you'll see one of many peninsula outcroppings. Search them until you cause a bridge to appear. Enter the bridge. This is the town of Quartly.

Once you enter the town, the first building you can enter on your right is a shop. Here you can stock up on items, as well as purchase new weapons and armor for your party. If you don't have quite enough to buy everything, go back outside town and battle monsters until you do. Make sure you equip each item as you buy it, like the shop owner suggests. Sell the old stuff as you buy the new, as well. There's no sense letting it mess up your inventory. When you're buffed up in that regard, go back out of the shop and continue north through the town. The second building on your right is a magic shop, which you can use since you probably got that crest in the last town. Once you've done that, continue north yet again, talking to the people as you go. There's a lady on the left who will save your game for you.

Just past the save point, you'll meet a lady named Kanon who says she wants your help exorcising monsters from Slayheim Castle tomorrow. Then she leaves after mentioning she knows Ashley's name. Next thing you know, your party will be standing inside the inn near the town's save point. Ashley is talking, but Brad is out of sight. Ashley will go outside and see him talking to a strange man who was on the scene when you met Kanon. When Brad comes back inside to join Ashley, you will learn that Slayheim Castle is located on the northeastern edge of the salt flats. After that episode, you'll be back in control of the party.

Leave the inn, then continue north through the town once more. The remaining buildings on the right will give you the opportunity to increase your ARMS strength, and to allot skill points. You probably don't have enough left to make good decisions with the skill points, so leave those alone right now. It's probably best just to head north out of town. You're now headed for your next destination, a little (important!) side trip before you resume the main quest.

High Magic

Make sure you have at least 4 teleport gems in your inventory, or that you can easily use the teleport orb (hey, it's free!). Change your party leader to Lilka. Teleport first to the Sielje region, enter the big building (after teleporting up to the main town), go up through the door at the top of the room, up through another log hallway, and go down the staircase to the right, then into the upper door. In the upper right corner of that room is a man named Karayan. Talk to him. Now leave the Sielje region and go back onto the map. Use a teleport gem or your orb. Select Quartly, but you won't be going there. Instead, you'll wind up on the small island Karayan just mentioned. Search to find a small house, then enter it.

Inside, you'll find a man who will greet you. He has been here for years, so he's a little... strange. At any rate, he'll give you High Crest and instruct you to take it back to Sielje. Before you do, though, explore this area. Go back out the front door, back toward the entrance, then work around the fence, keeping pressed against it as you do so until you're to the back side of the house. Now head directly up and check the treasure chest to find the Weathervane. This item ensures that enemies can't surprise your party or force you to go at it alone while your companions catch up to you.

Once you have that item, exit and warp back to Sielje using another of your teleport gems or the orb. Talk to Karayan once more and you'll give him the High Crest book you got from John Day. Now he will spread the word so other guild magic users can teach the high crest magic abilities. From here, exit Sielje again, then use your fourth teleport gem or the orb to return to Quartly. Note that now, any time you have a crest and want to use it to learn much more powerful spells, you can use a teleport gem or your teleport orb to warp to Island Outpost and to learn a powerful spell. At this point in the game, though, your levels are probably so low that you won't even be able to cast such spells frequently (if at all). It's something to keep in mind, though, as you return to your regularly scheduled quest.

Salt Fields

Start by heading west to where you find a peninsula of red. It will look out of place because it's against all that bluish white. Search to find an item there. Then head toward the right for another item. I don't know what they are because I kept pressing the frigging button at the wrong moment and the text that informed me instantly blinked away. Ticks me off! Anyway, once you have those items, you're going to be wondering where to go next. There are a bunch of pointy stones to the north, but searching the middle of them will get you nowhere. Likewise for the edge of the sands. For now, just take your time and raise levels and gold, power up your characters, and so forth. This is a good area to do this. Once you're done with that, it's time to get down to business.

Head to the northeast corner of the bluish sand, near the yellow sand strip and the red clay. There, perform a search. You'll cause Slayheim Castle to appear!

Slayheim Castle

When your party leader first reaches the entrance, you'll be facing toward the bottom of the screen from the top. You'll mention that Kanon must not be here yet. Now you should rotate the screen about so you're viewing things from behind your character. Once you've done that, head straight up toward the ledge above you. There are stairs to the right and left that you can use to climb up onto the ledge. On the right side is a monster prism thingy-ma-bobber. On the left is nothing. Start by entering the door on the top left side of the room.

In that door, head left again, to another door on the area's left side. Through that door, you'll find a staircase that leads north to another door. Enter it. Now you're in another room with torches, a treasure chest, and a pendulum above you and slightly to the left. If you continue past that, you'll fall in a pit and re-enter the room. Have Brad stand on the top side of the pendulum and kick it. The pendulum will swing and knock you over the gap. Now head right up the stairs, then down to the treasure chest and open it to find the Elven Boots. You can equip them to gain a 1/3 chance of startling enemies. Once you've done that, jump down from the ledge, go back down through the doorway you used to enter the room, down those stairs, and back to the right. There, head to the right wall. You first came into this room through the bottom door. Instead of leaving out that door, head to the top one.

You will now be in a room with a table and bookshelves. Have Brad kick the bookshelf on the right side of the room to make an item drop down. Retrieve the Adult Mag. This item is not for kids. Go back down out of the room, then down another room and you'll be back on the ledge in the first room. Head right to the other end of the room, and enter the door above the monster prism.

This area looks like a mirror effect of where you just were to the left. Start by entering the room above the entrance and straighten that picture, then head to the room on the left. Brad will have a flashback, then you will appear in the room. Check the treasure chest for a Duplicator. A door will also open elsewhere in the castle. Return to the room where you straightened the picture, then the room before that.

Head to the right, now, and through the door on the far side of the area, into another room. Here, climb the staircase and enter the room at the top. This is another of the dark rooms with pits, but there's no pendulum to help you out, this time. Head to the greenish-colored blocks and have Brad bomb them. You'll fall through a pit, but when you reappear you can get around the room's pits and continue to the top of the room, through that doorway.

Now you find yourself in a hallway. Head left to the door on the end, which is locked. There's a switch to the left of that door, on the wall. Press it to open the door, then enter. You're now in a room with a save stone. Directly ahead of the save stone, you'll see a single door, which is locked (haven't figured out how to enter that one, yet). To the right are double doors. Enter them. You'll witness a flashback from Brad, then appear in the room near a treasure chest. It contains Lone Wolf, protective gear Ashley can and should equip. Now that you have the treasure, exit back into the room with the save stone. This is a good time to save.

Now you need to go back to the room with the first ledge and three doors. The middle door is open, now, so enter it. Through the door you'll find a long hallway. Go up the staircase and you'll find a locked door. There's a switch on the wall to the upper right. Return to the passage's entrance and have Brad kick the first column. It will have a domino effect and knock over pillars until one trips the switch for you. Enter the door and Brad will have another flashback. Grab the item you find in the treasure chest, a Plus Band. Have Brad equip it.

Now it's time to go back to the room with the three doors on the ledge. Kanon will appear and say that there is a monster within you she must hunt down and kill. There's no talking her out of it, so she attacks.

Kanon is actually an easy boss to defeat if you're at level 30 or better. I didn't even have to heal anyone, though it came close to that. Just have Lilka cast 'shield' on everyone, and heal as necessary, while Brad and Ashley attack with their best single-attack shots.

When you win, go ahead and exit the castle and head back to Quartly. There you'll receive a message from Irving about a strange energy burst in the nearby desert. Spend a night at the inn if you need to, then save and head out to the desert to the south. Search near the southeast corner to find your next destination, the Alchemic Plant.

Alchemic Plant

The plant is located almost due southeast from Quartly. When you enter, you'll see enemies Antenora and Vinsfield having a heart-to-heart discussion. When that's done, you're likely to be directly in the path of an enemy, which means a fight you can't avoid. Take care of those enemies, then head right along the railed ledge. You'll have to fight another enemy as you go. At least you can see where the enemies are, for the most part. They're easy ones, too, especially if you're at reasonable levels. When you reach the right edge of the room, enter the door.

Now you'll be in a room with more enemies. There's a staircase to the right of the door. Go ahead and go down it. There are two doors down here. Start by taking out the enemies, then enter the door on the left (the one on the right is a dead end).

From there, head up and right, to where the ledge raises. At the top of that sloped ledge, drop off the top side, then go up around that walkway and to another of the raised ledges. Here, you'll need to make sure you have the right view. The reddish catwalk above should be running horizontal from the left to the right side of the screen. If it is, you'll know you're facing the right way. Drop off the right side of this raised ledge and work your way around the walkway as it goes alongside the wall at the top side of the room. You'll probably have to fight an enemy along the way. Enter the doorway.

You are now in a room with raised wooden poles and a pathway leading upward. Follow it to the staircase that branches to the left and along the wall. Go up the stairs and enter the doorway. You'll be on an upper ledge in the room you just left. Walk left along that ledge and enter the doorway. Then work to your right past the enemies and enter the door with the red line forming a partial square in front of it.

If you've done that properly, you should now be walking on the red catwalk I used for a reference earlier. Follow it to the right and take out the enemy, then continue to the doorway you find there. Your characters will automatically walk over to a control panel and start discussing what to do next. Brad decides this is a job for him, so he'll be staying behind for a time. Go ahead and go through the door on the right, now.

You'll be on another of the red catwalks, now, which leads out a ledge from which you can jump. Drop down to the ledge below and head to your left and through the door at the bottom of the room. In the next room, search at the door to find out that a message is being transmitted. Go to your menu and select the 'call' option to intercept the message. You learn that the nearby guard robot is weak against extreme temperature changes. Go back out of the room and into the previus one, where you dropped down from the catwalk. Get near the robot, then have Lilka use her freeze rod on it. The way is now open to proceed through the doorway the machine was blocking.

In this room, work around--there are no options here, really, so you shouldn't get lost--until you find your way to another door where another person is transmitting. Use the same technique as before to eavesdrop and discover that someone has left a code book in a locker somewhere. It's an important code book. Proceed past there and you'll see a doorway you can enter to your right, as well as a staircase to your left that wraps around the wall and back to the right. There's also a door under that stairwell. First, enter the door immediately to your right.

Here you find another door which leads to a locker room. Search the lockers to find a code book, the read the code. It reads:

Z S U G H I O Q B L F T U
A J K P R S N O A C E G Q
N V W X I K M W Y D E Y C

Now that you have read the code, go back left into the room with the staircase. Head up the stairs and into the door at the top, then walk along that walkway into the next door. You're at another room where you can intercept a call. Listen and learn that they are changing passwords. First it was QOW, then it was ONM, and now it will be the next one, which is logically ISK. Go back the way you came, back to the room with the stairs, and search the door in the stairwell. Enter the password, then go through the unlocked door.

A staircase waits directly ahead of you. Climb the stairs and you'll be at a save stone. From there, stairs take off above you, and to the right and left. First go up the stairs to your left. Enter the door, then work to the doors, there. Enter the door on the left. You're in another room where you can eavesdrop. Work around to the door past the one where you eavesdrop, and enter.

You're now in a room with ledges and wooden railings. Work around the stairs to the room's opposite side and enter the door guarded by the red bot. Search the room's lockers to find a recorder. Now continue onward and down some stairs, where you can eavesdrop on more useless information. Enter the door near that room, then go up a staircase and eavesdrop some more. As a reference, this message should mention a mop, a recorder, and a flashlight. When you've heard that message, go down the room's staircase into the next room, where you have yet another opportunity to eavesdrop. Do so and you will hear a message regarding a search team being sent out to find you. Go down the next staircase and enter the door guarded by the grayish bot.

Now you should be back in the room with the save stone. Head through the left door again, then continue until you come to a door where you can hear Antenora berating her troops. Have Lilka eavesdrop, then she'll have the bright idea to use the recorder. Access it in your item screen while you're in front of the door, then use it to record the message. Now go back to the room with the save stone. Go ahead and save, then go to the doorway directly above you.

You can now enter if you use the recorder in front of the door. Once you've used it, if you haven't already, it's time to save at the save stone. When you're certain you've saved, enter the door you just unlocked and head directly up. Your party will come face to face with Antenora. Now it's time for a battle.

The encounter with Antenora is more difficult than your fight in the last dungeon. Just make certain you keep Tim and Lilka alive, as they'll have low health. If Lilka loses her ability, have the others use big berries or something on her so she can use her turn to use a violet rose and regain her magic. When you can, have Ashley use his best single enemy shot. And when Tim can, have him use his magic attack. When you win, you'll watch some story elements unfold, and then you'll be back to the Valeria Chateau minus Brad. Now you'll be given your next mission, which is to guard the Guild Galad Master's son. You're told to go to the foot of the mountain north of Quartly. Leave the Valeria Chateau and use the Warp Orb to warp to Quartly.

Remember that this walkthrough is being written as I play, so if I haven't reached the same point in the game as you have and you're stumped, check back regularly.