If you are seeing this, you are probably ready to jump into the world of Mana. Well make sure you're ready for it, as it's going to be one heck of a trip.

Choose "New Game" from the menu and choose a name for your character. He has no default name (don't ask me where the name Randi came from; none of the party members in this game have default names), so I'll simply refer to him as the Hero. Now we're ready to begin.

One thing: when playing this game, I like to always work up all the weapons and magic I can before I fight the next boss. You don't have to do this, but it makes it much easier.

1. Released

Before Mantis Ant: Sword to Lv. 1, buy Bandanna for Hero.

The beginning depicts the story of the Mana Fortress. Using the Fortress, an ancient civilization rocked the world, but a hero with the Mana Sword stopped it. Next we see three friends standing on a log bridge: your character, his friend Elliot, and a younger boy named Timothy. They say they're not supposed to be here, because the old people in their village say a ghost is around. They don't believe it, but Elliot does say something about there being a treasure out here somewhere. Suddenly the Hero falls off the log and lands at the base of the waterfall. Head south and get out of the river, and you'll hear a voice as your continue south. Cross the bridge and head north. Get back in the river and push B standing above the sword in the stone there. As the Hero removes the sword, the ghost appears. There is a brilliant flash as the sword's power is released. Now cut the bushes to the east and head for the village. Kill Rabites until your sword reaches level 1 so you can execute a charge-up technique. They also give you money and experience, and you'll want to have at least 50 GP by the time you reach Potos, the village. Be sure to pick up any treasures they drop, as well. Your first stop in Potos should be the item shop. Buy a Bandanna here and equip it. If you don't have the money, go fight more Rabites until you do. If you stop in the pub, you will see a man who looks like a knight. This guy will prove to be an important person as the game progresses. Head for the Elder's house at the northeast corner of town. He is glad you're all right after hearing Elliot's story of what happened. Suddenly he notices the sword you have. He says that it is the Mana Sword from the legend, which has been protecting the village from evil for quite some time. Now that the Hero pulled it out, monsters are everywhere. Elliot gets ticked off and starts attacking the Hero, when an earthquake suddenly strikes. He and the Hero end up falling into a hole, where you'll fight your first boss, the Mantis Ant. If you listen closely, you'll notice that the man from the bar is watching the whole battle. This is the easiest boss in the game, because you can't lose. If you die, the man above will use a Cup of Wishes on you and you'll keep fighting. Due to this factor, do not use any Candy during the battle. Avoid the Mantis Ant's claws and use your charge-up technique. He'll be toast in no time. When he's gone, you'll find something called a Sword's Orb.

Before Tropicallo: New party member: Girl, Gloves to Lv. 1, Sword to Lv. 2, Spear to Lv. 1, buy Head Gear & Spiky Suit for Hero, Hair Ribbon & Kung Fu Dress for Girl, Power Wrists for both, get Magic Rope

The man pulls the two of you up and Elliot runs off. This guy seems to know a lot about the Mana Sword. He says it is losing its power, and must be recharged. Only the person who pulled it out can do that. He recommends you visit a place called the Water Palace and see someone named Luka. Before leaving, he introduces himself as Jema, and says he'll wait for you at the Water Palace. Next, Timothy appears, saying that the Elder is looking for you. Go inside his house and you'll see some villagers talking about the Hero. Because of the monsters who have come for the Mana Sword, the villagers insist that the Hero leave Potos. The Elder is forced to banish you from this place. Head downstairs to pick up a treasure with 50 GP inside. Talk to the Elder again to learn a little about the Hero's past. His mother left him here when he was a baby, and the Elder took him in. The Hero's mother was never heard from again. When you're ready to go, talk to the man guarding the southeast gate. You can never return to Potos again (actually, there is something in the game that's screwed up and allows you to walk through this guy if you know what it is).

2. Secret of the Sword

Since there's nothing left for you in Potos, head east and you'll find a Cannon Travel Center. Jema has already paid for you to fly to the Water Palace, so hop in, unless of course if you want to walk there and gain experience. When you land, you'll see some soldiers. Talk to the leader, who goes by the name of Dyluck. He and his men are heading for the forest to fight a witch or something. Talk to some of his men and they'll march off to battle the witch. Now head north to the Water Palace. Inside, climb the stairs and you'll see a green floor switch. Step on it to continue. After stepping on another switch you'll find Luka. When you can move again, talk to Jema to resume the chat. Jema tells Luka about the Mantis Ant. Luka suspects that the Hero was able to remove the sword because Mana is growing weak. The sword needs to be repowered, and can be done so by finding Sword's Orbs like the one left by the Mantis Ant. The question now is where to find someone who can use the orb to increase the sword's strength. Talk to Luka this time. She warns Jema the an Empire is trying to revive the Mana Fortress from the legend. To do that, the Empire has to unlock the seals on eight seeds located around the world. There is also something up in Pandora, a kingdom to the south. Jema thinks it may be the Empire, and agrees to check it out. Before leaving, he suggests you go to Gaia's Navel, a cave where dwarves live. Dwarves know all about weapons and may be able to work on the Mana Sword. Talk to Luka and she'll ask the Hero what he's afraid. After talking for a little while, she'll ask you to reenergize the sword. Say "No Problem" and then "...Okay". The Hero will then walk up to the Water Seed and seal it, making the sword stronger. One of the main goals in this game is to reach the eight seeds before the Empire does, hoping to stop the Mana Fortress' revival. Luka also gives you the Spear, a new weapon. Be sure to learn a move with it before you get to Gaia's Navel. Now you can save your game. Before you run off, Luka tells you that one of the other palaces, the Underground Palace, is located in Gaia's Navel. Now you can finally get out of here. Head south past where the soldiers were to the next screen. If you head west here you'll find a shop/inn run by a merchant cat named Neko. He has good stuff, but his prices are very high, and I don't recommend buying anything from him. Continue south. If you talked to Dyluck and saw him leave, you'll be attacked by some goblins. They stuff the Hero in a pot and are about to cook him for dinner. When the goblins are busy dancing, a girl appears and helps the Hero out of the pot. Once you're out of there, the Hero asks this girl why she rescued him. She says she was looking for someone and thought you were him. Then she runs off without even telling you her name. Anyway, head east and you'll see a sign. Head south and you should have no trouble finding Pandora, the next town. The enemies along the way are a little tougher than before, but pose no major threat. In Pandora, most of the people are wandering around like zombies. Head east and north to the castle. Go into the center door and head west. Work your way through the castle and you'll see someone familiar. It's the girl who saved you! Her dad has been trying to marry her off, and they just had a big fight. Then she sees you. When she notices your sword, she asks you to go help her save Dyluck (as the story goes, Dyluck is who she really loves, but everyone else is trying not to let the two of them get married). You now have a chance to name her. I'll just refer to her as the Girl. Note that if you did not talk to Dyluck and get rescued from the goblins, the Girl will simply ignore you and run off without joining you. If you enter the double door to the left you'll be in the throne room. Jema is here and tells you that Elinee the witch has been draining energy from the townspeople. The drained people seem to be heading for the ruins south of town, so Jema decides to check that place out. Exit the castle and head for the local shop. There are actually two shops in this kingdom, but one shopkeeper is a zombie and won't sell you anything. Buy a Hair Ribbon from the other one and have the Girl equip it. You might also want some Medical Herbs, and maybe even a Cup of Wishes. Head south to the inn and save, then leave Pandora by heading west. Remember that the Girl comes with a new weapon, which the two of you must learn a skill with. The Girl also needs to work on the Rusty Sword and Spear. The only difference here in the way of enemies is that there are now Buzz Bees, which can poison you. Walk along until you come to a place where the path splits. Head west to enter the village of Kippo. Head to the shop and buy a Kung Fu Dress for the Girl. It may be expensive, but it's worth it. Once she has it on, leave the village and head north. From here head northwest along the cliffside until you come to an open area with a sign. Normally you would head south to Gaia's Navel, but if you already got the Girl, she will leave the party if you try. Instead head north to the Haunted Forest. Just walk to the end of the row of columns north of here to reach the forest. The enemies here are much harder than you're accustomed to, since you're not supposed to come here yet (to tell the truth, you're not even supposed to have the Girl yet, but she is a big help). Slice down plants with the sword and make your way to a teleporter. If you do not have the Girl yet when you step onto it, you will find her here after defeating two Werewolves, which are very hard. Since you already have the Girl, you will skip this. Head left and you'll see two columns with skulls on top. Take a swing at it with the sword. Realizing you need an axe to go further, the Girl agrees to go to Gaia's Navel first, since the dwarves there may be able to make one. Leave the Haunted Forest and return to the area with the sign. This time head south and follow the circular route to a waterfall with two caves behind it. Neko is inside the right one, but the correct entrance to Gaia's Navel is the left cave. In the caves, try to fight lots of enemies, but beware of Green Drops. They are tough to beat and can divide to create more. On rare occasions the Kid Goblins here will drop Head Gear, which you should equip on the Hero. Anyway, work your way along until you come to a room with lava in it. Head left and enter the cave there. Notice the skull at the north end of this room. Hit it and the lava in the previous room disappears. Cross where it was and enter the next room. Fight your way past the Kid Goblins and go left. Avoid the Green Drops and enter the cave here. There is a treasure here with the Magic Rope inside. You can use this to get out of caves, dungeons, and palaces. Go back one room and head south. Head south again and follow this path across the water. Head north and go down the steps. In this room, ascend the stairs on the far right. There is another skull switch here. Hitting it creates a path to the cave entrance you passed in the previous room. Enter it and you'll be in the Dwarf Village. Head to the upper right and scope out the shop. Buy a Spiky Suit for the Hero and Power Wrists for both characters. You should also get a Head Gear if you didn't get any from Kid Goblins. Next talk to Watts, the blacksmith at the northwest corner of the village. He will use the Sword's Orb to reforge your Rusty Sword for 100 GP. Now you have the Broad Sword, the second level of the Mana Sword. Suddenly Watts' hammer begins to glow. Some Mana from the sword seeped into it. He thinks he'll try and make an axe with it. Go back out into the caves and try out the Broad Sword. Keep at it until both your characters reach level 2 with it. Save your game after that and then go back to the shop. Don't go in. Instead, go left and enter the door. Enter the left cave here to enter the World Famous "Exhibition Hut". Pay 50 GP to see the show. One of the attractions here is a young sprite that has a huge debt to pay off. Help it out by giving it 100 GP. For some reason, the sprite seems to grow after getting the money. After the show, enter the room on the right and you'll hear the sprite and and village Elder (who runs the show) gloating over how they fooled you. Approach them and they apologize. You see, the young sprite was washed here during a flood and lost all his memories (yes, it is a male, for those of you who couldn't figure it out). The Elder was trying to help it earn money to get home. He says he's sorry and returns your money. Leave this room and head back to the main village. Suddenly there is an earthquake and you end up fighting a boss called Tropicallo. He looks like a big bunch of tropical fruit. He comes out of the ground every so often and spits out pumpkin bombs. There is a technique that works quite well on him. Charge up your Spear with the Hero while he's underground. When he surfaces and opens up, hit him in the base with your charge-up move. After the hit connects, quickly switch to the Girl and take a swipe at him with the Broad Sword. Keep doing this and you should have no trouble beating him. He gives up a Spear's Orb after being destroyed.

3. Remembering

Before Spiky Tiger: New party member: Sprite (Gloves to Lv. 1 and Sword to Lv. 2 for him), Axe to Lv. 1, Spear to Lv. 2, Bow/Arrow to Lv. 1, Boomerang to Lv. 1, buy Rabite Cap & Spiky Suit & Power Wrist for Sprite

The Elder is thankful that you beat Tropicallo. He says that the monster broke out of the Underground Palace, which has been sealed by Elinee, the witch. The Elder asks you to take the young sprite to the palace, for touching the Mana Seed may restore his memory. Talk to the little sprite and you'll get a chance to name him. In this walkthrough I call him the Sprite. To get into the Underground Palace you'll need Elinee to remove the seal. Guess the Girl will get a chance to go after Dyluck, after all! The Elder also gives you Chobin's Bow, which washed up with the Sprite. He also says that Watts was looking for you - maybe the axe is finished! Head to Watts' workshop and he'll sell you his axe for 100 GP. Take it and he'll show you a shortcut out of Gaia's Navel. Reforge the Spear as well before you leave. Next go back to the Dwarf Village shop. Buy a Spiky Suit, Rabite Cap, and Power Wrist for the Sprite. You may need more money to do this. While you're out getting this money, be sure to have the Sprite work up plenty of weapons. Since he just joined the party, he has absolutely no moves whatsoever. When you're through working up and buying armor, head for the Haunted Forest and make your way to the area with the skull pillars again. Don't cut them down yet. Instead, head to the right and down the stairs. You'll find another teleporter here. Destroy the Eye Spy in the next area and step on the teleporter here, which is actually a switch that creates a path above. Now go back to the pillars and cut them down with Watts' Axe. Step on this teleporter and walk across the path you made earlier. Follow this route to yet another teleporter. Find one last teleporter in this area and you'll be at Elinee's castle. Avoid Werewolves while you're here - they are tough! Head to the right and you should reach the entrance with little trouble. Step on the switch here and continue north into the next room. Try not to touch the chairs here, for they will come to life if you do. In the next room are two switches that open doors; the one to the northwest is the one you should step on. In the next room (after getting past the Werewolves), you'll find a switch and some stairs. The switch doesn't seem to do anything, so head downstairs. Dyluck's soldiers are being held here. Talk to the one who isn't moving to open the cells. Already these guys are starting to turn into zombies. They think Dyluck may be with the witch. To reach her room, the soldier tells the three of you to step on the switch you passed all at the same time. Neko is also here, and will save your game and sell you items. Make sure you have plenty of Candy, Chocolate, and Cups of Wishes - you'll be needing them soon. Go back up the steps and step on the switch. Your other characters will also do it automatically. Cross the bridge and enter the next room. Enter the center door in this room and head north. Step on this switch to clear a path to the west. Fight off the Polter Chairs here and ascend to meet Elinee, who runs into the next room. Follow her. You'll catch up just in time to see her make Dyluck vanish into thin air. Of course, the Girl wants to know what happened. Elinee explains that she sent him to the ruins in Pandora. A man there by the name of Thanatos wanted him there. Thanatos leads an organization bent on overthrowing the kingdom. Elinee disappears and sics her pet on you, Spiky Tiger. As soon as you can, move! Spiky Tiger will come crashing down and can knock out your party members in one shot. Try not to get too close or he'll start chewing on you. Use the sword and spear when he's down on the ground, and switch to the bow when he jumps up onto one of the raised platforms. While up there he will hit you with attacks like Fire Breath and Fire Bouquet. It will take lots of items and maybe even a second try to beat him, but don't give up. Most of the other bosses aren't this hard. As a reward for beating him, you get a Boomerang's Orb.

Before Biting Lizard: Whip to Lv. 1, Boomerang to Lv. 2

Head back to the previous room and you'll find Elinee quivering in a corner. Suddenly she changes into an old woman. Apparently the herbs that gave her her power had died out, and she has been trading the villagers in exchange for Thanatos' herbs. As an apology for what she has done, she gives you two treasures. She also tells you how to get into the Underground Palace; you need ice magic. She would do it for you, but her magic has run out. Now open the two chests. One contains money and the other holds the Whip, a new weapon. Elinee will also offer send you out of the castle if you talk to her again. Outside, the Girl is anxious to get to Pandora and rescue Dyluck, but suddenly the Hero hears Luka's voice and must return to the Water Palace. The Girl knows she can't save Dyluck by herself, and the Sprite just feels like tagging along, so you still have all your party members. Leave the castle area to get back into the forest. If you want to reach the Water Palace quickly, head back through one teleporter and use the Whip to get across the chasm to the right. However, I recommend you return to Gaia's Navel first and have Watts reforge the Boomerang into the Chakram. Be sure to gain skill with your two new weapons. Anyway, return to the Water Palace. Luka will tell you that Undine, the water elemental, may be in trouble. Her seal on the palace is down, and Luka is worried. You can find Undine in the cave behind the waterfall on the screen just east of the Water Palace. Work your way past the Iffish inside and enter the second room, where you'll find a pink egg with a heart on it. Out of this egg comes a Tonpole. Its attacks may be strong, but it doesn't hit often and you should have no trouble beating it. However, the Tonpole is an amphibian, and quickly changes into a Biting Lizard. This guy can be tough, as it likes to stick out its tongue and swallow your party members. Don't worry - one hit will cause it to spit them back out, but they will take damage. The Broad Sword and Watts' Axe are probably your best bet, since they can attack at an angle. The reason you want to do this is because the Biting Lizard's tongue can only travel in a straight line, and attacking from a diagonal position means it can't reach you. For instance, the Chakram is effective against lizards, but it travels in a straight line, making you vulnerable. Whatever you do, don't stop attacking. Biting Lizards can cast Cure Water spells and restore their HP. When you beat this creature, you obtain a Glove's Orb.

Before Fire Gigas: Gloves to Lv. 2, Javelin to Lv. 1, Undine magic to Lv. 1

Enter the next room to meet Undine. In thanks for saving her, she gives you her powers, as well as a new weapon: the Pole Dart. At last you have the ice magic you need to enter the Underground Palace. The Girl also gets the Cure Water spell, which is almost essential for beating some of the bosses. Leave this cave and head for Gaia's Navel. Be sure to practice with the Pole Dart as well as your new spells. When you reach the Dwarf Village, be sure to have Watts change the Spike Knuckle into the Power Glove. Then, from the town's main entrance, head straight up and you'll see a cave. Go inside and you'll find a crystal orb. Have the Sprite cast Freeze on it and it disappears, as well as the lava guarding the entrance to the Underground Palace. However, the enemies in here are extremely hard, so stay outside and let all your characters gain a level with the Power Glove, the Pole Dart, and with Undine's magic. If you run out of MP, just sleep at an inn. You'll also need plenty of items here. Once you're done working up, go inside. Since the enemies in the palace are so hard, it's a good idea to try and run right past most of them. Anyway, run straight through the first room and through the door. If you got through that room without getting nailed, you should have little trouble with the rest. To the left and right are two small rooms with switches. Step on both switches and a new stairway appears straight above the first room. Go up the steps, and step on a green switch to get across this hole. The rest of the Underground Palace is quite easy to navigate, so I'll leave that to you. Note that you must keep the Sprite alive the whole time. If you reach the end without him, you won't be able to continue. You'll know when you've reached the end because a gnome appears and refuses to let you in. As he and the Sprite are about to start duking it out, a giant monster called Fire Gigas appears. This guy has some nasty spells like Fireball, Lava Wave, and Exploder, not to mention the fact that he breathes fire. I hope your Sprite has Undine at level 1, 'cause you might have some trouble here if you don't. Use the Sprite's Freeze spell non-stop. Weapons have little effect on Fire Gigas, and it will take all the Undine magic you have to beat him. For defeating an enemy this tough, you get an Axe's Orb.

Before Wall Face: Axe to Lv. 2, all magic to Lv. 2

With Fire Gigas out of the picture, head north and talk to the Gnome. As an apology for fighting with you, he gives you his magic powers. Next, walk up to the Mana Seed and press B to seal it. When you do, the Sprite will regain his memory. He tells you his home is in the Great Forest, which is far to the north. Now that the Sprite has his memories again, there are other matters to attend to involving the Hero's other ally.

4. Free My Friends!

Use the Magic Rope to get out of the Underground Palace. Back in the Dwarf Village, be sure to have Watts reforge the axe. You should also practice with the Lode Axe, as well as with your new magic. You'll probably want it at level 2 for the next boss. While you're doing this, head through the Haunted Forest to the Water Palace. Luka has not heard from Jema for quite some time now and is wondering if he is all right. Last time you saw him he was heading for the ruins south of Pandora. Maybe he's there. Before heading to Pandora, stop at Neko's place and buy a Faerie Walnut, just in case. When you're finished working up, head for Pandora and find the house to the right of the inn. There is a bridge here leading south. Cross it and continue south. Just before you leave the screen, you'll see a girl with blue hair. This is actually Phanna, a friend of the Girl's. When you try to talk to her she disappears. Head down one screen, then go to the upper right to find the ruins. Head due north here and you'll find Phanna, who has also been turned into a zombie. The Girl tries to snap her out of it, but Phanna walks inside. The Girl fights her way past the guards, at last allowing you to get inside. To navigate this area is very easy; the path almost never splits. There are only two exceptions. In the first room, take the center door, and when there are two ways to go later on, head south. The enemies, on the other hand, are very strong. Try to just run past them and not fight. In the last room you'll find Thanatos. Just looking at him you can tell he's evil. He knows you're no weakling, after hearing you defeated Elinee. The Girl orders him to give up Phanna and Dyluck and return the townspeople to normal. Obviously, Thanatos isn't about to give up that easily, and he opens a trap door, sending your characters into a hidden room, where you must do battle with Wall Face. Wall Face looks like a wall with eyes. The trick to beating this guy is to only attack the center eye. Getting rid of the other two does stop Wall Face from casting spells, but if both eyes die Wall Face will slowly move forward and try to smash you against the spikes on the back wall, which kills you instantly. The best thing is to use the Sprite's new Earth Slide spell on the center eye. If your Gnome magic is at level 2, like I told you to make it, you should have no trouble beating Wall Face. If your magic is not worked up, you should probably use your Faerie Walnut to get in more spells. This boss drops a Bow's Orb when defeated.

Before Kilroy: Sword to Lv. 3, Spear to Lv. 3, Whip to Lv. 2, Bow/Arrow to Lv. 2, buy Cobra Bracelets for all party members

Seeing that you defeated Wall Face, Thanatos returns the villagers to normal, but quickly disappears and takes Dyluck and Phanna with him. Take a look around the room. Jema is here. He was caught by Thanatos as well and turned zombie, but now he's back to normal. Jema explains that Thanatos is a member of the Empire that is trying to raise the Mana Fortress. As a matter of fact, he's one of their best men, so if he's out here the Empire must really be desperate for Mana. But that doesn't explain why he was taking people's life energy away. Something about Thanatos just doesn't seem right. Jema recommends you return to the Water Palace and find out what to do next. But first there's something else you should do. Remember when I said there were two shops in Pandora? Now that the shopkeeper isn't a zombie, the other shop - just south of the castle - is open again, and it has some good stuff. Get a Cobra Bracelet for each of your party members. Next head north to the castle. Enter the throne room, and you'll find a door in the upper left corner. Talk to the king here. He thanks you for saving his realm. He also has something for you - some treasures they have been saving for the hero who wields the Mana Sword, and that's you. When the guard disappears, head down the steps. In this room are six treasure chests which add up to be 200 GP, a Sword's Orb, and a Spear's Orb. Now head for the Water Palace.

5. The Stolen Seed

When you reach the Water Palace, you may notice that something is missing. The Water Seed has been stolen! Someone must have broken in when Undine's seal was down. Luka suspects it was taken to somewhere around Gaia's Navel. The strange thing is that she doesn't think the thieves are Imperials. Anyway, head for the Dwarf Village. Be sure to have Watts reforge your new weapons, but don't go work up your weapon skill yet. Head down to the town's main area. There is now a giant hole in the ground here. Jema and the Elder are checking it out. Jema says the thieves are down there (I've always wondered how he knew the seed was stolen), and they may hit the Underground Palace next. He's going to guard the palace while you jump into the hole. You wind up on a ship of some sort. Head down the stairs and pick up the Whip's Orb in this room. Use the Magic Rope to get out. Have Watts reforge your whip, then go practice with all four of your new weapons. When you're through with that, jump back into the hole and go through the door next to where you found the Whip's Orb. In here you'll find your thieves - the Scorpion Army! They stole the Water Seed to power their robot, Kilroy. They take the seed and run into the next room. When you follow them, you must do battle with Kilroy. This mechanical fiend is no cakewalk. His hammer arms can squash you flat and can also turn you into a moogle. The charged up sword is probably your best bet, but a level 3 spear attack will work too. Try not to use attack magic unless you absolutely must. If you keep moving you should be able to trash the robot without a lot of trouble, and it gives up a Javelin's Orb when beaten.

Before Jabberwocky: Javelin to Lv. 2

With Kilroy destroyed, the bad guys quickly give up the Water Seed and high-tail it out of there. You'll find yourself back in the Dwarf Village. Talk to Watts and have him reforge the Pole Dart into a Javelin. Be sure to work on this on your way back to the Water Palace. Be sure to save your game somewhere before you actually enter the palace. As soon as you near the palace it should be obvious that something is up. Iffish are everywhere, as well as new enemies called Water Thugs. Run past them and get inside. Avoid the Water Thugs near the entrance and make your way to Luka, who is being held hostage by imperial soldiers. The leader introduces himself as Geshtar, and orders you to hand over the Water Seed or he'll kill Luka. Whether you do it or not, the same thing happens. Geshtar unlocks the seal on the seed and runs off with his men, leaving you to deal with his pet two-headed monster, Jabberwocky. This guy is nasty! He breathes poison gas and can cast Acid Storm and Cure Water spells. Keep your HP high in this battle, or this guy will finish you off in a few hits. Play as the Hero and charge the Herald Sword to maximum power, while the Sprite uses Earth Slide spells. It may be tough, but you should be able to beat him if you keep this up. After winning you get a Bow's Orb.

Before Spring Beak: Gloves to Lv. 3, Axe to Lv. 3, Whip to Lv. 3, Bow/Arrow to Lv. 3, buy Quill Caps for Girl and Sprite, get Midge Mallet

Return to where Luka is. Luckily, she's still in one piece. Jema is here as well. He and some Pandoran soldiers managed to stop the Empire from getting into the Underground Palace, and managed to get something from one of them. It's a Whip's Orb, so he gives it to you. Be sure to get a good look at him. Jema is going home to the kingdom of Tasnica for now, but he urges you to continue your search for the eight Mana Seeds. He also tells you that the Cannon Travel center near Potos now offers passage to the Upper Land, where the Sprite used to live. Next, restore the seal on the seed by walking up to it and pressing B. Now talk to Luka. She recommends you visit a place called the Lofty Mountains and visit a man named Sage Joch. He will teach you true courage. However, that will have to wait, since you have no way of getting to the Lofty Mountains at this point. Finally, have her refill your HP and MP and save.

6. No Place Like Home

Before heading to the Upper Land, head back to Gaia's Navel and have Watts reforge any weapons you can. Then talk to the Elder. Remember how the Sprite looked really small when he was in the show? Now the Elder shows you how they did it. He gives you the Midge Mallet, an item that can return you to normal if you become pygmized (shrunk) by an enemy, and you can use it as many times as you want! Now head for the Cannon Travel Center, working on your weapons along the way. Choose Upper Land as your destination and you're on your way. However, the Sprite hits his head again when he lands, so it won't be as easy to find his home as our heroes thought it would be. Talk to one of the moogles here. The Sprite still understands their language, and is able to act as an interpreter. It seems that their village has been overrun by Pebblers, whatever they are. Examine the area and you'll find that Watts is here as well. At least you won't have to go back to the beginning of the game to get new weapons. One of the first things you probably noticed is how snomy this area is. This part of the Great Forest is divided into four sections - one for each season. You can tell what season you're by the colors of the tree leaves (spring = pink, summer = green, fall = golden, winter = white). Head south to the spring section and you'll see Neko. Buy two Quill Caps from him and equip them on the Girl and Sprite. Now head east to the summer area. In the northwest corner of this area is the entrance to the Moogle Village. The enemies here are Pebblers, and are not easy to beat at this point. A good idea is to use the Sprite's Spear to "space them out". That way they cannot move. Concentrate on one Pebbler at a time and they shouldn't be too much trouble. Once you have eliminated all three Pebblers, head toward the entrance to this area and the moogles will come to live in the village once again, bringing Neko and Watts with them. Talk to a moogle, and the Sprite will recieve yet another bump to the head, bringing his memory back. He recites a poem: "Walk the seaons from spring to winter, spring again and we can enter". What do you suppose it means? Check out the treasure in the Moogle Village. You should be able to find a Glove's Orb and an Axe's Orb. Have Watts reforge them right away. Now you've got some working up to do. Before continuing with the game, you'll want the Moogle Claws, Stout Axe, Backhand Whip, and Long Bow all at level 3 with each character. Once you're satisfied with your weapon skills, save at Neko's and go to the spring area of the forest. Then walk east to summer, north to fall, west to winter, and then south to spring again. If you completed the sequence correctly, the entrance to the Sprite's home should appear in the northeast corner of this area. However, happiness turns to horror when you find the town destroyed. You then hear the call of a bird. Head north a screen to find Spring Beak, the monster responsible for wrecking the village. For the Sprite, it's payback time. Use a few Earth Slide spells on Spring Beak and he's toast. If you don't have the MP, the Long Bow will also kick Spring Beak's tail. You'll pick up a Boomerang's Orb when you win.

Before Great Viper: Boomerang to Lv. 3, Javelin to Lv. 3, all magic to Lv. 3, buy Steel Cap for Hero, Fancy Overalls & Wolf's Bands for all

Head north and you'll find the Wind Palace, which houses the third Mana Seed. Talk to the old man standing by the altar. He turns out to be the Sprite's grandfather! He can't see because a bright flash burned his eyes. Men from the Empire were already here and undid the seal, but you'll soon fix that. Grandpa and the Sprite are more concerned about the other sprites, who are nowhere to be found. They can only hope that the others got away in time. Grandpa explains that sprites are a part of Mana, and if enough seals are broken, all sprites could cease to exist. He would help you stop the Empire, but he can't see, so he calls on Sylphid, the wind elemental to help you. You now have his powers, which means it's time to work on your magic skills once you're out of here. Grandpa thinks your next destination should be Matango, which is located to the west. It is said that a white dragon lives there, which is something worth investigating. After letting him refill your HP and MP, save your game and seal the Wind Seed.

7. A Dragon In Diapers

Before going to Matango, go back to the Moogle Village and have Watts forge the Chakram into the Lode Boomerang. Be sure to work on this. To reach Matango, head southwest from the spring area. Here you'll find a crystal orb like the one in the Underground Palace. If you cast Air Blast - one of the Sprite's Sylphid spells - the orb will vanish and you can continue. Which reminds me, you'll need to work up your Sylphid magic, as well as the rest. At this point your magic can be at level 3 tops. Once you're past the orb you should be able to find you way through the rest of the forest fairly easily. You may pass a Cannon Travel Center along the way. Remember where it is, as you'll want to come here later. Eventually you'll come to a cave. Go inside and use the axe to proceed through to the other side. You should now be in Matango, a village populated by mushroom people. Head for the local shop right away. It is located in the north section of the village, next to Fung Castle, home of King Truffle. Stock up on items like Faerie Walnuts (which only cost 500 GP here) and Chocolate. You should also buy a Steel Cap for the Hero, and Fancy Overalls and Wolf's Bands for all three characters. Don't forget to sell your old armor. Enter the castle and head for the throne room. Speak with King Truffle and you'll hear a legend of a hero who will wield the Mana Sword and rides a white dragon. He somehow knew you were that hero. And it just so happens that someone saw a white dragon yesterday, and it was fighting with a giant snake! The reason for all the excitement is because white dragons were thought to be extinct until now. You must find this dragon right away. After you do, King Truffle will tell you where to find the next Mana Palace. He also has a gift for you. Go up the stairs on the right to find a Javelin's Orb. You probably already noticed Watts in the main room of the castle. Have him reforge the Javelin right away and start working it up. When you're satisfied with your weapon and magic levels, go to the main room of Fung Castle. Go through the door the door leading southeast and follow this path to a cave. Fight past the enemies here and enter another cave. Head up the stairs and enter the next room. Work your way around this area until you come to some stairs. Ascend and use your Backhand Whip to get across to the other platform. Then get back on the floor and walk down the stairs on the left. You should be in a room with a Kimono Bird and a chasm you can get across with the whip. Cross it and go down the steps. In this room, go up the stairs to the northwest. Destroy the Nemesis Owls here and descend the steps on the left. At the end of this room are some stairs leading up and some spikes too big to cut down with your axe. Go up the stairs and you'll find a crystal orb. Cast Earth Slide on it while avoiding the Pebblers, and the spikes in the other room will crumble. Now head through the cleared path and you should be able to figure it out from here. If not, I pity you. You will end up in a wooded area. In here is the giant snake that was seen battling a white dragon. This Great Viper is no wimp against you, either. It can cast Gem Missile spells and can even pygmize you. Good thing you brought your Midge Mallet! Have the Hero use the Herald Sword while the Sprite casts Air Blast spells. With these two attacks you should be able to beat Great Viper fairly quickly. At the battle's end you get a Sword's Orb for your troubles.

Before Mech Rider: Sword to Lv. 4, Spear to v. 4, buy Raccoon Caps & Golden Vests & Silver Bands for all

Enter the new path leading north and you'll be in a part of the cave with no enemies. Follow this path and you'll eventually find a room with a white dragon inside! However, it's just a baby. Its parents wust have been killed by the Great Viper, leaving it an orphan. To leave it here would mean to let it die, so they get King Truffle to help them bring it back to the castle. With the dragon safe in Fung Castle, King Truffle agrees to take care of it, since you're too busy with finding the Mana Seeds. He names the dragon Flammie.

8. The Fire is Gone

King Truffle tells you to head for the Cannon Travel Center just south of the cave that leads to Matango. From there you can get to the Desert of Kakkara, where you can find the Fire Palace. For now, talk to Watts and have him reforge your sword to get the Claymore. Head for the Cannon Travel Center, but when asked where you want to go, don't say Kakkara. Instead, take a quick side trip to the Ice Country. You will land in a village populated by walruses. Head for the shop right away. Buy Raccoon Caps, Golden Vests, and Silver Bands for all of your party members. Now head west into the frozen woods. The enemies here may be too hard for you at this point, so be careful and watch your HP. Eventually you will come to a house. Go inside and you will find a treasure with a Spear's Orb inside. There are two things you can do now. You should definitely work up your new sword and spear, but where? I recommend going back to Matango where the enemies are easier, but you can stay here in the Ice Country if you like. If you stay, I guess you'll want to know where to find Watts. He's in a house in Todo Village. In fact, you can stay here and complete your objectives for the Ice Country if you like, but I usually go to Kakkara first. As for those of you who are going my way, continue south from the house and you'll find a Cannon Travel Center to the east. Use it to get back to Matango. You'll land in front of Fung Castle, where you can reforge the Sprite's Spear into the Partisan. Now go out into the forest and practice until all your party members have both the sword and the spear at a skill level of 4. When this is done, head for the nearby Cannon Travel Center and book passage to Kakkara. When you land, you're out in the middle of the desert, with no clue of where to go. That's why I'm here! If you've ever played the original Legend of Zelda, you probably know about the Lost Woods and Lost Hills. These are areas you cannot proceed through unless you move in a certain pattern. The Desert of Kakkara is like that. To get through it, go up a screen, right one, up one, and left one. Just when the team is about to give up, the Girl sees something. Head one screen to the north and you'll find a ship. It turns out to be a Republican sand ship (the Republic is made up of the towns of Tasnica and Pandora). However, when the guards see you they mistake you for Imperial spies. Suddenly the ship's commander shows up. He believes your story, sort of. He decides to make you workers on his ship. He puts the Hero in the engine room, gets the Sprite cooking meals, and takes the Girl to his room (I wonder what he's got in mind? *snicker*). For now you play as just the Hero, trying to find a way off this ship. First you have to get out of the engine room, but the exit is very well guarded. It would seem that you aren't the only guy working in here. Talk to some of the other workers and you'll meet a former pirate named Sergo. Talk to him twice and he'll agree to help you escape and find your friends. Talk to the guards at the exit and Sergo will yell "Fire! Fire!". With the guards distracted, the Hero can escape to search for his captured comerades. On the ship's deck, head left and then down until you find some stairs going up. Climb them. Make your way to the right side of this area, where you'll find steps that go below decks. Down here you'll find the Sprite. Unfortunately for the ship's crew, Commander Morie made the foolish mistake of putting him in the galley. Now the Sprite has completely devoured all the ship's food! Talk to the Sprite to get him to rejoin you, then head topside. Head to the stern (back side) of the ship and you'll see a small door. Inside are steps and some soldiers guarding a door. Upstairs is a soldier who will save your progress. Do this first. Next talk to the soldiers. The room they are guarding is Morie's room, where the Girl is being held. How are you supposed to get in. Well, if you already got the Sprite back, he will exclaim that rats have eaten all the food. The guards then run off to the galley. The Hero is not very amused by this prank, and in some ways probably believes the Sprite told the truth. Inside, Morie is trying to get the Girl to give him a massage, which she doesn't like one bit. Just as a fight is about to start, Meria the admiral steps into the room and breaks it up. He is about to let the three of you go when Morie explains that you're escaped spies. Just as some soldiers are about to grab you, the Empire attacks. Apparently Morie is actually a complete wimp, and he and his soldiers surrender before the Imperials even show up! You should now be back on the deck. Geshtar is here with his men, and decides to have a little fun with you. You must now fight Geshtar himself on the ground below the ship. He rides around on a hovering motorcycle or something called a Mech Rider. This thing is fast! It can shoot missiles at you and also charge and knock you over. You can probably beat him with just regular attacks and charge-ups, but even a Thunderbolt spell wouldn't hurt. When you win, Geshtar manages to jump off his Mech Rider and avoid being destroyed, but you still get a Whip's Orb.

Before Boreal Face: Whip to Lv. 4

Sadly, the Empire wrecks the sand ship, leaving you, the crew, and the prisoners all stranded in the desert. Talk to Morie and Meria. When they learn you're friends of Jema, they apologize for what they did. Talk to the soldiers in the area and one will say a rescue team is coming. Tell him you're leaving and he'll tell you how to reach the Fire Palace. When the soldiers are gone, head north to reach the desert kingdom of Kakkara. The town's water supply has dried, and everyone is dying of thirst. In the center of town, a merchant and an elderly man and standing by an empty pond. In truth, the merchant isn't really a merchant. He's King Amar, ruler of Kakkara. He and the other man will tell you a tale of how nothing is going right for them. First the water ran dry, then the Fire Seed was stolen from the palace, and now Salamando the fire elemental is missing! The shops here have the same stuff as Todo Village, so don't bother buying anything. Watts is also here, and will reforge your whip with the orb you got from Geshtar. Talk to the villagers. Since the wells have dried up, one woman is thinking of moving to the Ice Country. She claims there's a town there that's just as warm is Kakkara! A town with sizzling temperatures in the Ice Country? Could Salamando and the Fire Seed be involved? Only one way to find out. Head for the Cannon Travel Center east of town and have the man there send you to the Ice Country. Back at Todo Village, head out into the woods and work on your new Chain Whip. Once you have it at level 4, make your way to the house where you got the Spear's Orb. There is a red-nosed reindeer here named Rudolph (ring any bells?). He claims his master is missing (gee, wonder who that is), and has been captured by a monster who lives in the Ice Palace (which is not a Mana Palace, by the way). Continue south, then head west when you reach the Cannon Travel Center. In the next screen, head left and then go up a screen. Here you'll find Boreal Face, a monster similar to Tropicallo. And like Tropicallo, he burrows under the ground and comes up in various places. Whatever you do, don't walk into him; he is covered in spines which hurt you if you touch them. Use simple weapon attacks to beat him. As far as magic goes, Energy Absorb is supposed to work well on him, so use it if the Sprite's HP gets low. Also, that old technique of hitting him with the Hero and then switching to another character for another hit still works. The orb he drops is a Bow's Orb.

Before Tonpoles: Gloves to Lv. 4, Axe to Lv. 4, Bow/Arrow to Lv. 4, Salamando magic to Lv. 3

You suddenly find yourself in the "warm town". If you talk to people here, you'll find that this is a resort town, and to live here costs big bucks. And look who's running the place - the Scorpion Army! Talk to the man standing next to a stove in front of you. He asks you to watch the stove, and just whack it if it cools down. I guess he didn't recognize you. Walk up to the stove and press B after he leaves. You'll hear noises coming from inside. Open it when you can, and out pops Salamando! The Scorpion Army was using him to heat this place. As a reward for letting him out, you get fire spells. The instant he leaves, the whole town totally freezes over, and everyone clears out. Well, you've found Salamando, but where is the Fire Seed? Now the Scorpion Army leader and her henchmen show up. When you ask them about the seed, one of the henchmen says he saw an old guy at the Fire Palace when they grabbed Salamando. After the leader yells at him, the three baddies run off. Continue north one screen. Be sure to work on your Salamando magic while you're out here. At the north end of this area you'll enter a small hole where you'll find Neko. He doesn't have anything new in the way of items, but he will save your game. Now if you're like me and are getting all the weapons you can before the next boss, you've got some real work ahead of you. First, head for the Ice Palace, which is somewhere to the east of where Neko is. Inside it, hit the switch on the right to reach the stairs, and ascend. Take the door on the right when you have a choice of direction and you should eventually be able to find a Glove's Orb. Now get out of the palace and return to the Cannon Travel Center. Send yourself back to Kakkara, and have Watts reforge any weapons you found orbs for. Next, head out into the desert and go south a screen, west a screen, and up a screen. You should now be at the Fire Palace. Go up the stairs on the right to get inside (watch out for Spider Legs). The enemies here are hard, but you need to work on your weapons and Salamando magic. One enemy to be on the lookout for is Robin Foot. They are probably the hardest enemies here, but they sometimes drop helmets called Quilted Hoods, which are better than anything you can buy at this point. Anyway, enter the door on the left, and you'll eventually find a crystal orb in the basement. Cast the Sprite's Exploder on it to continue. Go up the steps and, in the next room, enter the door to the lower left. In here you'll find a treasure chest with 1000 GP inside. Go back to the previous room and enter the center stairway. Cast Fireball on the orb here, and cross the new bridge to the south. Turn right at the bottom and head north across the bridge here to get another 1000 GP. Just to the right of the bridge are some stairs. Climb them, go as far left as possible, and go down these stairs. In this room you'll find an Axe's Orb. Now use the Magic Rope to get out and return to Kakkara. Have Watts reforge the Stout Axe and then shoot back to Todo Village. Once again, it's time to work up all your new weapons and magic. When this is done, return to the Ice Palace. Proceed through it as you did when you came to get the Glove's Orb, but where you went right originally, go left. In the room opposite the Glove's Orb room is a room with two switches. Step on the right one to make a door appear. Go up the stairs in the next room and you'll be in a library. Get through this room and you'll enter another section of the library where the door closes behind you. Step on the switches at the north end of this room and you'll fall into hole. There are three Tonpoles down here. Remember the Tonpole that turned into a Biting Lizard? These do the exact same. However, with your levels this high and your new armor, you should be able to beat them without even taking any damage.

Before Frost Gigas: Nothing

Since the Biting Lizards didn't leave any weapon orbs behind, you can continue on with the Ice Palace without leaving to reforge and work up. Continue northward and use the whip to cross the gaps in the next screen. Walk around this room and you'll reach a tile that takes you to a different area. From there head up and you'll hear a voice order you to leave. Refuse and you must do battle with the Frost Gigas. This guy is very similar to the Fire Gigas you fought in the Underground Palace, only he uses water attacks instead of fire. For some reason he even casts Ice Saber on your weapons. Just use Fireball spells and he's history. From this boss you'll obtain a Boomerang's Orb.

Before Minotaur: Boomerang to Lv. 4

Once you defeat Frost Gigas, guess who you find? It's none other than Santa Claus himself! Good old St. Nick explains what happened. Since lots of kids don't believe in him anymore, he stole a Mana Seed to grow a giant Christams Tree. But the power of the seed turned him into Frost Gigas. He is sorry and gives the Fire Seed to you. Now that you have found the Fire Seed, return to Kakkara via the Cannon Travel Center near Santa's house. Make sure Watts reforges your boomerang before continuing with the game. Next, head for the Fire Palace, and make your way through it in the same way as when you went to get the Axe's Orb, working up your boomerang while you're at it. Stop in the large room right before the one where the Axe's Orb was. This time, take the stairs that are just south of the ones that led to the orb. Walk around the pit in this room, and continue along this path until you reach another room. Step on the switch on the left to open the path to the east stairs. In there you'll find a gap you can use the whip to get across. Once you're across, go up two flights of steps and you'll find a room full of unlit torches. Step on a switch and they light up. There is also a crystal orb here, which turns off all the lights but two once you cast Freeze on it. Stand between these two torches and a new stairway will appear. Ascend to do battle with the Minotaur, your next opponent. This guy has both strong magic and attacks, and he isn't slow, either. Weapons are good, but Thunderbolt spells are better. He may have 1200 HP, but a few of those should cut him down to size. He will give up a Javelin's Orb when beaten.

Before Doom's Wall: Sword to Lv. 5, Spear to Lv. 5, Bow/Arrow to Lv. 5, Javelin to Lv. 4, all magic to Lv. 4, buy Tiger Suits for Hero and Sprite, Tiger Bikini for Girl, Tiger Caps & Frosty Rings for all

Head north to seal the seed, then Magic Rope yourself out of here. Go back to Kakkara so Watts can reforge your Light Trident. You will get the Lode Javelin instead. This needs to be worked up, as well as your magic; now that the Fire Seed is back in its place, your magic can reach level 4 if you work on it. You might notice that the water still hasn't returned. The man standing next to King Amar says that only a Sea Hare's Tail can bring it back. Remember this. Talk to the woman who wanted to move to the Ice Country. Now she wants to move to the Empire, since Cannon Travel now offers passage there. In that case, head for the Cannon Travel Center and choose destination number three!

9. Resisting the Empire

You land in the Imperial village of Southtown (the Empire is made up of Northtown, Southtown, and the Gold City). If you talk to the locals, you'll hear about a strange old lady named Mara. She lives in a house at the northwest corner of town. When you talk to her, she knows who you are. She heard about you from Jema, since she's actually a Tasnican spy. Her husband was too, but he got captured. You need to get to Northtown, the Imperial capital. She'll tell you how: go to a man guarding a gate on the east side of town and give him the secret number "634". Head stright for the guy and don't bother shopping. You can get better armor in Northtown. When you proceed through the gate behind the man, you'll be in a sewer populated by lots of monsters. Some of them are tough, but this is a good place to increase your magic and weapon skills. This area is easy to navigate, since there's never more than one path. When you emerge, you'll be at the headquaters of the "Resistance", a secret group that opposes the Empire and their plans to raise the Mana Fortress. Their leader, Krissie, recognizes you as the Jema's friends and allows you to enter. The Hero seems to take a liking to Krissie, and the Girl is a little annoyed by this. When the Sprite asks if she's jealous, she replies that she's Dyluck's girl. Krissie is surprised when the Girl mentions that name, and says that someone named Dyluck has been draining people's energy, just like in Pandora. The Girl knows that Dyluck would never do such a thing by his own will, and must be under someone else's control. It is believed he is hiding at the ruins east of town, so our group of heroes picks that as their next destination. Proceed through the headquarters and exit onto the streets of Northtown. Immediately head due east to find the local shop. Buy three Tiger Caps, three Frosty Rings, two Tiger Suits, and a Tiger Bikini. Equip all this new stuff and sell your old armor. Before heading for the ruins, you might also want to save and talk to the townspeople. One girl will tell you that she's going to meet Phanna at the ruins! Phanna and Dyluck are both at the ruins? That must mean Thanatos isn't far behind. When you're ready, head for the northeast corner of town and you'll arrive at the ruins. At the entrance to the building you'll find Phanna, you also doesn't seem to be herself. She tries to intimidate the Girl by saying that she and Dyluck are in love. The Girl flips out and smacks her silly. Luckily, Krissie shows up and takes Phanna to a doctor. Head inside when they're gone. The enemies here are tough and the place is like one big maze, but I'll guide you through it. In the first room, climb the stairs at the left side of the room and enter the door there. Follow this path until you reach a balcony with a treasure on it. Open it to claim a Spear's Orb. Return to the main room and you'll find a similar door to the right. Upon reaching the end of this path you'll obtain a Bow's Orb. Now go back to the main room and go through the center door. From here it's all one way until you reach a long room with columns. Pass the first door here and enter the one on the far left. Eventually you'll reach a large room with a red floor. Here, head south without going down any steps and you'll reach a door. Continue until you reach a room with a switch that says "you hear a distant noise" when you step on it. Return to the large room and head northwest. You should now be able to enter a room with a Sword's Orb inside. For the moment, leave the ruins and have Watts reforge your weapons with the orbs you just found. You'll find him in the basement of the inn. Gain experience with these, then return to the "large room". This time, walk down the stairs and you'll see a switch. Step on it and proceed through the door that appears. Eventually you'll come across a room full of spikes. Step on the switch here to access the door on the north wall. After a short trek through here you'll reach a boss called Doom's Wall. He looks like Wall Face but he's green. Casting Analyzer will tell you he fears Lumina, an elemental you haven't met yet. However, Wall Face easily succumbed to the power of Earth Slide, and it isn't half-bad on this guy, either. He does have some strong spells, but unlike Wall Face, it is safe to destroy Doom's Wall's outer eyes. However, he will start using some new spells when they are gone, which are even stronger. Still, you shouldn't have too much trouble defeating him with mostly regular sword stabs. When you do, you'll get a Whip's Orb.

Before Vampire: Whip to Lv. 5

Before you continue in your search for Dyluck, leave so Watts can reforge your whip into the Flail of Hope. Be sure to have each of your party members learn the new technique. Once you've done this, return to where you fought Doom's Wall and continue onward. In the next room, people are again wandering around like zombies wearing masks. In the center of the room is Dyluck. He is happy to see the Girl, but not for the same reason she is. He drains her of her energy and she disappears. He says Thanatos needed her. The Hero is outraged and takes a swing at him. Suddenly Dyluck is able to break free of Thanatos' control. He tells you what to do. Walk back down the stairs and around behind him to find a door. Inside you'll find Thanatos. The Girl is here as well, but she is unconscious. Thanatos is about to completely drain all of her life force when Dyluck intervenes and restores her. In his rage, Thanatos sends his Vampire after you. Like Doom's Wall, it is Lumina he fears. Try using Thunderbolt on him instead. His attacks and spells are all very strong, and he can also poison you or knock you out. However, well-charged attacks and the Thunderbolt should be enough to beat him and claim his Boomerang's Orb, as long as you keep your HP high.

Before Metal Mantis: Boomerang to Lv. 5

By the time the Vampire is through, Thanatos and Dyluck are gone, but the expedition was not a total loss; the people no longer have to fear Dyluck, and we have managed to rescue Phanna, who is still recovering from what the Girl did to her! However, what Thanatos did to her is also causing this. Have Watts reforge the boomerang, work it up, and return to the Resistance, where Krissie has exciting news. It seems the Emperor wants to negotiate a truce in hope of achieving peace. She and a few members of her group go on ahead. If you're already finished with the Red Cleaver, you should head north to the Emperor's castle. Inside, the soldiers will direct you to the banquet hall, where the Emperor is waiting. But when you get there, Krissie and the others are nowhere in sight. When you talk to the Emperor, he exclaims that this is "a day to remember," because he has lured both the Mana Knight and the Resistance into his trap. Next thing you know, you're in a jail cell with Krissie and her friends. Talk to the soldier in front of the gate and he'll let the three of you out, but pushes you into a hole, where the Metal Mantis is waiting. This boss is like the Mantis Ant, but stronger. Still, the sword is all you really need to beat him. If you have trouble, use a few Thunderbolt or Air Blast spells, but try to conserve your MP. You'll recieve a Glove's Orb after your victory.

Before 2nd Mech Rider: Nothing

The sentence above is slightly incorrect. There are some weapon orbs you should pick up before the next boss, but you have no way a reforging them yet. Anyway, step on the tile which appears when you beat the Metal Mantis. Use the High Steppers to cross the gap, and pick up a treasure full of money before you leave this room. Avoid the enemies in the next room and go upstairs. You should now be right outside Krissie's cell. Step on the switch next to it to release your friends, then continue westward. After passing through a few rooms you'll be on the roof of the castle. Fight past the Armored Men and go down the stairs to the ground. Walk past the main entrance to the castle and go up the stairs here. Enter the door here and step on the switch. From there you will be able to reach a Whip's Orb and an Axe's Orb. Now go back through the castle's main entrance. Watching out for Dark Ninjas, ascend via the left staircase. Continue until you're back on the castle roof. Go through the double doors here and hit the switch at the north end of this room to make another door appear. Enter it and make your way through this room. In the next one, head east and then north. Try to walk west from there and you'll be transported to a different part of the room. Walk west, north, and then east until you can go no further. Just before the tile that bounces you back is a switch on the wall. Hit it and you can easily walk over the tile to the door. In here you'll find the Emperor and most of his lieutenants. Only Thanatos is absent. The Emperor is surprised you made it this far. Geshtar pleads for a chance to avenge his previous defeats, so the Emperor leaves you to deal with Geshtar while he takes Sheex and Fanha with him to begin unlocking the seals on the Mana Seeds. Now, on the highest part of the castle roof, you must do battle with Geshtar and his new and improved Mech Rider. His attacks are strong if you give him time to use them, but a few well-charged sword slashes should be all it takes to beat him. You get a Javelin's Orb after this battle.

Before Lime Slime: Gloves to Lv. 6, Axe to Lv. 5, Spear to Lv. 6, Whip to Lv. 6, Javelin to Lv. 5, buy Dragon Helm for Hero, Duck Helms for Girl and Sprite, Battle Suits & Lazuri Rings for all, get Flammie Drum & Moogle Belt

Again Geshtar manages to jump off his Mech Rider as it explodes. After being defeated by you three times, Geshtar goes insane and tries to destroy the entire castle and take you with it. Suddenly you hear King Truffle's voice! He appears to your right. When you talk to him, he exclaims that he flew here on Flammie, who has been growing like a weed! The young dragon seems to think that you are his parents, and wanted to help! Truffle gives you the Flammie Drum, which is his favorite toy. Flammie now picks you all up and takes to the sky.

10. Where In the World is Sage Joch?!

First fly southwest to Matango and hold B to descend and land. You can now use the Flammie Drum to summon Flammie anytime you're outside. He tells you to head for the Lofty Mountains, which are to the southwest. If you remember, this is where Luka said you would find the elusive Sage Joch. First, however, fly west and you'll find a small island. Land and enter the largest building here. The man there has nothing but Sea Hare tails. He'll give you one, after which you should fly to Kakkara and speak to King Amar. He will use it to at last restore the town's water supply. He is so grateful that he gives you the Moogle Belt, an item which can cure your characters if they become "moogled." Be sure to have Watts reforge any weapons you need him to while you're here. Get back on Flammie and fly due east. You should come to a small island on which is the Gold City. Land and head straight for the shop. The armor here is expensive, but worth it. Get a Dragon Helm, two Duck Helms, three Battle Suits, and three Lazuri Rings. Upon leaving the shop, head east a little and climb the stairs. Follow this path around the city until you come to a man who tells you that the Light Palace is here in Gold City, but it's locked up. The key was stolen by a Tasnican spy who they eventually caught in Southtown, but the key itself was never found. This sounds like a familiar story. Fly to Southtown and talk to Mara. As you may have guessed, her husband was the thief, and she gives the key to you. Fly back to the Gold City and head north to enter the Light Palace, or "Golden Tower." The object right now is not to find the seed, but to pick up the weapon orb by the entrance so Watts can reforge your spear (actually, you could beat it now, but there's some other things you should do first). Once you've done that, it's time to fly to the Lofty Mountains. In the mountains you'll find two places that are safe to land at. One is a town called Mandala. A lot of the people here speak of Sage Joch. Leave town and follow the mountain path until you find a cave. This is not Sage Joch's home, but if you were to go to him now, you'd be told to come back here anyway. This is the Palace of Darkness. Fight past the Fierce Head inside and continue into the palace. In the next room is a gate, as well as two other doors. There are also Dark Knights here. These guys almost always drop armor in their treasures. On extremely rare occassions they'll drop Gauntlets, the strongest type of wrist armor you can buy! Take the eastern path until you come to an area that is more of a cave than a palace. Turn right and head south here. Eventually you'll end up on a ledge overlooking the first room. Hit the switch to your left to open the gate, then use the Magic Rope to return to the entrance and go through the door where the gate was. Inside you'll find yet another Glove's Orb. Leave and have Watts reforge this. Now is the time to gain levels with all those new weapons. When that's done, return to the part of the palace that looks like a cave, and go east and south again. This time, turn left after the first door and head north. Hit the switch in here and now continue south to where you hit the gate switch. Turn right, go down the stairs, and walk through the north doorway. Walk west until you reach a door leading south. On the way you may see a treasure. It contains 1000 GP. Take the door at the top of the stairs and head north until you reach some posts you can cross with the whip. Do so, and hit the switch there. You will see a new door (well, hole) appear. Retrace your steps and you should be able to reach it easily. Go through the room inside. In the next one, step on the switches to reveal invisible bridges. These will lead you to your next boss: Lime Slime. Someone named Shade is using Lime Slime as a test of strength for you. At first, he is very large and most of your physical attacks won't reach his core, which is the point where you can damage him. Use strong Salamando spells to start off. The more damage he takes, the more he shrinks. Eventually he will be small enough to hit with weapons. The Flame Saber spell gives an added punch to your attacks at this point. Once he gets really small, use the Hyper-Fist to finish him off, for it is very effective against him. Lime Slime's attacks may be somewhat strong, but you should have no trouble beating him, which will reward you with a Javelin's Orb.

Before Blue Spike: Javelin to Lv. 6, all magic to Lv. 5

Shade turns out to be the elemental of Darkness. He is so impressed with your performance against Lime Slime, he gives his powers to the Sprite (the Girl has no Shade spells). Be sure to seal the seed before you leave. Have Watts reforge the Javelin, and be sure to get it to level 6 before continuing, as well as raise your magical abilities to level 5. If you were to climb the mountain and this point and reach Sage Joch's home, his disciple Jehk will tell you he is in the Gold City right now. Since that's where he is, fly there and check out the Light Palace. After a short trek and a few minor enemies you'll find Blue Spike, a nasty boss. He is similar to Spiky Tiger in many ways, but he has a wide variety of attacks. You'll make good use of the Moogle Belt here. Weapons should be all you need to beat him, but throw in a few Gem Missile or Earth Slide spells if things start to get hairy. Be careful, though. Blue Spike has a trick where he appears to be defeated but really isn't, so stay on your guard, even when he starts to blow up. You'll be able to claim a Boomerang's Orb once he's beaten.

Before Gorgon Bull: Axe to Lv. 6, Boomerang to Lv. 6

Climb the stairs that appear to get an Axe's Orb. Do not continue through the next door yet, because there is another boss in this tower. Leave and have Watts reforge both of your new weapons, work them up, and return to this room. Continue up the tower until you reach the second boss, the Gorgon Bull. This guy is even tougher than Blue Spike. He's like a puffed up version of the Minotaur. His spells and attacks are very strong. Weapons are okay, but Thunderbolt spells are what really do this guy in. Just a few Sylphid spells should be all it takes to beat him and get a Bow's Orb.

Before Dark Stalker: Bow/Arrow to Lv. 6, all magic to Lv. 7

Ascend the stairs which appear upon the Gorgon Bull's demise and you'll be at the Mana Seed altar. The elemental Lumina (remember this from Doom's Wall?) explains that the king of Gold City was using her Mana power to make the gold, but now she gives her powers to the Girl. Seal the seed, increasing your Mana power to level 6. However, Sage Joch is still nowhere to be found. Jehk will tell you he left for the Moon Palace, which is out in the desert. Reforge the bow to get the Elfin Bow, then fly and have Flammie drop you off as close to the large black area in the desert as possible. This "black area" is just a whole lot of empty space surrounding the moon palace. Head north one screen from where you land. An animal character named Karon will ferry you across. Head north to reach the palace entrance. The Marmablues here will try to suck up your MP, so be careful. In the next area, which looks like you're in outer space, walk west a little and then northwest to find a crystal orb. Cast Lucent Beam on it and you'll be transported deeper into the palace. Here you will find Luna, the moon elemental, who gives her powers to both of your magic users. Leave and have Karon ferry you back to the desert, where you can call Flammie. You now have a lot of working up to do, especially with your magic. When that's done, Jehk now tells you that Sage Joch has gone to Tasnica (are you becoming annoyed yet?), which is south of the island where you found the Sea Hare's tail. When you land and go inside, you'll bump into an old friend. It's Jema, who says there's an Imperial spy somewhere in the castle, and is after the king! Head east and through the door. Walk through the door in the next room and go up the stairs to enter the throne room. As you approach the king, he accuses you of being the spies and orders his guards to take you away. But suddenly they realize that this isn't the king - it's the spy in disguise! He makes the guards vanish and fights with you while the real king lies unconscious upon the throne. This Dark Stalker may look tough, but a Lucent Beam should be all it takes to beat him. Talk to the king and he'll wake up.

Before Shadows: Sword to Lv. 6

Talk to the awakened king and he'll be grateful and give you a Sword's Orb. Jema worries that the Empire must be close to raising the Mana Fortress if they're being this aggressive. He urges you to visit Sage Joch, even though that's what you've been trying to do ever since you got Flammie! Talk to the soldiers when Jema leaves and you'll learn about Serin, a hero who was best friends with Jema. However, Serin fell in battle. After that, Jema never fought again. Head down the stairs outside the throne room and through the door on the south wall. Walk behind the counter in the southeast corner of this area, then walk south. You should go right through the wall. Then walk as far to the right as you can, walk up, and then left. You should now be at the castle shop. The armor here is no big deal if you've already been to Gold City, but you should buy lots of Royal Jam here. Leave Tasnica now, reforge your Excalibur into the Masamune, practice with it, and head for Sage Joch's. At last the Sage appears. When you try to talk to the old man, you cannot understand him. Jehk translates for you. Your "test of courage" is to conquer the enemy in the path he opens when you agree to take the test. Navigating the path to the test is a snap, but the enemies which populate it are not (if you happen across a Needlion, kill it with an Air Blast spell as soon as possible, or you'll be history). If you manage to reach the end, you must battle a trio of enemies who look like evil twins of your party members! They are stronger than you and have more HP and more advanced techniques, but luckily they have no magic. The names of the evil twins are as follows: Hero's twin = Shadow X1, Girl's twin = Shadow X2, Sprite's Twin = Shadow X3. They are a tricky lot. They like to back off to throw you off guard and then all attack at once. Shadow X3 is usually the easiest to beat, but eventually they will all succumb to simple weapon attacks.

Before Aegagropilon: Nothing

When you leave the testing area, you'll be back with Jehk. Joch has disappeared again. Jehk congradulates you on your victory, and reveals that he was really Joch the whole time. The reason he didn't test you sooner is because you weren't ready. He wanted you to learn some patience (and probably get some new spells, too). He warns you that the Emperor is trying to raise the Sunken Continent by breaking the seals on the Mana Seeds. If he does this, he will be able to reach the Mana Fortress.

11. Lying Below

Leave and fly east-southeast to reach the Sunken Continent. Try to land directly on the palace at its center. You should end up right by the entrance to the Tree Palace, the eighth and final Mana Palace. If you can seal the seed here, you can finally stop the Emperor from reaching his goal. Too bad he's already here waiting for you, along with Sheex and Fanha. Once he breaks this last seal, the Sunken Continent will rise. Sheex stays behind to deal with you while the Emperor and Fanha head for the altar. Sheex claims he "owes you one" after what happened in Tasnica. Suddenly the Hero realizes that Sheex was the Dark Stalker! Now he transforms into his meanest and greenest form, Aegagropilon. He says the Emperor signed a contract with the "underworld" so that he could conquer this world. Aegagropilon is one tough cookie. His spells and attacks are both nasty. I hope your magic is at a high level. Use Dispel Magic when he casts Wall spells, then hit him with Thunderbolt and Earth Slide spells. Plain ol' sword slashes also work well, but be careful not to let him land on you when he jumps into the air. Once you manage to defeat Sheex, you'll get a Spear's Orb.

Before Hydra: Spear to Lv. 7, Boomerang to Lv. 7, Dryad magic to Lv. 7

Now that Sheex is permanently out of the picture, take the east path to reach the altar. However, the seal is already undone and the continent begins to rise. Suddenly Dryad, the tree elemental appears. She warns you to leave before the continent rises. She, on the other hand, wants to go down with the ship. Luckily, our heroes are able to convince her to join them, even though her strongest spell was sealed off by Thanatos. Nonetheless, you gain her powers. However, you can only watch helplessly from Flammie's back as the Sunken Continent rises. At this point, you will notice that the music that plays while you're riding Flammie has changed, and you may just want to sit back and listen for a moment. Before you continue, get Dryad's spells to level 7 and reforge the Oceanid Spear. Then fly back to the Sunken Continent. Jema is here, and tells you to track down the Emperor while he and his troops hold off some of the monsters. Walk down the flights of stairs to the left and make your way to some that lead underground. Use your axe to reach the High Stepper, then dash through the waterfall to get a Boomerang's Orb. Reforge this and work up. Back in the Underground City, continue into the room above the High Stepper. Chop through this area with your axe and head north. Ignore the switch as you walk past. Walk left into the waterfall, hitting the switch on the left wall as you fall. Do the same for the next one, but hit the switch on the right this time. When you enter the door in the upper left corner of this room, you'll come face-to-face with a Hydra, who is like a Stronger version of Geshtar's Jabberwocky that can regrow its heads. However, a combination of Salamando spells and physical attacks should be enough to beat him easily and get a Whip's Orb.

Before Kettle Kin: Whip to Lv. 7

When the Hydra is history, you'll find the Emperor and Fanha. Fanha is definitely out for blood, but she and the Emperor run off to find the Mana Fortress before you have a chance to do anything. Continue northward (you may want to leave and work on your new whip first, though). In the next room, head down the stairs on the right. Eventually you'll reach two sets of escalators or conveyor belts. Walk down the one on the left, trying to walk through the left wall at the same time. You should find a secret room with a switch in it. Stop on it and continue down the escalator. Go into the first door you come to and you'll find Watts, who can reforge your whip if you haven't done it already. Krissie is also here, and will replenish your HP if you need it. There is also a soldier who gives you a code: Red-Blue-Yellow-Green. Leave this room and head east. In the next room head west and south. Go up the escalator in the room after this, then head northeast. Eventually you'll reach a switch. Hit it and you can proceed through a formerly blocked passage heading north. At the end of this path is a room with four tiles. Stand in the center of the tiles to open the way forward. Following this path will lead you to four lights on the wall, each with a different color. Hit them in the order the soldier told you to open the door here. There also enemies here identical to the Dark Stalker from Tasnica. Luckily, they're just as easy to beat. Hit the switch you come to and head west to reach a switch you already hit. Head south from there. This path will lead you to a subway car, which you can enter on the left. When you exit the car, head south until you reach a blocked doorway. Walk through the structure on the right to open it. From here you should easily be able to reach the end of this area, where you'll find the Scorpion Army. They've heard you're the Mana Knight, and attempt to steal your sword by sending their newest robot after you, named Kettle Kin. He can cast Lucid Barrier, but you should be able to defeat him with simple weapon attacks, after which you get a Bow's Orb.

Before Snap Dragon: Sword to Lv. 7, Bow/Arrow to Lv. 7

Seeing this, the Scorpion Army finally realizes they can never defeat you and runs off, never to be heard from again. You will now be back above ground. Head west and you'll some steps, to the west of which is the entrance to the Grand Palace. The enemies here are tougher than those you've seen before, and include Heck Hounds, Gremlins, National Scars, Turtlances, and Doom Swords. Head due north and through the arch. In this room, head through the door on the left to find a crystal orb. Note: All of the crystal orbs in the Grand Palace correspond to a particular elemental, and any spell of his/hers will work. This orb reacts to Gnome spells, so use Speed Down, the Gnome's least expensive spell. When that's done leave this room and enter the left door. This is Undine's room, so use Freeze or Energy Absorb on the crystal orb here. Return to the main room and go up the stairs to the next room. Use your Hammer Flail to cross this gap and enter the left door. As this is Sylphid's room, use Air Blast, Silence, or Balloon (Analyzer won't work). Head due south when you exit, and go up through the arch on the right. Here is Salamando's crystal orb. Use Fireball here, of course. Return to the room south of here and head up the stairs. Head through the southwest door. In the middle of this room is a treasure with a Sword's Orb inside. Reforge the Masamune before you continue. Enter the door to the left of the arch you headed south through and you'll be in Lumina's room. Lucent Beam is the key here. To the far right is Shade's room, where Dark Force is your best bet. Return to the room above and go up the east stairs. Continue until you're back in the same room. Hit the switch you see, and retrace your steps to reach this open path. In the next room, take the northwest stairs which lead to a path that goes around the outside of the room. This will lead to the next room. Hit the switch in the northwest corner to open a path southward that eventually leads to Luna's room. Use Magic Absorb on this orb. Go back to the room before and do the same thing you did to reach Luna's room, but do it on the right side of the room. When you step on the switch here, you'll find yourself battling the Snap Dragon, which looks like a green Biting Lizard. As you might expect, his attacks and Cure Water spells are far superior to those of Biting Lizards. Fireball spells are the key to winning this battle. If you use a few of them the Snap Dragon will be six feet under in no time. You'll receive a Javelin's Orb after you win.

Before Hexas: Javelin to Lv. 7

You should now be back at the entrance to the Tree Palace. Leave and reforge your Javelin before continuing. If you head left from where you fought the Snap Dragon, you'll be back where you met Dryad. As you approach the altar, you'll come face-to-face with the Emperor. However, something has happened to him and he cannot move or speak. He's practically dead on his feet! A new path has appeared behind the altar, and there you'll find Fanha. You now discover that she and Thanatos have allied against the Emperor. Thanatos also reveals his plans for Dyluck: he intends to take over his body! Thanatos runs off to find the Mana Fortress while you deal with Fanha, who has transformed into a four-armed snake creature called Hexas. Her magical spells are devastating (you'll make good use of the Midge Mallet in this battle). However, physical attacks with a few Earth Slide spells thrown in should be enough to defeat her easily. When you do, you'll get a Whip's Orb, and gain access to your first level 8 weapon, the Nimbus Chain.

Before 3rd Mech Rider: Whip to Lv. 8

When your whip is at level 8, continue north and you'll step on a switch which teleports you into the Mana Fortress. Geshtar is here on his Mech Rider, and has been turned into a living fighting machine by Thanatos. This new Mech Rider is stronger than ever, and can use the powerful Wall spell. Beating him with just weapons is doable, but takes a long time. Use Dispel Magic to break his defenses and use Acid Storm or Thunderbolt spells. He takes some time, but is easy to beat, at which point you'll get a Spear's Orb.

Before Dragon Worm: Spear to Lv. 8, buy Needle Helms & Vestguards & Gauntlets for all

At last Geshtar is destroyed, but Thanatos activates the Mana Fortress and the Sunken Continent and it returns to its aquatic resting place. The Hero and his friends manage to escape via Flammie, but the Mana Fortress also rises into the sky.

12. The Pure Land

Land on the Sunken Continent the same way as you did before you met Dryad. Jema is still here, and warns you that a legendary creature called the Mana Beast will soon appear to challenge the Mana Fortress. However, the beast's rage is uncontrollable and it will destroy the entire world! However, there is still hope. He says Sage Joch has mentioned that the Mana Tree itself is located in a place called the Pure Land. It is located inside an extinct volcano that is normally covered by thick clouds. However, the consumption of Mana by the fortress has weakened it. If you can find the Mana Tree, it could instantly reseal all the Mana Seeds. Although it's dangerous, it's your only chance. If you want to see something interesting, go inside the Tree Palace and you'll find Phanna at the back of the room, who finally makes up with the Girl. Anyway, walk around the outside of the palace and you'll see Neko. By all the armor he has, despite the incredibly high prices. You'll need this stuff in the Pure Land. The only exception is if you've found better things in treasures. These include Cockatrice Caps, Amulet Helms, Ninja Gloves, and Watcher Rings. Once you have your new spear, the Dragoon Lance, you're ready for the Pure Land. Fly north from Kakkara to find it. The enemies here are of extremely strong varieties, including Needlions, Griffin Hands, Mushglooms, Eggplant Men, Ice Thugs, and Ghosts. If you're the type that likes to find really good armor, fight lots of Griffin Hands and you'll eventually get a Griffin Helm, the Hero's best helmet. The path here goes in two different directions, but they both lead to the same place: a small cave entrance. Inside is the Dragon Worm. This guy is really strong, but ThunderBolt and Air Blast spells combined with high-power sword strikes should easily be enough to put him away. An Axe's Orb is your prize.

Before Snow Dragon: Axe to Lv. 7

Leave to reforge your axe and then continue north from the Dragon Worm's domain. Head north again and you'll find a stone archway. A voice proclaims that you can pass through it once you defeat a dragon. Save your game and head left. After heading north from here you must battle the Snow Dragon. Use your strongest Salamando spells to cut him down to size. His attacks are very strong, so you may want to use Fire Bouquet to lower his offense. If you watch your HP and keep the spells coming, you can beat him fairly quickly. Your reward is a Bow's Orb.

Before Axe Beak: Bow/Arrow to Lv. 8

Return to the gate and you will be allowed to pass through. Be sure to work up your new bow before you go too far. Head north a screen and you'll find a cave on the right. After proceeding through this area you'll have to fight Axe Beak, a monster similar to Spring Beak. This guy's specialty is fire spells. I hope you've been keeping your Undine levels high, because you're going to need lots of Freeze spells here. The Doom Bow you got from the Snow Dragon puts a badly needed extra kick into your attack. If you manage to beat Axe Beak, you'll get a Javelin's Orb.

Before Red Dragon: Javelin to Lv. 8

When your new javelin is powered up, ascend the stairs in Axe Beak's chamber to reach the exit of the cave. By following this path you will reach another stone gate, which tells you to defeat another dragon to the left. Head west and enter the cave to find your next opponent, the Red Dragon. Again your Freeze spells will work wonders, but the Red Dragon has some nasty attacks of his own. Defeat him as quickly as possible, before he can do some damage. When defeated, he gives up a Glove's Orb.

Before Thunder Gigas: Gloves to Lv. 7

With the Red Dragon gone and the Griffin Claws in your possession, continue north through the gate. This is somewhat of a maze, but I believe all the paths lead to a four-way crossroads. Head north from there to meet the Thunder Gigas. This guy is really strong. His wind spells and attacks have incredible power (if you want to seriously kick butt here, try a Wall spell). Counter with a barrage of Earth Slide or Gem Missile spells. Stone Saber also helps out a little bit. If you make good use of your spells he'll be pushing up daisies in no time. After your victory the Thunder Gigas will cough up a Sword's Orb.

Before Blue Dragon: Sword to Lv. 8

Continue north from where you fought Thunder Gigas (after working up the new sword, of course) and you will soon reach a third gate. To the west is your final test: the Blue Dragon. His attacks are very similar to those of the Thunder Gigas. He moves too quickly to hit with weapons, so use Gem Missile and Earth Slide spells at every opportunity. These spells will easily be enough for you to beat him and claim a Boomerang's Orb.

Before Buffy: Boomerang to Lv. 8, all magic to Lv. 8

Unlike what you did after the other guardians of the Pure Land, do not leave to reforge your boomerang after defeating the Blue Dragon. Instead, proceed immediately through the last gate. You will be on a cliff overlooking a valley. Below you lsits the Mana Tree itself. It is so beautiful (and huge) that our three heroes become ecstatic. They cannot believe that their journey is almost over. All that is left is to have the Mana Tree repower the Mana Sword. However, before you can do anything, a giant beam rockets down from the Mana Fortress, blasting the giant tree into tiny splinters. The resulting explosion hurls your party members from the cliff, and you land unconscious next to the stump that remains of the Mana Tree. When they awake, the Mana Tree speaks. It tells you that the Mana Beast will soon appear to destroy the Fortress and restore Mana. However, it is an uncontrollable creature that will also destroy the world. Only the Mana Sword can defeat the Mana Beast. The tree then moves to say that only members of the the Tribe of Mana can wield the blade. It is then revealed that the legendary knight, Serin, is the Hero's father. He was wounded in battle and died in Potos. The Hero then realizes that this was the ghost who prompted him to retrieve the sword! The Mana Tree then reveals its identity: the Hero's mother! The women of the Mana Tribe become the spirit of the Mana Tree, while the men wield the sword and protect the world from evil. This is the Hero's job. The Mana Beast has not begun its attack on the Mana Fortress yet, and you should now be able to enter the floating fortification. With her last ounce of energy, the Mana Tree restores the seals on all the Mana Seeds, then she dies. The Hero is devastated by this, but the Sprite and the Girl are able to bring him back to his senses. Now, with renewed strength, our team of vigilantes departs for their final objective: the Mana Fortress!

13. The End

Call Flammie and have Watts turn the Frizbar into the Shuriken, and gain experience with that. Thanks to the Mana Tree, your Mana power is now at level 8, so you should increase your magic skills to match it. After that, it's time for the Mana Fortress! To enter the Mana Fortress, ride Flammie at as high an altitude as possible. When you see the fortress, fly directly toward it, but slowly. When reach a certain distance from it, Flammie will fly off the top of the screen. After that he'll drop you off. From here you can make your way inside. The first part of the Mana Fortress is fairly easy to navigate. I only need to tell you certain things. First of all, the pink crystals which stick out of the ground act as whip posts, the green crystals are barriers you can chop down with your sword or axe, the pink floor tiles act as switches, and the green ones are teleporters. The enemies in this place are also much stronger. However, they leave incredibly strong armor like Power Suits and Faerie's Rings. However, there are even better treasures you can find in the Mana Fortress. On rare occassions, enemies will drop treasures that contain weapon orbs that can boost your weapons to a secret 9th level, as well as get your gloves and axe to level 8. The Glove's Orb is obtained from Wolf Lords, Axe's Orbs are from Fiend Heads, Tsunamis have Spear's Orbs, Whip's Orbs come from Terminators, Bow's Orbs are left by Metal Crabs, Master Ninjas drop Boomerang's Orbs, and Javelin's Orbs are found in treasures that Whimpers leave behind. What about the sword, you say? I'll tell you how to get that in a moment. Because of all this great stuff, it's usually a good idea to work up your weapons and magic inside the Mana Fortress. As you proceed through the Mana Fortress, you'll reach a small room with a Whimper and a green tile. Step on the tile to reach Buffy, a giant, orange vampie bat! If it's strong you're looking for, you've come to the right place. Buffy is one of the strongest bosses out there. His attacks are all tough, and he can use Dispel Magic and Wall. When he hasn't cast Wall yet, use the Lucent Beam to do some serious damage. If he casts Wall, either use Dispel Magic to cast more Lucent Beam or try some physical attacks. It takes a little longer that way, but it still works. Buffy has a lot of HP, but you should be able to beat him if you've been working up. Unlike most bosses, he will not give you a weapon orb.

Before Dread Slime: Nothing

To get through the next area of the Mana Fortress, head east and north, then take the first right to find a whip post. Cross, continue north, and take the first right. From here you should be able to find a green tile. Step on it and you'll find yourself confronting Dread Slime, who looks like a smaller version of Lime Slime. Try your weapons at first, but you'll find them to be quite weak against this boss. Also, unlike Lime Slime, which got smaller as it was damaged, the Dread Slime gets bigger with every blow it sustains. Eventually it will get so big you won't even be able to move! However, Dread Slime is part of a small minority of enemies who are susceptible to Shade's spells. It also helps to use Wall spells to repel its Acid Storm spells, weakening its defense. It will take a lot of Drak Force spells, but he can be beaten. Again you will not get a weapon orb, but you now have access to the final stage of the Mana Fortress.

Before Dark Lich: Nothing

Continue forward after you've defeated Dread Slime. The final leg of the Mana Fortress is the easiest to navigate, but it is populated by two new enemies: Master Ninjas and Terminators. These are some of the strongest enemies in the game, but you'll want to fight lots of them. The Girl and the Sprite will greatly benefit from the treasures they drop, which are the strongest helmet (Faerie Crown from Terminator) and body armor (Faerie Cloak from Master Ninja) in the game! At the end of this area is a square room with a green tile in the center. Step on it to be teleported to the engine room, where you fought Geshtar for the last time. To the right is another green tile, which will at last take you to Thanatos and Dyluck. Thanatos tells you that he has been searching for a person with certain qualifications, which would serve as his ultimate host body. Dyluck matches the description, so Thanatos attempts to take over his body. Even though the Girl intervenes, Thanatos succeeds, for a moment. Dyluck manages to speak to you, and tells you about Thanatos. Thanatos is an ancient sorcerer who worked for the "underworld" that Sheex was talking about. His life is eternal, but he doesn't have his own body. Finally, Dyluck resists and expels Thanatos, but is destroyed in the process. Now Thanatos shows his true form: an evil entity known as Dark Lich. This guy is one tough cookie; he has tons of HP and is practically immune to weapons. It is only fitting that the Girl has the key. Lucent Beam is a killer spell in this fight. When Dark Lich goes under the floor, stay away from his hands or you'll take some serious damage. If you have the Girl cast Wall, that will help too. Avoid the beams he fires and keep the spells coming, but don't use all your MP. You'll be needing it soon.

Before Mana Beast: Get Mana Magic spell

With Thanatos defeated, you finally regain Dryad's Mana Magic spell, which both the Girl and Sprite can use. Suddenly the room begins to shake. The Mana Beast is attacking! Step on the tile to the south and you'll be on the top of the Mana Fortress. However, the Hero is reluctant to fight, because the Mana Beast is just trying to restore the Mana of the world. He also worries that if the Mana Beast is destroyed, the Sprite will go too. The Sprite is able to knock some sense into him, telling him he is the only one who can save the world. Knowing this, it's time for the final battle. You'll be on a tiny ledge atop the Mana Fortress. The Mana Beast will attack by breathing fire and flying straight at you (looks like Flammie, doesn't it?). When it hovers directly in front of you, have both the Girl and the Sprite cast Mana Magic on the Hero when he's holding the Dragon Buster. Although you can't tell by looking at it, it will have transformed into the Mana Sword. Strike the Mana Beast in its belly for big time damage. Don't bother using attack spells, because the Mana Beast always uses Wall. If you cast defender, it will lessen the damage you take from the hits you'll sustain. Just keep attacking with your sword when you can and the Mana Beast will be no more.

Main