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06. THE MYTHICAL BATTLES
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001. IN THE LAND OF OZ ID#06.001
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Thanks to Jeff who gave me Ozma's stats and George Buttner for the tip on
Eiko's Holy against him.
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For those who don't know, Ozma is the toughest and most powerful enemy in the
whole game. You can find him in Chocobo's Air Garden when you examine a rock
that looks a bit strange. If you proceed on examining the rock despite Mene's
warning, Ozma will come out to fight you.


OZMA
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Level 99
Type Flying
HP 55.565
MP 9999
AP 100
EXP 65.565
Gil 18.312


Attacks Mini, Berserk, Curaga, Flare Star, Doomsday, Meteor, Flare,
Death, Lv.4 Holy, Lv.5 Death, Curse, MP Absorb

Defense Earth (avoid), Holy/Shadow (absorb)
Petrify, Zombie, Stop, Haste, Vanish, Venom, Death, Poison,
Float, Doom, Silence, Confuse, Sleep, Heat, Mini, Trouble,
Berserk, Regen, Freeze, Reflect

Weakness Holy/Shadow, Wind

Steal Dark Matter, Elixir, Pumice Piece, Robe of Lords

Reward Dark Matter, Ozma Card, Pumice


Many people told me Ozma is very hard. I personally had more troubles to
defeat Kuja than this guy. First of all, do the Spirits of Gaia sidequest
(More information here: ID#03.006). If you don't do it, Ozma will be out of
range to physical attacks. Now, there's something that you need to get about
Ozma. He has two different sides. A light side and a dark side. The side on
top will determine Ozma's weakness. If the dark side is on top, Ozma will
absorb Holy but he'll be weak against Shadow attacks. If the light side is on
top, Ozma will absorb Shadow attacks but he'll be weak against Holy. Ozma
rotates from time to time, so it's hard to take advantage of his weaknesses.

Now, personally, I had a harder time beating Trance Kuja than this guy. My
characters were on a Lv.62 average. Zidane kept doing 9999 points of damage
with Thievery. Steiner did the same with Shock. Now, Vivi can be a good bet,
although he will only reach his true potential when he's able to cast
Doomsday, if at the time Ozma is absorbing Shadow damage, just use powerful
non-elemental attacks. I also used Eiko and she kept using Madeen and Holy if
Ozma didn't absorb it (Holy will do some good amount of damage if you equip
the White Robe).

About your Support Abilities, first of all have all your party on
Auto-Reflect. You can prevent almost half of Ozma's attacks this way. Have
Eiko with Reflect-Null to do the Healing. Equip Return Magic too. Except for
Curse, Flare Star and Absorb MP you can return all of Ozma's attacks. Auto
regenerative skills are also important, specially Auto-Potion and Auto-Regen.
Try to boost your HP with HP increasing abilities. Protect your party from
status like Slow, Mini and Confuse (Ozma has an attack called Curse that
induces these and other status ailments, but these are the most annoying).

The most important attack you need to avoid is Doomsday, to do that equip
items that protect of absorb Shadow damage. After that just keep attacking and
healing. Try to keep more than half of you HP at all times. When you beat Ozma
you will receive the Strategy Guide. This key item gives you not only a hint
on how to have the highest score at Tetra Master but it's also the proof that
you defeated Ozma.


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002. THE LEGENDARY SYNTHESIST ID#06.002
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In Memoria you can find the Legendary Synthesist, a mythical person that can
create the finest and rarest items. Before fighting Kraken, in the screen that
looks like the ocean, search behind the rocks. Keep on pressing the X BUTTON
until someone talks to you. Hades will fight you.


HADES
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Level 92
Type Demon, Flying
HP 55.535
MP 9999
AP 30
EXP 65.535
Gil 9638


Attacks Judgement Sword, Reflect, Doomsday, Freeze, Mustard Bomb,
Cleave, Curse

Defense Earth (avoid), Shadow (absorb)
Petrify, Trouble, Berserk, Regen, Vanish, Venom, Zombie, Stop,
Float, Doom, Silence, Death, Poison, Heat, Mini, Darkness,
Confusion, Sleep, Freeze

Weakness Holy

Steal Battle Boots, Reflect Ring, Robe of Lords, Running Shoes

Reward Elixir, Holy Card, Wing Edge


Hades may seem terrifying but he's not that big of a threat. Most importantly
equip items that protect of absorb Shadow damage. It is essential that you
protect your characters from most status ailments, specially, Slow, Mini and
Confuse. Return Magic's not a good bet because even though most of Hades'
attacks are returnable, you would also be returning Doomsday and in essence,
healing Hades.

Before going into battle, put all your characters on the back row. Use Long
Reach for those characters that use physical attacks, otherwise Hades will use
Cleave and that can wipe out your front row members. Other than that Hades is
not that hard. Attack with your most powerful skills and magic. After an
exhausting fight, Hades will consider you a worthy opponent and offers his
services as a master synthesist.


ITEMS MATERIALS PRICE
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Robe of Lords White Robe & Black Robe 30.000 Gil
Tin Armor Ore & Hammer 50.000 Gil
Protect Ring Dark Matter & Rebirth Ring 40.000 Gil
Pumice Pumice Piece & Pumice Piece 50.000 Gil
Pumice Piece Hammer & Pumice 25.000 Gil
Save the Queen Javelin & Silver Gloves 50.000 Gil
Garnet Ore & Remedy 350 Gil
Amethyst Ore & Annoyntment 200 Gil
Peridot Ore & Soft 100 Gil
Sapphire Ore & Antidote 200 Gil
Opal Ore & Potion 100 Gil
Topaz Ore & Eye Drops 100 Gil
Lapis Lazuli Ore & Dead Pepper 400 Gil
Phoenix Pinion Phoenix Down & Gysahl Greens 300 Gil
Ether Echo Screen & Vaccine 500 Gil


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003. A BOOKWORM ID#06.003
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The Tantarian is one cool and very hard to beat monster. He's at Alexandria's
Castle Library, inside a book and you can fight him just before meeting with
Garnet and Eiko at the top of the Castle in DISC 3. If you've been stealing a
lot with Zidane there shouldn't be a problem.


TANTARIAN
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Level 41
Type Demon
HP 21.997
MP 1456
AP 30
EXP 12.585
Gil 4472


Attacks Edge, Doom, Poison, Paper Storm

Defense Shadow (50% protection)
Petrify, Zombie, Stop, Float, Doom, Venom, Death, Poison, Heat,
Mini, Silence, Confuse, Sleep, Freeze, Trouble, Berserk,
Regen, Vanish

Weakness Holy

Steal Demons's Mail, Elixir, Ether, Silver Fork

Reward Ramuh Card, Running Shoes


The most important thing to remember before fighting the Tantarian is to
protect everyone with Antibody. This monster is tricky because most of the
time he'll be with the book closed. When he's like this, he will use most of
his attacks and not only that but he'll be almost immune to any attack you do.
To make him open up, attack him physically. For instance, if Zidane attacks
for 100 HP, Tantarian will open page 100. To make Tantarian reveal himself
you'll have to find out the page he's in. Try different sequences of physical
attacks and remember them because once you find out the sequence all you need
to do is repeat and he'll be found again.

When he's open, do not attack him physically. That will just make him close
once again, instead use all the magic you got. During this time, all Tantarian
will do is attack you with Poison, which shouldn’t really bother you. Once he
hides, repeat the sequence you used to find him and attack with magic once
again. If you've been leveling up consistently during the game there shouldn’t
be a problem.


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004. THE SPIRIT OF DARKNESS ID#06.004
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Necron, the bringer of death. He's the final enemy you'll have to face. After
Kuja's defeat, choose your characters for battle and step up to stop him from
destroying the universe.


NECRON
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Level 39
Type Demon, Flying
HP 54.100
MP 9999
AP 0
EXP 0
Gil 0


Attacks Blue Shockwave, Firaga, Blizzaga, Thundaga, Flare, Shell,
Protect, Neutron Ring, Grand Cross

Defense Earth (avoid)
Petrify, Trouble, Berserk, Slow, Vanish, Venom, Zombie, Stop,
Heat, Mini, Silence, Death, Poison, Darkness, Confusion,
Sleep

Weakness Holy, Wind

Steal Elixir

Reward None


Preparing for this battle is essential. You'll have an opportunity to do so
after you defeat Kuja. The first thing you have to remember is that, Necron
isn't that difficult. First of all, protect your party from every status
ailment possible and use the remaining stones to Auto-Reflect. If you can
equip Auto-Regen and Auto-Potion as well. Now, Auto-Reflect will protect you
from the minor attacks. The greatest problem with Necron is his Grand Cross
that inflicts your party members with every status effect. He also tends to
unleash the Neutron Ring that can seriously damage your party and the Blue
Shockwave that reduces a character's HP to 1.

To defeat this final boss throw him with all you got, and I do mean
everything. If you're using Amarant, throw every item in your inventory. If
you have Dark Matter, use it. Use every character's most powerful attacks.
Zidane should be doing 9999 by know and so should Steiner. A healing character
is essential. I prefer Eiko because she can also do a good amount of damage
with Holy. Keep attacking and Healing and try not to let you HP get below 3000
because Necron might strike with a Neutron Ring and you're done for. Besides
that, he's not that difficult.


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005. DEFEATING THE GRAND DRAGONS ID#06.005
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Thanks to George Buttner who informed me of another way to slay the Dragons
and to ffonline.com for the stats of the Grand Dragon.
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All around the islands near Daguerreo you can find one of the most untamed
beasts in Gaia. The very powerful Grand Dragons. Now, these green guys can be
though, but not if you know what to do.


GRAND DRAGON
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Level 60
Type Dragon
HP 13.206
MP 2550
AP 3
EXP 35.208
Gil 2604


Attacks Poison Claw, Thundaga, Venom Breath

Defense Lightning (50% protection)
Silence, Confusion, Darkness, Vanish

Weakness Ice

Steal Ether, Rising Sun, Tent

Reward Ether, Grand Dragon Card, Phoenix Down


Now, Grand Dragons are perfect for leveling up when you're on lower levels.
Most attacks are avoidable. Just equip Auto-Reflect and Antibody. This will
make him almost inoffensive. Auto-Haste is recommended to speed up the battle
and also the Level Up and Ability Up. This is all you need to defeat these
dragons, which is also perfect to power-up Freya's Dragon's Crest.

I also recommend doing the Healing Sands sidequest (More information here:
ID#04.004). Once you complete it you will be able to heal yourself in any
beach on Gaia by pressing the CIRCLE BUTTON. If you wanna fight the Grand
Dragons head to Palmnell Island (from Chocobo's Lagoon) and go into battle.
After you win just heal and prepare yourself for another round. This saves a
lot of time and tents and you can use all the powerful techniques in battle
and replenish your MP quickly.

Besides that, there isn't much to say about Grand Dragons. They aren't that
difficult so you shouldn't have too much trouble. Just develop your characters
until they're good enough to fight the Yans. If you're trying the easy
approach, just use Quina's Lv.5 Death for an instant kill.


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006. DEFEATING THE MIGHTY YANS ID#06.006
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Thanks to ffonline.com for the stats of the Yan.
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Compared to these babies, Ozma can sometimes seem like a little kid's ball
than an ultimate boss. A single Yan can easily wipe out your entire party.
Knowing how to deal with them might just help you survive. To find them just
head to Vile Island, Southwest of the Iifa Tree.


YAN
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Level 72
Type Normal
HP 19.465
MP 3378
AP 3
EXP 42.673
Gil 2218


Attacks Snort, Comet, Aera, Virus Powder, Float

Defense Holy (50% protection)
Silence, Berserk, Confusion, Vanish

Weakness Shadow

Steal Elixir, Ore

Reward Ether, Hi-Potion, Phoenix Down, Zemzelett Card


The problem with Yans is that they usually come in packs of three. If a Yan is
a threat, three Yans are a serious problem. You need to defeat them quick and
with the least possible number of turn. If you're fighting Yans your
characters have to hit for 9999 of damage. A Yan's worst ability is the Snort.
A Snort will immediately and permanently remove a party member from battle
preventing him or her from winning any AP or EXP. They use Snort as a
counter-attack, as well as Float. This is why you should focus all your power
on a single Yan and avoid the attacks that damage every enemy. This lowers
your change of getting yourself snorted. Comet, as you know, deals a random
amount of damage, but a single one can kill you easily.

Auto-Life, Auto-Potion and Auto-Regen are essential. Auto-Haste is advisable
since the Yans are fast as well as HP boosting abilities. Also, equip everyone
Insomniac and use Quina's Night. The Yans will fall asleep. At this point you
can use Doomsday, if you are protected against Shadow damage or Eidolons,
especially Odin that usually kills the Yans if you have enough Ore in your
inventory. The best part of making the Yans fall asleep is that they won't
counter-attack your moves. Comet will always be a Yan's worst attack. The good
part of a Comet is the 33% change it has of failing. So, try to boost your
Magic Evade. Level Up and Ability Up are good to speed up the whole process
and making your characters stronger.

With two hits at 9999 you can kill a Yan. If you're still not getting it with
a specific ability don't use it. This is to minimize the counters a Yan will
do and thereby reducing the chances of a character being snorted. The Virus
can be a good status effect in the end. By leaving all except one character
affected by the Virus, you can get almost 200.000 EXP (if you're fighting
three Yans and only one character remains to receive experience). And that's
all for the Yans. Don't forget to save frequently and soon enough you'll be at
Lv.99.

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08. ENDING STATEMENTS
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001. FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS ID#08.001
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#1 - ABOUT BRAHNE
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Queen Brahne was the ruler of the Kingdom of Alexandria. Alexandria was one of
the most powerful nations on the continent but the Queen eventually started
showing some erratic behavior. This coincided with the appearance of a strange
man named Kuja. Kuja told the Queen about the Alexandrian National Jewel and
about the three other sister jewels that combined could bring forth a power
greater than any other. The recently widowed Queen saw this as the opportunity
to expand the Empire of Alexandria and using the weapons provided by Kuja she
was quick to crush the neighboring nations.

The Queen was even ready to sacrifice her own daughter for the great power and
after Garnet left with the jewel she used all her powers to get it back. She
even ordered Zorn and Torn to extract Garnet's Eidolons to use in her
conquering efforts during a brief time when she held her own daughter captive.

In the end she rebelled against Kuja, the only threat to her total domination
and summoned Bahamut, the Kind of Dragons to destroy him but Kuja subverted
the Eidolon and unleashed him upon its summoner. The queen managed to escape
on her emergency pod but her wounds were fatal and she eventually died on the
beach, but not before showing her regrets to Garnet.


#2 - ABOUT KUJA
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Kuja was a Genome, a being created by Garland as the first part of the Angel
of Death Project. Unlike the other Genomes Kuja was special, he had a soul.
Garland considered him too powerful to be a proper vessel, and even considered
discarding him, but Kuja's power amazed him and after that he created the
project. After finding out about the second part of the project and the
arrival of a second and more powerful Genome Kuja rebelled against his
creator. When the second Angel of Death was created, eight years after Kuja
was given life, Kuja could not accept his fate and four years after he left
Garland, taking Zidane with him and abandoning the child in Gaia. After that,
Kuja vowed to prove Garland wrong and to show him that he was more powerful
and better suited for the job and that Zidane was in fact weaker than he was.
To disrupt the flow of souls, Kuja required war. To wage war he was going to
need weapons. Using the Mist he created the Black Mages, soulless dolls with
powerful magic. Kuja set up an underground factory in Dali and began producing
the Black Mages but he still needed someone greedy and power-hungry enough to
start a war. Eventually he convinced Brahne with the story of the Four Jewels.

Meanwhile, Kuja began a new part of his plan, to prove that he was in fact
better than Garland ever was. He convinced Brahne to extract Garnet's
Eidolons. He was prepared to be betrayed by the Queen and when she eventually
did by unleashing Bahamut, Kuja was ready and used the powers of the
Invincible to corrupt the Dragon King and make him attack Brahne's fleet. But
to defeat Garland, Kuja was going to need a more powerful Eidolon. He was
going to need Alexander, the Holy Summon. By attacking Alexandria he hoped to
lead Garnet to summon Alexander and she did, but at the same time, Garland was
already aware of Kuja's plans and seized control of the Invincible once again.
Failing to acquire Alexander, Kuja searched for another Eidolon. He kidnapped
Eiko to extract her summons but Mog protected her and entered a Trance. Kuja
was amazed by this power and so he returned to Terra and by using the flow of
souls from the Invincible he was able to reach a state of Trance. Kuja was
quick to defeat Zidane and to push Garland to his death. But the old man said
that his victory was doomed to be short-lived, because he was a Genome
designed to be eventually replaced by the second Angel of Death. Much like the
Black Mages, Kuja was meant to die. This pushed Kuja over the limit, and he
completely destroyed Terra. Then, with his new powers he created Memoria and
through it he managed to reach the Crystal, source of all life and what
maintained balance in the universe. Unable to defeat Zidane and his party,
Kuja unleashed Ultima as a last attempt to destroy everything. When the
Crystal was broken, the Eternal Darkness, Necron came out and planned to
destroy the current universe and build a new one. Having lost his Trance and
with his death imminent Kuja used his last shred of powers to help Zidane and
his friends to defeat Necron and to transport them back to safety. Zidane went
back to save his brother, trapped in the Iifa Tree. Kuja eventually died,
regretting for the pain and sorrow he caused and for not realizing the true
purpose of life.


#3 - ABOUT ZIDANE
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Zidane is a thief and a member of Tantalus. The leader of Tantalus is Baku,
who adopted Zidane when he was four. Zidane has no memories of his childhood
or his origin. In fact, Zidane is a Genome, the second part of the Angel of
Death Project, developed by Garland. Zidane was meant to grow up and to
eventually be more powerful than Kuja. Kuja never accepted his fate so he took
Zidane and left him to die on Gaia but Zidane survived. During his adventure
Zidane falls in love with Princess Garnet. Usually he tries to act as a
romantic hero, failing most of the time.

Since he was abandoned at age four, he was never educated by Garland, he never
got to know his purpose of existence. In the end he fights his creator and
stops the very process he was supposed to help with. It is impossible to say
if Garland searched for Zidane or if he just considered him a lost Genome.
Garland usually seems to sympathize with Zidane but we can't say if he ever
worried about his disappearance, besides he was quick to find a replacement
(although we can't tell when Mikoto was created, given her appearance it seems
that she was probably created after Zidane's disappearance. By Garland's
speech at Pandemonium we learn that although he suspected Kuja from the
beginning he was at that point unable to confirm his involvement in the
incident or to give up his services. Garland probably considered that Zidane
was likely dead.


#4 - ABOUT MIKOTO AND THE GENOMES
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Much like Zidane was meant to eventually step up and take Kuja's place, Mikoto
was created as the third part of the Angel of Death Project. It is impossible
to tell when Mikoto was created or why. She was either meant to take Zidane's
place or to take Kuja's place after he left Zidane on Gaia. Since Garland
never recovered Zidane it is possible that he created Mikoto to fill in the
void left by Zidane. Another possibility is that Garland knew that Zidane was
not dead, even though he didn't know where he was but that he would eventually
return home to fulfill his destiny and created Mikoto to eventually take his
place.

The rest of the Genomes are soulless vessels. When Terra completely
assimilates Gaia, the souls of the people of Terra will fill the Genomes as
they awaken. After the destruction of Terra, the Genomes start living in the
Black Mage Village. They are empty of knowledge but they are conscientious
and willing to learn. Only Mikoto never seems completely satisfied by the
move. She was meant to have a different goal in life.


#5 - ABOUT GARLAND AND THE ANGEL OF DEATH PROJECT
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Garland is in charge of bringing back the people of Terra. After the planet
began a path to its own destruction the people when to a deep sleep. Garland
was created to oversee the restoration of Terra. To complete that restoration,
Gaia has to become Terra. His first attempt ended in failure when he tried to
take Gaia by force. But in the end that almost led to his own destruction.
This way Garland waited many years and devised a more complex plan. Garland's
only fear was the power of Eidolons and he destroyed the Summoners' Village so
that the people of Gaia could never again learn about such power.

In Bran Bal, Garland gave birth to a project, the Angel of Death Project. The
project was meant to create an assistant for Garland, someone to help him
speed up the cycle of souls, to submerge Gaia into an unstoppable war. For
that he created Kuja. Kuja was the first part of the project. He was meant to
be a first assistant. Kuja was born 24 years ago. Eight years after, Garland
created Zidane. Zidane was created as a more advanced version and a more
powerful Genome than Kuja. The first Angel of Death never accepted the
existence of his successor, so he left him to die on Gaia. Kuja followed
Garland's plan, by convincing Queen Brahne to wage war. But he never forgot
that Garland tried to substitute him. Still, Garland needed a new Genome to
serve his purposes. He created Mikoto, the third Angel of Death. Although
Mikoto is part of the project, her services where never required. Meanwhile,
Kuja was seeking a way to surpass even Garland. The old man managed to stop
his plans at first but eventually Kuja reached Trance, killed Garland and
destroyed Terra. The remaining memories of Garland, or perhaps his spirit
still help Zidane and his friends at Memoria, by teaching them and guiding
them to Kuja.

Some have speculated that Garland is actually the Final Fantasy I Garland who
fought and was defeated by the Light Warriors. Although not likely, I am
forced to say that it is not impossible. FFI takes place in an unknown world
with three large continents and the balance is maintained by Four Elemental
Crystals. The story begins with the Four Crystals going dark and causing chaos
through the land. A prophecy is made, in which Four Light Warriors will appear
and restore order. One day, Four Knights appear in the Kingdom of Coneria. The
princess had been kidnapped by a rogue knight named Garland. The Light
Warriors defeat the knight and save Princess Sara. But the real adventure is
to destroy the Four Elemental Fiends, spread throughout the world, Lich in
Melmond, Maliris on Mt. Gulg (Gulug), Kraken in the underwater palace and
Tiamat on the sky fortress. Their defeat restores the Crystals and the balance
of the world. But the Four Beasts have created a demon using the body of
Garland, Chaos. In an ultimate battle the Four Light Warriors defeat the dark
monster and restore the flow of time.

In the world of Final Fantasy we have three major continents, the seal to
Terra is maintained by the Four Elemental Shrines, guarded by the Four
Elemental Fiends and their appearances are very similar in both games. Also,
places like Oeilvert obviously show that ancient civilizations once inhabited
the planet. Some speculate that much like Garland created the Genomes and he
was created by the people of Terra, there could also be clones of Garland. The
process of assimilation by Terra is known to be slow, so it's possible that
this was the same, or a clone of Garland. He himself states the fact that he
once tried to rule the world (but this may be a reference to his first attempt
to turn Gaia into Terra by seizing the power of the Eidolons). Once again,
this possibility is improbable, but it is a possibility.


#6 - ABOUT VIVI AND THE BLACK MAGES
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Vivi and the rest of the Black Mages are spawned from Mist using an unknown
process which Kuja briefly describes as he mocks Vivi: "Begin with broth of
Mist, add fermented souls, and boil... Then, pour genuine black magic into a
mixing bowl and heat-". The Mist itself is a by-product of the refining
process that occurs in the Iifa Tree.

Vivi was created as a prototype, the first version of the Black Mages. It is
uncertain exactly where Vivi as created or when. Even his adoption by Quale is
never fully explained. As a prototype, his lifespan is bigger than that of the
other Black Mages but he will eventually stop. The Black Mages start as
lifeless dolls, and the process of them gaining life and a consciousness is
never explained in detail. The only information we have comes from Quan. When
you meet him at Quan's Dwelling he says he tried to teach Vivi all about the
outside world, and Vivi learned a lot, enough for him to develop an
imagination of his own. Apparently, this explains exactly how the Black Mages
come to life, through knowledge and experience.

One of the greatest parts of the game is the ending sequence in which a Black
Mage arrives in Alexandria, much like Vivi did in the beginning. He eventually
reveals himself to be Vivi's son. It is impossible to say if Vivi's offspring
were in fact created much like the other Black Mages were or if they are the
consequence of a real relationship. Such aspect of the game is never revealed.

The rest of the Black Mages are created by Kuja in an underground facility in
Dali. From there they are shipped to Alexandria Castle and used in the war
against Alexandria's neighboring nations. But some Black Mages gain conscience
on the battlefield and flee. Eventually they set up a village on the Outer
Continent. Their lifespan is reduced when compared to Vivi, and when their
time is up they simply stop. Because of that, Black Mages developed a
different concept of what is death and of life after that.


#7 - ABOUT GARNET AND EIKO
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Garnet and Eiko are both the remaining survivors of the Summoner Tribe. They
had the power to bring forth spirits of legends and employ their power in
battle. Garland feared them more than everything on Gaia but at first he
sought to gain that same power to serve his purposes. He tried to summon
Alexander and failed. The result meant the destruction of the original
Summoners' Village. After that, fearing the power of Alexander the tribe broke
the jewel in four and scattered the pieces through the Mist Continent. Their
village remained destroyed so those that survived moved to the Outer Continent
and founded Madain Sari. But Garland, unable to use the power of the Eidolons,
destroyed the village with the power of the Invincible. Garnet and her mother
were on a boat that day and were cast away. The boat ended up in Alexandria.
Garnet survived but her mother died. She was adopted by the King and Queen of
Alexandria. After the destruction of Madain Sari only a few Summoners
survived. By the time Zidane and his friends reach the village only Eiko
remains.

Summoners are characterized by a horn. The horn bestows them with the power to
speak with Eidolons. This is how they train. Apparently, the fact that Garnet
no longer has a horn and is unable to communicate with the Eidolons does not
prevent her from summoning them. Garnet's name is engraved in the Eidolon
Wall. Her name is Sarah. As far as we can tell from the game, there is no
evidence that Garnet and Eiko are related, but since they are part of a small
tribe, that possibility should not be discarded.


#8 - ABOUT NECRON AND THE CRYSTAL
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Necron lived in a world of nothing. Necron, the darkness of eternity. After
the destruction of the Crystal Necron appeared. Seeing Kuja trying to kill
himself and anyone else, Necron supposed that all people desired death and was
willing to be the one to bring it. His purpose was exactly that. To bring
everything to the zero world, to create a universe of nothingness. Eventually
Necron lost to Zidane and his party. He was not destroyed. According to his
own words, as long as there is life and death, Necron will always exist.

The Crystal, which contained Necron, is the nexus of all life, the point of
origin of the universe and the only thing that maintains the balance. By
destroying it Kuja believed that everything would seize to exist, instead
Necron came out. The game does not revealed exactly what happened to the
Crystal, it was either destroyed or simply damaged. But given the fact that
the universe managed to survive relatively unharmed, it is safe to say that
the Crystal probably survived the Ultima spell of Kuja.


#9 - ABOUT THE IIFA TREE AND THE MIST
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Garland's ultimate plan is to turn Gaia into Terra. Terra is an old and dying
planet that has to absorb younger planets to survive, it has absorbed other
planets in the past. But Terra is old, and can't consume other planets
anymore. Because of that Garland had to devise a greater plan. He installed
the Iifa Tree. The Tree's purpose was to filter and disrupt the cycle of
souls. Every planet has a natural cycle of souls. When people die, their soul
eventually returns to the planet and is born again. With the Iifa Tree the
souls don't go back to Gaia, instead they are replaced by the souls of the
people of Terra. In the end, after the cycle is complete and the souls of
everyone in Gaia are replaced, Gaia will become Terra.

The Mist comes as a by-product of this process and is ejected by the roots to
the distant Mist Continent. The Mist is believed to stir the mind and body,
and to spawn evil creatures. The Mist seems to bring out the worst in people
and animals but it also powers all kinds of machinery and vehicles. Kuja also
uses the Mist to create the Black Mages, the magical and lifeless weapons that
he supplies to Queen Brahne. After destroying the Soulcage inside the Iifa
Tree the party manages to stop the refining process of souls and the
production of Mist. This clears all the Mist from the planet's surface but
brought an unfortunate downside of stopping almost every ship on the planet,
except the steam-powered Hilda Gardes of Regent Cid, and most machines. After
the destruction of Terra the Iifa Tree is forced to refine large amounts of
souls from the destroyed Terra and to process them quickly. This causes the
Mist to fill the whole planet.


#10 - ABOUT THE SUMMONER TRIBE AND THE EIDOLONS
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
The original Summoners' Village was located in the Mist Continent, in
Alexandria. During his first attempt to dominate Gaia, Garland tried to summon
Alexander but failed. That led to the destruction of the village and almost
killed Garland himself. After that, the jewel was divided and scattered. The
remaining summoners then began a journey that ended in the Outer Continent,
where they founded Madain Sari. But at that point, Garland began to fear the
power of the summoners and used the Invincible to wipe out the remaining
members of the tribe. When the story begins, only Garnet and Eiko remain as
the last surviving members of the Summoner Tribe.

A summoner is mainly identified by the horn on its heads. The horn enables
them to speak with the Eidolons and animals so they can learn and train. The
horn does not give them the power to summon an Eidolon. That power is given by
the different jewels and stones. That is why Garland, Brahne and Kuja are
able to summon Eidolons even though they are not summoners. Garnet had her
horn removed when she was adopted by the King and Queen of Alexandria.

The origin of Eidolons is a mystery even to the Summoner Tribe. They didn't
know if Eidolons were born out of the myths or if the myths were born out of
the Eidolons. But either way, Eidolons are spirits, powerful forces that a
summoner can call in times of need. There are 13 known Eidolons. Most of them
you will be able to use in battle. The process of summoning an Eidolon is
difficult and requires training. If it fails, the consequences can be
devastating. After Garland failed to summon Alexander, the Summoner Tribe
started a tradition of sealing Eidolons they failed to summon, much like
Leviathan was sealed by another Eidolon, Carbuncle.


#11 - ABOUT ALEXANDER AND THE 4 JEWELS
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Alexander is probably the most powerful summon known to the people of Gaia. In
his quest to assimilate Gaia, Garland tried to use the power of Alexander to
conquer the land but failed. The result meant the destruction of the original
Summoners' Village. Fearing such power, the summoners broke the jewel in four
and scattered it. One part became the Silver Pendant, National Treasure of
Alexandria. Another part became the Falcon Claw, National Treasure of
Lindblum. The other became the Desert Star, the jewel that protected Creyra by
maintaining the whirlwind around the giant tree. The final jewel became the
Memory Earring of the Summoner Tribe. Together, the jewels can bring forth
Alexander, the holy summon with a power that surpasses even the Dragon King.

Alexander also seems to be very different than the regular summons. He seems
to be the one to call out for a summoner in times of need. The close relation
to Alexandria castle cannot be overlooked. It is impossible to say if
Alexander can be summoned in other places, specially given his size. Seems
that Alexander is the protector of Alexandria, and his powers will only be
revealed if the city is in danger. Also, we can't say what exactly happened to
Alexander after Garland used the Invincible. Common knowledge suggests he was
simply sent back and not killed, much like Alexander defeated Bahamut.
Eidolons will survive as long as the legends that feed their existence remain.


#12 - ABOUT GAIA AND TERRA
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Terra was home of an obviously advanced civilization. But Terra is a dying
planet. Eventually, the people of Terra were forced to go into a deep sleep in
order to survive. To oversee the restoration of Terra they created Garland.
Terra began absorbing planets but by the time the events on Final Fantasy IX
take place Terra is already a very old planet, and it's ability to absorb
other planets is weakening. So Garland was forced to come up with another
plan, he created the Iifa Tree, a device that would stop the natural flow of
souls. He also created the Genomes. As the original souls of Gaia leave the
planet, they are replaced by the ones of Terra. When the exchange is complete,
Gaia will become Terra, the people of the dying planet will awake and the
Genomes will fulfill their purpose by receiving their souls. In the beginning,
Garland tried to take Gaia by force but that plan eventually failed, thus he
created the Angel of Death Project and tried to start an unstoppable war on
Gaia and eventually he succeeded.

The process of assimilation is long, and many years are required for it to be
complete. The purpose of the Angel of Death Project is to speed up the cycle
of souls. When the process is complete, the light of Terra will change from
blue to red and Gaia will become Terra. Terra has always absorbed younger
planets to survive, but the difference between them and Gaia is that Gaia has
life. While absorbing other planets, Terra never gained enough energy to stop
its own decline. But with Gaia, a planet filled with energy and life, it will
be possible to complete the restoration of Terra.

In the end, Kuja reaches Trance and unleashes his ultimate spell and destroys
Garland as well as Terra. The Genomes are transported aboard the Invincible to
the Black Mage Village where they start living alongside the Black Mages,
which once Kuja created as weapons.


#13 - ABOUT MOGUO
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Many of you keep asking what happens if you piss of Moguo. Well, nothing
happens. I know Moguo might start saying some frightening things like "I'm
sharpening my knife!" and other lines like that, but trust me, it's not going
to do anything to you. He's a moogle, he's furry, he's cute, he's not a
psycho. Stop asking me about this. Seriously.


#14 - ABOUT MY FINAL FANTASY EXPERIENCE
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
My party has Zidane (obviously), Steiner (unbeatable strength) Vivi and Eiko.
Zidane is equipped with the Ultima Weapon, a Golden Skullcap, a Bracer, a Dark
Gear and a Protect Ring. Steiner has the Ragnarok, a Grand Helm, the Venetia
Shield, the Tin Armor and a ProMist Ring. Vivi carries the Mace of Zeus, a
Circlet, a Bracer, a Robe of Lords, and a Reflect Ring. Eiko has the Multina
Racket, a Circlet, a Bracer, a Robe of Lords and a Ribbon.

My favorite character is Vivi. He's a sensitive Black Mage and a nice kid and
he has some awesome magical powers, plus his story is pretty sad but has some
heck of an ending. Unfortunately he can't learn Ultima. Sucks.


#15 - ABOUT THE FAQ AND ON HOW TO CONTACT ME
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
I cannot be 100% sure that everything that I state in this guide is true,
specially when it comes to the plot, since everyone has a different theory on
how something could've happened. On the other hand, most things are clearly
stated in the game, or are obvious in terms of context and evolution of the
plotline.

About a walkthrough. I've said it before, I'm not going to make one. It takes
too much time, too much energy, too much patience, none of which I have or
wish to spend on a task like this. There are dozens of FAQs ready to help you
out on that one, this is not one of them. This guide is for those who want to
draw more of their gaming experience, who want to explore every single part of
the game. It's especially for those who have already finished the game at
least once.

As for my email. You're not getting it. I said it before. Don't bother
visiting the sites where this guide is posted. My email is there, but if you
send me an email you're just going to get yourself blocked. I'm retired. There
are many people ready to help, just not me.


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002. VERSION HISTORY ID#08.002
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Version 1.00 - Most sidequests and mini-games have been introduced. The
Treasure Hunting section is still missing.

Version 1.10 - Corrected some major, huge Mistakes in the layout. Also added
some info on the character's skills. The Tetra Master sections
is far from being complete.

Version 1.20 - Added the info on the element types. Added a strategy to beat
Grand Dragons and Yans.

Version 1.30 - Frequently Asked Questions altered, added the location of the
Phantom Masters as well as the location of most cards. Also
added Ozma's stats.

Version 1.40 - More card locations added some Mistakes were corrected. The
mailing information was remodeled. Dedicated a section to the
runes and to the 4 Jewels.

Version 1.50 - Completed 4 Jewels section. Added easier locations to get some
of the cards.

Version 1.51 - Changed the Tetra Master Game Scoring System.

Version 1.60 - Small change in layout. Added the info on the book monster,
Tantarian.

Version 1.70 - New ASCII Artwork. Removed the Dark rose project and added
the Author's Fiction.

Version 1.71 - Small corrections on the layout.

Version 1.80 - Updated series' facts, updated the copyrights section. Added
an alternative way to gain more Gil and corrected some
Mistakes on the Mognet Central Guide and on two of the
Paradise Treasures.

Version 2.00 - Major change in layout. Various sections suffered significant
modifications. The guide is now much more organized.

Version 2.01 - Some Mistakes corrected and added the location of Mochos.

Version 2.02 - I have putted an end to my career as a guide maker by
publishing my final FAQ on Chrono Cross entitled Chronicles
of Time.

Version 2.10 - A great deal of information on eidolons, equipments and
abilities was added. A few sections were altered or simply
disappeared.

Version 2.11 - Mailing section completely modified.

Version 2.20 - Mailing rules altered. Copyrights section modified. Some
Mistakes corrected and information was updated.

Version 2.21 - The only modification is in the nickname I use. Instead of
KraZymAdaFaKeR I'm now Skazi.

Version 2.22 - A new site features this FAQ. The email address was removed.

Version 3.00 - Major layout modifications. Section about the Gameplay was
removed. Full update on all parts of the guide. Corrected
spelling errors. Some chapters were reorganized and ended
merging with others. Re-wrote the entire Version History in
order to follow the standard version numbers.


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003. ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS ID#08.003
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This FAQ exists thanks to many people and organizations. Here, I thank them
all, because this guide would probably be nothing without them.

I thank all those who contributed in enriching this guide, and general
appreciators of my work. Aaron Tadeu, for being a brilliant FAQ maker and a
true inspiration. Also, my family and friends, for putting up with me. Not to
mention Hironobu Sakaguchi, for creating the Final Fantasy Series, and for his
part on the whole story. I'd also like to thank Square Co., Ltd. (now Square
Enix) for a hell of a team work and finally to GameFAQs, Neoseeker,
GameNotOver and all the sites who host this guide. Thank you.


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004. OUTRO ID#08.004
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This is it for this quest on Gaia and Terra. Final Fantasy was indeed one of
the greatest RPG series for the old Playstation and I had a great time playing
it. My interests have shifted since 2003 when I stopped updating this guide
but I still love games. This will hopefully be the last version of this guide.
There is too much to enjoy...

The revolution will not be webcast.
Copyright 2002-2005 Gwydion



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THE END
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