Vagrant Story - Strategy Guide (Page 02)

Below are the cheat codes, hints and help for Vagrant Story - Strategy Guide (Page 02).

Prize: Cure Bulb x 2, Elixir of Dragoons, Grimoire Ameliorer (Sorcerer spell, 
Prostasia)

What you could do here is lure him over to the steps on the near right by 
standing in the corner, then move down a step or two towards him: this will give 
you a better selection of body locations to target. If that's a bit fancy, just 
run in and whack his arms and legs with something Blunt until he cracks.

Defeating Golem will activate a Cloudstone in Passage Of the Refugees, allowing 
you to cross the torrent, so head back to the start of Sanctum and take the 
remaining exit from Corridor of the Clerics.

Advent Ground (South Bank)
Bat, Lizardman
A wide, fast-flowing river blocks the way here. There's no point jumping but if 
you should fall in then you'll simply restart at the door by which you entered, 
less 20 HP.

Passage of the Refugees
Bat, Poison Slime, Lizardman

There's a carry crate buried at the centre of those push crates, so just hack 
away the top one to reach it. You only need one crate to scale the wall. Then 
jump aboard the Cloudstone and arm yourself in readiness for the Lizardman (you 
can also try out your Fixate spell here).

Advent Ground (North Bank)
Magic Circle and Container
Might be a good idea to save, here...

The Cleansing Chantry
Boss: Dragon HP 480  / MP 0
Dragon (...)
Special Attacks: Thermal Breath, Tail Attack

Prize: Cure Bulb x 3, Elixir of Sages, Grimoire Analyse (Sorcerer spell, 
Analyze)

Despite the flames, this Dragon has no particular affinity to fire or weakness 
to water. Treat it as a heavy physical opponent. Dragons have weapon-type 
weaknesses in their heads and in their tails - Piercing and Edged respectively, 
here -- though it takes a bit of running around with a long-hafted weapon to get 
so much as a glimpse of tail because the dragon will try to stay facing you. 
You're unlikely destroy it with one chain, so use single hits or no more than 2-
3 hit combos to keep your RISK down.

A very smart trick for annoying dragons is to get in really close, under the 
neck and head. The dragon can't use its breath attack unless you're beyond a 
minimum range from its mouth, so stay tight and don't let it back off. It will 
be forced to resort to a lunging bite attack, which is much less dangerous and 
has only a physical affinity.

Also, try to get down the Impact Guard timing for that Tail Attack: once you 
suss out that you should press, not on the first sweep over your head, but when 
it whips back at you, then you'll be able to halve some pretty immense damage. 
It's a defence ability timing that will benefit you for the rest of the game.

Start using the Analyze spell a lot, too - it'll give you more precise 
information on specific foes than I'm able to provide here. See the Magic 
section for details on using it.

Stairway to the Light
Bong! You've made it under the razor corals and deadly whirlpools, slain a 
dragon and arrived in Lea Monde. Not bad for a morning's work. Now for the City 
itself.


~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Town Centre West (north bank)
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

The Crimson Blades have secured this area, so your goal here is to wrest a 
Crimson Key from Father Duane and his cohorts. This will grant access to the 
passages running through the City Walls. A Cloudstone spans the river that 
divides the region, but it will only become operational when you return from the 
Abandoned Mines B1. When it does, you'll also find that many of the previously 
empty locations have acquired Crimson Blade patrols.

Rue Vermillion
Magic Circle
The heavy door here leads to City Walls West but is locked with the Crimson Key, 
so remember to return here when you obtain it. For now, take the north-eastern 
exit.

The Rene Coastroad
The reason for coming here first? Well, 'Number 1, Rene Coastroad' happens to be 
the postal address of the game's second Workshop.

There's also a Heal Panel trap on the grassy overhang in the far eastern corner 
that overlooks both the sea and a tall facing building. This is as useful for 
instantaneously reducing RISK as it is for improving health after a few lengthy 
battles.

WORKSHOP: The Magic Hammer
Magic Circle and Container
Tools for Bronze and Iron
The Magic Hammer offers a much-needed chance to repair your weapons and perform 
any necessary metalwork, but it's purely a smithy. Bear in mind that if you 
upgrade any equipment to Hagane by combining Bronze and Iron, this Workshop will 
no longer have the tools to rework the material. 

Rue Mal Fallde
You'll get a cut-scene on your first visit, and the resting Blades will force 
you to find another route. So double back to Rue Vermillion and head south this 
time.

Tircolas Flow
Boss: Father Duane, Sarjik and Bejart, Crimson Blades
Human
Special Attacks: Poison Mist (Duane)

Father Duane, Crimson Blade cleric lieutenant HP 250 / MP 100
Prize: 'Magnolia Frau' (S) Wizard Staff, Wizard Robe, Crimson Key, Grimoire 
Demolir (Warlock spell, Explosion), Grimoire Clef (Sorcerer spell, Unlock)

Sarjik, Crimson Blade swordsman HP 180 / MP 70
Prize: Rapier (I), Mana Root x 3

Bejart, Crimson Blade halberdier HP 190 / MP 55
Prize: Guisarme (B), Cure Root x 3

The enemy's tactic here is for Sarjik and Bejart to run in, attack once and 
retreat. Duane will keep his distance in the rearguard and use spells, attacking 
with his staff only when you've been poisoned.  If you keep using Antidote to 
null the effect of Poison Mist then he'll just keep casting it, so you could 
either use this to stop him physically attacking; or else ignore the infection 
and try to finish him off before the poison has too much effect.

When the battle is won, you'll have that Crimson Key for Rue Vermillion.



~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
City Walls West
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

There's not much to do here right now except follow the passageway to the 
Abandoned Mines B1.

Students of Death

The Gabled Hall
Zombie Knights
This is a locking trap room.

Where The Master Fell
This Staircase leads down to the Abandoned Mines B1.



~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Abandoned Mines B1
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Sydney has barred your passage through this mine with the Hyacinth and Fern 
Sigils, which you'll acquire within the Mine itself from a boss and a chest 
respectively. That means some fairly thorough investigation of the entire Mine.

Dreamer's Entrance
Stirge HP 90 / MP 0
Beast
Special Attack: Bloodsuck
This vampire is a much tougher form of bat, and can be formidable enough in 
numbers (three, here) to throw you off guard. If your RISK is very high, the 
damage done by its Bloodsuck rises dramatically.

The Crossing
Magic Circle
A Hellhound often dogs this save point (sorry). Head west first to tackle the 
treasure room.

Miner's Resting Hall
Goblins, Mimic
Chest (magic lock): 'Stinger' (B) Guisarme plus Sand Face grip, Quad Shield (B), 
Ring Mail (B), Ring Leggings (B), White Queen gem, Grimoire Visible (Sorcerer 
spell, Eureka), Cure Bulb x 5

Goblin HP 220 / MP 25
Human
Special Attacks: none
You may find some interesting bits of kit when attacking these chimp-like 
troglodytes. Collect it and save it all up for some future business in the 
Workshop.

Mimic HP 120 / MP 0
Beast
Special Attack: Numbing Needle
This old D&D stalwart gives itself away a bit too soon, perhaps. We all know 
that you should never trust a room with more than one chest.

To open the chest, you'll need to use that Unlock spell. If it doesn't work 
first time, just keep trying. As your reward, you'll get the Eureka spell and 
never have to use another Eye of Argon.

The Suicide King
Goblin, Stirge
A simple locking trap room to give you Yggdrasil's Tears from the corpses of the 
fallen. You'll be needing plenty of them in the Mines.

The Battle's Beginning
Boss: Wyvern HP 340 / MP 0
Dragon
Special Attack: Fire Breath
Prize: Hyacinth Sigil, Cure Tonic, Grimoire Ignifuge (Enchanter spell, Pyro 
Guard)

Nobody's had a crack at this one with a pointy stick beforehand, so it's all 
down to you this time. Unlike ordinary reptiles, this Dragon-class creature is 
strongest against Piercing weapons and weak against Blunt ones (you may find a 
spear does more damage against its body when successful). If you can get behind 
or to the side of it, the tail is susceptible to Edged weapons.

In case you're wondering - and I know you weren't - the heraldic definition of 
the difference between a Wyvern and a Dragon is that the Wyvern stands erect on 
two legs, while the Dragon walks on four (as in the Welsh national flag). There, 
that should save you any future embarrassment at dinner parties when you find 
yourself sitting next to a questing Knight Errant and the discussion moves to 
the profit margins involved in professional dracicide.

What Lies Ahead?
Goblin, Goblin Leader HP 260 / MP 60
Human
Special Attack: casts Stun Cloud, Degenerate
Stun Cloud's effect is Paralysis, which prevents you attacking physically for a 
short period. That's quite a serious status ailment when you're in a room full 
of Goblins, all things considered, so assign the Defence Ability 'Ward' to one 
button and attempt to counter the Stun Cloud. If that fails, use Yggdrasil's 
Tears or retreat. Also, be sure to check this FAQ's Magic section for a trick to 
using Ward. When you're a more accomplished mage, this won't matter so much.

The Fruits of Friendship
If you use this route to reach The Earthquake's Mark, just cross with the 
Cloudstone and move the top push crate out and to the wall to reach the latched 
door.

Conflict And Accord
Goblin, Hellhound

The End of the Line
Goblin, Stirge
Another locking trap room to stock up on Yggdrasil's Tears. It's not so easy to 
get the timing right for Ward, is it?

The Earthquake's Mark
Stirge
Two of these doors are locked - one on a Latch, the other needing a Hyacinth 
Sigil -- but the third, to the left, is open. Just be sure to avoid the Eruption 
trap with Eye of Argon or Eureka.

Coal Mine Storage
Goblin, Goblin Leader

Chest (unlocked): Ring Sleeve (B), Chain Coif (B), Undine Jasper, Fern Sigil

Make a cursory check with Eureka before you head to the chest. Right in front of 
it is a seemingly unavoidable Poison Trap, but on the ledge behind it is another 
floor pad called 'Trap Clear'. Stepping on this deactivates all traps in the 
room, and you'll see it crop up again in future (while there's no way of 
discerning beforehand, Trap Clears are almost always placed where you wouldn't 
normally go, while dangerous Traps are precisely where they expect you to 
tread).

The Passion Of Lovers
Another time challenge grants you just 15 seconds to make it to the Dark Tunnel 
through the Hall of Hope.

Hall of Hope
Goblin, Goblin Leader

The Dark Tunnel
Magic Circle
From here, take the east route first for a treasure room cul-de-sac. The north 
route requires the Silver Key, which you won't find for some time.

If you return later in the game, this room will house a Dummy in the form of an 
Ogre for training against Beast-class opponents.

Rust In Peace
Goblin Leader, Goblin, Mimic
Chest (magic lock): Chain Sleeve (B), Salamander Ring, Manabreaker, Elixir of 
Sages, Grimoire Undine (Enchanter spell, Frost Fusion)

Everwant Passage
Goblin, Mimic
This exit is sealed off with the Silver Key. Ignore it for now.

The Smeltry
Boss: Fire Elemental HP 320 / MP 140
Phantom
Special Attack: Fireball

Prize: Grimoire Flamme (Warlock spell, Flame Sphere), Elixir of Queens, Mana 
Tonic

Equipping the Salamander Ring raises your overall Fire affinity and thus makes 
you more resistant to fireballs. Decorating your weapon with an Undine Jasper 
raises its Water affinity, causing more damage to Fire-aligned creatures. 
Finally, when you're facing your foe and have your weapons drawn, open with 
Frost Fusion to increase your weapon's Water affinity even further. Changing 
weapons mid-battle will cancel an Enchanter spell.

Clash of Hyaenas
Using Fixate when it's closest will ease the task of jumping to the Cloudstone. 
Then hack away three of the crates before sliding the last one to the wall.

Greed Knows No Bounds
Goblin Leader, Goblin

Live Long And Prosper
The door here is locked with the Fern Sigil, which you should have picked up 
from the chest in Coal Mine Storage.

Pray To The Mineral Gods
Stirges

Traitor's Parting
Boss: Ogre HP 540 HP / MP 35
Beast
Special Attacks: casts Degenerate

Prize: Cure Bulb x 3, Elixir of Kings, Grimoire Rempart (Enchanter spell, Terra 
Guard)

Despite the humanoid appearance, you'll want your best Beast-hunting weapon for 
the Ogre. Casting Prostasia beforehand is also recommended here. Ogres move in 
and out of range with enviable speed, but to slow one to Movement 50% you'd have 
to hamstring both legs (by which time he'd be dead anyway, so it's not as clever 
a tactic as you might imagine). Instead, go for the head or the arms.

On a final note, Ogres are incredibly resistant to combos. If you try to chain 
more than a couple of attacks, you'll find you just start clocking up misses. 

Escapeway
The stairs lead up, and a well-earned rest is in sight...



~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Town Centre West (south bank)
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

This place is busier on your return, but the Cloudstone over the river is now 
functional and making regular ferry trips. Now that you're back, call in at the 
Magic Hammer and get to work on upgrades and repairs. If you've been having a 
rough journey so far, you might want to spend some time here and start picking 
fights with Crimson Blades in order to steal some neat armour and learn a few 
more abilities and Break Arts.

When you're ready to move on, you need to locate the entrance to Undercity West. 
That's your next destination.

Rue Bouquet
Magic Circle

Tircolas Flow (south side)
Crimson Blades
Note that your human enemies are not only intelligent enough to cast spells, but 
will casually use the Cloudstone to reach you. Try to attack them singly and 
finish them off before picking another target, as many possess cure spells and 
items.

Glacialdra Kirk Ruins
You'll find an intriguing gate-barred staircase here marked with the Rood 
Inverse. Hate to disappoint you, but this simply isn't accessible on your first 
game. You need to beat Vagrant Story at least once to be able to open it, so 
don't expect to get a 100% rating straight off.

Instead, clamber over some fallen masonry to find a slightly concealed entrance 
to the south. Then pass straight through Rue Sant D'alsa to Villeport Way.

Villeport Way
A cut-scene shows you where you need to go, but when it concludes you'll find 
that the gate is locked and the only other door is latched from the other side. 
Return to Rue Sant d'Alsa for Dinas Walk to take you inside.

Rue Sant d'Alsa
On your first visit, you'll pass straight on to Villeport Way. You'll be coming 
back, soon enough.
Crimson Blades
Ambushed! But pay attention and you'll see that one of the Blades jumps down 
from a balcony terrace above you. Use the first-person and distant views to get 
a look at it.  By standing on the raised grassy hillocks to the right, you can 
get enough height on your jump to climb up onto it. There's a door here that 
enters a derelict building.

Dinas Walk
This is little more than a corridor with some broken floor to leap and an exit 
at the far end that places you on the other side of Rue Sant D'alsa's locked 
gate.

When you emerge, drop down to the post that the Crimson Blade is guarding and 
dispose of him before opening the inner gate to Undercity West.



~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Undercity West
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

The skyless streets and boulevards of the Undercity offer a refuge from the sun 
for Lea Monde's walking dead and damned. In game terms, that means you should 
pack your bags with weapons for despatching Undead, Evil, Phantoms and Beasts. 
On this first trip your aim is to reach the Snowfly Forest, but later on you 
will return here with the Iron Key to open up closed avenues, claim the Clematis 
Sigil and eventually enter the Limestone Quarry.

The Bread Peddlar's Way
One of the more suspenseful tunes of the game, that.

Way of the Mother Lode
Zombie Knight, Ghast HP 120 / MP 0
Undead
Special Attacks: none
The Ghast is familiar Undead fare, but sometimes packs a decent weapon on a 
fairly strong hitting-arm. 

Sewer Of Ravenous Rats
Skeleton, Zombie Mage HP 135 / MP 80
Undead
Special Attacks: casts spells, including Lightning Bolt
When he's facing the other way, you can often creep up on a Zombie Mage and stab 
him in the back before he can utter so much as a magic syllable. 

This passage joins up to another part of Undercity West, but for now the door is 
sealed with the Silver Key.

Underdark Fishmarket
Boss: Giant Crab HP 420 HP / MP 0
Beast
Affinity: Water
Special Attack: Aqua Bubble

Prize: Cure Bulb x 3, Elixir of Queens, Grimoire Sylphe (Enchanter spell, Luft 
Fusion)

Switch that Undine Jasper to your shield, if you're packing one. The Undercity's 
guardian has a weakness to Fire but it's probably not worth bothering with a 
level 1 Flame Sphere, as you won't be able to target more than one or two hit 
locations on such a huge crustacean. It's also weak against Air, and you'll find 
that Fire, Air and Lightning Break Arts or spells will inflict immense damage. 
Blunt hammers serve well for crushing its shell armour but if you're using a 
Piercing attack then you might aim for the mouth.

For the record, not one of the crabs in the game seemed to pose any kind of 
threat. If you're getting stuffed, check that you haven't still got a Salamander 
Ring attached - this would amplify its Aqua Bubble damage.

The Sunless Way
Magic Circle

Hall of Poverty
Zombie Knight, Ghast

The Washing-Woman's Way
Zombie Knight, Zombie Mage
There's a Heal Panel near the door locked with the Silver Key.

Remembering Days of Yore
Zombie Knight, Ghast, Zombie Mage
Come back here when you have the Iron Key: you'll be able to access Larder for a 
Lean Winter and claim the Clematis Sigil. For now, though, take the steps up to 
Snowfly Forest.

Where The Hunter Climbed
These steps will take you to the Snowfly Forest.







~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Snowfly Forest
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Finding your way through this place is actually quite confusing. Not only is the 
layout designed to befuddle, but the canopy of trees can also hinder your 
ability to see pathways and creatures (I'm none too keen on that aspect). Many 
exits in the Snowfly Forest do not lead to where you expect. Instead, they warp 
you to a distant area or return to you a place already explored. The effect is 
deliberately disorientating, but it can be mapped (see below).

When Rosencrantz tells you to follow the Snowflies, that's not to be taken 
literally: there's no clue to be discerned by trying to see which way they fly 
across the screen. Instead, it refers to the fact that your path through the 
Forest is blocked by a swarm of Snowflies at the Yellow Wood, and that's where 
you need to get through to proceed, so you'll have to defeat the local boss 
first to shift them. This boss will also give a Bronze Key for later use.

A neat hidden trick is that if you click on a lone tree with the X action 
button, Ashley will sometimes be able to tell compass direction by the side of 
the bark on which the moss grows (you get an option to readjust the direction 
you're facing). Amusing, but it's better to keep checking your map screen from 
place to place.

-----------------------
Map 1: Forest Path
-----------------------

Each room is identified by its central letter. The exits are shown as letters 
around the 'walls' of the room, and these letters indicate where you will end up 
if you leave the room through that door or passageway.


A - The Faerie Circle           N - The Secret Path
B - The Hunt Begins             O - Hewn From Nature
C - Which Way Home              P - The Wood Gate
D - The Birds and the Bees      Q - The Giving Trees
E - Traces of the Beast         R - The Wounded Boar
F - Fluttering Hope             S - Golden Egg Way
G - Return to the Land          T - The Woodcutter's Run
H - The Yellow Road             U - The Wolves' Choice
I - Where Soft Rains Fell       V - Howl of the Wolf King
J - Forest River                W - They Also Feed
K - Lamenting to the Moon       X - The Hollow Hills
L - Running with the Wolves     Y - The Spirit Trees
M - You Are the Prey            Z - The Silent Hedges
^ - Entrance                    * - Exit



          +-----------------------------------+
          |         |~~~~~~|                  |
          |         |~~~~o~|           J      |
          |         |~o~~~~|                  | 
          |         |~~~~~~|                  |
          +- K ----------------- A ------- I -+

           | J |                         | J |             +-- Y --+
          -+   +-   -------   -----+     |   |             |       |
          V  K  U   Q  Z  Y   Q  Y |     | I |             |   G   |
          -+   +-   -------   -+   |     |   |             | boss! |       
           | L |               | W |     | H |             +-- F --+
                                       Snowflies
 | X |     | K |               | Y |     | I |     | S |     | G | 
-+   +-   -+   +-   -----+    -+   +-   -+   +-   -+   +-   -+   +-
Z  M  L   M  L  X   L  X |    D  W  H   W  H  E   H  E  F   E  F  S
-+   +-   -------   -+   |    -+   +-   -+   +-   -+   +-   -------
 | N |               | V |     | Q |     | S |     | D |           

 | M |               | X |     | W |     | H |     | E | 
 |   |              -+   +-   -+   +-   -+   +-   -+   +- 
 | N |              Z  V  K   K  U  T   U  T  D   Q  D  W
 |   |              -------   -+   +-   -------   -+   +-
 | O |                         | S |               | C | 

+-- N --+                      | H |               | D |     | W | 
|       |                     -+   +-   -------   -+   +-   -+   +-
|   O   |                     F  S  R   S  R  C   R  C  Q   C  Q  Y
| boss! |                     -+   +-   -------   -+   +-   -------
+-- P --+                      | E |               | B |           

+- O -+                                            | C | 
|     |                    S                       |   |
|  P  |                   E+W                      | B | 
|     |                    N                       |   |
+- * -+                                            | A |

NB: the passage from H to I is blocked by a       +- B -+
Snowfly swarm until the boss at G is defeated.    |     |
                                                  |  A  |   
                                                  |     |
                                                  +- ^ -+
                                               



The Faerie Circle
Magic Circle
Your starting point. Go south from here to reach

The Hunt Begins
A straight path. Keep going south to

Which Way Home
Basilisk HP 120 HP / MP 0
Beast
Special Attack: Acid Breath
The Basilisk is smaller and less petrifying than you might have been expecting. 
Its affinity is Earth, so Air spells and attacks will hurt it more. You can 
occasionally win valuable Snowfly Draughts from Basilisks but it's the more 
common Faerie Wings that you want to collect, as these will be vital later on.

From here, go south again to

The Birds and The Bees
Ichthious HP 100 / MP 0
Beast
Special Attack: Spiral Shell
The Ichthious has an Air affinity, as opposed to the Basilisk, so Earth spells 
and attacks will hurt it most. The Ichthious sometimes surrenders Snowfly 
Draughts but it's the Faerie Wing that you should stock up.

Go south to


Traces of the Beast
If you go east from here, you'll enter the Yellow Wood and discover the Snowfly 
swarm blocking a south exit. So for now, to reach the boss, go west to 
Fluttering Hope.

Fluttering Hope
Take a south again from here to enter Return to the Land.

Return to the Land
Boss: Earth Dragon HP 510 HP / MP 0
Dragon
Special Attack: Acid Breath, Tail Attack

Prize: Bronze Key, Grimoire Parebrise (Enchanter spell, Aero Guard), Vera Potion

This creature's armoured scales make it pretty tough to hit with almost 
anything, even Air and Lightning assaults, despite its declared Earth affinity. 
Once again, though, its head is weaker against Piercing weapons while its tail 
is weaker against Edged blades. Earth Dragon's breath is significantly stronger 
than the Basilisk's, but it's ultimately your choice whether to play safe with 
the defence of Terra Guard, or take the offence of Luft Fusion and try to kill 
it quickly. Cast one of those Enchanter spells, in any case, and use the Terra 
Ward defence ability to halve damage from Acid Breath.

Destroying the Earth Dragon causes the wind to change direction and removes a 
swarm of Snowflies that were blocking an exit of The Yellow Wood. Both exits 
from this boss area take you to the same place, so you'll need to retrace that 
path to the Yellow Wood.

Yellow Wood
The southern exit is blocked by Snowflies until you defeat the Earth Dragon in 
Return to the Land. When that's accomplished, head through it to

Where Soft Rains Fell
Fire Elemental
You probably weren't expecting one of these. Head south again, obviously.

The Forest River
Basilisk, Zombie Knight
Magic Circle & Container

Chest (unlocked): Knuckle Guard grip, Circle Shield (H), Chain Mail (I), Sylphid 
Ring, Nightkiller gem, Acolyte's Nostrum x 3, Grimoire Agilite (Sorcerer spell, 
Invigorate)

There are three exits from the Forest River. The one just left of where you've 
entered is a warp shortcut back to the Faerie Circle. To carry on through the 
forest, you want to take the exit over the river. Use the Container to dump some 
of your booty if you're over-encumbered. 

Don't jump with weapons readied or you won't be able to catch ledges if you 
slip. Once you've lined yourself up to face the tall columns of rock, rotating 
with L1 & R1 for a side-on 'platformer' view of the leap you need to make is 
probably the easiest way to judge it.

If the Zombie Knights seem a little bit lost out here in the Forest, just think 
back a couple of cut-scenes. Hmm, now what fate might have befallen Faemdos and 
Lamkin, Grissom's Crimson Blade escort?

From the exit on the Zombie side, go north 

Lamenting to the Moon
Go north

Running with the Wolves
Go east

You Are the Prey
Go north

The Secret Path
Go north

Hewn From Nature
Sydney isn't your enemy in this battle, so just concentrate on destroying both 
Grissom and his summoned guardian.

Boss: Father Grissom, Crimson Blade cleric commander, HP 350 HP / MP 100
Human
Special Attacks: spellcaster

Prize: 'Shillelagh' (H) Wizard Staff, Swan Song accessory, Grimoire Annuler 
(Sorcerer spell, Magic Ward), Grimoire Gnome (Enchanter spell, Soil Fusion)

If you can, sap Grissom's mana points with chains or beat him senseless about 
the head to shut him up. His spells are good but his physical staff-swipes are 
very weak.

Boss: Dark Crusader HP 380 / MP 80
Evil
Special Attacks: Prostasia, Degenerate, Tarnish

Prize: 'Angel Wing' (H) Katana, Grimoire Deteriorer (Sorcerer spell, Tarnish), 
Elixir of Queens

The Crusader will cautiously cast Prostasia on itself and Grissom before closing 
to attack with its huge sword (a two-handed Katana it can wield with one hand). 
Air affinity magic and Break Arts have some of the best chances of denting this 
armour in the chest or arm, while a Piercing blow to the abdominal region can be 
the most damaging but risky physical attack. 

Partner (!): Sydney Losstarot HP ??? / MP ???
Sydney fights on your side for this battle, and proves reasonably useful by 
casting Prostasia on you to begin and then dividing the attention of your 
enemies if you stay near him. You can even dodge behind him physically to use 
him as a shield against Katana blows, if you wish. It is genuinely possible to 
defeat Sydney in this battle, albeit briefly, but ultimately rather pointless as 
he's nigh-immortal. He'll utter a message about it not being his time, then 
vanish in a blue column, but he'll be right back again in corporeal form for the 
closing cut-scene. The fight ends only when you defeat both Grissom and his 
Crusader.

Chest (unlocked): 'Corpse Reviver' (I) Firangi, Circle Shield (H), Demonia gem, 
Vera Tonic x 3, Cure Bulb x 3

Incidentally, you now have the spell Magic Ward - one of the most powerful 
protection spells in the game. Be sure to test it out as soon as possible, as 
you'll need to learn its advantages and drawbacks alike. Finally, leave by the 
north exit (the path near the chest) to enter

The Wood Gate
Magic Circle
The door here takes you back into the City Walls, but at the South side. A small 
warning: this place looks very similar to the Faerie Circle, but importantly has 
a heavy wooden doorway rather than a descending flight of steps.  Don't be 
tempted to think you've come full circle and rush back into the Forest, 
impatiently.


~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
City Walls South
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

This corridor carries you straight into the Keep if you stick to it, so head 
there first and Save before exploring. You should also unlatch the doors as you 
go to increase your freedom of access in future.

The Weeping Boy
Lizardman

Swords For The Land
Lizardman, Blood Lizard HP 250 / MP 0
Dragon
Special Attacks: none
Another time challenge demands that you clear this room completely in the 20 
seconds allowed, otherwise you'll have to start again with all enemies restored.

In Wait of the Foe
The latched door here opens onto Villeport Way.

Where Weary Riders Rest
Lizardman