Mount Ordeals
- This scenario is a little different from the previous Tales in that it carries data over - namely, it continues the story begun in Ceodore’s Tale. All items and levels accumulated in that chapter will show up here if you load your save.
- You start off with Kain, solo, on Mount Ordeals. You’re supposed to go to the summit, but you can first make your way down the mountain to find items. There’s an Antarctic Wind on the first screen, as well as Mythril Gloves and a Cottage near the entrance of Mount Ordeals. Trying to leave will trigger a cut scene. On your way back up you can find Mythril Armor on the first screen, as you’re heading west. There’s no point fighting here, so you might as well just run.
- Rise to the summit and investigate the stone monument here, one that you’ve probably seen a few times by now. After a cut scene you’ll be thrown out of the stone monument and wind up by the save point on the summit; walk to the bridge on the summit to end this sequence in Mysidia.
Devil’s Road
- You need to follow the blue-haired girl through this area, and unlike the trip during an earlier trip there’s no confusion about the route. You’ll find a Hi-Potion, a Bronze Hourglass, a Mythril Helm, and a Zeus’s Wrath along the way. Make sure you follow the blue-haired girl exactly at the end or you might wind up back at the beginning. Annoying. Again, there’s no point fighting the monsters down here.
- After a save point you’ll enter a long room with a series of blockades that will activate when you try to cross. Muck up and you’ll essentially be forced to start over. You can get through by making your way north, then southwest through the middle of the area, then, from the southwest corner, north.
- Unequip Kain’s items. You’re out of danger, and he won’t need them.
Baron
- Have a look around town. There's a Hi-Potion in the jar outside the inn, and in the inn's 'secret' room you'll find an Ether, a Gold Needle, and a Unicorn Horn. There’s a Potion in a barrel next to the armour shop, and if you hop into the water in the north and follow it south you can find a Hi-Potion hidden in the southeastern pool. In the northeast corner of town you can find a path to the northwest corner; in the grass you’ll find a hidden Tent, Phoenix Down, and Spider Silk.
- Head to Baron Castle. You can find an X-Potion, a Red Fang, and a Remedy in a secret room in the main hall, and there’s a Bronze Hourglass, Hermes Sandals, a Phoenix Down, two Hi-Potions, a Remedy (bottom level, in a pot), Echo Herbs, Bacchus’s Wine (these last two in pots on the second floor), a Heavenly Wrath, a White Fang, an X-Potion, and a Cottage in the east tower. Whew.
- Check out the throne room. After the cut scene, head outside and hop into the waiting airship. We’re done with Kain.
Mist
- The loaded file finally comes into play as you take control of Ceodore and the Hooded Man once again. Assuming you bothered, equip the stuff from Kain on one of the two and the stuff from Mount Ordeals on the other. They should be well-equipped to face what’s coming.
- Poke around Mist and you can find a Bomb Crank in the northeast grassy patch, a Heavenly Wrath and an Arctic Wind in an isolated path to the southeast, and, in the northwest house’s chimney (Rydia’s home, in fact), a Potion, a Hi-Potion, and a Phoenix Down. Check the right wall between the chests in the chimney to find a second hidden passage leading to a Blood Sword.
- All done? Head east out of Mist. This path leads directly to the next dungeon.
Mist Cliff
- Climb the Cliff until there are two climbing options. Take the right to reach a Hi-Potion and a Bone Wrist, then backtrack and take the left path. You’ll wind up on another screen fairly soon. Climb the left handholds at the bottom of this screen to find a Cottage, then backtrack again and take the right handholds. Start heading east. There’s a Gaia Drum to the far east. Climb north from the Drum.
- Almost to the top. Proceed until you hit a split near the top. Descend on the right side to find a Sleep Blade, then complete the climb to the north to find a save point. Hop off the north side of the peak to begin your descent.
- As you make your way down the Hooded Man will be separated from Ceodore for a bit. Soon the number of platforms and handholds will increase substantially, though they’re still pretty easy to navigate. You can find an Ether, Hermes Sandals, and a Flame Shield by picking around the rocks, and you’ll find Ceodore collapsed in the southeast. Climb west and then south to, after one more screen, wind up back on the ground.
- Head to Kaipo once you reach the other side of the Cliff. You can find a Potion in a pot near the weapons shop; otherwise there’s not much to do besides snooze at the inn. During the night you’ll be attacked, though the Zombie Infantry are fairly small fry. Head into the desert the next day.
Waterway
… let’s be frank. Over the course of Final Fantasy IV: The After Years we’ve gone through this stupid Waterway three times already (twice as Edward, once as Porom). If you played Final Fantasy IV you’ve also traversed its depths at least once. That’s four potential times you’ve faced the Waterway. If you don’t know how to get through it yet then you’re a little hopeless at RPGs.
I’m frustrated. This game likes to repeat itself too often.
At any rate, I’m not going to go into the specifics of where to find the treasures during this trip. You probably know by now. I’ll list which rooms contain what items and let you, you grown adult, you, figure out how to get from one side of each area to the other.
Stupid fuggin’ Waterway.
- Entrance South: Hi-Potion, Ice Shield, Maiden’s Kiss, X-Potion
- Waterfall Grotto: Ether, Silent Bell, Spider Silk
- B2: Spider Silk, Hi-Potion, Icebrand (monster-in-a-box; just outside the save room)
- B3: Zeus’s Wrath, Flame Mail
- B2: Hi-Potion, Remedy
- Entrance North: Tent, Bacchus’s Wine, Phoenix Down, Dry Ether
- Lake B2: Heavenly Wrath, Potion
- Lake B1: Phoenix Down, Hi-Potion
And then, before you exit through the waterfall at the very end…
Octokraken
Wow. Where the nigh-identical Octomammoth in this spot from Porom’s Tale was quite powerful, this thing is weak. It’s much slower, despite consisting of four parts, and will only use physical attacks and the occasional Blizzara. Just smash its face with normal attacks until it dies, healing when necessary.
Baron
After a string of cut scenes you’ll wind up, yep, back in Baron. Sigh. Fight your way into Baron Castle - Cid will make this even easier - and engage in battle with Kain. Note, spoilers omitted, that the Hooded Man gains a new command halfway through that will make fighting easier. In the end Kain will join the party as a Holy Dragoon, now capable of using spells in a manner similar to Cecil - though unlike Cecil he knows Haste, which actually makes his magic useful. Head to the throne room to complete the Tale.
Part Sixteen: Kain's Challenge Dungeon