Part 9: Crossing Mountains - Rohlan Fields
A stop at the border revealed that crossing into Tormund would be impossible without a Special Pass. Thanks to a shady fellow, though, the team has learned that someone in Basil can provide them with a pass - presumably for a price.
To trigger A Pass to Kortara you need to visit the northeastern section of the Rohlan Fields, two screens north of Farnsport, and speak to the guards. This will ultimately set off the quest, which will point you towards Basil, a town on the west side of the Rohlan Fields. You can reach Basil by trekking west from the border walls and then south, or by heading west from the entrance to Farnsport. Both journeys have their ups and downs.
Basil
A small farming community on the outskirts of the big city, Basil nevertheless has plenty of things to see, do, and grab. Before you proceed with your quest you should have a look around the settlement:
- Head north when you enter Basil. Past two wheat fields and several fences you'll find a chest containing three Heal Overdrives.
- North of the wheat fields is a large home with two entrances. The family inside has... issues. Check the southern room for 30a.
- In the northeast of Basil is a field of goats. Here you'll find a woman whom you may have saved from Wool Turtles, northeast of Farnsport. She'll give you a Comfy Scarf as thanks for the assistance, and you can ask her questions. She'll point you towards Becker, the man you're supposed to contact about a pass, though the woman doesn't seem to trust him at all.
- In the center of town is a man showing off an enormous, saddled cat. Circling the cat and the man is a boy who will tell you about a secret passage beneath an old tree for 5a. (If you thoroughly checked out the first section of Rohlan Fields with Lenne and Robb, however, you already discovered the tree's secret.)
- Just west of the stage with the giant cat is a pub. Check the clock on the ground floor for 17a, and a plant on the second floor for an Earth ATK Up Crystal. The second floor leads to a balcony with two more rooms. The cabinet in the room on the right contains another Earth ATK Up Crystal, while a chest in the room on the left contains two Oil Lamps.
- Check behind the houses in the south of Basil and you'll see the top of a carrot waving in the breeze. If you check it, well... you'll see. There are more details in the guide for the side quest A Little Vacation, and though you can't complete that side quest now you can at least get it started during this trip to Basil. West of the carrot you'll find a chest containing two Sweets, just south of an empty dirt lot.
- In the northwest of Basil you'll find a weapons and armor shop. Most of the weapons can be found by exploring the Rohlan Fields, though if you don't want to hunt around buying them works just as well. The armor shop's offerings are a little more useful.
- Northeast of the armory is the Village Elder, who will offer more information on crossing the border. He, too, doesn't have much trust for Becker. Check the small pen north of him, the one with three kids in it, for a chest containing two Lozenges.
In the northwest of Basil you'll find an enormous mansion, and, unsurprisingly, it belongs to Becker. You've caught him at a bad time, however, and Becker will give you four Special Permits, paid for by Victor. He then sends you on your way. Head into the back yard and check the west side of the house for a red chest containing a Raven Cloak, then take your leave.
Head to the border crossing in northeastern Rohlan Fields. Before you can try your luck with the permits you'll be stopped by a man named Jan, whose name will sound quite familiar if you explored the Seaside Village to the south of Basil. Jan will tell you that the permits are fakes, and when you try them, sure enough, they don't work.
Head back to Becker's mansion in Basil. He'll claim that Jan is the fraudster, and he stole your permits. Outside you'll see Jan fleeing the mansion. Follow him south, towards the Seaside Village, and you'll have to save Jan from a Slorse and two Pigears. After the fighting is done you can deal with Jan in a few different ways:
- Let Jan explain
- Knock Jan out
- Take the permits and leave
Head to Basil and pay Becker another visit. He'll sic four Becker's Boys on the party. They're strong to Fire and weak to Water, and overall nothing special. Once you trounce all four Becker will, in a panic, offer to renegotiate. He'll tell you to go through a ruin called the Temple of the Purple Flame to get across the border, and he'll give you a Purple Flame Temple Key to get inside. T(he dialogue you'll get during this sequence changes a bit depending on your earlier choices, and Becker will be more contrite if you fully learned about his schemes from Jan.)
Head north of Basil, cross the first bridge you see, and go west across the watery jumps once you run into Leaping the Frog. The path beyond will bring you to the front door of the Temple of the Purple Flame, and with the key you can walk right in, completing A Pass to Kortara.