Reza
With his part assembled and his duty clear, Alex needs to pay a visit to Reza, a sketchy town to the south of the Nanza Pass. You'll see why it is sketchy immediately upon entry, as some vagabond will slip in and steal the Dragon Wings. If you want to use them to teleport around, do so before entering Reza, as you'll be without them for a while.
Aside from Weapon and Armor Shops in the east, as well as a locked, red chest in the west containing a Silver Light, Reza's only claim to fame is the pub in the north. Pop inside and Nall will spot someone familiar at the bar: No less than Laike. He has some info, but very little advice. The person you actually need to speak to is the bartender, who will give the party a tip on how to get the Dragon Wings back.
That's all for Reza for the moment. Next stop: Meryod Woods. You'll find Meryod Woods far to the west of Reza. Head south, east, and northeast to reach the woods, which are wedged in the middle of a canyon. Beside the southern entrance of the woods you'll find the entrance to Althena's Spring, and you can speak to the attendant and use a bar of Soap to give the men in your party a nice bath. There are two different scenes, and if you save your game and reload after viewing one you can save yourself a bar of Soap. There's also a statue of Althena inside the shrine if you need to heal.
Is there a spring for the ladies? Of course. Is it as easy to find as this one? Not on your life. We'll come back to bathing in another guide.
Meryod Woods
Enemies
- Brain Licker - 108 HP - Can use AOE attacks - Weak to Fire, resists Ice, Thunder
- Chrono Gorgon - 96 HP - Can Poison targets - Weak to Sword, resists Thunder
- Graggen - 90 HP - Melee opponents - Weak to Sword, resists Fire, Thunder
- Killer Buzz - 90 HP - Heavy melee opponents - Weak to Sword
Meryod Woods is a short and simple combat area. The enemies in general are not a big deal, with the exception of the Killer Buzzes. Not only will they go first on most turns, they can OHKO weaker characters with ease - and they tend to appear in packs. You'll want to wipe these things out quickly with either Flash Cut (Alex) or Sonic Riser (Kyle). This area is great for grinding levels and silver, so if you feel a little weak you may want to stick around Meryod Woods for a while.
There are only three items to pick up in this area:
- 1,000 silver, on the east side of the forest
- 1,000 silver, on the west side of the forest
- A Fortune Ring, inside a locked, red chest behind a tree in the northwest of the forest
You'll find the exit of the woods in the north of the area. Stick to the west side and you'll avoid substantial numbers of enemies found straight down the middle.
Meryod
A backwater town built around a series of boardwalks, Meryod isn't the most interesting place you've visited, once you get past the unique layout. The people of Meryod have a... unique... way of speaking, so have fun translating what they have to say.
If you check to the south of the entrance you'll find an Item Shop that sells Wrath Rings, which increase melee attack power, as well as an Armor Shop that will outfit everyone with better equipment. If you check behind the house in the southwest of Meryod you'll find a locked, red chest containing a Silver Light.
Head back to the entrance and travel east of the statue of Althena. The bridge will give way under everyone's feet, separating the party. Move from party member to party member, gathering everyone, until you find Mia. She's south of Meryod's pub, and inside you'll find Kyle, who just happens to have located the Thieves' Guild's test-giver. You'll receive an Old Notebook which will grant you access to the next section of the test.
That's all for Meryod. Heal up, save your game, and return to Meryod Woods. The trip through is the same as last time... until you reach the southern clearing, anyway.
Plaster Mel
Remember that battle against Master Mel earlier in the game? You're doing it again, only this time it's Kyle up to bat. Power Up and Power Slash will take Plaster Mel down after a few hits. You can give Kyle a Healing Nut or two for insurance, but he can likely defeat Plaster Mel before running out of HP.
Wipe out Plaster Mel and the group will have an encounter with the fiend behind the illusion. Once she leaves you can continue on your way south, to your next destination: Damon's Spire.