Giza Plains (Dry)

Action Checklist

1. Go to the Nomad Village in Giza Plains.

2. Find Jinn, the nomad boy, to learn about Sunstones.

3. Make your own Sunstone.

4. Bring the Sunstone to Old Dalan.

Find the Nomad Village

To find the village, you must travel south across the barren desert. The first area, Throne Road, is loaded with treasure urns, so fully explore the region. Look out for roving Hyenas and the occasional Giza Rabbit. (The bunnies are not aggressive, so you can ignore them if you want.) After plundering all of the treasures lying in the sand, head south to the next area, the Nomad Village.

There is a blue Save Crystal tucked behind the big center tent in the village. Nearby, a nomad merchant named Arjie has sundry items for sale. Among these is the Bangle, an extremely useful accessory that equips the wearer with the technick Libra. This technick reveals critical information (Level, HP, weaknesses, etc.) about targeted enemies in the field. Remember that you must spend 20 LP to get the Bangle license, which is obtainable under “Accessories 2” on the license board.

Speak to the old woman in front of the central tent. Elder Brunoa speaks about dark crystals and Sunstones and directs Vaan to Masyua, who stands behind the tent. Speak to Masyua and listen to her proposition. She mentions Jinn, a missing child who carries a supply of the Shadestones needed to craft a Sunstone. Her offer: find Jinn and earn a Sunstone in return. Jinn was last seen south of the camp.

The conversation with Masyua also triggers an event: Vaan finds Penelo with the children of the nomad camp. When the scene ends, Penelo joins your party. Speak to the nearby nomad youth, Camina. She says she saw Jinn in the Crystal Glade to the south.

Now it’s time to leave the village via the southwest exit into the Toam Hills. (Don’t forget to replenish and save your game at the Save Crystal before you go!) On the way out, Penelo will hand over 3 Potions and 2 Tufts of Phoenix Down. Exiting the area also triggers the addition of party commands to your control of characters. Now you can issue specific commands to each party member, and change leaders if you want.

Gambits have also been added to the Battle Menu. Gambits are a powerful combat tool, so you will need to understand how they work and develop your own Gambit strategies for every situation. For now, all you can do is toggle them on or off for each character. Our advice: Toggle them on and leave them on. We’ll talk more about Gambits later.

Find Jinn in the Crystal Glade

The party starts in the Toam Hills just west of the village, with the dagger-wielding Penelo following Vaan’s lead. (You can make Penelo the leader if you want; just press up or down on the D-pad once to trigger Select Leader, then scroll to Penelo and press to select her.) Work your way around the area, fighting for EXP, LP, and loot.

It’s a welcome change to have a partner who has your back, isn’t it? Beware the huge Slaven, the Wildsnake, and the three-dog Hyena pack led by a powerful Alpha Hyena in the eastern extension of the Toam Hills. You can defeat them, but they’re tough foes. Heal often! Exit to Starfall Field to the south.

In Starfall Field, continue to fight and hunt for treasure, but ensure that you work your way east and don’t provoke the powerful Werewolves in the area. Note the “dark crystal” near the center of the area; it has absorbed sunlight and now radiates brilliantly. The eastern exit leads to the Crystal Glade, where you will find Jinn.

Vaan and Penelo are safe here, so you can wait to save your game at the blue Save Crystal until after you complete the conversation with Jinn, the nomad youth who sits next to the dark crystal in the clearing. Talk to him to learn that he has injured his leg. Explain the situation to Jinn and he hands over a Shadestone that you can turn into a Sunstone.

He explains that you must hold the Shadestone close to the big glowing crystals found in the Giza Plains. The Shadestone will absorb their energies and become a Sunstone. An Energy gauge appears in the upper-right corner to measure your progress. Finally, Jinn marks the dark crystals’ locations on the area map, so press the touch pad to see where all four are located.

Make Your Shadestone into a Sunstone

You can visit the dark crystals in any order, but let’s take an efficient, circular route that explores new territory (always fun) and runs right past the village Save Crystal at the halfway point. Exit the Crystal Glade east into Gizas South Bank.

The shimmering crystals are easy to find. Just walk up to each one, press , and select the option to hold the Shadestone up to the crystal. The Energy gauge indicates what percentage of energy your Shadestone has gained from the transaction. After draining the Gizas South Bank crystal, head north and do the same to the crystal in the Gizas North Bank. Then go west to the Nomad Village and save your game.

Here’s a good chance to upgrade your equipment. You should have built up some LP and gathered some loot from your battles, so visit Arjie. Sell your loot and see what she has available, including Bazaar items, then spend LP on any corresponding licenses needed to equip what you purchase.

Now set out west into the Toam Hills again, but this time go north into Warrior’s Wash to find and drain the third dark crystal into your Shadestone. Check the Energy gauge and if it hasn’t yet reached 100 percent, you must head all the way south, back to Starfall Field, to drain the fourth and final shimmering crystal. Finally, you gain a Sunstone!

Upon reaching 100 percent, the scene automatically shifts to the Crystal Glade, where Jinn examines the Sunstone and pronounces it good. Then the scene shifts again to the Nomad Village where Masyua gives you generous gifts to go with your new Sunstone. Save your game again at this point and head north, back toward Rabanastre.

Bring the Sunstone to Old Dalan

Return to Rabanastre’s Southgate district, go through the old freight door into Lowtown, and head for Old Dalan’s place. As you approach, you trigger an event wherein Penelo leaves your party. Then enter and talk to Dalan, who uses the Sunstone to revitalize his Crescent Stone, then provides directions to the secret palace entrance. Finally, he hands over the Crescent Stone, which is used to open a hidden door to the Treasury.

Then he repeats the words: “The signet yearns for Sunstone’s strength, to light the clouded way.” A signet tile in the palace will light your path with help from the Crescent Stone.