Nalbina Dungeons

OBJECTIVE

Escape the Nalbina Dungeons!

Find a way out of this godforsaken oubliette.

Action Checklist

1. Defeat the three seeq prisoners in the Arena.

2. Fight through the Imperial watch to the magick-sealed door.

Defeat the Seeq Prisoners

Vaan awakens from his dream about Reks to find himself in the infamous Nalbina Dungeons, with Balthier nearby. Not a pretty place—as Balthier explains, “It’s not even a proper dungeon. They just sealed off the bottom half of the fortress.” If you check your equipment and items, you’ll find that you don’t have any. The Imperials took your stuff!

The dungeons are grim, but there is treasure to find… if you like Knots of Rust. Explore the Stockade area and search for chests. Each one contains a Knot of Rust. What good is a Knot of Rust? Actually, it makes a decent weapon, so grab all you can. Talk to your fellow inmates while exploring the area, too. You’ll hear a lot about some brutal fellow named Daguza. Important: Save your game here at the Save Crystal before you go through the next doorway into the Arena!

First, an event shows some vicious seeq prisoners beating a helpless bangaa prisoner. When Vaan protests, he ends up in the Arena for a blood sport event pitting him, unarmed, against three massive, club-wielding seeq bosses. Luckily, Balthier joins the fray in the Arena with the taunt: “I said you’re the one who stinks, hamshanks. Hear me now?”

Daguza, Galeedo, and Gwitch are three dim bulbs to be sure, but like all seeq they love a good fight. Give them what they want! Try to keep your distance at first (although it’s kind of difficult to get separation in the tight arena) and fling a couple of precious Knots of Rust at either Galeedo or Gwitch to take down one of them quickly. Each knot deals a good 30 to 40 points of damage! Or, if you have unlocked the Black Magick 1 license for Vaan or Balthier, light them up with Fire magick for massive damage. Remember that your gambits are still working.

Remember that your magick and technicks are still available, so (if available) use Cure when either Vaan’s or Balthier’s HP drops below the halfway mark. If you’re feeling lucky, try to steal from one of the seeq, but be careful!

A victory over the seeq triggers a long event in which a nasty green bangaa “headhunter” named Ba’Gamnan appears, looking for the sky pirate. It seems Balthier has a price on his head. Fran appears, too; she’s found a way out of the dungeons. But the magick sealing the exit door is too strong for her.

Vaan and Balthier slip underneath an exit gate just before an imposing new menace makes its appearance: an armored Archadian Judge. Judges are the elite guard and the enforcers of the laws of the Archadian Empire.

As the event ends, the bangaa headhunter Ba’Gamnan orders his minions to find the sky pirate. Balthier decides to follow the Judge, hoping the Imperials will unwittingly lead the party out of the dungeon.

Find the Dungeon Exit

The party ends up in the Confiscatory near a blue Save Crystal. Walk forward to trigger a short event where the party members recover all their lost items and equipment. The party also receives a handy map of the Nalbina Dungeons. Then save your game at the crystal.

Head east into the next area: the Black Watch. A brief event shows the door shutting behind your party and a quick overview of the Imperial-infested corridors up ahead.

There are a number of treasure coffers here, plus 14 patrolling Imperials. You can try to sneak through the watch, but it’s probably better to fight your way through, as you will gain valuable EXP, LP, and loot. Plus you’ll put together a Battle Chain, since all Imperial soldiers (e.g. Swordsman, Hoplite, Magus, Pilot, and Marksman) are considered the same “type.” When a Battle Chain gets high enough, fallen foes may drop better items.

Avoid going to the north-central part of the watch area until you’ve cleared out treasure and foes everywhere else. When you approach the hallway leading to the magicked door (see the map), you trigger an event. Balthier spots the Judge’s party, including a mage, moving through the watch; your party silently follows them.

When the Judge’s party reaches a sealed door, the mage casts a powerful spell that opens the passage. Thanks, buddy! When control of your party returns to you, lead them through the opening.

This triggers another event in which the party discovers a prisoner held in a brutal isolation chamber. The Judge speaks to him: the prisoner is Basch, former captain in the Order of the Knights of Dalmasca and the man who apparently assassinated the king. The Judge announces that the woman Amalia, a leader of the insurgence, is being brought from Rabanastre.

When the Judge leaves, Balthier leads your party out to the prisoner, Basch. When Balthier calls him a “kingslayer,” Basch denies killing Raminas. Fran feels the Mist strongly in this room: “It must be going somewhere,” she says. After Vaan vents his anger at Basch, Fran drops the cage and she and Balthier jump aboard.

After a fade to black, you see the cage shattered and Basch freed. Over Vaan’s vehement objections, Balthier invites Basch to join the party, saying, “We could use another sword arm.” Basch joins as a guest. Like with the insurgent warrior Amalia earlier, you cannot alter this guest's equipment or licenses, but you can issue him commands and change his gambits to your liking. You can also make Basch the party leader. You are now in the Barheim Passage.