Final Fantasy XII: The Zodiac Age Guide Walkthrough Part 2

Giza Plains (The Rains)

OBJECTIVE

Meet with the Garif

Cross the wet, swampy Giza Plains and the Ozmone Plain to find the Garif village and speak to the elders.

Action Checklist

1. Cross the rainy Giza Plains.

2. Cross the Ozmone Plain.

3. Find the Garif village and speak to the Great-chief.

	Pop odds	If pop, Gil odds & Amt		Normal Loot		w/Diamond Armlet
#	App. %	Gil %	Amt. if Gil	50%	50%	90%	10%
1	80%	30%	~260	Lightning Fang	Ether	Knot of Rust	Meteorite (A)
2	80%	30%	~260	Phoenix Down	Eye Drops	Knot of Rust	Meteorite (A)
3	80%	30%	~260	Ether	X-Potion	Knot of Rust	Meteorite (A)
4	80%	30%	~260	Chronos Tear	Phoenix Down	Knot of Rust	Meteorite (B)
5	100%	0%	—	Regen	Regen	Regen	Regen
6	75%	40%	~230	Potion	Gravity Mote	Knot of Rust	Meteorite (A)
7	75%	40%	~230	Chronos Tear	Phoenix Down	Knot of Rust	Meteorite (C)
8	75%	30%	~400	Ether	Iron Pole	Knot of Rust	Meteorite (A)
9	75%	30%	~400	Ether	Slasher	Knot of Rust	Meteorite (A)
10	75%	40%	~230	Potion	Balance Mote	Knot of Rust	Meteorite (B)
11	80%	40%	~270	Dark Mote	Potion	Knot of Rust	Meteorite (A)
12	80%	60%	~350	Remedy	Golden Helm	Knot of Rust	Meteorite (A)
13	80%	40%	~270	Potion	Bio Mote	Knot of Rust	Meteorite (A)
14	80%	60%	~350	Aqua Mote	Leather Gorget	Knot of Rust	Meteorite (B)
15	80%	40%	~270	Aqua Mote	Hi-Ether	Knot of Rust	Meteorite (A)
16	80%	40%	~270	Balance Mote	Potion	Knot of Rust	Meteorite (A)
17	80%	35%	~300	Ether	Rose Corsage	Knot of Rust	Meteorite (A)
18	80%	35%	~280	Ether	Potion	Knot of Rust	Meteorite (B)
19	80%	35%	~280	Hi-Potion	Feathered Cap	Knot of Rust	Meteorite (A)
20	80%	35%	~280	Chronos Tear	Hi-Ether	Knot of Rust	Meteorite (C)
21	80%	35%	~280	Potion	Green Beret	Knot of Rust	Meteorite (A)
22	80%	35%	~280	Ether	Gold Needle	Knot of Rust	Meteorite (A)
23	80%	30%	~250	Handkerchief	Potion	Knot of Rust	Meteorite (B)
24	80%	30%	~250	Potion	Bio Mote	Knot of Rust	Meteorite (A)
25	80%	30%	~250	Prince’s Kiss	Bacchus’ Wine	Knot of Rust	Meteorite (A)
26	80%	30%	~250	Gold Needle	Ether	Knot of Rust	Meteorite (C)
27	80%	30%	~250	Potion	Ether	Knot of Rust	Meteorite (A)
28	80%	30%	~250	Echo Herbs	Phoenix Down	Knot of Rust	Meteorite (A)
29	80%	50%	~220	Potion	Potion	Knot of Rust	Meteorite (A)
30	80%	50%	~220	Antidote	Phoenix Down	Knot of Rust	Meteorite (A)
31	75%	55%	~300	Hi-Potion	Float Mote	Knot of Rust	Meteorite (A)
32	80%	50%	~220	Antidote	Potion	Knot of Rust	Meteorite (B)
33	75%	55%	~300	Gold Needle	Remedy	Knot of Rust	Meteorite (C)
34	80%	50%	~200	Potion	Hi-Ether	Knot of Rust	Meteorite (A)
35	80%	60%	~180	Balance Mote	Gravity Mote	Knot of Rust	Meteorite (A)
36	80%	50%	~330	Remedy	Flametongue	Knot of Rust	Meteorite (A)
37	80%	50%	~330	Hi-Ether	Survival Vest	Knot of Rust	Meteorite (C)
38	80%	50%	~330	Hi-Ether	Traveler’s Vestment	Knot of Rust	Meteorite (A)
39	80%	50%	~330	Aqua Mote	Shock Mote	Knot of Rust	Meteorite (A)
40	80%	50%	~330	Hi-Ether	Magoroku	Knot of Rust	Meteorite (A)
41	80%	50%	~330	Phoenix Down	Main Gauche	Knot of Rust	Meteorite (B)
42	80%	50%	~330	Remedy	Golden Armor	Knot of Rust	Meteorite (C)

The Story Continues…

Back in the Archadian Senate, the Emperor hears reports of Rozarrian war exercises, believed to be a precursor to an actual strike. Some Senators are clearly displeased with what they consider to be Lord Vayne’s capricious actions.

Meanwhile, back in Dalmasca, the party discusses the Dawn Shard’s awesome destructive force. It is becoming clear to Ashe and the others that Vayne seeks the power of deifacted nethicite for himself, a power that can subjugate all of Ivalice. Vayne most likely already has both the Dusk Shard and the Midlight Shard. Lady Ashe claims she will fight back with the Dawn Shard. She speaks of vengeance—but does she know how to use the stone?

Fran says that the Garif may know. Magicite lore is part of their culture. Ashe asks to be taken there, beyond Ozmone Plain. Finally, everyone moves out into Rabanastre to prepare for the long journey to the Garif village.

Prep for the Journey

Take some time in Rabanastre to visit Montblanc at the Clan Hall for rewards, upgrade equipment, and shop for magicks, technicks, and gambits. This is also a good time to check out the Notice Board at the Sandsea and complete a hunt or two for some extra gil. By now, after you clear the initial Thextera hunt, you'll be able to hunt monsters like Wraith, Nidhogg, Rocktoise, Wyvern Lord, Croakadile, and more, sharpening the party's fangs and acquiring lots of great rewards. When you’re ready, exit the city via Southgate and head into the Giza Plains.

Giza Plains (The Rains)

Cross the Wet Plains

Wow, Giza looks different, doesn’t it? The geography alters considerably once the rainy season kicks in; the “wadis” are swollen with the deluge. A new set of monsters roams the swampy plains, and treasure locations have changed. But the general movement from area to area is still the same.

Hey, everything’s all wet! Wooly Gators are hopping out of the wash, too.

Fight south through the Hyenas and Gigantoads in Throne Road until you exit into the Nomad Village area. The nomads have packed up and left until the rains end, but the Save Crystal is still here. Talk to the nearby Weary Seeq to learn that the Ozmone Plain is to the south, and the Garif village is on the west end of that plain. He adds, “The creatures there are murder.” Uh-oh.

Beware Elementals!

Watch out for sparkling elementals that drift randomly through certain areas, like the Storm Elemental that appears when it’s raining in Giza Plains. An elemental is usually neutral, but if you should cast any magicks within its vicinity, it will immediately turn hostile and cast strong magicks of its own at your party.

In general, it’s wise to avoid elementals in the early going. Therefore, if an elemental is nearby, either manually switch off your active characters’ gambits to avoid auto-combat and wait until the entity drifts away, or (better yet) just hold down the R2 button and flee, then return after a few seconds.

If other enemies are present near an elemental, you really should just flee. These other foes may notice you and give chase, but keep running! Wait until you are well clear of the elemental before releasing the R2 button to attack the foes that gave chase. If you do attract an elemental’s attention, there are usually zone lines nearby and you can always run into the next area.

Of course, you can try to fight these elementals, but make sure your characters are both at a high level and well-equipped.

Side Quest: Withered Tree Bridge

A number of Withered Trees—six, to be exact—sit on the banks of the water in various parts of the Giza Plains. All six locations are marked on the Giza Plains maps in this section.

If you strike a Withered Tree, it falls into the water and floats downstream, snagging at a spot in the Gizas South Bank. When all six Withered Trees are snagged, they form a tangled walkbridge that you can cross into an area called Tracks of the Beast. There, you’ll find an Urn that holds an item called the Feather of the Flock. There are also three extremely powerful Silicon Tortoises, all at Level 37 and most likely too tough to fight at this stage of the game. Despite the overwhelming monsters for this stage, it's worth your while to duck in and out of this zone several times, reaping the equipment upgrades found in the treasure chests here.

Obtaining the Feather of the Flock is one part of the Cockatrice side quest. The Tracks of the Beast area is also where a clan mark appears when you take on the Rank III Clan Hunt “Paradise Risen,” for the petitioner Nanau. See the “Side Quest” chapter for more details on both of these side events.

You can certainly explore any of the areas not mentioned in this walkthrough, seeking EXP, LP, dropped items, and treasure, all of which are useful and necessary for success. But this is a “story walkthrough,” so this section presents the most direct route to Ozmone Plain.

Exit west into the Toam Hills, cross the bridge to the west, then head south and east along the narrow banks of the river to the passage into Starfall Field. Watch for a Wooly Gator and a pair of Ichthons along the way. They are not aggressive, but you can attack them if you want EXP, LP, or the loot items.

You can exit to the south into the Ozmone Plain from Starfall Field. If you feel like exploring, however, you can proceed west into the Crystal Glade to find a Save Crystal, then on to the Gizas South Bank. If you chopped down all six of the Withered Trees in the Giza Plains, you can cross over a bridge of entangled driftwood to the area mentioned earlier, Tracks of the Beast. The monsters there will be too tough to take on yet, but the treasure chests contain big equipment upgrades for the party.