| Chapter IV: The Orb of Earth |
I. The Ravaged Town
Melmond is not in good shape...
II. The Tunnel of the Titan
You have to pay the toll...
III. The Earth Cave
Time to fight some Giants...
IV. The Vampire
He wants.. to suck.. your BLOOD!...
V. Sarda the Sage
Sarda has a present for you...
VI. The Fiend of Earth
Relight the Orb of the Earth...
VII. On to Crescent Lake
The Circle of Sages awaits...
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Recommended Lvls:
Vampire: 12
Lich: 13-14
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Maps:
World Map
Melmond
Titan's Tunnel
Sarda's Cave
Earth Cave L1
Earth Cave L2
Earth Cave L3
Earth Cave L4
Earth Cave L5
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Area Enemies
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| Chapter IV Summary |
| The Earth's rot is quite apparent in the town of Melmond. The town was also devastated by an attack from a Vampire. To the west of Melmond, the Titan in the Titan's Tunnel refuses to let you pass. Defeat the Vampire, and retrieve the Ruby he guarded; giving the Ruby to the Titan will allow you to pass. Beyond the Titan's Tunnel, Sarda the Sage lives in a cave, alone. He will give you the Rod, which will allow you to go deeper into the Earth Cave. In the depths of the Earth Cave lies Lich, Fiend of Earth, the first of four Fiends you must defeat to light the Orbs. Defeat Lich, and the Orb of Earth will shine again. |
| Sail your Ship through the new Canal and a short distance to the west. Here you'll find the next town, Melmond. The first thing you'll probably notice is all the swampland surrounding the town. The earth's rot is very apparent here. I'm sure someone in town has some info about that, though. Time to start talking to people. |
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Melmond is not in good shape at all. The ground is all rotting and ripped up, and many buildings have been destroyed in an attack from a Vampire. Among the buildings destroyed are the Item Shop, and the Clinic. Ouch. If you need some healing services, it looks like you'll have to go all the way back to Elfland. I hope you stocked up on potions before coming here... |
| There is apparently a Sage in a cave to the south, somewhere. Maybe you should pay him a visit... but not yet. Get some more info first. |
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This guy has some useful information. If you light the Orb of Earth, the earth will begin to repair itself. That's good to know. |
| There's a dwarf named Jim in Melmond. He has no purpose whatsoever. Ignore him. (Why include him here, you ask? ...beats me.) |
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Ah ha! To get to the Sage, you have to pass through the Titan's Tunnel! Well, you'll just have to pay the Titan a visit. ...but not yet. There are still more people to talk to. |
| This pile of rubble used to be the Clinic, I think. Oh well. Not much Clinic-ing going on here any more. |
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Wow, an ancient civilization in the north. How interesting. You'll visit this civilization, much later in the game. |
| Here is yet another reference to a stone that makes things float. A Floater Stone, if you will. It must be important. But you won't find it for awhile yet, so just forget about it for now. |
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Huh-oh. RUBY is capitalized! That means it's a quest item. If you put two and two together, you'll probably realize that you're not getting through the Titan's Tunnel unless you find him a Ruby. Darn. |
| Probably the most important thing in Melmond is the legendary Dr. Unne. He has a special purpose, that is revealed later in the game. For now, just bask in the glory that is UNNE! |
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Earth Cave, eh? That sounds like a dungeon. Yippee. Well, maybe you'll find the Vampire in there. Or the cause of the earth's rot. The Earth Cave sounds like a good place to light the Orb of Earth, doesn't it? |
This guy seems to think that the Vampire is the cause of the Earth's rot! That's a good theory. Only one way to test it; kill the Vampire, of course.
Oh well, that's enough information for now. It's time to go shopping!
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If you thought things in Elfland were expensive, wait until you see the prices in Melmond! 45000G for Steel Armor! 8000G apiece for a 5th level spell! That's a lot of money. You need to find a good place to make money quick, and Ogres just aren't going to do the trick this time, unless you have a couple years of playing time you'd be willing to spend. Which I doubt.
IMPORTANT: You'll notice that your Black/Red Mages are unable to buy the spell WARP. You cannot learn this spell until after the Class Change, later in the game. So LEAVE ONE OF YOUR 5TH LEVEL SPELL SLOTS OPEN so that you can get WARP when you're able! WARP is one of the most helpful spells in the game, and you don't want to go without it.
Well, enough of Melmond for now. Let's go exploring. The Titan's Tunnel is a good place to start.
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Equipment
For a complete list of equipment see the Equipment section
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 Iron staff
 Saber
Long sword
Falchon
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 Steel armor
 Siver bracelet
 Iron helm
 Copper gauntlet
Iron gauntlet
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Magic
For a complete list of magic see the Magic page
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| Lvl 5 |
CUR3
LIFE
HARM3
HEL2
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FIR3
BANE
WARP
SLO2
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| The Titan's Tunnel is a bit to the west of Melmond. On the World Map, you can see where the exit comes out on the other side of the mountain; this tunnel is the only way to get to that area, it seems. It's the only way to reach Sarda the Sage, too. |
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Bad news. The Titan is not friendly. He refuses to let you through his tunnel. Maybe if you can find him a Ruby, he'll reconsider.
That's all for the Titan's Tunnel, for now at least. Head south from the Titan's Tunnel to your next stop: the Earth Cave.
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| The Earth Cave is on the peninsula to the south-west of Melmond. You may want to use a Tent, Cabin, or House to save before entering, there are a lot of nasty monsters in there. |
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The monsters in the Earth Cave are by far the strongest you've faced so far. There are a lot of monsters that can poison you, so I hope you have the PURE spell, and a lot of Pure Potions.
There is also a whole lot of treasure in this Cave. Thousands of G is just waiting to be taken. Unfortunately, most of the treasure is guarded by Earths. Earths are very strong elemental beasts; althought they are weak against FIRE, they are formidable opponents.
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| There is one spot in the Earth Cave that is perfect for gaining levels and making money. to the west of the entrance on the first floor, there is a hallway in which every step will force you to fight a group of Giants and Iguanas. Giants are worth over 800G apiece, and though they are a little hard to defeat, after gaining a few levels you'll be able to fight many Giants before needing to heal. This is the best spot to earn the money needed to buy the expensive spells and armor in Melmond, as well as gain the levels needed to survive the lower levels of the Earth Cave. |
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Of course, an even easier way of gaining G than fighting Giants is finding it in treasure chests. There is over 3000G on the first floor alone, as well as some Potions. So make sure to collect it all. |
You should stay on the first level for now, while you are levelling up; don't go deeper into the cave yet. When you need to, go back to Melmond and stay at the Inn. Then come back here and fight some more.
When you are at level 12, you are strong enough to take on the Vampire. Make SURE you have the spell FIR3 (you should be able to afford it easily at this point). CUR3 is also very useful, but not absolutely necessary. Once you think you're ready, save outside the Cave, and head for the stairs to the lower regions of the Earth Cave.
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| IV. The Vampire |
Earth Cave treasure:
L1: 1975G, 880G, Heal Potion, Pure Potion, 795G
L2: Coral Sword, Cabin, 330G, 5000G, Wooden Shield, 575G
L3: 3400G, 1020G, Heal Potion, RUBY, Tent
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| The second floor of the Earth Cave can be a bit confusing. But, if you continue in a general east direction, you'll find your way eventually. Look at my map if you're really confused. |
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There is some nice treasure to be found on this floor. In particular, the Coral Sword is a wonderful weapon for a Thief. It's in the room just to the north of the stairs to the third floor. |
| When you're done treasure hunting, head down to Level 3, the home of the Vampire. |
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This is one of the most dangerous levels in the Earth Cave. Here you will face for the first time the dread Coctrice. Coctrice have the ability to turn your characters to stone just by attacking them. A Petrified character is essentially dead, although a Soft Potion will revive them. However, you can't use a Soft in battle, and if all 4 of your characters are petrified, it's Game Over. So it's best to run from Coctrices if you find them. |
| Another danger on this floor is Wizards. Yup, they're the same Wizards you fought in the Marsh Cave. If you find a group of Wizards, you must kill them; you aren't allowed to run from them. You'll find them much easier now, though, than when you had to fight them in the Marsh Cave; just use LIT2. |
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Head north from the entrance to this floor, then circle around to the west to the Vampire's room. Make sure you're all healed up before you talk to him, though, because, obviously, he's a boss. |
| He he he.. the Vampire is melodramatic, isn't he? This is possibly the easiest boss in Final Fantasy. If you have FIR3, and you didn't use it on the way to the Vampire, use it now; it will almost always kill the Vampire in one hit! Even if you don't have it, use FIR2 and HRM2 and he will die quickly. Or just use FAST and attack him. It doesn't really matter. (if you need more help for some reason, look at my Bosses page) |
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Once the Vampire is dead (Come to think of it, wasn't he already dead? At least, Undead?), visit the treasure chest in the corner. It's a Ruby! Yippee! Now you can pass through the Titan's Tunnel. |
| In case you haven't noticed, killing the Vampire didn't light any of your Orbs. It looks like the Vampire wasn't the cause of the earth's rot after all. North of the Vampire's room, you'll find a mysterious plate, a Big Nasty Plate of Evil, if you will. The thing that stole the power from the Orb of the Earth is probably underneath of that plate. But it's too heavy for you to lift. Darn. The only thing left to do now is leave the Earth Cave and visit the Titan. Maybe Sarda will have some answers. |
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| V. Sarda the Sage |
| Titan's Tunnel treasure: Silver Helmet, 450G, 620G, Great Axe |
| After your trek through the Earth Cave, you should probably go back to Melmond to heal and save at the Inn. Then head for the Titan's Tunnel one more time. |
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Talk to the Titan. He is very happy to see you this time, and very hungry too. He eats the Ruby, and now you can pass through his tunnel! There is some treasure to the south, if you want it (of course you want it). The exit is to the north. |
| After leaving the Tunnel, head south. Far to the south, you'll find another cave. This is the home of Sarda, the Sage. Don't worry, there are no monsters in there, just Sarda. |
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Talk to Sarda. Sarda seems to know a lot about the Earth Cave (I guess that's why he's a Sage). He tells you that the real cause of the earth't rot is past the Plate. And he gives you a Rod to remove the Plate! Now you can finally light the Orb of the Earth. Leave Sarda and go back to Melmond, to rest and save one more time. |
| VI. The Fiend of Earth |
Earth Cave treasure:
L4: 5450G, 1520G, Wooden Staff, 3400G, 1455G, 1250G, Silver Shield, Cabin
L5: None
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| The lower levels of the Earth Cave are rather difficult. It would be a very good idea to gain a couple more levels before attempting it. If you can get your characters to Level 14, you'll be more than ready to tackle the Boss at the end of the Earth Cave. So fight some more Giants until your characters are ready. |
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In addition to getting your characters' levels up, you should also make sure to buy all the equipment and Magic you'll need to survive the Earth Cave. First of all, head back to Coneria or Elfland, and pick up some Heal Potions. You should take about 50 Heal Potions with you (it's a lot, but better safe than sorry). Grab a couple more Pure Potions too, and if you've run out of Soft Potions, make sure to stock up again (you should only need 7 or 8 Softs, though). |
If you have any Fighters in your party, you should be able to afford the Steel Armor for them. Also, make sure your Mages have all the Level 5 spells that they need; you should at least have CUR3, LIFE, and FIR3. Make sure your weaker characters have Silver Bracelets, too.
Once your party is fully equipped, it's time to visit the Earth Cave one more time. As always, use a Tent or Cabin right outside the entrance, just in case your party gets wiped out inside.
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You must once again travel through the first three levels of the Cave to get to the Plate behind the Vampire's lair. Running from all the enemies you meet on the way is a good idea; save your HP and magic for the Boss on the fifth floor. If you do decide to fight, conserve your FIR2, FIR3, and CURE spells as much as possible. Eventually you'll reach the Plate. What to do now? |
| Go to the Item menu and select the Rod. Press the A button, and BAM! the Plate busts into a billion pieces. Underneath it is a stairway. |
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The stairway leads to the fourth and fifth floors of the Earth Cave. So, take the stairs! |
| There is a little bit of treasure on this floor. The room near the top of the map has a whole lot of G; the one at the bottom of the map only has about 1000G, a Cabin, and a Silver Shield, so you may want to forget about that room. After all, the more walking around you do, the more monsters you must fight. The stairs to the fifth floor are in the upper left corner. |
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This is the fifth and final floor of the Earth Cave. Here lies the source of the Earth's rot. There is no treasure on this floor, so find your way to the (only) room on this floor.
Before talking to the orb, make sure you restore each of your characters' HP to full (this fight is a biggie).
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| Talk to the orb. It busts open, and out pops... Lich, Fiend of Earth. That's right, the Elemental Fiends are the ones who stole the power of the Orbs! They're the ones causing all the problems with the planet. What shall you do about it? Killing Lich is probably a good start. |
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The fight with Lich can be kind of difficult, if you're characters are at low levels. However, if you got to Level 14 (like I told you to), Lich should be a piece of cake. (I actually killed Lich in one round with my Level 14 party, with one hit from my FAST Fighter and a shot of HRM3). Lich is weak against FIRE and HARM magicks (she's undead). (for more information, check out my Bosses Page) |
| Once Lich is dead, it's time to light an Orb! Walk forward to the evil-looking altar, and step on it. A big beam of light shoots in the air. That light is the power of Earth being returned to your Orb. In fact, check your menu screen, and you'll see that one of the Orbs is indeed lit again! Woo hoo! |
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Now what, you ask? Well, you can walk all the way back up five floors of the Earth Cave if you want. Or, step on the Orb behind the altar. You'll be instantly teleported outside the Earth Cave, safe and sound. Now's a good time to save again with a Tent or Cabin. Then head back to Melmond, and stay at the Inn overnight to recover from your dungeon-crawling. |
Well, one of the Orbs is lit. But there are three more to go. Where to go now? Well, before going anywhere, make sure you are done shopping in Melmond. You should have all the 5th level spells you need (except WARP, which you can't learn yet). You should be able to afford brand new armor for all your characters by now, as well.
Now, where to go? Well, there is acutally only one place left that you can reach in your ship; it's the only place with a port anywhere near it. Hit B Select and look at the world map. See where I drew the red circle? That's where you're headed: Crescent Lake.
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| Optimal equipment by the end of Chapter IV |
 Silver Sword, Steel Armor, Silver Helmet, Silver Shield, Iron Gauntlet |
 Coral Sword, Silver Bracelet, Cap, Gloves |
 Silver Dagger, Silver Bracelet, Cap, Gloves |
 Silver Hammer, Silver Bracelet, Cap, Gloves |
Area Enemies
A complete list of enemies can be found on the Enemies page. |
| 56 |
| 8-16 sn |
| 117 |
| 117 |
| FIRE, HARM |
| N/A |
| QAKE, ICE, RUB, BANE, STUN, SLEP, DARK |
| 48 |
| 8-16 sn |
| 93 |
| 50 |
| FIRE, HARM |
| N/A |
| ICE, RUB, BANE, BRAK, STUN, SLEP, DARK |
| 86 |
| 22-44 SN |
| 231 |
| 231 |
| FIRE, HARM |
| N/A |
| QAKE, ICE, RUB, BANE, STUN, SLEP, DARK |
| 80 |
| 30-60 |
| 300 |
| 300 |
| FIRE, HARM |
| N/A |
| QAKE, LIT, ICE, RUB, BANE, BRAK, STUN, SLEP, DARK |
| 76 |
| 32-64 |
| 252 |
| 70 |
| ICE, FIRE |
| N/A |
| QAKE, LIT, RUB, BANE, BRAK, STUN, SLEP, DARK |
| 50 |
| 10-20 DA |
| 90 |
| 45 |
| FIRE, HARM |
| N/A |
| QAKE, ICE, RUB, BANE, STUN, SLEP, DARK, DARK |
| 288 |
| 66-132 |
| 1536 |
| 768 |
| FIRE |
| N/A |
| QAKE, LIT, ICE, BANE, BRAK, STUN, SLEP, DARK |
| 56 |
| 8-16 sn |
| 117 |
| 117 |
| FIRE, HARM |
| N/A |
| QAKE, ICE, RUB, BANE, STUN, SLEP, DARK |
| 86 |
| 22-44 SN |
| 231 |
| 231 |
| FIRE, HARM |
| N/A |
| QAKE, ICE, RUB, BANE, STUN, SLEP, DARK |
| 400 |
| 40-80 |
| 2200 |
| 3000 |
| FIRE, HARM |
| ICE2, SLP2, FAST, LIT2, HOLD, FIR2, SLOW, SLEP, STOP, XXXX, ZAP!, NUKE |
| ICE, RUB, BANE, BRAK, STUN, SLEP, DARK |
| 80 |
| 30-60 |
| 300 |
| 300 |
| FIRE, HARM |
| N/A |
| QAKE, LIT, ICE, RUB, BANE, BRAK, STUN, SLEP, DARK |
| 76 |
| 32-64 |
| 252 |
| 70 |
| ICE, FIRE |
| N/A |
| QAKE, LIT, RUB, BANE, BRAK, STUN, SLEP, DARK |
| 50 |
| 10-20 DA |
| 90 |
| 45 |
| FIRE, HARM |
| N/A |
| QAKE, ICE, RUB, BANE, STUN, SLEP, DARK, DARK |
| 52 |
| 20-40 SN |
| 150 |
| 150 |
| FIRE, HARM |
| N/A |
| ICE, RUB, BANE, BRAK, STUN, SLEP, DARK |
| 156 |
| 76-152 |
| 1200 |
| 2000 |
| FIRE, HARM |
| DAZZLE |
| QAKE, ICE, RUB, BANE, BRAK, STUN, SLEP, DARK |
| 84 |
| 30-60 |
| 276 |
| 300 |
| LIT |
| N/A |
| ICE, FIRE, BANE, BRAK, STUN, SLEP, DARK |
