Altair & Fynn

Final Fantasy 2 throws you into combat immediately. Firion, Maria, Guy, and Leon flee the Empire's attack on Fynn, but four Black Knights catch up. This fight is unwinnable. Keep attacking until you lose. This chapter has 4 chests between Altair and Fynn.

Altair

You'll awaken in Altair with Leon missing. Exit the room and go inside the throne room next door.

Talk to Hilda in the throne room and she'll mention the password Wild Rose. Ask her about it, then Learn it.

Before leaving the hideout, head downstairs and go to the left side of the room to pick up a chest containing a Potion. This chest becomes permanently missable after completing Mysidian Tower.

Leave town and grind on the plains outside Altair. Leg Eaters, Hornets, and Goblins are the only enemies here; all three have 6 HP and die in one hit. They drop 4-9 Gil each, so expect a few rounds of farming before you bank 700 Gil for the shops.

Return to town and visit the shops. Give Guy a sword since he's your physical attacker. Buy Leather Gloves (50 Gil each) for everyone and Bucklers (50 Gil) for Firion and Guy.

Visit the magic shop and buy Cure and Fire (100 Gil each). Teach Cure to Firion (he'll be your white mage) and give Fire to Maria. Fire is the better early offensive spell since most enemies in the first few dungeons are weak to it. Thunder and Blizzard can wait until you have more Gil.

Gatrea

Walk north from Altair to reach Gatrea. The weapon shop sells Javelins (80 Gil) and Broadswords (100 Gil), but neither is worth buying yet. Talk to the boy at the top of town and he'll mention a pub in Fynn. That's where you're headed next. Entering Gatrea also counts toward the 27 locations needed for the Adventurous Wayfarer trophy.

Fynn

From Gatrea, walk west around the lake and follow it back around to Fynn. But there's no Inn in Fynn, so heal up before entering.

Fynn is occupied by the Empire. Talking to the soldiers triggers unwinnable fights, so avoid them entirely. Go north and when you reach grass, take a right hugging the trees. Follow the outside wall south until you reach the pub. You might run into Sprinters (30 HP, 9 ATK) on the streets. They're the strongest enemy you've seen so far, but a couple of Fire casts will drop them.

Inside the pub, talk to the bartender on the top right and ask him about Wild Rose. He'll recognize you as a rebel and reveal a hidden passage.

Follow the path and open the three chests (all Potions). The wounded soldier is Scott, Prince of Kashuan. Ask him about Wild Rose and he'll hand over his Ring as proof of what happened here. Scott doesn't survive; this is the last time you'll see him.

Joining the Rebellion

Leave Fynn, retrace your steps back to Altair, and visit Hilda in the Rebel Hideout. Show her the Ring.

Hilda will give you your first mission: obtaining Mythril for weapons. You need to find a man named Josef in Salamand. Learn the Mythril keyword.

Talk to Minwu and he'll join your party as a guest character. He gives you a Canoe for crossing shallow water.

Speak with Hilda again and she'll give you two more keywords: Dreadnought and Airship.

Before heading out, make sure everyone has Cure learned and at least 300 Gil in reserve. The next chapter takes you north to Salamand and then into Semitt Falls, where the enemies hit considerably harder than anything outside Altair. Antidotes aren't sold until Salamand, so don't worry about stocking those yet.