Deist Cavern

The Wyvern at Castle Deist can't speak to humans, but a Pendant hidden in Deist Cavern solves that. This chapter covers two trips into the cavern, two boss fights, and 13 chests.

Deist Cavern - The Pendant

Exit Castle Deist and walk directly north through the mountains. Deist Cavern sits at the base of the range; you'll reach it in less than a minute of walking.

Inside, there's a chest immediately to your right containing 230 Gil. Head to the top right corner of B1 and descend the stairs; the Pendant is one floor down. Grab it and leave. You'll return for the rest of the dungeon after speaking with the Wyvern.

Return to Castle Deist

Back at the castle, enter the room adjacent to the mother and child. A dying Wyvern rests inside, and the Pendant allows you to understand its speech. Ask about Dragoons and then Wyverns to learn what happened. The Empire poisoned the water, killing nearly all the Wyverns; this one is the last.

Before it dies, the Wyvern gives you a Wyvern Egg and asks you to submerge it in the Life Spring deep within Deist Cavern. Head back to the dungeon for the full exploration.

Deist Cavern - Full Exploration

This dungeon has 5 floors and 13 treasure chests. You already grabbed one on the first visit, so 12 remain. Three routes branch from B1: Route 1 (top right) led to the Pendant, Route 2 (bottom left) leads to chests 2-6, and Route 3 (bottom right) covers chests 7-13 plus the boss.

Ogre Chiefs (300 HP, 40 ATK) are the new threat here; they hit harder than regular Ogres and appear frequently on B4. Revenants (240 HP, 40 ATK) are undead with high attack but weak to Fire. Gigantoads show up on the lower floors and can inflict Toad status, which disables a party member until cured with Maiden's Kiss or Esuna. Green Souls and Yellow Souls guard monster chests and have tiny HP pools but rely on magic. Save enough MP for Teleport at the end (the walk back is long).

B1. You already grabbed the 230 Gil chest on your first visit; take the bottom left stairs to begin Route 2.

B2. Head right and grab Chest 2 (Ether), then descend the stairs to the right of it. This kicks off a linear route through B3 and B4, eventually dropping you at a dead end on B5.

B5. Four chests sit at the dead end: Knight's Armor (guarded by Adamantoises with high DEF; Ice magic cuts through them faster than weapons), Saint's Spirit, Sage's Wisdom, and Flame Bow. Use both stat boosters on your primary caster immediately. Teleport out or walk back to B1, then re-enter the dungeon for Route 3.

B1. Take the bottom right stairs this time to start Route 3.

B2. Follow the corridor until you reach the top of the floor. Take the first passage going down to grab Chest 7 (Mythril Helm), then loop back and follow the north passage for Chest 8 (Mythril Armor). From there, head south and descend to B3.

B3. Do not cross the bridge; it collapses and drops you to a lower floor, forcing a long backtrack. Grab Chest 9 (Mythril Gloves) and Chest 10 (Mythril Mirror) from this isolated island, then return the way you came to B2.

B2. Head straight up and take the first left. Follow the corridor down to Chest 11 (Mage's Staff, guarded by Green Souls). Continue north and descend to B3.

B3. Chest 12 (Mythril Shield) is right there when you arrive. Head north but avoid the bridge; instead follow the northern corridor around to some steps leading down to B4.

B4. Chest 13 (Acid Phial) sits on the left side of the room. That's all 13 chests collected. Take the stairs down to B5 for the boss encounter.

B5. Follow the corridor until you see four doors in a row. Enter the third one from the left to reach the Life Spring.

Chimera

Four Chimeras (700 HP, 60 ATK, 50 DEF each) block access to the Life Spring. Physical attacks often miss or deal low damage against their 50 DEF, so magic is the safer option. Blaze hits your entire party for fire damage every turn. Cast Protect and Blink before engaging, and focus one Chimera at a time to reduce incoming damage.

After the fight, approach the Life Spring and use the Wyvern Egg from your inventory. The egg sinks into the water; it won't hatch anytime soon, but you've done your part. Teleport out if you have the MP to spare. Walking back takes a while, and the encounter rate stays high on every floor.

Return to Altair

Board your ship and sail back to Altair. Strip Leila's equipment before entering the Rebel Hideout; she leaves the party after the next scene. And make sure Basuna is at level 6 or higher before going in. You'll need it.

In the Rebel Hideout, go upstairs and skip the first room. Enter the second room instead, where Hilda invites Firion in for a private conversation. Something feels wrong. The "Hilda" you rescued from the Dreadnought was actually the Lamia Queen in disguise; she reveals her true form and attacks. With 1,290 HP, 95% accuracy, and 75% evasion, she's the toughest boss so far.

After the fight, a rebel soldier arrives with news: the Empire is holding gladiatorial games, and the real Princess Hilda is being offered as the prize. Leila leaves your party here, but Gordon rejoins to fill the fourth slot. Gordon's stats haven't improved since he left at Castle Deist, so he'll feel fragile. Re-equip him with the Mythril gear from the cavern and give him a shield for the extra DEF. Your next destination is the Coliseum; stock up on Potions and Phoenix Downs before heading out.