Enemy list
Chest list
Hidden items
Fly over Saronia and the city's cannons blow the Enterprise out of the sky. You'll crash-land inside Castle Saronia, trapped between two warring armies loyal to King Gorn. There's nothing you can do here; exit through the south gate to the overworld. Saronia is split into four districts, each with its own shops and secrets. Head to the southwestern quarter first.
Southwestern Saronia
Walk to the building in the northeast corner of the district and speak with the old man in green standing outside. Enter the tavern behind him to find Prince Alus under attack from four Gold Knights. They go down in a couple of rounds at this point. After the fight, Alus introduces himself as King Gorn's son and joins your party as a guest.
With Alus present, follow the aqueduct south to a small island in the center of town. Talk to the old man standing there to receive Dragon Mail (Hidden Item 47/61). Then head to the far southwest corner of the district; another old man hands over a Wind Spear (Hidden Item 48/61). Both are Dragoon equipment you'll want for the boss fight at the end of this chapter.
Head south across the bridge, then east and north to the building in the southeast corner. Inside, walk left through a secret passage to reach a room with 11 chests, all containing Gysahl Greens (176/367). Not the most exciting haul, but they're useful for summoning Fat Chocobo if your inventory is getting crowded.
Dragon Spire
Exit to the overworld and head east to Southeastern Saronia. A triple-towered spire dominates the center of town; enter Dragon Spire for five new bestiary entries and the best Dragoon equipment available.
Sorcerers cast -ara spells that chunk your party for serious damage; burn them down first in mixed groups. Catoblepas can petrify your fighters, so keep Gold Needles stocked. Sand Worms give the most EXP of the bunch at 1,000 per kill, but they're significantly rarer than the other four entries. Expect a few extra fights to register one.
The spire is a straight climb to 6F, where all 12 chests sit in two rows of six. Left side, top row: Dragon Mail, Dragon Helm, Phoenix Down. Left side, bottom row: Thunder Spear, Dragon Mail, Dragon Helm (182/367). Right side, top row: Dragon Mail, Dragon Helm, Thunder Spear. Right side, bottom row: Thunder Spear, Phoenix Down, Dragon Helm (188/367). In total: 3 Dragon Mails, 4 Dragon Helms, 3 Thunder Spears, and 2 Phoenix Downs.
Equip full Dragon armor on at least two party members and swap them to Dragoon. Give them Wind Spears from the weapon shop in Northeastern Saronia (your next stop). Jump is the only ability that matters against the boss of this chapter.
Northeastern Saronia
Exit to the overworld and head north. The weapon shop in the northwest corner of this district sells Thunder Spears (6,000 Gil) and Wind Spears (8,000 Gil). Wind Spears deal wind damage on every hit, which is the upcoming boss's exact weakness. The item shop also carries Ottershrooms (2,000 Gil), a consumable that teleports your party out of any dungeon without needing the Teleport spell.
Walk to the center of town and interact with the top-right pine tree for an Elixir (Hidden Item 49/61). Before heading to the castle, swing west to Northwestern Saronia. There's nothing to collect (just a standard item shop and inn), but entering the district registers it as a visited location for the tracker.
Castle Saronia
Return to Castle Saronia with Alus. Approach the guards at the main gate and a scene plays out where King Gorn reluctantly agrees to meet his son. During the night, the king enters your room and the demon possessing him reveals itself. Garuda attacks.
How to beat Garuda
Garuda has 7,500 HP and is weak to Wind. Two Dragoons with Wind Spears can end this fight in three to four Jumps, each landing for 2,000+ damage. Without Dragoons, his party-wide Lightning deals 300-400 HP to everyone and will slowly grind your party into the ground.
Alus stays behind to rebuild the kingdom. With Saronia at peace, the castle's treasure rooms are finally accessible.
Castle Saronia treasure
From the bedroom where you regain control, walk west and push against the wall to discover a hidden passage. Follow it south to a room with 12 chests arranged in four columns: Ice Staff, Rusty Mail, Rune Bow, Thorian Hammer, Main Gauche, Rusty Mail, Rusty Mail, Golem Staff, Scholar Hat, Hi-Potion, Hi-Potion, and Rusty Mail (200/367). The staves and Rune Bow are solid equipment upgrades for mages and Rangers.
Head down the nearby stairs to B1. Walk east through another hidden passage to reach six more chests: Rusty Mail, Earthen Bell, Gaia Vest, Viking Helm, Dragon Helm, and Viking Mail (206/367). The Gaia Vest and Viking Mail are direct armor upgrades for Geomancers and Vikings.
Return to the bedroom and exit through the south door. Enter the eastern building first; speak with the Saronia Engineer Corps to receive the Nautilus, a new airship that can fly and land on water. Then head to the western building (the mage quarters). Hit the button on the right wall to open a secret passage, then follow the winding path down through more hidden passages and stairs. Two chests sit at the bottom, each with a Phoenix Down (208/367).
Saronia shops
Peace unlocks sealed shops across all four districts. The northeastern quarter has the most important inventory by far, with two magic shops carrying level-4 and level-5 spells.
Level 5 Magic (NE Saronia, West)
| Spell | Cost | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Curaga | 5,000 | White Lv.5, major heal |
| Raise | 5,000 | White Lv.5, revive |
| Protect | 5,000 | White Lv.5, DEF boost |
| Thundaga | 5,000 | Black Lv.5, lightning |
| Raze | 5,000 | Black Lv.5, mass KO |
| Erase | 5,000 | Black Lv.5, dispel |
Level 4 Magic (NE Saronia, Southeast)
| Spell | Cost | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Libra | 3,000 | White Lv.4, reveal stats |
| Confuse | 3,000 | White Lv.4, confusion |
| Silence | 3,000 | White Lv.4, silence |
| Break | 3,000 | Black Lv.4, petrify |
| Blizzaga | 3,000 | Black Lv.4, ice |
| Shade | 3,000 | Black Lv.4, paralysis |
Curaga replaces Cura as your primary heal for the rest of the game. Raise saves Phoenix Downs for emergencies, and Thundaga gives Black Mages a direct damage spike over Thundara. If you already bought Blizzaga at Gysahl, skip it here.
The northeastern weapon shop also carries Rune Staff (18,000 Gil), Golem Staff (13,500 Gil), and three elemental rods at 10,000 Gil each for mages who need a stat boost. Southwestern Saronia's armor shop sells Scholar Hat, Scholar Robe, Gaia Vest, and Rune Bracers. Northwestern Saronia's newly opened magic shop stocks the -ara tier and level-3 White spells for anyone still missing them.
Stock up on Hi-Potions and a few Ottershrooms before boarding the Nautilus. Head northwest to the Dalg Continent; the ancient mage Doga is waiting.