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Albrook - Weapon Shop
Albrook - Armor Shop
Albrook - Item Shop
Albrook - Relic Shop
The journey begins. (Again.) Once Celes lands near Albrook you'll have a number of options for places to go, as the World of Ruin is kind of an open-world experience. Your main goal at the moment is traveling around and reassembling the party. You only have to recruit two other party members to complete Final Fantasy VI, and we'll deal with them first.
While you're in the area you might as well check out Albrook. The port town has seen much better days, and everyone is downtrodden and hopeless. Stock up on items and equipment, if you have the gil, and chat with the locals for some hints on what to expect when you start exploring. Then head back to the world map.
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World Map - Albrook Region - Enemies
World Map - Serpent Trench - Enemies
The path from Albrook leads generally northeast, where you'll find a bridge leading onto the now high-and-dry Serpent Trench. You can use the Serpent Trench to travel quite a distance, both to the north and to the east. There are a number of things to see along the way:
- In the center of the starting continent, near Albrook, is Kefka's Tower. This is the final dungeon of the game, but you can't access it from the ground. You'll need a new pair of wings first. Once you have your first three mandatory party members - which won't take long - you can come here and try your luck against Kefka... though the odds are good you're nowhere near ready.
- In the north of the starting continent is Tzen. If you decide to look here you'll collect your first optional party member. If this is your first time playing through Final Fantasy VI, you'll probably want the extra firepower they bring to the table.
- Just north of Tzen is a star-shaped mountain range with a curious bare spot in the middle. This is the Phoenix Cave, a multi-party dungeon that hides one of your party members. Again, you can't get in here without an airship.
- If you head east along the Serpent Trench you'll eventually come to the town of Mobliz, right at the tip of the proverbial tail. Here you'll find another party member whom you can’t recruit just yet. You'll collect a useful piece of Magicite a bit early if you decide to go now, however, so it's your call.
- If you walk north along the Serpent Trench you'll see a tower in the middle of a mountain range. This is the Cultists' Tower, a difficult, optional dungeon. You can't reach this place without an airship, so don't worry about it for now. Another member of the party is milling about at the foot of the tower, so if you want to gather the entire party you'll at least need to give the place's entrance a quick once-over.
As you explore these areas you'll have to fight with Celes alone, assuming you don't recruit the aforementioned party member in Tzen. For the most part she should be fine, though there's the occasional risk of status ailments badly impairing her. This is especially risky if you fight Lizards, as they can inflict Petrify, immediately ending the fight. Outfitting Celes with a Ribbon protects her from this possibility.
Alternately, if you'd rather not risk getting a Game Over, you can avoid battles altogether by visiting one of two hidden Chocobo Stables. The first is in a forest to the northwest of Tzen, while the second is in a forest just south of Mobliz. Chocobos are inexpensive, and can zip you past all dangers.
Whether you fight or flee enemies, your next storyline stop is in Nikeah, on the north end of the Serpent Trench.
Nikeah - Weapon Shop
Nikeah - Armor Shop
Nikeah - Item Shop
Nikeah - Relic Shop
Upon arrival at Nikeah, assuming you’re playing a later version of the game, you’ll find a man with a tip about several unique Espers. Otherwise, this place is more or less the same as in the World of Balance. Check with the locals for a new array of weapons and items, then head into the pub, in the south. There’s an assortment of ruffians here, all part of the same gang. Speak to all four of them and one of them will get up and leave. Follow the ruffians to the dock, then head back to town.
There’s a man who looks remarkably familiar looking at the goods in the marketplace. Keep talking to him and he'll flee to the port. This gets you onto the local ferry...
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South Figaro - Weapon Shop
South Figaro - Armor Shop
South Figaro - Item Shop
South Figaro - Relic Shop
... which ships you off to South Figaro. Check the locals for weapons and armor yet again, then enter the inn. Your target, Gerad, is in the room to the right of the front desk. Speak to him and he’ll take off. Follow him out of town. Just west of South Figaro is the South Figaro Cave, as small as ever - though the enemies have changed a bit.
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South Figaro Cave / Figaro Castle Basement - Enemies
Welcome back. Aside from the monsters you encounter you'll find South Figaro Cave to be more or less unchanged from your previous visit with Locke and Celes. If you decided not to open the chests inside the cave on the first two trips you'll find an X-Potion, a Hi-Ether, and a Hero's Ring in the World of Ruin.
Meander inside, fight off the enemies within - Fira is quite useful - and make your way to the rejuvenation spring with the turtle. Gerad and his bandits will show you how to ride the turtle deeper into the cave. Beyond are some rather fruitless stone corridors...
... that lead you to the dungeon of Figaro Castle. Huh. Follow Gerad into the engineering section of the castle, past the man who controls the submersive functions of Figaro. There are enemies in the basement, but they're the same as the creatures you fought in South Figaro Cave.
This path is pretty straightforward until you hit a room with four chests. They contain a Gravity Rod, a Crystal Helm, a Hi-Ether and an X-Potion. Go through the left door from here and you’ll find stairs leading up to a Royal Crown, then backtrack to the chest room and go through the central door. Beyond is Gerad... or, you know, he may be Edgar… and a fight with a rather nasty beast.
Tentacles
HP:
- 4,000 (top-right)
- 5,000 (top-left)
- 7,000 (bottom-right)
- 6,000 (bottom-left)
Weakness:
- Fire (bottom-left)
- Ice, Water (bottom-right)
Absorbs:
- Lightning (top-right)
- Fire (bottom-right)
- Ice (bottom-left)
Figaro Castle is having some serious engine problems, and this thing is to blame. The Tentacles use the following attacks:
- Melee attacks
- Poison / Bio, Poison-elemental spells
- Stun, which inflicts Slow on one target
- Entwine, which inflicts Slow on your whole party
- Grab, which ensnares a single target, preventing them from taking any actions and sapping their HP until the Tentacle uses Release
A four-target boss, the Tentacles all look and act identical, but have different weaknesses. Offensively the Tentacles spend most of the battle either slapping your characters around or Slowing them. If a character is Slowed the Tentacle can then grasp them for a short period of time, absorbing HP and MP. Casting Haste - or, better, wearing Hermes Sandals - negates this attack, making the battle much easier. Otherwise you'll just have to wait until the Tentacles stop suckling your party member's health.
The trick to this fight is to capitalize on weaknesses. The bottom-right Tentacle absorbs Fire but takes double damage to Ice, while the bottom-left Tentacle is the opposite. Use your spells and elemental swords to maul these two, then switch to non-elemental attacks (Tools are good here) to wipe up the remaining two Tentacles. As long as you keep at least one character free of the Tentacles you shouldn't have much trouble with this fight. If someone does get grabbed, make sure you watch their HP and heal them if it gets low.
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Figaro Castle - Item Shop
Figaro Castle - Tool Shop
Edgar rejoins your party - permanently, this time - after you wipe out the Tentacles. Check the suit of armor in the back room near Figaro's engines for a Soul Sabre, then return to the engine room and Figaro Castle will return to the surface. Speak to the man in charge of travel and he’ll send you to the Kohlingen to continue your quest.
There are two things you may want to do before departing Figaro Castle:
- First, you can go shopping. Like every town and / or city in the World of Ruin, they have different items on offer than before. This includes the Debilitator Tool for Edgar, which you could have stolen earlier in the game - but probably didn't. Don't forget to put Edgar in the front of the party for a small discount!
- Second, assuming you already recruited Sabin, you can trigger a cut scene between Sabin and Edgar that fills in some of their history. (It's also possible to do this in the World of Balance, but if you didn't then, go for it now.)