Despite another close call Ryu and Nina have managed to evade the clutches of Balio and Sunder once again, and they've recruited the quirky engineer Momo along the way. The kids have been through enough dangerous scrapes to warrant a bit of a break, and they find it at a Coffee Shop a short walk northwest of Momo's Tower.
(Note that it's safe to return to the Tower at this point, if you think you missed anything or just want to buy stuff from the Manillo out front. Apparently the thugs tailing the kids have left.)
Coffee Shop
Stop by the Coffee Shop and the kids will grab a table. While they're waiting for their order a man will approach and identify himself as Palet, the director of the Plant, a crop-producing facility that Momo's father built. He begs Momo to stop by the Plant and check the machines, and since the group can't proceed towards Wyndia right now - thanks, again, to Balio and Sunder - Momo agrees.
There are a few things to do around the Coffee Shop before you leave:
- Inside the shop you'll find an inn and an item shop. Check the dresser in the rear bedroom of the building for a Vitamin.
- To the east of the shop you'll find a slope down to a well that's apparently filled with vinegar. This well is part of a necessary - and utterly loathsome - minigame that you'll need to do much later in the game. File its location away in your head for future reference.
- Up the hill near the shop you'll find a purple-haired woman named D'Lonzo. She's worth some discussion.
D'Lonzo
A thief on the lookout for folks with 'potential', D'Lonzo is one of the game's many Masters. Characters apprenticed to D'Lonzo will receive a boost to their Pwr and Agl, while losing out on HP and AP. D'Lonzo is the only Master in the game who will improve a character's accuracy, making her an ideal Master for Momo in the early stages of Breath of Fire III. D'Lonzo also teaches the Steal Skill, allowing you to filch items off of enemies when Rei isn't around to use Pilfer.
Like most Masters D'Lonzo requires you to impress her before she'll take on any apprentices, and her prerequisite is a bit of a doozy: You need to have a minimum of fifteen weapons in your inventory when you speak to her. This isn't a problem later in the game, but it's challenging earlier on. You can have enough weapons to apprentice to D'Lonzo by now, but only if you've been buying virtually everything you've seen in stores up to now. Grabbing weapons you would never equip, such as Bent Swords, Melted Swords, and Pointed Sticks, also counts towards appeasing D'Lonzo.
Whether or not you manage to impress D'Lonzo, it's time to leave the Coffee Shop. Your next destination is the Plant, located to the west on the world map, though there are a number of things to check before you head there.
- East of the Plant is a conspicuous tree in the middle of a forest. This is Yggdrasil, one of many spread throughout the world, and the group will feel a profound sens of peace staring at the tree. Later, once you have another party member, you can return here and apprentice your party members to Yggdrasil.
- To the northwest of the Coffee Shop is another forest with a path running through it. Enter the ? spot and you'll find a small, branching area populated primarily by Goos enemies. This includes Goo Titans, powerful foes that leave behind lots of XP when defeated - and from whom you can Steal Life Shards. Check the eastern path to find 800 zenny, and the longer, western path to find a chest containing a Scramasax. (This counts towards D'Lonzo's weapon requirements, if you're close.) If Ryu is in the lead he can cut his way to a small pond in the middle of the area, where you'll find a Protein. This pond is home to another Master, but you can't summon her yet.
- Head northeast along the road to Wyndia and you'll find a Checkpoint. The thugs looking for the kids are here, but they won't bother you. You can rest at the inn inside the building here. The cabinets behind the innkeeper contain 200 zenny, while the one in the dining room contains an Antidote. Eventually you can pass through the Checkpoint to the lands beyond, but not quite yet.
- If you follow the road to Wyndia southwest you'll be blocked by Sunder, who is keeping an eye on the highway. Drat. (You'll never see this version of his sprite again, so... kinda neat.) Near the highway is a fishing spot, though you won't find any Manillo merchants in the water for trading.
That's all. Balio and Sunder continue to limit your options. Better head to the Plant, the big, grey building to the west of the Coffee Shop.
Plant
A bit of an industrial wonderland compared to most of the world, the Plant is also one of the most irritating locations to navigate in Breath of Fire III. Moving around the Plant requires standing on slow, one-way conveyor belts, and while you can reverse their direction it just makes everything a bit of a pain. Oh well.
Palet is waiting for the party at the far end of the Plant, but getting there will take some doing. Start by looking northeast of the entrance, where you'll find a steel building. Inside you'll is an inn and a (limited) item shop. Check the shelves on the second floor for 80 zenny and a Healing Herb.
Head back outside and wander southwest. After traveling along two conveyor belts and north through a field of tomatoes you'll find a chrysm-topped reactor. There are conveyor belts on both sides of the reactor. Hop on the westbound conveyor belt - you'll find nothing to the east right now - and keep following the path along the conveyor belts until you reach a blue switch in the west. Ignore the southwestern path and go down the conveyor belt to the northeast.
Palet is waiting at the bottom of the conveyor. Swap the party around so Momo is in front, then speak to Palet. He'll explain the situation - namely, that the Plant managed to produce a ferocious mutant - and he needs Momo and friends to clean things up for him. Yay. Speaking to Palet will open up the nearby Dump, the next place you need to visit.
If you inside check the large, double building near Palet you'll find Ginseng and a Healing Herb on the shelves. Otherwise, you're done with this area for now. Look south of Palet to find a slope that will sweep you back to the entrance. They couldn't have installed some stairs? Geez. Leave the Plant and you'll find the Dump a short walk to the west.
(In case you're wondering, the Plant's weird layout plays a role later in Breath of Fire III. It isn't annoying just for the same of being annoying.)