Part 7: Nanza Pass and Nanza Barrier

Main Walkthrough

The Nanza Pass behind them, Alex and company are now on their way to Lann, home to a potential new Dragonmaster. We'll see about that. The path northwest of the Nanza Pass splits, and you'll find Lann if you go north. (There's nothing to the west, for whatever reason.)

Lann

As small and unremarkable as it was made out to be, Lann only has two things of note before you get on with the plot:

  • First, similar to the tavern in Meribia, you can find a girl here who will sing you a quick song. She's in the house nearest to the entrance of Lann.
  • And, second, there's a locked, red chest behind one of the larger homes in the northeast. It contains a Silver Light that you'll get to add to your inventory some day.
Aside from an Item Shop - and the usual assortment of quirky NPCs - that's all you'll find in Lann. Head to the village's largest building, west of the statue of Althena, and you'll discover it to be a meeting hall. Inside is Jessica, daughter of Mel, and she's looking into Lann's so-called Dragonmaster as well. She'll push her way into the party. Jessica specializes in healing magic, like Luna, though Jessica is also a decent frontline fighter. No need to shove her into the back lines.

Head down to the pier in the south. In the southwest you'll find a man with an eyepatch, standing by a boat. The party will bully him into lending them his boat, which will convey everyone out to Lann Island.

Lann Island

Enemies

  • Barrel Snake - 63 HP - Can Poison targets
  • Monocrop - 117 HP - Can Paralyze targets
  • Nightmare - 63 HP - Melee opponent - Weak to Thunder
  • The Deep - 90 HP - Can absorb HP - Weak to Thunder

How lovely. Nash and Jessica will promptly get into a fight when you arrive at Lann Island. Once they're done fighting, head back south and leave the island. Return to Lann and speak to the guy who lent you the boat, go back to Lann Island, and repeat. Once the guy starts talking about how attractive he finds Jessica you can carry on with your mission. Much later in the game this man will give you Jessica's Bromide 2. You need to do this back-and-forth before completing Lann Island or you'll lose the opportunity to get the Bromide.

Lann Island is visually a bit confusing. Not only is it surrounded by water, the island has pools of blue liquid that will damage your party if you step in them. You can wade straight through the pools as shortcuts, but make sure you heal your party once you hit the other side - and try to avoid enemies along the way. Your health goes down quickly.

Start by looking northeast of the entrance, where you'll find a chest containing 300 silver. Then walk west. Eventually you'll come to a second treasure chest, and when opened this one will confuse the party. Your controls will temporarily be jumbled up as a result, and pressing in one direction will send you in a different direction for a little while. Do your best to avoid the poison pools and wait for the effect to wear off if this happens.

The path splits broadly in two directions from the trapped chest. If you continue west, as far as you can go, you'll come to a chest containing 300 silver. North of the trapped chest - and you can avoid the swamps altogether if you head west first - you'll find two more chests. The one sitting in the open is another trap, while the one further east and on the edge of the dirt contains 500 silver.

You'll find enormous swamp patches to the north. Between three of them is yet another trapped chest that you should ignore. Further north of here you'll find two more chests, one trapped (to the left) and one containing 300 silver. To the west of here you'll find yet another chest, and, surprise surprise, it is trapped. Avoid. Carry on west and you'll find a chest containing a Fresh Ring beyond a crop of reeds. This handy accessory will prevent its wearer from being hit by status ailments, making it quite useful for one of your healers.

Backtrack a ways, head southwest, and weave between the bogs. You'll find a final treasure chest, and, yeah, it is a trap. North of this chest you'll find a small camp, and Zoc, the supposed Dragonmaster, is waiting for you. Heal up your party - and potentially head back to Lann for a pick-me-up, if necessary - then pick a fight with Zoc.

Dragon Master Zoc

Weakness: Fire, Thunder

Zoc is pretty tough, even if his mount clearly is not a dragon. He can dish out a lot of damage with two of his three combat options, and can easily move around the area, making it difficult for defending characters to get away. Zoc uses the following attacks in combat:

  • A normal melee attack (three attacks per round)
  • Press, an area effect melee attack
  • Throwing Fire, a weak Fire attack against a single target
Most of the time Zoc will use his normal attacks, which is bad enough since he gets three attacks per round. Cascade Song will deaden the effects of these attacks to a decent degree. When Zoc begins to hop up and down he's prepping for Press, so if you've got characters clumped together you'll want to heal your party up. Throwing Fire is more or less a free turn.

Your four characters each have a role to play:

  • Alex is, as ever, your primary damage-dealer. Use Vigor and Cascade Song to beef him up, then unleash Sword Dance on Zoc, over and over. (Eventually this will stop being the default strategy for bosses.)
  • Luna should buff your melee attackers (first Alex, then Jessica) with Cascade Song, then fall back on healing. If you find that your casters are taking too much damage you may want to use Cascade Song on the whole party to up everyone's defense.
  • Jessica can split her time between healing your party members and attacking Zoc. She's a better healer than Luna but has far less MP, so try to be judicious with her spellcasting.
  • Nash can use Thunder Bomb, though it won't contribute too much to the fight. You may want to give Nash your items - Healing Nuts and Star Lights - so he can dole them out when your other characters need a pick-me-up.

Zoc will promise to be a good boy once you defeat his froggy friend, then flee. With the fake Dragonmaster exposed your job on Lann Island is complete, so save up and return to Lann, the way you came in. The party will make an odd, somewhat unsettling discovery upon docking in Lann, and Jessica will part ways with everyone to begin another investigation. (Don't worry, she'll be back. Eventually.) Shall we return to Vane?

Part 9: Crystal Tower

Main Walkthrough