Chapter 13: Rally-Ho and Pyntie-Hets

	Nobuo Uematsu - Mountain Pass - Conde Petie .mp3
	Found at bee mp3 search engine

As we exit the Fossil Roo and step out into the light of the Outer Continent, we blink our eyes trying desperately to get used to the bright sun again. After we’re through blinking the spots out of our eyes, the first thing we notice is that there is not Mist here. This does not mean that this place lacks monsters however. So keep on your toes.

Run around to the right, going underneath an odd -looking structure. As you continue to the right, around the mesa, heading east, you’ll see a Qu’s Marsh. To the northeast of the marsh are a set of chocobo tracks. Call Choco and hop on. Open “Abandoned Beach.” Follow the green ground to the beach on the Eastern Coast and dig around until Choco goes K-K-KWEEHHHHHHH!

Now follow the world map to the west, up the hill, heading towards the structure built on roots. Hop off Choco and enter the home of the dwarves. The Mines of Moria? No, Conde Petie. Lali-Ho, err, Rally-Ho.

Immediately after we enter, after we watch a couple silly scenes, right behind the first dwarf is a stash of gil (2700). Go through the door on the left by the lady dwarf. Go straight left and through the next door. Watch each ATE in the order they are given in the list (since it doesn’t really matter in what order they are watched, it’s just quicker). We are in the inn area now. In the bedroom, in the corner by the bottom left bed we’ll find another stash of 1800 gil. Leave the inn and head up the stairs. Again just keep watching ATEs as they come.

 Walk south in this area and find Vivi on the bridge here. Vivi seems very confused as this is the first time since the Black Mage War started that someone hasn’t run away in fear or accused of murder and instead these people talk to him like they know him, or others like him. Now after watching “Hungry Bryan” go down the stairs in the bottom right to activate another auto-sequence.

We learn that the Pyntie-Hets live in the Sootheast Forest. “They live sae deep in the forests that even owls dinnae live there!” states the Dwarf at the entrance. Remember that for the future my friends. But do not head out yet. Go back to the shop (it’s quicker if you just turn right at the entrance). In the shop, at the corner of the stairs going upward is a Phoenix Pinion. . Talk to the moogle Mogmat to get a letter for Suzuna. Leave this shop at the top right door to reach the Equipment shop. If you don’t have the Oak Staff for some strange reason, pick one up now for Vivi.

Shopping
4 Ritual Hats
4 Magic Armlets
1 Lamia’s Tiara (for Quina)

We are reaching the part of the game where Magic Stats are becoming divided. Up until now, magic-boosting equipment boosted all Magic Stats. That is changing. The Magic Armlet you have bought raises Magic, Magic Def, and Magic Eva and lowers Spirit. Spirit determines many things. For example, where Dagger is concerned, Spirit determines the effectiveness of her curative spells. Zidane’s steal accuracy is determined  by Spirit to a negligible degree. It affects the Critical Hit Rates, status effects (the duration of), Trance, and the amount of damage dealt by swords and thief swords. If you want more information on the algorithms involved visit http://finalfantasy.wikia.com/wiki/Spirit_(Stat) and go to the Final Fantasy IX section. Magic Power obviously affects spell damage, including summons . Magic Def is the target’s resistance against harmful magic (unless it is absorbed or it deals random damage or is Gravity elemental).  The long and short of it is that you want to use certain equipment certain characters and other equipment for other characters. For now, you want Dagger’s Spirit boosted because she is our only reliable healer but in the near we will want her Magic Power boosted to make her summons that much more powerful. We will ALWAYS want Vivi’s Magic Power boosted because his Black Magic is his forte. For Zidane, where his thievery is concerned, we are more concerned with his Speed stat for reasons you will see later. Spirit for him is negligible and can be bypassed with his Bandit ability and another ability down the road.

Alright, it’s time to move on with the plot. Leave Conde Petie and head back down the hill, remember where we found Abandoned Beach? From the bottom of the decline turn right into a less-than-green forest. You should be able to meet up with the Ragtime Mouse again from this point (6x more and he rarely shows up in the same patch of forest twice in a row).  Head through the forest until you reach a dome of forest, sort of resembling a Chocobo’s Forest.

This place sort of has a motion-bending spell on it. You’ll run down a path and end up looping back onto the same screen from another path. You should notice a sign. Read it and go down the path “where there are no owls” and one of the owls should fly off. Wash, rinse, repeat until only one owl remains and we see a Black Mage creep back onto the screen and run off just as fast. Follow that Black Mage.

We enter the Black Mage Village and upon seeing us, the citizens race away at top speed. Obviously they don’t trust humans. As usual our party splits up. Watch first “Gourmand’s Nose” to find out where Quina has gone. When it ends, approach the building to the left, carefully so as not to miss the Elixir right beside the door. Enter.

Shopping
2 Mythril Daggers
2 Gladius
99 Steepled Hats
1 Survival Vest
2 Lamia’s Tiaras
1 Stardust Rod

Leave the equipment shop and take the path to the right to a Chocobo Stable, watch “Life Cycle”, and another Moogle. Talk to the moogle to get a letter. Enter the stable and watch “Everyday Life”.  Remember to ask for “the usual” when we see this guy. Check the inside of the stable for some Gysahl Greens. Now go back to the first screen and run up to the north building and go right again. Watch Life on the Run and enter the building across the bridge. This is the inn. Inside, you’ll find they aren’t ready for you yet but in the bedroom, on the wall is the Virgo. Backtrack to the beginning of the area and go left at the building this time. Watch “Visitor not Invader” then enter the Item Shop on the right. Talk to the Black Mage and tell him to give you the usual. When he moves out of the way, go up the ladder and climb up on his bed to get the Black Belt. Equip on Zidane as soon as he finishes off the Distract ability on the Reflect Ring. Now go to the shop that we saw Dagger enter. After some playful banter grab the gil beside the Black Mage in the high chair and head up the ladder. Follow the path up and left into a little alcove with 843 gil just waiting for you. Head back and talk to the synthesis.

Synth
1 Rune Tooth
2 Extensions
2-3 Madain’s Rings
Power Belt

Low on dough? Cure that malady with the Cotton Robe Trick.

Leave the shop and head towards the left exit to trigger a small scene. Now head to the cemetery and talk to the Black Mages there before heading back to the inn. In the bedroom, Vivi is having an emotional moment. Zidane tries to talk to him but Quina interrupts before he can get a meaningful answer and we sleep. In the middle of the night, Vivi gets up to take a walk and Dagger expresses worry. Zidane puts her at ease and tells her a story to help her understand what Vivi’s feeling, and we get a little more insight into Zidane too.

Vivi talks with Mr. 238 a little more and finally we get the sleep tune. When morning comes, Dagger is getting some information from one of the Black Mages. Apparently they saw a silver dragon in the northwest. If you’ll recall from the end of disc 1, Kuja was riding on a silver dragon. The northwest part of the continent however is past Conde Petie and for some reason the gatekeepers won’t let us through. We should go back and talk to them and find out how we can pass.

That we will cover on Monday. That’s right, do not look for a chapter tomorrow, it’s Christmas and I will be busy with my family. Following is the prospective schedule to look forward to.

Monday: Chapter 14 Here Comes the Bride
Tuesday: Chapter 15 Babysitting Moogles and Climbing Trees
Wednesday: Chapter 16 Memories of a Fiery Sky
Thursday: Chapter 17 Disc 2 Finale

MERRY CHRISTMAS, HAPPY HANUKKAH and HAPPY KWANZA to all who celebrate their respective holidays. If you don't celebrate any of those, than HAPPY DECEMBER! :P