Chapter 6: Lindblum Castle and the Festival of the Hunt

 Items Shop                                Equipment Shop

Dragon's Gate Merchant

After our heroes narrow escape it seems they can finally relax the rest of the way. After a short discussion, Steiner comes to the conclusion (at last) that he can’t force Dagger to go back to Alexandria and vows instead to protect until she is finally ready to return on her own. Vivi contemplates his existence and Steiner actually says something intelligent for the first time in this game (yes he has his moments too). Zidane spots Lindblum in the distance and takes Vivi out onto the deck to savor the view which we also get to see here.

Upon entering, their identities are questioned but then verified by the Princess flashing her pretty pendant and Minister Artania agrees to take them to the Regent. Follow him. In the next screen (there’s a fountain in this room) go up the stairs on the right hand side. In the following screen, go into the first door for the guest room. There are two chests here. Beside the two beds on the lower tier is a glass buckle. In the chest near the moogle (2^nd tier) is an ether. Give Mogki her letter, get a letter from her to take to Atla and save your game. Backtrack to the fountain room and this go through the door at the bottom of the screen. You’ll enter a lift. The first time is automatic but anytime you need to use this lift, hit the X button by the lever. If you want to go back to the floor you started on, it’s the MID LEVEL, and this is the floor you go to if you need to go shopping/explore the town for treasure. If you’re told to go see Cid, you go to the UPPER LEVEL. There is a BASE LEVEL as well and I will reveal its purpose later.

After the comparatively long sequence (during which we meet another character we get to name), you’ll control Zidane again and you’ll start off in the Business District’s inn. You’ll also get your last Teach Me, Mogster ATE explaining synthesis shops. Nevertheless, you don’t need that, you have me. So get out of there, go to the next inn room, and talk to the moogle. Always talk to the moogles. Always save at every moogle, always see if they have a letter to read or to deliver. It’s just good gaming manners. Go down the stairs and search the bottom-left corner of the screen for 163 gil. Leave the inn now and view A Small-Town Knight in a Big City. 

Go up to the next screen. Go into the house and grab a Hi-Potion and an Echo Screen. Now leave and take the path to the left. Hidden in the trees at the top of the screen is a Tent. Now go into the church. A Leather Plate waits for you on the platform at the top of the ladder, at the far right of the platform. Leave the church and go back one more screen this time taking the path to the right. This is the shopping area. Let’s start by going counter-clockwise. For enter the shop to the far right, this is the equipment shop.

Ready to learn the Cotton Robe Trick? We learned Step 1 in the last chapter. Step 2: Buy up to 50 Steepled hats, keeping at least 9000-10000 gil. Now go to the shop on the far left (down some stairs). This is the synthesis shop. We were introduced to the idea of synthesizing in Final Fantasy VIII. This time it’s a lot easier. Two maybe three items, put them together and get something better. You’re going to synthesize Cotton Robes. As many as you can. In the Synthesis shop, next to the old guy’s table you’ll find a pair of Silver Gloves too (score! Now you should have 2 pair and you’ll never need to buy any). The Synthesis Shop is why I advised you earlier in the game NEVER TO SELL EXCESS EQUIPMENT!

Take the cotton robes to either of the other two shops and sell them for a nice profit. You’ll want to keep at least three of course for yourself. Repeat the process until you can do no more (Remember to keep 3 for yourself we will need them). Now it’s time for some actual shopping.

Equipment:
3 glass armlets
4 Headgear
1 Linen Cuirass

Synthesize:
1 Butterfly Sword
1 Ogre
1 Yellow Scarf
1 Glass Buckle
1 Desert Shoes

Items:
10 Echo Screens
10 Softs

Exit the shopping zone. It’s time to do some grinding for Zidane. Normally you won’t have to do this, but you want his feathered hat to get the Yellow Scarf. To do this go back to the screen with the inn and go all the way down. This is the Hunter’s Gate. The monsters outside here are easy and it’s cake to get them with just Zidane and he’ll get all the experience too (you’ll find I have no problem with being over-leveled). Just grind enough AP to finish off the feathered hat and the leather wrist (it’s time to get him on something better after that)although if you’re the ambitious sort, like me, go ahead and complete the Butterfly Sword during this grinding run too. Equip the Butterfly Sword (What’s That! 40 and you should already have Protect Girls done with) and Leather Plate. When he’s done with the Feather Hat and the Leather Wrist, give him the Headgear (yes it’s lower but it’s got Undead Killer  (45) on it and you WANT that) and the Glass Armlet (Steal Gil 40 Antibody 20). Give him the Glass Buckle to stack the Antibody and Add Status.

After you’ve done all the grinding you want to do for now reenter Lindblum and go back to the screen with the inn. The door on the right is the air cab. Go in to trigger another ATE “VIVI’S SHOPPING.” Talking to the cab will allow you to either to the Industrial District, the Theater District or the Lindblum Castle. First go to the Industrial District for some more treasure hunting.

Right after you exit the station up the big flight of stairs, turn left and into the corner beside the entrance to pick up a Leather Wrist. Go up the next big flight of stairs on the far right of the screen. In between the pub and the guy is a Bronze Vest. Proceed right and into the only other place you can enter at this time. Go up the stairs to the 2^nd tier and open two chests to claim a Mimic Card and a Steepled Hat. Return to the Air Cab. This time go to the Theater District.

Exit the station to activate yet another ATE (Steam Engine). Afterward check over by the vines beside the house in the foreground for 127 gil. Don’t go into the house just yet instead turn left and go down the staircase. Walk to the left and go down the next flight of stairs. Talk to the group of fan girls. Follow the moogle back to the house in the first part of the district. Inside the house, inside the chest is an ore. Talk to Lowell to get an Autograph. Between the red chair and the drawer of paint supplies is the Moogle Suit. Now leave this house and go back down the stairs and go into the building on this screen.  This will trigger a short automatic sequence. When it is over pick up the treasure chests here and the Mini-Burmecia at the top of the ladder on the beds. Leaving the theater makes available the next ATE (Baku and his Crew). Go back to the air cabs and return to the Castle. Go to the Guest Room to learn that Dagger is missing. Leave the room and go to the fountain to hear the same song from Dali Village. Try and go to the lift to discover they won’t let you through. So instead go back up the stairs by the fountain and down the stairs to the second tier of this screen to tell an incompetent sleeping guard that you saw someone suspicious. This will let Zidane knock him out and steal his uniform. Now go to the lift and go to the TOP FLOOR. After you’ve exited the lift screen you can go straight or left. Go left. Keep going left and up the stairs. Once again keep going left to trigger the next FMV.

After talking with Dagger a bit she take you up to the telescope. Look through it. First take it a little to the right and pinpoint the Ceebell River. Keep going right to locate a mysterious forest with a chocobo wandering about. Go left and down a little to locate a marsh. From here go all the way up and right a ways until you see the ! to get one part of the Aerbs Mountains. Keep going right to get South Gate.  And the rest of the way right to part 2 of the Aerbs Mountain. Dagger will then ask to see. During which point she will have an introspective moment and after which Zidane will put his foot in mouth. Finally he makes her a deal. If he wins the Festival of the Hunt, she will go on a date with him. She agrees and we move on with the plot.

THE FESTIVAL OF THE HUNT

There are three people of interest taking part in this fun event; Zidane, Freya and Vivi (not of his own volition but he does it). If Zidane wins you will get 5000 gil. Vivi will get the Theater Ship Card and Freya will get the Coral Ring which will allow you to absorb thunder magic. Can you guess which one we want? If you said the Coral Ring, you’re right! However we do want to get some items during this thing. Go to the air cab to be taken to the Theater District but take the cab again to the Business District. Go to the spot just before you get to the Shopping Zone. Wait until you have 4 minutes left and continue to trigger the boss fight with Zaghnol.

End Festival of the Hunt. That wasn’t so hard was it. After the event is over, we get the award ceremony. No matter who wins, we get the Master of the Hunt award. However, the celebration is interrupted by a wounded Burmecian Soldier comes in and informs the Regent that Burmecia is under attack by an army of Black Mages. Cid promises to do everything in his power to help just as the soldier dies. Freya resolves to return to Burmecia and Zidane insists on accompanying her. Vivi wants to go too because he wants to know just what those Black Mages are (and thus who or what he is). Dagger says she’ll talk to her mother but we all know that’s foolish and Zidane insists she remain in Lindblum where she’ll be safe. Cid says it will take some time to open the Dragon’s Gate and that they should eat first. Dagger is not satisfied being cooped up in some castle and puts sleeping grass in everyone else’s food. When they fall asleep, she and Steiner leave. When the rest wake up Zidane doesn’t know which way she’s going and decides they should head to Burmecia as planned.

We regain control of Zidane and now Freya is in our party. Let’s equip her with the weaker equipment first to learn their abilities. Don’t grind just yet though. We’ll do that next chapter. To leave Lindblum for Burmecia, go back to the lift and go to the BASE LEVEL. Detour on the one that goes to "Serpent's Gate," because at the station one can find a chest with a [WYERD CARD]; then, go to "Dragon's Gate" where the exit onto the world map is. You’ll see a man. He is a merchant who will sell the usual healing items. He’ll sell the equipment in disc 2. Read the letter from Stiltskin at the moogle and save your game. There's a hidden [TENT] chest around this tiny area, obscured on the right side of the door.

That’s it for this chapter. Next chapter we’ll recruit yet another new character, do some more grinding, start on two new side quests and go through Gizamuluke’s Grotto. Next time: Chapter 7: Frogs, and Chocobos and Black Mages Oh My!