Final Fantasy IX Walkthrough

3.13: The Four Shrines and Some Out-of-This-World Advice

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1.1: The Prima Vista Visits Alexandria 1.2: Dramatic Play in Alexandria 1.3: The Evil Forest 1.4: Through the Ice Cavern 1.5: Dali and the Waltz 1.6: The Festival of the Hunt 1.7: Back on the World Map 1.8: Gizamaluke's Grotto 1.9: At the Bohden Arch 1.10: Burmecia, Realm of Eternal Rain 2.1: The South Gate 2.2: Treno, City of Eternal Night 2.3: Gargan Roo 2.4: Cleyra Trunk 2.5: Cleyra Settlement 2.6: Alexandria Castle Revisited 2.7: Pinnacle Rocks 2.8: Lindblum Revisited 2.9: Fossil Roo 2.10: Conde Petie 2.11: Black Mage Village 2.12: Conde Petie Mountain Path 2.13: Madain Sari, Village of the Lost Summoners 2.14: Iifa Tree 2.15: Back to Madain Sari 2.16: Back to the Iifa Tree 3.1: Alexandria Revisited 3.2: Treno Revisited 3.3: Defending Alexandria 3.4: A Salve for Cid 3.5: The Open Seas 3.6: Back in the Saddle Again 3.7: Oeilvert 3.8: Desert Palace 3.9: Mt. Gulug 3.10: Third Lindblum's A Charm 3.11: Daguerreo 3.12: Ipsen's Castle 3.13: The Four Shrines and Some Out-of-This-World Advice 3.14: Terra 3.15: Pandemonium 4.1: Assorted Sidequesting 4.2: Memoria 4.3: The Crystal World

Next Chapter: > Terra

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Get ready for some classic-Final Fantasy elemental shrines! While steering the airship, head south to the Water Shrine. You will pick some parties, here, but just one of them needs to face a boss. Read on or turn on spoilers to learn more. Here are the locations of the shrines:

• Water - south of Ipsen's Castle, in the large bay.
• Fire - a smoking volcano in northern part of Lost Continent.
• Wind - a windy canyon on Forgotten Continent's southeastern peninsula.
• Earth - a large quaking plain to southwest of the eastern desert on Outer Continent

Have a look at CoN's map if these descriptions aren't quite enough.

There's more preparation contained here for your party if you show spoilers now - otherwise, you'll find out soon enough.

Anyway, fly to the Triquai Plains in the "middleish" part of Outer Continent, and enter via the airship. After some talky-talky scenes (press the action button as Zidane's crew to jump the walls!), your two favorite allies will fight their biggest, baddest, braindead baddie!



The preparation just recommended makes this battle a ridiculous farce. Equip Gaia Gear to absorb Earth Shake's damage, and teach Quina Bad Breath to inflict a cluster of nasty negative statuses (Slow, Darkness, Mini) - the latter robs 'Double Slash' of its oomph. This sets up Zidane to steal the goodies to his heart's content and if necessary take the pressure off Quina, who may be a largely under-leveled ally. Still, his/her Twister works wonders and, in a rare set of circumstances, the boss itself can be eaten to teach Earth Shake.

Everyone regroups and the destination is set: The Shimmering Island by Esto Gaza. Once you go to Terra, however, you won't be able to come back on the same disc - there are quite a few places that simply will not be available, and thus some sidequests that won't be available either. They are:

• Observatory Mountain
• North/South Gates (any)
• Oeilvert
• Esto Gaza
• Desert Palace
• Mt. Gulug
• Ice Cavern
• Conde Petie
• Conde Petie Mountain Path
• Fossil Roo
• Iifa Tree
• Pinnacle Rocks
• Rare Coffee Sidequest

Additionally, multiple weapons become unavailable once going to Terra, and this can bar some characters from learning all their skills. They are:

Weapon	Skill(s) Taught
Mythril Sword	Armor Break (Steiner)
Rune Blade	Iai Strike (Steiner)
Trident	Luna (Freya)
Obelisk	Cherry Blossom (Freya)
Diamond Sword	Power Break (Steiner)
Flame Saber	Magic Break (Steiner)
Black Hood	Death (Vivi)
Hamelin	Jewel (Eiko)
Octagon Rod	Firaga, Thundaga, Blizzaga (Vivi)

I've warned you about several of these along the way, so for land's sake don't go to Terra damning Vivi to life without the third level elemental spells or Steiner to knighthood without Armor Break.

The Zorlin Shape will also be missable. Its skill (Flee) is readily available in other forms, but two pretty slick weapons require it as a component: Sargatanas and Masamune. Now's a good time to get the former if not done already, while the latter can be stolen from a late-game boss (that will be the last chance, though). Thief Gloves require Sargatanas for synthesizing, but can be bought in Treno's auctionhouse, thankfully.

Oh, and you will want to kill the Amdusias (Treno) in Treno's equipment shop for a second pair of Running Shoes. Enter the Shimmering Island when ready (you will be prompted to stay the course) for a sojourn to a new, very weird place.

<< First

< Previous Chapter:    Ipsen's Castle

1.1: The Prima Vista Visits Alexandria 1.2: Dramatic Play in Alexandria 1.3: The Evil Forest 1.4: Through the Ice Cavern 1.5: Dali and the Waltz 1.6: The Festival of the Hunt 1.7: Back on the World Map 1.8: Gizamaluke's Grotto 1.9: At the Bohden Arch 1.10: Burmecia, Realm of Eternal Rain 2.1: The South Gate 2.2: Treno, City of Eternal Night 2.3: Gargan Roo 2.4: Cleyra Trunk 2.5: Cleyra Settlement 2.6: Alexandria Castle Revisited 2.7: Pinnacle Rocks 2.8: Lindblum Revisited 2.9: Fossil Roo 2.10: Conde Petie 2.11: Black Mage Village 2.12: Conde Petie Mountain Path 2.13: Madain Sari, Village of the Lost Summoners 2.14: Iifa Tree 2.15: Back to Madain Sari 2.16: Back to the Iifa Tree 3.1: Alexandria Revisited 3.2: Treno Revisited 3.3: Defending Alexandria 3.4: A Salve for Cid 3.5: The Open Seas 3.6: Back in the Saddle Again 3.7: Oeilvert 3.8: Desert Palace 3.9: Mt. Gulug 3.10: Third Lindblum's A Charm 3.11: Daguerreo 3.12: Ipsen's Castle 3.13: The Four Shrines and Some Out-of-This-World Advice 3.14: Terra 3.15: Pandemonium 4.1: Assorted Sidequesting 4.2: Memoria 4.3: The Crystal World

Next Chapter: > Terra

Last >>