[Prologue]

All stats are according to nightmare mode difficulty settings!

EXP Gain Note: If a character is dead when (a) monster dies (meaning, even if the battle hasn't ended), they will not get the exp for that monster at the end of battle. Only the monsters they are alive for when it dies, is what they get.


[Prologue]

The game quickly picks up with a tutorial fight. If you've played any of the Kiseki games, the battle is pretty self explanitory. Avoid using S-Breaks and just use crafts is possible. You really want to save S-Breaks for when a critical turn comes around. These monsters resist all stat/ailment effects. Once the fight is over, a scene will take place. Near the end of it you'll be given 2 master quartz.

You'll need to equip both of them. Personally I gave [フォース - Force] to Noel, and [シールド- Shield] to Lloyd. You can equip these by opening up the main menu with square, go to Orbment, quartz, then at M-Slot, select it, then pick a Master Quartz. You can change characters my pressing L/R. When you highlight a master quartz, you'll notice the stats boost it'll give you, as well as the element bonus. Keep in mind the element bonus, as this is applied to ALL lines on the orbment. So it'll be helpful later when trying to setup different combinations for arts.

Once done, talk to Dudley to continue. Once you gain control, both Arios and Dudley will be in your party. You can not change their equips, or orbment setup. You can press L when on the field to change who is in front. Press circle to attack. If you strike an enemy from behind, you'll stun them. If you engage them in battle while they are stunned you will get a "Max Party Advantage". This means everyone will go first, get critical turns, and sometimes there will be a team rush turn bonus. For now, keep Arios in front since he has hax katana lazers when he attacks on the field. Making it easy to stun anything, even from the front... (Only Dudley and Arios can do this at this time).

In the first open area, there will be a door you can not open. If you examine it, you'll get a scene. Keep heading north. Head down the ramp, but continue going north/east. There is a room with a normal chest containing x30 of every sepith. Head back and go through the other passage. A scene will trigger. Continue down the path to the north, and there will be an obvious chest containing Celestial Balm. Further there will be a lever. Pull it, and that door back near the enterance will be open. So head back there. Also just a tip, fight everything in sight right now. It's free exp since Arios and Dudley can almost one-shot everything.


Once you go through the now open door, follow the path and in the next big room, take a sharp right. There will be a path that leads to a small room that contains a normal chest with a Clear Balm. Go back to the big room, and head North/West behind the broken rock line, there will be a red chest containing a Flame Zippo (Lighter). It's an accessory that prevents freeze status effect. I'd place it on Lloyd since Noel tends to be in the back. Continue north, and there will be another path that heads east. This will lead to a deadend, but it has a monster. So free exp (which you'll need if coming from no save file). So go back, and continue north.

In the next room, you will be forced to fight x4 Dinosaurs. You can easily clean them up before they even act, even on nightmare mode. Once the fight is over, head east, then at the split head south. There will be a monster chest with x4 dinosaurs. You'll get a HP1 quartz after you win. equip this to whoever you want to do healing/needs more HP. Head back, but continue going north down that path. It'll lead to another room with a normal chest containing an EP Charge I. Now head back, and before going through the path with two tourches next to it, go west. There is a chest in this room that has x30 of every sepith in it. Now go through that other path way with the two tourches next to it.

At the next split, go east. Down the ramp will be a red chest that has a Long Barrel. It's a RNG+1 accessory, so put it on Noel. Once you go to the next area, if you head south, there will be a path that goes west. In this room, there is a normal chest that has a Fissure Arrow. This item has a chance at dealing death. So use it wisely! (meaning, not here.) Head out and go back north, and you'll reach a healing spot. Save if you haven't already.

In the next room there will be a scene between Heartman and Ernest. A mini boss appears. x2 Reguna Vurieru. Just be careful keeping people in a line from each other, try to spread out. They are weak to fire arts. So have Noel and Dudley keeping the "heat" on them (harhar) from the back, while Lloyd heals (assuming you gave Lloyd the shield master quartz or HP1 quartz), and Arios deals damage. When you see them charging a move, try to cancel the skill by using Lloyd's Stun Break.

After the fight, Dudley and Arios will run up ahead, but then the path will be blocked off. So now you are split up from them. Also, now you have unlocked Noel's and Lloyd's combination Craft, Brave Heart. Both require 100 CP to use. Once the scene is over, go back to the healing spot, heal up, and then go down the ramp to the east.

In the next room, there will be a path to the north. In that room there will be a normal chest containing a Teara Balm. Go back out and continue down the ramp. When you enter the next room, you'll be forced to fight a Devils Flower. Easy fight, just use Lloyd's Tiger Charge to paralyze it if you don't want to take any damage.

Take a left at the first fork, and continue following that path into the next room. Further in there will be a normal chest with a Clear Balm. Keep following that path into the next room, and there will be a monster chest containing x4 Pink Mush. You will get a Conserve EP 1 quartz once you win. Another good quartz to put on your healer. You'll then end up back at the same room where we fought the Devil's Flower. So go south, then take the pathway that leads east.

Follow the path all the way south, there will be a normal chest containing a Celestial Balm before you turn east to another room. In the next room there will be a healing spot. Further up you'll get a scene. You can go either left or right, the path will loop back either way. I'll cover things from going right. In the next room take the path that goes east. This room has a normal chest near the back that has a Teara Balm in it. Then go back and continue north.

At the four way intersection, go south first. This will take you to a monster chest that has x2 Rock Domina. Using water arts is the most effective way to deal with these guys. Don't bother using crafts of physical attacks, as they will deal little to no damage to them. If you use your EP only for arts and use your Tear Balms for healing, you should be able to finish the battle without needing to use an EP Charge I. The quartz you get is Poison Blade. This gives your attacks a 10% chance at poisoning the enemy. If you need to go back and heal at the healing spot. Then come back to the intersection and go north, and pull the lever. When you return, you'll be forced to fight x1 Rock Domina, and x2 Basilisks.

Have Noel focus on the basilisks, and Lloyd on the rock domina. Keep Noel and Lloyd spread out so they don't get hit by AoE arts. Unlike the monster chest fight, this Rock Domina can summon more basilisks. Use Noel's Sleep Grenade if you feel like you are being overwhelmed by the add-ons.

Once the scene is over, heal up if you need to, then head down the west path. There will be a path that goes off to the west. In that room there will be a normal chest that has a EP Charge I. Follow the path back to the closed door that is now open. Heal at the healing spot first, then head in. A scene will take place, and Ernest will change forms.

#======================================================
# Demon Form Ernest
# HP: 19135
# Resists: Poison, Freeze, Blind, Sleep, Mute, Petrify, Paralyze, Confuse, Stun, Death Burn, AT Delay
# Element Stats: 185Ea, 170Wa, 165Fi, 145Wi, 135Ti, 175Sp, 120Mi
#
# Have Noel keep on Heavy Smash duty to prevent Ernest from overpowering you. Heal up when need be.
# Stay above 1k HP as he has an S-Craft that he'll use. If you have the EP, you can have Lloyd
# slow Ernest down by using Clock Down. Use it twice in a row to get the double potent effect.
#=======================================================

After this fight there will be a short scene. Arios and Dudley will rejoin you.

#======================================================
# Final Demon Form Ernest
# HP: 38717
# Resist: Poison, Freeze, Blind, Sleep, Mute, Petrify, Paralyze, Confuse, Stun, Death Burn, AT Delay
# Element Stats: 185Ea, 170Wa, 165Fi, 145Wi, 135Ti, 175Sp, 120Mi
#
# Easy fight now that we have Arios and Dudley back. Try to keep x2 STR up stats on Arios and this
# fight will be over before you know it. Just have someone keep casting Forte on Arios, and another
# keeping everyone's HP up. Then use Arios' S-Craft/Break on critical turns.
#=======================================================

After the fight, enjoy the long cutscene where we have familiar faces join the story. This ends the prologue.