Final Fantasy I: Dawn of Souls (Part 8)

What.

What.

Well, if we must I guess.

But first go back to Mt. Duegar and talk to Mr. Smyth to obtain Excalibur. That's exciting! (for people who aren't me and actually have a Knight in their party)

Hi-ho, hi-ho, it's off to the end game we go.

To start, go to the southeast corner and take the stairs up. Go east and take the next set of stairs up as well. The third floor is split into three vertical rows that should be quite easy to make out, so head southeast to the middle and head north into the room there. Get the Dry Ether and the Elixer from the chests in the corners then go to the middle.

Remember that Lute the princess cave us way back at the beginning? Well, if you never talked to the couple npc's that mentioned it has the power to shatter evil barriers, you'd be awfully confused at this part I'd imagine. Anyhoo, that's what happens, and a ladder appears. Go down. Exit the room you're in and go northwest, take the stairs down. Go west to find the next set of stairs and take these down as well.

Ready for some tough navigation? Go all the way north, all the way east, then all the way south. Whoops, I lied, it's incredibly easy. Approach the stairs for a boss battle.

The Lich
The Lich hasn't improved a great deal since your last encounter, just buff up your fighter and if you've got the weapons from the bonus dungeons you can probably have the battle won in two turns. It is still weak to Dia, as well. Take the stairs down.

On the next floor go west to the wall, then north into a room made up of two connecting chambers. Go to the east chamber and exit to the south. Go down to where the stone pillars are, then head west toward the stairs but don't take them yet. Go directly south and you will reach a dead end with a door on either side of you. Take the one on the left and get the Protect Ring west of the entrance, then exit from the southwest corner. Follow a long corridor until you see a room on your left - enter it and  get Sasuke's Blade. Return to the dead end and take the room on you right and get the Protect Cloak here. Exit from the southeast corner and follow a short hall to another room where you will find a Megalixir. Return to the dead end and head north, approaching the stairs. As you probably guessed, you will have a rematch with the Fiend of Fire here.

Marilith
Cast Protect and NulBlaze if you want to be safe, but again for the amount of HP she has there's not much use wasting your MP. She'll go down in a couple turns, she still has no elemental weaknesses though.

Head through the door on your right and exit the other end of the room to find yourself in a larger chamber. Go directly south and enter the room here, then follow this room south and exit the door on your right. Go north and enter the room here, then go right and exit through the next door you see. Go all the way south and then head east down the hall.

 

Kraken

Cast NulShock on your party and beef up your fighters. Note that he is no longer weak to Lightning, nor anything else.  He only resists Quake and Fire though, so you can still use Thundaga if you are a sucker for tradition. Other than that there's nothing of note, he can still use Ink to try to inflict your party with Blind but it didn't ever work on me.

The next floor looks rather confusing at first, but it's really not. Go south from the entrance and make your way southwest to a room with a Masamune inside, then return to the stairs and go east. Be on your guard, because Tiamat will show up as you walk through a regular-looking hallway - there's no clear indication like with the others.

Tiamat

Finally, a challenge! Not much of one, but oh well. We must keep our expectations realistic. For one, she will start the battle using the instant death spell Scourge on your entire party. She can also use Blizzara and Thunderbolt, and still has no weaknesses. Beefing up your fighters and dutiful healing should be enough to get you through, it's still not all that difficult. 

Go down to the fifth floor now. There won't be any random encounters here - just the game's final boss in the room in the center.

Do you remember me? I was once known as a knight in Cornelia. Two thousand years from now... you killed me. I am Garland. Oh, you did defeat me then. But the four great forces saved me by sending me back through time! Once here, I sent the four Fiends into the future... where they shall once again use the four great forces to send me into the past! In two thousand years, I will remember none of this. But I will be reborn again here. So even as you die again and again, I shall return! Born again into this endless cycle that I have created!

All of my wat.

Chaos
Hp: 20000
P.Def: 100
M.Def: 200
Weakness: None
Resistance: Quake, Fire, Lightning, Ice, Time, Stone, Paralysis, Poison, Darkness, Sleep, Silence, Confusion, Mind, Death

If you've already gone through the bonus dungeons (which you should have), this will be a pretty easy fight. Use NulFrost, NulBlaze, NulShock and NulDeath as soon as possible to minimize the damage from many of his magic attacks. Even after this he will still have Tsunami and Cyclone though, which are both non-elemental. With all your defenses raised, a white mage won't have to heal every turn, so have them use Holy when they're able. Red Wizards, Ninjas, and Black Wizards should be using Haste/Temper on your fighters, and the fighters should also be using the Giant's Gloves on themselves. If you have a Black Wizard they can use the Judgment Staff (from Atomos in Lifespring Grotto) to cast Flare without using up MP.

Once he goes down, a scene will play showing you the epilogue.

The time loop was severed at last...

The endless struggle that raged over

two thousand years had ended, and

peace prevailed once more.

 The light of the four Crystals 

restored the forced of wind, water,

earth, and fire.

It was a mere trick of fate 

that had given rise to the

chain of Garland's wrath.

But magnified by the four forces

meant to guide our world, 

that trick of fate also gave birth

to the Fiends. 

Monsters ran rampant and the world

sank into darkness...

But all that is now past.

With the four forces flowing 

as they were meant,

the Warriors prepared to cross

time and return to the world they

 knew - a world where Princess Sarah,

Queen Jane, and even Garland 

himself await. 

  When was this fateful day 

that sent time spiraling

into a loop?

None can say.

It seemed the cycle into which 

time had fallen would last forever.

But the bravery of four young 

travelers changed that. They took

the forces that filled the world with

darkness, and used them to  

bathe the world in light.

None will ever recall

the struggle the four endured,

for the breaking of the chain

means that it never existed.

But within the tales of fantasy

that people tell, the memory

of their deeds lives on...

Tales of dwarves and elves,

of dragons and shining civilizations

that reached for the heavens even

as they fell.

And now their return is upon us.

With the memory of their struggle

buried deep in their hearts, they

will quietly watch over our world.

Remember always that the forces 

of the world must be used as

they were intended - that the

power of light must never be 

used for dark, and that the true

Crystals reside in your heart.

For you are the warrior who 

crossed time. 

You are the bringer of light...

And, that brings this game to a close! I won't be starting the second one right away because there are a couple other things I wish to do right now, but thank you for reading!

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