Having escaped from the grand fortress with all objectives achieved, Vyse and party (now a group of four) take up Fina's quest. The game's true story begins here with a trip to the desert land of Nasr, where the red moon crystal sleeps in a forgotten temple. But the path to the crystal is fraught with peril, including betrayal and the threat of the Valuan armada, which seeks the crystal to revive an ancient war machine.
At this point, you will return to Pirate Island, now with a full party in tow. Fina joins, and Drachma returns, although Fina is underpowered rather severely and needs some leveling up. She comes already knowing some useful skills, most notably risan, which will finally give you the ability to revive fallen comrades in battle.
Swashbuckler opportunity: Tell Fina "Leave everything to us!"
You'll also be introduced to Cupil, Fina's weapon, friend, and pet. Cupil is a silver creature that can metamorphose into various shapes; it becomes stronger by eating moonstone fragments called chams, which can be found on the ground in various places around the world. There's at least one cham in almost every location you visit; luckily, they're easy to find, as Cupil goes berserk whenever he's near one. If you have a VMU (rather than a plain memory card) in use, Cupil will beep with increasing urgency as you draw near a cham. If you also have a jump pack active, he'll shake the controller. You can pick up several chams immediately - there's one right inside the Pirate Island port to the right of the door (past Luke the raider), one at the top of the Sailors Island lighthouse to the left of the ladder, and one near the bottom of Shrine Island. Cupil will evolve to his next form after two chams, so it's worth the time to hunt them down.
Also on Sailors Island, you'll meet the self-proclaimed great explorer Domingo, who is nipping at your heels to make discoveries before you have the chance. If you spend too long tracking down a particular discovery, chances are that Domingo will beat you to it.
With the harpoon cannon attached to the Little Jack, it's possible to pass through the stone reefs that previously obstructed progress. This means you can easily pass into Nasr without being seen by the boarder guard. Once you enter Nasr airspace, you can tackle several tasks - there are a number of discoveries to be found, a black pirate vessel that will engage you in ship-to-ship combat, and the main objective: the city of Maramba. Maramba is easy to find, as it's on the main continent, surrounded by pillars of flame.
Items in this area: Magic droplet, slipara box, Nasr combat mail, moonberry, excavation arm, gem of fluidity
Drachma ditches the party here, leaving the trio stranded in the desert city with no way to reach its objective. Make the most of things by exploring the city; there's a combination ship merchant and guild shop across from the port. To the right and up the main stairway is the gate to the city interior, where you can seek transport to the Temple of Pyrynn. There's a cham on the roof of the inn that will bring Cupil to his second transformation if you've tracked down all the others. To reach some roofs, you can use the dhabu at the stable in the far corner of town. There are some useful treasures to be found as well, so explore before you visit the weapons shop.
You can reach the second half of town by riding the dhabu through the gates near the mayor's house. The ladder leading down will take you to a series of enemy-free catacombs barred by moving gates where you can find various treasures. The fortune teller's home is of no real use for the time being, but inside the tavern, you'll meet an exotic dancer named Bellena.
Swashbuckler opportunity: Fess up to your lechery and tell Aika you'll stop staring at the dancer.
Bellena has caught wind of your reputation and is willing to help your party - she harbors a deep grudge against Valua and is more than happy to help Vyse and his friends put a stop to its plans. After speaking with Bellena, finish your business around town and sleep over at the inn. After resting, meet Bellena at the docks to catch a ride in her ship.
Swashbuckler opportunity: Tell Bellena "We'll do it!"
