Castle Deist

Recruiting Leila

Head to Paloom, the port town east of Altair. With Cid's airship unavailable (it was damaged during the Dreadnought escape), you'll need to find another way to cross the sea to Deist. Enter the pub and look for a woman named Leila.

Speak with Leila and ask about Dragoons or Wyverns. She offers to take you to Deist on her ship - for a price. Accept her offer and follow her to the docks.

As soon as you board the ship, Leila reveals her true colors - she's a pirate captain! Her crew ambushes you in a forced battle.

After defeating the pirates, Leila is impressed by your strength. She apologizes for the deception and offers to join your party legitimately. She'll serve as your fourth member and give you control of her ship.

Leila is a solid party member. She comes equipped with a knife and has decent agility. Consider giving her a stronger weapon from your inventory. She'll stay with you for much of the game. With Leila in your party, you now have access to her pirate ship! This vessel lets you sail anywhere on the world map that's accessible by sea. The ship is docked at Paloom's harbor - board it whenever you need to travel by water.

Sailing to Deist

Unlike walking on the world map, sailing encounters a different set of enemies. Be prepared for aquatic foes as you travel.

While sailing, you'll encounter a new set of aquatic enemies. Killer Fish are fast attackers that come in groups - Thunder magic works well against them. Sea Snakes can poison your party, so have Antidotes or Esuna ready. Hell Divers are diving birds that attack from above - they hit hard but have low HP. Buccaneers are human pirates similar to the ones you just fought, making them easy to defeat. Big Horns are strong physical attackers, so use Protect to mitigate damage. Toads can inflict Toad status - cure with Maiden's Kiss or Esuna.

Take time to grind sea battles if you want to complete your bestiary. The missable enemies won't appear forever - later story events will change the available encounters.

Sail your new ship east from Paloom, then north through the channel. Continue north and then west around the landmass. Deist is located on a large island in the northwestern part of the world map. Look for a dock on the southern coast of the Deist continent. Dock your ship here and head north on foot. Castle Deist is a short walk from the harbor.

Deist Town

Before entering Castle Deist, you can visit the nearby Deist Town. This small village was once home to the Dragoons and their families. The town is eerily quiet - most buildings are empty or abandoned.

Explore the town to piece together what happened. The few remaining residents tell a grim tale: the Empire poisoned the wyverns, and without their mounts, the Dragoons were slaughtered. Only one wyvern may have survived...

The shops here sell decent equipment if you need upgrades. Stock up on healing items before heading to the castle.

Castle Deist

Castle Deist is a sprawling fortress with 3 above-ground floors and 1 basement level. The castle contains 14 treasure chests filled with valuable equipment and items. The castle is dark and foreboding - a fitting home for the last remnants of the Dragoons.

The castle is filled with undead creatures. Keep Fire magic ready for quick disposal:

• Ghasts - Common undead, weak to Fire
• Ghouls - Can inflict Paralysis, weak to Fire
• Wraiths - Ghostly enemies with high evasion
• Revenants - Stronger undead, still vulnerable to Fire magic

The Last Wyvern

In the deepest chamber of the basement, you'll find the last surviving Wyvern. The majestic creature is gravely wounded and dying from the Empire's poison.

Approach the Wyvern and try to communicate. Unfortunately, humans cannot understand the wyvern's language. The creature seems to be trying to tell you something important, but the words are incomprehensible.

Ask the Wyvern about Dragoons and Wyverns. It responds, but you still can't understand. There must be a way to bridge the communication gap...

Return to Deist Town and speak with the NPCs. One of them mentions a Pendant - a magical artifact that allows humans to communicate with wyverns. Learn this keyword. The Pendant was hidden away in Deist Cavern, a dangerous cave network beneath the Deist continent. The Dragoons stored it there for safekeeping before the Empire's attack. Ask around town about the cavern's location. You'll learn that the entrance is somewhere on the Deist landmass - you'll need to explore to find it.

Preparing for Deist Cavern

Make sure you're prepared before venturing into Deist Cavern:

• Equip the new armor from Castle Deist (Knight's Armor, Mythril equipment)
• Have Esuna ready for status ailments
• Stock up on Hi-Potions, Ethers, Antidotes, and Phoenix Downs
• Teach the spell tomes to appropriate party members
• Save your game at the Inn

Deist Cavern is significantly harder than Castle Deist. The enemies hit harder, and there are traps to avoid. Make sure your party is properly equipped before entering.

Before leaving Castle Deist, verify you've completed the following:

• Collected all 14 treasure chests in the castle
• Learned the Pendant keyword from Deist Town
• Encountered the missable sea enemies for your bestiary
• Equipped Leila with decent weapons and armor
• Visited the dying Wyvern in the basement

Treasure Chests

Castle Deist contains 14 treasure chests. None are missable - you can return to the castle anytime to collect any you may have missed.