FF WalkthroughWith Castle Fynn liberated and the rebellion strengthened, your next objective takes you across the sea to the mystical land of Mysidia. This ancient town of mages holds secrets vital to your quest - and the path forward requires placing the White Mask on a sacred pedestal. This chapter covers the journey to Mysidia, shopping for powerful magic and equipment, placing the White Mask, and a full exploration of Tropical Island - a multi-floor maze dungeon with 20 treasure chests and a challenging boss fight.
Journey to Mysidia
Mysidia is located across the sea to the southeast. Board your ship and sail east, then south along the coastline. The journey is long and the waters are treacherous.
You'll encounter several new enemy types along the way:
- Big Horns - Powerful rams with high attack (you'll face them as a boss later)
- Black Flans - Absorb all magic, use physical attacks only
- Bombs - Can self-destruct for massive damage, kill quickly
- Flying Rays - Aerial enemies with decent evasion
- Ghosts - Undead, weak to Fire and Cure magic
- Imps - Small but annoying in groups
- Red Mousses - Weak to Ice magic
- Werewolves - Fast physical attackers that can appear in packs
Black Flans absorb all elemental magic. Do NOT cast offensive spells on them - they will heal instead of taking damage. Use physical attacks exclusively. The Bombs are dangerous because they self-destruct when low on HP, dealing massive fire damage to your party. Focus them down quickly before they can explode.
Several sea enemies encountered during the voyage to Mysidia and Tropical Island are missable and required for 100% bestiary completion. Make sure to encounter all of these before progressing too far in the story:
- Buccaneer - Pirate enemy on the sea
- Helldiver - Diving bird enemy
- Killer Fish - Aggressive fish in ocean waters
- Sea Snake - Serpent enemy in sea encounters
Continue sailing until you see the tropical coastline of the Mysidia region. Dock your ship near the town and enter.
Mysidia Town
Mysidia is a town of mages and scholars. The residents here have devoted their lives to the study of magic, and their shops reflect this focus. This is one of the most important shopping stops in the game.
The most important purchase in Mysidia is the Holy spell from the magic shop. This powerful white magic deals massive damage to undead enemies and is effective against many bosses later in the game. Buy it immediately and begin leveling it on Maria or your primary spellcaster. Holy is crucial for the later dungeons - the spell becomes incredibly powerful at higher levels and will trivialize many encounters.
The armor shop sells the Ice Shield, which provides excellent defense and absorbs ice-elemental attacks. This shield will be useful against ice-using enemies and bosses. Purchase one or two for your frontline fighters. While shopping, pick up any Mythril equipment you may be missing as solid upgrades for this stage of the game.
Recommended purchases before leaving town:
- Holy spell - Essential for undead enemies and bosses
- Ice Shield - Absorbs ice-elemental attacks
- Mythril equipment - Solid upgrades if you're missing any pieces
- Cottages (3-4) - Full HP/MP restoration for Tropical Island
- Hi-Potions - Important for dungeon survival
- Phoenix Downs (10+) - Always keep these in stock
Stock up on Cottages especially - Tropical Island is a long dungeon with no save points inside, and you'll want the ability to fully restore HP and MP before the boss fight.
Your main objective in Mysidia is to place the White Mask on a sacred pedestal. Explore the town and look for the entrance to the underground area. Head down the stairs to find a chamber with a pedestal in the center. Approach the pedestal and use the White Mask from your inventory. The mask locks into place and a magical reaction occurs - the path to Tropical Island is now accessible. With the White Mask placed, you've unlocked access to Tropical Island where the Black Mask awaits.
Tropical Island
Return to your ship and set sail for Tropical Island. The island is located to the south of Mysidia. Look for a small tropical island with dense jungle and a cave entrance visible from the shore. Dock your ship and enter the cave. Tropical Island is a multi-floor maze dungeon with 20 treasure chests, multiple enemy types, and a boss fight. Prepare for a lengthy exploration.
Tropical Island is a challenging dungeon. Make sure you have Holy spell purchased (start leveling it), Protect and Blink for the boss, plenty of Hi-Potions, Ethers, Phoenix Downs, and at least 2-3 Cottages for full restoration before the boss.
Dungeon Overview
Tropical Island is a maze-like dungeon spanning multiple floors. The layout is confusing with many twisting passages that loop back on themselves. Keep track of where you've been and explore methodically to find all 20 chests. The island has inhabitants who have set up shop inside - you'll find merchants selling useful weapons and equipment, so make sure to check their inventory and upgrade if needed.
Enemy encounters include:
- Yellow Jelly - Slime creature weak to Lightning magic (new)
- Big Horns - Powerful rams with high attack
- Black Flans - Absorb all magic, use physical attacks only
- Bombs - Can self-destruct for massive damage
- Werewolves - Fast physical attackers
1F - Entrance
From the dungeon entrance on the first floor, head forward to find an Ether in the entrance area. Continue exploring to find a Hi-Potion in the south passage and a Cottage in the east room. On this floor, you'll find merchants who have set up shop inside the dungeon with high-quality weapons that may be upgrades for your party. Explore thoroughly before descending - the stairs to B1 are located in the central area of the floor.
B1 - First Basement
On the first basement level, the maze becomes more complex. Head northwest to find a Phoenix Down. Continue through the center passage for an Elixir, then navigate to the east side for a Mythril Shield. The layout on this floor features multiple branching paths - take your time to explore each one as the passages often loop back on themselves, making it easy to miss chests.
B2 - Second Basement
The second basement floor is particularly confusing with passages that twist and turn with multiple dead ends. Start by heading to the first room for 1000 Gil. Navigate the maze to find a Mythril Helm at the maze entrance area, Spider Silk in a side passage, and a Hi-Potion in the south area. Keep heading downward through the maze - the stairs to B3 are in the southeast portion of the floor.
B3 - Third Basement
Continue through the labyrinthine passages on the third basement floor. Head west first to find Mythril Gloves. The center room contains an Ether. Navigate to the east passage for a Golden Shield. Before descending to B4, grab a Cottage near the stairs - save this for a full restoration before the boss.
B4 - Final Floor
The final floor contains the remaining 6 chests and the boss encounter:
- Phoenix Down - Near the entrance
- Saint's Spirit - Hidden alcove (permanently increases Spirit)
- Sage's Wisdom - Northwest corner (permanently increases Intelligence)
- Elixir - Near the boss chamber
- Golden Armor - South area
- Black Mask - Final chest (guarded by boss)
The stat-boosting items are valuable finds - use them on Maria or your primary spellcaster to boost their magical effectiveness.
Before approaching the final chest, use a Cottage to fully restore your party's HP and MP. There's no save point inside Tropical Island, so make sure you're fully prepared before engaging the boss. Cast Protect and Blink on your party members before opening the final chest.
Boss: Big Horns
The final chest containing the Black Mask is guarded by 4 Big Horns. These powerful ram creatures are formidable individually - facing four at once is a serious challenge.
Weakness: None | Absorbs: None
Big Horns have no elemental weaknesses, making this a straightforward but brutal physical battle. Each Big Horn hits hard with their charging attacks, and with four of them, you can take massive damage each round.
Recommended strategy:
- Focus one at a time - reducing their numbers reduces incoming damage
- Protect - cast on all party members to reduce physical damage
- Blink - creates afterimages to dodge physical attacks
- Berserk - cast on Firion and Guy to maximize damage output
- Have Maria dedicated to healing - these hits add up quickly
- Use Hi-Potions liberally if Cure can't keep up
The key to this fight is focusing your attacks on one Big Horn at a time. Killing one reduces the number of attacks you take each round. Don't split your damage across multiple targets - pick one and eliminate it before moving to the next. Keep Protect and Blink active throughout the fight. If a party member goes down, revive them immediately with Phoenix Down - you need all hands on deck for healing and damage.
After defeating the 4 Big Horns, open the chest to claim the Black Mask! This key item is required for progressing the story and unlocking the Cave of Mysidia. With the Black Mask in your possession, cast Teleport to exit the dungeon instantly. Return to your ship and sail back to Mysidia.
Return to Mysidia
Back in Mysidia, you now have both masks required to progress. The White Mask is placed on its pedestal, and the Black Mask is in your inventory. Rest at the inn to recover from Tropical Island, then prepare for the next dungeon.
The Cave of Mysidia awaits. This ancient cavern holds powerful magic and dangerous enemies. You'll need the Black Mask to navigate its depths and claim the treasures within. Before entering, make sure you have:
- Black Mask - Required to progress through the dungeon
- Holy spell - Purchased and begun leveling
- Ice Shield - Equipped for fire protection
- Hi-Potions, Ethers, Phoenix Downs - Fully stocked
- Protect and Blink - At decent levels
Rest at the Inn to fully restore HP/MP before proceeding. The Cave of Mysidia contains powerful spells and equipment, but the enemies are significantly stronger than Tropical Island.
Treasure Chests
Tropical Island contains 20 treasure chests spread across its maze-like floors. None are missable - you can return to the dungeon anytime. The final chest is guarded by the 4x Big Horn boss.
| Item | Location |
|---|---|
Ether | 1F, entrance area |
Hi-Potion | 1F, south passage |
Cottage | 1F, east room |
Phoenix Down | B1, northwest area |
Elixir | B1, center passage |
Mythril Shield | B1, east side |
1000 Gil | B2, first room |
Mythril Helm | B2, maze entrance |
Spider Silk | B2, side passage |
Hi-Potion | B2, south area |
Mythril Gloves | B3, west side |
Ether | B3, center room |
Golden Shield | B3, east passage |
Cottage | B3, before stairs |
Phoenix Down | B4, entrance area |
Saint's Spirit | B4, hidden alcove |
Sage's Wisdom | B4, northwest corner |
Elixir | B4, near boss chamber |
Golden Armor | B4, south area |
Black Mask | B4, guarded by 4x Big Horn |