FF WalkthroughAfter crossing Mt. Hobs with Yang, follow the path east until you reach Fabul Castle. This is Yang's homeland - a kingdom of monks. But you're walking into a crisis. Baron's forces are about to attack, and the castle needs every defender it can get.
Preparing for Battle
Before speaking with the King, visit Fabul's shops and collect items from the towers. You won't have another chance until after the battle sequence. Grab everything now.
Weapon Shop
The weapon shop sells excellent upgrades for Yang:
- Flame Claw (350 Gil) - Fire-elemental damage
- Ice Claw (450 Gil) - Ice-elemental damage
- Thunder Claw (550 Gil) - Lightning-elemental damage
Buy at least two elemental Claws for Yang. Having access to different elements lets him exploit enemy weaknesses. The Thunder Claw is useful against the Sahagins you'll face during the castle defense.
Equipment Tip: Cecil should already have decent gear from Damcyan's treasure room. If you missed that equipment, now is a good time to upgrade his weapon and armor before the upcoming battles.
Tower Items
Fabul Castle has two accessible towers with treasure chests and hidden items in pots. Climb both towers to grab everything before triggering the story events.
West Tower
The West Tower has three chests on the first floor, plus a hidden item. Search the pot for a Zeus's Wrath - a useful battle item that casts Thundara on all enemies.
| Item | Location |
|---|---|
Bomb Fragment | West Tower, 1F |
Antarctic Wind | West Tower, 1F |
Potion | West Tower, 1F |
East Tower
The East Tower has a single chest on the third floor. Check the pot here for Bacchus's Cider, which inflicts Berserk on an ally.
| Item | Location |
|---|---|
Tent | East Tower, 3F |
Throne Room
Before speaking to the King, search the pot in the Throne Room for Hermes Shoes. This battle item casts Haste on one ally - save it for boss fights.
The Castle Defense
When you're ready, speak to the King in the throne room. He'll task you with defending the castle against Baron's invasion. Yang's fellow monks fight alongside you. Six consecutive battles follow - no breaks between them.
Defense Enemies
During the castle defense, you'll face waves of Baron's forces mixed with monsters. Here are the enemies you'll encounter:
| Enemy | HP | Weakness | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sahagin | 50 | Lightning | Water creatures. Weak physical attacks. |
| Domovoi | 74 | None | Small monsters with basic attacks. |
| Baron Warrior | 150 | None | Standard soldiers. Attack in groups. |
| Gargoyle | 160 | Holy, Projectile | Flying creatures with solid defense. |
| Captain | 220 | None | Leads soldier groups. Can flee if soldiers killed first. |
MISSABLE Bestiary Entry
During the castle defense battles, you'll face Captains alongside Baron Soldiers. Make sure to defeat at least one Captain before killing the other enemies. If you only kill the soldiers, the Captain might flee, and you'll miss his bestiary entry permanently.
Battle Waves
The defense sequence consists of six battles in a row, pushing deeper into the castle as Baron's forces advance:
- Wave 1-2: Baron Soldiers and Captains breach the front gate. Groups of 2-3 enemies with basic attacks.
- Wave 3-4: Monsters join the assault - Sahagins, Domovois, and Gargoyles mixed with soldiers.
- Wave 5-6: The final push toward the Crystal Room. Larger groups with Captains leading the charge.
These fights aren't hard if you keep healing. Yang's Kick clears groups quickly since it hits all enemies. Cecil handles the stronger enemies with regular attacks. Edward should focus on support - have him use items to heal wounded party members or play Sing to hide from attacks. Rydia can cast Fire on groups or use summons if she has MP to spare.
Healing Between Waves
Your HP and MP carry over between battles, but there are no save points during the defense sequence. Have Rosa cast Cure between waves to keep everyone topped up. Items work too - Edward can throw Potions at anyone who took heavy damage.
Kain's Betrayal
After the six defense battles, your party enters the Crystal Room. A figure waits inside - it's Kain. But he's not here to help. He's working with Golbez now, the dark commander behind Baron's aggression.
A scripted fight occurs between Kain and Cecil. You cannot win this battle - it exists to show how outmatched Cecil is against his former friend. When Cecil's HP drops low enough, the fight ends automatically. Don't waste items trying to survive.
Rosa and Rydia rush in after the fight. Then Golbez himself appears, cloaked in shadow. He takes the Wind Crystal and kidnaps Rosa, vanishing with Kain at his side. Edward and Yang are injured in the chaos. The defense has failed.
Story Note
Kain's betrayal is the first major twist in FF4's story. He's not acting of his own free will - Golbez has placed him under mind control. You'll see both Kain and Rosa again later in the game. Don't worry about losing Rosa's healing abilities - you'll manage without her for a while.
After the Battle
When you regain control, you're in the throne room with a reduced party. Cecil, Yang, Edward, and Rydia remain. Now is the time to explore and collect items you couldn't access during the defense.
Secret Path - Three Chests
In the throne room, there's a hidden passage. Walk behind the King's throne and examine the wall to find a switch. Pressing this button opens a secret doorway on the right side of the room. Inside, you'll find three treasure chests:
| Item | Location |
|---|---|
Spider's Silk | Secret passage, right side |
Demon Shield | Secret passage, right side |
Ether | Secret passage, right side |
The Demon Shield is the prize here - a solid defensive upgrade for Cecil with good defense stats. The Spider's Silk casts Slow on all enemies, useful against fast boss fights. Grab the Ether for MP recovery.
Free Inn Rest
The Inn in Fabul is free after the invasion. Rest up to fully restore HP and MP before leaving. You'll need it for what's ahead - the journey to your next destination is long.
King's Gift - Deathbringer
Before departing, speak to the King again. He'll reward Cecil with the Deathbringer, a powerful dark sword. This weapon has a chance to instantly kill enemies, making random encounters much faster. More importantly, its raw attack power is higher than whatever Cecil was using before. Equip it immediately.
Deathbringer Note: The instant-death effect won't trigger on bosses, but it works on regular enemies. Even when it doesn't proc, the sword's high attack makes Cecil's physical damage much better than before.
Ocean Voyage
Exit the castle and head to the eastern jetty. A ship is waiting to take your party across the sea toward Mysidia, a town of mages. Board the vessel when you're ready to depart.
Things go wrong fast. A massive storm erupts mid-journey, and the sea itself rises against the ship. Leviathan, the Lord of All Waters, attacks without warning. Rydia gets knocked overboard by a wave, and Yang dives in after her trying to save her.
Before Cecil can react, Leviathan drags the entire ship into a whirlpool. The screen fades to black.
Waking on the Shore
Cecil washes up alone on an unfamiliar beach. Edward, Yang, Rydia - all gone. Scattered or drowned by Leviathan's attack. The Dark Knight has no allies now. No purpose.
Walk east from the beach. The town of Mysidia is nearby, but the people there won't welcome Cecil warmly. After all, he led the Red Wings when they attacked this very town and stole their Water Crystal. But with nowhere else to go, Mysidia is his only option.
Treasure Summary
Fabul contains 7 treasure chests total across both towers and the secret passage, plus 3 hidden items in pots. Don't miss the secret path behind the throne - it has the Demon Shield and two other useful items.
Chests
- West Tower: Bomb Fragment, Antarctic Wind, Potion
- East Tower: Tent
- Secret Passage: Spider's Silk, Demon Shield, Ether
King's Reward
- Deathbringer - Speak to the King after the defense battle