To continue your journey, read Prima’s free Bravely Default walkthrough.
IMPORTANT NOTE: Because of the incredible amount of game to cover, this walkthrough will get you where you need to go and follow the main storyline. There are several features and side quests thrown at you on the course of the adventure. For more details, refer to our General Tips & Strategies guide, and be sure to check here on Prima for future updates.
Once you have completed the Prologue, Chapter 1 begins . . .
ANCHEIM
Item(s): Ether, Hi-Potion, Teleport Stone, Phoenix Down, Gold Hourglass
Ancheim is located in the middle of the desert. When you land the airship at the dock, head south towards your destination marker. You’ll need to wrap around the large cliffs in the desert and enter Ancheim from the front.
Tip: Be careful of new enemies such as Sand Worms, as they can blind your entire party with their Sandstorm attack. Their weakness is Water. Cast Blizzard for efficient damage, and rely on Blindna when needed.
When you arrive in Ancheim, a cut scene will take place. After the scene, head east in town and talk to the Adventurer. Save your game. The game also points out AI Friends, which work the same as Ablinks where you can summon friends in battle. A Friend-Bot is given to you and is available for use.
There’s not much to do at nighttime in Ancheim. Rest at the inn for 20pg. When you awake, a new waypoint is marked on your map: Ancheim Palace. Head there to be treated to a cinema where you’ll meet the King of Ancheim, Khamer VII. Following the cinema, enter the Ancheim Palace again. The guard lets you in. Here, you speak to Khamer once more. He requests Agnès to fix the windmills in town, and suggests going to the Temple of Wind.
Tip: The game introduces Sidequests once you exit the palace. These grant you new jobs after completing them, and usually require optional dungeons and bosses for you to conquer. They are marked with a blue “!” blip on your map. For the purpose of this walkthrough (and the massive length of the game), we’re covering the main story. That said, we recommend completing these, since new jobs will be efficient in completing the game, and make bosses easier down the road. We will loosely explain how to complete them in this walkthrough. Check back for future updates on Prima.
Since we’ve got some time, let’s snag some handy items. Head back inside Ancheim Palace and inspect the south railing to claim a Phoenix Down. Go past the inn and ascend the set of stairs. Examine the left side of the large windmill building (next to the Magic Shop) to discover an Ether.
Proceed east and descend the stairs. At the bottom of the stairs, walk left and grab the Hi-Potion. Continue east and enter the Khamer Mechantry building. Inspect the right-side railing in front of the desk for a Teleport Stone. The left-side bookshelf behind the desk carries a Gold Hourglass (which applies Stop Effect to all enemies and allies).
By now, you should have some decent money stashed in your savings. You won’t be able to purchase everything, but head to the Ancheim Armory and buy some defensive equipment (the Round Shield is handy for everyone, but your Monk character will be less-effective with a shield).
Lastly, new magic spells are available at the Magic Shop. It’s HIGHLY recommended to purchase Protect, Shell and Aero for your White Mage; this will be a huge help in venturing to the next dungeon. Take the time and gain some experience and cash in the desert if need be. When you’re ready, exit Ancheim and head to the Temple of Wind just south of Ancheim (marked on your map).
SIDE QUEST #1
To complete the first side quest, follow these quick steps below. Doing so will earn you the Thief and Merchant asterisks. The Thief job allows you to steal items from enemies, while the Merchant can use money for offense—and let you earn more cash in battle.
1. Visit Khamer Profiteur at the Merchantry building in Ancheim.
2. Speak to the man near the well nearby, who mentions the Oasis.
3. Exit town and head to the Oasis, just west of Ancheim.
4. You will meet a townsperson looking for water there.
5. Chase after the thieves west of the Oasis.
6. Enter the cave to Herana Ruins.
7. Complete Herana Ruins, and defeat Khint and Jackal.
8. Return to Ancheim, and revisit Khamer Profiteur.
9. Defeat Khint and Profiteur to win the Merchant asterisk.
TEMPLE OF WIND
Tip: Three new enemies will attempt to wreck havoc in this temple. The Gargoyles can cast Sleep on your characters and use Protect, the Aero Lanterns can heal themselves, and finally, the Golems are powerhouses. Using your White Mage and casting Aero will vanquish Gargoyles in no time. Your Dark Mage can put down Aero Lanterns quickly with Fire. The Golems are the biggest problem. Be sure to heal your party each turn using Cure, and cast Protect as well if you’re having trouble. Its weakness is Water, so deploy Blizzard with your Black Mage. Thunder and Aero are beneficial, too.
TEMPLE OF WIND – 1F
Item(s): Wind Charm, Mythril Dagger
Begin by heading west and jog south down the narrow passage. Snag the Wind Charm inside the chest, then make your way to the east side of 1F. You can inspect some debris on the floor in the south room for some dialogue; otherwise, descend the stairs southeast leading to B1.
TEMPLE OF WIND – B1
Item(s): Remedy, Hi-Potion, Turbo Ether
Head west at the split ahead of you, then south to discover a chest containing a Remedy. From the chest, head north, east, north again and then west. Open the chest to claim a Hi-Potion. Now take the south path closest to you, which leads to a chest containing a Turbo Ether. When you reach the northeast section of 1F, head south and take the west path below. The path will take you to the southeast portion of B1. Ascend the stairs there back to 1F.
TEMPLE OF WIND – 1F (EAST)
Arriving back on 1F on the east side, follow the path north. The east room triggers another cut scene. Continue north and ascend the stairs to 2F.
TEMPLE OF WIND – 2F
Item(s): Peace Ring, Ether, Mythril Rod
Follow the path south. When you reach the southeast area, hug the east wall to find a hidden passage; this leads to a chest holding a Peace Ring (immune to Confuse).Nowmake your way west from here. In the southwest corner, open the chest to claim an Ether. Turn around and travel north. Head east and then north again. At the first split, jog west, following the path to the northwest corner. Grab the Mythril Rod inside the chest. You can talk to the rabbit creature in the north section, but he claims you lack qualifications. For now, descend the stairs just east of the rabbit fellow back to 1F.
TEMPLE OF WIND – 1F (CENTRAL)
Follow the leaner path to your waypoint, where you’ll watch a cut scene. Afterward, continue west. Along the way, you’ll notice a glowing lever. Trigger it to open the south door (this creates a shortcut on 1F). Carry on west and snag the Mythril Dagger inside the chest. Speak with the Adventurer to save your game. Then head through the north door for a cut scene.
ALTAR OF THE WIND
Following the cut scene, inspect the altar for some information on the Rite of Awakening. Return to the Temple of Wind and approach the north-central room (marked on your map). Inspect the garb to trigger another cut scene. Seems the garb needs a replacement, and the team suggests heading to Yulyana Woods.
YULYANA WOODS—NEEDLEWORKS
Item(s): Peace Ring, Antartic Wind
In order to get to Yulyana Woods, you’ll need the Eschalot. Head back to your airship and fly over to the woods marked on your map. Upon entering, you’re treated to a cinema and meet Sage Yulyana (he’s quite a pervert).
After the cinema, feel free to explore the area. There’s a Peace Ring in Sage’s room next to him, and an Antartic Wind (a useful water-attack item) in the bucket near the Merchant Fox. Rest in the bed hut, then speak to the Merchant Fox and shop if you have earnings. The Mythril Armor is tremendously helpful for defense, but its cost may scare you (1000pg). When you’re all set, exit the woods and proceed to the Vestment Cave southwest of Yulyana Woods.
Tip: You will want to purchase the Armory’s upgrades for the boss coming up. Be sure to come back here after exploring the next dungeon. If you’ve been rebuilding Norende effectively, you may have built helpful accessories already.
VESTMENT CAVE
As usual, tougher enemies inherit this dungeon. Cast Cure or Fire on Zombie Wolves, Aero on the Great Moths and Blood Bat. The Dark Lanterns can confuse your characters, while the Blood Bats are capable of draining your MP. Dark Lanterns are weak to Light, but since we don’t have the spell, apply Thunder or Fire to them.
VESTMENT CAVE – 1F
Item(s): Hi-Potion, Phoenix Down
As you enter the cave, head straight and cross the creek to the west. Continue west until you reach a dead end. Form here, follow the path leading to the southwest corner (by crossing the rocks) and grab a Hi-Potion from the chest. Return to the central part of 1F and take the north path. At the first split, go west and open the chest in the northwest corner for a Phoenix Down. Afterward, return to the central path of 1F and proceed north. Move east and take either path here to the northeast portion of 1F. Descend the stairs to B1.
VESTMENT CAVE – B1
Item(s): 500pg, Remedy, Locked Chest
On B1, move to the south end to discover a chest containing 500pg. Afterward, travel west (the north path leads to a locked chest which cannot be accessed now). At the end, turn north and open another chest in the northwest corner of B1 for a Remedy. There are two set of stairs on B1; one in the southwest corner, and the other in the southeast corner. Proceed to the southwest stairs (straight down from the Remedy chest) to arrive on B2.
VESTMENT CAVE – B2
Item(s): Mage Shell, Echo Herb, Ether
This is a quick trip: Go east and claim the Mage Shell (that raises Magic Defense) from the chest, then return to B1. Now head over to the southeast corner of B1 (by going south from the central path) and descend the stairs there. Once you’re back on B2, follow the path to the west side, and take the south passage. Open the chest in the southwest corner for an Echo Herb. Afterward, make your way through the north path. At the split, go west and claim an Ether in the northwest area.
When you collect the Ether, travel east through the north part of B2. At the split, continue east to find a chest containing a Teleport Stone. Then, backtrack to the other path and move south. The path will split again. Take the lower-left path to discover a chest holding 1000pg! Return to the split and follow the lower-right path, which will take you to the stairs leading to B3.
VESTMENT CAVE – B3
Item(s): None
Talk to the Adventurer and save your game. The boss of this dungeon is up ahead; we recommend building your party to Level 18 or higher from this point. When ready, head north to trigger a cinema. Looks like this is dragon territory!
BOSS! DRAGON
HP: 7500 (Normal) 10,125 (Hard)
Weakness: Water (Blizzard)
Family: Dragon
Rewards: Thunder Charm, 1680pg, 840EXP, 84JP
Your Dark Mage will do most of the damage with the Blizzard spell. Using your White Mage, cast Protect on every character at the start. The Dragon only strikes with physical attacks, which makes it a moderate obstacle to get by. One of his attacks, the Mow Down, nails your entire party; take the time to replenish health after the beast is finished. It usually follows up with its Bully attack, which nails one of your characters. If you have your Knight and Monk leveled up, the Shield Strike, Stomp and Invigorate will work well for offense and defense. There’s no problem using your Bravery early on, either – just make sure the party is secured before going nuts.
With the Rainbow Thread in your grasps, return to Yulyana Woods. Speak to Sage and watch a cinema. Agnès opens up to Sage, and you learn more info on the crystals. After the cinema, get in your airship and head back to the Temple of Wind.
TEMPLE OF WIND RETURN
Talk to the Adventurer and save your game. Ensure you’re at Level 20 or higher before proceeding. If you’re ready, head inside the Altar hall marked on your map (straight ahead). Another cinema takes place, and you’re pitted against one more boss: Orthros.
BOSS! ORTHROS
Ice Head
HP: 5000 (Normal) 6750 (Hard)
Weakness: Fire
Fire Head
HP: 5000 (Normal) 6750 (Hard)
Weakness: Water (Blizzard)
Rewards: 1200pg, 600EXP, 60JP, Antartic Wind, Potion, Bomb Fragment, Ether
Orthros is a two-headed dog beast, with one head covered in ice, while the other in fire. Respectively, the fire head is weak to water; the ice head doesn’t like fire. Your first steps should consist of having your White Mage cast both Shell and Protect, considering Orthros strikes with physical and magic attacks. While Protect is casted, get a head start on your Dark Mage and use Brave immediately; it doesn’t matter which head you choose, just concentrate on eliminating one before the other. Blizzard and Fire are of course your best offense. You may fatigue your White Mage, so use Hi-Potions when needed until he or she gains back a turn.
Orthros’ magic attacks consist of ice and fire, while its physical attacks can sometimes be more dreadful (such as the bite strike). The boss gets heavily more aggressive after one of its heads is defeated, so use this time to defend with Default and build your BP (and HP). You may have to cast Protect and Shell again, depending on how many turns you go through. Once you’re ready, unleash your chain attacks on the remaining head using your offensive characters like before to finish it off.
Following the battle, another cinema takes place. Agnès attempts to release the seal on the crystal – get your fingers ready and tap X rapidly in the series of prompts. For winning this fight, your maximum Support Command cost increases by one, meaning you can now carry two for your characters.
After the lengthy cinema, return to Ancheim. You are greeted to another cut scene. Once the scene ends, stop by the inn, save and then leave Ancheim. At this moment, you have a chat with Prime Minister Dominus, and the second crystal’s location is mentioned. The team suggests Sage should have some information on this.
SIDE QUEST #2
Once you’ve completed the Temple of Wind (and complete Side Quest #1), the second side quest can be completed. Doing this will win you the Spell Fencer and Time Mage asterisks. Spell Fencers can apply magic to their weapon, such as Thunder. Time Mage can perform earth attacks and use spells such as Haste. Follow these quick steps below to acquire these two asterisks.
1. Enter Ancheim at night and head inside Grand Mill Works.
2. Complete this dungeon by activating the switches to advance.
3. You reach the top of Ancheim. Cross the bridge and then enter Ancheim Palace’s top floor.
4. Defeat King Khamer and Khint.
Walkthrough (Continued)
Head back in the airship to trigger another cinema. Dark Knight Alternis Dim crashes the party, and damages your airship before retreating. It seems the team needs to travel by foot for the time being, and their next stop is Miasma Woods. The woods are marked on your map, just northeast from your location. Travel there, watch a cinema and Chapter 2 officially begins.
