FAFNIR

To find fafnir u have to follow a certain path in the paramina rift..Speak to Relj to make the
blizzard appear in Paramina Rift, then from Mt. Bur-Omisace, head to: Freezing Gorge -> Head
of the Silverflow -> Icebound Flow -> Karydine Glacier -> Silverflow's End.

ZALERA (esper)
Health points: 75,000
Level: 40
Immune: Immune to all eight elements
License Points Given: 40
Steals: Gemini Gem, Pebble, High Arcana

Location: Barheim Passage (Terminus No. 7)

Difficulty: Varies at what level you are.

Recommended Level: Level 43, or 47, or 49, or 51, (or high levels in that
particular pattern.)

Recommended Gambits
- Ally: HP under 50% - Use Curaja
- Ally: Any - Arise
- Ally: Any - Cast Esuna
- Foe: Party leader's target - Attack
- Foe: Lowest HP Attack

How To Find: In order to find Zalera, you needed to have passed the events
at The Tomb of Raithwall (however, I'll once again state that you should
wait until much later from the game to get optional Espers), and have
completed the "Flowering Cactoid" hunt. But by the time you fight Zalera,
you should be FAR past that hunt. You could've also done the "Nidhogg"
hunt, to get a "Great Serpentskin", which can help you get a better item
for a reward, for a sidequest you need to do to get to Zalera (see
"Frequently Asked Questions" (FAQ24)).

Battle Strategy: Now, the entrance we came out of the Barheim Passage when we
defeated the Mimic Queen long ago is blocked by rocks. There's another
entrance so we may return to The Barheim Passage, and go to a secret area to
find Zalera. The monsters there are around levels 30-40, so be around or
above that. The alternate entrance we want is northeast of the blocked
passage. However, we need a key to unlock the secret entrance, so we'll need
to do a.....SIDE-QUEST! to get the key to unlock it! Whooopeeee!
Now, go back to the petitioner of the Flowering Cactoid hunt, whose name is
Dantro. Check your Clan Primer if you're unsure where he is. Afterwards,
go to Dantro's Wife in South Bank Village, look around for her. Now, speak
to Techigri in the northern part of South Bank Village to ride the ferry
to North Bank Village. Look around for a man named Ruksel, and talk to him.

Afterwards, you'll be returned to South Bank Village. Speak to Dantro's

Wife again, and then check behind her house and examine the flower there.
After another sequence, speak with Tchigri again. Now we'll need to speak
to Dantro's Wife again, so do so. You'll need to find some "Semclan Shells",
which are found on the shore of South Bank Village. Get some and return to
her, and then head for Dantro. Now, look around the area that Dantro is in
and find two Small Phials. If you have trouble finding them, look around
the crates and supplies.

Now, you'll need to find some Drops of Valeblossom Dew. This is located in
"Broken Sands", which is north of North Bank Village, but beware of the
monsters that roam there. Now, head to the northern part of Broken Sands
and look for some trees. Eventually, when you are able to examine one,
you'll get the Drops of Valeblossom Dew. Return to Dantro's Wife again,
and give her the items. She'll then ask for a Great Serpentskin, but if you
don't have any, it's okay. Speak to Dantro's Wife again, then speak to the
Traveler who's been healed for the Barheim Key. Now getting the key was one
thing, finding and defeating Zalera is another thing.

Look for the entrance to The Berheim Passage, look in the first paragraph
for information on that. If you head north past a few areas, you'll find a
orange teleporting crystal. From the Great Central Passageway head north-

east and exit that area. (By area I refer to each section.) Then, head
west to another section, then south-west, then west to find a normal Blue
Save Crystal. Head west again, and you'll find Zalera.

I'll refer to Zalera as "it", as....well...you'll know why I'll refer to it

as it once you actually see Zalera. It's immune to all of the eight
elements. To start off, the battle will have around a five minute timer,
if you don't defeat Zalera, but the timer runs out, you'll be magically
teleported out of the "arena", you won't get a Game Over. Zalera, is Undead,
and is hurt by healing such as "Cure, Cura, Curaga, Curaja, Potions,
Hi-Potions, X-Potions". If you use magicks often, use the above on him
instead. Zalera has Dead Bones gaurding him, quickly kill them all before
attacking Zalera.
Zalera uses many "level specific spells" (see Gilgamesh's second battle for
information on these attacks). Some of which include "Level 2 Sleep",
"Level 3 Disable", "Level 4 Break", "Level 5 Reverse", and "Prime Level
Death". Yes, it uses all level spells, but it's recommended your at a
level divisable by 5, as Zalera doesn't use any healing spells to damage
your characters. It also uses "Kill", which automatically kills a character,
and is sadly unavoidable. It uses "Death", which can automatically kill a
character, but it's avoidable. It uses "Sleepga", which casts Sleep on
multiple characters at once. Zalera uses Stop as well.

Basically, kill all the Dead Bones you see, then focus on killing Zalera.
Keep attacking it using either normal attacks or healing spells/items,
and eventually Zalera will use magicks that kill off your characters. Have
a decent amount of Phoenix Downs, because he kills off your characters very
often. Just keep reviving your characters, and make sure you always have
at least two party characters alive, because if you only have one and
haven't bothered reviving your other party members yet, expect Zalera to
use Kill on your last remaining character.

ZEROMUS (esper)
Health points: 170,000
Level: 51
Special Note: Halves damages from all elements
License Points Given: 55
Steals: Cancer Gem, High Arcana, Elixir

Location: Stillshrine of Miriam (Throne of Veiled Gods)

Difficulty: Varies at what level you are.

Recommended Level: Level 50 or higher recommended.

Recommended Gambits
Ally: Any - Phoenix Down
Ally: HP below 50% - X-Potion
Ally: HP below 70% - Hi-Potion
Ally: Any - Chronos Tear
Ally: Any - Remedy
Foe: Party leader's target - Attack
Foe: Lowest HP - Attack

How To Find: After you've defeated Judge Bergan in Mt. Bur-Omisace you can
obtain this optional Esper. We'll need to do a small mini-quest, but it's
very small, and barely has that much running around collecting items for
people and such. Now, go to Mt. Bur-Omisace (Temple Grounds), and look
around for people by the "Acolyte". There are many people by this name, so
talk to any "Acolyte" you can find. Eventually one will reveal his name to
be "Nu Mou". Talk to him and obtain a Stone of the Condemner. Go to The
Stillshrine of Mariam and use the stone at the Waystone to get "teleported"
to a secret area. Now that was easy, let's fight Zeromus now!

Battle Strategy: This fight is like the opposite of fighting Exodus, and is
much more difficult. You may want to be a high level for this fight. You
can't use any magicks in this battle, you'll need to heal with items. Be sure
to have many Hi-Potions or X-Potions in stock for this battle.

Zeromus uses Hastega, Slowga, Stop, Gravity, Piercing Graviga, and Bio.
Normally I'd tell you to Dispel his positive stats effects that he has on
himself, but you can't do anything about them. Gravity deals 25% of your
max health points, and Piercing Graviga does 50% of your max health. Don't
use Bubble, as it just actually increases the damage being done to your
characters, and he uses Gravity attacks very frequently. You can still use
Summons and Quickenings in this battle, so near the end of the fight feel
free to. If you have licenses on your characters' license boards that allow
them to gain magick points by dealing damage, use one at the beginning of
the battle.

Zeromus' attacks can combo often, and are capible of doing a lot of damage.
Dark Lords also face you in the battle, I recommend you use a Quickening
at the beginning of the fight and get a strong cocurrence to kill them all.
You can also use Hastega Motes if you have any to Haste your characters.
Just keep attacking him, but kill all the Dark Lords quickly, as they'll
pile up and easily kill your characters. It's a very hard fight to win.

CHAOS (esper)
Health points: 210,000
Level: 57
Weakness: Earth
Absorb: Wind
Immune: Immune to all other elements
License Points Given: 60
Steals: Taurus Gem, High Arcana, Elixir
Location: Necrohol of Nabudis (The Crucible)
Difficulty: Varies at what level you are.

Recommended Level: Level 65 or higher recommended.

Recommended Gambits
Ally: Any - Arise
Ally: HP below 50% - Curaja
Ally: Any - Esuna
Foe: Lowest HP - Attack
Foe: Party leader's target - Attack

How To Find: This optional Esper probably has the longest and most boring
sidequest. Just so you know. Now, before you can find Chaos you must've
done the mark hunts where you hunt "Wraith", "White Mousse", and "Orthros".
Once you are done these hunts you may go off on your adventure to find Chaos.

Go to Old Dalan's house (The old man you visited near the beginning of the
game), and look in his house for a person named "Roh'kenmou". Now, speak to
"Deeg", the person you saw from when you hunted the Wraith. Go inside his
house and look for a Dusty Letter on a table. Now head to the waterway
control system in The Garamsythe Waterway (the semi-circle where you fought
Fireman), and open every control there (turn off the lights from the
objects). You'll now need to open and close the controls in a certain order
in order to proceed.

1. Close No. 11, close No. 4.

2. Open No. 11.
3. Close No. 3.
4. Open No. 4.

After you've opened/closed the controls in this order, head to the southern
part of your map. (Stay within the semi-circle with the controls, but look
south). You should examine a light on the floor and you'll recieve a "Dull
Fragment", a Key Item you'll need. If you don't get the examine option,
look for a small white glittery light on the floor, and search around
slowly. When you have the Dull Fragment, proceed to the next paragraph.

Return to the Old Dalan's house and speak with Roh'kenmou again. Give him
the Dull Fragment (and the Blackened Fragment, which you recieve in one of
the hunts above I've listed). You'll now need to find a person named "Filo"
in Lowtown. He roams the southeastern section of the South Sprawl.
Afterwards, go to the fountain in the Southern Plaza, and look for a
"Curious Woman", and speak with her. Once done, go to the Muthru Bazaar/
Clan Shop "area" and look for some people named "Merchant". There are many
named that, but speak with them all and recieve your orders for the next
steps.

Now you'll need to run over to the Magick shop. Once there, look around for
an Imperial and have a little chat with him. Afterwards look for Kytes in
the northern section of Lowtown. Go and talk with Filo now. Now find the
Imperial in the magick shop, and you'll get another fragment. It's called
the "Grimy Fragment". Give Roh'kenmou the fragment, and he'll disappear.

You'll find Roh'kenmou in the Magick shop in Archades. Head over there and
speak with him. Now head to Old Archades and look for a man named "Otto"
found in The Alley of Mutated Sighs. You'll now recieve the Moonsilver
Medallion from him. Give it to Roh'kenmou. Head to the Nabreus Deadlands.

Go to the area "The Slumbermead", and look northwest and try to find a hidden
path. If you have troubles finding the secret path, try making your
characters run northwest across the area, you should find it eventually.
Walk across the secret path and exit the map area. Head west to another exit
from the area. From there, head northwest up the mountain (becareful here,
there are a lot of skeletons here, progress slowly and kill them all if you
need to). Look for a shrine and after some events you'll get two medallions.
The Lusterless Medallion and The Medallion of Love. Don't worry, it gets a
slight bit more excited, with fighting rather than talking to people.

Now, save your game, you'll need to face two easy bosses in order to fight
Chaos. Head to the Necrohol of Nabudis, and go to "The Hall of the Ivory
Covenant", and look for a "Door of Loathing". You'll face Fury, if you want
advise on this boss see his section on help on how to defeat him, but he
should be quite easy to defeat.

Now, go to the area "Cloister of Distant Songs" (we're still in the

Necrohol), and look east for a a "Door of Horrors". You'll face another easy
boss named "Humbaba". Defeat him and read the next paragraph.

You'll recieve a Medallion of Might, used to acess Chaos' room. Save your
game and return to the Necrohol of Nabudis. Go to the area "Cloister of the
Highborn", and then use your new medallion on the Door of Despair to finally
be able to fight this optional Esper.

Battle Strategy: This is another tough battle to win. You won't be able to
use "Attack" from your battle menu in this Esper fight. You'll probably want
to use Magicks and Technicks for defeating Chaos. First, take note that Chaos
is weak to Earth based magicks, absorbs Wind based magicks, and is immune to
the other elements. The enemies around Chaos don't respawn after you kill
them, so focus on killing them first, before attacking Chaos.

I recommend using non-elemental magicks, Earth magicks, or technicks such as

Telekenesis or Souleater. Non-elemental magicks are spells like Bio, Shock,
and Flare, though beware of the lag from using some of these magicks.

Chaos uses Fearga, which depletes your Magic Points on your characters.
After he uses it you might want to start using technicks to damage him, or
use a Ether or Hi-Ether to replenish your Magic Points. He also uses Aeroga,
which inflicts high Wind elemental damage onto all of your party characters.
His "special attack", is Aeroja (note Aeroga and Aeroja are two different
spells), which is the same as Aeroga, but has a chance to inflict Confuse.
Becareful when your characters are Confused, quickly use Esuna or Smelling
Salts. Eventually he'll be defeated, but he's a semi-challenge. It really
depends on your levels, equipments, your license board, and what Magicks
you've bought. If you die to him a lot, try to level up and get some better
Magicks and Technicks.

ULTIMA (esper)
Health points: 250,000
Level: 63
Weakness: Dark
Absorb: Holy
Immune: Immune to all other elements.
License Points Given: 65
Steals: Virgo Gem, High Arcana, Megalixir

Location: Great Crystal (Crystal Peak)

Difficulty: Varies at what level you are.

Recommended Level: Level 65 or higher recommended.

Recommended Gambits
Ally: Any - Arise
Ally: HP below 50% - Curaja
Ally: Any - Esuna
Ally: Any - Remedy
Foe: Lowest HP - Attack
Foe: Party leader's target - Attack

How To Find: Okay, the path to finding Ultima is shorter than Chaos, but it
can be annoying. The trek is long and boring, but thankfully there's a Blue
Crystal before the fight you have with Ultima. But there's something even
better, NO SILLY SIDE-QUESTS for this Esper! You just need to head straight
to the area you find Ultima, and simply fight her. However, you must've
passed Giruvegan (after the Great Crystal), but I've always considered
Ultima to be the second toughest optional Esper, however some find her to be
easy to defeat. I recommend you overlevel your characters before trying to
take on Ultima. I recommend you use the Great Crystal map found on this site
in combination with these steps. I've made them into steps for easier
viewing pleasure. Now head to the Great Crystal via Giruvegan, and use these
steps to find Ultima. This step process assumes that all Gates are sealed.

1. Use Waystone IX to teleport to Waystone X.

2. Head to either the platform right of Gate Sag. II, or the platform left
of Gate Sag. I. It really doesn't matter.
3. Take the path to the next platform.
4. Go to the Sag. Alter and activate the timer.
5. Run back to Waystone XX (the one which had two Sag. Gates).

6. Unseal Gate Sag. II.

7. Head through the path and head to Waystone XII.
8. Use Waystone XII to teleport to Waystone XIV.
9. Turn right and head to that path.
10. Activate the Leo Alter and activate the timer.

11. Head back to Waystone XIV (don't teleport) and head down the right path.
12. Continue along the paths until you reach a fork.
13. Take the most leftern path you see.
14. Take the only path you can see, and unseal the Gate Leo II.
15. Head either left or right, and eventually go down some paths to
Waystone XV.
16. Head through the middle path to the Libra Alter.
17. Use the Libra Alter and activate the timer.
18. Take the left path you see now.
19. Turn left to find a Gate Libra II gate, unseal it and head straight.
20. Keep heading straight until you find a Capricorn Alter.

21. Activate the Capricorn Alter to start the timer.

22. Head back to where you found Waystone XVI and head to the left path you
see.
23. Unseal the Gate Capricorn I gate.
24. Head straight and you should then see a Virgo Alter.
25. Activate it and start the timer.

26. Go back to where you found the Gate Libra II.

27. From that platform, turn around 180 degrees to find a Gate Virgo I.
28. Unseal the gate and head straight, then left to another Waystone.
29. Use Waystone XVII to teleport to Waystone XVIII.
30. Head straight to find a Save Crystal, save your game now.

31. Head straight again to find Ultima.

Battle Strategy: Cast some positive status effects on your characters at the
Save Crystal. Ultima should be straight past the Save Crystal. Let's first
start off with what attacks she'll be using.

Ultima absorbs Holy, is weak to Dark, and is immune to all other elements.
She has Blinda, which is odd considering all other bosses don't heal status
effects, but don't try casting any bad status effects on Ultima. She'll
cast Reflectga on your characters, Dispel it if you want to, I found it to
be a large annoyance in the battle. She also uses Redemption, which damages
a single character with very high Holy damage. Holyja is her "special
attack", which is like Redemption, but damages all characters in range, and
also has a chance to inflict Reverse on your characters. She also uses
Greater Barrier, which simply casts Protect and Shell on herself. She'll
also use a shield that damages your characters when you attack her (5% of
the damage you deal to her gets returned to who dealt the damage), near the
middle of the battle. Oddly enough, she uses healing spells such as Curaja
and Renew on your characters. But she only uses it when one of your party
members has Reverse. Dispel Reverse if a character has it, as Renew reduces
your health to 1. Ultima uses Holyja after 12 attacks. When her health drops
below 50% she'll use Holyja every 7 attacks instead of 12 attacks.

This battle is also quite unique. After around 70% of her health is removed
effects will be in battle. First your health will be constantly sapped away.
When you reduce more of her health points she'll sap your Magick Points.
Then you won't be able to use Magicks, then you can't use Technicks, then no
Items are useable, then a magnetic effect that slows down your characters
a lot. The effects then repeats itself after you remove more of her health.

I recommend you use White Masks in this battle, they absorb the Holy attacks
she'll use. Deal with the status effects normally (heal your characters,
use Ethers or Hi-Ethers, etc.), and just keep attacking her. She's not that
difficult, but if she's hard I recommend you level up your characters in the
Great Crystal a bit, retreat and obtain new spells/items/armour/equipment,
if you feel that you need to.

ZODIARK (esper)
Health points: 335,000
Level: 66
Weakness: Holy
Absorb: Dark
License Points Given: 70
Steals: Serpentarius, High Arcana, Medgalixir

Location: Henne Mines (Special Charter Dig)

Difficulty: Varies at what level you are. (But is the hardest Esper in my
opinion.)

Recommended Level: Level 80 or higher recommended, but possible at lower

levels, some of the battle is actually luck.

Recommended Gambits
Ally: Any - Raise
Ally: HP below 50% - Curaja
Ally: Any - Esuna
Foe: Party leader's target - Attack

How To Find: You'll need to have at least 10 Espers and have completed
Giruvegan in the main storyline in the game before you can go to the area
where you can find Zodiark. Once you've met these requirements, go to Jahara
and look near the northern part for a person named "Geomancer". Talk to him
and he'll explain a secret area. Now the area is unlocked, so you can enter
it now. Becareful, the new area yields the highest leveled enemies found in
the game.

Go to the Henne Mines using a Teleport Crystal. Go to the exit north, and
once you're in the room where you faced Tiamat head east to find a secret
passageway. If you had into the most northeastern area you'll find a Candle
of the entire area. Use the map on this site of the Henne Mines' secret area
if you need to. Head southeast to an exit, and southeast again to another
exit. Afterwards head east to another exit and then head northwest to
another exit where you should find Zodiark.

Battle Strategy: I'll first explain all the attacks Zodiark will use. He uses
Reflect and Bravery on himself randomly throughout the battle, but if you
choose to Dispel it he'll use a Paling that makes him immune to Magick
attacks. He'll also cast Faith on himself. He uses Level Spells such as Level
2 Sleep, Level 3 Disable, and Level 4 Break, it's recommended you're a level
that's immune to these magicks. He rarely uses Piercing Gaviga which deals
half of your total health points. He uses Redemption (however, his Redemption
attack is Dark element based), and Scathe (very strong non-elemental spell).
He'll use Greater Barrier and Barrier Change (The last changes the element
he's weak against). His best special attack is Darkja, which deals heavy
Dark based damage, but it has a high chance to instantly kill a target,
and also has a high chance of inflicting Blind as well. When Zodiark's
health goes critical, he'll be immune to physical damage.

Now, firstly just keep attacking him normally. He'll use Darkja very
frequently throughout the battle, so quickly Arise any members who are dead,
and cure Blind (I recommend you set up Gambits). I've said it once, be at
a level where you're immune to his special level based attacks. Once he
uses his Paling that makes him immune to physical damage, use non-elemental
magicks such as Shock, Scathe, and such. Use Black Masks as they absorb
Dark based attacks. It shouldn't be a difficult battle, but you'll need to
be quick as he uses Darkja very often. Gambits instantly Arise and cure
Blindness quickly, so use them. Zodiark should be the last Esper you have on
your list, so defeat him and give yourself a pat on your back.