Previous Part: Kaipo

Storyline text and attempted translations from...

Final Fantasy IV

ちかすいみゃく  Underground Waterway  Cecil Rydia  Watery Pass

This cave system marks the first appearance of zombie-type monsters. Cecil's Dark Sword will inflict only 1 damage to these (or slightly more on a critical hit), making it essentially useless. His Darkness command, if available, doesn't work very well either, having just a quarter of its usual effectiveness against any undead monster, which at least outdoes the paltry single point of damage from his regular attack.

Cecil doesn't struggle as much against zombies in the DS remake, since they merely halve damage from his sword instead of essentially negating it.

Not far into the cave, an old man blocks the way forward. If Cecil hasn't seen Rosa yet, the old man will rather rudely refuse to get out of the way.

ろうじん「なんじゃ おぬしは?
 ここからさきは まものの そうくつじゃ。
 おぬしのような わかぞうには
 きけんすぎる!
 カイポにでも もどるんじゃな!
Old Man: What do you want?
 Past here it's a den of monsters.
 It's too dangerous for a
 youngster like you!
 Go back to Kaipo, or wherever!
Old man: What are you?
 Beyond here is a nest of
 monsters. Too dangerous
 for you fledglings.
 Go back to Kaipo!

However, after Cecil has found Rosa, the old man shows a little more patience.

ろうじん「ヌッ おぬし!
 よくみれば あんこくけんの つかいてじゃな!
 たのむ てをかしてくれ!
『どうしたんです?
ろうじん「むすめの {アンナ}が
 ぎんゆうしじんに だまされ
 ダムシアンに いってしまったのじゃ!
 ダムシアンに ふきつな けはいが
 たちこめておる!
『では あなたが けんじゃ {テラ}!
Old Man: Oh! On closer inspection,
 I see you wield the Dark Sword!
 Please, come to my aid!
『What is the matter?
Old Man: My daughter {Anna}
 was deceived by a minstrel
 and went off to Damcyan!
 Damcyan has an ominous
 feeling looming over it!
『Then you must be {Tella} the Sage!
Old man: What!
 You wield the Dark Sword?
 Help me, I beg you!
{Cecil}: What?
Old man: A wicked bard
 tricked my daughter into
 running away to Damcyan!
 And......
 I sense evil in that
 direction of Damcyan!
{Cecil}: You must be
 the sage {Tellah}!
{テラ}「いかにも {テラ}じゃ!
 しんぱいになって ダムシアンにむかう
 とちゅうなんじゃが このさきの
 ちかのみずうみにおる きょだいな
 まものに てこずっとる。
 とてつもないちからを もったヤツじゃ!
 わたしのまほうだけでは たおせん!
 おぬしの あんこくけんとならば!
 !? なんと!
 そのこは しょうかんしか。
 かなりのししつを もっておる。
『ダムシアンへは ぼくらも いかなくては
 ならないんです!
{テラ}「ならば きまりじゃ!
 いっこくも はやく ダムシアンへ!
{Tella}: I am indeed {Tella}!
 My worry drives me to Damcyan,
 but I'm having considerable
 difficulty with the giant monster in
 the underground lake up ahead.
 It has preposterous strength!
 My magic alone can't beat it, but
 with your Dark Sword helping...!
 !? My word!
 That girl is a Summoner?
 She has considerable potential.
『We need to go to Damcyan
 as well!
{Tella}: Then it's settled!
 To Damcyan, at once!
{Tellah}: I am {Tellah}.
 I'm going to Damcyan to
 get my daughter who
 eloped.
 But a huge monster is
 blocking the way.
 My magic is not strong
 enough to defeat it.
 Your Dark Sword might
 help. And... this girl is
 a Caller!? She is quite
 gifted, I sense.
{Cecil}: We are also on
 our way to Damcyan.
{Tellah}: Good!
 Let us work together to
 get to Damcyan.
 Let's hurry!
けんじゃ {テラ}が なかまになった! Sage {Tella} became a companion! Sage {Tellah} joined!

Tella isn't nearly as frail as Rydia, being level 20 and likely having more hit points than Cecil for now. That doesn't make him a fighter, though, and he should normally stay in the back row for his protection. On the other hand, he's quite powerful for this point in the game, having all the basic offensive spells plus a number of other useful ones, including Aspir, Blink, Esuna, and especially Cura, which makes him an outstanding healer for the time being.

Unfortunately, Tella has very slow stat growth. His max HP only goes up 24~27 each level, and while his max MP of 90 may seem like a lot for now considering Rydia started with only 10, it's actually low for his level (most casters have well over 100 by level 20) and additionally never increases. His strength and stamina actually decrease from their already unimpressive initial values of 5 and 7, dropping to 1 by level 30, and his intelligence and spirit don't increase at all either until level 43. Rydia will match him on offense when casting the same spells once she hits level 12, then pass him at 17.

The original JP version also gives Tella the Remember command, which lets him attempt to cast a more powerful spell. Unfortunately, it's random, and more often than not casts only a basic spell, or even fails outright. Still, it's an interesting bit of characterization, hinting at how powerful he must have been in his prime. The NA and ET versions lose this by removing the command, presumably for simplicity's sake.

In the DS remake, his level and HP aren't quite so remarkable, and though his MP is still stuck at 90, he has unusually high magic stats for this point in the game. Even better, player stats affect weapon-cast spells in this version, so he can obliterate common monsters just by using a Rod as an item.

In any case, check behind the nearby waterfall for some goodies before going deeper into the cave...

After passing through more of the cave, the party comes across a room with a strange formation and a symbol on the floor.

{テラ}「よし ここで やすんでゆこう。 {Tella}: All right, let's stop and rest here. {Tellah}: Let's take rest
 here!
{テラ}「このまほうじんの うえならば
 けっかいが はられていて まものが
 はいってこれんのじゃ。
 テントや コテージで やすんだり
 セーブしたりもできる。
 ヤツとの たたかいに そなえ
 わたしのテントで たいせいを
 たてなおすとしよう!
{Tella}: A barrier erected atop
 this magic crest prevents
 monsters from coming in.
 We can rest in a Tent or
 Cottage, and can also save.
 Let's use my Tent and regain
 our footing in preparation for
 battle with the creature!
{Tellah}: A special field
 here will protect us from
 monsters.
 We can use our Tent or
 Cabin and even Save.
 Let's rest now and be
 prepared for the coming
 battle in my Tent!

They set up camp, and Rydia soon falls asleep.

{テラ}「もう ねてしまったか。
 よほど つかれておったんじゃろ。
 このこは たしか‥‥
『ミストの‥‥しょうかんしです。
{テラ}「よい ししつを ひめておる。
 しゅぎょうを つめば ほかの まほうも
 つかいこなせるじゃろう。
 しかし かわいい ねがおじゃ‥‥
 おさないころの {アンナ}のようじゃ。
『そのひとは あなたの‥‥
{テラ}「ただひとりの むすめじゃ。
 ぎんゆうしじんと ダムシアンへ かけおち
 してしまってな‥‥
 わたしが ゆるさなかったばかりに‥‥
{Tella}: She's asleep already.
 Must have been quite tired out.
 If I'm not mistaken, this girl is...
『A Summoner from... Mist.
{Tella}: Her potential is impressive.
 With training, I think she could
 master other magic as well.
 Such a cute face when she sleeps...
 Like {Anna} when she was younger.
『She would be your...?
{Tella}: My only daughter.
 She eloped to Damcyan
 with a minstrel...
 All since I wouldn't allow...
{Tellah}: Fast asleep......
 She must have been very
 tired. You said she was...
{Cecil}: A Caller of Mist.
{Tellah}: She seems very
 gifted as a magic-user.
 With proper training,
 she will be able to wield
 the magic other than
 calling monsters.
 How sweet! Just like
 {Anna}'s childhood.
{Cecil}: {Anna} is your...
{Tellah}: Only daughter.
 She ran away to Damcyan
 with a Bard, because I
 did not consent to
 their marriage.

Tella looks upset.

{テラ}「おぬしらは なぜ ダムシアンに?
『ぼくのなかまが カイポで こうねつびょうに
 かかっているんです。
{テラ}「さばくのひかりか‥‥
 あれがないと わたしでも どうにもならん。
 おぬしたちも いそぎか‥‥
『どうくつの まものとは いったい?
{テラ}「きょだいな やっつの
 あしをもつ おそろしい ヤツじゃ。
 {アンナ}と おぬしのなかまのためにも
 まず ヤツを たおさねばな!
 ダムシアンのほうに かんじられる
 ふきつな けはいが わたしの
 きのせいならば いいのだが‥‥
{Tella}: Why go you to Damcyan?
『My companion is afflicted with
 an extreme fever in Kaipo.
{Tella}: Ah, the Light of the Desert...
 Even I can do nothing without it.
 Then you're also in a hurry...
『What is the cave's monster?
{Tella}: A dreadful giant beast
 with eight legs.
 We must first defeat it, for the sakes
 of {Anna} and your companion!
 I just hope the ominous feeling
 I can sense from the direction of
 Damcyan is only my imagination...
{Tellah}: What do you want
 to go to Damcyan for?
{Cecil}: My friend is
 suffering from a
 terrible fever in Kaipo.
{Tellah}: So you need the
 SandRuby. So you, too,
 are in a hurry.
{Cecil}: What is the
 monster of this cavern?
{Tellah}: It's a horrifying
 monster with eight huge
 tentacles.
 We must defeat it first
 to save {Anna} and your
 friend.

Morning comes, and the party sets off again.

Don't miss the Ice Rod shortly ahead, which works well against most reptiles and similar creatures. Cecil will get a stronger sword near the exit as well.

{テラ}「ここから いったん
 ちじょうにでれる。
 ヤツは このさきの たきのしたにおる!
 ねんのため ちじょうで テントでも
 はったほうが よいじゃろう!
{Tella}: We'll come out above ground
 for a while after this point.
 It's at the bottom of the waterfall ahead!
 Just in case, we should put up a Tent
 or the like above ground!
{Tellah}: We can go out from
 here. The monster is in
 the cave beyond there.
 We should camp to regain
 our strength out there!

"It" being the monster.

The EasyType changes テントでも はる (TENTO de mo haru, put up a Tent or the like) to やすんでおく (yasunde oku, rest in preparation), oddly making the suggestion more vague and less directly helpful.

As promised, the exit leads to the surface, with a small open area before another cave. This is a good time to heal and save.


ちかのみずうみ  Underground Lake  Cecil Rydia Tella  Lake

The cave leads to the top of a large waterfall.

{テラ}「ヤツは このしたじゃ! {Tella}: It's down below! {Tellah}: It's down here!

And this being that sort of game, jumping isn't suicidal and doesn't even hurt. Cecil will get some new armor, and then it's boss time... I hope you like tentacles.

{テラ}「くるぞ! {Tella}: Here it comes! {Tellah}: He's coming!
{テラ}「こやつが オクトマンモスじゃ! {Tella}: This is Octomammoth! {Tellah}: Octomamm!

Cecil should keep attacking, as usual. Rydia does the most damage with the Chocobo summon, though Thunder isn't bad either. Tella should cast Thunder for damage, or go the defensive route and cast Blink on allies as needed to avoid taking damage.

Octomammoth pointlessly absorbs Holy, but is conveniently weak against Dark as well as Thunder. After taking damage three times, and every other time after that, its speed drops slightly and its graphic loses an arm, until it reaches its minimum speed with a single arm.

When Octomammoth is down to two arms...

{テラ}「さすが あんこくの つかいて! {Tella}: I knew a Darkness user could do it! {Tellah}: Good job!
「うごきが にぶりおったわい!  Its movements are dulled! He's slowing down!

If you've made it this far, finishing it off should be easy, particularly since Octomammoth only ever uses normal attacks.

In the DS remake, Octomammoth seems to hit harder when weakened. Chocobo doesn't work as well, either, since spell power was rebalanced. Rydia seems to work better as a healer, while Tella's much improved magic stats make him significantly better at inflicting damage.

{テラ}「これで ダムシアンに ゆける!
 この たきのおくから
 おもてに でられるはずじゃ!
{Tella}: Now we can reach Damcyan!
 We should be able to get to the
 surface from behind this waterfall!
{Tellah}: Now we can go to
 Damcyan from behind this
 waterfall. It leads to
 the exit!

And so they leave the cave behind. Unfortunately, no sooner does Damcyan Castle come into sight but the Red Wings fly past and bomb it...



Previous Part: Kaipo

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