Bravely Default Guide: Prologue Walkthrough

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This guide is a part of our comprehensive Bravely Default walkthrough. If you need additional help, click here to see a full list of articles that cover every chapter in the game - plus a really useful jobs guide.

This guide now continues:

KINGDOM OF CALDISLA

ITEM LIST

Potion (x2)

50pg

Phoenix Down

Antidote

Eye Drops

100pg

KINGDOM OF CALDISLA INN

After the series of lengthy cinemas, you awaken as Tiz, the main hero of the adventure. Talk to Owen, who brings forth some unfortunate news regarding Tiz's village, Norende. Once he suggests Tiz rest, you're introduced to some brief dialogue. You then gain control of Tiz.

Tiz finds himself resting in the Kingdom of Caldisla Inn. Examine your bed to obtain a Potion by pressing A in front of it. Obviously, these will replenish your HP (Hit Points). You can chat with the other folks in the inn if you please (nothing special). Your destination is marked on the map in the southwest section of inn. Head there by descending the stairs from the room to your left.

This leads you to the inns exit. Before leaving, examine the plant just west of Innkeep's desk for 50 pg. Simply put, this is Bravely Default's cash that you can collect and use to purchase numerous items and weapons. When ready, exit the inn at the destination mark by pressing A from the bottom of the screen.

Note: For collecting the 50pg in the inn, you automatically complete the first Tutorial Quest. These will be introduced to you shortly.

KINGDOM OF CALDISLA TOWN

Talk to the red-hatted fellow in front of Caldisla Inn to save your game. These men are known as Adventurers; in essence, they're save points, but give you more options further in the game. You can check out the town's scenery, but you don't have much cash to spend at this time. There are several shops that offer beneficial items and weapons that will help you down the road.

Your next goal is marked on your map northeast. First, inspect behind the hut just east of the Adventurer. Here, youll find an Antidote, which cures poison. Take a detour and run up the walkway to your left. Head west and jog past the graveyard. Observe the left-side window of the lookout tower in the corner to snag another Potion. Also, behind the Magic Shop rests a Phoenix Down. If you've never played Final Fantasy, these crucial items bring your party members back to life after they've fallen in battle. Afterwards, exit the town via the path at the northeast corner at the top leading to Caldisla Palace.

KINGDOM OF CALDISLA PALACE

Examine the left-hand side statue with the sword for an Eye Drop. Eye Drops cure blindness casted upon your characters. For additional loot, inspect the lit torch on the right (next to the King) to obtain 100 pg. Now we're talking!

Talk to the King of Caldisla resting in his chair. He offers Tiz his kingdom as a place to rest, but Tiz declares he wants to save those in need from his village. The King also warns Tiz of the dangers that lurk outside, but also believes in his brave intentions.

Now that you've gathered 150pg, it's highly recommended to at least purchase the Buckler shield at the Armory for 50pg. This will be a huge help for Tiz and boost his physical and magic defense, as well as his evading stats. Cheap and well worth it! You've done all you can do in town, so leave the palace and exit the kingdom via the south waypoint at the bottom.

WORLD MAP

As soon as you leave town, the game pinpoints general tips regarding Jobs and Abilities, as well as Tutorial Quests and the Quest Log. Make sure to pay attention! Doing these chores can gain you free items.

Now that you're on the World Map, your journey has officially begun. Just like traditional RPGs, Bravely Default acts as such; the overworld is infested with enemies of all varieties. It's important to know that certain enemies will only appear at night or day. For reference, nighttime involves more difficult adversaries, so be sure you're well-equipped, leveled-up and prepared. If you're unsure or feel unsafe, stop at an inn, get rest and wait until morning!

The most common enemies you encounter in this short commute on the World Map are Goblins and Slimes. Try out your Examine ability and remember to move the Circle Pad left to reveal their weakness. Goblins are usually found in pairs, but do not show a weakness. Standard attacks are the key; only a couple strikes are required to take these foes down. However, make sure to watch your HP and overall status.

At night, Bats and Zombies infest the world map. The only problem with Bats is their blood-sucking ability, which can drain your HP and restore their life. Also, Zombies have a critical-beam attack then can deliver a fair amount of damage, so be careful. Stay on the offense and heal as needed. Healing magic or items actually hurt the Zombies. Give this a try.

Your next row of business is northwest of our location. Refer to your map and get a look at the destination mark; it's not too far at all! Head northwest from Caldisla towards the mountains, then cross the small bridge there and enter the cave.

NORENDE RAVINE

ITEM LIST

Potion

200pg

Strange Hourglass

NORENDE RAVINE TRAIL

The cave leads you to Norende RavineTutorial. This is your first area where the map isn't shown until you fully explore the area. The walk is streamlined, but you'll still encounter enemies here. Goblin Slashers inhabit this area, who can shield themselves with greater defense. You will need to plan a better strategy. Luckily, you'll earn new tactics shortly.

Follow the path north and then west from the cave entrance. Your first battle you encounter will be a tutorial with three Goblin Slashers. Don't sweat it this is only practice. Try your Brave and Default options to get familiarized with the system. From this point, use Brave and Default in your encounters. To ease into the battle, build up BP by selecting Default three times in a row, then follow up with Brave for multiple attacks. This will vanquish the critters with ease.

Note: A new Tutorial Quest is presented to you on your first battle inside the cave. Check your Quest Log.

At the path's first fork, take the west route (to another screen) and then head north. This route brings you to a chest. Open it to claim a Potion. Then return to the original path and take the other route north on the right side. Follow it west to the next area.

NORENDE RAVINE CLIMB

Go west and head south at the path's first split. This leads you to a chest containing 200pg. Nice! Return to the main path and continue west to the next area.

NORENDE RAVINE VISTA

Another destination mark is pinned on your map. Go north and talk to the Adventurer. Save your game here. The Adventurer will also give you the Strange Hourglass. This item gives you the option for Bravely Second, which gives you an upper-hand by freezing time in the battle.

Run past the Adventurer and exit the area from the north passage. Here, you'll witness a cinema and meet up with an interesting girl named Agn. Soon enough, an Eternian airship spots the two of you, and the Sky Knights crash the party. Tiz takes Agn with her and leads her back to the previous area, and she then joins your party. Now that you've got a party member, be sure to equip the Examine ability on Agn in the menus.

Back in Norende Ravine Vista, save your game once more and then travel back to the Norende Ravineclimb area south of you. Ignore the flaming boulders the ship fires, since they cannot hurt you. Continue east and another cut scene will ensue. The Sky Knights prepare a frontal attack and send their henchman, the Sky Dueler. This is more of a mini-boss, and your first real test of bravery.

MINI-BOSS! SKY DUELER

HP: 60 (Normal)

Weakness: Lightning

Rewards: 36pg, 18exp, Potion

This battle should be a breeze. Cast Default for both characters at the start of the battle. The idea here is to defend at the beginning and build up three BP for multiple attacks with Brave. The Frey of the Weak that he executes isn't that painful at a defensive state. You can Examine the foe for additional status to build up JP, but Brave chains will put him to rest rather quickly with both characters.

Walkthrough (Continued)

After the short battle, continue east back to Norende RavineTrail. Another scene takes place, and the wicked Sky Knight sends another Sky Dueler after you. This is essentially the same as the previous battle; build up your BP and go nuts with your Brave option using both characters. It's nice to acquire another Potionwhen winning this battle! Once you finish off the second Sky Dueler, continue your escape route by following the top path east. Yet another cinema will be presented, and a Sky Dueler and Sky Archer will confront you.

MINI-BOSSES! SKY ARCHER & SKY DUELER

HP: 60 (Normal) Each

Weakness: Lightning

Rewards: 72pg, 36exp, Potion, Phoenix Down, Antidote

Now you've got two of these pesky knights to deal with. The primary difference is the Archer attacks from the distance with his Bow Shot, while the Dueler uses frontal attacks like before. Concentrate on one at a time, and like before apply your defense before and then unleash your Brave attacks. Tiz deals far more damage than Agn, so use her for Potion use if needed.

Walkthrough (Continued)

Monk Barras Lehr and White Mage Holly White, the two operating the Sky Knight airship, are disgusted with their minions' efforts and retreat. The game points out that the Party Chat option is now available, which allows characters to indulge in additional dialogue. Press Y to open the conversation, and Agn abandons Tiz. Nice try, mister! Follow her back to Norende RavineClimb (east) for another cinema, where you meet Agn's fairy companion, Airy.

Tip: Airy, Agn's fairy friend, will give you hints on where to go next in your adventure. If you're not sure what to do, see what she has to say on the bottom screen when navigating through the menus.

You have the option to use Party Chat in each area to further the storyline (which is a good idea). Make your way to the southeast corner Norende RavineTrail and exit the cave. Upon exiting, another conversation brews between Tiz and Agn, and you acquire Agn's Pendant. This nifty item allows you to summon other players (registered friends) on your 3DS and share abilities in battle. Exit the cave and make your way back to the Kingdom of Caldisla. It's time to inform the King all that transpired.

KINGDOM OF CALDISLA RETURN

When returning to Caldisla, it's a good idea to pay a visit to the shops here (you should have a decent amount of cash to spend now). Visit the Armory first and equip Tiz and Agn with some defensive items, such as the Bronze Helm (for Tiz) and Pointy Hat Cap (for Agn). Tiz is best used for physical combat, while Agn is essential for magic. The Pointy Cap will increase Agn's magic offense and defense, and allows her to use magic effectively. It's important to snag another Buckler shield for Agn as well so she can sustain more damage. Feel free to buy armor for all body parts as well.

Tip:The Magic Shop has a full selection of unique and effective magic spells. At this time, you won't be able to use magic because each element requires certain asterisks and a Job class, where you unlock additional abilities. You will be earning White Mage job rather soon, though keep using your Examiner for now to build up your JP!

If it's still night time, you'll have to kill some time on the World Map since the King rests at nightfall. This won't be a problem considering you can gain some EXP in the meantime. Ensure to use Examiner for both party members to build up your JP faster.

Tip: At Freelancer Level 2, you'll learn a new ability: Treat. This acts like Cure, but only restores 20 percent of HP. This also works when in a silent state.

Talk to the King. Tiz will declare he wants to rebuild Norende. The King speaks of the Eternian being a problem for the kingdom from the southwest lake. Agn plans to be purposely taken hostage to get onboard the ship, and Tiz follows.

Note: You now have the option to rebuild Norende, Tiz's homeland. You can give orders from the Norende Screen and begin rebuilding. Here, you can build shops, unlock new Specials, Jobs and additional features.

Before leaving town, it's a good idea to stock up on some Potions. Trust us, you'll thanks us later. Also, stop at the inn and get some rest to restore your characters' HP. At this point, we recommend your party members to be at least Level 4. When you're ready, exit Caldisla and head to the southwest lake marked on your world map. There, you meet up with Monk Barras Lehr and White Mage Holly White. Get ready for your first official boss fight!

BOSSES! BARRAS LEHR & HOLLY WHITE

BARRAS LEHR

HP: 300 (Normal)

Weakness: None

HOLLY WHITE

HP: 250 (Normal)

Weakness: None

Rewards: 240pg, 120EXP, Hi-Potion, Ether

As usual, you'll want to start off by using Default for each character and increase your BP. Tiz will do far greater damage than Agn, yet it won't hurt to combine their Brave attacks on each boss. Use Agn to deploy any potions needed. Concentrate on Barras first, since he's the stronger of the two. When Holly casts Protect on herself or Barras, use the time to strike the opposite boss.

Barras has 300 HP (on Normal). It's relevant to keep an eye on his health. When it reaches zero, he'll unleash a deadly attack upon his defeat that can hurt your party. Deploy Default near his death. As for the bosses' attacks, Barras will thrive on using Invigorate, which increases his physical damage. As long as you've equipped your characters, it won't cost too much damage. Holly's Aero attack is much more grueling. You'll want to use a Potion immediately after this strike.

Once you finish off Barras, turn all your attention to Holly. Take the time to build BP for Tiz. Holly will cure herself from time to time, so keep your offense on as she performs this. Combining both Brave chains with Tiz and Agn will drop Holly in short order.

Walkthrough (Continued)

After the battle, you'll receive the Monk Asterisk and White Mage Asterisk. These are technically new jobs/classes and you can finally use White Magic once you purchase their corresponding scrolls at Magic Shops.

Agn now officially joins Tiz, and he intends to bring her to Ancheim. We first need to visit the King once more at Caldisla.

KINGDOM OF CALDISLA SECOND RETURN

Arriving back in town, stop at the Magic Shop and purchase Cure if you haven't already (this saves the hassle of using Potions). The other two White spells, Poisona and Blindna, are also important to acquire if you've got the cash. If you dont have enough money, spend some time battling on the World Map having all the White Magic spells will make the next trip easier.

After shopping, return to the Palace in Caldisla and talk to the King during the day. The Sky Knights have retreated to Lontano Villa, which was supposed to be your next stop. The King informs Tiz that the bridge to Lontano Villa is out, and suggests you rest. Stop at the inn and rest for the night.

When you enter the inn, you automatically hit the sack. A cinema will take place, and Agn awakens Tiz during the night. Something bad is happening in town. Once Ominas Crowe and his men leave, you'll meet Ringabel and he'll join your party. You are given D's Journal. Think of this as the ultimate encyclopedia for Bravely Default. The book will update frequently as you progress further in the game. Check it often.

Note:At this point, four new Tutorial Quests are now presented to you. Be sure to complete them for additional items.

Your next destination is Centro Keep, located northeast from Caldisla. We have to chase after that Dark Mage who set the town on fire. The location is marked on the World Map. Before going, be sure to equip Ringabel with defensive armor. Cross the bridge and enter Centro Keep on the other side.

RUINS OF CENTRO KEEP

ITEM LIST

Silver Glasses (2F)

Phoenix Down (3F)

Echo Herb (3F)

Iron Knuckles (3F)

Wakeup Bell (3F)

Potion (2F)

Mage Masher (2F)

RUINS OF CENTRO KEEP 1F

Head inside the east room beside you and trigger the switch on the far wall. This opens the gate north of you, revealing a staircase. There's nothing else of importance on this floor at the moment, but we highly recommend building up your characters here (to at least Level 7). Each floor gets tougher, so be prepared. When ready, ascend the stairs behind the north gate you opened earlier.

Tip: The enemies here are a step-up in battle. Hopefully, you've purchased all three Magic Scrolls for your White Mage. Orcs have tremendous power, while the Cait Sith foe can blind your characters. Use Eye Drops or the Blindna spell to diminish blindness spells. Worry about Cait Sith later in the battle, and concentrate the Orc Leader first and foremost; he increases his ally's strength. Rely on Agn and her Cure spell, and keep her as a backup defense for the party.

RUINS OF CENTRO KEEP 2F

This area consists of a relatively simple maze. Run past the locked door at the north section. Head to southeast corner by taking the lower-right path, where you'll discover another switch. Activate it to open the north gate and the stairs leading to the third floor. Before you go there, take the west path from the lower-left and snag the Silver Glasses in the chest. Whoever equips these will be immune to blindness.

RUINS OF CENTRO KEEP 3F

Note: Another Tutorial Quest (Hunt for Hidden Items) is available in the Quest Log when you reach 3F. We'll tell you how to reach the hidden treasure below.

When you arrive on the third floor, head east and open the chest containing a Phoenix Down. Go south and then east. At the end of the path, it seems to be a dead end. Walk through a hidden passage in the southeast corner and follow the path to a chest containing the Iron Knuckles. These are great for a Monk-classed character and increase your physical damage from their abilities, but they won't be able to equip a shield and reduces their defense.

Head back to east side of the third floor and trigger the switch to open the west gate. Jog north of the switch and open the chest to get an Echo Herb. Now, head through the gate you opened on the west side.

On the west side, follow the passage and pass the locked gate. Go south and snag a Wakeup Bell from the chest to your right. Then trigger the switch in the southwest corner of 3F to open the north gate. Head through the gate and descend the stairs back to the 2F.

RUINS OF CENTRO KEEP 2F (WEST SIDE)

The stairs return you to 2F, this time on the west side. Follow the path west and then go south. At the first split, take the east path and open the chest there for a Potion. From the chest, head south and trigger the switch at the end to unlock the north gate. Afterward, head through the other path to the west and follow it to the south end. Open the chest to obtain the Mage Masher. Equip Ringabel (or Tiz, depending who's not a Monk class) with this sword.When it's all said and done, head through the north gate and talk to the Adventurer to save your progress. Then descend the stairs nearby leading back to 1F for a boss battle with Ominas. At this moment, Edea joins your party.

BOSS! OMINAS CROWE

HP: 1800 (Normal)

Weakness: None

Rewards: 120EXP, 240pg, 12JP, Ether, Black Mage Asterisk

Ominas can be a real pain, but not if you play your cards right. He has four casting attacks that can be troublesome to your party: Sleep, Silent, Fire and Poison. Use your White Mage to fix the damage from these dreaded spells, such as Cure and Poisona. Deploy Echo Herbs and Wakeup Bells to cure Silent status and to wake a sleeping member. Party members will eventually wake up after several turns.

Edea is a skillful-warrior that has efficient physical damage to Ominas, so don't hesitate to build her BP and unleash chains of attacks using Brave. Another difference maker would be your Monk member. Using Invigorate would increase the member's physical damage by two, though it has a chance to fail. Additionally, the Strong Strike ability for your monk will put a huge hurt on Ominas, usually inflicting 200 (+) damage. Edea and your monk should have little trouble keeping the offense on, while your other two party members act as healers and item contributors.

Walkthrough (Continued)

When you become the victor, you're rewarded the Black Mage Asterisk. Using this specialty and job, you can cast offensive magic, such as Thunder, Fire, Sleep and Blizzard. Remember, you must purchase the Black Magic scroll at the Magic Shop for this job to become available.

Following the battle, you'll watch a cinema. It looks like the King is in trouble. Return to the Kingdom of Caldisla and make a quick stop at the Magic Shop. Purchase the Thunder and Fire scrolls, and assign one of your members as a Black Mage (we chose Ringabel). Head to Caldisla Palace and watch another cinema.

After some dialogue, you'll gain control of Edea. Check your map and look at your destination marker; it points to the graveyard northwest of town. Head there and talk to Innkeeper Kari. Once the talk is over, Edea will rejoin the party, and the team then decides to rescue the King from the Sky Knights. It's time to head over to Lontano Villa. Return to Centro Keep and approach the north door on 1F. Edea will unlock the gate, leading back to the World Map on the other side of the keep.

Note: Special Moves are now available. Complete certain challenges and you'll enter a bonus turn with heavily attacks.

LONTANO VILLA

ITEM LIST

Ether (1F)

Antidote (1F)

Spear (1F)

Potion (2F)

400pg (2F)

White Cape (2F)

Phoenix Down (3F)

LONTANO VILLA 1F

When you enter Lontano Villa, you'll be greeted to an Eternian Force Guard. Being gullible, he'll open the gate for you. Enter the castle ahead to watch a cut scene. Seems your cover is blown! You will have to battle three Sky Soldiers: a Pikeman, Archer and Dueler. To end this fight quickly, use your Dark Mage and cast Thunder on all enemies using Brave. Be careful of the Archer's poison arrow, and use Poisona when needed. It's okay to go negative in your BP here, because the soldiers are weak to Thunder, and the spell will wipe them out within seconds.

Tip: Enemies on 1F mostly consist of Sky Duelers and Panthers. Panthers are weak to Fire, while Sky Duelers are merciful to Thunder. If you haven't set a Black Mage job to character, now's the time; fights will be a breeze if you use appropriate magic.

With them defeated, head east and follow the corridor to the northeast corner. Here, open the chest for an Ether. Afterward, enter the central hall and wrap around to the west side of the area. Follow the rug to the end of the path and open the chest. Inside is an Antidote.

Now exit the central hall from north passage. There's another chest on this floor, but we cannot reach it yet. Ascend the stairs in the northeast corner leading to 2F.

LONTANO VILLA 2F

Head south and stick to the east wall. Go east in the first open path (to your right) and then north to discover a chest containing a Potion. Backtrack and work your way around the outer-area of the floor. The bottom path leads to a staircase to the northwest; descend them back to 1F and open the chest ahead for the Spear. Then return to 2F.

Back on 2F, take your first right (before the stairs) leading to the central hall. Jog north from here, and you'll see a bright door northwest from you. Before you enter it, head in the room just south of this door to find a chest holding 400pg. The northwest door leads you to an outside balcony. Loop around the balcony and enter the east door on the other side.

Taking this route lands you back inside Lontano Villa's second floor, but on the far-east side. Run past the stairs for a moment and grab the White Cape from the chest ahead, which is an accessory that grants immunity to silence. From there, ascend the nearby stairs to 3F.

LONTANO VILLA 3F

On 3F, immediately head north and claim a Phoenix Down inside the chest. Follow the path south (there's a locked chest to the north, but you can't open it yet). Continue south to find an Adventurer. Talk to him and save your game. Proceed to the southwest section where your destination mark is. There, you'll meet up with the King and the devious Argent Heinkel. He'll send his henchman after you. These are typical Sky Soldiers you've already battled throughout this dungeon vanquish them quickly with Thunder.

When the area is cleared, Heinkel takes off with the King to the rooftop. Ensure your party is at Level 10 before proceeding. If not, this is the perfect area to gain EXP. When ready, exit 3F via the northwest door and jog through the outside balcony to the other side. Here you'll face off with Heinkel for real this time.

BOSS! KNIGHT ARGENT HEINKEL

HP: 2400 (Normal)

Weakness: Lightning

Rewards: 396pg, 198EXP, 20JP, Gauntlets, Knight Asterisk

Having your party at Level 10 will make this fight much more forgiving. Thunder is Heinkel's weakness, and your Black Mage will defy the odds. His Ironclad technique will boost up his physical defense, but only for a short period of time. Begin at the defensive side, boosting up your BP. His Shield Strike will only attack one character at the start, giving you enough time for your White Mage to heal any wounds.

Edea and Tiz are also efficient attackers, depending on what job you've assigned them. Cast a chain of attacks on Thunder; followed up with your Monk and physical Freelance fighter (if you have one), then switch back to defense. It's not a bad idea to have two Dark Mages, either. Towards the end of the battle, Heinkel will shift his setup and perform his Stomp attack, which can be quite grueling with multiple attacks in one turn. Concentrate with two attackers while the other two defend and heal, and this boss will be defeated moderately.

Walkthrough (Continued)

You acquire the Knight Asterisk job when winning this battle.This job grants the user with all the attack and defense maneuvers from Heinkel, and turns a party member useful and defensive fighter.

Following the battle, you're introduced to a cinema. It appears the airship is about to crash, but Ringabel saves the disaster. After you land in the southwest lake in the World Map, return to Caldisla and talk to the King at the palace. He insists you keep the ship, even though no one knows how to pilot it.

Tip: Before leaving Caldisla, purchase the Blizzard spell (200pg). This will come in handy for our next trip.

Head back to the southwest lake and enter the airship. You are treated to a cut scene, and the Eschalot (airship) is now yours to pilot. With it, you can fully explore the overworld (it's huge!). A sandy shore or dock is needed to land the airship. Agn suggests they go to Ancheim. It's marked on your map. Fly there and park the airship at the dock in the water.