This is where the Al Bhed temporarily settle in after their Home is
destroyed. The Al Bhed Psyches blitzball team hangs out in a storage
room. Once Tidus reaches here, he can instantly go to any other spot on
the world map.
Baaj Temple
Baaj Island is where Seymour and his mother were exiled while
Seymour was a child; his mother died here and became Anima's fayth. Her
temple lies underwater. Tidus is thrust here from Zanarkand; it's where
Rikku picks him up. He can later return to obtain Anima's powers, but
she'll only open the door if Tidus has collected treasure from every
other temple in Spira.
Besaid Island
Originally a machina city like Zanarkand, long ago destroyed by Sin.
Now home to a colony of Jamaican-style islanders, and the home field of
the Besaid Aurochs. Wakka and Lulu are both from here, and Kimahri
brought Yuna here at Braska's request (via Auron). Besaid Temple is
where the fayth of Valefor resides. It's also the center for Gatta and
Luzzu's cadre of the Crusaders.
[X-2] Wakka (the soon-to-be-daddy) is now in charge of protecting
the village; even the lazy Aurochs jump on board to be trained by
Beclem, a slavedriver from the Youth League. Several heretofore
unexplored caves can be found around the island, too. The Cloister of
Trials gets revisited (like all the others) too.
Bevelle
Originally a powerful machina city, rivalling even Zanarkand. After
being defeated by Zanarkand and Sin, Bevelle became the center of the
Yevonite church. Maester Mika rules over here. Tidus only gets a short
glimpse at the castle and the temple below, where Bahamut's fayth
dwells, not counting the Via Purifico where he's cast after a mock
trial. The Bevelle Highbridge is where several key scenes play out.
[X-2] Now the headquarters of New Yevon, Bevelle's secrets include
an underground labyrinth below the Cloister of Trials, whose heart is
the hiding place of Vegnagun (or used to be). The Via Infinito can be
found in the last chapter for those brave of heart.
Bikanel Island
A desert island, consisting of the Sanubia Desert and the Al Bhed Home.
[X-2] Now the lynchpin of the Machine Faction's excavations. Nhadala
and her team (and Yuna, natch) spend their days combing the desert for
machine parts. The Cactuar Nation can also be found here, along with the
ancient fiend Angra Mainyu.
Calm Lands
So called because this huge plain is an ideal spot for defeating Sin
and bringing a Calm, which many Summoners have done here. Originally
the battle between Bevelle and Zanarkand took place here, which is why
it's a wasteland. The Chocobo races are located here. South is Macalania
Woods. Hidden in the side (only accessible via Chocobo) is Remiem
Temple, off to the northeast is the Monster Arena, and the far north
leads to Mount Gagazet. The team meets Father Zuke here for the first
and only time.
[X-2] The Calm Lands are now home to two competing entertainment
companies, Open Air and Argent Inc., whose amusement features can be
found dotting the landscape. The Monster Arena turns into the Chocobo
Ranch.
Cavern of the Stolen Fayth
A cave stuffed with Tonberries, Ghosts, and Magic Urns. At the far
end is a fight with Lulu's previous summoner ward, and her Aeon,
Yojimbo. In the room of the fayth, Yojimbo's fayth will agree to offer
his powers, but only for the right price.
[X-2] The cavern's still around, and you have to return here to
rescue tourists when fiends start pouring out of the Chamber of the
Fayth.
Chocobo Ranch
[X-2] This is where Clasko ends up taking care of Chocobos for you.
Eventually (after a fairly inane set of required events) he can also
find a hidden ruins in the back, home of the Amazing Chocobo.
Den of Woe
[X-2] A hidden cave on the Mushroom Rock Road, which only opens with
the 10 Crimson Spheres. This is where Shuyin's spirit raged for a
thousand years, infecting anyone who came in - including the entire
Crimson Squad. Yuna can revisit it, at her own peril.
Djose Temple
Protected by a huge Mushroom Rock that only splits apart for
summoners. This is the home of the fayth connected to Ixion. It can be
reached via the Mushroom Rock Road.
[X-2] This is now the headquarters of the Machine Faction. You go
here to sign up for excavations in the Bikanel Desert, and to fight
their Experiment. You'll also still have to go into the Cloister of
Trials when fiends start pouring out of it.
Farplane
Located near Guadosalam, this eerie place is where the souls of the
dead end up once they are Sent. Only those close to the dead can see
them here.
[X-2] The Farplane is now the final dungeon, where you land up after
jumping in a hole from one of the Chambers of the Fayth. Yuna passes
through a rather rocky landscape of floating platforms, a flowery
paradise, and finally a metallic hell before finally facing Vegnagun.
Gagazet, Mount
Home of the Ronso tribe (and their blitzball team, the Ronso Fangs).
The mountain itself is a cruel foe, as shown by the various graves of
summoners whose pilgrimages ended here. Seymour makes his best effort to
have Yuna's pilgrimage end here as well. South is the Calm Lands, and
north leads to the wall of the fayth, dreaming of Zanarkand, and the
ruins of Zanarkand.
[X-2] Elder Kimahri takes over here and tries to lead his tribe
faithfully after Sin's defeat, but runs into some major problems.
However, he does discover some nice new ruins as well as a hot spring!
Guadosalam
The home of the Guado (and their blitzball team, the Guado Glories)
is very... alive-looking, growing all over the place, much like the
Guado themselves. It's connected to the Moonflow to the south and the
Thunder Plains to the north, and their main attraction is the entrance
to the Farplane nearby. Seymour lives in a mansion here.
[X-2] After Seymour's ignoble defeat, the Guado leave their home,
and Sphere Hunters move in (notably the Leblanc Syndicate, who take over
Seymour's mansion and turn it into Chateau Leblanc). Tobli also has his
headquarters here. The Guadosalam Farplane is off-limits in FFX-2.
Home
The nomad Al Bhed uncomplicatedly call their home, er, Home.
Currently it's located in the desert sands of Bikanel Island, but after
an attack by the Guado Cid ends up destroying Home using the airship.
For the remainder of the game, Rin sets up shop dedicated to restoring
Home.
Kilika
This town is built right on top of a bay of water; unfortunately, it
makes them a prime target for Sin, who batters it quite badly near the
start of the game. It also hosts Kilika Temple (separated from the town
by a large forest) wherein lies the fayth of Ifrit. The Kilika Beasts
are the blitzball team for this town.
[X-2] The Youth League helps to rebuild Kilika, but peace is
elusive. Kilika's youth, most of whom join the Youth League, constantly
have it out with New Yevon, who are holed up in the temple past the
jungle. Even Dona and Barthello, who moved here earlier, are caught up
in it (she's with the Youth League, he's with New Yevon). The plain old
folk who live in the village would rather everyone just quit their
bickering.
Luca
The "big city" of FFX, Luca hosts the huge Blitzball tournament
every year. It's also got the much-touted Sphere Theater, where Tidus
can listen to music or watch movies from throughout the game. The Luca
Goers are a bunch of stuck-up bastards - and unfortunately, very, very
good at blitzball.
[X-2] Still the party city, Luca now plays host to Rin's latest
brainstorm, Sphere Break. (Blitzball also makes a comeback late in the
game.) You can also find Shelinda here, in her new role as TV
personality. This is also where the introduction (where Leblanc, in Yuna
costume, stages a concert) takes place.
Macalania Lake/Temple
Between the woods and the temple lies a frozen tundra. The Al Bhed
make their second attempt to capture Yuna here. Inside the temple (once
Yuna has gained the friendship of Shiva), Seymour dies for the first
time at the hands of our heroes. The Guado chase them down the lake, but
the lake cracks and they find themselves under it!
[X-2] After the defeat of Sin, the temple falls into the sea (much
to the chagrin of O'aka, who just bought Rin's Travel Agency, to find
himself with no customers).
Macalania Woods
A frozen forest stuffed to the brim with fiends and an extremely
annoying mini-game involving chasing butterflies. It's also the spot
where Auron shows Tidus his first Sphere dropped during Braska's
pilgrimage. Finally, it's the home of the huge plant eye who powers up
the Ultimate Weapons. South of the woods is the Thunder Plains;
northwest leads to Macalania Lake, and to the east lies the Calm Lands.
[X-2] After the temple disappeared, the magical forest soon began to
wither away, and its denizens resigned themselves to death. The Guado
also flee here, determined to wither away with the forest - but music
ignites hope in both Guado and native alike, and everyone moves back to
Guadosalam in the end.
Mi'ihen Road
A long, winding road leading from Luca to the Mushroom Rock Road.
It's named after Mi'ihen, the original creator of the Crimson Knights,
later renamed the Crusaders. The Chocobo Knights patrol it. This is the
first place Tidus encounters Rin's Travel Agency. It's also where he
meets Maechen and Belgemine for the first time, and fights a large
Chocobo Eater monster here as well.
[X-2] Rin's machina now watch over the road to try to protect
passengers from fiends, but not everyone is happy with the new
developments; lots of people miss the good ol' Chocobos. After the
machina go haywire, Rin undertakes a whodunit, with Yuna's help, to find
out who made it happen. Several different outcomes can occur from this,
a few of which also end up with Chocobos making a grand return. There's
also a hidden dungeon to be found here via the Chocobo Ranch in the
Calm Lands.
Moonflow
Connected to the Mushroom Rock Road to the south and Guadosalam to
the north, this lovely river is surrounded by pyreflies (those little
glowing thingies) and is decorated by moonlilies. The Hypello run a
Shoopuf line between the north and south banks of the Moonflow. Jecht
attacked one of these once and swore drinking off for good after the
embarrassment. 8p An attempt to capture Yuna by the Al Bhed (read:
Rikku) is foiled here by Tidus.
[X-2] Tobli and his Hypello workers stage concerts (and avoid creditors) here in between his big shows involving Yuna.
Mushrom Rock Road
This organic-looking pathway runs between the Mi'ihen Highway and
the Crusaders' Command Center. Water geysers propel platforms vertically
to join pathways at different heights.
[X-2] The site of the Command Center is now the headquarters of the
Youth League. Depending on who you side with, several different missions
occur here. You can also find the entrance to the Den of Woe on the
lower level.
Omega Ruins
Home to the hardest monsters in the game as well as the Ultima and
Omega Weapons. The chests here bite back and contain random items in a
most annoying fashion. Only reachable via the airship.
Remiem Temple
Three things are in this hidden temple: a Chocobo race which leads
to the Cloudy Mirror (a key ingredient in getting ultimate weapons);
Belgemine's home and eventually her final resting place; and the fayth
for the Magus Sisters Aeon.
Sanubia Desert
Located on Bikanel Island, this sprawling desert is home to Cactuars
and Sandworms - in fact, there's an entire mini-game involving a
village of Cactuars hidden by a sandstorm. It leads to the Al Bhed's
Home.
Spira
The world where FFX and FFX-2 take place; however, frequently we
find the world apparently divided into two entities, Spira and
Zanarkand, even though Zanarkand is just one city. *shrug*
Thunder Plains
The Gandof Thunder Plains connect Guadosalam and Macalania Woods;
these rocky plains are inundated with lightning bolts (and a mini-game
involving them). Long ago, a man named Bilghen built towers to protect
passerby from the bolts. They don't work all that well. ^^; Kimahri can
get his best weapon here by praying to the Qactuar Stones nearby.
[X-2] The towers seem to have gotten better at blocking lightning,
but they still need to be calibrated. Yuna stages her big concert here
in chapter 4, as well. Cid can be found here, and so can a secret
dungeon accessible in chapter 5.
Via Infinito
[X-2] A 100-level semi-random dungeon hidden in Bevelle. The
Kinderguardians find it first, but it takes the Gullwings to plumb its
depths. Nearly every monster in the game can be found here, and the
bosses on every 20th floor are extremely powerful. At the end, Yuna has
to fight with Trema, the founder of New Yevon.
Via Purifico
A two-part maze, one of stone and one of water. After a sham trial
by the maesters, Tidus, Rikku, and Wakka (surprise) are cast into the
water while the rest of the party must navigate the stone. At the end of
it is the Highbridge in Bevelle.
Zanarkand
A huge machina city a thousand years ago, now it's just rubble. Yu
Yevon lived here originally. The old Zanarkand still lives on in the
dream of the fayth, however, and both Jecht and Tidus escaped the dream
because of Sin. Yunalesca lives here and performs the rite of the Final
Summoning for any Summoner that manages to complete their pilgrimage and
reach Zanarkand Dome.
[X-2] The Zanarkand Ruins have been turned into a tourist attraction
by Cid and Isaaru. With Yuna's best efforts (and some help from
monkeys), the tourists get chased off, restoring some manner of
dignity... or maybe not.
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