Gamer Corner Guides

Gathering Information

While the plot dictates you come to South Figaro, it is technically optional. You will find plenty of treasure and shops with upgrades here, and you'll be introduced to Shadow for the first time. (In fact, if you don't do so here, you'll miss your opportunity to name Shadow). South Figaro also features a number of hidden areas that are intended for a future plot sequence but can be explored now, if you're so inclined. You may notice a save point in the basement of Duncan's House, which seems oddly placed.

When you first enter town, you'll see Shadow head for the Cafe. If you follow him inside, you can speak to him at the bar. He won't respond, but Edgar will recognize him and you'll be able to choose his name. You can also talk to his dog, which will elicit a response. Aside from Shadow, a lot of people in town seem to be talking about the martial arts master Duncan and his son Vargas.

Shopping

South Figaro is the first place you'll find a wide variety of shops, and you should take advantage of them. You'll get a tutorial on Relics by speaking to the merchant at the Relic Shop counter. Relics are useful equipment that can enhance your defensive capabilities, add new combat options, or even have out-of-battle effects. There's nothing on sale here that's incredibly powerful, though the Sprint Shoes enhance your walking speed and are useful if you're impatient. They actually do have a use in certain events, but they tend to be a wasted Relic slot, combat-wise. Due to a bug with Evade %, Goggles are effectively useless and should be avoided. The True Knight has an interesting effect similar to Cecil's Cover in FFIV, but you'll find one in the near future if you want to save 1,000 GP. The Star Pendant prevents Poison and the Jewel Ring prevents Petrify, both of which you may encounter in the near future. However, Poison is the more common (though less dangerous) of the two during that time, so if you're going to invest in protection now, buy Star Pendants for the party. (You'll find one more soon enough, and it's unlikely you'll ever need more than four.)

You probably don't have unlimited funds at this point, especially if you invested in relics, so your weapon and armor choices can be a bit tough. The RegalCutlass is the best available weapon for both Terra and Edgar, but it costs 800 GP. If you want to save some cash, don't buy one for Edgar, since he mostly uses his Tools anyway. Locke can use a MithrilBlade, which you can simply steal from Edgar (leaving him with something like a MithrilKnife) to save even more cash. If you missed either of Edgar's extra tools in Figaro Castle, you can pick those up here as well.

The armor available in South Figaro is generally cheaper than the weapons, but almost everything here is an upgrade. The Kung Fu Suit and Cotton Robe are nice body upgrades for Locke and Terra, respectively, and both are quite cheap. Everyone can use Plumed Hats if you can afford them, while the Hair Band isn't particularly useful unless you really need to save 100 GP. Heavy Shlds are the most expensive item here, but they represent a significant upgrade for all three party members at this point. Locke in particular didn't start with a shield at all, so be sure to buy at least one (even a Buckler) so everyone is fully equipped.

The Item Shop here has a similar selection to the one in Figaro Castle, with the only new offering being the (unfortunately pointless) Eyedrop. It may be worth stocking up on Antidotes if you decided against Star Pendants, and any other general-use items you may need. You can also stay at the Inn for 80 GP, though you can sleep for free at Duncan's Cabin to the north. You can also ride a chocobo for 80 GP if you want to avoid any encounters and arrive at Mt. Kolts completely fresh.

Don't forget to sell your old gear after equipping the new. If you need more money, you can either fight monsters near town (the forests yield slightly more GP per encounter, and significantly more Exp.) or you can find your way into the mansion basement where there is 3,000 GP hidden in chests.

Treasure in Town

South Figaro is filled with hidden treasure, but again much of it will change if you wait until the World of Ruin to grab it. Most of it doesn't improve that much, though—you may want to hold off on the Soft in the box at the southwest corner of town in favor of an Elixir later, and forego the Tonic in front of the weapon and armor shops to get an X-Potion. Most of the rest are standard items that will be replaced by slightly better standard items, and by the time you get that far they won't really be worth the wait. The Warp Stone located in a barrel at the west end of the outer wall is actually a more valuable prize than the Fenix Down it becomes! Refer to the South Figaro Town map page for details on all of the available treasures.

Duncan's Cabin

If you stop at Duncan's Cabin to the north before heading to Mt. Kolts, you can get a few hints about what Sabin has been up to since he left Figaro Castle. You can examine the flowers, china closet, and stove to get hints from Edgar. There is also a Tonic in the bucket next to the stove, and you can sleep in the left bed free of charge to recuperate. Upon leaving, Edgar will reveal that Sabin was here, which should shed some light on who Duncan's students other than Vargas are. Upon leaving, an old man will be standing near the house, who tells you that the occupant of this house (Sabin, not Duncan) headed into the mountains, and Vargas is missing as well.