Traveling to Fynn
Fynn and Castle Fynn are located just north of Gatrea, but a lake separates the two. You don't have any means to cross the lake yet, so you'll need to go around it by heading northwest, and then back east. While this trip is short and simple, this is the first place in FFII where players often have a rude awakening. This is because of the odd nature of the world map.
Unlike in almost any other JRPG of the time, most of the world map is technically accessible to you right from the start of the game. There are a few rivers you can't cross and islands you can't yet reach, but you are free to walk across the majority of the world map. Unfortunately, many areas are filled with deadly monsters that will make short work of you. As long as you stick to the intended path, you'll be OK for the most part, but the trip to Fynn is dangerous if you stray even a few tiles from the beaten path. Whatever you do, do not go further north or west than you have to! Hug the edge of the lake as you make your way towards Fynn.
Later in the game when Fynn is liberated, you'll find a variety of nice items for sale here.
Fynn
You cannot enter Castle Fynn at this point in the game, but you can enter your characters' hometown of Fynn whenever you like. You'll find an extremely hostile environment within. There are random encounters in town similar to those you've seen on the world map. The only new monster present is the Sprinter, the first monster you'll see that's likely to survive more than a single hit. The real danger are the Captains wandering the town and blocking off various buildings. If you speak to one, you'll enter combat with them and will quickly be defeated.
Even the shops you can access are unoccupied, so you'll want to stick to your mission here. There is a pub on the outskirts of town, and that is your destination. To find it, travel to the northwest part of town, where you will find a gap in the town border. Follow the walls east, then south to the pub. Don't speak to the imperial soldiers inside the pub, as they will attack just like the ones outside. If you use [Wild Rose] keyword, the barkeep will tell you about a secret passage in the northeast corner of the room. Enter and you will find Scott, a rebel ally who was injured and lay dying. Say [Wild Rose] and he will give you his Ring and make a dying request. There are three Potions you can freely take in Scott's room.
| Attribute | Start |
|---|---|
| HP | 175/175 |
| MP | 103/103 |
| Strength | 10 |
| Agility | 20 |
| Stamina | 20 |
| Intelligence | 16 |
| Spirit | 48 |
| Magic | 40 |
Return to Altair
With the Ring in hand, return to Altair and report to Hilda. Though Scott didn't mention it, the Ring has the power to call up the world map by pressing and Select. The display is a pseudo-globe that can be scrolled quite slowly, though this map is useful for finding exactly where towns and other landmarks in the local area are. The man near the inn in Gatrea will give a hint as to this functionality if you speak to him after Minwu joins the party.
When you show her the Ring, Hilda agrees to let the party help the rebellion more directly. She teaches you the [Mythril] keyword and bids you find Josef in Salamand. Minwu joins you for the journey, providing you with a Canoe that lets you traverse rivers and lakes. Unlike in FFI, you will not be attacked while on the Canoe, so sticking to rivers as you travel can save you time and effort. If you speak to Hilda again after Minwu joins, you can learn about the [Dreadnought] and [Airship] keywords as well. Try out all of your keywords with the king to get a bit more information.
Minwu is a powerful ally with a ton of HP and MP and a wide variety of mid-level white magic. You should still make it a point to use your main characters' Cure spells, but Minwu's spells will be of great use in the upcoming areas. You can even unequip and sell his Ether for a nice influx of gil early in the game.
Before you leave the Altair area, make sure you have at least one black magic spell. The basic elemental spells for sale in Altair are not sold elsewhere, though you'll find a Fire Tome in the near future. The best investment at this point is Blizzard, which can exploit the weakness of several difficult monsters you'll see early on. It makes sense to use your low-level spells at every opportunity while traveling to other towns (using inns to restore you MP). You'll gain intelligence (or spirit), maximum MP, and spell levels slowly but surely. If you have multiple spells, casting each once per battle is the fastest overall way to grow their power.