Eternal Blue

The machinopolis

On the dock, Fina speaks for a moment in a voice that is not hers, as if she had known Rain years ago, then collapses and remembers nothing. Dilmagia is a short walk west. Talk to the people marked with the main-quest icon: the only sensible way across the continent is by airship, and the person who builds them is Lid. The town has an inn, shops and the Moogle of Light, and a girl here tells you about a large figure on Mt. Thunderclap — Ramuh, the chapter's optional Esper. The side quest Elven Maven also starts in Dilmagia.

Lid and Mechabo

At the shipyard you meet Lid and her mechanical chocobo, Mechabo. Her airship does not fly: it needs a Wind Crystal, which the Wind Shrine holds — the place the party is after anyway. The road there crosses Mt. Thunderclap, and Lid joins you for it. She is a full party member from here on, so set her gear and give her a Vision before you leave.

Lid's offer

At the foot of the mountain Lid offers a quieter route for 1,000 gil. Paying takes you up to the next save point with far fewer fights. Walking the main path is worth doing either way: it has the experience of the fights, and halfway up, a strangely coloured tree to examine for Elven Maven. Accessories that halve Lightning damage — the Insulated Gloves, the Cape of the Raiju — are worth equipping here.

Boss: Liquid Thunder

The way off the mountain is blocked by Liquid Thunder: level 13, 10,000 HP, weak to Earth. All of its attacks are Lightning, on one target or the whole party, so Lightning protection and Shell matter more than physical defence. Lid's Earth skills and the Warrior of Light's carry the damage.

• Weak to: Earth.
• Bring: Earth skills (Lid, the Warrior of Light) and anything that halves Lightning.

Zidane, the Onion Knight, and Ramuh

Past the mountain, across two wooden bridges, is the Sanctum of Zidane: three questions, and he is yours. Another Sanctum on Dirnado holds the Onion Knight. A separate upper entrance to Mt. Thunderclap leads to a gravestone near a save point, where Ramuh, the Lord of Lightning, can be fought. He is level 20 and weak to Earth, well above the party at this point; it is fine to come back once you are stronger. Beat him and he joins as an Esper.

Boss: Mom Bomb

A monster has taken over the forge, and Borin will give Lid her parts for free if you deal with it. Mom Bomb is level 14 with 21,000 HP and weak to Water. It fights with Fire, including a party-wide Firestorm, so get Shell up early; Siren's Water spells hit it hard. When it is low it explodes, damaging the whole party, and splits into four Great Bombs: heal, then take them down one by one.

• Weak to: Water.
• Bring: Siren, Water skills from your Visions, and Shell.

Borin taken, and Noctis

When you report back, a dwarf runs up: Borin has been taken by someone in armour to Mobliz Shipyard, and the next objective is to save him there. Rest at the inn first. On the way to the shipyard, west of the road, is the Sanctum of Noctis. Mobliz is in the opposite direction from the Wind Shrine.

The way in

The shipyard is a run of walkways and lifts; levers bring the dead lifts back to life. A golden jar on one level is a Magic Pot: your attacks do almost nothing to it, and it wants an item instead. Give it what it asks for, or flee and come back. At the end, the game warns that a unique event follows and asks you to save by hand. Save, heal, and only then go on.

Escape before time runs out

At the top the dwarves are repairing an ancient airship, The Invincible, and Borin turns out not to have been kidnapped at all. Then the alarm goes off. A countdown starts, and it keeps running during battles, so avoid fights where you can. Two walkthroughs agree on the puzzle in the middle: the lift back is dead, and the lever that restores it is number 16; every wrong lever starts a fight. The way out is then blocked by Guardians, level-25 machines that give nothing special for beating them: turn back and take the other lift.

Bosses: Epimetheus, then Adrastea

The lift arrives with Epimetheus on it, a level-16 security machine weak to Lightning with little HP. Do not spend much on it: Adrastea follows straight after, with no chance to change your setup in between. Below, on the cargo train, a young man orders a giant machine to attack: Lid's brother, Evan, who does not seem himself. Mechabo takes the blast meant for the party. Adrastea is level 16 with 25,000 HP and weak to Lightning and Water; Cloud covers both elements, and Siren's Water helps. When its stagger gauge runs low it charges the attack you saw it fire before, and the way to stop it is to finish emptying the gauge before it lands.

• Weak to: Lightning (Epimetheus); Lightning and Water (Adrastea).
• Bring: Cloud, Tronn, the Warrior of Light; Siren or Ramuh.

Arise, Mechabo!

The blacksmith Verun offers to repair Mechabo. He needs parts from two Ipoohs, large bear-like monsters in the grassland just outside the forge; one fight is often enough. Bring them back and Mechabo is repaired. Do it straight away: until then, Lid fights without Mechabo.

• Reward: a Magicite Shard and a working Mechabo.

Mechabo Evolved — a quest for several chapters

Verun then offers to upgrade Mechabo. Mechabo Evolved asks for three of a monster at a time, four times over: Dhorme Chimerae north-east of Grandport, Medusae south-west of the forge, Destroyers in the west of the Olderion Federation, and sandworms in the south of Zoldaad. The last two are on continents you reach later, so it cannot be finished in this chapter; work on it alongside the story. A further quest, Mechabo Unleashed, opens in chapter 5, but its last step, in western Gronoa, needs chapter 6; it leads to the trophy Mechabo Mania.

The shrine

The guards are dead when you arrive, and a voice warns you off: Aether, another of the Sworn Six. Ride the lifts up and explore the side walkways. One chest holds the Tsukiyo no Tachi for Lasswell, a sword that also halves Wind damage, which suits the fight at the top; another holds the Armor of Gales. A jar outside the top level, the Viridian Pot, is another monster that wants an item. Level your Ice users before the last save point.

Boss: Aether

Unlike Umbra, Aether can be beaten. He is level 18 with 34,000 HP and weak to Ice: Lasswell's own Ice skills, Tronn's, and Tronn's Resonance, Hibernal Fury. A few turns in he starts calling minions and guardians, also weak to Ice, which cast spells and inflict Sleep: kill each one as it appears. His party-wide attacks hit hard, so keep Shell up and bring plenty of Ethers.

• Weak to: Ice (his minions too).
• Bring: Tronn, Ice skills on as many characters as you can, Ethers.

The airship to Olderion

Beaten, Aether still destroys the Wind Crystal, and The Invincible rises from Mobliz Shipyard and flies off towards the continent of Olderion. Lid recognises the face under his helmet: the first Cid, who built the first airship centuries ago. The last objectives send you back to Dilmagia to talk to Lid, who finishes her own airship with a shard of the wind crystal. Choosing to leave ends the chapter. Chapter 3, Wardens of the Aquapolis, opens on Olderion.

The side quests

• Elven Maven — Silvia in Dilmagia; the evidence is the tree on Mt. Thunderclap. Reward: a Magicite Shard and 800 gil.
• Lyrical Riddles — Roy at the Dwarven Forge. Reward: a Magicite Shard and 800 gil.
• Arise, Mechabo! — Verun at the Dwarven Forge, after Mobliz. Reward: a Magicite Shard and a repaired Mechabo.
• Mechabo Evolved — Verun, straight after; it runs into later chapters. Reward: a Magicite and new abilities for Mechabo.

Optional fights

Ramuh, at the top of Mt. Thunderclap, is level 20 and weak to Earth, and joins as an Esper when beaten. Shoggoth, in its own cave, is a level-25 optional boss. The Guardians in Mobliz Shipyard can be fought again and again during the escape, but they are only a cost.

The trophy of chapter 2

Clearing the chapter earns Those Who Unite the Skies. Nothing in the chapter can lock you out of a trophy; the trophy tracker has the full list. Mechabo Mania starts here with Arise, Mechabo!, but it cannot be finished before chapter 6.