Freya automatically starts off in the back row which will make her attacks very weak. Consider moving her to the front row by entering the main menu and selecting the “Order” option. Then select Freya twice which should cause her character portrait to move slightly to the left side of the screen (indicating that she is in the front row).
Check out the front and back row mechanics page for more information.
There are a number of things that you can do in this area after leaving Lindblum before you head to Gizamaluke’s Grotto. The first is to travel to Qu’s Marsh to obtain a new playable character named Quina.
You can obtain Quina later on in the game (after you complete Gizamaluke’s Grotto, Burmecia and Cleyra) if you skip this section but adding in the fourth member to your party can be hugely beneficial. There is really no reason to skip out on it.
Movie Critic
In order to obtain the Movie Critic Trophy you will need to have Quina join the party at this point in the game. Quina is involved in a few ATEs that will only activate if Quina is in the party.
Use the map below to help you find Qu’s Marsh which is located just north of Dragon’s Gate. Use the screenshot below to help you identify what you are looking for. Qu’s Marsh looks like a raised area in the middle of the swamp.
Enter the marsh and follow the bridge northward. You will run into Mogster and Moggy at the end of the docks - these are the two Moogles who provided you with some of the tutorials earlier in the game. Travel down the pathway between the reeds behind them.
Keep walking north through the tall grass (even though you can no longer see your character on the screen). Quina is the blue character in the red jacket wandering around near the pond.
Capture one of the frogs nearby and speak to the Qu (which is the what these blue creatures are called in the game). You’ll be prompted to name Quina who will then join your party after a brief interlude involving Quina’s master.
Note that Quina does not have a gender - it is neither male nor female, therefore it will be referred to as either “it” or “s/he” throughout the game and in this guide.
Quina comes pre-equipped with just a 
Fork for a weapon and no armor. If you were successful in stealing from the Zaghnol you should already have a better weapon for Quina - the Needle Fork. Equip Quina with some better armor as well.
Quina is capable of learning “Blue Magic” similar to other Final Fantasy games. For reference, this is similar to Enemy Skill Materia in Final Fantasy VII and similar to Quistis’ Limit Break, Blue Magic in Final Fantasy VIII. Check out the Blue Magic section for more information. Just have Quina eat an enemy when they are below 25% health.
The following Blue Magic can be learned on the world map:
Mighty GuardAqua BreathFrog DropPumpkin Head(travel through Lindblum and exit out of the Hunter’s Gate in the Business District)
Mustard BombLimit GloveLV3 Def-LessAngel’s SnackVanishThe most important skill to obtain is Mighty Guard as it can be extremely helpful during the tougher boss battles in the game.
Catching Frogs
You can also take this opportunity to catch frogs in Qu’s Marsh. This is part of the Catching Frogs side quest - click on the link for more information about that side quest.
Travel through Lindblum through the Dragon’s Gate and take the lift up to the Mid Level. Take the Air Cab through to the Business District and exit to the World Map using the Hunter’s Gate.
The Pinnacle Rocks are shown in the screenshot below. Follow the pathway to the end to find two treasure chests that contain an 
Elixir and a 
Phoenix Down.
The South Gate can be found on the east side of the map, across the river, and just north of the Chocobo’s Forest. Use the screenshot below to help you identify what you are looking for. The South Gate is also known as “Bohden Arch”.
Search near the water to find Moccha Coffee (which is one of the required items for the Rare Coffees side quest) and you can also find an 
Ether on the opposite side of the bridge.
My Little Airship
You must pick obtain each of the three Rare Coffees for the Rare Coffees side quest in order to obtain the My Little Airship Trophy. Make sure you don’t miss picking up the Moccha Coffee!
The Chocobo’s Forest can be found on the eastern side of the continent near the South Gate amid the King Ed Plains. Use the screenshot below and the map provided to help you find it.
You will meet up with a Moogle named Mene as soon as you enter the forest. Mene will ask you if you would like to ride Choco, the Chocobo, in order to travel through the area without running into any monsters.
He will provide you with 
Gysahl Greens which you can use to call Choco any time you are near a set of Chocobo footprints on the world map. Leave the Chocobo’s Forest and travel to the Chocobo footprints just outside of the forest (to the east) and then select and use the Gysahl Greens out of your item inventory.
Riding Choco the Chocobo is a nice and easy way to get around the world map, but for now you should return to the Chocobo’s Forest with Choco. Walk over to Mene and ask him “What’s the big secret?” to have him expand on what he had said to Zidane earlier.
He will explain that Choco has the ability to seek out treasures and items hidden underground. Choose to pay the 60 gil when prompted in order to play “Chocobo Hot & Cold”.
The object of the game is to dig up Chocographs and Chocograph Pieces in each of the Chocobo locations throughout the world but you can dig up a variety of other rewards. As indicated in the instructions provided (and shown in the screenshot above) press the 
Button to dig with your Chocobo. It will respond with either:
The point system for Chocobo Hot & Cold can be fairly complex. Check out the Chocobo Hot & Cold side quest section for more information. There are a ton of Chocographs that you can dig up in the Chocobo’s Forest though so don’t be afraid to spend some quality time here. Mene will tell you when there are no more Chocographs that can be dug up in this area.
The first Chocograph that you dig up, which will be referred to as “Stone With Patterns” when you first dig it up, will be Chocograph #1: Streamside. Mene will suggest that you take Choco out of the forest and go find the hidden treasure identified by the Chocograph.
Press 
Button near Choco or press 
Button while riding him and choose to “Take a look at the Chocograph”. Select “Streamside” and add it to your inventory.
The Chocograph gives you a hint of where to find the treasure (“Go check where the river meets the ocean, Kupo.”) as well as what ability is required to find the treasure (“Field”, which you have already). Exit the Chocobo’s Forest and Zidane will automatically jump on Choco.
The location of this Chocograph is fairly straightforward. Find the stream running through the middle of this part of the continent and search near the beach where the river runs out into the ocean (on the west side of the bank). Use the screenshot below to aid you.
This treasure chest contains:
Elixirs
Hi-PotionsEthers
Germinas Boots
You can search for and find a few more Chocographs in the Chocobo’s Forest including Chocograph #2: Between Mountains (5 
Potions, 5 Hi-Potions, 2 
Tents and 2 
Cotton Robes) and Chocographs #3 through #11, but you cannot search for or reach these areas yet - Only Chocograph #1 and #2.
For help finding Chocograph #2: Between Mountains use the screenshot below.
It is now time to travel to Gizamaluke’s Grotto which is located on the north side of the continent in the Eunorus Plains and is identified on the map if you pull it up. Save your game before you enter.
You can remove the Chocograph picture from your screen by hopping on a Chocobo, pressing the Button to open the Chocograph Menu, and selecting “Cancel”.
A short scene occurs just outside the entrance to Gizamaluke’s Grotto regarding the guards who have just been killed. Freya, Zidane, Vivi and Quina (assuming you traveled to Qu’s Marsh which you should have) will head into the cave.
The cavern has a door on the far wall but before you enter the Grotto take the pathway leading off to the right and speak to the Burmecian Soldier.
The solider will tell you about the Black Mages that attacked them and will give you a Gizamaluke Bell. Use the bell to open the large door and proceed through.
Another short scene will occur involving Zorn and Thorn and the Black Mages. You will be thrown into a battle against two Black Mages (Type A). They are fairly straightforward and easy to defeat and you will be fighting quite a few more of them throughout the cavern.
Run through the archway and defeat the other Black Mage (the battle actually involves two of them) wandering around on the other side. You will receive another Gizamaluke Bell after you defeat them.
There are three doors with bells on them located at the back wall. Use your Gizamaluke Bell on the door on the left side - the tiny one next to the large door.
Follow the pathway around until you reach the left side of the room. There is a hidden treasure chest behind the wall of the cave that contains a 
Bronze Vest. Follow the pathway along until you reach the Burmecian Soldier who will give you another Gizamaluke Bell.
Travel back to the the group of locked doors and use this Gizamaluke Bell on the small door to the right side (again, not the large door). This area is called the “Bell Room”.
There is a hidden chest along the back wall as you approach the top of the stairs that contains 
Mythril Gloves.
There is another hidden chest on the piece of the platform that goes underneath the bridge towards the screen which contains a 
Magus Hat. Equip Vivi with the Magus Hat so that he can begin learning Slow, a new spell that will have many applications throughout the game.
Continue along the pathway until you reach the huge bell in the center. Choose to have Vivi hand over the Kupo Nut to Mogmi when asked and then grab the chest under the bell to receive another Gizamaluke Bell.
Use the Gizamaluke Bell on the door to the right and enter to find yourself in a room with the Moogle couple. Speak to Mogmi and you can save your game and use a Tent to refill your party member’s HP and MP.
Don’t forget to select the Mognet option to give the letter from Moodon to Mogmi. Try to leave the area and Moguta will follow you and give you a Holy Bell.
Leave the room and use the Holy Bell on the second door in the Bell Room. Inside this room is your next boss fight against Gizamaluke.
Level: 16
HP: 3,175
This boss is one of the most difficult ones that you have faced so far which is primarily because you have no healer in your party. You will be stuck using Potions and Hi-Potions to heal your party members which is made even more difficult due to the fact that many of Gizamaluke’s attacks will hit multiple party members (its Water spell specifically).
Gizamaluke is vulnerable to a number of different status effects including Blind, Mini, Silence, Sleep and Slow. Start off the fight by using one of your Tent items on it as this can potentially cause the Darkness or the Silence status effects, greatly reducing the amount of damage that Gizamaluke can do. Following that, make sure you have Zidane steal each of the items that it holds (Magus Hat, Elixir and 
Ice Staff).
The rest is a fairly standard fight - keep your party members healed and have each character use their most powerful attacks. Freya’s Jump ability is very useful for getting her out of the fray as she cannot be attack while she is in mid-air. Have Vivi spam magic spells unless he is under the Silence status effect - there is no way to prevent this unfortunately other than using an 
Echo Screen.
Steal:
Elixir (common)
Magus Hat (uncommon)
Ice Staff (rare)
Drops:
Tent
A video of the battle is included below:
The story continues by following up with Steiner and Princess Garnet at the South Gate (Bohden Arch).
Have Steiner walk up to the gate and speak to the guards to continue. After a close call at the entrance, you will find yourself back in control of Steiner inside the gate.
Speak to both of the two workers on the right side of the screen. It does not matter which option you select when speaking with them.
Start off by grabbing the treasure chest on the left side of the screen towards the camera. It contains a 
Multina Racket.
Go over and speak to the little blue/green fellow on the left side of the screen.
Next speak to the Part-time Worker Mary to get her to move out of the way.
Speak to the young man on the right closest to the screen (the Chief Engineer) which will cause him to move as well and then head down the path off to the right.
A “Short Guard” will appear and beckon Steiner over. He will give Steiner a Gate Pass by leaving it on the ground for him. You cannot obtain the treasure chest on top of the caravan at this point in the game so do not worry about leaving it behind.
Head around the corner and Steiner will let Dagger out of the sack. The two will venture in to the next area.
Travel over to the right side of the screen to release Princess Garnet out of the burlap sack. Make sure you take some time to equip Steiner and Dagger with some have decent armor and weapons for some upcoming fights.
Start off by grabbing the treasure chest on the left side of the screen (which contains a Potion). You can also save your game by speaking to Grimo the Moogle on the left side of the screen. Make sure you grab his letter to Nanza when you speak to him.
The Item Shop can be accessed by talking to the woman at the counter on the right side of the screen. She sells Potions, Phoenix Downs, Echo Screens, 
Softs, 
Antidotes, 
Eye Drops and Tents.
Speak to the Conductor up near the top of the ramp to board the train car. Approach the seats near the back of the train to continue the story. It continues with Zidane, Vivi, Freya and Quina back in Gizamaluke’s Grotto before they move on to…
There are two optional things that you can do before going to Burmecia. You can visit the North Gate and go hunting for a Chocograph that you can now reach.
The North Gate is located just east of the exit to Gizamaluke’s Grotto - you can follow the mountain on Zidane’s right side to reach it or use the map below.
Freya and Quina have a few lines of dialogue when you reach it and there are two treasure chests that you can obtain. One contains a Hi-Potion and the other contains a Tent.
The Chocobo Tracks are located on the far west side of the Daines-horse Basin through a small crevasse just past the large whirlwind. Take a right once you make it through the passageway and then use some Gysahl Greens while standing on the tracks.
The treasure chest is located in the grassy area near the shore not far from the Chocobo Tracks. It contains a new ability for your Chocobo: “Reef Ability” which will allow your Chocobo to enter shallow water.
You can also now obtain Chocograph #10: Bird’s-Eye Lagoon if you travel back through Gizamaluke’s Grotto but that is not recommended that at this point.
You can also learn a new Blue Magic ability for Quina from an enemy called a Nymph (shown in the screenshot below). Nymphs have approximately 458 HP.
The entrance to Burmecia is located on the north side of the continent. Use the map and screenshot below to help you find it.
