Golden Sun: The Lost Age/Ankohl Ruins

The main thing that makes Ankohl Ruins such an annoying dungeon is the fact that it is very easy to get lost. There are doors here, there, and everywhere and as many lead to important dead-ends as ones that lead in circles.

Ankohl Ruins
Anyway, the tree blocks the entrance, so go through the hole in the wall to the left. Enter the building. There is only empty chests behind the ivy on the left and right here; this is where Briggs and his men bagged the gems and stuff that made Champa wealthy. Anyway, head on up to the door at the top (it's concealed behind the middle patch of ivy - just Whirlwind it away). Before you go any further set Sand to a Psynergy Shortcut (but remember to keep Move as the other).

The next room has 7 large face statues. The centre of each of them can be pulled out with Move. From the left, pull out the middle of number 2, and grab 210 coins from the chest. Do the same with number 7 and grab the Crystal Powder. Go into number 6, and use Whirlwind to blow the ivy out of the way. Go through and Move the pillar into its slot, then go into statue 1 and use Sand to reach a Nut. Woo.

Go in the door under statue 1. The door behind the far-left ivy doesn't lead anywhere for the mean time, so go down and up the stairs at the bottom left. Go around and use the sand path to reach the Thanatos Mace in the chest in the blocked-off area. Equip it to Sheba if he current weapon is less powerful. Now go back to the corner of the sand path and go up to the door. Go all the way up to the piece of the face statue, and shove it so it completes the face. The mouth will open and fill a channel with sand. Retreat to the beginning.

Head back up to the statue room, and go through the door below statue 1 again. Go left here and use Whirlwind on the ivy to remove it, then head up the stairs. Go up to the door. The sand acts as a bridge and a path now - you can cross to the chest to get some Power Bread, then go under the wall using Sand and climb the vines to reach some stairs.

Head down and through the door to the right. Follow the path all the way up and Move the pillar into its slot. Return to the previous room via the way you just went, then go out the top-left door. Use Sand to reach a Vial. Now, head directly down from the door you just used, and follow the path to get 365 coins from the chest.

Return to where you moved the pillar earlier (through the right-hand door in this room), and instead of going left to the enclosure, go right and through the door. You'll emerge in a room filled with sand and a tall statue. When you step on the button, the room slowly begins to fill with sand. You need to reach the button when the sand has risen enough, before it gets covered. The button lowers a column in front of the door so you can leave. If the sand covers up the button, leave via the door you came through, then re-enter and try again. When you've dropped the column, go through the new door.

At the end of the long path, use the groove to slide down. You'll be in a large area with another face that needs completing, but sadly you can't reach the other piece of the face yet. Shove the piece on this side into its respective place, then shove the pillar into the slot, and go out the top door. Neither the stairs, nor the door behind the ivy lead anywhere yet, so go as far right as you can and move the pillar into the slot.

Go back to the room with the incomplete face and go down the vines below the pillar you moved. Go through the door down here, and follow the path. Use Sand to get under the barrier, and go through the door.

Recognise this place? It's the statue room! You'll be standing out of the face of number 4. Now, you want to go right and through the door underneath number 7. Follow the path around to the stairs (using Sand on the way). The chest behind the ivy at the top of the room contains a Muni Robe, perfect for Jenna, so equip it. Go around and down through the next door. Climb down the vines and head all the way up to a gap you can hop across near the incomplete statue. Climb up the vines and head up the stairs.

In here, head up to the sand. You moved the pillar before, so now you can get past. Use Sand and get around the blocks, then use Whirlwind on the nearby ivy to get a chest containing a Slyph Feather. Now go right and to the door at the bottom.

You'll be in another rising sand room - do the same as before so you can lower the column and exit the room to the left. The first ivy on the path has a Potion behind it, but carry on left to the stairs. At the end of the long path you can push the other piece of the incomplete statue in the long channel into its place, making the statue's eyes turn green. Retreat again, and go back to the statue room (make sure you don't actually exit Ankohl Ruins onto the world map). Go back through the door under number 7.

Follow the long path back to the channel, but don't climb down the vines. It is imperative that you have Sand set to a Psynergy Shortcut now - not only does it speed up getting through Ankohl Ruins, but you need to be able to use it quickly in this next section. When you're ready, go down into the channel and attempt to towards the statue. It'll start coming down - you need to reach the patch of sand before it does and use Sand so it passes over the top of you. If it doesn't, you'll need to exit the room and return to try again. Once it's gone past, use the sand underneath the wall, and climb up the vines to the stairs. Keep going up. Hop across the platforms and use Move on the pillar to get it into its slot to open a shortcut. Go down the next set of stairs.

The other missing piece of the earlier incomplete statue is here - trapped inside an inclosure. If you look closely, there are six differently-coloured blocks forming the Reveal symbol. Use Reveal, and then Move to push the block down the secret hole. Go down the stairs, and push the final piece of the face into its slot, and the staute will form a sand waterfall. Now, you need to Retreat again. Go back to the statue room, and go back through statue number 4. Use Sand to get under the barrier and return to the bottom of this room. Use Sand and slowly ascend the sand waterfall. At the top, get off to the right and use the vines to climb around to the stairs. Go up them.

Follow the path around to another sand waterfall. Climb to the top of this one using Sand, and climb up the long vine to the right. Finally, you are atop Ankohl Ruins, and the final piece of the trident is yours for the taking. Grab the Left Prong, and use Retreat for the final time. Get back on your boat on the world map, and re-enter Champa.

Champa Revisited
Head all the way back up to Obaba, and give her the final piece of the Trident. She'll toss them into her magic well, and out will come the Trident, reforged and ready to go. But its unreachable. Thankfully, the six stones around the edge of Obaba's forging well form the Reveal symbol, so use Reveal and cross the floating platforms and bag the Trident. This is important; equip it on whoever is the FASTEST character in your party - this will either be Jenna or Sheba, unless you've been cheating or something's very different. It doesn't count as a weapon, so you can retain whatever weapon they have, but you can't use it if you don't equip it.

Now, you are essentially ready to invade Lemuria. But there's several things you need to do before you try going there. Go back down through the cave, and use whatever services you need to at the bottom. Leave Champa and get back on your ship. Head back to the Apojii Islands.

Apojii Islands Revisited
Go to the beach at the bottom. On the beach section, you can use Sand to get under the rocks. Run along the coast to the next section. This requires some faith - there's a bit where the shallows meet Gaia Falls. This is essentially a groove which you can slide down to reach a ledge. Head into the waterfalls from here. The third ivy patch from the left has a door behind it, which you can use to follow another section of the cave, which leads to Haze, the Jupiter Djinni! It joins without a fight. Now, head back through to the ivy section, where you need to take the right exit. Outside, use Lash to get back up to the main section of Apojii Islands. Go back out to the world map, and get on your boat.

N Osenia Islet
This island is directly north of Alhafra and directly south of SE Angara Islet - it shouldn't be too hard to find using your world map. It's the island southwest of the misty area. When you get here, disembark and enter. Go up to the house and check the jar on the left-hand side to find a Lucky Medal. Go to the sandy area at the bottom left of this place, and use Sand to get past the jars into the cow pen. For the mean time, set Mind Read to the Psynergy Shortcut Sand occupied. Go up and Mind Read the cow. It wants your Red Cloth (you better still have it) and it'll give you some Milk for it. Now use Sand to get back out of the pen, then leave. You now want to go to the small island cramped up between Indra and Gondowan. It's directly west - go around the top of Idejima to get there.

West Indra Islet
Check the barrel to the left of the hut to get a Lucky Medal (it's not in any of them on the barge). Now, go down to the dog in the shallows and Mind Read him. Give him the Milk and he'll give you the Li'l Turtle. Now leave and go back to your boat. Go east until you reach  N Osenia Islet, but keep going east past it - you want the next island along.

Sea of Time Islet
Follow the path around the trees, jars and rocks until you reach the turtle to the bottom right of the area. Mind Read the turtle and give him the Li'l Turtle. Lonesome George, as he is called, will let you ride his back to his secret spot. Interestingly enough, this "secret spot" is a cave, and houses one of the most powerful combo summons in the game, Catastrophe, a Venus Djinni, a Mercury Djinni, and other useful items. But you can't get the summon or the Mercury Djinni yet.

Head all the way down and to the ornate circle. Remember this circle - you'll see it quite a few times in the coming sections of the game, although you won't be able to do anything with them until you've been to the very last dungeon of the game. Head left and grab the Turtle Boots from the chest - don't equip them however; you won't want to sacrifice any speed for the coming battle. Hop to the right and go through the door.

Ride the log to the right, then go down and use the bottom log to ride all the way up to the Venus Djinni at the top. Save before you confront it. You can, of course, just obliterate it with level 4 summons and Ulysses on the first turn, although bombarding it with strong Psynergies works as well. You might want to consider the summon strategy if you find it runs a lot.

Make sure Haze is on Sheba, and Meld is one Felix, then go back down. Use the top log this time to get across and use the log to reach a Rusty Staff in the chest. Now Retreat from the cave and return to your boat (via George).

Yallam Again
To conclude your preparations for the coming battle, go back to Yallam and forge everything you've got. The Rusty Staff from the Sea of Time Islet Cave forges into the Dracomace, which you should give to Sheba. Also, it's important you sell off any extra equipment - you will be getting quite a lot of new items in Lemuria and you'll be far out of the reach of any shop to sell your stuff to. You may also want to refresh your memory of Yepp's songs if you don't plan on using this guide for navigating the Sea of Time. Last of all, use the Inn and Sanctum if necessary. You won't be seeing one for a while.

You're ready to rock and roll. Go up to the cloudy area smack bang in the middle of the Eastern Sea, Save, then head up through the two rocks in the bottom.