Crystalis/Portoa

After getting through Mt. Sabre, you should arive at the top of a slope. Portoa is just to your left.

Portoa has a few buildings to visit, but the most important one is the castle. Enter the castle. A guard may block access to the chamber, but you can use paralysis on him to get past. Enter the room and speak with the queen, who will ask you to discover the town's secret. If you exit and return to the fortune teller, she will direct you back to the Queen's chamber. Head back and forth between the two. The third time you talk to the Queen you will be given a Flute of Lyme, which may be used at the waterfall cave.

Sword of Water
The flute is used to depetrify two statues blocking further access to the cave.

Be careful in this area. It's full of Medusae. Not only are they invulnerable to any sword you currently have, the grey spells they cast can turn you to stone. Keep a Fruit of Lyme handy in case you get hit.

Continue north to the stairs. If you want the shield ring, head left and search for a second Flute of Lyme, and look for another statue (it is Akahana). Once he is released, you will receive the ring, for a further defense bonus.

The sword of water is located to the right of the branch. Once you collect it, the sage will arrive and inform you about the tree to the southwest of Portoa. The way out will be easier since the Medusae are vulnerable to Water.

Ball of Water
Southwest of Portoa is a cave. Enter it, and you will receive the Ball of Water, which may be used to freeze narrow portions of the river. You are also instructed to proceed across the river here, to lisen to a pre-recorded message. It is from Mesia, a woman vaguely mentioned previously. Like you, she is from the past and is on a mission. She has gone ahead of you.

You may now exit, although there are more things to do here.

Now would be a good time to return to Portoa. This time, when you go to the palace, the Guard will allow you past and into the underground passage. Using the Ball of Water, freeze a bridge in the underground passage. You will emerge in the back of the fortune teller's shop. Proceed through the other door, freeze another bridge, and you will find the hideout of Asina (the true identity of the Queen and the Fortune Teller). She will teach you the magic of Recover, which will let you heal from different conditions. She will also direct you to calm the Angry Sea.

If you want, you can optionally head to ../Amazones/ to obtain the Blizzard Bracelet (by paralizing the guard and entering the bracelet). There's another item to obtain there, but you will need the change spell before you can get it.

Kirisia plants
To the far southeast of Portoa, you should find a narrow river segment that may be frozen. Cross it, and enter the cave. The simple cave only has one branch to the right, which contains an Antidote on the NES version, or a chest mimic on the GBC version. If you continue south, you should reach the a small valley, where you can collect Kirisia plants. This is required if you want to visit the ../Amazones/.

Fog lamp
To the east of Portoa, across the river, is the East Cave. It is a more complex cave, with branches that loop among themselves.

A Lysis plant is found by going straight up at the first branch.

If you're looking for the fog lamp, take the right path on the first branch, south on the second, and right on the third. When you go down the stairs, you may go left or right, but turn south at the next branch. At the end of this long and winding path, you should find the Fog Lamp.

Next, return to Portoa, and enter the shack at the north-east of town, where you will learn the recover spell. Use the sword to freeze the water, and give a medical herb to the dolphin at the end of the path. In exchange, you will receive the Shell Flute.

With the fog lamp, head to the boat rental shop on the west end of town. You will now be able to use the Boat, and thus reach ../Joel/.