Dark Cloud/Queens

Enter Village
The town walls are still intact but all the people and buildings are gone as in the Norune and Matataki. There are four sections with a canal running down the middle. Head down to the end of the canal and through the doorway to the docks.

There is a dialog where you meet Rando, the only survivor. He's a merchant and invites you to his shop where you fill him in on what's been going on in the world. He says the Moon Orb was probably stored in the undersea treasury, a sunken ship that the locals used to store their valuables. A hundred years ago it was the favorite ship of the Queen who ruled here, but she died suddenly and the townspeople sunk the ship in tribute. Rando shows you the submarine that they now use to get to the ship and back.

You can fish right away near the submarine and Rondo's store is open for business with supplies and some new items.

Shipwreck
The first time you enter the shipwreck there is a cutscene where you board, pilot your way down to the ship, and disembark. Then you need to go to the lift to actually enter the dungeon. The cutscene is rather lengthy but you can skip it in the future by using the map to enter. In this dungeon you need a Hook to get to the next level and a Shipcabin Key to unlock doors. Getting to the back areas is tricky here. The item you need is a Flapping Fish, but it's only good for a short period of time. Then it turns into Rotten Fish which you might as well just throw out. You may also find Ice Blocks which will keep the fish fresh, but they melt to Small ice, then Tiny ice, and then finally disappear. Eventually you'll be able to buy Ice Blocks in Queens.

The monsters here are generally either undead or sea creatures, but there are some obvious exceptions. They are, of course, tougher than in previous dungeons so if you haven't been paying attention to monster types and elements then it's time to start. The undead will generally be weak to Holy and the sea creatures are usually weak to Thunder. There will be some additional wear on weapons so be sure to always have a few Repairs Powers and keep an eye on your Whp. Level 5 is a Xiao only restricted zone, but by now Xiao's weapons should be comparable to Toan's so there's no need to worry about this anymore. You may get randomly determined thirst and/or Abs. reduction zones before and after that. Continue on through level 8.

In level 9 there is a set battle with a Corcea, Captain, and Pirate's Chariot. Individually these aren't a problem but all three in close quarters can be a bit tricky. There is a chest here with a hook, but you can't go any further without a new character.

Ruby
After completing level 8 you should have the components to complete King's Hideout. Do so and complete the cutscene so Ruby joins your party. If possible, complete Jack's Store as well and buy Ruby the Platinum Ring so you don't have to fool around with her default weapon. Finally, it's a good idea from now on to make sure that for each element (Fire, Ice, Thunder, Wind, Holy) Ruby has either a weapon with a positive value for that element or an attachment for that element. So starting our with the Gold Ring and the Platinum Ring, you have Fire and Ice covered. Then if you have Thunder, Wind, and a Peridot (for Holy) then you're all set. You need to be careful not to use the last remaining attachment with a needed element when you upgrade weapons for other characters. Eventually Ruby will have enough elements in weapons so you don't need to worry about this, but for now there is a danger of getting stuck in some dungeons because Ruby doesn't have the element needed to open a door.

Shipwreck (cont.)
Enter level 9, fight the monsters there if you haven't already, and get the Hook from the chest. There is a door here which only Ruby can open and from this point on dungeons will have similar door. The way this works is there is a colored crystal next to the door. The color of the crystal tells you which element you need to activate it, for example the crystal here is red so you need to activate Fire on Ruby's weapon. If Ruby still has the Gold Ring equipped then its default element is Fire so you should be set. If Ruby's current weapon has zero value for the needed element then you need to customize the weapon and give it the corresponding attachment first. That's why it's important to have at least one attachment for each missing element on hand. With the proper element active, switch Ruby to first person and shoot the crystal to open the door. Once the door in level 9 is cleared, attach the hook and go on to the next level.

Level 12 is a Ruby only zone, but with the Platinum Ring it should pose too much trouble. Continue on through level 17; the enemies here will be more and more challenging, so redo some lower levels to build up weapons if necessary. As usual, there may be randomly placed thirst and Abs. reduction zones along the way. There is no Hook in level 17 as usual, instead you must obtain a special item in Queens to get to the next floor.

It's probably not required, but complete the Cathedral and watch the cutscene to learn the backstory. Now go to the Divining House to learn your fortune. Yaya's method of fortune telling seems dangerous, not to mention highly inappropriate, but it's effective. Ask her about the Moon Orb to see that it was found by Lana, the fruit seller. If you follow up with Lana though, she doesn't remember what she did with it. Ask her about the Dark Genie to see him in his castle plotting his next bit of mischief with Flag. Finally, ask about the man loved by the queen and you see Rando store, but Rando is gone. (Note, once you do this Rando's store will close for the rest of the game, though most of the items sold there can be found in other stores now.) Go to Rando's store to find that he really is gone, but there is something sparkling on the counter. Check it learn about letters written by La Saia and Rondo a hundred years previous. The letters were kept in a music box which was the symbol of their engagement. La Saia kept the box and Rando kept the key, and the letters were to be read when they were married. You get the Music Box Key.

Go back to the Shipwreck, level 17, find the exit and use the Music Box Key on the music box. (You don't have to fight any monsters this time so just avoid them.) You read Rando's letter in which Rando says he must wait until her subjects will accept him as her husband before he can marry her. You enter the Cathedral and meet La Saia, but her bitterness has only grown over the years and now she's out for revenge.

Before fighting or doing anything else, use Escape Powder to exit the dungeon and save your game. That way if you "accidentally" hit the reset button during the battle, you can go directly to the battle again without having to go through level 17 or the dialog.

La Saia is still carrying a grudge, but Rando comes in saying that he always regretted not being at the wedding. Another version of the story is shown; this time Rando arrives at the Cathedral apologizing for being delayed. Rando was kept alive all this time by the Life Sphere, but lost he what he most valued, which was La Saia. Rando gives you the Moon Orb and apologizes because he had it the whole time, but he needed you to reach La Saia so he could be reunited with her. Rando breaks the life sphere, ending the spell that's been keeping him and La Saia alive and taking them, at least in spirit, back to their wedding day.

Brownboo Village (return)
Use the map to go back to Brownboo Village now that you have thee Moon Orb. A Moon Person named Theo confirms that you do have the right orb, and uses it to send a signal into space. The signal reaches the temple with the Moon Ship, but nothing else happens. After much discussion and speculation about what went wrong, the chief sends you and Theo to the Sun & Moon Temple to investigate.

House completion events
This is a list of events related to completing houses in Matataki Village.