- Note: While the Lifespring Grotto is shorter and opens before the Whisperwind Cove, the two bosses at the end are by far the hardest in the game. It is recommended that you save these two until the end, though you can still go through and get the treasures in the first ten floors as soon as the Grotto opens.
The Lifespring Grotto is directly south of Mount Duergar, right next to the canal. Simply sail into the whirlpool to enter the Grotto. Access is granted once players have defeated the Fiend of Water, the Kraken.
By the time you're ready to take on the Grotto, you'll have long since switched to the airship. As a result, your ship is probably still docked near the Ryukahn Desert. Since the only reason to use the ship again is to get into the Grotto, you might as well dock it closer to the whirlpool in order to save time. The closest place is the river mouth north of the Western Keep. To get your ship over there, land the airship at the northernmost point of the landmass south of the canal. Now, walk south, past the Western Keep, through the forests, and then turn east and head back towards Elfheim. Continue east until you get to the river, then canoe east until you get to the desert, and finally get into your ship. Sail west, along the southern coast and then up the western side - all the way back to where you left your airship and dock at the river mouth. Now you can just land your airship right near the ship and sail directly into the Grotto.
Inside the Grotto entrance, a mermaid tells you that this is where mermaids and humans who fall in love with each other can come to live together. After the seal is opened, she'll tell you that the water is pure now.
Floors
| Floor | Map | Treasure | Castle treasure* |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Random | 200 Gil, Dry Ether, Echo Grass, Hi-Potion, Phoenix Down | Dry Ether, Feathered Cap, Hermes' Shoes, Mind Plus, Red Curtain |
| 2 | Random | 400 Gil, Ether, Eye Drops, Giant's Tonic, X-Potion | Genji Shield, Golden Apple, Lunar Curtain, Mind Plus, White Fang |
| 3 | Random | 3000 Gil, Potion, Speed Plus, Spider's Silk, Tiger Mask | Elixir, Light Curtain, Remedy, Soma Drop, White Curtain |
| 4 | Random | Ether, Hi-Potion, Red Fang, Speed Drink, Strength Tonic | Dry Ether, Emergency Exit, Hermes' Shoes, Phoenix Down, Power Plus |
| 5 | Floor 5 | None | N/A |
| 6 | Random | 123 Gil, Blue Fang, Cockatrice Claw, Emergency Exit, Faerie Tonic | Crystal Ring, Elixir, Giant's Tonic, Luck Plus, Silver Apple |
| 7 | Random | Golden Apple, Phoenix Down, Protect Drink, Spider's Silk, Vampire Fang | 32000 Gil, Megalixir, Speed Plus, Strength Tonic, X-Potion |
| 8 | Random | 300 Gil, Hermes' Shoes, Light Curtain, Speed Drink, Turbo Ether | 4464 Gil, Mind Plus, Remedy, Silver Apple, Stamina Plus |
| 9 | Random | Blue Curtain, Faerie Tonic, Hermes' Shoes, Silver Apple, X-Potion | Deathbringer, Elixir, Eye Drops, Power Plus, Protect Drink |
| 10 | Floor 10 | None | N/A |
| 11 | Random | Cockatrice Claw, Orichalcum, Protect Drink, Silver Apple, White Fang | Elixir, Lunar Curtain, Soma Drop, Speed Plus, Strength Tonic |
| 12 | Random | 5000 Gil, Ether, Light Curtain, Mind Plus, Remedy | Giant's Tonic, Hermes' Shoes, Megalixir, Power Vest, X-Potion |
| 13 | Random | Blue Fang, Power Plus, Red Curtain, Strength Tonic, Vampire Fang | Elixir, Megaelixir, Stamina Plus, Turbo Ether, White Curtain |
| 14 | Random | Faerie Tonic, Hermes' Shoes, Hi-Potion, Phoenix Down, Silver Apple | Emergency Exit, Gaia Gear, Mind Plus, Luck Plus, Soma Drop |
| 15 | Random | Asura, Blue Curtain, Echo Grass, Potion, Spider's Silk | Golden Apple, Power Plus, Speed Drink, Stamina Plus, X-Potion |
| 16 | Random | 800 Gil, Elixir, Giant's Tonic, Protect Drink, Turbo Ether | 40000 Gil, Hermes' Shoes, Kenpogi, Light Curtain, Speed Plus |
| 17 | Random | Hermes' Shoes, Phoenix Down, Sage's Mitre, Spider's Silk, X-Potion | Crystal Shield, Dry Ether, Elixir, Gigantaxe, Mind Plus |
| 18 | Random | Feathered Cap, Hi-Potion, Lunar Curtain, Remedy, Strength Tonic | 14464 Gil, Crystal Ring, Faerie Tonic, Luck Plus, Soma Drop |
| 19 | Random | Ether, Hermes' Shoes, Phoenix Down, Sage's Surplice, Speed Plus | Elixir, Golden Apple, Light Curtain, Power Plus, Stamina Plus |
| 20 | Floor 20 | Hero's Shield | N/A |
- *While most maps have a maximum of five treasures, the Castle map has ten chests, so there are five additional items available on with that map.
One boss is located on the fifth and tenth floors, and the other two are located on the twentieth floor.
The treasures listed are potential chests. The actual number of chests is determined by the specific map and the floor number. The deep into the dungeon you go the more chests will appear. If the map has less than five chests, treasures will be randomly chosen from the list.
Maps
| Floor | Type* | Layout** | Environment | Size | Starting point | Max. Chests |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Castle | Dungeon | Field | Castle | Very Large | Fixed | 10 |
| Dancers' Village | Town | Closed | Town | Small | Fixed | 4 |
| Dark Bahamut's Lair | Minigame | Closed | Dragon Lair | Small | Fixed | 0 |
| Fortress A | Dungeon | Closed | Fortress | Medium | Random (2) | 4 |
| Library | Town | Closed | Town | Medium | Fixed | 3 |
| Marsh A | Dungeon | Closed | Marsh | Large | Random (3) | 5 |
| Shrine A | Dungeon | Field | Shrine | Large | Random (3) | 4 |
| Temple A | Dungeon | Closed | Temple | Medium | Random (2) | 4 |
| Floor 5 | Town | Closed | Shrine | Medium | Fixed | 0 |
| Floor 10 | Dungeon | Closed | Shrine | Large | Fixed | 0 |
| Floor 20 | Dungeon | Closed | Shrine | Small | Fixed | 1 |
- *Dungeon = fighting, Town = interact with people, Minigame = solve puzzle
- **Closed = area with defined rooms/sections, Field = open area, Endless = no edges
Random
Castle
(click for larger view)
One of the largest and most complicated maps, this one isn't particularly difficult; it just requires going slowly. The catch is that most of the floor consists of very narrow walkways of invisible tiles. The tiles will occasionally flicker so you can see where they are, then disappear again. Just move very slowly and wait if you're not 100% sure where the next tile is located. If you misstep you are sent back to the beginning of the floor (though there is no other penalty, such as taking damage). It would be a good idea to turn of auto-dash if you're using it so you don't accidentally overshoot your target. You start in the northwest and the exit is in the northeast, but you have to go through the southern part to get to it. To get straight to the exit from the start take the following branches at each fork: north (from the starting point), east, south, south, west, north, exit the room from the north, north, north, north, continue along to the exit.
Note that this is the only map in the Grotto where ten treasure chests can appear, so you can get extra items. The ten chests will always appear, regardless of which floor you get this map.
Dancers' Village
This floor is simply three out of five possible "rooms" filled with those dancers that can be found in various towns. Don't bother talking to any of them as they have nothing importaint to say. Unfortunalty you can only get up to three of the possible four treasure chests on this floor because of the random room selection.
Part 1
- Room A: This room is always the starting room. There a two rows of dancers going back and forth, so simply move through the upper line first to check for a possible chest then go through the lower line to the warp tile.
Part 2
- Room B: This room is a bit more complicated than the first, but still easy. There are three huts with dancers moving clockwise around them. Simply get into an opening and follow them around until you get get to the next circle, and then the third to check for a chest in the southeastern most section, then go back to the second circle and exit at the south end to find the warp tile.
- Room C: Similar to Room B, but there is only one house, and single, massive dancer circle going around. Just grab a spot and follow the dancers around to the warp tile on the south end. If there's a chest in the northeast corner you'll see it as you move through the circle.
Part 3
- Room D: This area is one long hallway that switchbacks five times. Two of the columns are filled with dancers meandering about aimlessly. Simply push your way through the crowds until you get to the stairs.
- Room E: Also a swtichbacking room, but much larger than Room D and there is only one dancer. Head down the right side for treasure (you'll be able to see if there is a chest as soon as you get to the end of the first vertical hallway) and then down the left side for the stairs.
Dark Bahamut's Lair
A very simple floor, this is simply a string of fights. You start off standing in front of Dark Bahamut. Talk to him and he'll tell you that you have to fight his servants (dragons) in order to prove yourself ready to pass on to the next floor. He'll then give you a list of specific dragon types you have to defeat (e.g. Red Dragons, Silver Dragons, etc.) and the room will fill up with a bunch of dragon characters wandering about. Talk to on to start a fight. You'll fight a random type of dragon, and once you defeat it, continue talking to dragons until you kill all of the ones on the list. Once you kill all the necessary ones you can talk to Dark Bahamut again and he'll let you pass. After you talk to him to finish the minigame you can't fight any of the remaining dragons, so you might want to kill them all first for EXP and Gil. There a three of each type of dragon, which means you get 84,162 Gil and 80949 EXP if you clear out the entire floor.
Just be careful of Holy Dragons, which can maul even a level 50 Knight. Black dragons cast instant death spells, so it is advisable not to attempt to fight them unless you have Protect Rings, or even better Ribbons. The rest of the dragons are run-of-the-mill, and you're probably at a high enough level that even their special attacks cause trivial damage.
- Dragon types (see the Final Fantasy enemies and DoS enemies pages for details)
| Type | Special Attack | HP | Attack Power | Gil | Exp | Also found |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Black | Kill | 1600 | 95 | 4000 | 3000 | |
| Blue | Thunderbolt | 454 | 92 | 2000 | 3274 | Mirage Tower |
| Green | Poison Gas | 352 | 72 | 5000 | 4068 | Chaos Shrine (Past) |
| Holy | Holy | 1374 | 100 | 5055 | 5505 | |
| Red | Blaze | 248 | 75 | 4000 | 2904 | Mount Gulg |
| Silver | 200 | 53 | 2000 | 1800 | Hellfire Chasm | |
| White | Snowstorm | 200 | 53 | 2000 | 1701 | Cavern of Ice |
| Yellow | 500 | 50 | 3000 | 2400 | ||
| Zombie | 268 | 56 | 999 | 2331 | Citadel of Trials |
Fortress
(click for larger view)
Long, winding hallways reminiscent of the Flying Fortress, this is a fairly simple map, though a bit large. If you are interested in treasure, run around to all of the different rooms and dead ends to find chests, otherwise just head straight to the southeast corner of the map for the exit tile.
Ice Cavern
(click for larger view)
Very similar to the lowest level of the Ice Cavern where you got the Levistone. The enemies are fairly easy, though there are a lot of damage tiles, so whenever you get into a fight have someone use one of the items that casts Healaga.
Library
(click for larger view)
A small, but crowded floor that involves you trying to get past annoying townsfolk who are in your way. There is no puzzle to solve; just want for them to move out of your way so you can get to the exit in the northeast.
Marsh A
(click for larger view)
Based on the Marsh Cave, this floor is a fairly open dungeon, however you have to navigate through a maze of rocks. Most of the treasure chests are on the way to the exit, but two are off in the northern section. The exit is in the southeast, but you have to get to it by going through the hallway-room from the southwest.
Shrine A
(click for larger view)
Very similar to the fifth floor of the Sunken Shrine, you're in a large area with numerous small rooms. Additionally, there are two very long rooms that serve as hallways, connecting the west and east sides of the map. The upper hallways connects to the northeast section and the lower hallway to the southeast section. The exit is in the very northwest corner of the floor, behind a room with no door.
Temple A
(click for larger view)
This floor consists of one large open area, a small room with a treasure chest, and numerous narrow hallways. The exit in in the very southeast corner of the map, in one of the hallways.
Fixed
Floor 5
(click for larger view)
There's only one boss here - Gilgamesh, but you have to find him first. Usually he'll be in a treasure chest in one of the rooms, but occasionally he'll be near the exit. You can talk to the mermaids for clues, or just wander around looking for chests. If you don't find one, go talk to the mermaid by the locked door near the exit. If she unlocks the door for you, he's waiting near the exit; if not, he's somewhere in the main area or one of the rooms.
Floor 10
A large, but simple floor, with the boss Atmos standing in front of the only door available from the start. Smack him around a bit to get the Judgment Staff, a weapon that casts Flare when used as an item. Once Atmos is dead, go into the massive room that he was blocking. Head along the eastern wall to get to the transporter that takes you to the surface or along the western wall to get to the stairs to floor 11. It should be noted that this is the last chance to exit without dying, unless you beat Omega or Shinryu - the two strongest bosses in the game. If you aren't at a very high level, you might want to just leave and go enjoy abusing the free Flare spells you now have.
Floor 20
A massive chamber with two bosses, Omega and Shinryu. From the start, head up until paths branch off to the right and left. Omega is to the left and Shinryu is to the right. Omega is slightly easier than Shinryu, but both are the two hardest bosses in the game so the difference is fairly trivial. You'll get the Hero Shield once you defeat Shinryu.
Enemies
- See the enemies page for details on each monster.
Castles, towns, and the library do not have random encounters and the Dragon Lair only has non-random dragon encounters.
| Enemy | Fortress | Marsh | Shrines | Temples |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Black Goblin | Yes | Yes | Yes | |
| Death Elemental | Yes | Yes | Yes | |
| Desertpede | Yes | |||
| Python | Yes | |||
| Skuldier | Yes | |||
| Yellow Ogre | Yes |
Bosses
The Lifespring Grotto has four new bosses, which Final Fantasy fans might recognize from Final Fantasy V. Gilgamesh is hiding on the fight floor, Atmos guards a door on the tenth floor, while Omega and Shinryu are on the lowest level.
Note: All bosses are strong against Quake, Stone, Death, Time, and Poison. Additionally, you will receive no Gil or EXP for defeating them.
| Gilgamesh | Atomos | Omega | Shinryu | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| HP | 8888 | |||
| Attack | 70 | |||
| Accuracy | 110 | |||
| Defense | 50 | |||
| Agility | 20 | |||
| Intelligence | 20 | |||
| Evasion | 10 | |||
| Magic Defense | 220 | |||
| Resistance (see note) |
||||
| Weaknesses | ||||
| Treasure | Genji Gloves | |||
| Location | Floor 5, random location (talk to the mermaids for clues) | Floor 10, in front of the exit door | Floor 20, west room | Floor 20, east room |
Atmos
Atmos' has two main attacks: a fairly weak physical attack and casting Firaga. While the physical attack can be neutralized by casting Blink, for some reason Nulblaze does nothing to protect against Firaga like it should. In addition to those to he will occasionally cast Comet, a very powerful spell that can do 500+ damage to even a high-leveled character, so immediately use Curaja or Curaga after someone gets hit with it (or Full-Life, if necessary). Aside from that he also does Wormhole, an instant death spell, somewhat frequently. However, if you have three or four Ribbons then this is a worthless attack.