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Tales of Symphonia
Niflheim: Forbidden Anamnesis / Underworld FAQ & Guide
Author: Antitype (zoharmodifier[at]hotmail.com)
Last Updated: 08.08.05 (v.FINAL)
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** TABLE OF CONTENTS
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0) PLAGIARISM ALERT
1) Introduction / Version History
2) Foreward: Anamnesis [anamx]
3) Preparations [prepx]
4) Rules [rulex]
5) Level Structure [levelx]
6) Floor Effects [floorx]
7) Flame Effects [flamex]
8) Boss Battles [bossx]
9) General Tips and Advice [tipsx]
10) FAQs [faqx]
11) Credits / Thanks
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** 0. PLAGIARISM ALERT
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I have been asked that this FAQ be used on other sites, and while browsing one
of them, I had found that someone had completely ripped off my FAQ/Guide (as in
made minor edits to it and said it was their own). I find this simply outrageous
since I never gave ANYONE the permission to use my faq in any way, with the
exception of GameFAQs. In any case, I created this section to inform everyone
to NOT STEAL MY WORK, OR ANYONE ELSE'S.
Sites that MAY USE this guide:
- www.gamefaqs.com
- www.neoseeker.com
- www.tales-central.com
Sites that have PLAGIARIZED this guide:
- faqs.ign.com by Elvis_Maximus
If you see this guide or any form and likeliness of it on any other site,
PLEASE inform me as soon as possible. Thank you.
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** 1. INTRODUCTION / VERSION HISTORY
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FINAL - added rant about finding niflheim
other minor updates
FINAL - cleared up the PREPARATIONS section. PLEASE READ BEFORE EMAILING ME!
fixed topaz/sardonyx error
thanks to Clinical, and others
v1.01 - more red flame items
thanks to peterl90
v1.00 - final update for now, added some tips and junk. AND PLAGIARISM! GRRR.
v0.98 - flame effect update
thanks to omegazer0190, Mysterio006, and Tal
v0.97 - Living Armor soulfire req correction, red flame item list updated,
flame effects updated
thanks to David Van Every, omegazer0190, cyberklepto
v0.96 - minor corrections and fixed grammatical errors
v0.95 - more Persian Boots information, more data on soulfire from battles,
added Light Quartz information, more red flame items
thanks to trowabartan, Blupenguin, and Eternal Czar Smapdi
v0.92 - added ANAMNESIS section (it's interesting! go read)
v0.91 - additions to rules, tips, red flame item list, and faq sections
v0.9 - possibly incomplete floor effect list; definitely incomplete red flame
item list; probably minor grammatical errors
v0.1 - first draft
To jump to a particular section of the FAQ/Guide, press CTRL+F and type the
code in the brackets to go there.
Niflheim, also called the Forbidden Anamnesis and Underworld, is the bonus
dungeon in Tales of Symphonia. Randomly generated, it is probably the most
frustrating stage in the game. But that's not to say it's hard, because for a
bonus dungeon, it's actually rather easy compared to others. The Tower of
Druaga (Tales of Destiny) and the Chrysler Building (Parasite Eve) easily beat
this one in terms of challenge. In any case, it's full of floor and flame
effect maaaaaaadness! Let's begin.
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** 2. FOREWARD: ANAMNESIS [anamx]
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If you used a Magic Lens on either of the two bosses of Niflheim, you will see
that their location is the "Forbidden Anamnesis." I'm sure everyone knows what
"forbidden" means, but just what does "anamnesis" mean?
There are many facets and interpretations of this archaic word. Like many
things, it can be tied back to Greek roots. It is actually a term coined by
Plato, meaning "to recall or to remember." But it is not as a simple of a word
as recalling what you ate for breakfast--anamnesis is the true memory of the
soul, with access to the divine wisdom within every human being as an immortal.
This is based on the belief in reincarnation, that humans are reborn and
through anamnesis, souls can remember past lives. Anamnesis is not simply a
memory, but something deeper--perhaps the "true" form of memory as the clouded
and chaotic association of various images, ideas, and feelings.
(thank you theosophy.org for this information)
If you have ever played Xenogears and read Perfect Works, you would know that
something similar exists in that world called "introns." As Fei and Elly are
reborn through the ages, their memory of their past lives as Abel, Lacan,
Sophia, etc. are written into their introns, a sort of genetic material.
In the real world, "introns" are a real part of the gene, but are deemed
superfluous and have no part in the coding for protein synthesis.
Anyway, in modern cases (i.e. 20th-21st century), Encyclopedia Britannica
defines "anamnesis" as:
"a recalling to mind, or reminiscence. Anamnesis is often used as a
narrative technique in fiction and poetry as well as in memoirs and
autobiographies."
This word fits rather well with this dungeon, because the book has collected
hate and anger throughout the ages, and only by entering its consciousness
can you rid its soul by purging it of its life--in essence, its memories.
And what are books, if not just written memories?
So there you have it. Hopefully that grasped some of your interest. ^_^
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** 3. PREPARATIONS [prepx]
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_______________________________________________________________________________
!! PLEASE DO NOT EMAIL ME ABOUT GAINING ENTRANCE TO NIFLHEIM. IF YOU CANNOT !!
!! FIGURE OUT THE PROBLEM, I PROBABLY CAN'T EITHER. JUST BE SURE THAT YOU'VE !!
!! DONE EVERYTHING POSSIBLE IN THE GAME, UP TO THE VERY LAST PUZZLE OF THE !!
!! VERY LAST DUNGEON. Thank you. !!
_______________________________________________________________________________
Niflheim actually exists in a forbidden book that is in Sybak. Follow these
steps in order to gain admittance to it:
1) You MUST have completed the FINAL puzzle of the FINAL dungeon in the game.
(I cannot stress this enough, people--half the emails to me are regarding
this problem. I am referring to the "block" puzzle; if this does not
sound familiar, then you are not far enough in the game. Please refer to
ANY Walkthrough FAQ for help on this--it's not a hard puzzle anyway.)
2) You need Origin. He is the one that unlocks the book.
3) Go to the western area of Heimdall, and talk to the lone elf that is
wandering in the center of the area. He will tell you about the cursed
book and how it must be destroyed.
4) Go to the Sybak library and on the bottom row of a shelf, you will see a
black book that is hanging out. Examine it, and then Origin will speak
to you. You may now enter the book at any time (until you destroy it).
And that's all there is to it. I highly recommend that you get the best
equipment possible, such as the Nebilim darkness weapon (you must do the
Abyssion quest obviously) and entering the arena for various weapons/armors.
Personally, I was around level 70-75 when clearing this dungeon, and I found
no trouble with the enemies or bosses. If you can beat the exhibition battle
in the arena versus Farah, Meredy, and Garr, you can finish this dungeon.
(In my opinion, I thought that the exhibition battle was the hardest fight
of the game)
Also, it would be good to have certain EX skills equipped. Two in particular:
- Lloyd LV2 Personal (run faster in maps/dungeons)
- Sheena LV2 Personal (delay enemy reaction time)
Because Niflheim is sort of time-based, you'll want to clear the levels as
fast as you can, while avoiding enemies. Lloyd's EX skill will provide for
quick movement, while Sheena's EX skill will provide for easier enemy evasion.
If you do not like using Sheena, remember that you do not have to have her in
your party to use her Personal EX skill.
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** 4. RULES [rulex]
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When you first enter Niflheim, Origin will only tell you of the Soulfire rule.
Here's a list of ALL the rules of Niflheim:
1) You begin with 100 soulfire.
2) At any time, if your soulfire hits 0, game over.
3) Whenever you begin a floor, a new floor effect will activate.
(see FLOOR EFFECTS)
4) Depending on the level/floor color, different inherent effects occur, based
on the color of the level/floor. (see LEVEL STRUCTURE)
5) You will constantly lose soulfire unless a floor effect negates this rule.
6) Defeating an enemy will increase or decrease your soulfire depending on
how quickly you finish the battle. Here is a table of POSSIBLE ranges,
based on the wonderful data collected by Eternal Czar Smapdi and my
own personal experience:
- 0 to 5 seconds: +9 to 10 soulfire
- 6 to 10 seconds: +6 to 8 soulfire
- 11 to 15 seconds: +3 to 5 soulfire
- 16 to 20 seconds: +1 to 2 soulfire
- 21 to 30 seconds: -1 to 3 soulfire
- 31 to 40 seconds: -4 to 8 soulfire
- 41 and on: -9 to 11+ soulfire
** This table is just speculation, based on several battle tests
7) Shooting the Sorcerer's Ring will DECREASE your soulfire by 10 points.
8) You can light various fire pots to gain a net 30 soulfire, as well as add
various effects (optional, after lighting it). (see FLAME EFFECTS)
9) If you activate a flame's effect, your soulfire will decrease faster.
10) You cannot run from battle at any time.
11) To reach the final boss, AFTER clearing floor 15 (i.e. you're on the warp
point), you must have around 800-900 soulfire. I originally thought it was
1000, but apparently not. In any case, even getting 1000 is pretty easy in
this dungeon, so most people should not have to worry about it.
12) Finally, as stated in the introduction, this dungeon is RANDOMLY GENERATED.
NO MAPS ARE AVAILABLE.
==> DO NOT MISS WHEN YOU SHOOT THE SORCERER'S RING. <==
This might sound stupid, but it actually happens more than you might think,
and it is definitely not something you want to happen because it costs you
10 soulfire to shoot.
If an enemy is approaching you and you KNOW you're going to have a battle,
DO NOT SHOOT THE RING. 90% of the time, it will simply disappear and the
flame or bridge will not activate, and before you know it, you are stuck in
an unwanted battle. And you still lose 10 soulfire.
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** 5. LEVEL STRUCTURE [levelx]
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There are 15 levels to Niflheim, with a break every 5 levels. But by "break,"
I do not mean a save point or a healing location. I literally mean... just
a break from the normal levels. Every set of 5 levels are called "strata."
After clearing the 5th floor, you will reach a circular area which will warp
you to the 2nd stratum. No boss battle.
After clearing the 10th floor, you will fight Hell Knight (refer to Bosses
section), and another warp point which will take you to the 3rd stratum.
After clearing the 15th floor, you will fight Living Armor, in which
afterwards you can either destroy or not destroy the book.
If you do not destroy it, you can traverse this dungeon again, until you do
decide to destroy it. Meaning, you can fight enemies and bosses over again.
I have confirmed that you can get the Force Ring from Hell Knight over and
over, because it is something he drops, but Living Armor does not drop the
Persian Boots (you acquire them during the story scene after defeating him),
so you CANNOT get another pair even if you do not destroy the book and redo
the dungeon. I have confirmed this fact myself.
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** 6. FLOOR EFFECTS [floorx]
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**** POSITIVE EFFECTS
- HP+1% while in motion
- TP+1% while in motion
- Increased earned EXP
- Increased earned Gald
- Increased item acquisition ratio
- Unison attack bar full (when you first enter battle, not throughout battle)
- No soulfire loss while in motion
- Dungeon exit selected (option to exit dungeon)
**** NEGATIVE EFFECTS
- HP-1% while in motion
- TP-1% while in motion
- No item use in battle
**** CHOOSE YOUR OWN FLOOR EFFECT
- No menu use (+50 soulfire)
- Choose a single character to battle^1 (+120 soulfire)
- Randomly select single character to battle (+180 soulfire)
- Randomly select single character to battle + no menu use (+240 soulfire)
- No effect (+0 soulfire)
^1: You cannot choose the SAME single character to battle again if you get to
choose the effect on the next floor(s).
In addition to floor effects, the color of the level has inherent qualities.
If the level/floor you are on is...
- RED: you must defeat all enemies on the floor to make the next warp point
appear (it will appear randomly in the stage, but the game will show
you where in respect to your position)
- GREEN: enemies will respawn and bridges are already placed
- BLUE: enemies will respawn and bridges must be created by shooting the
circular device with the Sorcerer's Ring
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** 7. FLAME EFFECTS [flamex]
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By igniting a flame and activating its effect, you will not only LOSE soulfire
at a faster rate, but an effect will activate. Of course, they are positive
since you are increasing your soulfire loss rate. Remember that this is
optional, and by no means required.
List of the types of flames and their activation powers:
- RED: randomly receive an item (see item list below)
- GREEN: random temporary stat boost, exit dungeon
- BLUE: random recovery (HP, TP, or full heal), random soulfire bonus
==> IMPORTANT!! <==
The height of the flame will determine how good the effect of the flame is.
For a red flame, you will be more likely to get a rarer item. For a green or
blue flame, you will receive the second effect on the above list instead of
the first one.
**** RED FLAME ITEM LIST (incomplete):
****** USAGE ITEMS
- Apple Gel
- Orange Gel
- Lemon Gel
- Pineapple Gel
- Melange Gel
- Miracle Gel
- Anti-Magic Bottle
- Life Bottle
- Miracle Bottle
- Panacea Bottle
- Rune Bottle
- All-Divide (!!)
****** ACCESSORIES
- Amulet
- Drain Charm
- Emerald Ring
- Heal Bracelet
- Holy Symbol
- Rune Cape
- Stun Bracelet
- Spirit Ring
****** QUARTZ
- Aqua Quartz
- Blue Quartz
- Black Quartz
- Green Quartz
- Purple Quartz
- Red Quartz
- White Quartz
- Yellow Quartz
****** PELLETS
- Pellets
- Fine Pellets
- Super Pellets
- Rare Pellets
****** MISCELLANEOUS
- Beast Fang
- Black Silver
- Mermaid's Tear
- Metal Sphere
- Mystic Herb
- Mythril
- White Silver
- Memory Gem
- EX Gem MAX (!!)
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** 8. BOSS BATTLES [bossx]
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There are two bosses in Niflheim, both of which are rather similar. They are
not difficult, and they are about the same level of difficulty as Abyssion.
This means that the battle is not hard, but it is LONG. Also, please note that
you meet them AFTER you clear the 10th and 15th floors, not ON the 10th and
15th floors. They appear in a break level, when you go to the next stratum.
Boss stats below.
- 10th floor boss:
Hell Knight (Undead)
HP 88000 EXP 11000
TP 9800 GALD 30000
ATK 2500 DEF 325
Item(s) dropped:
- Force Ring
Item(s) to steal:
- None
AA: Darkness
Weak: Light
Str: Fire, Lightning, Darkness
- 15th floor boss:
Living Armor (Undead)
HP 120000 EXP 13000
TP^3 0 GALD 25000
ATK 3750 DEF 410
Item(s) dropped:
- None^4
Item(s) to steal:
- None^5
AA: Darkness
Weak: None
Str: Fire, Lightning, Darkness
^3: Please note that while Living Armor has no TP, it can instantly cast
spells at will with little to no delay. He will not only target your
melee characters, but your spell casters as well. So make sure your
healer (i.e. Raine) stays alive through his long-range magic.
^4: After you defeat Living Armor, you will receive Persian Boots, but
technically it does not "drop" the item since you do not get it as spoils
of battle. The accessory reduces ALL physical and elemental damage, which
is pretty good I guess, but by this time in the game, it does not really
matter. If you cleared Niflheim, Yggdrasill is absolutely nothing compared
to these two bosses, as well as other extra bosses like Abyssion and
Sword Dancer 3.
^5: Blupenguin informs me that despite the lack of information in the Monster
List, you can actually steal a Light Quartz from Living Armor with
Collette. If anyone else could confirm this, that would be great.
If you are having difficulty fighting Hell Knight and Living Armor, refer to
the next section.
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** 9. GENERAL TIPS AND ADVICE [tipsx]
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**** FLOOR TIPS
- If it's an early floor, go ahead and choose the random selection + no menu
use if you get that option. Enemies are easier to defeat on the earlier
floors, and it might just be superstition, but warp points SEEM to be closer
to your spawning point. Plus, you get that fabulous soulfire boost for when
you do reach the 15th floor.
- If it's NOT an early floor (i.e. 3rd stratum), DO NOT TRY YOUR LUCK WITH A
RANDOM CHARACTER TO BATTLE. Worst case scenario, you're stuck with Raine, on
a red level (meaning you must defeat all enemies). This is not fun.
- If you are about to fight an enemy, do not attempt to shoot the Sorcerer's
Ring if you are close to a flame pot or bridge connection. You will probably
miss.
- HP-1% while in motion works faster than you might think. DO NOT IGNORE YOUR
HP!!! Go to the menu and heal when necessary.
- A frequent floor effect is increased EXP gain. Some of the enemies here give
a good amount of experience too, and you can increase it even further by
using Krona Symbol + Demon Seal. Demon Seal doubles your experience gain,
while Krona Symbol will negate the nasty status effects the latter induces.
- If you are on the 15th floor, do not have enough points, and the floor color
is NOT red, just keep fighting the respawning enemies. If you are lazy, you
can set all your characters to AUTO. Leave the game running for a while.
Hopefully, if the AI likes you, your party will not die and you will have a
good chunk of soulfire for doing nothing. You are so lazy.
NOTICE: THIS REQUIRES A TURBO CONTROLLER TO WORK
- Maps are always in a 3x3 grid. It also turns out that the corner squares
are smaller than the center square, and side squares are actually slightly
long rectangles. Using this and the placement of the bridges, it's much
easier to tell where you are on the floor without trying to keep a mental
map (or if you simply forget after a battle).
**** BOSS TIPS
- If you get slaughtered within seconds, think for a second--you might just
want to level up.
- If you are about level 70-75 and still having trouble, then use All-Divide.
- If you have spellcasters (you MUST have Raine, honestly), make sure they
have the Combo EX Skill which does not allow interruptions in their spell
incantations. (refer to the EX Skill FAQ on GameFAQs for the combo)
- Some key accessories will really help, such as:
- Mystic Symbol: decreases casting time (usefulness: ******)
- Force Ring: decreases physical damage (usefulness: **)
- Reflect Ring: decreases elemental damage (usefulness: **)
- Faerie Ring: decreases TP consumption by half (usefulness: ***)
- Black Onyx: increase max HP by 30% (usefulness: ***)
- Sardonyx: lightning elemental gem (usefulness: ****)
(equip this to Lloyd for better offense, many monsters
are weak to lightning and you also gain two secret
abilities.)
- If you cannot find the aforementioned accessories, here are their locations:
- Mystic Symbol: Dirk's Customization Shop, Gatekeeper drop
- Force Ring: Hell Knight drop
- Reflect Ring: Origin drop
- Faerie Ring: Kratos comes with it (when you get him over Zelos)
Forcystus drop, Dirk's Customization Shop
- Black Onyx: Flanoir Accessory Shop
- Topaz: Luna/Aska drop
- While the Nebilim is a "darkness" weapon, its elemental affiliation is
NOT darkness (it is actually neutral). This means it could still do more
damage than Lloyd's conventional strongest weapon, the Kusanagi Blade.
Personally I did around 200-300 damage per normal attack with the Kusanagi
Blade, while the Nebilim did anywhere from 400-600 at around level 75. Later
at level 85, I was doing around 1000-1200 each hit. Nebilim rocks. =D
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** 10. FAQ [faqx]
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Q: How do I get to Niflheim?
A: See the PREPARATIONS section.
Q: When should I do this dungeon?
A: Well, you can only do it at the end of the game, so yeah: no real choice.
But you should probably do it last out of all the sidequests. Again, see
the PREPARATIONS section.
Q: What level should I be?
A: Around 70-75 is good. It's honestly pretty easy from anywhere 75+.
Q: How do I activate the flame's effect?
A: Simply examine it.
Q: I've searched everywhere and I can't find the next warp point!
A: Chances are you're on a red floor. You have to defeat all the enemies.
Q: Do you have a map of this dungeon?
A: It's RANDOMLY GENERATED! No.
Q: Are there any save points?
A: No, but certain flames will let you exit. But you cannot continue where
you left off--you will have to start over.
Q: I just beat Living Armor--should I destroy the book?
A: If you want to replay the dungeon, then no. For completion's sake, I guess,
you would want to burn it eventually.
Q: Can I get multiple Persian Boots?
A: No. You can get the Force Ring from Hell Knight over and over, because it is
something he drops. But Living Armor does not drop the Persian Boots (you
acquire them through the story scene after defeating him), so you CANNOT
get a second pair of these. I have confirmed this fact myself.
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** 11. CREDITS / THANKS
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GameFAQs - for hosting this guide!
Namco - for having a little faith in the Tales series and
releasing Symphonia to the US. Now bring us Phantasia and
Destiny II!
theosophy.ORG - for the analysis of "anamnesis"
britannica.COM - for the modern definition of "anamnesis"
trowabartan - for correction on phys/magic reduce on the Persian Boots
Blupenguin - for the info on Light Quartz
Eternal Czar Smapdi - for the data on soulfire after battles
David Van Every - for being the first to point out you do not need 1000
soulfire to get to Living Armor
omegazer0190 - for sending me the thread regarding the EX Gem MAX
and information regarding the size of the flames
Mysterio006 - for confirming the info regarding size of the flames
cyberklepto - for flame effect information and some red flame items
Tal - for some red flame items
Tim - for a plethora of great tips for floor traversing
peterl90 - for some red flame items
Clinical - for being polite and emailing me about updating >_>
You - for anyone reading this guide!
Me - for writing this guide! (my first FAQ, by the way)
Copyright (c) 2004 Antitype
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