1. the beginning

cut to vaan (finally!), who is... being a pest-control guy.

// kill the three rats. you can steal from them, too. :)

rats are gone, kits asks vaan to come by miguel's shop later.

[intro clip: the royal city of rabanastre - there are short intro clips
  for every area when you first zone into it.]

vaan watches archadian army try to get food for free - and vaan pickpockets
from them. just when he thought he got away, panelo takes the bag of gil
from him, and promptly starts to give him a lecture... as she takes a couple
gold from the bag.
vaan wants to do something with his life... he wants to be a sky pirate.
panelo leaves, telling vaan to drop by miguel's shop later.

// you can't zone into other sectors, nor enter other shops.
// head straight to miguel's item shop, due southeast of your location.

miguel's problem: his shipment of food for tonight's banquet hasn't arrived
yet. tomaji has gotten the materials and has it at the tavern.
kits was supposed to deliver it from the tavern to the item shop, but hasn't
done so. miguel begs vaan to get the stuff for him.

// go to the tavern, located due north of the item shop.

kits is at the bar, looking at the mob bulletin board.
enter tomaji.
tomaji explains that the one who gets rid of the mob gets a small reward.
vaan sends kits to finish the errand miguel sent him to the bar for.
[mob hunting / licence tutorial]
tomaji was the one that posted the mob wanted ad.

// tell tomaji that you want to hear more about it.

tomaji finishes the mob hunting explanation, and gives you an
oracair bracelet. since you can't equip it yet as you're unlicenced,
tomaji explains the licence system.

// learn the accessories 1 license.

tomaji gives you an invoice to show the soldiers, and tells you the mob is
in the east desert, and a mob starting notice will pop up on screen.

// zone from [east sector] to [central square], and head towards the east
// gate, but before you do it's good to talk to the bunga merchant standing
// on the east side of the fountain.

the archadian soldiers tell vaan that you can't go through.
vaan shows the invoice, and squeezes you through to the [east gate] zone.

// hand over the goods you were given to the bunga slightly beyond the
// save crystal, to your right. it doesn't give you anything now.
// now you're ready - zone into the desert area.
[intro clip: the dalmasca estersand]

// feel free to wander around,.. steal and kill a couple cacti and wolves.
// remember that green HP bars are passive, red HP bars go aggro on you.
// cacti will add once they see you fighting other cacti, though.
// at first, you're better off fighting until your hp is low, than going
// back to rabanastre and refilling your hp with the save crystal.
// due northeast of town is your first mob, the hermit tomato. attack it.
// when you get about halfway done, the hermit tomato will run.
// follow it (but be careful of those wolves!)
// when you kill the tomato, you'll get a mob completion notice.

cutscene: vaan finds a galbana flower.

// feel free to keep fighting until you're satisfied, but don't die ;)
// when you're satisfied, go back into rabanastre and walk up to the gate.

they've sealed off the gate, and there's no way to get in.

// talk to kits.

the gate is closed... but a chocobo arrives.
the chocobo passes but rabanastre citizens can't?
vaan isn't happy with that, but the soldiers say the citizens are filthier
than the petigree chocobos...
miguel comes through the gate and bribes the soldiers with some booze.
the entourage passes through, but vaan isn't all too happy about them
stepping on the flower...

high-res cutscene of vayne's parade, and vaan running alongside vayne's car.
vayne's speech that he can't blame them for hating him.... that they should
continue to look upto their king who passed away two years ago, that he
doesn't care how much they hate him - he will atone for past sins by
protecting the people.
after the speech, vayne is happy about the architecture.

switch to low-res. miguel greets vayne. vayne asks miguel to call him
"vayne" and not "your highness".
vaan isn't happy about miguel kissing up to vayne, but panelo says he isn't
doing so because he wants to.
panelo thinks the city is being swallowed up by the archadians too much.
vaan wonders if he can attend the banquet - panelo says of course not.
vaan swears to bring dalmasca back to the dalmascan hands - by entering the
palace and stealing the goods "back into dalmascan hands".
vaan decides to do something - and heads to downtown to see old daran.

// since you're in the [north sector] now, might as well go visit clan hq.
// head to the house on the west side of the sector, and talk to the bunga
// standing outside the door. he'll let you inside the building.
// once inside the building, talk to montblanc, the moogle standing on top
// of the stairway. you'll join his clan,
// sell off the loot you got from the mobs, grab equipment and spells as
// necessary (i recommend the cure spell as it vastly cuts down potion
// costs early in game) and go talk to tomaji to claim your mob-hunting
// reward (300 gil, 2 potions, and 1 teleport stone).
// after you claim your reward, mobs will start popping up on the bbs.
// when you're ready, zone into [downtown/south].

*** from here, i'm going to write down only what you have to do,
*** as i'm writing the walkthrough as i actually re-play the game from
*** square one.

// talk to daran, who wants a sunstone for the info vaan wants.
// zone to [south gate], save, and head out to the meadows.

// head to the [nomad village] sector. talk to mashua.

[panelo joins party]

// exit southwest. (panelo will give you 3 potions and 2 phoenix downs)
// walk down to the [rim of the young crystal] sector. talk to jin, and
// get a darkstone. walk around giza and target the black crystals.
// (you'll find the navi-map helpful in locating the black crystals that
// have enough energy to charge your darkstone.
// once you have 100% energy, the darkstone will become a sunstone, and
// you'll warp to where jin is. go back to the village, talk to mashua,
// and bingo you have a stone. now, back to daran who is waiting for you.

[panelo leaves party]

// daran, in exchange for the sunstone, gives you a crescent stone.
// kits will have the west side of the [garamscythe aqueduct] open for you.
// head to warehouse #5 in [downtown/north] and plunge into the aqueducts.
// the aqueduct is pretty long, so stock up on items - white magic 1
// (for cure) and black magic 1 (fire/blizzard/thunder) are good licences to
// learn before you go.

[next: balflear and fran]