"Follow the Snowflies; they forgather where the Dark runs deepest" - Rosencrantz says to Grissom,[1] and to Ashley, earlier, something very similar[2]
- Maps of Vagrant Story areas
- Previous Area: Undercity West
- Next Area: City Walls South and then The Keep
- New Game Plus: Rood Inverse Areas
Because of its non-standard zone transitions, the Snowfly Forest requires a plan or good map directions to navigate with a purpose, or good equipment to wander through it aimlessly. In other words, you can get lost there.
Snowflies are one of Vagrant Story's connections to the Final Fantasy series. Proliferating near the Dark, with its power over the dead and undead, they bear similarities to FF's Pyreflies.
Snowfly Forest is a rich source of two Inventory Items with useful effects: Snowfly Draught and Faerie Wing, from Basilisks and Ichthious, respectively. Snowfly Draught clears some negative effects, and Faerie Wing increases Agility and the length of jumps.[3] The eleven basilisks all drop Snowfly Draught, which can only be found in one other place, and it drops here at a 64 out of 255 probability; only 25 creatures drop items at 64/255. Ichthious are the only creatures that drop Faerie Wings, and they always drop it every time they are defeated, just as the Stirges in Dreamers' Entrance drop Vera Root.
Vagrant Story, the Fandub – 6 – Follow the Snowflies
The easiest, if not the best place to get Faerie Wings is to start at the Faerie Circle, move South into the next forest area (The Hunt Begins), and then South again (to Which Way Home, in which area two Basilisks live), and then clear both areas to the left and right (left is East, to The Wounded Boar, and right is West, The Giving Trees). There are two Ichthious in each sidearea, which is a guaranteed four Faerie Wings total. The two Basilisks in the center area, Which Way Home, will cast Acid Breath, which may or may not be dangerous, but it sure is slow, so probably best to just kill them anyway. Then just leave the area by the stairs down to Undercity West, and come back up; changing areas will make everything respawn, and so will going four areas away; the first room in Undercity West is both. With all the teleports in Snowfly Forest, perhaps it is not surprising that it is only necessary to go three areas away from the Ichthious areas for them to respawn; you can continue South from Which Way Home through The Birds and the Bees to Traces of the Beast, and all the Ichthious respawn.
Critical Path[]
Romeo Guildenstern, already in Town Center East, slaps Lady Samantha as he realizes she is in mental contact with Ashley, entering Snowfly Forest
Of the 26 areas in the main forest, only the 16 areas in this section need be visited to complete the game.
The Faerie Circle[]
- Magic Circle (Save and later, Teleport)
The Hunt Begins[]
No enemies
Which Way Home[]
- Basilisk
- Normal attacks and Acid Breath Area Effect Earth-based damage
- Snowfly Draught 32/255
- Normal attacks and Acid Breath Area Effect Earth-based damage
The Birds and the Bees[]
- Basilisk
- Normal attacks and Acid Breath Area Effect Earth-based damage
- Snowfly Draught 64/255
- Normal attacks and Acid Breath Area Effect Earth-based damage
Traces of the Beast[]
- Two Basilisks
- Normal attacks and Acid Breath Area Effect Earth-based damage
- Snowfly Draught 64/255
- Normal attacks and Acid Breath Area Effect Earth-based damage
Fluttering Hope[]
- Two Basilisks
- Normal attacks and Acid Breath Area Effect Earth-based damage
- Snowfly Draught 64/255
- Normal attacks and Acid Breath Area Effect Earth-based damage
Return to the Land[]
Cul-de-sac; return the same way
Earth Dragon
Head: Bite, Acid Breath
Tail: Tail Attack
Drops: Bronze Key 255/255, Grimoire Parebrise 255/255, Vera Potion 255/255
The Yellow Wood[]
- Basilisk
- Normal attacks and Acid Breath Area Effect Earth-based damage
- Snowfly Draught 64/255
- Normal attacks and Acid Breath Area Effect Earth-based damage
- Ichthious
- Normal attacks and Spiral Shell Single Target Water-based damage
- Faerie Wing 32/255
- Normal attacks and Spiral Shell Single Target Water-based damage
Where Soft Rains Fell[]
- Fire Elemental (230 HP)
- Arms: Fireball Single Target Fire-based damage
- Head: Drain Mind drains Target MP
- Cure Bulb 32/255
Forest River[]
- Magic Circle
- Container,
- Cure Square 'Trap'
- Chest: Hagane Circle Shield + Djinn Amber, Knuckle Guard, Iron Chain Mail, Sylphid Ring, Nightkiller, 3 x Acolyte's Nostrum, Grimoire Agilite
- Basilisk
- Normal attacks and Acid Breath Area Effect Earth-based damage
- Snowfly Draught 64/255
- Normal attacks and Acid Breath Area Effect Earth-based damage
- Zombie Knight (One Arm)
- Right Arm: Iron Chain Sleeve 16/255, Head: Iron Spangenhelm 16/255, Body: Iron Ring Mail 16/255, Legs: Hagane Ring Leggings 16/255,
- Weapon: Hagane Firangi + Counter Guard grip 32/255
- Mana Bulb 32/255
- Zombie Knight (Two Arms)
- Right Arm: Iron Chain Sleeve 16/255, Head: Iron Chain Coif 16/255, Body: Iron Ring Mail 16/255, Legs: Iron Ring Leggings 16/255
- Shield: Hagane Tower Shield 32/255, Weapon Iron Short Sword + Knuckle Guard grip 32/255
- Vera Bulb 32/255
Lamenting to the Moon[]
- Two Basilisks
- Normal attacks and Acid Breath Area Effect Earth-based damage
- Snowfly Draught 64/255
- Normal attacks and Acid Breath Area Effect Earth-based damage
Running with the Wolves[]
- Fire Elemental (230 HP)
- Arms: Fireball Single Target Fire-based damage
- Head: Drain Mind drains Target MP
- Cure Bulb 32/255
You Are the Prey[]
- Ichthious
- Normal attacks and Spiral Shell Single Target Water-based damage
- Faerie Wing 32/255
- Normal attacks and Spiral Shell Single Target Water-based damage
The Secret Path[]
Vagrant Story, the Fandub – 7 – Speaking Ill of the Dead
Cutscenes, dubbed by fans
Hewn from Nature[]
First entrance: Grissom and Crusader. Sydney assists Ashley.
- Grissom: Thunderburst Lv 2, Drain Mind, Clearance
- Accessory: Swan Song 255/255
- "Shillelagh" Hagane Wizard Staff + Sarissa Grip + Sylphid Topaz 255/255
- Dark Crusader
- Arms normal attacks
- Abdomen Prostasia, Drain Heart
- "Angel Wing" HAGANE Katana + Cross Guard + Demonia 255/255
- Grimoire Deteriorer 255/255, Elixir of Queens 255/255
- Sydney Losstarot; head casts Heal, Prostasia
- 0 / 255 Never drop: HAGANE Gauntlet, HAGANE Gauntlet LEATHER Wizard Robe, HAGANE Fusskampf. "Czarine" IRON Short Sword; Knuckle Guard, Braveheart, Angel Pearl
Trigger: 2nd entrance new enemies (technically, upon entering 'Hewn From Nature'
- Two Basilisks
- Normal attacks and Acid Breath Area Effect Earth-based damage
- Snowfly Draught 64/255
- Normal attacks and Acid Breath Area Effect Earth-based damage
- Fire Elemental (230 HP)
- Arms: Fireball Single Target Fire-based damage
- Head: Drain Mind drains Target MP
- Cure Bulb 32/255
The Wood Gate[]
Magic Circle (Save and later, Teleport)
- Exit to City Walls South
Optional Areas[]
The Giving Trees[]
- Two Ichthious
- Normal attacks and Spiral Shell Single Target Water-based damage
- Faerie Wing 255/255
- Normal attacks and Spiral Shell Single Target Water-based damage
The Wounded Boar[]
- Two Ichthious
- Normal attacks and Spiral Shell Single Target Water-based damage
- Faerie Wing 255/255
- Normal attacks and Spiral Shell Single Target Water-based damage
Golden Egg Way[]
No enemies
The Woodcutter's Run[]
- Two Ichthious
- Normal attacks and Spiral Shell Single Target Water-based damage
- Faerie Wing 255/255
- Normal attacks and Spiral Shell Single Target Water-based damage
The Wolves' Choice[]
No enemies
Howl of the Wolf King[]
No enemies
They Also Feed[]
- Heal Square 'Trap'
The Spirit Trees[]
No enemies
The Silent Hedges[]
No enemies
The Hollow Hills[]
- Two Ichthious
- Normal attacks and Spiral Shell Single Target Water-based damage
- Faerie Wing 32/255
- Normal attacks and Spiral Shell Single Target Water-based damage
Snowfly Forest East[]
Rood Inverse Area. Only available in a New Game Plus, on second and successive playthroughs.
Steady the Boar-Spears[]
No enemies
The Boar's Revenge[]
No enemies
Nature's Womb[]
Cul-de-sac; return the same way
First entrance: Damascus Crab-respawns?
Drops: Platinum Key
Chest with HAGANE Knight Shield, Djinn Amber, three Acolyte's Nostrum
Links[]
- Locations
- Connections and Similarities between Vagrant Story and Final Fantasy
- Elixirs and Magical Effects Items
- Maps of Vagrant Story areas
- ↑ Vagrant Story part 10(of 21) Grissom YouTube video 3:08 : "Follow the Snowflies; they forgather where the Dark runs deepest". Rosencrantz, to Grissom
- ↑ Vagrant Story part 9(of 21) Rosencrantz YouTube video 9:58 : "If you would enter the forest, follow the Snowflies. They gather where the Dark runs strongest". Rosencrantz, to Ashley
- ↑ Faerie Wing definitely affects both Agility and jumping. Consequently, many players believe that Agility affects jumping, and some of them believe it affects run speed. It has been repeated many times (including here), that Agility affects run speed; from that it follows it would affect jump distance, assuming jump duration was not curtailed in some way. It may not be the only misconception about Faerie Wings, either. The Final Fantasy wikia says nothing about jump distance, but says they affect jump height; a height increase could work only with broad jumps or high jumps or both or neither. this forum posting from a player whose Ashley has 999 Agility casts some small doubt on Agility affecting run speed, but fails to take into account the possibility that an Ashley with 999 agility could easily be 900 Agility over a run speed limit