Narshe



Narshe, also known as Narche, is a city in Final Fantasy VI. It is a coal mining town at the northern edge of the world, governed by an elder. The town is one of the game's most important locations - it is where the player party makes their base of operations for much of the game, and several storyline events, including the beginning, take place here.

World of Balance
At the beginning of the game, Narshe is a neutral city that strives to keep the war between the Gestahlian Empire and the Returners away. The miners dug up a frozen esper shortly before the game's events attracting the attention of both factions. The Empire sends Terra, Biggs and Wedge to Narshe to investigate. The Narshe guards try to stop them, but fail. Once Biggs, Wedge and Terra reach the esper, it kills Biggs and Wedge and frees Terra from imperial control by breaking the Slave Crown. Terra is rescued by Arvis, a Returner living in Narshe, who helps her escape. The guards catch up to her and corner her in the mines. Locke Cole, a "Treasure Hunter", along with Mog and ten other moogles, rescue her, and Locke takes her out of Narshe.

When Terra returns to the town in the company of Edgar and Banon, Arvis is attempting to convince the town to side with the Returners to no avail. Locke returns from the imperial-occupied South Figaro and, with information supplied by the traitor Imperial general Celes, warns the townspeople of an Imperial force on its way to seize the esper, lead by Kefka. The mayor of Narshe accepts the Returners' help and the rebels are able to defend the town and drive Kefka off in the battle for the frozen esper. In the aftermath, Terra confronts the frozen esper and transforms into an esper herself, flying away. Banon and a handful of Returners remain in the town while another group departs to look for Terra. A great deal of time later, Terra is recovered and the people of Narshe agree to join the Returners, giving them enough strength to plot a direct attack on the imperial capital Vector.

During this third visit, the player can recruit Mog as a party member.

World of Ruin
After the end of the world, Narshe is overrun by monsters, and most of the townsfolk have fled or been killed. Many doors are locked and require Locke in the party to open them. Mog has returned to the Moogle camp in the mines and can be found and recruited by the player. The town otherwise has little story significance, but many sidequests and optional items and bosses can be found here.

Recruiting Mog
During the third visit to the town, the player can find Lone Wolf in the house on the hill on the east side of town. The player must pursue him into the mines and onto the cliffs, where he holds Mog hostage. If the player holds still for a few moments after approaching once, Mog will struggle and knock himself and Lone Wolf to opposite sides of the cliffs. The player can rescue Mog, in which case he joins the party, or can approach Lone Wolf to take the Gold Hairpin he had stolen earlier. If they take the latter option however, Mog falls down and can only be recruited in the World of Ruin.

In the World of Ruin, Mog can be found in the moogle cave in the depths of the Narshe's mines. Simply finding him will prompt him to join or rejoin the party depending on the action the party took in the World of Balance.

The Cursed Shield
In the World of Ruin, a man in the basement of a house on the west side of town will give the player the Cursed Shield. This item inflicts a slew of negative status ailments, stat penalties and elemental weaknesses on the equipped character, but if the character survives 256 battles with it on, the curse will break and it becomes the Paladin's Shield, the best shield in the game.

A fast way to dispel the curse from the shield is to fly to Solitary Island and fight against the Peepers found on the barren landscape. Since they have innate Sap and only one HP, it will usually die on its first turn and they do not pose much of a threat against to party, providing a fast victory without much effort. But the players must be careful when fighting in the desert, a Black Dragon may occasionally show up.

Ragnarok
In the World of Ruin, the owner of the weapon shop can be found in his back room. He shows them a glowing stone he's been holding on to and comments on the power of a sword forged from it. The player has the option to take the magicite Ragnarok, or have it be forged into the sword Ragnarok. The magicite is the only magicite to teach Ultima, the most powerful spell in the game, while the sword is one of the most powerful weapons in the game, and can be bet at Dragon's Neck Coliseum to win an even more powerful weapon, the Lightbringer. The player cannot return to have the magicite turned into the sword if they take the magicite. In the Advance release where the player can continue their save data after the final battle, it is preferable to take the magicite, as a Ragnarok sword can be stolen from Lady, allowing several copies to be accumulated, while the magicite cannot be obtained in other ways.

Optional Bosses
In the snowfields atop the town, the player can find the Ice Dragon, one of the Eight Dragons. Beyond the snowfield at the cliff, the player can find the frozen esper Valigarmanda and initiate battle with it, unthawing it to obtain it as a piece of magicite. Defeating Valigarmanda opens a passage to the Yeti's Cave where Umaro lives. Defeating Umaro with Mog in the party will result in Mog ordering him to join the party.

Mog's Dances
The snowfields above the town is the only location where Mog can learn the Snowman Rondo Dance. Because no random encounters occur here in the World of Balance, Mog cannot learn the Dance until the World of Ruin.

World of Balance
The Sprint Shoes is an unreachable treasure in Narshe, it's located one tile to the right near the back door of Arvis's house.
 * Elixir x2
 * Potion
 * Sleeping Bag
 * Ether
 * 5,000 Gil
 * Thief's Knife
 * Hyper Wrist
 * Thief's Bracer
 * Reflect Ring
 * Earrings
 * Monster-in-a-box: Silver Lobo
 * Sprint Shoes (Unobtainable)

World of Ruin

 * The sword Ragnarok or the magicite Ragnarok
 * Cursed Shield
 * The magicite Valigarmanda

Monster Formations

 * For monsters located in the mines and on the cliffs, see Narshe Mines and Yeti's Cave.

Mines
The mines of Narshe form an expansive system of caves leading through and above the cliffs overlooking the town. There are three distinct sets of caves: one leads from just inside the town's entrance to Arvis's house, and includes the moogles' home. The second set of caves can be found north of the town and leads onto the cliffs where the frozen esper is located for most of the game. A rear passage in these caves is where the esper is first found at the beginning of the game. The third set of caves, known as the Yeti's Cave, is only accessible after unthawing Valigarmanda in the World of Ruin, and leads to Umaro's home. A drop-off within the cave drops the party back on the path leading up to the cliffs. In the World of Balance, Umaro can sometimes be seen poking his head out from this hole in the cliffs.

Music
"The Mines of Narshe" is the track used as the background theme for Narshe, but it's replaced by the theme "Dark World" in the World of Ruin.

Final Fantasy Airborne Brigade
The Snowfield Mining Town in the Kolts Region is based on the city of Narshe itself. Also, as part of the January special events of Typhon Attacks and Deathgaze's Onslaught, four locations from the game were added, including the Snow Fields (which use the same background as the Snow Fields of Narshe).

Trivia

 * There are several references to Narshe in Dissidia 012 Final Fantasy. Terra's second alternate outfit is called "Narshean Princess", and in her storyline which begins in a snowfield, she remarks the snow makes her feel nostalgic. There is also a trade material named "Narshe Ore".

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