Fishermans Horizon

Fishermans Horizon, occasionally abbreviated FH, is a location in Final Fantasy VIII. The town is attached to a transcontinental bridge in the middle of the ocean, with Galbadia to the west and Esthar to the east. The town is lightly populated and sees little immigration due to Esthar shutting itself off from outside interest.

The buildings are made out of recycled materials, and the town's energy is provided by windmills and solar-panels. As the town mayor is a strict pacifist, the town has no militia or weapons, and disputes are solved through discussion.

Fishermans Horizon was built by the dissatisfied engineers who were active during the time of Esthar's development who decided to abandon their homeland. The town was named by the man who had played an important role in breaking away from Esthar. Those involved in the town's construction have grown old, but the town has reached the point of seeing its first native generation grow up. The town was built on the old railroad station used to cross the sea, and ruins of that structure still remain.

Story
When Balamb Garden crashes into Fishermans Horizon, Mayor Dobe, fearing the SeeDs will start trouble, orders them to leave. He lets his mechanics to fix the Garden's controls that have broken down due to lack of maintenance; as Balamb Garden was originally built in Esthar, many technicians are familiar with its mechanics. Galbadian soldiers enter the town in search of a woman named Ellone, and after not finding her, decide to burn the town down.

Mayor Dobe tries to reason with them, but it's left up to the SeeD Squall and his party to fight off the Galbadians, who deploy the Iron Clad mecha to deal with them. After its defeat, Selphie and her teammates, who had hid inside it following the mission at the Missile Base, climb out, and are reunited with Squall's team.

While the technicians are restoring Balamb Garden, Selphie and her friends organize a Garden Festival to celebrate Squall's promotion to commander of SeeD and Garden, and Squall and Irvine can explore the town and dispatch the final Galbadian officer left behind trying to find someone to fix the mecha the SeeDs had destroyed. They can also meet Master Fisherman and learn of the town's origins from him, and how the fisherman was the one to have named it "Fishermans Horizon" although he can't explain how he came up with the name. If Irvine explores the town alone the streets vacate in fear of him brandishing his shotgun, though Irvine remains oblivious. He has a chance of explaining his views on life and friendship when one of the lift operators calls him a war monger.

Squall is reluctant to take on the role of commander despite headmaster Cid Kramer claiming it is his destiny. A member of Squall's party, Rinoa Heartilly, takes him to the concert where their friends Selphie, Irvine, Quistis and Zell, perform, though the two are embarrassed to find Irvine had left a naughty magazine to "inspire" the two get closer. If Rinoa loves the performance, she convinces Squall to trust in his friends more. If she dislikes the music, the two will argue and Squall's belief in isolation is affirmed. The next day, Squall takes the Garden's reins and takes it back to Balamb Town.

The party can return any time, and after visiting Shumi Village they can learn of the town's connection to the Shumis. After Rinoa has gone into a coma and the party learns from the White SeeD Squall's "Sis" Ellone has gone to Esthar, Squall takes the Garden to FH. He crosses the Horizon Bridge on foot to reach Esthar with Rinoa on his back, leaving the Garden docked at FH. Once they return from Esthar with the Ragnarok, the spaceship can use the colossal sun panel in the middle of town as a landing pad.

Layout

 * Horizon Bridge

Horizon Bridge is the intercontinental railway bridge that connects Galbadia and Esthar. Ever since the Sorceress War erupted, the bridge has been out of operation. Horizon Bridge's appearance on the larger world map is reminiscent of the Big Bridge in Final Fantasy V, which also spans two continents.

The sun panel is situated at the center of the town and is thought to be the main power supplier for the settlement (it utilizes a concentrated solar power set-up, which was a recent technology around the time of the game's release). Bolstered by wind fans and possible water refineries, Fishermans Horizon boasts a massive power network. A draw point and a save point can be found on its edge, and this is also where the Queen of Cards can be found if she comes to FH.
 * Sun Panel
 * Draw points: Regen

The Mayor's residence is located at the center of the sun panel. Accommodated by Mayor Dobe and his wife/supporter Flo, the residence has been built next to the Horizon's only visible tree.
 * Mayor's Residence
 * Draw points: Ultima (hidden, never refills)

The Drunkman Alley is Fishermans Horizon's hotel/item store overlooking one of the town's many wharfs. While its accommodations may seem crude in comparison to most other hotels around the world, the Drunkman Alley does provide access to a news screen from which patrons can follow the happenings of the world.
 * Drunkman Alley
 * Items: Timber Maniacs magazine (in the hotel)

The docks operate a junk shop and is where Master Fisherman's apprentice, the Fisherkid, goes to practice, much to the shop owner's dismay.
 * Docks
 * Draw points: Shell

The home of the Grease Monkey, who owns a Moomba doll that will react to visitors who have been to Shumi Village. The residence is a location to optional events, first after the Iron Clad has been defeated, and later as part of the Shumi Village sidequests.
 * Grease Monkey's Residence
 * Items: Mega-Phoenix, Phoenix Down, Fast Ammo, AP Ammo, Pulse Ammo, Moomba Doll, Timber Maniacs magazine

The now run-down station that served as a halfway point on the Horizon Bridge now only serves as scrap metal ready for any mechanic who has found themselves needing a little more.
 * FH Train Station
 * Draw points: Haste

The spot where Master Fisherman fishes is down by the water level by taking a ladder from the side of a large silo near where Balamb Garden docks while in FH. Master Fisherman can first be encountered here, but after telling the story of FH's history he leaves the town.
 * Fishing Spot
 * Items: Occult Fan III
 * Draw points: Full-Life (hidden, never refill)

Location
Fishermans Horizon, while located in the center of the ocean between the Galbadia and Esthar Continents, is connected to the continents via a railroad that has long since fallen into disuse.



Junk shop
Weapon remodeling can be done at the junk shop, located on the docks.

Enemies
Enemies appear in the town after Squall meets with the Mayor for the first time after Balamb Garden crashes into Fisherman's Horizon. They will stop appearing after BGH251F2 is defeated.


 * G-Soldier x2
 * GIM47N x2, Elite Soldier
 * SAM08G
 * BGH251F2 (Boss)

Master Fisherman
If the party participates in a sidequest involving the Master Fisherman, they can learn more about the town's history. The party must meet up with him before taking the lift down into the town the first time they arrive in FH by descending a difficult-to-see ladder next to a large silo, in the screen before the lift. Master Fisherman gives Squall the Occult Fan III magazine and asks Squall to find his apprentice.

After having liberated the town from Galbadia, the party can witness the apprentice boy near the junk shop learn to fish properly, and he wants Squall to tell his master. On the way, Irvine will join Squall, and instead of returning to Garden, the two must return to Master Fisherman's fishing spot. He asks Squall to follow him to the local hotel, where he tells Squall and Irvine the town's history, then asks if they want to hear more.

Squall must respond positively and follow Master Fisherman out on the docks, and after some more conversation, receives a Megalixir. This will earn 20 SeeD Exp to the player, 0.2 of a SeeD rank.

Master Fisherman will leave, and if the party visits his fishing spot, they can find a Full-Life draw point. After completing the side quest the party can later meet Master Fisherman in Shumi Village.

Grease Monkey's residence
Grease Monkey living on the outskirts of the town owns a Moomba doll. After Squall has met up with Irvine on his way back to Garden, they must instead return to town and visit Grease Monkey to find the Galbadian officer demanding he fix the Iron Clad. After an event, Grease Monkey rewards Squall and Irvine with a Mega-Phoenix.

Later, Irvine is organizing a concert and must choose instruments for each party member. After choosing an instrument the player, now controlling Irvine, can leave the scene and roam around the Garden and the town. Irvine can have a scene with the man by the lift and go visit the sleeping Squall in his dorm, and hear news about himself by checking the terminal in the hotel, but if the player visits the Grease Monkey, they learn the Galbadian officer is back. After a scene Irvine can receive a Phoenix Down from Grease Monkey, and by examining the officer's body, some ammo for his Shot.

Concert
For the concert Irvine can choose instruments for the characters to play. Depending on the choices, the scene between Squall and Rinoa plays differently.

Later, if the party meets the Master Fisherman in Shumi Village, they learn that he recorded the band's music and plays it back for them.

Gives the "best" conversation, with Squall promising to trust his friends more.
 * "Irish Jig"
 * Violin
 * Flute
 * Acoustic Guitar
 * Tap

Rinoa doesn't think the band is the best and argues with Squall.
 * "Eyes on Me"
 * Piano
 * Sax
 * Electric Guitar
 * Bass

If the player mixes scores from the two pieces, with two instruments each, Rinoa will complain that the music is awful. If the scores are mixed with three from one piece and one from the other, Rinoa will find it hard to understand. Either way, finding herself feeling misconstrued prompts a rejection from Squall.
 * "Mix"

Triple Triad
The Fishermans Horizon uses Fishermans Horizon region rules, where Elemental and Sudden Death are the starting rules.
 * Mayor Dobe has the Quezacotl card.
 * Flo has the Irvine card as part of the Queen of Cards sidequest.
 * Martine sitting behind the mayor's house has all the rare cards lost to Galbadia Garden students, plus the Ifrit card if the player lost it to General Caraway to win the Rinoa card.

Notable citizens

 * Mayor Dobe and Flo, the town's mayor and his wife.
 * Grease Monkey, an artisan.
 * Fisherkid, an apprentice fisherman.
 * Master Fisherman, previously known as "The Engineer", the founder of Fishermans Horizon.
 * Familiar Face, Familiar Face 2, and Familiar Face 3, brothers who operate the loading lift.

Musical themes
"Fisherman's Horizon", the seventh track on the original soundtrack's Disc 3, is the theme of Fishermans Horizon.

Theatrhythm Final Fantasy
Fishermans Horizon appears in the "Blue Fields" Field Music Sequence.

Final Fantasy Record Keeper
Balamb Garden has crashed into Fisherman's Horizon, where Galbadian forces appear, searching for Ellone, a girl with strange powers.

Trivia

 * The Information section of the menu, the entry for the town is labelled "Fisherman's Horizon" (with the apostrophe); however, every other instance of the name in-game (dialogue and the location both in the menu and on save files) neglects the apostrophe.
 * The news screen acts much in the same way as Selphie's page on the study panel, insofar as it will give a light commentary on recent and ongoing events.
 * At least one of the locals at FH helped paint Balamb Garden, presumably while it was being built upon the Centra Shelter that makes it mobile.
 * The Mayor's residence contains a mural of toy airships, some of which look like toy versions of the Nautilus, an interpretation of the Lunar Whale and the Tiny Bronco.
 * In the game's Japanese, German and Italian versions, Dobe is called "station master", not mayor.
 * Once the two parties reunite following the Galbadian army encounter, a different conversation between Rinoa and Squall occurs depending on whether Rinoa was in Selphie's party or Squall's.

Fisherman's Horizon