Dead Dunes



The Dead Dunes is the desert continent in Nova Chrysalia from Lightning Returns: Final Fantasy XIII. The area is dotted with numerous ruins and Lightning can explore the area and slide down dunes. There is also an oasis village located in the Dead Dunes that serves as a base for Lightning and the local bandit group called Monoculus. The locale features the fal'Cie Atomos, rendered in an immobile state.

Story
A bandit from Monoculus named Adonis requests Lightning's help to stop the sandstorm called God's Wrath as it is causing the bandits problems. After defeating a Gurangatch, Lightning obtains a crux which helps her operate a monument to get rid of God's Wrath.

After God's Wrath is dealt with, Adonis accepts Lightning as a part of Monoculus and reveals that the leader of the group is a woman who knows Lightning and has been keeping tabs on her ever since she got off the train at the station. Back in the oasis village, Adonis introduces Lightning to the leader of Monoculus, who happens to be her old friend Fang.

Ruffian
The headquarters of Monoculus is located here.

Atomos's Sands
Area of the Dead Dunes where the fal'Cie Atomos's remains lie. It is assumed that Atomos had felt God's presence, thereby prompting it to enter into a form of stasis while it waits for the world to end. The people residing within the Dead Dunes apparently think of the area as a "public dumping ground," prompting Adonis to post a bulletin about littering.

4-1 Bandits of the Desert

 * Somewhere in the Dead Dunes lies the holy clavis, a treasure with the power to draw the souls of the dead and open doors to the otherworld. The Order is anxious to find it--perhaps Lightning should search, too. Bandits operate in the desert, making a living from plundering the ruins. They might have information about the clavis. Lightning should seek them out.


 * The barren sands of the Dead Dunes are not a fit place for human habitation. People are drawn here only for some powerful reason--and in the case of the bandits who form the majority of desert dwellers, that reason is treasure. If anyone knows where the clavis is, it is them. The question is: will they share their knowledge with an outsider?


 * The settlement of Ruffian is run by a bandit gang calling itself Monoculus. They are a cagey, secretive group, and they are not willing to share information about the clavis with strangers. Lightning does not particularly want to join the gang, but she has little choice. She is going to have to take this trial that Adonis has presented to her.


 * Lightning isn't going to get information about the clavis or anything else until she joins the Monoculus gang, She has little choice but to take their absurd trial, however impossible it sounds. She must find the sandstorm known as God's Wrath that rages near the bandit settlement...and somehow make it stop.

After arriving to the Dead Dunes Lightning is to seek out the bandits' hideout, which gets marked onto the map as the next destination. The shortest way there is blocked by a sandstorm, and Lightning must navigate her way to the west to find an alternate route. After finding the bandits' hideout, called Ruffian, Lightning mist speak to Adonis inside who says she must join their group to get any information out of them, but Lightning must first pass a test: Adonis's Audition.

4-2 Aspiring Bandit

 * If Lightning wants to join the bandit gang, she must quell God's Wrath, a sandstorm that rages near Ruffian. The key to breaking it is held by a monster that can be found nearby. No ordinary human has ever been able to make the key work, but then, the savior is no ordinary human. God's Wrath rages in the area around the Giant's Sandbox.

After accepting the trial, Lightning must complete the quest Adonis's Audition to quell the sandstorm.

Old Rivals

 * Quest Begins
 * Tobias is a wealthy merchant who runs several shops across the Dead Dunes. But the lack of competitors out in the desert means his selection is poor and his customer service worse. Tobias just can't bring himself to get excited about his business without competitors to spur him on. People like Ramon, for example, who was once a fierce rival but now does nothing but loiter around the Giant's Sandbox.


 * Difficulty: ★
 * Requirements: None
 * First Time Rewards: 500 gil, Snakeskin Hat, Maximum HP +50, Strength +4, Magic +2
 * Subsequent Rewards: 750 gil, Maximum HP +20, Strength +4

After talking with Tobias at the Ruffian settlement's general store, Lightning must seek out Ramon in Giant's Sandbox, near a teleport stone in Temple Ruins North Gate. After starting and completing His Wife's Dream quest, returning to Tobias completes the quest.

Tool of the Trade

 * Quest Begins
 * In Ruffian, Lightning meets a young man who speaks in a strange code. Elmer first came to the Dead Dunes to unlock the secrets of the ruins, and although he has given up on his research, he still knows a great deal about them. Lightning may help rekindle his motivation if she finds his old appraising tool, the loupe. Hint: The bandits discard their garbage in the Atomos's Sands area.


 * Difficulty: ★
 * Requirements: None
 * First Time Rewards: 400 gil, Retro Scopes, Maximum HP +50, Strength +2, Magic +4
 * Subsequent Rewards: 600 gil, Maximum HP +20, Strength +2, Magic+2

Elmer is found in the second floor of the Ruffian, where he says he has discarded his equipment. The Loupe is found in Atomos's Sands, north from Ruffian. Climbing the nearby observation post lets Lightning spot something glimmering on the ground. Handing the Loupe to Elmer completes the quest.


 * Quest Complete
 * The loupe that Elmer discarded belonged to his father. When his father died, he fell into despair and abandoned the dream he had of becoming a scholar like his father wanted. That was when he threw away the tools of his trade. But dreams are not discarded so easily. Elmer says that if he could be born again, he would become a great scholar and unlock the secrets of the ruins. Now, thanks to the savior's intervention, he may do exactly that--in the new world to come.


 * In the days that follow...
 * Elmer learned many things from his father. If Lightning finds any unappraised items, she can brking them to Ruffian to have Elmer appraise them. Who knows, some mystery items might turn out to be valuable treasures? Unappraised items can be recovered from lizards and the remains of hapless adventurers.

After completing the quest Elmer will appraise unappraised items for Lightning.


 * 1 unit: Pilgrim's Crux
 * 5 units: Gold Dust
 * 10 units: Ether
 * 20 units: Platinum Ore
 * 50 units: Turbo Ether

Lightning also receives a random amount of Crystal Medals.

Adonis's Audition
In the outlaw settlement of Ruffian, Lightning encounters a character called Adonis, who appears to be an important figure in the bandit gang known as Monoculus. He tells her that they have information about the holy clavis, but they will only share it if she joins the gang. Monoculus runs everything in the desert. If Lightning wants to accomplish anything while she is here, it might be a good idea to do what Adonis suggests.''
 * Quest Begins
 * Out in the desert, a storm called God's Wrath rages endlessly. If someone can activate the monument that stands nearby, the storm will finally cease--or so the locals believe. Lightning must battle the Gurangatch that prowls nearby and recover the key that activates the monument.


 * Difficulty: ★★
 * Requirements: None
 * First Time Rewards: 1500 gil, Monoculus Mask, Maximum HP +100, Strength +4, Magic +8
 * Subsequent Rewards: 2300 gil, Maximum HP +50, Strength +4, Magic +6

After talking to Adonis in Ruffian Lightning can accept the trail to join the Monoculus. Her task is to quell a sandstorm. The location is marked on the map, and the fastest way to get there is by warping to the nearby teleport stone: Near God's Wrath. After battling a Gurangatch, reporting back to Adonis completes the quest.

His Wife's Dream

 * Quest Begins
 * Ramon was once a hardworking businessman, but he abandoned his shop and now spends his days lounging near the north entrance to the Temple Ruins. The only reason he hasn't left the Dead Dunes is because he is still hoping to find the arithmometer that belonged to his departed wife, Monica. Perhaps Lightning can help.


 * Ramon's wife, Monica, was killed by a monster out in the desert. Perhaps the monster that did the deed is still prowling the sands. Lightning should search for evidence of monster attacks on merchants and caravans. If Lightning can find Monica's arithmometer, she should take it to Ramon, who lounges near the north entrance to the Temple Ruins.


 * Difficulty: ★★
 * Requirements: Available after starting Old Rivals quest
 * First Time Rewards: 1300 gil, Gold Padlock, Maximum HP +100, Strength +6, Magic +2
 * Subsequent Rewards: 1950 gil, Maximum HP +40, Strength +4, Magic +2

Ramon near the north entrance to the Temple Ruins wants to find a memento of his wife who was killed by a monster. Lightning needs to use a Pilgrim's Crux to enter the Grave of the Colossi and unseal the stone near the eastern sandstorm to dispel it. The clearing holds an event battle against three Goblets to obtain Arithmometer. Giving the item to Ramon completes the quest.

Enemies

 * Goblot
 * Gurangatch
 * Earth Eater

Creation and Development
The Dead Dunes were inspired by real-world location Cairo. Early screenshots of Dead Dunes differ from the gameplay demo shown during Japan Expo 2013: while early screenshots suggest Lightning was meant to look for a hidden treasure, the treasure became the holy clavis artefact. In early screenshots, Adonis wears silver as opposed to his final red color.

Trivia

 * The Dead Dunes are likely the dried remains of the Pulsian Archylte Steppe. Evidence to this can be seen by the oretoise skeleton, creatures which were only found on the Steppe in both Final Fantasy XIII and XIII-2, as well as Cactuar Waystones being present. The dormant fal'Cie Atomos and pieces of Titan are also found here, where they resided and toiled over a thousand years ago.
 * The small lizards roaming the sands use the same model as a staggered Gurangatch.