Trails in the Sky 1st Chapter: The Ultimate Master Strategy Guide

Hey there, rookie Bracer! 👋 Welcome to the ultimate strategy guide for Trails in the Sky 1st Chapter. Before you take your first step out of Rolent, just take a sec. Breathe in that fresh Liberl air! 🍃 This place is super peaceful, enjoying ten years of quiet after the Hundred Days War, all thanks to the awesome Orbal Revolution. ⚙️ It’s a land of cool cities, long highways, and, y’know, probably some spooky secrets. 🤫

You’re about to start a journey that’s way more than just a to-do list. It’s your apprenticeship, a grand tour of a world that’s buzzing with life, and the start of your own legend. 📜

This guide isn’t a rulebook you have to follow exactly. Think of it more like a journal passed down from a senior Bracer (that’s me!) to a promising newcomer (that’s you! 😉). I’m not just gonna tell you what to do, I’m gonna teach you why you’re doing it. We’ll cover the thinking behind every tactic, the theory behind every Orbment setup, and the reason every choice matters. You don’t get good by copying—you get good by understanding. This guide is here to help you think like a Senior Bracer, so you can handle any situation and find your own way to win. 🏆

The story of Estelle and Joshua Bright is a slow-burn epic. It finds its strength in the small moments of character growth and the super-detailed world-building. 🌍 One of the best parts of this journey is the people. Every single NPC, from the shop owner in Bose to a random guard, has a name, a personality, and a story that changes as you go. 🧑‍🤝‍🧑 To really get the Trails experience, you gotta talk to everyone. Then, after any big story event, go talk to ’em all again! Their lives move forward right alongside yours, making the world feel alive.

This guide is set up to build your knowledge from the ground up. The first three parts—The Bracer’s Handbook, The Orbal Revolution, and Allies on the Path—are your foundations. I really, really recommend you read these before jumping into the spoiler-free walkthrough in Part IV. Let’s get you ready to earn your stripes, uncover conspiracies, and find out what it really means to be a Bracer. Your journey starts… NOW! 🚀

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The Art of Combat: Core Philosophies 🧠

Combat in Trails in the Sky 1st Chapter is all about using your brain. It’s like a dance (or chess! ♟️) on a grid, all about positioning, timing, and managing your resources. Winning isn’t about hitting the hardest; it’s about controlling the fight. The best Bracers are the ones who boss the battlefield.

The AT Bar is Everything: Understanding Turn Order ⏰

Look at your combat screen. See that timeline on the side? That’s the Action Time (AT) Bar, and it is the single most important thing in battle. ❗ It’s not just a “who’s next” list; it’s the real battlefield. Every action, from a simple attack ⚔️ to a powerful Art 💥, has a “cost” that decides how long ’til that character’s next turn. Mastering combat means learning to mess with this timeline.

The best way to do this is with “Delay.” Some character skills (Crafts) can literally push an enemy’s turn further down the bar. 🏃💨 Joshua’s Flicker is a perfect early-game example. By hitting a tough baddie with a Delay, you can stop them from ever taking a turn. And that’s the golden rule: preventing an enemy turn is almost always better than just dealing damage. An enemy that never gets to act can’t hurt you, heal its friends, or cast a nasty spell. Simple! 💡 You can also get Quartz like Impede that add a chance to Delay with your normal attacks.

The AT Bar also gets random AT Bonuses 🎁. These give a special effect to whoever’s turn lands on that slot. It could be a guaranteed critical hit 🎯, a strength boost 💪, or extra Sepith 💎. High-level strategy is all about snagging these bonuses for your team and keeping them away from the enemy. See a “Critical” bonus coming up for a boss? You’ve got options:

1. Use a Delay Craft to push the boss’s turn past the bonus.
2. Use an S-Break! 😤 If a character has over 100 Craft Points (CP), you can hit a button to use their ultimate S-Craft immediately, cutting in line. This lets you “steal” that Critical bonus for your own massive attack, turning a dangerous moment into a huge win.

The Speed Meta: Why SPD is the God Stat 💨

If the AT Bar is the battlefield, then the Speed (SPD) stat is your ultimate weapon. Seriously, no other stat in Trails in the Sky 1st Chapter is as important as this one. ⚡

A character’s SPD stat decides how often they get a turn. Higher SPD = less recovery time = more turns. More turns mean more damage, more healing, more buffs, more delays… more everything that wins fights.

This creates a powerful loop. The best damage in the game often comes from Orbal Arts (magic 🪄), but their big weakness is that they take a turn to “cast.” Well, a character with high SPD doesn’t care! They get so many turns that “spending” one on casting is no big deal. They can start casting a big spell and still get another turn before a slow enemy can even act twice.

This means you have one main goal: MAXIMIZE SPD. The Action line of Quartz, which gives a direct SPD boost, should be on every single character. No exceptions. Likewise, the support Art Clock Up (and its big brother, Clock Up EX), which gives a temporary SPD boost, is one of the best buffs in the game. A party where everyone has an Action Quartz and one person keeps Clock Up EX on your main attackers is a party that’s going to run circles around the enemy. 🏃‍♀️💨

The Battlefield as a Chessboard: Positioning and Area of Effect 🗺️

Every battle is on a grid, and where you stand is just as important as what you do. Your MOV (Move) stat decides how far you can walk. You can always move before you act.

Proper positioning is key:

1. Protect your squishies! 🛡️ Casters and healers are often fragile. Keep ’em in the back row, away from mean melee enemies.
2. Use a tank! 💪 Characters with high HP and DEF (like Zane) can stand on the front lines, soak up hits, and draw enemy attention.
3. Bait and switch! 🎣 Most enemies just run straight at their target. You can use a tough character as bait to lure multiple enemies into a tight little cluster… which sets them up perfectly for a huge Area of Effect (AoE) attack.

Arts and Crafts come in all shapes—lines 📏, circles ⭕, and fans 📐. A line-shaped Art can hit a whole row of enemies if you can trick them into lining up. A circle-shaped Art is best when enemies are all clumped together. Learning to read the field and move your characters to create these opportunities is what makes you a master tactician.

Remake Exclusive – The Action/Turn-Based Hybrid System 💥

The 1st Chapter remake adds a cool hybrid system. It’s not a replacement for the classic turn-based style; it’s a new layer on top of it. It has two main jobs:

1. Clear out weaklings fast. 🧹 On the field map, you can whack enemies in real-time. If they’re way weaker than you, you can often beat them right then and there without ever going to the turn-based screen. It saves a ton of time.
2. Start fights with a HUGE advantage. 🤩 This is the critical part. If you attack an enemy on the field, you can stun them 😵. If you start a battle while they’re stunned, you get an “Advantage Attack.” This guarantees your entire party gets to act before any enemies do. This is a massive deal. It lets you use your first turns to wipe out key targets, cast party-wide buffs (like Clock Up EX or Earth Wall), or disable the whole enemy group before they can even blink. Mastering this simple field stun is step one to mastering combat.

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Understanding the Flow of Battle: Arts vs. Crafts 🪄⚔️

Every character has two toolkits: Arts and Crafts. They’re both super useful, but they do very different jobs. Knowing when to cast a spell and when to use a skill is key.

Arts: The High-Cost, High-Reward Powerhouse 💥

Arts are your magic spells, powered by your Orbment. They use Energy Points (EP) and, most importantly, have a “casting time“—you spend one turn preparing the spell, and it goes off on a later turn ⏳.

This little delay is totally worth it because Arts are your main source of damage for most of Trails in the Sky FC. Why? Because most enemies have way lower Arts Defense (ADF) than physical Defense (DEF) 📉. Thanks to the game’s damage formula, even a medium-strength Art will often hit much harder than a big physical attack.

Plus, Arts are how you hit elemental weaknesses. Every enemy has a profile (you can see it with an item or the Information Quartz). If an enemy has “Fire 150,” they take 50% extra damage from Fire Arts 🔥. Hitting these weaknesses is the fastest way to win tough fights. (The special elements—Time, Space, and Mirage—don’t have weaknesses, but they deal steady damage and have awesome status effects 👻).

The bottom line: a party without strong offensive Arts is fighting with one hand tied behind its back.

Crafts: Instant, Tactical, and Character-Defining 🔧

Crafts are the unique, special skills for each character. They’re what make everyone feel different! Unlike Arts, Crafts are instant—they happen right when you select ’em. They use Craft Points (CP), which you build up by hitting enemies and getting hit 🔋.

While some Crafts do damage, it’s usually a mistake to think of them as your main damage source. Their real power is tactical utility. They are your tools for controlling the fight.

• Joshua’s Flicker delays enemy turns 🏃💨.
• Tita’s Smoke Cannon can Blind enemies, making them miss 😵.
• Estelle’s Hard Break can interrupt an enemy who’s casting an Art 🚫.
• Estelle’s Morale gives your whole party a nice STR and DEF buff 📈.

Think of Crafts as your toolbox 🧰. When a boss starts casting a huge spell, you don’t start casting one of your own; you hit ’em with an interrupting Craft now. When an enemy is about to get a Critical bonus, you use a delaying Craft to push them off it. CP is a resource you should be using all the time to stay in control, not just saving for the end.

S-Crafts & S-Breaks: The Ultimate Trump Card 🃏

When a character gets 100 CP, they unlock their S-Craft, a super-powerful ultimate move. At 200 CP, it gets even stronger! 💪 You can use an S-Craft on your character’s normal turn, just like any other skill.

But the real magic is the S-Break.

If you have 100+ CP, you can use an S-Break at any time. It immediately interrupts the AT Bar, no matter whose turn it is. This is your ultimate trump card, and it has so many uses:

• Steal AT Bonuses: 🎁 Like we talked about. See a “Strength Up 50%” bonus coming up for a boss? S-Break with your damage dealer and take it for yourself!
• Emergency Healing: 🚑 Some characters (like Kloe) have S-Crafts that heal the whole party. If your team is about to wipe, an S-Break can be a literal lifesaver.
• Interrupting Attacks: 🚫 If a boss is charging up a one-hit-KO move, you can S-Break to try and finish them off before they unleash it.
• Chain Attacks: ⛓️ If you have multiple characters with 100+ CP, you can unleash a chain of S-Breaks, one after another, for a truly massive burst of damage.

Good CP management is what makes you a pro. You always have to ask: is it better to use 20 CP now for a tactical delay, or save it to build up for a fight-ending S-Break? The answer changes every battle, and learning to make that call is all part of being a Bracer.

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Part II: The Orbal Revolution – A Deep Dive into Orbment Theory ⚙️

The Orbal Revolution changed everything in Zemuria. And at the heart of it is the Battle Orbment, the gadget that lets you use Arts 🪄. This system is the core of character customization in Trails in the Sky 1st Chapter. It’s a little complex, but once you get it, it’s so rewarding. A Bracer who understands Orbments can win a fight before it even starts.

1. Sepith, Quartz, and Slots: The Building Blocks of Power 🧱

The system has three main parts:

• Sepith: 💎 These are elemental bits you get from monsters. There are seven types: Earth 🟫, Water 🟦, Fire 🟥, Wind 🟩, Time ⬛, Space 🟨, and Mirage ⬜. Sepith is the raw currency you use for everything.
• Quartz: 🔮 These are crystal circuits you make from Sepith at an Orbal Factory. When you equip a Quartz, it does two things: gives you a passive bonus (like “STR +5%” or “10% chance to Poison” ☣️) AND gives you “elemental values” (like 3 Fire points and 1 Wind point).
• Orbment Slots: 🔌 Each character’s Orbment has a center slot and six outer slots. You have to unlock the outer slots using Sepith before you can put a Quartz in.

This brings up your first big choice: what do you spend your precious Sepith on? Crafting new Quartz or unlocking more slots?

In the early game, the answer is easy: ALWAYS prioritize unlocking slots! 🔓

Here’s why: Every time you unlock a slot, that character gets a permanent boost to their max EP (your magic points). In a game where Arts are so powerful, having a bigger EP pool is way more valuable than a small stat boost from one new Quartz. A Bracer with a fully unlocked Orbment and basic Quartz will be way more effective than someone with only two slots but one rare Quartz.

2. The Geometry of Magic: Mastering Orbment Lines 📏

Okay, listen up, ’cause this is the single most important part of the whole Orbment system. This is what separates the rookies from the pros.

Each character’s Orbment has a unique pattern of “lines” that connect the slots.

The Unbreakable Rule: The elemental values from your Quartz only combine along a single, unbroken line.

The center slot is special ✨; it’s considered part of every line. This makes it the most valuable slot on the grid!

This one rule changes everything. Let’s look at two characters:

• Olivier Lenheim: 🎶 His Orbment is one single, long line of six slots. This is a caster’s dream! He can put Quartz all along this one line, and all their values add up. This lets him easily get the high numbers (like 8 Time, 4 Space) needed to unlock the most powerful Arts in the game. 🧙‍♂️
• Zane Vathek: 👊 His Orbment is the total opposite. It’s made of four short, separate lines. Even if he equips amazing Quartz, their values won’t combine. He is physically barred from learning high-level Arts.

This isn’t a mistake; it’s brilliant game design! A character’s Orbment structure tells you exactly what their intended role is.

• Long line(s) = Natural Caster 🪄
• Short, separate lines = Physical Fighter ⚔️

When you get a new party member, the first thing you should do is look at their Orbment grid. Its shape will tell you how to build them way better than their starting stats.

3. The Grand Grimoire: An Encyclopedia of Arts 📚

Your Bracer Notebook has a list of all the Arts, but let’s be real, some are way better than others. Here are the ones you should focus on.

The Holy Trinity of Support 🙏

These three Arts are so good, they can basically change the game’s difficulty. At least one person in your party should always have access to them.

1. Earth Wall: 🧱 (Requires 4 Earth) This is maybe the single best defensive Art. It creates a small circle, and any ally inside gets a barrier that completely blocks the next hit they take. It doesn’t matter if it’s 1 damage or 10,000 damage, it’s blocked. By grouping your party and casting this, you can make your team pretty much invincible.
2. Clock Up / Clock Up EX: ⏰ (EX requires 5 Time, 1 Space) We already talked about this. Speed is king. Clock Up EX gives a massive 50% SPD buff. Keeping this on your main damage dealers is the key to dominating the AT Bar.
3. Tear / Teara / La Teara: 🩹 (Requires Water) Your basic healing spells. Tear is your single-target heal. La Teara (5 Water) is your party-wide heal. You’re gonna need these. A lot.

The Bread-and-Butter Offensive Arts 💥

While there are tons of attack spells, these are the most efficient ones you’ll use all the time.

• Early-Game AoE: In the first chapters, you want to clear groups fast. Earth Lance (2 Earth) and Aerial (4 Wind) are awesome for hitting multiple enemies at once.
• High-Tier AoE: As you get stronger, you’ll unlock the really good stuff. White Gehenna (8 Time, 4 Space, 2 Mirage) is a huge AoE spell that also has a chance to Faint (Stun) enemies 👻. Aero Storm (5 Wind, 2 Space, 1 Time) is another massive AoE spell that’s perfect for clearing the field or farming Sepith 🌪️.

Table: Key Arts Quick Reference 📝

Here’s a handy chart for planning. Aim to get these on your casters ASAP!

Art Name	EP Cost	Elemental Requirement	Range	Tactical Summary
Tear	10	1 Water 🟦	Single	Basic, must-have single-target heal. 🩹
Earth Wall	30	4 Earth 🟫	Area (S)	Grants one-time damage immunity. A total game-changer! 🧱
Clock Up EX	40	5 Time ⬛, 1 Space 🟨	Single	Gives a HUGE 50% SPD buff. Go fast! 💨
La Teara	40	5 Water 🟦	Area (M)	Strong party-wide heal. Your go-to for healing. 💖
Aerial	20	4 Wind 🟩	Area (M)	Great mid-game AoE damage. 🌪️
White Gehenna	40	8 Time ⬛, 4 Space 🟨, 2 Mirage ⬜	Area (M)	Amazing late-game AoE damage + chance to Faint. 👻
Aero Storm	40	5 Wind 🟩, 2 Space 🟨, 1 Time ⬛	Area (L)	Massive AoE damage. Great for farming! 💸

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Part III: Allies on the Path – Character Overviews & Strategic Builds 🧑‍🤝‍🧑

You’re not doing this alone! You’ll be joined by a cast of eight awesome playable characters. A good Bracer knows their team inside and out. Let’s break down each character, their skills, and the best ways to build them.

Estelle Bright ☀️

Introduction: The Sun that Lights the Way

Estelle is the heart and soul of Trails in the Sky 1st Chapter. She’s impulsive, super optimistic, and would do anything to protect her friends. She’s our main hero, and we see the world through her eyes. She’s a ray of sunshine! 🌻

Combat Analysis

On the battlefield, Estelle is the ultimate all-rounder. She has great HP, STR, and DEF, making her a natural front-line fighter 🛡️. Her magic stats are just… okay. Her Orbment has two separate lines (one with 3 slots, one with 4), which means she can’t quite reach the god-tier magic spells. But her strength is her versatility. You can build her to do almost anything.

Crafts & S-Crafts Compendium

Estelle’s skills are straightforward and supportive, just like her.

Craft Name	CP Cost	Range	Effect	Tactical Analysis
Morale	30	All Allies (Area)	STR/DEF +15%, CP Regen	An amazing party buff. In FC, this is one of the only buffs that boosts both physical AND magical (ATS) damage! The CP regen is just icing on the cake. 🎂
Hurricane	40	Area	D+ Power, STR -15%, Knockback	Damage is meh, but the knockback is great for pushing enemies away from your squishy friends. 💨
Hard Break	60	Single	A Power, Seal (30%), SPD -15%	Good single-target damage. Its main use is to reliably interrupt enemy Arts. 🚫
Comet	50	Line	B Power, Impede, Steal Bonus	A line-shaped attack. Another good tool for interrupting casters from far away. 🎯
Pummel (S-Craft)	100+	Single	A+ Power, Seal (50%), Steal Bonus	Her first S-Craft. A big ol’ smackdown on a single target. Perfect for bosses. 💥
Barrage (S-Craft)	100+	Area	SS Power, Steal Bonus	She learns this later. It’s a powerful AoE S-Craft, great for clearing groups. 💥💥

Orbment Analysis

Her two-line Orbment (3-slot and 4-slot) makes her super flexible. She can’t be a master-of-all-magic, but she can be a jack-of-all-trades! She can dedicate one line to healing 💖 (Water Quartz) and the other to offense 💥 (like Wind or Time).

Strategic Build Paths

• Build 1: The Stalwart Vanguard (Physical/Support) 🛡️
  • Philosophy: This build leans into her natural tankiness. She’s a front-line fighter who soaks up damage, hits back, and uses Morale to buff the team.
  • Quartz Priority: Focus on physical stats. Attack (Fire) Quartz for STR. Defense (Earth) and HP (Water) for survival. And, of course, an Action (Time) Quartz, ’cause speed is always king.
  • Tactical Role: Stand at the front. Open fights with Morale. Whack things with her staff and build CP for a big Pummel on the boss. She’s the party’s anchor.
• Build 2: The Battle Cleric (Arts/Support Hybrid) 💖
  • Philosophy: This build uses her Orbment flexibility. She becomes your secondary caster and primary healer. She gives up some physical punch for the ability to do whatever the party needs.
  • Quartz Priority: Now we focus on unlocking Arts. One line must be dedicated to Water to get Tear, Teara, and La Teara. Her other, longer line can be used for a good AoE spell like Aero Storm. EP and EP Cut Quartz become super valuable here.
  • Tactical Role: Stand in the mid-to-back. Her job is to react. Party hurt? La Teara. Group of enemies? Aero Storm. Everyone’s good? Morale or a physical attack. She’s the glue that holds the team together.

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Joshua Bright 🌙

Introduction: The Shadow on the Path

Joshua is Estelle’s adopted brother and partner. He’s the total opposite: reserved, smart, and carrying some heavy baggage from a past he can’t even remember 🤫. His calm, sharp mind is the perfect balance to Estelle’s fiery spirit.

Combat Analysis

In a fight, Joshua is a beast. He has amazing SPD and STR, making him a top-tier physical attacker right from the start. His whole thing is speed 💨. His Orbment is interesting: one long line and one short line, with two slots (the center and one other) locked to the Time element ⬛. This is actually a blessing, as it makes him an incredible Arts user on top of his physical skills.

Crafts & S-Crafts Compendium

Joshua’s skills are all about deadly efficiency, status effects, and, of course, delay.

Craft Name	CP Cost	Range	Effect	Tactical Analysis
Flicker	40	Line	C Power, Delay (30)	One of the best early-game skills, period. The ability to delay an enemy is just so good for controlling the AT Bar. 🏃💨
Dual Strike	30	Single	B Power, Impede, Back Bonus	Super efficient damage. Low CP cost and can interrupt Arts. This is your go-to damage Craft. ⚔️
Cloak & Dagger	50	Single	A Power, Deathblow (20%), DEF/ADF -15%	A powerful hit with a small chance to one-shot the enemy. The defense debuff is nice, but it’s a bit pricey. 💀
Evil Eye	60	Area	B+ Power, Confuse (20%), Delay (40)	An AoE attack that also has a massive delay?! Yes, please. The Confusion 😵 is a great bonus.
Sever (S-Craft)	100+	Single	S Power, All Cancel, Impede	His first S-Craft. A huge single-target hit that also cancels all of the enemy’s buffs. So good. 🚫
Black Fang (S-Craft)	100+	All	S+ Power, Deathblow (20%), Delay (50)	The only S-Craft in FC that hits all enemies on the field. This makes Joshua a god-tier panic button for clearing tough fights. 💥💥💥

Orbment Analysis

Those two Time-locked slots are perfect. They force you to use Time Quartz, which means you’ll be equipping Action Quartz anyway, buffing his best stat! His long line makes it super easy for him to unlock the best Time Arts, like White Gehenna, making him a top-tier magic-user and a top-tier fighter.

Strategic Build Paths

• Build 1: The Black-Clad Assassin (Physical DPS/Delayer) 🗡️
  • Philosophy: This build focuses 100% on his physical skills and his job as a turn manipulator. He’s the fastest thing on the field, constantly using Flicker and Dual Strike to lock down enemies.
  • Quartz Priority: Action Quartz are non-negotiable. Upgrade them ASAP. Then, Attack Quartz for STR. Hit Quartz are also super important, ’cause you do not want to miss with these skills. A Gladiator Belt (accessory that regens CP) is amazing on him.
  • Tactical Role: Joshua’s job is to find the scariest enemy and make sure it never gets a turn. He’ll use Flicker over and over. If an enemy casts, he uses Dual Strike to interrupt.
• Build 2: The Time Mage (Caster DPS) ⏳
  • Philosophy: This build flips the script and turns Joshua into your main magical damage dealer. His high SPD lets him cast huge spells faster than anyone else.
  • Quartz Priority: Stack as many Time ⬛, Space 🟨, and Mirage ⬜ Quartz on his long line as you can. Cast 2 is phenomenal for him (faster casting!). EP and EP Cut are must-haves for sustainability.
  • Tactical Role: He stays in the back and becomes a magic cannon 🪄. First turn: cast Clock Up EX on himself. Every turn after: drop a White Gehenna on the enemy’s head. His Crafts become his backup plan for emergencies.

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Scherazard Harvey 💃

Introduction: The Silver Streak

Schera is a Senior Bracer and your mentor in the first chapter. She’s confident, loves to tease you, and enjoys a good drink 🍷. But don’t let the laid-back vibe fool you; she’s a sharp tactician and a totally dedicated Bracer.

Combat Analysis

Schera is another great hybrid character. Her stats are solid all-around, with a little bonus to her Arts. Her weapon is a whip ⛓️, which is cool because her standard attack can hit enemies in a small line, hitting the guy behind her main target! Her Orbment is like Olivier’s (one long line), but two slots are locked to the Wind element 🟩. This makes her a fantastic, focused Arts user.

Crafts & S-Crafts Compendium

Schera’s Crafts are all about crowd control and supporting the party.

Craft Name	CP Cost	Range	Effect	Tactical Analysis
Sylphen Whip	40	Fan	C Power, Blind (40%), Delay (30), SPD-15%, MOV-2	A great opening move! Hits a wide fan area and throws a ton of nasty debuffs on the enemy. 😵
Bind Nail	50	Block	B Power, Impede, Seal (40%)	This is her main tool for interrupting enemy Arts. The Seal (stops enemies from using Crafts) is a super powerful bonus. 🤫
Heaven’s Kiss	90	Area	Accelerate, STR/SPD +15%, CP+15	A unique and amazing support skill. “Accelerate” immediately moves the targets’ next turn up on the AT Bar. It’s like giving your damage-dealers an extra, instant turn! ⚡
Sadist Whip (S-Craft)	100+	Single	S+ Power, Delay (50), SPD-15%	A powerful single-target S-Craft that also has a huge Delay attached. Great for damage and control. 💥

Orbment Analysis

That single long line makes her a natural caster 🧙‍♀️. The two Wind-locked slots just point her in the right direction, making it super easy to unlock powerful Wind Arts like Aerial and Aero Storm 🌪️. She’s a little less flexible than Olivier, but she’s an amazing Wind specialist.

Strategic Build Paths

• Build 1: The Stormbringer (Wind Caster) 🌪️
  • Philosophy: This build leans right into her Wind-locked slots. She becomes your master of Wind Arts, clearing out groups with big AoE spells.
  • Quartz Priority: Fill her Wind slots with good Wind Quartz (like Shield 3 or Evade 3). Build the rest of her line to unlock Aero Storm (5 Wind, 2 Space, 1 Time). Mind, Cast 2, and EP Cut Quartz are your best friends here.
  • Tactical Role: Schera stays in the back and casts. She’s your go-to for clearing out groups of enemies.
• Build 2: The Conductor (Support Caster/Buffer) 🎶
  • Philosophy: This build focuses on her support skills. Her main job isn’t damage; it’s making everyone else better.
  • Quartz Priority: Speed! Action 3 is her most important Quartz. The goal is to unlock the “Holy Trinity” of support Arts: Clock Up EX (Time/Space) and Earth Wall (Earth).
  • Tactical Role: Schera’s first turn is always casting Clock Up EX on your main damage dealer (like Joshua). After that, she’s keeping buffs up, casting Earth Wall to protect the team, healing 🩹, or using Heaven's Kiss to give an ally an emergency turn. She runs the whole show.

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The remaining characters—Olivier, Kloe, Agate, Tita, and Zane—will be introduced as they join your party throughout the journey. Apply these same principles of analysis to them: examine their stats, their Crafts, and most importantly, the structure of their Orbment lines to understand their true potential and build them for success.

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Part IV: Following the Compass – A Spoiler-Free Perfect 💎 Walkthrough

This walkthrough is your field guide to Liberl! It’s designed to get you through every main quest and side quest, making sure you miss nothing while still letting you enjoy the story. It’ll point out every hidden chest 🎁, every missable recipe 🍲 and book 📚, and every correct choice you need to make to get the maximum Bracer Points (BP). Follow this, and you’ll get the highest Bracer Rank! 🏆

A Note on the Remake: In the 1st Chapter remake, all side quests and missables are marked on your map with green 🟢 or blue 🔵 icons. Chests also show up on your mini-map! 🗺️ This guide will still point ’em out in order so you don’t have to backtrack. The real challenge is making the right choices for Bonus BP, which this guide will spell out for you. ✅

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Prologue: A Father’s Departure

Prologue Overview

• Narrative: Estelle and Joshua Bright take their final exam to become Junior Bracers.
• Total BP Available: 53 💎
• Missables Checklist:
  • Books 📚: Carnelia – Chapter 1
  • Recipes 🍲: Maple Cookie, Wholesome Pasta, Fried Potatoes, Flowery Soda, Carmine’s Eye, Dreamy Shell Bake
  • Chests 🎁: 15 (in the whole Rolent region)

Main Story: Bracer Certification

• Bright Family Home: After the intro, you’re in control.
  • Preparation: Before you leave, open the menu ➡️ “Tactics.” Move Estelle and Joshua one square forward on the grid. This helps them get into melee range faster.
• Elize Highway: Leave the house and head northeast to the City of Rolent.
• City of Rolent:
  • 👉 Your dad asked you to grab a newspaper. Go to the Rinon General Goods store and buy the Liberl News – Issue 1.
  • 👉 Go to the Bracer Guild (big building with the logo). After chatting with Aina, go upstairs to meet Scherazard for your exam.
• Rolent Sewers (Training: Retrieval):
  • This is your first dungeon and tutorial.
  • 🎁 At the first big intersection, go right to find a chest with a Reviving Balm. (Psst… interact with opened chests a second time for some fun flavor text!)
  • 🎁 Before the end, you’ll find a chest with Small Box x2.
  • Grab the item at the end to finish the exam.
• Bracer Guild & Orbment Tutorial:
  • Head back to the guild. You’ll get your Bracer Notebook and an Orbment tutorial.
  • You’ll have to make Action 1 for Joshua (good choice!). For Estelle, I highly recommend making HP 1, which gives her the healing Art Tear 🩹.
  • You’ll unlock one slot. It’s a good idea to unlock one of Joshua’s to start building his Time-based Arts.
• Total BP: 5 💎
• 📚 Carnelia – Chapter 1: BEFORE you leave the guild, go to the house just west of the Abend Bar. Go upstairs and talk to Rhett in the library. He’ll give you Carnelia – Chapter 1. This is the first of a collectible book series!

Main Story: Child Rescue

• Try to leave Rolent to the northwest. Aina will give you an urgent quest.
• Head northwest out of town onto the Malga Trail.
• Malga Trail:
  • 🎁 First screen, path on the right ➡️ Reviving Balm.
  • 🎁 Second screen, first fork go left, second fork go right ➡️ Tear Balm.
  • Head to the Jade Tower at the end.
• Jade Tower:
  • Fight your way up.
  • 👉 On the second floor, you’ll find the kids. When you get a choice, pick “Storm in together with Joshua” to earn +1 Bonus 💎 when you report back.
  • Beat the two monsters. They’re easy.
  • You’ll automatically return to Rolent.
• Total BP: 10 (+1) 💎

Side Quests & Exploration (First Batch)

Now’s a good time to do some side stuff.

• Bracer Guild: Check the bulletin board and accept three new quests: Find the Shiny Rock, Milch Main Road Monster, and Elize Highway Monster.
• 🍲 Recipes: Go to the Abend Bar and buy the Wholesome Pasta, Fried Potatoes, Flowery Soda, and Carmine’s Eye. Eat each one to learn the recipe! 🧑‍🍳
• Side Quest: Find the Shiny Rock:
  • Talk to the kids playing behind the General Goods store.
  • Check the sewer grate in front of the General Goods store.
  • Go into the Rolent Sewers (entrance is behind the church).
  • Go all the way to the end (where your exam finished) and talk to the boy. You’ll get Drill Meatball x5.
• Total BP: 12 (+1) 💎
• Side Quest: Milch Main Road Monster:
  • Go west from Rolent to the Milch Main Road.
  • 🎁 (Monster Chest!) On the first screen, under a tree by the north pond. This fight is tough right now. Focus the Lily Movers with Fire Arts! 🔥 Your reward is a Topaz Talisman.
  • 🎁 Second screen, go straight south ➡️ Tear Balm.
  • 🎁 Second screen, center-north ➡️ Tear Balm.
  • 🎁 Second screen, hidden in a tree to the southwest ➡️ Tear Balm.
  • On the third screen, you’ll find the target monster (a Rhinocider). It has high defense, so use Arts!
• Total BP: 15 (+1) 💎
• Side Quest: Elize Highway Monster:
  • Go south from Rolent to the Elize Highway.
  • The target (Emeronecider) is in the south part of the second screen. Same as the last one, use Arts.
• Total BP: 18 (+1) 💎
• 🍲 Recipe: Before you report back, go back to the Jade Tower. On the third floor, a chest has Dreamy Shell Bake. Eat it to learn the recipe!
• Bracer Guild: Go report all three quests to Aina.

Main Story: Perzel Farm Monsters

• Bracer Guild: Accept the quest from the board.
• Perzel Farm: Go west to the Milch Main Road. The farm is on the second screen. Talk to Tio.
• 👉 You have to catch a monster without it seeing you. Save your game! Wait for it to turn its back, then sneak up from behind and grab it. If you do it on the first try, you get +2 Bonus 💎.
• 👹 Boss Fight: Giant Crop Muncher & Crop Munchers:
  • Tactical Briefing: The big one is the problem. It’s weak to Fire 🔥. Have Estelle and Joshua blast it with Fire Bolt. Clean up the little ones after.
  • You’ll auto-return to the guild.
• Total BP: 22 (+3) 💎

Side Quests & Exploration (Second Batch)

More quests are up!

• Bracer Guild: Accept all four new quests: Soldier Training, Orbment Replacement, Mushroom Hunt, and Medical Necessities.
• Side Quest: Soldier Training:
  • Go to the Milch Main Road, all the way west, right before the Verte Bridge Checkpoint.
  • Talk to the soldiers to fight them. You have to win. Focus them down one by one.
• Total BP: 24 (+3) 💎
• Side Quest: Orbment Replacement:
  • Talk to the client in the Rolent Orbal Factory.
  • Follow his directions to the clock tower.
  • 👉 When asked for the code, enter 544818. This gets you +1 Bonus 💎.
  • You’ll get an Impede 2 Quartz. Sweet!
• Total BP: 26 (+4) 💎
• Side Quest: Mushroom Hunt:
  • Talk to the client at the Rolent Landing Port.
  • Go to the Malga Trail. At the first fork, go right (the path you didn’t take to the tower).
  • 🎁 At the second fork, go right ➡️ White Bracelet.
  • Go back to the fork and go left. Grab the glowing mushrooms 🍄.
  • Return to the client.
• Total BP: 28 (+4) 💎
• Side Quest: Medical Necessities:
  • The Bear Claw item is in Mistwald. Go south from Rolent on the Elize Highway. On the second screen, take the east path into the forest.
  • 🎁 In Mistwald, take the first branch east ➡️ Tear Balm.
  • The Bear Claw flowers are nearby.
  • The second item is a drop from Killer Hornet enemies in Mistwald. Just fight ’em ’til you get one.
  • Return to the client in Rolent.
• Total BP: 31 (+4) 💎

Main Story: Mayor Klaus’ Request

• Mayor’s Residence: Go to the Mayor’s house (east Rolent) and talk to him.
• Malga Mine: Head to the Malga Trail and enter the mine ⛏️.
• Mine Puzzle: This is a simple mine cart puzzle. Just follow this sequence: hit switch, ride cart ➡️ inspect elevator ➡️ ride cart ➡️ hit switch ➡️ ride cart ➡️ talk to the miner for the key 🔑 ➡️ ride cart ➡️ hit switch ➡️ ride cart ➡️ ride the elevator down.
• Find the Septium: Go south across the bridge, take the middle path, and find the miners. After the (easy) fight, explore the other paths to clear out all the monsters, then leave.
• Return to Mayor: Report back to Mayor Klaus.
• Total BP: 36 (+4) 💎

Main Story: The Liberl News & Mayoral Theft

• Investigating for Nial: After the scenes, go to the Rolent Hotel, the Abend Bar, and the Orbal Shop to ask questions. Then head to Esmelas Tower (south exit from town, on Elize Highway).
• Esmelas Tower:
  • 🎁 Floor 3: Tear Balm.
  • 🎁 Floor 4: Tear Balm.
  • 🎁 Floor 4: Knitted Shoes.
  • 🎁 Floor 5: Tin Staff.
  • 🎁 Floor 5: Potluck in a Shell. (You’ll have to backtrack to Floor 4 to find the stairs for this one).
  • Go to the roof to find the journalists. This quest auto-completes and the next one starts immediately.
• Total BP: 43 (+4) 💎
• Mayoral Theft: You’re automatically taken back to the Mayor’s.
  • Investigation: Search the safe, the veranda (terrace), and the attic. Talk to everyone on the second floor. Try to leave the house.
  • 👉 (QUIZ TIME!) You’ll be quizzed on your deductions. Answer all four questions right for a massive+5 Bonus 💎!
    1. What was stolen? ➡️ The Septium inside the safe.
    2. How many culprits? ➡️ A group of three or four.
    3. Where did they enter from? ➡️ From the second floor terrace.
    4. Who is the most likely suspect? ➡️ A traveler that visited recently.
  • Manhunt: Go to the Hotel, the Landing Port, and finally to Mistwald to track down the baddies.
  • 👹 Boss Fight: Josette & Sky Bandits:
    • Tactical Briefing: Josette is the main problem. She’s fast and hits hard. Focus all your attacks on her first. The two bandits are chumps; clean them up after.
• After the fight, sit back and watch the story scenes. Prologue complete!
• Total BP: 48 (+9) 💎 ➡️ Final Prologue Total: 53 🏆

… (The walkthrough would continue in this format for Chapter 1 and all subsequent chapters!)

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Part V: The Senior Bracer’s Toolkit – Advanced Knowledge 🧐

Okay, you’re getting the hang of it. Now let’s move past the basics and get into the advanced stuff that’ll make you a real pro. This is all about mastering your gear, your money, and knowing the ins and outs of the world.

1. Gearing for Success: An Armament Analysis ⚔️🛡️👟

While your Quartz and Arts are super important, don’t forget the basics: a good weapon, sturdy armor, and tactical accessories. In Trails in the Sky FC, new gear is pretty simple: the stuff in the newest town’s shop is almost always better. But knowing what to buy and where to find key upgrades is what’s important.

Prologue & Chapter 1 Gear Philosophy

Your money (Mira) will be tight in the early game. You have to prioritize. Here’s the order of importance:

Armor > Shoes > Weapons > Accessories

1. Armor 👕: Staying alive is #1. New armor gives you the biggest boost to your DEF, which means you take less physical damage. Always upgrade armor for your front-liners (Estelle, Agate, Zane) as soon as you can.
2. Shoes 👟: These give a smaller DEF boost but also increase your MOV stat. This is super important for moving around the battlefield, getting your casters to safety, and getting your fighters in range.
3. Weapons ⚔️: These are important, but less so than armor. Why? Because so much of your damage will come from Arts (which scale with your ATS, not your weapon’s STR). Upgrade weapons for your physical attackers first.
4. Accessories 💍: These are your wildcards. Shops sell basic stat rings, but the real MVPs are accessories that grant immunity to status ailments (like Blind, Sleep, or Poison). Buying a set of these is a long-term investment that will save you so much pain later. Also, look out for Talisman accessories (often from monster chests!), which reduce elemental damage.

Best-in-Slot Recommendations: Chapter 1 (Bose Region)

Slot	Item	Stats	Location	Tactical Justification
Weapon	Hex Stave (Estelle)	STR +40	Bose – Sein Arms & Guards	A great, cheap STR upgrade for Estelle. 👍
	Baselards (Joshua)	STR +42	Ruan – Joan Arms & Guards	Joshua’s best weapon for the chapter. 🗡️
Armor	Shield Vest	DEF +45, ADF +4	Bose – Sein Arms & Guards	The best armor you can buy. A must-have for surviving. 🛡️
Shoes	Double Spikes	DEF +12, MOV +1	Bose – Sein Arms.”& Guards	A solid upgrade for your mobility. 👟
Accessory 1	Action 1 (Quartz)	SPD +10%	Rolent Orbal Factory	Not technically an accessory, but it’s so vital it belongs here. Get it on everyone. 💨
Accessory 2	Status-Resist Bangle	Varies	Various Shops/Chests	Equip the right one for the job (e.g., White Bracelet for a cave full of bats that Blind you 😵).

2. The Liberl Economy: Mastering Mira and Sepith 💰💎

A Bracer’s gotta get paid, but you also have a lot of expenses. You need a steady flow of both Mira (money 🤑) and Sepith (crafting bits 💎).

Sepith Farming: The Art of the Bonus Turn 💸

Sepith is the lifeblood of your character growth. The best way to farm it is by abusing the AT Bonus system. Your goal is to find a big group of enemies and kill them all at once with a big AoE Art (like Aero Storm) on a turn that has a “Sepith Up” AT Bonus.

A great place for this in Chapter 1 is Nebel Valley in the Bose region.

1. Get into a fight with a big group (4-6 enemies).
2. Have your team defend or just pass turns. Wait for that “Sepith Up” bonus to line up with one of your strong AoE casters (like Olivier or Schera).
3. When it’s their turn, unleash your biggest AoE spell (like Aero Storm 🌪️) and wipe ’em all out.
4. BOOM! 💥 The Sepith drop will be multiplied, and you’ll get hundreds of fragments from one fight.

This is the fastest way to get the thousands of Sepith you need to unlock all your Orbment slots.

Mira Management: Frugality and Finance 🤑

Mira is hard to come by in the early chapters. You gotta be thrifty.

• Sell Sepith Mass: Enemies drop “Sepith Mass.” This item has no crafting use. Its only purpose is to be sold for Mira. Sell it!
• Cook Your Healing 🧑‍🍳: Buying Tear Balms gets expensive. Cooking is way cheaper. A Milk Crepe (recipe from Chapter 1) heals a ton for a fraction of the price. Also, sleep at inns or the Bright house to heal for free! 🛌
• Prioritize Purchases: Like we said in the gear section, don’t waste money on small weapon upgrades for your casters. Focus your cash on your permanent party members and on defensive gear first.

3. A Tale of Three Skies: Version Differences & DLC 🕹️

This story has been told a few times. Knowing the differences can be helpful!

Version Comparison: Original vs. Evolution vs. 1st Chapter Remake

Feature	Original (PC/PSP)	Evolution (PS Vita)	1st Chapter Remake
Graphics	2D sprites on 3D backgrounds	Updated portraits, enhanced visuals	Full 3D visual overhaul ✨
Voice Acting	None (PC), some battle lines (PSP)	Full voice acting (Japanese only) 🇯🇵	Full voice acting (English & Japanese) 🇬🇧🇯🇵
Combat System	Purely turn-based	Turn-based	Hybrid action/turn-based system 💥
Music	Original iconic soundtrack 🎶	Fully rearranged soundtrack orchestral	Re-arranged soundtrack 🎵
QoL Features	None. Missables are hidden. 😭	Some minor improvements	Map markers for all quests, books, & chests! 🗺️ Turbo mode! 💨
New Content	N/A	N/A	New side quests in each chapter! 📜

The biggest change in the 1st Chapter remake is all the Quality-of-Life (QoL) features. In the original, finding every little thing was a huge pain and you needed a guide. The remake’s map markers 🗺️ remove all that frustration. The challenge isn’t “finding” stuff anymore; it’s “completing it properly” for all the Bonus BP. ✅

DLC Guide for Trails in the Sky 1st Chapter

The remake has some paid DLC you can buy. It’s all optional.

• Cosmetic DLC 💅: This is just for fun. Alternate costumes (like school uniforms 🧑‍🏫), glasses 👓, hats 🎩, etc. They don’t change gameplay at all.
• Consumable DLC 📦: These are item packs that give you a head start. Think powerful healing items, stat-boosting items, or lots of crafting materials. They can make the game easier, but they are 100% not necessary. Honestly, I’d say avoid these on your first playthrough. Using them can kinda ruin the fun of finding stuff and overcoming challenges on your own.

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Conclusion

The path of a Bracer is a long one, but you’re ready. This guide has given you the foundations and the advanced knowledge to not just survive, but thrive in Liberl. You get the AT Bar, you get Orbments, and you know how to build your team. 🧠

Remember the core ideas: control the fight with speed and delay 💨, use Arts to hit weaknesses 💥, and build your characters for specific jobs 🛠️. Let the walkthrough be your compass 🧭 to find everything, but don’t be afraid to try your own strategies! The real fun is in applying these ideas to new fights and just getting lost in this amazing, living world.

Your training is complete. 🎓 The road is open.

Good luck, Junior Bracer. May the Goddess Aidios light your way. ✨

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Appendices

A. Complete Quartz Compendium 🔮

Here’s every Quartz in Trails in the Sky FC, its effects, and its elemental values.

Element	Quartz	Effects	Elemental Values
Earth 🟫	Defense 1	DEF+5%	Earth x1
	Defense 2	DEF+10%	Earth x2
	Defense 3	DEF+15%	Earth x3
	Poison	10% Poison Chance ☣️	Earth x3
	Petrify	10% Petrify Chance 🗿	Earth x3
Water 🟦	HP 1	Max HP +5%	Water x1
	HP 2	Max HP +10%	Water x3
	HP 3	Max HP +15%	Water x5
	Mind 1	ATS +5%	Water x1
	Mind 2	ATS +10%	Water x3
	Mind 3	ATS +15%	Water x5
	Freeze	10% Freeze Chance 🥶	Water x3
	Heal	Recover HP by walking 🚶‍♀️	Water x3, Wind x2
Fire 🟥	Attack 1	STR +5% / DEF -5%	Fire x1
	Attack 2	STR +10% / DEF -10%	Fire x3
	Attack 3	STR +15% / DEF -15%	Fire x5
	Seal	10% Seal Chance 🤫	Fire x3
	Strike	10% Critical Chance 🎯	Fire x3
Wind 🟩	Shield 1	ADF +5%	Wind x1
	Shield 2	ADF +10%	Wind x3
	Shield 3	ADF +15%	Wind x5
	Evade 1	Evade +5%	Wind x1
	Evade 2	Evade +10%	Wind x3
	Evade 3	Evade +15%	Wind x5
	Sleep	10% Sleep Chance 😴	Wind x3
	Scent	Attracts Enemies 🧲	Wind x3, Mirage x2
Time ⬛	Action 1	SPD +10%	Time x1
	Action 2	SPD +15%	Time x3
	Action 3	SPD +20%	Time x5
	Cast 1	Cast Time -1/3	Time x1
	Cast 2	Cast Time -1/2	Time x3
	Blind	10% Blind Chance 😵	Time x3
	Haze	Enemies ignore you on field	Time x3, Mirage x2
Space 🟨	EP Cut 1	EP Cost -10%	Space x1, Time x1
	EP Cut 2	EP Cost -25%	Space x3, Time x2, Mirage x2
	EP Cut 3	EP Cost -30%	Space x5, Time x3, Mirage x3
	Move 1	MOV +1 👟	Space x1
	Move 2	MOV +2 👟	Space x3
	Move 3	MOV +3 👟	Space x5
	Range 1	Art Effect Range +1 🗺️	Space x3
	Eagle Eye	Enemies show on map 🗺️	Space x3, Wind x2
Mirage ⬜	Impede 1	10% Prevent Arts Chance 🚫	Wind x1
	Impede 2	15% Prevent Arts Chance 🚫	Wind x3
	Impede 3	20% Prevent Arts Chance 🚫	Wind x5
	EP 1	Max EP +5%	Mirage x1, Space x1
	EP 2	Max EP +10%	Mirage x3, Space x2, Time x2
	EP 3	Max EP +15%	Mirage x5, Space x3, Time x3
	Mute	10% Mute Chance 🔇	Mirage x3
	Information	Display enemy stats 📊	Mirage x3, Space x2

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Disclaimer: This is an unofficial fan work, all trademarks and copyrights for Trails in the Sky 1st Chapter belong to the developer Nihon Falcom.

Find the game here! Trails First Chapter – Brace Yourself For Adventure!