Plot Summary
There's trouble brewing in the Kingdom of Baron. A new military leader by the name of Golbez is using the kingdom's fleet of airships, known as the Red Wings, to gather the four elemental crystals of the world. Cecil, Captain of the Red Wings, feels guilty about stealing the Crystal of Water from Mysidia and when he asks the King why they must commit such despicable acts, he is dismissed from his post and ordered to deliver a package to the Village of Mist with his friend Kain. Upon arriving in Mist the package releases fire and burns this town of Callers, or those with the power to summon monsters to help them when in trouble, is burned to the ground. The only survivor is a small girl named Rydia. A massive earthquake shakes the area, Kain disappears, and Cecil is left with Rydia to hurry to Damcyan, the home of the Fire Crystal and probable site of an attack by his former air fleet.
On the way to Damcyan Cecil learns that his fiance Rosa has fallen ill and needs a special cure from Damcyan. Also, Cecil and Rydia meet Tellah, a fumbling old sage who is out to rescue his daughter who ran off with a bard. Damcyan is attacked right before the party arrives, and the three rush to help. Upon seeing the bard, who is actually Edward, Prince of Damcyan, Tellah attacks him until his daughter Anna convinces him of their true love. Edward helps them find the cure for Rosa and the party with Rosa heads to Fabul, site of the Air Crystal.
Edward, the bard Prince of Damcyan
In an exciting battle Cecil, Edward, and Fabul's Karate Master Yang fend off the Red Wings. Unfortunately Kain shows up, apparently under some sort of mind control, kidnaps Rosa, and steals the Crystal. The party intends to sail to Baron but is attacked by Leviathan, a huge sea dragon, and Cecil washes ashore near Mysidia. Uh oh...these folks don't like him. The Elder of Mysidia tells Cecil that he must overcome his own evil before he can defeat true evil, and sends him on a quest of enlightenment to Mt. Ordeals, sending the twin wizards Palom and Porom with him as aids/spies. Atop Mt. Ordeals Cecil overcomes his own dark side and is transformed into a Paladin, or knight of light. Also, the party meets Tellah on the mountain, who is searching for the power to defeat Golbez, and he learns Meteo, the most powerful spell in the world.
Porom (female) the kind White Wizard and Palom (male) the bratty Black Wizard
The Mysidians have new respect for Cecil and send the crew back to Baron. There they meet up with Yang, who is also under mind control and needs a good pounding to come to his senses. They reach the King only to find that he has been replaced by Kainazzo, Fiend of the Water, and a dramatic battle ensues. The party intends to find Cid, an Airship Engineer, so that they may have an airship of their own, but before they reach him Kainazzo has one final trick up his sleeve--ever seen the garbage chute scene in Star Wars? Yep. Palom and Porom sacrifice themselves by turning themselves into stone to stop the walls. Cid outfits the group with an awesome ship and they take off for Tororia, a beautiful country ruled by eight female Clerics and site of the last Crystal. The group gets to it first but then Kain appears and tells Cecil if he wants Rosa back he must bring the Crystal to Golbez' stronghold, the Tower of Zot.
In the Tower Tellah confronts Golbez, casts Meteo, and defeats him for the time being. Unfortunately the spell took so much energy from the old codger that he collapses and dies. Golbez gets the Crystal but Kain comes back around and rescues Rosa for Cecil. It is revealed that there are four more crystals in the Underground, a world below the surface. The crew heads there and meets the Dwarves and their King Giott. Rydia also appears; missing since the Leviathan disaster, she was taken to the Land of Summoned Monsters and is now a much more powerful Caller. Giott directs them to the Tower of Babel, where the crystals should be. Yang sacrifices himself to stop a massive cannon in the tower, and the rest of the party is sent back to the surface seemingly without a way to get back after the crystals. They learn of the Kingdom of Eblan, where the Prince Edge is on a quest to kill Rubicant, Fiend of Fire, who murdered his parents. His stronghold is Babel, which a cave near Eblan connects to. The party defeats Rubicant and seemingly reaches the underworld crystals until a trap door causes them to fall to the underground again.
Now the only crystal that Golbez does not have (and why does he want them? you'll see) is in a sealed cave. The party gets to it first but once again Kain's mind is robbed from him, he takes the crystal, and splits. Turns out the crystals open up the path to the moon, where a demon, Zemus, needs them to reawaken. The party must hurry to the moon, and the Elder of Mysidia calls forth the Spaceship known as the Big Whale. Upon arriving on the lunar surface the party meets FuSoYa, a Lunarian charged with watching over Zemus' sleep. FuSoYa accompanies the rest back to Earth, where a monster known as the Giant of Babel is wreaking havoc. In the most emotional scene in the game, every character missing or on leave from the active party (except Tellah, he's dead) returns to fight against the Giant. Cid sneaks the party inside and they meet up with Golbez, whom FuSoYa recognizes as the son of KluYa, a Lunarian. Well whaddaya know, back on the moon FuSoYa had revealed that Cecil was also a Lunarian and the son of KluYa. Don't you just hate it when your archenemy turns out to be your brother? Golbez and Kain are relieved of their mind control, the Giant is stopped, and the party must hurry back to the moon to defeat Zemus before he can reawaken.
In a truly epic battle Golbez and FuSoYa seemingly defeat Zemus, only to have him be revived because Golbez was the Child of Darkness, and only Cecil, the Child of Light, can defeat him. Cecil, Kain, Rosa, Rydia, and Edge combine their powers to overcome Zemus and send him back to full slumber. Golbez and FuSoYa return to sleep with the rest of the Lunarians. Cecil is chosen as the new King of Baron, he marries Rosa, and all is well. What a tale.