Cloister of Trials
Six temple puzzles, plus two special locations that have no Cloister at all. Every Cloister hides a Destruction Sphere in a side route, and each Destruction Sphere opens one chest. Those six chests are the only thing standing between you and Anima, so treat them as mandatory rather than optional.
The rule that matters. Each of the six statues in the Baaj antechamber lights up only if you claimed that temple's Destruction Sphere treasure. Five out of six leaves the seal shut. Zanarkand's is the one most players miss, because it cannot be taken on the first visit at all.
Besaidtreasure: Rod of Wisdom
1
Touch the glyph on the door to open it. Take the Glyph Sphere from its recess and use it on the next door.
2
In the corridor, put the Glyph Sphere into the recess on the left-hand wall, then touch the glyphs beside the pedestal.
3
Take the Besaid Sphere and place it in the pedestal to open the way forward. That also opens the side room.
4
DESTRUCTION SPHERE It is in that side room. Put it back into the recess the Besaid Sphere came out of, then push the pedestal onto the glowing tile. The chest holds the Rod of Wisdom for Yuna.
Kilikatreasure: Red Armlet
1
Pull the Kilika Sphere out of its holder and insert it into the recess to open the door.
2
Move the same sphere to the recess on the north wall, then use the two side recesses in turn.
3
Push the pedestal onto the glowing tile; it teleports. Collect the Glyph Sphere it reveals.
4
DESTRUCTION SPHERE The Glyph Sphere opens a small side room holding it. Insert it into the wall recess there and the chest blows open: Red Armlet.
Djosetreasure: Magic Sphere
1
Take the two Djose Spheres from the side walls and put them into the recesses flanking the double doors.
2
Inside, push the pedestal into the lightning field to charge a sphere, then insert the Charged Djose Sphere and ride the pedestal through the field.
3
DESTRUCTION SPHERE Touch the flickering glyph on the wall before you put the sphere into the pedestal — that is the branch that gives you the Destruction Sphere. Place it in the central pedestal for the Magic Sphere.
4
Upstairs, push all five pedestals into the wall recesses to complete the eye glyph, then ride the lift down.
Macalaniatreasure: Luck Sphere
1
Push the pedestal into the ice formation, then place the Macalania Sphere in the pedestal.
2
Rebuild the broken ice bridge by inserting spheres into the pillars in order, working from the lower level upward.
3
DESTRUCTION SPHERE Take the optional branch: re-create the original ice formation instead of the shortcut, then put the Destruction Sphere into the first recess on the left of the lower level. Chest: Luck Sphere.
Bevelletreasures: HP Sphere and Knight Lance
1
This one is a rail ride. Stand on the pedestal and press X on the directional glyphs as you pass them to switch tracks.
2
Grab a Bevelle Sphere at the first stop and insert it to restore the missing section of track.
3
Take a second Bevelle Sphere further along, cross, and insert it into the left-hand wall to light the path.
4
Collect the Glyph Sphere and put it in the recess on the far wall. The wall disappears, exposing the Destruction Sphere.
5
DESTRUCTION SPHERE Bevelle is the one Cloister where using it is required to finish, so this chest cannot be missed. Return it to activate the next glyph, then insert the first Bevelle Sphere and step on the glyph beneath the chest to bring the pedestal across. Chests: HP Sphere and the Knight Lance for Kimahri.
Zanarkand Dometreasure: Magistral Rod — and you cannot get it on the first visit
1
Step on the switch at the front of the room, then on the remaining white-dot switches in this order: the one straight ahead, the one to its right, the one north of that, the one southwest between them, and the one in the far northwest.
2
Push each of the four corner pedestals back. Each one reveals a pattern in the adjoining room; go in and reproduce the pattern by stepping on the white squares.
3
Put the Kilika Sphere in the left-centre pedestal and the Besaid Sphere in the right-centre pedestal to repair the lift. Spectral Keeper is next.
4
DESTRUCTION SPHERE EASY TO MISS Come back by airship after the story moves on. Complete the extra white-square patterns in both puzzle rooms and the Destruction Sphere appears from the niche in the monitor. Insert it into the recess to the right of the front screen for the Magistral Rod.
Baaj Templeno Cloister — this is where the six chests pay off
1
Search the airship map around x=14, y=57. Dive into the flooded ruin and fight BOSS Geosgaeno. Equip Stoneproof or Stone Ward — its gaze petrifies, and a petrified character can be shattered.
2
MISSABLE Geosgaeno drops the No Encounters weapon on its first kill only. Save before the fight and reload if it does not drop — this is the only in-game source of that ability.
3
CELESTIAL Onion Knight, Lulu's Celestial Weapon, is in a crevasse south of the pool. There is also a Megalixir and Mega Phoenixes down there.
4
Inside the antechamber, six statues stand for the six temples. All six lit means all six Destruction Sphere chests were claimed — and the seal opens on AEON Anima.
Remiem Templeno Cloister — a race and eight duels
1
Reachable only on a Calm Lands chocobo. Win the chocobo race for the Cloudy Mirror; the number of chests you touch on the way sets the prize tier.
2
Beat all eight of Belgemine's aeons, then send her, for Yuna's Moon Sigil. Beating her Bahamut also gives the Flower Sceptre, one of the two keys to the Magus Sisters.
3
PRIMER XXIV is in the northwest corner of the temple grounds.