Final Fantasy XII - 4 - Giza Plains

Overview: There are a number of things to do outside of Rabanastre before you progress with the story. You can hunt some additional Marks, acquire strong weapons in Nalbina, and fully explore the Estersands. I recommend doing all of this after you get Penelo in your party, as her company makes things much more managable. However, I will just be talking about advancing the plot here. You can learn more about Mark Hunting under the Resource - Mark Hunting post.

Giza Plains/ Thorne Road

Enemies: Hyena, Giza Rabbit

Guide: Scattered around this are is a number of random chests with Potions and small amounts of gil. Don't let the Hyenas mob you, and I recommend hitting the Giza Rabbits with Fire. It kills them in one hit, and you don't have to chase them all over the map while alerting Hyenas to your presence. Head due south and enter the next map first, before exploring other areas.

Giza Plains/ Nomad Village

Enemies: N/A

Guide: Well snap. That is a huge rock. Find your way to Masyua and you'll be told how to get a Sunstone. And you'll find Penelo, and she finds her way onto your party. Personal feelings about her, her outfit, and her hairstyle aside, you should be glad to have the extra sword arm. With Penelo in your party, you can go find Jinn, go hunt Thextera (Though if you live for a challenge you can tackle him with just Vaan. If you do, I recommend being level six for the task.) or you can go to Nalbina, and get some powerful weapons long before the game expects you to have them. Once you're ready to find Jinn though, head west out of the village.

Giza Plains/ Toam Hills

Enemies: Hyena, Alpha Hyena, Giza Rabbit, Urstrix, Slaven, Wildsnake

Guide: Lots of new enemies you and Penelo can beat up on. The Wildsnakes will sometimes drop Teleport Stones, which are very useful to have now, before you can buy them. After thinning out the local fauna a bit, head south.

Giza Plains/ Starfall Field

Enemies: Giza Rabbit, Hyena, Sleipnir, Werewolf, Nazamir (Trophy Game)

Treasure: An Escutcheon can be found beneath the bridge.

Guide: Don't go near the Werewolves. Just don't. They will tear you apart at your current level, even if you're over-leveled. They're stronger than the Wild Saurian in the Estersand, and they always attack in pairs. Go east from the entrance and don't stray too far south. Exit to the east.

Giza Plains/ Crystal Glade

Enemies: N/A

Guide: Ah-ha! Jinn is found. However, as he explains, your troubles are not over. You will need to make the Sunstone yourself. I recommend first heading back into the Starfall Field and using the Dark Crystal there, then heading through the Crystal Glade to the east.

Giza Plains/ Giza's South Bank

Enemies: Giza Rabbit, Hyena

Treasure: A Broadsword can be found in the southeastern corner.

Guide: Another Dark Crystal here. Between the two, your stone should be nearly full of charge. Head north through this area to the next Dark Crystal.

Giza Plains/ Giza's North Bank

Enemies: Giza Rabbit, Hyena, Slaven, Urstrix

Guide: Finish off your Sunstone with the last Dark Crystal here. Once you're done, you'll automatically return to Jinn, who approves of your work, then back to the Nomad Village, where Masyua will reward you for finding Jinn. You can leave the plains now and return to Rabanastre, however, if you go back to Old Dalan's House, Penelo will leave your party. So if you want her help for anything before you progress in the story, don't return to Old Dalan's before you're done.

Giza Plains/ Warrior's Wash

Enemies: Hyena, Slaven, Urstrix, Giza Rabbit

Treasure: Cotton Shirt

Guide: There's another Dark Crystal up here if you want to use it instead of one of the others, but it's a bit more out of the way than the others, so I usually leave it alone. There's little else of note here.