Chapter 4 walkthrough: Banner Oath (Zoldaad, the rebels and the castle)

The chapter opens with 'Go to Mozul Station'. On the train the objective becomes 'Escape from the imperial soldiers', and you fight them (Zoldaadian Soldier, Lv.28, 1,500 HP each on the info card); afterwards the party bails out and the objective becomes 'Go to Zoldaad, the imperial capital'.

Arrive via Capital Station; the area card reads 'Zoldaad, the Imperial Capital', and the objective is 'Gather information in Zoldaad'. While you explore the capital, the objective stays 'Gather information in Zoldaad'.

1. Go to Mozul Station and win the fight on the train.
2. Go to Zoldaad, the imperial capital, via Capital Station.
3. Gather information in the capital.
   Spoiler clip · Arriving in Zoldaad, the Imperial Capital · reveal

   Checked on screen · Oct 25, 2026

   36:50–37:05 · 15 sArriving in Zoldaad, the Imperial Capital

   36:50–37:05Spoiler clip

Verified (first-hand, our play-test, full game on PC via Steam, Normal difficulty, October 31, 2026). After the Chapter 3 card the goal is 'Go to Zoldaad from the port'. The port is a wooden dock on the east coast of the Olderion Federation's main landmass: from Olderion's exit, ride south, then east along the road through the woods to its end. The moored ship offers Grandport Harbor, Dirnado, the Continent of Wind, and Zoldaad Empire Territory.

You land on a red desert coast. Nichol says the Fire Shrine is beyond a volcanic area, the party decides to gather information at the capital first, and the goal becomes 'Go to Mozul Station', the closest boarding point for the Timber Tracks.

The trap here: the platform you can see on the rail line isn't the way in, and the low sand ledge north of the rails looks like the barrier you have to pass. You never need to pass it. Go south-east from the dock round the rocky ridge to the ledge's east end, then south through the gully under the rail bridge. At the small huts on the gully's west side, south of the bridge, the card 'Mozul Station' and the prompt 'F Proceed' appear. The map marker sits a little north of that spot.

Inside there's a save point on the platform and a shop counter west of it. To board, stand just to the right of the marked Station Attendant, in front of the train's left door; the Talk prompt only shows from that spot.

1. Sail from the Olderion Federation port to Zoldaad Empire Territory.
2. Go south-east round the ridge to the east end of the low sand ledge.
3. Go south under the rail bridge to the huts in the gully, and press F at 'Mozul Station'.
4. Save, shop, then talk to the Station Attendant to board.

Verified (first-hand, our play-test, full game on PC via Steam, Normal difficulty, October 31, 2026). The first goal on board is 'Talk to party members'. Lasswell is in the east corridor and Lid is in the west corridor. Talk prompts show only from a small spot just right of and north of each character. After those talks a man in a leather jacket with a mechanical arm flirts with Fina. Later, when soldiers hunt the party, Nichol calls the rose a symbol of the rebellion and Lid names the man as Jake.

The goal becomes 'Escape from the imperial soldiers', and the carriage's east door starts the first fight. We fought three groups of three Zoldaadian Soldiers (Lv.28), one group per carriage. Escape was greyed out in the first fight, and each win paid a settled 300 EXP, 1,170 gil and 37 MRP, with 229 of the gil as an Overkill Bonus and 7 of the MRP as a Stagger Finish Bonus. Basic attacks staggered them quickly. Between carriages, look for a way on at the east end: one change happened at the far corner with no prompt, and another through a dark doorway in the right wall of the east corridor (walk north to it, then east through it).

After the third fight, go on into the last carriage. A scene there ends the ride, and you're then on foot in a red desert canyon with the goal 'Go to Zoldaad, the imperial capital'. Head west along the rails. The capital and its station are on the west coast.

Red Elementals (Lv.28) come in threes, both near Mozul Station and on this walk. They're weak to Water: in our fight near the station, Nichol's Free Energy (Zidane's skill, 15 MP) previewed +290% and staggered one, and that win paid a settled 1,200 EXP, 1,500 gil and 42 MRP. Fire Beam hits the whole party. On the walk to the capital we nearly wiped: with no Bulwark up, Fire Beam plus Fira knocked out Lasswell and Nichol at party Lv.26-27. Keep Bulwark up or run; Escape failed twice and worked on the third try in that fight. Vamplants (Lv.25, four at once) show 'Weak' to physical attacks, and Magma Tortoises (Lv.26) also appear.

Verified (first-hand, our play-test, full game on PC via Steam, Normal difficulty, October 31, 2026). You arrive in a square with a clock building, and the goal stays 'Gather information in Zoldaad'. The Imperial Hotel is the arched doorway across the square from the clock building. It only opens if you line up exactly with the door and walk in; our first tries slid past it. A stay costs 100 gil, and there's a save point inside.

The notice board east of the clock building holds The Drofox Gazette Vol. 4. You can read its three articles repeatedly: the Colosseum's reopening (with the Gaia Hammer among the prizes), an opinion piece on the executed General Wilhelm, and the sealing stone in the Grandshelt desert. The Esper page sets out where community sources say the Colosseum prize and the sealing stone lead; the Gazette itself doesn't say.

A Male Researcher at the table inside the hotel has a '!' speech bubble instead of the usual '...'. Talk to him for the esper rumour about the volcano to the east, which adds a dwelling to your map.

Our limit: this is as far as we've played. We tried several spots, including the clock building's entrance, the tall sign pole, the station stairs and a manhole, and none of them moved the story on. The quest marker hovers over that sign pole at the street edge, left of the clock building, and the steps after this point on this page still come from CGInferno's video. If you've found the way on, it isn't recorded here yet.

Tip for healing here: in the field Recovery menu, key 1 toggles All on and off for the highlighted spell, and the setting stays on between casts. Rain's Cura on All cost 18 MP per cast and healed about 410-440 HP on each of three hurt party members.

Between story beats CGInferno visits Vision sanctums at Oblivion Palace, takes the side quest 'Mechabo Evolved', clears Gogmagog Cave (a Cave Master) and fights in the Colosseum's Fledgling League, whose menu lists five battles at Recommended Levels 25, 27, 29, 31 and 32. None of these are needed for the story; see the Cave Masters, Vision locations and Adamantite pages.

The story resumes with 'Go deeper into the tunnel' and 'Talk to rebel soldiers'. Jake explains that Zoldaad is mass-producing magitek weapons for a war on Grandshelt, joins the party (a 'Fighting with Jake' tutorial follows) and points you at the weapons factory. First comes 'Stay at the inn in the hideout'.

1. Go deeper into the tunnel.
2. Talk to the rebel soldiers; Jake joins.
   Spoiler clip · Jake joins: the 'Fighting with Jake' tutorial · reveal

   Checked on screen · Oct 25, 2026

   kingy.wiki2:20:17–2:20:30 · 13 sJake joins: the 'Fighting with Jake' tutorial

   2:20:17–2:20:30Spoiler clip
3. Stay at the inn in the hideout.

At the factory gate you meet Ignis, introduced as Veritas of the Flame, one of the Sworn Six of Paladia. Your first fight with Ignis is a scripted story battle that ends in a cutscene about Lasswell's sword, Shiden. After 'Go deeper into the factory' you meet Ignis again: early in the rematch Ignis's Blistering Hellfire hits the whole party for 99999, a scripted wipe followed by a cutscene, and then the fight resumes for real.

Ignis's info card reads Lv.27, Humanoid, 56,000 HP, and Ignis uses a move called Carmine Inferno. CGInferno's win paid 9,000 EXP, 10,000 gil, 100 MRP and a Solar Pendant. Umbra appears afterwards and leaves through a dark portal.

1. Go deeper into the factory.
2. Survive the scripted opening, then beat Ignis.
   Spoiler clip · Blistering Hellfire: 99999 to every party member · reveal

   Checked on screen · Oct 25, 2026

   kingy.wiki2:50:23–2:50:31 · 8 sBlistering Hellfire: 99999 to every party member

   2:50:23–2:50:31Spoiler clip

Back at the rebel hideout ('Go to the rebel hideout', then 'Go to Jake's room'), a rebel soldier reports that Prince Shera has been captured. At the rebel gathering Nichol lays out the plan: a unit enters from beneath the castle, rescues Prince Shera from the dungeon and goes straight to the throne room. The objectives follow it: 'Sneak into Zoldaad Castle', 'Rescue Shera from the dungeon', then 'Go to the throne room'.

In the throne room you fight the Emperor of Zoldaad (Lv.30, Humanoid, 52,000 HP on the info card) with two Wraith Praetorians (Lv.29). CGInferno's win paid 9,140 EXP, 39,234 gil (with an Overkill Bonus), 169 MRP (with a Stagger Finish Bonus) and an X-Ether.

1. Sneak into Zoldaad Castle through the underground passage.
2. Rescue Shera from the dungeon.
3. Beat the Emperor and the two Wraith Praetorians in the throne room.
   Spoiler clip · The Emperor of Zoldaad and two Wraith Praetorians, then the Emperor's card · reveal

   Checked on screen · Oct 25, 2026

   kingy.wiki3:51:54–3:52:04 · 10 sThe Emperor of Zoldaad and two Wraith Praetorians, then the Emperor's card

   3:51:54–3:52:04Spoiler clip

The last objective is 'Ascend to the top of the castle'. On an airship deck you face Lazarov (Lv.30, Humanoid, 45,000 HP on the info card) in phases, with monsters including No. 999 (card: Lv.30, Humanoid, 24,000 HP), a large chained enemy. The fight goes straight into a cutscene with no result screen.

The card 'Chapter 4 Banner Oath COMPLETE' follows, with the trophy 'Viva la Revolución'.

1. Ascend to the top of the castle.
2. Beat Lazarov and No. 999 on the airship deck.
   Spoiler clip · Lazarov and his experiment on the airship deck · reveal

   Checked on screen · Oct 25, 2026

   kingy.wiki4:23:16–4:23:33 · 17 sLazarov and his experiment on the airship deck

   4:23:16–4:23:33Spoiler clip

From NiaMeowDB's datamine (Community-reported; built from the game's files, no version stated).

Ignis (Lv.27): weak to Water and takes half damage from Fire. It becomes enraged when attacked, and the rage intensifies when it's hit with Water. The Emperor of Zoldaad (Lv.30) is weak to Water, summons praetorians and uses Poison attacks.

Lazarov (Lv.30) is weak to Earth, summons experiments and uses Sleep attacks. NiaMeowDB's only No. 999 entry is Lv.32 (the fight here reads Lv.30) and lists a Wind weakness.