The Calm Lands and its Mini games!

After the fiasco of last night, the party leaves the crystalized wood of Macalania and steps out into the world renowned Clam Lands.

The camera pans over a vast deserted field of green with cliffs all around it. Lulu tells us this is where the High Summoners fought Sin. It's also the end of the road for several reasons. Lulu continues, from here, there are "no towns, no villages, only endless plains." Auron steps in to say this is where many summoners end their journey and lose their way. He doesn't go into detail about why. Yuna remains determined while Tidus is getting bummed but remains focused on keeping Yuna alive.

After Yuna rolls on the grass for a moment, we head down the hill to see Maechen. Even before Sin, this place was a battlefield. Zanarkand and Bevelle battled here in the Machina War 1000 years ago in the same war that led to Sin. Modern summoners took note of the emptiness and choose to fight Sin here, away from onlookers. Maechen assumes Sin will die here again and bring about a new peace, hence the Calm Lands name. In the middle of the fields is a Rin's Travel Agency. When we get there, someone Lulu knows as Father Zuke shows up. He's come to inform us that Mika blames us for Kinoc's death, and we are now to be killed on sight. He informs us Bevelle is in a state of chaos at the top. Regardless, he tells us to avoid temples, and he was curious about Lulu's new summoner. Lulu informs the group that Zuke was a summoner until six months ago. She and Wakka guarded Zeke during that time. He quit here, and he was Lulu's second guardianship. The other ended here, as well. Before we leave, we can talk to everyone again.
Wakka was pleased his journey ended because he was "into the game."
Yuna fears about the future. Being a traitor and everything as a seventeen-year-old girl would do that. She wonders what Braska thought when he was here. They think about asking Auron, but they end up jokingly mocking him instead.
Kimahri tells us we're nearing his home, but he's not thrilled.
Auron ponders the chaos in Yevon.
Rikku is still worried about Yuna dying, and Tidus, annoyed, manages to bring some hope to her.
There's also a guy in the back who tells us what happened to Cid.

But the Calm Lands is where the mini games are! I made my way toward the exit but made a few pitstops. I probably should have waited a little bit. I'll have to redo a few of them later for the Ultimate Weapons side quests. I should have rushed the Cloudy Mirror for two of the rewards!
First was to the north, where I meet Savanda. She says that the raised cliffs are from all the battles with Sin.
To the east side of the plains is the Monster Hunting arena. The man in charge asks us to capture mobs which we can do battle with later on. First is the Calm Lands! I got all nine, and a chest appeared. I can't open it yet, and I got murdered by the monster the old man created.
Next up was Chocobo Training. It's everyone's second favorite mini-game! Dodge balls, then birds, then do a race where you do it all again. If you finish with 0 seconds, you get a piece of Tidus' best weapon. If you beat the trainer, the way to his Caldabolg opens.
Since you need a chocobo for this, I went to the Remium Temple next. Take the chocobo towards the Macalania entrance but keep heading right. Examine the feather on the ground and head to the next area. We see a beautiful temple with Belgemme inside. Which reminds me, we actually fought her en route to the camp. Beat her, and you get the ability to train your aeons' stats. Now though, she wants to test us in stronger battles. After she reveals she's an Unsent, she challenges Yuna to more aeon fights. Right now, she's pretty easy. Shiva and Bahamut can take out anything she uses, but it'll get harder later on. Defeating her Bahamut rewards us with a Flower Scepter. I didn't do this, but under the temple is a chocobo race that rewards us with a Cloudy Mirror. Take that somewhere in the Woods to make it better and start collecting the ultimate weapons. I, however, wanted to do some plot tonight.

Make your way toward Mt. Gagazet, and we'll be attacked by more guado. They want us to meet with Seymour, dead or alive, but we refuse. They attack us with a giant stone machination. Defender X has a lot of HP and attack power but poses little threat. I finally got Hastega for Tidus, so use that. Yuna can protect your party, and Auron should start with Armor Break. It randomly counters, but that move only halves the target's HP. Watch out for Haymaker, but a protected character should survive it, and Yuna should get a chance to heal. Afterwards, we head down to where the machination came from, and Lulu tells us what's down there. Wakka is shocked she knows so much.

Down here, we see a cave (and several Crusaders). Lulu keeps knowing what's up, and the cogs in Wakka's head start to turn. Lulu tells us her first summoner died here and urges Yuna to continue. The Cavern of the Stolen Fayth is a short dungeon that has a high encounter rate. There's a teleporter at the entrance, but it won't work now. In the second open room, Rikku asks why there's a fayth here. Lulu says it was stolen long ago. Auron adds that it was a part of a plot to keep summoners from training, getting the final aeon, and defeating Sin. Rikku seems happy that the summoner won't die, but there's something off about this whole thing, even if Tidus agrees. Keep walking deeper in until we reach the end. "Lulu's Theme" begins to play for the first and only time as the pyreflies start to form into a pallet swamped Belgemme. Lulu knows it as her first summoner, Lady Ginnem. She asks for forgiveness before Auron tells Yuna to send her. Ginnem stops her with her magical psychic power, which causes Lulu to get prepared for battle.

Ginnem summons an aeon that's a pushover. Yojimbo and his dog enter the battlefield, but the aeon averages under 500 HP an attack. I assume you don't want that Overdrive gauge to fill up, though. It was one of the easier fights in the game. Afterward, Lulu said she thought this would be sadder, and Wakka suggests she's gotten stronger. She then tells Yuna to enter the fayth. The whole party goes in, and we learn Yojimbo sucks. In order to recruit him, we need to pay him 250000 Gil. I ain't got that much money! I'm told you can haggle, but the weapons you can buy in the Calm Lands are expensive!

Sad that I'm a peasant, I take the teleporter out of the cave, return to the exit, save, and call it a night!

The upcoming scenes in Final Fantasy X are amongst the most beautiful in any game. Unfortunately, they're also some of the worst. I'm ready for three zombie proofs, but those are only slightly adequate. Let's see if I get stopped in my tracks tomorrow. But, heads up. I got my second Covid shot today, so I might be skipping tomorrow's update. It all depends on side effect severity.