Crimson Sphere

thumb|right|335 px|Crimsom Sphere recordings in chornological order
Crimson Spheres are key items in Final Fantasy X-2 used to gain access to the Den of Woe at Mushroom Rock Road. They are distinctly red movie spheres that chronicle the story of an ill-fated Crimson Squad squadron two years before the game events. Collecting the spheres is optional but adds to story completion percentage. Some spheres, if not picked up at the right time, are permanently missed.
The recordings can be viewed in the menu under Treasure Spheres. The first eight are called Crimson Records while the last two are called Crimson Reports.
==Story==
During the Crusaders' Operation Mi'ihen Maester Wen Kinoc sent a group of aspiring Crimson Squad members into the Den of Woe under the guise of a final test. A malevolent spirit residing in the den possessed the candidates who killed one another with only one group escaping: Nooj, Baralai and Gippal and their sphere recorder, Paine. After they failed to provide useful information on the visions of a giant machina, Kinoc ordered them executed to cover up the incident. The four escaped and Kinoc ordered the den to be sealed.
Two years later the Gullwings stumble upon the den and find Ormi and Logos, their rival Leblanc's henchmen who once worked for Kinoc. The two are trying to open the seal via various spheres but flee upon noticing the Gullwings. They leave behind a Crimson Sphere, part of the set of spheres Paine had recorded. The Gullwings will need to collect all ten to release the seal. Paine feigns ignorance on her part in the Crimson Spheres' creation. 
The Gullwings return to the den after relinquishing the Awesome Sphere to either Youth League or New Yevon, and meet Nooj outside the den who gives the party another Crimson Sphere. Paine is annoyed Nooj insists she take the sphere.
The Crimson Spheres are the records of Nooj, Baralai, Gippal and Paine's experiences while training for the Crimson Squad. Locating all ten allows the party to explore the den. They find it filled with the pyreflies that have kept Shuyin in a semi-corporeal state for a millennium, fueling his anger and grief. Rikku and Paine are possessed by Shuyin who shows Yuna how he and Lenne died, and summons the images of Nooj, Baralai and Gippal to fight Yuna. Yuna dispatches the illusions and breaks her friends free and the trio escapes the cave.
==List of Crimson Spheres==
===Crimson Sphere 1===
The chronologically first recording is found in Bevelle Underground following the meeting between Nooj, Baralai, and Gippal in Chapter 3. The player must return to where they fought Bahamut after Djose Temple becomes a hotspot. It is found on the floor after defeating the Malboro. The sphere is permanently missable if not found before completing all the chapter's hotspot locations.
The recording shows the squad in Bikanel desert during a drill operation. Baralai asks why Gippal is trying out for the Crimson Squad even if he is an Al Bhed. Gippal answers the Al Bhed want to protect Spira too and he had always wanted to be a Crusader, who don't accept his ilk in their ranks. He posits no one can wield a machina weapon better than an Al Bhed. Baralai is nervous about using machina even if the maesters seem to be fine with it. Nooj tells the two to be quiet and Gippal turns off the sphere recorder. As the recording resumes, Baralai is amid introducing himself as a man from Bevelle. Gippal reprimands him for a bad timing for introductions as they are amid simulated warfare. When Nooj tells the others his name they are impressed. The recording ends just as Baralai asks for the recorder's name.
===Crimson Sphere 2===
The second recording is obtained in the Farplane Abyss, given by Nooj and Gippal following the battle with Ixion in Chapter 3.
The sphere shows the squad fighting fiends on the desert. They are surrounded and run out of ammo. Nooj approaches the fiends which are killed by the recorder, Paine. Nooj is annoyed and Paine says she had heard he is looking for a place to die. Nooj laments it is actually quite difficult to achieve and Paine says the Crusaders don't soon forget "Nooj the Undying". When Paine asks why Nooj wants to die he says it is his life to throw away.
===Crimson Sphere 3===
The third recording is obtained at Farplane Abyss from Nooj and Gippal following the battle with Ixion in Chapter 3.
The sphere shows the boat trip where Gippal and Baralai talk about the upcoming Crusader operation at Mi'ihen to kill Sin with a machina weapon. Gippal thinks it will work. Baralai fears technology that is powerful enough to kill Sin, but Gippal says that machina itself is not dangerous. They talk about their plans for the Calm. Nooj thinks it will be dull and the others laugh at how he seeks excitement despite having been ready die during their previous mission.
===Crimson Sphere 4===
The fourth recording is found in Guadosalam in the hidden area of Chateau Leblanc in either Chapter 3 or 5. At the hidden passageway, the player needs to enter the room with a circular door and climb the boxes to find the sphere in a chest at the end.
The recording shows Kinoc briefing the groups ready to investigate the dangerous Den of Woe. Survivors are promised to be officially admitted into the Crimson Squad. Kinoc doesn't supply enough weapons for everyone and says that securing one will be crucial to pass this final test. Gippal lunges toward the weapons and falls over. When the recording resumes Nooj, Baralai, Gippal and Paine are in the den surrounded by pyreflies, all out of breath. Other squads are screaming and killing each other.
===Crimson Sphere 5===
The fifth recording is gained on the Celsius from Leblanc in the Engine Room, following Yuna's concert in Chapter 4. It is missed if the player doesn't visit the Engine Room at the end of Chapter 4.
The recording shows Crimson Squad aspirants killing each other in the Den of Woe. Gippal and Baralai wonder what is happening. Nooj thinks this effect is the "dangerous" part of the investigation Kinoc had mentioned. Baralai throws down his gun, saying he wants no part in a group whose members kill each other. After two more aspirants shoot one another, Nooj picks up their weapons and walks onward alone, accepting Baralai's decision to quit. Gippal tries to stop him. Nooj walks up to a pair of fighting aspirants who kill one another. Pyreflies emerge from the bodies and form a dense green cloud that engulfs Nooj. He starts to writhe and points his gun at Baralai. Gippal points his gun at Nooj's head, telling him to lower his weapon. Baralai points his gun at Gippal telling him to put his gun down. All three are engulfed in dark energy and surrounded by pyreflies. Paine runs to the middle of the triad asking them to stop. The three lower their guns and turn to look at their recorder.
===Crimson Sphere 6===
The sixth recording is found in the bonus dungeon of Via Infinito's Cloister 0 in Chapter 5. It is obtained when the player enters Via Infinito the first time.
The record shows Nooj, Gippal, Baralai and Paine having escaped the den and Yevon officials asking what they saw in there. They explain the den's swarming pyreflies made everyone violent that led to a killing spree. They talk about an apparition of a colossal bestial machina. When the apparition got inside of them it had made the squad feel fear, regret, despair and sadness. Gippal describes the sensation as someone's raw emotions taking over his brain. The Yevon officials tell the four have graduated and to go protect "the maester" until Operation Mi'ihen is complete. The four celebrate, but as they leave Paine yells at them to run and the Yevonites open fire at them.
===Crimson Sphere 7===
The seventh recording is obtained outside the Den of Woe from Nooj in Chapter 2. It is missed if the player doesn't visit the Den of Woe in this chapter.
The recording shows Paine running frantically through a dark pyrefly-swarming beach calling out to her missing squadmates.
===Crimson Sphere 8===
The eighth recording is found in Via Infinito's Cloister 20 in Chapter 5 after defeating Aranea.
The recording shows the exhausted Nooj, Gippal, Baralai and Paine have made it to the Rin's Travel Agency on Mi'ihen Highroad. Nooj is happy everyone is fine and Paine wonders if he is mad as she kept him from dying. Paine explains she followed the guys because she wants to know what they saw in the den. Baralai says they will tell her once they figure it out themselves. Nooj predicts the maesters will want to kill them and that they should go their separate ways. Nooj tells Paine her job as the recorder is done and turns down her recorder. As they part ways Paine decides to take one last footage for "old times sake" and catches a suddenly pyrefly-covered Nooj shooting Baralai and Gippal and then turning fire on her, breaking her recorder.
===Crimson Sphere 9===
The ninth recording is obtained outside the Den of Woe from Ormi and Logos in Chapter 1, starting the sidequest. It is permanently missable if the player doesn't visit the Den of Woe in this chapter.
The footage shows the bodies of the dead Crimson Squad aspirants in the Den of Woe being recorded by Ormi and Logos. Ormi says no one survived the expedition but is berated for not counting the bodies correctly.
===Crimson Sphere 10===
The final recording is found in Guadosalam in Logos's room in Chateau Leblanc in Chapter 2. It is obtained as part of the storyline.
The final sphere footage again shows Ormi and Logos recording the results of the Crimson Squad selection expedition. A Yevon official says there are three candidates and their recorder missing from the numbers of the dead, which means they must still be alive, and tells Ormi and Logos to go "fix it".
==Gallery==
Paine nooj baralai and gippal.jpg
Crimson sphere scene.jpg
Nooj shoots his friends.jpg
Category:Sidequests in Final Fantasy X-2
Category:Key items