Sochen Cave Palace

The Sochen Cave Palace is a location in the land of Ivalice in Final Fantasy XII. It is an underground network of caves and broken down palaces that provide a passageway to the heart of the Archadian Empire: the Imperial City of Archades.
Sochen Palace is an ancient palace overrun with undead, bats, imps, and other dangerous creatures. The only royalty currently residing within the temple are a family of mandragoras who have caused problems for hunters in the Archadian wilderness. Several ancient and powerful creatures are locked away in the depths of the cave palace.
== Sage Knowledge ==
== Story ==
The party is on their way to Archades on foot to avoid detection and must travel through Sochen Cave Palace to reach the city. Talking to the Archadian Wayfarer in the Tchita Uplands gives them a key needed to unlock the door to the palace. Inside they battle and defeat the five mandragoras. After defeating the mandragoras, they proceed through the labyrinthine cave until they battle a ghost called Ahriman who can copy itself. Defeating the monster, they proceed to the elevator and arrive at Old Archades.
== Location ==
The Sochen Cave Palace is located just to the northeast of Tchita Uplands and gives access to Old Archades.
* Doubt Abandoned (to the Tchita Uplands)
* Hall of Lambent Darkness
* The Acolyte's Burden
* Mirror of the Soul
* Falls of Time
* Destiny's March
* Hall of Shadowlight
* Hall of the Wroth God
* Temptation Eluded
* Chamber of the Chosen
* Skybent Chamber (to Old Archades)
== Treasures ==
In the original version, the most common item treasure is Hi-Potion. When the Diamond Armlet is equipped the common item treasure is Knot of Rust and the rare item is a Hi-Ether. It is also possible to find gambits for enemy being weak to various elements here. The treasure that can be reached only by doing the waterfall puzzle (see below) is either Iga Blade or Koga Blade when the Diamond Armlet is not equipped; with the Diamond Armlet the treasure is always Knot of Rust. There is yet another treasure that won't respawn and can only be reached by doing the waterfall puzzle a bit to the east of the middle treasure; this treasure is also gil 10% of the time, but when it's an item it is either an Elixir or Kiku-ichimonji. With the Diamond Armlet equipped the treasure is 90% Knot of Rust 10% Elixir, with 30,000 gil if the treasure is gil instead of items.
In the Zodiac version, all treasures are different. The common treasure is Hi-Potion but with the Diamond Armlet, they may be a meteorite. The Koga and Iga Blades are no longer found from the waterfall puzzle, the treasure being a Megalixir instead. There is a Sakura-saezuri ninja sword and the 1000 Needles technick in the Falls of Time. The big yield of the area is the Zodiac Escutcheon shield in the room where the Hell Wyrm is fought, but there is only a 1% chance for it to spawn per entry.
=== Doubt Abandoned ===
;Zodiac
Chest	Spawns	Holds Gil%	Gil 	Normal Treasure	Normal Treasure	Diamond Armlet Treasure	Diamond Armlet Treasure
1 	70% 	45% 	≤ 400 gil	Item 1 	Item 2 	Common 	Rare
1 	70% 	45% 	≤ 400 gil	Hi-Potion 	Dispel Mote 	Knot of Rust 	Meteorite (A)
2 	70% 	45% 	≤ 400 gil	Item 1 	Item 2 	Common 	Rare
2 	70% 	45% 	≤ 400 gil	Hi-Potion 	Ether 	Knot of Rust 	Meteorite (A)
3 	70% 	45% 	≤ 400 gil	Item 1 	Item 2 	Common 	Rare
3 	70% 	45% 	≤ 400 gil	Hi-Potion 	Ether 	Knot of Rust 	Meteorite (B)
4 	70% 	45% 	≤ 400 gil	Item 1 	Item 2 	Common 	Rare
4 	70% 	45% 	≤ 400 gil	Hi-Potion 	Handkerchief 	Knot of Rust 	Meteorite (A)
5 	70% 	45% 	≤ 400 gil	Item 1 	Item 2 	Common 	Rare
5 	70% 	45% 	≤ 400 gil	Hi-Potion 	Dispel Mote 	Knot of Rust 	Meteorite (A)
6 	70% 	45% 	≤ 400 gil	Item 1 	Item 2 	Common 	Rare
6 	70% 	45% 	≤ 400 gil	Hi-Potion 	Prince's Kiss 	Knot of Rust 	Meteorite (A)
7 	70% 	45% 	≤ 400 gil	Item 1 	Item 2 	Common 	Rare
7 	70% 	45% 	≤ 400 gil	Hi-Potion 	Ether 	Knot of Rust 	Meteorite (A)
8 	70% 	45% 	≤ 400 gil	Item 1 	Item 2 	Common 	Rare
8 	70% 	45% 	≤ 400 gil	Hi-Potion 	Ether 	Knot of Rust 	Meteorite (A)
9 	70% 	45% 	≤ 400 gil	Item 1 	Item 2 	Common 	Rare
9 	70% 	45% 	≤ 400 gil	Hi-Potion 	Handkerchief 	Knot of Rust 	Meteorite (C)
;Original
Chest	Spawns	Holds Gil%	Normal Treasure	Normal Treasure 	Normal Treasure 	Diamond Armlet Treasure	Diamond Armlet Treasure	Diamond Armlet Treasure
1 	70% 	5% 	Gil 	Item 1 	Item 2 	Gil 	Common 	Rare
1 	70% 	5% 	≤ 1,200 gil 	Hi-Potion 	Ether 	≤ 2,000 gil 	Knot of Rust 	Hi-Ether
2 	70% 	5% 	Gil 	Item 1 	Item 2 	Gil 	Common 	Rare
2 	70% 	5% 	≤ 1,200 gil 	G-Foe: earth - vuln.	G-Foe: fire - vuln.	≤ 2,000 gil 	Knot of Rust 	Hi-Ether
3 	70% 	5% 	Gil 	Item 1 	Item 2 	Gil 	Common 	Rare
3 	70% 	5% 	≤ 1,200 gil 	G-Foe: earth - weak 	G-Foe: fire - weak 	≤ 2,000 gil 	Knot of Rust 	Hi-Ether
4 	70% 	5% 	Gil 	Item 1 	Item 2 	Gil 	Common 	Rare
4 	70% 	5% 	≤ 1,200 gil 	Hi-Potion 	Hi-Ether 	≤ 2,000 gil 	Knot of Rust 	Hi-Ether
5 	70% 	5% 	Gil 	Item 1 	Item 2 	Gil 	Common 	Rare
5 	70% 	5% 	≤ 1,200 gil 	Hi-Potion 	Ether 	≤ 2,000 gil 	Knot of Rust 	Hi-Ether
=== Hall of Lambent Darkness ===
These chests only appear in the Zodiac versions.
Chest	Spawns	Holds Gil%	Gil 	Normal Treasure	Normal Treasure	Diamond Armlet Treasure	Diamond Armlet Treasure
10 	75% 	45% 	≤ 400 gil	Item 1 	Item 2 	Common 	Rare
10 	75% 	45% 	≤ 400 gil	Hi-Potion 	Ether 	Knot of Rust 	Meteorite (A)
11 	75% 	45% 	≤ 400 gil	Item 1 	Item 2 	Common 	Rare
11 	75% 	45% 	≤ 400 gil	Hi-Potion 	Dispel Mote 	Knot of Rust 	Meteorite (B)
12 	75% 	45% 	≤ 400 gil	Item 1 	Item 2 	Common 	Rare
12 	75% 	45% 	≤ 400 gil	Hi-Potion 	Ether 	Knot of Rust 	Meteorite (A)
13 	75% 	45% 	≤ 400 gil	Item 1 	Item 2 	Common 	Rare
13 	75% 	45% 	≤ 400 gil	Hi-Potion 	Balance Mote 	Knot of Rust 	Meteorite (A)
=== The Acolyte's Burden ===
These chests only appear in the Zodiac versions. They do not respawn.
Chest	Spawns	Holds Gil%	Gil 	Normal Treasure	Normal Treasure	Diamond Armlet Treasure	Diamond Armlet Treasure
14 	100% 	100% 	4,936 gil	N/A 	N/A 	N/A 	N/A
15 	100% 	0% 	N/A 	Hastega Mote 	Hastega Mote 	Hastega Mote 	Hastega Mote
=== Mirror of the Soul ===
;Zodiac
Chest	Spawns	Holds Gil%	Gil 	Normal Treasure	Normal Treasure	Diamond Armlet Treasure	Diamond Armlet Treasure
16 	70% 	50% 	≤ 450 gil	Item 1 	Item 2 	Common 	Rare
16 	70% 	50% 	≤ 450 gil	Hi-Potion 	Ether 	Knot of Rust 	Meteorite (B)
17 	70% 	50% 	≤ 450 gil	Item 1 	Item 2 	Common 	Rare
17 	70% 	50% 	≤ 450 gil	Hi-Potion 	Dispel Mote 	Knot of Rust 	Meteorite (A)
18 	70% 	50% 	≤ 450 gil	Item 1 	Item 2 	Common 	Rare
18 	70% 	50% 	≤ 450 gil	Hi-Potion 	Ether 	Knot of Rust 	Meteorite (A)
19[1]	100% 	0% 	N/A 	Shock Mote 	Shock Mote 	Shock Mote 	Shock Mote
20 	70% 	50% 	≤ 450 gil	Item 1 	Item 2 	Common 	Rare
20 	70% 	50% 	≤ 450 gil	Hi-Potion 	Chronos Tear 	Knot of Rust 	Meteorite (A)
21 	70% 	50% 	≤ 450 gil	Item 1 	Item 2 	Common 	Rare
21 	70% 	50% 	≤ 450 gil	Hi-Potion 	Aero Mote 	Knot of Rust 	Meteorite (A)
22 	70% 	50% 	≤ 450 gil	Item 1 	Item 2 	Common 	Rare
22 	70% 	50% 	≤ 450 gil	Hi-Potion 	Ether 	Knot of Rust 	Meteorite (A)
23[1]	100% 	0% 	N/A 	Megalixir 	Megalixir 	Megalixir 	Megalixir
* - Chest does not respawn.
;Original
Chest	Spawns	Holds Gil%	Normal Treasure	Normal Treasure	Normal Treasure 	Diamond Armlet Treasure	Diamond Armlet Treasure	Diamond Armlet Treasure
6 	45% 	50% 	Gil 	Item 1 	Item 2 	Gil 	Common 	Rare
6 	45% 	50% 	≤ 50 gil 	Hi-Potion 	Gokuu Pole 	≤ 1,000 gil 	Knot of Rust 	Hi-Ether
7 	70% 	5% 	Gil 	Item 1 	Item 2 	Gil 	Common 	Rare
7 	70% 	5% 	≤ 2,000 gil 	Hi-Potion 	G-Foe: thunder - vuln.	≤ 3,800 gil 	Knot of Rust 	Hi-Ether
8 	70% 	5% 	Gil 	Item 1 	Item 2 	Gil 	Common 	Rare
8 	70% 	5% 	≤ 2,000 gil 	Hi-Potion 	G-Foe: thunder - weak 	≤ 3,800 gil 	Knot of Rust 	Hi-Ether
9 	75% 	10% 	Gil 	Item 1 	Item 2 	Gil 	Common 	Rare
9 	75% 	10% 	≤ 2,500 gil 	Hi-Ether 	Ether 	≤ 3,800 gil 	Knot of Rust 	Hi-Ether
10 	100% 	0% 	Gil 	Item 1 	Item 2 	Gil 	Item 	Item
10 	100% 	0% 	N/A 	Iga Blade 	Koga Blade 	N/A 	Knot of Rust 	Knot of Rust
=== Falls of Time ===
;Zodiac
Chest	Spawns	Holds Gil%	Gil 	Normal Treasure	Normal Treasure	Diamond Armlet Treasure	Diamond Armlet Treasure
24 	70% 	45% 	≤ 480 gil	Hi-Potion 	Hi-Potion 	Common 	Rare
24 	70% 	45% 	≤ 480 gil	Hi-Potion 	Hi-Potion 	Knot of Rust 	Meteorite (A)
25 	70% 	45% 	≤ 480 gil	Item 1 	Item 2 	Common 	Rare
25 	70% 	45% 	≤ 480 gil	Hi-Potion 	Nu Khai Sand 	Knot of Rust 	Meteorite (A)
26 	70% 	45% 	≤ 480 gil	Item 1 	Item 2 	Common 	Rare
26 	70% 	45% 	≤ 480 gil	Hi-Potion 	Nu Khai Sand 	Knot of Rust 	Meteorite (A)
27 	70% 	45% 	≤ 480 gil	Item 1 	Item 2 	Common 	Rare
27 	70% 	45% 	≤ 480 gil	Hi-Potion 	Phoenix Down 	Knot of Rust 	Meteorite (C)
28[1]	100% 	0% 	N/A 	Sakura-saezuri 	Sakura-saezuri 	Sakura-saezuri 	Sakura-saezuri
29[1]	100% 	0% 	N/A 	1000 Needles 	1000 Needles 	1000 Needles 	1000 Needles
30 	70% 	45% 	≤ 480 gil	Hi-Potion 	Hi-Potion 	Common 	Rare
30 	70% 	45% 	≤ 480 gil	Hi-Potion 	Hi-Potion 	Knot of Rust 	Meteorite (B)
31 	70% 	45% 	≤ 480 gil	Item 1 	Item 2 	Common 	Rare
31 	70% 	45% 	≤ 480 gil	Hi-Potion 	Chronos Tear 	Knot of Rust 	Meteorite (A)
* - Chest does not respawn.
;Original
Chest	Spawns	Holds Gil%	Normal Treasure	Normal Treasure	Normal Treasure 	Diamond Armlet Treasure	Diamond Armlet Treasure	Diamond Armlet Treasure
11 	70% 	5% 	Gil 	Item 1 	Item 2 	Gil 	Common 	Rare
11 	70% 	5% 	≤ 30 gil 	Hi-Potion 	G-Foe: ice - weak 	≤ 1,000 gil 	Knot of Rust 	Hi-Ether
12 	50% 	50% 	Gil 	Item 1 	Item 2 	Gil 	Common 	Rare
12 	50% 	50% 	≤ 900 gil 	Hi-Potion 	Officer's Hat 	≤ 2,000 gil 	Knot of Rust 	Hi-Ether
13 	70% 	5% 	Gil 	Item 1 	Item 2 	Gil 	Common 	Rare
13 	70% 	5% 	≤ 30 gil 	Hi-Potion 	G-Foe: ice - vuln.	≤ 1,000 gil 	Knot of Rust 	Hi-Ether
14[1]	80% 	10% 	Gil 	Item 1 	Item 2 	Gil 	Common 	Rare
14[1]	80% 	10% 	7,963 gil 	Elixir 	Dark Matter 	28,000 gil 	Knot of Rust 	Megalixir
15[1]	70% 	10% 	Gil 	Item 1 	Item 2 	Gil 	Common 	Rare
15[1]	70% 	10% 	6,954 gil 	Elixir 	Kiku-ichimonji 	30,000 gil 	Knot of Rust 	Elixir
* - Chest does not respawn.
=== Destiny's March ===
These chests only appear in the Zodiac versions.
Chest	Spawns	Holds Gil%	Gil 	Normal Treasure	Normal Treasure	Diamond Armlet Treasure	Diamond Armlet Treasure
32 	70% 	45% 	≤ 460 gil	Item 1 	Item 2 	Common 	Rare
32 	70% 	45% 	≤ 460 gil	Hi-Potion 	Antidote 	Knot of Rust 	Meteorite (B)
33 	70% 	45% 	≤ 460 gil	Item 1 	Item 2 	Common 	Rare
33 	70% 	45% 	≤ 460 gil	Hi-Potion 	Antidote 	Knot of Rust 	Meteorite (A)
34 	70% 	45% 	≤ 460 gil	Item 1 	Item 2 	Common 	Rare
34 	70% 	45% 	≤ 460 gil	Hi-Potion 	Chronos Tear 	Knot of Rust 	Meteorite (A)
35 	70% 	45% 	≤ 460 gil	Item 1 	Item 2 	Common 	Rare
35 	70% 	45% 	≤ 460 gil	Hi-Potion 	Antidote 	Knot of Rust 	Meteorite (A)
36 	70% 	45% 	≤ 460 gil	Hi-Potion 	Hi-Potion 	Common 	Rare
36 	70% 	45% 	≤ 460 gil	Hi-Potion 	Hi-Potion 	Knot of Rust 	Meteorite (A)
37 	70% 	45% 	≤ 460 gil	Item 1 	Item 2 	Common 	Rare
37 	70% 	45% 	≤ 460 gil	Hi-Potion 	Chronos Tear 	Knot of Rust 	Meteorite (A)
38 	70% 	45% 	≤ 460 gil	Hi-Potion 	Hi-Potion 	Common 	Rare
38 	70% 	45% 	≤ 460 gil	Hi-Potion 	Hi-Potion 	Knot of Rust 	Meteorite (A)
=== Hall of Shadowlight ===
Chests in this location do not respawn.
;Zodiac
Chest	Spawns	Holds Gil%	Gil	Normal Treasure	Normal Treasure	Diamond Armlet Treasure	Diamond Armlet Treasure
39 	100% 	0% 	N/A	Phoenix Down 	Phoenix Down 	Phoenix Down 	Phoenix Down
40 	100% 	0% 	N/A	Cura Mote 	Cura Mote 	Cura Mote 	Cura Mote
41 	100% 	0% 	N/A	Elixir 	Elixir 	Elixir 	Elixir
42 	100% 	0% 	N/A	Bubble Mote 	Bubble Mote 	Bubble Mote 	Bubble Mote
43 	100% 	0% 	N/A	X-Potion 	X-Potion 	X-Potion 	X-Potion
;Original
Chest	Spawns	Holds Gil%	Normal Treasure	Normal Treasure	Normal Treasure	Diamond Armlet Treasure	Diamond Armlet Treasure	Diamond Armlet Treasure
16 	100% 	0% 	Phoenix Down 	Phoenix Down 	Phoenix Down 	Phoenix Down 	Phoenix Down 	Phoenix Down
17 	100% 	0% 	Elixir 	Elixir 	Elixir 	Elixir 	Elixir 	Elixir
18 	100% 	0% 	Gil 	Item 1 	Item 2 	Gil 	Item 	Item
18 	100% 	0% 	N/A 	Elixir 	Gaia Hat 	N/A 	Elixir 	Elixir
=== Temptation Eluded ===
;Zodiac
Chest	Spawns	Holds Gil%	Gil 	Normal Treasure	Normal Treasure	Diamond Armlet Treasure	Diamond Armlet Treasure
44 	70% 	45% 	≤ 420 gil	Item 1 	Item 2 	Common 	Rare
44 	70% 	45% 	≤ 420 gil	Hi-Potion 	Remedy 	Knot of Rust 	Meteorite (B)
45 	70% 	45% 	≤ 420 gil	Item 1 	Item 2 	Common 	Rare
45 	70% 	45% 	≤ 420 gil	Hi-Potion 	Phoenix Down 	Knot of Rust 	Meteorite (A)
46 	70% 	45% 	≤ 420 gil	Item 1 	Item 2 	Common 	Rare
46 	70% 	45% 	≤ 420 gil	Hi-Potion 	Antidote 	Knot of Rust 	Meteorite (A)
47 	70% 	45% 	≤ 420 gil	Item 1 	Item 2 	Common 	Rare
47 	70% 	45% 	≤ 420 gil	Hi-Potion 	Ether 	Knot of Rust 	Meteorite (A)
;Original
Chest	Spawns	Holds Gil%	Normal Treasure	Normal Treasure	Normal Treasure 	Diamond Armlet Treasure	Diamond Armlet Treasure	Diamond Armlet Treasure
19 	70% 	5% 	Gil 	Item 1 	Item 2 	Gil 	Common 	Rare
19 	70% 	5% 	≤ 1,500 gil 	Hi-Potion 	G-Foe: water - vuln.	≤ 3,500 gil 	Knot of Rust 	Hi-Ether
20 	70% 	5% 	Gil 	Item 1 	Item 2 	Gil 	Common 	Rare
20 	70% 	5% 	≤ 1,500 gil 	Hi-Potion 	G-Foe: water - weak 	≤ 3,500 gil 	Knot of Rust 	Hi-Ether
21 	70% 	5% 	Gil 	Item 1 	Item 2 	Gil 	Common 	Rare
21 	70% 	5% 	≤ 1,500 gil 	Hi-Potion 	Ether 	≤ 3,500 gil 	Knot of Rust 	Hi-Ether
=== Hall of the Wroth God ===
Chests in this location do not respawn. The Zodiac Escutcheon is a rare treasure that appears randomly in the Zodiac versions to the opposite side of the room from the door the player enters, so it is easy to see if it has appeared or not. The player can zone in and out of the room waiting for it to appear; the 4x mode in The Zodiac Age makes it faster.
;Zodiac
Chest	Spawns	Holds Gil%	Gil	Normal Treasure 	Normal Treasure 	Diamond Armlet Treasure	Diamond Armlet Treasure
48 	100% 	0% 	N/A	Reverse Mote 	Reverse Mote 	Reverse Mote 	Reverse Mote
49 	100% 	0% 	N/A	Hastega Mote 	Hastega Mote 	Hastega Mote 	Hastega Mote
50 	100% 	0% 	N/A	Bubble Mote 	Bubble Mote 	Bubble Mote 	Bubble Mote
51 	1% 	0% 	N/A	Zodiac Escutcheon	Zodiac Escutcheon	Zodiac Escutcheon 	Zodiac Escutcheon
;Original
Chest	Spawns	Holds Gil%	Normal Treasure	Normal Treasure	Normal Treasure	Diamond Armlet Treasure	Diamond Armlet Treasure	Diamond Armlet Treasure
22 	100% 	5% 	Gil 	Item 1 	Item 2 	Gil 	Common 	Rare
22 	100% 	5% 	N/A 	Balance Mote 	Holy Mote 	N/A 	Balance Mote 	Holy Mote
== Quests ==
=== Mandragora Hunt ===
An Archadian noble on the Tchita Uplands gives an unofficial hunt to hunt down the Mandragoras inside Sochen Cave Palace. They use deadly status ailments that never miss: Confuse, Blind, Disable, Slow, Poison, Sleep, Sap and Silence. It is best to equip Nishijin Belts to avoid Sleep and an "Ally: any (>) Remedy" gambit is priceless. If these options are not available, an "Ally: status = Sleep (>) Esuna" is just as effective, since Sleep is almost always inflicted along will the other statuses.
Each Mandragora has its own elemental weakness that can be exploited. It's better to focus on them one at a time, though they tend to run away at low HP. The Mandragoras can take off quite a chunk of HP with their physical attacks while in groups. It is possible to Dispel their Haste, and one can set up a "Foe: status = Haste (>) Dispel" gambit for quick removal. The Mandragoras have a pattern where they rush into the party to cast status effects and attack, then run away and cure, but they will always move in a group.
The best way to defeat them is to wait until they are grouped together and chain a Quickening on them. The player should stay on one side of the room and wait until they run toward the party, grouped. A well-aimed Quickening chain can totally pulverize the group quickly. The player should kill the Pumpkin Star first, because it casts Confuse. It is best to manage the party well and not let the party members mindlessly run around the room.
Mandragoras are hard to steal from, but the items they hold are nothing special, although the Onion from Onion Queen can be sold to make Megalixir in the bazaar.
After defeating the Mandragoras, the party can join the Rare Game hunt club on Phon Coast after the storyline events in Archades.
=== Hunts ===
The Darksteel is a Rank IV Mark whose hunt becomes available upon reaching Archades. The Darksteel can be found in the Temptation Eluded area and all of the other enemies will be cleared out when the player enters it. It is petitioned by the Homesick Man in Archades's armor shop.
The Overlord is a Rank VI Mark whose hunt can be undertaken after the events in the Draklor Laboratory. The Overlord can be found in the Doubt Abandoned area of the Sochen Cave Palace. The Insecure Seeq assists the party in battle, but he falls in one shot from Overlord's Pyromania. The seeq is the petitioner, found in the Technick shop in Archades.
=== Rare Game ===
To find Anubys the player must have spoken to the "Huntmaster" in Phon Coast and defeated Thalassinon, which will trigger the start of the Rare Game quest. Anubys then appears in the secret room that does not appear in the map, called Mirror of the Soul. The player has to complete the waterfall puzzle (see below), and once the player reaches the room, Anubys will drop down.
The Temptation Eluded area is filled with Pit Fiends and Wendigos 25% of the time. After killing all of them, Cubus will drop down right next to the player. This will only work if Pit Fiends and Wendigos spawn, not Strikers and Imps.
To find Wendice the player must have spoken to the "Huntmaster" in Phon Coast and started the Rare Game quest after defeating Thalassinon. The player then has to kill three or more Wendigos before the Wendice will spawn. After killing the required number of Wendigos, it will spawn in the center of Destiny's March. The easiest way to do this is to run around the diamond shape of Destiny's March killing all the Wendigos around, and soon a red dot shows up in the center. It seems that the player has a certain amount of time to kill the Wendigos, so it is best not to waste time running around.
=== Opening Pilgrim's Door ===
A powerful ninja sword can be found behind the Pilgrim's Door in the original version (Knot of Rust if Diamond Armlet is equipped). In Zodiac versions, the treasure is a Megalixir as Koga and Iga Blades have been moved elsewhere. There are also two treasures outside of the Pilgrim’s Door for 1000 Needles Technick and the Sakura-saezuri sword.
The player should start within the Falls of Time area and travel through the southeast-most door and proceed clockwise following the pattern in the picture. While following the path, each time one enters into the Falls of time area, a message appears that the waterfalls have changed their course. At the end, the player will receive the message "You hear a door open in the distance". From then on it does not matter what order the player enters or exits the Falls of Time area. The process is shown in this video.
=== Opening Ascetic's Door ===
The Ascetic's Door is located at the westernmost wall of Destiny's March. It is recommended the player enter this area later because it holds more difficult enemies than the rest of the Sochen Cave Palace area (namely the Hell Wyrm).
The player should begin by entering the easternmost chamber from the caves to the east, then proceed clockwise around the diamond shape until one arrives again at the eastern chamber. Upon completing the route once will give the message "You hear a door open in the distance".
Enter the chamber in the end, the player needs the Age Worn Key from the Wyrm Philosopher side quest.
=== Hell Wyrm ===
Hell Wyrm is an optional boss reached if the player opens the door to its lair with the Age Worn Key. The player must have already defeated the Vyraal Hunt #21: Get My Stuff Back and received the key item Dragon Scale. The player must then search Windmill #10 in Cerobi Steppe (located in the Northsward) to trigger a scene with the Wyrm Philosopher who will trade the Dragon Scale for the Age Worn Key.
The battle against Hell Wyrm can be considered a prelude to the battle against the game's superboss Yiazmat. The battle can be abandoned at any time, and the Hell Wyrm's HP stays at the point where the player left it. It is weak against Holy-elemental damage and absorbs the Dark element, the opposite of Yiazmat. Level 55 or higher is a good level for fighting Hell Wyrm.
== Enemies ==
* Wendigo
* Striker
* Imp
* Iguion
* Pit Fiend
* Zombie Knight
* Focalor
* Gorgimera
* Crystalbug (blue)
* Abysteel
* Zombie Warlock
* Onion Queen (Boss)
* Topstalk (Boss)
* Mandragora Prince (Boss)
* Alraune King (Boss)
* Pumpkin Star (Boss)
* Ahriman (Boss)
* Hell Wyrm (Superboss)
* Anubys (Rare)
* Wendice (Rare)
* Cubus (Rare)
* Darksteel (Mark)
* Overlord (Mark)
== Musical themes ==
The theme of Sochen Cave Palace is called "The Sochen Cave Palace" .
== Map ==
The map can be found on the right side of the Mirror of the Soul area.
:Note: areas highlighted in red are hidden passages that do not appear on the map.
Map from the original Final Fantasy XII that includes all treasure information.
== Other appearances ==
=== Final Fantasy Record Keeper ===
The track of the Sochen Cave Palace is played in the Mote Dungeon selection screen and the bosses of all this dungeons are the Five Mandragoras.
===Final Fantasy Brave Exvius===
== Gallery ==
Entrance to sochen cave palace.jpg|Entrance
Sochen cave palace2.jpg|Inside
Sochen-Cave-Palace-Waterfalls.jpg|Waterfalls.
Sochen-Cave-Palace-Ruins-FFXII-TZA.png|Room.
Mandragora-Ghosts-FFXII-TZA.png|Mandragora ghosts.
Sochen-Cave-Palace-Hallways-FFXII-TZA.jpg
Sochen-Cave-Palace-Dead-End-FFXII-TZA.jpg
Sochen-Cave-Palace-Ruins-FFXII-TZA.jpg
Sochen-Cave-Palace-Elevator.png|Elevator.
Sochen-Cave-Palace-Lift-Crystal-FFXII-TZA.png|Crystal inside elevator.
Party-at-Sochen-Cave-Palace-FFXII-TZA.png
Category:Locations in Final Fantasy XII
Category:Caves
de:Sohen-Höhlenpalast