Centra Excavation Site

The Centra Excavation Site is an unrevisitable location in Final Fantasy VIII. It is visited during the second Laguna dream, when Squall's party is heading toward Galbadia Garden.
== Story ==
Esthar was excavating what would become the Lunatic Pandora, and Laguna, Kiros and Ward were part of the G-Army sent to spy on Esthar's activities. The trio wandered to the site by accident and discovered the site was a crystalline maze, wondering what Esthar was doing there. They found their way to the top where they viewed the ocean below and some Galbadian vessels they thought would take them home.
Estharian soldiers cornered the trio atop the excavation site, and though Laguna, Kiros and Ward won the battle, they were wounded. Ward began to lose his voice, but Laguna coached his friends to jump down the cliff to the ocean. He pushed them over the edge himself but when it was his turn, he chickened out, and slipped and fell down the cliff. He was later rescued and brought to the town of Winhill to recuperate, never returning to the employ of the Galbadian army.
Buried at the excavation site was the crystal pillar originating from the moon that had fallen to the earth during a Lunar Cry. Seeking to control the Lunar Cry phenomenon as a weapon of mass destruction, Esthar had the pillar excavated and brought to Esthar to be made into the Lunatic Pandora.
During the present Squall's party can spot blue crystals on the former excavation site, but nothing of value outside a Demi draw point is to be found there.
== Geography ==
=== Overview ===
The excavation was located within the Centra continent just north of the Centra Crater among the mountains. In the present day, all that is left of the site are blue markings on the ground (a draw point for Demi), which reveal its exact location.
=== Excavation Site entrance ===
The entrance leads in from the forest surrounding the site. It consists of a complex network of metal catwalks, iron ladders, and lead beams patrolled by Esthar soldiers. The first metal catwalk has a Sleep draw point at the start, and forks into two different catwalks: the catwalk on the right leads to a ladder straight down, while the catwalk on the left leads further inside to a second screen. This then leads to a three-way junction: the path on the left which leads nowhere, the path on the right with a Confuse draw point, and the path heading straight forward to a hole in the ground with a ladder leading below to the depths.
Laguna's party will fight Esthar Soldiers here. These enemies are similar to G-Soldiers, and also allow Fire, Blizzard, Thunder, and Cure to be drawn from them, while posing minimal threat.
=== Excavation Site depths ===
The site itself seems alien of nature with walls and floors made up of some glowing bluish rock unlike anything seen on the planet. A network of tunnels travel throughout this unique location.
The site depths consist of several screens through the tunnels. The first after arriving down the ladder through the main entrance is simply a tunnel heading straight down, leading to another screen with three metal trapdoors across. The trapdoors can be tampered with by Laguna's party, and the trapdoors tampered with affect the draw points that Squall's party can access when arriving later. The third screen past this leads to a wider, longer cave, before proceeding right to another screen. This next screen leads to a small junction, with a circular gate on the right leading to an alternate route inside, and a path upwards leading further inside the cave. After interacting with abandoned pieces of the cave at the bottom of the screen, Laguna can pick up an Old Key.
Arriving down the right ladder from the entrance instead leads down to a catwalk, with metal pipes and machinery on the right-hand side and the cave on the left-hand side. At the end of this, the catwalk then bends left into the cave, entering through the blue circular supports in the cave wall, to the screen with the small junction.
Taking the path upwards from the screen with the blue circular supports on the right will lead to a screen with a wider area, with a boulder on the left and a small tunnel leading further through the cave at the back. This will lead to another long screen, with a boulder on the right, a detonator on the ground, and a staircase at the back leading through a small gate at the top. This leads to a final screen in the cave, with a set of stairs heading upwards and then to the left to a small exit marked by circular supports. This leads to another screen with a long tunnel that bends left, upwards, and finally bends right to the exit.
The next screen is a small junction with a save point and two paths head up by metal circular supports: a path on the right leading to a few screens outside in the grass, and a path straight ahead up a flight of stairs leading to the cliff.
During Laguna's party's time in the Centra Excavation Site, Laguna may fight human Esthar Soldiers, cyborg Esthar Soldier, Gespers, and Elastoid. Junctioning Thunder to a character's Elem-Atk-J will increase damage dealt against most of these enemies, though the biggest threat is the Elastoid, which has high HP. Dispel can be drawn from Elastoids, while Shell and Protect can be drawn from Gespers, though it will be slow to draw any of these spells from these enemies.
=== Cliff ===
At the top of the site cliff overlooks the ocean far below. Here, Laguna's party fights a few scripted battles against Esthar Soldiers in the scripted battles on the cliffs.
== Quests ==
Some of the actions played out here have a direct consequence when Lunatic Pandora is invaded by the party later. For example, opening up the floor compartment to halt the Esthar soldiers allows the player to find a draw point, and old keys open up new rooms to explore later on.
=== Old keys ===
While wandering through the tunnels as Laguna it is possible to find two old keys. Laguna will lose them straight away, but these events trigger new items becoming available later when Squall enters Lunatic Pandora later.
* Picking up the left-most key (when taking the left fork from the start) opens a door to an Ultima draw point later.
* Picking up the other key (back tracking to the ladder at the end of the straight path) opens a door to a LuvLuv G later.
Old Key 1 in Centra Excavation Site from FFVIII R.png|Old Key #1
Old Key 2 in Centra Excavation Site from FFVIII R.png|Old Key #2
=== Trap-doors, boulders and the detonator ===
Tampering with the handle of the middle trap door will open it upon leaving the screen. When the area is visited as Squall, a Silence draw point will be found in the opened door. After opening the middle door Laguna should tamper with the other handles as well although nothing will happen yet. After interacting with all the handles, Laguna will have a leg cramp scene when moving on.
At the detonator, Laguna should blow the further boulder first, followed by the closer one. If done correctly, and Laguna has tampered with the left and right trap doors, each detonation will shake a trap-door open. Later on Squall can find a Phoenix Pinion behind the left door, and a Power Generator behind the right door and the boulders act as bridges.
Lastly, there is a boulder along the path to the cliff. Examining it will cause the boulder to roll away. This reveals a Cure draw point for Laguna, and later the party can find a Spd-J Scroll in the hole.
Centra Excavation Site middle latch from FFVIII R.png|Middle latch first.
Right latch in Centra Excavation Site from FFVIII R.png|Right latch second.
Left latch in Centra Excavation Site from FFVIII R.png|Left latch last.
Centra Excavation Site Red Detonator from FFVIII R.png|Press red switch first, then blue switch.
Boudlder to push near the top of Centra Excavation Site from FFVIII R.png|Boulder to push near the top.
=== Battles on the cliffs ===
Laguna is forced to fight five battles on the cliff, but tampering with the middle trap door, blowing the two detonators in the correct order, and pushing the boulder will each prevent one fight. The last soldier will always use a move that leaves the party with 1 HP.
== Musical themes ==
"Junction" plays at the dungeon's entrance, while "Find Your Way", the game's dungeon theme, play inside the excavation site.
== Other appearances ==
=== Final Fantasy Airborne Brigade ===
=== Final Fantasy Record Keeper ===
In Squall's dream, Laguna and his squad scout the Esthar excavation site in Centra. They encounter heavier-than-expected defenses as they advance through the tunnels.
== Gallery ==
Centra-excavation-site-map-ffviii.png|Map of the area from Final Fantasy VIII Ultimania.
Laguna brought the wrong map to Centra in FFVIII R.png|Laguna brought the wrong map.
Laguna leg cramp in Centra Excavation Site from FFVIII R.png|Laguna's leg cramp after using all latches as intended.
Centra Excavation Site boulder detonated ffrom FFVIII R.png|Boulder rolls down the hill after a detonation.
Centra Excavation Site summit from FFVIII R.png|Summit.
FFRK Centra Excavation Site JP FFVIII.png|The japanese dungeon image for Centra Excavation Site in Final Fantasy Record Keeper.
Category:Locations in Final Fantasy VIII