...............................................................................
      ____________
     /____   ____/
         /  / ___  _____  ____
    __  /  / / _ \ \  _ \ \  _\
    \ \/  / / /_\ \ \ \_\\ \ \-_
     \___/ /_/   \_\ \____\ \___\

                       _________
                      /  ______/
                     /  /
                    /  /            _____  _____  _____  _____  __    __
                    \  \           / _  / / ___/ / _  / / _  / /  \  / /
                     \  \_______  //_/ / / /__  //_/ / //_/ / / /\ \/ /
                      \________/ /____/ /____/ /____/ /____/ /_/  \__/ 

...............................................................................
                            LEGEND OF THE TAMAMAYU:
                                 MERGING GUIDE






CONTENTS
  A) Disclaimer
  B) Version History
  C) About this Guide
      i)   What is Merging?
      ii)  How do I use this Guide?
      iii) Oops, I found an error...
  D) The Laws of Merging
      i)   An Overview
      ii)  Stats
      iii) Abilities
      iv)  Magic
      v)   Appearance
  E) Making the "Perfect" Minion
  F) Some Pre-Made Minions
  G) Miscellaineous
      i)   Minion List
      ii)  Elements
      iii) Bird of Paradise
      iv)  Eternal Corridor
  H) Credits





=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=
---------------------------[A.    Disclaimer       ]---------------------------
=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=

     This document was created and maintained by Goryus, the author.  It is 
  the sole property of its author, who bears the copyright and reserves all 
  rights.  It is protected by the "United States Code:  Title 17 - Copyrights", 
  the "Berne Convention for the Protection of Literacy and Artistic Works 
  (Paris Text 1971)", any and all copyright and patent laws applicable and/or  
  International Treaties.  It may not be hosted, used, or displayed without the
  express consent of the Author.  As of this moment, the only sites with such
  permission are:

                  www.GameFAQs.com
                  www.NeoSeeker.com

     It may not be altered, edited, or formated, nor may any materials be added
  or removed from this document, without the express written consent of the
  author.  It may not be offered for money and/or compensation (even 
  if profit attempt fails) or offered as a bonus or gift for accessing a web 
  page or purchasing an item.  It may not be added to an archive of any type.
  It must always remain in the English Language.  It will not be translated 
  to any language for any reason whatsoever.  It will not appear in any 
  publication.  This document was in no way intended for commerical, 
  promotional and/or profitable uses.  This guide is limited to personal and 
  private use only.  Any other uses MUST be priorly approved by the author, 
  Goryus <goryus@hotmail.com>.
     If this copyright is trangressed, the violators will face immediate civil 
  and/or criminal penalties to the fullest extent possible.  Any breach of
  copyright (which includes acts of stealing, plagiarism, pirating, uses not
  private and personal, posting without permission, etc.) is considered a 
  felony, and will be punished accordingly.
     For the latest version of all of the Author's guides, check out
  www.chancellor.freehosting.net/faqs.html.



=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=
---------------------------[B.  Version History    ]---------------------------
=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=

  v1.0
     - Completed introductionary "About This Guide" section
     - Added "Laws of Merging" section
     - Added advice on constructing the perfect Minion
     - Added a handful a Minions of my own design
     - Began work on the full Minion List
     - Some other miscellaineous stuff

  v1.1
     - Corrected some typos
     - Granted persion to NeoSeeker.com to use this guide
     - Seriously improved "Eternal Corridor" section
     - Updated monster list
     - Added some new abilities I discovered


=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=
---------------------------[C.  About this Guide   ]---------------------------
=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=

=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-
 What is Merging?
=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-
     Many people took one look at Jade Cocoon and passed it away as nothing
  more than "another Pokemon ripoff."  Those few of us who were enchanted
  enough by the stellar graphics and smooth gameplay (if a bit discouraged
  about the length and plot) to actually play the game for a couple hours,
  however, discovered just how much deeper than Pokemon this game can go.
     Merging is the process of taking two of your captured monsters, called
  "Minions," and fusing them into one being.  Not only does this affect their
  stats and abilities, but it also completely restructures their physical
  appearance (see section D-v for a more thorough explanation of how).  The
  change in appearance is completely based on which combination of the 171
  Minions are merged, and you can in fact merge five or six different ones
  together to form a Minion that looks the way you desire it to - virtually
  any way imaginable - has all the skills you want, the stat lay out you
  decide is most appropriate for it, and whatever name you want to give
  it.  The draw back?  Its extremely easy to make mistakes: to weaken
  monsters, or to make something so hideously ugly you can't stand to use
  it, for all its power.
     That's what this guide is here for.

=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-
 How do I use this guide?
=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-
     The most important section of this guide, as far as merging goes,
  is the "Laws of Merging" section where I detail the actual mechanics
  behind merging.  While it's by no means necessary to understand them all,
  making an effort to do so can make the difference between a powerful,
  cool looking Minion and a weak lump of clay.
     Once you get a thorough understand of how merging works, you should
  probably experiment: either use one of the pre-made merges I have listed,
  or create one of your own.  Some monsters just tend to look good, no matter
  what you fuse them to, and some are either exceptional due to the layout
  of their stats or the abilities they have, or both.  I have compiled a list
  of Minions that share these characteristics, along with descriptions and
  opinions of each, to help you along (see "Making the Perfect Minion").  I
  highly reccomend using some of them to get yourself started.
     The last part of this guide consists of my as-of-yet incomplete Minion
  list, and some miscellaineous information about the game itself.  Wondering
  where you need to go, what you need to do, to get a certain a Minion?  This
  is the place to check out.  Enjoy!

=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=
 Oops, I found an error...
=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=
     Hey, we all make mistakes, and often me more than others.  If you note a
  typo or some incorrect information somewhere, or if you have some Minions to
  add to either the "Pre-Made Merges" or the "Minion List" sections, or just
  some critique - good or bad - please feel free to email me at 
  goryus@hotmail.com.  Looking forward to hearing from you.



=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=
---------------------------[D. The Laws of Merging ]---------------------------
=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=

=-=-=-=-=-=-=
 An Overview
=-=-=-=-=-=-=
     Alright, down to the good stuff!  In this section, you will find the
  specifics on how merging works, so that you can go ahead and make your very
  own Minion that looks, feels, and plays the way you want it to.  A couple of
  important things of note:

          - The first Minion you select serves as the "base" for the fusion.
            Its behavioral patterns, posture, and method of attack (ramming,
            punching, etc) caries over no matter what it is fused to.

          - NEVER fuse a stronger Minion to a weaker base Minion.  The end
            result is a monster on the level of the stronger one, but with
            the average stats of the two (this is, fortunately, NOT true 
            the other way around).

          - The tint of your Minion's skin is determined wholly by it's
            element, or combination thereof, with Fire being red, Water
            being blue, Earth being green, and Wind being yellow.  So, if
            you want a purple Minion, fuse one Fire Minion with a Water
            one.

          - The higher your percentage of a certain element, the more damage
            you do with spells of that element (i.e., monsters that are mostly
            wind do more damage with wind spells than monsters that are mostly
            fire).

          - Minions that use poision/sleep/stone attacks are resistant to
            them, and so is anything that is fused to one.
  
          - ALL Minions are equally good, when it comes down to sheer raw
            stats.  The real determining factor is how those stats fit with
            your chosen abilities, and how cool you can look doing so.

     Try and keep these points in mind while reading the rest of the guide.
  They're some of the most important, elemental truths to merging.  Now, to 
  the Laws!

=-=-=-=
 Stats
=-=-=-=
     If you look at your Minions, either from the menu screen or while
  performing Nagi magic, you should note a small grid with four labels on it
  (Attack, Defense, Speed, Magic) and a large red dot.  It is your job to
  manipulate this dot to configure your Minion's stats to suit your needs.    
     Stat growth in Jade Cocoon is completely linear, based entirely on the
  position of that red dot.  Before you stop me and say, "But I caught two
  of the same Minion, same dot placement but different stats," take a careful
  look at those stats.  Yes, there is a tiny random factor - but its big enough
  to make a difference of only 1, or (very rarely) 2 points in particular stat,
  and for our purposes can be ignored.
     The behavior of this dot is a little strange.  First off, please note that
  you _cannot_ have both a high Speed and Defense or a high Attack and Magic,
  as they are on opposite sides of the grid, and that only two of the remaining
  stat combinations can be 'high.'  In otherwords, you can have a fast attacker
  or a defensive magic user, but not a fast defensive character or a powerful
  magic user.
     The location of this dot, strangely enough, also determines your HP and MP
  stats.  The closer it is to the top of the grid, the higher your HP; and the
  closer to the bottom, the higher your MP.  This corresponds to your Attack
  Magic stats, or seems too, although they are actually slightly different.
     As I said earlier, the behavior of the almighty dot is a little strange.
  If you merge two monsters with similar characteristics (that is, they lie in
  the same quadrant on the grid) then those characteristics increase by an 
  amount that seems roughly equal to 1/2 the average of the two values.  Any
  stats, however, that do not lie in the same quadrant, are simply averaged to
  determine the new location of the dot.  Once that falls into place, the new
  stats are computed.*  They are:
          
          HP:            Ability to take damage
          MP:            Ability to cast spells

          Attack:        Physical Attack Strength
          Defense:       Resistance to physical attacks

          Magic:         Magical attack strength
          Magic Defense: Resistance to magical attacks

          Speed:         How quickly your Minion moves, how well it dodges, and
                         how well it can hit its target.

     If you want to raise a Minion's speed, therefor, merge it with fast
  Minions until its dot is in the Speed quadrant.  After that, merging it to
  other fast Minions will speed it up much faster.  Bear in mind, though, that
  this increase is coming at a cost to your defense stat.
     One other major benefit, stat wise, comes from merging Minions: the base
  Minion recieves the same amount of EXP it would have had it defeated the one
  it absorbed in a battle.  This means that merging two Minions of the same
  level produces one higher, one Minion with one a level lower gets you half
  what you need to level up, 2 levels a fourth, and on with successive powers
  of 2.  This means that you can essentially get the experience for defeating
  a monster twice - once by capturing it, and then again when you merge it.  It
  also allows you to get up to some better silk versions (2 level 24 Minions,
  when spun, get you 2 first snow silks, for a total of 2300 yan.  Merging them
  into a level 25, however, for pearl silk is 3000!).

     * Technically, the location of the Dot is based on your stats, not the
       other way around.  However, for our purposes it is much easier to just
       deal with dots.

=-=-=-=-=-=
 Abilities
=-=-=-=-=-=
     Due to the linear nature of stat growth, all Minions are comparatively
  powerful with each other on the average.  What distinguishes them in power,
  then, is not their stats, but their abilities, of which some are distinctly
  more powerful than others.*
     Your abilities are 'attached' to a certain body part (for instance, a horn
  attack).  They can be either elemental or not, they can have special effects,
  they can have stat modifiers, and they all take up differing amounts of MP.  
  They also overwrite eachother during a merge, if two happen to be in the same
  location.  In this case, the one of the monster being fused to the base
  monster takes precendence.  
     The possible special stat modifiers each can have follows:

          +Critical:       This attack has roughly a 50% chance of criticaling.
          +Accuracy:       This attack cannot miss.
          +Power:          This attack does about 25% more damage than normal.

  These modifiers latch on to the bodyparts they are associated with (Horn,
  Fang, Claw, Tail, or Foot) and, best of all, stick around unless overwritten
  by another of their kind!  This means that if one Minion has a "Earth Attack"
  on its tail, and you fuse it to one with a +Accuracy modifier on its tail
  (but no elemental, IMPORTANT) you wind up with an Earth Tail Attack with
  +Accuracy.  This is one of the few times it works the same in reverse.
     There is one remaining attribute to special attacks that can make them
  immensely powerful, much more useful than they could ever be otherwise: they
  can, very rarely, have some interesting special effects.  They are:
  
           Wing Rend:      Lowers the agility of winged Minions
           Leg Rend:       Lowers the agility of walking Minions
           Attack All:     Attacks all Enemies
           Drain:          You gain life equal to the damage this attack does.
           Drain Mana:     You gain Mana equal to the damage this attack does.
           Critical:       Enemy is reduced to 1 HP.
           Poison:         Poisons enemy.
           Sleep:          Causes enemy to fall asleep.
           Flesh-to-Stone: Slowly petrifies enemy.

  Whenever you see one of these, grab it up!  Along with +Critical or +Power
  and an elemental bonus, they can quickly allow you to rip through most
  Minions in a single blow!
     Ideally, you want your Minion to have abilities fitting each of the
  five body parts, a modifier on each - my favorite is +Power - and a special
  ability to boot.  This is _not_ easy to do, but well worth the rewards if
  you manage it.  If, in doing so, you've made a completely hideous beastie
  that you would never even consider bringing into battle, never fear.  Check
  out my sections on "Appearance" and "Creating the Perfect Minion."  Remember:
  just because you can't see a horn doesn't mean its not there.  As far as the
  game is concerned, if your third cousins great aunt (twice removed) had a
  horn, so do you.  Just be careful to keep the elemental ratio the way you 
  want it - a wind attack with no wind elemental ratio (or a very small one) is
  a complete waste of 15 MP - it does the same damage as a normal attack.
     Basically, the pricing for effects goes as follows: 10 MP for an elemental
  attack (which raises your attack based on your Magic stat, in addition to
  making it strong to one element and weak to another), 10 for a modifier, and
  5-15 for the "special" abilities, usually 10.  Since you recover 1/4 your MP
  and HP at the end of every battle, you should have no trouble using one or
  two a fight and ending up at full health.
     
     *This is not _exactly_ true.  Yes, stat growth is linear, but merging
      Minions can throw the stats all out of wack.  After that, growth
      proceeds as normal.  This is why its so horrible to fuse a weaker
      Minion base with a higher level one; lower base stats that then go
      up at only the normal rate.

=-=-=-=
 Magic
=-=-=-=
     Magic spells can either be extremely powerful or completely useless, 
  depending on your Magic stat.  Minions with a high Magic stat shouldn't have
  too much trouble tearing Minions of the opposite element apart in one blow,
  providing they have the right spell.
     Magic also has a 100% hit rate, a huge advantage, and MP can be recovered
  both after battles (25%) or during battle by defending (1/4 your level + 3).
  The only problem with heavy magic users is that their HP, of a necessity,
  suffers.  For this reason, I heavily reccomend Speed over Defense for them
  (it's much easier to dodge than to survive with half the HP of your friends).
     There are generally 5 magic spells of each element: one single enemy 
  (weak), one all-enemy (weak), one single enemy (powerful), one Deva spell 
  strengthens that element), and one Status spell.  The only exceptions to this
  are water, which has two healing spells, and Earth, which makes up for the
  lack with two status effect spells.

          Ulvi             (Earth)(Single)(Weak)
          Ulvis            (Earth)(Multi)(Weak)
          Ulvia            (Earth)(Single)(Strong)
          Deva Ulvi        (Earth)(All)
          Ad Venon         (Earth)(Single)(Poison)
          Ad Roqua         (Earth)(Single)(Stone)
          Agni             (Fire)(Single)(Weak)
          Agnis            (Fire)(Multi)(Weak)
          Agnia            (Fire)(Single)(Strong)
          Deva Agni        (Fire)(All)
          Ad Mumuls        (Fire)(Single)(Death)
          Malti            (Wind)(Single)(Weak)
          Maltis           (Wind)(Multi)(Weak)
          Maltia           (Wind)(Single)(Strong)
          Deva Malti       (Wind)(All)
          Ad Slahm         (Wind)(Single)(Sleep)
          Vahli            (Water)(Single)(Weak)
          Vahlis           (Water)(Multi)(Weak)
          Vahlia           (Water)(Single)(Strong)
          Deva Vahli       (Water)(All)
          Medina           (Water)(Single)(Heal)
          Selahm           (Water)(Single)(Cure)

  Later in the game, you'll want the Deva, Strong-Single, and all-enemy spells,
  as well as Medina and Selahm (if you have a water hybrid).
     Unlike abilities, magic isn't "attached" to anything, although you can
  only ever have 4 spells.  The computer simply kicks out the spells it sees
  as inferior, so if you have Ulvi and merge with something with Ulvis and
  your spells are full, wave good-bye to Ulvi and hello to Ulvis (or Ulvia).
  The Deva spells, which can be obtained from a number of sources, can really
  help, especially if your Minion is quick.  Casting a deva spell and then
  following up with an all enemy or strong magic spell can wipe out entire
  groups of enemies before they get a chance to move.
     Getting your Minions these spells is the easiest part of all mergings:
  merge one without the spell with one, and its got it, no questions asked.
  Watch out, however: like abilities, your alignment with one particular
  element effects the damage you do with these spells.  Vahlia on something
  that has been made pure fire is completely useless.


=-=-=-=-=-=-
 Appearance
=-=-=-=-=-=-
     Easily the most difficult part of merging is getting the finished product
  to look, not like an amorphous blob, but like something that deserves all the
  time and effort you've put into tuning it _exactly_ how you wanted.  And
  there's a very good reason I saved it for last: because it should be the last
  step in any merging you undertake.
     First off, lets go over exactly _how_ the merging process effects your
  Minion's appearance.  It takes the first body, and keeps its behavioral
  patterns - method of attack, posture, and the like - and wraps the skin of
  the second Minion (tinted appropriately due to element) around it.  It then
  proceeds to distort your Minion's shape.
     It appears to take the various parts of the Minion and average them 
  together, so to speak.  Something with a barrel chest, when merged with
  something thinner, will find its chest thinned; thick arms will thicken thin
  ones, no horn will blunt horns, and huge protruding jaws will cause the jaw
  to protrude grotesquely.  You can easily see how, after four or five
  mergings, the monster can quickly become completely unrecognizable.
    To avoid this, its necessary to do some planning.  The Minion that you have
  merged all this way should be one who's basic form suits what you had in mind
  - that is, you like (more or less) the way it looks, and you want to add
  abilities to it, or you intend to use that form for a purely aesthetic merge.
     Now, once you've finished merging its stats the way you like it, merge the
  product with another of the original (unmodified).  This will restore it to
  almost exactly its previous self; what few differences there are are
  miniscule, and almost always beneficial anyways.  Now, you're safe to merge
  it with others for appearance.  This may weaken it somewhat, but if you're
  careful it will either not be hurt by it or (ideally) actually strengthen it
  more.  If the base Minion you had started with has all its stats in the same
  area of the grid as the product you fought so long for, then merging the
  original in again will often further strengthen your Minion.
     As to what looks good, that's for you to decide.  Anything from the wasp 
  family works well with any non-humanoid (which work poorly with everything).
  Anything from the gore family - most notably the Tergore - have great
  skins, which look incredible on Minions of the appropriate element.  Those
  strange elongated Minions, the Turen, Rainster, Fintan, Bawni, and the like,
  are great for fusing - not only do they have the Deva spells, but they also
  have bodies that tend to slim and elongate whatever you're working with -
  perfect for most lizards, snakes, and insects you might try to make.  And
  if that fails...there is another option.
     You may have noticed that those strange, uncapturable Minions at the end
  of each of the Eternal Corridor's corridors will very rarely drop an item
  with their name attached.  This item is their skin, and it too is used in
  merging.
     If you completely screw up your Minion, and end with a Minion whose stats
  you like but his appearance you do not, sometimes it can be fixed by a
  quick patching with these skins.  When you're merging two Minions together,
  it should prompt if you want to use one of these skins.  Doing so will
  overwrite the skin of your current Minion with the skin of the appropriate
  boss, once again tinted to match your element.
     Note: it is normally impossible to have something blue that is strong with
  Fire and the color blue.  The closest you can come is purple.  This is true of
  all the other colors, except the yellow-green, earth-wind combination.  Yellow
  doesn't effect the green much, so its quite possible to have something just a
  little Earth and mostly Wind still be a decent green color.  Lastly, these
  special Minion skins will _not_ be tinted, providing your Minion is a pure
  element.
     The full list of these skins is as follows:

          Palooja:
                  This skin reminds me of a panda's, white and black striped
              but with a distinct red belly.  It works well with four legged
              beasties who walk on all fours, and is dropped by the Palooja
              enemy (the first of those strange, quazi-boss Minions).
 
          Ticker:
                  This skin is actually quite plain, green with brownish-black
              legs.  It looks OK on Minions of pretty much any color, but
              hardly phenomenal, and only really on humanoids.  Its dropped
              by the second of those quazi-bosses, the Ticker.

          Jeechwo:
                  This skin, in part because its made for such a small Minion,
              doesn't tend to work well with much.  Its a blackish upper half
              with a bright red underbelly, and that's about all there is to
              it.  Dropped by the third friendly quazi-boss, the Jeechwo.

          Kolna:
                  This skin is either really, really cool, or completely
              horrible, depending on how garish you want your Minions to be.
              Bright colors, and a nice leopard-spot kind of pattern.  This
              one comes from quazi-boss #4, the Kolna.

          Timaios:
                  This skin I just don't like, but maybe you'll find a use
              for it.  Its solid blue with rings of red around the neck and
              feet.  Timaios, number 5, drops it.

          Sicanjal:
                  Without question my favorite of these skins, the Sicanjal
              skin provides tiger-stripes for your Minion along with a white
              underbelly.  Looks good on anything, except some of the most
              garish humanoids or snakes, or anything that happens to be
              purple.  Its dropped by the sixth corridor quazi-boss, the
              Sicanjal.

          Yolga:
                  Once again, a skin that can be really great or useless. Its
              basically blue, but it segments your Minions skin into this
              repeating, hexagonal checkerboard layout.  Good for snakes and
              (sometimes) really large things, but tends to look silly on
              most anything else. This is dropped by good ol' 7, the Yolga
              boss.

     In addition to your Minion's appearance changing based on merges, it
  also changes as you level up.  In general, this seems pretty straight forward
  - for most Minions, they just get bigger.  However, that's not exactly what
  happens, and this can lead to some slight problems on down the line.
     Specifically, the size of each "part" of the body grows at a certain,
  fixed rate, much like the various "parts" of the body are averaged in a
  merging.  This means that some Minion's horns grow really fast, or their
  legs do, or even their jaws or claws.  A Minion, therefor, that looks really
  cool on level 2 can look exagerrated or distorted on level 20.  There are
  only a couple of ways to combat this.
     The first, and most obvious method of combatting this problem, is simply
  to merge the problem Minion with one with a small attribute.  Protruding jaw?
  No problem.  Merge it to something without a jaw, and BAM!  That protrusion
  has shrunk down to half its original size.  The real problem that arises
  from this is that it has the tendency to completely destroy your Minion's
  carefully crafted appearance.
    The second, and much more difficult, way of countering this phenomenon is
  based around planning.  When creating your Minions, make sure that no two
  attributes overlap too much - in other words, don't merge two things with
  huge horns, or jaws, or feet.  Instead, try to find some combinations that
  blunt the exagerrated charateristics of one another (try some of my pre-
  made Minions, if you want some decent examples).  The less exaggerated your
  Minion appears on its first appearance, the less exaggerated it will appear
  with age.

  
=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=
---------------------------[E. The Perfect Minion  ]---------------------------
=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=

    This section is a simple, straight forward set of guidelines for merging
  Minions, along with some miscellaineous stuff that did not fit above.  If
  you've read the above and know how merging works, then hopefully this will
  allow you to better apply it.

          - The ideal Minion has 5 abilities, 4 spells, and a stat layout that
            works with them.  If you want an attacker, you're going to want
            abilities with +Critical and +Power, some elemental and some not,
            and some of them specials (Like Drain and Attack-All).  If, 
            however, you want to be a magic user, you'll want at the least the
            third attack spell, the all-attack spell, and the appropriate deva
            spell for your element.  If you're water elemental, make _sure_
            that you have medina.  It is, hands down, the most useful spell in
            the game.

          - Some good Minions for abilities are: the Rainster, Fintan, Bawni,
            and Turen, all of the goat family, the spiders, the three-headed
            flying dragon family (Surprise!), and (best of all) the small,
            barrel type enemies, the best of which are the Paras.  For the
            most part, these also make a minimal impact on your form - at the
            least, a minimal _negative_ impact.

          - Some monsters you might consider for stat boosting: the goat family
            (if you noticed them above, you're probably realizing just how good
            these tend to be), the Sag family (for magic), the Paras (Speed,
            Power, and killer abilities.  YOU WANT THESE!), the Todon family
            (for defense), and the Back family (completely average; their dot
            is almost exactly in the middle).

          - Some Minions you might consider using for appearance: the Wasp
            family, the Alco family (birds), the Dreg or Frayd family (dogs),
            the Gore family (dragons), the elongated Rainster, Fintan, Bawni,
            and Turen, and the cute little Paras (again!).

          - The stat layout you pick for your Minion is extremely important.
            Make sure it compliments the _abilities_ you've also given them,
            or you'll find your Minion severely weakened.  Make sure you don't
            max something's attack and then try and use its Magic! =)

          - Far and away, the most important part of merging is the ability
            and magic sets of that Minion, appearance aside.  _These should
            be your first priority_.  Since, as I mentioned earlier, stat
            growth is completely linear, the _only_ thing that makes one
            Minion better than another is the abilities and spells that it
            has.

          - As a general rule, Minions look best when merged with those
            similar to them in appearance.  I realize that this sounds somewhat
            inane, but its important to remember: fusing flying things with
            walking things, or (worst of all) humanoids or barrel-types with
            most things creates a hideous monstrosity.

          - A monster that looks great red probably looks horrible blue.  If
            you have a Minion whose shape is fine, but you hate the skin, try
            the same combination with a different element.

          - In the merging screen, hit O to view the finished product after
            having selected both Minions.  DON'T FORGET THIS!  It'll save you
            countless resets.

          - Are you reading this guide somewhere other than GameFAQs.com or
            NeoSeeker.com?  If so, please email me and let me know where.
            The people hosting this guide are ripping me off.  I can be reached
            at goryus@hotmail.com.


=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=
---------------------------[E.Some Pre-Made Minions]---------------------------
=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=
    
=-=-=-=-
 Mantis
=-=-=-=-

  Element: Earth
  Basic Merge: Terwasp + Turen + Tergore
  Stat type: Average or Power+Speed
  Description: No, nothing to do with the ridiculous looking "Manty"
               enemies.  This really looks like a giant preying mantis,
               and is easily one of my favorite merges.
  Abilities: Comes with Earth Tail Attack, Ulvis, and Deva Ulvi.
             try merging the original Terwasp with some Terparas for
             a great Earth Horn Attack +Critical (as well as upping its
             attack/speed), or possibly something with stoning or
             poisoning potential.  The Tuloon has an absolutely
             _phenomenal_ non-elemental foot attack that hits all
             enemies; consider using that, as well.
  Other types of merges: Try swapping the Terwasp or Turen with the
             Skawasp or Fintan.  This creates a Minion that looks very
             similar, but is half wind elemental.  Also, if you're a
             little low on Minions, just Terwasp and Tergore will give
             you a Minion that's just a bit stubbier, whose wings are
             shorter and lacks Deva Ulvi.  Still looks cool, though.


=-=-=-=-
 Kraken
=-=-=-=-

  Element: Water
  Basic Merge: Fal + Amasag
  Stat type: High Magic/Speed
  Description: Looks like...well, like a Kraken.  Big blue head with
               eight long tentacles hanging down.  Attacks with front
               two tentacles, and casts powerful magic.
  Abilities: Comes with a water-attack, a Fang Attack +Accuracy, and
             the Ulvia spell.  Consider merging it with a mukhambu or
             the Kamra Minion, the former for Magic and Medina and the
             latter for Selahm.  Rainsters can supply Deva Vahli.
  Other types of merges: Try swapping the two Minions with their
             equivalents in color, or two that are complementary to
             each other.  Fire and wind, and wind and earth, both work
             well.  If you don't like the end result, just merge one
             more Fal into it.  You also might want to try the Yolga,
             Kolna, and Sicanjal skins, although I prefer it as it is.


=-=-=-=-=
 Griffon
=-=-=-=-=

  Element: Wind
  Basic Merge: Hackaroo + Hiralco/Skalco
  Stat type: High Attack/Speed
  Description: Little dog looking thing with wings, a beak, and the
               absolute perfect Griffon skin.  Has a nice high Attack
               and speed, and is yellow-brown in color.
  Abilities: Comes with a Wind Tail Attack, and the Ulvi, Ulvis, and
             Deva Ulvi spells.  Consider throwing in a Skapara for more
             speed/attack and a great Wind Tail Attack +Critical.
  Other types of merges: Try the Dreg and Frayd families with the
             Skalco, and pretty much anything else on four legs.  You
             may want to fuse in one of the Barrel-trype Minions for
             a more puffy, Griffon-like chest.

=-=-=-=
 Tigon
=-=-=-=

  Element: Water
  Basic Merge: Arpatron + Radgore + Sicanjal Skin
  Stat type: Average
  Description: Looks similar to the Arpatron but sits up further.  Has
               tiger stripes coming down in exactly the same pattern the 
               Sicanjal does, and is just plain cool besides.
  Abilities: Comes with a Water Horn Attack, a Water Claw Attack, and the
             Vahli and Vahlis spells.  Try merging in a Kamra for Selahm
             and Medina, and a Dogpara for +Critical to that horn attack.
             Also, the water version of the Oo family (Ankoo, Mulgoo, etc)
             has a phenomenal foot attack.  The Rainster Minion offers
             Deva Vahli.
  Other types of merges: Try merging a Kamra right after the Arpatron but
             before the Radgore to make it sit up further.  Also try it
             without the Sicanjal Skin - still doesn't look half bad,
             does it?


=-=-=-=-=-=
 Tarantula
=-=-=-=-=-=

  Element: All
  Basic Merge: (Yorlk + Ohzay) + (Aiona + Yates)
  Stat type: Average
  Description: Looks like a regular spider with a different color.
               Also attacks the same. (Don't worry, read on)
  Abilities: Comes with Ad Mumuls, ad Roqua, ad Venon, and ad Slahm.
             Resistant to poison, stone, and sleep, and able to kill off
             entire enemy groups with instant death.
  Other types of merges: Try merging something with big, thick legs
             into the equation to thicken the legs and maybe make it
             bigger, more tarantula like.  I found I liked the Ticker
             skin on it, as well.


=-=-=-
 Ogre
=-=-=-

  Element: Fire
  Basic Merge: Patadon + Patdreg
  Stat type: High Attack/Defense
  Description: Looks like a large, armor-plated humanoid w/horn.
               Attacks by swinging fist violently.
  Abilities: Comes with a Fire Horn Attack and a Fire Claw Attack
             +Power, as well as the basic Agni spell.  Consider merging
             in a Patapara to add +Critical to that Horn attack, and a
             Jitamble for Deva Agni.  A Yorlk will give it instant
             death capability, as well.
  Other types of merges: Try adding one of the seven special skins to
             get rid of that armor on the back, or merging it with a
             Jitamble after the Patdreg (although this makes it look
             a little less Ogre-ish).  This works in any element, but
             looks best as red and green.  You also might want to try
             the Patlchu ot Pateeb enemies, which look much the same
             but less bulky.


=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=
---------------------------[E.   Miscellaineous    ]---------------------------
=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=

     This section is full of the stuff that doesn't fit anywhere else.  I hope
  it's of some use to you.  If you can clarify or add to any of it, _please_
  email me <goryus@hotmail.com>.


=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=
 The Big Minion List
=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=

     Total Minions: 157/171

       Marrdreg          Raddreg           Patdreg           Rudogle
       ?                 Berbansa          Mukhambu          Doghambu
       Terhambu          Hiralco           Maskhira          Hirasag
       Pataimel          Skwimel           Radoimel          Patalchu
       Raddlchu          Doglchu           Nushab            Rashab
       Mukshab           Asha              ?                 Marven
       Mugoo             ?                 Ojire             Riggu
       Srikarta          Uglam             Yorlk             ?
       ?                 ?                 Arpatron          Pataraid
       Mafrayd           Terfrayd          Ragifrayd         Patbaran
       Skbaran           Terbaran          Ladbaran          Jitamble
       Hackaroo          Clayble           Geible            Patagore
       Skgore            Tergore           Radgore           Drunga
       Skarunga          ?                 Radunga           Patgaron
       Skgaron           Tragaron          Doggaron          Patash
       Skash             Terash            Radash            Patagrip
       Skagrip           Tergrip           Doggrip           Patapara
       Skpara            Terpara           Dogpara           Patalco
       Skalco            Teralco           Raddlco           Patbecker
       Skbecker          Terbecker         Radbecker         Hikisag
       Tagosag           Morisag           Amasag            Patawasp
       Skawasp           Terwasp           Radwasp           Patmanty
       Skmanty           Termanty          Radmanty          Patamole
       Skumole           Termole           Radmole           Pateeb
       Skaeeb            Tereeb            Radeeb            Patodon
       Skatodon          Tertodon          Radtodon          Patakuga
       Skwooga           Terkooga          Radkooga          Pataoot
       Skwoot            Teraoot           Radoot            Patamorj
       Skwmorj           Termorj           Radmorj           Carmine
       Skwmaine          Termaine          Radmine           Anash
       Shulia            Shee              Fal               Karn
       Telma             Scul              Uld               Usk
       Oajin             Eavun             Embla             Gabee
       Tuloon            Pedingo           Zulmoo            Frigg
       Shoven            Elu               Roben             Tiootz
       Sowl              Sgaj              Frey              Wardon
       Ankoo             Galia             Ohma              Swav
       Carlidge          Fugger            Id                Bawni
       Fintan            Turen             Rainster          Yates
       Nevan             Aiona             Ohzay             Spiral
       Arvalzak          Fedelco           Kamra             Bauback
       ?                 ?                 ?                 ?
       ?                 ?                 ?


=-=-=-=-=-
 Elements
=-=-=-=-=-
                           Water   ->  Fire
                             ^           |
                             |           v
                           Earth  <-   Wind

     The circle goes clockwise: Water beats Fire, Fire beats Wind, Earth beats
  Water.  The stronger your alignment to one element is, the more damage you do
  to an enemy of the opposite element (and the less they do to you), and the
  more damage you take from attacks from the element you're weak to (and the
  less you can do to them).  The only way to avoid this - although you don't
  necessarily want to - is to create a Minion that is equal parts of all the
  elements.


=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-
 Bird of Paradise
=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-

     Occasionally, high level enemies in the Endless Corridor will drop an
  information tablet titled, "Bird of Paradise."  It says that the legendary
  Bird of Paradise Minion has a Barrel Body, a Beak, a long tail, and feather
  wings.  It also mentions that it is all colors.
     I've tried merging monsters to create this combination, but while I get
  some interesting Minions nothing special ever seems to happen.  If anyone
  figures out this little riddle, please email the solution to me.  Until then,
  I'll just keep trying. =)
     Update: I've encountered someone who claims his brother merged two of
  his strongest minions, neither of them Fire, and got a Fire Minion.  It
  looked, as he put it, like a "freakishly colored pelican."  I believe that
  this is actually the Bird of Paradise minion.  If someone finds the proper
  combination of Minions, please let me know.


=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-
 The Eternal Corridor
=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-

     At the end of the game, you get to enter a place called the Eternal
  Corridor.  Enemies start on level 20, and for every 4 levels you progress
  they'll gain one level, up to 26 - at which point, they stay at that level.
     At the end of each corridor is a quazi-boss monster, that drop the skins
  listed in the "Appearance" section above.  The only two that are really worth
  taking note of are the Kolna and the Klarrgas: the former casts instant
  death, and the latter can't be killed.  I reccomend either killing the former
  really, really quickly, and running from the second, or running from both
  (and praying).  There's no way I know of to stop instant death.
     The corridors themselves are completely random alignments of various
  premade scenary that's been tinted based on the element Minions that appear
  in it.  They can be either gruelingly long or thankfully short, full of
  enemies or not.  Its completely random.  I have not, as of yet, managed to
  get all the way through as of yet, but there _is_ a rumor flying around about
  what happens when you do beat it.  Supposedly, you are allowed into the
  corridor of the Chosen one of Darkness, at the end of which is the "Ultimate
  Minion."  I have no way of knowing whether or not this is true.
     Note that all minions occasionally drop some very rare
  items.  Those I've found: 
                  Divine Garb1
                  Divine Garb2
                  Palemoon
                  "Bird of Paradise"
     

=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=
---------------------------[E.      Credits        ]---------------------------
=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=

     Atom Edge <lazysilverwolf@about.com>
         Big thanks go to Atom Edge, who's brilliant grasp of legal issues
       and talent at writing disclaimers provided the bulk of mine, as well
       as the great sectioning art used above.

     Crave Entertainment (www.cravegames.com)
         The creators of Jade Cocoon.  Thanks for creating this game, without
       which this FAQ could never have existed.  Thanks for the great gameplay
       and stellar graphics, and the phenomenal voice acting.  All it needs
       now is a plot. =)

     GameFAQs (www.GameFAQs.com)
         Thanks go out also to CJayC, operator of www.GameFAQs.com, for
       providing the inspiration to get this FAQ off the ground and offering
       an easy means to make it public.

     Peter Judson <ptlj@neoseeker.com>
         Representative of NeoSeeker who politely asked my permission to
       use this Guide.  Thanks both for being polite and for making it
       available to a larger audience.

copyright 2001 Goryus