While traversing the world of Ivalice in Final Fantasy 12, there are secret areas that can be unlocked for additional quests, loot, and optional Espers. The Barheim Passage is an area that you will visit as part of the main storyline in the game, but much of it is locked away and can only be accessed with the Barheim Key item.
In order to obtain this key, you need to complete a series of related side quests, after which you can use the Barheim Key to open up new areas. We've got exactly what you need to do listed below, so you can grab your key and explore the Barheim Passage to your heart's content.
The Hunt
In order to obtain the Barheim Key, you will need to complete a couple of hunts first.
Hunts are unlocked as part of the sidequest "The Hunt", given by Tomaj in the Sandsea tavern in Rabanastre. This quest goes hand-in-hand with the "Clan Centurio" sidequest, which also offers hunting marks. Your first hunt mark from Tomaj is the Rogue Tomato, after which you can regularly check noticeboards and speak to Montblanc for new hunts.
Defeating various marks will earn you Clan and License points that increase your Clan Rank, allowing you to take on more dangerous marks. Additionally, some marks only become available after certain events have taken place.
Dalmasca's Desert Bloom
Firstly, you must first complete the "Flowering Cactoid" mark, which is available after the Lord Consul's Parade and with the Clan Rank of Hedge Knight. Speak to Dantro outside of the Outpost in the Damasca Estersand to begin this quest.
You'll find your Flowering Cactoid mark to the northeast of the outpost, near the center of the Yardang Labyrinth. After defeating it, return to Dantro for a reward, which includes the Cactus Flower item. Immediately afterward, speak with him again to start the sidequest "The Dalmascan Patient", where he requests that you take the Cactus Flower to his wife.
The Dalmascan Patient Part 1
Travel to the South Bank Village to speak to Dantro's wife and give her the Cactuar Bloom Flower. You can reach this location by traveling north from the Yardang Labyrinth, then north again through the Sand-Swept Naze and the Banks of the Nebra until you find the village. Dantro's wife is a villager standing near the hut, and when you speak to her she explains that she is taking care of a sick patient and is in need of ingredients to help care for them. Give her the Cactus Flower for a reward.
Leave the village area, then return to speak to Dantro's wife once more who will now request Semclam Shells. These can be found in glistening spots by the water's edge of the Banks of the Nerba area and on the village shore. You need at least one to give to Dantro's wife, but the more you give earns you a better reward, with five being the maximum number you can carry. We recommend giving the maximum number of items in order to get the best result from this quest.
After giving her the Semclam Shells, Dantro's wife will next request some Nebralim Vials. Head back to Dantro and he'll tell you there are some vials in the nearby crates, so grab a couple of Nebralim Vials before you leave. You only need one, but once again, the more you give — the better the reward. We recommend giving the maximum number of items in order to get the best result from this quest.
Return to Dantro's wife and give her the vials, after which she will request Valeblossom Dew. This item requires the rainy season to have started at the Giza plains, so you need to progress through the story enough to have obtained the Dawn Shard. Additionally, you need to complete other sidequests in order to continue with this particular one, so we're going to cover those next before coming back to "The Dalmascan Patient".
Marauder in the Mines
It's time to defeat another Hunt mark — Nidhogg. "The Hunt for Nidhogg" is available after you escape from Ba'Gamnan in the Lhusu Mines and you need a Clan Rank of Hedge Knight or higher. This quest is given by Aekom, the Seeq at the top of the steps in Lhusu Square in Bhujerba.
The Nidhogg Mark can be found inside the mines in Transitway 1. After defeating it, head back to Aekom to receive your rewards, one of which is a Great Serpentskin, which you will need for later, so don't sell it!
The Case of the Missing Cactoid
The next quest you need to complete is "The Case of the Missing Cactoid", which is required as it will get the Dalmasca Estersand ferry service running again. You must have progressed through the story enough to have obtained the Dawn Shard and have already given the Cactus Flower to Dantro's wife in order to initiate this quest.
Head back to the South Bank Village and speak to Tchigri on the east jetty. He will explain that his father, the ferry boat captain, is missing. Agree to accompany Tchigri to the North Bank Village to investigate his father's disappearance. On arrival, you will find Tchigri's father Ruskel surrounded by Cactoids. The Cactoid family is searching for their lost sibling Dran, a Flowering Cactoid.
Back in South Bank Village, speak to Dantro's wife who will remind you that you killed the Flowering Cactoid and gave her the flower to use as medicine. Head behind her house to find the flower on the ground, which you can examine to find that a newly sprouted Dran has grown from the flower.
Speak to Tchigri and then return to the North Bank Village to give this new Dran back to its family. You'll be rewarded for your troubles, but more importantly, the ferry will now be operational once more.
The Dalmascan Patient Part 2
It's time to resume "The Dalmascan Patient" now that you are safely on the other side of the river. Leave North Bank Villager and head west towards Yoma, there are powerful enemies around so be super careful. Go north and enter the Broken Sands, where you need to look for a "Mysterious Glint" item to find the Valeblossom Dew.
You only need one, but handing in more gives you a better reward. There are three Drops of Valeblossoms Dew that you can obtain, and the first two trees that house these items are easy to get to. However, the last one requires traveling round to the other side of the ravine, which is rife with monsters. We recommend giving the maximum number of items in order to get the best result from this quest.
Head back to North Bank Village and speak with Tchigri to get a free ride back to South Bank Village. Give Dantro's wife the Valeblossom Dew, after which she will ask for the Great Serpentskin too, so hand that over as well.
Exit the village, then immediately return and speak to Dantro's wife once more to discover that the patient she was tending to has now fully recovered. The patient can be found at the back of her hut and will reward you for your efforts.
The race of the patient is dependant on how many items you gave to Dantro's wife, and each race gives a different reward. (The Great Serpentskin counts as three items.)
- Bangaa (7 or fewer items given) — Barheim Key and Balance Mote
- Hume (8 - 12 items given) — Barheim Key and Magick Gloves
- Moogle (13 items given) — Barheim Key and Golden Amulet
The Barheim Passage Key is used to open hidden areas in the Barheim Passage, where you can obtain the optional Esper Zalera and the Bloodwing mark. The Golden Amulet is a really good reward as it's a powerful accessory that otherwise isn't available until much later.