Located in the heart of the Harena Desert, this mechanical city clings desperately to the gap between cliffs running east to west, but it is completely open to the south to capture every breath of wind. Gears and machines of industry are constantly in motion all around the city.– D's Journal
Ancheim, the Land of Sand and Time, (/ˈænʃaɪm/, "AN-chime") (砂と大時計の国 ラクリーカ, Suna to Dai Tokei no Kuni Rakurīka?) is the capital of the Harena Region in Bravely Default and Bravely Second: End Layer. Located at the center of the desert and in between cliffs, the city is under the rulership of Eloch Quentis Khamer VIII. Ancheim is regarded as a technologically progressive city, with much of its manual work being automated through machinery powered by the large windmills. Here, water is a scarce commodity that must be bought, being either drawn from the city's wells or fetched from an oasis off-town.
As the capital, it has key connections to the rest of the continent, with a dock at the Flor-Cheim Inner Sea to the north, the oasis to the west, the Wind Temple to the south and Al-Khampis to the east* (Bravely Second only).
Story
Bravely Default
Having been tasked by King Khamer to scout out the Great Chasm that had opened in the Caldis Region, Agnès finally returns to the clock city to report back to him on the way to the Temple of Wind. Khamer isn't so enthused to receive her. The party finds that the city has been in dire straits due to the cessation of the wind: the hard labor usually done by the windmills is instead getting done manually by the citizens, who grow in unrest and weariness as their king demands even more labor for longer hours. Water has become a pricey commodity as it now needs to be manually drawn from the well, and royal permission to draw the water is only given to the Khamer & Profiteur Merchantry, which puts a steep price on it. Tiz is told that if they seek free water, they have to head to the oasis like all the peasants.
After heading to the oasis, the party finds a band of thieves in wait, making the people's only other option for water dangerous and not actually free either. In order to stop the rampant assaults, the warriors of light investigate a dungeon holding the thieves' den, confronting the band's leader, the Jackal. Jackal attacks the party in a thirsty rage, and ends up slain as his sword-for-hire Khint leaves his side. With Jackal out of the picture, numerous files are found in his lair detailing the contract between the thieves and the Merchantry. With proof in hands, the party returns to Ancheim and storms the Merchantry building, confronting Erutus Profiteur, who is outraged at the finding of the contracts. Profiteur is also slain in battle, with Khint similarly leaving him as the price for risking his life is too steep for even the greedy company head to pay.
Although this makes water access less of an emergency for the population, the people of Ancheim still toll away day and night without their mills. The warriors of light are eventually able to awaken the Wind Crystal, and return to the city. Khamer is delivering a speech of manipulative intent against the wind vestal, calling her efforts worthless as the wind has yet to blow, and trying to rally the tired workers into the concept of not needing the wind anymore as their manual labor is enough to drive Ancheim's development and progress. Agnès speaks up against it, brandishing a chain that proves their victory over Orthros, a legendary evil. The wind starts to blow again, causing the crowd to massively cheer and for Khamer to be cowed and retreat into his palace. In gratitude, the citizens of Ancheim start loading up the Eschalot with resources to aid Agnès and her friends in their quest.
Using notes from the Merchantry, the party waits until nighttime and finds a hidden passage in Grand Mill Works. They go through it to find it leads into the palace; this hidden way was what enabled secret meetings for the Khamer & Profiteur Merchantry to discuss their plans against the people. They find Khamer speaking with Khint, gloating about continuous nefarious plans against Agnès and the citizens, and intervene. Khamer decides to kill them and hires Khint to aid him in the task, but they both end up slain.
With this turn of events, the party explains the situation to Dominus Harena, who takes up leading Ancheim for the time being.
After Chapter 4
Overall, with previous knowledge and by keeping the documents that prove the ill-intentioned contracts, the party is able to efficiently cut straight to the chase when confronting the Asterisk Bearers. However, there are some small changes in some worlds.
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Bravely Second: End Layer
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Locations
"A clockwork metropolis, nestled in Harena's sandy bosom. Here time, above all, is sacred. A massive timepiece crowns the kingdom, fueled as all of Ancheim is by the ceaseless currents originating from the Temple of Wind to the south."– World Almanac[1]
The city of Ancheim is high above the sand, and as it is nested between high cliffs, the strategic positioning guides continuous winds through its mills. The mills face south, as most wind currents in the continent run northwards from the Wind Temple situated in Harena's southern edge.
The main road is rather narrow, connecting all main facilities and running all the way from west to east.
The town may be entered on the western side of Ancheim, and the path leads straight to several buildings, starting with the Inn, where the Adventurer stands beside. To the right is the Trader's, along with stairs up to a small area with the Armory. Stairs to the left from the Armory lead up to the entrance to the Grand Mill Works, which may only be entered at night after the Wind Crystal has been awakened, and the Magics shop. On the far left side of this platform is an Ether.
The path leads right to stairs leading up to the entrance to Ancheim Palace. Stairs lead down, left, and down again to a lower level of the east side, where a Hi-Potion may be found. The lower level is a long path with the Khamer Profiteur Merchantry building located in the middle, leading to the eastern exit of the town.
Ancheim Palace
The palace is a short hall with a small stairway at the end leading to a circular area containing the throne, where the King takes audiences. The southwest corner of this area contains a Phoenix Down. Additionally, there is a balcony with a view of the chamber below that may be accessed from the Grand Mill Works.
Khamer & Profiteur Merchantry Building
The Merchantry building is a hallway leading to a circular area with a desk. The right side of the end of the hallway may be inspected for a Teleport Stone, and the left side of the table has a Gold Hourglass. It is here that Chairman Profiteur may be found.
Grand Mill Works
Grand Mill Works is the site worked by the largest mill in the city, filled with moving gears and crawling with monsters. It has a secret entrance only accessible at night with a passcode, which leads to a secret exit at a higher floor, allowing one to tread the high bridge connecting to the Palace. This series of secret paths has been used to keep corrupt meetings of the Khamer & Profiteur Merchantry under wraps.
D's Journal Entries
- Ancheim, the Land of Sand and Time
Located in the heart of the Harena Desert, this mechanical city clings desperately to the gap between cliffs running east to west, but it is completely open to the south to capture every breath of wind. Gears and machines of industry are constantly in motion all around the city.
- The Weary City
It was once said that the wind was Ancheim's life and blood, but now that the air has gone still, the great windmills have ground to a halt. Without the power to even draw water from the wells, its people must work around the clock to turn the great turbines manually.
- The Vibrant City
Returning to Ancheim after awakening the Wind Crystal, we found that the wind blows across the desert city once more. Its great windmills turn swiftly, powered by the southern winds, and across the city, the gears have sprung back to life. In hushed tones, the prime minister noted that joy and vitality have returned to the people.
- Royal Palace
The palace of Eloch Quentis Khamer VIII, King of Ancheim, is housed in an exceptionally tall tower on the east side of the city. A great clock dial, the symbol of this land, is carved in the wall behind his throne. Immense gears and mechanisms befitting a king who promoted Ancheim's industrialization can be seen here and there. But looking around, it's not easy to tell what all this machinery actually does.
- Merchantry Building
This mechanical tower in the east of the city was erected in a prime location second only to the Royal Palace. Inside is an open, soaring space all the way up to the ceiling, and underneath, strange, gigantic gears church endlessly. It is brilliantly lit, despite the fact that all power is supplied by human labor now that the wind has stopped.
Treasures
Bravely Default
| Item | Location |
|---|---|
| Ether | Town |
| Hi-Potion | Town |
| Phoenix Down | Ancheim Palace |
| Teleport Stone | Khamer Profiteur Merchantry |
| Gold Hourglass | Khamer Profiteur Merchantry |
Bravely Second: End Layer
| Item | Location |
|---|---|
| Tengu Yawn | Main area |
| Hi-Potion | Main area |
| Stopwatch | Palace |
| Rare Cheese | Palace |
| Gold Hourglass | Administration Office |
Shops
Bravely Default
Adventurer
Traders
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Bravely Second: End Layer
Traders
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Enemies
Ancheim Palace
Khamer Profiteur Merchantry
- Khint, Chairman Profiteur (Boss)
Musical Themes
Ancheim's background theme is "The Land of Sand and Time" (砂と大時計の国, Suna to Dai Tokei no Kuni?), composed by Revo and found as the twentieth track on the first disc of the original soundtrack.
Gallery
Etymology
In Irish, An Chéim means "the degree", "stage" of "phase"/"step". This relates to Ancheim always wanting to rapidly develop towards modernization. "Ancheim" is also an anagram for "machine".
In Japanese, rakurīka is an anagram of (絡繰り, からくり, karakuri?), a term that can mean "mechanism" or "machinery".
- ↑ D's Journal, entry 11/13.