With Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth being an open-world JRPG, I figured it’d be brimming with odd jobs compared to its predecessor. But, I was utterly blown away by the sheer volume of side quests this game packs, like Where the Wind Blows.
Where the Wind Blows is one of the most perplexing side quests early on in FF7 Rebirth, a quest you only unlock after completing the first four side quests available in the Grasslands. This is a direct quest from Broden, who would like you to lend a hand to his buddy Mildred. As it turns out, she needs help fixing a broken windmill. You’d think Cloud would be able to summon Phoenix or any other wind Summon to get it to spin again, but no. You just have to fetch a few items to repair it.
How to obtain the Transmuter Chip in Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth
Scan the Lifespring east of Kalm
The first step to obtaining the Transmuter Chip is to scan the Cragshade Lifespring east of Kalm. Lifesprings are an open-world activity in FF7 Rebirth. Just like Remnawave Towers, these items gather World Intel for Chadley to develop new and improved Materia.
To know where the Transmuter Chip is located, get to know the Grassland’s history through the Lifespring near Kalm. When you interact with the Lifespring, a button prompt appears. Press triangle a few times when the circle is near the prompt to clear this activity.
Unearth the Transmuter Chip at the Excavation site near the Lifespring
Visit the Bygone Settlement Excavation site near this Lifespring to unearth all Artifacts, among which is the Transmuter Chip. Digsites are another World Intel activity in Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth.
Digsites work in the same way treasure scents do. While riding your Chocobo, hold the down arrow on the D-Pad until a scent materializes. Then, follow the light blue string to the artifact and press the up arrow on the D-Pad to scour it. Repeat this process three times to find the Transmuter Chip.
Scan three more Lifesprings in the Grasslands
You may have the Transmuter Chip, but to craft the missing part of the Windmill and complete Where the Wind Blows in Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth, you must clear four Lifesprings in the Grasslands. Lifesprings aren’t just a source of resources; they also provide valuable intel on this area. Though there are six total, you just need to scan three more.
How to Craft a Windmill Gear in Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth
To craft the Windmill Gear in Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth, get the following transmuting ingredients:
- 1x Quetzalcoatl Talon
- 2x Iron Ore
- 1x Lea Titanium
- 5x Beast Bone
It’s likely you already have plenty of Iron Ore and Lea Titanium after clearing all those Lifesprings. Getting Beast Bones won’t be hard either, as they usually drop from Elphadunks, those blue Elephant monsters. The one ingredient that is hard to come by is the Quetzalcoatl Talon.
How to get Quetzalcoatl Talons in Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth
After scanning all the Lifesprings, a new World Intel activity will appear: The Classified Intel Winged Lacertilian of Yore. This activity can be located southwest of Kalm. Head there to face off against the Quetzalcoatl in FF7R and claim your Quetzalcoatl Talon for the windmill repairs.
How to defeat the Quetzalcoatl in Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth
Best team and recommended level
The recommended level for fighting Quetzalcoatl is 21 or higher. Make sure to rest up at a Rest Station or inn to replenish your HP and MP. It also wouldn’t hurt to either purchase or transmute consumables like Potions and Ethers.
Your dream team to defeat Quetzalcoatl should include a Balanced unit, a ranged DPS unit, and a healer unit. Cloud, Barrett, and Aerith would do a great job at keeping the party balanced. I charged into battle with Tifa instead of Aerith and definitely felt the lack of healer support.
Weaknesses, resistances, and immunities
Quetzalcoatl is weak to Ice, so equip Ice Materia or Fire and Ice Materia on as many characters as you can. This spell not only pressures it, but is also highly effective when staggered.
It’s either resistant or immune to all altering status ailments like Slow or Petrify, so stick to elemental damage.
Moveset and counters
Here is every move Quetzalcoatl can pull on you and how you can counter it in FF7R:
| Move | Description | Counter |
|---|---|---|
| Fulmen | Shoots a bolt of electricity toward a party member. | Dodge to the side or parry. |
| Vortex Sweep | Sweeps the area around it with its tail. | Dodge backward or parry. |
| Headlong Charge | Charges directly at a party member. | Keep dodging away from danger. |
| Electrify | Casts a damaging power surge around itself. | Avoid coming into contact with it. Stick to ranged damage. |
| Electrodifusion | Drops tiny power surges all over the arena. | Keep dodging until the attack is over to avoid damage. |
