Tolbi

Tolbi (トレビの町 Trevi Town) is a prominent town visited on multiple occasions in Golden Sun. It is located at the north end of the continent of Gondowan, southwest of the Karagol Sea that connects it commercially to Angara, but its territory is informally considered Angaran as well by those living elsewhere on the continent. It is ruled by Babi from his palace and home to Lucky Wheels, Lucky Dice, Tolbi Spring and Colosso.

Tolbi is the ending point of the Silk Road trade route where merchants, notably Master Hammet, sell silk they have bought in Xian. Each year Tolbi hosts a contest called Colosso which is a mix of an obstacle course and gladiatorial combat. Because of this mix, only the best and brightest warrior can win. People come from as far as Alhafra, Madra and Kalay and this, along with the silk trade, makes business in Tolbi extremely profitable. Tolbi has its own military force, all the soldiers of which won Colosso at some point, under the command of Babi (up until the beginning of Golden Sun: The Lost Age when Babi died).

There is a Lucky Medal Fountain in the center of Tolbi that Babi built. It is modeled after the fountain in Lemuria, because Babi apparently enjoyed himself so much there that he decided to build one just like it when he returned home.

Story
Shortly before Isaac's arrival in Tolbi, the annual Colosso festival begins. However, many citizens are aware that this year's events are different to normal, as the festivities started early, and more importantly, Tolbi's ruler, Babi was not present at the trials. Fueling the imaginations of the citizens was the fact that Tolbi's forces were abuzz with activity, searching the town and the surrounding area for something. As it turns out, Babi had left Tolbi to travel to Altmiller Cave, in order to retrieve his Mystic Draught, a drink that would endlessly prolong his life, provided he kept drinking it on a regular basis. His problem was that he was running out of the liquid, and could not return to the place he originally obtained it (the isle of Lemuria) because the seas surrounding it had treacherous currents, and were perpetually covered in a think fog. For this reason, he commissioned the construction of Babi Lighthouse (as well as other, less direct means, such as constantly researching Alchemy, and was responsible for Kraden's involvement in the subject) to act as a beacon to aid his men in their searches for the mysterious island. In the meantime, he had been rationing his draught and been growing gradually weaker, eventually collapsing in Altmiller Cave. Both fortunately and unfortunately, Babi was under the influence of the Cloak Psynergy, meaning that although no monsters would attack him, he could not be seen by any non-Adept rescue party. His luck held strong though as Isaac's party stumbled across him, and were able to see the man wrapped in Psynergic light (although they could not see Babi himself).

After Isaac retrieved his draught, Babi returned to Tolbi and entered Isaac in Colosso, bypassing the trials under the excuse that saving his life had been enough of a trial in of itself. Knowing full well that Isaac was physically inferior to the normal participants, Babi believed he would still win by utilising his mastery of Psynergy, which Isaac promptly did. Pleased to no end to find someone who was both able and willing to help him recover more of Lemuria's precious springwater, Babi set free his hostage Sheba (whom he had been using to extort the cooperation of the citizens of Lalivero) and arranged for Iodem to take Babi's Black Orb and travel with Isaac. This would eventually allow Isaac's party to use Babi's Lemurian Ship, both for their own quest of stopping the ignition of the four Elemental Lighthouses and of Babi's quest to find Lemuria. Babi's good luck runs out however, as once Isaac's party leaves, they do not return in time to save his life, and Babi perishes during the events of, leaving the ultimate fate of Tolbi unknown, especially since it had held the same ruler for many, many years (though, presumably Iodem would have taken command).

Vendors
Tolbi is unique because even though it has an Inn building at the upper right area of town, it can never be open for Isaac's party to stay at both during and after Colosso because of the Karagol Sea being too dangerous to cross and the Silk Road blocked. Instead, in the nearby Babi's Palace are beds you can stay in for free.

Collectibles

 * [[Image:Coin.gif]] 9 Coins: In an open barrel to the left of the upper left-most house in town.
 * [[Image:Corn.gif]] Corn: After Colosso ends, talk to the souvenir stall clerk just to the left of the Lucky Dice building and he gives this to you as a "leftover".
 * [[Image:Lucky Medal.gif]] Lucky Medal: In the barrel right next to the oven in the residential second floor of the building with the armory as its first floor.
 * [[Image:Lucky Medal.gif]] Lucky Medal: In the pot to the right of a building at the lower right area of town, geographically near a growable plant.
 * [[Image:Lucky Medal.gif]] Lucky Medal: In the barrel in the top floor of the southeast watchtower of Babi's Palace.
 * [[Image:Lucky Medal.gif]] Lucky Medal: After Colosso ends, visit the inn and go into the room below to the upper right, where a brief cutscene of a lady finding something under the bed and hiding it in a barrel occurs. She leaves, and you check the barrel.
 * [[Image:Hard Nut.gif]] Hard Nut: Inside Babi's Palace, down the stairs into the laboratory in one of the jars.
 * [[Image:Power Bread.gif]] Power Bread: Hidden in the circle of gravestones in the lower left area of town. Use Reveal to get the chest.
 * [[Image:Vial.gif]] Vial: In the barrel in the small house just to the left of the Inn.
 * [[Image:Mars djinn.gif]] Ember: On the upper right end of the main town. To reach it, go to the lower right area of the town area and cast Growth on a sapling, and climb up it to get to a puddle which you then cast Frost on.

Trivia

 * Tolbi is said to be the largest and most prosperous town in the world by some characters in the games, though its size seems rivaled by towns such as Alhafra in Osenia, and certainly Lemuria in its golden years.

Name Origin
It is likely that Tolbi's Japanese name, Tolebi, is meant to be read as Trevi, as in the Trevi Fountain in Rome in which people threw coins for good luck, much like Tolbi Spring. This may be supported by the notion that Tolbi exerts power over the towns of Suhalla and Laivero, which are akin to Rome ruling over parts of Northen Africa

It is also possible that Tolbi's Japanese name was influenced by or is a play on Toledo, an ancient city in Spain. Altamira, the ancient paleolithic caves upon which the nearby Altmiller Cave was based on, is also located in Spain. Furthermore, Spain is west of the Mediterranean Sea, as Tolbi is west of the Karagol Sea, and Tolbi is just north of Gondowan, while Spain is just north of Africa.