Dust: An Elysian Tail ***** VERSIONS ***** Version 1.0: Created. Version 1.1: Minor edits. ***** TABLE OF CONTENTS ***** 1.0: Introduction 2.0: Controls 2.1: Basic Controls 2.2: Dust Storm 2.3: Combat Tips 2.4: Opening Chests 2.5: Inventory Screens 2.6: Map 2.7: Difficulty Level 3.0: General Strategy 3.1: Leveling 3.2: Shops 3.3: In-Game Difficulty 4.0: Walkthrough 4.1: The Glade - An Introduction 4.2: Aurora Village - The Quest Begins 4.3: Ivydale Glen - Gianni's Laundry 4.4: Archer's Pass - The Blacksmith 4.5: Abadis Forest - Fuse 4.6: Geehan's Farm - The Pocketwatch 4.7: Cirromon Caverns - Bopo 4.8: Mudpot - Village Life 4.9: Cirromon Caverns - The Lady 4.10: The Sorrowing Meadow - Cora 4.11: The Hidden Cove - Moska and Sarahi 4.12: Blackmoor Mountains - Dust Revealed 4.13: Everdawn Basin - Moonblood Camp 4.14: Tidying Up 4.15: Everdawn Basin - The Final Battle 5.0: Items 5.1: Quest Items 5.2: One-Time Use Items 5.3: Food 5.4: Equipment 5.4.1: Armor 5.4.2: Augments 5.4.3: Pendants 5.4.4: Rings 6.0: Crafting and Materials 6.1: Finding Materials 6.2: Blueprints 6.3: Material List 7.0: Cirelian Trials 7.1: Cirelian Trial 1 7.2: Cirelian Trial 2 7.3: Cirelian Trial 3 7.4: Cirelian Trial 4 7.5: Cirelian Trial 5 7.6: Cirelian Trial 6 8.0: Notes 8.1: Treasure 8.2: Leap of Faith 8.3: Reed's Box 8.4: A Word of Advice 8.5: The Girl 8.6: The Cliff 8.7: Fire and Dust 8.8: Sarahi's Letter 8.9: Servant's Note 1 8.10: Servant's Note 2 8.11: Servant's Note 3 8.12: Servant's Note 4 8.13: The Rose 8.14: The Cafe 8.15: Mind Bend 9.0: Quests 9.1 Dust to Dust 9.2: A New Venture 9.3: The Blacksmith 9.4: Reunion 9.5: What's in the Box? 9.6: Better than Nothing 9.7: Out to Dry 9.8: C-C-C-COMBO BREAKER 9.9: Lost Time 9.10: A Better Fidget 9.11: Red Moss 9.12: Over the Fence 9.13: Hittin' Stick 9.14: Trollk Vengeance 9.15: Snowflakes 9.16: Pearly Whites 9.17: Number One Fan 9.18: Taking Point 9.19: Slimed 9.20: Reinforcement 9.21: Freedom of Movement 9.22: Find the Sparklies 10: Credits ***** 1: INTRODUCTION ***** Welcome to this walkthrough for Dust: An Elysian Tail, a game released for XBox Live in summer 2012. After originally being lukewarm to this game, I've become surprisingly addicted to it. Dust has some problems, but whether you like a great musical score, anthropomorphic animals, or the ability to shoot electricity as you bake bad guys, Dust does a lot of things right, and I was very surprised when it didn't have a walkthrough. So I decided to jump in and write my first. I hope it helps you. Dust, especially on the easier difficulties, is reasonable in its difficulty curve and you shouldn't have much of a problem making it to and defeating the final boss. I've decided to write this from the "Tough" difficulty setting, but the gameplay and story are the same at all levels: if you're playing on a lower difficulty, there aren't any differences (if you're playing on Hardcore, this guide will work too - I recommend printing it out so you can swear into it). I hope you enjoy reading this as much as I enjoyed making it. ***** 2: CONTROLS ***** 2.1: Basic Controls A: Jump. You'll get a double-jump later in the game. If you're on the correct spots, you can use down and A to drop down, as well. You will also get an Iron Grip later on that will allow you to jump on to vines. X: Melee Attack. Left Thumbstick or D-Pad: Basic Movement. You can only move left or right - no diagonal movement (though you can eventually angle your jumps from vines diagonally). You can also press up or down to look in those directions without moving. If you press down, you'll crouch. B then Y: Dust Storm attack. See 2.2 below. LB: Eat whatever's in your quick inventory. LT, RT, or right thumbstick: Dash. Uses a little bit of Fidget's energy meter, so be judicious. Successful dashing will help your platforming immensely. 2.2: Dust Storm The Dust Storm is a projectile attack that you'll learn very early in the game. While it may feel very cumbersome to use initially, in short order you'll discover its benefits. While it functions as the default ranged attack, it’s different in that you don’t aim it. At it most basic level, use the Dust Storm when enemies are on the screen (or even a little bit off) - even if you're not facing them, the Dust Storm will still seek them out. After beating the first boss, your projectile type will necessitate good placement and movement. 2.3: Combat Tips There's a fair degree of melee complexity in Dust, but its nature means that you're usually better off mashing X whenever you get bored of the Dust Storm. Every opponent telegraphs its attack - if you can time your response perfectly, you'll parry. Unless you're fighting a Trollk, a Slime, or a Soldier, however, you're better off being far away before the enemy strikes. If you're forced into melee combat, make sure when you can that all opponents are on one side of you. Some enemies - Beasts and Soldiers - have the ability to dodge and move to the other side. Be wary of this. Dust lists its combos below. X,X,X,X: From Whence It Came X,X,Y,Y: Ash Bound (Ground Throw) X,Y: Rising Phoenix (Ground to Air) Down,Y: The Fallen (Downward Strike in Air) X,X,X,Y: The Undoing (Air Throw) 2.4: Opening Chests: Chests are a key way to improve your character's inventory, and have some of the best weapons in the game. Opening any chest requires a Key. When you see a chest you want to open, press up and you'll start a little mini-game involving Simon-like button matching in a time limit. If you make a mistake or run out of time, you won't use your key and will just have to try again. 2.5: Inventory Screens Your Inventory screen lists your current Food, Armor, Augment, Pendant, and Rings equipped (you have one ring equipped on your left hand and one on your right - as long as you don't select the same ring, the choice of hand doesn't matter). Going into each screen lists all the items you have, from weakest to strongest, and then blueprints in the same order. When you go into a shop, the same ranking will apply. Be aware that the rankings, while usually spot-on, skip things like Regeneration or Item Drop ability - if you want to get lots of gold, for example, you may wish a different ring than what's ranked first. 2.6: Map The Map screen is one of your most useful tools (besides this Walkthrough, of course!) - mainly because it lists places on the map where either Keys or Chests are located (marked by an 'O') as well as your next locale - marked by a flag. The map is not foolproof - some special areas (like the mansions in the Sorrowing Meadow) don't show up on the meadow until you enter them. If you're trying to get 100% and don’t want to read the walkthrough, keep this in mind. 2.7: Difficulty Level As soon as you start, you will have an option to choose one of four difficulty levels. I consider myself an average gamer and found playing the Normal difficulty setting for the first time relatively easy. Difficulty levels matter in four primary areas: how much damage you do, how much damage enemies do, how many button presses chests require, and how much you can use your Dust Storm attack. The last is particularly important - on Normal, you can pretty much camp on one side and Dust Storm everything. On Tough and Hardcore, you either have to wait for your attack to regenerate or get involved in melee fights to regenerate your Dust Storm ability faster. The damage that enemies do is also significant - early on in Hardcore, you can take a maximum of one hit from most enemies. Note that Hardcore also includes one more wrinkle - the lack of post-hit invulnerability. Essentially, if you fall into environmental hazards like lava or thorns on other difficulty levels, you'll take damage but be able to jump out of danger afterwards. In Hardcore, this damage is usually perpetual, meaning that one fall, even with a full bar of health, means instant death. ***** 3: GENERAL STRATEGY ***** 3.1 Leveling Dust gives you a little bit of character customization with the ability to upgrade four different stats (Health, Attack, Defense, Fidget) every time you gain a level. However, the customization is pretty limited in that your strongest ability can be only four points stronger than your weakest (so you can't have a 10 Attack and 0 for Defense). Depending on your personal play style, you'll find a combo that works for you - either improving all abilities equally or improving one as quickly as possible and upgrading the rest only when you have to. My personal approach has always been to upgrade Fidget as quickly as possible - the Dust Storm attack at the higher levels can take down multiple enemies compared to the melee-focused Attack, and, if you play carefully enough, you can avoid taking much damage, making Defense and Health less important. The exception to this rule is Hardcore. Early on, almost every enemy can kill you in one hit, you have to hit them repeatedly, and your Dust Storm ability is very limited - and leveling up from zero to one provides a massive benefit upgrade. For Hardcore, therefore, I heavily recommend upgrading each ability at least one level to protect you from the accidental hit that becomes a game- ender. This makes the fight with the Giant right before you enter Aurora Village longer, but it should just be monotonous, not difficult. In any case, after Fidget, for early levels Attack is usually the best to upgrade first, then Defense, then Health. After all of your stats are at around level 10, Defense and Health are usually a better bet. However, keep on upgrading Fidget first and you should be fine. 3.2 Shops Shops are almost entirely superfluous in the game - you can more quickly acquire food and items by adventuring. The uses of shops are primarily to buy keys and buy and sell materials. If you want to grab every chest in the game, you'll need to buy at least one key. However, since you probably won't need to spend money early on in the game, you're better off buying each of the six keys as quickly as possible - you'll waste money, but you'll be able to make it back fairly quickly. After you have your keys, consider two Rings of the Scavenger, which substantially increase enemy item drop - especially if you?re trying to find loot, this gets invaluable, and is a good way to make money. After that, buy or acquire regenerative capability as soon as you can. 3.3 In-Game Difficulty If the game is getting too difficult, take a little bit of time and grind (fight lower-level enemies for easy experience and funds) - raising one or two abilities by a level often makes things just a little easier. I particularly recommend the Glade, the Sorrowing Meadow, and the Moonblood Camp for this purpose. ***** 4: WALKTHROUGH ***** Dust is a quasi-open world game - you can revisit areas that you've already defeated, and will in fact have to if you want to get all the swag. The route I outline below doesn't claim to be the best, but it's focused on ensuring you get everything in a relatively efficient manner - especially if you're new, the pace it keeps up is pretty aggressive, so feel free to spend some time in The Glade making easier experience and getting more food. If you're finding the game easy, you may wish to skip some or all of the backtracking. 4.1: The Glade - An Introduction Press A and click on Start Game. You'll get to choose one of ten save slots where your saved games will initially go. Remember, if you've got a game already going and choose the AutoSave option, your game will get overwritten pretty quickly. After that, choose a difficulty level. You'll start a quick cutscene. Eventually, the background will turn red and you'll get a chance to control the character - press A to jump and X to swing your sword. Don't worry - you can't take damage and can't die. A few seconds later, the scene will fade, and the game will officially begin. You'll be awakened by a talking sword (the Blade of Ahrah) and Fidget, the sword's guardian. Choose the dialogue options and talk with Fidget. Eventually, you'll be able to move. As soon as you can move, head to the left - don't worry, there aren't any enemies yet. You'll eventually come to a key on a cliff edge (don't worry, you can't fall). Pick up the key and head back the way you came. Once you head far enough to the right, you'll see that you're in an area called The Glade. Keep on going right, learning the basic controls, until you come to a rock. You'll be prompted to attack the rock using X and Y. Break the rock and pick up the "Mysterious Wall Chicken" that comes as a result. Go a little further right onto a tree branch and a cutscene will activate letting you know that Fidget can sense things. After the scene ends, head to the right and touch to the glowing circle to pick up the Dash ability. Then head back to the branch and press down and A to drop down. Head to the right until you fall down, then melee attack another rock. Pick up another Mysterious Wall Chicken, then a note ("Treasure") - sounds interesting! Keep on going to the left and you'll find your first chest (see Opening Chests (2.4), above). Once you open the chest, you'll get some money, a few health items, and a revival stone. Head back to the right and keep on going to the next screen. You'll pass deer running, then another cutscene will start. Finally, some action! This shouldn't pose too many problems - hit X a few times until all the bad guys disappear. Another cutscene will play, and Fidget will give you some more food. This is probably a good time to head to the inventory screen and switch your default healing item to those +20 Feeble Fruits as opposed to the +80 Mysterious Wall Chickens. You'll pass your first Save Monument to save your progress - if you'd like, you can also save your game in a specific slot rather than the Auto-Save. Once you head to the right, the next screen is just more bad guys - the short ones are Imps, the tall ones are Beasts. Do your best to keep all the enemies on one side of you - if one jumps over you, get to the other side or eliminate it and you should be fine. As you defeat enemies, make sure to pick up anything they drop. As you move right, the screen will flash different melee attack combos you can try, too. Move to the right again and touch the glowing circle to pick up the Dust Storm. A cutscene will show how it works before you're unleashed against a large group of enemies. You don't have to use it, but the Dust Storm is perfect for large groups and will be key to doing well, so try it out now. After you finish the enemies off, keep going right, past a save monument, and on to the next screen. After you beat the motley crew in the first part of the next screen, you'll probably get a cutscene indicating that you've leveled up - after a quick cutscene, the game will automatically pull up the Skill Gem screen. Put one point into Fidget. Head right to find another note ("Leap of Faith"). Then destroy the rock immediately to the right. As you go right, you'll find your progress impeded by a strong wind, but keep pressing right until you find a key. Head back and take the upper path. Go right, up, and right again until you hit the next screen (you'll be skipping one Chest, but keys are precious right now - if you decide to get it, it includes a Cotton Vest with some mild armor protection). You'll get another cutscene that will update your quest log. Once it finishes, drop down (careful of the bad guy on the right ledge!). To the left is a Save Monument if you need it. Go right, jump to the right and pass the camp - at the far right are two rocks. Destroy them and go right to pick up two Keys. Then head back to the left and down. Follow the path to the next screen. Defeat the enemies here (you should level up again - put another point in Fidget!) and pick up the glowing disk to grab the Aerial Dust Storm. Keep on going to the right until you can drop down - but before you do that, jump to the right and pick up another key! Then fall down to the next screen. Follow the path and you'll find a chest - open it and you'll get some food, some money, and a Warped Pendant - put it on for a minor skill boost. Immediately to the right, another cutscene (they start to thin out soon, don't worry) will introduce you to the merchant. Enter the shop by pressing up and you'll enter the sales screen. Cycle through all the options - all we want now are keys, and they're too expensive. Press B to exit. As you prepare to leave, the merchant will tell you that you can sell him materials, especially ones that he doesn't have. This will be incredibly useful. Enter the merchant's shop again, then press X to sell. Cycle over to the Materials tab, find anything that doesn't have a green check mark next to it, and sell one of the items. You'll have completed one of your quests and received some gold for your efforts to boot! Head to the right and take the lower path. You'll see a bomb fruit. Press and hold Y for a half-second to dislodge the fruit from the tree. Then head back to where the chest was, pressing Y every so often. You'll have to do this quite a few times, including some with strict time limits, so get used to guiding the bomb fruit now. Take the bomb fruit to the rock to the right of the chest - it will blow up, and to the left, you'll find a key. Then go back and get another bomb fruit and guide it to the upper path, where there's another key and a save monument. Then head to the next screen. You'll now find that Bomb Fruits can be used in battle. Importantly, if they explode near you, you don't take damage - but enemies do! Take out all the enemies, but don't cross to the next screen - instead, once the screen is clear, take the bomb fruit and take it to the lower path and take out the wall - this one's on an 11-second timer, but it will regenerate if you run out of time, so don't worry. You'll face a few more enemies, including a very dangerous thing that looks like a possessed demon shrub (a Slime!), so use the bomb fruit you find on the way to ensure you don't take damage. Keep on going to the right and you'll find another cutscene - you've found a cage locked with four locks. Since you've got five keys, you're good to go; open the cage and you'll find a Friend, earning a not-too-bad 5% health bonus - every little bit helps! Use the close-by bomb fruit to destroy the rock wall to the right, but this is as far as you can go right now. Head all the way back and to the right for the next screen. You'll defeat one enemy and get another cutscene - you're pretty powerful, but for right now, you can't climb vines. Wait a few hours and we'll fix that. Keep on going and you'll find another Slime - they have a very dangerous spike attack that acts as instant death on Tough or Hardcore, so head back to the ledge next to the vine and use Dust Storm until the Slime is a memory, then go to the next screen. At the next screen, you'll run into another cut scene teaching you about parrying - once the scene ends, use X a few times to get rid of the slime. You've always been able to parry - this becomes important as you face more dangerous opponents. Keep on going and you'll hit another cutscene, then press up to talk to Cora. Then head to the next screen. Up first is a Save Monument, then head to the right for a cutscene, then a boss fight! ***** Boss Fight: Giant(s) You'll start by facing one Giant, plus some Imps and Beasts. The strategy here is easy in theory, but hard to execute if it's your first time - jump up, then use the Dust Storm attack as you direct yourself to the other side of the screen. If you do it before the giant comes in range, you should be able to beat the Giant easily. Even on the Normal difficulty, he's usually kills you in one hit unless you've upgraded your Health or Defense - if he does hit you, consider reloading instead of using a Revival Stone. After you defeat the Beasts, Imps, and Giant, you'll probably level up - if so, put another point into Fidget. You'll immediately be thrust into another battle with two Giants. Quickly get yourself to one side of the screen and do the same technique as above, slicing past both of them, and you should be able to win this battle easily. ***** After a cutscene, head right. The prologue is over - Chapter One has begun. 4.2 Aurora Village - The Quest Begins Head to the right and another cutscene will start. Prospectors? Fine, whatever. Immediately after, talk to both Bean and Calum for an extra XP boost. Then talk to Avgustin - hmm, a blacksmith does sound interesting. You'll get more XP and a new quest. Go to the right and pass Gianni - we'll come back to him later. At the next screen, talk to Moska, then head down and to the right to open a chest - this one has a ring to equip. Then head back up and talk to Reed for another quest. Further to the right, another cutscene yields Ginger - you can also talk to her afterwards for some XP. Head to the right and you'll get one more cutscene before the next screen. Here, enter the shop and quickly sell any new materials you have (and get an XP boost!) then drop down and head to the left past the Save Monument to grab another note ("A Word of Advice"). Then go back up and head to the right. Talk to Bram, who will give you an update on your main quest and unlock a new area. Then head to the right and find Fale for another quest. Time to backtrack a little bit. Head back to the left, and this time take the far upper path to find Colleen (we don't have any extra keys, so that chest above her is going to have to remain locked for now). Head back and talk to Gianni. Then head back the way you came, to the map screen. You'll have lots of options here, but let's start rescue Corbin first. At the bottom right, you'll see Ivydale Glen. 4.3 Ivydale Glen - Gianni's Laundry You'll quickly see a cutscene here introducing Blombs. While Fidget may wish to attack them with the Dust Storm, it's easier to advance close, trigger the explosion, and then quickly retreat. This is another one hit/one kill enemy, but it's easy to avoid damage if you time it right, so work on it now while the stakes are low - they'll announce their imminent explosion with a distinctive tone, which is your cue to get the heck out of the way. Save if you like at the Save Monument, then head further to the right. You'll see two keys, but you'll have to come back later to grab them - head to the next screen for now. At the next screen, you'll face two more Giants - use the same strategy as above. You'll then find Corbin, who will give you a White Resonance Gem as you head to pick up Gianni's laundry. Fall down and use the Save Monument. To the left, you'll see a few Florns - things that look like blue flying octopi. Take them out with the Dust Storm - if their spark hits you, Fidget will be rendered mute for a few seconds, which makes defeating them much harder, so be careful! Then hop from ledge to ledge until you find Gianni's laundry - you can either be a goody-two-shoes or a prankster, the choice only affects which Achievement you get. Then take the Bombfruit and guide it to the left side of the screen to blow up the wall (you may wish to take out the slime first). At the next screen, the White Resonance Gate will open - careful of the Blombs. Head to the left and eventually you'll find two rock walls to destroy that will get you back where you started. Head back to Aurora and deliver the laundry back to Gianni to complete the quest. Then head back to where the shop is to find Corbin and get a new quest. Your inventory probably has accumulated a few blueprints. Let's fix that. Let's find a blacksmith. Exit Aurora Village and head to Archer's Pass. 4.4 Archers' Pass - The Blacksmith Head up - the right has a Blue Resonance Gate, which you can't open yet. You'll quickly find and fight some Avees - the best strategy is to use an aerial Dust Storm to avoid getting hit, though you can also take them out with a melee attack if you time it right. Follow the path upwards - there's a Save Monument on the left - and make your way to the next screen. Continue your way up - it's dark, so be careful and make sure you haven't missed an enemy. Eventually, you'll reach a Giant - if you've been diligently putting points into Fidget, you can just move back left, firing Dust Storms relatively easily. Then follow the path up to the screen. Here, the display will zoom out and you'll fight lots of Avees. Use Dust Storm and your Aerial Dust Storm attack as often as possible - if you're flying, it's almost impossible for them to hit you. Then make your way to the right, disposing of enemies (careful of the slime!) as you go, until you hit the next screen. Here, pass through a Save Monument, then trigger the Blombs before dropping down and heading to the right to enter the shop. Sell any Materials the owner doesn't have (you may have an Avee Wing or Claw), and then buy one key. Then head right through the rocks - no need to hack or blow up anything - to find a chest. Open it with your key and you'll find lots of gold and a Strength Salve - a massive boost to your Attack rank and to your Dust Storm ability. Then head back up and go to the right, triggering Blombs and attacking enemies until you get to the next screen. More Blombs - trigger them. Once you reach the hand, fall down to your left and pick up a Key, then head right to destroy the rock wall. Go right, then head up, triggering the Blombs as you go. Eventually, you'll reach a stone statue of a left arm. It's time to follow the recommendation from the Leap of Faith note - get on the outstretched finger and jump as far as you can to the left. If you do it right, you'll land on a platform that appears out of nowhere - stay on it as it teleports you to a new destination. When you arrive, you'll be in the middle of two chests (if you follow the platform up, there's one more, too). We only have one key right now, so open the one on the left to grab a fair amount of gold and a wet suit. Equip it then jump into the flaming sphere on the right, which will teleport you to the previous screen, and a little below the outstretched arm. Continue your climb up and to the right. At the far right, destroy two rock walls - only when you move to the next screen, there's a Blue Resonance Gate blocking your path. Oh, well - go back, and this time head up to the next screen. Pass through the Save Monument, trigger the Blombs, and head up. Keep on going up (at the right is another Blue Resonance Gate) to the next screen. At the next screen, pass a Save Monument and trigger the Blombs as you head right. Keep on following the path up, then head left - careful, you may need to jump back a ledge after you've triggered the first Blomb. From the scaffolding, you'll jump onto a grassy ledge - get to the far left of the ledge and jump to grab a Key. Then head left and fall down the chute. (thanks to Alejandro for the revised language!) Hey, something we haven't seen in a little while - a cutscene! You'll meet Haley and Matti and get your first access to the blacksmith screen, Haley will give you a Blue Resonance Gem and give you a quest to find a transmitter. Afterwards, feel free to talk to Haley to get a little more info on her shop (keep on talking to Matti to get an achievement). You can also check your stats and see if any blueprints are worth crafting now - if not, don't worry. After you finish, fall down and go down one screen. Go to the right through the Blue Resonance Gate and enter the teleport sphere to go back to the first screen in Archer's Pass. Pick up the note ("The Girl"), then head left and back to the Map screen. Time to help out Aurora Village, find the transmitter, and get closer to knowing who you are. Head to the Abadis Forest. 4.5 Abadis Forest - Fuse Pass to the right past the Save Monument and head right - there are lots of enemies, so take it slow. When you get to the next screen, keep on heading right until you can either take an upper or lower path - the lower path leads to a locked Chest, and we don't have any extra keys, so take the upper one. You'll face some Avees, who are dangerous in close quarters, so use either your Aerial Dust Storm or carefully-timed melee attacks to take them down. Stop in the shop if you'd like (you probably won't have enough money for another Key yet) and then head right to the next screen. Being careful of the enemies, work your way in a clockwise direction past the two Bombfruits to the Key. Then follow the path down. Pass the Save Monument, then take out the Avees, the Giant, and more Avees before heading to the next screen. You'll get a quick cutscene - after it, head to the right, being careful of the Slimes. Take a deep breath as you enter the next screen. You will end up above a cave that has Slimes below it - you can't hit them, but they can hit you, and if you try Dust Storm, you won't be able to defeat them before they zap you. Not fun. What I recommend doing is walking to the right until you're close to the left of the Slime, then use your Dash ability to go to the right - if you time it correctly, the slime won't get you. There are four Slimes below and one Imp above, so be careful. Once you get all the way to the right (next to the shop), you can Dust Storm the Slimes and then use Y to pick up anything they leave. You should have close to 3000 gold - if you can, buy a key. Then head up, passing the Save Monument, and go to the next screen. You'll immediately face some Avees and a Slime - you're usually best off standing still and Dust Storming so that you don't get zapped by the Slime's attack. Keep going to the right, taking out another Slime and an Avee pack, among others, until you make the next screen. Keep going to the right, taking out the enemies (now including Florns). You can save your progress at a Save Monument - after that, head up and go to the next screen. More Avees and then Florns here - take them out, then take a clockwise path to pick up a Key! Make your way up - on the right, you'll see a Blue Resonance Gate. Pick up the Bombfruit immediately to the left, then open the gate and let the Bombfruit take out the Slime. Then head back past the Gate to pick up another Bombfruit (it's on about a 15-second timer, which should be plenty). Bring it back and blow up the wall - lo and behold, there's the transmitter (and a cutscene with the words DEMON BLACKSMITH - almost as good as Mysterious Wall Chicken)! You have now completed The Blacksmith quest and can now flirt with Haley all day long. Open up your inventory and see if there's anything worth making - if you don't have enough materials, don't buy them - you'll probably be getting better stuff soon. Go back past the Resonance Gate and up to the bridge. Cross the bridge and continue to the right, defeating the Giant, as you make your way to the next screen. Defeat the enemies (including a Slime), then head to the right and open the Chest - an easy decision, since it has food, gold, a Teleport Stone, and a Key! Then head up and to the right until you trigger a cutscene. Take down more enemies (and more Slime) and head up to find a Note ("The Cliff") and a shop. Then take out the Florns, making sure to grab the Key as you jump between the ledges. Make your way to the left and up to the next screen. Take out the solitary Florn, then move past the Save Monument to the left. You'll then head out on to a bridge. This next part is difficult - once you find the first flock of Avees, try to use your Aerial Dust Storm to fly to the top of the screen (make sure Dust doesn't overexert himself) - if you're successful, you'll find a chest with another trapped Friend - and you've got four Keys! If you can't open it now, don't worry - wait and head back when you can. In either case, make your way to the left past a few more Avee flocks to the next screen - but bring the Bombfruit with you. After the cutscene, guide the Bombfruit up the path to blow up the wall. Pick up the note ("Fire and Dust"), and make your way up to the next screen. Once there, break through two walls to trigger a cutscene, pick up the Key, and head back down. Monsters will appear from nowhere, so be on your guard. As you head left, you'll face a Giant - you can easily retreat back hide on the ledge to Dust Storm him into oblivion. Make your way up to the next screen. Head up and right, taking out the Florns and Giants - remember when these guys were a tough boss battle? - on your way to the next screen. You'll pass a Save Monument, see a shop (if you've been using a lot of food items, consider stocking up here). As you head to the right, you'll trigger a cutscene. Move to the right, and you'll trigger another cutscene with Fuse. ***** Boss Battle: Fuse Fuse has a variety of attacks. The first are small little fireballs that are fired in rapid succession - since there are so many, they're hard to jump over. The second is diagonal red-and-green fireballs that are easy to avoid. The final attack are two massive columns of fire that are announced with a musical tone - once you hear it, get out of the way! You are best off following Fuse as closely as you can and zapping him repeatedly with the Dust Storm and melee attacks - Fuse has no melee attacks of his own, so the closer you stay, the better off you are. Feel free to drip- feed yourself health items and Fuse should fall. You'll trigger a cutscene where Fuse will accuse you of being an assassin - can this be true? Afterwards, you can pick up Fuse's Dust Storm technique - it's very different than the one you've been using, but should serve you well in the next battle. Try it out a few times, then head to the screen to the right. ***** After one more quick cutscene, defeat the monsters, then head up the scaffolding to get a Key on the left. Head back to the right to pick up a Note ("Sarahi's Letter") - hey, Sarahi's alive! Moska should be very happy. Head to the right. If you head left, you'll trigger a cutscene - these are the Cirelian Trials, places which provide treasures to those who can complete them. The reward will be a Strength Salve, which you already have. If you'd like to take it on, feel free - the Cirelian Trial discussion is below in Section 10. If not, just head to the right to trigger a cutscene - could Gaius be referring to you? Anyway. Back to Aurora Village. Talk to Mayor Bram - then talk to Oneida to get another quest. Then head left and talk to Ginger. You'll immediately face three Squirt-Bugs - be careful of the red poison that they spray and Dust Storm them into oblivion. The cutscene will then conclude. Head to the left and talk to Moska - he'll tell you where Sarahi and his "secret place" is, but we can't get there yet. Keep on going left - if you put the poison ivy in the laundry, talk to Gianni to see how he's doing. Finally, head left and talk to Geehan - he'll reveal a new region and give you a quest. We can go help Aurora in a second, but let's make Geehan and Oneida happy. Exit Aurora and head to Geehan's Farm. 4.6: Geehan's Farm - The Pocketwatch Head to the left past a Save Monument and trigger a cutscene. Then drop all the way down. You should see a Bombfruit separated by a wall. Jump up to a higher ledge and QUICKLY (the timer's only set for six seconds) guide the Bombfruit up and through the hole in the wall to blow up the wall on the left. Head left, drop down and you'll see another Bombfruit. This time, quickly (two-second timer) guide it up to blow up the next wall. Go through that and use the same Bombfruit tree to blow up the next wall and wall after that. You now will see another wall in the ground - since the timer for the last Bombfruit was two seconds, we can't use that one again. Head over it and to the right and up to find the Bombfruit with the six-second timer - you should easily be able to blow the wall and drop down to the next screen. There's a wall you need to blow up immediately to your left, and the Bombfruit you're going to use to do it is immediately on your right (it has a timer, but it's a long one - at least 20 seconds). Using the currents, guide it down, then back up, then down again, then left and right and down until it's at the bottom right of the screen. Then guide it to the left until it's just below the spikes. Head up to the platform immediately above the spikes and go to the far left - then use the Dust Storm again. If you do it correctly, the Bombfruit should move up and to the left without hitting the spikes! Then guide it up and over to the right to blow up the wall. Cross over and you'll have Geehan's pocketwatch! Retrace your steps to the surface, then head left - defeat the Slime and open the Chest to get some food, gold, and Slime Mail (it's not as good as your Wet Suit, but you can sell it). Give it back to Geehan and you'll get three Keys for your trouble. Head to the store and buy a key. Then head to the right, above where Colleen is, and open the Chest to get a Teleport Stone, some gold, some food, and a Simple Pendant that's a little better than your current one. Head one screen to the left and then go down. Fall down and you'll find Avgustin - nothing really fazes him, does it? Fall down again and you can head to Cirelian Trial 2 - the reward is another Wet Suit, but the experience is nice. Your call. On the right, you'll pass a Save Monument, then trigger a cutscene. Then jump and fall down. As you're falling, Dash to the right as often as you can. If you're successful, you'll end up next to another caged Friend. Open the cage, then pick up both Bombfruits. Use one to blow the wall to the right and keep the other in front of you to light your way. You'll eventually find a log - drop down and you can find two Keys! Enough treasure hunting. Head back and, this time, fall all the way to the left - you'll wind up next to a Red Resonance Gate, which you can't open. Oh, well. Walk to the right, triggering a cutscene - you'll face another Squirt- Bug. Then head to the right and start a new chapter. You're in the Cirromon Caverns. It's time to get the water flowing and save Aurora Village yet again. 4.7: Cirromon Caverns - Bopo Head to the right, defeating Squirt-Bugs and triggering a cutscene before you go to the next screen. You'll trigger one more cutscene as you pass the glowing tree, then you'll get your first encounter with a Rockhound. Keep on going to the right. You can stop by the shop and trigger a cutscene with the shopkeeper's comments on Fuse. Then head up and pass a Save Monument. Head to the right - on your way, you'll find a Chest with a Brutal Augment. Keep on going to the right and then drop down to the next screen. From here, head left, then fall down to find a wall needing a Bombfruit. Make your way to the left and down until you find one - release it from the tree, then head back to the wall and guide the Bombfruit to pay dirt. You'll see three keys, but you can't get at them yet - soon, I promise! Head down and to the left until you find the same Bombfruit tree, then guide the plant back down to destroy the wall on the right. Hit the Save Monument, then go down. It's now time to face a Trollk. You'll get a cutscene reminding you about parrying. Now it's your turn - if you're on Casual or Normal, you'll be able to kill the stunned Trollk immediately, if not, you'll have to hit the Trollk again. I usually have the best success when I get in close to the Trollk, then wait for its club to attack - it's a timing thing, so best to get it done now (if it's getting too difficult, you can head back up one screen then back down and the Trollk will disappear - saves you from the cutscene every time you die). Head left and down and then left to trigger a cutscene with what looks like a living blue egg. Hmm. Keep on going to the left until you get to the next screen. Below is a Chest with a Pendant you can't yet craft, so we'll skip it for now. To the left is a Save Monument. Cross left from ledge to ledge and eventually move to the next screen (under the last ledge is another Chest, but the one good blueprint it has is something we can't make yet). As you move left, take out the squirt-bugs and prepare to face the Stonecutter (looks like a spider with a grasshopper head) for the first time - its poison is powerful, so stay on the ledge above where it can't get you and spam it with Dust Storm. Head left and you'll trigger a cutscene - the egg (we'll soon find out his name is Bopo) talks! Head to the left and you can either go up or down - Bopo retreated up, but we're going to head down first. Fall down and take out the Stonecutter quickly, then head right and fall down to the next screen. Head left and work your way down - at the bottom, head right past the Save Monument, then hack away the wall immediately on the right to find a Key. Head back the way you came, but at the top of the screen, this time, go right and down. You'll eventually find a Chest with a Ring of the Scavenger, which should make item-hunting a little easier. Head back up one screen, then head to the left, using the Bombfruits to light the way. Make your way up until you find a shop, where you can buy another Key. Head to the right and go up to the next screen. After you take care of the Rockhounds, head right past the Save Monument and a Trollk. Work your way up and to the left, eventually hitting the next screen. Head left through a motley assortment of enemies on the next screen, too. At the next screen, go left and then head up to the next screen. Go left, passing a Save Monument. You'll meet up with Bopo again and be introduced to mutated mushrooms. Short version - blue is good (and will heal you), red is bad (and will poison you). Use some careful Dashing to get to the left and the next screen, then keep it up. Near the end is a merchant tent - if you've been backtracking, you may have enough for an extra Key Head to the right and drop down to the next screen. There's a save monument down and to the left, but you're going to eventually want to go down and to the right - once you get further down, you'll want to go left again (right brings you to another screen and a dead end - for now). You'll then see a cutscene - the Trollks are threatening Bopo! This can't stand. You'll be fighting two Trollks with a background of the mutated mushrooms, but focus only on the Trollks, and only one at a time. If you've got your timing down, this should be a reasonable battle if you make sure you heal. One more cutscene, and you can head left into Mudpot. 4.8: Mudpot - Village Life Head left and enjoy some cutscenes while Mudpot's relaxing classical theme plays in the background. Head left and talk to SmoBop for a quest - a doll Fidget shouldn't be that hard, and a trade for Reed's box sounds pretty good - then jump over to the next ledge and head under the scaffolding to the left. Hack the wall with your sword to get a Key. Then head up and to the right (up the stairs between the two columns of fire) to meet FloHop for a quest and a Ring of Sight and a quest from Gappy. Then head back and to the left to talk to Blop - he'll give you Red Resonance Gem, some warnings, and a quest. Before we follow Blop's advice and head down, let's complete two quests. Head up to the next screen, being aware of the Rockhound. Higher up, you'll find the first of Gappy's lost sheep - apparently, Dust has lots of pockets in his clothes. Then Dash to the left to pick up a Key. Fall down and then head back up, being careful of the Beast at the top. Then head left to get back to the map screen and choose Aurora. OK, time to head to the store for SmoBop's toy - choose the appropriate dialogue option, and a cutscene later will give you your doll (plus a spare). Then head back to Cirromon Caverns, choosing the left entrance (the one you just left by). Head back to SmoBop and trade the doll for Reed's Box. Yep, you guessed it - back to Aurora. Find Reed and pass him the box - a strange cutscene will occur, proving that boxes of cupcakes are evil and giving you a time-specific goal. Head left and leave the village, bearing in mind that every so often the presence you unleashed will throw you back - but, with persistence and some Dashing, you'll make it outside. Then head to a location and get attacked by some enemies (I prefer The Glade, which has a Slime near the entrance that does the job quickly). As soon as an enemy hits a killing blow, you'll be restored to full health. Make your way back to Aurora to talk with Reed - you'll get two Revival Stones for your troubles. Back to Mudpot. This time, head all the way down to the Red Resonance Gate and fall down to the next screen. It's time to talk to The Lady. 4.9: Cirromon Caverns - The Lady Fall down and pass the Save Monument, then head right. Those spikes hurt, so be careful to jump over them. You'll see a merchant - buy a key if you can. After that, make your way up and right, being careful not to get impaled on the spikes. Soon, you'll find mutated mushrooms on the path, too - there aren't any bad guys and there isn't a time limit, so make careful movements when the time is right. You'll eventually come to a glowing red series of platforms - align yourself so you're not over the spikes, and drop down three times, then head to the right and down the next screen. At the bottom of the screen on the left platform, you'll find another of Gappy's sheep - four to go! Make your way right, then down and to the left until you hit a Save Monument, then head to the left for the next screen, then head left all the way to the next screen again. Fall all the way down, then head left and then up to reach a stone column and the Crouch Slide - woo hoo! Head to the right, testing out your new ability. Now check your Key inventory - if you have more than or less than four, go back down the way you came, only Crouch Slide through the left wall to open a Chest with an Ugly Pendant (which will help us meet a challenge). If you have exactly four, wait. In any case, head back to the right for the previous screen. From here, take the upper path, then Crouch Slide once, then go up. Crouch Slide again, then once more. Fall down, then Crouch Slide to the left, then to the right - you'll find another Friend. Then Crouch Slide to the right, then move to the previous screen on the right. Retrace your steps until you are just below the glowing red platforms. Here, Crouch Slide to the left to find Blop's Hittin' Stick - he'll be ecstatic. Keep on retracing your steps back to Mudpot (you may be able to buy the final Key from the merchant). Give the stick to Blop, who will reward with the Trollk Vengeance quest, then Crouch Slide to the left and the next screen. After you pass through the Red Resonance Gate, you'll fight a Trollk. Head to the left and the next screen. From here, you'll fall into some air currents - swing your sword if you come near Rockhounds, otherwise quickly move to the left to get deposited on a platform next to a merchant shop. Free the Bombfruit (9 second timer) and guide it quickly up to the wall on the upper right - since there aren't any obstacles, you can get pretty far in front of the Bombfruit and bring it to you. Head up, taking care of the Florn, and then head left, passing the Save Monument on your way to the next screen. Keep heading left until you can drop down to the next screen. You'll find a new threat here - green stuff that falls down at specific intervals. It goes without saying that the green stuff is bad, but you should be fine as long as you take your time. Head to the right and then go down. You'll eventually be able to go either right or go down - going right gets you another of Gappy's sheep, then head down, where you'll find a merchant shop. Head up. The platform above the shop has green goo that falls out at three separate intervals - take your time as you cross. Then head left to grab a Key (careful, as it's under the green goo!) before trekking up and then left on your way to the next screen. Move past the Save Monument and head to the left. Avoid the green goo - careful of the Squirt Bug - and Crouch Slide through the wall on the left. Fall down to find a chest with a blueprint for Miner's Gear, then crouch slide to the right and head back up and back to where you first crouch slid, taking care of the Stonecutters on the way. This time, head to the left and down near the mutated mushrooms, falling down to the next screen. This next part is quite dark - equip the Ring of Sight if you have it. Then head down and Crouch Slide left until you come to a Bombfruit. Guide the Bombfruit in front of you - it provides a lot more visibility than the Ring of Sight, which is important as there are spike pits along your route. Head left, down, and left - there's one big set of spikes at the end, so be careful. You'll come to a wall with another Bombfruit - Crouch Slide and then keep on going up and to the right before heading down and seeing a Save Monument. Head to the right - what was once "kind of dark" is now "REALLY dark", so come to the left of the Save Monument and grab a Bombfruit if the timer runs out or it hits spikes. As you go to the right, you'll see red mushrooms - these are an indication that you're on the right track, but they can't give us the Red Moss we're looking for. Head right to the next screen, where you'll find another Bombfruit - since they're on a timer, guide this one, too. Now prepare for some fun platforming. Pass the first ledge you come to and jump up on the second. Then jump up and to the left to the next ledge, then up and to the left again, then up and to the right using a Jump and Dash combo. Jump to the platforms up and to the right twice, then jump up. Now jump up and Dash to the platform on the left. Jump up and to the left, then up and to the left again twice to get a Chest with another Ring of Sight. Head two platforms back - this time, head to the right, then up and to the right twice, then jump up and Dash to the right to get to the platform with the red mushrooms. Jump to the right, then jump down and to the right - then fall down to the right onto the glowing red platform. Congratulations - platforming's over, the Red Moss is on the right. Pick up all three, then head back down and to the left. Head back one screen to the Save Monument, then head left, taking care of Stink-Bugs on your way to the next screen. Follow the path, taking out Stink- Bugs and a Trollk before some Rockhounds and more Stink-Bugs. Then drop down, angling to the hard left or hard right since there's a Trollk at the bottom. Dispose of him, then head left to the next screen (incidentally, if you'd like to, you can grind through Trollks pretty easily here by heading back and forth between these screens - though you're now weak enough that Trollks can take you down pretty easily, so be careful). Then head left, taking out Rockhounds and a Stonecutter, before the path leads up past some Stink-Bugs. At the top, you'll find a Chest, which we'll pass on due to no keys. Head left. From here you can either drop down or go left and head down - either way works - to get to Save Monument. From here, drop down to the next screen. Stop by the merchant shop if you'd like, then head down and to the left for a cutscene. Time to fight The Lady. ***** Boss Battle: Lady Tethys Lady Tethys has two primary attacks. One is a honed electrical blast - you'll see where it is, and can easily avoid it. The second is a punishing melee attack that does a lot of damage. If you need to melee the Lady to build up your Dust Storm attack, do it VERY carefully. Beyond that, the recommended strategy involves using Dust Storm like it's going out of style, staying as high as possible (there are spikes at the bottom, and they hurt), and either waiting for your power to recharge or meleeing the Lady very carefully. Even if you've been diligent about upgrading Fidget, this battle is going to take a while - keep healed up and avoid getting in close, and you should be OK. ***** After you win (you did win, right? I'd be disappointed to have written this guide for nothing), you'll get another cutscene. Then head to the left - on the upper platform is the final Dust Storm upgrade. You can now blast electricity - very cool! Then head down to the teleport to a new room in the Caverns. Guide the Bombfruit to the next screen on the right, blow up the wall, and collect Gappy's sheep. Head down to see Bopo - time for a depressing cutscene. Afterwards, talk to Bopo for a new quest, then head to the right and Crouch Slide for another of Gappy's sheep - one more! Head left and talk to FloHop to complete the Red Moss quest, and talk to Blop if you've gotten the four Trollk Fingers - he'll now ask you for some Rockhound Teeth. Before you head out of Cirromon, head back the way you first entered Mudpot - to the right (if you feel OK about it, you can also go into MoBop and Bopo's house to grab a Key). Go past the mutated mushrooms and work your way to the next screen on the right. Crouch Slide to find one Key and the last of Gappy's Sheep. Then head back to Mudpot and Gappy to complete that quest. Now head back up to the map screen - you'll get another cutscene that hints that you were once General Gaius' friend - can this be true? We now have the Crouch Slide, one of the four big character boosts in the game, and there are a few Chests and Keys that are now accessible. Right now, however, we're just going to get some keys. Head to Ivydale Glen - once there, head to the right, staying on the surface until you get to the mound with the Crouch Slide on the right slide - Crouch Slide for two quick Keys, then make your way back left and up to exit. Anyway. Time to continue the quest and go to the Sorrowing Meadow. 4.10: The Sorrowing Meadow - Cora (Note - after you get the Iron Grip, you can get the artifacts in any order - I prefer this route since the first mansions are easier and give you one or two more levels to prepare for the last). Head to the right to start a cutscene with Avgustin, fresh off his job from juggling chainsaws in a minefield while simultaneously keeping the army off your trail. Then head right past a Save Monument to the next screen. You'll start fighting some Zombies - be careful of the ones with red and yellow spots, since they explode if you get too close. At the next screen, you'll get your first taste of Flesh Flys - head to the right, pick up the Key, and then destroy their hive. Break the wall on the lower path and head to the right and down to open a Chest with a Pendant of Beauty - congrats, you now have a regeneration ability! Of course, it's only a point of health every five seconds, but it's a start. Then take the upper path and head to the right to the next screen and a Save Monument. Jump or Crouch Slide past the first obstacle and Crouch Slide past the second wall and you'll get a cutscene and a nasty battle with The Crow. The Crow does massive damage if you get close to it, so this should be a Dust Storm exclusive - make sure that you're flying far away from it when moving to the other side of the screen. The head to the right and up, then left to find a Chest with a Key in it - plus some Flesh Flies, so be on your guard! Then head left and destroy the wall to get three more Keys. After that, head up and right to the next screen. Head to the right to the next screen (hidden by a Blue Resonance Gate is a Chest, but we have other things that we need to get first, and it only has a blueprint for a Flesh Sheath, which monsters will occasionally leave behind. At the next screen, pass by a Save Monument, then head right to find Cora for a cutscene. You'll have multiple destinations now, but we can only get to one - go back to the Save Monument, then head down (you can stop by a merchant for a quick cutscene related to your defeat of The Lady), and pass through the Green Resonance Gate before falling down to the next screen. Crouch Slide through the wall on your left, then Crouch Slide through the wall on the right for two Keys, then Crouch Slide to the left again. Head left until you reach the air current, then follow it all the way up and chop up the wall on the right for a Chest with a Coward's Pendant (it adds to your regeneration rate, but severely damages your ability to melee - your call). Then head back to the air current and this time go left at the top. Work your way left past two Flesh Fly Hives and an air current to the next screen. You'll face a new enemy on the next screen - a floating wizard who can summon more zombies - easiest to stay airborne and Dust Storm him. Head left, then down past the Save Monument to the next screen. From here, head down, then right - careful of the thorns! Right will just take you to an air current, so head down and left as soon as you can. Pick up some Bombfruits, then ride that air current quickly to the right to blow up a wall and grab a Chest with a Detective's Overcoat. Then head back, grab the Bombfruits (10 second timer), and QUICKLY head back up via the air current to the two walls left of the thorns. Stop by the merchant if you like, then head left to the next screen. Head left past a Save Monument and enter Bardel Mansion. Head right and hack the wall to get a note (Servant's Note 1). Then take a deep breath and head left. As soon as you get up the stairs, you'll get a cutscene and be pursued by a green evil thing. Don't try to fight back - you can't hurt it - just head to the right, up and the stairs and to the left. When you get to the walls, note that you can jump on and over them - faster than falling down. Go up and left to the next screen and the pursuit will end. Then Crouch Slide to the left to find one of the artifacts plus the ability to - well, you saw all the groups of vines as you were heading this way, what did you think it was going to be? Head back up the way you came to the next screen - only when you would first fall down, instead use the Iron Grip on the vines to the right and climb up and get a Key. Then follow the path back out. Once outside, head left and Iron Grip up the vines, then teleport back to the chest you opened earlier. Head up to get back to the screen with Cora. Head to the right past her and Iron Grip up, then head to the right. Then go past the Save Monument. Take the lower path and break the wall on the left, then use the Bombfruit (3 second timer) on both the wall on the left and on the right. Use the Bombfruit on the next wall to the left, then use the next Bombfruit (15 second timer) to the wall on the far right. From there, head down to the next screen. You'll find yourself next to a Hive below an air current. Destroy then hive, then get on the air current. About 3/4 of the way up is a wall you can destroy to get a Key. From there, head right and Iron Grip up. Head right past the thorns, then destroy four walls in turn to get access to a Bombfruit. Pick it up, then Crouch Slide to the left and Iron Grip up twice with the Bombfruit in tow to destroy the wall. Head right past two Slimes to the next screen. Take out the Wizard and move to the right. Head down to grab a Key, then keep on going right to face another Wizard. Drop down and get past the thorns to get another key, then head right. Jump over the drop, and head right to grab another Key. Then head up and right to the next screen. Use the Save Monument - it's been a while since there's been one - then head back and drop down the pit with the two vines on each side that you jumped over earlier (if you need to head to Aurora or Grind, you can also go right here and leave the Sorrowing Meadow). After you fall down, head left. Once you get to the section with lots of platforms, fall down and to the right - on the platform below is a Chest with a Master Ring of Wealth (which adds another regeneration point!). Then fall down and head to the right. Pass the vines with the Stonecutter, then head up and to the right and down to the next screen. From here, jump over the thorns, then quickly move from one air current to the next to make sure you don't get nicked by the thorns at the top. Crouch Slide under the thorns, then quickly move to the right to avoid more Sticky Air Current Thorn Pain. Then head down and left, taking out the Wizard as you go. Head down again to the bottom of the screen - but then jump and Dash right twice to get another Key. Down below, pass the Save Monument and fall down, then head right and destroy the Hive. Then head back left and pick up some Bombfruit. You will have three targets. The first is immediately to the right of the platform (with a Chest with a fair amount of food - since we have 12 Keys, we can open this one), the second is below the first wall at the bottom and has a merchant (which may give you the opportunity to construct a Spectral Vest - if so, do it!) and a Key, and the third is to the left of the second. After you blow the third wall, hack the wall to the left to open up the entrance to the second mansion - but before you enter, head left for a Key. Welcome to Nanoth Mansion. Two platforms up, you're ambushed by Mr. Green - head up, then fall down and head right, then break the wall and head up the stairs. Go right to the next screen, then up head up the stairs, and destroy the wall on the left. Up more stairs, destroy more walls, then right over two walls - jump to the next so you don't have destroy it, then head right to the next screen. Pursuit over. Immediately head to the left to the next screen, then right to the next screen, where you'll see another note (Servant's Note 4), then enter the door on the right. From here, pick up the artifact, then Crouch Slide to the left. Destroy the walls below if you haven't already for their glorious Mysterious Wall Chickens, then head left. Destroy the Hive, then take the Bombfruit immediately to the right to lead to two Chests - the one on the right has a Plague Oil blueprint, the one on the left has a blueprint for the Master Ring of the Artisan. Head left to the next screen, then head down all the flights of stairs. When you reach rock, jump on the platform to the left then go left once again, then Crouch Slide to get another Key, then Dash left and retrace your steps back to the cave entrance, then retrace your route until you're one screen BEFORE the one with Cora (for reference, it's got two Slimes and a Save Monument on the far left). This time, take the upper path and head to the screen on the right. Alert - you'll quickly face a Crow, and you're almost guaranteed to face some Zombies, too - melee them to build up your dust storm. You'll then face another Crow and group of zombies. After you take them both out, head to the grave with the single rose on it and kneel for a few seconds - you'll teleport to a new location. Head right until you come along a locked Chest with a Friend. After you free him (?), head one screen to the right to teleport back. Then head right and up to the next screen. Head right, taking out the Wizard, on your way to the next screen, which you can go right through. At the next, take out the Wizard, then the Crow, then another Wizard. If you'd like to, you can Iron Grip up and to the right for a Cirelian Trial with a Master Ring of Vigilance as the prize. If not, however, take the lower path and go down to the next screen. Pass the Save Monument, then head right - wow, haven't seen a Trollk in a while! Your next goal is to enter Samachua Mansion, but there's a shop on the right if you need it. From the entrance, first head left up the stairs to pick up a note (Servant's Note 3), then head right - you start getting pursued as you begin walking down the stairs. Break the wall, then head right, and Iron Grip up the wall before destroying another wall and heading right, then falling down and destroying two more walls before moving on to the next screen. Crouch Slide to the right twice, then head right up, destroying three walls before falling down. From there, head left and you'll fall down again to the next screen, ending the pursuit. Head left to grab a key, then head right through the darkness to find a door. From there, you'll pick up another artifact, then head left to a teleport. Open the Chest for a Spectral Vest Blueprint (if you don't have it already), then break the wall and Crouch Slide before doing battle with a Wizard. Head left to do battle with another Wizard, then drop down and continue left to the next screen. Iron Grip up, then keep going up. Take out the Hive, then head left and down and destroy the Zombies. Then head back and free the Bombfruit and bring it back to blow up the wall - a Crouch Slide will net three Keys. Iron Grip up, then Dash to the left and leave the Mansion. Retrace your steps back to the screen with Cora - one more artifact to go! Go left past Cora and the Save Monument, and then Iron Grip up - there are two thorn bushes here, so you're going to have to be very precise with your movements. Getting on the first set of vines is easy - on the second, drop all the way down so you're parallel with the first set of thorns, then hop up to be right below the second set. If you do it correctly, you should be able to jump back to the vines on the right wall and climb up to the next screen. From there, get as close as possible to the thorns, then jump up and to the right (Dash works, too). Jump up twice, then Dash left to get on the vines on the left wall and jump up to the platform. Take out the first Hive, then Dust Storm the second Hive on the top left of the screen. From there, walk off the ledge to the left, then immediately turn right and start chopping away at the platform, which should ideally keep you in the same location - if you fall, Crouch Slide to the right and make sure you get on to the platform (Dashing right immediately after Crouch Sliding helps). After you destroy the two walls, you'll get a Key. From there, head down and left, Iron Gripping all the way up past what looks like a rock wall to a ledge on the right with a note ("The Rose"). Then head to the ledge on the left and take out The Crow before going to the next screen. Head left, Iron Gripping up the vines (there aren't any difficult jumps this time), then go left and take out a Wizard before going left to the next screen. Once there, take out TWO MORE Wizards (not at the same time, fortunately), then head left to the next screen. Head left, Iron Gripping up to a merchant store, then fall down and head left, picking up a note ("The Cafe") along the way. Head left to open a chest with a blueprint for a Wrong Vest, then Crouch Slide and then Iron Grip your way up before heading right and up to the next screen. Yes, there's a key - no, we can't get to it, yet. Iron Grip up, then jump and head left past a Save Monument. Before going into the Mansion, head left to find a Chest with lots of things, including a Wicked blueprint. Then, into Dorimo Mansion. From here, grab the note (Servant's Note 2) on the right, then head left. Up the second flight, just after the Bombfruit flowers, you'll be pursued by the green guy again. This time, bring out your BFG-9000 and prep… nope, you have to run away once more. Head left, then Iron Grip up the right wall and head left (skip the Key - it will be there later). Iron Grip onto the ledge then jump onto the walls to save time. Crouch Slide to the left, then take out two walls. Head up the stairs, then go right and Iron Grip up to the next screen. Iron Grip to the top of the vines, then Dash left - do the same thing this time, only Dash right. Take your time, even though you're being pursued - better to get hit once and get up than to get hit repeatedly. Up the stairs, destroy the two walls, then Crouch Slide left twice. Head left down the stairs and on to the next screen. Crouch Slide left to pick up the last artifact and get a small cutscene. Then head right to the next screen. Take out the Wizard and make your way back down to the next screen, where you'll face another Wizard. Make your way back, taking out walls for their Mysterious Wall Chickens. You'll hear and see the Crow below you - use Dust Storm to take it out now. Fall down - get the Key if you missed it earlier - and head left. Pick up the Bombfruit and guide to left to show a Chest (with a Pendant of the Saint) you can get to by Crouch Sliding. Exit the Mansion, take out the Wizard, and retrace your steps back to Cora (quick warning - when you see thorns to the right and a long drop (the "there aren't any difficult jumps this time" locale), be aware that at the bottom of that long drop is a pit of thorns!). Once you're back, find a Save Monument, make sure you're healed up, and talk to Cora to get a cutscene. ***** Boss Battle: Demon Kane Kane has a variety of attacks. The first is a short-range melee attack that can be used either vertically or horizontally. He can also create Zombies. But the more important one for us is that he can use a motion to silence Fidget (it's possible to attack him first and stop this, though). In this case, you can either eat a Deadly Delight or stay out of range. The strategy here is to fly from one side of the screen to the other, recharging Dust Storm and avoiding the exploding Zombies. If you make sure that you land far away from him, he can't hit you - and he lacks a ranged attack. Once you're successful, you'll get a cutscene. Then head left to leave the way you first entered, stopping by the Blue Resonance Gate to open the Chest we found earlier. Talk to Avgustin - clearly the unsung hero in this story so far - then enter the cavern. Head to the right, break the wall, and then Crouch Slide and Iron Grip up to find a Chest with food. Then head back down and to the left to the next screen and start the next chapter. Head up and past the Save Monument to the next screen and update your quest log. Then immediately head back right to the Sorrowing Meadow - we can finish off one other region first. ***** 4.11: Hidden Cove - Moska and Sarahi Heads-up - this is a minor maze. Head right and Crouch Slide, then enter the cave. Then go left and enter the next cave. Then go right and enter the next cave. Take the lower path and enter that cave to find a chest with a Harabeoji Pendant, then go back and enter the cave at the top. Head right and pick up the Bombfruit, then fall down flush with the wall and guide it down. Guide it left past the vines, to blow up the wall. Enter that cave and head right, then Dash across to the platform on the right. Enter the cave and you'll be outside. Iron Grip up the wall, then Crouch Slide all the way to the right and enter the cave. Jump to grab the two Keys and fall down. Enter that cave and you'll be right back where the Bombfruit was - retrace your steps until you're outside again and have Iron Gripped up the ledge. This time, Crouch Slide all the way to the right, then press flush with the wall and Crouch Slide left and enter the cave. Iron Grip up the vines to the next screen, then enter the cave. Pass the Save Monument and you'll get a cutscene - Sarahi and Moska are now reunited. Pick up the Teleport Stone and head back to the main map (after you Crouch Slide, you can just fall to the left to exit more quickly). OK, enough with the detour. On to Blackmoor Mountains. 4.12: Blackmoor Mountains - Dust Revealed Head left, taking out your first Wolves and Bundled Fighters - then head up and left, and then up and left again. Head down to find some food and a blueprint for the Pendant of the Madman. Then head back up. You'll notice that the platform on the left disintegrates and then re-forms, so don't dawdle as you head left and up, then right and up to the next screen. Head right to grab a note ("Mind Bend"), then go left and up - you'll eventually get a cutscene about avalanches. Then head up and drop down to the right to get a Key. Head back up and go to the left - the shop owner has a new cutscene based on Kane - and jump onto the moving platforms that will take you to a ledge on the right, from which you can go up to the next screen. From there, head left to get a quick cutscene - OK, now head right and Crouch Slide to get to the next screen. Head right, blowing the Blombs, then up and right to the next screen. Crouch Slide to the right and head right past a Save Monument. Then head right to get a cutscene and a mini-boss battle - the Frite will do what Kane did, either silencing Fidget or damaging you, as she has no melee attacks of her own. A combo of melee attacks and Fidget will easily do her in - just try not to hit the spikes! Then jump over the spikes on the right to pick up the Double Jump. Use it and Dash to get to the ledge above, then back to the Save Monument. Immediately to the left, Double Jump up to grab a key on the right, then go to the left and over the disintegrating floor. Then jump up and Double Jump up the platforms on the wall, then jump one platform to the right, then Double Jump to the left to find a Key on a disintegrating floor. Go back to the previous platform and now head right, then Iron Grip your way up to the next screen. From here, get to the vines on the left, then Double Jump up for a Key on the right ledge. Then head right, then Iron Grip up. Then head to the left and fall down to get a Key. Head left, working your way up past the Blombs and disintegrating platforms, to find a chest at the top left with a blueprint for a Ring of Study. Then head left and drop down to the next screen, then head left to the next screen. Work your way past the Blombs and disintegrating floors to find a Chest with a blueprint for a Snow Suit, then go left. Immediately under a disintegrating floor is a Key - if you're quick - you can fall and then Double Jump back to the same ledge. In either case, head left to the next screen. An aside - you've now got the Double Jump. If you'd like, you may wish to leave Blackmoor and go through 4.14 below to find a few goodies before continuing. Before advancing, let's free a Friend. Head back down one screen and go back to where you got the Mind Bend note, then Double Jump up to get a Key, then Double Jump up twice more to enter a blocky door. You will now be in a 16-bit world, divided into 9 screens - and, if you're on Tough or Hardcore, moving left and right will be reversed. But you've got this guide, so you'll be fine. For the below, and to make things hopefully a little clearer, I'll refer to the top row as T, the middle row as M, and the bottom row as B. For the first column, L, the center one C, and the third R. So center square is MC. Any discussions of "left" or "right" mean the way that Dust moves on screen. Got it? Good. You'll start at MR. Head left past MC to ML, then jump up to TC and enter the door. You'll start at BC. Move a little to the right of the door, then double jump up to TC. Then head right to BL and enter the door. You'll start at TL. Head left and jump up - you will show up in BR, then BC. Head left to MC. Walk a little further to the left - even going to ML, then jump up. You will either end up in TC - if so, go right to BL - or BL. Enter the door. You'll start in MC. Head right to MR and enter the door. You can see the Chest! You'll start in TC. Go left and jump down to ML. Then go left and jump down to BC (if you land in ML, go right to fall down). Go right to TR, then go right until you're flush with the wall and jump up and right. Open the chest. Now all you have to do is retrace your steps! Or you can just follow this. From the chest, go right and fall of the ledge back to TR. Go left to BC, then move left and jump up to ML. Then jump up again to TC and enter the door. You'll start in MR. Head left to MC and enter the door. You'll start in BL. Jump down to MC. Head right to MR and fall down to TL. Enter the door. You'll start in BL. Head left to TC. Jump down to BC and enter the door. You'll start in TC. Jump down to ML. Head right past MC to MR and enter the door. You're out. (An aside - kudos to whoever had that idea). Anyway, it's time to head left back to where we had the cutscene about not being able to climb the mountain. This time, head up and then left via the disintegrating platforms, then down to find two Chests - the one on the left has the Master Ring of the Broken, the one on the right has money. Then head up to the next screen. Head left for a cutscene, then break the wall on the left. Then head left to the next screen and a Save Monument. As you go left, there's another cutscene - best to combine some careful timing and quick Dashing to avoid the icicles. Once you're through, Double Jump twice, then head left through another icicle field to the next screen, where there are more icicles as well as some enemies - either hang out in an icicle-free zone and fight them, or ignore the enemies entirely. Head left, Crouch Sliding when you get to the spikes. Immediately to the left is a disappearing floor with nothing below it - fall down and head to the left to get a Cooler so you can get snow for Bopo, then head right to teleport back where you were. Head left through the camp to the next screen. Double Jump, then break the second pillar to get a mini-cutscene, then keep on heading left. From here, get on a platform and ride it all the way around the spikes for a Key, then go left to the Save Monument. Here, you'll face your first Kush - they hit hard, so be careful and try to get to the ledge on the above left where it can't get at you! Head left, and the QUICKLY fall down from the platforms repeatedly and to the right to find a Chest with a blueprint for a Pendant of the Marsh. Then ride the platform up to the next screen. As soon as you see ground to the right, Dash towards it - the platform ends in spikes! Head right - there's a platform that takes a while to arrive here, so wait for it, taking down the enemies below while you do. Once on it, duck to avoid the rock clearance, then wait to be enclosed by spikes to jump up and get a Key. You can then fall down and head to the right - the platforms aren't necessary, though they do make hiding in the icicle-free zone difficult. Head right to the next screen to find a merchant and a Save Monument. Then head right for another mini-boss battle with three of Blue Ladies - keep an eye on who's getting ready to attack and quickly hit them to disrupt it, and you should be fine. You'll then get a cutscene - from there, head right to the next screen. Double Jump up three times to get to a Chest with a Warm Sweater, then guide the Bombfruit down to blow the wall and get another cutscene. Head to the right, then fall down from the disintegrating ledge. Head right one screen - you'll be able to pick up snow for Bopo with the Cooler. Head back outside the mountain for another cutscene, then jump up and head left to the next screen. From here, go left past a Save Monument, then WAIT at the ledge for the avalanche, then head down and right to grab the Key before QUICKLY heading back before the avalanche pummels you. Then head left, making sure you make it under the overhang before the next avalanche. Then keep heading up, Double Jumping on to the first platform you see to avoid getting crushed. Head left to the next screen until you find a ledge - wait for the avalanche, then go left under the overhang. Crouch Slide to the left to pick up the Key - if you're quick, you can Crouch Slide back, if not, just retrace your steps. Back under the overhang, head up as soon as the coast is clear, then left to the next screen. You'll face a Frite here. As you head left, the snow will increase and you'll be pushed to the left slightly - careful spotting enemies now. The snow will soon clear - just in time to take out a Kush before you head to the left and the next screen. At the next screen, there will be another Frite (this is a great place to grind for Hollow Shards and occasionally Lost Souls). Fall down from the disintegrating ledges to find a merchant - then Crouch Slide to the left. From there, get on the platform and ride it up, then Dash to the right to grab a Key and Crouch Slide to the right. Then go up and left until you get the poles with red flags with them. There's a Friend to the left, but we can't get to them yet - so head up to the next screen and a Save Monument. As you head to the right, Double Jump up to get on the ledge and avoid the avalanche, then head right and press close to the wall to avoid the second snow attack. Then jump up to the next ledge, then up on to the floating platform. Follow it all the way to the top for a Chest with a blueprint for Pendant of the Marsh, then go one platform down and to the right, taking out the Kush as you head to the next screen. Jump on the disappearing ledge, then quickly Crouch Slide to the right and jump up to grab the Key. From there, make your way up, dropping down from the disappearing ledge to open a Chest with a blueprint for a Frozen Blade plus a Hollow Shard. Get back to the same disappearing ledge - only this time, head up and right, then up and right again. Set off the Blombs, then start up the disappearing ledge. Head a little to the left, and Double Jump up as soon as the ledge starts to reappear. Then head left and up to the next screen. Jump and Dash to the right, taking out a Frite, then get on the platform and follow it without getting impaled by ice shards AND while taking out a second Frite. Follow the platform to the ledge on the right immediately to the left of the platforms doing a 360. Get on a platform to grab a Key, then get on the platform to your left that's just moving up - grab that Key, too. Get off that platform and get on the ledge above, then get on the platform that appears immediately to your left. After you pass the first set of spikes, fall down to find another Chest with a blueprint for a Warrior's Pendant. Then get on the mini-platform and use it to the ride the original platform back to the left - when it finishes, fall down and then make your way back to the vertical platform. At the end of your ride, this time head right to the next screen. Head to the right and get on the platform going down - then make your way right until you find a Bombfruit. Pick up the Bombfruit and guide it back the way you came - only this time, take the platform going up to blow the wall and open a Chest with food and money. Take the vertical platform all the way up, then defeat all the enemies (make sure you've defeated them ALL), then fall down via the disappearing ledge and head to the left and fall down again. Then take a deep breath. Wait for the vertical platform to reappear, then grab the Bombfruit and guide it up - there's no correct route, you just have to be very careful and patient - I've found that nearly constantly pressing the Y button usually works well. Blow the wall and open a Chest with a Master Ring of Focus. Then head right past the Save Monument to the next screen. You'll be fighting a wind that will both impede your progress and make enemies hard to spot, so the occasional Dust Storm is a great idea. Head up and right, then over the disappearing ledges to the next screen. Get into the cavern, avoid the icicles, and move to the right. Head to the right, fall down, take out the Kush, Iron Grip up the wall, then head left, being careful of the spikes awaiting you once you jump off the wall. Head up and right through the camp, then go right and fall. Head as far to the right as you can to grab a Chest with Mountain Gear. Then head left and get flush with the wall - there's a platform that you can jump on. At the height of the platform, Dash to the right and make your way into the cave and a Save Monument. Head up, passing a merchant, until you reach the next screen. From here, go right to get a quick cutscene, then go left. You'll get one cutscene, then head left to get another. Time for a boss battle. ***** Boss Battle: Three Soldiers Soldiers are essentially upgraded Beasts - they have the annoying tendency of sidestepping and then backstabbing you. They also have very strong armor, so you lots of your shots won't hit - feel free to stay away and Dust Storm them. They're easy to defeat, but try out a few techniques - you're going to very quickly be facing tons of these guys, so get a good strategy down now. Once they fall, you'll get another cutscene, then head left to the next screen. You'll get one cutscene, then another in front of a house. Go in the house for another cutscene, then go right and enter the door. Head to the left for a longer cutscene that finally explains why you're called Dust. Then go to the right and head left to exit Blackmoor, after which you'll have another cutscene. Head to the Everdawn Basin for the last chapter. ***** 4.13: Everdawn Basin - Moonblood Camp The final area is pretty easily split into two - we'll grab the last special ability and get ready for the assault on the camp, then head back to finish all the areas. Deal? Head right past the Save Monument to get a cutscene, then head left to automatically initiate a talk with the Elder. Head right, chat with Ginger, and then go right to the next screen. Talk to the Sanjin for a little more info and some XP, then fall down the shaft to the next screen. Head right through the save monument, falling through the floor on top of the key - then, after you're teleported, head right to the next screen. Take out some LeopardImps, then head right to the ledge. Wait to jump onto the disappearing ledge until the yellow lava has stopped erupting, then head right - stop at the ledge and wait for the next batch of yellow lava. then head right and up, then left over the disappearing ledge. Head left until you hit the wall, then jump up and head right. You'll get a cutscene. Make sure that your Dust Storm is the one you got after defeating Fuse and fire away, then fire three or four times and wait a few seconds for a cutscene. Then head left and down - back at the wall, you can Crouch Slide to make things faster. Head left back to the Save Monument, then go left and jump from platform to platform - there's a Key on the far left - then head up and left to the next screen. Take out a few more LeopardImps, then go left. As you advance higher up this wall, the platforms get shorter and shorter - but just remember to head to the far right of the platform and Double Jump at the last possible second and you'll be fine. Up at the top and left, you'll see the generator - zap it with your electricity and you'll be fine. Make your way back, then position yourself immediately to the left of the Save Monument to wait for the platform to take you back up. After you've finished, talk to Sanjin, then head to the right, taking the air current up and to the right to get a cutscene before you go to the next screen. Head right to find the assassinated sentry - and a new opponent, invisible assassins. Dust Storm is easily the best way to find them out, though you can also see them if you look carefully (they usually sound like a crackle of electricity). Go down and left to open a Chest with a Magma Mantle blueprint, then head back the way you came to talk to the Elder, who will give you a Yellow Resonance Gem. Head back right to where you found the sentry and go right through the gate to the next screen. Right past an air current and Save Monument before a merchant who has his own cutscene (personally, I thought Avgustin was the one who was trailing Dust). Then head right for a cutscene. Then drop down to the next screen. Crouch Slide past the Chests to get a Key, then come back for the Chests - the one on the left has a Key and a lot of LeopardImps, and the one on the right has food. Then head back to where you started and get on and follow the platform - on the way, fall down to grab a Key before getting the next platform and riding it to the end point. From here, fall down to the next screen. Then go left past the air currents and set off the Blombs, then fall down again and head right past the Save Monument - set off the Blomb and then time the lava correctly to fall down and grab the Key and quickly escape. Head right to grab the Boost Jump, then immediately try it out to grab the three Keys above. Head left past the Save Monument to the air currents - use the Boost Jump just to the left of the middle of them to find a Friend. Then head to the far right of the air currents and Boost Jump again to make your way back the way you came, then Boost Jump one screen up. Head left and Boost Jump, then Boost Jump again up one more screen. Boost Jump a final time and you'll be on a ledge. Head right and jump up to a new screen. Head left, then up and right, being watchful for assassins. When you have the opportunity to jump up and left, instead jump to the right and land on the ledge, then jump up and Dash to get to a ledge with a Chest with a blueprint for a Pendant of Wisdom. Then head back up and this time go left, then make your way up - but before you head right, jump and left to get a Chest with a Master Ring of Wealth. Then head right - time your jumps to avoid the lava as you move to the right and then down and to the left. Then fall down and take the Bombfruit to the left and blow the wall. If you have a doctor's appointment in an hour, you can now continue on with 4.15 and win the game. But let's 100% everything. Head back the way you came. On the way, the far right of the screen with Sanjin has an air current - Boost Jump up it to find a chest with a Ring of Study. Then head left and exit the Everdawn Basin. 4.14: Tidying Up * The Sanctuary * We have to stop by here twice. The first time will be quick - head left and inside the house, then grab the Purple Resonance Gem. Then head back out. * Aurora Village * One item you can knock off pretty easily, if you haven't already, are Fale's different quests. Either grind in different locales or simply buy what he needs at the shop (it's a money-loser, but faster). Talk with Corbin if you've achieve a 1,000-hit combo. Head one screen to the left and talk to Sarahi, then head left and talk to Moska. He'll give you a new quest - then either immediately talk to him or buy paper before talking to him to complete it. Then head right and down. This time, you HAVE to enter the Cirelian Trial, but it shouldn't be difficult. After the first wheel of fire, go to the left with the target under the lion shooting flame. When the lion takes a break, Double Jump up and to the right to grab a key. Then finish the rest of the trial. * The Glade * Start from the far right. Go left two screens (you'll immediately see a Slime). Head up the Iron Grip wall, then destroy the wall on the left, then get up and destroy the wall on the right. Iron Grip up that to find Cirelian Trial #3, which offers a Spectral Vest. From that previous location, head one screen to the left. then head down and right - Crouch Slide through the wall to the right of the cage that held the Friend, then head down a screen. Take the Bombfruit and blow the wall on the right, then destroy the wall before jumping up and going right to grab two Keys. Head back to the surface. From here, head left one screen, up one, and left two. Fall down under the log, and open the Chest for some food. One more - go four screens left. At the bottom of the screen is a Chest - go left of it and Crouch Slide to the left, then pick up the Bombfruit and guide it down a screen. Stay ahead of the Bombfruit and use melee attacks to clear out the Stonecutter, then blow the wall. Go right and fall down - then go right and ride the air current up to the ledge on the left with the Bombfruit. Guide the Bombfruit (8 second time limit - which is plenty) down and to the left and blow the wall. Crouch Slide to the left, then open a Chest with a Light Stone Vest. Go right and ride the air current up, then fall all the way down and head to the right of the screen to exit. * The Sorrowing Meadow * Go to the entrance on the right. Then go left one screen and down one screen (you'll see vines on both walls). Head to the far left and Boost Jump up the currents to get three Keys. Head back up one screen, then go left one screen, up one screen, left one screen (the one with Cora and Kane), then down one screen, and left one screen (the previous screen will have an air current as you exit, and you'll see zombies on the left of the screen as you enter). Head to the far left of the screen and Iron Grip up to find a Chest with a blueprint for a Ring of Patience. Then head right one screen, up one screen (Cora and Kane), up one screen (Double Jump helps!), left three screens (the one just before has two Wizards). Head to the far left and Iron Grip onto the wall. Get to the top of the mini- vine, then jump to the left and Double Jump up to get the Key. Then do the same thing again to get to the ledge and go left to the next screen. Take a deep breath - this part is complicated due to all the thorns. If you're on Hardcore, this becomes doubly difficult since getting hit once can be a painful death. Head left until you see a massive patch of thorns, then Double Jump up and to the left, then Dash to get to a ledge. Get on the vine and position yourself in the center, then jump to the left and then Dash to get on the next vine. From here, walk left until you fall down into a room with three Keys on the right. Grab all the Keys, then take the teleport. From here, enter the door on the left. Continually head right until you see vines - then head up to find a chest with a locked Friend. Then head right and take the teleport. Go in the door and retrace your steps. Head right one screen, then go up one screen and enter Dorimo Mansion. Go up one screen and left one screen (you'll see a wall you'll need to Crouch Slide to the left - it's also worth noting that the Wizard to the right is a great place to grind for Lost Souls). Crouch Slide left, then Double Jump up to grab a Key. Congrats, you've finished the Sorrowing Meadow. * Abadis Forest * Head one screen to the right. At the far bottom right is a Chest with Imp Oil. Head right three screens (you'll be in the screen with the four Slimes). Head left one screen, then fall down one screen. Head to the left one screen. Double Jump on the ledge with the second Bombfruit and make your way left to a cage with a Friend. Then head up and left, then up to a new screen, then Crouch Slide to the left and out. Head back to the same four-Slime screen, then head four screens to the right (you'll see water lilies in the background and a rabbit in the foreground). Jump up to the second platform, then Double Jump and then Dash to the left to grab a Key. From there, head one screen up, one screen to the left, and one screen up (you'll be confronted by a Florn immediately). Head up and left to Iron Grip your way up to the next screen. Head to the left, take a deep breath, and Iron Grip up again - there are spikes, and they are very unforgiving. You are best served by jumping in the center and then Double Jumping up. At the top is a Chest with a Flesh Sheath. Then head back to the four-Slime screen. At the far right of the screen, you can Iron Grip up one screen. Keep on Iron Gripping up until you are just at the bottom level of the wind. Then Double Jump up and Dash left (prepare to do this more than once, as this is very unforgiving). Head left through the wind to find a Chest with a Warm Sweater and a Revival Stone. Congratulations, you've finished Abadis Forest. * Cirromon Caverns * Start where you first entered Cirromon, with the entrance on the right. Go right one screen (you'll see the pink and white trees). Head right and down. Just before you're about to fall down to the next screen, Double Jump up and Dash left to grab a Key. Then head down one screen. Head all the way left and all the way down, then Crouch Slide to the right to ride an air current and pick up three Keys. From here, head right, then drop down one screen and make your way left one screen (you will see more pink and white trees). Make your way to the far left - before crossing to the next screen, however, fall down and to the left to open a Chest with a blueprint for a Ring of the Miner. Then fall down again to find a Chest with a Halmeoni Pendant blueprint. Make your way up and right, then left, to go to the next screen. Then head one screen down (as you drop down, you'll see a Bombfruit). Head left and work your way down, passing right through a Save Monument and what looks like a solid wall to find an air current. Boost Jump up to find two Keys. Then head up two screens (you'll be on a ledge with a Rockhound coming at you). Head up and right past the Save Monument and the Trollk, then Iron Grip up to the next screen on the right to enter Cirelian Trial #4, which yields a Warrior's Pendant. Head left three screens, then up one, left one, down one, left one (Mudpot), then down two (you'll see a ledge with a Bombfruit). Take the Bombfruit and guide it to the right, Iron Gripping up, and blow the wall to pick up a Red Orb. Then go two screens up (back to Mudpot), and two screens left (you'll see an air current). Boost Jump up the air current to the next screen, then jump to the left to find a Chest with a blueprint for Mithrarin's Augment, the best Augment in the game. Head back down and ride the air current left just under the ledge - use Boost Jump to grab another Key. Then head left one screen and down one screen (where grew goo is falling down). Go right, then down. Once you get to a chance to go right or go down near some spikes, go right, Double Jump up, and head left to find a Key. Then head left one screen and down one (the screen will go dark). Head down, Crouch Slide left, and take the Bombfruit with you to light the way. Head down to the Save Monument, then jump up on the ledge from where the Bombfruit is hanging. Go flush with the wall and Double Jump up onto a small ledge. Then jump up again and walk right, then jump up and go right to find a Key. Head left two screens (the previous screen will have a Trollk - this one will have lots of Rockhounds and a waterfall in the background). Head left, then up then left to find a Chest with a blueprint for a Ring of the Apprentice. Then go left and fall down towards the Save Monument. Clear out ALL enemies, then Double Jump up to the ledge just above and free the Bombfruit (5 seconds). Quickly guide it up and to the right (careful of the spikes!) to blow the wall and get a Key. Then drop down one screen to the Lady and take the teleport. Pick up the Bombfruit and guide it to the right to the next screen. Then take it up one screen and quickly take out the Rockhound, then move it up and take out the Beast. The Bombfruit has a long timer, but you're covering a lot of ground and thus have to move quickly. Blow the wall and Boost Jump to the ledge on the left to free a Friend. Head back down to Mudpot - talk to Blop and finish his quests, then head right and give Bopo his snow for a cutscene - and Bopo will give you a Rainbow Resonance Gem. Congratulations, you've finished Abadis Forest. * Archer's Pass * Clear out as many enemies as possible and head up. The ledge holding the Save Monument also holds a Bombfruit - guide it back down through the Blue Resonance Gate, Double Jump to the right, and blow the wall to get a Key. Then go back and head up one screen and head up. After you face the Giant, Crouch Slide right then fall down to get to Cirelian Trial #6. Go into the Blue teleport, then the Yellow, then the Orange to get a Chest with a Massive Augment, then do Blue-Yellow-Cyan to leave and get a Flak Sheath Then head left one screen, up one screen, then right two (you'll see an outstretched stone hand). Head up and jump from the same finger onto the platform as before, then raid the other two Chests (the one on the bottom has money - the one at the top has a Revival Stone and lots of Avees. Take the teleport back and go up one screen. Go to where you see the one piece of scaffolding, then Double Jump to the left and Crouch Slide to the other side of the ledge, then fall down, hugging the wall, to find three Keys. Go down one screen and then right. From here, just follow the path path the Resonance Gates - the floor will appear as you walk. Blue, then Red, then Green, then Double Jump up to grab the Key, then left through Yellow, then jump to grab another Key, then White, then up, then Purple, then Rainbow to find a locked Friend. Then use the teleport and leave. Congratulations, you've finished Abadis Forest. * Blackmoor Mountains * Start from the bottom, then head one screen left, up four, left one, up one, and left one (you'll see a Frite). Head all the way to the left and kneel next to the carving of the hourglass in the rock (make sure you've got the Red Orb) - in a few seconds, a tornado will take you away. After a cutscene (yes, the sound effects are intentional), head left, drop down, and pick up the Key on the right. Then go left, up and right over the disintegrating floor, then up, the Crouch Slide under the spikes, then up to free the Friend. Then head right and up to teleport out. Congratulations, you've finished Blackmoor Mountains. * The Sanctuary * Enter the door to get the Baker's Dozen achievement. Everything now should be at 100%. To get the highest completion percentage, finish all side quests and four-star all the Cirelian Trial areas. Ready to go? Let's save the world. 4.15: Everdawn Basin - The Final Battle Head right back where you started - you'll get a cutscene showing the Everdawn Basin. Pass a Save Monument and start going to the right. You'll quickly fight lots of Soldiers, War Dogs, and War Kushes, and the battles occasionally get confusing in terms of determining where you are on the screen, but they're certainly spectacular. Combo Dust Storm and melee attacks repeatedly - on the bright side, your experience will raise very fast. Learn the pace, and move on to the next screen. Here, you'll also encounter Airships - Dust Storm them into oblivion. Head to the right to the next screen. Head right, then fall down - on the left is a Chest with a blueprint for Soldier's Armor - the second-best armor in the game. Then make your way right to the next screen. Almost immediately is a Save Monument slightly up in the screen. Time your jumps to the right to avoid the lava. Head over to the right and take out the LeopardImps, then bring back the Bombfruit from the left and blow the wall to get a Chest with a blueprint for a Foul Ring of Devastation. Then head right and up to the next screen. Double Jump to the left to open a chest with food and gold, then head right. When you get to the air current, go immediately to the right, activate the disappearing floor, and Boost Jump from the air current to get a Key. Then head right to the next screen. Head right and get a cutscene - you can use the teleport to travel back to the beginning of the level. Despite the comment that there's no going back, you're not committed yet. Go right to the next screen. The next screen is relatively level - there are just more enemies. Head right. The next screen immediately has a Save Monument, then you get a cutscene involving enemy cannons. We can do that - fall down to find a merchant, then Crouch Slide right and fall down. Destroy the two walls on the left, then fall down and Crouch Slide right to pick up three Keys. Ride the air current up, then drop down and Boost Jump to the right to open a chest with food and gold - then Boost Jump to the left of the current to start the disappearing floor, then Boost Jump to the right to get up on the now-available ledge. Head right to the next screen. Follow the path, going right, then up, then left, then up, then right. When you can, fall down to find a Chest with a Military Grade Augment blueprint to the left of an air current. Ride the current up, then take out the cannon. Move left, grab the Bombfruit and take it back down to the current - this time, go right and blow the wall and head to the next screen. Here, first destroy the two walls, then work your way up and destroy the cannon. Head right, then Crouch Slide right and fall down - grab the two Keys. Then Boost Jump up to the next screen. Head left past the Save Monument to the next screen. Here, use an aerial Dust Storm to "surf" to a ledge on the top left with the uber-powerful Wedding Ring. A jump and three Dashes should get you back to the same ledge. Head right this time, activate the disappearing floor, then Boost Jump up to Iron Grip some vines on the left. Get to the small platform on the right, then time your Crouch Slide with the lava to get to the other slide, where you should time your last slide with a moving platform. Follow the platform to the right and drop down. Then fall down and take out the cannon. Head to the right, and Iron Grip up, making sure to grab the Key on the ledge on the left. Then head up to the next screen. Head up and take out the cannon, then you'll get a cutscene - getting close now. Head right to the next screen. Fight through that and suddenly everything goes quiet - there's a merchant immediately at the start, and if you Iron Grip up, there's a Save Monument. Above that are more vines - once you head right, you'll get a cutscene and the final battle begins. ***** Boss Battle: General Gaius The battle occurs in stages. The first is pretty easy - Gaius has just a melee attack - take out his Soldiers, then use a careful combo of Dust Storm and melee to whittle him down (avoiding him isn't that bad an idea, since you should be regenerating health quickly now). With the final hit, you'll knock him right through a wall. Second phase, cutscene then new health bar for Gaius, who adds Exploding Balls of Doom to his repertoire. It's risky, but consider being melee-focused here, since the explosions won't hit you if you're close-in. You get an ally to help you, and midway through, Gaius gets an airship. Keep an eye on your health. When you strike the last blow, he breaks the floor and you both fall down. One more cutscene. You will lose your companion, and Gaius will gain lots of Soldiers - on the bright side, you can use Bombfruits! Focus on Gaius, not the soldiers - they will be replaced. With the last blow, he breaks the floor again. OK, final stage. No more Soldiers, but stay at the top, since falling down means a bath in lava. Aerial Dust Storming from platform to platform works well and keeps you out of harm's way. With minimal grinding, I ended at Level 44 and always found that I had plenty of food to continue - if you're having difficulty, grind (the last two screens before the final battle can usually give you extra levels really quickly). When you strike the last blow, he'll fall and you'll get a cutscene. Move to the right to get Gaius and you'll get the final cutscenes and end credits. Congratulations, you've won the game! ***** 5: ITEMS ***** There are four types of items - those you need for quests, one-time use items, food, and equipment which improves Dust's skills. All are listed alphabetically. If prices are given, the first is how much it is to buy the item - the second, to sell. 5.1 Quest Items Brooch: Used for the Sorrowing Meadow to give to Cora. Cooler: Used to complete the "Snowflakes" quest by getting snow and bringing it back to Bopo. Fidget Doll: Given by the Storekeeper in Aurora Village after you talk with SmoBop. Lets you complete the "A Better Fidget" quest. You get two. Haley's Transmitter: Found in Abadis Forest. Enables you to use the Blacksmith at any time during the game. Old Painting: Used for the Sorrowing Meadow to give to Cora. Personal Diary: Used for the Sorrowing Meadow to give to Cora. Red Moss: Used to complete the "Red Moss" quest, oddly enough. Note - while you can get three pieces of moss, you only need one to complete the quest. Reed's Box: Given by SmoBop after you complete the "A Better Fidget" quest. Used to complete the "What's in the Box" quest. Turns into Reed's Evil Box after you give it to Reed. Resonance Gems: Open the same color Resonance Gate. Come in Blue, Green, Purple, Rainbow, Red, White, and Yellow. Walking Cane: Used for the Sorrowing Meadow to give to Cora. 5.2 One-Time Use Items Revival Stone 8000/2000 Immediately resurrects you, with full health, if you die. Very valuable. Teleport Stone 400/100 Teleports you from any Save Monument to the World Map. Treasure Key 3000/750 Opens chests. VERY useful. Shops only have 6. 5.3 Food Birthday Cake 1000/250 +250 Health Blue Mushroom 200/50 +20 Health/Poison Antidote Buffalo Burger 1400/350 +300 Health, x1.2 Attack (15 seconds) Chaldulbagi 480/120 +120 Health Champong 1000/250 +200 Health, x1.2 Attack (15 seconds) Charred Galbi 1800/450 +400 Health, x4 Defense (30 seconds) Cinnamon Bun 400/100 +100 Health Deadly Delight 600/150 +1 Health, Cures Silence Doenjang Jigae 1000/250 +200 Health, x4 Defense (30 seconds) Feeble Fruit 80/20 +20 Health Hot Chocolate 640/160 +160 Health Hot Dog 720/180 +180 Health Ice Cream Dish 600/150 +100 Health, Heals Burns Kim Bap 560/140 +140 Health King Crab Legs 1400/350 +350 Health Lasagna 1200/300 +320 Health Louta Nut 160/40 +40 Health Mysterious Wall Chicken 300/75 +80 Health Tasty Cupcake 240/60 +60 Health Warm Pretzel 480/120 +120 Health 5.4 Equipment Also included here is what is required to craft specific items. 5.4.1 Armor Bark Shirt 80/20 ??? +2 Defense Cotton Vest 160/40 4 Cotton, 1 Thread, 40 Gold +4 Defense, +1 Luck Detective's Overcoat 8000/2000 20 Fabric, 20 Thread, 4 Ectoplasm, 2000 Gold +80 Defense, +6 Luck Electrician's Uniform 2000/500 2 Florn Sparks, 2 Florn Tentacles, 5 Fabric, 500 Gold +20 Defense, +2 Luck Leaf Vest 40/10 ??? +1 Defense Light Chain Mail 600/150 5 Nails, 2 Florn Sparks, 2 Scrap Metal, 150 Gold +10 Defense, +1 Luck Light Stone Vest 1200/300 4 Giant Rocks, 10 Wire, 300 Gold +15 Defense, +2 Luck Magma Mantle 35000/8750 2 Tough Metal, 4 Wolf Pelts, 20 Glue, 20 Cotton, 8750 Gold +6 Regen, +250 Defense, +10 Luck Miner's Gear 3500/875 2 Florn Sparks, 2 Squirt-Bug Eyes, 2 Stone-Cutter Legs, 1 Trollk Shell, 875 Gold +35 Defense, +4 Luck Mountain Gear 30000/7500 4 Kush Pelts, 6 Wolf Pelts, 20 Wire, 20 Scrap Metal, 2 Hollow Shards, 7500 Gold +4 Regen, +220 Defense, +8 Luck Robe of the Mithrarin 60000/15000 10 Kush Pelts, 10 Lost Souls, 6 Hollow Shards, 16 Wolf Pelts, 40 Cotton, 20 Dye, 15000 Gold +10 Regen, +300 Defense, +10 Luck Slime Mail 900/225 4 Slimy Coats, 4 Slimy Spikes, 225 Gold +12 Defense, +2 Luck Snow Suit 25000/6250 10 Wolf Pelts, 5 Hollow Shards, 20 Cotton, 6250 Gold +2 Regen, +200 Defense, + 8 Luck Soldier's Armor 40000/10000 20 Dog Tags, 10 Tough Metal, 5 Kush Pelts, 40 Fabric, 10000 Gold +8 Regen, +280 Defense, +10 Luck Spectral Vest 15000/3750 6 Lost Souls, 10 Ectoplasm, 10 Fabric, 1 Florn Spark, 3750 Gold +2 Regen, +150 Defense, +6 Luck Trollk Jacket 4000/1000 4 Trollk Fingers, 6 Trollk Shells, 10 Fabric, 1000 Gold +40 Defense, +4 Luck Warm Sweater 20000/5000 4 Wolf Pelts, 10 Fabric, 10 Cotton, 20 Thread, 5000 Gold +1 Regen, +180 Defense, +8 Luck Wet Suit 2500/625 4 Hound Hides, 2 Slimy Coats, 10 Cotton, 625 Gold +25 Defense, +4 Luck Wrong Vest 12000/3000 20 Rotten Flesh, 4 Bones, 20 Maggots, 20 Thread, 3000 Gold (Thanks to NH for the recipe!) +120 Defense, +6 Luck 5.4.2 Augment Brutal Augment 800/200 2 Lumber, 6 Nails, 200 Gold +40 Attack, x1.1 Fidget Dull Whetstone 200/50 1 Scrap Metal, 50 Gold +6 Attack Egg Shell 40/10 10 Gold +1 Attack Flak Sheath 1000/250 10 Scrap Metal, 250 Gold +50 Attack, x1.2 Fidget Flesh Sheath 3000/750 20 Rotten Flesh, 4 Bone, 4 Wire, 750 Gold +150 Attack, x1.3 Fidget Frozen Blade 6400/1600 4 Hollow Shards, 2 Lost Souls, 1 Tough Metal, 1600 Gold +320 Attack, x1.7 Fidget Imp Oil 400/100 4 Imp Hides, 4 Imp Claws, 1 Bottle, 100 Gold +10 Attack, x1.1 Fidget Massive Augment 2400/600 1 Trollk Finger, 4 Trollk Shells, 4 Wire, 600 Gold +120 Attack, x1.2 Fidget Military Grade Augment 8000/2000 10 Dog Tags, 10 Tough Metal, 20 Lumber, 2000 Gold +400 Attack, x1.9 Fidget Mithrarin's Augment 12000/3000 10 Lost Souls, 10 Frites, 15 Tough Metal, 20 Dog Tags, 3000 Gold +800 Attack, x2 Fidget Mountain Oil 5600/1400 2 Wolf Pelts, 10 Bones, 10 Junk, 1400 Gold +280 Attack, x1.6 Fidget Nasty Dentures 1600/400 2 Hound's Teeth, 1 Hound's Hide, 1 Thread, 400 Gold +80 Attack, x1.2 Fidget Plague Oil 4400/1100 2 Slimy Coats, 1 Ectoplasm, 20 Maggots, 1 Bottle, 1100 Gold +220 Attack, x1.4 Fidget Sand Paper 80/20 2 Paper, 20 Gold +2 Attack Shocker 1200/300 4 Florn Sparks, 4 Florn Tentacles, 1 Scrap Metal, 300 Gold +60 Attack, x1.2 Fidget Smooth Whetstone 300/75 3 Scrap Metal, 1 Beast Leathers, 75 Gold +8 Attack Spear Dust 600/150 4 Nails, 4 Beast Spears, 150 Gold +20 Attack, x1.1 Fidget Strength Salve 600/150 2 Giant Cores, 2 Giant Rocks, 1 Bottle, 150 Gold +30 Attack, x1.1 Fidget The Wicked 5000/1250 6 Lost Souls, 10 Ectoplasm, 2 Squirt-Bug Eyes, 1250 Gold +250 Attack, x1.5 Fidget 5.4.3 Pendants Battle Master's Pendant 10000/2500 10 Scrap Metal, 20 Dog Tags, 6 Kush Pelts, 2500 Gold x2 Attack, x1.5 Fidget, +20 Luck Child's Pendant 1200/300 3 Fabric, 3 Thread, 2 Glue, 300 Gold x1.1 Defense, +1 Luck Coward's Pendant 5000/1250 20 Maggots, 1250 Gold +2 Regen, x0.5 Attack, +20 Luck Filthy Pendant 200/50 2 Junk, 50 Gold +1 Attack, +1 Defense, +1 Luck Halmeoni Pendant 2000/500 4 Nails, 4 Hound Hide, 2 Stone Carapaces, 500 Gold +2 Attack, +12 Defense, +4 Luck Harabeoji Pendant 2000/500 4 Nails, 4 Squirt-Bug Arms, 2 Stone Feelers, 500 Gold +10 Attack, +4 Defense, +6 Luck Ornamental Pendant 1200/300 4 Avee Claws, 4 Beast Leather, 4 Imp Hides, 300 Gold +10 Defense, +2 Luck Pendant of Beauty 3000/750 2 Fabric, 4 Thread, 6 Dye, 2 Bones, 750 Gold +1 Regen, +60 Attack, +40 Defense, +8 Luck Pendant of the Creature 1600/400 3 Slimy Spikes, 2 Giant Cors, 4 Florn Sparks, 400 Gold +6 Attack, +3 Luck Pendant of the Madman 5000/1250 10 Nails, 2 Lost Souls, 5 Trollk Fingers, 1250 Gold +80 Attack, +12 Luck Pendant of the Marsh 6000/1500 20 Maggots, 10 Bones, 4 Kush Pelts, 1500 Gold Pendant of the Saint 4000/1000 4 Scrap Metal, 10 Cotton, 10 Paper, 2 Lost Souls 1000 Gold +4 Regen, +100 Defense, +10 Luck Pendant of Wisdom 8000/2000 6 Hollow Shards, 10 Lost Souls, 10 Ectoplasm, 2000 Gold +12 Regen, x2 Defense, x1.2 Fidget, +18 Luck Poor Man's Pendant 800/200 10 Wire, 200 Gold +6 Attack, +6 Defense, + 6 Luck Simple Pendant 800/200 1 Scrap Metal, 4 Beast Spear, 200 Gold +2 Attack, +4 Defense, +1 Luck Ugly Pendant 1000/250 4 Imp Hides, 2 Slimy Coats, 1 Hound Hide, 1 Hound's Teeth, 250 Gold x0.1 Attack, x0.1 Defense, x0.1 Fidget Warped Pendant 400/100 2 Scrap Metal, 2 Imp Claws, 100 Gold +2 Attack, +2 Luck Warrior's Pendant 7000/1750 6 Wolf Pelts, 4 Kush Pelts, 1750 Gold x1.2 Attack, x1.2 Defense, x1.2 Fidget, +16 Luck 5.4.4 Rings Dirty Ring 100/5 5 Gold +2 Luck Dull Ring 100/25 25 Gold +1 Defense, +2 Luck Foul Ring of Devastation 20000/5000 10 Lost Souls, 10 Tough Metal, 100 Nails, 5000 Gold +10 Regen, +10 Attack, +20 Defense, x3 Fidget, +16 Luck Master Ring of Focus 10000/2500 4 Frites, 20 Squirt-Bug Eyes, 2500 Gold +10 Regen, +8 Attack, +18 Defense, x2.5 Fidget, +14 Luck Master Ring of the Artisan 12000/3000 20 Paper, 20 Dye, 20 Thread, 3000 Gold +2 Regen, +20 Attack, x1.2 XP Bonus, +10 Luck Master Ring of the Broken 1000/250 20 Scrap Metal, 50 Junk, 20 Bone, 250 Gold +8 Regen, +2 Attack, +12 Defense, x1.5 Fidget, +12 Luck Master Ring of Vigilance 2000/500 10 Paper, 10 Scrap Metal, 500 Gold +2 Attack, +4 Defense, 3x Item Drop, +6 Luck Master Ring of Wealth 6000/1250 4 Squirt-Bug Arms, 10 Paper, 10 Dye, 1250 Gold +1 Regen, +20 Attack, 1.5 Gold Drop, +8 Luck Ring of Patience 200/50 2 Lost Souls, 20 Maggots +4 Regen, +10 Defense, x1.2 Fidget, +10 Luck Ring of Sight 2000/500 1 Florn Spark, 1 Wire, 500 Gold +4 Attack, +4 Defense Ring of Study 4000/1000 10 Bottles, 20 Ectoplasm, 1000 Gold +8 Regen, +4 Attack, +14 Defense, x2 Fidget, +12 Luck Ring of the Apprentice 4000/1000 4 Avee Wings, 4 Florn Tentacles, 4 Stone Feelers +1 Regen, +10 Attack, x1.1 XP Bonus, +8 Luck Ring of the Miner 2000/500 6 Imp Claws, 2 Trollk Fingers, 500 Gold +10 Attack, 1.2 Gold Drop, +6 Luck Ring of the Scavenger 1000/250 10 Junk, 250 Gold +2 Attack, +4 Defense, x1.5 Item Drop, +4 Luck Smooth Ring 600/150 1 Scrap Metal, 150 Gold +1 Attack, +4 Defense, +2 Luck Wedding Ring 40000/10000 20 Hollow Shards, 20 Lost Souls, 100 Paper, 100 Dye, 10000 Gold +20 Regen, +20 Attack, +20 Defense, x2 Fidget, x2 Gold, x3 Item, x1.5 XP Bonus, +20 Luck ***** 6: CRAFTING AND MATERIALS ***** 6.1 Finding Materials Dust, as said before, does a lot of things right. One aspect of the game that's a little more frustrating is its materials section. It's not a game breaker, but it is an annoyance. In short, every time you defeat an enemy, there's a small chance that they'll drop something. In addition to gold, they can also drop materials - either generic things like Cotton that lots of different enemies can drop, or things specific to one enemy (like Imps dropping Imp Hides). This doesn't work particularly well in that those items are often dropped rarely, which makes quests like Better Than Nothing (getting 5 Imp Hides) frustrating when you pick up an Imp Hide once every one or two hundred Imps. It's always possible to buy specific items to speed your way to quest completion, but this often severely cuts into the reward and always kind of feels like cheating. If you're willing to grind, the materials section below provides a few locations where you can pick up things a little faster, especially against less-common enemies. If you get the chance, always equip any rings that increase the chance of an item drop - every little bit helps. 6.2 Blueprints The second problem with the materials section lies in creating new items. The procedure here is pretty simple - you find a blueprint and, after finding the blacksmith, you make sure that you have the items you need and then pay a fee to craft the item. The problem here is that you can't drop or sell blueprints of equipment you don't want, and the price you sell the items for is the same as the price you pay to craft it, making creating items a wash. If you want to prune your inventory, every so often you'll be crafting materials for no profit just to sell them. When you do grind in lower-level areas, avoid blueprints like the plague and always avoid picking up duplicates. 6.3 Material List - items are listed in the order the game lists them Name Enemy Type (or "Common") Price to Buy/Price to Sell Lumber Common 100/25 Nails Common 100/25 Fabric Common 100/25 Wire Common 100/25 Glue Common 100/25 Paper 100/25 Cotton Common 100/25 Dye Common 100/25 Scrap Metal Common 100/25 Thread Common 100/25 Bottle Common 100/25 Junk Common 40/10 Imp Hide Imps 100/25 Imp Claw Imps 100/25 Beast Spear Beasts, Bundled Fighters 100/25 Beast Leather Beasts 100/25 Avee Claw Avees 150/37 Avee Wing Avees 150/37 Slimy Coat Slimes 150/37 Slimy Spike Slimes 150/37 Giant Rock Giants 200/50 Giant Core Giants 200/50 Florn Tentacle Florns 100/25 Florn Spark Florns 100/25 Hound's Teeth Rockhounds 100/25 Hound Hide Rockhounds 100/25 Stone Carapace Stone-Cutters 200/50 Stone Feeler Stone-Cutters 200/50 Squirt-Bug Eye Squirt-Bugs 100/25 Squirt-Bug Arm Squirt-Bugs 100/25 Trollk Shell Trollks 400/100 Trollk Finger Trollks 400/100 Rotten Flesh Zombies 40/10 Bone Zombies 40/10 Ectoplasm Flesh Fly Hive, Wizards 100/25 Lost Soul Wizards, Frites 1000/250 Maggot Flesh Flies 10/2 Wolf Pelt Wolves, War Dogs 100/25 Hollow Shared Frites 400/100 Kush Pelt Kushes 1000/250 Tough Metal Kushes 1000/250 Dog Tag Soldiers 200/50 ***** 7: CIRELIAN TRIALS ***** Cirelian Trials are combination of traps and enemies - if you complete them, you get an item, and if you complete them fast enough, you get some recognition that you can put on XBox Live. If you're trying to get a high score, wait until you're more experienced - you can easily defeat the enemies at level 50 than level 10. In each case, you'll hear the Cirelian Trial music - you'll also see a teleport sphere that can get you back. Once you pass the blue-green force- field, you've got to finish the trial, so fair warning. Your score in the trials is based on a few different things: Hitting a Target: +500 Defeating an Enemy: +100 Getting Hit: -100 Extra Time Left: +100 per second To do as well as possible, eliminate opponents as efficiently as possible, and dash as quickly as possible. Be very careful around fire - unless otherwise stated, you're better off not risking a split-second jump with the possibility of being hit for a 100-point penalty and a the loss of a second or two. 7.1: Cirelian Trial 1 Found at: Abadis Forest Requires: Nothing Reward: Strength Salve Maximum Score before time extension: 6400 Head to the right and you'll immediately face of combination of Imps, Beasts, and Slimes. Defeat them, then head to the right. Time the fire correctly and jump to the left, where you can slice the first target. Head to the left and take out the Avees and Slime. Follow the path, timing the fire correctly, and you'll find the second target - then jump up, and you'll find the third. Go to the right, and you'll trigger a battle with Avees, Imps, Beasts, and a Giant. Defeat them all, then fall down and take out the fourth target on your left. Head to the right, defeat the Imps, Beasts, and Avees, then fall down. You'll next face two Slimes - after that, head to the left for the fifth and final target. The trial ends on your left. This trial is relatively easy to four-star if you avoid taking damage and move swiftly through. 7.2: Cirelian Trial 2 Found at: Aurora Village Requires: Beat Fuse Reward: Wet Suit Maximum Score before time extension: 8400 Head left past the wheel of flame and hit the first target. Go left and hit the second target, then jump after the lion has finished breathing fire. Go left and hit the third target, then fall for a battle. After that, go left and jump to hit the third target. Then fall down and head right to find the fourth target, then take out the Florns. Wait for the lion to finish breathing fire, then jump and take out the fifth target. Go right, carefully avoiding the timed flame, then take out the sixth target. Fall down to the next screen. Avoid the flame as you move right. When you get to the seventh target, wait for the flame below it to stop, then jump and slash it in one motion. Go right past the wall of flame and take out the eighth target, then go right for the ninth, then up for the tenth - and jump up for the eleventh. You'll face one more battle - after it's finished, Dash quickly to the right and take out the twelfth as you fall. The trial ends on your left. 7.3: Cirelian Trial 3 Found at: The Glade Requires: Iron Grip Reward: Spectral Vest Maximum Score before time extension: 5500 Go left and take out the first target, then Iron Grip up, avoiding the circle of flame, and take out the second and third targets, dropping down to the floor. Take out the third, fourth, and fifth targets and Iron Grip up. Get immediately under the first flame, then quickly jump up twice as soon as it's finished. From here, Iron Grip up the left wall, then take out the sixth, seventh, and eighth targets in one motion. Iron Grip up the right wall, avoid the circle of flame, then go up and take out the ninth and final targets. 10.4: Cirelian Trial 4 Found at: Cirromon Caverns Requires: Iron Grip Reward: Warrior's Pendant Maximum Score before time extension: 8000 Go right to destroy the first target, then time your Crouch Slide to avoid the fire. Move to the right of the wall, then Crouch Slide again to get the second. Move to the left wall, then Crouch Slide right to get the third. Time your next Crouch Slide correctly, then jump up to get the fourth, then head down. Drop down and hit the fifth on the right, then get the sixth, then fall down and go left, avoiding the circle of flame, to get the seventh and eighth. Go right for the ninth, then avoid the circle of flame as you head right to get the tenth and eleventh. From here, Iron Grip up to take out the twelfth, then fall down for the thirteenth, fourteenth, fifteenth, and last. Then Double Jump up and Crouch Slide to the left to end the trial. 7.5: Cirelian Trial 5 Found at: The Sorrowing Meadow Requires: Iron Grip Reward: Master Ring of Vigilance Maximum Score before time extension: 8500 You will be pushed via air currents here, so part of this is proper placement. Stay level at the start and hit the first target. You'll have to jump to avoid spikes - the second target is just above them. Stay level from there and hit the third. You'll then be moved up - avoid the spikes and hit the fourth and fifth. You'll then be pushed left - jump up to knock out the sixth, stay level to hit the seventh. You'll fall down and be pushed right - stay level for the eighth and make sure you go into the teleport. From there, take out some Zombies, then move right and up. Don't take the teleport - instead - go left to hit the ninth, then go up and right, jumping to avoid the spikes and hit the tenth. Jump to destroy the eleventh, twelfth, and thirteenth, and take the teleport. From here, you'll be pushed up - move immediately to the left to hit the fourteenth, then right for the fifteenth. Go right and quickly take out the last, then move left and head to the end. If you're having trouble on time, up your level to take out the Zombies quickly. 7.6: Cirelian Trial 6 Found at: Archer's Pass Requires: Crouch Slide Reward: Flak Sheath Maximum Score before time extension: 4500 This one is a little different than others - while it's possible to get hurt, it's more of a maze. Be aware that, to finish with four stars, you've got to hit everything, and you’ve got to do it FAST. You first get two options - Blue or Red. Blue gets you two targets pus your choice of Yellow or Red. Red takes you back to the beginning. Yellow gets you two targets and the the choice of Purple, Cyan, or Orange. Purple takes you back to the beginning - Cyan takes you to the end of the trial. Orange takes you past two wheels of flame with a Chest. Choosing Red at the beginning gives you the choice of Orange or Green. Green gets you two targets and a Cyan that returns you to the start. Choosing Orange gives you the choice of Green, Pink or Blue. Green ends the trial. Choosing Blue gives you three targets and drops you back in the same Green/ Pink/Blue room. Choosing Pink is the same as if you had chosen Blue to start. So, to get all the targets (this skips the Chest) as quickly as possible, here's what you do: Red-Green-Cyan Red-Orange-Blue-Pink-Yellow-Cyan ***** 8: NOTES ***** The walkthrough should take care of you, but here's the text of all the notes for completeness' sake. Progressing through the game should find you most of the notes relatively easily. 8.1: Treasure Found in: The Glade Requires: Nothing "In ancient times, our greatest possessions and staunchest allies were locked away using powerful magic beyond our comprehension. The only way to reclaim these lost treasures is to use the magically-attuned keys strewn about our world. I only hope there is enough time to free them all..." 8.2: Leap of Faith Found in: The Glade Requires: Nothing "... They chased, and I ran. Five, maybe six of them, all armed to the teeth, and closing in fast. I'd made it to Archers' Pass, but with an arrow in my leg they caught up with me at that headless statue. Surrounded, desperate, and with nowhere else to go, I climbed out to the hand and made a leap of faith..." 8.3: Reed's Box Found in: Aurora Village Requires: Nothing "Box. That's what it is. It's a box. You can't open in. Don't look in the box. DO NOT OPEN THE BOX. You can LOOK at the box, but that's it. Ad only if it helps you bring it back. It fell into a hole near the storage cave in Aurora. No doubt found by whatever lives in the darkness deep below." 8.4: A Word of Advice Found in: Aurora Village Requires: Nothing "What is this thing? Some kind of cage? Whatever it is, it's making this awful, awful racket! Once in a while I hear words that sound like "fat" and "beets". What does that even MEAN? I 'll hide it in the caves beneath Aurora until I've found the keys I need. I just need to remember to jump as far to the right as I can. 8.5: The Girl Found in: Archers' Pass Requires: Blue Resonance Gem "Don't worry, I put her cage in a safe place. If you ever need to find her, just climb high above the wooden bridge near Denham. And don't try doing that wall-jump move of yours to get to her - you'll fall and break your neck!" 8.6: The Cliff Found in: Abadis Forest Requires: Nothing "The words can barely be made out, but it seems to say: "Travel far to the north, away from this place. In the highest peaks of the Blackmoor Mountains, await the soul carrying a red crystal" 8.7: Fire and Dust Found in: Abadis Forest Requires: Nothing "We've lost ten guards to this monster already! He keeps bombarding us with those green flames - they almost seem to have a mind of their own! But then, a sudden gust of wind blasted through the village and the flames disappeared! It stopped the creature's attack for but a moment - enough for me to escape. If only we could harness the power of a storm" 8.8: Sarahi's Letter Found in: Abadis Forest Requires: Nothing "My dearest Moska, something terrible is happening here. The village is on fire, everyone is screaming. If you ever find this, I will be hiding in our secret place. Please, please hurry." 8.9: Servant's Note 1 Found in: The Sorrowing Meadow (Bardel Mansion) Requires: Nothing "He took breakfast in his office today. I think he'd been there all night. Our guest left this morning as well - looked like some kind of officer, maybe a general? What would the king's army want with Master Kane?" 8.10: Servant's Note 2 Found in: The Sorrowing Meadow (Dorimo Mansion) Requires: Iron Grip "There was a terrible din coming from the neighbor's estate this morning. When I looked out the high window to see what was amiss, I saw the same officer out there! His soldiers were dragging our neighbors away, yelling something about Moonblood sympathizers. When I told Master Kane, he offered me an extra week of pay to never talk of it again." 8.11: Servant's Note 3 Found in: The Sorrowing Meadow (Samachua Mansion) Requires: Iron Grip "The other three estates in the meadow have been emptied. Whether Master Kane and that general had anything to do with it I'll never know. The Master hardly ever comes out of his office anymore. Sometimes I think I can hear him crying, other times I hear a mad shouting, things being smashed and knocked over, but he never lets me in. What's happening in this house?" 8.12: Servant's Note 4 Found in: The Sorrowing Meadow (Nanoth Mansion) Requires: Iron Grip "When Master Kane left his office this morning I snuck in to clean up his mess - it's my job, after all! But then I saw his desk, covered in papers, emblazoned with names! So many names! I could see the names of our neighbors - the ones who had been taken away - and then, at the very bottom of the list, my own name! I think I could be in terrible danger, but I-" (The note ends abruptly) 8.13: The Rose Found in: The Sorrowing Meadow Requires: Iron Grip "Whenever I make it out to the graveyard in the Sorrowing Meadow, I never fail to kneel before her rose-laden grave. Someday, my devotion will be recognized." 8.14: The Cafe Found in: The Sorrowing Meadow Requires: Iron Grip "If convenient, return to the Foghorn Cafe. Something about it being an unpleasant reunion. If inconvenient, go to the Foghorn Cafe anyway." 8.15: Mind Bend Found in: Blackmoor Mountains Requires: Nothing "I've only been able to make this climb once, but I'm not sure if I ever want to return to 'that' place. I think something was wrong with my eyes. It was so rocky and frigid - or was that blocky and rigid?" ***** 9: QUESTS ***** Note that you get experience for taking a quest, not for finishing it. 9.1 Dust to Dust Received at: Game Start How to Complete: Defeat General Gaius and win the game! 9.2: A New Venture Received at: The Glade, Merchant Shop Reward: 800 Gold (you get a blueprint for Light Chain Mail when you start the quest) How to Complete: Sell the merchant something he does not have in stock. 9.3: The Blacksmith Received at: Aurora Village, Avgustin Reward: None (you get a blueprint for Flak Sheath when you start the quest, but you lose it - on the bright side, Haley gives you a Blue Resonance Gem when you find her) How to Complete, Part 1: Find Haley at the top of Archer's Pass. How to Complete, Part 2: Find the Transmitter in Abadis Forest. 9.4: Reunion Received at: Aurora Village, Moska Reward: None (But there's a Teleport Stone where you find Sarahi) How to Complete, Part 1: Find the note in Abadis Forest and return it to Moska. How to Complete, Part 2: Find Sarahi in Hidden Cove 9.5: What's in the Box? Received at: Aurora Village, Reed Reward: 2 Revival Stones How to Complete, Part 1: Trade the Nimbat doll to SmoBop for Reed's Box and give it to Reed. How to Complete, Part 2: Journey outside Aurora, get killed by an enemy, then head back to talk to Reed. 9.6: Better than Nothing Received at: Aurora Village, Fale Reward: 600 Gold How to Complete: Find or buy 5 Imp Hides, then bring them back to Fale. 9.7: Out to Dry Received at: Aurora Village, Colleen Reward: None, save safe children (Corbin does give you a White Resonance Gem when you find him) How to Complete, Part 1: Talk to Gianni How to Complete, Part 2: In Ivydale Glen, Defeat the Giants and find Corbin. How to Complete, Part 3: Find the Laundry and return it to Gianni 9.8: C-C-C-COMBO BREAKER Received at: Aurora Village, Corbin Reward: 1000 Gold How to Complete: Get a 1,000 hit combo, then talk to Corbin. How to actually do this: (courtesy of Trisagion) Go to the Sorrowing Meadow, find a wizard, equip the Ugly Pendant, switch to Fuse's flame attack, and roast zombies for a minute or two. Note that I've had to actually defeat the zombies without getting hit, so after you pass 1,000 hits, consider unequipping the Ugly Pendant. 9.9: Lost Time Received at Aurora Village, Oneida (need to defeat Fuse) Reward: 3 Keys How to Complete, Part 1: Talk to Meehan How to Complete, Part 2: Find Geehan's Pocketwatch at Geehan's firm and return it to him. 9.10: A Better Fidget Received at Mudpot, SmoBop Reward: Reed's Box How to Complete: Buy a doll from the shopkeeper in Aurora and return it to SmoBop. 9.11: Red Moss Received at: Mudpot, FloHop Reward: 1000 Gold How to Complete: Find and return one clump of Red Moss from Cirromon Caverns to FloHop. 9.12: Over the Fence Received at: Mudpot, Gappy Reward: 4000 Gold How to Complete: Find all six of Gappy's lost sheep and return them to him. 9.13: Hittin' Stick Received at: Mudpot, Blop Reward: 1000 Gold How to Complete: Find and return Blop's hittin' stick from Cirromon Caverns to him. 9.14: Trollk Vengeance Received at: Mudpot, Blop (must complete Hittin' Stick first) Reward: 2000 Gold How to Complete: Find or buy 4 Trollk Fingers, then bring them back to Blop. 9.15: Snowflakes Received at: Mudpot, Bopo (must defeat the Lady first) Reward: Rainbow Resonance Gem How to Complete: Find snow container in the Blackmoor Mountains, then bring it to Bopo. 9.16: Pearly Whites Received at: Mudpot, Blop (must complete Trollk Vengeance first) Reward: 2000 Gold How to Complete: Find or buy 10 Rockhound Teeth, then bring them back to Blop. 9.17: Number One Fan Received at: Aurora Village, Moska (must complete Reunion first) Reward: 4000 Gold (You also get 200 Gold to buy Paper) How to Complete: Bring Paper to Moska. 9.18: Taking Point Received at: Aurora Village, Fale (must complete Better Than Nothing first) Reward: 1000 Gold How to Complete: Find or buy 8 Beast Spears, then bring them back to Fale. 9.19: Slimed Received at: Aurora Village, Fale (must complete Taking Point first) Reward: 2000 Gold How to Complete: Find or buy 4 Slimy Spikes and 4 Slimy Coats, then bring them back to Fale. 9.20: Reinforcement Received at: Aurora Village, Fale (must complete Slimed first) Reward: 3000 Gold How to Complete: Find or buy 2 Giant Rocks and 2 Giant Cores, then bring them back to Fale. 9.21: Freedom of Movement Received at: Aurora Village, Fale (must complete Reinforcement first) Reward: 3000 Gold How to Complete: Find or buy 6 Avee Wings and 6 Avee Claws, then bring them back to Fale. 9.22: Find the Sparklies Received at: Aurora Village, Fale (must complete Freedom of Movement first) Reward: 3000 Gold How to Complete: Find or buy 3 Florn Tentacles and 3 Florn Sparks, then bring them back to Fale. ***** 10: CREDITS ***** Thanks to all who made this game, especially whoever made the 16-bit puzzle. If you ever make a sequel, please fix crafting materials and make Avgustin the hero. Thanks to CheatCC for hosting this and making me create a spreadsheet to find the fastest way through the color-based Cirelian Trial. Two internet credits for help which was provided as I tried to solve the game on my own. 1. Trisagion showed how to get a 1000 hit combo 2. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VbKxMdtKNzU showed how to get some of the Friends. NEW CREDITS in Version 10.1: 1. Thanks to Alejandro for revised language on how to get the last Key in Archer’s Pass (the original language was wrong). 2. Thanks to NH for the info on the Wrong Vest. Thanks for reading this. Do not host on your site without asking permission (which is just common courtesy). Any questions, please email me at avgustin4life@gmail.com. Thank you.