Xenoblade Chronicles 2 FAQ/Walkthrough by princeofsomnia

Version 1.0.1, Last Updated 2018-04-28

Table of Contents
Introduction
Chapter 1: Encounters
Chapter 2: Aptitude
Chapter 3: Our Own War
Chapter 4: Aegis
Chapter 5: Masters and Slaves
Chapter 6: Wounds
Chapter 7: The Fear She Carries
Chapter 8: World Tree
Chapter 9: Rain
Final Chapter: And thus, boy met girl.
Rare Blades
Heart-to-Hearts
Side Quests
Landmarks and Locations
Sources

Introduction
Hello! My name is Prince of Somnia! I'm an aspiring YouTuber with a burning passion for JRPGs and most everything Nintendo puts out these days. Having played through Xenoblade Chronicles 2 so recently, and having gathered information for some friends already to help them work their way through the game (and get past some of the games... annoyances...) I thought it might be fun to type up a little something about the game. And thus, this guide was born!

The intent of this guide is not necessarily direct players to 100% completion (and honestly, I don't think XB2 was designed with 100% completionists in mind), nor is the intent to direct players to achieving victory through wacky, out of the way strategies or excessive farming. The intent is to provide a new player/first-timers a resource they can use to beat the game in ways that don't end up making them spend hours and hours grinding rather than progressing.

To that end I will not assume that the player has any rare blade other than what the game gives you through sidequests and story progress. I'll make note of rare blades that could be helpful in certain situations and I will discuss each rare blade's Blade Quest in later sections of the guide, but there will be no battle or boss strategies that hinge upon blades a player might not have at that point, or even ever.

While much of my information comes from the game itself, of course, I also made use of several outside resources linked at the last section of the guide, including Reddit posts, a few community-made Google Spreadsheets, and a few other websites and videos here and there for lists of rare blades and quest information, both in my initial playthrough of the game and in the construction of this guide.

Also, as for the guide itself, feel free to use any information listed so long as appropriate credit is given, either to me or to the original source. Please don't repost this guide anywhere else without my permission either. If you have any tips on the game, anything you think I should add, or even information that I'm currently missing, please send me a message. I will credit you for any information given in the Sources section, and I thank you in advance.

And as for my content on the internet, feel free to take a look at my YouTube channel at:
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCtClMVDee_UcOfcGJrHer9w
If you like what you see, leave a few likes and subscribe if you wish, and consider following my Twitter at:
https://twitter.com/princeofsomnia
for updates.

Boot up the game when you're ready, and enjoy!

Controls
Note: "C-buttons" or "C-" followed by a direction refer to the four face buttons on the Left Joycon, or under the Left Stick on the Pro Controller.

In the Field:
Left Stick: Move your character. Click to change the mini-map size.
Right Stick: Move the camera. Click to reset the camera. With L held, used to zoom camera in or out.
C-buttons: Use to view controls tutorial. C-down when targeting an enemy lures them.
A: Interact, select. With R held, used to change targeted enemy. Initiates combat when targeting an enemy.
B: Cancel, skip voice lines in menu. With R held, cancels targeting.
X: Opens the Skip Travel menu. 
Y: Toggles auto-run.
L: Held to adjust camera zoom.
R: Press to target nearest enemy in field of view. Held to change effects of certain buttons.
ZL: Switch leading Blade.
ZR: View current objective.
+: Opens Main Menu. Exits any menu.
-: Opens System Menu.

In Battle:
Left Stick: Move your character. You will not auto attack while moving.
Right Stick: Move the camera.
C-up, right, and down: Blade Switch.
C-left: Focus on targeted enemy.
A: Blade Special, help an ally up.
X, Y, and B: Driver Art.
R: When held, Y/A Switches targeted enemy, B sheathes weapon, X has certain effects in Chapter 8 and beyond, and + has certain effects in New Game +.
ZL, ZR: Use a party member's special, when prompted.
+: Initiate a Chain Attack.

AI
The AI for party members is generally smart enough in battle to handle themselves well enough. A few things to note:

Male party members tend to prioritize Blade Switching for Driver Combos.
Female party members tend to prioritize Blade Switching for Blade Combos.
Party members with HLR Blades, especially the second party member, will prioritize healing when one or more members of the team is at critical HP. However, they will switch to Blades of other roles if the party is not at critical HP, if they have them. The will, however, continue to do this even while the party is afflicted with Nullify Healing.
Party members with HLR Blades will periodically collect HP Potions, even if they themselves did not pull them.
Party members will generally attempt to fulfill conditions for bonus effects for their Arts.
Party members will not help each other up when incapacitated. They will help the player up if the player is incapacitated, so long as there is at least one full bar on the Party Gauge.
Party members will approach an enemy if the targeted enemy is attacked by is attacking the player at the start of combat. They will do nothing if weapons are sheathed.
Party members will re-position themselves if flung away from an enemy.
Party members will re-appear incapacitated near the player if flung off a cliff mid-battle.
Version Log
Version 1.0.1

Added information about the DLC Blade Poppibuster and their Blade Quest to Chapter 5 and the Rare Blade section.
Added information about T-elos, the post-game reward Blade, to the Rare Blade section.
Version 1.0.0

Complete Story Guide/Walkthrough
List of Rare Blades and how to acquire them
Affinity Chart branches for non-New Game + Rare Blades
Location to start almost all Rare Blade Quests, with Quests covered in the story written in full
Location to start almost all non-DLC Side Quests
Location and requirements of many Heart-To-Hearts. This will be completed later.
Lists of Landmarks and Locations, with detailed locations forthcoming.
Chapter 1: Encounters
Can you... take me to Elysium?

The Opening
Right off the bat the game gives you the choice to change your options, so if you wish to change the audio language, now would be a good time. With the 1.3 update, once you start a new game you can pick a difficulty mode. "Normal" Mode is what the original difficulty was, and honestly the game is easy enough as is once you figure out what you're doing, but if the goal of your playthrough is to breeze right through it, then Easy Mode is for you.

Once you pass the opening cutscene introducing you to ya boi Rex, the most anime main character in the series, you'll be pitted against a King Crustip (Lv.1) for your first fight. The game will tell you how to engage an enemy, but for the sake of writing it down, I'll mention it here.

To target an enemy, face it and press the R button. Sometimes, an enemy (like this one) will aggro on you and you'll automatically target it, so you don't need to press R to do so. To draw your weapon, press a while targeting an enemy. You can put your weapon away to disengage from a target by holding R and pressing B, and you can change your target by holding R and pressing A or Y.

Once you draw your weapon, you'll automatically attack your target if they are in range. Be aware, though, that you will not attack while moving. Auto-attacks are delivered in 3-hit combos, with each successive hit dealing more damage, but you can expedite the damage-dealing process by flicking the control stick after an auto-attack (ideally, only after the third, but doing it after each one makes battles less passive and more fun, imo).

You may notice that as you pelt the crab, a meter around an icon on the right increases. The icons on the right correspond to your Arts, which are more powerful attacks that either have a special effect or can deal more damage depending on a situation. They charge based on auto-attack hits rather that via a cooldown, and once you deal enough hits, you can whip out an Art.

Right now, the only Art your boy Rex has is Anchor Shot, which also pulls HP Potions out of an enemy. An HP Potion, once pulled, can be picked up by anyone to instantly heal the entire party, and late game they heal for increasingly more HP. They will vanish after a while, so be sure to pick them up when you can, or when you need healing.

To use your Arts, press the corresponding button on the Joy Con on the same side (X for Anchor Shot, for example). What the game hasn't told you yet is that if you time an Art button press to just when an auto-attack hits, you can animation cancel into that Art. It's a neat trick that becomes much more important later, but just keep this in mind for now.

Anyway, keep pelting the King Crustip with auto attacks and Anchor Shot until it goes down. Enjoy some more expository cutscene!

Argentum Trade Guild
Goldmouth

Shop Name	Item Type
12 Brothersisterpon	Drinks
Strummer Instruments	Instruments
Reedirait Bookstore	Literature
Mamalu's Core Store	Aux Cores
Cleo's Cosmetics	Cosmetics
Honeycomb Sweets	Desserts
Noodler's Delight	Staple Foods
Shynini's Accessories	Accessories
Shroomblade Smithing	Core Chips
Whiteside Salvaging	Cylinders
Fishy Fishy	Fish
Rumbletum Canteen	Staple Foods
Central Exchange	Exchange*
*Exchanges like this exchange junk items for money.

Landmarks:
Goldmouth Return Port
Central Exchange
Goldmouth Warehouse
Lemour Inn
Goldmouth Flight Deck
Goldmouth Wheelhouse
Bana's Bedroom
Noponya Shrine

Welcome to the Argentum Trade Guild! There's a whole lot to do here, but you can't really do any of it yet. For now, we'll just follow the story.

Right after the cutscene, the game will teach you about Skip Travel. There are Landmarks all over every Titan that you can use to teleport to any location basically at will. You can open up the skip travel menu through the main menu with the + button or with the X button outside of battle. Also, if you die, you'll respawn at the last Landmark you visited with no penalties, which is very handy.

At any time outside of battle, if you're looking for help about the controls, you can use the C buttons for a quick tutorial.

Now that that's out of the way, let's go exploring! NPCs with new dialogue will have a star on their little textbox thingie around their head, so if you're interested, give some people a nice chat. Otherwise, head inside to the city proper and your next objective by following the !! marker on the compass at the top of the screen.

You can also expand the minimap view by clicking in the left stick and view information about your current objective with ZR (once the game tells you about those tricks, that is).

After trading in your piece of scrap for a piddly 200 G, you'll be interrupted by another cutscene, this time about a new job from Chairman Bana (a name XC1 fans can't trust). On your way up to his office, you'll probably notice a whole bunch of shops. Even though I've listed them up above in the box, you can't really buy anything yet, so ignore them and move on. Bana's office is just up the stairs in front of you, so head up there for another scene.

Titan's Foot, Chapter 1's animation is so good.

After that, you get 100,000 G! We're rolling in it! Unfortunately, we don't get to keep all of it, but it's nice while it lasts. You'll need to report about your new-found job to Gramps, but once that's done with, you can start making preparations, and by making preparations, I mean completing the Story Quest the game gives you. Story Quests are basically the game's way of directing you without using cutscenes to do so, so follow that quest marker all the way to Shynini's Accessories to buy some equipment. Buy the Abyss Vest and equip it on Rex to boost his HP by 24%. Nice! Over the course of the game, we'll be picking up more (and better) accessories, but early on HP boosting gear really helps with survivability.

Now its time to drop all that mad cash :(. Melolo won't take it for us, but she will direct you to a courier named Max. Follow the objective to the eastern side of the first floor to speak with him.You'll be forced to drop most of your money on the spot, but we don't need it for the rest of the Chapter, so don't worry. You'll also get some food in return.

Items like that food, or like the Cosmetics and all other assorted goodies in the shops here in Goldmouth, are Pouch Items, but we can't use them yet, so don't worry about it for now.

Once you drop your cash, you'll be directed to yet another tutorial, this time on salvaging. You get one free Silver Cylinder to start with, and from then on you'll need to buy them from a Cylinder shop. If you walk up to a hook-looking symbol on the overworld, you can Salvage for some junk. You get better rewards for using higher quality Cylinders (Normal - Silver - Gold - Premium) and for succeeding at the QTEs that show up (press the displayed button when the outer ring reaches the inner of the two blue circles. As a rule of thumb, by the way, QTE success involves pressing the right button when the inner ring reaches the lighter blue circle). Using worse Cylinders or failing QTEs can result in monsters showing up along with/instead of treasure, so watch out!

Everything you salvage could be sold at any shop, but you'll make far more cash by taking them to Exchanges like Central Exchange... but not in this Chapter, unfortunately. I'll explain more later, when I discuss the best ways to grind for money in this game.

Once you do the salvaging tutorial and speak to the Nopon who gave you the Silver Cylinder, you'll be directed to the second floor of Goldmouth to buy more food. You'll be forced to buy something at Fishy Fishy, so just pick up the cheapest item to complete Big Job Preparations!

Now that the planning is done for, we can head off to the inn for some rest before our big job. Inns work differently in this game than in other JRPGs. Since your HP recovers out of battle automatically, and since you can change time freely using the - button, inns serve a much different purpose. If you recall, Big Job Preparations listed 40 EXP as its reward, right? But we didn't get it on the spot. This EXP is called Bonus EXP, and you can use inns to spend that Bonus EXP to raise your levels. It strongly benefits you to rest up every few hours or so of IRL play time, as the Bonus EXP can really pile up from fighting, side-questing, and more.

Once you rest up, Rex will gain a new Art, several of Goldmouth's shops and sidequests will open, and you'll be able to use Pouch Items. For now, all they really do is boost some of your stats by a fairly marginal amount. Honestly, while they can be useful, you can get by without them for the whole game. It is worth noting that certain characters like certain types of items more than others and have two items they love, which does enhance their effects when used.

As I mentioned before, loads of sidequests have opened up in Argentum. Take a look at this section for more information.

Once you've shopped and quested to your heart's content, head on over to the northern end of Argentum to progress with the plot.

After the banter between Nia and Rex, you'll be able to exchange items at Central Exchange. Rather than selling the items you salvage, if you take them to an Exchange you can trade groups of items for much larger sums of money. If you're ever strapped for catch, pick up a few cylinders and see what you can pick up. You might be able to get some HUGE rewards for it.

Anyway, with that out of the way, it's time to set sail for our next job.

C.S.E.V. Maelstrom
There isn't a whole lot to this place, so just wander around and talk to people. You have to talk to the Drivers and Blades that hired you to progress, so do so. Nia, Dromarch, and Jin are all below decks, and Malos and Sever are up above. Once you speak to them, head on up to the Crow's Nest and speak to Monell to start your watch shift.

Once the cutscene ends, head down stairs for another one, and watch these Salvager bois at work.

Ancient Ship
Enemies:

Lethal Lysaat King (Lv.2)
Bubble Medooz (Lv.2)
Rankor Krabble (Lv.2)
Lethal Lysaat (Lv.3)
King Crustip (Lv.3)
Dockle Pagul (Lv.3)

After the salvaging scene, you'll be given three new party members. You can only control Rex right now, but you can fill the remaining two active member slots with any combination of the three. Nia can heal both with HP Potions and with a healing Art, Malos can Tank for you, and Jin acts as another attacker, like Rex. I'll explain more about roles like that later, but for right now, I recommend sticking with Rex, Nia, and Malos in the party.

Anyway, welcome to the first dungeon of the game! You will not be coming back, so make sure you do everything you want to now.

Approach the doors to be assaulted by the Lethal Lysaat King (Lv.2). With three members, you can easily make short work of the beast. You could even go totally AFK and just type into a guide like this one while Nia and Malos handle it.

Head inside to get a tutorial about Luring enemies. While targeting an enemy, press C-down to Lure an enemy within a certain range by making it aggro on you. This will let you draw one enemy at a time from a group of enemies, which really helps early in the game where gangs of monsters will brutalize you.

Lure or attack enemies you see as you progress through the ship. Nothing in here can really hurt you when alone, especially with Nia in the party, so just fight everything you see to build up EXP.

Head downstairs to Ship Bridge, Mid-Deck, and grab the treasure chest past the Krabble sitting in front of you. Turn back around and drop down below to move on. There are bigger groups of enemies here, so Lure one away at a time if you need to. Be careful around the center of the area. The floor here is unstable, and you will drop down to the next floor if you walk over it.

If/when you fall down the hole, you'll likely aggro several enemies at once. Run past them to the back of the ship and head up the stairs and along the catwalks for some treasure. Equip any new accessories you find on Rex, beat up the enemies down here, then head towards the east end of the ship on the lower floor. You'll be assaulted by a Dockle Pagul (Lv.3) but you should be fine. Continue as far forward as you can for some more treasure and EXP. You should try and reach level 5 for Rex while you're here to learn the Art Double Spinning Edge, which along with Sword Bash gives Rex a full set of three Arts. We'll learn what the A button does soon enough, so don't worry about it for now.

Sword Bash, by the way, deals bonus damage if you use it behind an enemy, and Double Spinning Edge deals bonus damage when you attack from the side.

Collect the treasure and backtrack a small amount. As you move, look to your right (the north) for a doorway. Head inside and down the ramp, then turn right to get more treasure. Go the other way to reach the System Control Room.

The room you need to get into is locked, and the device that lets you open it is out of power. Whatever shall we do? Well, head to the other end of the room and up the stairs. Bash the enemies here, then move forward and into the doorway to the left for some treasure. Backtrack back down and turn left to collect an Ether Cylinder from the marked Cylinder bank (trophy icon). Go back to the System Control Room and inspect the marked Ether fuel chamber (magnifying glass icon) to power the door. Activate the control panel behind you, then head on into the next room.

I highly recommend being at least level 5 before moving on.

Boss Time: Megalo Aligo (Lv.5)

He'll likely open the fight with an Art that inflicts Blowdown on your party, knocking them to the ground for a second or two. The toughest part of the fight comes from the fact that he hits hard, so let Malos draw in some aggro before you let Rex wail on him. If you start taking a beating, use Anchor Shot to pull some HP Potions. Nia will do the same, too. Above all else, don't be afraid to back off if he starts aggroing on Rex rather than on Malos.

Get him down below half health and the Aligo will enter Pissy Boss Mode! Er, I mean Rage. An enraged enemy will have increased stats, which essentially means the boss will hit way harder now. If Rex is low on HP, back off now or he may be killed by an AOE. Pull some HP potions, then use Sword Bash/DSE to finish him off. He doesn't have too much HP, so the fight should end relatively quickly.

After the boss, prepare yourself for a long cutscene. Walk forward to the tree when you regain control for another scene, and then...

Boss Time: Malos (Lv.5)

Your party is reduced to just Rex for this fight, but now he has Pyra by his side, the first Blade you get in the game. I'll explain how fighting as a Driver works in the next Chapter, but for now, let's beat up this jerk.

With solo Rex, the strategy here boils down to using your Arts when you can. You won't get any bonus damage, but you won't need it so don't worry. It's worth noting that using Arts charges the meter corresponding to the A button. This is your Blade Special. There are four levels, the first three of which charge with Art usage. All Blade Specials are of the Blade's element (Fire in this case) can can do large amounts of damage in a single blow. It's also worth noting that Blade Specials get bonus charge if you cancel auto-attacks into Arts, like I mentioned earlier.

Keep canceling into Arts until you build a Lv.1 Special, then let loose with increasing levels of specials to try build up a Blade Combo, which I will detail later. You likely won't make it past the second level of a Blade Combo, but that's not critical right now. Keep doing this pattern and you'll destroy this boss.

Once you defeat the boss, sit back and enjoy the end of the Chapter!

Chapter 2: Aptitude
Your flames burn far stronger than hers. But... her flames hide something deeper.

Gormott - Lower Level
Enemies:

Bright Flier (Lv.4-10)
Clap Bunnit (Lv.5-9)
Crawler Caterpile (Lv.5-7)
Glaw Garaffa (Lv.6-11)
Pawn Arachno (Lv.4-6)
Rock Krabble (Lv.5-7)
Serpentine Lizard (Lv.4-9)
Small Brog (Lv.5-6)
Supercharged Alfonso* (Lv.20)

*This is the first example of a Unique Monster you can run into. These will be noted in italics in every area.

Landmarks:

Forgotten Waste
Old Ghostwood Road

Locations:

Dewmist Crag
Masrah Spring
Trailblazers' Bridge
Wrecc Marshland

After a cutscene, you'll be dumped off on a whole other Titan, with Gramps, Nia, and Dromarch nowhere to be seen. At least Pyra is here!

Now that Chapter 2's rolled around, it's time for some 'splainin about the mechanics the game dropped on our poor heads at the end of Chapter 1. Now that Pyra's around, we can start getting our feet wet when it comes to the game's mechanics. During battle, you might notice a line connecting a Driver to their Blade. This is an affinity link. It starts off light blue and builds up into a strong golden tether the longer you stay physically close to your Blade. The affinity link gets weaker if you spend extended periods of time positioned away from your blade, too, so try to stick close and don't move unless you need to majorly reposition yourself. With a stronger link, a Driver's movement speed and Art charge rate will increase. Also, during battle Blades themselves can use Arts automatically. These Arts are purely for support and have various boosting effects, such as increasing damage dealt from behind, or increasing Critical Hit Rate.

Furthermore, each Blade has its own Affinity Chart. Nodes on the affinity chart have various effects in or out of battle when the Blade is active or engaged (respectively). For now, don't worry too much about trying to grind for nodes on the chart. They'll be more important later. Just know that red and yellow nodes function during battle and green nodes function outside of battle.

Equiping certain Blades also changes a Driver's stats and even their "Job Class". First, the stats:

HP: Health. When it hits 0, you die.
Strength: Influences the damage dealt by most weapons and all Physical Arts.
Ether: Influences the damage dealt by Ether Cannons and Ether Arts (and increases healing done by Healing Arts).
Dexterity: Influences the Driver's accuracy.
Agility: Influences the Driver's evasion.
Luck: Influences the Driver's critical hit chance, among a few other outside-of-battle events.
Now for the classes. Every Blade in the game falls into one of three classes: ATK, TNK, HLR, or Attack, Tank, Healer. ATK Blades deal the most damage, but don't provide good defensive abilities. TNK Blades deal less damage, but specialize in drawing aggro to themselves and Blocking damage. HLR Blades specialize in healing Arts and pulling HP Potions. Usually HLRs can also heal with Blade Specials. Certain weapon types are also classified into specific classes, where as the weapons of Special Blades like Pyra are unique. For right now, know that Pyra is a Fire Elemental ATK Blade and that Dromarch is a Water Elemental HLR Blade.

One more thing. As you fight enemies, in addition to gaining EXP, you also gain WP and SP. WP is used to improve Arts, generally increasing damage dealt and the strength of their bonus effects. SP is used to unlock nodes on a Driver's affinity chart, which improves their capabilities in battle. For right now, try and save 750 SP on Rex to get the Rapid Attack I node, which lets Rex use whatever Art mapped to X right at the start of a battle.

Phew... now that that's out of the way, let's play the game again, shall we?

This area's pretty linear, all things considered. Follow the path forward, fighting a few enemies here and there. You don't need to fight all of them, and as a general rule, with solo Rex, it's a terrible idea to fight anything physically bigger than or higher leveled than Rex. Just move past them for now. Keep following the objective marker to find Gramps.

Well, that happened. But we found him. Now to look for Nia. Keep moving forward and head on up the tree root up ahead. The game will interrupt you to talk about Collection Points. They basically serve to replace item orbs from the first game. Rummage around in them and items of various types will pop out. Unlike junk items, Collection items can't be Exchanged, but they also are far more likely to be used for sidequests. Some Blades have Field Skills (the green nodes of their charts) that increase the number of and rarity of items that drop from certain types of collection points. For now, just get in the habit of drawing from points that you see along your journey.

Keep moving forward. There really isn't anywhere to go but up, so do so. Try and cross the bridge in front of you to encounter another tutorial, this time about Field Skills.

I mentioned Field Skills earlier, but in more detail, these are abilities a Blade has that directly influence sidequest events and exploration. Some abilities, as I mentioned earlier, influence Collection Points, but others, as we are about to see, are needed to clear obstacles in your path. Essentially, they are HMs from Pokémon, but you have to grind for them, and I mean that in the worst possible way. Luckily, you don't need them to progress with the plot until Chapter 4, aside from this one, which you are guaranteed to pass no matter what. We'll get into better ways to get field skills in Chapter 4, so for right now, just keep working your way forward.

Heading towards the objective marker will put you in a fight with a Wormeater Brog (Lv.6) with Nia in the party. The game will explain elemental weaknesses to you, but honestly, a monster's affinity in the grand scheme of things doesn't really matter in this game. The more important information here is about the Party Gauge. It's that three-segment bar in the top left corner of the screen, right above the Party's HP. The Party Gauge fills during Combos and whenever you fulfill an Art's bonus damage condition (ie Sword Bashing from behind). If a party member dies, you can revive them during the fight so long as you have at least one segment of the Party Gauge filled. If you die, the AI will revive you too. Just be warned, if the party leader dies on an empty Gauge, it's GAME OVER.

Now then. The game will continue the tutorial chain to explain Blade Combos. Use Pyra's Lv.1 Special with the A button, then use Nia's Lv.2 special with ZL. Take a look at the top right corner of the screen. That layout of diamonds outlines each possible Blade Combo path based on the element used to initiate the combo. Further levels of the combo are shown as diamonds next to the current stage highlighted, to let you know what stage of the combo you're on and what elements you can use to advance the combo. For example, if you start with Fire, you can advance the combo with either Fire or Water. Fire's Blade Combos are Fire - Fire - Fire, Fire - Fire - Light, Fire - Water - Fire, and Fire - Water - Ice. Not every element combos with itself, and you won't have access to every element right off the bat, but right now it's reasonable to assume that Fire - Water - Fire is somewhat within your reach. Completing a Blade Combo places an orb of the element used to finish the Combo around the enemy and seal an enemy's ability to use certain buffs or debuffs for a while. This orb also gives them resistance to that element, so Combos tend to have diminishing returns as a battle goes on. Generally speaking, even a 2-level combo at this stage of the game will handle a large percentage of your overall damage output.

Once you bash that Brog's brains (heh), you'll get a scene with Nia and Dromarch. They'll be joining the party for a time!

Just like Nia said, we need to keep heading up. Follow that big !! in the sky. You'll reach a wall (tree?) covered in vines up ahead. These function like ladders, and you can use them to climb up. Pro tip: if you're under attack and need a quick getaway, sheathe your weapon and hop on the nearest ladder or vine, and the enemy will disengage immediately! Head up a few ladders and you'll see a chest that requires Field Skills to open. Pass it up for now and continue climbing up. Fight the enemies you come across up here, it should be easier now that Nia's in the party. Be careful with the Pawn Arachnos around here, they tend to aggro upon hearing you run past.

Clear the tree up ahead with Pyra and continue forward. Eventually you'll make it to:

Gormott Province - Upper Level Right
Enemies:

Anagra Riik (Lv.3-4)
Ancient Sauros (Lv.90-92)
Blue Flamii (Lv.10-14)
Blood Vang (Lv.70-72)
Bobbile Brog (Lv.22-24) [Rain]
Bright Flier (Lv.4-10)
Clap Bunnit (Lv.5-9)
Climber Crustip (Lv.13-16)
Crane Serprond (Lv.41-44) [Salvaging or High Tide]
Crimson Flamii (Lv.9-12)
Dettl Pagul (Lv.34-38) [Salvaging]
Doryu Riik (Lv.74-95) [Summoned by UM]
Drum Gogol (Lv.11-13)
Emerald Piranhax (Lv.39-42)
Field Ardun (Lv.5-12)
Field Armu (Lv.3-9)
Glaw Garaffa (Lv.6-11)
Goliath Brog (Lv.42-44)
Gorian Buloofo (Lv.8-12)
Grass Kapiba (Lv.10-13)
Gravur Lizard (Lv.38-42)
Ground Caterpile (Lv.24-25) [Normally], (Lv.66-108) [Summoned by UM]
Hard Krabble (Lv.34-43)
Hardl Krabble (Lv.4-5)
High Arrow Tirkin (Lv.36-40)
High Shield Tirkin (Lv.38-42)
Hungry Feris (Lv.32-39)
Jewel Krabble (Lv.36-43)
King Piranhax (Lv.72-74)
Lance Tirkin (Lv.10-15)
Leaf Camill (Lv.7-13)
Ledro Urchon (Lv.36-40) [Salvaging]
Leo Feris (Lv.7-9)
Liar Vang (Lv.24-26)
Ligar Rhogul (Lv.16-18) [Not Raining]
Little Bunnit (Lv.6-12)
Mahi Pippito (Lv.38-40)
Meldl Skwaror (Lv.25-27)
Messar Taos (Lv.74-76)
Mia Pippito (Lv.11-13) [Normally], (Lv.3-4) [Summoned by enemy]
Night Ruga Quadwings (Lv.13-16) [Night]
Nose Gogol (Lv.11-16)
Prom Piranhax (Lv.19-22) [Rain]
Queen Arachno (Lv.73-75)
Red Volff (Lv.6-11)
Rook Arachno (Lv.71-73)
Ruffian Bunnit (Lv.69-71)
Ruga Quadwing (Lv.13-16) [Day]
Sandl Rapchor (Lv.30-38)
Sandl Runner (Lv.32-36)
Serpentine Lizard (Lv.4-9)
Shadow Scout (Lv.14-16)
Shield Tirkin (Lv.12-17)
Skeeter Nest (Lv.23-24)
Spring Eks (Lv.3-12)
Supporter Tirkin (Lv.33-40)
Sweet Flier (Lv.21-23)
Winter Eks (Lv.5-10)
Wood Bunnit (Lv.12-20)
Yellow Skeeter (Lv.23-24) [Not Raining or from Skeeter Nests]
Young Ardun (Lv.9-12)
Young Armu (Lv.2-3)
Young Eks (Lv.1-3)
Young Feris (Lv.3)
Young Skeeter (Lv.23-24)
Acute Melvyn (Lv.25)
Anguished Solomon (Lv.28) [Raining]
Immovable Gonzalez (Lv.90)
Insectivore Malcom (Lv.75) [Clear or Cloudy]
Moonlighting Elwyn (Lv.8)
Reeking Douglas (Lv.104) [Final Chapter]
Sad Bernard (Lv.12)
Territorial Rotbart (Lv.81)
Vernal Montgomery (Lv.45)

Landmarks:

Outlook Knoll
Lyta Oasis
Boulderbore Gate
Lascham Island
Waytree
Varnax's Plunge
Traveler's Resting Tree
Nocclia Timber Site
Zeno's Deadbole
Torigoth Flower Patch
Dawnview Grotto
Clear Sky Beak

Locations:

Cape Singbreeze
Seigle Fell
Restful Waters
Garanti Plain
Brigands' Hideout
Twin Trunks Hill
Tirkin Turf
Verdant Plateau
Nopon Camp
Sauros's Bed
Spraywater Caverns
Hushview Bridge
Plains of Evening Calm
Nocclia Woods
Hermit's Hollow
Koorell Pool
Honeypot Grotto
Coolley Lake

Ah, Gormott. The first time you crawl up onto the plains is just mindblowing. This is where areas REALLY start to open up.

At this point, you'll be able to change the time of day freely using the - button menu, so use it to repeatedly fix the time to day and enjoy all of Gormott's colorful glory. You can use the same menu to save (which you should do often, as the game does have a history of crashing) and to change the options.

Now then. Our destination is Torigoth, a town to the east of the plains. I'm pretty much going to head straight there, as this guide's goal is not to direct a player to every area or landmark, at least not right off the bat, and besides, that will result in nothing but a painful demise for Rex and Nia.

As for levels and combat... I recommend reaching level 9 by the time you get to Torigoth. The Bunnits and Armu you see around the starting area are safe enough targets, but avoid the Ferises to your left. They tend to aggro on and gang up on you, and that will kill you, not to mention that there's a Unique Monster there. Avoid any birds you see, and don't fight anything physically bigger than you unless both Rex and Nia out-level it. Above all else, make sure the fights you pick aren't more than 2 vs 1 or 2 vs 2. Groups of enemies in the early game will hit hard. Even bearing this in mind, you probably will get killed repeatedly anyway, so don't get too frustrated.

As for that Unique Monster thing I mentioned, UM's like Sad Bernard over there are basically roaming boss fights. They're basically bigger, stronger versions of standard monsters, and they all have a special (some might say, Unique) name. Once you kill a UM, a grave stone will appear. Interacting with that stone will make the UM respawn so that you can easily farm them for items, if you so wish.

From where you first hear the epic sounds of Gormott (Day), head forward towards the tree you see up ahead. That's a Landmark, Waytree, and it'll make respawning easier on you by placing you on the plains rather than near the entrance to the lower level. From there, head east towards Torigoth. Try to avoid the Volffs and Gogols wandering around here, and if you see a really big Gogol, RUN. That's Territorial Rotbart, and he's Lv.81. He will kill you in one hit.

As you get close to the town, you may come across a Lv.8 UM called Moonlighting Elwyn. You might be able to take him now, but it's better to wait a little bit on that one. Fight him if you wish, but be aware he exists if you plan on fighting the Bunnits near Torigoth. At least enter the town before challenging the guy to get that Landmark registered.

When you get close to the town, the party will note that the tides have risen. There are two Titans in the game with tides, and generally speaking, certain areas and events are only available during certain tides. During High Tide, you can't access the lower level, but diving into the Cloud Sea won't kill you instantly, you'll just swim down there instead. You can change the tides by taking a Long Rest at the inn of the Titan that has a tidal system. Anyway, let's head on in to...

Torigoth
Shops:

Shop	Item Type
Zelkova Blacksmiths	Core Chips
Keydal Accessories	Accessories
Margia's Odds & Ends	Junk
Lily's Aux Cores	Aux Cores
Yarvay Salvaging	Cylinders
Masnach Exchange	Exchange
Cmalaf Artwork	Art
Soniarus Music	Instruments
Tomi Fishmongers	Fish
Llysiau Greens	Vegetables
Gryff Butchers	Meat
Café Savvy	Drinks
Tilly Bakery	Staple Foods
Landmarks:

Torigoth Arch
Abble's Fountain
Garagorm's Arch
Torigoth Base Entrance
Connecting Bridge
Tora's House
Treetop Path

Locations:

Saets Lumber Co.
Torigoth Market
Tretl Windmill Plaza
Obra Street
Saets Chief's Residence
Mor Ardain Consulate
Kloom Farm
Torigoth Relay Base
Galad Residential Zone
Grodd Residential Zone

The wanted poster gag is done so often, and it cracks me up every time! Anyway, after watching this cutscene, the game will tell you about Dev Levels. Basically, the more you buy, sell, and do quests in a town/Titan, the higher its Dev Level will get. With higher Dev Levels, items in shops will be cheaper and some will even sell more items than they will at low levels. This basically is something that will just naturally grow as you quest around in the game, so don't worry too much about it now.

The FIRST thing you should do is visit Zelkova Blacksmiths. They sell Core Chips, which are essentially weapon upgrades for Blades. Once applied, they can't be removed, but they can be overwritten. Anyway, they greatly improve a Blade's damage output, so buy the most expensive one for both Pyra and Dromarch. Always remember to look at the Core Chips store every time you reach a new town and kit the Blades you want to use appropriately. Unless I specify otherwise, my Chips will be coming from stores. I'll also be putting shopping lists in little asides every time we make it into new towns. They'll look like this:

Shopping List:

Wing Chips for Pyra and Dromarch
A Beast Hood for Nia
If you picked up accessories from enemies, equip some on Nia. I recommend the Rigid Vest for now, if you have one. Otherwise, get her a Beast Hood to help with aggro reduction, which is always nice.

The game won't let you go anywhere but in the back streets for now, so head that way.

You should be at Lv.8 and preferably at Lv.9 with at least Rex before you proceed.

Boss Time: Captain Padraig (Lv.8), Ardanian Soldiers (Lv.6)

I think we can take him. The hardest element of the fight isn't Padraig himself, but the fact that there's three enemies to contend with. Other than that, the fight is pretty standard fare. Just don't forget him.

While that fight was simple, it's not over yet. After the next cutscene, you'll have another fight on your hands.

Boss Time: Brighid (Lv.10), Captain Padraig (Lv.8)

Now the fight's getting serious! Padraig remains the same as he did in the last fight, but now we've got a Blade to deal with, and she can pack a punch. She can use her own Specials on her own which can deal some AOE damage to both Rex and Nia, and she very frequently will Block you, cutting your damage in half, all the while with Padraig pelting you with bullets. All things considered, Brighid is the more serious threat, and should be targeted first. As she gets low on health, she'll start spamming her Specials more and more, so burst her down with your own Specials and Blade Combos. She's weak to Water, so have Rex use his special, then use Nia's to activate the second level of the combo. Two of those should burst her down, and Padraig won't last long after that.

After the battle, watch the cutscene that ensues. Unfortunately, Rex is on his own for a while now, but he made a new friend in the process, Tora! After the scene, you'll be directed to use Pyra's unique Field Skill, Cooking. This lets you craft food-based Pouch Items using materials gathered from Collection Points. You'll be given materials for making Glitterbake, so do so now for another cutscene.

Why Pyra is the only Blade that can cook is beyond me.

After that scene, it's Story Quest time! The Race to Find Nia begins now. First things first, we need to gather intel. Speak to each and every NPC marked by the quest markers. One of these NPCs is an informant, someone you can buy Information from. Information is a type of item that can contain anything from quest information to tips and tutorials. You can view this information by looking at the item's description in your inventory. As you make your way back to the entrance of Torigoth, you'll run into a scene that talks about bonding with more Blades than just Pyra. You'll be given an Unnamed Core Crystal, which as far as I know is a guaranteed Common Blade that you cannot release, ever. I haven't tested this to confirm my belief, but I think that it's always a Wind Elemental Knuckle Claw HLR Blade.

Generally speaking, resonating with Core Crystals can be done via the main menu. There are 3 types of Cores, Common, Rare, and Legendary, and typically rarer Cores result in rarer Blades. All 1-4 Crown Blades are "Common" Blades: they're bland and generic and usually are only really used for field skills, as they usually come with an elemental Mastery skill. All 5 crown blades are "Rare" Blades. These Blades all have unique designs, most have unique Quests, and a lot of them have either unique Field Skills or access to higher than 3 levels of a certain Field Skill. However, these Blades are generally hard to get without a stupid amount of grinding for Rare and/or Legendary Cores, especially after the 1.3 update, and there are some Rare Blades that are very, very, VERY, VERY rare. Like 0.7% rare. It took me 145 hours of total playtime before I got every non-NG+ Rare Blade, and that's on the bottom edge of the curve. I will of course discuss methods by which Rare Blades may be farmed, but, as I said in the introduction, this guide will not assume the player has access to any Rare Blades not available by story or sidequest progression. All of my strategies and party setups will only involve story and sidequest blades, and while I will make note of alternate strategies involving some Rare Blades, I will always point to a strategy that doesn't require Rare Blade farming. This comes from a belief that very few players will actually try to deal with the absolute dumpster fire of the Blade Gatcha system on their first run, because frankly all it is is a load of time wasting BS. That being said, I will assume that you have been pulling Commons as the game goes on. This is because the game will eventually require field skills for your progression, and Commons are the best way to have high totals of certain Skills.

In any case, with your new Knuckle Blade in tow, the game will drag you off to the Aux Core store for another tutorial. For Xenoblade 1 veterans, Aux Cores are basically this game's version of Ether Gems, and just like in XC1, you have to forge them from certain items. This time around though, you find unrefined versions of Aux Cores from chests or monsters and use Collection Point items to refine them into usable Aux Cores. You can then equip them and remove them on blades like you can equip accessories on Drivers. You'll be forced to forge a Critical Up II Aux Core, so do so and put it on Pyra. You should also equip the Wind Knuckle Claw (let's call him WKC) and buy a wing chip for him too. I generally like to stack the same class of Blades on a Driver, but WKC is the only one we have right now, and we're down one healer, so we'll make do.

Anyway, after that sidetrack, continue gathering information. As you do so, next to the stall with the recruiting Ardanians is a chest containing an Overdrive Protocol. This is a very special and very limited item that allows you to change the owner of a given Blade. SAVE THESE FOR LATER. I don't recommend using it unless you happen to pull a really good Rare Blade on someone you don't want using it. Also, NEVER EVER use one to Overdrive to Rex unless you've beaten the game and plan on going into New Game +. You'll regret it later if you do. Trust me. In the context of this guide, only use it if you pull a Bitball Rare Blade on someone other than Nia, and even then, only do it once.

Eventually you'll gather enough information to complete the Race to Find Nia. Head to the local inn and cash in your Bonus EXP, then Skip Travel to Tora's House.

And just what was Gramps suggesting Pyra might do? Nah, nevermind. Anyway, we have yet another mission to complete before we can rescue Nia. Skip Travel to Torigoth Arch or Abble's Fountain and head off to Margia's Odds and Ends. Unfortunately, even if you have 60k, getting the parts is not that simple. Luckily, you (probably) won't need 60k to get the parts you need. Thus begins two Story Quests, Artificial Blade Parts 1 and 2.

Let's start with the Bion Connectors. You could try purchasing them, but at 4k a piece, you'll never afford it. Instead, buy about 10 Normal Cylinders and go to the Salvage Point Saets Chief's Residence. SAVE before you start salvaging there. You should get 3 Bion Connectors within 10 Cylinders, but just reset if you fail.

Now for the Perfect Range Sensor. We'll need to leave town for this one, so head on out past Torigoth Arch. Head southeast and dive into the Cloud Sea (High Tide) or walk across the big root extending out to a nearby island. The enemies on Lascham Island are... strong, so avoid them and approach the target to start the fight. It's a Juppen Crabble (Lv.9) and should be pretty easy. Even if you die, you just passed a Landmark, so you'll respawn immediately. Fast travel back to Torigoth and speak with Cedwyn to get that Perfect Range Sensor. Now let's go give Tora the good news.

...Yeah. That happened... but I guess now we have a new party member! Tora and his artificial Blade Poppi will fight by your side for basically the rest of the game. Tora is unique in that he cannot resonate like Rex can, but Poppi effectively serves as his own unique Blade. You will (eventually) get more "Blades" for Tora, up to 3 total, so don't worry. Poppi herself is also Unique as far as Blades go. She can use Core Chips just like other Blades, but she can't use Aux Cores. Instead, she has something called Poppiswap which lets you customize just about every aspect of Poppi's kit, even her role and element....

Unfortunately, actually doing so involves tediously long sessions of grinding in a fairly pointless and, in my opinion, not really that fun minigame called Tiger! Tiger! It takes forever to grind for the Ether Crystals you need to build upgrades, much less some of the better upgrade options, and since this guide seeks to avoid as much of this game's stupidly tedious grinding as I can while still beating the game, I will not be touching Tiger! Tiger! or Poppiswap at all for the entire game. I recognize the fact that Poppi can become stupidly powerful if you do grind for that, but I do not have the patience for that and I assume that most first-time players wouldn't either. In the context of this guide, think of Poppi as an Earth Elemental TNK Blade. Anyway, we have a bit more shopping to do. Get a Wing Chip for Poppi as soon as possible if you have money to spare, and throw on whatever accessories you have to the extra slots (try and boost Rex's Strength and Tora's HP/Aggro rate).

Head on off to the eastern end of Torigoth where the quest marker is to continue the story. It's time to do some climbing, so head a little further east and drop down to a ledge to the south. Follow the path down, following the ladders until you make it to the tree root. Head all the way up to the tip of the tree root for a scene and the beginning of our assault on the...

Titan Battleship
Enemies:

Ardanian Fighter (Lv.13)
Ardanian Rott (Lv.9-10)
Ardanian Sergeant (Lv.9-12)
Ardanian Soldier (Lv.7-10)
Float Medooz (Lv.9)
Haaken Scout (Lv.9-10)
Sweeper Lysaat (Lv.8)
Nitpicking Beru (Lv.27)
Remorseful Vaclav (Lv.14)

Landmarks:

Ballast Disposal Chute
Port-side Walkway
Mid-ship Walkway Door
Armory
Bridge
Starboard Balcony

Locations:

Cloud Tank Chamber
Engine Room
Solitary Block #1
Olno's Mess Hall
Kitchen
Solitary Block #2
Living Quarters
Sickbay
Armory, 2nd Floor
Hangar
Port Deck
Starboard Deck
Guardroom
Battle Command
Hangar Passage
Port Balcony

The first thing you'll come across as you enter the ship is a room full of clouds and some Lysaats and Medooz. Kill 'em and head on up the ladder. Keep in mind during combat that Earth combos into Fire, so let Tora initiate Blade Combos, and that Rex functions as the primary healer in this dungeon, so don't forget to pull HP Potions when you can.

Now follow the path upward to the Port-side Walk way. You'll start encountering soldiers now, but you should be fine if you don't let them gang up on you. There's a vent in the hallway that you'll need to break down using Superstrength and Focus Lv.1 (which Poppi and Pyra have by default). Drop down and go into the hallway to the right for a scene.

We've found Dromarch, but where's Nia? We'll just need to keep looking. There's a chest in Dromarch's room. If that chest has an Infantry Vest (it did for me), put it on Tora. Otherwise, just keep moving. Backtrack and head past where you dropped down earlier. You'll reach the Engine Room, which is full of Ardanians. Don't forget them, and take them one at a time.

There's some treasure you can get here. There's a valve guarded by a pair of Ardanians. Kill them and turn the valve. This will turn off the steam flowing up above it. Now head into the door to the left (south) and follow the path west and then north to a ladder. Climb it to get to that treasure chest. If you didn't turn off the steam, you'll be boiled alive if you try to get the chest, and no, you will not be able to move fast enough to run through it. Now drop down back into the engine room. Underneath the steel staircase is a door. Open it and turn the valve inside that door with Superstrength and Focus Lv.1. Now head up the stair case to the Mid-ship Walkway Door Landmark.

There are two ways you can go now: through the Mess Hall or the Barracks. Either way, prepare to be assaulted by large groups of Ardanians. Fortunately, even in a 5 vs. 2 you should be fine, so long as you use your specials for AOE damage. Personally, I would go through both just for EXP. There's treasure in the Barracks too, if that's your speed. Head towards the objective in the south, fighting everything along the way. In particular, don't forget to go in the room off to the right as you get close to the objective for more treasure.

When you reach the objective, you'll face off against and Ardanian Sergeant (Lv.12) and an Ardanian Soldier (Lv.10). Finish them, then watch the scene that follows. We have Nia back! Yay! We also get a Level 1 Access key, which allows us to open some locked doors you may have seen along the way. Back track a bit and head to the east towards the objective. Here, in the Armory, the party will note that access to the hangar is somewhat... limited at the moment. We'll need to work our way up to the circuit breaker the game pointed out to open the hangar, but first things first, head left and grab the red item bag on the floor to get the Level 2 Access Key. Yeah, you only forget this thing once... after wasting hours looking for a way forward the first time... Back track back to the Mid-ship Walkway Door and open the locked red door near the mess hall entrance. Go up the stairs and head west to grab the Bridge Landmark. Go back east, then north at the crossroads and follow the path to the balcony, stopping by the small room to the left for some treasure (the unlocked door is on the balcony's west edge). A Haaken Scout will likely spot you and warn the enemies inside, so prepare for a fight.

Avoid the Ardanian Fighter on the balcony. Not only does it have far more HP than any other enemy in the dungeon, but most of your HP Potions will likely fall off the balcony when you pull them, depriving you of much needed healing. Head south of the balcony. You'll see a door to your left, but you won't be able to do anything there unless you leveled Superstrength and Focus to Lv.2. The room further south, right in the middle of the ship, is FILLED with soldiers. Fight them all, or avoid them if you wish, gather all the treasure around, then continue east.

Here in the Hangar Passage, head north and down the nearby staircase. Follow the path to reach the second floor of the Armory from earlier. Operate the circuit box right next to the entrance, then operate the nearby path control box to the right of the entrance to lower a path down for easy access to the hangar door. You can leave now, if you wish, but there's one thing you can do that's optional: a Heart-to-Heart. These are mini conversations between certain characters in the party, which always includes a choice. This choice usually influences the affinity of a certain Blade involved in the Heart-to-Heart. View the H2H if you wish, then head back down to the first floor and use the Hangar division console to open the Hangar door. Then head on inside.

I highly recommend that Rex, Tora, and Nia are all at least Lv.11, preferably Lv.12, before you move on.

Boss Time: Dughall (Lv.13)

After much posturing, the Consul himself tries to take us on. As it turns out, he's a Driver too, but unlike the party, Dughall uses a gun instead and lets his Blade Dolmes fight with his own weapon. Something you'll notice really quickly is that Dolmes cannot be targeted and that Dughall will frequently position himself behind his own Blade, using him as a meat (metal?) shield. You'll need to reposition frequently to catch this guy.

Hit him enough and you'll enter a scene where the party calls Dughall on his cowardice. Afterwards, you'll start the second phase of the fight. In this phase, Dolmes starts using much more disruptive attacks, blowing you down and even Topple/Launch/Smashing a party member, stunning them for a few seconds. He'll also start hitting harder and more frequently. Dolmes will frequently throw you out of position to make it easier for Dughall to move behind him, so just reposition as needed and lay on the Specials. At half health Dughall will enrage, so at that point you might need to start healing more with Rex and the WKC. If you're lucky, you might even be able to build into a third-stage Blade Combo to finish him off. Otherwise, just keep pelting him with damage until he finally goes down. You'll get a Pouch Expansion Kit for winning, which gives a character two pouch slots rather than one.

After defeating Dughall, you'll get another scene. Now it's time to flee while we still can. Head north though the exit to get out of here. As you attempt to flee the Torigoth Relay Base, however, your escape is halted by a new adversary.

Boss Time: Mòrag (Lv.15)

As her level shows, Mòrag is a stronger opponent than Dughall was, albeit less annoying. Much like the fight with Brighid earlier, Mòrag will block your attacks fairly often, forcing them to deal less damage per hit. It also prevents you from cancelling auto-attacks, so watch out. Also note that every hit you deal to her while she uses a Special will be blocked no matter what. Other than that, her auto-attacks aren't individually strong, but she hits multiple times per attack. She as fairly strong Arts, and Brighid's Specials will almost certainly hit the entire party. As she gets low on health, she starts spamming Specials more often. It's also worth noting that she is vulnerable to Topple, which Tora can (and frequently will) inflict after Nia inflicts Break on her. Make use of Toppling and Blade Combos to take her down.

The game will also teach you about Lv.4 Specials during the fight. You can't reach Lv.4 with Arts or cancelling, but rather by standing physically close to your Blade with a charged Lv.3 Special and a maxed out affinity link. Use it if you wish, but Blade Combos are stronger right now.

Finishing the fight with Mòrag will take you along a series of cutscenes all the way to the end of Chapter 2.

Chapter 3: Our Own War
Remember to fight your war!

A Way off of Gormott
After a batch of cutscenes following the Save Screen, you'll be dumped out on Gormott at the Traveler's Resting Tree Landmark. We need to leave Gormott to get to the World Tree, and luckily Tora happens to know of a shipbuilder that lives on this Titan who can help us out.

By the way, from now on you can take a Long Rest at the inn in Torigoth to change the tides whenever you want. Generally, a long rest costs twice as much as a standard one. Oh, and you can level up from long rests like you can with short ones.

Also, now that Nia and Tora are with you, now is a great time to do some sidequests here in Gormott! There are certainly plenty, and if you've been lagging behind on levels this can be a great way to build up your Bonus EXP.

Whatever you choose to do, when you're ready to move on head up due north from the Traveler's Resting Tree. You'll probably see some Nose Gogols along the way, but you should be able to handle them one at a time. Also, you've probably gotten a Core Crystals so far. I recommend you pull a few on Nia for right now. Your goal is to acquire another HLR for her to make use of. I personally prefer Bitballs and Twin Rings on her, as both give her access to a Recovery Art that heals all allies for an amount based on her Ether stat. Knuckle Claws don't, but they also give her access to Launch.

I suppose I should explain. I've mentioned things like Toppling and Launching previously, but to go into more detail, there is a second type of Combo in the game: Driver Combos. These occur when certain status ailments are applied to an enemy in a certain order by using Driver Arts. In order, those statuses are Break, Topple, Launch, and Smash. For the middle two the enemy will be stunned for the duration of the status, and on Smashing an enemy, they will drop items from their drop table. You can't Smash right now, but with the right Blades, you can Break (Nia), Topple (Tora), and Launch (Nia) an enemy, even this early on. And, if you advance a Driver Combo during a Blade Combo, you'll deal more damage, fill up some of the Party Gauge, and even add more time onto the Blade Combo status meter.

While you're at it, spend some of your WP and SP on your characters. For Arts, focus on ones that can heal the party, then distribute the remainder to your other arts. For the Affinity Chart, get Rapid Attack I for Rex if you haven't already, then pick any other node you wish. I recommend Reflex Response not because of the Agility boost, but because it leads to Arts Chain, which lets you cancel Driver Arts INTO another Driver Art. This makes building Specials sooooo much faster, it's so good. Give Tora whatever you want on his chart. Feral Awakening on Nia is good, but unless Tora has Raring to Go I and a topple art bound to X, it's not worthwhile quite yet. It will be later though.

Now then. Once you've reached Greatspine Boundary, you'll be in a new area of Gormott:

Gormott: Upper Level - Left

Enemies:

Denes Driver (Lv.14)
Dont Rhogul (Lv.22) [Summoned by UM]
Lance Tirkin (Lv.10-15)
Little Bunnit (Lv.6-12)
Shadow Scout (Lv.14-16)
Shield Tirkin (Lv.12-17)
Volkas Driver (Lv.13)
Wood Bunnit (Lv.12-20)
Sniping Brent (Lv.18)

Landmarks:

Greatspine Boundary
Umon's Shipyard

Locations:

Melnath's Shoulder

There's an annoyingly strong UM here that likes to swoop in and rek you, so stick towards the southern edge of this area as you make your way west and avoid him unless you're at least Lv.18 across the board. As you move through the area, you'll run into large groups of Tirkin. They're easy to deal with as long as you don't let more than three gang up on you. There are Scout enemies that wander around, and if they spot you, they'll alert every other Tirkin in the area.

Keep heading west and you'll eventually make it to Umon's Shipyard, which is surprisingly void of enemies. Umon is inside the building here, so head inside to speak to the guy about a boat.

Of course, it's not that simple. Umon needs some parts to finish building his ship, and of course, we're the ones who need to fetch them. First things first, set your sights on the Diamond Oak. It's the easier of the two to find, since they're key items rather than Collectibles.

Skip Travel back to Upper Level Right - Waytree and start heading north towards the tree root on the map (not the one next to the water, but the one to its north). There's a Messar Taos (Lv.75) that wanders around this area, and if it sees you it will kill you, so avoid it if you can. Climb up the root I just mentioned and you'll come across a group of Tirkin. Get past them however you wish and head up the slope up ahead of you. When you get to a vine-covered tree, climb up it and head right. Other side of the hut, past a couple Tirkin and beyond the bridge is a little pathway inside the cliff that you can spot on the minimap. Follow it to reach the Secret Area Dawnview Grotto and collect the red item bags scattered all over the place (and the treasure too, of course). Secret Areas are basically hard-to-reach Landmarks with often gorgeous visuals, but other than that they're no different to Landmarks.

Now that you've got your hands on the Diamond Oak, you'll need to get some Puzzletree Wood, and unless you happen to have 10, you'll need to grind for some on Collection Points. An easy way to do so is to Skip Travel to Outlook Knoll on Upper Level - Right, turn around, and pull from the Collection Point on the tree dead ahead. Alternatively, you can farm the collection point right next to the Skip Travel point Nocclia Timber Site. You can reach that Landmark by Skip Traveling to Traveler's Resting Tree and heading up the slope to the southeast. Head towards the piles of logs you'll see up ahead and you'll reach the Skip Travel point.

Once you gather all the ingredients, go back to Umon and speak to him. Unfortunately, you're not quite done just yet. You'll first need to change the tides to High Tide at the inn in Torigoth. Once you've done that, Skip Travel to Outlook Knoll, turn around, and head down the path towards the Lower Level. Eventually you'll come across the runaway Titan. After the brief bit of dialogue that follows, return to Umon to finally get off of Gormott!

Of course, with this crew nothing ever ends up going exactly as planned...

Greatmaw Rapids
Uraya - Head

Enemies:

Amari Vang (Lv.17-19)
Breed Egg (Lv.62-64)
Burrig Parisax (Lv.63-65) [Also summoned by UM]
Cobalt Krabble (Lv.18-22)
Dalya Armu (Lv.16-23)
Doryu Riik (Lv.22-24)
Flanck Lysaat (Lv.18-23)
Martz Parisax (Lv.30-32) [Normally], (Lv.59-62) [Breed Eggs/UM]
Massido Ardun (Lv.18-24)
Mordow Blant (Lv.21-23)
Nairoo Bunnit (Lv.18-24)
Nefto Lizard (Lv.19-22)
Nomad Rhinon (Lv.20-25)
Poison Brog (Lv.24-25)
Rebra Flamii (Lv.18-24)
Rebul Krabble (Lv.18-23)
Rip Volff (Lv.20-24)
River Bunnit (Lv.17-23)
Sprack Parisax (Lv.35-37)
Tomlok Anlood (Lv.17-19)
Young Volff (Lv.9-12)
Implacable Dylan (Lv.23)
Vampire Bride Marion (Lv.65)

Landmarks:

Greatmaw Rapids
Gullet Pass
Cataracts of Rujah
Sternum Arch
Soulcrown Summit
Dragon's Whiskers

Locations:

Windpipe Deeps
Acid Gullet
Jebbas Cavern
Dragon's Stomach
Cleansing Spring
Jebbas Outlook
Lake Varna
Great Blowhole

Just our luck, eh? Swallowed by a Titan and Shipwrecked again. Nowhere to go right now but south. Up ahead the path will split into one ramp down and two ramps up. Go up for now. In the next room head up the ramp on the right and cross the land-bridge.Continue south from there, fighting the enemies you come across along the way, and you'll reach Gullet Pass.

I highly recommend being at least around level 20 before moving on.

Boss Time: Vandham (Lv.20), Yew (Lv.18), Zuo (Lv.19)

Driver enemies tend to be really tough, and the big guy over here is no different. Just like with all Drivers, their Blades will block your attacks quite often, disrupting your cancelling attemps. And with three of them pounding your team, you might find yourself struggling to keep yourself healed.

Zuo, despite using an ATK Blade, serves as Vandham's tank. This is the first instance of a Driver battle where one member of the fight will force your party to target him, and it won't be the last. You might as well finish him off first, as you're likely going to be forced to target him regardless.

Yew exists in this fight just to tack on some extra damage. Generally speaking, his Arts just aren't strong enough to warrant attention, and even if you ignore him for the whole fight you'll likely finish him off just with AOE damage from Blade Combos on Zuo and Vandham.

Vandham is the real threat here, and should be focused as much as possible. If your party is forced to target Zuo, after a little wait you can switch targets back to Vandham, but be sure to press C-Left to force Tora and Nia to target him too. Vandham hits pretty hard and he hits surprisingly frequently, and all of his Specials hit in an AOE around his Blade. He also has an Art Fast Twitch that lets him completely evade all of your attacks for a few seconds. Burst him down with as many Driver Combos as you can and make sure to keep up with the healing throughout the fight. Once one of them goes down the fight will get much easier, so if you see that Zuo or Yew is low on HP, finish them off and switch your focus back to Vandham. Eventually, you'll wear his HP down to 0, but it may take 2 or 3 Blade Combos.

Once you beat Vandham, head up the ramp to the southwest and go west from there to reach the Garfont Town Gate.

Garfont Village
Shops:

Shop	Items
Vargel Tavern	Drinks
Fallone Crafts	Textiles
Vibrattio Instruments	Instruments
Sadecott Groceries	Vegetables
Unita Trading	Exchange
Piccaka Accessories	Accessories
Hebble Aux Cores	Aux Cores
Lleman Blacksmiths	
Core Chips

Landmarks:

Garfont Town Gate
Garfont Rear Gate
Mercenary HQ

Locations:

Shrine of Light
Shrine of Journeys
Training Ground
Plaza of Reprieve
Waypoint Market
Shrine of Offering
Fusty Fungus Caves
Old Valantia

Shopping List:

Scale Chips, one for each Blade
Infantry Vests for anyone who doesn't have one.
Looks like Vandham's a nicer fellow than he let on. He's even basically running this town! Once you buy the stuff off the shopping list and craft whatever Aux Cores you want, feel free to take a look around town. There's treasure troves scattered all over the place with goodies just for you, so collect them if you wish. Once you finish looking around, speak to Guldon, who's standing next to the owner of Vargel Tavern, to watch another cutscene.

After the scene, head to the northwestern end of the village and up the slope to find Vandham at the Garfont Rear Gate. After a cutscene, Vandham will join the party! He'll have Roc, a Wind ATK Blade with a unique weapon, Dual Scythes. Dual Scythe Arts take a lot of hits to charge, but they hit multiple times per auto attack. Unfortunately, Vandham refuses to resonate with any other Blade, so Roc is all he has right now. If you want to use him, sub out Tora or Rex. I don't recommend removing Tora however, as Vandham isn't very tanky, despite his huge HP pool, but you're free to do as you wish. Buy any accessories you want for him and head on up and out of the village.

The path to the blowhole is a fairly linear one, so just follow it upwards. As usually, fight enemies one at a time as you go along. Along the way, you'll come across a nightmarish vortex of terror. Approach it for a scene. That was easy! Let's keep moving.

There's a pretty wide open room here with a slope on the other end. There are quite a few beasties around here, some of which can really put the hurting on you if you're not careful. On the other hand, with Vandham, Nia, and Tora you can Break, Topple, and Launch enemies here in fairly quick succession. Not to mention Vandham starts with enough SP to unlock his Burly Chain node right off the bat, letting him chain his Arts into each other, so long as their charged. And it just so happens that Water -> Earth -> Wind is a Blade Combo. With Burly Chain, you can easily pull that combo off for loads of damage if you so wish, easier than Rex can with the WKC. Fight or run past the enemies in this room and head up the slope on the eastern side.

You'll be pitted against a mini boss of sorts up ahead. During the cutscene, Vandham'll show Rex a thing or three, upgrading Rex's Anchor Shot. Now, it can Topple enemies AND pull HP Potions, which will be very useful for the rest of the game. You'll of course have to Break an enemy before you can Topple it, however. Defeat the Rampaging Ardun (Lv.21) using this "new" Toppling trick.

There's only one way to go now, and that's along the path forward. You should probably be about level 22 or 23 before you move on, and you should put Rex, Nia, and Tora in the party right now unless you believe that you've got a solid handle on Vandham's capabilities.

By the way, as I said earlier, you should be pulling Blades every now and then on Nia until you get a Bitball or Twin Rings Blade on her. At this point in my test run, I had one, and I will be running under the assumption that Nia has that level of healing available. Once you're prepared, head up the slope to the objective marker for a scene.

Boss Time: Elder Arachno (Lv.22)

Looks like more than just people can become Drivers, huh. Just like all other Drivers, the Elder Arachno's Blade will block you on occassion, disrupting your chains, and it will hit your party with Specials every now and then. Its own Arts actually aren't that strong at the start of the fight, but as you wear it down, it'll start hitting harder and inflicting Blowdown on your party. The really threatening attacks are his Specials, which hit fairly hard. One of them can also hit multiple party members for hundreds of damage, so be careful. Other than that, just pile on Blade Combos on the guy and eventually he'll go down. All in all he's not that tough, especially given how frequently you can Topple him with Rex.

After the cutscene about the Blade's Circle of Life, you'll get a Beastly Core Crystal. It's inert for now, but eventually it will awaken and become available for resonance. It's an Earth Elemental ATK Blade named Wulfric, and he's got field skills that will be very worth your time to have. When it becomes available to awaken, give it to Rex.

You'll need to return to Garfont, so skip travel to either gate and head to the fenced off area between the two gates for a scene and...

Boss Time: Akhos (Lv.24)

The brains of Torna himself came here to deal with us, and he means business. Right at the start of the fight the game will introduce you to the concept of Chain Attacks. By pressing + with a full Party Gauge, you can initiate a Chain Attack. During one of these, Party Members will take turns unleashing Specials for one of their Blades. The purpose of these is to destroy the Elemental Orbs left behind by a Blade Combo.

I'll expand upon this mechanic more after the fight. The game will direct you to start one right now, so go ahead and push that + button. Use Pyra's special, then Poppi's, then Dromarch's to break the Water Orb the game will place on Akhos. In the second round of the Chain Attack, use whatever specials you like.

Now, on to the actual fight. Standard warnings for Driver battles apply to him too, with the added warning that Obrona, Akhos's Blade, has a Special that can inflict Shackle Driver on your entire party. This stops your Drivers from doing... well much of anything. You can't use Arts or even auto attack while Shackled. All you can do is wait for it to wear off. Alternatively, finishing a Blade Combo with Earth will stop Akhos from sealing your Drivers, but the easiest combo to pull of with that is Earth -> Fire -> Earth, which is hard to pull off if Tora is an AI controlled character. Outside of that, hit him with as many Blade Combos as you can and you should take him down without too much trouble.

You'll get a couple more scenes after the fight. Once they're done, go back to the Training Grounds in Garfont to chat with Vandham on Nia's behalf. You'll be told to make preparations, but unless you've awakened any new Blades recently that you want to use, just head to the eastern exit of the village and speak with Vandham to start making your way to Fonsa Myma.

Before we move on, I did say I would explain more about Chain Attacks. Like I said before, they exist to let you break those Orbs that your Blade Combos leave behind. Each element is paired with another that's defined as its opposite. The pairs are:

Fire and Water
Ice and Wind
Earth and Lightning
Light and Dark
Each Orb takes three hits to burst, and hitting an orb with its opposite element counts as two hits. If you break an orb in a round you can extend the Chain Attack to a new round and, if you pass the QTE, even start using higher levels of your Specials. Burst enough Orbs and you'll initiate a Full Burst, which is one final all out attack from all three Drivers in the party.

With Chain Attacks, we finally have the basic flow of combat outlined: you use auto attacks to charge Arts, you use Arts to charge Specials, you use Specials to complete Driver Combos, and you use Chain Attacks to burst Orbs and deal massive damage. Getting a handle on this flow will go a long way to mastering this game's systems.

Anyway, mechanics aside, we've got Vandham back in the party and a destination in mind, so head on out of Garfont and cross the land bridge up ahead and go into the cave on the other side. On the other end of the tunnel, you'll come across...

Boss Time: Zeke (Lv.23)

This chapter just loves to throw Drivers at you, doesn't it? With Zeke, I noticed that he outright dodged my attacks more often than Pandoria actually blocked them. Like before, the worst thing they can do to you is use their Specials. In particular, they can use one Special that hits all your party members for quite a bit of damage. As the fight progresses, Zeke will let loose with more and more Arts, but aside from raw damage, there isn't a whole lot he can actually do to you. Hit him with a couple of Blade combos and you'll finish him off before long.

After the fight, Zeke will meme himself and you'll be able to move on. At this point, your only objective is to reach Fonsa Myma, which is clear on the other side of...

Uraya - Stomach
Enemies:

Archer Igna (Lv.16-20)
Bobbile Brog (Lv.22-24)
Boss Igna (Lv.19-23)
Cobalt Krabble (Lv.18-22)
Dalya Armu (Lv.16-23)
Dayvol Symbol (Lv.75-77)
Duel Igna (Lv.16-20)
Faros Igna (Lv.78-80)
Femni Nest (Lv.38-45)
Gazzam Igna (Lv.74)
Gottarm Driver (Lv.20)
Graze Ellook (Lv.74-76) [Petal Rain]
Gronta Gyanna (Lv.21-23)
Illumi Skeeter (Lv.38-43)
Karlin Skwaror (Lv.21-25)
King Piranhax (Lv.72-74)
Krim Crustip (Lv.20-22)
Leap Pippito (Lv.21-23)
Limdo Flamii (Lv.17-22)
Mailoo Garaffa (Lv.19-22)
Manda Moramora (Lv.20-27) [Crystal Sleet]
Massido Ardun (Lv.18-24)
Melz Runner (Lv.23-26)
Menes Driver (Lv.21)
Mordow Blant (Lv.21-23)
Nairoo Bunnit (Lv.18-24)
Nefto Lizard (Lv.19-22)
Nomad Rhinon (Lv.20-25)
Nuruba Upa (Lv.20-23)
Peri Puffot (Lv.19-23)
Prom Piranhax (Lv.19-22)
Pugli Grady (Lv.34-35) [Petal Rain]
Razor Scout (Lv.75)
Rebra Flamii (Lv.18-24)
Rebul Krabble (Lv.18-23)
Revarl Lexos (Lv.39-41)
Rip Volff (Lv.20-24)
Rivarl Lexos (Lv.40) [Clear or Crystal Sleet]
River Bunnit (Lv.17-23)
Shralk Igna (Lv.73-75)
Shungle Igna (Lv.71-73)
Smart Aligo (Lv.20-22)
Spike Urchon (Lv.35-37)
Strom Gyanna (Lv.49)
Telen Igna (Lv.72-74)
Tomlok Anlood (Lv.17-19)
Wall Igna (Lv.18-21)
Water Hiln (Lv.20-26)
Whispering Igna (Lv.18-21)
Zike Ansel (Lv.22-28)
Azure Reginald (Lv.41) [Not Petal Rain]
Cunning Saggie (Lv.24) 
Demon King Gilbert (Lv.80)
Howitzer Leon (Lv.48)
Martial Kamron (Lv.23)
Soothsayer Gerald (Lv.78) [Petal Rain]
Walker Trap (Lv.26)

Landmarks:

Cobalt Cliffs
Eight-Rock Skip
Yurna the Elderwood
Tardy Gate
Stone Gate Ruins
Ruins of Fountain Park
Crown of Sanctuary
Raqura Aquagardens

Locations:

Farlaine Wells
Bluestep Ditch
Farlaine Central Pools
Minnet Terrace
Old Quarry
Pelza's Sluice
Loska's Gap
Drillbore Bridge
Wyrmtears
Badfella's Cave Fort
Fonsa Myma Waters
Funnystone Highway
Coralline Sanctum
Old Pilgrim's Road
Land of the Beaten

We've got quite a trek to go before we reach Fonsa Myma, and just like with Gormott, my goal is to head directly there. Feel free to explore as much as you want while you're here though. After all, that's half the fun!

By the time you make it to Fonsa Myma, you should be between level 25 and 28, after taking a rest at the inn.

First things first: follow the road here west and then south until you reach a pool with large round rocks in the center. Hop on those rocks until you discover the Landmark Eight Rock Skip. On the other side of the pool is a path south that you can follow. At the end of the path is a (safe) way down to the lowest level to the Stomach. There are several land bridges here, one of which leads to a fairly large tree in the middle of an island. This is the Landmark Yurna the Elderwood. There's a land bridge just north of Yurna that leads to where we want to go, so head up that way and go south.and upwards. You'll probably encounter a gang of Ignas, so take them on one by one and keep moving along the path. Be on guard against Gyannas that you can find here, they hit pretty hard and frequently will send themselves flying into another enemy's aggro radius. Unfortunately, it's virtually impossible to just avoid the enemies up here, so kill them all to progress. This honestly might take a few tries, just to warn you. If the Ignas gang up on you, you will die.

When you move forward, you'll probably notice a huge lake blocking the way south and a field skill marker on the nearby dam. Activate it with Fire and Wind Mastery (Lv.1), which you should have by now. You'll drain enough of the water in the lake to let you progress through the area. Now, head through the gateway on the other side of the lake, which is the Landmark Tardy Gate. From here, getting to Fonsa Myma is as simple as following the road here all the way to the city.

Along the path are several enemies. I don't expect you'll fight them, but the ones of note include a party of Drivers led by the UM Martial Kamron (Lv.23), if you're looking for a challenge. On your way to Fonsa Myma, you'll find the Stone Gate Ruins Landmark too. Make your way along the road through Funnystone Highway and up a hill and a stair case. From there, it's a straight shot dead ahead to...

Fonsa Myma
Shops:

Shop	Items
Ikthus Fishmongers	Fish
Volty Butchers	Meat
Brad Flatforms	Staple Foods
Whelza Accessories	Accessories
Proplater Blacksmiths	Core Chips
Leonora Aux Cores	Aux Cores
Aquaneze Cosmetics	Cosmetics
Briarley Trading	Exchange
Malbren Salvaging	Cylinders
Hobby Knick-Knacks	Board Games
Maluria Antiques	Art
Shellbrow Wagon	Desserts
Aldomar Books	Literature
Landmarks:

Fonsa Myma Gate
Mymoma Playhouse
Holy Gate of Fontana
Fonsa Myma Port

Locations:

Gwenith Paddies
Gwendle Repair Dock
Torika Alley
Entertainment District
Commercial District
Uraya Merc Barracks
Sevind Palace Plaza
Royal Guard Barracks
Blossomshade Cliff

Shopping List:

Spinel Chips for Pyra, WKC, and Dromarch (and Nia's Common HLR, if you have one)
A Turquoise Chip for Poppi
First off, I would like to say that I LOVE Fonsa Myma! It's hands down my favorite looking city in the game, and if I could choose to live anywhere in Alrest, it would be here.

Anyway, on to business. You'll be thrown into a fight with a Violent Driver (Lv.23) the minute you set foot in the capital proper. The only thing to note is that his Blade is a HLR and he'll recover some of his HP with Arts and Specials every so often. Like with most enemies, two or three Blade Combos should finish him off.

After your altercation, you'll be free to make some purchases, which I've listed up at the top of the subsection. You may notice that there's an Exchange and a Cylinder Shop here, but there's not actually any Salvaging Spots in all of Uraya. Also, the inn is kind of in an out of the way location. Hug the left wall from the entrance gate and you'll see it to your left eventually. After buying the Core Chips, you probably will be too broke to actually buy much of anything else, but if you can, take a look at the Accessories Shop and see if anything there interests you. Something that boosts Nia's healing output would be nice to have, for example.

Anyway, make your preparations and head up the stairs a few levels until you reach the Mymoma Playhouse, where you'll see a scene. After that, head backstage for a conversation with Vandham's friend. After a chat, you'll be directed to take a rest at the inn, so head there now.

Make sure your party is around level 25 and preferably close to level 28 after this rest.

You'll lose Pyra temporarily, so you'll probably want to head straight for the objective. Go back to Mymoma Playhouse and head up the stairs due east of the place. You'll come across a massive gate soon enough. This is the Landmark Holy Gate of Fontana, and beyond it is a gigantic staircase that's basically a straight shot all the way to the objective. When you make it there, you'll be treated to a cutscene, after which it's...

Boss Time: Malos (Lv.26), Akhos (Lv.24)

Just like last time, Akhos loves to seal your Drivers, which can be damned annoying at best and fatal at worst. To make matters worse, Malos will frequently force your party to target him, and unlike the Vandham fight, you REALLY want to focus Akhos first. The good news is that you'll get Pyra back right before the fight begins, so don't worry about being at half strength.

First things first though, focus your attacks on Akhos. This first phase lasts for as long as it takes to reduce one of their HP bars down to half, so just try and burst his HP down as fast as you can with Blade Combos. As you get further in the fight, he'll start to Shackle your BLADES as well, which prevents you from switching Blades and using Specials. With this, Shackle Driver, and Malos forcing your attention away from Akhos, it will be exceedingly tough to build a full Blade Combo on Akhos. Even more than that, both Akhos and Malos can deal a LOT of damage to a single target, and they're capable of Toppling one of your party members. Even at level 25 with WKC, Dromarch, and a Common Bitball, the healing output might not be enough, so don't be surprised when Tora goes down. A lot. You definitely don't want Vandham in the party unless you out-level Malos by a couple levels, or you've been using him in place of Rex. Several members of your party will probably end up going down as you proceed through the fight, so keep reviving them as you go along and try and survive until you get Akhos down below half health.

After a long cutscene, Vandham will leave the party and you'll begin the fight with a brand new Blade in place of Pyra: Her counterpart Mythra, a Light Elemental ATK Blade who is BY FAR one of the two strongest Blades I will assume you have (at least during the main story).

With Mythra by your side, you'll be able to avoid Akhos's sealing moves for the rest of the fight. You'll also have much more power behind Rex's Arts, and Mythra's Specials will really pack a wallop. This is the time for you to pay back Malos and Akhos with extreme violence. Lay on the damage with Mythra and her specials and Blade Combo your way to victory!

Some things to keep in mind: Light -> Light -> Light and Light -> Light -> Water are probably the most accessible Blade Combos that Mythra can pull off. This is because with Mythra in use, critical hits with an Art will partially recharge that Art's cooldown. On top of this, Mythra also has an ability that boosts the party's evasion, although for this fight that power's been turned up to 11 to the point that Rex dodged practically every hit that came his way.

One final thing to note is that Akhos and Malos retain the HP they had from the first phase of the fight, so if you focused Akhos like I told you, he'll be half dead by the time the second phase rolls around. Two second stage Blade Combos from Mythra will finish him off, and with him gone, Malos can't really do a whole lot to you.

Once you best Akhos and Malos, you'll be treated to a short cutscene marking the end of Chapter 3.

Chapter 4: Aegis
She calculated the precise power output required. That's the Aegis for you... remarkable.

Confrontation's Aftermath
After the opening cutscenes, you'll be deposited in front of Mymoma Playhouse in Fonsa Myma. If you want to do the sidequests here in Uraya, now would be an excellent time to do so. I won't be reminding you of these anymore, by the way, so if you want to do an area's sidequests, just check out the Side Quests section of the guide for more information.

Moreover, at this point, you can actually engage up to three Blades at once on any one Driver. If you want to change to a different Blade mid-battle, just hit the corresponding C-button. You've likely figured out that much for yourself, but what I and the game probably haven't mentioned yet is that you can cancel Arts and auto attacks into Blade Switches, with all the same bonuses. You'll need to wait for the Blade's cooldown meter to fill up first, however. I expect that by now, you have two HLRs for Nia (if you're running a healer Nia set, which you really should), so you probably shouldn't be using Cores on her anymore, unless you're farming Rare Blades or for reasons we'll get into in this subsection. I'll explain why pretty soon. You also shouldn't be pulling Blades on Rex at all, even if you're looking for Rare Blades.

At this point, you won't have access to Mythra at all, but you will have Pyra, of course. Vandham is gone from the party for good, obviously, and you'll notice that Roc's Core Crystal has been added to your inventory. Furthermore,

Now then, we have a goal: speak to the man in Indol that Cole mentioned and ask him about how to get to the World Tree. Of course, actually reaching Indol isn't quite so simple. Before we head out, though, Vandham's crew has a request for us, so we'll need to make a quick detour to Garfont Village. Skip travel to Mercenary HQ and speak to Yew to learn about Merc Missions.

You can access these Missions through the Menu. With Merc Missions, you can send your excess Blades out on little quests of their own. Each mission has specific requirements that your Blade's party must fulfill before you can send them out as well as extra skills that decrease the time a mission takes to complete. Once you send a team out on a mission, it will take anywhere from 10 minutes to 2 hours to finish, in real time, during which you cannot use the Blades that are out on the mission. Once they complete the mission, you'll be notified in game, at which point you can re-open the Merc Mission menu to receive a report about the successful mission. Completing Merc Missions rewards you just like quests do, with Bonus EXP, Affinity Chart progress, items, money, and even Dev Points, so it's completely worth your while to send Blades out on these missions as often as you can. There are even Merc Missions that some Rare Blades need to complete in order to complete their Affinity Chart.

Additionally, you'll receive Merc Points for completing Missions. This is essentially EXP just for the Merc Group, and if you get enough Merc Points, you'll be able to level up the Merc Group after completing a sidequest that either Yew or Zuo will give you. Ranking up the Merc Group will let you awaken more Blades, send out more groups on Missions, and more, so it's also worthwhile to do this too.

Anyway, you'll be forced to do one short mission to move on with the plot, so send any Blade you want, wait a minute, then go back into the Merc Group menu to finish it. Speak to Yew when you've finished to complete this Story Quest.

Like I said before, our destination is Indol, but the only way we can get there is through Argentum, then Mor Ardain. For right now, go back to Fonsa Myma - Holy Gate of Fontana. Head east and down the stairs to reach the Fonsa Myma Port. Speak to Chamomo, the Nopon on the third dock, to set sail for Argentum (and no, you can't just Skip Travel there).

Return to Argentum
We're back! And this time, we can head up past the 2nd floor and explore all of Argentum. The party will split up temporarily, so just focus on moving on with the plot for now. Skip Travel to Lemour Inn and turn around to head up the stairs to the east. Hang a left and cross the metal bridge you see here to reach the Goldmouth Flight Deck. Speak to Murmur at the other end of the Deck to negotiate passage to Mor Ardain. You'll have to cough up 3000 G for a ride this time, so pay the Nopon for your Ticket and head back to Lemour Inn to meet up with the party.

After a few scenes, you'll be ready to leave for Mor Ardain, so head back to Murmur at the Goldmouth Flight Deck to head on out to....

Yeah... nothing with this crew ever happens as expected. Before we can actually move on to Mor Ardain, we have to spend even MORE time running around like a chicken with its head cut off. But in all fairness, it's to recover Roc's Core Crystal, so we'll have to chase after the thief. Skip Travel to Central Exchange and head south. At this point you'll be forced to....

Return to Gormott
This game just loves forcing you to spend the first quarter of a chapter here, doesn't it? Sigh... well, nothing for it then, we'll just have to track the Core thief down somehow. Just like in Chapter 2, you'll be forced to gather information about where the kid ran off to, so speak to every marked NPC until the Story Quest objective updates.

Eventually, you'll be directed to speak to someone at Nocclia Timber Site on the Upper Level - Right. It's a Skip Travel point I directed you to earlier, but to reiterate: Travel to Traveler's Resting Tree and head up the slope to the southeast of the point. Once you reach the Timber Site, speak to Otto, a Gormotti near the big pile of lumber by the road to learn about where the thief went. From here, there are two ways you can progress: inspect the footprints with Keen Eye and Fortitude (Lv.1) or speak to Otto again. Since it's not likely you have either of those Field Skills by now, much less both of them, you might as well speak to Otto again. The thief's footprints will be highlighted in red now, so just follow them all the way to their completion. Or cut out the middleman entirely and Skip Travel to Umon's Shipyard. The Story Quest will end immediately upon reaching the Landmark.

Head inside the Shipyard to initiate a cutscene and a fight with four Latollo Puffots (Lv.22). These guys are laughably weak, so just annihilate them (you don't even need to use Specials), and recover your stolen item.

Of course, even with your stuff back there's still MORE you have to do here. Our target is a gang of bandits that's been terrorizing Gormott, so head on over to Upper Level - Right -> Waytree or Dawnview Grotto. If you recall, back in Chapter 3 I had you climb up a tree root, at the top of which was a gang of Tirkin and a slope leading up towards Dawnview Grotto. Return to that area, and this time head northeast to reach Bolderbore Gate. Just beyond that Landmark is a wall of miasma and a cutscene.

After this scene, you'll receive a new Rare Blade, Roc, although I'll refer to them as Suzaku for the sake of avoiding spoilers. They're a Wind Elemental ATK Blade exclusive to Rex, and they have the only weapon in the game that will let Rex inflict Smash on an enemy. Engage them immediately. After the cutscene that ensues, you'll be able to move past Bolderbore Gate. After yet another scene, head past the gate and into the nearby cave for...

Boss Time: Benjamin the Brain (Lv.26), Cartbreaker Grzeg (Lv.24), Menacing Jo (Lv.25)

We've got another party of Blades to deal with, and this time their boss Benjamin has a HLR blade on him. Obviously, this makes him your priority target, else he'll just spend the fight undoing your precious damage. His specials will heal his party while harming yours, but otherwise they don't hurt that much, and he has access to a Recovery Art.

Grzeg has a Greataxe and an Art that might inflict Taunt on your party members, forcing them to target him instead, but it's not guaranteed like it was with Zuo or Malos in Chapter 3. Other than that, one of his specials can erase more than half of one Driver's HP, so take him down second.

Jo, much like Yew, can't do a whole lot when his team is down, but his Specials hit way harder. They're not as strong as Grzeg, however, so finish him off last.

Other than that, standard strategies apply to this fight. With Suzaku, you can entirely ditch WKC and still retain the combos that Wind offers you, which is nice. Finish them with your Blade Combos to give the kids the revenge they're looking for.

Once you defeat the bandits, you'll be treated to a long scene and dumped off in Argentum. With all that nonsense out of the way, we can FINALLY leave for Mor Ardain!

Oh, and one more thing. By now, the Beastly Core Crystal should be available to use! It contains an Earth Elemental ATK Blade named Wulfric with a Megalance for a weapon. Generally speaking, I like Megalances, as they hit fast and have easy cancels, just like the Aegis Sword. Most people will tell you not to do this, but go ahead and give Wulfric to Rex. Even if you don't plan on using him long-term, Wulfric has some very useful Field Skills, namely Superstrength, Earth Mastery, and Focus, up to level FIVE. You'll need up to level 3 in Superstrength and Focus to complete this Chapter, so this will go a long way in helping you reach that level. Not to mention, there are some sidequests and events that require a lot of some and/or all of these Field Skills. Keep in mind, however, that you won't have access to all of those levels of Skills for a few more Chapters. Wulfric won't have any Core Chips to start with, but we'll be able to buy some better ones soon, so hold off for now.

At this point, if you've been following along your setup should look like this:
Rex: Pyra, Wulfric, and Roc
Tora: Poppi α
Nia: Dromarch and at least one other HLR

Whenever you're ready, head on up to Murmur on the Flight Deck to FINALLY head off to Mor Ardain.

Of course with this crew... nah, just kidding :)

Mor Ardain - Lower Level
Enemies:

Bafoo Crustip (Lv.29-31) [No Storm]
Baroon Armu (Lv.26-28)
Berserker Mammut (Lv.83-85)
Drive Nest (Lv.31)
Gabondo Lexos (Lv.85-87)
Growsa Aspar (Lv.80-82) 
Noog Skeeter (Lv.26) 
Quake Rhinon (Lv.34-35)
Raider Igna (Lv.33-37)
Rekon Aligo (Lv.28) [Salvaging]
Sarabashi Ropl (Lv.80-82)
Spanner Bunnit (Lv.27-29)
Urobas Serprond (Lv.??) [Salvaging or High Tide]
Venal Igna (Lv.34-35)
Zeld Rodonya (Lv.27)
Armored Brennan (Lv.86)
Demon-Shell Jacob (Lv.30)
Myrmidon Eugene (Lv.33)

Landmarks:

Anangham #2 Dock
Abandoned Excavation
Fourth Ridge Entrance
Hot Pipe District, 1F
Fief of Forgetfulness
Old Plumbing Entrance

Locations:

Port Anangham
Eggle Jetty (Abandoned)
Chansagh Wastes
Cargo Transportation Zone
Valdorm's Mound
Pipe Maintenance Office
Thermal Exhaust Fork

Titan's FOOT, this is a good song. Mor Ardain, Roaming the Wastes, might actually be my favorite track in the whole game. So, like the title suggests, let's roam the wasteland.

You'll be dropped off at Anangham #2 Dock. make note of the Salvaging Point you see here, it'll be important soon. Head north from the Landmark past both piers and head to your right and into the wasteland proper. Up ahead, you should see another Ardanian facility. Head there and head up the stairs on the other end and turn right. There's a pair of elevators dead a head. Pick one and push the Elevator button to ride it all the way up to a new city!

Alba Cavanich
Shops:

Carwood Blacksmiths	Core Chips
Peatopaz Accessories	Accessories
Jaquai Aux Cores	Aux Cores
Salter Sweets	Desserts
Haskefell Books	Literature
Bassani Butchers	Meat
Griogair's Greens	Vegetables
Hanoon Fishmongers	Seafood
Yafush Antiques	Art
Elgeschel Hobby Store	Board Games
Adelno Music	Instruments
Larmogg Salvaging	Cylinders
Martietta Trading	Exchange
Belchett Recycling	Junk
Landmarks:

Kedeigh Gate
Jakolo's Inn
Ayvill Shopping Dist., Roof
Nharil Central Plaza
Bathein Watchtower

Locations:

Smùide Hot Spring
Smùide Mountain
Beraf Industry Ward
Admar Storage Zone
Ayvill Shopping District

Shopping List:

A Coil Chip for Poppi
Chain Chips for Pyra, Wulfric, Suzaku, Dromarch, and Nia's Spare HLR (but only for one of them)
An extra Chain Chip for later
2 Gear Vests, one for Nia, one for Tora
A Steam Belt for Rex
Hardhaigh Palace

Landmarks:

Hardhaigh Gate
Hardhaigh Dock, Lv.2

Locations:

Hardhaigh Palace
Grian, Wing Area #2
Throne Room
Jarlin, Wing Area #1

When you step into the town, you'll be introduced to Muimui, another annoying- er, "helpful" Nopon. You'll be directed to spend the night at the inn here, but first, you should do some SHOPPING!

Well, actually, you probably can't afford everything you'll probably want. The good news is, Mor Ardain happens to be the best place in the game to farm both Gold and Rare Blades. I won't expect you to farm Rare Blades, but I will expect that if you're strapped for cash, you'll farm for some Gold to fix that issue.

[ASIDE] Farming Gold in Mor Ardain

The best way to farm Gold in this game just so happens to be with Salvaging, which makes sense if you think about it, and generally speaking the community agrees that Mor Ardain, or more specifically Anangham #2 Dock, is the best place to do it.

First, the set up. To start off with, buy at least 5 and ideally 10 of the highest quality cylinder you can afford. This will likely be Normals at first, but once you get going you can start using Silver and even Gold Cylinders to make cash.

Skip Travel to Anangham #2 Dock and SAVE before heading of to the nearby Salvaging Point, out on one of the piers. If you have any blade with the Salvaging Mastery field skill, engage them now. While Salvaging, make sure to pass the QTEs (its A -> A -> A, and you need to press the button when the ring reaches the inner circle). Do this until you've exhausted your cylinder supply.

Once you've salvaged your fill, go to the exchange in Alba Cavanich and exchange your junk for cash, starting at the bottom of the list and going upwards to make the best bang for your buck. Rinse and repeat, and you'll end up swimming in cash!

As for how to get Rare Core Crystals quickly, take a look at this:

[OPTIONAL] Farming Rare Blades in Mor Ardain

The method for farming Rare Blades in Chapter 4 is actually remarkably similar to that for farming Gold. Build up enough starting capital to buy 99 Normal Cylinders (or as many as you plan on using) and take them to the Anangham #2 Dock Salvaging Point. This time, disengage any Blade with Salvaging Mastery and make sure to FAIL every QTE. You actually want to spawn monsters during salvaging this time because one of them, the Tolen Krabble, always drops a Common Core Crystal and FREQUENTLY drops a Rare Core Crystal. The chances of you getting a Rare Core out of the Krabble goes up if you Overkill it during a Chain Attack, so build up the Party Gauges on the other enemies and unleash hell on the Krabbles when they get low enough on health.

This gets you the cores, but the Blades are a different matter. The best way to get Rare Blades at this stage of the game is to equip Luck boosting gear on the Driver you want to pull Rares on (NEVER Rex) and have them open Rare Core Crystals over and over. If you have any "Booster" items, you can use them if you wish, but they don't really help that much when it comes to getting Rare Blades, at least not in my experience. Eventually, you'll end up with some Rare Blades of your own. At the very least, even if your RNG is complete trash, the game will give you 3 of the random Rare Blades for free via the pity system. This depends on which probability table the game uses to determine the percent chance you have to acquire certain Rare Blades. For each of the tables, the pity Blades are:

Godfrey (Ice TNK), Agate (Earth ATK), and Boreas (Wind HLR)
Perceval (Dark TNK), Azami (Dark ATK), and Adenine (Wind HLR)
Gorg (Water ATK), Perun (Ice ATK), and Electra (Electric TNK)
Kora (Electric HLR), Nim (Earth HLR), Finch (Wind TNK)
Vale (Dark ATK), Ursula (Ice HLR), Floren (Earth HLR)
Like I said earlier, I won't be assuming that you have random Rare Blades, even the pity ones, but if you wish to farm for them, you can.

By the way, the information about Rare Blade probabilities and the pity system comes from a datamine lead by MooseHunter and presented by NuCoEm. The source I have listed in that section points to an article that distilled this information, but the data itself came right from those two, so all credit goes to them.

As for shopping, make sure to buy an extra Chip for later (you'll see why later), and buy some accessories to boost Nia and Tora's HP and Rex's Strength. You'll probably notice a very expensive accessory called the 0-Battle Course, and while its effect of increasing the EXP you get from battle sounds tempting, don't buy it. You can farm an improved version later, and in any case even with skipping every sidequest you should be fine on levels.

If you're light on cash, you can forgo buying a Chip for Pyra.

Anyway, once you've farmed money and/or Blades to your hearts content and bought the Chips and Accessories you want, head on over to Jakolo's Inn and take a rest for the expected Hot Springs Scene (TM).

Afterwards, your party will be alerted to an altercation outside the inn. You'll get Mythra back, and you'll have her instead of Pyra for the rest of the Chapter. The two big differences between them are that Mythra is Light Elemental rather than Fire and that Mythra cannot use her Lv.4 Special while indoors. Keep this in mind, and give her the spare Chain Chip before moving on.

Oh, and you might want to cash in some Bonus EXP. You should be around Lv.28 right about now.

From where the cutscene dumps you, head up the staircase right in front of you to discover a Landmark, Ayvill Shopping District Rooftops. You'll want to head south from here, where you'll likely encounter mor Ardanian soldiers (get it?). Fight them, then follow the path west to a couple mor Ardanians and fight them too. Up ahead you'll notice a gate that requires Superstrength Lv.2. While you definitely should have that Field Skill by now, you don't need it to progress. If you look to the right of that gate, you'll see a small opening that you can walk through. Turn left and go up the stairs, or go up the stairs beyond the gate for a scene.

Apparently, Tora recognizes that assailant. You'll need to chase after her, so move forward and head down the stairs to the left. Just like in the Titan Battleship, there's steam vents all around that you'll need to disable if you don't want to be boiled alive. Maneuver between the steam vents, fences, and the round... pillar thingies, fighting the enemies here while you move, and turn the valve on the other end of the maze here to shut the steam off. Backtrack back up the stairs and head down the other side and move forward, now that the steam is shut off.

Mystery Girl will run off again, so you'll just have to follow. Run up the path and up the stairs, then turn right, cross the bridge, and climb down the stairs on the other side. Move to the far side of the rooftop and head south, fighting your way past the Ardanians. Up the stairs here is a plateau, and if you look up and too the left, you should see Lila. Approach her for a scene, followed by her running away yet again!

Luckily, you can clearly see where she moves. Jump down to the landing below you, then jump down to the streets and head all the way north for a scene and...

Boss Time: Lila (Lv.29)

Surprise, surprise, another artificial Blade. Comes as quite a surprise, to be sure. As for her combat capabilities, she has multiple Arts that will either inflict Knockback or Blowdown, sending your party members flying. These are probably her most dangerous Arts too, as they can take off half your HP in one blow. She also has a few weak Arts, including one that hits all of your party members, that shouldn't be of too much concern so long as you keep up with the healing from Nia. Make sure to use Anchor Shot to pull HP Potions when you're in a pinch. The last thing she can do is put up an Ether Barrier, which makes her Invulnerable to ALL damage for a short while.

Hit her with a few Blade Combos to start with (unfortunately, you probably won't be able to sustain any of Mythra's Combos right now, unless both Rex and Nia happen to have spare Fire Blades lying around). When you get about 2 or 3 Orbs down, unleash a Chain Attack to finish Lila off.

After another scene, Lila will run off again. Skip Travel to Kedeigh Gate and head straight north for a scene and...

Boss Time: Mòrag (Lv.31), 3 Ardanian Soldiers (Lv.27)

She's back, and stronger than ever this time. Her Arts and Specials haven't really changed since Chapter 2, she just hits harder now than she did back then. Not to mention the Ardanians she has as backup will pelt you with damage as you go along. The trickiest part of the fight is staying alive long enough for Rex to drop their aggro. After this, hit her with 3 Blade Combos, then finish her off with 3 Chain Attacks.

Defeat Mòrag again, and you'll get the chance to explain the situation to her. Looks like you'll be investigating this case with Lila together with the Special Inquisitor herself. She'll be waiting in the imperial palace while we go and do the actual investigative grunt work. Typical.

Gripes aside, our investigation begins after this cutscene ends. Luckily, we don't have to spend time asking around town this time. Skip Travel to Anangham #2 Dock and head straight left to talk to Periperi. He'll point you to a shipment of goods that should be in the storage area at the bottom of the elevator in Alba Cavanich. Head there either by foot or by Skip Traveling and riding the elevator down. After a brief scene, you'll be directed to speak to the owner of the junk shop in Alba Cavanich. You'll be forced to buy something a couple times during conversation, so do so to learn about your next objective. You'll need to speak to a man named Timell, whom you can find on...

Mor Ardain - Upper Level
Enemies:

Arogan Rhogul (Lv.29)
Armor Scorpox (Lv.28-30)
Brionac Madadh (Lv.58)
Brionac Milltear (Lv.63)
Brionac Seàirdeant (Lv.59)
Brionac Tanca (Lv.63-65)
Brionac Trùpair (Lv.61)
Fabel Bufa (Lv.29)
Flash Scout (Lv.32)
Gabondo Lexos (Lv.85-87)
Liberion Emblem (Lv.61)
Nel Arachno (Lv.29)
Reener Arachno (Lv.33)
Rudoni Anlood (Lv.26-28)
Sandi Bunnit (Lv.27)
Speed Runner (Lv.29)
Spitt Pod (Lv.30-33)
Stellar Scout (Lv.59)
Telgoo Rapchor (Lv.28)
Zeld Rodonya (Lv.27)
Decapitator Marvin (Lv.33)
Judicial Kollin (Lv.33)
Man-Eating Glenn (Lv.32)
Slasher Buffon (Lv.40)
Tattooed Hugo (Lv.31) [No Sandstorm]
Unflinching Saxton (Lv.99)
Vagrant Baldr (Lv.62)

Landmarks:

Midorl Bridge
Old Industrial District
Mine Elevator
Mine No. 2 Entrance
Ruined Laborers' Bridge
Geothermal Plant Lobby
Nopon Pioneers' Spring

Locations:

Turbine Tower
Jelidorend Highlands
Geothermal Processor
Storage Warehouse
Heat Material Refinery
Bellyfull Canteen
Office Corridor
Delizé's Infirmary
Junction Control Room
Old Pipe Junction Corridor
Great Heat Extraction Duct
Old City of Teddim
Brionac Occupied Zone
Geothermal Mining Plant

Heading north past Kedeigh Gate and the bridge beyond it will put you back on the wastes, this time on the upper level at the Midorl Bridge Landmark. After savoring the music, head northeast towards a big mass of steam. Between the two towers just south of that steam cloud is Timell. Speak to him to learn where the Black Ash is being sold at: the Old Industrial District. From Timell, head due west across the wastes. Head down the path at the base of the cliff up ahead and continue west under the big bridge you see up ahead. Just beyond it are the barrels Timell mentioned. Approach them for some dialogue.

There are two ways to proceed, and neither of them are very fun. The first, inspecting the barrels, requires Nopon Wisdom Lv.3, which you almost certainly won't have unless you've recently pulled some Rare Blades like Boreas with that skill (and even then, you might not pass the skill check). The second is a Merc Mission in Mor Ardain, titled Materials Stakeout. It'll take at most 30 minutes to finish and requires 3 humanoid Blades to do it. If you have Blades with Fortitude, Info Collector, or Expeditionist that you aren't using, send them along to reduce wait times.

Anyway, while we wait, there's actually a sidequest we can do right now. Normally, I would not give any sidequest the time of day, but this one is special, as the reward is a Core Crystal guaranteed to drop a Rare Electric HLR Blade with a Bitball for Nia.

[BLADE QUEST] Tranquility

Starting the Quest:
To start this quest, go back to Torigoth during the day. You'll see a woman named Vess standing near the Vegetable Shop in town. Speak to her to begin the Quest.

Gathering Ingredients:

Salty Soil: You can find this in Uraya -> Olethro Ruins -> Olethro Playhouse. Either of the Collection Points up here can yield it, but the western one drops it more often.
Gromrice: You can gather this from the rice paddies near either Uraya -> Fonsa Myma -> Fonsa Myma Gate or Uraya -> Garfont Village -> Mercenary HQ.
Ruby Mangosteen: You can find this in the collection points near Uraya -> Stomach -> Eight-Rock Skip or Uraya -> Head -> Greatmaw Rapids.
Vess's Driver:
After collecting the above, return to Vess in Torigoth. She'll invite you to her Driver's home, so head south and a bit east of Abble's Fountain and up the stairs. You should see Vess and her Driver standing on the patio of the house to the left. Head up onto the patio for a bit of dialogue. To get the firewood Vess asks for, Skip back to Torigoth Arch and immediately go north. Your objective should be standing behind a little table in the small lumber yard around here. Speak to Dward to get the firewood (it's in an item bag behind him), then return to Vess's house for a scene.

After a hearty meal of Jelly Doughnuts, Mabon will ask you to get him some Bitter Choclit and a Fruity Rice Ball. The Choclit is easy enough, just buy some from the Dessert Shop in Fonsa Myma (near Mymoma Playhouse, if you recall). Unfortunately, the Fruity Rice Ball will take a bit more work. You'll need to build up Argentum's Dev Level to at least 1 star by either Salvaging and Exchanging or by doing sidequests. Then, you'll need to complete the Merc Mission Long-Awaited Work. You'll need a Megalance and a Bitball Blade and about 40 minutes to do this one, but you can use Expeditionist or Dark Mastery Field Skills to shorten that time.

Once you've completed Long-Awaited Work, go to Honeycomb Sweets in Argentum and buy the Fruity Rice Ball. With both sweets in hand, return to Mabon in Torigoth. He'll ask you to give the Fruity Rice Ball to Vess, so do that too, then speak to Mabon again.

The Golden Bracers:
Mabon wants you to locate a set of golden bracers he and Vess had acquired on his travels. Thing is, he and Vess can't agree on where they buried them. Vess thinks they're in Uraya, Mabon thinks they're in Mor Ardain, and reality says they're in both.

The easier of the two to find is in Uraya. Skip to Fonsa Myma -> Holy Gate of Fontana, and turn around 180 degrees. Up ahead you'll see a massive staircase leading downwards. Notice the water flowing down the sides of the staircase. You'll need to hop on one of those and slide all the way down. Make sure you jump at the end of the slide. Do so, and you'll land in the Ruins of Fountain Park. You might be able to get that Landmark registered, even if you completely fail the jump, so if you do, Skip to it. Notice how there's a ledge beneath the park you're standing on right now. head south a little bit and drop down to that ledge, then head around north to the other side of the island to dig up Mabon's bracer. It'll be the point on the ground right below the staircase.

Now on to Mor Ardain. You'll need it to be Low Tide for this, so take a long rest at Jakolo's Inn if it's not. Once you've done that, Skip to Kedeigh Gate and head northwest to a somewhat hard to see staircase. Go down 2 flights and stop at around the middle of the bridge above you. Look towards the ground. You should see a building jutting out of the cliff face, with a bright shining Collection Point on its roof. Jump down onto it. Jump onto the ledge to its left, then onto the building directly below the first one. From here, jump onto the ledge to the right of the building, towards the collection point you can see there. There's a tunnel here that leads all the way down to the Fief of Forgetfulness. Be careful, though, as the tunnel is so steep, you might accidentally jump off and kill yourself. The buried chest is on the southwestern corner of the Fief. Make sure you approach it from the western edge of the island, as there is a UM on the eastern end. ALSO, while you're here, pick up the red item back by the near by rock, located right next to the tower to the east of the buried treasure. This is the key do the door on the far side of Port Anangham.

When you've found both bracers, return to Mabon in Torigoth to receive one final mission. You'll need to deliver the bracers to his children, one for each of them, and predictably, one lives in Uraya and the other in Mor Ardain.

First, Uraya. Skip to either the Fonsa Myma Gate or Mymoma Playhouse and walk to the plaza where the Art Shop is located. Mabon's daughter Noelle is standing behind the Shop. Speak to her to deliver the bracer.

Now, Mor Ardain. Skip to Kedeigh Gate and head to the Aux Core Store. Mabon's son, Antis, is standing on the landing right above the Aux Core Store. Speak to him to deliver the bracer.

Once you've delivered the bracers, return to Mabon in Torigoth one more time. After a scene, head on over to the other side of the house to complete the quest.

Quest Completion:
After completing this quest, you'll be rewarded with several items, the most important of which is Vess's Core Crystal. After a few hours or so of play time, it will be available to resonate with. Vess is a Lightning Elemental Bitball HLR that you should give to Nia as soon as you can. Since she's the only Rare HLR besides Dromarch that the game doesn't force you to roll for, I will assume that the only Rares Nia has are Dromarch and Vess. I will say, however, that if you have just about any other Bitball Rare on Nia, use that one instead of Vess, as she actually isn't all that spectacular when it comes to her skills and/or Specials.

After this quest, when Vess becomes available, Nia should engage:

Dromarch, of course
Vess, or any other Rare Bitball, if you have one.
Either another Bitball or a Knuckle Claw. I will assume it's Common, but if you have a Rare of either type, use it instead.
Whether you do this Quest or not (at the very least, pick up the key in the Fief of Forgetfulness), once the mission Materials Stakeout is complete, rest at Jakolo's Inn to receive a bit of dialogue about where the shipments were carried off to. We have a destination in mind, but first we need to report to Mòrag about our findings. Skip to Nharil Central Plaza and head south towards the very grand-looking building. This is Hardhaigh Palace, which we can't explore quite yet. Speak to the soldier behind the reception desk to your left as you enter the palace to request an audience with the Inquisitor.

After exchanging information with her, Rex and the crew will be sent to investigate the Abandoned Factory on the lower level of Mor Ardain. There are two ways of reaching the Abandoned Factory, and they both, frankly, suck. One involves running past several monsters with levels in the low to mid 80s, and the other requires Fire (Lv.3) and Wind Mastery (Lv.2). This second one I consider to be easier to deal with, as you'll likely have enough Field Skills between Suzaku, and your commons (Pyra does not count for this). You might still need to grind a bit, however. I will, of course, be detailing each path in this guide.

The Road to the Abandoned Factory
[EASY PATH] Through the Old Industrial District

This is the easier of the two paths. Almost every monster on this path can be dealt with by a party in the low level 30s, but you will need Lv.3 Fire and Lv. 2 Wind Mastery to use this path.

Skip to the Old Industrial District on the Upper Level. Head inside the building and go down the stairs as far as you can. You should be in a room filled with giant spider cocoons. There's a door on the northern side of this room. Head through it and deal with the enemies in this hallway (the big snake can fully heal itself and boost its level to 33, be careful). Go through this hallway and approach the door on the other end. You'll need to use the Field Skills I mentioned to bust this door down.

If you need to grind for them, the fastest way to get Key Affinity nodes is to spam as many pouch items as you can while that Blade is equipped. Generally, a Common's requirements for unlocking Elemental Mastery nodes are pretty easy to achieve, which is nice. It'll also help to have a Common with Lv.3 Fire Mastery later in the game, so doing the grind now will save you some headache later. Just remember, you'll need to engage whatever Blades have the Field Skills you need at the moment.

Once you make it past that door, you'll see a door, a staircase up, and a staircase down. Head downstairs and through the open door to the outside. From here go forward until you see a staircase down. Take it as far down as you can to reach Hot Pipe District, 1F. Go west and slightly south, past the enemies, and head down even more stairs. From here, it's basically a straight shot north, towards the objective marker. The only things that should be getting in the way are Igna enemies, who are all about Lv.30.

[HARD PATH] Through the Chansagh Wastes

This path involves no Field Skills, but FAR more running for dear life. With the key you got from the Fief of Forgetfulness (see above, in the section marked [BLADE QUEST]), you can open the big gate on the far northern end of Port Anangham. From here, all you need to do is run all the way north, as far as you can, without getting brutally murdered by level 80+ enemies. Simple, right?

Alternatively, you can make your way there by going to the Old Industrial District and running right through the Arachno's on the second level down. Somewhere around there is a balcony from which you can jump down to the Chansagh Wastes, after which the running like a bat out of hell begins.

Which ever path you choose, when you approach the factory you'll be interrupted by...

Boss Time: Zeke (Lv.32)

Whatever you do, don't look up what Nia's insult meant. Seriously. DON'T.

As for the fight, just like with Mòrag, his Arts aren't much different, but they hit much harder than they did before. Like before, Pandoria's Specials can deal a TON of damage, so make sure Nia has enough healing to go around. During the fight, Rex is likely the only one that'll be hurting during the fight, thanks to all of Zeke's AOE Arts and Specials and his general lack of HP. If you're in a pinch, pull HP potions with Anchor Shot.

Other than that, he's initially pretty vulnerable to Driver Combos, but as the fight goes on he'll start resisting your Break attempts. Take him down by finishing two Blade Combos and using a Chain Attack to deal the final blow.

Once you defeat him, he'll meme himself again with ULFS Max. Once the scene ends, keep moving past where your journey was interrupted. It's a straight shot to the factory, so follow the path to the objective for some dialogue.

The door is locked, but there might be a way in through the window. Open the treasure trove next to the door for a ladder key. You'll need this to operate the control panel on the wall to the left of the door. This will drop a ladder down that we can then use to infiltrate the factory. That was easy! Now, hop through the window and into...

The Old Factory
Enemies*:

*The enemies in the Old Factory will clear out at the end of Chapter 4. During the Final Chapter, these enemies will appear here instead:

Landmarks:

Factory Catwalk
Industrial Zone, Upper Duct
Production Admin Office
Ether Refinery Corridor
Main Ventilation Duct
Central Corridor
Bulge Harbor
Suspended Pathway

Locations:

Old Factory Warehouse
Disused Processing Plant
Ether Separation Tanks
Ether Control Tower
Nopon Worker's Quarters
Quality Control Tower
Central Control Room
Central Bulkhead
Work Observation Tower
Artificial Blade Adjustment
Waste Incineration Line
Heat Storage
Niranira's Panic Room

On the other end of the catwalk is a ventilation shaft. You can force your way past the vent with Superstrength Lv.2 and Focus Lv.1, which you should have by this point with Wulfric's help. Hop into the shaft and walk forward to the end for a scene.

Yeah, this place is huge. And unlike other dungeons, you don't need to explore the whole place to beat this area. Like I do with big areas, I'll direct you along a straight shot to the end for now. Walk forward along this catwalk until you reach a crossroads. The door ahead is locked, and the right path is a dead end, so head left from here along the catwalk. You'll come across another ventilation shaft, which you can force open with the same Skills you needed before. Go into the newly opened shaft and follow it all the way forward for a scene.

Dawww, how cute. Unfortunately, the moment won't last. You'll first need to defeat 4 Jailer Tirkin (Lv.29), but they aren't much of a threat. A few Specials here and there will dispatch them pretty quickly. After another scene, however, is...

Boss Time: Lila (Lv.31)

Just like last time, Lila's Arts can hit a single target for a fairly substantial amount of damage, so as soon as you can make sure Rex drops her aggro. She also will occasionally counterattack a back attack for roughly half of Rex's current health in damage, so don't be too trigger happy with Sword Bash.

That being said, she's not really all that much stronger than last time. Stack 3 or 4 Orbs on her with Blade Combos and finish her with a Chain Attack.

After you defeat Lila, your adversaries will flee. Tora will leave the party for a while, so you'll have to handle this part Tank-less, which can be problematic.

One more thing: if you aren't already level 35 across the party, get there before you finish this dungeon.

Now then, to chase after Bana. Head through the doorway on the southern end of this room. The door to your left is locked, so go right and up the slope to reach the Ether Refinery Corridor. Head right from here and go straight through this hallway (the door on the right leads back to the room you fought Lila in). Kill the three Tirkin standing in this room to get a key to the panel they were crowding around. This will raise a bridge for you to walk on. Exit this room from the door in the north west corner and head up the stairs and across the bridge you just built. Hang a left on the other side and go down the stairs and follow this catwalk all the way down to the ground floor of the factory. From here, head straight east. As you approach the door to your objective, it will shut itself closed. Crap. The game will point out a tower for you to climb in order to open the door, though, so that's nice.

Your first instinct is probably to climb the tower starting from the bottom. This won't work, however, as the Tirkin locked the door to the room from the inside. Fortunately, they neglected to lock the door that leads to a nearby tower. From the big doors, look east. You'll notice that part of the floor here is busted. Walk on it to drop down below. You'll land on a conveyor belt that leads to bad places, so hop off it to the solid ground nearby. Further east is a panel labeled as the incinerator controls, and unless you like being roasted like a King Crustip, you should turn the flames off. Walk up the conveyor belt past the now disabled incinerator and enter the first hallway you see on your left. Go all the way up the ramp, then all the way up the stairs and you'll reach a door you can open. You'll end up on a catwalk with only one way to go, so follow the path all the way and you'll end up in the room you needed to get to to open the big door. Nice! Slay the Tirkin in here to activate the console and open the big door. Once you've done that, go back down to the ground floor through the tower you're in and head through the big door to the hangar for a scene and...

Boss Time: Rosa (Lv.32)

Uhh.... what? This has to be a reference to something, and I just don't get it. Anyway, this fight has two phases, and there isn't much you can really do as just the two of you. Prioritize survival in this first phase, as without a tank, neither of you can hold your own for long.

At the start of the fight, Bana will waste time gloating, after which the pain starts. Rosa's auto attacks are so slow and infrequent they may as well be Arts, especially given how much damage they can do. Rosa can also topple her target, stunning them for a short while. Just keep healing and pulling HP potions and eventually you'll deal enough damage to reach the second phase.

After a scene, Tora will join the party again, this time with a brand new Blade: Poppi QT! She starts off as a Fire Elemental TNK Blade with some pretty strong Arts, and she counts as a separate Blade from Poppi α. This, combined with the bonuses tanks get for equipping 2 TNK Blades, will go a long way towards making Tora a better tank... if you use Poppiswap, which I won't be.

That aside, it's time for the second phase! With Tora back, he'll be able to draw the aggro so that Rex and Nia can kick some ass. Not to mention, now that you have a Fire Blade back in the party, you'll have access to a few more combos that you lost when Pyra left.

Now then. Rosa can still Topple you, but in this phase, she will often also Launch you afterwards, stunning you for even longer. She can also Blowdown the entire party, so if you get sick of that, perform a Blade Combo that ends with Wind to seal it. She also has a missile attack that can deal a substantial amount of damage to a single party member. When she gets down to half health, she'll enrage and start dealing more damage, so make sure Tora stays up and running.

As for the strategy, start with a Blade Combo that seals Blowdown (Water -> Earth -> Wind is super easy to pull off with this party). Topple her when you can so that she can't hit you, then stack three more Orbs on Rosa and finish her off with a Chain Attack.

Bana will run off again once Rosa bites it. You'll need to head straight ahead towards the outside area to progress with and finish Chapter 4.

Do not move forward unless you are level 35 or higher. I mean it. You've been warned.

Boss Time: Mikhail (Lv.34), Patroka (Lv.33)

The next and final two members of Torna are here, and they REALLY mean business. Seriously, there's a non-zero chance they'll just kill Rex outright as soon as the fight begins with a single Driver Combo, and there's absolutely nothing you can do about it.

Like Akhos and Malos before, these two are paired off as a tank and damager. Mikhail will frequently force your attention to him, much like Malos did, and just like earlier, Patroka is the real threat here. She can do a LOT of damage with her cannon, and I do mean a LOT, and unless you have an Ether Cannon Blade, you'll likely spend a lot of the fight getting sniped by her from way out of your range. The two of them can also pull off a full Driver Combo on you, and it's almost guaranteed to one-shot a party member.

For the first phase, focus as much as you can on Patroka first. Unless Tora is the party leader, DO NOT APPROACH HER IMMEDIATELY WITH THE LEADER. THIS MIGHT GET YOU KILLED INSTANTLY. Instead, let Tora make the initial approach and have Rex and Nia immediately start pulling HP Potions and healing to get him back on his feet.

Aside from Taunting you, Mikhail can use Arts and Specials to make himself temporarily block all hits, inflict Knockback, and inflict Blowdown and Break. Patroka will fire rounds at you with her cannon, and her specials hit really hard. She can also Launch you in a single Art, dealing well over half of Rex's HP in damage, AND she can create an area on the ground at her feet that lasts for several seconds that inflicts damage over time on every party member within its radius. Yeah, she's a HUGE pain in the ass to deal with, and she can obliterate you faster than you can say "fair and balanced".

Hit Patroka with as many Combos as you can pull off without dying to wear her HP down far enough to trigger the end of the first phase.

After a brief scene, Mòrag will join the party! She is hands down my favorite character and party member in Xenoblade Chronicles 2, but as tempting as it is to use her, stick with Rex, Nia, and Tora in the party for now.

On to the second phase. Like before, you'll want to focus Patroka and avoid having Rex initiate the fight unless you like losing. At half health, Patroka will enrage and become even more obscenely strong than she already is. At this point, you'll REALLY want to either burst her down as fast as you possibly can or play it extremely safe with Rex and play the long game, just surviving as much as you can. No matter which path you choose, at least one member of the party will die, possibly more, and probably multiple times. Once Patroka goes down, the fight becomes much easier. Mikhail can still hit really hard, but he can't one-shot you like Patroka can. The annoying part comes from how often Mikhail will just deny your damage by blocking, but aside from that, a few Blade Combos should finish him off.

After this battle, the Chapter will end.

Chapter 5: Masters and Slaves
Why should they be the masters, and we the slaves? It is we... who embody the nature of this world.

Onward to Indol
After a few flashbacks, you'll end up on a ship bound to our next destination. Fan la Norne, the Blade who rescued you from Torna at the end of Chapter 4, is escorting you to Indol herself, and even brought a ride to get there. How nice! After the scenes, speak to the party if you want to, then speak to Fan for another scene.

Oh, by the way, from now on, you can freely switch between Mythra and Pyra! Outside of battle, just go into the character menu, hover over them and press Y to swap them. In battle, you can switch by pressing the button corresponding to whichever counterpart is on the field. It won't refresh your arts, but it will cancel like an ordinary Blade Swap will, which is super useful, and they keep the same affinity link strength. Even better, from here on out you get access to BOTH their Field Skills outside of battle, which is also super useful, as you effectively have double the Focus on a single blade. Unfortunately, they do not share Core Chips or Aux Cores, so keep that in mind. Who you use is a matter of preference, but personally, I prefer Mythra.

After the scene I mentioned, you'll end up at Rex's home country, the Leftherian Archipelago, one of the prettiest locations in the game.

Leftherian Archipelago
Enemies:

Acenia Flier (Lv.34-36)
Biban Flamii (Lv.33) [Aurora]
Buma Hiln (Lv.31-33)
Colnicas Ropl (Lv.43)
Dagus Lysaat (Lv.42)
Dobri Urchon (Lv.32-35) [Salvaging]
Drac Lexos (Lv.43-45)
Falc Lexos (Lv.43-45)
Flink Aligo (Lv.34) [Salvaging]
Flow Bunnit (Lv.31)
Fuvor Aligo (Lv.43-45)
Jaim Krabble (Lv.??) [Salvaging]
Jang Quadwing (Lv.??)
Levma Bunnit (Lv.32)
Nomul Lysaat (Lv.33-35) [Salvaging]
Nyol Flamii (Lv.32)
Rabres Aspid (Lv.??) [Salvaging]
Ruchik Kapiba (Lv.31-33)
Selmo Grady (Lv.31-33) [Aurora]
Skad Taos (Lv.44-46)
Uluran Grady (Lv.32)
Climactic Honnold (Lv.45)
Confiscator Jimmy (Lv.38)
Epicurean Ligia (Lv.48)
Jadeite Polly (Lv.38)
Peerless Beaufort (Lv.49)
Perplexed Stoyan (Lv.47)
Rapturous Scandia (Lv.48)
Skyfist Remington (Lv.39)

Rigitte Waters:

Landmarks:

Rigitte Harbor
Baldotas Isle
Daram Isle
Isle of Sleeping Remains

Locations:

Merclibay Islet
Daridan's Stack
Little Garden of Tradition

Cloudway:

Landmarks:

Orl Cloudway: Rigitte
Orl Cloudway: Fonsett
Lud Cloudway: Rigitte
Lud Cloudway: Fonsett

Fonsett Waters:

Landmarks:

Godsford Isle
Ysheva Harbor

Locations:

Ansel Hatchery
Isle of Terminomni
Merto Island
Isle of Urchon
Island Base Lindwurm
Red Room

This is a place I would love to vacation in, boy I tell ya. There are two ways to Fonsett Island from here, one of which has enemies that are more around your level than the other. Still, by now, you might actually be at a high enough level to take on the enemies on the other path, but I'm going to assume that you'll take the quick and easy path, as Vader did.

By the by, I mentioned in the Boss Fight section at the end of Chapter 4 that Mòrag has joined the party. Like Tora, she's primarily a tank. Unlike Tora, she isn't damned annoying AND, more importantly, she requires no grinding at all to get a full set of powerful Rare Blades. No Tiger! Tiger!, no Rare Farming, nothing. Not including Brighid, the game literally gives you no less than THREE Rare TNKs from story and sidequest progress, which is super awesome. Not to mention that two of those three fit really well with her fighting style. Mòrag, you see, is an Agility tank rather than a standard tank like Tora. What this boils down to is that she'll end up with near 50% Block Rates on all her Blades, basically letting her dodge half the blows that come her way and block the ones that manage to hit her. She's also really good at generating and maintaining aggro while staying alive for long enough to actually be useful in the fight. TL;DR, she's amazing and will be in the party from here on out whenever the game gives you an opportunity to do so, if you're following this guide.

Right now, however, she only has Brighid. After upgrading her Arts and her Affinity Chart (focus on those that let her cancel Arts into Arts and those that boost her Agility), we're gonna take some time to get our hands on another Tank Blade for her.

[ASIDE] Another Tank for Mòrag

With Mòrag in the party, you'll probably want another TNK engaged on her to help boost her stats and tankiness. Luckily (hehe) there's one available to get right now!

Skip to Alba Cavanich and head over to the local Informant. He's sitting in an alley near Jakolo's Inn. Buy the Greedy Monster information off of him for 8000 G, and buy a few Normal Cylinders while you're here.

Skip to Anangham #2 Dock. You'll want to get past the gate that's here that I mentioned in Chapter 4, and you'll need the key from the Fief of Forgetfulness to do it. If you don't have it, take a peek at Vess's Blade Quest Tranquility in the previous section.

This is where things get tricky, as a very powerful monster usually roams around in this area. Avoid and/or run from the guy and head for the salvaging point to the west on the other side of the gate.

Salvage here for a while and you'll run into Gluttonous Marrin (Lv.39), who oddly enough doesn't count as a UM if I recall correctly. He can be kinda tough right now, but with a good set up and good Blade Combos, you should be fine so long as no one falls off the edge (or ends up there because of Blowdown) and/or the level 80+ enemies don't see you and murder you for existing.

Defeat Marrin and you'll get a Lucky Core Crystal, which should be immediately available for resonance. It contains a Dark Elemental TNK Blade with a Shield Hammer named Kassandra. I'm not to huge on Shield Hammers for Mòrag, as they generally work best with more traditional tank builds, but for now, she's really nice to have around. Give her to Mòrag and engage her right away. Don't forget to give Kassandra a Core Chip from Alba Cavanich before moving on.

While you're here, buy some Agility boosting gear for Mòrag, it'll really help for this stage in the game.

If you happen to have the Expansion Pass, there's actually ANOTHER TNK we can get right now. Since the Rare Blade Section contains unmarked spoilers, I'll go into detail about it right here, but I won't expect you to have this Rare Blade during the course of the adventure (nor will I make any note of them from here on out).

[BLADE QUEST - DLC] Shiny New Power

Starting the Quest:
With the Expansion Pass purchased, receive the first Rare Blade pack distributed in Version 1.4.0. Then, in Chapter 5 or beyond with Mòrag, Tora, and Poppi in the party, travel to Tora's House in Torigoth to begin the quest.

Gathering Information:
For this part, you'll need to use Specials from specific Blades at least once. Very specifically, you need to use the following Specials:

Beam Barrage (Lv.3), from a Female Common Ether Cannon
Assault Rush (Lv.2), from a Male Common Knuckle Claw
Dual Fang (Lv.2), from a Common Twin Rings
Axe Throw (Lv.3), from a Male Common Greataxe
Aerial Shield (Lv.1), from a Female Common Shield Hammer
Flash Bomb (Lv.1), from a Female Common Bitball
Beam Halberd (Lv.2), from a Giant Common Megalance
Multi-Raid (Lv.3), from a Male Common Chroma Katana
After using one of each special from these specific Blades, travel to Mor Ardain -> Old Factory -> Bulge Harbor and investigate the crates to the right.

Proof of Identity:
Travel to Uraya -> Fonsa Myma -> Fonsa Myma Gate and go to Gwenith Paddies to the northeast. Dig under the tree to the northeast (by the quest marker) with Earth Mastery and Keen Eye Lv.1 (Wulfric + Brighid). You'll dig up Soosoo's... item.... to prove his identity. Return to Bulge Harbor.

For this, you'll receive Poppibuster after a scene. Poppibuster is one of three Blades in the game that is naturally Light Elemental and the only one of those three that acts as a TNK in combat. The nice thing about them is that they DON'T require Poppiswap to upgrade at all, instead taking Aux Cores like standard Blades, AND they can be used by any Driver in the game EXCEPT Tora. Even better, you can switch their Driver at will without expending an Overdrive Protocol by simply engaging them as normal. They wield a Shield Hammer and boost the Driver's Agility, which makes them a pretty good fit for Mòrag up until she gains access to Chroma Katanas. One thing to note, however, is that their Lv.4 Special will temporarily disable Poppibuster and prevent Affinity channeling, Blade Arts, and Specials for roughly 10 seconds, but it deals a lot of damage and increases the damage dealt each time its used.

Test Drive:
With Poppibuster engaged, travel to Upper Level -> Midorl Bridge and head to the plateau to the northwest. Slay the Maxos Arachno up there, then return to Bulge Harbor to complete the quest.

Now that we have some TNKs for Mòrag, we're good to move on with the plot....

Is what I would say if it weren't for the fact that Chapter 5 opens up another quest with a Rare Blade as a reward!

[BLADE QUEST] Crystal Clear

Starting the Quest:
To start the quest, head to any informant on Alrest in Chapter 5 and beyond and purchase the Core Crystal Hunters information. You'll also need a minimum of 10 Core Crystals in your inventory. Once you collect those items, Skip back to Torigoth and go to the alleyway where you fought Brighid back in Chapter 2, beyond where the Aux Core Store is located.

As soon as you reach that alleyway, you'll be accosted and the quest will begin, as will...

Boss Time: Piratical Praxis (Lv.33), Plunderous Theory (Lv.33)
Bet you thought one of these wouldn't end up in a section like this, huh? Praxis, being the ATK blade, deals more damage than Theory, the TNK, so go after her first. Neither of them are particularly tough, so you shouldn't be too worried, and even if you take an absolute beating, the fight ends before either of them gets down to less than half health.

Hunting for the Core Hunters:

After that fight, make your way to the Torigoth Relay Base (you might have to Travel to the Connecting Bridge Landmark if you don't already have the Relay Base Landmark) and speak to the soldier with a quest marker above his head, standing near a warehouse. You'll need to complete a Merc Mission in Mor Ardain titled False Rumor. It takes 20 minutes to complete and requires 2 male, 2 female, and 2 animal blades, which you should have across all your Commons. You can also shorten that time with the Field Skills Girls' Talk and Expeditionist, but both of those are hard to come by.

Once the Merc Mission ends, return to Torigoth Relay Base and speak to the solider from earlier. Now, you'll need to send Blades on another Merc Mission, Ambush. This one has ??:??:?? listed as its time to complete, meaning that no matter what, the mission won't end until you meet some requirement in the game, which in this case is completing Crystal Clear. You'll need one Fire and one Electric Blade, as well as one Blade with at least 20 Strength, which is tricky to come by and may involve sending a Rare like Suzaku or Wulfric along. Send off your team and you'll be directed to go to Mor Ardain.

To actually get where you need to go, Skip to Kedeigh Gate and head north across the bridge. Go down the first staircase on the right (just opposite of the ones you took to get to the Fief of Forgetfulness. There's a huge pipe here that you'll need to jump on. Follow that pipe all the way to the cliff and take a look down below you. You'll see a ledge and possibly some boxes on that ledge, and a pipe-cave near there. You'll also probably notice some metal bars nearby. If you think you can land down on the ledge without dying, jump now. Otherwise, jump onto the bar, then the ledge.

Once you land, you'll come across your target.

Boss Time: Thieving Waldemar (Lv.35), Criminal Praxis (Lv.35)

There's three enemies here, but Waldemar happens to be Theory's Driver, so you'll only have two foes to deal with. Unlike before, even though Praxis is an ATKer, Waldemar is a much more serious threat here, as his specials deal an absurd amount of damage in a fairly wide AOE, and can even inflict Blowdown. Waldemar himself can inflict Topple on a single party member too, after which he'll lay on even more damage on the stunned party member. Praxis, on the other hand, can't deal nearly that much damage on her own. Just keep up with the healing and you'll probably be fine.

Completion:
Once you've dealt with Waldemar, you'll need to return to Torigoth to complete the quest (don't forget to do this!!). You'll receive your reward for the quest, the most important one being Praxis's Core Crystal. Praxis, as I have mentioned, is a Water Elemental ATK Blade with a Megalance. As for who to give her to.... that's a tough question. The community will probably hunt me down for this, but personally my vote goes to Rex.

Even though she shares a weapon type with Wulfric, it'll be quite a while (a full chapter and a half) before we can unlock any more of his affinity chart, whereas Praxis only requires Trust to unlock hers, which you can easily grind for in the very near future (this chapter), not to mention the fact that eventually you'll need to unlock her Lv.4 Key Affinity anyway to get another quest Rare Blade. Plus, I personally prefer having multiple Water Blades around; I like Water's combos more than I like Earth's.

On the flip side, we are going to get another party member fairly soon, and IF you want to use them long-term, you might want to use her on them instead, especially if Nia isn't a character you want to use in the endgame (there is a viable strategy that involves using Rex, Mòrag, and the last party member rather than her). I can't say more without spoiling things or just ceasing to make sense, so pick Praxis's Driver and awaken her when she becomes available.

With Kassandra and Praxis's Core Crystal in hand, let's actually explore Leftheria for once. I said before that you have a choice of two paths, but honestly the paths are pretty much straight shots all the way to Fonsett. I'll be detailing the easier of the two. First head across this island to the bridge to the west. The enemies around here are pretty docile, so fight them if you wish.

The next island, Baldotas Isle, is where the path splits. The easier of the two paths is to the northwest, and the harder is to the northeast. I will assume that you went northwest. Cross the island right through the middle and head over to the next island, Daram Isle. There isn't much to this place beyond the Salvaging Point, so once you've looked around, head up the bridge in the northeast. Be careful, though, as there's a fairly powerful UM lurking around that bridge.

You'll wind up at Orl Cloudway: Rigitte. Walk forward for a bit for a scene. After the scene, continue walking until you see an atrium with a serpent-like Titan flying around. On the other end of the room is a "doorway" blocking the path forward. To open it, take a side path to the east of this room all the way to the end and interact with the Titan's reflex center you see here. Go back and pass through the now open doorway. From there, it's a straight path to Orl Cloudway: Fonsett.

Follow the bridge to the next island. There are loads of shells and even more enemies around, but some of these shells potentially have some nice treasure. Explore to your heart's content and make note of the Heart-to-Heart here. I HIGHLY recommend viewing this one in particular, as it will open up a quest that gives you Tora's third (and final) Blade later in the game.

Anyway, head across the long bridge here and you'll end up on Fonsett Island! Follow the road up ahead to reach the village proper.

Fonsett Village

Tottet Trading	Exchange
Courtcoster Salvaging	Cylinders
Talmye Antiques	Art
Future Crafts	Textiles
Speck Butchers	Meat
Corcaja Greengrocers	Vegetables
Coral Leaf Fresh Fish	Seafood
Landmarks:

Fonsett Arch
Corinne's House
Village Guardian
Azure Schoolhouse [quest School is in Session completed]

Locations:

Messet Point
Fonsett Residential Area
Verde Carpentry Workshop
Rex's Secret Base
Old Man Caskel's Tree
Oratory Knoll Cemetery

Welcome to Rex's hometown! Much like other JRPGs, it's a beloved peasant village smack dab in the middle of nowhere. You'll have a cute little scene where the village comes to greet Rex, then the party will separate for a bit and Pyra will swap in. Before we get down to business, take Pyra and follow the road east, then north, then west past the food shops and north up the staircase nearby for a scene. Once it ends, Skip to Fonsett Arch and walk forward and into the first house you see (or Skip to Corinne's House, if you already have that Landmark). Speak to Corinne for another scene.

Now then, before you leave, it's time for some SHOPPING! YAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAY!

Is what I would say, if there was anything worthwhile to buy here. Yeah, Fonsett, being as peaceful as it is, has no Core Chip, Aux Core, or Accessory shops, and unless you actually use pouch items, there's nothing to buy here that's absolutely necessary.

However, Fonsett happens to be the best place in the game to grind Trust with your blades, as most of the Textiles sold at Future Crafts happen to boost Trust more than most items in the game, even if a Blade doesn't care for them in particular. Buy as many as you can of every item and use them in the pouch of whatever Driver has the Blade you want to build trust with engaged over and over, and eventually, you'll build a ton of trust with them. If you gave Praxis to Rex, you might want to consider grinding out her Lv.4 Key affinity.

By the way, you can also gain Trust by completing sidequests, sending the Blade on Merc Missions, and just using them in battle, so if you don't want to spend the time right now just mashing the A button, those are all options.

One really nice thing about Fonsett, though, is that you can use Corinne's House as an inn anytime for 1 G. Yeah. It's the absolute cheapest inn in the game and there is no reason at all to use any other location for short rests anymore.

Cash in your Bonus EXP (for some reason, Mòrag always seems to jump right to level 45-46 right here) and you can start heading towards Indol. Skip to Fonsett Arch and turn all the way around and walk east until you see a bridge. Follow that bridge to the next island. You will almost certainly run right into a UM Driver named Skyfist Remington (Lv.39). He can be really annoying to deal with both because it's really easy to Blowdown him off the cliff, which will cost you all of your rewards, and because he can completely block all of your healing for a short while. And no, you cannot stop him from doing so. The nice thing about Remington is that he has a pretty decent chance of dropping an Overclocking Bangle, an accessory that shortens the Blade Cooldown time relative to the number of Arts that Blade used before switching. If you find one, give that to Rex, as it will make switching from Mythra for Toppling to Suzaku for Smashing and back again really fast. I'll direct you to a better farming location later, where Legendary versions can be gotten, but for now prioritize giving one to Rex, then Nia, then Mòrag, depending on how many he drops.

Once you defeat and/or This Is Sparta Remington off the cliff, follow the path on Ysheva Harbor to the objective for a scene and...

Boss Time: Zeke (Lv.35)

Before the fight begins, you'll get a chance to reform your party. Please note that to add someone to the active party, simply hover over their portrait and press X. Re-add Tora to the party, then enter the battle.

He just doesn't give up, does he? He's stronger now than he was before, and you will not have Mòrag along for this fight, so you'll just have to settle for Tora. He retains all his Arts and Specials from earlier, but he will now use Ultimate Lightning Fury Slash Max (ULFS Max for short) every so often to inflict Topple on one party member. Other than that, the only thing that he can do that's even remotely dangerous is his Lv.4 Special, which will one-shot anyone that isn't Tora, but it only targets one ally.

Hit him with your Blade Combos and he'll go down pretty quickly.

After another scene, you'll be off to Indol.

Indoline Praetorium
Goetuis

Prevarr Trading	Exchange
Regulus Blacksmiths	Core Chips
Demois Aux Cores	Aux Cores
Aquarius Salvaging	Cylinders
Icarus Butchers	Meat
Calceno Deli	Staple Foods
Silktu Textiles	Textiles
Colpon Books	Literature
Jugos Antiques	Art
Cafe Lutino	Drinks
Goetuis Port:

Landmarks:

Goetuis Wharf #1
Goetuis Wharf #2
Yannath Main Gate
Fount of Holy Light
Milama Viewpoint

Locations:

Goetuis Port
Quattor Street
Refugee Campground
Poldis Circle

Indoline Sanctum:

Landmarks:

Seoris Plaza West Gate
Gerat Creation Cloister

Locations:

Seoris Plaza
Indoline Sanctum
Audience Chamber
Praetor's Study

Shopping List (33,600 G):

Rhombus Chips for Brighid and Kassandra
Tri Chips for Dromarch, Vess (or a substitute), Nia's 3rd HLR, Mythra, Wulfric (or Praxis, if on Rex), Suzaku
Welcome to Indol! There's some pretty nice Core Chips to buy here, so let's do some shopping. I've listed the total cost of the supplies this time around, so if you need to salvage for money, do so and handle your shopping afterward. Whenever you're ready, skip to Yannath Main Gate and head up the stairs for a scene. Continue up the stairs ahead for another scene. Afterwards, you'll end up at Seoris Plaza West Gate. Head towards that huge building to the east, go through the hallway and head left at the other end. Speak to the marked Indoline... Indolinian?... the person you see here to progress with the plot.

After a long scene, head back down into the courtyard and go through the eastern most exit for even more scenes. Speak to the person in front of your quarters AGAIN for yet another cutscene.

Oh boi. We've got trouble. After the scene, head back to the Audience Chamber where you spoke to Amalthus the first time. Mòrag will leave temporarily, so follow her back down the stairs and immediately go right to the room you can see there. After the scene, it's time to go to Temperantia. Skip to either Goetuis Wharf #1 or Yannath Main Gate and run right to the objective marker to the north or south (respectively).

After a brief cutscene, Zeke joins the party! We've finally got our hands on the full party of 5! Zeke starts off at Lv.45, which is right around where you should be right now, and he comes with Pandoria, a Lightning Elemental ATK Blade with a unique weapon: the Big Bang Edge. With this, he can inflict Launch, Blowdown, and Knockback on an enemy. As for what Blades to give him... that's largely up to you. He does well with ATK Blades and not so well with HLRs, which means he fills a niche already occupied by Rex at the moment. He'll be more useful late game than now if you ever plan on using him, and even if you don't plan on using him, if you're grinding for Rare Blades, he's the one to pull for. Even if you want another Rare HLR for Nia, pull on Zeke and Overdrive the HLR over if need be. Also, if you aren't using Praxis on Rex, give her to Zeke. You'll probably want to grab another ATKer for Zeke for the stats, and I believe that right about now one is available in Torigoth.

[ASIDE] A Blade of Expensive Tastes

This aside isn't going to be very lengthy. If you Skip back to Torigoth and visit Margia's Odds and Ends (the Junk Shop), you'll notice that she's selling an Inherited Core Crystal for a whopping 500,000 G. You'll need to salvage for a while with Gold Cylinders to make that much cash. The Blade, which you can resonate with immediately, is Sheba, a Water Elemental ATK Blade with an Ether Cannon. Ether Cannons, as you might expect, are ranged weapons with primarily Ether based Arts. They aren't very good for Rex, as he has one of if not the lowest Ether stat in the game, but they are good for Nia (but only if you want to run an attacking set on her, which I don't recommend at all) and Zeke, who have the highest and second highest Ether stats in the game. With Praxis and Sheba, not to mention Dromarch and no less than 2 Water Rares we'll be getting later, you'll be quite oversaturated with Water, which is actually rather sub-optimal when it comes to Blade Combos, even if almost all the Water Combos are really useful. Not to mention, unlocking Sheba's Key Affinity to the max will require no less than ONE MILLION GOLD. Yeah. Personally, I'm not that big a fan of Sheba at all, so using her is up to you. Just don't give her to Rex.

Anyway, at this point, the party should look something like this if you've been following the guide up until now:

Rex (in party): Mythra, Wulfric or Praxis, Suzaku
Nia (in party): Dromarch, Vess (or another Rare Bitball), another HLR
Mòrag (in party): Brighid, Kassandra
Tora: Poppi α and QT
Zeke: Pandoria, Praxis (if not on Rex), Sheba
Once you've set your party up, speak to the marked Ardainian on Goetuis Wharf #1 to head out to...

Temperantia
Enemies:

Agam Grebel (Lv.45-47)
Alonzo Standard (Lv.49)
Amman Balgas (Lv.34-37)
Amost Igna (Lv.49-52)
Bagis Igna (Lv.49-52)
Bauz Eks (Lv.35-37)
Beat Igna (Lv.49-52)
Bebelk Squood (Lv.49-51)
Birial Rhinon (Lv.44-46) 
Bledku Lexos (Lv.50)
Brazay Rhana (Lv.42-43)
Brogen Feris (Lv.37-40)
Buden Bufa (Lv.40-43)
Chefko Garlus (Lv.51)
Dalian Lexos (Lv.50-51)
Deidon Griffox (Lv.39-41)
Deimos Sauros (Lv.90-92)
Demon Antol (Lv.40)
Fissa Aligo (Lv.33)
Froga Gyanna (Lv.34)
Gabnun Aspar (Lv.49)
Galahem Symbol (Lv.51)
Garon Riik (Lv.44-46)
Gazust Mammut (Lv.44-50)
Ghudan Laia (Lv.36-37)
Giron Volff (Lv.33-35)
Glox Krabble (Lv.44-46)
Hardl Krabble (Lv.36) [Salvaging]
Huust Quadwing (Lv.46-49)
Jadas Upa (Lv.39)
Lafda Blant (Lv.42)
Mabas Urchon (Lv.43) [Salvaging]
Majacan Krabble (Lv.45)
Marauder Laia (Lv.57)
Mergen Igna (Lv.49-52)
Misdan Pippito (Lv.51)
Mishgal Skeeter (Lv.46-48)
Mogen Hox (Lv.34-36)
Moskel Rhogul (Lv.24)
Neleid Jagron (Lv.87-91)
Night Huust Quadwing (Lv.48-50)
Noign Pod (Lv.41-42)
Norgam Igna (Lv.49-52)
Odolera Ropl (Lv.48-49)
Pain Urchon (Lv.46-50)
Ransro Aspid (Lv.46)
Rebus Garlus (Lv.47-50)
Roiba Igna (Lv.??)
Rowda Igna (Lv.49-54)
Scura Antol (Lv.44)
Skode Ekidno (Lv.50)
Sparda Igna (Lv.49-52)
Talent Runner (Lv.49-52)
Tannia Nest (Lv.45-48)
Tawa Igna (Lv.49-52)
Vallum Ageshu (Lv.41)
Zaguin Hox (Lv.34-36)
Zangiv Garlus (Lv.49-51)
Zoke Garlus (Lv.47-50)
Atrocious Hermes (Lv.58)
Grievous Clive (Lv.94)
Leonine Sadie (Lv.95)
Pernicious Benf (Lv.109) [Final Chapter]
Ravenwing Skull (Lv.62)
Runaway Train Bool (Lv.55)
Tyrannotitan Kurodil (Lv.130) [Requires Fire Mastery Lv.12, Focus Lv.8, Dark Mastery Lv.5, Ancient Wisdom Lv.5]

Peninsula:

Landmarks:

Battlescar Cove

Locations:

Bardina Plateau

Central Plain:

Landmarks:

Overlook Hill
Haggle's Swordtip
Ancient Wall
Toxbloom Spring
Leaning Tower of Dorrick
The Great Archway
Ardainian Garrison
Dalnes Stone
Profaned Place

Locations:

Titan Weapon Remains
Aegishammer
Ruined Chapel of Danafas
Bastion of Varrac
Jagron's Citadel
Malignant Gorge
Desta Plains
Xataris Spring
Triedge Isle
Blackday Peninsula

Ruins of Judicium:

Landmarks:

Titan Weapon Dig Site
Lost Capital Judicium

Yikes. And you thought Mor Ardain was a wasteland. I've listed many enemies and Landmarks on this Titan just for information's sake, but in actuality you won't be finding most of those in this Chapter. Actually, you'll never be directed here during the main story again, so if you want to explore this (admittedly pretty sizable) Titan, it'll have to be on your own time.

You'll be dropped off at Battlescar Cove when you arrive. Head up the slope dead ahead and follow the linear path to a scene. This will put you at Overlook Hill. From here, you'll need to head north, but watch out for the big clouds of smoke, as they will kill you in seconds if you walk into them. Your destination is the tip of an outcropping just to the north of Overlook Hill. Avoid the smog as you make your way there for a scene and...

Boss Time: Aeshma's Core (Lv.38), Power Lines (Lv.36)

First things first, target the Power Lines. I'll just say straight up that Aeshma's Core is, for the moment, completely invulnerable. I mean, you can damage it, sure, but even with a party 10-20 levels stronger (and believe me, I've tried) you cannot hit it for more than it heals itself per second. Aeshma's Core is also where the vast majority of damage will be coming from for the first half of the fight. He can inflict Blowdown on one party member or ALL party members and inflict Shackle Blade on the entire party. He can also hit a single or multiple party members several times with a single attack. The Power Lines, on the other hand, cannot attack at all (which makes sense), and are immune to Driver Combos, positional bonus effects, Knockback, and Blowdown.

Once the Power Lines reach half health, however, things will get much harder as the game rudely and abruptly introduces you to Spike Damage. This is, as far as I know, one of the ONLY mechanics in the game that doesn't get its own tutorial, and I don't know why, because it's one of those mechanics that will annihilate your party if you're not careful. Spike Damage essentially inflicts a portion of the damage you deal back to you for Arts, Specials, and even auto attacks. You'll essentially start taking damage for just about any action you take, and if you aren't paying attention, this will kill you. You'll have to deal with this nonsense on top of everything Aeshma's Core is sending your way for the second half of the fight, and there's a pretty substantial chance that you'll end up dead during this portion, so try to be cautious and back off if you need healing.

To help mitigate the Spike Damage, pile on as many Blade Combos as you can before the Power Lines reach half health. 3 or 4 should be fine. Once you've done so, finish off the Power Lines with a Chain Attack. Once the Power Lines break, the battle will end.

After another cutscene, you'll end up with more...

Boss Time: Jin (Lv.40)

This time, he's fighting us mano-a-mano rather than stabbing Rex in the back. Jin is rather strong, but he also won't kill you with Spike Damage BS, which is nice.

To start with, Jin has a few Arts that can be a menace to deal with. One deals straight damage to a single target and can even hit fairly hard and inflict Knockback, another forces Launch on all party members within an AOE around him, another can cause your Blade's affinity link to drop, and another makes him evade all attacks for a second before hitting all your party members for quite a bit of damage and inflicting Blowdown.

He's not immune to Driver Combos, which is handy. He also doesn't have overly much HP either, so hit him with a couple Blade Combos and finish him with a Chain Attack.

After another cutscene, there's still more...

Boss Time: Aeshma's Core (Lv.38)

Looks like cutting the wires wasn't enough to finish this guy off, but fortunately this time it won't out-heal your damage. It has all the same attacks as it did before, and while it isn't immune to Driver Combos, it has a very high resistance to Break. It also has a lot of HP, more than Jin and the Power Cables, and it has a very small Spike Damage effect when it gets down below half health.

Stack about 4 or 5 Orbs on it and finish it with a Chain Attack. With 5 Orbs, you'll likely get a Full Burst going, which basically lets you hit the enemy with all your party members' Lv.4 Specials, with the damage modifier from the Chain Attack. That will almost certainly overkill Aeshma's Core.

Once you defeat Aeshma's Core, the Chapter will end.

Chapter 6: Wounds
Your own Blade has been wounded so deeply... and all you can think of is yourself.

Emergency Peace Conference
After a few cutscenes, you'll be back in Indol. Go back to the Audience Chamber and approach the throne. To the right (south) is a door with an Indoline guarding it. Speak to him for a scene.

After this, Mòrag will be removed from the party. Aw.... It doesn't matter who you sub in for now, as you won't be getting into too many tough fights before she comes back. Leave the courtyard to the west for another scene. Afterwards, return to the Audience Chamber to learn about your next destination. To prepare for your journey to Tantal, return to that Indoline by your chambers in the sanctum for another cutscene. You'll need to leave the Sanctum for Goetuis, but if you want to save time Skip to Yannath Main Gate and walk north up the stairs. After the scene, walk straight south back down the stairs for another scene.

Seems like Bana's up to his old tricks, and Mòrag has asked us to stop him. First some information gathering. There are loads of NPCs to speak to for this quest, so chat them up until the quest objective updates, then head to the Inn. You'll need to answer some questions now, so if you weren't paying attention, the right answers are:

The Ardanian Titan battleship
Poison
The main meal at the banquet
The Tirkin
Once you've answered those questions, Skip to Goetuis Wharf #2 and enter the Titan Battleship. Head north to the mess hall for a scene. You'll get into a fight with 4 Lv.39 Tirkin (that's it. Just Tirkin. That's their name.) that you can easily finish off. Afterwards, you'll get another scene. When it ends, put Tora in the party if he isn't already, cash in your Bonus EXP for some extra levels, and head back into the hangar for...

Boss Time: Giga Rosa (Lv.42)

I don't even know anymore. Like before with Rosa, Giga Rosa can inflict Blowdown, Topple, and Launch, except this time it tends to hit all allies with those attacks. She still hits slow but hard, and she still has an ability that can hit multiple allies at once. New to her arsenal is an ability that can spawn another enemy on the field, a Time-Limited Missile. It doesn't do a whole lot on its own, but it will explode when you destroy it and either deal a lot of damage or outright kill your party. Either leave it alone and move yourself far away from it or hit it with a Blade Combo that ends in Fire to seal Self Destruct. When Giga Rosa gets down to half health, it brings up a small Spike Damage effect on itself, so if you need to heal, back off for a bit and let Nia work her magic.

Hit Rosa with a few Blade Combos and end Bana's schemes with a Chain Attack.

After a brief scene, you'll get Mòrag back in the party and you'll receive Aegaeon's Core Crystal. Aegaeon is a Water Elemental TNK Blade with a Chroma Katana that's exclusive to Mòrag, and he's really damn good. Chroma Katanas on Mòrag tend to have slightly less Block rates than Brighid, but they also tend to boost a Driver's Agility, which is HUGE for Mòrag. Once he becomes available, engage him on Mòrag's 3rd Blade slot and buy him a Core Chip in Indol.

When you're ready to leave for Tantal, speak to the marked NPC at the end of Goetuis Wharf #1.

The Kingdom of Tantal
Upper Level

Enemies:

Abrachi Aries (Lv.35-38)
Arno Kapiba (Lv.39-40)
Ahaid Garlus (Lv.41-43)
Bland Upa (Lv.40-46) [Snow]
Brewl Volff (Lv.36-41)
Broog Lysaat (Lv.79-81) [Foggy]
Dormic Ellook (Lv.39-41) [Snow]
Dynal Gyanna (Lv.37-41)
Fiar Garlus (Lv.38-42)
Fresh Rodonya (Lv.41-42)
Fubbl Bunnit (Lv.39-41)
Graaz Pippito (Lv.40-42)
Grash Pagul (Lv.79-81) [Foggy]
Jenth Garlus (Lv.41-43)
Klim Anlood (Lv.38-39)
Koror Skwaror (Lv.38-40)
Magnl Caterpile (Lv.41-42)
Mant Aries (Lv.35-38)
Nant Buloofo (Lv.42)
Obri Aligo (Lv.79-84) [Foggy]
Radliev Pod (Lv.39-40)
Regel Arachno (Lv.42)
Rooka Ansel (Lv.40-41)
Samoo Volff (Lv.39-41)
Snowdol Bunnit (Lv.38-40)
Spinel Urchon (Lv.40-42)
Tolmeda Plambus (Lv.39-41)
Torrl Runner (Lv.38-39)
Totorio Moramora (Lv.40-42)
Vint Griffox (Lv.41-43)
Vogar Aspid (Lv.87) [Foggy]
Zardl Laia (Lv.85) [Foggy]
Zext Garlus (Lv.39-42)
Autumn-Shower Melvin (Lv.46) [After defeating Spring-Shower Elliot]
Blue-Eyed Korbin (Lv.42) [Snow]
Deep-Green Oscar (Lv.41) [Snow]
Heroic Edwin (Lv.44)
Incandescent Marcus (Lv.54)
Spring-Shower Elliot (Lv.42)

Landmarks:

Genbu Port
Little Banerro Ruins
Three-Vein Crossroads
Sacred Ice Caverns
Theosoir Rear Gate
Hope's Horizon
Gates of Ulcaria
Airborne Throne

Locations:

Litharia Snowfield
Fable Rock
Capital Approach
Amphoret Pillar
Twin Pillars
Sekis Pillar
Lumos Pillar
Pillar City Ruins
Sealed Quarry

As you may have noticed, Tantal is quite cold. In fact, it's the only Titan with snow in the game. When you land at Genbu Port head forward through the hallway to enter the Titan proper. Here on Litharia Snowfield there are enemies called Snowdol Bunnits. I want to make a special note of them, because they will rarely drop Overclocking Bangles, which I mentioned earlier. These accessories reduce the amount of time it takes for a Blade's switch cooldown to wear off relative to how many arts they have fully charged. For example, if all of Mythra's arts are fully charged, if you switch to Suzaku her cooldown meter will be filled about 3/4 of the way immediately. These are REALLY useful accessories to have, even in the post-game, so I recommend getting at least 2 and ideally 4 of these to give to Rex, Nia, Mòrag, and Zeke, in that order. Don't worry, this is one of a very small number of items that I will ask you to farm. It's likely that they won't be easy to get, but if you use a Chain Attack and overkill them by 200% or more, your chances of finding them will increase. Don't get too cut up about it if you don't get all 4 right off the bat, though, it's not THAT important, and you'll have the rest of the game to get more at your leisure.

Farm the bangles or don't, and when you finish, follow the path north. Even though the objective is far off, you'll be interrupted by a scene. Continue forward and notice the path splits here. The lower path has Fubbl Bunnits as well as Snowdol Bunnits, and both of them (according to the Wiki) drop Overclocking Bangles. I have yet to test the Fubbls, but the Snowdols for sure will. At the end of the lower path is a Treasure trove, but otherwise it's a dead end. Collect it if you like, then head back up to the upper path and follow it northeast.

If you've been cashing in Bonus EXP, even with a minimal amount of quests you should out-level the enemies here by quite a bit. In my practice file I was around Lv.47, and that was with doing only enough quests and battles to unlock Vess, Praxis, and Aegaeon. Anyway, fight or run past these enemies and continue northeast until you reach a fork in the road, or the Three-Vein Crossroads. To the north is a dead end with treasure, if that interests you, but otherwise, head east to reach...

Theosoir
Casheefs Blacksmiths	Core Chips
Lansmeyer Accessories	Accessories
Lelemi Aux Cores	Aux Cores
Platini Deli	Staple Foods
Lectica Vegetables	Vegetables
Placks Patisserie	Desserts
Dolphin Salvagers	Cylinders
DeAlego Trading	Exchange
Tatraty Fish	Seafood
Biblio Paulio	Literature
Boldarde Textiles	Textiles
Praximo Cosmetics	Cosmetics
Hobby Trappers	Board Games
Landmarks:

Theosoir Main Gate
Anastatia's

Locations:

Soprac Old Market
Residential Area
Elmos Square
Theospiti Temple Ruins
Library Philosofia

Shopping List (52,200 G):

Lodranite Chips for Mythra, Wulfric (or Praxis, if on Rex), Suzaku, Dromarch, Vess, the spare HLR, Pandoria, and Praxis (if on Zeke), if you're planning on using him at all. Likewise, if you plan on using Zeke, buy one more for later.
The Capital of Tantal is right here and ready to be explored! From the main gate, follow the street southeast for a scene. Before you start shopping, turn back around and head up the stairs and southwest to discover Anastatia's. It's the local inn, and you'll end up here for quite a few side and Blade quests, so you might as well discover it now. Once you've done that, it's shopping time. You'll notice that none of Mòrag's Blades are getting a new chip; unfortunately, all of Tantal's Chips are bad for TNK blades. Use the ones from Indol instead. You'll also notice that I haven't listed any accessories either. By this point, the best accessories are the ones you find rather than you buy, and aside from the ones I direct you to, I will assume that you're using your own discretion and are generally prioritizing things like HP for Nia and Agility for Mòrag.

The nice thing about those Lodranite Chips is that they boost a Blade's Crit Rate by a lot, which is generally good for ATKers and HLRs but REALLY good for Mythra specifically, due to the way her skill Lightspeed Fury works. That skill will refund part of an Art's cost if it scores a critical hit, and the 5th level of Lightspeed Fury refunds 100% of an Art's cost. This, combined with the ability to cancel Arts into Arts, is actually borderline busted. You legitimately can spam Double Spinning Edge over and over and build Specials SO FAST that Mythra can pull off an entire Blade Combo ALONE. Late and post game strategies love using and abusing Lightspeed Fury, and at some point I will direct you to max that out specifically. Just not yet.

Now, before you go and introduce yourself to the King, you might want to consider taking a moment to add another Rare Blade to your collection.

[ASIDE] The Sealed Core Crystal

If you head straight south from Tatraty Fish, you'll notice a staircase leading down. Go down them and hug the wall to your right and move forward along it and around to the other side, where you'll see a cracked wall. You'll need a whopping FIVE levels of Superstrength and Earth Mastery to bust it down, which is an awful lot, and even though Wulfric can build up to both, you can't unlock anything higher than his Lv.3 Key Affinity at the moment (his Quest for the 4th level takes you to areas of Tantal the game won't let you visit yet). It's not as bad as it sounds, though, because 2 levels of Superstrength on Poppi α and 2 levels of Earth Mastery on any of your Commons will be enough to help the Beast tear down that wall.

Once you've torn down that wall, inside you'll notice a shrine that requires some items. You have a lot of choices here, but you'll need to collect a lot of items to unlock what the shrine has in store. I recommend farming the Black Pomegranates above the other items. You can find them by Skipping to Uraya -> Stomach -> Yurna the Elderwood and searching the two Collection Points nearby, one directly to your left after Skipping there and one in a nearby pool to the north of the Landmark. You'll need 100 of these, though, so you'll be here for a little while. Once you offer up enough items, you'll receive the Sealed Core Crystal, which should be available to awaken immediately.

The Blade within this Core is Herald, a Lightning Elemental ATKer with an Ether Cannon. She's incredibly strong when you've unlocked her Affinity Chart's Key Affinities, which itself is very easy to do because the requirements are simply to use her Specials. As a matter of fact, I've even heard that with the right setup, Herald is capable of shredding the strongest superboss in the game to death in 19 SECONDS with her Lv.1 Special. Yeah. As for who to give her to, I would say Zeke. Even though doubling up on Lightning isn't the greatest strategy, Rex isn't the best cannoneer and Nia is better off healing unless you really know what you're doing. Besides, she stronk, and who can argue with that logic?

Acquire Herald or not, then head to Theoscaldia Palace on the eastern most end of Theosoir for a scene. Continue further east for another scene.

Theoscaldia Palace:

Enemies:

Tantalese Knight (Lv.37-40)
Tantalese Runner (Lv.37-40)

Landmarks:

Theoscaldia Palace
Hall of Reception
Hall of Virtue
Puresnow Passage

Locations:

Royal Audience Hall
Storage Room
Hall of Plenty
Silvergleam Terrace
Reliquary of Tantal
Hall of Honor
Hall of Mystery

After this, both Zeke and Pyra/Mythra will be evicted from the party, and if you gave Praxis to Zeke, Rex will be down a Blade for a while. Leave the Hall of Reception and head right. Follow the path around to reach a large room guarded by Tantalese Knights. They aren't very strong, but they have Arts that let them Block or Evade damage, which can be rather annoying. Inside the room, you'll get a scene and Zeke will rejoin the party. At this point, if Zeke has Praxis, you might want to put him in the party instead of Rex. The only reason to use Rex over Zeke is gone right now, so there's little point in using him, especially if he only has 2 ATKers left. Continue down the path to the south and follow it to another big room, the Hall of Virtue. There are a couple of side paths with enemies here, so explore them if you wish, then head to the eastern end of the room. There's a staircase here leading down that's guarded by Tantalese Knights. Finish them and head down the stairs to reach Puresnow Passage and a scene. There are a couple of side rooms full of treasure here and a whole lot of Tantalese Knights. Fight the Knights, gather the treasure, and head down the stairs on the western end of the room for another scene and a fight with about 6 or 7 Tantalese Knights (Lv.42). They aren't that strong, even together, so just pelt them with Arts and Specials until the fight ends.

After a cutscene, it's time to head off to the Omega Fetter, and like Zeke said, it'll be quite a trek to get there. Pyra/Mythra is back, so if you want put Rex back in the party. If you've been following along, your party should contain Rex/Zeke, Mòrag, and Nia, and your set up should look something like this:

Rex (~Lv.49): Mythra, Wulfric/Praxis, Suzaku
Nia (~Lv.49): Dromarch, Vess, a spare HLR
Mòrag (~Lv.51): Brighid, Kasandra, Aegaeon
Tora (~Lv.49): Poppi α and QT
Zeke (~Lv.53): Pandoria, Praxis/Sheba, Herald
Now then, handle any preparations you need to and make your way to Theospiti Temple Ruins, which is down the stairs due south of the local Seafood Shop. Walk/jump down to the bottom and exit Theosoir to the south.

To the Omega Fetter!
After leaving Theosoir, we've got one heck of a way to go just to reach Tantal's lower level, much less the Omega Fetter. Follow the path to the south to reach a fairly open area. To the north is a dead end, so head south and down a few ridges to reach a bridge heading east to the next pillar.

On this pillar, there's a big broken tower blocking the way forward, but fortunately, there's a small side path just to the right. Follow it around to the other side and you'll notice a broken bridge here. Turn around from the bridge and go up the slope on the other side of the broken tower, then turn around and look for a gigantic pillar of ice sticking right up out of the ground. Approach it and the ice around it will break. Examine the base of the ice pillar to knock it over (no Field Skills required!) and create a bridge to the next pillar.

From here, follow the path to a pillar covered in ruins. You'll find the Landmark Hope's Horizon here. Up ahead is a staircase leading upwards, and since the other path here is a dead end, you'll want to go up these stairs. Follow this path around to the other side of the pillar and cross the bridge here to the next one.

This can be a tricky pillar to navigate. Start by climbing up the staircase dead ahead. Head east and look to your right for a path leading down a staircase. Follow that path to a landing below and keep walking forward to reach a path that follows a slope going downward. Follow this path down each slope and staircase and eventually you will reach the Landmark Lumos Pedestal and....

Tantal - Lower Level

Enemies:

Aplom Pippito (Lv.43)
Aatoban Garlus (Lv.50-55)
Bland Upa (Lv.40-46) [Snow]
Brave Tirkin (Lv.39-45)
Broog Lysaat (Lv.79-81) [Foggy]
Cardorl Tirkin (Lv.85)
Chibal Peng (Lv.38-40) [Snow]
Diggel Grebel (Lv.83)
Drux Tirkin (Lv.82-84)
Fend Vang (Lv.83)
Fresh Rodonya (Lv.41-42)
Funcel Garlus (Lv.50-52)
Ghastly Piranhax (Lv.36-46)
Graaz Pippito (Lv.40-42)
Grad Gogol (Lv.41-43)
Grash Pagul (Lv.79-81) [Foggy]
Hool Arachno (Lv.42-43)
Heggl Antol (Lv.80-82)
Idle Rodonya (Lv.40-41)
Javelin Tirkin (Lv.39-45)
Magmund Standard (Lv.41)
Magnl Caterpile (Lv.41-42)
Messenger Runner (Lv.41)
Nebri Ropl (Lv.85)
Noigan Garlus (Lv.50-52)
Novl Ories (Lv.36-40) [Not Foggy]
Obri Aligo (Lv.79-84) [Foggy]
Rambl Marrin (Lv.88) [Foggy]
Redom Crustip (Lv.80-82) [Foggy]
Reeg Tirkin (Lv.82-84)
Ripbik Ellook (Lv.42-44) [Snow]
Robol Peng (Lv.40-42) [Cloudy or Snow]
Sammel Squood (Lv.88-90) [Foggy]
Tirkin Totem (Lv.42-44) [Not Foggy]
Trainer Tirkin (Lv.39-40)
Trock Tirkin (Lv.85)
Vogar Aspid (Lv.87) [Foggy]
Watcher Tirkin (Lv.42-45)
Ziggan Garlus (Lv.50-52)
Cloud Sea King Ken (Lv.110) [Final Chapter and Foggy]
Dedicated Conroy (Lv.51) [Not Foggy]
Enlightened Morris (Lv.42)
Impassable Edgar (Lv.60)
Muscley Damian (Lv.43)
Spellbinder Billy (Lv.46) [Snow]

Landmarks:

Great Pillar Passage
Central Ether Boulder
Tamie Pillars
Sacred Grove
Lumos Pedestal

Locations:

Pippito's Haunt
Yolmunder's Crevasse
Tirkinlandia
Genbu Drifts
Heimos's Crevasse
Zalmor's Crevice
Old Gelgemos Gate
Declessa Altar Hill
Argan Iceblooms
Sanguinous Grotto

Tantal - Head:

Landmarks:

Genbu Crown
Memorial Ruins

At last, the lower level! From Lumos Pedestal, face the opposite direction of the stair case and you'll see an icy slope. Slide down the ice slope to get a head start towards your destination.

The lower level of Tantal is very large and open, so if you want to explore, feel free to do so. The Omega Fetter is at the end of a path that starts at an area almost as far west as you can go, so if you want to move on, head straight there across Genbu Drifts. There's a valley here flanked by ruins called the Great Pillar Passage, and inside the valley is where you want to go, so head down inside and right down the path for a scene.

You'll REALLY want Rex, Mòrag, and Nia in the party for this next part. You can do it with Zeke, but Rex is more optimal.

Head forward down the path up ahead for another scene and a Landmark. After the scene continue forward down the path for more plot and...

Boss Time: Akhos (Lv.43), Mikhail (Lv.44), Patroka (Lv.42)

It's time for an all out fight with Torna, and HOOOOOO BOY, this one's a doozy. Like the previous fights with these three, Akhos is a disruptor, Patroka is a damager, and Mikhail is their tank. As for who to target... Akhos is by far the most annoying of the 3, but Patroka is the one most likely to murder you and your entire party, so start with her first.

Like before, Mikhail will frequently force your entire party to target him, and unless you have a lot of Taunt resistance, you'll just have to deal with it. Aside from that, he can also launch allies in an AOE around himself, which can be extremely annoying, and he has an Art that gives him Evasion and will also Blowdown anyone who attacks him while its effects are up.

Patroka retains her ability to hurt you. A lot. This time, however, she doesn't have a cannon, so she'll be forced to engage at close range. She can still create a circle of fire at her feet to deal damage over time to every ally within the circle, so watch out while you go after her. She will also enrage when she gets down to around 3/4 health and start doing even more damage.

Akhos retains his ability to Shackle your Blades, and unlike the fight in Chapter 3, Mythra is not immune to that here. He can also create a staff... object... enemy in the middle of the fight that will drastically reduce the amount of time you have to pull of Blade Combos for as long as it stands. Try to destroy this immediately. Aside from that, he can also heal himself and his allies for quite a lot of HP.

As for strategy, Akhos will make it hard to pull of Blade Combos, so if it's just not working, hit Patroka as hard as you can with whatever Specials you can to burst her down before her enraged self stabs you to death, then focus your efforts on Akhos. Once he goes down, Mikhail will fall not long afterwards.

After you beat them down, you'll get another scene and more...

Boss Time: Jin (Lv.46)

The Boss of Torna is back, and this time he's even stronger than ever! He's got the same Arts as he did in the last Chapter, but they generally hit FAR harder now than they did back then. To recap:

He's got an Art that gives him Evasion for a short while, then ends with him inflicting Blowdown on the party, he's got an Art that hits a single target for a lot of damage, he's got an Art that may lower a Blade's Affinity, and he's got an Art that forces Topple on allies within an AOE around him, which he likes to combo into his other Arts.

New to his arsenal is an Art that immediately inflicts Smash on a single target, and can be quite painful if you aren't prepared.

Hit him with Specials and Arts and eventually the fight will end once he loses about 3/4 of his health.

When the fight ends, the Chapter will end as well.

Chapter 7: The Fear She Carries
I walked in the shadow of the Aegis's light... blindly following my own path. While she walked alone.

To Find what is Lost
After the opening cuscenes, you'll be left off in Tantal at Anastasia's. Before I go any further, some things to mention right now, so it won't catch you off guard about this chapter:

YOU WILL NOT HAVE PYRA OR MYTHRA AT ALL FOR THE ENTIRE CHAPTER! YOU WILL NOT HAVE ANY FIELD SKILLS FROM EITHER OF THEM, AND YOU CANNOT COMPLETE ANY SIDEQUESTS THAT REQUIRE EITHER OF THEM, WHICH INCLUDES A LARGE MAJORITY OF BLADE QUESTS.

If you've been following the guide, this is why I suggested you give Praxis to Rex rather than Zeke, if you plan on using him at all during this Chapter. If Zeke has Praxis instead, place him in the party in Rex's place. Alternatively, and you'll see why later, you might want to consider subbing in Tora for Rex (and possibly delving into Tiger! Tiger! and Poppiswap just enough to replace both forms' Role CPUs with ones that change their Role to ATK).

In any case, re-order your party how you wish and return to the Theoscaldia Palace throne room to speak to King Euligeminos.

You have a destination now: Leftheria! More specifically, you'll need to Skip back to Fonsett Village, so go ahead and head back there.

After a scene, head a bit east, then south from the Arch and follow the path here that leads up a large staircase upwards to reach the Village Guardian and a scene.

The next area to explore, Spirit Crucible Elpys, is now available. Before we go down there, however, make sure you have access to the following Field Skills:

Keen Eye Lv.2 (Brighid has this)
Ancient Wisdom Lv.3 (Dromarch has this)
Fire Mastery Lv.3 (and you can't use Pyra for this)
Wind Mastery Lv.2 (Suzaku, or Commons if you don't have enough Merc Levels)
You will NEED these Field Skills to progress with the game, no ifs, ands, or buts about it, so if you're missing any of the above, you'll need to grind them out.

Once you're ready, go down the staircase that was hidden by the Village Guardian to enter...

Spirit Crucible Elpys
Enemies:

Ahaato Gyanna (Lv.44-46)
Brutton Parisax (Lv.41)
Cave Brog (Lv.43-46)
Dorrl Parisax (Lv.45)
Dusky Riik (Lv.44-46)
Eanl Blant (Lv.45-47)
Empress Arachno (Lv.45-46)
Eryagh Pod (Lv.45-46)
Gamen Grebel (Lv.44-46)
Gargen Parisax (Lv.46-49)
Karyl Krabble (Lv.53) [Salvaging]
Lun Scorpox (Lv.44-47)
Moist Upa (Lv.43-44)
Nossi Lysaat (Lv.43-44)
Prink Medooz (Lv.54)
Radyo Marrin (Lv.46-47)
Rangel Egg (Lv.47-49)
Reggl Arachno (Lv.40-46)
Rippl Medooz (Lv.44-47)
Seveeto Laia (Lv.44-46)
Shreddle Vang (Lv.45)
Slayg Marrin (Lv.59) [Salvaging]
Stark Aspar (Lv.44-46)
Sygian Aspid (Lv.46-47)
Tetora Lysaat (Lv.50) [Salvaging]
Vashar Caterpile (Lv.44-47)
Zamban Urchon (Lv.44-46)
Excavator Darius (Lv.46)
Glamorous Alfred (Lv.50)
Hard-Bitten Xavier (Lv.48)
Holy Lancer Efrain (Lv.51)
Vile Howard (Lv.47)

Upper Level:

Landmarks:

Spirit Crucible Entrance
Bone Road

Locations:

Canyon of Husks
Underground River Lavi
Grave Robbers' Haunt

Mid Level:

Landmarks:

Wonder Spring Plaza Ruins
Elpys Great Hall
Cenotaph Bridge
Middle Worm-Ridden Cave
Subterranean Lake Galantia

Locations:

Helical Cloister
Penitents' Spring
Chamber of Offering

Lower Level:

Landmarks:

Stele of Judgment
Portal of the Hero

Locations:

Chamber of Pillars
Vault of Heroes

Walk forward down the stairs and the slope for a scene. Continue down this tunnel all the way for another scene.

Ugh, get ready for what may be the worst dungeon in the entire game. The main mechanic of this hellhole is that the Ether is thin here, meaning that any Blade other than Poppi's forms will have limited power here. Healing will do less, Arts will do less, and THE FURTHER YOU GO, THE MORE LEVELS OF YOUR SPECIALS GET SEALED OFF. Yeah. In the lower levels of this place, you can't use Specials higher than LEVEL ONE. Basically, the primary flow of combat has been sealed off for this dungeon, and even though enemies in here have less HP than enemies everywhere else, fighting in Spirit Crucible Elpys is really, REALLY goddamn annoying, so I'd encourage skipping fights whenever you have the opportunity to do so and avoid UMs like the plague. However, like I said earlier, Poppi is an exception to this rule. Because she is an artificial Blade, she can operate completely unrestricted. Trouble is, if you've been ignoring Poppiswap entirely, she'll likely have fallen behind by now. IF (and I do mean IF) you feel particularly motivated to grind for a few hours to help get her some better kit, now would be the time to do it, but (and I cannot stress this enough) don't do it if you think it's far too much effort, especially if Tora isn't going to be in the party long-term. In this guide, I will assume the party at this point does not use Tora at all.

Anyway, after the scene, cross the nearby bridge and walk through the tunnel on the other side. Pass through the Bone Road into the tunnel on the other side and head all the way through it for more story. After this scene, head along the slope to your left and through the cave on the southern end of the room.

In this next room, follow the path across the land bridge in the middle of the room and at the end of the path, jump onto the ledge in front of the cave and head into the next room. At the exit of this cave, the path splits in two. The one dead ahead is a dead end, so go down the path to the left and follow it along the eastern wall of the room. Keep following this path all the way to the southern end of this area of the Crucible for a scene. Afterwards, enter the tunnel up ahead and follow it to reach the Wonder Spring Plaza Ruins Landmark.

This is where things get tricky. There's a bridge just to the south that leads to the south west. Take it, but try to avoid the nearby UM. Hug the western wall and head south until you see an opening to the right. Take it, and head left at the branching path. Go all the way up the spiraling path and head to the right when you exit the cave at the top. Follow the next spiraling path upwards and head left at the top. At the fork, hug the eastern wall and follow it north to an opening. Enter it and follow the cave to its end for a scene.

You'll end up at Elpys Great Hall, and from here, navigation'll be a bit... tough... Head to the left on the ledge and jump onto the platform down below. Climb down the ladder here to get to the landing below, then climb down the ladder on this landing. Here's where things get tricky, as where the game probably intends for you to go is sealed off by hard-to-acquire Field Skills. Walk along to the other side of the wall with the ladder and look down. There's a platform down there that is next to one that has some acid pooled on it. Jump down, then jump onto the acid platform and take a stroll through the acid, avoiding the enemy down there, and head to the far side of the platform. There's another platform down below, so jump down and beeline through the acid and past the UM to the cave near here. Enter it and head north (it might be hard to tell where you're going due to the darkness and the UM following you). When you see an opening on the right, walk to it and onto the platform there. There's a ladder to the right, so take it down and head to the opposite end of the platform at the bottom from the acid and look down. Jump onto the bridge you see there to discover Cenotaph Bridge. Walk to the other side for a scene.

Continue forward through the cave to reach the Middle Worm-Ridden Cave. Cross the land bridge up ahead and head to the tip on the next pillar and jump down to the floor below. From there, head into the cave just ahead. Follow this cave and take the smaller of the two paths when you get to a split in the path. Climb up the wall here and go forward all the way to a cliff edge just over a poisoned lake. Grab the treasure, then jump onto the island in front of you and make your way south through the acid to a cave. On the other side is a room full of pillars connected by spider webs. It doesn't matter if you manage to stay on top of the pillars, you'll have to drop down anyway, but make your way to the southern most end to the cave leading to the next room. TAKE NOTE: there is a UM by the southern end of the room that can appear. The best way to avoid it is to hug the western most wall all the way to the southern exit of the room. At this exit, you will need Fire (Lv.3) and Wind (Lv.2) Mastery to burn the spider web down, so gather your Commons and do so.

At the other end of the hallway is a Landmark, the Stele of Judgment. Inspect the Stele with Keen Eye Lv.2 and Ancient Wisdom Lv.3 to open up the way forward. Follow the linear path all the way forward to reach the Portal of the Hero. Keep going forward for another scene. From here, keep going forward again for a scene and...

Boss Time: Phantasm (LV.44) * ∞

Okay, there isn't really infinitely many of them, but BOY does it feel like it. On their own, the Phantasms aren't that powerful. Where the real difficulty comes from is the fact that at around half health, a Phantasm will literally multiply and spawn more, and while it multiplies, it will evade all attacks.

As for what they do, the have an Art that deals damage, an Art inflicts Break, and another Art that inflicts Topple. That's... about it. Really, the hard part of this fight isn't the enemies, it's that there's a METRIC TON of these guys, which end up making this fight really damned annoying.

ALSO, without Blade Combos, bursting these guys down will be VERY tough. The best you can do is spam Lv.1 Specials for your damage (use a party member's first, then spam your own until the status bar goes down, and use Chain Attacks to kill them before they can multiply. You can also hit every enemy until they hit about half health, then hit them all in a Chain Attack with AOE Specials. This is pretty much the only thing you can do to them, and honestly you'll probably be here for a while. Keep at it, and try not to fold your Switch in half in frustration in the process.

After the fight (finally) ends, you'll end up with a fairly long cutscene.

At the end of the fight, you will receive a new Rare Blade for Rex. For the sake of spoilers I (and by extention, the community) will refer to this new Blade as Catalyst. They are a Water Elemental HLR Blade that's good enough at healing that you might not even need Nia in the party when they're around. That's good, because you cannot use Nia in the party when "Catalyst" is around. IF you decide to use Catalyst, equip them on Rex and put him back in the party with Mòrag and Zeke. Otherwise, keep Zeke, Nia, and Mòrag in the party.

Head back to Fonsett Arch for a scene. We need to head off to a new location, yet ANOTHER dungeon, which we can get to via Mor Ardain. Before we go there, though, you'll probably want to be between level 55 and 60 across the board. If you haven't been questing around, you'll almost certainly be behind, especially after skipping so many fights in Elpys, and without Mythra, it can be difficult to deal with.

Also, if by now Praxis has unlocked her Lv.4 Key Affinity, another Blade Quest will unlock that results in you getting Theory. However, the Quest Boss is virtually impossible to beat right now (and believe me, I've tried), so don't bother with this quest right now if you end up getting it. I will direct you to the quest at such a time as defeating it becomes feasible.

To get to the Cliffs of Morytha, Skip to Mor Ardain -> Hardhaigh Palace -> Hardhaigh Gate and head forward inside the palace. Keep an eye out on the right or left for an elevator and take it up when you see it. At the top, head as far south as you can up here and speak to the Ardainian in front of the ship here to travel to...

The Cliffs of Morytha
Enemies:

Dirid Ansel (Lv.51)
Enada Lysaat (Lv.48) [Salvaging]
Goldol Anlood (Lv.46)
Gyan Aspid (Lv.48-52) [Salvaging]
Heidl Taos (Lv.51-52)
Mabluk Aspar (Lv.49-51)
Nekrino Marrin (Lv.??) [Salvaging]
Nilhez Squood (Lv.52) [Salvaging]
Pidor Crustip (Lv.47) [Salvaging]
Sinon Scorpox (Lv.49)
Sorbl Krabble (Lv.47) [Salvaging]
Vaids Serprond (Lv.47-50) [Salvaging]
Valt Ropl (Lv.49)
Crimson Derrick (Lv.58)
Evileye Mambor (Lv.54)
Gladiator Orion (Lv.100)
Machine-Gun Julio (Lv.53)

Upper Level:

Landmarks:

Cliffs of Morytha Inlet
Balquors Ruins
Runo Cave-in

Locations:

Chehn Slope
Morytha Falls
Idora Cave
Linka Hive
Path of the Believer
Fallen-Down Pilgrim's Way

Lower Level:

Landmarks:

Jubilee Gate
Way of the Practitioner

Locations:

Cape O-uru
Gotrock Oracle Ruins
Hallowed Godswood Shrine

Shopping List (22,800 G):

Cube Chips for Brighid, Kasandra, and Aegaeon.
There's actually a Core Chip Shop and an Accessory Shop at the Cliffs of Morytha, and they contain the best Core Chips that you can buy in the game, especially for TNKs. From here on out, with a couple exceptions, I won't be able to tell what Core Chips you'll have, but generally speaking, if it improves Block Rate for TNKs and auto-attack damage for any other Blade, equip it. There isn't anything particularly worth your while at the Accessories Shop so don't worry.

You might be wondering, then, why I don't suggest buying anything for any other Blade. Well, every Core Chip here will reduce your Blade's Critical Hit rate, which is fine for TNKs but not that great for ATKers (less damage) or HLRs (they heal every time you crit). This goes extra if you have an accessory called the Modern Medal, which you might have some of by now. They heal you for a little bit every time you score a Critical Hit, and their upgraded variations are among the best Accessories in the game. So what do we do about Chips for our Blades?

Well, fortunately, Temperantia has a source for better Chips.

[ASIDE] Mirror Matter Chips

Mirror Matter Chips are among the best Core Chips you can find during the main storyline. Not only will they boost your damage, they also will increase your Critical Rate, which is good for most Blades and Critical (hehe) for some. This is optional, and if you don't want to do this grind for every Blade, just buy the best offensive Chip at the Cliffs of Morytha for your HLRs, I still really recommend doing this for ATKers, though, but at a bare minimum, you'll need to get one to save for later.

To find the Mirror Matter Chips, you'll need to return to Temperantia. If you've been following the guide and haven't explored Temperantia on your own, Skip to Haggle's Swordtip and use the Field Skill point up ahead (Wind Mastery and Leaping Lv.1) to drop safely down to the Titan weapon below. From here, safely make your way down to the ground. Head straight west and you'll see a pool of acid with an island in the middle. Walk to that island to discover Toxbloom Spring.

From Toxbloom Spring, head north and hug the cliff to the west until you reach an upwards slope. Go up that slope and head as far west as you can without dropping down into the acid river below. Head south from here all the way to the smaller of the two little portrusions from this cliff and face west. Across the acid river in that direction is a slope leading upwards. Quick as you can, make your way to that slope across the acid river and head south as far as you can on this plateau to discover the Bastion of Varrac Location. Around here, you'll want to fight Amost Ignas for the prized Mirror Matter Chips.

Like I said before, I highly recommend farming at LEAST one to save for later. Ideally, you'll farm enough for Pandoria, Praxis, Herald, Dromarch, Vess, the spare HLR, Wulfric, Suzaku, and Catalyst if you're using them, or whatever Rares you happen to be using on whatever characters you happen to have in the party. Just make sure to have one spare saved for later.

If you do decide to farm only one Mirror Matter Chip (and I wouldn't blame you for doing so), 9 Sphere Chips at the Cliffs of Morytha will run you about 68,400 G.

As for set ups, this is roughly what my party looked like at around this point in the game, in order:

Zeke (Lv.58): Pandoria, Praxis, Herald
Mòrag (Lv.56): Brighid, Kasandra, Aegaeon
Nia (Lv.56): Dromarch, Vess, a spare HLR
Tora (Lv.56): Poppi QT and α
Rex (Lv.55): Wulfric and Suzaku
Personally, I prefer having Nia around rather than using Rex with Catalyst. With enough HLRs, I rarely need to worry about healing manually, as Nia's AI is pretty good about healing when needed, and Healing Halo and Healing Circle for Nia's Twin Rings and Bitballs heal far faster than Catalyst's Redemption, which can be a matter of life and death. If you decide to use Catalyst, then you'll want to run Rex, Mòrag, and Zeke in the party.

As for who has what Blade, don't feel constrained by my outline here. If you've been pulling Blades from Cores every now and then, you'll almost certainly have a few of the RNG Blades by now, some of which are either better or better options for certain setups, so if you have Rares that you want to substitute for in the above outline, by all means do so. For example, in the file I used to write this guide, I had Zenobia in place of Herald, Boreas in place of Vess, and Kora as my spare HLR, and in my first playthrough I had Rex in the party rather than Zeke because he had Praxis, Perun, and Vale.

However you decide to kit your party, be aware that the Cliffs Of Morytha will require the following Field Skills:

Earth Mastery Lv.3
Wind Mastery Lv.3
Leaping Lv.3
Wulfric is good for Earth Mastery up to Lv.3 at this point in the game, and between Poppi α and Aegaeon you should have enough Leaping to make it through here. Wind Mastery is trickier to get unless you've hit high Merc Levels by now.

Get your party set up and head forward from the Cliffs of Morytha Inlet for a scene. From here, head forward and up the slope in front of you. Continue following this path for a scene. Continue down the path and hug the wall to the north. Eventually you'll see a cave to your right, so head inside. You'll need to make a jump to a platform down below on the other side of the cave, so do so and follow the path north. At the tip of the cliff is a Field Skill Point that requires Wind Mastery and Leaping. Take it and you'll end up on the cliff on the other side of the cave. Follow the path south and climb on the vines to reach another ledge. Follow this ledge back out of the cave. Outside, continue on the path and climb up the vines up ahead. There's a Field Skill point on these vines that requires Earth Mastery and Leaping, so use it and continue up the vines. On the other end of these vines is a wooden platform; follow it and you'll reach a platform with a UM waiting on it. Past the UM is a series of wooden and rocky ledges that form a way downwards. Drop down them until you reach the same level as the ruins up ahead.

Make sure your party is at or above Lv.55 before proceeding forward into the ruins.

Boss Time: Malos (Lv.52)

Malos is back, and far stronger than he was before, and he's got a whole slew of new Arts that'll make XC1 fans' jaws drop. With these new Arts, he can deal quite a lot of damage while also being capable of completely disrupting your team.

His Arts: One has Knockback, two have Blowdown in an AOE around him, one will provide him with extra defense and reduce the time you have to unleash Blade Combos, one will Shackle your party's Blades, and one will reduce your party's Affinity Links and reset your Special charge down to 0.

Dealing with Malos can be quite difficult with all the status ailments he sends your way, which can end up with you just sitting there while he beats you up. Fortunately, Blade Combos can help seal off some of what he can do to you, but it's unlikely that you'll be able to pull the vast majority of these off. Any Combo ending in Ice will seal Shackle Blade, any Combo ending in Wind will Seal Blowdown, and any Combo ending in Light will seal Affinity Down. That being said, without RNG Blades, the only one you can pull off at this point will likely be Seal Blowdown, which is handy, but not the worst thing he can do to you. Even with RNG Blades, Light Combos will be inaccessible to you unless you spent dozens of hours on Tiger! Tiger! or have STUPIDLY good luck and managed to pull KOS-MOS, as Mythra, Poppi, and KOS-MOS are the only Blades in the ENTIRE GAME with the Light Element (or access to it).

One more thing: for best results, avoid the hole Malos tore open in the cutscene like the plague. There are enemies down there that will make fighting him extremely difficult and might actually cause you to lose the fight entirely.

Start off with your Blade Combos, as always, starting with any Combo that ends in Wind, if you can pull it off (Water/Earth/Wind, Earth/Fire/Wind, Lightning/Fire/Wind, or Ice/Water/Wind). Driver Combos during Blade Combos (ie Fusion Combos) can help too. Try to stack 5 Orbs on Malos if you can, but if you can't, go for 4. When you've stacked what Orbs you can, Chain Attack him to death.

Once you've dealt with Malos, keep moving forward though the path in the southeast corner of Balquors Ruins. Hug the wall to the left as you make your way forward and eventually you'll see a cave to the left. Head inside and follow it upwards to a vine. Climb up the vine (you'll need Earth Mastery and Leaping again) and continue forward through the cave to the outside. Continue along the pathway westwards, but don't go all the way unless you want a Lv.100 Driver to kill you. Instead, look downwards as you go and you'll see a hole in the path with a ledge below it. Drop onto the ledge, then go to the eastern edge of the ledge and look down to see another ledge. Drop to this one too, then drop onto the wall east and downward from this ledge. Jump down on the eastern side of this wall. Before moving on, if you turn around and face the wall, you'll see a lever you can use to open the gate here so you don't have to mountaineer your way to this side again.

I've said this before, and I'll say it again. You should be between Lv.55 and 60 before moving on.

Follow the path east and then south for a scene and...

Boss Time: Malos (Lv.56), Jin (Lv.54)

Malos has the same Arts as he did in the previous fight (although he's 4 levels higher than before), and Jin has the same Arts he did at the end of Chapter 6. Needless to say, the're both very dangerous, but Malos is probably the more dangerous of the two, so start with him first.

This time, however, Jin can Taunt your party, and this, combined with Malos's Art that reduces Blade Combo time, can make it hard to use them, if not impossible.

Like before, pile on the Blade Combos starting with Seal Blowdown if you can. This'll stop both of them from sending you flying repeatedly, which is nice. If you just can't pull off Blade Combos, just use whatever specials you can. The first phase will end when one of them hits 1/2 health.

After a scene, you'll have Rex, Nia, and Tora forced into the party. Don't worry, as at this point you LITERALLY cannot lose. Pyra/Mythra is in the party, and this time, they have a new form, the Ascended Form. In this form, I'm fairly certain Rex CANNOT DIE. AT ALL. Not to mention, all of your Arts and Specials are significantly more powerful AND your specials can count as any element you want. All you need to do is use C-up and C-down to select the element you want out of the possible choices. Not to mention, during a Chain Attack, Ascended Pyra will hit every Orb for one hit at once, and you'll only need to burst 4 Orbs for a Full Burst.

If she sounds overpowered, well, she is. She's actually, factually busted, and from here on out there's no reason not to use Rex at all. Ascending will end almost every fight from here on out if you do it when the opponent is at half health with 3 or more Orbs. Normally, you can only Ascend once per battle by holding R and pressing X while Pyra/Mythra is at Max Affinity, and it lasts for a short while, but because Jin and Malos deserve an absolute asswhooping, the game will let you stay this way for the rest of the fight.

You cannot lose. Destroy them.

After the battle, the Chapter will end.

Chapter 8: World Tree
Can you live for something, and hold true to it?

Warning: Spoilers ahead.

Land of Morytha
Enemies:

Kendra Guldo (Lv.50-56)
Zalidor Guldo (Lv.53-57)
Bagoan Sovereign (Lv.52-53)
Belgio Sovereign (Lv.??)
Dajan Sovereign (Lv.50-53)
Dalakio Scout (Lv.52-54)
Leran Parisax (Lv.54-55)
Elidor Parisax (Lv.56-57)
Mabalus Parisax (Lv.50-53)
Werval Egg (Lv.53-55)

Streets:

Landmarks:

Ancient People's Driftland
Fallen Skyscraper
Great Wall Tunnel No. 8
View of a Lost Time

Locations:

Genome Center
Highway 8
Blocked Road
Collapsed Roadway
Evacuation Center
Wastes of Hubris
Wall Power Control Room
7th Division

Decaying Titan:

Landmarks:

Womb Hollow
Central Pathway

Locations:

Womb Center

World Tree:

Landmarks:

Megaflote Base

Locations:

World Tree Root
World Tree

Well, good news is we have Mythra back. Bad news is, we've lost everyone else. Great news is, from this point on, Rex can engage any Blade resonated by any Driver (excluding Poppi). This is why I warned you not to pull Rares on Rex or give him more than Wulfric and Roc. This includes Blades that otherwise are exclusive to certain Drivers, like Dromarch, Brighid, and Pandoria, although for the moment, you won't have access to them.

Since Rex is alone right now, I recommend holding off on sidequests for now. Also, remember that Mirror Matter Chip I mentioned earlier? Give that to Mythra. When you're ready, leave this area to the northeast and head to the objective marker in the next room for a scene. You'll be asked to make a choice, but don't worry, all it does is change what Rex will call the Ascended Aegis in cutscenes and in battle. For simplicity's sake, I'll call them Aegis for now. Pick whichever girl you like best and move on. Follow the path east for another scene and...

Boss Time: Deadfire Guldo (Lv.52)

For this boss fight, Jin will rejoin the party. He has no Blades, but you can take control of him directly if you want.

This fight isn't that tough, especially since Jin can Topple, Launch, and Smash an enemy in a single Art and he can Break an enemy on his own with another Art if Rex doesn't have Wulfric on him. Jin can't use Specials, so Driver Combos will be your primary source of damage. I found that one Special and one Driver Combo ended the fight before he could do much of anything.

After the battle, you'll be allowed to engage Brighid to Rex, which is the game's nice way of telling you that Jin won't be able to tank for you and you might die without one. Engage her in place of Roc or Wulfric or not, then head out towards the toppled building up ahead. There's a concrete slope leading up into the side of the building, so head up it and follow the edge of the building west, then around and into the building.

It's a bit dark in here, so head north to exit on the other side. To the left is a dead end that will let you illuminate the building with Field Skills and to the right is where you actually want to go, so go there and head down the slope at the bottom to reach the ground. Continue forward for another scene.

Head up the slope right next to you on the right. Follow it, then head along the catwalk at the top. Head inside the large tunnel here (Great Wall Tunnel No. 8) and follow the path to another scene and...

Boss Time: ~8 Darkblood Guldos (Lv.50-52)

These Guldo aren't particularly strong on their own, but the fact that you only have Jin and Rex, coupled with the fact that there are a lot of them, spell trouble.

Rex's Specials, particularly with Mythra, can be a big help here, and Jin can perform Driver Combos on his own. Without Brighid, Rex might not be able to sustain himself, and you might want to consider engaging a HLR on Rex to help keep Jin alive. Also, keep in mind that a Driver Combo will drop pretty sizable HP Potions on Smashing and likely will kill a Guldo instantly, so controlling Jin directly might also be to your benefit. Just keep killing them one by one, and you'll make it eventually.

As for what they can do... they can damage you with attacks and a laser, and they can change their element to that of your current Blade (or Ice, in the case of Jin). This makes them weak to the opposite element, but like I said before, elemental weaknesses don't really matter.

After the scene that follows, head along the bridge ahead to the north and follow the path north, then northeast to a scene. Try to avoid the Guldo around here, as they tend to gang up on you. This is, of course, easier said than done.

In the Womb Hollow now, head northeast past the enemies here to a slope that leads upwards. Follow that path south, then northwest to a metal ramp leading upwards. Follow that ramp up, then follow the path at the top northwards. At the northern most edge, face east and jump onto the ridges here until you land on the metal platform below just in front of a doorway.

Before moving past the Central Pathway, take control of Rex. Head forward for a scene and...

Boss Time: Infernal Guldo (Lv.60)

You may notice that this guy is stronger than you, and with most of the party gone, grinding levels isn't all that feasible right now.

Well, for this battle, you'll be given the conditions to ascend Mythra right off the bat: A filled Party Gauge and maxed Affinity Link with Mythra/Pyra. With Aegis, you can pull of Blade Combos on your own (and might be able to even without Aegis, honestly), so do so. The first half of the fight will end when the Guldo gets down to 2/3 HP.

During the second Phase, Jin will leave the party and everyone else will join (although Mòrag likely won't have Brighid by her side). Put Mòrag and Nia in the party and get ready for the real fight.

The challenge of this fight isn't from his levels or his damage. At below 1/2 HP, he can and will use an Art that inflicts Doom on multiple party members, which will kill the afflicted in pretty short order. The key to victory is to pile on as many Combos as you can in as short a time as possible with Mythra and/or Aegis, then finish the fight with a Chain Attack with Aegis. Again, make sure that the Chain Attack starts when he's at around 1/2 HP and make sure that it kills him, or you will die.

To make matters worse, when he gets lower on HP he can also summon more enemies to aid him in the fight and ruin your day. If this happens, you'll probably lose.

The key to this fight is Aegis, and if you're party keeps dying and you can't build the Party Gauge fast enough, you're dead. 3 Orbs and a Chain Attack with Aegis at 1/2 his HP will end the fight.

After the fight, a scene will outline your next move: climb the World Tree. First things first, though, you'll want to walk forward along this root all the way for a scene and to discover the Megaflote Base Landmark, for later.

Essentially, the World Tree and what lies beyond make up the final dungeon of the game, and will be where we are for the remainder of Chapter 8 and ALL of Chapters 9 and 10. You're never locked into the dungeon (you can leave anytime you wish, and there are sidequests and Heart-to-Hearts that lead you here, but when you start heading up the Tree, the pace of the story will pick up by a lot, and you may wish to just play the story to completion. Right now, there's a handy lull in the story, so if you want to, now is an EXCELLENT time to run off and do some sidequests! By the end of them all, you'll want the party to be at least Lv.60 across the board. Moreover... there's one more Blade Quest that we can do for a free Rare Blade! Remember Praxis's counterpart Theory? Well, you could've done her quest back in Chapter 7, but without Aegis and several levels, it's likely the quest Boss was too difficult to defeat. Now that we have both, let's take on the quest!

[BLADE QUEST] Blade-Sharp Memory

Starting the Quest:
You'll need to be in Chapter 7 or later. You'll also need to unlock Praxis's Lv.4 Key Affinity, and you'll need to have previously completed the quest Crystal Clear.
Once you fulfill those requirements, Skip to Uraya -> Fonsa Myma -> Fonsa Myma Port and head up the stairs as if you were headed to the Holy Gate Fontana for a scene and the start of the Quest.

In Search of the Mystery Assailant:
After the scene, you'll be directed to collect a crystal from a nearby quarry. Skip to Stomach -> Stone Gate Ruins and walk north and a bit to the west down a side path to reach the Old Quarry. The Thunder Crystal's in the very back of the quarry, so head right there and collect your prize. Be careful, though. A UM, Howitzer Leon (Lv.48) is sleeping right next to the item bag with the crystal.

Once you have the crystal, Skip to Gormott -> Torigoth -> Garagorm's Arch and walk forward for another scene. Check the spear in front of you to learn about your next objective.

Pest Control:
You'll receive 3 quests here, Pest Control 1, 2, and 3. You'll need to travel all around Alrest for this one. I'll go over these subquests and where to go in order.

Magno Blants: Skip to Uraya -> Head -> Sternum Arch and walk east.
Bodom Grebel: Skip to Spirit Crucible Elpys ->Middle Level -> Wonder Spring Plaza Ruins and walk back as if you were heading towards the entrance of the Crucible and you'll find them along the way.
Cherys Medooz: Skip to whatever Landmark in Leftheria you believe is closest to Lud Cloudway. It's the Cloudway we didn't take the first time we came to Leftheria, so either head south of Ysheva Harbor or northeast of Baldotas Isle to get to Lud Cloudway. Your target is somewhere in the middle of this Cloudway, however, during the fight, you'll likely also encounter Mediator Theory (Lv.48), who'll cause you some trouble. Defeat them all for a brief bit of dialogue.
Once you've completed the Pest Control quests, Skip to Mor Ardain -> Alba Cavanich -> Nharil Central Plaza and walk forward a bit for a scene. Examine the spear to receive your next destination: Lost Capital Judicium. And it's in a location on Temperantia we haven't even gotten close to yet.

Encounter in Judicium:
Unless you've explored Temperantia on your own time after Chapter 5, you'll need to head to Judicium the long way. Skip to Temperantia -> Central Plain -> Haggle's Swordtip. You'll need to jump down to the bottom, but the drop from Haggle's Swordtip will kill you. You'll need to interact with the Field Skill point at the tip of the cliff (it requires Wind Mastery and Leaping Lv.1, which you have). You'll land on Aeshma, and from there you can jump down to the ground. Now that you're down here, head south as far as you can until you see some tents in the distance. Approach them to find the Ardainian Garrison Landmark. Turn east and you'll see a big Titan weapon in the distance. Head right towards it to reach the Titan Weapon Dig Site Landmark. Keep going east, and when you see a split in the path, take either path. Hug the easternmost wall and head south to the objective, the Lost Capital Judicium Secret Area, and...

Boss Time: Vengeful Waldemar (Lv.53), Spoot Driver (Lv.51), Grep Driver (Lv.51)

Okay... this fight is actually really tough. Once again, Waldemar is the tank of this party, and like before, he also (strangely) deals WAY more damage than the other enemies here. This is basically the game's first introduction to late game Driver bosses, who are all WAAAAAY stronger than their level implies. The other two enemies aren't that tough, but they can cause issues if left alone, so target one (and only one) of them first.

The trouble with this fight is that Waldemar has a counter Spike Damage effect. EVERY TIME YOU MISS HIM, YOU WILL TAKE OVER 500 DAMAGE STRAIGHT TO THE FACE. This is compounded on by the fact that he has an Art that lets him evade attacks for a short while, letting you destroy yourselves on his Spikes. I've tried several times to fight him without Aegis, and it just never worked. With more levels, you'll be less likely to miss unless he uses his Evasion Art, which will help mitigate damage. There's also Theory's Lv.3 Special, Rebel Sister, which will deal over 3/4 of Rex's HP in damage, likely killing someone. Also, if you're really struggling, give Nia Bitball and Twin Ring Blades to give her access to Healing Arts on all 3 slots, so she can easily switch whenever she wants.

Hit him with 2 Blade Combos and make sure to use Aegis for the last one, then use a Chain Attack when he gets to around half health to finish him.

Completing the Quest:
Defeat Waldemar and you'll get a scene, after which the quest will end, and you'll receive Theory's Core Crystal, which you can awaken after you do a few battles here and there.

Theory is an Ice Elemental TNK Blade with a Chroma Katana that fits really well with Mòrag's style of tanking, much like Aegaeon does. It also gives you access to Ice, which, unless you pulled an Ice Rare or are using an Ice Common, isn't an element you've been capable of running. Finishing a Combo with Ice seals Shackle Blade, which is very nice to have going forward. When she becomes ready to resonate, either buy her a Core Chip at the Cliffs of Morytha or farm a Chip for her from the [ASIDE] right below, and give her to Mòrag.

So. I mentioned a Core Chip you can farm for, yes?

[ASIDE] Gold Chips

Gold Chips are handy to have not just because they make for good TNK chips, but because they increase the drop rate of items by a whopping 50%! The effect is, as of the 1.3 update, only applied when the Gold Chip Blade is out in battle, though, so keep that in mind, but having them on TNKs and any Smashers like Roc or Mòrag's Chroma Katanas can be a big help in farming items like the remaining accessories we have yet to acquire.

To farm for Gold Chips, you have two options, both of which are around Lv.60. The first is the Zeoth Serprond, found in and around the Cloud Sea just south of Temperantia -> Central Plain -> Ardainian Garrison. The second is Vampire Bride Marion (Lv.65), a UM found just north of Uraya -> Head -> Cataracts of Rujah through a couple of caves, though you'll need to progress parts of the quest The Titan Scholar (found at Fonsa Myma Port) to reach the UM. To find the Cataracts of Rujah, skip to Stomach -> Eight-Rock Skip and drop down to the bottom level. Just to the north is a cave that leads right to it.

I recommend farming the Serpronds, as they also tend to drop other kinds of really good loot, like 0-Battle Course+es which give extra EXP for battles and Critical Up V Aux Cores that are EXTREMELY good for Mythra.

If you thought we were done, guess again! There is one last thing we should get before moving on into the World Tree. Poppi's been rolling with two forms for a while now, and you might have been wondering when, if ever, she'll get a 3rd form to use to give Tora a full set of Blades. Well, now that we've explored the Land of Morytha, we can go about completing a Blade Quest for Poppi's 3rd form!

[BLADE QUEST] Powered-Up Poppi

Starting the Quest:
You'll need to be in Chapter 8 or later. You'll also need to have viewed a Heart-to-Heart discussing Poppi's 3rd form in Leftheria. I directed you to this back in Chapter 5, but to recap, it's on the eastern end of the island just to the south of Fonsett Island (the Ansel Hatchery). You will also need a total of Lv.5 Forestry and Lv.3 Ancient Wisdom to complete objectives later in the quest. Dromarch has Ancient Wisdom, but Forestry can be hard to find. Vess can reach Lv.3, and you can use commons to finish off the remaining 2 levels. When you're ready, head to Gormott -> Torigoth -> Tora's House and speak to Tatazo to start the quest.

Collecting Materials:
After the introductory cutscene, speak to Tatazo for your first assignment. You'll need to salvage up 10 Golden Cogs from Temperantia, so grab 5 or so Golden Cylinders and Skip to the Ardanian Garrison. Take a look at the map (press X), and you'll notice a Salvaging Point at the very bottom right corner of the map, as far south as you can go on land. Head to that point by walking southeast of the Ardainian Garrison. Salvage there and you'll pull up the Golden Cogs in no time.

Return to Tatazo for your next target. There are 3 items to collect this time around, so let's get to it:

Cubic Diamond: If you've been following this guide, the closest place is Mor Ardain -> Lower Level -> Hot Pipe District, 1F. Head up the stairs to the south and climb up them until you see a doorway leading into the Old Industrial District. From there, take the stairs upward until you see an open door leading outside (one floor above the one locked from the other side). Exit here to discover the Ruined Laborer's Bridge. From here, go right, then left and up the stairs and search the collection point on the metal roof up here.
Amber Stigma: Skip to Land of Morytha -> Streets -> Great Wall Tunnel No. 8. Go south and down the catwalk until you hit a ramp made of broken concrete. Go as far north on the concrete as you can, then turn around and look east and down. Jump down, then walk/jump to the other side of the rocks here and poke around at the Collection Point around here.
Genbu-Weave Cloth: This one you can buy at Theosoir's Textiles Store. You'll need to buy 3, which costs about 19,440 G.
After gathering these new materials, return to Lila at Tora's House. Then speak to Tatazo.

Lessons for Poppi:
Before we can get Poppi's new form, we need to take her to Uni for a day.... because reasons. Skip to Argentum -> Goldmouth Flight Deck and head to the easternmost platform to speak to Fleecyflossy.

There will be a set of four "challenges" that you'll need to complete, and you'll need to speak to Fleecyflossy between each one.

Challenge 1:
Interact with the blackboard. You'll need Lv.5 Forestry to pass this Challenge.

Challenge 2:
You'll be asked two questions. The answers are Kalukalu and Beltran.

Challenge 3:
Interact with the blackboard. You'll need Lv.3 Ancient Wisdom to pass this Challenge.

Challenge 4:
Boss Time: Torl Marrin (Lv.50)

The Torl Marrin, at this point, isn't actually that powerful, especially given its rather low level. What makes this fight "hard" is that he has an absolutely STUPID amount of HP. Like, an ABSURD amount. There are 2 ways you can beat this guy.

Method 1 is to Full Burst him from half health with Aegis. You'll either finish him or you'll be damned close.

Method 2 is to Topple him. Seriously. He'll lose 1/4 of his HP just by landing on the platform below, and he'll die instantly if he lands in the Cloud Sea.

Kill him how you wish, then speak to Fleecyflossy one last time.

Need More Power:
After that Uni fiasco, return to Tatazo. It seems there's STILL more to do to get Poppi's new form. You'll need to fill the charging device in Tora's House with items, and while you could spend time salvaging for the bottom four options, the most efficient way of filling up the bar at the bottom is with 50 Volt Batteries, which can only be gathered via Merc Mission. The Mission is in Gormott and is titled Energy for Remodeling. It takes 30 minutes to complete and rewards you with one battery. You'll need 3 humanoid and 2 animal Blades as well as 2 Blades with Salvaging Mastery (Praxis can help you here). You can speed up the process with Industry Mastery, Mineralogy, and I guess Mental Arithmetic if you happen to have enough stupidly good luck to pull KOS-MOS.

You'll need either a total of 100 of the other items or about 3 or 4 50 Volt Batteries to fill the energy tank.

Completing the Quest:
Once you've filled the energy tank, you'll complete the quest and receive Poppi's 3rd and strongest form: Poppi QTπ. She starts off as an Ice Elemental ATKer, with a unique weapon capable of Breaking AND Launching, meaning that Tora can pull off a Driver Combo on his own. If you feel motivated to spend time in Tiger! Tiger! she can actually become quite powerful, but personally I wouldn't recommend it unless you're really invested in using Poppi's forms.

Now that that's done with, some set up talk! When it comes to elements, one Driver should not use the same element twice, as that tends to limit the options you have for Blade Combos. You should also try and use a set up that gives reliable access to Blade Combos. With certain Blades, Rex and Zeke can Break (Megalances for Rex, Ether Cannons for both), Topple (Mythra for Rex, Greataxes for Zeke), Launch (Greataxes for Rex, Pandoria for both), and/or Smash (Roc for Rex, Megalances for Zeke), although Rex's animation for all but launching is shorter. Now that you have access to Aegis, there is very little reason not to control him directly and even less to leave him out of the party. You can do it without him, it's just far more optimal to use him. As for Catalyst, again, you can run Catalyst and use Rex, Mòrag, and Zeke instead, especially since, as the Master Driver, Rex can now engage Nia's HLRs, but I personally prefer running Rex, Mòrag, Nia instead. Either will probably be fine going forward.

If you've been following the guide, this is roughly what the party might look like:

Rex (Lv.64): Mythra, Pandoria, Roc OR Mythra, Catalyst, and either Roc or any HLR
Nia (Lv.65): Dromarch, Vess or another Bitball Rare, a spare HLR (Bitball Rare if you've been struggling a lot)
Mòrag (Lv.65): Brighid, Aegaeon, Theory
Tora (Lv.64): Poppi α, QT, and QTπ
Zeke (Lv.65): Praxis, Herald, a spare ATKer OR Pandoria, Praxis, Herald
Like I said before, feel free to substitute most blades in the list above with whatever Rare Blades you have and feel like using instead. You can find out more about Rare Blades and their Blade Quests in this section, but for your purposes right now, I'll make a few quick notes. Zenobia is a very good Greataxe to have, especially on Zeke, where she has an Art that recharges itself partially on a Critical Hit. Her Affinity Chart is quite unique, and there is a list of what you need to accomplish in that section (beware spoilers) that was sourced from Reddit user MCantus's original list (search Xenoblade 2 Sparky's Hit List or follow the link in the Sources section). Dahlia is great to have on Nia not just as a good extra Bitball, but because she can also attack and destroy multiple Orbs during a chain attack, making Full Bursts easier to achieve. Using a Knuckle Claw rather than a Bitball as Nia's spare can be risky, but Kora's specials can both heal the party and stop their target from moving for a few seconds. Lastly, if you happen to be EXTREMELY lucky with your Rare Blade pulls, KOS-MOS is among the strongest Blades you can find by RNG. She is the only other naturally Light Elemental Blade in the game (there are NO Common Light Blades), and her Lv.2 Special heals the entire party for a sizable amount.

By this point, you should also have worked on your Blades' Affinity Charts a fair amount. Simply unlocking more Key Affinity nodes

Make your choices and form your set up however you wish, then head on up to the elevator in Megaflote Base to enter...

The World Tree
Enemies:

Alda Sentry (Lv.59)
Docel Sentry (Lv.57)
Familion Sovereign (Lv.58-60)
Gerolf Sovereign (Lv.62-65)
Kustal Sovereign (Lv.56-60)
Margot Sovereign (Lv.58-62)
Nula Scout (Lv.57)
Phoebus Sovereign (Lv.56-57)
Radclyffe Sovereign (Lv.54-55)
Haywire Kustal (Lv.60)
Haywire Radclyffe (Lv.58)
Mk. VI Familion (Lv.62)
Mk. VI Margot (Lv.64)

Lower Level:

Landmarks:

Benetnash, Elevator #6
Lv.2, Mizar: Lower Deck
Mizar, Elevator #8
Lv.2, Mizar: Central Deck
Sky Bridge

Locations:

Lv.2, Mizar: Mid Floor
Waste Store
Nuclear Dump Facility
Control Room
Data Processing Room
Mizar, Elevator #20

Welcome to the World Tree, the single longest dungeon in the game! When you first enter, you'll discover Benetnash, Elevator #6. From here, head forward for a scene. Now continue forward to a split in the path. It doesn't matter which way you go, just as long as you end up on the eastern end of the room. There's an elevator here, so ride it up.

At the top, head forward to discover Lv.2, Mizar: Lower Deck. Follow the path to the southeast all the way to another elevator.

At the top is another Landmark, Mizar, Elevator #8. Go north out of the elevator, then head right and along the path. You'll see a room to your right, but there's nothing here right now, so follow the pathway north to a long room with an elevated platform. In this long room, head east and up the slope. The pathway to the right here doesn't lead anywhere, so continue east and up the second slope up ahead. There's a doorway leading to a stairwell forward and slightly to the left from here, so head inside and up the stairwell to the top to reach Lv.2, Mizar: Central Deck. From here, head west along the path into a large-ish room. Exit this room to the south and follow this path up the stairs and into the room up ahead. You'll notice that this room is filled to the brim with water, and in order to get past here, you'll need to drain the pond. Exit this room to the west and follow the hallway south to a large room. Right next to the hallway you just exited is another leading up, but this just leads to a UM. Head towards the southern end of the room, hugging the eastern wall as you go, and enter the room on your left as you pass by. In here, destroy the Margot Sovereign (Lv.60) sitting in front of the window. Interact with the control panel near the window to drain the water. Head back to that room and down to the bottom of the stairs. If you wish, there is treasure you can get by jumping into the hole in the northern wall down here, but it's a bit of a one way trip and you'll have to Skip and walk back here afterwards. Enter the big cylinder/pillar thing in the middle of the drained ruins and climb the ladder inside. Follow the path up here to another elevator, and ride it up.

Before you move on: AFTER THE NEXT SCENE, YOU WILL BE PERMANENTLY LOCKED OUT OF THE INDOLINE PRAETORIUM. MAKE SURE ANY QUEST ACCEPTED IN INDOL IS COMPLETED, OR ELSE THEY WILL BE LOST.

On the flip side, sidequests with objectives in Indol that were accepted elsewhere will have their objective locations moved elsewhere. So don't worry. Also, Indol's Merc Missions and Dev Points will be transferred to Leftheria, so if you've been building up Indol, you're progress will go to Leftheria instead.

Exit the elevator at the top and follow the path for a scene. Walk forward to reach the Sky Bridge. There's an elevator to the southeast that leads forward, but the way forward is blocked off. To open it, head up the path to the north until you reach a room with two columns. Climb up either one and continue along into the room to the northeast. In this room, drop down to the bottom floor and walk up the ramp to the southwest. Up here you'll find several futuristic bookcases, one of which has what you need to proceed. This area is guarded by a fairly tough UM too, so watch out. Inspect the northwestern face of the southeastern-most bookcase for the keycode. Either skip back to Sky Bridge or jump down from the window in the southeastern corner of the Data Processing Room and head to the elevator in the southeast. Insert the keycode into the machine on the right, then operate the call button on the left to ride the elevator up. Follow the path southwest, then south, then southeast for a scene and the next elevator. But first...

There's something we can get here that isn't required but is HIGHLY recommended.

[ASIDE] The Avant-Garde Medal

You may have noticed that near the elevator from Sky Bridge is a ramp leading downwards right next to the hallway leading to the cutscene you just saw. If you go to the room found here at the end of the downwards slope, there's a UM here named Haywire Radclyffe (Lv.58). He has a pretty decent chance (especially with Chain Attack Overkilling and Gold Chips) to drop the Avant-Garde Medal Accessory, which absorbs 20-22% of the damage dealt by a Critical Hit as health.

This, combined with Mythra's Lv.5 Lightspeed Fury (which you should go out of your way to get, by the way), a Critical Up V Aux Core, and a Mirror Matter Chip will transform Rex from an already powerful character into an unstoppable killing machine. Seriously, with Mythra by his side, you won't die unless you actually get one-shot, and even if you get low on HP, a few Specials/Double Spinning Edge spam will heal you back to full.

At the top of the southeastern elevator, exit the elevator and follow the path east for a scene. You'll end up at the 7th Perimeter Entrance with a nice view of the carnage between Indol and Torna. Follow the path north and upwards, and on the platform up here, exit it to the south for a scene. Continue along this path upwards and northwards past the landmark for a scene and a fight with 5 Indoline Loyalists (Lv.57) and 1 Indoline Star (Lv.60). This isn't much of a fight, just target the Star with Blade Combos and finish it with an Aegis-fueled Chain Attack (or, really, just a 3rd Stage Blade Combo with her) and you'll likely defeat the Loyalists too.

After the fight, there will be a lengthy scene, and the Chapter will end.

Chapter 9: Rain
If the Architect does indeed exist, I wish I could ask him... Who am I, truly? Whence did I come, whither am I headed?

World Tree - Upper Levels
Enemies:

Disas Squood (Lv.62) [Salvaging]
Grandum Sovereign (Lv.97-99) [Final Chapter]
Horiz Aspid (Lv.61) [Salvaging]
Indoline Loyalist (Lv.57-58)
Indoline Sentinel (Lv.64)
Indoline Star (Lv.64)
Joobs Krabble (Lv.52-56) [Salvaging]
Kustal Sovereign (Lv.56-60)
Nutch Lexos (Lv.57-59) [Salvaging]
Spirit Lexos (Lv.61-62)
Sting Runner (Lv.62-64)
Straat Serprond (Lv.56) [Salvaging]
Valkan Marrin (Lv.62) [Salvaging]
Valta Sovereign (Lv.97-99) [Final Chapter]
Vay Taos (Lv.58-60)
Haywire Phoebus (Lv.66)
Mk. VI Gerolf (Lv.66)
Mk. VII Arek (Lv.114) [Final Chapter]
Praetorian Argus (Lv.65)
Praetorian Medea (Lv.66)

Mid Level:

Landmarks:

7th Perimeter Center Floor
Mizar, Elevator #5
7th Perimeter Skyport
Lv.3, Alioth
7th Perimeter Entrance

Locations:

Roadway to 7th Perimeter
Mizar Thoroughfare
7th Perimeter Defense Post
Skywalk
Alioth, Elevator #3

Upper Level:

Landmarks:

Megrez Gateway

Locations:

Lv.4, Megrez
Megrez, Elevator #1

After the introductory cutscenes, you'll be dumped off on a catwalk near where Chapter 8 ended. Continue along the catwalk north for another scene.

At the end of this catwalk is a doorway leading inside to a hallway. Follow it west as far as you can go to reach Mizar, Elevator #5. Ride the elevator up, then at the top, follow the path east, through the door, and all the way out to a catwalk. Follow this catwalk north, then east a bit, then a little bit north to reach the 7th Perimeter Skyport. Your goal is as far east as you possibly can go, but there are quite a few enemies along the way. You can avoid them with a few side paths that go along the bottom of the port, but you can definitely take everything on the bridge. Fight or run past them to get to the end.

Oh, but before you move on... there's one more accessory to pick up around here, if you wish:

[ASIDE] Beta Scopes

This accessory is a bit less useful than Overclocking Bangles (which you should have 3 of by now, farm the Bunnits in Tantal if you don't), but it can be really handy for dealing extra damage and/or farming monsters for gear and Cores. It reduces an enemy's resistance to Break, which doesn't sound like much, but it goes a long way and can even make a difference in a fight, as Fusion Combos deal a lot of damage.

You can farm them of Vay Taoses found around the 7th Perimeter Skyport. Just wander along the port for a while and you'll discover it eventually.

Now then. After the scene at the far east end of the Skyport, you'll end up at a platform above the Skyport. Head east along this catwalk, then south a small bit and investigate the control panel next to the door here. You'll need Electric Mastery Lv.4 and Focus Lv.5 to do this, but don't worry; if you need to leave, there's a Wind Mastery/Leaping check to get back up here from 7th Perimeter Skyport. Wulfric, Pandoria, and Herald alone can handle this, but you can also use Commons and Rares to help out. Follow the hallway past this door all the way west until you reach Lv.3, Alioth.

This room is very large, but there's nothing here you need to get. Explore if you wish, then head to the western end of the room and fight the enemies there. Be careful about how many you challenge, as there are some huge and powerful robots, one of which is a UM. If you find yourself surrounded, use Aegis and perform a Full Burst and you'll wipe out your target and just about everything around them. Keep moving west and ride the elevator up.

You'll want to be around Lv.65 and ideally close to or at Lv.70 before moving on.

Head down this hallway all the way for a few scenes and...

Boss Time: Jin (Lv.66)

This fight with Jin is basically the same as it was in Chapter 7, except with higher levels. He has the same Arts, which means that he can, among other things, potentially Driver Combo you to death, although I have yet to see him pull it off. Mostly, he seems to use Stunned Swallow to Launch you and Empty Moment to Blowdown you. They seem to be his most commonly used Arts. He also has an Art he can use to prevent the party from healing itself, which can be dangerous.

Strategy here involves stacking 4 Orbs and Full Bursting him with Aegis, if you don't kill him outright along the way.

After a scene is more...

Boss Time: Amalthus (Lv.68)

This fight is quite a bit harder than the fight with Jin, mostly because he's got several disruptive Arts.

He can protect himself from attacks, Blocking everything that comes his way, and he can Blowdown allies in an AOE around him. He can also hit all allies multiple times, and he has an Art that will Shackle your Blades. Most importantly, he can use Sacred Arrow just like you can, and it will hurt and even kill multiple party members. A nice bit of tech you can do is use a Special the minute he uses Sacred Arrow; you'll Block the hit, and it'll be a lot less likely to annihilate you.

As usual, stack 4 Orbs on him, but try to make one of those an Ice Orb to Seal Shackle Blade. Use Aegis to form the last one, then use a Chain Attack to finish the job.

After another scene, the Chapter will end.

Final Chapter: And thus, boy met girl.
If it helps put smiles on people's faces... Helps them live their lives together... Then that's my role in this world!

There are unmarked spoilers ahead. Be warned.

Before you head out, strip your party of their accessories and disengage all of their Blades except for their Special Blades. Remove the Special Blades' Aux Cores. You may also want to equip Rex with a TNK like Aegaeon.

Head forward and into the elevator, and ride it up to reach the....

First Low-Orbit Station
From Rhadamanthus Portal, circle around the elevator and exit the room to the north (you can walk through the blue energy walls). Continue north through the room and the hallway beyond for a scene.

Walk west down the hill, then head north for another scene. Make your way to the building in the upper northeast corner of this area for another scene. If you didn't do what I said at the beginning, do so now. Head down the stairs that appear here for a scene, after which you'll have a series of Boss Times.

Boss Time: Nia

These bosses all have the same stats, levels, and kit that they did as a Driver, other than the fact that they don't have more than their Special Blades and they have far more HP. Not to mention the fact that you won't have Mythra for these fights either. The Avant-Garde Medal, as well as a Medal that heals you when you cancel an auto attack can be a big help, as can a Chroma Katana for the Evasion Art.

Nia herself is not that strong. Even with healing, she'll go down pretty quick with a few Specials.

Boss Time: Mòrag

Mòrag is probably the toughest of them all, not because of her damage, but because Brighid probably has close to 60% Block Rate at this point, which means this Boss will have 60% Block Rate. Not to mention the potential Evasion Art she could use. This is where accessories that heal you can be a great boon. It might also help to let her approach you first.

Boss Time: Zeke, Tora

The last two are fought together. If you've been playing along with this guide, Zeke is probably the bigger threat of the two. Target him first with your specials, then finish Tora off afterwards.

For all these fights, having Aegaeon engaged is a godsend. His Block Rate by now is really high and one of his abilities gives you Evasion for over 10 seconds when you hit max Affinity Link. Not to mention Rex has a Chroma Katana Art that gives him Evasion for the duration of the Art.

After the last of these fights, you'll have a very long cutscene. When it's finished, it's time to head....

To the Last Battle
Enemies:

Artifice Colossus (Lv.67-69)
Drub Sovereign (Lv.65-67)

Upper Level:

Landmarks:

Rhadamanthus Portal
Hill Overlooking Elysium
Old Temple

Locations:

Elysium

Lower Level:

Landmarks:

Architect's Room
Storage Area Entrance
Aion Hangar Entrance

Locations:

Colossus Hangar
Aion Hangar

After that long scene, re-engage the party, re-equip accessories, and re-equip Aux Cores. Before you move on, if you've been following the guide the party should look something like this:

Rex - Lv.70-75, Avant-Garde Medal, Overclocking Bangle: Mythra, Pandoria, Roc OR Mythra, Catalyst, a HLR
Nia - Lv.70-75, Beta Scope or Titanium Vest, Overclocking Bangle: Dromarch, Vess/Rare Bitball, Common HLR/Rare Bitball
Mòrag - Lv.70-75, Avant-Garde Medal, Beta Scope or Titanium Vest or aggro-boosting gear: Brighid, Aegaeon, Theory
Tora - Lv.70-75: Poppi α, QT, QTπ
Zeke - Lv.70-75, Avant-Garde Medal, Overclocking Bangle: Herald, Praxis/Rare Ether Cannon, Common ATKer/Rare Ether Cannon OR Pandoria, Praxis, Herald/Rare ATKer
As mentioned earlier, this is subject to change on your own discretion. If you have Blades you'd rather use, use them, and don't be too concerned with Driver Combos here, or with Smashing. Accessories can be set how you like, but I do recommend using what I have outlined. AGM's are very useful for Rex, Zeke, and Mòrag for extra healing, especially on Rex, and Overclocking Bangles are great for fast switches for Healing and Combos. Titanium Vests, or really the rarest variant of them you have, boost your HP by up to 30%, which can help Nia and Mòrag survive under pressure.

As for your Blades' progression, you've likely picked up some decent Core Chips along the way up here, so equip them at your discretion. Don't overwrite Mythra's Core Chip by accident, though. I won't tell you to go out of your way for Affinity Chart progress except for Mythra. I highly recommend unlocking her Lv.5 Key Affinity and maxing out Foresight, Lightspeed Fury, and Glint, as all three will go a long way to making Mythra an absolute powerhouse. Lightspeed Fury is the most critical of the three, as it will let Rex pull off Blade Combos on his own very quickly. Mythra should also have a Critical Up V Aux Core equipped, as well as a Moon Matter Chip. Without the Bonuses of Glint, this gave her a raw Crit Rate of almost 50%, which is incredibly strong, and with Glint and her Blade Arts, you'll crit almost all the time.

For levels: you should be at least Lv.70 by now. That's good enough to handle the Final Boss, but an ideal would be closer to Lv.75, as even at that level the fight can be a bit challenging. Anything lower than 70 is doable but risky.

When you've made your preparations, enter the hallway in the southeast corner of the Architect's Room and ride the elevator on the other side. Exit to the south for a scene, then follow this path to a wide open room. This room is filled with loads of Artifice Colossi (Lv.68) that are about as tough as a UM on their own. You can avoid them all by hugging the northernmost wall, but if you need EXP to hit Lv.70, they can be helpful. Head to the other side of this curved pathway and take the stairway along the western wall up to reach the upper catwalk. Heading back south will let you open up the doors at the top of the other staircases in the room, but that has a limited use, so don't bother. To the north is a control panel that opens the big doors to the north. Operate it and exit the curved room to the north and ride the elevator up to the Aion Hangar Entrance.

To the east is a control panel marked with the "!!" marker. Interacting with it will save the game in front of this door, then take you to the Final Boss. If you die from here on out, you'll be sent back to the title screen, where reloading the game will send you back in front of this door.

Do not proceed unless you are at or above Lv.70.

When you're ready to finish this journey and stop Malos once and for all, interact with that control panel.

Endgame
FINAL BOSS TIME: Artifice Aion (Lv.70)

It's time to face off against our final foe! Artifice Aion has quite a few tricks up its sleeve that can make this fight very difficult if you aren't prepared. Your auto attacks and Arts can hit it from a surprisingly fair distance from where you might think you need to be, so you don't need to be as close to it as you may think. It can and will occasionally move far out of your reach, during which it is likely that it'll use two Arts specifically. As for Arts:

At close range, it tends to use Blizzard, which prevents you from healing for a while, and Siren Buster, which deals well over 3/4 of Rex's HP in damage. Don't be afraid to spend a Special to keep yourself from dying. He can also use Anthropos to Shackle your Blades and lower their affinity.

When it backs away out of your range, it's a sign that it's about to use War of Servants to call forth 2 Artifice Colossi. Deal with them first with a few Blade Combos (Light/Light/Light, Light/Light/Water, and Light/Lightning/Fire are all very easy to pull off with Rex, Nia, and Mòrag). At range it can also use X-Star to deal damage to the party from a distance.

It has one more Art, which it will be able to use after it reaches less than 1/2 health: Prometheus. It will wipe the party instantly, guaranteed.

So, strategy: I HIGHLY recommend using Nia in the party with Dromarch and at least one Bitball or Twin Rings Blade. The best healing output comes from Dromarch and two Bitballs, but Dromarch, a Bitball, and a Knuckle Claw can work too, if you help collect HP Potions. I also recommend Mòrag if you've done no Poppiswap or Tiger! Tiger!, as high Evasion and Block Rates can help with survivability during the fight. Rex is pretty much a must have, no matter what you do, and I recommend taking direct control of him.

The first phase is easy enough: 4 or 5 Driver Combos should bring him down to 2/3 HP, where the phase will end.

Now, on to the second phase: it will open with Siren Buster, which will certainly kill Rex, and it's too far away to hit to build a special to Block it. You should have a full Party Gauge though, so don't worry and wait for Nia to bring you back.

You'll want to stack 4-5 Elemental Orbs on Aion as fast as you can. War of Servants can be a tough distraction, but with Mythra's kit, you should be able to handle stacking the Orbs. When Aion gets to around 1/2 health, finish it with a Pneuma fueled Chain Attack to score that Full Burst.

Above all else, though, if you're struggling to stack Orbs, remember this: if you see it start to use Prometheus, initiate a Chain Attack immediately or you will lose the fight.

With the levels, gear, and Blades outlined here, with your own special flair if you like, you should be equipped to take on Aion. Good luck!

And of course, once Aion lies defeated, the credits will roll.

Congratulations on beating Xenoblade Chronicles 2!
I really hope you enjoyed the game as much as I did, and I hope that this guide was useful when it came to progressing through the game with minimal need to grind, as it was intended to do.

When the credits finish, you can save your game as a completed file. Upon continuing, you'll be dumped in front of the Aion fight, but around Alrest, various new UMs that I like to call Superbosses will appear. These Superbosses are all over Lv.100 and can be incredibly challenging to fight. I'll list them here, but I cannot do much more than that, as I myself have yet to fight more than two of them. There are handy guides around on the internet to help you on that front.

Gladiator Orion (Lv.100): Hallowed Godswood Shrine, Cliffs of Morytha
Reeking Douglas (Lv.104): Brigand's Hideout, Gormott Province
Pernicious Benf (Lv.109): Aegishammer, Temperantia
Cloud Sea King Ken (Lv.110): Central Ether Boulder, Tantal (while foggy)
Mk. VII Arek (Lv.114): Lv.4, Megrez, World Tree
Artifice Ophion (Lv.117): Gotrock Oracle Ruins, Cliffs of Morytha
Chickenheart Dagmara (Lv.120): Old Factory, Mor Ardain
Tyrannotitan Kurodil (Lv.130): Profaned Place, Temperantia
Furthermore, after completing the game, if you have Version 1.4.0 installed you have a very high chance of pulling a new Rare Blade, T-elos from Xenosaga. She's a Dark Elemental ATK Blade with a Greataxe.

Additionally, if you wish, you can start a New Game+! A NG+ will retain your levels, gold, items, Dev Levels, Merc Levels, status of defeated UMs, Blades (other than ones granted by story), and Affinity Chart progress for Drivers and Blades. You will lose all sidequest, Blade Quest, Landmark, Heart to Heart and Merc Mission progression, however, so you may have to do some of them again to open up certain areas. There are also some cool new features unlocked in NG+:

You can use Inns to level your self DOWN, rather than up, converting the levels to Bonus EXP.
You can spend Bonus EXP at Traveling Bards for rewards, including (but not limited to) Legendary Core Crystals and Overdrive Protocols.
You can disengage Special Blades like Pyra and send them on Merc Missions.
Pneuma will have a Lv.4 Special.
Rex, Nia, Tora, Vandham, Zeke, and Mòrag have an extra Affinity Chart with powerful skills. Zeke's has a skill that lets him access a Super Mode of his own by holding R and pressing + when Pandoria's Affinity Link is maxed out in battle.
Akhos, Patroka, Obrona, Perdido, Cressidus, and Sever (Torna and their Blades) can be resonated with using any standard Core Crystal.
Mikhail can join the party as a Blade in Chapter 10 by speaking to him in Land of Morytha -> World Tree -> Megaflote Base with the Driver you want him to be used on.
There's loads for you to do after the end, and though I will not quite cover most of it, feel free to spend as much time as you like enjoying the rest of what Xenoblade 2 has to offer. If you liked this game, I also highly recommend checking out Xenoblade Chronicles for the Wii and New 3DS.

Anyway, thank you for reading this guide! I hope it helped, and congrats once again for beating Xenoblade Chronicles 2!

Rare Blades
This is a list of every Rare Blade in the game and an outline of their Blade Quests. Additionally, if a Rare Blade has a peculiar requirement for certain nodes on their Affinity Chart or Key Affinity unlocks (ie. Adenine's Extra-Ancient Wisdom or Zenobia's entire Affinity Chart) I will make note of it in this section. If a Rare Blade is unlocked by means other than regular bonding (like Praxis, for example) I will note that as well. Also, this section will list what nodes of each Rare Blade's Affinity Chart does, but it will not detail how to unlock every node of every Rare Blade in the game.

Also, for Affinity Nodes: red nodes power up the Blade Special of the same name, and yellow nodes activate during battle as passive abilities.

Be warned: there may be unmarked spoilers in this section.

Pyra
Fire Elemental ATK - Aegis Sword
Exclusive to Rex
Received in Chapter 1
Modifier: Strength 10%

Flame Nova: Increases damage dealt to beasts.
Prominence Revolt: Increases damage dealt to toppled enemies by 150%.
Blazing End: Increases critical damage.

Purifying Flames: Specials have 5-15% chance to defeat non-boss foes with up to 20% HP.
Resplendence: Increases Blade Combo damage.
Flaming Edge: Increases critical damage.

Fire Mastery Lv.3
Focus Lv.3
Cooking Lv.3

Mythra
Light Elemental ATK - Aegis Sword
Exclusive to Rex
Received in Chapter 3
Modifier: Ether 10%

Ray of Punishment: Increases damage dealt to toppled enemies.
Photon Edge: Adds a 60-100% chance of dealing a guard-annulling attack.
Lightning Buster: Increases damage dealt when HP is 30% or less.

Foresight: Increases accuracy and evasion rate of team at max Affinity.
Lightspeed Fury: Recharges Arts or Specials upon landing a critical hit.
Glint: Increases critical hit rate.

Light Mastery Lv.3
Focus Lv.3
Girls' Talk Lv.3

"Suzaku"
Wind Elemental ATK - Dual Scythes
Exclusive to Rex
Received in Chapter 4
Modifier: Dexterity 15%

Death Wing: Increases damage dealt to aerial creatures.
Crushing Twister: Increases damage dealt when HP is 30% or less.
Feather Typhoon: 1-5% chance of felling an aerial foe on attack (fails on bosses/uniques).

Sickle: Reduces aggro build-up from attacks.
Storm and Stress: Increases damage dealt 30 seconds after the start of battle.
Swoop: Increases damage dealt from the back.

Wind Mastery Lv.3
Miasma Dispersal Lv.1
Lockpicking Lv.3

"Catalyst"
Water Elemental HLR - Catalyst Scimitar
Exclusive to Rex
Received in Chapter 7
Modifier: Max HP 15%

Last Hope: Restores 10-20% HP of damage dealt when the Special connects.
Merciful Heart: Spawn a small HP Potion on hit, with a chance to spawn 2.
Redeeming Strike: When landing a hit, restores 30-50% of damage dealt to the whole party.

Sea of Plenty: Periodically restores HP to entire party while at max Affinity.
Instant Regen: Adds 25% chance of restoring HP after taking a hit.
Cellular Stimulus: Restores 5-12% HP of damage dealt after a successful auto-attack.

Water Mastery Lv.3
Forestry Lv.3
Fortitude Lv.3

Dromarch
Water Elemental HLR - Twin Rings
Exclusive to Nia*
Comes with Nia as his Driver
Modifier: Ether 10%

Raging Tiger: Absorbs 60-100% of critical damage dealt as HP.
Aqua Wave: When landing a hit, restores 30-50% of damage dealt to the whole party.
Spawns a small HP Potion on hit, with a chance to spawn 2.

Celestial Gift: Reduces Blade Combo damage received from enemies.
River's Blessing: Restores HP when using a Driver Art.
Howl of Calm: Adds 25% chance of restoring HP after taking a hit.

Water Mastery Lv.3
Botany Lv.3
Ancient Wisdom Lv.3

Poppi α
Variable Element, Variable Role - Drill Shield
Exclusive to Tora
Comes with Tora as her Driver

Her specials have variable effects depending on Poppiswap.

Noponic Iron: Boosts physical and ether defense. 
Guard Shift: Increases block rate.
Emergency Mode: Boosts block rate when HP is 30% or lower.

Leaping Lv.3
Nopon Wisdom Lv.3
Superstrength Lv.3

Poppi QT
Variable Element, Variable Role - Mech Arms
Exclusive to Tora
Received in Chapter 4

Her specials have variable effects depending on Poppiswap.

Velocity Gear: Adds a chance for user to land perfect hits and evade enemy attacks.
Flash Counter: Counters attacks with physical damage.
Flash Boot: Reduces cooldown time for a Blade Switch.

Lockpicking Lv.3
Fortitude Lv.3
Agronomy Lv.3

Poppi QTpi
(GameFAQ's editor won't let me name this section Poppi QTπ)

Variable Element, Variable Role - Variable Saber
Exclusive to Tora
Unlocked by the Blade Quest "Powered-Up Poppi"

[BLADE QUEST] Powered-Up Poppi

Starting the Quest:
You'll need to be in Chapter 8 or later. You'll also need to have viewed a Heart-to-Heart discussing Poppi's 3rd form in Leftheria. I directed you to this back in Chapter 5, but to recap, it's on the eastern end of the island just to the south of Fonsett Island (the Ansel Hatchery). You will also need a total of Lv.5 Forestry and Lv.3 Ancient Wisdom to complete objectives later in the quest. Dromarch has Ancient Wisdom, but Forestry can be hard to find. Vess can reach Lv.3, and you can use commons to finish off the remaining 2 levels. When you're ready, head to Gormott -> Torigoth -> Tora's House and speak to Tatazo to start the quest.

Collecting Materials:
After the introductory cutscene, speak to Tatazo for your first assignment. You'll need to salvage up 10 Golden Cogs from Temperantia, so grab 5 or so Golden Cylinders and Skip to the Ardanian Garrison. Take a look at the map (press X), and you'll notice a Salvaging Point at the very bottom right corner of the map, as far south as you can go on land. Head to that point by walking southeast of the Ardainian Garrison. Salvage there and you'll pull up the Golden Cogs in no time.

Return to Tatazo for your next target. There are 3 items to collect this time around, so let's get to it:

Cubic Diamond: If you've been following this guide, the closest place is Mor Ardain -> Lower Level -> Hot Pipe District, 1F. Head up the stairs to the south and climb up them until you see a doorway leading into the Old Industrial District. From there, take the stairs upward until you see an open door leading outside (one floor above the one locked from the other side). Exit here to discover the Ruined Laborer's Bridge. From here, go right, then left and up the stairs and search the collection point on the metal roof up here.
Amber Stigma: Skip to Land of Morytha -> Streets -> Great Wall Tunnel No. 8. Go south and down the catwalk until you hit a ramp made of broken concrete. Go as far north on the concrete as you can, then turn around and look east and down. Jump down, then walk/jump to the other side of the rocks here and poke around at the Collection Point around here.
Genbu-Weave Cloth: This one you can buy at Theosoir's Textiles Store. You'll need to buy 3, which costs about 19,440 G.
After gathering these new materials, return to Lila at Tora's House. Then speak to Tatazo.

Lessons for Poppi:
Before we can get Poppi's new form, we need to take her to Uni for a day.... because reasons. Skip to Argentum -> Goldmouth Flight Deck and head to the easternmost platform to speak to Fleecyflossy.

There will be a set of four "challenges" that you'll need to complete, and you'll need to speak to Fleecyflossy between each one.

Challenge 1:
Interact with the blackboard. You'll need Lv.5 Forestry to pass this Challenge.

Challenge 2:
You'll be asked two questions. The answers are Kalukalu and Beltran.

Challenge 3:
Interact with the blackboard. You'll need Lv.3 Ancient Wisdom to pass this Challenge.

Challenge 4:
Boss Time: Torl Marrin (Lv.50)

The Torl Marrin, at this point, isn't actually that powerful, especially given its rather low level. What makes this fight "hard" is that he has an absolutely STUPID amount of HP. Like, an ABSURD amount. There are 2 ways you can beat this guy.

Method 1 is to Full Burst him from half health with Aegis. You'll either finish him or you'll be damned close.

Method 2 is to Topple him. Seriously. He'll lose 1/4 of his HP just by landing on the platform below, and he'll die instantly if he lands in the Cloud Sea.

Kill him how you wish, then speak to Fleecyflossy one last time.

Need More Power:
After that Uni fiasco, return to Tatazo. It seems there's STILL more to do to get Poppi's new form. You'll need to fill the charging device in Tora's House with items, and while you could spend time salvaging for the bottom four options, the most efficient way of filling up the bar at the bottom is with 50 Volt Batteries, which can only be gathered via Merc Mission. The Mission is in Gormott and is titled Energy for Remodeling. It takes 30 minutes to complete and rewards you with one battery. You'll need 3 humanoid and 2 animal Blades as well as 2 Blades with Salvaging Mastery (Praxis can help you here). You can speed up the process with Industry Mastery, Mineralogy, and I guess Mental Arithmetic if you happen to have enough stupidly good luck to pull KOS-MOS.

You'll need either a total of 100 of the other items or about 3 or 4 50 Volt Batteries to fill the energy tank.

Completing the Quest:
Once you've filled the energy tank, you'll complete the quest and receive Poppi's 3rd and strongest form: Poppi QTπ.

Her specials have variable effects depending on Poppiswap.

Reflection: Adds a chance to reflect attacks.
Nanomachine Repair: Restores HP every second while HP is 30% or less.
Overclock: Increases damage dealt when Affinity is at max.

Keen Eye Lv.3
Ancient Wisdom Lv.3
Forestry Lv.3

Brighid
Fire Elemental TNK - Whipswords
Exclusive to Mòrag*
Comes with Mòrag as her Driver
Modifier: Agility 15%

Heat Haze: Increases aggro drawn from specials.
Will-o'-the-Wisp: Increases damage dealt to launched enemies.
Swirling Dragon: Increases damage dealt when HP is 30% or less.

War Pyre: Adds 6-10% to damage dealt for each attack Driver evades (max: 250%).
Firewalker: Improves evasion when HP is 30% or lower.
Dance of the Flames: Adds 50-90% chance of evading ranged attacks.

Fire Mastery Lv.3
Keen Eye Lv.3
Mineralogy Lv.3

Aegaeon
Water Elemental TNK - Chroma Katana
Exclusive to Mòrag*
Received in Chapter 6
Modifier: Agility 15%

Water Moon: Adds a chance of dealing a guard-annulling attack.
Breaking Wave: Increases critical damage.
Midnight Mist: Increases damage dealt to enemies targeting the user.

Serene Heart: After achieving max Affinity in combat, evade enemy attacks for 10-18 seconds.
Like Water: Improves evasion while moving.
Enlightenment: Improves evasion when HP is 30% or lower.

Water Mastery Lv.3
Ancient Wisdom Lv.3
Leaping Lv.3

Pandoria
Electric Elemental ATK - Big Bang Edge
Exclusive to Zeke*
Comes with Zeke as his Driver
Modifier: Strength 10%

Lightning Force: Increases damage dealt to machines.
Electric Circus: Increases critical damage.
Thunder Doom: Increases critical damage.

Quickest Purple: Boost Arts recharge at max Affinity.
Thunderblast: Adds a chance of dealing a guard-annulling attack.
Sudden Spark: Increases auto-attack speed.

Electric Mastery Lv.3
Lockpicking Lv.3
Icthyology Lv.3

*For the Blades listed above, a Blade listed as exclusive to any Driver other than Tora can be engaged by Rex after Chapter 8.

Adenine
Wind Elemental HLR - Knuckle Claws
Unlocked Randomly with Core Crystals
Modifier: Dexterity 15%

[AFFINITY NODE] Extra-Ancient Wisdom

To unlock these nodes, you'll need to collect several Tomes of Morytha and decypher them with Merc Missions in Argentum. In order, these Tomes can be found at the following locations:

#2: Book Shop in Argentum
#4: The Auction in the westernmost area of Goldmouth Central Exchange
#3: Speak to Tevissa at Argentum -> Goldmouth Flight Deck, then salvage at Gormott -> Upper Level - Left -> Umon's Shipyard
#1: Speak to Krezzi near the Desserts Shop in Theosoir and give him an item set.
[BLADE QUEST] Limits of Awareness

Starting the Quest:
You'll need to obtain the Tome of Morytha #1 and decipher it via Merc Mission to get Lv.4 Extra-Ancient Wisdom on Adenine. Later on in the quest, you'll need Lv.4 Ancient Wisdom, and you cannot complete the quest until Chapter 8. To begin the quest, head to the Goldmouth Warehouse Landmark.

Harness the Wind: Reduces aggro toward user upon landing a hit.
Slipstream: Adds a chance of dealing a guard-annulling attack.
Mortal Storm: Adds a chance of dealing a guard-annulling attack.

Element Wisdom: Increases Blade Combo damage.
Battle Wisdom: Increases damage dealt when elemental weakness exploited.
Treasure Wisdom: Increases the enemy item drop rate.

Wind Mastery Lv.3
Keen Eye Lv.3
Extra-Ancient Wisdom Lv.5

Agate
Earth Elemental ATK - Greataxe
Unlocked Randomly with Core Crystals
Modifier: Dexterity 10%

[BLADE QUEST] Precious Yearnings

Starting the Quest:
You'll need Agate and Pyra/Mythra engaged, and you'll need to have Nia, Tora, Mòrag, and Zeke in the party. You don't need to have Agate's Lv.2 Key Affinity unlocked to start the quest, but you will to finish it, so you may as well unlock it first. You'll also need to be in or past Chapter 8 to complete the quest. To start the quest, rest at Folmarie Inn in Fonsa Myma with the above in the party.

Heliodor Passion: Increases damage dealt to launched enemies.
Star Beryl Courage: Increases damage dealt to toppled enemies.
Rhodochrosite Might: Increases critical damage.

Razor-Sharp Iolite: Increases damage dealt by the party when at max Affinity.
Tanzanite Pursuer: Increases damage dealt to toppled enemies.
Tiger's Eye Wrecker: Increases damage dealt to insects.

Prospecting Lv.3
Mineralogy Lv.3
Keen Eye Lv.3

Azami
Dark Elemental ATK - Ether Cannon
Unlocked Randomly with Core Crystals
Modifier: Ether 15%

[BLADE QUEST] All's Fair

Starting the Quest:
You'll need to be in or past Chapter 4. Send Azami on the Merc Mission Surveillance in Uraya, and after a short while, she'll be available to speak to in Uraya -> Fonsa Myma -> Fonsa Myma Port.

Nightmare Rondeau: Increases damage dealt when HP is 30% or less.
Shadow Rhapsody: Increases damage dealt when HP is 30% or less.
Decadent Finale: Increases damage dealt when HP is 30% or less.

All For Love: The lower the HP of the Driver, the more powerful the Special. 
Pain of Longing: Increases Affinity by 15 when a fellow Driver takes damage.
Vendetta: Counters attacks with ether damage.

Dark Mastery Lv.3
Botany Lv.3
Clairvoyant Eye Lv.3

Boreas
Wind Elemental HLR - Bitball
Unlocked Randomly with Core Crystals
Modifier: Max HP 15%

[AFFINITY NODE] Key Affinity/All Nodes

To unlock Boreas's Affinity Node, you'll need to engage him and take him to the Goldmouth Warehouse. There are boxes here that you can put various types of food into. Each box you fill opens up a Key Affinity on Boreas's Chart.

The remaining nodes can be unlocked by using Pouch Items of certain (food) categories with him engaged, with the exception of his Field Skills.

[BLADE QUEST] Hero of the Nopon

Starting the Quest:
You'll need Boreas and Pyra/Mythra engaged. You'll also need to have Boreas's Lv.5 Key Affinity unlocked, and you'll need to have reached Tantal (Early-Mid-Chapter 6). To start the quest, speak to Rumtumtum at Argentum -> Rumbletum Canteen.

Open Wide!: Absorbs 60-100% critical damage dealt as HP.
Snack On This!: Restores 10-20% HP of damage dealt when a Special connects.
Gobble 'em Up!: When landing a hit, restores 30-50% of damage dealt to the whole party.

Tasty Snack: Heals party when defeating an enemy.
Look Out!: Increases evasion rate when Affinity is at max.
Twang!: Adds chance of Knockback when attacked by an enemy.

Nopon Wisdom Lv.3
Salvaging Mastery Lv.3
Fleet of Foot Lv.3

Dagas
Fire Elemental ATK - Greataxe
Unlocked Randomly with Core Crystals
Modifier: Strength 5%**
I have heard recently that there may be a bug with New Game+ regarding Dagas. If you have Dagas on Zeke and you have not completed Lost Kingdom, DO NOT start a New Game+ or you may lose him FOREVER.

[BLADE QUEST] Lost Kingdom

Starting the Quest:
You'll need to have Dagas's Lv.5 Key Affinity unlocked, and Lv.4 Cavalier Attitude. To start the quest, engage Dagas and travel to Mor Ardain -> Upper Level -> Midorl Bridge during the evening.

Flame Crown: Increases damage dealt to aquatic organisms.
Tyrant Crush: Increases critical damage.
Kaiser Flare: Increases damage dealt when HP is 30% or less.

Kaiser Zone**: Increases damage and AOE of party attacks at max Affinity.
Regal Presence**: Increases Blade Combo damage.
Gold Effect**: Increases the enemy gold drop rate.

Cavalier Attitude Lv.5**
Nopon Wisdom Lv.3**
Mineralogy Lv.3**
Ancient Wisdom Lv.3**

**After completing Lost Kingdom, Dagas will have Strength 10% as a modifier, and his yellow nodes' effects are doubled. His Field Skill Cavalier Attitude will be replaced by Nopon Wisdom, Mineralogy, and Ancient Wisdom as well.

Dahlia
Ice Elemental HLR - Bitball
Unlocked Randomly with Core Crystals
Modifier: Dexterity 10%

[BLADE QUEST] Fly in the Ointment

Starting the Quest:
You'll need to be in or past Chapter 6, and have Dahlia engaged. Walk around the central square in Theosoir and you'll run right into this quest.

Crystal Blizzard: Increases critical damage.
Snowblind: Spawns a small HP Potion on hit, with a chance to spawn 2.
Frost Queen: When landing a hit, restores part of the damage dealt to the whole party.

Spotlight: Adds chance to damage nearby elemental orbs during a Chain Attack.
Fireworks: Increases damage dealt to launched enemies.
Opportunist: Boosts critical hit rate when selected in Chain Attack (affects all).

Forestry Lv.3
Ice Mastery Lv.3
Icecraft Lv.3

Electra
Electric Elemental TNK - Shield Hammer
Unlocked Randomly with Core Crystals
Modifier: Max HP 15%

[BLADE QUEST] Go for it, Electra!

Starting the Quest:
You'll only need to engage Electra. Eventually, you'll need a total of Lv.10 Electric Mastery between your Blades and you'll need to be in Chapter 6+ to complete the quest. Head to Torigoth Arch and walk towards the fountain and you'll run into this quest.

Mastery of Thunder:
You'll need to tour Alrest (and open up Electra's Affinity Chart) to level up Electra's Mastery of Thunder. You can to this by speaking to NPCs in the following locations, organized by level of Mastery of Thunder:

Uboon in Garfont Village, Uraya and Coocana in Fonsett Island, Leftheria
Charli in Torigoth, Gormott and Millod in Hardhaigh Palace, Mor Ardain (you'll need Mòrag in the party to reach him)
Fortis in Theoscaldia Palace, Tantal (you'll need to clear the dungeon first) and Ookiooki in Rigitte Waters, Leftheria
There's a Puzzling Machine you can interact with in Argentum. Inspect it in the day, then at night.
The Search for the Zapped Youth:

Bang-Bang Bound: Increases damage dealt to toppled enemies.
Shocking Assault: Increases damage dealt to launched enemies.
Rolling Thunder: Increases aggro drawn from Specials.

Sparky Girl: Counters attacks with ether damage.
Zappy Girl: Increases aggro every second.
Clangy Girl: Increases block rate.

Electric Mastery Lv.5
Focus Lv.3
Mastery of Thunder Lv.5

Finch
Wind Elemental TNK - Shield Hammer
Unlocked Randomly with Core Crystals
Modifier: Agility 15%

[BLADE QUEST] Birds of a Feather

Starting the Quest:
You'll need to unlock Finch's Lv.3 Key Affinity. You may also need to be on or past Chapter 7 to complete this quest, but this is unconfirmed. With Finch engaged, speak to Noganga in Goldmouth Wheelhouse, Argentum, to start the quest.

Blast of Fresh Air: Increases Affinity when using a Special.
Whoopsie Crazy: Increases aggro drawn from Specials.
Wake-Up Whirl: Increases damage dealt to toppled enemies.

Did I Do That?: Chance to not deplete recharge after a Driver Art or Special.
Doesn't Ring a Bell: Chance to reset recharge for an enemy Art when a special connects.
Surprise!: Increases damage dealt by a surprise attack.

Entomology Lv.3
Leaping Lv.3
Birdbrain Lv.3

Floren
Earth Elemental HLR - Bitball
Unlocked Randomly with Core Crystals
Modifier: Ether 10%

[AFFINITY NODE] Beguiling Charms

There are NPCs you can interact with with Floren engaged to use his Beguiling Charms Skill. Using it enough will level it up more and more. The NPCs are as follows (sourced from Community Spreadsheet and the Wiki):

Lv.1:

Tonadon: Argentum -> Goldmouth Flight Deck (closer to Goldmouth Wheelhouse)
Nolha: Mor Ardain -> Alba Cavanich -> Ayvill Shopping District
Gheena: paddies northwest of Uraya -> Fonsa Myma -> Fonsa Myma Gate (daytime)
Oryette: Indol -> Indoline Sanctum
Lv.2

Phorgas: Leftheria -> Fonsett Island -> Verde Carpentry Workshop (daytime)
Dorcea: Tantal -> Theosoir -> Residential Area
Lv.3

Ciiamran: Mor Ardain -> Hardhaigh Palace -> Throne Room
Ashe: Gormott -> Torigoth -> Torigoth Relay Base
Lv.4

Domko: Uraya -> Fonsa Myma -> Fonsa Myma Port
Lv.5

Vestro: Uraya -> Garfont Village -> Training Grounds (daytime)
Emillian: Tantal -> Theosoir -> Soprac Old Market
[BLADE QUEST] Nature Boy

Starting the Quest:
You'll need to use Beguiling Charms on Gheena to acquire the Silver Pendant. You'll also need to unlock Floren's Lv.5 Key Affinity. To start the quest, head to the paddies just outside Fonsa Myma, Uraya.

Lavender Drive: Increases damage dealt to launched enemies.
Lilium Dance: When landing a hit, restores part of damage dealt to the whole party.
Physalis Judgment: Spawns a small HP Potion on hit, with a chance to spawn 2.

The Coming of Spring: Increases effectiveness of party healing when at max Affinity.
Blossomfall: Restores HP to teammates when incapacitated.
White Lilies: Increases aggro reduction.

Botany Lv.5
Earth Mastery Lv.3
Beguiling Charms Lv.5

Godfrey
Ice Elemental TNK - Shield Hammer
Unlocked Randomly with Core Crystals
Modifier: Max HP 15%

[AFFINITY NODE] Field Skills

To unlock Godfrey's Field Skills, you'll need to send him out on Merc Missions for each one. They have requirements that involve one of Godfrey's 3 unique Field Skills. All of them are named "Allies of Justice", and there are 6 of them total.

[BLADE QUEST] Flames of Justice

Starting the Quest:
You'll need to be in or past Chapter 6. You'll also need to unlock Godfrey's Lv.4 Key Affinity and you'll likely need to unlock most or all of his Field Skills. With Godfrey engaged, head to the Inn in Fonsa Myma, Uraya, to begin the quest.

Tough Break: Increases damage dealt to enemies targeting the user.
Cold Judgment: Increases damage dealt to toppled enemies.
Justice Blizzard: Increases damage dealt when HP is 30% or less.

Got the Guts: Reduces damage taken when HP is 30% or lower.
Fierce Fervor: Increases damage dealt to higher level enemies.
Light of Justice: Restores HP every second while HP is 30% or less.

Passionate Soul Lv.3
Justice-Loving Soul Lv.3
Kind Soul Lv.3

Gorg
Water Elemental ATK - Greataxe
Unlocked Randomly with Core Crystals
Modifier: Max HP 15%

[BLADE QUEST] Follow Your Passion

Starting the Quest:
You'll need to unlock Gorg's Lv.3 Key Affinity, and you'll need to be in Chapter 5 or later to complete the quest. With him engaged, speak to Alban in Fonsa Myma Port, Uraya to start the quest.

Innocent Teardrop: Increases Affinity when using a Special.
Bittersweet Dreams: Reduces aggro towards user upon landing a hit.
Leave Me Alone: Increases damage dealt to toppled enemies.

FTL: Reduces party damage taken at max Affinity.
IMD: Raises physical defense.
FAS: Increases damage dealt to aquatic organisms.

Keen Eye Lv.3
Fortitude Lv.3
Patissier Lv.3

Herald
Electric Elemental ATK - Ether Cannon
Unlocked with the Sealed Core Crystal
Modifier: Strength 15%

[UNLOCKING] The Sealed Core Crystal

If you head straight south from the Seafood Shop in Theosoir, you'll notice a staircase leading down. Go down them and hug the wall to your right and move forward along it and around to the other side, where you'll see a cracked wall. You'll need a whopping FIVE levels of Superstrength and Earth Mastery to bust it down, which is an awful lot.

Once you've torn down that wall, inside you'll notice a shrine that requires some items. You have a lot of choices here, but you'll need to collect a lot of items to unlock what the shrine has in store. I recommend farming the Black Pomegranates above the other items. You can find them by Skipping to Uraya -> Stomach -> Yurna the Elderwood and searching the two Collection Points nearby, one directly to your left after Skipping there and one in a nearby pool to the north of the Landmark. You'll need 100 of these, though, so you'll be here for a little while. Once you offer up enough items, you'll receive the Sealed Core Crystal, which should be available to awaken immediately.

[AFFINITY NODE] Key Affinity/Rampage

This one is simple: just use her Specials in battle.

[BLADE QUEST] The Calm and The Storm

Starting the Quest:
You'll need to be in Chapter 7 or later, and you'll need to unlock Herald's Lv.5 Key Affinity. With her engaged, speak to King Eulogimenos in Theoscaldia Palace, Tantal, to start the quest.

Empyrean Salvo: Increases critical damage.
The Heavens Open: Adds a chance of dealing a guard-annulling attack.
Final Retribution: Increases damage dealt when HP is 30% or less.

Dissolve Seal: Deal and take more damage when at max Affinity.
Taboo: Increases aggro reduction.
Unlimited Output: Restores part of the damage dealt as HP after a successful auto-attack.

Electric Mastery Lv.3
Superstrength Lv.3
Rampage Lv.5

Kasandra
Dark Elemental TNK - Shield Hammer
Unlocked with the Lucky Core Crystal
Modifier: Max HP 15%

[UNLOCKING] The Lucky Core Crystal

Skip to Alba Cavanich and head over to the local Informant. He's sitting in an alley near Jakolo's Inn. Buy the Greedy Monster information off of him for 8000 G, and buy a few Normal Cylinders while you're here.

Skip to Anangham #2 Dock. You'll want to get past the gate that's here that I mentioned in Chapter 4, and you'll need the key from the Fief of Forgetfulness to do it. If you don't have it, it's in the southwest corner of the Fief in a red item bag, and there are more detailed instructions for getting it in either Chapter 4 of the guide or in Vess's Blade Quest details down below.

This is where things get tricky, as a very powerful monster usually roams around in this area. Avoid and/or run from the guy and head for the salvaging point to the west on the other side of the gate.

Salvage here for a while and you'll run into Gluttonous Marrin (Lv.39), who oddly enough doesn't count as a UM if I recall correctly. He can be kinda tough right now, but with a good set up and good Blade Combos, you should be fine so long as no one falls off the edge (or ends up there because of Blowdown) and/or the level 80+ enemies don't see you and murder you for existing.

Defeat Marrin and you'll get a Lucky Core Crystal, which should be immediately available for resonance.

[BLADE QUEST] Our Daily Bread

Starting the Quest:
When Kasandra has her Lv.3 Key Affinity unlocked, rest at the inn in Torigoth with her engaged to begin the quest.

Sentimental Burst: Increases aggro drawn from Specials.
Hidden Emotion: Increases damage dealt to enemies targeting user.
Secret Desire: Increases damage dealt when HP is 30% or less.

Calamity: Slightly raises aggro every second and increases all attack aggro.
Fortune: Absorbs part of critical damage dealt as HP.
Stability: Increases damage dealt from the front.

Nopon Wisdom Lv.3
Agronomy Lv.3
One Lucky Gal Lv.3

Kora
Electric Elemental HLR - Knuckle Claw
Unlocked Randomly with Core Crystals
Modifier: Ether 10%

[BLADE QUEST] Girl Power-Off

Starting the Quest:
You'll need to unlock Kora's Lv.5 Key affinity first, and you'll need to have Pyra/Mythra engaged as well. You'll also need a sum total of Lv.12 Girls' Talk between your Blades to complete the quest. Kora can reach Lv.5, and Mythra, Vale, Sheba, and Praxis can reach Lv.3. Head to the inn in Theosoir to begin the quest.

Electric Pompom: Increases damage dealt to launched enemies.
Vivid Love: Spawns a small HP Potion on hit, with a chance to spawn 2.
Angelic Drop: When landing a hit, restores part of damage dealt as HP to the whole party.

Stop Thinking: Chance to stop enemy moving for 3 seconds after landing a Special.
Walking Joy: Restores HP every second while moving.
Potion Hoarder: Extends time HP Potions remain on the ground.

Girls' Talk Lv.5
Electric Mastery Lv.3
Lockpicking Lv.3

KOS-MOS
Light Elemental ATK - Ether Cannon
Unlocked Randomly with Core Crystals (and a lot of luck)
Modifier: Ether 20%

[BLADE QUEST] Artificial Intelligence

Starting the Quest:
You'll need to be about halfway through Chapter 9 and have KOS-MOS's Lv.4 Key Affinity unlocked. Head all the way to the end of the 7th Perimeter Skyport, World Tree, with her engaged to begin the quest.

R-Blade: Increases critical damage.
H-Effect R: When landing a hit, restores part of damage dealt as HP to the whole party.
F-G-Shot: Adds a chance of dealing a guard-annulling attack.

Phase Transition Tech: Annuls enemy defense and increases Special damage dealt.
Hyperclock: Deal more and take less damage at max Affinity.
Encephalon: Reduces aggro build-up from attacks.

Light Mastery Lv.3
Lockpicking Lv.3
Mental Arithmetic Lv.3

Newt
Fire Elemental TNK - Chroma Katana
Unlocked Randomly with Core Crystals
Modifier: Max HP 20%

[BLADE QUEST] Newt Recruits

Starting the Quest:
You'll need to unlock Newt's Titan Weapon Wisdom Lv.3 to finish the quest, and doing so before starting it will fulfill the requirements for starting the quest anyway, so go ahead and do so. You'll also need Mòrag in the party to have access to Hardhaigh Palace. With Newt engaged, head to Torigoth Relay Base, Gormott, to begin the quest.

Flaming Slashwave: Increases aggro drawn from Specials.
Immolating Cleave: Increases damage dealt to launched enemies.
Extreme Gutsy Spirit: Adds a chance of dealing a guard-annulling attack.

Tranquil Guard: Adds a chance to prevent reactions to enemy Driver Combos.
Last Line of Defense: Reduces damage from enemies within a 5m radius.
Flowers of War: Increases aggro drawn from auto-attacks by 30%.

Superstrength Lv.3
Salvaging Mastery Lv.3
Titan Weapon Wisdom Lv.3

Nim
Earth Elemental HLR - Knuckle Claws 
Unlocked Randomly with Core Crystals
Modifier: Dexterity 10%

[BLADE QUEST] A Phonex Tale

Starting the Quest:
You'll need to progress Nim's Phonex Linguistics to Lv.2 and unlock her Lv.3 Key Affinity first. You'll also need to be past Chapter 5. To start the quest, speak to the Phonex in Fonsett Island, Leftheria, with Nim engaged.

Fierce Healer: When landing a hit, restores part of the damage dealt to the whole party.
Wild Grappler: Spawns a small HP Potion on hit, with a chance to spawn 2.
Organic Automata: When landing a hit, restores part of the damage dealt to the whole party.

Restorative Fusion: Restores party's HP on starting Fusion Combo.
Synthesis Lore: Boosts Fusion Combo effect by 25%.
Wild Familiars: Increases damage dealt to beasts.

Earth Mastery: Lv.3
Ichthyology Lv.3
Phonex Linguistics Lv.3

Perceval
Dark Elemental TNK - Chroma Katana
Unlocked Randomly with Core Crystals
Modifier: Agility 10%

[BLADE QUEST] Failure and Success

Starting the Quest:
You'll need to be in Chapter 4 or beyond. With Perceval engaged, head to the western edge of Nharil Central Plaza, Mor Ardain, to begin the quest.

Dark Serpent: Increases aggro drawn from Specials.
Blade Vortex: Increases damage dealt to enemies targeting the user.
Grim Moon: Adds a chance to incapacitate enemy (fails on bosses and uniques).

Eater of Men: Increases damage dealt for each enemy incapacitated.
Soulsucker: Restores HP each time an enemy is defeated.
Brandish: Adds chance of felling a humanoid on attack (fails on bosses/uniques).

Dark Master Lv.3
Leaping Lv.3
Assassination Lv.3

Perun
Ice Elemental ATK - Megalance
Unlocked Randomly with Core Crystals
Modifier: Dexterity 10%

[AFFINITY NODE] Key Affinity Lv.2

Around Alrest are NPC that you can do nice things for. These are generally people with Trophy icons, such as the cookie selling girl in Indol and the courier in Argentum. Interact with three of them to open up Perun's Affinity Chart.

[BLADE QUEST] Eternal Spirit

Starting the Quest:
You'll need to be in Chapter 6 or beyond, and I HIGHLY recommend not waiting until the Final Chapter, as the quest will take you to the Old Factory. You'll also need to unlock Perun's Lv.2 Chivalry Field Skill. With Perun engaged, interact with the notice board in Central Exchange, Argentum, to begin the quest.

Cold Sever: Increases damage dealt from the side.
Punishment Strike: Reduces aggro towards user upon landing a hit.
Extinction Icicle: Increases damage dealt when an ally is incapacitated.

Defender: Deal more and take less damage if ally has low HP or is felled.
Silent Spear: Reduces aggro drawn from auto-attacks.
Battle Plans: Increases auto-attack damage.

Ice Mastery Lv.3
Ancient Wisdom Lv.3
Chivalry Lv.3

Praxis
Water Elemental ATK - Megalance
Unlocked by the Quest Crystal Clear
Modifier: Dexterity 10%

[BLADE QUEST] Crystal Clear

Starting the Quest:
To start the quest, head to any informant on Alrest in Chapter 5 and beyond and purchase the Core Crystal Hunters information. You'll also need a minimum of 10 Core Crystals in your inventory. Once you collect those items, Skip back to Torigoth and go to the alleyway where you fought Brighid back in Chapter 2, beyond where the Aux Core Store is located.

As soon as you reach that alleyway, you'll be accosted and the quest will begin, as will...

Boss Time: Piratical Praxis (Lv.33), Plunderous Theory (Lv.33)
Praxis, being the ATK blade, deals more damage than Theory, the TNK, so go after her first. Neither of them are particularly tough, so you shouldn't be too worried, and even if you take an absolute beating, the fight ends before either of them gets down to less than half health.

Hunting for the Core Hunters:

After that fight, make your way to the Torigoth Relay Base and speak to the soldier with a quest marker above his head, standing near a warehouse. You'll need to complete a Merc Mission in Mor Ardain titled False Rumor. It takes 20 minutes to complete and requires 2 male, 2 female, and 2 animal blades, which you should have across all your Commons. You can also shorten that time with the Field Skills Girls' Talk and Expeditionist.

Once the Merc Mission ends, return to Torigoth Relay Base and speak to the solider from earlier. Now, you'll need to send Blades on another Merc Mission, Ambush. This one has ??:??:?? listed as its time to complete, meaning that no matter what, the mission won't end until you meet some requirement in the game, which in this case is completing Crystal Clear. You'll need one Fire and one Electric Blade, as well as one Blade with at least 20 Strength, which is tricky to come by and may involve sending a Rare like Suzaku or Wulfric along. Send off your team and you'll be directed to go to Mor Ardain.

To actually get where you need to go, Skip to Kedeigh Gate and head north across the bridge. Go down the first staircase on the right (just opposite of the ones you took to get to the Fief of Forgetfulness). There's a huge pipe here that you'll need to jump on. Follow that pipe all the way to the cliff and take a look down below you. You'll see a ledge and possibly some boxes on that ledge, and a pipe-cave near there. You'll also probably notice some metal bars nearby. If you think you can land down on the ledge without dying, jump now. Otherwise, jump onto the bar, then the ledge.

Once you land, you'll come across your target.

Boss Time: Thieving Waldemar (Lv.35), Criminal Praxis (Lv.35)

There's three enemies here, but Waldemar happens to be Theory's Driver, so you'll only have two foes to deal with. Unlike before, even though Praxis is an ATKer, Waldemar is a much more serious threat here, as his specials deal an absurd amount of damage in a fairly wide AOE, and can even inflict Blowdown. Waldemar himself can inflict Topple on a single party member too, after which he'll lay on even more damage on the stunned party member. Praxis, on the other hand, can't deal nearly that much damage on her own. Just keep up with the healing and you'll probably be fine.

Completion:
Once you've dealt with Waldemar, you'll need to return to Torigoth to complete the quest (don't forget to do this!!). You'll receive your reward for the quest, the most important one being Praxis's Core Crystal.

Foam Blast: Reduces aggro toward user upon landing a hit.
Geyser Spring: Adds a chance of dealing a guard-annulling attack.
Fierce Deluge: Increases damage dealt from the side.

The Awakened (Power): Increases damage dealt when Affinity is at max.
The Awakened (Skill): Increases accuracy at max Affinity.
Brimming Pep: Increases damage dealt when HP is 90% or higher.

Girls' Talk Lv.3
Water Mastery Lv.3
Salvaging Mastery Lv.3

Sheba
Water Elemental ATK - Ether Cannon
Unlocked with the Inherited Core Crystal
Modifier: Ether 15%

[UNLOCKING] The Inherited Core Crystal

You can buy her Core Crystal from the Junk Shop in Torigoth for 500,000 G

[AFFINITY NODE] Key Affinity Lv.2-5

To unlock her Affinity Chart, take her to Goldmouth Warehouse and fill the money box there as much as you can. You will need 1,000,000 G to reach all the way to Lv.5.

[BLADE QUEST] Fool's Gold

Starting the Quest:
You'll need to unlock her Lv.5 Key Affinity, which means grinding 1,000,000 G and storing it in Sheba's bank in the Goldmouth Warehouse. Afterwards, engage her and head to the Little Garden of Tradition in Leftheria to begin the quest (it's a small island in the northern end of the Rigitte Waters, just on top of the Cloud Sea).

Dessert Bomb: Increases damage dealt when HP is 90% or higher.
Tea Leaves: Increases critical damage.
Golden Font: Adds chance to drop gold upon landing a hit.

Economicanimal: Increases attack power as gold is collected during battle.
Entitled Entourage: Increases damage dealt for each female in battle (except self).
Financial Settlement: Reduces aggro drawn from Specials and Driver Arts.

Girls' Talk Lv.3
Lockpicking Lv.3
Eye for Beauty Lv.3

Theory
Ice Elemental TNK - Chroma Katana 
Unlocked with the Quest Blade-Sharp Memory
Modifier: Agility 15%

[BLADE QUEST] Blade-Sharp Memory

Starting the Quest:
You'll need to be in Chapter 7 or later. You'll also need to unlock Praxis's Lv.4 Key Affinity, and you'll need to have previously completed the quest Crystal Clear.
Once you fulfill those requirements, Skip to Uraya -> Fonsa Myma -> Fonsa Myma Port and head up the stairs as if you were headed to the Holy Gate Fontana for a scene and the start of the Quest.

In Search of the Mystery Assailant:
After the scene, you'll be directed to collect a crystal from a nearby quarry. Skip to Stomach -> Stone Gate Ruins and walk north and a bit to the west down a side path to reach the Old Quarry. The Thunder Crystal's in the very back of the quarry, so head right there and collect your prize. Be careful, though. A UM, Howitzer Leon (Lv.48) is sleeping right next to the item bag with the crystal.

Once you have the crystal, Skip to Gormott -> Torigoth -> Garagorm's Arch and walk forward for another scene. Check the spear in front of you to learn about your next objective.

Pest Control:
You'll receive 3 quests here, Pest Control 1, 2, and 3. You'll need to travel all around Alrest for this one. I'll go over these subquests and where to go in order.

Magno Blants: Skip to Uraya -> Head -> Sternum Arch and walk east.
Bodom Grebel: Skip to Spirit Crucible Elpys ->Middle Level -> Wonder Spring Plaza Ruins and walk back as if you were heading towards the entrance of the Crucible and you'll find them along the way.
Cherys Medooz: Skip to whatever Landmark in Leftheria you believe is closest to Lud Cloudway. It's the Cloudway we didn't take the first time we came to Leftheria, so either head south of Ysheva Harbor or northeast of Baldotas Isle to get to Lud Cloudway. Your target is somewhere in the middle of this Cloudway, however, during the fight, you'll likely also encounter Mediator Theory (Lv.48), who'll cause you some trouble. Defeat them all for a brief bit of dialogue.
Once you've completed the Pest Control quests, Skip to Mor Ardain -> Alba Cavanich -> Nharil Central Plaza and walk forward a bit for a scene. Examine the spear to receive your next destination: Lost Capital Judicium.

Encounter in Judicium:
Unless you've explored Temperantia on your own time after Chapter 5, you'll need to head to Judicium the long way. Skip to Temperantia -> Central Plain -> Haggle's Swordtip. You'll need to jump down to the bottom, but the drop from Haggle's Swordtip will kill you. You'll need to interact with the Field Skill point at the tip of the cliff (it requires Wind Mastery and Leaping Lv.1, which you have). You'll land on Aeshma, and from there you can jump down to the ground. Now that you're down here, head south as far as you can until you see some tents in the distance. Approach them to find the Ardainian Garrison Landmark. Turn east and you'll see a big Titan weapon in the distance. Head right towards it to reach the Titan Weapon Dig Site Landmark. Keep going east, and when you see a split in the path, take either path. Hug the easternmost wall and head south to the objective, the Lost Capital Judicium Secret Area, and...

Boss Time: Vengeful Waldemar (Lv.53), Spoot Driver (Lv.51), Grep Driver (Lv.51)

Okay... this fight is actually really tough. Once again, Waldemar is the tank of this party, and like before, he also (strangely) deals WAY more damage than the other enemies here. This is basically the game's first introduction to late game Driver bosses, who are all WAAAAAY stronger than their level implies. The other two enemies aren't that tough, but they can cause issues if left alone, so target one (and only one) of them first.

The trouble with this fight is that Waldemar has a counter Spike Damage effect. EVERY TIME YOU MISS HIM, YOU WILL TAKE OVER 500 DAMAGE STRAIGHT TO THE FACE. This is compounded on by the fact that he has an Art that lets him evade attacks for a short while, letting you destroy yourselves on his Spikes. With more levels, you'll be less likely to miss unless he uses his Evasion Art, which will help mitigate damage. There's also Theory's Lv.3 Special, Rebel Sister, which will deal over 3/4 of Rex's HP in damage, likely killing someone. Also, if you're really struggling, give Nia Bitball and Twin Ring Blades to give her access to Healing Arts on all 3 slots, so she can easily switch whenever she wants.

I highly recommend waiting until mid-Chapter 8 before attempting this fight.

Hit him with 2 Blade Combos and make sure to use Aegis for the last one, then use a Chain Attack when he gets to around half health to finish him.

Completing the Quest:
Defeat Waldemar and you'll get a scene, after which the quest will end, and you'll receive Theory's Core Crystal, which you can awaken after you do a few battles here and there.

[BLADE QUEST] Theory and Praxis

Starting the Quest:
You'll need both Praxis and Theory unlocked and engaged, and you'll need Pyra/Mythra, Nia, Tora, Mòrag, and Zeke in the party. You'll also need to have viewed the Heart-to-Heart Rough Diamond in Orl Cloudway: Fonsett, Leftheria, which is accessible after staying in Corrine's house with Praxis and Theory engaged, and with Praxis's Lv.5 Key Affinity unlocked. Head to the cafe in the southwest area of the Commercial District in Fonsa Myma to start the quest.

Ice Slash: Increases aggro drawn from Specials.
Frost Banish: Increases damage dealt to enemies targeting the user.
Rebel Sister: Increases critical damage.

Aerial Flashdance: Counters attacks with physical damage.
Conviction: Increases damage dealt to enemies targeting the user.
Steadfast: Boost Break resistance.

Ice Mastery Lv.3
Focus Lv.3
Nopon Wisdom Lv.3

Ursula
Ice Elemental HLR - Knuckle Claws
Unlocked Randomly with Core Crystals
Modifier: Agility 10%

[BLADE QUEST] Bearing Her Soul

Starting the Quest:
You'll need to complete the Heart-to-Heart Not Quite Comfortable Yet, which requires Rex, Tora, and Ursula in the party and can be found at the Cobalt Cliffs, Uraya. With Nia, Tora, Pyra/Mythra, and Ursula in the party, speak to Kiara in Torigoth, by the fountain, to begin the quest.

Beary Strong: Spawns a small HP Potion on hit, with a chance to spawn 2.
Beary Helpful: When landing a hit, restores part of damage dealt to the whole party.
Beary-Go-Round: Increases damage dealt when HP is 30% or less.

Snow Charm: When Affinity reaches max, grant party damage barrier of 40-60% of max HP.
Beary Healing: Heals part of party's HP upon performing a Blade Switch.
Hide and Seek: Reduces aggro drawn from Specials and Driver Arts.

Harmony Lv.5
Ichthyology Lv.3
Fortitude Lv.3

Vale
Dark Elemental ATK - Megalance
Unlocked Randomly with Core Crystals
Modifier: Ether 15%

[BLADE QUEST] The Ties That Bind

Starting the Quest:
You'll need to unlock Vale's Lv.5 Key Affinity, and you'll need to have cleared the first dungeon of Chapter 7 to complete the quest. With her engaged, speak to Mamumu at Nharil Central Plaza, Mor Ardain, to begin the quest.

Blood Altar: Increases damage dealt when HP is 30% or less.
Tainted Palace: Small chance of felling a beast on attack.
Accursed Prison: Adds a chance of dealing a guard-annulling attack.

Violence Machine: Increases damage dealt each time a Special is used.
Void Lance: Increases damage dealt from the side.
Overture of Blood: Increases damage dealt to Launched enemies.

Dark Mastery Lv.3
Weaving Lv.3
Girls' Talk Lv.3

Vess
Electric Elemental HLR - Bitball
Unlocked by the Quest Tranquility
Modifier: Max HP 10%

[BLADE QUEST] Tranquility

Starting the Quest:
To start this quest, go back to Torigoth during the day. You'll see a woman named Vess standing near the Vegetable Shop in town. Speak to her to begin the Quest.

Gathering Ingredients:

Salty Soil: You can find this in Uraya -> Olethro Ruins -> Olethro Playhouse. Either of the Collection Points up here can yield it, but the western one drops it more often.
Gromrice: You can gather this from the rice paddies near either Uraya -> Fonsa Myma -> Fonsa Myma Gate or Uraya -> Garfont Village -> Mercenary HQ.
Ruby Mangosteen: You can find this in the collection points near Uraya -> Stomach -> Eight-Rock Skip or Uraya -> Head -> Greatmaw Rapids.
Vess's Driver:
After collecting the above, return to Vess in Torigoth. She'll invite you to her Driver's home, so head south and a bit east of Abble's Fountain and up the stairs. You should see Vess and her Driver standing on the patio of the house to the left. Head up onto the patio for a bit of dialogue. To get the firewood Vess asks for, Skip back to Torigoth Arch and immediately go north. Your objective should be standing behind a little table in the small lumber yard around here. Speak to Dward to get the firewood (it's in an item bag behind him), then return to Vess's house for a scene.

After a hearty meal of Jelly Doughnuts, Mabon will ask you to get him some Bitter Choclit and a Fruity Rice Ball. The Choclit is easy enough, just buy some from the Dessert Shop in Fonsa Myma (near Mymoma Playhouse, if you recall). Unfortunately, the Fruity Rice Ball will take a bit more work. You'll need to build up Argentum's Dev Level to at least 1 star by either Salvaging and Exchanging or by doing sidequests. Then, you'll need to complete the Merc Mission Long-Awaited Work. You'll need a Megalance and a Bitball Blade and about 40 minutes to do this one, but you can use Expeditionist or Dark Mastery Field Skills to shorten that time.

Once you've completed Long-Awaited Work, go to Honeycomb Sweets in Argentum and buy the Fruity Rice Ball. With both sweets in hand, return to Mabon in Torigoth. He'll ask you to give the Fruity Rice Ball to Vess, so do that too, then speak to Mabon again.

The Golden Bracers:
Mabon wants you to locate a set of golden bracers he and Vess had acquired on his travels. Thing is, he and Vess can't agree on where they buried them. Vess thinks they're in Uraya, Mabon thinks they're in Mor Ardain, and reality says they're in both.

The easier of the two to find is in Uraya. Skip to Fonsa Myma -> Holy Gate of Fontana, and turn around 180 degrees. Up ahead you'll see a massive staircase leading downwards. Notice the water flowing down the sides of the staircase. You'll need to hop on one of those and slide all the way down. Make sure you jump at the end of the slide. Do so, and you'll land in the Ruins of Fountain Park. You might be able to get that Landmark registered, even if you completely fail the jump, so if you do, Skip to it. Notice how there's a ledge beneath the park you're standing on right now. head south a little bit and drop down to that ledge, then head around north to the other side of the island to dig up Mabon's bracer. It'll be the point on the ground right below the staircase.

Now on to Mor Ardain. You'll need it to be Low Tide for this, so take a long rest at Jakolo's Inn if it's not. Once you've done that, Skip to Kedeigh Gate and head northwest to a somewhat hard to see staircase. Go down 2 flights and stop at around the middle of the bridge above you. Look towards the ground. You should see a building jutting out of the cliff face, with a bright shining Collection Point on its roof. Jump down onto it. Jump onto the ledge to its left, then onto the building directly below the first one. From here, jump onto the ledge to the right of the building, towards the collection point you can see there. There's a tunnel here that leads all the way down to the Fief of Forgetfulness. Be careful, though, as the tunnel is so steep, you might accidentally jump off and kill yourself. The buried chest is on the southwestern corner of the Fief. Make sure you approach it from the western edge of the island, as there is a UM on the eastern end. ALSO, while you're here, pick up the red item back by the near by rock, located right next to the tower to the east of the buried treasure. This is the key do the door on the far side of Port Anangham.

When you've found both bracers, return to Mabon in Torigoth to receive one final mission. You'll need to deliver the bracers to his children, one for each of them, and predictably, one lives in Uraya and the other in Mor Ardain.

First, Uraya. Skip to either the Fonsa Myma Gate or Mymoma Playhouse and walk to the plaza where the Art Shop is located. Mabon's daughter Noelle is standing behind the Shop. Speak to her to deliver the bracer.

Now, Mor Ardain. Skip to Kedeigh Gate and head to the Aux Core Store. Mabon's son, Antis, is standing on the landing right above the Aux Core Store. Speak to him to deliver the bracer.

Once you've delivered the bracers, return to Mabon in Torigoth one more time. After a scene, head on over to the other side of the house to complete the quest.

Quest Completion:
After completing this quest, you'll be rewarded with Vess's Core Crystal.

Healing Bolt: When landing a hit, restores part of damage dealt to the whole party.
Ball Lightning: Increases damage dealt to machines.
Thunderstrike: Spawns a small HP Potion on hit, with a chance to spawn 2.

Space-Tea-Time: Reduces recharge of enemies in battle when at max Affinity.
Sympathy: Increases Affinity when a fellow Driver misses an attack.
Not Part of the Plan: Increases critical hit rate.

Forestry Lv.3
Fortitude Lv.3
Dumpling Pro Lv.5

Wulfric
Earth Elemental ATK - Megalance
Unlocked with the Beastly Core Crystal, given to you in Chapter 3 and made available in Chapter 4
Modifier: Strength 15%

[BLADE QUEST] Tender-Hearted Beast

Starting the Quest:
You only need to have Wulfric engaged and have cleared the first dungeon of Chapter 6, but this quest will unlock his Lv.3 Key Affinity, so you may as well unlock his Lv.2 Key Affinity with the Heart-to-Heart in Fonsett Island. To begin this quest, speak to Evart at the Theospiti Temple Ruins in Theosoir.

Brutal Lance: Increases damage dealt to toppled enemies.
Termination Blast: Increases damage dealt when HP is 30% or less.
Hellbound: Adds a chance of dealing a guard-annulling attack.

The Preturnatural: Increases damage dealt to toppled or launched enemies.
Power Unleashed: Increases damage dealt when Affinity is at max.
Critical Strike: Increases critical damage.

Superstrength Lv.5
Earth Mastery Lv.5
Focus Lv.5

Zenobia
Wind Elemental ATK - Greataxe
Unlocked Randomly with Core Crystals
Modifier: Strength 15%

[AFFINITY NODE] Key Affinity/Affinity Tree

To unlock Zenobia's Key Affinity, you'll need to send her on a series of Merc Missions all over Alrest, all of which are named Zenobia's Enemy, followed by a number. I'll list them here, along with their locations and requirements:

Argentum: Electric Mastery Lv.1+
Gormott: Ice Mastery Lv.1+
Uraya: Fire Mastery Lv.1+
Mor Ardain: Earth Mastery Lv.1+
Her Tree's nodes are unique among Rare Blade's Affinity Charts: With a couple exceptions, almost ALL of them are unlocked by slaying Unique Monsters across all of Alrest. The following is a "brief" list of the targets and their locations, sourced from Reddit user u/MCantus's post, titled Sparky's Hit List, which contains a more complete version of the list. All credit goes to them.

Cunning Saggie (Lv.24): South of Eight-Rock Skip, Uraya
Confiscator Jimmy (Lv.38): On Daram Isle, Leftheria
Machine-Gun Julio (Lv.53): Open area past by Cliffs of Morytha Inlet
Crimson Derric (Lv.58): Near Jubilee Gate, Cliffs of Morytha
Martial Kamron (Lv.23): Near Stone Gate Ruins, Uraya
Skyfist Remington (Lv.39): Along the bridge between Fonsett Island and Ysheva Harbor, Leftheria
Evileye Manbor (Lv.54): Along the wooden walkway by Runo Cave-in, Cliffs of Morytha
Vagrant Baldr (Lv.62): Beyond the valley northeast of Midorl Bridge, Mor Ardain
Demon-Shell Jacob (Lv.30): Eastern edge of the Fief of Forgetfulness, Mor Ardain
Azure Reginald (Lv.41): In the water below the Crown of Sanctuary, Uraya
Soul-Eater Stanley (Lv.56): Below and to the east of the Great Wall Tunnel #8, Land of Morytha
Parasite Aplacus (Lv.58): Near the center of the Womb Center, Land of Morytha
Acute Melvyn (Lv.25): Near Bolderbore Gate, Gormott
Jadeite Polly (Lv.38): In the center of Baldotas Isle, Leftheria, during an Aurora (try ~4am)
Malicious Dimitri (Lv.57): In a stairwell west of Great Wall Tunnel #8, Land of Morytha
Praetorian Argus (Lv.65): Near the Salvage Point on the end of the 7th Perimeter Skyport, World Tree
Supercharged Alfonso (Lv.20): Around Masrah Spring, Gormott
Decapitator Marvin (Lv.33): Past the Ruined Laborer's Bridge, Mor Ardain
Glamorous Alfred (Lv.50): Among the giant spiders near the Stele of Judgement, Spirit Crucible Elpys
Praetorian Medea (Lv.66): Along the 7th Perimeter Skyport, World Tree
Implacable Dylan (Lv.23): Around the Acid Gullet, Uraya
Myrmidon Eugene (Lv.33): On the catwalk near the Abandoned Excavation, Mor Ardain
Holy Lancer Efrain (Lv.51): Along the walkway between the Stele of Judgement and the Portal of the Hero, Elpys
Atrocious Hermes (Lv.58): At the Bastion of Varrac, Temperantia
Sniping Brent (Lv.18): Around Melnath's Shoulder, Gormott
Judicial Kollin (Lv.33): In a side-path in the Old Industrial District, Mor Ardain
Runaway Train Bool (Lv.55): West of the Ardainian Garrison, Temperantia
Ravenwing Skull (Lv.62): By the Xataris Spring, Temperantia
Sad Bernard (Lv.12): Around the Garanti Plain, Gormott
Man-Eating Glenn (Lv.32): Southwest of the Mine Elevator, Mor Ardain
Peerless Beaufort (Lv.49): Around the Isle of Sleeping Remains, Leftheria
Moonlighting Elwyn (Lv.8): Just outside of Torigoth on the Plains of Evening Calm, Gormott
Tattooed Hugo (Lv.31): On a pillar in Mor Ardain accessible through Smùide Mountain in Alba Cavanich. There's a gate near Jakolo's Inn that allows access to the Mountain, and cable cars on the mountain that lead to the UM.
Impassable Edgar (Lv.60): By the Declessa Altar Hill, Tantal
[BLADE QUEST] A Real Challenge

Starting the Quest:
You'll need to open up Zenobia's Chart with the Zenobia's Enemy Merc Missions. To finish the quest, you will need Lv.? of every Elemental Mastery in the game except Light, which only requires Lv.?, as well as Lv.? THING, THING, and THING. The more Rare Blades you have, the easier this will go, but Wulfric and Zenobia both have Lv.5 Superstrength and Lv.5 of their Elemental Mastery, which helps a lot. Mythra and KOS-MOS, by the way, are the only Blades in the game with Light Mastery, so you may need to level it up on Mythra for this quest. You'll also need to be in Chapter 6 or later, but given how high level the quest is, you'll likely be past that point already. To start the quest, send Zenobia on a Merc Mission in Argentum named We Need to Talk, then speak to Zenobia in the Goldmouth Residential District.

Diabolic Zephyr: Increases damage dealt when HP is 30% or less.
Adamantine Axe: Increases damage dealt to toppled enemies.
Ascension Blade: Increases damage dealt to higher leveled enemies.

Carnage: Increases damage dealt when battling a boss or UM
The Indomitable: Increases damage dealt to higher-level enemies.
Greatest Warrior: Adds to damage dealt for each enemy in the battle.

Wind Mastery Lv.5
Superstrength Lv.5
Leaping Lv.5

DLC Blades
These are Rare Blades available only by purchasing the Expansion Pass.

Poppibuster
Light Elemental TNK - Shield Hammer
Unlocked by the Blade Quest Shiny New Power
Modifier: Agility 15%

[BLADE QUEST] Shiny New Power

Starting the Quest:
With the Expansion Pass purchased, receive the first Rare Blade pack distributed in version 1.4.0. Then, in Chapter 5 or beyond with Mòrag, Tora, and Poppi in the party, travel to Tora's House in Torigoth to begin the quest.

Gathering Information:
For this part, you'll need to use Specials from specific Blades at least once. Very specifically, you need to use the following Specials:

Beam Barrage (Lv.3), from a Female Common Ether Cannon
Assault Rush (Lv.2), from a Male Common Knuckle Claw
Dual Fang (Lv.2), from a Common Twin Rings
Axe Throw (Lv.3), from a Male Common Greataxe
Aerial Shield (Lv.1), from a Female Common Shield Hammer
Flash Bomb (Lv.1), from a Female Common Bitball
Beam Halberd (Lv.2), from a Giant Common Megalance
Multi-Raid (Lv.3), from a Male Common Chroma Katana
After using one of each special from these specific Blades, travel to Mor Ardain -> Old Factory -> Bulge Harbor and investigate the crates to the right.

Proof of Identity:
Travel to Uraya -> Fonsa Myma -> Fonsa Myma Gate and go to Gwenith Paddies to the northeast. Dig under the tree to the northeast (by the quest marker) with Earth Mastery and Keen Eye Lv.1 (Wulfric + Brighid). You'll dig up Soosoo's... item.... to prove his identity. Return to Bulge Harbor.

For this, you'll receive Poppibuster after a scene.

Test Drive:
With Poppibuster engaged, travel to Upper Level -> Midorl Bridge and head to the plateau to the northwest. Slay the Maxos Arachno up there, then return to Bulge Harbor to complete the quest.

Buster Cyclone: Increases aggro drawn from Specials.
Buster Cannon: Adds a chance of dealing a guard-annulling attack.
Buster Mirage: Increases damage dealt to enemies targeting the user.

Hyperaffinity Circuit: Deal more and take less damage at max Affinity.
Hardware Acceleration: Increases auto-attack speed and Arts speed.
Reconstitute: Increases damage of Lv.4 Special each time it's used (max 1000%).

Entomology Lv.3
Salvaging Mastery Lv.3
Superstrength Lv.5

Note that Poppibuster is not fixed to a specific Driver; they can be engaged by any Driver at will without consuming an Overdrive Protocol. Also note that using their Lv.4 Special will temporarily disable Poppibuster and prevent Affinity channeling, Blade Arts, and Blade Specials for roughly 10 seconds.

New Game + Blades: Beware of Spoilers
New Game + allows for more Rare Blades to be unlocked during the course of the game. All of these Blades are quite spoilerific, so beware of spoilers ahead. I will not be marking them. You've been warned.

T-elos
Dark Elemental ATK - Greataxe
Unlocked Randomly with Core Crystals (only requires a completed save game).
Modifier: Strength 15%

ECHIDNA: Increases critical damage.
MAGDALENE 16: Increases damage dealt to higher-level enemies.
T-SKYLLA: Adds a chance of dealing a guard-annuling attack.

Phase Transition Tech: Annuls enemy defense and increases Special damage dealt by 60%.
Heaven's Tracker: Increases damage a Driver deals (max 500%) each time they fall.
Heartbreaker: Increases damage dealt for each enemy incapacitated (max 300%).

Dark Mastery Lv.5
Salvaging Mastery Lv.3
Leaping Lv.3

Akhos
Electric Elemental HLR - Calamity Scythe 
Unlocked Randomly with Core Crystals
Modifier: Ether 15%

Patroka
Earth Elemental ATK - Cobra Bardiche
Unlocked Randomly with Core Crystals
Modifier: Strength 15%

Mikhail
Dark Elemental TNK - Infinity Fans
Unlocked by speaking to him at Land of Morytha -> World Tree -> Megaflote Base in Chapter 10.
Modifier: Agility 15%

Obrona
Electric Elemental ATK - Brilliant Twinblades
Unlocked Randomly with Core Crystals
Modifier: Agility 20%

Sever
Wind Elemental TNK - Sword Tonfa
Unlocked Randomly with Core Crystals
Modifier: Strength 15%

Perdido
Fire Elemental ATK - Decimation Cannon 
Unlocked Randomly with Core Crystals
Modifier: Strength 10%

Cressidus
Earth Elemental TNK - Rockrending Gauntlets 
Unlocked Randomly with Core Crystals
Modifier: Max HP 20%

Heart-to-Hearts
More side things! This section is all about Heart-to-Hearts (H2Hs), scattered all throughout Alrest! For the most part, all they are are cute little cutscenes with a choice that may or may not influence a Blade's Trust, but there are some that are needed to progress in a Blade's Affinity Chart and even unlock some Blade and Side Quests.

Therefore, I decided to document the location of every Heart-to-Heart in the game. I won't write anything about what choice should be picked, because I believe that the player should make that choice themselves, but I will list locations.

Of course, there will be spoilers in this section. I will leave spoilers for any area prior to the Final Chapter, and mark spoilers for the Final Chapter, but all other spoilers will remain unmarked.

Oh, and as a note: H2Hs for Rare Blades usually require that a certain level of a Blade's Key Affinity be unlocked to view them. I won't list any such requirement here, but if you can't view a H2H for a Blade, check its Affinity Chart first.

Argentum Trade Guild
Good Habits
Found at Lemour Inn after taking a rest. Requires Brighid and Poppi QT.

Nim-Speak
Found at (?). Requires Nim.

Sheba's Dream
Found at Central Exchange. Requires Sheba, Pyra, Brighid, and Sheba's Driver.

Walking Encyclopedia
Found by Reedirait Bookstore at Argentum Bazaar. Requires Adenine and her Driver.

Gormott Province
Ardainian Technology
Found at the Armory, 2nd Floor in the Titan Battleship (the one the game uses to introduce you to H2Hs). Requires Rex, Nia, Tora, and Poppi α.

Burgeoning Curiosity
Found around Melnath's Shoulder, Upper Level - Left.. Requires Rex, Nia, Tora, Pyra, Dromarch, and Poppi α.

Poppi's Remodel?
Found at Tora's House, Torigoth. Requires Tora, Poppi α, Pyra, and Brighid.

Reunion
Found at Tretl Windmill Plaza at Vess's old house, after resting at Coedwig Inn with her engaged.

The Real Gramps
Found at the Forgotten Waste, Lower Level. Requires Rex, Pyra, Nia, Tora, and Poppi α.

Kingdom of Uraya
A Tora and Poppi Production
Found at Mymoma Playhouse, Fonsa Myma, after staying at Folmarie Inn after the required stay. Requires Rex, Nia, Tora, Dromarch, and Poppi α.

Blushy-Crushy
Found in the middle of Garfont Village. Requires Nia, Tora, Pyra, and Poppi α.

Life Goes On
Found at the Shrine of Light, Garfont. Requires Rex and "Suzaku."

Not Quite Comfortable Yet
Found at Cobalt Cliffs after spending the night at the inn in Garfont with Ursula engaged. Requires Rex, Tora, and Ursula.

Empire of Mor Ardain
At the Seat of Power
Found at the Throne Room, Hardhaigh Palace. Requires Aegaeon and Brighid.

Born Adventurer
Found near the Cargo Transportation Zone, Lower Level (by the Salvage Point). Requires Rex, Nia, and Tora.

Dromarch's Wisdom
Found at Nharil Central Plaza, Alba Cavanich. Requires Rex, Nia, Tora, Dromarch, and Pyra.

Mad About Titan Weapons
Found at (?). Requires Newt and her Driver.

Rub-a-Dub-Dub
Found by the Smùide Hot Springs. Requires Rex, Zeke, Tora, and Mòrag.

The Ground Beneath our Feet
Found on the western wing of the upper level of Hardhaigh Palace. Requires Nia and Mòrag.

Unforgiving Terrain
Found at the Jelidorend Highland, Upper Level. Requires Rex, Nia, Tora, Pyra, Dromarch, and Poppi α.

Leftherian Archipelago
Blue Blood
Found at (?). Requires Dagas and his Driver.

By the Graveside
Found at Oratory Knoll Cemetary, Fonsett Island, after spending the night at Corinne's. Requires Pyra and Rex.

Growing Up
Found on the Ansel Hatchery, Fonsett Waters. Requires Tora, Poppi QT, and Pyra.

Little Rex
Found at Rex's Secret Base, Fonsett Island. Requires Rex, Pyra, and Nia.

Rough Diamond
Found near Orl Cloudway: Fonsett, Cloudway, after spending the night at Corinne's. Requires Theory, Praxis, and Praxis' Driver.

Temperantia
Reconciliation
Found near the Titan Weapon Dig Site, on top of a Titan Weapon. Requires Tora, Poppi QT, Mòrag, and Brighid.

Kingdom of Tantal
A Love Too Deep
Found at (?). Requires Azami and her Driver.

Addam's Appetite
Found near the Staple Foods Shop in Elmos Square, Theosoir, Requires Nia, Zeke, and Mythra.

Atonement
Found near Theosoir Rear Gate. Requires Herald and her Driver.

Open Your Eyes
Found near Silvergleam Terrace, Theoscaldia Palace. Requires Mòrag and Zeke.

Tending to Turters
Found at Anastatia's, Theosoir. Requires (?).

Spirit Crucible Elpys
Eternal Rest
Found south of the Portal of the Hero. Requires Rex, Zeke, Mòrag, Brighid, and Pandoria.

Cliffs of Morytha
Forward-Looking Woman
Found near Gotrock Oracle Ruins after staying at Corinne's House, Fonsett Island, Leftheria. Requires Kasandra and her Driver.

Land of Morytha
Self-Confidence
Found in the Wall Power Control Room. Requires Pyra, Electra, and her Driver.

World Tree
Impassioned Thoughts
Found in (?). Requires Agate and her Driver.

Quantum Technochampion pi
Found in (?). Requires Poppi QTπ, (?).

Final Chapter
Daybreak
Found in (?). Requires KOS-MOS and her Driver

Desolate Land
Found by the southeastern corner of Elysium, beyond the Hill Overlooking Elysium. Requires Floren and his Driver.

Side Quests
This section will detail every (NON DLC) Side Quest in the game, sorted by Titan. For more information on Blade Quests, visit this section.

There are unmarked spoilers ahead. Be warned.

Argentum Trade Guild
Bana's Revenge
Given by Niranira in Bana's Bedroom, after completing the Quest (NAME).

Cargo Escort
Given by Ysolde in Central Exchange, after completing the Story Quest Big Job Preparations.

Hide and Seek
Given by Aft at the Bower Lounge, after completing the Story Quest Big Job Preparations.

Better Late Than Never
Given by Gegebi along the balcony outside Bower Lounge, after completing the Story Quest Big Job Preparations.

Hero of the Nopon
See Boreas's Blade Quest.

Into the Open Sky
Given by Panpan at Goldmouth Flight Deck from Chapter 4 and on.

Fame and Family
Given by Falala at Rumbletum Canteen, just by Lemour Inn, once Merc Missions become available.

Bana's Secret Treasure
Given by Niranira in Bana's Bedroom, from Chapter 4(?) and on.

Uncover the Truth
Given by the Notice Board in Central Exchange, from Chapter 4 and on.

Eternal Spirit
See Perun's Blade Quest.

Limits of Awareness
See Adenine's Blade Quest.

Adenine's Password
Given by interacting with the desk in the Goldmouth Warehouse during Adenine's Blade Quest.

Birds of a Feather
See Finch's Blade Quest.

Nopon Doubloons Ahoy
Given by Nunui at Goldmouth Viewpoint during the Final Chapter.

The 11 Nopon Doubloons are located in the following locations across Alrest:

When you've collected all the Doubloons, return to Nunui in Argentum, then pay him 1,000,000 G to complete the quest.

Gormott Province
A Helping Hand
Given by (?) in (?), (?) after (?).

Ardun Rearing
This isn't a quest logged into the Quest Log, but it is a useful thing to do. Speaking to Pekka at Kloom Farm, Torigoth, will let you feed the Infant Ardun with collectibles over the course of the game, advancing its growth as you go along. Needless to say, the quest ends if you kill the Ardun at any point other than past the end. For each stage, the collectibles are as follows:

Infant Ardun:

Young Ardun:

Youthful Ardun:

Adult Ardun:

Ominous Ardun:

Feeding the Ardun past the Ominous phase will turn it into a UM, Relentles Arduran (Lv.99), who is the best source of Legendary Core Crystals in the game if you Smash it over and over again.

A Small War
Given by Petir near Tretl Windmill Plaza or Saets Chief's Residence, Torigoth, while the quest The Militia's Request is underway.

The Morph Ball can be found while Salvaging at the point in the Torigoth Relay Base. Silver and Gold Cylinders are more likely to yield one. When you find it, return to Petir to finish the quest.

A Young Man's Prize
Given by Eluned at the end of Grodd Residential Zone, Torigoth, after Chapter 3 begins.

The Snow-White Rhino is found near Seigle Fell, Upper Level - Right, and will be marked on the map, but only between 5:00 and 7:00. When you find it, return to Eluned in Grodd Residential Zone, then speak to him again near Garagorm's Arch, Torigoth, to complete the quest.

Bearing Her Soul
See Ursula's Blade Quest.

Buoy Can't Swim
Given by Sulya near Coolley Lake, Upper Level - Right, on a hill to the west, after meeting Tora for the first time.

Concerned Carpenter
Given by Siorge by a building just northeast of Torigoth Arch, after meeting Tora for the first time.

Crane Criminals
Given by Pettle at Saets Lumber Co., Torigoth, while The Case of the Crane is underway.

Crystal Clear
See Praxis's Blade Quest.

Diplomatic Tensions
Given by Gryff at Torigoth Base Entrance, while The Militia's Request is underway.

Fresh and Fruity
Given by Twaina at Grodd Residential Zone, after meeting Tora for the first time.

Go for it, Electra!
See Electra's Blade Quest.

Grow, Little Vegetables!
Given by Nomon at Kloom Farm, after completing Chapter 2.

Knocked About Nopon
Given when Tunini is approached near the Plains of Evening Calm, Upper Level - Right.

You'll be put into a battle with 3 Snooz Volffs (Lv.5). Defeat them, then speak to Tunini to complete the quest.

Newt Recruits
See Newt's Blade Quest.

No-Penny Nopon
Given by Shatoto by Garagorm's Arch, down the walkway south and inside the tower, reachable by dropping down from the back end of the tower and into the room, while the quest The Militia's Request is underway.

One Step Ahead
Given by Capher at Traveler's Resting Tree, Upper Level - Right.

Our Daily Bread
See Kasandra's Blade Quest.

Paying it Forward
Given by Bowery around Torigoth Market, after meeting Tora for the first time.

You'll need to buy one of every item sold at Llysiau Greens (? G), then buy the Llysiau Deeds (? G, and you have to leave and re-open the shop dialogue first). Then, return to Bowery to complete the quest.

Repair Torigoth's Crane
Given by Natheus at Saets Lumber Co., Torigoth, while the quest The Case of the Crane is underway.

Star-Crossed Lovers
Given by Norman and Rhiannon when approached on Melnath's Shoulder, Upper Level - Left, after Chapter 3 begins.

Tirkin Suppression
Given by Saclich at Torigoth Relay Base, while the quest Bana's Secret Treasure is underway.

The Case of the Crane
Given by Eyvan at Saets Lumber Co., Torigoth, after meeting Tora for the first time.

The first objective involves completing the two quests Repair Torigoth's Crane and Crane Criminals in Gormott. Once those are complete, speak to Eyvan again to complete this quest.

The Driver in Ice
Given by Llonya at Clear Sky Beak, Upper Level - Right, during Chapter 6 or later.

The Militia's Request
Given by the notice board near Torigoth Arch after Merc Missions are available.

First, you'll need to collect Melosian Honey, which can be found in collection points around Honeypot Grotto, Upper Level - Right. Once they have been gathered, deliver them to Moui, found near Saets Chief's Residence, Torigoth.

From here, you'll need to complete four quests: No-Penny Nopon, Diplomatic Tensions, A Small War, and The Missing Order. They all become available at this point.

Once all four are complete, speak to Moui again to complete the quest.

The Missing Order
Given by Feyla at Grodd Residential Zone, Torigoth, while The Militia's Request is underway.

The Riddle on the Wall
Given by Erebos near a wall painting by Tretl Windmill Plaza, Torigoth, after Chapter 6 and after completing Mysterious Note.

Tranquility
See Vess's Blade Quest.

Umon Bounces Back
Given by Umon at (?), Torigoth, after Chapter 4 has begun.

Whereabouts Unknown
Given by Ashe at Torigoth Relay Base near the entrance, once Mòrag joins the party.

Kingdom of Uraya
A Secret Cure
Given by Iona at Mymoma Playhouse, Fonsa Myma, during the Final Chapter and after The Titan Scholar is completed.

A Test of Strength
Given by Yew at Mercenary HQ, Garfont, at the end of Merc Level ?.

All's Fair
See Azami's Blade Quest.

Blade-Sharp Memory
See Theory's 1st Blade Quest.

Boys and Bullies
Given by Jammie in Fonsa Myma, by (?), during the Blade Quest Theory and Praxis.

Difficult Decisions
Given by Jelved by Garfont Town Gate.

Family vs. Fiends
Given by Maryn and Terry in Fonsa Myma, by (?), during the Blade Quest Theory and Praxis.

Flames of Justice
See Godfrey's Blade Quest.

Follow Your Passion
See Gorg's Blade Quest.

Gotta Start Somewhere
Given by aproaching Ragi near Yurna the Elderwood, Stomach.

Jeline and Shaun
Given by Jeline in Fonsa Myma by (?), during the Blade Quest Theory and Praxis.

Leadership Qualities
Given by Yew at Mercenary HQ, Garfont, at the end of Merc Level 2 (?).

Marvelous Mercenaries
Given by Yew at Mercenary HQ, Garfont, after gathering 20,000 Merc Points.

Mysterious Note
Given by a note found in a red item bag in the Acid Gullet, Head.

Nature Boy
See Floren's Blade Quest.

Precious Yearnings
See Agate's Blade Quest.

Sniff out the Spy
Given by Raloo around Waypoint Market, Garfont.

Theory and Praxis
See Theory's 2nd Blade Quest.

The Supply Situation
Given by Yew at Mercenary HQ, Garfont, after collecting enough Merc Points to reach the end of Lv.1.

The Titan Scholar
Given by Pilolo at Fonsa Myma Port, after Merc Missions become available.

True Colors
Given by Dobran by (?) in Fonsa Myma.

Would-Be Mercs
Given by Geross in Garfont Village, Uraya.

Empire of Mor Ardain
Ecological Survey
Given by the notice board at Nharil Central Plaza, Alba Cavanich.

Failure and Success
See Perceval's Blade Quest.

Farewell, Good Friend
Given by Farraw at Ayvill Shopping District, Alba Cavanich, after completing Insurgent Investigations and after obtaining Aegaeon.

Hard to Stomach
Given by Hansatra at Nharil Central Plaza, Alba Cavanich.

Insurgent Investigations
Given by Stulc in Hardhaigh Palace after completing Bana's Secret Treasure and We Meet Again.

Lost Kingdom
See Dagas's Blade Quest.

Road to the Capital
Given by Pidede at the exit from Port Anangham leading towards the Cargo Transportation Zone, Lower Level.

The Nopon Murals
Given by Alisdeigh at Beraf Industry Ward, Alba Cavanich.

The Ties that Bind
See Vale's Blade Quest.

We Meet Again
Given by Jac at Ayvill Shopping District, Alba Cavanich. You can accept it whenever, but Mòrag is required to complete the quest.

World Tree Disaster
Given by Aki at Anangham #2 Dock, Lower Level, after Chapter 8/9.

Temperantia
Judicium's Legacy
Given by Ismet at the Ardainian Garrison, Central Plain.

Indoline Praetorium
A Ripe New Frontier
Given by Snififi in Goetuis Port, near (?), before mid-Chapter 8.

Indol's Teachings
Given by Mololo on Quattor Street, Goetuis Port, before mid-Chapter 8.

Mellica the Chorister
Given by Mellica at Seoris Plaza, Indoline Sanctum, before mid-Chapter 8.

Kingdom of Tantal
Cannadea's Troubles
Given by Cannadea along the edge of Elmos Square, Theosoir.

Fly in the Ointment
See Dahlia's Blade Quest.

Glory from the Past
Given by examining a body near Little Banerro Ruins, Upper Level, after Chapter 8 starts.

Partners
Given by Humhum in the Sealed Quarry, Upper Level.

Salvage King
Given by King Eulogimenos in Theoscaldia Palace, after Chapter 8 has begun.

Tender-Hearted Beast
See Wulfric's Blade Quest.

The Calm and the Storm
See Herald's Blade Quest.

The Lost Turtle
Given by Lucarion near Theosoir's Rear Gate, Upper Level.

The Writer's Assistant
Given by Mesulia by the base of Lumos Pillar, Lower Level.

Leftherian Archipelago
A Phonex Tale
See Nim's Blade Quest.

At Wit's End
Given by Sokoko near (?), (?) Waters.

Fool's Gold
See Sheba's Blade Quest.

History Teacher
Given by Willas at Fonsett Island, while the quest School is in Session is underway.

Language Teacher
Given by Willas at Fonsett Island, while the quest School is in Session is underway.

Maiden Voyage
Given by (?) near (?), Rigitte Waters.

School is in Session
Given by Willas at Fonsett Island, when Leftheria's Dev Level is 3 or higher.

Science Teacher
Given by Willas at Fonsett Island, while the quest School is in Session is underway.

Stolen Keepsake
Given by Dragand by the Village Guardian, Fonsett Island.

Time is Money
Given by heading to Corinne's House after sending 90,000 G back home via Max in Argentum.

Cliffs/Land of Morytha
Souvenirs from Morytha
Given by Dibidi by the Shops at Cliffs of Morytha Inlet.

Timeworn Machine
Given by an Old Machine north of Great Wall Tunnel No. 8, Streets, Land of Morytha.

World Tree
Artificial Intelligence
See KOS-MOS's Blade Quest.

Landmarks and Locations
So, in the process of making this guide, I realized that keeping track of what locations are where and/or just figuring out how to get to places can be quite difficult. To help, I've made a list of locations and landmarks for each area of the game and how to get them. Of course, this means that each location and landmark will need to be referred to in relation to each other. There are some landmarks the game forces you to get, and some that will likely be passed through along the journey (such as within my guide); these will be used as reference points.

There will be unmarked spoilers for late game areas. I won't list anything from beyond Chapter 8, since at that point I don't believe you can miss a location, but there will be spoilers from Chapters 6, 7, and 8. You have been warned.

Argentum Trade Guild
Goldmouth Return Port: Acquired during the story
Central Exchange: Right in the middle of the bottom floor of Goldmouth
Goldmouth Warehouse: Near the easternmost docks on the first floor of Goldmouth. You can either pay 99,000 G to the Nopon standing in front of the big doors here to have him open them, or you can jump off to the north of these doors into the Cloud Sea, hug the wall to the south to an opening, and open the back door of the Warehouse with Lockpicking Lv.? and Nopon Wisdom Lv.?
Lemour Inn: From central exchange, go up two large flights of stairs and walk all the way to the back of the third floor. You also visit this place in the story.
Goldmouth Flight Deck: From Lemour Inn, head up the stairs and make a u-turn onto the catwalk nearby. Follow it outside to reach the Deck.
Goldmouth Wheelhouse
Bana's Bedroom
Noponya Shrine
Salvage Deck
Argentum Bazaar
Chairman's Room: Visited during the story.
Goldmouth Exit Dock
Maelstrom: On the northern docks on the bottom floor of Goldmouth, the ship is docked here after Chapter 1. Also reachable by jumping to it from Goldmouth Flight Deck.
Rumbletum Canteen: Near Lemour Inn. It's the Staple Foods Shop in Goldmouth.
Bower Lounge
Goldmouth Res. Dist.
Goldmouth Viewpoint
Goldmouth Rooftop: Found along the way to Noponya Shrine.
Gormott Province
Torigoth

Torigoth Arch: Reached during the story.
Abble's Fountain: East of Torigoth Arch, past the food Shops.
Garagorm's Arch: East of Abble's Fountain, across a few long bridges.
Torigoth Base Entrance: East of Garagorm's Arch, reachable by following the path. Also reachable from Connecting Bridge, if you head north, then west out of the base.
Connecting Bridge: Reached during the story. It's the exit from the Titan Battleship.
Tora's House: Reached during the story.
Treetop Path: From Garagorm's Arch, hug the southern ledge and look down as you proceed east. When you see a ledge down below, but nearby, drop down and follow the path down a few more ledges and ladders to reach this landmark.
Saets Lumber Co.: Just to the north of Torigoth Arch
Torigoth Market: Just to the east of Torigoth Arch
Tretl Windmill Plaza: Just to the south of Abble's Fountain
Obra Street: From Torigoth Arch, head east and then north past the Aux Core Shop and follow that path to an alleyway.
Saets Chief's Residence: Found along the road between Abble's Fountain and Garagorm's Arch.
Mor Ardain Consulate
Kloom Farm: East and a bit to the north of Garagorm's Arch.
Torigoth Relay Base: East of Torigoth Base Entrance or north of Connecting Bridge.
Galad Residential Zone
Grodd Residential Zone
Lower Level

Forgotten Waste: Discovered during the story.
Old Ghostwood Road
Dewmist Crag: This one is complicated and difficult to pull off. From
Wrecc Marshland
Trailblazers' Bridge
Masrah Spring
Upper Level - Right

Outlook Knoll: Discovered during the story. It's the exit from the Lower Level.
Lyta Oasis: North and a bit west of Outlook Knoll, Northwest of Waytree.
Boulderbore Gate: From Waytree, head northwest and up a tree root (not near the Oasis, but north of it) to a flower patch with a few Tirkin. From here, head north on this cliff to an area with several large boulders.
Lascham Island: From Torigoth Arch, leave the city and head due east. Jump into the Cloud Sea and swim west and a bit south to the island (High Tide) or walk along the giant root connecting the mainland at the Plains of Evening Calm to the island (Low Tide).
Waytree: North and a bit east along the path from Outlook Knoll.
Varnax's Plunge
Traveler's Resting Tree: Discovered during the story. It's also discoverable by heading north along a tree root from a hill east of Waytree and following the path north.
Nocclia Timber Site: Go south from Traveler's Resting Tree until you see a path leading up a slope. Follow that path all the way to the Site.
Zeno's Deadbole: The giant hollow tree in the middle of the large lake north of Torigoth. Also accessible by running up the slope north of Nocclia Timber Site and jumping off of it at the tip and onto a water slide. At the end of the slide, you'll be launched right to this landmark.
Torigoth Flower Patch: Follow the road east of Kloom Farm in Torigoth, not towards the Relay Base, but beyond it and a bit to the north.
Dawnview Grotto: From Waytree, head northwest and up a tree root (not near the Oasis, but north of it) to a flower patch with a few Tirkin. Head west and up the nearby slope along the cliff face and follow the path up to a wooden platform with a hut. Walk around the hut and into the cave on the other side and follow it to the Grotto.
Clear Sky Beak: Run up the slope north of Nocclia Timber Site and jump off of it at the tip and onto a water slide. At the end of the slide, jump to make sure you end up inside the hollow tree at Zeno's Deadbole. From here, you'll need to use Water Mastery Lv.? and Fortitude Lv.? to reach a cave that exits to this Secret Area.
Cape Singbreeze
Seigle Fell: As far west as you can go on the Upper Level - Right.
Restful Waters
Garanti Plain: It's just north of Outlook Knoll.
Brigands' Hideout: Beyond Bolderbore Gate, follow the path north to reach a cave.
Twin Trunks Hill
Tirkin Turf
Verdant Plateau
Nopon Camp
Sauros's Bed
Spraywater Caverns
Hushview Bridge: Just south of Traveler's Resting Tree is a very large tree that serves as a bridge. If you cross the bridge heading south and immediately drop down to the left, there's an opening there into the hill (it's easy to see at night, as there are lamps near the opening). Enter the opening and you'll be able to walk into the bridge from the inside, where this location is located.
Plains of Evening Calm: Just west of Torigoth Arch, along the path between Waytree and Torigoth.
Nocclia Woods
Hermit's Hollow
Koorell Pool
Honeypot Grotto
Coolley Lake
Upper Level Left

Greatspine Boundary: Follow the path north of Traveler's Resting Tree. Discovered during the story.
Umon's Shipyard: Follow the path from Greatspine Boundary all the way west. Discovered during the story.
Melnath's Shoulder: Along the path between Greatspine Boundary and Umon's Shipyard, if you stick close to the northern edge of Gormott.
Titan Battleship

Ballast Disposal Chute
Port-side Walkway
Mid-ship Walkway Door
Armory
Bridge
Starboard Balcony
Cloud Tank Chamber
Engine Room
Solitary Block #1
Olno's Mess Hall
Kitchen
Solitary Block #2
Living Quarters
Sickbay
Armory, 2nd Floor
Hangar
Port Deck
Starboard Deck
Guardroom
Battle Command
Hangar Passage
Port Balcony
Kingdom of Uraya
Garfont Village

Garfont Town Gate
Garfont Rear Gate
Mercenary HQ
Shrine of Light
Shrine of Journeys
Training Ground
Plaza of Reprieve
Waypoint Market
Shrine of Offering
Fusty Fungus Caves
Old Valantia
Fonsa Myma

Fonsa Myma Gate
Mymoma Playhouse
Holy Gate of Fontana
Fonsa Myma Port
Gwenith Paddies
Gwendle Repair Dock
Torika Alley
Entertainment District
Commercial District
Uraya Merc Barracks
Sevind Palace Plaza
Royal Guard Barracks
Blossomshade Cliff
Head

Greatmaw Rapids
Gullet Pass
Cataracts of Rujah
Sternum Arch
Soulcrown Summit
Dragon's Whiskers
Windpipe Deeps
Acid Gullet
Jebbas Cavern
Dragon's Stomach
Cleansing Spring
Jebbas Outlook
Lake Varna
Great Blowhole
Stomach

Cobalt Cliffs
Eight-Rock Skip
Yurna the Elderwood
Tardy Gate
Stone Gate Ruins
Ruins of Fountain Park
Crown of Sanctuary
Raqura Aquagardens
Farlaine Wells
Bluestep Ditch
Farlaine Central Pools
Minnet Terrace
Old Quarry
Pelza's Sluice
Loska's Gap
Drillbore Bridge
Wyrmtears
Badfella's Cave Fort
Fonsa Myma Waters
Funnystone Highway
Coralline Sanctum
Old Pilgrim's Road
Land of the Beaten
You'll have to visit every landmark and location in Olethro Ruins, so I won't list them here.

Empire of Mor Ardain
Alba Cavanich

Kedeigh Gate
Jakolo's Inn
Ayvill Shopping Dist., Roof
Nharil Central Plaza
Bathein Watchtower
Smùide Hot Spring
Smùide Mountain
Beraf Industry Ward
Admar Storage Zone
Ayvill Shopping District
Hardhaigh Palace

Hardhaigh Gate
Hardhaigh Dock, Lv.2
Hardhaigh Palace
Grian, Wing Area #2
Throne Room
Jarlin, Wing Area #1
Lower Level

Anangham #2 Dock
Abandoned Excavation
Fourth Ridge Entrance
Hot Pipe District, 1F
Fief of Forgetfulness
Old Plumbing Entrance
Port Anangham
Eggle Jetty (Abandoned)
Chansagh Wastes
Cargo Transportation Zone
Valdorm's Mound
Pipe Maintenance Office
Thermal Exhaust Fork
Upper Level

Midorl Bridge
Old Industrial District
Mine Elevator
Mine No.2 Entrance
Ruined Laborers' Bridge
Geothermal Plant Lobby
Nopon Pioneers' Spring
Turbine Tower
Jelidorend Highlands
Geothermal Processor
Storage Warehouse
Heat Material Refinery
Bellyfull Canteen
Office Corridor
Delizé's Infirmary
Junction Control Room
Old Pipe Junction Corridor
Great Heat Extraction Duct
Old City of Teddim
Brionac Occupied Zone
Geothermal Mining Plant
Old Factory

Factory Catwalk
Industrial Zone, Upper Duct
Production Admin Office
Ether Refinery Corridor
Main Ventilation Duct
Central Corridor
Bulge Harbor
Suspended Pathway
Old Factory Warehouse
Disused Processing Plant
Ether Separation Tanks
Ether Control Tower
Nopon Worker's Quarters
Quality Control Tower
Quality Control Room
Central Bulkhead
Work Observation Tower
Artificial Blade Adjustment
Waste Incineration Line
Heat Storage
Niranira's Panic Room
Leftherian Archipelago
Fonsett Island

Fonsett Arch
Corinne's House
Village Guardian
Azure Schoolhouse: Complete the quest School is in Session, and you'll end up here at the end of it all.
Messet Point
Fonsett Residential Area
Verde Carpentry Workshop
Rex's Secret Base
Old Man Caskel's Tree
Oratory Knoll Cemetery
Rigitte Waters

Rigitte Harbor
Baldotas Isle
Daram Isle
Isle of Sleeping Remains
Merclibay Islet
Daridan's Stack
Little Garden of Tradition
Cloudway

Orl Cloudway: Rigitte
Orl Coudway: Fonsett
Lud Cloudway: Rigitte
Lud Cloudway: Fonsett
Fonsett Waters

Godsford Isle
Ysheva Harbor
Ansel Hatchery
Isle of Terminomni
Merto Island
Isle of Urchon
Island Base Lindwurm
Red Room
Indoline Praetorium
Goetuis Port

Goetuis Wharf #1
Goetuis Wharf #2
Yannath Main Gate
Fount of Holy Light
Milama Viewpoint
Goetuis Port
Quattor Street
Refugee Campground
Poldis Circle
Indoline Sanctum

Seoris Plaza West Gate
Great Creation Cloister
Seoris Plaza
Indoline Sanctum
Audience Chamber
Praetor's Study
Temperantia
The landmark Battlescar Cove and location Bardina Plateau on the Peninsula are visited during the story.

Central Plain

Overlook Hill
Haggle's Swordtip
Ancient Wall
Toxbloom Spring
Leaning Tower of Dorrick
The Great Archway
Ardainian Garrison
Dalnes Stone
Profaned Place
Titan Weapon Remains
Aegishammer
Ruined Chapel of Danafas
Bastion of Varrac
Jagron's Citadel
Malignant Gorge
Desta Plains
Xataris Spring
Triedge Isle
Blackday Peninsula
Ruins of Judicium

Titan Weapon Dig Site
Lost Capital Judicium
Kingdom of Tantal
Theosoir

Theosoir Main Gate
Anastatia's
Soprac Old Market
Residential Area
Elmos Square
Theospiti Temple Ruins
Library Philosofia
Theoscaldia Palace

Theoscaldia Palace
Hall of Reception
Hall of Virtue
Puresnow Passage
Royal Audience Hall
Storage Room
Hall of Plenty
Silvergleam Terrace
Reliquary of Tantal
Hall of Honor
Hall of Mystery
Upper Level

Genbu Port
Little Banerro Ruins
Three-Vein Crossroads
Sacred Ice Caverns
Theosoir Rear Gate
Hope's Horizon
Gates of Ulcaria
Airborne Throne
Litharia Snowfield
Fable Rock
Capital Approach
Amphoret Pillar
Twin Pillars
Sekis Pillar
Lumos Pillar
Pillar City Ruins
Sealed Quarry
Lower Level

Great Pillar Passage
Central Ether Boulder
Tamie Pillars
Sacred Grove
Lumos Pedestal
Pippito's Haunt
Yolmunder's Crevasse
Tirkinlandia
Genbu Drifts
Heimos's Crevasse
Zalmor's Crevice
Old Gelgemos Gate
Declessa Altar Hill
Argan Iceblooms
Sanguinous Grotto
You'll visit every landmark in the Head in the story, so I won't list them here.

Spirit Crucible Elpys
The only landmark/location you won't probably run into as the story progresses is Subterranean Lake Galantia (Mid Level). To get there,

Land of Morytha
The only area with landmarks/locations not gathered automatically during the story are in the Streets:

Ancient People's Driftland
Fallen Skyscraper
Great Wall Tunnel No.8
View of a Lost Time
Genome Center
Highway 8
Blocked Road
Collapsed Roadway
Evacuation Center
Wastes of Hubris
Wall Power Control Room
7th Division
Sources
This is a list of the sources (other than the game itself) used while compiling information about the game to make this guide.

The Xenoblade Wiki - http://xenoblade.wikia.com/wiki/Xenoblade_Wiki
Xenoblade Chronicles 2 Community-made Spreadsheet - https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1HKkPoCbW0oO1JzV-hx21ueZMIjmWdboVh3vgSrlEwj4/htmlview#
u/MCantus's Guide to Zenobia's Affinity Chart - https://www.reddit.com/r/Xenoblade_Chronicles/comments/7jg2lr/sparkys_hit_list/
Article on Nintendo Everything, consolidating information from the Xenoblade 2 Datamine lead by MooseHunter and NuCoEm - https://nintendoeverything.com/fans-datamine-xenoblade-chronicles-2-rare-blade-drop-rates/