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TUNIC Narrative Guide - Act 2, Part 2: The Four Pillars
Summary: Join the Ruin Seeker (that's our protagonist fox!) on his journey through a strange and vaguely familiar land. His inner thoughts are laid bare as we explore the unknown. Each step brings new mysteries to solve, new challenges to face. - This story is intended as a companion piece to the video game TUNIC, but can also function as a guide if you are stuck or a teaser to get you interested.
We are now in the second act of the game, which means heavy spoilers! If you plan to experience the game for yourself, use Act 1 as your teaser and come back afterwards, or if you find yourself stuck.
In my thoughts dance memories of my battle with the giant beast. I replay the moments where I damage it, and the moments it damages me. A strategy begins to emerge in my mind. To reach the power source is a folly, and serves only to make me dizzy. However, to run and hide is also folly. In the time it takes to reengage my foe, it is already beginning a new onslaught.
Stretching and hopping to my feet, I climb the stairs to once again do battle. My basic tactic is to stay up close and personal. Many of its attacks are meant to hit further out, with several being lunges. The war machine summons a wave of Fairies, but follows it with a swipe attack which manages only to hit them.
Staying close, it attempts to stomp me, and I misjudge the timing. It then launches a swarm of floating bombs, which surround me as well as itself. With a cacophony of explosions, I'm sent flying, but I notice my foe has also been dealt a great blow. Perhaps I can make use of this. With a swig of potion, I advance.
With repeated dodge rolls, I find my stamina exhausted. As the great construct lunges past me, I take a moment to catch my breath. It seems to stumble as it looks around for where I'm at, and before it can blast me with its giant laser beam, I am once more at its side. It's working! I've almost won!
Never celebrate victory early. In my excitement, I find myself overexerted, winded. The Siege Engine pulls away, and I try to finish it off with a barrage of fire bolts. With only a sliver of life remaining, it rears back and unleashes a laser beam, incinerating me.
Awakening again at the statue, I slam my fuzzy fist against the stone ground. This time, I will claim victory. Charging quickly up the stairs, I begin slashing away at the construct before it can even regain its senses. Its opening salvo is a barrage of gunfire, and I slip underneath it to strike at its core. Next, it launches a wave of floating bombs. After a few free strikes, I pull to the other side of the giant, and the explosives drift into and around its limbs.
Locking my focus to one, I zap it with a shot from my Fire Rod. It explodes, chaining to a second orb, though only one manages to deal secondary damage to the war machine. Before the third can even reach me, it launches three more! I do my best to retreat, but this time I struggle. My stamina is exhausting quickly, and I lack an easy shot to clear the bombs.
I aim a frost blast towards the bulk of them, but one hits me from the side. The Siege Engine is frozen, and I've been knocked behind it! A clear and easy shot at its power core. Halfway there. Disoriented, it fires its gun wildly into the air, uncertain of where I am. I take my chance to chug a potion and reposition. It leaps back, and we begin our dance again.
Staying underfoot, I continue to dodge heavy attack after heavy attack. It launches another set of Fairies, and they float around, disrupting my movement, taking pot shots. I try to clear them, but drain the last of my magic in a futile attempt to his them both at once with my Magic Dagger. The giant steps back, pulling back its limb to perform a lunging swipe.
Having retreated far enough, I avoid taking a hit. One of the Fairies doesn't fare so well. I collect the mana that erupts from it, and note that with only a drop, I'm able to use either of my magic tools again. Before I can put that to use, I'm hit with barrage after barrage of bolts. Desperately drinking through my remaining supply of potions, I hide behind the nearest pillar and await an opening. Only a little life remains in the war machine, I can feel it.
Discovery: Any magical item can be used with only a drop of mana.
It comes in close and chooses to launch explosives. A miracle happens, and the dumb machine launches them off the platform entirely! I dash in and bring it to the edge of defeat. It moves back and slashes, connecting and leaving me on edge, but also destroying the second Fairy that I had been dodging.
With a final sprint, I run past the charging laser, hiding to its right. I unleash a blast of cold from my Magic Dagger, and with a one-two combo, its core begins to overload! It channels as much energy as it can through its central laser beam, until the components fail. With the energy trapped, the core glows bright, and I dive behind a pillar. With a thunderous explosion, pieces of the war machine rain down around me.
Sifting through the wreckage for something of value, I come across a hexagonal rod. I had noticed this held in the belly of the beast. It doesn't seem to be of the same design as the rest of its mechanisms, though. Pocketing it, and finding nothing more, I return to the lower level.
The sunlight filters through the dense clouds above, reflecting off the metallic finish of the hexagonal ring. In the center, I spot a hole. It is the same size as the rod I just pilfered, so on a hunch, I try to see if this is where it's meant to go. The threatening text can't stop me. I can't read! In the device goes, sliding in with a satisfying clank.
A central shaft raises from the ground and I jump to the side. Gears spin and twist, and a compartment opens up. Within, void energy surrounds an object of red. A hexagonal object of red. The first of the three keys.
With a quick rest to celebrate my victory, I pray at the teleporter and exit via the route to the Ruined Atoll. My next goal lies here, surely. With a check of the map, I recall my likely task is to activate the four obelisks. With such an open area, I can probably just pick any direction to walk and end up somewhere important.
Accustomed to poking my snout into corners, I stumble into a hidden path leading northwest. It wraps around the back of the raised portion housing the obelisk. Reaching them may be a little complicated. After sneaking up on a nearby frogman, I catch something strange to the south, across the water. A glowing purple beast, spidery, and reminiscent of the conduit's glow. I barely had a chance to glance at it before it ran off. The water impedes me, so I set my sights on the nearby Envoy.
A frost blast, a sword combo, and a few shots of the Fire Rod are all it takes to cleanly clear him away. Behind him, a new card. A half-filled glass, either steamy or aromatic. Content with my current cards, I resume my search for a way to the obelisk.
Searching every edge of the raised mound, I can find no path upwards. At best, I can see a hook on a lower ledge. Around the back, I can trace a path from a coiled rope, but I know from experience that such things must be accessed with direct touch. Otherwise, the Eastern Belltower would have been a cinch.
Have I missed something? The map even labels this with a one. Maybe these obelisks are for later? I was only guessing. Still, I can explore more of this area. If I'm lucky, I'll find a new clue. Realizing I may have entered from the wrong way around, I return to the start of the area and begin my explorations again.
After trouncing some Crabbits, I spot more of the hooks in the water. Worried that I won't be able to do much of anything, I begin to feel lost. This was the only lead that I had, and my intuition to this point has been impeccable.
In the center of the region, I lay eyes on a ring of foxfolk kneeling in prayer towards a central statue. Following their custom, I also kneel, and when nothing happens, I head north to stab the Husher on the bridge and claim the chest he guards. I try to shoot him with my Fire Rod, but he dodges to the sides.
Instead, I use my Magic Dagger, landing a hit and rooting him in ice. With a combo, he almost falls, but not quite. I hold up my shield and sidestep his dive before finishing him off. Inside the chest is another mushroom bundle. This will bring my mana to the same level as my health and stamina.
I flip up the nearby ladder and root it securely in the sand. This leads me back to the goddess statue, where I leave a new offering before continuing. Along my path, seemingly endless Crabbits.
Rounding the corner, I come to another locked door. Somewhere, there's sure to be a key. As I am distracted by the mystery, a plant stirs from the sand and reveals itself to be a strange breed of Slorm. It falls quickly to my blade, but the explosion leaves me feeling weak. Not just wounded, but somehow ill. Not yet sure what happened, I resolve to be on my guard for more of those monsters.
Atop a brick path, a chest of shinies. My feet slip on the sand and I realize there's something more back here. To my left, a long ladder. To my right, the key I just learned I needed. Of the two, I choose to seek the key. Rounding the hill, I find the path to it with ease.
The next layer up the hill wraps around and leads me to more hooks, and at the end of the brick path, a chest with a fox idol in it. Returning, I climb to the final layer and am at last able to reach my first obelisk in this area.
Gazing up at the flashing lights, I ponder what they might represent. They are present around so much of this land. Is its significance tied to these keys? Or are the keys simply made in the same image? I pray quietly, thanking the goddess for her blessing, and the device sinks into the ground. Peering through the telescope, I see the conduit below illuminated, leading itself to the center and bringing life to one of the four praying statues.
From here, I can climb the ladder or unlock the door. Choosing the door, I loot some shinies on the ground floor, and some potion shards on the roof. This completes my fifth potion.
A rope, a drawbridge, and then a giant Crabbo. My attacks against it are frustratingly ineffective, and I find myself getting waterlogged from all of the potions I'm having to drink. Changing tact, I freeze it in place and attempt to damage it from behind. At last, I've dealt it a healthy blow, but it simply does not let me repeat this action. With the last of my mana, I repeat my attacks and down it.
Above me, I see a chest. If I look closely, I find there's a ladder to its rear. Sneaky. The prize is rather weak, so I continue along the path to see if there's anything else. Ahead, the conduit is damaged. Weeping. As I approach, the illness I was feeling begins to intensify. Running past, careful not to fall, I put my hand against the wall. Nothing here. Massaging my scalp, I try to coax away the headache.
Something in this area is very bad for my health, but I still can't fully put a finger on it. There's nothing obvious in common between the Slorm and this purple fluid. I return to ground level and spot one of the offending Slorms buried in the sand. Stabbing it, I quickly move away before its explosion can reach me. Another one was also hiding in the water, and also blows up. Were they mutated by the dripping fluid?
To the southeast, a ladder to be climbed. Halfway to the next obelisk, I lay claim to a distant chest and am finally rewarded with a sizable sum of shinies. At the top, the second obelisk is set into place, and the second statue draws power.
On my descent, I am ambushed by a pack of Fairies. Thankfully, I've recovered some of my magic, and my Fire Rod makes quick work of them. Continuing around the way, I spot a Crabbo with its back turned. They take damage from the back, right? Easy kill. I sneak up behind it and swing my sword, only to find it bounce off. The beast lunges, backing me into a corner. In my panic, I pull out my Fire Rod instead of my Magic Dagger, and with my defenses squandered, it lets loose with another ferocious pinch and I fall into the water, senses fading.
Crossing to the south, I reach a closed gate. With only a little more, I would have reached this spot and been able to unlock it. Kicking the sand, I sigh and continue my search of the area. To the east, a hard to spot passage leading to a ladder. On the roof, a chest with a card. It's another haloed fox. Comparing it to the other, that one has lines, this one has sparkles. Page 51 can't come quicker. With a shrug, I pocket it, adding it to the others.
Using the maze trick, I eventually find my way back to where I fell, though it meant almost completely retracing my steps. Along the way, I face off with another Crabbo. This time, I open with my Magic Dagger and instead of worrying about getting behind it, a full sword combo easily defeats it.
Reaching my echo-of-self, I lower the drawbridge and face off against a pair of Hushers. Evasive and obnoxious, I quickly burn through my spirit in an attempt to freeze them. With only one downed, I am forced to try something new. I put my back to the gate wall, careful of the beheaded Slorm, and bait the bird to dive at me. With a simple sidestep, I slash out and finish it off.
Turning my attention to the Slorm carcass, I find relief in its unmoving state. Unbarring the gate, I regain my health with a potion. I climb the nearby ladder and follow the path. Around the roof. And... I cover my face with my paw and massage my nosepad. Another missed pathway. I was certain that was a dead end. Oh well.
I walk to the end of the dock, and gaze out across the water. I've seen a few fish swimming around, but deep down I am quite thankful that I have not discovered a fishing rod. Not every fish needs dangled from the end of a rope. Exploring these ruins, seeking treasure, that's where the excitement is!
Down the beach, I spot a circle of Crabbits tormenting a common Slorm. An evil thought crosses my mind, and I lock my focus on a Crabbit on the opposite side. Finding a gap in the ring, I launch a fire bolt at the not-exactly-defenseless creature sat in the middle. It bloats and explodes, wiping out the entire ring of Crabbits.
Atop the mound, the third obelisk awaits. Once it's lowered, I catch sight of a chest hiding below. Within it, an effigy. A quick check reveals I have six of them.
As I continue to circle around the Atoll, I cross by an outpouring from a broken conduit. Inside is voidmatter, reminiscent of the flying skulls or the water tentacles. Being next to it, my stomach churns and my head throbs. I put a hand to my snout and back away. This truly is the source of the ill feeling. My body is noticeably weaker just from brushing by. Whatever it is made of, it's well and truly toxic.
Discovery: Void energy is toxic and will decrease my maximum health if I am exposed.
Once again, I come to the area of the first obelisk. The one I couldn't reach before. As I clear my way to the secret pathway behind it, I gain the ire of a larger frogman. This one lashes out his tongue and pulls me up atop the ledge. Caught off guard, I almost fall to his blows, when I realize I've been neglecting my shield. It was impractical against the Siege Engine, so I had kind of forgotten about it.
Drinking two potions as I keep him at bay with my shield, I switch to the offense and dispatch him, plus his ally who showed up late to the party. Nothing else up here except the last obelisk. I ponder for a moment why I gain a few bits of mana from them, but it doesn't seem like a mystery I'll be able to solve.
Checking the spyglass, I see that all four of the statues have now been powered. Dropping the rope, I head to the center to see if anything else has happened. Along the way, I rest and offer up the idol to boost my defense. With a little more, I could have also afforded the potion upgrade.
In the center, there's no obvious changes, aside from the four praying statues coming alight. With a shrug, I try once again to mimic them, offering my prayers to the goddess in the middle. With a creak and clatter, a mechanism springs to life, the statue raising into the air to reveal an empty space below it. It sparks and hums, and then flashes, before sinking back into the ground.
Looking around, I find that nothing has changed, so I repeat this action. Another flash, and then it sinks again. Well, I am currently immortal. I suppose I can try stepping into it. Praying again, I move forward as soon as the statue rises up. With the flash, I find myself transported high into the air. Fluffy clouds float by, and a chilling breeze runs through my fur.
Through the spyglass, I gaze upon a grand building, floating high up in the air by some unknown force. Around me, tuning forks protrude from the ground. However, I appear to lack something critical. There is no invisible floor with which to traverse the gap. None of my tools can interact with what I see before me. In fact, I managed to hit myself in the face with my own Fire Rod attack.
New Goal: Find a way to enter the floating building.
At the same time, I'm uncertain of how to leave. When in doubt, repeat the previous action. I kneel in prayer, and the marshmallow tree rises up and gives me a means to escape. For a moment upon my return, I am left scratching behind my ear, when I let out a loud groan. The tall ladder. I was so distracted by the locked door, that I forgot to check where that went.
Pulling out my map, I find the label "Frog's Domain" in the general area of said ladder. Flipping to the next page, I make a few fresh discoveries about what's shown. First, I see my objective, the green hexagonal key, locked behind a golden door. Second, the area likely holds this "Magic Orb," a good candidate for a useful new tool. Third, I recognize this shape in the bottom left corner. There's something that looks just like that in the water below me. It's lifeless, but I should be on guard in case there are others nearby.
Without any delay, I return to where I found the ladder, seeking out the entrance to this Frog's Domain.
New Goal: Enter and explore the Frog's Domain.
Current Goals
✔Defeat the Siege Engine.
✔Recover the red key, coveted in a forest temple.
✔Activate the four obelisks in the Ruined Atoll.
★ Enter and explore the Frog's Domain.
★ Find a way to enter the floating building.
★ Recover the green key, stolen to the top of the sky.
★ Recover the blue key, sealed at the root of the world.
★ Take the three keys to the sealed temple altars.
★ Break the seal that imprisons the goddess and/or obtain the great treasure.
★ Explore the dangerous cave on the beach. (Eventually.)
Author's Notes: I understand a little better how this portion of the game ends up being such a stumbling block for so many people. I remember the memes about the sky island and how everyone would get stuck there, not being able to progress, and not realizing they needed to pray to return. When relying only on breadcrumbs, missing a tiny detail here or there can bring a complete halt to progress.
One way this could have been eased is if the Magic Orb description had included the non-glyph word "whip." This would have been a clue that the item found there can be used to whip things, a means of traversing hooks and forks.
As for writing this segment, I actually took some advice regarding the boss fight and I decided I would screen capture my attempts. Since I wasn't sure how many tries it would take, I wanted to give myself the option to avoid repetitious writing. In the end, it only took a total of three tries, so I was able to include everything. If it had taken more, I would have had to condense the experience, and only write at length of the final attempt. Some embellishment is present, but it's almost an entirely true account of my efforts.
It's important to be able to write action that is fluid and easily visualized. I would be happy to hear feedback on how those sections turn out. My Loona story also had a rather exciting action scene, with a dance of swordplay between the two main characters, and I'm still quite proud of how that turned out.
Thumbnail created using the press kit's wallpaper and logo. The custom text contains a secret.
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We are now in the second act of the game, which means heavy spoilers! If you plan to experience the game for yourself, use Act 1 as your teaser and come back afterwards, or if you find yourself stuck.
|| >> Start Here << || <<< Previous Part | Next Part >>> ||
TUNIC: A Narrative Guide
Act 2: Part 2 - The Four Pillars
In my thoughts dance memories of my battle with the giant beast. I replay the moments where I damage it, and the moments it damages me. A strategy begins to emerge in my mind. To reach the power source is a folly, and serves only to make me dizzy. However, to run and hide is also folly. In the time it takes to reengage my foe, it is already beginning a new onslaught.
Stretching and hopping to my feet, I climb the stairs to once again do battle. My basic tactic is to stay up close and personal. Many of its attacks are meant to hit further out, with several being lunges. The war machine summons a wave of Fairies, but follows it with a swipe attack which manages only to hit them.
Staying close, it attempts to stomp me, and I misjudge the timing. It then launches a swarm of floating bombs, which surround me as well as itself. With a cacophony of explosions, I'm sent flying, but I notice my foe has also been dealt a great blow. Perhaps I can make use of this. With a swig of potion, I advance.
With repeated dodge rolls, I find my stamina exhausted. As the great construct lunges past me, I take a moment to catch my breath. It seems to stumble as it looks around for where I'm at, and before it can blast me with its giant laser beam, I am once more at its side. It's working! I've almost won!
Never celebrate victory early. In my excitement, I find myself overexerted, winded. The Siege Engine pulls away, and I try to finish it off with a barrage of fire bolts. With only a sliver of life remaining, it rears back and unleashes a laser beam, incinerating me.
Awakening again at the statue, I slam my fuzzy fist against the stone ground. This time, I will claim victory. Charging quickly up the stairs, I begin slashing away at the construct before it can even regain its senses. Its opening salvo is a barrage of gunfire, and I slip underneath it to strike at its core. Next, it launches a wave of floating bombs. After a few free strikes, I pull to the other side of the giant, and the explosives drift into and around its limbs.
Locking my focus to one, I zap it with a shot from my Fire Rod. It explodes, chaining to a second orb, though only one manages to deal secondary damage to the war machine. Before the third can even reach me, it launches three more! I do my best to retreat, but this time I struggle. My stamina is exhausting quickly, and I lack an easy shot to clear the bombs.
I aim a frost blast towards the bulk of them, but one hits me from the side. The Siege Engine is frozen, and I've been knocked behind it! A clear and easy shot at its power core. Halfway there. Disoriented, it fires its gun wildly into the air, uncertain of where I am. I take my chance to chug a potion and reposition. It leaps back, and we begin our dance again.
Staying underfoot, I continue to dodge heavy attack after heavy attack. It launches another set of Fairies, and they float around, disrupting my movement, taking pot shots. I try to clear them, but drain the last of my magic in a futile attempt to his them both at once with my Magic Dagger. The giant steps back, pulling back its limb to perform a lunging swipe.
Having retreated far enough, I avoid taking a hit. One of the Fairies doesn't fare so well. I collect the mana that erupts from it, and note that with only a drop, I'm able to use either of my magic tools again. Before I can put that to use, I'm hit with barrage after barrage of bolts. Desperately drinking through my remaining supply of potions, I hide behind the nearest pillar and await an opening. Only a little life remains in the war machine, I can feel it.
Discovery: Any magical item can be used with only a drop of mana.
It comes in close and chooses to launch explosives. A miracle happens, and the dumb machine launches them off the platform entirely! I dash in and bring it to the edge of defeat. It moves back and slashes, connecting and leaving me on edge, but also destroying the second Fairy that I had been dodging.
With a final sprint, I run past the charging laser, hiding to its right. I unleash a blast of cold from my Magic Dagger, and with a one-two combo, its core begins to overload! It channels as much energy as it can through its central laser beam, until the components fail. With the energy trapped, the core glows bright, and I dive behind a pillar. With a thunderous explosion, pieces of the war machine rain down around me.
Sifting through the wreckage for something of value, I come across a hexagonal rod. I had noticed this held in the belly of the beast. It doesn't seem to be of the same design as the rest of its mechanisms, though. Pocketing it, and finding nothing more, I return to the lower level.
The sunlight filters through the dense clouds above, reflecting off the metallic finish of the hexagonal ring. In the center, I spot a hole. It is the same size as the rod I just pilfered, so on a hunch, I try to see if this is where it's meant to go. The threatening text can't stop me. I can't read! In the device goes, sliding in with a satisfying clank.
A central shaft raises from the ground and I jump to the side. Gears spin and twist, and a compartment opens up. Within, void energy surrounds an object of red. A hexagonal object of red. The first of the three keys.
Major Goal Complete: Recover the red key, coveted in a forest temple.With a quick rest to celebrate my victory, I pray at the teleporter and exit via the route to the Ruined Atoll. My next goal lies here, surely. With a check of the map, I recall my likely task is to activate the four obelisks. With such an open area, I can probably just pick any direction to walk and end up somewhere important.
Accustomed to poking my snout into corners, I stumble into a hidden path leading northwest. It wraps around the back of the raised portion housing the obelisk. Reaching them may be a little complicated. After sneaking up on a nearby frogman, I catch something strange to the south, across the water. A glowing purple beast, spidery, and reminiscent of the conduit's glow. I barely had a chance to glance at it before it ran off. The water impedes me, so I set my sights on the nearby Envoy.
A frost blast, a sword combo, and a few shots of the Fire Rod are all it takes to cleanly clear him away. Behind him, a new card. A half-filled glass, either steamy or aromatic. Content with my current cards, I resume my search for a way to the obelisk.
New Item: Card #8 - "Aromatic Glass"Searching every edge of the raised mound, I can find no path upwards. At best, I can see a hook on a lower ledge. Around the back, I can trace a path from a coiled rope, but I know from experience that such things must be accessed with direct touch. Otherwise, the Eastern Belltower would have been a cinch.
Have I missed something? The map even labels this with a one. Maybe these obelisks are for later? I was only guessing. Still, I can explore more of this area. If I'm lucky, I'll find a new clue. Realizing I may have entered from the wrong way around, I return to the start of the area and begin my explorations again.
After trouncing some Crabbits, I spot more of the hooks in the water. Worried that I won't be able to do much of anything, I begin to feel lost. This was the only lead that I had, and my intuition to this point has been impeccable.
In the center of the region, I lay eyes on a ring of foxfolk kneeling in prayer towards a central statue. Following their custom, I also kneel, and when nothing happens, I head north to stab the Husher on the bridge and claim the chest he guards. I try to shoot him with my Fire Rod, but he dodges to the sides.
Instead, I use my Magic Dagger, landing a hit and rooting him in ice. With a combo, he almost falls, but not quite. I hold up my shield and sidestep his dive before finishing him off. Inside the chest is another mushroom bundle. This will bring my mana to the same level as my health and stamina.
New Item: Mana Upgrade #2I flip up the nearby ladder and root it securely in the sand. This leads me back to the goddess statue, where I leave a new offering before continuing. Along my path, seemingly endless Crabbits.
Rounding the corner, I come to another locked door. Somewhere, there's sure to be a key. As I am distracted by the mystery, a plant stirs from the sand and reveals itself to be a strange breed of Slorm. It falls quickly to my blade, but the explosion leaves me feeling weak. Not just wounded, but somehow ill. Not yet sure what happened, I resolve to be on my guard for more of those monsters.
Atop a brick path, a chest of shinies. My feet slip on the sand and I realize there's something more back here. To my left, a long ladder. To my right, the key I just learned I needed. Of the two, I choose to seek the key. Rounding the hill, I find the path to it with ease.
New Item: Key #3The next layer up the hill wraps around and leads me to more hooks, and at the end of the brick path, a chest with a fox idol in it. Returning, I climb to the final layer and am at last able to reach my first obelisk in this area.
New Item: Defense Upgrade #3Gazing up at the flashing lights, I ponder what they might represent. They are present around so much of this land. Is its significance tied to these keys? Or are the keys simply made in the same image? I pray quietly, thanking the goddess for her blessing, and the device sinks into the ground. Peering through the telescope, I see the conduit below illuminated, leading itself to the center and bringing life to one of the four praying statues.
From here, I can climb the ladder or unlock the door. Choosing the door, I loot some shinies on the ground floor, and some potion shards on the roof. This completes my fifth potion.
New Item: Potion Fragment #6A rope, a drawbridge, and then a giant Crabbo. My attacks against it are frustratingly ineffective, and I find myself getting waterlogged from all of the potions I'm having to drink. Changing tact, I freeze it in place and attempt to damage it from behind. At last, I've dealt it a healthy blow, but it simply does not let me repeat this action. With the last of my mana, I repeat my attacks and down it.
Above me, I see a chest. If I look closely, I find there's a ladder to its rear. Sneaky. The prize is rather weak, so I continue along the path to see if there's anything else. Ahead, the conduit is damaged. Weeping. As I approach, the illness I was feeling begins to intensify. Running past, careful not to fall, I put my hand against the wall. Nothing here. Massaging my scalp, I try to coax away the headache.
Something in this area is very bad for my health, but I still can't fully put a finger on it. There's nothing obvious in common between the Slorm and this purple fluid. I return to ground level and spot one of the offending Slorms buried in the sand. Stabbing it, I quickly move away before its explosion can reach me. Another one was also hiding in the water, and also blows up. Were they mutated by the dripping fluid?
To the southeast, a ladder to be climbed. Halfway to the next obelisk, I lay claim to a distant chest and am finally rewarded with a sizable sum of shinies. At the top, the second obelisk is set into place, and the second statue draws power.
On my descent, I am ambushed by a pack of Fairies. Thankfully, I've recovered some of my magic, and my Fire Rod makes quick work of them. Continuing around the way, I spot a Crabbo with its back turned. They take damage from the back, right? Easy kill. I sneak up behind it and swing my sword, only to find it bounce off. The beast lunges, backing me into a corner. In my panic, I pull out my Fire Rod instead of my Magic Dagger, and with my defenses squandered, it lets loose with another ferocious pinch and I fall into the water, senses fading.
Crossing to the south, I reach a closed gate. With only a little more, I would have reached this spot and been able to unlock it. Kicking the sand, I sigh and continue my search of the area. To the east, a hard to spot passage leading to a ladder. On the roof, a chest with a card. It's another haloed fox. Comparing it to the other, that one has lines, this one has sparkles. Page 51 can't come quicker. With a shrug, I pocket it, adding it to the others.
New Item: Card #9 - "Halo Fox #2"Using the maze trick, I eventually find my way back to where I fell, though it meant almost completely retracing my steps. Along the way, I face off with another Crabbo. This time, I open with my Magic Dagger and instead of worrying about getting behind it, a full sword combo easily defeats it.
Reaching my echo-of-self, I lower the drawbridge and face off against a pair of Hushers. Evasive and obnoxious, I quickly burn through my spirit in an attempt to freeze them. With only one downed, I am forced to try something new. I put my back to the gate wall, careful of the beheaded Slorm, and bait the bird to dive at me. With a simple sidestep, I slash out and finish it off.
Turning my attention to the Slorm carcass, I find relief in its unmoving state. Unbarring the gate, I regain my health with a potion. I climb the nearby ladder and follow the path. Around the roof. And... I cover my face with my paw and massage my nosepad. Another missed pathway. I was certain that was a dead end. Oh well.
I walk to the end of the dock, and gaze out across the water. I've seen a few fish swimming around, but deep down I am quite thankful that I have not discovered a fishing rod. Not every fish needs dangled from the end of a rope. Exploring these ruins, seeking treasure, that's where the excitement is!
Down the beach, I spot a circle of Crabbits tormenting a common Slorm. An evil thought crosses my mind, and I lock my focus on a Crabbit on the opposite side. Finding a gap in the ring, I launch a fire bolt at the not-exactly-defenseless creature sat in the middle. It bloats and explodes, wiping out the entire ring of Crabbits.
Atop the mound, the third obelisk awaits. Once it's lowered, I catch sight of a chest hiding below. Within it, an effigy. A quick check reveals I have six of them.
As I continue to circle around the Atoll, I cross by an outpouring from a broken conduit. Inside is voidmatter, reminiscent of the flying skulls or the water tentacles. Being next to it, my stomach churns and my head throbs. I put a hand to my snout and back away. This truly is the source of the ill feeling. My body is noticeably weaker just from brushing by. Whatever it is made of, it's well and truly toxic.
Discovery: Void energy is toxic and will decrease my maximum health if I am exposed.
Once again, I come to the area of the first obelisk. The one I couldn't reach before. As I clear my way to the secret pathway behind it, I gain the ire of a larger frogman. This one lashes out his tongue and pulls me up atop the ledge. Caught off guard, I almost fall to his blows, when I realize I've been neglecting my shield. It was impractical against the Siege Engine, so I had kind of forgotten about it.
Drinking two potions as I keep him at bay with my shield, I switch to the offense and dispatch him, plus his ally who showed up late to the party. Nothing else up here except the last obelisk. I ponder for a moment why I gain a few bits of mana from them, but it doesn't seem like a mystery I'll be able to solve.
Checking the spyglass, I see that all four of the statues have now been powered. Dropping the rope, I head to the center to see if anything else has happened. Along the way, I rest and offer up the idol to boost my defense. With a little more, I could have also afforded the potion upgrade.
In the center, there's no obvious changes, aside from the four praying statues coming alight. With a shrug, I try once again to mimic them, offering my prayers to the goddess in the middle. With a creak and clatter, a mechanism springs to life, the statue raising into the air to reveal an empty space below it. It sparks and hums, and then flashes, before sinking back into the ground.
Looking around, I find that nothing has changed, so I repeat this action. Another flash, and then it sinks again. Well, I am currently immortal. I suppose I can try stepping into it. Praying again, I move forward as soon as the statue rises up. With the flash, I find myself transported high into the air. Fluffy clouds float by, and a chilling breeze runs through my fur.
Through the spyglass, I gaze upon a grand building, floating high up in the air by some unknown force. Around me, tuning forks protrude from the ground. However, I appear to lack something critical. There is no invisible floor with which to traverse the gap. None of my tools can interact with what I see before me. In fact, I managed to hit myself in the face with my own Fire Rod attack.
New Goal: Find a way to enter the floating building.
At the same time, I'm uncertain of how to leave. When in doubt, repeat the previous action. I kneel in prayer, and the marshmallow tree rises up and gives me a means to escape. For a moment upon my return, I am left scratching behind my ear, when I let out a loud groan. The tall ladder. I was so distracted by the locked door, that I forgot to check where that went.
Pulling out my map, I find the label "Frog's Domain" in the general area of said ladder. Flipping to the next page, I make a few fresh discoveries about what's shown. First, I see my objective, the green hexagonal key, locked behind a golden door. Second, the area likely holds this "Magic Orb," a good candidate for a useful new tool. Third, I recognize this shape in the bottom left corner. There's something that looks just like that in the water below me. It's lifeless, but I should be on guard in case there are others nearby.
Without any delay, I return to where I found the ladder, seeking out the entrance to this Frog's Domain.
New Goal: Enter and explore the Frog's Domain.
Current Goals
✔
✔
✔
★ Enter and explore the Frog's Domain.
★ Find a way to enter the floating building.
★ Recover the green key, stolen to the top of the sky.
★ Recover the blue key, sealed at the root of the world.
★ Take the three keys to the sealed temple altars.
★ Break the seal that imprisons the goddess and/or obtain the great treasure.
★ Explore the dangerous cave on the beach. (Eventually.)
|| >> Start Here << || <<< Previous Part | Next Part >>> ||
Author's Notes: I understand a little better how this portion of the game ends up being such a stumbling block for so many people. I remember the memes about the sky island and how everyone would get stuck there, not being able to progress, and not realizing they needed to pray to return. When relying only on breadcrumbs, missing a tiny detail here or there can bring a complete halt to progress.
One way this could have been eased is if the Magic Orb description had included the non-glyph word "whip." This would have been a clue that the item found there can be used to whip things, a means of traversing hooks and forks.
As for writing this segment, I actually took some advice regarding the boss fight and I decided I would screen capture my attempts. Since I wasn't sure how many tries it would take, I wanted to give myself the option to avoid repetitious writing. In the end, it only took a total of three tries, so I was able to include everything. If it had taken more, I would have had to condense the experience, and only write at length of the final attempt. Some embellishment is present, but it's almost an entirely true account of my efforts.
It's important to be able to write action that is fluid and easily visualized. I would be happy to hear feedback on how those sections turn out. My Loona story also had a rather exciting action scene, with a dance of swordplay between the two main characters, and I'm still quite proud of how that turned out.
Thumbnail created using the press kit's wallpaper and logo. The custom text contains a secret.
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Category Story / Tutorials
Species Red Fox
Size 1280 x 640px
File Size 278.7 kB
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