Chapter 19: the sky islands, Cloud Kingdom and Air Elemental Skyland

Checklist

Reaching for the sky

1. You’re back on the world map outside the Mountain Trail. Use the launch spot nearby to be fired over to Khukharr, the huge face in the water; it drops you onto your ship.
2. Sail to the island directly south, Hiker’s Rest, and go ashore.
3. The Skyward Shrine Bridge holds nothing to collect. Climb the stairs and keep north to a dead end, where the Elder Mist’s prophecy comes true: Valere raises a bridge of water. Walk across to the Skyward Shrine.
4. There are no chests in the shrine either. Climb the steps and you arrive on an island in the sky. Leave to reach its world map.

Skybound Lagoon (fishing)

1. The lagoon on the left, right where you arrive, is another fishing-only spot (no merchant or produce).
2. It has the Sky Urchin, Cloud Skate and Ninja Starfish. Two of their shadows look almost alike; one is a little thicker. More on the fishing page.

3. Beyond the lagoon the road forks. West is the Air Elemental Skyland, but its gate is locked for now. Go east into the Cloud Kingdom.

Cloud Kingdom

1. After the opening scene, follow the narrow walkways north until you reach a pair of gigantic feet: these are the kingdom’s people.
2. Touch the small crystal beside the feet to be sent to an inn. It has a save point, a Wheels table and a chest with Question Pack #6.

3. Go back and head east, chatting to the cloud folk on the way. The building to the north is the shop, and a chest to its right holds Truesilver Daggers.

4. Continue east past the cloud giant (it lifts its foot so you can pass) and watch the bottom edge of the screen: a chest under a tree has a Cloudy Shard, another gift for Teaks.

5. Head north to the council. Once the scenes are over, look behind the pillar for a half-hidden chest: Rainbow Conch.
6. Return to the previous screen for more scenes. The party decides to split up — and Resh’an splits into three to join each group.
7. Who goes where:
   1. Zale and Resh’an: the Air Elemental Skyland (below).
   2. Serai and Resh’an: the Nightmare Sea (below).
   3. Valere and Resh’an: the volcano — Chapter 20.
   4. Garl goes to fetch Malkomud, the mole who uses earth magic.

Air Elemental Skyland: the entrance

1. Zale and Resh’an open the gate with the Wind Key. Just inside is a large blue crystal with Zephyr trapped in it; you can’t break it yet.
2. North of the crystal is a light puzzle and your first Braidzard. It spins and whips you with an electrified tail — block on the strike. Its charge summons a small tornado that fires three wind blades in quick succession at one character; block every one.
3. First light puzzle:
   1. After the fight a crystal appears so you can control the light.
   2. Light the left pedestal first: a mirror appears at the bottom. Turn it to face northeast.
   3. Then move the light quickly to the sun side on the right. The laser bounces off the mirror and powers the device.
4. Ride the Mistral Bracelet (it works like the water rings of the last dungeon) to a hub with a campfire and save point. Monsters ambush you first, including the new SlingRabbit: it fires its slingshot at one character, and its charge fires three shots at every character.
5. Cook, heal and save before moving on.

The four-light puzzle and the slabs

1. From the hub, grapple east over the gap and follow the path down a ladder to an open area with four lights.
2. Solving it:
   1. Light the upper right one first: a chest rises with the Cypress Cork for Resh’an.
   2. Light the bottom left and bottom right to bring up two mirrors. Turn the left one to northeast and the right one to northwest.
   3. Top up both, then shine on the upper left. The laser bounces between the mirrors into the device on the east.
3. A new Mistral Bracelet carries you northeast into a big fight.

4. Climb the west wall and hop over the platforms to pick up the Triangular Slab. Climb the next wall, win the fight, and just to the south is the Hexagonal Slab.

5. Drop down and ride the Mistral Bracelet back. Set the triangle on the pedestal to the west.
6. Before going on, step into the opening there and grapple across: a chest with a Rainbow Conch, and past it a scroll that teaches Zale and Resh’an Conflagrate.
7. Go back out, grapple over the northwest gap and return to the hub.

The updraft and the waterfalls

1. Heal and save, then fit the hexagonal slab into the pedestal up the stairs. An updraft starts and a chest appears; ride the wind up, then drop straight back down to land beside it: Assassin’s Pin.
2. Ride up again, hop over the stones to the west and climb once more. Walk the tightrope east to a chest with Sky Armor.
3. Now go west into the little canal and jump down the waterfall into a fight. Continue southwest along the scenic path to the very top and jump down a second waterfall. Take the Apples from the tree, go east, then north into another fight.
4. Climb to the upper platform and spin the turbine: the platform below rises. Ride it, detour south for Peaches, then go east to the next light puzzle.
5. Light the right side first to make a mirror appear and point it straight north. Then light the other side; the laser opens the way in.

The mirror cave and the Cobalt Hammer

1. Inside, enemies interrupt you before you can start. The laser and mirrors are already here.
2. Mirror settings, in order:
   1. Turn the top mirror to face west. The wall to the north slides away and opens the way on.
   2. Now turn that same mirror to south, and the next mirror to north. The beam hits the wall and is shot upwards.
   3. Climb the back wall and set the mirror next to you to south. Cross the southwestern beam to a chest with the Azure Cape.
   4. On the east side of this upper level, point the mirror north. The light reaches the left pedestal and builds a path.

3. Outside, another ambush. Two more mirrors wait: turn the left one to east and the bottom one to north. A blue crystal rises.
4. Inspect it: Resh’an reforges the Coral Hammer into the Cobalt Hammer, which shatters blue crystals.
5. Test it on the crystals nearby, then jump down the waterfalls to the hub. Heal, save and take the southwest Mistral Bracelet back to the entrance.
6. Smash the big crystal with the Cobalt Hammer. Zephyr is freed — straight into your bottle.

Serai and Resh’an: the Nightmare Sea

1. Control switches to Serai and Resh’an, who learn the combo Arcane Barrage right away. Hortence runs a small shop here.

2. The Azure Cape is a good buy for Serai.
3. Head east along the only path to a campfire and save point. Save, then climb the rope ladder.
4. At the end of the upper path, throw the Immaculate Pearl. A scene follows and then the boss.

Boss: Hydralion

1. The golden rule: when the tail appears, target only the tail. Anything else, even a hit-all skill, triggers the counter whip.
2. Next priority is breaking the big charge so Ruler of Tides never goes off. If you have to choose, one counter whip hurts less than a Ruler of Tides.
3. Without the tail out, the Hydralion is mild. Resh’an heals both of you well, and party-healing items work too.
4. Feed your boost orbs into Resh’an’s arcane skills. The fight lasts long enough for an Ultimate and for Arcane Barrage, both strong here.
5. Expect the tail to come back more than once; take it down every time.
6. After the battle, several scenes play and the focus moves to Valere and Resh’an at the volcano: Chapter 20: Kiln Mountain.