Chapter 1: the prologue, Mooncradle and the Forbidden Cavern

Checklist

Prologue: the first camp

1. Pick Valere or Zale. The choice only decides who you control when the party splits up — both are in the party from the start and the story is the same — and you can change it later.

2. After the Archivist’s introduction, the two split up to find a campsite. Head east: the first fight is a tutorial, so just attack twice.
3. Climb the ledges to the right. The creature tailing you (a Rochevre) attacks near the top; this fight teaches skills, so use one after your basic attack.
4. At the dead end, kick the ladder down and take the west path instead. Climb and shimmy along the cliff, beat the enemy waiting at the top and leave the cave to meet your partner. Making camp ends the prologue.

Mooncradle, ten years earlier

1. Leave the children’s hideout to the south and walk up into the village. There’s nothing to collect yet; a long scene introduces two Solstice Warriors, Brugaves and Erlina, and Headmaster Moraine.

2. Once the full moon is up, Valere wants to open the Forbidden Cavern. Leave the village to the north and take the only path on the small world map to the cavern. After the scenes inside, everyone ends up back in the village.
3. The kids are taken into the academy. Have a look around, then sleep in the dorms on the right to move on.
4. The training days:
   1. Morning: Brugaves in the Training Hall (left). You get the Training Sword and Training Staff.
   2. Then Erlina, by the academy entrance, for magic.
   3. After the sewing lesson, go to the headmaster’s room to overhear the talk about Dwellers, World Eaters and eclipses.
   4. A noise at night leads to the entrance: Garl has left a note and a Cookie Jar.
5. Years pass in a few scenes. When you’re in control again, talk to the headmaster outside his room. Two tutorials follow — Magic Basics (breaking an enemy’s charged attack and getting MP back) and Combat Basics (timed hits and blocks, and getting up after a knockout). Both mechanics carry the whole game, so it’s worth playing them properly.
6. Speak to him again for the final test. He gives you Tomato Club x3.

The training dungeon

1. Jump into the circle to drop into the water below.
2. First floor:
   1. Take the right-hand ladder up to the switch and press it.
   2. Cross the platforms to the left to the chest with an Ornate Stone.
   3. Carry it back right to the brazier. That opens the way on and releases a small group of enemies — Valere’s skill clears them fast.
3. The second floor repeats the idea: reach the chest for another Ornate Stone, place it, and fight three enemies. A fireball from Zale on the middle one splashes onto the other two.
4. In the next room, press the button in the middle to fight Wyrd. It’s a teaching fight: Wyrd keeps changing its weakness and shows you which one it has, so just hit that. Block its slow, telegraphed punch and you won’t need to heal.

5. You’ll probably level up afterwards and pick a bonus — any choice is fine. Go on and you’ll land next to the headmaster: the trip to the Elder Mist begins.

Leaving Mooncradle

1. Walk through the village saying goodbye. At the gate the headmaster gives you another Tomato Club x3 and your first two Relics: the Amulet of Storytelling and Sequent Flare.

2. Your next stop is the Forbidden Cavern again — this time with the way open.

The Forbidden Cavern

1. The first room is empty now; take the cave on the left. Cross the gaps and fight the Luslugs — block their head-butt and the falling spikes of Spike Shower.
2. Scale the left side and land on the platform underneath. It works as a switch: the wall to the east rises and stays up. Use that new wall to reach the upper right, which leads back to the opening screen.
3. There, shimmy to the right and go south to the first chest: an Adventurer’s Vest. Put it on whoever has less defence.
4. Through the northern cave mouth there’s a switch you can skip for the moment. The tall wall on the left leads up to a keyhole.
5. Getting the key:
   1. Go to the north side, head right and drop onto the switch to raise the big wall on the left.
   2. Climb it to the chest with the Forbidden Cavern Key. The raised wall now blocks the keyhole.
   3. Go down, press the switch so the wall sinks again, then return to the keyhole with the key.
6. Inside: a Mushroom Soup in the basket, the combo skill Mending Light floating above a pedestal, and a chest with a Shiny Pearl on the left.

7. Climb to the top area and cross the rope to the left for the Leeching Thorn: your normal attacks heal you for 15% of the damage they deal.
8. Back to the right, drop onto the platform. It frees a group of monsters below — check your HP, beat them and go north to the next screen.
9. The device that should lower the bridge is broken. Jump the gap to the west and enter the cave with the campfire and save point. Heal and save: the boss is just north.

Boss: Bosslug

1. Clear the summoned bugs as soon as they appear, block everything you can and heal when needed — you should have plenty of items.
2. When the Bosslug charges a move, break it with Moonerang and Solstice Strike.
3. After the scene, go north into the small cave the slug came from before climbing the fallen rock: 60 gold and a second Adventurer’s Vest.

4. Climb the rock to the east and leave the cavern. On the world map, the lake on the left is next: Chapter 2.