8 - The Highest of the High
- After the dramatic turn of events in the previous area you'll wind up in a rather terrible new area. Aurora's whole party is gone, replaced only by the enigmatic Oengus. Oengus is a physical powerhouse, both strong and resilient, though he's pretty terrible when it comes to facing down magic. Allocate his skill points and head out.
- Be careful here! You don't have Igniculus right now, which will limit your healing, exploratory, and combat options. Engage enemies at your own peril.
- Fly up to the top of the Forgotten Tower. Floating above the creepy tree at the summit is Confession #4. You no longer have Igniculus to help you snag the thing, so flutter up to grab it with Aurora. You'll also find a chest containing four Rough Emeralds to the right of the tree and another chest containing two Unstoppable Elixirs on the left.
- Dip carefully into the pit on the left and slide down behind the guard by the door. If you approach him from the reach you'll get a surprise attack, firefly or no firefly. He's a pretty easy kill. Note the MP Stardust in the wall for later, when you have Igniculus back, and keep descending.
- Weave through the traps at the bottom of the pit and to the right. There's a chest here you can open containing three Potent Healing Tonics. There are also a few gem chests you can't currently open. Drat.
- Down and on your right is another chest. It contains three Unstoppable Elixirs. Kill the crow guard watching over it, then flutter to your left. There's another guard here, and if you take it on you'll also fight a hound-like creature. It's highly resistant to normal attacks, so Aurora's light spells will have to suffice. Behind it is the outside of the tower; fly up and to the right to find a guarded chest containing four Rough Sapphires.
- Head back inside and descend. There's a chamber here filled with occuli that you can't manipulate without Igniculus. Head left instead and through the red door nearby.
- Your pals are in here! Pop open the chest on the floor to your right to find two Rough Rubies, then pull the lever to free your party members. Their oculi have been unequipped, so take a few moments to reapply their crystals.
- Time for some quick backtracking. Fly up from the red door to find a gem chest containing three Rough Sapphires and a normal chest containing two Tumbled Emeralds, then return to the previous passages. The gem chest outside and to the left contains three Unstoppable Elixirs; the gem chests further up contain three Tumbled Rubies and three Magic Defense Elixirs; and, of course, there's still MP Stardust waiting for you back near Aurora's old cell.
- Zip back down to the room with all the gears. Move the gear on the right out of the way, pull the switch to the left of the chain to reverse the movement of the gears, then illuminate the largest gear in the top left corner. This will pull the chain blocking your path out of the way and allow you to escape.
- Below the chain and to your left is a chest. It holds a Rough Tourmaline. Head right and down after opening it. Outside, watched over by a hound, you'll find a gem chest in a cage. It contains two Potent Magic Potions. Ascend a bit further to find Magic Stardust, then head back inside.
- Wind down and to the left. There's a chest on the next floor containing three Rough Emeralds. To your right and up is a very thin passage, full of barbs; despite how this looks, you can fly up and through the column in the middle of the passage, bypassing the barbs. On the right side is a chest containing three Rough Emeralds.
- At the bottom of the tower you'll hit a cut scene, and Oengus will leave the party. If you wish to get him back - recommended! - you'll have to help him out.
Oengus's Plight
- Drop down below the entry door to the dungeons. A gem chest here contains two Rough Emeralds. Another further down has two Lull Elixirs, and a third holds three Potent Magic Potions. Check the right wall for Dodge Stardust before hitting the bottom of the passage, as well.
- A cut scene sparks at the bottom of the long pit. Check the four tents here for HP Stardust (top left), a guard and two Potent Magic Potions (bottom left), and a guard (bottom right). That done, enter the red double door between the tents.
- In the first room of the labyrinth you'll find three doors. Pop open the chest by the bottom door to find a Defense Elixir. Note the symbol on the statue's shield - a crescent moon - and go through the door with the symbol on its banners. Namely, the bottom door. Pop open the chest below the entrance in the next room to find two Rough Sapphires, check the chest beside the statue for two Tumbled Emeralds, then go through the door with the star motif (the left).
- You're in a new part of the labyrinth. Straight ahead and past a guard is a chest containing a Tumbled Ruby. Grab it, then go through the upper door.
- Dip down in the next corridor. There's a chest on your left containing three Lull Elixirs. Go through the bottom door.
- Descend through the next corridor and land beside the middle door. There's a gem chest in the wall to your right containing three Magic Defense Elixirs. Go through the middle door.
- The captives! A cut scene follows. Ransack this final room of the labyrinth for Strength Stardust, three Tumbled Emeralds, two Potent Healing Tonics and a Rough Amethyst. Leave the room and, one cut scene later, you'll be done with the side quest.
- Back outside the labyrinth, you're at the base of the Forgotten Tower. Slip outside and check above the entrance for a Rough Tourmaline. Check beneath the bridge for a gem chest; it contains three Defense Elixirs.
- Heal up and head right. A cut scene and a boss battle wait!
Crepusculum, Reapers
Crepusculum is a nastier looking opponent than she actually is. Flanked by a pair of reapers with strong single- and all-hitting attacks, Crepusculum acts as a physical striker and a buffer. On half of her turns she'll boost her strength; on the other half she'll attack. Occasionally she'll paralyze a single character, which is, as always, annoying, and many of her hits will slow your party members. Interrupt her Casting and she'll always heal herself and her allies for a little over 100 HP. The reapers add more firepower to Crepusculum's onslaught, but they're not terribly strong or unpredictable.
Crepusculum can't revive her buddies, so pull out Aurora and Finn and have them whittle down the reapers one-at-a-time. Do your best to weather Crepusculum's attacks by occasionally pulling out Oengus and using Taunt to draw enemy fire, as all attacks will bounce tidily off his thick hide.
Once the two reapers go down under magical fire, bring out your strongest physical hitters and target Crepusculum herself. Allowing her to heal constantly will drag out the battle, so either slow her down, toss her back on the Timeline before she begins to Cast, or just plain don't attack her when she's in the midst of Casting. On her own Crepusculum doesn't quite have the hitting power to kill your characters, so once you get this far victory is just a matter of time.
You'll earn a Tumbled Diamond for defeating Crepusculum...
- ... and after a quick cut scene, Aurora will gain a few inches. Huh. Fly up into the air to find Confession #14 fluttering about above the former battleground, then head right to find the Flooded Plains. The journey continues!
- There's one more thing to note here, as well. Upon defeating Crepesculum, your characters will unlock the remainder of their skill trees. You can now fully upgrade each of them to their highest potential. Time to start levelling like crazy, no?