Alfyn's tale begins in the peaceful backwater village of Clearbrook. You'll have to watch a lengthy series of cut scenes before gaining control of Alfyn, wherein Nina, the sister of Alfyn's friend Zeph, has been attacked by some sort of beast. You'll need to figure out what it was using Alfyn's special ability.
Inquire
Alfyn's Path Ability is Inquire. Using Inquire Alfyn can speak to NPCs and learn specific tidbits of information for completing quests. It can also be used to acquire items that are hidden throughout towns, or to apply bonuses to the current town. Each NPC has a Strength level, so Alfyn will need to raise his level to Inquire without risking the party's Reputation in the town.
Use Inquire on Lily, the little girl out front of the Inn. She'll reveal that Nina was just trying to pick waterblooms for Zeph, but she got bit by a giant snake. Alfyn will ID it as a Blotted Viper, and after a conversation with Zeph he'll set out to snag one of the beasts so Zeph can prepare an antivenom. Your destination is the Cave of Rhiyo...
... though first you should have a quick look around Clearbrook:
- Head back into Zeph's house. There's a purple chest in here that only Therion, another playable character, can open. If he's in your party already you can open it to receive an Iron Axe. It's a nice upgrade for Alfyn if he doesn't have anything better available already.
- Next to Zeph's house is the General Store. Spend some money on equipment for Alfyn so he's ready for the upcoming dungeon. That said, make sure you drop some cash on Soothing Seeds and a few Soothing Dusts, which Alfyn can use with his Concoct Skill. More on that below.
- Just south of Alfyn's house is a small dock. Standing near it are three children beside a tree. Check behind the tree for a chest containing a Healing Grape.
- At the entrance of Clearbrook, in the west, is a Townsperson who's holding a Steel Axe. This is an even better upgrade from the Iron Axe that Therion can Steal or Tressa can Purchase. Grabbing it is a bit risky, though, so you may want to save first and try a few times if you're going in for a Steal.
- On the east side of town, just past the graveyard but before you reach the Path of Rhiyo, is another purple chest. This one contains a Dubious Gold Ore.
All done looking around? Head to the Path of Rhiyo. Time to get this trip underway - though before you do it's worth it to take a moment to familiarize yourself with Concoct, Alfyn's unique combat Skill.
Concoct
One of the more versatile Skills a character can have in Octopath Traveler, Concoct is the result of Alfyn's years of training as an Apothecary. Concoct allows you to combine a medicinal component - for example, the Soothing Seeds and Soothing Dust suggested above - with another component. The results vary from combination to combination, with some combinations becoming quite powerful and beneficial. Experiment during normal battles while exploring the field and you may be surprised at what Alfyn can do.
One combination you'll want for the upcoming dungeon is Soothing Dust and Noxroot, which will create the Curative Mist Skill. This restores a small amount of health to every person on the team, and, more importantly, cures poisoning. You can get both components at the General Store, back in Clearbrook.
Path of Rhiyo
Normally a pleasant jaunt through the countryside, the Path of Rhiyo is keeping you from an antidote, and thus must be carved into bloody pieces. (Bit dramatic? Whatever.) You'll run into the following monsters in this scenic little area:
- River Froggen I - Weak to Sword, Axe, Ice, and Dark. Pretty basic melee enemy that Alfyn can take out with his axe.
- River Froggen II - Weak to Sword, Bow, Ice, and Dark. Slightly stronger River Froggen that you'll need to defeat with Ice.
- River Froggen III - Weak to Sword, Bow, and Ice. A buffer version of the River Froggen that can heal its allies. A priority target for your team.
- Giant Slug - Weak to Dagger, Ice, and Dark. Heals self to prolong the battle. Otherwise not a big threat.
- River Wasp - Weak to Sword, Polearm, and Axe. Can use Numbing Needle to incapacitate one character for a few turns. Otherwise pretty weak.
- Warrior Wasp - Weak to Sword, Polearm, and Axe. Their Mandible Crush attack can do a fair amount of damage to one target. Still not a huge deal if you use Alfyn's axe.
- Salamander - Weak to Dagger, Ice, and Light. A powerful melee foe that can one shot weaker characters. Keep it stunned until you wipe out the rest of its entourage.
The main path will wind steadily east. Check for a side path as it bends north the first time to find a Healing Grape. Further east you'll cross a bridge and see another bridge to the north. Continue east to find a chest containing some Soothing Dust, then follow the northern path. You'll find a save point near the entrance to your destination. Go off the beaten path west of the save point to find a chest containing an Essence of Plum, then enter the cave.
Cave of Rhiyo
Much more foreboding than the path leading up to it, the Cave of Rhiyo is, unsurprisingly, populated by deadly snakes. You'll run into the following enemies here:
- Red Viper - Weak to Sword, Polearm, Axe, and Dark. Pretty basic enemy. Axe it.
- Blood Viper - Weak to Sword, Polearm, Axe, and Dark. Can use Venomous Fang to poison a character. Alfyn's axe should do the work.
- Black Bat - Weak to Polearm, Dagger, Bow, and Ice. Can Suck Blood and restore itself. Icicle will do it in quickly.
- Shadow Bat - Weak to Sword, Polearm, Bow, and Ice. Capable of putting your party to sleep. Very annoying, and worthy of a quick kill.
- Motley Slug - Weak to Fire, Ice, and Dark. Can use Body Slam, but seems to miss a lot. Can also heal itself and use Blinding Cloud to decrease the party's accuracy. Mainly annoying in that the only move Alfyn can use to weaken it is Icicle.
The path will diverge as soon as you enter the cave. Go north to find a chest containing a Ruinous Seed, then take the right from the entrance. Go south at the next torch to find a purple chest containing 500 leaves, then veer north. There's a bridge on your right up here, though check the wall on your left before you cross the bridge. You'll find a hidden path leading to a chest that contains Injurious Dust. Up the stairs beside and to the north of the bridge you'll find another chest, this containing Soothing Dust.
Cross the bridge and keep following the torchlit path south and to the east. There's a chest along the way containing an Inspiriting Plum, and a purple chest a little further on, in front of a waterfall, that contains an Invigorating Nut. Up ahead is a save point and a Traveling Peddler, and if you check the east wall near the Peddler you'll find one more purple chest containing a Bronze Vest. Unlike most of the Traveling Peddlers in the first chapter dungeons this one sells a bunch of components that Alfyn will find useful for the upcoming battle.
Check just north of the save point for a final chest containing Purifying Dust, then head into the field of waterblooms in the rear of the cave. It won't be long before the culprit rears its serpentine head.
Blotted Viper
Weakness: Dagger, Axe, Staff, Ice, Dark
This is a nasty fight if you don't use Alfyn's Concoct Skill. Accompanied by two Mottled Asps (though only if Alfyn has other party members back him up), the Blotted Viper loves to poison you. If the Asps don't get you with Venomous Fang, the Blotted Viper probably will with Poison Breath, which can inflict the status ailment on the entire party. The Viper can also use Sweep to hit the whole party and Constrict to knock a character out for a few turns. If the Blotted Viper is waiting to strike and its defenses aren't broken it will follow up with Sweep, Constrict, and Big Bite, which targets the whole party with several strikes at random team members. (If Alfyn is alone it will only use Constrict. Still bad.)
If Alfyn is fighting alone then you need to battle the Viper's poisoning constantly. Use Curative Balm (Soothing Seed and Noxroot) to heal some of Alfyn's health and dispel poison status whenever it happens, and otherwise smack the big snake with Alfyn's axe. Save Alfyn's Boost levels for the moments when the Blotted Viper starts to glow, as you can't afford to have him knocked out for any length of time by Constrict. Once the Viper is stunned you can use Amputation to deal a ton of damage. If you're fighting the Viper as a group you should take out the Asps first, since they don't come back, then just focus on keeping the Viper stunned to minimize the amount of time you spend poisoned. The Curative Mist Concoction (Soothing Dust and Noxroot) will dispel the effects of poison on the whole party.
You'll earn a Bottle of Poison Dust for defeating the Blotted Viper. He'll then extract the venom he needs from the Viper's unconscious body (didn't kill it, what a nice guy) and take it to Zeph in Clearbrook. Have a nap in Alfyn's house - it's right beside the Tavern - and after a lengthy cut scene, Alfyn will decide to go on a journey to hone his skills as an Apothecary.