Cursed Woods - Enemies
- Arentee - 110 HP - Weak to Moon, Poison
- Boulbe - 99 HP - Weak to Sun
- Lonzon - 75 HP - Weak to Sun
- Woodland Spirit - 63 HP
After a quick jaunt through civilization you're back in the wilds of Wraith Island, and this time you're headed into the Cursed Woods. Head north and you'll get your first taste of the enemies hereabouts as you run into a Woodland Spirit and an Arentee. Arentee are hefty, melee-oriented creatures with lots of HP, and you'll want to get rid of the Woodland Spirit so it can't keep restoring the Arentee's copious health.
Cross the bridge to the north of the enemies and you'll find a crossroads with a save point. To the right is a cliff with some Berries at its base, but you can't climb it from here. Head north instead. Brambles will prevent you from going too far this direction, and you'll be forced to head west. Soon you'll hit a clearing, and a Boulbe will attack you, along with two Woodland Spirits. Wipe out the spirits and the Boulbe is not a big deal.
Check the south of the Boulbe's clearing for some Potatoes, then head back east after the fight. Defeating the Boulbe has cleared away the brambles, and you can now travel north of the save point. head this direction until you find some Mushrooms on your left. This is a sign that you're about to run into an Arentee and two Lonzons. They're guarding more brambles, and you'll have to do something about that.
Head southeast from the brambles after the battle. The route will put you on course with a Boulbe, a Woodland Spirit, and a Lonzon, in a clearing by themselves. Take out the Woodland Spirit post haste or this fight will get annoying. Be sure to grab the Potatoes from the north end of this clearing once you wipe out the monsters.
The brambles will, again, be gone after you defeat the Boulbe. Head north until you find a small collection of log bridges. Hop right to gather Mushrooms before you go too far north. There's a clearing ahead with two Woodland Spirits and an Arentee, and if you check the southwest corner of the clearing you'll find a half-hidden side path to a small glade. Within are two Arente, keeping watch over a chest that contains a Rainbow Conch.
Continue north until you run into a series of cut-log platforms. Hop along them to discover a campsite and a save point, both of which you should use before continuing down the trail. In the north the path splits at yet more brambles. Take a right here and the circuitous route that follows will bring you to a group of enemies, including a Boulbe. Wipe them out to remove some nearby brambles that are blocking a chest. The chest contains Bone Armor.
Head back the way you came, to the west, and you'll find that the brambles from before are still barring your path. Head further west, then south, and you'll find a roundabout route leading to a clearing with another Boulbe. The concentration of enemies here (two Lonzons and the Boulbe) make this the perfect spot for a quick Sunball from Zale.
Inspect the cleared clearing for Mushrooms, Grains, and a chest containing Obsidian Ore, then hop down the cliff to the east of the clearing. You'll be back on the main path - though if you look north you'll find a small shrine. Inspect the door to enter, where you'll find a chest containing a Shimmering Shard. This is a great accessory for these parts, as it inflicts extra damage to Undead enemies. There are lots of those in the Cursed Woods.
Head back east, use the campsite if need be, and head north now that the coast is cleared. After some trekking you'll find an ominous gate, and a horrific cut scene will remove Garl from your party. You'd do well to unequip anything you want off of him before walking too far north. Poor guy.
A new member - ??? - will join in Garl's place, and she brings quick moves with her. ??? can use Poison attacks, an icon you may have noticed while fighting in the woods. She also uses Swords. ??? is a powerful fighter, and will prove quite handy well into the future - though you need to keep in mind that a) She is not as durable as Garl, and b) She can't heal without items. The loss of Garl's abilities will put a crimp in your strategy for quite a while.
Jump into the pit on your right and climb out on the other side, using the handholds on the wall. There are Bell Peppers ahead, as well as a short stream that will bring you to a clearing with an Arentee and two Woodland Spirits. This is a good chance to test out your new character. Jump in the water to the south of this clearing and you'll be swept to yet more enemies... and then again. Fortunately this third water ride is the last, and you can collect some Mushrooms and Potatoes when you're back on dry land.
Head southwest and you'll be atop the cliff near the save point, at the beginning of the Cursed Woods. Return to the entrance and leave. The group will jump to Lucent's inn, where they'll deposit Garl in a bed. You'll learn the newcomer's name - Seraï - and she'll point the group towards their next destination. Last but not least, Valere will learn a new Skill: Lunar Shield. It's a great protective spell.