Walkthrough Starless Umbra

::Tulron Village::

After watching the short introduction, leave the village and head towards the outer area. Once you speak with the elder, head east.

Battle the thief and follow him east. Eventually you'll find your way to the outside of the cave. Open the treasure chest for a strength up Essence. It is recommended that you equip this on one of your characters immediately. (Also, unequip Andoru's Fire essence as he knows the skill already and all it does is lower your attack.) After you've prepared yourself, enter the first dungeon, the South Cave.

::South Cave::

First things first, get through the initial guards in a short minigame. Remember to heal if you are low on health. After clearing the sets of guards, head north.

The path through the next part of this dungeon is very straightforward. Follow the path up to the northeast part of the map, grabbing treasure along the way. In the next room, step on and off the switch to your right to activate a cutscene.

You'll now find by pressing the cancel key you can switch between controlling Clydan and Andoru. Have one of the two stand on the switch and then use the other character to go through the opened door. Find the rock nearby and push it back through the doorway to hold the switch down. Now both Clydan and Andoru can continue through the cave. If you mess up you can go back and stand on the magic circle to reset the location of the rock.

The next piece of cooperation involves having one character control the two switches and the other gradually passing through the rows of rocks to the east. Pressing the switch transposes the location of the rock rows and allows one of the two characters to move two tiles to the right. Repeat this pattern until you come across a third switch on the wall. Pressing that will remove the rows of rocks altogether and allow the two of you to travel deeper into the cave.

The third cooperation area involves two ground pressure switches. First, have a character stand on the tile, then have another venture deep into the cave to find another identical tile. Stepping on this will allow the first character to continue. From there, have Clydan and Andoru both step on the triangles to open yet another passageway.

The final part of the cave involves walking across tiles over lava. The only problem is the tiles alternate, so you'll have to be sure to not fall into the lava when this occurs. The difficulty of this puzzle is based on the difficulty you chose at the beginning of the game.

After another cutscene you'll find yourself face to face with the Cave Boar, the first boss.

Boss: Cave Boar
HP : xxx
Recommended Level : 2
Strategy :
The cave boar is a very simple boss. If you still have MP, kill it with fire! Otherwise, attack and heal if needed.

After the battle, head back to town. After an extended cutscene, you'll find yourself on the world map. Head to the village a short distance east of the shore.

::Arkor::

Once you find yourself in Arkor, there are plenty of things to do. Whenever you want to continue on, though, talk to Falas in the northwestern house to watch a cutscene and learn how to use Techniques.

It would probably be smart to visit the shops and buy weapons, armor, and essence. Also, there is a money-making minigame in the center of town, but it isn't too interesting. An NPC near the entrance of town is interested in battling you, and one map east you'll find the first race track, where you can race the NPC there. If you win, you get a boost in stamina recovery, which isn't ever a bad thing.

Once you're done here, exit south--to Olfacon Mountains.

::Olfacon::

This dungeon is fairly straightforward. Follow it through, making sure to keep your HP up. Also, if you are interested in learning Essence Skills, make sure you equipped the essence as early as possible so you can have them for the approaching battle.

If you are having trouble with the Mine Cart minigame, refer to the minigame section for tips and tricks on tackling that minigame.

After the mine cart, you'll find yourself outside again. Once you reach a fork in the road with a sign, do as it suggests and continue heading west. To the north is an optional boss that is too difficult for your party at the moment. Continue following the trail until you see a laughing man. Save your game and learn any spells you want now, because after talking to the man, the second boss battle will start.

Boss: Thief
HP : xxx
Recommended Level : 5
Strategy :
The thief has an annoying array of skills. Lucky for you, though, he will waste turns improving his own stats with buffs and give you an opportunity to strike. Be careful of his stun spell, and make sure to heal when necessary.

Continue along the pathway after recruiting a new party member to the castle of Dorin.

::Dorin Castle::

Upon entering Dorin, night will fall. Speak with the two guards near the top to start a small cutscene. Your party will agree to stay the night at the inn, which is just downstairs on the right side of the map. Talk to the innkeeper and the three of you will go to bed.

::The First Dream::

Andoru will find himself in a dark dream with many glowing butterflies. Touch the rods and follow the butterflies to a small campfire up north. Next, press the confirm key on the sparkle and follow the red one. Each time you do this, it will get progressively difficult, but it shouldn't be too hard.

The next map consists of the side of a train. Walk up to it and you will float inside. From there, talk to NPCs and head left, through the train. Talk to the man at the end to watch another cutscene. Afterwards, Andoru will abruptly wake up.

::Dorin Castle::

Try to talk to Clydan. Afterwards, go back to sleep.

Before you go back to bed, there is a relatively short (but somewhat entertaining) cutscene between Reene and Andoru. If you want to watch it, instead of going back to sleep after trying to wake up Clydan, head over to Reene's room. Andoru will comment, "She's not there." Afterwards, head out and back up to the second story. Outside on the left (past the guards) you'll find Reene.

After you go back to sleep, speak with Clydan. The two of you should go speak with the king on the second story. After that, leave Dorin Castle and visit the church, which is right next to the castle on the map.

::Dorin Church::

Head upward and speak with Reene. After the cutscene, go back to the castle.

::Dorin Castle::

Back at the castle, speak with the guards blocking the king's room. After a small event, head down to the basement area of the castle, where the guard was blocking. After a small event, you can pass and head to the next dungeon, the Forgotten Prison.

Before you run in there, though, I suggest you stock up. The dungeon itself isn't difficult, but you won't have any other opportunities to purchase real items for three dungeons. Take time if you haven't to learn a spell or two, and complete the quest in the castle for some easy cash.

::Forgotten Prison::

The majority of the battles in here should be no problem for Andoru and Clydan, because they only really attack in small numbers. Make your way through the prison until you reach the toxic area. This puzzle is not particularly difficult, as you will have more than enough health to make it through. It's not even Andoru's HP, so don't worry about healing.

Press the switches on the wall until the door opens. Inside, press the pipe pieces into their respective slots in the broken pipe. If you accidentally push the wrong pipe in an incorrect area (you shouldn't), you'll have to exit and re-enter the room.

After you correctly place the pipe pieces, the door will open and you can continue on to the next boss.

Boss: Deadknight
HP : xxx
Recommended Level : 7
Strategy :
This boss battle should be no problem with the mysterious person who joins you for this battle. His attacks are devastating and should take out the boss in only a few turns.

After the battle, exit to the world map and head east to the next dungeon.

::Temple::

Lucky for Andoru, there aren't too many monsters here. There are, however, a lot more puzzles and minigames here. It's nothing you can't handle, though. After entering the map, watch a short cutscene and Reene will join you again. Head up and left one map. (You cannot go right yet; the way is blocked.)

The first minigame is a race against a boulder. This can be tricky if you aren't familiar with the layout of the race, so it might be a good idea to explore the next few maps before you start the race. Make sure to never enter walking mode, as you have no time for that.Running into the energy balls are devastating, so make sure you can dodge them efficiently. Like many parts of the game, this minigame is harder on Normal difficulty.

The next puzzle is a wall with six switches on it. You can only press switches in, and when you do so the switches adjacent to the pressed switch also alternate between pressed and returned to their default position. This shouldn't be too difficult to do.

The third puzzle involves knocking barrels into water and walking on them. There is only one path onward--the others lead to treasure chests, though you might not have the patience to acquire them.

The next room contains a torch. The further you get from it the darker the room becomes. Pay attention to where you walk and you should make it across without any trouble. At the end of the wall, you'll find two switches. The one on the left is the correct switch while the one at the right starts a boss battle. The choice is yours.

Optional Boss: Crypt Mummy
HP : xxx
Recommended Level : 7
Strategy :
This boss is a piece of cake and you shouldn't really be fighting it, but if you'd like to feel free. Using your essence skills and techs will take him down quickly.

Now return all the way back to the main room. When you get the the rock race map, the way to return might not be so obvious but at the top of the map there is a small passageway you can walk through.

Back in the main room, head right. The sand river that was blocking your way is now gone, and you can press the switch on the wall.Head back to the main room again and the spikes will now be gone. Continue onward and watch a cutscene. Afterwards, you can leave and head to the next dungeon, which is to the south.

::Hidden Factory::

When you first enter this dungeon, a small cutscene will start. Afterwards, head north. Lucky for you, this dungeon is relatively easy to navigate and fairly straightforward. There are a few chests tucked away that you can only reach by going behind boxes that are worth obtaining.

The enemies here are a bit tougher than before, but if you remember to have Reene always use spells they should be no problem. Once you get to the save crystal, get ready for the next boss and head into the door to the elevator.

Boss: Strike Unit, Repair Unit
HP : xxx, xxx
Recommended Level : 10
Strategy :
Your first priority should be to take out the little crane Repair Unit. All it does is heal and it can be pretty annoying. The Strike Unit also has some annoying attacks that do a generous amount of damage. Designate Reene for heals if you find his damage particularly troublesome. Make sure you have enough MP for this one.

After the battle, watch another cutscene. Following the path, you'll find a spinning object in the control room. Grab it and head back to watch another event. After it, you'll find yourself in Dorin Castle again.

::Dorin Castle Revisited::

There isn't much to do here other than restock on items. Your next destination is Arkor, so after you are done, head back through Olfacon.

::Olfacon Mountains Revisited::

Backtrack through the mountains. There is no fun way to do this, but thankfully you can just run away from the monsters and your ATB fills pretty quickly. Alternatively you can learn a few spells easily on your way back.

At a certain point, a cutscene will occur. After an easy battle, you will have a new party member! Finish traveling through Olfacon to Arkor.

::Arkor Revisited::

The only thing you have to do here is visit Falas' house and watch a cutscene. If you haven't already it might be a good idea to complete the racing minigame to increase your stamina recovery rate. Afterwards, you're going to want to leave back through Olfacon. Now there is an NPC that will teleport you across the mountain for a reasonable price. Next you should pass through the Forgotten Prison in the same manner. Once you get back on the world map, head west past the bridge and into the next dungeon, the Melanoid Catacombs.

Optionally, on your way west to the Melanoid Catacombs you'll see a stairway leading down on the world map. If you complete this minigame with a good enough score, you'll get an awesome set of weapons for Andoru, Clydan, and Reene.

::Melanoid Catacombs::

After a short cutscene you'll learn that there are immortal monsters in this dungeon. If you happen to run into one in an encounter, the only thing you can really do is run from these battle for now. Fortunately, Khan is with you and there are very few new monsters here so the encounters aren't too difficult.

Head up north and in the first room on the map. If you follow a narrow passage on your right and jump across the gap (making sure you are in walking mode), you will find a treasure chest. Another cleverly hidden chest may be found next to the save point on that same map. Just head right a bit and it will be along the right edge of the map.

After heading into the next area, you will find a blue diamond-shaped obstacle to your right. Go left and press a switch. Now, the blue diamond-shaped obstacles become slightly transparent and you may pass them. However, now there are green diamond-shaped obstacles that are now solid and impassible. So, follow the only path you can for now and in a room you'll find more chests and a switch.Open the chests for a few medium saps and a stimulator (behind the pillar), hit the switch, and exit the room. The obstacles have now reverted. (Green obstacles are passable while blue ones are not.) Before you pass through the second green obstacle, you might want to head left and grab the Rune Blade for Andoru. It's not incredibly useful at this point unless you plan on using Andoru as a pure spellcaster, but you can always sell it otherwise for some easy money.

Passing the next green obstacle will bring you to another room with boxes blocking your way to the switch. An easy way to pass this is to take advantage of the isometric tiles and move to the bottom right tile in the room without moving a single crate. Now move the crate above you forward once, then the one to your left forward, then the one above you up twice, then finally the one to your right forward once. (Make sure you aren't in running mode!)

Continue onto the final room. It shouldn't be too difficult to push the crates. Hit the switch and head back to another room. This one leads you to a new area.

This puzzle is fairly straightforward, but if you aren't careful it might consist of a bit of backtracking. The idea is that you must collect twelve "souls" to press the twelve switches at the end of this large room. There are thirteen total so if you skip one you will still be okay.

Grab the first soul, pass the green obstacle and press the switch. Repeat this until you have four more (five total). Now, you should find yourself face-to-face with your first fork in the path. One path leads down and the other up. Follow the path down and grab the sixth soul at the dead end. Now go back up for your seventh, then go left and go down on the next fork (which is actually a loop) to grab the eighth soul you saw a moment ago. Continuing down for a ways you'll find another fork. Go left, hit the switch and grab number nine, then head back to the right. The next fork will have an upper path and a lower path. Take the upper to grab soul number ten. The next fork has two paths blocked by blue obstacles going east and south. The eastern path turns up north to find an eleventh soul and a dead end, while the southern path will lead you onward to another fork. Follow the northwestern path blocked by blue to soul number twelve and then backtrack to the split and go south. On the last fork you'll find soul number thirteen next to a treasure chest on one end and all twelve switches on the next.

Stand in the center of the twelve switches and wait a moment for all the souls to catch up to where you are. After they open the passageway, save your game and get ready for a boss battle, making sure Khan and Andoru have MP.

Boss: ????
HP : xxx
Recommended Level : 13
Strategy :
Despite Khan's warnings of not attacking with physical attacks, sometimes he won't cast spells and ignore his own advice due to the game's AI. Make sure he has plenty of MP--his spells do much more damage than yours anyway.

You'll want to take this boss out quickly because after a certain amount of turns he will use level two spells which take out a decent chunk of Andoru's HP. Therefore, taking time to heal MP during battle isn't recommended, as you should have enough MP to take him out if both Andoru and Khan have full MP.

Also, curing blind might work, but every turn blind will again afflict your party so it's not recommended.

Exit the dungeon and watch an extended cutscene. Congratulations, you're on chapter three!

::Entrainment Village::

Upon entering Entrainment, you'll want to visit the inn, which is fortunately right next to the entrance of town. After watching a cutscene and acquiring another party member, head northwest and speak with the girl in the blue hair blocking the sewer. She'll ask you for a sundial.

This is the first of many simple tasks that will get you acquainted with Entrainment Village. There's a lot to learn and unlock, so head east. There you'll speak with Lynia's grandfather, who wants some apple juice.

Northwest of here you'll find the cooking guild. (It has a coffee cup sign in front.) After speaking with the person in charge there, you'll find you need to get a diploma to join the guild. So, visit the school, which is two houses to the left. Speak with the instructor and you can enroll in your course.

Following the path to your classroom, there are several books you can read to study for the exam. All of them talk about different factions that have already and will come up in the game later. The general gist is that the four factions mentioned are Planetary Stoics, who believe in the natural order of the world; Sophists, who manipulatively acquire power through logic and reasoning; Passives, who are nonviolent; and Neutralists, who tend to not follow a faction yet are grouped under one for organizational purposes.

Armed with that knowledge you can now pass the test. The questions and answers are as follows:

Q: Which faction has the most faith in the written word?
A: Sophistry

Q: According to Planetary Stoics, Nommo is ____.
A: Seasonal

Q: Who was the founder of the Passive's Pact?
A: Vinbro Getzab

Q: Planetary stoics claim Nommo, too, has a will of its own. What is their main support for this theory?
A: Mankind, too, has its own will.

Q: Which faction tends to avoid conformity?
A: Neutralism

Q: Opponents of the Passive's Pact believe it will not work for all of the following reasons EXCEPT:
A: There are few supporters.

Q: Which faction is too old to recall its founder?
A: Sophistry

Q: Examine the following quotation: "Wasteful, yes; inane, no." What is the subject?
A: War

Q: Who was the founder of Planetary Stoicism?
A: Veranius Stellus

Q: Who is considered the father of Neutralism?
A: Ritgal Forthright

Now you finally have your diploma, which you needed to join the cooking guild, which you needed to do to make apple juice, which you needed to give to Lynia's grandpa for the sundial, which you needed to give to the girl blocking the sewers, which you needed to get to the WOLF Headquarters. Whew!

Sign up at the cooking guild and speak with the people there to learn how to make apple juice. Give it a few tries and after you've had enough, go back to visit Lynia's grandpa. After a short cutscene, you will get the sundial. Give it to the little girl blocking the sewer and you'll have access to the next dungeon. But first there are a few things you should do.

Get new weapons. armor, and essence. There is some good stuff here. Also, there are plenty of treasure chests in houses and around town. The most notable of which is the Spellcaster Suit on top of the inn, which allows you to double how fast you learn spells. Take the time to do a quest if you are in need of money.

::Entrainment Sewers::

The sewers here contain enemies a bit more difficult than before. So, it's best to make sure you are well-prepared before continuing. It is also fairly easy to get lost in the sewers, but a good tip to remember is the general direction of travel is mostly east, going slightly south.

The first puzzle is very simple. There are three wide pillars and a message on the wall that reads, "Before Solis retires to the west, the Northern Savior sails Starboard." Or, in other words, press the switch on the top pillar, then the right pillar, and lastly the left pillar. Now the pillar south isn't in your way and you may continue onward.

The next puzzle involves jumping across platforms to continue south. The general pattern is to the rightmost ledge, then by jumping up once you can go left (or grab the chest), down, right a bit, up a bit, then far right, down a bit, then left onto the southern platform.

Next, you'll find a dead end. Watch the rat. It moves behind the waterfalls and so can you. Follow the left path, grab the treasure, then go back right and save. It's time for another boss.

Boss: Baby Turtle Dragon
HP : xxx, xxx, xxx
Recommended Level : 15
Strategy :
The Baby Turtle Dragon is actually a three-part boss. The main supportive unit is the fin, the main offensive unit is the head, and the body just has a lot of HP and you cannot kill it until the other two parts are dead.

First, take out the fin and then the head. Because of this boss's high damage output, you will most likely get a rage with either one or both of your characters. This will make things substantially easier. Lynia's rage does big damage.

Now head into the WOLF Headquarters for another cutscene and a rather involved dungeon.

::WOLF Headquarters (Platformer)::

The first part of the headquarters is very action-oriented. Take a moment to get used to the controls. Your goal here is to traverse through a few maps from left to right, killing WOLF personnel and collecting little spheres (for which you will be rewarded later). Here are a few general tips:

1. Don't rush. Take your time and watch the enemy's movement patterns. It's all pretty simple.
2. You won't get knocked back when you are damaged, so if you're standing on an enemy taking damage and swinging you probably won't kill it.
3. If your PC is lagging press shift. It will lower the refresh rate for the animations. If it's still lagging, free up as much RAM as possible by closing unused programs and pausing downloads of any kind.
4. If you're falling a lot, try jumping first then moving.
5. Always save!

After a few maps you will encounter a cutscene, then it's boss time.

Boss: Koren
HP : xxx
Recommended Level : 13
Strategy :
Koren is an interesting battle, because you're using the platformer engine. The difficulty you chose in the beginning affects his HP as well as his delays after attacks, so be aware of that. Koren has a couple of moves he will do, and they can occur on either the right or left side so I'll list them here as well as the best strategies for each.

1. Koren will run from one side to the other. If you time it right you can intercept the run with a swing and get in two or three hits.Otherwise, don't try to run after him because he disappears as soon as he makes it across.
2. Koren might throw three shuriken, which are easy to dodge. They will either go high, medium, or low. If you have enough HP you can rush in and get a good five hits at least while he throws, but you will take damage.
3. Koren will summon wind, which pushes you back. This is probably the most devastating of all attacks because you may get pushed off. If you wish to run against the wind make sure you have plenty of space and run against it. Otherwise, you can let it push you back and time a jump so you land on the platform on either the right or left side. (Do not try to direct Andoru with left or right while you time the jump because it tends to just mess everything up.) In either strategy, don't bother trying to attack.
4. Koren will summon flames, which fall from the sky. It's best to rush up and attack when flames start falling while there are few because you can get several hits in while he summons them.

Afterwards, there will be a cutscene. It's not the end of WOLF HQ--there's still one little dungeon.

::WOLF Headquarters (Timed Escape)::

Don't fret about the timer. This dungeon can easily be done in five minutes, especially with the guide. Do note, the timer runs during battles but not during menus. It is a pretty big help if you have a Sapphire Gem adhered to Andoru right now. You can quickly swap to Stamina Up, which might help you avoid some of the battles here.

Immediately save then head down. (There is a stimulator treasure behind the pillar.) Run to your right past a gated door and take note of its location. The next room is a puzzle.

Your goal is to move the directional keys to get the flame to light up every switch and hit the torch. A lot of the colored directors are already in the proper location. There are six switches to move the directors in the southwest corner and one switch to summon the flame on the northeast corner. From the default position, here's the easiest solution (there are multiple):

1. Move the red director to the right once.
2. Move the green director to the right once and up twice.
3. Move the cyan director left once, up seven times, then left once more.
4. Lastly, move the yellow director to the left four times and then up once.

Run to the other side of the room and press the switch. The gate you saw previously is now open, so run back through that way. Now, when you reach a fork in the road, go left. The right leads to another gate that is locked, so remember this part of the map the best you can.

At the end of the left path, there are two chests (and a hidden one behind a pillar containing a gem). The right one is the one you need to open to unlock the second gate, while the one on the left contains some apples. After you open the chests, head back to the fork and take the right path. Run through this large room, dodging battles if you can. Once you enter the next map, a short cutscene will occur.Skip through it and head right to another switch. It's another puzzle!

The switch asks you for a two-digit integer and tells you whether it is too high or too low than the target integer. Once you input the target integer the cells will open. The target integer is determined at random, but lucky for you there is a quick algorithm for finding the target integer.

Don't do a linear search of the list. Starting with 0, 1, 2, etc., and trying to find the target integer usually takes a long time. Instead, try binary search to cut your problem in half each time. For instance, I would do something like this to finish this puzzle as fast as possible:

1. Try 50.
2. It says it's too low, so I try 75.
3. It says it's too high, so I try 63.
4. It says it's too high, so I try 57.
5. It says it's too low, so I try 60.
6. etc...

See what I did there? I cut the size of potential target integers in half by consistently choosing the middle integer each time. You don't have to sit there and calculate the middle integer, but choosing something similar to this will seriously make this a lot easier.

If you're still boggled about this, try looking up Binary Search for more theorems and information than you probably need to know.

After getting the correct integer, grab your friends and run through the door up north and rush down the final map.

After another cutscene, you will have all four party members back at the sewer entrance. Talk to the orb to get your flip reward for collecting those other orbs during the platformer. Exit the sewers and stock up on items and weapons. (Grab some paralyze healing items too.) Your next destination is Birnam Woods, east of Entrainment.

::Birnam Woods::

It might be helpful to take the time to seriously learn some spells because there are quite a few battles in this dungeon.

The first part of Birnam is fairly straightforward. Once you reach a choice between going east to a new map or north, go north first to get a new weapon for Lynia. Go back and continue heading east. Look closely for treasure on the way, as it tends to be obscured by trees often. As you get deeper and deeper into the woods, it will become darker and darker until finally you are surrounded by trees in a maze.You can't really see where to go but your general destination is southwest. You will go back a bit, though.

After you finish this little maze, there will be an extended cutscene and you will control just Andoru. Grab the chest for Forest Armor, heal, and save. Go across the bridge for another boss.

Boss: Xelia, Pet Falcon
HP : xxx
Recommended Level : 18
Strategy :
You get rage for this battle so it should be very easy as long as you take out the falcon first so you don't get overwhelmed with damage.One Mirager should be enough. After that, continue to take out Xelia.

Watch another cutscene and when you finally take control you will be in Mydat Church, chapter four of the game.

::Mydat Church::

After yet another cutscene, you'll want to walk down where the priest showed you and then go right. Keep walking right until you see a fireplace. Then go on in and follow the spiral staircase down.

::Mydat Dungeon::

Every single monster here is weak against fire. The monsters generally aren't too tough if you exploit this weakness; however, there is one monster--a blue flame--that has only ten HP but will cast level two water spells on your team so kill it quickly.

Traveling east you will come across a room where you must swim across, dodging slimes. The number of slimes here depends on the difficulty you chose in the beginning of the game.
After that, there isn't really much to the dungeon. When you walk up the stairs you'll run into a miniboss, three baby ice dragons. The battle isn't difficult if you've learned level two fire. Afterwards, you'll have access to the world map and another dungeon!

::Therdrian Pass::

This time through, there isn't a lot to see or do. So simply head east through both caves. The monsters here might be worth fighting for more levels up or learning spells, but there is no boss here yet. Take note of the location of the ladder going down in the first pass. You can't go down there yet but you will have to very soon. Don't forget the treasure room in the second pass. It's in a room that goes north on your way through. (There's a Strength Up Lv. 2 Essence with Lynia's name all over it in there.) Once you reach the world map, head east to Sathron Outpost.

::Sathron Outpost::

Go to the rightmost tent and speak with the woman there. She'll give you an empty bottle. (If you sell it you can get another one by speaking with her.) Stock up and head back to the Therdrian Pass.

::Therdrian Pass::

Go back to the ladder you saw earlier. You can now go down. Passing through a simple teleport puzzle you'll find yourself at a save crystal. Save, because there's a boss ahead.

Boss: Fire/Ice Demon
HP : xxx
Recommended Level : 20
Strategy :
This boss isn't difficult if you're careful with your elemental attacks. The demon often reverts between its Ice and Fire form, so use your spells to their elemental advantage to take this boss down quickly. If you have haste, it's also very useful for this and many battles to come.
Now, take the bottle of water back to the woman. Watch another cutscene and you'll start the horse escape minigame.

After another cutscene, you'll have the boat! Travel south, and stop by Mirilas to restock. The next dungeon might be a little tough without the gear there. Afterwards, head to Himesworth Mountains, on the southern tip of the mainland.

::Himesworth Mountains::

The first branch in the road contains a treasure to the north. After you grab it, go east and follow the route all the way through. As usual, there will be treasures hidden behind trees and cliffs so pay close attention if you're interested in picking up a few more gems and stimulators.

Eventually you'll reach a save point with a statue blocking your way to continue east. Go north and you'll find a cave filled with bears.Walk into the one blocking your way north and you'll start a battle. Afterwards, you'll have to battle something a little more difficult.

Boss: ????
HP : xxx
Recommended Level : 13
Strategy :
This boss deals enough damage to almost knockout Reene in one hit, so keep your HP up. If you have learned Magic Wall, this will help tremendously. Reene's rage also will keep her alive, as it drains HP from the boss. Lynia's Seasonspeech (if she gets rage, which she probably will) is devastating to this boss.

After the boss, there is the Rubik's Square puzzle. You can probably fiddle this for a few minutes and get the solution no problem (all rows the same color in any order), or you can learn about Scalability and even Recursion to solve this puzzle no matter how large it may be (hint).

If you just wanna mess with it and get it, go ahead. This puzzle isn't made to take too long. In fact, I'd say it'd be faster to just mess with it than actually taking the time to read this. If you do intend to go for the simple solve rather than the calculated solve, skip the next few paragraphs.

The way I see this puzzle is a problem of size three. How this puzzle is solved is by recursing the same algorithm three times to get the desired result (a solved puzzle). The algorithm is quite simple. If we have a square of size three, to solve the puzzle we look at three stages. For any n th stage, we have to expand the solved square to size nxn without fiddling with the earlier part solved of size ( n-1) x (n-1 ). The first stage is simple, because on stage one of this algorithm, n is 1, meaning the part we need to solve is only one, and one square is already considered solved. Moreover, since the previous stage is 0 x 0, there is nothing to mess up. To start solving, choose a square. I choose the top left because it seems the most natural origin in many coordinate plains. The color in the top left determines what color that row should be and the problem of size 1 is solved.

Next is the problem of size two. Our second recursive task is to expand the solution to one of size two without breaking the solution of size n . Choose a second color for the second row. Typically, I choose the one that's already there (provided it's a different color than the top-left square). Now we know what color the second row needs to be (and, by process of elimination, the last one). So our task now is to get the squares to the right of these two to be the proper color. Without screwing up what we already have, the only rows and columns we should be moving include the following: the bottom row, the middle column, and the right column. For instance, if you needed a green tile to be to the right of the green tile in the top-left corner, but the green tile you wanted to move was in the bottom left corner, you could shift the bottom row to the right, then shift the middle column up two (or down one). You might have problems getting the final square in place. Let's look at an example scenario:

R=red, B=blue, G=green
RRB
GBR
RGG

To get the green tile in the bottom right corner in place there's one fool-proof way that works regardless of how large n is (which is what I'm interested in trying to explain). Shift the middle row to the right once, temporarily moving things out of place, then move the right row up once, then you can move the middle row back to the left. This is typically the type of steps you have to do to solve these things: temporarily break it, make the swap, then trace everything back to the solved state. You could always move the right column up once, then move the center row to the right, but again, that doesn't always work.

Now it's time to solve the problem of size three--the finished puzzle. Now, the only row you can safely move is the bottom one, and the only safe column to move would be the right one. Now that you know about the safe rows/columns, there are two approaches--build the size three square by building the third row or by finishing the existing two rows. Let's do the former, because it's much easier to visualize.

Let's look at another scenario to help describe this final process:

RRB
GGR
BGB

The easiest way to shift the blue tile in the bottom right corner one tile to the left while preserving the 2 x 2 square is shift the right column up one, the bottom row right one, then reversing this by moving the right column down and the bottom row to the left. Again, I emphasize the importance of this method of placing pieces then reversing the move order because it is a practical move that can be used regardless of how large the puzzle may be. In fact, if you end with something like this:

RRR
GGB
BBG

You could do a similar pattern to solve the puzzle if you get stuck in this type of situation. Simply move the bottom row to the left and the right column down. Then you can reverse the steps by moving the bottom row to the right and moving the right column up. The puzzle is now solved!

Now that you've solved the puzzle, the statue that was blocking your path earlier is now gone. Go back to the save crystal and continue through the rest of the mountains.

::Somyrk/Somyrk Palace::

Go to the palace, head forward, and walk up the stairs on either side towards the king's chamber. Speak with him to start a small event.Afterwards, head back down and watch another short cutscene. After you regain control, leave and head to the town armor shop. Speak with the person on the left side of the room and another cutscene will start.

When you regain control of Andoru again, go up the staircase on the left or right side. On either side you'll see a door leading north and another next to it leading south. Go in one of the doors leading north and walk through the lounge. Talk to Xelia.

Next you'll want to backtrack to the main dancing area, but instead of going down the stairs to the first floor take one of the doors leading south on the second floor. Follow the hall until you see a set of stairs to the north (blocked by guards), doors on both sides, and two sets of stairs leading down. The door to the left contains a save point if you wish to save, and the door to the right leads to Lynia.

After speaking with Lynia, leave the room and go down either of the two stairs leading down immediately facing Andoru. Exit the fortress and walk along the left side. Then, speak with Reene. After a cutscene, you'll be back in Somyrk.

Shop now if you need to and leave town to the south when you're done. Approach the ship on the world map next to the docks and you will begin to head south.

::Ship::

Head to the northern part of the ship to speak with the captain. Afterwards, head back down and enter one of the two doorways leading to the kitchen. Speak with the chef to start a small minigame where you must make ramen from scratch. The better the ramen turns out, the better your prize is at the end. Refer to the minigame section for some tips on making perfect ramen.

Take the ramen back to the captain and either explore the rest of the ship or go to bed (by walking up the stairs above the kitchen on the deck and inside). There are a few people to talk to and chests to open.

After going to bed, you'll watch one extended cutscene and chapter four will be over.

::Ghaine::

When you resume control of Andoru once again, you will be in the town of Ghaine. After a short cutscene you'll want to head to the inn.Speak with Lynia for a short exchange and then leave the inn. After another cutscene, you are free to explore. The following are suggestions for you to do before you continue onward.

First, there are a few new essences available here: Multi, and Weak. Both teach you "Blast" and "Debilitate," respectively. Blast is easily the best offensive essence, as it damages every enemy (with no elemental attribute), and Debilitate is handy for bosses, as it halves ALL of an enemy's base statistics (Str, Int, Vit, and Agi). Learn these! As many NPCs mention, the monsters hereafter are much tougher, and it is assumed by now that you have taken advantage of the Essence and Technique system.

If you have been keeping up with your cooking, check out the bakery. Noted by a coffee cup icon, if your cooking level is at least x, the guys there will teach you how to make a Sandwich!

Also stop by the eastern ports if you'd like to go fishing. More details and benefits can be found in the minigames section.

Before you head off, it would be very smart to head to the shop and buy any weapons or equipment. Make sure to save some money for healing items, especially stat-curing items. Bleeding and Paralysis are the two major status effects you'll encounter, so if no one has remedy at least grab a half-dozen salves and bandages. It will be a while until you reach another town.

When you're ready to go, head south across Risbana Desert. If you're feeling dangerous, there's an optional dungeon just Northeast of the Risbana Desert. If you've fished enough, a man will mark its exact location on your map for you.

::Anin Dungeon (Optional)::

There isn't much to this dungeon other than quite a few aggressive monsters and a short jumping puzzle halfway in that is very similar to the one in Entrainment Sewers. Make sure your characters have some way of healing status effects, and pick up a new umbrella for Kelar on the way through.

Boss: Demon
HP: xxx
Recommended Level: 38
Strategy: Not much to say, just use your strongest attacks and don't die. Be careful of the one-hit knockout skills.

::Anin Temple (Optional)::

After exiting the dungeon the only available area is a small temple with one room. There isn't much here except a new "Draw Sap" skill which allows you to obtain medium saps from the skill menu. As of version 5.00b of SU there isn't much else here, but that could easily change.

::Aesir::

Passing the desert, you'll find Aesir, which is the next dungeon. Walk in and after a few steps you'll trigger a short cutscene that explains the workings of the dungeon. Pressing enter facing a body of water will cause Andoru to jump in. (You can press enter again in a similar fashion to jump out.) Pressing shift in water allows Andoru to dive underneath the surface. From here, you move around underwater with a time limit, searching for another area to resurface and continue exploring the caves. Thankfully, the enemy encounter rate is relatively low, since there are no monsters underwater.

The dungeon now becomes fairly nonlinear. Your goal is to search for four small altars with a series of orbs which will be used to solve the main dungeon puzzle. Once you find all four, head to the northeast section of the map and read a stone tablet. You must put the correct orb on each of the four altars to continue onward. One of four orbs per altar gives you 4 ⁴ possible combinations, and the correct answer is random--so it will be different each time you play Starless Umbra . Thankfully you don't have to go through each possible combination because when you approach either tablet a failure sound effect will play for each altar that isn't correctly set. In a way, this is much like the popular puzzle game Mastermind. The best strategy is to take the altars one at a time until you finish.

After the correct combination has been found, swim between the two sets of altars north, passing through the previously-closed gate.Watch a cutscene and now it's boss time.

Boss: Mirror Ghost
HP: xxx
Recommended Level: 36
Strategy: Before you can even think about damaging the actual boss, you'll have to destroy the two mirrors floating next to her. As you probably guessed, the blue mirror has water-based attacks and the red, fire. Using elemental advantage will keep this quick. Watch out for the boss's Charm attack, which confuses a party member (even Lynia *grin*).

After the boss, continue forward and exit Aesir.

::Nogard::

A bit Southwest of Aesir's exit, you'll find the next town: Nogard. Once you enter, watch a short cutscene and head to the inn. Go into the room with Kelar and speak with him. After another cutscene, chapter five will be over.

::Neutralist Headquarters::

When you finally regain control of Carrots, head up to the ventilation duct and press confirm to climb up. You are now in a huge and slightly confusing maze in which your first goal is to find a key to release Kelar and Andoru.

A map will come soon, but for the mean time, you'll want to head towards the southeast, passing through some of the guards. The key is silver and not in a chest so once you see it you really can't miss it.

From there, find Andoru to regain control. Grab Kelar and head out. The rest of the dungeon is easy, but watch out for the guards because they are pretty tough. Make sure you are at full health at all times. Thankfully you'll only run into two before you're out of the dungeon.

After leaving the headquarters, follow the path to the right. You should come across a new village, Mokono.

::Mokono::

In Mokono, do your main village things. Grab an all new upgrade essence or two to begin upgrading level two spells and whatever weapons and armor you can afford. When you are ready, head south to the docks.

There, speak with the boat-keeper. After, head back and talk to a disgruntled old man on the west side of Mokono. After leaving, you'll trigger a short cutscene. You are now ready to head to Zett Forest to continue on your journey but it might be a smart idea to level up just a bit beforehand.

::Zett Forest::

Zett is mostly a filler dungeon with no real obstacles other than the two mini-bosses before you reach the main boss and a fairly confusing map layout. Travel around until you activate two gray stars. You'll know you've activated them once you touch them they initiate a boss battle.

After getting the two stars, keep traveling until you see a familiar party member. After a cutscene, it's time for another boss.

Boss: Melanoid Tree
HP: xxx
Recommended Level: 44
Strategy: There are two arms and a main trunk. One arm will suck up your characters one at a time, but fortunately has low health. This means you can destroy the arm that takes a player to get them back on your team. The only complication is the other arm frequently revives the stealing arm when it is dead. So if you think you can handle the first part of the battle with two enemies, take some time to kill off the arm that isn't holding a character captive. Then, kill the other branch and just go all-out on the trunk.

After the battle, head back to Mokono. Watch a cutscene, then head back to the docks. Once you acquire the ship, head south to Veris Temple.

::Veris Temple::

The main puzzle in this dungeon involves raising and lowering water levels in order to push around floating blocks and jumping across paths. Other portions include avoiding spinning typhoons and pushing stacks of crates to build pathways to switches. Either way, once you get through everything you'll encounter a boss after a quick event. Boss: Obsidian
HP: xxx
Recommended Level: 48
Strategy: In the start, the boss won't hurt you so just load up Andoru with Might, Focus, Haste, etc. Once the boss summons Obsidian, focus on healing your character. After a few rounds your team members will assist you. Make sure you have some MP-healing items handy, as you will often get inflicted with delirium.

After the battle, watch a quick cutscene and chapter six will be over.

Minigames

Bandit Time Crisis
Arkor Two-Door
Arkor Racing
Emoticon Battle
Mine Cart Ride
Dream Campfire
Black/White
Robot
Platformer
Bees
Slime Dodge
Horse
Escape

Optional Dialogue

-After your first enemy encounter outside of Tulron
-After the cutscene with Falas at Arkor
-After the events at the Church in Dorin.
-At the first map of the Forgotten Prison
-Deeper inside the Forgotten Prison
-After the boss battle in the Forgotten Prison
-In the factory
-Melanoid Catacombs
-Birnam Woods
-Mydat Dungeon, after Slime Minigame
-Inside the ship.

nb: males translate,gue bukan kamus