Main Walkthrough

Danger Level: 30

A moderately-difficult dungeon to the west of Sai, the Quicksand Gaol is a decent mid-game challenge. You'll likely be ready for this place once you're entering the third and fourth chapters of your various team members, and the gear within is well suited to that level range.

The Quicksand Gaol is located in the Western Sai Sands. Head west of Sai to this area, then skirt around the oasis in the middle and head to the northwest. To the north is the path to the Eastern Wellgrove Trail, and if you check on your left before you walk this path you'll find the side road to the Quicksand Gaol.

Enemies

  • Assassin Bug - Weak to Spear, Dagger, Fire, Ice - Drop / Steal Inspiriting Plum
  • Desert Worm - Weak to Sword, Axe, Wind, Light - Drop / Steal Inspiriting Plum
  • Savage Scorpion - Polearm, Axe, Ice, Light - Drop / Steal Herb of Light
  • Spiked Skink - Weak to Staff, Wind, Dark - Drop / Steal Blusterbloom
  • Vagrant Lizardman I - Weak to Sword, Dagger, Ice, Dark - Drop / Steal Inspiriting Plum
  • Vagrant Lizardman II - Weak to Sword, Staff, Ice, Dark - Drop / Steal Blusterbloom
  • Vagrant Lizardman III - Weak to Polearm, Dagger, Lightning, Dark - Drop / Steal Healing Grape
  • Vagrant Lizardman IV - Weak to Dagger, Axe, Ice, Wind - Drop / Steal Inspiriting Plum (M)

When you enter this area you'll see a conspicuous treasure chest at the bottom of a sandy pit. Wander down to get it and you'll be hit by a sense of danger, which means, yes, the boss is right near the entrance of the cave. We'll come back to that in a bit, starting first with the various treasures on the edges of the Quicksand Gaol.

Northeast of the pit are stairs. Walk north along this path and you'll find a chest containing a Wind Soulstone (L) on your left, sitting on a ledge. Walk northeast and you'll see a chest way in the back of the cavern. Ignore it a moment and look for a hidden passage near the previous chest, partially revealed by a nearby torch. Go down it and you'll wind up at a chest containing a Bright Stone. Make the climb to the rear of the cave once you backtrack and you'll find a Scorched Bone Spear in the chest you spotted earlier.

All that leaves is a chest to the northwest of the pit, which contains Reinforcing Jam. With this penultimate treasure in your possession, head back to the entrance of the Quicksand Gaol and use the save point to, well, save. Something evil is headed your way when you try to get at that chest in the sand pit.

Lord of the Sands

Shields: 7
Weakness:

  • Sword, Dagger, Axe, Ice, Light (Lord of the Sands)
  • Sword, Axe, Wind, Light (Desert Worms)
Drop: Quicksand Monster's Liver
Steal: Can't steal

Huh. Sizable. The Lord of the Sands uses the following attacks:
  • Normal melee strikes
  • Cry for Help, which summons two Sand Worms to protect the Lord of the Sands' weaknesses
  • Sand Strike, a melee attack against one target that can inflict Blindness
  • Inhibit Defense, which debuffs everyone's defenses
  • Swallow Prey, which removes a character from combat until the Lord of the Sands is Broken
  • Sandstorm, which hits everyone and can inflict Blindness
  • Abide, which buffs the Lord of the Sands' attack power
  • Sandstorm Slash, a strong charged attack that hits the whole party and debuffs their defenses
When the battle begins the Lord of Sands will immediately summon in two Desert Worms. These foes will cover for their master's weaknesses, with one exception: Light. The Lord and the Desert Worms will then batter your party with a variety of melee attacks until you defeat the Desert Worms and Break the Lord of the Sands.

Once the Lord of the Sands is by itself it will boost its moves per round to two and begin using its charged move, Sandstorm Slash. This attack is extremely powerful, and if the Lord of the Sands happens to get two moves in a row it can wipe out your whole party. At this point the Lord of the Sands' attack pattern doesn't change, though once you get it into the red the Lord will call in more Desert Worms to protect it for the final phase of the battle.

Healing is a necessity in this fight, given the power of the Lord's attacks, and the added Rampage attacks from the Desert Worms don't help at all. As far as mounting an offense goes you'll do well having a Warrior or two on your team, as they can use Aggressive Slash to knock the shields off of the Desert Worms and the Lord of the Sands. A fully-Boosted Aggressive Slash will hit an enemy six times, and you can use this to efficiently knock the shields off of the Lord of the Sands once it is exposed. Do this and it will virtually never get a chance to use Sandstorm Slash.

Defeating the Lord of the Sands will allow you to get at the chest in the middle of its pit, which contains a Rusty Axe. With the Axe in hand you'll be done with the Quicksand Gaol. 

Main Walkthrough