Part 37: Sacrosanct Spires and Hunting Grounds

Main Walkthrough

Sky Base - Enemies

  • Drone - 132 HP
  • Hoarsemech - 155 HP - Weak to Arcane, Blunt
  • Matsa'krun Claw - 90 HP - Weak to Arcane
  • Yinke - 210 HP

Once you've defeated the three bird-brains of Sacrosanct Spires and paid a visit to Es'tristae's Lookout you'll be ready to take to the sky. The Speedball Network is now active, and you can use the huge ball to the east of Es'tristae to zip to your next destination, the Sky Base.

First Floor

Head northeast of the entrance and you'll run into a pair of Yinke, the first enemies in the Sky Base. They're pretty standard melee opponents, and won't give you any trouble despite their arm-swinging AOE attacks. South of this battleground is a room with a campsite and save point, while the main path continues to the southeast.

The next room contains a pit with two floating boxes, as well as a series of controls. The buttons on the side control which directions the boxes will move when pressed, while the button in the middle changes which box you are manipulating. Move the first two boxes down and the first two boxes up, creating a path southeast. You just need to line the boxes up with the gaps in the middle path. Note that if you push the first two boxes up against the northeastern wall you can use them to climb up to a chest, which contains a Rainbow Conch.

To the southeast you'll find a room guarded by a Yinke and two Matsa'krun Claws. The Claws don't have much HP, but their high defenses make them a bit tougher to kill. They can use stronger AOE attacks, and should be destroyed first. Clear out the enemies and you can use the console in the north to shift the entire room to another part of the Sky Base.

To the northwest you'll find a gap in the floor which you can bridge via the control panel on the wall - though crossing will leave you stranded, as the bridge retracts. In the next room there are roaming security spotlights, and getting caught by one will put you in a fight with a Drone and a Hoarsemech. These familiar faces should prove no challenge.

Inspect the console to the north to activate a teleportation pad on your right. This will send you back to the campfire, where you'll now find an elevator. Heal and save, then ascend the elevator to the second floor of the Sky Base.

Second Floor

Follow the corridor from the elevator and you'll find a wide room with one active console. Inspect it and Seraï will ensure that it opens the door on your left. The west wing of this floor has seen better days, and you'll need to do some climbing and tightrope walking to reach the next room. Three Matsa'krun Claws are waiting for you.

The next room to the southwest has a blue floor that you can't cross. Step onto the orange floor tile on your right to raise a grapple point to the east, then hit the device with the Graplou to raise a bridge. On the other side is another orange floor panel, and this will raise two grapple devices. Hit the lower one to move the platform you're on southwest, where you'll need to quickly strike a third device. This will raise a second bridge, granting you access to the southwest.


The next room to the southwest has another huge gap you can't traverse on foot. Start by grappling southwest, where you'll find a control panel. It activates a few things back near the elevator. To the right of the console is a thin bridge, and you can use it to trek to the southeast corner of the room. Grapple northwest from here to find chests containing a Rosewood Cork and a Sparkmesh Cape, both for Resh'an. Hit the exclamation mark control panel on the wall to move the grapple point so you can head back east and leave.

Return to the room near the elevator via the elevator in the northeast of that last room. This area is now filled with security spotlights that will call down a Probe and a Hoarsemech if tripped. Use the now-active console in the northeast to open the door leading north.


The next room to the north contains a computer console, a locked door, and wall panels to the left and right. Trigger the wall panels to start and you'll shift two large devices out of the northern wall. CLimb up and blow these boxes down to the lower floor. You need to move these boxes into the square holes on either side of the room to unlock the door. This process will get it done:
  • Blow the box that isn't constrained by a raised barrier down, to hit the barrier in the south
  • Trigger the central console to change which barriers are raised and which are lowered
  • Blow the box that is still up north down, left / right into the other box, and then back up
  • Trigger the console to change the barriers again
  • Blow the box that's next to one of the holes into the hole
  • Blow the remaining box to the other side of the room, up, left / right, and up into the second hole
All done. Head north and you'll find a save point in the room on your left, as well as a chest containing Music Sheet #7.

Northwest of here you'll find a room guarded by a Matsa'krun Claw and a Yinke. Blow them away, then use the console in the north to move the room. It will ferry you over to another corridor, at the end of which is an elevator. Check the box to the right of the elevator for Question Pack #8, then hit the button on the elevator and climb aboard.

The elevator will take you to a control room. Inspect the console to lower another elevator, then step onto the now-active teleporter on your right. You'll zip back to the room near the last save point, and the elevator to the third floor is waiting nearby.

Third Floor

Head south once you leave the elevator to find a room with two Drones and a Matsa'krun Claw. Defeat the enemies, then check the console on the right. Trigger it will move the room to the east, stopping south of another control room. Fight thfor e two Yinkes and the Drone in the control room, then check the console to activate more controls in the moving room. Check the chest on your left for some Plasma Daggers for Seraï before you leave.

Return to the moving room in the south and trigger the left console twice. North of the stopping point is a campfire, a save point, and a 3D printer / vending machine. Some Sparkmesh Armor / Capes, a Cloudy Simulacrum, and the Surf and Turf Tataki Recipe are all worth picking up if you have the money. A battle is imminent, and you'll want to be ready.

The Catalyst

Resistances:

  • Blunt, Sword (Blasters)

HP: 

  • 110 HP (Repeaters)
  • 95 HP (Salvoers)
  • 175 HP (Blasters)
  • 60 HP (Repair Unit)

The machine that Seraï hates so much is finally before you. Time to scrap the thing... if you can reach it, anyway. The Catalyst hides behind a few security walls, and you'll need to take them out first. The Catalyst's minions use the following attacks:

  • A rapidfire trio of shots on one target (Repeaters)
  • A laser blast on one target (Blasters)
  • An AOE missile barrage (Salvoers)
  • Heals one target (Repair Unit)
The first two phases of this battle are essentially just normal enemy fights where you'll take on Repeaters and Salvoers. In the first section you'll find the Salvoers behind the Repeaters, and in the second phase you'll find Blasters behind the Repeaters and Repair Units behind the Salvoers. These things can wear you down a bit over time, but overall aren't that hard. AOE attacks and Combos are recommended to quickly drain their HP.


Wipe out two waves of defenses and you'll find your way to the Catalyst's room. It, too, has a ton of cannons, though this time it is only hiding two additional attackers, a pair of Repair Units. If you use primarily AOE attacks you'll likely wind up with just the Repair Units left, and you should use this opportunity to heal your party and build up MP and Live Mana.

Once you take out all of the Catalyst's defenders the big main body of the machine will drop. This gives you three turns to inflict as much damage on the Catalyst as possible. Once these turns run out it will pop back up, bringing a full complement of new cannons with it. You'll then need to take out the new round of enemies, repeating the cycle until the Catalyst is out of HP. Use Seraï's Disorient Skill to give yourself more turns when targeting the Catalyst alone.

One word of caution. During this final phase the Repair Units will expend their efforts to heal the Catalyst itself. This doesn't make much difference during the first round of cannons, when the Catalyst can't be targeted, but after that you want to make sure the Repair Units don't heal the Catalyst. This battle get smore and more painful as you run out of resources, and you should avoid prolonging things as much as you can.

Defeat the Catalyst and the team will realize that they're too dumb to work the controls of the machine. Fortunately, the Catalyst's AI Core is friendly - and it agrees to tag along with the party until they find someone who can operate the Catalyst's command module. Sounds like you're headed back home.

Part 39: Infinite Abyss

Main Walkthrough