45. Siege

CASTLE VALETTE - ONE-TIME-ONLY-AREA!

Make three parties - party A Capell, Aya, Komachi and Rucha, party B whoever, party C whoever, but make sure they're full, okay?

As soon as you arrive, teleporter goes kaputt. Kill all enemies, then walk N, killing enemies as you go - every level you gain will be worth it, so do kill everything.

Second chamber you'll reach has MCH in NW corner (it's Iron Box Mimic), and locked SCH in NE corner with MIRACULOUS MEDICINE. Follow the path to third chamber, where you'll see some undead bozo spawn a bunch of skeletons. You need to shatter them all to continue forward.

Follow the path further to 1stcross, take E path. There's a blue door with an orb above it - it flashes red and blue. Aya Connect and Ravaging Raptor the orb when it's glowing blue. This will unlock the door, otherwise you'll be ambushed if you strike it when it's red. Inside the niche open three WCH for 1000 FOL, 5000 FOL, 3000 FOL. Read the blue writing on the wall that says "The road lined in crimson spirals to demise. Feed you desire following the azure way.". We already figured it out the hard way... Back to 1stcross and take S path to fourth chamber.

E path from fourth chamber is dead end, so take N path to fifth chamber. In this chamber you have two further paths - N one leads to a small room with blue door and an orb above it. Aya Connect and Ravaging Raptor it when it's glowing blue to open the door. Komachi Connect and open three locked SCH for FEATHER WRISTBAND, VIPER FANG, GLACIAL DELIGHT. Back to fifth chamber and take E path to 2ndcross.

Continue S to a dead end with BSCH with MEMOIRS OF A MAGE, back to 2ndcross and fill your HP/MP. Take E path into sixth chamber for a skeleton army massacre. N path leads to a small room with blue door and an orb above it. Aya Connect and Ravaging Raptor it when it's glowing blue to open the door. Open two WCH for JUNK, CRYSTALLITE METAL, and BSCH for MEMOIRS OF A THIEF. Back to sixth chamber and take E path into seventh chamber.

Go downstairs for next skelly massacre, then top your HP/MP. A boss is coming up as soon as you step out of the underground tunnel located in seventh chamber. Set your tactics to 'Save MP', and ensure your party can use Maiden's Scorn to cure charmed chrs.

Exit S into 8th chamber with SPN. Cool! Head S and read the writing on the wall that says "The crimson flame engulfs the alabaster bird, Which ever-hungry feeds on azure skies, Clouds that cover amber lands, sealing in, Onyx seas whose waters quench wild fire. Repeat the cycle to weave the path together."

Confusing, is it not? By looking it up in the dictionary these are the meanings of colors: crimson is red, azure is blue, alabaster is white, amber is yellow, and onyx is purple. Once you logically put together the colors and wording of the puzzle, you get this order - red, white, blue, yellow, purple, red, white, blue, yellow, purple, red, white, blue, yellow, purple, the end.

So beginning from the spot in front of the blue writing... take the door to S (note red circle on the ground, denoting cycle has started), white door to E, blue door to S, yellow door to S, purple door to W, red door to W, white door to N, blue door to W, yellow door to W, purple door to S, red door to S, white door to E, blue door to S, yellow door to E, purple door to S. SITUATION BONUS [Solved Chamber of Elements with no mistakes.] will fully recover your HP and MP.

Enter ninth chamber and smash enemies lurking nearby, then wait for one of other parties to clear the enemies from catwalk above. Notice a chest up there as well? That's why we have Komachi - Komachi Connect and Honeysuckle BSCH for INSTRUMENTAL SWORD. Walk to SW end of ninth chamber for passage leading S to tenth chamber, W to 11th chamber, N to 12th chamber... hmmm, MCH (turns into Iron Box Mimic) with plenty of gil, then walk W into 13th chamber.

Just before you step into 14th chamber, read the writing on the wall that says "The road lined in crimson spirals to demise. Feed you desire following the azure way. The future is framed in emerald light." - oh noes... Crimson is red, and that is bad. Azire is blue, and that is good. Emerald is green, and it opens the path forward.

You have two crystals in 14th chamber - their colors glow in specific order of blue, green, red, blue, green, red, and so on. Strike either crystal when it's blue, and then strike the other crystal when it's blue as well. You need to be somewhat quick, otherwise the colors of striked crystal will begin cycling again. Smacking two blues will open S door, leading to a room with two WCH with 40000 FOL, 6550 FOL, and BSCH with MEMOIRS OF A HUNTER. Then smack two greens to open W door into 15th chamber.

Smacking two blues opens N door into a room with three WCH with RACHNUVUS CLOTH, CAPRICCIO NOTATIONS KI, RACHNUVUS SHELL. Then smack two greens to open W door into 16th chamber.

Ugh, can it be more obvious? Play Percipere near orb stands (familiar sound source) to make two crystals appear. Smacking two blues opens S door into a room with three WCH with BLAZE METAL, BLAZE METAL, SALAMANDER SKIN. RACHNUVUS CLOTH, CAPRICCIO NOTATIONS KI, RACHNUVUS SHELL. Then smack two greens to open W door into a long corridor, which eventually leads to the boss. I suggest returning to SPN to save your progress - you can walk through that darn Chamber of Elements without harm now.

Whether or not you decide to go save, proceed down the corridor until you find another door. Top your HP/MP and enter...

Achievement <ASHEN ASSAILANT> is unlocked.