Temple Remains and the Final Essence
Maku Tree’s Plea: The Maku Tree is nearing full power. Visit him one last time. He directs you towards the Temple Remains in the north.
To the Temple Remains: Head north from Horon Village, past the Holodrum Plains, towards the area where the Temple of Seasons used to be before it sank into Subrosia. This is the Northern Peak / Temple Remains area.
Accessing Dungeon 8: The path requires navigating a mountainous, icy region. You’ll likely need to use the Roc’s Cape for long jumps and possibly change seasons (Winter is often needed for icy paths or frozen water). Find the entrance to the Sword & Shield Maze, the final dungeon, hidden within the remains. The Noble Sword is often required to break a barrier or activate a switch to enter. Make sure you got the Noble Sword (L-2) from the Lost Woods upgrade!
Dungeon 8: Sword & Shield Maze
Note: This dungeon is shaped like a Sword and Shield, and navigation can be complex, often involving revisiting rooms.
Entrance (Shield Side): Go north. Defeat the Ball and Chain Troopers. Go north.
Compass Room: Defeat the enemies. Open the chest for the Compass. Go west.
Map Room: Navigate the ice carefully. Defeat the Wizzrobes. Open the chest for the Dungeon Map. Go back east, then north.
Ice Block Puzzle & Key: Push the ice blocks onto the switches. This requires careful planning as they slide until they hit something. Solve the puzzle to make a Small Key appear. Grab it. Go west.
Hyper Slingshot: Use Roc’s Cape to jump the gaps over the spikes. Go up the stairs. Navigate the side-scrolling area (requires precise Cape jumps). Climb down the ladder. Open the chest to get the Hyper Slingshot (L-2)! This shoots three seeds at once in a spread pattern.
Using Hyper Slingshot: Go back up the ladder, through the side-scroller, down the stairs. Go east. Use the Hyper Slingshot with Ember Seeds to light the three torches across the gap simultaneously. A bridge forms. Cross it. Go north.
Locked Door & Key: Use a Small Key on the locked door. Go north. Defeat the Darknuts (tricky, block and counter-attack). A Small Key drops. Grab it. Go west.
Switch Puzzle: Use the Hyper Slingshot (Mystery Seeds often work well here, or aim carefully with regular seeds) to hit the three crystal switches across the pit quickly. The door opens. Go north.
Miniboss Room (Transition to Sword Side): Defeat the Frypolar (a creature that switches between fire and ice forms). Use the opposite element seed (Ember for Ice, Mystery/Scent for Fire) to damage it. Defeating it opens the path leading towards the “Sword” section of the dungeon. Go east (usually).
Sword Side Navigation: Continue navigating. You’ll encounter more ice puzzles, Darknuts, and Wizzrobes. Use your Cape and Hyper Slingshot frequently. Find another Small Key (often involving hitting multiple switches or defeating tough enemies).
Boss Key Room: Find the room with multiple buttons on the floor (often covered by ice or blocks). Slide/push blocks or yourself onto all the buttons simultaneously. This requires careful planning. Solving it reveals the Boss Key.
Path to Boss: Navigate back towards the central part of the dungeon using your keys on locked blocks/doors. Find the boss door (often requires both Sword and Shield sides to be explored). Use the Boss Key. Go north.
Boss: Medelock: This floating stone head fires eye beams. Its eyes change color.
- Blue Eyes: Vulnerable to Sword attacks. Jump/glide and slash.
- Red Eyes: Vulnerable to reflected beams. Use your Shield (L-1 Shield works, Mirror Shield if obtained via linked game/secrets is better) to reflect its laser back at it.
- Stone Form: Occasionally turns to stone and slams the ground. Avoid the shockwave.
- Switch tactics based on eye color until defeated.
Reward: Grab the Heart Container. Go north and take the final Essence of Nature – Changing Seasons.