Quesada's Swan | Alundra - Part 62: Elene's Nightmare

No new music this time...

Alundra and Meia teleport separately into Elene's head.

Her fantasies are pretty cloudy and gray, cliffs meets a temple-like setting in an endless sky.

As I head down the lower set of stone steps, I encounter three tall yellow roper slimes with purple bulbous mouths, or is it eyes? I start to take care of them, but they pop out tentacles and turn red after hitting them!

A press switch and a gargoyle statue is on a high ledge! I head to the upper set of stone steps, as small spiked balls fall from the sky down the steps!

There are also some steps that are marked with arrows, probably as a way to help me know where to fall down.

There's a chest on a separate stone step, but I can't reach it!

I do reach the switch and press on it, raising the last stone step above!

I eventually reach the chest, after failling from one of the up arrow steps, containing a Strength Eliyxr!

Meia's also in the same chamber, but goes into a teleporter west of her position!

I head to the teleporter up north, where I'm now in another room with those tentacle blobs and gargoyles!

After taking care of them, I press another switch and warp back.

But I'm stuck, so I warp again and find a teleporter behind the gargoyle!

Meia's stumped at the puzzles in Elene's dream and asks us for help!

I warp to her location. Some of these places here are filled with lava! Meia asks us how to open the door. Alundra uses her as a stepping stone (!) and presses the switch that opens the door forward.

She doesn't like being used as a Stairmaster though! Meia presses the platform switch and warps ahead.

I grab the treasures from the room, which both have herbs and follow her.

Meia's figured out the mechanism for the press switches in this part of the dream. She has an idea!

Meia plans to step on the switches while we jump over the tiny platforms. I fall on the first try though, falling back down to the first chamber with the arrow steps again.

On the third try I almost make it!

On try number twelve I make it, and press the switch lowering the block blocking Meia's path. She warps forward.

The block near the east teleporter has lowered itself, and I head in!

I move west underneath a waterfall flowing from a giant floating basin of water underneath me. I grab a nearby chest containing more herbs. There's also another chest there, but it's on a high ledge. Another big block bars the way to the teleporter forward there.

I go underneath the huge basin of water, where I eventually make it to the second chest, which has more herbs!

A third chest is situated at the edge of a cliff. On a separate cliff south of that is a lever. After making my way underneath the basin, I get to the chest, which has another Gilded Falcon!

The lever lowers the block ahead to the teleporter.

But on the east part of the area, at the edge, another chest is there, containing another herb.

I warp forward, where I'm now at the top, and Meia is at the bottom of the chasm! Poor Meia...

Meia's frustrated, trying to climb up the chasm! After using her as a moving platform (sorry!) I make it to the other side, where I climb to the ledge, using a stray barrel, and press the switch there, raising a block upwards.

I carry the barrel down to the chasm, and I realize that I made a mistake!

After noticing a chest on the western ledge, I fall back into the entrance warp, and double back. I carry the barrel this time near the base of the ledge where the chest it.

A key is in the chest, and I use it to unlock the gate north. Another teleporter is there too.

I'm now in the next chamber, where Meia considers this puzzle, "the true test!"

There are five crystals in the shape of a Sapphire Crest, on top of teleporter pads. The four corner crystals spin slowly around, with the center crystal glowing in alternating colors.

We have to destroy all four of the nightmares within these crystals, Meia says, and Elene will die if one of them is still there.

Meia asks us which nightmare should we start taking care of first?

The changing colors in the center determines the order of how to destroy the nightmares...

Blue, yellow, brown, and purple are the colors.

I hit the center crystal when it's blue, destroying it and opening up a save teleporter there!

The blue crystal at the upper left is also destroyed as well, revealing the teleporter to the nightmare I have to face. I warp to the save portal and save my progress.

I warp to the teleporter where the blue crystal was! I remember reading the digital copy of the manual which came with the game, and the localization crew said that they fixed the difficulty on this part somewhat...

Strange, Meia's not there anymore...

Now I've entered a river with stepping stones of various sizes and huge spiked balls flowing down the river!

There's a press switch on one of the stepping stones.

I try to swim upriver, but the current is too strong, and I head back. I jump on the stones, watching my step and gauging the distance.

When I'm at the switch, I press it. Another one appears, and the whole process of me pressing switches continues for ten more times. The tenth switch stops the waterfall, stopping the current, and the flow of spiked balls!

I swim forward to the teleporter on the upper left part of the room.

I'm now at another water filled chamber. Ahead are two press switches, one on each side of the land. I press one, warp back, and head to the upper right teleporter.

Now there are orcs in this part here! Two treasures are on top of thin pillars and are unreachable. Ahead is a yellow crystal blocking the teleporter forward.

I go back to the room with the pair of switches again. After pressing the second switch, two more appear! However, as soon as I press the right one, the left one disappears!

I warp to the east teleporter, which takes me to another chamber where there are four press switches. I'm on the upper left part of the room. After pressing the switch there, the teardrop pillar rises.

This puzzle is a bit tricky. The second set of switches only last for a certain period of time!

I give up on this puzzle and after reading the guide, I head back to the first room and use the bottom right teleporter.

I'm now in a room with high ledges north of me and two orcs attacking in front of me. After taking care of them, I climb up the ledge, avoiding more spiked balls on the way!

One set of them stays on its slope while a second one tumbles down the cliffs!

I make it, where two more orcs and two chests are, where the west one has a herb inside, the other one has a key.

I go back to the upper left teleporter, where Meia's at the chamber now. She taunts us, and asks us to release the trap in this room with her.

We have to press the switches here at almost the same time! Failing that because I have to type this down, I reset the puzzle.

This puzzle requires very good timing...I shake my head at the developers for pulling something tricky like this...

Eventually, we succeed, and the lion statue spouts halt flowing the water and I open the door forward with the key...

Elene here sounds welcoming...or not! Her laugh is creepy!

Two huge blob slimes greet me! They have a core (or is it an eye?) on the top of their blobby bodies!

I have to keep hitting them until their core lands in the middle of the blob, and then I got them!

It reminds me of that amoeba boss in Ocarina of Time! Thank goodness these don't trap you in their bodies!

One blob down, one to go!

So those blobs are called Hidden Eyes, huh?

The crystal blocking the way back is now glowing again, flipping its colors purple, yellow, and brown.

I hit the crystal when it's purple.

After that, I head back to the save teleporter and recover.

I now warp to the purple crystal teleporter in the bottom right.

I'm now in a land with a few ice pillars scattered about.

It's slippery in this area too!

There's a chest northwest of me! After taking care of the tentacle roper blob, I open the chest...which has a Life Vessel!!!

My health is now maxed to 37!!!

I head to the southeast teleporter and warp to steps filled with spiked balls!

I drop down, where I see a treasure chest on a stone step. And I can't reach it!

After pressing a lever that stops the big spiked balls from falling, I head back.

Smashing some ice pillars, I move to the northern teleporter.

I'm now in the middle of a slippery ice maze, and there are eyes at the base of a few columns on the other side of the maze.

I fall down accidentally to the maze, landing on top of the wall, where a press switch is, which has no effect!

I step on one of the eyes, which teleport me to the middle of the maze again!

I drop down to one of the open holes back at the entrance, dropping me on top of the walls of the maze. I step on a teleporter where I'm greeted by four orcs with maces!

Beyond that is a bridge leading to two treasure chests, and a teleporter blocked by a crystal.

After going through another teleporter in the northeast from the maze, I meet up with Meia, who's still pressing on a switch which won't turn on.

Meia thinks about adding more weight to it, she says.

Okay, Meia, knock off the Roger Ebert joke, he's one of the greatest critics of all time!

I stand on top of Meia again, and with our forces combined, we press the switch!

I go back to that the maze puzzle, and figure out where to land from the top...

Not from the upper left hole...maybe the center...

After lots of trial and error, I manage to press all five switches on top of the maze wall, which opens the way forward. Sadly, I need to find a key to open the door...

I head to that big spiked ball room from the southeast teleporter at the main entrance.

No luck, more pain! So I read the guide, which tells me I have to head back to the room with the two chests on the pillars...

Thanks to our teamwork, the diamond shaped pillars have risen, making it possible to reach the chests on top of the thin pillars! A key and an herb are what's in the two chests.

I warp back to the ice maze and use the key to open the door.

Elene pities us, and laughs creepily. Lucky it's just only one Hidden Eye here!

The slippery floor makes the fight a bit tricky though!

Another Hidden Eye beaten!

I hit the crystal until it glows yellow, making that part our next destination.

I head to the upper right teleporter, where I'm now in front of a lava pool with tiny platforms as our lifeline!

With a few drops, I make it to the other ledge! The right ledge has spiked balls, a moving platform in the middle, and two sets of levers!

When pulled, the block moves slightly upward but not enough to go through! I push the top lever to the right, moving the block higher!

I warp towards the place with the four pillars, now I'm on the upper right side of the room!

I press the switch, lowering the pillar down!

I head back and go into the doorway, where I meet my old enemies, the fire breathing rock turtles, again!

After crossing the lava, there are two teleporters at the end of the room. I take the left one first.

Meia's now behind some square blocks! Six fiery "old faithfuls" are in front of me as well!

I break the square blocks, as she quips on by us...

There are two more chests on pillars with teleporters on each side of the room. I cross oer to the right one.

I'm back at the room with the set of two chests for the purple crystal.

I head over to the teleporter on the left, where a sign is in the middle of the room, with a bunch of fiery geyser holes!

I read the sign before me: "When land's rage bellows forth, only the fruit of ages shall silence the fury..."

What is the "fruit of ages" that this sign's talking about?

The row of blocks at the end of the room implies that this is the doorway to one of Elene's nightmares...

After using the four stray rocks in the room, I quiet the geysers completely, lowering the row of blocks down, revealing the doorway.

I head to the right teleporter near the first set of geysers and warp back to the treasures. This time, I go south to where the lowered fire pillars are and jump down!

From there, I use the north teleporter, which takes me to the lava pool and the rock turtles again from the east teleporter there!

After a few attempts, I make it to the chests on the pillars. The west chest has a key, while the east chest has more herbs!

I go back to the geyser room and open the door to the next set of bosses...

Elene: "Idealistic roaches check in...but they don't check out!"

With a creepy giggle, another Hidden Eye comes forth! A lava river also complicates things a bit!

I jump and move carefully so I won't fall in the lava! Other than that, everything becomes so easy!

Got him!

The brown gem is the only one left!

I come up with a plan to take the two chests on the pillars in the geyser and lava pool room! After breaking one square block and using the remaining block to jump on the other, (these blocks come apart in stacks) I manage to get the treasures, which have herbs.

Time to save again!

Honestly, this dream dungeon may be long, but it's pretty fun, and nonlinearity done right!

The last part of the dream dungeon, the bottom left teleporter, is now up for finishing!

I'm now in an area filled with more coarse, rough sand!

No problem, except the sandworms are back!

On a high ledge are two treasure chests. Three other teleporters are on the sand.

I take the bottom left teleporter, which warps me to the spiked balls and stone steps area from the blue crystal area!

I head back since there's nothing for me to do there yet, and take the top left teleporter.

I head straight on the sand, accidentally falling on to quicksand! Lucky I land on the ledge where the chests are on! They contain more herbs and money!

I go back and burrow my way past the left crawlspace to the teleporter pad there.

There's a press switch on the chasm. I fall in and press it, which shuts off again.

it's a trap

Meia appears and uses Alundra as a platform, and...I get to play as Meia! Yes!

I make it to the other side and press the switches there, lowering the block to the teleporter forward.

I make it to the center, where I finish playing as Meia (augh!), and jump on the tiny platforms as Alundra.

I warp to a location filled with sand and tons of pillars! Along with more sandworms!

After beating three sandworms from this part of the area, a pillar lowers!

I continue this again with another section, and go back since I don't have a key.

I burrow under the sand again to hit the teleporter to the right, and activate the switch to raise the triangle engraved pillar!

I head back to the first area, and warp with the top right teleporter, taking me back to a section I went to.

There's only one more chest in this dungeon to fetch...

I avoid the big spiked ball falling down the steps, and jump on the pillars and the steps to get the key from the chest, and that's it! One more boss to face and it's over! Or probably not this time, as Meia is there.

Meia: "Since the other three have been wiped out, this must be the true Elene."

Elene: "So you've slain the other three souls in this body? So what? Nothing here has changed for me, nor shall anything ever really change here. I lived for myself when they yet lived and lived for myself now that they perished. If you have finished saying what you will, leave this place. I want to be alone......eternally. You can forget about me, but I shall remain tucked away in Elene's subconsciousness forever!"

The tone of that monologue speaks volumes about Elene's character there. I also might guess that those multiple personalities were in her head for so long that they could already be part of Elene herself.

I wish Meia had her own game, though...

But anyway, here's the map for Elene's Nightmare. It's a long dungeon, but it's a fun one!