Quesada's Swan

Part 1 | Part 2 | Part 3 | Part 4

The music here's the same as the Reptile Lair!

The Lake Shrine!

Source for the map

I climb up the stairs and see double doors with skulls embedded on the door frames!

I head left, crossing the perimeter of the Lake Shrine. It's a beautiful place. I notice trees inside the walls.

After seeing a dead end, I head right. There's a big pit of water at the gap below. I jump down, and swim into the corridor ahead.

Oh god, the gray versions of those tentacle creatures from Elene's dream are here!

I see a bunch of barrels, which I use to jump to the ledge where they are.

I take care of them, and look at my options.

There's a tunnel leading outside south and a set of stairs north. I head out.

There's a barricade, and a set of press switches here, and two blue versions of the potbellied gargoyles on the other side.

I head upstairs, the Reapers are back with a gargoyle friend!

A wall prevents me from going further!

I take care of a gargoyle, opening a door south of the room!

After using an arrow to shoot the lever on the other side of the wall, the wall lowers!

The Reapers are easy pickings as I exit outside.

Unfortunately, offline life forces me to hold this off for breakfast, so I shut off the game without saving!

---

Okay, after doing all of what I did in the first part again, I'm finally back on track!

Difference is this time, I save in the portal chamber after I get Nava's Charm!

I now cross the walkway outside to get to the east wing tower, where a gargoyle and Reapers await.

After taking care of the gargoyle, the wall blocking the way to the stairway lowers!

I head to the west passage instead.

I cross the wall, where I see three buzzing, flaming barriers blocking the stairway west, with three chests floating north of them, and two levers.

I hit the right lever, lowering the rightmost chest, a Mimic!

I hit the left one, lowering the center chest, another Mimic!

I hit the right lever again, lowering the leftmost chest, where I get a key!

I go back to the east tower and head downstairs.

Two of the three passages are closed shut with a huge steel gate, the west passage and the passage downstairs.

Three tentacle creatures are down there near the second closed passage. After taking care of them, I throw the crates.

I use the key to open the downstairs passage. I head upstairs to an open passage first.

I'm now south of the barricaded room!

These gargoyles here are quick at warping!

After taking care of them, I throw a nearby barrel to the other side of the barricade to one of the switches. I press the other switch. I hear a rumble...

"In the distance, a door can be heard creaking open..."

I head upstairs, out, and downstairs back to the east tower, where the passage west of the staircase has shifted out of the way...

I head to the west passage.

A flaming, buzzing circle barrier blocks my way forward though!

I use the key to unlock the second passage and head into it.

Barriers block my way to the other side, where there are those bird head fireball statues moving side to side, with a floating steel turtle shell at the end, and a chest tucked in a corner.

I shoot the shell with an arrow, destroying the barriers!

I grab the herbs from the chest and head back to the passage west!

There's a press switch west of the barrier, which I try to turn on, but I get a message: "The rusty chain has fused and cannot be moved."

I go up and cross the wall to the stairs in another tower.

---

More barriers buzzing here, except they're blue, and they're guarding two chests.

I walk to the west tower, where I take care of the gargoyle and Reapers, lowering the wall barring the stairs down. I head down.

I go to a passage west, where I take care of more Reapers, and see two press switches flanking a doorway, two sets of columns, and more buzzing barriers.

There's a hidden passage I cross, which the end of it is blocked by a wall.

I go back to that passage, pushing the column, heading west and north to another chamber.

More tentacle blobs!

I press a switch, opening a gate east on a high ledge!

I go back a passage and head to the open gate.

Heading upstairs, I find myself in a room with two chests, one west of the column blocking me, and another surrounded by spiked balls in the south perch!

I hit the lever on the perch with my arrow, no good!

I hit the lever with the flail twice, but I end up teleported to the previous room!

I backtrack a bit to another east passage, where a buzzing barrier bars my way forward!

I head back upstairs to see if I can hit the lever with the flail without getting kicked to the downstairs area.

No good. I double back all the way to the west tower, and head to its north passage.

If I could take pics of this place, this would be easier to explain...

I cross the wall where I'm now at the south perch, where spiked balls, and a Mimic lay dormant!

I hit the lever that I tried to activate from the staircase there, lowering the column in the north stairway.

Backtracking, I grab a key from the chest there, and open the doorway to the next passage.

---

Alright, time to break these barriers!

These bird head statues are quicker than the previous ones!

My archery really sucks at this point!

Just remember, this is all about the timing...I take a deep breath.

With a stroke of luck and lots of arrow spamming, I hit the shell, destroying the blue barriers!

I open the chest, getting more herbs!

Backtracking to the two chests near the stairway at the west guardhouse, I receive herbs and a key.

I head back to the west tower, and go downstairs and go to the east.

Two steel doors block the way. I use up one key to unlock the door.

It seems that the chamber with the two press switches might get me the other key...

I take care of the Reapers, and carry the barrel through the hidden passage to one of the press switches.

A chest drops down, giving me the second key.

I head back to that room.

After opening the steel door, I press the switch there!

I get the same "rusty chain is fused" message. Maybe if I strike the chain...

Two strikes seem to do the job!

I head back to the east tower, doing the same thing to the chain there!

After pressing the switch, the front gate is open!

Now, how do I get out of here?

I see a gap in the rail between the center guard towers!

I jump down and leave the Shrine to the portal chamber to save and stop here before going inside Melzas's inner sanctum proper and stopping him once and for all!