Heya guys, I played through the entire game and made my own guide because I like to be very direct about things and procedure.
Walkthrough
# Introduction
Important: I chose to play as a Knight
Play through the introduction, access the mansion and make love with the literal talking sex doll waifu.
Afterwards check the following to end the mansion tutorial:
Study room, library room, storage rooms (door underneath the stairs), soul's bowl.
Overview:
You can sell items at the Bronze Maiden and, depending on your progress, accept some side quests.
You can (only) save the game by entering the study room to the right of the main area, unlocking the secret passage and touching the stone in the Moonlit Field.
Revisit H-Scenes by interacting with the book in the study room
Level up your comrades at the right side of main hall
Level up your own character at the sex doll after getting your first dark maiden soul and then talking to Alma, the sex doll.
The maid can craft some mythic weapons and armor for you, sadly UI is bad so I never made use of it.
If you inspect the wall in the dinner room (left room of where the Soul's Bowl is), you'll find a hidden door that leads to a chest containing some rubies
# Path of Awakening.
Place is split into left and right wing, I would recommend exploring the right side first.
You'll meet Alaine and unlock a new Shadow Soul when you go up the ladders.
You can also enter the Dimlit Waterways which i would suggest.
Just sprint to the bottom left to find a pyre and teleport back to the mansion or sprint back.
The Waterways has a rat boss that might be too hard for you (top left) and a locked door (top right).
The left side has an open area with a missing bridge leading to the first boss.
Your goal is to bring down the bridge with a switch found in the room located top right.
During your exploration of the right wing, you'll eventually go to the Catacombs subarea with a pyre to unlock.
Boss fight should be easy enough. Your Knight uses skills, Dawn can Shout to aggro, Farouk just heals and shoots magic.
After the boss you'll get a dark maiden soul and the key for the next area, go level up your character.
Every maiden soul you have will unlock a new bedtime story.
You can then defeat the rat in the waterways now as well.
I recommend equipping the Giant Shear, it's incredible and its unique attack can inflict bleed and doesnt cost anything.
Continue by opening the giant gate at the bottom of the Sanctuary Entrance.
# Garden of the Prunners
You'll meet with the female Knight Captain who warns you of the Twin Sisters located in each garden (left=red rose, right=blue rose).
You can't miss them when you walk straight left or right from the pyre.
I recommend doing them when you are ready to go to the next area.
The general gist of progress is to move into the garden, then head to the top and entering the door leading into the castle walls.
Then run down the walls to unlock a pyre and defeat the sub boss which then unlocks a shortcut.
You will also encounter Hilda, a redhaired amazon.
After defeating both sub bosses, you can then access the next area by heading south.
A scratch mark says there is a shortcut somewhere in the garden.
It's specifically witin the blue rose garden:
You go in, head to the top left corner where you find a decorative statue. The north west corner will reveal a hidden path to a decorative item.
I would suggest going back to the Bronze Maiden and selling the valuables and using the souls to level the main character.
The goal is to pump everything into the Knight while Dawn and Farouk get the remaining scraps.
It's enough when Farouk learns Purification and Dawn learns Charge.
At this point, feel free to kill both Twins inside their respective garden but also kill the silent passive knight in the bottom of red rose garden.
After that you can open the door north of the garden's pyre, unlock a new comrade and get two rings (for Farouk).
# Ullamvarna
This is a friendy no-pvp zone. Find the pyre first.
- Get the comrade soul inside the well (south-west of pyre)
- Also talk to Alaine sitting right at the well
- Witness Knight Captain scene (go west of pyre, between two buildings)
- Find the stairs leading to next area (go east of pyre until you find a road leading south, follow it)
# Groaning Valley
Explore the right side and enter every cave until you find a tower structure.
You'll be finding a siscon maddening mage at the top of the right tower and a caged Hilda in the left tower.
I'll suggest having a split save here. You can rescue her by killing the mage in the other tower.
Focus the mage as he is capable of a nuke attack that may deal up to 180 dmg.
Save Hilda for a scene. You can load the other save and proceed without saving her just to check what happens to Hilda. (I think she'll replace a boss you fight later on)
Afterwards explore the left cliff-side and enter every cave, even speaking to a strange man.
Go over the wooden bridge to meet a friendly big NPC and a pyre nearby.
Defeat the winged maiden and return to the man in the cave who will then sprint to the corpse of the boss. You can loot him afterwards.
Move along to the next area.
# Crystal Lake
A sub-boss will be blocking your way to the area, he drops a Goldflame Ember.
Although this area seems like a labyrinth, it's comparable to the Dimlit Waterways.
The area seems to be a square with each lantern sitting in the corners.
Your mission is to light each of the four lantern, opening the chapel in the center of the area and getting the Lakeshore Key.
You can find Matra's Shadow Soul on the roof of the central chapel.
The Lakeshore key opens up the boss room which can be accessed by going to the bottom right corner and then following the path to the top right.
Alaine's scene can be found in the house shortly before the boss room (if you had been killing the silent passive knights so far)
The boss has two phases but the Dawn Shout and the Farouk heals should do nicely to keep aggro away from your DPS Knight.
Battle Cry/Psyche Up into the Giant Shear's special attack is a very popular combo.
With the boss slain, you can then enter the Basin of Decay and kindle the pyre on the left side.
Afterward I would recommend teleporting back to Crystal Lake's Glimmering Shore pyre.
You can enter a chapel at the top left corner of the area (directly behind a candle) and light another pyre at the Royal Family Passage.
Walking through the passage and climbing up a rope at the waterfall will lead you to the Forest of the Blackbeast
# Forest of the Blackbeast
Walking into the forest past the pyre will trigger a sub-boss fight.
Keep going northwest to get to the Witch's Hideout with a pyre. Before the pyre is a secret path to the right.
The witch will give you a scene and then a mission that has two outcomes.
Make a split save and teleport to the Path of Awakenings's Dimlit Waterways.
Keep moving right until you hit the bottom right corner, than move up until you reach a locked room that you can unlock.
You'll meet Marx and are given a choice. For now, choose to kill Marx and receive another Witch scene when you report back to her.
Load the save, meet Marx and decide to help him out. Now kill the witch and unlock Marx's Shadow Soul. Dawn can equip fire-resistant rings if you have trouble.
You can finish up the rather straightforward forest area until you find another pyre and a way to the next area, the Basin of Decay.
# Basin of Decay
Talk to a dispirited Alaine and continue exploring this area as this is a closed spaced with no way to proceed.
When you are finished, feel free to teleport back to the Bronze Maiden and sell everything you dont need.
Your own main character should now be lv10 and it's time to replace Dawn with the newly unlocked Marx.
Marx has similar skills to your Knight and has access to the Guardian Stance skill, practically mimicking Dawn's Shout skill.
Farouk will stay as the party's heal slave for now (because the basin is filled with stinky puddles)
Make a new split save now and continue by teleporting to the outer wall and walking passed the castle walls right from the pyre.
Try to check the left side first and going passed a passage. You'll find a scene with the Knight Captain just south of the left poison puddle area.
Dont help her, see the scene, load the save, help her. She'll go her merry ways and you can continue exploring.
The right side doesn't hold anything of worth if you are wondering.
Your goal is to go north from the center and get onto the roofs of buildings until you find a blasted hole in the castle wall.
There is a pyre there and also the fat friendly NPC guy.
After checking out the place and also unlocking a shortcut to the other pyre, you'll want to go out south again.
Go south and explore the right side until you'll find the Abandoned Estate with a sub-boss inside.
Afterwards you can head back to the pyre and go out of the building via right exit.
You'll soon encounter Hilda's last moments and head inside to kill the area boss. (if you didnt save her back in Groaning Valley, I guess you'll fight her as the boss instead)
I recommend equipping rings that resist poison. Head passed the boss to enter the next area: Fortess of the Midnight Sun
# Fortress of the Midnight Sun Part1
In the first courtyard of the fortress you'll find the last scene of the Knight Captain.
Follow the straightforward path until you find yourself climbing up stairs to the Castle.
Inside, dont go up the central stairs but go around it and enter one of the side doors that will lead to a pyre.
Afterwards you can go up the central stairs and explore the right side first.
You'll soon find yourself in a short sewer section and then back on the Castle Walls infront of the Barracks pyre.
Fight against Sylvan and unlock his Shadow Soul and the Blade of Honor Quest Item.
Feel free to go back to the Doll's Repose and replace Farouk with either Sylvan or Matra.
I went with Sylvan for the big trio of beefy knights but the downside is having to heal via items (until you find a specific item in the next area)
Matra learns a single in-battle heal spell and can poison enemies and lower their accuracy/defense
Now you can go to the Bronze Maiden and accept a side quest to return some noblemen's emblems.
(1): Teleport to Dimlit Waterways and find the stairs up to the Path of Awakening (around the bottom right). You'll find the corpse + emblem right at the ladder to the waterways.
(2): Garden of the Prunners, enter the right garden and keep to the south.
(3): Crystal Lake, go to the central chapel where you got the lakeside key. Go east of it and find the corpse at the soul bowl.
(4): Teleport to the Castle of the Midnight Sun, go out the door to the south and go down the stairs. The corpse is to the left.
There is another side quest about a kitten looking for her master, Auguste
(1): Cathedral, north of the pyre
(2): Garden of the Prunners, enter the left garden and go to the upper right corner
(3): Ullamvarna, right at the statue
(4): Left cliff-face of the Groan Valley. Teleport to second pyre, go south after crossing the bridge.
(5): In Cruz's Gaol, we are now going there.
Now it's time to explore the left side of the Castle. Teleport to the first pyre, go up the central stairs and go to the left.
You'll soon find another pyre in the castleyard and an entrance to the dark library by looping around the top left corner, onto the roof of the castle and going down a ladder to a balcony.
The library is rather straight forward with no enemies in the bottom floor. Go down the stairs to find another pyre. Go straight south to open up a shortcut to the castleyard pyre.
There is a hidden path to be found in one of the top bookshelves.
# Cruz's Gaol
This is a really loud place. Go through the cells until you find a sewer-like structure.
Go to the bottom right to find a pyre. The top right has a ladder leading into a hole.
There is a single giant minding his own business so ignore him and continue on.
You'll witness the last scene of Alaine and in a neighboring cell you'll find a spear that can heal the team as an extra skill. (if you use the triple knight combo, you can use this spear to keep the HP up)
Further down the path you'll fight against the High Torturer but he should be no trouble by now.
Passed the door and to the right should be a shortcut back to the castle.
The left side has a door to the next sub-boss and further down the path should be Astael's Shadow Soul and a shortcut back to the Fortress.
The sub-boss is actually Auguste and he should be no trouble.
Return to the mansion and finish the kitten quest. You'll be able to unlock some magic mannequin BDSM scenes by giving rubies to the cat.
Return to the Castle Interior, go up the stairs and use the Blade of Honor item to unlock the door.
Further into the passage you'll find a pyre infront of the Throne Room. There you'll meet the last dark maiden.
Check out the top left corner for some loot before going through the fog gate. You'll find another pyre there so make some split saves.
My current setup:
My knight has Omokage and Tomonagi, Black Feather Dress, Ring of Nobility, Ring of the Fencer.
He buffs himself up with Psyche Up and uses Rampage as long as he has SP. Afterwards he'll use the weapon's specific skill Double Slash.
(Matra lowers the defense of the enemy and then uses poison attacks.)
Sylvan uses Battle Cry, then spams Supreme Strike.
Marx uses Guardian Stance, then spams Penetrator. (Swarming Thrusts has miserable accuracy)
Usually Marx dies first as an impromptu-tank but it doesnt matter.
Ending 1:
Meet the Cursed Saintess and choose to kill her.
Ending 2:
Meet the Cursed Saintess and choose not to kill her.
She explains her plans but you go straight to the king to kill him. You become the king yourself.
To continue to the true ending, you'll want to follow the Saintess' plans.
Teleport to the Groaning Valley and go onto the bridge separating the two towers.
There is a path leading down to the Abyss of the Dead.
After lighting up the pyre, pick up the treasure to the right to spawn a red husk. Defeating it will unlock Cumbica's Shadow Soul.
The area is very straightforward and you'll fight a caterpillar/butterfly boss for the Royal Ashes.
The Royal Clot item is found in the Crystal Lake. Teleport to the Royal Family's Passage, there is an illusory wall right at the scratch notes downstairs.
You'll literally find the boss sitting right behind the door, he is quite tanky and it's the first time I ran out of mana.
You find Novak's Shadow Soul lying in the boss chamber. I advice you to take him with you immediately, he is the strongest mage out there. Focus into Arcane Lance is OP.
Ending 3:
Go back to the Saintess in order to proceed. Teleport back to where you first found the Cursed Saintess and go beyond the door in order to find the final boss.
Novak's combo should do about 1200dmg each turn.
# Bowheart Shadow Soul
You find the Euheim Hunter in Ullamvarna at the statue. You find the scratched tree by teleporting to the Witch's Hideout and go straight south from there.
Go back to the scratched tree for a scene. You'll fight a boss and subsequently unlock Bowheart's Shadow Soul.
# Masamune Shadow Soul
Save your game and start a new game. Pick any character and after talking to Mikalos, load your save again.
You have now unlock some NewGame+ stuff, like a new character.
Teleport to Dimlit Waterways. Go up the ladder and then head south and up some stairs.
In the middle of a huge hill of bones you'll find Masamune's Shadow Soul.
# Old Swordmasterguy
I literally forgot about the old guy in the Moonlit Field.
You can challenge him and get a Moonlight Greatsword and more importantly: the Swordmaster's Handwraps.
# Transient Nightmare
go to Haillard's Ends and Odds shop and trade Auguste's painting for a blueprint.
If you show it to the cat, it'll unlock a mirror that will transfer you to the Transient Nightmare.
There is a shop that sells good HP/SP heal items (buy a lot of them, actually. At least 20 of each) and a boss marathon.
The following scenes can be unlocked:
Take left path after Crystal Lake Boss refight -> wedding scene + broken disk
Take right path after Groaning Valley Boss refight -> pregnant scene + broken disk
If you go left, right, middle -> Door where you need both broken disks in order to proceed.
You'll fight the Vestiges of Souls.
Your own character will most likely sling items left and right while Novak is responsible for 90% of the dmg output.
Your last character taunts and defends. I would recommend stacking Evasion Equips onto your main character.
Winning this match will unlock some options when sleeping with Alma.
