Queensbury Crypt - Dungeon

This is the first major dungeon of the game, which isn’t terribly long, but it can be a little challenging in some spots. As soon as you enter, you should notice that the wall on the right side, on the upper section, has a notch in it, meaning it’s breakable. Head up there and do just that, revealing a hidden alcove with some Bones. However, what isn’t spelled out for you here is the wall on the left side, is also breakable. Do that over there and you’ll find a doorway for you, which takes you right outside. Open the chest here to acquire the Whisper and Vesper weapon!

Return inside and take the stairs at the top of the room to the next area. The first thing you’ll see here is an arrow trap in the bottom right constantly firing arrows to the left. This is a common theme in this dungeon, so you’ll need to dodge them by either getting out of the way, burrowing underneath them, or just jumping over the obstacle. Head into the next room, where more arrow traps are shooting, so continue to the left and exit via the western side (north will lead to a dead end if you go there first). Here, there will be pressure plates on the ground, triggering the arrow traps, so you can just jump over the plates to avoid any stray arrows.

Your goal here is to get to the top right and hit the button, which will do something in another room. It’s required to advance, so you cannot ignore it. Return to the previous room, then go up, where you’ll find a big spiked log rolling back and forth. Naturally, you don’t want to be hit by this, so jump to avoid getting hit (can also burrow under it). If you hit the button previously mentioned in the one side room, then the exit in the top right will be open. Continue onward, with more spiked logs in the next room, until you reach the end. The brown water in the bottom right leads to a wall you can break, so do that to access a hidden room.

Use the moving platforms here to cross over to the right side, while avoiding the arrows being fired at you. Once you do, open the chest for a Kear, then speak to the NPC named Midden to have him run away. Don’t worry, because we’ll be seeing him again shortly. Progress to the next new room for more pressure plates, so make your way to the top of the room to see a burrow hole on the right. This leads to a small room with a Bonestone Gem in the corner, so collect it and return to burrow under the rope that takes you north now.

This next part is a bit reminiscent of Super Mario Bros 2, as the exit is blocked and you will see a statue’s head on the ground on the right side. Burrow underneath it to pick it up, but as soon as you do, a ghostly apparition will appear to chase after you. Thankfully, you can toss the stone head to make the ghost disappear, if needed. The goal is to bring the stone head over to the headless statue and reconnect them by tossing it at the thing. When you do this, the ghost will be killed and the exit will also be opened, so continue onward. The hallway beyond just has a NPC, so feel free to speak with them and head downstairs.

Statue Head Hall¶

In this new area, you will have an Underlab right in front of you, so use it to recover if needed. Navigate to the southwest corner and break open the chest there for a Bonestone Gem, then exit via the top of the room. You will see two headless statues here, along with exits to the right and left. Each will lead to one of the two heads needed to lower the metal bars in the center. Before that, though, both of the small burrow holes on the southern side lead to the same hallway, where you’ll find some Bones. The bigger one on the left brings you to Belvedere, who will sell some things.

The biggest items are the Stolenoid Trinket and the Kear, so get both of those before leaving. You should also notice a room on the right, indicating you can burrow under the wall on that side, too, where you can get a Bonestone Gem from the chest. Alright, it’s time to get those stone heads now, so let’s go with the left path first. You’ll meet a new enemy here, a necromancer that will bring back any other enemy if you defeat them while the necromancer’s still alive. Thus, your first priority is the necromancer, so quickly make your way up to kill it, then feel free to defeat the others, if you want.

The next room will have another necromancer, although this one likes to run away from you. You’ll have to contend with arrow traps here, too, so things can become a little hectic. However, once you defeat the necromancer, head to the top of the room to see the stone head. Since the trek back to the statue is longer this time, you can make it easier by tossing the head across the gap to the left first. From there, you can easily just drop down the ledges along the left side until you return to the previous room. Get across the moving platform and back to the main hall, then toss the head at the statue to put it into place.

On the right path this time, defeat the enemies in the room, then destroy the gravestone in the bottom left to access a hidden area. This leads to a room with Midden again, so speak to him to have the fetid creature run off once more. Grab the Bonestone Gem from the same room, before returning to the main path. The head will be in the second room on this side, which will have a spiked log rolling back and forth. Throwing the head here is a good idea, so you don’t get hit by the spiked log, which will be blocked by the head. Once you make it back to the main hall with the statue, toss it on and the road will be cleared now.

Beyond the headless statues will be a smaller room with two necromancers, one of those big brutes that can dodge, and the enemy that bulldozes towards you. Yes, a necromancer can revive the other necromancer, so they should be taken out in close succession to prevent this. Once you beat them both, the other enemies should fall shortly, allowing you easier access to hit the button in the bottom right to open the stairs.

Ancestral Chamber¶

You’ll gain access to another Underlab here, which is a good thing, as there is an optional boss you can do at this point. On the right side of the screen with the Underlab, you will see the Plasma Lock, requiring two of your vials. If you have enough vials outside of that, go inside to see Midden in the middle of the room. Speak to him here and a battle will ensue.

Midden Boss Fight¶

Midden is a pretty simple boss, as he will mostly just summon flies throughout the entire battle. These flies will come after you from time to time, so you’ll have to keep moving, but you can also easily defeat the flies with a single hit. Note that Midden will also jump at you, too, usually trying to take a swipe with his hands. It’s important to keep moving during the fight, since you never know when the flies will come after you, nor Midden himself. As already said, though, you can destroy the flies to potentially help with things being less chaotic.

At some point during the battle, likely a health threshold, Midden will release a lot of flies that will be glowing. After a few seconds, these flies will explode, so you’ll want to either find a spot that’s not crowded, or you can smack the flies to destroy them, too. This is pretty much the entire battle, but you will see more flies appearing as Midden’s health dwindles down. The spikes on either side of the room don’t help, either, since you cannot burrow underneath them. You also need to sacrifice two Plasma Vials to even do the fight, so that can complicate things.

Once you defeat Midden, he will drop the Fly Bait Trinket and you can leave. Make sure to replenish your Plasma Vials at the Underlab, then head north into the next room. This area is just wooden walkways, with a grotesque combination of two enemies joined as one. They have a long-range attack that shoots out in a straight line, so make sure you aren’t lined up like that when they perform it. All of the secret sections on this screen just lead to Bones, so continue on to the next screen at the top of the room. More of those Frankenstein-type creatures here, but notice the cracked gravestone in the bottom left. Go there and destroy it, then head in that direction.

Escorting The Duke¶

You will see an Underlab on this screen, but you cannot reach it just yet. Pay the sacrifice of two vials to unlock the way to the ropes, where you want to climb to the very top. Once you’re there, head to the left side and climb down the rope, then speak to the NPC. His name is The Duke and he wants you to basically escort him to his love. Agree to help him and The Duke will now be following you. You will need to be a little careful here, as while he doesn’t have a life bar, he can get hit by enemies and obstacles. Doing so will cause him to panic and run around, and he will sometimes teeter on a ledge over a pit, falling in after a few seconds.

Should he fall in, then he will reset to where you originally found him, making you start all over again. However, you can simply come into contact with The Duke to reset him, should he get hit at all. As you go south, you’ll have to deal with some spikes that alternate on and off, as well as a rolling spiked log. If it looks like you’re at a dead end, look for something you can destroy to help with your progress. The next screen has some arrows firing, along with a few enemies and more spikes. The path up on the right side is more of the same, with on/off spikes and the rolling log.

Once you reach the very top, with the abomination of an enemy, clear the gravestones out of the way first, then solely concentrate on the enemy. From there, you will finally arrive at the Underlab, which you can use to replenish your Plasma Vials without The Duke disappearing. You’ll be back in the main portion of the dungeon now, so continue to the north for one final screen. There isn’t much here, but you’ll see a chute under some foliage on the right side that takes you back to the one screen you might have seen while exploring (The Duke stays put). In the top left corner is a Sidearm bubble, which cycles through a number of Sidearms.

If you go north again, there is a large room with another headless statue. However, you’re missing the head, so return to the previous room. On the left side is a wall you can break, which will have the head behind it. Bring it into the next room and as you’re going to toss it onto the statue, you’re stopped! It’s time for the The Duchess boss fight!

The Duchess Boss Strategy¶

The Duchess is a boss that has two phases, with the second being more difficult than the first. During both of the phases, there will be pressure plates on the ground, which when hit will release arrows from the sides of the room. Don’t forget that the boss can trigger these, too, so you will likely see a lot of arrows flying across the screen at times. The layout of the pressure plates will also change throughout the battle, so it’s not just one single set of plates to avoid. You’ll have to be actively aware of them as they change and try to not get hit by stray arrows.

In the first phase, the Duchess is pretty easy, as she will only pretty much jump around or lunge forward to swing her heavy mace. While she tends to mostly stay in straight lines when lunging forward, she can go diagonally, too, so watch out. Once you deplete the health gauge, the boss will move onto the second phase, where things will be different. The Duchess becomes more of a monster, with some tentacles, and will use those to her advantage. The pressure plates/arrows thing still is around, so you have to worry about that, too. To add to the chaotic nature, the head has detached from the body and will continually move around.

In the second phase, only the body will take damage, so you have to aim for it the entire time. Attacks in this phase will most revolve around the tentacles, like the boss using the tentacles to lunge forward, then deliver a delayed strike with the weapon. The Duchess will also dig its tentacles into the ground, having them pop up underneath your position. For this one, you want to keep moving at all times, since stopping will likely cause you to get hit. The last attack you’ll see here is the boss shaking and curling up its arms, then lashing out to the sides. Getting below the boss will allow you to get some free hits during this attack.

For defeating the boss, not only will you receive a lot of Bones, but you’ll also get a Health Rose upgrade, increasing your maximum health. If you escorted The Duke all the way here, then he will appear at this point to rejoin you. Exit to the north and follow the Duke through the door on the left, which he’ll open. Speak to him on the right side of the tomb, where he’ll ask you to seal him inside. Respect his wishes by doing so from the left side, and you’ll be rewarded with the Proto Spark Trinket.

Solemn Generator¶

Return to the previous room and go up the stairs to get back outside. The only way to go is up. You will arrive at the base of a tower, which is actually the Spark Generator. Burrow into the hole at the base and you’ll begin a minigame, of sorts. You will be climbing the side of the tower and your goal is to basically reach the top, while trying to go into the holes you come across (burrow into them, like you normally would any other hole). You don’t have to hit every single hole, and there is a minimap on the bottom of the screen that shows you where they are.

You will see Bones along the way, as well as enemies, but you don’t seem to have health during this whole thing. You’ll want to be quick, though, as a wave of electricity is coming up from the bottom. If it hits you, then you will be knocked back to the bottom, where you’ll have to start over all over again. There doesn’t seem to be any penalty for this, other than losing the Bones you have collected during the minigame. Once you reach the very top, burrow into the hole there to activate the Spark Generator for good.

You’re pretty much done here, so after the scene ends at the top of the tower, go through the now open chute to get back to the base. The bars that were up at the southern end will now be gone, with the cave going through the Tower Tunnel you visited earlier, but in the middle section. There’s nothing else here, and you can’t fall down from this middle section, so just find the stairs to the south to return to Knight’s Rest. Hit the button in front of you to lower the spikes and you can start exploring again!