Temple Ruins

Temple Ruins are underground tunnels located beneath the Dead Dunes in Lightning Returns: Final Fantasy XIII. The complex's existence predates the construction of Cocoon.
== Story ==
After Lightning joins up with Fang in Ruffian, the latter leads the former to the Temple Ruins, a vast network of ruins of uncertain origin that predate the construction of Cocoon. Fang is searching for the holy clavis, a relic Vanille will need to perform the Soulsong on the last day of Nova Chrysalia. She and her gang of Monoculus have been unable to enter the ruins and have already exhausted their search elsewhere on the desert. As Lightning arrives as the savior, Fang deduces her powers could be of help, and after taking Lightning to an entrance leading to the ruins, she opens the door leading inside.
The two search the ruins and come across murals that depict the story of Bhunivelze and the three deities he had created, Pulse, Lindzei and Etro, as well as the birth of mankind and the nature of souls and Chaos. After viewing all three murals the pair opens the door to the chamber where they find the holy clavis, which Fang attempts to destroy. A confused Lightning stops her, and a regimen of Secutors, the military branch of the Order of Salvation, storms the chamber and sets a monster on the pair. While Fang and Lightning battle the beast the Secutors make away with the holy clavis and take it to the Luxerion Cathedral.
Lumina says she was the one who had led the Secutors to the them, and reprimands Fang for not trusting Lightning, believing she may be working for the Order. Fang explains she wants the holy clavis destroyed because the Soulsong will kill Vanille if she performs it, but it would all be for naught for the Order is using her. Lightning and Fang agree to meet in Luxerion on the day of the Apocalypse to stop the Soulsong, Lightning exclaiming Fang is the only one Vanille will listen.
== Locations ==
== Map ==
== Quests ==
=== Main Quests ===
==== 4-3 Where the Clavis Lies ====
;Entry 1
:Fang has been using her position as head of the bandit gang to search for the clavis, but she does not disclose why she wants an ancient relic that gathers the souls of the dead. Meanwhile, the Order is redoubling their efforts to find the clavis. If Lightning and Fang are to reach it first, they must head quickly to the ruins in which it is buried. The entrance stands near the Giant's Hand.
;Entry 2
:Fang is unwilling to discuss her reasons for wanting the clavis. She does reveal that it is ultimately meant for Vanille, but why, and for what purpose, she remains silent. Fang will reveal all in her own good time; for now, Lightning needs to concentrate on the search. Inside the ruins is a sealed door that Fang and her gang have not been able to open. It seems the obvious place to begin...
;Entry 3
:Within the desert ruins, Fang and Lightning at last arrive at the place where they believe the clavis rests. They can feel powerful energy surging within the chamber, but the way is barred by a massive door, sealed shut. Somewhere else in the ruins are strange murals that hold the key to breaking the seal. Lightning has to find them.
Lightning and Fang's destination is on the far east side of the desert, in an area marked on the map, known as the Giant's Hand. Lightning and Fang locate the Temple Ruins by the sea and Fang explains she is searching for the clavis for Vanille's sake. Lightning must follow the path until reaching a larger room with a teleport stone. Continuing south, there is a pit in an adjacent room. Before jumping in, there is a Guard's Cravat on the right.
After descending into the pit Lightning and Fang emerge at Chamber of Dusk — Lower Level. This area has time doors that open and close at certain times of the day. The doors don't take too long to open, but it wastes time to get trapped behind closed doors. Chronostasis allows one to manipulate the doors; otherwise the player has to hope to get lucky. Checking the stone monuments near time doors to registers them on the map.
Past the time doors and down some corridors there is a doorway blocked by skeletons. Tearing through these finds either Unappraised Items or Yellowed Skulls.
Up ahead is a time door and behind it there is a Deprotect Lv. 2 and a Slow Lv. 2, as well as another time door. Through the large, northern chamber is another pit. Going down, there is another time door connecting to the previous chamber, as well as a Nacre Cameo.
At the bottom is a long hallway. There are time doors ahead on the left and right; to the west there is a Deshell Lv. 2, to the east a White Strap. To the left there is an Earth Eater guarding a Warding Talisman. There is a time door at the south end of the hallway. If the player forgoes fighting the Earth Eater, they can wait for the door to open and get at the Warding Talisman this way instead. The party can also surprise attack the Earth Eater from here. Here is an open hallway leading to a red device. After activating it the nearby door leads to Path of Vicissitude.
The player should follow the path until it splits. Fang run ahead urging Lightning to follow her. There's a teleport stone and a closed door that can only be opened by first viewing three murals.
==== 4-4 Murals of the Gods ====
;Entry 1
:Three murals depicting events of the crystal legends are the key to unsealing the door to the clavis chamber. Only those who have seen the three murals and know the deeds of the gods may pass through the Sacred Gate and into the presence of the holy treasure. Each mural is displayed in its own gallery, located in different parts of the ruins. Lightning must visit each one in turn.
;Entry 2
:The holy clavis is in a chamber beyond the sealed Sacred Gate. By inspecting the murals in the ruins, Lightning can collect fragments of a special crux that, when assembled, should break the seal. Certain tablets are needed to view the murals. There are three Shrines of the Tablet in the desert—Lightning's task is to explore each one, recover the tablets, view the murals, and obtain the three fragments of the crux.
;Entry 3
:Once Lightning has assembled all the pieces of the crux, she will be able to break the seal that holds the Sacred Gate shut tight. To do that, she must use a third tablet from the Shrines of the Tablet to view one more mural and recover the final crux fragment.
;Entry 4
:When Lightning sets eyes on the final mural, she understands what the Order is trying to do. They hope to use the clavis in a special ritual called the Soulsong. The Soulsong will summon the souls of the dead to the clavis, and Vanille herself will perform it. It is a role she has willingly embraced—but Fang does not appear to agree with her choice.
Turning back from the door and running back through the Temple Ruins, there was a split earlier Fang asked Lightning to ignore. Taking a right at the Chamber of Flame and following a winding path the party will appear in the Sacred Grove. There is a Pilgrim's Crux nearby that can be used on the wall ahead to open a path to the south of Ruffian.
Returning to the Sacred Grove, in the room to the left as coming back down, there is a room with an archaeologist. North, there is another a Pilgrim's Crux and a quest with a robot, The Life of a Machine. South is a long hallway. Heading to the hallway and walking partway down, there are two rooms, the other being behind a time door. The first one holds a Pilgrim's Crux. The party should register the time door and inside is a Study of the Savage, as well as yet another Pilgrim's Crux.
Turning north at the end of the hallway there is a device that opens the door the party just passed. This northbound hallway leads to a Twilight Gallery that has a mural, but it requires a tablet to open. The party will need to track down three tablets to view the three murals. The player can continue further into the ruins, but there's not much point if the party lack the tablets.
The Shrines of the Tablet are scattered all over the Dead Dunes. In Grave of the Colossi, north of Ruffian, there is a set ruins near the teleport stone. Inside there's a Bandit's Bloodseal by the entrance and once inside, using a Pilgrim's Crux opens the way. (If the party doesn't have any Pilgrim's Cruxes, they can be bought from a man in Ruffian's main building.) There's a Tablet at the bottom and the party will have to kill a number of Skeletons on the way back out.
Atomos's Sands is north of Ruffian. The shrine is built into the base of fal'Cie Atomos's resting place, and and there is a teleport stone outside. Down the entrance and to the left there is some Bhakti's Oil, and near the bottom there is a Pretty Orb in the antechamber before the Tablet's chamber.
The Dry Floodlands cover the west of the desert, and are connected to Atomos's Sands. The shrine is southwest of the Oasis Lighthouse built against the left of two clumps of rock. There is a teleport stone beside it. The shrine's larger chamber has a Bhakti's Oil and a sphere containing a Pain Dampener on the way back out.
thumb|A mural.
With the three Tablets it is time to return to the Temple Ruins. Heading to the room north of the red device the party used earlier, inserting a Tablet activates the mural and the party receives the Crux Body. Going through the door with the red markings to the west, and following the path there, leads to room to the right that is protected by a Gurangatch. Defeating it and going through the passage finds a Collector Catalog. Jumping down into an adjacent room finds a ladder, a monument for a time door, and a Pilgrim's Crux. There is a pit down right below this point, but Lightning can just take the ladder up if she fell too far down. Going up the ladder next to where the Pilgrim's Crux was leads to the Golden Chamber. The party can also go past the earlier Gurangatch and reach the same general area.
Golden Chamber is large and complex. The party enters a cross-shaped area and following the path along the upper wall past some bars in the west, the party should hop down a level. There is a treasure sphere containing a Demon Claw. Entering the adjacent room to the west, and hopping through the hole in the room north, the party comes to a room with a dead tree in the middle. The party must head south, then east through the first time door. There is an Earth Eater guarding a door ahead. Defeating it leads to the lower levels of the complex, but it doesn't lead to a mural. The party should head north and there is a teleport stone. Heading east one chamber, there is a Thorn of Speed near the ladder leading back upstairs.
The party must reach a chamber two rooms south of the teleport stone. The player can either head east, go back upstairs and sweep around via the central corridor to reach it, or move through the southern time doors on the lower level. Once inside, Lightning can trigger the device to open the door in the eastern corridor. Running through the adjacent room east and climbing up to the treasure sphere on the crates finds a Satin Scrunchie. Besides this is a Pilgrim's Crux, and beside that a route to the opened door. North of the door with red markings is a treasure sphere for Poison Lv. 2.
The party winds up in a larger room that has a Pilgrim's Crux. Ahead is a door opened by the Crux and beyond is a teleport stone. Past here is a path up to the desert. Heading east leads to Path of the Dead. Ahead, there is a split and taking a right locates the second mural chamber, Gallery of Creation, resulting in Crux Tip.
Heading back out and continuing north, at the end of the passage there is a Pilgrim's Crux, and a red gate that cannot be opened yet. Returning to the teleport stone located earlier, the party can teleport to the Sacred Gate. At the Sacred Gate the way ahead still isn't open, but the door beside it is. Going through locates the final mural at the Gallery of Forgetfulness and the Crux Base; it will turn into a Saint's Crux.
==== 4-5 The holy clavis ====
;Entry 1
:Lightning and Fang have seen the three murals. They have the three pieces of the crux, and now they can open the Sacred Gate. Soon, the holy clavis will be in their hands. But the Order is closing in on the treasure as well. The pair will have to hurry to the chamber if they are to claim the prize and keep it out of the Order's hands.
;Entry 2
:For the first time in centuries, the door to the chamber swings open. A great power beyond all human understanding thrums within, a beckoning force that draws the souls of the dead toward it. There can be no doubt. They are in the presence of the holy clavis. The Order Secutors are close. Lightning and Fang must hurry to claim their prize.
;Entry 3
:The order plans to use the clavis in the Soulsong. The ceremony will not ease the suffering of the dead--it will obliterate them once and for all. Vanille does not know this, but she does know the ceremony will kill her. There is one more chilling fact: if the Soulsong is carried out, Lightning will lose all hope of finding Serah again.
There is a boss battle ahead, and afterward Fang will permanently leave the party. If the player wants her to stay and help out in side quests, it is best to forgo completing the main quest yet.
Back at the Sacred Gate examining it opens the door. Examining the clock at the far end pits the party against a boss; depending on the day it will be either Grendel or Parandus. After vanquishing the boss, Lightning can pick up the Preta Hood and exit the ruins.
Completing the quest earns the The Mystery of the holy clavis achievement.
:First Time Rewards: Max HP +540, Max ATB +10, Strength +28, Magic +56, Recovery Item Capacity +1
:Subsequent Rewards: Max HP +192, Strength +5, Magic +5
=== Side Quests ===
==== The Life of a Machine ====
;Quest Begins
:In an isolated chamber of the Sacred Grove in the Temple Ruins, Lightning finds an exploratory rover bot called Bhakti. It seems he is almost out of fuel, but Lightning might be able to help. This quest has a time limit.
;Entry 1
:The energia Bhakti needs can be found in three locations: Tobias's General Store in Ruffian, next to the Shrine of the Tablet in the Grave of the Colossi, and the foot of the Oasis Lighthouse. There might be other supplies elsewhere, too. Once Lightning has three energia of fuel, she should take them to Bhakti.
;Quest Complete
:Fully mobile once again, Bhakti finally manages to open the chamber where he believes his comrades are waiting for him. But those comrades are not robots; they are humans, and long dead. When Bhakti learns his friends cannot be repaired, his own systems shut down and he falls silent for good. Who can say if machines have souls? What is clear, is that in his final moments, Bhakti knew what it meant to be human.
:Difficulty: ★★
:Requirements: Available after completing main quest 4-3 Where the Clavis Lies
:First Time Rewards: Cyber Scanners, Max HP +80, Strength +4, Magic +4
:Subsequent Rewards: Max HP +20, Strength +2, Magic +4
In Sacred Grove area of the Temple Ruins, Lightning runs into Bhakti and must bring three Bhakti's Oils to it. If Lightning takes too long, she will fail the quest. Bhakti gives clues on where to find them, but the fastest way is collecting three oils from Oasis Lighthouse. When Bhakti is oiled up Lightning must examine the door it points to to find the pile of bones in the next room. The bones hold 1200 gil, Bhakti's Oil, and a Pilgrim's Crux. Talking to Bhakti again completes the quest.
==== What Rough Beast Slouches ====
;Quest Begins
:Inside the southern entrance to the Temple Ruins, on the upper level of Scorched Earth, Lightning meets a man who presents Lightning with a perilous mission. He claims that a terrible beast has appeared to herald the end of the world, and he wants Lightning to find this beast, the Aeronite, hunt it down, and bring back a sample of its flesh.
:Difficulty: ★★★
:Requirements: Available after completing main quest 4-3 Where the Clavis Lies
:First Time Rewards: 8200 gil, Pro's Beret, Max HP +160, Strength +12, Magic +16
:Subsequent Rewards: 12300 gil, Max HP +90, Strength +6, Magic +10
The client is found within the fenced off bit when entering the Temple Ruins from the southern ruins entrance (the door must be opened from the inside). To get to this bit, Lightning must go through the path leading east from the previous location that is guarded by an Earth Eater, south from the area's teleport stone. Upon accepting the quest Lightning obtains Study of Despair notes.
To complete the quest, Lightning must defeat Aeronite that appears in Giant's Sandbox from Day 7 onward. Like the rare enemies in Final Fantasy XIII-2, it appears as a distortion. If struck first it starts with 10% HP already lost, but preempting it for a 25% HP loss is impossible. Lightning must deal consistent damage and stagger it four times, otherwise it flies away and Lightning must find it again and start the battle from the beginning. When it's defeated, Lightning obtains Monster Flesh. It also drops a Falcon Charm on the ground after battle. Giving the Monster Flesh to the client completes the quest.
== Treasures ==
*Deprotect Lv. 2 (Chamber of Plenilune: Upper Level)
*Slow Lv. 2 (Chamber of Plenilune: Upper Level)
*Deshell Lv. 2 (Chamber of Plenilune: Lower Level)
*Warding Talisman (Chamber of Plenilune: Lower Level)
*Collector Catalog (Golden Chamber: Upper Level)
*Demon Claw (Golden Chamber: Upper Level)
*Poison Lv.2 (Golden Chamber: Lower Level)
*Thorn of Speed (Golden Chamber: Lower Level)
*Cursed Band (Golden Chamber: Lower Level)
*Locked treasure sphere (requires 6 EP) (Scorched Earth: Lower Level)
*Golden Scarab (Scorched Earth: Upper Level)
*Sparrow Comb (Scorched Earth: Upper Level)
*1200 gil, Bhakti's Oil, Pilgrim's Crux (Bhakti's sidequest)
The player also gets Unappraised Items and Yellowed Skulls and medals from destroying skeletons on the field.
== Enemies ==
*Gremlin
*Goblot
* Schrodinger
* Earth Eater
* Skeleton
* Grendel/Parandus (boss)
== Musical themes ==
"Treasures Within" plays while in the ruins. It is the seventh track on the second disc of the original soundtrack. "Fang's Theme -The Boss-" is an orchestral theme with haunting vocals that also plays during moments in the Dead Dunes' Temple Ruins.
== Gallery ==
LRFFXIII Etro Mural1.png|A mural.
Mural from Lightning Returns FFXIII.png|A mural.
Temple-Ruins-Slope-LRFFXIII.png|Lightning within the ruins.
==Citations==
Category:Locations in Lightning Returns: Final Fantasy XIII
Category:Ruins
Category:Temples