Searing Crags

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* Map

**Searing Crags** is the eighth area of The Messenger. It is a red mountain at the base of Glacial Peak.

The west side of Searing Crags is accessed from Quillshroom Marsh, and the north side leads to Glacial Peak. In 16-bit, a southeastern pathway to the Underworld opens up and can be crossed with the Lightfoot Tabi.

## Appearance

Searing Crags is composed of rocky red-orange terrain. Green cacti, white animal skulls, green tents, brown crates, and leaf-free brown trees are interspersed throughout the area. The background sky has a sun in the lower-left corner of the screen, creating an orange horizon in a red sky. A few stars dot the red portion of the sky closest to the orange horizon. And in the distance are huge pointed and jagged dark rocks.

## Items

### 8-Bit

* Ninja obtains the Rope Dart as his third free upgrade from The Shopkeeper.
* After Ninja gains the power to freely time travel, he can use the Lightfoot Tabi to cross a river of lava at the beginning of the pathway to the Underworld. Across this initial lava gap is Pyro the Phobekin, and Ninja can talk to Pyro to "collect" Pyro.

### 16-Bit

* Ninja interacts with Colos and Suses's flowerbed to obtain the Power Thistle.
* Ninja plants the Astral Seed in Colos and Suses's flowerbed in 8-bit. He then returns to the room in 16-bit and interacts with the flowerbed to obtain the Astral Tea Leaves.

### 8-Bit → 16-Bit

* If Ninja owns the Power Thistle and talks to Colos and Suses in 8-bit, Ninja is sent to the pathway to the Key of Strength. Ninja travels through some time rifts and collects the Music Note in 16-bit.

### Linear

#### Power Seal #1

In a room with a breakable block directly next to a checkpoint, break the block and head past the checkpoint into the next room. There are two spike-lined crusher blocks with a lantern under each of them, separated by a death gap and rocks falling from the ceiling. Wait for the spike-lined crusher blocks to lift up, and Rope Dart the lanterns to reach the opposite side of the room. Slash at the falling rocks while crossing the gap in order to destroy them and to prevent taking damage. Climb up into the Power Seal room.

### Final

#### Power Seal #2

In 16-bit, in a room with a swinging spikeball, climb into the upper-left corner to reach a checkpoint. Head left into the Power Seal room. Cloudstep the lanterns while avoiding midair rotating circles of spikeball plants to reach the Power Seal.

#### Power Seal #3

In 16-bit, in the tall vertical room before Colos and Suses's boss room, there is a breakable block on the left wall. Break the block and head left into the next room. Cloudstep off of the falling rock projectiles to cross the death gap. Climb up into the Power Seal room.

## The Shopkeeper's Dialogue

### Rope dart

  Shopkeeper | Anyways, you can use it on rings, lanterns, walls and enemies. Go nuts!

### Monk

  Shopkeeper | This is a tale for another time.

### Any stories to share?

*For the main article, see The Shopkeeper's Stories.*

  Ninja | ...

### Level boss

  Shopkeeper | Ah don't let me ruin it, go see for yourself.

## Trivia

* In the Power Seal room closest to Colos and Suses's boss room, there is a red and brown-gray mattress with a small green pea underneath it. This is an easter egg that references The Shopkeeper's story in Forlorn Temple.
* Although normally the Big Time Shard pathway is only open in 16-bit, Ninja can slowly whittle away at the Big Time Shard in 8-bit by throwing a Windmill Shuriken at it from the left side.
* According to Thierry Boulanger, the main writer and director of the game, the flood turned Searing Crags from an active volcano into a dormant volcano.

## References

1. ↑ Thierry's Lore Tidbits#January 19, 2019

## Interactive Locations Map

Ninja Village
Music Box
Autumn Hills
Rivière Turquoise
Forlorn Temple
Catacombs
Dark Cave
Tower of Time
Corrupted Future
Bamboo Creek
Howling Grotto
Elemental Skylands
Quillshroom Marsh
Sunken Shrine
Cloud Ruins
Glacial Peak
**Searing Crags**
Underworld