Searching for the Astral Shrines
This part of my Journsl includes all four Astral Shrines:
18 Spring:
Murasame tells us about a place with a shrine. It is the Forgotten Grove.
On the left, a Frog containing Offering Box Recipe.
I run all the way to a Wayside Shrine:
Tamahagane Sword
Talisman of Fissures
Ruby Pauldron
To the right, path ovstructed by Mining Rocks. I hit them all. Continue foreard. Jizo Shrine.
Carry on and find the purole blightbloom with blue centre at last and use the Sword on it.
Another Jizo Shrine.
I turn and follow the Map towards a Frog in the north. Chest on the left has Aquanarine. Frog contains Large Pot Recipe.
Almost to the entrance again, I can jump through the logs and net of Blight. But now I see the Blightbloom high where i can use a Firearrow. I do so.
There is so much poison and it is getting late. I rush to the Wayside Shrine at the far right. It has
Boar Cleaver
Kingfisher Bow
Noble Hat
Ring of Spring
Chest to the right has VIT Magatama I
Water Boost Magatama I
I find the primary Blight Bloom to the left and use Sword. There is another Jizo Shrine.
I am going home.
First though I warp to the Entrance, then race straight up to the save point before the boss area. I save and leave.
Visitation in the night.
An owl hoots.
Here... here...
At last...
Good deeds. Good rewards.
Anither chest containing Rice Level 3
Milky Rice Porridge Recipe
19 Spring:
I git another villager who can be a chemist.
I spent some time organising all four villages. Placed a Chemist and a Carpenter in Autumn and planted Bamboo to complete a Quest that required 5 planted. The Forgotten Grove had 3 Bamboo yesterday.
I knockex up Fubuki and he raised the Village level to 4.
I raised his Friendship Level to 3 with Grilled Salmon and he gave me the Fubuki's Pauldron Recipe.
I need better gear. All the poisonous attacks in Forgotten Grove yesterday took a toll, but I intend to return today to fight the boss.
In every Village with a Carpenter you can buy
20 Lumber
20 Material Stone daily.
I have neglected friendships a little. Just speaking to Kotaro raised his Level to 1. I make up for the neglect by giving him a Blade Shard.
Kotaro: Ooh, I love this! Is it really for me? Thanks!
And he goes up instantly to Level 2.
I return to rhe Grove without making new gear. It looks as though a squirrel has given me a STR Magatama 1 when defeated.
The Woolies here give M and L Fur. I need to return alone to tame one.
I have two goals here. To go up the far right path for a Frog, and to fight the boss.
There is a chest in an alcove protected by a Pheasant Tengu. It contains HP Magatama 1, INT Magatama 1
The Frog is elevated on a grassy rock and gives
Fire Wisp Fangs Recipe.
There are many Killer Bees and Mushsprites but some Wolves with scarves as well.
I have to admit fighting was productive. My Level now is 38.
I warp back to the entrance to take the path straight up to the Boss.
There is a chest near the end:
Earth Boost Magatama 1
STR Magatama 1
I save and then decide to warp back to Zaza to see what I can forge now. I spent most of my Gold on carpentry.
I let her forge the Mining Hammer but the cost of the Ring of Repose is 30000 and it is the one item I really do want. My Silver Sabre is decent! I do not have all the ingredients I need for Fubuki's Pauldron.
The Cursed Tree is a nightmare. I had to use Ice Cream, and some other assorted food. My companions needed constant healing and Murasame went down near the end.
Despite being temporarily dead, he commented upon its defeat:
'Poor Beast. If only it had the sense to leave us alone.'
Mauro can be fun. He shouted: 'Did you see how it wobbled when I whacked him?'
Woolby suggests we go round to other villages. Although Murasame roused himself temporarily when we saw the shrine at last, we actually need to drag his body back now to the Summer Village where we will find information about the next Shrine.
I need to go to my Sumner resting shrine and walk out the door. Woolby then tells me:
Remember that fortune teller, Hisui? I bet she'd have some leads for us.
He could have told me this while we were riding through the skies but never mind.
Now, what follows when I visit Hisui is one of my favourite events and shows Mauro as truly likeable. Very entertaining!
He is in her shop waxing enthusiastic about her Lucky Cats, calling them treasures. She has no patience whatsoever and simply wants him gone. After he leaves she divines that the next shrine is in a cave but she cannot nane the place.
I go then to Kusatsu for a bath as the Corpse Tree left me enervated. Again Woolby is floating next to me in the water. Is this appropriate?
Matsui stops me on the way out with some Grape Juice.
It is about 6 in the evening, but I am going into the sky again. I doubt I will meet the god of the oni until all four seasonal shrines have been found.
The Gold Pin is on Graveyard Island. I search for a Save Point and am ambushed by Ronin and Wisps.
I do find a Frog who gives
Healing Potion Recipe, Active Concoction Recipe.
I take stone stairways down from there and find a Frog who gives Gravestone Recipe and Acutomass Recipe.. I move to the left on the same relative ground level to a little gravel circle and find the Save Point now and save.
It is close to the entrance to Gale Pass so I enter. It is quite late, however. There are two Wayside Shrines, two Frogs and 2 Save Points but it all will have to wait until tomorrow.
I do move forward to battle Furpies and Veggiesqueeks. The latter give Pink Turnips. There are more Mushsprites as well.
I run inyo purple blight with a blue centre that requires my Sword Dance.
I go forward to another blight. This one in a slightly elevated long rock. It ia very dark now, almost 10.
I go home because I am facing a Blight net and have no time tonight to find the bloom.
New request on the board for a giant vegetable. Reward is 5 Oil, 2000 Gold. I have 16 but for some reason I only can submit the Level 1 Giant Tomato.
Another new request to befriend a Wooly. Well I did want to return to the Island with the Woolys that dropped L and M Fur, so will do that first thing tomorrow if i am able to shake off Mauro and the rest of my Party temporsrily
I forgot all about my Bestiary, a fabulous resource that shows every monster you ever defeated by name, where they are found and the items they drop.
When I accepted the Wooly request it actually counted the one I befriended prior to this for a reward of 5 Butter and 1500 Gold.
Now a request to construct and place an Elegant House. I did that previously with two of them but doubt either will count now.
Reward is 50 Lumber, 50 M Stone and 2000 Gold. I need this one!
20 Spring:
Because of the Village increase level in Winter, population has increases by four. One is the first animal lover so far. I evict the Slacker however. I usually have set them to man ships but now I have sufficient villagers to be a little more discriminating.
Woolby looks upset now complaining we do not have enough homes. They just came here, for God's sake! I know the drill. Will try to build an Elegant House.
Kurame for Sandwich: You have good taste. I'll treasure this.
And he snaps his fingers!
He goes to Level 5
Gives me a Red Bean and Mochi Soup in return.
I placed the new Elegant House on a hill in the Autumn Village. Reaped the rewards and a new quest appeared.
Construct and place a Watermill:
10 Ginger 3000 Gold
Sadly have one in Autumn and 1 in Winter now, neither of which count even if I remove tgem and then plunk them down anew.
I suddenly notice there are four villagers just hanging about the Village Entrance in Autumn. Too many farmers and few crops, plus the Princess Sakuna is always caring for our Rice. I evict one and move another to Spring, then set another to fishing.
Back to Gales Pass. There is a Bloom Blight very close to the entrance so I use the sword. How I missed it in the night I do not know. There is a chest in the waterfall containing RP Magatama I
Fire Boost Nagatama I
We meet the same Pheasant Tengu from last night in a circle of flame, then open the chest there cobtaining INT Magatsma I and VIT Magatama I
Defeat Kappas again on a log that spans some water
Backtrack a bit to take a divergence where there are oni and blight but no bloom.
There remains a net of Purple Blight obstructing progress.
I continue to the left where we use stones to leap over water while Kappas hurl water at us. Open a chest containing Crt Damage Magatama and RP Magatama I.
At the end of this I find the Blight bloom for the purple blight and use my sword.
Now that all the blight is removed I need to go back to the log and cross the water, then continue upwards.
The path splits now. Go up to the right to find a Wayside Shrine that gives
Bouquet Blade Recipe
Jitte Recipe
Ritual Mask Recipe
Ring of Summer Recipe
Ahead is Green Blight high with its bloom on a rock. Go to the orher rock of the same height and use the Parasol to glide over and then use your Fan Dance.
Go back to the fork in the path and niw go left and down. A wall of flame with Mushsprites.
Now a series of barricades with an army camp filled with Kappas and Obis who appear unfazed by the purple Blight throwing flame everywhere. Find it to find its bloom and use your Sword. The oni guards with shields have good defence. There are three mining rocks that contain Gold. The kappas stand on crates, too short to throw their water bombs over their own barricades otherwise.
More purple blight with blue centre ahead in a ring of fire. Go to the bloomblight first and use the sword to get rid of the blight, then fight thr Onis.
Go through the Torii Arch then and open the chest that contains Water Boost Magatama I, HP Magatama I.
Go up to the new Save Point, activate and save. Time to test yourself. We now are at Level 42.
Walk through the open doors to confront the Grudge Knight.
Going home after defeating him, I go to the Autumn Dragon Shrine. I walk out the door abd Yachiyo is there but it is Kotaro in disguise. He demands tricokour dango to tell us what he knows. I have to warp to Spring, experience the busy rvent with Iroha before I can buy anything from her but I can buy the dango there. I find Kitaro in Kusatsu's Inn now.
Choose the option:
'Here's what you wanted' to give him 1 Tricolour dango.
We enjoy the dango together then he speaks of his honetown far from here and destroyed by the Black Dragon. He asks to come with us and we agree. Not much choice. Thinkibg back, I realise Kuran a had absolutely no qualms about using this Child to fight us in the Mechanical Maze
Prisoners Island.
We come upon a Frog immediately that gives
Chocolate Mochi Recipe.
We climb flights of stairs and fome upon another Frog on a natural grassy pedestal.
It gives a Healing Bell Recipe.
From here I see a Save apoint below and a little to the left. We go down, I activate and save.
After encountering and fighting Hina as Nine Tails, I spy a Frog to the left ahead. It gives a Grilled Pike Recipe.
We enter the Twilight Gaol. Go forward, fall and open a chest containing Wind Boost Magatama Lv 1, INT Magatama.
Open two pots, fall again. To the left is a Wayside Shrine containing
General Odachi's Sword
Golden Pheasant Bow
Aquamarine Pauldron Recipe
Go to the left I think to fall.
Frog in a cage. Go behind him to activate a switch that opens the cage
He gives
Decorative Lanterns Recipe
Fall and go forward to find a Frogs on the left and Jiso Shrines on both sides that talk.
Frog gives Arched Bridge Recipe
Turn back to the room in which you fell and break a lot of crates to expose a secret entry.
There is a Maze here. You need to activate two flower switches to reach a Chest that gives a you a Diamond. Find a third flower switch and inspect the round flower on the floor to be sent upwards into another area.
Find the chest on the right containing Gold and Tamahagame Fragment.
Inspect another round flower to be sent back to the first place with a chest containing Recovery Magatama I, MND Magatama I.
It is late. I warp back to the Aurumn Shrine. Save.
When I return, I take the right path to fibd a Wall of Flame with a Bear and Wolves. After that a Wayside Shrine giving:
Dragonfish Blades,
Violent Carp Spirit Talismans, Ninja Mask Recipe.
I fall again and find a pot, then a chest cobtaining Wind Boost Maga I and INT Maga I.
Sweep all the rubbush, drop down on the path to the left.
Wall of flame with a Mimic, Neko Cat, Iron Tengu, wisp, tanuki.
After, a Frog giving Rest House Recipe.
I drop down and find the save Point to the Boss.
There is a Frog to the right that gives:
Mystery Potion Recioe, Restorative Elixir Recipe.
What we face are four monsters: Iron Tengu, Tanuki, abd two Parasols.
We then go to the Shrine where I retrieve more memories of my betrothal to Subaru. After that Woolby suggests we gohome. Warp to the Winter Shrine.
I walk out the door.
Woolby asks who might know: Watarase, Zaza or Pilika. I choose Pilika.
She goes with us, dclares some one is folliwing abd tracking us.
Chest onnleft contsjbs C rit Danafmge Nafatama I
We go foreard fighting Mushsprites and Parasols. Frog here contains Snow Dome.
Attacked by Buffamoos and woolys.
Purple Blight ahead. There is a net and furtger on the abkight bloom. I use the Swilord.
Another blightbloom requiring the sword to the lefy of a Wauside Shrine that gives Platinum Sword Recipe, Hunter's Bow Recipe, Magic Shield Recipe.
Backtrack a little for chest containing Light Boost and MND Magatamas
Attacked by Mushsprites who are powerful enough to almost finish me. I use the Sword to melt three blocks of Ive abd Fan Dance on Blight that is on a little ice step.
It is after 11 so I warp home. Must complete this tomorrow.
22 Spring:
I really need better gear but finds are limited. I decide on a good sword but must sell quite a few naterials to afford the Bouquet Blade. I have been usjng nothing more than a Lv 1 Silver Sabre until now. The Bouquet Blade will give me 464 ATK instead of 71.
It is a long run to the Entrance. I get caught by a Toad when I melt the blocks of ice to open a chest I missed.
StR Magatsma 1
Weakness Magatsma I
There is a purple blightbloom and blight I did not reach near a Wayside Shrine. The place is crawling with Toads and mushsprites. Next purchase will be better defence equipment. For now though... push through!
The Wayside Shrine gives:
Soaring Eagle Spirit Tslismsns recipe
Arson Bludgeon Recipe
Warrior Hat Recipe
Purification Adornment Recipe
Another Toad attacks as i leave the Shrine. A chest on an ice step contains Platinum, Chslcophile Fragment.
Ahead two red blights spewing fire but we are surrounded by Toads and wolves. Our energy being depleted by the blight.
Finally I find a moment to use the parasol on both blightblooms.
A chest contains HP Magatama I, INT Magatama I.
I evade a Grizzley Bear to go forward where 3 Toads jump out to atrack. Now there are Ice Blocks and a regular mine rock in our path. I use the hammer on all three .
A chest has VIT Maga I
Fire boost Maga I
Mushsprites and wolves attack.
A chest in a little frozen pool has Active Concoction
As we move forward towards the boss save point, ice blocks break freeing various monsters includibg a Bear. We run as fast as possible ro tge save poibt but tgey gice chase
We must fight a very piwerful Freezing Tengu at the Save Point. When we finally walk into the Shribe, there is no battle. Ikaruga is there but he explains why. I then recall the pact I made with the White Dragon. We thwn turn to go home. Ckarice, Veyron and the Hound allow us to go even though we do not knoe of their presence.
As I have a little time, I go to the Wibter Village to tge exclamqtion poinrlt anf experiwnce thevprelude to an ecent with Fubuki. He is nowhere to vw foubd but if I want to silve this, I have to visit his shrine before 3.00 p.m. it is past that so I go to the high street in Sumner Vilkage and walk tiesrds the exclamation point. This us an wcebt a out a ghoat, moaning being gearx at night. Matzuri ia twrrified by the tbought og ghosts
I soak in the Secret Hot Spring for Strawberry Milk and 3000 Gold.
I finslly got the Trader selling trees at the Summer enteance. I bought Chestnut and Peach.
23 Spring:
Kurama appears in a visitation telling me I am to join the gods at Yachiyo's for a meeting.
Between 5 and 11.
To Winter Shrine before 3.
Just speakibg yo Hib raised hwr Level to 4.
I gave her Jujce.
I gave Ikaruga Tempura Udon.
I experiwnced Fubuki's evwnt wherein I become a snoeman and he co fesses he helps the villagers secretly.
I am realky frustrated not having the Recipe for Cheese. I go to the abrojen Brisge Save loint and go tgroufh tge arsa, collecting Frof recipes. The cheese Recule is inside a Snow Dome, vefy close to a nrw save poibt inbthe form of thw aunderground Shrine.
I drop down and tgete is a frog guarded bu a Tengu. It gives Stewed Seerfish and Stewed Sole Recipe.
