"A Mountainous Mystery" is a partially-hidden side quest that takes place in The Legend of Zelda: Echoes of Wisdom's Eldin Volcano region. This special quest takes places after Zelda closes the main rift in Eldin Volcano, freeing Darston, the leader of the Gorons, to take on other tasks around the region. In this quest, players will face the Fire Talus, one of Echoes of Wisdom's toughest bosses. This guide will show you when and where you can find "A Mountainous Mystery," and how to beat the Fire Talus in Echoes of Wisdom.
Zelda: Echoes of Wisdom - All Side Quests
Here are all 50 side quests and their rewards in Zelda: Echoes of Wisdom.
How to Start A Mountainous Mystery in Echoes of Wisdom
Reaching the Summit Cave:
As mentioned above, you cannot begin "A Mountainous Mystery" in Echoes of Wisdom until you've completed the Eldin Temple dungeon, and closed Eldin Volcano's main rift. Once you have finished these tasks, the quest becomes available.
To start "A Mountainous Mystery," you must reach the true summit of Eldin Volcano. The best place to begin this journey is the Lizalfos Burrow, which played a key role in Eldin Volcano's main mission. Form the burrow, make your way around the outside of the lava lake. Watch out for the Zirro dropping bombs, as they will explode and push you into the lake.
There is one of Echoes of Wisdom's 40 Heart Pieces on the small island in the lava lake surrounding the Lizalfos Burrow. If you have not collected it yet, now is the perfect time.
When you reach the Lava Rock, use either the Cloud Echo, or stacked up Old-Beds to cross the gap. You'll find the entrance to Summit Cave.
Once inside the cave, you'll find Darston standing outside the entrance to the inner chambers, clearly reluctant to go inside. Speak to him to begin "A Mountainous Mystery"
A Mountainous Mystery Summit Cave Guide – Echoes of Wisdom
Summit Cave Chamber One:
When you first enter the cave, use a Lava Rock Echo on the lava geyser to reach the first upper level. Use the climbing wall to turn the corner, then drop to the next Lava Rock. From there, summon another Lava Rock on the next geyser while holding Y to ensure it crosses the gap. Climb to the rock and ride up to the next level.
Once again, use a Lava Rock to reach the rear platform, then head right and either use a Lava Rock and Boulder to reach the final level, or simply use Clouds. If you have them, the latter is the easiest method. The Cloud Echo is available in the Hebra Mountain region.
Summit Cave Chamber Two:
The next chamber is fairly simple. You'll enter and see a climbing wall that takes you down to several rock platforms with dry grass. There are several Fire Keese that will cause the grass to light aflame. You can simply wait for the grass to burn, then make your way across to the climbing wall at the other end of the chamber. You'll have to push or use Bind to move some Boulders before the wall.
At the top of the climbing wall, you'll encounter a lava pool with multiple geysers. We used Clouds to reach the Lava Rock in the northeastern corner of the pool. We then used Clouds to reach the upper level and the exit. There are most definitely other ways to accomplish this task. Using a Platboom on the Lava Rock would likely work as well.
Summit Cave Chamber Three:
The third chamber switches to a side-scrolling perspective. You'll notice as soon as you enter that the lava is rising and falling, so you'll have to move quickly. Make your way across until you see a climbing wall that leads to a split path at the top. On the left, you see a Fire Slug and a Treasure Chest. The chest contains a Purple Rupee (50). To the right, you'll find a small alcove to wait for the lava to fall.
The end of the chamber is the only tricky part. You'll want to hold Y to summon a Lava Rock from a distance against the far right wall. Then summon a Strandtula spider, which creates a climbable web strand up to the ceiling. This will take you to the exit.
The next chamber is the final resting point before the Fire Talus.
How to Beat the Fire Talus in Echoes of Wisdom
Overall, the Flame Talus fight is essentially the same as the Seismic Talus in the Suthorn Ruins dungeon. It still has the same small orb that you can use Bind to pull from its body. This will be your primary focus. Where the fights differ is in the overall power level and health pool of the Flame Talus. And the fire, the fire is not great.
The Fire Talus uses three primary attacks:
- Fist Launch: Exactly like it sounds, the Talus aims, then launches its flaming fist at Zelda.
- Spin Attack: The Flame Talus winds up, then does a full spin with its arms spread out, creating a large AOE.
- Slam Attack: The Talus reaches both arms up in the air, then slams down, creating a medium-sized AOE when they hit the ground.
All of these attacks are fairly well telegraphed in the first phase. The Fire Talus' orb takes longer to pull than the Seismic Talus' did, so Zelda will have longer windows of vulnerability. Don't forget that Zelda can still maneuver and jump while using Bind. Eventually, the orb will pop out, and you will have a window of opportunity to attack it relentlessly.
Phase Two:
In Phase Two, the Fire Talus becomes much faster, and much harder to read. Its attacks are significantly more powerful, so keep an eye on Zelda's hearts.
Other than that, the only real difference is the orb placement. Instead of finishing the fight with the orb in its head, it is placed on the Talus' back. As long as you can target the orb from behind, you can launch Bind from anywhere. The end of this fight can be a war of attrition, especially if Zelda hasn't leveled up her Swordfighter Form at Lueberrys. Keep pulling on the orb, keep attacking, and it will go down.
Beating the Fire Talus will earn Zelda a Heart Piece, and a fair amount of Rupees. When you return to Darston at the cave's entrance, he will award you with Goron's Bracelet, which increases the rate you can move while carrying objects. This will conclude "A Mountainous Mystery."
If you have access to the Lynel Echo, or the Darknut Lv 3 Echo, they could be hugely beneficial in this fight.
The Legend of Zelda: Echoes of Wisdom
- Released
- September 26, 2024
WHERE TO PLAY
- ESRB
- E10+ For Everyone 10+
- Developer(s)
- Nintendo, Grezzo
- Franchise
- The Legend of Zelda
- Platform(s)
- Nintendo Switch
- How Long To Beat
- 20 Hours
- OpenCritic Rating
- Mighty
- Genre(s)
- Adventure
