arrow_back Wuthering Waves Quests
Flames in the Deep
Tracking Phrolova's Phantom to the Mournfell Canyon, you learn about a lost legend of the "Undying Monster"...
Quest List
Medulius:
Many of Septimont's finest have tried to light the Lumenstones, yet they failed under Phrolova's cursed tricks. Please, exercise caution!
Lenore:
Don't worry, Rover can handle it!
???:
{Male=Mr.;Female=Ms.} Rover? Is that you? Oh my goodness! Over here!
Lenore:
Oh, Rover!
Lenore:
Well, after I got reassigned, I heard Phoebe had been posted to the Montelli Vault. So of course, I went to find her.
Lenore:
But when I arrived, she was nowhere to be found. An employee with exceptionally dark circles told me she'd headed off to the Riccioli Islands. So I scraped together everything I had and got myself a ticket.
Lenore:
On my way, the Gondola I boarded ran into a storm and wrecked. Luckily, a rather handsome captain saved me.
Lenore:
He sent me to another boat, saying it was bound for Ragunna, but it clearly wasn't! Otherwise, I wouldn't be standing here in Septimont!
Lenore:
Hehe, yes it's been a mess, but believe it or not, I actually planned to visit the Mournfell Canyon after meeting Phoebe. In a roundabout way, mission accomplished!
Lenore:
You're right... but still, I really wanted to see this place for myself!
Lenore:
The Order's teachings once reached this place, long ago.
Lenore:
Though all that's left are ruins, this place feels different from anything I've seen in the Tidal Sanctuary. It's more...
Lenore:
Yes. The moment I set foot here, I felt it even stronger. This valley is forsaken by Rinascita. If the "truth" they speak of truly exists… then it must be buried here.
Lenore:
Whether it's the Sentinel's guidance or fate's gift, I'm truly glad to see you again, Rover!
Lenore:
Since I followed your advice and made it here, would you be willing to explore this valley with me and uncover its forgotten history?
Lenore:
Anything you find would be a huge help. Please!
Lenore:
Thank you so much! Any documents or relics would be fine. I'll share anything I find with you too. Maybe something in it will help you too.
Lenore:
Can't believe I'd run into you here! Did the Sentinel bring you, or... ahem, did you hear me calling for help?
Lenore:
Guess I got lucky then! Thought I was stuck here forever, haha.
Medulius:
Miss Lenore, is this the Rover you've been going on about?
Medulius:
Hah… those eyes. Seasoned. If you ever stepped into the arena, you'd be wearing crowns, not scars.
Medulius:
Precisely. As you can see, this body won't hold much longer. At this point, I'm more Reverberation than man.
Medulius:
But don't worry. I may be half gone, but what's left still remembers being human.
Lenore:
Actually, Mr. Medulius saved me when I was lost here in the Mournfell Canyon, {Male=Mr.;Female=Ms.} Rover. We were just preparing to leave.
Lenore:
I… I think he's a good person.
Lenore:
W-was that wrong to say? I'm sorry…
Medulius:
I don't blame your suspicion, Rover. Corrupted shells can hide pearls or rot.
Medulius:
The witch in red ruined me… then woke me again. Left my soul to be gnawed on by the Dark Tide.
Medulius:
I suppose my long, ugly struggle was just background noise to her. But it's nearly over now.
Medulius:
Before I disappear for good, allow me to escort you. Let this old Septimontian at least die a glorious death.
Lenore:
It's her! That Phantom over there!
The witch's features are a blur, but her attire leaves no doubt.
Rover:
It's Phrolova. Just as I thought.
Medulius:
Yes, Phrolova. The one who forced me to guard this gate.
Medulius:
It's been too long to recall, {Male=Sir;Female=Miss}. The Tide has scoured my memories clean.
Medulius:
But whatever lies beyond, it's tied to her. Or maybe... she's hiding right behind it.
Medulius:
I see you've tracked her all the way to this valley. Are you here to end her?
Medulius:
Good. Then I can rest easy. Because once you know what she's done, mercy will no longer feel like an option.
Lenore:
Umm… why does everything suddenly sound... so grim?
Medulius:
To open this gate, you'll need to relight the Lumenstones buried deep in the valley. I'll show you the way.
Medulius:
I understand you still have some concerns. Allow me to escort you both to safety first. When I've fully faded, you may return and explore the area yourself.
Medulius:
Or, if you prefer, I'll give you the Lumenstone locations and stay behind with Miss Lenore. She's a sharp mind. Conversing with her has been enlightening.
Lenore:
Oh, please, you're too kind!
Rover:
Tell me where the Lumenstones are. I'll take Lenore with me. You stay here.
Medulius:
As you wish.
Phrolova:
Although the prelude lulls one toward slumber, the defiant minstrel weaves unexpected wonders.
Phrolova:
I shall wait until a hand bold enough to pen the final pause appears.
Phrolova:
The frequency was shattered and remade by the crashing tide. What they call immortality is nothing but a fragile masquerade.
Phrolova:
It cannot even play the simplest cadence of life, let alone tune its essence. Hmph. Seems its duel with Imperator stripped it of any grace.
Rover:
(The Dark Tide isn't her true aim. Then what is Phrolova really after?)
Lenore:
Oh, Rover... What is that Miss Phrolova talking about? The Dark Tide? The Sentinel? Some kind of battle?
Rover:
(She's not ready to hear the truth about Tacet Discords or the Sentinel. I need to find a way to dodge this question.)
Lenore:
Could it be... Phrolova used the Dark Tide to twist Mr. Medulius into that form? To make him... an undying monster?
Lenore:
Why would she do something so cruel to him?
Rover:
Perhaps the investigation will reveal the truth.
Lenore:
You're right. Let's hurry.
Aulus:
It's not the time to rest, Verbia.
Verbia:
Yes, sir!
Aulus:
Answer this, Verbia. What will you do if those monsters catch you worn out?
Verbia:
I'll charge forward and let my sword do the talking!
Aulus:
Very good.
Aulus:
Only Honeycakes and no Saltimbocca in your pack? Explain that, Verbia.
Verbia:
I didn't have the time...
Aulus:
Don't be picky with your food.
Verbia:
It's not that. I came running the moment I heard where you were, so I...
Aulus:
Take my share, then. You fight better when you eat well.
Verbia:
Yes, sir.
Aulus:
And eat the Bloodleaves, too. The hunt isn't over. You'll need every ounce of strength.
Verbia:
Sir Aulus... no, Father. I want to end this hunt.
Aulus:
Give me your reason.
Verbia:
The old tales got it wrong. The Dark Tide's curse isn't about undying monsters. It's about us... creatures of the Dark Tide who keep coming back.
Aulus:
Tell me, Verbia. Why are we here?
Verbia:
I know what you're getting at. No one believes in a Gladiator who's lost their honor. Those Phantoms... they're warriors who chose to become myth.
Verbia:
Their thirst for redemption gave form to the "undying monster."
Aulus:
You have your mother's wisdom.
Verbia:
And I have you to guide me.
Aulus:
Remember, Verbia, a true Gladiator can hunt even what cannot be seen.
Aulus:
And you, my daughter, will become one.
Verbia:
Father?
Aulus:
I've been here too long... long enough for the Dark Tide to sink its teeth into me. But you still have a way out.
Aulus's body begins to distort, twisted by the corruption of the Dark Tide. The proud Gladiator becomes something less than human.
Aulus:
If you want to reclaim your glory, you must slay the undying monster.
Aulus:
So come. Hunt me.
Verbia:
No...
Medulius:
Even in the darkest depth of Septimont, they couldn't escape it. Fighting was always their fate.
Medulius:
Glory binds them to the arena. And the love they had for each other turned to sharpened blades... How marvelous!
Lenore:
How could you say that, Mr. Medulius?!
Medulius:
Exactly.
Medulius:
The more Lumenstones you lit, the more of myself I remembered. Now I know why I lingered in this abyss.
Medulius:
This! This right here, is what I want. To witness Septimont's greatest duel again and again!
Medulius:
A champion fated to fall by the hand of his daughter, his brightest student, his sharpest spear! That's the kind of battle Gladiators were born for!
Lenore:
Why did you turn so cold the moment your memories came back? You risked your life to save me, Mr. Medulius! You weren't like this before!
Medulius:
Oh, Miss Lenore... I was once a warrior, one who stood by the Sentinel's side. Only those who give everything for glory earn a place in Septimont.
Rover:
You only played noble because you weren't the one in the arena.
Medulius:
Now, now.
Medulius:
No need to take my words too seriously. Think of me as a fly, one you can swat whenever you please.
Medulius:
I'll be waiting before the shrine. Light the final Lumenstone.
Lenore:
Mr. Medulius seems... off.
Rover:
Those who try to abandon their past should be ready to face its pursuit.
Lenore:
Rover...?
Rover:
Don't let your guard down around Medulius.
Rover:
It must be one of Phrolova's tricks.
Rover:
Whatever she's planning, I'd better run a proper investigation first.
Medulius:
Stay back, witch! Don't come any closer!
Phrolova:
Oh, to spend your final breath on words so trivial...
Looks like one of Phrolova's hideouts.
We should search around.
Verbia:
Father, please come back with me. I'm begging you.
Aulus:
Gladiator Verbia, we're in the middle of a hunt.
Verbia:
Forgive me, Sir Aulus, but I can't do this. I officially request to leave this hunt. Let's return first, and I'll speak with the sponsors...
Aulus:
Verbia, a Gladiator's shame isn't worn on the skin. It's carried in silence… unless washed away in blood.
Aulus:
We, who cannot step foot in the arena, can only reclaim our honor by hunting the "undying monsters" here.
Verbia:
Aulus...
Aulus:
Steel your nerves. Those filthy things are crawling closer!
Rover:
Is this an illusion from the past? It looks similar to what we saw in the Nimbus Sanctum, but the frequency is stronger.
Lenore:
The Mournfell Canyon and the Sea of Clouds... Could these Phantoms exist because of the Dark Tide?
Aulus:
Keep your stance firm and steady your breath, Verbia. Never let your enemy see you falter.
Verbia:
Yes, Coach— I mean, Aulus.
Aulus:
…Coach... Father. Aulus. Doesn't matter what you call me. No matter how hard I trained you, you never made it as a real Gladiator.
Aulus:
You had the makings of Septimont's sharpest spear… but you cracked in the final trial.
Aulus:
It was my love for you that ruined you.
Verbia:
I'm sorry, Aulus.
Aulus:
Gladiators don't say sorry.
Verbia:
Yes, sir.
Aulus:
We speak with steel. We dance with death. We live and fall for glory.
Verbia:
Yes, sir.
Aulus:
Ever since that match… I've carried nothing but regret. Maybe it was how I taught you that made you falter.
Verbia:
No! You were the best coach in all of Septimont!
Aulus:
Not anymore. My brightest student lost her nerve and stained the arena with shame.
Verbia:
I didn't...
Aulus:
You lacked the resolve to grant your opponent the death they deserved.
Verbia:
That's not true!
Aulus:
Then why did you hesitate? Why did you spare your opponent? Why did you disgrace the arena of glory?
Verbia:
Because my opponent... was you!
Verbia:
That day wasn't supposed to end like that. We were supposed to finish sparring and go home like always…
Verbia:
I couldn't kill my own coach in my debut match… and my father shouldn't die at his own retirement ceremony… I... I just couldn't…
Aulus:
Wipe your tears. They cloud your vision.
Verbia:
Yes...
Aulus:
Verbia, my dear Verbia. A Gladiator's glory is not their own. It's given by the crowd. That day, they were ready. The arena was ready.
Verbia:
But I wasn't, Father. I wasn't ready.
Aulus:
There are still Lumenstones unlit and Tacet Discords still stalk the dark. We'll keep hunting until the day you're ready to reclaim your glory.
Rover:
(Lighting the Lumenstones also stirs Phantoms of the past.)
Phrolova:
Hm, a mechanism powered by Resonance, activated by etched sigils. So this is how the Septimontians of old purified Dark Tide remnants?
Phrolova:
Fascinating. I wonder if it holds more surprises than the Retroact Rain.
Lenore:
Rover, is that Phrolova actually studying the Dark Tide?
Lenore:
This is too dangerous! We must report this to the Chamber of Discipline!
Rover:
...
Rover:
We don't know when she left this Phantom here. Need a full investigation first before acting.
Lenore:
Okay!
Lenore:
Mr. Medulius! When did you get here?
Medulius:
No need for swords and scowls, {Male=Mr.;Female=Ms.} Rover. I didn't come by choice. The Lumenstone brought me.
Medulius:
When you lit it, something stirred in me. All those long-lost memories came flooding back.
Medulius:
Ah, how could I ever forget that day?
Medulius:
The day the legendary Gladiator Aulus announced his retirement and chose his final opponent—his own daughter, Verbia, the finest student he'd ever trained.
Medulius:
It was meant to be a gentle farewell match. Something symbolic. But they clashed like fire and steel. It electrified the crowd, and it electrified me!
Medulius:
I remember leaping from the upper stands and elbowing my way to the front row. I remember Aulus's spear—it missed my face by inches. And then the blood hit the air. So sharp and intoxicating, like a newborn's first inhale of life.
Medulius:
It could have been a match for the history books! If only Verbia hadn't flinched at the end. She ran. Killed the mood for everyone. A real shame.
Medulius:
Honestly, yes. I am disappointed.
Aulus?:
Who's there...
Rover:
By the request of apprentice Gladiator Verbia, I challenge you to a duel.
Aulus:
Verbia... my daughter... is she safe?
Rover:
The Dark Tide didn't take her. She held on until I arrived.
Aulus:
Verbia, I'm proud of you. Now, it's my turn to fight.
Medulius:
And mine as well. Hee hee...
Medulius emerges from the shadows, his body twisted and reshaped, completely consumed by the Dark Tide. He's become its twisted apostle.
Medulius:
Rover, I followed your suggestion. This time, I'm standing inside the arena!
Aulus:
Medulius! How dare you desecrate this duel!
Medulius:
Oh, what a terrible misunderstanding. Both of us have been embraced by the Dark Tide, haven't we? We're already one and the same.
Medulius:
Come on, then! Tear each other apart!
There is no light of salvation. No parting words of peace. Aulus and Medulius simply turn into dust and vanish.
Everything falls quiet, as if none of it has ever happened.
Lenore:
Sir Aulus, Ms. Verbia, and... Mr. Medulius... They're all gone, leaving nothing behind. It all feels like a dream, Rover.
Rover:
The scars left by Aulus and Verbia's duel will remain for all who follow. Proof it wasn't just a dream.
Lenore:
Rover, may I pray for them?
Lenore:
Wanderers of the sea… may the winds guide you back to the Sentinel's side.
Lenore:
This is what I have come to believe, and I hope the Sentinel hears it.
Lenore:
Let's go, Rover. The old records say there's a hidden passage somewhere in this shrine.
Medulius:
Oh, {Male=Mr.;Female=Ms.} Rover, you're far too gentle… sparing a wretch like me, so steeped in sin.
Medulius:
With the Dark Tide's power, I shall offer you a sweet death in return. Worry not, you won't even feel it, hehe.
Medulius:
What a divine strike that was, {Male=Mr.;Female=Ms.} Rover! In just one blow, you snuffed me out! I could almost feel the mercy singing through your blade…
Medulius:
Even soaked in the power of the Dark Tide, I doubt I could ever match you.
Medulius:
So please… allow me to cheat in this duel... hehe, just a little.
Verbia:
Who... are you?
Phrolova:
Does it matter?
Verbia:
Why did you... save me?
Phrolova:
A daughter just lost her father. There's no need for a father to lose his daughter too.
Verbia:
I lost.
Phrolova:
You didn't even strike.
Verbia:
I couldn't.
Phrolova:
Do you know what a musician does if she plays the wrong note?
Phrolova:
She plays on. No matter how broken, how off-key, the melody never stops.
Verbia:
Then what should I do... I must... save him...
Phrolova stares at Verbia in silence, perhaps out of weariness from scenes like this.
Or perhaps, she's waiting for the young woman to "fall into the trap" herself.
Verbia:
...Name your price, witch.
Phrolova:
You didn't even ask what I could offer.
Verbia:
Doesn't matter. I'll pay. Whatever it takes.
Phrolova:
Heh.
Phrolova:
Then let's make a deal. I'll seal your father within the shrine, where he shall wait for a true warrior to grant him a final, glorious death.
Phrolova:
As for you, I'll use the Lumenstones as anchors of my Orchestration to reshape your body. With a few notes of dissonance, of course.
Verbia:
The Dark Tide.
Phrolova:
Yes. You will be a piece of music composed by the Dark Tide.
Phrolova:
This pact will hold until the last Lumenstone goes dark. I wonder how long you'll endure the Dark Tide's corruption. A day? Or a century?
Verbia:
I'm a Gladiator of Septimont. The Dark Tide doesn't hunt me. I hunt it.
Phrolova:
We'll see, Gladiator. We'll see.
Phrolova:
At the depths of the valley, there lies the legend of the undying. This place is like a giant flytrap. The Dark Tide lures in frequencies burdened with obsession.
Phrolova:
Everything that falls into this abyss is devoured, becoming sustenance for the Dark Tide. And yet...
Phrolova:
That man… he was consumed long ago. So what force has kept him moving all this time?
???:
That witch didn't lie to me. She brought you here.
???:
This is what she promised me.
???:
Now, let us light the last Lumenstone.
Medulius:
Uh oh, {Male=Mr.;Female=Ms.} Rover.
Medulius:
How can spectators such as we stop this grand duel from unfolding?
The Phantom Phrolova's gaze pierces into you, a look that cuts across time and space, as if she always knew you'd make it here.
Phrolova:
A ruined shrine. An undying monster. A young Gladiator whose name was never etched into the annals of history, and a spectator no one invited.
Phrolova:
Only you can bring the curtain down on a stage this tragic.
Medulius:
Phrolova... hahaha! That witch promised me the grandest duel Septimont has ever seen.
Medulius:
And she wasn't lying! Not one bit! You're the strongest contender I've ever seen!
With a clean strike, you bring an end to Medulius, who dissolves into water that seeps into the cracks of the shrine.
Verbia:
Warrior, please allow me to introduce myself. I am Verbia, an apprentice Gladiator.
Verbia:
No, it was my weakness that led to all of this.
Verbia:
Medulius dangled "glory" like bait. He turned our slaughter into a feast. It's nobles like him, drunk on bloodshed, who are the real undying monsters of Septimont.
Verbia:
I'm the fruit of a rotten root. I always knew I couldn't outrun what made me… But I still clung to false hope, too afraid to face the shadow cast by Septimont's glory.
Rover:
The Bloody Agon is no more. Anyone who disgraces the arena's honor, noble or not, will face justice.
Verbia:
What a great time you're in... it makes me want to cry.
Verbia:
Warrior, if you get the chance… please deliver a message to the current Ephor. The fameless Gladiator Verbia offers her deepest respect.
Verbia:
Beyond that gate is my father.
Verbia:
I won't fight him again. Not for spectacle. Not to replay the same cruel farce for heartless eyes. So please, face him in my place. Give him the final duel he deserves.
Verbia:
Thank you... truly.
Lenore:
Oh—wait, wait! I'm not a spy, I've got a tourist pass!
Lenore:
Phew, it's you, Rover. You really scared me…
Rover:
What are you spacing out about here?
Lenore:
…Is there a way…Is there a way to forget everything that's happened recently?
Lenore:
Mm...
Lenore:
I've realized how naive I was…
Lenore:
Truth isn't something you can just stumble into with a bit of courage. And the world has no obligation to give us answers.
Lenore:
These past days, living outside the Tenets of the Deep... I've felt nothing but lost and exhausted.
Lenore:
Sigh...
Lenore:
Before I came to Septimont, everyone told me it was a city with no gods. True freedom, they said. But from what I've seen, that's not quite the case.
Lenore:
Septimont worships strength. Glory is their scripture. Dignity is their law. They're bound by the eyes of the crowd, the voices of the powerful. That's their version of the Tenets.
Lenore:
Gladiator Lupa is their Priestess of Strength, and Ephor Augusta is their Primus.
Lenore:
Among those who once played the Nimbus Chorale… some of them must've been the ancestors of this state. Is this really the future they hoped for?
Lenore:
In the end… I don't even know what I'm looking for anymore.
Lenore:
…As for where I'm going next, have you heard about a bard called Ciaccona, spreading rumors in Ragunna lately?
Lenore:
Do you think… what she said is true?
Lenore:
No… a true believer wouldn't be shaken so easily. The moment I started to doubt, I think I already had my answer.
Lenore:
Rover, I actually got a message from the Tidal Sanctuary today. They want me for a confidential assignment.
Lenore:
I hear it's overseen by the Primus himself. If I could speak with him directly… maybe I'd finally get some answers.
Lenore:
But the thing is, I was chosen for my "unshakable faith." But now…
Lenore:
Mm… I'll think about it carefully before I decide.
Medulius:
W-wait! I'm Medulius, an Elder of Septimont's Senate! Whatever you're after, I can get it for you!
Phrolova:
Oh? I didn't think it would be this easy.
Medulius:
So it is me you're after? Then you must know the connections I have in the Senate. Just say the word and I'll...
Phrolova:
You're here to watch the duel, aren't you, Medulius?
Medulius:
Y-you knew...?
Phrolova:
Seems you're dimmer than most villains, and twice as reckless as your average halfwit.
Phrolova:
But since you've been so generous offering yourself to me as a vessel, I'll grant you a wish in return.
Medulius:
A... wish?
Phrolova:
I'll let you live long enough to see your little duel. So long that you'll be begging for death before the end.
Medulius:
No... no!
Actor No. 1:
Since Gondolas can reach here, then there's more beneath this pool than meets the eye.
Actor No. 1:
That's right. If anyone barges in, you ram that thick skull of yours right into them, then drag them into the water.
Actor No. 1:
And if you get caught, no matter what they do to you, you do not lead them here. Understood?
Actor No. 1:
Good. Here's your reward—Honeycakes. The sweet kind.
Phantom of the Past:
The Lumenstones must be lit... We must reclaim our glory...
Lenore:
Are these Phantoms pointing the way for us?
Lenore:
Let's follow their guidance, Rover!
Phantom of the Past:
Set your gaze upon us, O Septimont... Wait for us...
Phantom of the Past:
We shall reclaim our glory...
Lenore:
...Let's follow them.