Lightning Returns: Final Fantasy XIII Side Quests Guide - Dead Dunes Walkthrough

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Need help with Lightning Returns: Final Fantasy XIII? You've come to the right place. USgamer has a fully comprehensive walkthrough of the game, conveniently split into multiple parts. Here's where you can find the rest of the walkthrough, including details about each area's main quests and strategies on defeating the bosses there, step-by-step guides to each areas's side quests, plus a full guide to the epic Canvas of Prayers quest line.

Now on with this part of the guide.

Quest: Adonis's Audition

Difficulty: 2 Stars

Client: Adonis

Location: Inside the caves at Ruffian

Reward: 1,500 gil, Monoculus Mask, Maximum HP +100, Strength +4, Magic +8

This is a mandatory quest that's part of the Main Quest series in the Dead Dunes. Speak with Adonis to begin the quest. Head just outside of Ruffian and examine the Cactuar Statue, then teleport to the Near God's Wrath location. Make your way to the next location marker and take down the Gurangatch enemy. After the cut-scene that follows, head back to Adonis to complete the quest.

Quest: His Wife's Dream

Difficulty: 2 Stars

Client: Ramon

Location: Outside the north gate of the Temple Ruins Prerequisite: Begin the Old Rivals side quest

Reward: 1,300 gil, Gold Padlock, Maximum HP +100, Strength +6, Magic +2

Head to the Grave of Colossi and then to the southwest to reach the dead end. Use a Pilgrim's Crux to remove the storm, then fight the Goblots inside to find the Arithmometer key item you're looking for. Speak to Ramon again to complete the quest.

Quest: Last One Standing

Difficulty: 3 Stars

Client: Zanford

Location: Oasis Lighthouse

Reward: 12,000 gil, Hermit's Cap, Bladed Lance, Maximum HP +160, Strength +18, Magic +16

This quest cannot be completed on your first play through of Lightning Returns. It requires you to kill all monsters to extinction, meaning you must kill the "Last One" of every enemy in the game. Unfortunately, three of these enemies only appear during the Final Day, which doesn't allow you to go back and speak with Zanford once they have been defeated. Instead, you must start a New Game+ and return to Zanford to start and immediately complete the side quest.

Quest: Old Rivals

Difficulty: 1 Star

Client: Tobias

Location: General Store in Ruffian

Reward: 500 gil, Snakeskin Hat, Maximum HP +50, Strength +4, Magic +2

This is another quest within a quest. Speak with Tobias and browse his store, the complete His Wife's Dream side quest. With the other quest completed, speak with Tobias again to complete this side quest.

Quest: Skeletons in the Closet

Difficulty: 3 Stars

Client: Jamus

Location: At the bar in Ruffian Prerequisite: Complete Main Quest 4-3

Reward: 4,500 gil, Pioneer's Eyepatch, Maximum HP +140, Strength +14, Magic +12

The objective of this side quest is simple, defeat 60 Skeletons to spawn the "Last One" variant, then kill it to bring the enemy to extinction. The Skeletons are most prominent in the Temple Ruins or any of the shrines. Once your task is complete, speak with Jamus again to claim your reward.

Quest: The Life of a Machine

Difficulty: 2 Stars

Client: Bhakti

Location: Sacred Grave section of the Temple Ruins

Reward: 0 gil, Cyber Scanners, Maximum HP +80, Strength +4, Magic +4

This quest as a time limit of three in-game days from start to finish. However, you can acquire all of the necessary items before you begin the quest. You will need three Bhakti's Oils, which can be found at the following locations:

- One at Tobias's General Store in Ruffian.

- One at the skeletal remains found near the Grave of Colossi shrine.

- One inside the Dry Floodlands shrine.

- One inside the Atomos's Sands shrine.

- Three near the Oasis Lighthouse.

Deliver three of the items to Bhakti, then examine the door he leads you to, as well as the remains inside. This provides you with additional loot, in addition to the quest rewards received from speaking with Bhakti again to complete the quest.

Quest: Tool of the Trade

Difficulty: 1 Star

Client: Elmer

Location: Inside the caves at Ruffian, on the second floor balcony

Reward: 400 gil, Retro Scopes, Maximum HP +50, Strength +2, Magic +4

Speak with Elmer to begin the quest. Head north to Atomos's Sands, then northeast until you see an item on the ground. Return to Elmer and speak with him to complete the quest.

Quest: What Rough Beast Slouches

Difficulty: 3 Stars

Client: Nolan

Location: Upper level of the Temple Ruins

Reward: 8,200 gil, Pro's Beret, Maximum HP +160, Strength +12, Magic +16

While you can begin this quest at any time, the monster you need to defeat does not appear until Day 7. At that point, head to the Giant's Sandbox to find the Aeronite enemy. It's exact location varies depending on the time of day you go to hunt it, and if you fail to defeat it, the monster won't respawn for two in-game hours. Once the monster is down, speak to Nolan to complete the quest.

To put it bluntly, this is arguably the most challenging quest in the entire game, simply because you need to defeat the Aeronite. To defeat the Aeronite, you have to stagger it four times, each within three minutes of one another. If more than three minutes pass between staggers, the battle comes to an end and you have to wait two hours to fight it again (at full health).

This article was compiled with help from Prima Games

You can find many more hints and tips in Lightning Returns: Final Fantasy XIII, plus strategy guides and over 65,000 cheat codes, unlocks, achievements, trophies, Easter eggs and secrets at Prima Games.