Route 3 of 4 — The Hills & Desert Path
This route crosses the golden highroads and the desert canyons on the way to the endgame. It holds one mandatory boss — Father Gaoth (in the Veiled Chambers of the Auric Palace) — and sets up the Clock Tower ascent that follows. Route order follows the confirmed story sequence.
Route Overview
The Glide and Full Temporal Slowdown come online across this stretch, letting you cross immense desert canyons and the subterranean thorn tunnels of Deepthorne.
Strategy: use the glide to clear the mesa gaps of Stonetusk Canyon, and save the Temporal Slowdown for the Auric Palace’s candlelit trial before Father Gaoth.
Region 12 — Royal Highroads
The highroads leading to the Auric Palace. A connecting region of golden roads and overlooks.
Collectibles reported here: N1-Coin, Flask of Dye, Music Box, Star Core Fragment, Upgrade Gear, Clock Heart Piece, Broken Stained Glass.
Region 13 — Auric Palace
The golden palace. The Father Gaoth boss fight takes place in the candlelit Veiled Chambers right after.
Collectibles reported here: N1-Coin, Flask of Dye, Music Box, Star Core Fragment, Upgrade Gear, Broken Stained Glass, Rainbow Ingot.
The 6th boss, the ancient archbishop of the Auric Palace. See the Father Gaoth boss guide for the Heavy-attack shield-break counters.
Region 14 — Deepthorne
A thorned depths region on the desert path — subterranean tunnels that reward careful gliding and slow-time navigation.
Collectibles reported here: N1-Coin, Flask of Dye, Music Box, Upgrade Gear, Rainbow Ingot, Echo, Clock Heart Piece, Broken Stained Glass.
Region 15 — Stonetusk Canyon
The canyon region, tied to two hidden achievements. Sand-covered crevasses and mesas — the glide is essential here.
Collectibles reported here: N1-Coin, Flask of Dye, Music Box, Star Core Fragment, Upgrade Gear, Clock Heart Piece, Broken Stained Glass.
Bosses on this Route
Other Routes
FAQ
Where is Father Gaoth fought?
In the Veiled Chambers of the Auric Palace (region 13) — the 6th of nine mandatory bosses.
What comes after the Hills & Desert path?
The Clock Tower Ascent — Clockmaker’s Rest, Desert of the Last Memory, Chronos Aeternum and The Tower, where Solitude, Anchored Wilhelm and Allira’s Despair wait.
Collectible categories listed per region follow the launch-week guide consensus. Exact counts and positions are being refined as more full playthroughs are logged — use the collectibles tracker for the running total toward 203.