Mural Valley
Guide to Mural Valley in Starsand Island's Moonlit Forest. Covers the Bronze Gate puzzle, both Ruin Key locations, the Glintortle boss fight with all attack patterns, recommended equipment, Water Arrow and Pristine Orb blueprint drops, zone resources, and progression to Harvest Yard.
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Overview
Mural Valley is a zone in the Moonlit Forest located after Azure Bay. It is known for its ancient wall murals, a lift system, and the Bronze Gate that leads to the Glintortle boss encounter. Mural Valley marks a significant difficulty increase: the slingshot is no longer effective, and a Bow with Bomb Arrows becomes the primary weapon requirement.
Location and Access
Mural Valley is reached from Azure Bay by taking the stone stairs path. The zone sits roughly halfway through the Moonlit Forest's progression. It connects to Azure Bay behind you and Harvest Yard ahead (after defeating the Glintortle).
Exploring the Valley
The area before the Bronze Gate contains several points of interest worth exploring before you tackle the boss fight.
Lift System
A lift directly across from the campsite descends to a lower waterfall area. Use it to collect resources on the cliffs below, including Fiber, Moonshade Tendril, and Lotus Leaves from the river.
Ancient Murals
The walls of Mural Valley feature ancient murals depicting scenes from a past civilization that once inhabited the underground world. These murals are primarily environmental storytelling and add lore context to the Moonlit Forest.
Gravestar Puzzle
A three-part Gravestar puzzle is available in Mural Valley. Destroy the Gravecrystals scattered throughout the zone to collect three Gravestars and earn bonus rewards before proceeding through the Bronze Gate.
Spirit Location
A Spirit resting place with a reward chest sits on the cliffs between Azure Bay and Mural Valley. From the Mural Valley campsite, head to the cliffs at the back of the area on the left side, then walk across a fallen tree trunk to reach it.
The Bronze Gate
A massive locked gate blocks the path to the Glintortle boss arena. Opening it requires two Ruin Keys.
Key | How to Obtain |
|---|---|
Right Ruins Key | Given by Zephyria at the Exploration Club upon completing the Intermediate Explorer certification trial. |
Left Ruins Key | Found in a round wooden chest accessed by taking the elevator near Azure Bay and descending to the lower level. |
Both keys must be used at the Bronze Gate simultaneously. If you are missing the Right Key, return to the surface and complete the Intermediate Explorer certification first. See the Explorer Trial Walkthroughs for step-by-step instructions.
The Glintortle Boss Fight
The Glintortle is an armored turtle boss found just past the Bronze Gate. It is significantly harder than the Crystalith and the earlier Runebirds and Luminfrogs. Standard slingshot pellets deal negligible damage to this boss.
Attack Patterns
Attack | Description | How to Avoid |
|---|---|---|
Tracking Water Beam | Fires a beam of water that slowly turns toward your position and lasts several seconds. | Run perpendicular to the beam. Do not stop moving. |
Homing Bubble | Hides in its shell, charges a bubble, and hurls it toward you. | Dodge sideways at the last moment. |
Consecutive Shockwaves | While in its shell, unleashes a series of ground shockwaves. | Jump over each wave as it reaches you. |
Shell Charge | Retracts into its shell and charges directly at you. | Dodge sideways when you see it start spinning. |
Puddle Bubbles | Creates water puddles on the ground that spawn slow homing bubbles. | Keep moving and avoid standing near puddles. |
Weak Point
The Glintortle's weakness is the glowing crystal on its back. The crystal is not always visible. Wait for the Glintortle to complete a spinning attack or become dizzy after a major attack sequence. The shell glows bright blue during certain attacks, which is your cue to aim for the crystal with Bomb Arrows.
Recommended Equipment
Item | Details |
|---|---|
Bow with Bomb Arrows | Primary weapon. Do not attempt this fight with a slingshot. |
Bomb Pellets (backup) | Secondary option if you run low on Bomb Arrows. |
Deploy at the start for passive damage while you focus on dodging. Purchase from the Exploration Club (190 Gold each). | |
Combat Food | Bring plenty of healing items. This is a long fight with multiple phases. |
Phosand | Crafted from Coal and Sunveil Shrooms. Used to make Bomb Arrows at a Workbench. |
Strategy
Stock up on Bomb Arrows before entering Mural Valley. Craft them at a Workbench using Phosand (Coal + Sunveil Shrooms). At the start of the fight, deploy any Sentry Bots you have. Keep your distance and focus on dodging the water-based attacks. When the Glintortle becomes dizzy after a major attack or its shell crystal starts glowing, close in and fire Bomb Arrows at the exposed crystal. The fight takes multiple vulnerability cycles, so pace your ammo and heal between phases.
Boss Loot
Defeating the Glintortle rewards two blueprints: the Water Arrow and the Pristine Orb. A log chest near the boss area also contains miscellaneous crafting materials and items. The Water Arrow blueprint is essential for progression, as Water Arrows are needed to clear the vine barriers beyond Mural Valley.
Resources
Mural Valley contains a mix of mid-tier and upper-tier resources. The lower waterfall area (accessed via the lift) has additional gathering nodes.
Resource | Location |
|---|---|
Gold Ore | Found on higher cliffs above the campsite and beyond the Bronze Gate. |
Primorite | Found near the campsite and in deposits after the gate. |
Coal Ore | Scattered throughout the valley. |
Fluorite | For campsite repair (5 needed). |
Sleep Lilies | Found in three color varieties: blue, red, and yellow. |
Lotus Leaves | Pickable from the river in the lower waterfall area. |
Moonshade Tendril | Found on lower cliff paths and near the waterfall. |
Fiber | Multiple locations including the lower waterfall paths. |
Moondew Shroom | Rare mushroom found in shaded areas. |
Sunveil Shroom | Used in crafting Phosand for Bomb Arrows. |
Campsite
The Mural Valley campsite costs 5 Fluorite to repair. Given the increasing difficulty of enemies beyond this point, repairing the campsite before proceeding is strongly recommended. It includes a tent, campfire, worktable, and Moonweaver crystal for fast travel.
Post-Boss Progression
After defeating the Glintortle, vines block the path forward toward Harvest Yard. These vines require Water Arrows or Fire Arrows to clear (the Water Arrow blueprint drops from the Glintortle). Bomb Arrows do not work on the vines. Harvest Yard introduces Diamond and Flamecore, the highest-tier ores in the Moonlit Forest, and continues the path toward Grain Haven, Darkwater Shore, and ultimately the Ruins where the Ruin Guard final boss awaits.
Tips
Craft Bomb Arrows before entering Mural Valley. The Glintortle cannot be effectively damaged without them.
Get both Ruin Keys before approaching the Bronze Gate. The Right Key comes from the Intermediate Explorer certification (speak with Zephyria), and the Left Key is in a chest accessible from the Azure Bay elevator.
Use the lift to explore below the campsite. The lower waterfall area has Lotus Leaves and Moonshade Tendril that are easy to miss.
Check for the Spirit location on the cliffs between Azure Bay and Mural Valley. Walk across the fallen tree trunk from behind the campsite to reach it.
After beating the Glintortle, craft Water Arrows immediately. You need them to clear the vines blocking the path to Harvest Yard.
Phosand, the crafting material for Bomb Arrows, requires Coal and Sunveil Shrooms. Stock up on both in earlier Moonlit Forest zones before reaching Mural Valley.