Eternal Narthex is the longest and most difficult temple in Mortal Shell, but the boss waiting for you at the end isn’t too bad if you know the trick to fighting him. The worst part of the fight starts before it even begins — instead of beginning the battle like normal, you’ll be dumped into an arena below by a trap door.
It seems like there’s nothing you can do but die here and lose one of your precious lives. That isn’t the case! Use Harden right before landing to absorb the damage and survive the fall. If you use Harden too early, you’ll still die. I don’t know why, but you take less damage the closer you are to the ground.
It’s a dirty trick, and Eternal Narthex is definitely the biggest of the three major objective directions. The enemies are challenging, and the roads are twisty. If you need a little help reaching the boss, we’ve also got a full walkthrough explaining how to navigate this lair.
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There are three directions you can choose from Fallgrim. You can go to the Temple Grounds, Eternal Narthex, or the Abandoned Chamber. Each temple leads to a boss you must defeat to complete the game. There are three major bosses, and the Eternal Narthex boss is not the most difficult.
If you can handle the enemies, I recommend going to Eternal Narthex. You can leave this area at any point, so you’re not trapped on the route if you run into trouble later on.
Eternal Narthex
I recommend saving Eternal Narthex for last — or second. This area is littered with difficult enemies, you’ll want a fully upgraded weapon before exploring.
The easiest path to Eternal Narthex is from the Grisha mini-boss cavern near the door to Fallgrim Tower. Use the right hole to reach a high ledge, and fight through the archers — Eternal Narthex is straight ahead.
- NOTE: I recommend purchasing the [Tools] from the Fallgrim Tower vendor to unlock the Ballistazooka. Enemies will drop ammo in this area, and you can use the shots to pull tough enemies out of large crowds.
To reach the inner sanctum, you’ll need to locate three levers in the area. You can hit these levers in any order. They look like fire braziers, so you can spot them pretty easily.
- Lever #1: Center – Use the portal and backtrack down the stairs to reach the center lever. It’s guarded by three ghosts.
- Lever #2: Right – Go down the left ramp after using the portal, and you’ll spot this lever at a strange structure surrounded by gunners. Take out the gunners and defeat the Hammer Guardian to use this lever.
- Lever #3: Left – On the far left wall. Use the portal and go down the right ramp. You need to go to the far side, crossing the bridge, to reach an unblocked ramp leading to the lever.
Activate all three levers, then climb the main stairs to the massive building in the far back of the area. Step on the gold plate to lower the main gate and enter the next area.
Dim Gate
The Dim Gate begins with a heavily guarded series of dangerous walkways. You can fight or right straight through and reach the Sester on the right side of the curved stairs ahead.
From Sester, go up the stairs and follow the winding path to a ceremonial altar. Circle around to avoid the three tough enemies, and continue up the spiral path, using Harden to defend against more gunners. At the very top, you’ll find a portal that takes you to the rooftops.
At the rooftop, use the gold plate to activate an elevator shortcut back to the Sester. The left portal will take you directly to the shortcut elevator rooftop — the right one takes you somewhere further.
There’s another lengthy path to a strange structure in the far distance. Cross the massive ruined bridge — you can sprint by all the tough enemies here and cross the halfway point. They won’t follow you. Just keep going until you enter the massive cathedral hall.
Shifting Archives
The Shifting Archives is where you’ll find the boss. There are no enemies here — go activate the Sester on the left side. She’s a giant here! Sip the Nektar to begin the boss fight.
Boss: Crucix, The Twiceborn
At the start of the fight, you’ll fall down into a pit below. To avoid dying, use Harden just a moment before you land on the ground. If you do it too early, you’ll still take fatal damage. Wait until you’re closer to the ground!
This boss is a gladiator with a smaller version of himself growing out of his chest — he uses a spear and axe, while the smaller version uses a handheld crossbow. If you get too far away, he’ll shield himself and pelt you with damaging arrows.
Stay close to Crucix and attack after his big spear thrust — he’ll be open to a fully 3-hit heavy combo afterward. You can also easily get in hits after his finishes his normal combo attack string. Use Harden to defend against his ranged attacks, and keep moving to eventually take down his first form.
Phase 2:
In Phase 2, he’ll attack much faster than before but lose his long-range attacks. A short cutscene will show the smaller version’s death. Now he fights solo, and is much more aggressive. Wait for his combo to end with a stomp to the ground — after the stomps, you can use a sprint-heavy attack to get in some damage and then retreat.
The boss no longer has ranged attacks, so you can cheese him with the Ballistazooka. Run far away and you can lower his health rapidly — I recommend waiting until he’s low on health, or if you’re having a lot of problems with his second form.
After taking out Crucix, collect the [Knotted Gland] and return to the Old Prisoner in Fallgrim Tower. The path is dark, but you can sprint by the enemies to make the return trip easier.
The enemy layouts are a lot different, and much more difficult this time. Sprinting isn’t just encouraged, it’s recommended. Swap to the Rogue Class to make sprinting through the crowds of enemies easier.
