Palia: A Catalyzing Caper Quest Walkthrough (2024)

Palia contains quite a few temple ruins to investigate, and this new ruin you've discovered is the Fire Temple. Similar to the other temple ruins, you'll have some puzzles to sort out, some treasure, and more pieces to the overall mystery concerning Palia's past.

There is still a lot of mystery surrounding ancient humans in Palia. There are rumors about their demise and what caused it, and we see some of the results of those fears and rumors in the strict regulation of the use of "flow". The Fire Temple contains a few more pieces of some of that history.

Updated January 5, 2024 by Shannon Elkins: With the arrival of Palia on the Nintendo Switch, and an additional temple added, you may be interested in doing some previous temples. You can do whatever temples you want in any order if you complete the 'Echoes of the Unknown' quest.

How To Unlock A Catalyzing Caper Quest

To get access to A Catalyzing Caper you will need to complete the 'Plumehound Pilgrimage' quest. Once you turn in that quest, you will automatically accept A Catalyzing Caper. In fact, the transition is so smooth you may not even realize you're technically on a new quest.

Before you continue, it's a good idea to ensure you have quite a few empty spaces in your inventory for all the treasure you will find. You can always come back to the temple to get any treasure you may have missed the first time if you don't have enough empty inventory spots.

Meet Hassian At The Fire Temple

The first order of business for this quest is to meet Hassian at the Fire Temple. You won't see him outside the entrance; he and Sifuu will both be waiting for you once you enter the temple. Talk to Hassian and Sifuu to find out what's going on and for hints to solve any of the puzzles.

Hassian will let you know that he is depending on your ability to figure out how to get past the locked door. Ancient human technology is keeping the door sealed, but Sifuu will give you hints if you talk to her.

How To Solve The First Puzzle To Open The Door

The first Fire Temple puzzle requires you touse your bow, so make sure you have arrows in your inventory. The hanging fire bowls on either side of the walkway won't be lit when you first enter the area. The hint tells you to check out the archways overhead to get an idea of the proper rune order.

Puzzle Solution

Fire arrows at the runes on the lamps in the proper order:

• Shoot the first lamp on the right.
• Shoot the middle lamp on the left.
• Shoot the last lamp on the right.

Next, there's a small hallway to pass through to get to the next area. There's nothing of note to find in the hallway.

Enter The Fire Temple's Foyer

There is a stunning design when you get to the foyer. If you poke around you'll find a fewtreasure chests in this area. If you follow the curved walkways to the right, the first set of steps will lead to a door.

When you get close enough to interact with the door, it will simply indicate it's a "mysterious chamber". There are no puzzles to solve, the door should open when you interact with it.

How To Solve The Mysterious Chamber Puzzle

In the mysterious chamber, you'll find a fire bowl on one side of the room and a phoenix statue on the other.

The door will be sealed, and you can read the inscription on the phoenix statue for hints on how to solve the puzzle. If you get stuck, talk to Sifuu for help.

Puzzle Solution

• Talk to Sifuu to get a torch.
• Light it by interacting with the lit fire bowl.
• Light the sparkling brazier lamp.

How To Get Through The First Maze Room

The path to the right will lead to an ancient tome called Demanding without Meaning. The path on the left will lead you to a treasure chest, and another lit fire bowl.

You'll encounter a series of climbing walls if you continue to travel through the maze from the left path. You're nearing the end of this chamber, and you have a couple decisions as you progress with the climbing walls.

You can use the long climbing wall to backtrack and access a hidden treasure chest, or continue to the end of the chamber.

Unlike many mazes, there are reasons to visit each portion of this maze. If you want the most direct solution, follow the steps below. You'll miss out on some treasure and an ancient tome, but nothing too serious.

Puzzle Solution

• Take the left path.
• Take another left since the path ends.
• Take another left.
• Take a right (only option).
• Take another right (only option).

• Take a right.
• Take a left.
• Follow the path to the grate over the lava to light your torch.
• Turn around and take an immediate left.
• Take the next left.

• Climb the wall grate at the far end of the hallway.
• Jump to the next platform.
• Climb up the small climbing wall.
• As soon as you get to the long platform, turn around and jump across to the next small climbing wall and ascend.
• You will arrive at the next door.
• Interact with the sparkling brazier to light it and unlock the door.

This part can be a little disorienting because the next room looks very similar to the entrance you used before. Keep forging ahead, it's definitely a different room.

How To Get Through The Second Maze Room

To the left, there is a small area with a rock blocking your way into the secret room. You can use your pickaxeto remove the rock and access the ancient tome in the room, titled Experiment Log.

The path on the right leads you to some treasure, so it's easiest to pick that up first and then use the path on the left to continue through the maze.

You'll come across a treasure chest when you reach a climbing wall, but then you'll need to backtrack and try another route to get to the right side. The climbing wall you need is a little difficult to spot, so it can be easy to overlook at first.

Once you follow the sections of climbing walls to the top, there's another sealed door. Interact with the brazier to light it and open the door. Use the puzzle solution for the easiest way to the next door.

Puzzle Solution

• Take a left at the maze entrance.
• Take the next right.
• Take another right (it's a tight u-turn).
• Take a left (no choice).
• Take another immediate left down the first path option.

• Take a left.
• Take a right.
• The fire bowl is straight ahead, so interact to light your torch.
• Go back down the path from the fire bowl.
• Take a left.

• Take a right.
• Take a left where there's a T-shaped intersection.
• Take a right (tight u-turn).
• Climb the short climbing wall on the left.
• Go left after the climbing wall to the end of the path.

• Use the long climbing wall on the left to get to a long platform.
• Jump across to the smaller platform.
• Climb the climbing wall on the left.
• Follow the platform around to the next long climbing wall. There's a gap, so you'll have to jump directly to the climbing wall.
• Interact with the brazier to open the door.

Now you're ready for the next room, where things are about to get a little more challenging.

How To Get Through The Lava Room

In this room, the floor really is lava. There will be a treasure chest immediately to the right when you enter the room. It's on the ramp that leads into the lava.

You'll probably need touse your glider a little in this room to make sure you can cover enough distance with some of the jumps. This room is reminiscent of a parkour room, but the climbing wall access makes it easier to navigate.

The path to travel is laid out nicely and is a straight line once you navigate the horizontal climbing walls. There is a small pillar to land on to get to the ramp in the distance.

There is a lit fire bowl halfway up the climbing wall once you progress to the other side of the room. You'll need to light your torch before continuing to the doorway at the top. This time, there's no door to unlock. Instead, there's another small room.

Puzzle Solution

• Jump across to the small climbing wall directly to the right of the main platform.
• Use the horizontal wall on the platform to crawl to the far left since the platforms are just a bit too far away to jump and glide.
• Walk along the platform and jump across to the next horizontal climbing wall.
• Climb over to the platform. Give the platform a wide berth as you use the climbing wall so that your avatar doesn't get stuck on the wall.
• Jump and glide over to the short pillar in the middle of the lava.

• Jump and glide to the ramp.
• Walk up the ramp to the top platform.
• Jump and glide across to the next platform.
• Climb halfway up the climbing wall until you see the lit fire bowl on your left.
• Go interact with the fire bowl and the hop back on the climbing wall.
• Climb to the top of the climbing wall, and use the horizontal climbing wall to get to the platform.

You've made it through the lava room, hopefully unscathed.

How To Investigate The Room

The next small room looks more like a hallway and contains a mural at the opposite end of the room from where you entered, as well as an unlit brazier on a pillar.

Puzzle Solution

• Interact with the brazier to light it.

When you light the brazier, you'll hear a series of notes play, and the small unlit braziers along either side of the room will light up.

Before you leave the room, there's an ancient tome on the other side of the brazier you just lit entitled Pieces Falling into Place.

Use your glider to get back to the foyer. You'll have to go back through each room, but leaving is much easier since it's set up for you to just glide through each room.

Hassian and Sifuu will be waiting for you at the entrance to the first Mysterious Chamber. Talk with Hassian to get the next step. The door in that room will lead you back to the foyer.

How To Solve The Brazier Puzzle To Reach The Final Chamber

When you meet with Hassian, he's standing in front of the door to the next objective. Entering this room won't be as easy as entering the mysterious chamber. You'll need to check out all the murals in the foyer and guess the proper order of the story.

Each mural has a rune inscribed at the base of the mural. The runes correspond to four braziers near the door, two on each side.

Shoot the runes with your bow in the proper order of the story to unlock the door. There's an ancient tome to the immediate left of one of the murals. It's entitled Changing Times, and it's next to the mural directly across from the main entrance.

Puzzle Solution

• Shoot the far left rune.
• Shoot the rune second from the right.
• Shoot the rune on the far right.
• Shoot the rune second from the left.

Go through the door once it is unlocked, and proceed through the hallway.

How To Solve The Fire Temple Final Chamber Puzzle

Behind the door to the final chamber, you'll see a hallway and a phoenix statue in the distance. Head to the statue and interact with it to read a hint for the next puzzle.

There's a large platform surrounded by lava and no obvious way to make it across. Tau is waiting for you on the platform.

Puzzle Solution

The hint from the phoenix statue tells you a leap of faith is required.

• Go down the stairs and jump, or jump from the top of the stairway and glide for some faster travel.
• You should land on an invisible path, and you can walk straight across to the center platform.

Tau has a discovery to share with you, and there's also one more puzzle to complete. It's a tile-moving puzzle to complete the picture. Interact with it to bring up the playable mini-game.

The Tile Puzzle Solution

Once you arrange the tiles to complete the picture, you've completed the Fire Temple. Talk to Hassian to complete the quest, and you also have the option to ask Hassian to teleport you out of the Fire Temple.