Hi, everyone! Camate here.

You caught me resting after an exhilarating adventure through the new content that is coming in Patch 3.35--The Palace of the Dead. I suppose I can get out of this comfy bed and share some of the chronicles experienced in this dungeon.

The Palace of the Dead is a part of the Deep Dungeon content, and it can be unlocked through a quest given by Nojiro Marujiro in Gridania's Carline Canopy.

I'm sure you have all walked past the hole in the ground at Issom-Har in South Shroud, and if you've ever wondered what's down it before, well, once you reach level 17 you'll be able to accept the quest and find out!

(During the recent Letter from the Producer LIVE, Yoshida mentioned that the quest could be accepted in Quarrymill, but it's actually Gridania! You do end up heading to Quarrymill though, so he wasn't completely off the mark!)

The Palace of the Dead features its own leveling and equipment system, so you'll be raising your character up from the start again, which makes this content quite special.

Every time you want to challenge this fresh, you will be starting from level 1, so it's a great opportunity to take on content with a friend at the same pace.

Defeating the enemies you encounter in the Palace of the Dead will boost your level, and you can further enhance yourself through the equipment that can be earned from treasure chests.

The menus used for this content are very reminiscent of the FINAL FANTASY series giving it a nice, classic feel!

Since the equipment you find will play a big part in enhancing your character within the dungeon, be sure to open up whatever treasure chests you find. Naturally, however, a bit of luck may come in handy...

Boom! Who would've thought that the chest I opened would blow up?

Besides equipment (and the occasional explosion), treasure chests will also yield special items that can be used as well, so you'll be able to put together strategies for when to use them. For example, saving a defense-type item for a boss, a trap disarmer for the next floor, or perhaps...

Turning into a succubus to clear a path to proceed!

When progressing to a new floor, there is also a chance that a special effect is granted.

The floor we arrived on here gave us a nice boost to our maximum HP and MP! I hear there are a variety of special effects that can be granted.

As you progress through the dungeon, the atmosphere will also start to change.

Who would have thought that this hole in the South Shroud would be hiding such a neat dungeon? Did Rolandaix know about this the whole time he was staring into the pit and not tell us?

The Palace of the Dead is also a great way to try out some jobs that you haven't dabbled with too much and want to practice. Of course, while practicing the occasional accident does happen...

We headed into the dungeon as a party of three DPS, so did we just leave this member behind and push onward? Nay! Finding one of these special stone towers and activating it will allow you to revive members that have been knocked out!





There we go--good as new!

Using Phoenix Downs will also allow you to revive members making it easy to participate in this content on any job or composition you wish.

With three DPS, some items, and the help of these revival stones, my group managed to push all the way to the thirtieth floor! Two hours passed in the real world, but it felt like no time at all in the Palace of the Dead.

Oh yeah, don't forget to save your progress--a special feature just for the Deep Dungeon!

It won't be long until everyone can dive deep into this mysterious dungeon, and I hope you are all looking forward to it as much as I am!

And, I'll be seeing you soon, dearie!

-Camate