Xenoblade Chronicles Guide- Walkthrough Part 43: On One Knee

Having beaten the Queen Arachno, you’re free to go back and explore the Tephra Cavern.  I strongly advise you do so- there are those two Ether Deposits to look at (and a third that you can’t reach... makes me sad.), some interestingly challenging fights (particularly Gluttonous Eugen), and a little bit of map to explore.

Near the Ether Deposit in Vilia Lake, for instance, is a door that’s labeled ‘Warehouse Door’.  You can’t do anything with it yet, but keep in mind that it’s there- it’ll become important later.  You should also futz around here a bit more to get all the quests completed- one of them gives you a shot at some extra loot when you reach the knee.

Speaking of.

Once you’re done lagging about the Cave, you can return to the Queen’s Chamber.  There’s a webbed-over entrance there- poking at it will cause the Queen’s Gut Fluid item you collected from the Queen Arachno to activate, and dissolve the web.  This grants you access to an exit passage- one that leads to the last part of Tephra cave- the Bionis’ Knee.

This area is a small two-tiered field that not only is good for gathering collectibles, but also holds a couple of new monsters- the Night Wisp and Weather Flier, insects that alternate times of day with one another, and the Plane and Arm Bunnit.

More importantly, on exiting the cavern, Shulk and Reyn walk out onto the knee.  From here, you get a pan-view of both the Bionis and the Mechonis.  Reyn, looking up at the titanic sword crossing the sky overhead, declares that he’s never going to get used to it, seeing the Mechonis towering in the distance, a continent in the shape of a robotic warrior.  Shulk peers at the thing through the intervening kilometers of clouds, and Reyn confirms- that’s where their chosen enemy lies.... on the Mechonis itself.  Shulk clutches a shaking hand as he stares... but neither of the two notices the small helicoptering Mechon overhead, which watches them as they stare at the Mechonis- and then flies off.

After a moment, the scene shifts- to darkness.  Something lurks there, limned in glowing lights, and the small helicopter machine from before hoves into view.  A number of clicks and grinds accompanied by vague gestures of the thing’s eye follow, apparently communicating something to the shape in the darkness.  At first the only response is a faint metallic groan, then the huge shape grabs the leg of a Colony soldier.  Whether the soldier is unconscious or dead is unclear- but it quickly ceases to matter as he is tossed into the... mouth?  Input hopper?  Of the huge shape, which consumes him whole.  Then, through the darkness, gleams a face of steel.

The camera cuts back to Shulk and Reyn, who are briefly discussing the fact that if they just climbed the Bionis’ shin, then they are now on its knee.  This means that Colony 6 is up ahead- though first they’ll have to cross a lot of leg.  Looking around, Shulk spots a mass of vines that can be used to climb up onto the higher tier of the Bionis’ kneecap, and Reyn enthusiastically agrees.

There is a Heart-to-Heart here near the edge of the Kneecap, but it’s unavailable now.  Heading up the field will yield the landmark for Leg Pass, a narrow route through the seemingly stone wall to the North that leads on to the next area....