How To Beat Dusk The Puppeteer (Illusory Pipa Head Location)

As you work your way through the Village of Lu, you'll be exploring with the newly acquired Illusory Pipa in your back pocket and in the back of your mind, as you'll be tasked with acquiring the three missing parts to fix it.

One of these parts can only be acquired if you complete a specific quest in the Village of Lu called Secrets At The Heart Of The Lake. A quest that will require you to find six specific Memory Flowers and defeat a tough boss at the end of this questline. If you want to stand a chance against this boss or just want to find a flower that has evaded you, here is everything you need.

All Firefly Memory Flower Locations

To get through the mist that leads to the secret boss of this area, located just beyond the Temple of Blue Fireflies, you need to complete all of the Firefly Memory Flowers, of which there are six in the Crimson Forest.

Here is a rundown on where each one is located:

Memory Flower #1

The first Memory Flower in this set you will find is located in a garden just left of where you fight the Gatekeeper boss.

Memory Flower #2

When you get to the Well of Three Puppets Bell, drop down into the nearby river and go upstream. You'll come to a Memory Flower guarded by some enemies.

Memory Flower #3

Below the Covered Bridge, you'll find a building/altar with loads of threads. On the altar, you'll find a Memory Flower.

Memory Flower #4

Just before you head up the steps towards The Lady's Grounds, if you head along a path to the right and through a building, then drop down a ladder. You'll come to a hidden garden where you'll find a chest containing a Sha-Chi Amber Fragment and a Memory Flower.

Memory Flower #5

After you deal with the Engine Art Master and clear the threads covering the Well. You can then head along this path, and just as you reach the zipline that will take you back towards the Temple of Blue Fireflies, you'll see a Memory Flower nearby.

Memory Flower #6

It's best to save this one for last, as this is where you'll want to go right after collecting the Memory Flowers. This one is located in a vase inside the Temple of Blue Fireflies.

How To Find & Prepare For Dusk, The Puppeteer

When you have found all the Memory Flowers in this collection, you can then head to the Temple of Blue Fireflies, where you can head to the previously impenetrable mist and walk right through, granting you access to the Broken Puppet Pit.

After a short platforming segment, you'll want to leap down into the pit below, where you'll come face-to-face with Dusk. Who is a pretty tough boss.

In terms of preparation, this is what we would suggest:

Weapon: Jagged Steel
Phantom Edge: Dread Axe
Accessories: Livingwood Talisman, Battle Wraps, Token of Pursuit
Medicines: Healing Gourd, Vessel Restorative

Hints & Tips To Beat Dusk

If you're having a hard time with this boss battle, we have a couple of quick tips you can use to get one over on this twisted puppetmaster:

Be aggressive; the longer this fight runs, the worse it is for you.
Before the clone phase, feel free to attack enemies fluidly, as all enemies count toward this boss HP bar.
Try to bunch up enemies, especially shield enemies, and use your Dread Axe to deal serious damage that breaks their shield.
When the boss splits into two identical clones, try your best to lock on and focus on just one. You don't need to kill both to end the fight.
Try to keep eyes on both of the clones if possible, as they can use ranged attacks that can stagger you pretty easily.

Quest Rewards

For defeating Dusk, you'll gain the Puppeteer's Bell. A summon Phantom Edge that allows you to summon puppet allies to aid you for fifteen seconds in select areas.

Plus, the player will gain the Illusory Pipa Head, one of three missing parts needed to fix this instrument and further the quest of the same name.