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Spoiler warning: This guide contains information from the FFXIV Endwalker Patch 6.0 Main Scenario!!!

FFXIV Endwalker Guide: The Dark Inside

The Dark Inside is a Final Fantasy XIV: Endwalker Main Scenario Quest trial. It’s available at level 83 as part of the quest The Martyr. It can be completed via the duty finder.

For the sake of your fellow players, please remember that this is new content (at the time of this publication). A little friendly explanation can go a long way. Similarly, don’t be afraid to take advice. You may learn something you didn’t know.

Zodiark

Phase 1

• Kokytos – Arena-wide damage that takes all players to 1 HP.
• Exoterikos – This can either be purple with a triangle, indicating a conal AoE will eventually fire from the sigil that forms, or red with a square, indicating the half of the arena the sigil is on will eventually explode with damage. The first instance of this is always a purple conal.
• Ania – A tank buster with a splash, so avoid standing near the tank.
• Exoterikos – This instance is always red, half-arena explosion.
• Paradeigma – Zodiark will create creatures and place them on the platform. This time it’s 2 Behemoths at opposite, diagonal corners. Eventually 2 meteors will fall to the Behemoths in 2 large, circular AoEs, so avoid them!
• Paradeigma – This time the created creatures are 2 pythons on an edge of the floor which will shoot lasers laterally across.
• Phlegethon – Four of 8 players will be marked to 3, sequential, circular, ground AoEs.
• Styx – A stack mechanic akin to the classic Ahk Morn. All players must stack together and soak 5 pulses of damage. Don’t run away early!
• Paradeigma – Two Behemoths appear at the back of the arena.
• Exoterikos – This happens in conjunction with the previous Paradeigma. Keep both in mind when dodging.
• Complete Control – A cast indicating the second phase is incoming.

Phase 2

• Paradeigma – Two Behemoths appear, either at the back of the arena, or diagonal from each other like the first time they show up.
• Astral Flow – The arena will rotate 90° one way or the other, indicated by the arrows circles around the edges. In this case, that means the Behemoth AoEs will rotate, so adjust accordingly. All players will be locked in place during the turn. Additionally, only this first instance, you will be unable to attack.

• Adikia – The boss will punch either edge of the floor, creating 2, large half circle AoEs. Safe spaces are toward the center front and back.
• Phlegethon
• Triple Esoteric Ray – At the front of the arena with Zodiark, 3 green lasers will start to charge: either 2 on either edge, followed by 1 in the middle, or vice-versa. Move outside to in, or in to out depending on the order of the laser charges.
• Algedon – Zodiark will shift to one corner of the front of the arena and face diagonally across until he eventually charges. Move to the appropriate corner to avoid the dive. If you are hit, besides taking damage, if you’re too close to the edge, you’ll be knocked off. If all else fails, use a knock-back nullifier to avoid being thrown from the platform.
• Paradeigma – Pythons appear.
• Astral Flow – The Pythons spin with the platform.

• Astral Eclipse – This mechanic can be confusing at first sight, but once you understand the geometry, it’s not too bad! Think of that pattern of stars in the distance as a page in a book and the bottom row of stars is the part bound to the spine. Close that page downward and that’s where the stars are going to land. Each of the 3 instances work this way, with the “spine” of the “book” changing edges as the next grouping of stars shows up. Alternatively, think of that tether on the center of the star pattern pulling in face down against the center of the arena. In either instance, the floor has some very handy circles on it to show you where the stars hit. The following is only one example of the several star patterns.

• Styx
• Kokytos
• Paradeigma – Two Behemoths in combination with:
• Astral Flow
• Styx
• Exoterikos – In combination with:
• Adikia
• Trimorphos Exoterikos – Three different instance of Exoterikos will appear and go off one after the other on the 3 sides of the arena that Zodiark isn’t taking up.
• Paradeigma* – Two Pythons in combination with:
• Astral Flow
• Styx
• Exoterikos – In combination with:
• Triple Esoteric Ray
• Ania
• Trimorphos Exoterikos
• Phlegethon
• Styx
• Algedon
• *Repeats from Paradeigma until defeat.

Congratulations, you’ve completed The Dark Inside! (That’s a scary phrase, eh?)