Unlocking Treasure Chests at Toran Lake Castle in Suikoden 1 HD

The Toran Lake area in Suikoden 1 & 2 HD Remasters is one of the trickiest dungeons you’ll face. Being one of the first dungeons, your party is set, and you’ll have limited choices regarding weapons and gear.

Adding to the challenge, the boss can quickly deplete your whole party’s health if you’re not vigilant. However, if you dare to conquer this dungeon, you’ll be rewarded with some exciting treasures along the way. This guide will help you collect all the loot and detail the boss battle for you.

Getting to Toran Castle

After you pass through Kwaba while seeking a new base, head to Kaku, located southwest of Seika. Once in Kaku, go to the building marked with the sign featuring a wine bottle and glass. Speak with the red-haired woman named Camille, and she will join your team.

To recruit Tai Ho, you’ll need to go into the basement, but first, save your game at the Inn. After that, return to the bar, enter the basement, and try your hand at gambling with Tai Ho. Since this game relies on chance, don’t hesitate to reload from your save if luck isn’t on your side.

You will then be taken to Toran Castle, where Tai Ho will officially join your party. However, both he and Camille come with subpar equipment—Tai Ho has a level 3 weapon and Camille has a level 4 weapon. So, hop back in the boat and return to Kaku to enhance their gear. Make sure you stock up on better armor and sharpen their weapons. Also, each party member should carry their own supply of medicine for the upcoming boss fight, so buy extra if needed.

Don’t forget to equip as many party members as you can with Guard Robes from the Kaku armor shop, place the Clone Orb on Viktor, and the Fire Rune on Cleo.

Exploring the Toran Lake Dungeon

Before entering the castle, make sure to grab the Mega Medicine from the chest located south of the entrance. In the southern area of the first room, you’ll find Toe Shoes in another chest. Stick close to the south edge of the pool of water to access it.

In the second room, there are two chests: the one to the north contains antitoxin, while the southern chest holds 2,000 Potch. Next, head up the stairs to a small hallway and into another room with three chests. The southwest chest contains a STR Rune Piece, the northern chest has a Pointy Hat, and the southeastern chest has medicine.

At the top floor, you’ll have a chance to save your game. There’s also an antitoxin in a chest nearby. Proceed through the hallway, ascend the stairs, then turn right to enter a room with two chests that may look unreachable—don’t be deceived.

To access the chest in the southwest corner, move into the segment of the wall above and below the chest. Follow the path—go down, then left, down again, right, up, right, down, and finally left. You’ll emerge on the right side of the clearing to claim the Fuzzy Rune.

To get to the northeast chest, just walk through the wall; it contains a Wind Orb. Exit this room through the southeastern door to enter the castle itself. Follow the stairs down, but don’t forget to heal up—you’ll encounter a boss on the ground floor.

It’s also wise to distribute items effectively. Ensure each member has medicine on hand. If you gave Viktor the Clone Orb, equipping him with two sets of medicine can be quite beneficial, as he can heal when unbalanced.

Boss: Zombie Dragon

This boss can be both straightforward and potentially brutal. The Zombie Dragon has two main attacks: a lunging strike that targets a single character and a fiery breath that hits the entire team. Which attack comes next seems random. Equipping Guard Robes will minimize damage from the fire attack by boosting your magic defense.

The key strategy here is to heal often. If a character’s health drops below half, have them heal immediately. If the fire breath assaults your team consistently, this encounter can become extremely tough, especially if you’re running low on healing items. Hopefully, you’ve equipped Cleo with the Fire Rune and Viktor with the Clone Rune.

If you didn’t enhance your weapons, are poorly equipped, and find yourself out of medicine, you can always retreat to the entrance, chat with Yam Koo, and head back to Kaku to gear up. It will save time compared to grinding aimlessly against the Dragon. Remember, while the Zombie Dragon seems simple, it becomes a nightmare with a lack of preparation.