The Lake Guardian cutscene is the cinematic that plays when a Daeva stripped of their power steps into Clione Lake Cave in Poeta and is put through a trial. A spirit made entirely of water rises from the pool, tells the character their strength is still locked away, and sets off the ascension that turns a fallen Daeva back into a true one. It is the first real display of Odyle, the power that fuels every Daeva in Atreia.
Quick answer: The cutscene triggers during the Episode quest The Power in the Lake, after you enter the cave behind the Elim Daminu in Poeta and the Lake Guardian tests you, lifting you into the Ascension Subspace.
What the footage shows
The scene opens inside a hidden lake cavern lined with glowing cyan crystal spires, waterfalls, and shafts of light falling on a pale blue pool. A male Daeva with long white hair and dark gold-trimmed armor walks toward the crystal at the water’s edge.
Water erupts from the pool and gathers into a flowing, transparent humanoid shape. The female-voiced guardian ascends from the surface and begins to speak, addressing the character directly.
You are incomplete, Daeva. Your strength remains hidden. Embrace Odiel, and reawaken as a true Daeva.
Teal energy swirls beneath the Daeva and threads up through his body as he lifts off the ground. The light flares white and green, the character is pulled into the air, and the screen cuts to black with glowing cyan runes. That flash is the transition out of the cave and into another dimension.
The Power in the Lake, the quest that triggers it
The cutscene belongs to The Power in the Lake, an Episode quest in the opening chapter, Island of Death, Poeta. It is handed out by the Elim Daminu at Daminu Forest and is built for a recommended level of 5. Daminu greets you as a Daeva who has lost their divine powers and offers the path back to it.
Your divinity is gone, Daeva… Are you prepared to rise to Ascension again? When ready, enter the lake… The Lake Guardian will put your abilities to the test.
The quest unfolds in two stages: search Clione Lake Cave, then go to the Subspace of Ascension after completing the trial. Turn it in to Asahr in the Ascension Subspace; he says he is AION’s ego and serves as your guide. This leads into Fledgling Wings. Completing the quest rewards 1,600 Kina, 2,959 EXP, and a pair of Lesser Daeva Wings.
Odyle and becoming a true Daeva
The power the guardian urges you to embrace is Odyle, shown as “Odiel.” in the on-screen subtitle. The game identifies it as AION’s power and the foundation of a Daeva’s strength. Passing the Lake Guardian’s test gives you more than a buff: it restores strength your character had forgotten and opens the way once more to becoming an Arch Daeva.
The thread continues in the Ascension quest The One Who Perceives, where Asahr calls you to the Dream Crossroad. He confirms the awakening took hold and frames you as a possible Fragment of AION, telling you that this is only the beginning and that he will call on you again when the time comes. That quest grants the Ascension: Daeva reward and is open to both Elyos and Asmodian.
The ascension quest chain at a reference
The cutscene is one moment inside a short run of early quests that carry you from a powerless Daeva to a geared member of the Dawn Legion. These are their types, recommended levels, and EXP payouts.
| Quest | Type | Rec. level | EXP reward |
|---|---|---|---|
| The Power in the Lake | Episode | 5 | 2,959 |
| The One Who Perceives | Ascension | 5 | — |
| Dawn Legion | Episode | 10 | 23,389 |
The One Who Perceives pays in the Ascension: Daeva reward rather than raw experience, which is why no EXP figure sits against it. Both of the opening Poeta quests target level 5; the Dawn Legion arc picks up at level 10 once you reach Verteron.
What comes after the trial
Poeta is only a brief stop after Ascension. You pass out while fleeing the island and come to at the Dawn Legion Base; the Dawn Legion quest then starts automatically in Verteron. Nania is the first person you encounter in the infirmary. She says she was held in a Balaur laboratory in Poeta until Captain Caelid’s legion rescued her.
From there you meet Caelid, talk to the supply officer Shuron, and turn the quest in to the gruff quartermaster Hart, who kits you out with proper gear. The payout is 4,500 Kina alongside a stack of Life Serum, Healing Potions, and Return Scrolls. That is the practical tail of the Lake Guardian sequence: the cinematic restores your divinity, and the legion gives you the equipment to use it.
Before and after the trial: prep quest, Lake Guardian stats, and Fledgling Wings rewards
The Power in the Lake is preceded by Withered Tree Daminu, an Elyos Episode quest for level 4 that starts in Poeta. Nania gives it to you at the Dawn Legion Forward Base. It pays 3,915 EXP, 1,500 Kina (Bound), and 20 Courage Scrolls (Bound), and it ends with Daminu at Daminu Forest, where The Power in the Lake begins.
| Step | Task |
|---|---|
| 1 | Hear the scout’s report from Scout Soldier Ryan |
| 2 | Defeat 4 Forest Dratona on the way to the lake |
| 3 | Find Scout Soldier Arno, who is patrolling nearby |
| 4 | Destroy 3 Balaur Watchstones and defeat 4 Forest Draconute Warriors |
| 5 | Follow the forest path to the lake the Elim protects |
Arno warns that the water at Clione Lake has turned red because of the Balaur, while the Elim guarding it stays pure.
Lake Guardian stats
| Field | Value |
|---|---|
| Level | 5 |
| Rank | Hero (boss) |
| Creature type | Natura |
| Aggressive | No |
| Location | Clione Lake Cave, 1 spawn point |
Fledgling Wings
Once the Subspace of Ascension opens, Fledgling Wings starts automatically. The Subspace of Ascension is described in-game as a space created for flight training. The quest has you finish your ascension, then report back to Daminu at Daminu Forest. Daminu says you have become a complete Daeva and that he will keep guarding the place until another Daeva seeks him out.
| Reward | Amount |
|---|---|
| EXP | 2,960 |
| Kina (Bound) | 1,600 |
| Return Scroll (Bound) | 20 |
| Twilight Cloak | 1 |
Fledgling Wings is level 5, and Shattered Sky Island follows it.
