Walkthrough — Main Story & Progression (Confirmed Structure)

This walkthrough covers what is confirmed about The Relic: First Guardian's main story and world structure at launch (August 2026). Because the game released on July 31, 2026, step-by-step chapter guides with named bosses and exact objectives do not yet exist in verified form — this guide gives you the confirmed skeleton, the real progression systems, and honest markers for what is still unconfirmed.

The Confirmed Premise

The game opens with a classic soulslike setup, confirmed by official material:

You are the last Guardian in Arsilthus, a once-prosperous land destroyed when the great Relic shattered.
The land is being swallowed by a Void, and the world's people have been twisted into monsters.
You collect relic fragments imbued with the memories and emotions of the dead.
Your goal: seal the Void and restore the world.

Storytelling is fragmented — the game tells its story through letters, murals, and environmental details rather than cutscenes. Reading item descriptions and world text is the intended way to piece the story together.

The Confirmed World: 6 Regions

Arsilthus is a semi-open world with six seamlessly connected regions, separated by natural obstacles (mountains, valleys) rather than corridor gates:

Region	Confirmed Theme
1	Burning villages
2	Ruined castles
3	Void swamps
4	Frozen mountains
5	Underground catacombs
6	Relic temples

One named area is confirmed by launch coverage: the Faded Mist Forest (a location where Shards of Esser — potion capacity upgrades — can be found on temple altars). Exact zone names, order, and the critical path through the regions are unconfirmed at launch. Any walkthrough that names specific chapters, bosses, and key items is speculative.

How Progression Works (No Levels)

The critical path is not about XP — the game has no traditional leveling system. You progress in four confirmed ways:

Relics — over 70 unique fragments with passive effects; equip them as you find them (more slots unlock via Shards of Awakening at camps — see the Upgrade System guide).
Relic Energy — earned from defeating Brutals and finding Ancient Relic Blessings; spent on skills in the 12 weapon skill trees.
Unique gear — every weapon and armor piece is unique; some carry Drawbacks (e.g., stamina loss or a weakness). Power comes from what you find and forge.
Potions — health potion capacity grows via Shards of Esser found on temple altars.

A practical walkthrough mindset: exploration is the walkthrough. The critical path gates you through regions, but the power to clear it comes from looting, not grinding.

The Confirmed Loop: Brutals + Events

Brutals (the game's 70-80 bosses) sit along and off the critical path. Defeating them yields special items, upgrades, and Relic Energy — the game expects you to engage with them.
Events (the game's term for side quests) are optional missions obtained from NPCs or discovered through the environment — fetch quests, defending locations, and the like. They reward valuable gear given the equipment-driven progression.

Suggested route: as you enter each region, clear its events and explore its hidden paths before pushing toward the story boss. This mirrors the game's designed difficulty curve.

What Is Unconfirmed About the Critical Path

Be honest with yourself when reading other sites: as of this writing (August 2026), the following have no verified source:

The number of mandatory (story) bosses and their order
Named chapters, quests, or key items on the critical path
The identity and moveset of the final boss
Any "endings" structure (number of endings is unconfirmed — see the Endings guide)
New Game Plus existence and rules
Playtime estimates (no verified hour counts exist — see the Game Length guide)

A note on walkthroughs you may find elsewhere: many guide sites published pre-launch walkthroughs for this game with invented boss names, levels, and zones. If a walkthrough assigns "levels" or "chapters" with specific named bosses, it is almost certainly fabricated — the game has no levels, and almost no boss names are confirmed.

Practical Walkthrough Tips (Confirmed Systems)

Talk to NPCs and read everything — events and lore are delivered through NPCs, letters, and murals; the game gives minimal guidance.
Explore every region before its boss — hidden paths, secret bosses, and rare relics live off the main road. The game openly rewards this.
Collect Shards of Esser in temples — more potions = more attempts per run; the Faded Mist Forest is one confirmed source.
Bring Shards of Awakening to Elisa at camps — each one is a permanent relic slot.
Spend Relic Energy on HP/stamina nodes early — skill tree nodes raise these stats directly.
Adapt your build to each Brutal — the intended loop is swapping relics and gear between fights, not brute-forcing.

Common Questions

Q: Where does the game start?

A: You awaken as the last Guardian in the ruined world of Arsilthus. The exact starting area name is unconfirmed.

Q: Is the world open or linear?

A: Semi-open — six large, seamlessly connected regions separated by natural obstacles.

Q: How do I get stronger without XP?

A: Relics, relic slots, skills bought with Relic Energy, unique gear (forged at blacksmiths), and potion capacity. See the Upgrade System guide.

Q: What are "Events"?

A: The game's optional side quests — missions from NPCs or the environment (fetch quests, defense objectives) that reward gear.

Q: Is there New Game Plus?

A: Unconfirmed — no official source has confirmed NG+.

Boss Strategies — How the Brutals gate your progress
Beginner Guide — First hours and the starting loop
All Bosses List — The roster you will meet along the path
Release Date & Platforms — The game at launch