So, you’ve made it to the Eldin region. You’re likely sweating through your Flamebreaker armor, trying to figure out why on earth there is a shrine sitting in the middle of a literal lava lake. That is the Qua Raym Shrine. It is famous—or maybe infamous—for its "A Balanced Approach" trial.
Honestly? It’s one of those puzzles that feels incredibly simple until you’re staring at a ceiling full of spikes and wondering why you can't just climb the wall. You can't. Trust me.
How to Find the Islet in the Lava
The Qua Raym Shrine isn't just out in the open. It’s tucked away on a tiny island in the middle of Goronbi Lake. If you’re looking at your map, head west from the Eldin Tower. You’ll see a large body of lava. That’s your destination.
Most players just glide from the tower. It’s the easiest way. If you’re coming from the ground, you can actually use Magnesis to create a bridge out of nearby metal crates found in the lava, but gliding is way less of a headache. Just make sure you aren't wearing any wooden bows or shields. They will catch fire instantly.
The First Step: Getting the Key
When you walk in, you’re greeted by two massive scales. It looks like a giant playground toy, but it's much more dangerous.
On the left scale, there is a wooden crate. You need to get rid of it. You could waste a Fire Arrow, but why do that? Just pull out a regular arrow, dip the tip into one of the lit torches near the entrance, and fire. The crate burns, the scale tips, and a treasure chest on the other side drops down.
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Inside that chest is a Small Key. You need this to open the locked gate at the back of the room. Behind that gate are three heavy metal cubes. These are your best friends for the rest of the shrine.
Solving the Spiked Ceiling Puzzle
This is where the Qua Raym Shrine usually trips people up. You see the monk at the end, but there’s a massive stack of cracked blocks blocking the way.
First, get one of those metal cubes and put it on the scale closest to the exit. Now, stand on that same scale. Take your second and third metal cubes and place them on the other side of the scale. This will lift you up.
But wait.
If you go too high, you hit the spikes. It's a classic BotW "gotcha" moment. To clear the path to the monk, you need to blow up those cracked blocks.
- Stand on the ground and look at the blocks.
- Throw a Remote Bomb (the square one stays put better) onto the scale.
- Weight the other side to lift the bomb up to the blocks.
- Boom.
Now the path is clear, but you still have to get up there without being skewered. The secret? Use one metal cube on your side as a "roof." If you place the cube on the scale with you, it hits the spikes first, stopping the scale from moving high enough to kill you. Then, you just hop over to the monk.
Don't Miss the Knight’s Claymore
There is a second treasure chest. Don't leave without it.
It’s tucked away on a high ledge on the side wall. To get it, you have to use the second set of scales. It’s the same logic: put a cube on one side, stand on the other, then move more weight to the opposite side to launch yourself up. Use your paraglider to catch the ledge.
The reward is a Knight’s Claymore. Depending on when you’re doing this shrine, it might have a durability or attack buff. It’s a solid mid-game sword, though let’s be real, you’ll probably break it on a Moblin five minutes later.
Final Tips for Survival
- Magnesis is key: You’ll be swapping cubes constantly. Don't rush. If a cube falls into the void, it resets.
- Bomb Arrows: If you’re lazy and have a surplus of Bomb Arrows, you can just shoot the cracked blocks at the end from the floor. It skips the whole "lifting the bomb" step.
- Flame Guard: You don't need the level 2 fire protection inside the shrine like you do outside, but it doesn't hurt to keep the armor on.
The Qua Raym Shrine is basically a physics test. Once you realize the metal cubes are meant to be used both as weight and as shields, the whole thing clicks.
Grab your Spirit Orb and get out of the heat. Your next stop should probably be the Eldin Great Skeleton or heading toward Goron City to deal with Vah Rudania. If you've got the key and the claymore, you’ve officially cleared everything this lava-soaked puzzle has to offer.
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Check your map for the chest icon next to the shrine name. If it’s there, you’re done. Time to head back into the heat.