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Description
    EDIT: Well, apparently Color Splash stole my idea. So I'll likely be replacing Sunblast Arena with something else at some point. Of course, I have to figure out what that is first...

    Man, have I been making good time with these chapter title cards or what? Not as much good time as I used to, sure, but then again, these ones are way better drawn. Anyway, slightly ahead of schedule, here's Chapter 3.
    Like many of the chapters in Paper Mario: Double Darkness, this one started out as a total cliché. The only part of it that wasn't like every other desert world was Sunblast Arena, the coliseum in the midground of the picture (I wanted to put it in the foreground, but it turned out to be too big). As far as I remember, I got the idea from the fact that the word for "sand" is "arena" in Latin. But one way or another, it's not too surprising that it remained the same while, among other things, the aesthetic of the rest of the desert was changed, the partner and boss redesigned, and the plot written pretty much from scratch. At one point, I was even considering swapping it with Chapter 7, and although I ended up just creating a different Chapter 7, I still think over the possibility occasionally.
    This is the start of the description for Chapter 3. WARNING: Really, really, absurdly high levels of reading ahead.

Characters (from left to right):
Specteira: The ruler of the Nox Empire. After being dumped into the present by the portal in the Shadow Spire, she joins Mario’s quest to recover all of the portal pieces in hopes of making it home and saving her empire from Darkblot. She acts as the game’s tattle, and can cast spells in battle which work more or less like special moves.
Sunshine: As the sole permanent resident of Sunblast Desert, this fire spirit has had contact with the rest of the Mushroom Frontier almost exclusively via the archaeologists who set up camp near her house. Something of a Nox culture enthusiast. Mario’s fourth partner, with the ability to light flammable things such as torches and explosives.
Mario: If you don’t know who this guy is already, I recommend you go and play some Paper Mario games before you continue reading this.
Cawlin: The newest member of the excavation team in Sunblast Desert. Accompanies Mario from 3-3 through 3-6 and helps him find and excavate the Power Stones so he can start claiming credit for some discoveries. His brother and fellow archaeologist Cawter is stationed in Arcana Jungle.
Stone Pokey: A sentient statue created by the Nox to aid their battle training, and the boss of Chapter 3. After the chapter, Mario can visit it in the Sunblast Arena to replay previous boss battles.

--CHAPTER 2 / CHAPTER 3 TRANSITION--
    Previously, in Chapter 2, Mario found his way to Fort Flood in the middle of the ocean, rescued MC Mahi from the terrifying Hydrohydra, and got back the third Portal Piece. He receives plenty of thanks for their efforts, plus some coins if they negotiated well with Cap’n Blooty. Best of all, Sal T. offers her service in cooking items for them if they visit her in the Supersurf Shanty Bar and Grill kitchen. The party now heads back to the Mt. Mushroom Observatory.
    Mario presents the Cooling Conduits, his newest Portal Piece, to Infinnah T. She records the piece’s magic signature, plugs the data into the Celestial Cannon, and starts scanning the Mushroom Frontier. After a few seconds, it locates a match in the desert to the southwest. The world map on the GamePad Positioning System updates itself in that area, adding rocks, cacti, a couple tents to the east, and a huge coliseum all the way to the west, with the Portal Piece icon appearing over the latter.
    Infinnah T. recognizes the coliseum as a famous Nox ruin called Sunblast Arena, but she doesn’t know too much about the place. Based on the little she’s heard from the archaeologists on Mt. Mushroom about it, it was some sort of magical training grounds for Nox soldiers. She adds that now, however, Sunblast Desert is practically uninhabited. The only exceptions are one mysterious fire spirit hermit, who evidently prefers the hot, dry conditions, and the occasional archaeological expedition to the ruins. Because of this, even experienced travellers usually aren’t allowed very far into the desert, so they’ll have to find someone to vouch for them. Once they’ve gotten the necessary permission, they can get to Sunblast Desert via a path leading west from Supersurf Port.
    At this point, Infinnah T. suddenly gets a call from one of her friends. She says she has to take it, and asks Mario to bring the Portal Piece back to Antiqua T for her. Mario makes another trip to the Shadow Spire dig site and finds a switch that he can reach with his Hammer Throw move, opening a way to another area where Antiqua T. is currently doing restoration work on some Nox pottery. After the party helps her reassemble an old vase (this turns out to be a practice round of sorts for the chapter’s minigame) and mentions their plans to visit Sunblast Desert, she agrees to write them a note of permission. She explains that there’s an expedition going on at the moment, so they can show it to the archaeologists working there and then they’ll be free to explore the desert.
    Mario and friends are now ready to return to Supersurf Port. On their previous visits during Chapter 2, the town’s docks were closed due to the threat of Hydrohydra. But now that Mario has defeated the sea monster, the area has opened up again, and that’s where he finds the gate to the desert.

--CHAPTER 3--
    The new Star Sphere in Supersurf Port brings Mario to Sunblast Desert (World 3-1). Near the beginning of the level, Mario comes across a suspicious panel on the ground that proves too strong to be disturbed by a regular jump. He thinks over the problem and comes up with a Ground Pound ability, which allows him to slam the ground extra-hard, break through the panel, and access a hidden room. It appears to be of Nox construction, but it’s too dark to make out what’s inside. The party decides to move on for now, traversing quicksand and fighting Clefts, Bald Clefts, Sand Puffs, and Bandits on their way to the end of the level.
    Next, they proceeds to Sunshine’s Expedition Camp (World 3-2). They are stopped at the gate by a Craw in a headlamp, who tells them that travelers aren’t allowed any further into the desert. Luckily, Mario should already have a note from Antiqua T. vouching for his adventuring experience. Once the Craw sees who wrote it, he opens the gate and shows him around the camp. It’s much smaller than the other inhabited areas Mario has visited; it contains just a few tents and one stone house that has clearly been there for a while.
    Once they’re all in the camp, the Craw introduces himself as Cawlin. As the newest member of the dig team, he’s still mostly confined to the less interesting jobs such as watching the gate, but he has gotten more chances to go digging lately. They’re currently making plans to start excavating Sunblast Arena. The purpose of the expedition is the same as it has been ever since the arena was discovered: Finding a way in.
    When Mario asks about that last point, Cawlin admits that no one has ever actually entered the arena. As far as the archaeologists have been able to discern, the door is sealed by the magic of five Nox artifacts called Power Stones. And only one has been found so far. Mario asks about that, and Cawlin points toward the nearby stone house. He says that it’s the home of Sunshine, the fire spirit whose land the dig team has its camp on and who found the first Power Stone. Mario decides to pay her a visit.
    Being a hermit and all, Sunshine at first isn’t very enthusiastic to have unfamiliar visitors. But Mario knows he needs her cooperation to get into the arena, and it quickly becomes apparent that Sunshine has developed a considerable interest in Nox culture from her continuous exposure to archaeologists. Specteira is happy to accommodate, and recalls what the desert was like in her time: Just after being recruited, soldiers were sent to live in this area, so they could become tougher and more self-reliant. Eventually, the Nox decided to take the idea a step further and constructed the arena, where their greatest warriors could practice against magically summoned monsters. After hearing this, not only does Sunshine warm up to the party, but wanting to continue learning about the Nox, she decides to join them!
    Mario can now return to 3-1 and use Sunshine’s ability to ignite a torch in front of the Nox cave, illuminating the area within. He discovers that the cave contains an old statue of the Stone Pokey, a sentient construct which served as the referee for the fights in Sunblast Arena. The plaque on its base is mostly empty, but Specteira suggests that they bring the remaining shards of inscribed rock back to the camp.
    Once Mario shows the discovery to Cawlin, he remembers that similar-looking pieces of a Nox tablet were excavated recently and excitedly leads them to the storage tent, where Mario plays through a minigame to put it back together. The reconstructed artifact turns out to be a map... with five points labeled on it. Cawlin indicates the point closest to the camp and exclaims that it marks where the first Power Stone was found, meaning that this map must indicate the rest! Just to be safe, Mario calls up Infinnah T. on his GPPS, and she confirms that each spot has a dim but distinct magic signature, and marks them on the world map.
    Mario now knows where to look and is ready to start his search, but before he departs, Cawlin asks if he can go with them. That way, he can help them excavate the Power Stones, plus the veteran archaeologists might respect him more. Mario accepts, and everyone exits through the back gate toward the farther parts of Sunblast Desert.
    Mario’s first stop is Lush Oasis (World 3-3). The lake at the center of this section of the desert makes it easily the most hospitable, which is why several Craw archaeologists have decided to start their excavating here. Mario quickly reaches the area with the Power Stone, where the Craws have marked off the site into a huge grid. Unfortunately, they decide to take advantage of Mario’s eagerness to search the area by charging him for every square he digs out. In order to avoid wasting a bunch of money, Mario has to explore the area around and on the lake to find clues left by the Nox about exactly where the Power Stone is. Once he’s figured it out, he can use Molissa’s digging ability on the indicated square and claim the artifact (much to the surprise of the jealous Craws).
    A second Star Sphere from the expedition camp takes Mario to Sunblast Sandflows (World 3-4). Predictably, quicksand pits are the main feature of this level. Most of them move slowly enough that Mario can wade through, but some are just as dangerous to fall into as any other overworld hazard, and it’s sometimes hard to tell which is which. The wide variety of enemies doesn’t help either. Mario finds the Power Stone buried on a sand mound in the middle of a quicksand pool about halfway into the level, although he must then play through the level again for another Star Sphere.
    Next up is Crumble Mesa (World 3-5), the part of the desert closest to the mountains to the north. Naturally, the platforming here is especially difficult, with platforms tipping or falling soon after Mario steps on them. The level also boasts all sorts of enemies, including Pokies, Spikes, and the Hyper Goomba family. Mario must scale the uneven rock formations, retrieve the buried Power Stone from the top of one, and then climb back down to the level’s end.
    Finally, Mario arrives at Cactus Road (World 3-6), the only surviving section of a path to Sunblast Arena. Mario reaches the Power Stone almost immediately, and is about to dig it up when Bowser Jr. appears. Hoping to mess with Mario and clinch his position as Bowser’s favorite minion, he swipes the artifact and flees in his clown car, forcing the party to give chase across the level. Mario must land three hits on the annoying kid with his Hammer Throw, upon which the clown car breaks down, forcing Bowser Jr. to stop playing around and fight. Mario sends him crying back to Bowser with ease and takes back the fifth and final Power Stone (keep in mind that Sunshine had the first to begin with).
    After Mario has collected every Power Stone and brought them back to the camp to be dusted and cleaned off, Cawlin lets them know he won’t be going to the arena. He says that thanks to his expedition with Mario, he’s been promoted to work at the much more historically important Shadow Spire dig site! Although he did hope to explore the ruins, he has to start packing for his new job. Cawlin also mentions that he has a brother who is another archaeologist, and he wants to tell him about his adventures. He hands Mario a letter, with instructions to deliver it if he can (which won’t be until Chapter 7, sadly).
    For now, Mario says goodbye to his archaeologist friend and brings his good-as-new Power Stones to Sunblast Arena (World 3-7). When he presents the Power Stones in front of the front arch, the bars on it retract, allowing passage for the first time in 5,000 years.
    The first room of Chapter 3’s dungeon contains a tablet that explains to unlock the power of Sunblast Arena, each Power Stone must be placed in its respective pedestal. All of these pedestals are in the center pit. However, that section is divided by a large partition that forces the party to work their way clockwise around the arena itself, inserting the stones one by one. On the way, they face off against tons of Pokeys and Dull Bones and test their brains in multiple tricky puzzles. When they circle back to where they started and plug in the fourth Power Stone, the ground starts rumbling and the partition sinks into the sand, uncovering a tower at the middle of the pit.
    Upon climbing to the top, Mario and friends find the last pedestal and insert the Power Stone. For a few seconds, nothing happens. Then, the tower drops into the sand as well, and the Stone Pokey emerges from the same spot. It welcomes them to Sunblast Arena. It seems unexpectedly friendly, so Mario attempts to just ask it about the Portal Piece. The Pokey freely admits it has it, but it refuses to give up Nox property to an outsider. Mario argues that he’s on their side and is helping the Nox avoid being conquered, but it demands that he prove himself. The method of doing so: Trial by combat.
STONE POKEY
Tattle Entry #103
That’s the Stone Pokey! It’s an animated statue that we Nox created as a referee for our gladiatorial fights. It usually doesn’t battle itself, mind you, but it’s currently testing us to see if we’re loyal to the Nox. Also, it’s the first time someone’s visited it in 5,000 years, so maybe it’s kind of a special occasion. Maximum HP is 50, Attack is 5, and Defense is 1. A bit weak on its own, perhaps, but it will summon other enemies to cover it. In addition, unlike normal Pokies, this one is able to replenish its segments and use some fancy magic effects. Ugh... I really can’t believe it thinks I’m an enemy of the Nox! I’m their leader! If I were an enemy of the Nox, our empire would be in more trouble than it is now... and that’s saying something!
    As the battle ends and the central tower rises from the sand again, the Stone Pokey commends their fighting skills and apologizes for being suspicious. It also invites the party to take the last Power Stone with them, explaining that if they ever want to replay old boss battles, they should come back and summon it again. Its work done for now, the Nox statue returns to the sand, but not before leaving behind the most important artifact of all...
    ***YOU FOUND A PORTAL PIECE!***

--LUIGI INTERLUDE--
    Since Mario’s off adventuring in the Mushroom Frontier, it falls to Luigi to rescue the princess this time. His route to Bowser’s Castle now brings him to Frostfell Woods, an evergreen forest covered in ice. Luigi finds that the gate to the level blocked by a dense pile of snow, but thanks to the Hammer he received in the last Interlude, he has no problem smashing through. He then has to contend with slippery patches on the ground, falling icicles, and so forth, eventually finding his way to Bumpkadi Village.
    This tiny Bumpty town, built partially on the ground and partially on platforms in the trees, is nestled deep enough in the woods that Luigi’s arrival is of considerable interest to the locals. The friendly Bumpties are happy to show their visitor around the place, pointing out the well, fish pond, all the houses, and finally their mayor Quille’s cabin. However, the mayor herself is gone, and her son Plume is too upset about something to explain where she is. The village is so worried about Quille’s unexplained absence that Luigi agrees to track her down.
    After being tipped off by a friend of Plume’s about a secret treehouse, Luigi finds the mayor there, and she explains that Plume has been nearly inconsolable after losing a stuffed Mr. Blizzard toy in the area. She won’t leave until it’s found, so Luigi must use his Hammer to knock down the ladder on the treehouse recover the toy from inside, and give it to Quille. She then returns home, to the relief of all the other Bumpties, and asks if there’s anything she can do for Luigi in return. Upon being asked the way to Bowser’s Castle, she opens the southern gate of the village, bids Luigi goodbye, and tells him he’s welcome back to Bumpkadi Village anytime.

Description
    EDIT: Well, apparently Color Splash stole my idea. So I'll likely be replacing Sunblast Arena with something else at some point. Of course, I have to figure out what that is first...

    Man, have I been making good time with these chapter title cards or what? Not as much good time as I used to, sure, but then again, these ones are way better drawn. Anyway, slightly ahead of schedule, here's Chapter 3.
    Like many of the chapters in Paper Mario: Double Darkness, this one started out as a total cliché. The only part of it that wasn't like every other desert world was Sunblast Arena, the coliseum in the midground of the picture (I wanted to put it in the foreground, but it turned out to be too big). As far as I remember, I got the idea from the fact that the word for "sand" is "arena" in Latin. But one way or another, it's not too surprising that it remained the same while, among other things, the aesthetic of the rest of the desert was changed, the partner and boss redesigned, and the plot written pretty much from scratch. At one point, I was even considering swapping it with Chapter 7, and although I ended up just creating a different Chapter 7, I still think over the possibility occasionally.
    This is the start of the description for Chapter 3. WARNING: Really, really, absurdly high levels of reading ahead.

Characters (from left to right):
Specteira: The ruler of the Nox Empire. After being dumped into the present by the portal in the Shadow Spire, she joins Mario’s quest to recover all of the portal pieces in hopes of making it home and saving her empire from Darkblot. She acts as the game’s tattle, and can cast spells in battle which work more or less like special moves.
Sunshine: As the sole permanent resident of Sunblast Desert, this fire spirit has had contact with the rest of the Mushroom Frontier almost exclusively via the archaeologists who set up camp near her house. Something of a Nox culture enthusiast. Mario’s fourth partner, with the ability to light flammable things such as torches and explosives.
Mario: If you don’t know who this guy is already, I recommend you go and play some Paper Mario games before you continue reading this.
Cawlin: The newest member of the excavation team in Sunblast Desert. Accompanies Mario from 3-3 through 3-6 and helps him find and excavate the Power Stones so he can start claiming credit for some discoveries. His brother and fellow archaeologist Cawter is stationed in Arcana Jungle.
Stone Pokey: A sentient statue created by the Nox to aid their battle training, and the boss of Chapter 3. After the chapter, Mario can visit it in the Sunblast Arena to replay previous boss battles.

--CHAPTER 2 / CHAPTER 3 TRANSITION--
    Previously, in Chapter 2, Mario found his way to Fort Flood in the middle of the ocean, rescued MC Mahi from the terrifying Hydrohydra, and got back the third Portal Piece. He receives plenty of thanks for their efforts, plus some coins if they negotiated well with Cap’n Blooty. Best of all, Sal T. offers her service in cooking items for them if they visit her in the Supersurf Shanty Bar and Grill kitchen. The party now heads back to the Mt. Mushroom Observatory.
    Mario presents the Cooling Conduits, his newest Portal Piece, to Infinnah T. She records the piece’s magic signature, plugs the data into the Celestial Cannon, and starts scanning the Mushroom Frontier. After a few seconds, it locates a match in the desert to the southwest. The world map on the GamePad Positioning System updates itself in that area, adding rocks, cacti, a couple tents to the east, and a huge coliseum all the way to the west, with the Portal Piece icon appearing over the latter.
    Infinnah T. recognizes the coliseum as a famous Nox ruin called Sunblast Arena, but she doesn’t know too much about the place. Based on the little she’s heard from the archaeologists on Mt. Mushroom about it, it was some sort of magical training grounds for Nox soldiers. She adds that now, however, Sunblast Desert is practically uninhabited. The only exceptions are one mysterious fire spirit hermit, who evidently prefers the hot, dry conditions, and the occasional archaeological expedition to the ruins. Because of this, even experienced travellers usually aren’t allowed very far into the desert, so they’ll have to find someone to vouch for them. Once they’ve gotten the necessary permission, they can get to Sunblast Desert via a path leading west from Supersurf Port.
    At this point, Infinnah T. suddenly gets a call from one of her friends. She says she has to take it, and asks Mario to bring the Portal Piece back to Antiqua T for her. Mario makes another trip to the Shadow Spire dig site and finds a switch that he can reach with his Hammer Throw move, opening a way to another area where Antiqua T. is currently doing restoration work on some Nox pottery. After the party helps her reassemble an old vase (this turns out to be a practice round of sorts for the chapter’s minigame) and mentions their plans to visit Sunblast Desert, she agrees to write them a note of permission. She explains that there’s an expedition going on at the moment, so they can show it to the archaeologists working there and then they’ll be free to explore the desert.
    Mario and friends are now ready to return to Supersurf Port. On their previous visits during Chapter 2, the town’s docks were closed due to the threat of Hydrohydra. But now that Mario has defeated the sea monster, the area has opened up again, and that’s where he finds the gate to the desert.

--CHAPTER 3--
    The new Star Sphere in Supersurf Port brings Mario to Sunblast Desert (World 3-1). Near the beginning of the level, Mario comes across a suspicious panel on the ground that proves too strong to be disturbed by a regular jump. He thinks over the problem and comes up with a Ground Pound ability, which allows him to slam the ground extra-hard, break through the panel, and access a hidden room. It appears to be of Nox construction, but it’s too dark to make out what’s inside. The party decides to move on for now, traversing quicksand and fighting Clefts, Bald Clefts, Sand Puffs, and Bandits on their way to the end of the level.
    Next, they proceeds to Sunshine’s Expedition Camp (World 3-2). They are stopped at the gate by a Craw in a headlamp, who tells them that travelers aren’t allowed any further into the desert. Luckily, Mario should already have a note from Antiqua T. vouching for his adventuring experience. Once the Craw sees who wrote it, he opens the gate and shows him around the camp. It’s much smaller than the other inhabited areas Mario has visited; it contains just a few tents and one stone house that has clearly been there for a while.
    Once they’re all in the camp, the Craw introduces himself as Cawlin. As the newest member of the dig team, he’s still mostly confined to the less interesting jobs such as watching the gate, but he has gotten more chances to go digging lately. They’re currently making plans to start excavating Sunblast Arena. The purpose of the expedition is the same as it has been ever since the arena was discovered: Finding a way in.
    When Mario asks about that last point, Cawlin admits that no one has ever actually entered the arena. As far as the archaeologists have been able to discern, the door is sealed by the magic of five Nox artifacts called Power Stones. And only one has been found so far. Mario asks about that, and Cawlin points toward the nearby stone house. He says that it’s the home of Sunshine, the fire spirit whose land the dig team has its camp on and who found the first Power Stone. Mario decides to pay her a visit.
    Being a hermit and all, Sunshine at first isn’t very enthusiastic to have unfamiliar visitors. But Mario knows he needs her cooperation to get into the arena, and it quickly becomes apparent that Sunshine has developed a considerable interest in Nox culture from her continuous exposure to archaeologists. Specteira is happy to accommodate, and recalls what the desert was like in her time: Just after being recruited, soldiers were sent to live in this area, so they could become tougher and more self-reliant. Eventually, the Nox decided to take the idea a step further and constructed the arena, where their greatest warriors could practice against magically summoned monsters. After hearing this, not only does Sunshine warm up to the party, but wanting to continue learning about the Nox, she decides to join them!
    Mario can now return to 3-1 and use Sunshine’s ability to ignite a torch in front of the Nox cave, illuminating the area within. He discovers that the cave contains an old statue of the Stone Pokey, a sentient construct which served as the referee for the fights in Sunblast Arena. The plaque on its base is mostly empty, but Specteira suggests that they bring the remaining shards of inscribed rock back to the camp.
    Once Mario shows the discovery to Cawlin, he remembers that similar-looking pieces of a Nox tablet were excavated recently and excitedly leads them to the storage tent, where Mario plays through a minigame to put it back together. The reconstructed artifact turns out to be a map... with five points labeled on it. Cawlin indicates the point closest to the camp and exclaims that it marks where the first Power Stone was found, meaning that this map must indicate the rest! Just to be safe, Mario calls up Infinnah T. on his GPPS, and she confirms that each spot has a dim but distinct magic signature, and marks them on the world map.
    Mario now knows where to look and is ready to start his search, but before he departs, Cawlin asks if he can go with them. That way, he can help them excavate the Power Stones, plus the veteran archaeologists might respect him more. Mario accepts, and everyone exits through the back gate toward the farther parts of Sunblast Desert.
    Mario’s first stop is Lush Oasis (World 3-3). The lake at the center of this section of the desert makes it easily the most hospitable, which is why several Craw archaeologists have decided to start their excavating here. Mario quickly reaches the area with the Power Stone, where the Craws have marked off the site into a huge grid. Unfortunately, they decide to take advantage of Mario’s eagerness to search the area by charging him for every square he digs out. In order to avoid wasting a bunch of money, Mario has to explore the area around and on the lake to find clues left by the Nox about exactly where the Power Stone is. Once he’s figured it out, he can use Molissa’s digging ability on the indicated square and claim the artifact (much to the surprise of the jealous Craws).
    A second Star Sphere from the expedition camp takes Mario to Sunblast Sandflows (World 3-4). Predictably, quicksand pits are the main feature of this level. Most of them move slowly enough that Mario can wade through, but some are just as dangerous to fall into as any other overworld hazard, and it’s sometimes hard to tell which is which. The wide variety of enemies doesn’t help either. Mario finds the Power Stone buried on a sand mound in the middle of a quicksand pool about halfway into the level, although he must then play through the level again for another Star Sphere.
    Next up is Crumble Mesa (World 3-5), the part of the desert closest to the mountains to the north. Naturally, the platforming here is especially difficult, with platforms tipping or falling soon after Mario steps on them. The level also boasts all sorts of enemies, including Pokies, Spikes, and the Hyper Goomba family. Mario must scale the uneven rock formations, retrieve the buried Power Stone from the top of one, and then climb back down to the level’s end.
    Finally, Mario arrives at Cactus Road (World 3-6), the only surviving section of a path to Sunblast Arena. Mario reaches the Power Stone almost immediately, and is about to dig it up when Bowser Jr. appears. Hoping to mess with Mario and clinch his position as Bowser’s favorite minion, he swipes the artifact and flees in his clown car, forcing the party to give chase across the level. Mario must land three hits on the annoying kid with his Hammer Throw, upon which the clown car breaks down, forcing Bowser Jr. to stop playing around and fight. Mario sends him crying back to Bowser with ease and takes back the fifth and final Power Stone (keep in mind that Sunshine had the first to begin with).
    After Mario has collected every Power Stone and brought them back to the camp to be dusted and cleaned off, Cawlin lets them know he won’t be going to the arena. He says that thanks to his expedition with Mario, he’s been promoted to work at the much more historically important Shadow Spire dig site! Although he did hope to explore the ruins, he has to start packing for his new job. Cawlin also mentions that he has a brother who is another archaeologist, and he wants to tell him about his adventures. He hands Mario a letter, with instructions to deliver it if he can (which won’t be until Chapter 7, sadly).
    For now, Mario says goodbye to his archaeologist friend and brings his good-as-new Power Stones to Sunblast Arena (World 3-7). When he presents the Power Stones in front of the front arch, the bars on it retract, allowing passage for the first time in 5,000 years.
    The first room of Chapter 3’s dungeon contains a tablet that explains to unlock the power of Sunblast Arena, each Power Stone must be placed in its respective pedestal. All of these pedestals are in the center pit. However, that section is divided by a large partition that forces the party to work their way clockwise around the arena itself, inserting the stones one by one. On the way, they face off against tons of Pokeys and Dull Bones and test their brains in multiple tricky puzzles. When they circle back to where they started and plug in the fourth Power Stone, the ground starts rumbling and the partition sinks into the sand, uncovering a tower at the middle of the pit.
    Upon climbing to the top, Mario and friends find the last pedestal and insert the Power Stone. For a few seconds, nothing happens. Then, the tower drops into the sand as well, and the Stone Pokey emerges from the same spot. It welcomes them to Sunblast Arena. It seems unexpectedly friendly, so Mario attempts to just ask it about the Portal Piece. The Pokey freely admits it has it, but it refuses to give up Nox property to an outsider. Mario argues that he’s on their side and is helping the Nox avoid being conquered, but it demands that he prove himself. The method of doing so: Trial by combat.
STONE POKEY
Tattle Entry #103
That’s the Stone Pokey! It’s an animated statue that we Nox created as a referee for our gladiatorial fights. It usually doesn’t battle itself, mind you, but it’s currently testing us to see if we’re loyal to the Nox. Also, it’s the first time someone’s visited it in 5,000 years, so maybe it’s kind of a special occasion. Maximum HP is 50, Attack is 5, and Defense is 1. A bit weak on its own, perhaps, but it will summon other enemies to cover it. In addition, unlike normal Pokies, this one is able to replenish its segments and use some fancy magic effects. Ugh... I really can’t believe it thinks I’m an enemy of the Nox! I’m their leader! If I were an enemy of the Nox, our empire would be in more trouble than it is now... and that’s saying something!
    As the battle ends and the central tower rises from the sand again, the Stone Pokey commends their fighting skills and apologizes for being suspicious. It also invites the party to take the last Power Stone with them, explaining that if they ever want to replay old boss battles, they should come back and summon it again. Its work done for now, the Nox statue returns to the sand, but not before leaving behind the most important artifact of all...
    ***YOU FOUND A PORTAL PIECE!***

--LUIGI INTERLUDE--
    Since Mario’s off adventuring in the Mushroom Frontier, it falls to Luigi to rescue the princess this time. His route to Bowser’s Castle now brings him to Frostfell Woods, an evergreen forest covered in ice. Luigi finds that the gate to the level blocked by a dense pile of snow, but thanks to the Hammer he received in the last Interlude, he has no problem smashing through. He then has to contend with slippery patches on the ground, falling icicles, and so forth, eventually finding his way to Bumpkadi Village.
    This tiny Bumpty town, built partially on the ground and partially on platforms in the trees, is nestled deep enough in the woods that Luigi’s arrival is of considerable interest to the locals. The friendly Bumpties are happy to show their visitor around the place, pointing out the well, fish pond, all the houses, and finally their mayor Quille’s cabin. However, the mayor herself is gone, and her son Plume is too upset about something to explain where she is. The village is so worried about Quille’s unexplained absence that Luigi agrees to track her down.
    After being tipped off by a friend of Plume’s about a secret treehouse, Luigi finds the mayor there, and she explains that Plume has been nearly inconsolable after losing a stuffed Mr. Blizzard toy in the area. She won’t leave until it’s found, so Luigi must use his Hammer to knock down the ladder on the treehouse recover the toy from inside, and give it to Quille. She then returns home, to the relief of all the other Bumpties, and asks if there’s anything she can do for Luigi in return. Upon being asked the way to Bowser’s Castle, she opens the southern gate of the village, bids Luigi goodbye, and tells him he’s welcome back to Bumpkadi Village anytime.