So you’ve survived your first violent spice-dream and stumbled your way through the First Trial of Aql in Dune Awakening, congrats, you’re now officially in too deep. But if you thought things were about to get easier, buckle up. The Second Trial doesn’t just drop a waypoint on your map and say “good luck”, no, this one makes you work for it. It’s time to solve a riddle, brave the open desert, dodge Scavengers, and unlock one of the most essential tools in the game: the Static Compactor. Let’s break it down.
Where To Find The Second Trial
The Trials of Aql are spiritual Fremen challenges that you experience through intense Spice-Dreams, visions that are equal parts mysterious and mildly traumatic. The First Trial held your hand a little with a direct location marker, but from here on out, it’s you, your brain, and some cryptic poetry trying to find the rest.
The Second Trial is no exception. To find it, you’ll need to decipher a riddle and recognize the terrain from a painted clue. But hey, you’re not doing this alone, I’ve already scouted the whole thing so you don’t have to get lost in the dunes. This guide covers how to find the trial, how to beat it, and what you’ll unlock along the way.
How to Find the Second Trial of Aql
Let’s start with the riddle you’re given:
“Para-southeast of the great hammer of Mirzabah… the shattered teeth of the gods… nestled between molar and incisor… a cavity revealed.”
Translation: You’re heading to eastern Vermillius Gap, near the Hagga Basin and just east of the Wreck of the Actaeon. You’re looking for a bunch of rocky spires that resemble (you guessed it) jagged, broken teeth.
Just watch out for traps on your way in, and yeah, don’t forget to bring that survey thingy. You’re gonna need it.
Eventually, you’ll find a moisture-sealed cave called The Deep Struggle. This is where the trial begins, but it’s guarded by Scavengers who don’t love uninvited guests. Slice through the seal with your knife, head inside, and follow the broken path deeper underground.
The Static Compactor: Your New Best Friend
Early into the trial, you’ll pick up the Static Compactor, a utility tool that lets you suck up sand, gas, and other nasty stuff. It’s got big vacuum energy, and you’ll need it constantly from here on out, especially once things start getting spicy (literally).
You’ll use it to:
- Clear burning sand bridges that’ll roast you if you try to walk across them.
- Disintegrate walls of sand blocking your path.
- Remove poison gas clouds from underground rooms.
- Form floating platforms to jump across massive death pits.
And yes, it works outside the trial too. Hello, Flour Sand farming.
Fire, Gas, and Gravity: The Challenges Inside
This trial has three major sections:
1. Fire Bridge
You’ll need to cross a rocky bridge that’s been set ablaze. If you try to dash across, you’re toast, literally. Use the Static Compactor to suck up the fire in patches, creating a clear path. Just aim for the glowing spots.
2. Toxic Chamber
Next up is a gas-filled cave with metal emitters releasing poison clouds. Again, aim and fire the Static Compactor to clear your way. There are two rooms like this, one with solid ground, the second with broken floors and narrower paths.
3. Floating Platforms
Here comes the tricky part. There are two massive chasms you can’t jump across. You’ll need to shoot your Static Compactor at floating piles of debris, which solidify into platforms. Once it forms, jump across. Then repeat. Don’t rush it, timing is key, or it’s a long drop down.
What You Get After Beating the Trial
Once you finish the last jump and make it to the final altar, the spice-dream ends, and you walk away with the Static Compactor schematic unlocked for good. This thing is a game-changer for desert resource gathering, especially if you plan on hunting for Flour Sand or crossing dangerous terrain.
You can now use the Static Compactor freely in the open world, so expect your travels to become a lot smoother (and safer? maybe?).
Wrap-Up
And that’s the Second Trial of Aql in Dune: Awakening. Sure, it’s not exactly a walk in the park, more like a hallucination-filled obstacle course, but it’s 100% worth it for the Static Compactor alone. Once you’ve got it, a whole new world of exploration opens up. Toxic zones? Handled. Burning paths? Not a problem. Floating death platforms? Kinda fun, actually.
So go get spicy, suck up some sand, and don’t forget to check out my other guides, especially if you’re also wondering where to find things like Plasteel Microflora Fiber. Stay hydrated, stay alert, and try not to get swallowed by a sandworm.
