Finding all 8 summons locations in Gastova: The Witches of Arkana is essential for unlocking your full combat potential and achieving 100% completion. The eight summons are divided into two categories: four foundational Elemental Spirits found during the main campaign and four powerful Celestial Spirits hidden behind late-game puzzles and challenges. This guide provides a direct, no-filler walkthrough to secure every last one.
These spectral allies are Gastova's most powerful tool, capable of turning the tide in the toughest boss fights. Each is unlocked by finding its corresponding Spirit Seal, a relic hidden deep within the sprawling world of Arkana. Once found, they can be equipped and upgraded at the Witch's Cauldron in your hub.
What Are Summons and How Do They Work?
In Gastova, summons are magical entities you can call into battle using a portion of your mana bar. They are not simple spells; they are autonomous allies who will attack, defend, or provide utility for a limited time. Mastering their use is the difference between struggling through the mid-game and dominating it.
- Elemental Summons: These are your workhorses. Ignis (Fire), Terrae (Earth), Unda (Water), and Aeris (Wind) form the core of your arsenal. You'll likely find them naturally as you progress through the main story, as their locations are tied to critical path areas and abilities.
- Celestial Summons: These are the secret, game-changing powers. Umbra (Shadow), Lumen (Light), Chronos (Time), and Aetheris (Cosmic) are hidden behind elaborate environmental puzzles, collection quests, or secret boss encounters. Finding them requires a keen eye and a full suite of late-game traversal abilities.
Upgrading your summons is crucial. By spending Spirit Shards at the Witch's Cauldron, you can increase their damage, extend their duration, lower their mana cost, or even unlock powerful secondary effects. Don't neglect your favorites.
The Four Elemental Summons
These four spirits are your introduction to the summoning system. They are generally tied to clearing major dungeons and defeating bosses. While you can technically miss them on your first pass, you can always backtrack with new abilities to claim them.
1. Ignis, the Fire Spirit
The Ignis Spirit Seal is a pure damage-dealer, summoning a fiery familiar that hurls fireballs at your enemies. It's an excellent offensive tool for the early game.
- Location: Ashen Volcano
- Prerequisite: Flame-Retardant Charm (found in the Emberfall Village)
- How to Get It: Deep within the Ashen Volcano, past the second save point, you'll find a series of magma tunnels. With the Flame-Retardant Charm equipped to prevent fire damage, navigate the tunnels to a large central chamber. Here, you must defeat the Lava-Golem miniboss. Upon its defeat, the Golem will crumble and reveal the Ignis Spirit Seal on a pedestal in the center of the arena.
2. Terrae, the Earth Spirit
Terrae is arguably the most useful defensive summon. It creates a shield of rock around Gastova that can absorb several hits, making it invaluable for learning difficult boss patterns.
- Location: Whispering Caverns
- Prerequisite: Golem's Gauntlets (ability gained after defeating the Crystal Titan)
- How to Get It: In the lowest section of the Whispering Caverns, look for a large, open area with strange markings on the floor. On the far right wall, you'll see a section of rock that looks cracked. Use the Golem's Gauntlets ground-pound ability to shatter it, revealing a hidden chamber. Inside, you must solve a simple pressure plate puzzle: step on the plates to match the constellation pattern on the wall. This unlocks the gate guarding the Terrae Spirit Seal.
Gastova: The Witches of Arkana in-game screenshot
3. Unda, the Water Spirit
This summon calls forth a gentle water spirit that creates pools of healing energy on the ground. While not a direct heal, standing in these pools rapidly regenerates Gastova's health.
- Location: Sunken City of Lyra
- Prerequisite: Mermaid's Breath (ability to breathe underwater)
- How to Get It: The Unda seal is located in the Grand Library, a large, flooded sub-area within the Sunken City of Lyra. After acquiring the Mermaid's Breath, you can access the lower levels. The goal is to lower the water level to reach the seal. To do this, you must find and activate three arcane water-level switches. Follow the glowing pipes from the central chamber to find each switch in adjacent rooms. Once all three are activated, the water will recede from the main hall, revealing the Unda Spirit Seal on the library's main lectern.
4. Aeris, the Wind Spirit
Aeris is a mobility and utility summon. It creates powerful updrafts that can lift Gastova to higher platforms and also pushes smaller enemies away.
- Location: Sky-High Spire
- Prerequisite: None (story progression)
- How to Get It: This is the most straightforward elemental summon to acquire. The Aeris Spirit Seal is your reward for defeating the Griffin, the main story boss at the peak of the Sky-High Spire. The seal is located in the chamber just beyond the Griffin's nest. Picking it up also permanently enhances Gastova's abilities, granting her a much-needed double jump.
The Four Celestial Summons (End-Game Spoilers)
These four summons are the true test of your mastery over Arkana. They are locked behind the game's most obscure puzzles and require a full set of abilities to reach. A spoiler warning is in effect, as their quests are tied to late-game areas.
Gastova: The Witches of Arkana in-game screenshot
5. Umbra, the Shadow Spirit
The Umbra spirit attacks from the shadows, applying a damage-over-time effect to its targets and making Gastova harder for enemies to detect.
- Location: Obsidian Crypt, Chamber of Reflections
- Prerequisite: Spell Prism (key item from the Crystal Tower)
- How to Get It: This is a pure puzzle room. Inside the Chamber of Reflections, you'll find a beam of light and a series of rotatable crystals. You need the Spell Prism to manipulate the light. The goal is to reflect the beam to hit four shadow runes on the walls in a specific sequence. The correct sequence is etched faintly on the floor in the center of the room: Up, Down, Down, Right. Align the crystals to bounce the light onto the runes in this order to unlock the Umbra Spirit Seal.
6. Lumen, the Light Spirit
Lumen is the opposite of Umbra. It creates a beacon of light that damages and stuns undead or shadow-type enemies while providing a slight damage buff to Gastova while she stands within its aura.
- Location: Hallowed Garden
- Prerequisite: Access to the Hallowed Garden (late-game area)
- How to Get It: This is a time-based puzzle. In the center of the garden is a massive sundial with multiple sigils. The chamber holding the Lumen Spirit Seal only opens when the sundial's shadow falls upon the correct sigil at dawn. You must stand on the Sigil of the First Sunbeam (it looks like a rising sun) just as the in-game clock strikes 6 AM. If you are in the right place at the right time, a hidden door will open nearby for a very short window, allowing you to claim the seal.
Gastova: The Witches of Arkana in-game screenshot
7. Chronos, the Time Spirit
The most powerful control summon, Chronos creates a field that dramatically slows down all enemies and projectiles, giving you precious time to heal or set up devastating combos.
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Location: The Timeless Archives
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Prerequisite: Three "Lost Clock Hands"
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How to Get It: First, you must find three hidden collectibles scattered across Arkana:
- Lost Clock Hand 1: At the bottom of the well in Emberfall Village.
- Lost Clock Hand 2: Sold by a secret merchant in the Sunken City of Lyra for 5,000 Shards.
- Lost Clock Hand 3: At the very top of the Clockwork Tower, behind a breakable wall near the bell.
With all three hands, return to the large, broken clock face in the main hall of the Clockwork Tower. Interacting with it will repair the clock and open a portal to the Timeless Archives. Inside, you must complete a brutal platforming challenge where time itself is unstable, randomly slowing and accelerating. The Chronos Spirit Seal awaits at the end.
8. Aetheris, the Cosmic Spirit
This is the ultimate summon. Aetheris calls down a devastating meteor shower that hits the entire screen, dealing massive damage to everything, including bosses.
- Location: The Astral Pinnacle
- Prerequisite: All seven other Spirit Seals.
- How to Get It: Once you have collected the other seven summons, you must return to the very beginning of the game: Starfall Meadow. Go to the spot where Gastova first awoke. The seven Spirit Seals will react, opening a celestial portal to The Astral Pinnacle. This area is a final, grueling boss rush. You must defeat spectral, empowered versions of several main bosses back-to-back. If you succeed, you will be rewarded with the Aetheris Spirit Seal and the "Spirit Master" achievement.
Summon Upgrade Priority: What to Level First?
With eight summons, deciding where to spend your precious Spirit Shards can be tough. Here's a recommended priority list for a balanced playthrough:
| Tier | Summon | Primary Use | Why Upgrade? |
|---|---|---|---|
| S-Tier | Terrae | Defense | A fully upgraded shield can negate boss mechanics entirely. Essential for survival. |
| S-Tier | Ignis | Damage | The best source of consistent, passive damage in the early and mid-game. |
| A-Tier | Unda | Healing | Reduces reliance on potions, especially during long exploration segments. |
| A-Tier | Chronos | Crowd Control | Game-changing utility that trivializes certain encounters. Expensive but worth it. |
| B-Tier | Aeris | Mobility | Upgrades increase updraft height, useful for finding other secrets. |
| B-Tier | Aetheris | Screen Clear | The ultimate panic button, but its high mana cost makes it situational. |
| C-Tier | Lumen | Area Denial | Niche use against specific enemy types; less useful against bosses. |
| C-Tier | Umbra | Stealth/DoT | Underwhelming damage compared to Ignis. Best for specific stealth-based builds. |
Gastova: The Witches of Arkana in-game screenshot
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)
Can you miss any of the summons permanently? No. All locations remain accessible right up until you initiate the final boss fight. Some areas require late-game abilities like the enhanced double jump from Aeris or the ground pound from the Golem's Gauntlets, so backtracking is a core part of collecting them all.
Which summon is the absolute best? For general-purpose use, Terrae is widely considered the best for its defensive power, allowing you to play more aggressively. For pure damage output, a fully-upgraded Ignis remains competitive for the entire game. The "best" ultimately depends on your playstyle and the specific challenge you're facing.
Do summons count towards 100% game completion? Yes. Finding all eight Spirit Seals is a requirement for the "Spirit Master" achievement/trophy and is necessary to reach the 100% completion rating on your save file.
What do summon upgrades actually do? Upgrading a summon at the Witch's Cauldron using Spirit Shards improves its core stats. This typically includes increased damage, longer active duration, and a lower mana cost per cast. Some summons also gain powerful secondary effects at max level, like Terrae's shield exploding on impact or Unda's pools also granting a temporary defense buff.
Your Reward Awaits
Collecting all eight summons is a journey that takes you to every corner of Arkana, testing your combat, platforming, and puzzle-solving skills. It's one of the most rewarding side quests in Gastova: The Witches of Arkana, transforming you from a fledgling witch into a true master of spirits. With this guide, you have the map to unlock Gastova's ultimate power.