Chronolith

Chronoliths are similar to Arete Stone in that within them is hidden a virtual battlefield accessible by Clive and Clive alone, Each chronolith presents Clive with a timed trial in which he must combat continuous waves of deadly enemies, equipped only with the feat and abilities of a single Eikon.

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Phoenix: Hand of Hyperion

Chronoliths are trials in Final Fantasy XVI where the player solely uses the powers of a single Eikon. Though the menhir that act as access points to the trials can be found and marked onto the map prior, the player can begin tackling them only after they have the powers of Bahamut. They can be taken on in any order, but Shiva's and Odin's trials are only available late into the story, while Leviathan's trial is only accessible by completing the Rising Tide DLC's story. The trials remain available in a completed save file, so the player can finish the game, watch the credits, save their game, and then come back to do them.

The trials are timed; running out of time, or Clive being knocked out, nulls the player's attempt, and they can choose to try again from the beginning, or exit the trial. Time is extended by performing the battle techniques specified before each round. Each trial has four phases: three stages and a boss. All Eikon abilities are mastered during trial regardless of their status in the Abilities & Gear menu, but Clive's stats and equipment load-out are the same as on the field. The player can use the accessibility rings to complete the trials.

Completing one trial adds the Final Trial to the Arete Stone in the Hideaway, featuring stronger enemies and less time, as well as restrictions to equipment, level, and consumables.

Completing all regular trials earns a trophy and an item for Clive's Wall of Memories: the Circle of Malius tapestry.

See also: Battle arena

Phoenix: Hand of Hyperion

Within this ancient menhir awaits a harrowing trial in which Clive must race to overcome a host of deadly foes, wielding the blessing of but a single Eikon—the Phoenix.

Trial by Fire

Stage II abilities and bonuses.

The chronolith is located northeast of Martha's Rest in Greensheaves in Rosaria, just outside some Fallen ruins. Clive's Eikon is the Phoenix and his Eikonic Feat is Phoenix Shift. The reward for completing all four stages within the time allotted is The Favor of Fire (Flames of Rebirth) accessory, which increases Flames of Rebirth's damage by 8%, Phoenix's ultimate skill.

Final stage.

Racking up time bonuses is needed to finish the trial. The default time is 1:20s, and the player gets further +20s for clearing a stage. Shift Combo is an easy one to get multiple times during each phase, and can be spammed deliberately to rack up time for the final stage. Instead of using Clive's rechargeable abilities haphazardly, or as soon as they are available, the player should time them to get the time bonus associated with each of them.

Good accessories to equip are the ones that lower cooldown time for the abilities usable for each stage.

Phases

Phase	Abilities	Enemies	Tips
Stage I	Rising Flames Scarlet Cyclone	5x Firebound Orc x4 Firebound Scorpions x2 Firebound Vulture x1 Firebound Wiuvre	Use Phoenix Shift to approach enemies. Mid-shift, before Clive reaches his target, tap the attack button to perform Shift Strike, and then keep attacking the target with normal attacks 4 times without interruption to perform Shift Combo for a +8s time bonus. Do not finish the combo with magic burst or the time bonus does not trigger. Bring enemies to low health, then use Rising Flames to launch and defeat them for a +12s time bonus. Go to middle of enemy groups and use Scarlet Cyclone, hitting at least two enemies, for a +12s time bonus.
Stage II	Heatwave Scarlet Cyclone	x4 Firebound Hunter x1 Firebound Guardian x5 Firebound Crabs x3 Firebound Nodes x1 Firebound Cannonier x1 Firebound Hornet	Use Phoenix Shift to approach enemies. Mid-shift, before Clive reaches his target, tap the attack button to perform Shift Strike, and then keep attacking the target with normal attacks 4 times without interruption to perform Shift Combo for a +8s time bonus. Do not finish the combo with magic burst or the time bonus does not trigger. Go to middle of enemy groups and use Scarlet Cyclone, hitting at least two enemies, for a +12s time bonus. Use Heatwave to counter enemy projectiles for a +12s time bonus and to shorten Heatwave's cooldown.
Stage III	Heatwave Flames of Rebirth	x4 Firebound Bug x1 Firebound Mousse x5 Firebound Revenant x2 Firebound Dragonet x1 Firebound Undertaker x1 Firebound Lich	Use Flames of Rebirth at the beginning to defeat the firebound bugs. Use Phoenix Shift to approach enemies. Mid-shift, before Clive reaches his target, tap the attack button to perform Shift Strike, and then keep attacking the target with normal attacks 4 times without interruption to perform Shift Combo for a +8s time bonus. Do not finish the combo with magic burst or the time bonus does not trigger. Use Heatwave to counter formidable foes' projectiles for a +12s time bonus and to shorten Heatwave's cooldown. Repeat Flames of Rebirth on the subsequent enemy waves against multiple normal enemies or against a staggered formidable foe for a +15s time bonus.
Final Stage	Rising Flames Flames of Rebirth	Firebound Plague	Dodge the boss's projectiles and quake. Have both Rising Flames and Flames of Rebirth ready to use when the boss is staggered.

Time Bonuses

Battle Technique Bonuses

Technique	Description	Time
Shift Combo	Land a four-hit melee combo after closing in on an enemy with Phoenix Shift.	8 s
Double Shift	Land a shift shot on an enemy in the air two times.	8 s
Rising Finish	Launch an enemy into the air with Rising Flames and defeat it before it hits the ground.	12 s
Collateral Cyclone	Strike two enemies with a single Scarlet Cyclone.	12 s
Heatwave Counter	Dispel an enemy projectile and land a precision counter with a single Heatwave.	12 s
Flames of Punishment	Strike a staggered enemy with Flames of Rebirth.	15 s
Punish	Deliver a downward attack to a fallen enemy.	3 s
Precision Dodge	Evade an enemy attack with a Precision Dodge.	1 s
Ability Finish	Deliver a killing blow with an Eikonic Ability.	3 s
Multi Burst	Land ten Magic Bursts.	5 s

Additional Bonuses

Technique	Description	Time
First Bonus	Earn a battle technique bonus for the first time.	3 s
Bonus x3	Earn the same battle technique bonus three times.	5 s
3 Bonuses	Earn three unique battle technique bonuses.	5 s
6 Bonuses	Earn six unique battle technique bonuses.	8 s
All Bonuses	Earn all eight battle technique bonuses.	20 s
Bonus Combo	Earn two unique battle technique bonuses in succession.	3 s
Clear Bonus	Clear a stage	20 s

Garuda: Hand of Dione

Within this ancient menhir awaits a harrowing trial in which Clive must race to overcome a host of deadly foes, wielding the blessing of but a single Eikon—Garuda.

Trial by Wind

Location of the chronolith.

The chronolith.

The chronolith is located in Dhalmekia, in Drakos Deep area in the northwest dead-end; from the Dalimil Obelisk, the player can simply head northeast. Clive's Eikon is Garuda and his Eikonic Feat is Deadly Embrace, which pulls small enemies to Clive, or pulls and launches Clive into the air if the enemy is immovable. The reward for completing all four stages within the time allotted earns The Will of Wind (Aerial Blast) accessory, which increases Aerial Blast's damage by 12%, Garuda's ultimate Eikonic Ability.

Final Stage.

Racking up time bonuses is needed to finish the trial. The default time is 1:20s, and the player gets further +20s for clearing a stage. Instead of using Clive's Eikonic Abilities haphazardly, or as soon as they are available, the player should plan them to get the time bonus associated with each of them. Whenever there are enemies vulnerable to being pulled by Deadly Embrace (some enemies are too heavy and pull Clive to the enemy instead), the player should do it and then follow up with a 4-hit melee combo (not finishing with Magic Burst) to get an 8-second time bonus. This is an easy way to build up time in the early stages in preparation for the final stage. Against enemies that cannot be pulled, if they have a will gauge, the player should keep an eye on it@ as soon as the enemy's will gauge drops to 50%, the enemy will stumble and the player can topple them with Deadly Embrace, racking up another 8-second time bonus and making the foe vulnerable for damage.

Good accessories to equip are the ones that lower cooldown time for the abilities usable for each stage, and potentially the Ring of Timely Focus to perfect Rook's Gambit's time bonus easily.

Phases

Phase	Abilities	Enemies	Tips
Stage I	Gouge Wicked Wheel		Pull small enemies to Clive with Deadly Embrace and always follow-up with a 4-hit melee combo (do not chain into Magic Burst or the time bonus does not tally). Use Deadly Embrace when a formidable foe's will gauge drops to 50% and the enemy stumbles to invoke a mini stagger. Tap execute button when using Gouge. Use Gouge on enemies that are unlikely to die during its animation; if the enemy dies too early (or the player cancels the move by dodging), the player forgoes the time bonus. Launch small enemies with Wicked Wheel and keep attacking them with normal attacks while airborne for an aerial combo. If Clive launches multiple small enemies with a single Wicked Whirl, he can get the time bonus multiple times as well.
Stage II	Rook's Gambit Wicked Wheel		Pull small enemies to Clive with Deadly Embrace and always follow-up with a 4-hit melee combo (do not chain into Magic Burst or the time bonus does not tally). Use Deadly Embrace when a formidable foe's will gauge drops to 50% and the enemy stumbles to invoke a mini stagger. Evade enemy attacks with Rook's Gambit rather than with the regular dodge whenever Rook's Gambit is available. Launch small enemies with Wicked Wheel and keep attacking them with normal attacks while airborne for an aerial combo. If Clive launches multiple small enemies with a single Wicked Whirl, he can get the time bonus multiple times as well.
Stage III	Rook's Gambit Aerial Blast		Use Aerial Blast as first move against the group. Pull small enemies to Clive with Deadly Embrace and always follow-up with a 4-hit melee combo (do not chain into Magic Burst or the time bonus does not tally). Use Deadly Embrace when a formidable foe's will gauge drops to 50% and the enemy stumbles to invoke a mini stagger. Evade enemy attacks with Rook's Gambit rather than with the regular dodge whenever Rook's Gambit is available.
Final Stage	Gouge Aerial Blast	Windbound Coeurl	Use Aerial Blast whenever available. Use Limit Break during Aerial Blast; the obscured visibility is less of a hindrance then. Dodge Whipcrack to the side and try to get behind the coeurl. Time Gouge right after the coeurl uses its special attack, and tap the execute button to extend its duration. Use Deadly Embrace when the coeurl's will gauge drops to 50% and it stumbles to invoke a mini stagger.

Time Bonuses

Battle Technique Bonuses

Technique	Description	Time
Deadly Combo	Land a four-hit melee combo after drawing an enemy in with Deadly Embrace.	8 s
Deadly Takedown	Use Deadly Embrace to topple a partially staggered enemy.	8 s
Full Gouge	Strike an enemy with Gouge while tapping the button to extend the ability to its full duration.	12 s
Triple Wheel	Launch an enemy into the air with Wicked Wheel then land an aerial strike three times.	12 s
Precision Gambit	Use Rook's Gambit to block an enemy attack and deliver a counter.	12 s
Collateral Blast	Hit three enemies with a single Aerial Blast.	15 s
Punish	Deliver a downward attack to a fallen enemy.	3 s
Precision Dodge	Evade an enemy attack with a Precision Dodge.	1 s
Ability Finish	Deliver a killing blow with an Eikonic Ability.	3 s
Multi Burst	Land ten Magic Bursts.	5 s

Additional Bonuses

Technique	Description	Time
First Bonus	Earn a battle technique bonus for the first time.	3 s
Bonus x3	Earn the same battle technique bonus three times.	5 s
3 Bonuses	Earn three unique battle technique bonuses.	5 s
6 Bonuses	Earn six unique battle technique bonuses.	8 s
All Bonuses	Earn all eight battle technique bonuses.	20 s
Bonus Combo	Earn two unique battle technique bonuses in succession.	3 s
Clear Bonus	Clear a stage	20 s

Ramuh: Hand of Iapetus

Within this ancient menhir awaits a harrowing trial in which Clive must race to overcome a host of deadly foes, wielding the blessing of but a single Eikon—Ramuh.

Trial by Thunder

Trial location.

The chronolith is located north of Caer Norvent in Sanbreque. Clive's Eikon for this trial is Ramuh and his Eikonic Feat is Blind Justice, used to electrify enemies with ball lightnings and then set the orbs off in a damaging chain reaction. The reward for completing all four stages within the time allotted is The Favor of Lightning (Judgment Bolt) accessory, which increases Judgment Bolt's damage by 12%, Ramuh's ultimate Eikonic Ability.

Final Stage.

Racking up time bonuses is needed to finish the trial. The default time is 1:20s, and the player gets further +20s for clearing a stage. Using Blind Judgment is an easy way to rack up time bonuses, as Eikonic Feats have no cooldown and even electrifying a single enemy gains a 5-second time bonus every time; the player can spam this to have enough time to complete the final stage. However, using Blind Justice is slow; if the player feels it takes more time to use it than the time gained, it is not worth it. In the first couple stages, the player can try this to farm time bonuses: affix four ball lightnings to any target(s) (same target can be locked on multiple times), use magic, then use Blind Justice again and repeat.

It is best to use the Eikonic Abilities mindfully and aim to trigger their time bonuses every time.

Good accessories to equip are the ones that lower cooldown time for the abilities usable for each stage, as well as potentially Ring of Timely Evasion and other accessibility tools.

Phase	Abilities	Enemies	Tips
Stage I	Pile Drive Thunderstorm		Use Blind Justice liberally; even if Clive is being targeted and there is not much time to use it, just affix couple ball lightnings and then use magic or lunge to detonate the charge. Use Blind Justice as opener and when other abilities are cooling down. Use Pile Drive against two or more enemies; prioritize targeting the enemy in the middle of the group. Can be used to set off Blind Justice charges as well. Use Thunderstorm onto a fallen or staggered enemy; lunge ( + ) can knock small enemies over. Thunderstorm can also be used as a follow-up from Pile Drive, which can knock enemies over.
Stage II	Pile Drive Lightning Rod		Use Blind Justice liberally; even if Clive is being targeted and there is not much time to use it, just affix couple ball lightnings and then use magic or lunge to detonate the charge. Use Blind Justice as opener and when other abilities are cooling down. Use Lightning Rod and then taunt ( + ) enemies to attack it. Use Pile Drive against two or more enemies; prioritize targeting the enemy in the middle of the group. Use Lightning Rod near an enemy group and then use Pile Drive next to it for increased damage.
Stage III	Judgment Bolt Lightning Rod		Use Blind Justice liberally; even if Clive is being targeted and there is not much time to use it, just affix couple ball lightnings and then use magic or lunge to detonate the charge. Use Blind Justice as opener and when other abilities are cooling down. Use Lightning Rod and then taunt ( + ) enemies to attack it. Use Judgment Bolt to hit both Lightning Rod and the enemy.
Final Stage	Judgment Bolt Thunderstorm	Thunderbound Griffin	When the griffin staggers, first use Thunderstorm then use Judgment Bolt near the end of stagger period. Use Limit Break. As no time bonuses can be accumulated, the player can stop using Blind Justice if they wish, but it can still help to affix a few ball lightnings here and there.

Time Bonuses

Battle Technique Bonuses

Technique	Description	Time
Singular Justice	Lock a ball lightning from a single Blind Justice onto a single enemy.	5 s
Justice Discharged	Affix ball lightning onto four enemies with a single Blind Justice, and cause them to discharge.	8 s
Collateral Drive	Hit two enemies with a single Pile Drive.	12 s
Thunderfall	Hit a fallen enemy with Thunderfall.	12 s
Striking Thrice	Lure an enemy into attacking the Lightning Rod three times.	12 s
Collateral Bolt	Hit two enemies with a single Judgment Bolt.	15 s
Punish	Deliver a downward attack to a fallen enemy.	3 s
Precision Dodge	Evade an enemy attack with a Precision Dodge.	1 s
Ability Finish	Deliver a killing blow with an Eikonic Ability.	3 s
Multi Burst	Land ten Magic Bursts.	5 s

Additional Bonuses

Technique	Description	Time
First Bonus	Earn a battle technique bonus for the first time.	3 s
Bonus x3	Earn the same battle technique bonus three times.	5 s
3 Bonuses	Earn three unique battle technique bonuses.	5 s
6 Bonuses	Earn six unique battle technique bonuses.	8 s
All Bonuses	Earn all eight battle technique bonuses.	20 s
Bonus Combo	Earn two unique battle technique bonuses in succession.	3 s
Clear Bonus	Clear a stage	20 s

Titan: Hand of Titan

Within this ancient menhir awaits a harrowing trial in which Clive must race to overcome a host of deadly foes, wielding the blessing of but a single Eikon—Titan.

Trial by Earth

The chronolith is located in the northern part of the Velkroy Desert in Dhalmekia, past the abandoned Ceratina town and the duststorm beyond it. Clive's Eikon is Titan and his Eikonic Feat is Titanic Block. The reward for completing all three stages and the boss within the time allotted earns The Favor of Earth (Earthen Fury) accessory, which increases Earthen Fury's damage by 7%, Titan's ultimate skill.

Final Stage.

Racking up time bonuses is needed to finish the trial. The default time is 1:20s, and the player gets further +20s for clearing a stage. The player should avoid using abilities haphazardly, and instead time them to get their associated time bonuses. The first two stages have many weak enemies, which the player can take their time killing to collect time bonuses from precision-blocking and countering.

Good accessories to equip are the ones that lower cooldown time for the abilities usable for each stage, and possibly the accessibility accessory that slows down time for dodging (Ring of Timely Focus), which can be used to always precision-block or to perfectly time Raging Fists.

Phases

Phase	Abilities	Enemies	Tips
Stage I	Raging Fists Upheaval		Charge up ground-based Upheaval and release on the red part of the gauge as the first move against the group. Use the precision-charged Upheaval whenever it recovers from cooldown, but prioritize using it against multiple targets. Use Raging Fists to block and counter an enemy's attack whenever it is ready for use. When Raging Fists is cooling down, use Titanic Block to intercept enemy attacks instead; aim for Precision Blocks and counters.
Stage II	Windup Upheaval		Use Titanic Block to intercept enemy attacks rather than dodging and aim for Precision Blocks and counters. Charge both Eikonic Abilities and release the button on the red zone of the gauge. Prioritize Upheaval (grounded version) against groups, and Windup against lone foes.
Stage III	Windup Earthen Fury		Use Earthen Fury as first move against the group of enemies. Use Titanic Block to intercept enemy attacks rather than dodging and aim for Precision Blocks and counters. Charge Windup and release the button on the red zone of the gauge. Prioritize Earthen Fury against groups, and Windup against lone foes.
Final Stage	Raging Fists Earthen Fury	Earthbound Giant	Use Earthen Fury whenever it is available. Use Raging Fists when the boss is in its own "cooldown" phase after having just attacked, or when it is staggered.

Time Bonuses

Battle Technique Bonuses

Technique	Description	Time
Titanic Rampart	Execute three Precision Blocks.	8 s
Titanic Payback	Land six Titanic Counters.	8 s
Raging Counter	Block an incoming attack and land a counter with a single Raging Fists.	12 s
Perfect Upheaval	Strike an enemy with a fully charged Upheaval.	12 s
Perfect Windup	Strike an enemy with a fully charged Windup.	12 s
Collateral Fury	Hit two enemies with a single Earthen Fury.	15 s
Punish	Deliver a downward attack to a fallen enemy.	3 s
Precision Dodge	Evade an enemy attack with a Precision Dodge.	1 s
Ability Finish	Deliver a killing blow with an Eikonic Ability.	3 s
Multi Burst	Land ten Magic Bursts.	5 s

Additional Bonuses

Technique	Description	Time
First Bonus	Earn a battle technique bonus for the first time.	3 s
Bonus x3	Earn the same battle technique bonus three times.	5 s
3 Bonuses	Earn three unique battle technique bonuses.	5 s
6 Bonuses	Earn six unique battle technique bonuses.	8 s
All Bonuses	Earn all eight battle technique bonuses.	20 s
Bonus Combo	Earn two unique battle technique bonuses in succession.	3 s
Clear Bonus	Clear a stage	20 s

Bahamut: Hand of Mimas

Within this ancient menhir awaits a harrowing trial in which Clive must race to overcome a host of deadly foes, wielding the blessing of but a single Eikon—Bahamut.

Trial by Light

Chronolith location.

Trial initiated.

Final Stage.

The chronolith is located in the western end of Royal Meadows in Sanbreque. The player can fast-travel to the Obelisk outside the entrance to Oriflamme and then head west on chocoboback. Clive's Eikon for this trial is Bahamut and his Eikonic Feat is Wings of Light, used to charge Megaflare. The reward for completing all four stages within the time allotted is The Favor of Light (Gigaflare) accessory, which increases Gigaflare's damage by 5%, Bahamut's ultimate Eikonic Ability.

Racking up time bonuses is needed to finish the trial. The default time is 1:20s, and the player gets further +20s for clearing a stage. Using fully-charged Megaflares back to back allows the player to get 8 seconds every time they unleash Megaflare, and another 8 for 50 hits from the ability. The player is best invoking Wings of Light when they anticipate a flurry of attacks from the enemy, to quickly charge Megaflare up with precision dodges. Megaflare charges faster when the player remains stationary.

Good accessories to equip are the ones that lower cooldown time for the abilities usable for each stage, and possibly the Ring of Timely Evasion for Megaflare Dodges.

Phases

Phase	Abilities	Enemies	Tips
Stage I	Flare Breath Satellite		Have Satellite active as much as possible and fire the lasers repeatedly by tapping the execute button, including during Flare Breath animation and Wings of Light/Megaflare. Group enemies with moving around/taunts to get them close together for Flare Breath to reach its potential and gain the time bonus. When charging for Megaflare, remain stationary apart from precision-dodging.
Stage II	Impulse Satellite		Have Satellite active as much as possible and fire the lasers repeatedly by tapping the execute button, including during Wings of Light/Megaflare. Use Impulse against groups of small enemies; especially against enemies with will gauges, make sure to detonate when the orbs are yellow/orange. When charging for Megaflare, remain stationary apart from precision-dodging.
Stage III	Impulse Gigaflare		Use Impulse against groups of small enemies; especially against enemies with will gauges, make sure to detonate when the orbs are yellow/orange. Use Gigaflare against groups of enemies after using Impulse, and against staggered enemies. When charging for Megaflare, remain stationary apart from precision-dodging.
Final Stage	Flare Breath Gigaflare	Lightbound Warlord	When charging for Megaflare, remain stationary apart from precision-dodging. When the foe staggers, first use Flare Breath then follow-up with Gigaflare.

Time Bonuses

Battle Technique Bonuses

Technique	Description	Time
Megacharge	Land a fully charged Megaflare.	8 s
Multiflare	Land 50 Megaflare strikes.	8 s
Full Flare	Hit an enemy 120 times with Flare Breath.	12 s
Satellite	Land 60 shots with a single Satellite summon.	12 s
Collateral Impulse	Strike two enemies with a single Impulse.	12 s
Collateral Gigaflare	Hit two enemies with a single Gigaflare.	15 s
Punish	Deliver a downward attack to a fallen enemy.	3 s
Precision Dodge	Evade an enemy attack with a Precision Dodge.	1 s
Ability Finish	Deliver a killing blow with an Eikonic Ability.	3 s
Multi Burst	Land ten Magic Bursts.	5 s

Additional Bonuses

Technique	Description	Time
First Bonus	Earn a battle technique bonus for the first time.	3 s
Bonus x3	Earn the same battle technique bonus three times.	5 s
3 Bonuses	Earn three unique battle technique bonuses.	5 s
6 Bonuses	Earn six unique battle technique bonuses.	8 s
All Bonuses	Earn all eight battle technique bonuses.	20 s
Bonus Combo	Earn two unique battle technique bonuses in succession.	3 s
Clear Bonus	Clear a stage	20 s

Shiva: Hand of Rhea

Within this ancient menhir awaits a harrowing trial in which Clive must race to overcome a host of deadly foes, wielding the blessing of but a single Eikon—Shiva.

Trial by Ice

Final Stage.

The trial is complete.

The chronolith is located in Ash, southwest of Rikmal's Roost, between the obelisks for the Shadow Coast and Eistla. Next to the chronolith is a treasure chest that contains Masamune.

Clive's Eikon for this trial is Shiva and his Eikonic Feat is Cold Snap, used to move around the battlefield and to freeze enemies. The reward for completing all four stages within the time allotted is The Will of Ice (Diamond Dust) accessory, which increases Diamond Dust's will damage by 10%, Shiva's ultimate Eikonic Ability and the most staggering ability at Clive's disposal.

Racking up time bonuses is needed to finish the trial. The default time is 1:20s, and the player gets further +20s for clearing a stage. It is easy to build time bonuses with Cold Snap: whenever there is an enemy in low health, the player can use twice to freeze and quickly defeat them. Whenever an enemy is about to attack, the player should try to precision-dodge with Cold Snap to induce Permafrost for another time bonus. Instead of using the Eikonic Abilities haphazardly or whenever they happen to be off cooldown, the player should time them to get the time bonuses associated with each of them.

Good accessories to equip are the ones that lower cooldown time for the abilities usable for each stage, and possibly the Ring of Timely Focus for timing Permafrost.

Phases

Phase	Abilities	Enemies	Tips
Stage I	Rime Mesmerize		Use Cold Snap to move around the arena, and use again while sliding to freeze enemies. Prioritize freezing low health enemies, and then try to defeat them while they are still frozen. Use Cold Snap to dodge an enemy's attack in the last possible moment to use Permafrost for a long freeze and time bonus. Use Mesmerize when there are multiple enemies, trying to hit at least two of them. You can also use Rime first to a group of enemies and then use Mesmerize, which will also pull small enemies to the trap that Rime poses.
Stage II	Ice Age Mesmerize		Use Cold Snap to move around the arena, and use again while sliding to freeze enemies. Prioritize freezing low health enemies, and then try to defeat them while they are still frozen. Use Cold Snap to dodge an enemy's attack in the last possible moment to use Permafrost for a long freeze and time bonus. Use Mesmerize when there are multiple enemies, trying to hit at least two of them. Fully charge Ice Age by holding the execute button until the gauge hits the red portion. Can be used as a follow-up to Mesmerize to first pull enemies closer, and then obliterate them with Ice Age.
Stage III	Ice Age Diamond Dust		Use Cold Snap to move around the arena, and use again while sliding to freeze enemies. Prioritize freezing low health enemies, and then try to defeat them while they are still frozen. Use Cold Snap to dodge an enemy's attack in the last possible moment to use Permafrost for a long freeze and time bonus. Use Diamond Dust when there are multiple enemies. Use it as a follow-up to Permafrost, or as an opener to a wave of enemies. Fully charge Ice Age by holding the execute button until the gauge hits the red portion.
Final Stage	Rime Diamond Dust	Icebound Necrophobe	Use to dodge the boss's attack in the last possible moment to use Permafrost for a long freeze. Use Diamond Dust after Permafrost. Rime can also be used after Permafrost when the boss is stuck in place, and when the boss is staggered. Use Limit Break.

Time Bonuses

Battle Technique Bonuses

Technique	Description	Time
Snap Shatter	Slay an enemy frozen with Cold Snap.	8 s
Permafrost	Evade an enemy with Cold Snap, inflicting Permafrost.	8 s
Collateral Rime	Hit three enemies with a single Rime.	12 s
Collateral Mesmerize	Hit two enemies with a single Mesmerize.	12 s
Perfect Ice	Hit an enemy with a fully charged Ice Age.	12 s
Collateral Diamond	Hit two enemies with a single Diamond Dust.	15 s
Punish	Deliver a downward attack to a fallen enemy.	3 s
Precision Dodge	Evade an enemy attack with a Precision Dodge.	1 s
Ability Finish	Deliver a killing blow with an Eikonic Ability.	3 s
Multi Burst	Land ten Magic Bursts.	5 s

Additional Bonuses

Technique	Description	Time
First Bonus	Earn a battle technique bonus for the first time.	3 s
Bonus x3	Earn the same battle technique bonus three times.	5 s
3 Bonuses	Earn three unique battle technique bonuses.	5 s
6 Bonuses	Earn six unique battle technique bonuses.	8 s
All Bonuses	Earn all eight battle technique bonuses.	20 s
Bonus Combo	Earn two unique battle technique bonuses in succession.	3 s
Clear Bonus	Clear a stage	20 s

Odin: Hand of Enceladus

Within this ancient menhir awaits a harrowing trial in which Clive must race to overcome a host of deadly foes, wielding the blessing of but a single Eikon—Odin.

Trial by Darkness

Chronolith location.

The chronolith is located in Ash, near the abandoned Badbach Conservatory, southeast from the Vidargraes plains, the last place before reaching Stonhyrr.

Clive's Eikon for this trial is Odin and his Eikonic Feat is Arm of Darkness, which replaces Clive's sword (and thus his moveset) with Odin's blade and any strikes will charge Zantetsuken, the move that replaces Clive's burning blade. Attacks with Odin's blade do not charge Limit Break.

The reward for completing all four stages within the time allotted is The Will of Darkness (Dancing Steel) accessory, which increases Dancing Steel's damage by 20%, Odin's ultimate Eikonic Ability that is excellent for charging up Zantetsuken.

The Final Stage.

Racking up time bonuses is needed to finish the trial. The default time is 1:20s, and the player gets further +20s for clearing a stage. A good way to build time bonuses is by charging up Zantetsuken as much as possible and only using it on maximum charge. Instead of using the Eikonic Abilities haphazardly or whenever they happen to be off cooldown, the player should time them to get the time bonuses associated with each of them. The first stage can be used to farm time bonuses as much as possible by getting the bonuses for the Eikonic Abilities every time they are used.

Useful accessories to equip include The Pull of Darkness (Dancing Steel) (obtained from the main quest) for stages where Dancing Steel is available, and any accessories that reduce Eikonic Ability cooldown.

Phase	Abilities	Enemies	Tips
Stage I	Gungnir Heaven's Cloud		When using Gungnir, tap execute button to extend duration to maximum possible. When using Heaven's Cloud, tap execute button to chain the ability to maximum possible. Use Gungnir and Heaven's Cloud when there are numerous enemies for best efficiency, but when Zantetsuken is maxed out, use Zantetsuken Level 5 rather than Eikonic Abilities. Zantetsuken Level 5 clears out all small enemies.
Stage II	Rift Slip Heaven's Cloud		When using Heaven's Cloud, tap execute button to chain the ability to maximum possible. Prioritize using Heaven's Cloud when there are many enemies. Use Rift Slip during another action and attack an immediately attack the enemy during the ensuing slowdown. When Zantetsuken is maxed out, use Zantetsuken Level 5 rather than Heaven's Cloud. Zantetsuken Level 5 clears out all small enemies.
Stage III	Rift Slip Dancing Steel		Lock onto an enemy before using Dancing Steel to deliver all hits to a single target. Chain Dancing Steel from Rift Slip to make sure Clive will not be interrupted during the windup. Use Dancing Steel when Zantetsuken Level is low as not to waste much of its charging power. When Zantetsuken level is 5, use Zantetsuken rather than Dancing Steel. It will clear all small enemies, as well.
Final Stage	Gungnir Dancing Steel		When using Gungnir, tap execute button to extend duration to maximum possible. Use Dancing Steel when Zantetsuken level is low as not to waste the Zantetsuken-gain. Wait for an opening to use Dancing Steel uninterrupted. Level 4 Zantetsuken is good to use on this stage, no need to max out. The chimera breathes fire right in front of itself when its eyes glow.

Time Bonuses

Battle Technique Bonuses

Technique	Description	Time
Lv.5 Zantetsuken	Land a fully charged Zantetsuken.	15 s
Steel Counter	Parry an enemy's attack while wielding Odin's blade, causing a Steel Counter.	5 s
Full Gungnir	Strike an enemy with Gungnir while tapping the button to extend the ability to its full duration.	12 s
Full Cloud	Strike an enemy with Heaven's Cloud while tapping the button to extend the ability to its full duration.	12 s
Rift Combo	Strike an enemy after using Rift Combo to cancel recovery time from a previously landed attack three times in a row.	8 s
Perfect Steel	Land all hits from a single Dancing Steel on a single enemy.	15 s
Punish	Deliver a downward attack to a fallen enemy.	3 s
Precision Dodge	Evade an enemy attack with a Precision Dodge.	1 s
Ability Finish	Deliver a killing blow with an Eikonic Ability.	3 s
Multi Burst	Land ten Magic Bursts.	5 s

Additional Bonuses

Technique	Description	Time
First Bonus	Earn a battle technique bonus for the first time.	3 s
Bonus x3	Earn the same battle technique bonus three times.	5 s
3 Bonuses	Earn three unique battle technique bonuses.	5 s
6 Bonuses	Earn six unique battle technique bonuses.	8 s
All Bonuses	Earn all eight battle technique bonuses.	20 s
Bonus Combo	Earn two unique battle technique bonuses in succession.	3 s
Clear Bonus	Clear a stage	20 s

Leviathan: Hand of Tethys

Within this ancient menhir awaits a harrowing trial in which Clive must race to overcome a host of deadly foes, wielding the blessing of but a single Eikon—Leviathan.

Trial by Water

The chronolith is located in Mysidia in the Northern Territories, northwest of the Tailwind Bay obelisk.

Clive's Eikon for this trial is Leviathan and his Eikonic feat is Serpent's Cry, which turns Clive's left arm into Leviathan's head, allowing him to fire blasts of water and cast water-based magick from it. The reward for completing all four stages and the boss within the time allotted earns The Favor of Water (Tsunami) accessory, which increases Tsunami's damage by 7%, Leviathan's ultimate skill.

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Story

Though not specified in-game, the chronoliths appear to be trials set up by Ultima to test his chosen Mythos. Only Clive can use them, and Ultima is known for his ability to create pocket dimensions, as seen when he pulls Clive to mental battles out of the physical realm and in the Interdimensional Rift. The chronoliths activate after Ultima invokes Primogenesis.

Etymology and symbolism

Chronolith may be a portmanteau of "chrono" and "monolith". [view · edit · purge]Chrono is derived from the Greek word khronos, meaning "time". This likely alludes to the trials' nature as time trials. [view · edit · purge]A monolith is a geological feature consisting of a single massive stone or rock, or a single large piece of rock placed as, or within, a monument or building. In architecture, the term has overlap with megalith, normally used for prehistory, and may be used in the contexts of rock-cut architecture that remains attached to solid rock, or for exceptionally large stones, such as obelisks, statues, monolithic columns, or large architraves. It may also be used of large glacial erratics moved by natural forces.

The word derives, via the Latin monolithus, from the Ancient Greek word μονόλιθος (monolithos), from μόνος ("one" or "single") and λίθος ("stone").

Each trial is named as "hand of" and a name of a one of the first eight moons of Saturn.

The first ever discovered and thus named moons of Saturn were named after titans, titanesses, and giants from ancient Greek mythology, making them fitting names for Final Fantasy XVI that already derives influence from Greek mythology throughout its themes, song lyrics, and naming. Titans and giants are non-Olympian descendants of Uranus, which could be an intentional allusion as well, if Uranus refers to Ultima, the "father" of the Eikons.