Unlike the Arithmancy Door Puzzles found in the Academy of Hogwarts Legacy, the Merlin Trials are varied in their solutions and involve different approaches to be solved with magic. The Moonstone Pillars are a unique puzzle you need to solve, and they require a specific series of steps.
For Moonstone Merlin trials, you will find gem clusters of Moonstones in three obelisks. There are some other hints that can also help you solve these pillars, making it much easier to navigate Hogwarts. Here’s how to solve the Moonstone Merlin trials in Hogwarts Legacy and how they work.
Related: How to open Arithmancy doors in Hogwarts Legacy
Moonstone Pillars Merlin Trial Solution in Hogwarts Legacy
The big requirement for Moonstone Pilars is for you to track down the glowing butterflies and then use Lumos to bring them back to the pillars. I find it easier to locate the Moonstone Pillars first and then look for the butterflies, but you can do this in any order you want while playing Hogwarts Legacy.
At first, the Moonstone Pillars Merlin Trial in Hogwarts Legacy might seem more complicated than it actually is, as the Moonstone crystals inside each obelisk’s hollow cannot be destroyed or interacted with like in the open world. If you glance around the nearby area of a Moonstone Pillars Merlin Trial, you will notice multiple eclipses of glowing moths hovering about distinct locations. These magical moths are the key to activating the Merlin Trial.
Similar to how you used Lumos to guide Moths to their frames for the Moth Mirror puzzles in Hogwarts Legacy, you must use the light of your Wand to direct the glowing moth eclipses to the three obelisks in the Moonstone Pillars Merlin Trial. For clarification, walk up to the eclipse, cast Lumos, and walk to any one of the three columns with Moonstone. Repeat this process two more times to clear the trial and receive your XP reward and Challenge progression.
Tackling Different Moonstone Merlin trial layouts
While every Moonstone Pillars Merlin Trial in Hogwarts Legacy is solved using the same method described above, not every trial will have the same topographical layout. For example, the first Moonstone Pillar trial you might have encountered is on the hill north of the main road where you accompany Sebastian or Natsai to Hogsmeade. All the glowing moths for the puzzle are easy to find.
On the other hand, a Moonstone Pillars Merlin Trial near the Forbidden Forest’s Hippogriff Den is guarded by hostile Poachers. Furthermore, you will need to use Incendio and Depulso to clear away obstacles to reach the moths. In such trials, using Revelio to locate objects of interest is essential to solving the puzzle.
All Moonstone Merlin Trials in Hogwarts Legacy
There are a total of 18 Moonstone Merlin Trials in Hogwarts Legacy. You’ll find them in the following areas:
- One in the Forbidden Forest
- Two in Hogsmeade Valley
- One in North Hogwarts Region
- Four in South Hogwarts Region
- Two in Hogwarts Valley
- One in Feldcroft
- One in South Sea Bog
- Two in Poidsear Coast
- One in Marunweem Lake
- One in Manor Cape
- One in Cragcroftshire
- One in Clagmar Coast
Needless to say, the Moonstone Merlin Trials are all over the place, except for North Ford Bog. As mentioned before, keep in mind the typographical area of each trial. Sometimes, the moonstone trials will have you traveling quite far to find their glowing moths, and many will require you to spot hidden moths obscured by obstacles, so feel free to spam Revelio when you’re at a loss.
Reward for Completing Every Merlin Trial
The reward for each Merlin trial is the same: more inventory space. However, completing every Merlin Trial also grants you the Merlin’s Beard trophy. Unfortunately, there’s nothing other than that. Many players have complained about the lackluster rewards. Perhaps a potential DLC could add another reward in the future.
Hogwarts Legacy is here, and we’ve got all the best guides for it at Gamepur. Check out our guide on solving the Phoenix Mountain Cave treasure vault chess puzzle.
