Accept Vitria's spell, destroy Hermes's hands, avoid his inhale, then finish him with the Aurifer. You meet the Tenebris Somnia final boss inside the Septimo Arte cinema, past the door with the huge symbol. Bring the completed golden blade from the forging the Aurifer walkthrough for the Hermes route.
Why is Hermes the final boss instead of Lacuna?
You fight Hermes if you kill any Relicta Ghost before entering Septimo Arte; sparing every Relicta Ghost leads to Lacuna instead. The fleeing ghost in the Hotel Room is already part of this choice. Decide which ending you want before striking it with the Aurifer.
Kill a Relicta Ghost: Hermes and the Bad Ending
Killing even one ghost locks you into the Bad Ending route, also called Ending #2. You do not need to hunt down the rest. Choose this route if you want the Hermes final boss fight described below.
Spare every Relicta Ghost: Lacuna and the Good Ending
Leave every ghost alive to reach the Good Ending route, also called Ending #1. You face Lacuna without the Aurifer, so stock up on shotgun and revolver ammunition for that fight. If you want the Good Ending, sparing the ghosts is the choice to make.
How do you cross Vitria's final barrier?
Accept Vitria's spell to cross the sealed door; there is no key to find. The occupants sealed themselves behind magic that Relicta cannot cross, but Vitria can let a human through.
Reach the huge-symbol door
From the Stairwell, go up to the Floor 3 hallway and take the left door to the street outside the bar. Follow the street to Septimo Arte, enter, and walk to the end of the hallway. Inspect the door marked with the huge symbol.
Return to Vitria and accept her spell
Backtrack toward the entrance to find Vitria. Continue her dialogue and accept the spell that lets a human cross the barrier. Finish the conversation to proceed into the confrontation.
How do you beat the Hermes final boss?
Damage the summoned hands while reading their attack cues, then keep away from Hermes's giant face during each inhale and attack when it stops. Save the close-range Aurifer finish for when he becomes weak.
Destroy the hands and watch the movie screen
- Watch the floor for runic symbols. They mark where a giant hand will emerge.
- Attack the hand with the Aurifer or a ranged weapon. Its eye flashes before a vertical or horizontal energy blast, so read that cue before committing to another hit.
- When enough damage makes the hand disappear, look at the movie screen. It shows how the coming wave of hands will emerge; reposition according to that warning.
- Repeat against two hands, survive the next screen sequence, then handle three hands to reach the next phase.
Don't tunnel vision on the hand you are attacking. The extra hands make positioning more demanding even though the basic response stays the same.
Escape the inhale, then take the opening
Run as far away as possible when the giant face emerges from the movie screen. Getting too close during its inhale lets Hermes swallow you, forcing a restart of this phase.
- Wait for the inhale to end, then attack during the short opening.
- Avoid the red liquid erupting around the arena while you deal damage.
- Retreat again when Hermes returns to inhaling. Don't chase one more hit into his mouth.
- Take out his summons with a single attack each, while continuing to watch for giant hands rising from below.
A player found the delay after firing left Julia exposed to incoming damage. Give yourself room before shooting, and prioritize escaping the inhale over squeezing in another shot. The same player preferred reloading through the inventory during this fight, which is worth trying if reloading is disrupting your rhythm.
Finish weakened Hermes with the Aurifer
Once Hermes becomes weak, move in and strike him with the Aurifer to finish the fight.
Let the final cutscene play and the credits roll. This completes the Hermes ending route; return to the Tenebris Somnia walkthrough if you want to revisit the earlier chapters.