The Burning Blooms

Start the Quest: First things first, you need to complete the main story quest called [Death’s Door]. Once that's done, make your way to a settlement called Stone's Echo. Look for a woman named Mian; she's the one who kicks things off. She'll tell you about a Carja huntress who passed through with her 'thrush' – sounds like Talanah, an old friend.

Find the Carja Huntress: Mian will give you the general direction. Head southwest of Stone's Echo, south of the [Cauldron: MU]. As you get close, you'll trigger a cutscene where you find Talanah and her 'Thrush', Milu, being attacked by machines. Watch out, there's a [Longlegs] and some [Leapslashers] in the mix. Luckily, Talanah will jump in to help, so it's a three-on-one fight.

Search the Battlefield and Track Amadis: After you've dealt with the machines, chat with Talanah and Milu. Talanah will explain she's looking for her friend, Amadis. She'll ask you to follow her to an old battlefield southwest of your current location, past a [Longneck Site]. Once you're at the battlefield, you'll need to use your Focus (press R1/RB) to scan the area for tracks. Examine the footprints near Talanah, then head south-southwest to find more. Scan these too, and then use your Focus again to highlight a trail. Follow this trail until you meet an old man named Lel, who will give you another lead.

How to Defeat the Shellsnapper: The next part of the path is blocked by a massive machine: a [Shellsnapper]. This is probably the toughest fight you've faced so far, especially if you're around Level 15-20. The Shellsnapper is a tank, and it hits hard.

Talanah's Help: Don't forget Talanah is with you! She'll draw aggro and deal some damage, even tossing you ammo. She's not invincible, so if she goes down, try to revive her when it's safe.

Shellsnapper Attacks: This thing has a nasty ice attack, shooting huge balls of ice or frost cones up close. It also has Frost Blasters that can fire explosive shells – watch out for those! It has a Kinetic Dynamo that charges up for ranged attacks; hitting its shell actually empowers it, so try to be accurate. If all else fails, it'll use its appendages for close-range attacks or a devastating leaping slam.

Burrowing: Its most annoying move is burrowing. It can disappear underground and pop up elsewhere to blast you, or even emerge right beneath you for a surprise attack. When it burrows, run! If it pops up far away, get behind cover. If it tries to land on you, keep moving.

Weakpoints: Your best bet is to aim for the Shell Bolts on its shell. Destroying these can expose more vulnerable parts underneath. The Frost Blasters are also good targets to limit its offensive capabilities. Prying off pieces of its shell can lead to bigger damage opportunities.

Strategy: Use the cover scattered around the battlefield to your advantage. Keep scanning the Shellsnapper to reveal its weakpoints. Use your Focus to line up precise shots. Always try to keep something solid between you and the machine when you're not actively attacking.

Loot and Continue: Once the Shellsnapper is defeated, make sure to loot its remains. Then, continue following the road southeast until you reach a tunnel.

Search the Tunnel: Inside the tunnel, use your Focus to scan some rubble on the left. This will reveal a buried body, which is the final step in finding out what happened to Amadis.