Fire Vellumental Cave

"Perhaps I should have taken my chances... No, no. A fiery temple filled with pitfalls is no place for a professor like me."

- Professor Toad

Fire Vellumental Cave is a location in Paper Mario: The Origami King, a cave buried and hidden beneath Scorching Sandpaper Desert, home to the Fire Vellumental, who is fought at the very end. There are a good number of fiery obstacles, puzzles, and enemies Mario encounters along the way. There are no Toads to be found or rescued here.

History
There are a few steps Mario must take to unearth and unlock the Fire Vellumental Cave. After having rescued Professor Toad, finding Luigi and acquiring the Suite Key, he must enter the master suite in the Snif City hotel and examine the images on the wall. This prompts Professor Toad to teach Olivia a new song which must be performed to attract the Fire Vellumental. From here, they must return to Scorching Sandpaper Desert and locate the circle of bird statues in the southeast region - south of the Sun Altar and west of the ruins. Mario must hit each statue with his hammer a certain number of times to get them to face toward the center, thus opening up a mic. Mario must have Olivia perform "My Heart's a-Burnin'" in front of the mic to unearth the Fire Vellumental Cave just behind the statues.

Professor Toad is astonished by this and eager to enter. However, once they do, he asks to sit out on exploring the cave, most likely afraid of the fire. Olivia understands this, telling him he can wait at the entrance while they explore. After passing through puzzles requiring them to memorize patterns of glowing tiles, long sections with Fire Bars and various fire-themed enemies and obstacles, Mario and Olivia make it through to the end of the cave. Here, they encounter the Fire Vellumental, corrupted in its origami form. Once it is defeated, it surrenders a Bibliofold, giving Olivia the power to transform into and harness the Fire Vellumental's abilities. After learning how to use this newfound power, Olivia reveals a staircase allowing them to board a lift taking them back to the entrance. Professor Toad is seen contemplating whether or not he should have followed before the lift strikes the back of a statue, nearly crushing him. They describe their experiences to each other before exiting the cave.

Layout
The actual location of the Fire Vellumental Cave is not on ground level - rather, it is buried in the southeast region of Scorching Sandpaper Desert. It is between the Sun Altar and bird statue circle, requiring various story missions to unlock, including finding Professor Toad and entering the master suite in the hotel. As soon as it is unearthed, Mario, Olivia and Professor Toad may enter. The entrance room itself is intimidating, featuring a pool of lava and several bird statues representing the Fire Vellumental. Professor Toad stays here, allowing Mario and Olivia to explore the rest of this area on their own. The following room features several tiles and requires the player to remember which tiles light up and in what order, then have Mario go along that route. If Mario steps on an incorrect tile, he loses HP and must restart. If the player fails more than once, the tiles stay lit up until the path is finished. At the end of this room is a Not-Bottomless Hole and a Save Block.

The next room is very small, with two vases containing confetti, two Not-Bottomless Holes in the wall and a Koopa Paratroopa surveying the area. When Mario enters the room to the right, both doors slam shut, trapping him in. Here, he must battle a number of small Paper Macho Shy Guys carrying buckets of fire, which they use to attack Mario by emptying them out onto the floor. They then run to a nearby burning statue and replenish. Once they are all defeated, both doors reopen, allowing Mario to advance to the next room.

Here, Mario is faced with a long, horizontal section. Mario must cross several intersecting paths while avoiding the sliding bird statues which spew fire at intervals. If Mario is hit by a beam or falls into the lava below, he loses a good amount of HP. Fortunately, there is a convenient bench halfway through this section Mario allowing Mario to fully restore his HP. After taking a few more paths, Mario and Olivia make it to the end of the section. The next room is small, with a Save Block and vases containing confetti and a Mushroom.

After that is another room in which Mario must battle numerous Paper Macho Shy Guys with buckets of fire to defend themselves. Once there are five remaining, they slowly form a line on one side of the room and run toward Mario, dropping the buckets in unison. The next room has a few items and enemies along the way, including Fire Bros. As Mario crosses over to the right side of the room, the bird statues behind him peck in a manner to Conkdors, destroying the platforms Mario walks across acting as Donut Blocks. The room following is the final room of the cave, containing a Save Block and the arena in which the Fire Vellumental is fought. After it is defeated, a lift is unlocked which takes them back to the starting area.