That's exactly what I'm stuck on, I'm impressed you know which part of the story just based on my level!

I don't have enough gold for a third spot, and every other battle at Faerina's Shrine results in me either actually dying or coming very near, which means I have to heal up again (which takes gold). And all of the places I've visited in the past are giving me 1 experience per fight. So I've been going back for the chance at more gold/those fights that still give experience.

I think I just hit the part of the game where it gets hard, like up until this point, everything was tutorial-easy. *flops*

Apologies for the double post, but you guys are all awesome! I am no longer stuck.
Between missions, potions, and grinding easier areas, I've finally made it to level 30 and the new move is just the advantage I needed to keep moving. (Plus whatever those events are, where hoards of zombies come... those are fair useful!)
Thank you all!

also remember that pets will heal over time (I'm not sure if they have to be taken off the party in the first two regions, but I think they do? Not in the third region though) so you can either use Draughts (which can be obtained from mission satchels or found in boxes/chests) or just take them off the team and take a break or swap to different pets rather than use the Healer.

Oh gods, the Healer. The Healers are extortionists.
I used so much gold when I was a newbie paying her ugh.
(sometimes I come across the wandering healer in The Dungeon of the Forsaken. Last time I did, all my pets were at 100% and she wanted to charge over 3k to "heal" them)

(with the hordes, when there are more than three enemies waiting, the best plan is to always aim for a single enemy slot, so two of the enemies are always the weakest rank of the three. That funnels all the stronger enemies into the same slot, so you don't end up facing like. three three-star enemies at once.
Harder if you have a fire pet because of Fireball's hitting two enemies, but pets have quick attack so maybe...)

I had a look at your party pets as well, just to see if that was an issue. I see that the two currently in your party don't have many equips, a shadow pet like Suraqua needs to have intelligence/agility boosting equips and a water pet like Fazolin will need Strength/Agility equips. Both are more commonly used as tanks, in the first position to soak hits. Attacking elements are fire/air and maybe having one of those with your water pet in the tanking position with health/agility proficiency points.

Fire is a magical attacker that hits multiple targets with intelligence based attacks, Air is a physical attacker that hits a single target with strength based attacks. Both rely on Dex for their secondary affects.

Amaya-- goodness, the party pets I had at that moment (Fazolin and Suraqua) are both pets I caught with the nets from the first quest. Before I logged off, I put the others that I usually have in my party on missions. I'm currently in search of a good third member, for when I finally open up that third spot. I might end up using one of those, since they're what I've got. Hopefully a hatchling will grow fast and I'll use them.

I'm really liking my starter, Kirolo, for a fire attacker. I love when his moves take down health from everybody at once!

Scathreoite-- gosh but you make it sound quite worthwhile to train up and find more pets, so that I can switch them out like that. Perhaps what I need is more patience to wait for them to heal.

Do you know if there's a guide about healing and how it works?

Hi Keladry!

I'm glad you're startingto get past the "hump". Yeah, Umbra Forest is not meant for two pets, and is extremely hard without three. With three, it should be okay though.

Going on missions should give you enough gold for a third slot. But if you're a bit short, send me a COD mushroom for the amount you need, and I'm happy to help.^^ Otherwise, there is always this helpful an friendly thread.

Good luck!

P.S.
If you are struggling with healing, you could always make your third pet a light pet (they heal the others when they attack)...

P.P.S.
Having lots of party pets is useful so that you can switch them out, but isn't necessary. It means they all grow in level and ability much more slowly. So if you find a pet you really like now, you wont have to switch it out later... Some people have lots of battle pets, while others concentrate on making 3 as strong as possible!

Ok Kirolo has a strength equip which doesn't help him at all. Make sure everything favours Int/Dex for him.
Akiri needs Strength/Agility equips and should be in slot 1 of the party.

The quality of the equips is also not great but as you do more missions should get better, equips are very important.

Hey there Keladry~! Welcome to Sylestia. :D
If you're in interested/in need of a decent stat pet I bred this purebred Grim Rose for you as a welcoming gift~ ;)

I'll send you a prismatic philter for it as well for when it hatches. (Certain philters in game can be applied to a hatching pet. A prismatic Philter increases the base HP by 200 and Strength, Intelligence, Dexterity and Agility by 10 each. You can further enhance a hatchling's stats by having them nurtured. Every five nurtures will increase the pet's lowest stat score and it'll also help them reach adolescence faster.)

Also just wanted to say that you have an absolute gorgeous starter pet by the way! :)

IMPERIUM! That egg is smoking! and the parents are so wonderfully creepy, I can't wait to see how it grows. Thank you, thank you. I don't even... I'm just going to figure out how to accept that now. Or I'll keep rambling. Thank you.

Amaya-- Kirolo has a strength equip? How can you tell? I tried to equip him with all the ones that said 'magic' on them.

Oooh also I like this idea of light pets, to heal the others. That is my new plan for a third pet, yes.

Hover over the equipment and a stat block for it should appear, Myrmidon gives Str/Dex and Disciples not very good because it gives evenly to all stats, You'll want the rarest equipment you can find within 10 levels of your pet's current level.
For Kirolo Evoker gear is the right sets If I remember correctly.