` AMBERSTAR - Thalion
` Playguide by Brian Burke
Part 1 - Introduction, General Information and Hints
~Introduction.
Amberstar is a large, colourful and enjoyable RPG. The
programmers' objective was to out-Ultima the guys at Origin.
Having never played an Ultima game whether they've succeeded or
not I don't know. What I can say is that the control system is
excellent once you've sussed out that the manual, though seemingly
comprehensive, does not provide all the answers to which icon does
what. You can't beat a bit of hands-on experience.
I understand that folks trying to play off floppies on the Amiga
have had a problem but the guy I spoke to at Thalion in Germany
seemed to think all was OK now. Playing off a hard drive with only
1 meg you'll need to use Control-D to cut out Workbench loading.
The task is to find 13 parts of the Amberstar and join them in a
special place to allow the party access to the Fortress of
Godsbane and thus smite down the nasties. Piece of cake!
The Graphic presentations come in four types of display.
The opening scene finds your character in Twinlake Graveyard in an
Ultima style scene. Some interior scenes replicate this such as in
a house, a Guild or an Inn. Scrolling is a joy throughout.
Entering a town or a cellar etc brings up a scene that's a cross
between SSI and Dungeon Master. Until a Compass or the Staff of
Direction is obtained the only way to tell which is North or South
is to use the auto-mapping facility. In Cellars and underground
locations the auto-mapping will not work unless a Torch is
activated.
Leaving a Town, Cave or Tower brings an overhead view reminiscent
of Faery Tale. The game map is very large and whether your Party
is walking, riding, sailing or flying you will encounter dawn,
day, evening and night changes. This is reflected by the amount of
map that you can see on screen. Time can be accelerated by use of
the "Zzz" icon.
The final scenario is the Battle mode. The less active amongst us
will be delighted to know that this is not realtime. Actions, such
as fight or cast magic spells and movement can be planned on a
character by character basis and a single icon press will carry
out those instructions. You just sit back and drink your coffee
whilst the hapless protagonists slug it out crying such
encouragement out as "Hit him, you twit" and so on.
~Character Set-Up.
Although the game starts with a single character who becomes your
alter-ego you do need, in time, to fill all six character slots up
with a selected group. The character stats need to be created
prior to starting the game proper. Be patient and keep the dice
rolling until you are satisfied with the figures. Subsequent
promotions will enable such attributes like Strength, Attack and
Parry prowess, Read and Use Magic scrolls, Swimming, Pick Locks,
Find and Disarm Traps to be increased.
~Movement over the Map.
At an early stage it is advisable to buy a horse from the Stables
in Twinlake. This means that you only lay out 150 gold for your
single character. Subsequent additions to the Party all clamber
upon the back of this poor creature without detriment to its
performance! If you've two characters when you buy a horse then
it's 300 Gold and so on. Having a horse means that Rivers can be
crossed without losing Life Points by not having sufficient
swimming skills. You'll also not be allowed to enter Lakes or the
Sea. To enter Woods and Forests though you must be on foot so
will have to park Dobbin in a place where you can find him (her)
again. Think I'm joking? - this is a BIG game.
Twinlake offers Rafts for sale but two of these are to be found
for free. One at the end of a jetty on the western shore line and
another in the north west of the map. A Boat, on the other hand,
you have to buy at some point. As these cost 5000 Gold it'll be a
little time before you acquire one. Whilst this sum of money can
be found in Crystal I recommend that you use that to fund other
purposes first. Boats can be bought in Crystal or from an
extremely remote island in the north west.
Later in the game a "Blue Disc" can replace the horse and best of
all the ultimate way to travel is via your own tame Eagle - shades
of Questron (no gambling in this game though).
Finally there's a method known as "The Windgates". These are
croquet type hoops that transport the Party, from a central island
to the south of Twinlake, to locations that are close to points of
interest. Before the Windgates can be used the artefact that
enables them must be obtained. There are two of these to be found.
~Fighting & Character Promotion.
As usual sending the baddies to their version of Valhalla is the
only way to gain Experience. Entering each relevant Guild gives
your character information as to how many points are required to
reach the next level. Each promotion costs so have your purse
available. Some classes cost more than others.
At each promotion you are invited to allocate points to the
disciplines I described above. Briefly these should initially be -
Warriors - Attack/Parry skills
Thief - Pick Locks
Paladin - Read and Use Scrolls OR Attack/Parry
Wizards - Read and Use Scrolls
There are also Monk and Ranger classes which I did not employ but
who are available in the game.
Misreading the manual I mistakenly thought my Human character
could enter a multitude of classes so when I'd acquired 30
experience points I beetled into the Warrior Guild for my extra
skill points and to receive my extra Life Points. When I then
tried to enter another class and was turned away I was
inconsolable. In the event I was well pleased as I set up my
Battle formation with a Warrior at either side of the first row
with all four weaker characters on the back row.
The Warriors cannot advance beyond the second row of the grid.
The enemy come down the screen towards your team and can only be
hit by the front men if they are adjacent or directly in front of
your characters. Black Wizards are the guys with offensive
spells. They can cast spells on any retreating baddies in
individual or group mode dependent on the type of spell. White
Wizards are the Clerics and Grey Wizards cast defensive spells.
~Healing and Defence.
It's as well to cast Anti-Magic spells as soon as you enter battle
and follow that up with Armour Protection and Weapon Power in
subsequent turns. Healing your folks when they are poisoned, go
mad, blinded, stunned or made ill is a pain and expensive. Some of
those ailments take your character out of a battle scenario so be
warned.
Herbs can be bought that offer an "on-line" cure mode. There's a
shop in the north west of Illien, the Elf Village that sells -
Dolden - use to heal Poisoning.
Blueplant - use to cure Madness.
Redplant - reverses Ageing.
Drelben - cures Paralysis (stun).
Packets of Herbs - cure Sickness (disease).
Using these is much cheaper than the Temple healers.
Potions are also available that do the same job. Again there's a
shop in Illien to the south of the Herb shop and the Monks Guild
also stock a good many. I can't replicate all the Potion symbols
due to the limitations of my keyboard but hopefully you'll
recognise which is representative of what from those below -
M = Healing 5 potion. This is the preferred one.
N = healing
D = cure Poisoning
1X1 = replace spell points _
X = Replace Spell Points This is the preferred one
{ = cure Blindness
The same with an additional half a chevron = cure Disease(sickness).
P = cure Paralysis (stun)
There's also one for "Treat Weapon with Balsam". Go on - get the edge.
~Weapons and Special Objects.
As your Party root and loot their way through dusty crevices and
rusty Chests they come across all manner of goodies. Practically
everything is worth taking as this is the way to fill your purse
with Gold. The bad news is that you are limited by the strength
of each character as to just how much weight each can carry. There
is an on-screen statistic that will tell you this. The Shops in
Illien, Twinlake, Gemstone, Crystal and Snakesign all do
reasonable second hand deals so these are the places to bring your
Treasures and turn 'em into cash. The Shop in Crystal is run by an
enterprising fellow who's open all day, every day. The others have
homes to go to and their opening hours can be read outside each
shop.
Frankly, apart from Torches and empty Flasks you can find most of
the armour and weapons as you go. Torches are essential to
progress in the Sewers and Cellars. Unless they're lit the Automap
facility will not register and you simply can't see. Once an area
has been mapped then by all means save your stock and alternate
between map and direction arrow mode as you retreat or re-enter a
previously mapped level.
The weight problem and the sheer number of objects, potions and
scrolls you find will have you scuttling through areas more than
once. For this reason it's as well to have a manual version of
the on-screen map to hand.
The fact that an object is "special" will become apparent by
virtue of its resale price. In Twinlake and Snakesign are Wise
Men who will identify those items. Beware as once identified they
won't look at that item again so to quote Terry Wogan "Write it
down". Each object costs 250 Gold so best to save outside the shop
and restore when you've submitted those objects you want
Identifying.
I won't claim this list as exhaustive by any means but here are
some notes I made -
~Armour -
`Object _____________ Attribute ____________ Class
`Metal Helmet .. Shield 6 Warriors & Paladines
`Horn Helmet .. 3 + Damage 2 War / Pal / Ranger/ Thief
`Iron Ring .. 1 All
`Brooch of Gala.. 1 All
`Hat .. 1 All
`Armour of Geb.. 10 + Strength 15 Warrior / Paladine
`Chainmail .. 8 Warrior / Paladine
`Banded Mail .. 10 Warrior / Paladine
`Mithral Mail .. 12 All
`Girdle of Thieves .. 9 Thief
`Robe .. 2 All
`Robe of Nut .. 5 Wizards
`Robe of Nickademeus .. Wizards
`Necklace of Bala .. 2 + Damage 2 Thief / Ranger
`Silver Ring Picklock Skills
`Dagger Damage 4 All
`Assassins Blade.. 18 + 10 Speed + 15 Attack - Thief
`Shortsword .. 8 War / Pal / Ranger / Thief
`Morning Star .. 14 War / Pal / Ranger
`Firebasher .. 15 Warrior
`Icebiter.. 20 War / Pal / Ranger
`Two Handed Sword.. 20 Warrior / Paladine
`Simitar .. 25 All except Wizards
`Sickle of Returning 20 Thief/ Monk / Wiz / Ranger
`BucklerShield .. 2 + Damage 2 War / Paladine / Ranger
`Tower Shield .. 12 + Life Points 5 + White Magic
` + Reincarnation 5 Paladine / W.Wizard
Wand of Winds - creates STORM damage - All
Globe of Harachte - creates LIGHT 3 spell- All
Pipe of Levitation - levitates Party - All
Orb of Magic - creates a Magic Sphere x 5 - All
Wand of Light - guess!
One to avoid even picking up is the "Coat of Moira" - there are
two of these and they are cursed. Not only that but they weigh a
ton too. A "Remove Curse" spell is the only way to lose them once
in your inventory.
There are other special objects that you will find on your travels
and others that you will be rewarded with in return for completing
sub-quests for characters in the game. Once these items are in
your Inventory clicking the Action Icon on them will make them
fulfil a purpose. Some, like the flute you receive for destroying
an evil Dragon and is subsequently used to summon an Eagle, remain
as part of your luggage. Whilst others, such as the Compass and
Clock, are transported to a grey display window on the right of
the screen.
~Character Interaction.
You can only learn about your quest(s) from "Talking" to the other
characters in the game (They all look like they're exercising on a
pogo stick). Some of these will be able to join your party if you
have room. It's possible to be ruthless and drop a character,
pick up another one, filch all their goodies, then go back and
have the other guy join up again. Once a character has been
dropped they can be found again in the place that you first met
them.
Only those characters who speak the same language as the
individual you're trying to converse with will get any sense out
of them. Otherwise you receive a negative message so be sure your
leading character is the appropriate one.
}From memory I believe the only words present in your on-screen
vocabulary at the start are "Hello" and "Key". Either keep a
pencil and paper record of these words or develop a good memory as
key words are added to this list each time you talk. For example
talking to the little girl outside your parents home in Twinlake
brings out keywords such as "Felix" (her cat) and so on. For this
reason and the fact that some dialogue responses contain keywords
required later in the game it is important to take a note of all
conversations. Not verbatim but certainly noting keywords and
names. The same is true for pictures on the wall of some rooms.
~Saved Game, Life & Death.
The bad news about Amberstar is that there is only ONE saved game.
Yes, just the one. Mistakes you don't make in this game. It's true
to say that you can die once and then be resurrected. Should this
fate befall the Party your dead bodies are transported to a
helpful Wizard, name of Shandra, who lives in Twinlake. He then
tells you that's your lot or that he can only help once more. The
trick is to retreat when the odds are against you and to keep at
least one character's Life Points up all the time. This should
preferably be a Paladin or a White Wizard. Keep the Rod of
Resurrection handy once you've found it.
Emerging from a Battle licking your wounds you ponder how to
regain your health. Resting is the answer, but you must have
Rations to consume in order to restore Spell and Life Points.
Rations are obtainable from Twinlake - cost 15 gold, Crystal -
cost 12, Gemstone - cost 10, Snakesign - cost 10 or Manyeye Cave
Village - cost 30 gold. An alternative to spending money on
Rations, but effective for Life Points only, is to bathe in the
Healing Pools found in the Crypt which is located in Twinlake
Cemetery.
~Building a Party.
There are a number of characters in the game who are willing to
help you solve your quest. Frankly you'll get absolutely nowhere
without them. Here is a list for your recruitment campaign -
Character ____ Class ____ Where Found
Drobonir - Warrior - Gemstone Inn
Trasric - Black Wizard - Crystal - Jewel Inn
Grylan - Paladine - Crystal - unclassified & weak at first
Silk - Thief - Twinlake - Dragon Inn
Satine - Grey Wizard - Tower of White Wizard Guild
Boldina - Thief - Dragon Keep - Castle of Gelinda
Melchlor - Monk - Snakesign Village
Crag - White Wizard - Tower of White Wizard Guild
Sheba - Ranger - Cave of Manyeye village - in her house
Spike the Dog - Animal - Twinlake - in the kitchen of your home
Shir'kar the cat - Mera's House - garden
You certainly need Black Wizard skills. A Thief is essential.
Characters with Grey & White Wizard ability are also vital. I'd
suggest that the Warrior is your number one recruit.
Build your initial Experience points by walking over or sailing
under bridges. Make sure the Warrior and Black Wizard are with
you. This way you fight single Bridge Trolls on a random basis.
Fighting the first Rats in Twinlake Sewers is also good
preparation for your characters' first promotions. It's important
to get Life Points under your belt to eliminate the frustration of
early deaths.
~General Hints.
It took me ages to realise that, although I could click the mouse
button on Clothes and Weapons to take them from the Inventory and
place them on the Figure, in order to action say, a torch, I had
first to click on the Hand icon in the lower right of the Monitor
screen and then on the Inventory item I wanted to action.
The game isn't exactly linear BUT it is true to say that some
places are easier than others. My explanatory is in the order in
which I tackled the game which isn't necessarily the easiest path
but I do know and will advise which areas were hard.
There were two scenarios where doors closed behind the Party
irrevocably. This is no fun when there's only one saved game and
it's midnight and you know that it'll take ages and three days to
get out in one piece. Not only that but you don't know if you've
enough Life Points and equipment to stay the course! The two
places are - Pharaoh's Tomb and The Cave under the Whirlpool. This
latter area should be left till last as it's quite (British
understatement) tough.
You will need to leave areas from time to time in order to unload
your Inventory. Keeping a note of your characters' Experience
Points will enable you to see just when they can gain those vital
additional Life Points and Spell Casting & Learning Points. All
this takes time. Until you acquire the Map Locator in the
Swampstation to facilitate this activity it's a task that you have
to live with.
When learning scrolls it's best to save the game first as a degree
of "SSI type" dice rolling takes place. One time you fail and the
next it's OK. Watch the words as the scroll turns to dust whether
successful or not. For this reason SAVE between scrolls as well.
Read signs and Signposts as these will give you trigger words in
your speech Inventory.
~TWINLAKE.
Map Reference x axis first then y - 210/215
Town area can be mapped on a 32 (horizontal) x 28 (vertical) grid.
Your start point is in Twinlake graveyard standing close to the
grave of your parents. Use the "Eye" icon to look around and head
northeast to find the Crypt. Use the "Zzz" icon to advance time
and stop when Gwendoline appears.
Read the notice outside the Crypt first and make a point of
reading these and the signs outside Shops and guilds as you come
across them. They give you keywords also and thus facilitate
conversation. Hang around till midday to meet Gwendoline. She's
pretty distraught. Say "Hello" and watch the keywords for further
conversation.
She requests that you obtain the Flower (Rose) of Sadness which is
to be found in the Halls of Peace. She doesn't know where this is
but if you talk to Olfin, who's to be found in the Jewel Inn in
Crystal, he'll be only too pleased to tell you that this is a cave
entrance located northeast of Crystal in a rocky but desert area.
Staying in the Crypt note the two Healing Pools and advance time
to midnight in order to meet Sir Marrilion, Gwendoline's better
half. Speak to him of Gwendoline to obtain the Key to the Tomb.
In here find a Sword, Armour and 589 Gold. Both Sword and Armour
can only be used by a Paladin so it's best just to take the cash
for now and return later for the other stuff. There's a little guy
in Crystal who's dying to get his hands on these things. More of
him later.
Leave the Crypt and head for the Cemetery exit in the southwest.
The only other thing of interest here is a statue in the southeast
of the graveyard. Entering the town brings up a different
perspective and enables the Auto Mapping facility. Click on the
icon to see where you've been. A super assistance to manual
mapping.
The first place to head for is your parents' home. This is located
down a passageway which is off the lane opposite the Shop and past
the Food Shop. You will meet Sunni, a small girl, in this area.
Say "Hello" etc to learn that she has lost her pet cat Felix.
Whilst she makes reference to the Cemetery the poor feline is
actually held prisoner in the Sewers. The reward when you return
Felix is that the lead character in your Party at the time learns
the gift of talking to animals. She also offers to sell you Hats
at a price of 3 Gold.
But before you enter the Sewers you have lots to do first. Use the
Key on the Lock of your parents' home. Enter. In the Dining Room
find a Magic Picture in an alcove to the right behind the table,
use the "Eye" icon. Actioning this transfers the picture to the
large grey area in the mid-right of the screen and enables you to
see if it's night or day.
In the Kitchen you meet Spike the Dog. When you have the gift of
talking to animals he can join your Party. He's great at Rat
eating but I never found anywhere that enabled Animals to be
promoted so his Life Points always stayed at 40. Better really to
develop another class of character but useful in a battle until
you fill up all six slots.
At the end of the long corridor in the northeast find a Chest
with a small Key and an old Robe. Use the key in the Bedroom to
the east and find a Wardrobe stuffed with 487 Gold, Armour,
weapons, a potion and Boots.
Leave the house and head south to find the Dancing Dragon Inn.
Talk to everyone in here. One guy is an old friend and refers you
to Jonathan's House (note the spelling) which is located to the
nor' nor' east of Twinlake - tucked just in the trees. The key to
the house is in a bush at the side of the path to the house before
you enter the trees. Jonathan's house is an entire separate area
and should not be entered until you have found the crowbar which
is to be found in a barrel. The barrel is located near the top of
the steps which lead down into the cellar. Again the cellar is a
completely separate area which, in time and the right key, links
up with Jonathan's house. More of that later.
In the Kitchen meet the Cook and say "Quest". He wants you to find
his ring. Recovering it from the Sewers means that he gives you a
Crystal Ball in exchange. This should be actioned when your Party
is trekking through the woods and you're hopelessly lost. It
provides an aerial view of the surrounding countryside, just
enough to get your bearings. It does have a limited usage so I'd
suggest saving the game prior to use then restoring and heading
off in the right direction.
In the area to the north of the Dining room meet Breth, who's mine
host. In the cellar you'll find an old Wine Bottle for which he'll
pay you 100 gold. Accompanying him will be Silk. He's a Thief and
well worth recruiting. He's carrying three lockpicks for a start.
Only use these if he fails to open chests or locks by hand. Ensure
that you develop his Lockpick skills up to 95% before any other
skill then concentrate on Search. Also in the Inn is Cyrlis the
Cat. When you've acquired the gift of speaking to Animals she'll
tell you where to find the hidden door to the Thieves' Guild.
It's really not worthwhile staying in an Inn as it only costs
money and you can rest just as effectively outside the city or in
your parents' home.
Time now to visit Shandra. His house is located in the east of the
town, just past the entrance to the Lord Chancellor's quarters.
Shandra's appearance is time related so hang around in his bedroom
till he shows if he's not elsewhere in his house. Say "Hello" to
obtain the key to his Laboratory. In the chest in here are lots
of goodies. Just note them for now as you won't have room to store
them all and it would be tragic to have to sell the Potions and
Scrolls just to make room in your Inventory. Come back when your
Party is larger and you have the appropriate Wizards.
Shandra tells you of a female Wizard waiting in the Grey Wizard
Tower. This Tower is located on an island off the northeast
shoreline and can be reached by either raft or boat. If swimming
skills are good I guess you could goose grease yourself and strike
out that way. The Map picture on the wall in Shandra's house
serves no purpose so ditch it if you've picked it up.
If you say "Potion" to Shandra and give him an empty flask he'll
mix you a Healing 5 potion, very useful in the early stages when
you're trying to build experience stats.
In order to start acquiring those vital points head south from
Shandra to visit Karwain, the Lord Chancellor. Say "Hello: Quest:
Sewers: Key" to obtain the key to the Sewers. You'll have passed
this door en-route from the cemetery.
The Shops in Twinlake sell Rations and Arms. In the Armoury shop
is also an item called a "Bernstein". This is a translation error
from the original German as in English it means "Amber" which you
need when you enter the Swampstation area.
In summery we've now identified the following sub-plots/quests:
1. The Sewers
2. Dragon Inn Cellar
3. Jonathan's House
4. Halls of Peace
5. Tower of Grey Wizards.
I've listed the above in terms of difficulty.
Presuming that you're still alone, now is the time to recruit some
assistance. A Warrior and a Black Wizard are necessary for sure so
I recommend that Gemstone and Crystal are visited, in that order,
before coming back to Twinlake. As stated earlier this is a big
map so it'll take a couple of game days to find Gemstone.
~GEMSTONE.
Map reference 129/369
Map on a 19 x 19 grid. Entrance door is in the south.
Located in the southwest, tucked between two mountain ranges.
Not a great deal to find here. There are a couple of specialist
Shops. One, in the east, sells Tools and for sure you need a
Pickaxe. The crowbar you should already have from the Dragon Inn
in Twinlake. In northwest of the town is a Jewel shop. It can be
useful to convert your excess Gold into gems. Obviously the
Shopkeeper takes his cut, and how, when these transactions occur.
Drobonir, the Warrior, is waiting in the Inn. The counter clerk,
Andamael, is useless for now but does come into play later in the
game. Take Drobonir and together head northeast to Crystal.
~CRYSTAL.
Map reference 235/120.
Map on a 28 x 28 grid. The entrance gate is in the south.
Located in a bay on the mid east of the island.
A much more interesting place than Gemstone, there's a fair bit to
do in Crystal. Take the right fork as you enter and find the
entrance to the Jewel Tavern. Standing in the entrance hall is
Captain Brix. He's looking for Orlando, the Landlord who's
hovering outside the Wine Cellar which is to be found south of the
kitchen area.
Inside you meet two potential recruits. Grylan is hanging around
one of the corridors. He is a wannabe Paladin. Make his day by
taking him on but beware that initially he's as weak as you are.
Like your character he needs experience points.
Of far more use is Trasric, the Black Wizard, he's to be found
through a couple of bedrooms near where Grylan is. He tells you
where his Guild is which is only accessible by boat. More of the
Tower of Black Wizards later.
In one of the rooms you meet Thonion. As you admire the pictures
on his wall he tells you of the White Gates and how one is able to
Teleport around the island provided one has the appropriate
artefact. The necklace, for that is the artefact, is to be found
in the Temple of Sansri. However the Temple is on the small island
off the south coast and is only accessible in two ways.
Firstly by air, you need to have access to the Eagle. Secondly by
fulfilling the quest set by Gwendoline whereby the Rose of Peace
is returned to her in Twinlake Crypt. In return she gives you a
Teleport spell that takes you right into the heart of Sansri's
Temple. Be warned that it's tough getting out again though.
Another option is to sell the Rose to Olfin who tells you about
"the Flower". He'll pay you around 5500 Gold for it which is just
about the right amount to buy a Boat.
There's an old man looking for Kevin, the Bard. Kevin's drowning
his sorrows in a bar in Illien, the Elven Village, and he can wait
for now.
In the garden find a pond. Making sure that you don't lose Life
Points by staying in the water too long, hop over to the tree to
find 5000 Gold and a Parchment. This, I think, refers to The
Sphere of Opening which is hidden in a Plant Pot in the room with
many Plants. Go south and east in this room to find the Sphere. It
is this that will open the circle of rocks guarding the Black
Wizard Tower.
In the kitchen meet Erek the cook and the Landlady who directs you
outside to meet Orlando. He's a bit busy right now but will
help you once you present him with a Golden Wine Goblet. The
Goblet is hidden in his Cellar. In return he presents you with an
Old Key which will open up the keyhole in the wall which is
en-route to the Paladin Guild in Crystal. Before you go charging
off into the cellar your Party needs to obtain a few promotions
first so keep exploring the rest of Crystal for now.
Leaving the Tavern head north and east to find a Shop. In the shop
is an old woman and the shopkeeper behind the counter. The woman
warns of the dire consequences of visiting Dreblin, the Lord
Chancellor. Don't be tempted, as I was, to waste your precious
lockpicks on either the door to his room or the Chest in the room.
In the Chest is a sarky message that says the equivalent of "Yah,
Boo, Sucks". This shop is open all day every day and you and the
sarky shopkeeper will do good business together.
Head east to find the Market area. To the lower east here find the
Ration Shop. A place you will visit frequently as it's easier to
find Crystal then Gemstone and the price difference is only 2
gold.
To the northeast of the Market down a passage meet Firlas. Poor
fellow has lost his Bone of Wisdom in Twinlake. Your reward for
safely returning it is a Runic message and more importantly a
Piece of Amberstar. But first you must complete Twinlake Sewers,
return Felix the Cat to Sunni who gives you the gift of talking to
animals and then recruit Spike the Dog from your parents' kitchen.
A healing Temple is around here and right in the north is the
Boatyard where you can spend the 5000 gold you've just acquired.
My recommendation is that you save this money for Rations and
suitable armour and weaponry. The Black Wizard Tower is by far too
tough a place for the Party right now.
Moving west you'll see the Lord Chancellor's House in the
southwest. By all means walk in and have a look round. Talk to
his wife, crying in the kitchen, and his son, cowering in the
Bedroom. You won't be able to enter the cellar area yet as the
Seal on Dreblin's Signet Ring is required as a pass key. The ring
is deep within Jonathan's House. Make a note of the four portraits
on the wall in the entrance hall. You need this information later
on inside Dreblin's Cellar area.
Upstairs is dangerous as monsters are lurking in a room there.
Use the Retreat option to escape or at least SAVE before taking
them on. When you "eye" the Globe up here the message is
"Mortals, Look deep into my eyes and see the pain my Prince is
preparing for you. No-one can stop the plans of Prince Bralkur. He
will suck your soul from your body the way you suck an egg."
Fighting talk indeed. The Teleport in the Bedroom takes you
downstairs to just outside the Cellar.
To the north on the western side you'll eventually find the
Paladins' Guild. In here you can buy White Magic scrolls. A
thorough exploration of the Paladin area will have revealed a
Keyhole in the wall. The key for this is obtainable from Orlando
once you've given him the Golden Wine Goblet from his cellar. In
the chest that is then revealed find 657 Gold and another Piece of
Amberstar.
So after exploring Crystal so far there are a few more sub-quests:
1. Twinlake Sewers
2. Jewel Tavern Wine Cellar
3. Halls of Peace (to find Rose)
4. Jonathan's House
5. Black Wizard Tower
6. Dreblin's Cellar *
7. Temple of Sansri
~*DREBLIN'S CELLAR
This is a tough area and should only be tackled after a few class
promotions.
The cellar is an area that does not auto-map. It contains lots of
monsters which need clearing before you find Dreblin. Mummies and
Skeletons are occupying the Crypt where you will find a key with
which to release the imprisoned Dreblin. The strategy for the
cellar should be to take one monster on at a time and then nip
upstairs to recover, Save, and clear the next one and so on.
In one section you'll come across three graves, one of these
conceals two Blue Mushrooms. These aren't for eating, they enhance
your attributes when administered to you by Mera the Witch. Keep
the mushrooms in your Inventory until you find her house which is
to the west. Find the jetty on the western shore and go southeast
to discover her house and hand her the Mushrooms. Red ones enhance
your Speed and Blue your Strength.
Having noted the portraits in Dreblin's entrance hall is necessary
to complete the Cellar. In the final section Puzzlemouths will ask
you who is -
The Rooster = Calwell
The Pirate = Maltor
Mourner= Fenora
Blue Pearl = Leonore
You will go through several doors till the Party comes across a
large Water tank. Defeating the Demon here gives you a cage key
with which to release Dreblin from his prison. Wait for the wooden
Bridge to fall into place before entering.
Talk to him to receive a reward for rescuing him. In his chest are
loads of useful things. A clock that you can "action" which will
then show the time in the large grey window on your Monitor
screen. A Girdle of Thieves which considerably aids the picklock
ability of your thief. 1584 Gold. An Iron ring that gives Shield
assistance. Two Swords that'll help attack skills. And of course a
Piece of Amberstar.
-----------------------
My suggestion now is that you either head west and explore Illien
or return to Twinlake and, with your new recruits, explore the
Sewers. To build up some points before going down the Sewers try
crossing Bridges to fight the Trolls that then appear. Should you
head north of Crystal on the paths you will find the Orcs too
tough for an embryo Party.
~TWINLAKE SEWERS
Located in the northwest area of the town.
Map on a 14 x 14 grid.
Prior to climbing down the ladder search to find 3 torches under
some rubbish by the barrels. Ensure that you have a few torches in
your Inventory. The auto-map will show where you've been if your
light goes out but won't record any fresh territory.
The first brush with Rats is just along the initial passage.
Choose the attack icon to ensure that your Party get the first
hits in, otherwise the baddies bash you instead. Explore every
nook and cranny. Select a Lead Character who has good Search Stats
otherwise you may miss something.
In the south east find a dead body, goodies here include 3
precious lockpicks. In the centre west find the Cook's Old Ring.
Returning it in exchange for the Crystal Ball. In the very centre
is a major battle. Defeat the Rat King to rescue Felix the Cat and
pick up the Rat King's Head. Hand the head to Lord Karwain to
receive 600 Gold reward and hear about Firlas. Searching the east
side of the Lair after the fight you discover the Soldiers who
failed in their mission.
Return Felix back to Sunni to receive the gift of talking to
animals. You can now nip home and recruit Spike the Dog. Guess
who's got Firlas's bone buried in the Garden! Yup. Next time
you're through Crystal drop in on Firlas to return the bone and
receive a Piece of Amberstar as a reward. The Runes on the scroll
read "Oh Talmit, Goddess of the future! Let me look deep into your
eyes - Find 13 parts - go to the clearing where many rivers wind.
Altar in Forest of Unity - Thank you, Talmit, for letting me see"
After, or indeed during, completion of the Sewers sell your excess
Inventory. Keep the good stuff, buy some more rations, tour the
appropriate Guilds for promotion and head to the next location.
Practically wherever you go now (in an area) you'll need either
Light Spells or Torches so stay well equipped.
The next 3 areas are all much of a muchness in terms of
difficulty. It may be better to go to the Cellar areas before
taking on the Orcs in Jonathan's House so you can build up Life
Points etc.
~JONATHAN BURGAND'S HOUSE.
Map reference 232/196
Map first level on a 13 x 13 grid.
Map second level on a 23 x 23 grid.
Map third level A on a 8 x 13 grid.
Map third level B on a ........... this level is long, long, very
long. It actually connects up with the Dragon Inn Cellar level
two. Up to the point that these meet it can be mapped on an 8 x
80 grid.
Located to the northeast of Twinlake. The key referred to in the
Dragon Inn is hidden in a bush. The bush is just off a corner of
the path before entering the trees to enter the house proper.
Don't go near the house if you haven't already found or bought a
crowbar. You can buy one in Gemstone or find one near the entrance
to the cellar (in a barrel) in the Dragon Inn. As you approach
the house the Party falls into the southeast area of the cellar
(within level 2).
Use the crowbar on the door to explore the cellar. In the
northeast find 26 Gold and some torches. In the southwest are
clothes to be found. The exit stairs up to Level 1 are in the
west.
Entry to Level 1 is in the southeast corner. Four Orc battles to
go through in this level. The good news is that the door to the
outside world is in the centre south and you can come and go at
will. You'll need to do this to offload your excess baggage and to
buy rations so you can recover Spell and Life Points. Don't forget
to use the Crypt pools in Twinlake Cemetery as you're so close.
These only replace Life and not Spell points though.
You need Orc communication skills to pass the time of day with the
guy in the northern room. As I didn't have that we'll carry on! A
door in the northwest has a trap that could blind your leader so
if the screen goes black the game's not crashed, it's just that
you can't see.
I had to wait a long time to develop sufficient picklock skills to
enter here but try your luck with the Thief anyway. The chest
beyond has loads of Scrolls, 325 Gold, a good sword, good helmet
and other useful treasure. The stairs down to the rest of Level 2
are located in the northeast.
Entry point is north just right of centre. Search to flush out
more Orcs. Round a winding passage to find a door to your left.
Break this down with a crowbar but don't enter the Teleport in the
south just yet.
~THE LOST ISLAND.
The reason why is that you Teleport to a "Lost Island". The only
way back from here is via another Teleport that is concealed
behind a locked door. This door is resistant to lockpicks and can
only be opened by means of a key obtainable from the Castle of
Gelinda on the Dragon Island. The bad news is that the Dragon is
sitting on the wretched thing.
On the Lost Island is the body of Olgur, the missing Orc, there's
a few bits to pick up before entering the House. In the house the
southeastern room contains a Chest with 1248 Gold, 5 Potions and
2 Scrolls and a vital Piece of Amberstar. Then use the key on the
western room to access the Teleport back. I guess that having a
Teleport Scroll could be an alternative option?
Go right and north instead to find a door south halfway along this
corridor. There are then three doors off each side of this long
passage south. The first door west, the second door east and both
third doors, west and east, conceal Orcs so expect trouble. Just
keep popping out as before to recharge your attributes.
Through the door south there is another Orc battle. Going left or
right in the corridor beyond takes the Party to two different
areas. The eastern stairs lead to the long, long, long passage
that eventually links up to the Dragon Inn (Area B) whist the
western stairs lead to Jonathan's Laboratory (Area A).
Let's go to the smaller section first. Down the stairs to see a
Puzzlemouth. Naturally the answer is "Jonathan". Watch the
spelling. The passage then opens up the rest of the area. Beware
of three spinners in the room beyond. Use the auto-map feature to
see which in direction you are headed.
There is a door in the southeast of this room that leads to a
room with Teleports. Your objective is to reach the door in the
southwest of this area. Behind the door is the Laboratory.
~Teleport System
~---------------
` Door
` 7 Teleports to 2
` 1 2 3 4 3 .. 9
` 1.. 2
` 5 6 Pillar 7 6..13
` 12.. 4
` 8 9 10 11 12 13 16..11
` 10.. 5
` 14 15 16 14..15
` 18..17
` Lab Door 17 18 8.. 4
Look in the Barrels to find a Parchment. There are more Diary
entries on the Tables. The Signet Ring that'll allow entry to
Dreblin's Cellar in Crystal is here.
In the Chest are a few Treasures including a Tunnel Key that is
the means of opening up the passage from Area B to the Dragon Inn.
If your Thief isn't up to opening the Chest then you'll have to
return when his skills are improved.
The Diary entries are significant as they lead you to other areas.
The Blue Disc device is a travelling bubble that enables the Party
to move over land or shallow seas. It is located in Pharaoh's
Tomb. The entrance to the tomb is in the southeast of the island
near rocks in a Desert area.
The Locator Device gives you grid map references and is very
useful for finding your way around. The device is deep within the
Swampstation. The reference to "Water" in the Diary entry is the
means by which you flush out the blockage in the sewerage system.
More of that later. The Swampstation is located in the southwest.
Now return and head down the other set of stairs to enter the
long, long.. you know the rest.. passage. This heads north. Fight
Rats about a third of the way up. Beyond the point where the
passage takes a left is a door that leads south. Take this route
before heading north.
The passage winds its way right down to a square room with a
Chest. On the way meet two sets of Rats before encountering
another set in the room itself. The chest is booby trapped so have
someone qualified disarm the thing. Inside are goodies and Black
Wizard scrolls. Somewhere in this area is more Treasure in another
Chest. My records have a note of what you find but not where. In
this chest is a Compass which you should "Action". Direction
notes then appear in the Grey Window on the right of your screen.
Haul the Party back to head north. Firstly on the east side to
find and fight Rats through the second door east. Then north up
the western side. Keep west through a door to fight more Rats and
discover a Chest with Scrolls and other Treasures. The Silver Ring
will give the Thief additional Lockpick skills.
Advancing up the other passage brings you to a Keyhole in the
wall. Use the Tunnel key here to enter the Dragon Inn - Level
Two. Keep north and east to find an empty Flask, Healing Scrolls
and other treasure.
You can continue if you wish through the Cellars to exit
eventually in the Dragon Inn but I'll do that section as if you've
entered from the Inn.
New Quests discovered -
1. Swampstation
2. Pharoah's Tomb
~DRAGON INN CELLARS
Dragon Inn located in Twinlake.
Map Level One on an 18 x 23 Grid.
Map Level Two on an 8 x 8 Grid (before it connects with Jonathan's
Cellar)
The entry point is in the mid-north. Turning right follow the
passage north to find a Flask. Then south to a room where there
are doors to the west and east. Explore the eastern door first.
Initially heading south then north to find another Flask and then
south to use a crowbar on a door south.
The door west here leads to a battle with Rats then west again to
go north to fight a Wine Slime. After disposing of this green
mucus you find a few goodies. Head to the small room beyond to
pick up an Old Flask of Wine that Breth, the Innkeeper, will pay
100 Gold for.
Return to the room where the door led west and use crowbar again.
Then north before heading south through a south door to fight more
Rats. East of this point find another Flask down a passage. Then
south again through a door to fight Rats. Go east down a long
passage to enter a false wall and descend stairs to Level Two.
At the end of level 2, which is pretty small find the Keyhole in
the Wall that needs the Tunnel Key from Jonathan's Laboratory to
open up the route into his cellars.
~JEWEL INN CELLARS
The Jewel Inn is to be found in Crystal.
Map Level One on a 23 x 23 Grid.
Map Level Two on another long long etc grid - 88 x 5.
Entry Point is is the northwest corner heading east. After
passing through the first door find a door to the south heading
east. This is the way to go. There is another door south round
the corner but there's nothing and no-one in the rooms beyond.
Through the door east head either north or south. The doors south
along the northern passage lead to another barren area. Go to the
southern passage and use your crowbar on the wall south (about 5
squares in from the eastern corner). You'll pass two drunken
Goblins before fighting Goblins through a door south. Find a door
west and then travel south and west to fight more Goblins at the
end of a passage.
Back to go north and west through a door, round a couple of
corners and another Goblin battle. South and head west to bash
another set of Goblins. Go north from here round yet more bends,
keep west and south to finally discover a Chest containing Flasks
and a Golden Wine Goblet.
Give this goblet to Orlando who'll reward you with the Old Key.
This key then fits the Keyhole in the Wall in the area south of
the Paladins' Guild in Crystal. The wall opens up and leads to a
Chest containing 657 Gold and a vital Piece of Amberstar.
The stairs down to level two are nearby, go west and south. Down a
passage with three doors off. Behind each door are Goblins to be
fought. Again the door east conceals Goblins. Explore and keep
heading east. One of the small rooms has a Chest. In the chest is
a message and 1296 Gold.
The parchment reads "I would remind you again that you must be
more careful! We don't want that old fool Orlando to notice that
we are selling him his own Wine!" signed Captain B. Much to my
disappointment showing this to Orlando or Captain Brix produced no
response.
You will fight another five sets of Goblins before emerging on an
Island. Beware for there are more Goblins on the Jetty and in the
surrounding landscape.
----------------------------------------------------------------
Time now to tackle the Wizard Towers. Each of the Towers has a
fast track route to the Guild contained within. It's tempting to
enter the password straight off BUT in doing so you won't gain the
experience that builds your Party's statistics. The Puzzlemouths
ask for the name of the Guild's founder and of course this is the
last Puzzle you solve. I'll provide the solution but only at the
point that the puzzle appears.
In terms of easiest first -
~WHITE WIZARD TOWER.
Map reference 280/168.
Located southeast of Crystal.
Map on a 23 x 23 Grid.
Entry point is in the mid east heading west. The Puzzlemouth is
before you. Head north and then south to enter a room with loads
of Teleports.
` 1 2 3
` 4 5 6 All but 5, 7 & 10 take you back
` 7 8 into the passage north
` 9 10 11 5 takes you back to the entrance
` 12 13 14 Access 7 and enter 10.
The correct Teleport takes you north. Head round a bend or three
to find stairs leading to a small passage. There are three of
these. Beware the spinner in the third one.
Going south you enter a large room. Walking only on the bones make
your way to the door in the southeast corner. Through the door
and go west ignoring the Teleport to the east. Half way along the
passage is a false wall to the south. You may have to trigger
this by visiting the Statue at the end of the passage who has the
message "There is no way past me". Twice through the false wall.
Going west at the end of the passage south leads to a barrel
containing eight torches. Head east through a couple of doors to
find and fight Skeletons. The lower ones in the three rooms are an
illusion.
Round and round the passages to find the Statue of the Founder
whose name is "Kasimir". Back and north to find the Guild entrance
and meet Crag, a level six White Wizard inside. Crag has a useful
staff should you choose to recruit. Head east from the guild to
use the password on the Puzzlemouth.
~TOWER OF GREY WIZARDS.
Map reference 090/138
Located on an island off the northeast coast.
Map on a 28 x 28 Grid.
Entry point is in the mid south. At the intersection to the north
the Puzzlemouth is to the north. Go west through two doors and
north through the second door to find two Flasks at the end of the
passage. Head south to find two Mushrooms in one alcove and three
Flasks in another. Shandra, the Wizard in Twinlake, will place
Healing 5 Potions in your Flasks if you say "Potions" to him and
Mera will convert the Mushrooms to Strength or Speed enhancements.
Go north but beware the spinner in the narrow section. There are
three more Mushrooms to be found in a corner to the northwest.
Travelling east then north you discover a passage with five
Teleports. Each one takes you to an independent area in the
northern area of your map.
Taking the most western Teleport first will take you to the mid
north. From your arrival point go north and through a door east
to fight Orcs. Return to the Teleport which takes you back to the
intersection below the Puzzlemouth. Unfortunately this happens
each time so you have to traipse all the way back through the
dreaded spinner to the Teleport passage.
Next Teleport in from the west takes you east of the area you've
just been to. Follow the passage round to meet Orcs and Goblins
through the door and enter the Teleport in the north.
The centre Teleport lands you in an area to the extreme northwest
of the map. Go north to obtain some valuable treasures. In the
Chest are Wands of Light and Fireballs; also here is a Staff of
Direction and most vital of all a Staff of Resurrection. Return
then to the Teleport. The Teleport second in from the east goes
to the extreme northeast of the map. Fight Orcs in the east and
Teleport back from the opposite corner. The final eastern
Teleport takes you into the remaining northern slot where you
dispose of more Orcs before Teleporting back to the intersection.
}From the intersection now go east. Travel round the walls to avoid
a spinner in the next two room east. The doors north and south in
the first room lead to empty areas but head north in the second
room. Go west and north to encounter Mummies. North again then
west to find a door west. Search the passage south before going
through the door to discover 359 Gold and a Torch. Through the
door search the barrels in the centre of the room to find useful
Herbs and four Torches. The Herbs will cure sickness etc that the
Mummies cast on you. See the Introductory notes in an earlier part
of this playguide to see which Herb cures what.
Along the passage west to have a tough battle with more Mummies.
The Staff of Resurrection will probably come into its own now.
Follow the passage round and round till you arrive at a locked
door. Use the Thief to pick the lock and find the Guild entrance
in the southern passage. Inside the Guild the Party meets Satine,
a level six Grey Wizard, who will be a great asset to your Party.
To the north of the Guild find the Statue of the Founder
"Landonis" at the end of a short passage. Back to the southern
passage and enter the password in the Puzzlemouth.
~BLACK WIZARD TOWER.
Map reference 266/306.
Located at the end of a rocky section that can only be accessed by
sea or air. To gain entrance to the Tower you must first have
obtained the Sphere of Opening from the Plant Room in the Jewel
Inn in Crystal. Use this on the altar and the circle of rocks will open.
Map Entrance Level on a 33 x 33 Grid
Map Level One on a 23 x 23 Grid
Map Level Two on a 13 x 13 Grid
Entry point is in the mid south. The Passage turns east at the
Puzzlemouth and stairs lead to the next Level.
}From the stairs head southeast to find a Pit halfway down a
corridor. If you have a Rope now is the time to use it otherwise
just drop down and take the Hit Points. The next few battles are
tough. I suggest that you SAVE before dropping down just in case
the Party is still too weak to take on the three sets of Skeletons
that guard this room. Head east when the Skeletons are done with
and find a door north. There are more Skeletons through the door
and beyond them find 238 Gold and three Torches. Exit the room and
head south to a room with loads of false walls. Cross the room to
exit into a corridor in the northwest corner of this room.
` E W E
` E W E W E X E X E X E Door
` KEY - E = Empty Space
` X E X E W E W E W E W
` W = Wall
` E W E X E W E X E X E
` X = False Wall
` E W W E X E X E W E W
` T = Teleport
` T W E X E W E W E X E
The Teleport sends the Party west into a corridor where Skeletons
are waiting for you. There's another set round the corner to the
north. Follow the passage east and explore north before entering
the door east. Find a bit of Gold and three Scrolls in the
alcove.
Through the door and into an area with 14, yes fourteen Teleports.
Thirteen you can see and one you can't. Naturally it's the one you
can't see that is the correct one. All the others send you back to
rooms earlier in the level so you have the pain of finding your
way back again. The real Teleport is accessed from the north of
the central pillar. Enter the false wall to be sent into an
alcove.
}From the alcove find Skeletons waiting to the north. Zap them and
enter the door north and fight another set of Skeletons. The rooms
beyond have doors galore. Not only that but there are three
spinners along the central corridor. More Skeletons lurk in the
room to the extreme west. Make your way east to exit this area to
the north. You now follow passages in an anti-clockwise route. At
the extreme northwest is a door behind which is 198 Gold and a
good Helmet. Go south to find more Skeletons with another lot
much further on. Finally enter a door to find a Teleport which
takes you to the bottom of a long corridor north.
Up the corridor to enter a door to the south and Teleport again
into a small room in the east of the map. Through the door and
round to fight Skeletons in the south. Enter another room to
Teleport again to the east. South through the door and head north
fighting Skeletons as you enter another room in the northeast and
Teleport again.
Head south from the next room and head west to dispose of yet more
Skeletons. Just look at your experience statistics now! Retrace
steps and go north then east at the crossroads and yes, Teleport
again. From the room in the northern area go south to Teleport for
the last time on this level. South through the door and fight
Skeletons en-route to the Stairs which lead to Level One.
Your entry point is just mid east in the centre of the map. Go
north meeting Skeletons just before a door north. Up and round and
fight two more sets of Skeletons in the northern passage. As you
head south peek into the room east to find three robes. Continue
south through the door and wend a torturous route to the south
west corner of the map to enter a door north. Bash the Skeletons
within and find Two Lockpicks, a Dagger and 99 Gold east of here.
North and east to discover Stairs up to Level Two.
Entry point is in the mid south. Go north and fight Skeletons in
the western passage. Again in the north corridor before entering a
door south. Just west through the door are two Flasks and a
smidgen of Gold. South round the houses to find the Statue of the
Founder in a southern alcove, "Nicademus".
The Guild entrance is to the left and stairs down on the right
through level one and down again to the Puzzlemouth on the
entrance level. Enter the password and out into the light of day.
In the Guild look in the Barrels to find Dried Herbs and Three
Blue Mushrooms.
~Continues in second part...
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