PC/CD Gamer UK 36/PCGAMER36.bin/walkthru/anvil/anvil.txt

Text File | 1996-06-05 | 81KB | 1,447 lines

ANVIL OF THE DAWN WALK-THRU
By James D. Hudnall (76507,1175) - Yes, I am the comic book writer

The purpose of this walk-thru is to help you make it through Anvil of the Dawn
without too many headaches. The game is fairly easy, but there are a few
places that are hard to figure out. I am not going to list where every item is
to be found in the game, but only tell you what you absolutely need to know.
That way, you won't have the whole game spoiled for you.

The game allows a player to take any course they want, rather than follow a
predestined path. But there is a right order to follow and a wrong order. Some
people have made it into desolation without getting all the pieces of the
chest they will need. Here is the dungeons one should conquer, in order:

Gryphon Keep
The Dark Lantern
The Undersea Maze
The Sunken Ship
The Underground City
The Land of Roots/Elder Tree
The Barrier
The Temple of the Moon
The City of the Dead
The Eye of Clay/Sanctuary
Gorge Keep (optional)
The Reed Plain (optional)
The Iron Titan
The Quagmire
Fire Mountain
The Warlord's Tower
The Anvil of the Dawn

We'll detail what you need to do in these places, but first let's deal with
the basics.

STARTING OUT

You can choose from five different characters. Each has an advantage in the
four statistics (Strength, Agility, Stamina, Power), except the mire lurk, who
has even stats across the board. You can modify any character's stats if you
want, so you don't have to choose Brice (the big hairy guy) for a strong
fighter. But the stats are limited to the amount given and only a modifier
like a talisman or a potion will allow you to increase them later. You don't
get to increase them permanently later in the game. So choose them well.

CONTAINERS

The inventory screen has an area that shows what you're carrying. Everything
is placed there in a jumble if you right click to add your items to inventory.
In order to keep things organized you will come across containers in the game.
They come in two forms: Sacks and Chests.

I recommend you use sacks to hold rocks and chests to hold other items. There
are a lot of places in the game where you will need to weigh down a pressure
plate with ten rocks. You won't always have a block figurine to spare. Using a
bag full of rocks is a lot easier to deal with because to can pick it back up
in a jiffy when you're ready to leave. Fill each sack with ten big rocks and
you will have perfect tools for dealing with those annoying plates. Always
test a plate first to see if it can take only one to three rocks, because you
don't want to tie up a whole sack of you only needed one rock. AND ALWAYS
REMEMBER TO TAKE YOUR BAG WHEN YOU LEAVE THE AREA. You will get three bags in
the game. One in Gryphon Keep, one in the Dark Lantern, and one in the Sunken
Ship.

The Chests are great for storing items. You get three of them eventually. I
recommend putting all pieces of the quest in one chest, use another for money
and temple tokens and a third for magic items like potions and power-ups. That
way you will be able to access things without sorting through a big mess. Keys
should be left available on the main screen in a neat pile, because you won't
be carrying them around long.

ARTIFACTS

These come in many forms. Most are offensive spells, but there are also
amulets that enhance your stats and potions that enhance them temporality.
There are two potions in the game that enhance your stats permanently. They
are the potion of Mortal Enhancement and the Potion of Magical Enhancement.
When you take these they raise your maximum health or mana (magic) points
permanently. However, the number they give you is random. Always save before
drinking one, then restore and try again if the new points are low. The max
for health seems to be 10. I never accept less than an 8. The max mana seems
to be 80. I never accept less than 65.

The block figurine is one of the most useful items you come across. Using one
creates a stone block for weighing down a pressure plate. Use these things
sparingly. I will tell you where you need to use them. You should use rocks
whenever possible, and save these for the places where a block is really
needed.

THE MAP

The auto map is very useful in this game because it will not only show you
what areas you missed, it can be used to spot enemies and see if doors have
opened outside of your field of vision. When you step on a plate or throw a
switch you can check the map to see if it changed anything on the map. This is
very useful. Monsters appear as green squares and those annoying rolling rocks
are shown also in relation to where they are when the map was called up.

When you enter a dungeon or exit a stairway, ALWAYS turn around and look back
the way you came so the map will register it. Otherwise the exit will show up
blank. You should want to know where the exit is at all times. You can also
make notes on the map by clicking on the pen box. I recommend this for
confusing areas.

Now for the game...

THE CASTLE OF THE LADY

Okay, your character has just awoken and you have to start the game. Grab
what's in the chest in your room, turn the knob on the wall that opens the
door (it's on an artsy pattern next to the door) and talk to each character on
your way down the stairs. You don't need to talk to the guards or the servant
boy, but you can if you want to.

The first person you need to see is the castle wizard. He will teach you the
spell of healing and an optional offensive spell. I recommend choosing the
water spell "Shackles of Ice". This spell freezes your opponent temporarily so
he can't fight back. The other spells are okay, but they are slow and don't
give you as much of an advantage. You will get all these spells later so don't
worry about missing them here. But make sure you talk to the wizard because
he's the only source of the heal spell and you need it to win the game.

Next up is the armorer. I suggest you get a sword (Slashing weapon). Swords
are the best weapon in the game. You will end up with two really powerful
swords later on, so spend your skill points on slashing before you start to
improve any others.

Always check the damage a weapon does when you get it by bringing it up to the
eye on the inventory screen and clicking on it. The higher the damage, the
more deadly the weapon. Ranged weapons aren't much use in this game except in
a few places. You don't really need them.

Finally, you meet the old man who tells you what your mission is. He will
direct you to a portal that will  take you to the wine cellar of Gryphon Keep.
Enter and you are on your way.

GRYPHON KEEP

Goal: Find the Spell of Heavenly Mend, Find Exit

This is the easiest dungeon in the game and serves to educate you on the game
mechanics. You start out in a wine cellar. Make your way to the door opened by
a pressure plate on the floor. Stepping on the plate opens it. Step inside and
fight the guard. You may find it closing on you before you can do that. This
is because the guard stepped on a plate on his side. Step back on your plate
and the door will open again.

The wine cellar/basement level is pretty small. There are a few guards to
kill. Two will drop keys which will open the rooms on this level. In one room
you will find Lord Gryphon, who is dying. Talk to him and he will give you his
signet ring. You will need this when you finish the keep.

The ground floor is pretty straight forward. In four corners of the keep are
stairs that go to four separate towers. Each has some useful items. There are
long halls on either side of the castle and lots of rooms in between. I will
break down the areas by compass direction on the map.

The South West Tower entrance has no door. There is a healing altar nearby.
This is where you use the strange looking tokens that you find to heal
yourself. The gold ones heal all your points, the flesh colored ones heal a
random amount of points. Upstairs in the tower are two pressure plates. You
need to weigh down the one in front of the door first, with three rocks. Then
step on the other plate. This will open the door to the next room. A round
switch on the wall opens an alcove where two chests are hidden. There is also
a chest on this level with the spell of "Heavenly Mend of Unseen Artisans". Do
not leave the keep without this spell. It is essential to winning the gam and
this is the only place you find it.

The South Corridor of the Keep has a flying skull spell coming down the hall
like clockwork. Wait for it to pass. You will see a door with no way to open
it. Find a side passage nearby. At the end is a switch on the side wall. Throw
the switch. A rock will roll back and forth, opening the door in the south
hall every now and then. Go to the door and wait for it to open. You may get
hit by a skull spell, so make sure you are healed up.
Inside you get your first shield in the game.

The South East tower entrance is opened by pushing a stone block onto a nearby
plate. You will enter a room with rolling rocks. Find the stairs. In the tower
is a Mana Altar which can only be accessed by putting a gold coin in the hole
in the wall next to the door.

At the East side of the keep is the exit to outside. Make sure you finish the
keep before leaving. You can reach the exit by pushing a block onto a plate
near the door. This leads to a hallway with some chests before the true exit.

Across from the Exit hall is a big Throne room where there are several chests.
You can enter this room by putting one stone on the plate in front of the
door. In this room is a messenger monster. These guys are really tough to
fight. I suggest using the offensive spells you find earlier to soften him up
first. If he is hurting youbadly, try running away and healing up, then come
back and finish him off.

The North East Tower entrance is opened by entering the room next door and
placing three rocks on each of the two pressure plates inside. There are two
doors that open periodically due to a rolling rock. Wait for them to open. One
leads to the tower. Upstairs you will find two pressure plates next to a
switch in the wall. Move back and forth on the plates until you can throw the
switch. An alcove opens revealing two chests.

The North West Tower entrance is opened by a switch in the wall. Near this
entrance is a room with armor. It doesn't hurt to get it before you go on.
Upstairs in the tower are two pressure plates you have to walk over before
reaching the chests. Move fast and then sidestep. These chests activate traps
that send Earthen Fists flying at you from behind.

After you have searched every room, go outside the castle and turn to face the
ruins one step from the door. You will meet Parselfal, whom Lord Gryphon spoke
to you about. Parselfal will hand you a bag of gold coins which come in useful
later.

Head on straight down the way you were coming to the Dark Lantern, your next
dungeon.

THE DARK LANTERN

Goal: Talk to Wizard, Get Sea Shell of Summoning

When you reach the causeway leading to the Lantern Tower, you will see it is
gone. Use the spell of "Heavenly Mend of Unseen Artisans" to repair the
causeway, then head to the tower.

This is a small place except for the basement. On the first floor you will
have to put three rocks on the pressure plate near the entrance to make a
teleporter vanish. Then, put a rock on the pressure plate the teleporter was
hiding. This will open the door to the rest of the tower.

In the north is the exit to the pier. You will leave this way when you finish
the tower so make a note of it. There is a block nearby. Push it onto a plate
to open the two doors leading down and up. Take the down stairs first. You
should finish the basement level before going on to the rest of the tower.

Next to the stairs is a healing altar. A gargoyle guards the entrance to the
north section of the basement. Talk to it and find out you need to "unsummon"
it.

Go south to a long hall, then west.  In a north side passage is a switch. This
opens a wall to the south. In this area are some chests and a clue to
unsummoning the gargoyle.

Down the hall, west of there is a side passage to the north. There are lots of
chests in here, guarded by Wyverns. The chests are hidden behind illusory
walls. You can always tell an illusory wall because it flickers. Pay close
attention to each wall.

Further west is a pressure plate that makes a teleporter appear. Enter the
teleporter and find yourself in an area guarded by a juggernaut. There is
better armor in a chest nearby.  There is also a section with two rolling
rocks. This section will have a chest with one part of the unsummon spell. You
need to get it then teleport out and reenter the hall teleporter. This will
take you to another identical area. Go to the rolling rock spot and get the
second part of the unsummon spell.

At the west end of the long hall is a plate and a wall switch. Step on the
plate and then flip the switch. It opens a door to the south.

This area comes in two parts. Behind an illusory wall is a big room with four
wyverns guarding chests. The middle chest contains a sea shell. You need this
to get to the sunken ship. The other area has two hidden chests revealed at
the far west end by stepping on a pressure plate. Unfortunately, the plate
also causes a screaming skull spell to come flying at you. If you avoid the
spell, it goes into a teleporter nearby and comes around again. Every time you
step on the plate, more skulls fly. If you keep avoiding them you will soon
see lots of flying skulls. This is very dangerous because you will get hit
sooner or later, so take it like a man and empty those chests.

Now you can go back the way you came and unsummon the gargoyle. You will then
find a long hall with a door to the south and a door to the west. You need a
key to go west so enter the south door.

You will find yourself in a large room with rocks neatly laid out. Walk the
length of the room along the north wall and head south toward the entrance to
the next room. There is a spinner going on in this room that will try to mess
up your sense of  direction. Try doing moves in reverse when this happens and
make your way into that room. It takes some effort. You will find a chest with
the key and three teleporters guarded by a juggernaut. The middle teleporter
will take you to the exit of the rock room so you don't have to deal with the
spinner again.

Once you unlock the west door you find yourself in a similar room. The far
west door needs a key, the door to the south is opened by a pressure plate.
There is a stone block you need top destroy to free a pressure plate. This
will open the door to a room with a bunch of chests. One of the has the key to
the third area.

The third area is the same. You'll need a key to go further west. Entering the
south door you'll see rolling rocks. Enter their halls and find the gaps to
get across to a room. Throw any switch you see. Get the key in a chest.

The fourth area is the final area. A door to the south leads you to a room
full of switches. Throw all the switches. Doors open revealing chests. One
door leads to the final room. To get in you have to go to a side passage, kill
the juggernaut and put a block on the pressure plate. The other pressure
plates will then let you in the door.

Now head upstairs to the second floor of the tower. There are three doors
leading to the stairs to level three. To open them you must do the following:
Near the doors is a switch                    in a recessed area. It causes a
stone to roll onto a plate. Throw it. Now, there is a pressure plate east of
the stairs. Put three big rocks on it. Another plate in the south requires a
block. A wall opens and closes periodically. It has the block, but I'm not
sure if you push it into one of the plates in this area or on the plate to the
north. I just made sure there is a block on the first plate in the hidden area
and the one exposed.

The doors will then be open, go on the way to the stairs is a side passage
with an illusory wall. Throw the switch on the other side and rob the chest.
Head upstairs and you will walk across a plate that opens a wall. Inside,
behind a illusory wall is a chest with a key inside. Get it. East of the
stairs is a Mana altar. Throw the switch nearby. This will cause rocks in
another room to roll which will open the door to the Wizard's lair.

You will find that he's already dead. Get the yellow globe on the floor and
put it in the fish's mouth. Go to the nearby chest and read the scroll inside.
Then click on the globe. The wizard will tell you his story. In the locked
room is a chest with a good sword.


Now that you've cleared the tower, make your way to the pier exit on the
ground floor. You can take the teleporter in the hidden room where in the key
was, but it takes you to the causeway exit. Use the pier exit. Go to the end
of the pier and use the sea shell. Talk to the elemental, then enter...

THE UNDERSEA MAZE

Goal: Get to ship

This area is pretty simple. It's a maze with the center as the goal. But you
must inspect every square inch of the place before you try to enter the
center. You'll need to find eight pearls to reach the center. You should also
find Aegis, the best shield in the game. Throw away your old shield when you
find it. The maze has blood thorns which can poison you, so save up on those
poison cures. Only use them when you really need them. If you can fight a
couple monsters while poisoned, hold out until you must use the cure. That way
you won't run out.

There is a teleporter on each side of the maze that will take you to the
opposite side. There are two exits. One takes you to a land pier to the south
of the underground city. The other takes you to the lantern pier. If you
accidentally exit the maze, call the elemental with the shell again and click
on GREET.

The Mana Altar is in the North West part of the maze, the Health Altar is in
the South West part of the maze.

Once you reach the center of the maze, teleporters will block your way. You
need to enter them until you are next to a chest with the final pearl.
Teleport back and put the pearl in the hole in the wall. The next teleporter
will take you to the center where another teleporter whisks you away to an
area north of the maze, the entrance to the ship.

THE SUNKEN SHIP

Goal: Talk to Demon

You enter the ship and find yourself in a room with two exits to the north.
Either one takes you to a huge room in the center of the ship. The far west
side of this room is a altar of healing. You need a gold coin to get in. The
far east is a room with the demon the wizard told you about. The demon wants
eight hearts, which you get by killing the sailors on the ship. You get four
on the first level and four on the upper level. You may want to wait until you
have all the hearts before talking to the demon to save trips back and forth.

The north east door of the great hall is opened by pulling the anchor switch.
Inside the room are seven switches. Pull them all. You can now enter seven
doors off the hall.

The south east door leads to the stairs going up. Save them for after you
finish clearing level one.

Somewhere near the western end of the great hall are two doors facing each
other. They are opened or closed by a pressure plate. To hold down the plate,
put a bag on rocks on it. Take them off to enter the opposite door. Both rooms
are identical. They have a teleporter and a wall switch. Two pebbles will be
on the floor. Get them, pull the switch, enter the teleporter. Put a pebble on
each pressure plate in the room you have arrived in, then step in the
teleporter to get sent back to the hallway. Only one teleporter does this. The
other keeps you in the room.

You can now get into four rooms at the west side of the ship.

Now go upstairs. To the east of the ship is a area with rooms and chests. A
hidden room can be accessed by fining an illusory wall near the area where a
rolling rock is standing in a side room. Enter the wall, throw the switch and
two rocks roll onto plates, opening up the hidden room to the far east.

The middle section of the ship has a large room with four blocks in the
center. Push them onto the four plates in each corner. This opens a door to
the north that leads to the captain's quarters. On the way watch out for the
rolling rock. There are alcoves you can jump in to let the rock pass.

The captain's quarters is in a hidden area. You can only reach it by stepping
on the pressure plate in the center of the room. A wall to the north opens. Go
into the south room, pull the wall switch. Do the same to the north room and a
west wall will start to open and close. Enter and find a suit of shell armor
and some other stuff. The suit is the best one so far. It looks goofy, though.


Go back and talk to the demon, give him the hearts. Now that you've
accomplished that and found out what you need to do in the game, go back into
the sea maze.

The north west corner of the sea maze is the exit leading to the underground
city. That's the best way to go.

THE UNDERGROUND CITY

Quest Items: Heartstone, Sun Disc, Trumpet of Earthen Quake

This place is pretty creepy.  If you came out of the sea onto the land pier
you will enter the city from the East. If you go in from the Gryphon Keep side
you will enter South. At the South entrance is an NPC who will tell you the
story of the city. It is haunted by some horrible monsters. The Blood Spawn
are especially tough. There are two other exits to this place. North is the
Exit to the Elder Tree. West takes you to the Barrier.

If you enter from the East follow the outer wall south until you get to the
south entrance. This is a good starting point. Talk to the weird looking man.
Following along the outer walls is usually safe. No monsters are around there
unless they chase you there. The only threat are Iron fist spells which fly
along a set path. These are easy to avoid. You can use a reflecting pool spell
to deflect them anyway.

There are two levels to this place. A huge main level with lots of buildings
to explore and a small mine level where you will find the heartstone needed
for your quest. Worry about the mine later. Save it for last.

Throw away the Sea Conch if you want to. It's no longer needed.

Since most of this dungeon is pretty cut and dry I will only describe the
tricky parts. The main thing to remember is look for illusory walls, all picks
stuck in walls are switches and be careful of those monsters.

Like the sea maze, there are teleporters at each side of the dungeon, next to
the exits, that will take you to the other side of the city. The altars are in
two separate areas. The Health Altar is in a open area surrounded by a lot of
monsters. It's near the center, north of the Enclave Area. You can just ignore
the monsters and heal up if you are desperate. They don't immediately attack
you unless you face them. The Mana altar is slightly north of the West exit.
You need an Amethyst Hex key to get in. This is found in a house nearby,
surrounded by four pressure plates. (See description below)

We'll start with the south entrance and work our way around in no particular
order. There are plenty of other places I don't describe here. Make sure you
check everyone. Don't leave any section of the map blank.

Directly to the north of the south entrance is an area I call the Enclave. It
is a large walled off area full of houses. The entrance has rolling rocks and
spikes guarding it. Go straight through, watching out for the rocks and fire
spells. You will find the place has lots of houses. Directly north of the
entrance is the first place you should enter. Here are a couple Sword Thanes
(like the one's guarding Gryphon Keep) inside. One of them will drop a gold
skull key when you kill him. To the west of this room is another room opened
by a pressure plate. A messenger will be guarding it. Kill him and take his
hat. These hats are the best headgear in the game until you get the knight's
armor, so throw away that stupid seashell helmet. An adjoining room is entered
by stepping on the pressure plate again. Inside you will find a sun disc. This
is an important item you will need later on.

Two houses on either side of the enclave have pressure plates. They take one
rock each. Now go around the enclave and clean out the other houses. The one
locked by the gold skull key has a flame shooting crossbow inside. It's
helpful against blood spawn. Especially when you enter the rolling rock house
I describe later.

Finished with the enclave? Okay, let's now go north of there to the healing
altar. It's in an open area surrounded by what looks like square pillars.
There are a lot of monsters here, so be careful. It's also a no magic zone, so
you will have to use your weapons on the beasties. If you don't look at them,
they usually won't attack, so if you are desperate for healing, just ignore
them and head for the altar. One of the quivering pool monsters will drop an
ankh when you kill him. This is needed to enter a house near the east exit. If
you don't get an ankh in this area, you will probably get it from another
quivering pool elsewhere. They are really small, so pay close attention to the
ground.

To the east of the enclave, just south of the altar area, is a house that must
be opened with a blue tear key. Inside a rolling rock moves across your path.
Monsters block your away ahead. You have to kill them without stepping in the
way of the rock which will clobber you. The Inferno weapon comes in handy
here. Also, the throwing star you found in the sea maze that comes back to
your hand. Another method is just step up when the rock passes, take a whack
at the monster, then step back. When the monsters are dead, go into the far
room and throw a wall switch. This will open a door in the hall where the rock
is rolling back and forth. Go right, raid the chest, then return to the
switch, throw it again, and go left down the hall when the rock passes to find
another chest. You will find an hour glass artifact that comes in real handy
later.

In the South East corner of the city is a house with three pick switches in
its walls and a teleporter blocking the door. Fire spells keep starting
periodically. Wait for the fires to die down. Go to the west/left switch. Pull
it, then go to the east/right switch, pull it. The teleporter will have
vanished. Then, pull the middle switch and enter. There are illusory walls
directly in front of you. Behind them are some chests.

Next door is a house with a rolling rock sitting motionless between two
pressure plates. Nearby is a chest with a key and a wall switch. Get the key,
throw the switch. Open the locked door with the key and you will see a rock
rolled away to reveal a chest. Raid the chest, go back to the switch, throw it
again and return to find another chest revealed.


Near the East exit is a big house requiring an ankh key. There is a hole in
the wall next to the door and a speaking statue. Use the ankh to enter, go to
the door that has a wall switch next to it in the north east of the place.
Throw the switch, enter and you will see a pressure plate. Step on the plate
four times and it will open the other doors. Two rooms are empty. Two have
monsters. One has a chest with another hourglass artifact.

North East of the city, next to the Ankh house is a house opened by a blue
tear key. Entering you will see two pressure plate doors and a door opened by
a wall switch. The wall switch opens the center door which only leads outside.
The north room has a chest containing the Trumpet of Earthen Quake. The south
room has a sleepy imp inside. Talk to him then leave the room and shut the
door. Now, without entering the room again, step on the plate and open the
door. Use the hourglass you found to stop time. Enter the southern room and
you should see the imp sleeping with a thought bubble over his head. Wait for
the time spell to wear off and you will learn the spell of  Fire Haven.

Slightly west of the south exit is a house with two closed doors and a stone
block. Destroy the block with your sword and the doors will open. The door
farthest away from the block may need coaxing. Step on and off the plate until
it opens up. You can check it with your map.

Near the West exit is a house surrounded by four pressure plates. Put one rock
filled bag (8 to 10 rocks per bag) on three of the plates. You should have
three bags by now. On the fourth plate place a stone block. Now you can enter
the house. If you don't have enough rocks or blocks, then try entering anyway.
A spinner will make it really hard but if you keep trying you will eventually
get in. It took me a long time when I tried it without the rocks. Inside you
will find the Amethyst Hex key needed to get to the Mana Temple.

The Mana Temple is slightly north of the west entrance. You need the Amethyst
Hex key to enter. There will be blood spawn guarding the place and it is a no
magic zone.

Near the North Entrance is a house opened by a steel circle key. This house
contains a great sword, the best weapon you will find up to this point in the
game. It can cause up to 16 points in damage. So I recommend you start using
it.

In the North West section is the entrance to the mine. It's a wood building
with a rock rolling in front of the entrance. But before you enter, next to
this building are two rows of small houses. Explore them and you will find a
little girl. Talk to her before entering the mine.

Back to the mine. Fight your way past two blood spawn to the stairs. The
stairs lead down. You will find you way blocked by a collapse. Use the
Heavenly Mend spell to raise all fallen debris. You will find a miner near the
entrance. He is the father of a little girl NPC you can find upstairs. The
miner will tell you about the heart stone and give you a tool for finding it.
Once you have the stone you can leave the mine. It's not worth exploring as
there are a lot of zones that steal your mana points and no treasure. You'll
also fight Jesters, who are a pain in the butt. You may want to use the
Reflecting Waters spell to avoid getting hit by their screaming skulls when
you're not looking.

Here is the directions to the heartstone if you want to get there without too
much bother.
Go south of the miner, take the first left, heading east, take the second
right, heading south, go around the bend heading south. The next right and you
will see the stone stuck in the south wall. Take it and get the hell out of
there. It's not worth hanging around.

Once you are finished with the underground city you will have one green leaf
key left. Throw it away. Some programmer made a mistake in the game. Now head
out the north exit and you will face the Elder Tree.

THE ELDER TREE/THE LAND OF ROOTS

Quest Items:  Dragon Amber, Hallowed Staff of Elder Wood

Now that you've beat the underground city, you should have the Trumpet of
Earthen Quake in your possession. Head toward the tree and you will see the
bridge is up, turn right and keep going until you see a big rock holding back
the sea. Use the trumpet. You can now enter the Elder Tree.

Once you enter the tree, you can get rid of the trumpet. You don't need it
anymore.

The Healing Altar is just outside the entrance room, to the west. There is no
Mana Altar in this Dungeon.

This place is divided into the ground floor called the Land of Roots, which is
rather large, and the Elder Tree, which is a series of small floors leading up
to the top. You need to go to the top floor before you do anything else.

When you enter the tree, you start out in a room with a door to the north and
a teleporter east and west. Go east to the teleporter that takes you to the
stairs. Go north to the stairs, fight your way to the top. The Fungus Man and
Earthbile monsters will poison you and there are no poison cure bottles on the
way, so use your stash sparingly.

The floors with the Fungus Men are a trap. There are hidden alcoves behind
illusory walls where fungus men lie in wait. When you get attacked by a fungus
man coming at you from the front, wait for him to come to you. DON'T stand in
front of those illusory walls or you will be slammed from three sides! Kill
the Fungus man and run for the stairs. If you really want to fight the others,
go ahead, but you can bypass these levels once you reach the top. You don't
need to come back this way.

At the fourth floor you will see a pressure plate. Drop a bag of rocks on it
and a wall opens up. You will get an Earthen Rot Spell inside a chest there.
Now go up to the top and exit the tree. Turn to face the west and the tree
spirit will appear. She will give you a wand of healing called the Hallowed
Staff of Elder Wood. This thing makes your healing spells a lot more effective
when you hold it.

Now go back into the tree and take the teleporter to the second floor and head
for the Land of Roots. You're ready to finish off the rest of this dungeon.

Okay, let's start from the stairs and work our way back to the entrance.

South of the stairs is a rolling rock that keeps entering a teleporter and
coming back around. Wait for it to pass then enter the teleporter. It should
take you west of it. If not try again, then move out of the way so you don't
get clobbered by the rock.

Due North West of the stone teleporter is a illusory wall facing a north
passage. Enter and go to through the other illusory wall. Be aware that a
spinner will trick you and make you face the opposite direction, so watch the
map window on the lower corner of your screen. When your direction turns you
can back up into the wall, or just turn yourself around again. Heal the root
you find hidden away in there. Now go south the way you came, then west.

There will be a door with a teleporter nearby. Enter the teleporter and you
will find yourself in the room behind the door. When you're finished you
should have a stone claw key. Step on the plate and you will be let out.

Go south of there to find the room needing the stone claw key. The place is
large and full of fungus men. West of this room is an illusory wall where a
big rock rolls in and out. Follow the rock and you will find another root to
heal.

Back through the stone teleporter until you are back where you started. Head
due east, then south down a twisty passage. When it comes to the T crossing,
go east. You will enter a room with spikes and a rolling rock. Navigate around
the rock and head north, turn east then go down another long passage, being
careful to avoid another rolling rock. At the end are some chests with some
useful stuff and another root. Now go slightly north and enter an illusory
wall on the east. There is a teleporter inside. Take it.

You will find yourself in a room in the North East section of the map. It goes
in a circle around a area with no door. There are four pressure plates in this
area. One of them will move when you step on it. Weigh this one down with a
bag of rocks. Now repeat on plate, using blocks when you run out of bags. Go
back to the first bag and pick it up. A door wil open in the wall. Kill the
earthbile, raid the chests and heal the root.

After retrieving your bags from the plates, enter the illusory wall and go
around the teleporter. You will find another root to heal. Once you're done
with it, you can enter the teleporter and make your way back to that T
crossing.

Go west, young man, but the passage will turn south. Go all the way south till
you come to a room with four teleporters in it. The front two blink on and
off. Wait for them top blink off then step into the back teleporters. You will
find yourself in either a passage with a chest or a hall with a root to heal.
Whatever, do your thing then reenter the teleporter and get to the other hall.
When you're done, teleport out of there by reentering the 'porters until you
are able to leave the room. Head north and face the east door that needs a
copper sun key. You should have found one in the teleporter room. Open the
door and do your thing. You will find a illusory wall to the south. Put a bag
on rocks on it and it opens a wall in the main room, revealing a chest. The
chest has some armor that's better than the Sea Shell stuff, but just as goofy
looking. Don't worry. There's some fly armor coming up later in the game.

Now head west again. In an area where blue fires sprout you will see a door to
the south opened by a pressure plate. That's the entrance room. You want to
pass it for now and keep going west. Take a north west route first. It leads
eventually to a passage that heads south over two pressure plates. Step on the
first one and a wall opens up nearby. Go inside, do your thing. Explore the
rest of this small area, and so on.

Due west of the entrance you will come to a shut door. South of there is an
area with pressure plates and a block. Cast a Reflections on the Lake spell
and push the block all the way west. The door will now be open. Talk to the
purple rock and you will be almost be finished with this dungeon.

In the south west corner of the dungeon there is a shut door and two pressure
plates. Step on them to open the door. Heal the root inside.

East of this door is an area with a rolling rock. Moves north and south in
front of an illusory wall. Go inside and get some block figurines. They'll
come in handy later on.

Okay, you're almost done. Go back to the entrance room and take the teleporter
to the dragon (the western 'porter). Put the ruby shard you found earlier into
the hole in the wall next to a door and get the jar out of the chest. Now
Click on the ornate hole in the wall where the dragon comes out and say it's
name. MAKE SURE YOU HAVE THE JAR ON YOUR CURSOR ICON when you do this. A
dragon comes out and spits amber. Gather it up with the jar on your cursor.
You now have the second quest item the demon mentioned. Put it away with the
heartstone.

Now leave the tree through the way you entered. You are not ready to cross
over into desolation yet. Go back to the underground city and take the west
exit. Head for the Barrier.


THE BARRIER

Quest Items: Spring Equinox Disc

Before you enter this place, turn right  and go into the ruined house. You
will find an old man there who wants to trade with you. Buy everything he has.
You will get some useful items. Now head back to the barrier.

This place is a simple maze. You can cut straight through it once you solve
the place, but first you need to deal with some headaches. The monsters here
are the hilarious Clansmen, who sound like Scotty on Star Trek, and the
Colossal Baboons who are no laughing matter.

You can avoid the baboons by freeing their king. But to do that you have to
fight a bunch of clansman. The main goal here is gather up four ivory lion
keys and place a stone block on each of the four pressure plates found at each
corner of the dungeon.

When you enter the East entrance of the place you find dying warrior who tells
you the tale of the place. Past him to the west is a door opened by a switch
on the wall. This will lead to an area with a spinner. There are four
directions you can go in this spinner area. Go north. It takes some getting
used to but eventually you can do it without a lot of effort.

Due east of the north door in the next room is a Healing and Mana Altar.

Now, you can go north, east, or west when you enter the north door. Unless you
need to use the altars, go north.

The first room you enter has a side passage to the west full of stone blocks.
Destroy the first block and you will see an illusory wall. Enter and follow
the passage around. When you come out the other side, push the block in front
of you north onto a pressure plate. Now destroy the block to the west. You can
then enter a secret area and find members of the resistance. Take four stone
block figurines from the chests in there. They're needed for this level.

Go back past the blocks and head north. West is an area with lots of plates.
Cast a reflections on the lake spell and walk over the plates until the door
to the west opens. Go inside and find the withered hand key and the first
plate you need to weigh down. Put a block on it.

Before you explore anymore of the north section, go back to the spinner and
head through the south door. Either fight or avoid the baboon that you see,
but head due south of the door until you find a Green Baboon behind a force
field. He's their king. Talk to him, then use the withered hand key to free
him. All the baboons will vanish from the game and you will not have to fight
them. If you want to fight them, save the king for last.

Behind the king are some chests. One of them has the Spring Equinox disc. Put
it away with the sun disc and the other quest items.

Go north again and finish off the north area. Heading west of the North door,
you will find more chests. Heading east, past the altars, you will come to a
twisty passage that heads North East. When it dead ends, fine the switch that
opens a wall. Cast a Reflections on the Lake spell and move through the next
area as fast as you can. There are doors that open and shut in the walls. If
you move fast you can catch them all before they close. When you see the
pressure plate, put a block on it.

Now go through the south door again.

Head east. You will come to an area with a row of plates. Walk over the plates
then put a bag of rocks on the first plate. Find the SE corner plate and put a
block on it.

Now head west. The SW plate is in a hidden area. Find an illusory wall on the
south wall. Behind it is a teleporter. It will take you to the area with the
SW plate. Put a block on the SW plate and one rock on the other plate to
activate an escape 'porter. Now head down the south west passage and you will
come to an area where four doors need four ivory lion keys. You should have
three by now. A Clansman will drop the fourth one when you kill him. Open all
four doors and throw all four switches. The blocks you put in the four corners
opened inner doors here. If you failed to place any of the blocks, these doors
will be closed.

Throwing the switches opens the way due west. Go back to the spinner. Head
west. Unlock the first door then throw all the switches you see on the way
out. These turn off spinners.

You are now across the scar and ready for the Temple of the Moon.

THE TEMPLE OF THE MOON

Quest Items: Tears of the Weeping Moon, Three Soul Houses

Leaving the Barrier, head due west until you see some strange rock formations,
like dark fingers. Turn north and you will see a white towered city. Head
straight for it. It's the Temple of the Moon.

This place is on three levels. The main level is large. There are two floors
above which are slightly smaller. The South Eastern exit leads to the City of
the Dead where you need to go after finishing this place off.

When you enter the temple, a blank scroll will be on the floor. Pick it up and
click on the floating pen in front of you. It will answer your questions by
writing on the scroll. You need a blank scroll for each question and these you
will find throughout the first floor of this dungeon.

In the next two rooms are chests. One has an iron mark. The other has a blank
scroll. North is a door to a long hallway where a rolling rock moves east and
west. Another hall just like it runs parallel to the north. Destroy the blocks
in-between so you can avoid getting hit.  I'll refer to these halls as the
north and south halls. The south being the one closest to the entrance.

Wait for the rock to roll East then walk West down the South Hall. On the way
you can enter a room to the south by hitting the wall switch. In there you'll
find a gold Ankh key.

Keep on going west. Before the hall ends you'll see an illusory wall to the
north. Inside is a chest and two harpys.

At the west end of the south hall is a door with a switch on the wall and a
plate om front of it. Weigh down the plate with a bag of rocks. Then throw the
switch. The door will open. Now go around the room turning on every wall
switch you see. There will be an area where you will see some pressure plates.
Ignore that for a second. You will see a side room with a Lightning Wild spell
roving the hall. Cast a Reflections on the Lake spell and go into this other
room and search it. After making a circle of the rooms and turning on all the
wall switches, you can take back your rocks bag without exiting the room. Go
to the area with two pressure plates in an alcove. Step on the plates, back
and forth until you see another area next to this one has opened up. Weigh
down that plate with two rocks. A secret passage will open up nearby with a
chest inside.

In the Southwest corner is a room opened by an opal moon key. You should have
got the key off of one of the monsters you killed while combing the area.
Inside there is a side passage with a pressure plate in front. Step on the
plate, wait for the fire spells to wear off, the go inside and get a soul
house. You will need this later. Search the rest of the area, then go out into
the main room and look for the teleporter that came up when you hit a wall
switch. This will take you to the east side of the south hall.

Before you explore this area to much, go into the south hall and raid the room
next door, which is opened by a wall switch. Now return to the South East area
and raid any chests you find. To the south is a teleporter in a hallway. Keep
entering it until you are on the other side and able to enter the room. The
first time another teleporter will block you way. This will be gone the next
time. It is activated by a plate you are standing on.

Once you are in this room you will see an east, west and south door. Ignore
the south door because that leads to the City of the Dead and you aren't going
there yet. Go to the East door. One of the monsters you kill will drop an opal
moon key. Raid the chests then go to the West door and open it with the key.
You will find a second Soul house in a chest in this room. Take it.

Now, go to the North Hall and avoid the rock. Go all the way to the west door
leading north. The East door can only be opened from the inside. Use the Gold
Ankh key to get in.

You will find yourself in a room leading to the tower stairs. In the North of
this area is a Healing Altar. Find the stairs and head up.

The second floor is pretty simple. You come up the stairs and find a
teleporter to either side of you. It doesn't matter which one you take. They
both go to an identical room where two harpies will attack you. Choose which
one you want, kill the harpies and make for the hall directly south. The
teleporter you se in these rooms takes you back to the stairs.

A long hall goes east and west. Go East all the way and enter a southern area.
You will see a room off to the East. It opens by pulling the Cross shaped wall
switch. Inside is a Mana Altar and two chests. Go down the south hall, step on
a pressure plate and it opens a wall to the north hiding a chest with the
third Soul House. You now have all of them.

Continue south down the hall and the last room has something called the Sacred
Sipher in it. You need this bottle so don't forget it. Read the note on the
floor.

Go all the way west down the hall, ignoring the center southbound hall for a
moment. You will enter an area were a rolling rock opens and shuts a door. Go
in the door and follow the rolling rock to your right as it enters a
teleporter. You will find yourself in a room with a chest. In the chest is a
powerful weapon.

Now, return to the main hall and go to that center south bound hallway. Wait
for the teleporters to blink off them move down that hall as fast as you can.
At the end is an illusory wall. Enter it and raid the chest. Now go up the
nearby stairs.

He third floor is a series of doors and teleporters leading to the Oracle. You
need eight gold coins and two iron marks to get through them. The first bunch
of doors take one coin each. The last door takes an iron mark on either side.
Take the teleporter and look for an illusory wall. Inside is a room where the
Oracle weeps. Talk to her, holding the sipher in your cursor. When she weeps,
move the sipher to the tears and click. When you see the Sipher become blue
you now have the tears of the Moon. Put it away with the rest of your quest
pieces.

Now head for the exit to the City of the Dead. It's in that hall in the South
West of the first floor. The south passage.  You will enter into a bend. An
illusory wall will be to your west. Put a block on the plate behind it, then
step into the teleporter.

You should be in a room leading out to the City of the Dead. Near the door, if
you are playing one of the male characters, you will see Foxwen, the blonde
woman, dying from a bunch of arrows. She will tell you to look for Nula in the
City of the Dead. If you are playing one of the women, you won't see anything
in the alcove.

THE CITY OF THE DEAD

Quest Items: The Soul of the Warrior, The Knight's Armor, Anti-Poison Shield.

This place is on two levels. The ground floor is a necropolis, a city of the
dead. But many tombs have stairs leading to underground areas. The Lurking
Stench monsters are poisonous, but you will find a poison proof shield in this
maze, which will make you invulnerable to poison once you start using it.

If you have any Wyvern Blood flasks left, this is a good place to use them.
The Tormented Souls that hang around this place shoot arrows at you from far
away. It can get real annoying. Lightning Wild spells seem to hurt them badly,
though, so you may want to fire off some now and then.

Go around the path and head south. Explore the three southern tombs first and
the game will be easier. The one closest to the entrance in the south west has
two stairs leading down. You will find yourself in a huge area with a bunch of
Infernal Bones standing over armor and weapons. At the far south of this area
is a throne. In front of the throne is a shield that will make you 100%
invulnerable to poison. Start using this shield. There is also an axe that
casts Raging Hero spells. Take what you want, but most of the armor and
weapons in this dungeon are stuff your probably threw away earlier.

The next tomb to the south of the City is a small one. You will find a
portable chest inside. If  you are playing a woman character, it will have a
Fall Equinox disc inside. If you are playing a man, it will be empty.

The tomb in the South East corner is very important. In the center is the blue
knight. Do not take his soul yet. Talk to him. Do not open the chest south of
him. Leave it for later. You can raid the other two chests if you want. Go
through an illusory wall to the east and down some stairs. You will find the
fourth disc (Moon Disc) in a chest. You now have a complete set.

Now, head north along the easternmost wall of the city from the blue knights
tomb. Throw a switch and open a north wall. Beware of the rolling rock. You
will see a stone block to your left. Destroy it and throw a switch. Keep
moving north. You will see a pressure plate in an alcove to your left. Put a
stone block on it (or a rock bag). Now go around to the west side of this tomb
and enter. You will find an illusory wall on the inner east side in an alcove.
Enter and take the stairs down. You will find the evil spirit the blue knight
talked about. Talk to this clown, then take his soul. Drop the soul house on
the floor, because you won't need it. Enter the room to the north. Talk to the
lady ghost. Do NOT take her soul. Let her go. Now, return to the blue knight's
tomb. Tell him what happened then take his soul. You can get rid of the third
soul house. It's not needed. You know have another quest item. Store it away.
Go ahead and take the armor in the chest now. It was cursed before. Now it is
the best armor you will find in the game. It also looks a lot better than any
other armor (I like the War Armor the best, but it's wimpy). Too bad they
don't have a dry cleaners in this world. The blood stains are annoying.

Anyway, you can now explore the city anyway you like. Here are descriptions of
the more tricky tombs.

NW of the City is a healing altar. A few paces east of there is a Mana Altar.
Both are at the north. A few more paces east of the Mana altar is an exit to
an outside viewing area, where you can look at the scar. You will meet Nula
there if you are playing a male character. She will give you the Fall Equinox
disc. If you are playing a woman character, no one will be there.

South of the healing altar is a tomb. There is a illusory wall on its east
side that leads to a complex area. Take the stairs down, get all the rocks you
can from the chest and surrounding area. A plate in the floor opens a wall. Go
in and ignore the plate near the east wall. Put a bag on rocks on each of the
two plates in the side passage and enter the teleporter. You are now in a room
with four pressure plates. Put one rock on each plate, then step through the
'porter. Take your rock bags off the two plates and you can now enter the
area. Near one of the chests is a spinner. Make sure you are facing the right
way. It has a ruby shard. Now go back to the door with the hold next to it and
load in the ruby shard. You will get a wand of unmaking which is a very
powerful weapon. Save it for the nasty monsters later in the game.

Just south of the NW area is a graveyard. One of the monsters will drop a Onyx
Raven key that'll let you into a tomb nearby.

The rest of this place is pretty simple. Just look for illusory walls and you
won't miss a thing.

When you're done, go back into the Temple and take the 'porter to your left.
You will be taken to the exit of the temple.

THE EYE OF CLAY/SANCTUARY

Quest Items: The Sacrifice of Clay

After finishing the Temple and Necropolis, you will have four white discs. Go
back to that area where the strange rock formations sprout up and walk around.
It goes in a circle. To the side are four altars with round holes. Put the
discs in the holes until you have filled all four of them.

You will also see a stranger hiding behind a rock. Talk to him and take the
Wreath of Hallowed Leaves. You'll need this at the end of the game.

Keep walking around and you will find a center area. When you walk into it
after putting all the discs in you will be transported to Sanctuary.

This is a weird place but rather simple to explore. On the north walls are six
dragon imprints. To the south is a door that looks like an eye. East and West
are four teleporters.

You need to enter each of the teleporters and get the dragon pieces, then
place them on the dragon imprints to open the doors to the Eye of Clay. Let's
deal with the teleporters one by one.

To the East are two 'porters. One is in a recessed area the other is not. The
same as in the west side.

Eastern Non-Recessed 'porter: This takes you to an area with shifting walls.
Just keep moving ahead into what looks like hallways before you. Eventually
you will come across three chests. The exit is behind a illusory wall with a
plate in front of it. Stepping on the plate causes a 'porter to appear behind
the wall (or disappear).

Eastern Recessed 'Porter: You end up in a big room with a pressure plate at
one side. Step on the plate to open a wall in the north. Beware of fires and
flying fists. Enter the two 'porters behind the wall to get to the two chests.

Western Non-Recessed Porters: This area has a bunch of plates between walls.
Rolling rocks patrol along the far walls. You must weave yourself around the
center walls, walking across the plates as if you were sewing a thread. This
will open two doors on one side and one on the other. Three chests await.

Western Recessed 'Porter: Save this one for last. It takes you to an area
where a Mana and Health Altar are. Stepping on the plate will create a Jester
to fight you. Finish your business then teleport out. Now enter this 'porter
again and you will be in a new area. This place has a plate that requires one
rock. It opens a door to a chest. Teleporting out you will end up back in the
altar room. Using that escape porter takes you to a north/south hall with a
porter at each end. Go into the north porter, but beware of the spinner that
will try to make you head south. You will arrive before the final chest and
get the last dragon piece.

Once all pieces are in place, you can enter a hallway to the north. Open the
door to the west and raid the chests. Now go east and follow the twisty
hallway around. You will see a rolling rock and an illusory wall. Pass through
the wall and keep going. Beware of spinners. Eventually you will come to a
teleporter. Take it and talk to the tree in the north.

Now that you have the sacrifice of clay, teleport out. Nearby is a porter in a
recessed area. Take it to the exit.

You can now cross over to desolation and the last stage of the game. The way
you take is up to you. I list both methods below. If you choose Gorge Keep,
just go back to the Temple of the Moon, but turn north right before you enter
the gates. Follow along the path, enter a waterfall on the way to pick up a
spell, then make your way to the keep. You will see Brice, the big bearded guy
crucified in front of the keep if you are not playing him.

If you choose to go through the Reed Plain, cross back over the scar on either
the Ward Bridge or the Barrier. Go back to the top of the Elder Tree. Move
north and the tree will bend and take you across the Scar. It will only do
this if all the roots were healed earlier.

THE REED PLAIN (optional)

Goal: Cross the place to get to the Iron Titan

This area is optional, but if you cross into desolation from the Elder Tree,
you have to pass through it. There are a lot of Slog Riders and a few Will O'
Wisps here, but you can move in any direction. Beware of hidden spikes in the
reeds. The only things to find here are the spell of unmaking in a chest
surrounded by spikes and Skaracs. Skaracs are scorpion things. You only need
one. When you exit at the north west side you'll come to a bridge guarded by a
two headed giant. Talk to him and you'll eventually find the skarac to be
useful.

GORGE KEEP (optional)

Goal: Cross the Scar to get to the Iron Titan.

If you decide to cross into desolation through Gorge Keep get ready for a
fight. This place is good for racking up fight and spell points because it is
full of enemies. The layout is really simple and there are no heavy tricks to
the place. Enter and you find yourself in a huge room full of  Slog Riders.
This room is a magic free zone, so you can't use spells. You have to fight.
Run if you have to or choose a corner and fight them one by one. To the north
is a long hall leading to the other exit. But it's useless to go that way
until you have raised the portcullis. Enter to the east of the large room and
go all the way north. Kill all the guards until you get a key. Take that key
back to the large room and enter the western area. Go north and find a chest
with a glowing ember inside. Take that to the south eastern room where a man
is encased in ice. Drop it on the floor. He will give you a key when he thaws
out. Go north to the one room you couldn't get into before. Use the wooden
dowel you should have found earlier and insert it in the mechanism. Move it
all the way to the left. Also throw all the switches on the wall to turn off
the spinners. Now you can make it to the north exit. But get ready to fight
three messengers waiting for you.

THE IRON TITAN

Quest item:  Invincible Iron

This three level area is one of the most complex of all the dungeons. It is
also full of some nasty monsters and traps. It's the first dungeon to have
pits, so watch your step. The monsters here are poisonous, so start using the
anti-poison shield when you enter this joint.

This place is really tough to get through and a nuisance to back out of, so
make sure you have all the quest items you need before trying on this maze.
The only things you won't have by now are the Wood and the Iron for the chest.
These you get here and the next dungeon.

Okay, upon entering you will see a big area to the north with lots of blocks
and four pressure plates. It's kind of a simple puzzle. You want to push the
blocks next to the plates onto the plates, which creates teleporters. Then
push the remaining blocks into each of the teleporters and step through. This
will take you to four separate rooms with pressure plates. Push the blocks
onto the plates and take the escape 'porters outta there.

This will open up some halls around the rest of the first floor. Before you
weigh the blocks down, there will be holes in the floor that will drop you
down below. Unless you want to deal with that, just push them blocks.

The puzzle is simple. To the north and south of the plates are the blocks you
push on them. The other four blocks go into each of the teleporters that
appear. Shove them on the plates in those rooms.

Straight to the north of the entrance is a giant head coming out the floor.
Talk to him and hear his story. He needs you to use a magic immersion spell to
free him. But the area he is in is a no magic zone. There is a switch to the
east that will shut it off. Go into the east hall and follow it around to the
north. On the way you will come across a pressure plate that opens up a room
with two altars in it.

To the west is some chests with goodies and a cube of magic immersion maker.
For some weird reason, if you use the cube sitting on the floor, another will
appear. I always do it just because it may have some purpose in the game.

Shrink the big guy's head, then walk past him and head for the stairs. A lot
of  blocks will be in your way. Either push them or destroy them. After the
first block you will find an illusory wall. It leads to a room full of stamina
potions. You may want to use them to help you with the blocks, but I never
bother.

Now head down to the second floor.

First, go north until you have to turn right past four closed doors. A rolling
rock will be in this area. You will see a south passage near the fourth door.
Go down it. Put a bag of rocks on the pressure plate, then throw the switch on
the wall. This will shut of the no magic zone on this level. Now walk past the
plate and take your bag back.

Go back to the south. The hall wraps around and you will see a hole in the
floor. A plate in an alcove closes the hole. Go into the illusory wall and
shrink the giant's torso the way you did before. Now go back to the hall and
keep on going west. It will curve like a snake. Beware of holes in the floor
that open and close and spinners. On the way you will see a mana altar.
Eventually you will come to a room with a plate in the center and four pebbles
on the floor. Pick up the pebbles. Step on the plate. A teleporter will
appear. Step into it. Drop a pebble on the plate where you appeared. Enter the
escape 'porter and repeat until you have visited four separate rooms and
weighed down four plates.

Now make your way back to the area to the north east where the four closed
doors were (and the switch). The doors will be open. The first three have
chests. The fourth takes you to a Packrat's lair. This is the only Packrat I
found in the game. If you find any others, let me know at the above e-mail
address.

Now you can go to the third level. Pass the shrunken body. You will enter a
room with lightning wild tornadoes and rolling rocks. Do a reflections on the
lake spell and find the chest to the north. The stairs down are in the west.

The third and final level is pretty easy. Explore all the rooms you can until
you have five iron dragon keys. The monsters down here are Swarm Maidens. I
found the Fountain of Scorching Vapors spell kicks their ass. Usually only one
does the trick. You should have got that from the guy in the waterfall in
front of Gorge Keep.

Anyway, after you have all the keys you can unlock the five doors leading to
the exit. On the way you will pass a room with two altars. Take the stairs up
and up. When you reach the first level a messenger will attack you. He will
drop a Soul Link spell when you kill him.

Now head out the door and straight for the land with the hand.

THE QUAGMIRE

Quest Items: The Sword "Soul Wrought", Wood from the Wicked Tree, The Whistle
of Fiery Summons, the Spell of Dance on the Stone of Winds

This place is pretty cut and dry. With won't even detail it for you.
Basically, you're going to deal with a big, one level maze full of monsters.
There are some important things to do here though, so pay attention.

Turn on all switches you see. They look like wood knots in sticks imbedded in
the walls. Keep your eye peeled for illusory walls. There are lots of them on
this level and they hide a lot of important stuff. The monsters here are
poisonous, so keep using that anti-poison shield.

Near the entrance a messenger attacks you. He'll drop a whistle of fiery
summons. Save it for later. It's important.

Make your way to the North West first. You will find a lot of Mire Lurks,
those green snaky dudes who do bad Peter Lorre imitations. Here you will find
a lot of gold coins. You'll need them. Trust me. A big throne area around here
has two plates. If you drop a rock bag on each one a wall opens revealing a
chest with a suit of armor. This armor is inferior to the knights armor, but
it slows poison. If you have the poison shield, you don't need it. If you want
to look like a lizard man, this armor is for you, though.

North of this area is a hidden room, behind an false wall that moves when you
put a bag of rocks on a plate (behind an illusory wall). There are wind chimes
in a chest. Get them.

Once you clean out this area, head southeast. You will find some illusory
walls and lots of Murk Elementals. Eventually you will find a talking sword
being held by two magic chains. Put money in the holes to free it. This is the
second best sword in the game and you will need it.

In the west, behind some illusory walls, is a wind elemental. With the chimes
in your possession you can understand her. She will teach you an important
spell you will need in Fire Mountain.

Finally, go to the center where the Wicked Tree is. It's surrounded by rocks
and protected by those Beast of Trung. Use the yellow sword to chop off a
piece of wood. You now have all the pieces you need to build the dark slag
container.

Head to the north east and the exit. You will end up on top of the giant hand.
Use the whistle of firey summons and you will be taken to the Dark Lords...I
mean the Warlord's tower.

FIRE MOUNTAIN

Goal: Meet Black Gnarl, get him to make you the Container, find the words of
opening.

Okay, you need to go here after the Quagmire, but you've ended up on the
Warlord's doorstep instead. No problemo. Just enter the Warlord's tower. Two
Sword Thanes will attack you (and a Cacofiend, which you can ignore for now if
you like). One of the Sword Thanes will drop a gold ankh key. Use it on the
door to your right. Enter the 'porter and head for the nearest exit. You will
be facing Fire mountain. Step off the landing and you will be teleported
there. Now enter.

This place is on two levels. The first level is similar to the Barrier, in
that you need to open doors to get through the mountain so you can reach the
Anvil of the Dawn. But first you have to meet Black Gnarl and get your
container made. To enter the stairs leading down you will need to find four
iron marks and an amulet called the Sigil of Fire. You also need to find a
scroll with the Words of Opening on it. This is all fairly simple.

You enter in the west. To the north is an opening. This leads to two altars.

Ahead in the east-west hall are pressure plates. These open and close holes in
the floor. You do not want to fall through these holes because the second
level is deadly hot. You need to find the Sigil of Fire before you can go down
there. So be careful. The spell the wind woman gave you will allow you to
float over holes and move faster. But when you use this spell, make sure you
aren't standing over a pressure plate when it wears off. For some reason this
is deadly.

Anyway, down the hall, to the south are two illusory walls. The first leads to
an area you need to explore. In there, behind an illusory wall, you will find
a scroll with the words of opening on it. Read the scroll then toss it.
Another hall in this area is found behind an illusory wall. It has spinners
and holes in the floor. If you can make it to the end you will find a
teleporter. It will take you to an area where you can find the Sigil of Fire
in a chest. Put it on.

Now, once you clean out this section of the map, head back down the hall. The
second south passage leads to a door that requires and iron mark. You will
need at least three of them to enter through to the stairs leading down. So go
west down the hall to the first opening in the north. This leads to a hall of
teleporters. To the east is a illusory wall. Go down this hallway to an area
where there is a spinner that will make it really hard for you to weight down
a plate in an alcove. Do it anyway. An illusory wall in the north of this area
has a mark and some old armor. Go back to the teleporters. Enter and  keep
entering them until you end up in a room to the west. You will find some
useful stuff in here.

Between the teleporters is an illusory wall to the north. Enter there, head
east then north. In the end of that hall is a room. In a south west wall of
this room is a switch that opens passages to the east and west. The western
room has some rad armor that is less powerful than the knight's armor but it
gives to 25% protection against fire spells. To the east is a complex area
with holes in the floor, and spinners. A south passage in this section has
illusory walls to east and west. Put on a Dancing Winds Spell and float into
these rooms. Put bags on the plates until a pressure plate is revealed at the
south end of the hall. Put something on it then repeat until a second plate is
revealed. After weighing this down, two rooms open up. In one of these rooms
you'll find War Render, the best sword in the game. Use it for everything
except the Castellan, whom you'll be fighting soon.

Once you've explored all the areas you can, head back to the room with the
mark doors to the south. Put an iron mark in the hole and you'll find another
door wanting a mark. In the next to last room an illusory wall to the south
will provide the fourth mark, if you need it.

Make sure you have that Sigil of Fire on. Now go downstairs.

This part is easy. There are a bunch of infernal bones in this place to fight.
There are blocks and rocks here. Push a block on one of the plates or roll a
rock onto one. A door will open in the center of the dungeon. There are four
plates controlling four doors. You only need to open one. Go in and find Black
Gnarl. He's hard to miss. Talk to him and he'll make you the Container.

Now head back to the Warlord's tower. By stepping off the landing in front of
fire mountain (the side you came in, west) you will end up back at the tower.

THE WARLORD'S TOWER

Goal: Get the Dark Slag

This place is pretty simple and by now you should find it easy to kill the
monsters because you should have the best swords in the game. Two words of
warning. Watch out for holes in the floor and keep a Reflections on the Lake
spell going at all times. You will keep out of harm that way.

The switches look like bull horns on a demon face. Pull them down whenever you
see them.

I think the best way to do this place is kill everything you see on the first
level and try to clean out every room. In the north of the first floor you
will find the barracks. Lots of Sword Thanes here. Kill them, get the keys.

The southern barracks room has a block standing near a pressure plate. Ignore
the teleporter in the alcove. Push the block onto the plate. It opens a door
down the hall. In that room you can find Cloudburst, a shield that helps make
you immune to lightning. Though I think a reflection spell is the best way to
go.

One room in the north has a lot of pressure plates and lightning spells going
off. Cast a Reflections spell, walk over the plates until the doors open
revealing the chests. Get the key you need inside.

The altars are right off the main entrance room. They are opened by using a
wren key. You need to hit the switches on either side of the room to reveal
the wren keyholes. But you have to move fast because rolling rocks are turning
off the switches. Pull it and a door opens. Use the key and you can get to the
altars.

When you have cleaned out this place, use the pearl serpent key to open the
door in the north of the entrance hall. This reveals a teleporter that takes
you to the stairs going up. But before you can find the stairs you have to
deal with a few annoyances. Avoid the rolling rocks. Go to the north east
hallway and put a block on the plate in the alcove east. Now walk through the
illusory wall to your west and step on the pressure plate. A wall opens
revealing a door. Use the sun key to get in and head upstairs.

On the second floor, keep your reflector spell going. You will enter a room
with three blocks and one rock. Destroy the block south of he rock with your
sword. Now get behind the rock and push it north into the blocks above it. Now
destroy the block to the east of it. Now go where that block was and push the
rock west, then south onto the pressure plate. If you return to the hall, you
will see a passage opened to the stairs going up.

On the third floor you will find an illusory wall north of where you come up
the stairs. A switch in there opens a nearby door. Pass the gold ankh door,
and head upstairs.

On the fourth floor, fight you way to the room with the Wither Priest. Take
the key in the chest. Now return to the third level.

Go to the door, open it with the gold key. Make sure you have the golden sword
"Soulwrought" equipped as your sword. You better do a save. And make sure you
are healed up. Head north, kill the cacodemons, avoid the rocks and find
Castellan. He's the dude in the purple armor to the north. Talk to him then
get ready for a fight.
When he's dead, enter the alcove, pull the switch. In the next room you will
find the dark slag. MAKE SURE YOU ARE HOLDING THE CONTAINER WHEN YOU PICK IT
UP. MAKE SURE IT GOES INTO THE CONTAINER. The container will be shut when it's
in there. If what I just said doesn't work, try picking it up with your hand
or variations, but it must go into the container or you will suffer.

All right. One last dungeon. Make your way to the exit and head for fire
mountain.

THE ANVIL OF THE DAWN

Goal: Destroy the Dark Slag

Enter fire mountain gain. Put blocks on the pressure plates to the north in
the east west hall to open the doors leading east. Exit the mountain and head
for that light in the sky.

After crossing the ice, you come to a mountain door guarded by an armless
giant. Talk to him, then use the spell of Heavenly Mend. Now talk to him again
and say the words of opening. You will now be able to enter the final part of
this game.

Just when you think you're almost done, they throw one more obstacle in your
path...an invisible maze. This part of the game can be the most frustrating.
But I will help you through.

The first area has three exits to the east and a rolling rock that sits on a
pressure plate to the south. Throw the two switches before you until you get
the rock to the north side. Then make it go south. You should now be able to
walk through the north most eastern opening.

This part is hard to describe, but feel your way east near the north wall,
then about half way, turn south and head for that plate in the center of the
room. You have to walk about one space past it or so then head back west all
the way until you see a switch on the wall. Throw it. Now feel your way over
to the plate and step on it.

Okay, you can now feel your way south to an illusory wall. Enter and stand a
pace or two away from the ice worm. Throw that spear Steelripper at it a few
times to kill it. Or fight it with your sword if you really want to. These
things are tough, though. A Vampire Mist spell doesn't hurt.

Enter the illusory wall to the north and push the block you will eventually
see over one. Then push it east onto a plate. There is an illusory wall to the
south. Enter and you will be in a room with one alcove and three plates. East,
South, and West. Step on the east plate and a teleporter appears in the
alcove. Enter. You should be in a room with two teleporters and a block. If
only one teleporter is there, go back to the plate room through the porter and
step on the south plate. Check your map to see if a second porter came on in
that other room. If not step back and forth on the east and south plates until
one does. Now enter that porter and push the block through the nearest porter.
Teleport into the plate room, push the block onto the east plate. Weight down
the south plate with a block or a bag of rocks and leave the area. You can
start divesting yourself of bags now. You only need two rocks after this.

After leaving the first room, head back to that plate in the middle of the
main room and step on it again. Now work your way east of there. You will be
able to go all the way east just north of a big eastern opening. When you hit
the wall, turn north then west and enter the illusory wall to the north. You
will be in a big room after stepping on a pressure plate to open a door. On
both sides of this big room are thrones. The old gods sat on these things.
Looks like they bought their furniture at Levitz. No variation. Anyway, ignore
these areas. Go all the way east and fight the ice worms. A chest in the back
has a silver chalice. Take it.

Now go back to the plate in the main room and step on it two times. You should
now be able to work your way south again to another illusory wall further east
on the south wall. A teleporter on the other side takes you to a room in a big
circle. Twelve plates are in this room like numbers on a clock. Put a rock on
the north and south plates. Now walk over every plate in the room, making a
circle. A passage will open to a teleporter to the main room. You can now work
your way to the big eastern opening. Kill the worm. Put the chalice in the
hole and a door will open. Almost there!

First, put on the wreath of hallowed leaves. Now activate a soul link spell.
Exit through the eastern door (do a save for the hell of it, you never know).

Heading east you will meet the Warlord himself. I guess he likes hanging out
in weird ass locales. Anyway, talk to him. He will lay a Darth Vader rap on
you. Don't accept the dark side, Luke. Trust me. After talking to him you can
only do one thing. Walk to the Anvil of the Dawn.

For an alternate ending, do everything I just said, but don't wear the wreath
or use a soul link spell.

See ya in the next game!