PC PowerPlay 11/PCPP11.iso/faqs/pagan.doc

Text File | 1994-07-31 | 26.3 KB | 538 lines

~Ultima VIII  : Pagan

Tips & Walkthru

Pagan, while not an especially difficult game, tends to be vague
in some areas on what you're supposed to do or where you're
supposed to go. Also, the catacomb caverns can be a confusing
place, and you will be spending a lot of time down there.

Further, while it doesn't appear so on the surface, the game is
actually quite linear. There are certain actions you must do in
order to trigger other events. For instance, you won't be able
to visit the Sorcerers until after Hydros is free and you've
talked to Devon. If you go to the lava cave before that, there
is no way to get across to the Sorcerer enclave.

Combat in this game is a pain. I generally avoided fighting
whenever possible, and that was most of the time. Unless there
really isn't much room to maneuver, you can easily run around or
away from anything.

On the other hand, you certainly want to bring your strength up
to maximum as quickly as possible, so you can carry more stuff.
The easy, if tedious, way to do this is to find a quiet place
(the palace cellar, for example), and just stand there bashing
away at a wall or door for awhile. Eventually, your ST and DEX
will reach their maximums of 25 (25 is the highest you can get).
However, the only way to increase INT is to cast spells, and
plenty of them.

Money isn't all that important in the game. You will need 250
coins at the end to purchase Ethereal Travel from Mythran, so
make sure you have that much at least put aside. You do NOT need
any of the other spells he knows, so if you want to save money,
don't buy them. You DO need to buy the secret door scroll,
though, as it comes in handy in a couple of places later on.

The only other use for money is to buy armor from the
blacksmith. However, you will be finding all kinds of armor
along the way (and weapons, too), so you don't have to buy
anything here, either, if you'd rather not.

You can steal anything in this game without penalty, provided
you follow the one golden rule: don't touch if someone is in the
room with you. You have to be alone in the room to move things
or take them. People can be outside, or in the next room, or
anywhere else.

As for all the jumping, I don't have any tricks to share. It is
wise to save after every jump when possible (there are times
when you don't want to save, though, as for example on a
vanishing platform). Angles are often tricky, and it isn't
always easy to judge distances correctly. I did a lot of saving
and restoring during the game. You probably will, too,
especially on the path to Lithos, which is the single worst
sequence in the game. After that, it's not so bad, but you will
be doing leaps and jumps right through to the end, so get used
to it.

After you have learned Sorcerer spells, especially Flash,
jumping around is less of a problem. Flash can teleport you
instantly to any visible location on the screen. Unfortunately,
you don't get these spells until almost near the end.

                          Starting In Tenebrae

Okay, so you begin at the fisherman Devon's camp. The only thing
worth taking is his bedroll. The bedroll allows you to rest
almost anywhere. Just keep it rolled up in your backpack and
double-click it (no need to remove it from the backpack)
whenever you need to sack out. This is the best way to recover
hit points and mana.

Then you move off NW to the docks, where you witness the
execution of Toran. Nothing you can do about that. After it's
over, follow the path into the town of Tenebrae. This place can
be irritating, because of the layout. The palace is the center
of the town. The south gate leads to the docks, and the north
gate to the mountains. East and west of the palace are where all
the inhabitants live. Be sure to walk up to the top of the
palace to activate the receiver there. This will allow you to
use the recall device to return quickly and easily to Tenebrae
throughout the game.

Since there is no time limit in the game, you can take your time
to become familiar with the town. On the east side, you
particularly want to find Salkind (the Seneschal's) house; just
north of there is Aramina's house, the door of which is locked
until Bloodwatch.

Salkind also has a nice treasure cache. When he's not around,
look for two keys (they are in different rooms, hidden under
items). One unlocks the door to the chest and the other unlocks
the chest itself. The chest is trapped, so be sure you either
use a detrap scroll, or have a lot of hit points to survive the
explosion. Among other things, the chest holds 300 coins. You
can leave those there until you're ready to buy Ethereal Travel
from Mythran.


Also on the east side, you want to find the library and talk to
Bentic. This is the beginning of the main path through the game.
Talking to him will trigger certain responses from Mythran that
otherwise do not appear, so make sure you find the library and
have that chat.

Toran's widow lives on the east side, too. She is only important
if you want to make some money selling gems. Otherwise, you
don't have to bother too much about her.

Moving to the west side, locate the house of the blacksmith. If
you want some armor, go to the next room and sleep until he
leaves the shop. Then help yourself to whatever you want, and
sleep again until the shop reopens so you can leave. While you
may not be buying anything from him, he will be important later
on, for constructing the foci for the Air spells.

Another place you want to locate is the burned out building with
the undead wandering around it. Just remember where it is, as
you will have to come here later to pick something up. There is
nothing of interest inside the house or in the basement, unless
you need a bedroll.

When you've finished your tour of Tenebrae and have spoken with
Bentic, leave by the north gate and follow the path up to the
cave that leads to the Plateau. Stop off at the guardhouse on
the way. You can get in by jumping up to the little bridge that
connects the buildings. Inside one building is a key ring you
can use for the keys you find. Just "use" a key and click on the
ring. After that, you can just click on the ring and then a door
to try and open it.

The cave is basically a straightforward path, although do be
careful at the jumping stones. One way leads to a trapped chest.
The other goes on to the hermit. The only place of real
difficulty here is the area with the levers. In order to open
the southern gates, you have to cross over the bridge to the
ruined building. Do not touch the single lever standing apart
from the others. Pull all levers that do NOT have bones or
bodies in front of them. Then go back across the bridge and pull
the lever by the winch, opening the south gates.

You will have to dodge some electrical traps on your way in to
see Mythran. Fortunately, you only have to do this once. During
your conversation, be sure to purchase the secret door scroll.
While he tells you it only works once, you can in fact use it
several times, so one is all you'll ever need. You also want to
be certain he mentions the Necromancers, so Vividos will be
around when you come to visit.

When the conversation ends, Mythran gives you the recall device,
a small disk that can teleport you instantly to any active
receiver on the island. It will work anywhere except one place:
the Sorcerer enclave. You CANNOT teleport out of that area,
although you can 'port in. Many people thought the recaller ran
out of uses because it didn't work here. THAT IS NOT THE CASE!
It still functions, just not anywhere in the enclave or the lava
cave before it. You have to go all the way back to the double
doors before you can teleport.

After talking with the hermit, feel free to help yourself to
anything you like. In this instance, you aren't stealing, as
Mythran has allowed you to take whatever catches your fancy. Do
go upstairs to turn on the receiver up there, so you can get
back here the easy way later.

From here, you might want to walk out and get the Hammer of
Strength (see Neat Weapons at the end of the file), or teleport
directly back to Tenebrae (and maybe go for Slayer, also in the
Neat Weapons section). Whatever, the next thing is to go visit
the cemetery, out the east gate. Just follow the path and you'll
get there.

                           Necromancy & Catacombs

Vividos will tell you about the stolen dagger, and of course you
offer to bring it back. This is where you have to visit Aramina
at her house. Remember, she's only there at Bloodwatch. You will
probably have to talk to her twice, being certain to assure her
she won't get into trouble. She'll hand over the key that
unlocks both the closet and the chest.

The key to the queen's bedroom is under a cushion in the throne
room. You can grab that anytime the room is deserted. If you
want an easy time of it, after getting Aramina's key (and the
one under the cushion), sleep until the queen has woken up and
is having breakfast. Then you can waltz right in and grab the
dagger. The chest, by the way, isn't trapped.

Return to the cemetery and hand the dagger to Vividos. After the
ceremony, he will make you his apprentice and send you out to
pick up a couple of special reagents. The executioner's hood is
in a pit to the south of the graveyard entrance (the stone
arch). A couple of changelings wander around in it. The hood is
on the tree in the center. There are several leaves on the tree;
they are hard to see, so look close.

The sticks are under the tree by the burned-out house in West
Tenebrae. No other wood will do the job, so you do have to go
there for them. The ghost can make this difficult; kill it or
lure it away and then grab the sticks (they look sorta like
twigs). After you bring these items back to Vividos, he'll send
you out once more, this time to talk to previous Necromancers in
the catacombs.

The catacombs are reached through the small building to the
north of where you talk to Vividos. Enter through the door on
the east side, go up the middle aisle, and cast Open Earth to
create the entrance to the catacombs.

This is a nasty place, with plenty of undead roaming around,
traps here and there, and floors that occasionally give way,
dropping you to a sudden and unpleasant death. Be careful where
you walk, and save often (it's usually safest to stick close to
the walls, but that isn't a complete guarantee of safety).

What you're looking for is a small, freestanding room with a
ghoul and a jewelry chest inside. You can see this from the top
(ie, the room has no roof). When you step inside, the floor
gives way, dropping you down to the beginning of the path to the
Necromancers.

Help yourself to any reagents from the barrels, then move on
along the passage until you come to the first Necromancer. Use
Death Speak to talk to him, and learn the Mask of Death spell.
Then go back the way you came, keeping an eye out for the wall
he mentioned (it's on the right-hand side).

Climb over this wall and keep going. You'll have to get past
four demons blocking the way. You can use the Mask of Death
spell to make them ignore you. I preferred to do some fancy
broken-field running and just slip past them (which isn't all
that hard if you can break up the group by moving away and
getting one or two to follow you, then running past them). Go
roughly north and east to the next Necromancer, who will tell
you the Rock Flesh spell.

You will need this spell to get through the passage with the
lightning bolts. Although you get no message or special effects
when you cast Rock Flesh, it is actually active. Run up the
corridor and on to the next Necromancer, who gives you Summon
Dead. When this conversation ends, you are teleported to a new
section of the caves.

The fourth Necromancer is beyond the electrical barrier. He
gives you Grant Peace, and teleports you to another new place.
Head northeast to the small patch of woods. Here you will see a
room with a couple of chests outside. These are safe to open.
When you walk inside the room, you are teleported yet again to
another new area.

Jump across the chasm, and head south. You will come to a raised
area with some magic armor. Most of the floor is a trap, and
will give way if you step on it. Go up the right-hand side, and
stay as close to the wall as you can. After you have the armor,
go back north and jump across the lava. Climb up to the top of
the stone island and head north. Keep an eye out to the right
for a single large stone. Jump to that, and you're teleported
once again.


Run up past the fireball spitters to the fifth Necromancer, who
will give you the Resist Death spell. My notes become a little
sketchy here, and it isn't mentioned whether or not you get
teleported again (but it's likely). Continue on in the new area
until you reach the sixth and last Necromancer, who is next to
the stairs out. He will give you the Create Golem spell. A ghost
and other undead will appear when you try to walk up the stairs,
so be ready with a Grant Peace or two for the occasion.

                         The Path To Lithos

The exit brings you back to the catacombs. Jump down and head
roughly south to the small door leading to the caves. From
there, go generally southwest and then west, until you reach an
area with two stone bridges. Cross the lower one, and continue
on until you come to an area with a fire dart trap with a wall
in front of it. In the center of this area is a pedestal with a
switch. Make your way to the switch and pull it. Then climb the
pedestal and jump over to the door that leads to Stone Cove.

In the cove, head to the east, where you should see a pair of
big double doors and a smaller door to the south. Call up a
golem to open the double doors. Note that you must cast the
spell on *dirt*, not stone. Some people had problems with that.
Remember this is an earth golem and it can only be created from
earth.

You are now on the path to Lithos. Go northeast first to the
ruined house. Approach this carefully, as part of the ground
here is not stable and you'll die in a pit if you don't watch
where you walk. Pull the lever outside the house, then walk
around to the left side and climb in.

Pull the lever inside the house. Some ghouls will appear at this
point; it's best to just avoid them and climb back out again.
Then go around and up to the northwest, passing a large rock
with an "A" rune on it. Dodge the fireball spitters and continue
up to the end of the passage. A bridge has now appeared across
the chasm to the left.

Unfortunately, half the bridge fades out while the other half
fades in. I found it best to run quickly over the near half when
it's solid, and jump to the other side about a third or so of
the way across the second half. There is an earth golem on this
side, but it's not hard to avoid.

Now you come to the sliding platforms. Sorry to say, there is
nothing for it but jumping over to them, one a time (save often
here). Even worse, on the other side is another earth golem, and
a set of vanishing platforms. These don't move, but like the
bridge, they fade in and out, so these jumps will be very tricky
(especially with the golem around). There are some solid
platforms along the way, and these are good places to save.
Never save on a disappearing platform; it's very likely to
vanish right out from under you if you restore to that position.

You get a breather from jumping for awhile after you make it
across the chasm (about time, too). This area has a lot of nasty
force fields between the stone pillars (and between the pillars
and the wall). Pick up some of the green and blue mushrooms, and
toss them ahead of you to pick out the safe path through the
fields. Alternatively, you can just push on ahead, taking damage
from the fields, and sleeping when your hit points get too low.
It's certainly the less tedious way to get past them.

At the end is a chest. Climb up to it (after the stalactite
falls). Inside is a key and a gem of protection. The gem will
keep you safe from harm on your way back through the forcefields
(just walk right through them). The key opens the locked door at
the other end.

Go through the door and follow the tunnel to the fire mushroom
cave. Go carefully up to the northeast and the sinking stones.
These are like the ones on the way to the hermit, except that
they slowly sink and rise. As with the vanishing platforms, time
your jumps carefully and do not save on any stone that is not
stationary.

At the other end, as you go up north, stay close to the west
wall and watch for two narrow passages (these are very easy to
miss, so watch carefully!). The first passage leads to a chest
with some potions. Under the potions is a key. This key unlocks
the door in the second west passage.

Go through that door and around to more sliding platforms.
These, however, are not a problem. I found that by jumping to
the right-hand rim of the chasm, and walking as far along it as
possible, I was able to jump to the other side, thereby avoiding
the platforms completely.

Fortunately, you're just about done. After you get across,
simply walk north, between the rows of undead, and have your
little meeting with Lithos. West of the chasm is another of
those receiver platforms, although there isn't much point to
activating it, as there isn't any reason to come back here. When
you're done, use the recall item to get you back out quickly,
and then return to Vividos.

He'll question you about your meeting with Lithos, then hand you
the Key of The Scion and tell you to bury Lothian. She's just
outside in the northeast corner, where the skull candles have
been placed. She's also a little hard to see, but if you look
closely, you can discern her location. Simply stand next to the
body and double-click on it (you do not have to click the Scion
Key on her or do anything elaborate).

With that accomplished, you return to Vividos once more (your
last visit to him, by the way), and he'll tell you it's time to
go on your pilgrimage to Morien's grave. This is a fake. You'll
never find the grave, so there is no point in looking for it.
The supposed idea behind this canard is to get you to thoroughly
explore the Pit of Death, thereby finding the Conventicle of the
Dead, and the Heart of Earth buried inside.

                       Interlude - Pit of Death

You can reach this area in two ways: by suffering through the
lower catacombs (the Scion Key opens the door), or the easy way,
by going through the small door in Stone Cove (Scion Key opens
this door, too). After going through the Stone Cove door, head
west. You'll come to the Conventicle of the Dead pretty quickly.

Walk right up as close as you can to the building. Note you can
see a patch of dirt inside. Cast a golem spell on the earth and
have the golem open the door for you (you may also want to have
him attack the skeletons to keep them off your back). Hurry in
to the dirt patch, and cast Open Earth on the center of it. This
reveals the Heart of Earth. Once you have that, you are finished
with the Pit of Death.

There is also a key for the Conventicle doors. This is at the
other end of the Pit (which is actually a series of caverns),
near to where you would come in from the lower catacombs. It's
with the body of Someone-or-Other Conventicler, which is inside
a gate that has a lever next to it. If you came in from the
lower catacombs, you may want to look for this, but going
through Stone Cove and using the golem is much easier.

                          Interlude - The Fate Door

In the upper catacombs is a building with the sign "Towards Fate
Do You Travel". The door is opened with the Scion Key. Inside,
jump over the lava patch and continue on through the "Do Not
Enter" door.

This series of caves is something of a respite, as you won't
have to fight or evade anything along the way. In fact, it's
pretty much a straightforward jaunt. Every time you come to a
door outlined with white bricks, summon up a golem from the
nearby earth patch and have it open the door. Unfortunately, you
won't be able to have the golem follow you through the doors, so
you'll have to call up a new golem for each door along the way.

As you proceed, be sure to pick up the Zealan ceremonial shield
lying on the ground. Somewhere on the way, you'll come to an
area with chests and boxes and a beam across the entry way. Jump
over the beam and help yourself to whatever you want in here.
You especially want to pick up any keys, as one of these opens
the door to the statues of the Zealan gods at the end of the
Fate path.

When you arrive at the statues, drop the shield anywhere on the
floor. The statues will talk to you automatically, telling you
about Khumash-Gor and the important item (obelisk tip) he holds.

The only way through the door to him is by using the secret door
scroll. Also, very important, the Zealan shield must still be on
the floor for this to work. On redoing this section, I had a lot
of trouble getting through that door; the scroll didn't work
until I dropped the shield again (I had picked it up so the
statues wouldn't keep telling me "We can't do any more for you"
as I walked around the room).

You can fight Khumash-Gor if you like; I just nipped in, grabbed
the obelisk tip, and zipped right on out again. This can be done
by walking up the left-hand side of the room, staying very close
to the wall. You can then get part way across the north wall
before Khumash notices you. The tip is in one of the jewel boxes
behind his throne. After he summons the ghost, just move closer
to the boxes, open them, snarf the obelisk tip, and run out
again, remembering to shut the door behind you so the ghost
won't follow.


The statues will then tell you that your fate is to become the
Titan of Ether by stealing the power of the other four titans.
This is a little vague, but they aren't going to provide any
more information. Good thing you have this walkthru to fill in
the gaps.

In any case, you are finished with the Fate path and can go on
to better things.

                           Argentrock Isle

Argentrock, like every other place, is reached through the caves
of the upper catacombs. You want to find a cavern with a double
stone bridge and a single door with a spiked wall (door opens
with Scion Key). Going through this door, following the path,
and crossing the bridge will bring you to the Theurgists. Make
sure you find and activate the receiver along the way (it's
south of the village).

There aren't many to talk to: only Stellos, Cyrrus, Torwin, and
Xavier have anything to say. You should, of course, talk to all
of them, especially Xavier, who will start you on the tests of
the Theurgists.

The test of wisdom is tricky, as there are NO books in the
library about their philosophy; all the reading material is
about the air spells. This makes answering the questions
properly somewhat difficult.

The key to the correct answers is to keep in mind the precepts
of honesty, compassion, and humility. For instance, if you get
the question about the dying commander, you would be honest and
tell him the battle has been lost. Likewise, if you get the one
about the prodigal, you welcome him back. If others are boasting
about their favorite Titan, you keep your mouth shut and say
nothing about Stratos. Etc. And, of course, you would prefer the
breezy porch (Stratos being an air deity).

The second test is fairly simple. You go to Windy Point (west of
the village), climb up to the air symbol, and try not to fall
off, by walking in the opposite direction to the one the wind is
blowing you.

Having passed those tests, you will be sent on to Stellos, who
gives you the key to the silver mine under the monastery. This
one is also simple; you just pick up as many pieces of silver
ore as you want for air spells. You certainly want Fade From
Sight, Reveal, Restoration, Hear Truth, and Aerial Servant. The
rest are optional (Air Walk is special; you will get that from
Stratos later).

When you have all the silver you want, bop back to Tenebrae,
have the blacksmith forge the symbols (free of charge!), then
return to Argentrock to activate them on the altar in the
monastery. Just put the foci on the altar, one at a time.

Now you hear about Xavier's stolen healing focus. Well, there
aren't many suspects, so it's pretty obvious the thief is
Torwin. A little proof, however, would help. Talk to both Xavier
and Stellos, mentioning that you have talked to Torwin. After
hearing what they have to say, find Cyrrus, cast Hear Truth, and
question him about Torwin. You'll learn that Torwin has gone to
Windy Point. NOTE: Torwin does not appear at the Point until you
hear about it from Cyrrus.

Go there yourself, and witness Torwin's last moments. Tough luck
on Torwin. Pick up the ring and the focus and return to town.
Stellos will now send you on your final test, back under the
monastery. Go west (left) when you get down there. Use Aerial
Servant to bring the torax to your side of the chasm, then cast
Restoration on it.

That completes the tests, and now you are ready to meet Stratos.
Sorry to say, this involves more jumping around. After the leap
from Windy Point (yes, do have faith here), you will have to
haul yourself from platform to platform until you reach Stratos.
However, at least these platforms are stationary. Remember the
route you took, because you will have to come this way again
later in the game.

Stratos gives you the Air Walk focus (already activated). At
this point, you could use Reveal to see where the Breath of Wind
is, and use Aerial Servant to grab it. I don't recommend this
course of action, as once you take the Breath, ALL air spells,
except Air Walk, stop working. These spells are handy, so don't
take the Breath until you are ready for the end game (ie, have
gotten the Tongue of Flame and Tear of Seas).

That finishes Argentrock, and you don't need to return here
again until you want the Breath.

Continues...