After a long long long journey in Ahriman, finally i can graduate from playing Ahriman Prophecy!! XD
Now i will tell u the walkthrogh, thank for someone who make this walkthrough! (sorry i forgot ur name ._.v)
It's very very helpful! :D
Chapter 1: Elden
Treasure:
Important items: Milk pail, Journal, Carrot, Feather
Common items: Marsh Tea, Bread x3, Hand Dagger, 2 gold pennies
Side quests: Get “named” by Avrail, get milk from Farmer Gubbin's, and find Herbert a new quill
Recommended Class: 1
Begin
a new game, and go through the introductory animation, which explains
part of the storyline. You begin the actual game inside of your house,
in bed. A short introduction talks about the character you are playing,
Talia. She's a 13 year-old girl who lives in the small town of Elden
(population: less than 30).Today is the day that Talia is going to be “named” by Avrail. “Naming” is when Avrail tells you what your profession is going to be. Go through the Tutorial for an overview of basic game controls. After that, you gain control of your character. You can sleep in your bed anytime you need a rest for free (most of the time, you sleep at an Inn for a fee). Talk to your grandmother in the next room. She'll tell you to go to Avrail to be named. But first, she also wants you to go over to Farmer Gubbins and fill up a milk pail with milk. She hands you the milk pail and sends you on the way. Talk to her again, and she'll tell you that Farmer Gubbins is north of Elden.
You also need your Journal, in which you keep track of various tasks that you are doing. Look at the portrait to the left of your bedroom door for a painting of your mother. Search the left half of the bookshelf for some information on basic game controls. Your Journal is on the right half of the bookshelf. You can't leave without your Journal.
Outside is the town of Elden. Take note of the garden to the left of your house. Pick up the carrot and ignore the other vegetables (I assume that the white vegetables are turnips rather than white carrots). You might need it with the task involving Farmer Gubbin's cow.
Now's a good time to save, so that you don't have to go through the introduction part of the game again. Go down the stairs, and go to the west. There is the Hungry Boar Tavern. Not much interest for a 13 year-old girl, right? Normally not, but it doesn't hurt to talk to everybody and get a mental map of the area. Go inside and you'll see a big room with three tables. The woman in a pink dress and apron is Geneva. The man in a blue shirt and leather apron is Alden, who really likes meat pies. The older woman in a yellow dress is Gretchen. Her husband is sitting across from her, wearing a green jacket. Gretchen's husband, Jevon, likes to play on people's generosity to get free meals. The bard playing music is Rertwoth. The man in a red vest walking around is Derk, who is waiting for Kenia. The man behind the counter is the barkeeper, Renald. The only door here is on the middle right part of the room, but is locked. “Members only!” says Renald. Hmm… Wonder what's in there? The fact that it's restricted only makes it more intriguing!
Go back outside, and go west. The woman in a green dress and apron is Mildrea, who's waiting for the ferry to come back from the mainland for an “important package”. The black-haired boy with a yellow shirt is Devy. He misses his friend Ralphie. Both of them usually chase the chickens around. Just to the north, on a ledge, are two houses. The first (from the left) is empty. The second is Genna's, your best friend. She's already been named as a seamstress (read the letter on the table). Go back down and go west. You'll come to a bridge. Cross it, and go northeast. Don't go past the wooden sign, which says that you're in Elden.
Instead, go north, then northeast. Across another bridge is a little girl in a white dress - Tamma. She wants to play with Devy, but he won't let her. Keep going northwest, and you'll come to a set of stairs. To the south is the town's graveyard. Climb the stairs and read the sign. It says that the graveyard is to the south, and the Smithery is to the east. Go north to the well, and then go all the way west (past the shed). You should find yourself in a “secret” tunnel inside of the forest. Follow it southwest, then south. You'll come to a clearing with a man with a purple hat lying in the middle. He's “Whiskey Jack”, the town drunk. Just a little southeast of Whisky Jack is a chest with two pennies. Now you've got some cash (although not much). An interesting side note: the game says that he's “sleeping” even though his eyes are wide open (until you examine him). How does he sleep with both eyes open?
Go back to the shed, and walk along the left side of it going north. You'll come to a corral, in which are two mules and a goat. The fly buzzing that you hear indicates that it's filled with “piles” and probably stinks. It's hard to simulate odors in the game, but the buzzing of the flies is a nice effect. Go back south to the shed. Go inside and you'll see that it's a storage shed.
Examine the yellow vats (they look more like pots to me) and the barrels for some treasure. Open the chest for more treasure. Be sure to equip any newfound equipment (as long as it's an upgrade). Go back outside, and go west a bit. The next house over belongs to the “World Renown Writer”. Go inside, and you'll meet Herbert. He's busy writing down the history of Elden. Unfortunately, his quill broke, and he needs a new one. Sounds like another side quest! The quill he's looking for is purple. Be on the lookout for it. Also, be sure to examine any bookshelves, vats, pots, barrels, or chests you come across. The bookcase next to Herbert tells you of some basic game controls outside of town.
Outside, near the well, is a girl in a red and white dress. This is Lidia Perry, the girl that your Genna was telling you gives you a hard time and to ignore her. Lidia acts snobbish, like she's better than anyone else. Take Genna's advice and ignore her, and go west, crossing the bridge. The first house you come to is Ralphie's house. His mom, Georgia, is taking care of him. She says that Ralphie was playing outside in the rain, again, and got sick. The house in the very northeast corner of Elden is the shop, which is run by Reeda. Reeda will sell you bread and some equipment. Her prices are quite reasonable, but her inventory is quite limited. Make sure that you pick up a Hat and a Practice Sword for Talia (and later Devin) before you leave. You don't have enough to buy anything but come back when you've got some cash.
South of Reeda's shop is the Smithery. Nothing there but some blacksmiths busy working (and creating a lot of noise). It's a good idea to talk to everybody, and explore everywhere (especially the first time through), so go on inside. The kid with green hair and a yellow vest is Jered. The kid that looks like Derk from the Hungry Boar Tavern is Billy. The kid with blue hair and a grey vest is Devin. Devin is a lot nicer than the other blacksmiths, and is even willing to joke with you. The man in a leather vest (banging on a piece of metal) is Barbar, the head blacksmith. Nothing is in any of the barrels, but you can search anyway (if you don't believe me). One of the barrels is sealed, and you can't open it. Come back when you acquire the ability to unseal sealed barrels and vats. Refer to the “Sealed Vats and Locked Chests” part of this guide for a list of sealed vats and locked chests.
That's it for the tour of Elden. The purple feather usually ends up on the bottom part of Elden, although it has also landed near the well where Lidia is playing. Whenever you pick it up and give it to Herbert, he'll reward you with five pennies. You've started your collection of cash, but it's still not much. The best way to get money is to defeat monsters, then inspect the corpses. Also be sure to sell off extra equipment and items, but make sure that they are 'extra' before selling them!
Be sure to save before venturing out into the unknown (in this case, anywhere outside of Elden). Use the fact that you can save anywhere to do so often, especially if you don't know what lies ahead. Next stop, Farmer Gubbin's!
Chapter 2: Prophecy
Treasure:
Important items: Milk pail (filled with milk), Bottle of mead, Letter
Common items: 6 gold pennies, Bread x2, 3 gold pennies
Side
quests: Get “named” by Avrail, get milk from Farmer Gubbins, get Mead
from Whiskey Jack, and find Master Gerrith at the Collegium of War and
Magick in Thais, get Georgia's note to Heraald
Recommended Class: 1
After a bit north, there's a clear path to the east. Follow it, and you'll find Bessy in the middle of a field. Examine her, and Talia will pull the carrot that she took from her garden and offer it to Bessy. The cow, who loves carrots, eagerly follows you. By the way, if you didn't pick up the carrot, then Bessy won't follow you, but will run away. Be sure that you have the carrot when examining Bessy.
Lead Bessy down to Farmer Gubbin's place (again, ignoring the Green Snake) and you'll give your carrot to Bessy. Farmer Gubbins will fill your milk pail with milk, and send you off. Go inside of Farmer Gubbin's house, and check the yellow vat for six gold pennies.
Bring the milk (which doesn't spill, no matter how much you move) to your grandmother. She'll fix up a cup of tea (with some milk) and you both will enjoy your morning tea. Then, she'll instruct you to go and get named. Next stop, Avrail's cave!
From Elden's exit, head north. Again, cross the bridge, and head north, then northwest (like you're going to Farmer Gubbin's place). Then, go north a whole lot, all the way to the top of the map. Then go west. You'll see a path going south, and a tiny clearing to the northwest. A Dragonfly lives here. Go south, and save whenever you come to the river. I'll tell you why in a moment. Follow the river, being wary of the Green Snake that lives on the bridge. Since he can kill you in one shot, you might have to restart your game a few times before you make it across (which is why I told you to save when I did). Once you finally make it across the bridge, save (unless you want to go through all of that trouble again). Avrail's cave is south of here. Another Green Snake lives on the other side of the bridge, along with a Dragonfly to the south. The sign in front of the entrance to Avrail's cave says “No Trespassing!!” I guess she doesn't want visitors!
Well, you gotta trespass, so go inside of the cave. You'll automatically move next to Avrail. Annoyed, Avrail will ask you what you want. You tell her that you've come to get named. Avrail explains that she doesn't want to keep naming the children, and moved way out of the middle of nowhere in an effort to stop the Elden's children from coming to her to get named. She asks for your name, but doesn't care what it is. She tells you to look into the pool of water.
When you do, a sequence will follow. You'll see the main “baddie” doing his evil deeds with his evil friend. Raising a great evil entity to conquer the earth from the dead? He's got to be a warlock or something.
When the sequence is over, Avrail will tell you that you're not to be named today. Instead, you're to go to Thais, over on the mainland. There, you'll look for the Collegium of War and Magick. Inside, you'll ask for Master Gerrith.
Head outside and save. Head back home, and talk to your grandmother. Tell her the truth, and she'll insist that you bring along somebody for protection. She tells you to go over to the Smithery and ask Barbar for an apprentice. Nobody there volunteers, except for Devin. He sees the importance of escorting a lady through a tough area and agrees to come with you. If you take a look at Devin (on the main menu), you'll see that he quite a bit stronger than you are. It's a good thing, too, because you need somebody to take care of those mean Green Snakes that you've been hassled with so far. Be sure to buy him a Practice Sword (he can't equip daggers) so that he has something to attack with.
Go back home and talk to your grandmother. She's satisfied that Devin will protect her granddaughter, and gives you two loaves of bread and a Good Luck Charm (a Trinket that can be equipped). Equip the Good Luck Charm on Talia (the only one who can wear it) and head over to the tavern. Talk to Renald, and ask him about how business is going. He'll tell you that Whiskey Jack has stolen some booze, and he wants it back. Go over to Whiskey Jack, and search his body. You'll find a full bottle of mead. Bring it back to Renald, and he'll thank you and gives you a loaf of bread.
Be sure to stop by Ralphie's house before you leave for the mainland. Georgia (Ralphie's mother) will give you a letter to give to her husband Heraald in Devenshire.
Before you ride the ferry to the mainland, it's time to train and scour the countryside for free treasure. The only chest is north of Elden. From the exit, head north. Again, cross the bridge. Immediately head west, all the way to the river. Then go south. Next to the waterfall is a chest with three gold pennies a loaf of bread.
Well, that's it for the treasure, but you still need to get stronger. Kill the dragonflies you come across, and tackle the Green Snakes. Devin can sometimes kill them in one shot! Collect the loot (dragonflies often drop bread, which helps heal the damage you may receive). Keep fighting Dragonflies until you're at class 3, and then take on the Green Snakes. The Green Snakes are slightly stronger, but only give you three experience compared to the Dragonfly's two. They also give slightly more gold, about two to three, compared to the Dragonfly's one.
Then, head back to town. Rest, save, and pick up some supplies. By now, you'll probably have plenty of bread (at least ten or so), so you don't need any more of them. Instead, buy Talia a Practice Sword, and both Talia and Devin a Hat. With that, you've got the best equipment that money can buy. Make sure that you have enough fare for the ferry (26 gold pennies) before heading to the mainland (the dock is south of Elden: go south, then west, cross the bridge, kill the Dragonfly, and then south. A sign is right there to direct you in case you get lost. Nine times out of ten, following a dirt path will get you (eventually) to where you need to go. In this case, you can follow the dirt path from Elden to the docks without a problem.
It might be a good idea to level up until Talia is class four or five. That'd make everything a lot easier in the next area, where the monsters are a bit tougher (and take four or five shots to kill). Make sure that you've got a good supply of bread before leaving Elden (about twenty or so should be enough).
Rest up (if necessary), save, and you're ready for the mainland! By the way, once you're on the mainland, and want to go back, the fare's free, but it'll be another 26 pennies to go back. Even though you can rest in Talia's bed for free, it costs 26 gold to head back. However, the inn in Devenshire only costs 15, so there's no reason to head back unless you find that the monsters in Devenshire are too strong. Make sure that you're at class four or five before heading to Devenshire!
Chapter 3: Devenshire
Treasure:
Important items: none
Common items: Practice Sword, Aloe Leaf, Oak Shield, 26 gold pennies
Side quests: find Master Gerrith at the Collegium of War and Magick in Thais, give Georgia's note to Heraald
Recommended Class: 4
The sign next to the man says “Mule Express”. Remember where this is, because it'll save you time should you want to come back. The sign to the left will give you general directions to cities and points of interest. Thais, it says, is to the northwest. Devenshire, the nearby city, is north. That's where to go next. Avoid the nearby Raccoon (it'll kill Talia in one shot, Devin in two or three) and follow the dirt path north.
In Devenshire, you'll see four kids running around, playing tag. Sooner or later, you'll get “tagged” because all four want to tag you. Ignore them because you can't play (getting “tagged” means nothing, since you can't play). However, it still gives me a small thrill to pretend to play anyway. The women in bonnets can give you lore about the city and its history, as well as helpful information about Thais and getting there. The building to the north (across the canal) is Herbert's house (not Herbert from Elden). Herbert's wife has died recently, and her sister is taking care of him and his blue-haired son. Herbert's son doesn't like his aunt, claiming that she's mean to him. Mavra is Herbert's wife's sister, the one taking care of Herbert and his son. Talk to her, and it'll sound like she killed her sister to get Herbert. Not very nice.
Back outside, head over to the house to the north. Another goodwife is wondering outside. Inside the house, a man says that he's found a scroll with strange markings on it. Come back and talk to him should you become an apprentice magic user. The treasure chest contains a Practice Sword. Examine the bookcase for a conspiracy on fishing. Read the note on the table for information on digging up graves.
Back outside, head back down to the bottom part of the city (crossing the tiny bridge along the way). The house to the west belongs to a man who thinks he knows where Thais is, but doesn't. A sealed vat is in the corner, but you can't open it. Maybe you can use the help of a thief? Head back outside, and climb the stairs to the left. The inn is just ahead (you can't hardly miss the word “INN” above the door). You can sleep here for 15 gold. Examine the vat inside for an Aloe Leaf. A chest between two beds contains an Oak Shield. Between the vat and the nearby table is the dinner menu (on the wall).
The Oak Shield would be better on Talia, since she's got less defense than Devin. This'll even things out a bit. Behind the inn is Ralphie's father, Heraald. Heraald is here, working (he doesn't look too busy just standing there, but whatever). Talk to Heraald, and give him his wife's letter. He'll leave for Elden, and give you 26 gold pennies as a reward (for giving him the letter). You'll also earn a merit point. Interestingly enough, the fare to ride the ferry from Elden to here is 26 pennies. Wonder if that means anything…
Follow the street north and the first building you'll come to (with a sword icon above the door) is the weapon shop. Well, technically, it's the weapon/armor/helmet/shield shop. Let's call it the “Weapon Shop” for future reference. The merchant here is Arvard, who'll sell you some stronger equipment. It's a bit expensive, but worth it. Come back once you've collected some more loot. The girl wondering outside of Arvard's weapon store says that her dad has found a scroll with strange markings on it. Just what's the girl doing so far from home?
Cross the tiny bridge, and the item shop is right there (with a jug or something like that above the door). The shopkeeper (don't know her name) will sell you a greater selection of supplies than Reeda from Elden. The girl inside of the shop says that she'll never grow up. I suppose she likes being a kid. The man wondering outside the item shop doesn't offer any useful information.
That's it for the tour of Devenshire. Exit the town, and save. Make sure that Talia is the party leader, and go attack the Raccoon near the mule corral. Talia will attack, then the Raccoon will attack (Devin receives the damage). Attack with Devin and back up. Heal as necessary with Bread, and repeat the process. You shouldn't have too much trouble once you go up a class (it might take three or four Raccoons to do it). Rest at the Inn as necessary.
By the time you reach class 6, the Raccoons shouldn't pose any real threat. When that happens, start attacking the Wild Boars. They're stronger, and sometimes leave behind meat. Use the meat only when you need it (use Bread for any minor healing) and keep fighting. By the time you reach class 8, the Wild Boars shouldn't pose any real threat, and you should be able to kill a Raccoon in one or two shots.
Keep making trips back to town, restocking up on supplies, sleeping at the Inn as necessary, and slowly upgrading your equipment. Neither the Wild Boars nor the Raccoons give you very much cash. Once you've got a good supply of restorative items (including Marsh Tea), and neither the Wild Boars nor the Raccoons give you any trouble, then it's time to explore the area. Don't wonder off too far, or you might not be able to make it back to town. If somebody gets killed, it's best to simply restart the game, and make sure that you keep your health up.
Upgrading your equipment will be a slow process, because neither the Wild Boars nor the Raccoons give you much money. You can, however, sell the muttons (whenever the Wild Boars no longer pose any threat) for some extra cash. Just keep some for yourself. You might start stocking up on Aloe Leaves, as well. They'll help when you run out of meat to heal your damage. By now, Bread doesn't heal enough to make it worth it to carry around. It'll take a half dozen to cure some heavy damage. Don't bother stocking up on it.
The Bastard Sword is slightly better than the Oak Staff for Talia, although the Oak Staff has a small defense boost. It's up to you whether or not the small defense boost is worth the decrease in attack power. Here's a rule of thumb that might help with the decision: if the defense boost is more than ten percent of your defense, then it's worth it (in another words, if the defense boost increases your defense by more than 10%, then it's worth it). The Doublet is better than the Leather Armor, whenever you can afford it.
Unfortunately, there aren't any Trinkets for Devin to wear. Don't sell the Good Luck Charm, because you don't have anything better to replace it with. The 100 gold pennies you receive from selling it isn't worth it.
You should reach class 8 whenever you can fight the wild animals here without any problem. At that point, you should probably move on. Don't actively hunt them down, but kill any you come across (e.g. without going out of your way). The next step is getting to Thais (remember?), but you'll have to go through a lot first. It is a long journey, but you can do it!
Chapter 4: Bat Cave
Treasure:
Important items: Fishing Pole
Common items: Cassia Leaf, Fish x6, Mercenary Sword, 10 gold pennies,
Aloe Leaf, Marsh Tea x2, Leather Armor, 56 gold pennies, Fire Amulet,
Oak Staff, Bastard Sword, Loaf of Bread x2
Side quests: find Master Gerrith at the Collegium of War and Magick in Thais, find Tucker's fishing pole
Recommended Class: 9
Head back to the bridge, and cross it. A Raccoon guards the sign, which tells you the general direction of several points of interests. The fishery is to the south. Head there first. You'll have to go up some stairs, and then go southwest. You'll come across to a bridge, but don't cross it yet (sorry for the pattern, here). Instead, go southeast. You'll see a chest to the south, in the lower level of the map.
Cross the bridge, the go north, between the edge of the trees and the edge of the ground. You'll find yourself on the lower level via “secret” path. Neat, huh? Go northeast, kill the Raccoon, and search the barrels for a dried fish. Then, go south to the chest. Open it for a Mercenary Sword. Now, head back to the upper level through the “secret” path.
Ready for another “secret” path? Go west until you get to the river. Go north, up a tiny path between the edge of the trees and the riverbank. Again, you'll find yourself on the lower level. Head back to the upper level and take the stairs down.
Cross the bridge, and keep a lookout for Purple Snakes. These are poisonous, unlike their green cousins in Elden. Keep going south, and you'll come to a small clearing with a shack to the north and a man fishing. Talk to the man, and you'll find out that he's Tucker and that he's lost his favorite fishing pole. It seems as if he was attacked by monsters while fishing at his favorite spot. Sounds like a sidequest!
Head back north, to the sign (guarded by the Raccoon). Head northwest, then north. Then go east, climb the stairs, and go west. Go north, cross the bridge, and keep going north. You'll come across a locked chest, which is guarded by a Wild Boar. You'll need the help of a thief to pick the lock and open the chest later. If you go east, you'll come to a dead end. Instead, head back south to the bridge and go east.
Follow the river to the next screen. Keep going east, then north at the next bridge. Head east and you'll see a cave. Save, and enter the cave. Inside, you'll find a pair of bats hovering near the entrance. These are great monsters for giving you lots of gold, and enough Bat Meat (yuck!) to cure any damage. The whole cave is shaped like an upside-down “U”. Just beyond the pair of bats is another bat guarding a chest with 10 pennies in it. Follow the path around the bend, and save before getting near the grey dog. When you get near, the dog attacks. If it doesn't, then you need to talk to Tucker about his Fishing Pole. Go back and do so. You should now be able to fight the dog. Interestingly enough, if you come back and complete this sidequest late in the game (after Talia grows up) instead of now, then Talia's graphic shows up as her younger self rather than the young adult that she is.
Behind the dog is Tucker's fishing pole, along with another chest. The dog takes a beating, but goes down easy. Take Tucker's fishing pole, and open the chest for an Aloe Leaf. Head back outside, and back to the bridge. Head south and you'll come to an area with a few purple snakes. Head east, past the small field, then north to the waterfall. Go east, and you'll see a path to the south, and a treasure chest on the next level up. Navigate behind the trees (to the east) and climb the ladder that's almost hidden with growth. The chest to the west (the one you saw just before) has two Marsh Teas. The chest to the east (go behind the waterfall, and keep following the path) has a Leather Armor (ignore what it says - it's really Leather Armor).
Head back to the lower level. South is a large field with a couple of purple snakes. Other than that, there's nothing there. Take Tucker's pole back to Tucker. He'll give you five fish for your good deeds, and offer to sell some fish that he's caught. Buy some fish - 25 gold for a fish that heals 50 HP damage is a better deal than anything you've seen so far. Tucker'll also buy some of your extra inventory, which saves you from going back to Devenshire to sell your excess inventory.
Head back to the sign (guarded by a Raccoon) and go west, then north, then west. You'll come across a Purple Snake. Southwest of it is a swampy area with a Cassia Leaf in the only barrel (guarded by two more Purple Snakes). Head back to where the first Purple Snake was, and follow the dirt path to the entrance of another cave. The sign in front says that it's the “Thial Mountain Pass”. This leads to Thais.
The cave is infested with Red Bats, two of which hover near the entrance. Like I mentioned earlier, these beasts drop lots of cash, and enough Bat Meat to keep you going. Go a little northwest, and then head west. Climb the stairs, go north, and climb another set of stairs. A chest to the northwest has 56 gold pennies in it. Head east, cross the bridge, and you'll come to a dead end with three or four bats and two chests. One of the chests is locked, but the other has a Fire Amulet in it. Remember the location of these locked chests should you recruit the help of a thief. Then, go back and see what you've missed. For your convenience, I've listed the locations of all locked chests and sealed vats until you have the opportunity to recruit a thief. After that, I assume that you've got the thief in your party and won't keep track of their locations (but still mention them in the walkthrough).
Head back to the entrance of the cave (the pair of Red Bats should be back) and go north. Cross the bridge, kill the two bats, and climb the stairs to exit.
Outside, you're on the mountain pass. Thais is just ahead. Go west, and you'll come to an open area with two Lizards crawling around. These guys are easy to kill, and give you twice the experience that the bats do. They only drop Aloe Leaves, but you shouldn't have any problem with them. Since they give you more experience, and are easier to kill, they are quite ideal for leveling up. On top of the level to the north is a locked chest guarded by a Gryphon. These guys take a beating, are fast, and like to fly around. This makes them harder to kill, but they shouldn't pose much of a problem.
The sign at the left edge of the screen says that Thais is to the west. Don't go there yet. Instead, explore the lower levels of this half of the mountain pass. You should come across a Gryphon on the bottom level, as well as an Oak Staff in the chest inside of the cave. Head back to the third floor (the one with the sign) and go west.
Take the first ladder (before the bridge) for a battle with a Lizard and a loaf of bread. Head back to the top and cross the bridge. This area is pretty simple, and hard to get lost. Take all ladders, check for chests, and check all vats. You'll end up with a Bastard Sword and a loaf of bread before going inside of the cave at the bottom (next to the waterfall), which leads to Thais.
The cave is small, so follow it to the end. You'll end up in a forested area. A set of stairs takes you to the ground level. A hermit in a blue garb is there, guarding the exit. He's quick, takes a beating, and likes to cast Fireball on your characters. However, he gives you as much experience of a Gryphon or a Lizard. Sometimes, he'll drop a pile of change, an Oak Staff, or Juneberries.
Head west until you come across a sign. Read it, and it says that Thais is to the north. Head north, and into Thais.
Chapter 5: Rescue
Treasure:
Important: none
Common: Mysterious Scroll
Side quests: find Master Gerrith at the Collegium of War and Magick in Thais, rescue Princess Alicia
Recommended Class: 12
Head back outside. The woman wondering outside the orphanage explains that the lower class people live in the south part of Thais, while the upperclassmen people live in the northern part. To the west (along the same row of buildings) is the local pub. In front of the pub is a woman wondering around, who wants to be a famous warrior someday, like Eliza Stoneheart. The nearby bard, like the bards in this city, won't say anything. Walk inside the pub.
You'll see lots of people, nobody of any real importance. A treasure hunter is in the northeast corner of the bar and mentions that he is looking for the legendary Glass Key, which he says is in Wyrmwood Forest. A man with a dark brown robe (though he looks like his robe is a dark green on screen, his robe is dark brown from his picture) has deadly poison for sale. The chef is working in the kitchen, cooking up the meals. Talk to her, and she'll offer you a drink. An older (older than he is now) Devin will “think about it”. Interesting… A sealed vat is to her right. Remember the poison merchant, who will come in handy later on.
Go back outside and go east to the far door. This is a gentleman's club, as far as I can tell. Rita, the woman in a blue dress and apron, runs the place. There is a woman here who's a customer (not an employee), but still gets hit upon by a guy. You can't “get” a girl, so just go back outside.
Go north to the next row of houses. Go west, to the city's walled edge, and you'll see the inn. The innkeeper says that there aren't any vacancies. The library has some interesting reading. The guestbook has the names of the current guests and where they're from. I'm not sure about the distance measurement - I believe that is “step count”. Upstairs are the beds. Oddly enough, the people there sleep in the bed for the duration of the entire game. The woman in the northeast corner, Livia Meeks, says that she's here to visit the palace which she hears is spectacular.
Go back outside and go east to the next house. Inside is a man who will rent you one of his three houses. Pick “Key 2” (if you want the best deal) and go back outside. Your rented room is among the row of buildings to the north. Room 1B is the first one, Room 2B is the middle one, and Room 3B is the last one. Your rental agreement will never expire, so come here and rest as often as you want for free. When you walk inside of your place, you find a chest with 200 gold pennies in it! Free house! Woo hoo! Sleep, save, and go back outside.
Climb both sets of stairs to the west, and you'll come to the northern part of Thais. The left group of buildings has two residences and a locked shop. The residence on the ground floor has a man inside, but nothing of interest. The residence on the second floor has the town's baker. She says that there are some tasty mushrooms growing in Northern Pass. A part of a recipe is in the cookbook (bookshelf). The right group of buildings has two shops and a locked door. By the way, you'll never be able to get into a locked door, even with the help of a thief. The shop on the left sells items and supplies. The one on the right sells weapons and armor. Refer to Part 3 of this strategy guide for lists of what every shop sells, stats for each item, and what each item does.
Go north, between the small corridor. You'll see a pond of water. A child playing nearby says that she likes to play in the water. Gabrielle (who looks an *awful* lot like General Beatrix from Final Fantasy 9) is to the west and says that she trains warriors in the Collegium of War and Magick. Sounds like it's very close! A bit north of the pond stands some guards, who guard the entrance of the palace. Ignore them (for now), and instead go west. You'll see storage sheds - all locked. Go south (through the entryway) and you'll come to the upper class part of the town. There are a few upperclassmen here (including a pair of ladies walking up and down the pathway between the “U” building and the fountain). Talk to them. Now, go all the way south (to the fountain), and go inside the house to the left (the one on the right is locked).
Inside is a big house. The maid in the entry room says that the master is away, and to come back later. The kitchen/dining area is to the west. A servant is scurrying about, setting the table. You can find tonight's menu (which never changes) on the wall with the stoves. Nothing else of interest there, so head back to the entry room go around the grandfather clock, then north to the fireplace, then west to the library. Lots of stuff to read here. When you're finished, head back to the entry room, and climb the stairs to the north to the second floor.
Upstairs are where the bedrooms for everybody in the whole house. The woman with green hair is the master's wife, who says that she's the fourth cousin of the prince - almost royalty! The bedroom in the lower left-hand corner has a locked treasure chest in it. The room in the upper left-hand corner has a missing wall on the west side. The bedroom in the upper right-hand corner had an empty treasure chest (somebody beat you to the contents!). Nothing else of interest here, so explore to your satisfaction, and leave the house.
The house to the right is locked, as is the “U” shaped house north of the pond. Go all the way north, to the building behind the “U” building. This is the Collegium of War and Magick. Master Gerrith is the man just west of the entrance. Talk to him, and he'll set you up with your training, but tells you to start in the morning.
Walk back to your rented house. Get a good night's sleep (I really love the Final Fantasy “Inn” sound!). In the morning, save, and go back to Master Gerrith. Talk to him, and he'll set you up with masters to train under. Go through the sequence where your three years of training are reduced to a few seconds. Your graduation party with the King and Queen is cut short with bad news: Princess Alicia, the King and Queen's daughter has been kidnapped by Lord Zorom, who was headed for the Thial Mountains (the mountain pass you went through to get here). You (or at least I did) gain five classes. I was at class 14 when I went through the training and 19 when it was finished.
Sounds like a sidequest! Of course, you and Devin volunteer to go and rescue the princess. Who wouldn't? Rescuing a princess could have some good cash rewards! No, you're rescuing her because that's the right thing to do, right? When you've gained control of your characters, take a look at your stats. You'll see that you've gone up a few classes. You'll also notice that Talia now has magic spells that she can cast. However, the spell system for Ahriman's Prophecy is a bit confusing, and it's really faster to just use your weapons. Plus, you can't cast curative spells in battle, so any battles you fight, you have to finish before you can cure your characters. Still, Talia's curing magic will spread out the usefulness of your curative items. Be sure to use up all of her mana before sleeping!
To learn a spell, equip the spellbook/scroll as her “Shield” and wait. You don't have to do anything (or even leave the menu). After a few minutes, you'll learn the spell. The Spellbook has six spells. After Talia learns all six, she discards it, and you can give her a more useful shield.
Go back to your rented room and sleep (gaining classes doesn't restore your health - it just increases their maximum values). After a good night's sleep, save, stock up on any needed supplies, and prepare to rescue the princess! From the town's entrance, go west (kill the hermit in blue) and climb the stairs. Go inside the cave, navigate to the end, and make your way east to the next screen. Take the first ladder down, and follow the path to the bottom of the mountain. You might remember the cave, which had an Oak Staff in it. Lord Zorom is just to the east, so save. Confront him. A dark priest is trying to forcefully marry Alicia and Zorom. When Alicia refuses, Devin steps in, and threatens to take Alicia back by force. Zorom, enraged, challenges your party.
Zorom is tough - it'll take twelve or fourteen shots at least to kill him. Try to last that long. If you can't seem to beat him, then go train on the Lizards and Gryphons until you're stronger. Zorom casts lots of Fireball spells. He's also very strong, and three or four hits on Talia, and she's gone. No matter how hard I try, Talia always dies in this battle. Devin, however, with the Fire Amulet, can withstand the Fireball spells and Zorom's physical attacks with his superior defense. He should survive the battle. Here's a tip on fighting bosses: mash the spacebar like mad! Be sure to bring along Cassia Leaves to revive the dead - you can't exit the menu while you're on a dead person, and if everybody's dead (and it's not game over - this will only happen after this fight, where Talia must be “alive” to go through a sequence), then you've got to reset the game!
When you defeat Zorom, he and the dark priest will retreat into the nearby cave (not sure how they escape a dead end cave, but anyway). You'll escort Alicia directly to the castle (no having to go there the long way). The King and Queen will thank you, as will Alicia, who says she owes you a favor. What? No monetary reward?! That's OK. This was about doing the right thing, and not for any reward! Devin will walk off to the Collegium to practice. Save, and buy a Cassia Leaf from the shop (if you don't have one already) and revive Talia, who's probably dead. Interestingly enough, the Cassia Leaf will change your health to five, even if it was higher than that before. It's not a healing item!
Talia will have a strange dream. Go through the sequence, the go seek out Devin's help (despite what you've been told). You need to get to Dyuti Shrine, which is a LONG way off. There's no way you can get there by yourself. Devin will insist on coming with you, bringing up the fact that he promised your grandmother that he'd see to your safety. Reluctantly (even though you really need his help), you agree (you're supposed to go alone). Talia's torn between obeying the command of a dream, and common sense. Common sense wins!
When you walk down the corridor next to the shops, you'll get mugged. Jack (the thief from the “Wanted” signs) runs off with your money (every last penny), and then disappears. He's hiding west of the storage buildings. Threaten to take him to the authorities, and Jack will plead for mercy. He'll make you a deal: don't turn him in, and he'll give your money back as well as go with you and open up sealed vats and locked chests. If you reject his offer, you'll get 200 gold from the Constable, earn a merit point, but lose Jack as a playable character. If you take him on his offer, you'll lose a merit point, but get to add him to your party. The meager reward is not worth the potential treasure that he can unlock (remember the sealed vats and locked chests? He can open them!).
If you kill him, or bring him to the authorities, you can't go back and recruit him later on, so be careful! It's always better to have an extra person along anyway. By the way, if you haven't read any of the “Wanted” posters (only once is enough), then this sequence won't happen.
Remember that you haven't trained in this area, and you don't have enough cash to upgrade your equipment to the best that money can buy. Go back to Devenshire and Elden, looking for sealed vats and locked chests. Jack can always open the sealed vats, but the locked chests can give him problems. His success depends on how many times he's attempted to pick the locks, not his class. Just keep trying, and you'll be able to open up all locked chests as you come to them. If you want a list of missed treasure that Jack can get, refer to the “List of Sealed Vats and Locked Chests” section of this guide.
When you're done with that, go train on the Lizards and Gryphons that live in the mountains. Whenever you can beat them without any problems, then move on to stronger monsters - the wolves in Thais. The grey wolves are easier than the orange ones, but both can take a beating. They also bite strong, so you'll need the meat that they drop.
When you're done training, it's time to explore this area for free treasure and unknown places. Remember to head back to Devenshire and pick up the Mysterious Scroll, as well as claiming the locked treasure and sealed goodies that were unavailable before. Future instances of locked chests and sealed vats will not be overly set aside, as I assume that you'll take Jack along and pick up the treasure. Unfortunately, Jack's dagger is so pitifully weak and his defense was always petty that I (for the longest time regretted taking him along, and thought about having him killed, and simply keep him dead). But don't worry - he'll acquire a nice weapon that makes it all worth it! He'll also get some good upgrades shortly.
Ready for the next part of the game? How about a haunted village, full of ghosts?
Chapter 6: Haunted
Treasure:
Important: Jug
Common: Cassia Leaf, Aloe Leaf, Ruby x2, Iron Staff
Side quests: go to Dyuti Shrine, get Blessed Water for Tree Spirit
Recommended class: 16
Sir Tevid is back home (his house is left of the fountain). Talk to him, and he'll ask that you ask Baron Pellad to pay back the money he owes. Pellad is outside, just southeast of the fountain. He doesn't want to pay up and stumbles with excuses.
Now leave Thais. Head southwest, then east at the intersection. You'll come across the Mule Express in Thais (along with a Lizard crawling around, so watch out). South is Thais Dock. Useful should you come across an opportunity to ride in a boat (like the ferry that goes to and from Elden and Devenshire Port). Right now, because you've already been to Devenshire, you can get to Devenshire's Mule Express for a small fee. You can also come back here from Devenshire. This makes traveling between towns much faster, but you'll miss out on the opportunity to gain some experience fighting the monsters between the cities. You might want to take the “long” way a few times, until the monsters between don't pose any threat (you can kill them in one shot). At that point, the monsters aren't really worth the effort.
Go back west to the intersection. Go south, then east, and south some more. You'll see a man standing there. He says that a haunted village is south and that he thinks there's gold buried there. Two grey wolves and an orange wolf are west of this man. Go south, to the bottom of the screen. Another grey wolf lives around here. Go west, then north. The sign is overgrown with foliage and cannot be read. It marks the entrance of the haunted village (by name, if it had one). It's haunted, it's a village, so creativity says that it's a “haunted village”. A good enough name for it. Go north into the haunted village.
You'll find yourself in a dark forest. It'll rain. A lot. Go east of the entrance, and you'll find a poisonous Forest Spider (small chance of getting poisoned with their bites, like one in eight so bring along some Marsh Tea). Forest Spiders are quick, and make a beeline straight for you. West of here is a Light Sprite (what are they gonna do, sprinkle you with fairy dust until you sneeze?). Well, they do like to sprinkle you with fairy dust. It hurts, and you can't defend against it. Grin and bear it. They also like to dance around, making them difficult to hit.
Go north, across both bridges, and up the stairs. Go inside the first house and explore. A barrel with a Cassia Leaf is in the back of the house. Go north, to the next house. You'll find an Aloe Leaf in one of the barrel, and a boatmaker wondering around. He seems to be a ghost. Go inside to the house to the east and you'll find a Jug inside. Nothing much to this village, except for the ghostly inhabitants.
Go east, past the houses. You'll come to an area with the swampy water to the south, a Forest Spider and a Light Sprite wondering around. A cave is to the north. Go inside. You'll find yourself in an area with lots of cliffs. Take the stairs up, and onto the first platform. Another Forest Spider is here, ready to bite you. Take the stairs to the right, battle the Light Sprite, and search the crevice for two rubies! Nice!
Take the left stairs (they go up a long way), and keep going up the left stairs. Search the crevice for an Iron Staff for Talia. Battle the Light Sprite guarding it and head back down. By now, the Forest Spider should be a lot closer, and probably climbing up the stairs. Kill it, and take the right stairs. It goes up a long way. On the platform, you'll see the top of the cliff to the north. Save, and heal your party. Then, climb the last set of stair up. Go through the sequence, fight the girl (she's pretty easy), then the Dark Sprite (annoying like the Light Sprite, only it's much stronger).
The Tree Spirit will tell you a sob story and say that only the Blessed Water will save her and the people in this village. Glad you picked up that Jug! You can't very well carry Blessed Water with your hands, can you? :) If you did not pick up the Jug, make sure to do so before leaving.
You'll have to talk to the Tree Spirit again to be able to climb the stairs down. Revive and heal your party as necessary, and then save. Head back down the cliff, and out of the village. Once you're back into Thais Forest, head west (kill the Grey Wolf on the way), then north to the treasure hunter. Kill the two Grey Wolves and Orange Wolf, and go west. Just on the riverbank is a chest with a Black Oak Staff (not quite as good as an Iron Staff).
Head back to Thais, sell your excess inventory (including the rubies) and you should have a big pile of cash. Fully upgrade your equipment (Light Helmet, Iron Shield, Chain Armor, & Iron Staff for Talia, Light Helmet, Iron Shield, Chain Armor, Steel Sword for Devin, Light Helmet, Iron Shield, Chain Armor, & Hand Dagger for Jack). Stock up on supplies, sleep in your rented room, and save. Right now, the best item for restoring health and mana are fish. Tucker sells them (remember the guy who lost his pole?). Head back and get a good supply of fish (about 25 or 30 will do for a long while). With this much fish, you can train on stronger enemies for a while. Use the fish on Talia mostly, because it restores mana, which Talia can use to cast Minor Heal on everybody else. However, a Fish only restores 10 mana, so don't be afraid to use one on Devin or Jack. It'll extend the length of time you can spend training before you have to go sleep again.
Next stop: Grunwich Vineyard!
Chapter 7: Candar
Treasure:
Important: none
Common: Cassia Leaf, Chain Mail, Firefly Spell
Side quests: go to Dyuti Shrine, get Blessed Water for Tree Spirit
Recommend Class: 18
Now go up the stairs to the second floor. At the very top of this floor is a brown book (near the table). Read it for some information on the Glass Key Legend. Head upstairs to the third floor. A snobby seamstress with green hair is here. Her name is Linnia. Nothing else of interest is in this house, so explore, talk to the girls, and head back outside when you're done.
From the door, hug the lower rail, and you'll find yourself on the grass, in a secret area! Nothing to do here, so just head back to Thais Forest. Head south and you'll see a Blue Hermit guarding a cave to the west. Kill him and check the cave out. You'll find an empty cave that looks like a big, upside down “U”. Follow it to the end. You come to an area with a pack of wolves. To the northwest is another cave, the entrance marked with posts (on either side). This is the Glass Key Cave. At the very end is the legendary Glass Key. Before going inside, make sure that you've got lots of Marsh Tea, since there are poisonous monsters inside.
Head inside, and you'll find only two types of monsters here: Purple Frogs, and Evil Butterflies. The Purple Frogs are poisonous, tracking you down with speed and accuracy. The Evil Butterfly will kind of lazily wonder towards you, attacking you much the same way the Light Sprites did from the Haunted Village. The Purple Frogs hit pretty hard, and poison you an awful lot. You'll go through a good supply of Marsh Tea before you're finished here!
To the west is a tiny platform a level above the floor. Take the stairs up, and open up the chest in the middle for two Aloe Leaves. Climb back down, and follow the wooden bridge almost directly south of the entrance. Another Purple Frog guards a tiny island, with another wooden bridge leading east. Kill the frog, and follow the second bridge east.
The next area has a set of stairs leading to the lower floor. Instead of taking the stairs, go west. A locked chest, guarded by an Evil Butterfly, has 40 gold pennies in it. Loot the chest, and take the stairs down. Follow the path to the next area. To the east is a chest with Chain Armor (again on a tiny platform with stairs). The other chest has a Firefly Spell in it.
The Glass Key is all the way south, then west. You'll come to a bright room with flowers, a butterfly, and a swan. The Glass Key is on the pedestal, hovering about. If you've got enough Merit Points (from doing good deeds) then you'll be able to take the key. The amount of Merit Points you currently have determines what the pedestal says. As you earn more, it says that your heart is purer and you're less selfish. Come back when you've done more good deeds and pick up the key.
Here's what it says, depending on your merit points (many thanks to the Masterguide, from which I copied this information):
No merit points: “One so selfish as be you shall never touch this key so true.”
One merit point: “Though unselfish you are, this key is still far.”
Two merit points: “Though unselfish you are, this key is not far.”
Three merit points: “Your merit is good, yet for thy key it not stood.”
Four merit points: “Saintly you are; pure of heart is not far.”
Five merit points: “Your heart is pure; take this key and endure.”
You can see how far you have to go before you can take the Glass Key from what it says, and how many merit points you have.
Exit, leave the cave. It's a pretty simple cave, and hard to get lost in. Once or twice is all you need to go through it to be able to describe how to go anywhere inside. Head back past the pack of wolves, through the tiny cave, past the Blue Hermit, and south into Thais Forest.
No more treasures here, or secrets, so explore on your own, stock up on supplies, train, or whatever. When you're ready, cross the bridge (it's fixed now) and follow the path to the sign, which says that the cave is “Wyrmwood Pass”. No monsters inside, so explore away. Only two points of interest: the exit to the northwest, and the old man to the northeast. The old man has a bunch of molding cheese that he's currently studying. He'll also sell you Holy Tonics for a good price, but only one at a time. You don't need them yet (but buy a few anyway). Head out of Wyrmwood Pass and you'll come to the kingdom of Candar! Watch out for tiny Giant Rats, Red Hermits, and Goblins that live here. They are much stronger than anything you've faced so far! It might be best to ignore them, and head directly to Candar (to upgrade your equipment to better handle these stronger foes).
Follow the dirt path to the bridge, then west to Candar (you'll see a yellow wall at the entrance). Now you're in Candar, the city of love! Awww!
Chapter 8: Prince Edward's Ball
Treasure:
Important: none
Common: Alder Root, Chain Helmet, Holy Pendant x2, Distillate of Alnus, Red Ring, Ruby x3, Tinctura Ankh
Side quests: go to Dyuti shrine, get Blessed Water for Tree Spirit, find gown for Ella, return Henry home
Recommend Class: 20
Go inside the first house to the northwest. Talk to the girl in the upper right corner. This is Ella, who is very unhappy. She's heard that Prince Edward (the Prince of Candar) is hosting a ball, and will marry one of the girls attending. She so desperately wants to go, but doesn't have anything to wear. Her stepmother doesn't help. The stepmother's daughters all are getting “dolled” up to go, each hoping to be the one Prince Edward marries. You need to get Ella a gown for the ball! This quest is often referred to as the “CinderElla Quest” (pun was intended, hee hee) with the similar aspects to the fairy tale.
Exit the house, circle around, and have Jack open up a sealed barrel behind the house for an Alder Root. Head back in front of the house, go northwest, across the metal bridge, and west. Go to the western end of the park, and a sealed barrel near the statue has a Holy Pendant (cast Healing Ultivus outside of battle).
Head back east, and then north and into the next screen. You'll come across Candar Castle, in all its grandeur (I've been reading a dictionary, he he). Head inside the castle. Inside, the castle isn't very big, compared to what it looks like inside. Go north from the entrance to see Prince Edward, unhappy. He's looking for a bride, and will marry the most beautiful girl attending the ball he's hosting. Head up the stairs to the left and to the second floor. The first room has two people, merchants, who will sell you stuff. The man on the right will sell you from the royal armory. The equipment here is EXPENSIVE, but worth it. Buy a Templar Sword at the first opportunity - it's good enough to last you through the end of the game. Come back when you've got lots more cash for a good upgrade.
The merchant on the left will sell you other items, including Poison Rings. Buy Poison Rings for everybody, because it protects you against poison. Very handy, because poison is by far the most common status ailment. You can also pick up a couple of spells for Talia.
The room to the right is Prince Edward's bedroom. Nothing of interest here, so head back downstairs. Go east (you'll have to go almost outside) and then north. You'll find the main dining hall, with maids scattered about. Head downstairs. Here's the royal treasury. A good place for some good stuff, but you must have the key to open it. Prince Edward has the key, but won't give it to you unless you find him a good bride (Ella, perhaps? [hint, hint] ;) ). Exit the castle, and cross the bridge.
Go southeast and into the house with vines growing on it. A lock chest has a Chain Helmet in it. Head back outside and south to the next building. The first two doors are locked, but the third is unlocked. Inside, you'll find a distressed Gwyneth, who's lost her child Henry. You might remember Henry from Thais, the small, black-haired boy who ran away from the orphanage who kidnapped him.
Well, let's go bring Henry home! Leave Candar, and head south. A Goblin is near the tree further south, but ignore him. Talk to the guy in front of the mules. Take the Mule Express to Thais, and go talk to Henry. He's still at the top of town, just east of the entrance to the castle. He'll go with you. Head back to Candar (Mule Express saves a lot of time!) and bring Henry home. Gwenyth'll thank you, and you'll get a merit point. One point closer to the Glass Key!
Now, to explore the rest of Candar. Go west of Gwyneth's house. The open door is the Armor Shop. Nice stuff there. The two doors on either side are locked. Go to the house to the west. A Distillate of Alnus is in a pot in the corner. Read the novel on the floor, and you'll see that it appears to be a bit “steamy”. You blush and put it down. Go outside and head north (along the dirt path between the buildings).
The inn is here, clearly marked above the door. It's only 30 gold pennies to sleep here! What a deal! Go back outside, and head west. Climb the stairs, and you'll see a row of buildings. The item shop is to the straight ahead, the weapon shop is to the right. Head back down the stairs, go north, then west.
Cross the metal bridge, and go inside the house. Another Holy Pendant is in here. Head back outside, and search the barrels. A sealed one will have a Red Ring. Go west, right above the barrel next to the dirt path. If you're sharp, you'll notice that a light path goes through the column of trees. There is a secret path, and it'll lead to the Inn without having to cross the metal bridge. Nothing big, but hey, it's a secret!
Head back east, to the central pool. The girl on the northwest corner is selling flowers. Wonder if somebody has played Final Fantasy 7? There was a girl in that game that sold flowers, too. Anyway, back to the tour. Head south, and down the stairs.
Go inside the house just to the left of the stairs. Darryl lives there. His wife is a witch living in Witchwood. Read the note even though you're not supposed to. Darryl will put a “charm” on your party, the first step toward getting Devin married. Funny to see Talia and Devin to talk all “mushy”! Apple red lips indeed! By the way, I assume that you want Devin to marry Talia, but if you want him to marry Alicia instead, then don't read the note until you've had the chance to recruit her into your party. If read the note, but don't have her in your party, then it's too late! Getting married doesn't do anything, or have any effect on the game. You do, however, receive some nice gifts from friends and family, as well as a nice wedding ceremony. Darryl has some interesting books in his bookshelf, if you're interested. You should read them at least once. Leave, and go south to the next building.
It's empty, save a locked chest with rubies in it. No big deal. I mean, rubies?! Cool! Sell 'em for enough cash to upgrade your party with new equipment (Templar Sword, hint, hint). By the way, the rubies and diamonds that you'll come across don't do anything but get you cash when you sell them, so don't hold on to them hoping that they serve some purpose! Sell! Head back outside and go west, all the way. The very last barrel next to the water is sealed and has a Tinctura Ankh.
Go back east and go inside the first house. A minister is inside, just inching to marry someone. The café is to the right. Go inside, and in the door. You'll come to an outside area. Limfit, a mini dwarf is to the northwest. Talk to him, and you'll find that he's here to get some moldy cheese (?). Maybe if you had some he might be of some use… The man sitting at the table below Limfrit looks just like the equipment merchant from Thais. Interesting… Perhaps he is on vacation?
That's it for Candar! Go back and talk to Ella. She wants to go to the ball, but doesn't have a dress. You pity her, and decide to find one for her. Well, let's go get Ella that dress! Head outside, and ride the Mule Express to Thais.
Head north, and into the castle. Haven't had a tour, have we? Well, the room to the left of the entrance is where the King and Queen sit, guarded by guards. To the right is a pair of statues. In the middle is the stairs leading to the second floor. Climb the stairs. The room to the left has a dining hall, busy maid, and two noble women talking. The room to the right is Alicia's room. A door in the back leads to an outside area (just like the outside area in the café). Alicia is usually at the very back, near the bench. Talk to Alicia, the princess you rescued earlier. She's going to the ball, but doesn't want to get married (though her parents want her to marry Prince Edward). Alicia will give you directions to make a splendid gown. Seeing how you can't make a gown, you need to give the directions to somebody who can. Remember the seamstress in Grunwich Vineyard? She might be able to make the gown! Head over there and see.
She can indeed help, but needs time to make it. Exit Grunwich Village (all the way to the forest) and go back. Linnia should be finished (dang, the fastest seamstress I've ever seen!). Take the gown back to Ella. She'll immediately get dressed, and disappear (to the ball). The ball won't be over until later in the game, after you've gotten your first relic (one of six, in fact) so don't expect it to be over very quick.
That's it for the “CinderElla Quest”. Not very hard, but amazingly, lots of questions about it. Just follow the directions carefully, and, more importantly, don't skip steps! If you've still got questions, then feel free to drop me a line - I'll be glad to help.
Take the time to explore Candar on your own, talk to the citizens, and upgrade your equipment. The best that you can get are as follows: Talia: Iron Staff, Steel Armor, Chain Helmet, Iron Shield; Devin: Templar Sword, Ruby Shield, Steel Armor, Chain Helmet; Jack: Dagger (no upgrade yet), Steel Armor, Iron Shield, Chain Helmet. You *can* get the Gold Armor, but it's waaaaay too expensive! You won't be able to afford it until much later in the game!
Go train on the Mutant Rats, Red Hermits, and Goblins. There are also Ogres wondering around, usually with Goblins. Everybody here is tough, and you'll have to level up quite a bit to be able to fight them for money rather than experience. The Mutant Rats sometimes drop Bread, which is a bummer, because they can also drop a decent pile of change instead. The Red Mage drops magic-restoring items, and staffs. The Goblins and Ogres drop equipment.
You should train until you reach class 22 or 24 at least, even with Devin's Templar Sword (which helps A LOT, but is probably too expensive right now).
Probably the first thing to do is head over to Witchwood, which has an upgrade for Jack's Dagger (among other things). Next stop, the swamp! One last thing before you go: make sure that you have either lots of Marsh Tea or Poison Rings from Candar Castle's Shop. The swamp should be called “Poison Swamp” with all the poisonous enemies in it. I'll probably call it “Witchwood Swamp” because Witchwood is the town in it (just like I call the forest surrounding Thais “Thais Forest”). Ready for a hot, muggy, insect-ridden swamp?
Chapter 9: Witchwood Swamp
Treasure:
Important: none
Common: Marsh Tea, Ankh Major, Poison Ring
Side quests: go to Dyuti Shrine, get Blessed Water for Tree Spirit
Recommended Class: 23
Take the left fork and follow the path southwest. The path splits a little ways in. One path leads to the west to Dyuti Shrine. Don't take the fork just yet, and keep going southwest. You'll end up in a dark, humid swamp, complete with the droning of insects. I especially like this effect. Right near the entrance are two Swamp Toads (brown frogs). They are tough and poisonous, but drop lots of cash (52 gold at a time) or Marsh Tea. Tackle them if only if you have a means of either curing poison with Marsh Tea or preventing it with Poison Rings.
Follow the stone path southwest to the bridge. In this area is a Swamp Hag. She looks like an old lady in a black cowl. She likes nothing else than to curse your whole party (halves defense and attack, and makes you very vulnerable to critical attacks). Ignore her unless you have a stash of either Holy Tonics to cure the curse, or Charmed Necklaces to prevent it. In that case, she drops Bone Rapier or cash. What? You can only protect against poison or curses? Well, you have to choose - Poison Rings to protect against poison, or Charmed Necklaces to protect against curses. However, it's unlikely that you'll have even seen a Charmed Necklace, so don't worry about it. Besides, you can pick them up in Witchwood later on.
Keep following the winding stone path across bridges and tiny islands until you come to a bridge going east. On the other side, it looks like a town of some kind. This is Witchwood. There are three ways in: one to the north, one kind of in the middle, and one on the southern part of town. Go inside of Witchwood, and let's begin our tour.
Go inside the house with a sheet hanging out on a line. Here, you'll find the town's inn. For 50 gold, you can rest here. The prices go up with every town! Sigh… Loot the inn for a Marsh Tea. Head back outside, and circle around to the house with a well in the yard (the well will be a little northeast of the house). Inside, you'll find Grisilda, who has lost her broom and cannot go to school without it. Sounds like a sidequest! Now, all you have to do is find out who took it, where that person is and take it back. A Poison Ring is here, if you're willing to pilfer it (I don't think looting people's houses/castles makes any difference to your merit points). It's a matter of moral values. Head back outside, and go into the house just east of the well (you have to cross the bridge to get there).
This is where Hilda lives. You remember her name in a note on Darryl's table in Candar, don't you? Hilda is just itching to get back at Darryl for hexing her. There isn't anything else of interest here, so head back outside.
Head south to the house with a warlock wondering nearby. Go inside to find Gavril, who has noticed some supplies missing from the school. Interestingly enough, there is a cat here which doesn't meow or move or anything. Maybe it's a statue? Or, it could be a witch who was bad and has to take a “time out” as a cat!
Head back outside, and you'll notice a bunch of wondering broomsticks to the south. This is Witchwood's Mule…er…Broomstick Express. Use this service to get to Witchwood and to go to another city. They work just the same as the Mule Express in the other towns. Well, back to the tour. You'll have to leave town to get to there (although it's not a long walk, now that you know it's just south of Witchwood).
Only two houses left to explore. Head all the way to the north part of town. Go inside the building to the right. On the first floor (where you're at right now), you'll see wondering broomsticks, and a stray cat. Head up the stairs to the second floor. Here, if you talk to the witch, she'll tell you that she suspects that the old swamp witch is responsible for stealing the supplies. She also mentions that this mean witch has stolen before.
Climb the stairs to the third floor. The bookshelves to the south will tell you what to do to maintain a witch's lifestyle. The witch to the north will let you join the witch s guild, but only if you beat her. Be warned that once you join a guild, you cannot join any others. It might be best to wait until you see what kind of guilds there are before making your mind. Besides, the witch will whup you at this point, hands down! Head back down to the first floor, and outside. Now, go inside the tower to the left.
The first floor is the school. A witch is teaching a group of apprentice witches. Head up the stairs to the second floor. The witch here is a merchant, selling various goods, categorized into three types. Be sure to check out her wares in all three types to find out what she has to offer. Also, make sure that you pick up a Serphent Dagger for Jack - his first weapon upgrade. The Serphent Sword is also pretty good for Devin, if you don't have the Templar Sword. Get Talia the Black Robe, and Iron Staff. Well, I'm sure that you can handle your own upgrading. I'll just mention any significant upgrades from here on out. I'm also sure that you understand the symbols below a character and what they mean, e.g. which one means “upgrade” and which one means “already equipped”. If not, let me know, and I'll explain it.
Also, be sure to pick up Poison Rings and Charmed Necklaces, if you haven't already, and buy a good supply of Holy Tonics. The Bone Rapiers the Swamp Hags drop can be sold for a good pile of change. Use the Holy Tonics to cure the curses that she'll do on you. Equipping the Charmed Necklace, by the way, prevents Curse, but not Poison. Whichever one you wear is up to you. An Ankh Major is in one of the vats, should you be interested.
When you're finished, head up the stairs to the third floor. The witch here mentions that she's scared of the mean ol' witch to the west. It's sounding more and more like this swamp witch is responsible for stealing Grisilda's broom. This swamp witch is also out of your league right now, but come back later on, and take her out. Equipping a Charmed Necklace will make you nearly invulnerable to her. All you have to worry about is her whacking you on the head with her knotted cane!
That's it for the tour of Witchwood. By now, you're probably short on cash, and could use some to finish upgrading your equipment. Well, the Swamp Toads and Swamp Hags are a bit tougher than the monsters in Candar, but drop more cash. I don't believe that the Swamp Frogs drop enough Marsh Tea to get by on what they drop. Better have a small supply, or just equip Poison Rings on everybody.
Train, upgrade your equipment, and steadily build up your cash. When you get bored (it doesn't take long), head north back to Candar, and on to Dyuti Shrine. Wonder what this shrine can do about the upcoming prophecy?
Chapter 10: Ahriman's Prophecy
Treasure:
Important: Blessed Water, Canoe
Common: Lightning Ring, 750 gold pennies, 2 Juneberries, Marsh Tea
Side quests: go to Dyuti Shrine, get Blessed Water for Tree Spirit, bring back Grisilda's boom
Recommended Class: 26
It seems as if this Awhren character would be an important person to talk to. And, just what happened to Dyuti Shrine? It must've been an awesome force to cause such rampant damage! It's also apparent that this “prophecy” is not something to be taken lightly!
Seafall is a long ways off, well west of the Witchwood Swamp. If you haven't already, make sure that you have a good supply if items: Marsh Tea, Holy Tonics, Auquifolium and Cassia Leaves. As for equipment, here's the best available so far:
Talia: Chain Helmet, Iron Shield, Black Robe, Iron Staff
Devin: Chain Helmet, Iron Shield, Steel Armor, Serphent Sword
Jack: Chain Helmet, Iron Shield, Steel Armor, Serphent Dagger
If you can afford it (I couldn't at this time), get Devin a Templar Sword, which is good enough to keep for the rest of the game. The Ruby Shields and Gold Armors are simply out of the way as far a price (40,000 for a single piece of equipment?! It's worth it, once you have the cash). Charmed Necklaces also help, as well as Poison Rings. The Chain Helmet doesn't get any more upgrades (other than the rare helm that is only wearable by certain characters, e.g. Antlers). The Plate Helmet doesn't exist in version two. I initially mentioned it in the lists below because it was mentioned in the Player's Guide. I have looked, and looked, but never could find it anywhere, and believe that it's not here.
OK. Fully rested, fully stocked supplies, and good equipment, it's off to Seafall Shrine!
From Witchwood, basically, go south to the very bottom of the map, then east to Seafall Shrine. There's no easy way there, but just remember: south to the edge of the map, then east to Seafall Shrine.
Seafall Shrine is a bright, grassy area. A big contrast from the darker atmosphere of the swamp. In this area are two monsters, neither of which are dangerous. There are three points of interest: the Seafall Shrine to the north, an unlocked treasure chest to the northeast, and a house north of the treasure chest (or west of Seafall Shrine). Both the shrine and the house are on top of a hill, with stairs going up a cliff.
First things first: warn Seafall about the destruction of Dyuti.
From the entrance, a path leads to the north. Follow it a bit, and you'll come to a sign, pointing out that Seafall Shrine is to the north. Keep following the path to the very end, and you'll come to a set of stairs going up a cliff. Take them, and then follow the top of the cliff to the east.
You'll see another sign that says you've arrived at the Seafall Shrine. Take the stairs and keep going north. Ignore the bluebirds wondering about. Inside the shrine, you'll notice three figures, and a big pool of water. The water is the Blessed Water. If you remembered to bring your Jug from the Haunted Village, you can fill it up with Blessed Water. No jug? No problem! Drink the water for a nice 20 HP heal on your party! Drink multiple times to completely refill your health. Actually, you'll need to go back and pick up the Jug if you're going to save the inhabitants of Haunted Village.
The Priestess in blue tells you that the water has been blessed, and holds healing properties. The Priestess in green is the head priestess here. Tell her of what you saw at Dyuti, and about the note. She'll reluctantly grant you access to the basement, where your answer lies. Head down to the basement.
It's a very dark area. The only exit is guarded by a skeleton. A ghost is wondering about in this room, too. Ignore her. Instead, talk to the Skeleton. He'll ask you for your Death Certificate. What? You don't have one? Well, he'll go over what they are, whether or not you need one, how to get one, and what he's guarding.
First, a Death Certificate is what you get when you die. Second, you need one to get by him. Third, to get one, you have to "die you fool"! Well, there has to be an easier way. Fourth, he's guarding the entrance to the underworld. Apparently, the answers you need about Ahriman's Prophecy, which is starting to come to pass, is deep inside the Underworld. Indeed, it is. You need pick up the Death Relic deep inside (after you beat a boss, of course).
Well, how to get a Death Certificate. There's two ways of getting one - one is easy, but takes a lot of walking. The second is easy, and also takes a lot of walking. Neither is more difficult than the other, so the deciding factor is what you can get out of picking up a Death Relic. Well, if you go pick one up in Grunwich Vineyard, you might be able to give it to the skeleton guard, then get Stella's (the ghost wondering about in this room) and keep it as a memento. Wonder if you get a second one when you die? Or will Stella get another one when she dies again? All this talk about death is depressing, so let's move on.
Head back outside, and make your way to Grunwich Vineyard. The easiest way is to take the Broomstick Express to Candar, and then the Mule Express to Thais, then go west to Grunwich Vineyard. Once you get there, talk to Theresa (the lady with red hair and an apron). She'll mention about a problem she's having with her daughters. Offer to help her out. You'll need to wait until nightfall to do so, however. I couldn't go up the stairs, but after examining the invisible blockage, nighttime fell. Now, you'll see all six daughters sleeping in bed, with an extra one next to the wall. Climb into bed, and examine the wall (Talia'll pretend to fall asleep).
When the opportunity comes, climb down the stairs, and navigate your way through the dark cave (there's only one way through, so you can't get lost). You'll end up in another dark area with water surrounding a stone pier of some kind. You'll also see the daughters dancing with some gentlemen. Do you see a piece of paper near the western edge? Pick it up. It's Sir Wesley Newthorn's Death Certificate. Well, don't have to die to get one, do we? Sir Newthorn is standing near the northern edge. He's wearing a cape, and looks *a lot* like Lord Zorom. He welcomes you to his kingdom.
The man next to him is simply a warlock prince, probably looking for one of the daughters to marry. Talk to the figure near the eastern edge. The "Dark Mother" will tell you about what she's doing, and how she's gotten away with it for so long. When you're ready, head back to the bedroom, and go to sleep. When morning comes around, talk to Theresa, and tell you what you saw.
Since you're already here, why not use the Blessed Water and heal the tree spirit in the Haunted Village? Simply navigate through the village, scale the cliffs (use the same directions from before) and examine the tree spirit. Devin will pour the blessed water on her, and heal the poison. She'll thank you.
Head back down the cliff, and talk to the villagers. They're no longer ghosts, but real people! Talk to the boatman and he'll thank you by handing you a canoe. I'm not sure if you actually carry the canoe in your backpack, but it sits at the very end of the river (the one you passed on the way here).
When you're finished with that, head back to Seafall Shrine (ignore the canoe for now). But before heading back down to the underworld, why not loot this place? Head east, then southeast to the eastern coastline. A treasure chest is between a tree and the coast and contains a Lightning Ring.
Head north, climb the stairs, and go inside the house along the northern edge. Inside, you'll meet George (wonder if he's related to Curious George? Sorry, I couldn't help it!). George wants to move to the city, finding the country life here too quiet. The chest next to his bed has 750 gold pennies in it. The sealed two vats along his eastern wall have two Juneberries and a Marsh Tea.
When you're finished, head back outside, then west to the Seafall Shrine. Drink the Blessed Water if necessary, and then head down to the basement. Show the skeleton the Death Certificate, and he'll let you pass. You now have access to the underworld. Before you head off to conquer it, talk to Stella, the ghost wondering about. She'll tell you about a wrongful deed that brought her here, and to tell her husband Herbert in Devenshire about the truth. She'll give you her Death Certificate for your efforts.
Once again, head back outside, and this time to Devenshire (Broomstick Express to Candar, Mule Express to Thais, Mule Express again to Devenshire). Remember where Herbert lives? In the house right across the river. Tell him what Stella told you and then head back to Stella. It's getting costly to keep taking the Mule Express/Broomstick Express trips, isn't it? Anyway, when you get to Stella, tell her that you told Herbert what she told you to tell him (confused yet?). She'll give you another Death Certificate.
Now you have a Death Certificate as a memento! Imagine showing all your friends a Death Certificate that you got without dying! The skeleton guard won't take a second Death Certificate, the first one being good enough to grant you unlimited access to the Underworld.
Before you take on the underworld, make sure you have a good supply of items, upgraded equipment, and a healthy party. Here's where I was at this time:
Talia: Class 28, 267/267 Health, 187/187 Mana, 166 Attack, 233 Defense, wore a Chain Helmet, Iron Shield, Black Robe, Iron Staff, and Poison Ring.
Devin: Class 28, 269/269 Health, 57/57 Mana, 234 Attack, 235 Defense, wore a Chain Helmet, Iron Shield, Steel Armor, Serphent Sword, and Poison Ring
Jack: Class 28, 237/237 Health, 0/0 Mana, 146 Attack, 195 Defense, wore a Chain Helmet, Iron Shield, Steel Armor, Serphent Dagger, and Poison Ring
It might be a spelling error, or intentional, but "serpent" was spelled "serphent" with regards to the two weapons my guys equipped. I also had a good stash of Auquilfolium - 20. As you can tell, I was not able to purchase Devin a Templar Sword, although the Serphent Sword is a good upgrade from the Steel Sword, and poisons monsters to boot (just like Jack's Serphent Dagger).
This is your first dungeon, so be prepared. Make sure that you've got enough supplies to last you for a long time. You can also fight lots of monsters inside and gain three, four, even five classes, if you want. Ready to take on the Underworld?
Chapter 11: Underworld
Treasure:
Important: Death Relic, Death Certificate, Application
Common: Unholy Shield, 200 gold pennies, Myrica Infusion x2, 2000 gold pennies, Lightning Ring x2
Side quests: bring back Grisilda's boom, find the pirate a house
Recommended Class: 28
From the entrance, head west, north to a lighted room, north some more, and east along a long hallway. A set of stairs leads to the south, to a room filled with coffins. Check them for an Unholy Shield (an upgrade for Devin) and 200 gold pennies.
Head back out of this room, up the stairs, and go east. Follow the hallway to the end. The first intersection south leads to a room with a geometric symbol (looks like a Star of David, but it's not). This symbol doesn't have any religious meaning, so don't get bent out of shape trying to figure it out. Also, don't get all uppity when you realize that it's also a satanic symbol, too. It's simply there, and has a different meaning in the world of Ahriman's Prophecy then it does here. The next hallway leading south ends up in a small room with a set of stairs leading to the second floor of the basement.
When you climb them down, you'll see a small room with two flashing symbols. These symbols are teleporters, and take you to another teleporter somewhere else. In all, there are nine separate rooms with a total of twenty-five teleporters. The number of possibilities is endless, but I'm here to help. I found it easiest to simply label each room with a letter, e.g. "A", and tag with it a description that marks it from other rooms. In this room, Room A, there are two teleporters, one to the west, and one east. Here's a rundown of the rooms, what they have in them, and where every teleporter goes (don't ask me why, but there isn't any Room D - I simply left it out I guess):
Room A
-2 teleports, W, E W->Room B
-no monsters E->Room C
Room B
-4 teleporters, NW, NE, SW, SE NW->Room A
-no monsters NE->Room C
-can't see anything SW->Room F
any edge SE->Room H
Room C
-4 teleporters, NW, NE, SW, SE NW->Room A
-Monster: Ghost NE->Room E
-can see something in the SW->Room F
NW and SE corners SE->Room H
Room E
-2 teleporters, W, E W->Room F
-Monster: Ghost E->Room C
-has a door leading to an empty room
Room F
-2 teleporters, W, E W->Room E
-no monsters E->Room C
-has a door leading to a room
with coffin (Myrica Infusion
inside)
Room G
-2 teleporters, W, E W->Room C
-no monsters E->Room A
-has a door leading to a room
with an empty coffin
-can see something in NW and NE corners
Room H
-4 teleporters, NW, NE, SW, SE NW->Room C
-Monster: Glove NE->Room I
-can't see anything from any SW->Room B
corner or edge SE->Room E
Room I
-4 teleporters, NW, NE, SW, SE NW->Room H
-Glove monster NE->Room C
-can see something on northern SW->Room J
edge and SW corner SE->Room A
Room J
-1 teleporter, NW NW->Room I
-set of stairs leading down
-no monsters
-end of "Teleport Maze"!
Rather than tell you where to go, it's easier to tell you what each room looks like (first column) and where each teleporter goes (second column). If you hurry through this part, all you're missing is a Myrica Infusion (which always crashed the game whenever I tried to use one), and fights with a few monsters.
For the quick way though, here's where to go:
Room A-> West-> SE-> NE-> SW-> SE and down the stairs.
Once you reach the third basement floor, you're almost there. Here's a big room with almost no way to get lost. The only treasure here is a weak Black Dagger, which isn't as strong as the Serphent Dagger found in Witchwood. OK, on with the tour. From the entrance, head west to the edge, south, then east at the intersection. Then head north, climb up the stairs, a little west, and inside the room. The room's interesting, but doesn't have any treasure.
Head back out, south down the hallway, down the stairs, and then west. Take a north at the intersection, then east, and south at the next intersection. Ignore the first path east, and keep going south. Head east at the end, and go inside the first room. Inside is a coffin with the Black Dagger.
Now head back outside, go east, south along the edge, west along the bottom and north. Head west at the intersection. The room is Awhren's lair. Be sure to heal your party and equip Charmed Necklaces on everybody before going inside. Also, be sure to save, too. Take out Awhren (which shouldn't take long), and go through the sequence. She'll tell you a little about the relics, and then give you the Death Relic. You ask her to grant life to Stella, who gave you her Death Certificate. Awhren does so, and then leaves. I assume that Stella will get a second one once she dies (hopefully of natural causes this time) the second time. I don't mean to sound hateful, but that's really her problem. If she doesn't get another Death Certificate you'll give her her old one back, right?
In any case, leave the Underworld. When you get to Room J, remember to take the only teleporter, then take the southeast one. You'll end up directly in Room A. Climb the stairs and head back out of the Underworld. Be sure to drink the Blessed Water and heal your party before you leave Seafall Shrine.
So, how was the first Relic quest? It wasn't too bad, but remember that that was the first one, and they'll only get harder from here on out. By now, you should be at class 30, or so (you would be if you had to try out all the teleporters and come up with that nice list above, hee hee).
I'm not sure if I mentioned this before, but with the Death Relic in your possession, most of the game opens up, and the game becomes a lot less linear. So, what should you do first? Well, why not check on Ella in Candar? See how she likes Prince Edward. The Ball should be long over by now. She's still at the castle and probably married Prince Edward. Talk to Prince Edward and he'll give you the key to his treasure room out of gratitude. Well, what are you waiting for? Go loot his treasure room!
Inside there you'll find 2000 gold pennies, another Myrica Infusion, and two Lightning Rings. Not bad!
When you're finished, head over to Thais, and talk to Rita about her business. She says that her best girl has left, and business has slumped. Now head toward the northern section of Thais. You'll hear a scream when you try to walk past the pub. Go check it out (the scream came from the girl near the stairs). You'll find the girl, who's surrounded by three thugs, looking for a "good time", so to speak. Take care of them (boy, don't the dead bodies look a lot like Jack's hair?) and ask the girl what happened. She (Ninia's her name) tells you that she left Rita and wants to clean up her act and live a decent life. Well, Rita doesn't like that. Go talk to Rita, and she'll say that she'll let her go if you agree to pay the difference in business she supposedly lost since Ninia's disappearance - 1000 gold. Pay her (grr… just got 2000 gold and now you've got to give half of it away), and go talk to Ninia again. She'll thank you and give you a shovel out of gratitude. With the shovel, you'll be able to pilfer graves and maybe find some treasure (no, you won't be able to find any sort of flute with the shovel). The only graves that I know of are all in Witchwood Swamp.
Well, there's so much else to do, now that you've gotten the Death Relic! You could go over to Candar and find out what the password is to the Dwarven Mines, or see what that pirate wants, who's standing just south of the Mule Express in Candar. Oh, and with that Canoe you got in Haunted Village (you did fill the Jug with Blessed Water and poured it on the tree spirit, didn't you?), you can go explore more of Thais Forest (by rowing the canoe upstream). Oh, the possibilities!
Do you remember the guy in the house to the west of Seafall Shrine? He wants to move to the big city, finding the country life too quiet. Hop a broomstick to Candar and you'll notice that a pirate is standing there. Talk to him and he wants to settle down and move into a nice, quiet house by the sea. We know where a house like that is! Head back over to the house by Seafall Shrine, and the guy's gone. He's place applications to purchase his house on the table. Pick one up. Head back to Candar (you'll appreciate the services offered by the Mule/Broomstick Express very quick, if not already). Give the pirate the application. He'll thank you. Head back to the house by Seafall Shrine. The pirate's there, having got there before you (how did he do that?) and buying the house. He offers his pirate ship for a mere 10,000 gold. Buy it when you can, but it's highly unlikely you won't have the cash right now. Even with the heavy-duty training I did, I still only had 3500 gold!
For no particular reason, let's use the canoe and explore more of Thais Forest. Maybe there'll be some treasure!
Chapter 12: Animalville
Treasure:
Important: none
Common: Brass Shield, Snow Pendant, Hammer
Side
quests: bring back Grisilda's boom, find Fredrick's brother, find the
rest of the relics (Earth, Passion, Fire, Dream, Water)
Recommended Class: 30
Continue to row upstream until you come across a break in the trees, and a clearing to the left. Get off the canoe (examine the bank of the river where you want to get off) and head west along the newly accessible path. Take a few sets of stairs north, and you'll be in a new area.
One of the first things that you'll notice that it's a forest, but different than Thais Forest or Devenshire Forest. You'll also notice that it rains quite often. Examine the first sign (next to the ladder) and you'll read: “Beware of man eating bats.” I've never heard of man-eating bats, have you? It looks like whoever lives here doesn't want visitors (sort of like an elderly woman I know who names the children of Elden). Ignore the sign, and climb the ladder to the second level of the forest.
Next to the stairs leading to a third level is another sign: “Chicken's of Hell ahead! Save your soul and turn back!” What can a chicken do to you, cluck you to death? Ha ha ha! Take the stairs up to the third level, and read the next sign: “Stinkweed Farm! Leave unless you want to stink for a week!” I can't imagine who in their right mind would want to harvest stinkweed!
Head east and cross the rope bridge to the next area. Another sign is to the north (oh, goody - another sign with an ominous warning!). Read it and it says that “Welcome to Animalville! Animals only!” What? What happened to the mythical things to watch out for?
Instead of climbing the ladder to Animalville, head south. A man is crouching near the ground, pretending to be a bird. What a loon (no pun intended)! Go inside the nearby building, and hope that the man doesn't try anything dangerous (like pretending that he can fly and running off the edge of a cliff flapping his arms)!
Inside is the inn for Animalville. It's run by a cow, Virginia. Like most of the residents of Animalville (as you'll soon find out), she doesn't like humans, and simply wants you to leave. There is some animal-related literature in the bookshelves to the northwest, the only thing of interest here. When you're done exploring, head back outside.
Now's the time to climb the ladder, and take a tour of Animalville. At the intersection, head right, then up a bit. Talk to the sheep. He's the mayor of Animalville, and wants you to conduct your business here and leave. Don't you feel all warm and fuzzy inside with all the love these guys are sharing? :)
Circle around the path and talk to the pig toward the other side. He likes the “natural” feel of not wearing clothing, although some animals prefer to wear clothes. We could have talking pigs around the farm and not even know it! Wait a minute, wasn't Babe a talking pig? Anyway, back to the tour.
Head southeast, and talk to the bird. He says that animals created a world away from humans to live in peace (it sounds just like what the Winglys did in “The Legend of the Dragoon”). Circle around the path, and go inside the building (which is almost directly north of the ladder). It's a School of Shapeshifting, which teaches animals to shapeshift into something else. The room to the left is “Shapeshifting 101”, shapeshifting for beginners. The room on the right is “Shapeshifting 201”, shapeshifting for advanced students.
The main character you want to talk to is the green guy in a navy cape. He's Fredrick, and wants to know where his brother is, who hasn't been in class in a few days. Fredrick described his brother as green and full of warts. It sounds like he's a toad!
The pig next to Fredrick can't see over his desk. The teacher thinks you did a nice job “shapeshifting” into a human. Roll your eyes, and move on to the “Shapeshifting 201” room. A cat there says that he's really a dog, but likes being a cat. The teacher also congratulates you on a successful “shapeshifting”.
Read the books in the bookshelves for some shapeshifting-related material. When you're finished, head back outside. Head west, going along the narrow path. Talk to the grumpy goat for some more “Animalville love”. The house to his north is unlocked, but empty.
Keep going to the west, and talk to the very skittery chicken. “The sky is falling! The sky is falling!” says Chicken Little.
The second (from the edge) house is locked, but the first one isn't. Inside is a cow who's lost her cowbell. Nothing else of interest is in here, so it won't take you long to explore everything.
With that last house ends the tour of Animalville. No treasure to loot, nothing of any great interest (although the pig in the School of Shapeshifting and Chicken Little were pretty funny).
When you're finished with Animalville, head back out and into Thais Forest. Get back into your canoe and row it further upstream. The next screen takes you to a snowy area (the snow effect stays, even while you're in the menu! Nice!).
Keep going upstream until you come to an intersection. Head west at the intersection, and get off along the northern shore of the small lake. Head north some more, and you'll come across a treasure chest with a Hammer in it. By the way, you can also loot treasure from the logs.
When you're finished, head back down, and keep going upstream. This time, go all the way up. At the very end, you'll come across a cave blocked by a ram who says “No humans beyond this point!” Perhaps a citizen of Animalville can help you get past him? I'll get to that later on. For now, head downstream. Keep going until you see a break in the trees to the left. Get off, and head north until you see a treasure box. Open it for a Snow Pendant.
Head west, then follow the paw prints to the northeast. You'll go between a break in a fence, then a Mule Express (way up here in the snowy north?) run by a girl in a snowsuit. This Mule Express will only take you to Candar. Ignore it, and go east. Follow the paw prints southeast.
A snowman with a nice red hat is sitting next to a sign which says that Glenvale is to the east. It's a good thing, too. After the trip through the Underworld, my supplies are running low. Now's a good time to take a break, rest, stock up on supplies, and upgrade your equipment. On to Glenvale!
Chapter 13: Glenvale
Treasure:
Important: none
Common: Tinctura Ankh, Aloe Leaves x2, 120 gold pennies, Iron Staff, Bread, Snowball Scroll
Side
quests: bring back Grisilda's boom, find Fredrick's brother, escort
priestess to Mysten Far, find the rest of the relics (Earth, Passion,
Fire, Dream, Water)
Recommended Class: 31
Head north. Behind the miner's house are two more buildings. The one on the right is the inn. The one on the left belongs to a woman. Go inside the inn. Here, the Sleepy Bear Inn, you can rest for 100 gold. There's nothing else of interest (other than the sign near the entrance to the bedrooms upstairs that tells you when you need to be asleep), so head back outside.
Go inside the building on the left (next to the inn). Inside lives a woman, who likes the quite life of Glenvale, but not so much the harsh winters. Examine the vat in the corner for a Tinctura Ankh. Read some information on miners in her bookshelf. When you're finished, head back outside.
Instead of taking the stairs to the second part of town, head north and up that set of stairs. A treasure chest is behind the building containing two Aloe Leaves. Go inside the building to find that yet another miner lives here, this one in a red snowsuit. With all the miners that live here, maybe they should call Glenvale the city of miners rather than the city of snow! The miner mentions that the mountain animals have been acting rather evil as of late. Could they be referring to the Snow Wolves that you met before? Maybe he just needs a good sword, armor, helm, and shield and go after them! There's nothing else here, so head back outside.
Take the stairs back down, and head south. Now take the stairs up to the second part of the city. A boy is wondering near the snowman. He is surprised to see visitors and asks you if you like his snowman. Head south, and go inside the building.
Inside live a couple. Have Jack open up the barrel for a loaf of bread (although it's not really worth it). Talk to the husband and he'll say that priestesses frequently come through here on the way to Mysten Far. That Mysten Far sounds like another city, one of priestesses. Why not stop there after we're finished here? The wife invites you to sample her soup, which doesn't do anything. When you're finished, head back outside, then go north.
The last building on our tour is the merchant's building. The sign in front says that it's the Village Marketplace. Head inside. You'll see two merchants on either side of the room, a priestess warming herself by the fire, and a clown (?). The merchant on the right is a weapon seller - Snowdog Weapons and Armor. He doesn't sell much, but the Plate Armor is definitely worth buying. The Ice Sword isn't as strong as the Templar Sword, and more expensive. Stick with the Serphent sword until you can upgrade it to the Templar Sword. The Plate Armor, however, is an upgrade even to Talia's Black Robe! I didn't have the cash to upgrade everybody, and I think you won't either. Come back when you've got the money and buy a Plate Armor for everybody.
The merchant on the left sells items - Mindy's Cures and Ointments. Refer to the section on Glenvale at the end for an alphabetized listing of the wares sold here. With this list is an inventory of all other town's shops, and what they all sell. Mindy sells a nice spell for Talia, so pick it up if you use magic. Talk to the priestess and she'll gush over how noble and sacred this city is. Talk to the clown and he'll tell you that nobody appreciates a clown in a town like this. Poor Jenkle!
Well, that's it for Glenvale. Now's a good time to earn some cash and pick up a Plate Armor for everybody by fighting some Snow Wolves. It won't take long to earn some cash and complete the upgrades. Selling extra meats helps, too. When you're finished, head over to Mysten Far.
From the entrance to Glenvale, circle around the trees, past the Mule Express, and south. Follow the paw prints past the fence, and south, then southwest. When the paw prints go south, you should see a clearing to the west. Head west (being wary of the four Snow Wolves), and head north. Follow the new path of paw prints. Before you get to the bridge, you'll see that the paw prints head west. Follow them through the trees. You'll come to a large clearing in the trees. A lone priestess is standing on the edge of a frozen lake. Talk to her, and she will say that she wants to get over to Mysten Far. Offer to escort her. Head southwest and you'll see a treasure chest with 120 gold pennies in it.
Now head back to the bridge, and cross it. Head northwest, being wary of another group of Snow Wolves. There is a partially hidden treasure chest along the way which contains an Iron Staff. A sign is next to the entrance of a cave says: “Northern Pass”. Go inside.
You'll find (the only occurrence that I can think of) that you'll be on the world map, but not riding in a boat. Head one step west, and one north (to the thing that looks like an ice…thing - it's a teleporter). It'll teleport you further north. Take a few steps west, and you'll be in Mysten Far.
The instant you arrive, the priestess will thank you, hand you a Snowball Scroll, and leave. It's a pretty nice spell, and up to you whether to sell it or learn it. Well, on to Mysten Far!
Chapter 14: Mysten Far
Treasure:
Important: none
Common: none
Side
quests: bring back Grisilda's boom, find Fredrick's brother, find the
rest of the relics (Earth, Passion, Fire, Dream, Water)
Recommended Class: 33
Inside the church you'll find a large group of priestess doing what appears to be some kind of bizarre dance. Talk to any of them and they'll say that they're doing their morning devotions. Wow.
Head west and into the next room. Here is a large room with a checkerboard-tiled center. To the north is an elaborate area with a lone priestess sitting in a throne. She appears to be the head priestess. Talk to her, and you find out that she's Gevolda.
She'll ask you about your travels, and you'll tell her a little about what you've done, starting with your visit with Awhren. You'll also mention that Awhren instructed you to collect all six relics and bring them to her. Gevolda will see that the prophecy is coming to pass, and tells you to hurry and that she's got work to do.
Head into the room to the west. Inside is a priestess who's willing to let you join the Priestess Guild if you can beat her in combat (one-on-one with Talia). Don't do it, because you don't know what other kinds of guilds there are, and maybe the Priestess Guild isn't the best choice for you. However, the last time I fought her, I won (it's easy, since a Priestess can't cast offensive magic to the living, nor can they cast healing magic during battle) and it brought my party's class up to the maximum of 75. That was annoying, and I assume it was a bug that has long since been patched. Leave the room, and head east to the next room.
Inside is a large library. Read the books at least once because they contain good information about a variety of subjects. The girl with pink hair and a red ribbon is an apprentice Priestess. She'll tell you a little about the known guilds there are, and that there are probably others that she doesn't know about because they're hidden. When you're finished, leave the building and head back outside.
Take the stone path east. The tall, skinny building is locked. Keep going east and go inside the building at the end. A priestess is there, willing to sell you a Holy Pendant for more than 1600 gold. It's up to you, but that's the only one that's available for purchase in the whole game. Head back outside and go north. Behind the church is a cave sitting next to a waterfall. A sign in front says “Monster Hideout”. Go inside the cave.
Inside are friendly monsters, none of which will attack you. There are only four rooms here, so it's really hard to get lost. Talk to the monsters and they'll tell you a little about this place, which is a kingdom of sorts, a Monster Kingdom, if you will. Go inside the first room (directly north of the entrance).
Inside is a small library. Read the books for more information about this Monster Kingdom and its history. Head back outside and go east. Go inside the second room (near the monster with a pumpkin head). Inside lives a friendly monster who'll tell you that the prophecy appears to be coming true, for better or worse. Head back outside and go north to the second row of rooms.
Go inside the one next to a potted plant. Inside lives a blob monster who mentions that humans have killed off most of his kind. Head outside and into the last room. Inside are two merchants. The one with a katana and a sword on the table sells weapons and equipment. The one with red bottles on the table sells a couple of items. The weapon merchant doesn't have anything decent for sale. The item merchant only has two items: Jars of Balm and Aquifolium. Since the Aquifolium is only ten gold more but heals all of your HP, buy some. It's better than anything you can find, and for what it does, cheap too.
Well, that's it for the tour of Mysten Far and the Monster Kingdom. Neither one is very big, and neither one has an inn. If you are like me, I was in pretty big need of a rest. Instead, I drank some Aquifolium instead. Three of them healed my whole party, although it cost me 300 gold.
Head back to Candar, and take the dirt path south. Cross the bridge, and at the sign, head southwest. Follow the dirt path to the Bleached Tooth Desert, a fine change from all this snow!
Chapter 15: Bleached Tooth Desert
Treasure:
Important: none
Common: Lightning Ring
Side
quests: bring back Grisilda's boom, find Fredrick's brother, find the
rest of the relics (Earth, Passion, Fire, Dream, Water), take the
skeleton home
Recommended Class: 34
When you are finished with her, head south a bit, and notice the various stands and displays. One of the signs says that this is Limbarch's Traveling Circus. South of the oasis is a man with a red beard and a frog. The man, Master Gaston, says that the frog next to him can talk. The frog simply says “Ribbot”. Some talking that frog does! Come to think of it, that frog looks like Fredrick's brother…
That's the important stops to this circus. Be sure to check out the rest of the displays. When you are finished, head southeast, toward the shore. You'll come across a skeleton wondering about wearing an orange cape. Talk to him, and he'll tell you that he wants to go home. Offer to take him, and he'll reward you with his treasure. He lives in Tar Vendron, which is currently not accessible at this time (it's across the ocean to the west).
Head back to Animalville and tell Fredrick that you may've seen his brother. He says that learning how to shapeshift into a chicken isn't all that interesting and agrees to go with you. Take him back to Bleached Tooth Desert and show him the frog. It is indeed Fredrick's brother, who was captured by the carnival…again. Talk to Master Gaston and offer to buy the frog. Master Gaston refuses, saying that this act isn't for sale. Tell him that if you can find a replacement act would he consider an exchange. Master Gaston says that he'll consider it.
Now, what is this circus missing? How about a clown (hint, hint)? Didn't we see a clown in Glenvale a while back? His name was Jenkle, if I remember correctly. Well, head over to Glenvale and tell Jenkle that we may have found a place that would appreciate his talents. Jenkle agrees to accompany you to Bleached Tooth Desert. Bring him back, and exchange him for Fredrick's Brother. Out of gratitude, Fredrick will stay with you, joining your party permanently. You will also earn a merit point for your efforts.
OK. Fredrick's a shapeshifter, but what can he do right now? If you look at his abilities, all it says (well, it's actually pictures representing the shapes that Fredrick has learned to shapeshift into) are Chicken and normal self (a picture of Fredrick). Turn Fredrick back into himself by simply selecting his picture from this menu. You don't have to shapeshift into his regular self to change into something else. Talk to the unicorn-girl and she'll teach him the Lion form. Change Fredrick into a lion and go fight. You'll notice that the damage he deals rivals Devin with a Templar Sword! Nice! Much better than his old self, that's for sure. Plus, walking around as a lion is quite amusing!
How about learning more shapes for Fredrick to change into? Head over to the Apple Orchard (north of Candar), and talk to the lady inside. Don't know how to get there? Well, that's OK. From Candar's entrance, head north (past the sign), and keep going north. Go north at every opportunity, until you reach a waterfall. From there, head east. You'll pass the Dwarf Mines from above. Circle around the path and the Orchard is just around the corner. Her name is Lyla and she runs the orchard. Ask her about current news and she'll say that everything was going great until a swarm of bees moved in and refuse to leave. Go outside, into the orchard, and all the way north. You'll notice a small beehive lying on the ground. Have Fredrick attack it (even as a lion it takes a few hits) until you kill it. When you do, he'll learn the Bee shape. Talk to Lyla after you take care of the beehive, and you'll earn a merit point.
As a Bee, Fredrick can fly, but is still limited to the areas that he could go before (another words, his flying ability doesn't mean anything). The Bee form is not as good as the Lion form, so change back to the lion form. A little south of the orchard is a treasure chest with a lightning ring.
Now, head over to Monster Kingdom and talk to the blue slime monster (second row of rooms, the one on the left (or, the northeast one in relation to the center of the cave). He'll teach Fredrick the slime shape. As with the Bee shape, the Slime shape isn't as strong as the Lion shape. It's kinda funny, though, to walk around as a Slime! Change back into a Lion and get ready for more action.
As a lion, you may notice that training is a lot easier, since you kill monsters faster. If you've lacked in your training, go play “catch up”, using the Lion form to speed things along. Also, if you haven't already, pick up four Charm Necklaces, and a fourth Poison Ring for Fredrick. You may also notice that Fredrick already has the Plate Armor, which saves you 3500 gold. You'll still need to purchase three more to upgrade your armor for everybody. And with four Charmed Necklaces, that's another 2800 gold. You'll be busy building up your gold for quite a while! With three suits of Plate Armor and three Charmed Necklaces (assuming that you picked up the one from before), it'll cost you more than 11000 gold! Well, with Devin's Templar Sword and Fredrick's lion shape both doing 300-320 damage (at least that was what they were doing when I fought), it won't take long at all!
When you've finally upgraded everybody's armor to Plate Armor and picked up four Charmed Necklaces, head over to Witchwood Swamp. We'll need the Shovel that we got a while back to loot the swamp of treasure (which is buried in graves). We'll also need to take back the broom stolen from Grisilda.
Remember the two types of monsters here poison you and curse you. You can't protect yourself against both, so you've got to choose. A good strategy would be to equip two with Poison Rings and two with Charmed Necklaces. That way, you won't have to worry too much about curing them of the status ailments. Just be sure to bring along 20 Holy Tonics and 20 Marsh Teas!
Well, on to Witchwood Swamp!
Chapter 16: Return to Witchwood Swamp
Treasure:
Important: Grisilda's Broom
Common: Unholy Shield, Auquifolium
Side
quests: bring back Grisilda's boom, find the rest of the relics (Earth,
Passion, Fire, Dream, Water), take the skeleton home
Recommended Class: 36
You'll come to a grave. Dig it up to find an Unholy Shield. Only Devin can wear it, and as you found one in the Underworld earlier and you don't need a second one, just sell it. Head west, a little north, and west some more. When you get the chance, head north. A small path (like the one earlier, one block wide) leads to another area with a grave. Dig up the grave for the Winged Sandles. Wear them to move a lot faster (twice as fast), but vulnerable to poison and curses, as it takes up your Trinket slot. Still, it's a good thing to use when you want to skirt monsters and go after the treasure.
Head back to the first grave (the one with the Unholy Shield that was in it), and go south from the grave. Navigate your way through the area, going east. You'll pass a tree, and finally get back onto the path. Follow it south, cross the tiny bridge, and follow the path southwest. You'll notice that Witchwood is to the west. Keep following the path south until the path turns east. At that point, head west. Head northwest, then north. A lone Swamp Hag guards a sealed vat with a vile of Auquifolium in it.
Head back to the stone path (to the point where I told you to go west when it turned east), and follow it east. You'll notice that Witchwood's Broomstick Express is to the north. Head south, cross the long bridge west, and go west. Go west until you reach the end of the screen (you only have to go as far as the empty barrel). Head north until you see a cottage. A nearby grave is empty. Before you go inside, equip everybody with a Charmed Necklace. Head inside.
The witch in the center is the one who stole Grisilda's broom, and doesn't feel any remorse for stealing the broom or anything else she stole. Tell her to give it back now or you'll take it back by force. Of course, the witch refuses, so you'll have to fight her. She goes down easy. In fact, she hardly put a scratch on me, with the Charmed Necklace protecting you against most of her attacks. Defeated, she swears revenge and reluctantly gives you Grisilda's broom. Put Poison Rings back on, and head back to Witchwood. Give Grisilda her broom back. Another merit point! Oddly enough, Grisilda was late because her broom was stolen, but now that you've gotten it back, she never makes it to class. Interesting…
By the way, if the “Wicked Witch from the West” tells you to go away, then you need to talk to somebody in Witchwood. You'll need to “know” that this witch stole Grisilda's broom before you can take it back. Start with Grisilda. Make sure that your party knows that somebody stole the broom. The witches in the classroom suspect this witch (the one that told you to go away). The witch on the third floor of the merchant's tower says that this witch is a mean ol' witch and she scares her.
Now go back and take out the witch. With another merit point under your belt, you're one step closer to being able to obtain the Glass Key. However, when I went to the cave and tried to get it, it said that I was saintly and close (but not quite there) to being pure enough to acquire the key, but not quite there. Come back after we do some more sidequests and maybe we can get it (finally)!
Remember to save your cash, and rake up 10000 gold to buy the pirate's ship. With that, you'll be able to sail around the world at your leisure. By the way, no monsters while you sail the world in the pirate's ship!
Next thing we're going to take out is the Dwarf Mines, but you'll need to prepare first - it's no pushover! You'll need a good supply (20-30) of Auquifolium (by now, the Jars of Balm are starting to become obsolete, and Talia's Heal Minor has long since become useless). If you rely on magic heavily, then pick up some mana restoring items, too.
You should also train a bit, seeing how easy it is with Fredric's Lion form! I wondered between a three-area spot, killing about ten monsters in a “round”: the area that splits off to the southwest to Bleached Tooth Desert and southeast to Witchwood Swamp has three monsters in it. The area that leads to Bleached Tooth Desert has four more (which is reset by simply walking through the fence). The area that leads to Witchwood Swamp has three monsters easily attackable (is that even a word?), the fourth is out of the way (toward the path leading to Dyuti Shrine). I typically ignore him, since I can get three more by simply heading north. Again, whenever you go through the fence (from either side), the monsters reset. Soon you'll be killing monsters like mad! I was able rack up nearly 4000 gold (selling the Leather Armors, Brass Shields, Meats, and Alderwood Roots whenever I needed to sleep at the Inn) in thirty minutes, while boosting my class to 40! Keep the Alderwood Roots if you use magic - you'll only get 20 gold for each one, so you're not missing much.
Trust me when I say boosting your class a bit really helps. Not only do you get a HP/MP max boost, you'll get an increase in attack and defense! O.K. Gotten to class 38-40? And a good supply of Auquifolium? Lets go wipe out the Dwarf Mines (you'll get another relic -the Earth Relic here too)!
Chapter 17: Dwarf Mines
Treasure:
Important: Earth Relic, Moldy Cheese
Common: 50 gold, Chain Mail, Meat, Aloe Leaves x2, Iron Sword, Distillate of Alnus, 230 gold, Snow Pendant
Side
quests: find the rest of the relics (Earth, Passion, Fire, Dream,
Water), take the skeleton home, get the password to the Dwarf Mines
Recommended Class: 38
Head back to Candar, and inside the café. Talk to the mini dwarf, who'll tell you that he wants some moldy cheese. Head back outside, and into Wyrmwood Cave (the cave that connects Thais to Candar). Talk to the old man, and then examine his cheese wheel. He'll say that it's going out with the next day's trash. Ask him if you can have it, and he'll let you take it. It must smell so wonderful in your backpack! It's a good thing that skeleton that's in there now doesn't have a sense of smell, or he'd leave!
Take the cheese back to Limfit and bribe him for the password. With your newfound knowledge, gain access to the Dwarf Mines. It's surprising how many questions I get on how to get into the Dwarf Mines! Well, now that it's in my guide, that should answer most of them. If you still have questions, let me know, and I'd be glad to help! As you can see, I do not give what the password is. There're two reasons for that: one, it doesn't matter, since you can't guess the password; two, it takes away from the enjoyment of finding it out yourself. Again, like always, I leave the experience to you, and simply provide a “handrail” for guidance!
Be sure to save often while you're in here because the monsters are a step above anything you've seen so far (however, stronger monsters make for better and faster training…) O.K., this is going to be a loooong trip, but I'll help you through it. There's also a lot of treasure here, most of it probably will be sold when you make a return trip to Candar and rest up and restock on supplies when you get finished here.
There are three types of monsters in here: Goblins, Mutant Rats, and Mutant Beetles. Refer to the bestiary for more general information about these or any other monsters mentioned. Anything specific to watch out for, I'll let you know as we come to it. You should also remember that there are always four monsters in every “screen” and that whenever the screen “resets”, so do the monsters. Well, here in the Dwarf Mines, the “screen” is considerably smaller than usual, and so the monsters regenerate to provide endless monsters at every twist and turn!
In the very beginning, you'll meet up with Goblins and Mutant Rats - the Mutant Beetles are deeper inside the mines. The Goblins aren't too much trouble, nor are the Mutant Rats. Both take a heavy beating before going down, even with Devin's Templar Sword and Fredrick's Lion shape. Keep whacking at them because they give 50% more experience than the monsters you've faced so far, as well as LOTS of gold and equipment. The Goblins, for example, drop so much equipment that they seem like they're walking blacksmiths!
The Goblins will fight to the death, and don't back off. The Mutant Rats, however, will sometimes back off, seemingly encouraging you to chase them down. When they're very low on health, one more shot to kill them, they will sometimes move off a few steps to the side and sit there. You'll have to chase them down and deal the deathblow if you want to kill them.
Anyway, back to the tour. This first floor is relatively easy to navigate. There's only one way through, so head west, circle around, then follow the path to the end. Take the stairs into the next area. Head north. A treasure chest right next to a set of stairs has 50 gold in it. If you've fought the monsters already, you know that 50 gold is about half of what they monsters typically drop. However, free money is always welcome!
Head west, all the way to the edge, and you'll see a small room to the north. Inside are four monsters (which regenerate each time you try to leave or come into the room) guard a locked treasure chest with a suit of Chain Mail. Too bad, since the Chain Mail isn't as good as the Plate Armor that you should be wearing already. Head back east, to the set of stairs next to the treasure chest that had 50 gold in it and take them and head north. There's nothing here, except for another door leading to another area to the north. If you walk into the water, you'll find yourself half covered! It's a pretty nice effect! Head into the door and into the next area.
You'll be glad that there aren't any monsters here. Instead, here's a sort of a dwarven city, although there aren't many who live here. Head inside the room to the left (of the two rooms on this floor). Inside is another guildmember, ready to test your skills. He's an Earth Mage. Fight him and win to join that guild. Or, if you're like me, stick around and see what the other two are (you've already seen three of the five - Priestess, Witch, and Earth Mage). Head back outside.
The room to the right is completely empty and barren. Climb the stairs to the next area of this dwarf city. A set of stairs leading down is to the northeast. Take those when we're finished here. Inside the room just to the north has four mini dwarves skittering about. There are also large stockpiles of gold, none of which you can take! So much gold and not a bit you can have! Head back outside and into the room to the west of here.
Inside is Hadan, a mercenary dwarf. He'll sell you his services for 600 gold, but I don't think it's worth it (unless you need a fourth person). If you already have four (which I did at this point), then you'll need to dump somebody to take in Hadan. If you dump Jack, he'll run off with all of your cash. You'll have to trade him back (he's in Thais) before he'll give you your money back. If you dump Fredrick (why, since Fredrick's very strong as a Lion, and Hadan isn't any stronger than that), he'll simply return to Animalville. Again, you'll have to head back there to get him back. If you end up dumping Hadan, he'll come back here. It'll cost you another 600 for him to join your party. It's up to you whether or not to have him in your party. Hadan, by the way, uses a hammer as a weapon. You might recall finding a Hammer in a treasure chest a long time ago, and a War Hammer for sale (14400 gold).
Head back out, and then south into the last room. Inside is Adaak (nice blue hair). He says that his workshop is a complete mess. I haven't found anything for him to do (like build us an Airship or something). Oh well. Blue-haired dwarves are rare, though. Head back out, and take the stairs down to the lower levels of the Dwarf Mines.
You'll find that the Goblins have disappeared, replaced with Mutant Beetles. The Mutant Beetles like to hit you with powerful earth magic. Earth magic is my favorite element of magic, since you can't defend against it (you or the enemy), so it's always going to deal full damage! For that reason, I typically join the Earth Mage guild, even though I don't use the magic spells. Fire Amulets protect against fire (the main element in one of the two remaining guilds), Snow Pendants protect against Water/Ice magic, Unholy Shields protect against the undead, holy magic isn't offensive (the element of a Priestess), and Charmed Necklaces protect against curses (the type of magic of Witches). What's left? Earth magic! No protective items for earth magic!
O.K. This next area is really complicated, but essentially one big room. Head north, then west. Climb up the stairs and head north. A treasure box is in the corner with a unit of Meat in it. Take it and keep going north. Up toward the northwest corner of the room is another treasure chest. Open it for two aloe leaves. Ready for two more treasure chests? Go inside the door and into the next area. You'll find a small room (no monsters, indicated by the lack of your health/mana bars) with two treasure chests. One, unlocked, has an Iron Sword in it. The other, locked, has a Distillate of Alnus (100% mana recharge) in it.
Four treasure chests in such a short period of time! Granted, it's not much, but anything free is always good! Head back up the stairs, and go west (you came from the south). You'll find another set of stairs going deeper inside the Mines. Take them. You'll find yourself in a nice area (no monsters! whoo hoo!) with a bridge leading west. This area is so starkly different from the rest, that it makes you wonder what the dwarves are using it for. Take the bridge, and then the stairs going up. We're almost finished with the Dwarf Mines (well, you still gotta go back out)!
You'll find yourself in a smaller room, a watery path leading to the main part of the room. Follow the path, and you'll see more mini dwarves skittering about. More stockpiles of untouchable gold, as well as lots of gemstones lying on the floor (also untouchable). A golem is standing to the north. Equip everybody with Charmed Necklaces, heal everybody, save, and talk to the Golem. He's got the Earth Relic, but won't give it up unless you defeat him in battle. If that's the way he wants it! Take him out. He takes a really good beating and makes the monsters in this mine seem like the Dragonflies in Elden! You might have to try a few times (with the equipment I had you upgrade before, and the training I had you go through before, you should be fine) before you win. He gives you the Earth Relic, and disappears.
Only more area left to explore. Head back out of this room, take the water path to the stairs. Take the stairs down, cross the bridge, and take the stairs at the end up. Head all the way east (to the edge of the map) and north (up the tiny set of stairs). You'll find a treasure chest with 230 gold in it, as well as a door to the north. Go inside the door and into the next room. Inside is another treasure chest with a Snow Pendant in it.
Well, that's it for the Dwarf Mines! Now that you've clean it out, you won't need to come this deep into it (only the first area for training purposes). Be sure to keep training on these difficult monsters, as they drop lots of gold and equipment. In fact, I had a little more than 4000 gold going in, and almost 9000 coming out! Yes, I did fight lots of monsters rather than running by them. After heading back to Candar and selling the extra items, I had more than 11000 gold! Almost half of what I need to buy the Ruby Shield!
Well, don't worry about the Ruby Shield. Have you noticed that you can accumulate gold easier and easier as you progress through the game? Later, you'll fight really, really strong monsters that drop diamonds and rubies! Well, I'll get to that when the time comes. For now, I'll assume that you've got at least 10000 gold. If you don't, rest up in Candar, replenish your supplies, and head back to the Dwarf Mines and rack up gold until you have 10000.
With that much gold, you've got enough to buy the pirate's ship (which is essential to the completion of the game, so might as well buy it now). Head over to the pirate's place, and buy his pirate ship. It'll appear on the docks just to the east of his house. With the pirate ship, you can sail anywhere you want in the world, but can only dock on the piers of major cities. There are a *few* places where you can “park” your pirate ship that doesn't require a port, but I'll get to that in the “Weird things that I've found in the game” section of this guide. Refer to it for more information.
With two relics down, there's only four to go! With the pirate ship, you've got so freedom that you won't know what to do with it! What's next? Well, you still have a skeleton in your backpack, who wants to go home to Tar Vendron. Why not stop there, and see if you can find any equipment upgrades? There's also the skeleton's promised treasure! Could it be gold? Diamonds? Rubies? A lifetime of riches?
Next stop, Tar Vendron!
Chapter 18: Tar Vendron
Treasure:
Important: none
Common: 2350 gold, lightning ring, Templar Sword, Cassia Leaf
Side quests: find the rest of the relics (Passion, Fire, Dream, Water), take the skeleton home
Recommended Class: 40
You'll soon come across the port near Witchwood (which means no more Mule/Broomstick Express - ride the pirate ship to the proper port and get off). That's where you dock the pirate ship for a quick walk there. North of the port is a tiny island. Ignore that. Keep following the coastline.
A little north of Witchwood's port is another port, this one for Thais. Again, dock here when you want to get to Thais. Keep following the coastline, and you'll come across yet another port, this one for Devenshire. Just to the east of Devenshire's port is one for Elden (no more Ferry rides either!). Continue to follow the coastline (of the continent that Devenshire's on, not Elden's).
You'll come across the snowy north, and a port that near a very tiny village. Ignore that for now (I'll get back to that later), and keep following the coastline. Hey, this is kind of like a tour of the world! Anyway, you'll come to the dock near Mysten Far (which is really on its own little island). Follow the coastline south, and you'll come to the dock for Candar (where you first met the pirate).
Now's the easy part: Tar Vendron is west of Candar. So, sail west. It's not more than a few steps and you'll see a port, a desert, and a city in the middle of it. That's Tar Vendron - the desert city. Dock the pirate ship and get off (press spacebar while facing the dock). Be sure save because the monsters here are out of your league! Don't even bother to try to fight them - ignore them instead. We're here for three reasons: one, to bring the skeleton home, two to claim his treasure for a reward, and three, to upgrade our equipment using the skeleton's treasure.
You'll find a stone path leading to the west. Again, be very careful of the monsters here! The Sand Scorpions sting like crazy, inflicting Critical Poison (you'll glow red rather than green, and the poison takes off more health)! Even though my character's health at this time was between 400 and 450, they still could die in two or three hits!
When you see a set of stairs to the south, take them (you'll have to get off the path to do so). Head all the way south, skirting the Evil Roadrunner. All the way to the south, you'll see a lone tree. Dig by the roots (if you don't have the shovel, you'll simply use your hands) for five rubies and two diamonds! That's the skeleton's treasure! Now, to fulfill your end of bargain - taking the skeleton home. Climb up the stairs, and get back on the path. Follow it west, until it turns north. Then follow it north, climbing the stairs, and keep going north.
You'll pass a rather large city wall, where the path turns east. A sign near the end says “Tar Vendron The city of excitement!” Head inside Tar Vendron, and let's begin our tour of the “city of excitement”!
Follow the path a little east, then north to the first building. A sign on the outside of the wall says “Mayor's Villa”. Head inside the mayor's villa. You'll have to cross a moat (hopefully not getting eaten by sharks or whatever animals the mayor's got swimming in there (don't worry - I'm kidding)). The mayor's standing in the middle of a rather large, ornate rug. He welcomes you to Tar Vendron. The chancellor nearby (wearing a white robe) says that he oversees all fights that happen in the coliseum.
The room to the northwest belongs to the mayor's wife, who welcomes you to Tar Vendron. A treasure chest at the foot of her bed has 2350 gold pennies in it. There's nothing else here, so head back outside when you're done exploring.
Head east (not going back to the main path by the entrance of Tar Vendron, but rather east from the entrance to the mayor's villa), and circle around the city wall and across the bridge. You'll come to a rather large, empty area with a house to the northeast. Head inside, and step toward the middle of the room. The skeleton recognizes it as his, and asks that you drop him here. Do so, and he'll tell you about his promised treasure (which we already got). If you skipped that part, then go back and claim the treasure - five rubies and two diamonds are too good to pass up! You'll earn a merit point for bringing the skeleton home.
Now you can head back to the main path to the city, and head east. The woman there wearing a purple robe says that she doesn't often see people from the mainland. There's a merchant to the southeast, selling good, but expensive armor. Come back when you've got the cash and upgrade. Another merchant further south sells items (neither of the two merchants so far will purchase extra items from your inventory).
Keep going south, to the edge of town. To the west are two buildings, like halves of one single building. Head inside the right half. You'll find a woman there, who says that there's a woman hermit who can make excellent armor, the best in Tar Vendron. A vat to the northeast has a Lightning Ring in it.
Head back outside. The room on the left, as you'll find out, is locked. Like all other locked doors, Jack won't be able to pick the locks. Head east. The man in a black robe asks you if you've been to the coliseum. Keep going east, to the edge. The house in the southeast part of town is empty, and unlocked. Head inside for any possible treasure to loot. There is a single treasure box with a Templar Sword in it! Nice! If you've been using the Serphent Sword so far, by all means equip Devin with the Templar Sword - it's good enough to use for the rest of the game (but not the strongest or best weapon there is). Head back outside, and go north.
The warrior from Thais (General Beatrix's twin sister) is there, probably wanting to fight in the coliseum. A little north is the coliseum itself. Nearby is an older dwarf who says that he's on vacation. Read the sign on the outside of the coliseum: “Tar Vendron Grand Central Coliseum / Gladiators Wanted!!” You are nowhere strong enough to fight here, but let's go have a look-see anyway.
The woman at the counter welcomes you, telling you that the games will begin shortly (they don't - in fact, they never happen). The man with a red coat (who looks like Sir Pellad from Thais) says that he's waiting for the games to start. A guard in a black robe is blocking the entrance of the coliseum, saying “Gladiators Only!”. Climb down the stairs that's between the two statues.
You'll find a prison of sorts, with three cells. There're people in all three cells. Nothing else here (well, nothing of interest yet, but we'll be back), so head back upstairs. Head east, past the woman at the counter. The armored guy with a blue cape says that he's Herman the Terrible, and hasn't been defeated in combat. Head north, into what appears to be a small casino. The woman sitting by the blackjack table says that she likes this game. The male server (wearing a green cap and matching green uniform) asks you if you would like a cocktail. Doesn't he look an awful lot like Darryl from Candar? Well, anyway. The man sitting by the other blackjack table (who also looks like Darryl) says that he's winning. The female server (the only other person who's moving) also asks you if you want a cocktail. Toward the northern edge, a man facing west says that he's out of money. It looks more like he's gazing at the nude (albeit heavily pixilated and can't see anything) painting!
The other guy, looking out of the window doesn't say anything. He appears to be deep in thought. Better leave him alone. Well, there's nothing else of interest here until we get strong enough to maybe be able to fight in the coliseum, so head back outside. Head north. The merchant standing just above the oasis is selling spices, urns, and jewelry. You don't have any practical use for any of these so Talia won't bother to engage in a business transaction with him. A man with a black robe (standing near a nice looking double-headed axe) sells weapons. He will purchase your excess inventory. By all means, sell your rubies and diamonds! I got nearly 20000 gold from them!
With that cash, I picked up the Paladin Armor for Devin (from the armor merchant to the west) and a Tanto Knife (from him) for Jack, which is only a hair stronger than the Serphent Dagger, but every bit helps! Then I was broke, having blown 20000 gold on two pieces of equipment. Oh well. We'll be back, that's for sure!
Well, only one more area left to explore! Further north are three more buildings. The one to the northwest is locked. A sign by the door says that it's for sale. The building in the middle has an item merchant (a second one). She sells Auquifolium Grande (100% cure for everybody), which is by far the best healing item money can buy! The house to the northeast is the town's inn - the Oasis Bed & Breakfast. For 199 gold (what an odd amount to charge!), you can fully rest everybody. East of the inn is a woman, who seems to have been robbed one too many times. She asks you what you want, probably expecting you to rob her. It's too bad we can't comfort her. One of the barrels is sealed, containing a Cassia Leaf.
Well, that's it for Tar Vendron! Head back to your pirate ship, and to Candar. If you got hit either on the way to or from Tar Vendron, then you know that these monsters are tough and you need some heavy-duty training! Well, the Dwarf Mines has weaker monsters (than those found in Tar Vendron Desert), so let's go train! After a bit of that, we'll go see if we can finally pick up the Glass Key. If we can, then we'll go after another relic - the Passion Relic. Don't worry - no boss fight for the Passion Relic!
Next stop, Dwarf Mines!
-----==To Be Continued next time==-----
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