AMBERSTAR - Thalion (Part 2) Playguide by Brian Burke TWINLAKE. Map Reference x axis first then y - 210/215 Town area can be mapped on a 32 (horizontal) x 28 (vertical) grid. Your start point is in Twinlake graveyard standing close to the grave of your parents. Use the "Eye" icon to look around and head northeast to find the Crypt. Use the "Zzz" icon to advance time and stop when Gwendoline appears. Read the notice outside the Crypt first and make a point of reading these and the signs outside Shops and guilds as you come across them. They give you keywords also and thus facilitate conversation. Hang around till midday to meet Gwendoline. She's pretty distraught. Say "Hello" and watch the keywords for further conversation. She requests that you obtain the Flower (Rose) of Sadness which is to be found in the Halls of Peace. She doesn't know where this is but if you talk to Olfin, who's to be found in the Jewel Inn in Crystal, he'll be only too pleased to tell you that this is a cave entrance located northeast of Crystal in a rocky but desert area. Staying in the Crypt note the two Healing Pools and advance time to midnight in order to meet Sir Marrilion, Gwendoline's better half. Speak to him of Gwendoline to obtain the Key to the Tomb. In here find a Sword, Armour and 589 Gold. Both Sword and Armour can only be used by a Paladin so it's best just to take the cash for now and return later for the other stuff. There's a little guy in Crystal who's dying to get his hands on these things. More of him later. Leave the Crypt and head for the Cemetery exit in the southwest. The only other thing of interest here is a statue in the southeast of the graveyard. Entering the town brings up a different perspective and enables the Auto Mapping facility. Click on the icon to see where you've been. A super assistance to manual mapping. The first place to head for is your parents' home. This is located down a passageway which is off the lane opposite the Shop and past the Food Shop. You will meet Sunni, a small girl, in this area. Say "Hello" etc to learn that she has lost her pet cat Felix. Whilst she makes reference to the Cemetery the poor feline is actually held prisoner in the Sewers. The reward when you return Felix is that the lead character in your Party at the time learns the gift of talking to animals. She also offers to sell you Hats at a price of 3 Gold. But before you enter the Sewers you have lots to do first. Use the Key on the Lock of your parents' home. Enter. In the Dining Room find a Magic Picture in an alcove to the right behind the table, use the "Eye" icon. Actioning this transfers the picture to the large grey area in the mid-right of the screen and enables you to see if it's night or day. In the Kitchen you meet Spike the Dog. When you have the gift of talking to animals he can join your Party. He's great at Rat eating but I never found anywhere that enabled Animals to be promoted so his Life Points always stayed at 40. Better really to develop another class of character but useful in a battle until you fill up all six slots. At the end of the long corridor in the northeast find a Chest with a small Key and an old Robe. Use the key in the Bedroom to the east and find a Wardrobe stuffed with 487 Gold, Armour, weapons, a potion and Boots. Leave the house and head south to find the Dancing Dragon Inn. Talk to everyone in here. One guy is an old friend and refers you to Jonathan's House (note the spelling) which is located to the nor' nor' east of Twinlake - tucked just in the trees. The key to the house is in a bush at the side of the path to the house before you enter the trees. Jonathan's house is an entire separate area and should not be entered until you have found the crowbar which is to be found in a barrel. The barrel is located near the top of the steps which lead down into the cellar. Again the cellar is a completely separate area which, in time and the right key, links up with Jonathan's house. More of that later. In the Kitchen meet the Cook and say "Quest". He wants you to find his ring. Recovering it from the Sewers means that he gives you a Crystal Ball in exchange. This should be actioned when your Party is trekking through the woods and you're hopelessly lost. It provides an aerial view of the surrounding countryside, just enough to get your bearings. It does have a limited usage so I'd suggest saving the game prior to use then restoring and heading off in the right direction. In the area to the north of the Dining room meet Breth, who's mine host. In the cellar you'll find an old Wine Bottle for which he'll pay you 100 gold. Accompanying him will be Silk. He's a Thief and well worth recruiting. He's carrying three lockpicks for a start. Only use these if he fails to open chests or locks by hand. Ensure that you develop his Lockpick skills up to 95% before any other skill then concentrate on Search. Also in the Inn is Cyrlis the Cat. When you've acquired the gift of speaking to Animals she'll tell you where to find the hidden door to the Thieves' Guild. It's really not worthwhile staying in an Inn as it only costs money and you can rest just as effectively outside the city or in your parents' home. Time now to visit Shandra. His house is located in the east of the town, just past the entrance to the Lord Chancellor's quarters. Shandra's appearance is time related so hang around in his bedroom till he shows if he's not elsewhere in his house. Say "Hello" to obtain the key to his Laboratory. In the chest in here are lots of goodies. Just note them for now as you won't have room to store them all and it would be tragic to have to sell the Potions and Scrolls just to make room in your Inventory. Come back when your Party is larger and you have the appropriate Wizards. Shandra tells you of a female Wizard waiting in the Grey Wizard Tower. This Tower is located on an island off the northeast shoreline and can be reached by either raft or boat. If swimming skills are good I guess you could goose grease yourself and strike out that way. The Map picture on the wall in Shandra's house serves no purpose so ditch it if you've picked it up. If you say "Potion" to Shandra and give him an empty flask he'll mix you a Healing 5 potion, very useful in the early stages when you're trying to build experience stats. In order to start acquiring those vital points head south from Shandra to visit Karwain, the Lord Chancellor. Say "Hello: Quest: Sewers: Key" to obtain the key to the Sewers. You'll have passed this door en-route from the cemetery. The Shops in Twinlake sell Rations and Arms. In the Armoury shop is also an item called a "Bernstein". This is a translation error from the original German as in English it means "Amber" which you need when you enter the Swampstation area. In summery we've now identified the following sub-plots/quests: 1. The Sewers 2. Dragon Inn Cellar 3. Jonathan's House 4. Halls of Peace 5. Tower of Grey Wizards. I've listed the above in terms of difficulty. Presuming that you're still alone, now is the time to recruit some assistance. A Warrior and a Black Wizard are necessary for sure so I recommend that Gemstone and Crystal are visited, in that order, before coming back to Twinlake. As stated earlier this is a big map so it'll take a couple of game days to find Gemstone. GEMSTONE. Map reference 129/369 Map on a 19 x 19 grid. Entrance door is in the south. Located in the southwest, tucked between two mountain ranges. Not a great deal to find here. There are a couple of specialist Shops. One, in the east, sells Tools and for sure you need a Pickaxe. The crowbar you should already have from the Dragon Inn in Twinlake. In northwest of the town is a Jewel shop. It can be useful to convert your excess Gold into gems. Obviously the Shopkeeper takes his cut, and how, when these transactions occur. Drobonir, the Warrior, is waiting in the Inn. The counter clerk, Andamael, is useless for now but does come into play later in the game. Take Drobonir and together head northeast to Crystal. CRYSTAL. Map reference 235/120. Map on a 28 x 28 grid. The entrance gate is in the south. Located in a bay on the mid east of the island. A much more interesting place than Gemstone, there's a fair bit to do in Crystal. Take the right fork as you enter and find the entrance to the Jewel Tavern. Standing in the entrance hall is Captain Brix. He's looking for Orlando, the Landlord who's hovering outside the Wine Cellar which is to be found south of the kitchen area. Inside you meet two potential recruits. Grylan is hanging around one of the corridors. He is a wannabe Paladin. Make his day by taking him on but beware that initially he's as weak as you are. Like your character he needs experience points. Of far more use is Trasric, the Black Wizard, he's to be found through a couple of bedrooms near where Grylan is. He tells you where his Guild is which is only accessible by boat. More of the Tower of Black Wizards later. In one of the rooms you meet Thonion. As you admire the pictures on his wall he tells you of the White Gates and how one is able to Teleport around the island provided one has the appropriate artefact. The necklace, for that is the artefact, is to be found in the Temple of Sansri. However the Temple is on the small island off the south coast and is only accessible in two ways. Firstly by air, you need to have access to the Eagle. Secondly by fulfilling the quest set by Gwendoline whereby the Rose of Peace is returned to her in Twinlake Crypt. In return she gives you a Teleport spell that takes you right into the heart of Sansri's Temple. Be warned that it's tough getting out again though. Another option is to sell the Rose to Olfin who tells you about "the Flower". He'll pay you around 5500 Gold for it which is just about the right amount to buy a Boat. There's an old man looking for Kevin, the Bard. Kevin's drowning his sorrows in a bar in Illien, the Elven Village, and he can wait for now. In the garden find a pond. Making sure that you don't lose Life Points by staying in the water too long, hop over to the tree to find 5000 Gold and a Parchment. This, I think, refers to The Sphere of Opening which is hidden in a Plant Pot in the room with many Plants. Go south and east in this room to find the Sphere. It is this that will open the circle of rocks guarding the Black Wizard Tower. In the kitchen meet Erek the cook and the Landlady who directs you outside to meet Orlando. He's a bit busy right now but will help you once you present him with a Golden Wine Goblet. The Goblet is hidden in his Cellar. In return he presents you with an Old Key which will open up the keyhole in the wall which is en-route to the Paladin Guild in Crystal. Before you go charging off into the cellar your Party needs to obtain a few promotions first so keep exploring the rest of Crystal for now. Leaving the Tavern head north and east to find a Shop. In the shop is an old woman and the shopkeeper behind the counter. The woman warns of the dire consequences of visiting Dreblin, the Lord Chancellor. Don't be tempted, as I was, to waste your precious lockpicks on either the door to his room or the Chest in the room. In the Chest is a sarky message that says the equivalent of "Yah, Boo, Sucks". This shop is open all day every day and you and the sarky shopkeeper will do good business together. Head east to find the Market area. To the lower east here find the Ration Shop. A place you will visit frequently as it's easier to find Crystal then Gemstone and the price difference is only 2 gold. To the northeast of the Market down a passage meet Firlas. Poor fellow has lost his Bone of Wisdom in Twinlake. Your reward for safely returning it is a Runic message and more importantly a Piece of Amberstar. But first you must complete Twinlake Sewers, return Felix the Cat to Sunni who gives you the gift of talking to animals and then recruit Spike the Dog from your parents' kitchen. A healing Temple is around here and right in the north is the Boatyard where you can spend the 5000 gold you've just acquired. My recommendation is that you save this money for Rations and suitable armour and weaponry. The Black Wizard Tower is by far too tough a place for the Party right now. Moving west you'll see the Lord Chancellor's House in the southwest. By all means walk in and have a look round. Talk to his wife, crying in the kitchen, and his son, cowering in the Bedroom. You won't be able to enter the cellar area yet as the Seal on Dreblin's Signet Ring is required as a pass key. The ring is deep within Jonathan's House. Make a note of the four portraits on the wall in the entrance hall. You need this information later on inside Dreblin's Cellar area. Upstairs is dangerous as monsters are lurking in a room there. Use the Retreat option to escape or at least SAVE before taking them on. When you "eye" the Globe up here the message is "Mortals, Look deep into my eyes and see the pain my Prince is preparing for you. No-one can stop the plans of Prince Bralkur. He will suck your soul from your body the way you suck an egg." Fighting talk indeed. The Teleport in the Bedroom takes you downstairs to just outside the Cellar. To the north on the western side you'll eventually find the Paladins' Guild. In here you can buy White Magic scrolls. A thorough exploration of the Paladin area will have revealed a Keyhole in the wall. The key for this is obtainable from Orlando once you've given him the Golden Wine Goblet from his cellar. In the chest that is then revealed find 657 Gold and another Piece of Amberstar. So after exploring Crystal so far there are a few more sub-quests: 1. Twinlake Sewers 2. Jewel Tavern Wine Cellar 3. Halls of Peace (to find Rose) 4. Jonathan's House 5. Black Wizard Tower 6. Dreblin's Cellar * 7. Temple of Sansri *DREBLIN'S CELLAR This is a tough area and should only be tackled after a few class promotions. The cellar is an area that does not auto-map. It contains lots of monsters which need clearing before you find Dreblin. Mummies and Skeletons are occupying the Crypt where you will find a key with which to release the imprisoned Dreblin. The strategy for the cellar should be to take one monster on at a time and then nip upstairs to recover, Save, and clear the next one and so on. In one section you'll come across three graves, one of these conceals two Blue Mushrooms. These aren't for eating, they enhance your attributes when administered to you by Mera the Witch. Keep the mushrooms in your Inventory until you find her house which is to the west. Find the jetty on the western shore and go southeast to discover her house and hand her the Mushrooms. Red ones enhance your Speed and Blue your Strength. Having noted the portraits in Dreblin's entrance hall is necessary to complete the Cellar. In the final section Puzzlemouths will ask you who is - The Rooster = Calwell The Pirate = Maltor Mourner= Fenora Blue Pearl = Leonore You will go through several doors till the Party comes across a large Water tank. Defeating the Demon here gives you a cage key with which to release Dreblin from his prison. Wait for the wooden Bridge to fall into place before entering. Talk to him to receive a reward for rescuing him. In his chest are loads of useful things. A clock that you can "action" which will then show the time in the large grey window on your Monitor screen. A Girdle of Thieves which considerably aids the picklock ability of your thief. 1584 Gold. An Iron ring that gives Shield assistance. Two Swords that'll help attack skills. And of course a Piece of Amberstar. ----------------------- My suggestion now is that you either head west and explore Illien or return to Twinlake and, with your new recruits, explore the Sewers. To build up some points before going down the Sewers try crossing Bridges to fight the Trolls that then appear. Should you head north of Crystal on the paths you will find the Orcs too tough for an embryo Party. TWINLAKE SEWERS Located in the northwest area of the town. Map on a 14 x 14 grid. Prior to climbing down the ladder search to find 3 torches under some rubbish by the barrels. Ensure that you have a few torches in your Inventory. The auto-map will show where you've been if your light goes out but won't record any fresh territory. The first brush with Rats is just along the initial passage. Choose the attack icon to ensure that your Party get the first hits in, otherwise the baddies bash you instead. Explore every nook and cranny. Select a Lead Character who has good Search Stats otherwise you may miss something. In the south east find a dead body, goodies here include 3 precious lockpicks. In the centre west find the Cook's Old Ring. Returning it in exchange for the Crystal Ball. In the very centre is a major battle. Defeat the Rat King to rescue Felix the Cat and pick up the Rat King's Head. Hand the head to Lord Karwain to receive 600 Gold reward and hear about Firlas. Searching the east side of the Lair after the fight you discover the Soldiers who failed in their mission. Return Felix back to Sunni to receive the gift of talking to animals. You can now nip home and recruit Spike the Dog. Guess who's got Firlas's bone buried in the Garden! Yup. Next time you're through Crystal drop in on Firlas to return the bone and receive a Piece of Amberstar as a reward. The Runes on the scroll read "Oh Talmit, Goddess of the future! Let me look deep into your eyes - Find 13 parts - go to the clearing where many rivers wind. Altar in Forest of Unity - Thank you, Talmit, for letting me see" After, or indeed during, completion of the Sewers sell your excess Inventory. Keep the good stuff, buy some more rations, tour the appropriate Guilds for promotion and head to the next location. Practically wherever you go now (in an area) you'll need either Light Spells or Torches so stay well equipped. The next 3 areas are all much of a muchness in terms of difficulty. It may be better to go to the Cellar areas before taking on the Orcs in Jonathan's House so you can build up Life Points etc. @~To be continued next issue.