Gateway To The Savage Frontier - SSI A walkthrough by Brian Burke This is the first of a series of four. Two games have been released to date and with SSI's change to a new game format with M and Dark Sun I don't know if there'll be any more. The documentation says you can't install the Amiga version onto a Hard Drive but you can using Opus or something similar. It's a fairly small game in comparison to others of the genre. All areas can be mapped on the standard SSI 16 x 16 grid system. YARTAR is the opening town. The Party have paltry hit-points at this stage and next to no experience so the first thing to do is to pick a few fights. Go left to the pub and bash a baddie or two. You can then rest and recover in the Inn to the right. There's a shop next to the pub where you can enhance the weapons and armour you have. A Training Hall at 3/9 will increase your statistics when Experience allows. Going south down the passage next to the Hall leads you to Help Man at 2/12 and so meet Kervish who stays with you as a Non-Playing-Character till pretty much near the end of the game. Accept his offer and thus go to 14/14 to be given your Mission. There are a variety of Journal Entry references in various rooms so explore everywhere. Once you've quartered Yartar go to the Boat Rental at 9/3 and go North on the River to NESME to find the Cleric. You can go overland but it's easier, staying alive wise early in the game, to use the waterways. NESME contains Trolls, Orcs, Clerics, Barbarians, Bandits, Lizard men, Kraken spies galore and Frogs. Just your usual small city dropouts. More Journal Entries to be found at 2/9, 3/14, 12/4, 12/10 & 10/0. Meet the Priestess at 11/9. The Party can REST at 14/5 or 6. Find a secret door north at 11/11. Use BASH to go North at 10/5. Fight Clerics at 7/1 and meet the Bad Cleric at 9/1. Then it's back to Yartar to enter the Training Hall before moving onto SILVERYMOON. In SILVERYMOON there is a bridge South at 9/9 despite the fact that you can't see it. A very useful Magic Shop is in the southwest corner at 1/15. It is from this Magic Shop that the key to finishing the game exists. You can buy Extra Healing Potions which you need for the final battles. Don't get them now but file its location away for reference. There's a useful Vault here where anything you stored away in Yartar, or any other town that has a Vault, can be recovered. This enables you not to be weighed down by excess cash or baggage and thus retain a high degree of mobility. Training can be obtained at 3/3 and there are a couple of shops in the northwest. Significant things happen at 8/14 and 9/14. The messages here lead to the north at 2/0 where you must use KNOCK on the hidden door. Fight Trolls at 8/0 and use BASH to go west at 8/1. The Journal Entry at 7/1 refers to Erek who lives in Secomber and guards Amanitas. When you've finished here the next stop is ..... EVERLUND where you must rescue Amanitas. More interesting Monsters here including OwlBears, Gnolls, Ghouls, Zombies & Skeletons. Use TURN on the Undead. Passing through a secret door at 0/9 I believe that Amanitis is to be found in one of rooms south of here. The Party gains The Ring of Reversal after the rescue. You now need to nip back to Yartar before going to visit Amanitas in his home town. YARTAR - second time around. The Party meets many Kraken spies. I'd guess the encounters on the streets are random but the room locations I met them are 0/4,15/31/14 & 2/15. Journal Entries are referred to at 7/14, 7/0 and 10/7. There's a large Kraken battle at 12/4 and the Ambush at 11/0 leads into a separate area. From the Ambush select a Character to crawl through an opening to exit the south eastern room. Use SEARCH in the Library then go north to find a secret passage to the west. This brings you round the back of some Lizardmen who attack you if you open the door north. I recommend that you take the right hand passage to gain entrance to the corridor in the North that gives the Party access to the large room in the centre. My game locked up when I used BASH on the door at the top (north) door in the left hand passage. You'll meet Frogs and Krakens in addition to the Lizardmen. In the large room you meet the Kraken leader and obtain the Ocean schedule. Use the catwalk which leads to a battle with Squids. Who said these games lack imagination. SECOMBER is where Erek lives with Amanitas. You'll learn of the tall Tower in Luskin. Not much happens in Secomber. Fight some Gnolls in one of the southern rooms and get a Journal Entry reference at 15/14. LUSKIN contains some items of interest. There's a Silver Mace to be had at 10/9 and a Wand of Ice Storm after the fight at 9/12. A Composite Bow is added at 5/11 and useful arrows at 8/9. Much Treasure obtained at 11/2 and I think at 9/2. There's a Shop in the northwest with Ocean voyages to the Isle of Tuern purchased for 100 gold at 0/3. Be sure to be on time! The entrance to LUSKIN TOWER proper is at 0/9 in Luskin. Your map reference entry point is at 9/11. Lots of Undead plus OwlBears inhabit the Tower and secret doors. Basically you must climb to the top using an anti-clockwise route. Go north then west at 8/8 and follow the passage round. The doors off are Mage Libraries and each involve a fight. Use TURN on the Undead at 5/13 and keep East afterwards. After the OwlBear fight at 7/12 find a secret door south at 8/5. There's nothing in the rooms to the North except more OwlBears. If you need the Experience points then go for it. More Skeletons at 8/14. Go west in this room to enter a passage at 6/15 that takes you into the North of the area to exit at 1/4. Search the rooms to find a Journal Entry at 0/2. Rescue at 3/1. Some one way doors here can cause you to traipse round a bit. The Party meet Displacer Beasts and Manticores en route to a Statuette battle at 14/0. Meet Brinshaar when the Party exit the Tower and, after a battle catch the Boat to TUERN. UTTERSEA / TUERN is where the Party meets Pirates. After meeting the ladies at 8/11 fight Pirates at 7/9. REST is possible at 10/11. Meet a Fisherman in the room at 11/13 and the King in the southeast at 14/15. There's a Shop at 5/11. Access the "Wilds of Tuern" through the door at 9/8. The doorway to the Castle is at 15/9. More one way doors in this area and secret doors at 13/0 plus a fight. Another secret door west at 9/0 and a battle in the room south from here. The room at either 10/4 or 5/0 yields a Map. Leaving the Castle go to the west of the area to fight at 2/4 and find Meteorite Ore at 1/1. Take this as it can be shaped into a good sword by a craftsman in one of the other Ports. More battles with Otyughs, Salamanders and Efreeti. The Shipping Office is at 9/13 with passages back to Luskin or further on to ..... GUNDARLUN / GUNBARG. Go to the Palace to receive a mission to rescue Princess Jagaerda. A useful Training Hall to be found at 9/6. The door to the Cliff area is at 4/11. Fight Scrags on the way to LISTEN at south wall at 5/2. The Princess is hidden in a secret room in the West of the palace but you must have been to 5/4 before you can enter a door west at 8/2. Go north from here to rescue the Princess and get your reward from King Redaxe. Go to the Shipping Office at 12/6 and return to Tuern. On the voyage back to Tuern the Party is Shipwrecked and is washed up on UTHERAAL ISLAND. There's a few fights - douse the light when asked - and Journal Entries in this small area. On the Pier say "Yes". Your next destination is the Kraken Fortress on TRISK which I suggest is mapped on its own grid. TRISK (The Kraken Fortress). The landing point is at 12/7. Explore the area to gain a Map and Journal Entries. Lots of fights, the one at 3/10 gains the Party the Statuette of the West. When you're ready to leave make your way to...... NEVERWINTER. You'll be glad to know that a Training Hall is at 6/11. The craftsman who can shape the Meteorite Ore into a sword is at 6/15. Only problem is you have to hang around for 3 days while he makes it. Must be an ex-British Rail employee. Visiting 6/13 will gain you a mission to clear all the Garden areas of monsters. The entry gates to the gardens are Neprazus 14/3, Nebus 11/11, Zemaitus 2/2 and Bus at 12/15. Deposit your excess goodies in the Vault at 13/8 and visit Lord Nasher at 5/7. When all is explored go to 4/15 to learn of the "Gallant Prince" in Port Llast. Catch the Ship that takes you there. PORT LLAST is a small area. There's an Inn on entry and a warning at 14/11. Journal Entry at 11/10 prior to finding the ship at 12/13. Bash away and use TURN on the Undead. On arrival at the cabin door to the west say "KAS" to gain entry. Fight the OwlBears and find secret doors to the north and south, nothing behind them though. And so onto ..... STARMOUNTS MOUNTAIN to gain the last Statuette. To access this area the Party needs to rescue Birds at the foot of the mountains where the river runs near the Star Mounts. Journal Entry 50 refers. The Aarakocra fly you up the mountain. Learn about the Oortals at 8/0 and explore in an anti-clockwise sweep before entering the centre rooms at 11/11. Here you meet Ceptienne. There are umpteen one way doors in this area so mark them on your map as you go. Loads of different nasties around to slow you down. The critical battle is at 3/8 and I'd suggest saving prior to entry as it's a tough fight. Once the Statuette of the South is in your hands it's onwards and upwards to ..... SUNDABAR. Hell Hounds are a new monster dimension here. The bad news is that there are also Medusae so I hope you've got Mirrors or Stone to Flesh spells handy. These nasty baddies are to be found at 1/0. Make use of the Training Hall which is at 3/9. Given that the Party now has ALL the Statuettes the crowd in the Plaza is found to be an illusion. The Fountain at 13/9 leads to a Journal Entry. "Refuse" and fight a Stone Golem. Go north and then Fight to cross a Chasm at 13/3. LOUDWATER is the next town to visit. Not a lot here. Tough fight at 4/9 against Vaalgamon's men. After the battle the Party meets Rishpal. The Party is ambushed in several places, usually at intersections. LLORK is a meatier proposition. Enter the room to your left on entry and the Party falls through a Trapdoor to a lower level which you should map separately. LLORK SUBLEVEL. The point at which you arrive is at the end of a corridor north at 7/11. Be prepared as you enter the room at 7/5 to fight three battles in a row. Rishpal, the swine, is a spy. You learn that Vaalgamon has gone to Ascore but more of him later. First you have to rescue Muthtur who's waiting for you at 11/4. Leave the Griffens where they are at 13/0 as they turn on you. My game locked up when I tried to open (Bash) the door here. More fights at 10/0 and 7/0 where the Party enter a secret door West. Finally regain your Treasures and get a Journal Entry at 1/2. Back upstairs in Llork the Party emerge at 4/6. Access to Lord Geildarr's Keep is via the doors at 8/10. Not much in there though. Head north to go through an Archway at 12/3 and take the east corridor to find a secret passage south. Battle your way past Hellhounds (13/8) and Medusae (12/14) to enter a secret door north at 11/8 and meet Dwarves in the room beyond. Now the Party is ready for the final assault on ASCORE. Entering at 0/7 there are Undead in the room to the north. Go south and use KNOCK on the door at 1/12. Inside "Tell Truth" for a Journal Entry and attack. To the North pick up a +2 Battle Axe after fighting Ettins at 0/0 and receive instructions. Put the fire out when entering a secret door north at 1/1. There are secret doors east at 2/6 and 9. Fight skeletons in the north of this area. Pick up a map and a good sword in the south and get a Journal Entry in the east. Through the door in the northeast at 6/6 to find a row of cells north. Don't bother climbing out as it takes the Party back outside the city. Useful only if you want to REST. Go south to dispatch Mummies at 8/14 and pick up Treasure and a Cleric Scroll in the same room. Off now to the Iron Gates at 9/7 and fight the Spiders. Now's the time to ensure each character is fully rested and has PLENTY of Extra Healing Potions as these are essential for survival in the coming battles which follow on with no Rest in between. From the Gates go south through the Arches and SAVE the game around 11/15. At 12/15 accept Vaalgamons' Challenge. The trick is to note that each Battle scenario is a maze that the Party must "walk" to. Once all mazes have been successfully negotiated Krevish "Philby" reveals himself. Give him what he deserves and Climb the Steps to the Altar of Black Granite and place the Statuettes for a successful conclusion. The Party returns to Yartar ready to recuperate for Treasures of the Savage Frontier.