Amberstar - Thalion (Part 3b) Playguide by Brian Burke @~Continued from the last file TOWER OF GREY WIZARDS. Map reference 090/138 Located on an island off the northeast coast. Map on a 28 x 28 Grid. Entry point is in the mid south. At the intersection to the north the Puzzlemouth is to the north. Go west through two doors and north through the second door to find two Flasks at the end of the passage. Head south to find two Mushrooms in one alcove and three Flasks in another. Shandra, the Wizard in Twinlake, will place Healing 5 Potions in your Flasks if you say "Potions" to him and Mera will convert the Mushrooms to Strength or Speed enhancements. Go north but beware the spinner in the narrow section. There are three more Mushrooms to be found in a corner to the northwest. Travelling east then north you discover a passage with five Teleports. Each one takes you to an independent area in the northern area of your map. Taking the most western Teleport first will take you to the mid north. From your arrival point go north and through a door east to fight Orcs. Return to the Teleport which takes you back to the intersection below the Puzzlemouth. Unfortunately this happens each time so you have to traipse all the way back through the dreaded spinner to the Teleport passage. Next Teleport in from the west takes you east of the area you've just been to. Follow the passage round to meet Orcs and Goblins through the door and enter the Teleport in the north. The centre Teleport lands you in an area to the extreme northwest of the map. Go north to obtain some valuable treasures. In the Chest are Wands of Light and Fireballs; also here is a Staff of Direction and most vital of all a Staff of Resurrection. Return then to the Teleport. The Teleport second in from the east goes to the extreme northeast of the map. Fight Orcs in the east and Teleport back from the opposite corner. The final eastern Teleport takes you into the remaining northern slot where you dispose of more Orcs before Teleporting back to the intersection. From the intersection now go east. Travel round the walls to avoid a spinner in the next two room east. The doors north and south in the first room lead to empty areas but head north in the second room. Go west and north to encounter Mummies. North again then west to find a door west. Search the passage south before going through the door to discover 359 Gold and a Torch. Through the door search the barrels in the centre of the room to find useful Herbs and four Torches. The Herbs will cure sickness etc that the Mummies cast on you. See the Introductory notes in an earlier part of this playguide to see which Herb cures what. Along the passage west to have a tough battle with more Mummies. The Staff of Resurrection will probably come into its own now. Follow the passage round and round till you arrive at a locked door. Use the Thief to pick the lock and find the Guild entrance in the southern passage. Inside the Guild the Party meets Satine, a level six Grey Wizard, who will be a great asset to your Party. To the north of the Guild find the Statue of the Founder "Landonis" at the end of a short passage. Back to the southern passage and enter the password in the Puzzlemouth. BLACK WIZARD TOWER. Map reference 266/306. Located at the end of a rocky section that can only be accessed by sea or air. To gain entrance to the Tower you must first have obtained the Sphere of Opening from the Plant Room in the Jewel Inn in Crystal. Use this on the altar and the circle of rocks will open. Map Entrance Level on a 33 x 33 Grid Map Level One on a 23 x 23 Grid Map Level Two on a 13 x 13 Grid Entry point is in the mid south. The Passage turns east at the Puzzlemouth and stairs lead to the next Level. From the stairs head southeast to find a Pit halfway down a corridor. If you have a Rope now is the time to use it otherwise just drop down and take the Hit Points. The next few battles are tough. I suggest that you SAVE before dropping down just in case the Party is still too weak to take on the three sets of Skeletons that guard this room. Head east when the Skeletons are done with and find a door north. There are more Skeletons through the door and beyond them find 238 Gold and three Torches. Exit the room and head south to a room with loads of false walls. Cross the room to exit into a corridor in the northwest corner of this room. E W E E W E W E X E X E X E Door KEY - E = Empty Space X E X E W E W E W E W W = Wall E W E X E W E X E X E X = False Wall E W W E X E X E W E W T = Teleport T W E X E W E W E X E The Teleport sends the Party west into a corridor where Skeletons are waiting for you. There's another set round the corner to the north. Follow the passage east and explore north before entering the door east. Find a bit of Gold and three Scrolls in the alcove. Through the door and into an area with 14, yes fourteen Teleports. Thirteen you can see and one you can't. Naturally it's the one you can't see that is the correct one. All the others send you back to rooms earlier in the level so you have the pain of finding your way back again. The real Teleport is accessed from the north of the central pillar. Enter the false wall to be sent into an alcove. From the alcove find Skeletons waiting to the north. Zap them and enter the door north and fight another set of Skeletons. The rooms beyond have doors galore. Not only that but there are three spinners along the central corridor. More Skeletons lurk in the room to the extreme west. Make your way east to exit this area to the north. You now follow passages in an anti-clockwise route. At the extreme northwest is a door behind which is 198 Gold and a good Helmet. Go south to find more Skeletons with another lot much further on. Finally enter a door to find a Teleport which takes you to the bottom of a long corridor north. Up the corridor to enter a door to the south and Teleport again into a small room in the east of the map. Through the door and round to fight Skeletons in the south. Enter another room to Teleport again to the east. South through the door and head north fighting Skeletons as you enter another room in the northeast and Teleport again. Head south from the next room and head west to dispose of yet more Skeletons. Just look at your experience statistics now! Retrace steps and go north then east at the crossroads and yes, Teleport again. From the room in the northern area go south to Teleport for the last time on this level. South through the door and fight Skeletons en-route to the Stairs which lead to Level One. Your entry point is just mid east in the centre of the map. Go north meeting Skeletons just before a door north. Up and round and fight two more sets of Skeletons in the northern passage. As you head south peek into the room east to find three robes. Continue south through the door and wend a torturous route to the south west corner of the map to enter a door north. Bash the Skeletons within and find Two Lockpicks, a Dagger and 99 Gold east of here. North and east to discover Stairs up to Level Two. Entry point is in the mid south. Go north and fight Skeletons in the western passage. Again in the north corridor before entering a door south. Just west through the door are two Flasks and a smidgen of Gold. South round the houses to find the Statue of the Founder in a southern alcove, "Nicademus". The Guild entrance is to the left and stairs down on the right through level one and down again to the Puzzlemouth on the entrance level. Enter the password and out into the light of day. In the Guild look in the Barrels to find Dried Herbs and Three Blue Mushrooms. MERA'S HOUSE (SPRITE CAVES) Time to make use of those Mushrooms by exploring Mera's garden shed. Map reference 140/265 Map on a 33 x 48 Grid Located southeast of the jetty on the west side of the island. After you've talked to Mera and benefited from her magic mushrooms talk to her to discover that she's lost her Broom. Enter the garden to say "Mera" to the Puzzlemouth. If you don't have a full complement of heads you can recruit the cat. Talk to the cat anyway to learn of the Frog Pond. Go down the ladder to enter the Caves in the southwest corner. Two steps in, you Teleport to the east. Enter the false wall south and the wheel on the wall opens the northern end of the passage you just Teleported from. Regain this passage by moving east through a false wall and head north then east to enter a door west. Enter the Teleport to be transported into the centre east of the map. Ignore the Teleport to the north here as this sends you back outside the Caves. Instead head northeast to find the Labyrinth Key. Now thread your way to the southwest of this area to find a Keyhole in the Wall where you use the Labyrinth Key. This opens up the route to the south and east. Just before the door east is a passage with a wheel at the end. Ignore this for the moment. The wheel opens up a passage behind you to the west. Go east and thoroughly explore the area to the east. You'll find five sets of Gems. You'll receive around 550 Gold for each gem from the Shopkeepers. After picking all the Gems up go south and west to find three more sets of Gems and a Puzzlemouth in the southwest corner. This puzzle took me ages, the answer is "Sprite". The passage to the west opens up and at the end is the missing Broom. Back to the small passage with the wheel. Once activated go west and down a passage west. Watch for the spinner halfway down. Enter a door north. Thread your way through a series of False Walls and impassable passages to enter a door to the east in the northeast section of this maze. Ignore the Teleport to the southeast as it takes you back outside to caves. In the passage west there are some Rocks. These are an illusion. You must now cast an Anti-Magic spell to avoid being Teleported out the caves should you step beyond the rocks. Explore the rooms to the north to find four Chests containing Jewels and Gems. Once through the room with many pillars you head south and east to go up to the northeast where the Sprites concede defeat. Now return to one of the exit Teleports to return the Broom to Mera. She tells you of the Frog Pond. THE FROG POND. This is located to the southeast of Mera's House. Enter the trees and the Pond area is enlarged. Talk to each Frog until one answers and tells you his sorry tale. Swim to the island in the centre and underneath the rock is a Piece of Amberstar. HALLS OF PEACE. Warning - you are advised to have decent swimming stats before entering. Map reference 315/076 Map on a 9 x 18 Grid but there are Five non-Automap areas off. Located in the rocks at the end of the Desert northeast of Crystal. Entry point is in the mid south. Meet the Puzzlemouth and say "Jasmin". This name derived from talking to Olfin in the Jewel Inn in Crystal. Forward to meet a Planthulk to the east and another in the room south of here. Going through the door north and heading west will bring another Planthulk battle. North and east via Area C meet the final Planthulk monster. Taking the five outer areas in the following sequence - EDCAB Area A. - Fight Krakens on the shore line, hang about and tempt them onto the beach, or in the shallows if your swimming abilities are up to it. When they're all kaput head to the opposite shore line and take the Lily from the altar. Area B. - Same tactics as in Area A with the Krakens. The target shoreline is to the west. Then north to discover the Forget-me-not flower on the altar. Area C. - This links rooms together. You'll now meet Trents which are Tree Monsters and they're tougher than Krakens. There are a few of these to dispose of before crossing a bridge to find another cave entrance. Area D. - More Krakens. Head north to find Clover. Area E. - Krakens yet again. Then go northwest to find the altar and a Rose. Head for the Temple and use your flowers in the following order - Cloverleaf, Rose, Lily and Forget-me-nots. Head north to hear the voice telling you that you are worthy. You can now either sell the Flower to Olfin for around 5500 Gold or be noble and trade it with Gwendolin for a Teleport directly into Sanri's Temple. If you're low on experience and hits points I'd recommend calling in on Olfin and taking the cash. @~To be continued next issue.