Amberstar - Thalion (Part 5) A Playguide by Brian Burke @~Continued from the last issue. SWAMPSTATION Map reference 172/286. Map on a 38 x 37 Grid. Located in the south, to the northeast of Gemstone. Access is gained via a small house. Go past the old lady and south to gain entrance. Entry point is in the southeast heading north. At the Puzzlemouth say "Water". A passage south leads to rocks that can only be unblocked by "unlocking" eight separate keyholes which are located deep within the Swampstation. The water thus released clears this set of rocks and another set further along this passage. The "Keys" are various precious stones that the Party find in other island locations as well as two actually in the Swampstation. Head north again and take the next passage west. Fight three sets of Swamp-rats in this area. There's nothing else of interest here. Return to passage and head north again before yet again going west. The door north yields up more Rats. West again to another door north to find a Yellow painted circle. Not to bore you with the rest of this area. The circles to discover and their relevant keys are - Yellow Circle - use Bernstein (German for Amber and can be bought from the Shop in Twinlake) Brown Circle - use Earth Stone (find in the southwest area) Multi-Coloured - use Rainbow Stone (find in a Chest in the northeast) Blue Circle - use Topaz (? found on your travels elsewhere) White Circle - use Diamond (find in Pharaoh's Tomb, Grave area) Green Circle - use Emerald ditto Red Circle - use Ruby ditto Light Blue - use Mountain Crystal (? found somewhere) I apologise for the two stones whose source I don't know. Frankly until you enter the Swampstation you haven't a clue that the Stones have a purpose and can't be sold just like the Gems can. I was storing them up for a rainy day and didn't realise their significance. Other rock areas can be cleared with a Spade in one instance and a Pickaxe in another. In the far northwest is reference to the Rune chart that came with the game. Rather irrelevant halfway through the game! In the northeast is a Chest that contains a Paper that gives you the Keyhole/Key relationship described above. There aren't many Rats to fight, roughly three sets in the northwest, one in the northeast, one in the centre and two in the southwest. The Map locator is found once both sets of rocks in the south passage are cleared. "Action" it to place it in the grey window and from now on it's much easier to find your way around the island. DRAGON KEEP Map reference 102/078 Located on an island northwest of the the island. Travel northwest of the northern jetty on the raft that's waiting there. Map two areas - one on a 19 x 27 Grid. The other on a 29 x 29 Grid. Entry point is from the mid south. Head north to meet Bolina, a Thief. If you've room recruit him as he's got some useful items. Say "Gelinda" to the Puzzlemouth to open up the wall north. The door ahead leads to a Large Lock which needs an Eagle Key to activate it. Both the passage east and west have Firebirds waiting to ambush you. The Puzzlemouth to the west needs the answer "Lugthir". The password is obtained by seeing a Statue in the northeast area of the map. To reach it, take the passage east of the Large Lock. Beyond the first set of Firebirds are another four sets in the southeast area and two more in the north. The Puzzlemouth opens up the wall and the Party teleports to the second section of the map. The new area is entered at a crossroads in the eastern section. To the southeast are two sets of Firebirds. Through the door west and north to fight two more sets and find a Teleport. Don't enter this yet as it is the route back to the Puzzlemouth on the first level. Take the door east again and again fight two sets of Firebirds. Take either eastern door north or south and east again to one set of Firebirds. East once more to find two more sets of Firebirds. South now through a door to another lot of Firebirds. Then south down the passage to another door south. For completeness sake go west and north before entering the door south to blast the penultimate set of Firebirds. Through the door south then west, south, east then south and west to fight the last set of Firebirds. In the western alcove is the Eagle Key. Use the Teleport in the other passage to land right in front of the door that leads to the Large Lock. Use the Eagle Key on the lock to open up the wall north of the lock. Take the stairs up. There's room to map this new section on your Level One Map. Just miss one square north as you enter the Old Hall of Knights. Through the door north and keep north to fight Firebirds in the northern passage. Then through the door west to enter a room with a door south. Gird up your loins and so on as the Dragon awaits. She's got around 500 Hit Points to dispose of so I hope you've got plenty of Tornado spells or scrolls to use on her. Once you've overcome the dreaded Dragon go south to find the nest with the Egg and a Piece of Amberstar. In addition you recover the Key that will unlock the door to the Homeward Teleport on Jonathan's "Lost Island" to recover another Piece of Amberstar. There are also four Gems here and a Broach of Luck. Take the Egg back to Illien and give it to Pelanis. In return you receive a super present - the Flute that gives you the power to call on the Eagle and thus fly everywhere. One of the first places to zoom off to is .... THE GUILD OF MONKS Map reference - 177/044 Located in the middle of a Swamp in the northeast of the island. No automatic mapping available but it's only a small area. Land on the island and say "Mork" to the Puzzlemouth. Strictly speaking you shouldn't pick this information up till you've been to Snakesign Village where the Party can meet with Melchlor. Enter the Guild to meet Balthar. Say "Quest" and he'll tell you about Bothor, the Jewellery Dealer in Gemstone. He'll also refer to The Guild of Rangers where you should go to meet Annorel. Also say "Library" to be referred to his wife Melina. Saying "Document" gives a reference to Melgrim who was one of the thirteen wizards who cast the spell against Tarbos. He's gone to ground in a cave beneath the Whirlpool and has a piece of the Amberstar. Leave this area till last. Go west and meet Melina and say "Potions", then go south to discover the stock that she tells you of. You can also buy lots of useful potions in the Guild so use that Gold up and purchase Spell Regeneration and Healing 5 Potions. GUILD OF RANGERS Map reference 080/233 Located on an island off the west coast of the main island. Enter the Guild and go north. If Annorel is not around accelerate Time until she appears then ask about the "Amberstar". She'll tell you that the original Rangers' Guild is elsewhere, in the Bay to the right of Crystal, and that there is a piece of Amberstar hidden in the old Cellar rooms. You'll then receive a Rod of Opening with which you open up the entrance to the Guild. DWARF MINE Map reference - 260/225 Located in the north of a swamp. The swamp is northwest of Pharaoh's Tomb. Make sure you have a Levitation scroll before entering. Map three areas - all on 19 x 19 Grids. Once you arrive on the "sandy" part outside the Mine Entrance the Party has to fight Spiders and Caverats. After the battle read the sign "Doras Mine" then go to the Puzzlemouth and say "Sarod". This password is obtained from Bothor after Donner's letter is delivered. Enter the mine only to fall down after four steps into another level. Head north then either east or west to discover a Teleport in the south. You are sent southwest. Go through the door north and fight Rats before travelling east. Ignore the Teleport in the passage to the south of the door east for now. You will need to return here when all areas of the Mine have been explored. The Teleport takes you back to the corridor in which you fell when first entering this level. Follow the corridor round then north to fight more Rats. North and east to meet Spiders. East again and south. At a junction south first go west and down a corridor east, just before a door west, use a Pickaxe on the Rocks to reveal three sets of Rats. At the end of the passage find one red and one blue mushroom. Take these to Mera's House to benefit. Through the door west fight Spiders. Return to the junction and head east and south. Beyond the door south fight another set of Spiders before seeing a set of Stairs to the next (and third) level. The Stairs take the Party to enter this level from the southeast corner. Fight Spiders before wending your way east and then north to battle some Rats. North again through two doors. Keep north once past the second door and enter a false wall. Follow the passage round to find a Chest containing a Mine Key. Regain the corridor east and make your way to a set of Stairs in the southeast region of the map. You'll fight another lot of Rats and two sets of Spiders en route. The centre area of the map will be accessed later. Now we're back on the Entrance level. Heading from the east beware the Spinner at the first crossroads. Initially go south past some Rats to discover three torches in a Barrel. Then straight north from the crossroads through a door and then east and north to zap Rats again. More rats through a door west in the northern corridor. Keep west to fight Spiders in the west before heading south. Through the second door south a "Shadow" drops down in front of the Party. Make his day and keep south. Fight again in the south at the end of a passage. Then east and north to use the Mine Key on a Keyhole and discover the passage out to the fresh air. Back now to the first level to enter the Teleport mentioned earlier. From the corridor you land in stand beneath the Pit and use a Levitation spell. You are taken up to level two. Enter the door north. To the east through the door find a Chest with 546 Gold and some Mithral Mail. Down the adjacent alley find two Gems and 859 Gold. The corridor to the west leads south through a door to the Crown. Back down the pit to follow the convoluted route out of the mine. Take the the Crown back to Donner's Mine for him to extract the Piece of Amberstar. OLD RANGER GUILD Map reference 310/107 Located on an island in the Bay east of Crystal. Map two levels - one on a 9 x 18 Grid. The other on an 18 x 19 Grid. Use the Rod of Opening obtained from Annorel (from the new Ranger's Guild) to enter from the southeast. Before heading north enter the door at the end of the passage to find various articles of Clothing. Don't take or wear the Clothes of Moira as they are cursed and weigh tons. Do grab the Robes of Nickademus. North then and through the door to be confronted by three sets of Bloodsuckers! In the alcove ahead find 45 Gold and an Iron Ring. The door to the southeast hides more Bloodsuckers and 23 Gold plus a Buckler. West of the door is an alcove with 29 Gold and a Silver Ring. Search all the alcoves in this section to find other small portions of Gold and Treasures. North again to discover a Staircase down to the next level. Before descending go west and through a door north to find 89 Gold and a Gem. More vital Treasure is to be found going east and keeping northeast through a false wall to find another Staircase down. This leads again to another section of the lower level. Enter the door west of the staircase to open a Chest that contains 7 Torches and a Rusty Key. Return to the first set of stairs and descend into a smallish area. Make your way east to find Ranger bones and lots of useful items plus 348 Gold. In the north of this section are a set of Bloodsuckers. Back upstairs and down the other set of stairs and head east, there's nothing of use to the west. As you travel east look in the first set of alcoves north and south to pick up loads of useful Herbs. Keep at least one Packet of Herbs to give to Atacar in the Cave of Manyeyes later in the game. Through the door east to encounter Bloodsuckers and again through the second door south. Go right down to the southeast to polish off another set. Use your Pickaxe on the Rocks to the west and fight two more sets of Bloodsuckers before using the Rusty Key on the Keyhole in the Wall. A door is created to the south. Enter it and go north through two doors to be rewarded with the discovery of a Chest containing a Piece of Amberstar, 7 Gems and 825 Gold. SNAKESIGN VILLAGE Map reference - 217/345 Located on the large island due south of the main island. Can only be reached by flying on the Eagle or by use of the Windgates and you can't use those unless you've got the Artefact that's inside Sanri's Temple! Map Snakesign on a 15 x 15 Grid. There are four points of entry to the Village, north, south, east or west. In the southern area meet Melchlor, a Monk who tells you about Sansri the Goddess of Snakes. Say "Mork" and "Temple" for further information. Note the ladder leaning against the locked window for a smile later on upstairs in the Inn. To the west is the Food shop, rations here only cost 5 Gold so stock up here in future if money is a problem. In the northwest is a Healer who you'll need if you haven't equipped yourself with the appropriate healing Herbs once inside Sansri's Temple. To the northeast meet Shi'ra who Melchlor referred to earlier. Say "Temple" to be advised that the Entrance to the Temple proper only opens at Midnight. To the east also is a Wiseman who'll assess (Identify) your possessions for a price. In the southeast is a Shop that sells an item you'd have given your eye teeth for earlier - yes, it sells Lockpicks amongst other things! Programmers can be right so-and-so's now and then. In the centre of the Village is the Tower Inn. Speak to the young man inside to learn that, once inside the Temple, stepping on the Snake symbols causes the male members of the Party damage. Upstairs meet the Landlord's wayward wife who seems to think Woodpeckers can climb ladders! @~To be concluded next issue.