Ultima VII Part II:Serpent Isle - Part 5

                  Walkthrough by Belisana
                 Supplied by Julian Gregory

@~Continued from Issue 36

SLEEPING BULL CELLAR

Downstairs, go through a hidden door between the wine casks in the
NW corner.  Walk north to a small room with a switch and two chests.
Throw the switch, which opens a sliding door in the SW corner of the
cellar. Open the left chest and take the tan key.  Don't touch the
right chest -- it explodes.

Go back into the cellar, through the sliding door in the SW corner,
and down the stairs. You'll find a corpse in a prison cell. Open the
cell door with the tan key and search the corpse.  You'll find a
scroll that will explain the mysterious switches in the inn's rooms.
(Silverpate used them to spy on his guests from a secret "wardrobe
room" in the catacombs. Don't bother with the switches -- they're
not important.) The scroll will also tell you that two torches mark
the entrance to a hidden serpent gate.

Go north and west from the cell, and you'll find a locked door that
your tan key will open. You've found Silverpate's wardrobe room. On
the north wall, there's a pickable invisible chest containing two
magic scrolls (False Coins and Mass Cure). There are five chests
along the west wall. The fourth one from the top has a map to
Silverpate's treasure, which is not under the inn but in a cave in
the frozen northern mountains (you'll be able to get there later in
the game). The antique key doesn't open anything I found in the
game.  Don't touch the other chests -- they're empty and they
explode.

Go back the way you came and continue east and north from the
intersection.  At the end of the north tunnel is a wine room that's
unimportant. The two torches the prisoner's scroll mentioned are in
the middle of the N/S tunnel leading to the wine room. Go east at
the torches, through an illusionary wall. In the tunnel to the south
(trapped), you'll find some plate armor and other loot in a trapped
chest. In the tunnel to the east of the illusionary entrance, you'll
find some empty trapped chests and a Create Food scroll.  In the
tunnel to the north, you'll find a serpent gate and a brass chest.
The pickable chest holds an Explosion scroll, a gray key that
unlocks the door to the right, and a map that describes the entire
layout of the serpent gate teleportation network. Unlock the door on
the right, and take the teleporter to the Sleeping Bull's office.

BACK AT THE INN

Stop by the Bull Tower (NW of the inn) at this point and inquire
about paying Captain Hawk's fine. However much money you offer, the
guards will demand more, and will continue raising the fine.

To solve this problem, go back to the inn and talk to Selina.
She'll propose going to the building that was swapped for a
lighthouse. She'll say that it's supposed to be full of treasure,
and that she found a key outside. Agree to go with her without your
companions (they'll stay at the inn until you come back).  She'll
give you a tan key that will unlock the haunted building (look in
your own inventory for it). Look in HER inventory, and you'll find a
blue key that will unlock several doors in the Temple of Order
(which you won't find until much later), and a Columna's Intuition
scroll.

Note: Despite Selina's instructions, you CAN take your companions
with you on the quest.

Go with her along the coastline to the transplanted Britannia Mint
(76S 82E).  Unlock the door with the tan key. Go straight to the
room in the NE corner and grab the gold bars. Then, get the heck out
of there, or you'll spend all eternity fighting spirits and
teleports. You CAN'T clean the place out, no matter how hard you
try.

Once outside, you'll be ambushed by a bunch of fighters, and Selina
will vanish. On one of the assassins, you'll find a scroll from
Batlin, telling them to kill you. Don't be fooled by Selina's pretty
eyes -- she's a pal of Batlin's, and was an accessory to this murder
attempt. She's also Lydia's sister (the tattoo artist from Monitor
who tried to poison you), and was a rebel on Moonshade until things
got too hot for her there. You'll meet her again later, in the
northern mountains.

Go back to the Bull Towers and offer the pikemen your gold bars.
They'll take them and give you the gold key to Hawk's cell. Go
downstairs in the tower and unlock the cell. Hawk will say he'll
meet you at the inn.

Go back to the inn, get your companions, and talk to Hawk. He'll
tell you about his treasure map (but you've already found his
treasure, in a hollow tree in the goblin forest). He'll also tell
you a bit about Selina and Batlin. Most important, he'll agree to
take you to Moonshade.  Go out to the ship. On the way, you'll
probably meet Wilfred, Argus' brother.  He'll tell you some things
you already know, and will be quite a jerk about it. He's not really
worth talking to, but Dupre's comment about him is priceless ("What
a butthead!").

Note: Wilfred is also a trainer -- the only one outside of Monitor.

Get on Hawk's ship and sit down. Shortly, Hawk, Flindo, and Kane
will get on board, and you're off to Moonshade. (Note: if Flindo
and/or Kane don't get aboard, they're probably sleeping. You'll have
to go back to the inn and wake them up before Hawk will set sail.
Don't worry, he won't leave without you).

IN MOONSHADE

Once your ship lands, go north and east to find the town. Don't
worry about exploring the island yet. There'll be plenty of time for
that later.

The first building you come to will be the Rangers' headquarters and
winery.  Flindo, the merchant, was there when I entered. He has lots
to say, and it's pretty much all useful. He'll tell you tales about
ancient passages that connect Moonshade to the other islands, and
will suggest you ask Fedabiblio about them. He'll also direct you to
Bucia, his assistant, who, he says, talks a lot (and he's right!).
He'll tell you that she has a farfetched notion that Pothos, the
apothecary, is connected to the mad mage in some way.  Bucia also
exchanges money. About Erstam, the mad mage, he'll suggest you talk
to Pothos (who is out of town at the moment).  He'll also tell you
juicy (and important) tidbits about several Moonshade mages,
including Frigidazzi, who, it seems, isn't so frigid after all.

Ask Flindo again about his connections. He'll agree to set up a
meeting for you with Filbercio, the Mage Lord. (This is a key
conversation, because it sets a flag that moves the plot forward.
You'll have to talk to Flindo again about his promise, but this
first step is essential.)

Talk to Julia, the head Ranger. She'll list some of Moonshade's
rules -- like it's illegal to own stoneheart or bloodspawn. She'll
also tell you that it's unhealthy to cross Filbercio's whims, and
that Erstam, the mad mage, hacks up his assistants for his
experiments with creating life. She'll reveal that the Moonshaders
believe in truth, but only within reason. (Don't say you work for
Lord British during this conversation, and shush Dupre when he tries
to speak up.) She'll send you to Pothos for reagents, and to
Fedabiblio to learn more about magic. Finally, she'll identify your
ice wine as being of the same vintage as the wine that disappeared
recently. (The wine was swapped for a map of Britannia, according to
Origin's cluebook, but I never found the map.)

There's another Ranger named Ernesto you can talk to. He's a
great-looking dude, but he hasn't much of interest to tell you.  The
other Rangers are just there for show, and all say basically the
same thing -- talk to Julia.

There's a curious secret room quest in the winery, beginning in the
office in the NW corner. There's a tan key in the desk drawer that
fits the upstairs office door. (Make sure none of the Rangers is
watching when you take it.) Go upstairs and unlock the door.
There's a Enchant Missiles scroll on the desk, and a lever behind
the table, next to the chest (which contains mundane items). The
lever opens the way into the sub-basement, where you'll find another
lever between a chair and a table. This one opens a secret door in
the wall. Behind it, you'll find a scroll telling you the secret of
winemaking: sorcery makes it easy, but the real secret is to use
great grapes.  So far as I can tell, there is absolutely nothing of
value in the basement, nor any value in knowing the secret of
winemaking. Go figure!

AT THE BLUE BOAR INN

Various Moonshade NPCs drop in here from time to time. The owner,
Rocco, and his metal spouse, Petra, are always here. Hawk, Kane,
Ducio (the master artisan) and Bucia, Flindo's assistant are often
here in the evening hours.

Talk to Rocco (who'll rent you a room and will sell you food and
drink). He'll tell you that Batlin was here two months ago, stole an
ancient artifact, and fled by ship. He'll also tell you that Gwenno
was here, too, but left months ago for Monk Island.

Talk to Petra, the automaton. She'll give you the lowdown on
Torrissio, who created her to be more complex than the other
automatons he has made for the mages. Torrissio, she says, is
wilful, vicious and mean (an understatement).  She says his magic
isn't his own, but came from scrolls he found in ancient Ophidian
ruins. She'll also tell you about Mosh, the rat woman, who likes
fish. (Petra, too, will sell you food and drink. Buy some fish --
it's good nourishment, and you'll eventually need one to give to
Mosh.)

A note about buying things: you can haggle with just about anyone in
the game, and you'll save money by doing so. But be warned that if
you make frivolous offers, the seller won't negotiate with you.  And
if at some point in the negotiations the seller merely repeats his
last offer, take it. He's hit his rock-bottom price, and if you
persist in haggling, you may hang the game or cause the seller to
refuse to talk to you any further.

About this time, you'll be approached by an automaton who identifies
himself as belonging to Rotoluncia, a powerful mage who's a member
of the Council of Mages. He'll give you a magic scroll from her. Use
it by double clicking on it. (Do it right away, since it's also a
flag-setting trigger.) She'll tell you that she met Batlin and his
gargoyle companion Palos, and demands that you tell her Batlin's
secret of controlling what she calls "daemons."  Since you don't
know the secret, you'll have to say no to her. You don't really have
a choice here -- whatever you do, you'll make a dangerous enemy in
Rotoluncia (who was Filbercio's mistress before Frigidazzi, BTW).

If Bucia's at the inn, talk to her. She's Moonshade's equivalent of
Harnna or Jendon -- she'll tell you useful things about people and
places, and will give you leads about your strange objects.  She'll
only talk for a little while at first, but if you meet her at the
inn in the evening, she'll talk a little longer. She'll ask you for
the pine cone, and it's OK to give it to her. DON'T ask her about
the bird's egg or the bloody hand -- she'll stop talking to you
until you drop them. She'll tell you that Pothos is out of town on a
secret errand for the Mage Lord. Be sure to ask her about Pothos
later, after he's returned to town.

If Ducio is there, he'll tell you that he can create or repair
anything -- magic apparatus, magic weapons, etc. He'll also tell you
to talk to his apprentice, Topo. If you show him the apparatus here
in the inn, he'll tell you to bring it to his shop and he'll examine
it. He'll also direct you to Torrissio to ask about automaton magic,
and to Fedabiblio for answers to your questions about history.

Hawk will tell you that the pine cone comes from the woods north of
the swamp, and that the only way to get past the swamp is by ship
(he's wrong).

EXPLORING MOONSHADE

Now is a good time to explore the rest of the city and see who's
doing what to whom. By the way, if you explore OUTSIDE the city and
find Gustacio's lightning experiment at 37S 143E, DON'T touch
anything. He'll send you there later, and if anything is missing, it
will mess up your game royally.

You can visit the following houses in any order. The occupants may
or may not be home when you visit, so try again later. If you steal
anything, make sure no one (including the automatons) sees you do
it.

Mortegro's House (65S 143E)

If Morty's home, he'll tell you that he's a necromage, and
specializes in speaking with the dead. He has baaaad spells to sell
when you've gotten a spellbook. He also holds seances, in which
you'll meet some interesting dead folks. He says he and Gustacio,
another mage, are studying the weird lightning storms -- a detail
that will be useful later. There's a gray key on his entry table
that opens the front door. There's also a Restoration scroll in his
desk, and some reagents on another table. The glowing gold key
doesn't open anything I found. There's a lever

behind the northernmost slab that opens his seance room. The "magic
ball" there is useless but funny.

Rotoluncia's House (74S 153E)

Roto won't be home when you call, but her house is open. You'll find
some reagents and a bag containing a serpent's tooth on a side
table. Make sure you take the tooth -- it will fit in a serpent
jawbone you'll get later. The chest in her bedroom (pickable) holds
a red key that unlocks the naga's cell, a Fire Snake scroll <this
spell doesn't work, BTW>, a Paralyze scroll, and two interesting
letters from Filbercio -- one is an old love letter, and one is a
hate letter, accusing her of flirting with Torrissio. Roto's
shifting relationship with Filbie becomes important later.

Frigidazzi's House (77s 150E)

Frigi will be out, too, but her goblin servant (who's harmless and
doesn't talk) will be home. You'll find a key to her frozen lab area
under a flower pot on a side table in her dining room. In her lab
are reagents, magic scrolls, a fire wand, and a note saying she lost
her serpent tooth near the savages (the gwani, whom you'll meet
later up north).

The door north of the entrance is locked, and you won't be able to
get through it until Frigi invites you to visit her later in the
game.

Stefano's House (82S 152E)

Stef's out, too, and there's nothing useful in his house. The
glowing green key on his table doesn't fit anything I found in the
game.

Gustacio's House (92S 152E)

Gus is probably home, but he's much too busy to talk to you. Later
on, he'll be more accommodating. There's a set of stairs to his
basement in the NW corner of his tropical plant garden. At the
moment, there's just a Summon scroll to be found down there, but
this location will become very important later in the game.

There are some reagents on the first floor, and a magic telescope on
the roof. Look through it, and you'll see random scenes of locations
that are in some way important in the game.


The Seminarium (93S 150E)

There's a lot of stealable stuff here (reagents, scrolls), but
you'll have a hard time finding a moment when nobody's watching you.
There's a tan key in the anteroom desk, but it doesn't fit anything.
In one of the dorm chests, there's a magic compass, but it doesn't
work. In the library, there's a book that tells you about stoneheart
and bloodspawn. You don't really have to make bloodspawn, by the
way. There's plenty of it to be found later; just be sure to search
all the corpses and chests and such that you come across.

Talk to Fedabiblio, the schoolmaster. He'll tell you some
interesting things about the other mages. He'll say he sent Gwenno
to Monk Island, and that Batlin was obsessed with the Ophidians.  He
won't, however, tell you about the catacombs under the city (a
non-functioning flag, it seems). The most important thing he has to
say at the moment is that he'll give you a new spellbook if you
bring him three FRESH mandrake roots from Monk Isle. You can't get
to Monk Isle yet, but now you know why to go there.

Talk to Andrio, the older of Fedabiblio's two students. He'll tell
you some useful things about Torrissio. He'll also tell you that
Freli, the younger boy, is researching a stone-to-flesh spell like
one of Torrissio's. You can't buy this spell, but later on, you'll
find a wand belonging to Torrissio that will allow you to cast it
when you need it.  Talk to Freli. He'll tell you that Batlin bought
some spells from Torrissio before he left. He'll also warn you not
to mess around with Frigi, or Filbie will toss you into the
Mountains of Freedom.  (You will, and he will, but that comes
later.) He'll also give you a scroll for his father, who is Delin,
the Fawn provisioner. If you ever get up that way again, Delin will
sell you supplies at half price for bringing him word of his
long-lost son.

@~More next issue




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