Ultima VII Part II:Serpent Isle - Part 6

                  Walkthrough by Belisana
                 Supplied by Julian Gregory

@~Continued from Issue 37

Columna's and Melino's House (85S 150E)

Columna and Melino won't talk to you until you have a spellbook,
but there's some stealable stuff available here now. In the chest
in the hallway, there's a tan key that unlocks the basement door.
Be sure to save your game before going down there, though. There's
a horrendous buzzsaw trap at the foot of the stairs. The best way
to avoid it is to double-click on your avatar the moment your
party appears on the stairs. Once you've brought up your avatar's
screen, you can take the items in the basement at your leisure.
Just be ready to run quickly back upstairs as soon as you close
all your windows, or the buzzsaw will make hamburger out of your
party. What's down there?  A green key that fits a chest hidden in
the back yard; a scroll that tells you about a magic Comb of
Beauty (which you'll need later), and reveals that Columna and
Mosh, the rat lady, are actually twins; and a Time Stop scroll
(which you could also have used to get the other items).

When you're safely back upstairs, go into the bedroom and look for
a secret door in the north wall. Open it and walk around to the
back yard. Look for a chest that's nearly hidden among the trees.
Open it with the green key and take the Comb of Beauty.

After you've gotten your spellbook, Columna and Melino will sell
you spells.

Torrissio's House (84S 142E)

If Torrissio's home, talk to him (BUT DON'T MENTION THE STRANGE
STOCKINGS -- he'll take them and give you nothing in return.)
He'll tell you some useful information about Rotoluncia, Columna,
Batlin and Gwenno. Among other things, he'll tell you that he did
indeed sell spells to Batlin. (He'll also bore you to tears with
details of his own life, but you gotta wade through it all to get
to the good stuff.)

In his house, you'll find some reagents in the bedroom chest, and
a Reveal scroll in the nightstand. In his lab are two partly
assembled automatons.  You can revive them with the Create
Automaton spell, and they'll join your party. (If you're a party
of four, only one will join.) They're not very good fighters, but
they're good at carrying stuff. Be sure Torrissio's not in the
house when you cast the spell. Early in the game, he goes to the
inn every morning at 9AM. Later, he's mostly at the MageLord's
house.

Pothos' Shop (79S 139E)

Pothos' shop is at the top of the wooden stairs next to the water.
The shop area upstairs is guarded by a very vigilant automaton. If
you wait until it goes downstairs for a moment, you can nab the
reagents and scrolls in the two pickable chests, and the potions
on the counter. In Pothos' office downstairs, there's a tan key
under the chair on the left. Look carefully, because it's almost
entirely under the table. It opens his downstairs storeroom, which
has a few nice magic items inside. Once again, make sure the
downstairs automaton is looking the other way when you open the
door.

When he's there, Pothos will sell you reagents and some magic
items.

There's also an amusing beta-testers' area under his outside
stairs. Look for an illusionary wall in the east side of the
stairs. It leads to a small room which has another illusionary
wall to the north. The tan key from Pothos' office opens the
locked door, which leads to a football field (yes, really!) with
cheerleaders and a troll team for opponents. At the goal line,
there's a chest with some nice magic items inside. BE WARNED,
though, that the teleporter beyond the goal line doesn't seem to
work, and you'll be trapped here unless you (1) cheat, or (2)
arrange for the trolls to kill you after you've gotten the
goodies.

Ducio's Shop

If Ducio is in, show him the strange apparatus and he'll tell you
it belonged to Vasculio, the mage who is alleged to have risen
from his grave in revenge for his execution.

His apprentice, Topo, will buy gems. He'll also tell you that
Mosh, the rat lady, claims to be Columna's twin sister, and that
Stefano makes his living stealing things from one mage for
another.

There's a magic sword in a crate near the blacksmith-automaton,
and a two-handed axe on a table.

Mosh the rat lady may make an appearance about now. Don't kill her
rats -- tell her you like them. She'll tell you that she was once
a powerful mage, but that her power was stolen by another. She'll
tell you to ask Columna about it (which you can't do until you get
a spellbook).

BACK TO THE MAIN PLOT

Now that you've toured the place, find Flindo again and ask him
about his promise to introduce you to the MageLord. He'll say that
it's all set up, and that the MageLord will summon you.

Walk around for a few minutes, and you'll be teleported to the
MageLord's banquet. This is a cut scene, so you can't do anything
but watch. Basically, Rotoluncia will attack you, Gustacio will
defend you, and Pothos will come in saying he hasn't been able to
find any bloodmoss for Filbercio.

That will break up the banquet, giving you an opportunity to
explore the MageLord's palace. (The outside doors will remain open
for the rest of the game, but you won't be able to get into the SE
rooms or to the teleporter in the bedroom until later.)

There are some Create Food scrolls in the kitchen, and a Translate
scroll in the library. Most important, there's a treasure room
next to the stairs.  To open the room, pull the lever behind the
throne. To open the chests, look for a purple key under a flower
pot in the bedroom. There's a fire sword, a magic axe, and a lot
of gold and gems in the chests. It all will stay right where it is
until you need it, so you don't need to carry any of it away with
you. If someone in your party carries the fire sword, by the way,
you'll never need any other light source.

THE ERSTAM CONNECTION

Now that Pothos is back, ask Flindo about him. He'll tell you that
Pothos may be Erstam's son, but that he won't talk about it.

Ask Bucia again about Pothos (she may make you wait until she goes
to the inn at 10PM). She'll tell you there's a rumor that he looks
like Erstam.

Note: These two conversations set flags, so they're essential to
the plot.  They won't happen until after the banquet scene.

Now, talk to Pothos. Among other things, he'll tell you that if
you get sent to Freedom and escape, your crimes will be forgotten.
He'll also tell you some useful things about Batlin and Gustacio.
He'll identify your bloody hand as a product of Erstam's
experiments. And he'll tell you that he'd trade his dearest secret
for some bloodmoss. Confront him about his secret, and he'll admit
to being Erstam's son. He'll tell you that if you bring him some
bloodmoss, he'll help you contact Erstam.

TO THE SWAMP

To get the bloodmoss, go south from the city steps near the
serpent gate.  Follow the coastline to the south tip of the
island. Enter the swamp at about 127S 153E. Follow the path to an
area with standing stones; there's bloodmoss growing all around.
It'll grow back after you pick it, but since you only need a few
to satisfy Pothos, you can leave the rest for yourself.  Take the
bloodmoss back to Pothos. He'll tell you how to get to Erstam's
island, and will give you a password that will identify you as a
friend.

THE KIDNAPPING

Before you get more than a few steps toward the dock Pothos
directed you to, one of your companions will be kidnapped by
Rotoluncia. You'll have to rescue him before you can get to
Erstam's island. Go to the palace and talk to Filbercio. Tell him
you suspect Rotoluncia, and he'll send you to search her house.
When you get there, one of Roto's automatons will attack you.
Kill it, and go back to see Filbercio again. He'll tell you that
he and Roto renewed their relationship a while back, and that he
built a passion palace for her on an island in the center of the
city's lake. Roto has probably taken your companion there. He'll
give you permission to use his boat to get to her island. You can
get to the boat from the upstairs hallway. Double click on the
engine (in the rear of the boat) to start it.  Then move the boat
with your right-hand mouse button. Double click on the boat again
when you want to disembark.  Take the boat to the center of the
island and get off. Go inside and up the stairs. Get the gray key
in the dresser, and go down to the basement.  Unlock the gate with
the gray key. Roto will attack you, assisted by some gremlins.
Waste 'em all. The gremlins all have black pearls, and Roto has
two purple keys and a fire wand.  One of the keys unlocks your
companion's cell, the teleporter next to the cell, and the door in
Filbercios' bedroom (the other end of the teleport). The other key
doesn't unlock anything.  Get your companion and zap back to the
city.

@~More next issue.










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