STAR TRAIL WALKTHROUGH By Brian Burke KVIRASIM Exit Temple and enter Lovely Meadow Tavern. Talk and then go to spend the night at the Rest Inn. The following morning visit shops and buy appropriate equipment. If you have insufficient funds then stay longer using Pickpocket and Cheat in Taverns and Shops. Leave town to the south travelling to Gashok. If you've brought characters from Blades of Destiny then you travel to Gashok without a battle, otherwise you go through a major fight and everyone is promoted. GASHOK Search ruins of Atherion's Old Mill. Talk to Gerlange, the Herbalist, about the Mill to learn of Atherion. Exit town to the north east and march. You'll come across a dirt road, follow this north. Tell Atherion you'll avenge him and realise what he's gone through. Return to Gashok staying at All Roads Inn. Revisit Gerlange and ask about Foreigners and Valpour of Kuslik. Go and find Valpour in the second house south of the Night and Day tavern and ask about the Newcomers. Make a note of their locations. I found that if you kill Erholt the villagers kick you out but no-one minds too much when you wipe out Deregorn provided you search and pick up the document after the fight. Return to Atherion and receive a magical sword and bow in return. Go back to the town and spend a night in the All Roads Inn. Leave the town to the south and head for the eastern mountains to search for the Finsterkoppen pit. At this point avoid Lowangen at all costs. DWARVEN PIT You can enter the pit from the town of Finsterkoppen by talking to Iradon in the Temple of Ingerimm in the town and ask him about the Dwarven Pit three times. He'll give you a Rich Golden key. The problem is that you have to split your party by leaving behind any Elves, Druids or Witches. This makes you weak in battles so it's best to approach the range from the south and work your way north up the spine. You'll have a battle with Brigands eventually, go east after that and enter the cave. There are six levels to the Pit complex. The cave is on the lowest level which is the sixth. Go up to level 5 where you find an area filled with water. Before this can be accessed it needs to be drained by travelling up to the Fourth level. There's a shaft which needs to accessed in order to find a special key. You won't be able to carry everything you find so make notes of what's where and load up at the end. Herewith notes on each level - Level 6 - Entry level from the mountains. Once water on level 5 drained this area yields the Salamander Stone - more on that later. Level 5 - Once water drained use a Crowbar on the trapdoor in the north. Level 4 - The wheel needed to drain Level 5 is in the north east room. First you have to fight some Undead Dwarves to win a Stone Medallion which is essential to obtaining the Salamander Stone. Also in this room a Healing Potion is hidden in a hole to the north. The shaft is at the end of a corridor to the north west. The southern room contains stone Gargoyles which come to life when you look at them. Take the Chain when you come across it, it's needed on Level 2. Level 3 - Accessible by climbing the shaft or by stairs. The shaft puts you in the northern area and the stairs in the south. From the south you'll find an Altar to the west and some graves. DO NOT TAKE ANYTHING. The pit in this vicinity can be closed by a lever just to the north. There are various treasures lying around. Playing on the chute can split your party so beware. Using oil on the mine cart gets it going but it crashes and causes you damage. To the north you'll need a shovel to dig your way through to the north east. Kill the skeleton here to gain a parchment. It's probably worth leaving this task until you find the food and water supplies on Level 2. Digging to the south in the north west finds you the Big Copper Key plus other goodies. Level 2 - Climb up the shaft in the north west to search for the Double Bearded key. Food and water can be found in the north east centre. Very useful Girdles of Might giving about +5 strength to the north west plus other assorted treasures. A lever in the south west disarms a crossbow trap in the southern corridor. Travel east along here to find a door north which closes behind your party. DON'T enter the door unless you have both the Crank (found elsewhere in a chest on this level) and either a Chain (found on Level 1 in the room with sharp object on the floor) or a Rope. You could be OK if you have the Teleport spell I guess. Use the crank and chain which opens the way north. Enter this room - the answer to the riddle is 'Moose' which wins you a Rich Silver Key. In the centre north using the lever dumps the party into a pit and a hard fight ensues. Level 1 - This is where you'd enter (in the north) if you came in via Finsterkopp Town and it's where you'll leave once you've trotted back down to Level 6 to grab the Salamander Stone. There's a bit to do on this level. Firstly in the north east centre room examine the skeleton and read the document. In the room to east go centre north wall and keep searching the niche. There's an essential Fire Protection ring here which you need for Level 6. There are treasures in the chests to the north west. In the south of the south east room use a torch to read the inscription at Ingerimm's image. Now go back down to Level 6 via the trapdoor on Level 5. SALAMANDER STONE There's more Girdles of Might to the north east. To the west the western chest is trapped. Detect the hidden door south and find a supply of water to the west. Go east and south to find a chest laden with Leather gear. Select ONE character to wear the gear AND place the Asthenil Ring in the left hand AND wear the Stone Medallion AND take a Torch. Split the party and send the equipped character south over the hot spots till they turn and go north. Use the torch on the picture to the east to open up the eastern room. Enter the room to meet the Golem and offer up the Stone Medallion as trade for the Ikosahedral Stone which may be found in the south eastern chest. Leave everything else. This stone is the Salamander Stone. You're done now. I suggest exiting via the town as you can rest in an Inn and recover in peace. There's nothing else to do in Finsterkopp. LOWANGAN Now you have the stone head north west to Lowangan. As you enter you'll be stripped of most of your possessions and then meet Gavron who steals the Stone! Food is scare and everything is very expensive. You need to Cheat and Pickpocket to build up cash. I suggest saving after each successful foray. There's no need to fully equip but you probably need swords and food at least. There is a fight later where you are rewarded with equipment. I was never successful in casting any magic in Lowangan. It just locked the game up. You need to find Gavron. Go into the Old Town area, to the extreme west, and find Dragan Elder's house just north of a well. Access this area by the southern passage as the northern one costs more. Ask him about Gavron and agree to help him. Go to Vinsalter and tell him Dragan sent you. You may have to wait a day if he closes the door in your face at first. Tell him of your poor situation and he'll come back with you to Dragan. Vinsalter's house is in the Colourful Flight area in the middle extreme left. Back at Dragan's place ask him about Gavron and about Travel. Again you need to help him. You can go to the Orcs Death Inn in the Old Town, to the north east of Dragan's house and wait for Gavron or rob the Exhibition Hall. The Hall must be entered at night. Go upstairs and just take the brooch. You can look round further but it's a tough fight. When Gavron enters the Orcs Death follow him, not steathily or you lose him. Question him severely until you either follow him into Sevensprings house or he gives you the slip. Sevensprings house is a couple of streets south of the Exhibition Hall. Ask for the stone and follow him in to recover it. After the fight you'll be well equipped and win some food. Take brooch back to Dragan and ask about Travel. You may have to deliver a parcel to Master Deringorn, first go the the Hall of Power in the north of Colourful Flight and then his house in the extreme north of the Old Town. Don't enter his house or he'll beat you up! Return to Dragan who'll send you to see Black Jandor. She lives to the east halfway up Colourful Flight. You must have at least 100 Ducats to learn of the secret exit and tell her she owes Dragan a favour. She sends you off to see Master Eolan in the castle of Grey Staves in the north of Colourful Flight. Once you have the Salamander Stone back it's best to move via 'Move Party' as walking around attracts a band of footpads and a fight. Best to take them on as you then fight six of them rather than twelve. Either that or give 'em your food. At the Castle tell Eolan you want to sweep the yard and then ask about the secret exit. Agree to do him a favour in order to obtain the key. You need to leave two members behind. Your choice - but there is some fighting to be done and you need a spellcaster who has the Paralyse spell. Having the Oceans Floor spell probably takes precedence. The party leaves the town. Head north west to the Swamp. SWAMP Head round until you access the grassy area in the centre west. Offer to help the Lizard Men by wiping out their enemy who can be found in the central area. Just wander round to find him. Return to the Lizard men who tell you of the Old Woman. Find her in the south east corner. She'll ask you to return her Crystal Ball from the Wizard who lives on an island in the north east. You need to head up to the water in the north west first and swim down to the island. If you can't cast the Oceans Floor spell then you'll need to swim and rest, or use Whirlweeds, to recover. Enter the tower and when the Fire Elemental asks you to speak say LOVE, MERCY and HELP. After he's blasted the Wizard to smithereens take the Crystal Ball and the Noctrox document. Read it. You take it back to the witch but she wants to wipe you out. Use the paralyse spell on her to win. If you don't have it then Flee the battle. Go to the south east to find a Chest near a house. You can't enter the house. In the chest find a document and a Net. Put the net in a character's left hand. Back in the steam go along the same route east as when you went to the Wizard. Enter the four square area to the north to find the Swamp Rantzy. This is Eolan's friend so don't kill him, just use the net to capture him. Take him along the northern paths fighting baddies along the way to find 20 Heather Plants. Pull up the 18th one and use it on the Swamp Rantzy. Use healing on the poor guy and return to Lowangan being careful to enter from the east by way of the Ruins. Once you've returned the friend you're re-united and can come and go to Lowangan via ruins and the secret exit in the Castle. I'd suggest you load up with healing potions or preferably Whirlweeds before setting off. The next step is your choice. Travelling south, south east, east and then north to Tiefhusen and then Tjolmar you get to keep hold of the Salamander Stone and can miss out on the Blood Peaks dungeons. I'll assume you want your money's worth! After leaving Lowangan head west. A bunch of dark Mages stop you and demand the Stone. Take my tip and give it them. They're too much for the party. Keep travelling west. Make sure each member has two pairs of boots as they wear out quickly in the mountains. BLOOD PEAKS Travel to the mid Blood Peaks, you're looking for a cave entrance. If you get caught by the Orcs, stripped of everything and thrown in a cell then you're too far north or south. You may want to continue from this position but you've lost all your stuff and thus it's tougher. Level 1 - Assuming you've found the cave go north through a false wall or south through another. If you enter the Orc Hall it's a tough fight so use Poison Potions on your weapons. You can find these by creeping round the south edge of the room, cast Without Trace if you haven't enough Stealth. There's loads of equipment in this area, and again to the south east with just minor battle along the way. There's a Mummified Dwarf in a sarcophagus along these passages through a false wall to the east. To the north on this level are more rooms. One in the centre north has an Orc Flag which you destroy. Disarm the crossbow trap to the north before entering. In the north centre room to the east is a Chest with a Mummy's Hand and a Copper Disk. Take the disk and use it on the chest to the south but leave the hand alone. In the same room you can go south through a false wall to find stairs down to Level 3. The stairs to Level 2 are in the north east. Level 2 - I could never open the door straight ahead but by use of the Penetrate and the Teleport spell you can enter the passage to go down to Level 3. Travel along the rock passage and enter the second door to the north. Fight to obtain the Pliers Key. In this room open the chest to find a Lynx Key. Go west to the junction, south a touch then west again to another room north to get the Spectacled Key. In the north west room use the Pliers key to open a chest to take potions. In the cells to the west rescue Thurazz. Leave Praidos to rot as he's a baddie. A mirror amulet found in a cell deflects spells. There's water to be found in the south western cell and rations to the east of here. This is the area you'd be if you were caught by the Orcs. The most important find in the western cells is a dead Black Mage who has the Salamander Stone. In the centre of this level you'll need to use a spear, that you find in some shelves that you need to move first, to open a secret door. In the eastern area is a narrow staircase up to a locked area of Level 1. Go south from here and west to find a Spiders Web. Use characters equipped with Obsidian daggers or swords to cut the web. Split the party near the eggs, sending half to destroy the nest. Drink from the 3 phials before destroying them. Then re-unite the party and head downstairs. I 'think' you may well win an Arrow Key that opens the north door I teleported through. Level 3 - There's loads of stuff to find here and lots of fights to develop your experience. Destroy the Altar to the north east and also the Orc Weapons in the south east. Exit either to the north or south east. Head north to Tiefhusen. Tiefhusen can be played at any stage in the game. TIEFHUSEN Go to the Dagger and Sword Tavern and sit at a table. Talk to Jandor about Star Trail. Keep buying him drinks till he tells you of a guy sitting by a tree outside the city walls to the north. Go and talk to Hensger. Tough talking keeps his price down to 20 Ducats otherwise it's about 60/65. Return in the morning for him to lead you to the Temple of Phex dungeon. Once left alone search by the stairs for food and head south and west. There's a secret door to the north. After the battle find a Golden Axe in the chest. The axe has a life of its own! Go west again through a secret door and again west. Before you do going north and east leads through a portcullis. In this area if you pick up the scroll it shuts, a tough fight follows. Going south and east find another secret door, pick up the scroll here to reopen the door. Travel north to a myriad of passages. To open the south false wall in the centre east you must first go west and south to solve a riddle, the answer to which is 'Night'. Once through the door you come across a plaque puzzle where you must reveal three cats. Go up to the north west area to find a plaque on the wall. Use the mouse on it to fight a tough fight and win a Blue Key. Note the secret door to the north in the north west passage, but now go east. The key open the door west in the centre area. In the south west is a chest with a Shield and Helmet of Phex. If you don't have the Banish Spirits spell then leave them alone or you'll be trapped. As an afterthought maybe a Teleport spell would get you out but I haven't tried it. To the centre west find an Altar. Deposit 100 ducats to open the door north in the north west. You may then pinch the money from the altar only to be teleported to the south west. Fight your way out round a clockwise passage walking backwards up the north west passage to avoid being teleported back in again. Travel north west and go east, travelling through a couple of false walls en-route to the exit. There's a tough fight at the first. Upon reaching the exit choose whether you want to punish the scoundrels or leave 'em alone. Leave the town and head North to Tjolmar @~To be continued next issue. - o -