Pool of Radiance Ruins of Myth Drannor - part 3 Hints and Tips and Partial Walkthrough by Vic Horsley Continued from Issue 79 The Halls of Stone ------------------ From here I am only going to point out areas of interest and not do a complete walkthrough, as with the previous levels, this level is akin to those levels, with everything looking alike, except that the streets may take a different line. The best way to follow my directions would be to look at your map from time to time, the picture you see is of one square from the map area of twelve squares, they are three across by four down (3x4). There are slight overlaps on some end squares but not enough to warrant another square, I will begin with square one and follow each square in sequence. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 1. The door to the top left needs a "Glyph of Water" to open, before that door and slightly to the right is a courtyard where you will encounter a fight with 9 lizards, it is a tough one. The room on the top right hand side [with the stairs], is reached from the "Halls of Light" and is locked from this side until you come down. Below and slightly to the left is a room with Well of "Channel of Earthborn Wind" and to the right of that another room holds 2 Chests. I am not mentioning every encounter with enemies only some major ones, so be prepared for almost anything. 2. The top part of this area is blacked out, to the lower left are two rooms, one holds 2 tomes that should be taken to the "Pyre of Silence" in the Deep Halls, the other room has a Chest, there is nothing else in this area. 3. The two rooms to the top left have Pyres, place 3 ordinary Battleaxes in the left one and receive one Battleaxe +3, in the right one 3 Shields will give Shield +3. Most of what you need is hanging on the walls in these rooms, you will also obtain a "Green Foundry Key" here. Below the rooms is a large courtyard with a empty Well in the middle and to the right of that is a room with a stairway up to the "Halls of Light". That completes the top line of the map and we now move to the second line. 4. Starting the next line and in the first area, there is nothing of significance so move along to the following area. 5. There is a large open space here and a hard fight to go with it, to the right hand side there is a large group of Orcs, and to the north Lizards, they all use magic. 6. In the top left is a small room holding a letter from Elena to Garras, it is regarding the "Skeletal Arm", you will also find a "Pewter Key" To the centre right of this map area, is a room with doors on all four sides, inside is a Well below that, central bottom, is another room with a Well "Channel of Creeping Stone", do not forget to right click on all these Wells, but if you intend using them make sure you save first. Further to the right is a room with a stairway to the surface tree, that is the top half of this dungeon completed. 7. Third line, the only part of the area to worry about is the complete left side, up against the wall, you will encounter many Wraiths, try to use turn undead as often as possible and cold weapons are best, other wraiths materialise as you kill some. 8. In the upper centre of this area is a Round Room that contains many undead, the problem here is that they keep coming through the portal called "The Nightmare Gate". It is imperative that you get at least one of your strongest players up close to that portal, it slows them down from coming through, you still need to kill the others, so work your way in. When done, open the chest [it's trapped] and get the necklace. In bottom right, below the Round Room, are three rooms together, these are only reached by rope ladder from a Well in the Halls of Light. Come down the ladder to the bottom room, go into the centre room, pause and save. Leave all your players but one in this room [this is tricky], you must get them close to the upper wall [the one nearest the top room] and away from the doorway. Now send in your one player [the strongest is preferable] to open the chest. As you do this a pillar will materialise in the centre of the room and start sending out explosions every other second, two hits can kill. The chest holds a sword, your party have to be close to that wall otherwise you receive a message telling you that the party are too far stretched, also the explosions come through the doorway in to the centre room, so you must be hidden. With the above I found the best way was to hide all the players, then get one player to run just into the room and run straight out again. Come behind the wall, check health is full and save again, then judging the explosions, run between them to the chest and back, if lucky you will only take one hit and will just about survive. 9. The furthest room to the right of this area has a stairway to the "Halls of Light". To the left of this room is another room, the door is trapped, this map line finished so on to the bottom line. 10. To the left is the Teleporter Room, it may be iced over at first [you could try breaking the ice], to the right of this in the next room you come across "Emmeric", he's a fighter with Athan's band and he has a fight on his hands with a mage and 4 undead soldiers. Help him out, listen to him and take him into your party. The gate above this room will electrocute. Just below in the centre room, a stair goes down to the Deep Halls and across to the right another stair goes up to Halls of Light. 11. Top left, right click on Well to give phial, when you have some, next right and going to bottom are 3 rooms, the third door is trapped. 12. The top half left and middle of this section is blacked out, bottom half, left 4 rooms of these the top 2 need "Glyph of Song" which you will get much later, so forget for now, the bottom left room holds a couple of chests that can only be opened by Orc thieves. Come back later and fight the three orcs, the chests will be open and empty but you get 3 weapons for defeating them, the room to the bottom right holds a chest in the middle but when you touch it a black cloud descends covering most of the room and disabling your view. Not only this but half a dozen wraiths materialise and it can get very messy, suggest you get all your players into the room and up along the top wall, save game and bless, then send one player to touch chest and run back again, the wraiths will come to you but at least you will be able to see them, don't forget, cold weapons and magic, i.e. turn undead. 12a. This area is a little bit on the end and laying between the map squares of 9 and 12, top far right, room with stair down to Main Halls, to the left of this is a open space with a door on its left side that is trapped, a pillar by it has a message from the adventurers. Below this are two rooms, in the first smash the fountains either side of the middle one, then get each of your players to touch the middle one before going into the next room, here you will find 2 chests and plenty of poison but you are now protected. This concludes the Stone Halls although you will come back many times to do on-going tasks. Halls of Light -------------- This is by far the most interesting of the dungeon levels but also the most dangerous, for this reason it is not advisable to tackle this too early in your quest, also there are many fight encounters that are not mentioned here. 1. In the left corner is the room holding the Portal to the City Heights, if you have a "Ring of Calling" you will be able to go through but only after you have defeated 8 or 10 orcs. In the room below [which is on your way to the Portal], are 4 Mage Orcs, they are very strong, be ready for a challenge. To the bottom left are 3 rooms attached, the middle one has 2 secret doors, push up close to the walls to reveal these, the right hand room holds 2 tomes. 2. The top of this section is blacked out, the bottom left room has a lizard fight that gives you the "Brewers Key" and Armour, the stairway goes down to the "Halls of Stone", in the bottom centre is a room with stairway to the "Deep Halls". 3. In the top centre area is the tomb of "Hachaam Selorn", it needs the "Sword of the Eye" so be on the lookout for it. Room to left below has stairway to the Surface Tree, there is also a chest that is untrapped. To the right of this, is a room with stair to "Halls of Stone", below this room and just outside is a wide road with a fountain, click on it and "Faeril" will speak to you, heed her warning, there is nothing to the right of this central and it is blacked out. 4. Left centre is a large room with 3 "Ormyrr" lined up [The slug type things], talk with them and ask all questions, for finding "Geb" they will trade with you in the "Deep Halls", namely in the Ceremonial Hall [they don't have much of any use], do not try to pass them at this time, if you do they will turn hostile and engage you in battle. So go away and come back later [you could go and see if they are in the Ceremonial Hall], when you return they will have left and you can proceed through the door at the top. The room to the right has two doors but both are locked at this time go on and you will be able to come back to this room a little later, when you are able to open it, 10 orcs attack with magic and bows, throw in a couple of Fireballs [they wont like that] and it will increase your chances greatly, nothing else of note for this section. 5. Bottom left room has a barrel containing "Gloves of Courage". The top centre area has a stand alone room, with 4 doors on either sides, it holds a Well "Water of Life" and it cures poison [you will need it], watch out for the lizards they can come in all doors. To the top right, the room is full of dead orcs [food for the lizards] and the Nw door is trapped. 6. In bottom centre of area are 3 rooms, one of the doors is trapped and a chest holds the "Girdle of Serenity", again the right hand side of the map is blacked out, this completes the top half of the map. 7. Top left corner, there are three adjacent rooms, the upper most has a trapped chest that holds a cudgel. In the top centre is a stand alone room, the fight is with undead soldiers, the large barrel holds a Necklace. Bottom left room, between two blacked out squares, 2 wraiths and you get sword from chest. 8. Bottom right below large open area, two rooms separated by a blacked out area, the room to the left, which is reached via room below it, has a Well, click on it to use rope ladder down to the "Halls of Stone"[see that level], the right room has a chest guarded by 2 wraiths, it contains weapons. 9. All this area concentrated down central part, the top room has 3 wraiths, the one attached below has stairway to the "Halls of Stone". Below these in open space [Street], 3 groups of orcs converge, it's very tough but gives Purple Key. The next room below to right has a trapped door, there's nothing inside, Lower still near to bottom of this area and slightly to the left, is another fight with orcs in the street, get Cold Brass Key. 10. Top left corner, there are three rooms here, the uppermost has a stairway but you are unable to reach it from here as the door is locked from the inside. At the top centre there are two walls making a V shape inside this is a group of undead that you are able to talk with, or fight, or both. Below around the left wall, is a chest against that wall [it is a ceremonial area], click on the chest to hear a message. To the far left, is a room with stairway down to the "Halls of Stone". To the bottom left of the map is the Teleporter Room that carries you between the different levels of these dungeons. In the centre bottom is a room with 3 wraiths [this is quite hard], the doorway into this is just right of the Teleporter. Behind and to the right, is a open courtyard, the door through to the right of this needs a key, at the very bottom of this yard are two chests, when you touch them the bodies of the undead lying around wake and attack you, be alert to this. To the far right of this but reached from the next map area [11], is a room where you kill the undead and get the "Word of Constriction" from the chest. 11. Top left, another courtyard, the door to the room sealed with "Cruel Glyph", you will not find this Glyph but come back before leaving the dungeon altogether and you will meet a group of Orcs, talk with them and agree to help, they will then open this door for you. Go through the room to the next courtyard, join the Orcs in the fight but keep back, concentrate long range weapons on the Mage [if you fire a couple of fireballs at the centre mage it will probably take them all out], when this battle is over, talk again with the Orcs and take on the challenge. Use your strongest fighter [you cannot use magic], it's not really that hard but you do lose a lot of health in the process, for winning this they give you the cleaver [it's a very useful weapon]. After this go to top right of courtyard, there are two chests, get Key and Small Skull [ these are used later in the south of the city]. The room to the right was sealed with the Glyph but that is now also open. The final room in this map area, to the far right, has a chest with a necklace. 12. This final section of the map stretches a little further to the right, so it's the size of one and a half squares, the lower central part has a fight that gives the "Key of Damathion". To the far right in the room, talk with the Orcs before fighting them, then go up the stairs [see write up on the "Tower"]. Finally just north is another room with undead soldiers, there are 2 chests, get Ring, the ladder goes to the top room in the mines area of the "Main Halls", there is some treasure below that can only be reached by going this way. The Tower --------- This is a small level that is straight up and down, it is also a very important part of the story. Ground Floor. Here are 4 undead soldiers, they are very strong and should you choose to tackle this area early on in the game, it is unlikely you would survive, the door to the left is not open to you at the beginning. Upper Floor. Three Mage Orcs, again very strong. To go up a floor, go from right to left and click on the stairway. Room of Words. This is why you have come here [to find this room], there are 3 extremely strong Mages and you are likely to have fatalities [it may mean a visit to the Wells in the Main Halls]. You will get 2 letters, gem "Eye of Ranman" [this is only of use to monks], most importantly you will receive "Skeletal Arm with Ring", take this to Caalenfaire and Volun [see Hall of Wizards section]. Tower Roof. It maybe that you will come here and find nothing, if so try sleeping or leave and come back later, kill the couple of Gargoyles and receive "Gauntlets of Light Burden" and there is some cash lying about. Hall of Wizards. Your first visit here will be via the Teleporter, it is only a small area but important because it's where you receive much information to help you in completing this game. Your first task is to give the Skeletal Arm to the Wizard Caalenfaire [who is blind ] and his assistant Volun [who has no body], speak with them and you will be told to look for the "Purple Crescent", it is in the "Halls of Light at the top left hand corner and is the Portal through to the City Heights. Before going back to the "Halls of Light" via the Teleporter, check out this level, below the stairs is a Mirror, click on this and watch what happens. The hallway comes down to a door, this is to the City Heights but will not open to you until you go through the Portal from the Halls of Light, the Wizards will not speak with you again until you have completed your task of coming through the Portal. The City Heights South ---------------------- Well you have made it through and stand facing south at the southern part of the City of Myth Drannor, just behind you is the Portal, from which you have just emerged, behind that is the "Hall of Wizards" and behind that a great cliff that separates this southern strip from the northern area, which is higher up. It is up to you where you go but a few pointers should have been passed to you on the way here, like the south east is dangerous. Well this may be so but whatever way you choose to go, you will have to go the other way sooner or later, you can if you wish take the following route. On arrival turn around but don't move, cast bless and move one player forward a little, this will engage you in combat with a group of Orcs, they are much stronger here so be ready. A couple of Fireballs tossed in early will take half of them out and make life considerably easier for you. Go into the Wizards Hall and speak with them, if there is anything they have to say listen closely and ask all questions if they are put to you, if you click on them and one of the answers is Interrupt them, do just that, or you will be there for a long time and nothing will happen, remember to come back here often as you need their information. If you purchased this game as new, then you will have a "Overland Map", this will help considerably in seeing your way around. Look at the map now, the part where you are standing is close to the southern edge and a little right of centre, if you look close you can see the dragon head with horns above the Hall of Wizards. We will first cover the area left up to the half circle of steps and south to the steps that go up the cliff to the far left, that area will be our second objective. Leave the Hall and go left, not the player's left but left as you look at it, or put another way go west, this area's enemies seem to change with the time of day, so I'll mention it as last seen, but be ready for just about anything. Just a few steps from the hall is a Tower, if you come here at night you will be attacked by 6 undead and 3 Giant Scorpions, in the daytime it may be orcs, you are able to sleep in this tower, but need to push in close to do so. Behind the Tower you may be able to see a chest, leave this for now and push a little way past the tower to the tree, but not too far. On the other side of that you will come across some orcs, be careful they have much magic. If they are not there now they will be later, so turn back to the chest, it's just above you to the north. The Chest holds 2 potions and a knife, immediately to the north of this is a Giant Cracked Egg, it is reached by a stairway a little to the west. As you reach the bottom of the steps that go up to the Egg, 8-9 orcs will appear, deal with them and go up the steps, walk on up the ramp around the left side. At the top is a gargoyle kill this and get a bow, now come half way down to the bridge, cross over to the Egg, here is a platform with a couple of small balls circling it, these are the Orbs and you will release others as you journey on, the Orbs will all fly back here. Back at the bottom of the steps, it would be a good idea to look at the map, you will notice that the strip you have just done is small, well it does widen out a little to the north from here, but only a little, as the cliff face is still there. Keeping close to the cliff make your way around west to the next Tower, 6 gargoyles will attack you from here and if you strayed too far south more orcs also [this is the reason for keeping close to the cliff face], these gargoyles are more awkward than hard, try not to get caught behind the Tower as it's hard to see what's happening, once again it's possible to sleep in this tower if you push the party in close. From the Tower go north following the cliff round to the west, you come to a large half circle of steps something resembling a half arena. Between the tower that you last left and these steps and to the south are a couple of groups of orcs, it's a sort of middle area and best left to last, when you will have made your way all around the cliff face. So back to the half arena, the steps go up to a large gargoyle statue, another group of gargoyles will attack you, either here or a little to the right, after that you will see a door in the cliff face but you are unable to get in yet. The cliff now runs south, blocking any further advance west, except that at the southern end is a stairway [a bridge]. It's guarded by 2 gargoyles, it is the way [on this south section of the map], to the far west, don't go over it just yet, instead turn back east and follow the path slightly north. Just a few strides and you will come to 3 or 4 steps and a group of orcs, these are the ones you may have dragged into conflict, if you were not careful at the last tower. If you click on your map again you may see a very small area still shaded in the middle, if so just run over it to make sure you have covered everything, make a trip back to the "Wizard Hall" to see all is OK, interrupt them if need be and come back outside. From the Hall come straight down south to the edge of the map and turn to the left [West], this is the way to come if you wish to avoid any action in the middle. This goes right back to the bridge and you will meet no one on the way. As you approach the bridge and just before the tree you will see a patch of "Blueglow Moss", good for replenishing your health, if it fades come back later, after it recovers, now go to the bridge and cross over. More next issue - o -