Walkthrough

Introduction:

The land and it's cities lie in ruins. Tarjan, the Mad God, has completely flipped and laid waste to the once beautiful empire which was so happily flourishing after the defeat of Mangar. You and your trusty companions must find this lunatic being, destroy him, and restore the land.

You will begin your quest in the Refugee Camp just outside the ruins of Skara Brae in the Wilderness. The Refugee Camp is the same as the Guild Hall of previous BARD'S TALES. Here you create your characters. BARD'S TALE III gives you the same option to import characters from the other BARD'S TALES, WIZARDRY I, II, and III, or ULTIMA III and IV. There are several ways to approach the character porting question: Import a fully developed party with all the "goodies" earned in other games; import all, but use only a few; or create a whole new cast of characters. Any alternative provides a very entertaining game. Porting characters and using a fully developed crew only helps for a short while, since you will begin to meet monsters that will be very competitive, even with the best of adventurers.

One hint to make your life more bearable in BARD'S TALE III: If you have earned a Nospin Ring in BARD'S TALE II, be sure to transfer it to a member of your new party. Spinners in BARD'S TALE III are plentiful and very frustrating. The only character that is an absolute must for your party is a Rogue. You will not be able to complete the game without one. So if your ported party does not include a thief, add one at the start and get him developed as quickly as possible. New characters are developed quite quickly in the Starter Dungeon if you make frequent visits to the Review Board in Skara Brae. Additionally, create and develop a full seven character party for BARD'S TALE III. Unlike BARD'S TALE II, you do not need the seventh slot in your party for special monsters or magical creatures.

A good party to begin with is a Warrior (or Hunter), Paladin, Bard, Rogue, Conjurer, Sorcerer, and Wizard. If you start with new characters, develop your magic users into full Archmages with all spells from all levels of each specialty. Although all spells are not necessary in this game, there is a need for enough of each specialty's individual spells that you need as broad a coverage as you can get.

Before you begin your travels into the other dimensions you will have to change one of your Archmages into a Chronomancer. The Chronomancer is one of two new magic classes in this game. The old man in the Review Board in Skara Brae can change any magic user into a Chronomancer, but the second new magic wielder, the Geomancer, will only be made available to your party late in the game. (See Kinestia.) A word of caution when you are presented with that alternative: Don't convert your Rogue or Bard, for they will lose some of their skills which are more beneficial than the spells gained by the Geomancer. My choice was the Paladin. A close second would have been the Warrior (or Hunter).

One final word before we take off into the Wilderness. There are many special items and pieces of equipment you will find during your explorations. Try them out. One very nice addition to BARD'S TALE III is the Save Game feature. You can now save the game anywhere; when you get something new that looks interesting, save the game and Equip and/or Use it at your first opportunity to see what it does. If it is something unique that does something unusual, keep it; otherwise drop it and save room in your inventory for new "stuff." Unlike previous BARD'S TALES, you don't have a place to sell things. The gold you earn as you travel will be enough for your needs.

Exiting the Refugee Camp, you find yourself in the Wilderness. Actually this is really a very small piece of "the world." It is an 18 x 18 map which wraps around itself, giving the appearance that it is much larger than it is. Locations are measured from the entrance to the Refugee Camp.
Exploring, you will find: Scrapwood Tavern next door to the Camp, where hints and drinks are the specialty; a Shrine (5S 11W) where you can obtain healing; Twilight Copse (7S 9W), which is the entrance to Arboria; Cold Peak (7N 15W), the entrance to Gelidia; Crystal Springs (5N 2E), the entrance to Lucencia; Old Dwarf Mine (9 13W), the entrance to Kinestia; Shadow Rock (3S 4E), the entrance to Tenebrosia; Vale of Warriors (2S 5W), the entrance to Tarmitia; and Sulphur Springs (11S 3E), the entrance to Malefia. The entrance to Skara Brae is located 3 paces north and 7 paces west of the Camp.

After exploring the wilderness for a while, go to Skara Brae and search the ruins of this once proud city. As you enter the city you are told, "Among the ruins of Skara Brae is an unnatural silence as if death itself has come to stay." Basically there are only three locations of interest in Skara Brae.

1. Immediately in front of the entrance are the remnants of Garth's Equipment Shoppe. Enter it and find a few interesting items, including some harmonic gems which may help you. Late in the game this location is quite important for you. By the way, gems are handy to restore your magic users' spell points. Keep a goodly supply on hand.

2. From the entrance to the equipment shoppe go north two, east two, south, east, south, east five, and north two. This brings you to the entrance of the Temple, which is also the entrance to the Starter Dungeon.

3. From the Temple, go north two, east two, south, east two, and north.
This is the entrance to the Review Board, which you will visit frequently during your quest.

So, if you're ready, go to the Review Board and talk to the old man, get your rewards if you have any coming, and learn about your first quest in the Starter Dungeon.

Starter Dungeon

Your valiant group enters the ruins of Skara Brae. Go forward two steps, and enter the house facing you. You find that someone has been storing arms there. After leaving the house, go north then turn east. The street zig- zags to the south and east until you come out onto a large square. In the middle of the square is a large statue of Tarjan in very good condition as if someone had been taking care of it. In addition to the street by which you entered, there are two exits from the square. Taking the street to the east, which turns south then east, you find yourself on a north/south street. Going north, you find the old Review Board on the east. As you enter, you find that only one member of the review board is left. The Old Man looks at you and says, "Yes, you are the ones. But to prove that you are worthy of the task, you must first kill Brilhasti ap Tarj. He can be found in the Temple of the Mad God, and the word you need to enter is 'TARJAN.'"

While you are there at the review board, get some advancement and more spells for your magic users. Travel out into Skara Brae, and find the Temple of the Mad God on the east side of the square.

Before you enter, check to see that your light spell is working and that all your protection spells are in force. (How many and what depends on the level of your magic users.) Have your Bard ready a song -- perhaps the Rhyme of Duotime (5) or Sir Robin's Tune (1). Enter the temple, and the priest asks you for the word. Answer with the word given you by the Old Man.
The way is now open to the Catacombs.

The catacombs has stairs at 0N 0E. You can only go east. At the first step a message says that the walls are unfocused and there is something unpleasant about the place. Follow the hall to the end and turn north.
There are two doors to the north. Enter the right door, even though you could have entered either door because they lead to the same place. Cast TRZP then go forward a step. You're standing in front of door. To your right, is another door. Turn right and go through the door. Go forward along the hall until it opens up into a larger hall. Cross the hall and follow the wall to the north. At the corner, you see "The priests see another word" scrawled on the wall.

Turning west, you can see two more doors. Take the door at the end of the short hall, kick it in, and you find yourself in a large room with a door on the north wall. Walk over to the door, and kick it. What appears to be a 2x2 room turns out to have exits to the east and the west. Go forward a step and look east. There are a couple of doors, and an open area. Go forward two steps to the first door you saw, and go north three to a corner with a door to your right. Turn west and you see two doors opposite each other. Kick the north door. This is a one square room with a door to the west. Kick west through five doors and find the stairs down.

Go down the stairs to the tunnels. You are in a 3x1 room. There is a door to the north. The room goes east/west, with the stairs and the door at the west end. Cast SCSI to see your location (12N 2E). Kick the door and turn east. G east twice, and you find a message: "This word will allow access to the unholy domain of Brilhasti ap Tarj." Turn north, and kick through the door. The floor is sticky here. Turn east and kick the south door. You're in a 2x2 room with a door to the east, and a door in front of you. There's also what looks like a small hall to the east. Turn east and kick through the door. You are in a one square room with a door to the north. Kick the north door, and you find yourself in 1x2 room with two doors. Go east, turn south, and kick the door.

You are in a 1x4 room where you see three more doors. Notice that your magic users have lost points! Go forward two more steps, and kick the door to the south. Turn east, and you can see another door on the south wall, and possibly a door on the east wall. When you step in front of the south door, you suddenly feel weaker, and you notice you are in a "hurt zone" (hit points lost).

Quickly go north, and kick the door on the east wall. Just as quickly, go east another step because as you step through the door, you land in another hurt zone. To the east you see three doors -- one to the south, and two to the north. You need to head for the last door on the north. As you go forward, your light spell should fail. Cast MAFL in front of the last north door, kick the door, and enter another hurt zone. Quickly go east, kick the door to the south, and then kick the door to the east in order to get out of yet another hurt zone. You may have to cast some healing spells here.

Continue to the east through two more doors. You are in a room with doors on all its walls. Take the door to the south. Take the door to the east, then go south. Here you find a word scratched in the wall: "CHAOS." Kick through the door to the east, and suddenly there is darkness and all your spells are gone! Stumble ahead a step and this message comes up: "There are stairs up here." Climb the stairs and find your way out of the catacombs.

Leave Skara Brae, and go to the little temple that's south of the campground for healing. Then head for the tavern to wet your whistle and marvel that you got out of there alive!

Now that you have the word, enter the Temple of the Mad God again. When the priest asks for the word, say "CHAOS," and the way is open. This time you did not enter the catacombs, but the Temple Unterbrae.

(The map for this dungeon is 15x15. All coordinates will be given in terms of the map rather than SCSI, with the lower left corner being 0N 0E. The first two levels are good for gaining levels for your party. Before you enter the third level of this dungeon, I would recommend that your magic users be up to at least Wizard.)

The stairs up are at 0N 14E. You are at the end of a corridor. Go west seven, then go north to the door, and go west until you hit the wall. Turn north and cast TRZP. Go north one step, then turn west, and cast TRZP again.
Go west to the wall, south two steps, then turn east, and enter the Alcove.
The message here reads, "The shade of the wind's home will make you free."
Exit the alcove, go north five, turn right, and you will see a door. Go forward and kick the door. You are in a short hallway which leads to a 2x2 room. Go north to the door and kick. Turn east. (If you have a Nospin Ring, you will not have to worry about the spinners mentioned.) Go east four steps (the last step is a spinner). Go east one more step into the corner, then turn north. You can see two doors ahead of you, but don't take either door. The next two squares north are darkness. Go north two steps, east once, and cast MAFL. Kick the door in front of you, and go forward to the next door, which is on the north wall. Kick this door, then kick north once more.

You are now in an open area. Go north one step, and turn west. You will see a hall with two doors. Go west to the second door on the north wall. When you kick the door, you will be in a hurt zone. Turn, kick east, and go forward. Follow the rooms as they turn in the pattern of an "S." There are six more doors here, but there are several hurt zones; so move quickly.

After the sixth door, a magic mouth appears (14N 11E), and says: "Speak the rhyming word to pass through." The answer is BLUE. Step forward, and go down the stairs to the second level. (There's also a one-way wall to the east here.)

After going down the stairs to the second level, you are at 14N 12E. Go south once. A message comes up saying that the air smells of dry rot. There is a door to the west; turn and kick this door. Go forward a step, turn north. Kick the door, then turn west. Two door are visible. Go forward to the second door and kick it. Turn west, and kick the door on the north wall, then turn west. An open area and hall are visible. Go west once and follow the wall south. Continue following the wall as it turns west, south, and east to a door on the north side. Kick this door, then kick again.

There's a wall facing you. Turn east, go forward, and turn south, where you see a door at the end of the room. Kick this door, turn west, and you see three doors. Go forward and kick the first door. It is a 1x1 room with doors on the east and south. Kick the door to the south. You are in a large area, and the far walls are not visible. (If you look at the auto map, you will see that walls will be shown that you cannot see. There are invisible walls here.) Go south two steps, east four, and you should be standing in front of a door. Turn south so that the door is behind you. The square in front of you is a "magic depletion zone" (spell points are lost), but it is necessary to go though this square; so quickly move south four steps, east once, then south once. You should see the message: "Down below, eschew the first thing to do." Go west seven, north twice. east, and north. You will step into an Anti-Magic zone. Go west three steps.

A magic mouth appears and asks this riddle: "I am nothing, but my opposite creates me as it destroys me." Answer "SHADOW," and a door appears. Kick the door, turn and go north a step, and a message appears: "Return is not possible by this means." (This is a good place to save the game.) Go north once more and down the stairs.

These stairs are at 5N 0E. This is the third level, two levels below the entry stairs. Remember the message from above that said not to do the first thing you would think to do? Turn east and cast PHDO and TRZP. Go east six steps, turn north, and kick the door in front of you. Go east two steps, and turn north. You will see a door ahead on the east wall. Go north and kick it. Turn south, and you will see a door on the south wall. Go to this door and kick it. Go west three steps, and find this message:

"The first Ward's Key: NevEr Now, EvEr iS SEEn, ElitE aNd NarroW, North by North West Way, doves NourN."

Go south to the door on the west wall, turn, and kick the door. Go south two steps, turn east, and you see a door to the north: kick it. A message is found: "Only a fool would frontally assault the second ward." This is a 1x1 room with another door to the east, but don't take it. Instead, turn around and exit by the door though which you entered. Go west five steps, and turn south.

Go forward a step, and a magic mouth will ask a riddle that ends with "...your best friend, I will kill you." Say "SWORD," and a door appears to the west. Turn and kick the door. A message appears: "The three wards below will try your soul, but that's the only way out of this hole." This is a 2x2 room with a portal down in the southwest corner. (The portal is at 0N 0E.)

The last level is NOT 15x15. You must cast LEVI in order to use the portal.
To get to Brilhasti ap Tarj, you have to be careful and follow these instructions carefully.

The portal up is at 0N 0E. Face north, and take one step in each of these directions: N,E,N,E,E,S,S,E,E,E,E,N,N,W,N,N,W,W,N. The following message should appear:

"Diddlely high, Diddlely low, come brave blood sheep, you've a goodly way to go."

Go north one step. This is the second ward. Turn either east or west, and go forward until you face a wall. Walls will form behind you. Go north until you face another wall. If you went west to begin with, you will need to turn east, and west if you went east.

Go forward until you find a opening in the wall to the north. Go north one step. A message will appear: "So far, so good, you think, come to me." Go west four steps, and you will be in darkness. Go north six steps. (The third step is a anti-magic zone.) There is a door to the north, although you can't see it in the darkness. Kick the door. Cast MAFL, and make sure your party members are healed. Turn east, step forward, and meet Brilhasti ap Tarj and friends!

For fighting Brilhasti, different combinations of spells will work. Before the fight, have your Bard play Song 3 to lower your armor class. Brilhasti is easy to kill; it's his friends that cause problems. You can have your rogue hide in the shadows to kill Brilhasti. (I usually kept my Bard in the fourth position and had him play Song 3 until I was armor class 50. Then I switched to Song 4. After a couple of playings, that song will help heal everyone.) Always have one of your magic users cast HEAL or REST for each round. Another magic user should cast PREC in the first round. The third magic user should cast the strongest offensive spell he has.

Be sure to save the game before fighting Brilhasti. Once you have killed him, an exit out of the area will be provided. Go visit the review board.
The old man will be happy to see you. He will reward you with extra experience points, and all your magic users will be advanced to archmages.

The Old Man will give you a new task: you are to go to Arboria, find Valarian, and bring him back. If he is unable to come with you, bring back Valarian's Bow and the Arrows of Life.

Be sure to get everyone advanced in levels as far as they can, and make sure all the magic users have all the spells they can. Decide which one of the magic users will be your Chronomancer, because this is when you will need one. Change one of the magic users to the Chronomancer, then talk to the Old Man again. He will give you the spell words for getting to Arboria and back, and tells you that the words will work in the Twilight Copse.

Exit the review board and leave Skara Brae. Save your party at the Refugee Camp. Try to get your Bard a Fin's Flute, then he won't need to stop at taverns any more. Be sure to have an extra wineskin or canteen along.

Arboria

The Twilight Copse is eight steps south, seven west, one north, and two west. Have your Chronomancer cast ARBO. Use the code wheel to line up the places named, type in the resulting number, and you will be teleported to Arboria.

The land of Arboria fits in a 12x12 square. Your starting point is at 11N 9E. It is also three east and four north of the city entrance. This is the only spot where the return spell will work. You also learn that the spot is worn. Go west where Hawkslayer awakens and asks if you want him to join you.
You do not need him to finish this area; only add him if you have room. If you don't add him, he'll go back to sleep. The other coordinates you will need -- based on the 12x12 square -- are Crystal Lake (10N 1E), Valarian's Tower (4N 1E), Acorn tree (3N 4E), the Pit (3N 9E), and the town entrance (7N 6E).

From Hawkslayer's location, go three steps south then two steps west to reach the town gates. Enter the town of Ciera Brianna. The town fits in a 16x16 square. From the entrance, go forward three steps, and enter the king's palace. The king will give you a task: "Kill Tslotha Garnath and bring me his head. You will find him in the pit. Only the Nightspear will kill him. It is hidden on the top floor of Valarian's Tower." Exit the palace. You should be facing north. Turn west, go to the end of the street, and go south twice to a temple on the east side. Continue to the end of the street and go east three steps to the Wizards' Guild on the north side.
Here you can learn the GILL spell, which you will need in the Crystal Lake.

Have the magic user with the most points learn it. (I gave it to my Chronomancer because she had a lot of spell points but few spells.)
Exit the town. From the town, go to the Acorn Tree and pick an acorn. Then go to the Crystal Lake and enter it. Immediately cast the GILL spell about four times. Face west, and you will see two doors. Kick the left door.

There will be another door in front of you; kick it, too. This is a large, 4x6 room with doors on each wall. Cross the room, and kick the door on the west wall. Go west, north, west, north, and turn west. You will see a door ahead on the north. Go to this door and kick it. Here is the Spring of Life.
Fill the wineskin with the water. You need to get the water at least four times. Drinking the water heals hit points, but the water from the Spring of Life is needed for other reasons. Exit the Crystal palace the same way as you came in. You may need to renew the GILL spell occasionally. From the lake head for the ruin of Valarian's Tower (4N 1E).

Valarian's Tower can be mapped on a 5x5 square. There are four levels. All coordinates given are according to map locations, not SCSI. Take the stairs up to the first level (2N 0E). Exit the stairs to the south, and read the message. Go east, north, and kick the door you see ahead of you. If you have a Nospin Ring, you will have no problem. Go through the east door.
There is a spinner here that complicates matters.

Once through that door, there is a door to the south, which you should kick.
(It's dark here!) Go east, north, and kick north. Cast MAFL and you see a door in front of you. Kick the door and read the message on the tapestry.
Kick north again. (This is a hurt zone.) Turn west and kick. Turn south and kick the door. Take the stairs up. There is a door to the east. Kick it, read the message, and go north (this is a hurt zone). Quickly go west twice (this is a dark space). Turn south and kick (it's still dark). Kick south again to a spinner.

You need to end up south. The south room is also dark. Kick to the south, an cast MAFL. Turn west and kick the door. There is a spinner in front of the door. Turn north and kick the door. Go east and read the message. Turn north, kick the door on the west wall, and take the steps up. This is the third level.

Go east, and a message says that there is a round portal here with a stone disk which has an acorn size hole in it. You need to USE the acorn (which fits the hole) that you picked up. Now USE the Water of Life. The acorn will grow and lift the stone. Go forward and go up the stairs. Kick the north door, go east, and go south. Read the message, turn east, and kick the door. Turn south and kick the door. There is a door to the west in the next square, which has a spinner in front of it. Kick this door. Suddenly, it's dark. Kick west twice. Cast MAFL and TRZP. Turn north and cast TRZP again. Go north and turn west. Cast TRZP a third time. Kick the north door, then kick north again. Turn east and kick the door. Turn north and kick the door. Turn east and you see a door at the end of the room. Kick the door and you find the Nightspear. (I gave it to my hunter, but any of your fighters can handle it.) Exit the Tower by either casting APAR, or walking down.

From the Tower, make your way to the Pit (3N 9E), and enter it. Go north, and a magic mouth appears with this cheerful message:

"White bones and bright blood, life very frail...be wary, Mortals indeed you shall fail. Tslotha Garnath knows but one fear: his life is absorbed with the Nightspear."

There are two doors here; kick the second one. Go east four steps, go north, and kick the door. There is a door visible on the opposite wall. Go to the door and kick it. Go forward two steps, east, north, east three, and north.
There is a door ahead on the east wall. Go forward and kick the door.

This is a 2x3 room. Kick the door in the southeast corner. You are now in a 3x3 room. Kick the door on the north wall. This is a 2x3 room. Kick the door on the north wall. Go east twice and down the stairs.

Go west, read the message, and continue down the hall. The hall turns south, then east, and has a door at the end. Kick the door. This is a 3x3 room with an exit in the southeast corner. Go to the opening and look south. You will see a 2x4 room with two doors -- one west, one south. There is a square of darkness just in front of the west door. Go to the west door, kick it, and cast MAFL. The Bard's song will stop. (This is a room of silence.) Kick the door to the south. You're in a 3x4 room with a portal up.
Go to the portal and go up.

You exit out into a 3x4 room with invisible walls and a portal down to the south. Go to the portal, go down, and turn west. There is a door on the west wall with a darkness space in front of the door. Cast TRZP and kick the door This is a large room. Go to the north wall and cast PHDO. You will end up in a 2x4 room with a door to the north. Kick the door (darkness), and go west. Cast MAFL. (This is a spinner.) Kick the door to the north, and kick north again. Go west and turn north. You will see a door. Through the door, there is a hurt zone; so as soon as you kick the door, go north, turn east, kick the door to the north, and save your game.

Turn west and walk forward to meet Tslotha Garnath. Tslotha and friends are not as hard to kill off as Brilhasti. Tslotha can only be killed by the person who is carrying the Nightspear. You have to attack with the Nightspear; DON'T throw it! The Bard song combination of 3 then 4 works well. You need to have one magic user cast REST or HEAL for each round. If your Chronomancer has gotten second level spells, WIFI will work nicely at times. If you find a Troth Lance, hang on to it. It will give a fighter critical hits and can be thrown. Once you have defeated Tslotha, get his head and heart. Continue west and you will find the stairs up. Exit the pit and head for the town. Seek out the king, and he will reward you for the head of Tslotha.

Once you have given the head to the king, you will be able to enter the grove in the middle of the town. Standing with the king's palace to the north behind you, go forward one step, west another step, and enter the grove.

Go east, south, east, and turn north. Now go east four steps, south five, west (it is sticky), north, west, and turn south. There is a door in front of you. Step forward and kick the door. The statue of Valarian is in front of you. Read the message. There is an opening in the statue. USE the heart.
Then USE the Water of Life. The heart will start beating. Re-examine the room. A door will appear on the east wall. Kick the door, go south, west, kick the door, then kick west again. Turn south, turn east, kick through four doors, turn south, kick the door, turn east, and kick the door.

Go forward and you find Valarian's Bow and the Arrows of Life. Get them, exit the grove, and exit the town. Return to the worn spot and cast ENIK.
Go to the Refugee Camp and save your characters.

Go to the Review Board and see the Old Man. He will be sad to learn Valarian is dead, but he will take the Bow and the Arrows, and give you your next task: Bring back Lanatir, or if not Lanatir, then the Wand of Power and the Sphere of Lanatir.

While at the review board, increase all your characters as far as you can.
Have your Chronomancer talk to the Old Man, and the Old Man will give you the new spells that will get you to Gelidia. They will work at Cold Peak.
Exit the Review Board, and return to Camp to save your characters, then exit the camp and save your game.

If you find a yellow staff, your magic users will get spell points restored faster -- even in the dungeons. An Elf cloak is good armor for magic users.

Gelidia

To get to the Cold Peak from the camp, go five steps east and eight steps north. Cast the spell for Gelidia, and spin the code wheel into position to land in Gelidia. This place is very cold. The spot you land in is very worn and is eight north and one west of the Keep. Gelidia can be mapped on a 16x16 square. Using the map, the worn spot is at 14N 9E. The Ice Keep is at 6N and 10E. The Hut is at 12N 5E. Quickly make your way to the hut. Enter and read the diary. It tells you what has happened here. Remember the name of Alendar. Exit the hut and go to the Ice Keep where it's warmer, and you won't freeze.

The Ice Keep can be mapped on a 10x12 grid. The stairs down are at 0N 1E.
This is a 3x4 room with three doors. Turn east and go forward. In the corner a statue will ask:

"Speak your name, defender, and pass a friend."

Say "Alendar" and stairs will appear. There are two more statues in other parts of the Keep that ask the same question. The stairs lead to the second level of the keep but I did not find anything of importance on that level.

From the statue, go north to the doors in the corner. Turn and kick the door to the east. You are in a hall with several doors. Go to the end and kick the door to the east. There are doors to the north and south. Go to the second door to the north and kick it. The square in front of you is a hurt zone, so go through it quickly and continue to the door at the end.
Kick the door, go forward to the door on the east wall, and kick it. There is a curtain here that shimmers. Read the writing:

"Lift the veil then counter it. False door frees True door."
Have your magic users cast LEVI, ANMA, and PHDO. The wall crumbles to reveal a passageway.

The Crystal Tower has four levels and each level is 5x5. The stairs are at 0N 0E. Turn east, and go to the second door on the north wall. The next seven rooms are all 1x1. There is a spinner in room six. Each of the rooms has only one other door so follow the rooms to the room at 4N4E. The stairs up are here. On levels two and three the stairs down also lead back up.

On level two, go south and look at the mural with Hawkslayer. Continue to level three, go west, and read the message about Cala and Hawkslayer. Go to the fourth level, go south, and read the message. Turn west (it will be dark), go two steps, and kick the west door. Cast MAFL and turn south. You will see two doors. The square in front of the door is a spinner. Go forward and kick the east door. Go east, south, go to the door, and save your game.

Kick the door and turn east. Going forward, you meet the six White Wizards!
The best strategy for the wizards is to cast your far reaching spells the first round. For the second round, have one magic user cast HEAL, the other an offensive spell, and have the chronomancer cast LUCK. The fighter with the Nightspear can throw it; if another of your fighters has a war ax or a Troth Lance, these also can be thrown.

Have the rogue hide and advance on the wizards. He will be the one doing the most damage. When the group is whittled down to about three wizards, advance. Have the Bard play song 3 until the armor class is 50, then switch to song 4. Soon, you won't need the HEAL spell because the Bard will be healing everyone. After you make mincemeat of the wizards, you will find a crystal lens. Take it and return down to the Keep. (You can use APAR).

When you arrive at the Keep, you will be at 9N 11E. Face west and kick the door. Turn south and kick through two more doors. Ignore the statue to the east. Turn west and kick the door on the south wall. Go east and kick the door at the end. Here is another wall, which says:

"Bright light, loud thunder, whispered terror term. Flaming guide to lead the way, join the wall, then no one will be the wall."

Have your magic users cast MAFL, SHSP, FEAR, SUEL, and SPBI. The wall crumbles and uncovers a passageway.

The Black Tower is 5x5 and has four levels. There are invisible walls here.
Use the auto-map feature and the RETURN key to see where you've been. The stairs down are at 4N 0E.

Go east twice, south twice, east. The stairs up are at 2N 4E. The second level has "lose magic" zones and "anti-magic" zones, so move quickly. Again, use auto-map to see where you are. The stairs up to level three are at 2N 0E.

Go west once and turn north. You will pass through two anti-magic zones. Go north four and turn east. Recast the BASP spell here. Go east twice, and north to the stairs up.

The third level has spinners, darkness, and silence areas. Turn north and kick the door. Go forward to the east door and kick it. There is darkness in front of this door and a spinner behind it. Go east to the door and kick it. (It's dark again.) Go east, cast MAFL, and turn south. Go south four, west four, north, turn east, and kick the door. There is a spinner here, so be careful. Go west twice and turn north. These are lose magic zones. Go north twice to the stairs, and go up. (The first step is a spinner.)
At the top of the stairs, go south, and read the message. Go west, then south three times. Heal everyone, get your magic points up, cast a light spell (because of the dark zone you passed through), and save your game.

Turn east and meet the Black Wizards! These guys turn you to stone, so hit them hard and fast. The strategy you used on the White Wizards will also work here. Once you have disposed of them, you will find a black lens. Take it, cast APAR to get to the stairs leading out, and exit to the keep.

Go west three steps, north, and kick the door. Turn west, kick the door, go west, and kick the door at end of the hall. You are back in the main entry hall. There are two door on the north wall. Go to the door directly opposite the stairs leading in, and kick it. This is a long hall with many doors and a spinner in its middle. You have to go to the end of the hall to the last door on the west side. Kick the door, and you will find a wall with a wolf on it which says:

"Wolf to sate hunger, a hero true, but not one at all. Focus its attention, but better not be seen at all."

Have your magic users cast INWO, WIHE, FOFO, and INVI. The wall crumbles and reveals a passageway.

The Grey Tower, like the others, is a 5x5 area with four levels. The first level has invisible walls which appear behind you. The stairs leading down are at 0N 4E. There are spinners in each corner except for the corner where the stairs are. The door leading to the up stairs is located at 4N 2E.

Follow the edge of the level around in a clockwise fashion. As you travel north, there are two darkness squares on your right. The stairs up are in the middle of the area at 2N 2E behind a door. Once you kick this door, you can go either east or west. (There are spinners either way.) Face north, kick the door, and here are the stairs up.

On the second level, turn south, and kick the door. Go south three, west twice, turn north, go west to the door, and kick it. The stairs up to the third level are here.

On the third level, go west four times, and south four steps to the stairs leading up.

On the fourth level, go east, read the message, heal your party, revitalize your magic users' points, and save your game. (You should be at 0N 1E.)
Cast APAR to go one square east -- a hurt zone. Go south once. You are in the middle of the cross, and the arms east and west have traps. You may want to save the game again at this point. Go south one step to meet the Grey Wizards the toughest wizards of all!

Your Rogue will need to sneak up and get a couple of these guys. For the first round, have all your magic users cast offensive spells. During the second round, one magic user must cast HEAL. After you pound these guys to dust, you will find a smoky lens. Take it, APAR to the entry stairs, and return to the keep.

Exit the room, go south to the far door, and kick it. Turn east, go to the door, and kick it. Go to the door on the north wall, and kick again. This is a large room 4x7. You need to get to the second square on the north wall.
The easiest route is to just go forward, but there are spinners and sticky squares along the way; so use auto-map to be sure of where you are.

There is a marble slab in the floor here with three empty circles. This is where you USE the three lenses that you found. Once the lenses are in place, a stairway leading down is opened.

Go down the stairs to the Ice Dungeon, and enter the alcove. Go west and read the message. Now go south, east to the door on the south wall, and kick it. (It's dark again.) Go east, south, and cast a light spell. There are two doors in the southeast corner of the room; take the door to the east. There is a spinner in the next square to the south. Kick the east door, turn south, and kick again. Turn west, go to the door, and kick. Go to the north door, and kick. Opposite this door is another door; kick this door, and the next one you find. Go forward, and you will find the stairs leading down.

This last level is 5x5. The stairs are at 4N 0E. Face south. There is a door on the south wall. Kick it and read the message. This is a 2x3 room with hurt zones. Move quickly to the door in the southeast corner and kick it. This is both a dark zone AND an anti-magic zone! Go north twice and kick. This is a 2x3 room with lose magic zones and spinners. You need to go to the southeast corner of the room (3N 4E).

The guardian will ask you for a name. Say "Cala," and a door becomes visible to the south. Kick it, turn west, and kick the door on the south wall. In a corner of this 2x2 room, you will find the Wand of Power and the Sphere of Lanatir. Exit the Ice Dungeon and the Keep. Return to the worn spot (14N 9E), and cast the return spell.

Take the Wand of Power and the Sphere of Lanatir to the Old Man. He is saddened to hear about what has happened at Gelidia. He takes the Wand and the Sphere, and gives you a new task. You are to travel to Lucencia. There you are to talk to Alliria, and get her to return with you. If you're unable to do that, bring back the Crown of Truth and the Belt of Alliria.

But beware of her spouse; he is very jealous. Advance your party to any new levels that have been achieved, and learn new spells. Your chronomancer talks to the Old Man, and he teaches him the spell to reach Lucencia, and tells him the spell only works at the Crystal Spring. Exit the Review Board, return to the Refugee Camp, and save your party. Finally, exit the camp, and save the game.

Lucencia

To get to Lucencia, you must go to the Crystal Spring, which is north of the camp. To find it, go east five, north four, west three, and north two.
Cast the Lucencia spell, enter the resulting number from the code wheel, and enter Lucencia. (The area is worn.)

Lucencia is mapped on a 12x12 square. The important areas are: the worn spot (11N 8E); the white rose (10N 3E); the blue rose (5N 1E); the red rose (1N 3E); the yellow rose (2N 8E); the rose bush (8N 6E); Violet Mountain (10N 1E); Cyanis's Tower (1N 4E); Alliria's Tomb (6N 1E); and the town (6N 8E).

From the worn spot, make your way to the city of Celaria Bree. Celaria Bree has the usual city wall, but the rest of the city is nothing but rows of trees and four buildings: the Wizard's Guild, a Bard Hall, an Inn, and a Temple. Go to the Bard Hall, and learn a new song. Also listen to the Dragon Song and the Rose Ballad. Write down the roses' colors and what they stand for -- you'll need it later.

Go to the Inn and talk to the Bartender. He will tell you that you will need a key from the Violet Mountain in order to enter Cyanis's Tower.

Visit the Wizard's Guild and see if they have any new spells available.
Then exit Celaria Bree and go south to get the yellow rose. Continue south and east to the Violet Mountain.

The first level of the Violet Mountain is 18x18. The path to the stairs leading up to level two has many areas of anti-magic and darkness. When you need to recast a light spell, use a cheap one, such as MAFL. The entry stairs are at 0N 9E.

Face north, go the northwest corner of the room, and you will be teleported to 8N 8E. If you step south, you will be teleported back to the entry room.

Go north (darkness), west, north twice, west twice (anti-magic zone), south, east, south three, west, south twice, east twice, and turn south. Go south (darkness), west three, and turn south. Ahead are a safe square, a hurt zone, a trap, and a spinner, in that order. You need to go east in the spinner square (0N 3E), north three, east twice, south, west, south twice, and land in a spinner. Go east, which is also a spinner, then go east again.
Go north four (darkness). Turn east and you will see a door, which you should go to and kick. There are stairs in the northwest corner (6N 8E) of this room.

Level two of the Violet Mountain is mapped on an 11x11 square. The stairs are at 10N 0E. Again there are areas of darkness and hurt zones. There are also two spinners at 5N 2E and 4N 9E.

From the stairs, go east four, south twice, and turn east. Go east, north, east, south twice, west once, and cast a REST spell to help you survive all the hurt zones you will be passing through on this level (unless you hit a trap).

Go south, west, south, west twice, and turn north. This square is the first spinner. Go north, west, north, west, south twice, east, south, east, south, east, south, east, south, east twice, and turn north. Go north, east, south, north twice, and turn east. Step forward into the second spinner, go east, and turn south.

Go south twice, west nine, south twice, and turn east. You will see a door;
go to the door and kick it. Save your game after everyone is rested, healed, and has a full complement of spell points. Step forward into 0N 5E and meet the Rainbow Dragon. The Rainbow Dragon shouldn't take too much time. After you have killed the Dragon, you will find a key and some blood. Get both the key and the blood, then exit the Violet Mountain.

Behind a tree, just east of the Violet Mountain, is the white rose bush.
Get a white rose from the bush, go to the rose bush at 8N 6E, and USE the dragon blood. Pick the Rainbow rose. Go to Cyanis's Tower at 1N 4E, and pick the red rose from the red rose bush that is next to the Tower.

Cyanis's Tower is mapped on a 7x7 square, and has three levels. The first level has the entry stairs at 0N 0E. You will need to use the key to open the door to the north. The stairs up are at 3N 3E. The route there is a clockwise spiral with a teleport which takes you from 6N 4E to 0N 3E (a spinner). There are traps, darkness, and anti-magic areas all along the route; so be sure the party is healthy before starting.

On the second level, go south, west, north twice, west, south four, west, north five, east twice, and turn north. Go north, east, and south to the stairs (5N 3E).

On the third level, go north, west three, south, east, south, west, south, east, south three, and turn east. Go east five, north six, west twice, and turn south. Go south, east, south four, and turn west to face the door.
Heal everyone and save your game.

Go to the door and kick it. Cyanis is here, and he is quite insane. There are two ways to vanquish Cyanis: Once Cyanis attacks you, just cast HEAL until he is cured of his insanity, or kill him. Either method gives you his triangle. Take it and exit the Tower.

From the Tower, you need to go to the Tomb of Alliria at 6N 1E. Pick one of the blue roses from the bush just south of the tomb, then enter the tomb.
The first level of the tomb is 17x13. The entry stairs are at 6N 0E on the map.

Go east twice, north three, west, north twice, east, and north twice. Go east, north three, east, south twice, east, south, east, and turn north. Go forward twice, and you see a black crystal blocking the way. USE the triangle. The crystal breaks, revealing a door. Kick the door to find the stairs leading up are (16N 6E).

The second level of Alliria's Tomb is mapped on a 9x13 area. The stairs are at 0N 0E. Face east and start forward. Read the message. At 0N 4E, you will meet the ghost of Alliria for the first time. She will ask for the rose of truth, USE the white rose. Step forward and turn north. Continue in a zig- zag pattern, going north and west, until you reach the wall at 6N 0E.

Turn south and step forward. The ghost again appears and asks for the flower of valor. USE the blue rose. Continue south and east in a zig-zag pattern until you reach 1N 3E. Turn west and go west twice, north, west, and turn north. Go forward and you will be teleported to 8N 11E. (If you step into 8N 12E, you will be teleported back to 2N 0E.)

Face west and go west five where you meet the ghost again. She will ask for the flower of the past. USE the red rose. Go west four and turn south.
Continue south and east in a zig-zag pattern until you reach 0N 8E. Turn east, and you meet the ghost again at 0N 10E. She will ask for the flower of nature. USE the yellow rose.

Continue east until the corridor turns north. Go north seven, west seven, and turn south. Follow the corridor south and east in a zig-zag pattern.
(See the roses made from gemstones?) At 1N 9E go east three, north five, west three, south two, and turn east. Go east, south, east, and turn north.
Go forward and the ghost again returns. She asks for the flower of Alliria.
USE the rainbow rose.

Go north, west, step into the alcove. Here you find the resting place of Alliria, the Crown of Truth, and the Belt of Alliria. Take the Crown and the Belt, then exit the tomb.

Stop in the town if you need healing or wish to use the Wizard's Guild. Return to the worn spot at 11N 8E, and cast the return spell. Return to Skara Brae, break the bad news to the Old Man, and give him the Crown of Truth and the Belt of Alliria. The Old Man takes the news very hard, and says the time is getting short. He tells you the next place you need to go is Kinestia. You are to talk to Ferofist, and return with the Hammer of Wrath and Ferofist's Helm.

Advance your party as much as possible, learn new spells, and talk to the Old Man. The Old Man tells your Chronomancer that you can get to Kinestia from the Old Mine. Return to the Refugee Camp, and save your party. Exit the Camp, and save your game.

Kinestia

Having completed your quest in Lucencia, you must now venture to Kinestia, the Dimension of Machines, and return with the Hammer of Wrath and Ferofist's Helm. Your Chronomancer talks to the Old Man and learns KINE (to take you there) and OBRA (to bring you back), and finds out that Kinestia can be reached from an old mine to the southwest.

So it's off to the Old Dwarf Mine and Kinestia, home of dwarves and killer machines. Kinestia is strictly a dungeon with no outdoors or towns. The first level reveals spinners, booby trapped squares, anti-magic locations, and hit point drainers. The monsters are tough! Major locations and items:

0N 0E: You find the entrance to the Dimension with the usual message, "The ground seems worn here."

1N 2E: You encounter this message: "Carved from solid rock, the dwarven castle you find yourself standing in radiates strength and power. Sadly, however, its walls also bear the scars of war -- and many of them recent."
2N 3E: You again encounter Hawkslayer, who will pose a riddle to you. It makes no difference whether you answer it correctly or not; he will offer to join your party if you have room.

8N 10E: A message tells you that this is Ferofist's throne room, "stripped of the fine furnishings it once had, it seems violated and dead. Broken and long dead combatants fill the room. It is a very grim sight."
11N 10E: "Scratched deep in the wall, with coppery shards of metal embedded in the stone, you read: 'Why must those who rise to rival their creators always be considered damned?'"

8N 4E: You find yourself in the Castle's Grand Reception room which "looms high over your head, its vaulted ceiling lost in the dim light above you.
Strewn throughout you see the torn and shattered bodies of dwarves and strange machines."

There are passageways leading to other parts of the castle located at 0N 11E, 4N 17E, 11N 17E, and 17N 13E. Explore them in this order:

0N 11E: This is the barracks area and you are greeted with the message, "Despite the smoke choking the passageway, you see, nailed to the walls battle standards of Dwarven battalions. Many have been torn and defaced, but they still stand in the barracks entrance." The only thing you need from this area is the Right Hand Key, which is located at 2N 11E.

4N 17E and 11N 17E lead to Ferofist's private quarters. There are two things of importance in this area. At 11N 8E you will find the Left Hand Key. At 15N 2E you will find a small band of dwarves guarding a dying Ferofist. Before h dies, he tells you, "You have come as prophesied. You must destroy the fruits of my foolish alliance with the dark one, find the keys and travel through my workshop into Urmech's lair." He dies, and his small band takes his body away. One dwarf points out a message on the wall:

"Bright hand, true hand, thine are the months of 6 summers. Sinister hand, dark hand, three plagues upon each finger. In opposition, you ward the lair of my foolish death."

The interpretation is the information you will need to know in the Workshop for how many times to turn each key -- the right hand (6 x 3) 18 times, and the left hand (3 x 5) 15 times.

17N 13E Leads to the Workshop where you will find "a sealed portal on the floor" which is secured by two locks (2N 2E). Use the Right Hand and Left Hand Keys; when asked, turn the Right Hand key 18 times, and the Left Hand Key 15 times and the trap door will open. So let's go down to the next level.

There is little of interest on this level of the Castle. It is somewhat hard to explore and you should use the auto-map feature to help. There are many anti-magic squares and hit point drainers. The quickest way to reach the passage down is to go either east or west from the portal as far as you can go, then north as far as you can. Then go east (or west) to the center door at 14N 7E. Enter here and work your way south without entering any of the cross-shaped rooms until you reach and enter the door at 5N 7E. Just south is a portal with this warning message: "Through the portal you see a viscous, bubbling liquid the color of pine pitch." Fear not! Go down.

You are on the Viscous Plane and can't breath! Cast the GILL spell, and all is well with your party. (You did buy the spell for at least one of your magic users didn't you?) There is nothing of value on this level. The exit is at 0N 0E. (You entered at 8N 7E.) You will have a lot of tough customers to fight on this level; so the sooner you reach the exit portal, the better off you will be. The portal leads UP to the Sanctum.

You are near the end of your journey through this mechanical nightmare.
From the entrance to the Sanctum go north eight squares, then west six squares. Enter the door to the south, go forward, and through the next door.
Here you will meet Urmech who justifies his actions to you and gives you the option to either fight him or work out an accommodation.

Negotiate, don't fight! You will be allowed into his private quarters. Here you will not only find the items for which you are searching, but will finally be given the opportunity to change one of your characters into a Geomancer!

Collect the Hammer of Wrath and Ferofist's Helm. With your new Geomancer, head back the way you came, exit Kinestia, and return to the Review Board for your rewards, advancement, and next assignment.

Tenebrosia

The Old Man now tells you that you must go to Tenebrosia, "a land where night is day and day is night, and nothing is as you know it to be. Paradox lives there -- trust no one but yourselves." In Tenebrosia you must obtain the Helm of Justice and Sceadu's Cloak. When your Chronomancer talks to the Old Man, he will learn the spells OLUK (to get you there) and ECEA (to get you back), and will be told to go to Shadow Rock in the southeast for passage to Tenebrosia.

Tenebrosia, also known as Nowhere, is an 11x11 grid. Locations are referenced from the entrance to the dimension's town, Black Scar. You have arrived in Tenebrosia at 1N 3W of the town's entrance. So let's go there first.

In Black Scar there are the following locations: temples for healing, taverns for hints ("The key to finding Sceadu is finding the Lock" and "Sceadu can be found in the Middle of Nowhere"); a Wizard's Guild, where you can purchase the NUKE spell (buy it for ALL magic users); and a Bards' Hall, where your Bard can acquire Kiel's Overture, and listen to two hint filled ballads -- Gale of Gods and Evil's Bane. Take the time to listen well.

Make sure you have a canteen with you before going to the Tar Pit. Also, make sure your magic users are fully charged -- a lot of HEAL and REST spells will be needed -- and that you have acquired a Nospin Ring. The entrance to the Tar Pit is at 2S 6E from the entrance to Black Scar.

Enter this foul-smelling place, proceed west as far as you can go, then south until you receive the message, "To the east you see a wide area of oozing tar that produces noxious bursts of steam as bubbles burst and flick tar droplets around. To your horror you see living things moving in the seething pool."

Head east into the sticky, oozing mess. You will be stuck frequently, and if you have no Nospin Ring, you will be spun unmercifully by spinners. Hit points and spell points will be drained rapidly; so hurry east, go through the strange door, then go north to the Fountain of Tar. Fill the canteen and return the way you came. That was a real struggle, wasn't it? Exit the Tar Pit back to Tenebrosia.

Let's go to Shadow Canyon now. This "dungeon" area is 13 squares wide and 22 squares long, and made of shifting walls, anti-magic, and hit point drainers, with a few spinners thrown in just for the fun of it. I strongly recommend using the auto-map feature while in Shadow Canyon. You need to find the Shadowlock here. It is quite well hidden. You can explore for a long time and still not find it. Well, what else are walkthrus for?

Using the southwestern corner as 0N 0E, go to the square located at 9N 11E, face east, and kick. You will open a secret door. Now move east twice, south twice, then east twice. Voila! You now have the Shadowlock. Let's go back to Nowhere. In case you're lost, the exit from Shadow Canyon is at 21N 3E.

Go south six times and west seven times from the entrance to Black Scar to the entrance of the Dark Forest, and enter. You will be told that the forest is extremely dry. From the entrance, go east 3 paces, south twice, west twice south, and west. You should be at a square exactly three south from the entrance to the Forest. Facing south, you will see something that looks like a hole in the ground. (Had you explored around in this area, you would have found that it is surrounded by trees.) Okay, now think: You have a canteen full of HOT tar and an extremely dry forest. Aha! Use the tar, and you will burn the tree that is blocking your way. Go get the Shadowdoor, and head back to Tenebrosia.

4S 3W from the entrance to Black Scar, you are told you are in the Middle of Nowhere. If you talked to the barkeeper, he told you that Sceadu was located "in the Middle of Nowhere." In this land of paradox, use the Shadowdoor and then use the Shadowlock. You now have the entrance to Sceadu's private defense. Enter.

On level one of this two level dungeon (you have entered at 0N 0E), you find nothing of great interest other than a few "mood" setting messages.
The walls shift, there are many spinners, and the usual anti-magic and hit point drainers. The biggest problem you face is finding the portal down because of the shifting walls. This portal is located at 5N 8E, and it can only be entered from the east. From the entrance, the best route there is east twice, north four, east twice, north four, east three, north, east three, north, east, south five, then west twice to the portal.

On level two the entrance is at 0N 0E. Use the automap. You will notice a very strange blacked-out area at the top of the dungeon level. This is the area of your quest. The entire lower part of the dungeon is a red-herring.
Go north as

far as you can, then east to 10N 7E.

Kick the wall to the north, and a door should open for you. If not, try either PHDO or APAR to gain entrance. Turn left one square, then go north to the strange door, and enter. You have found Sceadu. To defeat Sceadu you must let your thief sneak up on him and kill him. (Hint: Cast the DIVA spell before you begin. This way your thief is sure to have the necessary critical hit ability needed to kill him.) Once Sceadu is dead, take the Cloak and Helm of Justice, and return to the Review Board for your rewards.

Tarmitia

At the Review Board in Skara Brae, you are informed by the Old Man that your next quest is in Tarmitia, the land of unceasing warfare. He tells you that a myriad of ages meld together there. Your success depends upon your ability to adapt. You must find and return with Werra's Shield and Strifespear. As he concludes his instructions to you, his eyes lose their focus and he says, "It is almost done, the circle is almost complete." Strange! Your Chronomancer is given two new spells AECE (to get you there) and KULO (to get you back). The Old Man tells you that the path to Tarmitia is through the Vale of the Warriors to the south. Make sure you've received your advancement, that your equipment is ready, and the party's hit and spell points are at maximum before starting out.

Tarmitia is a dimension of many ages. You arrive in Berlin during the Nazi era. In this dimension you'll also find Wasteland, Nottingham, Stalingrad, K'Un Wang, Troy, Hiroshima and Rome. They represent times and locations where war and its devastation were horrible nightmares. In each place you will find a Death's Head which will ask the question, "Who am I?" A correct answer will transport you to an inaccessible square in another location, where you will be given the name of another Death's Head.

Also in each "city" there will be several Time Portals, which will take you from one city to another. The battles and monsters are tough. One interesting point: You can and should acquire a lot of harmonic gems in this dimension. You will need them!

Rather than the routine walkthru (since there is no one "right way"), for this part I will list each location and the Time Portals, where they lead, the Death's Head name, and where it is located. Of course, the ultimate destination is Tarmitia itself.

Berlin: After learning the names of the other Death's Heads, you will find out that the Death's Head at 4N 7E is named TYR. He will ask you for another name, which is the one you seek: WERRA. With this you are transported to Tarmitia itself. Time Portals are located at 5N 5E (to Nottingham), 10N 1E (to Rome), and 6N 10E (to Wasteland).

At 1N 5E you get your first name clue: "A cruel harsh wind sweeps over you and you hear, 'I am ARES,' whispered in your ear." ARES is the Greek God of War. With that clue, let's travel around, and see if we can find a Greek city of history.

Troy: The Death's Head is located at 4N 1E, and his name is ARES. You will be transported to Nottingham (8N 9E), where the name of another is whispered to you, YEN-LO-WANG. Time Portals are located at 2N 3E (to Hiroshima), 5N 6E (to Rome), and 9N 3E (to K'Un Wang).

K'Un Wang: The Death's Head is located at 3N 4E, and his name is YEN-LO- WANG. You will be transported to Wasteland (1N 1E), where you hear MARS.
Time Portals are located at 8N 1E (to Stalingrad), 11N 4E (to Troy), and 6N 10E (to Wasteland).

Rome: The Death's Head is located at 6N 6E, and his name is MARS. You will be transported to K'Un Wang (1N 3E), where you hear the name SUSA-NO-O.
Time Portals are located at 6N 2E (to Hiroshima), 8N 9E (to Berlin), and 0N 3E (to Troy).

Hiroshima: The Death's Head is located at 1N 10E, and his name is SUSA-NO-O.
You will be teleported to Troy (11N 4E), where you hear the name SVARAZIC.
Time Portals are located at 10N 5E (to Stalingrad), 3N 10E (to Rome), and 8N 7E (to Troy).

Stalingrad: The Death's Head is located at 0N 9E, and his name is SVARAZIC.
You will be teleported to Rome (0N 1E), where you hear ST. GEORGE. Time Portals are located at 11N 9E (to Nottingham), 2N 11E (to K'Un Wang), and 6N 3E (to Hiroshima).

Nottingham: The Death's Head is located at 6N 6E, and his name is ST. GEORG You will be teleported to Stalingrad (8N 9E), where you hear SDIABM. Time Portals are located at 1N 10E (to Berlin), 1N 2E (to Wasteland), and 8N 1E (to Stalingrad).

Wasteland: The Death's Head is located at 15N 2E, and his name is SDIABM.
You will be teleported to Hiroshima (8N 6E), where you hear the name TYR.
Time Portals are located at 13N 4E (to Berlin), 8N 8E (to Nottingham) and 4N 0E (to K'Un Wang).

After you have solved the mystery of the Death's Heads and have finally arrived back where you started in Berlin, name its Death's Head, and name WERRA. You now find yourself in the "real" Tarmitia.

This dungeon level is quite small -- only a 12x12 square area -- but there are many doors, corridors, dead ends, dark areas, spinners, anti-magic squares, and hit point drainers.

You enter at 11N 0E, and exactly across the room at 11N 11E, is the exit back to Skara Brae. Werra is located at 0N 0E. Here is one route to get there from the entry: 2 east, south, 5 east, south (darkness), west, south, 2 west, south, 2 west (anti-magic), south, west, south, east, south, west, south, east, 2 south, and west. Here's Werra! Be prepared for several battles.

Cast DIVA, and use your thief to reach him. Actually this first battle will be quite easy. After it's over, he will revive and tell you that Hawkslayer has been given the Strifespear. There is something amiss here, for now you're attacked by a horde of Slayers! After this battle, Werra will die, and one square north lies his shield. But you were sent for the Shield and Strifespear. There is definitely something wrong here! Hurry back to Skara Brae and talk to the Old Man.

Malefia

With a deep sense of dread you return to Skara Brae. As you enter the Review Board, you know that your fears are well founded, for the Old Man lies dying. "I know," he gurgles, "Werra lies dead." Blood bubbles up on his lips and joins the dark stains on the rest of his clothing. "I, too, have been slain by the Mad One. Gather up the prizes you have won -- the special ones, those I requested. Hawkslayer has already ventured into Malefia, the land of EVIL. I have placed the prizes in the storage building near the entrance to Skara Brae. Get yourselves hence, and help him destroy the Mad God Tarjan before he destroys all reality!"

With these final words, the old man slumps over, and his body dissolves into a mist that a slight breeze stirs and blows away. You have received no advancement nor directions on how to continue the quest. And what about the spells needed to take you to the evil dimension of Malefia? Evidently the Old Man had enough power left to imbue your Chronomancer with the spells EVIL (to get you there) and LIVE (to get you back, maybe).

Go off to the storage room to pick up all the "good stuff." Right across from the entrance to Skara Brae is the remnants of Garth's Equipment Shoppe.
Here you will find Ferofist's Helm and Hammer of Wrath, Werra's Shield, Sceadu's Cloak and Helm of Justice, Valarian's Bow and Arrows of Life, the Sphere of Lanatir and his Wand of Power, and the Belt of Alliria and her Crown of Truth. Equip your party with this equipment. (Hint: Keep track as to which party member has which piece. Even though they are now yours, you must use one of each Hero's things later.)

Make sure your party is healed and has all spell points. You might also want to make sure you have as many harmonic gems as the party can carry:
You are going to need them. Also, unless your Bard has a Bardsword, let him visit the Tavern to wet his whistle.

Now you're off to Malefia and the final quest. But, my goodness! Where do you go? The Old Man has always told you where the entrance to the dimensions were located, but died before he could this time. Well, if you have explored the Wilderness, you know that there is one place left that you have not used -- Sulphur Springs, a vile and odious place. How appropriate.
Go to a spot 11 paces south and 3 paces east of the Camp, and you will find Sulphur Springs. Here have your Chronomancer cast EVIL, and you're on your way to Malefia.

A little advice on strategy in Malefia: Avoid combat. The monsters are particularly nasty here, and quite honestly, you don't need the experience points. When you complete the game, you will understand this comment.

Let your Bard continuously play Sir Robin's Tune. This will ensure the party's ability to run from fights. Do it and don't feel bad. You need all of your spells and strength to defeat Tarjan.

The main dungeon is on three levels, but each level is segmented and accessible only by climbing up and down between the three. The object is to find the statue of each of the Heroes: Werra, Alliria, Lanatir, Sceadu, Ferofist and Valarian. As you find each statue, you should use one of that Hero's special items to free him from his bondage. After you have found all six statues and freed the Heroes, a hidden door will open on level three which will take you to your final goal -- Tarjan himself -- but not without a couple of very difficult battles.

The dungeons levels are 22x22 squares. For this walkthru I have used the southwestern-most corner as 0N 0E. Therefore, the coordinates used will be based on that grid.

Enter at 0N 10E and take two steps forward. You are greeted with a horrible sight: Your friend and Hero Hawkslayer lies dead before you. You now have Werra's Strifespear. Be sure to equip your best fighter with this weapon.
It usually delivers a critical hit when used.

Turn left here, move forward, and go through the door to the west as quickly as possible. This whole area is nothing but anti-magic squares, which will quickly drain your party of their magic spells. If you use the auto-map along with cast PATH, you should be able to see how the dungeon is segmented. The part you are now in covers the bottom half.

There isn't a statue in this segment, but there are teleports at 0N 0E and 0N 21E, which need to be used to get to the statues on the other levels. To keep this walkthru from getting totally out of hand, I will list each statue's coordinates, and try to describe the process for getting into the segment where it is located.

Alliria is found on level 1 at 16N 3E. From the entrance segment on level one work your way to 10N 0E, where you will find stairs. Go down to level 2.
Work your way north to 17N 3E, and back up to level 1. Now go to the statue and do your duty.

Valarian is on level 2 at 16N 18E. From Alliria's statue, go back to level 2 using the portal at 17N 3E. On level 2 work your way to the portal at 21N 12E and go back up to level 1. Work your way to 12N 21E, and take this portal down to level 2. You are in the segment that contains Valarian's statue. Work your way to his coordinates and release him.

Lanatir is on level 2 at 12N 9E. Go back to the up portal, which is the only exit from this area, and back to level 1. Return to the down portal at 21N 12E, and go back down to level 2. Go south one square, and enter the room to the west. Take the up portal in the northwest corner of the room (21N 10E). You should be back on level 1 in the large center segment in the northern half of the dungeon. Work your way to 14N 8E where you will find a down portal. Take it and you will find yourself in a single large room.
Lanatir is two squares south and one east of the portal.

Sceadu is on level 3 at 20N 15E. Go back up to level 1, move back to the down portal at 21N 10E, and go back down to level 2. Now move to the down portal located at 19N 18E, and go down to level 3. Work your way to Sceadu's location and free him from his bondage.

Ferofist is on level 3 at 2N 21E. Go back to level 2 using the same portal you came down, work your way back to the stairs located at 10N 0E, and go up to level 1. You are back in the entrance segment. Work your way to 0N 0E where you will be teleported to 0N 21E on level 2. In this segment there is a down portal at 4N 21E. Take it to level 3, find Ferofist, and free him.

Werra is on level 3 at 5N 12E. Go back up to level 2, and back through the teleport to level 1. On level 1 go to the stairs at 10N 0E, and go down to level 2. Work your way to the portal locate at 5N 11E, and go down to level 3. Free Werra, and move to 7N 11E where a previously closed and sealed door is now open for you.

At this point save your game, heal your characters, and restore spell points. Then step through the door and fight!

In all the forthcoming battles, be sure to cast PREC (to keep the enemy from summoning help) and ANMA (to negate magic spells cast against you). At your first opportunity cast a DIVA. Let your Geomancer use EAMA. NUKE works well on some monsters also. Don't forget your Bard's songs, nor the Rogue's skulking ability. No matter how you do it, you will have to battle for your life! Step through the door for the first of three horrendous fights.

After this battle, turn left, and go to the door in the northern wall.
Enter and continue through the door in front of you. Now follow the hallway to its end and turn north. Before you enter this next room, heal, restore and do any other housekeeping necessary to ensure everyone is in top notch condition. Also save the game here, because you may need to quit and restore. Now enter and fight, fight, fight!

Once you win this next battle, turn left, go forward one step, and you will be teleported. When you finish falling through the stars, you will be in a corridor and told that "you feel an overpowering aura of evil here. You are close to fulfilling your quest." (Note: You can turn south at this point, and will be teleported back to Skara Brae, if you want or need to go back for replenishment of gems, etc.)

Now just follow the corridor to its end. You should be facing a solid wall to the south. Here you should save your game, then kick the secret door open; you find yourself face to face with Tarjan! Fight his minions while you let your thief sneak up to kill Tarjan himself.

Once the battle is won, you are transported to a wonderful place. Here you will be met by the Old Man from the Review Board and Hawkslayer. Your party will be elevated to the status of gods and placed in the sky as stars.

The game ends here. No elevation or storing of your party for future use.
Does this mean no BARD'S TALE IV? Oh, well, it was a marvelous adventure, wasn't it?

THE BARD'S TALE III: THE THIEF OF FATE is published by Interplay Productions and distributed by Electronic Arts.