____________________________________________ [ JINXTER'S WIZARDS & WARRIORS FAQ Version 0.1 ] -------------------------------------------- Contact Information: Questions? Comments? Corrections? Additions? Please e-mail me at dnum@hotmail.com Anything I end up adding to the FAQ will be fully credited to you. Please start your subject-line with "[W&W FAQ]" so I know it's not spam. ============================================================================= --------------------------- [ Version History ] ----------------------------- ============================================================================= Version 0.0: Initial version, little error checking. Written after completing the Serpent's Temple and on the way west of Ishad N'ha. Contains (hopefully) all information for everything east of the Caves of Ishad N'ha. (9/6/00) Version 0.1: E-mail contact address corrected Fixed quests to include both quests from the mayor of Valiea. Added walkthrough part III (Temple of the Serpent Cult) Updated main quest walkthrough. (9/11/00) All versions are (C) Jinxter; 2000 PLEASE do not reprint or use any part of this FAQ without giving me credit. Thank you. :) ============================================================================= =========================== [ Table of Contents ] =========================== ============================================================================= - Introduction - General Advice - On Characters (Races, Classes, Stats, and Skills) - On Guilds - Walkthrough - Part I: General Main Quest Walkthrough (The Mavin) - Part II: East of Ishad N'ha - Part III: Temple of the Serpent and Environs - Quests and Questing - General Advice - Guild Ascension Quests - Guild Advancement Quests - Part I: Valeia - Miscellaneous Quests - Part I: East of Ishad N'ha ============================================================================= ============================= [ Introduction ] ============================== ============================================================================= (9/6/00) Welcome to the initial version of Jinxter's Wizards & Warriors FAQ. This is, quite literally, the first FAQ I've ever written, but I've certainly read enough of them to know the general flow. I decided to write one particularly for W&W because it's such an amazingly deep game with a wonderfully immersive world, and it seemed a great way to review what I'd learned as I went along. W&W was designed by D.W. Bradley -- and it really shows. He's known for his trilogy of Wizardry games (Heart of the Maelstrom, Bane of the Cosmic Forge, and Crusaders of the Dark Savant) -- and W&W manages to capture a lot of the feel of the old 'Golden Age of RPGing' while updating the graphics and interface. So, without further ado...onto the Gael Serran! ============================================================================= ============================ [ General Advice ] ============================= ============================================================================= This section gives some general pointers which I found helpful as I played. [A] Read the manual - if not cover-to-cover, then at least skimming it and learning about all the major options you have (for clans, character classes, spells). Also, keep it by you when you play. You'll refer to it often -- not least of all because there are no online descriptions of spells... [B] Think ahead when designing your party. Think about what clans are best suited for what professions. Think about the Elite and 'Super' roles and which characters you think will change professions. When rolling up your characters (as well as levelling them up) try to put points into their stats such that they're ready for class advancement when you are. [C] Go everywhere, look at everything, talk to everyone, and pick up anything that isn't nailed down. Completely map the overworld -- there are chests hidden everywhere. Remember that the world of Gael Serran is fully-3D, so be sure to look at the ceilings and floors, too. Look at all the walls for secret locks and switches. Learn the Spirit Spell 'Spirit Eye' -- which reveals not only such secret things, but the locations of nearby monsters. Talk to everyone about EVERYTHING you can (all your keywords, in other words). Yes, sometimes they repeat themselves, but sometimes you get a good piece of info. [D] Early on, spend money on your character's skills and guilds rather than on equipment. I found this especially true in the world's first section (East of Ishad N'ha). You can pick up enough equipment during your adventuring that you don't really need to buy stuff. Save and then spend that money on joining guilds and training your characters. Go on guild quests whenever you can, and try doing them in groups (have all your Priest-type characters accept a quest, have all your Mage-type characters accept a quest, etc...) to save time. The new options you get for guild advancement are definitely worth it. [E] Try to get a warlock or priest who knows how to identify items as soon as possible. I had to spend a ridiculous amount of money on identification at the weapon and magic shops before I wised up and did so. [F] Just like real life -- avoid going out at night unless you know the area well. Exploring a new area in the dead of night is a good way to get killed. At the very least, bring along a Whiskahs (they have night-vision) or someone who knows the Sun spells 'Torchlight' or 'Illuminate'. [G] Play nice. Yes, everyone on the entire planet seems to be whining for help in one way or another, but helping them out generally gets you help in return. Stay on friendly terms with everyone you can for as long as you can -- even someone who looks as if they're obviously working at cross purposes to you. Learn all you can from them -- THEN burn 'em to ash. :) Actually, this is probably a personal play-style thing. If you wanna go around hacking and slashing everyone you meet - go ahead. Just don't come whining to me if that person knew something you needed to know... [H] Pick a weapon and train in it. Specialize. Swords are as common as dirt in the beginning of the game, so they're a good choice, not to mention the fact that your ultimate quest is for a sword... Hammers are much harder to come by. Staves are a good choice for your magic users -- especially since you can get nice Sleep-inducing Witch's Sticks from the Lords in the cemetary. The shield skill is rather useful if you've got the skill points for it -- you can completely deflect attacks. As soon as you've got Ninjas or Monks in your party, up their Kung Fu -- it's VERY cool. ============================================================================= ============================= [ On Characters ] ============================= ============================================================================= Creating your party is a very personal thing. For Version 0.0, I'll just list the party I used for my game and the reasoning behind it: HAWKSBLOOD - Male Human Warrior -> Barbarian Humans come with the Natural Leader skill, inspiring those around them, but they tend to get attacked more often. That's OK, though, because as a Barbarian, he's got maximum hit points and can bash anyone who comes close. One of the war-horses of the party -- high strength makes him a good pack animal and upping his sword and gallantry skills should make him deadly once we get our hands on the Mavin. A'KYLARI - Female Whiskahs Warrior -> Samurai Quick, agile, with Night Vision, A'Kylari's style of fighting's far more graceful than Hawksblood's. Her higher intelligence gives her access to more skill points as well as better magic (as a Samurai she can cast Sun spells). Another front-line fighter. JOAN D'ARC - Female Dwarf Priest -> Paladin -> ?Valkyrie? One of the healers of the party, but a fighter as well. Her War Cry is good at scaring off monsters when she makes a hit. She's started out learning mace skills and Spirit and Vine magic. After ascending to Paladin status, she's a much more effective fighter and is concentrating on higher-level Spirit magic. I made her female mostly because I hope to eventually turn her into a Valkyrie. SEBASTIAN - Male Pixie Priest -> Monk -> ?Zenmaster? Tiny, agile, and quick, Sebastian started out learning the Staff. Between his high agility and tiny size (Pixies come with the Dodge trait) nothing can hit him. As soon as he became a Monk, he started learning Kung Fu and has become deadly with just his fists. Another healer, he tends to bless everyone in the party before going adventuring and keep up useful spells like Spirit Eye and Heroic Might. He learned some useful Vine spells before switching over, too -- like Lure, Haste, and Binding Force. NIGEL - Male Ratling Rogue -> Ninja -> ?Assassin? Our little thief -- Nigel has made himself indispensible by picking locks and disarming traps. Now that he's advanced, he's learning the martial arts, how to hide in shadows and backstab, and Moon magic. LADY SABINE - Female Oomphaz Wizard -> Warlock The magic user and intellectual of the party. As an Oomphaz she can't wear armor, but that's OK. Her Mana Seed trait makes sure she's ready to go with a spell when we need it. Her long-distance Sun and Stone spells make short work of approaching beasties, and her Fiend and Moon magic prepares the party magically (with such boosting spells as Bloodlust and Nimble). I'm curious what sorts of parties others have put together and how they've worked out. Please send your suggestions in and I'll put what I learn in future versions of the FAQ. I'll give full credit to everyone who does so. The Elite classes are easy enough to get in this game (they're far easier to get than in DWB's previous games, I'll tell you that). Just get the basic attributes required (they're listed in the manual) and then go to your guild and ask for an advancement. I'd definitely suggest at least one class switch for each character during the course of the game. The basic classes just don't have enough advantages to take them very far. You'll have to go on a quest to get the advancement, but they're generally very easy. The individual quests and how to complete them are listed below in the Quests and Questing section. ============================================================================= =============================== [ On Guilds ] =============================== ============================================================================= GUILDS IN GENERAL Joining guilds and advancing within them is an extremely important part of the game. Guilds can advance you to elite classes, train you in skills associated with your class (some of which you can't get elsewhere), and sell you specialized equipment. However, if the messages on the Heuristic Park and other W&W boards I've seen are any indication, then the Guild interface is one of the most frustrating parts of the game. So I thought I'd give a brief overview of how to join and advance within a guild. Guilds can be found within the shops of a town and are run by the shop's proprietor. Almost everything connected to a guild (joining, skills, advancing) costs money -- a lot of money. Most guilds have an entrance fee of 500 - 750 gold pieces. But it's most definitely worth it. GETTING GUILD QUESTS First of all, it's important to understand that within a shop/building, you must SELECT THE INDIVIDUAL CHARACTER YOU WISH TO INTERACT WITH THE GUILD. It's a little confusing because everywhere else in the game, you're pretty much controlling your party as a whole. You need to left-click on the character's portrait on the right to select them. Their figure should appear in the upper right hand corner. When you do so, the proprietor will greet them ('Hail' or somesuch). Joining and entering a guild is as easy as clicking on the doorway icon in the lower-left hand corner of the interface. Immediately ask for any quests they might have. I've noticed thus far that only one quest is available at a time. An important notice is that EACH character must ask for a quest INDIVIDUALLY. So, if you have two priests, both members of the guild, they much EACH enter the guild and ask for the quest. Yes, that means that you'll have to sit through the whole description of it more than once. Them's the breaks. GETTING CREDIT FOR GUILD QUESTS Getting credit for a quest is also confusing. To do so, you don't even enter the guild menu. First, select the character who finished the quest. Then, enter the shop. Now, WAIT. Yes, just wait. First the proprietor will greet you. Then, he or she will give you your status on any quests you may have been on. If you've successfully completed the quest, you'll receive notice of such (and possibly experience points and/or a guild advancement). Some quests involve obtaining a single item (like a sword or a ring). If one character successfully completes the quest, it doesn't mean that everyone else can't do so. Simply choose the other character and wait for the proprietor to recognize them. You'll get a message saying not to bother looking for the item, but you'll still get credit for the quest. Sometimes getting credit for a quest completed by someone else is difficult, especially if it involves more than fetching an item. I've noticed the best way to get flagged for completing a quest is trying to finish as much of it as possible. Sometimes just talking to someone and then returning is enough to get credit for the quest. If you're stuck on finishing or getting credit for a particular quest, check out the Quests and Questing section. It has a listing for each individual quest. ============================================================================= ============================== [ Walkthrough ] ============================== ============================================================================= The game (thus far) is made up of the main storyline/quest involving the Mavin Sword and the reawakening of the Dark Lord and various subquests involving the people of the Gael Serran and their own, personal, problems. -------------------- [ I. THE MAIN QUEST WALKTHROUGH ] ---------------------- --------------------- [ ****** SPOILER ALERT ****** ] ----------------------- This quick walkthrough simply leads you through the steps required to win the game. It does not go into detail on how each step is achieved. For that, look up the particular section further on. As you can see, the path itself is fairly simple and straightforward. As always, the devil's in the details. ;) Optional steps (either those giving further information on the quest or which somehow help but are not required) are marked with an asterisks. I've tried to include plot points that are connected to the main storyline. [1] Meet the Town Elder, Gareth, in Valeia by simply leaving the Inn. He will tell you to find the Mavin Sword in the Cemetery Crypt in the Tomb of Nivius (as if it were that easy...). His dream also included the Oracles of Ishad N'ha and an ancient dragon. *[2] Meet a snakeman wanderer on the road to the Cemetery. He'll ask you where he can find the Elder. I lied, but I don't think it makes much difference. This exchange will make much more sense later on. *[3] Continue toward the Crypt. Just before the gates of the Cemetery, there's a path leading off to the east. Find the small house of a Stout. Talk to him about his brother and agree to take a rat pie (ick) to him in exchange for the Secret of opening the crypt. [4] Enter the crypt. Find the Tomb of Nivius (see below). Talk to his spirit. This is the first mention that the Mavin isn't all it's cracked up to be (it has eventually killed every bearer thus far). Agree to take the Oath. Take the ring from his corpse. Head back to Valeia and learn that Gareth has died, suddenly. *[5] Head south-east of Valeia to the Ruins of Bersault. Meet the members of the Circle and agree to go on a quest for them. Receive a special set of lockpicks. Leave, and hear them being attack. Return, kill the thieves, and find a letter from Elyssia telling the Black Hand to destroy the Circle. *[6] Head to the Old Millhouse and meet a young woman (Kerielle) there. Talk to her, and agree to find a necklace back in the Crypts. You've probably already done so -- it's in a chest. It's green and curved, vaguely Egyptian looking, and gives you +1 AC. Give it to her and she'll give you a potion for use in the Temple of the Serpent Cult. *[7] Travel to the Toad Village. Talk to the shaman and help them restore their ancient toadem (UGH -- BAD pun). Talk to the shaman about everything, including Kerah. Learn that Kerah was the FIRST Ukabu -- possibly the first bearer of the Mavin? *[8] If you've got a mage in the party you might be asked to find the Orb of Clarity. Go ask the Gypsy Fortuneteller about it (the same one, who, by the way, sent H'Thark running off to the Temple of the Serpent Cult). Ask her about the Orb (you might have to type this in). She'll send you off to the Temple to find the Serpent Wand, an item you'll be needing anyway. You'll learn that the Temple Wizard has it. [9] Enter the Caves of Ishad N'ha. They're at the extreme north-western end of the river leading out of Nymph Lake. Travel straight ahead until you meet the Oracle. Talk to them about everything you can. They'll open a western passage that will lead you through the caves. The Oracle will identify your ring and tell you that you are the Mortal Hope. They will mention the Face of Death found in the Temple of the Serpent as well as the third keeper: D'Soto -- whose spirit is to be found in the Ruins of Castle Shurugeon. They'll mention you'll have to free D'Soto from the Spell he's under. *[10] Head directly west of Ishad N'ha through the far gate and then north to the Burned-Out House (it's marked on the map that came with the game). Meet the Black Hand. Ask them about Elyssia (you'll probably have to type it in) to learn that the High Priestess of Temple of the Serpent not only had the Circle wiped out, but also had Gareth back in Valeia assassinated. Hmmm... [11] Head to the Temple of the Serpent. On the way, you may meet Kol, the Heretic. Speak to him about everything. You'll learn about the Back Entrance and the hidden statue of Kerah. Receive the Heretic's Key from him. Learn that Kerah is apparently telling anyone who runs into her they're chosen to stand against the Dark Lord. Hmmm... South-east around the temple, swim through two small ponds, then enter by swimming under the grating. [NOTE: Realize that by this point you have met not one, but two individuals (H'Thark and Kol) who have been told to go seek their Destinies only to have been obviously mislead. I have a feeling this might be one of the main themes of the game and might make the 'Kill the Foozle' storyline more interesting...] [12] Enter the temple. Complete the Ceremony of Spirit Summoning to gain access to Xydusa -- the Snake Goddess. Explore the depths of the place and find Elyssia, the high priestess. From her, gain the Masque. Items necessary to complete the area include the materials for the Ceremony and various keys. *[13] On the way, near the too-narrow-to-enter pit where you're attacked by temple monkeys if you pull the lever, you'll find a keyhole next to a darkened stretch of wall. Unlock the lock with the Heretic's Key. Inside, you'll find a Statue of Kerah which will tell you some history behind the Pharaoh, Anephas, the Battle, the Rain of Blood, the Black Fire, and why the Mavin tends to destroy its bearers. *[14] Also on the way, you might possibly free H'Thark and give him back his lockpicks. He'll give you the low-down on the temple monkeys, the Naga, the Lizard Wizard, and the Ceremony of Spirit Summoning (very useful, that). He'll also tell you of the Masque -- which is, apparently, what the Oracles call the Face of Death. ...to be continued... ---------------------- [ II. IN-DEPTH WALKTHROUGH ] ------------------------- -------------------- [ PART ONE : EAST OF ISHAD N'HA ] ---------------------- The party starts out in the village of Valeia and is faced with the task of travelling to the Graveyard Ruins of Bersault and finding the Tomb of Nivius in the Crypt there. II.1 GENERAL INFORMATION This area is made up of several general sections: the forest, containing the Ruins of Bersault, the Cemetery, and the Village of Valeia; Nymph Lake, beside which stand the Old Millhouse and the Gypsy Lakehouse; and Snake River which holds the entrance to the Caves of Ishad N'ha and the Toad Village. The map which comes with the game is extremely accurate. You can generally follow it and figure out which path/glade you're on or in using the automap. This area is fairly easy, not surprisingly. In the forest you'll encounter human rogues, skeletons, worgurs and trolls all of which are easy enough to beat back. Near Nymph Lake you'll find nymphs who can cast annoying spells but are fairly easy to beat. Up near the Toad Village you'll find wild Toadmen who are a little harder but your characters should be a high enough level by the time you get there that you can take care of them. You might also be attacked at night by bats pretty much everywhere. Also, the lake and river hold piranha. Generally, the idea of this area is to get accustomed to the game. The tougher stuff lies further ahead. II.2 THE VILLAGE OF VALEIA Your starting point and first homebase, the village offers a town hall for your banking and general quest needs, a church, a weapon shop, a magic shop, an inn, and a tavern. Notice that Valeia has neither a Dojo nor a Pawn shop. You'll learn of the Tomb of Nivius from Gareth, the village elder, when you first leave the Inn. It's this quest that sets you off on the main storyline of the game. Don't worry about completing it immediately. The Crypt is much larger than you'll at first think and it will take you a while to completely explore it. Come back to it from time to time. Various sub-quests are available. Two from the town hall (killing skeletons and delivering a package to Ishad N'ha). Take both, but you won't be able to get to Ishad N'ha until you beat the Crypt quest. You can also receive various quests from the Guilds. Take them as you can. Complete details on all quests are in the Quest and Questing section. Notice that you can only rise to Level Three in any guild within Valeia. After that you simply won't get any more quests. This, however, should be sufficient for your needs. Also notice that you won't be able to complete some quests (the Monk and Samurai advancement quests come to mind) within this area. You'll find their solutions further down the road. II.3 THE ROAD TO THE BERSAULT (OR THE STOUT, HIS BROTHER, HIS WIFE, AND HER LOVER...) Leaving through the east gate of Valeia puts you on a north-eastern road towards the Cemetery Ruins of Bersault, where your first quest awaits. Generally, this is the best way to head right off -- to the north of your starting point is a rogue's camp which is too tough to beat at level one and to the south-east lie the main ruins of Bersault and another encounter that might be too hard right now. Along the road you might run into a green-skinned wanderer (you'll see fellows like him later down at the Temple of the Serpent Cult). He'll ask after Gareth. I don't think your answer makes much of a difference. I didn't trust him, so I lied. The road and its signs are fairly clearly marked. Just before the entrance to the Cemetery proper, you'll find a path leading off to the east. If you look at the map that came with the game, you'll see a little hut in a clearing. Go visit it. Inside, you'll find a Stout. Talk to him, and learn about the Mines and the madness of the last Stout King. You'll also learn that he was a groundskeeper for the Cemetery and knows the secret of how to get in. He also has a brother who still works as a keeper in the Crypt. If you agree to help him by taking a rat pie to his brother, he'll tell you the secret of how to get inside the Crypt. Or you could figure it out on your own. It's really not much of a secret (see II.4). II.4 THE CEMETERY AND CRYPT ENTRANCE It's probably best to prepare for the battles ahead by having your Priests casts 'Bless' before you enter the gates of Bersault Cemetery. Enter and beat off the skeletons that will attack you. Pick up any skulls you find -- you can bring them back to Valeia's town hall for experience and money. The weapons and such that they drop can also be sold at the weapons shop. Further in, you'll find the crypt. As you approach, a Skeleton Lord will pop up from the ground. Rush him. I found it the best way to kill him. Run in and just hack at him, ignoring the rest of the skeletons that will pop up. Once he's dead, mop up the rest. Approaching the crypt, you'll see two carved statues on either side. Push the one on the right (not much of a secret, huh?). Climb down the stairs and walk through the doorway. On the other end of the room you'll see another doorway, closed. It took me a while to figure this out. On one side of the room, hidden in shadow, is a lever. Pull it and the game will load up the Crypt. It turns out all sub-areas in the game are separated from the main map like this. II.5 THE CRYPT The game comes with a fairly good walkthrough for this area in the Online Help File, including a complete map. It finishes just short of reaching the Tomb of Heroes. I won't rewrite it here, although I might sometime in the future since some parts of it are vague... So, skipping on to... II.5.1 THE TOMB OF HEROES Coming out of the water-filled tunnels beneath Scabban, you'll find yourself in an octagonal room filled with water with a sort of "island" in the center. On four of the faces of the island (north, south, east, west) are locked doors. The tunnel you enter from faces the northwest face of the island. Swim around the island until you reach the eastern face. You'll find two tunnels leading east. This should look familiar. In fact, you've reached the two blocked gates near the ratkeeper's home that you couldn't get through earlier -- you're just on the other side now. You'll remember there was a gold key you couldn't reach earlier. It's in the northernmost tunnel. Grab it and flip the switch. Now you have a shortcut out of the Crypt. Turn back and head to the island. The western face contains the tomb of Mastus. The northern face contains the tomb of Arthus. The southern face is blank, and the eastern face is your goal for the entire Crypt -- the tomb of Nivius. The other tombs are useful enough equipment-wise, but aren't necessary to the game. Inside the tomb of Nivius, you'll meet the Spirit of Nivius, who, unfortunately, does NOT have the Mavin blade. (Did you REALLY think it was going to be THAT easy?) Talk to Nivius. Take the oath, then search his body for the ring he mentioned. It might be a little hard to find, but it's there. [QUESTION: Has anyone NOT taken the Oath? Is it possible to get the ring without doing so? Is it possible to get to Ishad N'ha WITHOUT the ring?] That's it -- you're done with the Crypt. If you head back to Gareth for your reward, you'll find that he doesn't appear in town. Head to the town hall and ask for news to find out what happened to him. II.6 THE ROGUE'S CAMP Just north of the eastern gate from Valeia you'll come across a group of rogues that aren't randomly spawned by the game. Their leader's a bit difficult to kill, so you should avoid him until you've levelled up a bit. The best tactic I found, once again, was rushing in and killing the toughest guy, then mopping up the rest. Nearby is a tough chest with some nice stuff in it. Also, you can take the horse here and go riding. I found it a quick way to get between Nymph Lake and Valeia once I started travelling back and forth between here and Ishad N'ha. I usually left the horse either at the western gate or the dock on the east shore of the lake. Don't worry, he won't run off if you leave him. II.7 THE RUINS OF BERSAULT AND THE HIDDEN CIRCLE South-east of Valeia's east gate is an area labeled as "Ruins of Bersault" on your map. It's not much but a collection of ruined houses. Inside one, you'll find a ragtag group of humans. Talk to their leader, Gorthius and learn of the Hidden Circle. Agree to help him find H'Thark, his companion who spoke to the Gypsy and went off to the Temple of the Serpent Cult in search of his destiny. You'll receive a special set of lockpicks. Hold onto them. Leaving, you'll eventually get a message that there are sounds of fighting coming from where you just left. Return and you'll find Gorthius gone and the thieves ready to attack you. Kill them, and search the ground of the house to find a note from Elyssia to the members of the Black Hand telling them to wipe out Gorthius and the Circle. Hold on to the note. You'll learn more about Elyssia and the Hand later on. II.8 THE OLD MILLHOUSE AND NYMPH LAKE Near the Old Millhouse is a lakeside dock that's a useful departure point for your raft when you find it. I used this as a connection point, leaving my horse here and using both the raft and horse as a quick way to get from the Caves of Ishad N'ha to Valeia and back. Also, on this lakeshore you'll meet a Toadman - Mekdawa - who'll tell you of the Toad People and their need for your help. He'll tell you to use the name 'Ukabu' to identify yourself. This Toadman is also the goal of a Priest guild quest (see Quests and Questing below). Around the Millhouse you'll find a young woman - Kerielle - who'll tell you of the horrible Serpent Cult and of the death of her friend, Algamesh. She'll ask you to go to the Crypt and retrieve the necklace he was meant to be buried in. If you've explored the Crypt fully, you've probably already found it. It's green and vaguely Egyptian looking. It gives the wearer +1 AC. Give it to Kerielle and in exchange she'll give you the potion Algamesh was working on for use when facing the Naga of the Serpent Temple. In the Millhouse basement is a spider. A Mage guild quest requires a spider's egg so if you haven't found one yet, you can get one here. I found that you can either kill them and hope they drop one, or (a smarter move) you can have your thief 'steal' from them until he gets one. In the upper level is a chest. II.9 THE GYPSY LAKE HOUSE On the north-western shore of Nymph Lake lies the Gypsy lake house. On that shore, you'll also find a raft that's useful for travelling up and down the lake and down the Snake River. Unfortunately, it won't take you beyond the Caves of Ishad N'ha. Inside, you'll find the gypsy fortune-teller, Harespia. For three hundred gold, she'll give you a rather vague and useless fortune. If you're on the proper Mage guild quest, she'll also agree to exchange the Orb of Clarity for the Serpent Wand found in the Temple of the Serpent Cult, held by the Temple Wizard. You can either do so or simply kill her for the Orb. Completing her quest for her has the added advantage of her opening the secret stash in the basement of the house, leaving you free to take whatever you please. Northwest of the house, in a clearing, is a statue of Kerah which is, in fact, an altar. Saying "Sanctus Kerah" to it will heal a party member, and saying the proper phrase to it is required as part of the Paladin quest. II.10 THE TOAD VILLAGE The Toad village seems almost non-existent when you approach it -- just three buildings sticking out of the water. That's because most of it is underground. And underwater. Access to it is limited to a single ladder on the westernmost building. Climb the ladder and approach the guard. Say "Ukabu" -- the name you learned from Mekdawa back at Nymph lake. The guard will tell you that Shinwiki, the Toad Shaman, wants to see you. Head down the ladder and through the tunnels. You'll eventually come to a ladder that leads up to the northern building you couldn't enter from aboveground. Walk across the bridge to Shinwiki's chambers. Talk to Shinwiki about everything you can. He'll tell you about the evil that has infected the Toadpeople's ancient toadem [sic] grounds. Agree to help out. Talk to him about Kerah and the Ukabu to get some interesting background on the Mavin and its bearers. Apparently the Toadpeople agree with Kerah -- YOU are the chosen one... After agreeing to help the Toadpeople, turn around. You'll see a trap door has opened in the floor. Climb down and through the tunnels, then up again. You'll exit into an area not accessible aboveground, just north of the village (it's visible on the map that comes with the game). Leave the pond and follow the path northeast until you reach the clearing with the toadem pole. Entering the ring causes a set of creatures to appear -- victims of Scabban's experiments. Kill them all, then re-enter the circle and touch the toadem pole. Return to Shinwiki for your prize. Note that this quest also fulfills a quest from the Warrior's guild. II.11 THE CAVES OF ISHAD N'HA Entering the caves before you have completed the Crypt is an exercise in futility. The Oracles will only recognize you as the Mortal Hope if you have the ring of Nivius, so don't bother until you have it. Enter the cave and just head straight down the tunnel. Approach the Oracles (not TOO closely!) and talk to them about everything. Learn some history of the Mavin and learn that you have to head to the next keeper -- D'Soto -- in the ruins of Shurugeon Castle. But before that, you'll need to get the Face of Death from the Serpent's Lair (ie. the Temple of the Serpent Cult). Once you talk to the Oracles about everything, they'll open a passage in the western wall that leads to the western section of the Snake River, the Temple, and the Village of Ishad N'ha. ---------------------- [ III. IN-DEPTH WALKTHROUGH ] ------------------------ ------------ [ PART TWO : TEMPLE OF THE SERPENT AND ENVIRONS ] -------------- This area makes up the western section of the Snake River beyond the Caves of Ishad N'ha and is only accessable after gaining the Mavin Sigil and speaking to the Oracle. III.1 BASIC INFORMATION There isn't really a lot going on here. Along the western shore of the river you'll find a dock. Following the path west from there will lead you to the gates of Ishad N'ha. Following the river to its endpoint (and another dock) will leave you just north of the Temple of the Serpent Cult -- your next destination. III.2 THE HERETIC In this area, you might run into Kol the Heretic. I found him just in front of the entrance to the Temple. Speak to him. You'll learn that inside the temple, "within the rock" he found a statue of Kerah, which spoke to him of the approaching evil. Keep talking to him and he'll tell you of a secret entrance to the temple, as well as give you the Heretic's Key which will gain you access to Kerah's statue. Kol is interesting story-wise because he's the second person (H'Thark was the first) to be told his destiny is important. Even more interesting -- it was Kerah, the same person that told you YOUR destiny was important. Could there be more than one chosen one? Is Kerah telling EVERYONE their destiny is important? III.3 ACCESSING THE TEMPLE Getting in is fairly easy. Looking at your map, you'll see two creeks that run behind the temple. Cross both of them and you'll find a broken gate that leads into the depths of the temple. Swim under the gate and you're in. Inside, you'll find a set of locked doors that lead to the serpent pens as well as a locked gate beyond which you might catch sight of the Naga. Forget this entrance -- you'll get access to Xydusa in a completely different (and convoluted) way. Also forget getting access to the serpent pens until later. You don't have the proper key. Further in, you'll find a long, circular set of hallways that slope generally up. These will lead you to the temple proper. IV.4 THE TEMPLE AS A WHOLE The temple has a very complex layout with several layers. As such, I found it very hard to keep a map of the whole place in my head and actually aimless wandering served me fairly well. All in all, you don't have to visit the various areas of the temple in a particular order. The major areas are: the entry halls, the kitchens, the storerooms, the torture chambers, the nectar harvestry, the serpent altar, the library and the undertemple. You can visit almost any of them from the very moment you enter the place (with the important exception of the undertemple). Your first job is to figure out what's going on. H'Thark is a good source of information, as are the Temple Wizard Kreug and the Temple Inquisitor. Once you have a general idea of your quest, you'll need the four monkey idols (scattered throughout the temple -- see the section on the library for more information) and the serpent idol. Proper use of these will give you the Serpent Wand and the Book of the Servant. You'll also need two more items for the Ceremony of Spirit Summoning: incense cones and spider nectar. Armed with your new posessions, you'll perform the Ceremony at the main altar and gain access to the Xydusa, the Naga. Beyond her, you'll find the undertemple which holds the Serpent Master and Elyssia, the High Priestess. Defeat her to win the Masque of Death -- your reason for being here. III.5 THE TEMPLE ENTRYWAY At the top of the sloping passages you'll find Kreug, the Temple Wizard. Speak to him and stay on his good side -- don't mention Kerah, Anephas, or Cet, for example -- and you can get some useful information from him. Eventually, you'll either have to kill him or rob him since he has the Serpent's Key which you'll need later on. Nearby you'll find a Golden Serpent which stands above a basket with a slot in it. Put a golden Serpin (the coins the priests drop from time to time when you kill them) into the slot and you'll get a set of incense cones which you'll need for the Ceremony to come. The main entrance lies just above. You can exit the Temple at any time from here by pulling the lever by the closed door. It's more convenient than slipping out the back again. Plus, it has the added advantage of leaving that door open when you come back. III.6 THE TEMPLE KITCHENS Nothing much interesting here. In the dining room you can find a strange menu on the table, and there's a secret passage out of the kitchens leading to a monkey storage room with a locked chest. Also, there are some dumbwaiter-like elevators that lead to the various storage rooms. III.7 THE STORAGE AREA On the eastern side of the storage area you'll find a hallway that dead-ends in six doors. Between them, you'll find four skull switches and a coin slot. This strange place is essentially a slot machine. Set the levers and put a Serpin in the slot. If you set them correctly, a door will open, revealing a chest and some monsters. If not, nothing will happen. You'll need to open all the doors since one of the chests contains a monkey idol you'll need later on (see the library). Also, all the chests have gold and items that you should probably take. The pattern for when I played the game was as follows. The numbers indicate which levers (numbered from left to right) needed to be activated to open the door. The doors are labeled alphabetically from left to right. Door [A] - Lever #3 switch 1 Door [B] - Levers #2 & #3 switch 2 Door [C] - Levers #3 & #4 coin slot Door [D] - Levers #1 & #2 & #3 switch 3 Door [E] - Levers #1 & #3 & #4 switch 4 Door [F] - Levers #1 & #2 & #4 Before you leave the storage areas, make sure you have at least one empty flask. You'll need it later (see III.9). III.8 THE TORTURE CHAMBERS The torture chambers lie in the lower levels of the temple. It should be fairly obvious when you find them since they're lit by fires and contain all sorts of nasty instruments. In one section, you'll find a fire burning in the center of a room with sloping walls. In the center of the fire (beside which lies a red-hot poker) you'll find a switch. Slide up to it and push the switch. This will open a secret panel in the ceiling (accessable by climbing the slope beneath it) leading to a hidden chest. Beside this room is a sub-chamber with a locked door. On either side you'll see the walls have slits in them, enabling you to see the prisoner inside. This is H'Thark. To open his cell, you'll need the Monkey Key, which is held by the Inquisitor. You can get the key from the Inquisitor (you'll know when you meet him) either by saying you're here to see the prisoner, or just killing him (or possibly stealing it from him?). Talk to H'Thark. He won't trust you. However, if you give him his lockpick set (given to you by Gortheus back in the Ruins of Bersault) he'll realize you're a friend. Talk to him about everything you can -- particularly the Masque and the Ceremony of Spirit Summoning. You'll notice H'Thark is someone else who thinks he has an important destiny (he was told so by the Gypsy fortunteller near Nymph Lake). III.9 THE NECTAR HARVESTRY Right beside the torture chambers is the egg hatchery where spider eggs are turned into nectar. H'Thark will have told you how this is done, as well as the fact that spider's nectar is a necessary part of the ceremony. In the center of this room is a large wheel. Turning it lowers the weighted plate in the corner into the pit below, crushing anything there. In the pit is a drainage cover. It should be fairly obvious what happens here -- spider eggs are crushed in the pit and the resulting nectar flows through the drain. But where does it end up? Jump into the pit and you'll find a switch that opens the gate set into the wall. Following the passage you'll find a t-junction -- one passage leads out to another corridor, the other ahead to the egg room. The lever here switches the gates open and closed so only one passage is available at a time (this is why you entered via the pit rather than the side-passage). Enter the egg room and kill the spiders there. Pick up some eggs and take them back to the pit. Drop them there. Follow the other passage of the t-junction to a room with a fount and a platform. Place an empty flask (you should have found one in the storage areas) on the platform. Then follow the hallway back out to the main room with the large wheel. Turn the wheel, then return to find the flask has been filled with nectar. III.10 THE MONKEY PIT AND STATUE OF KERAH On the main floor of the temple, you should find a room containing a chute which is too small to enter. Pulling a nearby lever will release a set of temple monkies, which will immediately attack you. Nearby, in the hallway which slopes up immediately outside this room, you'll see a lock set next to a dark stretch of wall. Unlock it with the Heretic's Key you got from Kol and a new passage will open up. Beyond, you'll find Kerah. Speak to her (I think I used "Sanctus Kerah") and she'll give you some history on the Mavin, Cet, Anephas, and the Battle between them. There are some good items at the foot of her statue, as well. III.11 THE MAIN ALTAR Also on the main floor, you'll find a giant statue of a Serpent with a brazier set before it. The storyteller will make the comment that it is clear the mouth opens, although it's not obvious how. To do so, you'll need to complete the Ceremony of Spirit Summoning and answer the Xydusa's questions correctly. To complete the ceremony, you'll need incense cones, spider's nectar, and the Wand of Serpents. Burn the cones on the brazier, add the nectar, then wave the wand over the ashes. A spirit will appear over the fire and question you. The answers can be found in the Book of the Servant. The wand and book can be found in the library (see below), the incense is gained from the Golden Serpent, and the nectar from the harvestry (see above). Opening the snake's mouth leads to a small chamber with a lever on the wall. Pull the lever and the floor will open, dropping you into the Serpent's Lair. III.12 THE LIBRARY Behind the brazier in the Main Altar room are two skull levers. Pulling both of them opens the gates on either side of the altar. The leftmost gate leads you down to the library area. Most of the library is completely useless to you -- you can't access any of the books on the shelves. However, you should notice some strange lines on the floor and niches set into the walls. The niches require the use of idols. There are five scattered throughout the temple. Four are of monkeys, the fifth of a serpent. Three monkey idols can be found in chests (one in the storage area) and the fourth taken from a monkey who is carrying it. The serpent idol lies below the snake pens near where you first entered the temple. You'll need the Serpent Key (which is held by Kreug) to get inside. Pull the lever on the left wall to flood the chamber, then swim through to a small room where the idol lies on a pedestal. Placing the four monkey idols into the niches connected by lines on the floor starts an elevator going in the northern portion of the library. Ride it up and kill Kreug's minion to gain access to his inner sanctum. Inside, you'll find a poison-curing fountain and the Wand of Serpents (listed as a ?Runed Wand?). Placing the serpent idol in the final niche opens an altar which contains the Servant of the Serpent -- a book you need to answer the questions the Naga Spirit will pose you during the Ceremony of Spirit Summoning. III.13 THE SERPENT'S LAIR Immediately after dropping into the lair, you'll see that you're in a circular room with a passage leading north into another. Cast some protective and combat-preparation spells -- immediately before you lies Xydusa, the snake-goddess of the temple. I used the following suite of spells: Bless (several times), Heroic Might, Bloodlust, and Nimble. As you enter the circular chamber, she'll appear from the northern passage, essentially blocking it. I've heard from a couple players that it's possible to sneak around her and out, but I think it's necessary to kill her to complete the temple -- plus she's worth a good deal of experience (I think my characters averaged about 14,000 apiece). A couple of strategies: keep away from the Naga and cast long distance spells and use long-distance attacks. She'll breathe at the party, but it probably won't be as deadly as from melee range. Alternately, just run in and hack her to pieces before she gets a chance to move. If you have Algamesh's Elixir (which you can get from Kerielle back at the Old Millhouse if you complete a quest for her), a good idea might be to have your strongest character drink it, then cast Lure (Vine magic) on them. It seems to shield you from the worst of her effects (the absolute worst has to be stoning -- you might want to keep some stone-to-flesh potions around). With her dead, head north to a t-junction. To the east, you'll see a dead- end. Remember it. West, you'll find a room with a fountain and some chests. The fountain cures poison, and above it, you'll find a skull lever. Pull it and return to the t-junction to find that the dead-end has opened up. Beyond, you'll find a series of essentially empty passages. Head generally north-east to a long east-west passage leading to a room with a set of lifts. III.14 THE LIFT MAZE AND THE SERPENT MASTER This area is essentially a maze -- there are four rooms set in a square pattern, all of them connected by corridors accessable from the lifts. You enter by the north-western room. Your ultimate goal is the western passage from the south-western room, but you'll need to traverse a different part of the maze and gain the Skull Key to successfully leave. You'll notice that the southern lift of the first room and the northern lift of the south-western room don't work. Don't worry, you'll activate them later. It might be a good idea to map the maze on your own, since most of the dead-ends contain useful items and gold in chests, or priests you can fight for experience points. Your first goal is the northern lift of the north-eastern room. It leads to a passage that ends in a one-way slide. Go down it. Continue following the passage to the chambers of the Serpent Master. Talk to him. Answer his questions honestly: you HAVE gazed upon the Xydusa (you looked at her just before you killed her), and you HAVEN'T drunk of her nectar. He'll think you're neonate priests and hand you the Skull Key you'll need to get to Elyssia. Alternatively, you could just kill him for the key, or pick it out of his pockets. After you get the key, look around the room. You'll notice a set of lifts seperated by a wall containing a skull lever. Flipping the lever activates the lifts. They correspond to the two innactive lifts you saw in the maze. Ride the southern lift to the south-western room of the maze. Unlock the lock you'll find in the western passage to gain access to the undertemple. III.15 THE UNDERTEMPLE AND ELYSSIA, THE HIGH PRIESTESS It's here that you'll finally face Elyssia. You'll find her in the auditorium -- the single figure on the stage. Again, you'll probably want to prepare any protective or enhancing spells you have for the battle ahead. Listen to her rant, then attack. She'll summon quite a few fellow priests and their combined magical power can make things a little hairy. A good strategy I used was to wait until Elyssia finished he speech, then run for the passage you entered by. The narrow passages make it much easier to pick off the priests in ones-and-twos rather than all at once. When you successfully kill Elyssia, you'll get both the Masque of Death (your goal in the temple, according to the Oracle) and the Serpent Staff - a cursed but useful weapon (I gave it to my warlock). To leave the undertemple, head out the far passage in the auditorium -- it leads to a passage that slopes upward and ends in a gate. Flip the switch nearby to open the gate and leave through it back into the temple proper. ============================================================================= ========================== [ Quests and Questing ] ========================== ============================================================================= ---------------------------- [ General Advice ] ----------------------------- Quests are the game's way of giving you goals -- both overall ones (such as the main quest of finding the Mavin and defeating the Dark Lord) and smaller, more manageable sub-goals. Almost everybody in the Gael Serran will want something from you and you can choose whom you wish to help. Generally, it's a good idea to stay on good terms with everyone you can and be a general do-gooder, since inevitably you'll be rewarded with either experience points, gold, items, information, or even all of the above. Quests come in two general flavors -- guild quests and miscellaneous quests. And guild quests come in two types: those for general advancement within the guild, and those which are necessary for ascention to a new character class. All are detailed below. The general tact I took on each one is: (a) where do you get the quest, (b) what's required for the quest, (c) how can you get credit for the quest, and (d) what do you get when you do so. ------------------------ [ Guild Ascension Quests ] ------------------------- Ascension quests require three things before they're assigned: [1] The character must be a member of the proper guild. [2] The character have the required minimum statistics. [3] The character must be holding the required amount of gold. ELITE ROLES BARBARIAN'S QUEST MINIMUM STATISTICS: ST 8, DX 8, AG 8, FO 12, PR 8 QUEST GOAL: Find your fury by going out and killing 20 creatures. This is fairly straightforward. Notice that you, personally, have to KILL the creature, not just assist on it. I found the best way to guarantee this is just to make a party made up of only that fighter. If he's at least level three, he should be able to take care of himself against anything he should find in the forest. You can keep track of your kill record on the character statistic screen. GETTING CREDIT: Just return to the guild, choose your character, and wait. REWARD: You're now a barbarian, and gain the Fury trait. BARD'S QUEST ...currently no data... MONK'S QUEST MINIMUM STATISTICS: ST 8, IN 8, SP 10, DX 8, AG 10, FO 8, WL 10, PR 8 QUEST GOAL: Prove yourself by not wearing weapons or armor for two full days. This quest does not require that the character be alone, so just strip him/her of everything -- and that means EVERYTHING, they'll essentially be running about in their skivvies -- and just leave 'em that way for two days. They'll generally suck because at this point you can't have learned Kung Fu, but just have the other characters support them. Some people have pointed out that you must spend those two days out in the wilderness -- that dungeon crawling doesn't count. I don't know if this is true or not. Entering and leaving towns does NOT effect this quest, so you can do so with impunity. GETTING CREDIT: Head to the Bushi Dojo (Ishad N'ha), choose your character, and wait. REWARD: You're now a monk, and gain the Nature's Keeper trait. NINJA'S QUEST MINIMUM STATISTICS: ST 8, IN 8, SP 8, DE 10, AG 10, FO 8, WI 10, PR 8 QUEST GOAL: Prove your stealth by sneaking into the Shurugeon Ruins and lowering the drawbridge without waking the dead. I found this to be one of the harder quests, but it turned out ok since you can't perform it until you get past Ishad N'ha anyway. The ruins lie west of that village. You can get inside the castle by swimming through the moat on the eastern side of the castle, diving down and heading north through the tunnels -- then pulling the lever and rising up again through the grate you just opened. You'll be at the castle's rear where the wall has collapsed. Head generally north until you reach the outer keep wall and then west along that wall until you reach the drawbridge. I found it impossible to avoid the ghosts here, but trying to keep to the letter of the quest, I didn't fight them but ran past. Climb the eastern tower (there's another ghost here -- ignore him) and pull the lever you'll find. Then run back down and out the lowered drawbridge. As I said, I wasn't very stealthy on this quest -- it seems impossible to be -- but I got credit anyway. GETTING CREDIT: Head to the Bushi Dojo (Ishad N'ha), choose your character, and wait. REWARD: You're now a ninja, and gain the Cloak of Night trait. PALADIN'S QUEST MINIMUM STATISTICS: ST 8, SP 10, DX 8, AG 8, FO 8, PR 10 QUEST GOAL: Prove your devotion by approaching the Altar of Serran and chanting "Sanctus Holy." [QUESTION -- This is just repetition, yes? Sanctus MEANS "holy".] Fairly straightforward -- the altar lies in a small clearing to the northwest of the Gypsy Lakehouse which lies on the northern shore of Nymph Lake. The altar looks just like the angelic statue you'll find in the Crypt (Kerah). Just walk up to it, choose the right character, and 'talk' to it. Type in 'Sanctus Holy'. [NOTE: If any character says "Sanctus Kerah" to the altar, they'll be healed for free.] GETTING CREDIT: Just return to the guild, choose your character, and wait. REWARD: You're now a paladin, and gain the Noble Cause trait. RANGER'S QUEST ...currently no data... SAMURAI'S QUEST MINIMUM STATISTICS: ST 8, IN 8, DX 10, AG 10, FO 8, WL 8 QUEST GOAL: Attain the blessing of your ancestors by finding the last resting place of a fallen Samurai and attaining a Samurai Baton. I'd call this the second most difficult quest, mostly because you have to travel so far from where you'll probably receive it to complete it. The Samurai burial ground lies directly west of Shurugeon Ruins, but you can't get there directly. You'll have to enter the moat and look for a break in the trees. Entering, you'll see what looks like a small burial plot with a few headstones. There should be a Samurai Spirit here (as well as several skeletal Samurai). Just kill him and take the Baton. GETTING CREDIT: Head to the Bushi Dojo (Ishad N'ha), choose your character, and wait. REWARD: You're now a samurai, and gain the Ancestral Guide trait. WARLOCK'S QUEST MINIMUM STATISTICS: IN 10, SP 10, FO 8, WL 10, PR 10 QUEST GOAL: Help out the priest and/or mage in town by finding two ingredients for a potion they're developing: a skull and a spider's egg. Skulls are easy, you've probably been collecting them for the Mayor's bounty in Valeia. The egg is harder. Spiders are generally found in the deeper woods far from town. A guaranteed encounter with a spider is the basement of the Old Millhouse. Unfortunately, there's no guarantee that a spider will drop an egg if you kill it. You have a better chance of attaining one if you have a thief with decent pickpocket skills. Have him "steal" every turn he can. He'll probably nab you an egg. GETTING CREDIT: Just return to the guild, choose your character, and wait. REWARD: You're now a warlock, and gain the Ancient Lore trait. SPECIAL ROLES ASSASSIN'S QUEST ...currently no data... VALKYRIE'S QUEST ...currently no data... ZENMASTER'S QUEST ...currently no data... ----------------------- [ Guild Advancement Quests ] ------------------------ Guild advancement quests are jobs you'll do for your guild masters to curry their favor. They're very much worth it because if you don't advance within your chosen guild(s), you won't have access to the better services they offer. This section is broken down by town, and then by individual guild. --------------------------- [ Part I: Valeia ] ------------------------------ Note that you cannot attain a guild level higher than three via Valeia -- the guilds will simply stop offering quests. ------------------------ [ VALIEA WARRIOR GUILD ] --------------------------- MON THE SCULZ QUEST QUEST GOAL: A thief has robbed the armory in Valeia. Go find him and kill him. This is easy enough. You'll encounter him somewhere in the eastern lands -- he actually came upon my party as we were leaving the crypt. Just kill him. GETTING CREDIT: If someone has already completed this quest, just go to the guild. You'll be told you don't have to bother and get credit anyway. REWARD: Guild advancement and experience TOAD VILLAGE QUEST QUEST GOAL: The Toad people are becoming restless. Find out what's the matter and what can be done about it. Head up to the Toad Village after talking to Mekdawa to find out how to identify yourself. Talk to Shinwiki to learn the problem and solve it. Further details are below in the "Sacred Toadem Ground Quest" notes. GETTING CREDIT: If someone's already completed this quest, it's sufficient enough to just go and talk to Shinwiki again. REWARD: Guild advancement and experience GUILD SWORD QUEST QUEST GOAL: Return with the sword of Mastus. It's in his tomb. The tomb is right next to Nivius' so if you haven't gotten there yet, don't worry. If you've already been in the Tomb of Mastus and haven't found the sword, don't worry -- it apparently only appears once you get the quest. Go fetch it. GETTING CREDIT: Just talk to the guild head, he'll tell you it's been found, but give you credit anyway. REWARD: Guild advancement and experience ------------------------- [ VALIEA PRIEST GUILD ] --------------------------- GUILD TOAD QUEST QUEST GOAL: Give an important elixir to Mekdawa, a toadman. Easy enough -- Mekdawa hangs out my the eastern shore of Nymph Lake -- near the dock and the Millhouse. Choose use/give and choose the potion, then click on Mekdawa. He'll thank you. GETTING CREDIT: If someone's already done this, don't worry, Mekdawa will just keep acceping Elixirs. REWARD: Guild advancement and experience GUILD DONATION QUEST QUEST GOAL: The guild's coffers are low. Make a donation of 500 gold. The wording of this is rather confusing. You DON'T have to click the 'make donation' button. Instead, just enter the church with 500 gold in that character's pocket. GETTING CREDIT: The guild will recognize you have enough gold and ask you if you want to make a donation. Say yes. REWARD: Guild advancement and experience GUILD RING OF SAINTS QUEST QUEST GOAL: Fetch the Ring of Saints from the Crypt. It's sort of hard to see, but it's under the table in the secret room above Pharaoh's chamber. Grab it. GETTING CREDIT: If someone's already finished this quest, don't worry. Just go to the church and they'll tell you it's been found. You'll get credit anyway. REWARD: Guild advancement and experience ------------------------- [ VALIEA WIZARD GUILD ] --------------------------- GUILD SCABBAN QUEST QUEST GOAL: Scabban vanished in the Crypts sometime ago. Return with news of him. You need to find Scabban (he's in the Asylum), and talk to him about everything you can. You especially need to realize that (a) he's mad, (b) he's been running experiments on the dead, and (c) he's become infected as a result of those experiments. I killed him afterward. GETTING CREDIT: I don't know if it's possible to get credit for this if you've already killed Scabban before speaking fully to him. REWARD: Guild advancement and experience GUILD TEUIK TORPORN QUEST QUEST GOAL: The evil Teuik Torporn, acolyte of the Serpent Cult, is recruiting members. Kill him. He's easy enough to smash, but you'll only find him west of the Caves of Ishad N'ha, in the forests surrounding the Temple. GETTING CREDIT: If he's already dead, you'll be told so and get credit anyway. REWARD: Guild advancement and experience GUILD ORB QUEST QUEST GOAL: Find the artifact known as the Orb of Clarity -- it was last known to be held by the Gypsies camping near Nymph Lake. The gypsies do, indeed, know of the Orb, but they'll be loath to part with it. Speak to Harepsia (she of the vague and useless fortunes) and type in "Orb of Clarity". She'll send you on a quest to fetch the Serpent Wand from the High Priest of the Serpent Temple. Since you'll need it anyway, agree to her terms. You can alternatively just slaughter her and her clan and take the Orb. GETTING CREDIT: You'll be told the Orb has already been returned and get credit anyway if someone beat you to it. REWARD: Guild advancement and experience ------------------------ [ Miscellaneous Quests ] --------------------------- These quests are those not connected to guilds and are generally given by the people you'll run into across the Gael Serran. Again -- goodness is usually its own reward, as you'll get help in return if you help out those in need. Plus doing so will give you that nice, warm, gushy feeling inside... --------------------- [ QUESTS EAST OF ISHAD N'HA ] ------------------------- THE TOMB OF NIVIUS ACQUIRED FROM: Gareth, Village Elder of Valeia LOCATION: Outside the Inn as you enter the game QUEST GOAL: Find the Mavin within the Tomb of Nivius. Of course, it turns out that acquiring the Mavin is hardly that easy -- but this quest is here to point you in the right direction. Your first step will be to get to the Tomb and speak with the Spirit of Nivius. He'll direct you further. GETTING CREDIT: Impossible, since you'll essentially fail and Gareth'll be dead by the time you return after speaking to Nivius anyway. REWARD: None SKELETAL BOUNTY ACQUIRED FROM: The Mayor of Valeia LOCATION: The Town Hall QUEST GOAL: The mayor will set a bounty on any skeletons you can kill. GETTING CREDIT: Essentially, every time you find a skull, pick it up. The mayor will count up what you have when you enter the Hall and give you your reward. This is an excellent way of making money early in the game. REWARD: 50 gold and 50 experience for every 10 skulls you return with. A PACKAGE TO ISHAD N'HA ACQUIRED FROM: The Mayor of Valeia LOCATION: The Town Hall QUEST GOAL: Deliver the letter the mayor gives you to the Town Hall of Ishad N'ha. GETTING CREDIT: This one is easy enough except for the fact that you can't reach the village of Ishad N'ha until you complete the Tomb of Nivius quest. REWARD: 250 gold pieces. RAT PIE DELIVERY SERVICE ACQUIRED FROM: Bilbump, retired crypt keeper and all around nice Stout LOCATION: A small house south-east of the Cemetery QUEST GOAL: Bring his brother in the Crypts a Rat Pie. In exchange, Bilbump will tell you the secret of opening the Crypt (not much of a secret, but there you go...). Giving the pie to his brother will result in another secret -- this one far more useful. GETTING CREDIT: Just give the pie and you'll get your info. REWARD: Two secrets -- one dubious, one useful. FINDING H'THARK ACQUIRED FROM: Gortheus, leader of the Hidden Circle LOCATION: An abandonded house in the Ruins of Bersault QUEST GOAL: Find H'Thark -- who's run off to the Temple of the Serpent Cult in search of his destiny -- and give him the lock picks Gortheus gives to you. H'Thark's locked away in a cell and you'll need to get the key from the Temple Inquisitor by hook or by crook. Just give the thief his lockpicks back for him to trust you. In return, he'll tell you all about the Masque, the Temple, and the Ceremony of Spirit Summoning. GETTING CREDIT: Impossible, since the man who sent you on it is now dead. REWARD: Information. First, you'll get a letter after Gortheus' dies indicating who ordered his assassination. Second, you'll get all sorts of useful data on the temple from H'Thark after you convince him to trust you. ALGAMESH'S NECKLACE ACQUIRED FROM: Kerielle LOCATION: The Old Millhouse near Nymph Lake QUEST GOAL: Return with Algamesh's necklace so that he can be properly buried. It's found in a chest in the Crypts -- it's green and curved and vaguely Egyptian looking. Wearing it will result in +1 AC. Give it to Kerielle and in return she'll give you a potion Algamesh was working on. GETTING CREDIT: Give the necklace to Kerielle. REWARD: Algamesh's elixir -- useful for when you face the Naga of the Temple of the Serpent Cult. CLEANSING THE ANCIENT TOADEM [SIC] GROUNDS ACQUIRED FROM: Shinwiki, the Toadman Shaman LOCATION: Toad Village, northeast along the Snake River QUEST GOAL: Destroy the evil at the toadem grounds. Shinwiki will offer you a special spear and a 'bag of yellow' (read: gold) as a reward. After speaking to him about the quest and agreeing to go on it, a trap door will open in the floor of the room. Climb down and head along the tunnels until you find a way up again. You'll exit into an area inaccessable aboveground (you can, though, see it on the map that came with the game -- it's north of the village proper). Head along the path generally north-east until you come to a circle of totem (yes that's what they are, darnit) poles. Enter the circle and a bunch of Scabban's creatures will appear. Rush 'em and kill 'em. Then re-enter the circle and have each character touch the totem for +5 permenant HP and healing. Return to Shinwiki for your reward. GETTING CREDIT: Talk to Shinwiki after killing the monsters and touching the totem. REWARD: Shinwiki's spear -- +1 to hit and it's enchanted, and a bag of gold.