General
This is a pretty boring game with lots of walking around with nothing much to do but fight over and over again. Hardly worth playing - it's a pity, really. One feels that with but a few enhancements it could have been really good.
If you started it and gave it up because you didn't know where you were half the time (the map being lousy and totally useless and with no compass to guide you) but you regret having bought the game and not finishing it, this is for you. I won't be going into many details because, frankly, the game doesn't warrant it - but I hope that the directions I give will be sufficient.
A word about weapons - you'll find a great variety and fancy names or price don't make much difference. The best I found was the so-called Ice King's Club (worth 100 gp) by killing the Ice King at the Glaciers, and the Dwarves also had for sale a Wrathful Hammer which packed quite a wallop. It would be a good idea to have always with you a slashing and a bashing weapon and try them out on different folks. Also, you'll be able to get a long range weapon called Boomer Axe which comes back to your hand after you throw it... if you are lucky. Experiment with it and keep it for emergencies. Much later in the game you'll be able to get a bow. Personally, I would use magic for distance fighting (fireballs and such) and not worry too much about ranged weapons. By the way, keep checking the shops every time you are by, their merchandise changes. Not that it matters a bit.
As to combat, try and sneak up on the nasties and land the first blow, then don't let up. If there are many, run backwards and attack the nearest one and try not to get surrounded. If anyone starts chucking spells at you go for them and ignore the others even if they land the odd blow. Of course, it would be a good idea to chuck the odd fireball yourself from a safe distance. I found that by aligning the character's head with the body of the enemy, I couldn't fail. Well, not often. A few minor adjustments and you can hit them every time.
If there is one thing I hate in any game is to have to jump from one rock to another to get somewhere and to fall off every time. There are sections in this game in which it's as well to keep a file exclusively for saving every time you make a jump successfully. Even worse, at times there are people chucking spells at you which throw you off balance and you have to reload and try again. In these cases it is best if you eliminate anybody you can see around with your own spells before you even try to start jumping. If caught in the middle of a series of jumps, try "C" to crouch and immediately follow up with, say, a fireball at the culprit. By far the worse aspect of this game is that you don't really know where you are or where you are going. Have a battle and you end up facing in the wrong direction and you are quite likely to go back rather than forward. Use the dead bodies you left behind as a clue. Most of the vital ends to your quests will be automatic, which is a great relief. In fact, the only way you will know what goes on is reading the Notes in the questbook every time you finish a quest. Finally, take my advice and find the "god mode" cheat - this game is boring enough without prolonging it indefinitely with frequent deaths.
And now for...
The solution:
You start in gaol. Run around killing things and find Captain Ursan in one of the cells - you will automatically free him when you talk to him (press "Tab" while facing him) and he gives you your first quest. Leave the gaol and go under the arches to the left, pulling the lever. This opens the gates and you can start following the road to the Citadel. Every time you have an encounter press "I" to see what there is to pick up off the dead bodies. Using the map, try to make it to the village (check out the shop, don't hurt the natives) and carry on till you get on an airship and to the Citadel.
There is a shop here, if you can find it - but you really need to find the Sorceress, who will give you a job. Back to the airship and to the village. Behind a house in a corner you will see a signpost (press "Tab" to use it and read it) to the Catacombs. Go there and enter them. I'll spare you the details, just explore around and find two locked doors signposted to Duskwood and the Glaciers. Near the first one, through another door, explore around till you find a room with four large chests (open those which can be opened) and you will see Mica's key in a sort of bookcase. Equip this key, go to the Duskwood door and go through. Follow the road and keep right. You will go through some kind of a village with some very nasty folks around, just keep going right and look out for signposts.
Eventually you will make it to Corantha. Go in, check out the shops and find the walled-in Dwarf Council Chamber. There you are told the Prince is missing. Leave the Chamber and, at its outer wall, turn right and go into the mine. Explore around till you come to a lava-filled room with two slabs, jump along and you will come to a place with a Fire Elemental and a lava cascade. Kill the Elemental and climb up the wall, thus getting to the Prince locked up in a cell. Talking to him seems to be sufficient to free him. Back to the Council and it turns out you've got another job.
Leave Corantha, follow the road, turn left at the first fork, go through the strange village and turn right at the fork: follow through and, at a very sharp bend of the road, go to the opening to your left and fight the Ogres to get the sceptre. Take it to the Dwarves and you'll get the horn. You now have to take it back to the Citadel so, from Corantha, take the road and at the fork keep left all the way to the Catacombs. You will find new perils getting back, bear up. The Sorceress will promptly send you off on another mission, anyway.
On the way to the Catacombs (oh, not again!) a woman will give you a True Vision amulet. When you get to the doors of the Catacombs you will see a couple of devils hovering over two guards. Do nothing about it or you'll start World War 4. Just go in and find the door to the Glaciers. At the Glaciers, keep left until you find a round, green door. Go through and look around (I mainly kept right) till you find a chamber with a gigantic statue. Behind this statue you will find a sort of cave - smash the icicles and free the Captain. Watch. When left alone, find the now open gates to Duskwood. Once there, follow the road and you are attacked by a Dasher - defend yourself and you'll get another quest. Back the way you came to the Glaciers. Find the green round door again.
You will no doubt remember the crashed airship on the way to freeing the Captain. Walk along the body of the airship till you see a round door. Go in and save. You now have the dodgy task of walking along narrow paths without falling off - advance cautiously and, as soon as you spot anyone ahead of you in the distance, let fly with the fireball spell. Hit them sufficient times and they'll fall off - the alternative is that you fall off yourself if they hit you first. So go on advancing with care, disposing of the nasties, and finally you have to jump (sigh!) to where the spell you need is. Jump to it and press "Tab". Now turn around and jump back onto the path, but look out because ahead of you there is yet another nasty to get rid of before you make it safely out of the ship.
Go to Duskwood and follow the road till you hit the barricade. Talk to the Dasher in front of it and watch what happens next. Now it's just a question of leaving the arboreal village (there is a shop here where you can buy a bow) by, say, keeping left and get back down to the ground. Take the scroll to the Dwarves in the Council Chamber and watch what happens there. Leave Corantha and this time go right at the fork (check out the signpost).
At the Stronghold, fight your way to a huge wooden doorway - you automatically do the horn bit and the doors collapse. Go in, turn to your left and go up two flight of stairs (fighting all the way) then find some other stairs down, two flights, then go through, up again till you hit a room with suits of armour all around. Find another set of stairs going down and then another lot going up. When you can go no further but you see a grassy courtyard below you, jump into it. When the dust settles, you will recognize where you are. Go pull the lever under the arches and the Stronghold's doors will open. Outside you will see the "massed" forces. Pathetic. Ignore them and follow the road to the left. You will meet the Airship and you will be taken to the final venue. It's just a matter of going in, fighting your way upwards till you meet with the head nasty. Kill him and you are done.
