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Drakan: The Ancients' Gates
FAQ/Walkthrough by neored13
Game Copyright Surreal Software and Sony Computer Entertainment America
====
1. Contents
====
1. Contents
2. Copyright Information
3. Revision History/Future Plans
4. Game Information
5. Controls/Strategies/Tips/Fun
6. Bestiary
7. Walkthrough
8. Weapon/Armor Lists
9. Items
10. Magic
11. FAQ
12. Contact Information
13. Special Thanks/Contributors
====
2. Copyright Information
====
You should know this by heart now.  This guide is my intellectual property, not to be
redistributed commercially without my express written permission.  You may use it for any
personal use you may desire, but do not stick it on a website without my permission.
Currently, the only websites allowed to use this guide are GameFAQs, NeoSeeker, Cheat
Code
Central (www.cheatcc.com), and psxcodes.com.  NO OTHER WEBSITES ARE ALLOWED TO USE THIS
GUIDE AT THIS TIME.  I have discovered my guide on a few other websites, and will not
stand
for this.  You know who you are.  As per usual, any violation of this copyright will be
dealt with severely.  Screw with me, and you screw with a gamer with a wide network of
friends.  If you want to use my guide on your site, either contact me, or don't use it.
====
3. Revision History/Future Plans
====
2/13/2002:  Version 1.0:  In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was Drakan, and it
was Good.  Then, Gamer created FAQ, and lo, He saw that it was incomplete, and He was
angered.  Finished the walkthrough through Kragmor.
3/20/2002: Version 2.0:  And on the second Day, Gamer travelled through the Lands of Snow
and Ice, Slaying all He Encountered there.  And lo, it was Good.  Added walkthrough up to
Shiverbane, changed a bit here and there, added current list of who has permission to use
this guide.
4/14/2002:  Version 2.1:  Geez, I'm really sorry.  Not much for this update, just added
in
another site that's allowed to post this.  And for some reason, my email hasn't been
working right, and the upshot is I've only received like one or two mails in the past two
weeks.  My ISP tells me this will be sorted out shortly, so if you don't receive an
answer,
it's because my mail's not working right.  Either that, or you sent me something that
doesn't need answering.
6/22/2002:  Version 3.0:  And so, He travelled on, through the Region of Biting Cold, and
Vanquished many a Beast.  Then, He did Go into the Green Valley and the Burning Sands,
His
Sword bloody with the Gore of Many.  Added walkthrough up to the Point of No Return in
the
Valley of the Fallen.  Added walkthrough of the Sealed Water Cave.  Added general last
boss
strategy.  Thanks go out to Andrew Balogh for his magnificent ASCII art on the title up
there.  Added Crown of Thorns to the Inquisitor's Lair.  Thanks to the people who pointed
this out.  Added clarification for a respawn.  Added a bug where Zeggoro would not
recognize the four items.  Again, thanks to the many who pointed this out.  Added the
Rune
Bow in Snotmaw's Lair.  And by the way, I hate Klez.
Future Plans:
-Finish the game, and the FAQ.  Without cheating if possible.
-Add the various strategies and tips I got.
-Add a Weapons/Armor/Items/Magic section.
-Add general HP estimate for enemies.  Dragons will be hard, since I'd need to gauge
against how much damage Arokh's breaths do against ground-based enemies, or try and take
them out on foot...
-Get outside and get some sun. (Low priority)
====
4. Game Information
====
Drakan is a multi-genre game.  Some would call it an RPG, others would call it an action
platformer, and others would call it a flight sim.  Some people might call it a sports
game,
too, but I don't think I'd want to know those people...
In basic execution, think Lara Croft meets Diablo and the flight levels from the Spyro
series.  You're a chick with a sword (Or sword-like weapon, such as mace, hammer, or axe)
and bow, and you get to fly around on the back of a dragon.  It's the basic you-versus-
hordes-of-monsters game.
====
5. Controls/Strategies/Tips/Fun
====
=Controls:  Since I'm assuming you have the instruction booklet (The game's still new,
and
there aren't any good PS2 emulators out yet), I won't be covering the basic controls.
This
section will deal with the vagaries of the controls, and things you might have missed.
When in Target Lock, the L2 button will switch targets if more than one is available
within view.
Using the L1 button to pick up treasure is much more efficient than running around and
grabbing it by "foot"
USE THE RIGHT STICK!  This is one of the most important pieces of control advice I can
give you.  Looking around can save your ass.
=Strategies:  These deal with basic movement and enemy elimination.
If something's far off and you have a medium/long range bow, you can generally take it
out before it gets to you.
When dealing with enemies that attack from a distance, if you want to charge in and
whack
them, roll from side to side to dodge their shots.
When dealing with close-range enemies, your best strategy is to whack them with your
combo, then roll backwards.  Run in and repeat. If they attack quickly, stab them before
whacking with your combo. Stabbing will usually cause them to stumble back, clutching
their
gut.
In aerial combat, KEEP MOVING.  Get a lock on, circle about the enemy, change altitude,
vary your distance, and keep firing.
If you get frozen, press buttons rapidly to shake out of it.
The AI is very stupid in most cases.  If the enemies can't see all of you, they'll
normally act like you don't exist.  This allows you to hide partially behind a tree or
rock
and snipe them at your leisure.
Backstab:  If you sneak up really close behind an enemy and press S, Rynn will jump and
smash the creature.  This will usually be an instant kill, depending on your weapon.  It
seems to do around 2-3 times as much damage as a normal weapon hit.
=Tips:  These are things that don't exactly fit either of the other two categories.
Come up for air.  Nothing puts a crimp in your day like drowning.
HotSlot potions.  At some points, the difference between victory and defeat is the
ability to drink a potion on the fly.
=Fun:  Here you'll find things that don't accomplish much useful, but are just fun to
play
with.
The Flamestrike.  This handy little sword has the power to set the scenery on fire.
Things don't burn for very long, but you can still have fun with it.  Trees, houses,
bridges!  Nothing is safe from the searing flames of justice!  You can even set the
bridge
made of light in the Ravenshold cave (See =Ravenshold= section of walkthrough) aflame.
The
Fireball spell, Fire Blade, and the FlameStrike and Fire Talon bows will accomplish this
also.
Diving.  Jump from a great enough height into swimmable water, and Rynn will adjust her
position into a very graceful dive.  Just make sure you're looking down as you fall, or
all
you'll see is her feet.  And occasionally, if you mess up, Rynn will dive face-first into
the dirt.
Aerial stunts.  You can use both sticks to fly.  Try and pull off some daring
acrobatics!
Loop-de-loops, diving corkscrews, barrel rolls...  See if you can pull off an Immelman
turn!
NPCs:  'Living' stress balls.  NPC characters are completely immune to your weapons and
magic.  Thus, if you're feeling a bit upset, take a few swings at one.  Use your stab
moves
to try and get them in the crotch.  Cleave them in twain with your overhead strike!
====
Bestiary
====
This section covers the various types of creatures that can be found in the world of
Drakan.
Note that all monsters come in a variety of sizes, but other than being bigger or
smaller,
there's not much difference.
=Grull=
These small creatures are the generic enemies.  No matter where you go, you'll probably
find a few Grull.  Rather stupid, and cowardly in the face of extremely overwhelming
firepower.  There are several types of Grull scattered throughout the lands, most
distinguished only by being texture-swapped versions of another Grull.
Club Grull:  These are the wimpy little things you'll be first encountering.  They carry
wooden clubs with a couple of iron spikes on them.
Mace Grull:  These are slightly more powerful than their club-wielding brethren, and use
a
flanged metal mace as their smash stick.
Fire Grull:  These guys have developed enough intelligence to use a rudimentary magic,
and
show it off by hurling spheres of red energy at you repeatedly.  Get too close and they
try
and backhand you.
Cleaver Grull:  These Grull actually seem to know what they're doing, as they carry a
metal
cleaver about the size of their leg.  However, other than hitting a little harder than
Club
or Mace types, they're just as stupid.
Ice Grull:  Just like the Fire Grull, only they fire orbs of blue energy that can freeze
you in place.
Grull Kong:  Giant cousins of the Grull, these creatures attack by slapping at you or
throwing things at you.  It's best to keep your distance, dodge their projectiles, and
fill
them with arrows or magic.  I've coined the term Kong for them, as they remind me quite a
lot of Donkey Kong, what with the whole throwing barrels thing. =/  When they die, they
keel over forward, so try not to be under them or you'll be squished.
Bonegrinder:  A unique Grull, consult the =Bonegrinder's Lair= and the =BOSS:
Bonegrinder=
sections for details.
=Wartoks=
Larger, slightly more intelligent, and stronger than Grull, these warthog-like creatures
usually dwell in the same area as Grull.  Both Wartoks and Grull possess the power of
speech, and occasionally a Grull will spot you and run away to attract the attention of a
couple Wartoks.
***NOTE***
Wartok or Wartock?  The instruction book lists them as "Wartoks," but about half the time
they're mentioned in-game, there's a C in there.
Axe Wartoks:  These are the basic, vanilla Wartok.  Charge at you and swing.  Carry
rather
large iron axes.
Shield Wartoks:  These are a bit tougher, as they're outfitted with a shield as well.
The
shield will generally protect their left side and front, so try and hit them in the axe
arm
or the back.  They, too, carry an axe.
Fire Wartoks:  Carry no weapons, but fire balls of flame at you.  Will swipe at you at
close range.  Basically the same as Fire Grull.
Snotmaw:  An enormous Wartok, carrying a spiked shield and huge cleaver.  Consult the
=Snotmaw's Lair= and =BOSS: Snotmaw= sections for details.
Invisible Wartok:  Looks like a standard Axe Wartok, except after swinging at you, he'll
waver and disappear.  Note that sometimes he'll glitch upon reappearance and his axe will
be invisible until you hit him.  Refer to the =Wartok Caves= and =QUEST: The Blade of
Purest Gold= sections.
=Trogs=
These vile amphibians dwell in the Shadowmire.  They can usually be easily spotted
because
of their glowing red eyes.  Like to partially submerge in the swamp and appear to be
round,
green, moving logs with glowing red eyes.  Camouflage is not their strong suit.
Green Trogs:  Your basic Trog.  It's... er... green.
Brown Trogs:  A larger, brown version of the Trog.  More hit points, but just as easily
killed.
Trog Mages:  Carry a staff, and shoot balls of lightning at you.  The balls of lightning
fire off secondary bolts as they fly, so you won't be safe just rolling out of the way.
Toadfist:  Another boss.  A good combination of magic and melee attacks, but still, he's
the first real boss of the game, thus incredibly easy.  Consult the =BOSS: Toadfist=
section for more info.
=Dragons=
The skies above Drakan are filled with bastard cousins of the Elder Breed.  Fiercely
territorial, they will attack any foreign dragon to enter their area.  Of course, since
Arokh's the only foreign dragon around, you'll be the one they attack. =/
Fire Blackwings:  These are your basic feral dragon.  Launch balls of fire at you.  They
generally attack in pairs, which can make dodging a bit difficult.  Can be found in
Surdana,
Kragmor, and the Andrellian Isles.
Bone Dragons:  The undead guardians of the =City of the Damned= and Valley of the Fallen,
these attack with lightning breath.  Four hits from these will kill a fully-healed Arokh,
so KEEP MOVING!
Blue Blackwings:  Inhabit the frozen reaches of Ravenshold.  Just like Fire Blackwings,
only they shoot light blue breath.
Redwings:  Well, I guess that's what they're called.  Dwell in the Kragmor area, around
Snotmaw's Lair, and in the Valley of the Fallen.  Fire pink balls that trail yellow
rings.
Mottled Icewings:  Lairing in the skies over Shiverbane, these aerial menaces have the
power to freeze Arokh solid, thus ensuring a smashing demise on the rocky ground below.
Fire VERY FAST shots of ice.  Try using mountains as cover, and keep moving.
Griffins:  Okay, not a dragon, but still belongs in the "Deadly flying thing" category.
Large creatures, like the mythical griffin, part eagle, part lion.  Fire intensely homing
shots of yellow energy.  They wear saddles and armor, so there's the possibility they
were
the flying steeds for the Dark Union.
Mezzidrel:  This is actually more a sea serpent than a dragon.  Consult the =BOSS:
Mezzidrel= section for more detail.
Shaza and Tora:  Two ancient enemies of Arokh's, you encounter them in the Valley of the
Fallen.  Fire homing shots of dark breath.
=Mechanical=
The Grull have a rudimentary machine knowledge, and often use machines to defend their
areas.  They also install elevators and mechanical doors in their fortresses.  Of course,
Grull do not have a monopoly on mechanical enemies.
Exploding Barrels:  Well, these aren't really an enemy OR mechanical, but they fit best
here.  Tapered barrels etched with eldritch symbols.  When struck or shot, they explode,
damaging everything in the blast radius and setting things on fire.  There is NEVER any
treasure in an exploding barrel, so either avoid them entirely, or only use them to blow
up
nearby enemies.
Explosive Crossbows:  Anti-dragon artillery.  These fire explosive rockets at you.
Easily
destroyed with two or three shots.
Catapults:  Not meant for anti-dragon artillery, but used in that fashion anyway.
Launches
exploding balls in an arc.  Again, two or three shots will take one out.
Fireball Trap:  Not exactly an enemy, but it can hurt you.  Fires flaming balls down the
middle of the hallway.  Stay to one side to avoid them.
Slice-N-Dice:  Again, not an enemy, but VERY deadly.  A set of spinning blades traveling
down a hallway.  Backed up by a set of spikes shooting from the wall in the nearest safe
alcove.  Consult the =Snotmaw's Lair= section for more info.
Ice Golems:  Frozen guardians of the Visionary Amethyst, these horrendous machines will
either fire a beam of pure cold at you, draining your energy and freezing you in
mid-stride,
or swat and crush you, knocking off a good 3/4ths of your life.  Stay FAR away and DODGE.
Ice Shooters:  Encountered in the frozen realms of Shiverbane, these magical cannons fire
twisting bolts of ice towards you.  Only slightly more difficult than Explosive
Crossbows.
=Scavengers=
Dog-like creatures that lair in packs.  Where there's one, there's more.  No variations
found yet.
=Spiders=
Giant spiders can be found in several areas around Drakan.  They attack by either jumping
at you or standing up and slashing.  Bows/magic or overhead slashes are the way to go.
Apart from ranging in size, no variations have been reported.
=Skeletons=
The undead.  What would a self-respecting RPG/sword-N-sorcery game be without wading
through legions of bodies ripped from defiled graves?  These unholy creatures attack with
axes.  How they got so many, I'll never know.  Consult the =Catacombs= section for
details
on fighting them.
Bone Lord:  Guardian of the skeletal warriors in the Catacombs, he takes umbrage at you
destroying his brothers in bone.  Consult the =BOSS: Bone Lord= section.
Skeletal Archers:  Fire nasty arrows covered in a sickly yellow light.  Otherwise about
the
same as normal skeletons.
Soulless:  Elite guards of the Desert Lords, these creatures are very powerful, but still
die quite easily.  One variation uses a sword and a ring of fire attack, the other
variation uses a bow.
Gothraul, Lord of Ghouls:  The boss of the =Lower Ruins=.  Bears two large swords and has
a
rather macabre sense of chivalry.  Unique in that he does not drop a weapon when he dies.
=Yeti=
In the frozen wastes of Ravenshold, the yeti have struggled back from the brink of
extinction.  Well, guess it's up to you to drive them back again.
Small Yeti:  "THAT'S the Yeti?  Aww, it's soo wittle!"  Basically like an Ice Grull, but
stronger.  Flings exploding snowballs at you, which can freeze you solid.
Normal Yeti:  Roughly the size of a Grull Kong, these hurl snowballs, barrels, and other
smaller enemies at you.  Fortunately, you'll usually encounter them while flying, so
they're easy to toast.  Don't get too close, however, or they'll blast you with freezing
breath.
Daemog:  Big poppa yeti.  Imagine a Grull Kong.  Now imagine it about three times bigger.
Now imagine it with an infinite supply of freezing ammunition.  Yes, "Ouch" is right.
Consult the =BOSS: Daemog= section.
=Half-Men=
Large, dark-skinned denizens of Shiverbane.  Speak in a language of their own, rather
than
the broken English of the Grull and Wartoks.
Motorized Mace Half-Man:  (MMHM) These carry large hammers with a wicked-looking pointy
part.  The pointy part twists, making it seem like they're attacking you with a large
automatic corkscrew.
Archer Half-Man:  (AHM) Carry crossbows, which fire fast-moving projectiles at you.  The
only way to tell them from MMHMs at a distance is if they see you and start shooting at
you
instead of rushing towards you.  Deal with them as you would any distance enemy.  Be
careful, as their quarrels can freeze you in place.
Maulgak:  Boss of the Half-Men, he's about like the other bosses you've faced so far.
Big,
powerful, has a big weapon that drops when you kill him.  Uses an ice-based attack like
what Bonegrinder and the Bone Lord use.
====
7. Walkthrough
====
Here it is.  The main section of this guide.  The varying sections of the game are
written
=like this=, so you can easily find them by searching for =The Mushroom Caves=,
=Catacombs=,
=Kragmor=, etc.  Of course, some sections are named the same, like the multiple instances
of =Surdana=.  This guide assumes you will be reading the instructions, and have already
begun a new game.  Controls in this guide are written by capitalizing the directions and
using S, C, T, and X for Square, Circle, Triangle, and X, respectively.  Thus, the Spin
Attack would be Down-Up, S.  Directions are determined by which way the arrow around the
Mana Glass is pointing.  Thus, if the arrow points up, you're going north.  Down, south.
Left, west.  I'm sure you can guess which way you're going if the arrow points right.
Starting from where the story segments end...
After the intro sequence, you will be left to your own devices, for the most part.
Whenever you encounter something you haven't yet done, a small in-game tutorial will pop
up
and instruct you.  Weapons, jumping/hanging, bow use, controlling Arokh...
Your first task is to meet Lady Myschala at the Palace.  Sounds simple, right?  Well,
there
are a few obstacles in the way.  First, it's a bit of a stroll.  As you start, you can
see
a pavilion ahead of you.  The guard there tells you that there's a dummy set up for
combat
practice.  Hey, I'm a member of the Order of the Flame, bonded to a Dragon.  Do I LOOK
like
I need practice?  Anyway, practice if you want, but the main reason you're there is for
personal gain.  There's a chest in the pavilion.  Approach it, and the contents magically
spew out.  In this case, money.  There is also a barrel that may be broken (Try a
Down-Down,
S attack), and usually contains a Goblet (worth 50 gold).
Continue down the path.  Be careful you don't fall off the cliff.  It's not easy to do,
but
I managed it my first time playing. =/  When you reach a fenced segment of cliff, three
Grull will accost you and demand all your shineys.  Well, you're certainly not going to
waste your hard-earned money on them, are you?  Time to get a little bloody.  They're not
too hard, just don't let them surround you.  You should get a Potion of Life from Olak
(The
different-colored one.)  Before you move on, open your inventory and HotSlot the potion
you
just got.  Simply highlight it and press X.  Turn east into the alcove they jumped out of
and head uphill into a small cave.  Yay, more shineys.  Three barrels, a crate, and a
chest
await.  Head out of the alcove and run on to the south.
As you approach a bridge, another dragon flies by.  That is a Blackwing Dragon, which
could
be easily taken out by a six-year old with a slingshot.  Well, not really, but Arokh is
more than a match for it.  Pity Arokh's not here, though.  Keep going.  Uh-oh, the bridge
is broken.  What are all those taxpayer gold pieces going towards if adventurers have to
jump across broken bridges?  Jump across and pull yourself up.  If you miss, the fall
isn't
great enough to kill you, or even hurt you.
Next up is an ingenious Grull trap.  Ooh, pity about the poor sod under that tree.  Well,
makes a nice prompt for the Rolling tutorial.  Kill the approaching Grull and receive two
Health Elixirs.  HotSlot them.  There's nothing up the hill, so continue downhill to the
next pavilion and an archery lesson.  Grab the bow off the table, HotSlot it, and fire
off
a few shots if you think you need it.  Continue on into town.  The guard at the gate says
you'll need to take the lift.  But, let's explore Surdana a bit first, eh?
=Surdana=
As you enter, a cutscene occurs.  Watch the pretty effects and listen to the storyline.
Jade's Magic Emporium is now added to your map.  For now, turn left and talk to the
nervous-looking man ahead.  Oh, dear.  I hope you're not afraid of spiders.
=Quest: The Villager's Cellar=
Enter the villager's house and ransack his chests before moving on to the lower levels.
I
suggest you use your bow for this, as the things are hard to hit with your little knife.
Kill the first one ("Oh, my!  Look at the size of these things!"), break the barrels with
your knife (Remember how to switch between HotSlotted weapons? Press R1, use L1/R1 or the
D-Pad to search for the weapon, and press S or X to equip it.), and, for simplicity's
sake,
move straight on.  The three spiders in the next room should each take three arrows to
kill.
Unless you miss.  Break the barrels in here for some gold, and open the chest for another
Health Elixir.  Go down the next set of stairs and turn left.  Three more spiders await
you
here.  More barrels, two crates, and a Wood Club lie in this room.  Leave the room and go
left again.  Whaddaya know, three more spiders.  Kill them to hear Rynn mention that it
seems like they're all dead now.  Grab your well-earned booty from the chest in this
room,
and turn to the left from the way you came in.  Attack the wall here a few times to
reveal
an alcove with a switch.  Press L1 to activate it.  Now head up the next stairs.  Turn
left
again in the next room, go up the stairs, and when you return to the room, head for the
closed door next to the bed.  It should open, revealing another lever.  Pull it.  Then,
exit the house and speak to the villager again to receive your reward.  250 Gold.  Not
too
shabby.
=Surdana=
Now, from the villager, turn left and head to the next building you see.  The sign
outside
says, "Sorolla's Tavern."  Well, there's always news to be had in a Tavern, isn't there?
From your point of entry, speak to the man at the lower right table.  He informs you of
the
Inquisitor, who we shall visit at a later time.  Speak to the bartender for news of
another
sidequest, the Brothers of the Word.  No one else has much of interest to say.  Leave the
bar.
Run down the road until you come to a building on your right.  This is the blacksmith's
shop, home to a man who would obviously rather be out there smashing skulls than in there
smashing iron.  I recommend selling the Wood Club you got, as it's not durable enough or
powerful enough to carry you through tough times, and you'll be needing the inventory
space.
Buy a Wood Shield (If you want, I got rid of shields later, due to lack of space) and
whichever weapon strikes your fancy.  Either the Steel Scimitar, Steel Short Sword, Iron
Axe, or Iron Club are serious contenders.  I personally went with the Scimitar.  HotSlot
and equip your new weapon and shield, removing your old dagger from the HotSlots.  Note
that when you switch from the sword to the bow, your shield is unequipped and must be re-
equipped when you change back to the sword or it will have no effect.  Now, behind you
and
to the right is another door.  If you broke the wall and pulled the two levers in the
villager's house, this door will be open.  Pull the lever in there.
These three levers pave the way to another lever and a ton of money later in the game.
For
now, leave the blacksmith's.
Continue on across the square from the blacksmith's to reach the Alchemist's shop.  Here
you may buy potions of healing and Mana.  You'll also begin the Blackwing Egg sidequest.
If you need potions (You shouldn't), buy some.  Then, leave the laboratory and turn
right.
Head back towards the bar, but head past it towards the tower you see in the distance.
Enter and ride the lift up.  Continue on across the bridge and into the Palace.
After the storyline, You will receive 300 Gold and Arokh will deposit you in front of the
blacksmith's shop.  Talk to him again to initiate the Toadfist's Helm sidequest.
Your next mission is to infiltrate the Shadowmire and retrieve the Cipher Rune from the
Tree of Mourning.  But, let's do some exploring first.  Turn right from the blacksmith's
and head out the gate and across the bridge.  Go down the hill and head for the house you
see.  Not STRAIGHT down, mind you.  Head left and go around.  On your way, you should see
a
sign pointing the way to the Shadowmire.  We'll come back to that later.
The lady in the garden has a bit of a chip on her shoulder.  Just ignore her and raid her
house for gold.  Continue south from her gate, and east, killing a few unfortunate Grull
on
your way.  At one point, you should turn east and come to a house, where the farmer will
mention his wife went for mushrooms and hasn't returned.  And yes, you CAN kill the
chickens.
=The Mushroom Caves=
From the farmer's house, head south, then east, then turn north, then east until you
reach
a cave entrance.  Now SAVE!  You're about to enter a dungeon, and you haven't saved since
the start of the game.  Now on to one of the butt-ugliest monsters I've seen in a while.
Combat with these guys is basically the same as with all other melee enemies.  Hack-hack-
hack, roll back to avoid attack, run in, repeat until one or the other of you dies.  Move
on into a large room with a ledge running around it.  Kill the two that come at you, then
whip out your bow and try to take out the one you can see on the opposite ledge.  It's a
bit far for your current bow, but you can manage. 7 or 8 good hits should take it down.
If
you turn right and cross the small lake below, you can obtain a Bitter Touch (8 Attack,
300
Durability, Very Fast, Armor Piercing, cool visual effect, can freeze enemies) from the
alcove with the glowing blue mushrooms.  The path onward, however, lies to the left.
As you enter the next room, stop, look, and listen.  Those Scavengers make a distinctive
sound.  You can tell roughly where they are by what ear the sound is coming in.  Continue
to your right and down the path, making a quick left into the cave at the bottom of the
large dirt mound.  Three of the things are in here, and another one should come skulking
around the corner as you're finishing those three off.  There's a bag of 150 Gold inside
the small cave, next to a couple skeletons.  Give a small prayer for the departed souls,
nab their goodies, and move on.  As you exit the small cave, look up with the right stick
and you should see two more beasts on top of the next ledge.  If you feel like it, take
out
your bow and snipe them off.  I gained a level at this point, and added it to Melee
Skill.
Moving on, the columned area contains another Scavenger, two treasure chests, and a Steel
Club on the central altar.  This weapon is more powerful than your current one, but
slower.
You decide whether to equip it or not.  Continue up the hill and across the ledge.  If
you
didn't deal with the beasts before, you'll have to now.  Be careful on the ledge, as the
path narrows in places.  Stay close to the wall and stay safe.  In the next tunnel, head
to
the left and along the ledge you could see in the first room.
The next passageway has an easily overlooked alcove with a beast and 150 Gold in it.
Keep
going through the next two beasts until you find the farmer's wife.  Gee, she looks to be
in good shape for someone who survived a monster's lair.  Speak to her and continue
onward
until you come to a doorway of white stone.  Push the rock out of the way and head out of
the cave.  The wife will thank you and "run" off.  Follow her back to the farm and speak
to
the farmer to receive your just reward, 300 Gold.
=Surdana=
Return to Surdana and sell the items you don't think you'll need.  If you really can't
decide whether or not to sell something, just drop it in a corner of the shop.  You can
usually come back for it later.  If you have the money and think you need it, go ahead
and
buy the Ornate Leather armor.  Now then.  Time to buy some magic.  Head left out of the
blacksmith's shop, and swim down the stream, past the waterwheel, until you come to the
waterfall.  Stand on the rock in the middle of the fall, and SAVE!  If you missed, you'd
have been right back at the beginning of the Mushroom Cave.  Take a running jump off the
rock.  You should land safely in the water at the bottom of the falls.  Swim southeast
until you come to a path uphill.  Follow it until you reach a large tower.  Your map
should
confirm that this is Jade's Magic Emporium.  Enter and speak to Jade.  She will give you
more information about the Desert Lords and offer a wide selection of magic.  Nearly
every
spell in the game, in fact.  I would recommend Fear, for your first spell.  You probably
don't have much money or Magic Skill yet, anyway.  When you're done buying magic, go down
the hill and head north along/through the river until you reach a gate. Speak to the
guard
and he will open it.  Run through and save when it prompts you, and you will enter...
=Shadowmire=
"*Cough, cough* Ugh, what a stink!  What sort of place have you sent me to, Arokh?"
Run along the bank and speak to the man to begin the Missing Daughter sidequest.
Continue
on along the bridge.  You can't do anything about the closed gate to the right, so
continue
to the left and down.  When you reach the actual wet part of the marsh, go south first.
Kill everything you encounter.  Trogs aren't that different from Grulls, just a tiny bit
harder.  Oh, and the brown ones are harder than the green ones.  As you move north,
you'll
encounter a Trog Mage.  These can be deadly, but snipe them from behind a tree and you
should be fine.  Keep going north until you reach a cave.  Rather lovely decoration
outside,
isn't it?  I guess this game earns its "M" rating.  Explore the inside for a few barrels,
a
Rusty Short Sword, and one very unsettling soup.
Leave the cave and head roughly northwest from the signpost.  See those platforms?  You
can
get to them by jumping from the banks.  If at first you don't succeed, try again at a
different spot.  On the second platform, you'll encounter your first exploding barrel.
You'll recognize it by its tapered appearance and row of symbols along the top and
bottom.
Take out the normal barrel next to it with a poke, not a swing.  Jump to the next
platform
and follow the walkway to a few more barrels.  Jump to the next one to the west, then
northeast to the next higher one.  Break the barrels, then climb the crates and jump west
to the next platform.  Now you have to start jumping downwards.  Look and aim carefully
for
best results.  As usual, barrels and chests are scattered along your route.  When you
land,
return to the east to collect the enemies you skipped on your journey through the trees.
A
cave nearby holds a Short Wood Bow, a Health Elixir, and several crates, barrels, and
exploding barrels.  Another cave holds a Half Mana, gold, and barrels.  Continue in a
northerly direction and you will reach a segment of stone ruins.  Barrels float in the
water nearby, and may be broken in the usual manner.  Jump inside the ruins to find
another
barrel.  SAVE.
A cave further along holds some goodies for you, plus a Trog.  A Brown Trog and a Trog
Mage
will accost you as you continue your northward trek.  Beware!  Up ahead lies a trap of
fiendish design and complexity!  The fiercest of warriors are no match for its brutal
efficiency!  ...It's a swinging spiked log.  Just roll under it.
No matter which way you go in the next area, you'll run afoul of arrow traps.  These rise
out of the water and shoot darts at you.  Fortunately, using the tree sniping method or
simply hiding behind a tall stump will render them impotent.  Two arrows will take them
out.
I recommend exploring the whole area before going up the hill.  Be careful, there's a
Trog
Mage in the area as well as around five of those arrow traps.  On a raised wooden
platform
(Climb a ladder to get there) lies a Potion of Invisibility!  Quite useful, and sells for
a
goodly chunk.  Take a moment to SAVE, then head up the hill to the east.
Upon reaching the stone ruins, speak with the arrogant man standing there, and then
continue on your way.  After a couple of Trogs, you'll reach a fork in the path.  Go
downhill for now.  Cross the bridge and explore the cave.  You should find some gold and
a
Health Elixir.  Cross back over the bridge and continue uphill.  SAVE before entering the
next cave.  Inside lie a Potion of Life, several Trogs, and some gold.  Be careful of
holes
in the floor of the stone segment.  Exit the cave and continue downhill.  At the end of
the
upcoming bridge waits a Trog Mage.  Really hard to jump across the gaps in the bridge
when
you're getting zapped.  Either take him out with arrows (Though he's a little out of
range)
or try out that Fear spell, maybe.  Once across the bridge, head northwest and down the
hill.  Before jumping to the platform, take out the defenseless Trog with your bow.
Once off the platforms and in the water, head southwest first.  A few arrow traps stand
in
your way, and that's it.  All that was for was experience.  Now head northeast.
=QUEST: The Missing Daughter=
Three Trogs stand ready to roast the poor woman at the stake.  While I'm sure it's
delicious, I have a mild objection to long pig barbecue.  And so does Rynn, who objects
with the power of cold steel.  After defeating the Trogs, Rynn sets the girl free, who
then
says she can find her way back on her own.  That's even more unbelievable than the
farmer's
wife coming through that cave without a scratch.
=Shadowmire Continued=
Climb the ladder and beat off the Trogs waiting for you.  If they're already attacking
the
ladder above you, climb back down, back off, and take them out with your bow.  SAVE.
Explore the cave for a little gold, a Health Elixir, and... Oops, a broken ladder.  Kill
the Trog waiting for you and continue.
Now you enter spider country.  Time for the bow.  These are tricky bastards.  They'll lie
in wait on the ceilings, then spin down nearly on top of you.  If one approaches and
stops
a little ways ahead of you, roll or jump backwards, since it's about to leap.  Be careful
of the BIG bastard in the next chamber.  Look up and hit your target lock button to catch
the ones on the ceiling.  Keep heading through the tunnels, shooting spiders.  There's
another big one up ahead.  Keep going until you come to a lift.  At the top, head through
the tunnels to the north.  Exit the cave, and congratulations!  You've reached the Tree
of
Mourning!  From where you are, you can see an entry into the base of the tree.  Just head
in and... Whoops.  Should've known this wouldn't be that easy.  Head back out of the
tree,
then north and into the cave.
Slay the Trogs and cross the log bridge, then snag the gold from the treasure chest to
the
northwest.  Head east along the ledge, and SAVE when you get to the pit you need to jump.
Continue on and jump to the platform.  Time to start jumping downwards again.  If you
look
around, you can see where you'll need to jump to.  At the bottom, three Trogs and a Trog
Mage wait.  Fear helps a hell of a lot there.  Continue until you find a sign that says
"KEEP OUT."  SAVE.  Continue on to reach the Hermit's Hut.  Explore the outside to obtain
a
Rusty Axe, then enter the hut.
Take the key from the wall to the left, then open the chest for a Potion of Life and a
Steel Club.  If you're running out of room, feel free to drop one of your Rusty items.
You're probably out of arrows for your first bow, too.  Go ahead and drop it, it won't do
you much good without ammo.  Head out of the hut and head south until you reach a cave.
Kill the creatures in here.  I gained a level at this point, and added it to Magic Skill.
A Wood Long Bow and some barrels wait at the stone ruins, plus you can jump through the
hole in the back for a Potion of Life.  Moving on, we come to a sealed passageway.  This
is
what we need the Blasting Pot to open.  Head out of the cave and continue along the
shoreline to the north until you reach Tull's Mine.
Enter the mine and turn left.  The first satchel lies on a table just past the first
lift.
The second satchel sits on a table at the top of the lift.  Continue on, killing Trogs as
you go.  Ride the next lift, and grab the third satchel from the table at the top.  Keep
going through the cave until you reach an exit.  Run along the path until you reach
another
cave opening.  The fourth satchel should be just inside.  To continue on, you'll need to
pull the lever by the next lift.  This leads back into the first cave, so you can now
give
the four Powder Satchels to the Hermit and receive the Blasting Pot.  At this point, I
ditched the Short Bow I had in favor of the Long Bow.
Take the Blasting Pot back to the sealed passageway.  Blow it open and SAVE.  Take a
right
at the big idol to smash a few barrels, then continue in the opposite direction.
Continue
past the lift and take out the two Trogs on the other side of the gate.  You can either
use
your bow, or poke your sword/club/axe through the holes.  Now, go down the lift.  A Trog
Mage and three or four more Trogs dwell in the small lake ahead.  Take either passageway,
it doesn't matter.  But there are a couple of barrels in the left-hand passage.
In the next chamber, defeat the Trogs and take the passageway between the two you came
from.
Oh, look, it's the blowhard from before.  Might as well rescue him.  Pull the lever and
talk to him.  He looks a bit the worse for wear, don't you think?  Anyway, there are a
couple of barrels in the other cell.  Head back upstairs and take the passageway opposite
your position.  This contains a few barrels and a Health Elixir.  Leave the room with the
Elixir and turn right.  You should see a fallen column pointing the way to a hole in the
wall.  Go through said hole.  Another Trog Mage.  Continue up the hill, kill the Trogs,
and
SAVE.  Head through the stone hall into a kitchen, then out through the east.
This leads to the library.  One of the shelves has a ladder attached to it.  Climb up,
SAVE,
then jump to the square stone ring supporting the central brazier.  A couple bags of gold
await.  When you're done up there, return to the shelf with the ladder and climb down.
You
can try and jump from the brazier or supporting chains to the fallen bookshelf, but
there's
a good chance you'll be hurt in the fall.
I'm going to assume you already know to search the rooms for barrels by now, and avoid
the
explosive ones.  In the next room, jump over the cages and into a stone passageway to
reach
a large spider and a treasure chest containing a Full Mana, a Potion of Life, and an
Invulnerability Potion!  Jump through the hole into the room below, and kill everything
there.  Head north now.  You should reach the area under the tree.  Grab the Rune and
return the way you came.  As you go, a cutscene shows a grate opening and releasing a few
Trogs at you.  Kill the Trogs and head into the newly opened tunnel.  SAVE.  Continue
along
through the Dining Hall.  A bit further, a Trog Mage will attempt to snipe at you from an
elevated position, so snipe back from the cover of that stack of cages.
From the next room, you can look down into Toadfist's throne room, but don't try jumping
in.
Head west instead.  Take the lift down, and continue downhill.  When you reach the
barrels,
break them, heal, and SAVE.  Then, enter the throne room.
=BOSS: Toadfist=
As you'd expect from the first real boss in a game, Toadfist is... wimpy.  But don't take
him lightly.  Stay at close range and beat the slime out of him.  He has a long-range
magic
attack that nearly always hits, no matter how you dodge.  His close-range attack is
either
a simple swipe, or a lengthy whirlwind attack.  A successful weapon parry can knock him
out
of his whirlwind.  Just keep beating on him and don't let up.  When the battle is over,
grab his helm and the contents of the chests and barrels and continue out.
=Shadowmire Continued=
Head straight north until you exit the cave and come to a bridge.  SAVE.  As you cross
the
bridge, it breaks, dropping you into the swamp below.  Here, four Trog Mages are shooting
at the idiot you rescued earlier.  Snipe them from behind trees, but watch out for the
secondary bolts from their projectiles.  Once he's rescued, he gives you a mystical book
to
unlock a powerful sword.  Head north through the swamp, not up the hill, until you reach
a
stone platform.  Step up onto it and Rynn reads from the tome and unlocks the door.
SAVE.
Enter the tomb and be prepared for a fight.  There is a way to avoid it, but you get
experience for the fight.  To avoid the fight, line yourself up so the sword is between
you
and the door.  Run full-tilt boogie forward, grabbing the sword on your way to the door.
Roll through the door, and you should make it before the portcullis closes.
To fight, simply grab the sword.  Equip it immediately, since it's better than anything
you
have currently.
=BOSS: Skeleton (x4)=
Four Skeletons pop up, one in each corner of the room.  They chase you around, hacking at
you with their axes.  Running attacks are probably best here.  Just keep moving.  If
you're
running, and one's running right behind, take a moment to stop and stab backwards, then
start running again.  After enough random hacking, they should all die.  Leave the tomb
and
head up the path you saw previously.
=Shadowmire Concluded=
That's right, you're nearly done!  And you now have a shiny new magic sword.  The Earth
Blade.  Only problem is, you can't parry with it until you use up all its charges.
Continue along the path and through the cave.  Kill the last vestiges of the Trogs, loot
their treasure, and pull the lever to open the gate.  You're right back near the start of
the level now.  Cross the bridge and speak to the man to receive the reward for saving
his
daughter, a Potion of Life, and a 225 Gold Diamond.  Head through the tunnel and out.
=Surdana=
Chances are, things really need repair right now.  After the cutscene, go visit the
blacksmith to claim your reward for bringing back the helm, and repair your stuff with
that
money.  If you bought the leather armor, go ahead and sell it now.  There's Chain Armor
available.  If you don't feel like selling the Bitter Touch just yet, go ahead and drop
it
on the floor.  It'll stay there.  Same with your Invisibility and Mana Potions as well.
Now that you have Arokh, the whole of Surdana lies open to you.  For now, fly to the
Palace,
then south to the Mother's Eye.  From there, turn west and follow the river below you.
Here, a Blackwing dragon sits on its nest.  Shoot it down, land next to the nest, and
collect the three eggs it was guarding.  Remember that the alchemist pays good money for
those.  Further down that path, the gateway to the Valley of the Fallen lies closed to
you.
You will return there later.
Now, fly back to the palace and then east past the magic shop.  Just past there, turn
south
and fly until you reach the monastery of the Brothers of the Sacred Word.  Land,
dismount,
and enter the monastery.  Turn left and speak to the man at the table.  Then, head west,
turn south, and speak to the man in front of the empty bookcase.  Leave your bow here,
along with any items you don't think you'll need.  I went in with just the Earth Blade,
the
Chain Armor, Elixirs and Potions, and the Dagger.  Head down the stairs and save when it
prompts you to enter...
=Catacombs=
"Whoa.  Niiice monks...  Remember your vows, now!"
The only enemies in this dungeon are axe-wielding skeletons.  They're not as hard as the
ones in the room you got the Earth Blade in.  Three good hits from the Earth Blade and
they'll go down.  Note:  Some of the walls here will break when you attack them.  If a
wall
looks funny, try whacking it.
Approach the first sarcophagus to bring the skeleton out.  Kill it, then head south and
look around the prop skeleton for an Iron Club.  The door at the end of the hall is
blocked
off for now.  But, as you turn to leave, the wall should collapse, revealing another
skeleton and a stairway down.  Two more skeletons jump out at you as you make your way
down
the hall.  Examine the alcove on the right for a treasure chest with some gold.  Continue
down the hall, slaying skeletons as you encounter them.  After the torches go out, enter
the alcove the skeleton busts out of for a Half Mana.
Grab the next Half Mana from the sarcophagus across from the one the next skeleton jumps
from, then pull the lever a bit further on.  This prompts another wall to collapse, with
a
skeleton, a Potion of Life, and a Full Mana.  Continue up the stairs and the wall in
front
of you will break.  Turn left and go through the door.
In the next room, slay the skeletons in the caskets, and then go down the stairs.  SAVE.
The ledge across the way will rise up, so jump and hang to get across.  Resist the urge
to
jump down the stairs.  You'll probably get hurt.  The walls on either side of the next
room
can be broken, revealing a skeleton, a Steel Mace, and some cash.  Continue on to the
south.
When you reach the stairs, attack the wall across from them for a skeleton and some gold.
SAVE and go up the stairs.
The doors close, and you must fight 16 skeletons in the dark, five at a time.
Fortunately,
their eyes glow.  Try jumping on top of a sarcophagus and using the Downward Slash from
there.  Collect the goodies from the chests, and head out of the room to the south.  Slay
the one in the hall, then enter the next room.  10 skeletons jump out of sarcophagi one
or
two at a time.  Not too hard.  Head west into the next room.  Wait for the floor to stop
collapsing, then jump across and up to the western doorway.
Continue straight for an Iron Club, some gold and potions.  SAVE, then head north and
down
the stairs into an interior decorator's nightmare.
=BOSS: Bone Lord=
This guy has a cool flaming sword.  He only has two attacks, however.  A normal sword
slash
or combo, and an expanding ring of fire spell.  He's not even that hard, really.  Just
keep
at him.  He's pretty slow and clumsy, plus he's brittle.  10-12 hits should do him in.
Grab the Flamestrike that drops from his body. (15 Attack, 300 Durability, Fast, Armor
Piercing, sets enemies afire, has fire-based magical attack).  Now explore the two
southern