Primary Goals:
1 - You will gain 2 keys on this level (Copper, Jail) that help you while on this level. The Jail key nets you the Bow, which is needed to pass certain doors to gain weapons from an armory area. The Copper Key lets you gain a fifth Silviera's key (and later, a sixth) which will allow you to gain the most powerful sword of the game for quite a long time, the Capricorn.
2 - You will find chests locked by the Magicians Key, not available until either Lake Noel or Shudoms Cave.
3 - You will encounter the first traps of swinging 'axes', quite tricky to maneuver around and deadly if you are too low in level.
4 - There are MANY hidden doors and one hidden wall compartment to discover.
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Items List: Earth Herbs Antidotes Bloodstone Moonstone Herbal Liquid Dragon Crystal Fire Crystal Wind Crystal * Verdite Crystal * Jail Key Copper Key (x2 *) Silviera's Key (x2) Light Arrows Arrows Gold |
Equipment: Capricorn Sword * Bow Battle Axe Broad Sword Long Sword (x2) Rapier Iron Shield Iron Helm |
* = Must come back later or satisfy some special condition to obtain; Will be described in the Walkthrough.
First of all, there is only 1 Save point in this entire region, right dead center. So, I recommend making your way to it. Take out the slime at the CROSSROADS (as I will refer to it henceforth) and head East. There is a ceiling trap that will drop an Undead Born after you pass it. Ignore the creature for now. Head into the room where James McCain sits, drunk and reliving the 'glory days' of Commander Silviera. (SPECIAL NOTE: If you kill him, you can get a second Copper Key. However, that would be murder and it will prevent you getting a set of armor from Jens the Blacksmith - he despises murderers and will not fashion a set of armor that will make you invulnerable to physical attack. Your choice, but I recommend NOT doing it.)
Head into the next chamber and SAVE. It is a good idea to save whenever you get the chance. You may die often in this region. There is a secret door between 2 barrels in the west wall of this room. Take it and go collect the Jail key from the corpse at the roots of a Reaper. Go back and Save.
Head back to the crossroads and go South, West, then immediately South again. Do NOT go into the area with the bluish walls just yet. The Reaper in the next area has the Copper Key. Continue past it and East. Open the chest in the next area, head North and get another Silviera's Key. You should have 5 now! (NOTE: Undead Born's cast a Darkness spell that looks like a smoky bat. Bloodstones cure it.)
Go back to the crossroads (Save First!!!!!) and head North. This corridor has 3 doors unlocked by Silviera's Keys. After passing through them, turn West after all the slimes, use another Silviera Key, kill the Skeletons (they both will regenerate), open the chests, and search the South wall for a Secret door. Follow this to another Door needing the fifth Silviera's Key. WARNING! The Skeleton in this room is DEADLY, especially right now at your current level. Your goal is on the floor, the Capricorn Sword. The chest in this room needs a Magicians Key; come back here later. Open the door, WALK in, grab the sword and equip it. This Skeleton has a huge Scimitar that does a lot of damage. Try to avoid it or kill it. (Hint - It tends to jump and slice downward a lot more than stabbing or slicing attacks) Use Capricorn, but be aware that it recycles slowly, due to its heavy weight.
Leave the room, take the Key back, go back to the Slime area (collect the other Silviera Key) And head East. Be sure to search the East wall of the room with the 2 Skeleton Guards (with shields) to find a rapier. (Pointed 'stabbing' weapons like the Rapier and Bow do great damage to slimes). Head all the way back to the Crossroads, and then SAVE. Now, head back to the area with the blue walls that I said not to go into. This is both the armory area as well as the jail area (hence, the Jail Key). Head all the way down to the last SMALL cell in the South and unlock it. There is another Scimitar Skeleton as well as a Race to deal with (Races will 'curse' you, dropping all stats). You can also gain the Bow. You NEED the bow. Clean out the other cells, go into the Southwest rooms and take out Skeleton Warriors.
The trick to passing the roof traps is timing the gaps that are created by their different swinging speeds. RUN through them and have your finger ready to press the SELECT button to heal you back with Earth Herbs. There are switches to turn off the traps after you pass each set. In the farthest South room, you will find the Iron Shield.
Go back and Save. Come back to the Jail area and concentrate on the North rooms with 'windows' that allow you to see a chest and a circular design on the far wall. Target the round design with the bow and after it glows, the wall you stand in front of will rise, allowing you access to the room. Open the chest, check the back walls for secret doors. Collect the weapons and kill the Skeletons. Be careful. These guys do gang up on you. Go back and Save.
From the Save Point, head South into the main corridor, turn East, clean out the next big room. Go in the North door, the Barracks themselves, and check each back wall for secret doors. Head back into the Big room, go to the Southeast area and through the door in the South wall. When done, Save.
Then head back to the Big room, into the Southwest corner, and go through the door in the West wall and head towards the Forest of Varde.