This is the Legacy of the Ancients Walkthrough. For the most part
this walk through was written by the efforts Perry Eidelbus. Thanks
to Perry for his time and effort!
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(**Joel Logan and I have had problems with the Caretaker giving us the
iron key, and asking us to help find the sceptor and crown. The only time
I've completed the game, the Caretaker asked me upon returning the tulip
to the display. To verify my walkthrough, I started a new game; after 100
days, I made level 2 just from training schools and obtaining weapons. Yet
the Caretaker never asked me, though I duplicated all I could: train,
magic and weapons, stone key, tulip and seeds, Casandra, return tulip to
display, see Caretaker for iron key.
I started another game, visiting the Caretaker at the very start, but not
again until I returned the tulip; he promoted but still didn't ask me to
help! It was the same when I tried a third time, seeing him before
returning the tulip to the display. I even tried visiting all the towns,
including Eagle Hollow, but Joel hasn't had luck even after finding the
crown in the dungeon. It doesn't seem to matter if you've visited the
castle again, or bumped against and fought the iron-key door. I even made
sure to view the "Healing Herbs" exhibit and buy some. The only difference
I can see is time: when I first finished the game I returned the tulip
after 1300 days. My first failed attempt was after only a thousand days,
and the second and third were less than 200 days. All I can think of is
the need to be patient and spend time exploring.**)
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In my walkthrough, you must build a bankroll at the start, at least 5000
gold. Your immediate goal is to buy magic spells for storming the castle
near Alanville; you'll also need money for weapons/armor, coins, food,
healers and healing herbs. The manual suggests acquiring gold by robbing,
killing monsters, odd jobs (mail) and visiting castles and dungeons.
Additionally, the "Fountain" exhibit (jade coins) gives you 100 gold per
view until you return the tulip; going to Thornberry nets 300, and the
"Native Currency" exhibit gives 700-1500 per topaz coin.
Robbing towns is impractical until bows appear late in the plot; you're no
match for the guards in close-quarters. Using magic against them is too
expensive; the "take" from any town is never worth it. Killing monsters
takes time, and you spend a lot of money on healing. Delivering mail isn't
sufficiently frequent to be serious income, and you can't even afford
magic to conquer castles and dungeons! Gambling is best: flip-flop has
terrible odds, so I do blackjack. I prefer playing in Alanville and
Thompson Crossing since the dealers and banks are close. Regardless of
your starting gold, having more than 2500 tends to "break the bank" and
get the guards after you. When I reach 2500, I deposit 2000 and return for
more. Be very careful of "natural" blackjacks around 2000 if you're
betting 300-500 at a time.
1. Magic is cheapest in Mazelton. It has no bank, so bring your money with
you; 5700 gold buys the max of 100 flames and 100 firebolts (19 and 38
gold, respectively). Explore the continent: improve your weapons and
armor, buy food, more magic and coins. Expect bandits to ambush you and
steal the Compendium within your first few hundred days. With your first
topaz coin, view the "Healing Herbs" exhibit so you can buy them; they're
useful in the castle and necessary in dungeons and the fortress. Once you
have 100 each of flames and bolts, and at least ten healing herbs, you can
storm the castle. Your first two visits will use a lot of magic (bows will
make it easy later); the guards are even stronger there, but the items
within are worth it.
2. Castle guards will ignore you until you open a chest. The one in the
very upper-left has the stone key; open it before any others. When the
guards attack, kill them with magic as you open the other chests. Flames
kill guards next to you; a bolt, guards two steps away. Hopefully your
spells will be lucky and won't fizzle out (common with low intelligence).
Use the key to unlock the door on the left side, then speak to Casandra
inside. Choose charm (+15), not gold (5000). There's 6000 gold in the
chests anyway; in the locked room near the exit is a chest with 1200 gold
alone. On the right side look for two secret passages marked by breaks in
the double-lines. The top one leads to the "Fountain" tulip in a chest.
The bottom one leads to another locked door; inside is a bush with magic
seeds that make you invisible in the castle. You can take only five this
one time; this first visit, use none. Just kill guards as you need; the
seeds will be for later.
3. Return to the "Fountain" exhibit for the reward of charm +15. Then
speak to the Caretaker; he'll congratulate you, then ask if you'd like to
help find a scepter and crown. He'll give you an iron key (for another
castle door). Also, any time you return to the Museum, see the Caretaker;
the worst he can say is "Exhibit closed" or "You must do more..." He will
promote you, update you on the Compendium and give you hints. Sometimes
for me I needed to re-examine the display immediately, then he'd say more.
4. Double-mail should now be available; wait for some, then raid the
castle again. Don't fight through this time. The door is in the middle of
a passage running along the far-left edge. Kill the guards in the room
first, open the chests for the scepter and gold, then eat a magic seed;
there's nothing else to take. If you eat a seed immediately, guards won't
get in your way, so you can escape without fighting (try speaking to a
guard, hehe). When you return to the Museum, the Caretaker will hint that
the crown is deep underground, i.e. in the pirates' dungeon.
5. Before using the "Pirate Treasure" exhibit, stock up on food and magic,
including dungeon spells. Bring also three of each weapon and armor piece;
I've sadly noted how dungeon monsters break or eat your weapons and armor.
Also before any dungeons, improve your magic abilities by playing "Stones
of Wisdom" in the museum. It requires an amethyst coin, plus 50 gold per
extra play (you may want to bring at least 1000). Aim for an intelligence
of 30; it takes time, and the dealer seems to play with loaded dice, but
the difference is that more spells will succeed.
6. Go to the pirates' lair; buy a raft in Eagle Hollow, then sail due west
for the dungeon. You'll find hit points and gold throughout, but only
occasional weapons and armor; you'll be glad that you brought backups --
and herbs. The crown and first sapphire coin are at the bottom. You'll get
strength +15 after climbing out; return to the museum, and the Caretaker
will give you magic ice. It freezes water, including the river at the
north edge of the castle (that's later). Use the sapphire coin to open the
inner, "dangerous" section of the dungeon; these exhibits are the last of
the quest but are the most challenging.
7. Bill Howland kindly mentioned bow weapons after I asked on comp.sys.cbm
what better weapons await. Before returning to the castle I waited for a
"bow and arrow." Also, I recommend waiting for plated-mail, and another
sapphire coin to do the "Knight's Test." Contrary to the fortune-tellers'
warning, I found it the easiest of the three; you only have to climb up,
not down and back up. The strength +10 it gives is useful for any castle
visit, and in fighting creatures outside (most will now die in two blows,
some in just one).
8. Return to the castle and freeze the river with magic ice. On the
private level the guards will immediately attack, but a bow lets you pick
them off from far away. Get the gold, then walk the "spiral staircase" to
find the brass key. As the fortune-tellers said, there's a secret passage
around the gas trap (sparkling in a corner of a room). The copper key is a
little hard to find, but with it you can get the turquoise coin. There's
also a "Wizard of Potions" who, for 2500 gold, puts your dexterity at 36
and gives you endurance +5. There's one door you still can't open; just
return to the museum. Before returning to the first level, eat a magic
seed so you can escape through the guards.
9. The Guardian exhibit hints that a Tarmalon wizard is behind that last
door. Return to the castle and eat once you reach the second level; go to
the door and "speak", which gives the password you were given. The
Guardian will explain that only the Guardians of the Scroll can help you;
they've spread out to many towns. He will give you a mark on your forearm
to bring you into their sect, but he can't help you more. They turn out to
be the healers, and the particular one you seek is in Eagle Hollow; the
fortune-tellers said that healers are more than what they seem to be.
10. In Eagle Hollow, the healer will recognize your mark and welcome you.
After telling you that only the Four Jewels can stop the Compendium, he'll
give you a ruby coin for the exhibit. It's the third, last and most awful
dungeon. It is by far the worst; it was so difficult that in the middle of
it, I stopped until I learned how to at least increase my spells beyond
normal limits. I used something like 80 kill-flashes to get through.
11. When you return, see the Caretaker for promotion; you should be at
level 7. The last display is of Pegasus, who can take you across the
stormy sea to the warlord's fortress; have plenty of food, and 40 herbs,
before leaving. A diamond coin should be an easy find in the towns. By
this time the Caretaker will have told you three different times of evil
news: "marauders from across the sea" killed a Big Rapids merchant,
Laingsburg is under attack, and a healer in Holy Point is missing. The
healers there have been killed.
12. The fortress' entrance drops you off next to a trap room with no way
around. Either side gets you gassed, even if you examine the room. You'll
wake up in a cell with all possessions, except for any weapons and armor.
I lost my compound bow and Mythan plate. Examining the room suggests the
guard is within hearing distance. Speak to him so he'll come over and tell
you to be quiet, then fight him. You'll kill him, allowing you to escape
at least with a broadaxe (but no armor). Freeze the water to cross; as you
go north-west you'll see guards moving for you. Go into the room, open the
chest and take the yellow guard armor. They'll think you're one of them,
at least until you find them blocking your way; you'll also be warned
they're eyeing you "warily."
13. Here starts the hardest fighting of the game. Unlike town and castle
guards, fortress guards stay in a pattern, so it's nigh impossible to get
them coming one by one. You'll have to kill them all, fighting several at
once. If that weren't bad enough, magic delivers blows under ten points,
and they return 60-80. Luckily most of them die in two or three blows, and
you have 2200 max hit points at level 7. Before fighting, "hold" your
herbs if you should get down to around 200 points. When you reach the room
with the Compendium, the warlord will appear and immobilize you, laughing
at your attempt. He will leave with the Compendium via a secret passage on
the right, ready to cast a global-death spell. Use a healing herb to move
again, then follow that secret passage to more guards, then more below.
Fight them off, then freeze the water patch. Before crossing, refresh all
your hit points, then "hold" the Four Jewels.
14. The Compendium is in the room ahead; it will start attacking you when
you reach the entrance. At this point I was cheating with 250 healing
herbs, but the Compendium destroyed 18 at a time! Be brave and ignore that
and disappearing hit points; get next to the Compendium, "use" the Jewels
to stop it, then take it. Quickly "hold" the healing herbs because the
warlord will appear again -- his attacks are 150 hit points each! Go left,
then down to be next to him, and just fight; when you're down to about 200
hit points, use an herb (he'll pummel you), then another herb (he'll hit
you again). But that should refresh you enough to kill him. When he dies,
a guard's voice announces auto-destruct in five minutes; I don't think
there is an actual time limit, but it's still a hard fight out. You'll
have to use a few more herbs in searching out the escape path. The
fortress will explode as you escape, then you and Pegasus can to return to
the museum.
15. I won't spoil the ending here. However, when the Caretaker promotes
you to level 10 (3000 hit points!), instead of taking a look at the new
display, next time I'm going to explore outside. Abilities after the Four
Jewels dungeon are enough that most countryside monsters die in one blow;
at the very end, it ought to be really fun!
Perry
