Legacy Of The Ancients

Legacy Of The Ancients

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