HINT SHEET FOR TATTERDEMALION

To use this hint sheet, select the invisible text under the questions you want to read to make it visible. I made the answers to the questions invisible so you can't accidentally read a hint you don't want to read.

The Bodyguard Storyline

Remember that if you become a Bodyguard to ask the Sorcerer Vilone about 'service'.

*****THE CAVES NEAR DOLOMITE (GIANT OGRES)

WHAT'S WITH THAT FIRST GIANT OGRE?

He's got problems, that's for sure. Not too many people stab themselves in the face for fun. Notice how he took no damage from that, though.

THERE'S AN OGRE BLOCKING A PASSAGEWAY, AND I CAN'T THINK OF A GOOD STORY TO TELL HIM.

Remember what the ogres you met before told you: they thought you were wearing great disguises, which made you look human. They told you go to see the king. Why not relay that information to the guard? Try some keywords which are related to this information and see what happens.

I FOUND A STRANGE PIECE OF ACIDIC WOOD. WHAT DO I DO WITH IT?

Just keep it for now. When you go back to the Grove, Tocaunde will be very interested in it.

I CAN'T GET THE "SHINY THING" UNDER THE PILE OF RABBIT SKINS.

This is one of those false clues I threw in for people who skim the hint sheet before playing a scenario. How long did you spend looking for the rabbit skins before you gave up, read this, and found out there ARE no rabbit skins?

IF I SAY "RABBITS" TO ANY GIANT OGRE, THEY ALL ATTACK ME.

"Rabbits is giant ogre's natural enemy!" Or something like that. Yeah, they really freak out over things like this. And they're WAY too powerful to fight, so don't think this is what you're supposed to do.

I FOUND A BUNCH OF STUFF IN A NOT-VERY-SECRET SECRET PLACE.

At least one thing there will be useful.

WHAT'S THE POINT OF THIS CAVE, ANYWAY?

Have you seen the Tatterdemalion giving orders to an army? Until you have, there IS no point to this cave.

THERE'S A BIG ARMY ABOUT TO DESTROY TRIANE. WHEN I LEAVE THE CAVE TO WARN PEOPLE, I'M TOO LATE.

Sounds like leaving the cave isn't a very good idea. At least not until you've found a solution to the ogre problem.

OKAY, SO WHAT'S THE SOLUTION TO THE OGRE PROBLEM?

HINT:

Have you found a use for any of the things you found in the not-very-secret treasure chamber? You should have found a big piece of chalk, a trophy, a pink wooden star, and a bell. Examine these objects by getting "information" on them in the special item screen.

I NEED ANOTHER HINT.

Okay. The lake with the fish? The ogre that says "Don't make noise or you'll scare the fish?" The bell that makes a loud "bong" noise? Did I mention that the fish are red? Did I mention that they're herrings? The fish and the bell are useless in this plotline.

STILL NOT GOOD ENOUGH.

Okay. The star has no value either (in this plotline).

I'M STILL STUMPED.

Okay. It looks like you can draw something on the support pillar with the chalk, if you want, but when you do, nothing ever happens. And nothing ever will, in this plotline. So now there's only one item left: the trophy. Take a good look at the trophy. What does it say? Have you found someone who might take an interest in something that claims to be what this trophy claims to be?

ENOUGH WITH THE HINTS! TELL ME WHAT TO DO.

Give the trophy to the giant ogre who guards the treasure pit. Give it to him by putting it on the stand, because he says anything on the stand belongs to him. The guard will think he's suddenly become "most valuable", so he'll jump into the pit (so no one steals him). Now go to the pit. Look in. Talk to the giant. Tell him to throw out the "tube". He gets tubes and shoes confused sometimes, so if that doesn't work, tell him to throw out a "shoe". If you have the tube, you can get the map inside. With the map, you have everything you need to defeat the ogre army. Just leave the caves while you own the map. Read the map if you want to understand why this is all you need to do.

*****THE CAVES NEAR AEGRE (THE MOUNTAIN PATH)

HOW CAN I BEAT ALL THOSE DWARVES?

This is actually such a straight-forward, hack-and-slash section of the scenario, I don't think hints are really necessary. But if you're having a lot of trouble with the dwarves, why not try the ogre cave first? (The caves near Dolomite.) You'll get experience points in there, at least when you leave.

*****THE CAVES NEAR OPELKA (OUTCASTLE)

WHEN I ENTER THIS CAVE, I HEAR VOICES FROM THE NORTH, BUT I CAN'T FIND A WAY TO GET IN.

There's a secret passageway in the left-hand section of the first cavern.

NO THERE ISN'T! I CHECKED!

Then you haven't done the ogre cave and the mountain path yet. See, the Outcastle is a trap set by the Tatterdemalion. It won't let you in there until it's convinced you could be a real threat. Go convince it.

WHAT'S WITH THE STATUES?

Those are pretty important, but only for plot reasons. You'll understand better by the end of the storyline.

WHAT'S BEEN TAKEN FROM RIGHT NEAR THE THREE-KEY DOOR?

You'll find out. Keep playing.

HOW DO I GET PAST THE DOOR THAT REQUIRES THREE KEYS?

Find the three keys?

NO KIDDING. HOW ABOUT TELLING ME SOMETHING I DON'T KNOW?

Okay, okay. There are three rooms in the northern half of the castle: one filled with priests, one filled with fighters, and one filled with wizards. These are people who were kicked out of the Holy Ones, the Bodyguards, and the Sorcerers, respectively. Each group is given one of the keys, so the keys are hidden in these three rooms. Look at the paintings in the fighter room, look for the chair in the tiny alcoves in the priest room, and look in the potted plants in the wizard room.

I GOT THROUGH THE DOOR. THAT "DOOM" PUN WAS AWFUL.

Thank you!

I FOUND SOMEONE IN THE CELLAR WHO IS BLOCKING THE EXIT.

Wish that person "farewell", as she asks you to.

*****THE NULL BUG QUEST

HOW DO I GET THIS QUEST?

Talk to Vilonia, in Aegre.

I FOUND THE LAIR. THERE'S WAY TOO MANY INSECTS TO FIGHT!

True. Notice, though, how some of them are staying away from you? Maybe, if you're careful where you travel, you don't HAVE to fight them all.

WOULD YOU BE MORE SPECIFIC, PLEASE?

Walk straight north after entering the null bug lair. You might have to sidestep a little bit once or twice, but most (not all) of the insects won't come into the vertical center of the lair.

*****THE AVIAN FORTRESS

HOW CAN I FIND THE PATH TO THE DESERT?

Talk to Dothar of Opelka. But don't bother doing this until the Avians attack the Grove. He won't help you until then.

HOW CAN I GET INTO THE FORTRESS?

Go to the north side of the fortress, but the western half. One of those white dot specials shows you a window you can climb in.

NOW I CAN'T GET OUT!

You sure are hard to please! :-)

I MADE IT TO THE ROOM WITH THE TWO ROWS OF AVIANS AND THE AVIAN LORD. THERE'S A PASSAGE TO THE SOUTH THAT DEAD ENDS, BUT I THINK I NEED TO GET PAST THE DEAD END.

You do indeed. Go back to the room with the two bookcases, two treasure chests, and the brazier. Look at the brazier. Now you're set!

OKAY, NOW FOR REAL: I CAN'T GET OUT BECAUSE I DON'T KNOW THE WIZARD'S SPECIALTY.

HINT:

What do those four big rooms contain?

HINT:

They contain fiery lava, water, strong wind, and an earthen floor.

ANSWER:

Fire, water, air, and earth? The wizard specializes in "element" in any form: "elements", "elemental", etc. Even "elementqqq", because only the first seven letters matter.

OKAY, I'M OUT. NOW WHAT?

Go back to the Grove. Talk to Tocaunde.

*****THE DREADFUL CATACOMBS

HOW DO I GET THROUGH THIS?

HINT:

Notice that the caves collapse when you step on five magic energy pools. Maybe you should look for a path that only requires stepping on FOUR magic energy pools.

ANSWER:

Here's a path for you. Starting from the VERY BEGINNING of the Catacombs, take the following steps. (N3=North 3 steps, SW=SouthWest one step, SE5=SouthEast 5 steps, and so forth.)

S2, W4, S8, W3, S3, W2, S2, W3, S3, E7, S, E5, S5.

I CAN'T DEFEAT THE TATTERDEMALION!

You don't have to fight it. In fact, fighting it is stupid. Spread out and attack the bushes. I hope you have at least one charge left from the ring of haste that Vilonia gave you for doing the Null Bug quest. You did do that, right?