Pools of Darkness
Tips and Mini-Walkthru
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Table of Contents

Part I: Getting Started
Composition of Parties
Special Strategies
Phlan

Part II: The Sundering
Melvaunt
Taydome's Keep
Dragonhorn Gap
Sulasspryn
Manshoon & Zhentil Keep
Myth Drannor

Part III: The Road to Bane
Thorne & the Dragons
Marcus, the Red Tower & Tanetal
Zhentil Keep, the Drow & Kalistes
Mulmaster, Arcam & Gothmenes

Part IV: Dave's Challenge

Credits
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Part I: Getting Started

Pools of Darkness (or POD for short) is somewhat atypical for a gold box game. 
In particular, where the usual AD&D product pretty much leads you by the nose so 
you have no trouble staying on track, POD goes in the other direction, not 
giving you much help at all in deciding what to do or where to go next.  
Sometimes, even when you think you know where to visit, nothing seems to be 
happening there (or at least, nothing of much importance).

In addition, there are several set-ups in the game that you need to know about 
so you can survive the experiences. A lot of damage gets tossed at your party, 
and knowing when it's coming can help your people stay alive.

If you are creating a party from scratch (instead of bringing one over from 
Secret of the Silver Blades, which is better than making a new one), you don't 
want non-humans unless you plan on bringing them in as thieves or as a multi-
class something/thief.  A thief is the only class where non-humans can max out 
(unlimited advancement) in; as anything else there is a level restriction after 
which the character will no longer gain experience.

My own party consisted of one human paladin, one human cleric (neutral), one 
dwarven thief, one human mage, one human ranger/mage and one half-elf 
fighter/mage/thief.  The paladin was especially important, since having him in 
the party let me control the various NPC's who joined us for varying periods of 
time. 

The other characters were to balance everything out.  Since the cleric was 
neutral, he could cast both versions of healing spells (i.e. cure light wounds 
and cause light wounds, etc.).  The ranger/mage started as a mage who changed 
class right away so that I would have another fighter in the party, but still 
have the spellcasting abilities of a 14th level mage when he gained enough 
experience to become a 15th level ranger.  The fighter/mage/thief was for the 
extra punch of a fireball spell, the abilities of a fighter and the thief 
component was so that he would continue gaining experience after he maxed out in 
his other classes.

Another important trick in defeating the game is "sharing" equipment.  This a 
rather simple concept.  If one player has Plate Mail +5, why shouldn't all the 
other characters?  What you need to do is to load your saved game at the main 
menu when you have the option of adding and removing characters.  Once this is 
done, your next step varies based on who has the item.  If a fighter in your 
party has the item, remove him from the party and when the game asks if you wish 
to update this character, say yes.

Next, add the character back into the game.  View the character's items and 
trade whatever you want other characters to have to the next party member.  
Remove the first character, but this time don't update the character.  The game 
will ask you for a new filename.  Hit escape to clear the field.  Then remove 
the second character (the one with the new armor and stuff) and update him.  Add 
both members back into the party and repeat the process.

Phlan

The game begins with the heroes on the docks in Phlan.  Visit the council and 
accept Sasha's mission.  Rest and memorize spells before leaving Phlan.  As the 
party leaves town with Sasha's retinue, Bane appears and causes the sky to cloud 
over, destroying the cities and effectively capturing the Moonsea.  Elminster 
then transports you to Limbo and explains what happened.

Part II: The Sundering

Melvaunt

After that, the party gets teleported near the crater of Melvaunt, on the 
Northern edge of the Moonsea.  Go East into the crater and join Priam in 
investigating the temple of Tyr.  Upon entering the public worship area of the 
temple, a figure will run upstairs.  Pursue the figure.  Upstairs you will run 
into a Vampire and some of his minions.  Defeat them and record what the journal 
entry you are given says (this will be important later).  If you explore the top 
floor you will find four unlit, iron braziers that you can't seem to light, a 
belfry and a study where you can rest.

After resting in the study, go back down to the first floor.  Go past the 
entrance and downstairs to the first basement.  This floor is dedicated to 
acolytes cells and the temple kitchen.  Continue down to the second basement.  
This floor is the temple's crypt.  Go into the room where two bodies lie on the 
floor next to a coffin.  A ghost, Brimwulf, will appear and ask if you will be 
tested.  Agree and pass behind him.

Upon entering the hallway behind the coffin room, you will notice an indentation 
in the wall.  Walk into it and perform the ritual of purification correctly.  Go 
to the door.  Get the Vessel of Purity with Torm's Symbol on it from the earth 
elemental.  Then continue on to the room with Ilmater's symbol on the floor.  
Defeat the fire elemental there and the Spirit Flame will jump into the bowl.  
Continue on and take the Lamp of Vigilance and go back up to the top floor of 
the tower.

Light the braziers with the Lamp and then go and ring the bell in the center of 
the belfry.  Brimwulf and his lover are reunited and you are finished with the 
temple.  Go back downstairs and make your exit.

Taydome's Keep

Go into the "stockade manned by giants and ogres" directly to the north of 
Melvaunt.  Upon entering, a group of giants will greet you with steel.  Destroy 
them and proceed north into the heart of the keep.  You will discover a guard 
from Phlan who claims to have been with Sasha.  He is really Kimarr in disguise.  
Refuse his help (but be prepared to defend yourself).  After defeating the 
giants summoned by Kimarr, go west and then north into a room where 2 Phlanarian 
guards are being interrogated by giants.  Kill the giants and rescue the guards.

Return to where you met Roulin, then go north to a fork in the path where a note 
suddenly materializes.  Go east here, following the tunnel as it turns south 
further on.  Find Kimarr and his giant guards.  Defeat them and clear the keep 
of evil.

Dragonhorn Gap

Enter the steading near Dragonhorn gap and you will be confronted by giants.  
Talk to them and they will let you pass.  Proceed further and some other giants 
will ask you who let you in.  Your choice here is unimportant except for 
purposes of deciding who goes first in the combat that follows.

After killing the giants, go either east or west into the hallways branching off 
from the main courtyard where you came in.  Go down either hallway until where 
you find a set of doors which have signs saying "Private!  Keep Out" on them.  
Enter one of the rooms, claim the room as your own and beat the monsters there.  
You now have a convenient resting place.

Go back into the main courtyard and proceed north.  A pitched battle between 
giants and ogres is taking place.  The best option is to duck so that one side 
kills the other before they turn on you.  Defeat them and train any characters 
you need to in the training hall to the west.

When you are finished clearing the "private" rooms, proceed into the Twisted 
Horn, and inn directly across from the training hall.  Approach a man that eyes 
you and speak to him, then defeat the cloud giants in the room to the south.  If 
you used a lot of magic during the battle, go back to your save point and save 
your game; this will be your last opportunity for a long time.

Walk in front of the main gate in the second courtyard, which the inn opens 
onto.  Giants will pull you through the gate for an audience with the Hill Giant 
Shaman.  They tell you to go to the Northeast corner of the fortress, but to get 
there you must go north and west into the northwest corner and then go more or 
less due east to the other side.  When you enter the Shaman's room, be prepared 
for a battle against an overwhelming number of giants.  When you've defeated the 
giants, pick the lock to the treasure vault to the north and then proceed to the 
northeast to enter the Fire Giant's cave.

After entering the cave, go north until you reach a crossroads.  Make sure you 
are in Area view, as you will spin about in the center of the road in an effort 
to make you lose your sense of direction.  Proceed east, where the Fire Giant 
Mage thanks you for killing the Hill Giant and pays you to leave.

Continue into the cave, into a hallway on the far south of the map.  Upon 
entering the east bound tunnel, the world will get a little blurry and you will 
notice that you can't use your map anymore.  You will also notice a skull on the 
ground which will disappear.  Walk east and keep going until the skull reappears 
in the middle of the path, this time with a ring embedded in it.

Take the ring out of the skull and throw it to destroy it and break the 
enchantment.  Continue on to the end of the tunnel, and proceed north.  When you 
can, go to the west, then to the north.  Go as far northwest as possible by 
taking the long hallway that goes from the northeast end of the cave to the 
western part of it.  Search for a secret door a couple steps from the western 
end.

Go through the door and into the Fire Giant's secret area.  Make sure you rested 
in the last 'quiet' room before this, as there are several difficult battles 
coming up.  When you go south, a Fire Knife Assassin approaches you to talk on 
the Mage's behalf.  Hear him out and agree to join the mage.  When you encounter 
the mage again, attack her and the retinue in the room with her (about 15 fire 
giants in all).

After killing all the enemies, continue through the room to an antechamber where 
2 red dragons and a green dragon are preparing to take off.  Defeat them, rest 
and exit the fortress through the tunnels on the north end of the room.

Sulasspryn

Upon entering the cave surmounted with the symbol of the Silver Blades, talk to 
a hill giant and have him lead you to Vala.  Vala will give you a silver shield 
and join your party.  Since there are many undead enemies in the cave, be sure 
your cleric is of a level so that he can cast Restoration, the opposite of the 
vampire's Energy Drain.  After Vala joins your party, go to the east, then 
proceed south.  Upon entering a room with coffins in it, search them to find the 
Lindenwood staff, the first item needed to control the elementals.  After taking 
the staff, a lich, some skeletons and some wraiths will spring from the coffins 
and attack you.  After defeating the undead, explore the three doors in the room 
and rest in one of them.

Exit the room with the coffins and go to the south into a room with oak roots 
growing out of all the walls and the ceiling.  Search the room and take the 
Oakroot staff.  Upon taking the staff, five earth elementals will attack.  Kill 
them and then exit the room.  Rest again in the quiet room.

Go north past where you entered the cave and continue on.  Up at the top of the 
map, fight three hill giants that were fighting over a pretty stone.  This is 
the Worldstone, which is used with the Oakroot staff.  From there go south into 
a room across the hall and get the Crucible of Flame from some fire elementals.

After collecting all the artifacts, proceed to the main chamber in the center of 
the map.  Be prepared for a tough fight.  As soon as you enter, Vaasans will 
break through a breach in the wall along with some elementals.  Vala will take 
the artifacts and seal the breach in the wall by controlling the elementals.  
She leaves you to deal with the Vaasan army.  Cast fireballs and destroy the 
mages first, then work on killing the Vaasan warriors.  When you have defeated 
them, leave the cave.

Manshoon & Zhentil Keep

Enter Zhentil Keep and go to the south, to the training hall and bribe the man 
at the desk if you need to train.  After training, go north and rest in the 
Purple Plume Tavern.  After resting, cross the road by going straight east and 
finding a man in the shadows of the building.  Say that you are opposed to Bane, 
and Mabril introduces himself.  He tells you of a halfling, Traned, who is 
trapped under Manshoon's temple, and tells you of a way to get into the building 
without having to go through the main entrance where the clerics examine you.

Proceed through the secret door into the southeastern part of the temple.  Go 
around the courtyard and walk right up to the main (north) gate of the temple.  
Kill the guards and enter the gate.  You notice a hallway with gates on both 
sides lining the walls.  Go through the east wall and then proceed back to the 
north.  Go west, then north again and enter a hallway stretching to both sides 
of you.  Since the tower is circular, it doesn't matter which way you go.  Upon 
finding the purple door, go through it and up to level 2.

On level 2, go north into a room where Manshoon's fanatics scream at you.  Kill 
them and then go into the next room, which is a gloomy room with a high ceiling.  
Go right through the other door, but be prepared for an attack by spiders 
rappelling down upon you.  Defeat them and proceed through the door.  Go to the 
north, through the next door and into the main hallway.  Find the purple door to 
level 3.

You will be in a hallway where it makes a corner.  You are then presented with a 
gate and two doors, one on each side.  If you go through the central gate, you 
will be ambushed by dragons.  The other doors both empty into the room with the 
dragons, however you will not be in the middle of the three groups of dragons.

After killing the dragons, go through the gate to the north, where Manshoon's 
adjutant, a beholder orders monsters to destroy the party.  Kill the beholder 
first, without using magic because it is magic resistant, then worry about the 
other minor monsters.  Go through either of the doors, and go through the main 
door to the north and into the main hallway of level 3.

When you enter the hallway, go to the west (though it is a circle, this is the 
shortest route).  Manshoon speaks to you, telling you that the Gelt has been 
released.  This is a beast that is really a watchdog, but with x-ray vision that 
hurts you if you get too close.  So to pass the Gelt, you must go down the 
hallway that it is guarding so that it can't see you.  You really have three 
options: make your party invisible by, blind the Gelt or put on rings of 
invisibility.  If your magic-user knows Power Word Blind, just walk into the 
hallway and the game will ask you if you want to cast the spell.  Go up the 
stairs to level 4.

Once you've passed the Gelt and gotten to level 4, you will discover that level 
4 is simply one room, with a necklace in the middle.  Avoid the necklace to get 
to level 5, Manshoon's private chambers.  However, if you wish to avoid another 
battle, simply walk over the necklace.  If you were foolish enough to venture up 
the stairs, Manshoon will be casting, and if you do anything but charge he will 
gesture and hidden enemies will ambush you.  If you charge, you fall through a 
trap door to the level below and land on the necklace, triggering a trap.

The trap is rather simple (Manshoon was never known for being particularly 
intelligent): a crystal prism surrounds the party, which happens to be right in 
the middle of a conjuring circle, a circle of dust which keeps summoned monsters 
confined.  Manshoon gloats over your stupidity, and summons a Harpy.  
Unfortunately for him, he doesn't know the creature's name, and the Harpy offers 
to allow one of your party out to attack Manshoon for her, as the circle 
prevents her.  It doesn't matter who you choose, because the party member who is 
chosen gets freed from the crystal prism and steps on the conjuring circle, 
scuffing the band of sand.

The Harpy goes nuts, attacking Manshoon, destroying the room and causing the 
ceiling to fall in on you.  Since the party is now freed, go back down to level 
3, where you are no longer damaged by falling debris.  Exit the tower through 
the main entrance, where Manshoon's clerical guards would have been had they not 
fled when he died.

Myth Drannor

Enter the promenade of Myth Drannor and Nacacia, elven princess meets you and 
begs that you aid her in the retaking of Myth Drannor.  It seems parties of 
knights sent in to scout never return.  Agree to go with her, take the treasure 
she gives you and enter the ruins.

In the southern part of the ruins in a room where a rakasha is bending over a 
knight with a glowing ball.  The knight screams as his life is sucked into the 
ball.  Kill the rakashas there, using your weapons since they are magic 
resistant creatures.  After killing them, rest in a dusty room to the west.  Go 
west from there into the southwest corner of the ruins and kill the Banite 
clerics and their new rakasha disciples.

From there go northward into the northwest portion of Myth Drannor.  Go east 
through one of the narrow passages and find a lone rakasha.  Threaten him and he 
will talk about the rakasha's plans: to re-animate Tyranthraxus, pet of Bane.  
Go north from there, and then west into a dusty room.  Rest here, for the 
biggest battle is about to happen.

Go back east into the room to the south which you passed on your way to rest.  
Inside are many rakashas, all with globes of light.  Tyranthraxus is rising from 
the floor, only a shadow but becoming more solid by the second.  Of the choices 
presented you, choose to Dispel Evil, putting Tyranthraxus out of commission by 
destroying the glass balls.  Kill the many rakashas in the room, and quest to 
reclaim Myth Drannor is complete, except for the many basilisks that still roam 
around the ruins.  Exit Myth Drannor, and Nacacia promises to have master bards 
sing songs about you!

Part III: The Road to Bane

Thorne & the Dragons

Return to Dragonhorn gap where you defeated the Hill Giant Shaman, but rather 
than entering the steading, go north up to the Crater of Verdigris.  Go due west 
and enter the ground where you see a dragon swoop into a large hole.  A horde of 
dragons will be waiting for you inside, so make sure you saved outside the cave.  
Defeat them, cross the hall and follow a robed figure through a door to the 
east.  Take the scroll that was dropped, and go west to the other side to rest.  
After exiting and moving north, you will enter the main chamber, where a robed 
is figure reading from a scroll.  Two dragons, a blue and black are engaged in 
mortal combat.  The black will kill the blue and the gathering will depart.

You will notice six doors around the hall; two on the west side, two on the east 
and two on the north (besides the two behind you).  For now we'll concentrate on 
the doors on the east and west.  The order which you finish the dragons' lairs 
behind the doors is not important, so long as you complete them all.  It is also 
a good idea to rest whenever you have the chance in here because both the random 
and planned encounters are rather nasty.

The southwest door contains the Blue Dragon lair.  Explore the lair to find a 
treasure horde and continue south until you come across a gathering of blues.  
Kill the five dragons and take the blue steel key.  Go back to the main hall.

The northwest door contains the lair of the White Dragons.  Upon entering the 
main room, you will battle 9 Zhentil mages and 3 white dragons.  Take the silver 
key and exit to the main chamber.

The Black Dragon lair is in the northeast corner of the main chamber.  Upon 
entering the main room there, you will see 4 black dragons worshipping the black 
who killed the blue dragon earlier.  Kill them to receive the iron key and exit 
to the main chamber.

The final lair is that of the Green Dragons.  When you go through the southeast 
door, the greenish air will have an edge of chlorine to it.  Proceed south from 
the entrance, and search the rooms for a secret door.  Go through the secret 
door and enter a room where a green dragon is giving Modthryth a vial of 
vampire's blood.  Modthryth leaves and four green dragons attack you.  Kill 
them, loot the treasure trove (in a room full of bones) and go back to the main 
chamber.

After collecting all four keys, go north through the main doors in the 
antechamber and you will be in a smaller room.  Go through the northeast door 
and burn the preserved corpses of dragons that lie there to gain experience.  
Live dragons will attack immediately after this.  Kill them, and then go to the 
western side of the smaller room.  Go through the door and rest in the room to 
the south.

Go through the gate to the northwest and you will discover Modthryth there.  He 
will summon snakes to fight you.  Defeat the snakes and continue north until you 
discover a room with 2 doors, with 4 keyholes apiece.  Save the game and use the 
keys to unlock the doors.

On the other side of the doors, Modthryth is waiting for you.  He attacks as you 
walk in the door with his personal bodyguard, 2 Dragoliches, which are immune to 
magic.  Kill them all, then go through the portal to the north.

You will reappear in Elminster's camp in Limbo.  Deposit you items (as they'll 
be destroyed if you take them with you), train characters that need to be 
trained, and memorize spells.  Generally, just get your party as ready as it can 
be.

Have Elminster transport you to Thorne.  Upon entering this area on some other 
plane, 2 red dragons will attack you.  Defeat them and keep going.  An important 
note: you will not have a place to rest for a little while.  Go through the east 
door, then go north into a hallway.  If you go west, you will discover a room 
with treasure in it, along with a Ki-rin's corpse.

Go back to the east and rescue the prisoners.  A woman who has a 'certain look 
about her' will approach you.  Raziel offers to join you party in return for all 
the loot she can carry.  Agree to her offer because where you're going you'll 
need an extra pair of hands (besides, there is plenty of treasure for everyone).

Continue east into a hall with two exits.  The south exit leads to a room with a 
red dragon busy hiding it's horde.  Defeat the red dragon and take everything 
you can carry.  Continue through the room by going towards the door to the 
north, where a patrol of human rogues will accost you; you can beat them easily 
and take their weapons and armor.  The other door in the hallway bypasses this 
room, but it is not a great idea as you need to equip you characters with some 
sort of protection.

In any case, continue on.  Raziel will suggest that you go to the south in hopes 
of finding treasure.  Agree to her suggestion and go south.  You will enter a 
room with a door on each wall.  The door of the western wall has a golden light 
seeping out from underneath it.  A Ki-rin is here, providing you a safe place to 
rest and relax.

During my adventure here, I didn't find any treasure horde--only purple worms 
and an empty room.  Go back the way you came in and go north.  Raziel suggests 
you go east for more treasure, but this time proceed north, because the Horn of 
Doom will sound again.  Continue north and west searching for a secret door.  
When you go through the door, several dragons who are responding to the call of 
the horn will attack you.  Defeat the rush of 2 red and 2 green dragons and 
continue down the passage.

Upon turning south, you will notice the hallway ends with doors on the east, 
west and south walls.  The door on the west wall leads to a room which has a Ki-
rin in it and a place where you can rest and save.  This step is particularly 
important, as there are several tough battles ahead.  When you are rested and 
rememorized, go south through the door into an antechamber where a small guard 
of red dragons awaits.  Kill them and then go back to where the Ki-rin is to 
rest so you are in top shape to battle Thorne.

Go back to where you killed the red dragons and go south through the double 
doors, where Thorne is preparing to blow the Horn of Doom for the third time, 
signaling the beginning of the war on the Forgotten Realms.  He asks you if you 
want to throw you life away like that Ki-rin.  Yes is the right answer, of 
course, so a battle begins.

Seven red dragons are spread out around the room, along with Thorne, who is 
magic resistant and has an Armor Class of -11.  Concentrate on killing the other 
dragons first with Delayed Blast Fireballs and then work on Thorne.  The trick 
is to minimize the number of dragons living with fireballs so they don't get the 
chance to breathe fire on you.  After killing Thorne, the a Ki-rin will appear 
and explain how Thorne happened upon the Horn of Doom.  Raziel takes all the 
treasure she can and bids the party farewell.  Loot the remaining horde and 
then, after resting, take the horn with you and depart the cave by backtracking.

Marcus, the Red Tower & Tanetal

Upon entering the Red Tower in the middle of the Elven Court, you will be in the 
garden.  Go to the west initially, up and around the main structure of the 
tower, avoiding the main entrance, as it is a trap.  At the northwest corner of 
the tower you will find a back door.  Pass through the door and inside a room 
where there is a mosaic of a hand on the floor and hundreds of eyes are glaring 
at you.  Go eastward into the hallway.

From the hallway, go south and then west into a closet where you discover 
Phlanarian guards.  They seek Shal, a fighting mage of Phlan.  Agree to help 
search for her and exit the closet.  Go north and then east down a flight of 
stairs.

From where you enter the basement, you will notice a large walled area to the 
west.  This is Phlan, trapped under the Red Tower.  The citizens of Phlan will 
not allow you to enter the city, but they beg you to help find Shal.  Follow the 
city wall northward, and when the path makes a second intersection, go to the 
east.  When you are given the option of which way to go again, head north into 
the dungeon.  Defeat the guards, rescue Shal and proceed back up to Level 1, the 
straight west up the stairs to Level 2.

From this point, all the party has to do is find the way up the tower, however 
there are several encounters that must be taken care of before making it to the 
top floor.  On Level 3, the party runs into some drow.  For some reason, they 
don't attack right away.  If you decide to talk to them, they will explain that 
they oppose Marcus also, because when he transported Phlan, it just happened to 
land on a drow city.  They go on to say that a woman mage, Petra, is aiding him 
and they want to kill her.  The game then asks you if you want to tell the drow 
about Shal.  If you tell them about her, they attack, mistaking her for Petra, 
after which you gain some background information about Shal and Petra (which I 
got later on anyway).  If you don't share any information, you avoid the battle 
entirely.

The next major encounter occurs once you reach Level 7.  At one point you will 
enter a hallway and hear mages coming from both directions--1 group in front of 
and 1 behind you.  Out of all the choices the game gives you here, the best 
choice is to move.  Immediately duck into the door on your left (which turns out 
to be a closet) and wait there.  The mages proceed to kill each other, saving 
you the trouble of killing them.

On the next level is the Circle of Moander, which in reality is a big shrine 
where Moander Cultists have hung themselves from vines as sacrifices to Moander.  
As much as you might like to leave them there to die, you must cut them down, 
for which they attack you.  After killing them, proceed to the next floor.

A short while later, you will enter the Majestic Loft.  Go into the rooms on the 
sides of the loft and kill all the Black Circle Mages that are in them (you can 
rest inside the rooms after the battles).  From there, go into the temple 
adjacent to the loft and kill the Banite clerics animating pieces of Moander.  
When you exit the temple, you discover that the Black Circle--or what is left of 
it--has formed to kill you.

After destroying the Black Circle, rest and then proceed into the Wizard's Loft 
where the Red Wizards reside.  One is saying to two others that if one rival 
coven of wizards is planning on attacking the speaker's coven to knock on his 
door and say 'red'.  When he leaves for his room, enter the loft and kill the 
two wizards you surprise there.  Then knock on the first wizard's door and when 
he responds, say 'red'.  He charges out of his room, assembles his coven and 
attacks another, killing everybody involved (but leaving you unharmed).  Keep 
going up the tower.

The next level is where Marcus is.  But before you can visit Marcus, make a stop 
in the Manufactory of Moander.  The Manufactory of Moander more or less covers 
the entire floor, so you must wander around killing Banite clerics, mages and 
Bits o' Moander (with the exception of the people in the Temple of 
Transformation).  Kill the Banite Clerics and mages and the Bits o' Moander, 
then go to visit Marcus.

When you get into Marcus' chamber, a spectral servant will appear.  The servant 
will tell you one of two things.  Either that Marcus is not there, nor is lady 
Petra, and they are visiting either (a) the Manufactory of Moander, (b) the 
Black Circle, (c) the Wizard Loft or (d) the Circle of Moander.  This means that 
before you can meet Marcus you must go and eliminate all the people living in 
the places he could visit.  If you've successfully eliminated everybody, then 
the servant tells you that Marcus awaits, then proceeds to attack you.

The servant, who happens to be a banshee, attacks with a number of specters.  
When they've been defeated, the second wave of attackers, hidden Moander 
Cultists, Banite Clerics and Red Mages spring forward.  After that threat has 
been eliminated, Minions of Bane, Banite Clerics and Moander Cultists spring 
forth.  When the third wave is retired, you finally get to fight Marcus.  Of 
course, his personal bodyguard of Minions of Bane and Black Mages is there too, 
but they shouldn't present a problem.

When Marcus is killed, Shal and Petra face off.  Petra raises her hands to cast 
a spell, Shal tosses her sword down and then they run into each other.  Shal 
comes out as one being instead of her two respective parts.  As Petra's 
influence is destroyed, the Red Tower begins to fall apart.  Run into the Temple 
of Transformation and up to the Vessel of Moander (Shal will join you later).  
Jump onto the vessel and watch as the Tower falls apart beneath you.  Inside the 
Vessel is a Pool of Darkness, which the party should take to Elminster.

Elminster fills you in on the next bit of your quest--to go to Moander's body, 
which is sealed in another dimension and kill Tanetal, the lieutenant of Bane 
staying there.  From here, Elminster will teleport you to Moander.

Once you arrive in Moander's dimension, you will need to go two places.  You 
will need to visit the shoulder and the heart.  Everything else is optional, but 
remember that you have no weapons or armor, either.  So if you go into Moander's 
left foot you will find fanatical Moander Cultists who try to forcibly impress 
you into their faith.  One way to get weapons and armor is to kill them and 
steal their armor.

From the foot, proceed to the other end of the body and enter Moander's Tear 
Duct, which is on the right side of the god's right eye.  Kill the black mages 
inside and look into the globes that they are installing in Moander's brain.  
This will show you what recently to Moander (i.e. an army of elves teleported 
here with a huge arrow, and were eliminated once they entered the heart).  
That's all there is to see there, so exit the brain and go into Moander's ear.

You must corner the hermit who lives there and talk to him.  He tells you about 
Moander, and tells you to talk to Agehweat, who lives in Moander's shoulder.  He 
also lets you train and rest here.  From here visit Agehweat, and clear his home 
of the minions of Tanetal sacking Moander's shoulder (the hardest bit of this 
entire segment of the game).  Upon successful completion of the task, he gives 
you two potions which you need to get into Moander's heart.

Leave Agehweat and the shoulder and go to the hole in Moander's side.  You will 
pass through a couple of chambers and into the area outside Moander's heart.  
The game prompts you to try to enter into Moander's heart.  Spread the potions 
on the cell wall and cut through.

You can easily follow the arteries around the heart, but most of the action 
happens in the muscle tissue.  The first item the party needs to recover is the 
Golden Cornucopia, which is in the muscle tissue between the two exits to the 
heart in the northmost part of the heart, or area 1 on the map to the left.  The 
next thing the party needs to get is a cache of weapons and weaponmaking tools, 
belonging to Tanetal, near the left atrium (2).  Take it and get back into the 
artery.  After this point, if you run into the Watcher she will suggest that you 
mix Agehweat's potions together you might get rid of the annoying slimy things 
that are clinging to you.

From there, go south to (3) near the left ventricle in the muscle tissue and 
find the mouth, which is a piece of muscle that initially falls from the cell 
wall.  Talk to it.  It says that it is hungry, so make sure to feed it.  It then 
allows you to take it.  After taking the mouth, I had it snap at me, then demand 
to be fed again.  I did this, basically because it is harmless and also because 
it also warns you when the heart is about to beat.

Once you've collected these three items, go to the Arrow (4), which is north of 
the right atrium and fashion weapons out of the remnants of the Arrow.  You can 
make four weapons before the Arrow starts to shock you.  From the arrow, go 
straight east through an artery and into the muscle tissue to find the Watcher 
(5).  She is struggling with bits of Moander, who wrest the Unguent from her, 
then run off.  The Watcher thanks you, then says that Moander is getting 
restless, and must put him back to sleep or you won't be able to kill Tanetal.  
She says that she's lost the Golden Cornucopia, a necessary component in putting 
Moander back to sleep.  Give her the Cornucopia.  She begins to weave a magic 
spell and the invites you to help her.  She then gives you further instructions 
and a tuning fork and disappears.

From here, go to (6), where the Pulmonary artery branches off to the east and 
west.  Follow the east branch and you will run into a group of iron golems.  You 
weapons are instantly pulled from your hands and cling to the golems, because 
these golems are magnetic.  Use the tuning fork to reverse the magnetism and 
retrieve your weapons (resulting in damage to you, but that's life I guess), 
then defeat the golems.  Your weapons are now magnetic.

Continue east under the left atrium to an area where you find bits of Moander 
with a small vial (7).  Take the vial from them and leave peacefully, since they 
shrink from your metallic weapons.  At this point you want to proceed to the 
left ventricle (8), where Tanetal waits, but before you do that, find the 
Watcher first.  She rubs your weapons together along your arm, and you receive a 
shock.  She then hints that you might give Tanetal a surprise if you did the 
same thing when you meet him.  When you find Tanetal, he won't notice you, as 
his back is turned, so rub your weapons together against the wall.  Moander's 
heart receives a shock, causing it to beat suddenly and pumping everybody out of 
the heart, and causing Tanetal to drop the Talisman of Bane.

You must find Tanetal again.  This time he's on the east side of the left 
ventricle inside the muscle tissue (9).  Find him again and he will flee to the 
right ventricle (10).  Find the Watcher again and go to the right ventricle and 
corner Tanetal.  Some bits of Moander attack him, but they disintegrate.  
Suddenly Tanetal clutches his chest and drops to the floor.  The Watcher checks 
his pulse and you discover that you ran him to death.  The Talisman of Bane 
appears, which the Watcher picks up.  Unbeknownst to the Watcher, Tanetal sits 
up, and before you can shout a warning, stabs the Watcher in the back and grabs 
the Talisman.  Tanetal calls his minions, and you battle him for the final time.  
When he is defeated, take the Talisman of Bane and leave the heart.

From here return to Elminster.  When you tell him of your adventures and show 
him the Talisman of Bane, his eyes light up and says that the resistance may 
have a chance!  Rest and train here, then go back to the Realms.

Zhentil Keep, the Drow & Kalistes

After defeating Marcus, return to Zhentil Keep.  Go into the Keep, and into the 
chamber where the wagons pushed by drow disappear.  In the northwestern most 
corner is a path leading down into the drow city beneath Zhentil Keep.  From the 
archway where you are standing, you will notice a room ahead of you and another 
smaller room to the northeast which contains a dark well (marked by a green dot 
on the map).  These represent points where it is safe for the party to rest.  
You can avoid the battle in the room to the east (1) by going through the door 
to the south and east out into the main hallway.

Once you enter the hallway, you will be confronted by a royal coach (2), the 
coachman occupied by the horses.  If the party gets in the coach, a prince and 
princess of the drow jump in and you accompany them to the Central Hall (4) 
where you are paid to let them free.  If you try to sneak by the coach, the 
horses will spook carrying the carriage down the hallway.  You just have to walk 
to the Central Hall.

Since the Hall is heavily guarded by drow guards, go around and enter through a 
doorway to the west of the hall.  Proceed east from the doorway and meet Traned, 
the halfling (3).  She offers to join the party.  Allow her to join, then 
proceed into the Central Hall, surprising the guards inside.

After defeating the guards in the Central Hall, you will want to go north and 
east, around some drow guards guarding a door on the east wall.  Go to the north 
and through another door, avoiding the guards entirely, and go east.  A drow 
abbess and her clerics are in the passage (5).  She protects herself, and sends 
her clerics to attack you.  Immediately after destroying the clerics, the abbess 
attacks you with the remainder of her retinue.  Defeat them and proceed south to 
the stairway leading down to level 2 (C).

From the stairway, enter the drow barracks (6) from the west and defeat the drow 
ambush inside.  Stop in the room to the northeast containing the dark well to 
rest if you need to replenish spells.  Exit the barracks to the east, and follow 
the hallway south and down the stairs to level 3 (D).

You are standing in a long hallway.  As you walk north, you will notice a room 
full of unguarded slaves on your right (7).  Traned offers to go inside the room 
because something doesn't seem right; the drow don't usually leave slaves 
unguarded.  If you allow Traned into the room, whispers tell her to get down so 
the ambush isn't foiled.  Traned barks a command and the slaves drop to the 
ground revealing the armed drow.  They shoot her with an arrow and then the 
party falls on them.  If you just charge into the room, Traned commands the same 
thing of the slaves, and still takes the arrow.  In any event, the party 
surprises the drow.

When the drow have been vanquished, the poisoned Traned offers to take the 
prisoners out of the stronghold.  Allow her to do this; you'll catch up with her 
again later.  One prisoner approaches you and says that you must choose if you 
are going to rescue the beautiful slaves or the majority of them.  You can 
actually rescue all of them, but you must rescue the beautiful ones first.

Rest yourself in the dark well to the south, and go east into the hallway.  Go 
south down the stairs (E) and then to the east, through the door, into another 
chamber and down another set of stairs (F).  Upon reaching level 5, go north, 
then east through the room with the statue of the drow king, and south down the 
passage.  Continue east when the path curves and into a room with numerous umber 
hulks await you.  Defeat the umber hulks, then go east through the room.  The 
southern door contains a dark well where the party can rest and rememorize 
spells.  The northern door contains a stairway (G) to take you to the first drow 
temple.

Upon entering you will notice the walls are no longer made of rock, but of hewn 
stone.  Go east from the entryway and north around the island in the center of 
the main courtyard.  Enter the door on the east side of the stone structure and 
go into the central room (9).  Here you encounter a drow woman with a silver 
streak in her black hair.  Approach her, and she introduces herself as Silk, a 
renegade drow and leader of the Swanmays.  Silk implores you to help her free 
her companions, who are prisoners in the dungeon to the east, and joins the 
party.  But first rest in the room as it is safe, and will be your only resting 
point for a while.

Leave the central structure and go east across the courtyard, through the drow 
guard post (defeating the guards) and then south to the guardroom (10).  Defeat 
the guards sitting around the table playing dice and read the letter that was 
left by the captain.  Go back into the main chamber and north past the guard 
station, killing a patrol of jail guards and taking their keys on you way to the 
Swanmays cell (11).  The cell you are looking for is the first one in the long 
row of cells on either side of the hallway.

Upon rescuing the Swanmays, Silk sends one of them to free the remainder of the 
prisoners trapped there.  When the Swanmay returns with the prisoners, Silk bids 
you farewell, giving you advice as to how to handle some of the traps on this 
level.  She also gives you a cache of weapons, and tells you of a secret door.  
Then the Swanmays guide the prisoners out, leaving you to deal with the drow.

Proceed north along the line of cells, and follow the corridor to the east.  
Just after the hallway turns again to the south, you will notice a door on the 
east wall.  Upon entering the party discovers an Alchemist's Laboratory (12).  
Inside the laboratory is a Zhent woman, being strapped into a chair, and a cap 
with wires attached to it fitted to her head while drow  and Pets of Kalistes 
watch in anticipation.  No matter what you do, the party will end up fighting 
everybody in the room.

After killing the people in the laboratory, talk to the woman in the chair.  She 
will tell you that the drow use the Essence of Pure Light and the Fire of Night 
to make Pets of Kalistes.  She will also tell you that if the Essence and the 
Fire are mixed, that they will destroy one another.  In any case, from the 
laboratory go through the door to the south and into the second storage area 
(13).  In the northern half of the room the party will find many vials of the 
Essence of Pure Light.  Take the vials; you will need them later.  Go back the 
way you came and into the main courtyard.  Rest in the area where you met Silk 
if you need to replenish spells.

From here go north to the main gate of the temple.  Upon stepping up to the 
door, you discover a drow ambush.  When the drow are defeated and the party 
enters the building, you will discover a room with black robes hanging up and 
hear chanting in the distance.  Upon moving into the adjacent room, the chanting 
grows louder.  When you step through the north door into the main temple (14), 
you discover the source of the chanting: drow priests and a spider.  They won't 
notice you, if you just decide to wait and watch them perform the ritual over 
the spider.  However, it won't matter, as you will fight them later, but in the 
interim the spider will become a Pet of Kalistes.

From the temple, go through the northwesternmost door into a small hallway.  On 
the other side of the hallway you will discover a room filled with arches, and 
lightning dancing between them (15).  The correct path through the arches is 
illustrated on the map.  Upon reaching the other door, go north into the room 
full of the pit of spikes (16).  When any one of the party members tries to 
cross it, a bright light flashes from below and the character attempting to 
cross falls for about 20 points of damage.  That is unless you have talked to 
Silk and covered you eyes as you crossed.

Upon reaching the other side, you will enter a room with glowing red runes on 
the floor (17).  When you step on certain runes, you are teleported various 
places in the room.  Your first step (a) will teleport you to (b).  Immediately 
turn 180 degrees around and walk to the west (c).  Once you step on this rune, 
you will be teleported to the other door (d), but you will be facing the door 
from which you initially entered the room.  Turn around and proceed to the next 
room.

The next room contains a large iron golem (18).  It perks up as soon as you 
enter the room, noticing the party.  Since the party has to traverse the room 
anyway, you must enter the room and defeat it.  A very difficult battle.  The 
next room (19), is a room which has a fountain in the center, from which pours 
black liquid.  If you didn't kill the priests and the spider in the temple (14), 
you will be forced to fight them here.

You will notice that lightning dances across the surface of the black liquid.  
Take the vials of the Essence of Pure Light and pour them into the black liquid, 
which turns out to be the Fire of Night.  As you pour more and more of the vials 
into the liquid, the lightning weakens and as the last of the Essence combines 
with the Fire of Night the fountain begins to spew forth clear water.

Cross the room and you will find the secret door that Silk spoke of on the east 
wall.  You will enter the inner sanctum of the drow, the area surrounding the 
Temple of Kalistes.  In all the rooms are drow awaiting a big ceremony, where 
the Night Spawn will swarm down upon the Realms.  If you go up to the main doors 
you will be turned away, the guard saying it is not time yet.  Your party must 
venture into all the rooms and either destroy all the drow in there or free the 
slaves (or both).  In the northeast corner is a room with drow inside it shining 
their blades.  This should be one of your first stops, because when the drow 
have been defeated you can rest in this room without interruption.  You should 
encounter Traned again somewhere down here.  Allow her to join the party again, 
as usual.

Once all the slaves have been freed and all the drow in the room destroyed, 
proceed to the southern edge of the temple grounds and go into the room in the 
center.  A drow priest is announcing guests and boasting about the spectacle to 
come.  From there go into the central grounds of the temple, where a huge statue 
of Kalistes governs the room.  The drow discover you and the audience in the 
chamber empties, allowing the drow to eliminate you.

After killing the drow in the chamber, turn your attention to the statue.  Three 
of it's hands point at portals on the opposite wall, showing Thentia, Thar and 
Hillsfar.  The Night Spawn were going to invade through these portals.  The 
slaves charge into the temple, and run through the gates, leaving the temple.  
Traned joins them.  You look at the statue, trying to decide what to do.  You 
remember what the Oracle said: there is a certain part of the statue you need to 
destroy.  Type 'hands' when given the chance.  As you destroy the hands, the 
portals fade.  The Realms are saved!

Go to the north and through a Pool of Darkness to Elminster's camp in Limbo.  
Elminster will congratulate you on your thrashing of the drow, but then tells 
you that you must venture to Kalistes' realm.  Deposit you items and teleport to 
her realm.

Upon arrival, you will be attacked by a room filled with spiders (however there 
are no Pets of Kalistes present).  Currently, you are in the ruins of a drow 
temple.  There's nothing of interest or value here (aside from the Pool of 
Darkness).  To leave, go south of your current position and through a door into 
the room in the southeast corner.  There's a gate to get out of the fortress in 
that direction.

You will see the entirety of Kalistes Land upon exiting the temple.  Follow the 
depression in the path, as it is the main road of the realm.  Try to run from 
all the random encounters with the drow patrols and roaming monsters because you 
can't rest anywhere (yet).  If you look closely at the map, you will notice a 
huge lava flow in the northwest corner.  To the east is a large mountain range.  
If you follow the range southward with your eye, you will see that it stops 
before connecting with a smaller line of mountains, forming a convenient passage 
between the cliffs.  Go through the area there, and you will come across some 
iron gates, which swing open at your approach, daring you to enter.

After entering the gates, you will find yourself in a drow fortress, which, in 
reality, is the drow testing area (where you test to become a full fledged drow 
or something like that).  Anyway, you will encounter resistance upon entering 
the gates.  Defeat the drow guards and proceed to either the north or the south.  
You will come to a protrusion into the pathway, which turns out to contain a 
door.  The door is guarded by two drow.  Have your thief character try to sneak 
up on the drow and kill them quietly.  If your character fails, you simply get 
attacked by guards.

Once the drow guarding the door are dead, go into the room.  Inside there are a 
lot of driders.  They say that if you try to fight them you will be killed, but 
they offer to help you.  They share a hint (which doesn't make a lot of sense 
right now) with you and then disappear.  There are four areas like this around 
the keep, which you must visit before testing to become a drow.  Another note is 
that this is your one chance to rest and rememorize spells.  Pick any of the 
four corner rooms, kill the drow inside and rest just inside the door.

Next, proceed to the room in the northwest corner of the keep and listen to the 
conversation of two drow.  If you follow the two drow out, they will go into 
another building to the east, where you will see another elf give a man a 
dagger, then exit.  If you go east into the next room of this building, you will 
enter a room where there are both a clear basin and a wand.  If you touch 
either, you will incur Kalistes wrath, and guards will attack you.

To test to become a drow, go to the southern part of the map right in the center 
of the fortress.  You will see a pathway leading north into the heart of the 
keep.  Go down this pathway.  Your party should notice that the east wall is 
'odd.'  When the game asks you what you want to do, select search.  Enter the 
hidden door into the room with an eerie glow, which is the beginning of the drow 
testing grounds.

The testing grounds wind around the fortress in a counter clockwise fashion, so 
just continue from one room to the next until you complete the tests.  The first 
test is a question of strength.  Your characters will face a solid wall where 
they must "be strong for Shest."  Select your strongest character and have him 
break through the wall.  From here go east through a door and north into the 
main hall.  You will be filled with a strong sense of dread, as if Bane is 
watching you.  Simply push forward through the wall of fear and the party will 
gain experience.

Your party will encounter a number of drider in the next room, which you must 
defeat to continue with the tests.  The next room contains drow mages, which 
must be eliminated to keep going (nothing new here).  The next test is a riddle, 
about who is the most cunning and fearsome, yet little known or something to 
that effect.  The answer is, of course, Bane.  Next you will encounter a wall of 
heat.  Think back to what the drider in the areas around the keep said about 
illusions....simple press onward through the wall of heat, which turns out to be 
pretty real, as you take damage.

The wall of heat does disappear, though, allowing you to pass.  In the next 
passage you will come upon a young elf with an amulet, who turns into a drider 
and attacks you with a number of his brethren.  This was the entire test.  In 
the next room is a treasure of several daggers, along with some amulets to 
protect you from many of the random encounters.  Of course, you aren't quite 
finished with this segment of the game yet.

Continue north into the altar room where a number of the initiates wait along 
with Locaste and some guards.  Fight the guards, and the drow move into the next 
room.  Upon entering, Daris has a battle wills against a spider and turns into a 
drider amidst a lot of screaming.  Take the Ward of Kalistes.  Shest, a Pet of 
Kalistes appears, and attacks.  After defeating him, take the Ward again and 
leave for the Parlor of Kalistes.

The Parlor of Kalistes isn't very well marked.  Follow the road across the main 
river of lava and to the main castle in the northeast corner.  The castle 
doesn't have an entrance so you can forget going in through the main entrance.  
On the other hand, there is always the back way.

In this case, you'll go in through the village that's just off the side of the 
road on the way to Kalistes fortress.  Upon entering the village, you'll appear 
in the room in the southwestern corner.  Go north and into the segment of the 
village enclosed by the "legs" of the spider.  It's midway up the map and due 
east from the far left edge of the map.  You'll come across an unbroken wall of 
gossamer, which is the entrance into Kalistes' Parlor.

Locaste will come with her escort and approach the wall.  Her drider becomes 
skittish and much of her escort leaves.  She commands the wall of gossamer apart 
with the wand and calls upon the spiders that appear to devour her.  In any 
event, you should try to enter the parlor.  The Ward will drive off the spiders 
that would normally try to attack you here.  You will enter the main portion of 
the foyer, where Pets of Kalistes wait, but don't attack because you are 
protected by the Ward.

From the parlor, go north through the room you emerged into, which is the center 
of the southern portion of your map.  If you need to rest, go into the southeast 
corner and kill the drow inside, after which you can rest.  This is a good idea 
anyway, since this is your last opportunity to do so for a while.

After resting, go north to the next room, which is more or less in the center of 
the map on the far east edge.  Inside, the room is draped with webs, and 
contains a drow servant.  He doesn't call the guards, but instead addresses you 
saying that you wish to kill Kalistes, a task which he will help with.  He 
beckons you to look into a bowl filled with a black liquid, which you should 
recognize.  It is a scrying bowl, allowing you to see Kalistes.

The servant then directs you to the kitchen.  The kitchen is in the northwest 
corner of Kalistes parlor.  Inside is an ogre cook, ready to kill a dwarven girl 
to feed to the Hellspawn of Kalistes.  Rescue the dwarf, Arta, and she explains 
that prisoners are butchered for food here, then dropped down a trapdoor to the 
larder to feed the Hellspawn.  If you ask for more information about the trap 
door, she'll tell you that you're standing on it.  Open the trapdoor and go down 
to the larder.

Inside the larder (1) are many prisoners chained to the walls, and they begin to 
cry out when you enter the room.  If you try to rescue them, they say you might 
as well not because they won't be free until Kalistes is dead anyway.  Go east 
into a room directly across the hallway from the larder (2).  This room contains 
a number of women whom Arta was captive with.  She begs you to free them.  Just 
as you are doing this, the guards return.  Once the guards are defeated, the 
women agree to wait until Kalistes is dead before leaving.

The next room to the east contains a group of men (3), in the same situation as 
the women, except without the guards.  If you continue east, you find a room (4) 
with gold inside, but it is guarded by drider.  From here go south where you 
will find an intersection with four room on each side of it (5).  These are 
torture chambers.  All of the chambers are unoccupied, except the one in the 
southwest corner.

If you continue south, you will enter the holding area (6) for Pets of Kalistes.  
They will avoid you initially because of your amulet, but they will mass and 
eventually attack.  There's nothing important here, unless you are looking for 
experience.  The main area is to the west, which is where Kalistes' eggs are 
(7).  Upon entering the chamber you will notice the oblong gelatinous eggs 
lining the walls, pulsing with light.  Destroy the eggs to gain experience and 
incur the wrath of Kalistes, who appears and challenges you.

The battle is not that difficult; your magic users must disable the drow and 
Pets of Kalistes before they have a chance to destroy you with their spells.  
Though my party survived their repeated magical attacks (due in part to my 
failure to cast a haste spell before battle), it is generally not recommended 
that you do this.  Once Kalistes has been defeated, you will gain the Crystal 
Ring she used to keep the sunlight away from the Realms, which is a major blow 
to Bane.  Before leaving, simply rest inside the egg chamber, then venture out 
the way you came in.

On the way out you will notice that the slaves have fled, and once you leave the 
fortress, you will also notice that the drow training grounds have been 
abandoned.  But that is not your task.  Your task is to go to the southwest 
corner, into the ruins of the drow temple, and take the Pool of Darkness back to 
Elminster's camp in Limbo.  From here you should return to the Realms.

Mulmaster, Arcam, Bane's Land & Gothmenes

From Zhentil Keep, travel to the Black City of Mulmaster in the southeast corner 
of the map.  You must defeat the monsters in the arena to gain passage to Arcam.  
The first wave is two black dragons; the second is Purple worms and displacer 
beasts, and the third wave (which attacks maybe one time in ten) consists of 
salamanders and pyro snakes.

A beholder will come up to you.  It says that you have earned an interview with 
Arcam.  Will you go?  Agree and follow the beast out of the arena and into the 
tunnels below.  You need to proceed south, through Arcam's Hall of Victory (1).  
In the next chamber is the chancellor of Arcam.  If you come to the chancellor 
before this point in the game, he will assign you a task (eliminating other 
allies, like Marcus, Manshoon or whomever, offer to pay you for it, and have 
margoyles escort you out exit A).  At this point, he decides that you are 
becoming too dangerous and orders the legions inside the chamber against you.

Defeat the chancellor and the many margoyles and you will see Arcam drift out of 
view to the south.  Follow him south and west, looping back around to the east 
where you are confronted by a red mage saying that Arcam wishes to parley.  He 
offers a bag of gems in return.  If you attack him, he utters a command word and 
fire elementals jump out.  After defeating them and continuing east you will run 
into a dungeon (3) off to the north.  Rescue the prisoner in the northeast 
corner, then go down to level 2 (B).

Upon arrival in level 2, you discover that you are on the outskirts of the Hall 
of the Dead.  If you step into the hall, you are attacked by undead (obviously).  
You can either use exit C or D to go down to level 3, however if you go directly 
south to exit C you will be ambushed by more undead.  Looping around to the west 
and doubling back is much more effective.

When you arrive on level 3, go down the hallway.  You will notice a door on the 
south wall, which leads into the Labyrinth.  Think back to the chant that the 
Banites were using, if you happened to run into them.  In any event, you'll have 
to wander around until you find the exit, or you can simply follow these 
directions.  From just inside the entrance (4), take one step to the east.  Turn 
south, take three steps, then turn around without moving.  This is the exit, 
which will take  you to the room immediately to the east (5).

Go north from here into the next room where some of Arcam's allies are trying to 
set up and ambush.  They won't be prepared for you however, and as you engage 
them in battle Arcam floats off north.  Follow him north into a large square 
room (6).  This is Arcam's  chamber, which contains organized resistance.  After 
defeating the group of monsters guarding the door, you will be informed that the 
room is full of odd ornaments and stalactites, which are good hiding places for 
defenders (or, in other words, if you move too much you get attacked).

Proceed to the northwest corner of the room where Arcam finally faces you.  
Arcam, who turns out to be a beholder is accompanied by another of his kind.  
Don't bother with magic; you have to go right to the jugular because both of the 
monsters are magic resistant.  The ladder to the next level is immediately to 
the west (F), but if you go to the southwest corner of Arcam's chamber and go 
west through the arches to the southwest corner, you will discover the treasure 
trove of Arcam (7).

When you reach level 4, you will enter a room to the east with a lone, stone 
sentinel inside it, in the shape of a dragon (8).  When you try to walk past it, 
it senses the Horn of Doom, and calls its dragon allies from the north, who 
swoop down on you and attack.  Once they're defeated, you can rest in the room 
to the north.  Proceed east to the next room (9), which contains a huge statue, 
this time of a spider with a thousand eyes looking down upon you.

You guessed it, when you try to walk by, the spider senses the Crystal Ring and 
calls spiders from the room in the north to attack you.  Once you defeat them go 
to the east into the next room (10).  Inside this room, the party will notice a 
giant black hand jutting from the far wall.  The hand is in the shape of a 
clenched fist.  When you approach it, it senses Bane's Talisman, the fingers 
spread out revealing a portal, from which Bits o Moander and walking trees 
attack you from.

Once you defeat them, go through the portal inside the hand and teleport to 
Elminster's camp in Limbo.  He congratulates you on getting this far, then says 
that he's going to send you into Bane's Land.  When you arrive in Bane's Land, 
you will see several drow dragging Sasha out of a door.  One continues dragging 
her, the others turn and attack you.  Once the drow are dead, you can rest here.

Upon leaving, you will be swept along with a rushing tide of monsters to an open 
are where an announcement is being made.  As it turns out, the undead form of 
one of Phlan's ex-councilmen, Porphrys Cadorna, announces to the citizens of 
Dark Phlan that he intends to marry Sasha.  The only real choice you have is to 
listen to the rest of the announcement, since the other two choices involve you 
fight a mass of monsters (trying to leave will jostle monsters, who in turn 
attack you).  Cadorna then retreats into the town hall and the crowd disperses.

Once you begin to adventure around, you will notice the layout of the town is 
just like the Phlan of the Realms, only here there are roaming monsters.  Go to 
where the Sunrise inn used to be and rest there.  Then go into the town hall.  
Minions of Bane demand that you leave, so you have to defeat them to get to 
Cadorna, who is in the main chambers to the west.  Cadorna screams that you will 
not spoil his wedding plans, then orders his minions on you and leaves through a 
secret door.

Defeat the minions, and go back the way you came.  You will notice 2 doors; one 
to your north and one to the south as you exit the chamber.  The north door 
contains the town's treasury, but it is guarded by vampires.  Which reminds me, 
don't bother trying to turn undead with you clerics at this point; the evil is 
so great that with my 40th level cleric he was only moderately successful in 
turning basic skeletons (sometimes it didn't work at all).  Through the south 
door is Gragnak Ulfim, who tells you his story, which is really just a 
sidelight.

Rest and relax in the inn if you need to, then go to the south of the council 
chambers into a room with a number of female drow into it.  They are enchanting 
a black wedding dress for Sasha, placing a powerful charm on it so that she will 
obey Cadorna's commands.  They notice you, then attack.  Once you defeat the 
drow, you should burn the dress.  Go west into the next building where Cadorna 
is undergoing an intricate ritual supervised by Banites.  He leaves, and turns 
the Banites on you .  You obviously need to defeat them, but afterward you are 
given the option of plundering the temple.

From here, go north (rest if you need to) to the room in the northwest corner of 
the map.  Enter the room and you will hear Gothmenes' voice chanting part of a 
ceremony.  Go around the corner to the west, and you will see Gothmenes standing 
at a twisted altar.  A malicious smile plays across his face as Sasha is forced 
down the aisle by some drow.  Sasha is forced to kneel in front of the alter.  
She starts to scream, but then stops, since it would be rather pointless.  
Gothmenes begins the ceremony, and Cadorna laughs.

Now the game asks you if you will rescue Sasha.  Once you interrupt the 
ceremony, Gothmenes bellows his wrath at Cadorna, accusing him of his inability 
to rule, even while Cadorna is directly supervised by Gothmenes.   He demands 
that Cadorna take care of you, of suffer his wrath.  Gothmenes then files off, 
blowing up a cloud of dust.

Then Cadorna attacks you with the remainder of his minions.  After defeating him 
and his followers, Sasha comes up to you, thanks you and opens a pouch, 
presenting the party with two rings.  Then she takes her leave.  You should 
follow her out, and then go west through the gates.

This is where the city differs from Phlan.  There is only a huge iron wall, 
which radiates black magic and saps your strength.  When you approach the wall, 
the game asks you what you want to do.  You must blow the Horn of Doom here.  
Upon putting the horn to your lips, Gothmenes appears, saying that death will be 
swift and terrible and that he will take you to the Abyss if you blow the horn.  
Then his minions attack as he flies away.  Once you defeat the minions, the 
party trudges through the carnage left by the minions, and the game asks you if 
you want to go to blow the Horn now.  Say yes, then type 6 when the game asks 
you the number of times you wish to blow it.

The iron wall comes crashing down with the sound of a thousand tormented souls 
shrieking.  Once you enter the Palace of Gothmenes, you will notice that the 
area map feature is sorely missing.  The map to the left is an accurate 
rendering of the Palace.  You appear in the southwest corner (1).  It doesn't 
matter if you move north or east, as the palace is more or less symmetrical.  
You need to go to the one of the exits of the room, which appears to be a dead 
end.

In reality, both dead ends contain secret doors.  To find the secret doors, make 
sure you either look when you are in the corner or are searching.  However, if 
you use your search ability while you are in the palace, the game will tell you 
that you have three items of power: Bane's Talisman, the Crystal Ring and the 
Horn of Doom.  It then asks who you want to give the items to.  Right now it 
doesn't matter who has what item, just so long as three members of the party 
have the items.  Go down the hallways that they lead into.  If you chose north, 
you will have to turn right when the path forks.

Either way you emerge into the main courtyard.  You should hear a voice, or 
rather, the person with the Horn of Doom will hear a voice.  The voice asks 
another if the second (Gothmenes) won't send for the minions of Bane to protect 
himself from you.  Gothmenes replies that he's studied you and that you're 
weaklings and easily dealt with.

Continue through the courtyard.  If you wander in the courtyard long enough, you 
will hear the voices a second time.  This time they are a bit harsher.  
Gothmenes says to Xoham (the first voice) that he should invite Mashavad for tea 
and to greet their 'guests.'  Upon passing over the main intersection of the 
courtyard (2), you will be confronted by Sasha leading a group of armed 
Phlanarians.  This should immediately seem very fishy because you just rescued 
her (or if you haven't then that all the more reason for you to suspect this 
entourage).

Well, 'Sasha' claims to have heard that Elminster has been captured, and asks 
where he is so that she can rescue him.  Of course this is a lie, and you 
shouldn't tell her.  She begins to get angry, and demands to know his location.  
If you deny her again, her rage transforms her and her band into rakashas, and 
they spread out to attack.

After defeating the rakashas, you will notice two doors before you, one on the 
north wall and one on the east wall.  You can rest outside the doors, and in 
fact is almost necessary that you do so, for there is a huge battle on the 
opposite side of each door.  Once you step through the door, you will be 
surrounded by enemies, who wait to see what you will do.

If you had stepped through the north door, you would have been confronted by 
minions of Bane and Pets of Kalistes (3); the east door hides all manner of 
dragons and some dragoliches (4).  In any event, if you move you will be 
attacked.  What you must do first is to use the look option to get the game to 
tell you that you have three items of power.  It then asks you to distribute 
them, and then asks you if you want to use them.

In order to really win the battle, you must use the artifact that you won from 
either group of monsters against them.  So, if you walked through the north 
door, have one member of the party brandish the Talisman of Bane; if you are 
facing dragons, have another member blow the Horn of Doom.  The creatures facing 
you will reel in dismay or terror, granting you a round where you are free to 
attack them while they stand around and watch or try to reorganize themselves.  
You must spend this round eliminating most of the monsters, generally with 
delayed blast fireballs.  The second round works as normal, but you should have 
the advantage since many of the enemies are already dead.

You will notice a path leading between the two rooms; don't use it unless you 
want to fight another battle right away.  In my opinion, the fight with the 
minions of Bane was easier, but then you miss the treasure room (5) that you can 
only reach by fighting the dragons and crossing that room to the southeast.  In 
the northeast corner of the minions' room, on the other hand is a lair filled 
with beholders.  You probably don't want to go in there.

The choice is up to you; both rooms lead to the inner palace of Gothemenes, 
which is impeccably wrought in the finest materials, the design of a mad 
architect.  An important note: rest here and save the game.  Then cast all your 
protective spells, because you are going to fight several major battles back to 
back and this is your last chance to save and protect yourself.  As soon as you 
leave the passage and enter the main room, a dark fog begins pouring from the 
arches to the right.  Suddenly, in a flash of light, a figure appears.  It is 
Elminster.  He offers to join your party.  This is also sort of strange, since 
Elminster is supposed to stay in Limbo to provide you a gateway home, right?

Well, as it turns out, the game gives you a choice of what you want to do.  You 
can either let him join the party, or turn him down or kill him through battle.  
If he joins the party, he turns into Mahasvad the Rakasha and you easily kill 
the lone rakasha.  If you turn him down, he asks if he should return to Limbo.  
If you say yes, Gothemenes knows where Elminster, the only being with enough 
power to face him single-handedly, is located.  If you fight him, 'Elminster' 
becomes the rakasha and you kill him.

After the battle or slaughter--whichever you want to call it--is over, you will 
hear Gothmenes curse, saying that you didn't babble about Elminster's exact 
location (which makes him that much harder to find).  However, though the world 
is big, Gothemenes says that he will return with Elminster.  Xoham asks 
fearfully what will happen if you come by.  Well, Gothemenes says that he will 
wind the Tantalus clock, which is the countdown until he returns.  Gears grind, 
the clock strikes one, Gothemenes teleports to Limbo, and ripples hiss evilly in 
the dark pool beyond the arches (9).

The clock strikes about every two minutes game time; you have about 75 ticks to 
wander around before he returns.  You're supposed to be looking for Bane's 
Crystal, so you can go to the northwest and see the immense book collection 
Tanetal has amassed in his library (7), or to the museum (8) where he has many 
works of art.  Both room contain minor treasures; nothing of any value.  You 
will be surprised that there are no monsters here, though.

The Crystal is really in the center of the dark pool.  This is where your 
selection of who holds what artifact becomes important.  Whomever has the 
Crystal Ring should be wearing it, but more importantly, you must choose who 
wears it.  The problem lies in the fact that whomever wears it stands a good 
chance of being killed.  The best choice here is to select the character whom 
you can most afford to lose.

The person wearing the Crystal Ring must reach into the pool to retrieve the 
Crystal of Bane.  That character's hand will be chilled, but they won't suffer 
the 20 damage anyone else will upon touching the surface.  The character should 
take the Crystal, and upon touching it will notice that every evil-aligned 
monster in the Realms suddenly has their thoughts focused on that character.  
Gothemenes notices this too, and rushes back with Elminster, so that you only 
have until the clock strikes several more times before he returns.

Once he arrives, you are teleported against your will right next to the pool.  
Gothemenes holds Elminster at a wicked angle, tied up in his flail.  He demands 
that you give him the Crystal, saying that if you don't Elminster will die.  If 
you give him the Crystal, he will use it to directly channel Bane's power and 
will kill the entire party and Elminster instantly with no chance for escape.  
So you obviously turn down his request.  Again he demands it.  Turn him down 
again.  He loses his composure over being denied the Crystal, and Elminster 
escapes.

Elminster and Gothemenes face off, human to balor, good to evil, dancing in a 
circle of death around the pool.  Creatures begin to bubble from the pool, 
amassing and flocking to you.  The person who has the Crystal of Bane is 
presented with the option of using the Crystal to force the creatures back into 
the pool, but the game warns you it may be deadly to try this.  It's right (I 
had to fight the battle twice; the first time my magic user lost 70 HP from 
trying this; the next time my paladin lost 182 of 183 HP trying this).  Anyway, 
it works.  Most of the monsters retreat into the pool where Bane kills them for 
disobedience.  Oh well, he saved you the trouble.  The remaining monsters swarm 
forward as Xoham goads them on from behind.

Throw everything you've got against this wave; there are two more and it gets 
worse, however magic won't help you with those two.  The best way to handle this 
wave is, as always, to use delayed blast fireballs.  Once this wave is defeated, 
you glance at the battle between the two titans and watch them tire.  Then Xoham 
attacks you with his fellow beholders.

Your spells will fail against the beholders' magic resistance; don't even try 
casting.  Spread your party out, but concentrate on killing one or two at a 
time.  After all the quicker you can eliminate more monsters, the better.  
Rather than hitting each one once, make sure one dies before moving on to the 
next, because though your attacks will disrupt their spellcasting, they normally 
use their innate abilities anyway: flesh to stone, rays of disintegration and 
death rays, among others.  This is where your prayer and bless spells will come 
in handy--your characters must make all their saving throws or they will not be 
able to help you in the next battle.

Once the beholders have been defeated, you turn to watch the battle between the 
Elminster and Gothemenes again.  Suddenly, Elminster slips and falls into the 
pool of darkness.  Gothemenes looks around at the carnage you've left so far, 
and a look of doubt over his ability to beat you crosses his face.  He says, 
that "Perhaps you have earned the use of my gem.  With it you can rule the 
Realms.  I will teach you the command word if you let me go."  The game asks you 
if you agree to this.  The obvious answer is no.  Then he licks his lips and 
calls his loyal minions to himself.  He gets scared and then he calls on Bane to 
protect his 'chosen one.'  At first it seems as if nothing happens.  Suddenly, a 
weird light seeps from the pool and you feel you magic draining away.

Looks like you'll have to do it the hard way.  Gothemenes attacks.  If you 
haven't figured it out by this time, the bright blue minions of bane give you an 
electrical shock if you hit them with a melee weapon (i.e. a sword, axe, staff, 
etc.).  You'll have to use bows and arrows, but to use these you must be at 
least 1 step away from all enemies (the idea is that if you're closer you have 
to defend yourself against other attacks, which doesn't work too well with a bow 
& arrows).  The first enemy you kill is Gothemenes, followed by the minions of 
Bane, and finally Bits o Moander.

Once all the monsters have been destroyed, Gothemenes drags himself to the edge 
of the pool and calls out: "Bane!  Save your faithful servant!"  But it seems 
Bane doesn't hear, because the god eliminates those who fail him.  The cold 
flame from the pool which burns Gothemenes alive is merciless.

Suddenly the Crystal of Bane turns to dust in your character's hand and 
Elminster reappears from the pool of darkness.  He says that he has seen Bane's 
realm and it is terrible, and all that fun stuff.  A fog begins to descend upon 
you, but suddenly it vanishes from your eyes.  Elminster says that only he and 
you will ever remember that this happened; the fog will make the rest of the 
Realms forget it.  Then he transports you to Phlan.

You are done with the game, in as much as saving the Forgotten Realms goes.  You 
can wander around Phlan and talk to the people who you met on your journeys; 
they've forgotten all about the attack on the Moonsea; it's as if it never 
happened, and they act as if they don't know you (though Shal seems to recognize 
you from somewhere....).  Sasha has canceled her trip to Thar to inspect their 
forces there because it is such a peaceful time.  Priam greets you, but not as 
if you were any different than another passerby.  Vala wants to go to Vaasa and 
stir up trouble for you.  Nothing has changed, or has it?

From here go to the boat docks.  Elminster steps out from some crates and 
welcomes you.  He explains exactly why nobody remembers anything about Bane's 
attempt at conquest (it wasn't the fog after all!).  When the greater powers 
returned the cities, they also returned time as well--it's as if time resumed 
right before the big catastrophe with the Moonsea and the disappearance of the 
cities, only the nightmare that followed never happened.

He goes on to say that you have passage on a boat to a realm far away from the 
Forgotten Realms, should you so choose to go and live the rest of your lives in 
that location (all the treasure you left with him in his vault in Limbo is in 
the cargo hold).  He also says that a mysterious boat has also landed and has 
there should be one more challenge for you there should you wish to undertake it 
before leaving the Realms.  He's going back to Shadowdale.  He leaves.  Go east 
to the door to the docks, and Rolf will ask what you want to do.

If you take the fine ship, he asks you if you really want to bid a final good-
bye.  If you say yes, you will pass from the Realms forever, knowing that by 
your hand the Realms where saved and that your deeds will change the face of the 
earth altogether.

On the other hand, if you take the other ship, complete with broken mizzenmast, 
the captain explains that he met a man who loved challenges--ones that involve 
death.  Anyway, he asks if you are sure you want to go.  If you say yes, he 
allows the party to encamp and save the game and rest beforehand.  Afterward, he 
asks you to confirm your choice.  If you still agree to go (knowing there is no 
turning back), you all board the ship and sail on calm seas for several days 
until you reach and island, your destination.

Part IV: Dave's Challenge

Please Note: this portion of the walkthru is optional, and therefore I am 
releasing the previous portion before the entire document is ready.  Please 
pardon the disorder in the rest of the document.

This deserves to be in a whole section by itself.  The map included and the 
directions should help you through Dave's Challenge itself (the area map feature 
is off in this segment too).  The object of Dave's Challenge, as Dave himself 
will tell you after noting your deeds, is simple: Survival.  To achieve this 
end, you must recover four Bonds: the Fighter's Bond, the Cleric's Bond, the 
Mage's Bond and the Thief's Bond, which are scattered throughout the fortress, 
and then escape.

To complicate matters, all the enemies in the fortress are more powerful the 
second time around, and have something in the neighborhood of two to four times 
as many hit points.  However, their other attributes seem to remain the same.  
Good luck!  You'll need it.

Upon entering the labyrinth, Dave speaks to you.  In addition to what he tells 
you, there are a couple important notes.  First of all, there is only one place 
where you can safely rest (29), and even so you can only rest for a limited 
period of time (the longer each rest is the less often you can do it).  The best 
solution is to use the potions that you find and clerical spells, and to also 
try not to rest until you have recovered all 4 bonds.  Also, the Rune will 
disappear after resting twice to regain spells lost in these three locations: 3, 
13 and 34.  A couple more notes.  Turning undead has basically the same effect 
here as it did in Gothmenes palace: none.  Don't bother wasting your attacks.  
You should also know that the wandering monsters are packs of vampires.  The 
only other place to rest other than the Rune is after the battle at 21.  Off you 
go!

1. The entrance and a fight with Greater Basilisks and Carrion Crawlers.
2. Beholders will allow the party to talk with them 3 times to get clues to the 
challenge; after this they attack.
3. All memorized spells are lost.
4. A fight with about 6 Pets of Kalistes.
5. A fight with a number of human thieves.
6. Treasure: Money, minor swords & armor and potions.
7. A fight with Red, Green and White Dragons; The Fighter's Bond is located 
here.
8. A fight with vampires, IF you go into the center of the room.
9. Another battle with wraiths, spectres, and wights.
10. Several liches and spectres guard the Cleric's Bond.
11. A fight with skeletons, after which you advance to another encounter with 
even more skeletons.
12. Treasure: Money, minor swords & armor and potions.
13. All clerical spells are lost.
14. A battle with a large force of vampires.
15. The Mage's Bond is here, along with a one way door.
16. There's an electric trap under the door, so go through the secret door to 
the south.
17. The Thief's Bond is here.
18. Treasure: Potions, money and minor weapons & armor.
19. The secret door here will only appear after all bonds have been destroyed.
20. The next step you take will teleport you to 21; this is your last chance to 
cast spells!
21. All spells are lost.  In the final battle, the party must face 2 waves: the 
first consists of Gothmenes, Tanetal, Blue Bane Minions and Red Bits o Moander. 
The second wave consists of Thorne, Kalistes, some Red Dragons and Pets of 
Kalistes.
22. Type "Oh, well" here and be transported to 23.
23. A safe spot, believe it or not (no pun intended)!
24. Drink from the fountain to gain experience points.
25. Train your characters.
26. There's a pool of water here; it has no visible effect either good or ill.
27. Treasure: 2 Vorpal Swords, 2 Girdles of Giant Strength, 3 Pairs of Boots of 
Speed, other good stuff.
28. You can be teleported back to Phlan (but might as well keep going at this 
point).
29. The Rune: the only place to rest (see notes above).
30. The clerics can destroy the altar.
31. One person must stand against fear.
32. Next is a fight with Blue Bane Minions, Bulettes, and Red Bits o Moander.
33. An encounter with Large Iron Golems.
34. All mage spells are lost.
35. The passageway is charged with electricity; searching would be a bad idea 
right now!
36. Disarm the trap on the secret door or you will take damage.