Castlevania II: Simon's Quest/Rover Mansion

The second leg of your journey is fairly short, with only one town to visit. There are a handful of items to purchase, including garlic and laurels. You will need many of the items you find here throughout the game.

Denis Woods
When you exit right out of Berkeley Mansion, you will find yourself in Denis Woods. Denis Woods is not much different from Veros woods. However, beyond Berkeley Mansion, the enemies are much tougher. They are as strong in the daytime, as previous enemies were at night. That means the enemies here are stronger still at night, so be careful. Although you can break the lowest platform with Holy Water, it is once again safer to stick to the top route and avoid the poison marsh.

When you advance to the second screen, you will encounter a new enemy: the large spiders. They drop down from spools of webbing in an effort to attack you. They also launch spider webs in your direction. The webs are big and hard to avoid, but they can be whipped and removed from the screen. Continue walking all the way to the right to reach Dabi's path.

Dabi's Path
Dabi's Path is where you'll arrive if you come from either Denis Woods, or you exit the right side of the Town of Veros. However, if you arrived from Veros, you will be in the lower portion of the path, and must climb to the top to continue traveling in any direction. Dabi's path can be quite difficult for unprepared players. The enemies are stronger here, and you must contend with the rather persistent floating eyeballs. The eyeballs lock onto your position and continuously float toward you. They are much easier to fight when they are level with you, but that can be difficult to accomplish on all of the staircases throughout the path. If you are on your way back to Berkeley Mansion, head left through Denis Woods. Otherwise, proceed to the right.

When you reach the next screen, you will be walking along a high platform. After swatting away the bats and eyeballs that get in your way, you will eventually drop down several platforms to the floor below. However, before proceeding on to the right, it's worth exploring the region you just walked above to the left. The lowest platform can be removed with Holy Water. While carefully dealing with the eyeballs, make your way back to the left along the floor until you reach the wall at point A. If you use Holy Water at this point, the wall will wear away and expose a flame which you can collect. This flame is in fact the, a more powerful weapon than the Holy Water. But each use will cost you one heart per flame.

Aljiba Woods
Aljiba Woods is not much difference than the other forests you've visited so far. However, spiders occupy both entrances to the area. The left side of the first screen contains a secret. If you throw Holy Water along the floor at point A, you will find a Clue Book. But be careful of the spider webs being shot at you while you attempt to collect it. Proceed all the way to the right to reach the next portion of the woods.

Once again, the path will branch. This time, if you want to visit a town, you'll have to remain on the upper path. Taking the lower path leads to a cavern that exits at Yuba Lake, and you don't have the equipment you need just yet. Continue along the top path, fighting against the skeletons that appear in you way. You must pass through one more section of woods, featuring many more spiders, in order to reach the Town of Aljiba.

Town of Aljiba
Although Aljiba is a bustling town, it contains no Church, and therefore no opportunity to restore your health. Once you arrive in town (assuming it's daytime) enter the first open door that you see, and break the floor with Holy Water. Climb down to the bottom and buy. You get two cloves for every purchase of 50 hearts, and that is all you need for the whole game, so you are not recommended to buy any more. The second door may only appear to contain a vague hint about Dracula's eyeball, but there's actually a Clue Book hidden in this house. On your way down the stairs, drop Holy Water on the left side of the middle floor, and you will expose the book.

Back outside, cross over to the right side of town, climb the stairs and enter the next door. Once again, break the floor and head to the bottom. Buy two for 50 hearts. You will eventually need more, but these two should suffice for now. Back in town, climb the stairs to the top, and walk to the left to find a man in black and gray whos is willing to trade your white crystal for a. Once you have everything, head back down and exit the town through the right to reach a cemetery.

Quotes

Carmilla Cemetery
When you arrive, you will notice hands clawing through the ground to attack you. Clear them away if you like, but if you advance to the right, you will discover a jump to a ledge that you are unable to make*. You will have no choice but to turn around. Please note that later in the game, it will be possible to visit Carmilla Cemetery from the right side. Dropping down from the higher ledge is a one-way trip, so be careful.

Before you leave, if you happen to drop a clove on garlic on the ground, a man will appear at location A. Talk to him and get the. This powerful weapon travels farther than the dagger and does more damage, but it requires one heart per use. Now that you have everything, you can return to Aljiba Woods, and take the stairway down to the Lower Road.

* ''Actually, it is possible to reach it, by jumping and throwing Holy Water, or the Sacred Flame, at the right time. However, this is probably due to a bug, it is extraordinary difficult to do—you may try hundreds of times and still not succeed! However, it does not pay at all: you do not need to go to that side of the cemetery now.''

Lower Road
You'll find yourself in another cavern, the kind that floating eyeballs like to hang out in. Fight your way to the right, and take the upper path when given the opportunity to choose. Although a tad slower, it does not present the risk of death by drowning in water that the lower path does. Drop back down to the floor and continue to the next screen, but be sure to stop walking when you arrive.

Yuba Lake
Outside the cavern you'll find yourself in front of a lake. To the uninitiated, it may seem like a dead-end, but of course it's not. There is a way to proceed if you have the right item. Read the spoiler below to find out the secret of the lake.

Once the path below Yuba Lake has been revealed, follow it down and to the right. You will find yourself in front of Rover Mansion. Note that the path dead-ends here. After you complete Rover Mansion, your only choice is to return the way you came to the left.

Rover Mansion
Rover Mansion is divided into two parts, the west hall and the east hall. Although you arrive in the west hall, there is nothing of interest to you there. While exploring it isn't exactly a waste of time, you will eventually have no choice but to return to the first floor to discover a way into the east hall.

That way is located at location A on the map above. It turns out that the entire wall is an illusion. You can simply jump through it and continue to the right in order to reach the east hall. As you explore this region, you will see a flight of stairs. Ignore them for now and continue walking to the right. You will arrive at a platform over some water, with a short pillar that automatically slides back and forth. Your goal is to reach the other side of the platform. You can either attempt to use the sliding pillar as a way to reach the upper platform, or simply remain on the left side and jump over it as it approaches you. Jump down to the lower platforms and carefully approach location B, where you will find a merchant who will sell you an. Buy one and return to the left. It is not actually necessary to check out the upper path unless you are curious, and wish to find one of the Clue Books, which is hidden at location C. However, be very careful as you approach this spot, as all of the floors below the grates are false.

Begin making your way back to the left, jumping over the sliding pillar, and climb the stairs which you passed by earlier. Follow the straightforward path up four sets of stairs, then use the blocks to climb the narrow shaft on your left. When you reach the top, location D is another great place to wander back and forth to restore your heart collection to 256, and reach the second level if you haven't already. When you're finished, break the far right wall at location E for the second Clue Book. Then, work your way down the stairs and the second shaft, and head right to get to the crystal ball. Break it with an Oak Stake to get. Don't bother equipping it, as it won't come in handy right now the way the rib does. Now that you have the heart, you are free to exit the mansion. There are no shortcuts on the return trip, so you'll have to go all the way back through the shafts and stairs.