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Here's a travel plan: | Here's a travel plan: | ||
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! Towns !! Use !! Get | ! Towns !! Use !! Get | ||
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Six characters will tell clues about the Marks and the Snake. | Six characters will tell clues about the Marks and the Snake. | ||
Despite what the manual says, '''horses''' never appear in the wild (<u>never</u> trust a game manual!). They can be only purchased in the town '''stables''' of Devil Guard (or in the magic town of Dawn). Horses simply allow to outrun enemies. They are quite expensive at game start, and they are unnecessary later. | |||
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* Speak to the woman in the hospital twice to learn the "Bribe" command. To access this command, open the menu, then press Select. | * Speak to the woman in the hospital twice to learn the "Bribe" command. To access this command, open the menu, then press Select. | ||
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Revision as of 04:47, 3 November 2016
As soon as all your characters have 550 health points, a good weapon, a decent armor (up to the chain/bronze armor), and most and foremost a ship, you can step to the second part of the adventure.
Overview of Sosaria
From the manual:
- «Sosaria is the world which Lord British calls home, and it is the world which is under threat from the mysterious and enigmatic Exodus. Some areas can be reach on foot, others must be sailed to, and other still can only be accessed through the mystical Moon Gates, whose positions change according to the phases of the two moons.»
- «Sosaria contains many secrets, most of which are designed to be discovered by you throughout your journey. You can learn much by talking to citizens of the towns, or through exploration of the land itself.»
| LB | Lord Britsh's Castle |
| RO | Royal city of Britain |
| MO | Town of Moon |
| YE | Town of Yew |
| MW | Montor West |
| ME | Montor East |
| GR | Grey |
| FA | Fawn |
| DV | Devil Guard |
| DE | Death Gulch |
| DA | Dawn |
| A | Perinian Depths |
| B | Dardin's Pit |
| C | Dungeon of Fire |
| D | Dungeon of the Snake |
| E | Mines of Morinia |
| F | Dungeon Doom |
| G | Dungeon of Time |
| EXODUS | Castle of Exodus |
| (0) new moon |
SE of Montor (NW corner of the map) |
| (1) crescent waxing |
Isle with dungeon of Snake/Sol |
| (2) first quarter |
North end of the enclosed valley |
| (3) gibbous waxing |
Straight West of Montor |
| (4) full moon |
South end of the enclosed valley |
| (5) gibbous waning |
Isle of Fire |
| (6) last quarter |
Devil Guard |
| (7) crescent waning |
Dungeon of Time/Moon |
Gathering information
Talk to the townsfolk in all the towns of Sosaria. Apart from flavor text, people know about some specific subjects: (1) Ambrosia (incl. whirlpool and shrines); (2) Dawn and the exotic arms; (3) the four marks and the silver snake; (4) the four cards.
Unfortunately, the information is fragmented and scattered; your duty is to collect all such information and put it back together. In the NES port, dialogue is four times more extended, and vital pieces of information are often heard in a different town.
Here's a travel plan:
| Towns | Use | Get |
|---|---|---|
| Britain, the royal city | - | - |
| Grey | - | Keys |
| Lord British's castle (locked rooms) | Keys | Oracle information |
| Moon | - | "Bribe" command (not NES) |
| Devil Guard | Oracle informtion (not NES) | "Bribe" command (NES only) |
| Montor East | Oracle informtion | - |
| Montor West | Oracle informtion, bribe, keys | - |
| Fawn | Ship | "Pray" command (not NES) |
| Yew | "Pray" command | "Pray" command (NES; only using Mark of Fire) |
| Death Gulch | Ship, bribe, keys | - |
Furtherore, some areas in some towns are restricted. First of all, you should buy a sufficient amount of keys. The following table divides the town services found already in Britain and those exclusive to other towns.
Britain, the royal city
The starting town is also the first place where you should look for information.
Five characters give clues about different topics. The man who says "Round back!" is suggesting to explore the back of the building.
The characters in the main halls of nearby castle offer no clues. By the way, there are three old acquaintances: the bards Iolo and Gwenno (from Ultima 1) and the jester Chuckles (from the "Alternate Earth" in Ultima 2).
Town of Grey
You probably noticed two locked doors in the castle. The only way to open them is to use some "magic" keys (known as "lockpicks" from Ultima 5 onwards).
Grey is located in the south-west of Sosaria. It has the feeling of a "town of outlaws": most inhabitants are thieves, and the guards talk like shady bouncers («Watch it, bub!»).
Grey is the only easily accessible town with a Thieves Guild. It is in the back room of the pub. There, you should buy a dozen keys (there may be more than two locked doors in Sosaria). The other tools for sale will be useful later.
In the south-east corner of Grey there is a treasure room. Be careful: some thieves will ambush and attack you if you go in. After the fight, all the guards in town will attack, too.
Talk to all the people and get some hints about Exotic arms.
NES port differences:
- The "outlaws town" feeling is lost.
- A single character gives all the hints about the Exotic/Mystic arms; other characters talk about some items.
- No thief will ambush the party if they try and get in the treasure room. Actually, the room's entrance is blocked by two groups of heavily armoured guards.
- There is a casino behind the pub.
Castle British (locked rooms)
After purchasing "magic" keys in Grey, you can go back to the castle and explore the locked rooms.
To the east is the prison and torture chamber: some of the prisoners hold important information; you need a way to walk on fire if you want to question them, though.
From the throne room you can access the king's private quarters. There, you can meet Radrion the Oracle. With his vision he can provide much understanding of the occurrences in the world around you. Knowledge is a costly thing, so bring a heavy purse: 4500 GP will do. Unlock another door and you can access the moat. Use the boat there and reach the Wise Cleric, who has another important clue for you.
NES port differences:
- The prisoners in the torture chamber are peaceful. Instead of attacking the party, they will talk.
- One character in the king's quarters gives a hint about a NES-exclusive pick (that replaces the "dig" command).
Town of Moon
Moon is located far to the west from Britain.
The townsfolk give four hints about different subjects: the whirlpool, the shrines, Dawn, the "bribe" command.
NES port differences:
- The town features the temple, the only place where a character turned into ashes can be revived.
- The "bribe" command is learned elsewhere. Instead, a woman gives a hint about entering in Death Gulch (one of the towns where you have to bribe guards).
Town of Devil Guard
- «Of marks I say there are but four of fire, force, snake and king.
- Learn their use in Devil Guard, or death you'll surely bring.»
- --- Radrion, Prophet of Life
Moon Gates allow to reach two destinations inaccessible by any other means: the lake town of Devil Guard and the dungeon of the Moon/Time (for more information, see the Moongates page). You can get to Devil Guard in two steps:
- From either mainland moon gate (West or South-East from Montor), enter the gate when the right-hand moon phase is first quarter (2).
- From the landlocked valley, enter any gate when the right-hand moon phase is last quarter (6).
- To return to the mainland, enter a moon gate when the right-hand moon phase is gibbous waxing (3) or new moon (0).
Devil Guard is a lake town made of small islets connected by bridges. Its structure reminds of Venice (in North Italy) or Esgaroth upon Long Lake (from "The Hobbit").
Six characters will tell clues about the Marks and the Snake.
Despite what the manual says, horses never appear in the wild (never trust a game manual!). They can be only purchased in the town stables of Devil Guard (or in the magic town of Dawn). Horses simply allow to outrun enemies. They are quite expensive at game start, and they are unnecessary later.
NES port differences:
- Three charactes only (instead of six) give clues about the Marks and the Snake.
- Speak to the woman in the hospital twice to learn the "Bribe" command. To access this command, open the menu, then press Select.
Town of Montor East
- «Ask about Cards in Montor.»
- --- Radrion the Oracle (NES)
Services: armoury, weapons dealer, pub.
Although the two Montors are supposed to be twin cities, Montor East lacks two services available in the other one: the grocery shop and the prison.
Talk to all townsfolk and learn two hints about the cards (only one in the NES port).
Town of Montor West
- «The cards their suits do number four, called Sol, Moon, Death and Love.
- Unto the Montors thou must go for guidance from above.»
- --- Radrion, Prophet of Life
The information in the manual is inaccurate (never trust a manual!): Montor West is a fully autonomous town, featuring five different services.
Montor West has a prison. You can enter it by bribing the guard. Depending on which version you are playing, you can learn the "bribe" command either in Moon (computer ports) or in Devil Guard (NES port). Prisoners hold important information about the Cards.
Town of Fawn
- «Ask about the Snake at Fawn.»
- --- Bartender in Grey (NES)
Copied from the manual: Lying upon a northern island, the towne of Fawn can not be reached save by ship. Within the towne are a healer, a grocer, a pub, and a Thieves Guild.
Services: Guild, Pub, Grocery store, Healer, (NES: Casino)
Fawn can only be reached with a ship.
Town of Yew
Services: Grocery store, Healer (NES: Temple)
Copied from the manual: Nestled within a near complete ring of mountains, and concealed within the depths of a great forest, Yew is a quiet towne, where many come for contemplation and prayer. Concealed within the forest within which the towne has been constructed lie the Aliment Grocery, a Healer, and the Circle of Light, a place where prayers are reputed to come true.
Notes:
- Yew is hidden deep in the Mountains to the west of castle Britannia. Enter the pass on the west side of the mountainous area going east toward the castle.
- Very limited view because of the dense forest. Beware of some lava pits.
- If you have the Mark of Fire (or a lot of HP), approach the priests in the temple. They will give you the "Pray" command which can be used at the "Circle of Light". You then get the "Silver Horn" which allows you to pass the "Great Earth Serpent", guarding the entryway to "Castle Exodus".
Town of Death Gulch
Services: Armor shop, Weapon shop, Pub, Grocery store
Copied from the manual: Upon an eastern island, this towne of wretched villains is carved back into the mountains themselves, making it nearly impregnable for any normal foes. Once thou hast entered the towne (bribery is useful here) thou canst seek out those with valuable knowledge, or visit the various stores. The Armoury may be raided, but take care to bribe the guards before thou doth enter.
Notes:
- There is a big field of lava, but there is no need to talk with the person there.
- For 100 Gold you can bribe the guards. In the NES port, however, before you can do this you have to get the "Bribe" command from a person in Devil Guard.
- You can also use the way through the forest labyrinth if you don't want/can't bribe the guards.
- There are lots of treasure chests near the armory, but be careful of the guards when you open the chests! It's an easy way to get much gold. Just leave the town, then re-enter and all the chests are back again.
Summary
Let's summarize all the information gathered so far:
- Exodus: in order to defeat Exodus, you need three things: equip the Exotic/Mystic arms, get past the Silver Snake, use the Four Cards.
- Exotic/Mystic arms: the final clues are in the magic town of Dawn; all you know about it is that it appears with two new moons, and that it is in the large forest west of Montor; this is not enough to locate it.
- Silver Snake: in order to get past it, you have to pray in the Circle of Light in Yew and you need the Mark of Snake; this mark is in one dungeon; you are not yet powerful enough to brave a dungeon. Where can you improve your attributes?
- Four Cards: they can be found in the Shrines of Truth. Where are such shrines?
Other topics:
- Whirlpool: someone said he/she came back from there; maybe it conceals either Ambrosia, or the Shrines, or both.
- Ambrosia: many people suggested to find it, but where is it? One possibility is that the answer lies beyond the whirlpool.
- Fire and force fields: found in Lord British's castle and in Death Gulch; some people dwell in there, and they may hold important information; you need the marks of Fire and Force to cross them, but again, you are too weak to brave the dungeons.
- Time Lord: he may hold important information; once more, you are too weak to brave the dungeons.
The only thing that can be done now is to explore whatever lies beyond the whirlpool.