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| Visiting the city of Cham Nahm. |
Until I get out of this rut, we're just going to have to have short entries. It'll be like the early days of this blog, when I'd write 250 words and say, "Hell, yeah! Post it!"
Commenters came through with the manual for Phalsberg. It cleared up some of the game's mechanics. Without it, I would have been perpetually confused as to some of the commands. Now I know that THRO(w) doesn't throw an item as a missile but instead throws it away. CLIM(b) is used to mount a horse, not scale a tree. ATTA(ch) is specifically for attaching your horse's reins to a fixed object so it won't escape. PICK applies not to locks but to fruits and vegetables. MATE(realize) means "resurrect." Still, a lot of commands are left unexplained, and I still don't know what the difference is between EXAM(ine) and SEAR(ch), nor whether the latter is to search a place or to search for a specific item.
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| The small game world. |
I spent some time mapping the game world. It's only 52 x 36. It wraps. There are two continents. I'll need a boat to get from one to the other, but the exploration window is so large that I can map most of the second continent from what I can see from the first.
The starting continent has eight locations. I explored them all. I'll relate what I experienced there below, but let me handle NPC hints as a group. This is what I've discovered from repeatedly asking questions of NPCs. This is an annoying process because you have to repeatedly go into the QUES(tion) menu and half the time the NPC says something like, "I don't feel like telling you," forcing you to go back and choose it again until you get a hint or a hard "I don't know." The process is also annoying because you can't scroll up on the question list. If you accidentally miss the question you wanted to ask, you have to cancel out of the menu and hit QUES again.
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| With who again? |
As we go through these, keep in mind that my stated goal is to find the crown, scarab, and scepter, and then to find King Philoxal. But the question list lets you ask about other things before you've even heard about them. There are 25 questions, but I'll condense things by organizing them by topic:
- Scepter. The great sorceress Roxane might be able to help me. The Amazons will guide me thanks to the Love Potions of Astrud.
- Crown. At the heart of the Tarantic Ocean, I will find a reply to my question. Someone named Metrax apparently has it. Metrax is a mercenary working for Blackstar; he shares his plunders with the needy. To find the crown, I will need the Sword of Airain. I don't know if this is the same as the Bronze Sword, but if it is, an old magician possesses it.
- Scarab. It is located in the Forbidden Cities. The sorceress Roxane might be able to help me.
- Philoxal. He is reportedly "unfindable."
- Key. In the Daccic desert, perhaps in possession of the Amazons. That must be on the second continent. I can see desert patches from the first.
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| A clue in an endless selection of questions. |
- Map. In the sanctuary of Cham Nahm. With it, I will go in search of the Lens of the Astrolabe.
- Lens. It is in the Forest of Sylvius.
- Forbidden Cities. The crystal will give me admission to the Forbidden Cities, but no one yet knows how to make the crystal.
- Amyrthe. I still don't know who or what he or she is, but I should find him or her by going to the Sanctuary of Tallin with a cross.
- Blackstar. He is reportedly "unfindable."
Now, onto the locations. Not all of them are marked. I don't know that I found all of them on the first continent, but I found all that were in obvious places, like the ends of roads that otherwise led nowhere.
- The Clairvoyant Commune. Nothing special here. One of the clairvoyants answered some of the questions.
- Cemetery of Url. I couldn't get anything to happen at all.
- Castle of Blackstar: Nothing but enemies.
- Magician Karob: When I asked about the crown, he drew the letters METRAX on the ground and gave me a bronze sword. (I didn't TAKE it at first and later had to return for it.) I also found a magic balsam here, whatever that does. The manual alerted me that the way to spend accumulated experience is to LEAR(n) in front of magicians. When I did that, he took my 82 experience and gave me 41 more dexterity, 41 more intelligence, and 41 more charisma.
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| My new attributes. |
- Abyss of Plaxel: Seems to be a deep cave, but I couldn't find anything there.
- Cham Nahm. A city or town with several locations to enter. The hint said that I'd find the map in the sanctuary, so I went there and searched and examined every object there but I couldn't find a damned thing.
- Forest of Sylvius: I couldn't find the lens despite it supposedly being here.
- Phalsberg. The town had a temple, grocery, house, sanctuary, and tavern. The temple had an altar with a key, a chest, and a gold pentagram on it. A cleric stood guard. If I tried to take the key, a stone rolled and crushed me. The house belongs to the magician Astrud. I couldn't get her to say anything about love potions, nor did she offer one for sale. There was a revitalization potion sitting in her house, and I took it.
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| I wonder if Astrud is tall, and tan, and young, and lovely. |
As I moved from place to place, I was attacked by a variety of creatures like goblins, vampires, guards, and tigers. I dodged most of their attacks and killed them in one blow. Combat is thus far a superfluous part of the game. Moving also depletes energy, but I rested occasionally to restore it. You can also restore it by eating and drinking, which also restores strength. Resting restores more energy but less strength.
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| Attacked by something. |
I discovered that while I can never find a way to loot a slain enemy's purse, I can STEA(l) it before I kill him.
As I was preparing to wrap this up as a short entry, I found that disembarking from one continent to the other is simply a matter of moving to the coast and waiting for the message that you see a boat, then choosing EMBA(rk). I met hydras and mermaids on the waves.
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| "Rocked by the Blue Waves of the Sea" would be a good song title. |
I sailed to the second continent and started going through its locations:
- Cabin of Pescaris: The fisherman was there, but he had nothing to offer.
- Cave of the Mercenaries: A corpse was on the ground surrounded by pieces of gold. When I tried to take the gold, I found they were poisoned. An inscription on the wall was in Kalvorian: "To the poorest of the Kalvorians you will always give." I thought this might be Metrax, but all the searching and examining in the world got me nothing.
- Cabin of the Fisher Shimann. Ditto Pescaris.
- Manor of Philoxal. It was abandoned. I found nothing.
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| The view of Philoxal's manor. |
- Sorcerer Ephidas: He had no new answers to my questions, but I exchanged some more experience.
- Village of Bringstown. Had a cemetery, armorer, house, and tavern. The armorer sold a food ration, rope, gun, and dagger. I bought all of them. The house belonged to the sorceress Roxane. But she had nothing new to say. When I asked about the scarab, she said, "I can inform you," but then told me nothing. I tried giving her gold, but to no avail.
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| She was supposed to help me, but she put on the red light. |
- House of the Farmer Foutral. Found nothing.
- Town of Tallin. The town had a cemetery, armorer, hotel, and house. The armorer sold a bow, gun, laser, and dagger. I bought the bow and laser. (There's no way to equip a specific weapon, so I assume that all I buy are adding to my effectiveness somehow.) The house was called "Hermine," and when I entered, a message said, "The power of Hermine will be of a big help to you." Despite this promise, the clairvoyant inside the house was no help.
- Cave of the Hanging Wolf. As far as I can tell, there was nothing there.
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| My inventory at the end of this session. |
The desert in the center of the continent was labeled "Daccic Desert," but I couldn't find any Amazons or anything that would indicate a key. There were new enemies on the continent, including snakes, tarantulas, and skeletons, none any harder than the easy enemies on the first continent.
Thus, I'm stuck. There's either a mechanic that I'm not seeing or the solutions to these puzzles are buried somewhere in the labyrinth of menu options. Either way, I'll give it a couple more hours and move on if I find nothing.
Times so far: 6 hours
****
09/20/2026
I just wanted to applaud the Astrud Gilberto reference. Always worth reading the screenshot captions.
ReplyDeleteMost of Chet's song references whizz right over my head. But I did catch Roxane and the red light one.
DeleteThe “balsam” is probably a healing item of some kind - that’s where the modern “balm” comes from. I’m hard-pressed to see where or how that would help very much given the many mysteries the game presents, though!
ReplyDeleteNever played this game, but the Cave of the Mercenaries puzzle seems pretty obvious. How much gold were you carrying when you searched the body?
ReplyDeleteA fair amount. I see what you're getting at, but I don't know. That seems sophisticated for this game.
DeleteOh, these were the times. In a modern rpg you must be blind to not find your quest destination, but in the good old times you didn't even know what the commands meant. Yay to Retro I say :-)
ReplyDeleteSteal instead of looting? You solved othe carried purses mystery!
ReplyDeleteOtherwise, I got stuck at the same point in the "plot" and moved on.
Ugh. I think you were my last hope.
DeleteI remember I went to Calamine's home and I slept until force and reflexes reached their maximum. Subsequently, I fought enemies and stole their purses (apparently I found that out, two years ago) until I accumulated enough money and experience, then spend them to raise intelligence, charisma and protection.
DeleteWith maximum charisma and intelligence, almost no character will still answer "I don't feel like telling you".
It is still a chore...
The instruction manual suggests that Amazons are a random encounter in the Daccic desert (similar to randomly encountering non-hostile NPCs). Maybe they aren't a fixed encounter, but something you have to stumble upon randomly?
ReplyDeleteMaybe, but I think I need to solve the mystery of getting the potion from Astrud. I have an idea about that, so we'll see for next time.
DeleteYou mapped the whole thing? The French pdf documentation (I wonder where I saved it) included the world map. See here:
ReplyDeletehttps://rhodblog.files.wordpress.com/2014/11/img_6428.jpg
Also, the English manual lacks the page that brags about the qualities of the game author. Do you remember David Bradley's Wizardry 6 manual?
ReplyDelete# Phalsberg walkthrough
Due to how questions are answered, you cannot play with ANTHERIC (charisma is too low) without raising your CHARISMA first.
# Getting stats
- sleeping gets you ~4d10 energy and ~1d10 force (unless you're already at max energy, 255)
- eating and drinking gets you the energy given by the manual, half of that number in force, unless you're at max energy
- you need 630 total stats to MATErialise Philoxal at the end
- so sleep a lot and hunt/gather a lot when your energy is below the max
The quest line in itself is completely linear. It is, in the source, a variable that goes step by step from 0 to 57 with each action. You have to do them in exactly that order. Be careful to always take the objects that drop. You might be able to PRENdre/take them if you're in a similar location (same name, such as 'minor sea'), even if they're not present in the description.
## 1 to 9 — the sword, the ring, the letter
1. At S'Karob `(6, 13)`, with someone present, ask `OU EST LA COURONNE ?`. He traces Metrax on the ground and lays the bronze sword. Stage 1.
2. There, `PRENdre` the bronze sword. Stage 2.
3. Anywhere on the Tarantic ocean, `PLONGer` the sword. A fish is left on the ground. *Un poisson est planté au bout de votre épée.* Stage 3.
4. There, `PRENdre` the fish. Stage 4.
5. `OUVRir` the fish (noun 14). This also works at stage 3 anywhere on that ocean, before the fish is taken. A ring is left on the ground. *Un anneau brille parmi ses viscères.* Stage 5.
6. On the Tarantic ocean, `PRENdre` the ring. Stage 6.
7. In the mercenaries' cave `(30, 33)`, `FOUILler` the corpse. A sealed letter is left. Stage 7.
8. `PRENdre` the letter. Stage 8.
9. `LIR`e the letter. This also works at stage 7, but only inside that cave. *A toi Amyrthe… couronne… en gage d'amitié… Metrax…* Stage 9.
## 10 to 17 — the coat, the cross, the partridge, the hand
1. At Shimann's hut `(35, 0)`, with someone present, ask `QUI EST AMYRTHE ?`. He gives you the coat. Stage 10.
2. There, `PRENdre` the coat. Stage 11.
3. On the Ferrucian plain, with the vagabond present (person 34), `DONNer` him the coat. He leaves a cross. Stage 12.
4. `PRENdre` the cross (works anywhere on the Ferrucian plain). Stage 13.
5. Walk into the Bacchenian forest. *Une perdrix vous dérobe votre anneau et s'envole vers la mer.* The ring's pack bit is cleared, and a partridge is left on that cell. Stage 14.
6. There, `CHASser` the partridge (a rattlesnake, pheasant, hare, or slug that is lying there also counts). *Plouf ! Elle tombe en pleine mer.* Stage 15. The splash is printed on a hit and on a miss, and this path leaves the animal where it was.
7. Walk onto `(42, 35)`, the south edge of the Tarantic ocean. *La perdrix tient votre anneau dans son bec.* Stage 16.
8. There, `PLONGer` the hand. *Sur l'anneau vous pouvez lire: Pour Amyrthe…* Stage 17. `PRENdre` the partridge or the ring on that cell only tells you to plunge your hand.
ReplyDelete## 18 to 23 — Amyrthe's ring, then the crown
1. In Tallin's sanctuary, `DONNer` the cross. Stage 18.
2. There, with the cleric present (person 5), ask `OU EST AMYRTHE ?`. *-Amyrthe est enterré à Bringstown.* Stage 19. Asking this before stage 18 only says to come to Tallin's sanctuary with the cross.
3. In Bringstown's sanctuary, `OUVRir` the tomb. *Le tombeau s'ouvre…* Stage 20. Opening it at any other stage kills you: the tomb explodes.
4. There, `ENFIler` the ring. The skeleton gives up the crown. Stage 21. The ring leaves your pack.
5. `PRENdre` the crown. The game asks if you want the hint drawing. Stage 22.
6. At Roxane's (Bringstown, `ENTRer` maison), `OUVRir` the urn. *Une voix chante l'air illustre de Mastabar.* Stage 23.
## 23 to 29 — the camera, the lighter, the flask
1. At Ephidias `(30, 23)`, `DONNer` the bronze sword. He leaves a camera. *Il vous tend un superbe appareil photo reflex.* Stage 24.
2. `PRENdre` the camera. Stage 25.
3. At Astrabor's (Cahm Nahm, `ENTRer` maison), with the sorcerer present (person 29), `PHOTographier`. Photographier refuses unless the crown's pack bit is set. He leaves a lighter and a gourd. Stage 26.
4. `PRENdre` the lighter. Stage 27.
5. `PRENdre` the gourd. Stage 28.
6. At Calamine's `(14, 2)`, with someone present, ask `OU EST LE SCARABEE ?`. Stage 29.
## 29 to 42 — the hand, the crystal, the forbidden gate
1. In Phalsberg's sanctuary, `PHOTographier`. The flash knocks a hand off the statue. Stage 30.
2. `PRENdre` the hand. Stage 31.
3. On Lake Aquilax, `PRENdre` water. The gourd fills. Stage 32.
4. In the Tyrennas forest, `ALLUmer`. You need the lighter. Stage 33.
5. There, `LANCer` the water. A crystal is left in the fire. Stage 34.
6. `PRENdre` the crystal. Stage 35.
7. At `(34, 20)`, on the Tyrennas mountains, at noon, `POSEr` the crystal. The light names the forbidden gate: x 40, y 27. Stage 36. The diadem's pack bit is cleared.
8. At `(40, 27)`, the eastern Daccique desert, `CREUser`. The gate of the forbidden cities stands there. Stage 37.
9. There, `CHANter` a name ending in `ABAR`. The door opens. Stage 38.
10. There, `CHANter` a name ending in `TSAM`. The door closes. Stage 39. Do this before you put the hand down. `REMEttre` the hand at stage 38, or `FERMer` the door at stage 38, kills you.
11. There, `REMEttre` the hand. A gold and ruby scarab falls. Stage 40. The cross's pack bit is cleared.
12. `PRENdre` the scarab. The game asks about the hint drawing again. Stage 41.
13. At Roxane's (MAISon at 38,17), with someone present, ask `OU EST LE SCEPTRE ?`. He lays the astrolabe. Stage 42.
ReplyDelete## 18 to 23 — Amyrthe's ring, then the crown
1. In Tallin's sanctuary, `DONNer` the cross. Stage 18.
2. There, with the cleric present (person 5), ask `OU EST AMYRTHE ?`. *-Amyrthe est enterré à Bringstown.* Stage 19. Asking this before stage 18 only says to come to Tallin's sanctuary with the cross.
3. In Bringstown's sanctuary, `OUVRir` the tomb. *Le tombeau s'ouvre…* Stage 20. Opening it at any other stage kills you: the tomb explodes.
4. There, `ENFIler` the ring. The skeleton gives up the crown. Stage 21. The ring leaves your pack.
5. `PRENdre` the crown. The game asks if you want the hint drawing. Stage 22.
6. At Roxane's (Bringstown, `ENTRer` maison), `OUVRir` the urn. *Une voix chante l'air illustre de Mastabar.* Stage 23.
## 23 to 29 — the camera, the lighter, the flask
1. At Ephidias `(30, 23)`, `DONNer` the bronze sword. He leaves a camera. *Il vous tend un superbe appareil photo reflex.* Stage 24.
2. `PRENdre` the camera. Stage 25.
3. At Astrabor's (Cahm Nahm, `ENTRer` maison), with the sorcerer present (person 29), `PHOTographier`. Photographier refuses unless the crown's pack bit is set. He leaves a lighter and a gourd. Stage 26.
4. `PRENdre` the lighter. Stage 27.
5. `PRENdre` the gourd. Stage 28.
6. At Calamine's `(14, 2)`, with someone present, ask `OU EST LE SCARABEE ?`. Stage 29.
ReplyDelete## 29 to 42 — the hand, the crystal, the forbidden gate
1. In Phalsberg's sanctuary, `PHOTographier`. The flash knocks a hand off the statue. Stage 30.
2. `PRENdre` the hand. Stage 31.
3. On Lake Aquilax, `PRENdre` water. The gourd fills. Stage 32.
4. In the Tyrennas forest, `ALLUmer`. You need the lighter. Stage 33.
5. There, `LANCer` the water. A crystal is left in the fire. Stage 34.
6. `PRENdre` the crystal. Stage 35.
7. At `(34, 20)`, on the Tyrennas mountains, at noon, `POSEr` the crystal. The light names the forbidden gate: x 40, y 27. Stage 36. The diadem's pack bit is cleared.
8. At `(40, 27)`, the eastern Daccique desert, `CREUser`. The gate of the forbidden cities stands there. Stage 37.
9. There, `CHANter` a name ending in `ABAR`. The door opens. Stage 38.
10. There, `CHANter` a name ending in `TSAM`. The door closes. Stage 39. Do this before you put the hand down. `REMEttre` the hand at stage 38, or `FERMer` the door at stage 38, kills you.
11. There, `REMEttre` the hand. A gold and ruby scarab falls. Stage 40. The cross's pack bit is cleared.
12. `PRENdre` the scarab. The game asks about the hint drawing again. Stage 41.
13. At Roxane's (MAISon at 38,17), with someone present, ask `OU EST LE SCEPTRE ?`. He lays the astrolabe. Stage 42.
## 42 to 47 — the astrolabe, the philtre, the key
1. At Roxane's, `PRENdre` the astrolabe. Stage 43.
2. At Astrud's (Phalsberg, `ENTRer` maison), `DONNer` the scarab. He leaves a philtre. Stage 44.
3. `PRENdre` the philtre. Stage 45.
4. `BOIRe` the philtre in the north-east Daccique desert, or drink PHILtre in the south-west Daccique desert. Stage 46. Drinking it at stage 45 anywhere else still clears the philtre, but does not advance the marker.
5. At Roxane's, with someone present, ask `OU EST LE SCEPTRE ?` again. He lays the golden key. Stage 47.
6. With someone present, `PRENdre` the key. The place is not checked. Stage 48.
## 48 to 57 — the card, the lens, the sceptre
1. In Cahm Nahm's sanctuary, `OUVRir` the tomb. Only a map is left. Stage 49. Opening that sanctuary at any earlier stage kills you: the walls close in.
2. `PRENdre` the map.
1. In the Sylvius forest, `EXAMiner` the tree. You see a nest. Stage 51.
2. There, `GRIMper`. An astrolabe lens is left. Stage 52. Climbing in a forest before this stage only says the view is nice.
3. `PRENdre` the lens. Stage 53.
4. At Hermine's (Tallin, `ENTRer` maison), `DONNer` the astrolabe (not the lens). One gift both shows the Minor Sea and clears the astrolabe: the marker ends at 54, and the line is *vous montre la mer mineure.*
5. On the Minor Sea, `LANCer` the key. You can make out the ship on the bottom. Stage 55.
6. There, `PLONGer` `MAIN`. The ship releases the sceptre. Stage 56.
7. `PRENdre` the sceptre. The hint drawing is offered again. Stage 57.
## Killing dragons
1. To put the white dragon in the random encounter table of Gouffre Plaxel, you need to walk one step with the sceptre, scarab and crown
2. So steal the scarab from Astrud (house in Phalsberg) and walk one step
3. Go to Gouffre Plaxel (21,11), and kill the white dragon when it appears
4. This creates a Blackstar encounter in Blackstar castle (8,8), go there and APPEler or DORMir until Blackstar comes, and kill him
5. This creates a Philoxal encounter at his manor (37,25). If he is alive, you have to kill him to see the ending screen.
## 58 — Philoxal
`MATErialiser` Philoxal, when your energy, force, protection, experience, and reflexe sum to more than 630.
Wow. Well, thanks for taking the time to figure it out. I don't suppose you kept any screenshots along the way?
Delete