LOCATION: You probably remember the location by now, but I'll tell you again just in case you're only tuning in for this, the toughest leg of the game after an extended absence (you wouldn't be the first). Go to the town of Beran, located in the southwest area of the world map. Enter it and go to the House of Healing, then cast stepguard magic before using the Jailer's Key to dash out the back side. The waiting portal will take you to a patch of forest just to the east of the cave. Travel over trees, plains and swamp as you head west to the cave, which you revealed using the Eye of Malroth.
I told you before that you should be around level 25 or so before attempting the cave, but this time I really mean it. You're not just making a quick little jaunt to pick up a crest. This time, you're in it for the long haul. Just so you know, there are going to be lots of traps and confusing passages that are meant to test your patience and mental alertness, so you'll want to follow this guide closely to ensure minimal frustration. As always at this stage in the game, bring along a wing of the wyvern and a leaf from the World Tree. If you must, build your levels wherever pleases you (even here if you like) before you try to make it all the way through the cave. You'll probably end up needing several attempts before you get all the way through.
From the entrance, walk toward the upper right side of the chamber as walls permit, ignoring the descending staircases on the way. You'll find a staircase that leads up to the next floor, which you should climb. You're now at the center of a four-way passage. These passages will repeat if you pass through them in the wrong order, so follow them in this precise order: left into a passageway with multiple branches, down the third branch from the right, straight down two more screens and up a staircase.
You're now in a new corridor, which I am calling "corridor A" (you'll be coming back to this point in a bit). For now, head to the right while ignoring any of the paths that branch off to the sides or above you as the path winds its way through a series of twisting corridors. When you see the room that heads to the right, note that you can also take the passage that leads up to find a treasure chest with a LOTTERY TICKET. Otherwise, just go ahead and go into the room to your right, where a staircase leads to the next floor.
In this room, there's yet another staircase. Climb it and you'll see a treasure chest to your right. This contains the ARMOR OF ERDRICK, which is the most powerful defensive equipment available in the game. At this point, I would recommend warping back to Beran so that you can save your progress before re-attempting the cave. This allows you to keep any levels you may have gained, and of course your newly-acquired armor. When you return to the cave, make your way back to the corridor I referenced as "Corridor A."
From the head of the staircase where you first arrive in this corridor, it's now time to head off to the left. The intersection here will allow you to go along either an upper or lower path. Unless you want to waste your time for paltry treasure chests that contain nothing worthwhile, take the upper route and don't follow any of the side branches until you reach the top one that leads to a room to the right. Go in that direction, and through that room into another room with a staircase that leads up to the next floor. Here, another staircase leads up yet another floor.
The room you're standing in now is famous, but for a bad reason: it's full of pitfalls that will drop you down to the previous floors! While you've perhaps found a few of those already as you made your way through the cave, this area has an almost limitless number of them. It's very easy to fall into one without intending to do so. A map at this point is most useful. Because you'll be returning to this room again if you're following this walkthrough, I'm going to call it "Corridor B" for your convenience. I also will attempt to provide a partial map in a moment so that you can use that to get through the room without falling into the pits, but right now you actually want to do so! From where you appear at the head of the staircase, walk right one step and down one step and you'll fall into a pit.
You'll appear in a large floor with few distinguishing features. Head directly down until you're two tiles away from the bottom wall, then walk straight to your left toward the wall that waits in that direction. Just before you reach it, you'll fall into an invisible pit. On this floor, you'll see a treasure chest two steps below you. Open it to find the THUNDER SWORD. This magnificent blade is the one you'll want to keep for the remainder of the game. Warp back to Beran yet again to save this progress. Then make your way back to the staircase at the entrance to the room with all those pits, "Corridor B."
Here's a map of the corridor, with the pits I've found marked. Please note that I know there are additional pits, but I got through the dungeon before finding all of their locations. Here's the map as it exists currently:
****************************************************** * = Walls
****************************************************** S = Stairs
****************************************************** P = Pit
****************************************************** B = Entrance
****** ****** ****** - = Safe
****** ****** ******
****** ****** ****** *** = 1 Tile
****** ****** ****** ***
****** ******
****** ******
****** ******------------------BBB
****** ******------------------BBB
************ ---PPP ******
************ ---PPP ******
************ --- ******
************ --- ******
****** ****** --- ****** ******
****** ****** --- ****** ******
****** ****** --- ****** ******
****** ****** --- ****** ******
****** --- ******
****** --- ******
****** --- ******
****** --- ******
****** ****** --- ************
****** ****** --- ************
****** ****** --------- ************
****** ****** --------- ************
****** --- ****** ******
****** --- ****** ******
****** --- ****** ******
****** --- ****** ******
************ ******--- ******
************ ******--- ******
************ ******--- ******
************ ******--- ******
****** ****** ---PPP ****** ******
****** ****** ---PPP ****** ******
****** ******--------- ****** ******
****** ******--------- ****** ******
****** --- ****** ******
****** --- ****** ******
****** --- ****** ******
****** --- ****** ******
****** ******---PPP ****** ******
****** ******---PPP ****** ******
****** ******--- ****** ******
****** ******--- ****** ******
************ --- ****** ************
************ --- ****** ************
************--------- ****** ************
************--------- ****** ************
****** --- ****** ******
****** --- ****** ******
****** --- ****** ******
****** --- ****** ******
************--- ****** ******
************--- ****** ******
************--- ******SSS ******
************--- ******SSS ******
****** --- ****** PPP ******
****** --- ****** PPP ******
****** ------------****** PPP******
****** ------------****** PPP******
****** ****** --- PPP************
****** ****** --- PPP************
****** ****** ------ ************
****** ****** ------ ************
****** PPP--- ****** ******
****** PPP--- ****** ******
****** --- ****** ******
****** --- ****** ******
****** ******---PPP SSS******
****** ******---PPP SSS******
****** ******------------------------******
****** ******------------------------******
******************************************************
******************************************************
******************************************************
******************************************************
Area Weapons and Items | |||
Item Name | Cost | Attributes | Used By |
Armor of Erdrick | - | +40 DEF | Hero |
Lottery Ticket | - | Play a game of chance | Hero, Prince, Princess |
Thunder Sword | - | Most powerful sword around | Hero |
NEXT: Shrine of Rhone