FAQ/Walkthrough - Guide for Drakan: The Ancients Gates

Drakan: The Ancients' Gates
FAQ/Walkthrough by neored13
Game Copyright Surreal Software and Sony Computer Entertainment America

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1. Contents
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1. Contents
2. Copyright Information
3. Revision History/Future Plans
4. Game Information
5. Controls/Strategies/Tips/Fun
6. Bestiary
7. Walkthrough
8. Weapon/Armor Lists
9. Items
10. Contact Information
11. Special Thanks/Contributors


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2. Copyright Information
====
You should know this by heart now.  This guide is my intellectual property, not
to be redistributed commercially without my express written permission.  You
may use it for any personal use you may desire, but do not stick it on a
website without my permission.  Currently, the only websites allowed to use this
guide are CheatCC and GameFAQs.  I assume this will change. =/  As per usual, 
any violation of this copyright will be dealt with severely.  Screw with me, 
and you screw with a gamer with a wide network of friends.


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3. Revision History/Future Plans
====
2/13/2002:  Version 1.0:  In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was
Drakan, and it was Good.  Then, Gamer created FAQ, and lo, He saw that it was
incomplete, and He was angered.  Finished the walkthrough through Kragmor.

Future Plans:
-Finish the game, and the FAQ.  Without cheating if possible.
-Add a piece of ASCII art to the title section. (Low priority)
-Add a Weapons/Armor/Items section.
-Get outside and get some sun. (Low priority)


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4. Game Information
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Drakan is a multi-genre game.  Some would call it an RPG, others would call it
an action platformer, others would call it a flight sim.  Some people might
call it a sports game, too, but I don't think I'd want to know those people...

In basic execution, think Lara Croft meets Diablo and the flight levels from
the Spyro series.  You're a chick with a sword (Or sword-like weapon, such as
mace, hammer, or axe) and bow, and you get to fly around on the back of a
dragon.  It's the basic you-versus-hordes-of-monsters game.


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5. Controls/Strategies/Tips/Fun
====
=Controls:  Since I'm assuming you have the instruction booklet (The game's
still new, and there aren't any good PS2 emulators out yet), I won't be
covering the basic controls.  This section will deal with the vagueries of the
controls, and things you might have missed.

  When in Target Lock, the L2 button will switch targets if more than one is
available within view.

  Using the L1 button to pick up treasure is much more efficient than running
around and grabbing it by "foot"

  USE THE RIGHT STICK!  This is one of the most important pieces of control
advice I can give you.  Looking around can save your ass.

=Strategies:  These deal with basic movement and enemy elimination.

  If something's far off and you have a medium/long range bow, you can
generally take it out before it gets to you.

  When dealing with enemies that attack from a distance, if you want to charge
in and whack them, roll from side to side to dodge their shots.

  When dealing with close-range enemies, your best strategy is to whack them
with your combo, then roll backwards.  Run in and repeat.

  In aerial combat, KEEP MOVING.  Get a lock on, circle about the enemy, change
altitude, vary your distance, and keep firing.

  If you get frozen, press buttons rapicly to shake out of it.

=Tips:  These are things that don't exactly fit either of the other two
categories.

  Come up for air.  Nothing puts a crimp in your day like drowning.

  HotSlot potions.  At some points, the difference between victory and defeat
is the ability to drink a potion on the fly.

=Fun:  Here you'll find things that don't accomplish much useful, but are just
fun to play with.

  The Flamestrike.  This handy little sword has the power to set the scenery on
fire.  Things don't burn for very long, but you can still have fun with it. 
Trees, houses, bridges!  Nothing is safe from the searing flames of justice! 
You can even set the bridge made of light in the Ravenshold cave (See
=Ravenshold= section of walkthrough) aflame.

  Diving.  Jump from a great enough height into swimmable water, and Rynn will
adjust her position into a very graceful dive.  Just make sure you're looking
down as you fall, or all you'll see is her feet.

  Aerial stunts.  You can generally use both sticks to fly.  Try and pull off
some daring acrobatics!  Loop-de-loops, diving corkscrews, barrel rolls...  See
if you can pull off an Immelman turn!

  NPCs:  'Living' stress balls.  NPC characters are completely immune to your
weapons and magic.  Thus, if you're feeling a bit upset, take a few swings at
one.  Use your stab moves to try and get them in the crotch.  Cleave them in
twain with your overhead strike!


====
Bestiary
====
This section covers the various types of creatures that can be found in the
world of Drakan.  Note that all monsters come in a variety of sizes, but other
than being bigger, there's not much difference.

=Grull=
These small creatures are the generic enemies.  No matter where you go, you'll
probably find a few Grull.  Rather stupid, and cowardly in the face of
extremely overwhelming firepower.  There are several types of Grull scattered
throughout the lands, most distinguished only by being texture-swapped versions
of another Grull.  Note that numerous members of various types in an area will
be referred to as "Grull," while a number of one type will be referred to as
"____ Grull."

Club Grull:  These are the wimpy little things you'll be first encountering. 
They carry wooden clubs with a couple of iron spikes on them.

Mace Grull:  These are slightly more powerful than their club-wielding
brethren, and use a flanged metal mace as their smash stick.

Fire Grull:  These guys have developed enough intelligence to use a rudimentary
magic, and show it off by hurling spheres of red energy at you repeatedly.  Get
too close and they try and backhand you.

Cleaver Grull:  These Grull actualy seem to know what they're doing, as they
carry a metal cleaver about the size of their leg.  However, other than hitting
a little harder than Club or Mace types, they're just as stupid.

Ice Grull:  Just like the Fire Grull, only they fire orbs of blue energy that
can freeze you in place.

Grull Kong:  Giant cousins of the Grull, these creatures attack by slapping at
you or throwing things at you.  It's best to keep your distance, dodge their
projectiles, and fill them with arrows or magic.  I've coined the term Kong for
them, as they remind me quite a lot of Donkey Kong, what with the whole
throwing barrels thing. =/  When they die, they keel over forward, so try not
to be under them or you'll be squished.

Bonegrinder:  A unique Grull, consult the =Bonegrinder's Lair= and the =BOSS:
Bonegrinder= sections for details.


=Wartoks=
Larger, slightly more intelligent, and stronger than Grull, these warthog-like
creatures usually dwell in the same area as Grull.  Both Wartoks and Grull
posess the power of speech, and occasionally a Grull will spot you and run away
to attract the attention of a couple Wartoks.

Axe Wartoks:  These are the basic, vanilla Wartok.  Charge at you and swing. 
Carry rather large iron axes.

Shield Wartoks:  These are a bit tougher, as they're outfitted with a shield as
well.  The shield will generally protect their left side and front, so try and
hit them in the axe arm or the back.  They, too, carry an axe.

Fire Wartoks:  Carry no weapons, but fire balls of flame at you.  Basically the
same as Fire Grull.

Snotmaw:  An enormous Wartok, carrying a spiked shield and huge cleaver. 
Consult the =Snotmaw's Lair= and =BOSS: Snotmaw= sections for details.


=Trogs=
These vile amphibians dwell in the Shadowmire.  They can usually be easily
spotted because of their glowing red eyes.  Like to partially submerge in the
swamp and appear to be round, green, moving logs with glowing red eyes. 
Camouflage is not their strong suit.

Green Trogs:  Your basic Trog.  It's... er... green.

Brown Trogs:  A larger, brown version of the Trog.  More hit points, but just
as easily killed.

Trog Mages:  Carry a staff, and shoot balls of lightning at you.  The balls of
lightning fire off secondary bolts as they fly, so you won't be safe just
rolling out of the way.

Toadfist:  Another boss.  A good combination of magic and melee attacks, but
still, he's the first real boss of the game, thus incredibly easy.  Consult the
=BOSS: Toadfist= section for more info.


=Dragons=
The skies above Drakan are filled with bastard cousins of the Elder Breed. 
Fiercely territorial, they will attack any foreign dragon to enter their area. 
Of course, since Arokh's the only foreign dragon around, you'll be the one they
attack. =/

Fire Blackwings:  These are your basic feral dragon.  Launch balls of fire at
you.  They generally attack in pairs, which can make dodging a bit difficult.

Bone Dragons:  The undead guardians of the =City of the Damned=, these attack
with lightning breath.  Four hits from these will kill a fully-healed Arokh, so
KEEP MOVING!

Ice Blackwings:  Inhabit the frozen reaches of Ravenshold.  Just like Fire
Blackwings, only they shoot light blue breath.

Redwings:  Well, I guess that's what they're called.  Dwell in the Kragmor
area, around Snotmaw's Lair.  Fire pink balls that trail yellow rings.

Mezzidrel:  This is actually more a sea serpent than a dragon.  Consult the
=BOSS: Mezzidrel= section for more detail.


=Mechanical=
The Grull have a rudimentary machine knowledge, and typically use machines to
defend their areas.  They also install elevators and mechanical doors in their
fortresses.

Explosive Crossbows:  Anti-dragon artillery.  These fire explosive rockets at
you.  Easily destroyed with two or three shots.

Catapults:  Not meant for anti-dragon artillery, but used in that fashion
anyway.  Launches exploding balls in an arc.  Again, two or three shots will
take one out.

Fireball Trap:  Not exactly an enemy, but it can hurt you.  Fires flaming balls
down the middle of the hallway.  Stay to one side to avoid them.

Slice-N-Dice:  Again, not an enemy, but VERY deadly.  A set of spinning blades
travelling down a hallway.  Backed up by a set of spikes shooting from the wall
in the nearest safe alcove.  Consult the =Snotmaw's Lair= section for more
info.


=Scavengers=
Dog-like creatures that lair in packs.  Where there's one, there's more.  No
variations found yet.


=Spiders=
Giant spiders can be found in several areas around Drakan.  They attack by
either jumping at you or standing up and slashing.  Bows/magic or overhead
slashes are the way to go.  Apart from ranging in size, no variations have been
reported.


=Skeletons=
The undead.  What would a self-respecting RPG/sword-N-sorcery game be without
wading through legions of bodies ripped from defiled graves?  These unholy
creatures attack with axes.  How they got so many, I'll never know.  Consult
the =Catacombs= section for details on fighting them.

Bone Lord:  Guardian of the skeletal warriors in the Catacombs, he takes
umbrage at you drestroying his brothers in bone.  Consult the =BOSS: Bone Lord=
section.


=Yeti=
In the frozen wastes of Ravenshold, the yeti have struggled back from the brink
of extinction.  Well, guess it's up to you to drive them back again.  So far,
I've only found two sizes of Yeti:  Small and ENORMOHUGANTIC.

Small Yeti:  "THAT's the Yeti?  Aww, it's soo wittle!"  Basically like a Ice
Grull, but stronger.  Flings exploding snowballs at you, which can freeze you
solid.

Daemog:  Big poppa yeti.  Imagine a Grull Kong.  Now imagine it about three
times bigger.  Now imagine it with an infinite supply of freezing ammunition. 
Yes, "Ouch" is right.  No strategy worked out yet.  Try back later, when I've
written it.


====
7. Walkthrough
====
Here it is.  The main section of this.  The varying sections of the game are
written =like this=, so you can easily find them by typing in =The Mushroom
Caves=, =Catacombs=, =Kragmor=, etc.  Of course, some sections are named the
same, like the multiple instances of =Surdana=.  This guide assumes you will be
reading the instructions, and have already begun a new game.  Controls in this
guide are written by capitalizing the directions and using S, C, T, and X for
Square, Circle, Triangle, and X, respectively.  Thus, the Spin Attack would be
Down-Up, S.  Directions are determined by which way the arrow around the Mana
Glass is pointing.  Thus, if the arrow points up, you're going north.  Down,
south.  Left, west.  I'm sure you can guess which way you're going if the arow
points right.  Starting from where the story segments end...

After the intro sequence, you will be left to your own devices, for the most
part.  Whenever you encounter something you haven't yet done, a small in-game
tutorial will pop up and instruct you.  Weapons, jumping/hanging, bow use,
controlling Arokh...

Your first task is to meet Lady Myschala at the Palace.  Sounds simple, right? 
Well, there's a few obstacles in the way.  First, it's a bit of a stroll.  As
you start, you can see a pavillion ahead of you.  The guard there tells you
that there's a dummy set up for combat practice.  Hey, I'm a member of the
Order of the Flame, bonded to a Dragon.  Do I LOOK like I need practice? 
Anyway, practice if you want, but the main reason you're there is for personal
gain.  There's a chest in the pavillion.  Approach it, and the contents
magically spew out.  In this case, money.  There is also a barrel that may be
broken (Try a Down-Down, S attack), and usually contains a Goblet (worth 50
gold).

Continue down the path.  Be careful you don't fall off the cliff.  It's not
easy to do, but I managed it my first time playing. =/  When you reach a fenced
segment of cliff, three Grolls will accost you and demand all your shineys. 
Well, you're certianly not going to waste your hard-earned money on them, are
you?  Time to get a little bloody.  They're not too hard, just don't let them
surround you.  You should get a Potion of Life from Olak (The different-colored
one.)  Before you move on, open your inventory and HotSlot the potion you just
got.  Simply highlight it and press X.  Turn east into the alcove they jumped
out of and head uphill into a small cave.  Yay, more shineys.  Three barrels, a
crate, and a chest await.  Head out of the alcove and run on to the south.

As you approach a bridge, another dragon flies by.  That is a Blackwing Dragon,
which could be easily taken out by a six-year old with a slingshot.  Well, not
really, but Arokh is more than a match for it.  Pity Arokh's not here, though. 
Keep going.  Uh-oh, the bridge is broken.  What are all those taxpayer gold
pieces going towards if adventurers have to jump across broken bridges?  Jump
across and pull yourself up.  If you miss, the fall isn't great enough to kill
you.

Next up is an ingenious Grull trap.  Ooh, pity about the poor sod under that
tree.  Well, makes a nice prompt for the Rolling tutorial.  Kill the
approaching Grull and receive two Health Elixirs.  HotSlot them.  There's
nothing up the hill, so continue downhill to the next pavillion and an archery
lesson.  Grab the bow off the table, HotSlot it, and fire off a few shots if
you think you need it.  Continue on into town.  The guard at the gate says
you'll need to take the lift.  But, let's explore Surdana a bit first, eh?

=Surdana=

As you enter, a cutscene occurs.  Watch the pretty effects and listen to the
storyline.  Jade's Magic Emporium is now added to your map.  For now, turn left
and talk to the nervous-looking man ahead.  Oh, dear.  I hope you're not afraid
of spiders.

=Quest: The Villager's Cellar=

Enter the villager's house and ransack his chests before moving on to the lower
levels.  I suggest you use your bow for this, as the things are hard to hit
with your little knife.  Kill the first one ("Oh, my!  Look at the size of
these things!"), break the barrels with your knife (Remember how to switch
between HotSlotted weapons? Press R1, use L1/R1 or the D-Pad to search for the
weapon, and press S or X to equip it.), and, for simplicity's sake, move
straight on.  The three spiders in the next room should each take three arrows
to kill.  Unless you miss.  Break the barrels in here for some gold, and open
the chest for another Health Elixir.  Go down the next set of stairs and turn
left.  Three more spiders await you here.  More barrels, two crates, and a Wood
Club lie in this room.  Leave the room and go left again.  Whaddaya know, three
more spiders.  Kill them to hear Rynn mention that it seems like they're all
dead now.  Grab your well-earned booty from the chest in this room, and head up
the next stairs.  Turn left again in the next room, go up the stairs, and exit
the house.  Speak to the villager again to receive your reward.  250 Gold.  Not
too shabby.

=Surdana=

Now, from the villager, turn left and head to the next building you see.  The
sign outside says, "Sorolla's Tavern."  Well, there's always news to be had in
a Tavern, isn't there?  From your point of entry, speak to the man at the lower
right table.  He informs you of the Inquisitor, who we shall visit at a later
time.  Speak to the bartender for news of another sidequest, the Brothers of
the Word.  No one else has much of interest to say.  Leave the bar.

Run down the road until you come to a building on your right.  This is the
blacksmith's shop, home to a man who would obviously rather be out there
smashing skulls than in there smashing iron.  I recommend selling the Wood Club
you got, as it's not durable enough or powerful enough to carry you through
tough times, and you'll be needing the inventory space.  Buy a Wood Shield and
whichever weapon strikes your fancy.  Either the Steel Scimitar, Steel Short
Sword, Iron Axe, or Iron Club are serious contenders.  I personally went with
the Scimitar.  HotSlot and equip your new weapon and shield, removing your old
dagger from the HotSlots.  Note that when you switch from the sword to the bow,
your shield is unequipped and must be re-equipped when you change back to the
sword or it will have no effect.

Continue on across the square from the blacksmith's to reach the Alchemist's
shop.  Here you may buy potions of helaing and Mana.  You'll also begin the
Blackwing Egg sidequest.  If you need potions (You shouldn't), buy some.  Then,
leave the laboratory and turn right.  Head back towards the bar, but head past
it towards the tower you see in the distance.  Enter and ride the lift up. 
Continue on across the bridge and into the Palace.

After the storyline, You wil receive 300 Gold and Arokh will deposit you in
front of the blacksmith's shop.  Talk to him again to initiate the Toadfist's
Helm sidequest.

Your next mission is to infiltrate the Shadowmire and retrieve the Cypher Rune
from the Tree of Mourning.  But, let's do some exploring first.  Turn right
from the blacksmith's and head out the gate and across the bridge.  Go down the
hill and head for the house you see.  Not STRAIGHT down, mind you.  Head left
and go around.  On your way, you should see a sign pointing the way to the
Shadowmire.  We'll come back to that later.

The lady in the garden has a bit of a chip on her shoulder.  Just ignore her
and raid her house for gold.  Continue south from her gate, and east, killing a
few unfortunate Grull on your way.  At one point, you should turn east and come
to a house, where the farmer will mention his wife went for mushrooms and
hasn't returned.  And yes, you CAN kill the chickens.

=The Mushroom Caves=

From the farmer's house, head south, then east, then turn north, then east
until you reach a cave entrance.  Now SAVE!  You're about to enter a dungeon,
and you haven't saved since the start of the game.  Now on to one of the
butt-ugliest monsters I've seen in a while.  Combat with these guys is
basically the same as with all other melee enemies.  Hack-hack-hack, roll back
to avoid attack, run in, repeat until one or the other of you dies.  Move on
into a large room with a ledge running around it.  Kill the two that come at
you, then whip out your bow and try to take out the one you can see on the
opposite ledge.  It's a bit far for your current bow, but you can manage. 7 or
8 good hits should take it down.  If you turn right and cross the small lake
below, you can obtain a Bitter Touch (8 Attack, 300 Durability, Very Fast,
Armor Piercing, cool visual effect, can freeze enemies) from the alcove with
the glowing blue mushrooms.  The path onward, however, lies to the left.

As you enter the next room, stop, look, and listen.  Those things make a
distinctive sound.  You can tell roughly where they are by what ear the sound
is coming in.  Continue to your right and down the path, making a quick left
into the cave at the bottom of the large dirt mound.  Three of the things are
in here, and another one should come skulking around the corner as you're
finishing those three off.  There's a bag of 150 Gold inside the small cave,
next to a couple skeletons.  Give a small prayer for the departed souls, nab
their goodies, and move on.  As you exit the small cave, look up with the right
stick and you should see two more beasts on top of the next ledge.  If you feel
like it, take out your bow and snipe them off.  I gained a level at this point,
and added it to Melee Skill.

Moving on, the columned area contains another beast, two treasure chests, and a
Steel Club on the central altar.  This weapon is more powerful than your
current one, but slower.  You decide whether to equip it or not.  Continue up
the hill and across the ledge.  if you didn't deal with the beasts before,
you'll have to now.  Be careful on the ledge, as the path narrows in places. 
Stay close to the wall and stay safe.  In the next tunnel, head to the left and
along the ledge you could see in the first room.

The next passageway has an easily-overlooked alcove with a beast and 150 Gold
in it.  Keep going through the next two beasts until you find the farmer's
wife.  Gee, she looks to be in good shape for someone who survived a monster's
lair.  Speak to her and continue onward until you come to a doorway of white
stone.  Push the rock out of the way and head out of the cave.  The wife will
thank you and "run" off.  Follow her back to the farm and speak to the farmer
to receive your just reward, 300 Gold.

=Surdana=

Return to Surdana and sell the items you don't think you'll be needing.  If you
really can't decide whether or not to sell something, just drop it in a corner
of the shop.  You can usually come back for it later.  If you have the money
and think you need it, go ahead and buy the Ornate Leather armor.  Now then. 
Time to buy some magic.  Head left out of the blacksmith's shop, and swim down
the stream, past the waterwheel, until you come to the waterfall.  Stand on the
rock in the middle of the fall, and SAVE!  If you missed, you'd have been right
back at the beginning of the Mushroom Cave.  Take a running jump off the rock. 
You should land safely in the water at the bottom of the falls.  Swim southeast
until you come to a path uphill.  Follow it until you reach a large tower. 
Your map should confirm that this is Jade's Magic Emporium.  Enter and speak to
Jade.  She will give you more information about the Desert Lords and offer a
wide selection of magic.  Nearly every spell in the game, in fact.  I would
recommend Fear, for your first spell.  You probably don't have much money or
Magic Skill yet, anyway.  Head north along/through the river until you reach a
gate. Speak to the guard and he will open it.  Run through and save when it
prompts you, and you will enter...

=Shadowmire=
"*cough, cough* Ugh, what a stink!  What sort of place have you sent me to,
Arokh?"

Run along the bank and speak to the man to begin the Missing Wife sidequest. 
Continue on along the bridge.  You can't do anything about the closed gate to
the right, so continue to the left and down.  When you reach the actual wet
part of the marsh, go south first.  Kill everything you encounter.  Trogs
aren't that different from Grulls, just a tiny bit harder.  Oh, and the brown
ones are harder than the green ones.  As you move north, you'll encounter a
Trog Mage.  These can be deadly, but snipe them from behind a tree and you
should be fine.  Keep going north until you reach a cave.  Rather lovely
decoration outside, isn't it?  I guess this game earns its "M" rating.  Explore
the inside for a few barrels, a Rusty Short Sword, and a very unsettling soup.

Leave the cave and head roughly northwest from the signpost.  See those
platforms?  You can get to them by jumping from the banks.  If at first you
don't succeed, try again at a different spot.  On the second platform, you'll
encounter your first exploding barrel.  You'll recognize it by its tapered
appearance and row of symbols along the top and bottom.  Take out the normal
barrel next to it with a poke, not a swing.  Jump to the next platform and
follow the walkway to a few more barrels.  Jump to the next one to the west,
then northeast to the next higher one.  Break the barrels, then climb the
crates and jump west to the next platform.  Now you have to start jumping
downwards.  Look and aim carefully for best results.  As usual, barrels and
chests are scattered along your route.  When you land, return to the east to
collect the enemies you skipped on your journey through the trees.  A cave
nearby holds a Short Wood Bow, a Health Elixir, and several crates, barrels,
and exploding barrels.  Another cave holds a Half Mana, gold, and barrels. 
Continue in a northerly direction and you will reach a segment of stone ruins. 
Barrels float in the water nearby, and may be broken in the usual manner.  Jump
inside the ruins to find another barrel.  SAVE.

A cave further along holds some goodies for you, plus a Trog.  A Brown Trog and
a Trog Mage will accost you as you continue your northward trek.  Beware!  Up
ahead lies a trap of fiendish design and complexity!  The fiercest of warriors
are no match for its brutal efficiency!  ...It's a swinging spiked log.  Just
roll under it.

No matter which way you go in the next area, you'll run afoul of arrow traps. 
These rise out of the water and shoot darts at you.  Fortunately, using the
tree sniping method or simply hiding behind a tall stump will render them
impotent.  Two arrows will take them out.  I recommend exploring the whole area
before going up the hill.  Be careful, there's a Trog Mage in the area as well
as around five of those arrow traps.  On a raised wooden platform (Climb a
ladder to get there) lies a Potion of Invisibility!  Quite useful, and sells
for a goodly chunk.  Take a moment to SAVE, then head up the hill to the east.

Upon reaching the stone ruins, speak with the arrogant man standing there, then
continue on your way.  After a couple of Trogs, you'll reach a fork in the
path.  Go downhill for now.  Cross the bridge and explore the cave.  You should
find some gold and a Health Elixir.  Cross back over the bridge and continue
uphill.  SAVE before entering the next cave.  Inside lies a Potion of Life,
several Trogs, and some gold.  Be careful of holes in the floor of the stone
segment.  Exit the cave and continue downhill.  At the end of the upcoming
bridge waits a Trog Mage.  Really hard to jump across the gaps in the bridge
when you're getting zapped.  Either take him out with arrows (Though he's a
little out of range) or try out that Fear spell, maybe.  Once across the
bridge, head northwest and down the hill.  Before jumping to the platform, take
out the defenceless Trog with your bow.

Once off the platforms and in the water, head southwest first.  A few arrow
traps stand in your way, and that's it.  All that was for was experience.  Now
head northeast.

=The Missing Wife=

Three Trogs stand ready to roast the poor woman at the stake.  While I'm sure
it's delicious, I have a mild objection to long pig barbecue.  And so does
Rynn, who objects with the power of cold steel.  After defeating the Trogs,
Rynn sets the girl free, who then says she can find her way back on her own. 
That's even more unbelievable than the farmer's wife coming through that cave
without a scratch.

=Shadowmire Continued=

Climb the ladder and beat off the Trogs waiting for you.  If they're already
attacking the ladder above you, climb back down, back off, and take them out
with your bow.  SAVE.  Explore the cave for a little gold, a Health Elixir,
and... oops, a broken ladder.  Kill the Trog waiting for you and continue.

Now you enter spider country.  Time for the bow.  These are tricky bastards. 
They'll lie in wait on the ceilings, then spin down nearly on top of you.  If
one approaches and stops a little ways ahead of you, roll or jump backwards,
since it's about to leap.  Be careful of the BIG bastard in the next chamber. 
Look up and hit your target lock button to catch the ones on the ceiling.  Keep
heading through the tunnels, shooting spiders.  There's another big one up
ahead.  Keep going until you come to a lift.  At the top, head through the
tunnels to the north.  Exit the cave, and congratulations!  You've reached the
Tree of Mourning!  From where you are, you can see an entry into the base of
the tree.  Just head in and... Whoops.  Should've known this wouldn't be that
easy.  Head back out of the tree, then north and into the cave.

Slay the Trogs and cross the log bridge, then snag the gold from the treasure
chest to the northwest.  Head east along the ledge, and SAVE when you get to
the pit you need to jump.  Continue on and jump to the platform.  Time to start
jumping downwards again.  If you look around, you can see where you'll need to
jump to.  At the bottom, three Trogs and a Trog Mage wait.  Fear helps a hell
of a lot there.  Continue until you find a sign that says "KEEP OUT."  SAVE. 
Continue on to reach the Hermit's Hut.  Explore the outside to obtain a Rusty
Axe, then enter the hut.

Take the key from the wall to the left, then open the chest for a Potion of
Life and a Steel Club.  If you're running out of room, feel free to drop one of
your Rusty items.  You're probably out of arrows for your first bow, too.  Go
ahead and drop it, it won't do you much good without ammo.  Head out of the hut
and head south until you reach a cave.  Kill the creatures in here.  I gained a
level at this point, and added it to Magic Skill.  A Wood Long Bow and some
barrels await at the stone ruins, plus you can jump through the hole in the
back for a Potion of Life.  Moving on, we come to a sealed passageway.  This is
what we need the Blasting Pot to open.  Head out of the cave and continue along
the shoreline to the north until you reach Tull's Mine.

Enter the mine and turn left.  The first satchel lies on a table just past the
first lift.  The second satchel sits on a table at the top of the lift. 
Continue on, killing Trogs as you go.  Ride the next lift, and grab the third
satchel from the table at the top.  Keep going through the cave until you reach
an exit.  Run along the path until you reach another cave opening.  The fourth
satchel should be just inside.  To continue on, you'll need to pull the lever
by the next lift.  This leads back into the first cave, so you can now give the
four Powder Satchels to the Hermit and receive the Blasting Pot.  At this
point, I ditched the Short Bow I had in favor of the Long Bow.

Take the Blasting Pot back to the sealed passageway.  Blow it open and SAVE. 
Take a right at the big idol to smash a few barrels, then continue in the
opposite direction.  Continue past the lift and take out the two Trogs on the
other side of the gate.  You can either use your bow, or poke your
sword/club/axe through the holes.  Now, go down the lift.  A Trog Mage and
three or four more Trogs dwell in the small lake ahead.  Take either
passageway, it doesn't matter.  Just make sure you explore both.

In the next chamber, defeat the Trogs and take the passageway between the two
you came from.  Oh, look, it's the blowhard from before.  Might as well rescue
him.  He looks a bit the worse for wear, don't you think?  Anyway, there's a
couple barrels in the other cell.  Head back upstairs and take the passageway
opposite your position.  This contains a few barrels and a Health Elixir. 
Leave the room with the Elixir and turn right.  You should see a fallen column
pointing the way to a hole in the wall.  Go through said hole.  Another Trog
Mage.  Continue up the hill, kill the Trogs, and SAVE.  Head through the stone
hall into a kitchen, then out through the east.

This leads to the library.  One of the shelves has a ladder attached to it. 
Climb up, SAVE, then jump to the square stone ring supporting the central
brazier.  A couple bags of gold await.  When you're done up there, return to
the shelf with the ladder and climb down.  Trust me, you DON'T want to fall
from there.

I'm going to assume you already know to search the rooms for barrels by now,
and avoid the explosive ones.  In the next room, jump over the cages and into a
stone passageway to reach a large spider and a treasure chest containing a Full
Mana, a Potion of Life, and an Invulnerability Potion!  Jump through the hole
into the room below, and kill everything there.  Head north now.  You should
reach the area under the tree.  Grab the Rune and return the way you came.  As
you go, a cutscene shows a grate opening and releasing a few Trogs at you. 
Kill the Trogs and head into the newly opened tunnel.  SAVE.  Continue along
through the Dining Hall.  A bit further, a Trog Mage will attempt to snipe at
you from an elevated position, so snipe back from the cover of that stack of
cages.

From the next room, you can look down into Toadfist's throne room, but don't
try jumping in.  Head west instead.  Take the lift down, and continue downhill.
 When you reach the barrels, break them, heal, and SAVE.  Then, enter the
throne room.

=BOSS: Toadfist=

As you'd expect from the first real boss in a game, Toadfist is... wimpy.  But
don't take him lightly.  Stay at close range and beat the slime out of him.  He
has a long-range magic attack that nearl always hits, no matter how you dodge. 
His close-range attack is either a simple swipe, or a lengthy whirlwind attack.
 A succesful weapon parry can knock him out of his whirlwind.  Just keep
beating on him and don't let up.  When the battle is over, grab his helm and
the contents of the chests and barrels and continue out.

=Shadowmire Continued=

Head straight north until you exit the cave and come to a bridge.  SAVE.  As
you cross the bridge, it breaks, dropping you into the swamp below.  Here, four
Trog Mages are shooting at the idiot you rescued earlier.  Snipe them from
behind trees, but watch out for the secondary bolts from their projectiles. 
Once he's rescued, he gives you a mystical book to unlock a powerful sword. 
Head north through the swamp, not up the hill, until you reach a stone
platform.  Step up onto it and Rynn reads from the tome and unlocks the door. 
SAVE.

Enter the tomb and be prepared for a fight.  There is a way to avoid it, but
you get experience for the fight.  To avoid the fight, line yourself up so the
sword is between you and the door.  Run full-tilt boogie forward, grabbing the
sword on your way to the door.  Roll through the door, and you should make it
before the portcullis closes.

To fight, simply grab the sword.  Equip it immediately, since it's better than
anything you have currently.

=BOSS: Skeleton (x4)=

Four Skeletons pop up, one in each corner of the room.  They chase you around,
hacking at you with their axes.  Running attacks are probably best here.  Just
keep moving.  If you're running, and one's running right behind, take a moment
to stop and stab backwards, then start running again.  After enough random
hacking, they should all die.  Leave the tomb and head up the path you saw
previously.

=Shadowmire Concluded=

That's right, you're nearly done!  And you now have a shiny new magic sword. 
The Earth Blade.  Only problem is, you can't parry with it until you use up all
its charges.

Continue along the path and through the cave.  Kill the last vestiges of the
Trogs, loot their treasure, and pull the lever to open the gate.  You're right
back near the start of the level now.  Cross the bridge and speak to the man to
receive the reward for saving his wife, a Potion of Life, and a 225 Gold
Diamond.  Head through the tunnel and out.

=Surdana=
Chances are, things really need repair right now.  After the cutscene, go visit
the blacksmith to claim your reward for bringing back the helm, and repair your
stuff with that money.  If you bought the leather armor, go ahead and sell it
now.  There's Chain Armor available.  if you don't feel like selling the Bitter
Touch just yet, go ahead and drop it on the floor.  It'll stay there.  Same
with your Invisibility and Mana Potions as well.

Now that you have Arokh, the whole of Surdana lies open to you.  For now, fly
to the Palace, then south to the Mother's Eye.  From there, turn west and
follow the river below you.  Here, a Blackwing dragon sits on its nest.  Shoot
it down, land next to the nest, and collect the three eggs it was guarding. 
Remember, the alchemist pays good money for those.  Further down that path, the
gateway to the Valley of the Fallen lies closed to you.  You will return there
later.

Now, fly back to the palace and then east past the magic shop.  Just past
there, turn south and fly until you reach the monastery of the Brothers of the
Sacred Word.  Land, dismount, and enter the monastery.  Turn left and speak to
the man at the table.  Then, head west, turn south, and speak to the man in
front of the empty bookcase.  Leave your bow here, along with any itmes you
don't think you'll need.  I went in with just the Earth Blade, the Chain Armor,
Elixirs and Potions, and the Dagger.  Head down the stairs and save when it
prompts you to enter...

=Catacombs=
"Whoa.  Niiice monks...  Remember your vows, now!"

The only enemies in this dungeon are axe-wielding skeletons.  They're not as
hard as the ones in the room you got the Earth Blade in.  Three good hits from
the Earth Blade and they'll go down.  Note:  Some of the walls here will break
when you attack them.  If a wall looks funny, try whacking it.

Approach the first sarcophagus to bring the skeleton out.  Kill it, then head
south and look around the prop skeleton for an Iron Club.  The door at the end
of the hall is blocked off for now.  But, as you turn to leave, the wall should
collapse, revealing another skeleton and a stairway down.  Two more skeletons
jump out at you as you make your way down the hall.  Examine the alcove on the
right for a treasure chest with some gold.  Continue down the hall, slaying
skeletons as you encounter them.  After the torches go out, enter the alcove
the skeleton busts out of for a Half Mana.

Grab the next Half Mana from the sarcophagus across from the one the next
skeleton jumps from, then pull the lever a bit further on.  This prompts
another wall to collapse, with a skeleton, a Potion of Life, and a Full Mana. 
Continue up the stairs and the wall in front of you will break.  Turn left and
go through the door.

In the next room, slay the skeletons in the caskets, then go down the stairs. 
SAVE.  The ledge across the way will rise up, so jump and hang to get across. 
Resist the urge to jump down the stairs.  You'll get hurt.  The walls on either
side of the next room can be broken, revealing a skeleton, a Steel Mace, and
some cash.  Continue on to the south.  When you reach the stairs, attack the
wall across from them for a skeleton and some gold.  SAVE and go up the stairs.

The doors close, and you must fight 16 skeletons in the dark, five at a time. 
Fortunately, their eyes glow.  Try jumping on top of a sarcophagus and using
the Downward Slash from there.  Collect the goodies from the chests, and head
out of the room to the south.  Slay the one in the hall, then enter the next
room.  10 skeletons jump out of sarcophagi one or two at a time.  Not too hard.
 Head west into the next room.  Wait for the floor to stop collapsing, then
jump across and up to the western doorway.

Continue straight for an Iron Club, some gold and potions.  SAVE, then head
north and down the stairs into an interior decorator's nightmare.

=BOSS: Bone Lord=

This guy has a cool flaming sword.  He only has two attacks, however.  A normal
sword slash or combo, and an expanding ring of fire spell.  He's not even that
hard, really.  Just keep at him.  He's pretty slow and clumsy, plus he's
brittle.  10-12 hits should do him in.  Grab the Flamestrike that drops from
his body. (15 Attack, 300 Durability, Fast, Armor Piercing, sets enemies afire,
has fire-based magical attack).  Now explore the two southern niches for some
gold and an Invincibility Potion (Attack the wall at one point).  When you're
done there, enter the northern alcove and step on the glowing metal thing.  You
will be teleported to the beginning of the dungeon.  Head up the stairs and
save at the prompt.

=Surdana=

Speak to the man at the table in the large room to receive 1000 Gold.  Now, you
most likely don't have room for everything you dropped there.  Fly back to the
blacksmith's and sell your excess, then return for your bow.  All right.  Once
you've taken care of your excess and grabbed your bow from the monastery, fly
out of the valley along the right wall.  Two Blackwing Dragons fly about this
area.  Do I need to tell you to kill them?  Continue to the east and you will
encounter three Explosive Crossbows, Grull-operated anti-dragon artillery. 
Lock on, circle, and fire away.  At this point, you should see a bridge
crossing a river and waterfall.  Fly along that path and take out the Wartoks
you can see.  Land next to the pile of crates for a few barrels and a chest
with some gold.  The gate further in will open when you return here from
Ravenshold.

Fly back to the northwest, and you should see a cave at the point where the
river splits.  Land, SAVE, and enter.  An enormous chicken (WTF!) makes its
lair here.  Kill it to receive a Golden Egg (1000 Gold).  It won't move, so you
can stand back and pelt it with arrows or spells (I recommend spells).

Take off, turn east, and fly until you see a campfire.  Two Wartoks rest here,
easy prey for Arokh's fire breath.  Or, if you feel like it, land and take them
out by hand.  A little gold waits for you here.  Next, turn and walk or fly
Arokh along the path to the west.  Two more Wartoks, a little more EXP, a
little more gold.  Now head across the bridge (On foot, or fly above it), and
make sure you're on Arokh before you cross the next bridge.  Another campfire,
two more Wartoks, some more gold.  Another Wartok should attack you with
fireballs from a locked cave to the east.  Take him out, then fly up a little
bit.  Land on the rocky outcrop just to the right of the closed cave, dismount,
SAVE, and enter the cave.  Follow the path, killing things as you go.  Beware
of Fire Wartoks, target lock on them and roll/jump away from their shots if
possible.  You should get some gold and maybe a potion or two.  I gained a
level here, and added it to Melee Skill, so I could use the Flamestrike.

From the cave exit, call and mount Arokh, then fly east.  A cave loaded with
Grull awaits on top of the next cliff.  An Invisibility Potion, an Iron Axe,
and some gold are your rewards here.

Fly back to town and repair/restock.  Switch to the Flamestrike if you've got
the skills necessary.  Now go dive off the waterfall (Or dive off the west
bridge, or fly down), and enter the cave under the waterfall.  SAVE at the
prompt, and prepare yourself for...

=The Inquisitor's Lair=

The first enemy you encounter is a Fire Wartok at the end of a long, coverless
run.  Snipe at him until he starts shooting at you, then run at him.  Roll from
side to side and keep running forward.  When you get close, target lock and
keep rolling from side to side.  Snag the treasure from this area, then head
onward.  The path downwards is to the north, and there's another of those
damnable Fire Wartoks.  He's accompanied by another Wartok armed with axe and
shield.  Further along wait two more Fire Wartoks and a Shield Wartok.

Enter the braced cave for some gold, potions, and a Steel Club.  Pull the lever
at the end to open the path leading further on.  Return through the cave and
turn left.  Two Axe Wartoks rush out to greet you.  Kill them and go on.  Two
Fire Wartoks and two other Wartoks lurk around the corner, so be careful. 
Enter the room with the bridge and SAVE.

A Shield Wartok charges at you from the ruins on the right.  Kill it and
explore the ruins for a Fire Wartok, an Axe Wartok, gold, Mana, potions, and an
Iron Hammer.  Head past the bridge and towards the other set of ruins.  Don't
go through the door, but instead, sneak around the wall.  This gives you the
chance to ambush and totally massacre a Fire Wartok.  Grab the gold, Mana, and
Invulnerability Potion that lies around here.  SAVE and prepare to actually
cross the bridge now.

Try sniping the Fire Wartoks from behind the braziers, or test your mad dodging
skillz by charging straight across and taking them out hand-to-hand.  Enter the
stone passage and follow it in either direction to reach the Lair of the
Inquisitor.  Listen to it for a while.  It's mildly interesting, I suppose.

=BOSS: The Inquisitor=

Okay, time to kill old mummy-face.  Run down the path until you're close to the
end of cover.  Now, drink the Invulnerability Potion you just got.  Sure, it's
cheap, but this guy's deadly!  Now run in and beat on him!  Once he dies, grab
the gold from the treasure chests and speak to the villager for his thanks. 
Now head to the back of the room, step on the teleporter, and head out.

=Surdana=

Head to a relatively clear area and call Arokh.  Now, return to the tavern to
get the reward for killing the Inquisitor.  3000 Gold. Good Job. :D

Now, go repair your badly damaged stuff, restock on potions if needed, and then
head to the magic shop.  Jade now gives you the Necromancer sidequest.  This is
your most difficult quest yet, but the rewards are awesome.  Go ahead and buy a
spell if you want.  If you have level 2 Magic Skill, I recommend Time Slow. 
Now, climb abck on Arokh and fly to the area over the town.  Exit the town to
the northwest and SAVE.  Keep going to the northwest and you should enter a
canyon.  Four Explosive Crossbows are scattered along the canyon walls.  Defeat
them and SAVE.  Sidewing around the corner to face your first Bone Dragon. 
These guys are fairly tough, posessing lightning breath, which seems to have a
much higer splash radius than your own fire.  If you get badly injured, fly off
in retreat, and use a Potion.  Of course, three or four hits will kill you, and
it's hard to dodge. >_<  Try saving every time you defeat one.

Once all four are defeated, head towards the big ugly black lump.  Land on the
platform about halfway up, and enter the tower.  Run up the stairs, step on the
teleporter, and SAVE when it prompts you.  Now you're ready for...

=City of the Damned=

A small pocket universe, created by arcane magics and populated with the
restless souls of the brutally killed.  The skeletons here aren't any more
difficult than the ones in the monastery.  I hope I don't need to tell you that
falling off these platforms is not good?

You can climb the tower and use the bow's sniper view to get a good view of the
surrounding terrain.  When you're ready to continue, head downhill to the
northwest.  As you reach the bottom and go through the arch, two skeletons pull
themselves from their unclean graves and attack with all the force of something
with no muscles. =/  Now that you have the Flamestrike, two strikes will do to
set them on fire, and the residual fire will finish them off.  If you're in a
hurry, however, three strikes will kill them outright.  Take care of the other
two skeletons in this area, and grab the gold from the chests.

Cross the bridge and three more skels attack.  There's some gold and a Full
Mana in the alcove to the left.  The next area lies at the end of a mildly
tricky jump.  Just run as far as you can and jump and you should be fine. 
SAVE.  Two more skeletons attack, along with the transmission of a rather
spooky message.  Grab the treasure from the chests and barrel and head for the
next bridge.  Uh oh...  Looks like you'll need to make a nice big jump.

Don't worry about the mummy-thing.  It won't attack, and you can't hurt it. 
This section of graveyard is home to a large number of skeletons, and quite a
few rather unsettling trees.  These skeletons will occasionally drop Health
Elixirs, Mana, or Potions of Life.  Just go around the area, hacking and
slashing like mad.  If you find a cave, run around outside some more and make
sure you've got everything.  I gained a level at this point, and added it to
Archery.

From the cave, head west and you should come to a tree with a sword stuck in
it.  Grab it.  This is the Lastat's Blade, which absorbs life from your
enemies.  Unfortunately, you need 5 Melee Skill to use it.  Now, head back to
the cave, enter, and SAVE.  Before going for Khossa Vole's body, explore the
room.  There should be four alcoves in this room, with skeletons in two and
treasure in the others.

=BOSS:  Khossa Vole=

Take up a position inside one of the southern alcoves, heal, and SAVE.  Now
switch to your bow and target the body.  Shoot it a few times, and it should
pop up to full health.  Killing it once triggers an Inquisitor-like beast to
appear at the south wall.  Killing the body for a second time makes the mummy
vulnerable.  Now, go beat down the mummy.  It's a bit tough, but quite doable. 
He has two attacks:  One is a split shot of green energy, the other is a homing
green skull.  Both are quite hard to dodge even at long range.

Continue south into the alcove the mummy burst out of.  Grab the treasure and
the Gravestone from the pillar.  Now step on the teleporter to leave the
infernal place.

=Surdana=

Call Arokh and mount.  See that pretty sparkly thing to the west?  Fly through
it to obtain Arokh's devastating Sonic Breath.  Press L1 while riding him to
switch between breath weapons.

Fly back to the magic shop.  Jade is quite greatful for your destruction of the
evil, evil man, and offers to teach you your next spell for free.  If you've
already learned all the spells available at your level, no matter.  You'll
return here later.

NOTE:  It seems there is a slight enemy respawn after this quest!  As I was
exploring, I encountered a group of two Mace Grulls, two Fire Grulls, and a
Club Grull near the Monastery of the Brothers of the Holy Word.  I could have
sworn they weren't there before, but I could be wrong.  I did not encounter any
other enemies in my explorations.

***WARNING!***
This is your LAST CHANCE to do anything in this realm for a while!  You will
not be able to return to this land until a few plot points are resolved!

Repair and restock, then, when you've decided you're ready, fly to the magic
shop and turn east.  Fly east and follow the sea passage until you are prompted
to save.  If you still have unfinished business, back out now (Triangle). 
Otherwise, continue on to...

=The Andrellian Isles=
The Isles are a region beset by a magical storm.  Heavy winds have turned the
place into a Devil's Triangle.  Ships get in, but they can't get out. 
Lightning walks about the land, as well.  I've never been hit by the lightning,
but it might have been programmed in.

The first task you are set to is destroying the catapult battery across the
way.  Take off, target, and fire away.  There's three catapults, but nothing's
really a threat.  Talk to Kegan after destroying the three catapults to receive
88 Gold.  Crappy reward, but what do you expect from a motley crew of sailors. 
For now, the guardtower to the northwest has a little cash in it.  Then, turn
and head south.  The people in the first cluster of tents don't really have
much interesting to say.  The second set of tents should contain some cash for
you.  Continue on, board the boat, and speak to the captain to obtain the Lost
Charts quest.

Now, return to the set of tents with people in them and head west.  Enter the
cave and continue straight on.  Now you encounter the best character in the
game.  Olag, the mentally-challenged blacksmith!  "You need... club? Club...
good!"  Make Olag happy by purchasing the sexy Scale Armor.

Now, turn in to the side cave and speak to the man to learn you need to find
Master Sevoth's medicine pouch.  Nothing more can be done here, unless you want
to buy a club.  Now, fly across the water to the Grull Base.  Take out whatever
Grull have been left alive, and grab the Health Elixir from the corpse of the
one that had been manning the eastmost catapult.  Search the shack on stilts
for another H-Elixir.  Enter the cave and search the barrels for gold.  When
you reach the closed gate, stick around for a bit.  You should be able to see a
Grull on the other side.  Take him out with your bow.

Now, leave the cave and fly Arokh over the mountain to the north.  Another
Grull encampment lies on the other side.  Nuke the Grulls and Wartoks, and the
nearby Blackwing, then land and search the barrels and hut.  Be careful,
there's an Explosive Crossbow to the north.  Take it out, then land back by the
hut and enter the cave to the south.  Be careful, exploding barrels abound in
this area.  When you enter the first open space, take out the Grull, then head
towards the barred opening on the left.  Look through, and what the...? 
Interesting.  Okay, keep going west, getting the barrels as you go.  A Fire
Grull attacks as you run along.  Wipe the floor with it, grab the barrels, and
go up the lift.

More Grull, Wartoks, and barrels.  Turn right as you go, and there's a Wartok
sitting by a barred window.  Shoot the exploding barrel next to it with a
couple of arrows.  Roast Wartok, anyone? :D Go down the nearest lift to collect
some cash, a Full Mana, and an Iron Club.  Go back up the lift, turn left, and
witness the conversation and resulting squish.

Kill the Wartok and retreive Sevoth's Pouch.  Check the barrels, then open the
gate to the west.  You are now in the southern section of the cave, near the
Outpost.  Head back to the man tending Master Sevoth and return the pouch to
him.  Now, speak to Master Sevoth to get the Crystal Mines quest.

Before advancing the storyline, let's explore.  Take off, fly over the mountain
to the north, hover above the Grull camp, and SAVE.  Now fly north along the
coast.  Wherever you see a boat pulled up onshore, fly lower and search for
Grull/Wartoks/barrels.  If you want, you can simply land and walk about to
search.  But beware of Blackwings.

As you approach your third boat, catapults should start attacking.  Fly higher,
circle about, and take it out.  Two Blackwings lurk in this region as well. 
Land and search, then keep exploring.  Hover over the hut and SAVE.  Fly
roughly east by northeast and turn east into a small bay with a few Grull. 
Then, continue north into another bay with more Grull, some barrels, and a
cave.  SAVE and enter the cave.

=QUEST: The Missing Charts=

This cave is flooded with lava in some spots.  Fall into that and it's death
for you, no saving throw.  Magic-using Grulls and Wartoks abound here, along
with their skull-bashing kin.  I recommend using Time Slow (If you have it)
and/or Fear.  Break barrels, kill enemies, and move along.  Search the pile of
crates in the second room for a Wood Long Bow.  In the next room, stroll down
the hill for an Invulnerability Potion, then head back uphill and jump to the
southern platform.  Jump across and climb up to the next platforms, avoiding
the occasional fireballs from below, kill the things up there, and check the
chests for potions and gold.

The next room is a few tricky jumps across lava while being bombarded by Fire
Grulls.  Heal and SAVE before attempting the series of jumps.  A Steel Great
Sword awaits you on the first island.  Once you make it across, use the crates
for cover as you attempt to take out the Grulls in this area.  Additionally,
you can use one Grull as a shield for the other Grull's spells.  Just line them
up and the one in back should hit the one in front.  Next up is a short
coverless run with a Fire Wartok shooting at you.  Just keep moving until you
reach the stack of crates, and snipe him from there.  Then, two Grull attack,
accompanied by a distant Fire Wartok.  Knock down the Grull, then snipe the
Wartok.  This should be routine by now.  Grab an Invisibility Potion from the
chest next to the second Fire Wartok, whack the barrels, and continue onward.

In the next room, take out the Fire Wartok and the Axe Wartok, then approach
the columned area and search the pedestal to find Captain Fandrill's Charts. 
Turn around and continue along the path to reach a barred portal.  Pull the
lever to open it, then step outside, call/mount Arokh and fly back to the
Outpost to return the Charts to Captain Fandrill.  He gives you 486 Gold as a
reward.

Go see Olag to sell off your excess and fix your damaged stuff.  It seems he's
quite taken by you!  "You pretty.  You like Olag?"  I'd keep the
Invulnerability Potion, since the fight against Bonegrinder can be a bit
tricky.

When you're done with your resupply, return to the north until you reach a
large boat dock.  It's best to land and walk here, but first fly about and have
Arokh take out the Grull, catapults, and Wartoks.  Search the pile of crates on
the hill for a Rusty Short Sword, then explore the various barrels for gold.

Fly north along the inlet and search a small beach cave for some potions and
gold.  Then, continue north.  You should see a large strange funnel cloud. 
There's really nothing to do there at the moment, but remember where it is. 
Return to the skies above the large boat dock and SAVE.  If you haven't
searched the shack already, do so now.  Then, fly southwest and you should see
another large boat.  Fly towards it, and prepare yourself for another encounter
with catapults, and probably a Blackwing or two.  Land and explore the area, as
usual.  A couple of barrels lie under one of the docks, so make sure you check
those out.  When you're done, fly to the air above the docks, point yourself at
the mountain in the middle of the island, and fly forward.

At the next island you come to, four Explosive Crossbows wait, along with
various other land-based enemies and a Blackwing or two.  As usual, when
they're dead/destroyed, explore shacks, boats, docks, and alcoves for barrels
full of goodies.  A shack on top of a hill holds a Rusty Axe and a Potion of
Life.  Fly to the southeast to return to the Outpost and sell your excess and
repair/resupply before returning to the island and entering the cave there. 
SAVE at the prompt, and prepare yourself for...

=the Crystal Mines=

This is a rather large dungeon, but it's still fairly linear.  Wartoks and
Grull abound here.  Be wary of sudden cliffs.

The first room gives you a good view of the main pit area.  Head to the right
and enter the tunnel.  A sparkly blue thing sits in a mining cart in this
tunnel.  Use the L1 button to grab it, and you've obtained your first Crystal
Shard.  Continue on and pull the lever to call the lift.  At the bottom, slay
the fiends, smash the barrels, and continue on to an area with blue columns and
stalagmites rising from the floor.  Smash them to collect more crystal shards. 
The stalagmites usually only contain one, but the columns can house anywhere
from two to ten.  Use the L1 button for speedy collecting, as they're a trifle
small to run over.

Keep going straight and snag another shard from the mining cart.  Then, return
to the tunnel and turn west.  Three more crystal columns stand here.  As you
round the next corner, three Grull charge to the attack.  Another column in
this room.  Smash it, collect the shards, and ride the lift.  Three Grull and a
Wartok.

=BOSS: Grull Kong=

SAVE and enter the next room to face a bunch of Grull and the great grandpappy
of all Grulls.  Before advancing all the way into the room, I recommend sniping
out all the exploding barrels you can see with your bow, as Grull Kong will
fling them at you.  In fact, he'll pick up any interactive object and throw it
at you.  Exploding barrels, non-exploding barrels, crystal stalagmites,
probably even other Grull.  USE YOUR BOW (or magic) to take him out.  If you
try and get close enough to beat on him, he'll pick you up and throw you at a
wall, killing you instantly.  If, for some reason, you don't have a bow, the
developers thoughtfully left one at the southeast end of the pit, along with a
Potion of Life.  Basically, use the same strategy you would for a spell-casting
monster.  Lock-on, roll/jump away from his projectiles, and fill him full of
arrows.

When he dies, SAVE again.  No sense having to do that again.  Grab the treasure
from the barrels, and the five stalagmites.  At this point, I had the requisite
20 shards, but the cave goes on.

Continue to the west, where you'll enter a storeroom full of crates and
barrels.  A few assorted Grull and Wartoks attack, as well as a Fire Grull. 
SAVE and jump across the chasm the Fire Grull was shooting across, and look up.
 A few Grull, a few exploding barrels, and uh, oh...  Another Grull Kong.  Wait
down there and try and take him out with arrows or spells.

When that one dies, climb the ladder and take care of the six stalagmites and
six columns, then ransack the various barrels and keep going.  A chest in the
eastern corner holds some shineys for you.  When you're done, continue north. 
Oh, look.  More Grulls, Wartoks, and crystal thingies.  When you're done there,
climb the ladder and follow the catwalk.  Jump from section to section to avoid
falling to a horrible squishy doom.  Two barrels, a Fire Wartok, and a Club
Grull wait at the end of the catwalk.

Continue through the tunnel and you will come to a lift.  Ignore it for now and
head north.  You'll come to quite a lot of crystal columns, so smash them up
and snag the shards.  In the next tunnel, a chest holds an Invisibility and
Full Mana.  Moving on grants more crystal shards and a dead end.  Return to the
lift and ride up.  At this point, I had 127 Crystal Shards.  Your totals may
vary.

Continue straight along the path from the lift to find a few enemies, three
barrels, and a dead end.  Return along the path, turn left, and open the gate. 
Take the next right, and you'll be on your way out of the cave.  SAVE at the
prompt.

=The Andrellian Isles Continued=

Fly back to Master Sevoth and he'll take 20 Shards and teach you the Lightning
spell.  As far as I know, there is no other use for the other 100 or so shards
you collected.  Sell them to Olag.  He'll buy anything.  Except your dagger.
("No. Bad thing. Olag not like that.") Your stuff's probably close to breaking
about now.  Repair it before moving on to Bonegrinder's Lair.

Remember the large boat dock and the strange funnel cloud?  Head back that way.
 What the?  A Grull Kong waits by one of the shacks along the way.  Take it out
with Arokh's Sonic breath.  Another one has taken up residence on the island to
the northwest of that shack, as well.  Stop above the large boat docks near the
inlet, heal and SAVE.  When you're ready, fly along the inlet to face...

=BOSS: Mezzidrel=

This two-headed wyrm fires homing shots of electrical energy.  Lock-on, fly in
circles, and vary your altitude to avoid them.  Focus your attacks on one head.
 When one goes, the whole thing dies.

When it's dead, it leaves behind another pretty sparkly thing.  Fly through it
to attain Arokh's Thunder Breath.  Remember the lightning the Trog Mages fired?
 That's about what this is, only dragon-sized. :D  Fly south to encounter a
pair of Blackwings to test it on.

***WARNING!***
This is your LAST CHANCE to do anything in this realm!  Once you finish
Bonegrinder's Lair, you will automatically be taken to the next area!  DO NOT
LEAVE ANYTHING UNATTENDED BEFORE GOING INTO THE CAVE!  If you have left
un-needed items at the Outpost, go get them now!  Sell what you won't be
needing, and keep what you want!  If you must drop stuff, leave it by the
teleporter outside the cave!  YOU WILL NOT BE ABLE TO RETURN TO THIS AREA AT
ALL.

Once all your business is taken care of, fly back up the inlet and land on the
large sandy shelf about halfway up the wall at the end of the canyon.  It's
hard to miss.  Run into the cave, steering clear of the hole the whirlwind is
coming out of, and SAVE at the rolling door.  Now enter...

=Bonegrinder's Lair=

Turn right just inside the door to find a barrel.  Continue on down the path,
and a Wartok will suddenly be teleported in front of you.  Fortunately, its
back is turned, so you should be able to sneak up on it and Backstab it. 
Continue along for a couple more barrels, then jump to the bluish stone
platform to the right.  Then, jump down to the platform to the south, then the
northeast, then southeast, then east.  Another Wartok will be teleported in
front of you.  Three Club Grulls lurk in the next section, then you must cross
a thin plank to reach the next section.  SAVE before attempting.

Two more Wartoks are teleported in as you make the last part of the crossing,
so hurry and kill them before they can try and crowd you off the board. 
There's another barrel to the east.  Finish with that and continue in a
southerly direction.

As you jump to the first platform, a Fire Wartok is teleported onto the next
platform.  Turn around, jump back to the place you started from, and hide
behind the big rock.  Switch to your bow or a spell, lock-on, roll out of
cover, let off a shot or two, and roll back.  Alternately, you can try and
snipe the exploding barrels.  SAVE, then continue jumping across.  After
gathering the gold and potion from the higher platform, return to the middle
platform, then jump down to the northwest, then to the west.  Beware of a Club
Grull trying to sneak up on you from behind.

Another Wartok gets teleported in as you continue along.  Jump down to the
south and continue onward until you reach the whirlwind again.  Run south along
the edge until you get to some barrels of gold and a chest with a Long Battle
Bow.  SAVE.  From there, take a running leap to land on one of the "ribs"
surrounding the whirlwind, then drop down to the west.  Look down and you
should see a stack of crates.  Jump to them, then climb down.  You can now look
down and see what's causing the whirlwind.  For now, SAVE and head west.  A few
more Shield Wartoks, and you reach a large pool of lava with stepping pillars
leading down.

For now, SAVE, stand behind that large rock, take out your Long Battle Bow, and
snipe that Fire Wartok on the other side of the room.  Run around the ledge to
grab some gold.  Then, return to the other end of the ledge and jump down to
the platform to the south.  Equip your bow and snipe out the two Wartoks to the
southwest.  Then, jump to the platform in that direction, then down to the
ledge.  Watch out for a few Grull and Wartoks around the area.  Head in a
southerly direction to encounter another Fire Wartok.  Use the hide-N-snipe
method again.  In the area where he was, go north onto a spit of land, then
jump east onto a lower platform.

From there, jump down northwest, then DROP (Don't jump) to the northeast.  Two
more Shield Grull attack.  Heal, SAVE and head northeast.  Go through another
rolling doorway to face...

=BOSS: Bonegrinder=

When the fight starts, Bonegrinder is invincible.  Lightning is channeled to
the decoration on his back and absorbed.  Use your Invulnerability Potion and
equip your bow.  Around the room, there are three small blue stones set in the
tree roots.  Target and shoot these one by one to remove Bonegrinder's
invincibility.  Now you can switch to your preferred method of beating up evil
thingies.  Bonegrinder has two attacks:  An overhead smash with his staff, and
an expanding wave of blue energy akin to the one created by the Flamestrike's
magic attack.  Fortunately, both these attacks require a wind-up, so you can
knock him out of them with a well-timed swing and kill him without taking much
damage.

When Bonegrinder dies, the crystal creating the storms crumbles.  Grab
Bonegrinder's Staff and head south.  Pull the lever to activate the teleporter.

Enjoy the now-beautiful scenery for a minute, then board Arokh and fly south. 
SAVE when prompted to go to...

=Ravenshold=
Land of snow and ice, Ravenshold is surrounded in snow.  Thousands of identical
snowflakes (Lazy programmers) drift slowly from the sky.  Don't stop to gawk at
the beautiful scenery, or you'll be toast for a Blackwing, though.

Speak to Captain Fandrill, next to the shack, to receive a Potion of Life and a
Full Mana.  Barrels here are generally iron-shod, so look for breakable wooden
crates.  Check each of the shacks for a treasure chest full of gold, then climb
the ladder to the lighthouse.  A Mithril Club and a Full Mana reside up here. 
The Mithril Club makes a nice back-up weapon in case the Flamestrike breaks.

For now, just fly.  Don't bother landing for the moment.  You're no doubt very
nearly overloaded, and can't handle much more stuff.  Fly north, taking out the
Exploding Crossbows and Blackwings.  Follow the river and you should reach the
Fortress City Ravenshold.

After the cutscene, fly over the gates and land inside the city.  Walk Arokh
through the other gates and over to the Gateway to Surdana.  After it's
activated, fly back over the gates and to the southwest, where Chief Ranwulf's
Lodge lies.  Enter and speak to him.  After all that, head out of his lodge,
then straight north.  Enter the furthest building and speak to the man there.

By the way, you can now return to Surdana at any time now, merely by flying
into the Gateway.

Now fly over the eastern gate and SAVE.  Keep flying east and you'll easily
find the wizard's tower.  Enter to recieve some cryptic clues and a bigass
fetch quest.

All this stuff I just sent you through merely gives you access to the
blacksmith in Ravenshold. =/ Fly back to the west, enter Ravenshold, and enter
the building to the west.  Speak with him for some MORE quests, and sell off
your unneeded stuff.

Okay, now we can explore the area we skipped before.  Follow the river back to
the trading post in the north.  You can either walk or fly from here, but try
and explore everything.

Where you see a campfire and Grull banner, land and destroy the Grull.  Be
careful, these are more advanced Grull, with cleavers.  Search the campsite for
gold, then run into the trees to the west for some more gold.  Next, head east
and cross the nearby bridge.  From the bridge, you should be able to see a
cave.  I don't think I need to tell you that that's your next stop.

Beware of Ice Grulls in here, they can freeze you solid, which is not good. 
Follow the path, slaying Grull/Wartoks and opening chests/barrels.  When you
reach a small area with a glowing red barrier, don't enter it from there.  It
spells instant death for the likes of you.  I gained a level here, and added it
to Melee Skill.  SAVE.  Head east from the red barrier to reach a chasm with an
item on the other side.  Now turn around and head south from the red barrier.

If you're quick with the bow, you can kill the distant Wartok before he reaches
you.  When you reach the stone ruins at the end of the path, Rynn remarks that
the floor seems unstable.  Shoot the exploding barrels to blow out the floor. 
Before falling down, however, run around the side of the ruins to find a stone
with a rather cryptic marking. (2, East) Now, drop through the hole in the
floor to land inside the glowing red barrier.  The barrier shuts off, and a
blue light forms a bridge across to the item.  Grab the Hoarfrost and continue
out of there.  Just head west and fall down to reach the exit quickly.

Next, head northwest to reach a stone henge thing, with a puzzle statue in the
middle of it.  You have to press the buttons in a certain order or combination
to open the door.  The stone with the marking in the previous cave is part of
the solution.

***REQUEST FOR INFORMATION!***
I have found the solution to this puzzle in the other Drakan FAQ on GameFAQs. 
However, I do not currently know where the rest of the clues are or how they
relate to the actual puzzle.

For now, kill the Grull and head north.  Here you'll find another cave.  SAVE. 
Run in, kill everyone there, grab the goods, and leave.  The door further in is
closed.  I'm assuming it's the exit from the puzzle cave.

By now you most likely have a large magical weapon collection.  And, most
likely you're storing it somewhere like the Blacksmith shop in Surdana.  Now
would be a good time to return through the Gateway and add your current
collection to your stash.

=Return to Surdana=

Speak to General Dehrimon and receive news of the Snotmaw Quest.  Remember that
gate that was closed earlier?  That's the one where Snotmaw is lairing right
now.  The blacksmith now has Plate Armor for sale, so buy that if you're level
6.

Now, fly southeast, and enter the cave that was closed before.  TAKE AROKH WITH
YOU!  If you go through on foot, there's a bug that could potentially cause you
to lose him FOREVER!  SAVE and enter...

=Kragmor=
"Have you heard anything about this Snotmaw?" "Eh... He's a Wartok.  Wartoks
are all the same.  Since he's a chieftan, I'll guess he's a rather LARGE
Wartok.  Their system of govenment isn't particularly complex."

Take a moment to sit back and dig the rather cool tune, after you blow away the
Wartok on your right, of course.  You can see a Blackwing nest from the cliff
you arrive on.  This area is basically a large, open flight arena.  Grull,
Wartoks, and Grull Kongs stroll about on the ground, while Blackwings and a new
type of red dragon patrol the skies above.  The red dragons spit an exploding
ball, which is dodged as easily as the Blackwing's fire.

The black plumes of smoke you see are burnt farmhouses, and thus are
uninteresting.  I haven't found anything inside any of the ones I searched, but
don't let that stop you from searching them yourself.  Wait, scratch that.  I
just found some gold in a chest in one of the houses.

From the entrance, line yourself up with the middle plume of smoke that you
see.  There's nothing in that house, but if you follow that line, you'll come
to a henge.  Land Arokh at the entrance and run along the path of stones.  Each
stone will light up as you pass it, and when you enter the center, skeletons
will spring from the ground.  Defeat them to obtain the Lightning Blade, the
thunderous brother to the Earth Blade.

With the skeletons, the Grull, and the dragons, I gained a level here, and
added it to Melee Skill again, raising it to 5, so I could use the Lastat
Blade.   I then returned to Surdana to retrieve the Lastat Blade.

Returning to Kragmor, another Blackwing nest is hidden in the mountains to the
southwest.  Continuing south, you encounter a pair of Explosive Crossbows and
another red dragon or two.  Arriving at Snotmaw's base, you'll be awed by the
sheer number of exploding barrels there.  Well, their INTENDED use is for the
Grull Kong to throw at you, but if you blow them up first, he can't throw them.
 Plus, he'll be dead.  A large number of regular barrels lie around as well,
filled to the brim with gold and jewels.  You'll gather a lot of emeralds here.
 Explore the caves to the side of the main entrance for some more gold, a few
potions, and an Iron 2H Sword.

When you're ready, SAVE and enter...

=Snotmaw's Lair=

Enter the cave, slay the Wartok, open the barrels, then ride the lift down. 
Don't run down the center of the hall, as there's a fire-spitting ornament at
the end.  Another couple of barrels, another lift.  Look around as you descend.
 Doesn't look good, does it?  You know the tutorial is over when they start
throwing moving-platform jumping puzzles in your direction.  Fortunately, that
comes later.  Right now, deal with the Fire Wartok across the way.  Continue
across the small bridge and into the next hall.  That's a very poorly disguised
booby trap.  SAVE.

Okay, time to dodge this thing.  Run down the hall and roll into the alcove on
the side.  STAY CROUCHED, as spikes will shoot out of the walls.  Wait for the
bladed pole to return along the corridor, then roll out and run the rest of the
way.  Slay the Wartok and SAVE.  Don't want to have to go through that again.

Head north into the next tunnel.  Now, we have a choice.  First, go south, kill
the two Wartoks (I think I heard one fart), grab the Composite Battle Bow, and
break the barrels.  Next, go north.  A Grull and a floor full of holes.  Turn
east and enter the jail.  Whenever you free a "prisoner", they walk out of
their cell and the ceiling comes down and squishes them.  Well, I suppose it
saves wear and tear on your weapon...  Anyway, after having fun with squishing
ceilings, head back to the holey floor and head west and downstairs into
another dungeon.  Grab the treasure and kill the Wartok.  Not necessarily in
that order.

Now return to the four-way passage and go west, down a few flights, and fight
another Grull Kong.  The bow/spell method should work on this guy if you stay
in the tunnel.  If you leave the tunnel, a grate clashes down and you've gotta
hand-to-hand with him.  Be careful he doesn't fall on you when he dies, or it's
squished heroine.  SAVE.  Head south, under the arch and down the ramp, then
swim through a lake to get to some gold, a Rusty Scimitar, and a Rusty Axe. 
I'd dump the rusty stuff, since it doesn't sell for much and takes up way too
much space.

Return up the path and head west.  Up the hill, across the bridge, and into the
cave.  Now, before you enter the next arch, look up.  See that sign?  What's it
say to you?  To me, it says in big, bold letters, "SAVE!"  Follow its
instructions, then go through the arch.

=BOSS: Grull Kong=

This time, you HAVE to go toe-to-toe with him.  Try to get behind him and hack
away at his ankles.  When he falls, it's time for...

=BOSS: Snotmaw=

Basically, he's a bigger, tougher version of a standard Shield Wartok. 
Whack-whack-whack, roll backwards.  You get some gold and his cleaver for
winning.  Well, it probably sells for a lot...  But for now, it's slow, and
requires way more skill than you have.

Next up come a few of the Wartoks who were watching the fight.  Kill them, then
SAVE, leave the arena, and go up the lift.  Up there are some more Wartoks,
some potions, a lot of gold, and a Hollowman axe.  Go back down the lift, head
east, and oh, damn, it's that jumping puzzle.  SAVE.  Time your jumps well, and
you should make it to the other side without dying much.  On the third
platform, whip out your bow and polish off that Wartok on the ledge.  Then,
once you've jumped to the ledge, SAVE.

Follow the path to another lift and go up.  Take out the two Wartoks here,
search the barrels, and head south and out.  Looks like you're done!

"Ah, there you are."  "Barely.  You should have seen the giant I just had to
fight."  "Yes, I'm sure it was... horrible."  "No, really, it was HUGE!"  "Yes,
of course it was."

***WARNING!***
Once you leave Kragmor at this point, you cannot return!

Now that that's done with, take your dragon for a nice leisurely stroll around
the countryside.  Make sure you haven't missed anything.  Like the four
Blackwing eggs that are just sitting out on a cliff to the southeast of the
entrance.  When you're done, head back to...

=Surdana=

Now go speak to General Dehrimon to get... His thanks.  No cash, no cool-ass
weapon, just "Thanks!  We'll call you!"  Listen, you bushy-eyebrowed bastard,
I've got a dragon that can breathe three different elements currently, plus I
am waving around a vampiric sword.  Make with the bling bling already.

***WALKTHROUGH INCOMPLETE***
What comes next?  Is the world in danger?  Will Squishy save the Princess? 
Tune in next version!


====
8. Weapon/Armor Lists
====
Coming soon!  Sorry!


====
9.  Items
====
Coming soon!  Sorry again!


====
10.  Contact Information
====
Coming soon!  Just kidding.  Send questions, comments, suggestions,
contributions, and PayPal donations to [email protected] and include
the words "Drakan FAQ" or something in your subject line.
Alternatively, get on IRC, connect to irc.ffchat.net, port 6669, channel
#ffonline, and ask to speak with "Dareon".  Do not just PM me, as I have a
message blocker in place.  And before you ask, I do not use AIM, Yahoo!
Messenger, or ICQ.

Please do not ask or contribute about areas past Ravenshold, as I haven't
played past there yet.  Also, do not spam me or send me inconsequential items.

(By the way, I'm kidding about the PayPal donations.  But, if any of you play
Ragnarok Online, Dareon would be happy to receive a few Zeny)


====
11. Special Thanks/Contributors
====
Thanks to:
Sony and Surreal, for making this game
GameFAQs, for posting it
and my mother for putting up with using three of our four gaming machines at
once.