The basics of the game of Shadow Gate is to always see to that you have enough torches to light your way through the game. On most walls there are torches your can bring in your inventory. Take them and save them for the future. One torch is special and gets rid of shadow wraith that will finally kill you if you don´t use it according to my instructions.
This help guide only tells you what to do to solve the game, that is is does not tell you what you shouldn´t do. There are many, many traps to fall into. But if you only do what I tell you to you should be okey.
The guide does not repeat to you where to find the items that you should use in every room. If you search through the text though, you will find where things can be picked up.
Some items are only used once and can be dropped after use to save space in inventory. Some are used several times. I won´t tell you when to drop things. You have to find this out for yourself in the text.
Here is the solution to the game room by room...
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Entrance:
Good evening. Welcome to Shadowgate.
The last thing that you remember is standing before the wizard Lakmir as he gestured wildly and chanted in an archaic tongue. Now you find yourself staring at an entryway which lies at the edge of a forest. The Druid's words still ring in your ears: "Within the walls of the Castle Shadowgate lies your quest. If the prophecies hold true, the dreaded Warlock Lord will use his dark magic to raise the Behemoth, the deadliest of the Titans, from the depths of the earth. You are the seed of prophecy, the last of the line of kings, and only you can stop the Warlock Lord from darkening our world FOREVER. Fare thee well."
Operate the skull of some creature to get a key. Then enter the door.
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Hallway:
Go directly to the door in your front. It´s opened by the key you just got possession of. Remember from now on always to light a torch.
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Hallway:
Open the book to get the skeleton key. Take the extrordinary torch on the wall. Go back into the previous hallway and then into the closet to the right.
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Closet:
Take the small sling made of fine leather and go back into hallway where torch and key was found.
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Hallway:
Back in the second hallway you get access to the chamber by operating the stone that seems to be set loosely in the mortar.
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Chamber:
Take the finely crafted silver arrow. Open the hidden door into the bridge room by operating the fastened torch on the wall.
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Bridge room:
The shabby bridge, indeed does not carry your weight with to much things in your inventory. Don´t go this way until later on in the game. Go over the bridge that seems to be quite sturdy.
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Alcove:
Get rid of the shadow wraith, a hideous spectre by lighting the extrordinary torch in your invertory and operating it on him. Put on the heavy cloak. I don´t know if it does you any good. But is sure doesn´t hurt.
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Chamber:
Take the scroll:Five to find, three are one. One gives access, the bladed sun. The silver orb, to banish below. The staff of ages, to vanquish the foe. Joining two, the golden thorn. The last to invoke, the platinum horn.
Say EPOR (ROPE backwards) to the rope to prepare a passage up to the mirror room. Two bottles are in this room. One is a kind of milkshake. Doesn´t do anything except that is tastes good. The other one with a horrible stench can get rid of dangerous slime in tomb, but is unnessecary if you avoid the slime. The back stone wall of this chamber leads your to a passage to a cave. From this chamber first go back into the second hallway. Next time to cave and mirror room.
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Hallway:
This third hallway has three doors. The one to the right leads to subterranean cavern with a lake. The one to the left leads to pedestal room in front to tomb.
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Lake:
The subterranean cavern with lake has a passage to the waterfall. In the lake there is a skeleton's skeleton key which you get by operating the small crystal sphere on the lake. By burning the lake with the torch you get the sphere back.
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Waterfall:
Behind the waterfall there is an interesting alcove. On the ground there is also some stones of which you should take at least one.
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Alcove:
By operating the rock that juts from the wall you get a pouch with a blue, a red and a white jevel stone that will be useful later.
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Pedestal room:
In this room, operating the white stone in pouch will get you a small crystal sphere that magically appears on the stand. There is also a door to the dangerous lair. Be careful in this next room!
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Lair:
In this room there is a very big chance to get burned to death by a dragon! The shield protects you for three more moves in the room. There are two sculls, one is cracked and therefore useless, the other one is answer to a riddle. Take the spear, the skull of some unfortunate individual. and the axe, leave everything else behind and return to pedestal room.
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Tomb:
The tomb contains six sarcophagi. Avoid the two upper left ones. One contains the deadly slime. The other one has a banshee that comes out with an ear-shattering scream. Harmless but dumb. The upper right one contains a silent mummy that if you burn it with the torch gives you access to the scepter. Take the scepter. The middle right one has a small leather bag with golden coins in it that you might need. The lower right one is empty. Opening the lower left one gets you to the mirror room. To get down into chamber you must have said EPOR to the rope. Otherwise you fall and die.
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Cave:
By operating the blue gem in the hole in the cave inside the chamber you meet an old wizard that give you a very good scroll:
As the shadow of the wind, thou shalt be! Ulterior Humana.
By this scroll you get unvisible for some time. It will be useful later on.
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Mirror room:
By operating the axe and the sceleton´s sceleton key on the middle mirror you get into the bridge. The broom in mirror room is answer to a riddle later on. Bring it if you have room. If not, maybe you are lucky enough that this is not one of the the riddles you´ll get!
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Bridge:
Now, this is when the difficult part begins. The sphere can both freeze water and turn out fire. After fire is turned out you can go along to crevice.
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Crevice:
The crevice hides an evil troll that can not be killed. He asks for money, don´t give it to him. Throw the spear at him. It won´t kill him but scares him off for the time being. Using the spear means that you can only pass this point once. Next time you pass the crevice and the following courtyard you have to be invisible (remember the scroll!). Make yourself invisible just before entering this point again.
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Courtyard:
The dreaded cyclops is paralyzed by throwing a stone at him with the small sling of leather. The next time you pass he will be alright again, but then you are invisible. By operating the handle on the finely crafted well you will see a crank which contains a gauntlet of silver plate. Take it and continue.
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Hallway:
This next hallway has four doors. The one to the right leads you to an armory with a bunch of hobgoblins. There is nothing except danger in this room. The one in front leads you to a Banquet Hall. The first one to your left to a library and the second one from the left to a laboratory.
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Library:
There are several interesting books in the bookstand that you can study. They give indirect information about the castle of Shadow Gate and the mysteries therein, but they won´t do anything. Opening the desk gives you a pair of iron-framed glasses, a small wrought iron key and two scrolls:
Lands under the heavens; the key to the world. Terra Terrakk.
This scroll opens the globe in the study inside library. The next scroll:
To move the sun from far to near: Instantum Illuminaris.
This scroll temporarily paralyzes two statues that guard a door later on in the game. Putting on the glasses allows you to read the text in the book on the table:
"The light grows faint, the path winds round. Where life is lost, wisdom is found. The seed of the dream, 'fore the evil is free, where the sword is hung, he must place the key. A bridge to form amidst burning death, a demon to guard, 'Motari Riseth.'"
This book will open the way that is blocked by the huge stone statue in cavern later on in the game. Operating the last red ruby on the hole in the bookstand opens a door to a study. The fine map of the lands of Tarkus is answer to a riddle.
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Study:
In the study there are two interesting things: a wooden bellows and a black iron poker. They are both answer to a riddle later on in the game. When you come to this point you can return to the study and pick up the appropriate item. The globe mounted on a stand is opened by a scroll and contains a jet black skeleton key and a small black bottle with a cork on top. Take the key and return to hallway outside library.
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Laboratory:
Operating the stone with a chain handle gives you a small glass bottle bearing a cross on one side. Holy water. Take the bottle. Go down the stairs to the garden. The horseshoe above the door is answer to a riddle.
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Garden:
If you put on the gauntlet of silver plate you will be able to take the small wooden flute in the marble fountain which contains acidic liquid. Playing the flute makes the tree now display a large hole that contain the fine ring that has a black sapphire setting. Take the ring and return to hallway. Now you are ready to enter the Banquet Hall.
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Banquet Hall:
Burning the expensive rug on the floor give you the last small iron key you need to open the three doors in the Banquet Hall. The frame of the fine mirror that is laced with silver and gold is also the answer to a riddle.
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Chamber:
Upstairs to the right in the Banquet Hall there is a chamber that contains a sphinx. You can not pass unless you give him the answer to one of his riddles:
"Long neck and no hands, made of wood from forest's nest; a hundred legs and I can't stand, against a wall I will rest. Bring me the answer to my riddle and I shall let thee pass." Answer - the broom in mirror room.
"Eyeless tho' that I may be, through me once a man did see; my form once thoughts did hold, now I'm empty, white and cold. Bring me the answer to my riddle and I shall let thee pass." Answer - the skull of some unfortunate individual.
"I at fires attend, am a kitchen friend; when my nose I blow, how the embers glow! When the wind compels, how my body swells. Bring me the answer to my riddle and I shall let thee pass." Answer - the wooden bellows.
"First I was burnt, then I was beaten; then I was drowned, then I was pierced with nails. Bring me the answer to my riddle and I shall let thee pass." Answer - the horseshoe.
"It has towns, but no houses; It has forests, but no trees; It has rivers, but no fish. Bring me the answer to my riddle and I shall let thee pass." Answer - the fine map of the lands of Tarkus.
"If you look at me, I look at you. You look with eyes, but I've none but your two. I speak with no voice when you ordain, for yours is the voice, my lips open in vain. Bring me the answer to my riddle and I shall let thee pass." Answer - the mirror outside in the Banquet Hall.
If you answer all of the riddles, that is pass the sphinx six times, he will disappear.
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Observatory:
In the observatory there is a scroll:
Observation: half moon-third season. The constellation of the throne appears once every five summers and is believed to be a portal into another land.
This is a clue to open Sir Doogan´s throne later on in the game.
On the wall there is an ornate carving of a shooting star and a map of the known galaxy. Inside the map a rod made of cast iron is hidden, which you get by burning the map. Burning the map however eliminates the power of the shooting star, so you have to use the star and then return to this observatory, answer a new riddle and then take the rod inside the map.
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Turret:
Upstairs the observatory there is a small turret. If you kill the fine lass that lies upon the floor by using the silver arrow, you avoid that she turns into a werewolf. You now can take the spike that is made of precious metals.
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Chamber:
Upstairs to the left of the Banquet Hall there is also a chamber. When you try to take the platinum horn you first have to kill the hellhound by sprinkling holy water at him.
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Turret:
From the chamber you come up to the turret. The wyvern is killed by the use of the shooting star. You now can take the heavy talisman made of gold and return to observatory.
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Hallway:
When you´ve been in the observatory for the second time and got access to the iron rod and the spike you continue to the hallway that is inside the middle door of the Banquet Hall. To the left there is a balcony and to the right Sir Doogan´s throne room.
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Balcony:
By using the rod in the mount of some sort, a skeletal hand comes up from a hole and give you a wand of sorts. Down the stairs to the left you can take a canvas pouch with coins. Don´t try to take the pot of gold that is at your right.
At this point in the game it is time for you to return almost to the beginning. You can leave everything behind in the hallway except some torches, the wand and the scroll "Ulterior Humana". Go back all the way to the bridge room.
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Bridge room:
This second time in the bridge room you take the shabby bridge at you right. The reason for leaving almost everything behind is that it can´t take much weight.
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Cave:
Inside the bridge there is a cave with a huge statue carved in the shape of a giant snake. By operating the wand on the statue you get a staff of tremendous beauty. Take the staff and return to hallway outside Sir Doogan´s throne room. To pass the troll at the crevice and the dreaded cyclops at the courtyard you have to make yourself invisible for a moment by using the scroll you brought.
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Throne room:
To the right inside the royal seal of Sir Doogan there is a secret panel. By putting the fine ring in the slot in the wall and putting the scepter in Sir Doogans hand a passageway opens under the throne.
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Hallway:
Under the throne there is another hallway. Don´t try to take the way to your left. Use the doorway at the end of the hall.
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Cave:
The cave inside the hallway has two doorways. The one in front is guarded by two gargoyles. You have to paralyze them with the scroll "Instantum illuminaris" to pass them. But first, take the doorway to the right which lead you to a cavern.
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Cavern:
In the center of the cavern there is a huge statue. If you put on the glasses, operating the book on him will open a solid bridge passageway to another cave.
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Cave:
If you operate the handles at the right according to the instructions here you will get access to an orb made of silver.
 
Operating the spike on the rod and then the orb on the rod gives you - the staff of ages. This staff is a part of the solution of the whole game. You now can return to the cave with the to guarding gargoyles and pass them into the well room.
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Well room:
Operating the handle opens a way down the well. But before you enter you must throw down a coin with a well engraved on it. The coin is in the canvas pouch. A huge wind erupts from within the well and can carry you down.
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River:
If you use the great gold gong a ghostly ferryman appears. He can carry you over the river if you pay him with a coin that has a mark on it that looks like a human skull. The coin is in the canvas pouch.
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Vault:
By putting the talisman in the left small slot of the wall and blowing the horn the skeleton's jaw slowly lowers into the ground. You can go inside.
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Cavern:
Inside the skeleton vault there is a huge cavern. From below the most powerful creature that has ever existed: the Behemoth appears. It is now time for you to operate the staff of ages on him. This will kill him along with the Warlock Lord. They descend into the depths forever. You've done it! You have saved the world! Now enjoy your victory...
