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- ULTIMA III Strategy
-
- Lord British's "Ultima III: Exodus" is his latest, and most ambitious,
- offering in an outstanding fantasy role-playing series. Every aspect of
- this game, from the documentation to the computer graphics, is a logical, yet enhanced, extension of the earlier
- two chapters of the "Ultima" saga. In "Exodus," however, there is a
- fundamental new twist: No longer must a solitary character strive to
- overcome the evil abroad in the land; a party of up to four players may join
- the quest. The strategy tips in this file should aid your party during its
- perilous adventure.
-
- I. CREATING A PARTY
-
- Start out by thoroughly studying the four booklets that come with the game:
- The Book of Play, the Ancient Liturgy of Truth, the Book of Amber Runes, and
- the Player Reference Card. You must then form a party by designating race
- and profession and by allocating 50 points among four attributes. Each
- profession has different valuable characteristics, and part of this game's
- flexibility is that you may try various combinations.
-
- Perhaps the best initial party will be composed of an elf thief, a dwarf
- fighter, a bobbit cleric, and a fuzzy wizard. A dwarf or bobbit paladin, or
- a human ranger, may easily be substituted for the dwarf fighter. It is
- certainly desirable to include both a cleric and a wizard in your group
- because only they have the capacity to develop advanced spell-casting
- powers.
-
- In combat situations, each party member takes a turn in order. Therefore,
- it is important to position the characters in such a way as to take
- advantage of their particular abilities. Generally, characters who have more
- weapon/armor options should be in first and second place; the spell casters
- should be in the next rank. I had very good luck with "Snatch" (elf thief)
- and "Devo" (dwarf fighter) in the front, with "Wanda" (fuzzy wizard) and
- "Clarissa" (bobbit cleric) in the rear. Since combat may seem too fast and
- confusing at first, it may help you to give your characters mnemonic names.
-
- II. JOURNEYING ONWARD
-
- Your little band begins its adventure near the castle and city of Lord
- British on the grassy plains of the continent of Sosaria. Immediately equip
- your characters with daggers and cloth armor. Then, save the game.
- Frequent "saves" will help you to avoid getting stuck with a group of dead
- bodies on your hands; if disaster seems imminent, you can turn off your
- machine and restore your previous game position.
-
- Enter the town, where it is safe. Examining the player roster, you will
- see that each party member possesses 150 gold pieces and 150 items of food.
- You should transfer extra gold to one character, preferably a fighter type,
- so that he may purchase a bow. Long-range weapons such as bows and slings
- are vital to surviving combat. Of course, daggers may be thrown, but they
- are then lost; it is useful to obtain an abundant supply. Remember to re-
- ready and/or re-equip a player who transacts with merchants or you might
- find a character with a bow and leather armor in her inventory standing
- naked and empty-handed against eight titans. It goes without saying that
- your group must have adequate supplies of food.
-
- Any player may attempt to steal from the gold-laden chests that are located
- in weapons and armor shops; however, thieves have the most success. Lower
- level characters haven't a prayer against guards, so larceny is a risky
- endeavor. It is not possible to steal food in this game; however, chests
- occasionally contain a valuable weapon or item of armor. If you wish to
- steal with impunity, you can bribe guards. Greasing guards' palms causes
- them to instantly disappear.
-
- Gold, money, crass lucre: You will need copious amounts to advance in
- "Ultima III." Sometimes you'll think it's money that makes Sosaria go
- 'round! Although many of the clues vital to winning the game may be freely
- obtained by transacting with people in towns and castles, gold is needed to
- purchase not only important information from barkeeps and oracles, but is
- also necessary in order to raise your players' attributes, equip them with
- better weapons and armor, and bribe guards. You may wish to create several
- "sacrificial" characters whose sole purpose is to transfer all their gold,
- weapons, food, and armor to one of your "real" party members. Using this
- admittedly opportunistic technique, your "real" party can become well-
- equipped even before its first foray.
-
- A note about "roll over": Lord British has almost completely corrected the
- problem (from "Ultima II") of players' "numbers" rolling over to zero after
- 99 or 9999. Now, if you inadvertently purchase more than 99 daggers, only
- 99 will show up (not 0) on the status report. The same holds true for other
- equipment and players' attributes. However, a bug remains in the food
- counter. Be careful not to exceed 9999 items of food or very strange things
- will happen to your players' names and armor. [Note: Rollover still occurs
- in some versions.] III. THE INHABITANTS OF SOSARIA Within the towns or
- Lord British's castle, you will encounter guards, merchants, barkeeps,
- jesters, oracles, or healers as well as any of the regular player types such
- as fighters, thieves, clerics and wizards. You must transact with almost
- everyone you meet in order to learn the clues which are vital to winning
- this game. Carefully explore every inch of every town; you can locate
- informative individuals behind shops, within wooded areas, or on the other
- side of locked doors. [See the "Layout" and "Clues" files for more specific
- details.]
-
- IV. COMBAT
-
- Much of your time, especially in the beginning stages of the game, will be
- devoted to slaying monsters. On land, in the sea, and deep within the
- dungeons of Sosaria your party will engage in combat with more than two
- dozen species of monsters as well as renegade player types. Examine your
- Book of Play for the descriptions of these creatures.
-
- Some monsters (orcs, goblins, and trolls) may be dispelled by your wizard's
- "Repond." The undead creatures (skeletons, ghouls, zombies) are turned by
- your cleric's "Pontori." When your cleric or mage reaches his or her full
- potential, he or she (or "O"!) can cast helpful (transport, light, heal,
- cure, map, resurrect) or devastating (wound, negate time, destroy) spells.
- However, since spell casting temporarily drains magic points, most combat
- involves the use of weapons. Be aware that a cleric's use of the "P"
- (Resurrect from Ashes) spell drains wisdom points.
-
- The weapons available range from daggers to +4 bows (6550 g.p.) to the
- mysterious "exotics." Naturally, as your players gain strength, one arrow
- may be all that is needed to dispatch the dread balron. Long-range weapons
- should, therefore, be obtained as soon as possible. Since your party always
- gets to fire the first shot in a combat situation, slings or bows can mean
- the difference between life and death. Hand-to-hand weapons are relatively
- ineffective because your players have to waste turns moving toward the enemy
- and taking hits instead of fighting. Since daggers may be thrown, they are
- more versatile than maces. The same is true regarding the use of bows as
- opposed to swords. The ranger I created was more successful and efficient
- with his simple bow than a +2 sword.
-
- Armor is, of course, vital in protecting your players from injury.
- Depending on their professions, characters may wear anything from cloth to
- +2 plate (8250 g.p.). Try to obtain leather armor, at least, for those
- players who may wear it; they will survive more easily and will rapidly
- advance in experience levels.
-
- Players' hit points are directly related to their experience. Each
-
- character begins with 150 hit points at level one. As the game proceeds and
- your players slay numerous monsters, their experience points will increase.
- Remember, however, that only the character striking the death blow wins
- experience points! As additional levels are reached, the party should visit
- Lord British who will see that his wizard raises the characters' hit points.
- However, after level five, the Lord will refuse to raise the hit maximum.
- Instead, he says: "Seek ye the Mark of Kings." Once your group obtains
- this mark (one of four available -- each with a different purpose), Lord
- British will raise your characters' hit points, according to his or her
- experience level, to the absolute maximum of 2550.
-
- If you want to build up backward players' hit points, you must position
- them so that they may inflict the fatal blows. This may even involve
- passing over (by hitting the space bar) a couple of players in favor of your
- "slower" ones.
-
- After your players reach level five or so, and have purchased decent
- weapons, armor and, hopefully, a few powders (to negate time), they may use
- the following procedure to rapidly build up more experience points: Enter a
- town that has only two sets of guards stationed at the entrance; attack and
- kill the guards; immediately leave the town and save the game. Guards are
- worth 15 experience points each, and, although they are extremely powerful,
- they don't throw fireballs or poisoned bolts at your group.
-
- While your party is still relatively inexperienced, try to avoid sea
- serpents, men-o-war, and pirates. You can usually see these opponents
- approaching, and can detour around them. Do not descend below level four or
- so in any dungeon until your party is quite strong; otherwise, the manes,
- devils, and wyverns, among others, will surely decimate your group. Several
- monsters not only wound your players, but poison them. However, when your
- party is healthy and well-equipped, it can win thousands of experience
- points and gold pieces by slaying these creatures. In the case of pirates,
- your group can also commandeer a frigate; no experience points or treasure
- is gained if the ship's cannons are used in battle.
-
- Before your group obtains long-range weapons, try to avoid thieves,
- cutpurses, and brigands. These characters love to steal the weapons or
- armor that are not currently in use by players.
-
- Within dungeons, the invisible gremlins like to steal food. Be sure to
- carry plenty of rations or your band might starve to death!
-
- Here is a list of various opponents and the experience points received by
- players when they defeat these creatures:
-
- Merchants = 1; Jesters and Grasss = 2; Goblins, Trolls, Orcs, and Floors =
- 3; Skeletons, Zombies, and Ghouls = 4; Cutpurses, Brigands, and Thieves = 5;
- Golems, Giants, Titans, and Horses = 6; Fighters, Manes, Gargoyles, and
- Daemons = 8; Wizards, Pincers, and Bradles = 10; Serpents, Dragons,
- Griffons, Wyverns, and Guards = 15; Men-O-War, Orcuss, Devils, and Balrons =
- 20.
-
- The tougher the enemy, the more experience points gained by your players.
-
- Note: Do not try to engage Lord British in battle; he is invincible. He
- will allow you to take the chests behind the force field, but will attack if
- you initiate violence within his domain.
-
- V. HEALING
-
- The natural result of all this fighting is injured, or even deceased, party
- members. Be sure that you carefully map Sosaria, pinpointing the locations
- of healing kiosks. Your group will have to visit the healers frequently,
- especially if a character is poisoned. As always, gold works wonders.
-
- Of course, clerics as well as advanced wizards may cast healing spells.
- Use their powers with discrimination since every spell drains magic points
- which may be needed for an unexpected battle.
-
- Healing fountains are located inside dungeons. A drink from one will
- restore your players' lost hit points. You cannot tell whether a fountain
-
- is healthy or poisoned without testing it. There are four types of
- fountains: good, innocuous, harmful, and poisonous. Save your game before
- descending into a dungeon and be careful!
-
- VI. TRANSPORTATION
-
- There are three modes of transportation in this game: foot, horse, and
- frigate. Most of the time, your players will be on foot and their food
- supplies will diminish rapidly as they explore Sosaria. Obtaining a horse
- not only slows the decrease in food, but allows your party to out run
- monsters. There are only two places where horses may be purchased or stolen:
- in the City of Dawn or the City of Devil Guard. [Check the "Layout" file
- for the locations of these cities.] Horses may be ridden through moon gates.
-
- Frigates may be commandeered by defeating a pirate crew. Once you have a
- frigate, your party may then traverse the seas, visiting important islands
- and learning the secret of the whirlpool.
-
- The whirlpool is both beneficial and harmful. It may destroy ships that
- are docked and empty. Yet, by sailing into the whirlpool, your party will
- be transported to the Lost Continent of Ambrosia where the players will be
- able to raise their attributes and obtain the four cards needed to destroy
- Exodus.
-
- VII. ITEMS
-
- There are four valuable items which your players must purchase in order to
- win the game. These are: torches, keys, gems, and powders. Only in
- thieves' guilds can your party buy these special items [check the "Layout"
- file for locations].
-
- Torches, of course, are needed for light while the party explores dungeons.
- Because of the prevalence of "strange wind" throughout all of the dungeons,
- numerous torches should be carried.
-
- Keys are used to unlock doors. They are particularly useful in Lord
- British's Castle, the City of Montor West, and Ambrosia.
-
- Gems give you a bird's eye view of your current location. Buy as many gems
- as possible; you can use them to map dungeons, explore the nooks and
- crannies of cities, and proceed effortlessly through mazes.
-
- Powders are, perhaps, the most valuable objects of all: They stop time.
- Use powders frequently during fierce battles, especially in the Castle of
- Death [Note: This may not work in some versions]. The incessant fireballs,
- though, are not affected by powders.
-
- VIII. DUNGEONS
-
- Unlike in "Ultima II," your group must explore all the dungeons in order to
- win this game. Four "marks" must be obtained by each party member. Marks
- are usually located in a wall on the 8th level of a dungeon. The Mark of
- Kings is needed before Lord British will raise the characters' hit maximum
- above 550; the Mark of Force is used to pass uninjured through force fields;
- the Mark of Fire allows the party to walk through fire; the Mark of the
- Snake is needed to bypass the Silver Snake which guards the Castle of Death.
-
- The best dungeon strategy is to use plenty of gems to locate ladders and/or
- cast ladder up and ladder down spells. It is not wise to linger on the
- upper levels if your group is simply looking for marks. Enter the dungeon
- and descend, as quickly as possible, to level 8. Then, obtain the mark and
- exit the dungeon. Of course, it is helpful to explore all levels of all
- dungeons, but this can be fatal if your party is weak.
-
- IX. MOON GATES
-
- Ah, these mysterious and ephemeral portals! What is their secret? By
- stepping into a moon gate, your group will be transported to various
- locations, some of which are inaccessible by any other means. There are
- eight moon gates, and the most important is, perhaps, the one that delivers
- your players to the dungeon of the Time Lord. Experiment with different
- gates and note their locations, the timing of their appearances, and their
- destinations.
-
- An understanding of the cycles of the two moons of Sosaria, displayed on
- the cloth map and constantly counted on your screen, is vital in your search
- for the legendary City of Dawn. [See the "Layout" file for more details.]
-
- X. DEFEATING EXODUS
-
- Who or what is Exodus? The product of an unholy alliance between Mondain
- and Minax, Exodus is more machine than monster. Could he or it be a
- computer? Perhaps so: Exodus' powers are legion and he is "turned off" by
- inserting four cards, in proper order, into slots in his "body." The Time
- Lord, if he will, can tell your party the proper order of the cards.
-
- Do not attempt to destroy Exodus until your party is extremely strong.
- Located within the aptly named Castle of Death, Exodus is protected by an
- army of fiends as well as a continuous stream of fireballs. Further, the
- usual weapons are ineffectual against monsters in this castle; your group
- must be equipped with "exotic arms" in order to slay these creatures in
- hand-to-hand combat.
-
- After your little band battles its way to Exodus, it must conquer the
- strange and invisible floors. The floors repeatedly attack until they have
- been completely destroyed. The best strategy against the floors is to have
- your cleric cast his "O" spell and/or your wizard cast her "P" spell. Then,
- move forward step-by-step, attacking in all directions. The floors are
- difficult, but certainly not impossible to overcome.
-
- A final note: If you try to leave the Castle of Death without destroying
- Exodus, or if you linger near the entrance, your players will have to battle
- the grasss. The same strategy should be used against grasss as is used in
- combat with floors.
-
- [See the "Layout" file and the "Clues" file for additional information.]
-
-
-
- ULTIMA III Layout
-
- I. THE CLOTH MAP
-
- The map that is supplied with the game is very useful, especially if you
- take out a sturdy black pen and mark locations on it. I used triangles to designate castles, squares to
- represent towns, circles for dungeons, and squiggly lines for moon gates.
- The map shows the continent of Sosaria as explored by the late, great
- Hawkwind. Your party will exceed even his accomplishments before the game
- is over.
-
- Also displayed on the map are a series of drawings of various locations as
- well as representations of the cycles of the two Sosarian moons. The runes
- are not difficult to decipher. For example, on the top left is a picture of
- the Castle of Lord British. On the top right is Death Gulch. The moon of
- Trammel has a 48 day cycle, and the moon of Felucca has a 16 day cycle.
-
- II. THE CITIES
-
- Here is a list of the cities of Sosaria, their locations, and their
- important features:
-
- 1. CITY OF LORD BRITISH: Located to the northeast of Sosaria, this city
- overlooks a harbor. Within the town you will find a pub, a grocery, a
- weapons shop, and an armory. As always, be sure to transact with everyone
- you meet.
-
- 2. MONTOR WEST: South of Lord British are the twin cities of Montor West
-
- and Montor East. In the western town you will find a grocery, two pubs, a
- weapons shop, an armory, a prison, and four guard stations. It is important
- to speak to two thieves who are inside prison cells. Either bribe the many
- guards or be prepared for a series of long battles if you enter the prison.
-
- 3. MONTOR EAST: Again, you will visit a pub, an armory, and a weapons
- shop. Guard stations abound, but you need not do battle in this town.
- Simply transact with all the player types you meet; valuable clues are to be
- had here.
-
- 4. CITY OF YEW: Within this holy city are dozens of clerics as well as
- the Circle of Light, Rogation Worship, Sanescere healing kiosk, and the
- Aliment food shop. Take care in this heavily forested town else you might
- stumble into a wall of fire. The City of Yew is located in mountains to the
- west of Lord British.
-
- 5. CITY OF MOON: Further west from Yew lies Moon. Moon may also be
- reached by travelling southeast from Montor East. This small town contains a
- grocery, a pub, and a healing stand. The forested areas should be carefully
- explored for hidden clues; avoid those balrons, though!
-
- 6. CITY OF GREY: Due south of Moon, on a southwestern tip of Sosaria, you
- will find the City of Grey. This town has a pub, a grocery, a weapons shop,
- an armory, a thieves' guild, and a chamber containing chests. Vital clues
- are to be had from a thief, a fighter, and a cleric. Be sure to visit Grey
- often in order to stock up on gems, powders, torches, and keys from the
- guild.
-
- 7. DEATH GULCH: Off the coast, on a large island to the southeast of
- British, is Death Gulch. This town is heavily guarded, but violence can be
- avoided. Here you will find a pub, grocery, weapons, and armor. The daemon
- and guard at the front entrance may be cautiously bypassed in order to enter
- the town. Bring keys. You can also sneak into Death Gulch through the
- forested areas to the north and south of the entrance. This town has
- several mazes, force fields, and a river of fire. None is of much
- importance. Lots of chests here.
-
- 8. CITY OF FAWN: On a small island off the coast of Sosaria, to the
- northwest of British, is the City of Fawn. Here you will find a pub, a food
- shop, a healing kiosk, and a thieves' guild. Four clerics will impart
- significant clues.
-
- 9. DEVIL GUARD: This town is locked within mountains to the southwest of
- British. To reach Devil Guard, your party must take one of three moon gates
- [discussed below]. A pirates' frigate, firing from the shore of a small
- lake with no outlets, attacks your group when you visit this town. Devil
- Guard is a dangerous place, but a very important one. Here, there are six
- fighters and one thief who can give you winning clues. Devil Guard contains
- a pub and grocery, a healing stand, another thieves' guild, and a stables.
- You may purchase four horses here for 800 g.p.; they cannot be stolen.
-
- 10. CITY OF DAWN: Dawn, the city of myths and magic! It is located, for
- a brief moment only, in the forest southwest of British. Dawn possesses the
- usual line-up of shops: food, pub, weapons, and armor. However, you will
- also find another thieves' guild here as well as an oracle and stables. Both
- the weapons and armor shops sell advanced items. Bring thousands of gold
- pieces and your party will leave Dawn very well-equipped. Horses here may
- be stolen, but expect a series of battles with Dawn's many guards. There
- are three clerics, hiding in the southeast corner of the town, who can tell
- you much about "exotic arms." However, two of the clerics will not let your
- party pass in order to transact with the third; you will have to kill them.
- Prepare your group by bribing as many guards as possible before dealing with
- the clerics.
-
- III. THE CASTLES
-
- There are two castles in this game: Lord British and Death. Lord British's
- Castle is next to his city. You will visit the castle many times in order
-
- to transact with the Lord and to purchase cures or healings. Most of the
- areas in this castle are unimportant; however, by using keys to unlock
- doors, you can locate several individuals who have important knowledge about
- your quest. In particular, explore the prison, the winding corridors, and
- the exterior of the castle.
-
- The Castle of Death is the domain of Exodus. It is located on an island
- off the southwest coast of Sosaria. Reach it by sailing past the Silver
- Snake (be sure to bring horses with you!). If you survive the dangers, you
- will find Exodus in a chamber against the northern wall.
-
- IV. THE DUNGEONS
-
- Only in dungeons may "marks" be found. Dungeons are hazardous places. Not
- only do they house an abundance of vicious creatures, but there are traps,
- gremlins, strange winds, poisoned fountains, mazes, and dead ends. Here is
- a list of the dungeons of Sosaria, their locations, and their important
- features:
-
- 1. PERINIAN DEPTHS: This dungeon is located to the northeast of the City
- of Lord British. There are two Marks of Kings on the lst level, and another
- on the 8th level. A Mark of Fire may be found on the 8th level as well.
- There is a healing fountain in the southwestern corner of the 8th level.
-
- 2. DARDIN'S PIT: To the northwest of British is Dardin's Pit. The Mark
- of Kings may be found in two locations on level 8.
-
- 3. FIRES OF HELL: Surrounded by fire, this dungeon is located in
- mountains to the southeast of British. The Mark of Force and the Mark of
- Fire are on the 8th level. There are also four fountains on level 8, one of
- each type.
-
- 4. DOOM: Southwest of British, in a heavily forested area, is the Dungeon
- of Doom. In the center of level 8, you will find the Mark of Force. All four
- types of fountains are on level 8 as well.
-
- 5. MINES OF MORINIA: North of the City of Grey, on the west coast of
- Sosaria, are the Mines. The Mark of Kings is located on level 3 and on level
- 8. Also on level 8 is the Mark of Fire. Your party will use transport and
- ladder spells often in an effort to fully explore this dungeon.
-
- 6. SNAKE: On an island off the southeast coast of Sosaria is the Dungeon
- of the Snake. Important clues are to be had on levels 2 and 3. There are
- two healing fountains on level 6 and one healing fountain on level 7. Both
- the Mark of Kings and the Mark of the Snake are located on level 8.
-
- 7. TIME: This dungeon is completely surrounded by impenetrable mountains
- and may only be reached via moon gates [discussed below]. There are two
- healing fountains on level 1, another on level 4, and another on level 8.
- The Mark of Kings may be found on level 2 and on level 8. Most importantly,
- the Time Lord himself resides on level 8. Listen carfully to what he says.
-
- V. THE FORGOTTEN LAND: AMBROSIA
-
- In order to raise your players' attributes and to obtain the cards needed
- to defeat Exodus, your group must pass through the whirlpool to a submerged
- continent. There are four shrines located on Ambrosia: Dexterity
- (southeast), Wisdom (northeast), Intelligence (northwest), and Strength
- (southwest).
-
- Use gems to map this continent; the many mazes can be quite confusing.
- Also, keys are needed to unlock several different doors. Be sure to bring
- lots of gold!
-
- Commandeer frigates from the pirates you encounter; you will need to cross
- water to reach two of the shrines. The game cannot be "saved" while you are
- visiting Ambrosia, but you can sail back into the whirlpool to return to
- Sosaria.
-
- VI. MOON GATES
-
- There are eight of these mysterious portals scattered throughout Sosaria.
- Depending upon the phases of the twin moons, the shimmering gates will
- teleport your party to various different locations. Here is a list of the
-
- locations of the moon gates, the phases of the moons when the gates appear,
- and their destinations:
-
- 1. NORTH OF THE CITY OF MOON: (00) -- static; (01) -- to the dungeon
- island SE of British; (02) -- to the north gate at the mountainous dead end.
-
- 2. DUNGEON ISLAND SE OF BRITISH: (13) -- to the south coast, southwest of
- the Montors; (14) -- to the south gate at the mountainous dead end; (15) --
- to the Castle of Death.
-
- 3. NORTH GATE AT MOUNTAINOUS DEAD END: (26) -- to Devil Guard; (27) -- to
- the Time Lord's Dungeon; (20) -- north of the City of Moon.
-
- 4. SOUTHWEST OF THE MONTORS: (31) -- to the dungeon island SE of British;
- (32) -- to the north gate at the mountainous dead end; (33) -- static.
-
- 5. SOUTH GATE AT MOUNTAINOUS DEAD END: (44) -- static; (45) -- to the
- Castle of Death; (46) -- to Devil Guard.
-
- 6. CASTLE OF DEATH: (57) -- to the Time Lord's Dungeon; (50) -- north of
- the City of Moon; (51) -- to the dungeon island SE of British.
-
- 7. EAST OF DEVIL GUARD: (62) -- to the north gate at the mountainous dead
- end; (63) -- southwest of the Montors; (64) -- to the south gate at the
- mountainous dead end.
-
- 8. TIME LORD'S DUNGEON: (75) -- to the Castle of Death; (76) -- to Devil
- Guard; (77) -- static.
-
-
- ULTIMA III Clues for the Desperate
-
- I. BARTENDERS' CLUES
-
- In most cities, your group will visit pubs. Transacting with a bartender,
- and payment of copious sums of gold, causes this little tale to unfold:
-
- "Ambrosia. Ever hear of it? Dawn. City of Myths and Magic! The
- conjunction of the moons finds a link! Nasty creatures, nasty dark, sure
- thee ready, fore thee embark. None return so I'm told, from the pool, dark
- and cold. Shrines of knowledge, shrines of strength, all are lost into the
- brink. Fountains fair and fountains foul, all are found in dungeons bowel.
- Exodus: Ultima III, which is next? Now could it be? Seek ye out the Lord
- of Time, and the one way is a sure find!"
-
- Doggerel, to be sure, but very informative.
-
- II. ORACLES' CLUES
-
- Oracles are found in only two places. Once again, transacting and paying
- reveals:
-
- "And so the sage said unto thee: If thou can solve my rhyme, you'll learn
- of marks and playing cards and hidden holy shrines. Of marks I say there
- are but 4, of Fire, Force, Snake, and King. Learn their use in Devil Guard
- or death you'll surely bring. Shrines there are again but 4, to which you
- go and pray. Their uses are innumerable and clues throughout I say. The
- cards their suits do number 4, called Sol, Moon, Death, and Love. Unto the
- Montors thou must go for guidance from above. To aid thee in thy cryptic
- search, to dungeons thou must fare. There seek out the Lord of Time to help
- you if he cares."
-
- III. OTHER CLUES
-
- By transacting with the various individuals whom your party encounters in
- cities, the group will learn a series of extremely important clues:
-
- "Marks" are useful!
-
- "Exotics" are useful!
-
- "Cards" are useful!
-
- 4 cards, 4 panels! Hot metal leaves a mark!
-
- 4 marks, 4 uses!
-
- The King favors a mark!
-
- "Marks" gained in dungeons!
-
- A "mark" helps invoke the Snake!
-
- Mark thee well!
-
- Seek ye the dungeon of fire!
-
- Exodus lies beyond the Silver Snake!
-
- Only with exotic arms can you win!
-
- Dawn comes each new pair! Exotic clues found at Dawn!
-
- Only exotics will protect you from great evil!
-
- Search and ye shall find!
-
- <Pray> in the Circle of Light!
-
- Invoke the Silver Snake!
-
- <Pray> for the Invocation!
-
- To pass you need a mark!
-
- Seek the jester in castle fire!
-
- Seek ye the shrines of truth!
-
- <Search> for cards! <Search> the shrines!
-
- <Bribe> me to enter!
-
- <Bribe> guards! They will leave!
-
- <Dig> up exotics!
-
- <Dig> carefully!
-
- <Dig> on the isles!
-
- <Insert> cards into panels!
-
- West-8, South-35. And Dawn awaits!
-
- The following clues are found in the Dungeon of the Snake:
-
- <Insert> cards into Exodus! <Search> the shrines!
-
- s!