(**Joel Logan and I have had problems with the Caretaker giving us the iron key, and asking us to help find the sceptor and crown. The only time I've completed the game, the Caretaker asked me upon returning the tulip to the display. To verify my walkthrough, I started a new game; after 100 days, I made level 2 just from training schools and obtaining weapons. Yet the Caretaker never asked me, though I duplicated all I could: train, magic and weapons, stone key, tulip and seeds, Casandra, return tulip to display, see Caretaker for iron key.
I started another game, visiting the Caretaker at the very start, but not again until I returned the tulip; he promoted but still didn't ask me to help! It was the same when I tried a third time, seeing him before returning the tulip to the display. I even tried visiting all the towns, including Eagle Hollow, but Joel hasn't had luck even after finding the crown in the dungeon. It doesn't seem to matter if you've visited the castle again, or bumped against and fought the iron-key door. I even made sure to view the "Healing Herbs" exhibit and buy some. The only difference I can see is time: when I first finished the game I returned the tulip after 1300 days. My first failed attempt was after only a thousand days, and the second and third were less than 200 days. All I can think of is the need to be patient and spend time exploring.**)
In my walkthrough, you must build a bankroll at the start, at least 5000 gold. Your immediate goal is to buy magic spells for storming the castle near Alanville; you'll also need money for weapons/armor, coins, food, healers and healing herbs. The manual suggests acquiring gold by robbing, killing monsters, odd jobs (mail) and visiting castles and dungeons. Additionally, the "Fountain" exhibit (jade coins) gives you 100 gold per view until you return the tulip; going to Thornberry nets 300, and the "Native Currency" exhibit gives 700-1500 per topaz coin.
Robbing towns is impractical until bows appear late in the plot; you're no match for the guards in close-quarters. Using magic against them is too expensive; the "take" from any town is never worth it. Killing monsters takes time, and you spend a lot of money on healing. Delivering mail isn't sufficiently frequent to be serious income, and you can't even afford magic to conquer castles and dungeons! Gambling is best: flip-flop has terrible odds, so I do blackjack. I prefer playing in Alanville and Thompson Crossing since the dealers and banks are close. Regardless of your starting gold, having more than 2500 tends to "break the bank" and get the guards after you. When I reach 2500, I deposit 2000 and return for more. Be very careful of "natural" blackjacks around 2000 if you're betting 300-500 at a time.
1. Magic is cheapest in Mazelton. It has no bank, so bring your money with you; 5700 gold buys the max of 100 flames and 100 firebolts (19 and 38 gold, respectively). Explore the continent: improve your weapons and armor, buy food, more magic and coins. Expect bandits to ambush you and steal the Compendium within your first few hundred days. With your first topaz coin, view the "Healing Herbs" exhibit so you can buy them; they're useful in the castle and necessary in dungeons and the fortress. Once you have 100 each of flames and bolts, and at least ten healing herbs, you can storm the castle. Your first two visits will use a lot of magic (bows will make it easy later); the guards are even stronger there, but the items within are worth it.
2. Castle guards will ignore you until you open a chest. The one in the very upper-left has the stone key; open it before any others. When the guards attack, kill them with magic as you open the other chests. Flames kill guards next to you; a bolt, guards two steps away. Hopefully your spells will be lucky and won't fizzle out (common with low intelligence).
Use the key to unlock the door on the left side, then speak to Casandra inside. Choose charm (+15), not gold (5000). There's 6000 gold in the chests anyway; in the locked room near the exit is a chest with 1200 gold alone. On the right side look for two secret passages marked by breaks in the double-lines. The top one leads to the "Fountain" tulip in a chest. The bottom one leads to another locked door; inside is a bush with magic seeds that make you invisible in the castle. You can take only five this one time; this first visit, use none. Just kill guards as you need; the seeds will be for later.
3. Return to the "Fountain" exhibit for the reward of charm +15. Then speak to the Caretaker; he'll congratulate you, then ask if you'd like to help find a scepter and crown. He'll give you an iron key (for another castle door). Also, any time you return to the Museum, see the Caretaker; the worst he can say is "Exhibit closed" or "You must do more..." He will promote you, update you on the Compendium and give you hints. Sometimes for me I needed to re-examine the display immediately, then he'd say more.
4. Double-mail should now be available; wait for some, then raid the castle again. Don't fight through this time. The door is in the middle of a passage running along the far-left edge. Kill the guards in the room first, open the chests for the scepter and gold, then eat a magic seed; there's nothing else to take. If you eat a seed immediately, guards won't get in your way, so you can escape without fighting (try speaking to a guard, hehe). When you return to the Museum, the Caretaker will hint that the crown is deep underground, i.e. in the pirates' dungeon.
5. Before using the "Pirate Treasure" exhibit, stock up on food and magic, including dungeon spells. Bring also three of each weapon and armor piece; I've sadly noted how dungeon monsters break or eat your weapons and armor. Also before any dungeons, improve your magic abilities by playing "Stones of Wisdom" in the museum. It requires an amethyst coin, plus 50 gold per extra play (you may want to bring at least 1000). Aim for an intelligence of 30; it takes time, and the dealer seems to play with loaded dice, but the difference is that more spells will succeed.
6. Go to the pirates' lair; buy a raft in Eagle Hollow, then sail due west for the dungeon. You'll find hit points and gold throughout, but only occasional weapons and armor; you'll be glad that you brought backups
-- and herbs. The crown and first sapphire coin are at the bottom. You'll get strength +15 after climbing out; return to the museum, and the Caretaker will give you magic ice. It freezes water, including the river at the north edge of the castle (that's later). Use the sapphire coin to open the inner, "dangerous" section of the dungeon; these exhibits are the last of the quest but are the most challenging.
7. Bill Howland kindly mentioned bow weapons after I asked on comp.sys.cbm what better weapons await. Before returning to the castle I waited for a "bow and arrow." Also, I recommend waiting for plated-mail, and another sapphire coin to do the "Knight's Test." Contrary to the fortune-tellers' warning, I found it the easiest of the three; you only have to climb up, not down and back up. The strength +10 it gives is useful for any castle visit, and in fighting creatures outside (most will now die in two blows, some in just one).
8. Return to the castle and freeze the river with magic ice. On the private level the guards will immediately attack, but a bow lets you pick them off from far away. Get the gold, then walk the "spiral staircase" to find the brass key. As the fortune-tellers said, there's a secret passage around the gas trap (sparkling in a corner of a room). The copper key is a little hard to find, but with it you can get the turquoise coin. There's also a "Wizard of Potions" who, for 2500 gold, puts your dexterity at 36 and gives you endurance +5. There's one door you still can't open; just return to the museum. Before returning to the first level, eat a magic seed so you can escape through the guards.
9. The Guardian exhibit hints that a Tarmalon wizard is behind that last door. Return to the castle and eat once you reach the second level; go to the door and "speak", which gives the password you were given. The Guardian will explain that only the Guardians of the Scroll can help you; they've spread out to many towns. He will give you a mark on your forearm to bring you into their sect, but he can't help you more. They turn out to be the healers, and the particular one you seek is in Eagle Hollow; the fortune-tellers said that healers are more than what they seem to be.
10. In Eagle Hollow, the healer will recognize your mark and welcome you. After telling you that only the Four Jewels can stop the Compendium, he'll give you a ruby coin for the exhibit. It's the third, last and most awful dungeon. It is by far the worst; it was so difficult that in the middle of it, I stopped until I learned how to at least increase my spells beyond normal limits. I used something like 80 kill-flashes to get through.
11. When you return, see the Caretaker for promotion; you should be at level 7. The last display is of Pegasus, who can take you across the stormy sea to the warlord's fortress; have plenty of food, and 40 herbs, before leaving. A diamond coin should be an easy find in the towns. By this time the Caretaker will have told you three different times of evil news: "marauders from across the sea" killed a Big Rapids merchant, Laingsburg is under attack, and a healer in Holy Point is missing. The healers there have been killed.
12. The fortress' entrance drops you off next to a trap room with no way around. Either side gets you gassed, even if you examine the room. You'll wake up in a cell with all possessions, except for any weapons and armor. I lost my compound bow and Mythan plate. Examining the room suggests the guard is within hearing distance. Speak to him so he'll come over and tell you to be quiet, then fight him. You'll kill him, allowing you to escape at least with a broadaxe (but no armor). Freeze the water to cross; as you go north-west you'll see guards moving for you. Go into the room, open the chest and take the yellow guard armor. They'll think you're one of them, at least until you find them blocking your way; you'll also be warned they're eyeing you "warily."
13. Here starts the hardest fighting of the game. Unlike town and castle guards, fortress guards stay in a pattern, so it's nigh impossible to get them coming one by one. You'll have to kill them all, fighting several at once. If that weren't bad enough, magic delivers blows under ten points, and they return 60-80. Luckily most of them die in two or three blows, and you have 2200 max hit points at level 7. Before fighting, "hold" your herbs if you should get down to around 200 points. When you reach the room with the Compendium, the warlord will appear and immobilize you, laughing at your attempt. He will leave with the Compendium via a secret passage on the right, ready to cast a global-death spell. Use a healing herb to move again, then follow that secret passage to more guards, then more below. Fight them off, then freeze the water patch. Before crossing, refresh all your hit points, then "hold" the Four Jewels.
14. The Compendium is in the room ahead; it will start attacking you when you reach the entrance. At this point I was cheating with 250 healing herbs, but the Compendium destroyed 18 at a time! Be brave and ignore that and disappearing hit points; get next to the Compendium, "use" the Jewels to stop it, then take it. Quickly "hold" the healing herbs because the warlord will appear again -- his attacks are 150 hit points each! Go left, then down to be next to him, and just fight; when you're down to about 200 hit points, use an herb (he'll pummel you), then another herb (he'll hit you again). But that should refresh you enough to kill him. When he dies, a guard's voice announces auto-destruct in five minutes; I don't think there is an actual time limit, but it's still a hard fight out. You'll have to use a few more herbs in searching out the escape path. The fortress will explode as you escape, then you and Pegasus can to return to the museum.
15. I won't spoil the ending here. However, when the Caretaker promotes you to level 10 (3000 hit points!), instead of taking a look at the new display, next time I'm going to explore outside. Abilities after the Four Jewels dungeon are enough that most countryside monsters die in one blow; at the very end, it ought to be really fun!
