Story 1 - The Singing Jewel

You start just outside the village. Go talk to any of the villagers and you will be taken before the Queen. She throws you in prison because you can't sing. In prison you find another prisoner in the next cell who will talk to you if you make enough noise. (Try punching the wall of his cell). He tells you how the Queen got the jewel around her neck and how she has decreed that all people must sing to her.

You realize that this "singing jewel" is part of the Stone of Balance and nowyou have to figure out how to get it.

To escape from prison, kill and eat the cockroaches until you get a level boost,choose 'strength' and then punch the back wall. You will make a hole that you canescape through. Now walk through the prickly vines until you come to cave hole, crawl through and you are outside.

First step is to learn how to sing. There are some villagers that will talk to you without you having to sing, but most will call the guards and then you'll be taken before the Queen, and then executed! The village trader, (read the signs in front of the each building - it helps) will tell you about the Oracle, a mystical lady who may be able to help you.

Leave the village heading West (Left). You can't reach the Oracle's Temple directly as trees have grown over the road. Head north, past McSwill's Winery, through the vineyard...

There are green mushrooms in the vineyards, a number of them, plus a further 3 in the pig pen. You need to have six to get the answer to a vital question/game to get all the goodies in this Story. The rest you can either sell or eat. Eating results in either a bit of life boost, a bad reaction to mushrooms, or a magic mushroom which gives a bit of stats boost.

...then head South (Down), keep going past the big rock that blocks the entrance to the temple and you will eventually reach a series of trenches with SLIMERS. If you head further South you will find a SAVE MACHINE. Save your game before going through the trenches.

HEART BONUS - there is a golden heart further South and West - not a bad ideato pick it up before going through the trenches. Then you can head back to the villagewell to heal up before going thru the trenches

Once through the trenches head North (Up) until you come to a stone head. Thehead will give you a riddle with multiple choice answers. Get the answer rightand he moves aside. Get it wrong and he hurts you...

Inside the Oracle's Temple, there are two little red heartswhich you may need. Talk to the Oracle, she will give you the "Book of Songs"- a magical scroll which lets you sing whenever you talk. She also tells you that the way to get the "Singing Jewel" is find something to replace it that is even more magical - the "Singing Flute". You can also ask her about magic, and she tells you about the Isle of Exiles.

Okay, back into the village... on the way pick up some of the little green mushrooms in the vineyards.

Talk to the girl squashing the grapes for some light relief... but head back to the village.

In the village drink from the fountain to restore health... drink too much and you'll have to pee. Talk to everyone... except the Queen, as she may still execute you. The trader tells you about a Dragon in the North who is rumoured to have the magic flute. You could go up north and try and battle him, but there are some items you can collect to help you first if you want to succeed.

In the pub is a soldier sitting by himself with a skull. He wants to sell it, but you won't have enough money, or be able to buy the wine he likes, so the only option you have is to play his guessing game. Play it once, as he cheats, then go and find the guy who guards the big pig. If you have six green mush- rooms you can feed them to the big pig and he tells you the number the soldier is thinking of. If you don't have six mushrooms, you can buy your way into the pig owner's mushroom farm and then pick up three green mushrooms. The others are out around the vineyard.

Once you've been told the answer is '11', go back to the soldier in the pub and play his game once more. This time you will be given the option of saying '11'. Do so and he gives you the skull. Now go back out and to the girl squashing grapes. She will give you a bottle of wine. Very handy for later on when you want to get Hellfire.

Okay let's get some money and magic... Head north until you get to the start of the hills, head west through the first valley of pillbugs. Walk behind a tree to get up to the hill. Now do some exploring... far west leads to pillbugs and a strength potion, plus the passage to the sword in the stone. No point going to the sword in the stone yet, but find the crossed bones in the pillbug hills, walk on them and you get zapped to the hill with the pillbugs and barrels - plus a chest with 200 gold. Get all these, then head east (right) and pick up a golden heart at the end of a hill. Now just below this hill is a secret entrance through the forest to the "Magic Ring". You have to wander around blind a bit through the forest, but the trick is head down to get into it, then head east, then north (all on the same screen) and then east again, and you'll find yourself [on the next screen] in the clearing with the magic ring. Talk to the ring and it will give you "fireball magic" - you ask for hellfire and it says you should've brought an offering. After it kicks you out of the ring, talk to it again, and this time you will get hellfire because you can give him the wine. Now you're cooking!

Okay... back to the village, buy a club, some potions or whatever, use your money up, leaving only a little bit and then head back to the Orcale's Temple. Head south to the wooden house that is a couple of screens below the temple. Inside the house is a note on the table. Hmmm the owner has gone for a walk... Go back outside and smash the oars to the boat. You have to have a certain strength level to do this, so try using the club. Once the oars are smashed the Boatman appears. He is grumpy and demands all your gold for smashing his oars. Pay him or you can't go the Isle of Exiles. He goes into his house, so go in and talk to him. He can't take you to the Isle, because you broke his oars... so go find some more. Back to the trader and he can sell you oars for 175 gold, but you gave all your money to the boatman! So head north, up the beach next to all the pillbug-filled hills. Up the top burn a few trees to find a chest with 200 gold and a defense potion. Okay now back down the trader, buy the oars, then back to the boatman.

When you talk to him, get angry and then he will turn your oars into magic oars. Equip them and go to the boat. Use them (CTRL key) and off you go to the Isle of Exiles.

On the Isle are a golden heart, a red heart and a [mega]potion. Grab all of these before talking to the wizard. Now talk to the wizard, give him your oars, and he will give you water magic (very useful in the next story) and also puts an enchantment on you to confuse the stone with a sword in it into giving you its sword. Now ask to go back to the mainland.

Then head north up to the first hills, head west through the hills, then north to get the sword. Okay back down and out.

Now go back to the beach area and up to the next set of hills. The pillbugs are tougher here, but some pay off in gold. There are some strength potions behind trees so burn and find them. You need all the strength you can get. There is also a defense potion up next to a SAVE MACHINE.

Now there are two caves, one with a goblin, the other with the dragon. The one with the goblin has some very fast yellow scorpions out the front, plus a chest filled with 500 gold. The goblin can give you the Hammer of Truth, if you either give him the skull you got from the drunkard, or kill him.

Back out and either stock up on healing potions back at the village with a quick save game, or if you're feeling strong enough, head back to the screen left of the one to the entrance to the goblin cave. The entrance is blocked by logs, hit one of them with your fists and it moves. Now the passageway to the dragon is clear. But first you have to kill some scorpions. Thank goodness for hellfire magic!

If you get 6 scorpion tails or more, you can go to the final secret area and get a special type of bomb - The Sleep Bomb. A very handy device that makes defeating the dragon very easy. The entrance to the old man making the sleep bomb is at the bottom of the first set of hills. You have to burn a tree to get through. Talk to him, and threaten him... don't just give him your scorpion tails. In return he gives you a sleep bomb.

Okay, back up north and fight your way through the scorpions, heading east. There is another golden heart and red heart combo in the screen with five scorpions. The two scorpions that guard the dragon's lair are tougher than the others. But once they are killed the lair's entrance explodes and if you have one empty slot in you backpack you can go in. (If you have too many scorpion tails, go to the potion dude or the village trader and exchange/sell them).

Enter the Dragon's lair. Little bit of talk, then into the action. Use a Sleep Bomb if you have one, just make sure you don't get too close. Once he's dead, hack your way through the thorny bushes with your sword. Pick up the flute and the loot!!!

Back to town - now go to the trader and make sure you sell him all your scorpion tails as they're of no use in the next story, then go visit the Queen. A little movie with the evil apprentice appearing. Now if you have the Hammer of Truth, you get to unmask his duplicity, and in return the Queen gives you the first part of the Stone of Balance. If you don't have the Hammer of Truth, the apprentice attempts to kill you, and nearly succeeds! But the priests from the Temple of Balance rescue you.

Either way you get transported to limbo, have a talk with a Temple of Balance priest and then sent onto the next Land. Where you must find the next piece of the Stone!

NB - the save game that comes with the DMOD starts you with all the magic items, sword, Hammer of Truth, and magic flute. Just go talk to the Queen.

Oh and make sure you talk to everyone for the humour and fun of the piece!

Answers to the Head Stone's riddles

• From house to house I go, / sometimes narrow, sometimes wide. / And whether there's rain or snow, / I always stay outside? (a PATH)

• I run, though I have no legs. / I'm not hot, yet I have steam. / I have no voice, / yet still you hear me roar? (a WATERFALL)

• Often talked of, never seen. / Ever coming, never been. / Still approaching, / coming near? (TOMORROW)

• Two legs it has. / But only at rest do they / touch the groud. / What is it? (a WHEELBARROW)

• What do we love more than life, / but fear more than death? / The wealthy want for it. / The poor have it in plenty? (NOTHING)

• What do you use to / hoe a row, / slay a foe, / and wring with woe? (HANDS)

• What goes on 4 legs / in the morning, / 2 legs in the day, / and 3 legs inthe evening? (a MAN) - remember this one for Story 4

• What has many feathers, / a body and a head, too. / You can hold it in your hand, / but you don't throw it? (an ARROW)

• What has no head, wears a hat. / No feet, but stands up straight. / On him a fairy once sat, / weaving a spell 'til late? (a STOADSTOOL)

• What is long and slim, / works in light, / has but one eye, / and an awful bite? (a NEEDLE)

• What's only 1 color, but not 1 size. / stuck to the ground, but easily flies. / Present in sun, but not in rain, / does no harm, and feels no pain? (a SHADOW)

• With sharp edged wit, / and pointed poise, / it can settle disputes / without a noise? a SWORD);

On to Story 2.....

Story 2 - The Mazes of Versata and Daedalus

Okay, you're on a beach... time to explore a bit. Head north to find a lonely hut. Inside is a hermit trader. What's he doing way out here all alone? Making money from those foolish enough to try to find the treasures of the mazes. You can buy healing potions here, but they aren't cheap. You can sell stuff and buy a few things as well. But the main objective here is to get through the mazes.

The small one has a few goodies in it, the best being the magic herb boots. Then there is a map to the second maze, and some handy gold. If you need more gold, kill the boncas.

The Genie... If you go south of the Maze of Versata you will find a man looking for something. Talk to him and try and rob him and he will tell you what he is looking for - his Genie! Now go back west and up past the save machine and find a log on a beach. Just behind it is a jar. Spacebar it and you get a list of options. Try rubbing it... What you do with the Genie I'll leave up to you. But you only get one shot at this. The woman is there for fun, magic will give you either water magic if you missed it in Story 1 or Life Heal... (I'd go for this one), gold, or increase you maximum life.

You need to go thru the small maze, (The maze of Versata) to get to the entrance of the big maze, the Maze of Daedalus. In the small maze are herb boots, 2 chests with 500 gold each and a map to the big maze. (Once again in a jar, in the top right hand part of the small maze.

This big maze's entrance is blocked by fire. Time to use the water magic you got in Story 1 - what... you didn't get water magic? Hmmm, better ask the Genie for it. What? You asked for something else? Hmmm better ask the wizard. Where's the wizard? On an island. You have to build a bridge to it using something very heavy. Find some white rocks near the entrance to the big maze, talk to them, pick them up and then go back thru the small maze and keep going WEST until you get to the beach which juts out. You should find a part where you can see the edge of some rocks at the bottom left hand corner of your screen. Arm the rocks you picked up and CTRL them. If you are standing in the right spot the rocks will drop and complete the bridge.

Now you can find the wizard. If you already have water magic, you get the chance to learn translocation magic - but you need to have 4000 gold first.

Getting through the Maze of Daedalus. First thing you should do is buy a pick from the hermit. I don't think you can buy one until you start going through the maze and reach the rock blocking the green path, though. Turn left and head west and follow the path up past the slimers until you head north, then east, right at the top of the maze, and there you'll find a rock blocking your path. Hit the rock and you discover you need the pick to get rid of it. Head back down and fight your way through the Boncas (This story is a fight feast, my beta testers weren't fond of it, but I like it - puzzles and riddles can wear you down after a while). When you get to the south bend again you'll meet a man... he can sell you a pick, but the price is higher than what the hermit will charge (all your gold if you have more than 2000). Up to you if you want to buy it. It does save another trip through the small maze.

Okay once you've got the pick go back through the boncas and bust the rock. Then you pick up a red rock. What you do with this red rock depends on whether you've found the wizard or not. (He left a note behind another rock south-east of the Maze of Versata.) If you've found the wizard and already have water magic he offers to teach you Translocation Magic for 4000 gold. If you want to get through the maze quickly, and pick up the golden hearts that lie in the mud, you'll need this magic. But to use it you must have a red rock for every time you translocate. (move yourself to another spot on the same screen). So if you go for a golden heart make sure you have at least two red rocks... one to get off the maze and one to get back on again. Oh, and you can't get to the exact center of the maze by the mud... you have to be on the green path.

The other use for the red rocks (if you don't find the wizard, or don't get Translocation Magic) is to remove a big rock with seven holes in it from the path. Just arm each rock and use (CTRL key) it into the big rock. When it has seven it starts to glow, then blows up. Don't stand too close ;-)

Now the best way to get to the center of the Maze of Daedalus is to use the map you find the Maze of Versata. It's in a jar, up past the yellow/green slimers. There's also a chest with 500 gold here, don't forget to pick that up. Use that map with the translocation magic to zap yourself as close to the center on the green path as possible and then make a mad dash for it. I used the Elixier of Life Magic the Genie offers to help me - to get this you must first have "water magic".

Extras: The Bow Master

This guy is found on the far right of the first path of the Maze of Daedalus. You have to go through some purple boncas to get to him. He can teach you Bow Lore for 1500 gold. But where do you get a bow from? Bows can be bought from the bow maker. He lives underground near the entrance to the small maze. Just burn down some trees (only a few a burnable, the rest are normal as an old man explains to you.

The End: Fighting the Apprentice

Once you make it through the flame ball throwing poles, you find the apprentice talking to Medulak, the mudman. The Evil Apprentice then changes from being a little gnome into a knight in red armour. He is deadly. He's as strong as you and as tough to kill as you, plus he can fire deadly green magic. The trick to beating him is walk into this screen without any weapons, say with just the herb boots on. Then arm your most powerful weapon. 2 fighting techniques are possible. One, get in close and hack away, using Elixer of Life to revive yourself when needed or... Two, use Translocation magic and a red rock zap yourself into the mud, that way the green magic can't get you so easily. Now use the bow (with Bow Lore) and shoot at him until he dies. Then use Translocation magic to zap back again. Note: you must have two red rocks to try this!

Now go pick up the second piece of the Stone of Balance and talk to Medulak. He won't let you out until you change him from being a mudman back into a man. How do you get rid of mud? Give him a wash...

There that's it... Onto The Desert of Thirst.

Story 3 - The Desert of Thirst

First thing to do is find your way to the town. Be on the lookout for treasure chests if you decide to wander around, as the money will come in handy.

In the town (settlement) you'll find everyone is cold, too cold to talk to you. Go visit the trader on the east side of town and he will ask you to find some wood.Go back out of the town to the desert and "catch" some tumbleweeds. You'll probably have to go back to the trader a couple of times and unload the wood, as he wants 10 pieces and you probably don't have enough slots available in your inventory for all 10. No matter, he keeps track.

Now with that done it's time to try and find out about the next fragment of the Stone. But it seems no one knows anything... but what people do know is that Gemma has disappeared and the nasty old goblins out East are suspected. So head back out of town. Follow the desert path up and the east (the stone blocking the path to the goblin cave is gone now) and make your way as far east as you can, fighting off the yellow scorpions. There's a guard standing outside the encampment. You can try fighting him if you want but it's better if you talk to him and agree to find him something to eat - Bonca meat.

Okay, back to the settlers and pay a visit to the bonca farmer. Hmmm he won't let you in to his farm... Go have a talk to the people in the bar, the woman upstairs gives you a clue as to what to do (use the mud you got at the end of story 2) to make the bonca farmer open up the gates for you... I'll say no more. And stop to chat the guys downstairs for some fun.

Now head back to the Goblin Guard. Offer him the steak, hey you have to cook it first... So back to town, talk to people about how to cook Bonca meat. Everyone says that Old Jebodiah could have turned the meat into tasty jerky, but Jebodiah is in goal (Which is the same as jail if you are from the US). So now you have to get into goal. Go to the graveyard and start hitting the graves, keep hitting the same one after the sheriff warns you off.

Now that you've been thrown in jail... You find Jebodiah. He offers to help you, if you get him out of jail. Hmmm how to get out of jail? Talk and talk to Jebodiah and when he stops talking, arm the mud and talks some more... and soon all that talk attracts the jailer. A female jailer. That mud works a treat.

Once you have Bonca jerky, the guard lets you into the Goblin camp. Make your way to the top west corner and you see that Gemma is about to be sacrificed to heal the Big Cactus. You can either offer to heal the Cactus, or fight the Goblins. If you kill the goblins - good, but they are meant to be tough.

If you offer to heal the Cactus, be careful. If you punch or do anything silly, the Goblins turn on you and you'll have to kill them to survive. Best thing is to head back to town (Yes again, sorry about that...) and talk to the one person who knows about healing... Then go to the trader to get what you need. Fertilizer. Listen to the Potion/Healer about how to use it or you'll end up fighting the goblins.

If you decide to fight the Goblins, still handy to get the fertilizer for later on.

After rescuing Gemma, go talk to the barmaid about the Mountain of Jewels. Offer to find her father, and take the letter she gives you. Now head back out of town as a rock down near the bottom entrance has been removed and go around the desert.

Try to find a wizard's cave before the entrance of the Canyon as he has some useful magic to help you get through the Canyon of Death - at least past the quicksand.

There is another cave with a guy inside who is all shook up. This one is at the top end of the Canyon of Death. Talk to him and get the amulet in exchange for the fertilizer. Handy for the end.

Warding off the wasps. These little bugs get stronger the further you get into the Canyon of Death. Best thing is to cover yourself with... mud! The cave with hidden treasure. As you come down the other side of the Canyon of Death you see a hole in the middle of the Canyon, down it is a guy who says there's treasure at the bottom of one of the four holes. His partner has just gone down one and died. If you feel like some more gold (maybe to help power the Divining Rod) you can try and find the treasure. But...only try this if you're feeling lucky. And do save your game before attempting it. You have a 1 in 4 chance of success, as which hole leads to treasure is randomly decided when you enter the screen.

The Guy with the Cabbages - Crazy Charlie. At the end of the Canyon of Death lies the entrance to Crazy Charlie's new home. Look around the potion bottle lying in the path. Here you can find one red rock and 3 cabbages. You can't pick up a cabbage until you show Charlie the barmaid's letter. So if you don't have this letter, go back and get it - use the red rock and translocation magic to help you. The wizard in the first cave can teach you it for 1200 gold if you didn't get it in Story 2.

Once Crazy Charlie leaves, pick up one cabbage (others aren't needed) and head down to the magic ring just south of the entrance to the Goblin Camp.

Give the ring the cabbage and he will now transport you underground for as many times as you want. Time to fight your way through boncas and slimers. Oh and a big Roach. If you kill it you get some extra goodies. Find the next ring, which zaps you to the plateau above the Canyon of Death.

Now make your way north-east to find the second talking ring (really the fourth ring). Talk to him and then go find 3 rock graves. Use your pick to break the rocks apart. (Make sure you have a pick, before getting to this point!) But first you have to kill off any scorpions that are around the grave. Now if you have the amulet, the ghosts you disturb can't hurt you. If you don't have this amulet, RUN!

Give the skulls to the ring and he will now zap you to the top of the Mountain or back to. Here you'll find the jewels. But how to get them down? You need to mine that rock face. In a cave up here are some depressed goblin miners. Find them and talk to the head goblin miner (He's the guy wandering around on the right). Offer to find an anvil. Now back out and west to the hole in the ground. (Slide down it to get down from the Mountain.)

There are two places to get an anvil. One is on the plateau and the second is back in town. The one in the plateau is in a grave (the partner of the bowman on the plateau), just dig again with the pick. The one in town belongs to the armourer. Pick a fight with him (it's easier as his wife is the jailer) and if you kill him you get an anvil.

Take the anvil back to the Goblin Miners, the head Miner is impressed, but the others don't want to help. They are still sad. Listen to what they are talking about... You need to make them happy with either music or finding a goblinwoman. There are no goblin women, so.... arm the Book of Songs and hit it.

Once you've given the Miners music, head back to the Jewel rock face. The goblins turn up, mine the big red jewel for you, and then leave. But before you can pick up the jewel... the evil apprentice turns up again. It seems you didn't kill him off in the Maze of Daedalus after all. And this time he's brought 3 friends - GHOSTS! Kill them all, use the rock in the middle to hide behind and then you can pick up the next piece of the stone. Oh... your amulet (if you have it) starts to melt with 3 ghosts around... takes about 30 seconds. So work fast.

Once you have the red piece of the Stone of Balance - it's onto the Land of Reverence.

Story 4 - The Land of Reverence

After the couple of intro movies... You find yourself in jail. But not alone. There is a naked woman in there with you... What to do? Save you game first, (patch 10 has put a save machine in the jail) then... Talk to the woman of course... and then... well, you'll know soon enough.

After the encounter with the naked witch, Balder, the local Temple of Balance priest, arrives and sneaks you out of jail. He takes you back to his temple. And here you learn something of this land you are now in. But Balder doesn't know where the next fragment of the Stone of Balance is. And he claims to have looked everywhere. About the only place he hasn't looked is inside the Church of Righteousness. So it's off to find this Church.

Head out of Balder's Temple and follow the path and you'll find the Church of Indulgence, Church of Righteousness, Church of Abstinence, some ruins, and various homes. Talk to everyone, but most of all talk to the priest in the Church of Abstinence. He has a key to the back door of the Church of Righteousness, but he won't give it to you until you find him some whiskey.

Now the trick to finding the whiskey is to listen carefully to what everyone says. It's location is mentioned a number of times as is the way to find it. To help you get the whiskey, find the herb boots. The rude man in the house just up and north from the Church of Indulgence will tell you about these boots if you beat him up a little. Take care not to beat him up too much or he dies. And then Dink dies for killing someone in this Land without being a priest. The herb boots' island also has 500 gold in a chest. Be careful where you tread though. as there is quicksand in the middle. The island is West and north of the Church of Indulgence. Now with the herb boots, get all healed at the well South of the Castle and then run like mad to the Church of Indulgence before Dink pees. He will piss in the pot and find the whiskey (Piss-pot, fire-water... the priest who wants the whiskey can Indulge himself if he wants to... ah... all those clues).

If you want to kill monsters and want your sword, talk to the retired soldier who lives near the ocean, just east of the save machine near the entrance to the forest of wickedness. He will sell you his sword for 600 gold. A quick 500 of it is found at the end of a forest path. Be careful of the shooting arrows though.

Once you have the whiskey, go back to Decritus (the Priest in the Church of Abstinence) and he will give you a key to the back of the Citadel. You need to go to the back and use the key at a certain spot to get in. Just arm the key and keep using it around the back of the Church, a bit of blind guessing will get you thru. It should be near the middle of the screen. Luckily enough, the back door is close to the corridors that lead to the Stronghold.

If you head west you will find a servant girl. Think quickly here... a bit of deception goes a long way. If you give her the right answer you'll continue. If not, you get thrown into the pit of red scorpions. Now head back out and down. Oops, there's a guard doing his patrol! Quickly back track out of there, before he sees you, (you've got a couple of seconds before he notices you and then you're trapped!) and go back to the servant girl. Ask her to test the guard. Once she leaves head back to the corridor. Watch the little movie, and hey, presto, the coast is clear.

Okay head down the far right corridor and on the next screen you come to the gate (four pillars) blocking the steps to the stronghold. Push spacebar to get the riddle. Now use the heads next to the pillars to solve the riddle. Hint: The answer is 3 numbers, the first is 4. Listen to the sounds the pillars make as you spacebar them. (4-2-3)

Okay, once the pillars are gone, go down the steps and talk to the bean counter in the Stronghold. You ask for a jewel-like stone, but the Church doesn't have any jewels, but the guy does tell you to find the Soothsayer, as he may be able to help you find the next piece. Thank him and don't take any gold.

Now the path to the Forest of Wickedness should be open. Time to explore. Inside this neck of the woods is a bowman who can sell you a heavy bow [total waste of money and pack space in my opinion], and teach you Bow Lore if you don't already know it. An armourer who has a variety of weapons on sale, plus bombs. Hint, you need a bomb and a club to get this Story's piece of the Stone of Balance. Also don't have a strength higher than 30 (by using Ultimate Cheat, or you'll never get the piece).

The Forest of Wickedness is also the home of Mary Beauhart and her daughter. Mary is the key to getting the stone, as well as some magic potions.

Finally there are two stone rings. One with a tree in the middle. The other ring is like Stonehenge, to get to it you need to go to the top of the Forest of Wickedness and walk up the hill (the entrance is between two big trees, hidden by the joint foilage) - this is where you will find the Soothsayer. But not just yet. You need to learn magic first.

To learn magic you need to find Mandrake's School of Magic. Talk to Mary Beauhart, it seems her father is Mandrake. Now go back out and find the old burnt-out house near the Eastern sea (yes more walking) and you'll find the door opens. There's a note on the table. Read it (several times if you like) and then walk down to the dolmen the screen below to get the fireball scroll. Now you're on your way to magic. Mandrake's School of Magic lies underground, and the entrance is in the Forest of Wickedness. Burn that tree, baby.

There are two more burnable trees outside of the Forest. One is around the Castle and the other is south of the Temple of Balance. Find them and get the goodies. Magic potions to boost your stats and a bag of 10 red rocks (very handy for the end, don't use it before hand.)

Getting past the flames that guard the way to Mandrake's abode is tricky. You have to talk to one of his students that keeps zapping in and out as they practice translocation magic. The trainee wizard gives you a clue as to who to talk to, to get help with the flames. Just listen to what he says. This helper can also been found in the Forest of Wickedness. It's the well, arm the backdoor key, talk and you'll be given ice armour in exchange for the key. (Key to your solution is the clue the apprentice gives... solution is what is in the well...)

Once you get the necessary protection against the flames, go and talk to Mandrake. He can teach you lots of magic. It just depends on your magic level. If you need a boost talk to Balder. And look for some secret caves. now's the time to buy potions from Mary, to get you magic stats up to help you learn all the spells.

The Soothsayer only appears once you have learned translocation magic. Of course, the soothsayer needs some entrails to read before he can help you... So off you go and get a duck.

After the duck talk to everyone about the reading... If you're stuck, talk to Balder. Ah yes, Mary's daughter has to cry, because her mother dies, and once the mother dies the jewel can be found in her heart. Now you need to become a priest of the Righteous path first before you can legally kill Mary. Apply at the Church.

When passing thru the hall of poverty, take the option of not yet, go back out and talk to the dolmen in the forest of wickedness, get the bag of invisibility and you want have to give up any of your hard won weapons, items.

Once you are a priest, go and buy a club and a bomb, (and if you have the money as many expensive weapons as you can - handy for trade in the next story). Make sure you have the bag of ten red rocks and then go to Mary. Talk to her, she'll refuse to be a sacrifice. Hit her with the club (your strength must be less than 30) and then you go to the Cliffs of Fire. Mary gets thrown in, jump in after her. Use translocation magic to zap around the islands to find Mary.

If you work your way right there is another bag of 10 red rocks. To find Mary go in an anti-clockwise direction, travelling the inner islands to find her. Best to have saved a game before hitting Mary, as this bit is tricky.

Once you have found Mary, use the bomb to clear the rocks and crawl thru. You'll be taken see Balder, you'll get the fourth stone, and maybe some other goodies before leaving for the next land.

Story 5 - The Midas Touch

Balder's boat lands you on a beach. Head north and then East along the beach until you get to the mainland. North and West leads to a golden village. Here are a couple of Gold Diggers to talk to. They don't tell you much, other than the King of this Land has been cursed by the Stone Giants. Now everything he touches turns to gold. Time to visit this King.

You show King Midas what you're looking for. He claims to have many jewels that look like your fragment of the Stone of Balance. But they are all gold now. Yet he agrees to let you choose one if you can get the Stone Giants to lift their curse.

Okay, there's not many people to talk to here... and the entrance to the Land of the Giants won't let you pass if you carry gold. So try to find Pedlar Pete, who will exchange your gold into silver. He lives in a cabin West of the Potion lady. Pedlar Pete will also trade you the Flame Bow for a purple pear. The purple pear you get once you've answered the purple pear trees riddle. And this tree is on a little island, East of where you landed your boat. Just face the tree and start talking... and then you have to answer it's riddle. The answer is SILENCE.

Take the pear to Pete and get the Flame Bow. Sell some weapons if you have extra so you can get SECRET BOW LORE, helps with some nasty red knights later one. But this BOW LORE isn't cheap.

Now once you talk to the head Stone Giant (In the big red house top left of Stone Giants compound) he tells you that you will never find their Sorcerer, the great Albert Magnus, who is the only one who can lift the curse placed on the King. Plus the Stone Giant makes you a marked man, so now all the Stone Giants will attack you.

To find the realm that Albert Magnus is in, you need to find the wizard that studies Dragons. Talk to Pedlar Pete again and then go east past the Healer's cottage; the forest way will now be open.

Talk to the wizard, he will help you if you bring him a salad. So go find a lettuce, tomato and a carrot. Lettuce grows in the stone giant's garden, the carrot is hardest to find, behind a tree north of the wizard, just burn trees, And the tomato is northwest of the golden village.

Once you have these he gives you an answer of sorts. If that doesn't help, the hint is... somewhere in the Land of the Giants lies the entrance to the realm of Albert Magnus. And use the Flame Bow to open the thing that blocks the entrance.

Go north past stone giants, if you have all four stones, arm the fourth and you are healed instantly. Very handy for later one. Once past the stone giants you will find a cave with a water spout. Shoot it with the Flame Bow and you can now enter the cave leading to the realm of Ablert Magnus, the stone giant's sorceror.

Once inside the realm of Albert Magnus you can head either left or right. Albert Magnus is on the right. The left leads to a secret area blocked off by a green volcano. Get the four green artefacts (that's artifacts for those of you who live in the US) to remove this volcano and you can go find the Light Sword. It is being guarded by two dragons.

Back to Albert. He will only help you if you answer a riddle. If you're stuck on this one, it's... riddle!

Okay back out and back to the King. He's excited that you've got the curse lifted and offers you one of 4 jewels to choose. Choose carefully as you only get one shot at this. Oh and think of the pieces of the Stone of Balance as magnets.

Arm one and talk to the jewels to find the right one.

Okay, now it's onto the final land... but how to get there? Talk to the wizard and then go talk to the oldest creature in the Land. You have to offer him something valuable [and VERY personal] before you'll be taken to the land of Amoreia.

Oh, there is one more magic to be found in Story 5 - Multiblast. It's in a secret area, and there are more riddles (of course... ;~) Just walk past the save machine after the green volcanoe in the land of Albert Magnus, and our answers are: moon, water, stars, watchdog, and peacock.

Are we having fun yet?

Story 6 - The Land of Amoreia

After arriving at this strange land (and paying the price) head north and then east to find a red stone building with steps leading down. Go down them and then talk to the women below. Make your way to the High Priestess and talk to her. You learn that these women have a crystal that looks like your fragments of the Stone. But they are unwilling to part with it, as it plays a vital role in their survival.

Okay, now go up the steps and try and find a village. Don't bother fighting monsters yet. The trick is to find the old man in the hills. He lives in a red hut north east of town. He will make you a potion which will help you satisfy the women below. But to make this potion you need to find the milk of three mystical creatures.

If you ever get stuck, talk to the townspeople, and Myrddin as sometimes they can help.

On the quest for the Milk of Avis you need to find 13 blue feathers. Most are easily spotted, but at least one is almost completely hidden behind a crystal. Try looking around where the scorpions are. Once you have 13 feather you can disguise yourself as a baby bird and get some of the Avis' milk. Drink some if you want, it wont hurt.

The Bovinus lives near the green crystals, and she needs some blue hay. Yellow hay you can buy. To turn in blue talk to the Tanner. You need to win his game to get the dye. Okay a hint on the Tanner's game. Talk to Myrddin, he not only gives credit as to where I pinched this game from (Seth's LORD), but how to get your odds of winning it down to 50/50.

The third and final milk is from the Crusteacos, entrance is near Myrrdin's house, as there is now a cliff you can walk off. Once you visit her, you need to get protection for the consumation, talk to Myrddin to find out what to do.

After you and the Crusteacos have done some interspecies breeding she needs you to wait until she is ready... You'll know what I mean when you get to this part. You have to visit her a number of times, and then go back to the village (or there abouts) for time to have registered to have passed. She will say something different to you if you've reached the right screen before you turn back.

Finally... you can get Secret Bow Lore, and three immunity potions here. All very useful when fighting the evil Sorcerer in the End Game. It's just a case of talking to the right people at the right time. To get the three immunity potions, talk to the potion lady (who else of course) just after killing the 3 red scorpions as instructed by Myrrdin (NB it won't trigger until Myrddin has told Dink to do this) and before you go back to see the Crusteacos. Oh and make sure you have room in your inventory, as you only get one shot at this. On one of my tests I forgot and only got 1 immunity potion. As for Secret Bow Lore, talk to the Potter dude after you have the Viagra potion, but before you visit the Matrons.

Okay... once you get the magic potion from Myrddin, head back to the women underground and go for it.

Story 7 - End Game

Now it's on to the End Game... work your way east, save and then descend.

Now, battle 3 Dink clones, carefull as they die in an acid burst, save again and prepare to battle the big dude himself as he comes up through the layers of Hell.

If you have the first four pieces of the Stone of Balance, arm the fourth and it will restore all health points. Very useful in the end battle. If you have the first five - arm the fifth and something very balancing should happen. This can be used in conjunction with an immunity potion to make Dink nearly invincible. Handy after all the trouble you've been through.

Good luck!