A1 Walkthrough

Corak's Notes on A1:

An army of Orcs have set up an outpost somewhere in the Hidden Valley, but their threat is not strong enough to scare away the Zingaro Travellers that have let their wagons rest in this area. But the Orcs and Goblins that infest the area can prove very hazardous to passers-through.

Monsters in the area: Why, Goblins and Orc Warriors, of course.

Map of A1

Fountain Head.

The Temple of Moo.

Goblin Lair. Destroy it to stop Goblins from re-appearing in the area. You'll get 2000 gold and 5 random items for doing this. In addition, all party members will gain 2500 experience.

Orc Outpost. Destroy it to stop Orc Warriors from re-appearing in the area. You'll get 5000 gold and 5 random items for doing this. In addition, all party members will gain 5000 experience.

As soon as you exit Fountain Head, a couple of Goblins will attack you. They're wimps, but can be dangerous in large numbers. And there sure are a lot more of them as you walk down the path. Go to number 3 on the map as fast as you can, and burn down the Goblin Lair (it looks like just another Gypsy Wagon) to make sure the annoying pests don't return. And besides, the reward you get for doing so is a considerable one, at least for this stage of the game. Watch out, though, further down the path some Orc Warriors are waiting for you. Still not too dangerous, but don't be careless.

But for now, don't go down the path just yet. You can enter the Temple of Moo now, but that's not a very good idea without the Levitate and Turn Undead spells. You should first take care of that Orc Outpost. The best way to approach it is by turning left from Fountain Head, and go all the way around, on the other side of the mountains at the left side of the map. Note the wagon you see when you turn left from Fountain Head. If you enter there, a gypsy says she will read your fortune for 10 gold. This can actually be useful, as she'll give a character a hint on what he/she should look out for. The advise you get depends on your character's class. But the real useful thing is that she'll also cast Wizard Eye on your party, which will last for the remainder of the day. Not bad for 10 gold!

Further along the path on your quest to destroy the Orc Outpost, you'll see a small alcove in the mountains. There's a well there, the well of Defense. Drink from it, and the AC of all your party members will be increased by 20. This is a magical increase, which lasts until the party rests.

After destroying the Orc Outpost, you're free to explore the area, knowing that the monsters you've defeated won't return. Here are some interesting things to look for:

* If you turn right from Fountain Head's entrance, you'll see another wagon. When you enter, a gypsy will sell you Might Potions for 100 gold a piece. These will magically increase your Might by 5 for a limited time. Great if you're about to go up against some tough enemies or need to bash something in and find you're not strong enough.

* There another wagon to the south-east of the wagon where the fortune-telling Gypsy is(look at the map). When two of your party members get the Path Finder skill, you'll be able to pass through the dense forest here, and reach the wagon. In this wagon is an enchanted scale. If a character places 5000 gold on the scale, that character will get the useful Merchant skill; the character will get much better deals at the Blacksmith's.

* Two squares to the south of the "scale-wagon", you'll find the Well of Radiance. Drink from it and all party members will get a temporary +20 bonus to their Personality.

* In the dense forest you can find a couple of magic scrolls. Directly to the left of the "scale-wagon" is a scroll of Identify Monster, and directly to the left of the Well of Radiance there's a scroll of Wizard Eye. Read the scrolls with the character who is to learn the spell.

* If all your party members have the Swimmer skill, you can reach the small forested island in the river on the south-east of the map. There's another well there, the Well of Toughness. Drink from it and all party members' HP will temporarily be raised to 50 points above their natural maximum.

* Two squares south and two squares east from the island with the Well of Toughness, there's another well hidden in the mountains, the Well of Wisdom. Drink from it and all party members will get a temporary +20 bonus to their Intelligence. You'll need the Mountaineer skill for at least two party memebers to be able to traverse mountains.

* Finally, there's gold in them there hills. Seriously. The mountainous area west of Fountain Head is full of valuables. Once again, the Mountaineer skill is necessary. The location of these valuables:

And that's it for this area, on to the next!

Adjacent areas: