Spirit of Excalibur (Walkthrough)
THE SPIRIT OF EXCALIBUR
GENERAL
After the death of King Arthur, the kingdom under his rule became fragmented and the Round Table was only a shadow of its former glory. Your job, as Lord Constantine, Arthur's appointed successor, is to survive and endure the evil schemes of Morgan Le Fay designed to overthrow your reign, as well as to reunite all of England under your rule.
The game consists of five separate episodes. Each one presents different obstacles to overcome and goals to accomplish. Be sure to read the manual about these episodes to learn what are expected of you.
Several episodes have multiple tasks that need to be handled simultaneously. You will be controlling several parties in various locations at the same time. Since the entire game is played in _real time_, long delays between moves will definitely affect the outcome.
In order to make sure that the solution presented in this walkthru would work reliably in this _real time_ environment, I have chosen to present it broken down into a large number of small executable tasks. In situations where multiple parties are necessary, it may be necessary to pause the game while you search the walkthru for the next party to control and/or next action to perform. When you see a message that a party has reached its destination, try to switch over to it as soon as you can to issue the next set of orders.
Although the individual and army combats can be controlled manually, I was never able to do it with any noticeable degree of success. Following the walkthru will guarantee a _very high_ degree of success in all combats without manual intervention. In situations where the outcome is doubtful you will be reminded to save the game just before the crucial moment. The only actions that you have to carry out during individual combats are Using Healing Balms and casting HEALING spells; and in the later episodes, Holy Water and Fryd's Stone will be used during certain combats.
Whenever combat is about to take place, the game displays a message telling you which knight(s) are involved and giving you a choice to either "go there" or "ignore it." _Always_ choose to go there to witness the fight.
The player is well advised to spend some time familiarizing himself with the rather unique game interface, as well as the various towns and locations on the scrolling overhead map. Be warned that you will feel overwhelmed very quickly if you try to use this walkthru while learning to play the game for the very first time.
The paper map that comes with the game does not contain all the locations required to complete the game. Also, certain castles and interesting places do not appear until after some specific actions have been carried out. The walkthru will provide brief descriptions of these locations whenever appropriate.
This walkthru provides _a_ solution that solves the puzzles of all 5 episodes and reunites all of England at the end of the game. It does not, however, make use of most of the special items and artifacts found in the game. The player is welcomed to experiment on his own as to the purposes of these items. I did not find the game interesting enough to warrant further exploration.
EPISODE 1
This is the easiest among the five episodes. You, Lord Constantine, are in York in a meeting with King Clariance. You have just been informed of King Arthur's death and need to return to Camelot immediately. There is only one main goal in this episode: get back to Camelot safely.
1. Go to Brough On Humber.
2. Speak to the peasant here.
3. Go to Lincoln.
4. Talk to the Monk you meet on the road to learn about Lupinus.
5. In Lincoln, fight Lupinus. You should have no problem defeating him, but if you lose, simply restart the game. Once Lupinus is defeated, Sir Villars will declare his loyalty to you and the Round Table.
6. Go to Leicester.
7. Talk to the traveler you meet on the road to learn about the Saxon villains led by Andulf who are about to invade Leicester.
8. A little further down the road, you will meet Sir Bellengerus and his troops who come to escort you back to Camelot. Join forces with him.
9. Andulf will probably get to Leicester before you do and a battle will break out between Andulf and Sir Gahalantine. Just watch it unfolds.
10. Once you arrive at Leicester, you will be involved in the battle with Andulf. Leave the battle sequence in Automatic mode. You should have no trouble dispatching Andulf. Once he is defeated, Sir Gahalantine will be deeply grateful to you and pledge his allegiance.
11. Go to Camelot.
12. When you arrive at Camelot, talk to the guard. Go indoors (click on the gate icon). That's it. Episode 1 is done.
Episode 1 was designed to let the player get familiar with the sights and sounds and the game interface. Get ready for the real game to start.
EPISODE 2
Surprisingly, episode 2 is probably the most difficult part of the game. At the start, you only have a handful of knights at the Round Table that you can command. London is under immediate threat of invasion by a band of Saxon outlaws. And the worst part of them all: your arch enemy, Melehan, has gathered a sizable Scottish force and is on his way south to pay you a visit.
There are three main objectives in this episode: you must find a way to counter the attack of London by the Saxons; you must locate the parts of England that you are supposed to bring under your rule in this episode; you must find Sir Lancelot to be your champion in time to amass enough forces to resist the threat of Melehan.
Timing is important in this episode. Once you locate Lancelot, you will gain the ability to command the knights and soldiers from several towns and castles. But you must direct these armies to form a force strong enough to oppose Melehen, and you must do so before he marches to the front door of Camelot.
Three parties are needed _simultaneously_ to complete this episode. Pause the game whenever you feel rushed. Pay close to attention to the colors and patterns of the three party shields so that you can quickly locate them on the overhead map.
THE FIRST PARTY: SIR ECTOR AND LADY NINEVE
The first party has the task of locating Sir Lancelot. I recommend Sir Ector for this job. He is a good friend of Sir Lancelot and is a decent fighter. When the game asks you to choose a party, choose Sir Ector by himself. Go into the chapel (click on the door with the cross on top) and pick up Holy Water, Healing Balm, and Blessed Cross. The Friar Baudwin is not helpful to the task. Do not allow him to join.
Click the stairs to go visit the court enchantress Nineve. Allow Nineve to join Ector. Have Nineve pick up Bat's Wing, Vitality Potion, Dragonbane, Belladonna, Prowess Potion, and the Elixir of Lotus. Leave the Healing Balm behind. Click the upstairs again to go up to the locked door. Pick up the key here and Use it. This unlocks the door. Click on the door to enter. Have Nineve Pick Up the Fascinum Terrere, Fascinum Laxus, and Fryd's Stone. Leave the Runic Blade behind. Pick up 30 gold pieces and leave the rest behind. Click the left side of the screen to exit through the door. Drop the key (_important_). Click the map icon to get to the overhead map.
1. Go to the hut midway between Almesbury and Cirenchester. While Sir Ector and Nineve are on the road traveling, use the time to start up parties 2 and 3. (Read the first paragraphs under the headings: THE SECOND PARTY and THE THIRD PARTY.) You must also take this time to order Sir Villars and his troops to go from Lincoln to London, and Sir Gahalantine and his soldiers from Leicester to London. Their help is needed to successfully defend London from the Saxon invader, Arcaus.
2. Talk to the Old Crone at the hut who tells about Lancelot's old friend, Sir Bors who is now living in Glastonbury. Trade 2 gold pieces for Belladonna.
3. Go to Bath.
4. Talk to the Good Wife at Bath.
5. Go to Glastonbury. _Important_: order the party to travel due west from Bath, away from the main road, then to Glastonbury, and do not follow the trail. Do not allow the party anywhere near the intersection on the road to Glastonbury.
6. Go indoors and talk to Bors. Have Nineve cast the CHARM spell on Bors. Bors will tell about Lancelot's castle in the Escavalon Region. Wait at Glastonbury until after Melies's encounter with the maiden. (See under The Third Party.)
7. Go to Ilchester.
8. Talk to the Old Woman. Have Nineve cast the CHARM spell on the old woman. Learn about Arthur's shield to be found in Castle Tintagel.
9. It's time to explore the Escavalon area to look for Lancelot's castle. To save unnecessary wandering, go to Cardiff.
10. Talk to the Old Woman to learn that this is where Lancelot's castle is located. Bribe the old woman and she will tell you to talk to the castle keeper name Grud in Caerwent.
11. Go to Caerwent.
12. Talk to Grud. Bribe Grud and learn that Lancelot traveled north, perhaps as far as York. Request Grud for the gold key that he's carrying.
13. Go to Cardiff again.
14. Go indoors. Pick Up the Golden Chalice. Use the Gold Key to open the locked door. Go inside and Pick Up the Livre D'Sangrail and the map. Use the map. Notice the two red squares -- one to the northeast of Chester and the other on an island north of Tintagel.
15. Go to Gloucester, then Chester. You will see Morgolon's Castle showing on the map to the northeast of Chester. Go to Morgolon's Castle. You should save the game just before reaching the castle.
16. There are a few guards at the castle that Sir Ector should be able to defeat easily. The necromancer inside the castle may be a bit tough for Sir Ector to handle. Choose Nineve to attack the necromancer. She should be able to drive him away without incurring much damage to herself or to Sir Ector. Go upstairs, Pick Up the key and Use it to unlock the door. Sir Lancelot is inside. Have Sir Ector Give everything he's carrying to Lancelot.
17. Once you exit to the overhead map, set the game speed to SLOW, and save the game. Now that you have located and freed Lancelot, you will have _many_ additional knights and armies in various cities and castles under your control. All of these armies have to be ordered to London to defend it against the continuing advance of Melehan's forces. A list of these knights and their originating cities can be found at the end of this episode walkthru.
18. While everyone else is going to London to help defend it, send Ector, Nineve, and Lancelot out west to Turnance (the monastery on a small island north of Tintagel). Lancelot has too many enemies at the Round Table, and sending him to London will only create friction among the troops loyal to Constantine.
19. At Turnance, go indoors and Pick Up a Bronze Key.
This completes all the tasks the party of Ector and Nineve has to accomplish.
THE SECOND PARTY: SIR MELIES
After you have sent the first party on its way to the hut, click on the movement icon, and then click on Camelot. Select Melies and send him to Salisbury. As soon as his shield becomes visible, send him back to Camelot again. Next move indoors and go upstairs into the Enchantress room. Have Melies Pick Up the Healing Balm that was left behind. Go upstairs again, Pick Up the key, and Use it to unlock the door. Enter through the door and Pick Up the Runic Blade. Use the Runic Blade.
Sir Melies is now ready to travel. His main task is to seek out and fulfill two side missions to bring Lyonesse Castle to the west and Dover to the northeast into the kingdom. He also has the most battles to fight and win.
1. Go to Dorcester. While he is on the road, use this time to start up the third party as well as sending troops from Lincoln and Leicester to
London.
2. Save the game when Sir Melies is close to Dorcester. Once he arrives at Dorcester, he will be challenged to a duel by the knight there. Accept the challenge. With the help of the Runic Blade which increases his combat ability, Sir Melies should be able to defeat the knight most of the time. If he fails, restore and try again.
3. From Dorcester, send Melies northwest directly to Ilchester then to Bath.
4. Midway between Ilchester and Bath, Sir Melies will meet a maiden whose sister has been kidnaped by Morwick of Lyonesse. Agree to her plea for help. Sir Melies and the maiden will automatically travel together to Lyonesse Castle. This journey takes quite a while and allows you more free time to concentrate on the other parties. However, be sure to check on their progress frequently. Once they are near Lyonesse, save the game. There is a _very tough_ battle awaiting.
5. Once Sir Melies arrives at Lyonesse, he will have to fight Morwick. He is strong enough to defeat Morwick but it may be necessary to restore a few times. After Morwick is killed, go indoors and talk to the damsel. Lyonesse now obeys Lord Constantine's rule. Pick Up the healing balm she give Melies. Use it if necessary to restore Melies health to maximum.
6. Go to Tintagel.
7. You probably have found out by now that Arthur's shield is here. Unfortunately it is behind a locked door and the key to it will not turn up till Episode 3. Go to Exeter from here. Again, be sure to save the game when Melies is near Exeter.
8. Sir Melies will be challenged to fight to the death by Derrick of Exeter. Accept the challenge. This is another battle that will probably require a few restores to win. Use the healing balm(s) to restore health to maximum.
9. Go to Dorcester.
10. The knight here will once again challenge you to a contest. By now your combat ability should have increased to the point where you should have no trouble dispatching him at all. In fact, you may wish to leave and then return to accept another challenge in order to build up your combat ability further.
11. Save the game here. Go to Arundel. On the way between Dorcester and Arundel, Sir Melies may randomly encounter a Fell Beast. By now he should be strong enough to defeat the beast with some difficulty. Use healing balm as necessary.
12. At Arundel, send Sir Melies to Dover.
13. Be sure to save the game when he is near Dover. At Dover, Sir Melies will be challenged to a contest by Sir Palomides. Melies should have little difficulties with him. (In fact, use the leaving and returning trick to get one or two challenges from Palomides to build up the combat ability to about 23 points. But be careful that Palomides do not get killed in the process.) Palomides will ask Sir Melies to help slay another Fell Beast which is just outside Dover.
14. Return to the overhead map and be sure to save the game again. Order Sir Melies to leave Dover, and as soon as he tries to do so, he will encounter the Fell Beast. If he is in relatively good health and has combat ability of 23 or above, Sir Melies should be able to dispatch this beast with ease. Use any healing balm he may have left to restore his health _during_ combat. Once the beast is killed, send him back to Dover again.
15. Sir Melies will be challenged by Palomides again. Accept the challenge if Palomides can take another hit without dying. Otherwise decline it. Either way Dover now pledges its allegiance to Lord Constantine.
16. Send Melies, and Palomides and his knights to London.
This completes all the tasks Sir Melies has to accomplish.
THE THIRD PARTY: SIR LAVAIN
Lavain's task is quite simple. He has to help Sir Baldric at Arundel in order to bring him under Constantine's reign. Lavain is chosen because speed is critical in this mission, and he is the fastest knight available to command.
1. Right after you send Sir Melies on his way to Dorcester, click on the movement item, and then click on Camelot. Select Sir Lavain and send him to Arundel. While he is on his way, use this opportunity to send troops from Lincoln and Leicester to London.
2. In Arundel, talk to Sir Baldric. Sir Baldric's daughter has been kidnaped by Cynewulf.
3. Back to the overhead map, find Cynewulf's shield on the road just northeast of Arundel. Order Lavain to chase Cynewulf by clicking on Cynewulf's shield as his destination.
4. Save the game when Lavain is close to Cynewulf. When he catches up with Cynewulf, they will automatically fight to the death. Lavain should be able to easily defeat Cynewulf.
5. Once Cynewulf is defeated, Lavain and the daughter will automatically travel together back to Arundel.
6. At Arundel, talk to Sir Baldric again. Arundel will now become part of the kingdom. Send Sir Baldric and his soldiers to London.
This completes all the tasks Sir Lavain has to accomplish.
THE SIEGE OF LONDON
In this episode, London will be twice under siege , first by the Saxon invader, Arcaus, and later by the evil forces of Melehan. Arcaus can be easily defeated if the armies from Lincoln, Leicester, and Arundel all join forces in London ahead of Arcaus's arrival.
Melehan commands a large Scottish force and marches from the north towards London. If all goes well, you should have enough time to direct all the armies available to you (as a result of freeing Sir Lancelot) to join forces in London. Your success in doing so will guarantee Melehan's defeat in London and a successful ending to Episode 2.
The following is a list of all the armies that you need to direct to London once Lancelot is freed:
1. Sir Nerovens from Cirenchester.
2. Duke Galihodin from Chester.
3. Duke Sadok from Gloucester.
4. Sir Bors, Sir Bleobris, and Sir Balamoure from Glastonbury.
EPISODE 3
This is an easier episode to play. A giant showed up at the front gate of Camelot, effectively cutting off all its link to the outside world. There are only two groups of knights you can command: Sir Lancelot and Nineve as one group, and Sir Bedivere and Sir Dinas as the other.
Timing is again very important in this episode. The longer you delay, the more knights at the round table will be challenged and killed by the giant. (They can elect to run away at the risk of losing hefty nobility points.) Your old friend, Melehan is back with another huge army. He has already defeated King Clariance of York who is fleeing southward with 150 soldiers. Only by defeating the giant will you be able to send the knights from the Round Table to round up the necessary armies to save King Clariance as well as Camelot from imminent destruction by Melehan's forces.
At the start of this episode, you are at the Round Table again. You need to select a knight to go and face the giant. Knowing that whoever you choose will succumb before the giant, pick anyone _except_ Lord Constantine.
THE FIRST PARTY: SIR BEDIVERE AND SIR DINAS
At the beginning of this episode, you should find Sir Bedivere and Sir Dinas somewhere near Dorcester. They are apparently on their way to Camelot from Castle Tintagel. Remember that we learn about Arthur's shield being kept in Tintagel in the last episode? It is Sir Bedivere's task to get it for Sir Lancelot.
1. Go to Dorcester. Start up the second party while Sir Bedivere is traveling.
2. In Dorcester talk to the knight. Learn about King Andred of Cornwall and his Gaunts D'Poeir.
3. Go to Exeter. There are some bandits roaming around this area. You may need to take some detours to avoid them.
4. Go to Tintagel.
5. Go indoors. Use the Iron Key in Sir Bedivere's inventory to open the locked door. Go inside and Pick Up King Arthur's helm and shield. Do _not_ Use them.
6. Go to Exeter.
7. Go to Ilchester. Wait here until Sir Lancelot shows up. Give Arthur's helm and shield to Sir Lancelot.
8. Go to Cirenchester.
9. Wait here until the giant at Camelot is defeated. As soon as that happens, an army of knights and soldiers will be available for command at Cirenchester. Have Sir Bedivere lead them to Camelot.
This completes all the tasks Sir Bedivere and Sir Dinas have to accomplish.
THE SECOND PARTY: SIR LANCELOT AND LADY NINEVE
As soon as you have sent Sir Bedivere and Sir Dinas on their way, look for Sir Lancelot and Lady Nineve near Salisbury. They will have to find enough magical items to boost Lancelot's abilities so that he can eventually defeat the giant. They also have to rendezvous with King Clariance at the proper moment and direct him to safety. Otherwise, York will never be under Lord Constantine's rule.
1. Go to Salisbury.
2. Talk to the guard to learn about King Andred of Cornwall and his gaunts D'Poeir.
3. Go to Almesbury.
4. Go indoors to talk to the friar. He will send you to St. Albans to talk to Friar Albert. Be sure to Trade 2 gold pieces for his holy water.
5. Go to the hut midway between Almesbury and Cirenchester.
6. Talk to the Old Crone here whose advice is for you to go talk to the clergy.
7. Go to St. Albans.
8. Talk to the townsman here. Friar Albert is not here. He is visiting the Archbishop at Canterbury.
9. Go to Canterbury.
10. Go indoors to talk to Archbishop Dubric. Whoops, Friar Albert just left to return to St. Albans.
11. Go to St. Albans.
12. Go indoors to talk to Friar Albert. Friar Albert mentions the Excalibur being the weapon that can defeat the giant, but he refuses to help any further. Have Nineve cast CHARM spell on Friar Albert. He reveals that the Excalibur may be in a lake near Oxford. Be sure to trade 2 gold pieces for his holy water.
13. Go to Oxford.
14. Talk to the monk here who tells you the Excalibur may be in the lake south of Oxford or in the one near Glastonbury.
15. When you return to the overhead map this time, you should see the little lake to the south of Oxford. Save the game first and then send Lancelot's party to the lake.
16. Once at the lake, Sir Lancelot will have to fight a Saxon leader who is very easy to defeat. Have Nineve cast the SUMMON UNDINE spell. Obviously this is not the right lake.
17. Go to Bath. (As you leave the lake south of Oxford, you will be ambushed by Saxon soldiers. You should be able to fight them off while sustaining some injury. You will have to restore if either party member dies.)
18. The old woman here talks about the Gaunts D'Poeir again.
19. Go to Glastonbury.
20. Go indoors to talk to the monk. He suggests that the Excalibur may lie in the lake south of Bath, or perhaps in the one near Cambridge.
21. Go to Ilchester.
22. Wait here to meet up with Sir Bedivere. Have Bedivere Give King Arthur's helm and shield to Lancelot. Use the helm and the shield to increase Lancelot's protection.
23. Go to the lake south of Bath.
24. Here you will find Breuse and two evil knights waiting for Lancelot. None of these opponents should prove too difficult for Lancelot to handle. However, depending on the extent of the injury Lancelot may have suffered from the earlier ambush, you may need to use some healing balm on him. (Or have Nineve cast HEALING spell on Lancelot.) Once the knights are defeated, have Nineve cast SUMMON UNDINE spell. Again this is not the right lake.
25. It is now time to go check out that other lake near Cambridge. But before sending Lancelot there, check out the location of King Clariance who should be somewhere between Leicester and London, with Melehan in hot pursuit. At this point, you cannot command King Clariance. And if something is not done, he will stop running when he reaches London and thus becomes easy prey for Melehan's army. Plot a course to rendezvous with King Clariance. This can be rather treacherous because you have to avoid going near the lake south of Oxford for fear of another ambush; you have to stay far enough away from Melehan and you also have to avoid several bandit groups roaming around the country side. Save the game and navigate carefully.
26. Once you meet up with King Clariance, Talk to him; then have Nineve cast CHARM spell on him. Once he is CHARMed, you will be able to command him to move to other destinations. Send him to London, then Arundel, and finally to Camelot.
27. After taking care of King Clariance, go to Cambridge. Again, be sure to avoid Melehan and the bandits.
28. The guard at Cambridge will challenge Lancelot to a contest. This should prove to be no problem at all. After the guard is defeated, Talk to him to learn that the Excalibur may be in the lake north of Oxford or in the in north of Dorcester.
29. Go to the lake north of Oxford. It now goes without saying that you need to avoid getting too close to Melehan's army or the several bandit groups. Save the game when the party is near the lake.
30. At this lake, Sir Lancelot will have to defeat a Fell Beast. By now, he should be strong enough to take care of that without incurring much damage. Have Nineve cast the SUMMON UNDINE spell. Voila! Watch the sword Excalibur rise majestically from the lake! Have Lancelot Use the Excalibur.
31. Go to Salisbury. This is a long journey. Avoid the bandits.
32. Once at Salisbury, look around Dorcester for the red shield of King Andred. He is leading a good sized army and is wreaking havoc in the country side. Send the party to rendezvous with King Andred.
33. Save the game when Lancelot is near King Andred. Once they meet, they will challenge each other to a fight to the death. Lancelot should be strong enough now to defeat King Andred rather handily. _Be sure_ to Search King Andred _twice_ to get his Gaunts D'Poeir. Use the Gaunts D'Poeir. Also Pick Up the brass key that he leaves behind. This key unlocks the door in the castle in Exeter. Defeating King Andred also has the side benefit of bringing the Cornwall region into the kingdom.
34. Go to Camelot. Be sure to save the game when the party is near.
35. With Nineve's help, Lancelot now has Arthur's shield and helm, he is wearing the Gaunts D'Poeir, and wielding the Excalibur. He is ready to face the giant. As soon as the party reaches Camelot, Lancelot will be involved with the giant in a fight to the death. Lancelot should come out victorious rather handily.
36. Once Lancelot has defeated the giant, knights and soldiers from several towns and castles will emerge waiting to be commanded. The problem here is that you must send a Round Table knight to each location to lead the soldiers there. Timing is critical because by now Melehan has probably already marched past London.
37. Set the game pace to SLOW. Sir Bedivere should now join forces with the knights and soldiers in Cirenchester and lead them to Camelot.
38. Send the knights from Dover _and_ Windsor to London. Once there, have them join forces with the sizable army in London and command the entire force to Camelot via Silchester.
39. Order the soldiers in Silchester to go to Camelot.
40. Check and be sure that King Clariance is going to Camelot via Arundel.
41. To play it safe, send Lancelot and Nineve to Salisbury from Camelot so they will not accidentally get killed during the upcoming battle.
42. Once you have accomplished all the above commands, set the game pace to Medially or Quickly, and wait for Melehan's army to get to Camelot.
This completes all the tasks Sir Lancelot and Lady Nineve have to accomplish.
The military power that you have amassed at Camelot should be more than enough to defeat Melehan's forces although the outcome can be fairly close. Once Melehan is defeated, the episode ends.
EPISODE 4
In this episode, several northern towns are rumored to have been visited by demonic forces which turned living flesh into stone. There is also some unrest to the east cause by a band of Saxon outlaws led by Sigebryht. This episode is rather easy to complete. Only one party is needed and timing is nowhere as critical as the previous two episodes.
Select Sir Lancelot to undertake this quest. Have Lady Nineve join him. Use Nineve's key to get past the locked door. Pick Up 30 gold pieces and leave the rest behind.
Before sending Lancelot and Nineve out to their journey, we should prepare ourselves to defend against Sigebryht. Send Sir Baldric and his troops from Arundel to Leicester. Send King Clariance and his army from York to Leicester. Send Galihoon and his soldiers from Chester to Leicester. When everyone arrives at Leicester, Join Forces with Gahalantine. This force is more than adequate to defeat Sigebryht.
Some time in the middle of this episode, Sigebryht's army will appear somewhere near Cambridge. When you notice his shield or start seeing messages about his conquest, send the entire force from Leicester to chase after him. He can be conquered very easily. Once Sigebryht is defeated, East Anglia yields to Constantine.
Back to Sir Lancelot and Lady Nineve:
1. Go to Almesbury.
2. Talk to the friar there who advises Lancelot to check out the library in Canterbury. Be sure to trade 2 gold pieces for his holy water.
3. Go to Canterbury.
4. Talk to Archbishop Dubric. He tells about the rumors he has heard about Forest Sauvage. Note that he says he will consult his books and may have further information later. Request Dubric to give Lancelot the book of Helyes.
5. Go to Oxford.
6. Trade 2 gold pieces for holy water from the Friar.
7. Go to Cirenchester.
8. Have Nineve cast DISENCHANT spell to restore the guard from stone.
9. Go to Gloucester.
10. Have Nineve cast DISENCHANT spell to restore the townsman from stone.
11. Go to Llanbadarn which is north of cardigan along the western shore next to the Cambrian Mountains.
12. Have Nineve cast DISENCHANT spell to restore Gwynedd from stone. Gwynedd will pledge his loyalty to Lord Constantine.
13. Go to White Tower which is near the west coast north of Chester.
14. Have Nineve cast DISENCHANT spell to restore Hyfaidd from stone. Hyfaidd will pledge his loyalty to Lord Constantine.
15. Go to Water Newton.
16. Have Nineve cast DISENCHANT spell to restore townsman from stone.
17. Go to the hut between Water Newton and Norwich to the east.
18. Have Nineve Request Belladonna, Dragonsbane, and Hellsbane from the Old Woman.
19. Go to Cambridge.
20. Trade 2 gold pieces for Holy Water from the friar.
21. Go to Canterbury.
22. Talk to Archbishop Dubric again. This time Dubric will talk about the Heyles's Book and Merlin. He will also mention that the scholar in Rochester have more information.
23. Go to Rochester.
24. Talk to the scholar. Learn that Merlin may be in Lincoln or somewhere in Cornwall.
25. Go to Lincoln. On your way there, you may have to fight a few Fey knights, Fell Beasts, and Giants, none of whom should present too much of a challenge to Lancelot. Stop at Leicester to chat with Sir Gahalantine to learn about the Brown Knight in Forest Sauvage. Continue to Lincoln.
26. Talk to woman in Lincoln. Bribe her with 5 gold pieces. Learn that Merlin has a castle in the Cornwall area.
27. Go to Bath.
28. Have Nineve buy Bat's Wing, Mandrake, and Stag's Bone from the old woman.
29. Go to Almesbury.
30. Send Nineve _alone_ to Stonehenge.
31. Have Nineve cast REPLETION spell at Stonehenge. This spell restores Nineve's magic points which she will need later to free Merlin.
32. Send Nineve back to Almesbury and Join Force with Lancelot again.
33. Go to Exeter.
34. Talk to the townsman. Bribe the townsman with 5 gold pieces. Learn that Merlin used to have a castle northwest of here near the coast. Go indoors. Have Lancelot Use the brass key to open the locked door. (This is the key that he Picked Up from King Andred after defeating him in the previous episode.) Enter and Pick Up Money, Dragonsbane, and Fryd's Stone.
35. When you return to the overhead map, you should now see Merlin's cave near the coast to the northwest of Exeter. Go to Merlin's cave.
36. Once inside the cave, you find Merlin frozen inside an ice pillar. After listening to Nineve's suggestion, make sure that she has the following in her inventory: Fascinum Laxus, Hellsbane, Batwing, and Stag's Bone. (If you have been following this walkthru, then Lancelot and Nineve should have all of these components between them.) Have Nineve Use Fascinum Laxus. Enjoy the neat graphics at this point! Once Merlin is freed, give him the Helyes's Book, and have him Use it.
37. Go to Gloucester.
38. Have Merlin cast POINT OF EVIL spell.
39. When you return to the overhead map, you will see a ruin in the middle of the forest north of Gloucester. Go to the ruin. Save the game before your party reaches the ruin.
40. Once you enter the ruin, you will have to fight 2 Fey Knights. Go indoors and fight 3 more Fey Knights. Click on the right archway to find the Brown Knight. None of these knights should give Lancelot any trouble at all. Click on the stairs to confront the demon. Use Holy Water (4 times) to defeat it.
This completes all the tasks this party has to accomplish.
Once the demon is defeated, this episode ends.
EPISODE 5
This episode is short and straightforward. There are a lot of combats but using the right ingredients, the combats are rather one-sided. I prefer to use 3 parties to complete this episode. The first party consists of Lancelot, Merlin, and Nineve. Their main task is to defeat Morgan Le Fay, once and for all. They would also complete the side missions necessary to bring the remainder of England into Constantine's kingdom. The other two parties will consist of one knight from the Round Table each. They only have 1 goal: to gather up all the holy water they can find and bring it to Lancelot.
THE FIRST PARTY: SIR LANCELOT, NINEVE, AND MERLIN
1. Go to Silchester. An encounter with a priest takes place on the road. Talk to the priest and agree to go to Carmarthen.
2. At Silchester, talk to the sergeant from Tauroc. Here you learn that Sir Owain's son, Ewain was kidnaped during the night. Agree to assist the sergeant.
3. Once you agree to assist, the party will automatically travel with the sergeant to Tauroc. Nothing to do here but wait. Do _not_ start up other parties at this time.
4. At Tauroc, talk to Owain. He tells you that he thinks his son has been kidnaped and taken somewhere to the south.
5. Go to Cardigan, south west of Tauroc, on the west coast.
6. Talk to Sir Selises to learn that his daughter has been kidnaped.
7. Go to Carmarthen.
8. Talk to the Old Woman there. Surprisingly she denies that anyone is missing from this town. Trade 2 gold pieces each for Belladonna, Hellsbane, and Stag's Bone.
9. Go to Carlion.
10. Talk to the Old Woman here. Her son has been kidnaped. Agree to help her.
11. Your party will automatically accompany the old woman to the ruin in the middle of the forest north of Gloucester.
12. Lancelot will have to fight a Fell Beast, a few Fey Knights, and a demon. The Fell Beast and the Fey Knights should not present any problem at all. Use Holy Water on the demon. Once the demon is defeated, the kidnaped victims will be free.
13. Your party will automatically escort one lady back to Wroxeter.
14. Talk to Sir Peredur at Wroxeter. He is so grateful that he agrees to be ruled by Constantine. He also shows the way to Morgan Le Fay's castle.
15. When you return to the overhead view, you will see Morgan's castle just south of Tauroc. You are not quite ready for that final confrontation yet. Instead go to the ruin _southwest_ of Wroxeter.
16. There are two demons here that need to be defeated. Use Holy Water on them. Sir Owain's son and Sir Selises's daughter are both freed.
17. Go to Cardigan. (Once both ruins have been cleaned out, it's time to start two parties to go gather up more holy water. The second and third party should be mobilized at this point.)
18. Sir Selises will now pledge his allegiance to the kingdom.
19. Go to Holyhead, the monastery west of Tauroc.
20. Go indoors and then have Lancelot Use the bronze key to open the locked door. (This is the key that Lancelot Picked Up from Turnance at the end of Episode 2. Enter the door and Pick Up the Ring of Joseph. Click on the left edge of the screen to exit through the door. Then click on the stairway to go upstairs where a blessed cross can be found.
21. Go to Tauroc.
22. Once there, Sir Owain will pledge his allegiance to the kingdom. The entire England is now united under Constantine. There is only one more task left: defeat Morgan Le Fay once and for all. Unfortunately, to do that we need more holy water. Wait here for the second and third party to show up. (One word of caution here: there is a demon that appears randomly in various cities. If any of the parties should encounter this demon, the best thing to do is to _withdraw_ from combat. The resulting loss of nobility points hardly matters anymore this late in the game! Of course, should the demon happen to visit Tauroc while Lancelot is waiting for more holy water, the whole party will need to move on to another meeting place.)
23. After obtaining additional holy water from your other two parties, have Lancelot, Nineve, and Merlin go to Morgan's Castle.
24. Save the game when they are near the castle.
25. You will have to battle 3 Fell Beasts and 3 Demons before you can enter the castle. The Fell Beasts should not be a big problem. Be sure to use healing balms to nurse Lancelot hit points. When the healing balms run out, have Nineve cast HEALING spells on Lancelot. Use Holy Water on all 3 Demons. If you have follow this walkthru religiously, there should be more than enough Holy Water to defeat all 3 Demons. After defeating the third Demon, check to make sure that _Merlin_ has the following in his inventory: Holy Water, Fryd's Stone, and the Elixir of Loftus. (These ingredients are required to cast a most important spell. See below.)
26. Finally you are now face to face with Morgan Le Fay. Without further ado, have Merlin cast the NEGARE POTIS spell. This spell negates all of Morgan's magic for a period of time. This is the only time when she becomes vulnerable and can be harmed. How, you ask? USE A FRYD'S STONE ON HER 4 TIMES. (If you have been following this walkthru, you should have exactly 2 Fryd's stones in your inventory.)
This completes all the tasks this party has to accomplish.
THE SECOND PARTY: ECTOR (Or any other knight at the Round Table)
1. As soon as both ruins have been cleared out by Lancelot and his party, send Sir Ector to Almesbury.
2. Trade 2 gold pieces to the Friar for Holy Water.
3. Go to Tauroc to rendezvous with Lancelot and to Give him the Holy Water.
(Note: If a Demon is encountered on the way to Tauroc, _withdraw_ from combat and continue the journey.)
This completes all the task this party has to accomplish.
THE THIRD PARTY: PALOMIDES AT DOVER
(Or any other knight at the Round Table)
1. As soon as both ruins have been cleared out by Lancelot and his party, send Sir Palomides to Canterbury.
2. Trade 2 gold pieces to Dubric for Holy Water.
3. Go to Cambridge.
4. Trade 2 gold pieces to the friar for Holy Water.
5. Go to St. Albans.
6. Trade 2 gold pieces to Friar Albert for Holy Water.
7. Go to Tauroc to rendezvous with Lancelot and to give him all the Holy Water. (Note: If a Demon is encountered on the way to Tauroc, _withdraw_ from combat and continue with the journey.)
This completes all the tasks this party has to accomplish.
That's it. That's the whole game. Of course you did notice that little sly remark the game made when Morgan was destroyed? That's a blatant hint for a sequel if I ever saw one. Unfortunately, I did not like this game enough to want to play the sequel. So, you'll just have to look elsewhere for a sequel to this walkthru when the time comes.
SPIRIT OF EXCALIBUR is published by Synergistic Software and distributed by Virgin Mastertronic.
