CHAPTER TEN: THE END GAME ... (or is it?)
Well, here we are finally. The end-game with the Overlords. But don't expect these guys to make it easy for you to get to them: as they are hiding safely and securely in the lost temple of Graaz'z, you will have to pass tests (which were laid down thousands of years ago by priests of Graaz'z to weed out the unworthy would-be priests) on your way to get to the temple, and to them, for the day of reckoning!
1) Go to the Portal of Graaz'z. You should already have a map (gotten along the way) which marks out this portal in the rockies of the Northeastern lands. To get there, go to the Eastern lands, get to the far north-west of them, and cross back into the North-eastern lands: you end up in a small valley surrounded by the rockies, and with a lone river running through it. The river enters into a cave at x3y68, where there's a secret door as well. Cross the door and march into the rockies in a north-northwest direction to x0y55. Side-step to x1y54, then to x2y53, and then to x1y52. The Portal is at x1y51: if you haven't gone through the Chapters 1-8 (with the exception of Chapter Seven), the Portal will declare you unworthy and turn you away (that is how this works in TiSL v6.1.6; thanks to a brilliant suggestion by Realmz Cabalist Dan Ilut). Otherwise, you just walk through it.
2) Journey to the lost Temple of Graaz'z. From the Portal, walk to x1y48, where you have to pass the First Test. Inside the small place, go to the column at x85y73 for the riddle: the answer is "soul" (ie. take the 2nd door from your left). Back in the rockies, walk north to x1y35, side-step to x2y34, then to x3y33, and then go to x3y30 for the Second Test: the answer to that riddle is "wisdom" (ie take the bridge to your left). Out in the rockies again, walk further north to x3y23, side-step to x2y22, then go to x1y19 for the Third Test: inside the small place, walk to x33y70 to get the riddle (the answer is "mind", which you have to speak in the encounter offered to you). Out again, walk to x1y16, side-step to x2y15, then to x3y14, then to x4y13, and go to x4y12 for the Fourth (and final) Test: the answer to that riddle is "will" (ie. take the 2nd bridge from your left). Back in the rockies, walk to x4y7 and then to the secret door at x7y5: you enter a small clearing. Use the cave-tunnel at x1y3, which takes you to the Snowy Rockies and the pass which leads to Graaz'z lost temple.
3) Inside Graaz'z temple: don't bother with the upper floors of the tower (unless you want to have fun with ghostly priests and crumbling floors). Don't bother with the prism-altar of the main floor either (it's a red herring). However, go over the empty weapons-rack just north of the altar (at x69y3) with the search button on. If you haven't gone through the Chapters 1-8 (with the exception of Chapter Seven), nothing will happen (that is how this used to work in TiSL prior to v6.1.6). If you have (or if you are playing v6.1.6+), then you'll find under the snow a lever: pull it, and a secret door will open up right north of you. Go to the trap door at x68y1, open it and go downstairs in the temple's dungeon.
4) In the temple's dungeon: again, I'm giving here the fastest and easiest way to do this. Go through the door at x71y80, where you'll have to deal with psi-warrior guards. Then go to the corridor at x66y80; go north, then all the way east to the door at x84y74: in this meeting room, you will surprise General Qui with many of her lieutenants. You get to fight the lieutenants first as she storms into the eastern room adjacent to the meeting room you've entered. After the clash, go first to the desk at x83y71 where you'll find some disturbing info about Sharranth), and then through the secret door at x84y70: in this room, go to the statue at x83y68 and disable it (the same way you did those in the mind-mage's mansion in the Tlaran caves -see Chapter Seven). Retrace your steps to the meeting room, and go through the door at x85y73: the three Overlords are waiting for you with more of their minions and allies. Before anything happens, General Qui introduces herself and her two peers formally, and tells you that despite all your travails, the Sword Lands will fall under the power of the Inner Council of Overlords either through deceit or direct conquest. If you have Naryl/Kith with you, an interesting dialogue will then ensue before Kith unleashes a powerful mind blast which disables all the Overlords' minions and even weakens them: this is your cue to have it at the Overlords once and for all! If you don't have Naryl/Kith, then you and your jolly band get to face the Overlords fully-geared and with all their minions (but not before they offer you a last chance to save yourselves and accept to join them)! After the battle, take the goodies located in the room at x88y71, x87y76, x86y75 and x88y76. Then go through the secret door at x86y77, where another communication globe is on: walk to x87y81, where you'll chat with a fourth Overlord, who promises you that war will come to the Sword Lands in six months hence, despite what you have accomplished. From there, you can wander some more around the place to clean up any and all psi-warriors or psi-stalkers you run into, or just get out of Graaz'z temple: as you make your way into the pass to get back to the Northeastern lands, you'll be treated with the final credits, along with goodbyes from Naryl, Strider and Scyrella (if they tagged along with you).
So, there it is! You have completed the main story of "Trouble in the Sword Lands" ... but is it truly over? After all, there are six other Overlords left. Will they come back to the Sword Lands? Will they seek to conquer them through military might? Will there be, as the fourth Overlord promised, War in the Sword Lands? Stay tuned to the same Realmz-channel, same Realmz-day, and same Realmz-time!
(and how's that for your run-of-the-mill unabashed, shameful plug? <wink>)
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