Did we miss anything in this location? Is there something we didn't discover? Let us know!

1 - Arindale Inn and Tavern

For most versions of the game, you won't find any furniture or working fireplaces in the Arindale inn (or anywhere else in Arindale), and so you'll have to scour the countryside to find a campfire where you can rest and heal. But if you're playing the Collector's Edition, then you'll find firestones (not to mention a couple of lootable cabinets) in the back rooms of the inn.

Regardless, you should rent a room -- if for no other reason than to gain access to the back rooms of the inn so that you can complete the Way of the Tiger quest (see #7). Renting a room will also save you from having to purchase tea each time you talk to the innkeeper, which can add up because the innkeeper is a font of local knowledge. If you exhaust all of the conversation options with the innkeeper, then among other things you'll learn that the wizard Emmindor has retreated to his tower (#8) and doesn't wish to be disturbed.

There is a guest named Narako Misume in the one of the inn's back rooms. She'll only talk to you after you've started the Way of the Tiger quest. Once you've completed her quest, you'll receive a blade dancer ring from her. If you're playing the Collector's Edition, then you'll also earn 5000 experience and a point of honor.


2 - Temple of the Empyrean

This is the guild building for the Celestial Order.


3 - Moon Bridge


4 - House of Lords

When you enter the House of Lords, you'll discover that the elves aren't terribly impressed with Galdryn's Horn. They won't let you inside, even if you "petition Lord Galebriand." To get in, you'll have to learn the fate of a magical piece of armor called the Argalia. To do that, you'll have to accept the quest given in the House of the Tiger (#7), talk to Narako Misume in the Arindale Inn and Tavern (#1), and then talk Elvithra in her apothecary shop (#7).

Once you've learned about the armor, you can use that information to get past the guards and get in to see Lord Galebriand and Vecus Fathien. However, after you've accused House Fathien of stealing the armor (whether you're subtle about it or not), you'll be forced to take the Trial of the Ancient Elders, which is covered in its own section. The trial can be difficult, so we'd recommend you get up to level 8 before trying it. Regardless, it's a good idea to open a new save slot before starting the trial, as insurance against bugs if nothing else.

After the trial, you'll be sent off to Ulm to acquire the Argalia. Ulm is basically a big dungeon that requires a lot of combat, and it's covered in its own section as well. Once you've found the Argalia there and returned it to Lord Galebriand, Vecus Fathien will attack you. However, between you and Lord Galebriand, Vecus should be easy to kill, and after his death Lord Galebriand will reward you with an elven sword of speed. If you're playing the Collector's Edition, then you'll also receive 10,000 gold, 25,000 experience, and 5 points of honor. Finally, if you were diplomatic -- that is, if you didn't outright accuse House Fathien of stealing the armor -- then Lord Galebriand will also bestow upon you "the noble" heraldry bonus. Finally, Lord Galebriad will give you a magic mirror, which you can use to enter the Great Tower (#8).

Note: As far as we can tell, there isn't any way to keep the Argalia.


5 - The Hall of Weaponry

This is the guild building for the Guild of Fighters.

If you're playing an elf character, then the proprietor Sir Nil-Galand will offer to lend you a sword of flame for 2000 gold. If you're playing version 1.4/1.5, then you'll need to take the sword to the Altar of the Fire-Rune in the Vale of Ruin to "charge" it (give it a fire effect). If you're playing an earlier version, then the sword will start out charged, making it a very nice weapon so early in the game. When you get tired of the sword, you can return it to Nil-Galand for a 500 gold refund.

Note: In the original version of the game, there was a money cheat in the game where you could return the sword as many times as you wanted for 500 gold each time. But that bug was corrected at some point after the 1.1 patch.


6 - Elvithra's Apothecary

Elvithra is involved in a couple of quests.

The House of the Tiger

You'll need to talk to Elvithra to find out what happened to the Argalia armor. In the process, she'll tell you how her son Vetrian was imprisoned by House Fathien, and how she now suspects that he's dead. After completing your conversation with Elvithra, you won't be able to talk to her or use her shop until after you've completed the quest and rescued her son. Since Fargrove will probably have been locked down by this time, it's a good idea to stock up on potions before talking to Elvithra about the Argalia. Once you've returned after rescuing Vetrian, Elvithra will reward you with a bracer of defense, a fairly nice trinket. If you're playing the Collector's Edition, then you'll also receive 500 experience and a point of honor.

The Sisterhood

When you deliver Sister Dhara's special package to Elvithra, you'll become a member of the Sisterhood, and Elvithra will act as a guildmaster for the Sisterhood. Of immediate concern is that she'll offer to train you as a valkyrie or an enchantress, provided you have a second tier class slot available.


7 - The House of the Tiger

Yoshi Tamaka will offer to teach you the Way of the Tiger, and although it might sound like an optional quest, it isn't, and so you should agree to learn it. Learning the Way of the Tiger involves helping a young woman "who lives with a shame not of her making." The young woman is named Narako Misume, and you'll find her in the back area of the Arindale Inn and Tavern (#1).

Narako will tell you how her family was entrusted to safeguard the legendary Argalia armor, and how it was stolen from their house one night. In punishment, the Misume family was stripped of all rank and possessions. At the time, Narako suspected that House Fathien might have been involved in the robbery, but she didn't have any way to prove it. She has only now returned to Arindale because Elvithra, the wife of the family's former steward, has sent her a letter promising information.

When you go to see Elvithra (#6), she'll decide that the true story of what happened should finally come to light. Her husband Niviel will disagree, and the two of them will fight. You can jump over the counter and help Elvithra if you want, but she'll win no matter what.

After the fight, Elvithra will explain what happened. Years ago, her son Vetrian was caught causing mischief in House Fathien. The Fathiens imprisoned Vetrian, and they told Evithra and Niviel that the only way they could get their son back was to dismiss the guards at House Misume early, and to leave the back door open. Niviel did as he was told, and that night the Argalia was stolen.

However, Evithra and Niviel didn't get their son back. Instead, the Fathiens used Vetrian to coerce Niviel into completing more deeds for them, each month sending fresh orders for him along with a lock of Vetrian's hair. But three months ago, the demands and locks of hair stopped arriving, prompting Elvithra to decide that her son must be dead, and that the treachery of House Fathien should finally come to light.

You'll have to deliver this information to the House of Lords (#4), pass their Trial of the Ancient Elders, and then find the Argalia armor in the Fathien's stronghold at Ulm. Once you've returned the Argalia to Lord Galebriand at the House of Lords, talked to Narako Misume at the Arindale Inn and Tavern (#1), and returned to Yoshi Tamaka at the House of the Tiger, he'll reward you with a heraldry bonus.

Note: Unfortunately, so far as we can tell, there isn't any way to keep the Argalia armor.


8 - The Great Tower

The Great Tower is where Emmindor is hiding, but you won't be able to enter it until after completing the Way of the Tiger quest (#7). At that point, Lord Galebriand will reward you with a magic mirror. The magic mirror is sort of a key. When you press the SHIFT key at the entrance to the tower, the mirror will reveal a doorway, and then you'll be able to use the doorway to get inside.

Note: People have reported numerous problems inside the Great Tower, so you should save your game before going inside.

Inside the Great Tower you'll meet Elderon. He'll tell you that Emmindor doesn't want to see you, but then when you try to leave the tower, he'll change his mind and open an inner door. Beyond the door you'll find a circle with a an image of a blue bird on it. The circle is a lift, and when you stand on it, it should take you up to meet Emmindor.

Emmindor will recognize a symbol on Galdryn's Horn, and he'll ask you to go to Galdryn's former castle at Talendor and use the horn there. To help you out, he'll give you the Ring of Talendor, which should open the Chamber of Spirits at the castle.

However, at the end of the conversation, Volgar will show up and start hitting Emmindor with spells. Don't try to attack Volgar because you won't be able to damage him. Eventually, Emmindor will tell you to invoke Galdryn's Horn. If you're playing one of the original versions of the game, then you'll need to open your inventory panel, press the "invoke" button, and then select Galdryn's Horn. For MMXII, you'll need to place the horn in your hotkey bar and activate it from there. Either way, the horn should cause Volgar to disappear. That will make it safe to leave, so go back down the elevator and head to Talendor.

Note: Emmindor will tell you that "downstairs are many spellbooks and magic baubles" and that you're welcome to help yourself. If you're playing a regular version of the game, then you won't find anything of the sort. But if you're playing the Collector's Edition, then you'll find six cabinets on the first floor of the tower, and they'll produce a bunch of potions and magic spells.

Galdryn's castle is in the northern part of the area marked Talendor on your map. It is just to the southeast of the moon bridge located in the little cul-de-sac in the northwestern part of the area. Since you'll have to come back to the castle a few times, it's a good idea to visit the moon bridge in the cul-de-sac, so that you'll have an easier time coming and going. If you haven't picked up a moonstone from the island in Lost Lake yet, you should do that on the way.

Once you've found the castle, about the only thing you can do is go down the steps and enter the Chamber of Spirits. Inside, you'll find a pentagram surrounded by five "pedestals of the relic." Press the SHIFT key next to all of the pedestals until you've placed Galdryn's Horn on the right one.

At that point Galdryn's visage will appear, and it will tell you a little about the Relics of Power, how the Circle of Mages was formed to protect them, and how Volgar has taken over the Circle for his own nefarious ends. Galdryn will ask you to find the four other Relics of Power and return them here. Each time you do, you'll gain a "boon" (Galdryn's Horn is worth 25,000 experience and +3 to all of your attribute values). The other four Relics can be found in the Battlefields of the Dead, in the Sagathian Moors, in the Vale of Ruin, and in Ellowyn's possession. Galdryn will suggest you seek out Ellowyn's relic first, but you won't actually find her until you've acquired the other relics.

Go back to Emmindor and report on what you've learned. He'll tell you a little about the locations of the relics, and he'll suggest that you meet up with an ally of his named Staroxia in the Forbidden Lands. You can find her in the northern part of the Forbidden Lands, east of the Sagathian Moors. If you're playing the Collector's Ediiton, then you'll earn 5 points of honor at the end of your conversation with Emmindor.

Note: If the elevator won't go up on your second visit to Emmindor, go back and exhaust all conversation options with Elderon. For some reason that seems to trigger the elevator.

Your next stop should be Fargrove, which should be open again (if you had tried going there after starting the Way of the Tiger quest, you would have found it locked down by order of Captain Okatta). However, if you haven't yet met Lord Graemare in Bolen Fields, you should visit him first. Starting his quest is required for you to reach the Forbidden Lands.


Exits:

1. Road to Fargrove.
2. Road to Ulm.