Let's Play Ultima: From Akalabeth to Ascension! (Now on VII)

[Donaroriak]

bump so we can get to U7 faster ;-)

 

[Silellak]

 

[Elzair]

Ultima Underworld I Part 7: I'm Off to See the Wizard

Ultima Underworld I: The Stygian Abyss

Part 7: I'm Off to See the Wizard

Alright, I have finally reached the lair of the wizard Tyball. It is time to kick his ass!

Who art thou? What >cough< what dost thou want?

Here, thou seemest hurt. Can I help thee?

Canst heal my wounds? Or >couth< hast thou any port?

Here is some port.

I thank thee greatly! Here is some advice for thee: Beware, for death is everywhere!

Then what art thou doing here?

I'm here to rescue my brother. He's in the prisons.

Where are these prisons?

Several cells lie to the north and west of here. He rots in one of those.

Who holds him prisoner?

He is in the clutches of the evil wizard who dominates this area. My brother came to explore this place months ago, and I have not heard from him since. I believe he has run afoul of this vile and violent mage.

Tell me of this wizard.

Rumor has it that he is the reason no one can cast spells on this level. Also, he uses monsters as henchmen to guard the way out of his lair. But I have figured out how to get past the guards.

How can one get past the guards?

A medallion of passage! I had one, but I lost it while in battle in the haunted mines to the southeast. Now I am too weak to recover it and just wish to return home. But perhaps thou ...

Say no more! I will seek out these mines now.

Is that so? Well, farewell, then. I will rejoin my comrades up above.

Farewell.

I now head north and get stopped by a checkpoint.

Why you here? you got medallion, eh?

Medallion?! I need no stinking medallion!

I kill their asses. God, this feels good!

I pull this pull chain to get access to the passage to the north. After
navigating a series of winding hallways, I come upon this fellow.

What brings thee here?

I seek to free a kidnapped girl.

Well, watch thyself. There are nasty spiders all around. My friend was just killed by one, some distance to the north. He had a key that would allow one toenter a place of some importance. There one might find an itme that allows the owner to get through Tyball's maze.

What place does the key allow one to enter?

I said, 'twas a key that allowed one to enter a secret place. There lies an item that permits one to pass through Tyball's maze. Wert thou not listening? The entrance is in the chasm of fire.

What else canst thou tell me of this area?

A mysterious Orb drains the magic from every living creature on this level.

And that is why I cannot cast spells?

Indeed. The Orb drains thy power and transfers it -- somewhere -- where it is put to some foul purpose.

Dost thou know who is behind this?

I know only that one mage, Tyball by name, seems immune to its effect.

I know this Tyball. He is evil itself.

Indeed. However, if thou dost wish to break the Orb's grasp on this area, best thou prepare thyself with means other than spells.

How can such a thing be accomplished?

All I can think is, if thou canst discover whence came the Orb, and obtain it from its place of origin a fragment of its substance, thou mayst be able to destroy it with that.

This sounds like an excellent idea! But who knows whence it came?

I know not, but I think some friends of mine, who languish in prison, discovered its secret before they were captured by Tyball. If thou canst talk to them, perhaps they can help thee.

Very well. I thank thee for thy help.

Thou art welcome. Farewell.

I find the key he was talking about quickly. It opens a bunch of doors on this level.

I soon regret pissing off all the guards, so I reload and head south-east to get the medallion Cardon mentioned.

Fortunately, I have a ring of leaping, so this jump is not too bad.

Reapers are not nearly as annoying in this game as they are in the others.

I finally find the medallion in the abandoned mines. Now, I head back north and retrace my steps.

I continue in a northeastern direction until I run across another
checkpoint.

I enter this room.

What the shit?!

Ho ho, you just like big dumb rat in trap now. Ho ho.

Leave me be, everything is under control.

I have to bribe him with 20 gold pieces to allow me to continue on.

I now speak with some of Tyball's prisoners.

Tyball! At last we meet! I have been warned of thee. After years of imprisonment, I will finally have my revenge!

Surely thou art mad! I am not Tyball.

Not Tyball, eh? True, thou dost look rather scrawny, not like a powerful mage at all. Let me see, a test, a test .. Aha! Now answer me truly - what dost thou know of the secret doors in the tombs?

I know nothing of these secret doors.

Secret doors? Who told thee of these secret doors? Did he tell thee of the chasm of ire they lead to, as well? It's becoming impossible to keep a secret around here these day.

The chasm of fire? Why would I want to go to a chasm of fire?

Well, don't tell anyone, but I hid some things over there. But that's not important.

What things were these?

I do not remember what they wer. That was years and years ago, or so it seems ...

Perhaps they will be useful in dealing with Tyball.

Tyball! It is thee agin! Thou hast defeated and imprisoned me already. Now leave me in peace.

Who art hou? Art thou here to take me back to the mines? But no, thou art not one of them ... Art thou here to rescue us, then?

Of course. But it may take a little time.

Ah, then, a prisoner like the rest of us ...

Why art thou being held prisoner?

Tyball keeps us here. To work the mines 'til we die ... If we're lucky that is. Less fortunate ones he takes away to work his evil magicks on.

What dost thou mean by "evil magicks"?

There are caverns to the east filled with the dead. Victims of his dark arts gone awry. 'Tis said not even he dares venture there now. But the dead things wait, taking their vengeance on any living thing that enters.

Hmm. Thou didst mention being forced to work the mines. Why?

Who know what we dig for? Mayhap materials he needs for his magic. But it's been days now since I've worked the mines, after what we found on the lower level ... And so few of us remain, left to rot in our cells.

The mines below this level?

We dug through to the level below this and hit a natural cavern. The walls were veined with gold, but that's not what we were digging for, I'm sure. It was here the fell beasts attacked us and killed most of us prisoners. The remaining few of us have been left here for days, with no food or water. If thou couldst spare a morsel.

Certainly. Eat thy fill.

Many thanks! Thou art a hero as far as I am concerned, just for sharing thy food!

Thou art most welcome. Excuse me now, I must be going.

Who be ye?

I am Elzair. Who art thou?

I be Kallistan. What do ye here, Elzair.

I seek to rid this area of a certain evil wizard.

An' what proof have ye that ye're nae from the very wizard himself?

I am a confidant of Goldthirst's!

Well, ye'll be knowin' the password t' his hoard, then, won't ye?

Indeed I do know it! 'Tis deco morono.

Well, then, ye be a hero to th' Clan an' most welcome here! What can I do for ye?

I need thy help to find and defeat Tyball.

Here. Take ye this splinter of crystal.

What is it?

I found it three days ago while at my labors in the mines. At night it makes a faint, eerie keening. I've heard rumors of others who've found its like, and before long they're off searching for the tombs from which it came.

Why give it to me?

I believe the tombs to be of my ancient ancestors, built here long before the colony of the Abyss was formed. I've dreamt of them since finding the crystal.

And what lies in the tombs?

The way I figure it, the tombs have been defiled by an evil presence. This entity places the crystal where it'll be found, in order to draw the unwary souls to its lair. I ask ye - find these tombs and cleanse them of this evil, so that others do not fall into this trap.

And why should I do this?

If ye can do this, I'ms sure the beast responsible will have collected a sizable hoard from his victims. ye may find the items useful in your quest against Tyball. But beware - disturb not the tombs themselves. Search for the entrance to the south of these prisons, where the pit trap spiders prowl. Carry the crystalwith ye in your search - it may prove to be helpful.

Thank thee, I will see if thy suppositions prove to be true.

These massive doors are not pickable. I have to find a key.

Greetings, friend. I am Dantes.

Well met, Danes. How can I help thee?

Well, I wouldn't say now to something to eat.

Certainly, have some of my food.

I thank thee. Perhaps I can help thee. Thou doth seem to be in good health. Thou shouldst be able to make it over the lava.

What lava?

I dug myself an escape route from my cell, using only be belt-buckle. Unfortunately, the cell looks out on a lava-filled cavern, and I cannot make the leap. I have a gamy leg, as thou can see.

Perhaps I can carry thee.

Nay, it is impossible! I am done for in any event. Get out there and save thyself.

Very well. I shall return for thee if I can.

The secret is in the northeastern corner of his cell.

I jump across this chasm, run along a short corridor, and drop down into the
lava below.

When I turn around, I find this map.

I now head to the northeast and find a stairway leading down to level eight.
I will continue my adventures ... right now.

This is a level eight monster?! It is not so tough.

Now we're talking!

I grab this orb rock stuff even if I don't know what the hell it does.

I find a new set of stairs leading back up.

I wander around until I find this note by this skull.

When I move the skull aside, I find this key. It will get me even more places.

Shit!

I now drop down to the lava canal and head south where I find a door guarded
by Fire Elementals.

Another day; another trip to level eight.

This time I find myself in Tyball's treasure room with an obnoxious imp and a pair of golems for company.

Searching for something are we?

Need to find a path?

Slip-up and you'll be wormfood.

Victim of Tyball's wrath.

Who art thou?

A thief I am, a thief I'll be.

With a very great prize.

Have something you want,

something you need.

It'll open your eyes.

What would you have that I need?

A crown it is, that's what we offer.

The only thing for you in this room.

The rest of the treasure is not

yours to have.

'to steal it will mean your doom.

What's so special about this crown?

A maze it is, you'll want to get

through.

Though many a fool it did swallow.

What I have will enhance your

eyes.

And show you the yellow to follow.

So how do I know which one to take?

That's the question, is it not?

And one you'll have to figure.

It's one eye to help you is not

bloodshot.

And its size is smaller not bigger.

How is it that you have this crown?

A thief I told you, is what I am.

And a grand theft it was, I

suppose.

Heisted the crown, slick as can be.

Right from under the evil one's

nose.

So why not just give me this crown?

Can't just give it to anyone.

My clues you must heed.

Prove yourself worthy.

And control your greed.

What other clues canst thou give me?

That's all I can tell you.

It should be enough.

Its really quite simple.

If you're too dumb? - That's

tough!

Thank thee.

Heh heh heh .. We'll be watching.

Which one should I choose?

I think the white crown is clearly the obvious choice. I then jump along various ledges trying not to get killed by Fire Elementals.

Kickass! Now I can fly around to my heart's content. It is now time to find Tyball.

This is Tyball's maze. It is probably booby-trapped.

Which way should I go?

I put on the crown, and a path appears.

This screenshot roughly shows the path I took.

Here is the man himself!

Ah, it is Elzair! It is good to meet thee again. It is regrettable that our acquaintance must be such a short one.

What is thy fiendish plot?

Oh, thou dost wonder why I abducted poor Arial? Perhaps I should spare thee so that thou canst see my incantation. The sight of a demon entering the body of a human is not one to be missed.

Very well. If I must kill thee, I will.

Hm. I believe, dear Sir, that the question is not whether thou must kill me, but whether thou canst. And the answer, of course, is no.

Now comes the ass-whupping!

Well, the wizard is dead, but now there is a wholly new threat to Britannia I must thwart. How convenient! Tune in next time for the final chapter in this long journey.

 

[Elzair]

Ultima Underworld I Part 8: Slash This!

Ultima Underworld I: Labyrinth of Worlds

Part 8: Slash This!

Last time I finally defeated the wizard Tyball who had kidnapped Ariela. However, now it seems there is an even greater threat to Britannia I must stop.

I find two keys on Tyball's body.

I use the skull key to free Ariela.

I have finally rescued the princess (or whatever her fucking title is)! All this fighting has worn me out, so I rest.

I head out the back entrance of Tyball's hideout.

I now loot Tyball's chambers.

Secret! I now head back to the previously unopenable cells in the northwest.

The skull key unlocks these three doors.

Ahh ... So thou must be the one who has vanquished Tyball. Good ... good ... I sensed his passing but feared I would die here, forgotten.

Who art thou?

I am Gurstang. I ventured down here searching for the Key of Truth.

Gurstang? I met thy colleague Illomo. He is worried about thee.

Illomo! So, Illomo told thee about me. Good, that means I can trust thee. I think I've discovered the whereabouts of the key. Tell Illomo 'Folanae.' He'll know where to look, and explain what to do. As for myself, I have other matters to attend to down here. Farewell.

Farewell.

I shall tell thee nothing, thou minion of Tyball!

This is Tyball's blood upon my weapon, fool!

Of course! I have not seen thee in the ranks of his lackeys. How may I help thee?

Well, tell me what it is that hast brought thee here.

I was captured while on a quest for the Key of Courage.

I also seek the Key.

Indeed? Then know this: I believe the entrance lies directly north of this very spot.

What else knowest thou of this entrance?

A locked door blocks the way. But I still have the key hidden here in my cell. The key to the Key, as it were.

May I have this key?

Yes, for I have been imprisoned too long and have neither heart nor strength left for this quest. It is thine.

I thank thee.

He gives me this valentine key.

Heh? What art thou doing here?

I am attempting to save the world from a powerful demon.

I know not how to help thee defeat this demon, but I would help thee any other way I can.

Hast thou any helpful information at all?

I don't know how useful it might be, but I can sketch thee a map of the immediate area.

Please! Every little bit helps.

Surely. Here, I'll just sketch it on the back of this old picture. The corridor ges like this, see, and there are all these little branches going off over here. We are here. Hmm, this map didn't come out very well. Oh well, take this picture anyways. It has an inscription that says "Tom."

Surely this will come in handy.

Thou art most welcome. May the powers of good be with thee.

And also with thee. Farewell.

I now head back to Tyball's lair and take the stairs there down to level eight, since they are the only ones that give access to most of the level.

I fly to the southwest to retrieve Garamon's bones.

It looks like there is more than one pile of bones around here.

This is the one I want.

Shit yeah! It is now time to get the Key of Courage.

I head back to the northwest corner of level seven and unlock the door with the key Smonden gave me.

There is no way to go but up.

Wow, and I thought my firewall was impressive!

I cast Sanct Flam just in case.

Up, up and away!

Arrrgggghhhhh! Finally I come across a large room and find my way through it.

I take the stairs up to level four. I find a conspicuous door, and what do I find inside?

A human it is. We have been watching you. A fine race you are, but somewhat unknowledgable. To divide all your intelligence amongst yourselves as you do - it does not seen correct. And your bodies must be so hard to maintain. Still, we are impressed that you do as well as you do.

Is it not equally difficultto consist only of globes of light?

Surely it is not so. Having no bodies to hamper us, we have no worries or cares. We can devote our whole being to our sole quest - the gathering of information.

And what information have you gathered?

Indeed, most of the things we know are on such a high plane that it is doubtful that a human would be able to understand them.

Such as what?

Ah, so you would know information so advanced it is more dangerous than you can imagine? Very well, here is a piece for you: the spel Vas Kal Corp will bring an end to life as you know it, although higher beings such as we will continue to exist in our own way. There. We are eager to see to what use you will put this information.

Thank thee. I will try it out.

Perhaps you are not as intelligent as we first thought.

Finally, no more stairs.

I arrive in a swamp with two towers jutting out. I head to the western tower.

There is no key, and an unpickable lock. What is a fellow to do?

BOOYAH!!

WTF is that?!

I get the key from inside the coffer.

I unlock the eastern tower door with the green key.

Sorry, golem, I don't have time to play with you. I'll just take this Key of Courage as a memento of our time together.

Do they really expect me to descend four levels?! Fuck that! I wonder what that Gate Travel spell (Vas Rel Por) I saw in the manual does?

It teleported me to a secret room on the second level with a moonstone. I can drop this moonstone anywhere I like and automatically warp to it with the Gate Travel spell. This would have been nice twenty hours ago!

While I am in the neighborhood I pay a visit to Goldthirst, the leader of the dwarves mountainmen.

Ah, Elzair! It is a pleasure to see thee again. Thy name shall go down in the history of our clan!

I thank thee. Here is a gift for you.

Zounds! A larger lump of gold I have never seen! Surely thou art deserving of this axe, an honored weapon that has been passed down from the time of my ancestors. Use it well, for there are few weapons better.

This axe is probably pretty sweet, but I hardly have any enemies left to use it on.

BTW, you might be wondering where to find the last artifact of Sir Cabirus: the Cup of Wonder. There is a really intricate quest of finding its precise location, but I just said fuck it and travelled to the place on level three where I fought the gazer and played Mardin's Song of Wonder on my flute, and the cup appeared.

I make my way down to the catacombs on the fifth level and locate Garamon's grave.

To lay him to rest, I have to use Garamon's bones on the tombstone.

Thou hast done well. And now that my bones are at last at rest I can speak freely to thee. But my spirit cannot rest while yet this peril remains.

We must open a gate, near where the foul creature my brother summoned lies bound. We must return it to the plane from whence it came.

How can we open such a gate?

For this I will need a great deal of magical energy. This will be no gentle luring such as brought thee here, but an unimaginable vortex of interplanar energy.

Where can we find such powerful magic?

Tyball's Orb would be perilous to use, even if it were intact. The power we tap must be carefully chosen .. As thou may have guessed, I am a little out of touch with thy world. I had hoped thou might provide an answer.

What be the qualifications for what thou needest?

It would be best if the source were absolutely pure -- my brother found the danger in tapping powers whose source thou knowest not -- and 'twould be best if Britannia herself were somehow involved.

How dost thou mean, "Britannia involved?"

'Twould help to invoke one of the Elements. We work for Britannia's succor, and we must hope she would lend what aid she could.

The Elements?

The classical four: earth, air, fire, and water.

Yes, the source, which, if we are fortunate, may even wake Britannia to our aid, should be as pure as possible. Else we risk ending like my brother.

What about the talismans?

Yes, of course! Those would do admirably. Now, we must find a means to unleash their stored Virtue. We must find some latent source of power that can be released by appling the energy of the Talismans.

What about the volcano?

Yes, of course! If all eight Talismans be thrust into the volcano's maw, one at a time, I could ride the wave of such power to open the vortex. Ah, thou art wise as well as valorous! Wilt thou make such a sacrifice.

Aye, though it pains me sorely to lose such tools as these.

Excellent! Make haste to the lowest place, where thou must cast all eight into the Abyss -- hold back not one, upon thy peril! When they are consumed by earth's own fire, I shall leash the torrent to gape wide my gate. With Fortune's smile, we shall send our foe screeching back to its Hell!

Where can I find a way into the volcano?

The Chamber of Virtue is located on the lowest level of the Abyss. It lies at the very center of the volcano, where the energy fields of the Stygian are their strongest. 'Tis said that a special three-part key is needed to enter, but I know not the veracity of this legend.

I will make my way there.

Hurry! There is little time to lose!
It is now time to get the Key of Love.

I return to Judy to give her the picture of Tom I found.

Sweet! Only one more left!

I then return to Illomo to tell him I found his friend Gurstang and give him the password: FOLANAE.

Hello, Elzair! Hast thou found my friend Gurstang?

Yes, I have discovered him.

I am glad to hear it! He must have told thee the code word he was searching for, then!

Indeed he did.

Yes? And what was it?

Folanae.

Hmm .. Folanae, thou sayest ... perhaps ... Yes, that must be it! The puzzle is becoming clearer!

What puzzle?

Gurstang was searchign for clues to the Key of Truth, a fabled object which has long been lost. Apparently, it is no longer in this world, so Gurstang and I looked for possible ways to bring it here from whatever world it is now in. The word that Gurstang found is an important clue.

What is its meaning?

We were of the opinion that praying at a shrine might bring it back. I would guess that the library might contain information regarding which shrine must be used. I suspect that any tome mentioning Gurstang's word, "Folanae," would hold the final clue to regaining the key.

I will seek out this information.

Good luck!

This is the book we neeed.

I chant FANLO, and the key appears. Now, let's check out my inventory.

It looks like I am ready to confront the Slasher of Veils.

I descend to level eight. The Chamber of Virtue is located in the center of the map.

Gee, I wonder what would fit inside?

Hmm. Could this work?

Naaaah!

Well, whadda ya know ... it worked!

This is it.

This is the Slasher of Veils, the demon Garamon mentioned that cannot be harmed with any weapon or spell. Well, he was half right.

Remember when the wisps gave me an amusing little toy? Let's try it out.

Vas Kal Corp!

Shit! Armageddon not only kills the Slasher of Veils (along with everything else) but also robs me of all spells and items. This time I act seriously and toss into the lava all eight talismans of Sir Cabirus: the Sword of Justice, the Taper of Sacrifice, the Shield of Valor, the Ring of Humility, the Wine of Compassion, the Book of Honesty, the Banner of Honor and the Cup of Wonder.

This makes everything go bat-shit.

I (and the Slasher of Veils) arrive in a trippy landscape. I must follow one of the colored paths, but which one?

I wonder if this crazy orb vision on level one will provide the answer?

I choose the green path.

Enough with the Alice in Wonderland shit!

After a very long path I finally find my ticket home. I run through the green moongate and see the ending cinematic.

Yeah right!

FINALLY! This game is over. It is now on to the main event!

 

[Darth Slaughter]

Congrats. Hope you enjoy UU2 when you reach there. But for now... MOAR.

Ultima 7. Today I was remembering the casino in buccaneer's den. That's the way of making mini games...

 

[Silellak]

GREAT SUCCESS!!

Yeah, they'll be totally safe in Destard, the dungeon full of motherfucking dragons. Nice plan, Garamon. Guess we know why we never see or hear from any of the characters in this game again...

Ultima 7. Today I was remembering the casino in buccaneer's den. That's the way of making mini games...

You should see the House of Games in the SNES version. It's a ridiculous piece of shit infinitely better!

 

[anus_pounder]

 

[Darth Slaughter]

Ultima 7. Today I was remembering the casino in buccaneer's den. That's the way of making mini games...

You should see the House of Games in the SNES version. It's a ridiculous piece of shit infinitely better!

Well, a followed your let's play thread, but kind of keeping a distance... that game hurts...

About the casino, I remembered because of the way you bet: you just put the money on the table you bet yourself, there was no "talking-and-wait-the-computer-decide" kind of thing. You could try cheating. And you could see the ramdomness at work.

Think about baldur's gate: you talk to a guy and bet, he tells you to choose the number and then he says which number was the winning. But you never see really.

 

[spekkio]

Moar dear Sir!

 

[Silellak]

Moar dear Sir!

I'd be careful saying that in response to someone named "anus pounder".

 

[Sceptic]

Finding the location of the cup isn't that involved. You need three pieces of incense (easy to find), burn them and smoke them to get a mantra. Then when you use the mantra it'll give you directions to where to get the cup. I don't remember how you know to play the flute there, but there was a hint somewhere.

 

[Unkillable Cat]

I have no idea what to do here. I cannot talk to the ghost, but it is non-hostile and has a name.

Due to Underworld's limited engine, you cannot converse with anything in the game except critters. So how does the game let you talk to a door? By placing a critter nearby, and then have the critter start a conversation with you the first time you interact with the door.
In short, when you're talking to the "door", you're talking to Warren the spectre, a.ka. Warren Spector. It's an Easter Egg. Enjoy.

I see that you skipped out on several things in the lower levels, like the crypts on Level 7 and the only character you can talk to on Level 8.

 

[Elzair]

I see that you skipped out on several things in the lower levels, like the crypts on Level 7 and the only character you can talk to on Level 8.

Yes, by that point I just wanted to complete the game and move on.

 

[Elzair]

Alright, I just got out of Trinsic, so I guess I should collate my images and post an update either tonight or tomorrow (probably tomorrow). In the meantime, could you bump this?

 

[Silellak]

Alright, I just got out of Trinsic, so I guess I should collate my images and post an update either tonight or tomorrow (probably tomorrow). In the meantime, could you bump this?

 

[ironyuri]

Alright, I just got out of Trinsic, so I guess I should collate my images and post an update either tonight or tomorrow (probably tomorrow). In the meantime, could you bump this?

Bumping this shit harder than anus_pounder.

 

[Jaesun]

Just curious, will you be playing VII in Exult or DOSBox (jebus fucking chris.. "It's full of bugs....")?

 

[Azira]

Bada-bump!

 

[Darth Slaughter]

I already hear the guardian's evil laugh...

MOOOOOOAAAAAAAAHHHHR-HAHAHAHAHAHA...

BUMP

 

[Azira]

 

[Azira]

 

[Azira]

 

[Azira]

 

[Azira]

 

[Azira]