RUNESTONE
by Alan Davis, Simon Freeman, Simon Jay
℗ 1985 Firebird
NOTES
You can control three characters directly: Morval the Warrior, Eliador the Elf
and Greymarel the Wizard. In order to switch to another character you have to
use the CHANGE command, e.g. CHANGE ELIADOR. If you ask a character to follow
you (e.g. SAY ELIADOR FOLLOW ME), and he agrees, he will follow you around
wherever you go - however, if you change to some other character, and change
back again later, you may need to remind your followers to continue following.
To move through the landscape, turn your character (by entering the compass
direction) in the direction he shall go, then enter the MOVE (M) command; it's
useful to link commands together using commas, e.g. E,M,M,M (which counts as one
turn). When you want to enter a dragonship, simply move on in the appropriate
direction (there's no ENTER SHIP command).
There are six roaming orcs (Drobnak, Garblath, Gorbul, Ludrak, Dorkith and
Kobrak) which capture Greymarel, Eliador, Loravel and Lissa shortly after the
start of the adventure and take them to Krilboth's tower [20], where you have to
free them later after fighting all seven orcs in this tower.
To fight orcs, trolls or dragons, use the weapon you are carrying (e.g. HIT
DROBNAK WITH SWORD) and let your companions help you (e.g. SAY ELDRIC HIT STORG
WITH AXE). Eliador can use his bow and arrow (e.g. SAY ELIADOR SHOOT RILBLAST),
but after each shot he has to pick up the arrow again. When fighting, it makes
sense to use the keys SHIFT & 2, this repeats the last command entered.
Before and during a fight, you should check your state of health and that of
your companions with the command STATUS (or e.g. STATUS BRUNOR); if someone is
weary, you can let someone else fight. To refresh strength, you can also EAT
BREAD (this is possible twice) or DRINK POTION (once).
The most effective way of refreshing is to drink from the magical lake in the
deserted lands (in the top right corner of the map). It will only appear when
you have spoken to Questor. Just stand in front of the lake and DRINK WATER (or
e.g. SAY GREYMAREL DRINK WATER).
Besides destroying Kordomir (this is your main task) you can achieve a higher
score by collecting all the lost treasures of Belorn. Since each character can
carry only five objects, you must distribute them among your companions (e.g.
SAY ELIADOR GET DIAMOND, SAY ELDRIC GIVE TAPESTRY TO GREYMAREL etc.). When a
character becomes unable to carry another item, he will pick it up but
immediately drop it again. To show what everyone is carrying, use the LIST
command (LIST or e.g. LIST ELDRIC). It can also happen that a character is
faster than you and picks up an item before you can do that, so pay attention.
The only character capable of using magic is Greymarel the Wizard. For this he
needs his staff and the Book of Zarimir which contains five spells. Chrona's
help is necessary to discover them (SAY CHRONA READ BOOK). Here they are:
Xaramith - weakens whoever you cast it upon
Shazaroth - transports whoever you cast it upon onto the island where
Groblik's tower is
Lumenos - sends a bolt of lightning towards your victim
Afortis - increases the strength of the character you cast it upon
Visimir - when cast upon a character will make all his valuables vanish
The Shazaroth spell is essential to defeat Saromundor the Sorcerer (CAST
SHAZAROTH ON SAROMUNDOR). The Lumenos spell is useful when fighting the orcs at
Krilboth's tower; it can be used three times in a row, so there are only four
orcs left which have to be fought with weapons.
In order to enter Kordomir's fortress and destroy him, Greymarel, Eliador, and
Morval must be present. One of them has to carry the Runestone of Zaphir and
wear the silver ring which causes the curtain of fear around the fortress to
vanish.
Finally, a few words about Skrimnal the Sly. He is the most annoying character
in the adventure because he appears randomly and steal your belongings. When he
grins you know that this just happened. What you can do is to SAY SKRIMNAL DROP
ALL (usually several times), SAY SKRIMNAL GO X where X is the opposite direction
you want to go, and then GET ALL. That's how you get rid of him for a while (but
you can be sure that he will come back again and again!). Be sure to avoid
entering any dwelling in the Northern Wastes when Skrimnal is present, as you
cannot send him out or go out yourself, and fighting is complicated once he has
taken your weapons away from you. Also avoid telling Skrimnal to drop things
when sailing with him on a dragonship - you will lose them because they fall
into the water. If he has stolen the silver ring, you have to wear it again
after picking it up; however the hauberk you wear automatically when you've
taken it again.
To see your current score, simply type SCORE. Your score increases when you
defeat an orc, troll or dragon (2 or 3%), open a chest (2%), discover the spells
from the Book of Zarimir (11%) and when Kordomir is destroyed (11%).
SOLUTION
(This is not a step-by-step walkthrough because of the random elements (mainly
Skrimnal) but it shows a way to solve the adventure in a specific order. That's
why there are no set commands as to which character is currently fighting
[depending from their health status] a hostile denizen of the Northern Wastes or
who is to pick up a specific object. Therefore, the corresponding commands are
written in lowercase. The numbers in square brackets refer to the locations on
the map.)
CHANGE GREYMAREL, M [07], IN, GET STAFF, CHANGE ELIADOR, LIST (you have bow and
arrow), go S,M,M,W,M,M,M,M,M,M,M,M to Chrona's hut [04], IN, LIST CHRONA (she's
carrying a bottle of potion), SAY CHRONA FOLLOW ME, OUT,
go E,M,M,M,M,M,M,M,M,M,M,M,M,N,M,M,M,M,M,M,M,M,M,M,M to Grimnal's hut [9], IN,
SAY GRIMNAL HELP, OUT, go W,M,M,M,M,M,M,M,M,M,M,N,M,M to Barinir's tower [11],
IN, LIST BARINIR (he has a dagger), SAY BARINIR FOLLOW ME, OUT,
go S,M,M,M,M,M,M,M,M,M,M,E,M,M,M to Eldric's hut [05], IN, LIST ELDRIC (he has
an axe), SAY ELDRIC HELP ('Questor the Hermit has knowledge of the Northern
Wastes'), SAY ELDRIC FOLLOW ME, OUT,
go S,M,M,M,M,E,M,M,M,M,M,M,S,M,M,E,M,M,M,M,M,M,M,N,M,M to Loravel's fortress
[03], IN, LIST LISSA, SAY LISSA GIVE CHRONA COIN, SAY LISSA HELP ('Chrona the
Wise sees mysteries far and near. You may need her aid'), CHANGE MORVAL, N,M
[02], IN, GET SWORD, OUT, go W,M,M,M,M to Loravel's fortress, IN (meanwhile
Eliador, Loravel and Lissa may have been captured by the orcs), OPEN CHEST, get
shield, SAY CHRONA GIVE BOTTLE, EXAMINE BOTTLE ('drink, bearer, in your hour of
greatest need'), SAY CHRONA FOLLOW ME, SAY BARINIR FOLLOW ME, SAY ELDRIC FOLLOW
ME, OUT (before leaving, you may have to WAIT until no more orcs are present),
go E,M,M,M,M,M,M,M,M,M,M,M,M,M,M,M,M,M,S,M to Questor's cavern [01], IN, SAY
QUESTOR HELP (he tells you about a magical lake in the Northern Wastes with
water of wondrous properties), OUT,
go W,M,M,M,M,M,M,M,M,N,M,M,M,M,M,M,M,M,M,M,M,M,M,M to Brunor's tower [10], IN,
LIST MALADRON, SAY CHRONA GIVE COIN, BUY BREAD (Maladron takes the coin), OPEN
CHEST, get hauberk, WEAR HAUBERK, SAY BRUNOR FOLLOW ME, OUT,
go S,M,W,M,M,M,M,M,M,M,M,M,M to board the nearest dragonship,
go N,M,M,M,M,M,M,M,M,M,M,M,M,M,M,M,M,M to Gruk's tower [15], IN, HIT GRUK WITH
SWORD (repeat until he staggers away), OPEN CHEST, get ring, examine ring (one
of the lost treasures of Belorn), WEAR RING, OUT, go S,M,M,W,M,M,M,M,M,M,M,M to
Kagarik's tower [14], IN, say Brunor get mace, SAY BRUNOR HIT KAGARIK WITH MACE
(repeat until he staggers away), OPEN CHEST, get casket, examine casket (one of
the lost treasures of Belorn), OUT, go E,M,M,M,M,M,M,M,M,S,M,M,M back to the
dragonship, go E,M,M,M,M,M,M,M,M,S,M,M,M,E,M,M,M,M,M,M,M,M,M,M,M,M to Skorg's
cave [13], IN, HIT SKORG WITH SWORD (until he staggers away), OPEN CHEST, get
tapestry, examine tapestry (one of the lost treasures of Belorn), OUT,
go W,M,M,M,M,M,M,M,M,M,M,M,M,M,M,M,M to Groblik's tower [12], IN, HIT GROBLIK
WITH SWORD (until he staggers away), OPEN CHEST (you find the Book of Zarimir),
say Chrona get book, SAY CHRONA READ BOOK (repeat this until she has discovered
all five spells), OUT,
go E,M,M,M,M,M,M,M,M,M,M,N,M,M,M,M,M,M,M,W,M,N,M,M,M,M,M,E,M to Dobrik's tower
[19], IN, hit Dobrik with sword (until he staggers away), OPEN CHEST, get
figurine, examine figurine (one of the lost treasures of Belorn), OUT,
go W,M,M,N,M,M to Krilboth's tower [20], IN (you see Greymarel, Eliador, Lissa
and Loravel and seven orcs), CHANGE GREYMAREL, SAY CHRONA GIVE BOOK, CAST
LUMENOS ON KRILBOTH, CAST LUMENOS ON KOBRAK, CAST LUMENOS ON DORKITH, CHANGE
MORVAL, fight the remaining orcs with the help of the other captured characters,
SAY BARINIR FOLLOW ME, SAY BRUNOR FOLLOW ME, SAY CHRONA FOLLOW ME, SAY ELDRIC
FOLLOW ME, SAY ELIADOR FOLLOW ME, SAY GREYMAREL FOLLOW ME, SAY LISSA FOLLOW ME,
SAY LORAVEL FOLLOW ME, OUT,
go W,M,M,M,M,M,M,M,M,N,M,M,M,M,M,M,M,M,M,E,M,M,M,M,M,M,M,M,M,M,N to the magical
lake, DRINK WATER, SAY GREYMAREL DRINK WATER, SAY ELIADOR DRINK WATER, SAY
BARINIR DRINK WATER, SAY BRUNOR DRINK WATER, SAY CHRONA DRINK WATER, SAY ELDRIC
DRINK WATER, SAY LISSA DRINK WATER, SAY LORAVEL DRINK WATER,
go E,M,N,M,M,E,M,M,M,M,M,N,M to Storg's hut [30], IN, hit Storg with sword
(until he staggers away), OPEN CHEST, get manuscript, read manuscript (one of
the lost treasures of Belorn), OUT, go S,M,W,M,M,M,M,M,M,M,M,M,S,M,W,M,M,N,M,M
to Rilblast's cave [31], IN, hit Rilblast with sword (until he staggers away),
OPEN CHEST, get scabbard, examine scabbard (one of the lost treasures of
Belorn), OUT, go S,M,M,M,W,M,M,M,M to Klutrig's tower [28], IN, hit Klutrig with
sword (until he staggers away), OPEN CHEST, get emerald, examine emerald (one of
the lost treasures of Belorn), OUT, go W,M,M,S,M,M,M,M,M,M,M,M,M to Driblik's
tower [22], IN, hit Driblik with sword (until he staggers away), OPEN CHEST, get
diamond, examine diamond (one of the lost treasures of Belorn), OUT, DROP SWORD,
DROP SHIELD, DROP HAUBERK, go W,M,M,M,M,M,M,M,N,M,M,M to Saromundor's hut [24],
IN, CHANGE GREYMAREL, CAST SHAZAROTH ON SAROMUNDOR (he is transported onto the
island), OPEN CHEST, get runestone, SAY MORVAL FOLLOW ME, SAY ELIADOR FOLLOW ME,
SAY CHRONA FOLLOW ME, SAY ELDRIC FOLLOW ME, SAY BARINIR FOLLOW ME, SAY BRUNOR
FOLLOW ME, SAY LORAVEL FOLLOW ME, SAY LISSA FOLLOW ME, OUT,
go S,M,M,W,M,M,M,M,M,M,M,N,M,M,W,M,M,M,M,S,M to Snorfir's cave [23], IN, CAST
SHAZAROTH ON SNORFIR, OPEN CHEST, get amulet, examine amulet (one of the lost
treasures of Belorn), OUT, finally (make sure that the silver ring is worn by
Morval, Eliador or Greymarel)
#go N,M,E,M,M,N,M,M,E,M,N,M,M,W,M,M,M,N,M,M,E,M,M,M,N,M,E,M,N,M,M and then
W,M,M,S,M,W,M,M,M,M,M,N,M to Kordomir's fortress [32], IN (There is a blinding
flash of light and Kordomir is destroyed. About 72 per cent of the quest is
completed).
Solution by boldir, September 2022
