Nephilim Fortress|
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Nephilim Fortress |
Spiders/Formello |
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This is a large and complex dungeon on three levels. The main gate is well guarded but there is also a backdoor guarded only by two groups of Nephilim.
As soon as you get through the backdoor you will be attacked from two sides, mostly goblins but also nephilim and Subchief Darmul from the west and Spiritist Thrrrr supported by another nephil spiritist, some nephilim and goblins in the shrine to the east. The main problem is that a lot of the doors are open. It is therefore a good idea to clear out the dining room and kill the ogre on the small room east of the Trophy Room before exploring further.
After removing all opposition in the open areas I like to look around and pick up a bit of loot. Then NW and down into the cellar, where the drake Darkhaz lives. If you did not pick up a Bronze Key in the Goblin Fort you can find one in the SW of the cellar. After clearing out the lower level you can concentrate on the ground floor before going upstairs to the first floor where mayor Evelyn's necklace is.
Although there are other ways of getting into the cellar, I will describe it as if you enter in the NW. There is a reception committee of a few nephilim awaiting you around the corner.
Darkhaz is relatively easy for a drake. Unfortunately he does not have any treasure other than a Serpentskin Helmet. To the south of his lair is a locked door behind which is a chamber with four pillars. To the south is a door to a treasure chamber. As soon as you step on the pentagram in front of the door the walls to the east and west disappear to reveal six ghouls. When you have defeated the ghosts you can loot the treasure room. There are some coins on the landing just behind door. In front of the chest in the SW is a trap which need Tool Use 5. This chest holds some nice items (Iron Breastplate, 34 coins, Lemonwood Bow and Augmented oots). The untrapped Bchest in the SE yields a Speed Potion, a Purging Crystal and a Steel Shield. To the west of the chamber with the four pillars is a locked door (TU 4) which conceals a chest with a Bronze Key in it.
To the south are some spiders. Luckily there are no webs blocking the ways in this game thus making fights with them much easier. These Spiders are guarding a corpse carrying a few coins.
To the east is a door with a pen of giant lizards and one Fire Lizard to the south. If you kill the lizards you can find a body in a cave to the SE with a few coins, an Iron Shortsword and an Oozing Wand.
The door to the north of the lizard pen leads into a Nephilim barracks – nothing special here. Further north is the torture chamber and some prison cells guarded by Torturemaster Rrrek and a few henchmen. In the northern cell is Kneedler. He does not seem to be particularly keen on getting away from the fort but can tell you that the necklace has been taken by the priests and that Zemera, who lives on the upper level, is a rather nasty piece of work. He nevertheless seems to have a soft spot for her. He does however ask you to tell him if you kill her so that he can finally feel free to leave the fort.
To the east of the barracks is a staircase up to the ground floor.
To the north of the Thrrrr's shrine is a small office. There is an interesting note from Zemera to Thinshadow in the desk. It tells you about one place where the Bronze Key, which you need to get the necklace, can be found (as if there were not already enough hints). East of the shrine is a hallway with two staircases, one leading down to the barracks in the cellar and the other leading up to the first floor. To the north is a dormatory with lots of inhabitants and a bit of loot.
To the south are three rooms: NE labeled "Blossthus" is locked (TU 4), SE a Nephil warrior and SW a dormatory with three warriors. Most of the doors are again open, so you have to kill not only the opposition here but also further to the west around the front gate before you can look around. Further west is a training room with a few Nephilim. After you have killed all the warriors that are there or storm in to kill you, you can loot the area. There is quit a lot to pick up on the ground floor but nothing exceptional.
Mage Blossthus who is accompanied by two nepilim is a bit tough. He drops a bit of loot including some Drake Hide Gloves: +2% armour and +3% to Magical Damage (hopfully to the spells you cast and not to those cast on you). There is a cupboard containing some coins and useful items in the east and another in the west containing a few items.
There are two ways to the upper level: a ladder in the middle of the ground floor just west of the temple which leads into the mess and a staircase in the northeast leading to a corridor NE of the mess. So there is not a lot of difference between them. There are lots of various nephilim around and most doors are again open. After removing the opposition in the central area it is a good idea to go to the south and destroy the mechanism for pouring boiling oil over intruders in front of the main gate.
At this stage you could go straight to the temple, recover the necklace and return to Formello. I prefer however to pick up the loot which is lying around and explore areas to the north. In the NW corner of the mess to the east of the trapdoor is a chest with some coins and a gold necklace:
A bit to the south of the staircase in the NE is a room with a nephil spiritist guarded by 3 zombies. After killing them you can pick up some loot on the floor or in the chest and open a secret door.
Off the corridor leading north from the the middle of the level are four rooms with a few things that can be picked up. The tome in the SE room contains nothing useful.
Just south of this corridor is a door to a corridor leading east. The first door leads to a nehpil alchemist. After killing him you can find a few herbs and potions on the floor and in a chest. In the room to the west is Chief Charrar accompanied by two Chieftain's Escorts, a Nephil Warrior and a Giant Lizard. They drop a few items including a Treated Leather Armour. Reading the tome in the corner just poisons you.
The "Hall of Honoured Dead – Active and Inactive" in the west has 5 zombies and 8 sarcophagi, of which only four are openable and contain a few items including a Beautiful Crystal and a Reinforced Belt.
To the south of the corridor with two obelisks west of the mess is a door with a bronze lock into which your bronze key fits. This leads to the Temple were High Shaman Mrrrrmm presides over two nehpil Acolytes and four Ghouls. Once you have killed them you can approach the altar. If you destroy it four Imps appear (two near the alter and two nearer the doors. Before approaching the altar, it is a good idea to go into combat mode, hasten and bless everybody, spread out your party members and then let one of your warriors destroy the altar. This way you have a good chance of beating the imps before they can do too much damage or call up so many monsters that you are overwhelmed.
After you have killed them you can pick up the dropped items. Although the imps do not drop anything, the nephilim drop a Nimble Chain and a Fiery Wand. To the SW is a locked robing room with a few minor items lying around. The cupboard contains two scrolls: Return Life and Spineshield. To the NW is a room with three Zombies but apparantly no treasure. If you look carefully however you find that one pile of skulls hides an Emarald. To the NE is an alchemy store with a few useful ingredients including Mandrake.
The door to the SE is the important one. In the middle of the room is a heptagram surrounding a chest in which rests the Necklace! Nothing happens if you approach the chest and open it. Once you have taken Necklace you have completed the quest for Evelyn. But before going off to collect your reward it is a good idea to pay a visit on Zemera:
She is protected by two personal guards and two nephil Archers in her Throne-Room east of the room with the brazier in the south. She will talk to you as soon as you enter the hall and will tell you about herself and also a bit about the Abyss and the Freehold of Kyass if you ask her. You can however Hast, Bless and enter combat mode before opening the door and conduct the conversation in combat mode. In which case she should not be too difficult. She drops a Shining Silk Robe. Her quarters are hidden to the north. The first room contains nothing. He bedroom further to the north has a chest with an Emerald and a few coins. The dresser contains Zemera's Journal which gives an account of how she came to be (partly) in charge of this nephil fortress which is slightly differnt from what she told you in her throne-room. The text here is identical with A1, the dialogue with her before the fight is however new.
Congratulations you have cleared this dungeon. So off to Evelyn in Formello to collect your reward. Now is the time to explore the environs of Formello, in particular the Lair of Motrax and the Ancient Crypt. Then to the Tower of Magi and the Castle. But do not forget to go down to the prison cells and tell Kneedler that you have killed Anastasia. You get around 30xp and 1 reputation.