CURSE OF THE AZURE BONDS



CURSE OF THE AZURE BONDS

WALKTHROUGH

TILVERTON

1.     The Beginning

2.     Weaponers of Cormyr

3.     Windlord’s Inn

4.     “The Curse” Tavern

5.     Temple of Gond

6.     High Priest

7.     The Sage Filani

8.     The Hall of Training

9.     General Store

10.  Thieves Guildmaster

11.  Stairs to the Sewers

12.  Ambush

13.  Treasure

14.  Gate to Leave the City

You begin your new adventure at 1 with a series of strange tattoos on your arms and with no clues on how you’ve reached the city of Tilverton.

Leave your room and talk to the girl, exit the Inn and familiarize with the surroundings. First of all go to the smithy and buy some gear for your party, then reach the Training Hall if your characters need to level up.

Now it’s time to investigate, go to the high priest at 6 then to the sage at 7 and pay for his service. Try to leave the city but the guards stop you so have a couple of drinks at the Tavern until you hear some rumours and have the chance to investigate. Do it, then approach the city gates again to see the  king  arriving  in  Tilverton.  Your  tattoos  force  your  characters  to  attack  him  so  eliminate  the guards but choose “Surrender” after the first wave.

You’ll be thrown in jail and freed by a thief that accompanies you to his guildmaster at 10. Listen to him, rest, heal and move a step to trigger the conversation.

Eventually, an ambush will occur so fight alongside your new friends to eradicate the fire knives threat. (Note that you must pay attention to your area effect spells such “Fireball” or you’ll hit an ally, remember that the enemies names are in yellow). The guildmaster will die but you’re now free to explore the guild.

Go to 12, kill all the fire knives and grab the treasure at 13. After 6-8 encounters with the evil thieves you clear the block so rest, heal and descend the stairs at 11 to enter the sewers of Tilverton.

THE SEWERS AND THE HIDEOUT

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1.     Stairs to Tilverton 6.     Otyughs with Food 11.  Door to the Sewers

2.     Piece of Cloth 7.     Trolls 12.  Torture Chamber

3.     Checkpoint 8.     Knight 13.  Treasure

4.     Otyughs 9.     Secret Training Hall 14.  Armoury

5.     Sentient Otyughs 10.  Door to the Hideout 15.  Fire Knives Leader

You’re now under Tilverton, the sewers are the only way to the Hideout of the Fire knives. This level is structured to be a long tunnel but the three sections are assembled here like a normal 16x16 map so match the mark to navigate the level. Proceed directly to 2 to retrieve a piece of cloth then to 3 to clean the checkpoint. At 4 you can fight some monsters and use their lair to rest freely.

Go  all  the  way  south  and  meet  more  otyughs  at  5  but  this  time  choose  to  “Bargain”  with  them. They’ll send you on a quest so go to 6, exterminate the otyughs and retrieve the food before coming back to 5. You’ll be rewarded with some jewellery. Rest in their lair and reach the trolls at 7. Clean the two rooms to grab their treasure. Meet the knight at 8 and tell him  the truth. At 9, through a secret door, you can reach a secret Training Hall where you can level up if you need. When you’re fully rested choose a door at 10 and enter the Hideout.

This area has a lot of one-way secret doors that are displayed here like normal doors. Your goal is simple: find the leader, kill him and rescue the princess.

Proceed to 12 and free the slaves then head for the office at 13 and use the “Search” command to find some treasure. There’s another treasure in the  armoury so grab it, rest, heal and go to 15 to confront the fire knives leader. You should easily dispatch his band and save the princess but you’ll be exiled from Tilverton in any case.

Your  first  bond  is  no  more,  now  it’s  time  to  explore the world map. Travel to Ashabenford and enter the city to buy, sell and level up then travel to the Standing Stone to meet a mysterious man, thank him and he’ll direct you to the south. With this new clue travel to Essembra and, from there, to Hap. Watch out for the black dragons that block your path between the two cities and when you arrive at Hap enter the city.

HAP

1.     Temple of Sune

2.     Barn

3.     Stairs to Leave the Cave

4.     Silk

5.     Barracks

6.     Salamanders Lair

7.     Drow Clerics Gathering

8.     Drow Mages Gathering

9.     Blocked Passage

10.  Ambush

11.  Dracolich

12.  Stairs to Dracandros Tower

The leftmost part of the map represents the city of Hap. It’s now invaded by drows and the citizens hide themselves in the buildings.

Try to clear the streets from the drow patrols first then enter the temple where you can meet Akabar Bel Akash, a mage that can join your party if you want.

In the temple you can freely rest and heal to prepare yourself for the battle in the barn at 2. An efreet leads a group of drow so destroy them all to retrieve a map which describes the exact location of a cave near the city. (Note that you can use the drow equipment until you keep it away from the sunlight).

This battle, if you already cleared the streets, ends the city menace but you still have to find the source of this invasion so rest and leave the city to gain access to the cave described on the map.

As soon as you enter the drow cave go south and talk to Silk, accept her proposal then head to the barracks at 5 to eradicate all the drows inside.

Approach the salamanders lair at 6. You can gain entrance to their lair if you choose to parlay with them with a “Sly” approach but you earn some good  experience point if you clear the lair of its inhabitants. There are six treasure chests in the lair and you’ll sustain fire damage to open them so rest before trying.

In the rooms at 7 and 8 there are drow gatherings. It’s better to leave the dark elves alone because the fights are really difficult.

At 9 there is a passage to the Underdark realm of the drow but, when you approach, the elves will collapse the entrance so go to 11 past an ambush at 10. You have to fight a powerful dracolich but it’s alone and you should easily dispatch the monster.

Rest and heal then leave the cave at 12 to access Dracandros Tower.

DRACANDROS TOWER

1.     Black Dragons

2.     Drow Lord

3.     Wyverns

4.     Test of the Sphere

5.     Ambush

6.     Pool

7.     Bedroom

8.     Dracandros

9.     Door to Leave the Tower

You  automatically  reach  the  top  of  the  tower  where  Dracandros  try  to  force  you  to  attack  the dragons but they convince him to remove his bond from your party. You can now choose to fight the dragons to retrieve their hearts for Silk but it’s more convenient to parlay with them and fight a smaller force summoned by the evil mage.

When the battle is over climb down the stairs. (Note that you should match the symbols on the map to correctly navigate through this level).

As soon as you descend a drow lord will attack. He’s particularly nasty but you can blow him away with  a  single  “Poison”  spell.  Retrieve  his  gear  then  clear  the  next  room  from  wyverns  before approaching the test of the sphere.

Choose a fighter to sustain the test and keep him concentrate on the sphere until it kills the mage. Grab the treasure and go down to the next level. (Note that there is a variable number of random encounters on each level, when you clear one you can freely rest on it).

Nothing particular here, just an ambush at 5 that you must sustain before going down to the next level.

Go south to retrieve a magical object from the pool then clear another ambush at 5 before going to the bedroom and get some treasure. Go down the stairs to the final level.

Eradicate the wyvern threat at 3 then rest and heal before exiting the tower. Dracandros waits you at 8. Concentrate your melee power on him first to avoid its powerful spells then eliminate his band of monsters. Get his treasure and leave the tower at 9.

Return to the cave to receive a partial reward from Silk if you don’t kill the dragons then access the wilderness to journey back to Essembra where you can prepare yourself for the next phase of your adventure. Return to the Standing Stone and talk with the man then reach Yulash via Hillsfar and enter the city.

YULASH AND THE TEMPLE OF MOANDER

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1.     Door to Leave the City 5.     Pit 9.     Alias and Dragonbait

2.     Mess Hall 6.     Dead Cleric 10.  Mogion

3.     Barracks 7.     Pit to the Temple of Moander 11.  Treasure

4.     Zhentrim Ambush 8.     Entrance 12.  Stairs to Leave the Temple

As soon as you enter you’ll be intercepted by guards so ask for permission and follow them to their commander. When you wait for him some men burst out from a room and someone asks you to stop them; do so and eliminate the spies to obtain the respect of the commander who’ll let you move freely in the city now even if it’s under siege. There is nothing relevant in the city except that is full of enemies, it’s a good place to increase your experience but save often and use the barracks in the red plume quarter to rest freely.

Anyway,  before  entering  the  temple  itself,  pay  a  visit  to  the  remains  of  a  cleric  at  6.  Some shambling mounds are trying to get the body away so intercept and destroy them. On the dead cleric you’ll  find  the  Wand  of  Defoliation  that  is  very  useful  against  the  mounds  and  seems  to  have unlimited charges. Now rest and enter the temple at 7.

The passage will be blocked behind you at 8 but don’t worry. Go to 9 and meet two fighters that can join your party if you want then descend the stairs marked with a symbol on this map to access the inner temple. Rest if you need then go all the way north to 10 and meet your enemy. Mogion and the cultists are raising their god Moander and, in the process, your third bond disappears. When you can,  choose  to  attack  them  immediately  and  begin  the  battle.  Eliminate  the  cultists  first  with  a couple of “Fireball” spells then concentrate on the shambling mounds with “Magic Missiles” and the  Wand  of  Defoliation;  when  the  battle  is  over  continue  it  and  heal  your  wounded  characters because you’ll now face three bits of the Moander. They’re particularly nasty but you should have no problem with the Wand of Defoliation in your possession. When the battle is concluded use the “Search” command to find some other treasure at 11 then rest and heal before heading to the exit. At 12 in fact the cultists make a last attempt to stop you but they’re no serious threat. Leave the temple and you’ll find yourself in the wilderness; Yulash is now under attack and you can’t enter it anymore so journey to Teshwave to make your preparations for the next stage then, when ready, travel to Zhentil Keep and enter the city.

ZHENTIL KEEP

1.     Gate to Leave the City

2.     Private House

3.     Inn

4.     Weapons Shop

5.     Magic Shop

6.     Magistrate Office

7.     Courthouse

8.     Arena

9.     Equipment Shop

10.  Tavern

11.  Olive Ruskettle

12.  Dimswart

13.  Scrying Room

14.  Hooded Woman

You’ll  automatically  talk  to  the  commander  before  entering  the  city  itself.  When  you’re  free  to move explore the surroundings.

The  northern  section  of  the  keep  contains  various  shops  for  your  supplies  but  the  prices  are  the highest of the region.

In the magic shop however you can buy some useful scrolls and increase the number of spells in your spell book but you should wait the end of this phase and buy the same items in a shop near Dagger Falls at a more reasonable price.

Leave the private houses alone and watch out for enemy troops that can appear on your path. You can avoid or fight them but if you choose for battle remember that you can get caught and thrown in the arena. This means useless fights for freedom.

At the tavern at 10 you can bet on the arena fights to increase your finances but you should have plenty of coins now.

There are two ways to conclude this area. You can make your way through the southern temple with force and kill everyone in your path or choose a better method.

When you finish shopping meet Olive Ruskettle and accept her offering.

You’ll find yourself in the cell with Dimswart the sage inside the temple of Bane. Talk with him and accept him with you.

Pay a visit to the Scrying room at 13 to see what is waiting for you below then approach the hooded woman at 14 and follow her.

She’ll bring you before Dexam, the beholder, in the central part of his lair.

DEXAM LAIR

1.     Altar

2.     Ogres

3.     Dexam

4.     Manticores

5.     Otyughs

6.     Elf Fighter Corpse

7.     Gryphons

8.     Trap

9.     Stairs to Leave the Lair

You’re now at 1 confronting the evil beholder but Fzoul, the actual lord of the keep, intervene with his men to stop Dexam. During the conversation that follows your fourth bond disappears.

Now Dexam’s minions and Fzoul’s soldiers battle each other so sneak past them and exit the room by the north door.

You  must  now  find  and  kill  Dexam  so  disband  the  ogres  at  2  and  go  directly  to  3.  Rest  before entering  and  cast  some  protective  spells.  With  Dexam  there  are  some  minotaurs  and  the  hooded woman that reveals herself to be a medusa. Cast a couple of “Fireball” spells to clean the area from the medusa and the minotaurs then concentrate your melee power on Dexam. Your only way to end this combat with all your characters alive is to end it quickly. When finished choose to continue the combat  to  heal  your  party  because  you’re  immediately  attacked  by  Zhentrim  forces  but  some “Fireball” spells will end the problem.

You’ve now recovered the last artefact mentioned by Dimswart: the amulet of Lathander. (Note that you  obtained  the  first  one,  the  Helm  of  Dragons,  by  killing  Dracandros  and  the  second  one,  the Gauntlet of Moander, by eliminating the three bits of Moander). Feel free to explore the lair now and destroy all monster groups. Get the treasure on the elf body at 6 disarming his trap then exit the lair from 9. Olive will escort you out in the wilderness. You cannot re-enter the city because of a civil war but it doesn’t really matter, there is only one bond left on your arm.

Now, before the final part of the game, it’s a good time to fulfil some side-quests. In every city not included in the main path there are secret dungeons if you choose to “Search the area” instead of entering it. In nearly all of these dungeons there is a mini-quest randomly placed in them so your main objective is to travel across these levels to uncover the quests and make a lot of experience along  the  way.  When  you’ve  finished  with  the  side-quests  return  to  the  Standing  Stone  and  the mysterious man will reveal himself. Your new destination is Myth Drannor so journey on and enter the city.

Here follows the maps of these dungeons:

HILLSFAR                                                             VOONLAR

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1.     Passage to Leave the Area

ASHABENFORD  LEVEL 01

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1.     Passage to Leave the Area 2.     Tarsus

ASHABENFORD  LEVEL 02

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ESSEMBRA  LEVEL 01

[pic]

ESSEMBRA  LEVEL 02                            PHLAN

[pic] [pic]

1.     Passage to Leave the Area

SHADOWDALE  LEVEL 01

[pic]

1.     Passage to Leave the Area

2.     Wounded Man

SHADOWDALE  LEVEL 02

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SHADOWDALE  LEVEL 03

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TESHWAVE

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1.     Passage  to  Leave the Area 2.     Trap 3.     Tarsus

DAGGER FALLS

1.     Passage to Leave the Area

2.     Treasure

3.     Stairs Leading up to the Top

4.     Medusa

5.     Teleport to 1

6.     Gas Trap

7.     Entrance to Conclave

At Dagger Falls there is a different type of side-quest.

When you search the area you’ll find a magic shop where you can buy some useful items and, as soon as you leave, the shopkeeper mentions that a beholder inhabits a tower nearby.

Enter the tower and go up to the second level to grab the treasure.

At 3 you can continue to go up until you reach the top of the tower inhabited by a priest. Loot all the treasure then return the ground level.

Enter the main cave and slain a band of medusa behind a secret wall then follow the path until you reach a room full of doors.

You can explore the various rooms but only the south-west one will allow you to proceed further on the level.

Eliminate another band of medusa and a gas spore then go all the way to the east to reach a large room to the south-east.

At 7 there is the entrance to the conclave where several monsters are gathering. The main room contain a huge amount of beholders (dozens), priests and raksasha.

The battle is impossible to win but you can try if you want.

Anyway, when you’ve finished, leave the tower and return to Myth Drannor to begin the final part of the game.

MYTH DRANNOR  GRAVEYARD

1.     Fake Spirit

2.     Daemir Spirit

3.     Red Web

4.     Spiders

5.     Fake Red Plume

6.     Hooded Man

7.     Thri-Kreen Camp

8.     Spirit Queen

This part of the ancient city of the elves is now inhabited by thri-kreen and spiders.

If you leave the area from the south-west you can return to the wilderness but if you leave it from the north-east you’ll enter the ruins section.

When  you  pass  through  the  graves  it  is  possible  to  encounter  thri-kreen  digging,  kill  them  and choose to rebury the rests.

Wander until you exhaust all the random encounters (about ten) then begin to search the area.

Talk to the fake spirit at 1 (that is actually a rakshasa) and enter the adjacent building to hack the red web.

Move east to accept the blessing from the princess at 2 then enter the building to the north and clean it from spiders.

At 5 another masked rakshasa lures you into a trap but you can easily dispatch him.

Meet the mysterious man at 6 then enter the large building in the centre of the map.

At  7  you’ll  have  to  face  three  waves  of  thri-kreen  protecting  their  treasure  but  some  “Fireball” spells will end the problem.

Retrieve the items then go to the north most building and clean this one from spiders too.

Now go to 8 and meet the spirit of the queen of the elves. She’ll give you some useful items. (Note that the quarrels can dispatch a rakshasa with a single blow).

You’ve  now  finished  with  this  section  so  rest  and  heal  then  leave  the  area  from  north-east  and choose “Path” to access the ruins section.

MYTH DRANNOR  RUINS

1.     Passage to Return to the Graveyard

2.     Tirsheya

3.     Treasure

4.     Man in Trouble

5.     Gambling Room

6.     Gate to the Temple of Bane

7.     Sewers Entrance

8.     Rakshasa Trap

9.     Rakshasa Leader

This section instead is inhabited only by rakshasa.

As for the previous sector wander a bit to exhaust all the random encounters before exploring the area.

At 2 you’ll meet a rakshasa needing your help. Accept his offer and confront his enemy to gain access to the storeroom treasure at 3.

Try to rescue the man chased by hell hounds at 4.

He’ll reveal you the spot of a treasure in a north-east room at 2. Remember to use the “Search” command to find this treasure that includes some very powerful objects.

Clean the gambling room from its occupants to make some experience then kill the two rakshasa that are trying to lure you into other pitiful traps. (Remember that you can use your magic quarrels to quickly dispatch these monsters because you don’t need them later).

There is only one last thing to do. Go to 9 and choose to parlay in “Haughty” mode with the leader of this people. He’ll help you preventing his men from join your enemy in the final battle.

This concludes the ruins, now rest and heal.

Go to a city to sell/buy the last items and make the last preparations because when you enter the Temple of Bane there is no way back.

When you feel ready return to the ruins.

You  can  access  the  temple  from  the  main  doors  but  a  better  way  is  to  enter  it  from  the  sewers entrance located at 7, so kill the guard and enter the temple from this location.

THE TEMPLE OF BANE

1.     Entrance from the Sewers

2.     Treasure

3.     Priests of Bane

4.     First Meeting with Tyranthraxus

5.     Second Meeting with Tyranthraxus

You’ll find yourself at 1 after accessing the temple from the sewers entrance in the ruins above.

There aren’t a lot of things to do here. Grab the last treasure at 2 and avoid any encounter because the last bond prevent you from resting down here.

Go  directly  to  4  to  meet  your  enemy.  After  his  speech  he’ll  leave  some  minions  to  stop  you. Eliminate  them  using  the  minimum  number  of  spells  and  loosing  the  minimum  amount  of  hit points.

Tyranthraxus escaped but you can locate him with the help of the Helm of Dragons. Now save and load  until  you’re  able  go  upstairs  behind  the  final  room  at  5  without  having  a  single  random encounter.  Save  and  prepare  for  the  final  battle.  Cast all protective spells memorized before and enter the room.

This is not an easy fight. First of all move your characters away from the centre of the room and place them through the north door to limit the melee fights. Now cast all the “Fireball” spells in your memory to clean the area from Tyranthraxus minions then concentrate all your efforts on him alone. Cast “Magic Missiles” and swing your swords. Eventually he’ll die so sit back and watch the end sequence.

Congratulations! You’ve finished Curse of the Azure Bonds.

Walkthrough written by Marco Alessandri

E-Mail: paranor@tin.it - June, 1 2001

Credits: Thanks to Andrew Lai walkthrough for giving the bases to this one.

These maps are designed with “Dungeon Crafter” v1.4.1 -

Very Special Thanks to Claudia Spiga (Ancora Ciao Topina)

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In order to avoid copyright disputes, this page is only a partial summary.

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