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I wrote this solutions guide and included it as part of the package I submitted to various software publishers in 1986.  It was never published but apparently used internally by Sierra On-Line’s tech support people.  And yes, my old writing from so many years ago is rather embarrassing.

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The Wrath of Denethenor

NOTE: This document reveals most everything there is to discover in the game. None of the following should appear in the final documentation.

Player Spells

Specere unrolls a magic scroll (which the player must have on hand) upon the screen. The map upon the scroll will only reveal the portion of Deledain in memory at the time. After viewing the scroll, it will disintegrate (again, literally) – thus, one use per scroll.

Tulicanre provides the only means of igniting a torch. Personal light is necessary not only when it gets dark (the current time is displayed in the Status), but while in underground cities, labyrinths, or passages – each of which are completely different.

Netrelon transports the player through a door – most useful when the door is locked. A charm is required and will expire after two uses.

Monsrol passes the player into a seperate “dimension” in which the player may move about Deledain in a different time – the entire world appears frozen. Sailing is of course impossible as all the ships will stand solid in the frozen ocean. This spell requires the expenditure of one pendant. Denethenor can counteract its effect.

Inslerete allows the player to pass unseen. This is useful for confusing beasts and avoiding certain traps but prevents meaningful conversation with others. This spell requires the possession of silver dust.

Resonim releases the demon’s glow from its steadfast position. In its place the ground is scorched red. Its effect is only temporary but it can be quite amusing to watch beasts disintegrate in the return of the demon glow’s form, unless you are the victim yourself.

Wethrir is the weakest of the kill spells and appears as a diffuse light as it is sent across the terrain toward any object. It will disintegrate upon striking an inanimte object.

Lethren allows the player to return the fire of the demons who are quite practiced in its use. This spell summons the demon’s glow which the caster may send out in any direction. If it should strike and kill a creature, it will leave a long-lasting field where the beast once stood.

Elresire is the most dangerous for it strikes out from the caster without control. Any creature within sight may or may not be struck. And usually one hit will destroy most any beast.

Desapar will probably be the last spell the player will master, if ever. It has nearly the same strength of hit as Elresire but guarantees a hit upon every beast in proximity to the caster.

 

The Worlds of Deledain

The following pages describe each geographical area of Deledain in detail and reveal solutions to various puzzles.

Nisondel

The adventure begins when the player is awakened on the northwest pennisula of Nisondel. Northwest of the beginning position is a sign identifying the continent. Southwest and across a river is the town of Backwoods.

The player must earn enough gold to supply him or herself with a good weapon and at least light armor before leaving Nisondel. As long as the player is in Nisondel (and is unclothed with armour) the beasts will hit the player with a greatly reduced force. There are no high order beasts here (terrahydras, demons, crachens, dreyx, etc) and thus this area serves as a training ground. The player will also be given a chance to become accustomed to labyrinth travel, day and night life, and managing supplies of rations and equipment. In Nisondel the player will learn of the low-order spells and of the various quests that 1ie ahead in the rest of Deledain.

There are five dimension doors in Nisondel. the only route out of Nisondel is on the long island northwest of the continent at the island’s southern tip. A ship my only be anchored at the northern tip due to shallow waters. Ships must be obtained in Pescara, on the southeatern pennisula of Nisondel. This harbour is only accessible by water or through passage of the labyrinth Firetrench.

Backwoods is probably the first township to be encountered. The player will find a “diner,” a weapons shop (whip & dagger), and the only trading post in Nisondel here. Also, the hermit south of town will give the player the spell Tulicanre. The folks in the diner will pass several important clues related to the exit from Nisondel.

Castle Solrain is located in the dead center of the continent but hidden from view by a large ring of countains. Here, the player will learn of the enscription and of the spell Specere. There are vaults, an armoury (cloak & leather), and weapons (whip & handaxe). the player must first know how to pass through locked doors and how to appease the bar room folk. (If the player keeps bothering the bar room folk, a brawl will break out – all against one. The player must instead buy a round of drinks for the house.) Speaking to Lord Solrain will gain the player 5 points of intelligence.

Solrain Argoth is located northeast of Castle Solrain but in a relatively open area of Nisondel. There’s a cafe, a weapons shop (handaxe & rapier), a bank (and vault!), and a jailhouse here. This is where the player may learn of the spell Netrelon plus there are references to the Backwoods hermit, the spell Specere, the Deledain penitentiary, and CastleDrawn.

Dry Gulch is flooded but still hospitable. It’s located on the southern shore of the northern most isle of Nisondel. (the island is accessible by a dimnsion door as well as by sea travel.) There is a soup counter offering rations and a chapel which houses the only cleric in Nisondel who is capable of healing an individual. Most of the town is unreachable without the knowledge of Netrelon. The player may learn the spell Wethrir here plus there are references to various high order spells.

Firetrench is the first labyrinth the player will ever encounter but is extremely small compared to other labyrinths in Deledain. The player must pass through the maze in order to get to Pescara, get a ship, and ultimately leave Nisondel.

Pescara is the only harbour in Nisondel. The clues found in Pescara are only obscure hints to the spell Resonim and to the exit from Nisondel. There is a weapons shop (longbow & crossbow) but Pescara is vital only for its stock of ships. This is probably the last township that the player will discover in Nisondel.

Cestiona

Now the real fun begins. the player will emerge from Nisondel into Cestiona in the southeast area of the main continent just north of a sign, a tiny mountain lake, and one of Cestiona’s nine dimension doors. The most northeastern door is a side adventure and goose chase. It takes the player to a large island off of Arveduin (the 3rd continent). Eventually the player will discover that this will get him/her nowhere. There is no way off the island except back here to Cestiona.

The true exit from Cestiona lies in a tiny rocky island northwest of the continent. This island is only accessible from a dimension door on the northerly “fire” island. Setting foot on the island without the protection of Resonim or Monsrol will ignite the island into a field of demon glow – a force easily capable of quickly ending the adventure.

Bay of Mirrih is a harbour on the larger southern island and is located behind the water break. The player must go here to obtain a ship but the island’s only link with the mainland is a dimension door found in Cestiona’s southern mountainous region. The Bay of Mirrih also offers rations and armour (chain & plate). The player might also try to break Mirrih’s security and rob the wharehouses and the stockroom of the armour shop. The clues here consist of references to Death Meadow, CastleDrawn, Janai, Bhui, Lord Mirrih, and Clien – an important collection of clues.

Castle Mirrih is visible from many points (during the day) but is only accessible by ship for it is located far upstrem the massive river which divides Cestiona in two. There are no merchants here (though there is a vault and a harbour to Mirrih’s fleet). Lord Mirrih will grant the player 5 points of intelligence and also send the player on a search for hemlock. Upon returning with the prize, Mirrih will grant an extra 10 points of intelligence. (The hemlock is located in Bregalad.) Bhui may be found here in the dungeon – he will reveal the spell Resonim. There are references here to the Hole, Swain’s Pub, Donovan, Janai, and Death Meadow. Many of the inhabitants are preoccupied with Mirrih’s search for disciples of Denethenor.

Lake Fionell is a township on the southwest shore of the lake. The player will find a food store, weapons shop (handaxe & handsword), armoury (leather & chain) , and a bank here. The player can learn of the spell Monsrol and of En Siev and Shadowmre. There are also references to the Hole, CastleDrawn, and Limbar.

Mount Karibae is a secluded town near the south shore of Cestiona in the mountainous region. It is accessible only by a ship and a long walk from a small western beach – the only ground exposed to the ocean in this entire area. This mountain town is very obscure but extremely important. It will be difficult to complete the game without Clien’s advice (he will be found on a boardwalk over the lake here). Clien describes the three entrances to Denethenor’s fortress – two of which are very deadly dead ends. The town is also home to the only trading post in Cestiona, a sushi bar, and Swain’s Pub. This is also the only place in the entire game where one may purchase torches. The bar room folk here speak of Castle Denethena.

The Hole is an unusual labyrinth packed with over 60 dreyx which guard the greatest collection of chests in the entire game. Attempting to defeat the dreyx without magic is futile no matter what level of hits the player begins with. The player absolutely must make good use of his or her magic abilities to claim the treasure. The Hole is located near the western shore of Cestiona among the mountains.

Mirrih Argoth is located in the mountainous region of Cestiona near the great river. It is home to a large number of Lord Mirrih’s soldiers. There is a bar and grill here and most of the the bar room talk is about Donovan and his lost treasure. One of the residents knows the healing ritual. There are also very helpful clues to the spell Elresire here. The vault at the back of the soldier’s quarters is protected by a booby trap. If the third door is opened (rather than “passed through” with Netrelon) the chamber will flood and possibly drown the player.

Arveduin

Now things get more complicated. If the player entered Arveduin through the northeast door of Cestiona, he or she will emerge on the large northwest island. This island is connected to a smaller isle off the east coast of Arveduin but there is no way to leave the isles without returning to Cestiona.

If the player comes to Arveduin via the “fire” island of Cestiona then he or she emerges in the middle of the easterm arm of the continent on the east shore of the inland sea-water lake. Though the bridge is out, the player may still cross the northern delta via a pair of dimension doors.

Donovan’s hidden treasure is located among the rocks directly south of the middle of the continent. In still water (by the effects of Monsrol) an isle will appear and reveal a labyrinth hole which in turn leads to a subterrainean cavern. If Monsrol should run out, the cavern will begin to flood and the island will again submerge.

There exist several exits from Arveduin — only one of which is truly successful. To reach it, the player must first obtain a ship in Castle Estrine. The player must comb the northern shore until he or she discovers and opens the secret passage to Mount Restorn. Then the player must successfully find passage through Mount Restorn to reach the dimension door which leads on to the Isles of Bregalad.

Mount Restorn is the key to escaping Arveduin. It is a huge underground labyrinth which opens into a cavernous valley beneath Arveduin. The three exits/entrances appear entirely surrounded by rings of mountains on the map of Arveduin. The western entrance is paired with a dimension door that leads to the Isles of Bregalad. The eastern entrance is truly inaccessible and the northern one can be reached by revealing the hidden passage as described above.

When the player first enters Mount Restorn, he or she encounters a long hall of locked doors. The second southern door leads to an underground waterway and a set of ships. The player must sail north to the first open north shore and depart ship. This passage leads eventually to a dimension door. This door opens into the center of a temple. Taking either dimension door will take the player to the valley. The player must then go to the southern end (past Mount Restorn itself) to a trail which leads to a vast field of demon glow. The exit lies in the center of this field. There are obviously variations on this passage – this labyrinth holds a confusing mess of surprises. And, of course, it’s packed with both chests and traps.

Deledain Penitentiary is located on the island in the center of the sea water lake in Arveduin and houses a large collection of criminals and suspected disciples of Denethenor. The inmates speak of many topics but particularly Donovan and Mount Restorn. Plus, the player may encounter Denethenor himself standing quietly in the back of one the solitary confinement cells. But when the player enters the cell, the figure is transformed into a most deadly demon. Surprise!

CastleDrawn is a bizarre fortress located on the northern-most portion of the eastern arm of Arveduin. The player must patiently follow the passageways of CastleDrawn to reach the wizards who will tell of the spells Lethren, Wethrir, Desapar, and Elresire. But while following the passage of CastleDrawn, the player will encounter several hordes of evil-hearted wizards who are completely invulnerable – no magic or quantity of force can ever destroy this lot. The player must make use of Inslerete or Monsrol in order to pass.

Castle Estrine is home to Lord Estrine who will offer 5 points of intelligence to the player. It is located on the western shore of the inland seawater lake. Ships my be found here as well as food and talk with bar room folk (friendly as always). There is a royal vault and a dungeon. Most of the clues here refer to Mystenor or the secret passage to Mount Restorn.

Dead Forest Inn is the largest set of living quarters in all of Deledain. The inn is located at the southeastern tip of Arveduin. A visit to the pub and conversation with the guests will reveal clues concerning Shadowmere, Mount Restorn, Aligre, and Donovan.

Lotrus Ampitheatre is a little difficult to find as it is on a very small island among the rocks off of the southwest coast. Here the player will learn of the spell Inslerete. Most other comments are general warnings and advice. One of the residents here knows the mystic healing ritual.

Isles of Bregalad

The player will first emerge in the Isles of Bregalad in a diamond-like clearing of the mountains. A trail leads southeast and then northeast past the ruins of En Siev. Eventually the player will come across a lone ship (which is always there – even after being sailed away!). The player may then discover the flooded ruins of the Banshee Pub, a food retailer, a Bank of Deledain vault, and the new Banshee.

One of the Isles of Bregalad is surrounded by a field of demon glow and is completely inaccessible at this point. This is where Janal, the holder of the hemlock, may be found. The isle is only reachable by a dimension door. Though the door comes from Death Meadow, it leads to Denethenor’s hidden fortress.

The player can learn the spell Desapar at the Banshee plus there are scattered clues concerning Mystenor. Note that in the Isles of Bregalad, townspeople still reside outside of towns.

The tunnel to Shadowmere is the only means of passage to Shadowmere since the harbour is now walled off. The tunnel can only be reached via a long, obscure fiord which shows up on the map in the upper righthand portion. A strong mystical wind prevents the lighting of a torch here.

Limbar ‘s Fortress is located just north of the New Banshee (low middle of map) near the shore of an inlet. Food is available here but most of Limbar’s warriors won’t be very helpful. One very important clue describes the final attack on Denethenor, “Approach him as the sun does: from the East and like a whisper.”

Shadowmere is the key to one of the most significant puzzles of the game. Throughout the game, lightning and thunder strike during the midnight hour (and continuously while close to Shadowmere) as a consequence of the graveyard which materializes in the province of Shadowmere. The graveyard and the accompanying dimension door are only present for this one hour each night. The player must be in (or enter) Shadowesre during the “witching hour” in order to discover the door which leads on to Mystenor and eventually to his fortress. Besides the scattered clues throughout Deledain, some of the patients at LaVi nce’s Asylum in Shadowmere warn of the graveyard too. One of the residents knows the healing ritual. Except for the illusionary Castle Denethena, Shadowmere is the last place the player will have the opportunity to buy rations.

The ruins of En Siev lie along the trail from Arveduin and are inundated with worgrecs. All the surviving citizens of En Siev now dwell underground. The entrance to the new city can be found at the very southern end inside a vault of the old city. To survive very long in this area, the player must make good use of his or her magic abilities.

En Siev is now a collection of constructed caverns beneath the ruins of the old city. It is here that the player will discover the name of the spell Elresire engraved in the city’s tavern. En Siev is also the only place where mystic items like charms and scrolls my be purchased. The townspeople speak of the secrets of Shadowmere here.

Mystenor

Mystenor is comprised of just one great land mass. There are no ocean waters or rocky isles but there is a great mystical circular river. The land is divided naturally and magically with mountains and magic barriers into four areas. Two of these are accessible only from outside of Mystenor via dimension doors. These are false leads which do nothing more than entice the player and give Denethenor a chance at confronting the player. The other two are connected via the labyrinth Red Sands and reachable through the passage from Shadowmere. Thus, after crossing over from Shadowmere to Mystenor, the player must find Red Sands, successfully exit, and then reach the trail along the circular river. (Lower left corner of map.) This trail leads to Sorie Sulch where the river meets itself and where the player can win over a ship. Sailing the circular river to the open bay surrounding Castle Denethena, the player must deactivate the demon’s glow, enter, and solve the secret of the Castle. Just north of Castle Denethena is the dimension door to Death Meadow.

Whenever the player is in Mystenor, Denethenor my strike. He will materialize, cast up to ten dreyx into play, and then disappear leaving the player in a nasty situation.

Sorie Gulch is the source of the magic which allows the circular river to flow into itself. It is located in the center of the joining of several branches of the river (top center of map). The ships of Sorie Gulch are protected by hordes of dreyx, sharks, corsairs, a wall of stone and demon glow, and a hidden passage. To pass the wall, the player must cast Resonim and slip past the stone portion of the wall on the west end. But casting Resonim will release the dreyx from their pen. (Better if the player turns invisible first.) After getting past the dreyx, the player must enter the wizard’s chamber on the eastern shore and stand in the wizard’s place. This will levitate the player to the lower end of a long boardwalk which leads to a fleet of anchored ships. A little magic will appease the sharks and pirates guarding the fleet.

Red Sands is the major obstacle between Shadowmere and Sorie Sulch. One entrance is located on the pennisula of the large still water lake. The other is in the scorched plain directly south of the great bay. Upon entering, the player encounters two sets of four locked doors. The player should take the set of doors on the right and then the second door from the left. This passage will eventually lead the player to the scorched shores of the canal where a ship can provide transportation to the ladder up. The map does not reveal the exit but can still prove to be invaluable.

Castle Denethena is located on the isle in the center of the great bay of Mystenor. At this point, the typical player should be thoroughly confused and will have to step back and review the clues he or she has gathered so far. Upoon entering the castle, the player is not confronted with a horde of beasts or with any threat at all. In fact the player is welcomed to “join the party!” Food rations and ale are available at the Isceles Tavern and Denethenor (at least, the figure on the throne) greets the player with a friendly gesture. But as in Lord Mirrih’s castle, the captives in the dungeon try to persuade the player to kill the throned lord. If the player attempted this with Mirrih, he or she probably didn’t survive the attack of Mirrih’s guards. Hopefully the player will carry out the asassination this time though because upon doing so, and stepping into the throne, the illusion of the castle will disintegrate revealing its true condition. The enscription on the rear of the throne will be revealed momentarily: “UrenDuirEsex”.

Denethenor’s hidden fortress is quite hidden. The fortress actually lies at the extreme corner of the map in Mystenor. It’s therefore virtually unnoticeable. It is also not visible from any vantage point. The ring of mountains surrounding it is just large enough to guarantee privacy. The dimension door outside the fortress comes from the isle in Bregalad which in turn comes from Death Meadow. The door leads back to the isle in the center of the great bay of Mystenor.

Death Meadow is pure anxiety. The entering dimension door comes from the isle in the great bay of Mystenor and the exiting dimension door leads to the isle in Bregalad where Janai (the keeper of the hemlock) awaits. The task? To successfully cross the expanse and reach the door out. The problem? Stone boulders are falling from the sky. The solution? Run. The player is not alone in his or her predicament, there are plenty of beasts and a few townspeople running about frantically also. The player should look at the map frequently since both doors are visible on it.

 

The Final Confrontation

Upon entering the caverns of the fortress, the player should have several thousand stamina and hit points, a couple dozen of each of the various mystic items, heavy armour, and a good strong weapon. The player should have at least 20 points of intelligence though the full 30 could be quite helpful.

As per the advice of Clien, the player should ignore the passageways leading towards the fortress and continue to the southern end of the cavern. If, however, the player takes these false entrances, he or she will first encounter a horde of dreyx and a barrier of demon glow. The switchback trail to the north will lead the player to trigger a flooding chamber trap – and no escape this time. The passage south will lead between and around a pair of wall sections. These will close in and crush the player – another end of story. Around and past this trap, the player finds a choice of three paths – three sets of the same crushing stone. The middle one is the correct choice. Finally the player enters a vault that appears to be filled with treasure and which appears to lead on to the fortress. Upon entering, however, the door is sealed up and the player is trapped in a small vault.

Meanwhile, following Clien’s advice, the player continues down the cavern and discovers a labyrinth hole. This tiny labyrinth allows passage beneath the fortress walls but it is packed with bloodbats and continuously flooded with a mystic air which prevents the lighting of a torch. Careful use of the map will lead the player to the surface again.

The player exits just outside the walls of the fortress. Entering a long corridor the player encounters another trap. Unless the player passes invisibly with Inslerete, he or she wil be obliterated in the gateway. The next barrier is a field of demon glow which also holds back another horde of dreyx. There are too many of them to fight off physically – it’s better to make use of magic abilities here. Note that Monsrol is unusable while in the fortress.

There are two paths to choose from now. Moving north, the player enters the throne room and is greeted quite coldly by Lord Denethenor himself. A barrage of crachen fire follows. If the player mnages to overcome this, he or she may gaze upon Denethenor until he lashes out with a final, undefeatable blow. Death again.

Meanwhile the learned adventurer is exploring the southern portion of the fortress and discovers an island dungeon in which one of the cell occupants has created an escape route to the outer wall. Following the advice of Limbar’s warrior, the player attempts to follow the corridor around to the east end of Denethenor’s throne room. This is easier said than done given that the corridor is filled with demon’s glow.

Eventually, the player exits the corridor into a yard behind Denethenor’s throne. The player need now only build up a little courage, cast Inslerete, cast Resonim to deactivate the field of demon glow, walk up to Denethenor unseen, and speak the phrase “UrenduirEsex.” This phrase causes Denethenor’s magic to escape his control and the finale follows!