ToME: the Tales of Maj'Eyal

Alright, so, I'm very excited that I am finally able to get a character to the far east. A Hobbit Archmage mastering in Air no less.

So anyway, I have some very important questions as I've already lost the blood of life...

1) The only location I've found that I can get to is an underwater cavern. It looks really cool with all the squids and eels about; however I have to breathe. Is it possible to complete the cavern without an item or ability to allow breathing underwater?

2) Must I do the underwater cavern?

3) If not, or if there is another area available, where it is? I have wandered about in the overworld filling it out and the only stairs that I see that I can reach is the underwater cavern, which did an Elven Ruins kind of pop up.

4) Anything that I absolutely MUST watch out for or face instant death? I really really really want to play more than a few turns worth in the east.

Thank you

If I remember correctly, the 'town' of the far east is to the east and slightly to the south. Heading there starts you off on the storyline trail of dungeons. As for places to avoid; valley of the moon. If you ever get the lost knowledge quest, be careful! The end of it has the potential to be a real meatgrinder, and it effortlessly offed my only character to get to the east, who had both the blood of life and had easily beaten an Orc Pride.

Edit: Ooh! Also - and I'm not sure if any enemies back in Middle Earth can do this - some enemies can silence you, which is obviously a sign of bad times ahead for a mage.

Yes, the Sunwall (town) is in the mountain chain in the very east. More dungeons will appear if you follow the questline.

1. Don't go to the caverns too early (you need underwater breath anyway). At some point a fragile lil' mage can be onehitted out of nothing down there...
1a. No, the caverns are optional.
2. Don't underestimate anything that lurks in the far east. Many mobs know some tricks that can *hurt* you and weren't availible to the monsters common in middle earth.
3. Be careful and have fun.

If you're quick enough and have directed phase door/teleport, water breathing isn't entirely necessary.

Sounds like a recipe for desaster to me, unless you plan to only visit the 2 cavern levels.

Yeah dont listen to Elliott he is probably a servant of the istari trying to get you killed before you become a real menace !

I didn't realize there even was a source of water-breathing when I first found the cave. I just figured it was diabolical level design and powered through it, killed the boss and split. Having water-breathing, IMO, would make that dungeon kind of a push-over, really. The eels and stuff are awfully weak.

@Elliot: There, I suppose, you killed the Dragon didn't you? Thats harmless down there...

Try to talk to the boss next time

Thanks for the help everyone. I do have a bit of an odd occurrence to report though. I went through the unremarkable cave, and found the two @ talking and dueling and what not. When I entered they both talked to me and I was prompted to attack one. All that is well and good. Now, the odd part. After the dialog (before I could act) both attacked me! I thought "Oh well, freeze you, chain lightning-lightning-flame-corrosive vapor, freeze you again; ect. until I took them both down. One of which I clearly saw as the light/darkness mage, the other one I don't know what it could be.

I didn't receive an artifact, nice ego (regardless of class), or an unlock. Did... I do something wrong, or am I just expecting something that isn't there?

Onward to the orc prides!

And DG, I must say, blood mages and especially corrupters are freaking evil if you don't pay attention to where their spells are aimed. Good job!

I do have one *slight* beef with some of the enemy selections. I've started to run into copperheads and other small snakes that have in excess 500hp. I really don't think something like a copperhead should have such resilience considering how small and how short lived they are in life. Perhaps maybe putting a level cap on animal enemies?

All NPCs become hostile if they are harmed by one of your spells. This happened to me once when I decided to cast Inferno on the orcs at the entrance of Mount Doom. Of course, the stupid paladins charged at the orcs while Inferno was going on. After going south and fighting a few critters, the remaining paladins came from the north and all were hostile.

Considering the duel in the unremarkable cave, you probably harmed both @s with a spell. Next time, try to keep the lady alive and you'll get a reward. The other NPC will give you nothing...