SOLUTION POUR ISHAR III

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  General Hints:

  0) Your task is to kill a dragon before the evil wizard Shandar can enter
     his body and take over the world.  This must be done before "the 
     conjunction". When this is I don't know: I finsihed the game about day 87.
     You advance in this game by completing subtasks in a more-or-less fixed
     order.  While you can (usually) wander about anyplace you have already 
     been, certain things must be done to open the next time portal, etc.
     Sometime when you do the right things somebody will tell you what to 
     do next, sometimes you just have to find it out yourself.  The clues are
     mostly there, but often very obscure. Take careful note of everything and
     if stuck think hard about what people have said, etc. Remember: TIME is
     very important in this game!

  1) I suggest you start with a sucessful party from ISHAR II, else make or
     recruit a party with 3 fighters, at least one a Paladin (has healing 
     spell).  Put these in the front row. Behind, you should have a magician
     and a cleric (called a clerk for some reason). Set the fighters' displays
     so you can see when they are getting weak, and the others so that 
     spells can be cast quickly (including the paladin). During the course of
     the game some characters will have to be dismissed. If the party refuses 
     to dismiss someone you will have to kill him outright (this is dangerous)
     or strip him of armour and put him in the front before a battle.
 
  2) After talking to the man you meet at the immediate start of the game,
     begin by exploring all of poor town so that the shops/inns become marked 
     on the map.  The city is divided by a wall into poor (outer) and rich 
     (inner) sections: there is only one way into rich town. Shops are open 
     from 6 hours through 21 hours.  Inns are always open. You may need to buy
     some food/weapons to survive since theives will attack in some places.  
     You will probably loose some or all characters, so save often.  Eat to 
     rebuild strength (buy food from shops or eat in an inn); sleep (in an inn)
     to restore spell points and heal.  It is sometimes best to heal people
     with spells before sleeping since sleeping doesn't heal very much but 
     always restores 50 spell points.  It seems that the thieves' power 
     increases in proportion to your own so it is always possible for someone 
     to die no matter how experienced you are.  Don't forget to keep an eye on
     your strengths during battles since if you becone too weak your blows are 
     of no use. You can stop and eat (keep up your stocks of bread!) without 
     being hit.

     Always "listen" in an inn and take careful notes of what anybody says 
     and the name of the inn and who can be recruited there. It is also useful
     to note what items each shop sells so you don't waste time looking for
     something later. In shops you can sell unwanted items by giving them to 
     the shop keeper.

     Killing theives gets you $$$ (don't forget to pick it up!) and experience
     points.  There are also some treasure chests but you have to kill thieves
     to get to them. You can get some $$$ for delivering a package from The
     Hearth Inn to The Noisy Lyra Inn.  Theives tend to reappear in the same 
     places so you can learn when to expect them.  The more experience you have
     the more spells are available and the power of old ones goes up too.

     NOTE: DON'T HAVE MALTUS (AT THE SILVER WOLF INN, FAR SOUTHEAST PART OF 
           TOWN) TAKE YOU TO SEE THE MAGICIAN IF YOU HAVE NOT SEEN THE
           ASTRONOMER!!  THE MAGICIAN WON'T TALK TO YOU AND YOU WILL NEVER 
           GET BACK IN AGAIN!!

  3) After exploring Poor Town, enter rich town: you will need $4000 for a 
     pass which you should wear; it lasts forever.  Explore to find the shops 
     and inns, bank, library, theatre, and palace.  Signs are opposite shops,
     not above the door as in poor town. There are no theives in rich town, 
     probably because of all the guards (don't attack them!). You won't be 
     allowed far into the palace yet; the theatre will be empty (and is open 
     only at night).  The bank and library are only open during the day. The 
     bank has a safe where you can deposite items.

     (I'm told there is one shop that gives away free magic shields early on,
     but charges later.  If so, you could get lots, store them in the bank
     safe, and sell them later??)


  Specific Hints in Order of Play:

     (Note: I don't give "turn right then left" details or maps of dungeons, 
     etc. You have to make maps if you want to succeed. Also, it may take 
     one or more trips back to town to get healed, etc, before you can complete
     some of the steps below: others must be done in one go. Generally it is
     best to just accept the fact that you are going to get killed and go on
     to explore as far as you can. Then reload a saved game and do it right.
     In some places monsters regenerate if you leave and then come back again.)

  1) Buy a jug of wine from a shop. 

  2) Go see the astronomer (Typhus Mernith) in rich town (marked on the map by 
     a green arrow). He is always open but ill tempered until you give him 
     some wine.  He then gives you a deck of cards to take to the magician 
     (Mather Fudius) in the far southeast of poor town.  Go there and pick up
     and read the scroll by his door.  You can't go in yet.

  3) Go to the Silver Wolf inn, listen, buy Maltus some food, then follow him
     into the magician's place.  Refuse to leave until the conversation comes 
     to an end.  Then pull out your deck of cards (you can get at them even if 
     the portraits are covered up) and give them to him.  He then points out
     the first time portal which you can use anytime from now on if you keep
     the key to his place.

  4) Your trip through portal 1 takes you to a large forest; the time
     is -73 years.  The forest is inhabited by wasps and dragon-flies which 
     you must fight off.  Find the racoon in the far southeast part of the 
     forest. This may take a while as the forest is a bit complex - three 
     major areas connected by narrow bits (make a map).  Its not the ususal
     dungeon type thing with corridors but has large open areas instead. The
     racoon will tell you he is a magician whose spell has failed and he is 
     stuck as a racoon. He gives you a scroll. 

  5) Go back to portal 1 and exit. Show the scroll to the magician. He will
     tell you where to get a flask for mixing potions (it will be marked on
     the map) and what ingredients you need to buy. You will also need
     Keldonia Powder which no shop sells.  A man in the Big Troffer inn gives 
     this to you if you "listen" (I think you may need the flash first).

  6) Go back to the racoon; mix the ingredients in the flask and give it to 
     him to drink.  He turns into a man and gives you a medallion.  His name
     is Greem Dahilin (same surname as the theatre owner).

  7) Exit back to town again and go to the theatre in rich town. It opens at
     20 hours.  The owner will recognize you as the heros that helped his
     grandfather (the racoon) once you show him the medallion.  He will point
     out portal 2, open only from 2 to 4 am (from this side - all hours from 
     the other).

  8) Do whatever you need re food, rest, arms, etc.  Then enter portal 2.  It
     takes you to a swamp, -4322 years.  Explore this and kill any tiger that
     attacks - keep the skins as you can sell them for $$$$ later.  You must
     find and kill an indian chief and also find a large jewel.  Then exit back
     to town.

  9) When you exit the theatre the man you met at the very beginning of the 
     game (Astar) appears again. He tells you that you did well to kill the 
     chief and that the town is in consequence a bit different then it was.  
     He also tells you to go to the library where you can get some rather 
     cryptic clues.  You will also find that there is a new park in the south 
     of rich town.  In the park is a meteor on display, but its top is missing. 

 10) Go back through portal 2 and you are in the same swamp but at +3725 years
     this time (as the library clues hinted).  There are some changes.  Explore
     and you will find the missing part of the meteor.  If you find the Chaos
     Sword beware of using it (in fact I think anything with the word "chaos" in
     it might be dangerous).  Go back to town and place the missing piece on 
     the meteor - time portal 3 appears.

  11) Before entering portal 3 buy everyone a fur coat and rope. Put coats and
     ropes on, else you will freeze to death or maybe fall off the icy paths
     you find on entering the portal.  The time is -1432 years. Explore and 
     find 3 flowers plus a crazy looking machine (referred to in the library's
     clues). Place the jewel on the left of the machine and exit back to town.
     Beware of wolves: after they attack once they are behind you! It may pay 
     to put someone heavily armoured or with lots of hit points at the rear of
     your party so the weaker members don't get killed.

  12) On re-entering town you meet Maltus again. He says his master wants to 
     inform you that a new time portal (4) has appeared in the NW of town. 
     Exchange fur coats for armour; you can leave the ropes on. Then go find 
     portal 4.  This is easy to find and lightly guarded.  But where it takes
     you depends on the time you enter: 12 to 23 hours takes you back -9230 
     years, 0 - 11 forward to +580 years.  Go forward; if you go back you 
     immediately find a locked door for which you won't yet have the key.

  13) You are now in a large dungeon with basically six sections (there are
     steps up or down but really everything is on the same level (things don't
     overlap). The first section is the "entry" area: dodge the fire balls and
     find a stairway south and down to the second section (the other doors will
     all be closed anyway).  Fight skeletons and explore until you have found 
     a switch (toggle it), and 2 keys (you need to use one in this same 
     section). There are also various other treasures ($$$$, food, daggers).  

  14) Go back up to the entry area and find a now open doorway leading north 
     (the switch opened it).  Before entering a room with bright lights you 
     should find and kill a strong magician (use the "protect from fire" spell
     if you have it) so that you can toggle another switch. Once that is done
     go into the room with the lights and quickly find the passage out the 
     north side, else you will be blinded (temporary).  Don't worry about the 
     door to the right.  

  15) You then go down (through a door opened by the last switch) to another
     distinct dungeon section: kill spiders and find treasures (including 
     another key). Beware in case one of your swords becomes cursed so that 
     when you swing it you hit someone in your own party: cure this with the 
     exorcism spell.  I'm not sure where the curse is put on you - could have
     been earlier and I just didn't notice.  Find the long corridor with large 
     rock balls rolling down it.  Make your way along the corridor, dodging 
     the rolling rocks, and along the way find a switch and toggle it.  This 
     opens a door near the end of the corridor. Pass through and open another
     door using a key. Pass quickly through another room of blinding lights and
     you then come to a maze of many doors that open only at certain times 
     (twice a day, for 3 hours).  Beyond the first door (opens at 0 and 12 
     hours) the halls are filled with poison gas! There are a few clocks in 
     the maze which you can advance so that certain doors open (or close).  The
     exit from the gas area is "north" but will take some experimentation to 
     find.  You can also find some money.  It is important to exit with as 
     many hit and spell points as possible: you will need them!

  16) Leave the gas area and come to a large room filled with fire balls. Cross
     this using a protect from fire spell, fight a guard and go north then west
     (use another key on a door). Take steps down and enter a large room filled
     with lava. You can safely walk on the stepping stones: note that some are
     marked with circles.  You find that each time you step on a stone with a 
     circle on it that a woman (Thina) in a suspended cage is lowered a bit: 
     if you step on too many she falls into the lava. Find the correct path 
     that lowers her just to your level and immediately adjacent to you.  She 
     then escapes and wants to join your party, which you must let her do by 
     dismissing someone else.  She is a fairly powerful cleric so dismiss the 
     one you have already, remembering to strip him/her first of all possesions
     and money. Equip Thina and put her in the back rank. She asks that you 
     help her find Zoltar.  Exit back towards the fire ball room but go south 
     instead of re-entering it.  Find more $$$$ and a dagger until it looks 
     like a dead end. Pass south through an invisible door and make your way 
     south and west. There are lots of tough guards.  Pass SW through another 
     invisible door, dodge fire balls again, heading south.  Fight the final 
     lot of guards if you are able enough, else dodge them and run south until
     you come to the original fire ball corridor (through a one way door). 
     Exit through the time portal back to town.

 17) Turn right and you meet Astar again who tells you a bit more about what 
     to do: "Find Thina's boyfriend (Zoltar) at the palace and take them both 
     to a forest".  When you sleep at an inn Jon appears in a dream and tells 
     you where to find guard's uniforms suitable for entering the palace.  Go 
     there. The house is locked: the key is in the fountain behind you. 

 18) Put on the uniforms and go to the palace.  Be sure all women in your party
     are wearing helmets else the guard still won't let you in (No Single Women
     Allowed!). Since Zoltar will want to join you, strip and dismiss one of
     your fighters before entering. You find Zoltar (Thina's boy friend) but
     he tells you to leave. Take the helmet off Thina and he recognizes her and
     offers to join your party.  Take him in.  Exit and put armour back on.

 19) Go back to portal 1 but before entering take all possesions from Thina
     and Zoltar.  Enter and wander around until Thina and Zoltar annouce that
     they are leaving the party to set up housekeeping here.  Then exit back 
     through the portal.  Fudius gives you the second jewel needed for the 
     crazy machine.  He says somebody must have dropped it.

 20) Recruit a new cleric and fighter, equip them, and head for portal 3 in
     the park.  Put your coats back on, enter, and fight your way back to the 
     machine. Put the jewel on the right hand side.  Exit back to town, but
     leave your coats on.

 21) Re-enter portal 3 back to the icy mountains. This time the date is +XXXX
     (I don't have the exact date on hand).  Things have changed a little.  
     Explore and find two more flowers (you should have 5 now), and a magic 
     belt.  If you run across the crazy machine you will see that the two 
     jewels are now missing: don't worry about it.  Exit back to town. Put on
     the belt.

 22) Put your armour back on and go back to portal 1 (Fudius).  Enter and you 
     find the date is +50.  Explore and fight black knights and a magician.
     Find the grandson of Thina & Zoltar, and his wife, outside a hut.  He
     will tell you a story and give you a gold key.  His wife is a witch and 
     will put a protection spell on you if you stand in front of her for a 
     few moments.  Exit back to town.

 23) Head for portal 4 (northwest part of town) and enter between 12 and 23
     hours.  Use the gold key on the door.  Explore and find food, daggers,
     money, and keys.  There are blue poison splots on the floor that are hard
     to evade (sometimes stepping sideways, if possible, helps): use "cure 
     poison" spells.  Before passing down another fire-ball corridor, go to the 
     far south-east corner of the dungeon. To get there requires toggling a 
     series of switches (4 total) and using one key: don't worry if doors close 
     behind you. You will find there a square room with a central pillar with 
     6 open windows. There is a passage out to the north but it is deadly to 
     enter until you first unload ALL your possesions into the windows (except
     the flask which for some reason isn't accepted).  Each window takes only 
     11 items so be sure to lump together arrows, food, etc instead of putting
     them in one by one (click on the number not the item). Don't worry - you 
     can get things back again later.

 24) Enter the passage leading north (it is safe now). Beware of a magician 
     who you will have to kill with spells since you have no weapons.  (Or
     maybe you could have mixed a potion before hand??) Find a switch and 
     toggle it.  Also find money, food.  Go back and collect your belongings,
     then exit back and along the south boundary until you can head north 
     again to the fire-ball corridor.

 25) Go along the corridor to an exit south (expect to be hit at least once).
     Use a key and enter a small maze filled with vampire bats.  Find the exit
     north and a magician who keeps conjuring up super strong bats as fast as
     you can kill them (you can't attack the magician).  Eventually he runs 
     out of steam and disappears.

 26) Enter a long room and head north.  Suddenly herds of devils appear in 
     front of and behind you. Fight if you can/wish else dodge them and exit 
     through a door to the north.  If you choose to fight it is best to do
     it in bits: there are invisible doors to the left and right as you first
     enter this room. If you go in one of these then you fight 3 devils only 
     in each.  Then they don't sneak up behind you later.

 27) You are in another lava room with stepping stones but the path doesn't
     go far before you find gaps.  By stepping on the stones marked with rings
     you cause a missing stone to appear somewhere else.  Eventually you can
     complete a path leading north to the dragon. 

 28) Kill the dragon if you can!!!  He has 2000 hit points. I managed it after
     2 trips back to town to sleep/eat: the dragon doesn't heal himself while 
     you are away.  It is best to use attack spells (especially "cold") 3 steps
     away (or 4 - I forget) so he can't reach you with his fire balls.  He
     doesn't advance. Then use the "protect from fire" spell and rush in and 
     hack away a while, then back away again quickly.  Exit back to town when 
     your healing spells run out. You will have to dodge the devils, fight two
     bats, and survive the fire-ball corridor so don't leave it too late.  It
     doesn't seem to make much difference if the witch's protection spell goes
     away.  Don't expect any fancy ending ceremony.

     I never found out what use the flowers (collected in the icy mountains)
     are: they were important in Ishar 2. Also there was a small part of the 
     city whose entry roads seemed to disappear about half way through the 
     game - maybe there is some way in?


