By Mark H. Walker
King's Quest: Mask of Eternity
► A WALK THROUGH DAVENTRY
YOU ARE CONNER, A SIMPLE PEASANT. A MAN destined for greatness. It's a morning much like any other. Things are about to change— change evilly. A tempest begins to blow as you speak with your sweetheart to be, Sarah.
Suddenly she, along with almost every other being in the land, is petrified. Your only hint to the petri- faction is a piece of a mask that falls at your feet. From this humble beginning you must solve this evil puzzle and return Daventry to its former glory. Here's how to start.
Follow the Raven to the church. There you discover that you are not alone— well, kind of not alone. You find a wizard— half stone, half m man. Fortunately, his vocal chords are not impaired, and he tells you the tale of the Mask of Eternity's five fragments. You must find and return these pieces to the Realm of the Sun. Only then will the land return to life.
To begin your search, head up the path. Keep a wary eye on the Spriggan archer winging arrows toward you from the church. You can handle him after you get more experience. Grab anything you find (i.e. mushrooms, water, crystals, potions, gold and the occasional piece of armor). All of these things— no matter how trivial— will be needed in the quest. Be careful when rounding the corners of the village buildings. Monsters love to lurk there, and a few chops to an unwary adventurer can send you back to the main menu.
Frequently, the slow, hunchback Goblins will be your first test. These creatures are easy to best, but numerous battles can quickly drain your strength. Spriggan are other early foes and they, unlike their brownskin brethren, pack a devastating-for-this-stage-in-your-quest blow. And, to heap insult on the injury they are already inflicting, they travel in packs. Nevertheless, perhaps the most disconcerting creature you'll meet in your embryonic town exploration is the Zombie. Capable of emerging from the ground without notice, they take a stiff beating before they're willing to lie back down. By the way, don't forget to loot all your victims for booty.
Work your way to the castle, and Conner is beckoned to follow a Raven toward a wizard — half stone, half man. The wizard informs Conner of his quest and gives him advice. kill the knight's tomb guardian. Once you conquer the creature, the knight's ghost appears and briefs you on the door of Divine Origin and the urn that opens it. Search the castle, but be ready to pay for your loot. The citadel's halls are laced with wily adversaries and traps. Make note of the locked door down the hall on the left; you'll need this information later.
Exit the castle and roam the town, solving minor quests and slaying creatures to gain experience. Head toward the mill at the river, but ignore the millstone for now. Continue down the road, and drink heartily from the fountain to restore your health. Mosey over to the covered bridge and get ready to rumble. There are several Goblins to fight. After destroying the brownskins, continue up the road. You'll see an Alchemist's shop; unfortunately, the door is barred.
An Unwelcome Visit and a New Weapon
A house emerges from the shadows hiding the horizon of the murky road. The sound of a windmill beats your ears. Search the grounds, but watch out for the monster in the outhouse. You'd be grumpy too if a sword-slinging peasant walked in on your potty break.
Inside the windmill is a tool vital to your quest.
The slow, stupid, hunchback Goblin is easily conquered.
Continue up the hill toward the windmill. Approach the twirling vanes with caution; you'll need to off a couple of creatures (a Goblin and a Spriggan) before you can enter. Inside you'll find an axe. Gee, I wonder where we could use that? On exit you'll bump into a wispy armored ghost knight with designs on your new weapon. Kill him and return to the barricaded Alchemist's shop.
Chop the Alchemist's barred door. Once inside, scarf up the potions and other sundries. Cart your axe-belabored self over to the mill and chop the leaning tree. The felled wood will stop the flow of water to the millstone, jump onto the stone, then leap again before grabbing the rope and hook.
Wade to the island in the middle of the river. Use the rope/hook combination to climb to the house. Explore the interior, and take the note penned by the magic quill (along with anything else you've found) when you leave.
The Castle Daventry is next on your dance card. Unfortunately, a rockslide blocks the way. Climb to the top of the waterfall. There you'll find a man frozen in stone and a table covered in stone blocks. Push the blocks in the water to reveal a portal. The portal leads to the Castle Daventry.
At the end of the passage is an unlit candle. Pull the candle and the passage will open into an elegant, yet rustic room. Do what all spouses do and adjust the off-center portrait. A key appears; take it.
Move toward the passage on your left. Pick up the torch ashes (you never know when a spell might call for them). This hall empties into the King's throne room. A magical mirror, mirror on the wall beckons you near and a man appears within the shiny frame. He laughs at your feeble attempts to cleanse the evil clinging to the land and then fades away. Retrace your steps to the Castle Daventry's portal entrance. Exit and climb the hill to the other castle.
Open the castle's sealed door with the crooked-portrait key. In this room rests the teleporter that returns you to this land from the others you will visit. Leave the castle, drop by the tomb and axe the door. Rob the corpse of the knight and talk to his ghost. Once again he will speak of the door of Divine Origin and the urn.
Leave the tomb and mosey over to the church. The tempest has blocked the doors, but you may catch your hook on the roof and crawl up its rope. Drop through the hole in the roof and remove the candle from the table in the room below. Move into the sanctuary, and push on the urn in the corner to reveal a portal in the adjacent crypt. Leave the church, head to the graveyard, axing the graveyard Zombies as you go. Enter the graveyard tomb and make the leap into the Dimension of Death.
The Dimension of Death
Ah, but you thought you had it made. On the other side of the portal is a demon with a bad attitude. Quicker than you can say, "Wait a second" you're back in the land of the living with a warning never to return. Once again, however, the Raven is your salvation. The bird leads you to the wizard, who in turn recites a list of trinkets, elements and powders he needs to make a ring capable of defeating the demon's magic. Bring him his due and he will deliver the ring.
Now return to face the demon, but this time with the power of the magical ring. After killing the attitude-enhanced spirit, buff up your experience points by exploring the outer sanctum and hacking up the Skeleton warriors that are roaming about. The Skels are good for some gold, a sword, and some other trinkets. Sooner or later you'll stumble across the Spectre of Death watching over the Lever of Life. Take the lever and insert it into each of the slots of the four pedestals and turn the key. After you turn the last key, the door to Lord Azriel's chamber will open.
Magic and wisdom. Seek the advice of many to open doors and accept their gifts of magic.
▼ This urn opens the door of Divine Origin.
▼ The Door of Death opens to reveal a new challenge.
▲ The rope and hook prove useful in overcoming roadblocks.
Pop in and solve the puzzle. Jumping on the correct stone opens the door to Lord Azriel's chamber, while incorrect choices send you back to Go without collecting 200 gold coins. After Lord Azriel's chamber opens, he presents the key to the gate and advice on how to reach the Realm of the Sun. Open said gate and enter the Dimension of Death.
Three boxes wait at the realm's entrance; smash and loot them. Move to your right, enter the maze, and kill the five Skeletons that assault you. Don't let the victory go to your head. The Skels get much tougher as you stride deeper into the dimension. Wander through the maze, slashing whomever you meet.
Slash not, however, the dying lad. Listen well, for without Azriel's hammer to cross the river of death, you will die. Pledge to find his sister and move on. A Weeper waits at the next corner. Your only defense is to run like hell.
Work your way to the left side of the dimension. There you will find a large room. Pushing on the steel boxes in each corner of the room releases the hidden buttons. Move all four boxes and the Sylph of Inner Beauty will appear. She asks for rust and mold so she can brew a potion of protection for you. Head to the back of the room and shatter the urns. Collect their contents and then jump up on the walkway and collect a few rocks. Cross the bridge and use the rope and ladder to reach the ground below. Drop a rock on each of the four buttons.
Be careful of the River of Death. The deadly water flows between you and some tempting goodies.
The Death Dimension
Heed Lord Azriel's advice, and you just might make it to the River of Death.
Lord Azriel asks Conner to finish his quest and restore order to the land.
Lord Azriel presents Conner with the key to the dimension.
Once Conner defeats the Shadow and departs, he will not be allowed return to this dimension.
The dimension welcoming committee gives Conner the
royal treatment and bash the Zombies waiting
below the surface. When you return to the maze, you'll find that four new portals have opened.
Take some time to wander the maze and build experience. Be careful of the sporadic bits of fire. You may jump over some of the flames, but will have to sidle by others. Use the key lifted from one of your earlier Skeleton kills to open a practice room filled with Skeleton warriors. They will ignore you until you pick a fight. Pick it, kill them, loot them, and move on.
Continue through the labyrinth until you find the teleporter. The entrance is well guarded, so be ready to rumble. Once the teleporter is located and the guard defeated, you can travel freely between Daventry and the Dimension of Death.
Head to the northwest corner of your area map. There lies a boathouse and in it a boatman. Pump him for information (especially on the portals to other dimensions). Pick a building in the maze (you can do this anytime, not just after you visit the boathouse) and use the hook/rope combination to climb it. You may find valuable potions. On the other hand, you may Find the Commander Skeleton. Be careful with this sack of bones- he is tough. Force him off the building and take his armor.
As you head back to the main room, a child's crying catches your attention. Climb the stones along the back wall of the great room and break up the crates. There you will find the dying lad's sister. She has been imprisoned in the room behind these crates for days. Move the steel crate that is blocking the passageway. She tells you how she got there and thanks you for saving her. Conner offers to take her to the portal back to Daventry but she declines and heads home.
Conner arrives in the Dimension of Death only to be thrown out by the ill-tempered Shadow.
Now it is time to enter the main room portals. You'll find a few Skeleton archers and a helpful item or two. Be careful, however, of the River of Death. The deadly water flows between you and some tempting goodies. Use your brain here; one globule of water from the river will drop you instantly. Another room leads to the scales of justice, and yet one more to the sacred heart. Heed the boatman's words on portals and alt will fall in place.
Although this is the end of the Dimension of Death, it is just the beginning of your adventure. Mask of Eternity is an immense undertaking, but one you must tackle. After all, you are Conner. You are destined for greatness.