The Legacy - Deeper than expected

A few more hours have passed with me playing the game since my last post and I must say that I am really not very much nearer any sort of completion. The game just expands with new levels all the time. So har I have discovered at least seven levels.

Every new level only add to the list of strange items, new notes and rituals but never any clear place of where those rituals should be performed and in what order. It is clear I will have to stop the curse in this house from repeating itself every 50th year but when and where I will have to do my really important tasks still eludes me.

I have gathere a lot of notes, so many so that my document wallet now is full. Fortunately I always take a screenshot of every note so I can go back and read them.

In my last play I had just entered the top level which I call the Mausoleum.

I know that I eventually will have to relocate all the items I have found and bring them to a certain place or combine them. That will be a really tedious task since I have no maps with the items noted so I will have to look through every room in every level to find them. From the beginning I thought the puzzles would be more local or the game smaller so that I had a chance to memorize everything but not anymore.

I found a portal in the Maousoleum which led me to an astral plane in which I endlessly run around to find any way out. Eventually I found a crypt with a chest but I had no clue what I should do there.

The portal to the astral plane

The crypt

Special notes:

• Many places have runes on the walls filled with magical energy but I have no idea what I should do with these.

• The notes says I can banish the winged demons (on the upper floor ?) with holy water but I never found out how to use them. I tried to throw them but failed. Perhaps my skill is low enough. After I returned back to the floor I opted to kill all the winged creatures instead with my axe from the asylum.

• I should try to find the Book of Gates which will tell me how to get to the Ehtereal Plane and the Astral Plane. Some of these two planes I am sure I have already discovered. Perhaps I even found the book but couldn´t carry it around.

• I found a room with different items - among them a demon mask - but I cannot take them. I don´t know if I will be able to later on or if that is by design. In that room are also a jade stone said to allow me to walk where others are barred. 

Somewhere on the upper floors I found a jade stone or gem. I remember the painting from the entrance that had a carving which might fit this stone so I run down again. And to my luck and enjoyment the stone fit perfectly and crushed the painting, revealing a secret corridor behind. It eventually led me down the stairs to a place which resembled old egyptian style.

On that level the most interesting thing I found was some sort of religious cloak which I could put on. I had no idea where to use it though. I also found doors that I could not open at this stage so I had to return from there to explore other parts of the house. This time I opted to go down the basement. The first time I was there it was too tough to meet the gargoyles but since then I have a new bulletproof vest and an axe.

I very throughly searched around the basement and eventually completed the level but being none the wiser. I had no other place to go but to allow myself to fall down a trapdoor which led down to what I call the caverns. There was a few stairs down to the cavern from the basement but they where all blocked by monsters which I could neither defeat nor sneak past.

Since I had found a healingspell by now things was a little easier because I could use both first aid kits and crystals to give me power to heal myself. Even though I gathered a few interesting items in the caverns like pestle and mortar, museum plaque and matchboxes I was still desperate to find the place where I can put any of these things together. I took all items and carried them to the stair entrance of the cavern so I knew I had everything at the same place when I had to return later on in the game. Then I left the place and returned back to the basement. This time I tried to go down the stairs earlier blocked by the monsters but now these stairs led me to a new place I had never seen before or missed. I am not sure which.

I found some strange items down here as well but was also attacked by strange brown-winged creatures. I was strong enough to fight them and eventually found stairs leading down to yet another level with fireball-throwing mages and strange beings. Those "mages" which I call them was practically impossible to harm until I found some sort of magical dagger. Then I could take on a few of them at least. Now I begin to worry that my supplies around the house of first aid kits and crystal stones will not be enough.

I have now been around most levels in this game. What I still have missed is probably secret doors and locked doors that I have been unable to open. Still with all the items and information I have gathered I should be able to solve some mysteries. I am just not sure exactly where to execute them. I think this will be my next big task in this game. To tie the sack so to speak. I hope to be able to endure until then because now things have become a bit tedious.

Only with the magical dagger could I hurt these "mages"

The Legacy - Exploring

In my last post I had just started to seriously explore the starting level. Since then I have made some progress and noted a few things:

• I found a juju fetish lika a skeletal hand which when hold, protects me from being attacked by the zombies. That helped a lot to complete my exploration of the first level. 

• I found a key to my keyring and while it did not open the safe it was possible to open all locked doors with it.

• Here and there are more ammunition for my revolver and there are a few first aid kits littered around. Enough for me to feel safe right now.

• I have found several strange items like a rune, a skull and holy water. My guess is that the holy water is used for another undead but that remains to be seen. The other stuff might be used for ingredients.

After having got hold of the juju fetisch that kept the zombies from attacking, completing the first level was not hard. I decided to pursue my exploration in the basement. But before that I found a torchlight and with it the graphics finally returned to "normal". I cannot afford to carry it arround however since I have to hold the skeletal hand as well as a weapon in my hands so I have put it away in a corridor for now. 

I found two spells on scrolls lying around and put them into my spellbook. But I could never see anything in my spellist so I got a little confused until putting the spellbook in my hands, then the spells appeared. At least I know I can find spells this way.

I still tried to flee from every enemy but I did one experiment and started to killing them before getting myself killed. I don´t get any experience from killing enemies so I will avoid them unless I have to kill them in order to proceed. An important discovery.

In the basement I found batteries, holy water and lot of new documents about background information. The corridors was swarmed by gargoyels which was far more dangerous than the zombies. I found no way to defeat them. I tried to drink the whole water but to no effect. I tried to throw it but I am not sure I hit. The only interesting thing I found was a trapdoor that leads me to a cavern but since this is a one-way path I didn´t want to go down there unless I am sure to be able to return back. So I retraced my step to the ground level instead and looked for the stairs to the upper level. 

I don´t know how to kill these "gargoyles" yet

The upper level had corridors roamed mainly by ghosts but there where some other strange horrors there as well. Some of them even shots blue bolts against me. I had to use the same tactic like in all the other floors. Monsters cannot walk into doors so either you quickly sneak into rooms and let them pass or you lure them into or out of rooms before entering. It is possible to pass through a monster but it gives the monster a chance to hit you. During my exploration up here I quickly drained my health to less than half. But it was worth it because I talked to a ghost who told me they served the god M while they lived but was betrayed by him when dead and now had to walk these halls.

He said that the only way to get him free was to destroy the painting of the ritual that bound the souls.

Now, I had found this painting but had no clue what to do with it. And I had found matches on the floor somewhere and a can of oil somewhere on the same floor. Since I don´t make my own maps I had to search for them again and avoid all monsters while doing so. But finally I got hold of the items and returned to the painting. I threw the can of oil on i and the matches and it went up in flame. Yes! Finally something concrete done in this infested house. 

It gave me the benefit of getting rid of the ghosts but there where still other creatures lurking in the corridors. At least I had found some sort of document holder so I know can begin to store all the notes I find littered about in this house. Since I am not inclined to fight the monsters unless I have no other choice I let the revolver, a shotgun and a blade be left on the floor somewhere and instead only carried a kitchen knife. Hell, I don´t even know if these kind of weapons do any harm on the undead.

Just before I burned down the painting I noticed that my experience bar was full. I had no idea if it still accumulate but would not take the chance so I spended a few points on first aid kit, meditation, blade and firearms just enough to let it go down by 20% which was about what I got when burning the painting (yes I reloaded to try out this). 

My explorations continued. I saw a strange human walking around the corridors with its back to me all the time. I felt uneasy about that and tried to get around it somehow. I then stumbled into a room with a fusebox which I could switch on. And what a relief to finally see the graphics shine up as it should be.

In the southeast part of the house the game throws in some disorienting manouvers. To move forward you have to go backward etc. Also there are some lightnings that strike at certain places to stop you from entering without harm. After many attempts I managed to sneak around the area and found two green gems which I could not bring with me at this time (I had to know where to use them first since I have nowhere to store them if I am not to empty my hands).

Really annoying creatures shooting blue bolts at me

I also found the first secret door. Mostly by accident because the automap and the reality did not match. Behind the panel I found a new spell. Now I have three spells. I also found out by trial and error that I can defeat the winged demons in the corridor with my baseball bat weapon but I am not sure it is worth the injuries taken. I only found one First Aid Kit here, only enough to restore me to 75 % of full health.

I still have no clue how to get out of the house or what I should do other than that the notes talks about evil gods and rituals. I guess I will have to perform some sort of ritual to get rid of the evil that lurks here but I have no clue of what I should do so I just continue to explore the maps. So far four levels have been discovered (starting floor, upper floor, basement and caverns).

When I thought I had done what I could on the upper floor for now, I took the stairs to the floor above and I was somewhat startled to realize this was some sort of Azylum. I had found papers talking about this addon in the 19th century.

This level was filled with security doors that for the most part was impossible to force open despite my efforts to put all experience points into force just to discover each room. Instead, I found a security card on the other side of the level but to my disappointment it only opened one of the doors. That door however eventually led to another stair up.

The corridors where filled with flesh-eating plants of some sort. They could be defeated but as always first aid kits are scarce so I wouldn´t kill anything unless I had to. And I had to, because behind one of them there was a room that led me to a severed hand with a candle. Even though its immediate use was not apparent i found out later on in a note that it was used in a ritual. Who these "formeless asthral spawns" were I don´t know. I had to leave it for now.

But there was also a crazy womand with an axe running around and when I met her she said I must die because I was of one of the family. I run away from her but returned back later on to kill her. That gave me her bloodied apron and an axe. I replaced my baseball bat with the axe and my bulletproof vest with the apron. I had somewhere read something about bloodied clothes in a note and also found a place on the level with an invisible but impassable barrier. With the apron worned I could get past. My joy over this "puzzle solving" was short though. There where two security doors behind which I was unable to open. After spending all my experience into the skill "force" I tried to force the doors. Eventually after many reloads I succeeded. Both room had some sort of green fungus. I had no idea what they where for but I suspect they will be important. I reloaded and continued with my character with my experience points intact.

I felt finished for now with this level and so I entered the next level upstairs. A level which I believe was some sort of museum. The first thing that laid before my feet when entering was a nice rifle. But with no ammunition. The corridors in this place was inhabited by slimes. The good thing about them was that they were "neutral". They did only attack if I attacked and otherwhise just went through their movement pattern. My melee weapon could not hurt them either but my magical firebolt could.

But I also met another kind of crab-like monster which was almost impossible to go past - the dodge skill failed miserably several times. I must find a way to kill them.

I like the game. I think the mix of RPG and adventure is nice so far. Even though I have not understood what I should do more than in general terms I have come across a reference of a golden torc which seems very important. I have yet to find it. Also I have not instructions for any rituals or anything for which I need ingredients or prepare certain procedures. 

What I do fear is that I have to return to all the strange items I have encountered and use them when it is time. I have no notes of where they are so I am not looking forward to search through every level for all the items I have left. Especially not when most monsters still roam these halls. 

But so far I am far from giving up and will continue my exploration in this game. For its meager pricetag it has given me many hours of enjoyment so far.