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RAPAX CASTLE – MAIN LEVEL
'Up' means stairs leading to the Upper Level of the Castle. 'Down' means stairs leading to the Castle Cellar.
My immediate priority is to become a Templar, since this allows travelling around the Rapax Castle without having to fight numerous Rapax, and thus avoids certain complications.
Rapax Hordes in the Castle
I go east for a bit, and numerous Rapax approach me from a hallway to the north. They include Warlocks and Samurai, so I set up with Soul Shield and Elemental Shield. I am also able to bombard them with spells like Toxic Cloud, Death Cloud, Firestorm, etc. I thin out the crowd by cutting down any that come at me. Once the crowd is lessened, I then jump in and finish off the rest.
RFS-81 advances to his 23rd level.
Vampire Chain Ingredients
Now I go towards the southeast corner, and meet Ferro. Terra sets up a portal at his shop. I buy from him:
Chun-Li also purchases a Book of Dessication and a Book of Statues to inscribe the Dehydrate and Body of Stone spells respectively.
I also load up on ammunition, including Barbed Arrows and Hunter Quarrels and Armor Piercers.
I also ask Ferro about custom pieces, and he explains that three of them are possible. I then ask him about the Vampire Chain, and he lists the ingredients he needs.
I then give him the Vampire Bat's Wing, the Prisoner's Chain and the Heart of the Sorceress so he can begin work on the Vampire Chain.
Black Gowns of Death
For now I go back out the west door leaving the Castle. I continue through the Courtyard until I reach its west gate. I set up a savegame before I go through that gate. There's a reason why. I go through that gate to return to the Rapax Rift.
I go south and then through the teleporter at #2a to return to the portal at #2. If I haven't been in the Rift for a while, and I return to the red carpet hallway via the teleporter, chances are actually pretty good I'll get the enemies I want, Rapax Initiates in the company of either Rapax Archers, Rapax Patrols or Rapax Veterans. If I don't get that, I'll reload the savegame before the gate. The reason is that each Rapax Initiate who is spawned in the red carpet hallway, not the ones who were part of set encounters that I went through earlier, has an 80% chance of dropping an item from the Rapax Female list. The items I want are two Gowns of Death (L) (+12 AC, +90% divine resistance, -2 Hit Point drain) and a Gowns of Death (U) (+12 AC, +90% divine resistance, -2 Hit Point drain).
It turns out I got lucky on my first try, Rapax Initiates in the company of Rapax Patrols. I so I get rid of the Rapax Patrols, while preventing any party members from making ranged attacks, and then run away into the side room near the teleporters until the encounter ends.
First, I make sure only RFS-81 and Terra can attack. That means having other characters unequip their missile weapons or extended reach weapons for the time being. I go back and scum-save one of the Initiates for a Black Gown of Death (L) (+12 AC, +90% divine resistance, -2 Hit Points drain, cursed). I run away into the side room at the south, which ends the encounter and allows me to save.
I scum-save another Initiate for a Black Gown of Death (U) (+12 AC, +90% divine resistance, -2 Hit Points drain, cursed). I try to retreat but this time give chase into the room. So I tried to bring them in the room, run around them, and run away south along the hallway until the encounter ends. Unfortunately, they're gone. That can sometimes happen if you take too long with spawned monsters.
There's one more thing I want, so I go back through the teleporter at #2 to return to #2a and then the courtyard.
RFS-81 now wears both the torso and leg pieces of Black Gown of Death. His AC is now through the roof, but together both Black Gowns of Death inflict a -4 Hit Point drain. Fortunately wearing the Ring of Regeneration allows him to negate that altogether.
So I rest and rebuff a couple more times, and then set up another savegame at the entrance to the courtyard. I return to the red carpet hallway in the Rift. It took a few reloads of the savegame set up at the courtyard entrance. But I eventually get what I want, resting in the red carpet hallway will always leads to a fight against a random number of Patrols and four Initiates. I kill off the Patrols and run away to the side room far to the south so that the encounter ends and I can quicksave.
I only need one more item from the Rapax Female drop list, so I now scum all four of the Initiates at one time. I soon get another Black Gown of Death (L) (+12 AC, +90% divine resistance, -2 Hit Points drain, cursed). Ryu will wear it as his leg armor, but he can't just yet. He needs his own Infinity Helm first.
I go through the gates that are opened by levers, go down the tunnel and then kill some more Blistering Scorchers. Zarax and Errol advance to their 25th levels. I thereafter leave the Rapax Rift through the south entrance.
Rothgar can't use his Tripleshot Crossbow anymore, since his Shield of Sacrifice is cursed. It's not a big deal, so I drop the Crossbow and all the Quarrels I had been lugging around. And now the party isn't encumbered anymore. There were small penalties with blue-level encumbrance that I could live with and weren't that big a deal. But I had been emphasizing missile weapons at least until I nailed Bela to get his Ring of Power and Cloak of Many Colors. Now my party is completely unencumbered and ready to turn a page.
Vampire Chain
I go through the Mountain Wilderness, fighting lots of monsters along the way, until I make it to the top of the mountain. I rest up and buff up afterwards.
Terra casts Return to Portal so that I return to Ferro's shop. The Vampire Chain (+3 to hit, +3 initiative, 9-21 damage, 100% drain stamina, heals its wielder with each successful strike, +10 Mace & Flail) is now ready. I purchase it for Rothgar as it becomes his weapon for the rest of the game. Its ability to replenish the Hit Points of the wielder with each strike augments even more his power as a self-regenerating off-tank in addition to his other regenerative items and his own innate regeneration as a Lord. And as the Vampire Chain has extended range, he'll be able to hold the right flank as an off-tank by himself while still striking enemies facing the front line at a distance.
Now I go towards the southeast corner, and meet Ferro. Terra sets up a portal at his shop. His inventory will be renewed after about 24 hours, so I buy from him:
Chun-Li also purchases a Book of Psionics in order to inscribe the Psionic Blast spell.
Mirror Armor Ingredients
Now I go north a little, and kill off several Rapax Samurai and Rapax Warmages, along with a Rapax Courtesan.
I go back to Ferro and ask him about the "Mirror Armor". He needs three ingredients, a Locket of Reflection, a Piece of Obsidian, and a large amount of silver.
Chun-Li casts Return to Portal, bringing the party back to the Old Mine Tunnels where they had found the Silver Nugget but left it behind. It weights 250 pounds, but doing things this way means I only need to lug it around for a little bit of time.
Terra casts Return to Portal to bring the party back in front of Ferro. They give him the ingredients so that he can begin work on the Mirror Armor.
I conclude by defeating Rapax Samurai and Rapax Veterans in the central chamber. Ryu casts Return to Portal to return the party to the entrance to the Rapax Rift.
Mirror Armor
I teleport back to the Rift entrance, and then slaughter numerous monsters in the Mountain Wilderness until I reach the top of the mountain. I rest a couple of times until more monsters spawn, and fight my way back to near the Rift entrance. I rest up and buff up another time.
Terra teleports the party back to Ferro. I now purchase the completed Mirror Armor (+14 AC, +20% earth resistance, +20% fire resistance, retaliation damage against enemies who make melee strikes against wearer) for Zarax. My reasoning is that Zarax accepts a penalty to his AC whenever he makes a Berserk attack, so it's logical that a Fighter would make best of the Armor's retaliation damage. It's a risky way to play. But I'll soon have him on the front line with tanks like Ryu and Terra taking a lot of the heat off of him. And I can cast a Body of Stone spell on him if I need to. The damage reduction from Body of Stone will stack with the damage reduction provided by his Iron Skin skill.
I also purchase a pair of Mantis Boots for Rothgar, and an Infinity Helm for Zarax.
23rd Level Ninja and Bishop
I fight more Rapax in the main chamber, and then teleport out to the Rift entrance.
I continue to hunt for and kill more monsters in the Mountain Wilderness. Both Terra and Chun-Li advance to their 23rd levels.
Terra takes Death Cloud, so she has it as an option as well.
Chun-Li takes Might to Magic, which provides an option for recouping her Mana if she needs it.
Infinity Helm and Faust Halberd
Terra casts Return to Portal to return the party to Ferro in the Rapax Castle. I now purchase a fourth Infinity Helm from him, this time for Vi Domina.
I fight yet more Rapax in the central chambers of the Castle.
Now Rothgar casts Return to Portal to return the party to the tavern room in Arnika.
I go and kill Savant Minions and Savant Gunners near the Savant Tower. I then kill several Savant Slashers and Savant Gunners in the Spaceport.
Now I go to Antone's shop and quicksave. I start a fight with Antone and scum-save him until he drops a Faust Halberd (+2 to hit, -4 initiative, 10-30 damage, 5% paralyze, 5% critical hit, -3 hit points drain). It becomes Vi Domina's weapon for what's left of the game. The Mystery Ray isn't a big deal anymore, since I already used missile weapons to get the Ring of Power from Bela. The +2 hit point regeneraton from the Infinity Helm and the +1 hit point regeneration from the Amult of Healing will together negate the -3 hit point drain of the Faust Halberd. It has a better to hit and initiative than the Stun Rod, and has a better damage range.
Terra casts Return to Portal to again return to Ferro.
Surdan and Al-Adryian
I go north and kill some Rapax Samurai and Rapax Warmages in the central chambers.
Now I go up the rampart and to the west, where there are two non-hostile Rapax. I speak to the one to the south, Surdan. He opens up the gate for me.
I venture on, and speak with Al-Adryian, who is willing to allow me to become a Templar.
Saydin
Now I speak with Saydin, the non-hostile Rapax near the north gate, and drop the name 'Al-Adryian' in response to his question. I then make a gold donation to gain access to the Temple of the Initiate.
The gate will open, and just a little ahead is an Initiate Badge that I'll need. The Temple of the Initiate is down the hallway leading north.
Temple of the Initiate
There are actually 3 parts to this. First, I step on to the central part of the room, and get lowered down. There is an item behind bars. But first, I must switch the nearby lever, which releases two Earth Elemental Lords.
After I kill them, Al-Saiz has a riddle for me. The answer is "flesh". The bars open. I then grab the Canezou Robe (+4 AC, +1 Stamina Regeneration), and I get lowered down again.
I then switch the next lever to release two Water Elemental Lords. After I kill them Al-Madeus has a riddle for me. The answer is "mind". The bars open, and I grab the Canezou Helm (+7 AC, +10 Vitality, +10 Mythology) to get lowered down again.
I then switch the next lever to release two Fire Elemental Lords. After I kill them, Al-Lure has another riddle for me. The answer is "heart". The bars open, and I grab the Canezou Dagger (+1 to hit, +1 intiative, 3-14 damage, 5% hex, 1% critical hit, +5 Dexterity, +10 Close Combat).
The nearby teleporter allows me to go back to where I first entered the Temple of the Initiate.
Initiation Ceremony
Now I head back to Al-Adryian, and he provides me with both instructions for completing the ceremony of initiation, as well as Dark Nectar.
The gate west of him is opened by clicking the Initiate's Badge on the symbol that resembles it next to the gate.
I dress up Errol in the Canezou Helm, Canezou Robe and Canezou Dagger. I unequip the rest of his items just to be safe.
Now I head west and then north to reach the Altar. I use the Dark Nectar on it. Al-Sedexus appears, and I must use the same answers that I gave to the Priestesses overseeing the Temple of the Initiate. I select Errol to get it on with Al-Sedexus as it were.
Errol keeps the Canezou Helm on, since it provides a +7 AC for his head, and a +10 bonus to Vitality which will improve his stamina. The Puck's Cap had been useful up until this point, but now I rid myself of the -10 Piety penalty.
Terra equips both the Canzeou Robe and the Canezou Dagger in the off-hand. The Sprite's Dagger had been useful, but the Canezou Dagger now provides useful bonuses to Close Combat and Dexterity. And the +1 stamina reegeneration provided by the Canezou Robe can now offset the -1 stamina drain of the Fey Ring instead of the Sprite's Dagger.
Once this is finished, I continue north from the Altar. I encounter Al-Adryian again, who announces that the party has become Templars of the Rapax and can move freely throughout the castle without getting attacked.
The catch is that Errol is under a curse. He'll lose health and die if he stays too long outside the Castle or the Rift. That's what I wanted to get all the items I could from Ferro first before proceeding with the Initiation. Back then I still had the freedom to go around monster hunting and obtaining the last ingredients while waiting for my custom items to becompleted.
The gate to the teleporter to Ascension Peak is now open, so this is necessary at one point or another. I have Vi Domina set up a portal here.
Also, near the altar is Sexus, a Rapax Mage who can join the party, for anyone who's interested.
I go east along the adjoining hallway, use a lever next to a gate, and then click on the gate itself to pass through and leave the temple.
Ferro's Armory
As for where I'm heading, recall the rampart where I spoke with Surdan and Saydin. Right underneath them is a hallway leading downwards. This leads to the Kitchen, but I haven't labelled it because it is directly underneath Al-Adryian and the Altar and such.
I venture in, and soon I find the Infernal Horn, which Errol can use to replicate the Nuclear Blast spell.
I press further onwards, and in the northwest corner of the kitchen, I find some Pickled Trynnie.
I bring this back and give it to Ferro, who gives me the Armory Key.
I go westwards, and find the Bellows, which a Gadgeteer can combine with a Water Hose to create the Water Cannon, which can replicate the Tsunami spell.
I continue westwards, and then north a little. There's an elevator here that is operated by the switch. I take the elevator upwards, and then use the Armory Key on the keyhole. Several items for the taking are revealed, including a Brilliant Helm (+6 armor class, +20 intelligence), a Bushido Blade (+2 to hit, +3 initiative, 4-22 damage), Resurrection Powder, some Death Stars (+1 initiative, +5 to hit, 7-15 damage, 100% poison, 5% critical strike), and a Vulcan Hammer (+1 initiative, +2 to hit, 8-20 damage, 10% knock unconscious, Fire Storm with limited charges).
I leave and head towards the soutwest corner. The stairs leading down lead to the Rapax Castle Cellar.
