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TRYNTON
Crimson Poppies and Vile Spiders
I go west and encounter 5 Crimson Poppies, a Rank Weed and an Iron Weed. Crimson Poppies can be tough for even 8th to 12th level parties. Their tail slap attacks have a random chance of causing sleep, and they can spurt a soothing fragrance that can put multiple party members to sleep.
If you encounter them as a lower level party, the key to winning is to choose the right spot. Notice that even backing up against a flat wall will not be good enough, since that can mean 3 Poppies attacking at once. The key is to find a nook so that even my party's flanks are denied to the Poppies, and then can only come and face the 3 front warriors 1 at a time. However, I did not find it necessary, and manage to outlast them.
Now 4 Vile Spiders join when I'm partway through the Poppies. Their webs can paralyze multiple party members. And their bite attacks can cause fear, poison or nausea. I had a close call with Rothgar, but I manage to outlast them as well.
Bull Picus
Up ahead are a flock of Picuses led by a Bull Picus. The Bull Picus can blind with its attacks, so taking it out is the first priority. RFS-81 takes it out early with a Critical Strike. Chun-Li hit the regular Picuses with an Insanity spell, so it becomes a mop up.
Trynnie Tree
Now the party makes its way towards the Trynnie Tree, and speaks with Chief Gari. He wants me to get rid of the 'Ratts' in the Upper Boughs.
I enter the tree, find a few items, and go up a ladder. The auto-map is not of much help for making your way through the inside of the tree itself. A general rule of thumb is that if a ladder leads downward, after having gone up the first ladder that i, it is likely to lead to an isolated room or leads to another upwards ladder that makes progress.
One room has 3 Vile Roaches. I manage to kill them off without getting diseased. The room has a Ring of Breezes, and a Snare of Delay, a Bard instrument that uses the Slow spell. Not terribly useful.
Another room has 5 Wolf Spiders in it. Once they're dead, the party finds a Tarnished Mail, and a Forest Cape (+3 armor, Rangers only).
Eventually, the party comes to a room with 3 ladders leading up. The room itself has a Crawling Creeper that can using an Itching Skin effect on the party, and takes some time to kill. The 2 ladders to the right lead up to isolated rooms. One of them has another Crawling Creeper, while another has a Dung Beetle.
The ladder on the left leads up to a high-reaching rope.
Setting the Oak Saplings Chests
Now I climb up the long rope. I continue on until I reach a wooden elevator of sorts. But I don't go up the elevator just yet. I set up a savegame called "Oak Saplings Chests" first.
It is afterwards that I take the elevator, which brings me up to the Upper Branches of Trynton.
I quicksave after taking the elevator. Note the room that is labelled "Oak". It has four chests. Each chest has items from the "Trynton Good List". The one I want is a Cloak of Perception. My purpose is to check if any of the chests has the cloak.
That means going past the Fountain and the Zoo. I'll fight monsters I come across but I want to keep that to a minimum. I go to the room marked "Blue Marble", kill the two Crawling Creepers there, and take the Blue Marble.
I use the Blue Marble to open the door to the "Haven" in between 7th and Oak, and kill whatever monsters happen to be inside.
There will be three Oak Saplings in the room labelled "Oak". They can cast spells like Crush and Whipping Rock. Their greatest danger is the Toxic Cloud. But a reliable way is to lure them into the Haven, since no spells can be cast in it. That forces them into a straight physical fight, and I have little trouble wearing them down. By the way, if the party gets hit with Toxic Cloud in the first round, I'll just leave the "Haven" to heal up and start over.
The first half of the video shows me setting the "Oak Saplings Chests" savegame, the first run to check if any of the chests had a Cloak of Perception, and reloading the "Oak Saplings Chests" savegame when I realize none of them do.
I repeat the cycle until at least one of the chests has a Cloak of Perception. The second half shows the successful end result. Going up the elevator, setting up the quicksave, fighting my way through, checking and confirming that at least one of the chests has a Cloak of Perception, and then reloading the quicksave instead of the "Oak Saplings Chests" savegame.
Now I'm ready to explore the Upper Boughs in earnest.
Trynton Sanctuary
Now I head for the spot named 'Vines'. Waiting for me are a few Tree Sprites. These are lower-level spell casters that won't give me much trouble. But be warned that other types of Sprites will be much more dangerous. I scum-save this encounter until I get what I want, a Sprite Dagger (+1 To Hit, +4 Initiative, 3-14 damage, +1 Stamina) for Terra. It will ultimately be her off-hand weapon for much of the game, but for now it's also an improvement on any weapon she was previously using.
At the east end of the room, I click on the pillars to get 2 Gooda Vines. I then merge them into a Gooda Vine Rope that will be used later.
I then make for the point labelled 'Fountain'. The correct answer can be any one of 'memory', 'mind', or 'intelligence'. The fountain here provides a 1 time permanent +5 bonus to Intelligence, plus 1,000 xp. This is the key reason for Chun-Li to avoid advancing her Intelligence past 95 during level ups. Once the party drinks from the fountain, it puts her at 100 and she now has the Power Cast skill. Anything more than 95 during level ups would be a waste. Ryu is now at 97, and Terra at 94.
Fuzzfas
The party then goes and meets the merchant, Fuzzfas. I tell him, "He'Li says hello", and receive some potions and bombs from him.
He was quite a wide inventory, with two of his selections, Incense and Mystery Potions, being quest items. Fuzzfas also explains a potential use for the Mystery Potion in combination with Zuzu Petals.
I also buy Potions of Cure Disease from and repeat the process of combining them with Potions of Heavy Heal and then selling the Potions of Renewal. I sometimes buy Potions of Heavy Heal or other Healing potions depending on what I need to make use of every Potion of Cure Disease that I can for the process.
Chun-Li at some point runs out of Mental Mana for the Identify spell. So I rest up, put my buffs back up, Identify the last batch of Potions of Renewal and then sell them.
Spider Silk
Now the party makes its way towards the spot labelled 'Silk'. On the way there, they run into a Crawling Creeper and 5 Blinding Wasps. The Trynnie Champions on patrol do a lot of the work for bringing down the Wasps.
Now the party reaches their destination, where a couple of Giant Spiders await. Each Spider has a 30% chance of dropping Spider Silk upon dying, which is an ingredient for the Zynaryx Plate if you're interested.
Trynton Zoo
I make my way to the Trynton Zoo. Several Swarming Wasps attack me. But being on the narrow walkways of the Upper Boughs is to may advantage, as they can only approach me two at a time.
The first cage of the Zoo has a few more Tree Sprites. I scum-save until I get a second Sprite's Dagger. Terra will have a credible dual-wielding dagger set for combat now. I pick up the Faerie Dust in the cage.
I then click on the dispenser that is across from the cage where Bogo the Hogar is. I take the Rotten Meat that shows up. I then go to my inventory screen, and merge one of the Faerie Dusts with the Rotten Meat to get a Drugged Meat. I then place the Drugged Meat in the trough outside of Bogo's cage. This puts Bogo to sleep, and I get 500xp for it.
I then go into the cage and wake him up so I can kill him. I may as well get the experience for both putting him to sleep and then killing him. Inside his cage are Silver Sollerets (+12 AC), which Rothgar equips, and a Shiny Metal Ball, which is a quest item that won't be used for some time yet.
Next up is a cage with Crocodiles in them. These are lower level Crocodiles that shouldn't be all that difficult. Inside will be a Shiny Chrome Plate that a Gadgeteer can use along with a Polished Mirror to make a Magic Mirror (Eye for Eye spell effect).
Zuzu Petals
I continue to the point labelled 'Zuzu Petals'. I run into some Willow Saplings on the way there who are easily killed. Keep in mind that each Willow Sapling has a 10% chance of dropping a Spirit Staff, which is an ingredient for the Ebon Staff, upon dying. I got one on my first try, but I would have scum-saved for it if I had to.
Inside the house itself are the Zuzu Petals, a quest item that will be used soon.
Blue Marble
Now I head over to the spot labelled 'Blue Marble'. I have to fight two more Creeping Crawlers. In the room, I find a Blue Marble, a quest item that will be used very soon.
Madras
Now I head over to the north a bit, go up the rampart, and speak with a Trynnie Gadgeteer named Madras. He gives me the scoop on the Rattkin above, as well as a few powders.
Safe Haven
I return to Fuzzfas and buy three more Incense. Now I head for the spot at the north edge of the map that is marked 'Blue Marble'. I use the Blue Marble to open the door. Waiting for me are two Rank Weeds and an Iron Weed, which I have little trouble with.
The room itself in an anti-magic effect in place. Any attempt at casting spells in the room will fizzle out.
Now notice that there are 4 sconces in the very center of the room. I use an Incense on each one, thereby creating a Safe Haven where I can rest without fear of getting attacked if I need it.
Rapax Scouts
Now I head to the room north of the haven, where four Rapax Scouts are attacking a couple of Trynnie Scouts. Rapax Warriors often have hefty hit points, but when their levels are lower than mine I won't have much trouble outlasting them.
One item in the room is a Sacred Tome, it describes mixing together the Zuzu Petals and the Mystery Potion together in an Empty Bottle.
Another item is a Book of Set Portal, which Chun-Li scribes. Using Portal spells is going to be a significant part of how I go about things.
Oak Saplings
Now I head over to the east room, where I have to fight a few Oak Saplings. I get their attention, but then lure them out of the room and into the Haven where they can't use their spells. It becomes a matter of cutting them down one by one.
Now I loot the chests. Ryu obtains a Cloak of Perception (+2 AC, +20 Senses, +10% vs. Divine), which he will wear for the rest of the game. Senses helps attack bonuses, both melee and ranged, but not as much as other attributes. It's also helpful for characters that use the Critical Strike skill, so I'll also want one for Terra and RFS-81.
The other benefit is that getting items that boost Senses can void the need to add to spend points on Senses during level-up. That's certainly the case for Ryu, who will get two other items that also boost Senses. And since Haste will take care of Speed, that leaves him free to concentrate on Intelligence and Dexterity, and then Strength and Vitality.
Gooda Bridge
Now I return to the crossroads near the Haven, and kill 5 Crimson Poppies and a rank weed.
I take the path going east from the crossroads and then go up a ladder. There will be two Blinding Wasps nearby. I wait by the ladder and let them come to me. I want them at a distance from the Trynnie Patrols. There's a risk that if the Trynnie attack them up close, the Trynnia will clog up the pathway and be unable to move out of the way. It doesn't seem to be a risk if they shoot at the Wasps. The battle is soon won.
Two paths lead from the ladder. The one to the path leads to a spot called "Shaman Das". I'm not interested in that just yet.
I take the one on the right. The bridge breaks apart at the spot marked "Bridge". I use the Gooda Vine Rope to fix it.
Setting Don Barlone's Chest
The entrance to the Rattkin Tree is just ahead. But I first set up a savegame called "Don Barlone's Chest", and it's after that I cross the bridge and enter the Rattkin Tree.
I'm not here on an extended basis. I quicksave, go a little north and down the rope at the point marked 'R'. I go east and south, fighting monsters along the way, until I reach the house on the south side.
I quickly burn through the introductory conversation with Milo Calzone, another Razuka member, and reply "Dark Savant" in response to his question.
I then check the large chest near "RK". It doesn't have what I want so I reload the "Don Barlone's Chest" savegame.
I repeat the process until the chest has what I want, another Cloak of Perception. The last run shows that sometimes repeating the process involves running past the point of 'R' and crash landing to avoid spending time on fighting monsters, or blowing them away quickly when their locked down around numerous Rattkins. Once the chest has the Cloak, I reload the quicksave.
Don Barlone's Chest
Now I collect. I north, past the house marked "Serenity", and this time fight several Swarming Wasps.
Now I go down the rope at 'R', go east, and kill several more "Swarming Wasps".
I go east and south, and enter the house on the south side. I speak with Milo Calzone and give him "Dark Savant" as an answer. "Astral Dominae" would have worked too.
Now I disarm and open the large chest near 'RK' and collect the Cloak of Perception, which Terra will wear for the rest of the game.
I next speak to Don Barlone, who offers to get the Astral Dominae from the Dark Savant and then sell it to me. I leave for now.
I backtrack and go back up the rope at 'R'. But this time I north and then east to take the elevator at the point marked 'E'. And from there I go down the rope at the point marked "Down".
That brings me to a point marked "Up x 2" on the map of Trynton. I lower the rope, so now I'll always have a way straight back up to the Rattkin Tree.
I go down the rope, kill a Battering Hogar, and then go east to return to the Swamp.
