RGR009 - The Staff of Change

It was as good a time as any to tie up loose ends, so we made our way back to Samanao to prepare for our search for the Mirror of Ra. We had gained some levels and upgraded our equipment since the last time we set foot in the area, so we were fairly confident we could handle ourselves this time. So we marched southward across the mountains until we found a double bridge leading to a cave surrounded by poisonous marsh, and knew it had to be the place.

The cave was fairly tough, mainly because it was expansive and had several looping pathways. In one area, a path made of treasure chests led us into a small treasure room, and we would surely have died there had it not been for Theron's X-Ray spell, which can detect traps in chests. On that same level, there was a small pit, and when we fell through it, we landed on an island in the middle of a spring in the cave, with a single chest containing the Mirror of Ra! Not content to leave treasure undiscovered or maps incomplete, we continued on, and were able to clean out the cave before heading back to Samanao.

We used the Lamp of Darkness to bring about nightfall, and then snuck into the castle and the king's bed chamber. When we looked into the mirror, the king's reflection was that of a monster, which promptly attacked us. It was a Boss Troll, a simple but powerful enemy, and it gave us a hard time. But we were victorious, and with the false king destroyed, the real king was found and released, along with everyone else in prison.

Yeah, we're working on it.

Chocolate mint apes!

The marsh is a nice touch.

Oh, but there's more treasure over there!

Surprise!

We don't need your permission.

As usual, we made everything better.

Was this back here the whole time?

After everything was put in order, the guards in Samanao Castle became much kinder and friendlier, and welcomed us to the castle. And since we had found the Staff of Change in the king's chamber after defeating the monster, we had a clear objective for the next leg of our quest (well, two actually, thanks to the game's manual). So our first stop was the village of the elves, where the shopkeeper wouldn't sell to humans. It took some time, but the Staff of Change eventually turned us into dwarves, to whom the elves were friendly. We picked up an Angel's Robe for Viron, and were thinking about getting another Wizard's Ring, but didn't have the money.

When we finished up with the elves, we took the Staff of Change to the old man in Greenlad, who was ecstatic to finally have a chance to own it. He gave us the Sailor's Thigh Bone in exchange, which apparently acts as a locator for the Phantom Ship. Using it tells us how far away the ship is, and in what direction. I find the whole idea of using some guy's leg bone to find a ghost ship a tad unsettling, but you gotta do what you gotta do.

Wow, you're much friendlier now.

No need to thank us, citizen.

You should make this a motel now.

See, we even make dreams come true!

All right, but just this once.

Well, you seem to be feeling better!

Ha ha! Fooled you!

I hope we're getting a good deal.

So I guess the next step is to hunt down the Phantom Ship and find whatever treasures it holds.

I hope Theron makes it through this okay. He's kind of afraid of ghosts.