When you start playing, you "construct" a character according to your wishes. You may choose from a fighter, a magician or a thief. Probably, the game can be solved using any character. I chose a fighter, so the remainder of this text discusses mainly warrior-like aspects.

After you choose a character, you get 50 points to divide between certain aspects of your character. A warrior does OK when fighting but poorly in magic; a thief has a good stealth and can pick locks, etc.. Make sure that all categories are non-zero! You acquire skills during the game, but the start up skill value must be greater than zero to accomplish this. So, even when you are a warrior, be sure that your magic category contains some points. I left the "stealth" category at zero, and it worked out OK.

While playing, take all the action you can! Your skills will improve simply by doing so (e.g. fight monsters as often as you can; use your magic skills whenever possible; etc.).

Do make a map of the area. Simply start playing by wandering around and looking at stuff. The map of the area is not included in this text, but you should be able to figure it out easily. Save your game often! You're likely to get killed more often than you would like, to fall into pits, etc.

Generally, there are two things you should check regularly: your character's sheet (press 'Ctrl-S' (it's an IBM PC port) to see it) and the time of day (press 'Ctrl-T'). Watch your sheet for bad health (lower left corner of the display). When you are too weak, you make mistakes. Furthermore, there is a good chance that you will not survive an attack by monsters.

The time of day is equally important. There are more monsters in the woods during night time. Furthermore, it is wise to get some sleep during night hours, as your strength, stamina, etc. will be restored by it. Then there are tasks which may be accomplished only during a certain time of day.

When you start in the town of Spielburg, talk to the sheriff and ask about stuff. Check out the city; be sure to visit the Guild Hall (where the proprietor is asleep all of the time) to look at the board. There are some "wanted" notes hanging here. Remember the names (you'll need them!). There's a magic shop in town, where you can buy scrolls to learn spells if your magic skill is high enough. If not, you can buy magic potions. Drinking these will improve your character's magic abilities until you CAN buy scrolls. Pay attention to what the witch in the magic shop says about spells! A "free" spell can be learned in the woods.

The potions you can buy will help you on your way. There are health potions (drink them when your health has suffered from battle), vigor potions (which you may use when getting tired), magic potions (to be used when your magic power gets too low due to excessive spell casting), etc.

However, potions can be acquired at a lower price at the healer's, which is out of town and then North. The only advantage of the magic shop in town is that it offers 24 hour a day service.

If sunset is not yet approaching, leave town and head East by following the road. At the end of the road go North. You will meet a warrior giant in a snowy clearing. Bargain with him. He will want fruit from you. Get it in town (in fact, get LOTS of it: the warrior is pretty big. You'll need 50 apples). The giant will give you something you will need later on for your trouble.

If you still have the time, return to the town entrance and go North. You'll find the healer's cottage there. Notice the bird in the nest on the branch of the large oak? Try to climb the tree to get to the nest! That may take some time, if your climbing is not yet too good. Be sure to watch your health during the work-out! Rest a couple of times.

When you make it up the tree, look in the nest and you'll see a ring. Remember the "wanted" signs at the Guild Hall? Try to get the ring. You will fall off the tree if your climbing is not good enough yet. Watch your health! Falling off trees is obviously not good for you.

If sunset approaches, go back into town, even without the ring. If you do get the ring, return it to the healer first (you'll get money and a big kiss). In town, wait for dark; then go North of the town entrance to the low-life's pub. There is an alley next to the bar and a beggar sits there during daytime (don't give him money as he'll just advise you not to take up begging since it doesn't pay). During the night, two thugs hide in the alley, ready to rob you. When they make their move, make the thieve's sign! They will take you for one of their own and give you the password to get into the Thieves Guild.

Go to the bar. Notice the ugly looking guy sitting in a chair at the left side of the bar? Go up to him, and give him the password. He'll let you into the Thieves Guild.

Once in the Thieves Guild, you'll encounter the boss. He rambles on about the times being so hard and then turns his attention to you. You'll have to get a Thieve's License at the far end of the room before continuing your talk with the boss. Once you are a registered thief, ask the boss about that game he's playing, and play it with him a couple of times. First you'll win some money, but when you start betting too much, the boss decides to teach you a lesson, and it's time to stop playing. Before you leave, be sure to buy a lock pick at the far end of the room where you got your license. Then leave the Thieves Guild.

During night time, you can pick a couple of locks in town and steal stuff. There are some silvers in the desk in the Sheriff's house (that's not the office where you see him during daytime) and a precious vase on the mantle piece. Don't wake anybody up! In the other street, next to the magic shop, you can enter the old lady's house to get the candles and to get the basket (the poor old thing dropped her pearls in the knitting basket - good for you). Don't approach the cat! When you get too close, it turns into a ferocious monster. You can sell the stolen stuff in the thieve's guild.

It should be day again by now. Go to the grocery store, and talk to the proprietor. He will tell you that he actually wanted to be a hero himself, and that he has some useful materials. Buy a dagger if you don't have one yet, but don't buy empty flasks (even if the manager tells you that they're oh-so-handy). Also, he'll tell you about the chain mail armor you can buy, but you need lots of money for that. You will have to get the money anyway, eventually!

Before leaving town, check out the magic shop again. Can you buy spells yet? If so, get some of the spells. If not, you will have to improve your magic first and come back later.

If you've not yet retrieved the ring, do so and bring it to the healer. Buy some potions (especially health potions), and ask the healer about some things (e.g. ask about Elsa, the lost baron's daughter, and about the creatures you have seen during your trip around the perimeter. Then, go see the Dryad. That creature lives roughly Southwest of the town (a white deer will show you the way, if you get close enough to the right place). While underway, again fight as many monsters as you can. Be sure to search the dead body of your opponent after you win as the humanoid monsters usually carry cash.

The Dryad lives in a magic acorn. Approach the tree, and the Dryad will appear. Talk to her (him? it?), and listen closely. The Dryad will ask you to get seeds from plants which grow roughly North of the Dryad's place. Go there and get the seed (you'll have to climb a rock and try to catch the seed). Then return to the Dryad. Now, you'll receive information about a magic ointment, which you'll need.

The next day, go to the healer and give her the ingredients. She will make a dispel potion, which you'll need later on. You'll have to leave the healer alone while she prepares the potion. During this period, try to increase your fighting and magic skills. Here's one approach: Get the Flame Darts spell from the magic shop. Then just wonder around. When you see an enemy, cast the Flame Darts spell a couple of times, and then engage in battle. If you win, both your fighting and your magic skills will improve. Always be sure to carry enough healing potion though! If you run out, and are too weak, you may be killed in battle. Also remember to rest after a battle, to restore your stamina points.

The goblins, that live West of town, are pretty good battle opponents. You should fight only as many goblins as you can handle, and they usually carry enough cash to enable you to buy a fresh healing potion.

When you feel strong enough, get the dispel potion from the healer (it should be ready by now) and go to Baba Yaga, who lives Northwest of town. Talk to the skull in the middle of the fence. It wants something you got at the beginning of the game. As a reward, it will let you pass. Approach the hut, and say: "Hut of brown now sit down" (you can get that rhyme in various places, also from the skull). Then enter the hut. Baba Yaga is a pretty mean witch. She'll change you into a frog with the intention of eating you. But worry not as she'll change her mind, because she has an assignment for you, and restore you to your former self. She wants you to bring her some mandrake root, growing in the town graveyard. However, you have to pull the root out exactly at midnight. So here comes the spooky part. You must wait until the middle of the night (waiting by the target at the town's south wall is a good place because monsters stay away from there) and then you have to get to the graveyard. There are some zombies here who will want to suck the life out of your character's body. You can buy some quite expensive "undead unguent" at the healer's. It will temporarily protect you from the zombies, but be sure to come with more than one potion. In order to get the root, it's best to approach the graveyard from the north side, and to leave as quickly as possible towards the South when you have. You'll probably get killed a couple of times before you succeed though. When you have the root, take it back to Baba Yaga. She'll let you live as a reward for your services.

Now for the 'boring' part. You have to improve your skills greatly before you can accomplish your hero's mission. If you are a warrior, fight during the day to get money and skills, and sleep at Erana's Peace during the night (or in the stable at the castle) to restore your body. If you are a magician or a thief, do whatever these guys are supposed to do.

You can practice throwing your dagger at the target on the south side of the town. Some local thugs come here too and if you hide in the bushes, you can overhear them exchanging valuable information.

You have to get enough money to buy the armor, which is sold at the grocer's in the town. When you have the armor, ensure that you have two vigor potions for your stamina and two health potions for your wounds. Then go to the Brigand's Cave which lies Southeast of town. On your way there, you pass an Antwerp (whatever beast that may be). Don't anger it by attacking it as it can not be defeated and will then not let you pass! When you reach the Brigand's Cave, enter it.

Although many nasty looking archers line the sides of the entrance to the cave, our hero must run the gauntlet, while avoiding as many arrows as possible. Avoid enough of the arrows and he survives. When you reach the logs at the west side of the cave, drink a health potion and a vigor potion to prepare for the ensuing battle, then climb over the logs. Here you will encounter three brigands whom you must slay.

Drink health and vigor potions before moving on. Next you encounter a Minotaur. If you have the time, fire some flame darts at the sucker to hurt him (else, he'll hurt you the more). If you don't survive the battle, then your fighting is still not good enough and you'll have to go on practicing and then try again. But if you do survive, you can get into the brigand's fortress by opening the gate (use your magic). Go through the court to the far side (north side of the court), but choose your way carefully, as you may fall over trip wires, fall into traps, etc. Once you get there, open the door on the northeast side of the court and get in.

Here the essence is speed. Close and bolt the door behind you (otherwise, you get surrounded and killed). Then there are three more doors you have to deal with:

One in the northeast corner of the room (move the chair, so that the door becomes barred).

Two more are in the northwest corner. While working with the chair, some bad guys will enter from one of the remaining doors. Push the candelabra to bar their way, then climb the table and get the rope to do some Errol Flynn stuff. Quickly exit through the north door, before more bad guys come in.

Now you are in the anteroom of the Brigand Leader's office. The leader's guard is sitting here in a room which looks like a toy shop. However, there are deadly traps here! Talk to the guy about Elsa (you should know who she is, having read the board in the Guild Hall). He'll become quite friendly (when he's not friendly, he's not so good to be around). Then start walking and the guy will stand up and say he'll meet you in a minute in the Leader's office. However, you still have to get through the toy room. Walk right until you get to a trap, then walking diagonally step over the trap. Take the first door on your right. You'll pass a maze and end up at the left side of the room, looking at a chain. Pull the chain, and now very quickly go left through the maze again to get to the right hand door. Then move to the door which the chain opened. If you make it in time, you'll end up at the left hand side of the room again, but near a different door. Open the door, then quickly step aside (the door will otherwise fall on your head), and go through the opening.

You are in the Brigand Leader's office now, facing the Big Bad Guy. But wait a minute, doesn't that look in the leader's eyes remind you of something? Now is the time to use the dispel potion; and before your very eyes the brigand leader will change into Elsa, the lost baron's child (she rather looks like a country maid and personally, I liked the brigand leader better). Yorick, the leader's guard, now comes in looking quite happy. Watch where he came from! That's the secret way out! Elsa will now tell you that she's leaving with Yorick, but she'll offer you a mirror (you should know by now what it is useful for) and two healing potions. Take both, and leave before the brigands come in.

Your quest is nearly finished now. There is one more nasty creature that you have to deal with: the Big Bad Baba. Go see her, and when she tries to turn you into a frog again, deal with her using the valuable object that Elsa just gave you. Then you can go to the castle, where everyone's waiting for you, the Hero.

The course of the game herein described, doesn't get you the maximum points (e.g. there is the Wizard's Castle, where you can get in to talk to the wizard (you can get valuable information there). When your magic is good, you can challenge him for a game of spell casting and if you succeed, he teaches you a new spell). There's also a bear cave with a big ugly bear chained to the cave wall. The lock of the chain cannot be opened using a lock pick as it's a magic lock. I don't know what happens when you free the bear, but I believe he changes into the baron's lost brother.