Haunted Ruins, Part Two – Drakensang: The River of Time

This Guide covers an area in the Elven Forest for Drakensang: The River of Time. It’s complete with a map, map legend, and overview of the varying points of interest.

Map Legend

1 – Seal of Curse
2 – Seal of Defense
3 – Seal of Power
4 – Seal of Presence
5 – Seal of Magic
6 – Elaborate Chest
7 – Elaborate Chest
8 – Special Sacrophagus
9 – Hidden Treasure
10 – Zant
11 – Archon Megalon

Exits:

1. Exit to upper level.

Background

After you have destroyed the two statues of the Sinister Sisters, Archon Megalon will instruct you to go down, discover the seal stones and fight the demon Zant.

This dungeon is laden with traps, and gargoyles will occasionally climb of their pedestals and attack you. Neither should pose a significant threat, at worst making it a bit tedious. The gargoyles occasionally drop Stone Spiked Clubs or Stone Maces.

1 – Seal of Curse

An emerald spider and a total of six small emerald spiders guard the way to a locked and trapped chest containing the Seal of Curse. Picking it up nets you 50AP.

2 – Seal of Defense

Five gargoyles walk around in this room. One of them will drop the Seal of Defense when slain, which you will automatically pick up for 50AP.

3 – Seal of Power

Beyond a locked door is a locked chest, containing the Seal of Power. Pick it up for 50AP.

4 – Seal of Presence

A locked and trapped chest contains the Seal of Presence. Pick it up for 50AP.

5 – Seal of Magic

Behind a hidden door lies a chest containing the Seal of Magic. Pick it up for 50AP.

6 – Elaborate Chest

Behind a trapped door you’ll find a locked chest that contains one part of the Bosparian Recipe. There are five parts in total, identifying each is worth 20AP. When you have all five pieces, you can trade it to Master Brookbeard in Nadoret for Instructions to make Incendiary Arrows, Incendiary Bolts or Incendiary Bullets and a final 20AP.

7 – Elaborate Chest

Hidden in a niche here is a trapped and locked chest that contains one part of the Bosparian Recipe. There are five parts in total, identifying each is worth 20AP. When you have all five pieces, you can trade it to Master Brookbeard in Nadoret for Instructions to make Incendiary Arrows, Incendiary Bolts or Incendiary Bullets and a final 20AP.

8 – Special Sacrophagus

Behind a hidden door lies a chest containing an Old Battleax, 39x Old Bronze Coin, 8x Rare Coin.

9 – Hidden Treasure

A locked chest containing 15x Rare Coin, 47x Old Bronze Coin, Barbute Helmet, Amulet of Courage and Research Notes.

10 – Zant

Zant presents quite a fight, so be sure you’re well-prepared. Decide which seal stones you wish to use, put them in place, and then align the circles on the floor to form a pentagram, with the points pointing to each of the seal stone mountings. This nets you 50AP.

Zant has 700VI. He does hefty damage but nothing a good tank can’t take, but he does use area-of-effect attacks so it’s not a good idea to go toe-to-toe with him with rogue or magic characters. He teleports around and uses several special attacks, including a poison spit, a knock-down roar and causing fear. He can not receive wounds, bleed, be poisoned or knocked down. One annoying thing you have to keep an eye on during the fight is that all stacked commands are removed when Zant teleports, so you’ll have to reorder your party members attack with their spells and special attacks.

Each seal has a different effect, which ones you use depends on your party build:
– Seal of Curse: removes the curse that lowers the VI and AE of all heroes by 10.
– Seal of Defense: roughly halves Zant’s RS and PA.
– Seal of Power: Lowers Zant’s VI from 700 to VI. Removes his regeneration ability (which heals 10 VI every 2 rounds). Lowers the DP of his attacks.
– Seal of Presence: removes the curse that lowers the AT and PA of all heroes by 5, and the ranged combat value of all heroes by 10.
– Seal of Magic: removes the curse that drains 3 AE from all heroes every round.

The Seal of Power is probably the most useful seal to use, and Zant is really difficult to defeat without it, if not impossible for parties not specialized in combat. Beyond that, it depends on your party makeup: the Seal of Magic is enormously useful if you have Jaakon or if your own character is a magic user. The Seal of Defense or Seal of Presence is enormously useful for combat-focused parties.

It is tempting to use as few seals as possible but honestly, once you’ve used one Archon Megalon’s rewards are barely worth the trouble. Regardless of how many seals you use, defeating Zant nets you 200AP, Daemon Slobber and Theriac, which you need to heal Ardo.

11 – Archon Megalon

Archon Megalon offers to take you outside. He’ll take your Seals and give you your reward. That is:
1 seal: Recipe for Demon Armor
2 seals: 5D, Recipe for Demon Armor
3 seals: 20D, Recipe for Demon Armor
4 seals: 70D, Recipe for Demon Armor
5 seals: 70D, Recipe for Demon Armor, Ring of Magical Power

Return to Alari Springborn in the Elven Tree with the cure. This nets you 100AP, adds Ardo as a possible companion, and starts the River Pirates in Hammerberg quest.

Exits:

1. Exit to upper level.