Hellbound

Map of the island Hellbound

After Beleth, apparently with the help of his followers, escaped from the dungeon beneath the Ivory Tower (Ivory Tower), he headed to a land known as the Isle of Hell's Tangles (Hellbound). The problem was that this place was by no means uninhabited; the native population was a highly developed cultured civilization. So first of all he killed Hannibal — a seer and oracle able to talk directly with the gods through his third eye and held in high esteem among the natives. Deprived of their spiritual leader, the locals soon gave in to Beleth's promises of wealth and power.

Having settled on the island, Beleth summoned even more followers. At some point the natives simply realized that they were no longer the masters of their own land. The dwarf Tully (Tully (lv. 65, 82)), Beleth's brilliant longtime assistant, set about his technical duties and built the Steel Citadel (Steel Citadel) for the "Devil" in the eastern part of the island — a massive castle with outer fortifications, consisting of three mighty towers: the Main Tower (Base Tower), the Tower of Infinitum (Tower of Infinitum) and the Tower of Naia (Tower of Naia), the residence of Beleth himself. For his own needs and amusement, Tully built a huge eight-story workshop. Today the workshop is guarded by Beleth's general Darion (Darion (lv. 70, 82)) — a deadly fighter in heavy armor, armed with a huge blade and an equally heavy shield, with which he loves to smear those who challenge him.

As anyone can imagine, construction on such a grand scale required an enormous outlay of resources. First of all, Tully's workers, the enslaved natives, opened a huge quarry in the center of the island to mine stone for the Citadel's foundation. Although the necessary steel and other high-quality materials were supplied by evil forces from another dimension, Beleth recognized that the building project still needed a great deal of timber: for scaffolding, temporary housing for the workers and even for lighting the kitchen fires to feed the workforce. And time took its toll — Tully's people cut down literally every tree on the island, turning it into the bare desert that can be seen to this day. This ecological disaster was made worse by the magic barrier Beleth raised to isolate his secret stronghold. This force field not only blocks ordinary access to the island — you can only get there through two portals (Warpgate) in Heine (Heine ) and at the southern entrance to the Wasteland (Wasteland) — it also stops the rain clouds approaching from the sea.

But the natives weren't broken. Soon a Resistance Movement formed, a coalition of the island's ancient shamanic community and the so-called "newcomers" who arrived from the mainland in the last waves of settlement. To deal with the ever-worsening security, General Darion issued special tokens both to the creatures under his command and to the collaborating natives, which identified them and let them move freely around the island. These travel permits, known as "Darion's Badges" ( Darion's Badge), are naturally in great demand by the Resistance Movement.

Adventurers wishing to win the Resistance Movement's trust must first of all provide them with a certain number of Darion's Badges by killing the monsters that carry them. Some of these monsters can be found right by the harbor where everyone arrives through the portal: Junior Watchman (lv. 82), Junior Summoner (lv. 82), Blind Huntsman (lv. 82) and Blind Watchman (lv. 82). South-west of the harbor is the magical area of the Enchanted Megaliths (Enchanted Megaliths), where you can find Arcane Scout (lv. 82), Arcane Guardian (lv. 82) and Arcane Watchman (lv. 82). With each monster killed in the harbor area (they're all very aggressive), the Resistance Movement's trust level increases by one point; for monsters killed near the Enchanted Megaliths, trust grows by three points. The main problem for would-be resistance fighters is that these creatures don't take loners seriously. They appear when groups of five or more people set foot on their territory, but sometimes they appear out of nowhere and immediately attack everyone they see ferociously.

Remember: these creatures, like any others on the island, are treacherous opponents. Junior Summoner can in most cases kill an experienced battle mage in two shots, even if he has the best magic support and wears the best gear possible, while Blind Watchman can drain a wizard's power in an instant. A single Arcane Scout at the Enchanted Megaliths can wipe out a whole party of seven in a few minutes. Attempts to sneak past them using concealing magic won't work; they can see through Dance of Shadows or any other stealth movement skills like invisibility. None of the monsters on the island can be defeated by a lone fighter, and even a party must have a lot of experience working together, with well-honed actions, becoming a single whole.

When the party members have collected 20 Darion's Badge each and their trust level reaches 300 000 points (yes, three hundred thousand), they must go to the Hidden Oasis (Hidden Oasis) south-east of the Megaliths. There they can find the trader Falk (Falk), sitting on his well-armed beast, who will exchange Darion's Badges for a Basic Caravan Certificate ( Basic Caravan Certificate). (The Caravans are a third party unhappy with Beleth's rule.) Collecting 300 000 trust points will take a long time. Adventurers can quickly cut this amount by killing Junior Watchman and Junior Summoner, thereby freeing Subjugated Natives and Charmed Natives from Beleth's cruel oppression. For each of these creatures killed, the trust level increases by 10 points. However, by mistakenly killing a native, the trust level drops by 10 points (the same applies to the slaves working in the Quarry).

The next step for everyone wishing to join the fight against Beleth is acquiring the clothing common among the native population. Like all tribal cultures, they have only one kind of "folk outfit", consisting of a "helmet" (actually a hat), a shirt and trousers. All this clothing can be bought from Tailor Buron (Tailor Buron) in the harbor. He won't want to sell it for money, but will demand ten Darion's Badges for each piece of clothing. Everyone dressed in this folk costume gets the ability to transform into a real native. When everyone has collected another 5 Darion's Badges, you can go to the Hidden Oasis again. There you can find Bernard (Bernarde), with whom you can exchange these badges for Holy Water ( Holy Water). Holy Water is needed to sprinkle Remnant Diabolist (lv. 70, 94) and Remnant Diviner (lv. 70, 94), who dwell in the Ancient Temple Remnants (Ancient Temple Remnants) in the south-eastern part of the island, so they can rest in peace.

This is easier said than done. These ghosts, filled with bitterness over the injustice done to them, are very hard to destroy. Even having lost all their blood, they still stay alive. That's exactly the moment to use Holy Water. Only then will the ghosts leave this world. People heading to the Temple Remnants needn't worry: a small amount of Holy Water is quite enough to free the ghosts from their suffering; the bottle bought from Bernard is practically inexhaustible. Another piece of good news is that with each Diabolist or Diviner killed, the Resistance Movement's trust level grows by five points.

Laying the ghosts to rest in the Ancient Temple Remnants takes a lot of effort. If the adventurers want to get a higher certificate of trust from the Caravans by helping the Resistance Movement establish good relations with that party, they must go to the Sand Swept Dunes (Sand Swept Dunes). There they can find Wandering Caravans (Wandering Caravan (lv. 84, 81)), who betrayed their colleagues and were expelled from the community. Besides these rogue traders, in the Dunes you can also find Sand Scorpion (lv. 82) and Desert Scorpion (lv. 82). Adventurers can be of great use to the Caravans by killing these traitors and destroying the Scorpions, making the desert safer. For 30 Traitor's Necklaces and 60 Scorpion Poison Stingers, Caravan Trader Hude (Hude), standing in the Caravan Camp east of the Sand Swept Dunes, will issue a Standard Caravan Certificate ( Standard Caravan Certificate) to those who have reached 600 000 trust points.

Once someone has got Standard Caravan Certificate, they can buy Caravan Remedy ( Caravaner's Remedy) from Hude for 25 000 adena a bottle. The main problem in the desert is the extremely high temperature, which exhausts everyone, forcing them to avoid it and hunt only at night. Caravaner's Remedy counteracts this effect. Taking it gives protection from the scorching sun for an hour. But everyone must remember that the Caravan traders take their services very seriously. Even if someone has paid for the Remedy, it's still a personal gift to its owner. It can't be passed to anyone, and it can't be dropped on the ground where anyone could pick it up.

The next stage on the path to siding with the Resistance is the Battered Lands (Battered Lands), which can be reached through a corridor leading from the harbor. Be careful: at the end of this corridor you'll find five Battered Lands Guardians (Wounded Land Guard (lv. 78, 70)) standing in a row and blocking the way. Behind them is an invisible barrier that only those who have tasted enough of the island's salt can pass. Using concealing magic (DoS, SM), you can run up to the guardians and even past them, but it's a trap! If you can't get through the barrier and retreat, the guardians will instantly spot you and simply smear you across the floor.

To remove the invisible barrier, you'll need to go to the natives' village south-east of the Hidden Oasis. It's an important stronghold of the Resistance Movement and is therefore attacked by Beleth's demons quite often. General Darion already suspects that the resistance fighters are joining forces with people from the mainland. So he sends his lieutenant Keltas (Keltas (lv. 84, 81)) at the head of a large squad of Enforcers and Executioners to raid the village every 2—4 hours, with orders to crush any resistance they meet on their way.

Keltas and his platoon carry out this order to the letter: they go from house to house and kill everyone they see, whether a resistance fighter or an ordinary resident. Since the active resistance fighters usually go off into the desert to wear down Darion's troops, it's the women and children left at home who get hit (which is why the island's population is now mainly men). The victims of such raids could cover the floor of the largest building in the settlement, and although the raids don't last long and the soldiers go back to their barracks, in time Keltas and his platoon return again. It's all because they're looking for valuables the natives have put aside in hope of better days. Of course, in a world as cruel as Hellbound there are no huge hoards of savings, but sometimes Keltas hits a really big jackpot. That's exactly why the Caravans have taken an interest in this. Since the people in the village die either way, it would be simply shameless to let Darion's soldiers get hold of the treasures.

Trader Jude (Jude) will reward anyone well who brings him 40 treasure chests (treasure chests). In Darion's anti-insurgent squads, as in any other army, all the loot flows to the leader. By killing Keltas, you can get Treasure Chest and also earn more trust from the Resistance Movement, which rises by 100 points. The trust level also rises by 3 points for each of Keltas's subordinates killed — a Enforcer or a Executioner. Being officially part of Darion's army, these monsters also carry the travel permits the Resistance Movement needs. For each Darion's Badge handed to Kief (Kief), the trust level rises by 10 points.

Having accumulated 1 000 000 trust points, you can go to the Ancient Temple Remnants again. Now you can find the ghost of Derek (Derek (lv. 70, 78)), a seer of the First Age. Like Hannibal, Derek is held in great respect among the natives, and if the adventurers succeed in laying him to rest — even after death he has kept powerful abilities — the Resistance Movement's trust level will increase by 10 000 points. Only then can you consider yourself ready to take part in serious subversive activity, such as rescuing slaves from the Quarry. But it isn't easy — Quarry Foreman (lv. 14) will immobilize (Root) any attacker so that Quarry Patrolman (lv. 14) with their aerial attacks (Windstrikes) and Quarry Supervisor (lv. 84, 81) with their melee attack can easily finish them off — but it will seriously undermine Beleth's economic base and deprive him of the ability to keep strengthening the fortress, leaving him only magic to defend himself.

After eliminating the overseers of a group of slaves, you can talk to them, and they'll follow you in hope of rescue. At the southern edge of the Quarry there's a narrow path through the mountains leading to the Caravan Camp in the Sand Swept Dunes. This is the fastest way to freedom. If the overseers spot fleeing slaves, they'll simply kill them without thinking of any economic losses, and the Resistance Movement's trust level will drop for each slave killed. But as soon as the slaves reach the stone rise at the southern exit of the mountain path, they can feel safe. (To show their gratitude, the slaves may leave some resources on the ground.) In the end, General Darion will have no alternative but a tactical retreat, concentrating his forces inside the outer cordon of the Steel Citadel and leaving most of the island to the Resistance Movement.

So Darion's army will do everything possible to protect the Steel Citadel's power source. The general will send his staff officer Hellinark (Hellinark (lv. 82)) to the Enchanted Megaliths, who, using his magic power, will summon Naia Failan (lv. 70, 78), cactus-like crystal creatures able to defile anyone they sense as a threat to themselves or their master. On top of that, Hellinark will have a large number of Failan's Guard guards (lv. 84, 81) at his disposal. But now the united forces of the natives, the "newcomers" and the Caravans are strong enough to attempt an attack on the Enchanted Megaliths. Once they're defeated, the barrier hiding the Battered Lands falls, and you can start exterminating the Chimeras (Chimeras) living there. For this you'll need a magic vessel (magic calabash), which can be bought for 20 Scorpion Poison Stingers. from Kief (Kief), who has set up his command post in the main building of the village. Having beaten a chimera almost to death, leaving only 1/10 of its life energy, you can use magic calabash to capture Thin Magical Spirit or Magical Spirit from lesser Chimeras, and Thin Magical Spirit, Magical Spirit or Preserved Magical Spirit from Celtus himself. Once an adventurer has 80 Magical Spirits and 20 Preserved Magical Spirits, he can exchange them at the Caravan Camp with Hude for a Premium Caravan Certificate (Premium Caravan Certificate). The holder of such a certificate can buy recipes and parts for truly excellent gear from Hude. After death, monsters sometimes leave a "Ancient Tome of the Demon", which when opened may randomly give one of three things: Hidden First Page, Hidden Second Page or Demon Contract Fragment. Hude will exchange recipes and gear parts for exactly these, much like Luxury Shop in Giran, who requires D, C and B grade crystals.

Well equipped, in a tireless march, the resistance fighters will sooner or later reach the outer gates of the Steel Citadel. However, eliminating the Fortress Defenders (Enceinte Defenders) isn't so easy. Some of them can take out individual attackers from a great distance both physically and magically, while others can wipe out whole parties with a single melee attack. But good coordination and long experience of joint action will ultimately pay off. As soon as the Outpost Captain (Outpost Captain), a cruel horned devil armed with two swords, is defeated, the gates will open, and the resistance fighters can go on freeing Beleth's slaves held within the Oasis. But be vigilant — Beleth's army has excellent intelligence. And if the Resistance Movement's trust level isn't high enough, the Outpost Captain will know. Normally he sets an example of restraint and discipline for his soldiers, standing at his post and pulling attackers to himself with magic power; now he'll charge forward alone, trying to drive a wedge into the fragile front of the resistance fighters, thereby quenching his thirst for blood.

Passing through the gates and turning south, you'll find yourself at a small lake with two little trees and tents stretched in their shade. There, far from home, live the slaves. To begin their dangerous journey back to the west of the island, they'll need the travel permits General Darion took away. Sharing five Darion's Badges with a slave will guarantee his safe return home, and will also raise the Resistance Movement's trust level. At the oasis you can sometimes meet the legendary blacksmith Shadai (Shadai). Visiting this place from time to time, he stays in one of the tents. You can exchange the armor you got from caravan trader Hude with him for a more convenient version — he'll make it sturdier, heavier for dwarves, lighter for archers, etc. So it's worth waiting for him there.

After talking to Kanaf (Kanaf), you can enter the Trading Town, which once flourished in the oasis before Beleth arrived, supplying food and drinking water. Now the once flourishing center of civilization has changed. People who have been there said the place "looks more like the backyard of Hell" — so Kanaf lets only groups of two or more people into the town. The natives there are under the control of Amaskari (Torture Expert Amaskari), a classic red-skinned devil. Most of them are badly traumatized; when you try to strike up a conversation, they simply vanish, letting out screams that bring the guards running. After the victory at the Enchanted Megaliths, a sabotage group of natives tried to hide in the town and free their comrades. But they were soon discovered and attacked. Most of the group was killed, and the rest were taken prisoner. Amaskari tortured the prisoners to the point where they're ready to do anything he forces them to. Against those brave enough to challenge evil, he'll send a huge number of broken people to attack those who haven't yet lost their sanity, even if it costs them their lives. However, when Amaskari dies, the people will be freed from his power and scatter. As soon as the natives in the town are freed, the Resistance Movement will begin its march on the Steel Citadel.

First, would-be Demon slayers must find the Keymaster (Keymaster) in the town — he often hides in a building — and kill him, which won't be very hard. With luck, he'll have the Evil Eye Key (Key of the Evil Eye), covered in ancient demonic writing. Going to the northern end of the town, you need to insert the key — one per party is enough — into the keyhole at the base of the Moonlight Spire (Moonlight Stele), which can be found in front of the Citadel gates. Five minutes later the party will be transported inside. Monsters may remain in the town that crave to kill anyone they consider an intruder. So during these five minutes, stay alert and be ready for danger.

Inside, right after the entrance, the Ripper (Body Destroyer) armed with a double axe will be waiting, blocking the way of anyone trying to pass. The name "Body Destroyer" is fully justified: he can curse an attacker, foretelling their death, and if the victim isn't killed within 30 seconds, their life instantly drops to a critical state, to a single drop of blood in the whole body. So party members need to destroy Body Destroyer as quickly as possible, while cursed comrades retreat to a safe place, sit down and try to recover. But there's a reward for the effort: Body Destroyer often carries a Lost Scroll (Forgotten Scroll) that records how to summon a Smart Cubic (Smart Cubic), a skill that may interest many knights and summoners. Besides, these peculiar records may contain other spells (Spellbooks).

Of course, defeating Body Destroyer and the Soul Dominator isn't easy. Only well-equipped fighters and mages should try. Anyone who hasn't yet bought top-class weapons (S80) from trader Hude before entering the Steel Citadel should take care of it by going to the Hidden Oasis. There you can meet caravan trader Jude. Unlike his colleagues, Jude is interested not only in commerce; he also creates special items with precious materials added. Jude dreams greatly of the so-called "Evil Weapons" (Evil Weapon) used by Darion's soldiers. He has already seen some samples and was greatly impressed by their superb quality. Chasing big profits, he plans to study these specimens in detail, hoping to modernize them and find a way to cleanse them of their evil aura, to sell them in Aden.

For this, Jude needs weapons taken from Lesser Evils and Greater Evils, who roam the territory of the Decaying Plant (Anomic Foundry) at the eastern end of the island. For 200 Evil Weapons he can give a recipe for making a superb Icarus Weapon (Icarus weapon), and he'll exchange every 5 Evil Weapons for 3 parts of such a weapon. Only the best Smiths can forge a weapon of this level. They'll need 2 recipe and 18 parts together with a huge amount of material. Even with all that, there's a 1 in 3 chance of failure when creating such an item. On top of all this, Jude hands out his recipes and parts at random. So you can walk away with completely different parts after the exchange. But since Hellbound is suitable only for group trips, everyone can trade the resources they've got among themselves and create several items. Entering the Steel Citadel without good gear is tantamount to suicide.

Returning to the Steel Citadel in the Oasis, behind the Fortress Gate (Enceinte gate), you can meet the dwarf architect Matras (Matras). Matras was responsible for several buildings in the Trading Town, but when Tully arrived and built the Steel Citadel, he encountered new architectural solutions. They greatly interested Matras. After some research, he concluded that the Steel Citadel had been built by several independent work crews. This seemed very strange, and since Matras couldn't find the Citadel's blueprints, it was the only explanation for him. At the moment Matras is looking for more information. He has already found out that the Demon Prince (Demon Prince) and Ranku (Ranku) in the Tower of Infinitum might have the Citadel's blueprints, but Body Destroyer and his henchmen wouldn't let him even onto the threshold of the Base Tower, which you need to pass to get into the Tower of Infinitum. Matras promises a rich reward to anyone who obtains the blueprints for him, and since Ranku and the Demon Prince have to be defeated anyway to get to Beleth, you should by all means agree to help the dwarf.

To help with the search, Matras will give six pieces of Rough Ore (Rough Ore) — Fire, Water, Earth, Wind, Dark and Holy, which can be used on gear like regular Attribute Stones. With some luck, these stones will raise a weapon's Attribute by 5 or armor's Attribute by 3, but as with regular attribute stones, there's a chance of failure. Experienced people say the success rate of such stones increases only after entering the Steel Citadel. But that may not be so. In any case, besides the blueprints, Matras is also interested in Red Stones (Red Stones), which can be obtained from the monsters living in the Base Tower. The Base Tower is a two-story labyrinth swarming with creatures such as Body Destroyers, Soul Dominators, Labyrinth Watchmen, Labyrinth Mystics, Labyrinth Captains, Labyrinth Seers, Passageway Captains, Passageway Guards and Passageway Mystics. All of them have Red Stones. Everyone who collects and brings Matras 744 Red Stones will get a good reward from him.

As mentioned above, the Steel Citadel is a complex of three towers and Tully's Workshop. First of all, the Resistance fighters must break through the labyrinth of the Base Tower. This labyrinth can be entered through two doors, the Door of Destruction (Door of Destruction) and the Door of Darkness (Door of Darkness), on the left and right sides of the lobby. Monsters in the lobby sometimes leave the keys to these doors when they die. The labyrinth itself, with its towering walls, is a bit confusing at first, but if you keep heading north right away, sooner or later you'll reach a long sloping corridor — the exit from the labyrinth. Some may be at a loss choosing which door to enter the labyrinth through, Destruction or Darkness. Through the Door of Destruction the path is relatively short, while the path through the Door of Darkness can drag on for a long time. It sounds strange, but many who care about success choose the long path. First, it gives more chances to collect Red Stones for Matras, but mainly because the monsters living in this part of the labyrinth may drop the key to the Door of Blood (Key to the Door of Blood), which will come in handy later.

The Long Corridor is also full of monsters, but here you can no longer get lost. It's simplest to push straight ahead, killing everything in your path. A large vaulted hall lit by dim lanterns giving off a greenish phosphorescent glow marks the halfway point. At the end of the next long corridor you'll meet a strange-looking Mystic calling himself Sailiang (Sailiang). He claims he's been waiting here a very long time (how could he survive among all these monsters?) just to warn you: to survive the next trials, you need to disguise yourselves as demons. This can only be done by pouring warm demon blood over yourself. The Captains, Guards and Sorcerers living in the passage the resistance fighters have just cleared sometimes drop whole vessels of blood (Bottles of Blood). The blood evaporates within seconds, so the vessels must be picked up very quickly. The blood stays put once you've picked it up. Then, when each party has everything it needs, just pour the blood over your heads, and Sailiang will transport everyone into a mysterious room with a tightly locked door at the end. Unfortunately, this door is guarded by "Infinitum Patrol", a monster trained to use paralyzing magic.

Only after the guard is killed — which isn't easy — can you enter the Tower of Infinitum, home of the Demon Prince and Ranku. It's they who have the blueprints Matras is so interested in. First you need to defeat the Demon Prince. Although in the Underworld he's rightly a noble, here in the Steel Citadel he answers to Darion, who has put him in charge of all the defensive structures in the Tower of Infinitum. The Demon Prince can implant a Dark Seed (Dark Seed) in the attackers' bodies, which gradually eats away their life force and, once it sprouts, paralyzes them. If the attackers avoid his Dark Seed or his razor-sharp wings and pin him down, the Prince can use a spell that greatly increases his resistance to physical and magic attacks. While this Ultimate Defense lasts he can't move, but for such cases he has vicious favorites who can immobilize (Root) attackers and then curse them so they become highly vulnerable to their Lord's dark attacks, or, as if that weren't enough, beat their opponents in melee. But if you do manage to bring down the Demon Prince, you can get the Steel Citadel blueprint (a blueprint of the Steel Citadel) and other valuables (such as pieces for Arcana Mace), as well as a "Transformation Book" that lets you take the form of Demon Prince for half an hour with all its incredible combat abilities.

When the Demon Prince is defeated, a magic crystal appears that transports everyone to the third floor of the Tower of Infinitum, home of Ranku and his favorites Eidolon. Unlike the central hall filled with green light, everything here gives off a yellow glow. Ranku signed Beleth's contract at the same time as Darion, by which they were hired to plan the invasion and actually conquer the mainland. But a lot of time has passed since then, and now Ranku, as head of security, must prevent any penetration deep into the Steel Citadel. Ranku is the most dangerous of fighters: with his heavy sword he stuns any attacker only to destroy them right after with a Dark Blast, while his favorites drain the attackers' magic energy with evil spells and finish them off by joining in hand-to-hand combat.

The next difficulty is Tully's Workshop, not only because of the crazy dwarf himself and his favorite Banshees (Banshee), but also because of the large number of his Followers (Devotees) and Apostles (Apostles). Tully may not be the greatest fighter, but together with his favorites they very effectively slow the attackers' advance, and even stun them so they can be easily finished off. On the other side of the coin is General Darion, who has set up his command post here and is personally trying to put up a last stand against the rebels. Only victory over Darion and his command lets you pass into the Tower of Naia and fight Beleth himself. But remember that here, in the "Devil's" very lair, his magic is very strong. You need to capture every room guarded by Beleth's creations, the Epidos (Epidos), and stay within the time limits, or all efforts will be in vain. Originally there were many elemental spirits on the island, which Beleth, who couldn't stand any powers other than his own, imprisoned in the dungeon of the Tower of Naia soon after he arrived. Over time, of course, these spirits were exposed to Beleth's magic, which the Tower literally radiated, to the point where they merged and transformed into four humanoid warriors — the Epidos. They're in an unstable form and mind, but still sense part of their former natural essence. Each of the Epidos represents one of the four elements: Fire, Water, Air and Earth. They can be told apart by their colors and their use of elemental spells such as Fire Weakness, Water Weakness, etc. Know this: the Epidos are incredibly strong opponents!

Only after all four Epidos are killed does a teleport crystal appear, through which the whole party can pass into Beleth's throne room. Beleth has had enough time to perfect the Magic Mirrors he used in the Battle of the Wasteland against Summoner Seyarr (Summoner Sejarr). Now he can create 16 reflections of himself, and these aren't just an optical illusion but physical copies that can surround and independently attack anyone who disturbs them. Besides, he has of course mastered fire. He and his copies can incinerate whole parties of attackers with terrifying balls of flame, even if they're spread across the whole battlefield. But Beleth wears valuable jewelry with magical properties, which is an excellent reason, besides moral obligations, to wipe this "Devil" off the face of the earth.