Stage 4: Castle Ironfist Area: Temple of Baa, Shadow Guild, Dragoon's Caverns

The Temple is southwest of the castle, down the trail past the Followers of Baa and Lizardmen. Recommended party level is 8-10; bring a Disarm Trap expert (every chest here is trapped), bows for everyone, and a fire caster — Fireball, Ring of Fire and a few wands shred the packed crowds. Make sure you took the Chime of Harmony quest from Janice at New Sorpigal Town Hall first.

The Great Hall. Down the stairs and through the door is a huge room with a small central chamber (four doors) flanked by four cave mouths. Open the four central doors in the correct order (see the spoiler below) to reach the chest. The instant you take the chest's key and close it, Skeleton Lords, Knights, Acolytes and Priests of Baa flood in from all sides. Retreat to the entry stairway — the enemies will not follow you back into the entry hall — and fight them in a doorway a few at a time. Skeletons are immune to poison and magic, so kill them with melee, bows and Ring of Fire; Fireball the Priests at range.

The six keys. Each side room opens with the previous room's key and contains the next key (Bathhouse, Store Room, and Secret Door keys, plus two Treasure Room keys). Every chest spawns another skeleton ambush, so clear, rest in town if needed, and grind your way through all six. Keep the Secret Door Key — it is the escape hatch for the altar room.

The altar room. The east door leads down a hall with a timed fireball trap; walk in the water troughs along the walls and the fireball misses you. Beyond, Priests and Acolytes ring a raised altar — weave between the pillars for cover and kill them all with Fireball and bows, but do NOT climb the altar yet. When ready, run behind the altar to the secret door in the east wall (use your key holder). Touching the area sets off the gong, materialising a small army of skeletons — bolt through the secret door into the hall. From the ledges overlooking the room you are safe (the skeletons have no ranged attack), so you can pepper them with bows at leisure. Up here you collect the Chime of Harmony, a second Treasure Room of gold, and you can click the unlabeled torch in the corridor for a free 5000 gold. Grab the gong on the altar (worth 2000gp in Free Haven), and time your exit past the fireball trap on the way out.

From the lower town, follow the path northwest, fighting through Followers of Baa and Lizardmen, to a door set in the hillside. The Shadow Guild is one of the smallest dungeons in the game and holds no spellcasters — just thieves (Thief/Burglar/Rogue, who can steal items) and thugs (Thug/Ruffian/Brigand). The classic, cowardly tactic works perfectly here: dart into a room to trigger them, run back down the long hall, and shoot them full of arrows as they string out toward you.

Take the first left, clear the thieves, and hit the switch on the right; more switches around the guild open walls as you go. The important room is on the right near the top of the hall — its chest holds the Guild Key (and good loot). Take the Guild Key to the locked door in the east hall. Jump over the square tile directly in front of that door or a trap blasts you. Inside you free Sharry Carnegie, which completes the rescue. The other chests here hold only junk (a worthless Prince of Thieves scroll), so once you have Sharry you are done.

From Ironfist town head south on the road, then south again and turn left to find the cave in the hillside, ringed by Lizardmen. Inside it is almost all thug classes (Thug/Ruffian/Brigand) plus a few Armored Fighters (Fighter/Soldier/Veteran). A handy trick throughout this dungeon: when enemies are moving behind a door, stand to one side of the doorway where you can see them through the gap and shoot them while they cannot reach you.

Work through the halls hitting switches to open the way (an elevator drops you to a lower level with more thugs). Clear the rooms for chests, then reach the big double doors near the end. Behind them is a tough Veteran (huge HP, can break your gear) guarding several 'chests' — but only one of them is a teleport trap (it randomly warps you elsewhere in the dungeon). Run back and forth along the doors to wake the enemies, hit them through the crack between the doors so the Veteran can't reach you, then open up. Andrew's Harp is in a real chest along with loot; the rest are real chests too, so just open them all (only that single trap chest will warp you).

You can leave once you have the Harp. Do not bother fighting the Oozes (Ooze/Acidic/Corrosive) yet — they are immune to physical attacks, so you can only kill them with magic and you would burn through your spell points far too fast at this level. Come back later when you are stronger. Take the Harp back to Andrew by the stables to finish his quest.