• Learning

Master teachers:

• S: Alchemy, regeneration, Identify Monster

GM Teachers:

• Body, Mind, Spirit

Training:

• None

Magic shops:

• Light

Quests:

• Cleric Promotion
• Potion Pure Personality
• Un-stone the pilgrims
• Destroy the Skeleton Transformer

Dungeons:

• Temple of Sun
• Ancient Troll Home
• Druid Circle
• Plane of Air

Murmurwoods and Shadowspire are the two toughest areas in the game. They tend to be even more difficult than the elemental planes and the endgame. Murmurwoods is infested with basilisks and will-o-wisps. Make sure your "protection from magic" is on! We recommend you come here before Shadowspire, though, because you need some training in GM body magic before you can handle the high-level magic attacks you'll face in both areas. If you have to pass through Murmurwoods before you are at higher levels (your cleric should be at level 10 in Body Magic – more on that is a second) then do not even venture to the northern half of the map. Just run or fly at full speed along the road to Alvar or to the village of Murmurwoods. When you have a cleric at level 10 in body magic, and if you have found the Prophecies of the Sun book (in the Dagger Island Abandoned Temple) then you are in great shape. Run over to Snowtree’s house, present the book to be promoted to cleric, then get trained to GM in body magic. At that point, your "Protection from Magic" spell will have the power to let you take on Murmurwoods, and Shadowspire. This is so valuable a spell, that as soon as I hit level 7, I head W out of Ravenwoods to Garrote Gorge to become a master. Later, when I reach level 10, I take the same path, but then scoot N out of GG to Murmurwoods just long enough the become GM in Body Magic. It's irritating that expert learning is in Murmurwoods. That's a great skill to develop because of how much it increases your experience gains, but it's impractical to get here until late in the game. It is worth taking the chance, when you have characters at level 4 in Learning, to risk the same quick run W out Ravenshore then N out of GG to get trained as an expert in Murmurwoods. Just don't be dumb early in the game and try to head out of the village to explore! Add Master status when you visit Shadowspire.

1. Cleric promotion: This requires the Prophecies of the Sun book that is in the abandoned temple on Dagger Wound island.
2. Temple of the Sun: If you have decided to side with the necromancers in the alliance quests, you have to take on this dungeon. You're somewhat on your own for this one! I never played this side, but have talked to other who did. You must have Dysan Leland in your party to betray the Sun Temple secrets. (He's the same guy who betrays the necromancers if you ally against them!) With him in your party, you see a button that opens a passage to the Nightshade brazier. When you steal it, half the clerics in creation get reallllllly angry.
3. Ancient Troll Home. Getting there is half the fun! The dungeon is midway up the west side of the area. Unless you just want to fly over and quickly swoop in, you'll have to fight through a LOT of basilisks, unicorns, will-o-wisps, etc. Once inside, it's a pretty mediocre set of treasures, and no challenges to speak of. Be sure to return to Rust once you've wiped the place clean to get your quest reward.
4. Druid Circle. One pesty trap (just as you enter), and a few hard juggernauts. Nothing very valuable inside. I'll be darned if I can find a use for one item, a Druid Circlet, you find. Maybe a druid in your party can use it?
5. Rescue Cauri and the pilgrims. (Dark Elf Promotion) This is really two quests in one. This is also a difficult quest because of the herds of basilisks and will-o-wisps all through the area. You need to search the area around the Druid circle (NE part of the area) to find some people who have been turned to stone. Even if you eliminate all the baddies, the statues are hard to spot because sometimes they are hidden by underbrush. When you find them (if you still have the scrolls you got from Dantillion, they come back to life. One is Cauri Blackthorne (a level 50 very good Dark Elf.) Report to Dantillion, and to Blackthorne back in Alvar. Cauri will now be hireable at the guild in Ravenshore. Even if you don't hire her, put her in your party long enough to strip her of some great armor, weapons, and accessories!
6. Destroy Skeleton Transformer. If you take the side of the Temple of the Sun against the Necromancers, you will have this quest in Shadowspire.