Celestial Heavens - Sturmford

: Posted 02 January 2005; by Vox Clamant

Here is the real start of the game. The first place you can visit and receive training, equip yourself, and take on significant quests.

Don't miss adding the paladin NPC in the temple!


Quests	Jaarl: Clear the Imps from Anskram Keep Find the Saboteur Rescue the General from Drangheim Prison Find the Manuscript in the Beet Hoven Catch the Petty Thief (Paladin Quest) Love Quests Gladiator Promotion Quests Stop the Sturmford-Drangheim War Clear the cellars quest???

Trainers	Weapons and Armor: Expert and Master Magic: None Specialties: None Grandmaster Training: None

Promotions	Mercenary --> Gladiator

Altar	Jaarl's Entryway

QUESTIONS!	We do not yet have the answers to the following: None

SHIP SCHEDULE	Mon: None Tues: Drangheim Wed: None Thurs: Drangheim Fri: Drangheim Sat: Drangheim Sun: Drangheim

Sturmford City	Since this is your first time with skills trainers, you'll find that unlike previous MM releases, they a not in fixed locations. Skills trainers do, however, stay in a general location. However -- be warned -- they sometime go inside buildings (like stores, banks, etc. There are four entrances to the sewers named the "Beet Hoven" -- an obscure musical reference I've been totally unable to figure out!! -- (Update: Mukkel points out that I am an idiot! I didn't notice the quest giver's name was Ludwig Van!). The two easiest to use are the one just outside the tavern, and the one at the far end of the training arena. Skills are sold in the library. General stores have a mix of items. Scot points out that there are two money bags at the bottom of the well near the entrance to the training center (near the kids and the magic shop.) No much in them, but early in the game every bit helps.

Beet Hoven	Clearing out the Beet Hoven is a tough challenge until you are at the expert level in weapons and/or armor. The lobber pods are tough because of sheer numbers, and the nasties in the lower level will give you a good battle. A team with good ranged skills is a great help here! Playing through a second time, coming back when all 4 party members were expert in Bow, made this easy! This is a fun dungeon, though. Well thought out! (Laks and Grubbedijkie point out that there is an entrance in back of the temple.) There is also an entrance in the kitchen where you received the quest, but I was unable to get down that ladder! (D'oh! Jonney points out that if I had crouched, I could have used this ladder!) When you enter, the idea is to get to the ladder down to level two. The problem is Lobber Pods on the ceilings throughout. These generate a little beastie every 4-5 seconds. The key is to kill the source, then worry about the ankle biters. They give you disease and poison you if not careful. Two lobber pods are in a recessed area at the entry to the ladder room. Save before entering! The best approach is to sneak along the right wall and just edge out enough to take on the left lobber without the one that will then be just overhead noticing you. If they both catch sight of your party, the combined flow of lobbers will overwhelm you in short order. When you climb down the ladder, take a brief swim, surface, and head into level two. The bulk of your enemies on level 2 are skeletons, ghouls, and bats. Some of the ghouls have magic abilities and cast bolts at you. At the far south is a mini maze with a couple nice chests and a skill shrine. It's worth the trip. Rooms throughout the 2nd level have chests, and crypts (trapped) that contain goodies. Over on the west side of level 2 is another ladder to level 3. In level 3, your good friends the Lobber Pods return to haunt you. Grab the manuscript, return from whence you came, and claim the quest points!

Anskram Keep *(Exterior)*	When you enter the clearing and see Anskram keep before you, there is no obvious way to enter. Head around the keep to the left, and wipe out the Basilisk who takes offense at your intrusion. Now head to the back of the keep, take out the 2nd basilisk, and loot the chest. At the back of the keep on the NW corner is a weak section of wall. Whack it, and you can enter. A central room on the lower floor has another Basilisk. Now, head up the stairs to the top floor. The door on the South side of the keep gets you into the imp area. At the front of the keep you will find trap doors that let you destroy the defences of the building.

Anskram Keep *(Lower the Defences)*	Enter from the hole in the back wall on the NW corner of the keep. Head up to the top of the keep, got to the front, and cross the bridge to the platform at the East side of the Keep (near the drawbridge.) Spoiler: Use the key from the Jaarl of Drangheim to open either trap door. Break the two chains holding up the drawbridge. Press the (hard to see in the dark) lever on the floor in the middle of the front wall to raise the portcullis.

Anskram Keep (Imps)	Make sure you download patch v1.2 from 3DO before trying this quest. It fixes an annoying scripting bug that prevents some players from solving the quest!) Early on, Anskram Keep is a pain -- because of all the traps. If you take this on after visiting Thjorgard (to train someone in Expert Perception) then it is much easier. (Thanks J Greeley -- he found that Perception 2 is enough to spot the traps.) This is another well-designed dungeon -- well balanced with a nice mix of brain and brawn required to solve it. The goal is simple –– wipe out all the imps and destroy the imp generators. The generator part is easy -- just find them, kill 5 imps when they transport in, and the generator is finito. There are eight generators -- six in the main area, and two behind the trick doors. When you kill the last imp generator and re-enter the main room at the N end of the keep, the section of floor that looks like a set of stairs on the map will rise with one last big imp doing battle with a couple guards. You face lots of imps, and a few spiders and beetles. Per J. Greeley one of the rotating floor traps lets you find a chest. Getting to the final two transporters and final imps is a tad harder. (Spoiler just below the map). Spoiler: To get to the final imps and generators, you have to get through the door at the north end of the main hall. Throw switches at A and B to activate the switch at C. Now, go to switch C, activate it, and IMMEDIATELY run past the now-closing first door. When it is closed, the second will open. Slog through the baddies, call in incoming on the last to generators, then amble out the north door to return and collect your quest points.

Find the Saboteur	(Thanks to Lillia, Hanni, Kreegor, Louisa!) You receive this quest from the Bjarni at the left end of the bar in the tavern. Find out who has been sabotaging Sturmford's defences. Go to the town hall. Inside the door is a seedy looking sort named Ranvar. Talk to him, and note his attitude problem. Confront his obvious lies, and you've got him. Report back to the tavern for the reward.

Love Quest	Simple Fed-X job. After you return with the general the Jaarl will ask you to take a love poem to Kira the Cold in Thronheim and report back to him the results. She turns him down, but leaves how you break the news to him up to you! (Take the honest approach!)

Gladiator Promotion	WARNING: Make sure you have read the "Bugs and ONE HUGE WARNING" section about the serious Promotion Lockout Issue before you do this!!! Three pretty straight-forward quests: Get a basilisk skin (there are several near Anskram Keep. Get Kira's shield (leaning against the wall outside her throne room in Thronheim) Win a battle at the Lord level in the Thjorgard Arena (Minor scripting bug? If you don't wait for the arena baddies to come to you, you don't get credit for the kills! I discovered that by rushing to confront them in their two "dressing rooms" before they came out.)

Find the Petty Thieves	Part of the Paladin Promotion Quests (Thanks for the help Claus, Hipshot, DvuS) As part of the Paladin Promotion Quests you must ruin a mans life, then save a family. The only hint you get (by later looking at your Quest listing and seeing that the entry has changed) is to check with all town halls to find out who is having trouble with thieves. Turns out it is Sturmford. Go visit the small family in the SE corner home. Confront the son on the 2nd floor. Find dad behind the temple and lead him into the jail. (That "ruins") his life.) Then check with the shopkeepers to find someone who will hire his son. (That "saves" the family.)

Stop the War	Thanks Linda for reminding me I left this out! This quest is given late in the game after you have accomplished all quests from all six Jaarls. A messenger will find you, and indicate that Drangheim and Sturmford are at war. You must find a way to stop it. Go talk to both Jaarls., and use a bit of diplomacy. You will find that you need to find someone to write a treaty between the two cities. Hint: You do not need to wander around asking everyone you meet. Someone is a logical choice. SPOILER: How about another Jaarl they both respect. BIG SPOILER: How about the cutest Jaarl?

Clear the Cellar??	(Arthur reminded me to add this) A note on the floor of the bank offers a reward for clearing out the rats from the Banker's cellar. Open Question: Did anyone find this to be real? Methinks this is a joke --> poking fun at the fact that every one of the classic RPGs have always started with the 1st quest being "Clear the xxx from my cellar" where "xxx" is rats, mice, spiders, etc.