1234567890123456789012345678901234567890123456789012345678901234567890123456789 ***************************************************** *** *** *** Pryzm - Chapter One - The Dark Unicorn *** *** For Playstation 2 *** *** *** *** Game Guide and Walkthrough - Version 1.00 *** *** By A.L.T., Copyright March 2003 *** *** *** ***************************************************** Table Of Contents ================= Part 1 - Introduction Part 2 - Your Arsenal Of Magic Part 3 - Tips For Success Part 4 - Lum-Mas - Troll Mountains Part 5 - Lum-Moo - Gnome Hills Part 6 - Sas-Lum - Nymph Marshes Part 7 - Quin-Lum - Elvin Woods Part 8 - End-Game Part 9 - Afterthoughts Part 1 - Introduction ===================== "Pryzm Chapter One: The Dark Unicorn" has a variety of challenges that require strategy. Knowing what you're up against is only half the battle. The second half is being able to emerge victorious while surrounded by hostile creatures. Parts 2 and 3 of this guide provide general, non-specific information that you'll find useful during your adventures. The remainder of the guide walks you through the game from start to finish. You can play and complete the four realms in any order. My walkthrough is the order in which I play them. Levels within the realms must be played in sequence. So each of the four realms covered here is a mini-walkthrough. If you want to start with Quin-Lum (Elvin Woods), follow the walkthrough for that realm, then come back to the walkthroughs for the others. A note about the Auto-Save: It only saves your game after you have completed the current level. There are six plague flowers in each level. If you convert two of them and then quit, your game is not saved and you'll have to redo those flowers. Anyway, let's get started. Pryzm and Karrok have a lot of work to do before they can cleanse all of the realms of the plague. Part 2 - Your Arsenal Of Magic ============================== Your characters are Pryzm the white unicorn and Karrok the troll mage. Karrok rides on Pryzm's back, and you control both of them as a team. Karrok attacks with his staff and magic, and Pryzm attacks with her horn magic. All of this is healing magic that is used to heal enemies and plague flowers of the evil plague that has overcome them. Pryzm's Magic ============= Use the left analog stick to move Pryzm around, and press the Triangle button to use her horn magic. Hold the Triangle button for best effect. Pryzm must be facing her target in order to hit it with her magic. Pryzm's magic doesn't use as much power as Karrok's, but it takes longer to convert enemies with it. Still, there are some situations where Pryzm's magic works better than Karrok's. If Karrok's magic isn't working to quickly convert enemies, face your target and unleash Pryzm's magic, and see if it works better. Karrok's Magic ============== Press the Square button, and Karrok will raise his staff and send a magical bolt toward the nearest enemy. The bolt arcs through the air and then hits the ground, creating a pool of healing magic where it lands. Press and hold the Square button to charge Karrok's magic. The longer you hold the Square button, the more potent his magic becomes. Let go of the button to release his magic, and you'll see two to five bolts arcing through the air toward your target. I don't recommend doing this during the normal levels, as it will quickly drain your magic pool. But during boss encoutners, use it or lose it. Karrok's magic is usually more effective than Pryzm's, but it uses a lot more magic power. Still, there are times when Karrok's magic is just plain ineffective, and you'll need to use Pryzm's or the Melee Staff. Karrok's Melee Staff ==================== This is perhaps your most important weapon. Use the right analog stick to direct Karrok's Melee Staff Attack. It's only useful at close range, but you'll find it to be a life-saver throughout most of the game. Don't hold the right analog stick when attacking someone. Rather, tap it repeatedly and quickly in the direction of your target for best effect. You'll hear crunching sounds when his attack connects with the target. Karrok's staff can also be used to find plague flowers. Move the right analog stick in a circle. When the glowing energy changes from white to red, that's the general direction you need to go to find the nearest plague flower. Finally, press down on the right analog stick (R3 button) to see a little overlay map of the plague flowers. It doesn't show any terrain. It just shows your location (marked by a white arrow) in relation to the plague flowers. Converted flowers are white, and plague flowers are red. Use this feature if you get lost. Pryzm's Charge ============== Hold down the L2 button while moving, and Pryzm will charge. This can be used as an attack to penetrate plague shielding or to gain additional speed while running away from something. I don't use it much, as I'm no good at aiming with it. Pryzm's Wind Wave ================= Press the X button to jump, and press it again while in mid-air to unleash Pryzm's Wind Wave attack. It doesn't heal enemies, but it pushes them away from her. Some enemies are resistant to this. The more important thing that the Wind Wave does is, it gives you additional height during a jump so that you can make those difficult jumps. Focusing On A Target ==================== Press and hold the R2 button to focus on a target. Press the Circle button to change the focus to a different target in sight. I don't use this much, as the battles are usually so fast-paced that I forget to use it. If you're close enough to the target you want to hit, Karrok's magic will auto-target the creature anyway. If you see that Karrok's magic is pooling around you, then you're too far away. Move in closer and try again. As far as Pryzm's magic goes, just point her in the direction you want to shoot. Magic Pool ========== Pryzm and Karrok share the same magic pool. As you use their magic, this pool will get drained. You only get a certain number of magic attacks before your magic pool is depleted. Karrok's Melee Staff Attack doesn't use magic from the magic pool, so you can use it at will. Same for Pryzm's Wind Wave. Return to any area of cleansed ground to replenish your magic pool (as well as your health). Defeating The Bosses ==================== During a boss encounter, you have unlimited magic. But don't start celebrating yet. The bosses are pretty difficult to beat. The only way you can damage them is by using Karrok's magic (Square button) followed by Pryzm's magic (Triangle button). Press and hold the Square button to charge Karrok's magic. Then approach the boss and unleash his magic, which will pool around the boss. Then let loose with Pryzm's magic to damage the boss. Part 3 - Tips For Success ========================= Cleansed Ground =============== The majority of the levels revolve around finding and converting plague flowers. Converted flowers become friendly flowers surrounded by cleansed ground. Any area of cleansed ground will automatically heal your health and replenish your magic pool when you step onto it. This is a safe spot, and you cannot be damaged while standing on it (even though enemies may be firing at you from a distance). Backtracking ============ The last flower you converted is also your restart point if you get defeated in battle. You'll restart there instead of at the beginning of the level. This can make for a lot of backtracking if you convert the flowers in the wrong order. My walkthroughs provide the easiest way to navigate through each level. If you find yourself having to do a lot of backtracking to find the next flower, you're probably doing them in the wrong order. Lead Enemies Onto Cleansed Ground ================================= Many of the wandering enemies will follow you while trying to attack you. Lead them onto the nearest patch of cleansed ground. An enemy who steps onto cleansed ground is instantly converted. People who are standing on cleasned ground will never change back into plagued creatures. Wandering Enemies ================= You can attack and convert wandering enemies out in the field, but after a while they will change back into plagued creatures. Avoid these guys unless they get in your way, and focus your attention on finding the next plague flower. Jump past wandering enemies, use Pryzm's Wind Wave to push them away, run around them, do whatever you have to do, but avoid engaging them unless it's unavoidable. You'll take damage during engagements with wandering enemies, and you need all the health you can get for your encoutners with the plague flowers. Plague Flowers ============== A scant few plague flowers are not guarded by plagued creatures. Just attack these flowers to convert them. Most of the plague flowers, however, have one to four enemies magically attached to them. When you approach the flower, you'll see red beams connecting the guardians to the flower. Attack and convert all of these guys, then attack the flower to convert it. You can't convert the flower until all of its guardians are converted. If you take too long, the flower will eventually reacquire the guardians you've converted (in the order that you converted them). So from the time you convert the first guardian, the clock is ticking. Quickly convert the rest of the guardians and then convert the flower before it starts reaquiring them. Creatures who do not have red beams connecting them to the flower are not guardians. They're just normal wandering enemies who happen to be in the vicinity. Avoid these guys unless they become too troublesome. Plague Spores ============= Plague flowers will shoot out yellow spores. They arc through the air and hit the ground, creating a yellow pool of poisonous gas. Avoid these at all costs, as they can be very damaging. Some plague flowers also flare up with the yellow gas when you get close to them. Melee Staff Attack ================== Use Karrok's Melee Staff Attack often, and use it accurately. I can't stress enough how useful this weapon is when used properly. It's also the quickest way to convert plague flowers. Run up to the flower and repeatedly zap it at point blank with the melee staff. This is the fastest way to convert a plague flower, and you'll sometimes find that time isn't on your side. Pryzm's magic takes a while to convert a flower, and Karrok's magic takes even longer. When you're pressed for time, use the Melee Staff Attack. Plague Shielding ================ Some creatures are plague shielded. Karrok's Melee Staff won't work on them. If you're attacking a creature with the Melee Staff and you see a red bubble surrounding the creature, then that creature is plague shielded. You'll have to use Karrok's or Pryzm's magic. This Has Happened To Me ======================= I had converted all of a flower's guardians, I was all out of magic, I was low on health, and I attacked the plague flower at point blank with Karrok's Melee Staff Attack while it was flaring up with yellow gas that was damaging me. Just as I lost the last of my health, I scored the winning hit on the plague flower. I was teleported out, and when I restarted, I was at that flower (newly converted). So if you're out of magic and low on health, don't give up. Run up to that flower and zap-zap-zap it with Karrok's Staff! Evil Roots ========== Large red roots twist and wind their way through the various levels as they maintain their iron grip over the plague. Touching these roots will damage you. The roots also block access to other areas of the level. They're often seen blocking cave entrances or pathways. Converting a flower will remove them so that you can proceed. Walkthrough =========== The game doesn't give you a compass, so I have no idea which way is north or south. I'll try to give you directions based on landmarks in the scenery. The game also doesn't give names to the various enemies, so I will give them names of my own, and I'll provide an overview of the enemies you'll encounter in each realm. Part 4 - Lum-Mas - Troll Mountains ================================== The Troll Mountains are a good place to start. The enemies are pretty easy to beat, for the most part. The intricate level designs can be a bit confusing at times, but you shouldn't have any problems navigating them. There isn't much backtracking to do, if you convert the flowers in the right order. Pryzm's magic is the most effective as a ranged attack and for converting plague flowers. Karrok's magic is only useful for dispersing a crowd of enemies who are ganging up on you, as enemies will run away when hit by it. The Melee Staff is your best weapon against most of the enemies. Enemies ======= Dark Troll - Among the first bad guys you'll meet, this guy is a large, green, plagued troll. His pace is slow, but when he gets close he'll swing his massive claw at you, doing a respectable amount of damage. He converts into a troll when saved from the plague (and he thanks you for it, too). Goblin - A little green guy who will jump up at you and grab onto you, gnawing away at your health. Use Karrok's Melee Staff to knock him down if he's bugging you. He converts into a young troll. Dark Female Troll - She generally stands in one spot throwing magic bolts at you, but I have seen them move around a bit here and there. She has plague shielding, so you'll have to use magic. Pryzm's magic works best here. Dark Female Trolls convert into (you guessed it!) female trolls. Golem - A very large rock creature who does a massive amount of damage when he strikes with his huge fist. He will also charge at you if he sees you from a distance. Use Pryzm's magic to stop these guys in their tracks. Golems convert into trolls. Watch Tower - A golem sitting atop a round tower. He tosses down Gremlins at you. You can convert him with Karrok's magic. Converts into a troll sitting atop the tower. Gremlin - A very nasty little guy who can sometimes be hard to hit. They come in two flavors: Lava Gremlins and Stone Gremlins. Both are deadly. While they don't do that much damage, the damage adds up when you're being pounded on by one or more of these guys. They can also keep pace with you if you run away from them. Gremlins appear to be incarnations of pure evil, as they do not convert into anything. They disappear when struck with Karrok's Melee Staff. Polar Bear Rider - A nasty dark troll riding a plagued evil polar bear. The troll will swing his club at you as his mount runs circles around you. Use Pryzm's magic to slow these guys down. They're plague shielded, so don't use the Melee Staff against them. They convert into a friendly troll riding a friendly polar bear. Level 1 - Kal-Mas-A - Cutter's Keep =================================== As you look out from your starting point, you see a building. Go around to the back of it. There's a Dark Troll here, guarding the first flower. Use Karrok's Melee Staff to defeat the Dark Troll, then run up to the flower and use the staff again to convert it. Face the building. Turn to your left. You should see some ledges and a rock bridge, as well as some evil roots to the left. Go between the ledges and continue forward, going under the bridge. The second flower is ahead. There's a Dark Troll nearby. He attacks as you approach the bridge. Run past him and under the bridge. You'll be attacked by a Goblin as you approach the flower. Avoid or convert this guy. Guarding the second flower is a Dark Troll. Deal with him and convert the flower. Go out under the bridge and up the nearby ramp. Jump across the gap to the other ledge and go across the bridge. The third flower is just ahead. Go between the evil roots to find it. Defeat the Goblin and convert the flower. Go to the cliff-side and look around. You should see a Dark Troll below, some trees, a building in the cliff wall to your right, and pillars topped with stone slabs that form crude archways. Go off the ledge and through the archways. You'll come to a bend in the chasm. There's a building here and a Goblin. Avoid him (use Wind Wave to push him away). Turn right, following the path up through the chasm to find another Goblin. Avoid him or convert him. Turn left and go under the evil roots. Head through the chasm and turn left, going up a ramp to find the fourth flower. It's guarded by a Dark Troll and a Goblin. There's a tower here, and a slope to either side of it. Go up the left slope, turn left, and cross the bridge. There's a Dark Troll here. Jump past him. A Goblin attacks as you cross the second bridge. Avoid him and keep going. After you cross the second bridge, turn left and go off the cliff-side into a small ravine. Ahead of you is the fifth flower. It's on a high ledge above some trees, a Dark Troll, and a Goblin. The Dark Troll is guarding the flower. There's also another Dark Troll in this area who will follow you as you approach the flower. Use your Melee Staff on the Dark Troll who's guarding the flower, then run over to the nearby lava flow. Jump across it and enter the cave. Turn left and quickly ascend the two steps, and you'll be on a ledge looking out at the flower. There are several rock pillars sticking up from the lava pool below, and you have to traverse them in order to get to the ledge where the flower is. Jump to the first pillar, then to the second. Try to land facing the flower, and try not to fall off. Use Karrok's magic against the flower to convert it. If his magic pools around you, then you're too far away. Inch a bit closer on the pillar, or press and hold R2 to target the flower while launching Karrok's magic. Pryzm's magic works just as well if you happen to be facing the flower. It's difficult to turn here without falling off of the pillar you're standing on. You have to be fast to pull this off before the flower reacquires its Dark Troll guardian. Don't dilly dally around after converting the guardian. Jump from pillar to pillar to reach the ledge where the flower is. Use Wind Wave to get additional height while jumping. At the flower, go around the broken wall to the right of the flower. Jump to the lower cliff. You're on a narrow ledge next to a large building. Follow the ledge until you reach the front of the building. Turn right and go inside. The doorway is across from the two pillars. Inside the building, go up either of the two ramps to get to the roof, and climb another ramp to get up to where the last flower is. It's guarded by a Dark Troll. I completed most of this level with Karrok's Melee Staff. If you're not proficient with it, this is a good place to practice. Level 2 - Lun-Mas-A - Burning Lands =================================== Go out of the cave, hang a right, and follow the path through a tunnel. Hang a left and proceed under the evil roots to find the first flower. It's on a hill guarded by two Goblins. Use Karrok's magic if you get in trouble, and watch out for the flower's spores. Look around. You should see a gate nearby. Left of the gate, a Dark Female Troll is shooting at you. Run past her to the stone structure and find the ramp here. There are two Dark Female Trolls and two Goblins in the area. Run up the ramp and jump to the ledge. Turn left and proceed along the walkway. Jump across a gap, then turn left and jump across another gap. There are two Goblins guarding the flower here. Give them a taste of the Melee Staff for a quick victory. Fall down to the lower level and go back to the ramp. Jump up to the ledge and proceed forward. Through a small tunnel, you'll find yourself on a large bridge. When you come to the gap in the bridge, turn left and jump over the fallen collumn. You're on a ramp leading up to a round platform where the third flower is. There's a Goblin here. The third flower is guarded by a Dark Female Troll. Use Pryzm's magic on her. Go down the ramp and hang a right, proceeding under a tall archway. There's a lava pool with a lava waterfall up ahead. Go up the ramp to your left. A Dark Female Troll awaits at the top. Turn right and jump onto the rock in the lava flow. Jump from rock to rock to make it over the lava flow. At the top, you're in an area with a spiked fence. There's a Goblin here. Turn left to find a Goblin and a Dark Female Troll guarding the fourth flower. Use the Melee Staff to quickly deal with the Goblin guardian, and use Pryzm's magic on the Dark Female Troll. Go back down to the area with the spiked fence. There's a curving ramp here. Follow it up and traverse the winding ledge until you reach a rock archway. Go under the archway to emerge on a stone platform. There's a Goblin here. The next flower is directly below you. Drop off the platform. Flower #5 is guarded by a Goblin and a Dark Female Troll. Look around for a ramp against a wall. Go up the ramp and jump to another ramp (these are broken stone walkways that probably fell when their supports collapsed). Continue forward, and you'll be on the other side of the large bridge. Just after passing between the two towers, turn right. Jump off, and you'll be on the same winding ledge that brought you to the stone platform above Flower #5. Go up the ledge to the rock archway and proceed onto the platform. Turn left and go up a ramp, jumping across to another stone platform with large gaps in it. If you fall through one of the gaps, you'll need to jump up a couple stone ramps to get back up (they shouldn't be hard to find, as you'll be trapped in a dungeon). Anyway, the last flower is guarded by a Dark Female Troll and two Goblins. Hit the Dark Female Troll first, then zap-zap-zap at the Goblins with Karrok's Melee Staff, and watch out for the flower's spores. Level 3 - Pec-Mas-A - Iron Blood ================================ Go across the wooden bridge and follow the path around to your right and down. There are evil roots blocking your way here, so turn left and go past two support structures (they're for the large platform above you). Turn right and go past two more support structures. Go around the evil root. A Dark Female Troll is on a ledge to your left. A Golem is on a ledge straight ahead. Jump across the lava to the Golem's ledge, turn right, and jump to a smaller ledge. Jump across the lava again to find the first flower. It's guarded by a Dark Female Troll. Go up the right-hand conveyor belt, get on the metal ledge to the left of the broken conveyor, and go up another conveyor. Get on the narrow slanted ledge next to the pipe. Follow this up to a large platform above. Go around the evil roots and turn left. A Watch Tower here is tossing out Gremlins to harass you. At the far end of the platform is the second flower. It's guarded by a Golem and a Dark Female Troll. My suggestion is to hit the Golem first with Pryzm's magic while using the Melee Staff to fend off Gremlins. After the Golem's converted, life here is a lot easier. At the flower, turn left and go to the edge of the platform. Jump across to another platform where two Dark Female Trolls are shooting at you. Run past them and jump across a large gap to land on a broken pipe. Get on the rock walkway above the pipe. Ahead, there is a Watch Tower. Go across one of the three pipes to find a platform with a water spiget on it. Go across another pipe to get to an odd plethora of metal platforms surrounding the third flower. Jump onto the round platform at the center and attack the flower. There is a Watch Tower and Dark Female Troll here, but neither are guarding the flower! They'll get converted when you convert the flower. At the flower, look around until you see a Watch Tower on a cliff off in the distance. Head in this general direction, jump to the outer ring of metal platforms, and fall off. If you fall in the lava, quickly jump up onto the path. There's a safe area of cleansed ground on a pathway that encircles the structure that supports the upper platforms where Flower #3 is. Look around here until you see a ledge with a mine cart track nearby and a cave off in the distance. Jump across the lava to the ledge with the mine cart track on it. Jump to another ledge with a track and the cave entrance. On the other side of the cave is a large lava pool with a plethora of ledges scattered about. There's a Watch Tower here, as well as two Dark Female Trolls who are guarding the fourth flower. Gun for the females with Pryzm's magic, pausing only to zap Gremlims who harass you, then aim Pryzm's magic at the flower. Go back the way you came to arrive at the safe spot under Flower #3. Turn right and follow the path to a cave. Inside is Flower #5, guarded by a Golem and a Dark Female Troll. Use Pryzm's magic on the Golem before he punches your lights out. After converting the flower, go out of the cave and turn left. Go up the slope and follow the path. When it splits, take the right fork (the left fork leads to Flower #3). Ahead is a Watch Tower, Golem, and Dark Female Troll. Jump past the Golem as he's charging you and turn right, quickly going down the mine cart tracks. Turn right again and jump onto a curving mine cart track to escape from the Gremlin who was right on your heels. Follow the track up as it curves up, jumping over a gap in the track. At the top is the last flower, guarded by two Golems and a Dark Female Troll. You should have just enough magic power to use Pryzm's magic on the two Golems at range, and then defeat the Dark Female. Use the Melee Staff on the flower for a win. Watch out for the flower's spores here, as it sends out multiple spores that can be deadly if you're caught unawares. Level 4 - Zuc-Mas-A - Blizzard Gorge ==================================== Follow the path and go past the evil root. Jump up a step, go under an evil root, turn left, and jump up some more steps. The first flower is up here, guarded by a Goblin. There are two Watch Towers nearby that'll be sending out Gremlins to harass you, so dispatch the Goblin quickly. The Watch Tower closest to you will be converted along with the flower. Look around until you can see the second Watch Tower on a cliff nearby. Go past it and into an open area. There's another Watch Tower here. Go past it and follow the path down and around, passing under an evil root along the way. There's a Watch Tower at the end of the path, and a cave where two Goblins are guarding the second flower. Use Karrok's magic if you get in trouble. Go back up into the open area and onto the bridge. There's a Polar Bear Rider here. Jump past him and continue into another open area. The flower here is guarded by a Polar Bear Rider and a Goblin. Use Pryzm's magic to shut up the Polar Bear Rider, or you'll never hear the end of his club. There are also two Watch Towers on cliffs nearby who are throwing down Gremlins to harass you. Deal with the Gremlins quickly whenever they show up. As soon as the Polar Bear Rider is converted, advance and deal with the Goblin and flower. Look around. You're in an open area surrounded by cliffs on two sides. Nearby is a round structure with an evil root going into it. There's also another Polar Bear Rider near the structure. Lead him onto the cleansed ground, then go over to the structure. Get on a spiral walkway that goes downward, being careful not to hit the evil roots as you proceed. At the bottom is a cave and a Goblin who's probably attacking you. He's one of two Goblins who are guarding Flower #4, which is in the cave. After converting Flower #4, go out of the cave and up the spiral walkway. As you emerge at the top, you'll see a staircase ahead. Jump up the staircase. There's a Watch Tower to your right. Turn left and proceed to the next flower. There's a Watch Tower right here, and the flower is guarded by three Goblins. You're going to be swarmed with little guys. Use Karrok's magic to break up the throng and be aggressive with your Melee Staff against the Goblins. Keep moving to avoid the Gremlins, and keep zapping those Goblins. The flower is resting on a round platform. You can't miss it. The round platform is your only safe spot here. Jump up there if you haven't already. Look at the round structure nearby. There's a bridge that leads to it (you passed by it on your way here). That's where you need to go. This is the toughest part of the level, and it's a long road to the last flower, so do a lot of jumping to avoid enemies and use Wind Wave to keep them at bay. Try to make it to the last flower with as much health as you can. Hop down from Flower #5 and run for the bridge. Use Wind Wave to keep a Goblin away as you proceed through the round structure. Keep going, across another bridge and into the highlands. There's a Watch Tower here, and another Goblin. Jump up on the rock to avoid taking damage from the Gremlins that are being thrown at you. Follow the path downward, past another Watch Tower, another Goblin, then another Watch Tower. At the end of the long road are two Watch Towers and a Goblin. Use Wind Wave to keep the Goblin away. Turn right and enter the cave. The last flower is on a small round ledge in the lava pool at center. There are three Watch Towers in this area, so you're going to be swarmed with Gremlins. Fend them off the moment they show up. The flower is guarded by a Polar Bear Rider and a Goblin. Use Pryzm's magic on the Polar Bear while fending off Gremlins, then head to the right-hand side of the lava pool to find the Goblin. Hit him with Pryzm's magic to stop him from running into the lava pool. If he makes it into the lava pool, you can't hit him. Defeat this guy and use Pryzm's magic to defeat the flower. Man, that was a toughy. Boss - Gac-Mis-Um - Frozen Fang =============================== We've conquered the troll realm, so now it's time to defeat the final vessel of the plague in this realm. He's a large snow monster named Tundra. As you approach, he'll probably be sending out Gremlins to harass you. Fire off Karrok's magic, then fire Pryzm's magic to defeat them. Then start your assault on the boss. Try to charge Karrok's magic whenever possible by holding down the Square button. Release Karrok's magic to pool around the boss, and fire Pryzm's magic to do damage. When the boss jumps up, he's about to release a Blizzard Wave. Jump over it (and use your Wind Wave to gain additional height). When the boss growls, he's about to release Gremlins to harass you. He'll be surrounded by glowing sparkles as he sends out Gremlins. Quickly fire off Karrok's magic a couple times, then use Pryzm's magic to defeat the incoming Gremlins. Face the boss at all times, and don't get too close. He doesn't like that. He'll push you away. Keep damaging him, and keep defending against Gremlin assaults, and Tundra will eventually go down in defeat. Yay! We've saved the troll realm from the plague! Karrok should be happy about that. Part 5 - Lum-Moo - Gnome Hills ============================== The Gnome Hills are full of plentiful towns and enemies that are pretty easy to beat. There's only one tough spot at the end. The level designs start out pretty linear, but after a while you'll be winding your way through a maze of streets and passages. There's some backtracking to do, but you won't have to cover much distance while backtracking. Pryzm's magic works okay here, but I found Karrok's magic far more effective. It creates a whilrwind that pushes enemies around and easily disperses Gremlins. As always, the Melee Staff is your best friend. Enemies ======= Cartwoman - She's a plagued female gnome who pulls a cart. She tosses out Gremlins to harass you. She's plague shielded, so use Karrok's magic for best effect. She converts into a female gnome. Gremlin - They're back! And they're more annoying than ever! See the "Enemies" section in Part 4 for a description of them. Rhino Rider - A dark gnome riding a large, red rhino beast who has spikes on his shoulders and back. The Rhino will charge at you or attack with his horn. He also sometimes breathes a poisonous gas. Converts into a Young Gnome (I have no idea where the Rhino went; he must be an incarnation of pure evil). Dark Shepherd - A plagued gnome shepherd who directs Dark Sheep to attack you. If you get close, he'll attack you with his staff. Often magically attached to Dark Sheep with a green beam connecting them. You can't damage the attached Dark Sheep until the Shepherd is defeated. He converts into a peaceful gnome shepherd. Dark Sheep - A plagued, evil sheep. He'll run up to you and attack you with the horns that have grown on his head. Converts into a peaceful, normal sheep. Dark Gnome - A plagued gnome who throws a boomerang at you. It arcs laterally through the air and is pretty easy to avoid. He doesn't move around much, making him a great target for Karrok's Melee Staff. He converts into a gnome. Dark Goat Rider - A gnome riding a goat. He swings his mace at you while his mount runs past you. These guys run around a lot, making them hard to hit with the Melee Staff. Keep zapping at them. Be aggressive! They convert into a peaceful gnome riding a peaceful goat. Spike Grower - A gnome who throws seeds onto the ground at your feet, causing damaging spikes to emerge from the ground. After a moment, the spikes receed back into the ground. Hit these guys aggressively with Karrok's Melee Staff and you shouldn't have any problems. Level 1 - Tay-Moo - Hog Hollow ============================== Head out under the evil root to find the first flower. It has no guardians, so just attack and convert it. Past the well are a Cartwoman and a Rhino Rider. Run past the Rhino and into the tunnel with broken bars. Follow the path past an evil root and through a doorway to find the second flower in a cave with some long stalactites. The flower's guarded by a Cartwoman. There's another Cartwoman nearby, too. Run up to the guardian Cartwoman and let her have it with Karrok's magic. Pryzm's magic works fine too, but it leaves you vulnerable to Gremlin attacks. Head out through the right-hand doorway into a tunnel. You'll pass under an evil root. There's a Cartwoman and a Rhino Rider guarding the entrance to the next area. Jump past them (use Wind Wave to knock the Rhino away), turn right, and enter the doorway with broken bars. Follow the curving tunnel upward, and you'll emerge in a cave. There's a Cartwoman here. Go out through one of the openings and onto a balcony that overlooks the town and a flower. Turn right and follow the balcony, jumping over a railing to get to another balcony. Go in one of the openings to enter another cave. There's a Rhino Rider here. Jump past him as he charges you and exit the cave through an opening to your left. You're on another balcony. Turn right and jump up the steps, careful not to hit the evil roots to your left. The third flower is guarded by a Rhino Rider and a Cartwoman. Run up to the Cartwoman and hit her with Karrok's magic. The Rhino Rider will get caught up in the whirlwind as he chases you. At Flower #3, look around until you see a group of wooden poles nearby. There's a narrow path between them. This will take you to a ledge with two Cartwomen. Run past them and under the evil root, turn a bit left, and follow the path to another evil root that blocks your way. Jump over it to get to the next flower. It's guarded by two Cartwomen. At Flower #4, look around until you see the curving path that brought you down here. Look to your right. There's a fence along a curving pathway that goes down. Take this downward. There's a Cartwoman hiding to your right. Proceed forward to arrive at an area with tents. Flower #5 is here, and it's guarded by two Rhino Riders. This is a tough battle. Use Karrok's magic, and try to help it along with his Melee Staff when possible. You'll probably be taking a lot of damage here. Use Karrok's magic to convert the flower. At Flower #5, look around a bit. Between two tents you'll see a cave entrance. Go inside and follow the tunnel as it curves upward. As you come out of the tunnel, hang a left and follow the path upward to find the last flower. It's guarded by a Cartwoman and a Rhino Rider. There's also another Cartwoman here. Just concentrate Karrok's magic on the guardian Cartwoman while running up to her. The Rhino will get caught up in the whirlwind. Level 2 - Bay-Moo - Sunset Vineyards ==================================== You start in a round room with many barrels and empty shelves sitting around. This is some pretty nice scenery (just thought I'd mention it). Head out and down the slope. Turn left and go through the stables to find the first flower. It's guarded by a Dark Shepherd who directs a Dark Sheep to attack you. Hit the Shepherd with your Melee Staff, then go after the flower. You don't have to convert the Dark Sheep. Head out through the stables to find a mine cart track going into a tunnel. Through the tunnel, you'll find Flower #2. It's guarded by two Dark Gnomes, but there's also a Dark Sheep in the area, so look out for him. Be aggressive with Karrok's Melee Staff on the Dark Gnomes. At Flower #2, look around and find the mine cart track that brought you here. Look to your right. Follow the path to the next flower. It's guarded by a Dark Sheep. The Sheep is guarded by a Dark Shepherd, so you'll have to deal with him first (Melee Staff). After he's converted, you can convert the Dark Sheep and get the flower. Go back to Flower #2 and turn left. A gateway is now open (it was blocked by evil roots before). Go through the gateway and into an area with a murky stream. There's a Dark Sheep here, and a Dark Gnome. Turn right, go under the evil roots, and you'll find a small wooden bridge that crosses the stream. Go across and follow the path, galloping past some barrels and into a chasm. You'll emerge from the chasm into an open area with a building. The flower is inside the building, but its guardians are outside. A Dark Gnome and a Dark Shepherd, both easy prey for your Melee Staff. The Shepherd is guarding a Dark Sheep who is nearby. Just ignore the sheep and go inside the building to find the flower after you've converted its guardians. At the place where you found the Dark Shepherd, there's a wooden walkway that goes up the side of the building. Remember where it is, for later. At Flower #4, go out past the water tower and windmill, cross a wooden bridge, and proceed under an evil root. Follow the path down and around to find the next flower. It's guarded by a Dark Gnome. There's also a Dark Shepherd and Dark Sheep here. Look around for a gap between two fences. Go between the fences and follow the path. It leads back up to the building where Flower #4 is. Go up the wooden walkway on the side of the building. Hang a right at the top and follow the walkway to a bridge. Go across to find the last flower, which is guarded by a Dark Shepherd and Dark Sheep. Level 3 - Fay-Moo - Windy Hills =============================== Go across the bridge. You'll see a railing and a lot of windmills off in the distance. This is some pretty nice scenery. Turn left and go down the slope. The first flower is guarded by a Rhino Rider. There's also a Dark Sheep here. Go across the bridge and turn left, going down the slope. Keep going straight as the slope delivers you onto the street. Gallop past an evil root on your left. The second flower is atop a hill directly ahead of you, but you can't get there yet. Also atop the hill is a Cartwoman who is tossing down Gremlins to harass you (how nice of her). Turn left and proceed until you find two Dark Sheep. One of them is guarding the flower. Convert him (or both sheep if you want), then go around the evil root to a curving wooden walkway that leads up to the top of the hill. At the top, you'll pass under an evil root that forms an archway, and it may be hard to see what's ahead of you. The flower is here, and so is the Cartwoman guardian. Use Karrok's magic on her and convert the flower. From the flower, head off down into the street and hang a right before you hit the ramp. Go through the tunnel to find Flower #3. It's guarded by a Rhino Rider and a Cartwoman. If you go after the Cartwoman first, the Rhino will follow you and get caught up in Karrok's magic (which I hope you're using because it's the most effective weapon against Cartwomen). Go back through the tunnel, turn right, jump over the ramp, and head to another ramp nearby. Flower #4 is in a fenced-in area at the top, guarded by a Cartwoman and a Dark Sheep. The Dark Sheep is guarded by a Shepherd. Use Karrok's magic against the Cartwoman and Shepherd from outside the fence, then use your Melee Staff on the sheep. At Flower #4, go out through the gate and hang a left. Go down the ramp to find Flower #5. It's in a large fenced-in area, guarded by a Rhino Rider and a Cartwoman. Go back to Flower #4. The evil roots blocking access to the bridge are now gone, so you can proceed across this bridge (it crosses the street below, and it's sort of broken, so jump over the gap in the bridge). You're now in a fenced-in area. Keep going to find the last flower, which is guarded by two Cartwomen. Jump up the step and approach the first Cartwoman. Use Karrok's magic on her, then follow the ridge and jump over an evil root to find the second Cartwoman. Karrok's magic should make quick work of her, and the flower to boot. Level 4 - Kay-Moo - Harvest Town ================================ Follow the path forward. The first flower is on the other side of the machinery, surrounded by wooden walls with an opening on one side. There's a Cartwoman in this area, and she'll be tossing out Gremlins at you (how considerate of her). The flower is guarded by two Dark Goat Riders. These guys can be hard to hit with the Melee Staff. Use magic if you're having trouble hitting them. After they're converted, jump over the wooden wall in the center to attack the flower at point blank. From the flower, go out the exit and continue forward into a cave entrance. You'll pass by the Cartwoman along the way. Turn right inside the cave and hang a left to enter a tunnel. You'll emerge into a large open area. Follow the ridge without falling into the gully, and you'll arrive at the second flower. It's guarded by a Cartwoman and a Spike Grower. Facing Flower #2, you see a large wooden awning. Turn left and head toward the wooden posts. Follow the path up and hang a right. Follow the ledge to arrive at an area with some machinery. There's a Cartwoman, a Dark Goat Rider, and Spike Grower here. Go past the machinery, turn right, and enter the tunnel. You'll emerge in a barn. Two Spike Growers are guarding the flower, and there's also a Dark Goat Rider here. At Flower #3, face the large wooden table. Turn right to see two exits from the barn. The exit with barrels next to it leads into a chasm where evil roots block your way. Take the other exit and follow the path up the slope. You'll pass by a Spike Grower. Jump past him. Follow the path, passing under an evil root and under some awnings. There's a Dark Goat Rider here, and a Cartwoman. Head toward the Cartwoman and go up the slope she's standing next to. Flower #4 is here, guarded by a Spike Grower. There's also a Cartwoman in the area. It may be a good idea to convert her before working on the Spike Grower and flower. You're surrounded by buildings, and there's nowhere to go here, so go back down to where the Cartwoman and Goat Rider are. Go over to the awning you passed under on your way through here. There's a cave entrance here. It leads to a large area with holes in the wooden floor (don't worry about falling through them, there's solid ground below and you can easily jump back up). There are two Cartwomen here, guarding Flower #5. Go out one of the exits and into the chasm. This is the same chasm that was blocked by evil roots earlier. Follow the chasm to a large open area with a large rock mesa at center. There's a Cartwoman to your left. The last flower is a toughy. It's guarded by three Goat Riders who are all spread out in the area around the mesa. The flower is in a building atop the mesa. A walkway curves up around the mesa, offering access to the flower. Your problem here is converting all three of the Goat Riders and then having enough time to get up to the flower and convert it before it starts reaquiring its guardians. Here's how I approach this situation. As you emerge from the chasm, keep going straight to arrive at the walkway that curves up around the mesa. As you start ascending this walkway, the first Goat Rider will move in to attack you. Hit him with Karrok's Melee Staff to convert him. Proceed up the walkway, and the second Goat Rider will move in and attack you. Defeat this guy as quickly as you can. The clock started ticking the moment you converted the first Goat Rider. If you take too long here, the flower will reacquire the first Goat Rider before you can get to it. After the second Goat Rider is converted, proceed up to the top of the mesa. There's a Cartwoman here. Ignore her and step to the edge of the mesa. Below you is the third Goat Rider. Launch Karrok's magic at him. It'll auto-target him as long as you're facing him (you can't see him, but he's down there). Listen for the sound of his conversion, and as soon as you hear it, turn right and run into the building. Zap-zap-zap the flower with your Melee Staff for a win. Boss - Kee-Nu - Meeting Circle ============================== We've conquered the gnome realm, so it's time to finish off the last of the plague here. The boss is a huge golem-type creature named Warden. He sits in the middle of a lava pool in the center of a pit. Surrounding the pit is a wide ledge with some slopes that go down into the pit. Avoid the various steam vents here, as they'll damage you. At first glance, this boss seems impossible. However, he's pretty easy once you know the trick. The trick is to charge Karrok's magic by holding down the Square button. I tired to beat this boss umpteen times before I finally stumbled onto the fact that you can charge Karrok's magic (I must've missed that part while reading the game manual). Instead of tapping the Square button several times to launch Karrok's magic, hold down the Square button for a couple seconds and then release it to unleash Karrok's magic at the boss. Karrok's magic is much, much, much more potent when charged. And when Pryzm ignites it with her magic... Whoa! You'll be doing massive amounts of damage. Anyway, head out to your right, charging Karrok's magic as you go. When you see a slope to your left, go down into the pit and run up toward the boss. Release Karrok's magic and let loose with Pryzm's magic to do damage. Warden throws huge lava boulders at you. When he's damaged, he'll break off his attacks and submerge himself in the lava, causing the lava level to rise and fill the pit. Yes, that's where you are because you just attacked and damaged him! Soon after you hit him, you're going to be drowned in lava. So watch Warden's health bar as you hit him. When you see his health bar drop a couple times, break off your attack and run up the slope to the ledge above. Turn around and watch the rising lava. When it receeds into the pit, go back down and hit Warden again. You can sometimes avoid the lava boulders he throws at you if you do a hard turn to your left or right just before he's going to throw. It also helps to jump as you retreat up the slope. A boulder that was recently thrown at you could miss if you happen to be jumping over the spot it was thrown at. Keep hitting Warden, and retreat up the slope after each successful strike, and this mighty bastion of the plague will eventually fall. Yay! We've saved the Gnome realm from the plague! Part 6 - Sas-Lum - Nymph Marshes ================================ The Nymph Marshes are home to some tough challenges, including the hardest level in the game. The intricate level designs will sometimes leave you wondering which way to go next. The path to the next flower is not always clear. And now, the good news: There's hardly any backtracking to do. I found Pryzm's magic very effective here and Karrok's hardly effective at all, but that may just be a personal preference. Some of the enemies will run away from Karrok's Healing Rain, leaving you wondering why you spent the hefty magic cost to use it. Pryzm's magic, on the other hand, pushes enemies away and does consistent damage. Karrok's Melee Staff is a life-saver here, especially against the ever-present Serpent Flies who will be following you wherever you go. Enemies ======= Dark Mermaid - A playful, twisted mermaid nymph who frollicks in the murky waters of the swamp. She'll jump up out of the water and toss a magic bolt at you. She converts into a mermaid nymph. Dark Nymph - A large saurian beast with long wings who sings evil songs in the form of a sonic blast (glowing rings that surround and damage you). Her attack only works at farily close range, so if you stay at a distance you shouldn't have any problems. She converts into a nymph. Serpent Fly Hive - The bane of the marshes. These things are everywhere! I swear, you can't take two steps without finding another Serpent Fly Hive around the next corner. They send out Serpent Flies to harass you. They're
plague shielded, so you'll have to use magic on them.  Unfortunately, there
aren't very many of them that get automatically converted along with plague
flowers.  They convert into peaceful hives (I guess the converted Serpent
Flies are content to remain inside, because they never come out).

Serpent Fly - A very nasty winged insect who will relentlessly follow you.
The constant buzzing sound as they pursue you becomes rather unsettling
after a while.  Serpent Flies can keep up with you even when you're galloping
away at top speed.  When they get close, you'll find your health quickly
draining away as the Serpent Fly feeds on it.  A quick and accurate swing of
Karrok's Melee Staff will put an end to this evil creature's relentless
assault.

Fire Tosser - A plagued, evil nymph who causes multiple flareups of fire to
erupt on the ground, usually in a string.  They're plague shielded, so
the Melee Staff is useless here.  Converts into a green-skinned nymph.

Swamp Monster - An ugly frog-like creature often seen in the murky waters.
She has a long tongue that she'll whip out to grab onto you and pull you
toward her.  Swing Karrok's Melee Staff at the tongue to dispel the grab.
The Melee Staff also works great on those Swamp Monsters you'll encounter on
solid ground.  Swamp Monsters convert into green-skinned nymphs.

Level 1 - Say-Sue - Whispering Marsh
====================================

Don't fall into the murky waters of the swamp.  They're damaging.

Head across the wooden bridge and across another bridge to a mound with two
bridges extending from it.  Take the bridge to your left to find the first
flower.  It has no guardians, so just convert it.  There's a Dark Mermaid
in the water to your right.

At Flower #1, go across the bridge and across another bridge to your left.
Proceed across another bridge to find a Dark Nymph.  Go past her and turn
right, going across the roots that form a bridge here.  Follow the path and
go across a wooden bridge to find Flower #2.  It's guarded by a Dark Mermaid.
There's also a Serpent Fly Hive nearby (oh, joy).  Use Pryzm's magic on the
Dark Mermaid for best effect.

At Flower #2, there's a wooden bridge leading to a silky platform above the
murky water.  Turn around to face the opposite direction.  The path is clear
now (it was blocked by evil roots earlier).  Follow the path past some
strange purple flowers on your right, and a Dark Mermaid.  You'll pass
another Dark Mermaid and gallop under an evil root as you proceed to
Flower #3.  It's guarded by a Dark Nymph.  There's a Serpent Fly Hive
nearby.  Use Pryzm's magic on the Dark Nymph at range while fending off
Serpent Flies with the Melee Staff.  The Hive will get converted along with
the flower.

Go past the converted Hive and up a sloping path.  Follow the path around
some large green flowers to your right.  There's a Dark Nymph here.  Go past
her and under a low evil root archway.  Follow the path down into an open
area with an evil root in the center.  There's a Serpent Fly Hive to your
right, and another nearby.  There's also another Dark Nymph here, and a Dark
Mermaid in the water to your left.  Head to the left of the evil root and
go across the land bridge to find Flower #4, which is guarded by a Dark
Nymph.  Hit her with Pryzm's magic.

Go back into the open area and head past the Serpent Fly Hive, zapping
Serpent Flies as you go past the slope.  Head between two large green
flowers and under an evil root, following the path past another Hive to find
Flower #5.  It's guarded by two Dark Nymphs.  Keep zapping those pesky
Serpent Flies whenever they show up, and hit the first nymph with Pryzm's
magic.  Use Karrok's magic if the other one gets too close.

Go past Flower #5 and into a misty area to the right of a large mesa.
Proceed through the ravine and under an evil root.  You'll see two Serpent
Fly Hives up ahead, and the side of the slope you passed on your way to
Flower #5.  The large open area is to your right.  Jump up onto the slope
and follow it upward, zapping Serpent Flies as you go.  You'll pass by yet
another Hive before you reach the top of the mesa.  The last flower is
guarded by two Dark Nymphs.  There are also two Serpent Fly Hives in the
area (haven't we seen enough of these things yet?).

If you head just to the right of the right-hand evil root, you can go down
a sloping path to the top of the mesa above Flower #5.  Cross a bridge to
enter a cave, but an invisible barrier won't let you go any further (hmm..).

Anyway, use Pryzm's magic on the first Dark Nymph at range, and use Karrok's
magic if the other one gets too close.  And keep zapping those Serpent Flies!

Level 2 - Sim-See - Singing Falls
=================================

The first flower is just ahead of you, tossing out spores at you.  It's
guarded by a Fire Tosser.  Use Pryzm's magic on her.

There are two paths you can take from here.  Take the left path, passing
under an evil root and proceeding past a Serpent Fly Hive to find the next
flower.  It's guarded by a Fire Tosser.

Proceed forward to find an area with a Fire Tosser and a Serpent Fly Hive.
Two large roots form bridges up to higher ground.  Flower #3 is up there,
guarded by two Dark Nymphs.

You're in what appears to be a nymph marketplace.  There are a lot of green
lamps here, some tree buildings, and fruit kiosks with rotted fruit on them.
At Flower #3, head between two tree buildings and under the green lamps.
To your right is a ledge across the marsh with a Serpent Fly Hive on it.
Left of that is a large ledge with some green lamps.  Jump over the marsh
to this ledge, and head forward to find a Dark Nymph.  Go up the slope, run
past a Fire Tosser, and hang a right, going up another slope.  Jump up the
steps here and head left a bit, following a narrow path.  Run past another
Fire Tosser and turn left, going down some steps and past a Serpent Fly Hive
to find Flower #4.  It's guarded by a Dark Nymph.

Go back past the Hive and up the steps, then jump up some more steps.
You'll find an area with murky water to your right.  Jump up some more
steps and turn right at the top.  Follow the path to find a Fire Tosser and
Serpent Fly Hive.  The Fire Tosser is guarding Flower #5.  Deal with her,
then drop down into a gully to the right of the Hive.  Flower #5 is here.

At Flower #5, you'll see two tree buildings (jump to see the windows and
roofs, although I can't find any doorways at ground level; I suppose the
nymphs don't need them since they can just fly in through the upper
windows).  Turn right and follow a path by another tree building, dropping
off onto a ledge with a Fire Tosser.  Go past her, past another tree
building, and jump up the steps.  Turn right at the top to get back to the
area where you defeated Flower #5's Fire Tosser guardian.  When you see the
Serpent Fly Hive, turn left.  There are steps here.  Jump up to get to the
last flower, which is guarded by a Fire Tosser and a Serpent Fly Hive.  I
suggest dealing with the Fire Tosser first, as the damage from her flareups
will add up as you're dealing with the Hive.  In general, it's not a good
idea to leave Fire Tossers alone, unless you're running or jumping past
them while en route to a flower.

There, that wasn't so hard.  Don't start celebrating yet.  The road ahead
is a tough one.

Level 3 - Sis-Sas - Muttering Earth
===================================

Step out under the evil root.  There's a Serpent Fly Hive across the marsh
to your right.  Turn left and follow a narrow ledge to find the first flower.
It's guarded by a Fire Tosser.  There's a Serpent Fly Hive to your right,
and another in a gully past the flower.  All I can say is, get used to
seeing these Hives, because there's a lot more where these two came from.

Go past the flower and into the gully.  Follow the path, passing by a Hive
and a Swamp Monster in the water.  Flower #2 is on a raised platform in the
middle of the open area you're approaching.  To your right is a Hive.  Go
past it to find a Fire Tosser guardian.  Defeat her, then turn left and use
Pryzm's magic on the Swamp Monster guardian in the water, at range.  Try not
to get too close or you'll get pulled into the damaging murky water.

The raised platform with Flower #2 is your only safe spot here.  Go out past
the Fire Tosser and follow the path to an area with a Fire Tosser and a
Swamp Monster.  Go past them and under an evil root.  Ahead is Flower #3.
There's a Hive to your right and a Swamp Monster to your left.  Flower #3 is
guarded by two Fire Tossers.

At Flower #3, look back the way you came.  There's a cave opening in the
distance, next to the murky water.  Go through the cave and turn right as
you emerge onto a ledge.  Follow the ledge up and around to find Flower #4.
It's guarded by two Serpent Fly Hives (oh, joy).

At the left-hand Hive, drop off the ledge into the area with the Fire Tosser
and Swamp Monster, and turn left, returning to Flower #3.  Look left of the
cave.  There's a pathway open now (it was blocked by evil roots before).
Follow the path, going past a Fire Tosser, a Swamp Monster, and a Hive.  Go
past the evil root on your left.  Up ahead is a Hive, and the path splits
here.  Take the right fork to find Flower #5 (you'll pass yet another Hive
on the way).  Flower #5 is guarded by two Swamp Monsters, but there's a
Fire Tosser here as well.  Get rid of her before using your Melee Staff on
the Swamp Monsters.

At Flower #5, head out onto the path to the right of the flower, then turn
left at the fork and take the curving ramp up to the top of the mesa here.
The last flower is guarded by a Fire Tosser and a Serpent Fly Hive.

Level 4 - Suz-Soo - Sighing Willows
===================================

This is it!  The hardest level in the game.  This one had me stumped for
the longest time.  It's a doozy.

Head out between the two brown flowers to the right of the evil root to get
on a slope that will take you down to the path.  Follow the path to your
left, past a large orange leaf on the ground that's blocked by an evil root.
Take the slope up and to your left to find the first flower.  It's guarded
by a Swamp Monster.  There's a Hive nearby (these things are everywhere!).

Go back down the slope and turn left to get on the orange leaf path (a path
made up of large orange leaves).  Follow it up and past a Hive on your
right, then it goes downward past an evil root archway.  Flower #2 is here,
guarded by a Fire Tosser and a Swamp Monster.  There's also a Hive here
(ugh!).

To the left of the flower is a large root that forms a walkway.  You can't
miss it.  Take this up and past a Hive on your left, then go down the tree
stump steps to find two Fire Tossers and a Hive guarding Flower #3.
There's also another Hive past the flower.  That's three Hives in this area,
so prepare to be swarmed with Serpent Flies.  This part had me stumped for
a long time.  For once, Karrok's Melee Staff is completely useless (Fire
Tossers and Serpent Fly Hive are plague shielded), and you don't have enough
magic to take out all three.  I tried using Pryzm's charge move, but I'm no
good at aiming with it.  I always seem to miss the Fire Tossers when
charging at them.  Anyway, here's the solution I eventually stumbled upon.
Do some damage to all three of the guardians with Pryzm's magic (but not
enough damage to convert them).  You're probably under heavy assault from
Serpent Flies.  Watch your dwindling health (it's not going to help if you
get killed and have to restart).  After you've done some damage to the
guardians, turn tail and run back to Flower #2 (up the two tree stump steps
and over the root bridge, passing by a Hive on your way).  Heal up at
Flower #2, then go back to Flower #3 and do the rest of the damage needed
to convert the guardians.  You should have just enough magic to get them
all, then run up to the flower and zap-zap-zap it with the Melee Staff.

This approach works consistently for me.  If you're good at using Pryzm's
charge move, then you might not need to go to all that trouble.  Just hit
the Fire Tossers with Pryzm's magic, hit the Hive with Pryzm's magic, and
use the charge move to do the rest of the needed damage to the Hive.

Anyway, with this problem solved, look around.  You'll see the tree stump
steps you came down to get here, and some taller tree stump steps that
lead up to a Hive.  Looking at the steps that brought you down here,
turn right.  There's a path ahead, past the flower and a Hive.  Follow
this path, jumping over two roots on the ground, and go past a Swamp
Monster.  Turn left at the Swamp Monster, following the path under an evil
root.  There's a Hive on a ledge to your right.  Flower #4 is in a large
area with lots of trees and some large mushrooms.  It's guarded by two
Hives and two Swamp Monsters.  Yes, that's four guardians you need to
defeat.  Ugh!

Hit the first Hive guardian with Pryzm's magic while fending off Serpent
Flies, then run toward one of the Swamp Monsters.  Let her pull you toward
her with her tongue to get more speed.  Quickly zap-zap-zap the two Swamp
Monsters with your Melee Staff, then turn on the second Hive and convert
it as quickly as possible with Pryzm's magic.  You have to be fast here in
order to convert all four guardians and get the flower before it starts
reaquiring its guardians.  Use the Melee Staff on the flower for a quick
win.

At Flower #4, turn until you see a walkway above, leading to a large tree
stump.  Go under the walkway.  Ahead you'll see a wooden bridge.  Across the
bridge is a spider web suspended above the murky water (you can walk on the
spider web).  There are two Swamp Monsters in the water here.  Across another
bridge, another spider web, and another bridge is an area with a Fire Tosser
and a Hive.  If you're still with me, you went the wrong way!  Well, it
seems like a good way to go, but it's a wrong one.

Go back to Flower #4 and head out under the walkway.  Go to the left of the
bridge and into a misty area.  There's a Hive up ahead, as well as
Flower #5.  It's guarded by two Fire Tossers and two Swamp Monsters (ugh!).
This level keeps getting worse.  Try to take out the Fire Tossers at range,
then run in and zap-zap-zap the Swamp Monsters at point blank.  Again, you
have to be quick in order to get the flower before it starts reacquiring its
guardians.

At Flower #5, you should see a slope that leads up to a Hive, and another
Hive to the right of that.  Head toward this Hive and get on the ramp here
(it's very tricky how they hid it from us; you can't really see the ramp
from Flower #5).  Follow the long winding skyway to a large tree stump with
a Hive.  Go past it and follow the road to another large tree stump with a
Fire Tosser.  Jump past her.  At the end of the long road is the last
flower.  It's in an area under a large tree with roots sprouting out in
every direction, and it's guarded by a Fire Tosser, a Swamp Monster, and
a Hive.  The Fire Tosser is to the right of the flower.  Deal with her
first, then zap-zap-zap the Swamp Monster with your Melee Staff, then
quickly finish off the Hive (Pryzm's magic) and flower (Melee Staff) for a
win.  Whew!  That was a tough level.

This level has a lot of extraneous areas you can explore (like the bridges
and spider webs I showed you earlier).  If you're the explorer type, look
around for areas not mentioned in this guide.

Boss - Zi-Yil - Queen's Mirror
==============================

We've conquered the nymph realm, and good riddance to all those Serpent
Fly Hives we passed by to get here.  It's time to put an end to the plague
in the nymph realm.  The boss is a large, green insectoid creature named
Monarch.  Your main problem here is finding her, as she'll be moving around
a lot (and so will you).

Monarch spends most of her time airborne.  The only time you can hit her is
when she lands to rest.  That's a small window of opportunity, so have
Karrok's magic charged and ready whenever you see her land.  Her resting
time is brief.  If you don't hit her soon after she lands, she'll take to
the air again.  While in the air, she sends out swarms of killer bees at
you.  They travel in a straight line and disperse when they hit the ground
or an obstacle, so just move around to avoid them and try to keep the
Monarch in sight whenever possible.  If you happen to be in the spot
where she wants to land, she'll unleash a green Poison Wave to push you
away, then she'll move on to find another spot to land at.

When she lands, release Karrok's magic at her and let loose with Pryzm's
magic to do damage.  If Karrok's magic pools around you instead of the
Monarch, you're too far away (ugh!).  After you've done some damage to her,
she'll release a swarm of tracking killer bees.  They'll follow you
relentlessly, and they'll do a lot of damage if they hit you.  So watch
the Monarch's health bar.  After you've done some damage, turn tail and run
away.  You'll hear the buzzing of the tracking swarm as it pursues you.  Run
around the swamp, and eventually the tracking swarm will give up the pursuit
and disappear.  Look around and quickly find the Monarch for your next
attack.  If you can't find her, keep looking around, and listen for the
sound of her flapping wings.

Keep damaging the Monarch, and stay healthy by running away from the
tracking bees, and this troublesome vessel of the plague will eventually
fall in defeat.  Yay!  We've saved the nymph realm from the plague!



Part 7 - Quin-Lum - Elvin Woods
===============================

The Elvin Woods are a complicated forest maze.  These levels require the most
backtracking you'll see in the game, and the distances you'll cover while
backtracking are long and fraught with danger.  The enemies are pretty
difficult to beat, and they deal out a lot of damage.  On the plus side,
there's some very nice scenery to see along the way, and you get to fight
dragons in Level 4 (and who doesn't like a good ol' fashioned slug-fest with
a dragon?).

I found Pryzm's magic very ineffective here.  If you can get a group of
enemies close enough together to use Pryzm's magic on them (it turns them
against each other), you're better off just using Karrok's magic on the
entire group.  And as always, the Melee Staff is your best friend.  Use it
often!

Enemies
=======

Dark Elf - A plagued, evil elf who has a mean reach with that sword of his.
He can hit you from outside Melee Staff range.  You'll see these guys
everywhere, and they attack aggressively, doing a lot of damage when they
hit.  If you're having problems, launch Karrok's magic.  When it hits the
ground, it'll stun the Dark Elf.  Use this opportunity to aggressively go
after him with the Melee Staff.  Dark Elves convert into elves.

Roc - A large bird who flies overhead, dropping Gremlins to harass you.
I've never been able to successfully attack a roc, as it's difficult to see
things that are overhead without using the "look around" controls.  Rocs
will disappear if they fly over cleansed ground, putting an end to the
relentless Gremlin onslaught.

Gremlin - They're back again!  Always the annoying little buggers, they
aren't quite as numerous here as previously seen.  Still, they're as
viable a threat as ever.  See the "Enemies" section of Part 4 for a
description of them.

Dark Archer - A Dark Elf wielding a bow and quiver of arrows.  He shoots
arrows at you, and he's plague shielded.  He converts into an elf.

Skull Tosser - A Dark Elf mage who uses dark magic to fire a spell at you
in the form of a magical skull.  It does reasonable damage when it hits.
These guys are plague shielded, too.  They convert into elf magi.

Dark Wolf Rider - An elf with a crossbow riding a plagued evil wolf.  The
elf will fire multiple arrows at you from a distance.  If you get close,
his mount will charge, doing a lot of damage if he hits.  Wolf Riders are
plague shielded, and they covnert into an elf riding a peaceful wolf (nice
graphics here).

Dragon - A large red dragon who breathes a torrent of fire.  He converts
into a small dragon, once again a peaceful friend of the elves.

Level 1 - Quin-To-Me - Storm Havens
===================================

Head out and down the wooden log.  There's a Dark Elf here who's eager to
attack you, so turn right, go past an evil root, and jump up between the
wooden posts to higher ground.  Go past an evil root to find the first
flower.  It has no guardians, so just convert it.  There's a Dark Elf in
this area.  He'll probably be converted along with the flower.

At Flower #1, you'll see a path between some wooden posts that leads to a
Dark Elf.  To the left of that is a wooden walkway overhead.  Go under it
and past a large wooden pole.  You'll pass by a slope that is blocked by
an evil root to your left (remember where this slope is for later).  Go
past another large wooden pole and an evil root into an area with some
wooden walkways overhead.  There's a Dark Elf here.  Turn left, going under
the left-hand walkway.  There's another Dark Elf up ahead.  Go around the
evil root and turn left to find Flower #2.  It's guarded by a Dark Elf.
Be aggressive with the Melee Staff on this guy.

At Flower #2, look around until you see a dinosaur bone bridge on a cliff
nearby.  Head to the left of the cliff.  There's a Dark Elf in this area,
and a roc overhead is dropping Gremlins to harass you.  At the evil root,
turn right and go through the bone archway and up the slope.  Cross the
bone bridge to find Flower #3 on a cliff, guarded by a Dark Elf.

At Flower #3, you'll see a wooden bridge suspended by ropes from the two
large poles, but you can't get to it yet.  Drop off the cliff here and
proceed forward to get back to Flower #1.  Turn around and go up the slope
that was blocked by evil roots earlier.  At the top, go across the suspended
bridge.  There's a Dark Elf waiting for you at the other side.  You'll have
to convert this guy before you can proceed.  Try not to take too much
damage during the skirmish.  You're in an area with some wooden posts and
tree buildings, and an evil root on the ground.  Past the evil root is a
wooden bridge that will take you to Flower #4.  It's guarded by two Dark
Elves.  There's also a roc flying overhead and dropping Gremlins at you.
Use Karrok's magic if you get in trouble.

If you wait a while after converting Flower #4, the roc will fly over the
cleansed ground and disappear.  You're in a fenced-in area.  Between two
red flags is a dinosaur bone bridge.  As you get on it, you'll see
Flower #5 on the ground below and to your right.  Drop off the bridge, deal
with a Dark Elf guardian, and convert the flower.

At Flower #5, go under the bone bridge overhead, past a large wooden pole,
and past some rocks on the right.  Keep going straight, past a fallen
pole to get to a wooden walkway.  Follow it as it turns left to get back to
the high ground.  Turn left and go across the wooden bridge to get to
Flower #4.  Go across the bone bridge and onto an area with stones arranged
on the ground in straight lines.  There's a Dark Elf here.  To your right
is the last flower, inside a wooden fort.  It's guarded by two Dark Elves.
Hit 'em hard, use Karrok's magic, and watch out for the flower's spores.

Level 2 - Quin-Oh-By - Guard Wood
=================================

Just ahead of your starting point is the first flower.  It's guarded by a
Dark Elf.

To the right of the wooden bridge is a Dark Archer who is shooting at you.
There's another one in the gully under the bridge.  Go across the bridge and
turn left, heading toward a slope.  There's a Dark Elf nearby.  Up the
slope is Flower #2.  It's guarded by a Dark Elf and a Dark Archer.  Run
toward the Archer, and the Dark Elf will follow you.  Fire off Karrok's magic
to damage them both at the same time.

At Flower #2, go down the slope and turn left, heading for a cave entrance
between two large wooden poles.  On the other side of the cave is Flower #3,
which is guarded by two Dark Elves.

Go back through the cave and turn right, heading back up the slope to
Flower #2.  Go across the wooden bridge with torches to either side of it.
Hang a left at the other side and cross a small wooden walkway.  Follow the
path to an area with three wooden bridges.  Go across one of them to enter
the fort and find Flower #4.  It's guarded by a Dark Archer and a Dark Elf.

Nearby the entrance to the fort is a tunnel.  To the right of that is a path
that leads to a slope going downward.  Follow this to find Flower #5, which
is guarded by yet another Dark Archer and a Dark Elf.  There's also a second
Dark Elf here.  Avoid him if you can.

Go back up the slope to Flower #4.  Go through the tunnel you ignored
earlier, and proceed across the large wooden bridge here.  Stay to the left
or right side of the bridge, as there are gaps in the center.  The last
flower is in a fort guarded by two Dark Archers and a Dark Elf.  Take care
of the Dark Elf first, then let the Archers have a taste of Karrok's magic.
Use Melee Staff on the flower for a quick win.

Level 3 - Quin-Lo-Fe - Forest Village
=====================================

I think this level has the most backtracking in the game.  It certainly
feels like it.  This is a maze of bridges and walkways set over ravines.
The walkways connect the various parts of the village.  If you fall off of
a walkway, you'll be in a gully and have to find either a slope or some tree
stump steps that provide access back up to the walkways.

Anyway, head out and follow the path past a large tree stump to find the
first flower.  It's guarded by two Dark Elves.

At Flower #1, you'll see a variety of ways you can go.  You can jump up onto
a wooden walkway.  To the right of that is a pathway that's currently
blocked by evil roots (remember where this is for later).  To the right of
the blocked pathway is a slope that goes down into a gully.  To the right
of that is a wooden walkway with railings that slopes upward.  Take this
walkway, passing by an evil root to your left, and jump across the gap to
another wooden walkway under a bridge.  As you get off this walkway, hang
a hard left and jump up the slope, going across the bridge.  There's a Skull
Tosser in this area who will be shooting at you as you traverse the slope
and bridge.  Across the bridge is Flower #2, sequestered in a structure just
ahead and guarded by a Skull Tosser, a Dark Elf, and a Dark Archer, the last
of which is standing on a platform.

Defeat the Skull Tosser and Dark Elf, then head left of the structure and
hit the Dark Archer on the platform with Karrok's magic.  When he's
converted, run into the back of the structure to your right and get the
flower with Karrok's Melee Staff.

At Flower #2, head back out onto the bridge and head left a bit, going past
the Skull Tosser and jumping onto a wooden walkway here.  Follow it to a
large tree stump with a building on it.  There's another Skull Tosser
nearby, on the catwalk, who is shooting at you as you run through this
area.  Keep going, over some more walkways and into an area with plentiful
trees.  There's a Skull Tosser here.  Turn left a bit and proceed forward
to the next flower.  It's guarded by a Dark Elf and a Dark Archer.

At Flower #3, go back the way you came, past the Skull Tosser, and hang a
right, jumping onto the wooden walkway.  Proceed back to Flower #2 (across
walkways, past Skull Tosser, up slope, and across bridge).  At Flower #2,
head out onto the bridge and turn left, dropping down to the walkway below.
Jump across the gap and follow the walkway back to Flower #1.  Keep going
straight past the flower, and jump onto a wooden walkway that doesn't have
railings.  Follow this walkway, turning left at the evil root that blocks
another walkway to your right.  Follow the long walkway.  Turn right at the
end to find Flower #4.  It's guarded by two Dark Archers.  There's also a
Dark Elf here.  Put this guy down quickly (Melee Staff) before you start
working on the Archer guardians, otherwise he'll make your life miserable
while you're trying to deal with the guardians.

To the left of the walkway that brought you here are some buildings (one has
a ladder going up to it).  To the left of these buildings is a pathway that
leads to Flower #5.  This flower is on a round platform supported by
sprouting tree branches.  There's a Skull Tosser here.  The flower is guarded
by a Dark Elf at ground level, and a Dark Archer on the round platform with
the flower.  Convert the Dark Elf, then head to the right of the structure,
jumping up some large tree stump steps and a large rock to get onto some
boards that form a crude walkway at the back of the tree.  Proceed onto
the round platform and quickly convert the Archer guardian with Karrok's
magic, then zap-zap-zap the flower with your Melee Staff before the flower
reaquires the Dark Elf below as a guardian.  Another approach is to pass by
the Dark Elf, go up to the flower, convert the Archer, then launch Karrok's
magic at the Dark Elf below.  When you hear the sound of his conversion,
turn on the flower and quickly get it with the Melee Staff.

The round platform with Flower #5 is not a safe spot.  The safe spot of
cleansed ground is under the platform.  Go down there.  Past the tree stump
steps, a passage is now open (it was blocked by evil roots before).  Go
under the archway and onto a wooden walkway.  If you fall off, you'll be in
a gully and have to find some tree stump steps to get back up to the
walkways.  There are Dark Elves in the gully, so best not to fall off.  Jump
over the gap to a higher walkway and turn left, following the walkway back
to Flower #1.  That pathway that was blocked by evil roots is now open (it's
directly to your left).  Follow this path to find the last flower.  It's
guarded by a Dark Elf and two Skull Tossers.  The timing here is pretty
tight.  Take out the Dark Elf first, then approach one of the Skull Tossers
and launch Karrok's magic until he's converted.  Then quickly go around the
flower and convert the second one.  Watch out for the flower's spores here.
When all guardians are converted, quickly zap at the flower with the Melee
Staff for a win.

Level 4 - Quin-Do-Ky - High Tree
================================

Here there be dragons.

Head out under the evil root archway and past a Dark Elf who's eager to
attack you.  There's also a roc in this area who's dropping Gremlins, but I
can't find him.  Anyway, Flower #1 is just ahead, and it's guarded by a Dark
Elf and a Wolf Rider.  Hit the Wolf Rider with Karrok's magic and lead the
Dark Elf into the magic pool around him to make quick work of both.

Head back out the way you came to get back to your starting point (it's a
safe spot).  Head out to your right, passing by a red flag.  You'll come to
a large root.  Go around it to find a dragon waiting for you.  Jump past
him (or convert him with the Melee Staff if you're feeling adventurous),
and proceed through the open gateway to find Flower #2.  It's guarded by
two Dark Elves.  There's also a roc in this area tossing down Gremlins, but
I can't find him.  He must be too high up.

At Flower #2, take the right-hand path around the building to find a Wolf
Rider.  Jump past him and follow the path to your right.  Flower #3 is
guarded by two Dark Elves and a Wolf Rider.  If you can get them all close
together, use Karrok's magic to damage the entire group (it also disperses
Gremlins).

Nearby, you'll see an open gateway that leads to Flower #6, but you can't
do anything there yet because the flower is protected by evil roots.  The
road to Flower #4 is a long one.  We'll be backtracking, and half way
through the journey there won't be any more safe spots along the way.
Go back to Flower #2 (around the building, between two towers, and past a
Wolf Rider).  Proceed through the open gateway to find that first dragon.
Convert him if you want to because we'll be stopping at another safe spot
afterward.  Past the dragon is the place where you started this level
(follow the road and get on the steps to your left).  At the starting
point, head out to your left to find another dragon, a Dark Elf,
and a Wolf Rider.  Jump past them all, and try not to take much damage
because there are no more safe spots on the way to Flower #4.  Go through
another open gateway, past another dragon, around an evil root in the road,
and under an evil root archway.  Follow the road to your right to find
Flower #4.  We came a long way to get here, so be prepared to deal with
two Dark Elves and a Wolf Rider, all of whom are guarding the flower.

Ahead, between two towers, is a dragon.  Go past him, heading left of the
building to find Flower #5.  This is a tight area.  There's not much room
to move around, and there are evil roots in the road.  The flower is
guarded by two Dark Elves.  There's also a roc overhead who's dropping
Gremlins (how nice of him).

There isn't much by way of cleansed ground here.  Stand on the grass to
heal up.  The last flower is through the open gateway.  It's in a large
open area with a large tree stump at center.  There's a Wolf Rider beyond
the evil root.  There's also a roc tossing down Gremlins.  This is the
easiest part of the level.  Run up to the dragon guardian and jump onto
the tree stump with him, zapping away with your Melee Staff.  He should
get converted just as he's taking off to get away from you.  Turn left and
go after the Dark Elf guardian with Karrok's magic.  It'll disperse the
throng of Gremlins in the area, too.  After the second guardian is
converted, get the flower with your Melee Staff.

Boss - Quil-Fee-Ut - King's Glen
================================

We've conquered the elvin realm, so now it's time to deal with one last
thing before we can shut up that talkative Dark Unicorn.  The elvin realm's
boss is a tall tree creature named Hemlock.  His body, arms, and legs are
made of roots, and he's attached to a root hanging from a branch above
the arena.

At first glance, this guy seems impossible to beat.  There's just too much
going on.  Spikes coming out of the ground at your feet, archers shooting
at you from behind barred cells (you can't convert them; I've tried), and on
top of that, Hemlock will come after you and do a lot of damage if he hits
you with his massive fist.  But this boss is very beatable if you know the
secret.

If you've already journeyed with me to meet Warden, you already know the
secret; hold down the Square button to charge Karrok's magic.  Before I
stumbled onto this, I was rapidly pressing the Square button to launch his
magic two to three times for each attack.  While this works fine, it takes
a lot more time and it doesn't do as much damage as a fully charged attack.
Thus, the battle is drawn out to longer lengths than it should be.  If
you charge Karrok's magic before each attack, you'll do much more damage,
and all of the boss encoutners in general will become that much easier
to beat.

Be charging Karrok's magic whenever you're not doing anything else.  This
encounter takes place in a woodland arena.  Archers are shooting at you
from barred cells in the walls.  When you see sparkles (little insects)
flying away from the ground, spikes are about to pop out of the ground
there; so don't be there when the spikes pop out.  There are only a few
spots where spikes show up, and they're not at random, so just avoid them
and you'll be fine.  Now, on to Hemlock himself.

When you drop down into the arena, he'll be in the middle waiting for you.
Release Karrok's magic and use a Wind Wave to push Hemlock away from you as
he approaches.  He'll be pushed back into Karrok's pooling magic.  Hit him
with Pryzm's magic to damage him, and he'll break off his attack.  Hemlock
will rise up into the air on his tether and come back down in one of
three spots in the arena.  One spot is to your left, the other is to your
right, and the last one is straight ahead.  He'll go to the spot that's
farthest away from you, so you'll have to advance on him.  Charge Karrok's
magic as you advance.  Hemlock will shout out, then release a wave of
spikes that pop out of the ground.  Let him have it while he's doing this.
When he's hit, he'll jump up into the air and pop back down in one of those
three spots.  Look around, find him, and hit him again.

If you take too long to hit him, he'll advance to attack you after he's
released the wave of spikes.  Use a Wind Wave to push him away, launch
Karrok's magic at him, then Wind Wave him again and hit him with Pryzm's
magic.  All you need to do is damage him a little, and he'll break off his
attack.

Keep aggressively hitting Hemlock, and this mighty plague titan will
eventually drop.  Yay!  We've saved the elvin realm from the plague!  Now,
to shut up that talktative Dark Unicorn who's been yapping at us throughout
the whole thing. (I'm just kidding; his conversations aren't all that bad.)



Part 8 - End-Game - Zartu The Dark Unicorn
==========================================

For the first time in this game, you can fall off a cliff edge into an
endless abyss for an instant death.  I was enjoying the lack of endless
abysses in this game, as I hate them with a passion when they appear in
other games.  However, this one isn't all that threatening, as it's not
a difficult jump to make.  In fact, if you get defeated in battle, you'll
restart in the middle of the large platform where Zartu is, so you only
have to make the jump once.

Anyway, head to the end of the platform you're on and jump down to one of
the spikes that surrounds the platform where Zartu is.  Jump up there to
start the battle.

Zartu is a coward.  He does most of his fighting with plague flowers, which
he places on the ground for you to fight.  As you approach, he's already
placed two flowers.  Unlike the other plague flowers we've defeated, you
have to kill these the "boss way".  Charge Karrok's magic, let it loose at
the flower, then hit it with Pryzm's magic to damage it.  A full charge on
Karrok's magic followed by some solid hits from Pryzm's will take out a
flower, while anything less will only damage it.  A full charge on Karrok's
magic is five magic bolts that you'll see arcing toward the target.  Get a
feel for how long it takes to get a full charge and try to use full charges
throughout this battle.  You can also watch your magic pool meter to see if
you have a full charge.  When the meter stops dropping, you have the full
charge.

Anyway, after you've killed the two plague flowers, Zartu will toss out
fireballs at you as he prepares to land.  Move back and forth to avoid the
fireballs, and try to keep Zartu in sight as often as possible.  As soon as
you see him landing, aim yourself toward him, let loose with Karrok's magic,
and hit him with Pryzm's magic.  Zartu will send out a fire wall at you.
It doesn't appear to damage you, but it holds you in place, preventing you
from escaping.  If you get caught in the fire wall, Zartu will charge at
you, doing a lot of damage.  If you do a Wind Wave just as he's charging,
you can push him back and avoid getting hit, but the timing's tricky.
Better to just avoid the fire wall altogether.  After you've damaged Zartu,
turn and jump to your left or right to avoid the fire wall.

If you take too long to hit Zartu while he's landed, he'll send out the
fire wall anyway and you'll get caught in it and take a lot of damage from
his charge.

After this, Zartu will take to the air and place more flowers for you to
fight.  When you kill those flowers, he'll shoot more fireballs at you and
land again.

After you've done some good damage to him, he'll be placing three flowers
at a time.  When you do more damage, he'll be placing four at a time.
And finally, as you near victory, he'll be placing five.  The platform is
going to get very crowded as the battle progresses, what with all those
flowers shooting spores at you.  The more flowers there are, the more
spores each one shoots at you.  Try to stay toward the edge of the platform
while you attack the flowers, otherwise you might get caught near a
newly-placed flower and take heavy damage.  Keep moving or you'll be
drowned in spore dust.  It's very easy to play a perfect or near-perfect
game (not much damage taken during the battle) and then get into serious
trouble toward the end.

Keep moving, keep taking out those flowers, and keep doing damage to Zartu
every time he lands, and the Dark Unicorn will eventually fall.  Yay!
We've beaten the last vestige of the plague!  Pryzm and Karrok have
emerged victorious, and all of the lands are safe.  Well done.

Update:  Jing Bandit says:
"If you rapidly press the square and triangle buttons while locked onto Zartu
it is possible to damage him even while he is in the air.  Utilizing this
strategy you don't even have to deal with his initial plague flowers or may
decide to merely deal with one of them while attacking Zartu from outside of
the effective range of the other.

This strategy also seems to work on a few of the other bosses as well such as
Monarch."

I haven't tried this out myself, but it would appear that I was doing it the
hard way all along.



Part 9 - Afterthoughts And Contact Info
=======================================

I've thoroughly tested this guide for accuracy.  There may be just a couple
of variations in your game.

 - Wandering enemies who move around a lot may not be exactly where the
guide says they are.  This is especially true if you're good at making it
through without having to restart.  When you get killed and have to restart,
all of the enemies are reset to their original positions.  So if you haven't
restarted in a while, some of the wandering enemies may have...  well,
wandered around a bit.

 - Some of the Dark Sheep may not be guarded by Dark Shepherds.  The only
thing I can think of is that the wandering Dark Sheep didn't move close
enough to the Shepherd for him to take control of it.  I once saw a Dark
Shepherd take control of a Dark Sheep who wandered close to him (I saw the
green beam appear out of nowhere, linking them together).

 - If a flower starts reacquiring its guardians and you turn tail and run
back to the nearest safe spot, you might have brought one of them with you
if he's following you.  If he's traveled far enough away from the flower,
he'll no longer be a guardian.  I had a Goat Rider follow me back to a safe
spot, and he was no longer attached to the flower (no red beam).  This
doesn't mess up your game.  Just go back to the flower you were working on,
defeat its remaining guardians, and convert it.

Those are the only variations I saw.

This is my first attempt at a full-length guide.

This guide is copyrighted material and cannot be reproduced in part or in
full without permission from the author.

Copyright 2003/2015 A.L.T.