Classic Games Revisited
Dark Sun: Shattered Lands Walkthrough
22. Messenger Route
There are a few things to do in this region. When you arrive at 1, you will see only one flashing dot on the map, but there is quite a lot more than meets the eye.
22.1. Messenger
When you walk towards 2, the messenger will summon a Blue Slaad. Attack the messenger first. If you manage to kill him, he won’t be able to summon three more slaads in the next round (or attack the slaad first if you want more XP). His dead body has a scroll of Fire Shield (level 4), and a useless note from Pehtucl. But each party member receives 1,000xp for reading it the first time.
Look carefully at the spot marked X in the grass for a bunch of green grapes. Now return east (1) to the Elven Slavers area and come back to this map.
22.2. Hototo & Dagger
Walk around the sand dunes at 3 (actually this event can trigger almost anywhere on the map) and Hototo will spring up along with his gang and a slave. He’ll introduce himself and address you as Dagger. Don’t correct his mistake (if your party leader is female, you’ll have to pretend to be Dagger’s deputy), and take custody of the slave. Having completed the delivery, Hototo will start to walk away.
As Hototo is walking away, you can kill these slave traders for some XP and satisfaction, or you can let them go. If Hototo walks away, the slave will follow you everywhere, otherwise he’ll remain frozen in place. It doesn’t affect what happens next.
After Hototo leaves the map or the whole gang is killed, walk around the dunes some more and another gang will show up. This time Dagger will assume you are Hototo (or his deputy if you are female), but he is pretty territorial and aggressive. Hostilities are inevitable, so be aggressive in return. Killing all of them frees the slave from the spell that’s been cast on him.
Note: save up on damaging ranged spells and at least a summon, you’ll need them in the next encounter.
Speak to the slave and he’ll reveal himself to be Nirveli and give a little story about himself. Each party member will receive 3,000xp and Nirveli will leave.
Now return to the Elven Slavers area via 1.
23. Elven Slavers Redux
As you approach 8, you will be ordered to halt. These elves are the ones Tobrian would have sold us to had we been drugged. This can be an annoying ambush, because some of the slavers and/or their pets will spawn on top of cliffs we can’t reach. Only a well-placed summon, spells or missile weapons can kill them. Some creatures (including Seref himself) may spawn behind the wall, requiring you to spend a lot of movement points just to reach them. It’s better to stand in place, taking care of what’s around you and wait for them to come to you instead.
You can speak to Seref to get the same options of aggression, wager or surrender as you would have had if Tobrian sold you to him. I like to keep it simple and choose combat. Hold Person works extremely well to prevent incoming damage from the clifftops.
There is no notable loot. In fact, Seref doesn’t even leave a dead body behind.
If you have any spell components to sell to Notaku, this is a good time to do it because you can teleport to him before teleporting to the caravan.
23.1. Metiklt
Having spent a lot of spells, I like to teleport to the Elvish Caravan to rest up at 6. That also gives me the opportunity to talk to Metiklt, who’s waiting there. Metiklt dislikes Templars and is pretty proud of himself for having tricked one into mining copper at the Hot Springs. We didn’t need this information, but speaking to him will allow the next set of people to spawn. After the conversation Metiklt won’t leave, but walk away and he will vanish after a few seconds. Unfortunately nobody spawns in his place immediately, so we’ll have to return again later.
Now return to the Messenger Route and leave at 4 to reach the Hot Springs.