Classic Games Revisited
Ultima VIII: Pagan Walkthrough
7.15. The Theurgists
Continue going west-northwest until you come upon a walled settlement. We are looking for Brother Xavier. He is dressed in blue and carries a sword at his side, and could be at home (the only building at the northern end of the settlement) or in the monastery (the large building directly west of the entrance to the settlement). He could also be patrolling the grounds outside the walls, or meditating next to the waypoint.
7.15.1. Test of Wisdom
Talk to Brother Xavier. After receiving a short exposition about healing and Stratos, tell him you wish to be enlightened and ask about the Test of Wisdom. You can read all about Stratos and her philosophies from various books on the lower floor of the monastery, but you can take the test right away if you know the answers. Xavier will ask you five questions in random order from a larger pool, so you will not always get the same ones. Use these answers to pass the test:
A breezy evening on a porch is the best respite.
Weapons destroy but wit builds.
Tend the injured in battle.
Welcome your prodigal son.
Comfort a sad child.
Testify truthfully against your thief brother.
Tell the dying soldier the battle is lost.
Honesty.
7.15.2. Test of Centeredness
Xavier will now tell you to take the second test. You could speak to Stellos about the test but don’t really need to. Stellos is dressed in white robes, his face covered by the hood, and also could be at home or in the monastery. His house is just south of the entrance to the settlement.
To take the test, go south from the monastery doors, west past the fenced garden patch, a couple of steps north and all the way west to reach the cliffs. This is Windy Point. Climb up to the first level and you will see a circular symbol engraved upon the second level. As soon as you step into the circle, the test will begin. Winds will attempt to push you off the edges—should you fall, not only will you take damage, but will also fail the test and need to start again. You need to keep an eye on which side you are being pushed toward and take medium steps in the opposite direction. The trick is that the direction could change suddenly, with the wind aiding your movement instead of opposing it, causing you to fall.
Climb up when you are ready. The test lasts only for a few seconds, and its start and end are indicated by thunder. Once you’re done, climb down and return all the way east, around the fenced garden patch, and north to the monastery. Find Stellos either within it or in the house to the very east and tell him you have passed the tests.
Find Torwin (garbed in blue with a knife at his side) and talk to him about his ambition. He could be hanging around the upper floor of the monastery, or in his house in the southwest corner next to the garden patch. Also speak to Holy Cyrrus at his home, in the monastery or sometimes around the grounds. He wears a white robe but doesn’t cover his head with the hood. His house is to the southwest of Stellos’ house, just north of the well.
If you have a Restore to Sight scroll, go to the western wall of the monastery hall and stand between the pillars facing the tapestry depicting two ladies. Cast the spell to reveal a chest that has magic arm guards and mana potions. If you don’t have the scroll, you can get these after enchanting and using the Reveal focus.
7.15.3. The Protector & Silver Ore
Go to the very western end of the monastery (you’ll have to walk under the balconies of the upper floor) and go around. Walk to the northwestern corner and take the stairs down. Walk east and open the locked door with the key that Stellos gave you.
Go southeast and east between the electric pillars. A red potion is partially hidden behind a rock here, and a skeleton is clutching a restoration scroll. Proceed east and south to pick up a piece of silver ore. Go north via the eastern passage, turn east when you can and pick up the silver ore next to the stalagmite. Now go north to a house and walk over to its eastern side. Cast the scroll of dispelling magic portals, walk in, and pick up the Protector. This sword does decent damage (slightly less than the Deceiver), but gives you 5AC.
Leave the house and go way south. In the first niche in the western wall you will find the third piece of silver ore. Just to the north of this niche is a narrow passage going east. Follow it to the other side and you will spot three pieces of silver ore as soon as you emerge from it (one just to your north, another to the south and the last to the southeast). Another two pieces are to the north of here, one sitting on a rock mound, the other in a niche in the northern wall. This is all you require, but there is one more piece of silver ore to the east, surrounded by a few potions.
7.15.4. Creating Foci
Teleport to Central Tenebrae. Unload any excess items you may be carrying. We are headed to West Tenebrae to have Korick create foci for us. From the waypoint, go to the south wall of the castle, jump down and go south to the crossroads. Head west to West Tenebrae and go west to the end of the road. Don’t go to Korick yet; we are going to lay the groundwork for another quest first while we are in this region.
Walk a bit north and go through the door you come upon to enter a tavern. Speak to the bartender, Orlok, and listen to his tale of ghosts. Then speak to Jenna, the barmaid. Do not compliment her; she is easily offended and will speak to you no further. Talk to her about the tale, and leave the tavern via the door you entered from.
Follow the road south, then west all the way (it bends south at one point) to reach Korick’s forge. Have him create one of each focus. Be careful with your selections, he can create multiples of the same focus, effectively wasting your silver ore. You only have 8 pieces and require 8 foci. You may wish to break the dialogue and organize your inventory after every 2-3 foci; they get placed in your backpack and can get lost among other items.
Teleport back to Argentrock Isle, go northwest to the settlement and west to the monastery. Place each focus one by one on the Altar of Focus to enchant it.
If you haven’t already taken the magic arm guards from here, walk to between the two pillars to the west, cast Reveal, and take them from the chest.
7.15.5. Test of Skills
Find Stellos and tell him you have created your foci. He will now want to test “everything you have learned.” Again, go to the very west end of the monastery and down the stairs. This time go west to spot an injured torax. Cast Aerial Servant, target the torax and then a vacant spot next to you. Once the torax is beside you, cast Restoration on it. Return upstairs, find Stellos and inform him of your success. Also speak to him about Torwin.
7.15.6. Stolen Focus
Find Brother Xavier, tell him you have passed the third test, and he will tell you the same story as Stellos; that his focus is missing. Tell him you have met Torwin. Now find Holy Cyrrus. Cast Hear Truth before speaking to him and ask about Torwin’s location.
Now go to Windy Point (south of the monastery doors, west past the garden patch and west all the way to the cliffs). A conversation will begin as soon as you climb up and step forward, at the end of which Torwin will jump into the water. Take the focus he leaves behind. You can also take his ring if you wish and return it to Rhian in East Tenebrae but it has no consequence other than role-playing satisfaction.
Go back east, down the cliff, within the settlement walls around the garden patch, and find Brother Xavier. Return the focus to him, then find and speak to Stellos. Tell him about Torwin’s fate.
7.15.7. Test of Belief
To take the test, return to Windy Point (south of the monastery doors, west past the garden patch and west all the way to the cliffs). Climb up to the first level and walk west to where Torwin jumped from.
As instructed, jump west as far as you can and you will land on a floating platform. From here you need to hop across several floating platforms to reach Stratos. This can be quite difficult (and frustrating) on the unpatched version. It is easier on the patched version because you can simply point to your destination and click.
We need to return to Stratos later in the game so you’ll need to perform these jumps again. The irony is that you can entirely skip the test of belief now in the patched version and only come here once later. In the unpatched version you need to do it now. The good news is that by the time you return, you will have Fire spells and will be able to use Flash to get safely across.
Jump to the platform northwest of you, then north and north. Now you need to go around the outer ring in an anticlockwise manner until you see a large floating platform. Once you reach that, Stratos will speak to you and give you the Air Walk focus.