This file contains hidden "spoilers". To see the text concealed by the solid blocks, hold the left mouse button down and drag the cursor across.
Test spoiler: I shall destroy all and spread my black seeds on the virgin soil.

Insanity's Crescendo

Walkthrough - Fortissimo

Start
You start the mission in the SW corner of the mansion garden. There is a locked shed in the SE corner for which you need to find a key; the front and back doors of the mansion are also locked, but there are two possible ways in on the west side. There are nine guards patrolling around the mansion and two more posted outside the front and back doors.

It would be a good idea to thin the opposition out a bit before attempting to enter the mansion. The corner where you started is a good place to drop unconscious bodies where they probably won't be seen. When the coast is reasonably clear go down the west side of the mansion. You can either rope up to the first upstairs window or enter via the coal hatch. We'll go the second way.

Basement

Pick the hatch open and climb in - objective complete! (This boiler room is a good place to hide unconscious lantern guards and you can also crouch on the boxes and hop out behind patrolling guards when they pass.) Collect the silver nugget from behind the boiler (100) and pick up the bellows. NB: if a frobbable item goes into your inventory then you will probably need it later in the mission.

Peer around the corner to determine the guards' patrol paths then take the three of them out. One of them is wearing the Armory key. From the coal cellar head east then south to a bunkroom. Put the inhabitants into a deeper sleep then collect a silver coinstack from the locked footlocker (+25 = 125), another from behind the WC door (+100 = 225) and a third from a niche high up in the north wall (+100 = 325).

Now go along the passage to the other bunkroom where there are two guards standing by the table, three lying on bunks and two more patrolling in and out of the room. Put them all to sleep (it may help if you lean around the corner and switch off the light in the next room). You will find two silver coinstacks in the footlockers (+50 = 375), another behind the middle bunk (+25 = 400) and four coins under the card table (+80 = 480).

In the adjoining game room there are four copper coinstacks on the roulette table (+20 = 500) and the drunk guard is holding a bottle of wine (+50 = 550). Read the notice about the Fire Gem and the turrets to get another optional objective.

Leave this room by the east door, turn left, open the metal door here with the Armory key and help yourself to the contents of the footlockers. At the south end of this corridor is an unlocked room with an interesting notice about water purification and security fields. Around the corner is a serving hatch through which you can see the switch that disables the Fire Gem turrets and catch a glimpse of Benny, who is sulking because he has mislaid his bottle of mead.

Make your way back into the room opposite the boiler room (one of the kitchen maids comes down here from time to time). Collect the bag of spice from behind the last barrel (+200 = 750) and the little gold ring that has dropped into the gap on the left of the stairs (+200 = 950). Help yourself to the food items then climb the stairs to the kitchen.

Ground floor

Subdue the opposition and then collect three gold plates from the sink and another from the floor to the right (+200 = 1150). There are eight decorative plates on the dresser shelf (+400 = 1550) and eight gold plates up on top of the dresser (+500 = 2050). Pick up the salt canister from the right-hand shelf then switch off the lights ands carefully open the door.

Four sword guards patrol past this door so pick them off separately when you can do so without being seen by the others. You can hide the unconscious bodies in the kitchen.

Go left up the corridor and carefully open the door on the right which leads into the crowded bar. Switch off the lights and then continue along the corridor.

Read the notice on the left then enter the next room on the right. Deal with Mr Ghazanfar who is on the bed, collect his purse (+200 = 2250), read the crumpled note and pick up the flask of water. Now go into the broom closet opposite and add the Dry Sponge to your inventory.

Continue clockwise around the corridor past the back door and turn right at the corner. The next room on the right is a bathroom where there is a ring on the side of the basin (+100 = 2350). The second door on the left leads into the library. Switch off the lights and go in. A guard patrols between the bar and the library; when you encounter him be sure to collect the Entrance key from his belt.

There are three nobles in the library and one of them (the man in the southeast corner) is wearing a purse (+200 = 2550). Rope up to the top of the bookcase on his left to collect a gold ring (+200 = 2750).

Move over to the bookcase in the southwest corner and look closely low down on the left side to locate a tiny switch. If you flip this it opens a compartment left of the bookcase in the northeast corner which contains four gold coinstacks (+400 = 3150) and a purse (+400 = 3550) - Secret #1!

Steal the two gold vases between the racks on the east side (+200 = 3750) then leave the library, cross the corridor into the dining room and switch out the lights. On the table here are six goblets, six plates and two candlesticks (+650 = 4400).

Carry on into the bar and deal with the guard. There are three gold coinstacks on the roulette table (+75 = 4475) and two of the nobles are carrying purses (+200 = 4675). Around the bar area you can steal eleven assorted goblets (+550 = 5225) and two bottles of wine (+100 = 5325). The golden bottle in the winerack is Benny's mead so pick that up as well.

Now retrace your steps to the kitchen, go down to the boiler room and climb out onto the path. Turn left, walk along until you are underneath the upstairs window, rope arrow up and climb in.

Top floor

This is Hans' room. Take the spectacles from the desk (+100 = 5425), read the note, pick open the box to collect the Bedrooms master key, use it to unlock the door and open it carefully. The two patrolling archers turn around here so it is fairly easy to KO them. Conceal the unconscious bodies in the bedroom. Another guard patrols between the rear balcony and the main landing. When you see him turn round, run along the carpet to get him from behind.

Now walk along to the rear balcony where the Captain is on sentry duty. He is wearing a helmet so don't try to KO him but just sneak up and steal the Machine Room key from his belt. Pick up the two goblets from the table (+100 = 5525) and the gem ring which is behind the potted plant on the east side (+400 = 5925). Now head back to the main landing.

Use the master key to open the double doors at the head of the stairs to reveal a protective security field. You will receive a new objective to disable it. Carry on to the next door which opens into the Music Room. There are two ladies in here plus two coins under the southeast sofa (+40 = 5965). If you pick open the door at the end of the landing and peek in you will spot some masks on pedestals which are guarded by two turrets so this must be the showroom where the Fire Gem is.

Right, we have some things to do in the basement so head back down there and unlock the door on the left just before the south bunkroom.

This leads into the Machine room. Collect five coins from the water (+100 = 6065) then throw the salt canister into the pool. The water purifier will kick in and the extra load on the power supply will disable the security field - objective complete!

Now to disable the turrets in the Fire Gem room. Unlock the other door, turn right and walk to the serving hatch. If you put Benny's Mead down on the tray he will pick it up and come out of the room leaving the door open. Nip in and turn the switch off.

Go back upstairs and into the showroom. Gather up the six masks (+900 = 6965) then pick the box open and collect the Fire Gem - optional objective complete!

You can now enter the master bedroom safely. Notice the safe with combination buttons and the red book on the desk. Now read the note which contains clues to finding a way to discover the combination that will open the safe.

First of all we need to get the butler's fingers dirty before he opens the safe. Go back down to the kitchen where you should drop the sponge in the sink to get it wet; now rub it on the coal in the boiler room to get it dirty. Head back upstairs to the master bedroom and rub the sponge on the red book to make it dirty too.

You will then get a new objective to wait in the library until the butler has touched the safe with dirty hands.

Enter the library - objective complete - and soon the butler will come downstairs and go along to his room. (You can open the room with the Bedrooms master key.) Read the notebook on the desk and then read the rumpled note beside the bed which tells you that the safe combination ends with the figure "1".

Back in the master bedroom you will see that safe buttons 1,3,6 and 7 are dirty. You know the combination ends with "1" so it's a question of trial and error with the other three buttons to find the right order. (It will take six attempts or less before you hit the correct one.) The code is actually 6731.

Inside the safe are the Shed key, a gold torc (+350 = 7315) and 5 gold coinstacks (+250 = 7565). Lean forward (default key ALT+W) and pick them all up. We've finished with the mansion for the time being so make your way to the shed, unlock the door and go in.

The Shed

There is a deep shaft down into the ground. There is also a frobbable box behind the door which might prove useful later. Drop it down the shaft and start climbing down the ladders. When you get onto the third one you can pick up a green gem from a niche in the west wall just underneath the bottom of the second ladder (+425 = 7990). Carry on down and approach the door. Wow!

The Den

This place is swarming with haunts. Try to take them out singly with backstabs when and if you get a chance, otherwise sneak past carefully. It will be easier if you dowse some of the torches.

There is an oblelisk surrounded by water facing you as you enter; a scroll is resting on the ledge around the base. Jump in, swim over, get it and read it. This is the First Scroll of Labyrinth, and it looks as though we need to find four more scrolls.

Scroll #2

Walk into the blue-lit cylindrical chamberand pick up two blue gems from the ledge on the south side (+200 = 8190). You can't do anything more in here so go over to the green-lit cylindrical chamber, dowse the torch, pick up a blue gem from the ledge on the south side (+200 = 8390) then go down the passage on the east side. Hmmm, how to get this gate open?

Return to the green chamber, climb the ramp to the next level, pick up the gold gem from the ledge (+200 = 8590) and go into the room on the east side. Peer through the opening whilst operating the switch. So one gate opens and the other closes? We need them both open at the same time!

With the gate on the south side open, nip back to the bottom of the of the shaft up to the shed, collect the box and take it over to the gate. Place it on the ledge to the left to prevent the gate closing fully when it descends. Now go back up the ramp, flip the switch, and you will be able to duck under the half-closed gate and enter the room with the red light.

Making sure you stay in the shadows, go over to the pedestal where you can collect the Second Scroll of Labyrinth. Read it, then pick up the red gem from behind the pedestal (+337 = 8927) and carefully make your exit.

Scroll #4

Climb the ramps to the top of the green cylinder. On the way pick up a turquoise gem on the middle level (+200 = 9127) and use a rope arrow to collect a red gem on the top level (+200 = 9327). Now rope up to the rafters and walk along the west one to find a green gem in a sunken receptacle near the end (+411 = 9738). There is a low passage leading off the end of the south rafter. Go down it, look at the left wall five paces in and you will spy a box containing a purple gem (+483 = 10221). Keep going and emerge in the blue cylinder. Do some crafty rope jumping to get down, then rope up to the rafter on the far side. The Fourth Scroll of Labyrinth is at the south end. Read it, then climb down again.

Scroll #3

Pick up the two gold gems from the ledge on the west side (+200 = 10421) then take the passage on the east side and flip the switch to open the gate to the green cylinder. This will remove the need to rope up to the rafters every time you want to switch cylinders. Back in the blue cylinder take the ladder down to the level below, pick up two green gems from the ledge on the east side (+200 = 10621) then make for the room on the south side. Deal with the haunt then read the notice.

The main clue here is "flames born from these embers". Use the bellows to ignite the embers in the bowl and open the gate.

There is a suspicious red light halfway along the passage. Could it be a trap? "Thy enemy is thy friend" could be a clue to avoiding it.

Attract the attention of the haunt patrolling across the far end of the passage and lure him towards you.

Yes, it was a trap, but now you should be safe to go in. Turn right at the end, read the notice and receive a new optional objective. Go down to the south end and collect the Third Scroll of Labyrinth from the pedestal. Don't forget to read the scroll! Four scrolls found, one to go.

Scroll #5

Go back to the blue cylinder and down one level. Pick up two red gems from the ledge on the north side (+200 = 10821) then go down the passage on the south side to an area with flashing green lights. The puzzle here is to get past all the haunts without being seen, which requires careful timing.

When you make it to the far end, rope down the shaft with lava at the bottom. and enter the passage on the east side. Walk along and flip the levers to open hatches above some water (breathing holes perhaps?). If you look down the second shaft you will spot a box in a wall niche between the gratings. Shoot a rope arrow to the wooden beam on top of it.


Walk on to the end of the passage and collect a green gem from the box on the pedestal (+266 = 11729).

Sneak your way back to the blue cylinder. There is a ladder on the east side down to a door that opens with a switch and leads into the green cylinder.

Hatches and breathing holes could well be a clue to the whereabouts of the fifth scroll. Jump into the water and investigate. There is a note on the bottom and two water-filled tunnels. The one on the east side heads roughly in the required direction, so take a deep breath and swim along to the end. Don't waste time or you won't make it!

When you reach the large cistern swim forward and head up into one of the breathing holes. Take another deep breath, dive down to the bottom to pick up the Fifth Scroll of Labyrinth from the pedestal, then quickly swim back up to a breathing hole. Climb up the hanging rope, open the box to collect a red gem (+642 = 11463). secret #2!

Read the scroll then head back to the obelisk pool.

The Labyrinth

Climb out, go back into the green cylinder, climb two ramps and go into the room on the north side. This is the entrance to the labyrinth, but how can we gaze into the eyes of Samoth to open it?

Go into the alcove on the west side and jump in the air; you will be teleported up to a place where you can gaze into his eyes! You will hear the gate open, and if you peer over the edge you will see that a haunt has taken up position in front of the labyrinth entrance. Go back down via the east alcove and take the haunt out.

Now to navigate the labyrinth. What can you learn from the scrolls? It would appear that scrolls three and four are telling lies, and from the others you can deduce that the when you are faced with choices of direction you should go west, west, west and then north. But when you enter the labyrinth the compass ceases to work - typical! You will need to orientate yourself before you start.

You should still have some food items with you. When you enter a room where a choice has to be made it would be a good idea to drop a food item at the entrance. That should simplify navigating the return route.

OK, in we go, left (W), right (N), need to make the first choice so drop a food item and turn left (W). Another choice, so drop again and take the exit that heads west (jink left then right); repeat for the third choice. At the fourth choice drop the food, turn right (N) and continue on into Samoth's Lair.

Read the book on the lectern - objective complete! Poor Hans is not having a happy time, so put him out of his misery with a broadhead - bonus objective complete! Now take his key. Help - Samoth appears and is charging towards you. Wait till he gets close then nip around him and race back through the labyrinth to the green cylinder where you will be safe. Phew!

Hans' office

Make your way to the lowest walkways in the blue cylindrical room and open the door on the west side with Hans' key. Go down the steps and lurk in the shadows at the bottom to take out the haunt patrolling in and out of the office. Pick up the Eye of Wrath bottle from the desk and read Hans' diary which explains how the potion works.

Frob the tapestry behind the desk and flip the little switch that is exposed to open a secret room at the top of the stairs.

Look under the stairs to locate a Red Gem (+274 = 12003) then go upstairs and hop across to the secret room where there is some food, Hans' Safe key, and an interesting book about a teleport device. The book also mentions four minions guarding the entrance to the lair and suggests using the Eye of Wrath to defeat them. After you have read the book you receive a new objective. Now you need to climb back up to the shed and then make your way to Hans' bedroom in the mansion.

The mansion revisited

So where is this teleport device? Go to the side of the bed and look down behind the wardrobe to discover a lockbox that unlocks with Hans' Safe key. This opens a compartment on the opposite wall containing a Teleport Control device and a Teleport Receiver.

Test the teleport by dropping the receiver in the corridor, going back into the bedroom and operating the control. So that's how it works! Don't forget to pick the receiver up again after you have used it. You can use this device in several ways, one of which is to take out the opposition by dropping it somewhere on their route, lurking until they pass by and then teleporting into a KO position behind them.

Let's try it out on the locked spare room. Drop the receiver out of the window, teleport down, and walk to the window to the left of the hatch. Pick the window open, toss the receiver through and operate the control. (If you get stuck in a wall just re-drop the receiver in a clear spot and teleport again.)

Open the door with the spare room key which is on the floor then switch on the lights and rummage around. There are 30 valuable plates on the floor (+3000 = 15003) and if you look behind the sofa next to the south wall you can collect a gold ring (+300 = 15303).

Before descending to the Den again, do the rounds and KO anyone you missed earlier (ignore the Captain) - bonus objective complete!

Now you can get down to the Den quickly - drop the teleport receiver down the shaft and operate the control!

The Blade

Walk to the north side of the obelisk pool, look up above the double doors and shoot a rope arrow through the hole into the beam inside. Jump into the pool and swim along the tunnel on the west side to the end. Mantle up and out, read the notice and then follow the passage to the end, hop onto the ladder above the lava and climb up. Get out on the east side, run for the rope and climb up before the invincible minions catch you.

Now look steadily at the minions whilst drinking the Eye of Wrath potion. After a few seconds they will become immobilised. A short while later the potion will cease to effect you, so climb down the rope and walk through the opened gate on the north side of the room. Walk along one of the side ledges, toss the teleport receiver through the circular window and operate the teleport control.

Now go over to the North side of the room, throw the teleport receiver up into the basin on the top and teleport yourself. Read the book on the lectern.

Yikes! The Warlock appears and he doesn't look happy! Pick up the teleport receiver, jump down and run over to the half-column in the southeast corner. Throw the teleport receiver on top of it and operate the control to teleport yourself. Press the red button in the NE corner to summon the creature from the opposing god. An enormous fight ensues. Although it's six to one against our champion he finally triumphs - objective complete!

Walk through one of the doorways that has opened in the north wall and make you way to the central chamber where you will see The Blade spinning in the centre of a reddish glow. Take it - objective complete!

The Plant of Life

Now head back through the Warlock room to the minions' room.

Rope up to the sloping beam in the southeast corner and collect the turquoise gem nestling in the angle (+425 = 15728) - secret #3!

Carry on south to the obelisk pool and drop the teleport receiver on the ground. Dive in the water and swim into the west tunnel again, but this time surface when you reach the first corner. Wait until the haunt turns away then quickly take care of him. The notice says that this fountain is the water of Anahita. You know what you can do with that so "use" the water flask on the fountain. The magic water will lose its power if it is submerged in ordinary water so keep it active by using the teleport control for the return journey.

Now make your way to the chamber with the brazier, go down the passage and turn right. "Use" the flask of Water of Anahita on the fountain and the Plant of Life will appear. Take it - optional objective complete!

The final loot hunt

Go back to the green cylinder and rope up to the top passage joining the two cylindrical rooms then walk along to the wall niche containing the box.

Throw the teleport receiver over the top of the box and operate the control to arrive in a small chamber with four boxes on pedestals -secret #4! Collect the coloured gems from the boxes (+1948 = 17676), flip the lever on the wall to open the door and emerge into the lower passage between the cylinders.

Samoth was killed in the fight so it's safe to make your way back to the labyrinth entrance. Elevate up to the ledge as you did before and lob the receiver through the window where you gazed into the eyes of Samoth. Teleport in and collect the red gem which is in the box (+551 = 18227) - secret #5! Teleport out and down to the floor.

Enter the labyrinth but this time make the fourth choice south rather than north and in the corner you should find a box containing a turquoise gem (+329 = 18556). Repeat, but make the third choice north instead of west and you will find another box containing another turquoise gem (+329 = 18885).

Go back down to the obelisk pool and drop the receiver on the ground. Get rid of any surplus items from your inventory such as keys and scrolls. It would be a wise precaution to top up your health here (perhaps by eating the food) because you will soon be operating at the limits of endurance. Swim down the long tunnel and cross the cistern to one of the air holes.

Dive down and swim along the tunnel to the right (W) of the pedestal to the end where there is a green gem in a box (+587 = 19472) - secret #6!

Quickly teleport back to fresh air. (The fastest way to select the teleport control is to press your compass shortcut key and then cycle the inventory once.)

The enormous purse

Dive back into the pool, lob the teleport receiver into the circular hole in the obelisk and teleport down to the grey room below - secret #7!

Collect the enormous purse containing "way too much money" - bonus objective complete! Read the note from the builder, admire his picture and pick up the two purple gems (+400 = 19872). You have now found all the loot - bonus objective complete!

Now climb the ladders to the small room at the top, teleport out to the poolside and climb the ladders back up to the shed.

Go to Ghazanfar's room, pick him up and carry him all the way back into Samoth's Lair - bonus objective complete! Return to the shed.

Stroll over to the front gates - mission complete!

Freddy Fox - 6th May 2010