Ruins of Originia Walkthrough

The Mines of Margroth

TABLE OF CONTENTS (click a topic to jump to that section)

1. In Sheep's Clothing
2. Into the Mines
3. Clearing the Path
4. The Throne Room

Starting Objectives:

• Find some maps in the Hammerite Headquarters.
• Find the Soulstone called Gem of Oldorf.
• Find the trigger to open the Mines of Margroth.
• Find Bantar's Book of Darkness.
• Find Bantar, kill him and retrieve his amulet.
• Discover another exit from the mines.
• Find the Whistling Stone to prove the legend of the Ancient ones.
• Escape with at least 6000 gold.
• Don't kill anyone human other than Bantar (if indeed he is human).

Ending Objectives:

• The gem is hidden in the Vault! Grab it.
• The Book must be in his lab! Find the lab on the Eastern Half of these Ruins.
• Cross the Pit and find the Mirror Room. It is the only way to the Eastern half of Margroth.

Loot Information:

• Requirements: 6000
• Available: 12862
• Accounted For: 12862

In Sheep's Clothing

Window Shopping
You start at the entrance to the market. Go down the path. Don't worry about the guards, you're dressed as a miner. Don't douse any torches though, as torches don't go out on their own, and the guards know this. Visit the miners town and enter the merchant's shop. Make sure no-one sees you when you blackjack them (yes, it's necessary). Take the loot from the shop (533 - Total 533). There are also 2 flash bombs, three mines, three gas mines, some water arrows and a few fire arrows.

Tavern Brawl
Go into the tavern, down the stairs and into the cellar. In a small side room are three moss arrows and a bottle of fine wine (50 total 583). If you like, go fishing. Margrothian fish secrete a drug similar to the one found in healing fruit. While addictive in large quantities (don't worry, you'll never catch that many fish), in small amounts it will heal you quite nicely. Return to the bar and go up the stairs to the mezzanine level. Take a peek into the room (figure 1).

Figure 1

Figure 2

Goodbye Frying Pan, Hello Fire
Now all hell has broken loose, it's time to clear up the things you couldn't get before. Since the assassins came in the same way you did, naturally, you're suspect. The assassins carry 5 purses (350 - Total 933), and one had 5 fire arrows. There are some coins (40 - Total 973) and bottles of fine wine (150 - Total 1123) on and under the bar. There are also some more coins (figure 2) on the table (40 - Total 1163).

The Party's Over
In a guard station at the western end of the town, there are 2 guards with 2 purses (150 - Total 1313). At the eastern end of the town is s storage room. Push the big rock out of the way with the little rock and take the things from the niche. Two boards block access to the waterway. Break them and jump in. Swim left and pick up the big blue geode you find in the water. Swim back to where you jumped in. You can't climb out, so keep swimming. You'll come to the bottom of a well. Drop your geode, put a rope arrow into one of the beams and climb up. You are now inside the Hammerite headquarters. First we have some unfinished business though.

Crystal Lattice
Shoot a fire arrow at your big blue geode. Jump down and pick up the (newly created) energized coal crystal. A little bit of background information on the coal crystal. When coal, and a blue, ice-like substance (Margrothian Crystal) mix through seepage, the form what is known as a blue geode. When this is heated to extreme temperatures, the concentrated ice forms a lattice with the coal. This new form is know as an energized coal crystal. When burnt, the lattice holds the energized crystal together until the internal forces shatter it, sending red hot shards of coal and decaying concentrated ice into the surrounding area. This is similar to the inferno caused by a Hammerite explosive charge (although not as powerful).

Looting
So, you can use the coal crystal like a small explosive charge. Speaking of explosive charges, there's one just around the corner. Cross the corridor and enter the dining room. Take a look at the painting (figure 3), and then loot the area (290 - Total 1603)(figure 4). In the kitchen next door, there's a bottle of fine wine (50 - Total 1653) on the rack in the corner. Cross the corridor again and loot the guard's quarters. You should find a couple of purses (300 - Total 1953) as wall as some broadheads and some Hammerite maps of the region.

Figure 3

Figure 4

Figure 5

Figure 6

Last Thoughts
Be warned, it has escaped. The gem of Oldorf is now flying and shooting, but a couple of flash bombs should banish the dark magiks from it. It was not "dropped" by Bantar, it was left behind deliberately to cover his escape. Anyway, loot the treasury (637 - Total 5445). Now it's time to enter the mines. go to the southern side of the market place. You will come across Bantar's lady, so be careful. If you wish, you can get some weapons from the nearby rooms, and the nearby rock can be blown up for a coal crystal.

Into the Mines

Opening Moves
Enter the mines. As you near the spider, beware the active mine on the ground. Past the spider are some burricks. The darker ones are Shadow Burricks. They can see in the dark, so don't bother hiding. Go north, up the incline. You should come to a room with a corridor blocked with rocks. Turn around and pick up the stores resting on the lintel. Then use fire arrows (or mines) to clear your way. There is also another blue geode. You know what to do with it. go 

Fiends
In the next section you hear something a bit like a burrick. It's feet sound a bit mechanical though. This is the fiend. So Bantar has called forth demons. They are immune to fire, and their scratches really hurt, but luckily broadheads are surprisingly effective. One hit to an unalerted fiend will kill it. There are a number of fiends in this area. Go south along the passage, and then east. You will find a side passage blocked with a rock. Blow it up with a fire arrow. You know what to do with the geode. You will also find a chest with some rope arrows in it. 

Tomb Raider
Return to the place where you first met the Shadow Burricks. To the south of that is a hall, with stairs leading down into the ground. A statue of death watches the entrance. Go down the stairs, unlock the lockbox and enter the embalming area. Ignore the warning about traps. In the northern room you will find three hammer zombies and a purse (100 - Total 5545). In the southern room you will find a flash bomb and a healing potion. On the side of one of the tables are two buttons (figure 7). Use these to open the storage closet and retrieve the explosive charge, the two flash bombs, and the holy water.

Figure 7

Figure 8

Merchants
Go back to the south embalming room out the other door, through the commoners tombs, and into the merchant's tombs. Be warned the ghouls haunt this area. At the western end are three rooms. The first one (working from south to north) contains an electric generator and a switch. Do not, repeat, do not flip the switch. The second one has 2 active mines just inside the doorway. After you have disarmed them, grab the golden skulls (200 - Total 6220). The third room involves following a catwalk around a spider-infested pit before crawling through a tunnel to your destination. In the coloured light there is an invisible mine, but luckily the gem of Oldorf will reveal it's exact location. This feature is extremely useful in finding secret doors and invisible enemies. Grab the valuables (700 - Total 6920) and leave.

Lost and Found
Visit the Halls of the Lost Heroes. Be warned that every time you raid a tomb, a dwarven haunt appears somewhere nearby. You should collect a number of golden skulls (600 - Total 7520). Some of the tombs won't open, and we'll come back to that later. Now, visit the Halls of Sorrow. Near the centre of the area as a pit with 4 canopic jars in it (300 - Total 7820). Remember to watch out for the zombies and the air elemental. Go up the long stairway, past the tricks section, right to the top. Be careful about stepping out into the open at the end though, as there are a few falling rocks.

Figure 9

Figure 10

The Shadow
There are several shadow burricks down here. You should find a number of black silver nuggets (400 - Total 8220). When you're ready to leave, travel north and through the passages back into the mines. Nearby is a wooden stair. Go up it. As you travel up, there should be a short passage branching off to the north. In there is a chest (25 - Total 8245) and a nugget of black silver (75 - Total 8320) behind the chest. Once you reach the top of the stair, go south. Oh, and watch out for fiends. The included map (figure 10) will guide you to the loot (750 - Total 9070). You should end up back in the open cavern. Go down the slope and return to the tricks section.

Clearing the Path

Monkey Business
As you may have noticed, a glass pane stands in your way. Break it with your sword and step through. To the north is a chain of rooms. Enter these and continue until you reach a room with a blue hexagon of light on the floor (figure 11). Stand in the light and look up. See the button? Good. Throw something at the button to press it. I suggest using the gem of Oldorf (you could of course, just jump up and press it). Go back through he rooms till you come to a place where there are two pillars. Grab the crystal shard (figure 12) from the niche (111 - Total 9181).

Figure 11

Figure 12

White Light
Follow the corridor east, and then north, then east again until you find an image of a dead guy on the wall to the south. Bash it in with your sword. The inner chamber has four doors, with the one on the west being unfrobbable. Bash it in and take the loot from the chest (350 - Total 9531) Watch out though, as an ape beast and a will-o-the-wisp are coming. The will-o-the-wisp can be killed with holy water and flashbombs, and even your sword. They shoot bolts of light at you, which cause you to become confused, illuminated and disoriented.

Planting the Seed
Return to the corridor and go east, then through a metal door. You are presented with a zigzagging hallway, so follow it round the centre pillar, albeit and enormous pillar. On the wall is an unlit torch. Flip it, and then crawl into the ventilation shaft. Grab the manaseed, and then return to the corridor outside the metal door. Go south to the hall. In here are two apebeasts and two will-o-the-wisps, as well as a holy water fountain. On the southern side of the room is a window into a small terrarium. Place the manaseed in the middle of the seam between the window frame and the floor, go back to the holy water fountain, bless your arrows, and hit the manaseed with a holy water arrow. A climbable tree will grow, but don't climb it yet. Stand under the holes in the ceiling, and fire rope arrows into the centre of the gas clouds. When you have rope dangling from all four, ascend the tree and jump off to the sides. You should find two chests (600 - Total 10131).

Gate
Return to the entrance of the tricks section (do not go out though). To the north is the passage that leads to the chain of rooms where you found the crystal shard. To the south is an unexplored passage. So, explore it.  You come to a room with a water channel running through centre of it. behind the door is a lever. Flip it. Oh, and watch out for the spider-zombie. Go out the newly opened exit. When you come to a junction, go south. There should be a passage branching off shortly after the intersection. in this is a box containing some rope arrows. Grab them, ant then keep going south. Eventually you'll come to a metal gate. Read the inscription on it. So, Bantar has sealed the way, and it will only open if he is dead or he commands it. Ah well, We'll have to do this bit later. Right now, we'll deal with the un-looted heroes' tombs. Go back to the intersection, and take the northern passage. Exit the tricks section and return to the first room of the merchant's tombs (the one with the switch you shouldn't flip).

Viper
Prepare a speed potion and flip the switch I told you not to flip. Take the speed potion and run to the tomb of Viper VI (figure 13). Once inside, flip the switch to make sure the door stays open. The door to another tomb has also opened. Take the skulls and assorted accessories (1050 - Total 11181) from all the tombs. Once you're done, flip the switch in the tomb opposite Viper VI's. A secret passage to the tank level should open.  Go down. Pick up the maps, watching out for the shadow burrick in the side tunnel. There is also a secret door and a hidden button in this area. Scan for them with the gem of Oldorf (figure 14).

Figure 13

Figure 14

Figure 15 

Figure 16

Secret Treasure
Look down the shaft. You'll see a red light. Your goal is to jump down the shaft and land on that light. To do this you must jump in so that the ice slope points directly at the light, id est opposite or adjacent to it. When you land on the light, look across the shaft to the place where the treasure is hidden (figure 16)(470 - Total 12142). That's not all though. In one of the earthquakes three gems flee. You already have one of them. The other two sit on a lintel holding up the roof of the corridor below (20 - Total 12162).

The Throne Room

Escape Route
There is a tunnel. It's an ancient escape route, leading from the throne room, down to the lower levels. It was intended to allow the rulers to escape in the event of the throne room being seized. Our situation is very similar, only we're trying to break into the throne room, not break out of it. Fortunately it can be opened from the outside, but it involves a long and complicated process.

Figure 17

Personal Guard
Grab the slowfall potion in the corner. You'll need it later on. Now go up the stairs. In the distance is a man in blue. He's standing on a platform. It's Bantar. Move forward to the intersection. This is guarded by two ratmen and a tricksterling in a side corridor. There is also an invisibility potion. If you feel killing the tricksterling is necessary, try holy water and flash bombs. Move on to the throne room itself. Eavesdrop the conversation, and when they attack, stand forth and try to draw Bantar's fire. You can dodge better than they can. Eventually however, the thieves will die, and you'll be left on your own.

Stab in the Back
Underneath the ledge Bantar is standing on is a tunnel constructed of Margrothian Crystal. swim through this, picking up the water and gas arrows on the way. Eventually you come out in the rooms behind the platform on which Bantar resides. There is a healing fruit and a healing potion here, as well as some loot (250 - Total 12712) and some maps of the guild. It turns out the Bantar does not have the book of darkness here with him. It doesn't matter, we can get it afterwards.

Figure 18

Leaving the Mines
Return to the escape shaft. Save before you do this, as it's risky. Jump in, and take a slowfall potion as you fall. As soon as you are in sight of the bottom of the shaft, take another one. Once you're down, use an arrow to press button 6 (figure 17). Go back to the tricks section, back to the hall where the wisps were. Shoot a rope arrow into a tree and climb down into the terrarium. In the southeast corner is a tunnel. Crawl through it, picking up the two nuggets of black silver as you go (150 - Total 12862). You should come to a place overlooking a pit. Across from you is a target. Shoot a rope arrow at it, and make sure you hit wood, or you'll have to come back and do it again.

Tricks with Rope
Now go to the place where the gate was. It is now gone, as Bantar is dead.  In a wall niche are a couple of potions. Shoot a rope arrow into the target visible from here, then go round to the hole opposite and shot rope arrows into the two targets visible from there. Save, then jump onto a rope and climb down into the red water. After a bit of falling, you grab hold of another rope. Climb down and jump into the passage (don't bother about retrieving your rope arrows). Now, it's a simple matter of going along the corridor and entering the hall of mirrors...