Realms of Arkania: Star Trail

Realms of Arkania
Star Trail
Developer(s) Attic Entertainment Software
Publisher(s) Sir-Tech/U.S. Gold
Designer(s) Fantasy Productions
Composer(s) Guy Henkel, Horst Weidle
Series Realms of Arkania
Platform(s) PC (MS-DOS)
Release date(s) DEU September 1994
INT October 1994
Genre(s) Role playing game
Mode(s) Single player

Realms of Arkania: Star Trail is a computer role playing game by Attic Entertainment Software based on the German RPG system Das Schwarze Auge. The original German version of the game (German title: Das Schwarze Auge: Sternenschweif) was released in 1994. Due to the success of its predecessor it was translated to English and released by Sir-Tech in the same year.

Plot

After the failed orc invasion on Thorwal, the orcs attacked another region. The player is recruited in the city Kvirasim by an elf ambassador to recover an old artifact, the Salamander Stone, that could unite the elves and the dwarfs for battle against the orcs. Immediately a mysterious third party which seems to be against the uniting of the dwarves and elves counter offers riches and bribery. The quest leads them first to the depths of a long abandoned dwarven mine in the mountains. There they must walk a fine line between taking what they need and taking out of avarice. If successful they meet a master smith, who forges an asthenil sword for them and lets them swap it for the Salamander Stone.

Leaving the mines with the Salamander Stone, they are instructed to take the stone to an orc besieged city of Lowangen. The party is allowed past the orcish blockade, only after they leave behind most of their heavy weapons and armor. Once inside the city they are robbed of the Salamander Stone. While attempting to locate it the group runs into a large number of cultist serving an unknown god. The cult comprises Humans and curiously enough Elves. After a very bloody and dangerous fight, the group finds a two Salamander Stones, one fake and one genuine. There is a notice of instruction telling the cult to send the real one off to the north to leader.

At this point the group simply travels to the northern most city on the map and finds the city completely deserted. Everywhere there are hints of something sinister and hidden. Upon entering one house they find a trap door leading below the house and find an underground base of the cult. Within its first floor they find a warrioress frozen in a solid block of ice. She joins the group after you thaw her out but leaves as you move to the third and final floor.

At the last floor you find a temple to the Nameless god. At the very back you find the dwarven ambassador, Ingramosch, petrified in stone and the mysterious third party that first tried to offer your riches for the Salamander Stone. Unlike when you first saw him as the rich merchant, he is actually a powerful sorcerer. He cackles as you approach the Ingramosch and declares that you are too late and that Arkandor will take care of you. He begins to cast a spell that transforms him into a globe of light that then whizes to the massive cave behind him.

The ground shakes as a huge fire breathing dragon comes forth and starts breathing flames at your party. Anyone who closes with the dragon to hack him risks being grabbed and eaten. Magic works only moderately well as the dragon has strong magic resistance. However projectile weapons and poisons are extremely effective and can be used to pepper him to death assuming of course you can survive the dragon's occasional fireballs.

After doing several hundred damage, the dragon will find you group honorable and allow you all to live. As he disappears into his cave you use the salamander stone to flesh spell upon Ingramosch ending the game. You climb out of the dungeon and find the elven ambassador waiting with a horse-drawn carriage. He urges you group in and takes to the harbor where a boat is waiting. The elf spends days healing the dwarf with magic. When Ingramosch comes to, you hand him the Salamander Stone.

After arriving at the tree city of the elves the dwarves and elves hammer out an alliance. In celebration the group is treated to a feast in the tree city, where the rarely seen elf king shows up and thanks the group for all its success and hails you as friends forever to elves everywhere.

Side Quests

1) The player is recruited by a Phex (God of trade and thievery) initiate to recover a legendary throwing axe Star Trail. They are instructioned to search the catacombs in another city. Upon arrival they are joined by another thief outside the gates, who offers to guide them through the catacombs.

The place is filled with undead ranging from skeletal warriors to mummies. Eventually they find themselves in the city's temple to Phex where they find the initiate being made a priest of Phex. The party is then told that the entire quest was a setup and an initiation rite for their initiate to prove himself worthy of becoming a priest.

2) Another side quest occurs if the group is ever captured in their travels around the countryside by orc war bands. They are bound, blinded and stripped of all gear and money except for any heavily magical items. After days they arrive at Blood Peak, the orc headquarters. After overcoming their prison guards the party must battle through the orcish legions stationed there as well as a multitude of giant sized spiders. The party has the option to exit out the nearest exit or clearing the several levels of orcs. If they choose the easy escape they only need to fight through a handful of orcs but lose practically all their equipment and money. If they choose to fight they will gain a huge amount of experience and practically all their wealth back.

3) There is a quest that gets uncovered when the party arrives in the city of Gashok and are immediately hit by a crossbow bolt. Investigation reveals a city of mostly humans that are dominated an extremely racist gang. They hate all elves and culminated in an accident which burned down an elf and his human wife's home.

Every attempt of the group to ascertain the truth of what happened is met with roadblocks. The elf, Artherion was banished from the city when he used magic during the fight that burned down the house. Upon finding Artherion he reveals that the gang had brought a mob that torched the house and tried to lynch him and ended up burning his wife alive in the house. After which he went mad and fought with his weapons and magic, killing many of the citizenry. He requests the group find the ones responsible and avenge his wife.

Armed with this information, searching the remains of the house yields an incriminating note. Following the names in the note you corner the gang and its leaders who attack you. After defeating them you take the a second note on the leader out to Artherion, as proof. In gratitude he gives you his personal sword, the sword of Artherion, which is light as a feather but can do some heavy damage. That following night as the group stays at the local inn, the citizenry catch wind of the group's killing of it citizens and form a lynch mob. They drag your group into the street and prepare to stone you all. If you still have the incriminating note from the burned house, the local magistrate will stop the mob and find that the gang did indeed murder someone in town and free you all from the mob. However, if you lost or destroyed the note, your group will be killed by the mob.

4) There is also another quest that is found randomly when traveling. A stranger will stumble into the group's camp, telling about a powerful witch who is enchanting up the local creatures in the swamp. Investigating the swamp can be quite dangerous as many of its denizens are quite powerful. You find and kill the witch ending the threat within the swamp. But you also find a note indicating the witch was acting on behalf a sorcerer in a tower within the swamp.

After penetrating the tower and its defenses you find the sorcerer, who conjures up a massive fire elemental. But with the larger size the elemental proves harder to control. The elemental is extremely agitated at being summoned from its service to Hesinde, the goddess of wisdom. However it is unsure who is to blame for its summoning and questions both the party and the sorcerer. The sorcerer chooses to try to command the elemental to destroy the group. If you choose honorable and humble answers the elemental declares your group wise and destroys the sorcerer.

Some of the Unique Game Items

Phex Helmet: Found in the Phex Catacombs, this helmet weighs absolutely nothing, has the armor class greater than the heaviest plate helm, and is wearable by priest and ranger classes who normally can only wear leather armor.

Phex Shield: Also found in the Phex Catacombs, this shield is weighs absolutely nothing, has the armor class greater than the heaviest steel shield, and is usable by priest and ranger classes who normally can only use whicker or wood shields.

Girdle of Might: A belt that increases the wearer's strength found deep within the Dwarven Pit.

Unending Water Bag: Found while wading though a water reservoir within the Dwarven Pit.

Asthenil Sword: A sword forged by the golem in the Dwarven Pit.

Sword of Artherion: Artherion's heirloom light as a feather but does more damage than a bastard two hand sword.

Development Team

The Northlands Trilogy

Realms of Arkania: Blade of Destiny was the first game in the trilogy, it was followed by Star Trail, and Realms of Arkania: Shadows over Riva. As a feature players could save the game after beating it, this allowed the players to import their characters into the sequel.

Reception

The game was reviewed in 1995 in Dragon #219 by Jay & Dee in the "Eye of the Monitor" column. Jay gave the game 2½ out of 5 stars, while Dee gave the game 3 stars.[1] Game critics were generally positive, pointing out the huge world and depth of gameplay, offering the player many decisions and opportunities.[2]

References

  1. ↑ Jay & Dee (July 1995). "Eye of the Monitor". Dragon (219): 57–60, 65–66.
  2. ↑ "Compiled magazine conclusions on the game on mobygames.com". Mobygames. Retrieved 2011-10-24.

External links

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