King’s Quest 8: Mask of Eternity

THE BARREN REGION.

Quickly back up to the cliff and ready your crossbow. Start picking off the fire ants with rapid shooting till their numbers are considerably reduced. Then carefully go west, picking mushrooms along the way. Watch out for Pyro Demons rising in the lava river to the north. Continue west and cross the bridge. Follow the path north to a couple of huts and enter the east one. This is a weapon shop.
The super battle axe costs 500. Buy it if you have enough. The long range weapons aren’t any better than the one from the Gnome Weapon Shop if you already have it. You learn of a Basilisk and a weapon that can be made to kill it. You should already have a black diamond heart. Now you need a good metal shaft.
Exit and go to the west hut. Talk to the shaman woman. You should already have enough healing potions and crystals. Exit and go around behind the hut. Go up a path due west between two pillars. Climb into the fortress and cross the footbridge. The guards ignore you. Talk to the creature blowing the BIG horn. You learn of the disappearance of the Stone of Order. Enter the shop next door and talk to the blacksmith.
Exit the Sanctuary and go down the hill. Go north west along lava, to the right of the sanctuary hill, and arrive at a broken stone block bridge where stone blocks rise up. When you step on a correct block, it stays put. Stay too long on an intermediate block and it sinks.

O….2…….finish…..6…O
O…O…O…O…O…O…3
5….O…O…O…7….O…O
O…O…1….O…O…O…O
O…O…O…O…O….4…O
…………….start……………

Jump n, nw. 1 safe. Jump nw, n, n. 2 safe. Jump se, e, e, e, e. 3 safe. Jump sw, s, s. 4 safe. Jump w, w, w, nw, nw. 5 safe. Jump ne, e, e, e, ne. 6 safe. Jump s, sw. 7 safe.

Metal blocks line up between the two sides. Jump across the blocks to the north side.
Watch out for 2 fire ants. You’ll see one right away and another as you continue. Listen carefully for it. Avoid the lava geysers and go due north east along the left hill, then turn north up an incline. Continue north and go up a ramp to a stone pyramid. At the very top, take the fire gem from the stone altar. You automatically speak with an Archon.

Go back south into the lava geyser field, go due east and continue through a mountain pass down to the river and some disconnected stone bridge sections. Ready your ranged weapon and SAVE GAME! Several pairs of Pyro Demons are in the lava lake. Cross the series of stone sections to the tall building. SAVE after each successful jump.

Go to the structure; DO NOT jump the last 3 sections east unless you want to fight an army of Pyro Demons. Climb the building with your grappling hook. At the top, step forward onto the inscribed platform and get out your crossbow. You have to shoot the 7 gongs in the correct order; red, orange, yellow, green, light blue, dark blue, and purple.

Of course, you won’t know the color until you shoot a gong! Just do the following:

Number the gongs left to right 1-7 (1-3 on your left, 4 directly ahead, and 5-7 coming back toward you, on the right.) Shoot the gongs in this order: 4, 2, 7, 5, 1, 3, 6. After the bridge is fully extended, you go on across. Take the stone of Order and return to the fortress on the hill above the village igloos.

Next to the creature with the horn, place the Stone of Order on the pedestal. Go into the blacksmith shop and get a strong metal shaft. Go down the hill to the weapon shop. Give the metal shaft and the black diamond to the shop owner. Give him 10 gold coins, and you get a powerful Black Diamond Pike. Exit the village and head south.

Go across the bridge and continue to the far south central area of the map toward the Basilisk Lair. Go west up the slope that leads behind the Basilisk. Bear left (south east) through a pass and to some stone blocks in the lava. You have to jump from one block to another to reach the other side. Work you way to the highest block, then run/jump to the back of the cliff.

Climb the cliff and ready your diamond pike. Step forward and Connor jumps onto the Basilisk and kills it with the pike. Ready a ranged weapon; Pyro Demons could appear! Nearby, cross the bridge. Go around the right side of the Temple and climb the wall with your grappling hook. At the top. Approach the hole in the roof, and use your grappling hook to climb down the hole.

Click on the dead Fire Dwarf and pick up a granite key. Click the square wall panel to get a bottle of Sacred Water. Look up at the series of four symbols repeated around the wall. Each symbol appears on each of the four pressure plates around the sarcophagus in the middle of the room. Have Connor walk against the pressure plates in the following order: crescent, triangle, circle, square. The door will open. Take the long-sword off the sarcophagus.

Go through the open door and turn right. Get a bottle of Sacred Water behind the square wall panel. Turn around and get the full suit of armor for a big armor increase. Return to the wall near the dead Dwarf and climb with your hook. From the roof, climb down the outside wall and return to the Basilisk. Use your sword to cut off its tongue, and pick it up.

Go past the right side of the Basilisk and start uphill. Head back over the ridge behind the lair. This time, go right at the fork. Work your way north, then west until you find a dead tree near a narrow strip of land between the lava lakes. Ready your crossbow, a couple of Pyro Demons hide nearby. Cross the narrow strip of land, turn left and head south.

Continue south, staying close to the cliffs, until you find 2 Fire Dwarves guarding an entrance to their underground lair. Kill the guards and get their gold, potions, and the Super Fire Arrows. Turn around and go forward to the lava lake, and kill another Pyro Demon for a combat boost. Find a lock in the rock wall.

Use your granite key (from dead dwarf in temple) to open the door and enter the lair. Follow the walkway, eliminating guards as you go and get their potions. At the end, you should find 3 buttons on the north wall. Shoot the buttons to extend three ramps. Cross the leftmost ramp and flip a lever to release Freesa the Snow Queen.

She opens a secret door, then leaves. In the leftmost cell, get a pipe cap from the floor. Ready your sword, go through the secret door and kill the Fire Dwarf. Get the potion. Examine the wall safe. Click the panels in the same order as at the temple sarcophagus. Get another pipe cap. Exit out to the 3 ramps and cross the middle one.

In the chest is another mask piece and you have to kill another Henchman. Get 3 potions from the floor. Exit and cross the rightmost ramp. In the back of the room is another Fire Dwarf to kill. Pick up any useful items dropped. Put a cap on JUST ONE of the steam pipes and step on the platform. Use your bow to shoot the button on the far wall and ride up.

Step off and get a crystal scepter and a red reveal potion. Get on the elevator and shoot the button again to ride down. Put a cap on the other pipe, get on the platform and shoot the button a final time to go to the frozen reaches.

FROZEN REACHES.

Enter the palace and talk to Queen Freesa wearing the crown. She fills you in on the situation and gives you permission to fly on her crystal dragon. Give the crystal scepter to the queen but she says, “You need it more than I do.” Exit the palace and follow the icy path due east to the Crystal Dragon’s Pen. Use the crystal scepter on the dragon.

She explains she can’t fly until the door is open. A broken pull chain lies on the floor. Look up to see a segment of chain hanging from the ceiling. Push the ice block till it’s under the piece of ceiling chain. Stand facing the block but careful not to bump it anymore. Turn around to face away from it and take a couple of steps.

You’re about to attempt a back flip onto the block of slippery ice. You get more height than a forward run/jump! Hold the back arrow and immediately hit Insert, then let up both. You don’t want to slide off the block. When you’re finally on the ice block, pull the chain segment to open the gate. Jump down and use the crystal scepter again on the dragon and you’re off.

FROZEN REACHES: Northern Shore.

After you arrive, SAVE! Ready your bow and go NW up the path. As soon as you see a Frost Demon, start firing away and 5 of the beasts come at you. Keep rapid firing to kill them and back away if necessary. Frost Demons are relatively slow but lethal closeup. Killing each one gives you a slight experience boost.

Continue up the path, bearing right along the cliff. Continue uphill and east through a narrow black pass. Turn left and start running up the steep incline. Keep running to a Y intersection and go left into a narrow pass. Turn around and ease back one step at a time till you see 2 bowman on a black ramp.

Ease forward a step at a time till your shots start hitting them. Keep rapid firing to kill both guards and you should suffer very little damage. Go up the ramp and get one of the Ice Crossbows. Pick up the potions. Approach the tower wall and use your grappling hook to climb. Go to the opposite balcony, turn around and pull the lever.

Jump into the open trapdoor. Break each barrel and maneuver around to make sure you get everything. Open the chest and get four horn strength potions. Pull a lever to open the main door. Exit and go left back around front. Go north down the ramp. At the crossroad, follow the path due east. Up ahead is a large group of Frost Demons.

Rapid fire to kill them, backing up when they start getting close. With all the Frost Demons out of the way, ready your sword and continue northeast up the main trail till you start to hear something snoring. Just ahead is an invisible Snow Mane. Drink a red Reveal, an amber Shield, and a horn of Strength. Rush forward and kill the beast. Go to the frozen pond ahead. Step onto the pond to realize the ice is thin.

Throw a rock onto the ice. Pick up the rock and throw it again. Do this till the ice shatters and the rock sinks. Use your Fire Gem (from Barren Region) on the pond. From the edge, avoid the water and take the Flame Sword. Go back down toward the east watchtower (where you got your ice bow) and continue south. Turn west (right) at the first fork and go through a narrow V-shaped crevice in the mountain.

Follow the path as it bears south through another narrow crevice to another trail. Turn hard right and head north up a very steep trail. Watch out for another group of Frost Demons. You come to a mountain lake. The water is DEADLY cold. Two Ice Orcs stand guard on the other side. It’s possible to kill them from the south side of the lake.

Slightly southeast of the lake is a guard house. Go inside of it and get 4 items from each of the two barrels. Exit and go forward to the lakeshore. Careful of the water, stay against the cliff, and go around the right side. Get two potions near the dead Orcs you shot. Go around to the backside of the stronghold and climb the wall with your grappling hook.

Go to the grate on the roof to start an automatic scene. Then continue forward into the jail area and turn left. Talk to an imprisoned Gryph King. Turn around and stand at the lever near the chair and maneuver so that you can see the chair. Pull the lever to see the chair rise and the resulting electricity.

Go to the small balcony in front and the scene changes to an overhead view. Walk forward and you automatically jump the guard and kill him. Pick up a potion and the jail key. Go around back and climb the wall again. Unlock the cell to free the Gryph King. Ready your sword and go out on the room and fall through the grate with another guard.

Drink a Shield and a Strength potion and kill Thork. In the chest in a corner, get the Deciphering Amulet. Get the ice shard on the floor. Look in the barred room to see a chest and a frozen Henchman. Look at the slot by the door and realize, “Could be a locking device. Perhaps something fits there.”

Open the front door and Connor tries to walk out but nearly trips on the door gap. Press F2 if necessary to see Connor and the doorway at the same time. Put the ice shard in the door gap, then use the flame sword to melt it. Use your ice bow to re-freeze it, then pick up your new ice lever. Back inside at the barred door, use the ice lever on the door slot. Enter the room and you automatically break the frozen Henchman and get the fourth mask piece from the chest. The Henchman reforms so kill him again, drink potions if necessary. Exit the Stronghold, go around the left side of the cold lake, returning south to the crystal dragon.

Ride the dragon back across the lake. From the dragon’s pen, go south and west past the Snow Palace and a teleporter on your left. Continue northwest up a steep trail to the Gryph Cave and go right on past the Gryph guards. Talk to the King and he gives you a Blue Adamant. Return to the dragon and fly across the lake again.

Return to the far north central area on the map and climb the back wall of the Stronghold again. Now to use the 3 ingredients to make the Permanent Spell of Might. Put the Blue Adamant, Basilisk tongue, and slice of gold mushroom in the chair. Pull the lever for electricity and get the spell. Notice the increase in your weapon and armor points.

Use your grappling hook to climb down the back of the Stronghold. On the west side of the Stronghold, go through the V shaped crevice and kill 2 Ice Orcs. Follow the curving trail south and kill some more Orcs. Continue south until the West Watchtower appears on your right. Kill the two Orcs on guard there.

Go around the right side of the tower and use your ice bow to kill the Frost Beast below the cliff. There’s nothing on the roof here so enter the tower, bust the barrels and pick up everything. Exit the tower and go down due south and take the first right. Stay against the right cliff and follow it northwest (kill an Ice Beast) and go to the pillar.

Use your Deciphering Amulet to read the pillar, “Only a blade of fire can sever the heads of the Drake.” Ready your bow and continue north up the trail. Kill 7 more beasts. Continue north to the huge structure and look up to see a two headed drake. Climb with your grappling hook. At the top, ready your Flame Sword and SAVE!

Jump up the ledge, get close to the drake and cut off both heads. After killing the Drake, jump down the hole behind it. You should have 4 pieces of the mask at this point. Go down the tunnel and you’re asked if you want to go to a new region. Since you have 4 mask pieces, choose Yes.

PARADISE.

Go to the altar in the middle of a stonehenge structure. Click on the altar to notice “a depression” on top. Put your bright Crystal Pyramid in the depression and an Archon appears. Since you have the 4 mask pieces, you’re transported.

REALM OF THE SUN.

Level 1: Truth. SAVE! Exit the room and ready your sword. Break all urns you see. Go south and enter the room of water. Kill the Water Snake. There might also be a Shadow Demon. Notice the dripping water. Look up to see an opening. Go to the far wall and climb with your grappling hook. Bust the urn, look down and take the Mask Medallion.

Climb back down and watch out for a Shadow Demon. Exit and turn north. There’s Henchmen and other manner of beasts around the hallways. Go north from the water room and take the first left. Go west all the way to a room at the end and kill 2 Henchmen. Open the south and the west wall panels for potions.

In some areas, stepping on certain sections of the floors cause Shadow Demons to rise out of the floor. The sections have very faint discolored outlines.

Exit the room to the north and work your way along, hugging the left wall until you get to a room full of several statues. Take the Tablet of Knowledge from the altar. Right click it in inventory to realize it’s “void of its precepts.” Listen to some of the thoughts of the statues. Now you have to go to the northeast to the big gold doors:

Exit N to wall, E to wall, N to wall, E to wall, S to wall, E to wall, S to room, go east and take the second north and go through the room. Enter a large room with a central block. There’s an Archon in the NW corner, leave him alone. Open all 8 panels around the block and get the potions. Approach the Archon and talk to him. He opens the doors.

Enter the Hall of Truth and enter the first room on your left. Walk off the edge straight at the monster. Get the Key of Truth. Exit south from the hall and continue south through the room with 8 panels, carefully just entering the next room. 3 floor panels release Shadow Demons. Turn left, hug the left wall, and go to the gold door on the left.

Use your Key of Truth to open the door. Enter and take a Sword and Shield of Truth from the altar to start an automatic scene. Your tablet is inscribed with the Precept of Truth. Now for the extreme northwest: exit, go north to 8 panel room and go around left of center block, take first left. Watch out for loose floor panels. Go W, N, W, N, W, N, W, N.

As you approach the gold doors, you’re asked “What is the power of truth?” Use your Tablet of Knowledge on the door. Before continuing, turn around and open a secret panel on your right and get a potion. Now, go through the door.

Level 2: Light.

SAVE! This level has several Henchmen. Go north to the room and exit it on your left. Go W to wall, N to wall, W to wall and turn north. Take the next left to a room with a center block that has 3 urns in alcoves and a secret panel on the west side. Bust the urns for potions and open the secret panel for another.

There’s an unlit candle on the south end of the central block (sometimes it’s in the northeast exit of this room.) Find that unlit candle and pull it down. This opens a passage in the room directly south. From the urn room, take the southeast exit to wall, S to wall, turn east and take first right. Go south and take next right. Enter the room for an automatic scene where Connor finds the final mask piece.

As you leave the room, Henchmen are in the way. Kill them. In the hallway, go N to wall, E to wall, S to wall, E to wall. Zig zag north and take first right. Go east and take first left. Kill some Henchmen on the way and enter a large room in the NE of the map. There’s an automatic scene of a Henchman coming out of a cauldron.

Use your Mask Medallion (from level 1 water room) to change the cauldron into a Healing Well. If your health is down, drink till it is fully restored. Exit the room and S to wall, W to wall, S to wall, E to wall, zig zag south to an Archon outside a gold door. Click the Archon and listen to him. Enter the Hall of Light.

Push the book pedestal to the center of the circle of light. When you’re close, you automatically push it to the very center and the Key of Light appears. Take the key, turn around and exit the hall. Continue north and zig zag north to wall, W to wall, zig zag south to wall, W to wall, N to wall, turn west and take next right to another gold door.

Use your Key of Light to unlock the door. Enter and take the Armor of light. A new precept is inscribed on your tablet. Exit the room and ready your sword. In the hallway, go east, south, east and zig zag north and straight north to wall. Go west to wall and turn north. Approach the door and you’re asked “How gainest thou the Light?” Use your tablet on the door to open it. Enter the next level.

Level 3: Order.

No monsters are in the hallways. Go north then east to a room with a center block. On the east side of the room is a gold urn. Push (or click) on it to open a wall panel. Get the potion. Leave the room at the north exit, busting urns as you go E to wall, N to wall, E to wall, turn north and take next right. Bear left through the room and talk to the Archon.

Enter the Hall of Order. This puzzle requires Connor to push the large gold blocks to form the Mask of Eternity image. Hit F2 if necessary, to see Connor. Use the tilt up or tilt down keys to see the top of the blocks. The Mask icon at the top left of the screen (move your cursor there) is what the blocks should eventually show. The completed image has to be centered on the inner black outline on the floor.

When the doors open, enter the north room and take the Key of Order from the altar. Exit the Hall of Order and ready your weapon. Bust all urns on you way. In the room with sun bursts around the walls, exit left and E to wall, S to wall, turn east and take the next right to zig zag south to next left and check your health. Then SAVE! and switch to your bow.

Slowly advance one step at a time till you see archers in the shadows. Kill them and possibly some zombies, then quickly switch to your sword and kill the commander skeleton. Use your Key of Order to open the gold door. Enter the back room and get the Chalice of Order from the altar. A new precept is inscribed on your tablet.

Exit to the corridor and zig zag south, then go west to the gold door and a voice says “Speak thou of Order.” Use your tablet on the door, enter the passage and the final area loads. If you’ve been busting everything, killing and picking up potions and crystals, you should have plenty on hand. Click the Archon by the door. If you have everything necessary, he lets you pass.

Enter the Altar Room. After talking with Lucreto, approach the altar and Lucreto attacks leaving your health very low. Use mushrooms and crystals right now to rebuild your health to full. Take a mask piece and place it on the altar. Lucreto feels threatened and appears. Fight him till he vanishes. Put another mask piece on the altar.

Fight Lucreto again (how’s your health?) Put a third mask piece on the altar and fight again. Place a fourth mask piece on the altar (Lucreto doesn’t appear!) Place the final mask piece on the altar and a swirling vortex appears. Don’t get too close to it! Fight Lucreto and force him back into the vortex. Enjoy the ending. Watch the credits to see your score.

Did you think to use any of your invisibility potions in a particularly difficult area of the game? Could you have used one during this finale?

AUTHOR: G. K. Ison (garr)