Ultima VII: The Black Gate
Walkthrough & Help File

ULTIMA VII: THE BLACK GATE
>> WALKTHROUGH <<
and other tips!

by the Scourge
adam @ mentor.cc.purdue.edu

::: WARNING!! ::: This file contains EXPLICIT instructions on how to finish Ultima VII: The Black Gate. It's full of spoilers, so don't read this if you aren't TOTALLY stumped!

This file is divided into two parts, Helpful Stuff and the Walkthrough. The first part contains information on reagents, spells, and other stuff found in Britannia. The Walktrough section guides you step-by-step through what you need to finish the game.

::::::>> HELPFUL STUFF <<::::::

:: MAGIC ::

Here is a list of all reagents and spells and where to get them cheap. Thanks goes to Joe Himdickel who compiled the original list May, 1992.

Mage       Location   Reagents(price)
---------  ---------  -----------------------------------------------------
Wis-Sur    Vesper     Pearl(34), B.Moss(16), M.Root(32), Silk(20), S.Ash(25)
Mariah     Moonglow   Pearl(8), Garlic(1), Ginseng(2), M.Root(7), N.Shade(6)
Rudyom     Cove       Pearl(5), B.Moss(3), Ginseng(2), M.Root(5), S.Ash(4)
Nicodemus  Yew        B.Moss(3), Garlic(2), M.Root(5), N.Shade(5), Silk(3)
Nystul     Britain    Pearl(10), B.Moss(6), Ginseng(4), M.Root(10), S.Ash(8)
Sarpling*  Terfin     B.Moss(2), Garlic(1), Ginseng(1), S.Ash(3)

* Note Sarpling does not sell spells.


Following is a list of all the spells and where to find them listed from cheapest to most expensive:

:: First Circle ::

:: Second Circle ::

:: Third Circle ::

:: Fourth Circle ::

:: Fifth Circle ::

:: Sixth Circle ::

:: Seventh Circle ::

:: Eighth Circle ::

:: TRAINERS ::

Here is a list of all the trainers I found and what they specialize in. Some missing info came from other help files I found with respect to their authors!

* marks trainers that give you more training for your buck.

Place      Name       Specialization                Cost
---------  ---------  ----------------------------  ----
Britain    Sentri     Dex                           30 (free if in party)
           Denby      Dex, Intel, Magic             75
           Zella      Dex, Combat                   45
Buc. Den   Lucky      Intel, Luck (?)               35
Cove       Rayburt    Str, Dex, Combat              60
Jhelom     De Snel    Combat*                       40
Minoc      Karenna    Dex, Combat                   20
           Jakher     Str, Intel                    20
Moonglow   Jillian    Magic, Intel                  35
           Chad       Dex, Combat                   45
Ser. Hold  Menion     Str, Combat                   45
Terfin     Inforlem   Str, Dex, Combat,
                      Intel*, Magic                 50
Trinsic    Markus     Combat                        20
Vesper     Zaksam     Combat*, Str                  40
Yew        Perrin     Intel*, Magic                 45
           Bradman    Dex*                          30
           Penni      Str, Combat                   35


::::::>> WALKTHROUGH <<::::::

Ok, since I've been getting TONS of netmail asking me to, I decided to write this to help all you stuck Ultima fans out there. I've seen a couple solves floating around already, but they were shaky at best, so here it goes...

: Note : There are essentially two ways to go about this game. You can either follow Elizabeth and Abraham's trails and work on solving the murders, or you can cut to the chase and do the important stuff. I decided to tell you how to chase E&A, which takes a little longer, but gives you more enjoyment of the plot development.

::: TRINSIC ::: You appear in Trinsic. Search the stables and get the key. Use it on the chest in the dead guy's house (west side of town). The scroll is your first clue that the Fellowship is not what they claim to be. Talk to the victim's son, Spark, and Gilberto in the healer's. Talk to the mayor and get permission to investigate outside of Trinsic. If any of you have "lost" your documentation, drop me some email and I'll send you a patch that will bypass the protection scheme in Trinsic.

::: BRITAIN ::: Skip Paws and go to Britain. Talk to Lord British, get the Orb of the Moons (VERY useful). He'll tell you to find Rudyom in Cove. Talk to Batlin at the Fellowship, and tell him you want to join the Fellowship. Take the package to give to Elynor in Minoc. Also talk to the mayor, Millie, Gordon, and Clint, the shipwright. You will learn the Elizabeth and Abraham have gone to Minoc. Following this little goose chase is a good way to follow through on what you need to do to finish the game. Also visit the museum and acquire the moonstones (I like Iolo's little comments on this... :) I would also get the Mark and Recall spells as soon as you are able.

::: COVE ::: Talk to Rudyom, get the wand and 4 pieces of blackrock. Read his notebook. If you're a softie, talk to the girl at the shrine, she's a sure thing. :)

::: MINOC ::: Surprise, surprise, another murder... Go to the sawmill ASAP. Talk to everyone outside. Get the dagger from the murder scene. If you really wanna learn about the Fellowship, open the package before giving it to Elynor. You can still give it to her and Batlin will be a little miffed, but he'll still let you join. Talk to Margareta, learn your fortune. Most of what follows will help you fulfill your destiny. You will also learn in Minoc that Elizabeth and Abraham have gone to Paws.

NOTE : Solving all of the little town mysteries is not necessary to finish the game (a couple are, but most are just for kicks). If you're into maximum game enjoyment, then I recommend you take the time to solve them.

:: PAWS :: Talk to Feridwyn. He'll say E&A (Eliz. and Abraham) have gone to Jhelom. You can stay and solve the little "missing venom" mystery if you like. It will give you practice on how to deal with people and get information from them. Head to Jhelom. If you can't afford a ship by now, go to the western entrance to the dungeon Despise (next the Lost Lake surrounded by mountains NW of Britain) and get the flying carpet. Follow north shore of the river that feeds the lake and it will be sitting there. Very useful item (and it's free!). While you're in Paws, buy the hourglass from Beverlea and keep it in a safe place.

:: JHELOM :: Talk to Joseph the mayor. He says E&A have left for Britain (of course). While you are here, talk to DeSnel about the serpentine dagger you found in Minoc. You can solve the mystery with Sprellic and the banner of Honor, but it's not necessary. Keep in mind that killing townsfolk is ok ONLY if they attack you first.

:: BRITAIN (again) :: Go to Britain again and talk to Batlin. He'll tell you to go to Destard and find some Fellowship gold. Destard is located to the SW of paws on the west side of the mountains. You don't have to go in, just go near it. It's PACKED with treasure and gems and dragons, so be careful. (Invisibility is almost a MUST here). There are also some glass swords in there (save at least one for later...). Go back to Britain, and join the Fellowship at 9pm that night (don't listen to your friends). There is another documentation scheme here. Batlin will ask you 2 of 3 random questions I've seen. Ginseng must be boiled 40 times and Mandrake can be found in 2 places in Britannia. I think the answer to the picture question is 6. Trial and error will help if that's the wrong answer. Make sure you wear your Fellowship amulet, it will effect the way some characters treat you. Looks like E&A have headed towards Vesper.

:: VESPER :: Find Auston the mayor. He's not a Fellowship branch leader, but he has talked to E&A. He will refer you to Cador, who tells you they went to Moonglow. This is an interesting town. Be careful what you say if you go into the gargoyle tavern...

:: MOONGLOW :: Very important city... Talking to Rankin, the Fellowship branch leader, will reveal that E&A have moved on (surprise surprise) to Terfin, the island home of the Gargoyles. While you are here you need to awaken Penumbra who has been asleep since your last visit to Britannia. Next to the door of her house is a plaque. By reading it repeatedly, you will learn how to open the door (by placing a hammer, gold ring, lockpick, spindle of thread, and some other form of gold next to the plaque). This will open the door. Once in side, awaken Penumbra with your Awaken cantrip or by using a potion. She will say she needs some blackrock to shield her room before she can continue to help you. Well, what do you know? If you've followed along closely, you should have 4 chunks of it with you. Put them on the pedestals in her room and talk to her again. She will tell you to find the Ethereal Ring. This would be a good place to cast a Mark spell so you can return when you've found the Ring. Terfin would be a good place to start.

:: TERFIN :: Talk to everyone, especially Draxinusom and Quan. E&A have headed to the Meditation Retreat. You can solve the altar conspiracy here if you like, but it's not necessary. You will also learn that the Ethereal Ring is on the isle of Spektran (NW of Terfin). You will get the ring later.

:: MEDITATION RETREAT :: If you go to the Retreat (NOT necessary at this point, you will return later...) you will learn that Ian will only permit entrance to Fellowship members (which you are, I hope...). You will learn that E&A have gone to Buccaneer's Den. Before you pursue them any further you must find the omniscient Time Lord. The first step is to go to Empath Abbey west of Yew.

:: EMPATH ABBEY :: Talk to Taylor the monk. He will tell you about the Emps that live in the woods. If you've seen them, you'll know they won't speak to you (unless you have some honey). Go to the Bee Cave and get two or three clumps of honey. The Bee Cave is no big deal. I found that you could basically run right through the bees and they won't really care. Use the smoke bomb if you get in trouble.

:: EMPS & WOODS :: With the honey, you are able to talk to Trellek the Emp about finding the Wisps. If you're having troubles finding the Emps, look for the giant white Silverleaf trees in the woods. Trellek will need permission from Saralek who needs permission from Solomon, the Emp leader. Solomon will give you a written agreement to have Ben the woodsman sign to stop the destruction of the Silverleaf trees. Ben's cabin is on the very western edge of the forest near the shore. When you've gotten the treaty signed, Solomon will grant you permission to take Trellek to the Wisps, but Saralek changes her mind. Instead of going with you, Trellek will give you a whistle to call the Wisps with (that was easy, huh? :) Head to Spiritwood to find the Wisps (near Destard). They can also be found in the abandoned fortress they've inhabited somewhere near Yew woods.

:: THE WISPS :: Blow the whistle when you're near a Wisp and it will talk to you. They will offer you information if you bring them Alagner's notebook. They will also give you valuable information on the Guardian. Off to New Magincia! :: NEW MAGINCIA :: Alagner will agree to give you his notebook if you answer the questions of Life and Death. This must be done by asking the Tortured One in Skara Brae.
It might save time if you Mark Alagner's house so you can return his notebook quickly later. If you haven't acquired a Seance spell yet, go get one and head towards Skara Brae on foot.

:: SKARA BRAE :: Use the Seance spell and hitch a ride from the Ferryman. Destroyed by an accidental fire, Skara Brae is home of the Dead. Talk to everyone (especially Mordra). Make sure you pick up the Mandrake Essence (the glowing potion), an empty vial, a curing potion, and potion of Invisibility at Mordra's pad. Go to the Smithy and talk to Trent. Take the music box and go to the Dark Tower in the NW edge of the isle. Use the music box near Rowena and take her ring to Trent. Take the finished cage and go to the Alchemist's. Caine won't answer the questions until you destroy the Liche. Plug the three potions and the empty vial into the thingamajig and turn the burner on. If you did it right, a sparkling blue potion should fill up the vial. Take that and the cage to the Dark Tower. Go to the back of the Tower (through the fake wall by the stairs) and use the cage on the Well. Go to the throne room and wait for midnight. When Horance lies down, plop the cage over him and use the potion. Horance says you need to find someone to sacrifice. Talk to Forsythe the mayor. Now you get to find and talk to EVERYONE in the town, including those who you've talked to already. After everyone refuses to sacrifice themselves, Forsythe will agree. Take him to the Well and destroy it. Go to Caine and learn that there are NO answers to Life and Death (you MUST still do this).

:: TIME LORD :: Go to New Magincia, and tell him there are no Answers. Get the key, find the notebook in his storeroom and take it to the Wisps. Use your Orb to beam to the Time Lord. He will direct you to the dungeon Despise to destroy the ether-screwing generator. Before you can follow up on this, you need to destroy the generator found in Deceit. In order to do this, you need the aforementioned Ethereal Ring (ie Spektran!). If you go to Alagner's to return his notebook, you'll find him dead (very dead, actually). Use his crystal ball and you'll get your first glimpse at the much sought Elizabeth, Abraham, Hook, and Forskis...

:: SPEKTRAN :: The door to the Sultan's place should open when you approach it. As you will see, the Sultan is somewhat of a loony. You need to kill his harpy and take its key. The harpy can be easily killed using invisibility or a glass sword (make sure you still have at least one glass sword when you leave here. It's ok if you don't, but it will save you much heartache later...). To reach the room with the ring you need to stack the crates on the table (three high I think...). Now head to Moonglow and have Penumbra enchant the ring.

:: DECEIT :: This dungeon isn't too tough, but what's inside the generator IS. Follow all the hallways and find the false walls (try walking into the dark areas and you'll see what I mean). You can talk to the Cyclops if you want, but it's not necessary. Before you approach the generator, drop all your party members and put on the Ring. Inside the generator is the ugliest, toughest fucker in the whole game (he's the one you've been saving the glass sword for). I didn't have any more glass swords by the time I got here and still killed him, so don't fret. By cornering him and using LOTS of healing and protection potions, you can do it with any magical weapon. Click on the box in the middle of the room and watch as the generator collapses. There should be a miniature tetrahedron sitting on the ground. GET IT and get out of Deceit. Now Nicodemus (in the "chessboard house" in Yew) is able to enchant your hourglass, which is needed to approach the next generator in Despise.

:: DESPISE :: DON'T enter the northeastern entrance to Despise. It's good for experience, but not necessary. Use the entrance on the Lake (the one where you found the flying carpet). I won't get into the details of Despise, but you need to get around the teleporters and follow the tunnels east of the entrance. The tunnels will burrow around to the SW side of the lake and you'll find the Spherical Generator.
You'll find a moongate puzzle inside. The correct sequence is RED, BLUE, BLUE, RED. Pick up the small Sphere and leave (via Recall if possible :) One more generator to go!

:: MEDITATION RETREAT AGAIN :: This place is pretty much a bore, except for the cave that you're not allowed to enter (ooo! are you shaking??). By this point in the game you should have gotten a feel for what the Fellowship is about (nothing good, that's for sure...). In the cave is the Cube generator. You won't be able to approach it, but you should Mark it so you can beam back later. After reaching the Cube, contact the Time Lord by using the hourglass. He will tell you to find a mineral called Caddellite. This is found on the Isle of Ambrosia.

:: AMBROSIA :: This island is kinda hidden. It's located in the NE sea of Britannia. If you've been using the map from the game package or the one found in the game itself, you won't be able to see Ambrosia because it's under the little compass icon in the upper right corner. It's a large island and shouldn't be too hard to find. Inside a cave on this island is where the Caddellite is found. It's guarded by a three headed Hydra. Surprisingly the Hydra is huge wimp and croaks quickly in combat. You'll need one chunk of Caddellite per party member (or just one if you plan on approaching the Cube alone. You can't take your party members inside anyway...). Take the Caddellite to Zorn in Minoc and he will fashion helmets for you.

:: MEDITATION RETREAT again ::: Beam back to the Cube and go inside wearing your special helmet. The puzzle inside involves walking on certain spots of the walkway that trigger the bridges to other parts. Trouble is, some spots remove other bridges as well. I could go on for a page or two on how to solve it, but it would be easier just to tell you to save the game a lot and do it yourself. It's hard, but not impossible. Just look out for the fire fields and fireballs. Another hint: you'll cover almost 100% of the walkways before you're able to get to the center. After the Cube crumbles, take the little cube and head to Buccaneer's Den.

:: BUCCANEER'S DEN :: Now you're after the ever elusive E&A and the killer Hook. Possession of the little Cube forces the truth out of people who would normally lie to you (ie most people in Bucc. Den...). Talking to Danag at the Fellowship Branch will reveal much about Hook, Elizabeth, Abraham, and the fucked up Fellowship. Talk to Sintag at the House of Games and get the key from him. The door in the Games leads into the mountain passages where Hook's hideout is. In his hideout, you'll find the navigational plans for the ever elusive Crown Jewel, and the Black Gate key used to get past the barrier on the Isle of the Avatar. Also in his hideout is a list of people the Fellowship has eliminated (with you and ol' LB yet to go). There's nothing much else in those tunnels, except for a some torture chambers used by the Fellowship and a couple worthless prisoners. Off to the Black Gate!

:: ISLE OF THE AVATAR :: If you're not 8th level by this time and able to cast some major kickass spells, you might want to do some experience-collecting before going here. The key from Hook's place will allow you to pass the barrier on the south side of the island and get into the dungeon. This dungeon is rather long and hard. A couple tips:

:: THE BLACK GATE :: Ah, the gang's all here! After some little bickering, they will attack you. I had troubles winning this battle hand-to-hand until I found a useful little spell called Death Vortex. If you use it, DON'T cast it on an enemy. Cast it on YOURSELF. This spell is useful to say the least. After everyone croaks (except the little weasel Batlin) you'll be left with the choice of returning home, or using Rudyom's Wand (you still have it I hope!) on the Gate. The animated sequence at the end of the game is kinda short, but _completely_ amazing.

Ok people, that's it. Mucho regards to Mr. Gariott and Origin for making such an incredible game. Ultima VIII is supposed to be out next summer, so keep yer eyes peeled. If anyone has any further questions, drop me a note!

the Scourge
adam@mentor.cc.purdue.edu
June 1, 1992


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