Fear

Level #: 5
Land: Elm Shadow
Primary goal: Kill Lord Constantine
Secondary goals: First, find and claim prison; second, create skeletons to help you

This level introduces you to the fear trap. Unfortunately, you're on the receiving end of it and not the building end. It's your task to locate the entrance to Keep Fear and take out Lord Constantine. The only way in, however, is protected by a number of fear traps, which will send your minions bolting in the other direction.

This is really a pretty easy level, once you know what you're up against. First, start out by building a lair (4x4), hatchery (3x3), and library (3x3). You might also want to build a training room, but it isn't necessary. The gold is sparse in this level, so keep your eyes on your coffers and mine out more before you get too low.

Next, dig out to the south. You'll see some gold veins and bedrock that you can't dig through, but will guide you. It won't take long for you to discover a pair of wooden bridges that lead to a rather nasty prison. It'll take a few minutes for your imps to claim the prison as your own.



Just about that time, you're sure to be visited by an invading force. It won't be too difficult dispatch them, and your imps will drag the stunned foes to your new prison. The care there isn't the best we've seen, and soon your prisoners will start dying off, only to be replaced by undead skeletons.

Fortunately, these skeletons are fearless (they are dead, after all). Grab one and drop it out of the prison and use your possession spell to jump inside for a ride. Head past the prison and toward your left, and soon the fog of war should clear. Then, you'll see one of the entrances to Constantine's keep. Hack your way past the fear traps and deep into the castle to the hero portal. Constantine will appear, and it won't take them too long to take you down - at least try to get a few licks on the mighty lord before you end up as just a pile of bones.

Once your skeleton is felled, the lord and his cohorts will start a full-scale invasion of your dungeon - and that's exactly what you want to happen. Let them enter your dungeon and start dropping all your fighting creatures into the room with the lord. Now, call up your thunderbolt spell (you've no doubt got plenty of mana to burn by now) and help out your little goblins and warlocks by raining down lightning upon the poor lord. It won't take too long for his knees to buckle and Horny to pay you a visit. In this level, you'll not only retrieve one of the gems, but you'll also get the first quarter of the horned talisman.

Next: Besieged
 

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