NeoQuest II Guide

Forlorn Guard says, "Yes? What do you want? Not all the undead 'round here are bloodthirsty fiends. I've still got a job to do."

> "What happened to the city?"
Forlorn Guard says, "Oh, well, you know, battle between wizards, tremendous sandstorm... that same old story. But I never left my post, no sir, and I've been standing here for..." His eyes glaze over as he thinks. "Near on six hundred years now. But I ain't never left my post in all that time, no sir." He looks at you. "Now if you'll move along, I've got to focus on my guarding. Can't let your guard down in here, no sir."

Undead Merchant says, "I can't believe it! Someone who's not undead! You wouldn't believe how cheap undead people are. Every person in this city is a boring old undead fiend... and most of them are bloodthirsty, to boot."

> "Who are you?"
Undead Merchant says, "Oh, my apologies, I should introduce myself. I am... er... that is... my name is..." The undead merchant scratches his head. "Now that's funny. After all this time, I can't seem to remember my name. Oh well, I guess that's what happens when you've been undead for hundreds of years. At least I fared better than most of the people in this city."

> "What happened to the city?"
Undead Merchant says, "Well, ages past, it was right next to an oasis, which I guess has dried up. The city became abandoned, then, having no source for water. I lived and died here before that ever happened, though. Imagine my surprise when I found myself awaking, then, and clawing my way out of my grave! It seems an evil wizard had resurrected all the corpses in the city for his own nefarious deeds. I wasn't interested in fighting in his army, though, so I hid away. When the king's wizards came to destroy him, it was an awful battle... but I stayed hidden, so I survived. So to speak. I've just been biding my time here, ever since. I'm not really even much of a merchant, any more. I don't have anything much to sell except for healing potions... and the rarity of potion reagents in the middle of the desert keeps my prices high, not to mention my insatiable undead greed." He shakes his head. "Imagine what my father would say if he could see me now. An undead potion merchant! How bizarre, eh?"

> Trade with Undead Merchant
Undead Merchant says, "All I've got is healing potions, and they're pretty expensive. Not that I have much use for gold out here, but I'm not about to give up my mercantilist principles just because I live alone in abandoned ruins in the middle of a desert, no sir!"

Trading

Withered Ghost says, "This is a place of danger, and of death. None who enter shall leave. And none shall enter who do not know the key."

> "I know the key -- 'Ad ro un ta en."
Withered Ghost says, "So you wish to enter. So be it." The ghost fades away, and the huge sandstone blocks before you fade away into nothingness. The path into the city lies open.