In this guide, you’ll find a walkthrough for an area in the Tanetal’s Dimension part of Pools of Darkness. To help you to navigate this area, a map, and legend are provided. There are more detailed notes for each point in the map legend at the bottom of the overview section.
Walkthrough
Inside the Wound, if you head south then you’ll quickly discover some tissue walls where you can feel the beating of Moander’s Heart. If you have the potions from Aeghwaet (from Moander’s Arm), then you’ll be able to apply them to the walls, which will allow you to cut through the walls and enter the Heart (#2).
Note: You’ll be able to rest in the Heart, but you’ll almost always get interrupted. If you need to heal and memorize spells, the easiest way is to exit the Heart, re-enter the Wound, and rest there. The Wound seems to be perfectly safe for resting.
Moander’s Heart is modeled after a human heart. It has a right atrium and ventricle, and it has a left atrium and ventricle. When you hear a “lub” sound, that means the ventricles are pumping blood to various parts of the body. When you hear a “dub” sound, that means the atriums are pumping blood into the ventricles. If you happen to be standing in an associated artery or a vein (the game will call them both arteries) at the time, then you’ll get pushed along with the blood. If you toss the priestess’ amphora (from Moander’s Hair) into Moander’s Mouth, then his heart will beat more slowly, and you won’t get pushed around as much. You might also want to pick up the mouth (#12), since it will warn you when “lubs” and “dubs” are imminent.
What you’ll want to do first in the Heart is track down the Watcher. She’ll yell at you from time to time as you explore, but you’ll have to go to a particular spot for a full introduction. Unfortunately, this spot is random(ish). There are five places in the Heart where you’ll need to visit the Watcher (#3), but they can occur in any order. Each place can only be used once, so the first time you need to find the Watcher, you’ll have five possible locations to check, and then the next time you’ll have four locations, and so on.
The first time you meet the Watcher, you’ll find her stuck in a capillary. You’ll rescue her, but she won’t be thrilled, and you’ll record her reaction as Journal Entry 16. However, when you explain your mission, she’ll change her tune, and she’ll tell you how to remove the “slimy organisms” from your body. Doing so will allow you to move at normal speed while you’re in the Heart.
Next up, you’ll need to make some weapons (even if you don’t need them). You can accomplish this by grabbing Tanetal’s weapon-making tools (#8) and then heading to the giant arrow (#5), where you’ll detect some residual magic that you can use. Between the two, you’ll be able to create four random +3 or +4 weapons. If you try to make more weapons than that, then the arrow will zap you, causing moderate damage to your party. Unfortunately, fiddling with the arrow will irritate Moander, and his heart will start beating more quickly.
At some point while you’re exploring, you’ll get attacked by a fake Tanetal plus six Fire Elementals, two Large Iron Golems, and four Moander Cultists. The battle is presented as an optional random encounter, but you’ll have to fight it at least once in order to meet the Watcher again. Tanetal and the golems are immune to magic, and the Fire Elementals are immune to fire damage, meaning that the battle will probably be tough — and more so since you won’t be able to buff up beforehand. So just survive it as best you can, with your casters taking down the cultists and the elementals, and your fighters dealing with the golems and Tanetal.
Note: Enemies will not step into Blade Barriers. You might be able to use this to your advantage during the fight with Tanetal to protect your party — or at least you casters — from the Large Iron Golems.
With new weapons in hand, the next time you run into the Watcher (#3), she’ll be struggling with some Bits o Moander. The bits will flee when you show up, but the Watcher will tell you that they stole her unguent, and she’ll want you to get it back. However, she’ll tell you that the bits probably took the unguent to the pulmonary artery, and that you won’t be able to reach it with Moander’s heart beating so quickly. So before you can retrieve the unguent, you’ll need to pick up a golden cornucopia, which will allow the Watcher to put Moander into a deeper sleep and slow down his heart.
You’ll find the golden cornucopia on the northern edge of the area (#6). It’s heavy, and it will slow down your movements as you travel through the Heart, but it won’t affect your encumbrance. When you bring the cornucopia to the Watcher (#3), you’ll be able to help her cast a spell that will slow down the beating of the Heart and allow you to reach the unguent. The Watcher will also give you a tuning fork, which will expose fake Tanetals so you won’t have to fight them.
You’ll find the unguent on the eastern edge of the pulmonary artery (#9). However, on your way there you’ll get attacked by six Iron Golems and four Large Iron Golems (#7). You’ll quickly discover that these golems are magnetic, and after your weapons fly out of your hands and stick to the golems, you’ll take some minor damage prying them back. After regaining your weapons, the battle will proceed normally.
This is a battle where a Blade Barrier can help you out. If you place a barrier on the upper or lower half of the artery, then the golems will have to approach you single file. If you place a barrier in the middle of the artery, then the golems won’t approach you at all (but this might create an incredibly long battle if you don’t have much in the way of ranged attacks). After defeating the golems, you’ll find Scale Mail +4. Your weapons will also be magnetized. Then when you reach the unguent, you’ll also find a Dagger +4.
When you return to the Watcher (#3), she’ll be drinking tea, and her metal teacup will fly to your magnetized weapons. This will give her an idea. All you’ll need to do is rub your weapons together inside the left ventricle (#11). This will cause a spark, which will cause a constriction, which will flush everything out of the ventricle, including you and Tanetal. When you actually perform the deed, Tanetal will lose his hold on the Talisman of Bane, and it will go flying out of the ventricle as well.
When you track down the Watcher for the final time (#3), she’ll recommend that you ignore the talisman for now and go after Tanetal while he’s vulnerable. To that end, the Watcher will reveal that she has a plan. She’ll tell you that she’s seeded the right ventricle with her own Bits o Moander, and that they’ll attack Tanetal on sight if you can chase him there. The Watcher will then join you so she can help you with the chase.
You’ll find Tanetal on the eastern edge of the area (#10). He won’t have any allies with him, so he’ll flee south when you arrive. To chase him down, you’ll have to travel in the direction supplied by the game or by the Watcher until you’re told to go in a new direction. So you’ll need to go south, then west, then north, and so forth. If you manage to lose Tanetal, then you’ll be able to return to the starting point and try again.
Eventually, you’ll spot Tanetal ahead of you in an artery (actually a vein), and you’ll be asked if you want to shock the vessel wall. You should say “yes” since that will flush him — and you — into the right ventricle where the Bits o Moander are waiting. However, when you find him in the ventricle (#14), he’ll disintegrate the bits and turn on you — only to clutch his chest and keel over dead. “We must have run him to death,” the Watcher will say.
At that point the Talisman of Bane will float by, but when the Watcher grabs it, Tanetal will sit up — not really dead after all — and he’ll stab the Watcher in the back and take the talisman back for himself. You’ll then have to fight Tanetal plus four Bits o Moander (Large) and two Moander Cultists. This should be a much easier battle than you had with the fake Tanetal earlier.
After defeating Tanetal, you’ll take hold of the Talisman of Bane. This will conclude your objective in Tanetal’s Dimension, so now you’ll just need to return to Elminster in Limbo and continue on with the game.
1 – Tissue Walls
2 – Starting Points
You’ll begin in the Heart at one of these two places (usually the southern one).
3 – The Watcher
These are the locations where you can meet the Watcher.
4 – Wounded Soldier
At this spot you’ll meet a wounded soldier. He’ll give you a Staff Sling +3 plus a map of the Heart. You’ll record the map as Journal Entry 45.
5 – Monstrous Arrow
6 – Gold Cornucopia
7 – Iron Golems
You’ll only encounter iron golems here after delivering the gold cornucopia (#6) to the Watcher (#3). The golems will drop Scale Mail +4.
8 – Weapon-Making Tools
9 – Unguent
You’ll only discover the unguent here after the Watcher has lost it. You’ll find a Dagger +4 here as well.
10 – Tanetal
This is where Tanetal will go when you flush him out of the left ventricle.
11 – Shock Point
This is where you’ll be able to use your magnetized weapons to shock the left ventricle.
12 – Mouth
When you reach this spot you’ll discover a “glob of tissue” with a mouth. If you “talk” to it and “feed” it, then it will offer to come with you, which you should allow, even after it bites you. The mouth is sort of annoying, but it will give you information now and then, and it will also warn you about “lubs” and “dubs” so you can vacate arteries when necessary.
13 – Tanetal
This is where Tanetal will hide for most of the time when you’re in the Heart. However, if you try to approach him here, then he’ll use his Talisman of Bane to cause a constriction, which will flush you away along with the blood in the ventricle. To reach Tanetal, you’ll have to work with the Watcher (#3).
14 – Tanetal
This is where you’ll find Tanetal at the end of the chase.
