In this guide, you’ll find a walkthrough for an area in the Kalistes’ 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
When you enter the parlor from the Entrance Village, if you have the Ward of Safe Passage (from the Testing Grounds), then the spiders will make way for you, and you’ll start at the entrance (Exit A). But if you don’t have the ward, then the spiders will wrap you up in webs and toss you into the larder (#11), which will cause you about 30 points of damage. Anything you do in the larder will result in your escape, but you’ll discover that the spiders robbed you, and you’ll be missing roughly half of your equipment. So, obviously, you should only enter Kalistes’ Parlor after obtaining the ward.
You’ll find Kalistes on the Lower Level of the parlor (#17). You’ll have to destroy her eggs to get her to show up. But when Kalistes does arrive, she’ll have seven Drow Champions, seven Drow Wizards, and five Pets of Kalistes with her, and they’ll be spread out into three groups, making the battle very difficult. For suggestions about how to get through it, please refer to the Egg Chambers entry (#17).
After defeating Kalistes, you’ll gain control of her Crystal Ring, which had been causing the unnatural darkness in the Realms Dimension. If Storm joined you in the Stockade, then he’ll leave you at this point, and, really, there isn’t any reason why you should stick around, either. You’ll just need to return to the Ruined Temple so you can take the portal back to Limbo, and then take the portal there back to the Realms Dimension where you can hunt down another of Bane’s lieutenants.
1 – Guard Room
In this room you’ll get attacked by four Drow Priests and four Drow Priestesses. After the battle you’ll be able to rest safely.
2 – Scroll Room
Inside this room you’ll find two mage scrolls and a Potion of Haste.
3 – Dining Hall
On a table in the hall you’ll find a “sumptuous feast” laid out. If you eat it, then you’ll discover that the food is poisoned, and you’ll take about 15 points of damage.
4 – Kitchen
When you enter the kitchen, you’ll spot the Ogre cook preparing to chop up a dwarf girl. Regardless of what you do, you’ll have to fight six Drow Sorcerers, two Gaze Spiders, and four Pets of Kalistes (but no Ogre). Afterwards, you’ll find Banded Mail +2, a Flail +2, a cloak, and a Potion of Haste. If you tried to save the girl then she’ll survive, and you’ll learn that she’s Arta, Storm’s sister. If you have Storm with you (from the Stockade), then you’ll record the happy reunion as Journal Entry 80.
5 – Audience Chamber
After visiting the scrying room (#9), you’ll find the key to the treasure room (#13) here.
6 – Handmaidens’ Room
The first several times you enter this room, the handmaidens will insult you and usher you back outside. Then they’ll call the guards, and you’ll have to fight three Drow Priests and three Drow Priestesses.
7 – Drow Battle
When you enter this room you’ll get attacked by four Drow Priests and four Drow Priestesses. Afterwards you’ll find Banded Mail +1, 20 darts, a Helm +2, and a Mirror (an off-hand item that reflects gazes). This room is safe to rest in.
8 – Library
You’ll notice an entry for “marilith” in one of the books here, and you’ll record it as Journal Entry 48.
9 – Scrying Room
When you enter this room, a drow servant will offer to help you kill Kalistes, and he’ll point you to a scrying mirror. If you look into the mirror, then you’ll see that the key to the treasure room (#13) is hidden in the audience chamber (#5). You’ll record this observation as Journal Entry 2.
10 – Armory
Inside this room you’ll get attacked by Driders and spiders. You won’t find any weapons.
11 – Larder
12 – Slave Pens
Inside the western slave pen, you’ll get attacked by two Driders, four Drow Priests, and four Drow Wizards. The drow will have the initiative, so depending on what they decide to cast, this battle might be tougher than normal for you.
13 – Treasure Room
When you enter this room, you’ll get attacked by six Driders, three Drow Champions, and three Drow Wizards. After the battle, you’ll find a Hammer +4, a Scimitar +3, a Trident +4, a Two-Handed Sword +3, 1000 platinum, 50 gems, and 25 pieces of jewelry.
14 – Torturer
In this room you’ll run into the Ogre torturer plus six Drow Sorceresses. If you decide to fight them, then afterwards you’ll find a Flail +4, a Mace +4, and a Quarter Staff +3.
15 – Pet Quarters
The southern part of the Lower Level is where the Pets of Kalistes live. If you explore this area, then you’ll regularly have to battle groups of five pets, even if you have the Ward of Safe Passage. There isn’t any reason to explore this part of the map, unless you like to live dangerously.
16 – Nursery
While you’re in the nursery, you’ll get attacked by different enemies, such as Driders, Electric Spiders, and Phase Spiders. Try to avoid using your good spells here, as you’ll need them coming up.
17 – Egg Chambers
When you destroy the eggs in either of these chambers, Kalistes will rush in and attack you, and she’ll have seven Drow Champions, seven Drow Wizards, and five Pets of Kalistes in tow. The enemies will be separated into three groups, so this battle can be very tough. Heck, just five Pets of Kalistes can be tough. So be sure to buff up before smashing the eggs, and also be sure to save, since you’ll probably need some luck.
Before the fight begins, you should cast just about every buff you have. The most important ones include Bless, Globe of Invulnerability, Haste (so your fighters can kill pets in one round), Prayer (you’ll need every save bonus you can get to avoid being disintegrated), Resist Cold (because you’ll get hit with lots of Ice Storms), and Strength.
Once the battle starts up, immediately separate your party to avoid Ice Storms as much as possible, and then start disrupting the casters. Delayed Blast Fireballs are probably your best bet for this, but you might also have some luck with Silence 15′ Radius if your cleric doesn’t have anything else to do. Kalistes herself isn’t a big threat at the start, as she’ll just use a mediocre ranged attack against you, so focus on the pets and casters first, and then send a hastened fighter at Kalistes and hope you kill her in one round (if you move a character next to Kalistes, then she might switch to her devastating melee attack, so avoid doing that until you attack her).
If you manage to survive the battle, then at the end you’ll find a Bastard Sword +4, a Dagger +4, a Long Sword +4, a Spear +4, and a Two-Handed Sword +4 — for all the good it will do you since you’ll just lose it all when you return to the Realms Dimension. You’ll also find Kalistes’ Crystal Ring (which had been keeping the Realms Dimension in darkness), but when you grab it from her corpse, a slave will show up and reveal that he’s really a spy from Tanetal, and he’ll try to take it away from you. You’ll record this scene as Journal Entry 40. The spy won’t take “no” for an answer, which means you’ll have to fight six Bits o Moander, an Earth Elemental, two Poisonous Snakes, and two Salamanders. The Bits are nasty, as they’re immune to fire and will turn characters to stone, but the rest should be easy enough.
Note: Whatever you do in the egg chambers, don’t do “nothing.” Otherwise you’ll get attacked by 15 Great Basilisks.
Another Note: If you’ve already dealt with Tanetal, then you won’t encounter the spy.
Final Note: After completing the battle(s), you’ll be able to rest in the chambers. And you’ll probably need it.
