                               ELVIRA SOLUTION

Typed by SIDEWINDER of LSD.

Enter the souvenir shop, take the large shield and USE it.  Now the shield
will be useable all the time until you throw it away and replace it with
something better.  Collect some hay from the stable afterwards.
Go into the castle, cutting down knights as you go.  Make a beeline for the
armoury and grab a weapon (the sword is best).  Take the crossbow too.
        Now you need the magic book.  Burgle the library for it and head for the
kitchen.  Take the honey from the pantry and mix the honey and the hay
together to make the Herbal Honey spell.  USE it and you will now be able to
recognize all the herbs and flowers in the garden.
Now venture upstairs and search the bedrooms for crossbow bolts.  Don't be
lured by the sight of a vulnerable looking, beautiful lady lying helpless in
bed.  She is in fact a vampiress, she'll kill you if you go near her.
Now zip into the garden shed and grab the key, hammer and silver cross.
There are also a few good spell ingredients such as the poppy, maggots
(they're found eating the neck of the old man) etc. both in the shed and on
the way.
        Leave the shed and go to the herb garden and spend some time admiring
all the blooms.  Then scoop up the odd spell ingredient (mushrooms, for
example).
On you way to the garden improve your archery skill by firing volleys at the
target.  A message of skill will appear when you've done well enough.  Scrap
the guard at the mouth of the garden, then open the gate with the key from
the garden shed.
        Return to the castle and take the stake from the living room,
remembering to collect ingredients such as the fern.  Go upstairs to the
vampiress.  USE stake (close your eyes first), then take the vampire's dust
and crossbow bolts.  Now enter the blue bedroom and rifle the drawers until
you find a bible.  In the bible is a prayer scroll.
        Return to the kitchen and the warm, fun loving embrace of Elvira.  MIX
as many spells as possible.  If the cook is there, then I'm afraid you'll
have to kill her.  Unfortunately she can only be killed by salt, and that is
only found in the torture chamber.  Once the cook is dead, Elvira will take
her place.  At this point, turn to face the dumb waiter.  Give Elvira a
Glowing Pride spell then wait for her to fetch the FIRST KEY for you.
        Now it's time to explore the great outdoors.  Go to the meadow and kill
the falcon which is carrying the SECOND KEY, a feather, and your crossbow
quarrel.  Now it's time to enter the maze.  Take the bird's egg.  Aim towards
the centre of the labyrinth but do not enter any hand to hand combat with any
maze creatures (see GENERAL TIPPERY on how to zap them, at the end of the
solution).   Find the lily pond in the centre of the maze and take all the
items.
NOTE: maze creatures are sneaky underhanded thieves.  They will have lifted
several objects from you as you progressed through the maze.  All the objects
they stole are hidden in the nest nearby, as well as Elvira's 'lost' ring.
Recover all the items.  Watch out though - if there are 'eyes' in the nest
when you arrive, cast a spell to exterminate the remaining nasties.
        Make your way downstairs to the Chapel and insert Elvira's ring into the
cross.  Take the prayer book with Manticore Hide inside.  Now slip under the
alter and into the underground chamber.  Put the crown on the crusader's head
and take the holy sword.  USE the holy sword.
Go up to the battlements and fight your way to the Grey Knight (he's an
archer).  Shoot him with the crossbow.  He will fall over the wall, but watch
where he falls because his dead body is needed later in the game.
        Enter the dungeons.  Pick up some magic ingredients (caterpillars,
earwigs, etc.) in the jail cells.  Enter the torture chamber and lift the
ring on the floor but don't touch anything else.  Take the bones and the
THIRD KEY.
Now enter the catacombs and search the burial chambers for a coffin
containing the iron key.  Take that key and search for an empty coffin and
place the bones inside.
NOTE: the other coffin is in this room in the entrance to the moat - but do
not open it until you are in possession of the iron key.
        Return to the torture chamber and take the tongs.  Then go to the Well
Room (but check to see that the wellrope is in the 'down' position).  Head
back to the catacombs.  You might meet a monster with a stone.  If you do,
chop it and take the stone.  Now enter the Burial Chamber where you left the
bones.  Open the moat-coffin and the room will flood.  Swim down and keep
swimming until you can swim upwards (when the up arrow is highlighted).
You'll find yourself surfacing at the bottom of the well.  Now swim down
again to the grill at the end of the tunnel.  Unlock the grill with the iron
key.  Enter the moat and you will come across the gruesome remains of the
Grey Knight.  Obtain the FOURTH KEY.  Return to the well and climb the rope,
collecting the moss en route.
        Go to the foundry; there's a crucible in the wooden box.  Take it and
place the silver cross inside the crucible and melt it down by putting the
crucible in the fire.  Dip a crossbow bolt into the silver.  Return to the
kitchen and USE the tongs to take a hot coal from the fire.  Then move it
fast to the third tower.  Light the cannon wick with the coal.  It will fire
and completely ionize the fourth tower.
        Go to the stable and kill the werewolf with the silver bolt.  Find the
FIFTH KEY concealed behind the ringed stone in the last stall.  Go to the
armoury and take some armour, then enter the captain's room and attack him
with magic.  Use any spells that increase your hit points (palmlight,
fingerlight, demon's brew).  Defeat him in a cataclysmic battle.  Once he's
dead take the bulletin off his board and take the SIXTH KEY.
        Go to the tower you destroyed earlier.  You'll find a chest.  Open it
using the keys in the correct order (examine them to find out how they're
numbered).  Inside is a dagger and a scroll.  Take them but don't use them.
Go to the catacombs and find the stone impression on the floor (located at
the Y junction in the corridor), where you can put the stone key you won off
the monster.  This will open a secret passage.  Stock up on health potions
for your confrontation with Emelda.  To kill her put the crusader's sword in
the pentangle and use the scroll you found in the chest.  Finally, stab
Emelda with the dagger.
Elvira will reward you with a show of gratitude.

GENERAL TIPS

SCRAPPING
Maze creatures are more vulnerable to Palmlight and Fire Wall while the Elite
Guards are susceptible to Sizzling Egge and Thunderflash.  Emelda's
handmaidens can be killed with Propitious Surprise.

MAGIC
Mix every possible spell and potion you can.  Save things like strength
potions for more difficult situations.  Keep a lot of spells at your
disposal.  Go and find Elvira in the kitchen, and get her to mix your spells.
And search every location for ingredients.

END
