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Overview

To enter the Planar Sphere, you'll need Valygar (or his body) to be with you. You'll meet Valygar while hunting for him for Tolgerias in the Government District. Tolgerias will want you to bring Valygar (or his body) to him so he can enter the sphere, so for you to do this instead, you'll have to betray Tolgerias and break his quest. This will result in Tolgerias seeking his revenge against you later (#15).

Inside the sphere, you'll almost immediately come to a sealed door (#1). To open it, you'll need the Planar Key from the storage room to the west (#2). However, when you use the key, you won't just open the door -- you'll also activate the sphere. This will send it to the Abyss and also lock you inside. But you'll earn 17,500 xp.

To escape from the sphere, the first thing you'll need to do is build a guardian golem (#7). Once complete, the golem will detect an intruder (#11) and clear a path to it, which will also clear the way to the Navigator's Room (Exit B). Inside that room, you'll meet Lavok, the owner / pilot of the sphere -- and also Valygar's long-distant ancestor (#12). Lavok will berate you for foiling his plans, and then he'll attack you. Lavok is a tough necromancer, but he's no lich, so if you gang up on him and breach his defenses, then you shouldn't have too much trouble defeating him.

At the end of the battle, Lavok will reveal that a "strange force" had been controlling his actions and trying to take over the sphere, and that he had been guarding against it. He'll also be pleased that you've dealt him a mortal blow, ending the domination of the force and also ending his "overlong" life, and he'll make you a deal: if you allow him to take his final breaths in Athkatla, then he'll tell you how to return there. If Valygar is with you, then he'll automatically accept this deal. Otherwise, you'll basically accept the deal whether you want to or not. This encounter will earn you 28,750 xp.

To return the sphere to Athkatla, you'll need to pick up a Demon Heart from one of the major demons in the Abyss (now reachable via Exit A). As you explore the Abyss, you'll encounter an assortment of imps (worth 1400 xp), quasits (worth 2000 xp), and salamanders (also worth 2000 xp), but the major demons will wait for you in three places (#14). These demons can be tough, as they'll cast spells like Paralyze and Death Gaze, plus have help, so be sure to buff up before facing them.

With a Demon Heart in hand, you'll need to descend to Level 3 of the sphere, solving a puzzle (#10), battling Tolgerias (#15), and fighting other powerful creatures (#16, #17) along the way. On Level 3, you'll almost immediately run into the power core (#18). Charging it up with a Demon Heart will earn you 45,500 xp and send the sphere back to Athkatla.

When you return to Lavok (#12), he'll ask you to keep your end of the bargain (even if you didn't actually agree to it earlier). If you comply, then you'll automatically carry Lavok outside the sphere, where he'll die. This will earn each character in your party 45,500 xp. If you renege on the deal, then Lavok will still die, just inside the sphere, and you won't earn any xp. Either way, you'll find a Ring of Acuity on Lavok's corpse, and Valygar (if he's in your party) will offer to continue traveling with you.

Finally, if you're playing a mage, then just before dying, Lavok will bequeath the sphere to you (even if you didn't uphold the deal). See the Mage Stronghold page for what you can do with the sphere.


1 - Sealed Door

You'll need the Planar Key (#2) to open this door.


2 - Storage Room

Inside this room, you'll encounter a clay golem, which will resist just about everything except for crushing damage. You'll earn 8000 xp for defeating it, and when you loot the containers in the room, you'll find a variety of spell scrolls and ammunition, plus Coal, a Golem Arm, and a Planar Key. You might need the Coal to start the sphere's furnaces (#8). You'll need the arm to create a golem (#7). The key will unlock a nearby door (#1).


3 - Observation Room

This room will start out locked. You'll need to pick the lock to get inside. In the center of the room, you'll see a viewing window. It'll show you where the Planar Sphere currently is (either the Slums District or the Abyss).


4 - Knights

Inside this room, you'll meet the Solamnic Knights Ancan, Onvo and Reyna. They'll warn you about the "cannibalistic children" (halfling warriors) to the west and "an oceanic nightmare" (sahuagin) to the north.


5 - Sahuagin Room

This room will start out locked. You'll need to pick the lock to get inside. When you enter the room, you'll encounter a sahuagin war party led by a baron. Defeating the sahuagin will earn you over 3000 xp, and you'll find a Cloak of Protection +1 on the baron's corpse.


6 - Halfling Cavern

In the front part of this cavern, you'll encounter Togan plus seven halfling warriors. Togan will retreat, and you'll probably defeat the warriors pretty easily. However, you shouldn't go chasing after Togan. That's because in the back part of the cavern, Togan (fighter) will join up with Entu (fighter), Kayardi (conjurer), Mogadish (cleric), and two more halfling warriors, and this fight is much tougher. So rest up first, cast some buffs, and then advance.

To make the main halfling battle easier, have your casters try to remove Kayardi's buffs while everyone else targets Mogadish. Then when Kayardi is vulnerable, target him as well. If you can take the two halfling casters out of play, then the rest of the battle should be straightforward. You'll earn 39,000 xp for defeating all of the halflings (in both parts of the cavern), and you'll find Coal, Gauntlets of Ogre Power: Hands of Takkok, and Ripper +2 on the corpses. You might need the Coal to start the sphere's furnaces (#8). You'll need the gauntlets if you want to craft Crom Faeyr +5 (see Cromwell's page for details).


7 - Golem Forge

Inside this room, you'll encounter two ettercaps and two sword spiders. You'll earn over 5000 xp for defeating them.

Also in the room, you'll find a golem forge. You'll have to do four things to make it work: start the furnaces in the room to the north (#8), grab the Golem Arm and the Golem Head from nearby rooms (#2 and #9, respectively), and interact with the forge. This will produce a guardian golem and earn you 23,500 xp. The golem will then detect an intruder -- the elder orb to the east (#11) -- and it'll charge off in that direction, opening the door to the rune puzzle room (#10) in the process.

Finally, on the table in the room, you'll find Coal and a Golem-Building Book. You might need the Coal in the Furnace Room (#8). The book will tell you a bit about guardian golems.


8 - Furnace Room

Inside this room, you'll encounter a halfling war party comprised of two halfling warriors plus Necre (necromancer) and Tailbela (mage). You'll earn 21,000 xp for defeating them, and you'll find a Stiletto of Demarchess +2 on Necre's corpse.

Also in the room, you'll find three furnaces. To start them, you'll need to interact with them while holding Coal (#2, #6, #7, #9). However, each time you start a furnace, a fire elemental will appear and attack you. Defeating the elementals will earn you 18,000 xp total. You'll need to start the furnaces in order to create a golem (#7).


9 - Golem Room

Inside this room, you'll encounter a group of golems, headed by an iron golem or an adamantite golem, depending on your level. This can be a tough fight, but note that iron golems and adamantite golems are too big to fit through the doorway to the furnace room (#8), and so you can split up the fight into at least two parts by retreating and drawing the golems to you, and then fighting the lesser golems before the main event.

Note: You'll need at least +3 weapons to damage iron and adamantite golems.

You'll earn over 35,000 xp for defeating the golems, and you'll find Coal, a Golem Head, and 30 Arrows of Piercing in the lone container in the room. You might need the Coal to start the sphere's furnaces (#8). You'll need the head to create a golem (#7).


10 - Rune Puzzle Room

On the floor of this room, you'll see four runes. In the center of the room, an obsidian sphere will give you the instructions for the puzzle -- basically, to interact with the runes in the right order, or suffer the consequences. If you interact with the correct rune, then it will light up, and you'll receive a success message. If you interact with the wrong rune, then you'll get hit by a fireball-type spell, and you'll have to start over. There aren't any clues for the puzzle; it just requires trial-and-error -- or a walkthrough for the proper order: northern rune (aka "T"), southern rune, eastern rune, and then western rune.

When you solve the puzzle correctly, you'll earn 24,500 xp, and the door to the south will open, giving you access to Level 2 (Exit C).


11 - Elder Orb Room

When you create the guardian golem (#7), it'll open the way to this room, and it'll begin attacking an elder orb. The golem will kill the orb if you ignore the fight, but if you help out, and if you manage to land the killing blow, then you'll earn 14,000 xp.

Also in the room you'll discover a corpse holding some spell scrolls and jewels, including two Diamonds.


12 - Lavok

This is where you'll meet Lavok, the owner / pilot of the sphere. In a container attached to his platform, you'll find spells and gems, including two more Diamonds, plus 40 Bolts of Biting and 3000 gp.


13 - Side Rooms

Inside these two side rooms, you'll encounter two spore colonies (in one) and four lizard men (in the other). You'll earn about 3500 xp for winning the battles, and when you loot the containers in the rooms, you'll find a Battle Axe of Mauletar +2, Protector of the Second +2, a Sling +2, and more.


14 - Major Demons

You'll encounter major demons in each of these three spots -- a tanrar'ri (worth 10,000 xp) in two of them, and a lea'liyl (worth 16,000 xp) in the third. These demons will cast nasty spells like Paralyze and Death Gaze, and they'll have help from other demons, so be sure to rest up and buff up before facing them.

Each of the major demons will drop a Demon Heart when they die. You'll need one of these hearts to move the sphere away from the Abyss and back to Athkatla, so if the demons are too tough for you, then you can skip two of the battles.


15 - Tolgerias

When you enter this room, you'll run into Tolgerias and another mage. They'll taunt you for a bit, and then they'll attack. The easiest way to deal with the two mages is to cast spells like Breach and Pierce Magic to remove their buffs, and then whack them so often that they can't cast any spells. If you don't have any buff-removing spells, then you can also just run away, wait for their buffs to wear off, and then return. You'll earn 26,000 xp for defeating the two mages, and you'll find a Ring of the Ram on Tolgerias' corpse.

Note: If you're playing the EE, then you'll only find one Ring of the Ram total from Tolgerias, so if you pickpocketed it from him earlier, then you won't find it here. If you're playing the original version of the game, then you can find multiple copies of the ring.

Another Note: The locked door on the western side of this room can't be opened.


16 - Ice Room

Inside this room, you'll encounter a collection of ice creatures -- ice mephits, ice salamanders, and a snow troll -- plus a few traps. You'll earn about 12,000 xp for defeating the creatures, and when you loot the container in the center of the room, you'll find 80 Arrows of Ice, a Helm of Defense: Gift of Peace, and a scroll of Otiluke's Resilient Sphere.


17 - Fire Room

Inside this room, you'll encounter a collection of fire creatures -- a greater fire elemental, fire, magma and smoke mephits, a noble efreeti, and salamanders -- plus some traps. You'll earn over 26,000 xp for defeating the creatures, and when you loot the container in the center of the room, you'll find 80 Arrows of Fire, a Shield of the Falling Stars +1, a Staff of Fire +2, and scrolls of Spirit Armor and Globe of Invulnerability.


18 - Power Core

You'll need a Demon Heart (#14) to charge up the power core here.


19 - Golem Battles

You'll encounter groups of golems in these two spots. Like before (#9), the groups will include either an iron golem or an adamantite golem, depending on your level, and you'll be able to deal with them in the same way, since the golems will be too big to move onto the narrow catwalks. These battles are optional -- you can just run to the power core (#18) and then exit the level if you want -- but if you can defeat the golems, then you'll earn over 60,000 xp.


20 - Container

Inside the (trapped) container here, you'll find Bala's Axe, Wizard Slayer (EE only, and only if you didn't import it), a Ring of Danger Sense, several gems (including King's Tears) and 6666 gp.


Exits

1. Exit to the Slums District or the Abyss.
2. Entrance to the Navigator's Room.
3. Stairs between Levels 1 and 2.
4. Passages between Levels 2 and 3.