Escorting Merchants

[Fljotsdale]

I'm a newbie to this game, but I have been reading the threads to glean advice. However, in the Escort Merchants through Darkwood quest, very early in the game, the advice doesn't seem to work. The suggestion of leaving the Merchants at the entrance to an area while you clear the way seems good - but no sooner do you leave them than bandits or some other baddies show up and start attacking them, so you have to rush back to protect them - by which time they are injured and one or more of them possibly dead. Resurrection potions only seem to work on your character, not on the merchants.
On the whole, apart from that thing that rises out of the earth, it is a piece of cake to deal with the baddies by myself, but how the dickens do I keep my merchants alive in the process?

[Fljotsdale]

Never mind; I did it, though with only one surviving merchant.

[HeroPaladine]

but how the dickens do I keep my merchants alive in the process?< funny

really the only way u can save them is if u go all out and try and kill the bandits if u come the most effective way to protect them is to have them with u at all times

[Fljotsdale]

Spoiler!!!

SPOILER ALERT

Start spoiler (highlight to read)

Spoiler

Ok. I'm on my 4th restart and I've found out how to do it. I decided that it may work if I left the 2 merchants to wait by the gate BEFORE entering a new area, BUT to take the 3rd one - the one injured by a balverine - with me. Killed everything in the next area, sort of hoping the 3rd one woulld be killed in the process, but didn't happen. Took him along to the next gate and left him there while I went back and collected the 2 merchants from the previous one - following me? Led the 2 to the exit where the 3rd was, told the 2 to wait, took 3rd through to next area, killed everything.... etc, etc, etc. At some point - I forget where - the 3rd starts saying he's about to change. Then he does. You kill him. You have to kill him several times before he's finally dead. Clear the area of anything else, go back for the 2 and carry on as before but without #3.
Doing it this way, I didn't have problems at all with enemies spawning behind me and attacking my merchants. Just didn't show up at all. I was delighted!

Of course, there's that big earth elemental at the end, and you can't tell your Merchant's to wait - even if you do they follow in a cut scene so you can't do anything about it - but they are just far enough away that the elemental can't hit 'em.
Deal with the elemental any way you can. I just rush in and whack it, and take potions and food to survive until it dies.
Exit area, walk forwards after the merchants, merchant talks to you and quest complete.

End spoiler

[HeroPaladine]

i dont meen to be rude dude but

LOOOOOK
VVVVVVV
really the only way u can save them is if u go all out and try and kill the bandits if u come the most effective way to protect them is to have them with u at all times

when u vs the earth troll the traders wait far away with out you having to tell them.. use your bow to kill it because the the earth mounds brake on the fence... u wont get hurt and u will be able to get the with out a scratch boast..

i have clocked normal fable 7 times

[Fljotsdale]

You do it your way, I'll do it mine. Your's works for you, mine works for me. No probs.
Actually, I never found arrows much good. I guess I'm just a "whack 'em" sort of person. :laugh:

However, if you were already satisfied with the way you were doing it, why did you ask:

but how the dickens do I keep my merchants alive in the process?

Seems a bit pointless, really, if you already knew.

[HeroPaladine]

you said it i was quoting you

[Fljotsdale]

Oh, I see! :laugh: It didn't look like a quote, though, so I didn't realise, sorry!