Tibicenas and the Sandsea

Zahart and the Cave of Wanders

An unnatural sandstorm exposes an ancient city around the Sandsea's oasis and buries the port's river, sending you and Zhoom in search of the mage Zahart. He admits that a Djinn caused the storm and summons Tibicenas through his ring to kill you, but Zhoom's warning shot makes Zahart's own life the price of that command. The mage retreats with Tibicenas, leaving you convinced that he exposed the ancient city to find something within it.

With Tibicenas bound to Zahart's ring, Zhoom turns to the immortal Sek-Duat for knowledge of a power you cannot yet oppose. You clear a route through the pyramids, only to find that the former ruler will offer neither remorse nor help when Zhoom accuses him of pretending to be his own descendants for centuries and hunting the sand-elves to extinction.

Sek-Duat escapes on a flying carpet, but you pursue while Zhoom moves to intercept him. Even when captured, he expects to outlive you until your threat to hand him to Zahart persuades him to reveal another Djinn's lamp, on condition that he comes along.

Sek-Duat leads you through the Cave of Wanders, where reaching the treasure chamber requires overcoming its corrupted inhabitants and the Lotus Spiders' webs. At Zhoom's request, you also collect their Dreamdust, which turns Sek-Duat's eventual betrayal against him: his apparent victory over you and Zhoom is only a hallucination. You leave with the real lamp while he remains in the cave clutching a rock.

Tibicenas and the Chaos Sphinx

Saahir, the Marid summoned from the lamp, explains that Djinn can be defeated or bound but not destroyed, and tells you how Tibicenas was exiled after experimenting with Chaos to rival King Efreet. He believes only powerful Chaos magic could have bound the Ghul to Zahart's ring, pointing your search back toward Drakath.

Zahart obtains the Heart of the Sphinx and uses it to awaken the Chaos Beast, believing this will discharge his debt to Drakath and leave him free to rule the Sandsea with Tibicenas. You work through the Sand Castle's defenses, losing time to an empty menagerie before confronting the Sphinx itself. Defeating it deprives Zahart of the Beast he expected to secure his rule.

When Zahart calls Tibicenas to help him escape again, Zhoom shoots and breaks the controlling ring, freeing the Djinn from his commands. Tibicenas immediately makes Zahart his slave, seizing the opportunity Drakath promised him before leaving to challenge Efreet and then conquer Lore. You ask Saahir to follow him.

Saahir takes you into the Djinn World to seek Efreet's help, which you must earn by aiding his people and securing their threatened portals. Before you can use the request he grants, Tibicenas challenges the king and defeats Saahir. When you fear the Marid is dead, Tibicenas reminds you that he will return, although his recovery may take thousands of years.

Before the fight can continue, you claim your request and ask Efreet to remove Tibicenas's power. Although he can strip away the Djinn's abilities rather than the Chaos within him, you accept the limit and defeat the weakened Chaos Lord yourself.

Efreet counts the victory as another service and grants you a further request, which you spend on a ride home. With Zahart powerless and Sek-Duat still lost, the Sandsea offers you its crown, but you cannot stay and pass it to Zhoom instead. He promises to rebuild with his people, though he still wants to know why you used a wish on the journey back.