There are two main branches at the start of The Dungeons of Torgar to meeting Roark and Tagazin. The first branch offers many opportunities for meeting them, the second branch offers only one opportunity.
I. Failing to Recruit Sebb Jarel[]
Start at the beginning with Section 1. There you meet Prince Graygor who is the only person who knows of your disguise as an Eruan pathfinder. He offers you two ways to reach Torgar: either accompany him with his army and the army led by King Sarnac to Cetza to fight a battle with the Hammerland army, and after the battle cross the river Brol and make your way through the Moggador Forrest; or go to Pirsi to recruit Sebb Jarel, the leader of a band of partisans to guide a way for you through the Hellswamp. You'll asks Graygor why you can't take the shortest route of simply crossing the Isle of Ghosts. He'll tell you the Isle is cursed, and that Sebb Jarel is the only person who's set foot on the island and retained their sanity.
Well, guess what? The Isle of Ghosts is where Roark and Tagazin are (and it is the hardest path to get through in the book), but you don't get the option to make your way there. Instead, you'll have to find a way to get there through one of the two options provided for you. The easiest way is:
- go to Pirsi (176)
The next step is to fail completely in your short-term quest of recruiting Sebb Jarel. "Fortunately", you'll have several opportunities to fail at getting Jarel which will help you to succeed at getting Roark and Tagazin.
A. The Fastest Way to Failure[]
If you do not have:
- the Magnakai Discipline of Invisibility
but you do have either:
- the Magnakai Discipline of Nexus with the rank of Primate or higher
or
- the Magnakai Discipline of Curing
then congratulations, you have the perfect combination of Magnakai Disciplines and lack thereof to fail quickly and live to meet Roark and Tagazin.
As you head towards Pirsi, you'll come across a watchtower.
- Stop and investigate the watchtower (232)
Inside you'll find a friendly stranger who offers to share a meal with you. This is Halgar, and he's Sebb Jarel's brother.
- Accept the stranger’s offer (129)
You'll tell him your cover story that you're an Eruan pathfinder with orders to find Sebb Jarel.
- Since you do not possess the Magnakai Discipline of Invisibility (267)
he won't believe you and you'll be forced to fight him to the death. After you've murdered Sebb Jarel's brother, take his Bullwhip and mark it on your Action Chart as a Special Item and be on your merry way.
After you leave the watchtower with Halgar's corpse inside, you'll come into a valley with a stream in it. You'll find two tracks, one that climbs out of the valley and another that follows the stream. If you have the Magnakai Discipline of Pathsmanship, it'll tell you a little more about the 2 tracks, but won't decide for you which one to take.
- Ride along the track beside the stream (follow the track upstream towards the west) (18)
As you ride along this track, you'll come across some wild flowers that'll make you feel drowsy, but what do you care? Since you have either:
- the Magnakai Discipline of Nexus and have reached the rank of Primate or higher (83)
or
- the Magnakai Discipline of Curing (255)
you'll be able to shake off the effects of the wild flowers and continue. Soon you'll hear a voice calling out to you.
- Answer the voice (223)
Several partisans will come out of hiding and approach you. Since:
- you possess a Bullwhip (185)
The partisans will see it, know whose Bullwhip that is and what you must have done to get it, and you'll be forced to fight and flee for your life, and you'll wind up on the Isle of Ghosts where your reunion with Roark and your first encounter with Tagazin are assured.
B. The Two Tracks[]
If you lack all three Disciplines (Invisibility, Nexus with the rank of Primate or higher, and Curing) don't take this route. The scent of the wild flowers will overcome you, and you'll fall asleep. The partisans will see your Bullwhip and kill you instantly. And if you have Invisibility, this won't be an option for you anyway.
Instead, this is what will happen if you don't have the Bullwhip. After you leave the watchtower you'll come across the two tracks.
1. The Track Upstream[]
If you:
- ride along the track beside the stream (follow the track upstream towards the west) (18)
and you don't have the Bullwhip, it won't matter what you do. Inevitably you'll meet the partisans and they'll take you to meet "Sebb Jarel" where you'll have your last chances at succeeding to fail to recruit him (see Section C. below).
2. The Track Out of the Valley[]
If you:
- take the trail that climbs out of the valley (take this trail and head north to Pirsi) (313)
you'll reach the village Pirsi and run into a patrol of Pathfinders. Their leader will demand you salute. You can either:
- salute by touching your forehead (193)
or
- salute by raising your hand, palm outwards (60)
because these are both wrong salutes. The Pathfinders will believe you're an enemy, and you'll be forced to fight and flee for your life, and you'll wind up on the Isle of Ghosts where your reunion with Roark and your first encounter with Tagazin are assured.
If that's just too stupid for you, since Prince Graygor demonstrated the correct salute at the start of the book, you can:
- salute by placing your hand across your chest (7)
The captain will become friendlier, than quiz you about where you were trained as a Pathfinder, Humbold, Sharwhan, or Testla. If you don't have the Lore-Circle of the Spirit (Psi-Surge, Psi-Screen, Nexus, and Divination) you can either:
- answer, ‘Humbold’ (111)
or
- answer, ‘Testla’ (152)
because these are both wrong answers. The Pathfinders will believe you're an enemy, and you'll be forced to fight and flee for your life, and you'll wind up on the Isle of Ghosts, etc.
But if:
- you have completed the Lore-circle of the Spirit (46)
or, due to sheer cussedness, you:
- answer, ‘Sharwhan’ (287)
you will give the correct answer and the Pathfinders will take you to meet "Sebb Jarel" where you'll have your last chances to succeed at failing (see Section C below).
C. Meeting "Sebb Jarel"[]
If you've made it this far, you'll be led to a cave where you'll meet five men, including a mouse-like man who'll claim to be Sebb Jarel.
1. With Divination[]
- If you have the Magnakai Discipline of Divination (157)
you'll know this man is lying. He's not Jarel nor is anyone with him. You can either:
- draw a weapon and challenge him to prove his identity (132)
or
- leave the cave (23)
Either one of these actions will convince the men there (who are all Jarel's friends, even the imposter, who's trying to protect Jarel) that you're an enemy and you'll be forced to fight and flee for your life, etc.
2. Without Divination[]
- If you do not possess Divination (275)
the conversation will continue a little longer. You'll tell the imposter your mission is secret and you must speak with him alone. He'll insist that anything you have to say you can say in front of his friends. Honesty is the best policy.
- Tell these men about your quest (216)
They won't believe you and you'll be forced to fight, etc.
II. Being a Lousy Jumper[]
The bad part about the above is that you'll probably feel a bit like a chump, having to kill people who are on the same side as you. Worse still, if you choose any of these routes to meet Roark and Tagazin, you won't get to meet the other Recurring Characters King Sarnac and Captain Prarg. But there is another way to meet all four of these characters, Sarnac and Prarg as well as Roark and Tagazin. You just have to make a lousy jump. But you need to have either the Magnakai Discipline of Huntmastery and have reached the Kai rank of Principalin or higher, or the Magnakai Discipline of Pathsmanship and have reached the Kai rank of Tutelary or higher.
Start at the beginning with Section 1. When Prince Graygor offers you these two routes to Torgar,
- accompany Prince Graygor to battle at Cetza (308)
Then, do what you have to do to meet King Sarnac and Captain Prarg. Inevitably, after the battle, you'll find yourself on Section 4. You're about to cross the River Brol at the ford, when either because:
- you have the Magnakai Discipline of Huntmastery and have reached the Kai rank of Principalin or higher (324)
or
- you have the Magnakai Discipline of Pathsmanship and have reached the Kai rank of Tutelary or higher (241)
you'll be able to tell there's a small enemy patrol lying in ambush at the ford.
- Avoid the ford and try to cross the river further downstream (224)
You will find some stones to leap across the river. As you jump, you'll pick a number from the Random Number Table.
- If your total is now 6 or less (265) (Primate-level Huntmastery gives you a bonus, which is detrimental in this case)
you will make a hard landing on a stone, and slip and fall into the river, where you'll be washed ashore on the Isle of Ghosts where your reunion with Roark and first encounter with Tagazin are assured.
But even if you take that last route and get to meet King Sarnac and Captain Prarg, as well as Roark and Tagazin, you still won't be able to meet Sebb Jarel.