| “ | Once inside I'll need to move quickly to find the Talisman. I wouldn't last long in a fight against the mages. | ” |
| — Garrett | ||
The Mage Towers is the ninth mission in Thief Gold and the second mission exclusive to the Gold version of the game. Garrett must infiltrate the compound of the Hand Brotherhood and steal the Talisman of Earth.
This is the first mission, and one of only two in the entire series, to feature the Hand Brotherhood.
Mission Background[]
After learning that in order to enter The Haunted Cathedral and take The Eye for Constantine he will need to collect four Talismans to open the Elemental Wards sealing the cathedral's doors, Garrett first sets out to acquire the Talisman of Earth, which is guarded by a sect of foreign mages known as the Hand Brotherhood. They reside in a castle-like compound, practicing their carefully guarded arts.
The mission takes place in the compound itself, which consists of a large outer wall with four huge towers (one for each of the elements) and a central keep of three floors and a dungeon. The mages employ civilian guards to patrol the hedged inner grounds and the keep but defend the towers themselves. Each tower is home to one of the elemental arts and a corresponding group of the mages. Players must find out how to get into the towers and then deal with the bizarre confines in which the mages practice their magic.
Objectives[]
- Find where the mages of the Hand Brotherhood have hidden the Earth Talisman.
- Steal the Earth Talisman from the Hand Brotherhood.
- Underneath the Mage Towers there is a hidden entrance to the sewers. Find it and escape alive.
- Seek out the MageKeep Library for clues to the location of the Earth Talisman. (Normal)
- While you're hunting through MageKeep you may as well enrich yourself. Pick up 400 loot along the way. (Normal)
- The mages are a wealthy bunch and there's plenty of gold to be had. Practice your skills as you wander through MageKeep. Steal 800 loot. (Hard)
- Don't kill any of the servants; they're harmless. (Hard)
- The Central Library of the High Council contains a pair of Jeweled Reading Glasses that belonged to some esteemed member of their order. You'll need to discover where the mages have tucked it away and snag it. (Hard/Expert)
- The mages wealth is well rumored. Caravans from their homelands to the east bring treasure. Steal 1800 loot. (Expert)
- Regalio, the Captain of the Guard, has been leading a crusade to retrieve the Talismans. One of your contacts says that he's returned with a valuable amulet. Steal the Medallion of St. Burringden from the Captain. (Expert)
- A master thief should be proficient enough to avoid murder. Slaughtering guards and mages will soon alert The Inner Circle to your presence. Be discreet, avoid contact where possible, and don't kill anyone. (Expert)
Gear[]
Starting Gear[]
Shop[]
- 40 Broadhead Arrows
- 25 Water Arrows
- 15 Moss Arrows
- 4 Fire Arrows
- 5 Rope Arrows
- 1 Noisemaker Arrow
- 4 Mines
- 2 Flash Bombs
- 2 Healing Potions
- 3 Breath Potions
Characters present in the Mission[]
| Type | Count | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Air Mage | 8 | |
| Earth Mage | 14 | |
| Fire Mage | 10 | |
| Water Mage | 3 | |
| Mage Sword Guard | 17 | |
| Mage Bow Guard | 14 | |
| Servant | 4 |
Difficulty Alterations[]
The only change between difficulty settings is an extra Gas Arrow in the Air Tower on Normal.
Walkthrough[]
Loot List[]
There is a total of 2812 loot in this mission where 1782 are in gold, 300 in gems and 730 in goods.
Map[]
Tips[]
- The courtyards between the towers and the keep are quite dark and easy to sneak around. In addition it is possible to climb on the shrubs via a Rope Arrow or jumping on them from the stairs on the east and west side of the gardens. This makes the courtyards even easier to navigate. There would be no trouble in sneaking from tower to tower through this way.
- Make sure to gather a white and a yellow key early on so that there will be no trouble in walking around. Most of the guards and mages around the courtyards have both of these.
- Mages are strong when there are two or more of them in the same place. They usually reside in one of their Towers or in the central keep, except for the Water Tower however which is temporary abandoned because of a recent disaster.[1]
Easter Eggs[]
- Two guards in the foyer have a conversation about Bradwort, who was caught stealing lupins from the Mages' meeting hall. This is a reference to the Monty Python skit "Dennis Moore".[2]
Trivia[]
- The burners in the basement lab turn into pieces of cheese when extinguished.
- The lava pool on the upper floor of the fire tower floats nearly two inches above the floor.
- Next to the Library, there is an alcove which has four statues. When interactive which, each has something to say to Garrett which can be seen as foreshadowing in the story:
- "Greed shall be your undoing, poor Garrett" - refences his motive for getting The Eye, purely for the money, which leads to him losing his eye and almost his life;
- "Betrayal will force you to see, Garrett" - refences being betrayed which costs him his right eye;
- "Deception is your power, Garrett" - He defeats the Trickster by tricking him and replacing the Eye with a fake;
- "Do not let fear control your path, Garrett" - appears to be more generic line but might be do with not being too afraid to go after the Trickster.