Spruced Up in the Poconos

As promised, I returned to the Poconos with Lutra to update about the renovations. Things are looking good! Read on for more info.

Photobomb!

Journey to Save the Light: Part Two

This post picks up from where we left off in Part One of our series on Journey to Save the Light, also known as ShadowQuest. If you are just beginning your adventure, check out Part One for some tips on how to begin your journey. The current post will discuss the runes, storyline, and characters of the second half of the journey, beginning after you confront Malaki for the first time in the cairn.

As with the previous post, the discussion is based on playing ShadowQuest at the realm in the Poconos. There may be minor (or possibly even major) differences if you are playing at another realm.

Needless to say, there are some spoilers for the ending, though it shouldn't ruin any major surprises.

Journey to Save the Light: Part One

For this series of posts, we have returned to the Scotrun realm to bring you a closer look at ShadowQuest, a.k.a. The Journey to Save the Light.

This two-part post will discuss the gameplay (though it will not provide a step-by-step walkthrough, because that is really beyond the scope of this blog,) story, characters, and what we learn about the lore of Vellara on the ShadowQuest journey.

There's An App for That! (A Look at the Book of Wisdom App)

Updated info as of 2019: Unfortunately this app has been discontinued. :( If you already have it on your device, it will still work. However, it can no longer be downloaded and will not receive any further updates.

Original post:

The Realms of Vellara have entered the information age with the official Book of Wisdom app, available from Creative Kingdoms/GWL for Android and iOS!

Read on for some pros and cons of the app, my take on whether it's worth downloading, and then a basic guide to how the app works.


Pros:
High convenience factor
More eco-friendly as it saves paper waste
Easy to follow
Information is available about realms you have not yet visited
Free download with no ads

Cons:
Simplified quest instructions lack the charm of the original
Presentation of information can become repetitive
Not all realms represented
Some users have raised accuracy concerns

My Overall Take: Worth downloading! It's free, so you have nothing to lose, and there's some great information that will help you with your questing. The app is still getting updates, so content gaps will likely be addressed in the future. It's not a perfect app, but it's a great idea and a really good start.

How It Works:

First of all, download the app. You can select it wherever you normally get your apps - for most users this will be either Google Play or the Apple App Store/iTunes. You can find links here. It's not a very large download and doesn't take long to install.

All images are taken directly from the Book of Wisdom App as screenshots on my Galaxy S6.

When you open the app, you'll see a screen that looks like this:

Your first step is to select the realm you want information about. As you can see, not all the realms are represented yet. The New England Realm has been added since I took this screenshot, so currently this is available for four locations. For demo purposes, I selected Colorado Springs.

Once you have made your selection, the app will show you which chronicles are available for that realm. Runes of the Quest Master (Legacy MagiQuest) is not available at any of the realms currently in the app. The options are Guardians of the Realm Portals, Journey to Save the Light (ShadowQuest,) and Rise of the Totem Masters. Not all locations will have all of these, and some are listed as "coming soon."

You have the option of selecting general information if you need a basic overview of how the game works. At this point from any menu choice you can also find a guide to the realm's important locations.

Once you have selected a chronicle, you will be able to see what quests, adventures, runes, relics, etc. make up that journey. 

By clicking on Runes, you get list of those available and can select which quest you want to go on.

For demonstration purposes, I selected Enchant Creature.

Magi who are used to the traditional Ancient Books of Wisdom will immediately notice a major difference here. There are no clues hidden in riddles, and an utter lack of cheesy poetry. It's all very straightforward: what you are looking for, and where to find it. Your mileage may vary on whether this is a positive or negative change. Personally, I prefer the quaint quirkiness of the original style.

The app provides similar information about the adventures you will experience on your journey.

You also have the option of selecting information about toppers and their powers. Below is the Red Dragon topper as an example.

The information for Rise of the Totem Masters has the same basic layout. The first screen also presents the scenario and explains the purpose of what you are doing.

In case you're totally lost or unsure when you can progress, there's a list of character/combat encounters that occur and the level at which you can engage in them.

The app will also tell you some basic information about the different totems. In this screenshot I am sliding the page from Lickety Spit to Beraxus.

Additionally you can find information about the relics you are questing for, and how to retrieve each one. There are a lot of them!

This is by no means an exhaustive rundown of what's in the app. It's packed with information, and your best bet is to download it and explore it yourself. Consider this a preview, and a recommendation to give it a try!

~Annacat

MagiQuest at Great Wolf Lodge Pocono Mountains (Scotrun, PA)

Location: Great Wolf Lodge Pocono Mountains (Scotrun, Pennsylvania)

https://www.greatwolf.com/poconos

Physical Address: 1 Great Wolf Drive, Scotrun, PA 18355

Realm Type: Forest Realm

Chronicles: Runes of the Quest Master, CompassQuest, and ShadowQuest

Primary Landmarks: Enchanted Woods, Whispering Woods, Piney Path, Tangled Woods, Dragon's Lair, Pixie's Perch, Forgotten Hallway, ShadowQuest Portal

Magi Runes Available: Dazzle, Enchant Creature, Healing, Portal, Freezing, Ice Arrow, Protection, Celestial, Wolf, Master Magi

MagiQuest Adventures Available: Red Dragon, Pixie, Ursa Major, Silver Dragon

ShadowQuest Runes Available: Detect Magic, Track Magic, Lock Portal, Banish Creature, Sky Light, Stone, Agon, Snowman, Avalanche, Snow

Adventures on Your ShadowQuest Journey: Investigate the Vanishing Light, The Final Battle

At this location, MagiQuest is played primarily on the upper two floors of the hotel, though a few quests will send you to the Forgotten Hallway on the floor below. The MagiQuest store (where you will purchase your magi equipment and set up your game time) is on the lowest level. Quests are given at the Quest Trees, located one floor above the hotel check-in area and slightly to the left.

It is not necessary to be an overnight guest at Great Wolf Lodge to play.  You can find a variety of hotels and motels, as well as a wide assortment of dining options in many different price ranges within a short driving distance of the Lodge.

If you need any additional information about this location, please leave us a comment and we'll do our best to answer! :)

~Annacat