Gauntlet Dark Legacy, although an expansion to Gauntlet Legends, is played much differently. The wizard Sumner is also available to be played after being unlocked in one of the final levels of the game. Walls hiding secret areas are revealed at level 25 or destroyed at level 50 when they use magic potions. Archer/Tigress and Jester/Hyena have superior abilities in speed and reflexes.When they use magic potions nearby piles of junk transform into piles of silver at level 25 and gold at level 50. Warrior/Minotaur and Dwarf/Ogre have superior abilities in strength.Traps become disabled at level 25 or destroyed after level 50 when they use magic potions. Valkyrie/Falconess and Knight/Unicorn have superior abilities in armor and protection.Their magic potions cleanse poisoned fruit after level 25 and meat after level 50. Wizard/Jackal and Sorceress/Medusa have superior abilities in magic and with magic potions.In addition, each set of characters has a special power they can use when they use magic potions at a certain level of experience. Playable charactersĮach character has unmatched abilities in certain areas:
This portal takes the player to Garm's Citadel, where the final battle of the game takes place. After beating the third level of this world and collecting the 13th Runestone that is hidden within it, the fourth and final special portal is revealed in the tower. The player's final goal is to beat the 11th and final world, the Battlegrounds. He forms an army and unleashes an assault upon Sumner's tower. Garm absorbs the fading remnants of Skorne's power, becoming a huge, immensely powerful statue of Skorne. The player defeats True Skorne, banishing him from the eight realms forever. There, after beating a single level, the player is automatically transported to the battle with True Skorne. Once that is accomplished, their power reveals another special portal in the tower, leading the player into the 10th world, the Underworld. The player must then collect 12 Runestones from the previous 8 worlds. After defeating him, he retreats into the Underworld. Here the player has to defeat the demon Skorne. Upon exiting the player is automatically transported to Skorne's chamber. The player must fight his or her way through a single level packed with enemies. This portal takes the player to the 9th world, the Desecrated Temple. Upon defeating the bosses, the stained-glass window is slowly restored, and the light pouring from it reveals a special portal in the tower. The player must collect crystals scattered about the levels to deactivate Sumner's protective shielding and gain access to new worlds and more levels. The player's first objective is to beat all the levels, vanquishing the bosses of the 8 originally available worlds. The game is divided up into worlds, each containing a number of levels, all accessible from Sumner's tower. The temple from that point on is referred to as the Desecrated Temple. He also scattered the 12 assembled Runestones across the various worlds. Skorne shattered the enchanted stained glass window that was the only gateway to the temple, and gave one shard to each of his most powerful minions (the bosses of the game). Skorne was "no match" for Sumner's power, according to the manual, and he retreated into a deserted temple through Sumner's tower. This infuriated Sumner, and he angrily engaged in battle with Skorne after sealing all the portals. Sumner, who was away at the time, returned to the tower, only to see the demon Skorne using it for his own evil gain. Skorne summoned his minions and sent them through the portals in the tower to conquer the realms.
Unfortunately, he was not able to control the demon without the 13th Runestone. Upon finding 12 after much toil of searching, he became impatient, and released Skorne then and there.
It also stated that Garm, his younger brother, jealous of his power and status, searched for years for the 13 Runestones. The tower contained portals to all the realms for his easy access to them.
The manual included with the game elaborates on the story further, stating that Sumner is the good king of the 8 realms and presides over them from his tower. Skorne then released his minions upon the land, and scattered the Runestones across the Eight Realms, so that they might never again be assembled and used against him.
This demon, Skorne, broke free of Garm's control, crushing him and imprisoning his soul in the underworld. In an ancient time, the evil mage Garm, using the power of the Runestones, released a great evil upon the land.