Third in the 'gold box' series after
Pool of Radiance and
Curse of the Azure Bonds, yet the only one of the four not to be tied to a corresponding
SSI book. Indeed, unlike the others, the plot of this game revolved only around one small mining village, not the whole
Moonsea region.
This tighter storyline made the game (IMHO) slightly more enjoyable than the previous two games. Also, the step-up in graphics was considerable. Admittedly, playing Curse in CGA would make anything look good - but the fire knives did look more sinister in purple and black!
The story has the party arriving naked at a wishing well just as it's taken over by red dragons and clerics of Bane, god of strife. Technically, more of a game module than a whole campaign; rescuing the village from the evil in the castle on the mountain. However, good scenery, especially in the ice crevices, made the plot flow nicely - and without falling into the trap of having 'end of level baddies' like the other games.
Nodeshell Rescue