Obelisk

Obelisk

Shadow of Death	Dirt	Sand	Grass	Snow	Swamp	Rough	Subterr.	Lava
Horn of the Abyss	Dirt	Sand	Grass	Snow	Swamp	Rough	Subterr.	Lava	Highlands

Obelisk is an Adventure Map location, that can be visited by a hero to reveal a piece of the Puzzle Map. The Puzzle Map reveals the location of the Grail piece by piece. There are eight different colors of Obelisks: red, green, light blue, dark blue, brown, purple, white and black (orange was added in Horn of the Abyss). On randomly generated maps the colors are tied to terrains.

If the creator of the map has placed obelisks in the map, but no Grail, a Grail location will be set randomly.

Puzzle map

Grail marker

Grail marker (Horn of the Abyss)

There are 9 different puzzles (10 in HotA). The puzzle type depends on a starting town.

Fully opened puzzle map contains a colorless 19x17 piece of Adventure map without any objects on it (roads, magical terrains and some decorative objects either). (If you are using a Dimension Door preview square to figure out the Grail location, note that its size is 19x18 tiles). The Grail marker can appear in any of 25 tiles of the central 5x5 square. If a puzzle map shows that the Grail was generated close to the border note that it must be placed at least 9 tiles from the edge so some rows or columns of the central square can be excluded from the search.

In the schemes below this enumeration was used for the central 5x5 square:

Horn of the Abyss

In Horn of the Abyss the puzzle map shows magical terrains, the grail marker changed its appearance and was shifted one pixel left which changes pixel hunting conditions for some towns.

Castle

Puzzle tile	Grail markers (№)	Horn of the Abyss probable grail locations		Shadow of Death probable grail locations
16	4
21	11, 16
28	15 (one white pixel, not in HotA)
30	1
35	2, 3
43	6, 12, 17, 18, 19, 21, 22, 23, 24
45	20, 25
46	5, 9, 10, 14, (15)
48	7, 8, 13

:

Rampart

Puzzle tile	Grail markers (№)	Horn of the Abyss probable grail locations		Shadow of Death probable grail locations
25	1, 2
29	5
31	15 (not in HotA), 25 (two black pixels, not in HotA)
39	31
40	23
41	11, 12, 16, 17
43	4, 8, 9, 10, 13, 14, (15)
45	18, 22
46	3, 6, 7
48	19, 20, 24, (25)

:

Tower

Puzzle tile	Grail markers (№)			Shadow of Death probable grail locations
21	11, 16, 21
35	4
36	1, 6
41	5, 10
43	3, 8, 9, 13, 14, 15, 20
44	2, 7
45	19, 24, 25
46	12, 17, 18, 22, 23
48

:

Inferno

Puzzle tile	Grail markers (№)			Shadow of Death probable grail locations
16	19, 20, 23, 24, 25
36	1, 6
40	5, 10, 15
41	11, 12, 16, 17, 21
43	2, 3, 4, 8, 9, 13, 14
45	22
45	18
47
48	7

:

Necropolis

Puzzle tile	Grail markers (№)	Horn of the Abyss probable grail locations		Shadow of Death probable grail locations
11	1, 6 (one white pixel)
28	2, 3, 4, 7 (one white pixel, not in HotA), 8, 9
37	16, 21
43	5, 10, 14, 15, 20
44	(6), 11
45	17, 18, 22, 23, 24
46	19, 25
48	(7), 12, 13

:

Dungeon

Puzzle tile	Grail markers (№)	Horn of the Abyss probable grail locations		Shadow of Death probable grail locations
23	22, 23
28	1, 6
34	10 (three gray pixels in HotA)
42	16, 21
43	8, (10), 13, 14, 15, 18, 19, 20, 24, 25
45	4, 5, 9
46	7 (one black pixel, more in HotA), 11, 12, 17
48	2, 3, (7)

:

Stronghold

Puzzle tile	Grail markers (№)	Horn of the Abyss probable grail locations		Shadow of Death probable grail locations
27	23 (one white pixel, not in HotA), 24, 25
42	16, 17, 21, 22
43	6, 11, 12, 18, (23)
45	1, 2, 7
46	9, 10, 15, 20
47	4, 5
48	3, 8, 13, 14, 19

:

Fortress

Puzzle tile	Grail markers (№)	Horn of the Abyss probable grail locations		Shadow of Death probable grail locations
16	4, 5
18	1, 2, 6, (7 - one gray pixel in HotA) 11
19	16
21
24	21
26	3, 7, 8
43	14, 15, 19, 20, 24, 25
45	9, 10
46	12 (one black pixel, more in HotA), 17, 18, 22, 23
48	(12), 13

:

Conflux

Puzzle tile	Grail markers (№)			Shadow of Death probable grail locations
35	1
39	3, 4, 5, 10, 15
40	6, 11, 16, 21
41	19, 20, 24, 25
42
43	14
44
45	17, 18, 22, 23
46	8, 9, 13
48	2, 7, 12

:

Cove

Puzzle tile	Grail markers (№)	Horn of the Abyss probable grail locations
31	1, 2, 3
35	21
36	16
39	25
40	20
41	6, 11
42	22, 23, 24
43	7, 8, 12, 13, 17, 18
45	4, 5, 9, 10, 15
48	14, 19

:

Puzzle tiles opening sequence

There are 48 pieces in each puzzle so if we have 48 obelisks on the map (which is the max number allowed) every obelisk will reveal just one puzzle tile. There are no problems with just one obelisk on the map either - it will open all the puzzle tiles. But in all the other cases the situation is not so self-obvious. Here you can see the table showing how many tiles will be opened when a certain amount of visited obelisks (horizontal numeration) depending on the total amount of obelisks on the map (vertical numeration).

	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	10	11	12	13	14	15	16	17	18	19	20	21	22	23	24	25	26	27	28	29	30	31	32	33	34	35	36	37	38	39	40	41	42	43	44	45	46	47
2	18	48
3	11	27	48
4	7	18	31	48
5	6	13	23	34	48
6	5	11	18	27	37	48
7	4	9	15	22	30	38	48
8	3	8	13	19	25	32	39	48
9	3	7	11	16	21	27	33	40	48
10	3	6	10	14	19	24	29	35	41	48
11	2	5	9	13	17	21	26	31	36	42	48
12	2	5	8	12	15	19	23	28	32	37	42	48
13	2	5	7	11	14	17	21	25	29	33	38	43	48
14	2	4	7	10	13	16	19	23	26	30	34	39	43	48
15	2	4	6	9	12	15	18	20	24	28	31	35	39	43	48
16	2	4	6	9	11	14	17	20	23	26	29	33	36	40	44	48
17	1	4	6	8	10	13	16	18	22	24	27	30	33	37	40	44	48
18	1	3	5	8	10	12	15	17	20	22	25	28	31	34	37	41	44	48
19	1	3	5	7	9	12	14	16	19	21	24	26	29	32	35	38	41	44	48
20	1	3	5	7	9	11	13	15	18	20	22	25	28	30	33	36	39	41	44	48
21	1	3	5	7	8	10	13	15	17	19	21	24	26	29	31	34	36	39	42	45	48
22	1	3	5	6	8	10	13	14	16	18	20	22	25	27	29	32	34	37	39	42	45	48
23	1	3	4	6	8	10	11	13	15	17	19	21	24	26	28	30	33	35	37	40	42	45	48
24	1	3	4	6	8	9	11	13	15	17	19	21	23	25	27	29	31	33	36	38	40	43	45	48
25	1	2	4	6	7	9	11	12	14	16	18	20	22	24	26	28	30	32	34	36	38	41	43	45	48
26	1	2	4	5	7	9	10	12	14	15	17	19	21	23	25	26	28	30	32	34	37	39	41	43	45	48
27	1	2	4	5	7	8	10	12	13	15	17	18	20	22	24	25	27	29	31	33	35	37	39	41	43	45	48
28	1	2	4	5	7	8	10	11	13	14	16	18	19	21	23	24	26	28	30	32	34	36	37	39	41	43	45	48
29	1	2	4	5	6	8	9	11	12	14	15	17	19	20	22	24	25	27	29	31	32	34	36	38	40	42	44	46	48
30	1	2	3	5	6	8	9	11	12	14	15	17	18	20	21	23	24	26	28	30	31	33	35	36	38	40	42	44	46	48
31	1	2	3	5	6	7	9	10	12	13	15	16	18	19	21	22	24	25	27	29	30	32	33	35	37	39	40	42	44	46	48
32	1	2	3	5	6	7	9	10	11	13	14	16	17	19	20	22	23	25	26	28	29	31	32	34	36	37	39	41	42	44	46	48
33	1	2	3	5	6	7	8	10	11	12	14	15	17	18	19	21	22	24	25	27	28	30	31	33	34	36	38	39	41	43	44	46	48
34	1	2	3	4	6	7	8	10	11	12	13	15	16	18	19	20	22	23	25	26	27	29	30	32	33	35	36	38	40	41	43	44	46	48
35	1	2	3	4	6	7	8	9	11	12	13	14	16	17	18	20	21	23	24	25	27	28	30	31	32	34	35	37	38	40	41	43	44	46	48
36	1	2	3	4	5	7	8	9	10	12	13	14	15	17	18	19	21	22	23	25	26	27	29	30	32	33	34	36	37	39	40	42	43	45	46	48
37	1	2	3	4	5	7	8	9	10	11	13	14	15	16	18	19	20	21	23	24	25	27	28	29	31	32	33	35	36	38	39	40	42	43	45	46	48
38	1	2	3	4	5	6	8	9	10	11	12	14	15	16	17	18	20	21	22	24	25	26	27	29	30	31	33	34	35	37	38	39	41	42	43	45	46	48
39	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	9	10	11	12	13	15	16	17	18	19	21	22	23	24	25	27	28	29	31	32	33	34	36	37	38	40	41	42	43	45	46	48
40	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	10	11	12	13	14	15	17	18	19	20	21	23	24	25	26	27	29	30	31	32	34	35	36	37	39	40	41	42	44	45	46	48
41	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	11	12	13	14	15	16	17	19	20	21	22	23	24	26	27	28	29	30	32	33	34	35	36	38	39	40	41	43	44	45	46	48
42	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	10	11	13	14	15	16	17	18	19	20	22	23	24	25	26	27	29	30	31	32	33	34	36	37	38	39	40	41	43	44	45	46	48
43	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	10	11	12	13	15	16	17	18	19	20	21	22	23	25	26	27	28	29	30	31	32	34	35	36	37	38	39	41	42	43	44	45	46	48
44	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	10	11	12	13	14	15	16	18	19	20	21	22	23	24	25	26	27	28	30	31	32	33	34	35	36	37	38	40	41	42	43	44	45	46	48
45	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	10	11	12	13	14	15	16	17	18	19	20	22	23	24	25	26	27	28	29	30	31	32	33	34	35	37	38	39	40	41	42	43	44	45	46	48
46	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	10	11	12	13	14	15	16	17	18	19	20	21	22	23	24	25	26	27	28	30	31	32	33	34	35	36	37	38	39	40	41	42	43	44	45	46	48
47	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	10	11	12	13	14	15	16	17	18	19	20	21	22	23	24	25	26	27	28	29	30	31	32	33	34	35	36	37	38	39	40	41	42	43	44	45	46	48