Curse of the Azure Bonds

About

Curse of the Azure Bonds is a turn-based RPG set in the Forgotten Realms fantasy universe. You take control of adventurers cursed with glowing blue symbols that force them to obey strange commands. The game tasks you with exploring the world to uncover the source of this magical affliction while managing party skills, equipment, and strategic combat. Its isometric view and dungeon-crawling gameplay mix exploration with tactical decision-making, requiring you to balance the curse's effects against your goals. As a 1989 sequel to Pool of Radiance, it expanded on SSI's CRPG formula with more character customization and a self-contained story. The curse system adds unique tension to combat and quests, making every move feel risky. With versions on over a dozen platforms from C64 to Windows, it maintained broad accessibility during its era. While its graphics and interface feel dated by modern standards, the core loop of problem-solving and progression remains satisfying for fans of old-school strategy RPGs.

Storyline

After you saved the entire city of Phlan and located the Pool of Radiance, a simple trip to Tilverton should have been as easy as a noon-day stroll. But it wasn’t… Ambushed, captured and knocked unconscious, you awake with no idea who attacked you or how you arrived in Tilverton. You only know that five azure-blue symbols are imprinted under the skin of your right arm. The mystical power of the azure symbols ensnares your will like metal bonds! And when the bonds glow, you must do as they command, No magic can dispel them, no prayers can remove them. Your only hope: search the world for members of the alliance who created the bonds and regain control of your own destiny. Only then can you be free of the Curse of the Azure Bonds.