So I'm wondering if DOSbox isn't doing the sound correctly, I mean I know the game is very old, but I get nothing but a 'beep' at the Silmarils logo when I start the game, nothing at the game menu, nothing in game when walking around. The only sounds I've got are tiny "Ahh!" type noises when fighting monsters.

I don't get any sound on this either. Is there supposed to be any?

I guess it's just you and me then.

I'd be curious to know myself.. the Atari ST version definitely had sound. Don't know about the DOS version, but it should. Perhaps there are some settings..

Same here, just the beep at the beginning and a hit and miss sound during battle. The game is only 1 meg, so maybe there isn't any background music.

This game only has a few sounds. The mentioned "beep" at the Silmarils logo. Hit and miss sounds in battle and now and then you can hear a bird in the woods.
There is no ingame music. I remember that at least the intro of the amiga version had a short track. Don't know for the PC version though.

Ciao...

The game was released before Adlib sound was popular (i think) so there is no any music, i had this game on my 386 over 15 years ago and i don't remember any pc speaker music either.

As far as exploring the dungeons... do I really need to use Grid Cartographer for it? I think I'm lost in some cave.

In the PC version I also always get lost in the caves. Never happened to my in the Amiga version though. And I never used a Cartographer. For me it feels kinda bugged.
Has someone else experienced the same?

Daw, I'll never be able to try out the rest of the Ishar series until I finish Crystals. It just won't feel right.

I guess I'll have to resort to the mapper?

Do monsters regen in caves WHILE you're there?

No, monsters do not regen at all.
Please let us know how you do in the caves with a mapper.
I know how you feel about starting Ishar without finishing Crystals. I feel the same ;)

I'm pretty sure the Amiga version has more sounds. If so this may be one of the few cases of the horribly cumbersome Amiga emu being better than the PC version?

It may have escaped your notice that there where a lot of games whose Amiga versions where a lot better than the PC version. Especially regarding the sound.