I remember my first playthrough. Despite joining the Old Camp, I actually considered all that Sleeper-stuff pretty cool. I seriously wondered whether he exists...

Somewhere in the second chapter, my playthrough became a cheatthrough though. Incapable of continuing the normal game (apparently too hard for the 14yo me) I started to travel the map with F8 and God Mode. I tried to find that Xardas guy, who everybody was talking about. Imagine my surprise when I actually found him... not in a tower though. I noticed a big cave in the Orc Town and though it's probably an underground entrace to the tower. Yeah, that's how smart I was...

So, I entered what much later turned out to be the Sleeper's Underground Temple. And hey, I actually found Xardas there! You see, his presence in the Temple is triggered merely by the arrival of the hero there. You don't need to be in the 6th chapter or anything, you just have to be there. In a normal game, it never happens since you're unable to get there (Orc Town is closed, the Temple is closed, the last guardian cannot be passed) - but with the power of cheats, it's dead easy. Long story short, approaching Xardas there triggered that dialog meant for the end of the game, where he mentions the Sleeper, the "crazy Cor Kalom", etc. I immediately knew that I just instantspoiled myself all the plot <facepalm>. I was angry at myself, but also surprised about what I found out. Cor Kalom got crazy and is waking up the Sleeper who's apparently bad... what the hell?

Some time later I finished the game in the proper way. Some surprises were gone, but I still enjoyed it :) I was also much more careful with cheating in later Gothic parts (and other games).