HINTS FOR BERROST'S CHALLENGE Hints are divided into the following sections: Getting Started Food/Sleep Finding Money Finding Light Scroll 1 Scroll 2 Scroll 3 Scroll 4 Scroll 5 Endgame GETTING STARTED Q: What should I do first? A: You should probably start by exploring the world. It's not a large world, and it's fairly easy to map (if you are so inclined). Examine the various objects and items you find. Talk to the NPCs. This will give you a comfort level within the world and framework in which to operate. As for the scrolls themselves, you can obtain them in any order. Also, don't forget to read the list of clues Berrost gave you. Q: Berrost said he would deduct points if I cast a spell. How can I get around that? A: The only way to get the max score of 100 is to solve the game without casting spells. Your spells can provide shortcuts through some of the game, bypassing some puzzles. However, the game is solvable without casting any of them. Q: The familiar spell doesn't seem very helpful... A. Every spell can be used at some point in the game to solve a puzzle. Including this one. As explained by Berrost however, you will need to solve all the puzzles without using any spells to achieve the max score. FOOD/SLEEP Q: A hunger daemon? A sleep daemon? What gives? A: Indeed, there are hunger and sleep daemons. These are player friendly however, and modified to be realistic with the time system. For example, although you may grow hungry in a few hours, you will not die of starvation for a matter of days. The only other effect they should have on your play is to lower your concentration, which can cause your spells to fail. Furthermore, there is an infinite supply of food available, once you solve the simple puzzle to find it, and a place to rest is also easily found. Q: So where can I find food? A: One of the NPCs sells some food. Q: Who? I still can't find food. A: Silas sells beef jerky. Q: I need to sleep, but I've been kicked out of the tower. Where can a homeless adventurer lay his weary head? A: Silas has sleeping rooms available. FINDING MONEY Q: I have no money and I need to buy something. A: Nothing you need to buy costs much. You only need 1 coin. Have you seen anywhere in town that people might toss a coin? Try standing around and observing the villagers at various places in town. Q: Still can't find it. A: Observe the villagers at the Village Square. Watch them for awhile. Q: I still can't find the coin. A: Look in the fountain. Q: I need another coin now. A: Fortunately, people keep tossing coins where you found the first one. Go back and get another one. FINDING LIGHT Q: I need light. Where can I find a light source? A: Explore east of the village. Q: Still can't find a light source. A: Explore the Mine Entrance. Q: Still can't find it. A: Have you tried getting in the mine cart? Q: Ok, I have the helmet, but it needs oil. A: Did you notice that big tank outside the mine? Q: I can't get oil out of the tank. It's rolled forward onto the spigot. A: It's not as heavy as you might think, as it's almost empty. You could try pushing it. Q: It's stuck on something. A: Look for the obstruction and remove it. Q: Can't find the obstruction. A: Look behind the tank. Take the rock. You can drop it then - you won't be needing it. Q: I've got the tank upright, but the spigot is clogged. A: You'll need something to unclog it with. Look around town. Q: Can't find anything. A: Try the smithy. Q: This damn tank is starting to frustrate me. I still can't get the oil. A: Here's the solution to the tank: look behind tank, take rock, push tank, drop rock, unclog spigot with nail, put helmet on tray, turn handle, take helmet. Q: The helmet is full of oil but it's still not shedding light. A: You didn't examine it did you? Push the button. SCROLL 1 Q: Where is the 'lofty height' the clue talks about? A: There are a couple of buildings with an upper level. Investigate them carefully. You can't go up Berrost's Tower, so it's not there. Q: Still can't find it. A: Try the millhouse loft. Look under the table. Q: I can't reach it. A: You need something to snag it with. Have you seen any items that would be long enough? Q: I can't find anything to snag the scroll. A: You can snag it with the broom, when the golem isn't using it. Q: I have the scroll, but the golem keeps killing me. A: The golem is waiting for you to return the broom. The trick is to drop it before he needs it. Watch his behavior for a while. SCROLL 2 Q: Where's Old Tom's house? The clue mentioned it. A: It's the Dilapidated Farmhouse off the south road. Q: Where's Old Tom? A: Sleeping off a drunk. You won't need to bother him. The scroll isn't actually in the house. Q: Where is it then? A: It's in a scroll tube made of bone. Have you seen any bones near the dilapidated farmhouse? Q: Fido won't let me near the pile of bones. A: Talk to the herbalist. He might have a suggestion. Q: Where can I find the slumberweed? A: Other NPCs might provide a clue. Have you met an NPC who sleeps particularly well? Q: Still can't find it. A: Talk to Captain Dunwiddie in the Guardtower. Q: Still can't find it. A: Look under his cot. Q: I need some raw meat on which to pour the potion. Where can I find it? A: Did you notice that the vicious dog snaps at the crow when it's near? If only you could kill that crow. Q: How can I kill the crow? A: You can't kill it yourself. But Dunwiddie is a good shot with the ballista on top of the guardtower. Q: How can I get him to shoot the crow? A: He won't attack it unless he thinks it's a scout for the Red-Hand clan. Q: How do I make the crow look like a scout for the Red-Hand clan. A: You will need to paint it red. Go to the silver mine site. Q: I have the red paint, but I don't know how to paint the crow. A: You'll have to trick it somehow. Did you examine everything in the millhouse loft carefully? Q: How do I lure the crow to the loft? A: Have you seen anything the crow eats? Hang out on the North Road until the crow comes along and watch its behavior. Q: Still can't figure it out. A: You need to pick some berries from the bush on the North Road. Then go to the loft, paint the slats of the roof vent, and put the berries on the ledge to lure the crow. SCROLL 3 Q: The clue for this one isn't helping me much. A: The first word of the clue is important. Q: I'm at the community well but I don't see anything useful. A: Have you seen any other wells? Q: Ok, I'm at the right well I think. What now? A: The scroll is at the bottom of it. Q: I climbed the rope down but when I climb back up, it breaks! A: The rope will support you for a one-way climb. You need it to climb up, but you should find another way down. Q: I can't find another way down. A: The answer is in this area, but it's hidden. Q: I still can't find another way down. A: Check out the bucket. You'll have to draw it up first by turning the crank. Q: Still can't figure it out. A: Search the sludge in the bucket. You'll find a ring which you can wear. Then jump in the well. SCROLL 4 Q: The clue obviously refers to the silver mine. But there's nothing there but a broken-down minecart and a mineshaft covered with webs. A: You'll need to get past those webs. Perhaps a ride in the mine cart. Of course, you'll have to find a wheel for it first. Q: Ok, I have the wagon wheel. But it won't fit on the cart! A: Nope. It's a red herring. You will need a makeshift wheel of some sort. Q: I can't find a makeshift wheel. What do I use? A: You could use a shield. There's one at the smithy. Q: I can't find the shield. A: It's in the pile of scraps. They are sharp however. You will need to protect your hands to search through them. Q: How can I protect my hands? A: Look in the millhouse loft for something that might help. Q: Ok, I have the shield, but it won't go on the axle. Too tight. A: Some grease would solve that. Have you seen any? Q: Where's the grease? A: The wagonyard. Q: The teamster won't let me take the grease A: You need to help him fix the wagon. Talk to him and be sure to listen carefully. Q: He won't let me help him. He just tells me to watch and listen. A: Did you? Did you notice that when he uses a tool the sound is capitalized? That's significant. Q: Still no help. A: You have to listen to the sounds or the tools right after they are used. For example, when the saw is used and creates a Racket, type 'listen to racket'. This will provide with the tool's sound effect. Once you have done this for at least one of the tools, you can talk to the teamster again and offer to help him fix the wagon. Q: How do I help him? I keep handing him the wrong tools. A: The teamster has a peculiar naming system for his tools. He calls them by the sound effect they make when they are used. Q: I helped the teamster fix the wagon but now he won't let me leave with any of the tools? A: He will let you have the axle grease. Don't worry about the other tools for now. Q: The cart has a new wheel and I'm sitting in it. What now? A: Examine the cart and it's components. It has a brake. Q: The cart keeps crashing and killing me! A: You need to slow down before you get to the end of the track. Q: Hey, I'm missing some items after the crash! A: Breakable items will be destroyed. Don't worry, you can get back anything you might need. The rest is randomly flung either onto the floor or into the minecart. If you don't see your item in the room, look in the cart. SCROLL 5 Q: I'm at the tavern but Silas won't let me go down to the cellar until I beat him at thumbwrestling. When I thumbwrestle him, he always wins. A: Well, he is a champion thumbwrestler. You're not going to beat him without resorting to cheating. Q: Never will I stoop so low! A: Suit yourself. But you can't get the scroll otherwise. Q: Alright, I guess I'll cheat then. A: How easily corrupted you are... Silas won't be able to pin your thumb so easily if you make it slippery somehow. Q: How can I make my thumb slippery? A: You will need to dip it in a slippery substance, but it has to be something transparent that Silas won't see. Q: Still can't find anything. I tried the axle grease but he detects it. A: You need something less obvious. Oil perhaps. Q: Where can I find oil? A: See the clues for 'Finding Light'. Q: I can't wet my thumb with the spigot, nor can I dip it in the helmet. What do I do? A: You need something else to contain the oil other than the helmet. Look around town. Q: I can't find anything. A: How about a shot glass? Where would you find one of those? Q: Ok, I beat Silas at thumbwrestling. He let me down in the cellar, but the chest is locked. Where's the key? A: Talk to Silas about that. Q: Silas always beats me at wrestling. How can I beat him? A: By cheating again. You need to incapacitate him during the match somehow. Look around the spice mill to find something that will help with that. Q: Can't find anything. A: Try examining the spice. See the effect? Take a pinch of it. Q: He still beats me. What am I supposed to do? A: You need to throw the spice at Silas during the match. Q: I threw the spice but he still pins me. A: Whoever pins their opponent first is the winner.... Q: Huh? A: After throwing the spice at him, you still have to pin him. Then talk to him and he will give up the key. END GAME Q: I have all the scrolls. Now what? A: Go see Berrost so you can gloat over your achievement. :)