PUDDLES ON THE PATH WALKTHROUGH Note: This walkthrough is in the form of a narrative, providing gentle hints before revealing the actual course of action to take. All crucial commands are written backwards. Outside the garden =============== You have stopped to admire a well-kept garden on your way home. Before long, you also notice that an egg has fallen onto the road from a tree branch stretching to this side of the garden wall. Taking the egg makes you remember the many proverbs, i.e. spells, that you have learnt during your apprenticeship. Maybe one of them could come in handy in trying to return the egg to the nest, as the branch is too high for you to reach and the garden gate is locked. In addition, the wall is too smooth for you to climb. Ecnef eht fo edis rehto eht no reneerg syawla si ssarg eht. In the garden =========== Finding yourself in the garden, you soon notice that returning the egg is not much easier on this side of the wall. However, a guard spots you soon after you have entered, so you don't have to stand perplexed for long. In the dark cell ============ The single exit is protected by magic, so your only bet is to find out if there is anything in the cell that might help you figure out the magic needed. The cell is rather dimly lighted, however, and the torch on the wall can't illuminate every corner. Chrot ekat. Being able to examine the floor better now, you find a diary someone has left behind. However, it is locked and you don't get much wiser by just looking at the cover of the book. Fortunately, another spell helps you here. Revoc sti yb koob a llet tonnac uoy. Read the book, say the magic word and exit. The large cave and its surroundings ============================ You notice soon that there are several things you can attempt here. There is nothing of use to you in the cell you just escaped from, so it's a waste of time trying to go back there. There is a storage room to the east, but the tools there prove to be useless. However, you notice that there are some unused torches in the storage and it could be a good idea to take one with you, as you never know when you might need one in order to get out of the caves. Coming back to the large cave and trying the southeastern passage, you confront a fierce panther guarding it effectively, so you are not able to explore the round cave in closer detail. However, before exiting you have managed to spot a yellow crystal in a depression high on the wall there. Back in the large cave and trying the southern passage, you arrive at a crude elevator. It seems to lack operating power, so you must explore elsewhere first. Before leaving, you take note of the two pillars on both sides of the elevator. One pillar has a round dent on top and the other has a square one. You remember the round yellow crystal in the round cave - maybe it belongs to the top of the respective pillar. The trouble is to deal with the panther. - how to get the yellow crystal: If you could just light the torch, you could scare the panther with the burning fire and be able to get the crystal. In the large cave you have noted some smoke coming out of a crack in the ground. Holding the torch in the smoke doesn't help much, though, but there is a spell you can use to call forth fire. Erif tuohtiw ekoms on si ereht. Lit the torch and go southeast to the round cave once more. The panther won't attack you now, but alas - you cannot reach the crystal. You will need help from someone who can reach the shelf. The cat is out of the away now, so who might come to help you? Another spell comes to your rescue here. Yalp ecim eht yawa si tac eht nehw. Take the crystal and exit. - how to get another crystal: There is still one passage you haven't explored - the southwestern passage has been blocked by a huge boulder. How could you move it and gain access? There is a spell that helps you roll the boulder out of the way. Examining the boulder very closely might give you a hint as to what kind of spell to use. Ssom on srehtag enots gnillor a. Enter and take the blue crystal. Exit again and go south to the elevator. Put the crystals on top of the pillars - the yellow crystal on the left pillar and the blue crystal on the right one - and enter the elevator. Push the button. The small valley ============= The exit to the north, out of the valley, is blocked by yet another magic, so you need to figure out a way to break it. The key to breaking the magic are the two statues. Unfortunately, both of them are missing their heads and weapons, and as long as those objects are missing the statues cannot help you. You need to find the missing items and put them back in the statues. - how to get the head(s): Go to the western part of the valley where the chasm is. Beyond the chasm you see a curious glint in the sand, but the chasm is too wide to jump over so you cannot get to it just like that. You try to remember what a spell said about something you must do before jumping. Pael uoy erofeb kool. Take the pole and jump across the chasm. Take the statue head buried in the sand and jump back. Now, you have one head, but how about the other one? You need two, after all. There is a spell that helps you duplicate objects. Eno naht retteb era sdaeh owt. Now the problem is fixed. Put one head on the left statue and one on the right one. - how to get the sword: In the eastern part of the valley there is a small crack in the ground. Looking in it, you will spot the sword lying on the bottom. The crack, however, is too deep for your arm to reach the sword. Luckily, there is a brook nearby. Remove the debris and the water will start flowing into the crack. After a while, the surface of the water has risen in the crack so much that you can reach the sword floating on the water. - how to get the spear: You find no trace of the spear anywhere. Anyway, you have already found an object in the valley that resembles the spear very much. You must resort to using it instead. Eutats tfel ni elop tup. Pull the spear and the exit will be opened. In the dark pass ============= You soon find yourself surrounded by fierce dogs. It is essential to calm them down, or even better, put them to sleep. There is a suitable spell for even this situation. Eil sgod gnipeels tel. Now you may proceed. At the guards' hut =============== However wary you try to be, the guards manage to spot you. They surround you and grab hold of you. The only thing is to turn yourself into a beast, thus taking the guards by surprise and trying to escape that way. You remember there is one such spell, and it said something about a wolf. Supul inimoh omoh. You have managed to escape. Congratulations!