WERGILD
by Kevin Rooney
Bugbear Software 1989
NOTES
There are two ways to solve this adventure: either collect money to raise the
Wergild or simply try to escape.
Some of the characters you have to interact with each move within a limited
area, so it's not guaranteed that you encounter them in the same location as
shown in the walkthrough (therefore placed in square brackets).
You will lose some money each turn you make until you get the purse from the
Dead Elephant.
The Shakna appears randomly and confiscates an item from you, in order to get it
back you must go to the Temple Treasury.
The roaming animals (rhinoceros, tiger, crocodile, royal boar) you can ignore.
To save the game from time to time is useful because it may crash unexpectedly.
SOLUTION 1 - Raise money
(you start on a small harbour) GET NET, E, S, IN, S, SEARCH BOOKS (you find a
key), N, OUT, N, SE, SEARCH REEDS (you find a boat), EXAMINE BOAT (there's a
hole in the bottom), SEARCH RIVER (you find an Oyster), S, [THROW NET OVER
BANDITS (the sheriff enters and pays you 750 shells)], IN, GET CORK, SEARCH
NESTS (you find a ruby), OUT, ROLL IN MUD, SE, DRINK WATER, NW, N, NW, W, IN,
READ SIGN, SEARCH TROUGH (you find a file), PUT OYSTER IN FIRE (you get a
pearl), OUT, E, SE, PUT CORK IN BOAT, ENTER BOAT, [The Shakna confiscates the
Ruby for funds] GO OUT, E, NE, SEARCH ELEPHANT (you find a purse; now your
shells are safely stored), EXAMINE ELEPHANT, PULL TUSK, SW, NW, IN, SELL TUSK
AND PEARL, Y (580 shells), Y (1015 shells), OUT, SW, IN, TALK, BUY ALE AND
BREAD, DRINK ALE, EAT BREAD, OUT, ENTER BOAT, GO OUT, NW, W, IN, BUY SWORD, OUT,
PAY MAN, [KILL SAMURAI, SEARCH CORPSE (you get his armour)], W, WAIT (you hear a
Jester say 'The Miller's Tail'), SAY MILLERS TAIL, W, CUT HAND (Tsing shouts
'You will pay for this', that means a Ninja will leap at you later, but you kill
him automatically), GET HAND, E, E, PAY MAN, E, [KILL MONK, SEARCH CORPSE (you
find a Mandrake root)], EAT ROOT (gives you mighty strength), IN, TALK, UNLOCK
DOOR, DROP KEY, E, GET ALL (Silk, Ruby and Ginseng), W, OUT, SE, ENTER BOAT, GO
OUT, NE, IN, SELL SILK AND RUBY, Y (290 shells), Y (725 shells), OUT, N, IN,
TALK, GIVE HAND TO IONI (you get 620 shells), GET PELTS, OUT, S, SAVE.
EAT GINSENG (now you can carry more), IN, SELL PELTS, Y (435 shells), OUT, SE,
NE, UP (thanks to your mud bath the bees don't sting you), SEARCH HIVE (you get
the honey), D, SW, GIVE HONEY TO BEAR, S, PULL IVY (you uncover a cave), IN, GET
SCEPTRE AND BLANKET, OUT, N, NE, NE, DROP SCEPTRE AND FILE, SW, IN, GET MEAT AND
STAKE, OUT, NE, DROP MEAT, SEARCH STRAW (you discover a trapdoor), OPEN
TRAPDOOR, D, THROW BLANKET ON FIRE, UP, SAVE.
[KILL VAMPIRE, DROP STAKE, SEARCH CORPSE (you get his Ring), EXAMINE RING], E
(the Dragon swallows you), GET EGG, STAB HEART, SEARCH DRAGON (you get a scale),
IN, GET ALL (Coat and Gold), OUT, W, DROP GOLD, W, WEAR COAT, N, GET MONGOOSE,
S, DROP COAT, E, GET MEAT, N, DROP MONGOOSE (the Serpent flees), N, NE, GIVE
MEAT TO LION, NE, TALK, GIVE EGG TO HERMIT (he pays you 1286 shells), SW, SW, S,
S, SAVE.
D, SE, THROW SCALE TO APPARITION (you have to throw it because you die when you
enter the circle), GET CROWN, WEAR ARMOUR, S, S, GET ORB, N, N, NW, UP, DROP
ARMOUR, GET FILE, RUB ORB WITH FILE (you find an emerald), DROP FILE AND ORB,
GET GOLD AND SCEPTRE, W, S, IN, SELL EMERALD AND GOLD, Y (870 shells), Y (1160
shells), OUT, SW, ENTER BOAT, GO OUT, NW, [GIVE RING TO SHERIFF (he gives you
285 shells and a Necklace)], S, IN, S, W, TALK, SELL SCEPTRE (1215 shells), SELL
CROWN (1620 shells), I (you should now own more than 8000 shells), GIVE MONEY TO
EMPEROR ('Congratulations. You have raised the Wergild and thus are free to
live.' You walk out of the court as a free man.).
SOLUTION 2 - Escape
GET NET, E, S, IN, S, SEARCH BOOKS, N, OUT, N, IN, UNLOCK DOOR, DROP KEY, OUT,
SE, SEARCH REEDS, EXAMINE BOAT, S, IN, GET CORK, OUT, ROLL IN MUD, SE, DRINK
WATER, THROW NET OVER BANDITS, NW, N, NW, W, IN, READ SIGN, BUY SWORD, OUT, PAY
MAN, W, E, KILL SAMURAI, SEARCH CORPSE, PAY MAN, E, SE, PUT CORK IN BOAT, ENTER
BOAT, GO OUT, E, NE, UP, SEARCH HIVE, D, SW, GIVE HONEY TO BEAR, S, PULL IVY,
IN, GET BLANKET AND FUSE, OUT, N, NE, NE, DROP FUSE, SW, IN, GET PLANK, OUT, NE,
DROP PLANK, [The Shakna confiscates your Sword], SEARCH STRAW, OPEN TRAPDOOR, D,
THROW BLANKET ON FIRE, SE, NE, OPEN TOMB, SEARCH CORPSE, SW, NW, UP, DROP MATCH,
E, STAB HEART, SEARCH DRAGON, IN, GET COAT, OUT, W, W, WEAR COAT, N, GET
MONGOOSE, S, DROP COAT, E, D, SE, THROW SCALE TO APPARITION, WEAR ARMOUR, S, S,
GET DYNAMITE, N, N, NW, UP, GET ALL, DROP ARMOUR, N, DROP MONGOOSE, N, NW, PUT
PLANK ON LARVA (sic!), W, NW, PUT FUSE IN DYNAMITE, LIGHT MATCH, LIGHT FUSE,
DROP DYNAMITE, SE, WAIT, WAIT (the dynamite explodes), NW (you have escaped).
Solution by boldir, July 2025