This is an excellent game dating from the 1980s that we think was narrowly rejected for
publication.
It is certainly of professional quality, although it could do with some minor editing. There are a
couple of bugs in the original version, one of which unfortunately prevents you from completing the
game. There is however a 'lubricated' version with the inventory restrictions, and the
thirst and lamp timers removed. This version can be completed, however by its nature it omits one
or two of the puzzles. I would therefore recommend running the original version until you get up to
the pinnacle and then swapping over. A very kind and clever person is trying to come up with a
debugged version of the original, watch this space.
The hints are arranged in three lists: cryptic hints, subtle clues and straightforward solutions.
The numbers in brackets for each puzzle refer to the cryptic hints list; these in turn point at the
subtle clues and so on. If there is an 'x' at the end of the clue it does not mean I am
feeling affectionate, but that this is the solution and there are no more clues. I know that the
enjoyment in these games is not in being given the answer but in puzzling it out, so some of the
cryptic hints in particular are somewhat enigmatic. I make no apologies for this.
Enjoy the game!
PUZZLES
1. I keep getting killed by the dog-like creature. (24)
2. How do I retrieve the orange? (35)
3. How do I defeat the puma? (14)
4. I can’t get into the cave. (21)
5. It’s dark. I can’t see. (28)
6. When I use the red sticks, I die in the explosion. (39)
7. What do I do to activate the T-shaped elf-runes? (46)
8. How do I get out of the valley? (32)
9. I can’t take all of my items out of the valley. (43)
10. I keep getting washed over the waterfall (23)
11. I can get back to the valley, but I’m stuck there again. (37)
12. What can I do about the tunnel monster? (29)
13. I drown when I go into the tarn/lake. (48)
14. I can’t get past the gargoyle. (17)
15. What use are the elf-runes in the temple? (47)
16. I’ve explored all the locations in the temple, the desert and the forest. (22)
17. My lamp flickers and dies. (45)
18. I can’t get past the hydra. (30)
19. I die of thirst when I emerge from the temple tunnel (25)
20. How do I retrieve the sword without dying of thirst? (11)
21. How can I read the dwarf runes on the slab in the desert? (36)
22. I can’t find the way back from the woodsman’s hut. (10)
23. I can’t retrieve the dusty object from the goddess. (41)
24. What use is the sheep? (13)
25. The dusty object doesn’t seem to be of much use. (33)
26. How do I open the oaken door? (5)
27. How do I defeat the giant? (15)
28. How do I get across the narrow ledge? (27)
29. I die when I drink the silver bottle’s contents. (2)
30. I die after being bitten by the bat. (40)
31. I can’t get past the carnivorous plant. (16)
32. How do I get through the hole in the ceiling in the carnivorous plant room? (34)
33. What can I do in the room of Dwarvish construction? (26)
34. How can I get across the mud lake? (19)
35. What can I do with the marsh gas? (7)
36. How do get across the quicksand? (42)
37. How do I get up to the pinnacle? (18)
38. I can’t get near the horse. (6)
39. I keep getting killed by the Medusa. (38)
40. How do I retrieve the orb without getting killed by the three-legged giant? (9)
41. I can’t pick up the dead Medusa’s head without dying. (12)
42. How do I defeat the mummy? (3)
43. How do I defeat the animated corpse? (44)
44. How do I interact with the old man in the maze? (1)
45. How do I escape from the giant spider? (31)
46. I can’t open the case (20)
47. I keep getting killed by the roc (8)
48. I returned but without the orb (4)
OBJECTS
1. Silver Rod. By the elf-runes in the valley
2. Bucket. On the pebbly beach.
3. Pebble. Also on the pebbly beach.
4. Orange. In the orange grove.
5. Rope. At the northerly end of the cliffs on the eastern side of the valley.
6. Branch. On the northerly half of the sand spit.
7. Lamp. Under the cairn at the mountain top.
8. Box of matches. Also under the cairn.
9. Red sticks. In the cave at the south-eastern end of the mountain path.
10. Axe. In the woodsman’s hut.
11. Keys. Also in the hut.
12. Paper sack. To the south of the wet rocks after the tunnel.
13. Sword. On the scarp S, W & S of the slab with the dwarf runes.
14. Statue of the goddess. In the goddess’s chamber in the temple.
15. Golden rod. At the altar.
16. Dusty object. In the goddess’s chamber.
17. Mirror. Clean the dusty object.
18. Fuses. In the northern alcove off the temple tunnel.
19. Map. With the fuses.
20. Dynamite. Insert the fuses into the red sticks.
21. Pool of oil. In the east of the large chamber in the cave system after the temple tunnel.
22. Golden bottle. In the magic room off the northern spur near the high-ceilinged room.
23. Silver bottle. As golden bottle.
24. Golden ball. With the gold and silver bottles.
25. Green stone. In the high-ceilinged room.
26. Water of Vitality. In the font in the room across from the dusty ledge.
27. Dead plant. In the carnivorous plant room after you’ve killed it.
28. Brushwood. In the forest to the west of the clearing.
29. Small pool of oil. In the eastern alcove before the door leading to the clearing.
30. Piece of cloth. On the western shore of the lake under the pinnacle.
31. Lasso. You make it from the rope.
32. Logs and flotsam. At the edge of the river in the valley. Use the rope to make a raft.
33. Crystalline case. On the dais at the top of the pinnacle.
34. Golden orb. With the three-legged giant.
35. Whistle. The old man in the maze gives you this in exchange for the map.
36. Medusa’s head. Available after you kill the Medusa.
37. Evil statue. After you kill the three-legged giant.
HINTS - CRYPTIC
1. He’s lost. (52)
2. Yes. It’s poison. x
3. He’s a filthy creature, isn’t he? (54)
4. You have to lie to them. (64)
5. It’s a double lock. (63)
6. Put your Stetson on. (76)
7. Nothing. It’s just flavour text. x
8. You need a helper. (58)
9. You need to really scare him. (51)
10. Ask Gretel. (75)
11. You need a second way of quenching your thirst. (84)
12. Use your text style (sic) (62)
13. It’s not sheep you need, it’s lamb. (71)
14. You don’t defeat the puma. (55)
15. I know it looks like a typo, but it’s not. (73)
16. She’s a weed – kill ‘er. (78)
17. You can’t fight him. You have to distract him. (66)
18. Channel your inner referee. (49)
19. Perhaps you can’t see the tree for the woods. (53)
20. You need to pitch this as high as you can. (69)
21. You need some mechanical advantage (67)
22. What did the old man in the cave say? (50)
23. Go to the bank. (60)
24. Make friends with him (81)
25. Haven’t you recently carried out some serious river redirection? (74)
26. Read the runes. x
27. Find a way to fly. (57)
28. Light the lamp. x
29. Good question. We’re stuck too. If you find out, let us know. x
30. Death comes from above! (65)
31. Find something even tastier. (82)
32. Travel by water. (77)
33. Clean it. x
34. You can’t. It’s only there for the plant’s benefit. x
35. Imagine it’s a conker (109)
36. You can’t solve this puzzle here. x
37. Reraft. (59)
38. You may need to reflect upon this. (79)
39. Yes. The explosion travels much faster than you can run. (56)
40. You need medicine. (80)
41. You need to make sacrifices. (61)
42. Make the quicksand a bit slower. (83)
43. No, you can’t. (72)
44. MO N. (68)
45. It’s not an electric lamp, it’s an oil lamp. There’s no off switch. (70)
46. You can’t solve this one yet. x
47. Read them and find out. x
48. Go up. x
HINTS - SUBTLE
49. Steam trains? 1950’s policemen? Shepherds calling their dogs? (89)
50. Look for some sacred text. The temple seems a likely place. (115)
51. Indeed, petrify him. (104)
52. Help him to find the way out. (92)
53. You’re a lumberjack. You’re OK. (90)
54. Give him a wash. (110)
55. You need a friendly ally to defeat the puma. (106)
56. So you need to delay the explosion somehow. (114)
57. Drink the contents of the golden bottle. x
58. Some predator of avians. (85)
59. Take the rope, lamp and matches and return via the elven runes in the temple. x
60. Paddle south just before the waterfall. x
61. It doesn’t have to be burnt, but you should make an offering. (95)
62. Find some way of covering it up. (86)
63. The two locks aren’t in the door, but they are nearby. (98)
64. Is there anything you could use instead of the orb? (87)
65. Don’t attack the hydra, attack the ridge above it. (105)
66. Make some noise that isn’t near you. (96)
67. You need some sort of leverage (101)
68. You need to put the pressure on. (93)
69. Make a sonic attack. Failing that, try violence. (108)
70. ……but there is a flame. (91)
71. Kill the sheep with the sword. x
72. You’ll just have to come back for them later. (113)
73. You need three letters, and syntax is important. (94)
74. Go north twice from the cave exit x
75. You need something that leaks. (112)
76. You need to fashion something to catch him with. (100)
77. A boat is a bit ambitious, but could you rig something up? (88)
78. It’s a plant, it absorbs water from the ground. (103)
79. Use her own weapon against her. (97)
80. Drink the potion of vitality in the golden bottle. x
81. Maybe he’s a retriever? (99)
82. It’s a bird-eating spider. Where have you seen a bird? (111)
83. Make it a bit dryer. (102)
84. Something to drink, or even eat if it contains sufficient water. (107)
SOLUTIONS
85. Lure the spider up to the dais, then break the crystalline case to get the roc to appear.
86. WRAP HEAD in the piece of cloth
87. PLACE ORB
88. MAKE RAFT
89. WHISTLE on the lake’s eastern shore.
90. CHOP TREE
91. BLOW OUT LAMP (or just BLOW LAMP).
92. GIVE MAP
93. SQUEEZE STONE.
94. NOM.
95. GIVE SHEEP
96. THROW PEBBLE.
97. SHOW MIRROR before she appears.
98. INSERT each of the gold and silver rods in their respective alcoves.
99. THROW BRANCH.
100. MAKE LASSO with the rope, then THROW LASSO, then go UP.
101. LEVER BOULDER.
102. DROP BRUSHWOOD. LIGHT BRUSHWOOD.
103. EMPTY SILVER BOTTLE
104. UNWRAP HEAD, SHOW HEAD.
105. DROP DYNAMITE on the scarp above the hydra, LIGHT DYNAMITE, go S.
106. Make friends with the dog first
107. EAT ORANGE
108. BLOW WHISTLE or SMASH CASE.
109. THROW BRANCH
110. Fill either of the bottles with water, then throw it at the mummy.
111. Go up to the plateau with the dais. Break the crystalline case. The roc will appear.
112. FILL BUCKET with sand and scree south of the wet rocks. Go S,S,E. To return, FOLLOW TRAIL.
113. Return via the elf-runes in the temple.
114. INSERT FUSES into the red sticks. Drop it, light it, then move.
115. PUSH SCRIPT at the altar.
