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All this for a map of Paris? Let's play Curses!
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#32
02-08-2012, 08:46 PM
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Quote:
>hit austin with wrench It is so pathetically easy to kick Austin that you never quite have the heart. Thus he outwits you again. But...I said to hit him with a wrench, not to kick him! Oh, well. On to Aunt Jemima's lair! >n.nw.n.n.w. Over the East Wing Austin, your incorrigible ginger cat, lounges around here. Austin rolls over on his back and stretches. Old Furniture You can see some wrapping paper with reindeer on here. Austin crawls in from the east landing. Attic A hinged trapdoor in the floor stands open, and light streams in from below. Austin runs in from the furniture store. Old Winery You can see a labelled glass demijohn (which is closed) (in which are a nasty-looking red battery and a tourist map) here. Aunt Jemima's Lair And now to look around. Aunt Jemima's Lair This used to be called the Conservatory, before Aunt Jemima took it over to potter about with plants, painting and indeed (on occasion) pottery. She has filled the place with objets trouves and bric-a-brac, and hung up a home-made calendar of watercolours. Even the old airing cupboard to the south is cluttered. An open doorway leads back southwest onto the upstairs landing, and you can hear the chaotic noise of suitcases being manhandled about - good thing nobody's seen you. A narrow staircase leads up and to the east into the attic. Jemima herself seems to be in the potting room to the west. Might as well get a good look at that calendar, then. >examine calendar The calendar is turned to June and a watercolour painting of some wild white common daisies. Let's check out the other months, shall we? >turn calendar to january The calendar is turned to January and a watercolour painting of some speckled Jemima's Pride daisies. >turn it to february The calendar is turned to February and a watercolour painting of some yellowish Merlyn's Hat daisies. >turn it to march The calendar is turned to March and a watercolour painting of some blue-tinted bell daisies. >turn it to april The calendar is turned to April and a watercolour painting of some heavy-headed Dorset Pride daisies. >turn it to may The calendar is turned to May and a watercolour painting of some reddish meadow-heart daisies. >turn it to july The calendar is turned to July and a watercolour painting of some green-edged hedgerow daisies. >turn it to august The calendar is turned to August and a watercolour painting of some plain Russian Steppe daisies. >turn it to september The calendar is turned to September and a watercolour painting of some tall-stemmed Breton daisies. >turn it to october The calendar is turned to October and a watercolour painting of some orange meadow daisies. >turn it to november The calendar is turned to November and a watercolour painting of some short-leaved Meldrew daisies. >turn it to december The calendar is turned to December and a watercolour painting of some tiny bonsai daisies. Has anyone ever seen the spelling "Merlyn" outside of this game? Because I haven't. And with this information on various varieties of daisies, we can do the last suggestion of the day - trying to open various things with the wrench! >e Old Winery Austin, your incorrigible ginger cat, lounges around here. You can also see a labelled glass demijohn (which is closed) (in which are a nasty-looking red battery and a tourist map) here. Austin ambles away to the attic. >open demijohn with wrench That doesn't seem to be something you can unlock. >open floor with wrench That doesn't seem to be something you can unlock. >s Attic Austin, your incorrigible ginger cat, lounges around here. A hinged trapdoor in the floor stands open, and light streams in from below. >open cat with wrench That doesn't seem to be something you can unlock. Austin purrs and licks one of his paws. >s Old Furniture You can see some wrapping paper with reindeer on here. >open bottle with wrench That doesn't seem to be something you can unlock. Well, can't say I didn't try. Until next time! Unexplored paths: South from Aunt Jemima's Lair. East from Over the East Wing. West from Over the East Wing. South from Disused Observatory. West from Disused Observatory. Puzzles: A bottle that I can't get a grip on the top of. Getting Aunt Jemima to let me "borrow" her gardening gloves. Deciding what color daisy chain I want. Inventory: A steel wrench Hobson's classical dictionary The History of the Meldrews (vol. II) An electric torch (providing light and closed) This is the afternoon of June 3rd, 1993, and you are in Meldrew Hall. You have so far scored 3 out of a possible 550, in 82 turns, giving you the rank of gauche Tourist. Map: Code:
e-c-b-h
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X a-d
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f
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a=Attic (you are here; down to game over; Austin the cat)
b=Old Winery
c=Aunt Jemima's Lair
d=Servant's Room (scarf)
e=Potting Room (Aunt Jemima, gardening gloves)
f=Old Furniture (guaranteed-unbreakable medicine bottle with child-proof lock,
bird whistle, wrapping paper)
g=Over the East Wing
h=Storage Room (wrench, wheel with handle, dumbwaiter)
i=Disused Observatory (glass ball on telescope stand,
smoke detector)
X=game over
Missed the point entirely: 2 (irritated Aunt Jemima by trying to steal her gardening gloves, gave up on the search) Total: 2 Last edited by Kahran042; 02-09-2012 at 01:06 AM. Reason: Updating the map. |
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#33
02-08-2012, 11:52 PM
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What is south of Aunt Jemima's Lair, anyway? So much attic left to explore...
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#34
02-09-2012, 04:29 PM
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First of all, why am I getting so few responses lately? If this is about my response to Kalir's Sword of Mana LP, I'm sorry. Next of all...
Quote:
>n.n.w.s. Attic Austin, your incorrigible ginger cat, lounges around here. A hinged trapdoor in the floor stands open, and light streams in from below. Austin rolls over on his back and stretches. Old Winery You can see a labelled glass demijohn (which is closed) (in which are a nasty-looking red battery and a tourist map) here. Aunt Jemima's Lair Airing Cupboard A space about six feet square. The old drying racks now contain odd ceramic sculptures almost but not quite unrecognisable as coffee mugs. One corner is filled with an enormous pile of tie-dyed sheets, from Aunt Jemima's infamous Sixties Revival period of last October. An airing cupboard, apparently. Well, that's all for now. See you again tomorrow! |
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#37
02-10-2012, 06:05 PM
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Well, the consensus is for me to explore the rest of the attic, so let's-a go! First stop, the areas off Over the East Wing.
>w Dark Room This is a roughly-furnished photographer's dark room, used by your grandfather years ago. There's nothing much here now, since you threw the chemicals out in case the children found them. Mounted on a plaque is an old sepia photograph of a man. You bump your head on the cord hanging from the ceiling, for the umpteenth time. A rather more modern photographer's flash lies on a shelf to one side. Well, might as well check this place out. >examine photograph Which do you mean, the sepia photograph or the photographer's flash? >sepia The photograph is one of the very early ones which looks as if it was taken in the dark because the chemicals have gradually oxidised. The poor man in the frame (Mr Roger Meldrew, Esquire) looks as if he was propped up by a big clamp to hold him still for five minutes, and that's because he was. Hmm, I wonder if he's in that family history? >consult history about roger Roger (1846-1913), the elder of a pair of twins, was very Victorian indeed, especially in his disapproval of his beautiful young wife's literary career. He thought her romances so immoral that he refused to allow the family name to appear on them. A prominent local vestryman, his own writing was confined to a great many monographs on the problems of municipal drainage, but he died before his grand National Sewerage Plan was complete. Sounds like he was a real hit at parties. But what of that cord? If it got its own line, it must be important. >examine cord It is attached to the ceiling. Um...yeah. I gathered that. But that flash might come in handy somewhere. >take flash Taken. And that's everything we can do in here for now. Now, to the east. >e East Annexe This tight annexe at the eastern end of the house is piled up with old loft insulation rolls, left over from the last time the job was done (whenever that was). A gap between the tiles of the roof (which you really must mend before winter) lets a little natural light in, but the attics to the west and south are dark. In the north wall is an intriguing closed cupboard door. Well, if it's intriguing... >open door You open the cupboard door. >n You know you only have an old, nearly dead battery in the torch, and are reluctant to tread on the weaker floorboards inside the cupboard without safer illumination. Well, guess we'll have to find a new battery somehow. Maybe there's one to the south? >s Dead End The winding attic comes to a dead end here, and particularly dirty it is too, what with soot everywhere from the broken old chimney sweeping gear. Great Scott! That old canvas rucksack must be the very one your famous ancestor, the African explorer Ebenezer Meldrew, brought back from the Zambezi Expedition of 1882! Or not. But let's get a better look at that rucksack. >examine rucksack On second thoughts, now you look at more closely, it seems to be the rucksack you bought to go to Paris with five years ago. It may not be a new battery, but it's probably the most useful item in the game. Why, you may ask? Because it's a rucksack of holding, meaning that we're free of inventory management puzzles indefinitely. >take rucksack You're carrying too many things already. O cursed irony of fate, why do you mock me? >drop wrench. get rucksack. get wrench. Dropped. Taken. (putting the History of the Meldrews (vol. II) into the canvas rucksack to make room) It's a wrench, but you take it. Not much here, but maybe there's something in the areas off the observatory. >w Over the East Wing >s Disused Observatory Mounted on the old telescope stand is what looks like a solid glass ball. >w Library Storage Once upon a time, the house library was used as a gun-room, and all the unwanted books kept up here. Now this is just another awkward cranny, with a water tank and some pipes in one corner which are something to do with the central heating. A romantic novel and a book of poetry are the only books left, and they're propping up a water pipe near a rather loose joint - it really is time you called a plumber to sort this one out. Well, since this is a text game... >take all (the romantic novel) As you pull the book away, the pipe bursts and sprays water everywhere, drenching you, rendering the book unreadable, leaking through the ceiling into the bedrooms below and causing an enormous furore. You are obliged to spend the rest of the afternoon getting a plumber at short notice. *** You have missed the point entirely *** Well, that was a bad idea. After undoing... >s Souvenirs Room This is where you ought to have left the wretched map, in the family lumber-room of souvenirs and holiday snaps. You checked it thoroughly earlier, and can't bear the thought of searching it all again. A slide projector is aimed at the whitewashed south wall, one of the outside walls of the house. The only way to go is back up to the observatory. And that's it for now. We've got all available areas of the attic exploriated. So, what to do now? Unexplored paths: None we can access. Puzzles: A bottle that I can't get a grip on the top of. Getting Aunt Jemima to let me "borrow" her gardening gloves. Deciding what color daisy chain I want. Finding a new battery for the torch. Getting the two books from Library Storage without breaking the pipe. Inventory: A steel wrench A canvas rucksack (actually a bag of holding)
A photographer's flash (which is closed) An electric torch (providing light and closed) This is the afternoon of June 3rd, 1993, and you are in Meldrew Hall. You have so far scored 3 out of a possible 550, in 106 turns, giving you the rank of gauche Tourist. Map: Code:
e-c-b-h
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X j a-d
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f
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k-g-l
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n-i m
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o
a=Attic (down to game over)
b=Old Winery
c=Aunt Jemima's Lair
d=Servant's Room (scarf)
e=Potting Room (Aunt Jemima, gardening gloves)
f=Old Furniture (guaranteed-unbreakable medicine bottle with child-proof lock,
bird whistle, wrapping paper)
g=Over the East Wing
h=Storage Room (wrench, wheel with handle, dumbwaiter)
i=Disused Observatory (glass ball on telescope stand,
smoke detector)
j=Airing Cupboard
k=Dark Room
l=East Annexe
m=Dead End
n=Library Storage
o=Souvenirs Room
X=game over
Missed the point entirely: 3 (irritated Aunt Jemima by trying to steal her gardening gloves, gave up on the search, broke a pipe and had to call a plumber) Total: 3 By the way, as a free hint, try looking back at the description of the airing cupboard and seeing if anything jumps out at you. Last edited by Kahran042; 02-10-2012 at 07:53 PM. |
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#39
02-10-2012, 06:53 PM
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Tie-dye sheets? How gauche! Chuck those things in the bin, where they belong!
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#40
02-10-2012, 07:56 PM
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Supplementary update: Ebenezer Meldrew
It just occured to me that although Ebenezer Meldrew was mentioned when I entered the Dead End, I forgot to look him up. So, now to rectify that mistake.
>consult history about ebenezer It seems Ebenezer (1846-1908), the younger of a pair of twins, threw up a promising career in the East India Company one day, took a packet steamer to Cape Colony and simply marched off into the bush on a quest to find a legendary river. His maps were used for several years after, and a province was named after him for a while, but the locals call it something else now. Again, sorry about that. Regular update coming tomorrow! |
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#42
02-11-2012, 09:18 PM
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Good suggestions today. So, here we go. First stop, the Dark Room.
>n East Annexe In the north wall is an open cupboard door, large enough to step inside. >w Over the East Wing >w Dark Room Mounted on a plaque is an old sepia photograph of a man. You bump your head on the cord hanging from the ceiling, for the umpteenth time. And now, to see if there's anything on the other end. >pull cord Click! A developing lamp comes on, emitting an eerie red light. Ooh...sounds quite cool, but nothing just yet. Since we're close to the observatory area, we might as well go with Gerad's other suggestions. So... >e Over the East Wing >s Disused Observatory Mounted on the old telescope stand is what looks like a solid glass ball. >w Library Storage Once upon a time, the house library was used as a gun-room, and all the unwanted books kept up here. Now this is just another awkward cranny, with a water tank and some pipes in one corner which are something to do with the central heating. A romantic novel and a book of poetry are the only books left, and they're propping up a water pipe near a rather loose joint - it really is time you called a plumber to sort this one out. Or we can just do it ourselves. At least this isn't a sitcom... >fix joint with wrench I only understood you as far as wanting to fix the water pipe. Well, guess I didn't need to clarify after all. >fix joint You tighten the joint with the wrench, just enough for the books to fall away without a gushing explosion of water. [Your score has just gone up by four points.] And now, I can take them! >take all romantic novel: (putting the classical dictionary into the canvas rucksack to make room) Taken. book of Twenties poetry: (putting the photographer's flash into the canvas rucksack to make room) Taken. And, since I've got books... >read novel Quote:
"Coronets for the Cotton Girl", by Miss Marie Swelldon, published London, 1912. It's all about the happy-go-lucky daughter of a Yorkshire mill owner and her adventures marrying into the aristocracy. >read poetry Publishers talk a lot of nonsense about readers being transported away by books, but somehow you have arrived in the... Unreal City This is a city side street, but as if seen through the grey of despair. People stream by, some of whom you almost recognise, as if dead. The street runs east-west, and to the north is a doorway into a grubby tenement building. [Your score has just gone up by five points.] Holy carp. This place is probably worth exploring. But first, we might as well undo reading the book so that we can complete the rest of today's requests. >undo Library Storage [Previous turn undone.] >e Disused Observatory Mounted on the old telescope stand is what looks like a solid glass ball. >s Souvenirs Room This is where you ought to have left the wretched map, in the family lumber-room of souvenirs and holiday snaps. You checked it thoroughly earlier, and can't bear the thought of searching it all again. A slide projector is aimed at the whitewashed south wall, one of the outside walls of the house. The only way to go is back up to the observatory. >turn on projector The south wall is lit up. Well, it's certainly something. But not especially useful right now. But we might as well check out that last request. >n Disused Observatory Mounted on the old telescope stand is what looks like a solid glass ball. >n Over the East Wing >nw Old Furniture Austin, your incorrigible ginger cat, lounges around here. You can also see some wrapping paper with reindeer on here. >n Attic A hinged trapdoor in the floor stands open, and light streams in from below. Austin scurries in from the furniture store. >n Old Winery You can see a labelled glass demijohn (which is closed) (in which are a nasty-looking red battery and a tourist map) here. >w Aunt Jemima's Lair >s Airing Cupboard >take sheets The thought of Jemima's wrath if you actually took one of her tie-dyed sheets ("Dyeing is an art like everything else... I do it very well") is just too dreadful. But there seems to be something lurking beneath. What could it be? Only one way to find out... >search sheets Not as many sheets as you thought - they were on top of a large black wireless, now exposed to the light for the first time in months. [Your score has just gone up by two points.] A wireless is a radio, if you're wondering. But let's get a better look at this one. >examine wireless It rolls on casters, and has a bakelite on/off switch. The antiquated wireless is currently switched off. Well, if it can be turned on... >turn on wireless You push the switch on the wireless, but nothing happens. Darn. Hopefully it'll just take a while to warm up. >z Time passes. >z Time passes. >z Time passes. >z Time passes. >z Time passes. >z Time passes. The radio valves glow, and execrable so-called easy listening music fills the air with a sort of bland aural candy-floss. Well, it's playing...but what use could it possible be? And what could the meaning of this Unreal City be? Until next time. Unexplored paths: North from Unreal City. East from Unreal City. West from Unreal City. Puzzles: A bottle that I can't get a grip on the top of. Getting Aunt Jemima to let me "borrow" her gardening gloves. Deciding what color daisy chain I want. Finding a new battery for the torch. Inventory: A book of Twenties poetry (transports me to the Unreal City when read) A romantic novel (Coronets for the Cotton Girl, by Marie Swelldon) A steel wrench A canvas rucksack (actually a bag of holding)
This is the afternoon of June 3rd, 1993, and you are in Meldrew Hall. You have so far scored 9 out of a possible 550, in 136 turns, giving you the rank of gauche Tourist. Maps Meldrew Hall: Code:
e-c-b-h
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X j a-d
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f
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k-g-l
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n-i m
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a=Attic (down to game over)
b=Old Winery
c=Aunt Jemima's Lair
d=Servant's Room (scarf)
e=Potting Room (Aunt Jemima, gardening gloves)
f=Old Furniture (guaranteed-unbreakable medicine bottle with child-proof lock,
bird whistle, wrapping paper)
g=Over the East Wing
h=Storage Room (wrench, wheel with handle, dumbwaiter)
i=Disused Observatory (glass ball on telescope stand,
smoke detector)
j=Airing Cupboard (you are here; wireless)
k=Dark Room
l=East Annexe
m=Dead End
n=Library Storage
o=Souvenirs Room
X=game over
Code:
| -a- a=Unreal City Missed the point entirely: 3 (irritated Aunt Jemima by trying to steal her gardening gloves, gave up on the search, broke a pipe and had to call a plumber) Total: 3 Last edited by Kahran042; 02-16-2012 at 11:23 AM. |
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#43
02-11-2012, 09:32 PM
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A radio!? Sounds like dancin' time! I wonder if anyone wants to dance? Perhaps the protagonist? Perhaps someone besides the protagonist? It's a secret to everybody!
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#44
02-12-2012, 02:54 PM
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Free hint.
Quote:
Quote:
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#46
02-12-2012, 06:47 PM
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Well, the radio is on wheels, so it can be pushed. And maybe Aunt Jemima would like some music? It would certainly distract her from those gloves...
>push radio n It moves easily on the casters. Aunt Jemima's Lair The radio plays a one-finger piano version of Beethoven's Symphony no. 5. >push radio w Aunt Jemima spends the next four hours explaining to you exactly why she put the radio into storage. The reason is awfully convoluted and due to her firm conviction that magnetic fields influence the growth of plants. By that time you have to leave for the airport... *** You have missed the point entirely *** Well, that may have been a bit too close. But maybe if I just left it in her lair... > undo Aunt Jemima's Lair [Previous turn undone.] >w Potting Room A pair of yellow rubber gloves hangs from a hook on one wall. Aunt Jemima, who has for years collected varieties of daisy, is engaged in her regular annual pastime of deciding which species make the best chains. Execrable music drifts in from the conservatory. Jemima hums along to a "lite-n-mellow" rendition of the Star Trek theme tune. Looks like she's sufficiently distracted, so I can... >take gloves (putting the steel wrench into the canvas rucksack to make room) Taken. Jemima hums along to a synthesized version of the "O Fortuna" from Carl Orff's "Carmina Burana". [Your score has just gone up by four points.] And now to get out of here! >e Aunt Jemima's Lair The wireless fills the air with Jemima's favourite station, "Mild-n-Breezy FM", about which the least said the better. The radio plays a country-and-western travesty of Toto's "The Eye of the Tiger". Come to think of it, didn't someone mention using the gloves to open the demijohn? It sounds just crazy enough to work. >e Old Winery You can see a labelled glass demijohn (which is closed) (in which are a nasty-looking red battery and a tourist map) here. >wear gloves You put on the old gardeners' gloves. >open demijohn You open the labelled glass demijohn. [Your score has just gone up by three points.] And it did! Now to get this stuff out of there. >get all from demijohn nasty-looking red battery: Removed. tourist map: (putting the romantic novel into the canvas rucksack to make room) Removed. We've already gotten a description of the battery, but could this be the tourist map we've been searching this whole time? >examine map The good news is that it has excellent grid references, which are easy to look up. The bad news is that it is a map of central Hamburg. So close, and yet so far. Now to try that other suggestion, about the torch and the ball. >s Attic A hinged trapdoor in the floor stands open, and light streams in from below. >s Old Furniture Austin, your incorrigible ginger cat, lounges around here. You can also see some wrapping paper with reindeer on here. Austin looks ineffable again. >se Over the East Wing >s Disused Observatory Mounted on the old telescope stand is what looks like a solid glass ball. >shine torch on ball I only understood you as far as wanting to shine the electric torch. >shine torch through ball I only understood you as far as wanting to shine the electric torch. And, if you're wondering, "shine torch" achieves nothing. And that's it for today. By the way, schep, I see where you're going, but we might want to find a bit more proof before assuming that Marie Swelldon is indeed Mrs. Roger Meldrew. Until next time! Unexplored paths: North from Unreal City. East from Unreal City. West from Unreal City. Puzzles: Deciding what color daisy chain I want. Finding a new battery for the torch. Getting the two books from Library Storage without breaking the pipe. Inventory: Some old gardener's glove (being worn) A canvas rucksack (being worn, actually a bag of holding)
A book of Twenties poetry (transports me to the Unreal City when read) A nasty-looking red battery An electric torch (providing light and closed) This is the afternoon of June 3rd, 1993, and you are in Meldrew Hall. You have so far scored 16 out of a possible 550, in 149 turns, giving you the rank of casual Tourist. Maps Meldrew Hall: Code:
e-c-b-h
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X j a-d
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f
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k-g-l
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n-i m
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o
a=Attic (down to game over)
b=Old Winery
c=Aunt Jemima's Lair (wireless)
d=Servant's Room (scarf)
e=Potting Room (Aunt Jemima)
f=Old Furniture (guaranteed-unbreakable medicine bottle with child-proof lock,
bird whistle, wrapping paper)
g=Over the East Wing
h=Storage Room (wheel with handle, dumbwaiter)
i=Disused Observatory (you are here; glass ball on telescope stand,
smoke detector)
j=Airing Cupboard
k=Dark Room
l=East Annexe
m=Dead End
n=Library Storage
o=Souvenirs Room
X=game over
Code:
| -a- a=Unreal City Missed the point entirely: 4 (irritated Aunt Jemima by trying to steal her gardening gloves, gave up on the search, broke a pipe and had to call a plumber, lectured by Aunt Jemima for four hours) Total: 4 |
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#49
02-13-2012, 04:39 PM
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All right. Not too many suggestions this time around, but let's give 'em a try. First, getting a daisy chain. Jemima's Pride seems like a good choice, so let's try it.
>n.nw.n.n.w.w. Over the East Wing Old Furniture Austin, your incorrigible ginger cat, lounges around here. You can also see some wrapping paper with reindeer on here. Austin leaps away to the attic. Attic Austin, your incorrigible ginger cat, lounges around here. A hinged trapdoor in the floor stands open, and light streams in from below. Austin yawns. Old Winery You can see a labelled glass demijohn (which is empty) here. Aunt Jemima's Lair The wireless fills the air with Jemima's favourite station, "Mild-n-Breezy FM", about which the least said the better. The radio plays a "lite-n-mellow" rendition of Steppenwolf's "Born to be Wild". Potting Room Aunt Jemima, who has for years collected varieties of daisy, is engaged in her regular annual pastime of deciding which species make the best chains. Execrable music drifts in from the conservatory. Jemima hums along to a jazz trio arrangement of Led Zeppelin's "Stairway to Heaven". >say jemima's pride (to Jemima) "Nothing like that left. Just plain old daisies for you then dear!" After a moment she notices you're still here. "Come back later, it'll be done soon." You groan inwardly but force a sickly smile. Should have eaten the chocolates myself, you find yourself thinking. Jemima hums along to a "lite-n-mellow" rendition of ABC's "The Look of Love". Well, guess that there aren't any. But we might as well take on our next task while waiting for our daisy chain to be finished. If you're wondering, the only types of daisy available are those that have colors specified in their descriptions on the calendar. So that narrows the choice to Merlyn's Hat, bell, meadow-heart, common, hedgerow, or meadow. >open torch The torch goes out as you open the battery compartment. Jemima hums along to a "lite-n-mellow" transcription of that grisly carol, "We Wish You A Merry Christmas". >take smudged battery (putting the electric torch into the canvas rucksack to make room) Taken. Jemima hums along to a snare drum and strings transcription of Chopin's "Nocturne no. 1". >put red battery in torch You put the nasty-looking red battery into the electric torch. Jemima hums along to a choral rendition of "My Way", crooned over by Frank Sinatra. >close torch You close the battery compartment of the torch, and it explodes with light, becomes hot enough to melt, falls to the floor, catches fire and burns down most of the attic... It may be some consolation that since you spend your holiday in the local hospital burns unit, you are never inconvenienced much by not finding the map. *** You have missed the point entirely *** Well, guess that was a bit too much power. Hopefully there's somewhere where we can find a lower-voltage battery. We'll continue our quest next time, after restoring to before burning the place down. Unexplored paths: North from Unreal City. East from Unreal City. West from Unreal City. Puzzles: Deciding what color daisy chain I want. Finding a new battery for the torch. Getting the two books from Library Storage without breaking the pipe. Inventory: Some old gardener's glove (being worn) A canvas rucksack (being worn, actually a bag of holding)
A book of Twenties poetry (transports me to the Unreal City when read) A nasty-looking red battery (very high voltage, too powerful for an ordinary torch) An electric torch (providing light and closed) This is the afternoon of June 3rd, 1993, and you are in Meldrew Hall. You have so far scored 16 out of a possible 550, in 149 turns, giving you the rank of casual Tourist. Maps Meldrew Hall: Code:
e-c-b-h
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X j a-d
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f
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k-g-l
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n-i m
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a=Attic (down to game over)
b=Old Winery
c=Aunt Jemima's Lair (wireless)
d=Servant's Room (scarf)
e=Potting Room (Aunt Jemima)
f=Old Furniture (guaranteed-unbreakable medicine bottle with child-proof lock,
bird whistle, wrapping paper)
g=Over the East Wing
h=Storage Room (wheel with handle, dumbwaiter)
i=Disused Observatory (you are here; glass ball on telescope stand,
smoke detector)
j=Airing Cupboard
k=Dark Room
l=East Annexe
m=Dead End
n=Library Storage
o=Souvenirs Room
X=game over
Code:
| -a- a=Unreal City Missed the point entirely: 5 (irritated Aunt Jemima by trying to steal her gardening gloves, gave up on the search, broke a pipe and had to call a plumber, lectured by Aunt Jemima for four hours, burned down most of the attic) Total: 5 Oh, and the reason that I can't go north of East Annexe is because, well... Quote:
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#52
02-14-2012, 11:07 AM
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I don't suppose there's any way to get batteries out of the wireless?
Can you push the projector? Maybe that could be used to illuminate the cupboard. I'd also like to check out the Unreal City, but now that we have the rucksack, is there anything that we tried to pick up but couldn't carry? I'm not sure we can easily get back, so it makes sense to bring as much random stuff as possible with us. |
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#53
02-14-2012, 01:25 PM
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Yes, the discarded wrapping paper clearly must solve a puzzle somewhere. Make a paper football out of it! Uh, Paper American Football. Because we're in England. Yes.
Show the romance novel to Jemima. Surely she knows if it's legit. Also, I don't guess we can change the bulb in the torch? Having a flashlight with one of those darkroom bulbs could be fun. |
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#54
02-14-2012, 08:05 PM
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>s Souvenirs Room The south wall is lit up by the projector. >push projector n Is that the best you can think of? Apparently it is. Next stop, collecting the junk we haven't been able to due to lack of space. >n Disused Observatory Mounted on the old telescope stand is what looks like a solid glass ball. >n Over the East Wing >nw Old Furniture Austin, your incorrigible ginger cat, lounges around here. You can also see some wrapping paper with reindeer on here. Austin rolls over on his back and stretches. >get bottle, whistle guaranteed-unbreakable medicine bottle with a child-proof lock: (putting the book of Twenties poetry into the canvas rucksack to make room) Taken. bird whistle: (putting the nasty-looking red battery into the canvas rucksack to make room) Taken. And as long as we're here... >make paper american football I only understood you as far as wanting to make. Come to think of it, when did we last see a bathroom, anyway?  I don't think that the wireless is battery-powered, but might as well check it out. >n.n.w. Attic A hinged trapdoor in the floor stands open, and light streams in from below. Old Winery You can see a labelled glass demijohn (which is empty) here. Aunt Jemima's Lair The wireless fills the air with Jemima's favourite station, "Mild-n-Breezy FM", about which the least said the better. The radio plays a choral transcription of Ian Dury and the Blockheads' "Hit Me With Your Rhythm Stick". >examine wireless It rolls on casters, and has a bakelite on/off switch. The antiquated wireless is currently switched on. The radio plays a light orchestra travesty of Mozart's "Musical Joke". No sign of any sort of battery compartment, but maybe... >open wireless That's not something you can open. The radio plays an easy-listening rendition of Noel Coward's "Don't Put Your Daughter On The Stage". Well, that's just what I expected. But maybe Aunt Jemima might like a nice romance novel? >w Potting Room Aunt Jemima, who has for years collected varieties of daisy, is engaged in her regular annual pastime of deciding which species make the best chains. Execrable music drifts in from the conservatory. Jemima hums along to a choral rendition of that hoary old favourite, "Oh Come All Ye Faithful". >show novel to jemima (first taking the romantic novel) (putting the tourist map into the canvas rucksack to make room) Jemima is unimpressed. Jemima hums along to a Welsh coal-miners' Eisteddfod choir travesty of the old Elvis Presley number "Blue Suede Shoes". I can't say I'd be impressed, either, but then, I'm a guy. Let's check out the dumbwaiter! >e.e.e. Aunt Jemima's Lair The wireless fills the air with Jemima's favourite station, "Mild-n-Breezy FM", about which the least said the better. The radio plays a country-and-western rendition of Wham's "Wake Me Up Before You Go-Go". Old Winery You can see a labelled glass demijohn (which is empty) here. Storage Room Inside the dark shaft is the old dumbwaiter. You can also see a postcard of the Champs-Elysees and a crumpled piece of paper here. >examine dumbwaiter In the dumbwaiter are the pulley ropes and a chicken wishbone. That seems just crazy and useless enough to come in handy! >get wishbone (putting the guaranteed-unbreakable medicine bottle with a child-proof lock into the canvas rucksack to make room) Taken. And now, into the darkness... >enter dumbwaiter You get into the dumbwaiter. The dumbwaiter hangs on strong pulley ropes which stretch up and down from here. >pull ropes You begin moving, and then plummet, but friction gradually slows you down and you land without too much of a thump... Cellars (in the dumbwaiter) Cobwebbed old cellars. There is nothing to see except an opening in one wall onto a dark shaft, and a big Victorian-steam-engine style wheel beside it with a handle on. The cellar continues east-to-west and south. There is a little closed window-vent low in the north wall. In one corner is a dust-covered robot mouse. The dumbwaiter hangs on strong pulley ropes which stretch up and down from here. [Your score has just gone up by three points.] Wellity, wellity, wellity. Looks like we've got a new map area! But let's take a look at that mouse. >examine mouse Remember the late 1970s, when a craze for home-made robots swept the home computing world? No, perhaps not, but here is a left-over from it anyway. The mouse is quite large (almost a foot wide and tall), and has a big smile painted on its metal chassis. It has surprisingly modern circuitry in, though, and is even humming very faintly, so someone must have put some work in on it recently. Well, that looks useful. But let's head back up to the attic before we decide on what to do down here. >pull ropes You heave yourself half-way up, and then need to stop for a rest. Dark Shaft (in the dumbwaiter) Halfway up, or else halfway down, and a dreary place it is too: nothing but a dark corridor leading north. The dumbwaiter hangs on strong pulley ropes which stretch up and down from here. Another interesting-looking place, but we still have things to do in the attic, so... >pull ropes You heave yourself up to the attic again... Storage Room (in the dumbwaiter) A disused storage room off the winery. In one wall is an opening onto an ominous dark shaft, and beside it is a big Victorian-steam-engine style wheel with a handle on. You can see a postcard of the Champs-Elysees and a crumpled piece of paper here. The dumbwaiter hangs on strong pulley ropes which stretch up and down from here. And now, on with the adventure. Let's see if we can do anything with that bulb in the dark room. >stand You get out of the dumbwaiter. Storage Room Inside the dark shaft is the old dumbwaiter. You can also see a postcard of the Champs-Elysees and a crumpled piece of paper here. >w.s.s.se.w. Old Winery You can see a labelled glass demijohn (which is empty) here. Attic A hinged trapdoor in the floor stands open, and light streams in from below. Old Furniture You can see some wrapping paper with reindeer on here. Over the East Wing Dark Room Mounted on a plaque is an old sepia photograph of a man. You bump your head on the cord hanging from the ceiling, for the umpteenth time. The room is filled with an eerie, reddish light. You feel gloomy and can't help thinking about aviation accident statistics. >get bulb You can't see any such thing. Guess we can't. But that bed in the servant room looks comfy. Let's take a nap! >e.nw.n.e. Over the East Wing Old Furniture You can see some wrapping paper with reindeer on here. Attic A hinged trapdoor in the floor stands open, and light streams in from below. Servant's Room An old striped scarf hangs up behind the doorway. >enter bed You get onto the camp bed. >sleep You sleep unexpectedly deeply, but just as you think you are starting to wake up, you experience a sudden... Premonition It is a frosty, clear night, but there is a scent of camp-fires burning in the distance. You are passing through the landscape as if a ghost, and all seems faintly unreal. To the east is one side of an animal-hide tent, but there is no way in from here. To southwest, some soldiers sit around the embers of a fire. There is a terrible sense of something about to happen. Well, this is quite strange. It might be a good idea to save, then check out the one direction that's clearly accessible. >sw Camp Fire You can almost smell fear here. A motley platoon of soldiers are sitting about the embers of a fire. None are talking or sleeping, and the false good humour of the evening has died away. At first light, you realise, there will be a battle. It isn't a risk you'd like to run in their place. And there is a strange light already in the east... not yet a dawn, for the soldiers seem unaware of it. >e Near Dolmen A standing stone, perhaps a glacial erratic, stands here and on top of it is a shining blue stone, whose brightness almost blinds you. You feel irresistably drawn to it, and your hand reaches out... You awaken, shivering with dread. What a strange dream. But I have a feeling that that wasn't the right way. After restoring back to the start of the dream... >e You pass uncomfortably straight through the hide wall. The General's Tent This is the tent of a thin, reedy man who wears no uniform but has an obvious and commanding presence. He has an aquiline, patrician nose and, at five feet four, is taller than anyone else present. The others are advisers, junior officers, scheming politicians and their like. They are keeping their distance from a trestle table at the north end of the tent. Yes, this is one of the more unintuitive moves in the game. The game clearly says that there's no way through the wall, so you're tempted to take the path to the southwest. However, once you move forward on that path, you can't go back, and the southwestern path is a dead end that throws you back to the real world. Not only that, but once you've left the dream, you can't return to get the information you need from it. Graham, you magnificent bastard...  Anyway, let's continue through this dream. >n Shrine of the Bear This is a kind of improvised shrine. A trestle table bears entrails, crude drawings sketched out on hide, and caged animals: draped beside it is a primitive tapestry of a bear reared up on its hind legs. On the table is a heavy iron mascot of some kind. Beside the table is a more substantial adviser, as if she too walks in this strange spirit plane. She is wearing frightening druidical robes, of strange pelts and furs, with nasty-looking charms around her neck. Every so often, she seems to catch sight of you out of the corner of her eye, but then look round and see nothing. The military men do not believe in her power, and yet... they treat her with respect. I wonder what kind of mascot this is? >examine mascot The mascot is in the shape of an ankh, with a lemniscus (or infinity) symbol moulded onto it. Fun fact: This game is the first place where I ever saw the word "lemniscus." Anyway, you never know when a heavy iron mascot might come in handy, so... >take mascot The Druid catches sight of your ghostly hand taking the mascot, and immediately begins her occultations, cursing you and your ill-gotten gains. But she is unable to make contact with you, and turns furiously to the tapestry, hissing "lagach" to the Bear. At once a sudden swirl of wind seems to pull her into the rough cloth, dissolving her to nothing. "Lagach"? What could that possibly mean? Oh, well. There's no way forward, so let's get out of here! >s The General's Tent >w You pass uncomfortably back through the hide wall. Premonition >sw Camp Fire You can almost smell fear here. A motley platoon of soldiers are sitting about the embers of a fire. None are talking or sleeping, and the false good humour of the evening has died away. At first light, you realise, there will be a battle. It isn't a risk you'd like to run in their place. And there is a strange light already in the east... not yet a dawn, for the soldiers seem unaware of it. >e Near Dolmen A standing stone, perhaps a glacial erratic, stands here and on top of it is a shining blue stone, whose brightness almost blinds you. You feel irresistably drawn to it, and your hand reaches out... You awaken, shivering with dread. [Your score has just gone down by fifty points.] Gone...down? I wonder what could have gone wrong? >full This is the afternoon of June 3rd, 1993, and you are in Meldrew Hall. You have so far scored -31 out of a possible 550, in 191 turns, giving you the rank of accursed Tourist. The score is made up as follows: 3 opening demijohn 3 using dumbwaiter 2 exposing radio 3 placating Aunt Jemima 4 mending the plumbing -50 acquiring the mascot 4 finding sundry items -31 total (out of 550) The "full score" command is a new one created by Graham Nelson, which shows exactly how you scored all of your points. Not exactly useful, but I guess it could be for a way of remembering which puzzles you've solved. Anyway, taking the mascot was clearly a bad idea, so... >restore Please supply a filename for restore Ok. >e.n.get mascot.drop mascot.s.w. You pass uncomfortably straight through the hide wall. The General's Tent This is the tent of a thin, reedy man who wears no uniform but has an obvious and commanding presence. He has an aquiline, patrician nose and, at five feet four, is taller than anyone else present. The others are advisers, junior officers, scheming politicians and their like. They are keeping their distance from a trestle table at the north end of the tent. Shrine of the Bear This is a kind of improvised shrine. A trestle table bears entrails, crude drawings sketched out on hide, and caged animals: draped beside it is a primitive tapestry of a bear reared up on its hind legs. On the table is a heavy iron mascot of some kind. Beside the table is a more substantial adviser, as if she too walks in this strange spirit plane. She is wearing frightening druidical robes, of strange pelts and furs, with nasty-looking charms around her neck. Every so often, she seems to catch sight of you out of the corner of her eye, but then look round and see nothing. The military men do not believe in her power, and yet... they treat her with respect. The Druid catches sight of your ghostly hand taking the mascot, and immediately begins her occultations, cursing you and your ill-gotten gains. But she is unable to make contact with you, and turns furiously to the tapestry, hissing "lagach" to the Bear. At once a sudden swirl of wind seems to pull her into the rough cloth, dissolving her to nothing. Dropped. The General's Tent You pass uncomfortably back through the hide wall. Premonition > I beg your pardon? >sw.e. Camp Fire You can almost smell fear here. A motley platoon of soldiers are sitting about the embers of a fire. None are talking or sleeping, and the false good humour of the evening has died away. At first light, you realise, there will be a battle. It isn't a risk you'd like to run in their place. And there is a strange light already in the east... not yet a dawn, for the soldiers seem unaware of it. Near Dolmen A standing stone, perhaps a glacial erratic, stands here and on top of it is a shining blue stone, whose brightness almost blinds you. You feel irresistably drawn to it, and your hand reaches out... You awaken, shivering with dread. If you're wondering, not only does taking the mascot lower your score, but if you hold onto it for too long, it'll kill you. But to be fair, the druid cursing you when you take it should have been a dead giveaway. Now, to get out of bed and take another trip. >stand You get off the camp bed. Servant's Room An old striped scarf hangs up behind the doorway. >read poetry Publishers talk a lot of nonsense about readers being transported away by books, but somehow you have arrived in the... Unreal City This is a city side street, but as if seen through the grey of despair. People stream by, some of whom you almost recognise, as if dead. The street runs east-west, and to the north is a doorway into a grubby tenement building. [Your score has just gone up by five points.] All right, we're in the Unreal City. Which way to go from here, east, west, or north? Unexplored paths: East from Cellars. West from Cellars. North from Dark Shaft. North from Unreal City. East from Unreal City. West from Unreal City. Puzzles: Deciding what color daisy chain I want. Finding a new battery for the torch. Finding out the purpose of the word "lagach." Inventory: A chicken wishbone A romantic novel (Coronets for the Cotton Girl, by Marie Swelldon) A bird whistle Some old gardener's gloves (being worn) A canvas rucksack (being worn, actually a bag of holding)
It is early morning on October 5th, 1922, and you are in the Unreal City. You have so far scored 24 out of a possible 550, in 194 turns, giving you the rank of seasoned Tourist. Maps Meldrew Hall, attic: Code:
e-c-b-h
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X j a-d
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f
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k-g-l
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n-i m
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o
a=Attic (down to game over)
b=Old Winery
c=Aunt Jemima's Lair (wireless)
d=Servant's Room (scarf)
e=Potting Room (Aunt Jemima)
f=Old Furniture (wrapping paper)
g=Over the East Wing
h=Storage Room (wheel with handle, dumbwaiter leading to Cellar)
i=Disused Observatory (you are here; glass ball on telescope stand,
smoke detector)
j=Airing Cupboard
k=Dark Room
l=East Annexe (dark cupboard which I need a new battery in my torch to enter)
m=Dead End
n=Library Storage
o=Souvenirs Room
X=game over
Code:
-a- | a=Cellars (robot mouse, dumbwaiter to Dark Shaft) Meldrew Hall, ??? Code:
| a a=Dark Shaft (dumbwaiter to Storage Room) Code:
Unreal City: | -a- a=Unreal City (you are here) Missed the point entirely: 5 (irritated Aunt Jemima by trying to steal her gardening gloves, gave up on the search, broke a pipe and had to call a plumber, lectured by Aunt Jemima for four hours, burned down most of the attic) Total: 5 Last edited by Kahran042; 02-16-2012 at 11:22 AM. |
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#55
02-14-2012, 08:57 PM
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As far as needing to restore at all though, yeah. The game is cruel that way. Save often and keep multiple save files. |
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#56
02-14-2012, 10:14 PM
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Quote:
Quote:
Real update coming tomorrow! Last edited by Kahran042; 02-16-2012 at 11:24 AM. |
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#57
02-16-2012, 11:21 AM
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Sorry about not updating yesterday, but I was feeling kind of down, and I'm under a lot of stress since there's an exam coming up in less than a week. So, since I didn't get any suggestions for which way to go, I'll use my LPer's privilege to go...
>n Shadowy Hallway This shambolic flat, extending to the east, shares a filthy hallway with the one upstairs. To the south, passers-by pass by along the street. Peeling-away posters have been stuck up on top of each other on the walls, in such a way that you can only read the most recent. Well, if I can read it... >read poster "Bateaux Phlebas - toujours le dernier mot". You briefly wish you had a dog called Toto, so as to be able to say "Toto, I've got a feeling we're not in England any more." Looks like French. If I didn't know better, I'd say we were in France or something. Anyway, since there's a path to the east, might as well explore it. >e Bohemia Flats occupied by starving-but-noble artists can be romantic and stylish despite the squalor. This one, however, is simply a one-room hovel, caked with paint, littered with brushes and improvised easels, and you can't help standing on tiptoe here. One whole wall is an Impressionist mural painting of lilies on a pond. Let's take a look at that mural. >examine mural The bottom corner is signed simply "Helene". Helene, eh? I wonder who that could be? But for now, let's head back to the street. >w Shadowy Hallway >s Unreal City Drifting through the streets from some distant bar comes the sound of one of Scott Joplin's newfangled piano pieces, accompanying song settings from "Romeo and Juliet". All right, which way to go now, east or west? I'll explore both next time, but which one should I explore first? All right, we're in the Unreal City. Which way to go from here, east, west, or north? Unexplored paths: East from Cellars. West from Cellars. North from Dark Shaft. East from Unreal City. West from Unreal City. Puzzles: Deciding what color daisy chain I want. Finding a new battery for the torch. Finding out the purpose of the word "lagach." Inventory: A chicken wishbone A romantic novel (Coronets for the Cotton Girl, by Marie Swelldon) A bird whistle Some old gardener's gloves (being worn) A canvas rucksack (being worn, actually a bag of holding)
It is early morning on October 5th, 1922, and you are in the Unreal City. You have so far scored 24 out of a possible 550, in 200 turns, giving you the rank of seasoned Tourist. Maps Meldrew Hall, attic: Code:
e-c-b-h
/| |
X j a-d
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f
\ |
k-g-l
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n-i m
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o
a=Attic (down to game over)
b=Old Winery
c=Aunt Jemima's Lair (wireless)
d=Servant's Room (scarf)
e=Potting Room (Aunt Jemima)
f=Old Furniture (wrapping paper)
g=Over the East Wing
h=Storage Room (wheel with handle, dumbwaiter leading to Cellar)
i=Disused Observatory (glass ball on telescope stand,
smoke detector)
j=Airing Cupboard
k=Dark Room
l=East Annexe (dark cupboard which I need a new battery in my torch to enter)
m=Dead End
n=Library Storage
o=Souvenirs Room
X=game over
Code:
-a- | a=Cellars (robot mouse, dumbwaiter to Dark Shaft) Code:
| a a=Dark Shaft (dumbwaiter to Storage Room) Code:
b-c | -a- a=Unreal City (you are here) b=Shadowy Hallway c=Bohemia Missed the point entirely: 5 (irritated Aunt Jemima by trying to steal her gardening gloves, gave up on the search, broke a pipe and had to call a plumber, lectured by Aunt Jemima for four hours, burned down most of the attic) Total: 5 Last edited by Kahran042; 02-17-2012 at 08:22 PM. Reason: Fixing puzzle list. |