In this game, you play as Sir Rodney Playfair who is secretly the notorious gentleman thief called "The Magpie". It would delight you to unburden Lord Hamcester of his extremely valuable Egyptian jewelled scarab and a chance overheard discussion has provided you with an opportunity. You shall visit Bunkham Hall disguised as the noted psychiatrist, Doctor Cornelius Drake, supposedly to treat the Lord's adled brother-in-law who is suffering from delusions.
This solution is by David Welbourn, and is based on Release 5 of the game.
SPOILERS AHEAD. Reading a walkthrough prematurely can sometimes diminish one's enjoyment of an interactive fiction game. Please make an honest effort to play the game before reading this walkthrough.
The first time you go south from the Lawn, you tumble into the Ha-Ha. Afterwards, you hop over it.
Travel between the gravel sweeps and the balconies is best done via the ladder.
The door between the Landing and the Old Nursery never opens.
I'm sure there are bathrooms and a kitchen and servant quarters somewhere in the house, but they are so utterly beneath the Magpie's notice that they are omitted from the geography completely.
Walkthrough
Lord Hamcester's Study
> say no.(You read the telegram.)
> ask about sensitive matter.
> ask about major —or— ask about lady.
You're to pretend you're Hermes Perroquet, your arch-rival, in front of the Lady. The Lord doesn't want his wife to know he's called a loony-doctor to check out her brother.
> x clipping.(of Lord winning comp for a sixth year)
> x photograph.(of Lord as Pirate King in a black beard)
> x watercolour.(of Bunkham Hall by the Lord; it sticks out a bit)
> x pamphlet.(He won't let you read it.)
> s.
Library
We'll explore the house and grounds quite a bit first before knuckling down and solving its puzzles.
> x floor. x books. g. g.
> take psychology. read book. g. g. g.
> take newspaper. read it.(You read about the obsessive collector.)
> e.
Great Hall
You hear a commotion to the east.
> x escutcheon. e.
The Drawing Room
The Major is attacking a draught excluder with a poker.
> x excluder.(He swings it over his shoulder and leaves.)
> x armchairs. x ornaments. x cake. x pull.
> x amphora. x milkmaid. x cow.
> n.
Music Room
> x piano. open it. x strings.
> x table. x photograph.(You learn of the Jaroda pearls!)
> x gramophone. x Gazza. turn crank.
> x bed. x chair. x case. open case.(It's empty.)
> s. s.
Dining Room
> x table. x chairs. x cabinet.
> x rabbit. x unicorn. x shepherdess. x doves. x seal.
> w.
Saloon
Lady Hamcester welcomes you, "Monsieur Perroquet", to Bunkham Hall and bids you follow her to the west.
> x lady. w.
Collection Room
Someone's stolen the scarab already, but by someone in this house.
> x plinths. x booby. x bust.
> x case.(You learn you've lost your cigar case of tools.)
> x statuette. x creamer.
> e.
Saloon
> x carpet. x porcelain. x vase. x clown. x lamb.
> s.
Terrace
The Lady asks Hives, the butler, to take Pompon, the dog, upstairs.
> x brochure. x statues. x balustrade.
> ask lady about brochure. ask lady about lord.
> ask lady about major.(He suffered a shock in the Amazon.)
> ask lady about Hives. ask lady about dog.
> ask lady about scarab. ask lady about display case.
> ask lady about Leghorn.
> w.
Gravel Sweep West
You cannot climb the ivy.
> x bush. x balcony. x ivy.
> e. e.
Gravel Sweep East
> x balcony. s.
Shrubbery
> x flowers. x Amos.
> ask Amos about flowers.(You can't really talk to him.)
> w.
Lawn
> x man. x shears. x hedge. x archway.
> ask man about hedge. ask man about Leghorn.
> ask man about special ingredient.
> ask man about fertilizer.
> w.(Only the Lord and Amos are permitted in.)
> s.
Ha-Ha
> x banana. take it. s.
Park
The bull blocks your way to the orchard and its ladder.
> x bull. x cattle. x orchard. x ladder.
> e.
Yew Alley
> take banana. x door.(locked)
> s.(Perhaps the key will turn up later.)
> w. n. n. n. n. u.
Landing
You hear a struggle to the east.
> e.
East Gallery
> x earl. x portraits. n.
Major's Bedroom
> open wardrobe.(Major emerges, battling a coat, then leaves.)
> x wardrobe. take shoebox. open it.
> x scarab.(Alas, it's a fake. Prompted to show it to the Lady.)
> x blowpipe. take it.
> search cot.(You take a banana.)
> x souvenirs. x photograph.(Major with another man.)
> s. s.
Green Room
> x bed. x cabinet. open it. x bottle. take it.
> close cabinet. s.
East Balcony
> x Amos. x shrubbery. x park. x folly. x orchard.
> n. n. w.
Landing
> x window. x door.(painted shut.)
> w.
West Gallery
> x maid. x knob. x Brasso.
> ask Maude about knob. s.(She won't let you in.)
> n.
Lumber Room
> x furniture. g. x tapestries. x candlesticks.
> x curtains. open curtains. x trunk. open it.
> x record. take it. x beard. take it.
> search trunk.(You take a ruby ring.)
> x ring.
> s. e. d. s. s.
Terrace
> show scarab to lady.(The key to the case is in the Lord's breast pocket.)
> close shoebox.
> n. e.
Dining Room
Hives is setting the table. Note the red tablecloth.
> take tablecloth. g.(The Major demolishes the curio cabinet.)
> n.
The Drawing Room
> pull pull.(Hives leaves a tray.)
> x tray. x syphon. x decanter.
> put drop in whiskey. take tray.
> w. s. s. e. s.
Shrubbery
> give whiskey to Amos.(He keels over.)
> remove moustache. wear beard.(You now appear to be Amos.)
By the way, if you disguise yourself as Amos indoors, Hives finds you and instantly escorts you out to the terrace. You also cannot wear the moustache and beard simultaneously.
> w.
Lawn
Amusingly, since you couldn't understand the real Amos, no one can understand you as "Amos" either.
> ask man about cucumber. w.
Kitchen Garden
> x frame. x cucumber. open frame.
> break frame.(If you could dampen the sound...)
> x beds —or— x vegetables.
> e. s.
Park
> wave tablecloth.(The bull charges into the saloon; the cloth is gone.)
> w.
Orchard
> take ladder. e. n. n. w.
Gravel Sweep West
> drop ladder. u.
West Balcony
> put drop in blowpipe. n.
Blue Room
> shoot dog with blowpipe. take pearls. x pearls.
> x bed. x table. x fireplace. x curtains.
> x elephant. x shepherdess. x infant. x horse.
> e.
Old Nursery
> x painting. x doll. x plaque. x horse.("Rosebud")
> w. s. d.
Gravel Sweep West
> take ladder. e. e.
Gravel Sweep East
> drop ladder.
> remove beard. wear moustache.
> u. n. n. w. d. w. n.
Lord Hamcester's Study
> take pamphlet. take watercolour.
You discover a safe behind the watercolour requiring a six-letter word. The saloon has gone quiet.
> drop watercolour.(You put it back.)
> x pamphlet.(The Lord returns.)
After the Lord speaks his mind, he's in no mood for questions.
> s. e. s.
Saloon
You don't have to break the vase or lamb, but c'mon, you know you want to.
> x vase. x lamb. break vase. break lamb.
> e.
Dining Room
> x silverware. x cabinet.
> w. s.
Terrace
> ask lady about bull.
> go to music.
Music Room
> take gazza. put maraca on gramophone.
> turn crank.(The Major rushes in with a mace. He finds nothing in the piano; leaves.)
> s.
The Drawing Room
> pull pull. ask Hives about Maude. ask Hives about Hives.
> ask Hives about Major. ask Hives about Woodcock.
> ask Hives about Amos. ask Hives about Boyle.
> ask Hives about bull. ask Hives about dog.
> ask Hives about cucumber. ask Hives about competition.
> ask Hives about Leghorn.
> go to study.
Lord Hamcester's Study
> spray Lord with soda. take key.
> go to collection.
Collection Room
> unlock case with key.(The Lady arrives.)
> tell lady about soda.
> ask lady about Woody.(Learn the snake that ate him was in a piano.)
The Lady puts the fake scarab into the case.
> ask lady about revenge.
The Lady grabs the key, locks the case. She'll claim she found the key on the dresser. You should dress for dinner. She leaves for the terrace.
> e. s.
Terrace
Hives regets that dinner will be delayed indefinitely. He offers bread and treacle, but the Major attacks the wasps and the treacle is spilled.
> x wasps. x treacle. ask lady about treacle.
> put newspaper in treacle.(Get a treacly news sheet.)
> go to music.
Music Room
> take case.
> go to shrubbery.
Shrubbery
> remove mustache. wear beard.
> w. w.
Kitchen Garden
> put sheet on frame. break frame.(Yes!)
> put cucumber in case.(Auto-closing the case.)
> e. e.
Shrubbery
Switch from "Amos" to "Drake" before entering the house.
> remove beard. wear mustache.
> go to music.
Music Room
> open piano. open case. put cucumber in piano.
> close piano.(Can't, but it doesn't matter.)
> turn crank.(The Major destroys piano and cuke, singing.)
> x Major.(One of the few times he's stayed still long enough to examine!)
Major regains his senses. Then the Lord enters. The Major leaves.
> z.(You suggest the Lord lie down on the couch.)
> ask earl about doll.("Myrtle!" he cries, before sleeping.)
> go to study.
Lord Hamcester's Study
> take watercolour. spin dial to myrtle.
> take scarab.(You put the feather in its place.)
> close safe. drop watercolour.
> s.
Library
> e.(uh-oh)
The real Hermes Perroquet has arrived, looking for the gorilla. The Lady disbelieves him, and slams the front door in his face.
> e. s. s.
Terrace
The Lady and Major are both here. The Lady tells you about the imposter.
> z.(The Lady mentions gorillas, and Major fishes out a large iron key and dashes to the folly.)
> go to yew.
Yew Alley
Major unlocks the folly and steps in.
> s.
The Folly
The gorilla complaining about his head asks who you are. You say you're Perroquet on the trail of the 'Magpie'. The gorilla, incredulous, asks if you think he's the 'Magpie'.
> yes.(He's actually Leghorn, trying to find out about Lord's cucumber.)
> x can.
> tell Leghorn about cucumber.
You also tell him the Hall is surrounded. Leghorn can't leave as a gorilla or as himself. Now what?
> give beard to Leghorn.(He unzips the gorilla suit, dons the beard, and leaves. The Major leaves too.)
> take gorilla suit. take banana.
> put gorilla in case.(You auto-close the case.)
> go to great hall.
Great Hall
> n.
Drive
> remove moustache.
> open case. wear gorilla.
> n.
Country Lane
Perroquet is here. With him is Constable Cramp with a tranquiliser gun, who fumbles it when he sees you.
> w.
Cramp shoots you and you wake up in...
> SPACESPACE
Gorilla Enclosure
> i.(The kid stabs you with a long stick.)
> take stick.(The kid's head gets stuck in the railings.)
> x kid. take gum.(He runs away, dropping something.)
> look. put gum on stick.
> take case.(using the stick.)
> open case. x cigars. close case.
> push catch. unlock door.(with the set of lockpicks)
> remove gorilla suit. out.(locking the cage behind you)
You view several few clippings from the Magpie's secret cuttings book which tell you what happened next for nearly everyone involved.
*** THE END ***
Extras
Characters
Sir Rodney Playfair, alias "The Magpie", is the player-character and a notorious gentleman thief.
Lord Hamcester, aka Emerick Abercorn Welsummer, ninth Earl of Hamcester, is in his study, attempting to write a speech.
Lady Hamcester, aka Lady Alicia Buff-Orpington-Welsummer, Countess of Hamcester, is usually resting on the terrace.
Major Hilary Buff-Orpington, the Lady's brother, is having delusions of still being in the Amazon. He's attacking various things as if they were dangerous animals, particularly snakes.
Wilfred Hives, the butler, unflappably does his duties regardless of any chaos. He can be summoned by pulling the rope pull in the drawing room.
Amos Bunyon, the head gardener, is tending to the shrubbery. His dark beard makes him look like a pirate, and his speech is unintelligible.
Harry Boyle, the under-gardener, guards the archway to the kitchen garden.
Maude, the maid, is polishing the doorknob to the Lady's bedroom for an extraordinarily long time.
Pompon, a dog, doesn't like you very much. The feeling is mutual. The Lady has Pompon moved from the terrace into her bedroom after you arrive.
Sparkenhoe, a bull in the park, blocks your way into the orchard.
A herd of longhorn cattle can also be seen in the park.
Some wasps are attracted to the treacle in the terrace.
Hermes Perroquet, your arch-nemesis, is a famous Belgian detective on your trail. Lord Hamcester asks you, "Dr Drake", to pretend to be Perroquet in front of the Lady.
Constable Cramp, of Scotland Yard, is assisting Perroquet.
Sir Humphrey Leghorn is Lord Hamcester's rival in an annual cucumber-growing competition.
A snot-nosed kid on the platform at Paddington stole your cigar case. You re-encounter this boy at the zoo.
Mentioned contemporaries:
Doctor Cornelius Drake is a noted psychiatrist and alienist whom you are impersonating by wearing a ginger moustache.
Miss Henshaw is Drake's secretary.
Lady Ponsonby was your victim last week; you stole her diamond stomacher.
Bongo the gorilla recently escaped the London Zoo.
Reginald "Bunty" Bunting is a friend of the Major's.
Cyril 'Woody' Woodcock, a close companion of the Major's, was eaten by a snake in the Amazon.
A slim and sensitive looking man is in a photograph with the Major. I'm unsure if this is Bunting or Woodcock.
Mrs Croup is the housekeeper at Bunkham Manor.
Mentioned historicals:
The eighth Earl, Lord Hamcester's father, is portrayed in a portrait in the east gallery.
Gioachino Rossini wrote La Gazza Ladra, a two-act melodramma about a cunning magpie.
Gertrude Booby won the cucumber competition four years running in the 1870s. The Booby Prize is named after her.
Fritz Leiber (Sr.) is the American actor who played Julius Caesar in the 1917 film 'Cleopatra'.
Mary Queen of Scots once slept in the Lord's bed.
Señor Carlos Cordorniz composed the Maraca Medley.
The fourth Earl had Bunkham Hall remodelled in 1768 by Robert Addams. Robert Adam was talented; Robert Addams was not.
Credits
This is the response to CREDITS:
Credits Alias 'The Magpie' was written by me, J. J. Guest, between 2007 and 2018, using Inform 7.
I would like to thank my beta-testers, Mike Carletta, Brian Rushton (Mathbrush), Małgorzata Reczko (Luel), Hanon Ondricek, Neil Butters, Peter Mattsson, Laura R. King and Duncan Bowsman. I would also like to thank those early testers who, back in 2015, gave advice, encouragement and feedback when my willpower was failing and the project was foundering: Hugo Labrande, Hanon Ondricek, Neil Butters, Emily Short, Caleb Wilson and Jason Dyer.
The beautiful cover art is by Mads Weidner.
On Sunday, September 16th 2018, we presented Alias "The Magpie": The Case of the Bearded Victoria, an improvised immersive theatre event to celebrate the completion of the game. I would like to thank the improvisers who starred alongside myself as the 'Magpie': Liam Brennan (Wilbur Quail), Miriam Hall (Lady Hamcester), Greg Davies (Major Hilary Buff-Orpington) and Kevin O'Brien (Constable Cramp). Thanks also to Laura Barber for graphic design on the promotional postcards, and to Tamsin Bowles for printing them. Most of all I would like to thank the tireless Laura R. King for organising the event.
Alias 'The Magpie' is dedicated to Laura Barber, the cream in my coffee, and to Laura R. King, the best friend a boy could have.
Alias 'The Magpie' took first place, overall, and first place, Miss Congeniality, in the 24th Annual Interactive Fiction Competition (2018). I would like to thank everyone who played, enjoyed and voted for my game, the competition organisers, and my fellow competitors for making the competition such a wonderful experience. Thanks also to Martin Höfler and Jack Welch, who both volunteered annotated transcripts which were instrumental in creating this new, improved, post-comp version.
You never need to remove your tweed suit and you can conveniently ignore it.
your monogrammed cigar case. It was in the secret pocket of your suit, but a child stole it. It contained all your lockpicks.
When in the gorilla enclosure, you re-encounter the kid. When you take the stick and the gum, he runs away and drops your case.
Put the gum on the stick. Now you can take your case.
Push the catch on the case to open it, then unlock the door of the enclosure using the lockpicks that are in the case.
a black and white feather. It's in the secret pocket of your suit.
You can ignore the feather, even though it's your signature calling card. When you take the true scarab from the study's safe, you automatically put the feather in its place.
a ginger moustache. You're wearing it.
While you wear the moustache, you appear to be Doctor Cornelius Drake.
When changing disguises (see beard, gorilla suit), you must remove the moustache first.
a telegram. You're carrying it. You nicked it from the real Drake back in the Dionysus Club.
At the very beginning of the game, if you SAY NO, admitting that you haven't read the telegram yet, you read the telegram then. Of course, you can read the telegram at any time.
The telegram tells you that Lord Hamcester wants Dr Cornelius to do something about his mad brother-in-law, who thinks he's exploring the Congo.
a book entitled Psychology To-day. Find it by examining the library books three times.
Read the book several times; each time you read a random chapter. You're interested in only three chapters.
Chapter 5: The Psychology of the Obsessive Collector — The loss of a "security blanket" as a child can lead to obsessive collecting later in life. This applies to Lord Hamcester.
Chapter 11: The Psychology of the Kleptomaniac — He steals for the thrill, to escape the monotony of wealth. This applies to you.
Chapter 14: Catharsis — Recreating a traumatic event, allowing the patient to alter the outcome, releases pent-up negative energies. This applies to the Major.
today's edition of the Times. This newspaper is on the library's armchair.
Read it to learn that an escaped gorilla is on the loose.
On the terrace, put the newspaper in the treacle to get a treacly news sheet.
a contrabassoon case. It's in the music room and empty.
In the kitchen garden, after breaking the frame (see sheet), put the cucumber into the contrabasson case. You auto-close the case.
In the music room, put the cucumber into the piano and re-close the lid.
two gramophone records.
La Gazza Ladra is already in the gramophone in the drawing room.
Maraca Medley is in the trunk in the lumber room. Find the trunk by opening the curtains there.
Take Gazza from the gramophone and put Maraca in its place. After putting the cucumber into the piano, turn the gramophone's crank. This summons the Major, who destroys both the cucumber and the piano before regaining his senses. Also, when the Lord sees his prize cucumber destroyed, he regresses into childhood.
four bananas.
One banana is in the ha-ha.
One banana is in the yew alley.
One banana is found by searching the cot in the Major's bedroom.
One banana is in the folly.
You don't need any of the bananas.
an Amazonian blowpipe. It's in the Major's bedroom.
Put a knockout drop in the blowpipe, then, in the Blue Room, shoot the dog with the blowpipe. Now you can take the pearls.
a shoebox. It's in the Major's bedroom's wardrobe.
a false beard. It's in the trunk in the lumber room. Find the trunk by opening the curtains.
After Amos is knocked out by the drugged whiskey, you can wear the beard to impersonate Amos. Take the moustaches off first. The disguise will let you enter the kitchen garden.
In the folly, give the beard to Leghorn. He removes and drops the gorilla suit, then dons the beard and leaves.
a Georgian ruby ring. Acquire it by searching the (open) trunk in the lumber room. Find the trunk by opening the curtains.
The ring is a treasure! Just keep it.
a red velvet tablecloth. It's on the dining room table, but not until after you find the Major inside his wardrobe.
Try to take the tablecloth twice. You succeed on the second attempt.
In the park, wave the tablecloth. The bull charges past you and into the saloon, taking the cloth with him.
a silver tray. Hives leaves it on the drawing room table when you pull the rope pull.
The tray has a syphon and decanter of whiskey on it. You're more interested in them than the tray itself.
In the music room, put the cucumber into the piano and re-close the lid. Turn the crank on the gramophone when the Maraca Melody record is on it; the Major appears and destroys the cucumber. Dramatically, the Major regains his senses while the Lord regresses into his troubled childhood.
an ancient Egyptian jewelled scarab (A Cheops of the Fourth Dynasty). It's in the study's safe behind the watercolour.
After the cucumber is destroyed, ask the Lord about the doll to learn her name was Myrtle.
This is the combo to the safe in the Lord's study; spin the safe's dial to MYRTLE to unlock it.
a gorilla suit. The gorilla in the folly is actually Leghorn wearing a gorilla suit.
Give the beard to Leghorn. He removes and drops the suit, then dons the beard and leaves.
On the Drive, wear the gorilla suit and try to go to town. Cramp shoots you and you wake in a zoo's gorilla enclosure.
After you unlock the cage with your lockpicks, remove the gorilla suit and leave the enclosure.
a large can of Radium Brand Fertilizer. It's in the folly.
You don't need the can yourself, but you probably want to take it to read the can, and then to tell Leghorn about the fertilizer.
a long, sharp stick. When you're in the gorilla enclosure, a snot-nosed kid stabs you with the stick. Take it from him.
Put the gum on the stick, creating a long, sharp stick, primed with bubblegum. Now you can take the cigar case with the stick.
a chewed-up wad of bubblegum. The snot-nosed kid at the gorilla enclosure has it in his mouth. After you take the stick, the kid's head is stuck in the railings and his screaming mouth and gum are within reach.
