You can die of hunger in this game. You'll start to get hungry at turn 200, and you'll die at turn 240 without food. I suggest fishing early in the game to create a stockpile of fish you can eat later.
You'll get hungry and also sleepy at turn 400. The only place to sleep is on the bed in the cottage: LIE ON BED first, then SLEEP.
There's also inventory limits on how many items you can carry and how much total weight you can carry, so you'll want to discard items you don't need, especially if they're heavy items. And if you can wear an item, do so.
The randomness in this game makes it difficult to know when certain events will happen or know how long certain tasks will take. The worst part is waiting for the wizard to turn into a rabbit and if anyone knows any way to make that event happen sooner, please let me know!
Part 1: Beginning the Quest: Lake, Raven, and Dragon
Would you like instructions ? yes
At the Big Lake
You don't have to "cheat", but you are looking at a walkthrough and it doesn't hurt to do this right away.
> yagwad.(You now have five extra UNDO chances in case of death.)
You find the rope the second time you swim.
> x me. i.(Empty-handed.)
> x lake. x mountains. x trees.
> swim. x seaweed. swim.(+5; rope found)
> x rope. pull rope. x raft.
Explore a bit first before using the raft:
> w.
By the volcano
> x dragon. x rock. x sword. x lava. x craters. x sulphur.
> ask dragon about sword. ask dragon about sulphur.
> take sword.(It's stuck.)
> dragon, take sword.(He can't do it either.)
> e. e.
A green field
The riverside to the east has nothing useful; you can skip going there.
> x harpoon. take it.
> x cottage. x trees. x garden. x forest.
> n.
Rocky cove
The raven sometimes flies here.
> x river. x oar. x rod. take oar. take rod.
> s. w.
At the Big Lake
> enter raft.
By the lakeshore
> n.
Out on the lake
You want to stockpile some fish in case you need to eat later.
> fish. fish. look.(repeat fishing and looking until you've caught three different fish.)
> x cod —or— x salmon —or— x trout.
> s. leave raft.
At the Big Lake
> drop rod.
> take cod. drop it.
> take salmon. drop it.
> take trout. drop it.
> enter raft. n. n.
Far out on the lake
> z.(Repeat waiting until you see a whale.)
> x whale.
IMPORTANT: It's VITAL that the rope is tied to both the harpoon and the raft. If you fiddled with the rope earlier, you might've unknowingly untied the rope from the raft and this is dangerous. If you throw the rope at the whale when it's only tied to the harpoon, you will die.
> take rope. tie rope to harpoon. tie rope to raft.
> throw harpoon at whale.(+5)
A sandy beach
All your possessions are lost in the crash.
CAUTION: The berries are poisonous. Don't eat them.
CAUTION: The fog is also dangerous. If you spend too many turns on the beach, it will eventually reach you, then force you to hallucinate monsters until you kill yourself.
> x lake. x fog. x sand. x trees.
> x vegetation. x berries.
> climb trees.
Up in a palm tree
You don't need the egg.
> x nest. x egg. x emerald.
> take emerald.
> d.(You discover a shovel!)
A sandy beach.
> x shovel. take it.
> dig sand with shovel.(+5. You find a helmet.)
> x helmet. take it. wear it.(You are invisible.)
You must be invisible to go north from the beach; arrows fire at you otherwise.
> n.
By the waterfall
CAUTION: If you take the bag, and the helmet isn't on the rock, you die.
CAUTION: If you enter the river with the helmet, you die.
> x bag.(Endless bag of Sulphur!)
> put helmet on rock. take bag.
> x waterfall —or— x river.
> enter river.(+5. You are carried to the cove; you lose the shovel.)
Rocky cove
> s. w. w.
By the volcano
> give bag to dragon.(+5)
> e.
At the Big Lake
Take just one of your fish. The other two are insurance, just in case you need them later.
> take cod.
> e. s.
By the cottage
The raven flies off soon after you meet it, but will fly back. It also seems to have throat problems.
> x raven. give emerald to raven.(It drops the key.)
> take key. x key. x door.
> x images. x lion. x ring.
> unlock door with key. drop key. s.(+5)
Part 2: Secrets in the Cottage: Cobra and Gargoyle
In the cottage
> x mantelpiece. x coin. take it.
> x furnace. open it.(Empty; a button turns it on and off.)
> x bed. look under bed. x bowl.(It has a ring mark.)
> put coin in bowl. put bowl in furnace.
> push button. x bowl. take ring.(Too hot to take.)
> push button. z. z.(It should now be cool enough.)
> take gold ring. wear it.(+5. Magic passage south seen.)
> x window. x shelf.
> x red book. read it.(+5. Something falls out; learn of Surtur.)
> look. x necklace.(Crucifix with "YAW YHT MA I".)
> take necklace. wear it.
> x green book. read it.(One page of dragon "Draka" with "Sulper".)
> x flute. take it.
> s.
Large cave
> x cobra. play flute.(+5. Cobra sleeps.)
> drop flute. s.
Small cavern
The telescope only works in a few locations and not here. But the telescope and compass aren't really helpful, so leave them here.
> x lamp. take it.
> x desk. x telescope. look through it.
> x compass. g.(It changes direction?)
> push button.(Lamp is now lit.)
> s.
Passageway
> x symbols. x statue. x crown.
When you take the crown, the gargoyle animates!
> take crown. wear crown.
> n. n. n. n. n. w. w.
By the volcano
> take sword.(+5)
> e. e. s. s. s. s. s.
Passageway
> kill gargoyle with sword.(+5)
> s.
Narrow passage
> x liquid. smell it. listen.(Wind in trees to south?)
> drop lamp. push button.(Fire! Go!)
> n.(+5; boom!)
Passageway
> s.
Canyon ledge
> z.(Wait repeatedly until dragon appears and makes his offer.)
> climb dragon.(+5)
Part 3: Across the Canyon: Wizard, Skeleton, and Fire Demon
On top of the cliff
The dragon will fly you across the canyon from now on. I have no idea what the sign means.
I'm going to assume you're peckish by now, so eat the cod. If you're not peckish, eat it later when you are.
> eat cod.
> read sign.("Sallied flesh too too melt - NE GE EINSTIEK")
> x plate. x shack. x door.
> x garden. x plants. x carrot. take carrot.
> move plate. x hole. x light.
CAUTION: Entering the hole is deadly.
> knock on door. knock on door.(The door opens.)
> e.
Inside the shack
Examine things or just wait until the wizard turns into a rabbit. If you get peckish while waiting, eat one of your fish!
Note: You may be waiting quite a bit longer than seems reasonable to wait. I suspect that the wizard won't turn into a rabbit until after turn 200, just to make sure you eat something, and perhaps trying to trick you into eating the carrot? But I can't prove that the game works that way. And I don't know of any way to speed this part up so the wizard becomes a rabbit sooner.
> x wizard. x wand. x silver ring. x lion.
> x candlesticks. x paintings. look.
> z.(Continue to wait.)
Once he's a rabbit:
> show carrot to rabbit. w.(The rabbit follows you.)
On top of the cliff
> put carrot in hole.(The rabbit jumps into the hole.)
> look in hole. take wand.(+5)
> x rabbit.
> e.
Inside the shack
The wealth was all illusion. You see a switch on the south wall.
> x switch. pull switch.(It pops back up again.)
> look. x trapdoor. d. d. d.
Cathedral entrance
Take the apple in case you get peckish again.
> x apple. take apple. x plants.
> x doorway. x drawings.(God-image with glowing staff.)
> x writings.("Only the humble shall enter / Beware the wrath of Yahweh")
> s.
Dusty passageway
> duck.(Machete misses you.)
> s.
The bottomless pit
If the bridgekeeper is ignoring you, you can look around a bit until he talks to you:
> x bridge. ask keeper about holy grail. x keeper.
> s.(Keep trying until he starts questioning you.)
And now for something borrowed from Monty Python; the questions may be worded slightly differently:
"Tell me what you seek, stranger..." holy grail
"Dare you accept the challenge...?" yes
"What... is your name...?" Arthur
"What... is your favourite colour...?" blue(+5)
Yeah, you're cool. Go on through.
> s. s.
Eternal bridge
> z.(Wait until a skeleton appears.)
> x skeleton. show necklace to skeleton.
> hit skeleton with necklace.
> z.(+5)
> s. u.
A small cave.
> x well.("Well of the Fire Demon")look in well.
> x altar. x orb. x cloth.
> x tome. read tome.(Say the Fire Demon's name three times to summon him.)
> look through opening.
> d. e.
The grail chamber
> x guardian. x old sword. x armour.
> x grails. x tile. x hole.
> ask guardian about holy grail.
> ask about knight.(Nikolaj.)
> ask about tile. ask about Surtur.
> ask about armour. ask about old sword.
> ask about Excalibur. ask about wand.
> ask about orb.(On the demon's death, it will light the way to eternal youth.)
> w. u.
A small cave.
> take cloth. x orb.
> save.
> Surtur. Surtur. Surtur.(+5. He arrives and attacks you!)
Hit the demon with the wand and the sword on alternate turns! Repeat the cycle seven times (or more) until he's dead!
> hit demon with wand. hit demon with sword.
> hit demon with wand. hit demon with sword.
> hit demon with wand. hit demon with sword.
> hit demon with wand. hit demon with sword.
> hit demon with wand. hit demon with sword.
> hit demon with wand. hit demon with sword.
> hit demon with wand. hit demon with sword.(+5)
Hopefully he's dead by now.
> x demon. x orb.(Leave the orb on the altar!)
> d. e.
The grail chamber
> put wand in hole.
With the orb on the altar providing light and the wand in the hole, the light indicates one specific wooden grail.
> take grail.(+10)
******CONGRATULATIONS******
Extras
Characters
A huge black dragon is by the volcano. He eats sulphur. You can talk to him, and if you do him a favour, he'll repay your kindness later.
A raven is by the cottage, carrying the black key. It flies around a bit.
A whale swims far out on the lake. It's big and can either help you or hurt you, so be careful.
A cobra snake blocks your way in the large cave.
A gargoyle statue can animate in the passageway if you dare take its crown.
The wizard, who sometimes turns himself into a rabbit, lives in a shack on the south side of the canyon. He seems to specialize in illusion and speaks another language you don't understand.
The keeper of the bridge questions you at the bottomless pit. Answer his questions to his satisfaction and he'll let you pass.
A skeleton will menace you on the eternal bridge. Although it never actually attacks you, you must defeat it before you can leave the bridge.
The fire demon, Surtur, Ruler of Muspelheim, can be summoned by saying his name three times in the presence of the uncovered orb on his altar in the small cave.
The guardian of the grail is in the grail chamber. He is Nikolaj the knight and has guarded the grail for 400 years.
Endings
You have died
if you die of hunger (at turn 240, usually).
if the whale drags you into the water.
if you take the Endless Bag of Sulphur from the rock by the waterfall without putting something heavy like the helmet on the rock first.
if you eat the poisonous red berries found on the sandy beach's bushes.
if you stay too long on the sandy beach north of the lake (the fog turns you mad).
if you enter the waterfall while carrying or wearing the helmet.
if you try climbing the cliff at the canyon ledge.
if you enter the hole under the metal plate; something makes you fall asleep permanently.
if you don't duck in the dusty passageway between the cathedral entrance and the bottomless pit.
if you try to "jump the pit" from the eternal bridge.
if the fire demon kills you in battle.
if you try twice to take a random grail in the grail chamber.
CONGRATULATIONS
if you find and take the holy grail.
Note also that if you swim twice at Riverside, you're trapped holding onto a small rock in the river, unable to act. You can't even UNDO from there.
Inventory
In the approximate order you'll find them:
a harpoon. Found in a green field. When on the raft, tie the rope to the harpoon and throw the harpoon at the whale when far out on the lake. The whale will drag you to a sandy beach. Unfortunately, the raft and all your possessions will be lost in this maneuver.
a wooden oar. Found in rocky cove. You will need the oar to propel the raft.
a fishing rod. Found in rocky cove. Use the rod to fish when on the raft out on the lake or far out on the lake. You'll be able to catch at least four fish (cod, halibut, salmon, trout).
a rope. Find it first by swimming twice at the big lake. Pull the rope to find the raft. Enter the raft. Once on the raft, you can take the rope into your inventory. Tie it to the harpoon, then throw the harpoon at the whale to finish crossing the lake.
a trout, a salmon, a cod, and a halibut. Fish at out on the lake (or far out on the lake) to find these fish. You can eat them, but you should wait until you're hungry.
a small egg. In the nest up in a palm tree. You can eat it, but it won't sate your hunger. If you break it, it's wasted. Fortunately, you don't need the egg.
an emerald. In the nest up in a palm tree. Give it to the raven and it'll drop the black key.
a shovel. Climb down from the palm tree to find it at a sandy beach. Dig in the sand with it at a sandy beach to find a helmet. The shovel will be lost when you enter the river.
a helmet. Dig the sand with the shovel at a sandy beach to find it. When you wear it, you are invisible; you'll need to wear it to go north of the sandy beach. Put the helmet on the rock by the waterfall; the helmet is heavy enough to then let you take the bag safely. CAUTION: Do not enter the river/waterfall with the helmet; you'll end up killing yourself.
berries. On the vegetation at a sandy beach. Don't eat them; they're poisonous. Just ignore them.
a bag. On the rock by the waterfall. Put the helmet on the rock, then take the bag. Give the bag to the dragon by the volcano. The dragon will later repay this kindness by offering to carry you back and forth across the canyon.
a black key. The raven is carrying it. Give the emerald to the raven; it'll take the gem and drop the key. It unlocks the door to the cottage.
a gold coin. Found on the mantelpiece in the cottage. Put the coin in the bowl.
a bowl. Found by looking under the bed in the cottage. Put the gold coin in the bowl. Put the bowl into the cottage's furnace, then push the button to melt the gold coin into a gold ring.
a flute. Found on the shelf in the cottage. Play it in the large cave to make the cobra fall asleep.
a red book. Found on the shelf in the cottage; it's "Witchcraft". Read it; the necklace will fall out.
a green book. Found on the shelf in the cottage; it's "Creatures of the Realm". Read it.
a necklace. Find it by reading the red book; the necklace falls out. You can wear it. The necklace has a crucifix; its script reads "i am thy way" backwards. Hit the skeleton on the eternal bridge with the necklace to defeat it and restore the bridge to normal.
a gold ring. Make it by melting the gold coin in the bowl in the furnace in the cottage. Wearing the gold ring reveals a secret passage south in the cottage.
a lamp. It's in the small cavern. You can turn it on by pushing its button, but pushing its button again only produces sparks. Note that you need to be able to see the button in order to push it; you can't turn the lamp on in the dark. Drop the lit lamp by the smelly liquid in the narrow passage and push the button; this will start a fire, consuming the lamp. Head north, and hear an explosion that turns "Narrow passage" into "Canyon ledge".
a telescope. It's on the desk in the small cavern. You can look through it at a small number of locations (at the big lake, canyon ledge, on top of the cliff). You don't need the telescope, though.
a compass. It's on the desk in the small cavern. It points to random directions. It's useless.
a carrot. It's in the vegetable garden on top of the cliff. You can eat it, but don't; it tastes bad. Instead, show it to the rabbit in the shack and lure it outside and put the carrot into the hole. The rabbit will hop into the hole and die. You can then take the wizard's wand from the hole and take back the carrot too. Once the wizard/rabbit is dead, it's safe to eat the carrot when you're peckish.
a crown. Worn by the gargoyle statue at passageway. Take the crown; the gargoyle will come to life, blocking the way south. Wear the crown and go back to the volcano and take Excalibur. Then return here and kill the gargoyle with the sword.
Excalibur. This magic sword is stuck in a rock by the volcano; you'll need to be wearing the crown in order to pull it out. Kill the gargoyle with the sword. Later, the sword is vital in your battle with the fire demon Surtur; you need to repeatedly hit him with wand and Excalibur on alternate turns.
a wand. It's held by the wizard inside the shack. To get it, you'll need to kill the wizard by luring him to his doom with a carrot when he's in rabbit form; see carrot. The wand is vital in your battle with the fire demon Surtur; you need to repeatedly hit him with wand and Excalibur on alternate turns. After the demon is dead, put the wand in the hole of the tile in the grail chamber. The orb's light and the wand's placement will reveal the correct grail.
an apple. It's in the cathedral entrance. You may eat it to satisfy your hunger when you get peckish.
a cloth. On the orb on the altar in the small cave. Move or take the cloth so the orb is uncovered.
an orb. On the altar in the small cave. Move or take the cloth off it. The orb is Surtur's third eye. Leave the orb where it is on the altar. When the fire demon is dead, the orb (if also on the altar) will shine a beam of light through the wall opening into the grail chamber.
a black tome. On the altar in the small cave. Read it. It tells you that you need to say the demon's name three times to summon him.
Honorable mention:
the Holy Grail. It's one of the many grails in the grail chamber, but make sure you take the true grail or you'll die! The correct grail will be revealed by the orb's light after you defeat the fire demon Surtur (see Excalibur, wand, and orb). Taking the holy grail ends the game in victory.
Score
In a total of several turns, you have achieved a score of this-many points out of a possible 100.
5 points for finding the raft.
5 points for arriving at the sandy beach.
5 points for finding the helmet.
5 points for returning to the cove from the waterfall.
5 points for giving the bag of endless sulfur to the dragon.
5 points for entering the cottage for the first time.
5 points for wearing the ring in the cottage, revealing the magic passage south.
5 points for reading the red book.
5 points for putting the cobra to sleep.
5 points for obtaining Excalibur.
5 points for destroying the gargoyle.
5 points for surviving the explosion in the narrow passage.
5 points for riding the dragon the first time.
5 points for obtaining the wand.
5 points for answering the bridgekeeper's questions.
5 points for getting a complete bridge across the pit.