In this game, you play as the grandchild of Stradivarius. Your musical career begins when you find one of his violins. Ten years after retiring, you get a summons from the queen to perform. Now you must find the six elements, magical runic stones, to restore and enhance your talent.
This solution is by David Welbourn, and is based on Release 1 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.
You are asked for your name. I used my name, but feel free to enter any name you want. It doesn't matter.
>> David
>> yes
Living Room
> x novel. x chair.(both mention Stradivarius)
> x sofa. x stairs. d.
The Basement
> x cutlery box. x set.
> take cutlery box. u.
Living Room
> give box to Mother. d.
The Basement
> x chest. x desk. x parchment. read it.
> x rune box.
>> yes
>> Six. Six to rule. Six to bring back what has been lost.
You hear a click. The rune box is now unlocked.
> open rune box. take silver key.
> unlock chest with key. open chest.
> x violin. take it. x sheet music. take it.
You learn that Stardivarius is your grandfather. You learn to play the violin well, and retire at 30. Now 40, you receive a letter from the queen who wants you to play at a concert.
Bedroom
CAUTION: Do not PLAY your violin. You'll win the game far too soon and miss all the puzzles.
> x candle. x bed.
> i.(You still have your violin.)
> practice with violin.(You need to be better.)
Your friend, Catherine, shows up. I have no idea why she's in your home. She suggests collecting the elemental stones of music. One is in the strings shop and another is in the opera theatre.
> x Catherine.
> d. e. e. n.
String Shop
> x cello. play cello.
> x cellist. wave at cellist.
> ask cellist about elemental stone.
> x notepad. read it.
>> harmony
> i. x harmony.
> x hook. x key. take it. unlock door with key.
> ne.
Storage Room
Yes, you can just open the instrument cases right away instead of doing anything with Adelina and the gold chest, but I'm trying to do things properly.
> x Adelina.
>> yes
You learn that she has another elemental stone somewhere in this room.
> take gold key. unlock chest with gold key.
> open chest. x note. read note.(Open the case that provides melody.)
> open violin case. x melody. take it.
> open viola case. open cello case.(both empty)
> sw. s. s.
Opera House
> x desk. x painting.
> u.
Opera Theatre
> x singer. x piano.
> approach singer. ask singer about elemental stone.
She asks a riddle.
>> dynamics
Correct. She gives you the elemental stone of dynamics. (By the way, if you answer her riddle incorrectly twice, you belatedly remember about dynamics and change your second answer to that.)
> x dynamics.
> d. n. e. e. n.
Town Centre
> x road.
> x potatoes. x carrots. x peas. x Eloise.
> talk to Eloise. ask Eloise for peas.(You have no money.)
> x sword. x shield. x lance. x Tosser.
> talk to Tosser.
> x tunic. x cloak. x dress. x Bucky.
> talk to Bucky.
> e.
The Gathering
> x chunk. take it.
> x flautist. x sacbutist.
> talk to flautist.(has talisman)
> talk to sacbutist.(has necklace)
> w.
Town Centre
> ask Eloise about peas.(She offers all her food for the gold chunk.)
>> yes(You get the peas, carrots, and potatoes.)
> open peas.(A green crystal?)
> ask Tosser about shield.(He offers the lance for all your food.)
>> yes(You get the lance.)
> ask Bucky about cloak.(He offers the cloak for the lance.)
>> yes(You get the cloak.)
> e.
The Gathering
It is exceptionally difficult to phrase your request correctly here. You must ask FOR a magical item, not ABOUT. You must include THE in the item's name. And you must have the cloak.
> ask flautist for the talisman.(You trade the cloak for the elements of pitch and timbre.)
> x pitch. x timbre.
> w. s. s. w. n.
Tavern
> x tables. x stools. x bar. x lutist.
> talk to lutist. ask lutist about elemental stone.
He has the stone of articulation, and asks if you're familiar with the types of articulations?
>> no
He explains four dynamics: legato, staccato, accent, and marcato.
You now need to dance in correlation to his music. Ready?
>> yes
He plays a short, cut off tune.
>> staccato
Now an emphasized theme.
>> accent
Now a short and emphasized theme.
>> marcato
Now a smooth and flowing theme.
>> legato
He gives you his stone and wishes you good luck.
> x articulation.
> s. w. n. u.
The Backstage
> x box. open it. x letter. read it.
Alas, the magic won't work unless you phrase it exactly like the letter suggests:
> put the elemental stones into the box
> close box. z. z. z. z.
The magic activates. You now feel very prepared for the concert.
> w.
Concert Hall
> play violin.(+100)
*** You have won ***
Extras
Characters
Your mother asks you to fetch the good cutlery from the basement.
Catherine is a friend and fellow retired musician. She advises you to find the elemental stones.
A cellist is in the string shop. If you can answer the question on his notepad, he gives you his stone.
Adelina is in the shop's storage room. She's a violinist, the daughter of the cellist, and if you can find her stone in the storage room, you may take it.
An opera singer is singing in the opera theatre. Answer her riddle, and her stone is yours.
Eloise is the farmer in the town centre. She's selling potatoes, carrots, and peas.
Tosser is the blacksmith in the town centre. He's selling a shield, a lance, and a sword.
Bucky is the tailor in the town centre. He's selling a tunic, a cloak, and a dress.
A flautist is playing the flute in the gathering. He also has a glowing talisman.
A sacbutist is playing the sacbut in the gathering. He also has a glowing necklace.
A lutist is in the tavern. If you can prove you understand musical articulation through dance, he will give you his stone.
Guards are guarding the castle door, of course, but since you are an invited performer, they pose no obstacle to you.
An audience is eager to hear you play the violin in the concert hall.
Mentioned:
Antonio Stradivari (c. 1644 – 1737), called "Stradivarius" in this game, is a famous violin maker and your grandfather. See Antonio Stradivari at Wikipedia.
Queen Sarah Illonia had her advisor write to you, inviting you to perform in the royal castle.
Ferri, Farinelli, Senesino, and Pacchierotti are classical musicians who have portraits in the opera house.
A bartender and bar patrons are in the tavern.
Other performers are backstage.
Inventory
CAUTION: Don't drop anything you acquire. Many items, such as the element of dynamics and the goods in the town centre, are coded as "fixed in place", which means if you drop them, you can't ever pick them up again.
The Elements
You won't enter the castle unless you have all six elements. When backstage, put the elemental stones into the box (use that exact phrase), close the box, then wait four times to receive all the musical ability you need for the concert.
an element of harmony. In the string shop, examine the notepad, then answer "harmony" to obtain this element.
an element of melody. It's in the violin case in the string shop's storage room.
an element of dynamics. In the opera theatre, approach the opera singer, ask the singer about elemental stone, then answer "dynamics" to her riddle to obtain this element.
I note that on your second attempt to answer her riddle, if you answer incorrectly, you automatically change your answer to "dynamics" and earn the element.
an element of pitch and an element of timbre. The element of pitch is the talisman held by the flautist, and the element of timbre is the necklace held by the sacbutist; both musicians are in the "Gathering".
While carrying the cloak, ask either musician for either the talisman or the necklace. They gladly trade their stones for the cloak.
an element of articulation. The lutist in the tavern has it.
First, ask the lutist about elemental stone, then say "no", you are not familiar with the types of articulations (so you can learn what they are), then say "yes", you're ready to dance.
Answer "staccato", "accent", "marcato", then "legato", in that order to the dance prompts. When the dance sequence ends correctly, the lutist gives you his stone.
Keys
a silver key. It's in the rune box in the basement.
To unlock the rune box, examine it, then say "Six. Six to rule. Six to bring back what has been lost." (as suggested by the parchment). And yes, you must include the periods and not add excess spaces.
The silver key unlocks the chest in the basement.
a brass key. It's on the wooden hook in the string shop.
The brass key unlocks the wooden door in the string shop.
a gold key. It's on the shelf in the string shop's storage room.
The gold key unlocks the gold chest in the storage room.
Paper stuff
The only paper item that you ever need to pick up is the sheet music. Just read everything else.
a novel. It's in the living room.
You don't need the novel.
a parchment. It's on the desk in the basement.
Read it; it tells you how to unlock the rune box; see silver key.
a sheet music. It's in the locked chest in the basement; unlock the chest with the silver key.
Take both the violin and the sheet music to begin your musical career. The game jumps to thirty years later, after you've retired.
a note. It's in the locked gold chest in the string shop's storage room; unlock the chest with the gold key.
Read it to learn that Adelina's stone is in the case for the instrument associated with harmony, that is, the violin case.
a letter. It's in the enchanted box at backstage.
Read the letter to learn you must put the elemental stones into the box and wait.
Everything else
a cutlery box containing the cultery set. It's in the basement.
Take the box upstairs and give it to Mother. Feel free to skip this chore if you like.
a violin. It's in the locked chest in the basement; unlock the chest with the silver key.
Take both the violin and the sheet music to begin your musical career. The game jumps to thirty years later, after you've retired.
In the bedroom, practice with the violin. Catherine arrives and suggests finding the six elements.
In the concert hall, play the violin to win the game.
a candle. It's in your bedroom.
You don't need the candle.
a gold chunk. It's at the "gathering", unclaimed gold on a public street as if it were loose change.
At the town centre, while carrying the gold chunk, ask Eloise about the potatoes or carrots or peas. She offers to trade all her food for your gold chunk. Say "yes" and the trade is made.
Peas, Carrots, and Potatoes. They're on the farmer's stand in the town centre.
At the town centre, while carrying the gold chunk, ask Eloise about the potatoes or carrots or peas. She offers to trade all her food for your gold chunk. Say "yes" and the trade is made.
If you open the peas, you find a green crystal, but it's not implemented. It's just a strange non-sequitur in a game where magic is commonplace.
At the town centre, while carrying the potatoes, ask Tosser about the shield, lance, or sword. He offers to trade his lance for all your food. Say "yes" and the trade is made.
a Lance. It's on the blacksmith's stand in the town centre.
At the town centre, while carrying the potatoes, ask Tosser about the shield, lance, or sword. He offers to trade his lance for all your food. Say "yes" and the trade is made.
At the town centre, while carrying the lance, ask Bucky about the tunic, cloak, or dress. He offers to trade his cloak for your lance. Say "yes" and the trade is made.
a Cloak. It's on the tailor's stand in the town centre.
At the town centre, while carrying the lance, ask Bucky about the tunic, cloak, or dress. He offers to trade his cloak for your lance. Say "yes" and the trade is made.
While carrying the cloak, ask either musician for either the talisman or the necklace. They gladly trade their stones for the cloak; they are the element of pitch and the element of timbre.
Score
The response to SCORE is:
You have so far scored your-score out of a possible 100, in several turns.
Points are awarded as follows:
100 points for playing the violin in the concert hall. (Note: Because of a bug, you can win the game anywhere you have the violin.)
