The Erudition Chamber

solution

The Erudition Chamber was written in TADS 2 for the 9th Annual IF Competition, and is copyright © 2003 by Daniel T. Freas. This solution is by David Welbourn and is based on the competition release version.

[Basement]

You can stall, but that won't help you.

>info. credits.

>x guard. x door. x straps. touch door. x steps. u. x wall. xyzzy. plugh.

>ask guard about chamber. ask guard about ferret. ask guard about keep.

>ask guard about guard. ask guard about me.

>s.

[Chamber]

>x journal. read it. read one. read two. read three.

>x axe. x flask. x oil. x lamp. take all. x table. x mist. x archway.

>s.

[War Room]

This is the first and easiest challenge. Every challenge can be solved in four different ways, corresponding to the four Sects of the keep: Warrior, Artisan, Alchemist, and Seer. In each challenge, you'll probably want to look at everything first:

>x armor. x weapons. x tapestry. x door. x hinges.

The Warrior's solution:

>break door with axe. s.

The Artisan's solution:

>put oil on hinges. open door. s.

The Alchemist's solution:

>burn door. s.

The Seer's solution:

(Lodestone in the hidden passageway prevents you from keeping the axe.)

>move tapestry. w. drop axe. w.

[Antechamber]

You'll be greeted by one of the Maesters, and invited to read a book. Do so. You are then offered the choice to go west out of the Keep (which ends the game), or go east for the next test.

>x book. x maester. x desk. e.

[Gear Room]

The second challenge has four locations. We will explore them, then return to this room before solving it.

>x gears. x staircase. x pipe. x lift. x spring. x chain. u.

[Incomplete Staircase]

>d. e.

[Break Room]

>x table. read it. x stool. w. n.

[Pipe's End]

>x pipe. x tank. x valves. x meter. s.

[Gear Room]

Okay, we've explored. Let's get to it. (Note that, unless you're using the Seer's solution here, you can opt to drop everything just so you can take the stool into the next challenge instead.)

The Warrior's solution:

(If you don't have the axe, you can break the lift with the stool instead.)

>break lift with axe. u.

The Artisan's solution:

(You'll want to open each valve one at a time and examine the meter for each to learn that the valves provide pressure in the following amounts: 9, 1, 27, 8, 31, and 24. The number on the table in the Break Room was 42, and is the target pressure. Since 9+1+8+2=42, you'll want to open those valves to provide the correct pressure to the lift.)

>n. open valve one. open valve two. open four. open six. s. u.

The Alchemist's solution:

(Note that the chain isn't available until you've examined the lift.)

>pull chain. u.

The Seer's solution:

(The stool is heavy; you'll have to drop everything else.)

>e. drop all. take stool. w. u. drop stool. d. e. take all. w. u. u.

[Mirror Room]

The third challenge has five locations: this one, plus four that surround it. First, as before, we'll look, but not touch.

The following can only be learned through experimentation. Pulling the lever here turns the mirror ¼ turn clockwise, and also, because of the gear, rotates the surrounding four rooms clockwise around the Mirror Room. Pulling the lever in the Lens Room likewise rotates the rooms, but does nothing with the mirror. Also, the door to the north is open only when the light from the west exit is reflected onto it.

>x mirror. x gear. x shaft. x lever. w.

[Lens Room]

>x lens. x track. x lever. x hole. e. n.

[Archway]

>x archway. x door. open it. s. e.

[Empty Room]

>x hole. w. s.

[Empty Room]

>x hole. n.

[Mirror Room]

(I'm assuming you haven't pulled any of the levers yet.)

The Warrior's solution:

(The Warrior doesn't want the Archway to move from the north exit; it's fine where it is. All he wants to do is turn the mirror so it faces northwest, and breaking the gear lets him do just that. If you don't have the axe, you can break the gear with the stool instead.)

>break gear with axe. pull lever. n. n.

The Artisan's solution:

>pull lever. n. pull lever. g. g. e. n. n.

The Alchemist's solution:

>burn gear. pull lever. n. n.

The Seer's solution:

(The Seer realizes that the light comes from somewhere, and moves the archway there instead.)

>pull lever. g. g. w. w.

[Damp Room]

The fourth challenge, and possibly trickiest.

>x grate. x panel. open it. x clamp. x pipe. x water. drink it. x drain. e.

[Glowing Pool]

>x pool. x liquid. x sand. x wings. x cancer. x leo. x mars. x stars. x planets.

>x vial. w.

[Damp Room]

The Warrior's solution:

(If you've been paying attention, the mark of a Warrior is not merely breaking things, but applying force in the most direct way that will do any good.)

>lift grate. n.

The Artisan's solution:

>e. take vial. fill vial with liquid. w. put vial in clamp. x wires. n.

The Alchemist's solution:

(According to the planets chart and the Mars symbol, the liquid has something to do with iron. Putting the axe into the pool dissolves the iron axe. So it'll dissolve the iron grate as well.)

>e. take vial. fill vial with liquid. w. put liquid on grate. n.

The Seer's solution:

(Weren't you curious where the water was coming from? By the way, the east exits from the Water Pipe locations all put you in the Glowing Pool room, which is a quicker way back.)

>s. s. s. s. s. s. x valve. open it. n. n. n. n. n. n. n.

[Large Chamber]

Everyone is here, and like in the Antechamber, you read a book of lore, then choose either to go west (out of the Keep) or east (to continue).

>x book. x grand. x warrior. x artisan. x alchemist. x seer. x table. e.

[Marble Hall]

You've won the game simply by reaching here.

If your breakdown was 4-0-0-0, that is, you solved each challenge using only one Sect's methods, you'll become a Maester of that Sect, possibly destined to replace the head of that Sect in due time.

If your breakdown was 3-1-0-0, you will still join the Sect whose methods you majored in, but there's no talk of you replacing anyone.

If your breakdown was 2-2-0-0, you will study under any Sect you like, with the goal of increasing understanding between the Orders. Your opinion will be sought out.

If your breakdown was 2-1-1-0, you will join the Sect whose methods you used twice, and the Grand Maester will opine that you might foster greater understanding between the Orders.

If your breakdown was 1-1-1-1, that is, you used every Sect's methods once, you will be named the next Grand Maester.

And, of course, if you amscrayed west from either the Antechamber or the Large Chamber, everyone is disappointed—except you, of course, as you begin your life away from the Keep.