The Holy Grail is a TADS 2 interactive fiction game and is © 1989-1996 by Jim MacBrayne. Originally written for the Amiga in 1989, this game was ported to TADS in 1995 and amended in 1996.
In this large adventure game, you play as an young noviciate given a difficult and dangerous task: to find and return the Holy Grail to the arch mage. You begin in a long-abandoned castle with nothing but a brass lamp and your wits.
This solution is by David Welbourn, and is based on TADS port, Version 1.01 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.
It varies: The misty portal south of the Secret Room leads to six different places, depending on which gem is currently in the indentation of the round table in the Strategic Planning Room:
Small Dungeon
Bizarrely, you aren't told explicitly what your mission is. Fortunately, you might be able to guess you're looking for the Holy Grail, just based on the game's title.
The time period is even more vague, as you'll soon see.
> x lamp. take it. x wood. x hinges.
> n.
Bottom of Tower (southeastern)
> x sword. take it.
> x stairs.
> nw.
Courtyard
Okay, you're definitely in a castle. I suggest dropping things you don't need currently (or ever) in the courtyard. There's light, good weather, and no one is moving things around but you.
And you don't ever need this blunt sword.
> drop sword.
Systematically explore the rest of this castle, starting south and working counterclockwise.
> turn on lamp.
> s.
Banqueting Hall
> x marks.
> s.
Minstrel Gallery
Nothing here.
> n. e.
Kitchen
> x bottle. take it.
> ne.
Pantry
> smell. (Bisto!)
> sw. w. ne.
Lord's Chamber
> se.
Garderobe
> x bucket. take it.
> nw. e. ne.
Bedroom
> x tapestries.
> sw. w. nw. w.
Courtyard
You never need bottle or bucket. Drop them.
> drop bottle and bucket.
> e. n.
Chapel
> x altar. x window. pray.
> se. e.
Small Cupboard
> x sack. take it. wear it.
> w. ne.
Merlin's Room
The trapdoor is the first locked door you've seen.
> x trapdoor. x rainbow. x flagstones.
> nw.
Bottom of Tower (northeastern)
Hm. Several exits here.
> e. se.
Treasury
> x bags. x caskets.
> n.
Armoury
> x cabinets. x cannonball. (6" diameter)
Cannonballs tend to be heavy, but you can manage it for now.
> take ball. d.
Torture Chamber
> x note. (Ugh. A math problem.)
> x thumbscrew. x brazier. x iron. x cushion.
> take note and thumbscrew.
> u. w. w. sw.
Courtyard
> drop note, thumbscrew, ball.
> ne. w.
Strategic Planning Room
> x table. x arabesque. x indentation. (size of pigeon's egg)
> n.
Side Chamber
> x putty. take it.
> s. e. u.
Western Battlements
> x tower. e.
Eastern Battlements
Hm. An apparent dead-end.
> w. d. sw.
Courtyard
> drop putty.
North leads to the drawbridge, so skip that for now.
> nw. (Huh. No tower in that corner.)
> w.
Guard Room
Nothing.
> u.
Portcullis Room
Nothing.
> d. sw.
Bottom of Tower (southwestern)
Nothing.
> u.
Top of Tower (southwestern)
Ah, an overview of what's outside the castle. Which is where you're heading to next.
> x castle. x river. x village. x lake. x forest.
> d. ne. n.
On Drawbridge
> x drawbridge. n.
Narrow Path
> x lever. x hooks. x castle. x undergrowth.
> pull lever. (The drawbridge raises.)
> pull lever. (The drawbridge lowers.)
> n.
Junction of Paths
The lake is simple; do it first.
> w.
Lake Side
> x lake. (deep and cold)
> x sand. dig sand. (find nothing)
> take sand. (Oh, that works.)
> e. e.
Village Entrance
> x butterflies. e.
Cobbled Path
> x shop. x door. open it. s.
Alchemist's Shop
I'm assuming your lamp is still on. There's no reason to ever turn it off in this game.
> x proverb. ("As one door closes, another one opens.")
Is that a hint that you need to close a door? But which door?
> x bench. x retorts. (or alembics or vials)
> x shelves. x tubes. x test-tubes. x tubing.
> x jars. x beakers. x wands. x papers.
> x weaponry. x skulls.
> n. n. u.
Attic
> x gutter. take it.
> d. e.
Stable
> x horseshoe. take it.
> s.
Centre of Village
> open door. s.
Surgery
> x sign. x draught. take it.
> x diploma. (A missive falls.)
> x missive. take it.
Okay, that's definitely a hint about color progression. First silver, then gold, then crimson.
> x texts. x gifts.
> n. e.
Exit From Village
> x thicket. x shop. x hovel.
> open door. n.
Magick Shoppe
> x notice. ("R.O.S.E.D.")
> x counter. x bell. x slot. (for 100 Splundrup coin.)
> ring bell. (no one shows up)
> x silver. ("F N Blandrup B.M.E.")
> x gold. ("Hethrup III Rex.")
> x red. (plain crimson)
Well, those button colors are the same as mentioned on the missive. That can't be coincidence. But you can't do anything here until you get a coin.
> s. s.
Stinking Hovel
> smell. x elixir. take it.
And, uh, that's everywhere? You must need to solve a puzzle next to progress. You should save your game and experiment.
It turns out that you can do something with those hooks near the lever.
> n. w. w. w. w. s.
Narrow Path
> attach gutter to hooks.
You note that the guttering is at a 45 degree slope ending just above the lever.
> put sand in gutter. z. z. z. z. (It slowly spills out.)
Go bring the cannonball here.
> s. s.
Courtyard
Might as well unload stuff while you're here.
> drop horseshoe, draught, missive, elixir.
> take ball. n. n.
Narrow Path
> put ball in gutter. (The ball hits the lever and the drawbridge raises.)
Wait a minute. The proverb talked about one door closing and another opening. It must mean closing this door, the drawbridge. And the other door must be in the castle somewhere. So you need to delay the cannonball somehow so you have time to get inside the castle before the ball hits the lever.
Sadly, the elixir won't work for this puzzle. By all logical sense, it should work, but no, the elixir is for another puzzle.
Anyway, assuming you didn't get stuck because you didn't realize the sand was portable, the solution is simply to put sand in first, then the ball very soon after, then run south. But put down the drawbridge first.
> pull lever. (The drawbridge lowers.)
> put sand in gutter. put ball in gutter. s. s.
Courtyard
Oh, make sure you're not on the drawbridge when it raises. That would be fatal.
At this point, I searched the entire castle looking for a new door, but I won't make you search. It's in Eastern Battlements. It'll be open by the time you get there.
By the way, +30 points when the drawbridge raises and you're inside.
> ne. u. e.
Eastern Battlements
There: a way south through the rock.
> s.
Secret Room
A misty portal, eh? That could lead anywhere and it doesn't have to be two-way. Fortunately, the first time, it is.
> s. (+10)
Cubical Cell
> x coin. take it. n. n.
Eastern Battlements
> push depression. (The rock reforms and you hear the drawbridge go down.)
Now that you have a coin, return to the Magick Shoppe.
> w. d. sw. n. n. n. e. e. e. e. n.
Magick Shoppe
I won't even try to explain how long it took me to figure out this crazy ritual to obtain a ruby. Feel free to save first, since you only have one coin and can't get it back.
> put coin in slot.
> push silver. ring bell.
> s. n. x counter. (A silver ingot is now there.)
Leave the ingot there.
> push gold. ring bell.
> s. n. x counter. (A gold nugget is now there.)
Leave the nugget there.
> push red. ring bell.
> s. (+20) n. x counter. (A ruby is now there.)
> take ruby. x it.
Oh ho. That's the same size as the indentation in the round table!
> s. w. w. w. w. s.
Narrow Path
Time for the gutter ball trick again:
> put sand in gutter. put ball in gutter.
> s. s. ne. w.
Strategic Planning Room
> put ruby in indentation.
You see the centre turn a sixth of a circle. Inside the table you glimpsed cogs, gears, and a massive hourglass.
But what did that actually do? I learned that the misty portal in the Secret Room now leads to a different destination. And maybe even a different time period; it's not very clear.
It's one-way, so you'll want to take certain supplies with you, every time you enter that portal. Always take the lamp and knapsack; those are standard. For the first visit to the ruby's region, you also want the note you found in the torture chamber.
> e. sw.
Courtyard
> take note.
> ne. u. e. s.
Secret Room
I recommend always saving before entering this portal.
> s. (+10)
Middle of Field
> n.
Narrow Track (west end)
> x fence. e.
Narrow Track (at graffiti)
> read graffiti. e.
Branching of Paths (first)
> se. s. d.
Cliff Ledge
> take leaflet. read it.
I explain the full meaning of the leaflet in my Inventory notes, but what you need to know now is that, reading just the digits as numbers punctuated by letters, is that the first five numbers (407, 1729, 8128, 1999964, and 1) are the possible answers to the math question posed by the note.
> u. n. nw. ne. e.
At Stone Curtain
Sorry, you can't open this door yet, but you need to know it's here.
> open door. (locked)
> w. n. ne.
Rocky Confine
Type in the answer to the note, one digit at a time, followed by the ENTER key:
If you've entered the correct code, the door opens.
> e.
Domed Chamber
The opal is like the ruby.
> x plinth. x opal. take it.
> x tonic. take it.
> w. sw. w.
Edge of Forest
> x growths. x clover. take it. (very lucky!)
> e. s. sw. se. s. d.
Cliff Top
> jump. (With the aid of the lucky clover, you improbably land safely at...)
Top of Tower
Alas, like a pair of ruby slippers, the clover is lost forever.
> d. ne.
Courtyard
In preparation for the opal's region, you want to keep the leaflet, but otherwise travel light unless you want to make two trips.
> drop tonic. ne. w.
Strategic Planning Room
> take ruby. drop it.
> put opal in indentation.
> e. u. e. s.
Secret Room
Always save before entering this portal!
> save. s. (+10)
Narrow Ledge
> jump.
Narrow Incline
> x rockfall. e.
Cliff Edge
No exits are mentioned, but the temple is north.
> n.
Outside Temple
> n. (The entrance closes behind you.)
Entrance Hall
Hm, go northeast the first time.
> ne. e. se.
Broom Cupboard
> x rope. take it.
> nw. w. sw. nw. w.
Huge Hall
A riddle: "Feed me and I live. Give me water and I die. What am I?"
> say "fire". (+20)
> look. x zucchetto. ("SCIENTIA")
A zucchetto is a skullcap-type hat, sometimes worn by clergy. It's not at all obvious, but wearing this one gives you the ability to read spells.
> take it. wear it.
> x statue. x mail. x basinet. x plume. x dust.
> nw. d. e.
East-west Tunnel (at first door)
Skip the first door for now.
> e.
East-west Tunnel (at second door)
> open door. s. sw.
Room With Hole
Ugh. A bottomless frigid hole? Pass.
> x hole. ne. n. e.
East-west Tunnel (at third door)
> open door. n.
South of Rift
> x stanchion. x upright. x rift.
A guess-the-verb situation:
> lasso upright. (+20. There's now a tightrope across.)
> n.
North of Rift
> x key. take it. s.
South of Rift
Although you can take the rope back, you no longer need it. Leave it.
> s. e.
East-west Tunnel (at fourth door)
> open door. s. se.
Chasm Edge
As near as I can tell, you can never cross this chasm. How maddening is that?
> x pillars. say "brazbor".
> nw. n. e.
End of Tunnel (east end)
> open door. n.
Broom Cupboard (north of End of Tunnel)
> x philtre. take it.
Now go back to that first door in the tunnel.
> s. w. w. w. w.
East-west Tunnel (at first door)
> open door. n. nw.
Beautiful Garden (at tall tree)
> read inscription.
> u.
Halfway Up Tree
> x door. (locked)
> u.
Top of Tree
No, nothing's up here. Nice try, though.
> d.
Halfway Up Tree
> unlock door with key. drop key.
> open door. e.
Wooden Chamber (at 1:1:1)
> x indicator. (currently "1:1:1")
> x switch. (one pulls it)
> x purple button. push it.
> x indicator. (Still 1:1:1.)
> pull switch. (Nothing happens.)
Let me save you some time. The first thing you need to deduce is that this is an elevator, and elevators don't work until their door is closed!
> close door.
> save.
Second, learn that each pair of buttons change one of the three digits shown by the indicator, but only in the range from 1 to 9, and only if the door is closed! Play around with the buttons and examine the indicator afterwards to see how it changes. You're selecting a destination from 111 to 999, and you're currently at 111.
Third, you need to know which numbers are going to be useful here. Well, look at the leaflet again. The seven remaining numbers (111, 728, 353, 588, 666, 357, 753) are the ones you need.
Push the purple, brown, and black buttons until the indicator reads 1:1:1, and let's visit the destinations in numerical order. Just make sure 7:5:3 is the last one.
Change the indicator from 1:1:1 to 3:5:3.
> push pink. g.
> push yellow. g. g. g.
> push orange. g.
> x indicator. ("3:5:3")
> pull switch. open door. w.
Cramped Chamber
You are wearing the zucchetto, yes?
> x scroll. (+10. "FARSEE", a spell of foreknowledge.)
> put scroll in sack. e.
Wooden Chamber (at 3:5:3)
Going from 3:5:3 to 3:5:7.
> close door.
> push orange. g. g. g.
> x indicator. ("3:5:7")
> pull switch. open door. w.
Prime Room
> x potion. put it in sack.
> e.
Wooden Chamber (at 3:5:7)
Going from 3:5:7 to 5:8:8.
> close door.
> push pink. g.
> push yellow. g. g.
> push orange.
> x indicator. ("5:8:8")
> pull switch. open door. w.
Broom Cupboard (the one with a chandelier)
> x chandelier. look.
> x crystal key. put it in sack. e.
Wooden Chamber (at 5:8:8)
Going from 5:8:8 to 6:6:6.
> close door.
> push pink.
> push brown. g.
> push black. g.
> x indicator. ("6:6:6")
> pull switch. open door. w.
Merlin's Retreat
> x grimoir. (+10. "FEERVO", a spell of entertainment.)
> x program. (a schedule for a mages conference.)
> put grimoir in sack.
> put program in sack.
> e.
Wooden Chamber (at 6:6:6)
Going from 6:6:6 to 7:2:8.
> close door.
> push pink.
> push brown. g. g. g.
> push orange. g.
> x indicator. ("7:2:8")
> pull switch. open door. w.
Grand Chamber
> x parchment. (+10. "AGRANDRA", a spell of dragonslay.)
> x Excalibur. (In poor shape.)
> put parchment in sack.
> put Excalibur in sack.
> e.
Wooden Chamber (at 7:2:8)
Going from 7:2:8 to 7:5:3.
> close door.
> push yellow. g. g.
> push black. g. g. g. g.
> x indicator. ("7:5:3")
> pull switch. open door.
CAUTION: This is a one-way trip!
> w.
Dense Thicket
> take torch. x it. ("ANTI-TORCH")
> w.
Exit From Village
Oh! You're back here. If you left anything behind, it's okay. The Wooden Chamber has returned to east of Halfway Up Tree, and you can make a second trip through opal's region if you must.
> w. w. w. w. s.
Narrow Path
> pull lever. put sand in gutter. put ball in gutter. s. s.
Courtyard
Drop all your excess stuff except for the crystal key and the zucchetto which you should leave on. You're returning to ruby's region to unlock that door At Stone Curtain.
> drop philtre. drop torch.
> drop scroll. drop potion.
> drop grimoir. drop program.
> drop parchment. drop Excalibur.
> drop leaflet.
> ne. w.
Strategic Planning Room
> take opal. drop it.
> put ruby in indentation.
> e. u. e. s.
Secret Room
> save. s.
Middle of Field
> n. e. e. ne. e.
At Stone Curtain
> unlock door with crystal key.
> drop crystal key. open door. e.
Cylindrical Room
> read pamplet. take it.
> x sapphire. take it.
> e.
Dense Thicket
Oh. Back here again! It turns out that this is the back-door location for all the gems' regions.
> w. w. w. w. w. s.
Narrow Path
> pull lever. put sand in gutter. put ball in gutter. s. s.
Courtyard
For sapphire's region, you'll need the torch.
> drop pamphlet.
> take torch.
> ne. w.
Strategic Planning Room
> take ruby. drop it.
> put sapphire in indentation.
> e. u. e. s.
Secret Room
> save. s. (+10)
It's very bright in here.
I guess this is what the anti-torch is for?
> turn on torch. (Yes, it projects darkness. Cute.)
Octagonal Room
> look. (Exits north, east, south, and west.)
> n.
Triangular Room
It claims the exits are north, southeast, and southwest, but you CAN'T go north, southeast, or southwest!
> s. s.
Blind Alley
> x medal. (Too shiny.)
> take it. (You're not carrying it!)
> drop it. (Now you have it.)
So, this is opposite day rules, then? This is gonna be weird.
> n. n.
Triangular Room
Okay, so to go north, we had to say SOUTH. That means to go southeast, we need to go NORTHWEST. I get it now.
> nw.
Circular Room
> n.
Broom Cupboard (the bright one)
> drop emerald. s. e. n. e.
Peaceful Room
> read manual. ("SPELLBOOK")
> drop it.
> w. s. sw. s.
Octagonal Room
> w. w.
Cul-de-sac
Nothing here.
> e. e. e. ne.
Seemingly-blind Alley
> e.
Dense Thicket
Ah, things are back to normal.
> turn off torch. x emerald.
> x medal. wear it.
> w. w. w. w. w. s.
Narrow Path
> pull lever. put sand in gutter. put ball in gutter. s. s.
Courtyard
For emerald's region, you must have the horseshoe, philtre, and elixir. Keep the medal and zucchetto on.
> drop manual. drop torch.
> take horseshoe. take philtre. take elixir.
> ne. w.
Strategic Planning Room
> take sapphire. drop it.
> put emerald in indentation.
> e. u. e. s.
Secret Room
> save. s. (+10)
Jousting Field
> n.
Inside Tent
> read observation.
> x staff. take it.
> x stairs.
> d. d. se. e. se.
North of Garden
> x moon. s.
South of Garden
> e.
Southeast of Garden
> x talisman. take it. wear it.
> x moondial. (No practical info.)
The virtue of the staff is that you can now cast spells, but you can only cast each spell twice. And this is such a pleasant spot. So I think this is as good a time and place as any to try the foreknowledge spell.
> say "farsee". (You see a vision of a wizard with a golden cup and five gems.)
> nw. nw. w. nw. ne. n.
West of Abyss
Oh, if you experimented by drinking the philtre in an earlier session, you learn that the philtre makes you float for a minute or so.
> x abyss. x coil. x cable. x button.
> push mauve. (The coil turns on and the horseshoe tugs you.)
> drink philtre. (+20. You float across the abyss and land at...)
East of Abyss
> n. e. se.
Dusty Entrance
WARNING: Dropped items will be left in the dust forever!
> x balcony. x door. open it.
> e. u.
Upper Chamber
> x doorway.
> w. (A protection fairy stops you. Nothing can be carried or worn through this enchanted doorway.)
Fortunately, it's okay to drop things here.
> drop all. w.
Balcony
The problem is clear. The diamond can't be taken through the doorway, but if it falls off the balcony, it'll be lost in the dust!
> x diamond. e.
Upper Chamber
You may want to save at this point. This is a timed puzzle.
> take elixir. drink it. w.
Balcony
> take diamond. drop it. e. d. w.
Dusty Entrance
You won't be told the diamond is there until it's too late. Also, the verb to use here is CATCH, not TAKE.
> catch diamond. (+30. "Well held!")
> e. u.
Upper Chamber
> take all.
> wear sack. wear zucchetto.
> wear medal. wear talisman.
> d. w. s.
Dusty Thicket
> w. w. w. w. w. s.
Narrow Path
> pull lever. put sand in gutter. put ball in gutter. s. s.
Courtyard
For diamond's region, you must have the staff and knowledge of the spells. Also, part of it is a maze, so you may want to bring some trash items to map with, or just use my Map 8 to understand how the maze is constructed.
> drop horseshoe.
> ne. w.
Strategic Planning Room
> take emerald. drop it.
> put diamond in indentation.
> e. u. e. s.
Secret Room
> save. s. (+10)
Brick-lined Chamber (1)
> open door. n. ne. se.
Brick-lined Tunnel (3)
Careful, not all the exits are mentioned here.
> open door. ne.
Brick-lined Chamber (3)
> x rusty key. take it. sw. s.
Brick-lined Tunnel (4)
The dragon cannot be slain with the dragonslay spell, AGRANDRA. Instead, confuse it with the FEERVO entertainment spell. CAUTION: The dragon will only fall for this trick once!
> x dragon.
> say "agrandra". (This spell failed to work!)
> say "feervo". (The dragon is stunned.)
> e. (+20) e.
Brick-lined Tunnel (6)
> x grail. take it. w.
Brick-lined Tunnel (2)
You should see a door to the north; it's one you passed by earlier. Now that you have the rusty key and the Holy Grail, you can just go to the exit if you know where to find it:
> se. e. ne. n. nw. nw. w.
Exit From Tunnel
> n.
Dense Thicket
> w. w. w. w. w. s.
Narrow Path
You're done with the Secret Room, so just:
> pull lever. s. s.
Courtyard
Drop all inessentials. Keep the lamp, worn items, the staff, the Holy Grail, and the rusty key.
> ne. w.
Strategic Planning Room
> take all.
> e. se.
Merlin's Room
> unlock trapdoor with rusty key.
> drop rusty key. open trapdoor.
> d.
Cellar
> x notification. ("CAUTION - WIZARD AT WORK - DISTURB AT YOUR PERIL")
Make sure you are directly carrying the Grail and the five gems. They don't count if they're inside your knapsack.
> i. n. (+100; see below)
Mage's Retreat
The arch mage greets you. He awards 50 points if you're carrying the Grail, and 50 points more if you're carrying all five gems. He welcomes you into the brotherhood of mages.
Thanks for playing The Holy Grail.
How many of these ACME companies did you find a mention of?
Mentioned:
I should also mention that Merlin is the only character from the Arthurian legend that the game even name-drops. There is a round table, but there is no claim that it's the Round Table of the legend. You also find Excalibur, but it's completely ruined and despoiled. Other than these meager crumbs, the legend of King Arthur and the Holy Grail is completely ignored.
The response to VERSION is:
The Holy Grail
Copyright Jim MacBrayne 1989.
Ported to TADS October 1995.
Version 1.01 Release 960227
The response to AUTHOR is:
Jim MacBrayne
email redacted
CIS 100411,461
When you reach the winning ending, the following credits are shown:
Thanks go to AnneJ2 for her constructive help with playtesting.
Thanks also to Matthew Amster and Stephen Granade who helped with a couple of coding problems - their suggestions have been implemented in this version 1.01.
You have a weight limit, so be careful! You can't carry everything at once. Putting things into the knapsack helps, but not always!
I suggest dropping unneeded things in the Courtyard, except for gems which you should leave in the Strategic Planning Room until the endgame.
The only way to figure out what a drink does is to DRINK it, then UNDO or RESTORE to an earlier part in the game.
There are five gems. Their initial letters spell R.O.S.E.D., as seen on the notice in the Magick Shoppe.
In the Strategic Planning Room, place one of the gems in the indentation in the center of the round table's arabesque. This changes where the misty portal in the Secret Room leads to. Of course, the drawbridge must be raised in order to reach the Secret Room (see gutter, sand, and cannonball).
For the endgame, take all the gems and hold them directly. Don't put them into the knapsack. Carry them to the arch mage in Mage's Retreat and he will award you 10 points for each of the gems.
The questions and their answers are:
The only use you can get out of any of these items are for mapping the maze of brick-lined tunnels in diamond's region.
The response to SCORE is:
In a total of several turns, you have achieved a score of your-score points out of a possible 350.
Points are awarded as follows:
There are only three spells in this game:
There is mention of a BRAZBOR spell when at Chasm Edge, but you never acquire this spell and can never use it.
You must be wearing the zucchetto in order to be able to read the spells from their papers.
You must be carrying the staff to have the magical ability to cast spells. To cast a spell, say the name of the spell using quotes; for example: SAY "FARSEE". You do not need to be carrying the paper source of the spell to cast it; the staff and the spell-word itself are sufficient.
Each spell can only be cast at most twice. After that, the spell is exhausted and needs a bit of a lie down, I guess.
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