solution
The Isle of the Cult was written in TADS 2, and is © 2004 by Rune Berg.
This solution is by David Welbourn, and is based on Release 1 of the game.
Map 1: The Island ♦ Map 2: Inside the Mountain ♦ The Walkthrough
| Dock | ||||||||||||||||||
| | | ||||||||||||||||||
| Rock Face Stairs | — | Tower | ||||||||||||||||
| | | ||||||||||||||||||
| | | | Decorated Chamber | |||||||||||||||||
| | | | | |||||||||||||||||
| West Temple | — | Courtyard | — | Corridor | — | End of Corridor | ||||||||||||
| | | | | |||||||||||||||||
| Hillside Path | Bare Room | |||||||||||||||||
| | | d↓↑u | |||||||||||||||||
| Jungle | Lair | — | Cave Mouth | |||||||||||||||
| | | ||||||||||||||||||
| Outside Wall | ||||||||||||||||||
| | | ||||||||||||||||||
| North End of Village | Lane | |||||||||||||||||
| | | / | | | ||||||||||||||||
| Village Square | — | Collapsed Hall | Entrance | |||||||||||||||
| | | | | |||||||||||||||||
| Curving Street | — | Ruined Chamber | Library | |||||||||||||||
| n↑↓sw | | | |||||||||||||||||
| Cliff's Base | Corner | — | Narrow Street | — | Bakery | |||||||||||||
| u↓↑d | d↑↓u | | | | | |||||||||||||||
| Edge of Marble | e → |
High Alcove | Shed | — | Orchard | South End of Village | — | Burned Lot | ||||||||||
| | | | | |||||||||||||||||
| By Pool | — | Deep Crossing | — | Among Slabs | Outside South Wall | |||||||||||||
| | | | | |||||||||||||||||
| Dead End | — | Junction | Rock Island | Sloping Path | ||||||||||||||
| | | | | | | ||||||||||||||||
| Marble Passage | West Shore | — | By Cave Mouth | — | Inside the Mountain | Edge of Lake | North of Mountain | — | Hilltop Ruins | |||||||||
| | | d↑↓u | u↑↓d | | | / | d↓↑u | |||||||||||||
| Ledge | End of Trail | — | Before Mountain Doors | — | Foggy Climb | East of Mountain | — | Jungle Glade | Cellar | |||||||||
| u↑↓d | nw↑↓w | u↑↓d | | | \ | ||||||||||||||
| Outside Marble Quarry | Hollow | — | West of Gap | — | East of Gap | — | South of Mountain | — | Quiet Bay | |||||||||
| / | \ | |||||||||||||||||
| North End of Beach | River- side | |||||||||||||||||
| \ | / | |||||||||||||||||
| Beach | ||||||||||||||||||
| \ | ||||||||||||||||||
| South End of Beach | ||||||||||||||||||
| Walkway, Northwest End | — | Walkway, Northeast Corner | ||||||||||
| u↑ | | | |||||||||||
| Mountain Hall, Northwest | — | Mountain Hall, Northeast | Stage | |||||||||
| | | X | | | ||||||||||
| Before Mountain Doors | — | Stone Tunnel | — | Mountain Hall, West | — | Mountain Hall, East | ←d | — | Back Room | |||
| | | X | | | d↓↑n | |||||||||
| Dead-end Cave | Mountain Hall, Southwest | — | Mountain Hall, Southeast | ↓↑ ↓↑ | ||||||||
| | | ↓↑ | |||||||||||
| By Door | Walkway, Southwest End | — | Walkway, Southeast Corner |
↓↑ ↓↑ | ||||||||
| nw↑↓d | ↓↑ | |||||||||||
| Narrow Crack |
↓↑ ↓↑ | |||||||||||
| \ | d↓↑n | |||||||||||
| Broad Cavern | — | North Bank, Downstream | — | North Bank | — | Stream's Source | ||||||
| / | ||||||||||||
| By Cave Mouth | — | Watery Tunnel | ||||||||||
Dock
>x seal. x letter. x boat. open letter. read it.
>x dock. x sea. x mainland. x steps. s.
Rock Face Stairs
>x tower. x buildings. climb tower. e.
Tower
>x window. look through it. x stove. x cylinder. w. s.
Courtyard
>x doors. x east temple. x jungle. x mountain. w.
West Temple
>x plaque. read it. clean it. [+2] read it.
>e. e.
Corridor
>e.
End of Corridor
>x bench. x droppings. x window. look through it. [+2]
>x pin. take it. e.
>w. n.
In the dark.
>s. s.
In the dark.
>x force. n. w. s.
Hillside Path
>x monkey. ask monkey about monkey. touch monkey. s.
Jungle
>x jungle. x birds. listen to birds. s.
Outside Wall
>x gates. open gates. x wall. x vine. climb vine. [+2]
North End of Village
>x gate. x beam. take beam. open gate. [+1]
>x buildings. s.
Village Square
>x well. look in well. d.
>x building. e.
Collapsed Hall
>x cylinder. take it. look in it. x lever. x base. x hole.
>shake cylinder. push lever. [+2]
>x lantern. turn off lamp. s.
Ruined Chamber
>x chest. x rubble. move rubble. open chest. pull chest. [+1]
>open chest. x hilt. take it. x knob. turn it. [+3]
>x key. take it. n. w. ne.
Lane
>x building. x door. open door. sw. s.
Narrow Street
>x smell. x houses. [+1]
>e.
In the dark.
>turn on lamp.
Bakery
>look. x spade. take it. x oven. look in it. w. s.
South End of Village
>turn off lamp. x door. open it. x wall. x ruins. e.
Burned Lot
>x vase. x cracks. take vase. x mud. dig mud.
>open vase. look in it. x silver. take it.
>i. x lid. x grass. x ruins. hit vase.
>w. n. w.
Corner
>x hedge. [+1] g.
>x gate. open it. enter it.
Orchard
>x tree. climb it. shake it. [+2] x it.
>x apple. take it. taste it. x hedge. x shed. w.
Shed
>take all. x bucket. x sickle.
>e. n. n.
Curving Street
>x building. e. n. n. n. n.
Hillside Path
Careful. Don't give the apple to monkey. However, if you do, you can go get another apple from the Orchard and try again.
>show apple to monkey. n. e. e.
End of Corridor
>put apple on ledge. w. w. [+5]
Courtyard
>x pin. take it. x lantern. put pin in hole. push pin. [+3]
>x cup. x oil. put cup in lamp.
>turn on lamp. e. n. [+1]
Decorated Chamber
>take key. x it. x symbols. x block. x figurine. take it. x holes.
>s. s. [+1}
Bare Room
>x door. open it. x force. touch it. turn off lamp.
>n. w. s. s. s. s. s. s. s.
South End of Village
>unlock door with white key. s. [+1]
Outside South Wall
>x wall. x jungle. x path. s.
Sloping Path
The business with the boulders appears to be a red herring.
>x boulders. e. e. e. s.
North of Mountain
>x mountain. x ravine. look in it. x river. x waterfall. x path. e.
East of Mountain
>x ravine. x mountain. e.
Jungle Glade
>x obelisk. x carvings. climb stone. ne.
Hilltop Ruins
>x ruins. x plant. x opening. move plant. x ocean.
>sw. se.
Quiet Bay
>x driftwood. [+1]
>g. x log. take it. nw. w. s.
South of Mountain
>x streamlets. u. drop log. u. [+2]
Foggy Climb
>u.
Edge of Lake
>x lake. x island. x mist. x rim. drink water. n. d. d.
South of Mountain
>drop all. take log. u. u.
Edge of Lake
>put log in lake. get on it. n. stand. d. d.
South of Mountain
>take spade. u. u.
Edge of Lake
>sit on log. n. [+3]
Rock Island
>x figurine. take it. sit on log. s. d. d.
South of Mountain
>drop all. u. u.
Edge of Lake
>take log. d. d.
South of Mountain
>take all. w.
East of Gap
>x log. put log on gap. [+2] look in gap. w.
West of Gap
>w.
Hollow
>nw.
End of Trail
>x rope. take it. x bridge. x shelf. x gorge. look in it. e.
Before Mountain Doors
>x doors. unlock doors with stone key. open doors. [+1]
>turn on lamp. e.
Stone Tunnel
>e.
Mountain Hall, West
>x noise. x opening. s.
Mountain Hall, Southwest
>x corpse. [+2]
>x iron key. x walkway. u.
>look. x stool. push corpse. stand on stool. u.
>stand. take stool. e.
Mountain Hall, Southeast
>x pit. x walkway. d. n.
Mountain Hall, East
>x slate. stand on it. x platform. u. n.
Mountain Hall, Northeast
>w.
Mountain Hall, Northwest
>x statue. pull it. climb it.
>drop all. climb statue. x fingers. take all. s. w. w.
Before Mountain Doors
>turn off lamp. w. w. se.
Riverside
>x poles. x fish. sw.
Beach
>x ocean. x trees. x sand. take it. se.
South End of Beach
>x shell. take it. listen to it. nw. nw.
North End of Beach
>x fruit. take it. x fingers. clean fingers.
>ne.
Outside Marble Quarry
Dropping the log here doesn't quite work, but does suggest you need a step of some sort. The bucket isn't viable because it would break with your weight.
>x ledge. u. drop stool. u. [+3]
Ledge
>n.
Marble Passage
>n.
Junction
You can't do much while the lines are giving you vertigo. If you can't overcome it quickly, you'll fall back outside the quarry. Once you've overcome the lines, they won't give you trouble again.
>listen to shell. [+3]
>w.
Dead End
>x stone. e. n.
Deep Crossing
>w.
By Pool
>x pool. x algae. take it. e. e.
Among Slabs
>x hammer. take it. x slabs. move slabs. w. n.
Edge of Marble
>x ladder. x root. x outcrop. x cliff. take root. e.
>drop all. e.
>tie rope to root. e. [+3]
High Alcove
>x figurine. take it. x ladder. d.
Cliff's Base
>x terraces. x ladder. x cliff. x alcove.
>take ladder. push it. x ledge. u.
Edge of Marble
>take all. s. s. s. s. s.
Outside Marble Quarry
I'm gonna leave the stool here; we don't need it elsewhere.
>sw.
North End of Beach
Remembering that we couldn't climb the statue with clean fingers, we're going to make them sticky first. The stickiness will wear off in time, so try not to dawdle too much.
>turn on lamp. touch fruit. se. ne. nw. nw. e. e. e. n.
Mountain Hall, Northwest
>drop all. climb statue.
Sorry for the runaround, but this is how I learned what to do.
>s. w. w. w. w. se. sw. nw.
North End of Beach
>touch fruit. touch sand. se. ne. nw. nw. e. e. e. n.
Mountain Hall, Northwest
>climb statue. [+5]
Walkway, Northwest End
>x walkway. x statue. e.
Walkway, Northeast Corner
>s.
Stage
>x stage. x stains. s. x section. e. w. d. nw.
Mountain Hall, Northwest
>take lamp. se.
Mountain Hall, East
The game won't let you risk the lamp this way until you've proven you can get up there. And you can't heave the log up here at all.
>put lamp on stage. nw.
Mountain Hall, Northwest
Once you know the goo-and-sand trick, the game won't force you to run back to the beach. Just climb the statue.
>climb statue. g. e. s.
Stage
>take lamp. e.
Back Room
>d.
North Bank
>x stream. x bank. x hole. e.
Stream's Source
>x hole. x stream. x mushrooms. take mushroom. w.
North Bank
>w.
In the dark.
>e.
Stream's Source
Sometimes the draft will blow out your lamp at North Bank. If this happens, just light the lamp again.
>light lamp. w. n. w.
Stage
>drop lamp. d. nw.
Mountain Hall, Northwest
>take spade. se.
Mountain Hall, East
>put spade on stage. nw.
Mountain Hall, Northwest
>climb statue. g. e. s.
Stage
>take all. e. d. e.
Stream's Source
>take mushroom with spade. w. w. [+2]
North Bank, Downstream
>x stream. w.
Broad Cavern
>x stream. x pits. [+2] again. [+2]
>nw.
Narrow Crack
>x debris. move it. u. [+2]
By Door
>x door. open it. x keyhole. x door handle. d. d. sw.
Watery Tunnel
>w.
By Cave Mouth
>x river. x gorge. x bridge. w.
West Shore
It's worth noting that the log cannot be brought down into the gorge via the spikes.
>x spikes. x overhang. pull spikes. u.
East of Trail
>e. e. e. n.
Mountain Hall, Northwest
>take all. s. w. w. w. d. e. e. e. nw. u.
By Door
>unlock door with iron key. open door. n. [+1]
Dead-end Cave
>x green figurine. take it. x shelves.
>s. d. d. sw. w. w. u. w. e. e.
East of Gap
>take log. e. e. e. ne.
Hilltop Ruins
>tie rope to plant. pull rope. [+3]
>take rope. d.
Cellar
>x blue figurine. take it.
>u. sw. w. n. n. n. n. e.
Burned Lot
It's amusing to try to break the vase with the log.
>hit vase with hammer. [+3]
>take silver. x it. x fragments.
>w. n. n. ne.
Lane
>unlock door with silver key. s.
Entrance
Careful! The bird-like contraption can kill you! Only use long distance attacks. Approaching it or going south triggers its attacks. Leaving it alone for a while will quiet it down. If you get killed, use UNDO.
>x bird. x legs. x torso. x neck. x skull. x eyes. x beak.
>s. s. x eyes. hit bird with log. [+3]
>x bird. s.
Library
>x table. x model. x dock. x temples. x village. x well.
>x mountain. x cloth. take cloth. x it. x figurine. x red figurine. take it.
>x crack. take mountain. hit mountain with hammer.
>x quarry. x beach. x jungle.
>push well. push mountain. [+2] take red figurine.
>x shelves. x books. x chronicles. g. g. x ring. x documents.
>n. n. w. n. n. n. n. n. e. n.
| figurine | found at |
|---|---|
| black | High Alcove (in the Quarry) |
| blue | Cellar (east of Mountain) |
| green | Dead-End Cave (under the Mountain) |
| red | Library (in the Village) |
| white | Rock Island (atop the Mountain) |
| yellow | Decorated Chamber (in the Temple) |
Decorated Chamber
The order that you put the figurines in the holes doesn't matter. Once a figurine is in a hole, it cannot be removed.
>put black figurine in hole. [+2]
>put blue figurine in hole. [+2]
>put green figurine in hole. [+2]
>put red figurine in hole. [+2]
>put white figurine in hole. [+2]
>s. s.
Bare Room
>x door. d.
Lair
>x reptile. x abdomen. x wings. x head. x eyes. x tail.
>x stand. x book. x fire. x leaves. e.
Cave Mouth
>x rocks. w.
Lair
You need the hammer as well as the bucket to take the book. Once you get the book, you won't be allowed to drop the book or the bucket anywhere.
>take book. put book in bucket. [+4]
>x altar. x dragon. touch it. u.
Bare Room
Uh-oh. You hear cracks?
>d.
Lair
>x dragon. x cracks. u. n. e.
End of Corridor
Searching this wooded island for firewood yielded zip, and none of my objects would let me burn them. I had to ask the author for a hint on this one. He told me that the island is tropical, and the frequent rains makes the wood outdoors unsuitable, so I should look indoors...?
By the way, removing the nails with the hammer isn't possible. It's not that kind of hammer.
>hit bench with hammer. [+3]
>x bench. take firewood.
>w. w. n. e.
Tower
I'm re-examining the letter first, because it seems to go away after the stove's lit. We're getting close to the end of the game here, and some options like going away from the dock will be disallowed. Try not to drop anything in the tower either, because the light will get so intense that you'll be forced to leave it behind. Not that it really matters. You'll only need the book after this, and you can't leave it behind.
>x letter.
>put firewood in stove. push pin. pour oil on firewood. [+2]
>put cup in lamp. x firewood. light firewood with book. [+3]
>z. z. z. x cylinder. z. z.
Rock Face Stairs
>z. ("You notice it's late in the afternoon.")
>n.
Dock
>x tower. x mainland. ("It's getting dusky.")
>z. ("It's almost dark now.")
>z. ("Finally, night falls.")
>z. x boat. x master. tell master about book. give book to master. [+4; Win! But did you expect this ending?]