Key & Compass presents:
Napier's Cache
by Vivienne Dunstan

• Maps
  • Map 1: Napier's home, Gartness Castle
  • Map 2: Logan's home, Fast Castle
  • Map 3: Cave under Fast Castle
• Walkthrough
• Extras
  • Characters, Credits, Inventory
• Thank You to my Patreon supporters
• External links:
  • This story at IFDB, IFWiki, and Spring Thing.
  • Tweet about this walkthrough on Twitter.

Maps

Map 1: Napier's home, Gartness Castle

After you find the last item on your list, there's a cut scene where you and Napier travel to Fast Castle. The story continues in the dining room.

Map 2: Logan's home, Fast Castle

When you deliver the bird to Napier in the cellar, there's an cut scene where Napier consults Logan. The story continues with you, Napier, and Ralph traveling to the cave under Fast Castle in the rowing boat.

Map 3: Cave under Fast Castle

Walkthrough

> SPACE

Workshop

> x me. x trousers. x shirt. x note.

> x desk. x lure. take it. x papers.

> x chair. x rug. x window. (Crystal ball is there.)

> x ball. take it. (You move it to the desk.)

> x cupboard. open it. x box. take box. (You move it to the desk.)

> close cupboard.

> u.

Library

> x books. search books. (Grimoire found.)

> x grimoire. take it.

> d.

Workshop

> put grimoire on desk. d.

Bedroom

> x bed. look under bed. (Chest found.)

> x chest. take chest. (You'll leave it here for now.)

> d.

Servants' Area

The bird is attacking the maid.

> x maid. x bird.

> wave lure. (The bird comes to you.)

Once you've found everything, Napier arrives. Days later, you both arrive at Fast Castle and meet Robert Logan.

> SPACE

Dining Room

In this scene, you'll be mostly looking at things or just waiting. But do act when ordered to!

> x Logan. x Bothwell. x candles.

You are introduced as Napier's apprentice. The scene will not continue until you bow.

> bow.

> x table.

Napier knocks over his wine glass. The scene will not continue until you've cleaned the wine.

> x table. (You see a napkin that wasn't there before.)

> take napkin. clean wine.

Logan tells Napier to find his missing fortune, hidden in the castle a century ago.

> x napkin. x glass. x chairs. x plates.

> SPACE

The hunt begins the next day. A servant, Ralph, has a lantern while you drag Napier's chest.

Cellar

> x Ralph. ask Ralph about cellar. x bottles.

Napier calls for his alchemical kit.

> open chest. take box. give box to Napier.

Napier gives you a glass jar and orders you to fetch some oil.

> follow Ralph —or— u.

Kitchen

Ralph bids you wait here and takes the jar east.

> x table. x hearth. x pots.

Ralph returns, hands you the jar of oil, then leaves.

> x jar. d.

Cellar

> give jar to Napier.

Now Napier hands you the lure and orders you to fetch his bird from his room.

> u.

Kitchen

During this errand, let's take all the time we want to explore and talk to whomever we find. You don't need to chat up anyone, but why miss this opportunity?

> x cook. x flour. x apron. x dough.

> ask cook about cook. ask cook about castle.

> ask cook about kitchen. ask cook about Logan.

> ask cook about Napier. ask cook about Bothwell.

> ask cook about Ralph. ask cook about treasure.

> w.

Guard Room

> x path. x small guard. x tall guard.

Chat up the small guard; the tall guard doesn't talk at all:

> ask small guard about castle. ask him about himself.

> ask him about tall guard. ask him about Ralph.

> ask him about cook. ask him about Logan.

> ask him about Bothwell.

> e.

Kitchen

> ask cook about guards.

> e. e.

Castle Promontory

> x Geordie. x pipe. x sea.

> ask Geordie about sea. ask him about castle.

> ask him about cook. ask him about Ralph.

> ask him about Logan. ask him about treasure.

> w. n. e.

Sleeping Area

> x bed. wave lure. (You now carry the bird.)

> w.

Living Quarters

A ginger cat now blocks the courtyard exit.

> x cat. shout at cat. e.

Sleeping Area

> drop bird. w. s. w.

Kitchen

> ask cook about cat. (She gives you some meat.)

> x meat.

> e. n. e.

Sleeping Area

> wave lure. w.

Living Quarters

> give meat to cat. (It accepts and you escape to...)

Courtyard

> w. d.

Cellar

> give bird to Napier.

Napier says the treasure must be below the cellar.

> SPACE

In the Rowing Boat

Do anything for three turns:

> x sea. x boat. listen.

Cave Entrance

Napier hands you a lantern and orders you to explore.

> x lantern. n. w.

Western Wall

This is a dead end.

> x wall. climb wall. (Can't.)

> e. n.

Large Cavernous Chamber

> x rubble. e.

Eastern Cranny

This is another dead end.

> x rocks. x wall. climb wall. (Can't.)

> w.

Large Cavernous Chamber

> move rubble. n.

Back of the Cave

Note you must make two attempts to climb this wall the first time.

> x wall. u. u.

Crevice

> x shelf. (Can't reach far enough.)

> d. s. s. s.

Cave Entrance

You need either the staff or the oar now.

• > ask Napier for staff. (He gives it.) x staff.
• > x boat. take oar. x oar.

> n. n. n. u.

Crevice

> x shelf. (With staff or oar, you obtain a silver box.)

> x box.

> d. s. s. s.

Cave Entrance

> give box to Napier. SPACESPACE

You are happy at your success and to leave Fast Castle and its frightening owner.

*** The End ***

Extras

Characters

Nobles:

• John Napier of Merchiston is your master, a famous mathematician, occultist, and scholar.
• Sir Robert Logan of Restalrig has hired Napier to find a lost treasure in Fast Castle. A most dangerous man.
• Francis Stewart, Earl of Bothwell is Logan's notorious cousin.

Servants:

• A maid, possibly named Janet, is being harried by the bird in the servants' area.
• Ralph is an ancient yet sprightly servant of Logan's who assists you and Napier.
• A small guard and a tall guard are on duty in the guard room.
• A cook is a woman in her forties busy at her duties in the kitchen.
• Old Geordie is smoking a pipe out on the castle promontory.

Animals:

• A large black bird is Napier's familiar. You don't know if it's a crow or a raven. You just know it's large, unfriendly, and hated.
• A ginger cat blocks your way back into the courtyard when you're carrying the bird.
• Gulls can be heard when in the boat and in other outdoor locations.

Credits

This is the response to CREDITS:

Inform 7 is the work of Graham Nelson.

Many thanks to my testers for the game: Chris Selmys, Jason Guest, Jennifer Schmidt (bikibird), Marnix van den Bos, Martin Dunstan, mathbrush, Mike Carletta, Mike Spivey, Nick Marsh and Stian Rødven Eide.

Thanks also to Victor Ojuel, for encouraging me to write this game in the first place.

Inventory

• some trousers and a plain shirt. You're wearing them.
• Ignore them. You may not undress.
• a corded rope lure. It's on the desk in the workshop.
• Wave the lure in the servants' area to obtain the bird.
• In the cellar, when you give the jar of oil to Napier, he gives the lure back to you and tells you to fetch the bird.
• Wave the lure in the sleeping area to obtain the bird once again.
• a large black bird. It's initially in the servant's area.
• Wave the lure to obtain the bird the first time. You need do nothing more with it then.
• Much later in the game, you and Napier will be in the cellar and he will ask you to fetch the bird. The bird is in the sleeping area. Again, wave the lure to obtain the bird.
• A ginger cat will stop you from taking the bird into the courtyard. Return to the sleeping area and drop the bird.
• Go the kitchen and ask the cook about the cat. She'll give you the beef steak.
• Return to sleeping area and wave the lure yet again to obtain the bird.
• In the living quarters, give the meat to the cat. You can now go directly to Napier in the cellar and give the bird to him.
• Napier's grimoire. Find it in the library by searching the books.
• Put it on the desk in the workshop.
• an ornate wooden box. It's inside the cupboard in the workshop.
• Just take it when you first find it. You'll move it to the desk.
• Later in the game, when you and Napier are in the cellar, he will ask for his alchemical kit. Open the chest, take the box, and give it to Napier.
• a napkin. It's on the dining room table but only after Napier spills his wine.
• Take the napkin and clean the wine. The dining room scene continues.
• a glass jar. In the cellar, Napier hands it to you after you give the wooden box to him.
• Follow Ralph up from the cellar to the kitchen with the empty jar. He'll automatically take it from you and find you several turns later, giving you the jar of oil.
• a jar of oil containing a dark liquid. Ralph gives this to you several turns after you take the glass jar to the kitchen.
• In the cellar, give the jar of oil to Napier. In response, Napier gives you the lure and tells you to fetch his bird.
• a beef steak. In the kitchen, obtain it from the cook by asking her about the cat.
• At living quarters while carrying the bird, give the meat to the cat. While the cat is busy eating the meat, you will automatically enter the courtyard with the bird.
• a lantern. Napier gives it to you when you first arrive at the cave entrance.
• Just hold onto it so you can see in the dark caves.
• a staff. In the cave entrance, Napier is carrying it.
• Either ask Napier about the staff or tell Napier about the shelf to obtain his staff.
• In the crevice while carrying the staff, examine the shelf to obtain the silver box.
• an oar. It's in the cave entrance. Examine the boat to notice the oar beside it.
• In the crevice while carrying the oar, examine the shelf to obtain the silver box.
• a silver box. Obtain it in the crevice by examining the shelf while carrying either the staff or the oar.
• This is the treasure Napier is looking for. In the cave entrance, give the silver box to Napier.
• You cannot open the box by yourself. The box will be opened in the epilogue. It contains an ornate gold cross.

Thank You to my Patreon supporters

This walkthrough was funded via Patreon with

• the support of Robin Johnson, Ville Lavonius, Andrew Schultz, Kenneth Hon, Carl Muckenhoupt, Mark Musante, and Phil Tatro;
• the generous support of Janice M Eisen and Matthew Foxley;
• the very generous support of Karl Ove Hufthammer and Rus Whang;
• the extremely generous support of Emily Short, Allen Garvin, Jesse McGrew, Jacqueline Ashwell, Marius Müller, Jennifer Rexrode, and Durafen;
• and the invisible support of several anonymous patrons.