The Apprentice

Published by Zenobi and written by Jeremy Piper for the Spectrum 128

The game's premise is that, in the role of an apprentice wizard, the 
player has to pass a final test by escaping from the Tower of Alama.

'Examine' can be reduced to 'X', but the first five letters of 'search' 
need to be typed to initiate that command. Looking in certain directions 
and under objects is also permissible in certain locations. Note that key 
words in a conversation have to be typed within quotation marks, e.g. say 
"boo" to goose. Delaying action or choosing the wrong course of action 
can result in death in certain locations, so remember to save the game 
often.

What follows is a barebones solution. Many other objects in the game can 
be examined.

S, x furniture, x cabinet, search cabinet (and acquire a tumbler), x 
table, get pendant, x pendant, wear pendant, x paintings, x picture, get 
picture, undo picture, x picture, get picture, x string, get string, x 
nail (but leave it for the moment).

N, W, N (only permissible while wearing the pendant), x equipment, search 
equipment (and acquire a tool bag), look in bag, x furniture, x table, 
search books (and acquire a spell book), x book, x bookmark, drop book, 
get paper, unfold paper, read paper (and remember what you will need to 
make a healing potion), look under boards, get rope. The bag can carry 
all manner of objects, so put paper in bag (just in case you forget the 
recipe).

S x 2, E, x paintings (note the reference to the war years), E, search 
cupboard (and acquire a bottle of oil), x sink, search sink (and acquire 
a dirty plate), wash plate in sink (no chance!), E, x beds, x bed, move 
bed (and discover a trapdoor), search floor (and acquire a pail), x 
trapdoor.

Get screwdriver out of bag, unscrew hinges with screwdriver (too rusty), 
pour oil on hinges, drop bottle, unscrew hinges with screwdriver, open 
trapdoor.

D, search cellar (and acquire a key), x pump, put pail under spout, pull 
lever, get pail, wash plate in pail, drop pail, x plate (note the number 
455), drop plate, x rack, search rack (and acquire a bottle of 
champagne), x champagne (and note the year - it seems like you've found 
one of the ingredients for the healing potion).

U, W, W, S (note that the key will not open the drawer found when 
examining the desk - a red herring), E, x shelves, x bookends, move 
bookends, search compartment (and acquire a chest), set combination to 
455, search chest (and gain three spells), drop chest.

W, get pliers out of bag (hmm, seems that you're overloaded), put tumbler 
in bag, put champagne in bag, get pliers out of bag, pull nail with 
pliers (no joy), cast strength spell, pull nail with pliers, get hammer 
out of bag, hit wall with hammer, x hole.

Climb through hole, S, U x 4 (though you can explore the room you'll pass 
to the east if you wish), after the cut scene say "hello" to eskin, say 
"orcs" to eskin, say "swop" to eskin (note that Eskin may move between 
rooms, so follow him to continue the conversation), give picture to 
Eskin, get sword, x sword.

If you haven't done so already, now go west to the room with the 
trophies. X trophies, x creatures, x boar. If Eskin is in this room, wait 
until he moves east, then take the tusk (the second ingredient).

S, SE, S, x portcullis, look around, x lever, pull lever (seems you'll 
need to weight it down), thread string through hole, tie string to 
hammer, pull lever, untie string, get hammer, S (illogical, as the 
response indicates, but you're through), S, U x 2.

X hall, search armour (and find the third ingredient), put cube in bag, 
put hammer in bag, put key in bag, get tumbler out of bag, get champagne 
out of bag. Pour champagne into tumbler (somehow the bottle disappears as 
a result), put scale in tumble, mix solution with tusk (and make the 
potion). 

S, x orc, look south, hit orc with sword (note that 'kill orc with sword' 
does not work), x fireplace, stand in fireplace, x chimney, put sword in 
bag, cast levitation spell, U (note that if you try to go up while 
carrying the sword, you're told that you cannot to do so, but you somehow 
can when the sword is in the bag).

Grab bar, tie rope to bar, climb through opening, swing rope, pull rope 
hard, get sword from bag, get key from bag, D (and enter the torture 
chamber). Examine things in the room until the orc hears the other orc's 
groans and departs to investigate, then immediately hit orc with sword, 
unlock manacles with key, give potion to man, X Agryui (who will now 
follow you around).

S, SW, x orcs, cast stealth spell, S (presumably Agryui tiptoes!), x 
wall, say "help" to Agryui, get hammer out of bag, wait (and your friend 
finds an opening).

Crawl through opening (goodbye Agryui), push block in opening, wedge 
block with screwdriver, hit block with hammer, S x 2 (the orcs give up 
the chase).

U, look around, tie rope to stalagmite, put rope in chasm, climb rope, x 
ledge, look down, get cube out of bag, jump, dive (and obtain the cube), 
swim west, grab branch.

Then follows a long cut scene (in which Eskin, a.k.a. the wizard Alasto, 
gains his revenge) and you've passed the test.

A Wibble and Blim production for CASA.

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