The Mirror of Khoronz Written by Derek L. Haslam and published by Phoenix for the BBC, though never actually released commercially - game available from The Stairway to Hell or The Interactive Fiction Archive, though only the latter version includes the original hint files. This is a massive game with almost two hundred locations and a 'real time' environment where the hours pass and night follows day. Indeed one area of the game map is only accessible at night with a lit candle. The game is unusual in that it allows several players to take part simultaneously and, once completed, allows a successful wizard to relocate items and thus create entirely different problems. As you'll have guessed from that, the aim of the game is to become a wizard. Two fundamental problems are the size of a player's inventory and the limited life of the light source, a candle. Most artefacts have only one use and can be relinquished after employment. Wear everything you can and put as many objects in the rucksack as possible. The candle should be used sparingly and is best not used at all once a player becomes familiar with the landscape and remembers the position of various game items. Death can occur in numerous locations, but usually with some forewarning, though it's essential to save the game regularly. What follows is a bare bones solution, not a step-by-step walkthrough (which would take far too long to write). 1. Head east from the beginning of the game, then southwest to discover the box, containing the candle and a parchment describing where the three parts of the tile will be found. Outside the caves go up (the word 'climb' is not recognised by the game) to find the brass key. The matchbox is located in the tower to the north and east of the cave entrance. The following objects are located inside the caves: the crystal of rock salt; the tiny silver key; the silver serpent; and, the rucksack. Use 'open' rather than 'unlock' to access the grille. Go up and obtain the first part of the tile. 2. Don't worry if you get robbed crossing the brigands' valley. Continue NE until you reach the path through the woods. At the junction first head east to pick up the flat piece of wood, then go west until you reach the cross. Waiting here leads to the arrival of a traveller whom, on being asked, will provide three important pieces of advice. Go behind the cross to discover a clue about a knight and go down from there to obtain the bar of tin. 3. Ignore the path south through the woods to the pine tree for the moment. Instead head to the Castle of Wonders. The essential thing to do in here is to lift the carpet. Go down through the trapdoor and pick up the compass and the lantern. Putting the candle in the lantern prevents it from being extinguished by the wind in various locations. 4. The compass makes the spinning room at the centre of the castle navigable (though don't go west). A white cube can be found to the southwest and a black cube (with a button) to the northwest. Heading south will reveal a tapestry about alchemy, while heading southeast uncovers another describing a manticore defeating a wyvern and a cock victorious over a basilisk, as well as a rare book. Reading or examining the book (sometimes one command works and sometimes the other) reveals the recipe for gold and the five ingredients needed (you should have two by now already). Heading northeast from the spinning room and then north you will find a suit of armour. Wear this when heading north from the spinning room, but remove and then drop it after you've been struck by crossbow bolts. Pick up the bolts and the knight and examine the chessboard. This reveals the classic knight's puzzle where all the sixty-four squares of the board are covered once in turn by a series of moves of said chess piece. I'll leave you to work it out for yourself (the stone cross provided a clue as to where to begin your moves). However, if you want a shortcut, then the key words are 'Arc-Evranor'. Remember to get the chessboard. Go north, then west, south and east from the chessboard room to obtain the crossbow (and don't try to kill the ice-dragon with said weapon). Then retrace the last three steps and head east and then south across the bridge. Note that if you were still wearing the armour you would be pulled into the pit and don't worry about the magnetic field destroying your compass. 5. The next part is a little tricky since it can only be navigated at night. You will need to wait until 6pm and then light the candle. Once outside it should become possible to navigate by the stars. If not, then make several moves within the castle and try again. The giant weasels will not attack if you are carrying a lit candle. Keep heading north until you come to the beach. Now drop everything except the lantern (with candle inside), the rucksack, the matchbox, the flat piece of wood, the bolts and the crossbow and put everything that will fit into the rucksack. Head west to get the coracle and return. Go north then up to board the ship. Say Arc-Evranor to the sailors to get the ship moving. All three items on board the ship are useful. The canvas can be found by going down, but you'll need to use on-board directions ('forward' and 'astern') to discover the cord and the bottle. Once all three have been obtained, leave the ship. 6. Head east and then northeast from the jetty. Drop the canvas in the copse. The sulphur can be found by retracing your steps and heading south from the pool location. From the pool keep heading northeast and then north from the signpost to the causeway. Once you enter the lake (coracle required) head north until you see the information about a tower off to the northeast. Head NE and then immediately go in (don't use 'enter tower'). Shoot the beast three times with the crossbow then drop the weapon and pick up the hacksaw. Back outside the tower go to the northern shore. A brass arm ring can be found in the cave to the northwest and a second part of the tile by climbing the obelisk. Now go back to the centre of the lake. Head west and then down to pick up the flaming sword. Tie the cord to the bottle and go down again to the pool of mercury. Fill the bottle then go up. The cord should float to the surface (if it doesn't first time around, go down and up again). Pull the cord to get the bottle. Now go all the way back to the copse. Get the axe and use it to break the door and chop down the trees. Go inside the cabin to get the hammer and nails and back outside to make a raft. Drop the axe and hammer. Fit the canvas to the raft and pick up your new vessel. If you're wondering why you need this, then try going back across the sea in the coracle. Instead launch the raft from the jetty to return. 7. Back on the southern shore pick up everything you had left behind. Again you'll need to wait until nighttime to traverse the weasels' domain. Head all the way back to the cross and then return to the castle. Kill the ice-dragon with the flaming sword then go west to get the rope and grapnel. Tie the rope to the grapnel and return to the pine tree location. Throw the grapnel and go up the tree to discover the location of the warlock's warren. 8. Head west from the pine tree until you reach the centre of the clearing and the well. Drop everything (especially the white cube!) except the lantern/candle, matchbox and the black cube. Light the candle and then drop the matchbox. Descend the well and first head west once you have entered the warren. Do not open the manticore's cage from its actual location but go into the recess to the south and then open the gate. Go back out and into the cage. Head east to get the casket, open the iron door, get the cage (don't type 'get cock' as it will fly away), and then the ruby. Go east and then north and jump the pit. Note that carrying any more weight than this results in instant death by snake-bite. Get the tile. East and southeast from the warlock's lair you'll find a bronze dragon and then going north leads to a cube room. Press the button on the black cube and return to the clearing location. Pick up everything (you might need to drop the black cube). 9. Now go all the way back to the Castle of Wonders, past the corpse of the ice-dragon to the spiral stairway. If you examine each of the three tile parts in turn, you'll discover that the words needed to enter the wizard's domain are 'Draco Vincit Est'. Just type these and enter. Give the wizard the three tile pieces (type 'give tiles'), get the ivory box and go south to enter his laboratory. Examine the furnace and get the crucible. Light the furnace. Put the mercury, salt, sulphur, tin and powder in the crucible (type 'put **** in crucible'). Put the crucible in the furnace. Wait three times. Get the crucible. Wait again. Get the gold. Now cut the gold with the hacksaw and remember to pick up both the pieces. 10. That's almost it. First, head all the way back to the brigands' valley and allow yourself to be robbed again. If you had already tried to open the casket, you'll know the bandits' fate. Go directly to the thieves' lair and release the cock to destroy the basilisk. Pick up all the treasures. 11. Head right back to the entrance to the initial cave system and then south to the grinning skull. Wait and then question the Narvik who arrives. Give him the small lump of gold and get led across the swamp. Enter the throne room and give the large lump of gold to the king. Now go to the mine and explore its various locations. Examine the ore wagon and obtain the shovel. Go to the location where the roof has collapsed and dig. Go back to the wagon and push it. Follow its route to discover that the wagon has smashed the oak door. Go in and the south. 'You are home again, your quest completed. Congratulations! You have earned the rank of Wizard and the right to use the commands FIND, VISIT and others which you can discover for yourself - the game still has its secrets!' A Wibble and Blim production for CASA. ***************************************************** Displayed on the Classic Adventures Solution Archive: http://solutionarchive.com