The Wizard's Cottage
By Dan R Johnson
Published by BRE Software
For Atari 400/800/XL/XE
Solution by Garry Francis
----------------------------------------
This is a minimal solution to a hard game. Most of your time will be spent guessing what phrase to
use and retracing your steps to try things in previously visited rooms. You can EXAMINE most of the
portable objects and a few of the fixed objects to get some important hints.
Some optional (but significant) commands are shown in parentheses. These can be omitted once you
know what to do.
You can get your score at the end, but I have no idea how it's calculated. The game claims that
the maximum score is 140, but I only got 135 on the first run through and 134 on the second.
The version of the game on most archives has corrupted files. You will know that you have corrupted
files if you get weird stuff displayed in the lower portion of the screen. Do not use this version,
as it may crash your computer (or emulator). Instead, download the fixed version from CASA.
N (or any other direction to get started, you start in the town square)
(N)
(N) (an invisible wall prevents you going that way)
(TALK GNOLL) (he tells you about spell cast by Tralvyn, so you need to break it)
(S)
S
STEAL ROPE (in your blundering attempt to hide it, it falls to the ground)
TAKE ROPE (the clerk and his dog must be blind)
N
SW
SW
SEARCH WOOD (you find some shiny gold coins at the bottom of the pile)
TAKE GOLD
W
(OPEN BOX) (there's no apparent lock or latch, but it won't open)
KICK BOX (that did the trick, you find a compass)
TAKE COMPASS
E
NE
NE
W
(EXAMINE WEAPONS) (they're old and rusty, apart from a finely polished sword)
BUY SWORD (with gold, a sword appears)
TAKE SWORD
E
E (a nomad motions you towards him)
TALK NOMAD (he leaves a map on the table)
TAKE MAP
W
SE
(SW) (you need to know which way to go)
READ MAP (a green arrow points southwest, you can now go that way)
SW
W (there are words carved into one of the trees)
READ WORDS (they read, "Say my name")
SAY TRALVYN (the silver bar vibrates and turns into a flute)
TAKE FLUTE
E
NE
NW
E
E
ATTACK THUG (with sword, the thug cowers and you can now go east)
E
E
N
(N) (the iron door is locked)
(UNLOCK DOOR) (you will need the proper 'key', like the keys on a flute?)
PLAY FLUTE (the iron door cracks open, you can now go north)
N (the tunnel is blocked, but you note one large rock)
MOVE ROCK (you move it a little and find a lantern)
TAKE LANTERN
W
N
CLIMB TABLE (you find a broken stone tablet, different to the others)
TAKE TABLET
EXAMINE TABLET (it's the key to a cipher)
S
E
S
S
W
W
W
W
SE
SW
W
S
(E) (it would be nice if you knew which way to go)
READ COMPASS (the word "east" appears on it, you can now go east)
E
E
E
U (a loose brick is partially pulled out of the chimney wall)
PULL BRICK (you find a key)
TAKE KEY
D
W
(EXAMINE CUPBOARD) (there are scratches on the floor at feet of the cupboard)
MOVE CUPBOARD (you expose a trap door and steps leading down)
D
EXAMINE SHELF (you find a metal sewing needle)
TAKE NEEDLE
(S) (it's too dark)
LIGHT LANTERN (you can now go south)
S
W
(W) (the wind blows from the curtain, forcing you back)
(OPEN CURTAIN) (it's too windy)
DROP SWORD (don't ask me why, but you can now open the curtain)
OPEN CURTAIN (you can now go west)
W
D
D
E
CLIMB ROPE (you tie it off first, then climb down)
(L) (you're at a beach and see a handle sticking out of the sand)
PULL HANDLE (it was a shovel)
TAKE SHOVEL
NE
USE SHOVEL (even though it chastises you for USE elsewhere, you find an emerald)
TAKE EMERALD
SW
U
W
NE
(E) (the door's locked)
UNLOCK DOOR (with key, you can now go east)
E (there are no exits here, you have to stand on one of the coloured discs)
STAND RED (you fall into a pit of wooden spears, but you're not killed)
(L) (you're in the hall of death)
(W) (the opening's not large enough for you to pass)
RUB EMERALD (as you do when you read author's mind, the opening becomes larger)
W
W
PUSH ORC (he falls off the roof and drops his staff)
TAKE STAFF
(EXAMINE STAFF) ('Tralvyn' is etched on it, along with an odd-looking symbol)
D
E
STAND BLUE (you slide down a tunnel)
(L) (you're in the war room, there's strange writing on one wall)
(READ WRITING) (use code found earlier to reveal 'THROW DIAMOND' AT WALL)
S
(ENTER BOAT) (caped figure says, "Show me that you are of Tralvyn's hoard")
SHOW STAFF (he is satisfied and ferries you to the island)
(L) (you're on the island's beach)
DIG GROUND (with shovel, what else would you do on a beach?, you find a dagger)
TAKE DAGGER
SW
(S) (the door's locked, perhaps you should let someone know you want to get in)
KNOCK DOOR (someone from inside the citadel opens it)
S
(TAKE TORCH) (it's attached to the wall with leather straps)
CUT STRAPS (with dagger, burning torch falls to the floor)
TAKE TORCH
U
(SW) (giant cobweb blocks the way)
BURN COBWEB (with torch, you burn a hole large enough to crawl through)
SW
(TAKE HAMMER) (the spider won't let you have it)
STAB SPIDER (with dagger, it runs away)
TAKE HAMMER
NE
U
S
U
(TAKE DIAMOND) (the glass case prevents you taking it)
BREAK CASE (with hammer, it shatters into a hundred pieces)
TAKE DIAMOND (woohoo!)
D
D
N
NE
SE
E
D
E
STAND GREEN (you're teleported to the forest)
(L) (you're near the cottage)
W
N
E
NE
NW
N
THROW DIAMOND (as instructed by the coded message, the wall explodes)
N
SCORE (the best I could do was 135 out of 140)
***THE END***
