THE CRYSTAL CAVERN
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Adventure Workshop, Handasoft; Anne and Harry Capeling; 1988
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Solution for Spectrum version (OVL; 2023)
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PLOT
Many years have passed since the untimely death of the great and
good King Arthur, and that short-lived era of chivalry and equal
justice is but a distant memory. You are just a casual observer
of this sad decline, until one night while weaving home from
“The Jolly Leper” you trip over a large pebble. Struggling to
your feet you are confronted by a white-bearded apparition with
piercing blue eyes. “Do not be alarmed stranger, I am the shade
of Merlin the great Magician, and only I can restore England to
its former glory!”
“That accursed Lady of the Lake – Nimue bewitched me into the
Crystal Cavern, and imprisoned me there. If you can find and
restore to me my five magical artifacts – my wand, cloak, shoes,
hat and grimoire, that she stole from me, I will reward you with
fabulous treasures. But take heed, Nimue has set many traps and
sentinels to block your way!”
“You must also travel on the River of Time to find some of my
possessions. I have placed some useful objects to help you in
your quest. Go to the Tregellen Falls to find the entrance to
the Cavern, but beware the Stone Demon who never sleeps....”
The vision fades and you lurch back to the tavern.
Just as you hastily pass the privy another phantom appears
(double vision?). This time it is a gorgeous lady in shimmering
white with hair as black as a raven’s wing.
“Do not believe the lies of that devil Merlin! The Doom of the
World will never be free as long as I – Nimue live. If you dare
to seek the Crystal Cavern you will curse the dung-grader who
fathered you! If you are very lucky and discover the truth we
shall meet again on the Isle of Avalon.”
She disappears and you stagger into the tavern to savage a
firkin of mead.
You are undecided but the lure of the loot is too much, and the
next day you set out for the Tregellen Falls
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FIRST SECTION -------------
(Start at the bottom of Tregeden Falls),
INVENTORY (you are carrying nothing),
W (trail)),
GET TOAD,
EXAMINE TOAD,
KISS TOAD (you now have a warty lip),
W, W (an alder copse),
GET VIOLET,
EXAMINE VIOLET (magic - strong grip needed),
W,
S (outside tower),
IN (foot of staircase),
GET PIN,
EXAMINE PIN (magic with waving cherub on the end),
U (top of tower where you see a mousehole - remember
the violet),
SQUEEZE VIOLET (you shrink),
IN (mouse's nest),
GET CHEESE,
EXAMINE CHEESE,
GET PIE (пирог),
EXAMINE PIE,
OUT,
SQUEEZE VIOLET (you return to normal),
D,
OUT,
N,
NW (by pond),
IN,
GET BOOT,
EXAMINE BOOT,
OUT.
SE (corn field)
E (alder copse)
N (edge of marsh)
N (deep in marsh)
GET JACK (o' lantern) (he flies west),
W (lost in marsh),
N,
W,
S (you meet the Angel of Death - remember the pin),
WAVE PIN (you catch the Angel on the head of your pin), DROP PIN,
GET JACK,
SE (by pond),
SE (a field of corn),
EXAMINE HEDGEHOG (leave it),
E, E, E,
E (the bottom of Tregeden falls),
IN (limestone cavern),
N (you see a gargoyle whom you can only pass if you have a
warty lip; N-S cavern),
EXAMINE GARGOYLE,
N (you see a stone demon and are told not to linger, but
moving head means death; cold chamber),
S,
DROP JACK,
N (it is now dark),
WAIT (Mogodon the Night Ruler comes and destroys the stone
demon),
S,
GET JACK,
N,
DROP CHEESE,
DROP BOOT
RIVER OF TIME
-------------
NE (gates to the River of Time),
EXAMINE PLATE (swallow your pride),
EXAMINE PIE (it is humble pie),
EAT PIE (you eat humble pie),
N (you are on the banks of the River of Time),
IN (boat),
SAY EAST (you arrive at the river junction where a sign
says North to the future and South to the past).
SECOND SECTION - NUCLEAR WINTER -------------------------------
SAY NORTH (by bank of River of Time),
OUT,
E (remains of a children's playground),
EXAMINE SLIDE (perhaps it can be moved),
MOVE SLIDE,
GET small KEY,
GET clockwork MOUSE (clockwork),
EXAMINE MOUSE,
WIND MOUSE
DROP KEY,
N (rubbish dump),
DROP MOUSE (the rats chase mouse),
NE (by civil defence HQ),
IN (foyer),
E (office - you start to feel ill because of the
radiation and have a limited number of moves to complete
the next section),
OUT,
N, N (by army camp fence),
GET CAP,
S (to gates),
GIVE CAP (to the soldier who says you can go in),
IN (inside camp),
E (guardroom),
GET radiation SUIT,
WEAR SUIT (you feel much better),
W,
OUT,
S,
IN (CD office),
GET PAMPHLET,
READ PAMPHLET (how to survive the nuclear holocaust),
W,
OUT (by civil defence HQ)
S, S,
IN (reception of police station),
E (interrogation room),
GET TRUNCHEON,
W,
OUT,
S (by betting shop),
SE,
IN (library),
E (newsroom),
READ PAPER (the answer to a crossword clue is "NOVA"),
W,
NE (staff rest room),
D (cellar),
E (end of cellar),
EXAMINE BOOKWORM,
THROW PAMPHLET (bookworm slides away),
IN (alcove),
GET GRIMOIRE,
EXAMINE GRIMOIRE (it says read and tremble),
TREMBLE GRIMOIRE (a page falls out),
READ PAGE (it tells you about vaporise spell),
OUT,
W,
U (rest room),
SW,
OUT,
NW (betting shop),
N,
N (by butcher's shop),
IN (butcher's shop),
GET HAM,
EXAMINE HAM,
OUT,
N,
SW,
S (remains of playground),
DROP HAM
S,
IN (charnel house where you see bodies),
MOVE BODIES (you now see a hole),
E (into an airless room),
GET pointed HAT (pointed hat),
WEAR HAT,
W,
OUT,
N (remains of playground),
DROP SUIT,
GET HAM,
W (bank of river),
IN (boat),
SAY SOUTH,
SAY WEST,
OUT,
S (gates to River of Time),
SW (cold chamber),
DROP HAM,
NE
N (banks of river),
IN (boat),
SAY EAST (river junction),
SAY NORTH,
OUT,
E (playground),
GET RIBBON,
W,
IN (boat),
SAY SOUTH (you are now back at the river junction)
SECTION THREE - AFTER KING ARTHUR'S DEATH
-----------------------------------------
SAY SOUTH,
OUT (you see a patch of mud),
DROP RIBBON (the mud turns it into a black armband),
GET ARMBAND,
WEAR ARMBAND,
S (cemetery gate),
IN (by an unmarked grave where an agitated man wants his
dentist's plaque - note you must enter this room before
you get the plaque),
OUT,
N,
SE (mound of castle)
U (onto drawbridge of King Arthur's Castle),
IN (courtyard),
E (jousting yard),
GET GAUNTLET,
EXAMINE GAUNTLET,
WEAR GAUNTLET,
NE (outside hospice)
W (hospice),
W (dental torture chamber where you see a plaque and a jar
of tooth powder),
GET JAR,
EXAMINE JAR (contains tooth powder),
POWDER PLAQUE (the plaque remover loosens the plaque),
DROP JAR,
GET PLAQUE,
E, E,
SW,
W,
OUT (drawbridge),
D,
NW,
S,
IN (to by grave where the dentist snatches the plaque and
gives you the password to Merlin's room "UTHER"),
OUT (cemetery gate)
N,
SE,
U (drawbridge),
IN (courtyard),
E
NE
SE
S,
IN (armoury),
GET KNIFE,
EXAMINE KNIFE (good for whittling),
WHITTLE TRUNCHEON (it changes into a wand),
EXAMINE WAND (magic),
DROP KNIFE,
OUT,
N (entrance to keep),
IN (keep),
U (landing),
E
N
IN (Merlin's long disused room),
SAY UTHER (you see an opening east),
E (secret cloak room),
GET CLOAK,
EXAMINE CLOAK (magic),
WEAR CLOАK,
W,
OUT,
S,
W,
D,
OUT,
NW,
SW,
W,
OUT (drawbridge),
D,
NW (bank of river),
DROP ARMBAND,
IN (boat),
SAY NORTH,
SAY WEST,
OUT (banks of River of Time)
SECTION 4 - MERLIN ------------------
S,
SW (cold chamber),
GET BOOT,
N, N (south of ravine where you see a troll),
GIVE BOOT (he gives you the nugget but you cannot cross
the bridge carrying the nugget and you cannot
drop the nugget unless you drop the gauntlet
first),
DROP GAUNTLET (the nugget hits the ground and explodes in
fire, destroying both itself and the gauntlet),
S, S (cold chamber),
GET CHEESE,
N, N, N (across the bridge to the north side of ravine).
W (you are at the entrance to the crystal caves where you
see Chimera),
EXAMINE CHIMERA,
THROW CHEESE,
GET SHOES,
EXAMINE SHOES (magic),
WEAR SHOES,
E,
S, S, S (cold chamber),
GET HAM,
N, N, N,
W (the Chimera is fighting itself),
IN (Crystal Cavern),
EXAMINE MERLIN,
DROP ARTIFACTS,
SAY NOVA (the cavern dissolves and you find yourself on a
hill),
D (Nimue appears and tries to tell you something about
her cave; grassy slope),
NW (by temple),
IN (temple),
N (Le Fay appears and asks you to get rid of the ghoul)
(by throne),
D (into catacombs where you see the ghoul),
S (corridor)
GIVE HAM (the ghoul is destroyed),
N,
U (Le Fay appears and leaves a scabbard),
GET SCABBARD,
EXAMINE SCABBARD (magic).
D,
NE (radiant room),
N, N (lake shore),
IN (boat),
SAY NORTH (you are in the middle of the lake where you
see a hand holding a sword),
GET SWORD (the sword lashes out but the scabbard blocks
it... you are by the edge of the lake),
OUT (north shore),
E,
S,
IN (Nimue's cave),
SAY CRYSTAL (you see an opening west),
W (into Nimue's secret room),
GET GOBLET,
EXAMINE GOBLET,
E,
OUT,
N (meadow),
W, W (west of a lake where you see a knight in green armour),
EXAMINE KNIGHT,
THROW SCABBARD (deals with the knight).
U (near top of hill),
U (summit of hill where you see Merlin with the grimoire,
so remember grimoire spell),
SAY VAPORISE (the grimoire is destroyed),
THROW GOBLET (Merlin is destroyed and your warty lip
healed... you get a week at Le Fays boarding
house...)
GAME OVER 100%
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