Solving the Lever Puzzle: Work in Progress

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The Infamous Mecha Sonic
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Solving the Lever Puzzle: Work in Progress

#1 Post by The Infamous Mecha Sonic » Fri Feb 25, 2011 1:52 am

Currently five minutes into the game, as I have been for the past two hours. Thought I'd document my thought processes and experiences in trying to solve the first of the new batch of puzzles, just for fun. Naturally, this thread will contain SPOILERS when I actually manage to solve it. Also, naturally, I want absolutely no help.

6:15 PM: Found the fake book on the bookcase, just as in the original KQ3. Turns out it doesn't conceal a latch, but five levers. Goodie. The LOOK response is basically "#%@& anyone who tries to randomly guess the solution to this puzzle," so I'm guessing there's a hidden something-or-other in the room or in the house with a hint or a solution.

6:22 PM: Found the secret letter. Persistent, aren't I? Too bad it has nothing to do with the lever puzzle.

6:41 PM: Completed search of Manannan's bedroom and office. Turned up nothing. One of the books on the office shelf has something to do with lever puzzles, but I can't interact with it. I think they put it there to spite me.

6:50 PM: Maybe I'm supposed to recognize these symbols or something. The first one kind of looks like a keyhole or a buckler shield. Or maybe it's some sort of deformed eye with a slit for an iris. The second looks like an ant's head. The third is clearly a Slinky. The fourth looks like a pair of arms and legs. If you rotated it ninety degrees and put it below symbol #2, you'd have a stick figure ant man.

7:12 PM: Completed second search of Manannan's bedroom and office. Turned up nothing. Why the F is Gwydion so reluctant to read Manannan's "boring" diary and correspondence. He's already read one letter, for crying out loud. And who's to say the wizard didn't write the answer down in one of those books?

7:15 PM: I'm guessing it's not in the observatory, because where. Just where. Doesn't make sense for the solution to be in Gwydion's bedroom, or in the kitchen. Guess I could check the dining room and hallways. Think I'll go search the wizard's office and bedroom again.

7:20 PM: None of the wizard's cloaks have anything in them. Neither do his hats. Read the diary, Gwydion, you idiot.

7:27 PM: There's nothing in the cabinet except the wand, right? There's not like some hidden mechanism inside the cabinet that opens a slot with the solution on it?

7:28 PM: Nope.

7:45 PM: So the books have legible titles. The middle one is clearly called, "Fight Fire With Fire." Mordack could have learned something from that one. I think the far left one is "Insult and Intent" or something of the sort. The far right one begins with "Death." Middle right one is "Something That Last." Middle left is "Something And Lovers."

7:46 PM: Why the hell would the solution to this puzzle have anything to do with barely legible book titles.

7:47 PM: The books have barely legible numbers too. The numbers on the spine go X, IV, V, III, ...something. Can't make the last one out. I would say it's IIV, except that's retarded because roman numerals don't work like that. Maybe it's XIV. That would make more sense. It can't possibly be anything lower than X. So, that's 10, 4, 5, 3, 14. I'll flip them in order, lowest to highest.

7:48 PM: Yeah, that sure worked alright.

7:49 PM: Is there something I'm supposed to notice about the levers? Should I put on my Sherlock Holmes hat and deduce something from the lack of dust on ant head versus the presence of cobwebs surrounding minus sign? Alas, if only there were dust or cobwebs.

8:04 PM: Why do I still bother searching the bedroom and office. Maybe I should start clicking on floorboards?

8:14 PM: I let the wizard come home. He wanted dinner. I gave him some bread. Then I talked to him about how crappy the people of Llewdor are. Then I had the gall to sit down at the same table as him and he sent me to my room. Man, the punishments in this game are really wimpy. I remember in the original this was something like a three minute time out. I thought to myself, "Self, maybe he'll drop a scrap of paper with the combination on the floor before he goes on his next journey! Maybe I should just play it cool and wait and see if something happens. Maybe I can't solve this puzzle yet because the solution simply hasn't presented itself." Then I accidentally walked in front of his telescope, he turned me into a snail, and the cat ate me. RESTORE.

8:40 PM: Completed basic survey of Llewdor. Talked to the shopkeep about his wives. Made a gorgon into a maiden. Listened to some bad poetry. Haven't seen anything relating to the lever puzzle. Why would there be a solution outside of the house, anyway? I'm anal when it comes to these games; I don't like to have the main character start picking up ingredients to turn the wizard into the cat before he knows there's a way for him to turn the wizard into a cat. I'd like him to at least set eyes on the magic book before I proceed. So, it's back to the house.

9:03 PM: Maybe the constant creaking and groaning of the house is actually a Morse code message instructing me how to solve the puzzle.

9:06 PM: By the way, the background music in the wizard's office and bedroom is really, really good.

9:09 PM: Pour the bottles in a bowl. Swirl and swallow it down whole. Let the contents slosh and roll. Feel the liquid warm your soul.

9:14 PM: Maybe I'm supposed to recognize these symbols. That one second from the right almost looks like a K. The one on the far right could be a capital I or a lower case L if you rotated it a little bit. I hope I'm not supposed to decipher some demon tongue and spell out "KINGS" or "QUEST" or something.

9:21 PM: I wonder if this picture hanging in the wizard's bedroom is supposed to be Mordack's island. That would be a cool little reference.

9:37 PM: I clicked on one of those wall-mounted candles and got really excited when Gwydion walked over to it, like he was going to pull it and trigger a secret passage or something. But he only burned his fingers.

9:53 PM: There's a triangular crevice in one of the rocks outside the house. Almost looks like it could be outlining some sort of secret door. Of course, I'm just seeing things. I guess it's supposed to be a triangle-shaped stone or something. At least there isn't some kind of wine cellar door out here like there was in front of Crispin's house to entice me to spend ten f'ing hours trying to figure out how to break in.

9:59 PM: I feel like there should be a Ms. Astro Chicken easter egg in the chicken coop.

11:13 PM: Finally got it. I'm a little annoyed that the solution wasn't even in the goddamn house though. I'd like to know how Gwydion #611's journal got into the town library in the first place.

11:14 PM: By the way, the animation of the eagle swooping down on the leg of lamb is one of the most beautiful I've seen in any game, Sierra, Tierra, or AGDI.
Last edited by The Infamous Mecha Sonic on Fri Feb 25, 2011 4:16 am, edited 7 times in total.

PLeiaPrinSass
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Re: Solving the Lever Puzzle: Work in Progress

#2 Post by PLeiaPrinSass » Fri Feb 25, 2011 2:19 am

I am also having a ton of difficulty with this - how does one get into the library in town if it's all boarded up? When you climb to the left you can't reach the latch...

Gentlegamer
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Re: Solving the Lever Puzzle: Work in Progress

#3 Post by Gentlegamer » Fri Feb 25, 2011 2:30 am

PLeiaPrinSass wrote:I am also having a ton of difficulty with this - how does one get into the library in town if it's all boarded up? When you climb to the left you can't reach the latch...
One way is to use something of "yours" from Manannan's house on the window.

As for the levers: you aren't the first "Gwydion" to sneak out and explore Llewdor. Maybe one of your predecessors has left evidence and some clues.

navynuke04
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Re: Solving the Lever Puzzle: Work in Progress

#4 Post by navynuke04 » Fri Feb 25, 2011 2:43 am

I love reading your thought process. That's great! I won't give you any clues, as you didn't actually ask for one.

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