Adventures In Exile, How I Played Hooky From Work! Options

[foodandart]

Well!

I backtracked through Haven and found a few more clues. I worked out the gate that got me up to the edge of the pool. Very clever. The carved plinths with the icon on them are still a mystery, but I've sketched down their shapes and the shapes of the totems they are on. Now what they relate to, I'll have to find out.

Have been getting a lot of history just using the memory jewel that Yeesha dropped. One thing for sure, I really don't know who's more messed up - Sirrus or Achenar.

Also, what's up with the horns I keep hearing? Can't find the source..

More later..

Deb.

[foodandart]

Okay..

Went out to the tipped-up ship wreck and got the elevator to get me up to the second level. Found the trick to get the bridge to come up so I could get in.

Oh. My. Word..

Skeletons everywhere and found Achenar's journal.

I found the map, with the paths and the locations (I think) of the totems and the animals they represent. Now the totems have designs on them that correspond to the sliders in the box that control the hand-shaped bridge. I fiddled with those for a while - obviously there's an order they need to be set in, and this is what I don't have yet.

In his journal, Achenar described each of the animals he encountered in turn, but I didn't jot it down. I have to go back and re-read it and see if that is the key.

Later..

[foodandart]

Well!

I've been poking around Haven for a while. I watched a pair of Mangree almost get eaten then found one that was hurt - or very badly winded. It's mate pitched a fruit at me and I pushed the red berry over to the downed animal.. then left.

I cannot fathom the movement of that part of the puzzle.

I have found one last totem but there's three Mangree that seem to be playing on the thing, obscuring my view of the final symbol on it's frontside. Somehow these icons correspond to the sliders by the hand-shaped bridge that go to Achenar's home in the middle of the pond. Got to finger it out so I can get the bridge down and enter.

Now how to get those guys off that totem. Has to be a way with those three noisemakers.. What's the proper sequence of tones?

Am going back now for a few more hours of stumbling 'round like I'm blindfolded.

Deb.

[foodandart]

Most excellent! Last night I paid attention to what was happening in Haven. I fingered out the tones and mimicked the call that got the Mangree off the last totem. Was a simple matter to work out the combination to get to Achenar's home.

Interesting entries in his journal and after about 10 minutes of staring at the other notes left around the place I worked out what they were about. *Then* I got to the south forest - which I REALY like and lo, the last puzzle, which took an hour to suss out correctly.

(technical note: make sure your mouse speed is set to a fairly quick tracking - this makes a lot of difference in how much you have to work at the actual performing of the last puzzle)

Heee! I got it and also, I THINK, found a way to get a problem solved on Serenia..

Obviously, I'm doing this out of order. I think my journey SHOULD have started on one of the Prison Ages first and not skipped straight to Serenia - my only hope is that the path is recoverable and there aren't things I've tripped up wrong by going this way. Now that I think on it, having met both Sirrus and Achenar on Serenia, I'm glad I got to Haven first and sorted through those puzzles. Although Achenar started out quite bloodthirsty and paranoid, he definitely has changed. His notes on the Mangree are fairly obvious WRT that fact.

This leaves Spire, which is scary enough - and frankly, Sirrus gives me the flat out willies.

Ermmm.

Deb.

[foodandart]

Quick note..

I returned to Serenia and fingered out (literally) the water gate at the lowest level - then managed to meet a few more of the natives. Got a tip on my spirit-guide - wind! - and got it all happy with me. Wondered what the action with the bubbles, pollen and flames was about.. Then went into the memory chamber and am currently working on the puzzle in Dream.

Geez-Louise!

I sort of have it.. got the color sequence down but that's about it.

Of course the puzzles requiring the least action have the trickiest execution.

Deb.

[foodandart]

Oh for God's sake!!

This Dream puzzle is killing me!

I'm probably going to get good and blitzed and see if I can make a better go of it, 'cos right now I'm pulling my hair out!

"Rasputin, I'm very cross indeed..!"

Deb.

[foodandart]

A busy spring and summer kept me away, but I returned to pick up where I left off..

Which was running away. From the Dream Puzzle, and so now I'm back to Spire.. and I remember why I don't like it.

MATH!

Grrr...

Deb.

[foodandart]

More on this walkaround on Spire.. I found more notes left by Sirrus - and one was almost underfoot - how did I miss that before? Well, I've got 11 lines with three numbers across on each. I have a chair that reminds me of the control chair on Riven, but more sinister.. rather spider-like, if you ask me. and I can move the controls only one stop - it did more earlier, but I fiddled with the roll-top circuit boxes earlier and shut off some circuits. Almost finagled the two of those, but they seem hit-or-miss with getting the energy levels to the right spot to make the floating pod stop at the correct level.. If there's a trick, I sure can't find it.. Bah!

I need to make heads of the circuit panel out at the edge of the tower, the three big white crystals, the chair.. what's out at the place where the pod goes..

Ermm. Can I go back to Edanna? I flunked Electricity and Electronics in 7th grade shop.. this is gonna suck!

Numbers.. numbers.. I don't get it.. :-(

[foodandart]

Limited Success!

I got across to the other 'island' and found the power relays there. I'll eventually set out my thoughts on the next walkthrough.

I can't let myself get distracted by plots right now - such is my frustration over this age.

I just don't like it. It's haunting, creepy and stunning - but I am having such a hard time seeing the connections between what I'm getting and how - almost half of what I do strikes me as random, hit-or-miss.

So now all the relays are lit, which is of course the wrong 'voltage' and the circuit breaker in the chair is popping.

Head, meet desk!

Time to go back and re-read every note I can find.

Deb.

[foodandart]

Lots happened, and oddly enough, very little.

As before, I managed to suss out the correct power levels to get the floating pod to actually release and scoot over to the other tower. Dropped down the rope to the lower level - HOLEE CATS! it's not pleasant there. The yellow-green planet below - with the crackling electricity.. scary.. and hypnotic. Found the viewer and lo, thre's another bit of something underneath that first tower that I cannot get to. But I got some notes on what I saw. Should help.

I figured out the trick for getting the bound rock to rise so I could get across to the big switch-box - there's a lot more switches to throw, and I managed to get enough lit so that I'm within the amount needed to match the levels listed on the spider-chair.. (lots of fumbling with THAT)

On that chair, I have to be careful. If there's more power to it than than needed it will throw the circuit-breaker.. found that out the frustrating way.

Also, I noticed the three lights on the right side of the chair panel do change reflecting the power output so I have to work that out..

I got it to drop all the way down and got to the three cable sets - they took a bit of work, but in an inspired burst I THINK I understand what they are for, so I dug through my notes and set two, the third I think I may have to go back and see if Yeesha's memory crystal will give me an answer for the correct setting. With the condition it's in, will it even work?

Can't do much with making the 'harp' play.. I've copied the lines with the 'music' and played them, but I think there may be an issue with speed - like the mangree puzzle - or something's not set correctly. I have re-read all the notes - and have gone as far as to shut down everything but the 11 power relays to see what I can make happen with the blue crystals. No dice.

So, I'm a bit stumped and need to work on some other angles here.. but I think I am getting closer on grasping the logic at work in this age.

Deb.