Thief II FM -- Calendra's Legacy: A Winter's Eve

I guess I'd better put a warning up here. This is basically my notes to myself while playing the mission. It is, therefore, SPOILER RICH! However, it is also misleading since I was in the process of figuring things out as I went along and may have made some mistakes. In fact I have backtracked with saves and reloads several times.

Friday, April 5th, 2002, 09:42
Okay, time to carry on with the second part of this Fan Mission. I'm continuing from the end of my first completion of Act I with 1:47 already on the clock. Also carry on with Garrett difficulty.

Act II: Midnight in Murkbell

Objectives Don't kill any locals, steal the Baerulian Diamond from the Watercrest Museum, bypass the musuem's vault high security to get the Red Arrow painting.

Loadout I have one hundred more to spend than I finished Act I with. Ah, Rope arrows. Good. Buy Garrett's Tip, four Water arrows, two Scouting Orbs, five flares, and two Rope arrows. Flash Bombs imply Ghost failure so I'll pass on those and the Healing and Speed potions.

Opening Scene In a small room with the Duchess. Man is she ugly! Woof! Five-o'clock-shadow too. Talk about death warmed over. Change in plans already. She's only appraising the Cylix, and not buying it! The objectives change. Now I've also got to get the Vampire Blade from the Wizards. The Cylix needs to be delivered to Cardinal Alcandor at St. Trinett's Cathedral. And I've only got ten minutes to get there. The map's got a dotted red line showing me the way. But Garrett's Tip is about the Falstaff Wizards and Mercedes so we'll get to that after taking care of the Cardinal. Oh, the Duchess gave me twenty-five thousand worth of diamonds as a fifty percent downpayment. That's enough to get me to the church. On time? We'll see. Don't let any of the priests see me either.

Twenty-five grand is plenty to get me to remain focused on my objective but I did notice the frilly undies on the waitresses in the French maid outfits as I went through the Black Die Pub out onto the balcony. North then right around the Fish Monger's, east along the waterway. Cross over Gallan Bridge and carry on south along the waterway, passing the Museum, and into the water at the Psychic's. This is where I got screwed around my first attempt. I hadn't clued into the second, enlarged version of the maps, inset blowups. Anyhow, I didn't find the Old Tower properly. Swim west to the Old Tower where there's a Moss arrow. Around the Cathedral to the southwest side noting the ladder up to a balcony on the northwest corner. Rope arrow up and open and enter through a window. I've changed the route I used in the Cathedral too. I had a tough time trying to Ghost the running priests after the alarm so thought I'd try looting the Cathedral before dropping off the Cylix. Mission time to this point 4:40 which includes the meeting with the Duchess.

While upstairs, get the golden vase on a pedestal near the front worth one hundred gold and a priest's purse worth ten gold while running toward the stairs. These guys are pretty much blind. What have they been doing to themselves? I've run right by them within a few feet but staying close to the outside edges of the building seems to minimize the light. Downstairs, the room to the right and down from the pulpit. A Canal Gate Key. This I know where to use. I had picked a lock on a gate in the canal but couldn't pick a second one in my first attempt to get here. Professor Ately T. Benjamin's journal. The three Eyes were made for King Ebendizgral of the Dead Lords Halls of Gillian-Shith. The first, Ghoul, draws the dead to the bearer or the latest bearer if cast aside. So, once we've picked the Ghoul Eye up, dropping it doesn't do us any good. The second also draws the dead but as partners. The third draws the life from the bearer. Perhaps keeping them wrapped and deep in a pack may reduce or eliminate their effects. Treatise on the Dead by Niblung. Tibetia-Leng ruins. Niblung's aide Davis. The Vampyre of Chillington Moor. Greater vampyres sometimes appear as mist. Lesser vampyres degrade to something zombie-like. Fire and Holy Water can combat them but Holy Water is more effective, especially when Fire has been countered by the vampyre casting a spell. Down and take a peek at Alcandor behind the locked steel door.

The central portion of this floor is tile so I had to creep toward the front of the building. There's plenty of shadows here. Two golden candlesticks worth twenty-five gold each on tables with candles on either side. Then back up toward the pulpit on the east side. In the first room a pool or bath with a Water arrow. On the pulpit a golden candlestick worth twenty-five gold and a jewelled cup worth forty gold. Then into the second room and through and into the Cardinal's bedroom. I can hear the Cardinal's voice saying he's in the room below me but that I should drop the Cylix in the chute in the corner. Loot the room first. The Balcony key, a chest with a stack of coins worth five gold, three candlesticks worth fifty gold each, and a Necropotence Tome of spells. The Cardinal's journal. He's taken some sort of potion and thinks himself now a true Wizard. I suspect he's just another Vampyre. The amulet setting for the Eyes is lost in the canal. The Psychic knows something about this. Four relics somewhere in the city. The Eyes plus what? The Grail of the Dead being brought to the city by a southern count. Is this the fourth relic? Jortul's mummy on display in the museum. Mission time to this point 12:28.

What if I don't give him the Cylix? I drop it in the chute. Doublecross! The alarm bells sound. Scurry over to a corner and jump up onto a chair. Pretty good shadow here. Give it a minute. There's a small window I can see through into the next room. Now fetching my stuff from my rented room is also an objective. A priest runs in and stops looking away from the door into the corner with the chute. After a bit he runs back out. I can hear running footsteps in the church. I try to time my exit when the footsteps are furthest away. Ah, the window was a confessional -- there's a list of Alcandor's 'commandments' in a book on the floor beside a chair in front of the window. I get the balcony key ready and creep out to the ramp up to the pulpit and then bolt for the balcony, onto the ladder and down to the ground. Mission time to this point 13:47.

A golden bottle worth fifty goods and a wine glass worth fifteen goods on a windowsill outside along the west side of the church. Another wine glass worth another fifteen goods on a windowsill on the east side. There are cops patrolling around the Cathedral now too. I got three Broadhead arrows from a patrolling police archer. Back to the Old Tower. Mission time to this point 18:04. What next? At least I can take a more leisurely pace now. Check the maps again.

Monday, April 8th, 2002, 09:30
My room at the Old Widow Inn is in the opposite corner of Murkbell. Looks on the map like I may be able to swim there. Then I could keep an eye out for the missing Amulet too. Pick the lock on the Canal Gate just outside the Old Tower. There are a few places where I can mantle out of the canal but, so far, the places I can get out to don't lead anywhere. Picks don't work on the next gate so use the Canal Gate Key. On back to the Black Die.

A ladder going up to the dock of Gussies Warehouse where there's a chest with a Flash Mine. There are some water surfaces that can be a test to get past without making a splash. Calendra's Cistern had such a spot with a Frogbeast nearby. I ultimately used a Rope arrow in an overhead beam to allow me to get below the water line quietly. Getting back into the water off Gullies dock I moved down the ladder to the surface. Surface tension prevents further movement at this speed. Then run past the surface tension and now, under the surface, jump off the ladder quietly. East along the canal. There's a closed Canal Gate part way along but also a lever on the Water Pump in the canal that opens the gate. Turn northwest toward the Old Widow Inn. I didn't find any place to get out of the canal closer to the Old Widow than at a grated sewer outlet into the canal across from the Police Courtyard. But I can't get anywhere from there and the cops in the courtyard can see me. Neither have I spotted anything in the canal. By the way, you've got to stay out of sight of the police now. They must be on the lookout for whoever set off the Cathedral alarms. Not to worry, though, there are enough deep shadowed spots along the canal to surface and take a look around. I've been swimming underwater for the most part, in order to better see anything along the bottom and to keep out of sight. Once when I surfaced along the way I spotted a running cop archer. Great! The alarms have set some of the cops off too. How am I going to snatch his Broadheads with him darting like that? Hopefully they're as insensitive as the running priests.

I'm going to try something that worked well in the Ranstall Keep FM. I noticed then, but have had only partial success since, that if you go all the way down and stand on the bottom while in water, you can shoot rope arrows out of the water. Usually shooting arrows doesn't work when you're in the water. Actually, it makes sense that while standing on the bottom your hands and arms are not required to swim and can be used to draw the bow. There are a bunch of wooden piles in the canal supporting the Old Widow Inn. Yes, this works and I can get up onto the cobblestones under the inn. There's a cop with a lamp walking around up here. Wait until he's looking away and scurry up the stairs to my room's back door. It's locked but use the Room Key. Enter and then relock the door. I had some problems with the cops in the courtyard spotting me while in my room. Actually, I had trouble with the cop with the lamp too so maybe also turn the lamps in the room off. Ah, good! Basso's been and dropped off my stuff. Seven Water, three Moss and three Fire arrows, an Invisibility and two Speed potions. Six Flash Bombs and my blackjack. A chest with a single Mine. I'm having a quick look around the room when Mercedes come's out of the closet. Objective change. Steal the Cylix back and destroy it in Peabody's Forge. Am I really supposed to snatch her purse? What the heck. I reload and trigger her entrance from up on the bed against the closet wall and grab the purse before she turns toward me. Nothing?! We have our little lovers' spat and she gives me a Meepwood Cemetery Key Ring to get in to where the Cardinal is now. This is bothersome. Mercedes' has a red mist eminating from her right hand. What is this all about? Then she says "Those zombies sound hungry!" Well, that explains the Flash Bombs. They still may be Ghosted. On further thought I decide to reload and let her keep her empty purse.

LMAOROTF! And it's not altogether gratuitous, either -- a clue as to what to do. Mercedes makes this final comment and goes out through the door. I'm still chuckling when I hear a firebolt sound below. I rush out and the cop with the lantern lies dead at the bottom of the stairs. A little later I hear another firebolt sound. I find Mercedes a little further along and another dead cop in front of her. So, maybe she's going to clear a path for me. Alas, she doesn't move on. I've never played Tomb Raider but ... nothing out of the ordinary. Purely as seems required by the mission, you understand. I can see the Knife Street sign. Let's have a look at the maps. Meepwood Cemetery is in the southeast corner of the town. Is Mercedes' path from the Old Widow a clue as to the route I should start out on? I'd rather jump back into the water and work my way down to the cemetery that way.

But I continue on anyway against my better judgement. Can I hear a Haunt prowling about up ahead? Yup! A skeleton charges me. Reload. I replay this a few times. Stay well back of Mercedes. If anyone sees you they attack. But she does take out everyone up to the end of Knife Street in some scenarios including a couple of Skeleton Haunts and Zombies. I'm still rerunning this scene. Mercedes works her way around and then seems to disappear. A good result, I suppose, would be as many dead from Mercedes' firebolts as possible. Maybe I'll just rerun it one more time and take what I get. That's seems fairest. As long as I can stay undetected. I got up here. I can get away too.

Tuesday, April 9th, 2002, 06:41
Well, that's what I did. But as I skulk around the Knife Street area, well after Mercedes has been through, I can see how this is going to mess me up. There are some dead archers scattered about. I can get their Broadheads but since they're dead it won't count as a pocket picked. And I want all the pockets. So, I'll have to loot this area before I meet Mercedes.

Back and reload just outside my room and scout around for a bit. Three Broadhead arrows from a patrolling archer just north of Gallan Bridge. Three more from another archer stationed at the north end of the bridge. Pick the lock on the wooden door of the building just northwest of the bridge. A pair of lucky coins just inside this building on the floor beside the stairs worth twenty gold. I thought I heard a sniffle above me. The door at the top of the stairs won't open so that's it for this place. There's a light switch here though so I'll turn the lights out. Then a throat clearing sound above. But this is male and the archer at the bridge is female. Is there someone upstairs? I noticed a barrel just outside the door here and some climbing plant that I may be able to use. I was able to get on top of the barrel but was unable to climb the vine. I pushed the barrel over to the corner by the door. The roof line here is slanted and is lowest at this corner. Even so I could not get up onto the roof. I can see a balcony on the building across from me as I look out the door. Also, the patrolling archer and a couple of ladies that came by this spot earlier have not returned for quite a while now. And a goblet on the balcony railing. I may be able to get the barrel over here and get that goblet. Just barely, though. Fifteen goods.

Continue on west and north. A blue sashed fellow walks by with a purse worth five gold. I'm now in Hillcrest Court across from the Gleaming Facet jewellery shop. A gold sashed chap wanders around the court. These uneven cobblestone walkways are making it difficult to slink around. I keep getting hung up wedged between the cobblestones and the building walls. A barred window on the third floor of the shop. I pick the lock. I can see gems, a tiled floor, a note, some tools, a lamp, and a ladder going up inside. A swordsman cop patrols through this area also. Make sure the gold sashed guy is looking away and quickly inside and stutter-step over the tiled flooring far enough to close the door behind me. Grab all the loot worth six hundred seventy-five gold plus eight hundred twenty-five gems. The note is from Mr. Dupree to Delores. It's about a missing ruby they'd gotten from a southern merchant. Could this be the item referred to in the Cardinal's journal? Looks like the ladder goes all the way to the third floor. He's suspecting the cleaner who he says can likely be found at the Windmill just north of Watercrest Island. Looks from the maps like the Windmill is right by the Water Pump. Also I guess Watercrest Island is the island with the Watercrest Museum on it. Up the ladder. There doesn't appear to be a second floor. The third floor has a safe and a barrel and a wood floor. The barrel is empty. I can pick the safe's lock. At first I didn't think I got anything out of the safe but when I checked my inventory there was a Vampyre's Eye. A rose coloured gemstone. As I go back down the ladder and over toward the door, thinking how I can somehow hear maybe the footsteps outside so I can get out in this light, I'm sure I hear zombie sounds! Okay, safely outside in the shadows.

I work my way back up Knife Street toward my room, up to the point I was at before. That's full circle through Knife Street and Hillcrest Court. I want to check out Gweldwyn Court before the area nearer the Old Widow. Back around by Hillcrest Court all the way to the water then along beside the Fish Monger's. I had to jog by a lampost with a cop sentry on the way. Getting that close to the lamp brightened my lightgem a fair bit but all I got was a mumble out of the swordsman. I pick the Fish Monger's door and enter. It's a cold storage room. There are icicles hanging from the ceiling. Several large fish on the floor, a cashbox, a note, a chair with a lamp on it, and, another thief swordsman asleep on the floor. Will he awaken when I do the cashbox? There's also another door just past the sleeper. The note. Having second thoughts about his recent spat with Pete. Sounds like Pete may have jumped in the canal and drowned. The cashbox is locked. When I pick the lock the thief awakens and stands facing toward the doorway and doesn't notice me. Fifty gold in the cashbox. I don't see anything else of interest in here.

Tuesday, April 9th, 2002, 11:12
Looking at the maps again I figured I might as well check out around the Black Die while I'm here. There's not much anyway. I'm waiting under the balcony when I hear footsteps. The two gals who were up north of Gallan Bridge earlier. I'd noticed then that they hadn't come back. Must be the efficiency setting. A Moss arrow in a dark alcove just across from the pub. I don't see anything interesting along through to the canal on the south side of the pub. Back the way I came. I pass by the two ladies heading back toward the Black Die area. That reminds me. There was an archer walking through with those gals before but I've not seen him since. Better beware of this. I've made my way back to my little room just north of the Gallan Bridge. And I hear this throat clearing sound again. Now I'm over by the Windmill and the Peabody's Smelting across the street. Across to the shadows by Peabody's.

I spot a lady cop archer up on the building beside the Windmill. I'd spotted a ladder going up the north side of the Smeltery when swimming by in the canal earlier. I'm across from the Windmill door now. It looks like I may be able to get into the Windmill that way. If not the upper sections of the mill are wooden so maybe a Rope arrow may do. Although, I can't see any way in up there. There are two cops here. And one has had too much coffee. He's spinning like a top. Hard to time my moves while he's looking away. There is some shadow in the Windmill doorway but I'm not sure it's enough. Turns out it wasn't locked so I was able to get inside the mill quickly enough. I can see a ladder going up inside but I'll need to get up to the second floor to get to it. There is a barrel and a box here as well as three sacks. Rope arrow up to a beam and I'm there. At the top a Toolbox and a book. The gearing to the sails are above me yet but I can't see any way to them from here.

The book first. Jeb's diary. He's the fellow that cleans the Gleaming Facet. And he's confessing stealing the other ruby in the diary. The Toolbox? The other ruby, the Ghoul's Eye. I drop the Vampyire and Ghoul Eyes across the ledge I'm on. Gotta reread the stuff about these. I don't want to carry them around any more than I have to. That reminds me I've no more save game slots so I'm going to copy out the Meeting with Basso saves before I go any further. Okay. Now, oh, no good dropping Ghoul. And I can't tell which one the Vampyre Eye is. Either my notes aren't good enough or it's not clear. There was a comment that telling these two apart would be difficult. Ghoul attracks the dead and they will attack. The second Eye also attracts the dead but they shouldn't attack. The third Eye sucks the life out of the bearer. Says I could wrap it in something to reduce it's effect but I don't have anything to wrap it in. Oh, well, I've a save here so I'll pick them up and carry on. Back across the street and at the last shadow along the south side of Peabody's. Looks like I may be able to get over the fence on this side of the mill with a Rope arrow from the upper part of the mill. I can see a garden or something like that there. Later.

I've made it past Mr. Quicktime here and through to Peabody Street. Turns out there are two or three positions that he stops for a second before turning again that face away from the way I want to go. An archer guarding a footbridge. I recall I could get out of the canal at this spot. Well, I'm at Peabody's front doors and it doesn't look good. There's the Murkbell Police Fort main entrance just across that canal footbridge with a sentry. And there's this guy standing looking right at the Peabody front doors. There's some shadow but I wouldn't hold out much hope of getting through those doors without him spotting me. I'm going to try around the other way. I've had to set my resolution down to 640x to get through here. I keep getting hung up on the walls and by the time I pull myself free and the next frame shows me what direction I'm headed it's too late to recover. I can see now that a Rope arrow in the mill wouldn't work. The base is pyramid shaped and the rope wouldn't hang down far enough. Okay, I can see the archer up high again, back to 1024x.

I picked up the box from the mill and tried it on top of the barrel I'd used to get the goblet on the balcony railing earlier. Still couldn't get up onto the railing. I pushed the barrel back over to the slanted roof too but even with the box I couldn't get onto the roof. So, I've gone all the way over to the Old Widow Inn and rope arrowed over to the Police Court. Three more Broadheads from the archer here. I can see the ladder up the side of Peabody's. I could probably jump across the canal to get there but I don't know about this sentry. Let's fiddle a bit with it. Ah, okay. She swivels so I can sneak around behind her back and it's well shadowed over closer to the ladder. There's a swordsman patrolling here. Wonder if I should try to get into the cop shop from here? The front entrance looked pretty bright. 103rd precinct. Okay, I've been inside and picked up a pair of reading glasses worth five gold. But then I have to shoot a button with a Broadhead to raise a gate and that alerts a guard inside. So, I've backtracked.

Jump across the canal to a small area where the ladder up the side of Peabody's is. Up the ladder, open a window, and inside onto a wooden beam. A couple of cops guarding downstairs. A ladder going down but I had to drop off the beam a ways to land on it. A key for the Peabody Smelting factory front doors. Now, I had tried picking the lock of the front door the first time but the guards spooked. Let's try it with the key. Both the inside and outside front door guards walk around a bit and mutter and then settle back on their heels. The other inside guard has a front door key also. There's a warning about the heat over by the furnace. Don't reach in! Let's try picking again. No alert this time. I must have been standing too close before. I moved away as soon as the doors opened. The inside guard did comment when I inserted the lockpick though.

I had to retry a few times to get back over to Police Court. The jump in that direction is more difficult. So, I fell into the canal some. No big deal, just swim around the corner and rope arrow out, right? Nope. I can't get that Rope arrow from the water trick to work again. Not only that, it dawned on me something else was odd about the first time I did that. This didn't strick me at the time. I'd put the Rope arrow into one of the piles sticking out of the water, climbed up out of the water and shot another Rope arrow into the flooring of the Old Widow Inn. So, now I've been able to select and then shoot an arrow while hanging from a rope. I'm not absolutely sure I wasn't still in the water though. No matter, it worked. And I've been back to the Black Die on land since so it can be done. Just a fluke. Anyhow, that trip over to the foundry was a big waste of time. Only netted me a couple of keys. Two pockets though I guess. I also noticed on one of my tests of the rear Police Fort entrance that the patrolling swordsman in the Police Court took up permanent station just outside the rear door after I'd tripped the gate button. Another reason I abandoned that for now. May as well get my stuff from my room while I'm here and see what damage Mercedes can wreck. I decided while listening to Mercedes ramble on one more time that I wanted a chance to pick the pockets of everyone in Murkbell first. So, I reloaded and headed for the Cathedral. I recall a place there I think I can get out of the canal. May as well use the south then west canal routes to see if I can spot the amulet.

I decided to get out of the canal at the Water Pump and was distracted by the elevated archer beside the mill. There's a vase with flowers in it up on a balcony on the south side of the canal at the pump. Also a ledge going around the building from which I was able to get to that small garden area on the other side of the mill behind the fence. One Moss arrow. And on the other side a golden plate worth fifty gold, a goblet worth fifteen goods, and a purple fruit on the canal bank. I left the purple fruit. Plus I could see a gate and a catwalk/footbridge structure across the canal from the elevated archer to the balcony with the flowers. While trying to track down another archer I see I'm at the Psychic's, pick the lock, and enter. Well, well, a Black Lotus Nectar potion. If memory serves that's worth three thousand. Also Speed and Invisibility potions. A note bids me rummage the room as I will and also directs me to the Crystal Ball which says "A trunk in an underwater grotto fills the orb." There are also a couple of chests. In one, a sack with forty goods, and the other, a Holy Water vial. On a shelf another sack with another forty goods.

The museum is just around the back of the Psychic's. While scouting it out, the Museum Shed has a chest, a barrel, and a saw behind a locked door. The barrel is empty. The chest? This is what I'm talking about! An Ultraviolet Ruby Lensed Eye of True Seeing. Now we're getting somewhere. In a closed doorway across the canal from the Black Die, another Moss arrow. Turn the street lighting off in a doorway just north of the Gallan Bridge. In a chest in a tower on the south edge of the Dark Rose Market, a Rope arrow. Despite this Rope arrow I see no other way into the museum except the front doors. There was a window high up on the east side of the building but I couldn't see any way to get up to it. To me, the shadow on the right is better so open the right hand door. Stand in front of the left hand one and the left will remain closed. Drop a Scouting Orb to observe the patrols and when the time is right (for me when they had both just gone upstairs) head over toward that dark corner. As soon as you're inside far enough, close the front door. You can make some noise on the tile floor that they won't hear upstairs but not much. However, the guy outside will surely hear it. Drop the Scouting Orb again while in this dark corner and time your move to the east stairway. Alternately you can work this all out with just the sound of their footsteps rather than the Scouting Orb but I had one so I used it. Then there's a spot on the third step from the top with complete shadow close on the inside. You can stand here, still in shadow, and watch them. Some guy with a lamp patrolling. And a second swordsman. This one's in training for the olympic speed walking event! A red key on the one with the lamp. And the speed walker's a woman.

Tuesday, April 9th, 2002, 11:12
They're both using the left/west staircase so the other one is free. I just noticed there's a third floor. Pretty sure I saw the speed walker up there. I guess there seems a couple of ways to move north from here. I'm going to try on top of the railing first. It may not make as much noise as the floor. There are rugs though. Check out the artwork! Yes, you can run on the railing quietly. Plus you can mantle up onto it from this third step. Make sure you step back a bit from the railing first or you may miss the mantle and jump on the tile stairs. Wow! I may have to get a new computer to finish this. I've minimized my resolution at 400x300x16 but every time I look toward the north of the second floor from my spot on the stairs my framerate drops below ten. Not only that but I've just rebooted too and am only running this WordPad session and the game. Every time I try to take a crouch-walk move I step first and then move. And on a tile floor that's death Okay, I've tried a few times to move around in here with no luck. It's too bright and even if I do find a dark corner the guy with the lamp lights me up eventually.

I've restarted back outside the museum for now. There's an open window upstairs in the Guest House but I can't relate that to any entrance to the museum. At least not from down on the street. A chest amid piles with 100 gold on the bottom of the canal in a section that runs east-west at the east end of the canal that runs east from the Cathedral. Three Broadheads from the archer in the Town Hall Clock guard station. A golden wine bottle off the wondow ledge of the Town Hall Clock guard station. There was an apple in this window sill too. That reminds me there was an apple on one of the stalls at the Dark Rose Market too. The Meepwood Bridge Key from a swordsman in the Town Hall Clock guard station. I tried several times to engage the bridge with the key including dousing the fire in the guardhouse. In the end standing just outside of the vision of the guard who had the key and leaning toward the bridge lock worked. The fire was still lit at the time too. As a test I doused both the street light by the bridge and the fire in the guardhouse to attempt to get across the bridge unnoticed. This worked. I also tried with both lights still lit unsuccessfully.

Well, Mercedes now or back to the museum? Maybe see if I can check out the Falstaff Wizards first. I used the boardwalks to a dead end. The walkway continued to the left and further toward the Wizard's front door but I managed to jump and mantle onto a window sill opposite the dead end. From there I was able to slink along the window ledges to the door and unlock it. I used a Scouting Orb to have a quick look inside before entering. I could see another door straight ahead. I entered and ducked under a small shelf with a lamp on it in full darkness. I closed the outside door. Leaning out I was able to open the inside door. I could see a mage inside swivelling back and forth periodically. It looked like there were shadows to either side of the door. When he was looking mostly away I rushed through the door and quickly left. Yes, full shadow. I inched forward a bit enough to get the Healing potion. There was a barred passage beyond with an inscription plate. I crept over far enough to read it. The Vampyre Blade, Kharras Drahg. Looking into the next room it appeared there may be enough shadow to the left. There was another mage patrolling a mezanine around the circular room. I could see a jewelled chest on the floor toward the centre and on the far side of the room. I timed my move so the mage right by me had just turned away and the mage in the next room was above the doorway I was going to enter. I went in and continued to the shadow from the first pillar. Thence a few more pillars until I was close to the chest. Take care, the red on the floor here is tile! And the steps. It was locked. Unlock it. A speed potion. There's a ladder a little further along.

Over and up the ladder. Full shadow at the top. In fact I suspect it's pretty good shadow all around the outside wall. The mage walks by and I grab his purse with one hundred gold and fifty goods. I can see a door across and slightly left on the other side. The next time he comes by I'm going to get off the ladder and follow him around to that door. This second room is small and also basically a mezanine of the second inside room with the stationary mage. The centre is cut out allowing access both to the floor below and the sky above. The floor is tiled in here so take care. There is also a painting on the wall. On my way out I notice the pentagram on the floor of the large room with the chest. I have a look through the spell book. I might maybe use this pentagram to assist me with the Amulet spell. I'm going to have to reload again, I've gotten stuck on one of the pillars. Just as I'd entered the Wizards' place an archer comes marching down the boardwalk toward me. From inside I can see him turn and walk away toward the sentry I'd seen across from the window ledges I had just been on. Fortunately the archer returns a short while later. I quickly run over behind him and grab three more Broadhead arrows and hustle back just inside again. Are there any more pockets to pick? The only part of the map I haven't explored yet is Cathedral Street. I don't know if I'll ever even be able to. Anyhow I notice a book on the floor of the first room. A visitor's guide. Talks about the ladder. I was hanging out at the very top of the ladder waiting for the mage to pass before descending and he noticed me somehow. A couple more mages seemed to appear in the entrance room and start quickly patrolling. I'm reloading again and I won't worry about going through again until later. I still haven't figured out how to get the dagger. I found another door just to the northeast of Dark Rose Market. I picked the lock and found a diary inside which said something about someone from the Cathedral asking about a necklace being found and sold on the streets. A little further on an open window at one of the clotheslines. I crossed over the clothesline and then around a building on a second floor ledge. There was a lucky coin in a partially open window sill worth twenty gold. I worked my way back over by the Cathedral and worked my way completly around the main building. On my way out I spotted another archer by the main gate. I snagged three more Broadheads from him a little ways down Cathedral Street. Then I got stuck on a wall/boardwalk/pile so Ctrl-Alt-Shift-Ended to see how I was doing pickpocket-wise. I was dumbfounded. Only eleven of twenty seven? What? Some new guys after Mercedes maybe? Wow! Enough for today.

Wednesday, April 10th, 2002, 03:53
I ran through the Wizards, the archer by the Wizards, the lucky coin on the second floor ledge, and the archer by the Cathedral Street entrance to the Cathedral. And something new. As I was returning from the lucky coin a woman archer came running out from Cathedral Street northward to the Dark Rose Market. Three more Broadheads. I now have twenty-four Broadheads. She went running back the same way. There's still the elevated archer next to the mill. I've now returned just inside the museum. Alright I'm on the third step now. I kept forgetting to mention how I got here. From the front shadow, when the coast is clear, slow-crouch-walk around the corner and over onto the carpet. There's a table with a vase near the right stairway. Jump up onto this table and walk over to the stairs. The edge of the stairway is quiet for movement so can be used to run up until you get wedged between it and the floor above. Then move out onto the stairs. These are tiled so take it slow. I found I could move forward for two steps then pause then continue until I was on the third step from the top. But there may be a problem. I haven't seen the speed walker yet. Turns out you can jump from the railing on the second floor here over onto the small rug in the central arch. From there I worked my way over into a small office to my left. Then up to the third floor and up in an elevator. So there's a fourth floor too. I don't know if this is the speed walker but there's a lady archer up here. Couldn't get her Broadheads. She spooked. She was stationary on a small staircase going up to a window. Let's try that again. Unless she spawned up here this must be a new one. And then if she's supposed to be here where's the speed walker? I'm going to make a dash through the first floor and see if she's hung up someplace there. That reminds me. I reload from a save on the third step. You can crouch run full tilt downstairs without taking a step. Just make sure you stop before getting onto the flat at the bottom. And I've also noticed that here in the museum you can move quickly over the tile as long as noone's close enough to hear you. I suppose if you can't hear them walking then they can't hear you. I'll make note of this as I work around here since I'm not really sure about that.Ah, there she is. She's spawned up on the ledge of the central fountain on the first floor. I'm going to check this place out some more while I can. There're single Fire and Water arrows on the wall at the back. Interesting, I moved into the back room on the left and when the lamp guard came I was crouched down beside some large crates behind a box. He entered, turned, and left without noticing me. This surprised me because he was quite close and I was well lit. I could get the red key from him here. While waiting for the lamp guard to return so I can get the red key I looted the room. Three hundred gold, three hundred gems, and one hundred fifty goods. Plus Jortul's mummified head. Did I read something about that somewhere? Ah, maybe part of the Amulet spell. Don't forget the masks on the wall. There are several items that can be grabbed but have no loot value. I've left these where there were. There are a couple of oil lamps on the walls in this first floor back room that could be doused but since the guard didn't notice me anyway why bother? I got impatient. Seemed like he'd been gone a long time. Anyhow I worked my way out and spotted him going up my staircase. I was in the small arch on that side when he came down the other staircase. I just went ahead and up. The first painting on the left on the second floor is loot worth one hundred gold. I've reloaded now and I'm not sure. Anyhow, behind that painting is the window that I spotted from the alley along the east side of the museum. It's locked but can be picked. Then I went over and snatched the diamond. The alarm tripped. So, I jumped out that window. I suppose that's what it's for, a quick escape. I became quit suspicious that he couldn't hear me on the tile floors during all this. I made plenty of footsteps and while near him too. The speed walker on the fountain ledge never made a sound. My previous save is well back before my first visit to the museum. I'll have to start back at that point when I resume. Or maybe I'll try my quicksave and leave the museum to see if the speed walker has gotten freed when I return.

Wednesday, April 10th, 2002, 03:53
I decided instead to just go back to the point early on when I was leaving the Cathedral and scour the town checking things out. The problem is, with the exception of the museum, and Mercedes and the cemetery, I don't really know what to do next. So, I'll just do most of it over again and see what new comes up. Something usually does. There, something different already. I decided to start at the Black Die and work my way around from there. In the Fish Monger's, as I was getting ready to leave, a "Tasty Bone" on the floor. I could eat it but I'll just carry it around for a while. I have no idea what this is about. I managed to get onto the roof of the building beside the Black Die. But I got dizzy and had hallucinations so I got back down before I fell down. Also, although I never noticed any problems with carrying the Vampyre Eye around with me before, I unlocked the safe in the Gleaming Facet but left the Vampyre Eye there for now. I went to my room at the Old Widow and gathered the equipment Basso had delivered but left Mercedes in the closet for now. I used a Moss arrow to trip the button to raise the back gate in the Police Fort and got into the office but was unable to unlock the safe. I raised the gate to the front area of the Fort. There was some literature in the Fort too but I couldn't see that it helped much. For now anyway. I didn't figure a way to access the back of the Fort.

Thursday, April 11th, 2002, 07:37
Duh! I'm working away grabbing everything I recall from my first time around, going from Gallan Bridge toward the Windmill, and here's a door I didn't even come across before. I spent some time, before, trying to figure out how to get up inside this building, but never looked where this door is. Pretty sad. Picking this lock took a bit of work. The archer sentry at the north end of Gallan Bridge was touchy. I could hear someone crossing the bridge, another archer. He proceeded north. I zipped around and caught him across the water from the Black Die. Three Broadheads. Back to the door which is the west tower of the structure just east of Gallan Bridge on the north side of the canal. Okay, inside. Several large crates, a lantern on the floor, and a ladder going up through a hole in the ceiling. Pretty dark up here. The archer sentry mentioned before between the two towers. Three Broadheads. A chest in the east tower. Another Broadhead. Pick the lock on the gate to the catwalk over the canal to the balcony with the flowered vase I'd seen before.

I read Jeb's diary, as before, but I'm going to leave the Eye, Ghoul?, in his toolbox for now. Aha! A single coin worth five gold which I didn't spy last time. Right next to the diary too. I'm really starting to have serious doubts about my powers of observation. Although, it blends with the wood unless you look directly at it. Again I'm taking the box from downstairs in the mill with me just as a tool to help with any just out of reach stuff I may come across. And I bothered to carry on over to Peabody Street although I didn't recall any need. Well, now, the outside Peabody front door guard has a key I didn't spot before. But the archer on this side of the bridge over to Watercrest Island either never had any Broadheads or I've already snagged them. Okay, I've got the Peabody front door key off the outside sentry. I want to take a closer look at the area around the front entrance of the Murkbell Police Fort too. But the sentry over there commented on my movement on this side of the bridge so I don't know about getting over there undetected. Let's see. Easier than I'd thought it would be. Cross from the right to the left side of the bridge about half way over and stick to the walls around to just below the statue. I opened the Fort front doors. The sentry heard it but didn't do anything. Back the way I came, out across from the mill entrance. Next I'll cross the canal at the Water Pump and check out Watercrest Island including the Psychic's and the museum. I've got to remember to get the Ultraviolet Ruby Lensed Eye of True Seeing (hehe, love it!) from the Museum Shed before I venture into the museum. Oh, and I've cranked it up to 1600x and it seems to be okay. As I'm passing near Cloaca Court I trot over and read the missing cat notice again and have a look around. There's too much on the maps for this area for there to be nothing here. What's with the Smoke Stack? And I have a vague memory of running into a purple haunt-like chap coming out of a doorway right under the Stack during one of my Mercedes romps. But there's no door here. I could have been disoriented though. I tried a couple of times to place a Rope arrow in a tree close to a low, flat balcony/roof right by the Smoke Stack. Every time I tried to turn toward the balcony to jump over I lost my grip on the rope. Well, I've got to get out to the golf course. Next time.

Thursday, April 11th, 2002, 07:37
I'm sitting here rubbing my fingers on a piece of sandpaper. Really. The yegg cliche just struck me. Maybe I can get that safe in the cop shop open if I just spruce up my fingertips a bit. The truth is I've tried a lot of things over the years and sandpaper turns out to work best for taking care of the calluses I get on my fingers from playing golf. :)

Well I persisted and was able by pushing the barrel over to Cloaca Court to get up onto the Knife Street rooftops. There is nothing up here except the view so save your energy. The view was worth the trouble though. Also onto the roof of the bunker around the base of the Smoke Stack looking out over Whore Court. Still nothing. Onward to Watercrest Island. Clothesline lucky coin, Falstaff Wizards, Town Hall Clock, Meepwood Bridge, the Psychic's, and Cathedral Street. While waiting at the Vilhrath's Gardens gate for some patrols to pass, I noticed the gate switch inside and used a Broadhead arrow to trip it. The Eye of the Lich, a Holy Water potion, twenty-four Water and three Moss arrows, and a purse with five gold. I jumped and mantled up into the three balconies overlooking the garden from atop the piles of dirt but found nothing. A lightswitch just outside the gate for a nearby streetlight. The area around the museum. Dark Rose Market and Museum Shed. I think I'm ready to go to the museum. Hallows Lane and the underwater chest.

Okay, cleaned out the museum including the Baerulian Diamond. I'll need the one sentry's red key to get into the security area. I've just been walking around so I'll wait in the elevator and get the key the next time he passes by. Hopefully he won't be suspicious of me or he'll at least have forgotten if he can't see me by then. Okay, got the key. Here's my thinking on the Vault area. The guards may be hostile again afterward. I've accumulated three boxes for getting up higher around the town. One of them is the one from the first floor here with the Holy Water inside. I can't tell from outside the sensors but I may also need to exit the museum through the secret window behind the painting on the second floor. So, should I use Moss or box(es) to get over the first sensor? I was able to unlock the security area without notice but if I jump on these tiles I'll make a noise that could trigger them. The boxes don't cost anything. The rooftops I have been able to get to have not yielded anything of value. So, using boxes here would cost me nothing and hopefully get me around the first sensor. Using Moss saves the boxes for other use. Well, I didn't think this through soon enough. I'm already in the security area. I'm going with the Moss. I've a save just before the Museum Vault Key snatch so I can use that if this doesn't work. All three boxes are just outside the museum. It took a few reloads to complete this successfully. First off, the sentry up on this floor must have alerted off a noise I'd made getting over to the lock even though I tried to make no footsteps. Once I'd waited a while for her to settle down I was able to advance into the Vault up to the sensors. Then I hit my head on the ceiling trying to jump over the first sensor because of the lowered ceiling around the edges of the passage. Then everything went smoothly. What now? I still need the dagger and before Mercedes too. I haven't finished the Police Fort yet. I wonder if there's a cop somewhere around the town with the safe key? Neither have I triggered Mercedes yet. I've picked twenty of twenty-seven pockets. And I suppose I could have a look around for the Amulet. And what about the Psychic's underwater chest bit? I've opened that already. Actually, that's enough for tonight.

Friday, April 12th, 2002, 08:50
I had some time overnight to ponder my situation here. I've definately got to get the dagger before triggering Mercedes. And Dr. Croft is supposed to be in the Guest House. I'm right here with my boxes underneath the open window to the Guest House. Except for the ceiling through the open window I can't see anything wooden for a Rope arrow. Unless the window itself. Yes.

A cash box with a coin stack worth five gold in it. A telescope that swivels but I can't see what it may have triggered. An open window on the canal side looking over the Cathedral. And a brick wall over the canal with what may be an opening through into the Cathedral grounds. I had a pretty good look from the grounds earlier and I didn't spot anything that looked as likely as this from that side. I suppose I should at least go over that way just to check it out if nothing else. There's a chest and a book here first though. Five Moss arrows in the chest. L. Croft's notes in the book about suspicious activities over at St. Trinett's. Worries about the Amulet being found and enshrined in the Cathedral. A possible link between Croft's relics and this activity? I haven't been around to the front of the Cathedral again so I suppose I should. And there's that mage right at the front doors that I would like to check out. I could probably get to him by opening the front doors from the inside, something I didn't do the first time I was there. And this is the second reference to this section of the canal possibly being where the Amulet is. In restrospect I don't think I was particularly vigilant in looking around while I was in this part of the canal so I can take another look at that too.

I've gone around the Cathedral, gone up to the balcony and in and up to the front and opened the front doors and checked out the mage up there. Nothing. Nice to notice the priests inside have settled back down to their original pace and aren't running about any more. Back into the Cardinal's bedroom. Poked the goblet on the windowsill and the large painting on the opposite wall slid away revealing a window to the outside. Went this way, spotted a patrolling priest with another Balcony Key. That's twenty-one pockets of twenty-seven, I think. To the Old Tower and into the canal. Took a look just through the first canal gate north and spotted a hole in the bottom, went down, found a chest. The Zjilich Amulet! Mantled out over by Cathedral. Gotta run.

Friday, April 12th, 2002, 08:50
I wondered while driving to the golf course if that telescope hadn't switched a light on showing the way to the Amulet or moved something. May as well retrieve my Rope arrow from the Guest House. Plus I now have all the fixings for the Amulet. From the spell book I suspect I'm going to put it back together in the Wizards' place with the pentagram. Looking for a place to get onto the rooftops along Hollows Lane. Maybe I can get over to the Caretaker's from here. A patrolling archer coming off the boardwalk. Three more Broadhead arrows. I went back over to the Murkbell Police Fort to see if I could figure that safe out. No. So, finally, I looked it up on the TTLG Fan Mission forum. And all I think I got for my trouble was a few Fire arrows. Well, the heck with it, then. But just to see what happens, I went ahead and fired up Mercedes and went over to the Meepwood Cemetery and the Caretaker's Manor. Just a bunch of spooks. I guess I could use the Vampyre Eye against them or assemble the Amulet and use it or even just my own tools. They may even be avoidable. Didn't find the Cylix though, and some kind of fog or mist spook got me while I was looking around. I came across a water arrow in the canal near the Meepwood Bridge, a nugget on the bottom of the canal under Gullies Warehouse dock, a couple of lucky coins in the first room in the Caretaker's Manor after going up the ladder from the basement. I'm going to leave the safe and go and see what I can do at the Wizards'. Next time though.

Saturday, April 13th, 2002, 08:20
I want to place a Rope arrow into the boardwalk close to the Meepwood Bridge too so I can swim over there around most of the spooks. I've backed up to the point just after getting the Zjilich Amulet. Get the Lich Eye from the Garden. Get the Broadhead from the archer on the Boardwalk. Place a Rope arrow on the boardwalk stairs down to the Town Hall Clock guard house. Retrieve my Rope arrow from the Guest House. Into the canal over to Gullies Warehouse. The nugget on the canal bottom under the dock worth fifty gold. Exit the canal at the Black Die. By the way, I've found it easier to mantle out here right onto the cobblestones under the Black Die balcony. If you use the ladder, you've still got to get across the pile cross-beams.

The plan is to fetch the Vampyre Eye at the Gleaming Facet then over to the Windmill for the Ghoul Eye then the Old Widow Inn and Mercedes then the Murkbell Police Fort safe then the Falstaff Wizards to reassemble the Amulet and, lastly, cross the Meepwood Bridge over to the Cemetery. You've got to be wary of the efficiency patrols. When I started north toward the Fish Monger's from the Black Die, a bunch of cops came south from the Gweldwyn Court area. Must be a doughnut shop around there. And another bunch near the Windmill. What are those metal poles up on the Windmill, lightning rods? On my way into and back out of the Windmill, while waiting for these two sentries to get it right, I decided to give the Wizards' another try before the Old Widow Inn. Plus I recalled a Water arrow in the canal down by the Cemetery. Got that then out of the canal on the Rope arrow I'd place near the Town Hall Clock guard house.

Then around and jump over onto the window ledge near the Wizards'. Haha. Another efficiency patrol on the boardwalk across from the Wizards'. Six of them! Including one with a lamp which lit me up a bit. They mumbled but carried on. When I got to the Wizards' I decided to place another Rope arrow just a bit further north. There are some wooden support beams protruding slightly from the canal wall. This will facilitate access to the Wizards' later if necessary. Both of these Rope arrows can be retrieved from the canal when I'm finished with them. I also decided to make another save here at 3:11:52.

I wish I could figure out what's being said and by whom when I enter the Wizards. I can make out "We have a guest!" when I go through the first inside door. Is it the dagger talking, or the sentry, or the painting? There's a spike from the gate to the dagger room sticking up into one of the bright, red circles around this room. Or is this something to open the gate? I keep thinking access to the dagger is from the balcony above but I've been up there and found nothing. I've pretty much decided it's the two sentries chanting. There are clearly two different sources for the sounds and the patrolling sentry corelates to one of these sounds, nearer and farther away at times. But that means they know I'm here. Even though I'd waited until the first sentry was faced away, he said "We have a guest!" when I entered and was lit up.

Looking through the open roof of the Wizards' main room, I can make out a large, sloped, tiled roof and brick wall just to the west. This doesn't sit with my image of the map. There's nothing over there except the canal. Looking at the map, I decide this must be the westernmost part of the Wizards' building, the part that projects out into the canal, the part I'd gone through to place my second Rope arrow. Not only that but that tiled roof looks like it should be covering the hole in the ceiling of the room with the painting too. Perspective , I guess. And the small room looks up to a believable sky complete with the full moon. I'm in the small room doorway upstairs trying to figure out if I might be able to get up on the roof through this hole or if the hole in the floor and the hole in the ceiling are the same size when I spot the unlit torch on the wall just right of the painting. This opens the gate to the dagger. That's one less problem to deal with. Kind of depressing I didn't notice that before.

Okay, down and get the dagger. That's all the objectives except my room at the Old Widow Inn. At the very least that will give me something to cope with the various undead after I trigger Mercedes. Wonder of wonders! I've crept over to the very centre of the pentagram and sit here unnoticed by the sentries. Well, the one above me did comment. "Come brothers. We have a guest. An unwanted guest." But he didn't change his pace or route. Mindfull of the red tiles in the flooring here, I'd crouch-crept with no footsteps.

I notice starting with the pentagram point marked as '1' and following the left hand line, it traces a path through the points and in number sequence, 1, 3, 5, 7, 9. I'll have another look at the spell book to see if that may interpret the other symbols on the floor here. The instructions are clear enough. Here goes! My first attempt was unsuccessful. Or was it? The book did glow, and mist, and spin. At this point I picked it up as instructed. But the Amulet and the Eyes remained in the pentagram in the spots I'd placed them. So, I tried picking up the Amulet. But it sat in my inventory void of the Eyes. I'll reload and try again. Perhaps I didn't give the book enough time. I got tagged on my way out this time. Try again. I'm doing another save at the centre of the pentagram before casting the spell at 3:27:44. Well, something wrong with this save. I've tried several times, with and without Moss to kill the sound of dropping these items, and I can't get it to work again. I'm backing up to just outside and try again. That reminds me. I've noticed a few times an ornately railed arch just out from the Wizards' that connects a building with a tower. I can't readily see a way to access the top of this arch but I'm curious.

Anyhow, back into the Wizards' and the dagger and the spell. Ah, after "An unwanted guest!", "Good, serenity." That's their version of the "Musta been rats.", I'm thinking. Boy, this voice sounds a lot like the Scottish accented mask voice from Benny's Dead. What am I doing wrong!? Check all the connections. Okay. I didn't pick up the dagger yet? When all else fails, RTFM. I'm guessing the "waiting" part of the spell is about giving the mages here time to get all the way down to zero alert level if necessary. Although the two or three times I have made this spell work it didn't take very long after dropping the spell book. Once, in fact, the pentagram grabbed the book out of my hands before I could even place it. So, I'll give this last attempt a good, long, wait. The mage by the entrance did make a comment when I came to the centre of the pentagram and he spotted me. Nope. I'm outa here! Gather up my stuff. At least I'll have the Vampyre Eye when I trigger Mercedes and the spooks. I'm almost over to the exit from the main room when I spot the spell book glowing, and misting, and spinning again. Okay, back over and fetch it.

And like I'm told, read it again. "Clatue Verata Nictue." My Latin's a little rusty. I did spend some time browsing the net seeing what I could come up with. Didn't get any sort of translation, but I did come across the use of the word "cloacae", which is used here for Cloaca Court, in the Verba Cloacae: A Prurient Latin Vocabulary List, a link from the Charles Bukowski Memorial Center for Classical Latin Studies, Obscenity in Classical Latin page. Memorial? I may come back to this. Now I'm really curious! Man, they sure don't pull any punches with some of their definitions! Whew! And if that isn't a warning to all you less wordly folks, I don't know what is. Onward! Grab hold of something, Mercedes, I'm heading your way! Hehe.

Breaking glass, mist, the Amulet floating and spinning. Busted! Try again. Maybe I'd better remove myself to a safe distance before I reread it this time. Okay, I think I got out without being noticed. Just up the ladder to the right is a spot where the buzzard circling up here doesn't get too close. At least my lightgem doesn't show his passing. Reread it while up here. Crash! A couple more mages spawn and start speed walking around, including out to the front door and back. Slide down off the edge of the balcony onto the chest. Grab the Amulet. And back up the ladder to this safe spot. If they don't change their pace and don't fire any stuff at you I think you're safe. Then over onto the small room balcony, slide off onto the head of the mage below, then out the door and into the canal when he faces the large room and the two newly spawned mages are away. Works for me.

Underwater to the Water Pump and up and out of the canal by the Windmill. On to the Old Widow Inn. Although, I suppose I should pick up my Rope arrow by the Falstaff Wizards' since I think I'm finished there. Make sure you keep a save before the Amulet spell. This could be a Ghost bust and no way to avoid it. The mages do alert and it's not strictly an objective. Mercedes says her bit and does her thing down Knife Street. I think she only got a couple of cops. I heard and saw a Skeleton Haunt stick it's head out from a sidestreet but Mercedes didn't go after him. She was up near the Gleaming Facet end of Knife Street looking toward the Old Widow Inn.

I watched her until she vanished into thin air then returned to the Murkbell Police Fort and read and then dropped off Mercedes' purse and diary. I had done this before and every time I snuck behind the archer sentry in the Police Court there was a firebolt sound and she spooked. I could never be sure she hadn't caught a glimpse of me and alerted on that. So, I had found a spot in the small alley along the north side of Peabody's that triggered this firebolt and spooked the Police Court sentries. I tried that spot this time but no firebolt. The firebolt and the sentry alert did occur as I snuck past her. This time she had just swivelled facing the Old Widow Inn so I'm sure she didn't spot me. There was Lt. Grindle's Safe Key under the desk chair. Three Fire arrows in the safe.

I'm reading through my notes here, making corrections for spelling and grammar and such, and thinking about the efficiency thing. As I read the above paragraph I'm wondering if my awareness of the efficiency game setting makes it a Ghost bust to cause this firebolt sound by proximity. Interesting. I may put that one to clayman.

On to the Cemetery. The undead didn't do their job and eliminate the Town Hall Clock guards this time so I doused the street lamp and proceeded across the bridge. There's an edge just before getting onto the bridge proper that can only be passed by a crouch run. Just make it a small, angled one and you'll be alright. I jumped onto the stone on the right on the Cemetery side and around behind a small tower into darkness. Then pick the door to the tower and turn the lights in this area off. There are a few zombies here so take care. The Cemetery key for the gate and I'm in. Left to shadows. Also, one of the zombies just outside the Cemetery had spawned waste deep in the cobblestones but I just went ahead anyway. Justice for having to deal with the Clock guards.

A ring worth one hundred gold on the leafy ground beside a tall obelisk-like grave marker on the opposite side of a small fence just inside and right of the gate entrance. Thought I'd better give the Amulet a try just to show me what it's capable of. Nothing fancy, no pyrotechnics or anything, just instant destruction for anything nearby. Neat. Two blasts from a small shadowed area not too far from the front doors and everything is gone except a single zombie. Except I know another way in through the basement round the back.

I thought I could see some firefly-like sparking in a bush near the basement entrance but when I got there nothing. Something with my graphics card maybe? Open the basement doors and in. I thought I'd check out the sub-basement this time. Well, well. There's Alcandor and the Cylix. I'd better do the upstairs first. A lucky coin worth twenty gold in the main floor music room. A golden vase in the hallway upstairs worth one hundred gold. A Fire arrow in the blocked doorway to the south room off the upstairs hallway. Floating and twirling rocking horse and rocking cradle in the nursery. "Cylix born!" Hahaha "Bad to the bone!"

I had made a quicksave just after extinguishing the two torches in the sub-basement through the hole in the basement floor. and when I went down I found Alcandor up the east stairs from this room opening the door behind the ivy of the mausoleum. So, I don't want to backtrack all the way to the Wizards. At least not yet. I feel I'm near the end so am going to proceed. But there may be a way into the sub-basement that doesn't require dousing those two torches and the perilous fall from the basement. I've had a look around that mausoleum door but can't figure how to open it.

Two more Water arrows to douse a couple of torches in the tunnels out the west side of Alcandor's throne room at a spot with a solitary, staionary, Skeleton Haunt. This one's "Cylix born!" too. Right on, brother! A room with four crypts, a zombie, and a gold nugget worth one hundred gold beside the zombie's head. Stairs up to the room I first saw Alcandor from under his room in the Cathedral. A Cathedral Basement Key on the ledge of the bottom of the chute I'd dropped the Cylix down. I'm crouched here beside the chute and I can hear fighting. Can't tell if it's upstairs in the Cathedral or the crypt room just down the stairs. I went back down the stairs far enough to see that nothing had changed down there. The Cathedral Basement Key opened the door up and out of here. Yes, I could hear quite a commotion upstairs in the Cathedral as I advanced up the ramp. Better go slow. And a zombie wandering around the back of the church. A note on the front of the Cathedral from Alcandor asking his priests to send someone over to the Wizards' to warn them of the thefts and to guard the dagger. A good attack by Alcandor. I haven't seen any humans left standing. But is this better? Now there are undead patrolling everywhere.

Around to the Old Tower, into the Canal, out beside the Windmall, around to the Old Widow Inn and Police Court, over to Peabody's and down, toss the Cylix into the forge. The sound of the Cylix going into the forge spooked the two sentries here. Job done!

Statistics
Ghost: Failure
Time: 4:40:40
Loot: 4,550 of 5,230
Pockets: 23 of 27
Locks: 17
Bodies Discovered by Enemies: 3
Consumables: a Rope arrow between the Old Widow Inn and the Police Courtyard that I forgot to retrieve, a Moss arrow to raise the Murkbell Police Fort rear door gate, a Water arrow to douse the Meepwood Bridge streetlamp, a couple of Water arrows to douse the two torches through the hole to the sub-basement in the Caretager's Manor basement, two more Water arrows to douse the pair of torches by the single, stationary Skeleton Haunt in the tunnel between the Cathedral and the Caretaker's Manor, a Broadhead arrow to raise the Vilhrath's Gardens' gate

Notes: I'm trying to figure out the best Ghosting route. The Cathedral first, of course, to drop off the Cylix. Then Dr. Provost, the Dark Rose Market, the Psychic's, the Museum Shed, the Watercrest Museum, the Guest House (or should I do this on my way to the Cathedral?), the Amulet, Vilhrath's Gardens, the Fish Monger's, the Gleaming Facet, the Windmill, the Wizards' may have to be skipped for Ghosting, the Town Hall Clock guardhouse and remember to place the Rope arrow, the Old Widow Inn and into the water over to the Meepwood Cemetery remembering to retrieve the rope arrow, the Caretaker's Manor, the Murkbell Police Fort, Peabody's Smelting. It occurs to me that the undead onslaught seemed to follow me around. That's probably the efficiency setting. Try to make a tour of the map after Mercedes to get close enough to the undead to trigger their efficiency setting and take care of the cops before going to the Cemetery. Something else too. I was running along with about 2,500 loot but when I finished I had 2,000 more. I don't know where that came from. Act I? And the alert of the Peabody guards at the end? I tried a bit to get the Cylix into the forge without alerting them including placing the Cylix on a Moss covered forge edge and pushing it in. But I couldn't seem to get around it. So, I'd like to somehow get rid of these guys by opening the doors after triggering Mercedes and letting Alcandor's troops lure them out and to their deaths.

Sunday, April 14th, 2002, 09:30
I'm a good ways through my Ghost, Screenshot run on 1600x with no real difficulties. I've done the Guest House, the Cylix to Alcandor, the Cathedral, Dr. Provost, the clothesline lucky coin, the Town Hall Clock guard house, the Meepwood Bridge which I was able to Ghost without dousing any torches by waiting for the swivelling swordsman in the guardhouse to turn away, the Psychic's, the Museum Shed, the Watercrest Museum, Vilhrath's Gardens, Cathedral Street, the Windmill, the Gleaming Facet, and have entered the Falstaff Wizards' place. I used the goblet switch to access the quick exit from the Cardinal's room in the Cathedral and re-entered through the balcony to loot the pulpit and the room that goes down to the basement. I noticed a swordsman stuck on the boardwalk when I was placing my Rope arrow to facilitate access to the Meepwood Cementery later so I worked up behind him and crouch leaned in between him and the wall and pried him loose. He didn't even break stride. The lamp guard in the museum didn't come anywhere near the elevator so I had to improvise. I crouched behind a chair at the bottom of the stairway between the second and third floors. When he came down the stairs I snagged the key. I used Nightwalker's wall slide trick to get by the security beams in the vault rather than jumping over it. I used the ledge around the hole in the centre of the museum's third floor to speed my path to the diamond and then out after looting the vault. I'll pick it up later at this point. Game time 1:30:22.

Sunday, April 14th, 2002, 20:20
I'm going to assume that doing the Amulet spell in the Falstaff Wizards' is not a Ghost bust as long as the mages never see me even though they do alert when the Amulet spell is completed and this is not a mission objective. I'll try to figure a way to put the Cylix into Peabody's forge without alerting the guards. I'm not sure yet how to do this but maybe if I can open the front doors the undead will take care of them for me. Except it's my recollection that they close the doors before they settle back to their assigned stations. I'll try to pick their pockets first though. I can't see any way to get the gold nugget from the Cathedral sub-basement except the Water arrows in the tunnel between the church and the Caretaker's Manor sub-basement. And I'll have another look at the Meepwood Cemetery mausoleum to see if I can get into the Caretaker's Manor sub-basement that way. Dousing the two torches seems to spook Alcandor to sneak out of his sub-basement throne room through the mausoleum.

I took some time in the Falstaff Wizards' to watch the four mages a bit. It's really not that difficult to Ghost them. The two newly spawned ones basically make a lap of the large room and then go to the front entrance and then repeat. Except one of them stops every few times just inside the doorway between the two circular rooms. His position blocks the second one. When he starts up again they do the route basically together. All I had to do was follow them out of the large room also while the original two were looking away. Grabbing the reconstituted Amulet is similarly simple. Just take care going down and then back up the tiled steps and the red tile circles on the floor. There's plenty of time while the two are in the entrance and I chose a path that left the entryway sentry's view of me blocked by a pillar. I must have alerted them the first time I did this. At least I couldn't figure out how to jump down into the entryway without making noise on the tile or hurting myself. There may be a way to jump off the carpeted entrance and slide off the edge of the hole. I tried that a few times but was too noisy landing downstairs.

I found the cat just outside the Black Die! I took it inside and read the note on the bar saying that the cat's owner was the drunk downstairs. So, I took the cat to him. He thanked me but didn't have anything to give me. Unless it was the cigar he was smoking. I couldn't grab it anyway. He said he used to be a priest.

I spotted a cop swordsman fighting inside the Fish Monger's. There were three bodies there too but I couldn't see who he was fighting. I don't think there was anyone else there.

Anyway, I think I got around to everywhere to make sure the undead had had a chance to clean up the place a bit so I may have a little easier time when I tackle the Meepwood Cemetery and Caretaker's Manor tomorrow. I can't remember for sure right now but I think I was about one and a half hours to this point -- much quicker this time.

Monday, April 15th, 2002, 18:03
Picking this Ghost run up at the Meepwood Cemetery having navigated around the map in the canals to trigger all the undead mayhem. I discovered an archer who still had his quiver full. Three more Broadheads but no pocket picked. I suppose I should also keep track of the pockets so I can get them all before triggering Mercedes. I haven't heard any human voices for a while. Across the Meepwood Bridge and into the Cemetery. Had a pretty good look around the mausoleum and I couldn't figure a way to open the door from the outside. I did find a way to open it from inside though. There's a skull near that will open the door when touched. Also in this stairway leading up from the Catertaker's Manor sub-basement is a crypt at the end opposite the door. There's a winged statuette sitting on the crypt worth forty-five goods. This mausoleum door allows egress from the sub-basement without having to put a Rope arrow into the exposed beam in the basement floor. I put the pair of torches out in the sub-basement and I don't think Alcandor spooked any of these times so I must have been mistaken before. Quickly sitting on this beam then sliding off onto the sub-basement floor is a short enough drop to avoid injury. Just watch out for the Gold Mummy Zombies wandering below. Alcandor should still be standing in front of his throne along with the Cylix. There's plenty of shadow down here to get the Cylix and also go up the mausoleum stairway. The tunnel to the Catheral is off the wall opposite this stairway. Just for a laugh I tried the Amulet out on Alcandor. It took a couple of blasts but he fell in a puff of smoke. I left the mausoleum door open but didn't leave that way even though I had the Cylix already. I also wanted that gold nugget below the Cathedral basement. Although I don't suppose it's really worth it since I'll have to use a couple of Water arrows to get by that Skeleton Haunt sentry in the tunnel. Well, well, what do you know? Even though he is standing right under a lit torch and looking right down the tunnel toward the direction you've got to come from I was able to sneak by the Skeleton Haunt without dousing the torch. Grab the nugget and the Cathedral Basement Key and on to Peabody's. I had left my Rope arrows in the Town Hall Clock boardwalk and the Old Widow Inn pile so I just swam around and once I was up on the Police Courtyard I retrieved them. Almost there. I closed the front door of Peabody's before dropping the Cylix so as to not spook the Zombie standing on the bridge across to the Murkbell Police Fort just outside. And I think I may have figured a way to put the Cylix into the forge that is quiet and won't alert the guards. I place the Cylix on the ledge. Retreat back to the corner by the ladder. Then shoot Moss arrows at it until it falls in. It seemed to work well enough with no guards here so I'll have to try that again with them here.

Statistics
Ghost: Success (see notes)
Time: 2:54:06
Loot: 4,695 of 5,230
Pockets: 21 of 27
Locks:17
Bodies Discovered by Enemies: 5
Consumables: one Moss arrow to raise the rear door gate at the Murkbell Police Fort, one Broadhead arrow to raise the gete of the Vilhrath's Gardens, two Water arrows to douse the torches through the hole in the Caretaker's Manor sub-basement

Notes:
The question is whether or not the Peabody guards alert when the front doors are open. They mumble about it not being right just like they do when guards notice doors left open sometimes. They also take a walk over to the doors. This also has happened before with open doors. But are they looking for whoever opened the doors? This I can't say. They seem to settle back down to their posts fairly quickly. Quickly enough?

I still don't know what the Bodies Discovered by Enemies is. I didn't kill anyone. Maybe the bodies of those killed by Mercedes. The number would be higher if the bodies of those killed by the other undead were included.

Tuesday, April 16th, 2002, 04:19
I'm getting ready to rewrite my main page for this mission in sequence. There are still a few things I want to check out before I do though. The Vampyre Eye is rumoured to have some special powers for dealing with the undead. There's a Sky sentry that appears in the sky above the pentagram after the Eyes are set in the Amulet. The tunnel between the Caretaker's Manor and St. Trinett's Cathedral can be accessed from the Cathedral. The undead must be triggered first. Then there's a Cathedral Basement Key available under the desk in the Cathedral. I'm still short on loot. And, of course, I want to try the Moss arrow trick with the Cylix at Peabody's Smelting to see if I can get it into the forge without alerting the Peabody inside guards. And the always elusive pockets picked statistic. The best I've been able to do is twenty-three of twenty-seven pockets. The cops are on the lookout for Garrett after he drops off the Cylix. Are these the same guards as the missions starts with? I wonder if there is a pocket or two to be picked before this?

I'm picking this up with a save from my Ghost run just before resetting the Amulet. The clock is at 1:30. A single Water arrow in a chest at the bottom of the canal under the dock across from the Old Tower. Another single Water arrow in the shallow water just north of the boat behind the Dark Rose Market. Okay, let's see about that Bodies Discovered by Enemies Statistic. This version of Mercedes left it at zero. Will check again on this at the end. Some other possibly useful information. Your Vampyre Eye Zombie with the blue war paint doesn't count against you in the Damage Dealt Statistic either. We'll see later if his dead bodies do. Yes! I can use him in the Falstaff Wizard's place too. Woot!

Tuesday, April 16th, 2002, 17:55
Still experimenting with my Vampyre Eye Zombie associate. He's not much good with other Zombies. But he's great for anything else that stays dead. Except if he gets blasted apart that's it. Aha! Okay, Midge's owner, Granadier, gives you a Holy Water vial as thanks. And, taking Midge from the Zombie by the Guest House counts as a pocket picked! That's twenty-two of twenty-seven. I took Mercedes' purse but don't intend to read it. When you read it, placing it in the Murkbell Police Fort becomes an objective. I don't want to use a Moss arrow to raise the rear gate. If the Ghoul Eye summons the undead, and I find a spot where I can be inaccessible to them, could I possibly gather them all together. Then couldn't I reset the Amulet and go back there and do them all at once. I'll be thinking about that while I proceed. No real problems going from the Cathedral to the Caretaker's Manor. From there to the Meepwood Cemetery, unlock the gate, and onward to Peabody's. Placing the Cylix on the ledge of the furnace can be done silently without the need for Moss to dull any sound. Place it, though, don't drop it. Then move over by the ladder and a single Moss arrow will knock the Cylix off the ledge into the furnace. And the nearby guards do not hear it!

Statistics
Ghost: Success
Time: 2:41:19
Loot: 4,685 of 5,230
Pockets: 22 of 27
Locks: 16
Bodies Discovered by Enemies: 5
Consumables: a single Moss arrow to knock the Cylix into the forge, a single Broadhead arrow to raise the Vilhrath's Garden gate

Notes:
There are so many different ways to complete this mission. Wow! The very least would be St. Trinett's Cathedral to drop off the Cylix, Dr. Provost's balcony to get the invitation, the Museum Shed for the Eye of True Seeing, the Watercrest Museum for the diamond and the painting, the Falstaff Wizards' to get the dagger, the Old Widow Inn to get the Meepwood Cemetery Key, the Caretaker's Manor via the Meepwood Cemetery to fetch the Cylix back, and, finally, Peabody's Smelting to destroy the Cylix.

But there is so much more! Grenadier's cat, Midge, the Black Die waitresses' frilly undies, the Fish Monger's, the Gleaming Facet, the Windmill, resetting the Amulet at the Falstaff Wizards', the tunnel between St. Trinett's and the Caretaker's Manor, the Psychic's, the Guest House, the Murkbell Police Fort, Vilhrath's Gardens, the Dark Rose Market, and the Town Hall Clock guard house and bridge, not to mention all the nooks and crannies in between. And there are still loot and pockets out there for me so I get to play it some more. Woot!

The beauty of the creators' art is that the steps can be completed in almost any sequence. Who didn't replay the Mercedes scenes to see her clobber the Skeleton Haunts one more time? Who didn't try out the Vampyre Eye Zombie blue warpainted battlebot? Who didn't reassemble the Amulet and give it a whirl in the Cemetery? (Two Amulet blasts sends Alcandor to his end in a puff of smoke.) Do you really need the Eye of True Seeing? Don't forget you're the very, very best. Use the force Garrett.

Absolutely superb job Team Calendra and Purah! Bravo!

Thursday, April 18th, 2002, 04:55
I was working away on my walkthrough rewrite and still having trouble trying to figure out exactly how to do it. Anyhow, I gave the mimimum style a shot. No problem, 44:37. Dr. Provost's invitation, Cylix to Alcandor, Museum, Old Widow Inn and Mercedes, Caretaker's Manor via tunnel, Peabody's. That's it! So, how about just this and separate sections for all the extra stuff. Like the Gleaming Facet for the Vampyre Eye and then the Vampyre Eye Zombie sidekick stuff. The Psychic's for the Amulet clues, the Guest House and the canal for the Amulet, the Windmill and Vilhrath's Garden for the Ghoul and Lich Eyes and the Falstaff Wizards' to reset the Eyes in the Amulet. With maybe a bit about the Ghoul and Lich Eyes. I haven't experienced the life energy draining properties of the Lich Eye yet. Will it? Then the Amulet resetting stuff. The Town Hall Clock guard house, Meepwood Bridge, Meepwood Cemetery, and Caretaker's Manor. Any odds and sods left over like the Lucky Coin over the clothesline. And what about the Vampyre Dagger? When does getting this become an objective? And Midge too of course.

Monday, April 22nd, 2002, 12:41
I had a little brain storm today while working on my walkthrough. As I was climbing down the Rope on the Cathedral side of the Guest House I thought I might be able to swivel around the Rope and drop down on top of the spiked fencing here rather than going all the way down to the bricks. Yes! And I've managed to jump over onto one of the flying buttresses of the Cathedral and further along the fence and back across the other brick and fence structure mantle up onto the Guest House roofing and then the flat-topped roof of the building across from the museum front doors and beside the Psychic's. I'm not sure if this will lead anywhere since there's a lot of graphics problems while looking around from up here I don't suspect the level builders intended the players to get to this place. Just the same I'm going to explore as much as I can ever mindful of a whole series of flat-topped roofing along Hollows Lane and perhaps even over to the Caretaker's Manor. Fair warning here, folks! There are some ,and not just a few, members of the Thief community that consider this sort of gameplay tactic breaking the game and therefore cheating. Getting to map locations without going through the right plays and gathering information from these unintended vantage points is not the way the creator's intended the missions to be played. Let your conscience be your guide as they say. Enough said. I was able to work my way over the rooftops almost to the very end of Hollows Lane. And I had an excellent view of the backside of the Caretaker's Manor. Alas, I couldn't make that final jump. And it might prove to be fruitless anyway. Although there's a roof on the manor, there's also a spiked fence at the top of that roof which I doubt I could negotiate. Perhaps another time.

Navigate: Home, Thief, Act I, A meeting with Basso, Act II, Midnight in Murkbell, Act II, A Winter's Eve.
Copyright © 2002, 700425 Ontario Limited. Last modified on Monday, April 22nd, 2002.