solutions/Moon-Shaped.txt

Moon-Shaped
A Fairy Tale Retold by Jason Ermer

Annotated Walkthrough for Release 2


This document gives the full list of commands needed to complete Release
2 of Moon-Shaped. The walkthrough was written so that users can see "the
full story", but it is efficient in its approach and so won't lead to
the most rewarding gaming experience.

In addition, different adventurers will find different pathways through
the game; this document describes only one possible path. Annotations
have therefore been provided to make it clear what's happening so that
those who have progressed to a certain point via a different path can
get their bearings.

Comments on this document (as well as on the game itself) are welcome:
jasonermer -at- gmail -dot- com.


We play Rosalind Wechsler, age 13. It's Rosalind's birthday, but her
mother is distraught and either hasn't remembered or isn't paying
attention to her. So, Rosalind decides to visit her grandmother who
lives in the forest. To prepare for the journey, we'll need all of
grandmother's supplies (everything that's on the table: the wine, the
bread, and the jar of honey), plus our red cape:

> take everything from the table
> open the chest
> take the cape
> wear the cape

Before we go, though, some insight to the story can be gained from
trying to talk to Rosalind's mother:

> north

Then, it's out the door and on to grandmother's house:

> out
> south
> southwest

Upon entering the woods, we meet a wolf (press any key to advance
through the cut scene). He leads us somewhat astray, but Rosalind is
becoming a resourceful young woman, and we soon finds our way back to
the path:

> (any compass direction)
> (any compass direction)
> (any compass direction)

This puts us at the covered bridge and the edge of the Black Forest. Now
that we've reached the forest, many options are possible. For the
pursposes of this walkthrough, we'll go first to grandmother's house (to
retreive her locket). It isn't far:

> north
> northwest
> north
> north

Something seems amiss here in grandmother's living room, and having a
good look around may be in order. We're after the locket, which is up in
the attic crawlspace, which we can access via the kitchen:

> west

Before going up the the attic, note the cellar door:

> open the cellar door

(More on that later.) In the meantime, let's proceed to the attic:

> up
> examine the glint
> take the locket
> wear the locket

Now that we have grandmother's locket, other important parts of the game
will become available. There's one challenge though:

> open the locket

The locket won't cooperate with this, at least not yet. A hint about
this can be found by stepping out into the woods and trying again:

> down
> east
> south
> open the locket

To open the locket, we need to get out from under the canopy of the
forest (and into the center of the lake):

> south
> east
> east

To properly get out from under the canopy, we'll need to get into the
center of the lake, by boat:

> pull the chain
> enter the boat

Under the unfiltered moonlight, we can:

> open the locket

This action activates the magical powers of the locket, prompting a
variety of visions and remembrances throughout the rest of the game. To
get back in to shore, we:

> pull the chain

There were some parts of grandmother's house left unexplored, so let's
return there (to collect the walking stick and the monocle, among other
things). On the way we'll make a detour so that we can have some light
in the basement. To make all this possible, we'll need to re-purpose the
jar of honey.

> open the jar
> wash the jar

Then, we'll make ourselves a lantern:

> west
> catch some fireflies

Now back to grandmother's house for some snooping around her side yard.

> west
> north (*this action will trigger a vision)
> west

In the side yard, there's grandmother's woodpile and the hatchet she
uses to trim her firewood.

> take the hatchet
> examine the woodpile

Someone's been digging through the woodpile. Perhaps you should as well:

> search the woodpile

You find an unusual log, which bears a closer look:

> examine the log (* this action will trigger a vision)

The other major attraction in the side yard is the old well:

> examine the well
> examine the bucket

Recall that the cellar door was locked. This is out alternative route
underground, where we find some important items, and return to the
kitchen:

> enter the bucket
> take the key
> north
> take the glass fragment
> examine it (*)
> east
> east [!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! UNLOCKING]

Now let's return to the living room (to collect the gloves and the
pebbles):

> east
> examine the quilt
> take it
> look

Disturbing the quilt uncovers the gloves, which will come in handy later
(the quilt itself is unnecessary).

> drop the quilt
> take the gloves
> examine them

The other important item here is the grandfather clock:

> examine the clock
> open it

To open the clock, recall a specific detail from the vision:

> concentrate on the locket (*)
> set the time to 2:35

Inside the clock, we find a boy's hunting jacket. The jacket itself is
less important than the contents of its pockets:

> search jacket
> examine the pebbles
> south
> examine the pebbles (*)

Moon-Shaped is clearly based on the Grimm Brothers' tale of Little Red
Riding Hood... but it may be at this point that another tale begins to
come to mind (if it hasn't already). Anyhow, those pebbles sure are
shiny -- just watch:

> out

Now that we've begun to notice them, we can spot those shiny pebbles in
places we hadn't noticed before! They form a path which we can follow
(to visit the burned ground and collect the candies):

> southeast (*)
> east
> northeast
> northwest
> northeast (*)

This creepy patch of burned ground has past significance (which is
revealed explicitly if the old woman's monocle has already been
discovered):

> look
> concentrate on the monocle (*)

When the old woman wore the monocle, she moved as though was was
avoiding "invisible obstacles". Wearing the monocle will grant us a
similar ability:

> wear the monocle

Uh-oh. The orange candies inside the cage are mesmerizing. If we try a
couple of different things while we're transfixed, a few hints will be
revealed about how to free us from the candy's spell:

> blink
> eat the bread

Now, let's try that again:

> wear monocle
> examine the cage
> take the candies

We can't reach the candies, at least not with our arms:

> push the candies with the walking stick
> take candies
> examine them (*)

The pieces are coming together, but there's one area that we haven't
explored completely yet. We'll go there to collect the dagger, crush the
candies, and learn the details of the curse (which will kick off the
endgame):

> remove the monocle
> southwest
> west
> north (*)

The cave entrance is blocked:

> north

But the vision we saw upon arriving indicates that the walking stick
will be helpful:

> swing the walking stick
> north
> down

There are several things of note in the cavern. First the inscriptions,
which are un-readable without the aid of the monocle:

> examine the inscriptions
> wear the monocle
> examine the inscriptions
> remove the monocle

Once we have taken the candies and read the inscriptions, things can
progress rapidly towards the endgame. A few final visions will "barge
in" during the next few rounds. The first of these visions gives a hint
about where to go next (the waterfall).

But first: note that the inscriptions mention a bit about "sweet
temptation" and show an image of snow or powder sprinking down onto a
skull. To make some sweet powder, we'll use the mortar and pestle here:

> take the pestle
> put the candies into the mortar
> crush them with the pestle
> take the powder
> put the pestle into the mortar

Also note the tin box:

> open the box
> take the dagger

Ouch! The silver allergy was also mentioned in the inscriptions, but
don't worry. We're prepared:

> wear the gloves

Although you might have to do some inventory management, depending on
what's in your hands at the time (the walking stick, for example, is
dirty and would ruin grandmother's gloves). Once you're wearing the
gloves, you can:

> take the dagger

Then, it's off the the waterfall (and the endgame):

> up
> south
> south
> southwest
> southwest
> down (*)

If you had visited the bottom of the waterfall before, it was a dead
end. However, by this point you're more attuned to your surroundings.
Note: from here, there will be no turning back -- this would be a good
time to save the game!

> north

There are two graves in this clearing (one for Rosalind's uncle Hansel
and one for her brother Rainer), along with the wolf (her father) with
grandmother (who was swallowed whole) in his belly. According the the
inscriptions, we're in search of the bones of the first cursed person in
the family to die. That's uncle Hansel, and to access his bones:

> open the wooden grave


From here, there are eight final outcomes possible. The endings have
varying levels of "success" depending on whether you and your family
members survive the next few rounds and whether you're able to lift the
curse. There are several actions that can be undertaken in a variety of
combinations:

-- Attacking the wolf with the hatchet will free grandmother from the
wolf's belly without killing him.

-- Attacking the wolf with the silver dagger will kill him (and
grandmother, too, if she's still trapped in his belly).

-- Sprinkling the powder onto Uncle Hansel's bones will lift the curse
and turn the wolf back into your father. (This action will kill
grandmother if she's in the wolf's belly at the time.)

-- Going south will be considered an attempt to run away. (You'll be
given two opportunities to reconsider because this choice will always
end badly.)

Here are the eight combinations that will end the game:

--- Ending #1 ---
This is the best possible ending, in which Rosalind, grandmother, and
father all survive and are free from the curse.

> attack the wolf with the hatchet
> sprinkle the powder onto the bones

--- Ending #2 ---
Rosalind and grandmother survive and are free from the curse, but the
wolf (your father) dies:

> attack the wolf with the hatchet
> attack the wolf with the silver dagger
> sprinkle the powder onto the bones

--- Ending #3 ---
Rosalind and father survive and are free from the curse, but grandmother
dies:

> sprinkle the powder onto the bones

--- Ending #4 ---
Rosalind survives and is free from the curse, but father and grandmother
both die:

> attack wolf with the silver dagger
> sprinkle the powder onto the bones

--- Ending #5 ---
Rosalind and grandmother survive but remain cursed. The wolf (your
father) dies:

> attack the wolf with the hatchet
> attack the wolf with the silver dagger
> south
> south
> south

--- Ending #6 ---
Rosalind survives but remains cursed. Grandmother and the wolf both die:

> attack the wolf with the silver dagger
> south
> south
> south

--- Ending #7 ---
Rosalind dies. Grandmother survives, but remains cursed:

> attack the wolf with the hatchet
> south
> south
> south

--- Ending #8 ---
Rosalind and grandmother both die. The wolf survives but remains cursed:

> south
> south
> south


[THE END]