Solutions to Early Sierra Game Puzzles Revealed!
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Warning: The following article contains hints for playing several of Sierra's adventure games. If you do not wish to risk reading the solutions, you may wish to skip this article.

Sierra has produced a long line of bestselling adventure games in its time, and amazingly enough, many of our Hint Line calls concern games we created as far back as 1980. Listed below are solutions to just a few of the many puzzles we continue to receive calls on from some of Sierra's earlier titles.

Q. How can you kill the snake?
A. You need a rock without a scorpion behind it. From the snake, go S, S, S, S, W, S, and get this rock. To get back to the snake, go N, E, E, E, E, E.

Q. Help, there are more snakes… what do I do?
A. After killing the first snake with the rock, you will encounter several other snakes. You will want to kill all snakes with your stick, except the one that has a rock on it's tail Be nice to this snake and get the rock off of its tale.

Q. How do I cross the chasm?
A. To get across the chasm, you will need to have the two notes found in the desert. If you put these notes together, one as the top and one as the bottom, you will get the word HOCUS. Say this word to get across the chasm.

Q. My boat keeps sinking, what can I do?
A. In order to get anywhere in the boat, you need to fill the hole with your blanket.

Q. What can I do when I get to the island?
A. If you made it to the island and need to get into the Tree House, TIE ROPE TO ANCHOR, THROW ROPE, CLIMB ROPE. To get off of the island after you have the harp, go to where you got the anchor, DRINK VIAL, FLY N. Give the bread to the Lion.

Q. How do I find the bird?
A. You need to go through the kitchen to get into the tower. You will need to go to the tower a second time to find the bird.

Q. In what order should I visit the five continents?
A. 1) Nisondel, 2) Cestiona, 3) Arveduin, 4) Isles of Bregalad, 5) Mystenor.

Nisondel: Solrain Argoth is located northeast of Castle Solrain, but in an open area of Nisondel. Here the player can buy rations and weapons. Also, the player learns of that which is to come.

Cestiona: The true exit from Cestiona lies in a tiny rocky island northwest of the continent. This island is only accessible from a dimension door on the northerly "Fire" island. To step onto the island, you need a spell to control Demon Glow.

Arveduin: Mount Restorn is the exit from Arveduin to the Isles of Bregalad. The player must sail right along the northern shore of the continent and a passageway appears magically. When first in Mount Restorn, the player encounters a long hall of locked doors. The second southern door leads to an underground waterway and a set of ships. The player sails north to the second open area and departs the ship. The player then walks in a kind of horseshoe loop to a dimension door which will take the player to a temple and a set of doors. Taking either door will take the player to a valley. Then the player must go to the southern end where a field of Demon Glow is found. The exit lies in the center of the Demon Glow.

Isles of Bregalad: Shadowmere is the key to one of the most difficult secrets in the game. A graveyard is located in the southeast area of the map of Shadowmere. The graveyard only appears during the witching hour (12 midnight to 1 a.m.). The player must be in Shadowmere during this time in order to enter the graveyard. In the city of Shadowmere, many clues are learned.

Mystenor: Castle Denethna is located on the same island as the door to Death Meadow, in the center of the bay. Pause and review your clues. The player is greeted quite warmly upon entering the castle. The player will find this is the castle of the fake Denethenor. The player must kill the fake Denethenor and read the inscription on the throne.

Q. I know there is a trap door in the attic. How can I find it?
A. You must see the trap door through the telescope in the tree before you can open it. You must re-enter the house to do this, you cannot open the trap door without going to the telescope first.


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