Overview
This walkthrough aims to describe the various puzzles found in and outside the manor. I’ll be updating it with time so there aren’t many explained yet. The ones that are missing I either didn’t get to yet, or I forgot certain information so they’re not yet included. Please comment and let me know!
Poem (F1, Poetic Dilligence)
This puzzle first requires you to visit the Poetry Room which is located in the Void room once you cross it in a ship by giving the ominous figure a Coin. In that room, there is a note with a poem written on it:
Above the sky shines the blood red moon.
They say a blue Monday stays till noon.
The wicked Sunday botheration lends a yellow hand.
As the life runs out of sand.
Inside of the Poetic Dilligence room, you’ll be greeted with six (6) tiles (blood, blue sun, crescent moon, yellow hand, hourglass, infinity sign) to press one by one. In order to get it right, you must follow the poem line by line. The first tile you have to press is the Blood followed by the Crescent Moon – blood red moon. The third would be the Blue Sun followed by the Yellow Hand and then the Hourglass.
Your reward is one (1) Sigil and a chest which uses Casket keys to open.
Cryptic Book (F1, Grand Library Hall)
Upon entering the Grand Library Hall, there is a podium with a Cryptic Book on it (not used for saving) on the left side of the room. In it lies a short riddle:
First comes the one. The second came last. Then the last becomes the third. Second is less than the last.
On the right side of the room, in front of the locked door, are four (4) tiles with Roman numerals on them ranging from one (I) to four (IV). In order to open the gate and venture further, you must press each tile by standing on it in the right order which can be deducted from the riddle.
First comes the one. – I (1)
Second is less than the last. – the second therefore cannot be four (4) because it is the highest number, and can only be two (2) or three (3).
I solved it with this information at hand. the only combinations of 1234 that fit this bill are 1324, 1234 and 1243. However, only 1324 is correct, or I III II IV.
Hominal Stew (F1, Kitchen)
This is a very simple one, but there’s a bit of a trick which it played on me, so I better explain it.
This one takes place mostly in the Kitchen, but the Old Recipe, a note which you need in order to start the puzzle, can be found somewhere on F1, I don’t remember exactly, I’m very sorry about that. The recipe can be found by going north inside the Kitchen through a barricaded door (Axe is necessary). Once you find the Old Recipe, it will list ingredients for the Hominal Stew:
For this recipe to work you need to follow it precisely!
add a dash of ground down herbs
2 units of salt
1 flask of Azoth
3 flasks of water
Let it simmer for a bit and taste it.
The first ingredient is the easiest one to find. All you need is a Mortar and Herbs. You combine the two in your inventory and get Mixed Herbs, or ground down herbs.
The Salt is found in the barrels inside the Pantry, north of the Kitchen, but the room is behind a barricade for which you need an Axe which can be found in two places in the Basement.
Azoth is a liquid for which you need an empty flask (can be obtained after drinking a Flask of Water or the Sanity potions, or you can just find them empty) and you need to find the Taurus Well on the first floor. Or you can try and be lucky to see if you’ll loot it from some cabinets, but I don’t recommend that.
Flasks of Water can, again, be obtained by filling an empty flask (or finding them already filled with water). Water pumps are located in the Garden areas.
Once you have all the ingredients, just go to the Cauldron in the Kitchen and insert the ingredients as listed in the recipe. What confused me a little bit was the measurements. Two (2) units of salt does NOT mean you have to insert Salt and then Salt again. You just have to insert it ONCE. Same goes for the water. So make sure you don’t mess this up like I did the first couple of times.
Wax Hand (F1, right of Decipula Room)
On your way through the first floor, you’ll notice a giant hand made of red wax which has all the fingers lit like candles. This is a very important puzzle if you want to be able to get into the attic later on. The first time you examine it, you’ll read the inscription under it which will give you a hint as to which fingers should stay lit.
In my playthrough, I had the inscription mention Mars and Jupiter. It might be different from playthrough to playthrough, but I’m not sure, so I’ll explain everything in detail below.
This puzzle cannot be solved without first finding a note Hand Symbolics Transcript which connects each finger on the hand to a planet:
The thumb – Mars
The index finger – Jupiter
The middle finger – Saturn
The ring finger – Sun
The pinky – Mercury
Depending on which celestial beings are mentioned in the inscription, those are the fingers that have to STAY LIT. So, in my case, Mars and Jupiter translates to the thumb and the index finger therefore those are the only two that I left lit.
If you solved it correctly, a metal plate will arise from the floor which you need in order to pass a puzzle later on which opens your way to the attic.
Hanging Cages (F1, Decipula Room)
Upon entering the Decipula Room, you’ll notice certain tiles on the floor, handles hanging from the floor above them and cages with various notes that you can’t reach until you pull down certain handles.
There are eight (8) handles in total and three (3) cages which you can lower and the handles are spread out like this:
1 2
3 4
5 6
7 8
IMPORTANT -> Some of the handles will break tiles under other handles so you won’t be able to pull certain handles down, or maybe even exit the room, so be sure to SAVE before venturing in this room.
The handles you want to pull down are 2, 4 and 5. These will lower the three cages down and you’ll be able to loot two (2) cages for notes (one of which is necessary for solving the Cypher puzzles). The upper-right cage was empty for me, but I could still see something inside of it (might be randomized, I’m not sure).
At the end of the room there is a Cypher puzzle which I have not yet deciphered. Coming later.
Missing Book (F1, Library)
In the first section of the Library, NOT the Grand Library Hall, you’ll notice the main character comment how there is a book missing from the bookshelf on the bottom of the room. During your playthrough, you’ll come across certain books which aren’t trinkets, but rather quest items, and make sure you don’t discard those. One such is necessary for this puzzle.
On the left side of the room, there is another bookshelf behind which is a Hidden Room. In order to enter the Hidden Room, you must find the missing book and place it onto the bottom bookshelf. The hint you receive is that the bookshelf contains books about amphibians. This should make things clear if you’ve kept the books you picked up because one of the books is titled Toad Encyclopedia. After you place it, the upper bookshelf will open and lead you to a room with a portrait of the Toadman and you’ll gain a Stinky Toad as a consumable item which gives you an extra Sanity Point, but there is an achievement called Toadman which I don’t yet understand so I wouldn’t advise eating it until the achievement is figured out.
Wall Plaque (F2, top right corner)
This one is, as of the moment of me writing it, BUGGED.
So, first of all, remember that Metal Tile you got from the Wax Hand? You need to insert into the hole on the floor so you have all the tiles necessary for the puzzle. Once you’ve done that, you’ll want to press the Wall Plaque which will show you the order in which you need to press the tiles on the floor. This might be randomly generated, I don’t know, but my order was:
Blue Sun -> Yellow Hand -> Hourglass -> Blue Sun -> Crescent Moon
IMPORTANT -> I had a lot of problems with this one because, firstly, I used the Poem from one of the previous puzzles to try and solve it, but it is completely unrelated to it and just uses the same symbols. Secondly, and most importantly, after the second (2nd) time you try to solve it – TILES WILL STOP WORKING. You’ll want to SAVE right before doing it, just in case this also happens to you. So keep this in mind – in order to solve it, either get it right the first two times, or after the second (2nd) time, reload your last save.
If you’ve done it correctly, the pillars blocking the entrance to the Attic will lower themselves and you’ll be able to explore a new area.
Owl Statue (F1, Hidden Study)
Once you enter the Hidden Study, you can’t get out until you solve this minor puzzle.
On the right side of the room, there is a statue of an owl which has an inscription that says:
This owl looks North twice before looking South.
Then you’re given the option to either turn the owl to the left or to the right. The clue here is that, on the left side of the room, there is a compass etched into the floor which lets you know where is North and South. In this case, you turn the Owl Statue to the left twice (2) and then to the right once (1).
After that, you’re free to exit the room.
Cypher #1 (F1, Decipula Room)
Cyphers can be solved using the Cypher Chart, but don’t confuse it with the Cryptic Chart – that chart is used elsewhere.
After you have solved the puzzle with the hanging cages in the Decipula Room, you’ll have received the aforementioned Cypher Chart to help you in dealing with the Cypher on the door at the end of the room. Unfortunately, you don’t yet have all the necessary clues to be able to solve it.
If you’ve talked to the Devotee in the first cage besides the entrance to the room, you noticed that he told you he’s thirsty. This confused me a little bit and I just ignored it because no prompt popped up to let me know I can use an item on him, but alas, if you have a Flask of Water in your inventory, you’ll able to give it to him in exchange for information.
IMPORTANT -> Make sure you have AT LEAST two (2) Flasks of Water prepared because each questions “costs” one (1) Flask of Water and there are two (2) questions to be asked.
If you’ve done this correctly, he’ll give you a note with the name of the man who created this cypher – Abhoth. This is the final necessary clue. Now you can walk over to the door with the cypher and examine the numbers above it – 618496. Write them down.
In order to solve the cypher, you’ll need to cross-reference the numbers against the name Abhoth on the Cypher Chart.
IMPORTANT -> Note the arrows at the top of the chart pointing left and right. If the letter you’re looking for is in the left section of the chart, it means you’ll be turning the cypher to the LEFT. If the letter is in the right section of the chart, it means you’ll be turning it to the RIGHT.
From here on out, it’s not so hard anymore. So, first take the letter A and the number appointed to it – 6. Find the number 6 on the chart and find the letter A – the sign which is located on A6 is the first sign you need to put into the cypher on the door. Then B1, H8, O4, T9 and finally H6.
I can’t put the signs here, but even this should be enough for you to solve this cypher.
Cypher #2 (F1, Central Garden)
In the segment for Cypher #1, you’ll find all the necessary information on how to use the chart.
For this Cypher, you’ll encounter the same process. Examine the numbers (1932947), find the word which is located on the Bench left of the cypher (Rosebud) and cross-reference the numbers with the letters to get the needed combination of signs:
R1 – O9 – S3 – E2 – B9 -U4 – D7