#kqvi

Down the hatch! Ignoring the poor shopkeeper's protests.

Shamir heads off excitedly and we're treated to another scene of him and Abdul Alhazred.

Alhazred's a little surprised, but is ultimately pleased and they must prepare for the wedding for now.

Most importantly we're shown Shamir's lamp which he disappears into at the end of the scene. The blue tall one.

Back at the shop, Alexander wakes up and apologizes to the shop keeper. He was "doing a little acting I'm afraid."

Sorry sir...

The lamp seller from the beginning of the game has returned outside and I still had the old hunter's lamp for trade. Lucky for Alexander the lamp seller happens to have a lamp just like Shamir's.

With the lamp taken care of it was time at last to go to the castle. Of course you can't just walk in as the guard dogs are in place. Turns out I never noticed a side path though that takes you around to the side of the castle and a handy-dandy bare wall.

I had the magic paint spell ready to go, so after mixing up the paint and painting an outline on the wall it was time to cast!

The outline turns into a proper door and lets us into the castle.

I ended up in a lower section with a variety of rooms from dungeon cells to a guard room to a locked door to Jollo's room. First up was checking out the dungeon cells.

Most of the cells were empty but in one was a ghost child, Ali, that the mother in the Realm of the Dead had been missing. I passed on her handkerchief and in return he gave me some information about a secret passage before leaving.

As it turns out, there is a suit of armour next to the guard room and as entering the guard is a very bad idea, it was time put the kid's hint to use. The armour's arm can be moved like a lever which opens a door leading into the passage with stairs going up. On this first level is a hole in the wall that peeks into the guard room where it's time to do some eavesdropping. There are two guard dogs and Captain Saladin.

They talk about Princess Cassima and how there's been rumours from the guards watching her that she's been begging to be let out. Saladin returns that Alhazred has claimed there's foreign assassin and so she needs locked away until the wedding. Thanks to the King and Queen's deaths and Cassima's mourning, Alhazred has been in charge for months and the wedding will seal that. Their loyalty is to the crown.

The guards also gossip about the Vizier and a 'magic' room though the other guard claims it's not the room, only the door has been enchanted. The guard thinks the royal treasury is in there and notes that even the court treasurer isn't allowed in there. Not suspicious at all! The guard also said he overheard Alhazred using the word, "Ali" before entering, but then Saladin shoos them all back to work.

I hadn't entirely explored this basement area yet, so I wanted to do that before continuing up the secret passage stairs. And, it's a good thing I went back as I found Jollo's room and Jollo himself.

Jollo further confirms that Cassima is in her room and that the guard dogs are very loyal to the crown and as the that crown is currently Alhazred they're only going to be a danger to us. That said, if we had proof something real foul that Alhazred's done they could possibly be convinced.

I also gave Jollo the replica lamp and he hurried off to see what he could do. There was actually a comment about how Alexander knew which lamp since it wasn't like he would have seen what the player sees with the scene between Alhazred and Shamir, so it was a nice little sort of acknowledgement of help beyond the fourth wall. Alexander basically chalked it up to gut feeling.

Then I went back to the passage and climbing up I found another hole in the wall and through it none other than Cassima herself!

Alexander asks is she truly wishes to wed Alhazred to which she vehemently says no. She never liked him even when her father trusted him. Alexander asks her to escape with him, but she points out she cannot fit through the wall and besides she can't leave her kingdom or people to Alhazred.

Alhazred would also tear the castle apart if she disappeared. She reassures Alexander she's been here for safely for nearly six months. Abdul seems to be in no hurry and she is to be his bride. She's been planning too.

Go Cassima go! We don't really see very much of her during the game and I want more. I like what we do get. Gimme more Cassima.

Then it's time for some loving stares.

But also this gives me the opportunity to do another action such as... giving Cassima the dagger. Who needs to wait for the wedding to get some weapons?

Sadly for them the loving stares and weapon gifting can't last as guards come and Alexander has to back off. But then a scuffle and a woman's cry can be heard and when peeking back through the hole Cassima is gone and "how could he have LET them take her?"

However, there's nothing more we can do but keep going.

Continuing on back through the secret passage led me to a corridor with another crack in the wall. This one peers into Alhazred's room and we're just in time to eavesdrop on him too as he writes a letter, conveniently narrating it as he goes.

So, Alhazred is part of a "Black Cloak Society", which is unfortunately nothing we learn more about in this game or anything after. He spells out his plan for taking the crown and how he'll have to stage another 'accident' though it is a pity to kill Cassima, but she's being too troublesome and he's worried she'll convince the guards to treason. He send her to Shadrack but had no such luck in sending her to Mordack. He closes in 'triumph as KING Abdul Alhazred' before leaving his room.

Next to the hole is an opening with a bunch of black cloaks. It actually opens out into a wardrobe in Alhazrad's room so it's time to snoop around.

I found a chest with a piece of paper that had the word ZEBU written on it. And I found a letter from Shadrack.

This makes me laugh. "a bit of a ninny at chess": what a petty thing to bring up here.

The letter further congratulates Alhazred on his handling of the king and queen and how he isolated all the island so they won't raise protests. He says to do as he recommends with the girl and the crown will be his. Lots of incriminating evidence here!

And I got another word, so I went back to basement area and the locked door that is the enchanted door. Ali Zebu are the words to type in and the treasury is revealed with a table covered oh so suspiciously by a large cloth. Removing the cloth reveals each of the treasures we learned had been stolen from the islands.

Very well informed of Alhazred's misdeeds now.

I left the room and started hearing the guards no the prowl and distantly wedding music could be heard uh oh!

I managed to get myself caught... but Jollo came to the rescue! Just once however. And I got caught again... but was able to use the skeleton key from the realm of the dead! Until I got caught again--yeah I was having some trouble--and this time the guards wised up and searched me and took the key and so I got stuck with a game over.

Things went better after that initial little disaster and I made it back up to the main floor of the castle. However, there was no charging into the wedding because Captain Saladin met me at the door. He gives Alexander one chance to explain himself and I was able to get him to read the letter. Actually, first I fumbled, and got killed, but after that.

Saladin is furious about the letter, but he also doesn't know whether he can trust it's true or a forgery. He says he's seen Cassima with Alhazred and she's looked happy, even enthusiastic and he doesn't believe she could love him if he was wicked. Still, he allows Alexander to come in to see for himself and we enter just in time for Cassima to be making her vows.

And Alexander gets all "But...Cassima, what are you saying?" and tries to interrupt and I'm just gonna say panic dumped all the thoughts out of his head. Like my guy, you know about Shamir, you've seen him in various forms trying to lead you to your death, you just spoke with Cassima earlier and she essentially hates his guts. Sir. Get your head back on.

Anyway, Abdul orders Saladin to kill Alexander but Saladin refuses until hearing it from Cassima as this is a wedding, not an execution and Alhazred isn't king just yet. But "Cassima" also gives the order.

Glowing. Eyes.

Saladin draws his sword! Everything appears doomed! But then! King Caliphim and Queen Allaria come bursting in with their supporters in tow.

Queen Allaria has her head on straight and as soon as "Cassima", rather rudely, speaks, she recognizes that's not her daughter.

So, Shamir is revealed. All hell breaks loose. Alhazred orders Shamir to attack so he starts blasting magic while Alhazred retreats and we give chase. At the top of some stairs we find Alhazred and Cassima who's bound.

Alhazred doesn't just have a sword, but Shamir quickly appears too, although not quickly enough for Alhazred's tastes. The jerk. He orders Shamir to attack but then Jollo shows up with the lamp and gives it to Alexander. With Shamir's lamp in hand Alexander becomes Shamir's new master, much to Shamir's delight.

"I've got a new master! I've got a master!" he chants while disappearing into his lamp.

Alexander then grabs the sword off the wall, but it's heavy. He and Alhazred start fighting under Alexander starts to succumb to exhaustion. Alhazred is about to deliver a finishing blow when Cassima manages to wriggle free and

stabs Alhazred in the shoulder. This gives us a window of opportunity to do something but I clicked wrong or something, I don't know what happened, and lost my chance, so Alhazred manages to pull himself together enough to stab and kill Alexander. One more death for the road I suppose.

On my second try, however, I was able to get it right away and knock Alhazred out with the sword hilt. Like really, I just had to click on Alhazred, or maybe his head. Either way I don't know what went wrong the first time.

Alexander confesses his love to Cassima and asks if she would marry him to which she happily agrees.

Ahh, romance.

Their loving kiss is interrupted by the guard dogs. Alhazred regains consciousness but it's too late. He's arrested and taken to the dungeons though Cassima requests he's given a doctor.

We get a week time skip and then it's wedding hour! Officiated by Captain Saladin as requested by our couple.

We've got Cassima's parents here, Jollo, the Winged Ones, the druids, guard dogs, Beauty and Beast, the Chess Queens and our Daventry family! There they are! Graham, Valanice and Rosella.

Once their vows are exchanged, Caliphim has a request of his own: for Cassima and Alexander to take the throne. He and Allaria have been through too much. He had once badly wanted a son and husband for Cassima and was wrong, but Alexander has proven himself to all their people. He believes Cassima and Alexander together can heal the damage done to the kingdom. Cassima is more than happy to stay and serve her people and beloved home and Alexander is happy to do so and asks if his family would be disappointed in his leaving Daventry. However Graham steps in with his blessing as well.

Valanice and Rosella are proud of him.

He also lets us know that Alexander's crew made it back safely. Remember that ship wreck at the start of the game?

Saladin also chimes in saying that Alexander has brought them all good fortune. With Shamir freed from Alhazred his power can help reunite the islands. He's already fixed the ferry. Cassima also confirms it was clear Alhazred had Shamir steal the islands' treasures and spread blame between the islands.

But now everything will be well again and the future is bright! The crowds cheers and we come to the end.

We come to some wonderful credits ballad of cheesey 90s delight that is so very classic Disney. It is very nostalgic feeling and I kinda love it. Please listen. This is a fan vid pulling in different scenes from both KQ V and VI, mostly VI, but the song, the song!

And so we come to the end of King's Quest VI.

225/231 points by the end, so I missed some points. I think some are gotten from trying to visit the castle right away and meeting with Alhazred and Saladin, but I took too long to try that and missed the chance. Not sure about the other points, but oh well. I know I'll play it again sometime.

Now, this was the longer and better ending. There is a shorter and easier ending as well. Once you've completed the Isle of the Beast, you can go to the castle and skip all the spell stuff and the Realm of the Dead. With the dress from Beauty you can disguise yourself as a servant and join the line heading in to prepare for the wedding. There's sneaking around and ultimately you end up doing a similar thing with the end but you use the mirror from the beast to reveal Shamir and during the fight you give the peppermint leaf to Shamir and he ends up 'drunkenly' blasting himself. The rest of the fight plays out the same.

Cassima and Alexander still get married by Saladin, but the wedding only consists of Jollo, if you've befriended him (it's possible to ignore or otherwise miss him) and a couple of guard dogs. Saladin requests that Cassima and Alexander take the throne and work together to start repairing relations between the islands. Long road ahead of them but they're together! Then credits roll but with a purely instrumental version of Girl in the Tower.

There's something to be said about this ending's more grounded nature, but at the same time with this game's whole premise, the everyone lives and happily ever after nature of the long true ending is the most fitting.

Anyway final stats!

Final Points: 225/231

Deaths: 29

Time: 8:29

--

Final Thoughts

I really like this game and I'm sure it'll end up in my comfort food selection of games. There are so many fun moments and there's a lot of charm. I enjoy Alexander as the protagonist in this game. I love just how many things can be interacted with. So many examinable things. It still looks nice and the voice acting is pretty good. I quite like the narrator--looking him up he seems to have quite a few narration roles (Bill Ratner).

There are still plenty of ways to hit dead ends but it doesn't feel as cruel as the past games. Deaths feels easier to avoid too. This was my second lowest death count and a lot of those deaths or equivalents were deliberate because it's still fun. They're just less fun when it's getting eaten constantly or falling off terrible stairs repeatedly. Not an issue here!

I feel like I should have more to say based on my past posts for the other games but honestly I don't have much more to say! Just yay I like it! Easy favourite in the series, though of course I still have VII to play, having watched it as well I know it won't surpass VI.

Enjoy your reign, King Alexander and Queen Cassima. I just wish I could get more Cassima.

P.S.

I kept forgetting to go back to check on the rotten tomato so I reloaded a file after I finished and I'm happy to report the rotten tomato is doing quite well and is happy in the swamp.

If you talk to him, he says "Can't you see I'm snoozin'? Ya done good. Now go play in the street or somethin'."

So truly,

And they all lived happily ever after.

I appeared on the island, startling the two druids there. Alexander is captured again. The Arch Druid guesses he was the foreigner they were warned of and they're about to have a Rain Festival so he's the perfect sacrifice. Here we go again.

Alexander is locked into he wicker cage over the fire, but this time when the cage started to catch on fire he automatically uses the dress from Beauty to put it out, although the dress is reduced to smouldering ashes. It's still not but as the heat builds the lamp full of the water mix starts to boil!

My Make Rain spell activated and caused a thunderstorm, dousing the fire and making the druids think Alexander is a nature wizard.

Once Alexander was freed and the storm ended, the arch druid apologized. They've been inhospitable since the Winged Ones (from the Isle of the Sacred Mountain) stole their sacred miniature oak tree. Vizier Alhazred had also sent a message they were to watch out 'for a highly-dangerous foreign assassin."

Alexander explains what he's doing here and the Oracle told him to speak to the druids about the Realm of the Dead and two souls in unrest there who may be freed. The arch druids explains that legends say the Lord of the Dead was once a mortal man who became bound to the realm of the dead. He further explains that there is a legend that any human may challenge the Lord of the Dead for their or another's life, but the knowledge of how to do that has been lost. He'd heard of a knight who came long ago from a distant land and was determined to win back the soul of his dead lover. It was said he tamed the Lord of the Dead's black-winged beast named Night Mare. Night Mare is said to come to the human world to feed on certain noxious plants. Somehow the knight captured the Night Mare and rode off on her but never returned.

Well, we know where some noxious plants are and there's a spell to charm a creature of the night.

Charming a Creature of the Night Spell: 1 Skull full of hot Oak Embers A bit of sulphur (Brimstone) 1 strand of a pure-hearted maiden’s Hair

I had the skull. I was able to use it to collect some embers from the fire the druids tried to roast Alexander. I had the strand of hair from Cassima. I got stuck on the sulphur.

I went back to the druid's village where I found I'd either missed coal or it hadn't been available until now. Then I went back to town but didn't find much of use. I thought there might be something back at the catacombs to do with the fire pit, but no luck there either. Then after all my pointless wandering I discovered that the embers had grown cold.

So I reloaded.

But my last save was after I'd taken the embers so I had to go back to a previous save and go through the druid capture again.

Sidenote: I choose to blame the cruelty of previous King's Quests and not my own ridiculous oversight. Okay, this was a really silly mistake. So, it wasn't until after I already finished the game that I realized I could have just... gone back to get more embers. I went back to an earlier file I had still on that island, and yeah, if the embers go cold, you can just go back and get more. Shocking!

This time I avoided taking the embers until I could figure out where the heck to get sulphur.

I ultimately ended up back on the Isle of Wonder where this time I found another item at the flower area. A little bottle was left on the table with a label saying "DRINK ME".

Well, of course I had to obey that message and died. ...Except not! It causes Alexander to collapse and his heart seemingly stops then he comes back a moment later, so we now have a way to fake his death as Jollo hinted at.

I headed to Chessboard Land and I wish I could say it was because I knew what to do and not simply out of just trying places, but it wasn't until I saw the queens coming back that I remembered their argument over coal. This is why longish gaps in playing isn't so good.

I gave them my lump of coal so now they each had one and they gave me the rotten egg in return. Them being them however, they left while arguing over the new lump of coal.

But we have a stinky rotten spoiled egg! Sulphur at last!

Then I went back to get the embers and put all the ingredients together. The Night Mare is at the Isle of the Sacred Mountain munching on the nightshade berries. If you go to close or otherwise try to interact with her she flees, but if you leave and come back she'll have returned.

Sidenote: On that first screen of the cliffs of logic, you can fall off a lot of the steps safely with Alexander only seeming more offended than anything else. However by around the last couple steps on that screen it is high enough to kill him if he falls. Well, guess who got one more death by falling in for the road?

At the top of the cliffs, I had the spell and so was able to charm Night Mare.

I got my ride on the Night Mare and off they went...

And so we have come to the Land of the Dead.

I spoke with the ghostly couple who are none other than Queen Allaria and King Caliphim.

They were murdered in the night by the vizier and her husband hardly speaks a word now, lost in grief for Cassima. Alexander informs them Cassima was rescued from Mordack and is now at home. He's come to try take the pair back. Their people are still loyal to them and Cassima needs them.

Queen Allaria says only the Lord of the Dead could help but he has no such mercy. Still, Alexander is determined to try and she gives him her ticket to the underworld. For as long they go unavenged they're unable to rest and so are trapped in this place anyway.

There are some ghouls or zombies that crop up now and then and can kill you, but I avoided them.

I carried on to find another spirit separated from her son whose spirit remains lost in the living world.

Alexander offers to help her too and she gives him her handkerchief to pass onto her son and tell him she's waiting here.

Then I came to an entirely familiar place: the doors into the underworld.

Yep, it's the death screen! Which is cool to see it all come full circle like this.

The horse skull-ed skeleton up front gives tickets to pass through, but refuses to give one to Alexander as he's clearly not dead. But since we have Allaria's that's fine. However he also has a key and it's not like I can just let a key go unobtained.

Time for some music!

This is so silly, but cute. A very Monkey Island-ish sort of moment. I love all the little bits like this in the game.

I scooped up the tossed key and continued on my way.

I found a body that was probably the knight the arch druid spoke of and took his gauntlet which had this passage written on it:

I carried on to the banks of the River Styx, scooping some of the water into my teacup along the way--gonna need that for the magic paint spell--and found Charon.

Payment has to be given before he'll ferry you across. The coins over the eyes of the dead. I had the two coins, from the skeleton in the catacombs and was able to use those.

I was led to another area with a gate and when I tried to open the gate it morphed into a monstrous sort of face.

If you try to push your way through he eats you.

I convinced him into a riddle challenge and the riddle he gave me was this:

"My first is foremost legally. My second circles outwardly. My third leads all to victory. My fourth twice ends a nominee. My whole is this gate's only key"

And then you have to select letters to spell out the answer. That answer is...

Love.

I passed through and came to the Lord of the Dead's chamber.

And here is the Lord of Death himself.

He's very much ready for you to just die and offers the chance to kiss his hand to do so. However, you have the chance to do something, but if you take too long he'll reach out instead to touch you which results in immediate death but a new death screen!

If you use the gauntlet from the knight Alexander issues a challenge. The Lord scoffs at the idea of wanting to save two souls and get out alive but acquiesces.

He talks about the tragedies and miseries and deaths and torments and awful things he's seen in his all long existence and says he has never once cried. So the challenge is to make him cry.

The mirror is key. Holding it up to him shows his life and the things he's seen and what he once was and now has become.

The reminder, onslaught of memory, is enough to make him shed a single tear and so the challenge is won. He summons Allaria and Caliphim and hopes they'll be more ready for their rest in the future and reminds Alexander that he WILL see him again. Then we're all sent back with Night Mare.

Caliphim and Allaria decide to go gather their people and form a plan while requesting that Alexander look after Cassima.

The realm of the dead section isn't very long but it has some cool scenes. Though, it's also a place you could potentially get, heh, dead-ended or dead-end yourself a bit later if you miss the River Styx water.

But, I had and got everything I needed so it's time to head into the end game! Next time it'll be time at last to infiltrate the castle and rescue Princess Cassima.

–

First the catacombs, which weren't too bad to get through really and certainly helped to map it as I went. The general ambient sounds of it can be a little tension inducing and sometimes you hear hoof clopping off in the distance and occasionally get a message box telling you about the sounds. Just to keep you on your toes.

There are a few items to be found at different points in here: a skull, two coins of the dead, and a shield.

I also came across a trap room that involved needing the manual again.

You have to step on the right tiles in the right order or get shot. I got shot, but just once!

Shortly after I found Lady Celeste! Easy-peasy.

Nothing wrong or suspicious here either. Of course we'll follow her!

But where did she...

Add one to the death tally.

And the fun doesn't stop there, oh no. I found another trap room this time with gears causing the ceiling to drop. You can throw the skull into the gears to try to stop it and get a step by step narration of what happens...how the gears grind and slow and...

And the skull bulging then shattering and the ceiling keeps coming down and crushes Alexander. It is actually kind of harrowing getting it all blow by blow.

I think this may be the one worst deaths in the series just for how drawn out it is... There are more nasty ones to come though!

The narrator on the other hand has no mercy as usual.

The actual solution is the brick I'd been missing before. That causes the gears to grind to a halt and all is safe.

There's a good ceiling. I talked to it.

Moving on I found another pit trap but this was one that drops you to the second floor straight into the darkness. Completely pitch back, all you can see is Alexander's eyes. If you wait around the minotaur comes in after a bit and kills you in a cartoony shaking you around way while all you can see is the whites of Alexander's eyes and then there's a ripping sound and yeah I did say there were more nasty deaths... This one is more visually (in as much as you can see anything) and audibly cartoonier at least. Still yikes.

Thankfully I had the tinderbox so I was able to light things back up to continue. More catacomb wandering later I came across a room where the minotaur could be clearly heard coming from an adjacent room. It's finally the Hole in the Wall's time to shine! Placing it against one wall lets you see you into the adjacent room where the minotaur can be seen lifting a tapestry over a secret entrance. The poor little hole flees and we can only hope it found its way back home. Of course I had to find the way to that room which took a little more exploration and at least one pitfall.

Still, I found the lair at last.

Alexander gets backed toward the pit of fire and if you do the wrong thing he gets knocked in for yet another nasty death. However, the solution is the red scarf from the Red Queen because half bull.

And he charges right through plummeting himself into the fire. Which is also nasty, but hey, we saved the girl and she let me keep her dagger in thanks after using it to cut her free.

She is not impressed with her people.

In thanks for saving her Lord Azure grants an audience with the Oracle and will let Alexander live despite the vizier's orders.

The Oracle has some important information about finding a path toward finding the one we must face to save Cassima, though there's little about this force she can make out--only a black cloak--and hints at there being more than one ending.

She also senses two restless spirits seeking revenge and they may be of help against the dark force before us.

She advises seeking further counsel with the Druids on the Isle of Mist but warns they're reclusive and dangerous and may help us or may destroy us.

She gives a vial of sacred water from her pool and off we go.

I'm done with this island for now and tried again with the Isle of the Beast. With the shield I was able to get past the statues only to get blocked by magical vines. I went back to town thinking I could maybe find something of help there.

I didn't but I did encounter Jollo again. He has some more important information:

Alhazred has put on the alert for Alexander and doubled the castle guard

It's too bad there isn't some way to make Alhazred think Alexander has left the island or even died. Then he might lower his guard enough to get close

Notes the genis is Shamir Shamazel and Alhazred brought him when he came to the kingdom. Won't directly threaten you but is a terrible trickster and spy. I dunno, feel pretty threatened after all these death attempts

That said Shamir isn't necessarily evil. Genies only reflect their owners heart

If there's way to get an exact replica of his lamp Jollo might be able to get close enough to swap them

And with that Jollo leaves for the castle again, ready to help if he can and if we can find the means to get in and get a lamp...

I also popped by the pawn shoppe again. The genie was there once more in his robed old man outfit. If you talk to him Alexander says he seems familiar and starts prodding at all the possible times he's seen him--ie all the times he's tried to lure me to my death. The genie just keeps denying it angrily and goes into a huffy silence.

I looked at the magic map again and realized I should try for the Isle of Mists now. On landing there's a warning that drums and chanting can be heard in the distance. I found the druids' village though they weren't there. I did find a sickle. Then I went a different route and found the druids. They captured Alexander and slung him in a wicker cage over a fire for another brutal death.

This session was really not kind on Alexander. And, okay, neither was I.

Setting that little mess aside, I went back to the Isle of the Beast again now armed with the sickle and was able to cut through the vines. I finally made it!

And found the reason for the isle's name.

I met the beast who turns out to have been a prince adventurer. However he eventually ran afoul of one too many evil hags and was cursed into this form and trapped here over 100 years ago. The magic barriers we've been getting through were put in place to protect others from coming through. Alexander was the first to break through except for the druids who stole his heirloom coat of arms. More inter island theft!

Unfortunately for Alexander, now he's made it this far the enchantment has fallen over him too and he'll turn into a beast as well very soon unless the overall enchantment is broken. The only way to break it is to find a maiden that would willingly share the prince's castle and life here. And who would want to spend their life with a beast?

Fun fact: Alexander's voice actor also played the Beast in Beauty and the Beast.

Alexander offers to help and the prince gives him his ring to pass onto a maiden who would be willing though he can't imagine Alexander would find anyone.

There is someone though! However, I wanted to run the clock out and turn into a beast.

There he is! I think he's cute.

So we do know a maiden who may be interested, though we haven't seen her for a while. The lady with the nasty step-mother. She's out in the rose gardens again but was too shy to speak to Alexander. I had to figure out a way to get her to open up. I went back to the isle of the beast where there are white roses and picked one then I came back and gave it to her. She was very taken with and became willing to talk.

I learned more about her in that her father remarried after her mother died but passed shortly after leaving her with her stepmother who treats her like garbage. Alexander tells her more about the island and the beast, both of which intrigue her. Unfortunately because I had to go back and forth and was dilly dallying in trying to get all the dialogue off her I could I took too long and got turned into a beast again, which must have been quite a sight for her...

Once I tried again and moved more quickly I was able to succeed this time.

After giving her the ring, she agrees to come. Her step mother is less thrilled yelling at her, "Beauty! Where do you think YOU'RE going?" Away, away from you! Thankfully the game takes us directly back to the beast prince.

And he's saved! And I... think he looked better as a beast but regardless. Beauty here worries he'll no longer want her here as she's unneeded, but he learned of true love in his time here and we all know the power of love at first sight here. She shall be his queen!

And she gets a new gown. She gives us her old clothing should anyone ever need it. And the prince gives a mirror with the advice to give it to someone with nothing to fear from the truth it reveals.

They wander off happily to the castle and now only Alexander needs to find his happily ever after. For now, though, falling water! The last ingredient needed with the baby's tears and sacred water. I was able to cast the make rain spell and have that ready to use.

At last after several attempts the Isle of the Beast is completed!

Next up: back to the Isle of Mists most likely.

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I wasn't sure what to do or if there even is anything I can do right now, so I went back to the Isle of Wonders for things that won't help me right now but that I will need a later point. There are spell ingredients to be had here. Will they help me now? Probably not. Was I slightly avoiding the Isle of the Sacred Mountain? A little. Not that it's some awful place to do or anything, I just... didn't want to do it yet. Although it is a place I believe you can get softlocked in a couple different ways if you're not prepared. That said, can't put it off forever and I did finally go there as well.

While I'm at it these are the spells and their respective ingredients from the spell book acquired last time:

Magic Paint Spell: 1 Cup Swamp Ooze River Styx Water 1 Black Horse Feather

Make Rain Spell: Few drops Salt Water not from the sea 1 vial Sacred Water Falling Water

Charming a Creature of the Night Spell: 1 Skull full of hot Oak Embers A bit of sulphur (Brimstone) 1 strand of a pure-hearted maiden's Hair

Back on the Isle of Wonders I found a teacup I'd missed in the flower area. I also finally used my bottle of milk by giving it to one of the baby tears. The others were less impressed with this.

They started crying and I was able to collect some tears in the hunter's lamp. There's my salt water. I can also get swamp ooze here.

So I went back to the swampy area and tried to collect some swamp ooze in the teacup but...

So sayeth the Stick in the Mud. Swamp muck is no swamp ooze.

And the Bump on the Log chimed in. There he is on the log in all his bumpy gloomy glory. The Stick in the Mud has swamp ooze around him but refuses to give any. And of course if you try to walk into the swamp, well... It goes about as well as you'd expect.

"Do you ever get that sinking feeling?"

So Bump-on-a-Log and Stick-in-the-Mud Do Not Get Along. According the Bump the Stick is lazy and temperamental and won't lift a finger to help. He also likes to throw swamp matter at the poor Bump who can't reach anything to retaliate. Handy for us! If we can start a fight...

In comes the rotten tomato. You can try to throw it at the stick yourself, but Alexander fails to hit and the poor tomato sinks into the mud while the Stick and the Lump both think that was a poor attempt and end up agreeing on something! They realize they can agree and everything is well between so they settle back down to their naps and that's that. No ooze for us, which means no spell later.

There are two endings to the game and you need the spells for the better ending, so I couldn't let that stand. Reloading I gave the tomato to the Bump instead and let him wreak some havoc.

The Bump manages to hit the Stick which angers the Stick into hurling muck at the Bump until he finally stops and apologizes. They reconcile and go back to their naps. Poor Bump is covered in ooze that we can now get! One teacup of ooze later, now I'm done with the Isle of Wonder.

It's time for the Isle of the Sacred Mountain, which means climbing the Cliffs of Logic. These cliffs have different puzzles along the way to activate the stairs up. Most of the answers rely on information given in the manual, yay later-game, in-depth copy protection?

Here's a sample of one of the puzzles. The line "A master of language will ____" is in the manual under information about the Island and the Ancients who once dwelt here. The missing word is 'soar' and you have to pick the symbols that correspond with each letter--also in the manual.

There were five puzzles, nothing too arduous and I made it...after falling a couple times because of course. There's stairs. Okay, these stairs are pretty easy with the point and click interface, but misclicks happens okay.

I made it to the top! And to a not-at-all suspicious old woman who just happens to have flashy gold eyes. She's so surprised I climbed up when I could have simply flown!

No dangers here. See, she'll even eat one herself and float around!

Yes, I ate one. Yes, of course it was poison. Yes, the narrator was snarkier than ever.

Yeah yeah.

As always if you simply wait around, totally-not-Shamir gets mad and leaves in a huff. In a puff of smoke too which puzzles Alexander as to how! Maybe those berries are even more powerful than he thought! Alexander, I like you, but you're none too bright sometimes.

There's a hole by the berry bush I was able to enter however the cave it was too dark to really get anywhere. I wanted to deal with that cave before progressing further so I went back to the pawn shoppe to fetch the tinderbox first.

The cave led to some peppermint leaves! And nothing else to do here, but I have mint!

Then I carried on to meet some guards who were not pleased to see Alexander.

Ahh, more thefts between the islands.

The guards take Alexander to Lord Azure and Lady Ariel.

Alexander explains how he arrived and Ariel that his arrival must be the sacred Oracle's prophecy. It states that whoever can climb the cliffs of logic will defeat the minotaur. They were ordered by the vizier to 'dispose' of any strangers who come to this island but the prophecy puts things in a different light.

They've been struggling with a minotaur who invaded their sacred catacombs and is demanding sacrifices. Their own daughter Lady Celeste was taken this very morning.

They decide they can fulfill both the vizier's orders and the prophecy by sending Alexander into the catacombs. Also if one can make it through the catacombs they are granted a visit with the Sacred Oracle. Alexander agrees because the lady needs rescuing plus oracle visit I'm sure factors in there somewhere.

They do give you the chance to prepare and get dumped back off on the beach. Turns out I was missing a brick that will be needed. It was back at the Isle of the Beast, so whoops. I ended up back there after all. I had everything else already, so it was time to return.

The guards get disparaging at Alexander for coming back to try. Suicide or foolishness and Alexander responds in kind:

Angry Alexander!

That all said and done it's time for the catacombs...

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