Caves

* Cliffside Cave
* Wood Caves

**The Caves** summarizes two individual cave structures, which each cave containing one or more puzzles. Each cave gets unlocked as the player progresses in the game and the story. They cannot be accessed beforehand. The Caves can be found in the areas around Shimmerbrook. Each puzzle has a corresponding relic which provides some hints towards the solution.

## Cliffside Cave

The cliffside cave gets unlocked through the quest 'A Cave and a Relic'. The quest triggers through a cutscene on Spring 5 if it's sunny, after the player has completed the quest 'Meet the Researchers'. It is located on the cliffside, left to the river.

The cliffside cave plays an important part during the story. The cave contains the first puzzle and the first cave creature the player gets introduced to and features one hangout at the moment. Debris, Penny Bun and Fly Agaric can be found, alongside with copper ore.

### Dent Puzzle

The relic states the following: *'... circular dents in the ground... after sundown. A content cave critter will unveil what lies deeper.'*

In the downside left corner, the player can find two small circular dents in the ground. Two smooth pebbles need to be placed in the dents in order to solve the puzzle. After placing the smooth pebbles the player gets rewarded with the first artifact "Round Key".

## Wood Cave Puzzles

The wood caves will initially be hidden and locked until Suo'e tells the player about it in a cutscene. This cutscene will trigger on Spring 14 or onwards and triggers after the quest 'A Favour for Teagan' is completed. They are located in the woods, left to the waterfall and east to the Treehouse. The mine entrance is located in the left cave upon entering the wood caves. Each puzzle, except for the shadow puzzle, will be locked in a separate cave until the player has solved the puzzle in the previous cave. Upon solving the puzzles, the player gets rewarded with different artifacts and different passages will open, granting access to the next puzzle.

The wood caves play an important part during the story. Upon solving puzzles, the player will be provided with more information about the world-lore, the unusual abundance of plants and creatures, the Archive and its researchers.

### Shadow Puzzle

*This puzzle can be solved in/after spring.*

The relic states the following: *'When there's light, there will be shadows, and when it's night, nature starts to glow... Wait 'til it's day, and Spring's bounties will lead the way.'*

During **nighttime**, the player can see different shadows on the cave wall, each corresponding to an empty pedestal. When placing an item on the pedestals during **daytime** the player can see the shadow of that item on the cave wall.

To solve the puzzle, the player needs to match the items with the displayed shadows. The required items are following *(listed from left to right)*:

Chamomile - Cloudberry - Egg - Blue Claw - Amber Berry

After completing the puzzle the player gets rewarded with the second artifact "Light Round Key". Upon solving this puzzle, two pathways open. One is the doorway on the back wall, which leads to the forged magic puzzle, the other is a pathway on the right that leads to the creature puzzle.

### Creature Puzzle

*This puzzle can be solved in/after summer.*

The relic states the following: *'These creatures are to sit in order. The first is a Cave Dweller; The second is a Veggie lover. Next rests one that roams during Summer nights; And the last has formed a strong bond from being treated so right.'*

The first two hints refer to creature traits. The player therefore needs a creature with the trait 'Cave Dweller' and a creature with the trait 'Vege-lover'. The third hint refers to any nocturnal creatures in summer. The last hint refers to the creature bond formed with the player. If the correct creature is placed on top of the platform, the corresponding dots on the wall light up.

To solve puzzle the player has to place one of the following creatures on the corresponding platforms:

After completing the puzzle the player gets rewarded with the third artifact " Follower Round Key". Upon solving this puzzle, the doorway on the back wall opens and leads to the colour puzzle.

### Forged Magic Puzzle

*This puzzle can be solved in/after winter.*

The relic states the following: *'...ingredients for Forged Magic...'*

The puzzle consists of six tree stumps on which items can be placed. Each tree stump requires a different item. When the player clicks on a tree stump, they are shown which item must be placed on it in order to solve the puzzle.

The following table shows which stump requires which item *(starting on the right, going clockwise)*:

 Summer Seed
 Cavern Catch
 Gilded Gem
 Midsummer Mushroom
 Winter's Wild Plants

After completing the puzzle the player gets rewarded with the fourth artifact " Magic Round Key". Upon solving this puzzle, the doorway on the left opens and leads into a cave in which a tent, various bookshelves and a lot of notes can be found.

### Colour Puzzle

*This puzzle can be solved in any season*

The relic states the following: *'...from left to right, the colours of... Spectrum of Light... important source of mana for the Prism.'*

The puzzle consists of seven colourful pyramids on top of raised platforms. The player can place an item underneath each pyramid. To solve the puzzle, the player needs to match the colored gemstones with the correct pyramid colour.

The required gemstones are following *(listed from left to right)*:

Ruby - Garnet - Topaz - Emerald - Sky Quartz - Sapphire - Amethyst

After completing the puzzle the player gets rewarded with the fifth artifact " Prism Round Key".

### Final Puzzle

***This puzzle can only be solved after the previous puzzles are solved***

A big platform, four pedestals and a huge closed doorway can be found inside the cave. On the wall above the doorway five symbols are displayed, each representing a previous puzzle. Two potent mana cells can already be found on top two of the pedestals. If the players stands on the platform, without solving all of the previous puzzles, only the symbols of the already solved puzzles light up.

In order to solve the final puzzle, the player needs to solve the previous puzzles **including** the 'dent puzzle' in the cliffside cave, place a total of four potent mana cells on top of the four pedestals and stand on the big platform in the middle.

After completing the final puzzle, the last doorway opens.