Columns

This location is the third and final in the Halloween event.

## **Walkthrough**

### **Center of the Island**

The timber forest finally releases you from its choking piny and leafy grasp. You see sunlight again, although the day is dimmed out by heavy clouds. [Continue] Lightning and thunder in the distance warn you of an approaching storm. You reach the top of the hill. You turn around to see the whole of this strange little island. Far to the west you see the landmass that is Tinker Island. [Continue]

You now turn your attention towards the giant columns that litter this hillside. These are giant structures, you can't imagine how anyone was able to lift and move them, let alone used them in construction. You approach one of the columns. [Touch] The greenish rock seems to vibrate slightly and is warm to the touch, even though the sun is hidden behind a thick layer of stormy clouds. [Strange]

You investigate the ruins further. Each stone exhibits the same traits, and they get bigger and bigger until you reach the center of the columns. It is an entrance. [What]

Between two columns a dark and uninviting staircase can be seen. It leads down below, into the very bowls of this scary island. [Enter] Are you sure? How many horror movies and games have begun with the protagonist descending a dark forbidden corridor, never to be seen again? Well, to be fair, this is neaither a movie nor a game but the bitter reality. [True] You don't mind the warning and boldly enter the underground complex. [Okay]

### **Getting Rid of the Door**

The stairs are slippery and treacherous and lead you deep underground. They stop at a huge stone gate that prevents you from going further. Cracks are visible on the surface, some even seems to lead deeper into the rock matter. A well placed explosive charge could possibly rupture the stone and create an opening you could use to continue your journey.

*The first meaningful incident is a required placement of explosives that* costs **90%** of max .

You handle the explosive with care. Any accidental sparks could ignite the charge and, well, boom. A fuse is set and you run to take cover. [Wait] Nothing yet. {Wait] Nothing... [Boom] The ground shakes, pieces of rocks fly through the air and nearly hit you. But luckily you cover provides enough protection. [Check door]

You check out the damage the explosion has done. And it worked, the stone door is no more. In its place a gaping hole big enough to slip through. [Enter]

### **Solving the Shape Puzzle**

You light a torch in order to see in the damp dark of these ruins. The wall are unadorned and crude, basically just huge boulders put together. The stairs are clearly cut for huge strides, maybe twice that of a normal person. Someone wanted to impress with this architecture. [Continue]

The stairs lead you into a big stone room. You enter it from the south and raise the torch to see more of it. The room has an exit to the north. It is sealed off by a heavy stone door. [Forward]

You feel uneasy by just rushing through this room. It feels like there is nothing to fear here. [That is scary] You look at the room more closely. The floor is made up of smooth stones of 3 shapes, a hexagon, a square and a triangle. They form an intricate pattern. It looks kinda pretty. [Continue]

It does not matter what shape you step on first. Each time you take a step, some shapes nearby will fall into the pit. At each step, y*ou need to step on the shape whose number of sides adds up to 13 with the shapes that fell.*

There are three possible solutions for this puzzle:

1. [Hex], [Triangle], [Triangle], [Hex], [Triangle], [Square], [Square]
2. [Square], [Square], [Hex], [Triangle], [Square], [Square] -> ***Obviously the shortest option.***
3. [Triangle], [Triangle], [Hex], [Square], [Triangle], [Hex], [Triangle], [Square], [Square]

You have reached the end of the room. All these tiles falling down have created a big gap. You can't reach the exit. [Hmm] You look down into the huge hole and get an idea. You could make a primitive suspension bridge that could cross the gap.

Another bridge must be built, costing **90%** .

With the help of the bridge you are able to cross the gap. As you approach the door it magically opens. Finally, a door without a riddle. You are thankful.

### **Surviving the Avalanche**

You are glad you escaped that deathtrap. The exit leads you through a narrow corridor. At the end you see an opening. What is it? [Another room] Great, another room. What evils await you here.

The room looks almost as the previous one, but the floor is one clean block of stone, without patterns.The walls look innocent enough and are probaly not trapped. You hope. The roof looks to be made of stones that look quite heavy. Beyond the walls there is no structure like a column to support their weight. It is really a miracle of architecture. [Enter]

You start crossing the room, when suddenly the roof starts collapsing onto you. That is just great. You must try to evade this avalanche of anguish. [Run]

You are presented with a series of choices where the text gives you a clue or outright tells you what to do. The following choices will pass this obstacle:

* [Right]
* [Jump]
* [Jump]
* [Jump]
* [Move fast] (third option)
* [Cross]
* [Don't look]
* [Ignore]
* [Cover]
* [Stay put]
* [Stay put]
* [Stay put]
* [Stay put]
* [Wait]
* [Dig]
* [Deepen] (third option)
* [Reinforce] (first option)

Fantastic! You managed to crawl out of the pile of rubble. Finally you made it through this hellish trap! [Continue]
The whole room is a mess, rocks, boulder everywhere. The whole ceiling collapsed. The exit is obscured by a enormous boulder weighing probalby several tons. You could make a number of shims to gradually move the boulder away.

Now you will have to make wooden shims that cost **90%** .

After what seems an eternity, you manage to roll away the boulder. The exit is now free. You can continue! [Finally]

### **Witch's Cat**

The next room is without any other exits. This is a dead end. The room is safe and unremarkable. You walk towards its center when a terrifyng cry grabs your attention. [Turn around]

You turn around and see a creature. It is... It cannot be... [Speak up]

It's the witch's cat! You thought you killed it in the woods, together with her master! Only now you notice the creature stands very tall. It has tentacles! What hideous beast is this?! A shrill shriek is given off by the cat. It seems it wants to communicate with you. [Concentrate]

The witch was never the master. You know this. The old hag was controlled by this monster. Could not resist its power. By defeating the witch you robbed this creature of its slave. Not it is searching for another one! It wants to finish the summoning ritual and enslave whatever will emerge from the other side. It already has the 3rd part, the Frog Leg. It demands you hand out the other 2. [No way]

The cat breaks off the link and starts to advance. Its tentacled body makes it move in a bizzare way. What it this, this thing? And where did it come from? the cat's eyes glow in a ruby red color and shoot out a ray that scorches you. This will be a dangerous enemy indeed. [Fight]

You tear out all the cat-creature's tentacles. On its body you find the final part for the summoning ritual. You have no clue what this creature was? Was it some sort of guardian of this accursed isle? Or was it being from another world, stranded here, trying to survive? You may never know. You get **Frog Leg**. [Great]

You prepare to return back to Tinker Island and to finish this summoning ritual. [Continue] As you leave the underground chamber, the ground starts to shake. It is an earthquake! This might sink the island back under the ocean! Quickly, hurry up! [Hurry]

You leave behind the columns and make a turn into the timber forest. The pebbles you used to mark the path help you out. Without them, you would surely get lost in the middle of this earthquake. you pass the witch's house and cross paths with the wooden puppets in the trees. Poor old lady. You wonder who she really was and for how long she acted as the slave for the evil cat.

The path continues and you get to the repaired bridge. With the ground trembling as it is, crossing it isn't easy. You go by the pirate tombstones in the foggy plane and climb down the ladder into your makeshift boat. The quake doesn't stop, the trembling transfers to the water making the waves dangerous and wild. [Row fast]

You hurry back to Tinker Island. You turn back to see the new island perhaps for the last time. And then you spot it. A enormous shadow rising from the water. It seems by killing the demon cat you awakened something on this island. Something terrible. There are no words to describe it.

You just turn around and starts rowing faster.

You now have all the parts for the Summoning Ritual. Find it in the build menu and build it to get your reward.

You deserve it.​​​​​ [Okay]