"City of Secrets" - by Emily Short

Walkthrough by Kenneth Pedersen (version 1, nov.13th 2019)
----------------------------------------------------------

Comments: This walkthrough skips some puzzles. It isn't certain exactly what triggers certain events, but if you follow this walkthrough step by step you should get through. Events such as the appearance of the flyer might(?) depend on the number of turns since some other event, so if you are only applying parts of this walkthrough, you must pay close atention to what happens around you.

Let's begin at the train station:

>x figure
>1   ("I have no idea.")
>n
>e   (to Hotel Lobby)
>1   ("Yes, I am one of the passengers from the train.")
>give papers   (to the concierge)
>1   ("Let's go, then.  I'm exhausted.")
>sleep
>look
>z
>z
>z
>z
>z
>z
>z
>z
>z   (you wake up again)
>look   (In Hotel Room)
>get all from table
>open basket
>eat food
>s
>get all from counter
>n
>d   (you change your mind since you have nausea and go to the bathroom)
>n
>d
>w   (You step towards the door, only to be called back by the concierge.)
>3   ("The food room service brought made me ill.")
>1   ("I didn't, in fact, order the food myself.")
>1   ("Not much of a system, then," you remark.)
>1   ("So, what are you working on there?")
>1   ("What kind of thing does the hotel have to do?")
>1   ("Do you know when the next express train is scheduled to leave?")
>1   ("Wonderful.  Thank you.")
>1   ("Is Southern Light Rail based in the City?")
>w
>n   (To South May Street)
>w
>w   (You should encounter a thief on Malta Square and follow him.)
>1   ("I think you have something of mine.")
>2   ("Yes, I do.")
>hit thief   (You don't manage to hit him)
>hit thief   (again you miss and you are hit unconcious)
>z
>z   (You wake up again)
>2   ("You're sorry?  I thought I was dead.")
>2   ("Do you speak with everyone who is robbed in this city?")
>1   ("If this sort of thing happens in broad daylight, I'm not going out after dark.")
>1   ("This is a nice office you've got here.")
>1   ("I don't think I remember any officials back home having a place as nice as this")
>z
>1   ("What does it mean that she touched me?")
>1   ("I got sick from some food served here earlier. I wonder whether she was responsible.")
>1   ("Why would they bother marking me for the sake of a handful of notes?")
>z
>2   ("So you brought me here to warn me?")
>3   ("What are you asking me to do?")
>3   ("Sorry, I'm passing through town," you say firmly. "I don't want to get involved.")
>2   ("No, I absolutely can't help you.")
>w   (To South May Street)
>w   (You can't get past the barrier)
>z  (repeat approximately 90(!!!) times until a girl tug on your clothing. I don't know if there is any way to trigger this event faster but waiting alone can do it.)
>2   ("Hello, what do you want?")
>2   ("What is it that you need?")
>1   ("How do I know this isn't some kind of scam?")
>2   ("Oh, all right.")
>1   ("What is it?")
>1   ("It doesn't want you?")
>1   ("I don't think I have a very strong personality either.")
>enter darkness
>get pendant
>wear pendant
>get man
>out
>1   ("What do you want me to do with him, then?")
>heal man
>nw
>x pendant   (You have a vision where you bury a ring by the riverbank)
>w   (Go to River Bank)
>dig
>x ring
>wear ring
>s
>get card
>x card
>n
>e
>se   (go to Auriran Street)
>e
>x pendant
>w
>n
>n
>e
>touch gate
>e
>1   ("How did you wind up here?")
>1   ("Hi, Simon.")
>nw   (That entryway is sealed with some kind of door that slides into place.)
>ne   (That entryway is sealed with some kind of door that slides into place.)
>s   (To Lounge)
>x pendant
>1   ("Do you know what this is?")
>1   ("I think this thing is magic," you say, showing him the pendant.)
>1   ("I'm not sure that's the best use for it.")
>1   ("I just don't want to, all right?")
>u   (To Dormitory Hallway)
>n
>switch lock
>1   ("You know about this?")
>1   ("That's a grim thought.")
>1   ("Man, look at this stuff.")
>1   ("This place is a complete dump.")
>1   ("What do you think happened to this university?")
>s
>d
>n
>nw
>get all
>u
>read guide
>read guide
>read guide
>read guide
>read guide
>read guide
>read guide
>read guide
>read guide
>read guide
>drop guide
>d
>se   (To Old Campus)
>ne
>n   (To Industrial kitchen)
>open crates
>open crates
>1   ("Those are a bit suspicious-looking.")
>1   ("Maybe they meant extreme temperatures.")
>1   ("Nice poster.")
>1   ("I don't think the refrigerator is plugged in.")
>1   ("Or solar panels.")
>e
>e
>e   (Simon refuses to go there)
>1   ("What did you come down south for?  Vacation or work?")
>1   ("What have you been doing around here?  Seen anyone interesting?")
>1   ("I don't suppose your rescuers explained what the trouble was.")
>1   ("I see.  Did they have any proof it was Malik?")
>1   ("So, tell me about yourself.")
>1   ("I don't see anyone else here.")
>z
>1   ("Nothing as glamorous as you, really.)
>1   ("You like your job?")
>1   ("Have you thought about looking for a job in this city?")
>1   ("No, I'm just wondering.")
>e   (To Gnostic Temple)
>touch onyx   (A door in the northern wall swings open)
>n
>w
>get all
>open manhole
>d
>sw
>open manhole   (You can't)
>ne
>u
>e
>s
>w
>w
>sw   (To Old Cafeteria)
>sw
>w
>w
>s
>s   (Enforcers has Simon)
>z
>w
>u   (The bartender stops you before you can head up.  "Scheherazade's show is still being set up," he says.  "Come back later." - you have to wait until tomorrow and you probably need the flyer too)
>e
>e
>s   (To South May Street)
>s
>e
>1   ("Hey, what's going on here?")
>1   ("Everyone else has already caught the express?")
>1   ("When exactly did everyone else leave?")
>1   ("I thought you were going to tell me when the express came.")
>u
>sleep
>z
>z
>z
>z   (You wake up)
>look
>get all
>d
>w
>n
>w
>w
>n   (To Auriran Street)
>n
>n
>e
>e
>ne
>ne    (To Faculty Dining Room)
>e
>e
>n   (To Moon Court)
>z   (Repeat, i.e. stay around until a flyer appears)
>get flyer
>read flyer
>s
>w
>w
>sw
>sw
>w
>w
>s
>s   (to Auriran Street)
>w
>u   (You can now go up)
>z
>z
>z
>z
>z
>z
>z
>z
>z   (The woman is done and moves away into a quiet corner)
>x woman
>talk to woman   (You follow teh woman to her apartment)
>1   ("So you know what it is?")
>1   ("Maybe you could enlighten me, then.")
>1   ("So what should I do with the pendant?")
>2   ("Do you know where I could find Evaine?")
>2   ("Is that no, you don't know where she is, or no, you don't want to?")
>1   ("But you think I should take the pendant to her?")
>1   ("What was that about a refuge?")
>1   ("If Malik is so determined and so thorough, why hasn't he found this refuge?")
>1   ("What is Malik's Crystal?  What are you talking about?")
>1   ("Who are the Gnostics?")
>1   ("You speak of seeking knowledge when you trade in illusions.")
>1   ("Sounds sensible to me.")
>e   (follow gestures of the man in spats)
>n
>n
>e
>1   ("What do you mean?")
>x pendant
>1   ("Don't kill her," you say.)
>1   ("What then?")
>curse woman
>z
>e   (The man in spats leads you on east)
>z   (The man in spats directs you northeast.)
>z   (The man in spats leads you on northeast.)
>z   (You move east.)
>z   (You move east.)
>z   (The man in spats directs you onward north.)
>z   (Abruptly the ivy vanishes, leaving a doorway plainly visible.  He ushers you through a small foyer then on into a small chamber...)
>2   ("Fine by me.")
>1   ("I must say, I was hoping for a slightly more friendly reception.")
>1   ("I'm looking for Evaine.")
>2   ("No one knows, no,")
>1   ("Yes, in the train station.  You asked me the time.")
>1   ("You were creepy.  And you had grabbed my arm.")
>1   ("You know, I actually don't mind so much,")
>1   ("I thought you would be able to do something if I brought the pendant to you. I didn't realize that you were--")
>z
>z
>z
>z   (You wake up)
>2   ("Thanks for waking me,")
>1   ("I had a bad dream,")
>1   ("I'm starting to get a bit tired of having bizarre dreams,")
>2   ("Are the dreams another odd feature of the City?")
>1   ("Did-- er. I am afraid I had some dreams with you in them. Did you know that?")
>1   ("I had a dream I was at the factory. Where I work,")
>1   ("It was creepy. I kept feeling like you were in the room with me, after.")
>2   ("You and Malik were both there.")
>2   ("You were talking, but it was like lines from a play.")
>2   ("What do you think it means?")
>2   ("Not my dream? Whose dream was it?")
>1   ("What are you talking about?  He's met me,")
>z
>z
>1   ("I wandered into a dark place on Auriran Street. It was just lying there, on the ground.")
>3   ("Yah, there was,")
>2   ("Was he someone you know?")
>1   ("I take it that this happens frequently.")
>2   ("And none of them are ever returned?")
>z
>z
>1   ("So what are you going to do, then?")
>1   ("How does Malik's Crystal work?")
>2   ("Do you think destroying Malik's crystal is likely to be dangerous?")
>1   ("That's right.")
>1   ("I can imagine it.")
>z
>z
>z
>z
>z   (You concentrate on the voices just outside.)
>z
>z
>z
>z
>z   (The world tilts.)
>z
>1   ("What's going on?")
>1   ("Defeated?")
>1   ("Then you know where she is?")
>1   ("I have the pendant.")
>2   ("All right.  What do I have to do?")
>s
>w
>w
>w
>s   (to old cafeteria)
>sw
>w
>w
>s
>s   (Go to Auriran Street)
>s
>e
>e
>e   (Go to East Alley)
>knock on door   (You are arrested)
>2   ("This place is a bit... dark, for you, don't you think?")
>1   ("Let him go!")
>1   ("He's right, you know!")
>disenchant crystal
>1   ("You look dreadful,")
>1   ("What's happening to her?")
>1   ("What's that supposed to mean?")
>1   ("Is that where we are? Inside the Crystal?")
>1   ("Is this what happens to everyone?")
>1   ("As if you care,")
>z
>1   ("Please tell me we're not going to be here forever.")
>1   ("Surely there are buildings...?")
>1   ("And no one would let you in?")
>1   ("Then where did they all go?")
>1   ("Don't bother feeling sorry for him.")
>1   ("Wait, you gave the Crystal to Malik?")
>2   ("Why did you do that?")
>1   ("Presumably because there's no need to corrupt bad ones,")
>1   ("Possibly the lust for power is stronger than self-preservation.")
>1   ("Yes, but I don't see how that's to the point.")
>1   ("He didn't give much sign of that when I saw him.")
>2   ("I love her.  I don't want her hurt.  That's all.")
>heal evaine   (Malik prevents you.  "Don't," he says, "bother trying to help her.")
>1   ("Now there's something I wouldn't have expected to see,")
>1   (You turn to Malik, confused. "Who is this person, anyway? Or what is he?")
>2   ("Who are you?" you demand of the strange man.)
>1   ("Then what are you?")
>1   ("I still don't understand what you're trying to do.")
>z
>heal evaine
>heal evaine   (Your original attempt to heal her is still in progress.)
>z
>z
>go through gate   (before it is too late)
>z
>1   ("I don't understand,")
>1   ("I wanted to hang on,")
>1   ("What is this place?")
>1   ("Ah.  That's good.")
>1   ("That's something, at least.")
>1   ("I need to get to Peter's wedding.")
>z
    *** The End ***