Moonmist FAQ

Moonmist FAQ

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FAQ TITLE:

The Optimized Straightforward Walkthru for Moonmist

COPYRIGHT INFO:

This FAQ is copyright 2009 by Stanley E. Dunigan (dunigase@wmconnect.com).

This FAQ may be posted and used anywhere by anyone as long as it's unaltered,
but always check one of the official websites listed below for the latest
version.

GameFAQs (www.gamefaqs.com)
SuperCheats (www.supercheats.com)
Neoseeker (www.neoseeker.com)

FAQ DESCRIPTION:

Like all of my optimized straightforward walkthrus, this FAQ is a complete
walkthru for the game that has been optimized and organized to make it as fast
and easy as possible to complete the game. I don't give any reference-style
information, like a list of all clues, or encourage you to do unnecessary
things. In true walkthru fashion, I usually just tell you the answers without
explaining or rationalizing them (though I do offer some explanations in this
walkthru to help you understand what's happening).

VERSION 1.0 (4/14/2009) NOTES AND CREDITS:

This is the original release of this FAQ, so I have no special notes or credits
to report yet.

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NOTE: This FAQ was written while playing the Moonmist version that came with the
Lost Treasures of Infocom package that was released in 1991 by Activision. As
far as I know, everything will be the same for other game versions.


*** STEP 1: Enter Tresyllian Castle. ***

Start by honking your car's horn (HONK HORN) to let the people in the castle
know you're there, then type in your name and favorite color, confirming each
one with a YES.

IMPORTANT NOTE: The color you type in will determine the game variation that you
play, which will affect things later on. Choose either red, green, blue, or
yellow, then replay the game sometime after finishing it and choose a different
one of those colors.

After the front gate creaks open, drive on in (DRIVE IN) to be met by Tamara
Lynd. When she asks you about her letter, type YES, then ask her about the
ghost (ASK TAMARA ABOUT GHOST. DESCRIBE GHOST). Wait once to get her to say it's
time to go in, then go south.


*** STEP 2: Get ready for dinner. ***

The next thing that'll happen is that Tamara will take you around to meet the
other guests. You can just wait your way through it with the WAIT command, or
ask everyone you can about the ghost (as in ASK JACK ABOUT GHOST). Also, if
someone asks you a yes-or-no question, you might as well answer it.

Eventually, Tamara will guide you up to the gallery. Wait to get taken to your
bedroom, then ask Bolitho the butler about the ghost. Type YES, then notice what
he says about the ghost searching for something. Have him describe the ghost,
then say YES to his next three questions to get a small aerosol device.

After Bolitho leaves, go about getting ready for dinner. Unpack your suitcase
(UNPACK), clean up in the bathroom (N. CLEAN UP. S), get the dinner outfit, and
change into it (CHANGE INTO DINNER OUTFIT). You still have time to do a few
things, such as examining the mirrors as Bolitho hinted to do, but it's probably
best to just wait until the dinner bell sounds. When it does, type GO TO DINNER.


*** STEP 3: Hear about the treasure hunt. ***

Wait until the bronze bust starts talking, then examine it to see that it's
hollow, and has a tape recorder and timer in it. Wait and listen to the message
until it says to look under the punchbowl. Do so (LOOK UNDER PUNCHBOWL) to find
the first treasure hunt clue.

Read the clue, then notice which person the recording says has the second clue.
Ask that person for the clue (as in ASK VIVIEN FOR SECOND CLUE) to get it, then
read it. Wait until everyone goes to the sitting room, after which the game
really gets going.

You have three major tasks to complete: find the treasure, catch the criminal,
and expose the ghost. Each task is done differently depending on which color
variation you're playing. If you need a reminder, type VARIATION and check the
end of the last line. For steps 4 thru 6, find the sections that cover your
variation, and ignore the other ones. For instance, do steps 4a, 5a, and 6a if
you're on the red variation.


*** STEP 4a: Find the treasure (red variation). ***

Start by giving the second clue to Jack, since he's the one in the red variation
who's interested in finding the treasure. Wait until Jack leaves the room, then
stop waiting and follow him with the FOLLOW JACK command. Type G (for AGAIN)
until he leads you to the chapel.

Don't wait for him to find the third clue, because he never will. Examine the
stained-glass window to find it, then take it and read it. Give it to Jack, then
repeat the process of waiting until he leaves and then following him along until
he stops. This time, you'll end up in the garden.

Search the garden area with the SEARCH GARDEN command to find the fourth clue.
Pick it up and read it, then give it to Jack and follow him to the foyer. Use
the SEARCH FOYER command, and say YES when the game asks if you want to keep
searching. Get the cane that you find, then examine it. Remove its new coat of
paint (REMOVE PAINT) to be counted as finding the treasure.


*** STEP 4b: Find the treasure (green variation). ***

Start by giving the second clue to Wendish, since he's the one in the green
variation who's interested in finding the treasure. Wait until he leaves the
room, then stop waiting and follow him with the FOLLOW WENDISH command. Type G
(for AGAIN) until he leads you to the game room.

Don't wait for him to find the third clue, because he never will. Examine the
rhino head, then take its backwards glass eye (GET EYE). That'll reveal the
third clue, so take it and read it. Give it to Wendish, then repeat the process
of waiting until he leaves and then following him along until he stops. This
time, you'll end up in the gallery.

Search the paintings to find a peephole, then look through it to see the fourth
clue in some area called "dead end." That area is in the secret passage maze, so
you'll have to infiltrate it. The best place to do that from is Wendish's
bedroom, so GO TO WENDISH'S BEDROOM. Move the ornate candle sconce to open a
secret door, then go north to enter the passage.

Go west and south to reach the dead end, then get the fourth clue and read it.
Go north, east, and south to return to Wendish's bedroom. He'll have left the
gallery, and finding him can be a time-consuming pain, so forget about him and
follow the fourth clue by yourself.

It'll lead you to the office that's just off the first-floor corridor. Type GO
TO OFFICE if you want to get there super-fast. Examine the inkwell to find the
treasure, which is an item called Moonmist. (Yeah, right!) Get it and go to the
sitting room, then give it to Jack.


*** STEP 4c: Find the treasure (blue variation). ***

In the blue variation, you can forget about the other treasure-hunter (Vivien)
being of any help with the second clue. It regards the old "wine, women, and
song" cliché. Start by looking on the sitting room's piano to find a "piece" of
music. Take it, then look at it to get the word SUIT.

Next, go to the basement (GO TO BASEMENT) and take a wine bottle (GET BOTTLE).
Read the bottle to get the word OUR. For the third part, go to the drawing room
(GO TO DRAWING ROOM) and examine the tapestry. You'll get the word ARM, so put
them together to get SUIT ARMOUR.

To find the third clue, to go the new great hall (GO TO NEW GREAT HALL) and
search the armor. Get the third clue and read it, then either hunt up Vivien and
give her the clue so you can follow her, or just go straight to the fighting
deck (GO TO FIGHTING DECK).

Once there, search the bell to find a fossil skull, which is the hidden
treasure. Get the skull, then go to the sitting room and give it to Jack to
conclude the treasure hunt.


*** STEP 4d: Find the treasure (yellow variation). ***

Start by giving the second clue to Tamara, since she's the one in the yellow
variation who's interested in finding the treasure. Wait until she leaves the
room, then stop waiting and follow her with the FOLLOW TAMARA command. Type G
(for AGAIN) until she leads you to the fighting deck area.

Don't wait for her to find the third clue, because she never will. Examine the
bell, then take and read the third clue. Don't bother giving it to Tamara, but
instead go to the kitchen (GO TO KITCHEN) and get the brass lantern. Go to the
dungeon (GO TO DUNGEON), and turn the lantern on.

Enter the iron maiden to find a secret tomb, then open the stone coffin to find
the fourth clue. Take it and read it, then either find Tamara so you can give
her the clue and follow her, or just go straight to the basement (ENTER IRON
MAIDEN. GO TO BASEMENT).

Some of the bricks in the walls look loose, so REMOVE BRICKS. Enter the hole
that you make, then examine the skeleton. You'll find a black pearl necklace,
which is the hidden treasure. Take it, then enter the hole again so you can go
straight to the sitting room (GO TO SITTING ROOM) and give the necklace to Jack.


*** STEP 5a: Catch the criminal (red variation). ***

Return to the sitting room with the GO TO SITTING ROOM command. Look on the desk
and take the maid's note that you find. Read it to get a hint about peeking
through keyholes. Jack's probably returned to the sitting room by now, so give
the war club to him so you won't have to carry it around anymore.

Go to the master bedroom with the GO TO MASTER BEDROOM command, then look
through the bedroom door's keyhole (LOOK THROUGH KEYHOLE). The wires lead toward
the family crest, but you can't do anything with it until you go east and close
the master bedroom door.

Examine the family crest to see that it's loose, then move it to reveal a small
secret tape recorder. Play the tape that's still in the recorder (PLAY TAPE) to
learn that Jack was the one who killed Lionel. Return to the sitting room using
the GO TO SITTING ROOM command, then arrest Jack with the ARREST JACK command.


*** STEP 5b: Catch the criminal (green variation). ***

Look on the sitting room's desk and take the maid's note that you find. Read it
to get a hint about people talking to themselves on paper, or some such rot. The
way to get a lead is to show the note to everyone and see who squirms. Or just
take my word for it that it's Wendish. (He'll probably be off somewhere instead
of in the sitting room, anyway, due to the treasure hunt.)

If you go search his bedroom, you'll accidentally discover the identity of the
ghost early (yeah, it's him), but that won't help you bring criminal charges
against him. To do that, go to the library (GO TO LIBRARY) and search the books.
Get the lab notebook you find, then read it to get the evidence you need.

To find Wendish so you can arrest him, go to his bedroom (GO TO WENDISH'S
BEDROOM) and wait for him to show up. When he does, immediately arrest him
(ARREST WENDISH).


*** STEP 5c: Catch the criminal (blue variation). ***

Look on the sitting room's desk and take the maid's note that you find. Read it
to get a hint about people talking to themselves on paper, or some such rot. The
way to get a lead is to show the note to everyone and see who squirms. Or just
take my word for it that it's Vivien. (She'll probably be off somewhere instead
of in the sitting room, anyway, due to the treasure hunt.)

Go to Viven's bedroom (GO TO VIVIEN'S BEDROOM) and look around for evidence.
Open her wooden box to find a small plastic box. Take it (it's okay if you drop
it due to inventory management problems), then look in the wooden box to find
Vivien's diary. Take it and read it to get all the evidence you need against
her. If Vivien hasn't shown up yet, wait until she does, then arrest her (ARREST
VIVIEN).


*** STEP 5d: Catch the criminal (yellow variation). ***

Look on the sitting room's desk and take the maid's note that you find. Read it
to get a hint about a dangerous animal. The way to get a lead is to show the
note to everyone and see who squirms. Or just take my word for it that it's
Tamara. (She'll probably be off somewhere instead of in the sitting room,
anyway, due to the treasure hunt.)

Go to Tamara's bedroom (GO TO TAMARA'S BEDROOM) and look around for evidence.
Look under the bed to find a journal, then look under the bed again to find a
receipt. Read the receipt to learn that Tamara bought a poisonous snake. That's
enough to convict her with, so wait until she shows up, then arrest her (ARREST
TAMARA).


*** STEP 6a: Expose the ghost (red variation). ***

You could start by following up on Bolitho's clue about the ghost searching the
floor in the drawing room, but it's not necessary. Instead, prowl the castle's
secret passages in search of the elusive spook.

First, go to the kitchen (GO TO KITCHEN) and get the brass lantern. Return to
the sitting room and sit on the window seat, then move the wyvern to get dumped
into the dark secret passage. The ghost can't be encountered until after
midnight, so use the WAIT UNTIL 12:00 command to quickly get it to be midnight.

Go west, up, east, and east again to get to the "your entrance" area. Wait until
12:40, then turn the lantern on and go north. If you don't encounter the ghost,
go south and then back north. Repeat until the ghost shows up, then talk to the
ghost (TALK TO GHOST). That will expose the ghost's true identity and finish the
game.


*** STEP 6b: Expose the ghost (green variation). ***

This is super-easy to do, as I mentioned in the Step 5b text. You're already in
Wendish's bedroom, so open his medical kit. Get the plastic box that's revealed,
then look in the kit to find the ghost costume and win the game.


*** STEP 6c: Expose the ghost (blue variation). ***

After arresting Vivien, look in her wooden box again to find the ghost costume.
That'll prove that she's the ghost, and will win the game.


*** STEP 6d: Expose the ghost (yellow variation). ***

Examine Tamara's bed to find that the knob on one bedpost looks loose. Move the
knob to open a secret door, then go southeast to enter the secret passage maze.
Go east, east, and north to reach the "Iris's entrance" area, where you'll find
a blowgun and a ghost costume.

This would seem to indicate that Iris is the ghost, but remember that her name
was written on Tamara's receipt and then viciously crossed out. This could be a
frame-up! Examine the costume to find Tamara's hairs in the wig. That'll prove
she's the ghost, and will win the game.