Dark Parables - Curse of Briar Rose
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A PC hidden objects mystery game from Blue Tea Games
Walkthrough by LadyNorbert
Please note: There is a "collector's edition" version of this game. This
walkthrough pertains only to the regular edition. The collector's edition
contains bonus content not covered in this document.
If you have questions or need to correct an error, please contact me at
laurakay76@gmail.com. DO NOT ASK IF YOU CAN HOST THIS WALKTHROUGH ON YOUR
SITE. THE ANSWER IS NO. (Sorry for shouting, but every time I post a
walkthrough, I put this same warning and every time it gets ignored.)
A free trial version of this game may be downloaded from BigFishGames.com,
which is how I found it in the first place. The free trial will allow you
to play for sixty minutes.
Fair warning: I do include spoilery information about what happens in
cutscenes.
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7-10-11: Version 1.0 submitted to GameFAQs
8-1-11: Updated version to include clarification on the spindle room
12-5-11: Updated version to include a theory on the messenger pigeons
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=================
Table of Contents
=================
I. Basic Information
A. Plot
B. Characters
C. General Hints
II. Technical Information
A. Getting Started
B. Inventory, Notes, and Inspect
C. Cursed Objects
III. Prologue
IV. Chapter One
V. Chapter Two
VI. Chapter Three
VII. Chapter Four
VIII. Chapter Five
IX. Chapter Six
X. Chapter Seven
XI. Chapter Eight
XII. Chapter Nine
XIII. Chapter Ten
XIV. Chapter Eleven
XV. Chapter Twelve
XVI. Hard Mode
XVII. Questions and Answers
XVIII. Special Thanks
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====================
I. Basic Information
====================
--------
A. Plot
--------
A thousand years ago, in a castle in Scotland, a beautiful princess was
born to a kindly king and queen. All the fairies in the realm were invited to
become her godmothers; however, there was an evil fairy who, although named as
a godmother, was not invited to the celebration of the princess's birth.
Angered by the slight, she cursed the infant. Sixteen years later, the
princess pricked her finger on the spindle of a spinning wheel, and she and
all the inhabitants of the castle fell into an enchanted sleep. Briars burst
from the ground and covered the castle in a maze of thorns. A long time
later, a handsome prince made his way into the castle and kissed the sleeping
princess.
According to the fairy tale, she awoke and they lived happily ever after.
Instead, everyone in the castle BUT the princess awoke, and the poor king
and queen were forced to watch as their daughter slept through the years,
until at last they and all their courtiers died and she was left alone,
still young and beautiful and unconscious.
In the modern day, the briar plant is once again creeping through the
castle grounds, and threatens to devastate the surrounding community. You
must solve the mystery of the ancient castle, break the spell if indeed
there is one, and stop the onslaught of the smothering briar.
--------------
B. Characters
--------------
You - As a detective who specializes in fairy tales, you are called in to
resolve the issue of the sleeping beauty and save the nearby community from
the threat of the briars.
Briar Rose - The princess of legend, who once fell into an enchanted sleep
from which she never awoke. Rumor has it that even now, she sleeps in the
abandoned castle. You must find her, if she is there, and release her.
The Evil Godmother - The cause of poor Briar Rose's suffering; she may yet be
a presence in the castle, and will seek to thwart you if at all possible.
-----------------
C. General Hints
-----------------
~ There is no time limit on any portion of this game, with the exception of
the final puzzle.
~ If you're not sure what to do, move your mouse around on the screen. It
will turn into a magnifying glass if there's something to examine, or an arrow
if you can leave the scene in a particular direction. Naturally, some
directions will not be available to you at first. You can go backwards from
any scene by moving the cursor to the bottom of the screen so it becomes a
downward-pointing arrow.
~ However, there are lots of red herrings. So just because you see the
magnifying glass doesn't mean something is important.
~ You can also get a clue by watching the scene itself. Areas with puzzles
will (as is typical for games of this sort) sparkle with a sort of golden dust.
Other items and areas of import will glint subtly, to get your attention.
~ Anything the game puts into your inventory will be important eventually.
There are no pointless objects in this game.
~ Feel free to click on anything. It's a great way to find cursed objects
(see below). There is no penalty for clicking. However, when solving a
hidden objects puzzle, clicking randomly too many times in a row will cause
your cursor to become temporarily disabled.
~ There is also no penalty for using hints during a hidden objects game. Your
hint provider does require a recharge time, though, which you can shorten by
locating cursed objects (again, see below). So you can only use one hint at a
time and you'll have to wait until you can use another one, but they can make
all the difference between solving a puzzle and ripping out your hair. To use
a hint on the current hidden object puzzle, just click on the word "Hint" in
the lower left corner of your screen.
~ Your hint button has some other uses. If you want to know what you're
supposed to do with an item in your inventory, pick it up and click it on
the hint button to see an image of the place where it needs to go. During
other kinds of puzzles, the hint button can show you a partial solution.
~ Best of all, there is ALSO no penalty for skipping a puzzle altogether. You
can't skip every kind of puzzle, but the game includes several mini-games which
are required to advance the plot and/or unlock new areas, and if you find these
to be too frustrating, go ahead and click on the "Skip Puzzle" button. Your
only punishment will be to lose the use of your hint button for five minutes.
(Finding cursed objects does not reduce this amount of time - it's always
five minutes.)
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==========================
II. Technical Information
==========================
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A. Getting Started
-------------------
On the main menu screen, click on the Players button to create a new profile
for yourself. The Options button will allow you to control the volume
settings for both the background music and the sound effects, as well as give
you the choice to play the game windowed as opposed to fullscreen. Not all
screen resolutions will permit windowed gaming, however, as I learned to my
disappointment.
Begin the game and watch the opening cinematics which establish the plot. Once
game control is returned to you, you have the option of playing the game in a
tutorial mode, which will explain the significance of different things. It's
entirely up to you whether to do this or not; if you decide to do it, you can
probably skip the rest of this section of the walkthrough, since the tutorial
will cover it fairly well.
---------------------------------
B. Inventory, Notes, and Inspect
---------------------------------
The inventory takes the form of a scroll bar at the bottom of your screen,
between your hint button and map/journal. It has an unlimited number of slots,
so if you don't see an item you want to use, click on the left or right arrows
to page through the whole thing until you find what you need. It's mostly
pretty basic.
During hidden object puzzles, your inventory will change. See, in this game,
you're not randomly rooting through piles of junk to pick out stuff like
musical instruments and eyeballs and animals and those other collections of
oddities that you tend to find in hidden object puzzles. No, in Dark Parables
games, hidden object puzzles always lead to the assembly of an object you
actually need to solve the mystery, and what you're searching for in each scene
are the shattered fragments. Your inventory during each of these puzzles will
be divided into three sections, each displaying the appearance of the pieces
you're seeking. As you find them, the reference images will darken to show
that you've acquired that particular piece. When you find all the pieces in
one inventory section, they will merge to become one-third of the item you're
trying to get. Once you've found all the pieces, the three sections will join
together to form the item; click on the checkmark icon below the item, and it
will move itself into your regular inventory.
In the opening cinematic, you'll see your detective character listening to
a tape recording of instructions while leafing through a notebook. This
notebook will accompany you on the journey, and will contain all of your
notes and evidence. Refer back to it at any time to see things you have
achieved, or to get a hint as to what you should be trying to accomplish now.
On the left side of the screen, under the Hint button, is a button labeled
"Inspect." Click on this to see a small snapshot of the area(s) where you
should be going next to find a puzzle or utilize a key.
------------------
C. Cursed Objects
------------------
Princess Briar Rose isn't the only thing around here that's been enchanted.
As you explore, you'll come across objects that may catch your eye by
flickering briefly in their appearance. If you click on such a cursed object,
you will restore it to its proper form. You'll know this has happened because
a little box will appear on your screen to tell you so. There are twenty such
objects scattered throughout the game, and each time you find one, it will
reduce your hint button's recharge time by a small percentage. The more you
find, in other words, the faster your hint button will recharge and the more
often you can use it.
Do note that not all cursed objects flicker to catch your attention. However,
there is never a penalty for clicking on items, so feel free to click on
anything and everything to see if it's cursed. Also, note that some objects
will not be revealed as cursed until later in the game, so even if you were
in a room previously and didn't find a cursed object, try again on your next
visit to see if it's come available. (Of course, not all rooms/scenes will
contain cursed objects.)
I will include the locations of the cursed objects throughout the FAQ, and
only mention them at points when they are available to click.
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III. Prologue
==============
Once the opening cinematic ends and control of the game returns to you, you
will find yourself in the entrance to the castle courtyard. Only one exit is
visible, but it's blocked by some of the rampant briars. A beautiful statue
of Briar Rose is here, and it's sparkling, so click on it to complete the
hidden object puzzle that will give you the Sturdy Axe. Take the Sturdy Axe
from your inventory and click it on the door to cut through the briars, then
click on the door to open it.
As you move forward into the next area, the words "Chapter 1" will scroll up
on your screen.
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IV. Chapter One
================
Here, at the base of the stairs leading up into the castle grounds, you will
find statues of the good king and queen who were Briar Rose's parents. Click
on each to find that they should both have something in their hands which is
missing. (This, you will find as you progress, is a recurring theme in this
game.) The king's statue has sparkling happening, so click on him to trigger
your first non-hidden object puzzle.
This is a nice easy puzzle to get you into the game. You need to find the
three images which belong with the pictures of the king, the queen, and the
knight. However, you'll note that you only have eight tokens instead of the
nine you need; click on the owl in the upper right corner, who will reveal the
missing piece. The tokens must be placed not only on the correct character,
but on the part of their body (head, hand, or torso) where the item shown on
that token would be used. The king's head gets the large red and gold crown;
his hand gets the scepter; his torso gets the red robe. The queen's head gets
the tiara; her hand gets the mirror; her torso gets the gown hidden under the
owl. The knight's head gets the helmet; his hand gets the sword; his torso
gets the suit of armor. Once these are all placed correctly, the puzzle will
light up and the view will return to the scene. A panel will open on the
base of the king's statue; click on it to receive the Door Handle inside.
Click forward to go up the stairs.
Here you will find a stone pool ornamented with a lion's head. An open gate
leads off to the right; a locked one leads forward. Click on the decorative
emblem above the locked gate, which is your first cursed object. You can also
click on the briar branches on the wall behind the lion's head in order to
examine the dangerous plant. The pool is sparkling, so click on it to solve
the hidden object puzzle and receive one half of the Sun Emblem. Go right
through the open gate.
An arcane symbol is inscribed on the ground here (at least, that's how it's
described if you click on it after the cutscene). As you watch, the spirit of
Briar Rose appears before you, and assures you that she means you no harm. She
explains that her body is still asleep inside the castle, and that if you want
to break her curse and save Edinburgh from the threat of the briars, you must
wake her. She also warns you that the Evil Godmother is haunting the premises,
and will stop you if she can, so tread carefully. After the princess vanishes,
take the Princess Doll sitting on the swing, then move forward.
You find yourself in the royal cemetery. A statue of the king and queen stands
to your right. Before you are a strangely colored panel set into the ground,
and the graves of the king and queen, both of which are missing their epitaphs.
Standing on the king's tombstone is a raven with a red flame on its head;
click on it to make it fly, and as it does, it cries out that you cannot defeat
it. This is the Evil Godmother. After examining the stones and panel, turn
your attention to the statue, which has a sparkling base that contains a
mini-game.
You are shown images of a mouse, a rabbit, and a monkey. To start the mini-
game, you need the key that fits in the keyhole by the mouse's head. Click on
each of the little flower-ornamented panels that border the puzzle to make them
open; one of them has the key hidden behind it. Click on the key, then move it
to the keyhole and click the key onto the hole to unlock the puzzle. Under
each of the animal heads is a panel which, when clicked, will show you one of
several images. The directions tell you to line up the images according to a
specific theme. The theme in question is food; click on these images until a
piece of cheese appears under the mouse head, a carrot appears under the rabbit
head, and a banana appears under the monkey head. This will cause those panels
to slide out of sight, revealing blue gems, and also opens the lower section of
the puzzle, where you will see five golden bells. These must be rung in the
correct order to make the gems light up. Click the middle bell first, to light
the gem under the mouse; click the far left bell to light the gem under the
rabbit; and click the far right bell to light the gem under the monkey. The
view will return to the main scene, and you will see that a panel has opened
on the base of the statue. Click on this to receive the Bell Tower Key.
Move forward to the bell tower. Two statues are here; the one on the left,
when you click on it, is identified as the Godmother of the Rose. The one on
the right is only the base of the statue, and both the statue itself and its
identifying plaque are missing. Above the gate of the bell tower are four
decorative circles; click on the second one from the right, which is your
second cursed object. Click on the gate to bring up a close view, then take
the Bell Tower Key from your inventory and click it on the keyhole. Go in.
Click on the telescope to look through it, then click on the fuzzy image. The
telescope is mucky from centuries of disuse; you'll need to come back to it.
Solve the hidden object puzzle on the bells to receive the Moon Emblem. Go
back from the bells four times, to the scene with the lion-ornamented pool.
Click on the locked gate door to bring up a close view. Take the Door Handle
from your inventory and click it onto the two lower holes on the door, then
click the Moon Emblem onto the large circular slot to open the rest of the
castle grounds. Move forward.
The words "Chapter 2" will scroll up on your screen, bringing this first
chapter to its end.
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===============
V. Chapter Two
===============
To your immediate left is a stone gargoyle that, bizarrely, is moving. Click
on it for your amusing reaction, but otherwise, it serves no purpose whatever.
A glint at the base of the tree on the right will show you the presence of some
loose dirt. Click on the gatehouse on the left to solve the hidden object
puzzle and receive the Base of the Godmother Statue. Move forward.
A ghostly figure appears on the path, but vanishes before you can click on it.
The tree before you has a hole in its trunk; click on it to see that the base
of an owl statue is hidden here. Click on the door of the stable (the
building with the horse sign) to activate a mini-game.
This one is a bit tricky. You need to complete the separate parts of this
mini-game to make the horse move all the way across the board. Start by
clicking on the arrow piece on the far right of the puzzle, and clicking it
onto the compass in the center. There is a red button connected to the compass
by a wire; click on it until the arrow is pointing to the right. The horse
will take its first steps forward. Click on the puzzle piece this exposes and
move it to the empty square in the upper right corner. Next, click on the
blue and red ball suspended from the upper center, in the painting. Move the
ball over to the left and click it onto the small right-facing arrow in the
diagonal shaft; this will make the ball drop down and push the horse forward
a bit more. Next, click on the red button on the far right side of the puzzle
to open the panel next to it. Inside you will find three things - a gear, a
puzzle piece, and another red button. Move the puzzle piece up to where you
placed the first one, then click on the red button. This will open the panel
on the left side, exposing a third puzzle piece; move it to join the other two.
(These panels are timed and will slide shut after a bit, so you may have to
click their buttons to open them a few times.) Move the gear under the right
panel over to the left panel and click it onto the upper of the two empty
axles. The gear sitting by the puzzle in the upper left corner of your screen
needs to be moved down to the lower of the empty axles. That completes the
third part of this mini-game. The final part requires only that you move the
fourth puzzle piece, which is set inside the painting at the top of your
screen, up to the other three in the upper right corner; these need to be
positioned so that they display a red arrow pointing to the right. Once the
horse reaches the right side of the puzzle, the gears will turn and unlock
the stable.
Enter the stable. On the right-hand wall are two metal feeders with old hay
still lingering in them. Click on the left of these, which is your next
cursed object. You can ignore the horse behind bars for now; you'll come back
for it later. Solve the hidden object puzzle to receive the Shovel. Leave the
stable and go back to the scene with the guardhouse. Take the Shovel from your
inventory and click it onto the patch of loose dirt to uncover the Shield Rose
Disk.
Go back again, to the scene with the lion pool, and solve the hidden object
puzzle to assemble the Half of Ladder. Go forward to the stable, then turn
right. Take the Small Knife on the ground. You can wonder about what's at
the bottom of the well (we'll find out, I promise) and also note the odd stone
on the well, which can be removed when you've gotten the right tool. Ahead
of you lies the palace chapel, and you might see what looks like a ghostly
bride walking across the path. Ignore her, and continue forward to the chapel
exterior.
There is an ongoing mini-game here, which you might as well ignore until you
have all the pieces for it. Examine the angel statues standing at the chapel
entrance; like the king and queen at the base of the stairs, they're both
missing something from their hands. To the right of the chapel entrance is the
Crown Rose Disk, so click on that to add it to your inventory. Take the Half
of Ladder from your inventory and click it onto the other half, which is
leaning against the wall here, to make it whole. Click on the chapel doors to
activate the mini-game that will unlock them.
The logic for solving this puzzle, and the others like it that you will see
later, is to move each of the colored tokens onto the spaces on the board that
have the same color and engraving. Click on a token to bring up arrows that
indicate your options, then select an arrow. The token will slide as far as
possible in that direction. If you click on the "Hint" button, it will give
you the same kind of puzzle, but easier to solve. Clicking the button with
the circular arrow at the top of the puzzle will restart it. It's hard to
describe in words how to solve this puzzle, and to make matters somewhat more
confusing, each puzzle of this type is completely different on hard mode. I
would say that trial and error is your best bet. Also, remember while solving
these kinds of puzzles that you can position the tokens strategically so as to
interrupt the paths of other tokens, and sometimes that's required.
Once the doors are unlocked, move forward into the chapel. You can go all the
way forward, to the stained glass window of three figures holding goblets, but
you can't do anything there so I would recommend just solving the hidden object
puzzle in the pews. This will give you the King's Scepter. Also, on either
side of the archway in front of you are candelabra; underneath the one on the
left side is a rose. Click on this; it's a cursed object. Now, leave the
chapel and go backwards to the scene with the lion pool, then head right and
go up to the top of the bell tower. There is another cursed object here, the
chain directly above the telescope, so click on that. Solve the hidden object
puzzle among the bells to receive the Body of Godmother Statue.
The words "Chapter 3" will scroll up your screen, ending this second chapter.
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==================
VI. Chapter Three
==================
Leave the bell tower and, since you're passing the empty pedestal anyway,
take the Base of Godmother Statue from your inventory and click it on there,
then do likewise with the Body of Godmother Statue. Continue back to the
scene with the lion pool, then move forward to the scene with the gatehouse.
Solve the hidden object puzzle here to put together the other half of the Sun
Emblem.
Go forward to the stable, then turn right and return to the area outside the
chapel. Move your pointer to the ladder to get the 'up' arrow and climb the
ladder to access the castle proper. Click on the sparkling lighted corridor
to put together the Crown Key, then click on the locked doors at the left.
When the close-up view comes up, take the two halves of the Sun Emblem out of
your inventory and click them into the open slot. Pass through the open doors.
There are three doors here, but two are barricaded in one way or another. Click
on the third door to open it, then move forward into a well-preserved dining
room. How odd. On the far right side of the room, the Parasol Rose Disk is
leaning against a vase, so click on that to add it to your inventory. There's
another door across the room; click on it to bring up a close view of its
keyhole. Take the Crown Key from your inventory and click it to unlock this
door, then go on through.
You find yourself in a marvelous royal library. Part of the bookcase is
glinting; you need to acquire two books to fill the empty space. For now, turn
your attention to the locked door with the sparkles that indicate another
mini-game. If you've ever played the children's game "Memory," you have some
idea of what to do here. There are four rounds to this game, and you have to
uncover the two pictures that correctly fit the hint at the top. In the first
round, find the two cats with black and white faces; in the second, find the
king and queen; in the third, find the knight's sword and shield; and in the
fourth, the numbers 9 and 6. I can't give you a more exact solution to the
puzzle than this, because the location of the correct images changes every
time. Just click on pairs of curtains to reveal what's underneath, and when
you find one of the images, remember its location until you find the other.
Correctly solving all four parts of the puzzle will open a panel that reveals
a red button. Click on this to unlock the door, and move forward. This room
is nothing less than a shrine to Princess Briar Rose's good godmothers. There
are five depicted here. A plaque on a pedestal in the middle of the room tells
you that "By our collective power, we will contain the curse of Briar Rose for
the next 1,000 years." Well, it's been a thousand years since the princess
first touched that spindle, so that explains why the briars have only recently
started to resurface - the godmothers' protection has expired. Examine
the individual statues of the godmothers and you will notice that two of them
are particularly detailed. One has an ivy plant growing from underneath it;
the other is missing a wand and is surrounded by dried rose petals. This will
be important later.
On the floor at the left side of the room is a book, so click on it to pick it
up; this is one of the two you need for that empty space on the bookcase. This
one is the Sorcery Book of Teleportation. Leave this room and go backwards out
of the castle and down the ladder, then continue back until you reach the
stable. Go inside and solve the hidden object puzzle to receive the Wooden
Goblet.
The words "Chapter 4" scroll up on your screen, ending the third chapter.
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VII. Chapter Four
==================
Leave the stable and return to the area outside the chapel, and climb the ladder
to once again access the castle proper. Go into that well-preserved dining
room, where a hidden object puzzle awaits you; solve it to assemble the other
book you need, the Sorcery Book of Immortality. Also, on the right wall by
the vase are two framed pictures; click on the lower one, which is another
cursed object.
Move forward through the door you unlocked with the Crown Key, to that royal
book room. Click on the bookcase where it glints to bring up a close view of
the empty space. Take the Sorcery Book of Teleportation and the Sorcery Book
of Immortality from your inventory and click them into the empty space. The
bookcase opens to reveal a hidden staircase, so go on up!
The hallway here is infested with briars. You can't move forward. In fact,
there's only one thing you *can* do. Take the Small Knife from your inventory
and click it on the shield, which is almost completely smothered in the vines.
This will clear it; click on it to add it to your inventory as the Knight's
Shield.
The words "Chapter 5" will scroll up your screen, thus making the fourth
chapter one of the shortest in the game. Why is it so short? I don't know.
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===================
VIII. Chapter Five
===================
Once you have the shield, go back down to that book room. There is a flame
dancing in a wall alcove; click on the animal head above it, which flickers
between being a deer and a lion. This is, of course, a cursed object. Head
back into the dining room and solve the hidden object puzzle to receive the
Horse Sign - Fire. Continue back out of the castle to the top of the ladder,
and click on the lighted corridor to activate the hidden object puzzle that
will give you the Owl Body. This is for that owl statue that belongs in the
tree by the stable.
Go down the ladder and enter the chapel. Solve the hidden object puzzle here
to get the Glass Goblet. Now you should move forward to the stained glass
window I mentioned earlier, in which each figure is holding a goblet. Below
the window is a cabinet with three openings; there is already a goblet in the
center. Click the Wooden Goblet into the left vacancy and the Glass Goblet
into the right. This will turn a panel on the wall into a sparkling mini-
game, so click it to solve and unlock the door at the right. It's another
sliding token puzzle. Once the door unlocks, enter the storage room.
ARACHNOPHOBES BE WARNED. BIG SPIDER ALERT.
I'm not too scared of spiders, but man, did that startle me when I first saw
it! Gross, gross, gross. Anyway, just try to ignore Shelob here as best
you can - it won't bother you, thankfully - and solve the hidden object puzzle
at the left to receive the Decoration Axe. That's all you can do here for
now, so head back and out of the chapel, then up the ladder and into the
castle. You have the Knight's Shield; take it out of your inventory and click
it onto the suit of armor that's blocking the middle door. He'll move
aside and grant you access to a new area once you click on the door.
There's a big picture on the wall in this next room which is missing a few
things. For the moment, click on the entrance at the top of the stairs and
enter a room with a piano and a children's marionette theater. The piano has
a hidden object puzzle which you should solve in order to get the Decoration
Sword. You should also click on the left of the two benches at the piano, as
it's a cursed object.
Go back to the room with the large painting. Take the Decoration Axe and the
Decoration Sword from your inventory and click them onto their appropriate
openings, then click on the painting. It will slide to the left and open a
secret passage.
The words "Chapter 6" scroll up your screen, making the fifth chapter not that
much longer than the fourth.
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================
IX. Chapter Six
================
Enter the secret passage you just uncovered, and you'll find yourself in an
armory. Solve the hidden object puzzle to assemble the Potion Coin, and also
click on the helmet of the suit of armor on the right side, which is a cursed
object. Going forward is useless without the key needed in the next room;
instead, go back to the room with the painting, and up to the marionette
theater room. Solve this hidden object puzzle to acquire the Owl Head (am I
the only one who finds it a little creepy looking?), then move forward through
the door that's here.
The next room has two doors, the Owl Door and the Potion Door, both of which
are locked. Take the Potion Coin from your inventory and click it on the
Potion Door, then go forward into the alchemist's tower.
On the desk at the right is a key; click on it. This is the Prison Key. On
the wall is a gold sconce of some kind which, if you click, seems to be
missing "a cell." This makes more sense when you complete the hidden object
puzzle at the alchemist's desk and assemble the Energy Cell. The sconce is
next to a set of shelves; on the top shelf are some bottles. Click the bottle
on the farthest left, which is a cursed object, and then solve the puzzle.
Once you have the Energy Cell, click it into the sconce. There is a "strange
arcane symbol" on the floor, just like the one in the scene where Briar Rose's
spirit appeared to you, and the Energy Cell makes it glow.
The words "Chapter 7" scroll up your screen, concluding another very short
chapter in this tale.
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
=================
X. Chapter Seven
=================
Click on the glowing symbol, and whoa! Teleportation! You find yourself back
in the scene where the other arcane symbol is found. You can now use the
symbols to teleport back and forth, which can cut down on the amount of time
spent traveling to and from the castle, or you can continue to move through
the game the same way you have been. It's entirely up to you.
From here, go all the way back to the very starting point of the game, the
scene with the Briar Rose statue, and solve the hidden object puzzle to
receive the Owl Brass Key. From there, move forward to the scene with the
lion pool, and solve that hidden object puzzle to get the Cloth and Detergent.
Head right and then straight to the bell tower. Click on the telescope, and
then get the Cloth and Detergent from your inventory and click it onto the
blurry image. You now have a clear view of four birds sitting on the rail
of some balcony. From left to right, you have an owl, some kind of little
bird, a parrot, and a pigeon. Remember the order - it will be important
later.
Go back to the lion pool, then forward to the scene with the gatehouse. Solve
this hidden object puzzle and receive the Pickaxe. Click on the torn banner
hanging on the wall above the gatehouse, too; it's a cursed object. Next,
move forward to the stable, and click on the hole in the tree. Get the Owl
Body and click it onto the statue base, then do the same with the Owl Head.
Take the Owl Brass Key and click it onto the finished statue, then take the
Owl Coin which appears in its mouth.
Enter the stable. The words "Chapter 8" will then scroll up your screen.
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
==================
XI. Chapter Eight
==================
You don't actually have anything to do in the stable just now; you only
needed to go in to trigger the next chapter and all its attendant puzzles. So
go ahead and go back outside. Click on the sign hanging by the door, as it's
a cursed object, and then make your way back into the castle. Go through
the door that had been blocked by the suit of armor, and then into the passage
that had been hidden by the painting, so that you are again in the armory.
Solve the hidden object puzzle here to obtain the Angel's Flute, and then go
forward to the prison section. Take the Prison Key from your inventory and
click it onto the keyhole on the wall to open all three doors. One contains
a spindle, which you can ignore. The middle prison contains a hanged doll;
click on it to cut it down and take the Rope. The cell on the right contains
a body which, if you click on him, you will surmise had been forgotten when
the castle was abandoned. Also in this cell is the Mirror Rose Disk, so take
that as well. This is the only time you need to visit the prison; go back.
From the room with the big painting, go up to the room with the marionette
theater, and solve the hidden object puzzle to receive the Wand of Godmother
Statue. Next, move forward; there is a row of books on an open shelf at the
right, and if you click on the book on the end nearest you, it will reveal
itself as a cursed object. Click the Owl Coin onto the Owl Door to open
the way to the balcony. Go on out to see the birds.
Remember how I told you to pay attention to the four birds you saw through
the telescope? Click on the sparkling puzzle here. You have to click on the
four pictures of the birds you saw - the owl (not the snowy one), the little
bird with the long beak (I don't know its name), the blue parrot, and the
pigeon. Once you click on the four correct pictures, the second half of the
mini-game will open up. Use the buttons under the pictures to swap their
places until they are arranged in that order from left to right. This will
give you the Machete.
Head back into the castle, then out and down the ladder by the chapel (or use
the teleportation symbol in the alchemist's room). However you go, head for
the well. There are three things to be done here. First, take the Pickaxe
from your inventory and use it on that loose brick to reveal the Glass Slipper
Rose Disk; take that. Next, click on the handle of the well, which is a
cursed object. Finally, take out the Rope and click it onto the well, in the
spot where a rope would normally got on a well. This will allow you to climb
down to the bottom, where you will find a Broom. (You MUST click the cursed
object handle before you place the Rope, because after the Rope is in position
you will no longer have access to it. Well, unless you don't care about
finding the cursed objects, in which case, carry on.)
*** If you are playing Hard Mode (see below), this is where you will make use
of the golden rose that you were given at the end of the basic mode game.
Take it from your inventory and click it onto the golden vase set into the
wall alcove, and enter the locked chamber. ***
Once you have the Broom and, on hard mode, have finished your explorations,
go back up and out of the well. Go forward to the chapel, then up the ladder
and into the castle. Take the Machete from your inventory and use it on the
vines obscuring the third door, then click on the door to solve yet another
token-sliding puzzle.
After completing this puzzle, go through the door to a hallway filled with
elegant statuary. Move forward to the end of the hall, where there are two
sets of doors. The one on the left you can't open until you acquire some more
stuff; the one on the right has another token-sliding puzzle. Enter this room
and pick up the strange silver piece on the table; this is the Queen Handle.
Return to the hallway and go back to the room with the three doors. Move
forward into the dining room, and solve the hidden object puzzle to receive
the King's Tombstone. Next, go back, then through the passage which had been
blocked by the suit of armor; head forward through the painting room to the
room with the marionette theater, then forward twice more into the alchemist's
room. Solve this hidden object puzzle to assemble the Rose Wand, then return
to the room with the three doors.
The words "Chapter 9" scroll up your screen to bring the eighth chapter to
a close.
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
==================
XII. Chapter Nine
==================
We're getting there! Go through the door that had been blocked by the vines,
and solve the hidden object puzzle on the statue here to get the King Handle.
Note that on the columns between the two large statues on the left are some
lanterns; click on the second lantern from the left, above and to the right of
the second statue, because it's a cursed object. Go forward. Take the King
Handle and the Queen Handle from your inventory and click them each onto the
left-hand set of doors, then click the doors to open them and go inside.
Note the window into which someone apparently broke. I wonder what's up with
that - and I mean I really do wonder, because it never gets explained. There
is a Torch hanging from one of the bedposts; click on it to add it to your
inventory. Return to the hallway.
Go into the other room, the one where you found the Queen Handle, and click on
the bottle on the table; it's another cursed object.
The words "Chapter 10" scroll up your screen, making this THE shortest chapter
in the entire game.
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
==================
XIII. Chapter Ten
==================
Head back twice, so that you're back at the statue where you assembled the
King Handle, and solve the new hidden object puzzle to receive the Angel Harp.
Next, head back twice again, and click on the lighted corridor to solve
another hidden object puzzle, this time to get the Head of Godmother Statue.
Go down the ladder to the area outside the chapel. Let's fix these statues.
From your inventory, take the Angel Harp and click it on the angel statue on
the left, then take the Angel Flute and click it on the angel statue on the
right. This will open a hidden panel on the left statue; click on it to take
the Boot Rose Disk.
Enter the chapel and solve the hidden object puzzle to receive the Prince
Doll, then move forward twice to that storage room with the giant spider. On
your left is a bottle that flickers as a beer stein; click on it, because of
course it's a cursed object. Solve the hidden object puzzle here and get the
Hat of Godmother Statue.
Now, remember the Torch you found in the royal bedroom? Take it from your
inventory and click it onto the giant spider. Both it and the web disappear
and reveal the door they had been blocking.
The words "Chapter 11" scroll up your screen, concluding yet another very
short chapter.
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
====================
XIV. Chapter Eleven
====================
Burning the web activated a new hidden object puzzle on your left, so solve
that to receive the Chain Pliers. You might remember the cabinet covered in
chains that was in the room where you found the Queen Handle; these will come
in handy.
Move forward through the door you just cleared, and solve another hidden
object puzzle to assemble the Queen's Tombstone. Move forward again, and you
find yourself in a room where some of the servants evidently lived. Click on
the cursed object sitting on top of the cabinet at the extreme left of the
room; it's a pitcher that sometimes flickers as a gold bottle.
Under the bed is a large pile of debris. Get the Broom from your inventory
and click it onto this pile to reveal the Star Rose Disk; take it.
Go back four times to exit the chapel, then climb the ladder again and enter
the castle. Go through the door that was barricaded by vines, and solve the
hidden object puzzle to receive the Princess Key. Now, move forward down the
hall, and enter the right-hand bedroom. Get the Chain Pliers from your
inventory and click them onto the chained cabinet, then take the Princess Key
and click it onto the cabinet's keyhole. The cabinet will open to reveal the
Queen's Scepter. Can you guess where this belongs?
Go back four times to leave the castle, then go down the ladder and continue
moving backwards all the way to the first scene, the one with the Briar Rose
statue. Click on the rose at the top of the wand the statue holds, which is a
cursed object. Move forward to the base of the steps again. From your
inventory, take the King's Scepter and click it onto his statue, then take the
Queen's Scepter and click it onto her statue. A panel will open on the stone
wall; click on it to get the Horse Sign - Water. Also while you're here,
click on the crown worn by the king's statue, which is your last cursed object.
Move forward up the stairs, then go right and forward twice to the area
outside the bell tower. Get the Head of Godmother Statue from your inventory
and click it onto the not-quite-finished statue, then do likewise with the
Hat of Godmother Statue and the Wand of Godmother Statue. (These pieces must
be added in the exact order I listed them in this walkthrough - base, body,
head, hat, wand. Otherwise it won't work.) She is now complete, and you can
click on her to read her identifying plaque; she is the Godmother of the Ivy.
Finishing the statue opens a hidden panel on its base, so click on that to
receive the Ivy Wand.
Go back to the scene with the lion pool, then forward twice and enter the
stable. Solve this hidden object puzzle to assemble the Black Rose. There
are two blank signs here on the right side of the scene. Take the Horse
Sign - Fire from your inventory and click it onto the red one, and click the
Horse Sign - Water onto the blue one. This will remove the prison bars that
are containing the Horse Doll; click on it to take it. Leave the stable.
The words "Chapter 12" scroll up your screen, ending the eleventh chapter.
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
===================
XV. Chapter Twelve
===================
From the stable go right and forward, then enter the chapel. Keep moving
forward until you reach the kitchen, where you'll find the hidden object
puzzle that will give you the Hammer. Once you have it, take it from your
inventory immediately and use it to smash the bottle on the left side of the
screen, then take the Heart Rose Disk this reveals.
Head backwards out of the chapel, climb the ladder and enter the castle. Go
forward to the dining room, then forward twice more to the godmother shrine.
Take the Rose Wand from your inventory and click it onto the central statue,
then take out the Ivy Wand and click it onto the statue to the right of her.
(They're the ones surrounded by dried rose petals and with ivy growing
underneath, respectively.) The pedestal in the middle of the room will open;
click to take the White Rose Disk.
Travel backward to the room with the three doors, then go through the door
which had been blocked by the suit of armor and up to the room with the
marionette theater. You can see a small metal pole of sorts on the stage of
the theater. From your inventory, take the Princess Doll and click her onto
this pole, which will make the curtain open farther to reveal a second pole;
do the same with the Prince Doll and then with the Horse Doll. A cloud-shaped
decoration will descend from the ceiling, bearing a key; click on this to
take the Roseroom Key.
Go forward twice to the alchemist's room, where the hidden object puzzle will
enable you to put together the Rose Potion. This is the next-to-last item
we need to reach the endgame. You *could* take the arcane symbol portal from
here, but I don't recommend it because you'll have to backtrack anyway.
Instead, I advise moving backward until you exit the castle, then go down the
ladder to the area outside the chapel.
Way, way back, I told you to ignore the rose cabinet here because it was a
puzzle for which you lacked most of the pieces. You have them all now, so go
ahead and click on it. You'll see a series of circular panels surrounding
a reliquary which contains a white rose. One of the panels has a golden rose
emblem, and below the reliquary is a plaque bearing a clue. The wording on
the plaque will change until all of those Rose Disks you've collected have been
placed in their correct slots. Click on the plaque to read the clue, then
click the appropriate Rose Disk onto whichever panel currently has the golden
rose emblem.
"A symbol of power, I am worn on the most powerful ruler in this land."
-=> Place the Crown Rose Disk.
"I am your best protection from undesired weather, be it rain or ray."
-=> Place the Parasol Rose Disk.
"Use me well and you can deflect incoming blows."
-=> Place the Shield Rose Disk.
"To see yourself best, I may be of help."
-=> Place the Mirror Rose Disk.
"Sturdy and durable, use me to trek on rugged land."
-=> Place the Boot Rose Disk.
"I am a famed object a prince seeks at the stroke of midnight."
-=> Place the Glass Slipper Rose Disk.
"I am a powerful symbol of love."
-=> Place the Heart Rose Disk.
"There are thousands of us if you look up at the clear dark night."
-=> Place the Star Rose Disk.
"The White Rose, I will lead you to the sleeping princess."
-=> Place the White Rose Disk.
The reliquary will open when this last disk is placed, and you can take the
White Rose hidden inside. This is the final piece you need to reach the room
where Briar Rose lies sleeping. Move backwards to step away from the finished
puzzle, then continue moving back until you reach the scene with the lion
pool. Head right and forward to the royal cemetery.
From your inventory, take the King's Tombstone and click it on the left of the
two headstones that are missing epitaphs, then take the Queen's Tombstone
and click it on the right headstone. This will cause that strange colored
panel to rise up from the ground, revealing a gated stairway. Take the
Roseroom Key and click it onto this locked gate to open it, then go inside.
You will find a gate with the images of two roses at its base - one is a
projection of a white rose, the other is a projection of a black rose. Take
the White Rose from your inventory and click it onto the white rose image,
and click the Black Rose onto the black rose image. The gate will open and
you can move forward. Here we go.
And there she sleeps, as young as the day she pricked her finger. The outline
of the Evil Godmother keeps flickering, but she won't properly materialize
until you activate the final puzzle, which is that odd contraption on the
left. Take the Rose Potion from the inventory and click it onto the dish
setting on top, then click on the puzzle to begin. The Evil Godmother will
appear with the puzzle. You will see a panel with different symbols on the
left, and on the right, those same symbols will begin dropping down. You have
to click on the correct symbol on the panel to destroy the symbol on the right
before it reaches the cauldron. As the puzzle continues, more symbols will
appear on the panel, increasing the difficulty. Click on the wrong symbol and
they'll fall faster. If any of the symbols make it all the way down to the
cauldron, you will have to start over again.
Once you click on the last symbol to destroy it, the Evil Godmother is
vanquished, and you need only click on Briar Rose to see an end cutscene in
which she awakens at last. She tells you that your work is not finished,
however, because the legendary Frog Prince must be found. She gives you a
map brought by one of the carrier pigeons, and urges you to set out in quest
of him.
Congratulations, you've finished the game! Now try hard mode!
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
===============
XVI. Hard Mode
===============
-=> THIS SECTION CONTAINS SPOILERS FOR HARD MODE. YOU HAVE BEEN WARNED. <=-
Completing the basic mode of the game will unlock "Hard Mode." Remember when
you climbed down into the well to get the broom, and found the empty vase set
into the wall? You will receive the golden rose which belongs in that vase
when you complete the regular mode.
The hard mode game follows the exact same storyline as the regular mode game.
However, you will no longer have the option of using hints; where your hint
button was located in the first game, there is now a padlock with the words
"Hard Mode" written on it. You also no longer have the option of skipping
puzzles. For some reason, even though their function has been removed, you
will still find cursed objects throughout hard mode.
As the game opens, the golden rose will appear in your inventory. Proceed
through the game as you did before, and when you have the rope and are
able to climb down into the well, do so. Take the golden rose from your
inventory and place it into the empty vase. This will unlock the door in
front of you; go forward.
The writing on the wall will identify this as the "Secret Room." Very
imaginative name, that. There's not much to find here, to be honest; there's
a statue of the Frog Prince, in frog form, and on the wall are some pictures
of original concept art for some of the rooms and the main menu. That's
actually all there is.
Once you've finished, go back to the rope to climb up out of the well, and
continue as outlined in this walkthrough.
A profile which has completed basic mode will automatically start on Hard
Mode when a new game is begun by clicking Play. If you want to start a new
game on basic mode, just create a new profile by clicking the Players button.
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
============================
XVII. Questions and Answers
============================
Q: I can't find all of the pieces in this hidden objects puzzle.
A: Unfortunately, it's really difficult to provide clues for those puzzles in
text format. What I can tell you is that the location of each fragment in
each specific puzzle is the same every time you play. So if you play through
on regular mode, use hints as needed to find the really tricky pieces, and then
try to remember their locations when you play hard mode. Some of the pieces
are very obvious, while others are better blended into the scenery. Many of
them, though, stand out just slightly, almost as if they have a colored border
or something. I also found that moving the angle of my laptop monitor helped
me to spot a couple of them, so if you can slightly change the angle at which
you're viewing the scene, that might help you too.
Q: Do I have to do all these things in this order?
A: This game is fairly linear. It gives you some leeway about a few details,
but many of the events have to happen in this order because they trigger the
next sequence. The way I've described them in this walkthrough is the way I
have found involves the least amount of backtracking.
Q: How do you remove the wall of briars that blocks the way into the spindle
room?
A: You don't. There's no need to enter the spindle room. EDIT: I have
since learned that the spindle room is where the bonus content is kept in
the collector's edition of the game. Since I haven't played that, I can't
offer any more information about it.
Q: I can't click on the cursed well handle, it keeps sending me down the rope.
A: You absolutely have to click on the handle *before* you place the rope.
Once the rope is in position, the cursed object disappears.
Q: Who is the ghostly bride sometimes seen on the path leading to the chapel?
A: I don't know! That's never explained, even in the sequel.
Q: If Briar Rose has five good godmothers, as shown in the shrine, why do
only the Godmother of the Rose and the Godmother of the Ivy get names and
statues of their own?
A: (SPOILER ALERT) This actually makes a little more sense if you play the
second game in the series (I played the second one first). Briar Rose, as you
will learn, has a sister named Ivy. My guess is that the Godmother of the
Rose was Briar Rose's chief godmother, and the Godmother of the Ivy was Ivy's.
(Just a guess, though, not confirmed.)
Q: What have the carrier pigeons been doing, flying to and from the room
where Briar Rose sleeps?
A: (ANOTHER SPOILER ALERT) Judging by the content of the sequel, the pigeons
are working for the Frog Prince, who is the antagonist of the next game in the
series. If you enjoyed 'Curse of Briar Rose,' I definitely encourage you to
check out 'The Exiled Prince,' which I consider to be even better (and yes,
I've authored a walkthrough for that too). It's never explicitly stated, but
my guess is that the Frog Prince has been keeping tabs on Briar Rose's
situation. She's his sister-in-law.
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
======================
XVIII. Special Thanks
======================
~ To everyone who made this awesome game series
~ To the always-excellent GameFAQs crew
~ To the folks at Big Fish Games, who made my discovery of Dark Parables
possible
~ To the good people at http://www.network-science.de/ascii, who provided the
code that allowed me to do that fancy header up top (the font is called
Tombstone, if you want to know)
~ To Kevin, my own prince
~ And to you, for reading this!
If you can provide better answers to any of the questions listed above, if
you have questions of your own, or if you want to correct an error I've made,
please contact me at laurakay76@gmail.com. Again, though, do not contact me
to ask if you can host this walkthrough on your own site.
Not your usual fairy tale princess,
LadyNorbert
Amazing Games. Many Cheats. Such Wow.
