                                   
                    ________________________      
                    |                      | \    
                    |     The solution     |   \  
                    |  to the Sierra game  |     \
                    | "The Black Cauldron" |     |
                    |______________________|     |
                     \                      \    |
                       \  By David.M.Bennell  \  |
                         \______________________\|
     
        
        
        *Outside  Dallben's cottage:  Walk  up to door  and enter
     (F6).
        *Walk up to Dallben at his desk and (F6)  talk to him. He
     will tell you to go and feed your pig, Hen Wen.
        *Go outside the cottage, and up one screen.
        *You  will see  a wooden door.  Open it (F6)  and get the
     corn (F6), and close the door again (F6).
        *Take the corn and go to Hen Wen's hut.
        *Open the gate (F6) and approach Hen Wen's hut.
        *Feed Hen Wen the corn  (F3  to select  corn,  and  F4 to
     administer it. The pig will eat the corn.
        *The pig leaves it's pen and walks off. Follow it back to
     the cottage.
        *Enter cottage again.
        *Dallben will tell you that the pig is acting strange. He
     tells you the  secret of how it  has magic powers.  He tells
     you to  take  to  pig to  the Fair  Folk,  so that  they may
     protect it from the Horned King.
        *Walk up to the cupboard on the top wall. Open it and get
     each item.
        *Walk over to the fireplace and get the gruel.
        *The pig will follow  you -  leave the cottage  and go to
     the Fair Folk's place.  To do this,  walk along the  edge or
     bottom  of  each  screen,  for  the  Horned  King  has  sent
     Gwythaints (dragon-like creatures)  after you,  in search of
     the magical  pig.  (To do this,  walk down (from the cottage
     door)  a screen. You should now be almost hidden by trees by
     a river.  Walk down to the river,  and cross it, and go down
     past the screen.  You should now be in a field with trees, a
     light green sunlight patch on  the ground,  and a few flower
     towards the lower centre.  Walk along to the  left along the
     top  still,  and off the screen.  You  should now  be near a
     forest of prickly looking plants.  If you look  (F8) it says
     it is  impassable,  but worth exploring.  Do this, until you
     come to the clearing).
        *Take your pig (you should be safe now)  and go up to the
     door. Open the door, and walk in.
        *Go over to the barrel of water by the door and fill your
     water flask (F3 to get it, and F4 to fill it).
        *A Fair Folk, Gwystyl, will appear and introduce himself.
     You have now safely delivered  the pig and ensured  that the
     evil Horned King will never gets  his hands on  it. The Fair
     Folk will take the pig down a tunnel.  Before going, he will
     give a magic word.
        *Walk  over  to  the blue  cupboard and open it.  Get the
     cookies.
        *Now  leave this  `safe-house'  and try to  find the Fair
     Folk  king,  Eddileg.  This should  be  roughly  down  a few
     screens. But ...
        *Firstly you need to find something. Look around (you are
     safe from the Gwythaints)  until you see a tree with a black
     hole in it (HINT:  To find this tree head  towards where the
     pinks rays of light (in the sky) are emanating from). At the
     tree,  look  (F6)  into  the  hole.  But  this  hasn't  done
     anything, only shown you what is in there, so it's F6 again,
     to actually get the lute. Now continue on the search for the
     Fair Folks main hide-away.
        *At any stage now, you may see a little dog-like creature
     by the name  of  Gurgi.  He'll ask for  food.  Give  him the
     cookies.  He is of a species who are  often cowardly towards
     others,  but can show  great loyalty to  those  who befriend
     him.  In other words,  just give him the cookies. He'll save
     your life later.
        *Find the screen where all  the water ends  in a dead-end
     type of thing.
        *Cross the water and walk  up  to  where a  cave entrance
     appears to be - but don't leave the land yet.
        *Use your magic word (F3 (to select) + F4 (to use).
        *A rock (making your entrance previously impossible) will
     lower.  Criss-cross  your way  in.  You while learn that you
     have fallen down a deep hole.
        *King Eddileg will  soon  approach you.  He wants to know
     who you are and why you're here. Introduce yourself (F6). He
     knows now, but he disbelieves you. He wants a gift. Give him
     the lute (by  doing the same  as feeding the  pig, and using
     the magic word,  i.e:  F3+F4). Gladly, believing you now, he
     will  give  you a magic mirror  and  flying  power  for five
     flights (You can't waste any because it will only  work on a
     screen  where you need  it,  but  when  you do  need  it, if
     something goes wrong, restore and try again, cause you could
     lose the lot). 
        *Use some, now, to leave.
        *Head up towards the Horned Kings castle  via the haunted
     forest.
        *In the forest is a tree  (if not,  look around cos there
     any many screens with these trees -  you may  have to detour
     around the river till you can  cross it).  A dagger and note
     is  pinned  to  it.  Read (F8)  the note  and take  (F6) the
     dagger.
        *Go up this screen (you'll have to go around the right of
     the black tree on the horizon).  You should be on  the other
     side (the lower side)  of the river.  You should now be able
     to walk to the left - off the screen. You should now be in a
     rock maze. Find your way though it, to the round rock up the
     back.
        *Climb the rock so you'll go off the screen.
        *Use your rope (F3+F4)  and it'll tie to the dead branch,
     to something at the top of the mountain.
        *Walk over to the edge of the round rock,  near the rope,
     and climb up it (F6).
        *You should now be on a rock platform, facing a maze like
     landforms.  Climbing along the rock face, you'll travel from
     platform to platform, but save your game and go slowly.
        *Walk off  to  the  right  (or  left  depending  on which
     direction your rope was tied) until you go off the screen.
        *You should now be facing the Horned King's  castle. Walk
     forward.
        *You  will  now be standing at  the beginning of  a weird
     ledge path. Follow it carefully.
        *Having  made  it,  you  should  be  facing  a  moat with
     alligators with a far wall. This is the screen to be at. The
     others  do  nothing and will  only  get you  in  trouble, if
     anything.
        *Time it, so that you can cross the moat.
        *Stand up on the ledge and climb (F6)  the wall, but near
     the middle.  If you touch a light grey slab of stone, you'll
     slip, so be carefully - you'll get it right in time.
        *Watch the  falling  rocks,  and  make  your  way  to the
     window.
        *Use your dagger (F3+F4) to cut the vines. 
        *Enter (F6).
        *To one side  should  be a verandah opening.  Don't worry
     about it.  Walk off in a 45  degree fashion to the top right
     of the screen.
        *There should be a large round staircase in the middle of
     the screen. Always watch out for those fat hench men.
        *If you can,  make it to the balcony off the  edge of the
     next screen.  Wait there. The Horned King and a Creeper will
     stroll in. The Creeper will explain that they could not find
     the pig.  Nothing  else  now.  Jump  (F6)  off  the balcony.
     Creeper will follow, so leave the room.
        *At this stage,  you can be  captured because  you can do
     nothing else now. But eat and drink something first, so that
     you will be able to go on for a while.
        *The henchman  will  take  you down to a  dungeon. You're
     stuff is gone.
        *Go over and get (F6) the tin cup off the table.
        *Take it to the door and run it back and forth to  make a
     noise (by the F3 & F4 method again).
        *Soon a slab of concrete in the centre of the room should
     move. If not, stand on it.
        *You should  find  you in  an underground  passage with a
     girl,  Eilonwy,  and a magic bauble.  To the right is a door
     way which'll  lead  to  the Horned  King's  work room (there
     should be skeletons piled in a corner).
        *Walk up to the to of the screen and turn left.
        *Follow it through. You should be in a tunnel with a long
     coffin blocking your path.  Walk down and past by  the lower
     side of it. Continue.
        *You  should  be  in  another corner  section.  Watch the
     bauble  carefully.  It'll disappear through a  crack  in the
     wall.  Walk  up to where it  disappeared and push  the rocks
     (F6) one by one until an entrance appears.
        *Enter.  You'll now be a room with a large coffin  in the
     middle.  This is the resting place of the king who  made the
     castle.
        *Walk up to the coffin and hit F6 to get the sword.
        *Eilonwy's  bauble  tells her of  an exit.  She goes. You
     have freed her.  But don't bother following her.  You can't.
     You'll meet her again later. Go out of this room now.
        *Walk down a screen out from the entrance/exit.
        *Walking around,  you should see a ladder  climbing up to
     the rock ceiling. There is a gargoyle by it.
        *Turn the gargoyle.
        *Climb the ladder.
        *You should  be  standing in a red hall.  Hit  F3 now and
     select the sword. Now if a henchman comes near, hit him with
     the sword by hitting F4.
        *If  you look at the wall  on  the right,  there is a red
     square. Go up to it, and hit any henchman that comes in your
     way.
        *Get the keys,  and walk up to the top door. Use the keys
     and open the door.
        *Walk up to Fflewddur Fflam,  the squirming prisoner, and
     free  him.  He will give an enchanted harp  which acts  as a
     lie-detector.
        *Walk back out. There is a door to the right of where you
     came out from  the gargoyle  hole,  but behind that  door is
     your dungeon.  You can see if you like.  You will also see a
     long yellow a black thing near the keys, on the floor. Don't
     worry about this  yet.  Behind  it  is the top  ledge of the
     Horned King's work room, that you may have seen earlier.
        *Go down to the doorless  entrance to the left  and enter
     it.
        *Climb the stairs,  and when they stop, don't continue up
     the next lot, they'll take you up to the circular stair case
     by the window that you entered.
        *Walk off the right, being prepared to hit a henchman.
        *You should see a yellow door by  the wall.  Open it. You
     possessions are behind it.  Get them all.  You may be hungry
     so you'll have to eat something (but when you have to  - you
     can run out of food eventually.  HINT:  Only ever the bread.
     It lasts for several feasts,  while  the others  last once).
     And whenever it says you are hungry,  you'll have to eat (by
     selecting food, then eating it (F3+F4)).
        *To the top is a door which houses a kitchen. To the left
     is where you came from -  the stairs. To the right is a door
     (by a Gwythaint).  This is the throne room that you may have
     seen before.  All these will not help you. Walk down through
     the doorway at the bottom of the screen.
        *You will now be in a wine cellar. There is nothing to do
     here. Walk down another screen.
        *You  will find yourself  behind the  drawbridge. Go over
     the chains and cut them with your sword (by use of  the F3 &
     F4 thing again).
        *This is your exit out. Walk out.
        *Now make your way back all the way to the  river, and to
     swampy section you may have seen before.  This is where your
     cauldron is.
        *When  at  the swamp,  the Morva Marsh,  use  your flying
     powder so  that  you may land  on  a  hidden  island.  If it
     doesn't work restore until it does, so make sure you save at
     a good point before trying at all.
        *Walk up to the door and open it.
        *Walk in.  You'll see a chest to  the side and  a door to
     the left but there is nothing to  in there.  Go to the chest
     and open it.  Frogs (which were once human,  will leap out).
     Three angry witches,  Orddu,  Orgoch, and Orwen will appear,
     but this is the only way to  summon them.  They will explain
     the frogs,  and will seem quite angry. You can tell them who
     you  are (F6),  and  they'll tell  you  that  they  have the
     cauldron (more or less),  but they will only bargain for it,
     but they  are still going  to  turn  you  into  a  frog. Act
     quickly.
        *You have to move away.  Walk back to the window, and use
     you sword.  But instead you are offering it to  them (if you
     use it too close to them, they will assume you are trying to
     attack, and kill you anyway, and with the Black Cauldron, of
     other things).
        *They will  take you outside.  But you can  do nothing to
     the cauldron - not even lift it. They tell you that the only
     way  to  deactivate it's powers  is to get some-one  to jump
     into  it,  of their own will.  But  they  would  die  in the
     process. Do you know anyone loyal enough who would do such a
     thing for you?  (if so, don't worry about him for now, he'll
     appear in  time).  But as you talk,  a Gwythaint appears. He
     takes the cauldron. This is okay.
        *Use your flying powder to return to the mainland.
        *Return to the castle - and to the yellow and black thing
     against the wall.  It is a grate.  Move it (F6 (you actually
     have  to press  F6  twice).  You will now be standing on the
     ledge that you may have seen before.  The Horned King enters
     and drops a skeleton into the bubbling cauldron.  One by one
     Undead skeleton arise to form an impenetrable army. Time's a
     wasting!
        *If you keep walking,  you will get closer to  the edge -
     falling  into the cauldron.  But you won't,  because in will
     run Gurgi,  your faithful little  friend.  He will leap into
     the cauldron,  and sacrifice himself for you.  Sad as it is,
     he has saved you and the people of Caer Dallben.  The Horned
     King is destroyed, along with the castle.
        *You are thrown out through the  falling-apart castle, ad
     land in the  moat.  You grab a piece of  driftwood (all done
     automatically) and float along the river.
        *You will see the cauldron floating in the water. This is
     where your ride ends.  The witches arrive and tell  you that
     they want their cauldron back.  They give you a book to take
     in  exchange.  Don't  take  it!  They  will  then  offer the
     mystical pot of gold from the end of the rainbow. Don't take
     it!  Last of  all,  the final offer,  they bring your friend
     Gurgi  back  to life.  Hardly changed by the  experience, he
     asks for some food again,  but don't worry. There is nothing
     you can give him, and he runs off.
        *You have now finished the Black Cauldron. With Fflewddur
     Fflam, Eilonwy, and Gurgi, you all walk off into the sunset,
     with Dallben clapping, and Hen Wen excitedly watching.
        
                             T H E   E N D
                             * * *   * * *
                                   
                                   
          NOTE!:
          ------
             I  have  played  this game twice (first  when I
          discovered the way through,  and the second  to do
          it  all again),  and  I  have  found  a  couple of
          strange things.
             Firstly,  there are many things which I can not
          seem  to  use.  Things  include:  Knapsack,  Magic
          Mirror, Harp and Gruel to name a few. These can be
          used be I can't a proper use. For instance, people
          can look into the mirror,  but  each's response is
          different,  and nothing ever seems to  happen from
          it.  I can't seem to find a use for  the knapsack,
          and the gruel doesn't seem to  do anything either,
          although Gurgi will eat it.
             When I played this game,  I only got 225 out of
          230. I can't seem to get up to the full 230.
             
             If anyone can help me with any of these things,
          please help me. My name is at the top, and I don't
          live in  America,  like  everyone  else  who has a
          program on any BBS.  I live in the western suburbs
          of Sydney,  so leave a message to  me  on  the BBS
          that you downloaded this from.
             
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