By Learn Technologies Interactive

Walkthrough by MaGtRo     September, 2002

Game play:        The game opens on Options Menu that has New Game, Save Game, Load Game, Preferences, Help, Credits and Quit. In Preferences: background music, volume, cursor speed and brightness can be adjusted. The game manipulation is point and click. The navigation can either be by the use of the keyboard or clicking on a compass at bottom left of the screen. The green dots on the compass at bottom right shows which areas are navigable. The compass at the bottom left indicates the compass direction you are facing. North is up. When the central point is yellow means that there are activities to be done at that scene. The cursor changes to a single small circle during a 'wait' period for completion of a task, a lit zigzag line over an active spot, a crosshair for a closer examination and 2 circles over an item that can be picked up. Items picked up can only be carried within an area and is return to its original location when it is outside its range. The top bar shows the 3 Data Visor icons and the rightmost Options icon. The Data Visor icons are the interpreter that translates Chinese characters, the map and the archive. The map icon shows the location indicator and the transport nodes (black squares) that can move you from one place to another in the same realm. Toggle-click second time the data visor selection closes the data shown.

China, the year 2010. Read the newsfeed that begins. An international conglomerate Mega Media headed by Hal Davis is given the contract for the excavation of the Li Shan site where the tomb of Qin Shi Huangdi, the first Emperor of China is located. The First Emperor was buried in 210 BC. The tomb contains 6000 terra cotta warriors standing guard. It is said that the underground city is filled with booby traps. You volunteer for the excavation of Qin (pronounced chin). A catastrophic earthquake is predicted within 6 months in China. China is on the verge of a civil war.

Underground Entry

Entrance:        You fall in a deep hole with a view of the skies above the hole. Click on the south arrow at bottom left and see a skeleton and some pottery. On the west is a horned statue and at the opposite side is a bird. Go forward to the closed entrance. Click the active icon on the characters left of the doorway to highlight it white. Use the interpreter to learn that it means 'mercury'. Click on the door and enter.            Walkway:         The walkway is lined by warriors on both sides. Turn around and click on the character 'fire' on the right side of the doorway to highlight it red. Go forward and enter the door.            Inner chamber:        See a large black boulder drop down at the other end of the room and water starts to flow. Turn around and highlight the 'water' character blue on the left of the doorway. Turn around and go forward to the black boulder.

                Black boulder puzzle - This puzzle is accessed by highlighting the 3 primary elements on the way here - mercury, fire and water. The panel has 4 characters with the central 'door' character. Using the interpreter, the symbols on left side of the 'door' character are the words: man-person and bar-one. To the right of 'door' are the words: market and separate. Complete the action sentence by clicking the 'separate' at far right and place it under the 'door' character to get door separate or open. The boulder moves down to close the entryway you came in and opens the way to the courtyard. Read the transcript of Master builder Lu's report to the Emperor.

Courtyard

On the right side is a waterwheel complex and a goose statue lamp (archive: Science and Technology) in front of a red walled complex. At the center is the palace seen at a distance. To the left is a building with a giant jug with dragons in front. Turn left, go forward pass the Dragon Jug (seismograph) and go to the bridge.

Bridge:        At the middle of the bridge turn right and see a small goose statue lamp on top of a post. Click on the small goose lamp to turn it and it will illuminate the giant counterpart across the courtyard. Turn left and over the bridge to the building, the ritual hall.

Ritual Hall:        Translate the writing on the right steps to the building. Go up and see a central ziggurat type structure with 4 posts with characters written on them - north, west, east and south. There are 4 doors that correspond to each posts-character. Enter the North room.

Acupuncture room - (archive: Daily life, medicine) To the right is a table for medicine preparation. Go forward and see 5 colored acupuncture needles. To the left is a man representation with holes on the torso. To the left of the statue is the colored representation of the internal organs of the man. Place the needles on the holes that correspond to the internal organ representation. Red - heart (top hole). White - lungs (middle right). Yellow - stomach (lower top right). Green- liver (lower left). Black - kidneys (lower bottom right). If done correctly, the statue's eyes light up. Exit and go to the west room. Note that scripts are now written at bottom of the ziggurat structure.

Feng Shui room - (archive: Systems of Thought) There is a red dragon on the shelf. Turn left and look at the tiles on the table. Arrange by click-hold-release the tiles around the house following the Feng Shui guidelines described in the archive. Top (L-R) - trees, mountains and rocks. Middle - road and waterfalls. Bottom - fields, water and water with bridge. Exit and go to the east room. Second to the top layer of the ziggurat structure has scripts on it.

Astronomy room - (archive: Astronomy) Move forward 2xs, translate the script and watch the red and blue orbs cross each other's path. Click on the armillary sphere's ring to see it work. Exit and go to the south room. Top layer of the ziggurat structure has scripts on it.

Map room - (archive: Cartography) Look close at the map on the floor. Check translation and then move-click to get North character to the bottom of the disk.

Exit the room. Look at the ziggurat structure which has scripts on 4 layers and a plate floating on top. Translate the script - To open the gates of the palace must first learn the secrets of the four rooms. The compass provides the way. The spoon must be placed upon the emblem of heaven. The warrior waits in winter; the spoon must find him. Take the gold plate. Go down the steps and forward towards the palace. Place the gold plate (emblem of heaven) on the small square in front of the giant spoon. The character on the cursor changes to pink.

Crossbow:        Turn right 2x and forward to crossbow. Turn right, over the bridge, forward and slight left to the warriors by the shed. Take an arrow from the ground. Go back to the crossbow. Place the arrow on the crossbow (character turns pink). Move the cursor down from the arrow until it becomes active and click to fire the arrow. Watch the arrow hit the wall and water pours from wall. Water flows on the dry bed in the courtyard.

Waterwheel:        (archive: Economy, public works) Cross the bridge and go to the closest waterwheel. Move the lever that blocks the waterwheel. Go left and forward to the water transport (rotating wood slats) to the left of the big waterwheel. See a small boat released to the water. Take the bamboo from the boat. Turn left, forward and see a portion of the bamboo pipe water system is missing. Place the bamboo to fill the gap on the water system. The water drips now to a tank that has the mercury character on it.

The way:        Move forward once and turn right. See the character denoting 'the way' on the wall. Look over the wall and see a pool. This is the teleport to another realm.

Manufacturing and Crafts area:        Go to the lit giant goose lamp and then turn left. Enter the gate, see the smelter, turn right and forward 3xs to enter the Crafts area. Look around at the different stalls and crafts: pottery, carpentry, weaving and casting.

Crafts area:        Weaving - Click on the threaded loom and make a white dragon design.     Casting - Look close at the green bucket on the table. There are wax seals on the right. Click on certain seals to form a message in the bucket. Click on left white seal, middle orange seal, left green seal and left red seal.

Smelter:        Go back to the smelting area. Place the following items into the central furnace - coal from the left bin closest to the central furnace, fire from the right of the furnace and iron from the left of the coal bin. Molten iron will pour into a mold to make a spoon. Take iron spoon.

 

Go back to the giant spoon and golden plate in front of the gates of the palace by walking or using the transport mode (black squares) on the map for immediate teleportation. Place the iron spoon on top of the golden plate. The 2 spoons move and the gates to the palace open.

Palace

Enter the gate to the palace. Move forward until the central stairs between the 2 buildings.

Ground Floor:        There are 2 doors on either side that are accessible. Turn left and enter the door.

Musical Instrument room - (archive: Five Sounds) Check and play the flute, reed organ, drum, gong and zither on the floor. Exit and enter the room across the way.

Altar room - (archive: Food for Sacrifices) Translate the characters on the altar - precious offering and animal sacrifice. On the left are bells and a robe. To the right is a statue carrying an umbrella. Translate the words on the wall. We will come back here later. Exit and go to the stairs.

Stairs - Look at the characters on the steps and translate them. Climb up and see the seismograph and ritual hall with a backdrop of the mountain surrounding the city.

Second Floor:        Turn right and forward to the first door on the right. 

Scroll room - Read the scroll on the shelf on the left and on the table on the right. Click on the divination tiles to see them transform into other characters. The 'book' character by the right side of the door burns showing the attempt of the Emperor to stop knowledge. Exit and turn right to the next room.

Emperor's Bedroom - Translate the characters on the table to show Ying Zheng, the Emperor's given name. Open the cabinet on the right and listen to different opinions about the emperor given by the 3 statues. Turn around, forward and climb the stairs.

Alchemy room - (archive: Afterlife & Occult; Elixir of Immortality) Go to the table and see a plate of cinnabar and a reaction pot. Take the cinnabar, place it on the pot and see it flow out as liquid mercury and gaseous sulfur oxide - one source of mercury for the elixir later on. Look at the altar on the left and translate the sentence on the wall. Exit this room and go out the bedroom door. Go to the last room.

Recreation room - Click on the theatre curtain and watch the story of the archer, his wife, hare and the moon. Look around and see game of Go. Exit, turn right and go down the stairs. Turn right, forward and right. Enter the door.

Kitchen:    The name of the emperor is etched on the table. Exit, go back up the stairs and forward to the other stairs at the end of the building. Turn left and enter the last door on this side of the building.

Statue room - These are the larger version of the statues in the Emperor's cabinet. Listen to Yang Po, wandering scholar; Li Chi, the Emperor's concubine and Han Fei, Emperor's advisor. Exit and go to the next room on the right.

Administrative room - Enter through a screened door to a room where the Emperor's decisions are made and carried out. Go up the stairs.

Divination-Oracle room - Look around and translate to get clues on how to solve the rest of the puzzles. The small bones on the barrel on the left - Lu, master builder is sad because he did not know how to complete the circle. The tortoise bones on the table - To progress, Attend the music of the steps. The oxen bone on the stand - Immortality is achieved by one who starts with a heart of Jade. Go back down, out and go to the next room.

Mathematics room - (archive: Culture, mathematics) Enter and see a table with green gong stand and numbered green bar. Look close at the green gong stand and translate the questions on the bars. Select the answers from the numbered green bars.

A) What is the number closest to the heart of the emperor? (archive: Mathematics) Pick up Six, the rightmost bar. Look close again at stand. Click six on the question on the side bar. A gong sound is heard and the question disappears to be replaced by another on the top bar.

B) What is the number of the cardinal directions? (archive: System of Thought, 5 Cardinal directions) Five (N, E, S, W and center).

C) What is the number of objects that must be placed on the ritual altar? (archive: Ritual objects) Two.

An altar appears that has brown vase, flower (precious offering), green jug and chicken (animal sacrifice).

Altar Room:

Altar - Take the flower-precious offering. Go down the steps to the altar room or use transport nodes on map. Place the flower on the left side character on the altar. Go back to the Mathematics room and take the chicken-animal sacrifice, go back down to the Altar room and place it on the right side character. The candles light up and the incense at the center burns.

Bells - Turn to left and look close at the bells. See that 5 of the bells have characters on them which correspond to the musical symbols on the steps of the stairs. Click on Musical symbols: 1, 2, 3, 2, 4, 5, 4, 2, 1 or bottom right, bottom middle, left middle, bottom middle, top right, top left, top right, bottom middle and bottom right. If done correctly a door opens to the underground.

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Underground of the Palace

Well room:        Enter, go down the stairs and see a well with a 'the way' character on the rim. Click on the sacred fungus floating on top - necessary for elixir of immortality preparation and it will disappear. This 'the way' well is similar to the 'the way' by the waterwheel at the Courtyard. It is a teleportation device to go from one realm to another that has been visited before. Around the well with the stairs on your back, there are 3 sink holes. Go forward to the left side of the well, then go right, see the sink holes and then click right. Constant sink hole on the left of the well, an unlabeled sink hole at the middle of the other sink holes and the 'poison' hole on the right of the well. The only safe accessible one is the unlabeled sink hole. Go forward to the unlabeled sink hole.

Sink hole passage:        Go forward, pass the small bridge and enter a large chamber with potteries. Look on the right and see 'west' on the wall. Go towards the large ornate door once, turn right and translate the words on the wall - As he proceeds through the fog, the explorer's best friend is the steadfast compass. It must turn as he turns, see what he sees, from feet to the head to the right of Pangu. Go through the large door.

Tomb:        There is a sarcophagus with a jade body on top and a lit door with inscription on the other side. Look at the map on the data visor on top bar and note that the head is on the east, the right side is north and feet to the west (as shown by the west character at the outside chamber).

Compass puzzle - Go right and then forward to the compass map. Look at the map at the center and then click to get a close view. Now position the points based on the words seen outside - from feet to the head to the right of Pangu. Place west (feet) on top by clicking twice on the upper right, place east (head) on top by clicking 4xs on upper right and then place north on top (right of Pangu) by clicking 2xs on upper right. If correctly done, the view will go out of close view and a sound is heard. Solving this puzzle will give you the jade necessary for the elixir of immortality later. Turn left and the lit scripted door is now accessible. Enter through the door.

Throne room:        Look around and see potteries on shelves on both side of the room, a platform at the center, a door on the left wall and the throne. Sit on the throne facing the dragon with a sphere in his mouth. Turn left, push the lotus lever and see the platform descend. Go forward passing through the sphere of the dragon, down to a door at the descended platform. Go forward through the door to the subterranean lake.

Subterranean lake:        Cross the bridge, look left to the water and see tiles at the middle of the lake. Go forward and see bamboo pipes leading to a furnace. To the left of the furnace is a water system by the lake that goes up to the waterwheel at the courtyard.

Tiles puzzle - Click on the tiles on the lake. The 4 tiles are folded and the aim of the puzzle is to show places in the next realm. First unfold the 4 tiles to 16 tiles. Click on the second to the left at bottom row. Click on leftmost tile of the middle row. Click on middle tile of top row. Click on right tile of top row and see the 4 colored tiles.

Philosophy and Religion Realm

Walled area:        The walled area is made out of 4 halls at each corner with the well at the center. The 'the way' well can transport you to another realm previously visited.  Look at each hall and read the philosophy inscribed on the walls. Bottom right hall (SE) - Legalism room. Bottom left hall (SW) - Mohism room. Upper left hall (NW) - Confucianism room.  Upper right hall (NE) - Taoism room. Aside from the way we got here (South path) there are 2 other exits shown by wood slats on the wall: The East path to the docks is between the Legalism (bottom right) and the Taoism room (top right). The West path to the gazebo is between the Mohism room and Confucianism room. The paths will meet at a crossroad. During the walk through the paths, read the writings on the walkway. They are the words of Lu, the master builder.

East Path:        Exit, go forward once, left, forward to the end of the dock.

Docks - On the right, there is writing on the river. Look down to the water at the end of the dock and see a fish-koi. If you watch long enough it will jump from the water to the dock. Click on it and it will disappear - this gives the mother of pearl necessary for the elixir of immortality. Go back to the intersection of the bridge and forward until the house.

Poetry House - Read the poems accessed by clicking on the pictures on the wall. Exit through the other door. Go forward until an intersection on the bridge. The left path goes back to the 4 halls walled area.

Tangram puzzle - Continue forward at intersection until a raised area darkly shaded by the willow tree. Look to the left and forward and read the inscription on the tree trunk -the root in the form of a man helps give long life. Turn around and see a floating tangram puzzle. Arrange the colored tiles from the crane to fit the box. Double click to rotate the tiles.

Once the puzzle is finished, turn around and forward to the words on the tree trunk and see a ginseng root - another ingredient for the elixir. Click on it and it will disappear. Go forward to the next building.

Music House - Go to the slatted door at the other end of the house and do the vessel flute puzzle to open the door. Reproduce the music played. To listen to the music again, click outside the vessel flute. Click on 7, 2, 1, 2, 1, 3, 4, 5 as labeled in picture.

Automatically enter and read the inscription on the wall. Go forward until you see a telescope. This is the house seen on the river while walking around. Turn right and read the words of Lu, master builder floating on the river.

Big Dipper puzzle - Look close at the sighting tube-telescope. The aim of the puzzle is to focus on the Big Dipper by using the vertical and horizontal sliders. Move the vertical slider up (see picture) and nudge the horizontal slider until the big dipper is at the center. Immediately click on the constellation. You will be transported to a snowy mountain realm.

Sacred Mountains Realm

(archive: Myths and Rituals, Sacred Mountains) Look around and note that the compass on the right does not work. Turn right and click on gold. Turn around and cross the bridge. At the end of the bridge, see the 'the way' pool to get back to the other realms visited. Go forward, turn left and see 2 boats. Place the gold on one of the boats. Turn left 2xs and take some cinnabar. Turn right 2x and place the cinnabar on the other boat. Turn left and cross the next bridge. Go forward to the small sacred mountains reproduction. Watch the animation that showed the story of Yi, the archer, his wife Chang E, elixir of immortality, hare and the moon. This story is the same as the one seen in the theatre at the palace recreation room. The snow on the mountain reproduction disappears and the snow around you also disappears. Go back to the 'the way' pool and click on it.

Elixir of Immortality

Click on 'the way' until the Underground of the palace (sink hole area), then use the transport nodes in the map to get to the throne room and walk down to subterranean lake.

Subterranean Lake at Underground:         Get the bamboo on the small boat at the lake. Turn around, look at the bamboo pipes by the furnace and see that there is a gap. Go back to the furnace and place the bamboo on the gap of the bamboo pipes. Take the cinnabar from the small boat and go back to the furnace. Open the furnace and place the cinnabar in the furnace - the other source for mercury for the elixir. Go back to the 'the way' pool via the transport nodes in the map, jump in and go to the courtyard.

Palace Courtyard:         Go to the left waterwheel and the water transport from the subterranean lake. See the small boat with the gold get released to the river. Take gold from the boat. Go to the smelter at the Manufacturing and Crafts area. Make a gold spoon now by placing the gold in the furnace first, then coal and then fire. Take the gold spoon from the mold, see a close up and then click forward. You will get transported to the throne room.

Throne room:        See the dragon blow fire and an ornate sarcophagus rises from the platform. The closed door on the left of the platform is now open and lit. If you enter the door now it is one of the possible endings (see 1 below). Go back to the throne and turn around. See the jade circle at the back of the throne is now accessible. Enter.

Elixir of Immortality room:         Read the words of Lu, master builder - he wants you to prepare the elixir of immortality and give it to the spirit of the Earth to restore harmony to the Middle Kingdom. Look around the room and see the gold spoon floating at the center of the room.

All the panels should have all the collected ingredients for the elixir of immortality. If any of the panel is empty, go back and get them. From left to right panel:

1. Mother of Pearl from fish at dock in the Philosophy and Religion realm.

2. Jade is after solving the Compass puzzle in the Tomb's room.

3. Sacred Fungus is found floating on the 'the way' well at the sink holes in the Underground of the Palace.

4. Mercury can be from placing the cinnabar in the reaction pot at the alchemy room in the palace or the cinnabar taken from Sacred mountains and placed in the subterranean lake furnace.

5. Ginseng root is taken across the Tangram puzzle after its completion in the Philosophy and Religion realm.

If you have all of them click on either arrow and the 'elixir of immortality' will be on your cursor. Turn around and exit the elixir of immortality room.

Throne room:        Read the words of Lu, master builder. Now, decide how to end the game.

Endings

1. When you enter the door on the left wall in the throne room without making the elixir. The newsfeed shows that the Chinese Prime Minister made the capital a free-trade zone. This benefits only Hal Davis. UN is about to be dissolved. The excavation of the tomb of revealed only dust and all artifacts gone. Starvation, Ozone layer getting bigger and an earthquake in China happened.

2. After making the elixir, go to the lit door on the left wall of the throne room.  Hear Hal Davis say that if you have the potion to get out of the tomb area now because of seismic activities and you maybe trapped here. With the elixir enter the door. The newsfeed reports about the war in China, Hal Davis getting the communication monopoly in China, Amazonian rain forest destruction and Hal Davis showing signs of Immortality.

3. After making the elixir, go right, forward to the end of the right wall, turn left and see the sarcophagus of the Emperor with an earth sphere floating on top. Give the elixir of immortality to the Emperor's sarcophagus. Read the newsfeed about a reclusive leader, consolidation of Taiwan and China, the Chinese leader rise to world power, world disasters and Hal Davis.

4. After making the elixir, go right, forward to the end of the right wall, turn left and see the sarcophagus of the Emperor with an earth sphere floating on top. Give the elixir of immortality to the earth sphere. Read the newsfeed about democratic order in China, China's rejection of Hal Davis' offer to explore the tombs a second time, peace among warring countries, environmental good news and dying Hal Davis.

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