Part 22: Finally, the Herzen Museum

Don Paolo's Theme (Live Version)



Okay, so, let's just get right through the DLC from before.



Mostly because, let's be honest, they're either just puzzles we've seen before in this very game or not very difficult anyway. Or both.










































Suspense









History



Alright, now we can get to the important stuff. We'll start off by talking to Krantz, since he seems to know stuff about the Herzen's that we don't yet.



Not at all. Your testimony was incredibly helpful.
Listening to you talk, I got the impression that you are well versed in Herzen family history.
Well, I suppose you could say that.
When he was still alive, Duke Herzen often favoured our fine hotel with his patronage.
I have very warm memories of his kindness towards me even when I was just a lowly bellboy.
Back when the duke was still with us, the whole town buzzed with energy and activity.
But once the mining stopped and the duke passed away, Folsense turned into a gloomy ghost town.
Who was the duke's successor? Did he have any other children?



That's really all I know about the situation, though I've heard our current duke is quite young.
Add the vampire rumours, which I'm sure you've heard, and you know everything I do.

Ah, so I guess he doesn't really know any more than we did.



We'll just head on up to the room now that Don Paolo's gone. This lets us take a photograph without him in the way, letting us finally access that puzzle next to the mirror.

Folsense



Nothing else in the hotel, so we'll go begin to hit the same ol' beaten path for the umpteenth time. Sammy's right here, so we can start with him. Mostly because we have to, since he's blocking the road.



To say thanks, I pulled some strings with the museum curator and got him to open the place up for ya.
It's not much, but maybe you'll find some righteous info there to help your case.
Make sure you check it out!
Thanks, Sam! It got pretty hair back there for a little bit, didn't it?!



Yeah, my uncle never really told me much about it all.



He did talk a lot about the brother he left behind, though. He had a real soft spot for the guy.
But now it looks like that gnarly vampire's running around the castle.
I hate to say it, but I doubt anyone survived that wicked scary monster moving in.



Oh yeah, we're not done with that diary yet, are we? Next page is open now at least.

But, hey, the museum is also open now so let's head straight there.



En route, we'll say hi to Lila though.



Actually, watching you reminded me of a fabulous puzzle I know about a dog. Listen up!

Oh, well in that case, no that's okay. Really.



Alright, NOW we'll head straight to the museum.



There is a bit to do before we enter, however. I'm sure this is a big surprise. We'll start with the fountain because we can examine it now.



It sure it. Actually, it reminds me of a really great puzzle about a fountain. Shall I tell it to you?

Later in the update, Luke. Later in the update.



So now we'll move further towards the entrance...



And stop right here. Gregorio's last puzzle did end with a "1" so I'm sure you see where this is going.



If you can solve this little chess puzzle I've set up, I'll tell you what I know about Folsense.
That sounds fair. Show me what you've got.

Puzzles Remix





1. There are multiple solutions to this one, so before you start busting your brain, try moving things around according to set your own set of rules. It beats just shuffling the piece around randomly.
2. As a general plan of attack, start by traveling around the perimeter of the board, and once you feet the time is right, head toward the center of the board.
3. This puzzle, a variant on the knight's tour, is a classic...but the depth and elegance of its solution have kept it fresh for generations.








Well, now that's just needlessly patronising. Thanks game!

Folsense



Now what was I going to say? Oh yes, the Herzens.
Way back when, Herzen Castle used to be quite the hot spot. Lavish balls would be held there.
Now, though, no one'll go near the place. The castle's supposedly got a vampire living in it.
What I wouldn't give for things to go back to the way they were.



Wow, thanks Gregorio. Next time maybe don't gate "hey there's a vampire in Herzen Castle" behind a puzzle?



Speaking of next time, that's right now since he has another puzzle for us immediately.



We can converse if you want, but first you'll have to solve this chess puzzle of mine.
Fair enough. Let's get to it.

Puzzles Remix





1. Sorry, there aren't any more good hints for us to give. Just have fun solving your way through this classic.
2. Shogi, often known as Japanese chess has a piece similar to the knight in Western chess.
However, unlike western-chess knights, shogi knights can only advance down toward the other end of the board. Perhaps Western knights were just more flexible than their Japanese counterparts.
3. If you're really stuck, take a break by setting a smaller goal. You could try getting stuck in the fewest number of moves possible, or move the knight so that it traces the shape of a letter. Better yet, combine these little games. For example, draw two Y's horizontally, then try to get your knight stuck in as few turns as possible.

For what it's worth, none of these "hints" are even hints. You may have noticed (or not, who knows!) that sometimes the games just gate trivia or nonsense behind hint coins rather than anything helpful.

More important however is that this clearly is not the last of its kind because 6x6 is not a full chessboard.








...Yes, really.

Folsense



I'm so impressed, I'm going to let you in on a secret no one else in town would spill in a hundred years.
A few years ago, an awful thing happened here in town.



Did anyone discover the source of this strange malady?
I wish I could say yes, but it's still a mystery to us.
What I do recall is that many fled the town once word of the illness got around.
But that's as much as I care to speak on that topic. You've solved all my puzzles and I'm tired.
I'm getting back to my game. Hmm, if I... No, then Knight would take Queen, that won't do...

We've wasted enough time, let's head inside the museum and see what it has for us.

History of the Village (High Quality)



Well, this is certainly different. Ahem. We'll grab the coins and talk to that guy. He's prooooobably the curator at least.



We have an extensive collection of artefacts relating to the history of this town and teh Herzen family.
Sammy told me all about you two. I hope you find our resources helpful to your investigation.
Please feel free to peruse the collection to your heart's content.



There's a couple of things we can examine but only after speaking to Grinko. I think the two here are also completely optional but let's just do them anyway.



These appear to be common household items owned by the Herzen family.
Some of them look positively ancient!
Quite. The Herzen family clearly has a long and rich family history.



More interesting and probably relevant is this statue at the back of the room.



This entire museum appears to be dedicated to celebrating his achievements, so I'd have to agree.
But wait a second... I thought Mr Beluga owned this place?
Yes, I believe that's the case.





Now that we've looked at both of these, we'll head further in. We can only go right here, even though left looks like an option too.



This room has a bit going on; there's the usual three hint coins, but there's also a photo to unlock that puzzle on the right. And then there's the two exhibits we can check out too.



We'll start with the painting up top.



I believe so, yes.
The old Duke Herzen died a while ago and left behind a massive fortune.



Sam mentioned that Mr Beluga had an older brother here.
I'd say he's likely the man at the heart of all this talk.



Oh, but then, vampires don't age normally, do they?
Hmm... I couldn't possibly comment.

So, basically, Beluga's brother may in fact be a vampire lord ruling over Folsense from his castle. That, at the end of last update, a random nebulous "that guy" got dragged to. Don't remember? Don't worry, I'm pretty sure the game doesn't either.



Instead, let's check out the other large picture in this room.



Is... this what I think it is?
It's a photograph of the entire Herzen family, who were responsible for Folsense's legendary wealth.
The distinguished older gentleman on the left is Duke Herzen.



That Fredrich... That's Mr Beluga, the founder and owner of the Molentary Express, is it not?
Oh, you know him?
Well, in addition to owning a railway, Fredrich is a friend of mine and owner of this museum.



When he left, he took a small portion of the Herzen wealth and used it to start his railway.
Yes, Fredrich is quite a study in contradictions.



Did the feud extend to all the members of the Herzen family?
No, Fredrich and Anton were always quite close.
But their relationship with their father was never the same after that fateful day...
What day was that, sir?



He was a different man after that. Something changed him.
Greed, perhaps?
Well, yes, there was that. But there was something more than greed infesting his heart.
What do you think that was?



It's not my place to speculate about what goes on in the hearts of other people.
Of course. Tell me this, though, if you can. Where is Anton now?



But I can't imagine anyone would live in a place so run down that people call it a vampire den.
Gracious, look at how long we've been chatting. I think it's time for me to get back to work.
Please look around for as long as you like.
It seems money can't solve all your problems, eh, Professor?
Mm...

Okay, now we will look around as long as we like.



Hey Grinko, we're done. We're leaving now, any ideas on what to do now? You were asking around about the Elysian Box before after all.



Yes, tht's right. Would you happen to know anything about it?
I'm sure you already know that the Elysian Box is a Herzen family heirloom.
At Mr Beluga's request, I've been researching the history of Folsense and the Herzen family.



Intriguing. What is this secret you speak of?
It's easy to ask that question when you don't know what you're getting into, Mr Layton.



Many miners used to keep little diaries down there to document their time below ground.
If you can find one of those, you'll have a first-hand account of what transpired back then.
Thank you for the advice. We'll have a look for ourselves. Come, Luke, let's head to the mine.



Another key, and a new actual goal. It sure beats yet another "I dunno, let's ask random people until we hit a plot hook" segment at least.








Folsense (Live Version)





I'm sure you know the deal by now. Its associated hidden puzzle:





1. It's tempting to think that the answer is to pay each man a coin for each day he worked, resulting in a total of five coins for A and four coins for B. But then that wouldn't be much of a puzzle would it?





1. Wordy problems like this one often have a trap buried somewhere in them. Don't get caught up in the wording. The dad walks at two feet per second, and the daughter walks at one foot per second, so for every second that passes, the distance between the two shrinks by one foot.
2. The father sets out 10 seconds after his daughter. The daughter walks at a rate of one foot per second, so she's already 10 feet ahead of her father when he starts walking. Using what you've heard from this hint and the last one, you should now know that the father catches up to his daughter in 10 seconds.





1. The puzzle asks for you to find a spout that's utterly useless, meaning the spout never gets used. Which one could that be?





And its puzzle...





1. If all you had to do to solve this puzzle was count how many books you can stack in the box before it fills up, it wouldn't be much fun. You'll need to think creatively and in three dimensions to solve this one.
2. The bottom of the box measures 30 inches by 30 inches. Each book is 20 inches by 20 inches, so you can really only fit in one if you place it flat. But if you do that, you'll be left with 10 inches on one side. Say, isn't that the exact same size as the thickness of one book?