Key & Compass presents:
Ariadne in Aeaea
by Victor Ojuel

• Map
• Walkthrough
• Extras
  • Amusing, Characters, Credits, Inventory
• Thank You to my Patreon supporters
• External links:
  • This game at IFDB, IFWiki, and ifwizz.
  • Tweet about this walkthrough on Twitter.

Map

Walkthrough

Shepherd's hut

> x me. (Ariadne of Knossos, daughter of Minos)

> i. (nude and empty-handed)

> x jug. (empty, used to have wine)

> take jug. take brooch. x it. (gold, lion rampant)

> x men. (One worth it, the other only passable.)

> x clothes. take clothes. (Your tunic isn't there.)

> x bed. look. x rack. x bread. take bread.

> x pile. pray.

> out —or— w.

Rugged hills

> x goats. (One is eating your tunic.)

> give bread to goat. take tunic.

> wear tunic. (pinning it with the brooch)

Now you can sneak back into the palace, the kitchen preferably.

> x sun. talk to sun.

> w. s. sw.

Ceremonial entrance to the palace

Your younger sister, Phaedra, as a newly-ordained potria, belittles and blackmails you.

> x sister. talk to Phaedra. g. g. g.

> x priestesses. x archers.

> w. u.

Circe's chambers

> x map. x figurines.

> x Circe. talk to Circe. g. g.

She's done with you unless you give her a reason to talk further.

> show brooch to Circe. talk to Circe.

You are now a secret agent. Circe passes a clay token and the brooch to you.

> x token. take it. take brooch. talk to Circe.

> d. w.

Palace stores

> x Satiah. talk to Satiah.

> give token to Satiah. (You get new garments.)

> take garments. x garments.

> give jug to Satiah. (You get it refilled.)

> i. (The jug's full of water.)

> drink jug. (It helps alleviate your hangover.)

> give jug to Satiah. (Again, it's filled with water.)

> talk to Satiah. talk to Satiah.

> e. e. ne. n. e. e.

Shepherd's hut

> remove tunic. wear garments.

> x bed. x rack. pull rack. x rack. x hole.

> take daidala. x it. push rack.

> w. w. s. sw. w. u.

Circe's chambers

> show daidala to Circe.

> d. e. se.

Harbour town

> x whores. x sailors. x ships. x dolphin.

> talk to whores. show brooch to whore.

> nw. ne. n. nw.

Northern crags

The goatherd isn't here until you've talked with the whore.

> x goatherd. talk to goatherd. g.

> show daidala to goatherd. d.

Pebble beach at the foot of the cliffs

> x warship. x bodies.

> talk to goatherd. (You discover a living boy among the dead.)

> x boy. talk to boy. give jug to boy. (The boy is Icarus.)

> talk to boy. show daidala to boy. talk to boy.

> u. se. s. sw. w. u.

Circe interrogates Icarus. You finally get some breakfast. And then Circe sends for you to discuss your future.

*** Thus begins the legend of Ariadne of Knossos, Mistress of the Labyrinth ***

> amusing

Extras

Amusing

This is the response to AMUSING after you've won the game:

Circe sighs, her eyes still on the setting sun.

"Praised be the Goddess, here we go. Listen, Ariadne have you tried...

• ...kissing Satiah?"
• ...kissing me (Circe)?"
• ...talking to the goat?"
• ...praying?"
• ...typing ABOUT GAME for a pedantic historical explanation?"
• ...typing ABOUT AUTHOR for insufferable authorial ego-tripping?"
• ...trying AMUSING during the game?"
• ...examining the Sun?"
• ...talking to the Sun?"
• ...examining your own eyes?"

Characters

• Ariadne of Knossos is the player-character. You are seventeen, a native of Crete, the daughter of Minos, of the royal line of Pasiphaë the Sun-Maiden, and an initiate priestess of Potinaja, the Great Goddess.
• Two shepherds are sleeping in their hut. It's clear that you had sex with both of them last night. The more handsome goatherd of the two will be seen later in the northern crags.
• A herd of goats are grazing in the pastures. One goat is munching on your tunic.
• Helios is the Sun and your grandfather. Yes, you can talk to the sun.
• Phaedra is your younger sister. Unfortunately, she has been ordained a potnia before you and is inclined to use her new status against you.
• Priestesses, archers, and oxen can be seen at the palace entrance.
• Circe is the High Priestess of Aeaea and also your aunt. She's in her chambers, has seen it all, and is not one to be trifled with.
• Satiah is a stores administrator and one of your last friends. She's from Avaris.
• Whores and sailors are working at their businesses in the harbour town. You'll talk with one of the whores, a Peleset woman.
• Icarus is a son of a daedalus, a Cretan craftsman. You find him among the dead Achaeans in the wrecked warship.

Mentioned (an incomplete list):

• Potinaja is the Great Goddess. A confirmed priestess of hers is called a potnia, and a main export from the Isle.
• The Achaeans are Northern barbarians with their own gods. Some dead Achaeans are in the wrecked warship.
• Minos, your father, has a palace in Knossos, Crete.
• Pasiphaë, the Sun-Maiden, is your mother and the Wanassa of Knossos.
• Perse is your grandmother.
• Aegle, Clymene, Rhodos, and Selene are other women that your grandfather had sexual relations with. Selene is very likely the actual moon.
• Indentured peasants, a few free settlers, and scores of slaves make up the bulk of the isle's population.
• Wanaxes are rulers; possibly this is another name for kings? The wife of a Wanax is called a Wanassa.

Credits

Ariadne in Aeaea by Víctor Ojuel
Made with Inform 7, September 2016.

Art by Ara Carrasco.

The author wishes to thank those who kindly (and bravely!) tested this game in its infancy, namely Ara Carrasco, Matthew Holland, Liz Mercuri and Andrew Schultz.

Type HELP or INSTRUCTIONS if you want instructions on how to play.
Type ABOUT AUTHOR to learn more about the author.
Type ABOUT GAME to know more about the game and its historical/mythological setting.

Inventory

• wine jug. It's in the shepherd's hut. Take it; it belongs to the palace. The brooch is in it. At palace stores, give the empty wine jug to Satiah and she'll have it refilled with water. At the pebble beach, give the jug of water to the boy.
• a lion brooch, later styled an Achaean brooch after you show it to Circe. Find it in the wine jug. You'll need it in order to wear your torn tunic. Show the brooch to Circe in her chambers. Later, show the brooch to the whore in the harbour town.
• loaf of bread. It's in the shepherd's hut. Give it to the goat outside the hut so it'll stop eating your tunic.
• tunic. Find it in the rugged hills as it's being eaten by a goat. Give the bread to the goat so you can take the tunic. Wear the tunic, using the brooch to keep it together. When you have the ceremonial garments, remove the tunic somewhere away from the palace.
• clay token. Given to you by Circe after showing the brooch to her. Give the token to Satiah in the palace stores and take the priestly garments.
• ceremonial priestly garments. Give the clay token to Satiah in palace stores; the garments will be brought to you. Take them. Away from the palace, remove the tunic and wear the garments. This will give you some authority when dealing with others.
• bull daidala. Find it in the shepherd's hut during a second visit there by looking in the hole revealed by pulling the rack. Show the daidala to Circe, to the goatherd, and to the boy.

Thank You to my Patreon supporters

This walkthrough is provided free of charge since the work it's based on has less than fifteen locations. Please consider it a thank you for your support!

I create larger walkthroughs too! Please visit my Patreon account if you're interested in helping me create more interactive fiction walkthroughs. I appreciate all the help I can get! Thanks again.