#curse of blackmoor manor

[alibinashes]

NANCY DREW 11.  CURSE OF BLACKMOOR MANOR.

"dear ned, greetings from jolly old england! although now i'm not too sure about the jolly part. [...] i can't tell whether the butterflies in my stomach are because i'm excited, or just a tad creeped out."

[just-a-madrigal]

Brigitte with her eyes so bright

Looks toward heaven at midnight

On the longest night of year

That’s the one she holds most dear

“Starry friends,” she’s often heard to say

“How I wish that I could make you stay”

She knows though they can’t remain

Time will bring them round again

[ndconceptarchive]

Nigel Mookerjee & Jane Penvellyn

Featured Artist: Anton Bogaty

[marieziffer]

Drewtober Day 11 - CUR

@drewtober

[topeka-commission-for-the-arts]

you know what I never understood?

how these stairs never woke up everyone in the manor with the noise they made

i can imagine poor jane hearing them in her sleep because nancy decided to be nosy in the middle of the night

[milkshakewaygalaxy]

How to Trigger Spooky Events in Curse of Blackmoor Manor (SPOILERS!!!)

The last time I played CUR, I missed just about all of the spooky events I saw when I played as a kid. I decided to try to track down what triggers any “event” that takes place in Curse of Blackmoor Manor. In a new playthrough, I managed to find all the spooky events. One big difference was unlocking puzzles after the game gave you the clues (and not solving them by memory or intuition). Further details below. I hope this helps anyone in their own playthroughs whether they are playing for themselves or showing the game to a newcomer.

Nancy hears chanting after the first night. No puzzles needed.

Get the nightmare sequence by completing the 13-ghost-hunt on Alan’s computer and looking at all the portraits in the Great Hall)

To hear Linda cry, open the East Hall passageway and complete the parrot door. Walk by her room to hear sobs (I did actually go back and forth between the door and Loulou for each word)

To see meat by Linda’s bedside, I asked Linda about the passageway and eventually got kicked out after asking if I could get her anything. I opened the West Hall passageway (after getting the coat of arms from Nigel). I also saw that Nancy had to see Linda’s hand and call Paliki to follow up. I also had just come back from unlocking the forge. Whether Nancy has to unlock the forge or just be in another location is unknown (kind of like how to get food from Tommy, I order in Nancy’s room then go to the conservatory. When I go directly back to my room, the food is ready).

Nonetheless, I found that the biggest difference in my last gameplay (with few spooky events) and my latest (with a whole collection of events) was accessing the forge ASAP. I think it has to do with the letters in the forge (in one of the journals) having clues for how to solve the rest of the game. In my bad playthrough with few spooky scenes I completely forgot that notebook was there and skipped right past it.

Scratches on Nancy’s door: Go to sleep after getting the Moon key (opening the box in Nancy’s room, typing in zodiac) 

Creepy Dark figure: go to sleep after solving for the lightning key.

Nothing happened after the arrow key. Nothing after finding the time/clock key. Nothing after unlocking the mercury wand.

With the water puzzle, open the food before moving any triangles. There is something at the bottom of the well. After opening well, Jane Penvellyn gets a threatening note.

Get the Crazy Frog dream by going to Jane’s room and clicking on the chattering teeth 10 times to get an Easter egg. Read through the Frog book in Nancy’s room. Solve the Frog puzzle with the filled up well and go to sleep.

Mrs. Drake leaves charm directly after one conversation line with Hugh Penvellyn, so always check if there’s something he needs to talk about

Obtain a threatening note after obtaining the 6 keys, opening the pipes (correctly), and going directly to Nancy’s room.

Hope this guide serves as a help. I replayed puzzles and dialogue pieces half a dozen times to figure out as specifically as possible what triggered the different spooky events. Other people may have found different strategies, but I am satisfied that I found all these events on one playthrough (though with loops until I found the right combination of events).

I do have to thank HAFanForever and Arglefumph for their work in displaying these scenes in their videos. They were great reminders of events, and I discovered new ones (the Frog Easter Egg Dream). I also want to thank Arglefumph for his “Nancy Drew: Curse of Blackmoor Manor - Easter Egg” video which showed how to get the crazy frog dream.

[drewlyyours]

you wouldn’t last an hour in the asylum where they raised me

[francie-froo]

ill add this to the list of cursed nancy drew closeups. other contestants:

and ofc special mention for miss deirdre’s gorgeous bite

[strangestlove]

Nancy Drew: Curse of Blackmoor Manor

[tallteenturtle]

Nancy Drew: Curse of Blackmoor Manor

I fell down a bit of a heraldry rabbit hole recently and decided to spend several hours compiling info about the Penvellyn family off the wiki and then used online heraldry resources to analyze their individual coat of arms. Did the game devs intend the shields to be interpreted this way? Probably not. But if I dont over-analyze 20 year old childrens computer games what else am I going to do with my life??

Here are all the people whose portraits hang in the great hall along with info we learn about them from Jane (and occasionally Nigel), their coat of arms, and my amateur interpretation of the symbolism.

Randulf ( - 1401)

“Randulf the Red, so named for his bright red hair, was considered a hero at the Battle of Poitiers. For his heroism, King Edward III awarded him with the lands in the region called "Penvellyn". That's how we got our name.”

Randulf's coat of arms says "IN HOC SIGNO" which translates to "in this sign (you will conquer)"

Comet; unknown in heraldry but refers to the family treasure

Red; Military might, warrior.

(putting the rest under the cut to save you much scrolling)

Odo (1354 – 1404)

“Yeah, he isn't very exciting, really. Liked farming and cows. His son Milo is much more interesting.”

“Those Manuscripts are very old and brittle. They date back to the 14th century. Odo Penvellyn collected most of them. His father Randulf and son Milo were rather more interested in military victories than in book collecting.”

Odo's coat of arms says "PROSPERITAS" which translates to "success".

Milo (1376 – 1423)

Green; Hope, joy, loyalty

Deer/hart; One who will not fight unless provoked, peace and harmony

“Milo inherited not only his grandfather's red hair but his military prowess. Milo was instrumental in the Siege of Caen and was awarded even more lands by Henry V.”

Milo's coat of arms says "VICTUM INVIDEO SILENTE" which translates to "the conquered shall envy the dead".

Hugo (1401 – 1466)

Comet; unknown in heraldry

Red; Military might, warrior

Teardrop; “One who has endured torrents”

“Um, he had a lot of kids, and his dates were 1401 to 1466.”

Hugo's coat of arms says "CITO FIT QUOD DEI VOLUNT" which translates to "what the gods want happens soon".

Albert (1427 – 1508)

Bee; Industrious, diligent

Acorn; Antiquity, strength

Red; Military might, warrior

Green; Hope, joy, loyalty

“He was very mysterious and the people of Blackmoor were afraid of him because he knew all these scientific things. No one knows much about him, though.”

Albert's coat of arms says "TIMENDI CAUSA EST NESCIRE" which translates to "ignorance is the cause of fear".

Edmund (1447 – 1499)

Book (open); Manifestation, knowledge

Blue; Truth, loyalty

Green; Hope, joy, loyalty

“He was into cows. He did a lot of breeding of cows and sheep and got some kind of award from the King.”

Edmund's coat of arms says "UT SEMENTUM FECERIS ITA METES" which translates to "As you sow, so shall you reap".

Charles (1478 – 1553)

Hawk (Falcon): One who does not rest until objective achieved, purpose, goal-oriented

Red; Military might, warrior

Blue; Truth, loyalty

"Ooh, ooh - Charles was a very famous judge and wrote very important books on law. But his boy, Garrett, drowned when he was really young.”

Charles's coat of arms says "MINIMA MAXIMA SUNT" which translates to "The smallest things are the most important".

Thomas (1526 – 1584)

Rainbow; Good times after bad

Moon; Serene power over the mundane

Sun; Creativity and enlightenment

Blue; Truth, loyalty

“He was Charles's grandson and wrote a lot of poetry. He also had 3 wives: Catherine, Anne, and Mary. But not like at the same time. They died and he just remarried.”

Thomas's coat of arms says "AGE PRO VIRIBUS" which translates to "in all that you do, do your best".

James (1560 – 1650)

Eagle (2 heads); Joining 2 strong forces

Purple; Nobility and justice

Green; Hope, joy, loyalty

T is presumably for Thomas, no heraldic meaning

“He never married but one day, when he was very old, a baby was found on the doorstep to the manor. He took her in and raised her as his own. That was Elinor.”

James's coat of arms says "ARS LONGA" which translates to "art lives long" (from the phrase, ars longa vita brevis - art is long, life is short).

Elinor (1626 – 1650)

Maltese cross; Blessings, protection

Red; Military might, warrior

Green; Hope, joy, loyalty

Blue; Truth, loyalty

Purple; Nobility and justice

“Just that she was burned as a witch but it wasn't true and her father, James, died when he saw her die and then the family fled to France. I don't want to talk about this.”

Elinor's coat of arms says "AUDACES FORTUNA IUVAT" which translates to "fortune favors the bold".

Corbin (1670 – 1741)

Lion rampant; Courage, integrity, strength

Red; Military might, warrior

Purple; Nobility and justice

“Uh…I dunno. He doesn't have a coat of arms in the Great Hall because he didn't live here; wasn't even a British subject. That's all I know.”

Corbin's coat of arms says "NUNQUAM DEDISCEO" which translates to "never forget".

This shield is notably absent from the great hall, and also is the only one to feature decoration on the outside of the shield.

Sun; Fountain of life, intelligence, innovation, creativity, enlightenment

Wheat; Faithful

Vines/Ivy; Strong and lasting friendship, academia

Philippe (1689 – 1777)

“He made a fortune in the New World and bought back most of the lands that were confiscated by Cromwell.”

Philippe's coat of arms says "NOVUS MUNDUS" which translates to "a new world".

Penelope (1714 – 1783)

Fleur de Lis; Symbol of France

Purple; Nobility and justice

Blue; Truth, loyalty

“I don't know very much about her, except that she was very loved by practically everyone in England, and there were a million poems written about her.”

“Those are mainly Penelope Penvellyn's collections of French novels. She was a patron to a raft of artists, and her salon was quite popular. She was quite the libertine, even kept her maiden name after her marriage.”

Penelope's coat of arms says "PULCHRITUDO IN OMNIA" which translates to "there is beauty in all things".

Martha (1739 – 1791)

Pegasus; Poetic genius and inspiration

Fleur de lis; Symbol of France

Lion rampant; Courage and integrity

Wheel; fortune, cycle of life

Purple; Nobility and justice

Red; Military might, warrior

“She was completely daft - she'd wear really bizarre outfits and she was one of the first women to ride on a steam train.” (This is particularly impressive as the steam train did not exist until 10 years after her death. Oops!)

Martha's coat of arms says "SINE SCIENTIA ARS NIHIL EST" which translates to "without understanding, art is nothing".

Brigitte (1759 – 1833)

Unicorn; Extreme courage, virtue, strength.

Teardrop symbolism; “One who has endured torrents” gold means generosity or elevation of the mind.

The gear and atom are not traditional heraldic symbols but can represent progress and science.

Red; Military might, warrior

Green; Hope, joy, loyalty

Blue; Truth, loyalty

Purple; Nobility and justice

“She never married and was bonkers for astronomy; she adopted her sister's son, Richard, who later got killed at Waterloo."

Brigitte's coat of arms says "LUDI SINE GAUDIO LUDI NON SUNT" which translates to "sport without fun is not sport."

"Brigitte with her eyes so bright, looks toward heaven at midnight on the longest night of year, that's the one she holds most dear. 'Starry friends,' she's often heard to say, 'how I wish that I could make you stay.' She knows though they can't remain, time will bring them 'round again."

Only shield to have white decorations on the colored background

Star; Divine quality from above

Dove; Loving constancy and peace

Compass; Direction

Purple; Nobility and justice

Richard (1787 – 1815)

“He died in Waterloo fighting against Napoleon.”

Richard's coat of arms says "SI SIC OMNES" which translates to "if only this could last forever".

Edward (1809 – 1904)

Banner down center shield (the Pale); Military or defensive strength

Star; Divine quality from above. The specific star (nautical star) is not traditional heraldry but symbolizes finding way home.

Red; Military might, warrior

Green; Hope, joy, loyalty

Purple; Nobility and justice

“He was a big explorer and went all over the world. He wasn't very close with his son, who was also an explorer. They'd only see each other by chance in weird remote places like Samarkand or Walla Walla.”

Edward's coat of arms says "BIS VIVAT QUI BON VIVAT" which translates to "Whoever lives well lives twice".

Knight (especially on horseback); The soul guiding the body; man’s journey through life

Lightning Bolt: Swiftness and power; spiritual enlightenment.

Unicorn; Extreme courage, virtue, strength.

I dont know what the warrior with the spear and sword means

Scepter; Emblem of Justice

Green; Hope, joy, loyalty

Blue; Truth, loyalty

William (1833 – 1901)

“He was an explorer, just like his father. He was kind of a whiner, so I heard.”

William's coat of arms says "DIES PERDIDI" which translates to "another day wasted".

John (1873 – 1954)

Bend Sinister (the band across the shield); Sometimes used to indicate illegitimacy. If that is the meaning here that would be very interesting and explain why he wasnt close with his father

Red; Military might, warrior

Green; Hope, joy, loyalty

“He was this huge naturalist and did a lot of exploration in the Amazon. I think there's a plant named after him. Or maybe a monkey; I forget.”

John's coat of arms says "PER AURES AD ANIMUM" which translates to "through the ears to the spirit".

Malachi (1894 – 1972)

Parrot and mouth not traditional symbols but probably represent interest in wildlife and linguistics.

Green; Hope, joy, loyalty

Blue; Truth, loyalty

“He was a doctor of medicine and did a lot of research on icky skin diseases.”

Malachi's coat of arms says "NUMEN LUMEN" which translates to "divine light is my guide".

Alan (1923 – 1993)

Sun; Fountain of life, intelligence, innovation, creativity, enlightenment

Purple; Nobility and justice

“He was my grandfather but I didn't know him because he died when I was little. I guess he was nice.”

Alan's coat of arms says "PURGAMENTUM EXIT" which translates to "garbage out" (referencing part of a programmers' saying "garbage in, garbage out").

Serpent; Wisdom

Red; Military might, warrior

[casualgay-mer]

i am normal

[nancynancydrewdrewdrew]

damn Nancy tell us how you really feel

[ndconceptarchive]

Another GIF created by Little Jackalope as promotional material. Taken from this post on the Amateur Sleuth Blog (October 14th, 2016):

I made a cool thing! As mentioned in an earlier blog post, I’ve been working on an animated gif. [...] It’s a short animation, but that’s because I spent so much time on the bajillion bats in the scene. Yeesh. Well, it’s a “quick” animation, just for today. Next week I shall post another game animated gif. 😉

The other gif is this animation from SAW, which you can view at the link here.

And also a behind the scenes of how the bats were given silly names as a means of keeping them in order:

[fairmerthefarmer]

Anyway LouLou my beloved they could never make me hate you.

Hoping to use this as an asset for a larger illustration sometime but alas that’s too ambitious for my capacity right now

[snack-shop-boss]

Guys, gals, and non-binary pals, I really wanna live in Blackmoor Manor