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Myst V: End of Ages Hints

How do I go through the door on the smaller island?

  • 1 of 23: There's a tree-like symbol carved into its face.  (If you don't know where the island is, take another look at the initial orientation for this age -- that will give you directions to the island among other places.)
  • 2 of 23: Maybe you should try to find something that matches it.
  • 3 of 23: And you won't do that until you've solved some of the other puzzles in this age.
  • 4 of 23: Specifically, go through the initially blocked passageway in the cliff, that's to your right down the beach from the main pedestal.
  • 5 of 23: When you make it all the way to the end, you will reach Esher's lab.
  • 6 of 23: The tree symbol will be visible on the roof, next to a large lens.
  • 7 of 23: Notice that when you stand on that symbol on the roof, you hear a strange sound and can then see the door dissolve through the lens.
  • 8 of 23: But as soon as you step off of it, the door materializes again.
  • 9 of 23: You'll need to figure out some way of being near the door when it dematerializes.
  • 10 of 23: And for that, you're going to need some help here.
  • 11 of 23: Like the Bahro.
  • 12 of 23: I bet if you dropped your slate on top of the tree symbol on the roof, they would open the door for you.
  • 13 of 23: You could try to drop the slate on the tree symbol now.  But think about what happens when you leave a slate lying around.
  • 14 of 23: The Bahro will surely pick it up and return it to the main pedestal.  There's no way you're getting to the door while it's still open.
  • 15 of 23: Unless you can prevent the Bahro from picking it up.
  • 16 of 23: Think about how Esher prevents the Bahro from entering his lab.
  • 17 of 23: He said they're afraid of the snake.
  • 18 of 23: One of the drawings on the upper level of his lab shows a snake symbol.  It looks something like the letter "S" only with an extra curve looping back at the bottom.
  • 19 of 23: Draw that symbol on your slate, and now leave the slate on the tree symbol on the roof.
  • 20 of 23: The Bahro will then reappear every once in a while, step back in fear of the snake and leave the slate on the ground, only to come back and do the same thing the next minute.
  • 21 of 23: That should give you time to get to the door.  Specifically, teleport your way via the pedestal on the roof down to the pedestal on the beach, turn left, go through the passageway in the cliff, and then walk across the water to the island.  (It's shallow enough for you to cross as you're looking straight at the door from the other side of the shore, but nowhere else.)
  • 22 of 23: Once you're at the door, wait around for a few seconds -- maybe as much as a minute, but probably less -- until the doorway dissolves.  This gives you enough time to step in before the door closes.
  • 23 of 23: If the door never opens, it's possible you took too long to get there, as the slates eventually wipe themselves clean.  Try to take a more direct path to the beach.  If you need to move even faster, click and hold your mouse while holding SHIFT.  You may have also drawn the snake symbol incorrectly.  Either way, try again, and you should be able to get this.