The Learned Cat
Rumours
They say a golden chain hung on the boughs of a giant tree, and a learned cat walked it, singing songs and telling tales. Now he just sits at its roots and mews: the chain has snapped...
Who: Learned Cat
Hints
Open them one at a time — from a gentle nudge to plain advice. "Good to know" is about what might trip you up.
Hint 1
The Learned Cat has lost his golden chain: its links flew off all over the forest. He'll tell you himself where to look — so listen carefully.
Hint 2
The link on the lake bed is stuck in the silt — you can't pull it out by hand. What do you use to get things from under the water?
Hint 3
The crow will never hand her link over. But what if you give her tree a good shake?
Hint 4
A lost link can be forged at the workbench. For that you need gold ore — it lies deep down, in the caves.
Hint 5
The cat likes a fish of rank: a bream, a tench, a carp, a pike, a catfish. He won't even sniff at tiddlers.
Good to know
- Cast right over the link: if the float lands off to the side, the hook won't catch it.
- Can't get a link out of the lake or the nest? The cat takes forged ones from the workbench too — even all three.
- In a shared world only one player takes a quest at a time: if someone else is helping now, wait your turn; if someone already helped today, come back next morning.
Full solution
Show the whole solution
This is the whole story of the quest, to the very end.
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Find a giant tree — a cat in spectacles sits at its roots. Walk up and press E (on a phone, the glowing action button): the cat tells you where the links of his golden chain flew off to and asks for three links and a proper fish. The links only appear in the forest after this talk.
From Cubby's diary
Under a giant tree I met a cat in spectacles. "Mrr... A golden chain upon that oak... Was a chain! It snapped." Without it he can't recall a song or a tale. Called him kitty - he took offence: "I am the Learned Cat!" He wants three links and a fish.
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One link went plop into a lake — the cat tells you which way. Cast your rod right over it (hold the button to swing back, let go to cast), and when the float twitches, press to strike: a Golden Link is on your hook. No rod? Make one at the workbench.
From Cubby's diary
One link went plop into the lake. I cast right over it - the float twitched, I struck - and a golden link was on my hook! Heavy and ringing.
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A crow carried another link off to her nest in a tall tree — the cat names the tree and the direction. Stand by the trunk and press E ("Shake the ..."): the crow flies off and the link drops into the grass — walk over and pick it up.
From Cubby's diary
A crow carried another link off to her nest. I gave her tree a good shake - "Caw! Robbery!" - off she flew, and the link tumbled out of the nest into the grass.
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The third link is lost for good — forge a new one at the workbench from four lumps of gold ore. Gold is drilled deep down in the caves. If there's no suitable lake or crow's nest nearby, the cat asks you to forge more links.
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Catch a bream, a tench, a carp, a pike, a catfish or an anglerfish — the cat turns down roach, perch and crucian carp. Dig worms with the drill in the top layer of earth. Bring the fish to the cat and press E.
From Cubby's diary
Brought the cat a fish of rank - no tiddler. "Oh, you honor me... Nom!" - and it was gone. He sits there, squinting and purring.
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Give the cat the links — one at a time is fine, also with E. Once he has all three links and the fish, the chain mends in a shower of sparks.
From Cubby's diary
Gave him all the links - the chain mended in a shower of sparks, the cat leapt onto it and remembered everything! Now of an evening he walks it: right, a song about a key; left, a tale about a chest. And they tell where things lie!
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Now come back in the evening, once the sun has set: the cat walks his chain, and with E ("Learned Cat · hear a song" or "... hear a tale") he sings a song about a key or tells a tale about a chest. Each one is a riddle about where it lies underground. By day he repeats the last one, and at night he sleeps.
Reward
Of an evening, once the sun has set, the cat walks his chain. Go up and press E: walking right, he sings a song about a key; walking left, he tells a tale about a chest. Each tells where it lies: from what landmark, how many steps, how deep. By day he repeats the last one.