Spells · Velstraven · Morass Games Wiki

All 35 spells, in the order the game's Codex lists them. Each entry gives the three orbs of its recipe (any order), what the spell really does, every room where it helps, and how it pairs with other spells. Open an entry for the details and, when it is ready, a narrated video showing the spell at work.

Two entries differ from the game's own Codex text. Stilling ward and Rising draught replaced the earlier Protective shell and Controlled descent, and the in-game description and icon still belong to those older spells.

Directed impulseA Will-guided fireburst pushes an object briefly.

Orbs: Fire · Fire · WillTwo of one element and one of anotherAimed at the crosshair

A short directional shove on one fitting: it adds speed for an instant and then lets go. It never carries or holds anything. On the bell clapper it adds a hard swing (+2.3), warms the bearing by 12 °C and knocks a little resin loose; on the striker roller it trips the launch catch and adds 1.2 m/s (up to 4 m/s).

Aimed. Up to 10 m from the student's eyes; both the camera and the student must have a clear line to the fitting.

Where it helps

Room	What it does there
Bell chamber	Alternative. Cast at the Clapper or the Pull: each impulse swings the clapper, warms the bearing and strips some of the hard resin, so a run of impulses frees the pivot. The intended route is Heat on the Bearing and then the bell pull by hand.
The whispering stacks	Alternative lure. Cast at the Resonator (or strike it by hand): "The heat-tolerant resonator rings at its actual location." The stone listener turns toward the far aisle for about 6 seconds per strike. The intended lure is Place sound on the Whistle, which keeps sounding until dismissed.
Striker test lane	Accepted but unhelpful: "The impulse sends the roller rolling faster." Speed is the room's problem, so this only makes the roller slam the end stop harder. Use the Return lever to reset.

Silent refectory, lesson 2: one of the four spells that move the Serving trolley off the ward plate. It shoves it about 1.7 m away from you: "Directed impulse shoves the trolley off the ward plate."

Silent refectory, lesson 1: it carries Fire, so it lights the Cold hearth.

Old buttery: it knocks the Covered brazier's iron cover open ("Directed impulse knocks the iron cover up and back on its hinge."), and a second cast at the open bowl lights it, because the spell carries Fire. It also lights the Cold spit hearth.

Decorative furniture in puzzle rooms: "A harmless current rattles the …; nothing useful moves." Counts for Rattled Shelves.

Pairs with

Pairing: No combo achievement uses it.
Old buttery: Directed impulse alone settles the Covered brazier in two casts, first the cover, then the fire.
Bell chamber: casts on the Clapper can follow Heat on the Bearing to swing a clapper that is already free.

Tips

1.: The push goes the way the spell travels, away from you. If you want something to come toward you, Draw does that.
2.: Each cast is a single kick. Nothing stays on the fitting, so there is nothing to dismiss.
3.: In the Bell chamber the impulse warms the bearing as well as swinging the clapper, which is why repeated casts work there.

A room where Directed impulse is useful — Directed impulse: a few ways to use it

DrawA guided air current draws loose objects toward a point.

Orbs: Wind · Water · WillThree different elementsAimed at the crosshair

A steady pull that draws a loose fitting toward the end it is built to travel to: a slot's mouth, a ramp's tray, a parking pier, a cradle. Most pulls stay on until the job is done or you dismiss them. It only drags; it does not lift a load against gravity, which is why several rooms pair it with Suspend, Lighten or flotation first.

Aimed. Up to 10 m from the student's eyes, with a clear line from both the camera and the student.

Where it helps

Room	What it does there
Shelf passage	Intended, after Orient. Turn the Folio edge-on first; then Draw slides it spine-first through the narrow slot: "The sealed folio slides edge-first through the narrow slot." Cast on the flat folio, it only presses the broad face against the slot, but a pull left on it starts sliding the moment the folio is turned.
The upper shelf	Intended. Draw the Folio (the memento): "The sealed memento moves over the sill toward its supported descent ramp." It slides down into the desk tray in about four seconds; then take it by hand.
The sagging gallery	Intended, after Lighten. Draw the Cart toward the sound parking pier (the pull lasts 6 seconds): "The cart travels toward the sound pier." Once it stands on the pier, the cracked beam carries only you.
Projection workshop	Intended. Draw the Carriage up its rail into the level bay (a hand pull also works). Each pull lasts about 3 seconds; then lower the brake shoe and give the strip grip so it stays.
The drowned hall	Intended, after Buoyant support and water. Draw the Frame once it floats: "The wettable frame is drawn laterally toward the side cradle." It only travels while floating or held by Suspend.
Cable winding room	Alternative to the hand: Draw on the cable Tail feeds it through the open guide.
Glazed inspection room	Alternative. Draw the trailing Vine clear of the shutter eye (it stays clear for 8 seconds), then Anchor it before it springs back.
Receiving shaft room	Alternative, with Suspend. Suspend the Weight, release its catch, then Draw it: it is lowered and carried over the receiving pad.
Float test basin	Alternative, with Suspend (or once the stop floats). Draw on the Stop carries it up to the socket's height and along the side guide.
Striker test lane	Alternative, with Suspend. A suspended roller is drawn to the receiving cradle; dismiss the Suspend there so it rests.
The dark frieze	Optional lighting aid. After Suspend on the Tray, each Draw raises the tray about a metre toward the frieze (it refuses while the tray rests on its support).
Bell chamber	Accepted on the Clapper ("A pull of water drags at the wet clapper against its stiff pivot."), but it cannot free the resin.

Silent refectory, lesson 2: pulls the Serving trolley off the ward plate toward you (stand a few paces away so it has room to come).

Old buttery: pulls the iron cover of the Covered brazier open; once the spit fire burns, it also spins the vane, because it carries Wind.

Old buttery: it carries Water, so it soaks the Flagstone's seam.

Decorative furniture: rattles it (Rattled Shelves).

Pairs with

Weightless Freight: Lighten then Draw on the same fitting within 20 s. The sagging gallery's book cart does it as part of the route.
Turned and Fetched: Orient then Draw within 20 s. The Shelf passage folio does it as part of the route.
Float and Fetch: Suspend then Draw within 20 s, on the receiving shaft's weight, the float basin's stop, the drowned hall's frame or the dark frieze's tray.

Tips

1.: Draw goes toward the fitting's own destination, not toward you. Watch where the fitting is built to travel.
2.: If Draw answers that something presses or drags, the load needs support or a different angle first. Read the reply.
3.: A pull that stays on can be dismissed: aim at the fitting and middle-click (pad: B).

A room where Draw is useful — Draw: a few ways to use it

SuspendConcentrated Will holds an object aloft while allowing sideways movement.

Orbs: Will · Will · WillPure: three of one elementAimed at the crosshair

Holds a fitting's whole weight in the air where it is. It still lets the thing be moved sideways or turned, so it pairs with Draw and Orient. The hold lasts until you dismiss it. It does not push or lift anything on its own.

Aimed. Up to 10 m, clear line from camera and student.

Where it helps

Room	What it does there
The choked cistern	Intended. Suspend the fallen Trellis ("The hinged trellis's weight is held."), then turn it up with Orient or by hand. Loaded, it binds at its hinge.
The sealed keepsake	Alternative. Suspend the Lid; the clasp is then unloaded and Sever can cut it, and the lid turns up on its hinge. The intended route uses Lighten and the lever.
Receiving shaft room	Alternative. Suspend the Weight, release its shelf catch ("The weight leaves the shelf while its air support bears it."), then Draw it over the receiving pad.
Float test basin	Alternative to Buoyant support. Suspend the Stop and Draw it: it rides up to the socket's height and along the guide.
The drowned hall	Alternative to flotation. Suspend the Frame and Draw it to the side cradle; or Suspend it as the independent support that lets Sever cut its straps.
Striker test lane	Alternative. Suspend the Roller (this also lets go of it), Draw it to the cradle, then dismiss the hold so it rests.
The dark frieze	Optional lighting aid: holds the Tray off its support so Draw can raise the planted light toward the frieze.
Bell chamber	Accepted on the Clapper (its weight is held), but the fouled pivot still resists. It does not free the bell.

Silent refectory, lesson 2: lifts the Serving trolley and holds it above the ward plate.

Old buttery: lifts the brazier cover's edge and holds it open.

Pure recipe: binding it earns Pure Recipe, and casting it counts toward Five Purities.

Pairs with

Held and Turned: Suspend then Orient within 20 s. The choked cistern's trellis does it as part of the route.
Float and Fetch: Suspend then Draw within 20 s (receiving shaft weight, float-basin stop, drowned-hall frame, frieze tray).
Light as a Feather: Lighten then Suspend within 20 s, on the bell clapper, the keepsake lid or the cistern trellis.

Tips

1.: Suspend holds; it never moves. Follow it with Draw to carry or with Orient to turn.
2.: A suspended load stays put until you dismiss it (middle click, pad B, aimed at it). Some rooms only finish once the load is set down again.
3.: Three Will orbs: the only pure Will recipe.

A room where Suspend is useful — Suspend: a few ways to use it

OrientWill steers a water-balanced object around its centre or hinge.

Orbs: Water · Will · WillTwo of one element and one of anotherAimed at the crosshair

Turns a fitting about its own pivot by one detent per cast (a quarter turn for most; a hood, elbow or valve steps to its next position) without moving it from its place. Most turnable fittings also turn by hand (E) or with Turn (X); Orient is the reach-from-afar version, and on a few it is the only turn.

Aimed. Up to 10 m, clear line from camera and student. Hand turns only reach 2.4 m.

Where it helps

Room	What it does there
Vent antechamber	Intended. Orient the Hood so its draft breathes up the wall instead of onto the door: "The hood turns; its draft now breathes away from the door, up the wall." A hand turn does the same.
Shelf passage	Intended. Orient the Folio edge-on so its spine lines up with the slot, then Draw it out. Turn (X) at hand reach does the same.
Pendulum maintenance bay	Intended. While the inspection Brake is held (it holds 4 seconds after a press), Orient the Arm onto the service bracket: "The supported arm turns toward the service bracket." Only Orient turns the arm.
Water-junction room	Intended. Orient the Elbow so its bend falls from source to receiver, then open the stop. Hand works too.
The choked cistern	Intended, after Suspend or Lighten on the Trellis: each cast turns it further (four casts stand it up).
The stalled orrery	Intended for the Inner ring (three casts). Also turns any ring once the strap is cut; hand and handwheels do the same.
The cold furnace ducts	Intended. Orient the Branch valve so its outlet leads down to the door jacket (hand works too).
The sealed keepsake	Turns the Lid up once the latch is free and its weight is carried (hand does the same).
Reverse-view alcove	Alternative to the hand: turns the marker Ornament one quarter per cast.
The ward register	Alternative to the hand: turns a routing ring to its next outlet.
The dark frieze	Alternative to Turn (X): turns an ornament on its base.
Alignment records room	Alternative to the hand: turns the Wheel (or its Face) on its pivot.
Cable winding room	Alternative: Orient on the Crank counts as a stroke, both demonstrating it and winding cable.
Counterweight repair room	Alternative: swings the Brake lever like a hand.
Glazed inspection room	Alternative: opens the inspection Shutter once the foliage is cleared.
The smoke portrait	Alternative: swings the Shutter across the competing window.

Every puzzle room's Reading shutter swings open or shut under Orient, exactly as by hand.

Old buttery: it carries Water, so it soaks the Flagstone's seam.

Pairs with

Held and Turned: Suspend then Orient within 20 s (the choked cistern's trellis, in the route).
Turned and Fetched: Orient then Draw within 20 s (the Shelf passage folio, in the route).
Set and Hold: Orient then Anchor within 20 s. In the Pendulum maintenance bay, Orient the arm onto the bracket and Anchor it there.

Tips

1.: One cast is one detent. Count the turns, and read the fitting's line after each one; most say how far off they still are.
2.: Orient never shifts a fitting along; to move it, use Draw.
3.: A loaded or latched fitting refuses to turn. Take its weight first (Suspend, Lighten) or free the latch.

A room where Orient is useful — Orient: a few ways to use it

AnchorLiving fibres swell with water and anchor an object briefly.

Orbs: Growth · Growth · WaterTwo of one element and one of anotherAimed at the crosshair

Grows a root cuff that holds a fitting fast to a pad or foot it is already touching. It stops movement; it never pulls anything into place. If the two surfaces are not yet in contact the spell refuses and says so. The cuff stays until dismissed.

Aimed. Up to 10 m, clear line from camera and student.

Where it helps

Room	What it does there
The stalled orrery	Intended. Anchor the Outer pad so the outer rim is held; with the clutch engaged, the drive then carries the middle ring on alone: "A root cuff holds the rim at its contacting service pad."
The warmth-seeking vine	Intended, but optional. Once the new stem has grown into the outer trellis saddle, Anchor the Stem: "Roots secure the contacting stem to the trellis foot." The trellis catch by hand does the same job (Unanchored).
The counterweight lift	Used by the route: when the car reaches the landing, Anchor the Shoe so the car is held while you work the landing catch by hand. The catch is what carries the car.
Projection workshop	Alternative to the brake shoe and grip. Once the carriage reaches the stone bearing pad, Anchor the Carriage: "Roots join the base to the contacting stone pad."
Glazed inspection room	Alternative to Sever. Within 8 seconds of drawing the trailing Vine aside, Anchor it: "The displaced branch cuffs to the contacting espalier foot."
Pendulum maintenance bay	Alternative to Tether. When the arm's service pads touch, Anchor the Arm: "A root cuff grips the contacting service pads."
Door service antechamber	Alternative to Brace. While the door is held wide open by hand, Anchor the Door to its open bearing pad.

Old buttery: it carries Water, so it soaks the Flagstone's seam.

Pairs with

Set and Hold: Orient then Anchor on the same fitting within 20 s. The Pendulum maintenance bay arm is the natural place.
Glazed inspection room: Draw then Anchor on the trailing vine.
Stalled orrery: Anchor the outer pad, engage the clutch, then Repeat motion on the drive.

Tips

1.: If Anchor refuses, the thing is not touching its pad yet. Move it into contact first (Orient, Draw, or wait for growth), then cuff it.
2.: In the Glazed inspection room the drawn vine only stays aside for about 8 seconds; bind Anchor beside Draw before you start.
3.: The Warmth-seeking vine is the one room where skipping Anchor earns something: Unanchored.

A room where Anchor is useful — Anchor: a few ways to use it

TetherWill shapes living growth into a flexible tether between two chosen objects.

Orbs: Growth · Growth · WillTwo of one element and one of anotherAimed at the crosshair

Grows a flexible, length-limited line between the targeted fitting and a fixed eye nearby. It carries pull (tension) only, never push. It refuses when the second point is out of its short reach. The line stays until dismissed.

Aimed. Up to 10 m; the fitting must be within a short line's length of its partner eye.

Where it helps

Room	What it does there
Counterweight repair room	Intended. With the counterweight up on its shelf, Tether the Connector: "A tension link joins the two exposed eyes." Then fold the shelf and free the brake; the counterweight lifts the car.
The whispering stacks	Intended. Tether the Panel so lifting the ledger does not rattle it: "A tension line restrains the specific rattling service panel."
The counterweight lift	Intended. Tether the Guide eye to stop the car swinging: "The length-limited lateral line restrains sway while allowing the final rise." The guide roller's handwheel does the same by hand.
Pendulum maintenance bay	Intended. With the brake held and the arm at the bracket, Tether the Eye: "The line opposes the pendulum's return from its service endpoint."
Door service antechamber	Alternative to Brace. With the door open, Tether the Eye: "A taut line opposes the return weight."

Pairs with

Pairing: No combo achievement uses it.
Counterweight repair room: Tether the connector, fold the shelf, release the brake, then catch the car.

Tips

1.: Tether needs both ends close. In the Counterweight repair room, wind the weight back up with the windlass if its eye has dropped away.
2.: It only resists being pulled apart. Anything that needs propping open from below wants Brace instead.

A room where Tether is useful — Tether: a few ways to use it

LightenAir and Will reduce an object's weight without lifting it.

Orbs: Wind · Wind · WillTwo of one element and one of anotherAimed at the crosshair

Takes part of a fitting's weight off without lifting or steering it; its mass and inertia remain. Strength depends on the fitting: half the dumbwaiter car's weight, 45% of the lift car's, the book cart's beam load down to 40%. It stays until dismissed. Lightening the wrong side of a balance makes things worse.

Aimed. Up to 10 m, clear line from camera and student.

Where it helps

Room	What it does there
The counterweight lift	Intended. Lighten the Car so the 100 kg counterweight outweighs it, then free the brake: "Partial air lift reduces the car's effective weight; its full inertia remains." Lightening the Counterweight instead weakens its pull.
The sagging gallery	Intended. Lighten the Cart before drawing it; it eases both the cart's load on the cracked segment and its friction.
The sealed keepsake	Intended. Lighten the Lid; the lever can then take what is left and withdraw the bent latch.
Counterweight repair room	Optional. Lightening the Car makes the counterweight lift it faster. Lightening the Counterweight halves its pull, so the car rises slower or not at all.
The drowned hall	Alternative route. After the straps are cut, Lighten the Panels so each grille panel slides by hand.
The choked cistern	Alternative to Suspend. Lighten the Trellis, then turn it up by hand or with Orient.
Bell chamber	Accepted on the Clapper (its gravity torque drops), but it does not free the resin.

Silent refectory, lesson 2: the trolley turns basket-light and the springing ward plate rolls it off.

Old buttery: the brazier cover turns light and its counterweight swings it open; once the spit fire burns, it spins the vane (Wind).

Decorative furniture: rattles it (Rattled Shelves).

Pairs with

Weightless Freight: Lighten then Draw within 20 s. The sagging gallery's cart route does it.
Light as a Feather: Lighten then Suspend within 20 s, on the bell clapper, the keepsake lid or the cistern trellis.

Tips

1.: Lighten never moves anything by itself. Something else has to do the moving: a counterweight, a pull, your hand.
2.: On a balance, lighten the side that must rise, never the side that should pull.

A room where Lighten is useful — Lighten: a few ways to use it

Repeat motionWill drives a warmed mechanism through one demonstrated movement.

Orbs: Fire · Will · WillTwo of one element and one of anotherAimed at the crosshair

Sets a heat-driven piston repeating one stroke you have already shown it by hand. It cannot invent a motion: with no demonstration it refuses. It keeps going until dismissed (or until the work locks in).

Aimed. Up to 10 m, clear line from camera and student.

Where it helps

Room	What it does there
Cable winding room	Intended. Line up the guide, feed the tail, crank once by hand to show the stroke, then Repeat motion on the Drive: "Heat drives the demonstrated crank stroke." It winds the drum about 0.45 per second until the cable is taut; then release the clutch. Cranking five times by hand also works.
The stalled orrery	Intended. After the crank has shown the coupled stroke, the outer pad is anchored and the clutch engaged, Repeat motion on the Drive advances the middle ring one detent every 2 seconds. Dismiss it after one stroke.
Bell chamber	Refused: "This hand-operated clapper has no compatible thermal drive for repeating a stroke."

It carries Fire, so it lights the refectory's Cold hearth and the buttery's spit hearth and opened brazier.

Pairs with

Pairing: No combo achievement uses it. Stalled orrery: Anchor the outer pad, engage the clutch, Repeat motion, then dismiss.

Tips

1.: Show the stroke first: crank once by hand, then cast at the drive, not at the crank.
2.: In the Stalled orrery it keeps stroking every 2 seconds. Dismiss it as soon as the middle ring has moved once, or it carries the ring past its mark.

A room where Repeat motion is useful — Repeat motion: a few ways to use it

HeatFire wakes living ember-roots that carry heat into a material.

Orbs: Fire · Fire · GrowthTwo of one element and one of anotherAimed at the crosshair

Adds heat over time to the targeted material, and what happens next depends on the material: resin softens and runs, frost thaws, a reservoir warms, a dry flame blossom relights. Treatments on a heater or shoe keep heating until dismissed (the Bell chamber's bearing heads for 95 °C; the latch frame for 90 °C). A one-off cast on a living joint adds a burst of heat that fades slowly.

Aimed. Up to 10 m, clear line from camera and student.

Where it helps

Room	What it does there
Bell chamber	Intended. Heat the Bearing: "Heat enters the resin-fouled bearing." Above about 55 °C the resin runs out; after roughly 7–9 seconds the clapper swings free and a pull by hand rings the bell.
The warmth-seeking vine	Intended. Heat only the Far shoe, under the empty outer trellis; the vine's live tip leans toward the warmth as it grows. Heating the Near shoe pulls it back toward the stair, and both warm cancel out.
The cold furnace ducts	Intended. Heat the Heater shoe under the reservoir ("Heat enters the reservoir through its ceramic shoe."); the warm water is then piped to the door jacket. Alternative: open the inspection Panel by hand and Heat the Pad behind it to thaw the latch directly.
Thermal latch vestibule	Alternative to Chill. Heat the Frame ("The exposed frame warms at its service pad.") until the swollen latch fits it again, then draw the latch by hand.
The dark frieze	Relights a soaked flame blossom in the Tray: "The blossom dries and its flame returns."
Botanical stair vestibule	Harmful in quantity. Each cast at the Root cup adds 25 °C; past about 80 °C the leaves curl and the tread draws back in. One cast is harmless.
The choked cistern	Harmful. Heat dries a quenched fire Blossom; dried fully (two casts) it relights and triggers the flood sensor again.

Reading lamp in any puzzle room: "Heat lights the reading lamp; its flame stays alight."

Wall torches (two per room shell, plus the Entrance court's corner torches): relights one that water put out. Cosmetic; it never counts as a room cast.

Decorative furniture: "Heat freckles the … with soot, but its university ward keeps it intact." (Freckled with Soot). Cleanse surface scours it off again.

Silent refectory and Old buttery: lights the Cold hearth, the spit hearth and the opened brazier.

Pairs with

A Warm Bath: Supply liquid then Heat on the same fitting within 20 s. Easiest on a reading lamp: light it, douse it with Supply liquid, relight it with Heat. The dark frieze's planted blossom works too.
Cold furnace ducts: Heat the reservoir, Conduit the broken tube, Orient the branch, open the stop.

Tips

1.: Heat takes time. Watch the fitting's line change ("warm and softening") rather than recasting.
2.: Where a heater stays on, dismiss it (middle click, pad B) when the job is done.
3.: In the Warmth-seeking vine, warm one side only. The vine leans to the warm side, and two warm shoes leave it nothing to favour.

A room where Heat is useful — Heat: a few ways to use it

ChillWater-fed growth draws heat away; freezable liquid can turn to ice.

Orbs: Growth · Water · WaterTwo of one element and one of anotherAimed at the crosshair

Draws heat out of the targeted material through a cold wick. It can freeze water that is already there, but it never makes water. On the thermal latch it pulls the brass toward 0 °C quickly (about 12 °C a second) until dismissed.

Aimed. Up to 10 m, clear line from camera and student.

Where it helps

Room	What it does there
Thermal latch vestibule	Intended. Handle the Isolation lever, then Chill the Latch: "A contacting cold wick draws heat from the latch." Within a few seconds it shrinks back to within 15 °C of its frame, and the latch draws by hand: "The latch withdraws through its restored clearance."

Old buttery, Flagstone over the ice-well, step 2: once water fills the seam, Chill is the only spell that heaves the stone: "Chill freezes the water in the seam; the ice swells and heaves the flagstone up out of its bed." On a dry seam: "Chill frosts the dry seam. There is no water in it yet to freeze."

Decorative furniture: water beads and runs off (Rinsed).

Pairs with

Old buttery: any Water spell (Supply liquid is the plainest) into the flagstone's seam, then Chill.

Tips

1.: Chill needs something to cool or freeze. On a dry seam it only frosts the stone, so wet it first.
2.: In the Thermal latch vestibule, the isolation lever stops the failed heat branch from warming the latch again after you dismiss the wick.

A room where Chill is useful — Chill: a few ways to use it

Supply liquidThree Water orbs pour a short dose onto a visible receiver.

Orbs: Water · Water · WaterPure: three of one elementAimed at the crosshair

Pours a short, bounded dose of ordinary water onto the receiver you aim at. The dose suits the vessel: a quarter litre into a goblet, half a litre washing a lens, 1,000 litres into the float basin, 5,000 into the drowned hall. It also quenches flames and wets living roots. It cannot fill anything past its rim.

Aimed. Up to 10 m, clear line from camera and student.

Where it helps

Room	What it does there
Resonance laboratory	Intended. Four casts into the Left goblet (0.5 → 1.5 L) and four into the Right goblet (0 → 1.0 L) bring their reeds to the reference; then ring each goblet by hand and pull the comparison lever.
The choked cistern	Intended. Quench both fire Blossoms: "Water quenches the blossom seen by the protective inlet sensor." That stops the flood inlet.
Float test basin	Intended, after Buoyant support. Six casts into the Basin (2,000 → 8,000 L) float the stop up to the socket's height.
The drowned hall	Intended, after Buoyant support. Four casts into the Basin (14,000 → 34,000 L) float the fallen frame off the passage floor.
The warmth-seeking vine	Intended. Four casts into the Root (irrigation cup) fill it; with the far shoe warm, the stem drinks and grows toward the outer trellis.
Botanical stair vestibule	Alternative to Expand. Three casts into the Root cup let the living joint drink and slowly unfold the tread (A Stair Without Swelling).
Lens-cleaning room	Alternative to Cleanse surface. Two casts at the Lens wash the soluble chalk into the trough.
The dark frieze	Quenches the planted flame blossom in the Tray (Heat relights it).
Water-junction room	Adds 2 L to the Source tank. The room's real problem is the high pipe bend, not the water.
The cold furnace ducts	Adds 8 L to the Source (reservoir). Not needed; the reservoir starts with enough.

Silent refectory, lesson 3: the only spell that fills the Dry rinse basin: "Supply liquid pours water into the basin; the brass float rises on its chain."

Wall torches: "Supply liquid drowns the wall torch: steam hisses off the wick and its light dies." Cosmetic; stays out until relit with Heat.

Reading lamp: drowns a lit lamp (a planted Place light blossom keeps glowing).

Old buttery: soaks the Flagstone's seam for Chill.

Decorative furniture: "Water beads across the … and runs harmlessly to the floor." (Rinsed)

Pure recipe: Pure Recipe and Five Purities.

Pairs with

Fill and Drain: Supply liquid then Draw off liquid on the same fitting within 20 s, e.g. a Resonance laboratory goblet.
A Warm Bath: Supply liquid then Heat on the same fitting within 20 s (a lit reading lamp, the frieze's blossom).
Pairing: Buoyant support then Supply liquid, in both float rooms.

Tips

1.: Count your casts. Each one is a fixed dose, and the fitting's line says whether it now holds too little or too much.
2.: An overfilled goblet can be corrected with Draw off liquid, or by hand.
3.: The 0.65 s recovery is per spell, so you can alternate two spells faster than you can repeat one.

A room where Supply liquid is useful — Supply liquid: a few ways to use it

Draw off liquidAir lifts water from a surface or vessel into a visible collector.

Orbs: Wind · Water · WaterTwo of one element and one of anotherAimed at the crosshair

Lifts water out of a vessel or surface and carries it, visibly, to that room's receiver: a goblet's into the basin, a basin's into its lower receiver. It moves water; it never deletes it. A dry target answers that there is nothing to take.

Aimed. Up to 10 m, clear line from camera and student.

Where it helps

Room	What it does there
Resonance laboratory	Intended. Four casts at the Middle goblet (1.5 → 0.5 L), a quarter litre each: "Lifted water leaves the goblet for the basin; its dark reed moves." Turn (X) at hand reach drains a goblet the same way.
Float test basin	Correction. Draws 1,000 L from the Basin into the lower receiver if you overfilled it.
The drowned hall	Correction. Draws 5,000 L from the Basin into the receiver.
Water-junction room	Moves 2 L from the Source straight to the receiver, but the room only counts water that flows through the pipe.
The cold furnace ducts	Moves reservoir water to the return basin: a waste, not a help.

New journeys start with its orbs already set (Wind, Water, Water), so it is the first recipe most players bind.

Silent refectory: "Draw off liquid finds no water here to draw: the basin is dry."

Old buttery: once the spit fire burns, it spins the vane (it carries Wind). On the flagstone it only draws at the seam.

Decorative furniture: water beads and runs off (Rinsed).

Pairs with

Fill and Drain: Supply liquid then Draw off liquid on the same goblet within 20 s.

Tips

1.: Each cast moves one fixed dose, the same size as Supply liquid's in that room, so the two undo each other exactly.
2.: Nothing is lost: the drawn water lands in the room's basin or receiver, where you can see it.

A room where Draw off liquid is useful — Draw off liquid: a few ways to use it

Slick surfaceHeated living resin makes a bounded surface slippery.

Orbs: Fire · Growth · WillThree different elementsAimed at the crosshair

Spreads a glossy film that cuts friction on a bounded surface. It never pushes anything; something else has to move the load. Laid on a surface that should hold, it undoes the grip.

Aimed. Up to 10 m, clear line from camera and student.

Where it helps

Room	What it does there
The sagging gallery	Optional helper. Slick the Cart's track, then Draw it: "The track turns slick under the runners; the cart does not move by itself." Lighten does the same job and also eases the beam.
Projection workshop	Harmful. On the Strip it replaces any grip, so the carriage slides back across the hatch. Recover with Grip surface.

It carries Fire: it lights the refectory's Cold hearth, the buttery's spit hearth and the opened brazier.

Decorative furniture answers with a ward-glimmer (Ward-Glimmer).

Pairs with

Second Thoughts: Slick surface then Grip surface on the same surface within 20 s. The Projection workshop's Strip is the place.

Tips

1.: Slick surface has very little puzzle use. Its job here is mostly to show what the opposite of Grip surface does.
2.: If a load starts sliding the wrong way after you slick something, cast Grip surface on the same surface.

A room where Slick surface is useful — Slick surface: a few ways to use it

Grip surfaceFire tempers wet growth into a grippy surface resin.

Orbs: Fire · Growth · WaterThree different elementsAimed at the crosshair

Sets a rough traction mat of resin on a surface, so whatever slides across it drags. It does not glue anything still; a moving load slows on it.

Aimed. Up to 10 m, clear line from camera and student.

Where it helps

Room	What it does there
Striker test lane	Intended. Grip surface on the Strip, then release the roller: "The traction mat resists the loaded skid beneath the roller." The skid drags to a stop in the cradle instead of slamming the end stop.
Projection workshop	Intended. With the carriage in the bay and its brake Shoe lowered by hand, Grip surface on the Strip: "A sealed traction mat forms on the strip beneath the brake shoe." The shoe bites and holds it clear of the hatch.
Drip-ladder passage	Alternative. Grip surface on the wet Rungs: "Sealed traction treads adhere to the broad wet rung tops." The ladder is then safe to climb.

It carries Fire and Water: in the Old buttery it lights the spit hearth or opened brazier, and it soaks the flagstone's seam.

Decorative furniture: ward-glimmer.

Pairs with

Second Thoughts: Slick surface then Grip surface on the same strip within 20 s (Projection workshop).

Tips

1.: Treat the surface before the load arrives. On the striker lane, grip the strip before you release the catch.
2.: Grip is not a brake by itself in the projection workshop: the shoe must be down for the mat to hold the carriage.

A room where Grip surface is useful — Grip surface: a few ways to use it

SeverConcentrated fire severs an exposed connection or thin obstacle.

Orbs: Fire · Fire · FirePure: three of one elementAimed at the crosshair

A white-hot cut that parts one thin, exposed binding (a stem, strap, clasp or vine) against a solid backing. It cannot cut walls or structure, and it refuses where a cut would drop an unsupported load or catch a moving part.

Aimed. Up to 10 m, clear line from camera and student.

Where it helps

Room	What it does there
Glazed inspection room	Intended. Sever the Stem: "The thin stem parts against the stone backstop." Then clear the foliage by hand and open the shutter.
The choked cistern	Alternative route. Sever the Drain vine ("The thin fouling vine parts beside the outflow handwheel."), then open the Drain by hand; once the cistern runs low, the student walks out across the dry bed.
The stalled orrery	Alternative route. With the mechanism brake still on, Sever the Strap; the rings then turn one by one by hand. With the brake off it refuses: "The moving drive strap cannot be cut safely against its backing."
The drowned hall	Alternative route. With the blocks seated under the panels (or the frame suspended), each cast parts one of the three straps. Unsupported, it refuses: "The loaded joint shifts: its panels have no independent support."
The sealed keepsake	Alternative. Once Suspend (or the lever) has taken the lid's load off it, Sever the Clasp. Loaded, it refuses.

Decorative furniture: soot (Freckled with Soot).

It is pure Fire: it lights the refectory hearth and the buttery's spit hearth and opened brazier.

Pure recipe: Pure Recipe and Five Purities.

Pairs with

Pairing: No combo achievement uses it. Drowned hall alternative: Handle the blocks, Sever three straps, Lighten the panel row, slide each panel by hand.

Tips

1.: If Sever refuses, it says why: unload the binding or stop the machine first.
2.: A cut cannot be undone by dismissing. Look before you cut.

A room where Sever is useful — Sever: a few ways to use it

JoinTwin fires fuse compatible touching edges in an air-fed weld.

Orbs: Wind · Fire · FireTwo of one element and one of anotherAimed at the crosshair

Welds two compatible steel ends that are already pressed together into a load-bearing joint. The weld is hot (120 °C) and must cool below 50 °C (a few seconds) before it carries load. It refuses if the ends are apart or the line can creep.

Aimed. Up to 10 m, clear line from camera and student.

Where it helps

Room	What it does there
Counterweight repair room	Alternative to Tether. With the weight's eye up at the connector, Handle the Clamp closed, keep the Brake on, then Join the Connector (or the clamp): "The contacting steel seam welds; the pan catches the hot runoff." Each missing condition is named in its refusal.
The counterweight lift	Alternative to Lighten. With the Brake on and the Clamp closed, Join the Chain; once the joint cools, Handle the Auxiliary weight so the counterweight outweighs the car.

Old buttery: it carries Fire and Wind, so two casts at the Cold spit hearth settle it alone. The first lights the fire; the second drives a draught up the hood and spins the vane.

Decorative furniture: soot.

Pairs with

Pairing: No combo achievement uses it. Counterweight lift alternative: Join the chain, then hang the auxiliary weight.

Tips

1.: Clamp and brake first; Join only welds ends that touch and hold still.
2.: Wait for the seam to cool before you load it.

A room where Join is useful — Join: a few ways to use it

ExpandFire flashes water to steam and unfolds a responsive object.

Orbs: Fire · Fire · WaterTwo of one element and one of anotherAimed at the crosshair

Flashes water to steam inside a responsive object so it swells and unfolds within its built limits. It cannot enlarge ordinary matter.

Aimed. Up to 10 m, clear line from camera and student.

Where it helps

Room	What it does there
Botanical stair vestibule	Intended. Expand the steam Bladder under the living joint: "A steam bladder swells and unfolds the jointed tread." The tread opens over about five seconds; climb it and open the return latch. Three Supply liquid casts into the root cup do the same without it (A Stair Without Swelling).

Old buttery: its Water soaks the Flagstone's seam ("The water in Expand runs into the seam…"); its Fire lights the spit hearth or opened brazier.

Decorative furniture: soot.

Pairs with

Pairing: No combo achievement uses it.

Tips

1.: Expand has one puzzle use. Elsewhere fittings answer that they are not built to unfold.
2.: Skip it in the Botanical stair vestibule if you want A Stair Without Swelling.

A room where Expand is useful — Expand: a few ways to use it

SpanAir spreads living growth into a span between nearby supports.

Orbs: Wind · Growth · GrowthTwo of one element and one of anotherAimed at the crosshair

Unrolls a woven, load-bearing deck between two sound supports on either side of a gap. Both ends must sit on solid stone. It stays until dismissed; a span with the student on it refuses to be dismissed.

Aimed. Up to 10 m, clear line from camera and student.

Where it helps

Room	What it does there
The broken balcony	Intended. Span the broken walkway: "The rising woven deck seats on the near pier and far coping." Walk across and take in the outlook.
The choked cistern	Intended. Span the ledge gap and the island gap (crosshair: Span 0 and Span 1): "The woven bridge seats on two load-bearing stone supports." The student walks out over them.
The sagging gallery	Alternative way round the cracked beam: "The woven bridge connects the sound balcony supports around the loaded segment."
The warmth-seeking vine	Alternative bypass of the vine: span the side gap to the upper maintenance walk.

Old buttery: once the spit fire burns, it spins the vane (Wind).

Decorative furniture: rattles it.

Pairs with

Pairing: No combo achievement uses it. Choked cistern: quench both blossoms, span both gaps, Suspend and Orient the trellis.

Tips

1.: Aim at the gap's marked fitting, not open air: Span needs the second support to be part of the room.
2.: In the choked cistern, leave both spans in place until the student has crossed.

A room where Span is useful — Span: a few ways to use it

Climbing growthWill directs water into climbable growth on a suitable surface.

Orbs: Water · Water · WillTwo of one element and one of anotherAimed at the crosshair

Will steers water up a bare wall and freezes it into a short ladder of holds you can climb. It only takes on walls a room offers as a climb, and it stays until dismissed. To climb, face the holds and press forward (back to go down, jump to push off); at the top, keep pressing forward to step off.

Aimed. Up to 10 m at a room's Wall fitting. In the Teaching court and conservatory, aim at the masonry under the enclosure actuator from within 7 m.

Where it helps

Room	What it does there
Shelf passage	Alternative. Holds on the Wall reach the rear service landing; from there the folio lifts off the open rear of the shelf by hand.
The upper shelf	Alternative. Holds reach the rear maintenance shelf; take the memento from behind.
Drip-ladder passage	Alternative. "Textured frozen holds form on the dry masonry beside the ladder." Climb them instead of the wet ladder.
The sagging gallery	Alternative. Holds climb beside the far stone pier, so you never load the cracked beam.
The whispering stacks	Alternative. Holds reach the service return ledge.
The warmth-seeking vine	Alternative. Holds climb to the side maintenance walk, bypassing the vine.
The counterweight lift	Alternative. Holds lead from the maintenance platform to the upper landing; open the gate there without fixing the lift.
The dark frieze	Optional: holds give a way up to the maintenance ledge for a closer look at the frieze.

Teaching court and conservatory (chapter 2 hub): holds on the masonry below the enclosure's hand actuator: "The finite masonry holds change the route to the enclosure actuator." The botanical stair's treads reach it too.

Old buttery: its Water soaks the Flagstone's seam.

Pairs with

Pairing: No combo achievement uses it.

Tips

1.: It is the most common bypass in the game: many rooms with a Wall fitting accept it.
2.: A climb is not a repair. In the Counterweight lift it takes you past the broken lift, which stays broken.

A room where Climbing growth is useful — Climbing growth: a few ways to use it

BraceConcentrated growth raises a rigid brace from solid ground.

Orbs: Growth · Growth · GrowthPure: three of one elementAimed at the crosshair

Drives a rigid rootwood strut out of solid ground against a fitting to hold it in compression. It cannot pull, and it needs the thing already where it should stay; it stays until dismissed.

Aimed. Up to 10 m, clear line from camera and student.

Where it helps

Room	What it does there
Door service antechamber	Intended. Push the door open by hand, then Brace the Sill while it is still open: "A compression prop holds the lower rib clear." Carry the replacement handle through to the far mount.
Vent antechamber	Alternative to turning the hood. With the door open past a hand's width, Brace the Sill: "The prop bears against the lower door rib and holds the door open against the draft." Too early: "The rib is too close to the sill for a person-wide opening."
The sagging gallery	Alternative. Brace the cracked beam from its Stone footing: "A rooted compression brace reaches the beam from its solid base." The beam then carries the cart and you.

Pure recipe: Pure Recipe and Five Purities.

Decorative furniture: ward-glimmer.

Pairs with

Pairing: No combo achievement uses it.

Tips

1.: Open first, then prop: a self-closing door swings back in a few seconds.
2.: Skip it in the Door service antechamber for No Brace Needed.

A room where Brace is useful — Brace: a few ways to use it

Spring surfaceAir and Will shape living material into a springy surface.

Orbs: Wind · Growth · WillThree different elementsAimed at the crosshair

Weaves an elastic, air-filled bed over a surface. It gives under a blow and returns part of the energy, so a falling or rolling load lands soft or bounces back. It stays until dismissed.

Aimed. Up to 10 m, clear line from camera and student.

Where it helps

Room	What it does there
Receiving shaft room	Intended. Spring surface on the Pad ("An elastic receiving weave deforms under impact."), slide the pad under the shelf by hand, then open the shelf catch. The master lands unbroken.
Striker test lane	Alternative (not covered by the game's own tests). On the Backstop it bounces the roller back at about 40% of its speed. By the room's numbers, the rebound rolls to rest inside the cradle.

Old buttery: once the spit fire burns, it spins the vane (it carries Wind).

Decorative furniture: ward-glimmer.

Pairs with

Pairing: No combo achievement uses it. Receiving shaft room: Spring surface on the pad, slide the pad, release.

Tips

1.: Treat the landing spot before anything falls.
2.: In the receiving shaft, a soft pad in the wrong place still fails. The pad must be under the shelf as well.

A room where Spring surface is useful — Spring surface: a few ways to use it

ConduitWill shapes wet growth into a conduit for an existing flow.

Orbs: Growth · Water · WillThree different elementsAimed at the crosshair

Lays a living reed tube between two open sockets or outlets so a flow that already exists can travel through it. It supplies no water of its own; the flow must already be there. It stays until dismissed.

Aimed. Up to 10 m, clear line from camera and student.

Where it helps

Room	What it does there
Drip-ladder passage	Intended. Conduit on the drip Collector: "The falling tube carries the collector flow to the lower drain." Wipe the rungs by hand twice, then climb.
The cold furnace ducts	Intended. Conduit on the broken Socket: "A descending conduit joins the exposed service sockets." Warm water from the reservoir can then reach the branch valve.
Water-junction room	Alternative to turning the elbow. Conduit on the Socket: "A visible plant tube connects the descending sockets." Then open the source stop.

Old buttery: its Water soaks the Flagstone's seam.

Decorative furniture: water beads and runs off (Rinsed).

Pairs with

Pairing: No combo achievement uses it. Cold furnace ducts: Heat the reservoir, Conduit the socket, Orient the branch, open the stop.

Tips

1.: Water only runs downhill here. A conduit works because it gives the flow a falling line.
2.: On the drip ladder the conduit stops new water, but the rungs stay wet until wiped or gripped.

A room where Conduit is useful — Conduit: a few ways to use it

Place lightFire kindles a lasting living light that casts real shadows.

Orbs: Fire · Growth · GrowthTwo of one element and one of anotherAimed at the crosshair

Plants a lasting flame blossom that gives off real light and casts real shadows. It needs soil to root in: the frieze's tray or a reading lamp's cup. It burns until dismissed. Water quenches it; Heat dries and relights it.

Aimed. Up to 10 m, clear line from camera and student.

Where it helps

Room	What it does there
The dark frieze	Optional lighting aid. Plant it in the Tray ("A flame blossom roots in the supported soil tray."), then Suspend and Draw the tray up toward the frieze so its carvings read clearly. The latch itself only cares about the ornaments, so the room can be solved without it (By Touch Alone).
The stalled orrery	Optional lighting aid in the darkened orrery: plant it in the Reading lamp's soil cup.

Reading lamp in every puzzle room: "A flame blossom roots in the reading-lamp soil cup." It glows even if Supply liquid drowns the lamp's wick; dismiss it at the lamp.

It carries Fire: lights the refectory hearth and the buttery's spit hearth and opened brazier.

Decorative furniture: soot.

Pairs with

Pairing: No combo achievement uses it. Dark frieze: Place light in the tray, Suspend the tray, then Draw it upward.

Tips

1.: Light in the Dark: cast it at the frieze Tray or at the reading lamp inside the dark frieze or the stalled orrery.
2.: Light never opens anything here; it helps you read carvings and figures.

A room where Place light is useful — Place light: a few ways to use it

Redirect lightAirborne droplets form a reflector that redirects existing light.

Orbs: Wind · Wind · WaterTwo of one element and one of anotherAimed at the crosshair

Forms a small reflector of airborne droplets over a basin, turning existing light so you can see a lit face from another angle. It makes no light of its own, and it only shows; it never moves a fitting. It stays until dismissed.

Aimed. Up to 10 m, at a room's Basin.

Where it helps

Room	What it does there
Reverse-view alcove	Viewing aid. "The reflector shows the lit plate from its other view." It helps you see which way the marker ornament's curl must face; the latch only checks the ornament.
The stalled orrery	Viewing aid. "A reflector tilts up over the basin." It shows the lit mural beside the rings.
The ward register	Viewing aid. "The reflector redirects the existing lit underside into view." It shows the register's rear service lines.

Old buttery: once the spit fire burns, it spins the vane (Wind); it also soaks the flagstone's seam (Water).

Decorative furniture: rattles it.

Pairs with

Pairing: No combo achievement uses it.

Tips

1.: Redirect light is never required: every room it serves can be solved by reading the fittings' lines and turning by hand.
2.: Use it when you cannot see the face the puzzle is about.

A room where Redirect light is useful — Redirect light: a few ways to use it

Obscuring veilWarm growth releases an airy veil that blocks sight, not passage.

Orbs: Wind · Fire · GrowthThree different elementsAimed at the crosshair

Releases a contained cloud of smoke that blocks or scatters sight and light but lets anything walk through it. Where you put it matters: over a competing light it helps; over the thing you want to see it hides that too. It stays until dismissed.

Aimed. Up to 10 m, clear line from camera and student.

Where it helps

Room	What it does there
The smoke portrait	Alternative to closing the shutter by hand. Veil the Hood (the competing window's flue): "Contained smoke attenuates the competing window inside its flue." Veiling the Screen is wrong: "Smoke across the patterned beam obscures the image too."

Old buttery: Wind and Fire in one recipe, so it both lights the Cold spit hearth and, cast again, spins the vane.

Silent refectory: lights the Cold hearth.

Decorative furniture: rattles it.

Pairs with

Pairing: No combo achievement uses it.

Tips

1.: Shade the glare, not the picture: veil the light source, never the screen you are looking at.
2.: Its one room is optional, and the shutter does the same job by hand.

A room where Obscuring veil is useful — Obscuring veil: a few ways to use it

DecoyWill shapes fire and water vapour into a weightless moving decoy.

Orbs: Fire · Water · WillThree different elementsAimed at the crosshair

Shapes a weightless, moving figure of mist and firelight at a spot. Anything that watches for visitors reacts to it. It has no mass and pushes nothing, and it stays until dismissed.

Aimed. Up to 10 m, clear line from camera and student.

Where it helps

Room	What it does there
The shy specimen	Alternative to Place sound. A Decoy on the Visitor perch ("A massless visitor silhouette turns at the separate perch.") keeps the shy specimen out on its far perch; stand back at the viewing slit, keep still and watch it for three seconds.

Silent refectory and Old buttery: its Fire lights the hearths and the opened brazier; its Water soaks the flagstone's seam.

Decorative furniture: ward-glimmer.

Pairs with

Pairing: No combo achievement uses it.

Tips

1.: Decoy has one use, in an optional room. Everywhere else fittings answer that nothing is watching.
2.: The specimen still hides if you crowd it: stay at least a couple of metres back.

A room where Decoy is useful — Decoy: a few ways to use it

Reveal tracesWarm mist catches hidden traces without interpreting them.

Orbs: Wind · Fire · WaterThree different elementsAimed at the crosshair

Sweeps warm mist and raking light over a surface so traces already there show: seam edges, wear lines. It explains nothing and changes nothing; it only shows. It stays until dismissed.

Aimed. Up to 10 m, clear line from camera and student.

Where it helps

Room	What it does there
Alignment records room	Viewing aid, an alternative to scouring. On the wheel Face: "Beading water reveals the existing inset metal edges." You can follow the seam under the dust while you turn the wheel to its mark. The latch only checks the wheel's position.
The ward register	Viewing aid. On the register Face: "Condensation and raking light strengthen existing metal seam edges." The traced wear lines show how the rings' elbows run.

Old buttery: Wind, Fire and Water in one recipe: it lights the spit hearth, then spins the vane, and it soaks the flagstone's seam.

Silent refectory: lights the Cold hearth.

Decorative furniture: ward-glimmer.

Pairs with

Clean Slate: Cleanse surface then Reveal traces on the same surface within 20 s. The Alignment records room's wheel Face or the ward register's Face.

Tips

1.: Reveal traces is never required. It pays off where dust or soot hides a seam you need to read.

A room where Reveal traces is useful — Reveal traces: a few ways to use it

Place soundAir passes through a grown water-reed to place a simple tone.

Orbs: Wind · Growth · WaterThree different elementsAimed at the crosshair

Grows a water-reed whistle at the target that keeps sounding a simple tone until dismissed. Anything that listens or follows calls turns toward it.

Aimed. Up to 10 m, clear line from camera and student.

Where it helps

Room	What it does there
The whispering stacks	Intended. Place sound on the Whistle in the far aisle: "The supported whistle sounds from the far aisle." The stone listener keeps patrolling toward it while you carry the ledger. Your own running (above about 4.8 m/s) is louder than the whistle and pulls the listener back to you.
The shy specimen	Intended. Place sound on the far Perch: "A grown whistle sounds at the distant observation perch." The specimen comes out to it whenever no one crowds close; stand still at the viewing slit and watch.

Old buttery: once the spit fire burns, it spins the vane (Wind); it soaks the flagstone's seam (Water).

Decorative furniture: rattles it.

Pairs with

Pairing: No combo achievement uses it. Whispering stacks: Place sound on the whistle, Tether the panel, then carry the ledger.

Tips

1.: The whistle never stops by itself. Dismiss it if it starts to work against you.
2.: In the whispering stacks, walk, don't run, and don't Hasten.

A room where Place sound is useful — Place sound: a few ways to use it

Cleanse surfaceHeated water scours a removable coating without harming its base.

Orbs: Fire · Water · WaterTwo of one element and one of anotherAimed at the crosshair

Scours a removable coating (chalk, mineral dust, soot, softened resin) off a surface with hot water, without harming what lies under it. Each cast removes a fixed amount: one cast clears the lens chalk, two clear the alignment wheel's dust. It finds nothing on a clean surface.

Aimed. Up to 10 m, clear line from camera and student.

Where it helps

Room	What it does there
Lens-cleaning room	Intended. One cast on the Lens: "Soluble chalk washes off the glass into the trough." Then look through the observation eyepiece.
Alignment records room	Intended. Two casts on the wheel Face clear its mineral dust ("The last mineral coating lifts from the wheel."), so you can see the seam while you turn the wheel to its mark.
The whispering stacks	Alternative route. Two casts on the service Hatch hinge ("The dusty hinge washes clear into its catch gutter."), then open it by hand and carry the ledger through the baffled service passage.
Bell chamber	Alternative. Each cast on the Bearing rinses away some softened resin (a fifth each); five casts free the pivot.
The stalled orrery	Viewing aid. One cast clears the soot off the mural (Face) so its three curves read clearly. A hand wipe works too.
The ward register	Viewing aid. Two casts clear the soot off the register Face and its wear lines.

Decorative furniture that Heat (or another fire spell) has sooted: "The cleansing foam lifts the soot from the …; it looks as it did before." On clean furniture it just runs off (Rinsed).

Silent refectory and Old buttery: its Fire lights the hearths and the opened brazier; its Water soaks the flagstone's seam.

Pairs with

Clean Slate: Cleanse surface then Reveal traces on the same Face within 20 s (Alignment records room or ward register).

Tips

1.: Read the fitting after each cast: "patches remain" means cast again.
2.: Cleanse undoes your own soot: scorch a bookcase with Heat, then scour it clean.

A room where Cleanse surface is useful — Cleanse surface: a few ways to use it

Stilling wardPlaces a fixed field of resistant air on the floor directly under the fitting you aim at: a cylinder 1.5 m in radius and 2 m tall that stays exactly where it was cast.

Orbs: Wind · Will · WillTwo of one element and one of anotherAimed at the crosshair

Places a fixed field of resistant air on the floor directly under the fitting you aim at: a cylinder 1.5 m in radius and 2 m tall that stays exactly where it was cast. Anything moving inside it, the student included, is slowed in proportion to its speed. A falling load drops gently through it, a rolling one coasts to a stop, and you walk more sluggishly. It cannot hold a still weight up and does not move with anything. One field per fitting: recasting moves it, and fields never stack. It lasts until dismissed (aim at that fitting and middle-click, pad B). (The in-game Codex still describes the retired Protective shell; this is what the shipped spell does.)

Aimed at a fitting in a puzzle room, up to 10 m, with solid floor beneath it ("The ward needs solid support below the fitting."). It always settles on the floor, not at the fitting's height.

Where it helps

Room	What it does there
Striker test lane	Alternative (verified by the game's tests). Place the ward at the Backstop before you release the roller. The roller runs into the field, loses its speed and comes to rest in the cradle instead of slamming the end stop.
Receiving shaft room	Alternative (verified by the game's tests). Slide the Pad under the shelf by hand, place the ward at the Pad, then open the shelf catch. The master falls slowly through the field and lands unbroken.
Pendulum maintenance bay	Helper. A ward under the pendulum damps its swing so the pin holes line up longer.
Counterweight repair room	Slows the dumbwaiter car and its counterweight while they move. Not needed there; it only makes the rise slower.

Old buttery: it carries Wind, so once the spit fire burns, a cast at the hearth spins the vane.

Decorative furniture: ward-glimmer.

Placing one that takes effect earns Still Air.

Pairs with

Pairing: No combo achievement uses it. Receiving shaft room: Handle the pad, ward the pad, release the master.

Tips

1.: Cast it before the load starts moving; the field only brakes motion that passes through it.
2.: It slows you too. Do not stand in your own ward when you need to move quickly.
3.: Its icon is still the old shell icon.
4.: Other moving parts it brakes: the bell clapper (Bell chamber), the lectern carriage (Projection workshop), the float-basin stop, the dark frieze's tray, the gallery cart, the lift car and the drowned hall's frame. In most of these it only slows the repair, so dismiss it if it gets in the way.

A room where Stilling ward is useful — Stilling ward: a few ways to use it

Boost jumpTwin air currents ride a thermal updraft upward and forward.

Orbs: Wind · Wind · FireTwo of one element and one of anotherCast on yourself

Throws you upward and a little forward from where you stand: an extra 7 m/s up and 2 m/s forward, roughly twice the height of an ordinary jump (about 1.35 m against 0.7 m). You must be standing on solid footing to cast it. It acts only on you, never on a fitting.

Self. Cast from the floor; if a fitting is under the crosshair, the game adds that the spell acts on you, not on it.

Where it helps

Room	What it does there
The broken balcony	Possible shortcut, not covered by the game's tests. The far landing stands about 1.2 m high, out of reach of an ordinary jump. A Boost jump cast while walking straight at it from about a metre away peaks just above it. Span and Rising draught are the reliable ways across.

Anywhere: "A bounded air impulse lifts you from the floor." Cast in mid-air it refuses: "The upward impulse needs grounded footing."

Springheeled: earned by any Boost jump cast from the floor; the game does not check that you cleared anything.

Pairs with

Pairing: No combo achievement uses it.

Tips

1.: Keep walking forward as you cast: the spell's own forward push is small, so most of your distance comes from your stride.
2.: Being personal, it never lights a hearth or moves a fitting, even though it carries Fire.

A room where Boost jump is useful — Boost jump: a few ways to use it

Rising draughtCast while standing on solid floor, it raises a column of rising air right where you stand.

Orbs: Wind · Wind · WindPure: three of one elementCast on yourself

Cast while standing on solid floor, it raises a column of rising air right where you stand. It lifts you up to about 3.6 m above that spot (at up to 1.2 m/s) and holds you hovering there. The column lasts 6 seconds; while in it, you walk no faster than 1.5 m/s. Step more than about 0.65 m out of its footprint and the column ends; from then until you touch down, air cushions you so you fall no faster than 2 m/s. Cast in mid-air it gives only that cushion ("The air cushions your fall; a rising column needs solid footing."). Recast inside a running column, it keeps its original height and remaining time. (The in-game Codex still describes the retired Controlled descent; this is what the shipped spell does.)

Self, at your casting spot. The column rises from where your feet are, never where the crosshair points.

Where it helps

Room	What it does there
The broken balcony	Alternative (verified by the game's tests). Stand on the floor just short of the far landing and cast: "A rising draught lifts you above this spot. Step out to drift down." Once you hover above the landing's height, walk toward it; you leave the column and drift down onto the landing. Take in the outlook from there.
The counterweight lift	Alternative (verified by the game's tests). From the floor below the upper landing, rise in the column, step across onto the landing and open the landing gate by hand. This bypasses the lift; the car stays broken.
The sagging gallery	Caution. Hovering above the gallery still loads the cracked beam where your column stands: the beam counts your weight at the column's base.
The whispering stacks	Caution. The hovering air is audible. The stone listener notices you if it passes within about 2 m.

Featherfall: land softly under its cushion. Rise, step out of the column and touch down.

Dismiss with nothing under the crosshair (middle click, pad B): "Personal air effects dismissed."

Pure recipe: Pure Recipe and Five Purities.

Pairs with

Pairing: No combo achievement uses it.

Tips

1.: Cast it from the exact spot you want to rise from; the column does not follow you.
2.: Wait until you hover above the ledge before stepping toward it. Leaving the column early just drops you, gently.
3.: Its icon is still the old descent icon.

A room where Rising draught is useful — Rising draught: a few ways to use it

HastenWill channels fire-driven air to quicken ordinary movement.

Orbs: Wind · Fire · WillThree different elementsCast on yourself

Quickens your own ordinary movement by half for 5 seconds: walking goes from 4 to 6 m/s and running from 6 to 9 m/s. It does not speed up spell recovery, clocks or any mechanism, and inside a Rising draught column you still move no faster than 1.5 m/s.

Self.

Where it helps

Room	What it does there
The whispering stacks	Avoid it here. The stone listener follows the loudest sound, and hastened footsteps are louder than the whistle.

No puzzle needs it: every room can be solved at ordinary pace.

Anywhere: "Your ordinary movement quickens." A streaking aura follows the student while it lasts.

In a Hurry: earned by casting it once.

Pairs with

Pairing: No combo achievement uses it.

Tips

1.: Use it to cross the big hubs and long corridors faster; recast it every 5 seconds.
2.: Being personal, it never lights a hearth or touches a fitting, even though it carries Fire and Wind.

A room where Hasten is useful — Hasten: a few ways to use it

Short traverseWill snaps a living foothold toward a nearby clear destination.

Orbs: Growth · Will · WillTwo of one element and one of anotherCast on yourself

Snaps you 3 m along the direction the camera faces (level, ignoring pitch) in one quick move. It only starts if the whole path is clear of anything solid and there is standing floor at the far end, close to your current height. It can be cast in mid-jump.

Self, 3 m straight ahead along the view.

Where it helps

Room	What it does there
The broken balcony	Alternative (a scripted trial in the game's tools, not part of the regular test suite). Climb the side stair, jump toward the far landing and cast in mid-air, facing it; the traverse carries you onto the landing.

Anywhere: "You traverse the clear three-metre path." Blocked: "Something solid stands in the way; the traverse does not start." Over a drop or onto a wall: "The destination lacks visible standing support."

Through the Gap: earned by one successful traverse.

Pairs with

Pairing: No combo achievement uses it.

Tips

1.: Look where you want to land; it goes exactly 3 m that way, not to the crosshair's target.
2.: The landing spot must be near your own height, so it cannot climb to a ledge from the floor. Jump first.

A room where Short traverse is useful — Short traverse: a few ways to use it

Buoyant supportAir-filled growth floats an eligible object on existing liquid.

Orbs: Wind · Wind · GrowthTwo of one element and one of anotherAimed at the crosshair

Fastens air-filled plant bladders under a fitting so it floats, but only on water that is already there. It does not levitate anything in air. On shallow water nothing happens until you raise the level. It stays until dismissed.

Aimed. Up to 10 m, clear line from camera and student.

Where it helps

Room	What it does there
Float test basin	Intended. Buoyant support on the Stop ("Finite inflated bladders attach beneath the stop."), then six Supply liquid casts into the Basin float it up to the socket's height; slide it in with the guide handle and seat it.
The drowned hall	Intended. Buoyant support on the frame's underside Mounts ("The underside mounts carry inflated plant bladders."), then four Supply liquid casts into the Basin float the frame off the passage; Draw it to the side cradle.

Old buttery: once the spit fire burns, it spins the vane (it carries Wind).

Decorative furniture: rattles it.

Pairs with

Pairing: No combo achievement uses it. Both float rooms: Buoyant support, then Supply liquid into the basin.

Tips

1.: Bladders first, water second. The mounts under the drowned hall's frame can only be reached while the basin is shallow.
2.: If the floated load sits too high or low, Draw off liquid on the basin takes one dose back out.

A room where Buoyant support is useful — Buoyant support: a few ways to use it