The broken balcony · Velstraven

An optional room of chapter 4. When you walk in, the room card reads: The balcony walkway is broken; the far outlook landing cannot be reached.

Narrated walkthrough

The broken balcony from its entrance — The broken balcony: how to solve it

Getting there

Chapter 4, lower level. Optional room off the east side of the drowned hall, beyond the fallen framework, so you reach it once that passage is clear.

What is wrong

"The balcony walkway is broken; the far outlook landing cannot be reached." Two metres of walkway are gone, and the far landing stands about 1.2 m higher across the gap. A side stair with handrails stands to one side. Falling in is not dangerous.

What you can work

Span: The broken walkway, with sound stone on the near pier and far coping.
Observation: The outlook at the far landing. The inner levels are seen from there, not from this side.
Reading lamp: Optional light to read the room by: Handle toggles it, Heat lights it, Supply liquid douses it, Place light roots a lasting flame blossom in its cup. It works none of the room's fittings.
Reading shutter: Optional: Handle or Orient opens a high window for daylight from a second angle. It works none of the room's fittings.

Solution

A nudge

A woven deck needs solid seats at both ends. The near pier and far coping are sound, so it rises across the gap.

The full solution

Aim at the gap (Span) and cast Span (Wind, Growth, Growth).
A woven deck needs solid seats at both ends. The near pier and far coping are sound, so it rises across the gap.
What you see: "The rising woven deck seats on the near pier and far coping."
Walk up the deck onto the far landing and Handle the Observation, or just turn and take in the view back across the gap.
The view only exists from the far landing. Standing there and looking out records it.
What you see: "The outlook reveals the university's connected interior levels." then "The broken balcony settled."

Other ways that work

Rising draught (Wind, Wind, Wind): stand on the floor in front of the gap, just below the far landing's lip, and cast it. A column of air lifts you up to 3.6 m for up to six seconds. Once you float above the lip, walk forward onto the landing. The game's tests confirm this; an ordinary jump falls short.
Short traverse (Growth, Will, Will): climb the side stair, face the far landing, jump, and cast it near the top of the jump. It snaps you three metres along the way you face, onto the landing, if the path is clear and there is floor at the end.

Watch for

The outlook cannot be used from this side: "Inspect the outlook from its far landing."
The draught column is only 0.65 m wide. Walking out of it ends the rise and you drift down slowly, and your walking speed in it is capped. Rise first, then step across.
Short traverse refuses with "Something solid stands in the way; the traverse does not start." or "The destination lacks visible standing support." Adjust your facing or height and try again.
You do not need to walk back across afterwards.

If it goes wrong

There is no failed state. A fall only drops you to the terrace below.
Hold R for one second ("Keep holding to restart from the room's autosave"), or use the pause door "Restart from autosave", to put the room back as it was when you walked in: "Automatic room-entry save restored." Rooms you settled earlier stay settled.

Achievements here

The Broken Balcony: Optional: solve the broken balcony.
Featherfall: Featherfall: cast Rising draught on the floor, ride it up, step onto the landing and settle onto your feet. The soft landing after the draught counts.

Spells used

Span, Rising draught, Short traverse.