Float test basin · Velstraven · Morass Games Wiki

A small room of chapter 4. When you walk in, the room card reads: The gate stop lies in the basin, below its empty socket.

Narrated walkthrough

Float test basin from its entrance — Float test basin: how to solve it

Getting there

Chapter 4, third upper floor. South of the Receiving shaft room.

What is wrong

"The gate stop lies in the basin, below its empty socket." The 400 kg stop lies on the basin floor in shallow water (2000 L). The socket above is entered sideways along a guide, so the stop must first reach its height.

What you can work

Basin: The basin, holding 2000 L; it overflows at 7560 L.
Stop: The heavy gate stop on the basin floor. The shallow water cannot lift it as it is.
Socket: The empty socket, entered from the side guide. Reached from inside the basin.
Drain: Drains the basin into a lower receiving vessel.
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

Inflated bladders give the stop far more volume. Stone alone sinks; stone with bladders floats once the water is deep enough.

The full solution

Aim at the Stop and cast Buoyant support (Wind, Wind, Growth).
Inflated bladders give the stop far more volume. Stone alone sinks; stone with bladders floats once the water is deep enough.
What you see: "Finite inflated bladders attach beneath the stop."
Aim at the Basin's water and cast Supply liquid (Water, Water, Water) six times.
Each cast adds 1000 L. As the water rises the bladders lift the stop until it rides at the socket's height. The sixth cast fills the basin to the brim.
What you see: "The stream pours into the vessel; its level rises." The stop reads "It rides at the socket's height beside the side-entry guide; the guide handle moves it along."
Handle the Stop three times.
Each press pushes the floating stop 0.2 m along its side guide into the socket.
What you see: "The guide handle moves the supported stop sideways toward the socket."
Walk down the recovery slope into the basin and Handle the Socket.
The socket's retaining cheek locks behind the stop, so the stone now hangs from the socket, not from the water.
What you see: "The socket's retaining cheek now carries the stop." then "Float test basin settled."

Other ways that work

Suspend (Will, Will, Will) on the Stop, then Draw (Wind, Water, Will) on it. The held stop is pulled up to socket height and then along the guide by itself. No water or bladders needed. Then Handle the Socket.
Five Supply liquid casts are already enough to float it within the socket's tolerance. The sixth just fills the basin to its overflow.

Watch for

Handling the Stop before it floats at the right height refuses: "Raise and steady the stop at the side-entry guide first."
Socket refusals tell you what is missing: "The stop is not inside the side-entry socket." or "The stop has not settled at the socket's bearing height."
From outside the basin, the wall and the water surface get in the way of aiming at the socket. Go down into the basin to reach it.
Lighten only eases the stop; lighter is not lifted, and it does not rise.
After the socket holds it, you may drain the basin and dismiss the bladders; the stop stays seated.

If it goes wrong

There is no failed state. Draining with the Drain or casting Draw off liquid on the basin lowers the water if you need to start over.
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

Float Trial: Solve the Float test basin.
Float and Fetch: Float and Fetch: Suspend the Stop, then Draw it within 20 seconds.

Spells used

Buoyant support, Supply liquid, Suspend, Draw.