Unheard

Unheard, a deliberate attempt. The game describes it as: Solve the whispering stacks without the stone listener ever catching you.

Narrated guide

Narrated video coming soon

What the game counts

The whispering stacks must settle with no failure recorded in that room on this journey. The listener catches you when its count reaches three seconds. The count rises while it is within 2 m of you, you are not in the baffled service passage behind an opened hatch, and you are either moving faster than a slow creep (about 1.2 m/s; ordinary walking is 4 m/s) or carrying the ledger. It drains one and a half times as fast once you get clear. Once the ledger rests on the Keeper stand the room cannot fail. A failure is recorded at once and survives a restart from the autosave; only loading a manual save made before it removes it.

Before you start

• In the Teaching court and conservatory, bind Place sound (Wind, Growth, Water) and Tether (Will, Growth, Growth).
• Make a manual save in the court before stepping in.

The route

1. Step in and stop. Aim at the Whistle in the far aisle and cast Place sound.
   The whistle sounds until you dismiss it and keeps calling the listener to the far aisle. At walking pace you are quieter than it, so it does not turn toward you.
   What you see: "The supported whistle sounds from the far aisle."
2. Cast Tether on the Panel above the ledger shelf.
   Lifting the ledger rattles that panel, the loudest sound in the room, and the listener would leave the whistle to investigate the shelf for six seconds. The line holds the panel still.
   What you see: "A tension line restrains the specific rattling service panel."
3. Wait about eight seconds until the listener has reached the far aisle and its dish faces the whistle.
   It moves slowly; crossing the whole length of the stacks takes it about eight seconds.
   What you see: The Whistle's card: "It is sounding at the far aisle, and the listener's dish turns toward it."
4. Walk to the shelf and Handle the Ledger. Do not hurry, jump or cast Hasten.
   Hurrying or jumping is louder than the whistle and draws the listener to you, wherever you are.
   What you see: "You lift the sealed ledger carrier from its rolling shelf."
5. Walk to the Keeper stand by the exit, keeping the stacks between you and the listener, and Handle it.
   Carrying the ledger, you are heard within 2 m however slowly you move. Elsewhere you are safe.
   What you see: "The ledger carrier rests on the exit keeper stand." Then "The whispering stacks settled."

Watch for

• "The listener is closing on your movement." means the three-second count is running. Back away at once; standing still stops it only if you are not carrying the ledger.
• Rising draught and Hasten make you noisy. So does Hurry (Shift, pad L1).
• Dismissing the whistle (middle mouse with it targeted) sends the listener back on its patrol.
• The service route also works: Cleanse surface twice on the Hatch, open it from the west return landing, and move inside the baffled passage, where the listener hears nothing.

What breaks it

• "The stone listener intercepted you. You and the ledger return to this room’s entry state; earlier progress is retained." The failure is already recorded.
• Restart from autosave does not remove it; load the manual save from the court instead.

Rooms involved

The whispering stacks.

Spells

Place sound, Tether, Cleanse surface.