The warmth-seeking vine · Velstraven

A major room of chapter 2. When you walk in, the room card reads: A bowed vine blocks the conservatory stair; the upper walk is out of reach.

Narrated walkthrough

The warmth-seeking vine from its entrance — The warmth-seeking vine: how to solve it

Getting there

Chapter 2, second upper floor. From the Teaching court and conservatory go through the enclosure gate on the court's south side and up the winding stair. The metal service enclosure gate across the Teaching court and conservatory blocks the way to the winding stair, and there is no way round it. It rises only while four things hold at once: the Projection workshop's lectern carriage stands at the stone bearing pad at the very end of its rail, which is farther than that room needs to settle; the Cable winding room's drum is wound taut; the Glazed inspection room's shutter stands open; and you have handled the enclosure handwheel, the metal ring on the raised landing at the enclosure. The Botanical stair vestibule is not itself one of the conditions, but while its living tread stands unfolded, matching living treads appear in the court and lead up to that landing. The other way up is Climbing growth (Will + Water + Water) cast on the enclosure masonry below the landing ("The finite masonry holds change the route to the enclosure actuator."). Handling the ring: "The handwheel loads the enclosure cable against its carriage clearance and keeper." It stays loaded, so the order does not matter. Once the last condition is met the gate rises over about five seconds, and a pawl then holds it up for good. The whispering stacks play no part in it. Solving this room raises the gate signed "Shut until the warmth-seeking vine is solved" on the passage east to chapter 3's Workshop and observatory. The optional smoke portrait (S22) opens off its east side.

What is wrong

"A bowed vine blocks the conservatory stair; the upper walk is out of reach." The Stem's card: "It bows across the stair from the old arch; the empty outer trellis is out of its reach." The Far shoe's card: "A cold ceramic root-warming shoe under the empty outer trellis; old tie marks show the vine once grew there."

What you can work

Near shoe: A ceramic root-warming shoe beside the old arch over the stair.
Far shoe: A ceramic root-warming shoe under the empty outer trellis.
Root: The irrigation cup at the vine's foot.
Stem: The bowed living stem across the stair.
Catch: A hand catch in the outer trellis saddle; it can take only a stem that has grown into the saddle.
Span: The gap between two stone side landings; the far one joins the upper maintenance walk.
Wall: A sheer side wall below the side maintenance walk.
Return: The latch to the onward walk, on the landing above standing reach.

Solution

A nudge

New growth leans toward warmth. With only the outer shoe warm, the live tip turns toward the outer trellis, away from the stair.

The full solution

Cast Heat (Fire + Fire + Growth) on the Far shoe. Leave the Near shoe cold.
New growth leans toward warmth. With only the outer shoe warm, the live tip turns toward the outer trellis, away from the stair.
What you see: "The outer ceramic shoe warms beneath the empty trellis." Far shoe card: "It is warm; the vine's live tip turns toward the empty outer trellis above it."
Cast Supply liquid (Water + Water + Water) on the Root four times, then wait about twelve seconds.
Leaning is not reaching. The stem grows only as far as its water allows, and only a full cup lets the tip grow all the way into the outer trellis saddle.
What you see: "Water runs into the irrigation cup; over the next few breaths the stem drinks and its tip grows on toward the warmth it leans to." The fourth dose: "Water fills the irrigation cup to the brim..." Then the Stem card: "Its new tip rests in the outer trellis saddle, clear of the stair, but nothing holds it there."
Cast Anchor (Growth + Growth + Water) on the Stem.
Roots fix the trained tip to the trellis foot, so it stays clear of the stair whatever happens to the warmth.
What you see: "Roots secure the contacting stem to the trellis foot."
Handle the Catch.
The trellis catch takes the trained stem's load as well. Either hold on its own would do.
What you see: "The ordinary trellis catch takes the trained stem load."
Walk up the now clear stair to the landing and Handle the Return.
The latch is on the landing, above standing reach from the floor.
What you see: "The upper return latch opens the onward walk." Then "The warmth-seeking vine settled." The gate on the passage east rises.

Other ways that work

Hold the trained stem with the Catch alone and skip Anchor. This is the Unanchored route.
Span (Wind + Growth + Growth) on the Span: "A woven span joins the two existing side landings." Walk the woven span up to the landing and Handle the Return; the vine can stay where it is.
Climbing growth (Will + Water + Water) on the Wall: "Frozen holds climb to the side maintenance walk." Climb up, cross to the landing and Handle the Return.

Watch for

Heat only the Far shoe. With both warm: "Both shoes are warm now, so the vine's live tip has no side to favour." With the Near shoe alone warm, the tip leans back over the stair. Dismiss the Near shoe's heat (middle mouse; pad B / Circle) to fix it.
Water before warmth is not wasted: "the stem drinks, but with no lasting warmth to lean toward it only thickens where it stands." Warm the Far shoe and the tip turns.
Three doses are not quite enough; the fourth fills the cup.
Too early, Anchor answers "The new stem has not reached the outer trellis saddle." and the Catch answers "The trellis catch has no trained stem in its saddle; the tip is still growing toward it."
Spells on the stem itself (Heat, Draw, Tether, Brace) do not move it. It follows warmth and water only.
The Reading lamp (Handle it, or Heat it) and the Reading shutter (Handle or Orient it) stand in every room. They only light the room to read by and work none of its fittings.

If it goes wrong

This room has no failed state. To put it back as you found it, hold R for one second (pad: Start, then Restart from autosave); that reloads the autosave made when you entered the room.

Achievements here

The Vine Finds Its Warmth: Solve the warmth-seeking vine.
Unanchored: Unanchored (focused): never cast Anchor in this room. Skip step 3 and hold the stem with the Catch by hand, or take the Span or Wall route.
The Teaching Court Settled: The Teaching Court Settled (spine): settling this with S05–S08 and M03 completes chapter 2's six required puzzles. The smoke portrait is not required.
A Wing Before Lunch: A Wing Before Lunch (focused): all six chapter 2 required puzzles within twenty minutes of first entering one of them.

Spells used

Heat, Supply liquid, Anchor, Span, Climbing growth.