The Excavation of Hob's Barrow

The Excavation of Hob's Barrow

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The Excavation of Hob's Barrow: 100% Text Walkthrough
By stranger1982
A quick. spoiler-free text walkthrough guiding you through the game while making sure you get every achievement.
   
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Intro
Hello and welcome!
This will be, as always with me, a concise and no spoilers walkthrough to guide you through the game while getting 100% completion.

My advice would be to have a save at the beginning of each day and to save often just in case you mess up, I will warn you when a missable achievement in a dialogue is coming up so you can make a backup save...and I'll let you know when a backup is needed for two mutually exclusive achievements on Day One.

There's a few flashbacks but they're so simple to complete that they're not covered to keep this guide as short as possible.

Last but not least this walkthrough skips quite a bit of extra dialogue you can have with NPCs, again for brevity, but feel free to talk with everyone to get a better experience!
Intro and Arrival
You'll find yourself in a rainy scene, move left until you reach a gate.
A conversation will start, followed by several scenes.

Once you're in the actual game you'll unlock the ARRIVAL achievement.
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Open the inventory and examine the letters, read through them all and a woman will appear, try to exit to get into a conversation with her and exhaust all options and then exit again, answer her question and exit once more, for real this time.
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Go right twice to reach the main square and head right some more to reach the inn.
A drunk man will get in the way when you try to enter, we have another achievement here, answer his first question however you wish but for the second one you MUST choose the "slap him. (I have no time for this)" option to get the achievement aptly named THE SLAP.
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Inside the inn we have another achievement to get right away!
Simply move right and examine this painting to get ODE TO TONBERT.
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Now go back to the innkeeper and examine all six decorative plates above him so we can get another achievement in a few minutes, then speak to him about getting a room and give him the money from your inventory.
You can now enter your room by using the door just to your right.
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Here examine the plate on top of the bed and, if you've done the six plates inside the previous room, you'll get the CURIOUS COLLECTION achievement for your trouble.
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While we're here be sure to grab the matchbox from the right of the bed and the jug of water near the door then exit the room.

Go right and speak with the old man with a white beard and exhaust all options, then talk to the innkeeper about Shoulder and Hob's Barrow, this'd trigger a scene where you sit down and have conversation with the drunk from before.

Use your money on the innkeeper to get ale and then use it on Arthur. Use the jug of water on him next then follow the man into the toilets.
Here interact with the door on the right wall then with the two toilet doors before going back to the main room, walk left and use the main door to exit the inn.
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Once outside go right and enter the alley, take the glove from the ground then use the door to unblock it, exit back outside into the alley, exit the alley itself and then use the exit on the right (where you saw the man go).

You'll see the man again in this new screen, exit right once more to get the INTO THE NIGHT achievement then simply go left, back into the inn and into your room to finish this day.
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Day One
You'll automatically get ADVENTUS when this day starts.
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Exit your room and the inn, triggering a conversation in the process.
Once outside you'll get a notice that the map is unlocked, allowing you to fast travel using the M key.
Go left and use the exit next to the blacksmith, the one with the cart and bucket,

You'll be at the church, here grab the trowel amongst the flowers on the right side.
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Then enter the church itself and grab the necklace from the box pews on the left.
Go back outside and take the right exit, towards where the trowel was, you'll reach a graveyard, go right again.
You'll find a bench with a plaque, interact with it to sit down and don't do anything for about 15 seconds, this'll unlock the REST achievement.
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Go left twice to reach the church again, talk with the old woman here and exhaust all options (we need the one about Father Roache in particular) before taking the left exit to reach a crossroad, here we need to go left one more time.

A man wil lask for help, so use your handkerchief on the glasses you see on the ground and the use the resulting broken glass on him to get THE BLOODLETTER achievement.
You'll enter a conversation but read ahead as we have two mutually exclusive achievements coming up!
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Once we exhaust all conversation options with this man we'll be given several choices during our trip to a cottage, getting them all wrong or right will give you one of two mutually exclusive achievements so MAKE A BACKUP SAVE HERE before moving forward as we'll need to load it again to get the other one!

Inquire about Shoulder and where he lives to be given the option to go, then choose to do so when ready.

When talking about "graves, worms and epitaphs..." choose Hamlet or Macbeth.

Answer the religion question however you want and advance the scenes.

When you arrive at the cottage examine the carved stone on the door, you'll get the quote "the very error of the moon..." choose Romeo and Juliet or The Merchant of Venice.

Interact with the door twice, then use the glove in your inventory with the one hanging from the clothesline to the right. Look at the window and Father Roache will ask what you want to do, choose to stay and he'll quote "Parting is such sweet sorrow..." choose "Much ado about nothing" to get them all wrong and unlock THE FOOL achievement.
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Now RELOAD THE PREVIOUS SAVE to get them all right and continue the story!

Allright let's do this again...
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Again...inquire about Shoulder and where he lives to be given the option to go, then choose to do so when ready.

When talking about "graves, worms and epitaphs..." choose Richard II

Answer the religion question however you want and advance the scenes.

When you arrive at the cottage we'll get another achievement before continuing with the Shakespeare one, see the hens in front of the house? Interact with the white one twice to pick it up and unlock FEATHERED FRIEND, aww!
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Now examine the carved stone on the door, you'll get the quote "the very error of the moon..." choose Othello this time.

Like before interact with the door twice, then use the glove in your inventory with the one hanging from the clothesline to the right. Look at the window and Father Roache will ask what you want to do, choose to go back and when you're back at the bench he'll quote "Parting is such sweet sorrow..." choose Romeo and Juliet to get them all right and unlock THE SCHOLAR achievement this time.
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Before doing anything else we have another missable achievement, from the bench go left twice and talk with Mrs de Plancy, choose the topic "Father Roache's health" and confirm your intentions to talk about it to unlock the SCANDALMONGER achievement.
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Now go left to reach the crossroads and go up to reach a girl and a stream, talk to her about Hob's Barrow.

Fast travel to Bewlay village square using your map (M key if you forgot) then go right to find a boy, ask him about Myrtle and the fair folk.

Fast travel to the church, go right to the graveyard and then up.
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Here use the trowel on the mushrooms for a quick flashback.
When you're back pick up the doll and the hairpin on it.

Go back to the stream to give the girl her doll (fast travel to Herne Wood, then up).
Follow her back and, when you lose sight of her and hear giggling use the trovel on the hole on the left to widen it, enter to check the situation but we need to wait for now.

Fast travel to the railway station, talk to Arthur and ask about Kenneth, Kennet's train, Crate and Postmaster to know what to do.

Fast travel to the village square and take this exit.
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Here ask the man, Henry, about Postmaster then, as directed, look through the window of the green room. Ask Henry some more about the postmaster but he's not backing down, then about everything else so we can bring up the idea of offering him a beer.

Go back to the inn and ask Stanley about opening a tab then use the silver
necklace in your inventory on him.

Before continuing with the story there's another missable achievement here!
Go back to Henry and talk about Plough and Furrow to offer him a drink, then go back and do this a second time to get the HOB'S BARRELS achievement.
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With that out of the way fast travel to the railway station, go up and right to find Cyril and talk to him
about Henry Long first, then Plough and Furrow to offer him a drink.
Go back to Henry once again and offer him a drink too so that he and Cyril are busy arguing.

Now that the way is clear go back to where Henry was and use the hairpin in your inventory on the green door, you'll get your create and the LOCKPICKER achievement.
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You'll get a lantern and chisel, but we need fuel for the former.
Easily done, go back to the main square and find the blacksmith on the far left, talk to him about Lantern and Trade.
Fast travel to Herne Woods and go up, use your chisel on the fossil near the stream then give it to the blacksmith to get paraffin and the FOSSIL COLLECTOR achievement.
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Combine the paraffin with the lantern in your inventory, all set!



Day One - Continued
Back again to Herne Wood and go left till you reach the hole the girl is hiding in, go inside and crawl left until you get a cutscene.
To make who we need spawn we need go do down once from where we are, you'll get a small cutscene, then make sure to talk with the men chopping wood.

Fast travel to the church then go right, up and up again, you'll reach a farm.
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Knock on the door, if no one's here you need to go back to herne woods and talk with the lumberjacks as said above.
If someone answers simply talk with them and then show them the letters in your inventory, once you get permission use the gate on your left.

In the new area go left for a small scene, then interact with Hob's Barrow for a flashback and the HOB'S BARROW achievement.
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Once the flashback is over exit right, fast travel to the square, enter the inn and click your room to go to bed for several scenes, once you're given control again simply move left.
Day Two
Once you wake up you'll get the EXPISCOR achievement.
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Take the book by the door to get a journal and journal stone.

In the main hall you'll have a few conversations, then try using the knife stuck on the table before you exit the inn.
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Fast travel to the church and go right twice to reach the bench we've used on day one, use it to sit and this'll net you the A MOMENT OF REFLECTION achievement.
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Fast travel to village square and go left, talk with Father Roache about everything then goi to Herne Wood for another conversation.

Go left, left, down to reach the place where you spoke to the lumberjacks the previous day, here use the chisel on the resin to the right of the screen.
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Go down, here simply speak with the old woman and exhaust all options, you'll get the A FAMILY CONNECTION? achievement during this conversation.
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Exit for a flashback, then go up and right, speak with Arthur and then go right again and up to the stream, here speak with James about everything.

Fast travel to the village square and talk to the blacksmith about the stuck knife to obtain, unsurprisingly, a knife.

Go to the church, exit right to see a girl, go right again and we'll meet a man at the bench, exhaust all dialogue options to move the story forward and unlock another achievement, THE MYSTERY MAN.
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From the bench go right to get a fiddle bow after some dialogue then fast travel to Mr. Briden's Farm for a flashback.
Once you're back simply use the journal stone on Mr. Briden to get Briden's stone and unlock the PERMISSION GRANTED achievement.
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Exit left, then examine the hole in the mushroom circle and pick up a worm before fast traveling to village square.
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Speak with the apple seller and agree to get an apple.
Move left and speak to Miss Tompkins, exhaust all dialogue options so that we are tasked to get milk for her.

Fast travel to Mr. Briden's Farm, knock on the door to talk to him then move right to pick up a bucket, use said bucket on the goat to your right then knock on the door again.

Fast travel to Mildrew Walker's cottage and, after a flashback, talk to her and exhaust al options, we now need herbs for the remedy.
Now fast travel to Herne wood and go up, you'll see a shrub on the left, interact with it to get elderflower.
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Fast travel to the church and, after you get scolded for our previous achievement, go inside and speak with Mrs. de Plancy. Speak about everything to find out about a garden and the key we need.

Go back outside and move right to the plaques, use your chisel on this one:
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You'll get a church key, go left and use it on the smaller door next to the church entrance to reach the garden. Here interact with the potted plant on the right to grab some flirtwort.
Go back down and fast travel to Mildred's cottage and talk to her about both flowers to realize we still need something.

Fast travel to village square, see these herbs? That's what we need.
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We'll need some trickery to get them...in your inventory use the worm on the apple to get apple with worm, yuck...then talk to Jane, who is next to the apple seller, to make her juggle.
On to the trick...
Now use the apple with worm on her and she'll throw it, distracting the seller we need to steal from, when she's busy fixing the mess use the cowbane in your inventory on the herbs in the stall to switch them over. If you fail simply pick the apple with worm where it landed, on the right, and try again.
If done right you'll get THE SWAP achievement.
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And you'll finally have some elderflower so fast travel to Mildred's cottage and hand everything in, she'll give you a poultice.
Fast travel again to Mr. Briden's farm to hand it in and, after a scene, you'll get milk and an achievement, EUNICE THE PROVIDER.
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Fast travel to the village square and give Miss Tompkins the milk to be taken to Panswyck Manor.
Day Two - Continued
At the manor speak with Ms Fenchurch three times for some scenes then fast travel to the church.

Go right into the graveyard and examine the fresh grave, then go back and enter the church to speak to Mrs de Plancy, asking about the puddings, grave and hippeastrum so that we know what to look for.
Fast travel to the manor and examine these flowers.
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We can't pick them up, so talk to Miss Tompkins and exhaust all options before going to village square.
Talk to the red-haired man to the right of the inn entrance and inquire about Mr. Ambrose to get a lead, exit right for a flashback then exit right again.
You'll get the CARTOGRAPHER achievement as you enter a new area.
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Use the knife on the man, you'll be back at the manor and obtain both the hippeastrum we need and the ELOPERS achievement.
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Before continuing with the story let's get another achievement out of the way, fast travel to eastern road and pick up the pink flowers around the signpost, fast travel to Mildred's cottage and use the pink flower on her to discuss it.
Doing so will make the HELLEBORE achievement pop up.
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Fast travel to the church and MAKE A SAVE HERE as we have a missable achievement in the upcoming dialogues.
Go inside to deliver the hippeastrum, in the following dialogue be sure choose the second option "Not at all" to get the DAUNTLESS achievement.
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Go left, enter the church and use the basket to get bakewell puddings.
Before doing anything else MAKE ANOTHER SAVE HERE as we have a missable achievement once we fast travel, when you're ready fast travel to Panswyck manor, in the conversation you have to choose the first option "Why not" for the ROMANCE ON THE MOORS achievement!
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Go back to the village square, enter the alley to the right to find a horse.
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Interact with it, then go back and enter the inn. get some sugar cubes from the table in front of the entrance where the grumpy man is.
Go back to the alley and use the sugar cube on the horse, then your knife on it to get horsehair.
In your inventory combine the horsehair with the resin then the resulting bow string with the fiddle bow.

Fast travel to The Devil's Toe and speak to the girl here to get a fiddle after some scenes.
You'll also unlock THE ABANDONED FIDDLE at this point.
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Go back to the village square and enter the inn, after a scene move right and speak with Arthur then meet him in the alley for some exposition.
BEFORE you leave the alley interact with the horse to get the ZOOLINGUIST achievement.
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Go back to the inn, head left when needed to end this day.
Day Three
You'll get the INCANTAMENTUM achievement for starting the day.
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To get another one right away interact with the cat sleeping on the chair.
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This'll give you the HERBERT achievement, good kitty!
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Exit the room and speak with Stanley to get a note and a small key then go outside for a scene.
We can't fast travel so go up to the church and then keep going right until you reach the cottage.
Pick up the small box in front of the door and, in your inventory, combine it with the small key to get Mr. Shoulder's note and Shoulder's stone.

Go left till you reach the graveyard then up until you come to the farm, use the gate to reach Hob's Barrow.

Go left to meet the men for a scene, you'll enter the barrow and get an achievement, THE SEAL IS BROKEN.
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BEFORE you go further we have the last missable achievement right here!

Simply head back out to unlock ABANDONED.
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(As said this is the last missable achievement, so if you wish to continue alone to the ending you can do so and will unlock the rest as you go though the story)

Use your knife on the flowers, click both rocks then use your trowel on the boards, follow the path until you reach a new room.

Use your chisel on the stone panel on the left side of the door, interact with the opened panel then put the stones in this order from left to right journal-Shoulder's-Briden's to reveal the right panel.

Get a closer look at the right panel and input the code: I A W A B P A C A Z
You'll enter a new room and unlock the TEMPLE achievement too.
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Grab the pot in front of the right mural, use it on the water on the left wall, turning it into a pot of water.

Use your trowel on this pot and pick up the crank.
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Use the crank on the box on the left, click the open box to get glowing seeds.
Use your trowel on the patch of soil on the right side then use the seeds and pot of water on it too.

Use your knife on the wheat to get sheaf of wheat then again your knife on the roots growing on the right wall to get a root. Use the roots with the crank in your inventory to create a whip.

Now simply use the whip on the arm to the left of the door and the sheaf of wheat on the other arm, the door will open and you can leave.

In this hallway go right a bit and use your pot on the substance to obtain a pot of grease.
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Enter the door to the right of the substance.

This room has several cranks, and there's a severed hand on the rightmost one, pick it up.
Then interact with this bust to get a gold coin.
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Before we solve this puzzle you need to use the pot of grease on the second crank from the left.

Once ready you need to use the cranks, from left to right leave the first crank as it is,turn the second crank 5 times, the third crank 7 times, the fourth crank 4 times, the fifth crank 5 times and the sixth crank 2 times.
Then grab the fragment from the centre.

Go back to the hallway, move left and use the exit just past the plinth.

In this room interact with this shining object to get the serpent key.
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Then use the severed hand on the cat, pick up the coin left behind.
Exit this room.

In the hallway use the leftmost door.

Use both coins on the vessel in the middle of the room.
This opens a puzzle on the plinth, click to get a closer look.
This is the correct order:
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Get the fragment and rod.

Click the wheel on the left wall for another puzzle.
Use the serpent key in your inventory on the central slot then pick up the carving from the bottom left hole.
The two rods must be placed here, the ouroboros on the central left hole while the coiled rod goes on the top right.
Then set the two dials accordingly:
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Exit this room and, in the allway, go up right as you exit.

If you've solved the puzzle correctly two beams will hit the monument, interact with the hole to get another fragment, leave this room.

In the hallway go right to a panel on the floor, in front of a goat, and interact with it.
Put the three fragments in this order from left to right: bust-plinth-standing stone
Once done you'll get another story achievement, THE GOAT BELOW.
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And you'll enter a new room.

Pick up the page from the floor then use your trowel on the soil of the tomb on the left, this uncovers a goat skeleton, interact with it to get a horn.

Click on the bust on the right to get a closer look, use your knife on the right eye.
Look at the bust again and use the horn on the fixture on the right, then click each horn twice: the mouth will open and you can grab a key.

Grab the eyeball from the floor, use it on the niche beow the soil we dug previously, two recesses show up, use the left one to get another key. Then use the Horned Bust Key on the right recess
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Go to the bust and take a closer look again, use the Tomb Key on the keyhole you see in the missing eye.

Use the fiddle on the carvings above the door, play the correct melody: G - A -D - A - G (you can see the string's letter at the bottom of the screen)
Playing the correct melody opens the door and nets you the CEASING OF THE RACKET achievement.
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Continue through the door.

In this area you'll need to enter the correct doors to proceed.

First room: take the moon door

Second room: take the page on the floor and take the stars door

Third room: take the ear door

Fourth room: take the mouth door

You'll unlock the FINAL DESCENT achievement.
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Keep going right and use the entrance then use the soil above you.
After several scenes you'll get the VINDICTA achievement.
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In the new area simply head left, enter room 9 and interact with the urn and the man here to finish the story and get the ABRAXAS REX achievement,thus 100%ing the game!
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Thank you and a request
I hope you've found this guide helpful, if you did please give it an upvote to make it more visible to others!

If you spot any mistakes or wrong info please lemme know in the comments.

Also follow this link for my other guides, maybe one of em will catch your fancy:

https://steamhost.cn/steamcommunity_com/profiles/76561198006541362/myworkshopfiles/?section=guides

Stay safe and happy gaming.
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2 Comments
stranger1982  [author] 26 Jul @ 8:31pm 
@remusyurov thanks a ton, I did have a brain fart there, it's now fixed! :break:
remusyurov 26 Jul @ 7:11pm 
Great guide, but there’s a small mistake: in the temple you combine the roots (not the wheat) with the handle to create the whip