This route assumes the game is run in DOSBox at high cycles (or on a fast PC), allowing zipping at Fastest speed.

It skips the expected five-minute wait at the beginning of the game and also skips turning Manannan into a cat, instead relying on the fact that after each screen transition it will take 8 seconds for Manannan to appear and zap Gwydion into oblivion. (There are several safe spaces where Manannan will never appear; these include the screen with the chickens, the screen with the bears, the screen with the bandits' tree, the outdoor area at the stern of the pirate ship, and all of Daventry.)

At several points, F1 is used to bring up the help menu and re-enable the command line. This allows teleportationless invisibility skip, and is also used to prepare commands.

Safety save points are indicated before major RNG spots, especially potential random deaths. All of these are skippable if you wish to YOLO the run. Additional safety saves may be added before spellcasting if you fear a typo or missed command.

At some point very early in the run, you should locate the cat, temporarily switch to Fast with F10, GET CAT and F3 FUR. Successfully picking up the cat may require several attempts. Because the cat's appearances are entirely random, the route is somewhat opportunistic: if you notice the cat, go for it.

Before the run, you should create a save named "%v184". This savename will be used for all saves during the run.

For DOSBox users, setting the configuration to core=dynamic and machine=tandy is recommended for maximum performance.

Commands are given in uppercase for clarity, but need not be typed in uppercase. The first command, "see on closet"; can be prepared before starting the game.

[Fastest] 9487168989271494297 SEE ON CLOSET [] OPEN  F3 (min. 2 spaces) [] TUR[F3] 3 OPEN DRAWER 17297298 [safety save] 96 [F10] (walk southeast, GET FLY) [Fastest] 42121816 [if you haven't picked up the cat yet, consider cycling with 46 until the cat shows] 1421616893239839 GET CUP 62767 GET SPOON 617 GET BOWL 672434 [safety save] 924 OPEN DOOR 676 MOVE BOOK [] PULL LEVER 4 [safety save if the cat is here, as no truly safe option exists; the zips still have a small chance of getting you past the cat; the other option is to repeat 84 until the cat is not there, but this risks dying to Manannan] 6261268 GET SAFFRON [] GET MUSHROOM 3 TURN PAGE IV [] PUT SAFFRON ESSENCE OHWINGEDSPIRITSSETMEFREE OFEARTHLYBINDINGSJUSTLIKETHEE INTHISESSENCEBEHOLDTHEMIGHT TOGRANTTHEPRECIOUSGIFTOFFLIGHT AIM ROD 7 GET MANDRAKE 6148 [safety save] 948 [safety save] 76272 DIP FLY ESSENCE 2 *[Repeat the following procedure: F5, Enter, Enter, Enter, note the number displayed. Enter. If the number was 0, or higher than 7, press 82. Repeat this sequence until the number is non-zero and no higher than 7. Use F7 if you accidentally press 82 after getting a good number.] FLY BEGONE ME ADD 3 [prep "get feather"] [if possible, save again, provided that the number remains higher than 0] GET FEATHER [if the feather does not actually drop, press Enter anyway, then restore and repeat until the feather does drop] 8172679 GRAB HOLE 9 [F10] (climb up the ladder, preparing "look in house" as you go. Save just before crossing screens) LOOK IN HOUSE (restore from the previous screen [or climb down to the previous screen and back up], repeat until the bandit's sleeping) [safety save for ladder falls] (navigate to house) 7 [Fastest] GET COIN 32 [if not at bottom of ladder, hit 2 again] 4296 GET WATER (note: the 6 zip is very long and will take some time if your game speed is low; but this is okay, since you can start typing GET WATER during it) 71727 GET MUD 292424 OPEN DOOR 8 BUY OIL 296792 DIP EAGLE FEATHER ESSENCE 139 [if your computer speed is low, consider slowing down just a mite for these zips] [dismiss message about spider] F10 (head west, then southwest, then northeast] [Fastest] F1 [Enter] EAGLE BEGONE ME ADD 4 OPEN GATE 148 [safety save] OPEN DOOR 6784 [safety save if cat] 62612683 TURN PAGE XXV PUT MANDRAKE ROOT FLOUR BOWL [] PUT CAT FUR BOWL [] PUT TWO SPOON OIL BOWL MIX DOUGH [] PUT[F3] ON DESK [] PAT DOUGH PATTY MANDRAKEROOTANDHAIROFCAT MIXOILOFFISHANDGIVEAPAT AFELINEFROMTHEONEWHOEATS THISAPPETIZINGMAGICTREAT AIM ROD 2 TURN PAGE LXXXIV PUT WATER BOWL [] BURN      BURNER (min. 6 spaces) [] HEAT BOWL[F3] ADD MUD BOWL [] PUT BIT MUSHROOM FLOUR [] BLOW BREW ELEMENTSFROMTHEEARTHANDSEA COMBINETOSETTHEHEAVENSFREE WHENISTIRTHISMAGICBREW GREATGODTHORICALLONYOU AIM ROD [] PUT BREW JAR [] SEE MAP (dispel explanation) 8 [F6] 3693938 [F1] [Enter] [prepare "open door" and dismiss the Oracle's messages. You cannot leave by normal means before the Oracle cutscene is over, and you must reach the end of it anyway for the pirates to appear] 183439298 OPEN DOOR [F10] SAY MAN [] GIVE COIN 2 [FASTEST] 96393939272989 [note time] 926724 GET BOX 84 (wait in position and catch your breath. Prepare the next command, "DROP BOX") 6426 DROP BOX [] JUMP F3 [] F3 [] JUMP LADDER [] F10 8 (safety save if the captain's cabin is empty. Otherwise, climb back down and up until it is empty) (carefully exit ladder. Restore if you get stunned by a bad exit) 4 [fastest] 9271 (catch your breath again and prepare the next command, "OPEN CHEST") 6272 OPEN CHEST [] GET ALL 79271 [wait here until almost 14 minutes have passed from the time you boarded the ship. Shortly before the 14-minute mark, DIP EAGLE FEATHER ESSENCE. Wait out the last few seconds in eagle form until the "Land ho!" message appears] 9 [there are three main strategies you can use to deal with the snowman. The recommended strategy is to prepare "EAGLE BEGONE ME ADD" before the "Land ho!" message, safety-save after pressing 9, repeatedly hit Enter, and restore if you died to the snowman. This is fast, and has a ~75% chance of working. The extreme YOLO strategy is to prepare "EAT PATTY" before the "Land ho!" message, hit 9, hit 3, and pray. This is even faster if it works, but has a much higher probability of death. The safe (but slow) strategy is to prepare "EAT PATTY" before the "Land ho!" message, hit 9, hit F10, fly towards the snowman, hit 3 after confusing it, and switch back to Fastest.] 8626 F10 3 EAT COOKIE [while falling] 8 [Fastest] 93929296 [F10] (narrow path safety save) [navigate down the path. At a favorable point on the next screen, turn east and select Fastest speed. Look to see where you ended up. If it looks as if Gwydion can reach the edge of the screen by going southwest, press 1. If it looks as if Gwydion can reach the edge of the screen by going south, press 2. If you cannot see Gwydion at all, press F10, move west a bit, press 1 and switch back to Fastest] [wait out the dizzies. The only good way to cancel them out is the rock, which you don't have] 499271717274 [F10] [walk west, prepare "MIX BREW TRY FINGER"] [safety-save if you're worried about invisibility skip] [for additional safety, hit F10 a second time just before crossing screens] [on entering the dragon screen, hit F1, Enter, Enter again to mix the brew] BREW STORM CHURN UP [type this quickly...] [F1] [Enter] FASTEST (or hit F10 two more times) [prepare "see map", wait for skies to clear] 63 SEE MAP 279 [wait for message about a magic spell wearing off] F6 UNTIE GIRL F10 (move north or northeast a bit) 6 [Fastest] [F10] (move west until Rosella starts following you, then immediately turn back east and walk to the stairs) 3 [Fastest] 9416242849 [dispel messages] 798 (stop time)