The Mermaid Mask Walkthrough Part 3: All Clues, Suspicions, and The Murderer

In this walkthrough, we’ll find all clues in The Mermaid Mask and solve the mystery behind Captain Mortuga’s murder.

We have finally met everyone on the submarine, and after solving a handful of puzzles, the clues continue to stack up with no proper lead. But talking to Madam Tadpole may have given us something important.

---

---

Submarine | Bilge

Before we can suspect anyone on the submarine, we have to collect all the clues first. Otherwise, you’ll be softlocked and have to restart the game; I suspected Zephyr, but without enough clues, I was soft-locked.

So, for the next clue, head to Bilge, which is located to the right of Airlock Grotto. There’s complete darkness there, and to lighten it up, use Dirk’s Cell Phone.

Click on the screen four times to point the flashlight at a puzzle to your right. Here, adjust the balls until they reach the shown shape; the bottom one on the left, and the top one on the right.

Doing so unlocks the Bilge. There, you will find three items floating on the water: a Strange Device, Madam Tadpole’s Diving License, and a bottle. The device and the diving license are clues. Collect them and ask questions about these items from everyone.

After that, we move towards the Illusion Theatre to solve our next puzzle.

Submarine | Illusion Theatre | Tile Puzzle

The Tile Puzzle in the Illusion Theatre has six columns and four rows. All columns have different, shape markings, and the rows have the classic poker card symbols: Hearts, Spades, Clubs, and Diamonds.

Here, you have to align the required shape of the symbols. Check the image below for the solved puzzle:

Behind the puzzle exists a life-size doll of Symmetry, but there’s more to it. Lift the locket and open the flap to find a film projector inside.

Use it to find a film inside, which showcases a grim reaper swinging her scythe, as she tells the camera to “close your eyes.”

Take this to Symmetry, and ask her about the Film Projector. Apparently, it belongs to Magnus Mortuga, who gave it to her for projecting her film. However, the detective duo finds her answers suspicious. You can now connect the dots to find if she’s guilty or not, but without proper proof (enough clues), it’s not good.

So, after the questions, Sally wonders if Gripp will let her and Grimoire see his cane.

Submarine | Engine Room | Gripp’s Cane

In the Engine Room, click on Mr Gripp and ask him about his cane, the Cornelius Cane. You can now keep it as a clue item.

It doesn’t do anything special. But, taking off its bandage will give you an achievement if you’re hunting for all the achievements.

Submarine | Airlock Grotto | Safe Puzzle

Back in Madam Tadpole’s room, there’s a diving helmet to your left. After inspecting it closely, it’s revealed to be a safe.

Follow the images below to solve it:

Inside the Diving Helmet, there’s a locked pocket book. However, if you ask Madam Tadpole about it, she won’t reveal the code. But there’s one individual who knows how to open it: Dirk. Return to the Bunk Room #2 and ask Dirk for the code, which is revealed to be Madam Tadpole’s birthday. He opens it, and inside the pocketbook, you will find numerous photos and a cigar.

From this point, we will be gradually solving all puzzles to get all the clues to solve this mystery. After this, return to the Dream Chamber.

Submarine | Dream Chamber | Perfume Puzzle

In the Dream Chamber, click on the set of perfume bottles inside the cabinet to start the puzzle.

Here, you have to put the bottle caps on the correct bottles. Use the hints above to understand the correct bottle and its cap. If you’re struggling with the puzzle and want to do it instantly, please check the image below:

Solving this puzzle unlocks the bookshelf above the perfume cabinet. Click on it to find Caretaker’s Journal; there’s an eerie face watching you from behind the shelf.

After taking the Caretaker’s Journal, return to the Captain’s Quarters for the next puzzle.

Submarine | Captain’s Quarters | HER Painting And Model Town Puzzle

Back in the Captain’s Quarters, click on the HER painting to the left. When you’re inspecting it, look up and click twice on the ‘sun’ to unlock the Captain’s Quarters Attic.

On the bed, there’s a Black Box that, unfortunately, can’t be opened. So, the detective duo picks it up as a clue, as a whole.

Note: The way the story progresses in The Mermaid Mask is different for everyone. If you picked up the Black Box for the first time, then the game will show that you've completed chapter one. 

After the Black Box, click on the table to your right to start the Model Town puzzle. Your objective in this puzzle is to create a route across the town. Use the image below to solve it quickly:

Solving this puzzle will open the lighthouse in the town. Inside it, you will find a second film tape. To watch it, use the Film Projector from the clue menu to find a film of Mortuga, who’s talking to someone named Felicia.

Submarine | Cargo Hold | Pinboard Puzzle

In Mariana’s room, click on the pinboard to your right to initiate the pinboard puzzle. Here, you have to place the illustrations of the characters in their room; the board represents the map of the submarine.

Check the map, note everyone’s location, and place them on the board. Here’s a solved image if you’re struggling with it:

Solving the puzzle doesn’t give you anything in return. However, seeing the detective duo with the pinboard, Mariana will tell us to look behind it. There’s a moon photo, which makes Madam Tadpole look suspicious.

For now, we have found the important clues; we still have three left. To unlock them, we have to progress the story. Use the clues menu to interact with Dirk’s phone, which will make him feel suspicious.

If you’ve been following our previous walkthroughs, almost everyone on the submarine can be suspected of murder, except Gripp and Wirman.

Submarine | Engine Room and Airlock Grotto

For the final clues, head to the Engine Room first. Click on the map below the compasses, which is an ocean map. Ask Gripp about it, then click on his basket for the penultimate clue. Now, visit the Airlock Grotto.

There, click on the bottles to your left to find a Message In A Bottle. This message reveals how Mortuga’s murder took place. But a question arises here: Why would someone put it inside a bottle?

Take the bottle to everyone and ask about it.

Since you have all the clues, take them to everyone. Ultimately, you will be able to put a suspicious tag on all the members aboard, and now, it’s time to check on everyone.

First, we will check whether Zephyr is guilty or innocent.

Suspicion 1 | Dr. Zephyr: The Dream Doctor

Go to the dream chamber and talk to Zephyr. In the interrogation menu, the “Suspicion” section is now open.

Detective Grimoire asks him about his job, but Zephyr says he doesn’t have to tell the specifics, as they’re hard to understand. Still, he remains persistent, saying his magic doesn’t have to do anything with the murder. However, when Sally says that we have discovered something at the scene that’s related to Zephyr, select the Moon Vial.

Zephyr will try to talk it out, but when the second menu pops up, select “The smell…” Again, he’ll say that Mariana’s sense of smell is irrelevant. And to connect this case to Zephyr, select the Hex Bottle, which uses the same ingredients as the moon vial’s liquid.

Zephyr will call it irrelevant. Then, it’s time to connect the clues. Here’s how you can solve it:

“The Hex Bottle Contains A Sea Creature, And It’s Asleep”

Inside the bottle, there’s a Hexapus. With this, Zephyr reveals how he found this Hexapus when he was just a kid. And when the part shows that the Hex Bottle is related to Zephyr’s dream experiments, focus on the spikey part of the Hexapus, and say that it’s a part of his dream.

However, he is still persistent. When you’re asked to connect the Hex Bottle and Dream Helmet, focus on the Hex Bottle’s funnel and select “is the same shape as the one on the Dream Helmet”

Next, select Captain Mortuga as the test subject for Zephyr’s Dream Helmet, and then connect the Fog Ball with the Dream Helmet. To connect the next clues, follow this line and image:

“This Antenna Wirelessly Transmits To This Antenna, And The Fog Ball Receives The Dream Energy.”

To remind him where he wrote about the dream he saw, select the Caretaker’s Journal. Then, turn it around and focus on the face on its back.

After that, Zephyr will ask if we have written evidence of the Fog Ball and its purpose. Select the Newspaper Page, and then complete the clue with:

“The Fog Ball appears in…” Focus on the Illusionist photo, “and it’s displaying the same face that Zephyr saw.”

When Zephyr asks what makes the face appear, choose “A certain voice,” Symmetry’s. And to play her voice right now, use Mariana’s Wooden Pipe.

Lastly, to this suspicion and to prove that his moon vial was found at the crime scene, select the Ship in the Bottle, and focus on the dropper.

Suspicion 2 | Symmetry Silkmoth: Ill-Fated Illusion

Once Zephyr is declared innocent, go to the Child’s Room to talk to Symmetry. Click on suspicion to begin the interrogation.

Sally and Grimoire ask her what she was doing in the Mess Hall during Mortuga’s murder. Here, select “A performance.”

Sym calls it a “foolish act,” and goes quiet. As Sally doesn’t want to force it out of her, select the Illusion Poster. To show her that it was hidden in the illusion theatre, select the lifesize doll, and choose “The doll is a prop used in magic tricks.”

Next, to suggest that Sym uses the doll as her double during the illusions, select the Illusion Poster and focus on Sym and the doll.

However, she says that she isn’t supposed to perform this act anymore. When she goes quiet, choose “Because Sym and her doll are no longer identical.”

Still, to figure this out, solve the next clue-attachment with this:

“The Doll Could Still Work As A Double For Symmetry If It Was Facing Away From The Audience.”

After this, when we’re asked about something that shows Symmetry’s next magic trick, select sailcloth and focus on “The Stargazing Girl” on its back; Symmetry has painted it.

She draped it over the cauldron, since Mortuga asked her to keep the cauldron covered up. But how do we know what happens during The Stargazing Girl?

Mariana’s Wooden Pipe. Show it to Symmetry, and hearing this, you will learn that the voice of someone else during the recording isn’t that of anyone on the submarine.

To show where the second voice came from, select the film projector, and for the origin of this film reel, choose “It’s a scene from Dirk’s movie.” To follow it up, select the action figure, and focus on the Devil of the Deep behind it.

Lastly, this brings us to a question: Where was Sym during her new magic trick at the Illusion Theatre? She hid in the cabinet to the side, where you found the tile puzzle. In the recording, we hear something hard fall to the ground; it’s the doll’s head.

This reveals that Symmetry feels guilty because, during her performance of The Stargazing Girl, Mortuga died. She’s innocent.

Suspicion 3 | Dirk Dansom: The Other Murder

After Symmetry, go to the Bunk Room #2 to interrogate Dirk. Right off the bat, he calls us uncool for attacking him immediately.

To prove that Dirk has been planning to kill somebody, use Mariana’s Pipe. In it, there’s a recording of Dirk talking about getting rid of someone; recording #2.

Hearing this, he straight-up denies giving us the context about it. Sally says that if he doesn’t tell them about it, she will use the recording as solid evidence against him.

He immediately says that he only wanted to research Mortuga on the submarine, and he admired him. However, this contradicts his previous statement, which revealed that he “only” tagged along with Wirman on the submarine.

So, why would he want to research Magnus Mortuga? To solve this clue-attachment puzzle, select the following:

“Magnus Mortuga Was The Original Inspiration For Markus Mordoom, who Dirk Plays In The Movie Adaptation.”

But Detective Grimoire isn’t letting him off the hook that easily. Now, we have to learn the real reason.

“The Movie Producer Asked Dirk To Spy On J.D. Wirman And Report Back.”

Once Sally tells him this, he says there’s no way to report back to them, as they’re a hundred miles away. To show proof of communication, select Cell Phone. Still, there are no signals or battery here, but Sally says otherwise.

Select Strange Device, and say that it’s broken, which is why he isn’t receiving signals anymore. When they ask Dirk what he told the movie producer, open his cell phone and go into text messages. Dirk reveals everything about it, but we’re back full circle.

We still don’t know who he wanted to kill. When you’re given a choice between sentences, choose “Markus Mordoom, the fictional character.”

But why would he want to kill him? He wants to be free to take other jobs. Take a look at his cell phone again, and show him an email from Marsha Mimms.

When he asks if we know anything about his contract with the movie studio, select Movie Magazine’s page 4.

With this, Dirk proves his innocence. He wasn’t planning to murder Mortuga, but the character that he plays in the adaptation. Why? Because he wants to act in more movies, and Wirman is tired of writing about him.

Suspicion 4 | Godrik Gripp: The Curious Case of Cornelius Cane

Godrik Gripp is perhaps the most intriguing character on the ship with his demeanor. But that doesn’t exclude him from being a possible murderer. Go to the engine room to interrogate him.

As soon as the interrogation begins, he says that he’s been waiting for this part. First, we ask about his faithful sidekick: Cornelius Cane, whom Gripp loves.

The cane doesn’t look quite like it is supposed to. Gripp says that you’ve only just met ‘him’ (Cornelius Cane), but we have something that shows what it is supposed to look like: the basket where Gripp stands. Behind it, you will see a picture of Gripp holding the cane; focus on it.

It looks different from the cane he has now. Why? According to the evidence, Gripp made a new cane after arriving on the submarine. Then, ask him about where the ‘new’ wood came from.

With this question, Gripp stutters. It’s up to us to jog his memory. Select the ship’s wheel, and when he says that the spokes are a fair bit shorter, remove the bandage and focus on the joint piece of wood.

When he asks why, he would know about the broken wheel, since he has all the pieces of it inside the basket. He reveals that there was a disagreement between him and Mortuga, since he decided to steer off the submarine without his permission.

But we need to know what sparked it. Select the ocean map, and focus on the service record sticker on the map’s back. According to Gripp, Mortuga gave him the map and wanted to find the location of the X marker. However, without coordinates, it was impossible. He gave it his all, but it was all in vain.

This caused a disagreement between him and Mortuga. After learning about this, Grimoire asks why Mortuga wouldn’t want to follow the map despite how persistent he was. Sally says that he’d already followed it, and to prove it, use the film projector.

Surprisingly, this film wasn’t shot on the submarine. They used Felicia’s ship: Dearest Selena, which is the ship inside the bottle; use it as evidence. But is there a way to prove that he actually reached the centre of the map? Yes. The Wooden Buoy.

Open the ocean map, and turn it around to find an illustration of the face on the buoy. And the suspicion ends here.

It’s still inconclusive whether Gripp is innocent.

Suspicion 5 | Mariana Moon: The Black Box

After Gripp, we head to the Cargo Hold to interrogate Mariana Moon. According to the information we have, she arrived at the submarine shortly before Mortuga’s murder.

She’s arrogant and doesn’t tell us why she’s here. So, we have to accuse her to make her talk.

“Somebody asked you to come onto the submarine.”

Mariana asks how somebody would do this. Here, claim that they called her phone, but she’ll deny having any type of technology with her. Show her the pipe; that’s a dictaphone in disguise. To prove she had a telephone at some point, select the pocketbook, which has a photo of Moon with her phone number.

And to prove that someone called her from the submarine, use Dirk’s cell phone. In his logs, there’s proof that he has tried to call Mariana twice. However, she denies it again. Who called her then? Mortuga. She doesn’t deny it and says that she needs to be careful with what she says next. Grimoire decides to help her:

“Mariana Moon Brought Something On The Submarine To Give To Mortuga.”

When asked what she brought on the submarine, Mariana says that she made a deal with Mortuga, and she isn’t going to talk about it. But little does she know, we already know about it: the black box.

In return, she was allowed to stay on the submarine. She doesn’t tell us what’s inside the box or where it came from. Since we don’t have any means to open it, we have to use a clue to learn its origins. Use the Silkwirm map, then focus on the Governor’s Manor logo and the F emblem on top of the black box.

After that, Mariana reveals that she gave Mortuga the box, containing information about the people from the Governor’s Manor. Still, she didn’t know how to open it. But, somehow, she heard that Mortuga opened it. How did she hear it? The Handheld Radio.

Sally asks how she knew that he opened a box, and she didn’t mishear something. Mariana says that Mortuga was talking to someone, but she doesn’t remember who it was or what Mortuga said to them.

And this frustrated suspicion with little to no leads ends.

Suspicion 6 | Sinthia Seafoam: A Captain’s Legacy

Once Mariana’s interrogation is over, head to the Control Room and interrogate Sinthia. Since the beginning, she says that becoming the captain after Mortuga’s was “just meant to be.”

Grimoire asks whether she had a document to claim the captaincy. In the clues section, select the Command Contract. Sally calls the wording vague, and to prove her captaincy, Sinthia reads the contract out loud. However, it only mentions Party A (Mortuga) and Party B (Sinthia), which doesn’t really tell us anything. Additionally, she doesn’t know when the contract was written.

But the duo knows about it. Select Wirman’s Typewriter from the clue section, and hearing this, Sinthia thinks she’s off the hook. Still, she doesn’t know when the contract was signed; Sally might just cry at this point due to the vague nature of this conversation.

And now, it’s time to accuse her to make her talk.

“Sinthia Seafoam Signed The Contract After Mortuga’s Murder And Forged Mortuga’s Signature.

Sinthia calls it a “rude” accusation and asks us whether we can prove it. Choose “We have evidence in the form of a clue,” and present the Captain’s Log.

To make a connection between them, follow this statement:

“Mortuga’s Signature On The Contract Is An Exact Match Of Mortuga’s Signature On This Card (Page 3), But It Doesn’t Match Any Of The Other Cards.”

This proves that Sinthia forged Mortuga’s signature, as he doesn’t have a proper signature; all of the other cards are different. She then reveals how she found the contract, but a question remains: How did she know this contract was written only for her?

“It was originally the Seafoam submarine.”

To prove this, use the Family Photo. Here, focus on the submarine, and select this dialogue:

“Sinthia’s family was constructing the submarine, which was known as the Seafoam submarine.”

After proving that it was called the Seafoam submarine, Sinthia tells us that Mortuga bought it off her parents and altered it. For the alteration clue, use the Submarine Blueprint. According to her, it was an illegitimate transaction. Sinthia boarded the submarine to refund him the money and retain ownership under her name.

This deal wasn’t about money. In return, she decided to give Mortuga the Inn Deeds. But who ended up owning the Stonetop Inn after Mortuga? Go to page 3 of the deeds and present it: Donovan Drummond, Sinthia’s stepfather.

With this conversation, it is revealed that Mortuga sold the Stonetop Inn to purchase Sinthia’s mother’s submarine. And, to repurchase the submarine, she decided to give him the deeds, a reverse deal. When Sinthia talked about it with Mortuga, he read the deeds and said he needed some time. Unfortunately, before he could decide about the deal, he was murdered.

Suspicion 7 | J.D. Wirman: Stranger Than Fiction

Next, we head to the Bunk Room #2 to interrogate Wirman. According to our findings, he belongs to Silkwirm but decided to quit his journalism job to move to the city and become an author. However, for him, it was a banal experience.

Still, it isn’t clear why he returned to Silkwirm and looked for the Mortuga Submarine. When the clue menu opens up, select the Handwritten Letter to learn the reason for his return. This letter is written by T.W. Ibis, addressed to Wirman. However, he denies hearing of someone named Ibis.

And now, we have to figure out who he is: his old boss. To prove it, use the Newspaper page (page 5), which confirms that T.W. Ibis was Wirman’s editor.

When asked if he used to look up to Ibis, he denies and calls him “just a boss.” However, we have proof that he actually used to do that. Select the Hex of the Helmsman’s page 5, and use it as evidence.

On the Handwritten Letter, there’s an illustration of instructions to find Mortuga’s ship. Despite Ibis not being on the ship, and his berating Wirman’s integrity in the initial bits of the letter, it’s confusing why he would follow his “boss'” directions. It’s now time to attach the clues together.

“J.D. Wirman Needed To Steal Mortuga’s Real Life Story To Use As The Plot For His Next Book.”

Then, Wirman asks whether we have evidence that he’s stealing Mortuga’s life for his next book (of course, we do). Show him the message in a bottle. He’ll call it an arcane incantation and say he doesn’t have anything to do with it due to the symbol on the back of the paper.

” It’s a drawing of a room on the submarine” – Select Illusion Theatre

Since the message on the paper is written with ink, all eyes are on Wirman here. But after he learns that Tadpole found it floating on the ocean, he asks how he could have written it.

Select Typewriter, and Wirman says they got him. However, he says that he wrote it just for record keeping, not for his upcoming novel. To prove otherwise, select Hex of the Helmsman. Focus on the title of both the message and the book:

The ‘Curse In The Cauldron’ Title Is Drawn In The Same Style As The ‘Hex of the Helmsman’ title Because It’s A Plan For The Next Book.”

Finally, he breaks and reveals that it actually was a script for his next novel. However, Wirman throws in the towel. He’s tired and wants to tell his editor that he quits. Just before we leave, Sally asks how he learned about Mortuga’s life for the previous novel, since he never met him until now.

According to him, his father and Mortuga had a mutual friend. And here, Wirman’s interrogation ends.

Suspicion 8 | Madam Tadpole: Keeping Secrets

For our final suspicion, we now interrogate Madam Tadpole. Grimoire first asks about her relationship with Mortuga. Surprisingly, she never had a disagreement or argument with him.

She tells us to get to the point. So, we shall now give her our evidence that proves she had a disagreement with Mortuga. Show her the first recording of Mariana’s pipe.

Tadpole is as calm as ever and says that they weren’t fighting over a “thing.” Still, there was a disagreement, and we have proof. But now, we need to learn about the reason.

Select the Pocketbook, and she will try to brush it off. Despite mentioning the bloodstain on its cover, she claims it’s pretty common among divers. When Tadpole says there isn’t anything special about the book, choose “It’s not even a book.”

While making sure that she’ll never tell anything to Dirk again, Grimoire wants to ask about something: Tanya’s photo inside the Pocketbook’s box.

But who is she, actually? Use the Diving License as a clue. As they get into more details, Grimoire wonders why there is a record of her in the box.

“It probably means the book didn’t originally belong to Tadpole.”

When the detective duo asks about the first owner of this Pocketbook, Tadpole says, “Nobody.” We have to figure it out ourselves. So, select the Moon Photo from the clues. In the clue-attachment section, focus on WW on the pocketbook cover and on the Moon Photo’s back.

“The Scratch On The Cover Is An Engraving Of The ‘WW’ Initials Because It Was Made By Waylan Wolfe.”

Waylan Wolfe, Madam Tadpole, and Waylan Wolfe were part of a performance group. But why is there a photo of Baroness Fortuna? To connect a clue with it, select the Illusion Poster and focus on the picture of Fortuna.

With this, the detective duo learns everything they need to know: Fortuna was the owner of the Silkwim-Inn, and it was used as the Waylan group’s resting place. Lastly, to end this conversation, Tadpole reveals what her and Mortuga’s argument was about: The Captaincy.

She thought that Mortuga had had enough of it and kept leading the submarine as a self-imposed punishment. So, ultimately, this lets her off the hook.

Submarine | Control Room | Reporting To Sinthia

After all the suspicions are cleared, return to the Control Room and report everything to Sinthia. However, she wants to leave immediately. When we ask the reason, she says everyone has started accusing each other of the murder, and she doesn’t like it.

Everyone is gathering at the Mess Hall, and Sinthia resurfaces the submarine. The duo returns to the foredeck. There, click on the lever to your right. After the conversation between Grimoire and Sally, the second chapter ends.

Since everyone is busy in the Mess Hall, it’s the perfect time to revisit the rooms to find further clues for the murder. Additionally, two new locations have been unlocked: The Dome Tank (Top right) and the AFT Deck (Bottom-most).

Submarine | AFT Deck

First, let’s head to the AFT Deck. There, to your right, is a giant Figurehead that is tied to the back of this area. After collecting the Figurehead, click on the map to initiate an odd dialog. Sally says she heard Grimoire talking, but he denies it.

The AFT Deck is now off the new checklist. And with this, we head towards the Dome Tank.

Submarine | Dome Tank | Treasure Chest Puzzle

In the Dome Tank, there’s a treasure chest in the middle. It’s ethereal for Sally, and she decides to savor this moment for a few seconds. When she gives you the go, it’s time to solve the puzzle to unlock it.

You can solve the Treasure Chest puzzle by moving the flags and pirates into their correct keyholes, and you have to rotate them, too. If you’re struggling with this puzzle, please check the image below:

As Sally opens the chest, she accidentally cuts her finger. So, Grimoire takes out what’s inside it: Ocean Treasure. Solving the puzzle cuts the Dome Tank off our checklist. We have six more places to go.

Submarine | Control Room | Electronic Panel Puzzle

Remember, there’s an electronic panel near the captain’s coat in the Control Room, which Sinthia was trying to protect for some reason. Since she’s not here anymore, return to the Control Room and click on the electronic panel.

In this puzzle, you have to put the nine metal pieces into their correct position. Here’s the solved puzzle if you’re wondering:

With this puzzle, we can finally access the captain’s coat. There is another handheld radio inside it; another task is now off the checklist.

Submarine | Airlock Grotto | Breaking The Bottle

Madam Tadpole isn’t present at the Airlock Grotto. So, go there and click on the bottles to your left, and you will finally be able to break the message in the bottle.

Use the typewriter to break it. While the front page talks about the events of Mortuga’s murder, as written by J.D. Wirman, the back of it has another story. Sally regularly complained about how vague the command contract was, and the back of the message serves as the second page of the contract. This tells us about how the submarine transaction took place.

After reading the contract wholly, Sally and Grimoire decide to return to the Mess Hall. However, don’t go there yet.

Submarine | Cargo Hold | Mushroom Box Puzzle

We have more rooms to explore. Now, head towards the Cargo Hold, where you met Mariana Moon. Since she isn’t here, click on her tent to your left.

Inside, there’s a Mushroom Box puzzle that you can solve. Here, you have to rotate the sun around the board and select the correct number combination. There are four categories: Dayglo, Evergleam, Illuminight, and Nevergleam.

Below is a solved image of this puzzle:

Inside the board, there’s another tape for Mariana’s Dictaphone. Click on it and hear all four audio recordings to finally learn how to open the Black Box in the Captain’s Quarters.

Submarine | Captain’s Quarters | Opening The Black Box

Return to the Captain’s Quarters and click on the Black Box on the bed. Play the recording again to receive an option to drag its handle.

And here, the fourth chapter, The Box That Was Actually Really Easy To Open, begins. Inside the box, there’s a mourning envelope, a film reel (third), and a scroll that contains an alleged message from Mr Gripp and an individual SS; their initials.

With these three new clues, leave the Captain’s Quarters and go to Zephyr’s Dream Chamber.

Submarine | Dream Chamber | Cabinet of Curiosities | Skull Shelf Puzzle

Zephyr isn’t at the Dream Chamber, and it’s the perfect time to learn more about his experiments. Click on the bookshelf, and then interact with the slightly visible face in the gap.

This unlocks a hidden room in the chamber. Go into the room to enter the Cabinet of Curiosities, which contains the mask drawn on the Ocean Map and the Wooden Buoy.

However, the mask is locked behind a glass, and to open it, click on the skulls below. It’s a puzzle where you have to swap the positions of the skulls and labels, and rotate the skulls.

Here’s a solved image of this puzzle:

With this, the mask inside the glass case, The Mermaid’s Tongue, is now in our hands. Before leaving the Cabinet of Curiosities, click on the two letters to your left. These letters were written by Magnus before his death, telling Zephyr about a recurring dream after their voyage to find the treasure (X on the Ocean Map).

Return to the Dream Chamber, and click on the Hex Bottle. Suddenly, Symmetry will walk in and ask us what we need. Sally and Grimoire tell her that they’re here to solve the mystery. Seeing us with the Hex Bottle, Sym says that she can help them. She taps on the Hex Bottle three times and goes away.

Now, interact with the Hex Bottle to see an image of Mortuga being covered by the Iron Bell. It’s still vague, and we have to make something out of it.

Submarine | Captain’s Cabin | Inspecting The Iron Bell

At the Captain’s Cabin, the Iron Bell now has a different meaning after what we saw in the Hex Bottle. There, click on it, and the detective duo will start an inspection.

“It’s not a bell at all.”

This bell connects with the Stone Cauldron. And here, another clue-attachment section will begin. Focus on the hanging part inside the bell and the shape on the cauldron’s lid.

“The Hanging Part Slots Into The Shape On The Lid To Lock Or Unlock The Cauldron.”

Since the bell is an integral part of the Stone Cauldron, which is located a floor below the Captain’s Cabin, Sally suggests there must be a way to move it there easily. So, click on the table to move it aside, and you will find a rug. And below the rug, there’s a lid that leads to the Illusion Theatre.

After this discovery, return to the Illusion Theatre for one last time.

Submarine | Illusion Theatre | Iron Bell Connection

In the Illusion Theatre, shut the Stone Cauldron first. However, there isn’t anything that can be used to pull the Iron Bell from above (Captain’s Cabin) in plain sight. Now, click on the Illusion Poster, and the pipe it’s taped to is pretty loose.

As soon as the detective duo rotates the pipe, lo and behold, the iron bell comes down. Click on the combination of two clues and learn how it works.

First, turn the handle on the left side, then on the right. It doesn’t work. Return to the front of the cauldron and try to spin the handles simultaneously, but Grimoire’s arms aren’t that long; he forgot Sally is here too.

So, as the duo turns the handles, the cauldron unlocks. Suddenly, they find a metal fragment on the bell, which isn’t a part of it. Inspect it, and the fourth chapter will end.

Chapter 5, The Unveiling of the Illusion Theatre, starts with two possible scenarios: A murderer and a thief. Select the murderer first to start connecting all the clues.

A Murderer

But how was he killed? The Iron Bell. To prove that he lowered the Iron Bell at the murder scene, select the Hex Bottle. It shows imagery of Mortuga lowering the Bell. However, knowing how it required two people to turn both handles on the bell, there must be someone, or something, he used to do it.

“He did it by himself.”

Sally reads a part of Felicia’s diary that proves it. But, still, we don’t know how the iron bell killed Mortuga. Focus on its Fragment, and then attach the clues:

“A Metal Thing Was Wedged Into The Iron Bell To Kill Mortuga When It Rotated Around.”

According to Sally, the murderer wedged the metal thing into the Iron Bell, knowing it would kill Mortuga. However, there’s a problem: it isn’t long or sharp enough to kill someone.

“It was longer, but it’s cut in half.”

Where’s the other part then? Something taken out of the Black Box. It’s the imprint on the mourning envelope, an imprint of a necklace. It looks like a scissor, but we have means to prove that it was a necklace.

Select the HER painting and focus on the necklace, but it doesn’t show the full image. Now, select the Figure Head and focus on the necklace again. The dots are gradually connecting. Since Morutga asked Mariana to spy on the Governor’s family, which is related to Felicia, she brought the necklace onto the submarine in the Black Box.

But can we prove that he opened it in the cabin with the culprit? Yes. Select the Wooden Pipe, and use the fourth recording of the second tape. In it, Captain Mortuga is talking to someone, but we can’t hear their voice. And here, the Murder section ends.

…And A Thief

After Mortuga was murdered, the Stone Cauldron was empty. It suggests that someone stole something from the cauldron. However, Mortuga closed the bulkhead door after he entered the Illusion Theatre.

“The culprit didn’t need to use the bulkhead door.”

They came in through the Captain’s Cabin hole. But Mortuga probably made sure that nobody could access the Captain’s Cabin while he was in the cauldron. How though?

Select the Eyeball Key. However, another question arises: How did the culprit get hold of the Eyeball Key?

“The Eyeball Key Fell Through The Vent Under The Cauldron And Landed In The Bilge.”

It didn’t happen by accident either.

“The culprit tilted the submarine.”

Focus on the middle part of the Ship Wheel, and the detective duo realizes that someone must have tilted the submarine to make the eyeball key fall into the vent. But do we have evidence for that?

“A clue found at the crime scene.”

The Moon Vial. And there was a part that was left behind: The Glass Dropper near the Ship In The Bottle. Additionally, we have another clue from another room: The Control Room.

Select the Captain’s Log page 1 as evidence. This shows us that during the crime scene, the submarine was underwater. And, to prove it further, we know a phenomenon from the crime scene.

Focus on Mortuga’s blood. And with these clues, we learn that someone tilted the submarine, stole the key from the bilge, jumped down from the Captain’s Cabin to murder Mortuga; it was all pre-planned.

With every little piece of information in our hands, it’s finally time to return to the Mess Hall to confront everyone. However, they’re not there. Suddenly, we hear everyone arguing in the Parlor, which seems like a perfect time to break up things and catch the culprit.

Submarine | Parlor | Catching The Murderer

In the Parlor, we see Sinthia talking to everyone. Click on her, and everyone will tell how she has locked the Fore Deck, as she believes that the killer will try to make a run for it after they’re named.

And here, the sixth chapter of the game, The Murder of Magnus Mortuga, begins. Now, report to the group and tell them everything you know.

The Mermaid’s Tongue

Since everyone’s eager to know what was in the cauldron, select the Mermaid’s Tongue. The duo says that they found it in the Dream Chamber. And to show what it does, select the Caretaker’s Journal, page 5. According to Zephyr, the Mermaid Tongue serves as a translator to talk to “Her beyond the veil,” a mermaid.

Now, we need to show her image. Use the Underwater Photo as evidence, and as Zephyr explains further, Dirk calls it a simple leather mask and doesn’t believe a word he says.

“That’s because it isn’t complete.”

Thankfully, we have the complete image of the Mermaid’s Tongue. To connect two clues, select the Ocean Map first, and the Torn Scroll (from the Black Box) as the second.

The complete map shows us that the Mermaid Mask had a coral on top of it. Select the Ocean Treasure and focus on the coral and the gemstones as its eyes.

This explains the marks inside the cauldron, as this coral is crystal sharp. But why did Mortuga keep it locked in the cauldron?

“Because he wanted to keep it hidden from everyone.”

And it’s not like Mortuga wanted to hide it inside the cauldron; it was historically kept inside it. To prove it, focus on the egg-shaped thing on the Ripped Scroll. According to Tadpole, she saw someone on the AFT Deck, presumably the culprit, wearing the Mermaid’s Tongue.

Sinthia says nobody knew about the Mermaid’s Tongue, so how did the culprit take it?

“Because they were the third person on the Dearest Selena voyage.”

And now, we have to prove the existence of the third person.

The Third Person

Grimoire says that the Dearest Selena voyage consisted of three people, not two. There was someone else, including Felicia and Mortuga.

Zephyr asks us for evidence to prove it.

“Mortuga’s film reel”

Around the halfway point of the film, there’s someone peeking out from the door. Focus on them. Then, select the audio recording of Mortuga, which proves that he was talking to a third person.

“Mortuga is talking to the third person from the voyage.”

To show the curious nature of the opening of Mortuga’s black box, select the Handheld Radios. And to prove it further, Grimoire uses the Ship in the Bottle.

“The Ship In The Bottle Rattles When You Shake It, Because A Model Of Someone Else Is Hidden Inside The Ship.”

And to learn about the third person, choose:

“The ship in a bottle rattling when you shake it.”

First, we have to compare the ship with the Model Town. To identify them, we need to learn about the people who aren’t in the town.

And who isn’t in the Model Town? Godrik Gripp. But Dirk asks how Mortuga allowed Gripp to join his voyage? The proof is the Service Record sticker on the ocean map, which belongs to Mr Gripp’s Emporium.

However, nobody’s convinced. And, to drop the bombshell, Tadpole asks us to break the bottle to see the model inside the ship. Our leads were correct. It was indeed Mr Gripp’s model hidden inside the ship.

Still, Wirman and Symmetry ask us to prove that he murdered Mortuga.

“Gripp still has both the murder weapon and the key.”

Select the broken compass, and inside, you will find the rest of Felicia’s necklace. The facade has worn off. And with this, Mr Gripp takes off his hat and says, “I guess this is it.”

He’s the murderer. And the final chapter of the game, The Wayward Navigator, begins.

The Voyage Aboard the Dearest Selena

Finally, Mr Gripp opens up. He tells us how he always longed to go on a journey. The Ocean Map proves it. During the voyage, he heard Felicia talking about the Mermaid’s Tongue, and a few moments later, the heavy thing that Mortuga hauled up onto the deck was the Iron Bell.

Felicia wore the helmet and talked to the Mermaid, but things went south. Mortuga tried to control the ship, and during the process, the ship’s wheel broke and fell into the water, along with Mr Gripp, who lost his balance. In the water, he listened to the Mermaid’s voice and wanted to learn about her. With the ship’s wheel piece, he made Cornelius Cane.

The Creation of the Mortuga Submarine

After Gripp woke up at the shore of Silkwirm, he went to look for Felicia. Why, you ask? Felicia had been the one wearing the Mermaid’s Tongue. He went to the Inn and saw Mortuga. He asked about Felicia and the Mermaid Mask, and unfortunately for him, Mortuga claimed that Felicia and he threw the mermaid mask back into the ocean, along with the cauldron.

So, he asks if they can return to the location and catch it again, but Mortuga gave him the Inn Deeds, revealing the fate of Dearest Selena. He bargained, and bargained, but it didn’t help. He decides to buy the Dearest Selena and complete the construction of the Seafoam Submarine himself, as it would allow them to get the cauldron again.

However, the detective duo asks why it was called the Mortuga submarine then, and not the Gripp Submarine? Because Gripp paid for it using the Inn Deeds.

A Gathering of Hapeless Travelers

Before they left for the journey, Mortuga smuggled the Mermaid’s Tongue onto the submarine, as he didn’t want Gripp to know that he had it. But how did he actually smuggle it? It’s written in the Zephyr’s Letters. Mortuga invited Zephyr to the submarine since he was interested in occult items, but they left Gripp behind. Following the captain’s orders, Zephyr unlocked the cauldron and hid the Mermaid’s mask in his bookshelf.

He staged a balloon crash into the water, and Mortuga rescued him; all according to his plan. And here, he was free to explore the submarine. And it wasn’t just the three of them after this. Everyone started joining. Next, we have to piece the information together about everyone else. Use the image below for the answer:

However, even after doing it correctly, Gripp says there are slight misconceptions. So, all the correct answers are present below:

After the misconceptions of Symmetry, Sinthia, Wirman, and Tadpole are cleared, we finally know about the conversation between Mortuga and Gripps during the opening of the Black Box.

The Murder of Magnus Mortuga

When the Mourning Envelope arrived at the submarine with Felicia’s necklace, Gripp thought of it as a twist of fate. The necklace is the key to using the Mermaid’s Tongue, but seeing it in Gripp’s hands, Mortuga lied, as he was afraid of the consequences.

However, this lie didn’t work on Gripp from that point. He saw Symmetry’s drawing of the Stone Cauldron on the Illusion Poster. A few exchanges of sentences later, everyone wonders why Mortuga opened the cauldron, knowing the Mermaid’s Tongue was inside it.

“I think he wanted to hide the Mermaid’s Tongue somewhere else.”

Lastly, he explains how the murder took place. And, when he says that nothing matters since we know where the Mermaid’s Tongue is, he immediately shuts off the Parlor’s lights and runs away with it.

It’s now time to find him. Rush to the Captain’s Quarters immediately, and we’ll see a glimpse of how the tongue is actually activated. In the quarters, you will find Gripp, menacingly standing, wearing the Mermaid’s Tongue.

The detective duo confronts him, but they can’t understand him as he’s speaking the Mermaid’s language. Again, he rushes through the door to reach the Fore Deck; the door from the Captain’s Quarters is unlocked. However, he drops something: a Fixed Compass.

Unfortunately, we can’t follow him as he has locked the door from the outside. Click on the door to see through the glass. And we see something… unexplainable. Gripp, standing on the edge of the submarine, summons the Mermaid herself, who’s a giant living being. She drags the submarine underwater, and the water pressure immediately does its work.

It’s too much for the submarine to handle. Suddenly, we hear everyone on the handheld radios. The detective duo rushes to the Control Room and reunites with everyone. Through the glass, they see the Mermaid with Gripp in her hand. She speaks to us in the ancient language. Everyone’s worried, and after she tells us something, she leaves the submarine and lets us go.

With a sigh of relief, Tadpole tells Sinthia to return to Silkwirm so they can talk about everything. However, she doesn’t know where they are, as the Mermaid dropped them off into the unknown. To help her, show the fixed compass for directions.

Returning To Silkwirm’s Town Square

Everyone is now at the Town Square. And since Gripp is missing, there’s nothing we can do about him, or the Mermaid’s Tongue. It’s all a story to tell now.

Talk to everyone, and once you’re done, they’ll bid farewell. Still, they’re all curious about what the Mermaid said to them, but that’s a mystery and will remain as one forever.

And here, the credits roll, and we see a glimpse of everyone’s future.

With this, our The Mermaid Mask walkthrough part 3 comes to an end.

This walkthrough is a part of our The Mermaid Mask complete walkthrough hub. Check it out here.

---

If you’re looking for more walkthroughs, please check the links below:

• Into Indie Games Homepage
• Dead Weight – Walkthrough And Guides Hub
• The Mound: Omen of Cthulu – Beginner Tips & Tricks
• Denshattack! – The Ultimate Guide For Everything
• Moss: The Forgotten Relic – Walkthrough Hub