Witch's Handbook

New to Fern Island, or just curious about the Game? Here's a Guide to get you started!

Introduction

New to Fern Island, or just curious about the Game?

This Guide covers everything you need to know!!

Even with its many faults and Quirks, I am simply in love with the complexities of this game. This Guide will steer you through some of the Questions I had at the start, and hopefully smooth the bumps of your Journey to become an excellent Witch!

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NOTE: Some Quests require you to advance from Season to Season to continue.
If you want to rush progress, you can go to Bed to skip days. If there are Crops or Animals on your Farm, just make sure they have Water and Food.

Map Info

First, it important to familiarize yourself with the map. (Haha, "Familiar," geddit?)
There are 7 biomes that divide the Map into sections:

Barrow End, Hills, Lake, Swamp, Steppes, Desert, Beaches

Within each area are several large signs that dictate which plants are active during the current season. These info boards are the main method of figuring out which plants are in what areas.
Each area will spawn different plants in each season: Bloom, Storm, Bask, Harvest, Reverie, Frost.
For more information on Plants and Materials, see my other guide:
https://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=3295914037

Using Markers:

I recommend using stickers as often as possible to mark groups of valuable plant spawns, bug houses, wood/ore harvest areas, and other points of interest on the map!
You can purchase these stickers from the little grocery shop in the Town. You only need to buy one of each and "Use" in your Inventory to unlock it on the map. Colored Stickers show up on your HUD Compass at the top of your screen!

How to Unlock Fast-Travel

Fast-Travel points exist on the Map in the form of Altars. Interacting with these Altars prompts you to perform a ritual using specific ingredients. Most of these materials spawn in different Seasons, so you will not be able to unlock these points for a while.

The different locations and recipes for these Altars are as follows:

Barrow End:

Requires 10 Metal Essence
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Hills:

Requires 10 Earth Essence
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Lake:

Requires 10 Water Essence
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Swamp:

Requires 10 Forest Essence
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Steppes:

Requires 10 Dust Essence
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Desert:

Requires 10 Desert Essence
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Cliffs:

Requires 10 Air Essence

Hazards

While exploring your new home, keep an eye out for dangerous critters and plants!!
While they arent actually that dangerous, a badly-timed jump combined with a little extra damage can send you to the Hospital and waste the whole day!
If you lose health, dont fret! You regenerate it after a few moments. Critters will only follow you so far, so just run away from whatever nest you stumbled into. Keep in mind that both Scorpions and Spiders drop Venom when caught, and Bee nests hold valuable Honey and Wax!

Puzzles

Fern Island is full of surprises, and many of those surprises are Puzzles! There are a few main types, from Memorization, Bells, Musical-Rocks, and Spot-the-Difference.

Why Puzzles are Important:

Each mystery hides a new recipe for potions, food, or crafting. It might be useful, or it might just be something to sell at your stall. The MOST IMPORTANT drop from these puzzles are:

• "Space Stones" used to expand your inventory
  
• "Astra Fruit" used to increase your Overall Energy

Make sure to mark these important locations on your Map if you are unable to solve them.

Blocked Areas

There are a few different ways your path could be blocked around the Map. Some are easy to get past, others require patience and potions.

Rockslide:

There are several ares blocked by stone around the Map. You can clear them away with your Pickaxe. The more your tool is upgraded, the faster this will go.
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Magic Gates:

These special gates require the Gate Breaking potion to get past. You get this potion from Miruta by following the Main Quests. Make sure to finish the "Vegeswamps" Quest so that you can grow the ingredient required to make it.

Friendship

Unlike other games where Friendship with Villagers is an optional extra task, building relationships with Fern Island's residents is important to unlocking Quests and Recipes!

There are 18 unique Characters to talk to:

Each have their own favorites, which will be indicated under spoilers: Example A more detailed list is available on the wiki! You can give gifts once a week.

• Ahnah Air Melon, Strawberry, Shell Necklace
  
• Anton Cheese, Darkberries, Macarons
  
• Cassandra Hyacinth, Lily, Moonflower
  
• Charna Medicines, Carrot, Carrot Cake
  
• Frita Jewelry, Beetroot Burger, Herbarium
  
• Horace Apple Pie, Asparagus, Potion of (Season) Grow
  
• Malbi Citrine, Vitality Charm, Gold Ore
  
• Miruta Mild Perfume, Lily, Coffee
  
• Omari Bread, Potato, Lobelia
  
• Patrice Chimera Birdwing, Midnight Cod, Jumpkin
  
• Rebecca (Camera Quest!) Airmelon, Golden Beetle, Thunder Carrot
  
• Rogost Metal Bars, Bell Pepper, Explotato
  
• Siemibor Orchid Mantis, Pickles, Boran Sandwich
  
• Tesha Shark Tooth, Lapis, Cookies
  
• Tulok Bronze Bar, Wheat, Lesser Luck Charm
  
• Urushu Kaoh Artifacts, Garlic
  
• Witowir Watermelon, Bell Pepper, Opal
  
• Yutu Food, Fishing Charm, Gourmand Charm

Early-Game Money

This section will break down methods of making Money early-on in the Game. There are several different ways to do so, but these are the ones I've used to make a big chunk of progress!

Repair the Stall

This is an important step! Follow the Quest given to you by your Cat after inspecting the broken stall in front of your House. It will direct you to go to Town and interact with Rogost's shop.
You need 20 Wood to repair the stall. Once you have done so, its time to start selling stuff!
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Easy Potions!

Once you finish the Quest to "Revive Plants," you'll have an easy recipe that takes very little effort to make. The ingredients for this potion are very close to Home, and if you pool enough resources, you should have a steady trickle of income from your Stall.
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Crates and Totems

An easy way to make money is simply to explore! Random crates and golden totems are placed all over the map. Golden totems cost nothing to find, and give you 200 coins each. Brown crates can be smashed with your axe, though you will need better tools to access Green ones.
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Upgrade your Axe!

This is the first tool I would upgrade, and the first goal I would prioritize. Harvest Copper with your pickaxe from the back of your farm, and then build a smelter. Visit Rogost's shop in Town to upgrade the Axe. Once you do, you are able to smash open Green Crates. These are literally everywhere, and they drop VERY VALUABLE potions that you can sell to make quick cash!!

How to get a Camera

The camera is unlocked in a Quest that you receive from Rebecca once you reach One-Heart friendship with her.

You will receive a message in the Mailbox that begins the Quest: "I need Help With Searching"
After talking to her, head down to the Beach near town. Follow the water south around the Cliff where you'll find a Paffti shrine, and a broken boat where the Camera is hanging!
Finish the Quest to unlock the Album section of your inventory.

How to Become A Cat

This section will explain the steps necessary to use your familiar to explore the Map as a Cat!
You need the "Soul Sounder" to possess your familiar and control them. You get this item from the "Familiar Place" Quest given to you by your Cat on Day 6 of the Storm Season.

Follow the Quest to unlock the Soul Sounder.

You need the mushroom "Bloody Tooth" to finish this Quest, which doesn't spawn until the Harvest Season.
Note: It is VERY important that you change back into Abrill in the first cave room and make sure to trigger a conversation with the cat there before you continue, or you will mess up the quest and prevent it from completing. Its unclear if this has been fixed.

How to Repair Your Broom

This section will cover the steps you need to follow in order to Repair your Broom. You will need to progress the Quests given to you at the beginning of the Game to do so.

Retrieve Broom Fragments

First, make sure to pick up all parts of the shattered Broom from the Beach at the edge of Town. You will need to speak with the Cat again at Home after doing so. The Game will require you to ask NPCs about a Crystal Ball, leading you to the next step:

Crystal Ball Quest

Make your way North from the big Town into the Lake area. Here, you can find Frita near her house. Speak to her to unlock the register by her front door. You can repair your Crystal Ball with fragments of Quartz and some money.

Commune with the Matron

When your Crystal Ball has been repaired and Enchanted, you can use the Altar next to your Farm to call Absura, who is your Matron/Mentor. NOTE: The flower you need to do so doesnt show up until "Storm," the next Season after "Bloom." Spend some time exploring, or go to Bed to skip days until you get to the next Season. There is no penalty for doing this.

Crafting:

You will not be able to find the Ingredients you need until the Bask and Harvest Seasons!

First, you need to make a regular Broom. Simple enough. Then, you need to make that Broom into an Enchanted Broom. The Mushroom required here can only be found in the Swamp area during Harvest.
Next, you need to make the Potion required for the Broom Ritual. The Mushroom here, Puffball, doesnt grow until the Bask Season.

How to get a Horse

Rideable creatures in this game are antelope-like deer called Tzoru. The long-tailed deer (called "Dree") that you see around the early areas of the map are NOT Tzoru, and are not able to be ridden. (I'm sad about it, too).

Types of Tzoru:

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Tzoru Tips:

• The "Burning Haste" breed moves fastest, with a speed of 6.5. This is significantly faster than running on foot, where other speeds are only a slight advantage.
  
• Your Tzoru comes with 2 rows of inventory! Even if you dont like riding them, they are handy when your hands are full.
  
• Your Tzoru can be called to you at any time with ","

Tzoru shop:

Tulok sells Tzoru at his farm in the Steppes area of the Map. You can rent one for a day for 100 coins, or buy one permanently for 1500. The Tzoru in his shop randomize every Monday, so if you don't see a Speed and Style that you are satisfied with, you can wait until the next week to look at a new group. The numbers indicate Speed, Stamina, and Recharge (in order).
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Stable and Feed:

In order to keep your Tzoru happy, you will need to buy the Blueprints to build a stable (Tzoru Stud) from Rogost's shop in the main Town. You can also buy the blueprint for a Feed Mixer, if you don't want to keep spending your hard-earned money on food.

How to get Chickens

Chickens on Fern Island are magical, and are referred to as "Cuflows" instead! There are several different types that can be bought, caught, bred, and discovered!

Types of Cuflow:

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How to keep Cuflows:

In order to keep Cuflows on your Farm, you first need to acquire the Blueprints for a Coop. They also need to be fed every day, so you will need a Feed Mixer if you dont want to spend all your hard earned money on food. Head to Rogost's shop in the main Town to pick them up.

Once you have a coop, you can put wild Cuflows inside by catching one and interacting with the Coop. You can also buy them from Tulok on his Ranch, though he only sells a common type.
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Breeding Cuflows:

You will need another type of building on your farm in order to breed Cuflows. Then, you will need an incubator to hatch the eggs. Both of these things are available from Rogost's shop.
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A Mysterious Hobby...

If you choose to get into the odd hobby of breeding Cuflows and discovering all types, you'll want to hold on to their eggs. Each type has their own respective egg! And somewhere on the island, those will come in handy..

What are these Weird Boxes?

The odd-looking Semi-Transparent Objects you are seeing dotted around are called "Dimensional Chests," and you wont be able to access them until you can survive inside the Portals that lead to the Astra Realm.

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How to Unlock them:

Spoiler! To unlock them, you must click on them in the Astra Realm. You must be able to survive passing through the Portals dotted around the Island first, since without a specific potion you will take damage.

What do they Do?

Spoiler! Once they are unlocked, they are usable in the overworld. They function as one combined chest. Anything you put in at one location can be taken out from another! Unlocking multiple locations gives you more storage.

Who are the Little Guys?

You can find Paffti and their Shrines all over the Map!

These little guys will run away when you approach, fading out and fading back in when you leave. They each have their own likes and loves when it comes to offerings, so take note of the shrines that have the easiest preferences!

Paffti Rewards:

When you give a Liked or Loved gift, you have a chance to get valuable items in return!
Sometimes these will be rare plants or materials, but sometimes you will get a special Paffti Leaf! This is pretty Rare and necessary for various Recipes.

Paffti Shop:

Once you have given 10 Total Loved gifts to any shrine, you unlock a Special Shop run by a Paffti that sells a variety of randomized items. You can find this Shop in the Hills, but it wont be active until you've given all 10 gifts.

Important Tools

Not all tools are given to Abril upon the start of the Game. You will need to visit various shops around Town to pick up important blueprints and tools nessesary for advancing the game!

"Northern Lights" Fishing Shop

This store is located on the side on Town closest to the water. It is run by Ahnah, who sells Fish, Rods and Tackle, Nets and Nectars.

Fishing:

There are three different Rods and many types of bait to choose from. More info on this soon, I havent done much with them myself.
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Bug Nets:

Used to catch Bugs and Critters, there are several materials in the game that you cannot get without a handy bug net! Make sure to pick one up early on.
Examples of materials dropped by critters: Venom from spiders, Fur from Rabbits, etc.

Conclusion

Thank you for taking a peek at my Guide!

There were so many Questions I had at the start of this game. How do I get a broom? Where tf do I find this flower? When the hecc am I going to be a cat? I thought it would be useful to put together a Guide, especially since it really makes my OCD brain happy to do so.

Again, if you need help finding materials and plants, visit my other Guide!
https://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=3295914037
If you have any tips, comments, or insight of your own, feel free to comment! I am always open to change in my Guides, so I'll keep an eye out for new people passing through! :3

[Creeperlox]

Good points! I'll make sure to add that stuff when I get back to it. Glad you enjoyed the guide! I love organizing them and theres so much you can easily miss in this game.

[tourviell]

As of money making, you should upgrade your stall as son as posible to have popular item unlocked - every day there will be item listed, which is bought first and for double price - so it is worth crafting those popular items just one day. Also quantity of sold things is based on town reputation, which is gained by talking to townfolks, giving them gifts, doing commisions.
Pafti shrines - usually loved gift is a dish made from liked gifts.
These are certainly not all tips that can be added, but once again - great guide, I wish I have such drive to compile that knowladge, good work :)

[tourviell]

Wow, what a great guide. I started playing some time ago, learning most things from wiki, but both of your guide would be very useful back then.
As for tips, I would add separate section about Astra realm. As you mentioned in info abut weired boxes, Abril must drink special potion before going there. But this potion gives only time limited protection. You can craft special amulet, which gives infinite protection in Astra. Recipe for this amulet is learned as a reward for doing quest for Patrice once you reach five hearts friendship. That quest involves traveling to Astra, also materials for amulet are found in Astra, so initialy Abril will need those potions.