Oh yeah, I’ve been getting the shop acorns. Time to stare at the clues some more…
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I love how many of us are learning cryptic crossword clue techniques from this game! I was really struggling with the clues initially, but then my brain started to get into gear. I may have to look at some cryptic crosswords to solve for fun!
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If you’d like a recommendation, the site below is where Alex and I love to find ours!
Some days the clues are not as clear in my opinion (different authors?), but I generally love their style and it’s been a big inspiration for developing my own. Once in a while a clue is too Australian for us to get, but overall we’ve been doing well so far! Sunday the 15th had some fun clues from what I recall. 
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Mucho thanks!
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Yup! I’ve always been pretty meh on cryptics: I tend to prefer word games that are more general-purpose knowledge and not such in-group specialized stuff, but since this I’ve been like… okayyyy, maybe they could be kinda fun and I’ve been occasionally peeking at the Minute Cryptics (one clue a day, with explanatory video after) and today I went through a whole one of The Guardian’s Quick Cryptics (small/easier ones) with surprisingly little trouble… @Ally, what have you done?!!
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Almost done with this one! I’m finding it fairly easy/intuitive, so would definitely recommend to other cryptic beginners!
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Did I miss it, or is there a way to see a crossword that has all the clues in it? I love cryptic crosswords but I rely heavily on the hints you get from solving other clues (i.e. the letters) to solve the rest.
If there isn’t one, I might make one after I play it; you can just type all the words into a website like this one and it’ll automatically make a grid for you:
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Unfortunately not, sorry! I would have loved to make it happen but we weren’t sure how to do it in Twine.
But I love the idea of plugging the words into a crossword maker — I’ll share my attempt here for anyone who likes that format and/or wants to lower the challenge level a bit:
Apothecary’s Assistant cryptics (crossword-style)
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Thank you! The puzzles were hard enough to be fun before but just a bit too hard for me to get many of them. This looks like it will help! Thanks so much!
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How great!
I had the exact same solution! O for oxygen, amirite?
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cross-posting my review here
also, it amuses me that it did not even occur to me to change my system time . . . 
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While I don’t enjoy cryptics myself, I want to celebrate the care with which this was made, and the risk taken–productive, I feel–with regard to the clock. I also celebrate the sometimes-discussed coziness of The Apothecary’s Assistant, which, given the general IF landscape, can feel refreshing. The charity aspect is another formal invention that is not only generous but also represents a new, outcome-based spin on AR games. Instead of the world acting upon the game, the game acts upon the world.
It also has generated a fair amount of discussion, and I think the community benefits from that kind of discourse.
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I have a guess for Kaue! Kitsune?
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That’s not it, but thanks for the guess, that was a really interesting one! 
I can confirm that there is a character from Japan, but it’s not him.
Since the current version of the game is severely lacking in repeat character descriptions, I’ll copy/paste an excerpt from his first appearance here as a refresher:
Kauê description
Behind you, a voice calls out, and you turn to see a young man of short stature standing in the doorway. His vibrant russet skin hides toned muscles. His bright orange hair somehow stands upright, looking almost spiky, and glows with a vivid warm light.
He laughs breathlessly and kneels. You suddenly notice that his feet are pointing backwards, giving his movements a unique quality.
“Hey! Come back here!”
You hear quiet hoofsteps coming from behind a wooden display, and a friendly peccary soon appears. She happily hops into the man’s arms while he beams at you.
“Hahaha, sorry about that! I’m Kauê, and this is my sister Kauane!”
She grunts enthustiastically as he tousles her hair. Aïssatou peeks out of the stockroom to check on the commotion and waves with a friendly smile.
I know of a few other characters you’ve definitely met, so I’ll throw those in too in case it can help:
Monday regulars
You’re casually stocking some shelves when a distant high-pitched voice breaks your focus. It quickly gets louder and the door soon opens, revealing a woman and a boy with beautiful russet skin and smooth dark brown hair.
Her gait is unusual, and you immediately notice that she seems to have no feet — another glance reveals that her heel is in the front and her toes are pointing backwards towards the doorway. Flaps of skin stretch between her body and her arms; the latter end in elegant long-fingered hands whose palms face away from each other.Your ears can suddenly make out words in the child’s excited babble.
“And then Ligaya said that she-”
“Just a moment, honey.”
The boy grows quiet and stares at you, wide-eyed. She smiles apologetically.
“You must be the new assistant; it’s nice to meet you. I’m Minviluz, and this is my son Bayani.”
(Just realized I apparently love the colour “russet” so much that I used it for 2 characters in a row — and it happens to be the two with backwards feet!)
~
Friday regular
As you set down your watering can, a tall and thin man slinks in through the front door. His beautiful long and smooth hair is almost as fair as his skin. You approach him and notice that he is soaking wet. On his back is a beautiful, ornate, eight-stringed fiddle.
“
<<if new Date().getHours() >= 7 and new Date().getHours() < 19>>Good day!<<else>>Good evening!<</if>>I’m happy to finally meet the new assistant! I hope you’ve been enjoying yourself. I’m Åsmund…”
The next time you see him:
As you set down your watering can, Åsmund appears with a shy smile and a wave. Mindful of the puddles he’s creating, he sponges himself off with a small towel as he greets you.
~
Saturday regular
You’ve just finished your task when you hear a dull thumping coming from outside.
Thump… thump… thump…
Suddenly, the front door opens, revealing a handsome young man with crutches under his arms. His flowy white chiton highlights his healthy light brown skin, and his slightly curly hair is tousled by remnants of breeze as he steps past the threshold. Most notably, he appears to only have a single leg that ends in an extremely large foot.
You close the door behind him while exchanging greetings.
“Hello, I’ve heard about you! It’s nice to meet you! My name is Echekrates.”
He carefully sits on a nearby chair and grasps his crutches in his hands as he continues.
~
Aïssatou herself (various scenes)
You push open the door and are greeted by a cheerful voice.
“!السلام عليكم”
Your eyes are drawn to a figure in the center of the room. A prickling warmth makes its way deep inside your ears, and the unfamiliar sounds quickly become perfectly intelligible.
“Welcome to my shop!”
The woman smiles warmly as she approaches you, and you take a moment to examine her.
She is very short, and moves so effortlessly and gracefully that you could swear she was floating. Her skin is inhumanly white and seems almost pearlescent. Her tightly-coiled silver hair is woven into elegant and intricate braids.
When asking her about herself:
“I hail from Senegal! My people live beneath the hills there and enjoy a life of opulence. But I wanted to make something more of my time in this world, so I left my country behind and founded this sanctuary alongside my little friend Diégane. I started out as a simple apothecary, but nowadays I find myself doing a bit of everything!”
These guys show up after solving all the cryptic clues:
Aïssatou falls to her knees beside you and you look back towards the approaching chatter. This time you notice two pairs of feet slowly walking towards you. They’re accompanied by two pairs of hands that sway back and forth, one pair higher in the air than the other. There is silence for a few moments as they draw near, then a melodic female voice energetically yells out:
“Aïssatou! You have completed our challenge!”
And her letter…
"Mamadou, Seynabou,
I am ashamed that it has taken me so long to recognize the rights that you deserve.
Surrounded by other yumboes who never questioned their lifestyles, I remained blissfully ignorant of your struggles. I thought that simply not being cruel was enough. That the natural order of things should not be questioned. I thought myself kind and benevolent. But later on, even as I helped other beings break free of the chains of their circumstances, I had a blind spot in my treatment of you. I still felt entitled to your work. In truth we were always equals in every way that matters, and I wish I could have realized it sooner.
I was extremely hurtful in my carelessness, and I sincerely apologize…"Her voice slowly trails off. She looks up and quickly rubs her eyes, then slips the paper into the satchel and hesitantly holds the latter out towards Mamadou and Seynabou.
“There is more, if you’d like to read it… I’ve also left some acorns in there for you.”
~
Feel free to ask about anyone else too (though no pressure to keep guessing, of course)! 
If I did my job right, all of the characters’ names should point to their native cultures, so that can be a clue as well!
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Echekrates seems to be a monopod as described in Plinius the Elder’s “scientific” descriptions of humanoids around the world.
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Correct! Well done (and thank you)! 
The descriptions placing monopods in India or Ethiopia got me confused at first, but they really seem to be a distinctly Greek phenomenon after all. I like to think that Echekrates’ ancestors had a habit of stowing away on ships headed for “exotic” locales, which would explain why only Greek travellers ever seemed to encounter them!
And although the Greek sun is comparatively mild, basking in it all day still requires a good sunscreen…
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Åsmund: näck/nøkk?
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Ah, I had forgotten Kaue’s backwards feet! In that case, a Curupira?
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Yes! Well done! 
Curupiras (along with their companion peccaries) are known to protect animals from hunters, and their backwards feet allow them to confuse pursuers by leaving misleading tracks. But when they’re not watching over the forest, Kauê and Kauane like to cook and throw parties! They’re especially fond of cane juice.
Fun fact: there’s another totally separate forest-protecting creature with backwards feet in Brazil! It was difficult to choose between the two!
Ah, that’s such a good guess! I think it’s technically correct, but I’ll hold off just a bit on marking it “solved” since he’s from a distinct version of the myth which has its own name (often mentioned in articles about näck/nøkk).
There’s actually a different character who’s a more specifically Germanic creature!
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As we approach the final week of shifts, I thought I’d share some refreshers on all the remaining characters for anyone interested:
Tuesday regular
You enter the store and find Aïssatou pouring tea for a customer: a stout woman with skin the colour and texture of tree bark. Her stunning long hair, which almost resembles quills, is held back by a pretty bandana. Her bright eyes sparkle warmly as she smiles at you.
“Greetings! You can call me Weetamoo. Would you like to have tea with me?”
~
Thursday regular
Her big revealing moment is actually in her very last shift, which no one has had a chance to see yet (and I’m not sure if anyone will during the comp)! But I’m sharing these opening scenes as they contain a few small clues.
As you’re about to go back inside, a woman walks up to the front door. Her long hemp robe bears a simple yet striking pattern, and her very long and glossy black hair is tied into an elegant ponytail with a charming ribbon.
<<if new Date().getHours() >= 7 and new Date().getHours() < 19>>A beautiful paper-like parasol protects her from the sun’s rays.<<else>>She carries a beautiful paper-like parasol, currently closed.<</if>>She politely smiles and opens the door for you.
She waves across the room to Aïssatou, then gives you a small bow as she introduces herself.
“It’s a pleasure to meet you! My name is Furusawa Matsu. You may call me Matsu.”
After leaning her folded parasol near the entryway, she walks towards a bare section of the wall and hooks her fingers into a small groove in the wood. An entire panel slides open, revealing an alcove whose existence you never even suspected. Inside is a comfortable-looking mat and a small tea table.
~
Irregular customer 1
You enter the store and start looking for Aïssatou. Shortly afterwards, a wisp of mist floats into view as a short, jolly-looking woman with rosy cheeks walks in. Her body is clad in thick layers of fuzzy moss in every shade of green, and small leafy twigs are delicately woven into her long, greying dark hair.
As she greets you in her deep and melodic voice, you can immediately understand her, and you’re momentarily impressed by the efficacy of the comprehension spell. Then you realize that she is actually speaking English.
“Hello! You are the new employee! I am coming here sometimes on Sonnday, Monday and Diensday. Today I am bringing back to Aïssatou a rain-screen.”
As if on cue, Aïssatou appears from behind a tall bookshelf.
“Irmgard! Thank you for bringing back my umbrella! How have you been?”
~
Irregular customer 2
Small clouds of fog soon blow into the shop as a robust man with lightly-tanned, blemishless skin and long wavy red hair walks in. A small rounded wooden flute hangs at his hip.
You greet him and he enthusiastically responds, though you can’t understand him yet. As he keeps talking in his pleasant booming voice, you notice that it takes longer than usual for the comprehension spell to kick in, and you miss most of the sentence.“… with my friends.”
You let him know about the spell issue and he repeats himself with a nod. However, some of his words still sound garbled.
“My name is Hau-tōrua and I’m looking for some able hearts to enjoy with my friends.”
~
Trio of special visitors
They’re the only ones whose species are not named in the text or code, hence the higher bounty!
You see two figures approaching, each pulling a small handcart down the same silty path you always take. The first in line, a young woman wearing a knee-length tunic, waves energetically as she calls out to you.
“Hey! Are you the new helper? Glad to have you! We’re here for a delivery.”
They come to a stop near the building and start unloading their carts. Bucketfuls of textiles, a cornucopia of fruit, healing ointments and all kinds of other goods are deposited near the door.
“I’m Ovidia, by the way, and this is Suādurīx!”
Her companion, a shy-looking man who moves with methodical intent, gives you a shaky smile from under the hood of his long cloak. You notice a lovely medium-sized white bird on his shoulder, who coos enthusiastically as you admire him.
“Oh, and that’s Valens!”
~
(Original post and previous batch of refreshers)
I’m considering Åsmund to have been guessed already since Lionstooth correctly found the general category, but I’ll wait a bit before adding him to the “solved” list just in case anyone wants to go the extra mile and find his specific variant.
Huge thanks once again to all players and participants! I hope you’ve been having a very fun IFComp and a lovely start of autumn (or spring).
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