1. What is the Dragon of Death?

2. I saw this message: "Something seems to wrong with the Costello world. However the gods are sure to make it better soon." What does it mean?

3. I am in this place: This room is a safe place where people go when a place in Costello has some
problems. Type 'out' to go back to the main Costello world. The only obvious exit is out. How do I go out?

4. Why do I always start the game in the same place?

5. When I quit the game some of my items aren't saved.

6. I have some items in a bag but when I quit the game they are lost.

7. I cannot pick up an item. A character said he will give me an item but he didn't.

8. How do I make a map?

9. How can I stop myself becoming lost?

10. The compass tells me I am in the Costello Village but it cannot tell me any more about my surroundings. What do I do?

11. Where are the roads?

12. How do I find out which items are strong?

13. I tried to equip a sword but Costello said 'You would need at least one arm to do that'.

14. I can't open a door.

15. I can't find something!

16. I don't want to fight monsters. I don't think Costello should have fighting.

What is the Dragon of Death?
The Dragon of Death announces the end of the Costello world! What this means is that the Costello program is going to be restarted (maybe because there was a software upgrade, or because the game has started running slower). Usually the Dragon will shout warnings starting at 60 minutes, then 50 minutes, 40 minutes and so on. It is important that you 'quit' the game before the game is restarted or your items will not be saved. The game starts again very quickly, so if you wait a minute after the world has ended you will be able to enter Costello again.

I saw this message: "Something seems to wrong with the Costello world. However the gods are sure to make it
better soon."
What does it mean?
This message means that there was some error in the Costello program. Costello is an enormous system (about 20,000 files!) and unfortunately there are sometimes errors in the software. Usually this should not hurt your character in any way but if you have any problems please email Adonis at info@costellopublications.com.

To help us find the problem and fix it quickly please include the following information in your email:

1. Your character name.
2. Where in Costello you were when you saw the message (be as precise as you can).
3. What you typed just before you saw the message.
4. What your character was carrying.

I am in this place:

How do I go out?
This place is where your character goes when there is some problem with the place you were in before. There may be some software error in the game but your character should be okay. Sometimes this happens if you don't type 'quit' when you leave the game.

Type 'out' to go back to the Costello Temple Hill.

This room is a safe place where people go when a place in Costello has some
problems. Type 'out' to go back to the main Costello world.
The only obvious exit is out.

Why do I always start the game in the same place?
When your character is level 1-3 you will always start the game on the Costello Temple Hill. This is so that new players don't get lost. When you are level 4 and above you start the game in the place where you quit the game.
When I quit the game some of my items aren't saved.
When you quit Costello the game automatically saves 20 items . If you have more than 20 items then some items will not be saved. You can be sure that important items are saved by using the 'Keep' command. If you type 'Keep sword' for example, then your sword will be kept first. Use the 'Unkeep' command to stop keeping an item.
I have some items in a bag but when I quit the game they are lost.
You cannot save things that are inside a bag (or other container). To make sure your items are saved take them out of the bag before you quit the game.
I cannot pick up an item.

A character said he will give me an item but he didn't.

You may be carrying too much and the item may be too heavy. Try dropping something that is heavy and trying again. Did you ask the character politely?

How do I make a map?
Using paper and a pencil! People often say that Costello should have an automatic map. There will not be an automatic map because making a map on paper is one of the ways you learn English in Costello. To make a map you must read the English descriptions about where you are and put this on paper. This means you must think about the English. The map of the Costello Village on the maps page is a good example of how you should make a map on paper.
How can I stop myself becoming lost?
1. Make a map.
2. Use the compass.
3. Follow the roads and paths carefully.
4. Read the signposts.

You should get a compass from Cos the Cat at the start of the game when you give the scroll to him. You can also buy a compass in the main shop in the village. It is very cheap. Look at the compass and it should tell you how to get back to the Costello Village (if you are in the Green World in the Four Worlds it will tell you how to go back to the gate). For example, the compass may say that you are four places east of the Costello Village. This means that you must go west four times to get back to the village.
The compass tells me I am in the Costello Village but it cannot tell me any more about my surroundings. What do I do?
The compass only helps you when you are in places like the Costello Forest or the Gorn Mountains, where the descriptions are all the same. In areas where the places are all different (for example Reverse Village, Oiwai Farm, Snake City) the compass will not help you. You should make a map on paper in these areas.
Where are the roads?
The main Costello roads (for example the Neria road, the Tyriana road) are usually at the bottom of a description and are marked in color. For example here you can see that the Neria road goes north and south. If you go north or south you will be going on the road:

The ground here begins to slope upward into the enormous grey bulk of the
Gorn Mountains. To the west lie some rocky hills. To the south and to the
north are the mountain foothills. Above are the slopes of the Gorn
Mountains.
Neria Road runs north and south from here.
Obvious exits are north, south, up and west.

How do I find out which items are strong?
Give the items to Bryan the Appraiser in the guild in the Costello Village. He will test them for you. He can only test the same type of item (for example 2 swords). You must pay him some money if you are level 4 or more.
I tried to equip a sword but Costello said 'You would need at least one arm to do that'.
You may have lost an arm in battle! Check your limbs (arms and legs) by typing 'Limbs'. If you are missing any limbs go and see the healer on the first floor of the Wizard Tower in the Costello Village. She will heal you. If you are level 5 or more you can also use the heal limbs spell to heal your limbs. For example, if you are level 5 and you lost your right arm type 'Cast a heal limb spell on my right arm'.

Also check your equipment with the 'Equipment' command. You may be using too much equipment. Use the 'Unequip' command to stop using something.

I can't open a door.
Some doors are locked. You will need to have the correct key. If you have the correct key then you must use the unlock command, then you must open the door. For example:

Unlock the wooden door with the silver key.

Open the door.

Go east.

I can't find something!
Look at things with the 'Look at command'. Search things with the 'Search' command! Read carefully!
I don't want to fight monsters. I don't think Costello should have fighting.
Some people like fighting, some people don't. You should not need to fight to finish any quest in Costello. There will always be a way to finish the quest without fighting.

If you never want to fight then you need to do the Neria Lost Doll quest. When you finish this quest you are given a cloth ring. If you wear this ring you will not be able to attack monsters and monsters will not be able to attack you!