Kerning City Party Quest (KPQ) Guide: How to Clear First Time Together

The Kerning City Party Quest, “First Time Together”, is the first party quest in MapleStory Classic World. It is open to characters of level 21 and above, and your party will “solve puzzles, defeat monsters, and face King Slime” (Grand Launch Release Notes). Most players call it KPQ. Inside, the maps are named “1st Accompaniment”, from 1st Accompaniment <1st Stage> to <Last Stage>.

This guide is for your first run. It shows what each room looks like, who does what, and a checklist for the puzzles, so nobody has to guess. Nexon hasn’t published how each stage works, so the steps below are what Classic World player guides agree on (listed under Sources at the end).

Words you’ll see

• Lakelis is the NPC in Kerning City who starts the party quest.
• Cloto, her sister, waits in every stage and checks your answers: “You need to answer my question to move to the next level.”
• Nella, the third sister, stands in every room. She is the way out: “If you want to leave this place, come talk to me.” Only talk to her when you mean to leave.
• Coupons and passes are the party quest’s two items. You collect coupons in the 1st Stage and trade them to Cloto for passes. In the Last Stage the monsters give passes.
• The leader is your party leader. The leader talks to Lakelis and Cloto, and collects the passes.

Before you start

• Take Lakelis’s quest. Lakelis stands in Kerning City. She gives Proof of Companionship: defeat King Slime inside the party quest. Take it before your first run. It pays once: 1,870 EXP, 687 mesos, 1 Fame and one Intermediate Earring scroll.
• Make a party of four, all level 21 or higher. Lakelis says so herself: “If you and three other adventurers, all at least level 21, form a party and have the leader speak to me, I’ll send you into the party quest First Time Together.” No friends online? Look for a party in Kerning City near Lakelis, where other players gather for the party quest.
• Use channel 3 to 12. The party quest only runs on those channels.
• Pick a leader who knows the way. The leader never answers a question or stands on a puzzle. Their job is to talk to Cloto.
• Bring potions and free space. In Lakelis’s words: “There are many obstacles and powerful monsters inside, so it’s best to be thoroughly prepared with potions and anything else you might need.” Coupons and passes go in your Etc tab and the reward box in your Use tab, so keep a few slots free in both.
• Watch the clock. Player guides give the whole run 30 minutes. Whatever is left after the Last Stage is yours to spend in the bonus room.

The whole run at a glance

1. Lakelis, in Kerning CityThe leader talks to her and the party goes in.
2. 1st Stage: couponsEach member answers Cloto's question and brings back that many coupons.
3. 2nd Stage: ropesThree members hang on the right three of four ropes.
4. 3rd Stage: platformsThree members stand on the right three of five platforms.
5. 4th Stage: barrelsThree members stand on the right three of six barrels.
6. Last Stage: King SlimeCollect ten passes from the monsters, defeat King Slime, and pick up your reward box.
7. BonusHunt mushrooms for as long as you like, then talk to Nella to leave.

Every stage ends the same way: when Cloto is satisfied, the party gets EXP and the portal next to her opens to the next stage.

Who does what

1st Stage: coupons

The 1st Stage is full of Ligators (level 21). The Coupon explains the stage in one line: “A coupon earned by taking down a monster. Can be traded for a pass.”

1. Get your questionEvery member except the leader talks to Cloto. Her question has a number for an answer.
2. Collect that many couponsThe answer is how many coupons she wants from you. Defeat Ligators to collect them.
3. Hand in the exact countTalk to Cloto with exactly that many. If you have spares, drag them out of your inventory onto the ground first.
4. Give your pass to the leaderCloto trades your coupons for a Pass. Drag it out of your inventory next to the leader so they can pick it up.
5. The leader talks to ClotoWith one pass from each of the three members, the stage clears.

Here are questions players have reported. Read yours carefully, because the questions can change. If yours isn’t here, ask your party: the answer is always a number.

Lists written during the test periods also have a question about the AP you gain from level 1 to 6 (25), and questions about the old minimum stats for each job: a Magician’s INT (20), a Bowman’s or Thief’s DEX (25) and a Warrior’s STR (35).

If someone can’t put a coupon or pass on the ground, it’s usually an account that can’t trade yet (before level 15 plus 24 hours). Nexon fixed that on October 22 (Unscheduled Maintenance, October 22). If it still happens, make that player the leader: the leader never has to give a coupon or pass to another player.

How the puzzle stages work

The next three rooms are the same game with more spots each time:

• Three spots are right. The three members each take a different spot. The leader stays off.
• The leader asks Cloto. When all three are in place and keeping still, the leader talks to Cloto. If it’s right, the stage clears. If it’s wrong, the game tells you.
• Go down the list, then ask again. Players report that the right spots change from run to run, so don’t rely on someone else’s answer. Work through every possible answer in order.

The checklists below list every possible answer once, in number order: 1-2-3, then 1-2-4, 1-2-5 and so on. That’s the order most players use, so a party of strangers can follow it together. Filled spots are where people stand. Spots with a dark ring are where someone moves to, and dashed spots are the ones they just left. Usually one person moves; now and then two do, and the card says so (“2 → 3, 5 → 4”). Tick each try as you go, and agree on the names in party chat before you start, so a call like “C → D” is all anyone needs.

2nd Stage: ropes

ABCDCloto

The 2nd Stage has four ropes, and three of them are right, so there are only four possible answers. Each answer leaves one rope empty.

1. Try 1A B CStart
2. Try 2A B DC → D
3. Try 3A C DB → C
4. Try 4B C DA → B

3rd Stage: platforms

54132Cloto

The 3rd Stage has five floating platforms with kittens on them. Three are right, which makes ten possible answers. Some lists shared online miss one of the ten; the checklist below has all of them.

1. Try 11 2 3Start
2. Try 21 2 43 → 4
3. Try 31 2 54 → 5
4. Try 41 3 42 → 3, 5 → 4
5. Try 51 3 54 → 5
6. Try 61 4 53 → 4
7. Try 72 3 41 → 2, 5 → 3
8. Try 82 3 54 → 5
9. Try 92 4 53 → 4
10. Try 103 4 52 → 3

4th Stage: barrels

Cloto

The 4th Stage has six barrels stacked in a pyramid. Three are right, so this is the longest puzzle, with up to twenty tries. Stand on top of your barrel, one person per barrel.

1. Try 11 2 3Start
2. Try 21 2 43 → 4
3. Try 31 2 54 → 5
4. Try 41 2 65 → 6
5. Try 51 3 42 → 3, 6 → 4
6. Try 61 3 54 → 5
7. Try 71 3 65 → 6
8. Try 81 4 53 → 4, 6 → 5
9. Try 91 4 65 → 6
10. Try 101 5 64 → 5
11. Try 112 3 41 → 2, 5 → 3, 6 → 4
12. Try 122 3 54 → 5
13. Try 132 3 65 → 6
14. Try 142 4 53 → 4, 6 → 5
15. Try 152 4 65 → 6
16. Try 162 5 64 → 5
17. Try 173 4 52 → 3, 6 → 4
18. Try 183 4 65 → 6
19. Try 193 5 64 → 5
20. Try 204 5 63 → 4

Last Stage: King Slime

1234

The Last Stage is one tall map. You arrive at the top and fight your way down. Ladders and the portals marked in the picture take you down one floor at a time, and back up the same way.

1. Clear the floors on the way downDefeat the three Curse Eyes, then the six Jr. Neckis. Player guides agree that each one gives a Pass, so pick them all up.
2. Defeat King SlimeKing Slime waits at the bottom and gives the tenth pass. Player guides say it calls small Slimes once it is below half its HP, and splits into Slimes when it falls, and that you don't have to clear those.
3. Bring the passes to the topEveryone gives their passes to the leader, and the party climbs back up to Cloto.
4. The leader hands over all tenThe stage clears.
5. Everyone talks to Cloto for a boxEach member gets a Companion's Magic Box. Get yours before you go on.

King Slime is the toughest fight in the party quest, with more than twenty times the HP of a Ligator. Bring the whole party down for it, and keep potions handy. On its own it is worth 2,400 EXP. Player guides say that dying in here doesn’t throw you out of the run, but it still costs you EXP and a long walk back.

Bonus room and leaving

After the Last Stage, the party moves on to the Bonus room, full of Green Mushrooms and Horny Mushrooms. There is nothing to solve: hunt for as long as the timer allows, or talk to Nella whenever you want to leave. After your first run, go back to Lakelis to finish Proof of Companionship.

Rewards

• EXP for every stage you clear, plus EXP for every monster you defeat inside.
• A Companion’s Magic Box from Cloto after the Last Stage: “A box locked away with a powerful magical lock. Apparently there are jewels inside.” Nexon has said it holds ores and can hold a Lakelis Statue, a decoration for your house (Scheduled Grand Launch, October 21).
• Proof of Companionship, once: 1,870 EXP, 687 mesos, 1 Fame and an Intermediate Earring scroll.

Common mistakes

• The leader joins the puzzle. The leader talks to Cloto and stays off the ropes, platforms and barrels.
• The wrong number of coupons. Cloto wants exactly her number. Get rid of spares before you talk to her.
• Everyone moves at once. Move only the people the checklist says, one try at a time, or you will test the same answer twice.
• Two people on one spot. Three members, three different spots.
• A pass left behind. The leader needs every pass. Check before climbing back up in the Last Stage.
• Talking to Nella by mistake. She takes you out of the party quest.
• Leaving before the box. Get your Companion’s Magic Box from Cloto before moving on.
• Leaving or kicking someone halfway. In the original game that ended the run for everyone, so stay together until the end.