So, getting the 1st ending is easy and quick once you know that you need to just kill HIM. Start as a soldier, do a small bit of running, point your gun, shoot. The end, day one, and like two minutes into the game. But that's the worst ending because ultimately no one gets out.

But that's no challenge. That comes with the 4th ending. How few days are needed to get that ending? I managed three days (two runs to the portal after the Golden Law was broken). I don't see how I could get it any lower, because:

- I don't see how to get Duli's plaque without Galerius winning the election and that can't happen on day 1 (he needs to do at least Rufius + Virgil helping missions to get enough votes)
- I can't make the "god" leave and free everyone without getting the crown, which means that I need to enter the temple on two different days
- The assassin can't be sent to the shrine on day 1 and there is no dialogue option to buy the antidote before watching Iulia to die, which means I can't get the key to the secret shrine from the jumper. So, the roman plaque probably can't be acquired before day 2 as well.

The other two plaques require you to know the god's name. Which I didn't found out how to do on day 1 either, because I think you need one of the two suiciders to survive. But if there would be a way how to save either of them on day 1, the priestess will talk about the underworld and you can get through the greek hermit.


(By the way - I think that if you could punch Al in the 1st ending, the Golden Law would still apply.)
Oh, and for the 2nd/3rd ending - day 2 is the minimum I think. To talk with Sentilla, you need either the golden bow or Duli's key. None of which can be acquired in day 1 as far as I know, but once you have them, there is no need for another time loop.

You can persuade the god to let go of the golden rule by trapping him in his words, you don't need the crown for that.

I don't know the exact choices on top of mind, but it involves questioning his choices to impose the Golden Rule and making him see that humanity is corrupted with or without the Golden Rule. The result is that he says that the bargain he made with Jupiter is one he could have never won and thus never could take his wife to Elysium. In realizing that, he ends the Golden Rule, which is the same outcome as showing him the crown.

EDIT:
- End the initial dialogue with Pluto saying you have no more questions.
- Say you are from the future.
- Say you want to put an end to the Golden Rule.
- Say the Golden Rule is corrupting the city.
- Give Pluto all examples*
- Say humans need to be able to use force.
- Say that the world will always be imperfect.
- Say Jupiter was threatened by Pluto being in Elysium.
- Say Pluto was blinded by love.

* You need to solve all leads for this prior to talking to Pluto, I don't know the minimum number of examples required.

All choices after the last answer lead to ending 4. This is how you do it without the crown.

I tried this out with all knowledge I had from my previous playthrough. The minimum for ending 4 is definitely 3 (right now*).

Even if you do everything there is to do in the first run, you have to wait until the second run to get the golden bow.
Even after exhausting everything there is to do in the second run, the election will result in a draw (after bribing the merchant and asking Rufius for a favor), as Galerius won't actually win and therefor Duli won't be set free.

However, if in the third run you get Duli set free, you currently have to abuse a glitch to not trigger a fourth run (see: www.gog.com/forum/the_forgotten_city/potential_bug_with_duli_spoiler) - if this "bug" turns out the be a bug, then the minimum goes up to 4. If it's intended, then the minimum is 3.

Well, Galerius can win on day 2. You just have to let go the jumper in front of the temple. If he dies, he won't vote. Rufius, Virgil and the bribed merchant will vote for Galerius, while the Greek and Horatius will vote for Sentius. Thats 3:2 for Gallerius. And then yeah, grab Duli's plaque and run to the temple before they finish talking. But as the jumper died, the dialogue with Pluto can't convince him... So either way, you gotta run for the day 3.

Oh snap, didn't think of letting him die to let Galerius win, haha.