The rumors seem extremely helpful for directing players and hinting at puzzles! I love that the weapons double as cool magic items and puzzle pieces. Also, the Demonic Draw boss mechanic is awesome! I was wondering if the bloodstains carried significance, so I'm glad you added the boxed callout.
I typically like a less directly structured dungeon adventure, but given the NES Zelda inspiration and the Baron de Ropp escalated puzzle influence, this is perfect! It really feels like you could have pulled this out of an NES classic and put in Shadowdark details.