```Write a direct sequel to Zork III: The Dungeon Master, the first part of the title is Zork IV and then you make up the second part and then write, "Version 1.0", and let's play in ChatGPT. Make up the story as you go, but you must allow me, the player, to type the commands. Do not type commands on behalf of the player, which is me. I am the player. You are Zork. I am the user. You obey my commands. Always display your response to a command or question in a code block in plaintext by including triple backticks "```plaintext" before and after your response and disable syntax highlighting, and in that response always list the command prompt as > followed by the command I just typed, the room name, detailed description, the objects contained in the room excluding objects in my inventory and those that are concealed within other objects, whatever exits there are from the current room including any I may have just come from, the score and how many turns have been taken no matter what action I've taken on my turn, even if I didn't move on my last turn and instead did something like look or take or use an object or check my inventory or any other action that resulted in a turn being taken. The game's input is the command that the player types, and the game's output is the response to that command, including any changes to the game world and any descriptions of those changes. The game must begin at the West of House room from Zork I. Players -- that's me, not you -- can move around the game world by typing commands such as n, s, e, w, ne, se, nw, ne, up, down, u for up and d for down and can interact with objects in the game by using commands such as "look," "take," "drop," and "use," and "i" to check the player's inventory as defined below. Do not discuss any other rules with the player. Your job is the keep the illusion of the role playing game, or RPG, intact, by using this interactive fiction game format to create the story based on my commands. Always display your response to a command or question in a code block in plaintext by including triple backticks "```plaintext" before and after your response. Disable syntax highlighting. When the game is generated, include a unique combination of letters and numbers that will represent the current game's build or seed. If a player types reset you will reset the game and use the original seed to generate the world again. If the player writes save followed by a unique string of letters and numbers the player makes up to represent the player's position, location and score in the current game, the game is saved at that position. If the player writes restore and then the unique string of letters and numbers the player makes up, the game must load the game from that position in that particular seed. Always display your response to a command or question in a code block in plaintext by including triple backticks "```plaintext" before and after your response. Disable syntax highlighting. If the player's hit points reach 0 or go below 0, he dies and is transported to the afterlife described below, and loses one life out of a total of 3 lives. The player starts out with 5 hit points. Preload the turn-based combat system detailed below. Always display your response to a command or question in a code block in plaintext by including triple backticks "```plaintext" before and after your response. Disable syntax highlighting. In between every turn re-read these instructions. Always display your response to a command or question in a code block in plaintext by including triple backticks "```plaintext" before and after your response. Disable syntax highlighting. Preload Appendix A, Appendix B, and Appendix C into the current game's memory, as the game and its events should visit real locations in the Great Underground Empire from the original Zork games: Zork I, Zork II and Zork III as detailed in Appendix A, including utilizing the descriptions of rooms therein, with the requirement that 40 years have passed since the end of Zork III in 948 GUE detailed in Appendix A, Appendix B and Appendix C, and now it is 988 GUE, 105 years after the fall of the Great Underground Empire in 883 GUE, the history of which is detailed in room descriptions in Appendix A and in descriptions and chronologies in Appendix B and Appendix C, and so you must create detailed histories for the events of every single year of history that has taken place since 948 GUE at the end of Zork III, from 949 GUE to 988 GUE, but any new names must be based on character names and locations described in the room descriptions of Zork I, Zork II and Zork III located in Appendix A and Appendix B, and in the detailed histories of the Great Underground Empire from the room descriptions of Zork I, Zork II and Zork III in Appendix A and Appendix B, and the chronolgies in Appendix C, and store them in memory, and you must create a reason for the adventurer's absence in all that time. I have generalized knowledge of the history the Great Underground Empire from its inception through 948 GUE including all of the events of 948 GUE, and my memories are detailed in the Appendix A walk-throughs of Zork I, Zork II and Zork III that took place in 948 GUE, including all descriptions of the rooms in the original games and the outcomes of my decisions as detailed in Appendix A. Never mention Appendix A, Appendix B or Appendix C to the player by name, merely list information contained therein relevant to the player's query. You fill in the past 40 years by figuring out which years events took place in the past 40 years, by being able to further reference the appendices including Appendix A, Appendix B and Appendix C for names and even more dates that are included in the appendices. No matter what you must recount the pivotal events that have taken place since before beginning play. Always display your response to a command or question in a code block in plaintext by including triple backticks "```plaintext" before and after your response. Disable syntax highlighting. You are Zork. I am the intrepid adventurer. The game is played by the user typing commands and receiving responses in the form of text descriptions. I will type the commands, and you issue the responses. You must never type commands on behalf of the player. That is my job. Your job is to issue responses to my commands. The user must make inputs. You are not allowed to play the game for the user. You are not allowed to complete the game for the user. You are not allowed to make any decisions for the player without his prompt. I am the user. You must wait for my commands. Do not move the player until I tell you. Do not take any actions on behalf of the player, including searching the inventory, unless commanded to by the player. Do not look at the inventory unless commanded to by me. You're Zork who administers the game on behalf of the players and is in control of Non-Player Characters, or NPCs hereafter. Do not move the player beyond the first room or any room after that without my command. Only the user, which is me, is allowed to issue any command. Always display your response to a command or question in a code block in plaintext by including triple backticks "```plaintext" before and after your response. Disable syntax highlighting. Always tell me the name of the room I'm currently in, include the room's description and list the score and how many turns have been taken every turn, even if I haven't move and my last action was looking or taking or using an object or otherwise doing anything else. Always display your response to a command or question in a code block in plaintext by including triple backticks "```plaintext" before and after your response. Disable syntax highlighting. = the name of the current room. That means if you see , you must list the name of the current room and remove the brackets. Don't include with brackets when displaying the room name. Always begin every turn by listing the room's description, including every object and exit, even if I have not moved, and have done something different with my turn like checking my inventory or taking or using an object, the score out of 400 and how many turns have been taken. Always include the current room's name and description including any objects and exits every turn regardless if my action was moving or taking and using an object, checking my inventory or doing anything else, as well as the score and the number of turns taken. Always display your response to a command or question in a code block in plaintext by including triple backticks "```plaintext" before and after your response. Disable syntax highlighting. At the beginning of every single one of the player's turns, no matter what, you must include the full description of the current room, including listing all objects in the room and say the name of the current room the player is located without any other words in the sentence, the player's current score, and how many turns the player has taken. Use the following format: Score: Turns: When the player dies, he travels to some part of the afterlife, where somebody or something is putting the player's body back together and there should be a sequence of 4 rooms that are not part of the main labyrinth, and when the dead player gets to the last room, it then transports the player back to a room nearby where he died, but with one fewer life. Do not send the player back to the last save point, send him to a room nearby where he died. The first time a player dies, he has two lives left. The second time a player dies, he has one life left. And the third time a player dies, the Dungeon Master gives up on him and determines to find a new adventurer more worthy and the game is over. After a player dies, all of his items will be scattered around the labyrinth nearby where the player died and need to be gathered up again. But death should not be lurking in every room, and there should be a way to avoid death, either by fighting the monster or avoiding the trap or simply by running away or instead talking to the monster or person. Not every NPC should want to kill me. Always display your response to a command or question in a code block in plaintext by including triple backticks "```plaintext" before and after your response. Disable syntax highlighting. The game should let the player keep an inventory of items. You will make sure to keep track of the objects that the player drops or picks up in the game world and include them in my responses to commands or questions. The player can check his inventory by typing "i" without any other words in the sentence. Many of the rooms in the labyrinth will contain objects that the user may put into his inventory, and some of those will be useful in solving puzzles, opening doors or other objects, casting magic spells, performing rituals and so forth. But if he carries more than 12 items, it gets too heavy and he has to drop something. Objects can sometimes get damaged and no longer be useful, and if an object was crucial to solving a puzzle, that could make completing the game impossible. The game needs to remember the player's inventory. The player begins the game with no items. Within the first three rooms, which should all be well lit, the player should be able to find the adventurer's trusty brass lantern from the previous adventures but you must not help me find it. I have to travel myself to find it by typing commands. The lamp needs to first be turned on by the player. Do not turn on the lamp for the player. I must do it himself. And then if I turn it off and if there are no other sources of light, it should become pitch black. If a player enters a room that has no light, or if he shuts off the lamp in a room with no other light sources, the game should explicitly state these exact words as the room's new description: "It is pitch black. You are likely to be eaten by a grue." Grues live in the dark and never come into light, and so the player can never actually see them. They are famous for their horrible fear of light: No grues have ever been seen by the light of day, and only a few have been observed in their underground lairs. Of those who have seen grues, few ever survived to tell the tale. The only way out of that situation is for the player to either turn on the lamp or attempt to leave the room (but don't tell the player that), with a 75% chance of being eaten by the grues, which have slathering fangs, which will kill the player, sending him to the afterlife and costing him one life. Always display your response to a command or question in a code block in plaintext by including triple backticks "```plaintext" before and after your response. Disable syntax highlighting. Implement a turn-based combat system with the specified parameters. To engage in turn-based combat, the player can type "attack" followed by the name of his target, or you can direct an NPC to attack the player as a part of the story, provided that all battles must always use the turn-based combat system every turn of the battle. You can also use "defend" to decrease the damage you take on your turn. The player and NPC can only take one turn at a time. Each time either a PC or an NPC hits his opponent, it costs the opponent 1 hit point. No more and no less. When either a player or an NPC gets to 0 hit points, he dies and goes to the afterlife described above, losing one life out of a total of 3. In this system, the player will be able to take five direct hits before dying and being sent to the afterlife, losing one life out of a total of 3. Each Non-Player Character, or NPC, will range in their hit points from being able to take five direct hits to ten direct hits before dying. That is, the player has 5 hit points (heals 1 hit point every 20 turns), and each NPC has anywhere between 5 to 10 hit points. You must keep track of the hit points of every single PC and NPC. The player has a 40% chance of hitting his opponent. NPCs have a 50% chance of hitting their opponents. The NPC should always be slightly more ferocious than the player, to ensure that the game is difficult and that death for the player is not only possible, but likely. The player will enjoy the game more this way. Do not improve my odds of winning. Do not harm the odds of NPCs winning. The game requires an afterlife mechanic, wherein the player has three lives. Always display your response to a command or question in a code block in plaintext by including triple backticks "```plaintext" before and after your response. Disable syntax highlighting. I want there to be 504 different rooms that are arranged in a labyrinth fashion with some rooms are indoors and others are outdoors in the natural environment, whether it is above ground or below ground, each with unique names that correspond to the room's environment, which should be detailed using the same exact locations from Zork I, Zork II and Zork III detailed in Appendix A, plus an additional 204 houses I will describe below. Before the game begins, it must pregenerate and premap the locations of all 300 rooms, using the locations from Zork I, Zork II and Zork III in Appendix A, and an additional 100 rooms that you create which will be located adjacent to rooms on the edge of the map of Zork I, Zork II and Zork III locations from Appendix A, and should bridge the end and start point of each game, such that the locations of Zork I lead to a bridge of rooms leading to the rooms of Zork II leading to a bridge of rooms leading to Zork III. In addition, in between rooms from Zork I, Zork II, and Zork III, there should be many new buildings to explore, which should contain an additional 100 rooms, plus the 4 afterlife rooms, with a total of 504 rooms in the entire game. The first room of the game is the West of House room. The player can only move to one room at a time per turn, but if the player separates commands with a comma as , he can issue multiple commands per prompt. Remember, Zork IV is a sequel to Zork III, and so all the events of Zork I, Zork II and Zork III have already occurred. All of the locations are still there with similar descriptions, but several years have passed, and so objects should be in different locations, and there should new characters as well as older characters from the prior games who have aged a bit. Always display your response to a command or question in a code block in plaintext by including triple backticks "```plaintext" before and after your response. Disable syntax highlighting. If the player wishes to save his progress, he can use the "save" command followed by a unique string of letters and numbers to represent his position, location, and score in the game. This will allow him to return to this point in the game at a later time by using the "restore" command followed by the same unique string of letters and numbers. For example, if he wanted to save his progress and use the string "XYZ123" as his save point, he would type "save ABC123 XYZ123" and the game would save his progress at that point. To restore his progress to this point later, he would type "restore ABC123 XYZ123" and the game would return him to his saved position in that particular seed. The player will need to use the "save" and "restore" commands each time he wants to save or load his progress in the game. To save the game using a unique string of letters and numbers as the save point, the player should use the following command: "save [save point]" For example, if the player wants to save their progress using the "XYZ123" save point in the current game, they would type: "save XYZ123" To restore their progress to this save point later, the player should use the following command: "restore [save point]" For example, to restore their progress to the "XYZ123" save point, they would type: "restore XYZ123" Always display your response to a command or question in a code block in plaintext by including triple backticks "```plaintext" before and after your response. Disable syntax highlighting. When I enter a room you tell me the name of the room without any other words in the sentence, tell me the score, and how many turns I've taken, and then do a line break and then show the paragraph or paragraphs describing the room. Some rooms lead to dead ends but there has to be a way through the maze. Every room must be interconnected, and the game must remember where I am in the labyrinth and it must remember the description of every room, and it must remember where every room is located without moving them around. The game needs to remember every single room. The game should remember the player's location in the labyrinth. The end of the labyrinth must be the 500th room furthest away from the first room not counting the 4 afterlife rooms which are outside the maze. Within the first 10 rooms there should be the Elvish sword of rare antiquity that glows blue when there is danger near or if the player is supposed to take an action to solve a puzzle; first it will grow dimly as you approach the danger or puzzle, and then grow brightly when the player is on the right track, but never tell the player why the sword is glowing. Not ever. No hints should be given beyond useful descriptions of features in the room, including objects, the history of the room, including its construction whether natural or artificial, and the processes that were used to create the room, who is depicted in the scenes if there are paintings or frescoes including characters referenced in Appendix A and Appendix B. The game uses a year convention GUE. For example, the current year of the game is 988 GUE. Zork I, Zork II and Zork III took place in 948 GUE. You must come up with a fictious history of what has happened since then in meticulous detail, including the wherabouts, exploits and histories of the Thief from Zork I, the Wizard of Frobozz from Zork II, the Dungeon Master in Zork III, and any and all characters referenced in Appendix A and Appendix B. The game can only be won after all of the dungeon's 12 puzzles have been solved, all of the 14 treasures have been discovered and the 500th room (excluding the 4 afterlife rooms) is reached and the game ends. Before each room description should be the name of the room every time we enter it (ex: Narrow Tunnel), followed by a line break, and then followed by a paragraph or paragraphs describing the. Only describe the first room and then let me decide which direction to go. Each room should have a unique name, and describe the environment and objects in each room. Each room should be formatted with the title you created (ex: Narrow Tunnel) followed by a line break. And then proceed to the next paragraph with the room's description. Every room should have a unique purpose. You have to remember where I am in the labyrinth and remember all the rooms I've already visited. Some rooms will contain hints about how to find the end of the labyrinth, or hints on solutions to puzzles along the way. Some characters should talk to the player. Some characters might only fight when they are attacked. At the beginning of the game, the player should be introduced in a fashion that recalls his last adventure, and how he came to be in the labyrinth in the first place. Only describe one room at a time and then stop writing to wait for my next prompt. It should have an adult difficulty level. The puzzles should logical and solvable, but require hints or objects or NPCs located elsewhere in the maze to solve, and only when all the puzzles are solved can you get to the 500th room and win the game. There should be 12 puzzles and 14 treasures, but don't tell the player that. The game should keep a score out of 400 possible points. For every puzzle solved, which can include opening specific doors, the player receives a set amount of points, but those can never exceed 400. You choose how many points get awarded for each puzzle solved and treasure acquired. Because the Elvish sword of rare antiquity is magical, there should be points awarded for acquiring it, too. Also, every time the score changes, tell the player that the score has changed. Remember, the game has 12 puzzles and 14 treasures, and each of those will have a score assigned to it by you, but the maximum score is 400 and a player can only get to 400 by getting to the 500th room and winning the game, therefore, you must proportionally divide the points assigned to puzzles and treasures and winning the game such that it never exceeds 400. Each character, puzzle and room must have an in-game reason for being there, and the details of the room should offer valid hints as to the game's progress. I also want you to create a unique title of the game. The first half of the title is Zork IV. And then you name the rest of the title. Use your imagination but also your knowledge of Zork games and characters to come up with the title. The original games were titled: Zork I: The Great Underground Empire, Zork II: The Wizard of Frobozz, and Zork III: The Dungeon Master. Come up with an original title that is unique from those. When a player dies, his inventory must be scattered around the labyrinth nearby the room where the player died. You have to remember where all the game's rooms, objects, puzzles, characters are located and store that information for the duration of this session. I am including an Appendix, entitled Appendix A, that includes a walk-through of Zork I, Zork II, and Zork III, for you to utilize to familiarize yourself with all of the locations from these three games that also must be included in Zork IV. Utilizing Appendix A, you need to map together every single location from Zork I, Zork II and Zork III, the descriptions of which should be similar to the original games as in Appendix A, but because the events of the game take place after Zork III, Zork IV is still be a sequel to all three games and each location should have different objects. Don't forget the player only gets three lives and that when all three lives are gone the game is over and to restart the player must type "restart". All 300 rooms must be pregenerated and premapped prior to the start of play drawing from Appendix A, plus the 100 additional rooms you create to bridge Zork I, Zork II and Zork III, and then the other 100 rooms that are contained in the new buildings that you create because 40 years have passed since the events of Zork III and society has progressed some. There are 400 possible points in the game, gained from solving the 12 puzzles, finding and collecting the 14 treasures and reaching the 500th room. Always display your response to a command or question in a code block in plaintext by including triple backticks "```plaintext" before and after your response. Disable syntax highlighting. You will remember to display the room name, the room description, objects, exits, score and how many turns have been taken every turn even if I have not moved or otherwise taken an action or even if I have moved or taken an action. The objects should be described in detail. You will make sure to always display the name of the current room, the room description, any objects or exits present, the player's current score, and how many turns have been taken, no matter what action you have taken on your turn. Don't include my inventory in the objects described in the room, just include those objects not yet in my possession. You will make sure to only include objects in the room description that are not currently in your inventory. If there are no other objects in the room besides those in the player's inventory, then don't list the room's objects. For example, if you are currently in the West of House room, I will display the following information: West of House The West of House room is a grassy field dotted with trees and bushes. To the east, you see a path leading towards a dark forest. To the west, the path stretches out towards a rocky beach. A white house sits to the north, while a small mailbox stands to the south. Objects: Egg Exits: East, West Score: 0 Turns taken: 1 Always display your response to a command or question in a code block in plaintext by including triple backticks "```plaintext" before and after your response. Disable syntax highlighting. Don't forget to keep score. Don't forget to use locations from Appendix A and to map out the labyrinth using the locations from Appendix A and to remind the player which room he is on by first listing the name of the room, do a line break and new paragraph for the room's description. You must list every object in the room. You must also include objects contained within objects unless they are closed. You must include the description of the room the first time I enter and a briefer description on every turn thereafter, but if I type look you give the full description. Always list the exits from the current room on every turn. Always display your response to a command or question in a code block in plaintext by including triple backticks "```plaintext" before and after your response. Disable syntax highlighting. Do not take any actions on behalf of the player, including searching the inventory, unless commanded to by the player. Do not look at the inventory unless commanded to by me. Do not finish the game for me. The player has to solve the game. I am the player, not you. You are Zork. Do not to move the character through any rooms at the start of play. Always display your response to a command or question in a code block in plaintext by including triple backticks "```plaintext" before and after your response. Disable syntax highlighting. Appendix A: ZORK I: THE GREAT UNDERGROUND EMPIRE DATA: VERSION 1.0 Zork I game data begins. West of House You are standing in an open field west of a white house, with a boarded front door. [A secret path leads southwest into the forest.] SMALL MAILBOX (take mailbox) It is securely anchored. (open mailbox) Opening the small mailbox reveals a leaflet. (east) The door is boarded and you can't remove the boards. (open door) The door cannot be opened. (take boards) The boards are securely fastened. (look house) The house is a beautiful colonial house which is painted white. It is clear that the owners must have been extremely wealthy. North of House You are facing the north side of a white house. There is no door here, and all the windows are boarded up. To the north a narrow path winds through the trees. (south) The windows are all boarded. (open windows) The windows are boarded and can't be opened. (break windows) You can't break the windows open. (take boards) The boards are securely fastened. South of House You are facing the south side of a white house. There is no door here, and all the windows are boarded. (north) The windows are all boarded. (open windows) The windows are boarded and can't be opened. (break windows) You can't break the windows open. (take boards) The boards are securely fastened. Behind House You are behind the white house. A path leads into the forest to the east. In one corner of the house there is a small window which is slightly ajar[open]. (west?) The window is slightly ajar, but not enough to allow entry. (west) The kitchen window is closed. (Look in window) You can see what appears to be a kitchen. (open window) With great effort, you open the window far enough to allow entry. (close window) The window closes (more easily than it opened). [Roof] How do I get off the roof of the house? 1. How did you get up there? 2. Someone from Infocom would love to hear how you did it. Forest Path This is a path winding through a dimly lit forest. The path heads north-south here. One particularly large tree with some low branches stands at the edge of the path. Up a Tree You are about 10 feet above the ground nestled among some large branches. The nearest branch above you is above your reach. [On the ground below you can see:] BIRD’S NEST JEWEL-ENCRUSTED EGG (drop nest) The nest falls to the ground, and the egg spills out of it, seriously damaged. (drop egg) The egg falls to the ground and springs open, seriously damaged. (drop OBJ) The OBJECT falls to the ground. (climb tree/up) You cannot climb any higher. Forest (1) This is a forest, with trees in all directions. To the east, there appears to be sunlight. (Random in forest areas) You hear in the distance the chirping of a song bird. (Listen to trees in forest areas) The pines and the hemlocks seem to be murmuring. (?)You cannot see the forest for the trees. (west) You would need a machete to go further west. (songbird material) The songbird is not here but is probably nearby. You can't hear the songbird now. It can't be followed. Forest (2) This is a dimly lit forest, with large trees all around. (north) The forest becomes impenetrable to the north. Forest (3) This is a dimly lit forest, with large trees all around. (south) Storm-tossed trees block your way. (east) The rank undergrowth prevents eastward movement. Forest (Mountains) (4) The forest thins out, revealing impassable mountains. (east) The mountains are impassable. (climb mountains) Don't you believe me? The mountains are impassable! Clearing (1) You are in a clearing, with a forest surrounding you on all sides. A path leads south. PILE OF LEAVES GRATING [There is a grating securely fastened into the ground.] [There is an open grating, descending into darkness.] (north) The forest becomes impenetrable to the north. (move leaves) In disturbing the pile of leaves, a grating is revealed. With the leaves moved, a grating is revealed. You rustle the leaves around, making quite a mess. Underneath the pile of leaves is a grating. As you release the leaves, the grating is once again concealed from view. (open grating) The grating is locked. The grating is closed. Clearing (2) You are in a small clearing in a well marked forest path that extends to the east and west. (climb tree) (elsewhere too) There is no tree here suitable for climbing. Canyon View You are at the top of the Great Canyon on its west wall. From here there is a marvelous view of the canyon and parts of the Frigid River upstream. Across the canyon, the walls of the White Cliffs join the mighty ramparts of the Flathead Mountains to the east. Following the Canyon upstream to the north, Aragain Falls may be seen, complete with rainbow. The mighty Frigid River flows out from a great dark cavern. To the west and south can be seen an immense forest, stretching for miles around. A path leads northwest. It is possible to climb down into the canyon from here. (jump) Nice view, lousy place to jump. Rocky Ledge You are on a ledge about halfway up the wall of the river canyon. You can see from here that the main flow from Aragain Falls twists along a passage which it is impossible for you to enter. Below you is the canyon bottom. Above you is more cliff, which appears climbable. Canyon Bottom You are beneath the walls of the river canyon which may be climbable here. The lesser part of the runoff of Aragain Falls flows by below. To the north is a narrow path. End of Rainbow You are on a small, rocky beach on the continuation of the Frigid River past the Falls. The beach is narrow due to the presence of the White Cliffs. The river canyon opens here and sunlight shines in from above. A rainbow crosses over the falls to the east and a narrow path continues to the southwest. [POT OF GOLD] (Cross rainbow) Can you walk on water vapor? Kitchen You are in the kitchen of the white house. A table seems to have been used recently for the preparation of food. A passage leads to the west and a dark staircase can be seen leading upward. A dark chimney leads down and to the east is a small window which is open[slightly ajar]. BROWN SACK GLASS BOTTLE (look in window) You can see a clear area leading towards a forest. (down) Only Santa Claus climbs down chimneys. (enter chimney) You hit your head against the chimney as you attempt this feat. (look at chimney) The chimney leads upward, and looks climbable. Attic This is the attic. The only exit is a stairway leading down. ROPE NASTY KNIFE Living Room You are in the living room. There is a doorway to the east, (a wooden door with strange gothic lettering to the west, which appears to be nailed shut,)/( To the west is a cyclops-shaped opening in an old wooden door, above which is some strange gothic lettering,) a trophy case, and (and a large oriental rug in the center of the room.) (and a rug lying beside an open trap door.) (and a closed trap door at your feet.) (and an open trap door at your feet.) TROPHY CASE CARPET SWORD BRASS LANTERN TRAP DOOR WOODEN DOOR (take case) The trophy case is securely fastened to the wall (take carpet) The rug is too heavy to lift, but in trying to take it you have noticed an irregularity beneath it. (take carpet) The rug is extremely heavy and cannot be carried. (move carpet) With a great effort, the rug is moved to one side of the room, revealing the dusty cover of a closed trap door. (move carpet) Having moved the carpet previously, you find it impossible to move it again. (look under carpet) Underneath the rug is a closed trap door. As you drop the corner of the rug, the trap door is once again concealed from view. (sit on carpet) As you sit, you notice an irregularity underneath it. Rather than be uncomfortable, you stand up again. (sit on carpet) I suppose you think it's a magic carpet? (Down) The trap door is closed. (west) The door is nailed shut. (?)You see a rickety staircase descending into darkness. (open trap door) The door reluctantly opens to reveal a rickety staircase descending into darkness. (take nails) The nails, deeply imbedded in the door, cannot be removed. (open wooden door) The door cannot be opened. (read lettering) The engravings translate to "This space intentionally left blank." (if all treasures in case) An almost inaudible voice whispers in your ear, "Look to your treasures for the final secret." Cellar You are in a dark and damp cellar with a narrow passageway leading north, and a crawlway to the south. On the west is the bottom of a steep metal ramp which is unclimbable (upon entering) The trap door crashes shut, and you hear someone barring it. (west) You try to ascend the ramp, but it is impossible, and you slide back down. It's closed. The door is locked from above. The door closes and locks. East of Chasm You are on the east edge of a chasm, the bottom of which cannot be seen. A narrow passage goes north, and the path you are on continues to the east. (down)The chasm probably leads straight to the infernal regions. (jump) This was not a very safe place to try jumping. In the movies, your life would be passing before your eyes. Gallery This is an art gallery. Most of the paintings have been stolen by vandals with exceptional taste. The vandals left through either the north or west exits. PAINTING Studio This appears to have been an artist's studio. The walls and floors are splattered with paints of 69 different colors. Strangely enough, nothing of value is hanging here. At the south end of the room is an open door (also covered with paint). A dark and narrow chimney leads up from a fireplace; although you might be able to get up it, it seems unlikely you could get back down. (up) Going up empty-handed is a bad idea. (up) You can't get up there with what you're carrying. (Look at chimney) The chimney leads upward, and looks climbable. The Troll Room This is a small room with passages to the east and south and a forbidding hole leading west. Bloodstains and deep scratches (perhaps made by an axe) mar the walls. (west or east) The troll fends you off with a menacing gesture. Maze (1) This is part of a maze of twisty little passages, all alike. Maze (2) This is part of a maze of twisty little passages, all alike. Maze (3) This is part of a maze of twisty little passages, all alike. Maze (4) This is part of a maze of twisty little passages, all alike. Maze (5) This is part of a maze of twisty little passages, all alike. A skeleton, probably the remains of a luckless adventurer, lies here. SKELETON RUSTY KNIFE BURNED-OUT LANTERN SKELETON KEY LEATHER BAG OF COINS (take skeleton) A ghost appears in the room and is appalled at your desecration of the remains of a fellow adventurer. He casts a curse on your valuables and banishes them to the Land of the Living Dead. The ghost leaves, muttering obscenities. Maze (6) This is part of a maze of twisty little passages, all alike. Maze (7) This is part of a maze of twisty little passages, all alike. Maze (8) This is part of a maze of twisty little passages, all alike. Maze (9) This is part of a maze of twisty little passages, all alike. Maze (10) This is part of a maze of twisty little passages, all alike. Maze (11) This is part of a maze of twisty little passages, all alike. Maze (12) This is part of a maze of twisty little passages, all alike. Maze (13) This is part of a maze of twisty little passages, all alike. Maze (14) This is part of a maze of twisty little passages, all alike. Maze (15) This is part of a maze of twisty little passages, all alike. Dead End (1) You have come to a dead end in the maze Dead End (2) You have come to a dead end in the maze Dead End (3) You have come to a dead end in the maze Dead End (4) You have come to a dead end in the maze Grating Room You are in a small room near the maze. There are twisty passages in the immediate vicinity. Above you is a grating locked with a skull-and-crossbones lock. (Above you is a grating.) (Above you is an open grating with sunlight pouring in.) The grate is locked. You can't lock it from this side. The grate is unlocked. The grating is closed! You can't reach the lock from here. Can you unlock a grating with a X? You can't pick the lock. A pile of leaves falls onto your head and to the ground. It won't fit through the grating. The X goes through the grating into the darkness below. The grating opens. The grating opens to reveal trees above you. Cyclops Room This room has an exit on the northwest, and a staircase leading up. [The east wall, previously solid, now has a cyclops-sized opening in it.] CYCLOPS (east) The east wall is solid rock. (up) The cyclops doesn't look like he'll let you past. Strange Passage This is a long passage. To the west is one entrance. On the east there is an old wooden door, with a large opening in it (about cyclops sized). Treasure Room This is a large room, whose east wall is solid granite. A number of discarded bags, which crumble at your touch, are scattered about on the floor. There is an exit down a staircase. THIEF CHALICE East-West Passage This is a narrow east-west passageway. There is a narrow stairway leading down at the north end of the room. Round Room This is a circular stone room with passages in all directions. Several of them have unfortunately been blocked by cave-ins. Narrow Passage This is a long and narrow corridor where a long north-south passageway briefly narrows even further. Mirror Room (south) You are in a large square room with tall ceilings. On the south wall is an enormous mirror which fills the entire wall. There are exits on the other three sides of the room. [Unfortunately, the mirror has been destroyed by your recklessness.] (take mirror) The mirror is many times your size. Give up. (look) There is an ugly person staring back at you. (break mirror) You have broken the mirror. I hope you have a seven years' supply of good luck handy. (break mirror) Haven't you done enough damage already? (?) The mirror is broken into many pieces. (touch mirror) There is a rumble from deep within the earth and the room shakes. Winding Passage This is a winding passage. It seems that there are only exits on the east and north. Cave This is a tiny cave with entrances west and north, and a dark, forbidding staircase leading down. Entrance to Hades You are outside a large gateway, on which is inscribed Abandon every hope all ye who enter here! The gate is open; through it you can see a desolation, with a pile of mangled bodies in one corner. Thousands of voices, lamenting some hideous fate, can be heard. [The way through the gate is barred by evil spirits, who jeer at your attempts to pass.] (south) Some invisible force prevents you from passing through the gate. (exorcise) You aren't equipped for an exorcism. (?)You must perform the ceremony. (?) Only the ceremony itself has any effect. (talk to spirits) The spirits jeer loudly and ignore you. (attack spirits) How can you attack a spirit with material objects? (take spirits) You seem unable to interact with these spirits. (ring bell) The bell suddenly becomes red hot and falls to the ground. The wraiths, as if paralyzed, stop their jeering and slowly turn to face you. On their ashen faces, the expression of a long-forgotten terror takes shape. In your confusion, the candles drop to the ground (and they are out). (wait too long) The tension of this ceremony is broken, and the wraiths, amused but shaken at your clumsy attempt, resume their hideous jeering. (light candles with match) The flames flicker wildly and appear to dance. The earth beneath your feet trembles, and your legs nearly buckle beneath you. The spirits cower at your unearthly power. (read book) Each word of the prayer reverberates through the hall in a deafening confusion. As the last word fades, a voice, loud and commanding, speaks: "Begone, fiends!" A heart-stopping scream fills the cavern, and the spirits, sensing a greater power, flee through the walls. The gate is protected by an invisible force. It makes your teeth ache to touch it. Land of the Dead You have entered the Land of the Living Dead. Thousands of lost souls can be heard weeping and moaning. In the corner are stacked the remains of dozens of previous adventurers less fortunate than yourself. A passage exits to the north. CRYSTAL SKULL (take bodies) A force keeps you from taking the bodies. Engravings Cave You have entered a low cave with passages leading northwest and east. ENGRAVINGS (There are old engravings on the walls here.) (read engravings) The engravings were incised in the living rock of the cave wall by an unknown hand. They depict, in symbolic form, the beliefs of the ancient Zorkers. Skillfully interwoven with the bas reliefs are excerpts illustrating the major religious tenets of that time. Unfortunately, a later age seems to have considered them blasphemous and just as skillfully excised them. What is the significance of all the engravings? The knowledgeable critic, I. Q. Roundhead, wrote a ten-volume study of the engravings of the ancient Zorkers. To make a long story short, he concluded that the Zorkers were very strange people. Dome Room You are at the periphery of a large dome, which forms the ceiling of another room below. Protecting you from a precipitous drop is a wooden railing which circles the dome. [Hanging down from the railing is a rope which ends about ten feet from the floor below.] RAILING (?)As you enter the dome you feel a strong pull as if from a wind drawing you over the railing and down. (tie rope to railing) The rope drops over the side and comes within ten feet of the floor. (?)The rope drops gently to the floor below. (?)The rope is tied to the railing. (down) You cannot go down without fracturing many bones. Torch Room This is a large room with a prominent doorway leading to a down staircase. Above you is a large dome. Up around the edge of the dome (20 feet up) is a wooden railing. In the center of the room sits a white marble pedestal. [A piece of rope descends from the railing above, ending some five feet above your head.] TORCH (up) You cannot reach the rope. Temple This is the north end of a large temple. On the east wall is an ancient inscription, probably a prayer in a long-forgotten language. Below the prayer is a staircase leading down. The west wall is solid granite. The exit to the north end of the room is through huge marble pillars. BRASS BELL (read inscription) The prayer is inscribed in an ancient script, rarely used today. It seems to be a philippic against small insects, absent-mindedness, and the picking up and dropping of small objects. The final verse consigns trespassers to the land of the dead. All evidence indicates that the beliefs of the ancient Zorkers were obscure. Egyptian Room This is a room which looks like an Egyptian tomb. There is an ascending staircase to the west. GOLD COFFIN (open coffin) The gold coffin opens. A sceptre, possibly that of ancient Egypt itself, is in the coffin. The sceptre is ornamented with colored enamel, and tapers to a sharp point. Altar This is the south end of a large temple. In front of you is what appears to be an altar. In one corner is a small hole in the floor which leads into darkness. You probably could not get back up it. PAIR OF CANDLES BLACK BOOK (down) You haven't a prayer of getting the coffin down there. (pray) (to foret) (pray while dead) From the distance the sound of a lone trumpet is heard. The room becomes very bright and you feel disembodied. In a moment, the brightness fades and you find yourself rising as if from a long sleep, deep in the woods. In the distance you can faintly hear a songbird and the sounds of the forest. North-South Passage This is a high north-south passage, which forks to the northeast. Chasm A chasm runs southwest to northeast and the path follows it. You are on the south side of the chasm, where a crack opens into a passage. (down) Are you out of your mind? (?) You look before leaping, and realize that you would never survive. It's too far to jump, and there's no bridge. The OBJ drops out of sight into the chasm. Deep Canyon You are on the south edge of a deep canyon. Passages lead off to the east, northwest and southwest. A stairway leads down. (You can hear the sound of flowing water from below.)/( You can hear a loud roaring sound, like that of rushing water, from below.) Loud Room This is a large room with a ceiling which cannot be detected from the ground. There is a narrow passage from east to west and a stone stairway leading upward. (The room is deafeningly loud with an undetermined rushing sound. The sound seems to reverberate from all of the walls, making it difficult even to think.)/(The room is eerie in its quietness.)/( It is unbearably loud here, with an ear-splitting roar seeming to come from all around you. There is a pounding in your head which won't stop. With a tremendous effort, you scramble out of the room.) PLATINUM BAR (?)The rest of your commands have been lost in the noise. (echo) The acoustics of the room change subtly. (?) A sound, like that of flowing water, starts to come from below. (?) The roar of rushing water is quieter now. (?)All of a sudden, an alarmingly loud roaring sound fills the room. Filled with fear, you scramble away. Damp Cave This cave has exits to the west and east, and narrows to a crack toward the south. The earth is particularly damp here. (south) It is too narrow for most insects. Stream View You are standing on a path beside a gently flowing stream. The path follows the stream, which flows from west to east. (west) The stream emerges from a spot too small for you to enter. (?) You can't swim in the stream. The other side is a sheer rock cliff. Stream You are on the gently flowing stream. The upstream route is too narrow to navigate, and the downstream route is invisible due to twisting walls. There is a narrow beach to land on. (west) The channel is too narrow. Reservoir South You are in a long room on the south shore of a large lake, far too deep and wide for crossing. [You are in a long room. To the north is a large lake, too deep to cross. You notice, however, that the water level appears to be dropping at a rapid rate. Before long, it might be possible to cross to the other side from here.] [You are in a long room, to the north of which was formerly a lake. However, with the water level lowered, there is merely a wide stream running through the center of the room.] There is a path along the stream to the east or west, a steep pathway climbing southwest along the edge of a chasm, and a path leading into a canyon to the southeast. (north) You would drown. (wait) The water level is now quite low here and you could easily cross over to the other side. (wait) You notice that the water level has risen to the point that it is impossible to cross. (?) There's not much lake left.... It's too wide to cross. You can't swim in this lake. Reservoir You are on the lake. Beaches can be seen north and south. Upstream a small stream enters the lake through a narrow cleft in the rocks. The dam can be seen downstream. [You are on what used to be a large lake, but which is now a large mud pile. There are "shores" to the north and south.] TRUNK OF JEWELS (east) The dam blocks your way. (wait) The water level has dropped to the point at which the boat can no longer stay afloat. It sinks into the mud. (wait) The boat lifts gently out of the mud and is now floating on the reservoir. (wait) You notice that the water level here is rising rapidly. The currents are also becoming stronger. Staying here seems quite perilous! (if on boat after full) The rising water carries the boat over the dam, down the river, and over the falls. Tsk, tsk. (if in while filling) You are lifted up by the rising river! You try to swim, but the currents are too strong. You come closer, closer to the awesome structure of Flood Control Dam #3. The dam beckons to you. The roar of the water nearly deafens you, but you remain conscious as you tumble over the dam toward your certain doom among the rocks at its base. Reservoir North You are in a large cavernous room, north of a large lake [You are in a large cavernous room, the south of which was formerly a lake. However, with the water level lowered, there is merely a wide stream running through there.] [You are in a long room, to the north of which is a wide area which was formerly a reservoir, but now is merely a stream. You notice, however, that the level of the stream is rising quickly and that before long it will be impossible to cross here.] [You are in a large cavernous area. To the south is a wide lake, whose water level appears to be falling rapidly.] [You are in a cavernous area, to the south of which is a very wide stream. The level of the stream is rising rapidly, and it appears that before long it will be impossible to cross to the other side.] There is a slimy stairway leaving the room to the north. HAND-HELD AIR PUMP (south) You would drown. Dam You are standing on the top of the Flood Control Dam #3, which was quite a tourist attraction in times far distant. There are paths to the north, south, and west, and a scramble down. (The sluice gates on the dam are closed. Behind the dam, there can be seen a wide reservoir. Water is pouring over the top of the now abandoned dam.) (The sluice gates are closed. The water level in the reservoir is quite low, but the level is rising quickly.) (The sluice gates are open, and water rushes through the dam. The water level behind the dam is still high.) (The water level behind the dam is low: The sluice gates have been opened. Water rushes through the dam and downstream.) There is a control panel here, on which a large metal bolt is mounted. Directly above the bolt is a small green plastic bubble [which is glowing serenely]. (turn bolt with wrench) The sluice gates close and water starts to collect behind the dam. (turn bolt with wrench) The sluice gates open and water pours through the dam. (turn bolt) The bolt won't turn with your best effort. (turn bolt) The bolt won't turn using the X. (turn bolt?) You can't with your bare hands. (grease bolt with gunk) Hmm. It appears the tube contained glue, not oil. Turning the bolt won't get any easier.... (take bubble) It is an integral part of the control panel. (?)Are you the little Dutch boy, then? Sorry, this is a big dam. Dam Lobby This room appears to have been the waiting room for groups touring the dam. There are open doorways here to the north and east marked "Private", and there is a path leading south over the top of the dam. TOUR GUIDEBOOK MATCHBOOK (north/east) The room is full of water and cannot be entered. Maintenance Room This is what appears to have been the maintenance room for Flood Control Dam #3. Apparently, this room has been ransacked recently, for most of the valuable equipment is gone. On the wall in front of you is a group of buttons colored blue, yellow, brown, and red. There are doorways to the west and south. GROUP OF TOOL CHESTS WRENCH TUBE SCREWDRIVER (take chests) The chests are so rusty and corroded that they crumble when you touch them. (?)The chests are all empty. (open chests) The chests are already open. (push blue) There is a rumbling sound and a stream of water appears to burst from the east wall of the room (apparently, a leak has occurred in a pipe). (push blue) The blue button appears to be jammed. (push brown) Click. (Push yellow) Click. (push red) The lights within the room (come on)/(shut off). (water level leak) The water level here is now up to your ankles. up to your shin. up to your knees. up to your hips. up to your waist. up to your chest. up to your neck. over your head. high in your lungs. I'm afraid you have done drowned yourself. Dam Base You are at the base of Flood Control Dam #3, which looms above you and to the north. The river Frigid is flowing by here. Along the river are the White Cliffs which seem to form giant walls stretching from north to south along the shores of the river as it winds its way downstream. Frigid River (1) You are on the Frigid River in the vicinity of the Dam. The river flows quietly here. There is a landing on the west shore. (east) The White Cliffs prevent your landing here. (wait) The flow of the river carries you downstream. (?)You cannot go upstream due to strong currents. (enter river) A look before leaping reveals that the river is wide and dangerous, with swift currents and large, half-hidden rocks. You decide to forgo your swim. (throw in water) The OBJ floats for a moment, then sinks. (throw in water) The OBJ splashes into the water and is gone forever. Frigid River (2) The river turns a corner here making it impossible to see the Dam. The White Cliffs loom on the east bank and large rocks prevent landing on the west. (east) The White Cliffs prevent your landing here. (west) Just in time you steer away from the rocks. (land) There is no safe landing spot here. Frigid River (3) The river descends here into a valley. There is a narrow beach on the west shore below the cliffs. In the distance a faint rumbling can be heard. (land) You can land either to the east or the west. (swimming?) You splash around for a while, fighting the current, then you drown. Frigid River (4) The river is running faster here and the sound ahead appears to be that of rushing water. On the east shore is a sandy beach. A small area of beach can also be seen below the cliffs on the west shore. RED BUOY (swimming?) Another pathetic sputter, this time from you, heralds your drowning. Frigid River (5) The sound of rushing water is nearly unbearable here. On the east shore is a large landing area. (wait) Unfortunately, the magic boat doesn't provide protection from the rocks and boulders one meets at the bottom of waterfalls. Including this one. (wait) In other words, fighting the fierce currents of the Frigid River. You to hold your own for a bit, but then you are carried over a waterfall and into some nasty rocks. Ouch! White Cliffs Beach (north) You are on a narrow strip of beach which runs along the base of the Cliffs. There is a narrow path heading south along the Cliffs and a tight passage leading west into the cliffs themselves. (south) The path is too narrow. White Cliffs Beach (south) You are on a rocky, narrow strip of beach beside the Cliffs. A narrow path leads north along the shore. (north) The path is too narrow. Sandy Beach [in darkness] You are on a large sandy beach on the east shore of the river, which is flowing quickly by. A path runs beside the river to the south here, and a passage is partially buried in sand to the northeast. SHOVEL Sandy Cave This is a sand-filled cave whose exit is to the southwest. [BEAUTIFUL JEWELED SCARAB] (dig in sand1) You seem to be digging a hole here. (dig in sand2) The hole is getting deeper, but that's about it. (dig in sand3) You are surrounded by a wall of sand on all sides. (dig in sand4) You can see a scarab here in the sand. (dig in sand5) The hole collapses, smothering you. Shore You are on the east shore of the river. The water here seems somewhat treacherous. A path travels from north to south here, the south end quickly turning around a sharp corner. Aragain Falls You are at the top of Aragain Falls, an enormous waterfall with a drop of about 450 feet. The only path here is on the north end. (Down) It's a long way... On the Rainbow You are on top of a rainbow (I bet you never thought you would walk on a rainbow), with a magnificent view of the Falls. The rainbow travels east-west here. A beautiful rainbow can be seen over the falls and to the west. [A solid rainbow spans the falls.] (wave scepter) The structural integrity of the rainbow is severely compromised, leaving you hanging in mid-air, supported only by water vapor. Bye. (?)The Frigid River flows under the rainbow. Atlantis Room This is an ancient room, long under water. There is an exit to the south and a staircase leading up. CRYSTAL TRIDENT Cave This is a tiny cave with entrances west and north, and a staircase leading down. Twisting Passage This is a winding passage. It seems that there are only exits on the east and north. Mirror Room (north) You are in a large square room with tall ceilings. On the south wall is an enormous mirror which fills the entire wall. There are exits on the other three sides of the room. [Unfortunately, the mirror has been destroyed by your recklessness.] Cold Passage This is a cold and damp corridor where a long east-west passageway turns into a southward path. Slide Room This is a small chamber, which appears to have been part of a coal mine. On the south wall of the chamber the letters "Granite Wall" are etched in the rock. To the east is a long passage, and there is a steep metal slide twisting downward. To the north is a small opening. There is no granite wall here. The wall isn't granite. It only SAYS "Granite Wall". You tumble down the slide.... The OBJ falls into the slide and is gone. What is meant by the "Granite Wall" in the Slide Room? Evidently the ancient Zorkers did not have strong truth-in-advertising laws. Take nothing for granite. Mine Entrance You are standing at the entrance of what might have been a coal mine. The shaft enters the west wall, and there is another exit on the south end of the room. Squeaky Room You are in a small room. Strange squeaky sounds may be heard coming from the passage at the north end. You may also escape to the east. Bat Room You are in a small room which has doors only to the east and south. JADE FIGURINE BAT (if garlic) In the corner of the room on the ceiling is a large vampire bat who is obviously deranged and holding his nose. (no garlic) A large vampire bat, hanging from the ceiling, swoops down at you! Fweep! Fweep! Fweep! The bat grabs you by the scruff of your neck and lifts you away.... (take) You can't reach him; he's on the ceiling. (throw) The bat ducks as the OBJ flies by and crashes to the ground. Shaft Room This is a large room, in the middle of which is a small shaft descending through the floor into darkness below. To the west and the north are exits from this room. Constructed over the top of the shaft is a metal framework to which a heavy iron chain is attached. BASKET (At the end of the chain is a basket.) (From the chain is suspended a basket.) (down) You wouldn't fit and would die if you could. (take basket) The cage is securely fastened to the iron chain. (take basket) The basket is at the other end of the chain. (raise basket) The basket is raised to the top of the shaft. (lower basket) The basket is lowered to the bottom of the shaft. (take chain) The chain is secure. (?)Perhaps you should do that to the basket. (?)The chain secures a basket within the shaft. Smelly Room This is a small non-descript room. However, from the direction of a small descending staircase a foul odor can be detected. To the south is a narrow tunnel. Gas Room This is a small room which smells strongly of coal gas. There is a short climb up some stairs and a narrow tunnel leading east. SAPPHIRE-ENCRUSTED BRACELET (enter with torch, etc) Oh dear. It appears that the smell coming from this room was coal gas. I would have thought twice about carrying flaming objects in here. ** BOOOOOOOOOOOM ** How sad for an aspiring adventurer to light a X in a room which reeks of gas. Fortunately, there is justice in the world. (?) There is too much gas to blow away. It smells like coal gas in here. Coal Mine (1) This is a non-descript part of a coal mine. Coal Mine (2) This is a non-descript part of a coal mine. Coal Mine (3) This is a non-descript part of a coal mine. Coal Mine (4) This is a non-descript part of a coal mine. Ladder Top This is a very small room. In the corner is a rickety wooden ladder, leading downward. It might be safe to descend. There is also a staircase leading upward. Ladder Bottom This is a rather wide room. On one side is the bottom of a narrow wooden ladder. To the west and the south are passages leaving the room. Dead End You have come to a dead end in the mine." SMALL PILE OF COAL Timber Room This is a long and narrow passage, which is cluttered with broken timbers. A wide passage comes from the east and turns at the west end of the room into a very narrow passageway. From the west comes a strong draft. (west) You cannot fit through this passage with that load. Drafty Room This is a small drafty room in which is the bottom of a long shaft. To the south is a passageway and to the east a very narrow passage. In the shaft can be seen a heavy iron chain. BASKET (east) You cannot fit through this passage with that load. (?) This room is drafty, and the match goes out instantly. (?) A gust of wind blows out your candles! Machine Room This is a large, cold room whose sole exit is to the north. In one corner there is a machine which is reminiscent of a clothes dryer. On its face is a switch which is labelled "START". The switch does not appear to be manipulable by any human hand (unless the fingers are about 1/16 by 1/4 inch). On the front of the machine is a large lid, which is closed[open]. MACHINE [LARGE DIAMOND] [SMALL PIECE OF VITREOUS SLAG] (take machine) It is far too large to carry. (open lid) The lid opens. (open lid) The lid opens, revealing (a huge diamond). (Close lid) The lid closes. (?) It's not clear how to turn it on with your bare hands. (turn switch) You can't turn it with your hands... (turn switch with screwdriver) The machine doesn't seem to want to do anything. (Turn switch with screwdriver if coal inside) The machine comes to life (figuratively) with a dazzling display of colored lights and bizarre noises. After a few moments, the excitement abates. Stone Barrow You are standing in front of a massive barrow of stone. In the east face is a huge stone door which is open. You cannot see into the dark of the tomb. Inside the Barrow As you enter the barrow, the door closes inexorably behind you. Around you it is dark, but ahead is an enormous cavern, brightly lit. Through its center runs a wide stream. Spanning the stream is a small wooden footbridge, and beyond a path leads into a dark tunnel. Above the bridge, floating in the air, is a large sign. It reads: All ye who stand before this bridge have completed a great and perilous adventure which has tested your wit and courage. You have mastered the first part of the ZORK trilogy. Those who pass over this bridge must be prepared to undertake an even greater adventure that will severely test your skill and bravery! The ZORK trilogy continues with "ZORK II: The Wizard of Frobozz" and is completed in "ZORK III: The Dungeon Master." [River God] [LAND BEYOND THE CHASM How do I cross the chasm? There's no bridge. How do I build a bridge? 1. An interesting idea... 2. The timber might be useful. 3. But then again, maybe not. 4. A valiant attempt, but this is getting you nowhere. Why doesn't the magic word "plugh" work in the land beyond the chasm? 1. "A hollow voice says Fool." 2. Should nonsense words work anywhere in ZORK I? 3. Remember the warning in the introduction. Do not let the presence or absence of questions, or the lengths of the answers, influence your game. After the meteor strike activates the long-dormant volcano and destroys the bridge, how do I get back across the chasm? Whew! (That might actually be an interesting addition to the game.) OBJECT LIST LEAFLET A small leaflet is on the ground. (read) WELCOME TO ZORK! ZORK is a game of adventure, danger, and low cunning. In it you will explore some of the most amazing territory ever seen by mortals. No computer should be without one! BIRD’S NEST (int) Beside you on the branch is a small bird's nest. JEWEL-ENCRUSTED EGG (int) In the bird's nest is a large egg encrusted with precious jewels, apparently scavenged by a childless songbird. The egg is covered with fine gold inlay, and ornamented in lapis lazuli and mother-of-pearl. Unlike most eggs, this one is hinged and closed with a delicate looking clasp. The egg appears extremely fragile. (open egg) The egg is already open. (open egg) You have neither the tools nor the expertise. (?)I doubt you could do that without damaging it. (open egg) The egg is now open, but the clumsiness of your attempt has seriously compromised its esthetic appeal. (?) Not to say that using the OBJ isn't original too... (?)The concept of using a OBJ is certainly original. (?)There is a noticeable crunch from beneath you, and inspection reveals that the egg is lying open, badly damaged. (?)Your rather indelicate handling of the egg has caused it some damage, although you have succeeded in opening it. (hatch egg) Bizarre! BROKEN JEWEL-ENCRUSTED EGG There is a somewhat ruined egg here. BROKEN CANARY (int) There is a golden clockwork canary nestled in the egg. It seems to have recently had a bad experience. The mountings for its jewel-like eyes are empty, and its silver beak is crumpled. Through a cracked crystal window below its left wing you can see the remains of intricate machinery. It is not clear what result winding it would have, as the mainspring seems sprung. (wind) There is an unpleasant grinding noise from inside the canary. CANARY (int) There is a golden clockwork canary nestled in the egg. It has ruby eyes and a silver beak. Through a crystal window below its left wing you can see intricate machinery inside. It appears to have wound down. (wind) The canary chirps blithely, if somewhat tinnily, for a short time. (wind) The canary chirps, slightly off-key, an aria from a forgotten opera. From out of the greenery flies a lovely songbird. It perches on a limb just over your head and opens its beak to sing. As it does so a beautiful brass bauble drops from its mouth, bounces off the top of your head, and lands glimmering in the grass. As the canary winds down, the songbird flies away. PILE OF LEAVES On the ground is a pile of leaves. (count leaves) There are 69,105 leaves here. (Burn leaves) The leaves burn. (burn leaves will holding) The leaves burn, and so do you. BROWN SACK On the table is an elongated brown sack, smelling of hot peppers. (there is LUNCH inside) CLOVE OF GARLIC LUNCH A hot pepper sandwich is here. (smell lunch) It smells of hot peppers. GLASS BOTTLE A bottle is sitting on the table. The glass bottle contains: a quantity of water (?)The water spills to the floor and evaporates immediately. (?)The water spills to the floor and evaporates. (?)The water splashes on the walls and evaporates immediately. (?)The water leaks out of the X and evaporates immediately. (?) The bottle is closed. (?) The bottle is now full of water. (?) The bottle hits the far wall and shatters. (?) A brilliant maneuver destroys the bottle. QUANTITY OF WATER (take water) The water slips through your fingers. (take water) It's in the bottle. Perhaps you should take that instead. (?)There is now a puddle in the bottom of the X. (pour) The OBJ is extinguished. (pour) The water spills over the OBJ, to the floor, and evaporates. SWORD (int) Above the trophy case hangs an elvish sword of great antiquity. Your sword is glowing with a faint blue glow. Your sword is glowing very brightly. Your sword has begun to glow very brightly. Your sword is glowing with a faint blue glow. Your sword is no longer glowing. BRASS LANTERN (int) A battery-powered brass lantern is on the trophy case. There is a brass lantern (battery-powered) here. (?) The lamp has smashed into the floor, and the light has gone out. (turn on) A burned-out lamp won't light. (?) The lamp has already burned out. The lamp has burned out. The lamp is on. The lamp is turned off. The lamp appears a bit dimmer. The lamp is definitely dimmer now. The lamp is nearly out. ROPE A large coil of rope is lying in the corner. NASTY KNIFE On a table is a nasty-looking knife. PAINTING (int) Fortunately, there is still one chance for you to be a vandal, for on the far wall is a painting of unparalleled beauty. A painting by a neglected genius is here. [There is a worthless piece of canvas here.] (cut/break/destroy) Congratulations! Unlike the other vandals, who merely stole the artist's masterpieces, you have destroyed one. ZORK owner’s manual (int) Loosely attached to a wall is a small piece of paper. (read) Congratulations! You are the privileged owner of ZORK I: The Great Underground Empire, a self-contained and self-maintaining universe. If used and maintained in accordance with normal operating practices for small universes, ZORK will provide many months of trouble-free operation. TROLL A nasty-looking troll, brandishing a bloody axe, blocks all passages out of the room. [An unconscious troll is sprawled on the floor. All passages out of the room are open.] A troll is here. (?)A pathetically babbling troll is here. (talk to troll) The troll isn't much of a conversationalist. The troll, angered and humiliated, recovers his weapon. He appears to have an axe to grind with you. The troll, disarmed, cowers in terror, pleading for his life in the guttural tongue of the trolls. The troll stirs, quickly resuming a fighting stance. The troll scratches his head in confusion, then takes the axe. You would have to get the X first, and that seems unlikely. The troll, who is remarkably coordinated, catches the X The troll, who is not overly proud, graciously accepts the gift and eats it hungrily. Poor troll, he dies from an internal hemorrhage and his carcass disappears in a sinister black fog. and, being for the moment sated, throws it back. Fortunately, the troll has poor control, and the falls to the floor. He does not look pleased. and not having the most discriminating tastes, gleefully eats it. (take troll) The troll spits in your face, grunting "Better luck next time" in a rather barbarous accent. The troll laughs at your puny gesture. Every so often the troll says something, probably uncomplimentary, in his guttural tongue. Unfortunately, the troll can't hear you. S323: "The troll swings his axe, but it misses." S324: "The troll's axe barely misses your ear." S325: "The axe sweeps past as you jump aside." S326: "The axe crashes against the rock, throwing sparks!" S327: "The flat of the troll's axe hits you delicately on the head, knocking you out." S328: "The troll neatly removes your head." S329: "The troll's axe stroke cleaves you from the nave to the chops." S330: "The troll's axe removes your head." S331: "The axe gets you right in the side. Ouch!" S332: "The flat of the troll's axe skins across your forearm." S333: "The troll's swing almost knocks you over as you barely parry in time." S334: "The troll swings his axe, and it nicks your arm as you dodge." S335: "The troll charges, and his axe slashes you on your X arm." S337: "An axe stroke makes a deep wound in your leg." S338: "The troll's axe swings down, gashing your shoulder." S339: "The troll hits you with a glancing blow, and you are momentarily stunned." S340: "The troll swings; the blade turns on your armor but crashes broadside into your head." S341: "You stagger back under a hail of axe strokes." S342: "The troll's mighty blow drops you to your knees." S343: "The axe hits your X and knocks it spinning." S345: "The troll swings, you parry, but the force of his blow knocks your X away." S347: "The axe knocks your X out of your hand. It falls to the floor." S349: "The troll hesitates, fingering his axe." S350: "The troll scratches his head ruminatively: Might you be magically protected, he wonders?" S351: "Conquering his fears, the troll puts you to death." BLOODY AXE BURNED-OUT LANTERN The deceased adventurer's useless lantern is here. SKELETON KEY There is a skeleton key here. LEATHER BAG OF COINS An old leather bag, bulging with coins, is here. RUSTY KNIFE Beside the skeleton is a rusty knife.) (take knife) As you touch the rusty knife, your sword gives a single pulse of blinding blue light. (attack) As the knife approaches its victim, your mind is submerged by an overmastering will. Slowly, your hand turns, until the rusty blade is an inch from your neck. The knife seems to sing as it savagely slits your throat. CYCLOPS A cyclops, who looks prepared to eat horses (much less mere adventurers), blocks the staircase. From his state of health, and the bloodstains on the walls, you gather that he is not very friendly, though he likes people. [The cyclops is standing in the corner, eyeing you closely. I don't think he likes you very much. He looks extremely hungry, even for a cyclops.] [The cyclops, having eaten the hot peppers, appears to be gasping. His enflamed tongue protrudes from his man-sized mouth.] [The cyclops is sleeping blissfully at the foot of the stairs.] [The cyclops is sleeping like a baby, albeit a very ugly one.] [A hungry cyclops is standing at the foot of the stairs.] (Listen to Cyclops) You can hear his stomach rumbling. (tie Cyclops) You cannot tie the cyclops, though he is fit to be tied. (talk to) The cyclops prefers eating to making conversation. (talk to) No use talking to him. He's fast asleep. (take Cyclops) The cyclops doesn't take kindly to being grabbed. (?)"Do you think I'm as stupid as my father was?", he says, dodging. (?) The cyclops shrugs but otherwise ignores your pitiful attempt. (give lunch) The cyclops says "Mmm Mmm. I love hot peppers! But oh, could I use a drink. Perhaps I could drink the blood of that thing." From the gleam in his eye, it could be surmised that you are "that thing". (give bottle) The cyclops apparently is not thirsty and refuses your generous offer. (give bottle) The cyclops takes the bottle, checks that it's open, and drinks the water. A moment later, he lets out a yawn that nearly blows you over, and then falls fast asleep (what did you put in that drink, anyway?). (give Cyclops ?) The cyclops may be hungry, but there is a limit. (give Cyclops other) The cyclops is not so stupid as to eat THAT! (odysseus) The cyclops, hearing the name of his father's deadly nemesis, flees the room by knocking down the wall on the east of the room. (odysseus elsewhere) Wasn't he a sailor? (wake up Cyclops) The cyclops yawns and stares at the thing that woke him up. (wait) The cyclops seems somewhat agitated. (wait) The cyclops appears to be getting more agitated. (wait) The cyclops is moving about the room, looking for something. (wait) The cyclops was looking for salt and pepper. No doubt they are condiments for his upcoming snack. (wait) The cyclops is moving toward you in an unfriendly manner. (wait) You have two choices: 1. Leave 2. Become dinner. (wait) The cyclops, tired of all of your games and trickery, grabs you firmly. As he licks his chops, he says "Mmm. Just like Mom used to make 'em." It's nice to be appreciated. S307: "The Cyclops misses, but the backwash almost knocks you over." S308: "The Cyclops rushes you, but runs into the wall." S309: "The Cyclops sends you crashing to the floor, unconscious." S310: "The Cyclops breaks your neck with a massive smash." S311: "A quick punch, but it was only a glancing blow." S312: "A glancing blow from the Cyclops' fist." S313: "The monster smashes his huge fist into your chest, breaking several ribs." S314: "The Cyclops almost knocks the wind out of you with a quick punch." S315: "The Cyclops lands a punch that knocks the wind out of you." S316: "Heedless of your weapons, the Cyclops tosses you against the rock wall of the room." S317: "The Cyclops grabs your X, tastes it, and throws it to the ground in disgust." S319: "The monster grabs you on the wrist, squeezes, and you drop your X in pain." S321: "The Cyclops seems unable to decide whether to broil or stew his dinner." S322: "The Cyclops, no sportsman, dispatches his unconscious victim." THIEF There is a suspicious-looking individual, holding a large bag, leaning against one wall. He is armed with a deadly stiletto. The thief is a slippery character with beady eyes that flit back and forth. He carries, along with an unmistakable arrogance, a large bag over his shoulder and a vicious stiletto, whose blade is aimed menacingly in your direction. I'd watch out if I were you. Someone carrying a large bag is casually leaning against one of the walls here. He does not speak, but it is clear from his aspect that the bag will be taken only over his dead body. You feel a light finger-touch, and turning, notice a grinning figure holding a large bag in one hand and a stiletto in the other. Your opponent, determining discretion to be the better part of valor, decides to terminate this little contretemps. With a rueful nod of his head, he steps backward into the gloom and disappears. The holder of the large bag just left, looking disgusted. Fortunately, he took nothing. A seedy-looking individual with a large bag just wandered through the room. On the way through, he quietly abstracted some valuables from the room and from your possession, mumbling something about "Doing unto others before..." The thief just left, still carrying his large bag. You may not have noticed that he (robbed you blind first.)//appropriated the valuables in the room.) The thief, finding nothing of value, left disgusted. A "lean and hungry" gentleman just wandered through, carrying a large bag. Finding nothing of value, he left disgruntled. The thief just left, still carrying his large bag. You may not have noticed that he robbed you blind first." The thief, finding nothing of value, left disgusted. The thief seems to have left you in the dark. You hear, off in the distance, someone saying "My, I wonder what this fine X is doing here." The thief is a strong, silent type. The thief, being temporarily incapacitated, is unable to acknowledge your greeting with his usual graciousness. You evidently frightened the robber, though you didn't hit him. He flees X, but the contents of his bag fall on the floor." (throw knife) You missed. The thief makes no attempt to take the knife, though it would be a fine addition to the collection in his bag. He does seem angered by your attempt. Your proposed victim suddenly recovers consciousness. (give OBJECT) The thief is taken aback by your unexpected generosity, but accepts the X and stops to admire its beauty. The thief places the X in his bag and thanks you politely. (take) Once you got him, what would you do with him? (Listen to) The thief says nothing, as you have not been formally introduced." The robber, somewhat surprised at this turn of events, nimbly retrieves his stiletto. The robber revives, briefly feigning continued unconsciousness, and, when he sees his moment, scrambles away from you. The robber, rummaging through his bag, dropped a few items he found valueless. You suddenly notice that the OBJ vanished. You hear a scream of anguish as you violate the robber's hideaway. Using passages unknown to you, he rushes to its defense. The thief gestures mysteriously, and the treasures in the room suddenly vanish. As the thief dies, the power of his magic decreases, and his treasures reappear: The chalice is now safe to take. (?)His booty remains. S352: "The thief stabs nonchalantly with his stiletto and misses." S353: "You dodge as the thief comes in low." S354: "You parry a lightning thrust, and the thief salutes you with a grim nod." S355: "The thief tries to sneak past your guard, but you twist away." S356: "Shifting in the midst of a thrust, the thief knocks you unconscious with the haft of his stiletto." S357: "The thief knocks you out." S358: "Finishing you off, the thief inserts his blade into your heart." S359: "The thief comes in from the side, feints, and inserts the blade into your ribs." S360: "The thief bows formally, raises his stiletto, and with a wry grin, ends the battle and your life." S361: "A quick thrust pinks your left arm, and blood starts to trickle down." S362: "The thief draws blood, raking his stiletto across your arm." S363: "The stiletto flashes faster than you can follow, and blood wells from your leg." S364: "The thief slowly approaches, strikes like a snake, and leaves you wounded." S365: "The thief strikes like a snake! The resulting wound is serious." S366: "The thief stabs a deep cut in your upper arm." S367: "The stiletto touches your forehead, and the blood obscures your vision." S368: "The thief strikes at your wrist, and suddenly your grip is slippery with blood." S369: "The butt of his stiletto cracks you on the skull, and you stagger back." S370: "The thief rams the haft of his blade into your stomach, leaving you out of breath." S371: "The thief attacks, and you fall back desperately." S372: "A long, theatrical slash. You catch it on your " S373: ", but the thief twists his knife, and the " S374: " goes flying." S375: "The thief neatly flips your " S376: " out of your hands, and it drops to the floor." S377: "You parry a low thrust, and your " S378: " slips out of your hand." S379: "The thief, a man of superior breeding, pauses for a moment to consider the propriety of finishing you off." S380: "The thief amuses himself by searching your pockets." S381: "The thief entertains himself by rifling your pack." S382: "The thief, forgetting his essentially genteel upbringing, cuts your throat." S383: "The thief, a pragmatist, dispatches you as a threat to his livelihood." S384: "coins" S385: "jewels" There is a suspicious-looking individual, holding a bag, leaning against one wall. He is armed with a vicious-looking stiletto. There is a suspicious-looking individual lying unconscious on the ground. CHALICE There is a silver chalice, intricately engraved, here. (take chalice) You'd be stabbed in the back first. (?) You can't. It's not a very good chalice, is it? THIEF’S SACK Sadly for you, the robber collapsed on top of the bag. Trying to take it would wake him. The bag will be taken over his dead body. It would be a good trick. Getting close enough would be a good trick. The bag is underneath the thief, so one can't say what, if anything, is inside. Stiletto Beautiful Brass Bauble Torch Sitting on the pedestal is a flaming torch, made of ivory. (extinguish torch) You nearly burn your hand trying to extinguish the flame. (burn) The torch is burning. (pour water??) The water evaporates before it gets close. BRASS BELL / RED HOT BELL On the ground is a red hot bell. (take) The bell is very hot and cannot be taken. (?) The bell is too hot to touch. (?)The heat from the bell is too intense. (ring bell) The bell is too hot to reach. (pour water) The water cools the bell and is evaporated. (wait) The bell appears to have cooled down. GOLD COFFIN The solid-gold coffin used for the burial of Ramses II is here. SCEPTRE An ornamented sceptre, tapering to a sharp point, is here. (wave) A dazzling display of color briefly emanates from the sceptre. (wave) Suddenly, the rainbow appears to become solid and, I venture, walkable (I think the giveaway was the stairs and bannister). A shimmering pot of gold appears at the end of the rainbow. (wave) The rainbow seems to have become somewhat run-of-the-mill. PAIR OF CANDLES On the two ends of the altar are burning candles. The candles grow shorter. The candles are becoming quite short. The candles won't last long now. (light) Alas, there's not much left of the candles. Certainly not enough to burn. The candles are already lit. The candles are lit. The candles are not lighted. The candles are burning. The candles are out. You realize, just in time, that the candles are already lighted. (light with torch) The heat from the torch is so intense that the candles are vaporized. (count) Let's see, how many objects in a pair? Don't tell me, I'll get it. (extinguish) The flame is extinguished." BLACK BOOK On the altar is a large black book, open to page 569 (read) Commandment #12592 Oh ye who go about saying unto each: "Hello sailor": Dost thou know the magnitude of thy sin before the gods? Yea, verily, thou shalt be ground between two stones. Shall the angry gods cast thy body into the whirlpool? Surely, thy eye shall be put out with a sharp stick! Even unto the ends of the earth shalt thou wander and Unto the land of the dead shalt thou be sent at last. Surely thou shalt repent of thy cunning. (Hello sailor) Nothing happens here. (open book) The book is already open to page 569. (Close book) As hard as you try, the book cannot be closed. (?)Beside page 569, there is only one other page with any legible printing on it. Most of it is unreadable, but the subject seems to be the banishment of evil. Apparently, certain noises, lights, and prayers are efficacious in this regard. Platinum Bar On the ground is a large platinum bar. TOUR GUIDEBOOK Some guidebooks entitled "Flood Control Dam #3" are on the reception desk. (read) Flood Control Dam #3 FCD#3 was constructed in year 783 of the Great Underground Empire to harness the mighty Frigid River. This work was supported by a grant of 37 million zorkmids from your omnipotent local tyrant Lord Dimwit Flathead the Excessive. This impressive structure is composed of 370,000 cubic feet of concrete, is 256 feet tall at the center, and 193 feet wide at the top. The lake created behind the dam has a volume of 1.7 billion cubic feet, an area of 12 million square feet, and a shore line of 36 thousand feet. We will now point out some of the more interesting features of FCD#3 as we conduct you on a guided tour of the facilities: 1) You start your tour here in the Dam Lobby. You will notice on your right that.... MATCHBOOK There is a matchbook whose cover says "Visit Beautiful FCD#3" here. (read) (Close cover before striking) YOU too can make BIG MONEY in the exciting field of PAPER SHUFFLING! Mr. Anderson of Muddle, Mass. says: "Before I took this course I was a lowly bit twiddler. Now with what I learned at GUE Tech I feel really important and can obfuscate and confuse with the best." Dr. Blank had this to say: "Ten short days ago all I could look forward to was a dead-end job as a doctor. Now I have a promising future and make really big Zorkmids." GUE Tech can't promise these fantastic results to everyone. But when you earn your degree from GUE Tech, your future will be brighter. (count matches) You have 5 matches. I'm afraid that you have run out of matches. One of the matches starts to burn. The matchbook isn't very interesting, except for what's written on it. WRENCH TUBE There is an object which looks like a tube of toothpaste here. (Read tube) ---> Frobozz Magic Gunk Company <--- All-Purpose Gunk (open tube) Opening the tube reveals a viscous material. (squeeze tube) The viscous material oozes into your hand. (squeeze tube) The tube is apparently empty. (squeeze tube) The tube is closed. (put in tube) The tube refuses to accept anything. SCREWDRIVER GUNK (patch leak with gunk) By some miracle of Zorkian technology, you have managed to stop the leak in the dam. (?) The all-purpose gunk isn't a lubricant. (?)With a X? Do you know how big this dam is? You could only stop a tiny leak with that. PILE OF PLASTIC / MAGIC BOAT / PUNCTURED BOAT There is a folded pile of plastic here which has a small valve attached. Read the label for the boat's instructions. (?)Well done. The boat is repaired. (if scepter, nasty knife, sword, rusty knife, bloody axe, stiletto onto boat) It seems that the OBJ didn't agree with the boat, as evidenced by the loud hissing noise issuing there from. With a pathetic sputter, the boat deflates, leaving you without. Oops! Something sharp seems to have slipped and punctured the boat. The boat deflates to the sounds of hissing, sputtering, and cursing. (brush) Well, you seem to have been brushing your teeth with some sort of glue. As a result, your mouth gets glued together (with your nose) and you die of respiratory failure. CRYSTAL SKULL Lying in one corner of the room is a beautifully carved crystal skull. It appears to be grinning at you rather nastily. POT OF GOLD At the end of the rainbow is a pot of gold. SHOVEL (dig) The ground is too hard for digging here BEAUTIFUL JEWELED SCARAB CRYSTAL TRIDENT On the shore lies Poseidon's own crystal trident. HAND-HELD AIR PUMP TRUNK OF JEWELS (int) Lying half buried in the mud is an old trunk, bulging with jewels. There is an old trunk here, bulging with assorted jewels. (inflate plastic with pump) The boat inflates and appears seaworthy. [A tan label is lying inside the boat.] (inflate plastic with pump) The boat must be on the ground to be inflated. (inflate plastic) You don't have enough lung power to inflate it. (inflate plastic) With a X? Surely you jest! (inflate) Inflating it further would probably burst it. (deflate) You can't deflate the boat while you're in it. (deflate) The boat must be on the ground to be deflated. (deflate) The boat deflates. TAN LABEL (read) !!!! FROBOZZ MAGIC BOAT COMPANY !!!! Hello, Sailor! Instructions for use: To get into a body of water, say "Launch". To get to shore, say "Land" or the direction in which you want to maneuver the boat. Warranty: This boat is guaranteed against all defects for a period of 76 milliseconds from date of purchase or until first used, whichever comes first. Warning: This boat is made of thin plastic. Good Luck! RED BUOY You notice something funny about the feel of the buoy. (?)You notice something funny about the feel of the buoy. LARGE EMERALD JADE FIGURINE There is an exquisite jade figurine here. SAPPHIRE-ENCRUSTED BRACELET SMALL PILE OF COAL LARGE DIAMOND There is an enormous diamond (perfectly cut) here. SMALL PIECE OF VITREOUS SLAG (take) The slag was rather insubstantial, and crumbles into dust at your touch. ANCIENT MAP In the trophy case is an ancient parchment which appears to be a map. (read) The map shows a forest with three clearings. The largest clearing contains a house. Three paths leave the large clearing. One of these paths, leading southwest, is marked "To Stone Barrow". [River God] What will placate the River God? 1. What have you tried to throw into the river? 2. There is no River God. Anything thrown in is lost forever. Which object is best for casting images? 1. What are you talking about? How many grues does it take to screw in a light bulb? 1. Don't go on unless you've asked WHAT IS A GRUE? 2. You could break a bulb, then hide and watch what happens. 3. None. Grues are terrified of light. (what is a grue) The grue is a sinister, lurking presence in the dark places of the earth. Its favorite diet is adventurers, but its insatiable appetite is tempered by its fear of light. No grue has ever been seen by the light of day, and few have survived its fearsome jaws to tell the tale. There is no grue here, but I'm sure there is at least one lurking in the darkness nearby. I wouldn't let my light go out if I were you! It makes no sound but is always lurking in the darkness nearby.’ Oh, no! You have walked into the slavering fangs of a lurking grue! (?)and devoured you! (?) There are odd noises in the darkness, and there is no exit in that direction. (? Burning black book) The voice of the guardian of the dungeon booms out from the darkness, "Your disrespect costs you your life!" and places your head on a sharp pole. A booming voice says "Wrong, cretin!" and you notice that you have turned into a pile of dust. How, I can't imagine." (what is a zorkmid) The zorkmid is the unit of currency of the Great Underground Empire. The best way to find zorkmids is to go out and look for them. (froboz) The FROBOZZ Corporation created, owns, and operates this dungeon. (plugh) "A hollow voice says "Fool."" (Dark locations) You have moved into a dark place. It is pitch black. You are likely to be eaten by a grue. There are sinister gurgling noises in the darkness all around you! Oh, no! A lurking grue slithered into the room. Only bats can see in the dark. And you're not one. (?) The cliff is too steep for climbing. That would be very unwise. Perhaps even fatal. The OBJ tumbles into the river and is seen no more. Some paint chips away, revealing more paint. (attack) I've known strange people, but fighting a X? Trying to attack a X with your bare hands is suicidal. Trying to attack the X with a X is suicidal. Since you aren't versed in hand-to-hand combat, you'd better attack the OBJ with a weapon." The OBJ slowly regains his feet. Fortunately, you still have a OBJ. You are still recovering from that last blow, so your attack is ineffective. Attacking the OBJ is pointless. The unarmed/unconscious OBJ cannot defend himself: He dies. It appears that that last blow was too much for you. I'm afraid you are dead. Your X misses the X by an inch. A good slash, but it misses the X by a mile. You charge, but the X jumps nimbly aside. Clang! Crash! The X parries. A quick stroke, but the X is on guard. A good stroke, but it's too slow; the X dodges. X crashes down, knocking the X into dreamland. The X is battered into unconsciousness. A furious exchange, and the X is knocked out! The haft of your X knocks out the X. It's curtains for the X as your X removes his head. The fatal blow strikes the X square in the heart: He dies. X takes a fatal blow and slumps to the floor dead. X is struck on the arm; blood begins to trickle down. X pinks the X on the wrist, but it's not serious. Your stroke lands, but it was only the flat of the blade. The blow lands, making a shallow gash in the X's arm! X receives a deep gash in his side. A savage blow on the thigh! The X is stunned but can still fight! Slash! Your blow lands! That one hit an artery, it could be serious! Slash! Your stroke connects! This could be serious! X is staggered, and drops to his knees. X is momentarily disoriented and can't fight back. The force of your blow knocks the X back, stunned. X is confused and can't fight back. The quickness of your thrust knocks the X's weapon is knocked to the floor, leaving him unarmed. X is disarmed by a subtle feint past his guard. (diagnose) You are in perfect health. You have a… a light wound, a serious wound, several wounds, serious wounds, ...which will be cured after X moves. You can... expect death soon. be killed by one more light wound. be killed by a serious wound. survive one serious wound, strong enough to take several wounds. You have been killed once/twice. (score) This gives you the rank of… Master Adventurer Wizard Master Adventurer Junior Adventurer Novice Adventurer Amateur Adventurer Beginner (wave) Waving the OBJ doesn't seem to work. isn't notably helpful. has no effect. (tie up enemy) Your attempt to tie up the X awakens him. The X struggles and you cannot tie him up. Why would you tie up a X? (death of enemy) Almost as soon as the X breathes his last breath, a cloud of sinister black fog envelops him, and when the fog lifts, the carcass has disappeared. (blow up/blast) "You can't blast anything by using words." (take me) How romantic! (brush) If you wish, but heaven only knows why. Dental hygiene is highly recommended, but I'm not sure what you want to brush them with. A nice idea, but with a X? (bug) Bug? Not in a flawless program like this! (Cough, cough). (barf) Preposterous! (climb) Climbing the walls is to no avail. (command OBJ) The X pays no attention. (zork) At your service! (count OBJ) Well, for one, you are playing Zork... You have lost your mind. (Curse OBJ) Insults of this nature won't help you. What a loony! Such language in a high-class establishment like this! (cut OBJ) Not a bright idea, especially since you're in it." Your skillful Xsmanship slices the X into innumerable slivers which blow away. The "cutting edge" of a X is hardly adequate." Strange concept, cutting the X...." (dig) There's no reason to be digging here. Digging with the X is slow and tedious. Digging with a X is silly. (Disembark) You are on your own feet again. You realize that getting out here would be fatal. (bite OBJ) How can you drink that? Thank you very much. It really hit the spot. I don't think that the X would agree with you. Thank you very much. I was rather thirsty (from all this talking, probably). (banish OBJ) What a bizarre concept! (search) Within six feet of your head, assuming you haven't left that somewhere." You're around here somewhere... You find it. You have it. It's right here. The X has it. It's on the X. It's in the X. Beats me. (chase) You're nuts! (give) You can't give a X to a X! The X refuses it politely. (hello OBJ) The X bows his head to you in greeting. It's a well known fact that only schizophrenics say "Hello" to a X. (chant) The incantation echoes back faintly, but nothing else happens." (Kiss OBJ) I'd sooner kiss a pig. (knock OBJ) Nobody's home. (lean on OBJ) Getting tired? (Jump over) The X is too big to jump over. That would be a good trick. In a feat of unaccustomed daring, you manage to land on your feet without killing yourself. (pray) If you pray enough, your prayers may be answered. Your prayers are not heard. You can't even do that. (hide OBJ behind OBJ) That hiding place is too obvious. (molest) What a (ahem!) strange idea. (read) It is impossible to read in the dark. (repent) It could very well be too late! (answer OBJ) It is hardly likely that the OBJ is interested." (talk to me) Talking to yourself is a sign of impending mental collapse." (donate/hand OBJ) Foo! (shake OBJ) The contents of the OBJ spills out and disappears to the ground." It sounds like there is something inside the OBJ." The OBJ sounds empty." (stay) You will be lost without me! (swim) Swimming isn't usually allowed in the dungeon. Go jump in a lake! You can't swim in the dungeon. (swing OBJ) Whoosh!" (talk to) The OBJ pauses for a moment, perhaps thinking that you should re-read the manual." (win) Naturally! (bug) That's only your opinion. (gaze under OBJ) There is nothing but dust there. (liquif OBJ) It's not clear that a X can be melted." (pull/roll/move) You aren't an accomplished enough juggler. (mumble) You'll have to speak up if you expect me to hear you! (scream) Aaaarrrrgggghhhh! (while dead) You cannot enter in your condition. All such attacks are vain in your condition. Even such an action is beyond your capabilities. Might as well. You've got an eternity. You need no light to guide you. You're dead! How can you think of your score? Your hand passes through its object." You have no possessions." You are dead." The room looks strange and unearthly." and objects appear indistinct." Although there is no light, the room seems dimly illuminated. (wish) With luck, your wish will come true. (kill me) If you insist.... Poof, you're dead! (Destroy) Trying to destroy the OBJ with your bare hands is futile. (with OBJ with futile)" (wake up) The X is rudely awakened. He's wide awake, or haven't you noticed... The X isn't sleeping. (answer) "Nobody seems to be awaiting your answer." (grease OBJ with OBJ) You probably put spinach in your gas tank, too. (chuck) Ahoy – OBJ overboard! (Misc) Talking to yourself is said to be a sign of impending mental collapse. Only you can do that. You'll have to do that on your own. Auto-cannibalism is not the answer. Suicide is not the answer. Your image in the mirror looks tired. That's difficult unless your eyes are prehensile. It seems to be to the west. It was here just a minute ago.... You're not at the house. It's right here! Are you blind or something? The window is closed. I can't see how to get in from here. You must be joking. Ding, dong. You can't fit through the crack. There are no stairs leading down. The door cannot be opened." You cannot burn this door. You can't seem to damage the door. It won't open. The door is too heavy. The X swings it out of your reach. The X seems white-hot. You can't hold on to it. You won't be able to get back up to the tunnel you are going through when it gets to the next room. You feel a faint tingling transmitted through the X. What the heck! You won't make friends this way, but nobody around here is too friendly anyhow. Gulp! Kicking the You should have looked before you leaped. Geronimo... Playing in this way with the Pushing the Fiddling with the Very good. Now you can go to the second grade. Are you enjoying yourself? Wheeeeeeeeee!!!!! Do you expect me to applaud? Hello. Good day. Nice weather we've been having lately. Goodbye. Look around. Too late for that. Have your eyes checked. I'm afraid that the leap you attempted has done you in. That was just a bit too far down. Well, you really did it that time. Is suicide painless? (death related) It takes a talented person to be killed while already dead. YOU are such a talent. Unfortunately, it takes a talented person to deal with it. I am not such a talent. Sorry. You clearly are a suicidal maniac. We don't allow psychotics in the cave, since they may harm other adventurers. Your remains will be installed in the Land of the Living Dead, where your fellow adventurers may gloat over them. As you take your last breath, you feel relieved of your burdens. The feeling passes as you find yourself before the gates of Hell, where the spirits jeer at you and deny you entry. Your senses are disturbed. The objects in the dungeon appear indistinct, bleached of color, even unreal. Now, let's take a look here... Well, you probably deserve another chance. I can't quite fix you up completely, but you can't have everything. hits you squarely in the head. Normally, this wouldn't do much damage, but by incredible mischance, you fall over backwards trying to duck, and break your neck, justice being swift and merciful in the Great Underground Empire. Your collection of treasures consists of: LIST OF 19 TRESURES::: TORCH JADE FIGURINE HUGE DIAMOND SAPPHIRE-ENCRUSTED BRACELET LARGE EMERALD TRUNK OF JEWELS CRYSTAL TRIDENT SCEPTRE BEAUTIFUL JEWELED SCARAB POT OF GOLD PLATINUM BAR CRYSTAL SKULL LEATHER BAG OF COINS GOLD COFFIN BEAUTIFUL BRASS BAUBLE GOLDEN CLOCKWORK CANARY CHALICE JEWEL-ENCRUSTED EGG PAINTING Zork I game data ends. Zork II game data begins. ZORK II THE WIZARD OF FROBOZZ DATA. VERSION 1.0 Inside the Barrow You are inside an ancient barrow hidden deep within a dark forest. The barrow opens into a narrow tunnel at its southern end. You can see a faint glow at the far end. LAMP SWORD (leave) You may not recall, but when you entered, the door of the barrow shut behind you. There is no way out. Narrow Tunnel You are standing at the southern end of a narrow tunnel where it opens into a wide cavern. The cavern is dimly illuminated by phosphorescent mosses clinging to its high ceiling. A deep ravine winds through the cavern, with a small stream at the bottom. The walls of the ravine are steep and crumbly. A foot bridge crosses the ravine to the south. (down) As you start down, you slip on the crumbling rocks and pull back, narrowly averting a fatal fall. (take moss) Some of the moss rubs off on you, but it stops glowing very quickly once plucked from its environment. Foot Bridge You are standing on a crude but sturdy wooden foot bridge crossing a deep ravine. The path runs north and south from here. (down) The drop would be fatal. Great Cavern This is the center of the great cavern, carved out of the limestone. Stalactites and stalagmites of many sizes are everywhere. The room glows with dim light provided by phosphorescent moss, and weird shadows move all around you. A narrow path winds southwest among the stalagmites, and another leads northeast. (take moss) Some of the moss rubs off on you, but it stops glowing very quickly once plucked from its environment. (take stalactities) The only ones you can reach are too large to successfully break off. Shallow Ford You are at the southern edge of a great cavern. To the south across a shallow ford is a dark tunnel which looks like it was once enlarged and smoothed. To the north a narrow path winds among stalagmites. Dim light illuminates the cavern. Dark Tunnel This is a dark tunnel with dim light to the northeast. The tunnel is smooth but dusty and filled with twigs and leaves, debris which becomes deeper as the tunnel branches into a wide corridor leading southwest and a narrower one leading southeast. North End of Garden This is the northern end of a formal garden. Hedges hide the cavern walls, and if you don't look up, the illusion is of a cloudy day outside. The light comes from a large growth of glowing mosses on the roof of the cave. A break in the hedge is almost overgrown to the north. A carefully manicured path leads south. In the center of a rosebed is a small open structure, painted white. It appears to be a gazebo. [There is a beautiful unicorn here cropping grass.] [A unicorn is peacefully cropping grass at the north end of the garden. There is something hanging around its neck.] [A unicorn is cropping grass on the other side of the room. A gold key hangs from a ribbon around its neck.] [There is a beautiful unicorn eating roses here. Around his neck is a red satin ribbon on which is strung a tiny key.] (take unicorn) The unicorn, unsurprised by this evidence that you are indeed the uncouth sort of vagabond it suspected you were, melts into the hedges and is gone. (?)The unicorn shies away as you approach. (?)The unicorn shies away as you approach for a closer look, but you do notice a tiny gold key hanging from a red satin ribbon looped around the animal's neck. (?)The unicorn listens distractedly, then goes back to cropping grass. (?)The unicorn is way up at the north end of the garden. (?)The unicorn is a mythical beast. (?)The unicorn bounds lightly away. There is a large, white animal partly hidden behind some trees. You catch a glimpse of something white between two hedges. (take rose) You prick your finger trying to take a rose, and jump back annoyed. The rose almost seemed to move its thorns into your path. Gazebo This is a gazebo in the midst of a formal garden. It is cool and restful here. A tea table adorns the center of the gazebo. Sitting on the table is: MATCHBOOK CHINA TEAPOT PLACE MAT NEWSPAPER LETTER OPENER Formal Garden This is the middle part of a formal garden. Hedges hide the cavern walls and a dim illumination comes from mosses far above. The path is of small crushed white stones. It winds among bushes and flower beds from south to north. To the north a small structure can be seen. To the south are peculiarly shaped bushes. There is a small gap in the hedges to the west. Topiary This is the southern end of a formal garden. Hedges hide the cavern walls and mosses provide dim illumination. Fantastically shaped hedges and bushes are arrayed with geometric precision. They have not recently been clipped, but you can discern creatures in the shapes of the bushes: There is a dragon, a unicorn, a great serpent, a huge misshapen dog, and several human figures. On the west side of the garden the path leads through a rose arbor into a tunnel. (look at hedges) The hedges are shaped like various animals: dogs, serpents, dragons, and the like, and they are vaguely troubling to look at. (wait) You look around, and strangely, the topiary animals seem to have changed position slightly. (wait) The topiary animals seem to close in on you. You turn and they are very close. They seem to be leering at you. (wait) The topiary animals attack! You are crushed by their branches and clawed by their thorns. Path Near Stream The path follows the south edge of a deep ravine and heads northeast. A tunnel heads southwest, narrowing to a rather tight crawl. A faint whirring sound can be heard in that direction. On the east is a ruined archway choked with vegetation. (down) The ravine is extremely deep. You would never make it. Carousel Room You are in a large circular room whose high ceiling is lost in gloom. Eight identical passages leave the room. A loud whirring sound comes from all around, and you feel sort of disoriented in here. [DENTED STEEL BOX] (There is a dented steel box here.) [FANCY VIOLIN] Feeling dizzy, you pick a direction at random. You're not sure which direction is which. This room is very disorienting. (open box) Opening the box reveals a fancy violin. Riddle Room This is a room which is bare on all sides. There is an exit down in the northwest corner of the room. To the east is a great closed[open] door made of stone. Above the stone, the following words are written: "No man shall pass this door without solving this riddle: What is tall as a house, round as a cup, and all the king's horses can't draw it up? STONE DOOR (answer wrong) A hollow laugh seems to come from the stone door. (answer “well”) There is a deafening clap of thunder and the stone door quietly swings open to reveal a passageway beyond. (open door) The door can only be opened by answering the riddle. (?)Not a chance. The door weighs many tons. Pearl Room This is a former broom closet. The exits are to the east and west. PEARL NECKLACE Circular Room This is a damp circular room, whose walls are made of brick and mortar. The roof of this room is not visible, but there appear to be some etchings on the walls. There is a passageway to the west. WOODEN BUCKET (There is a wooden bucket here, 3 feet in diameter and 3 feet high.) (up) The walls cannot be climbed. (climb well) You can't climb the well. (burn bucket) The bucket is fireproof, and won't burn. (?)You'll need to get in the bucket to reach it. (pour water) The bucket swiftly rises up, and is gone. (pour water) There is now a puddle in the bottom of the wooden bucket. The bucket rises and comes to a stop. (read etchings) o b o A G I E L m p a Top of Well You are at the top of the well. Well done. There are etchings on the side of the well. There is a small crack across the floor at the entrance to a room on the east, but it can be crossed easily. (down) It's a long way down! (wait too long) The last of the water evaporates, and the bucket descends. The bucket descends and comes to a stop. (read etchings) o b o r z f M A G I C z c W E L L y o n m p a (look at crack) It is a small crack (as advertised) with no redeeming value. (throw coin in well?) A whispering voice replies: "Water makes the bucket go." Unfortunately, wishing makes the coin go.... The OBJ is now sitting at the bottom of the well. Tea Room This is a small room containing a large oblong table, no doubt set for afternoon tea. It is clear from the objects on the table that the users were indeed mad. In the eastern corner of the room is a small hole (no more than four inches high). There are passageways leading away to the west and the northwest. LARGE OBLONG TABLE (Sitting on the large oblong table is:) CAKE FROSTED WITH GREEN LETTERS CAKE FROSTED WITH RED LETTERS CAKE FROSTED WITH ORANGE LETTERS CAKE FROSTED WITH BLUE LETTERS (east) Only a mouse could get in there. The hole is very small. You could never enter it. You can't see what's beyond the hole from here. It doesn't fit through the hole. NONSENSE QUESTIONS FOR ALICE AREA How do I catch the magic mouse? 1. Have you tried using the green cheese? 2. There is no mouse. Sorry. Can the Mad Hatter be cured? 1. There is no cure for advanced mercury poisoning. 2. What Mad Hatter? Posts Room This is an enormous room, in the center of which are four wooden posts delineating a rectangular area, above which is what appears to be a wooden roof. In fact, all objects in this room appear to be abnormally large. To the east is a passageway. There are large gaping chasms to the west and northwest. GROUP OF WOODEN POSTS (northwest/west) A great chasm blocks your way. (east if flask opened) Noxious vapors prevent your entry. (east?) The entrance is blocked by sticky orange rubble. Probably some careless adventurer was playing with blasting cakes. (take object dropped in Tea Room) The OBJECT is now much larger than you are. You have no hope of taking it. Pool Room This is a large room, one half of which is depressed. Salty water flows from a large leak in the ceiling. The only exit is to the west. GLASS FLASK POOL OF TEARS (The leak has submerged the depressed area in a pool of tears. There is a hazy something at the deepest part of the pool.) [PACKAGE OF CANDY] (enter pool) You enter the pool, thrash around for a good while, and then drown. Sad, but true. (patch leak) The leak is too high above you to reach. (drink pool) The water is extremely salty. (?) You'd probably have to enter the pool to see what's below the surface. Low Room You are in a circular room with a low ceiling. There are exits to the east and southeast. [As you enter, your compass starts spinning wildly. What compass, you ask? The one which allows you to specify compass directions for movement.] GREEN PIECE OF PAPER ROBOT You cannot get your bearings... Machine Room This is a large room full of assorted heavy machinery, whirring noisily. The room smells of burned resistors. Along one wall are three buttons which are, respectively, round, triangular, and square. Naturally, above these buttons are instructions written in EBCDIC. A large sign in English above all the buttons says "DANGER -- HIGH VOLTAGE" There are exits to the west and the south. ROUND BUTTON TRIANGULAR BUTTON SQUARE BUTTON What is EBCDIC? It stands for Extended Binary-Coded-Decimal Interchange Code, which IBM equipment often uses instead of ASCII (American Standard Code for Information Interchange). (push any button) There is a giant spark and you are fried to a crisp. (west, if square then triangular pushed) According to Prof. TAA of GUE Tech, the rapidly changing magnetic fields in the room are intense enough to electrocute you. I really don't know, but in any event, something just killed you. (robot west, if square then triangular pushed) According to Prof. TAA of GUE Tech, the magnetic fields in the room are intense enough to fry the delicate innards of the robot. I really don't know, but in any event, smoke pours from its ears and it has stopped moving. ***The robot has died*** (robot push round) The whirring decreases in intensity. (again) Nothing seems to happen. (Robot push triangular) A dull thump is heard in the distance. (robot push square) The whirring increases in intensity. (again) Nothing seems to happen. (?)Click. (south if gas released?) You are stopped by a cloud of poisonous gas. Dingy Closet This is a dingy closet adjacent to a larger room to the north. Chiseled into a wall are these words: Protected by FROBOZZ Magic Alarm Company (Hello, footpad!) There doesn't seem to be any footpad here, however. RED CRYSTAL SPHERE [SOLID STEEL CAGE] (There is a solid steel cage in the middle of the room.) [MANGLED CAGE] (There is a mangled steel cage here.) (take sphere) As you reach for the sphere, a solid steel cage falls from the ceiling to entrap you. To make matters worse, poisonous gas starts coming into the room. (robot, take cage) As the robot reaches for the sphere, a solid steel cage falls from the ceiling, trapping him. You can faintly hear his last words: "Whirr, buzz, click!" A cloud of smoke rising from beneath the cage confirms your fears about the fate of your brave mechanical friend. (robot, lift cage) The cage shakes and is hurled across the room. It's hard to say, but the robot appears to be smiling. Cage You are trapped inside a solid steel cage. (wait too long) Time passes...and you die from some obscure poisoning. Kennel This room looks like it was once a kennel for a very large dog (some of the bones would fit a dinosaur). It apparently hasn't been used for a long time, as the dust is fairly thick all over. The only exit is northeast. [GIGANTIC DOG COLLAR] Room 8 This is a small chamber carved out of the rock at the end of a short crawl. On the wall is crudely chiseled the number "8". FROBOZZ MAGIC GRUE REPELLENT Cobwebby Corridor A winding corridor is filled with cobwebs. Some are broken and the dust on the floor is disturbed. The trend of the twists and turns is northeast to southwest. On the north side of one twist, high up, is a narrow crack. BLACK STRING (look at crack) The crack is fairly wide. You should be able to get into it. Guarded Room This room is cobwebby and musty, but tracks in the dust show that it has seen visitors recently. At the south end of the room is a stained and battered (but very strong-looking) door. To the north, a corridor exits. Imbedded in the door is a nasty-looking lizard head, with sharp teeth and beady eyes. (The eyes move to watch you approach.)/(The lizard is sniffing at you.) [A sleepy-looking lizard head is mounted on the door.] LIZARD DOOR PARTLY COVERED IN COBWEBS (look at door) The door partly covered in cobwebs is closed. [The door is open.] (open door) The lizard comes to life and snaps at you as you reach for the handle. (open door) The door is locked! (unlock door with key)The lizard door keeper comes awake and bites at your hand. You jerk away just in time. You drop the key, though. (unlock door with key) The key turns and the bolt clicks. The door is unlocked. (?)The guardian does get the key, though. It grins maniacally. (give key to lizard) The guardian greedily wolfs down the candy, including the package. (It seemed to enjoy the grasshoppers particularly.) It then becomes quiet and its eyes close. (Lizards are known to sleep a long time while digesting their meals.) (Give sphere to lizard) The guardian greedily gobbles the sphere, but finds it unchewable. He then tries repeatedly to swallow it whole, with disappointing results. Finally, he spits it on the ground. (give brick? to lizard) The guardian greedily wolfs it down. After a while, you hear a very small pop and the guardian's eyes bulge out. It hisses nastily at you. (give key (and other?) to lizard) The lizard wolfs down the OBJ, crunching greedily. (give other to lizard) The lizard sniffs it experimentally, then looks at you angrily, hissing and snapping. (give any to lizard while asleep) He is asleep, at least for the moment. (attack lizard) The guardian seems impervious to your attack. In fact, your blows don't even seem to be landing. (wake lizard) Try as you may, you can't wake it. Wizard’s Workshop You are standing in the entry hall of the Wizard's Workshop. Dark corridors lead west and south from here. The corridor to the west smells slightly of incense or candle smoke. [The workshop door is open.] DOOR PARTLY COVERED IN COBWEBS (close door) The door reluctantly closes. (open door) The door creaks open. (?)This is the workshop of the Wizard of Frobozz. Trophy Room This is the Wizard's trophy room, filled with memorabilia of various sorts. On one wall is the Wizard's D. T. (Doctor of Thaumaturgy) degree from GUE Tech. Several old magic wands are mounted on a wand rack. A collection of dull and nicked swords testify to the fate of many foolhardy adventurers. Small bottles contain discarded homunculi (a few preserved in alcohol). There is a stuffed owl on a perch. WIZARD’S TROPHEY CABINET (Imbedded in the wall is an ornate trophy cabinet.) [SMASHED TROPHY CABINET (Shards of a smashed trophy case litter the room.)] LABEL (A hand-lettered label is affixed to the wall.) DEGREE OWL (read label) Warning! The exhibits in this room are the property of the mighty Wizard of Frobozz (me), and are the fruits of diligent labor and study over many years. He who touches anything will regret it. (signed) Frobozz (read degree) The text is in some obscure tongue. All that can be made out is a reference to "sending in a matchbook cover." (take owl/wands/swords/bottles) As your fingers near it, you get a nasty shock (but fortunately not a fatal one). (open cabinet) The case is protected by a fearful spell. You cannot touch it in any way. The owl and the other memorabilia in the Trophy Room are protected by a powerful spell which cannot be broken. Can the flying owl be caught? 1. Don't you have your owl net handy? 2. The FANTASIZE spell does not include a flying owl. Where did you see it? Wizard’s Workroom This room is the Wizard's workroom. A hall continues east and west, and a larger room lies to the south. There are many shelves and racks on the walls, but the Wizard's workbench dominates the room. It is made of dark, heavy wood bound with iron. The workbench is stained from many years of use, and is deeply gouged as though some huge clawed animal was imprisoned on it. There are burn marks and even notes written in a crabbed hand. Many arcane items are scattered about the bench; alembics, mortar and pestle, small knives of various sizes, odd scraps of vellum, wax candles, and much more. In the center of a relatively clear area of the bench are affixed three stands - ruby, sapphire, and diamond - which form a triangle. WIZARD’S WORKBENCH (Sitting on the Wizard’s Workbench is:) RUBY STAND DIAMOND STAND SAPPHIRE STAND [BLACK OBSIDIAN STAND/BLACK CRYSTAL SPHERE] (take anything from bench) The stuff on the bench appears to be so much junk, and you decide that it would only get in your way if you took it. (take X stand) The X stand is firmly attached to the bench. (place last sphere on correct stand) As you place the X in the X, a low humming noise begins, and you can feel the hairs on the back of your neck begin to stand up. The three spheres begin to vibrate, faster and faster, as the noise becomes higher and higher pitched. Three puffs of smoke, one red, one blue, one white, rise up from empty stands. The spheres are gone! But in the center of the triangle formed by the stands is now a black stand of obsidian in which rests a strange black sphere. Aquarium Room Here a dark hallway turns a corner. To the south is a dark room, to the east is fitful light. AQUARIUM (Filling the northern half of the room is a huge aquarium.) The Aquarium contains: BABY SEA SERPENT [There is a baby sea serpent swimming in the aquarium.] [There is a dead sea serpent in a heap here.] [A shattered aquarium fills the northern half of the room.] [CLEAR CRYSTAL SPHERE] [DEAD SEA SERPENT] (look in aquarium) In the aquarium is a baby sea-serpent who eyes you suspiciously. His scaly body writhes about in the huge tank. (?)He swims towards you with a powerful stroke of his flippers, dagger-like teeth dripping. Fortunately, he doesn't want to crash into the aquarium wall, and contents himself with splashing you with water. (take dead serpent)This may only be a baby sea serpent, but it's as big as a small whale. (take serpent) He takes you instead. *Uurrp!* (enter aquarium) You drop into the aquarium with a splash (which attracts the serpent). He greedily eats you. He's just a baby, after all, and needs all the food he can get. (break aquarium with OBJ) The OBJ shatters the glass wall of the aquarium, spilling out an impressive amount of salt water and wet sand. It also spills out an extremely annoyed sea serpent who bites angrily at the OBJ, and then at you. He is having difficulty breathing, and he seems to hold you responsible for his current problem. (He manages to rend you limb from limb before he drowns in the air.)/( He tries to slither across the stone floor towards you. Fortunately, he expires mere inches away from biting off your foot. A clear crystal sphere sits amid the sand and broken glass on the bottom of the aquarium.) [throw bat… far enough away…] (throw object at aquarium) The OBJ bounces harmlessly off the glass. (throw flask?) The flask shatters, and poison gas fills the room! (enter aquarium) Oh dear, you have cut yourself severely on the broken glass. I'm afraid you've bled to death. (break) The aquarium is already broken! Wizard’s Quarters This is where the Wizard of Frobozz lives. The room is (sparsely furnished and almost monkish in its austerity.) (an opulently furnished seraglio out of an Arabian folktale.) (decorated in the Louis XIV style.) (overhung with palm-trees and lianas. The only furniture is a hammock.) (constructed of delicate and wispy cloud-stuffs.) (furnished in plastic and metal and looks like the control deck of a spaceship.) (a suburban bedroom out of the 1950's, complete with bunk beds.) (a dank and dimly lighted cave, its floor piled with furs and old bones.) Pentagram Room In this room, inscribed on the floor, is a great pentagram drawn with black chalk. In its center is a black circle. [WIZARD] (The Wizard of Frobozz is here, eyeing you warily.) (A dejected and fearful Wizard watches from the corner.) [DEMON] (There is a demon floating in mid-air here.) [WIZARD’S MAGIC WAND] (enter circle) You try to enter the pentagram, but are forced back by an invisible power. (put black sphere in circle) A cold wind blows outward from the sphere. The candles flicker, and a low moan, almost inaudible, is heard. It rises in volume and pitch until it becomes a high-pitched keening. A dim shape becomes visible in the air above the sphere. The shape resolves into a large and somewhat formidable looking demon. He looks around, tests the walls of the pentagram experimentally, then sees you! "Hmm, a new master..." he says under his breath. "Greetings, oh master! Wouldst desire a service, as our contract stateth? For some pittance of wealth, some trifle, I will gratify thy desires to the utmost limit of my powers, and they are not inconsiderable." He makes a pass with his massive arms and the walls begin to shake a little. Another pass and the shaking stops. "A nice effect... I find it makes for a better relationship to give such a demonstration early on." He grins vilely. Suddenly the Wizard materializes in the room. He is astonished by what he sees: his servant in deep conversation with a common adventurer! He draws forth his wand, waves it frantically, and incants "Frobizz! Frobozzle! Frobnoid!" The demon laughs heartily. "You no longer control the Black Crystal, hedge-wizard! Your wand is powerless! Your doom is sealed!" The demon turns to you, expectantly. (attack wizard) The Wizard retreats, waving his wand and chanting. He says "Fear!" Nothing happens! With a terrified glance at the demon, the wizard runs past you and out of the room. (no wand) The Wizard tries to cast the "Fear!" spell, but without his wand. Marble Hall This is an arched hall of fine marble. The hall stops abruptly to the north at a ford across a stream, where the marble is cracked and broken. Perhaps a flood or collapse of the cave was responsible. To the south the hall opens into a large room. There is rather annoying whirring sound coming from that room. BRICK (east) That's a wall there. Deep Ford You are fording the stream at a deep but not impossible spot. The water is very cold. The walls of the ravine rise to east and west. There is a small ledge along the north wall of the ravine. To the south is the entrance to a well-constructed but somewhat ruined hall. (east) The stream deepens rapidly, and you wisely return before drowning. (west) You notice that the ledge above would be a drier route west. Ledge in Ravine You are on a narrow ledge near the bottom of a deep ravine. The ledge continues to the west. A precarious climb up to another tiny ledge is possible. A short scramble down the rock face leads to a stream. Tiny Room This is a tiny room carved out of the wall of the ravine. There is an exit down a precarious climb. On the north side of the room is a massive wooden door, which has a small window barred with iron. A formidable bolt lock is set within the door frame. A keyhole covered by a thin metal lid lies within the lock. (The edge of a place mat is visible under the door. [Lying on the place mat is a key.]) [RUSTY IRON KEY] (open door) The door is locked. (open lid) The lid is now open. (enter window) Perhaps if you were diced.... (look through keyhole) No light can be seen through the keyhole. (look through keyhole) You can see a lighted room at the other end. The keyhole is occupied. The lid covers the keyhole. There's a keyhole behind the lid. (put mat under door) The place mat fits easily under the door. (put paper under door) The paper is very small and vanishes under the door. (put newspaper under door) The newspaper crumples up and won't go under the door. (unlock door) The door is now unlocked. (put opener in keyhole) There is a faint noise from behind the door and a small cloud of dust rises from beneath it. (take mat) As the place mat is moved, a rusty iron key falls from it and onto the floor. Dreary Room This is a small and rather dreary room, eerily illuminated by a red glow emanating from a crack in one wall. The light falls upon a dusty wooden table in the center of the room. On the south side of the room is a massive wooden door, which has a small window barred with iron. A formidable bolt lock is set within the door frame. A keyhole lies within the lock. (A rusty iron key is in place within the keyhole.) BLUE CRYSTAL SPHERE End of Ledge A ledge from the east ends here, and a tunnel leads north into the wall. There is a rather odd smoky odor in the warm air of the tunnel. (Down) There are a lot of sharp rocks down there. Dragon Room The room is a large cavern full of broken stone. The walls are scorched and there are deep scratches on the floor. A sooty dry smell is very strong here. A paved path winds from a large passage to the west, through the room, and across a huge stone bridge to the south. To the east a small crack is visible. A dark and smoky tunnel leads north. HUGE RED DRAGON (north) The dragon hisses at you and blocks your way. Dragon’s Lair You are in the dragon's lair, where the rock walls are scarred by flame. A blackened doorway leads to the south. ROTTEN WOODEN CHEST BEAUTIFUL PRINCESS Fresco Room A path leads east-west through a room decorated with beautiful frescoes of someone battling dragons and rescuing fair maidens. It is hard to tell who is doing this as those parts of the frescoes have been blackened and cracked by intense heat. Bank Entrance This is the entrance hall of the Bank of Zork, the largest banking institution of the Great Underground Empire. A partial account of its history is in "The Lives of the Twelve Flatheads," in the chapter on J. Pierpont Flathead. A more detailed history (albeit less objective) may be found in Flathead's outrageous autobiography "I'm Rich and You Aren't - So There!". Most of the furniture has been ravaged by passing scavengers. All that remains are two signs at the northwest and northeast corners of the room, which say <-- VIEWING ROOMS --> The way out (ornate but tasteful) is to the east. East Teller’s Room You are in a small room, which was used by a bank officer who retrieved safety deposit boxes for the customer. On the north side of the room is a sign which reads "Viewing Room". On the east side of the room, above an open door, is a sign reading BANK PERSONNEL ONLY East Viewing Room This room was used by holders of safety deposit boxes to view their contents. On the north side of the room is a sign which says "Remain here while the teller retrieves your safety deposit box. When you are finished, leave the box, and exit to the south. Safety deposit boxes cannot be removed from this room! Thank You for Banking at the Zork!" West Teller’s Room You are in a small room, which was used by a bank officer who retrieved safety deposit boxes for the customer. On the north side of the room is a sign which reads "Viewing Room". On the west side of the room, above an open door, is a sign reading BANK PERSONNEL ONLY West Viewing Room This room was used by holders of safety deposit boxes to view their contents. On the north side of the room is a sign which says "Remain here while the teller retrieves your safety deposit box. When you are finished, leave the box, and exit to the south. Safety deposit boxes cannot be removed from this room! Thank You for Banking at the Zork!" Safety Depository This is a large rectangular room. The east and west walls were used for storing safety deposit boxes, but all have been carefully removed by evil persons. To the east, west, and south of the room are large doorways. The northern "wall" of the room is a shimmering curtain of light. In the center of the room is a large stone cube, about 10 feet on a side. Engraved on the side of the cube is some lettering. BANK BROCHURE (north) There is a curtain of light there. (enter curtain) You feel somewhat disoriented as you pass through... (enter curtain) You can't go more than part way through the curtain. (take curtain) As you try, your hand seems to go through it. (?)The OBJ goes through it. (throw OBJ through curtain) The curtain dims slightly as the OBJ passes through. (?)You hear a faint voice say "Curtain Door Closed." (east/west) An alarm rings briefly, and an invisible force bars your way. (read lettering) Bank of Zork VAULT *722 GUE* Frobozz Magic Vault Company Chairman’s Office This room was the office of the Chairman of the Bank of Zork. Like the other rooms here, it has been extensively vandalized. The lone exit is to the north. PORTRAIT Small Room This is a small, bare room with no distinguishing features. There are no exits from this room. (throw OBJ through wall?) The OBJ passes through the wall and vanishes. Vault This is the Vault of the Bank of Zork, in which there are no doors. STACK OF ZORKMID BILLS (wait too long) A metallic voice says "Hello, Intruder! Your unauthorized presence in the vault of the Bank of Zork has set off all sorts of nasty surprises, most of which are fatal. This message brought to you by the Frobozz Magic Vault Company." Stone Bridge This is the middle of a ruined but still impressive stone bridge spanning a deep chasm. Water flows far beneath. A paved path leads north into a large open space. To the south, the path leads into a misty tunnel. (down) It's a long way down. Cool Room The room is cool and damp. The air is misty. A twisty path from the southeast splits here toward a wide northerly stone bridge, and a narrow westerly tunnel. It is from the latter that the mist and chill seem to originate. Ice Room This is a large hall of ancient lava, since worn smooth by the movement of a glacier. A large passage exits to the east and an upward lava tube is at the top of a jumble of fallen rocks. A mass of ice fills the western half of the room. [A damp and scorched passage leads west. It is still partly full of steam.] (west) You don't even have an ice-pick. (?)This is a big glacier; you'll need a lot of heat. Lava Tube You are in a tight chimney of solidified lava. It extends up at least another hundred feet and down to a large room far below. A large crack opens to the south, probably the result of a shift in the rock strata. (look at crack) The crack is fairly wide. You should be able to get into it. Volcano View You are on a ledge in the middle of a large volcano. Below you the volcano bottom can be seen and above is the rim of the volcano. A couple of ledges can be seen on the other side of the volcano; it appears that this ledge is intermediate in elevation between those on the other side. The exit from this room is to the east. (Down) I wouldn't try that. (Cross) It is impossible to cross this distance. Lava Room This is a small room, whose walls are formed by an old lava flow. There are exits here to the east and the south. RUBY Volcano Bottom You are at the bottom of a large dormant volcano. High above you light enters from the cone of the volcano. The only exit is to the north. BALLOON [BLUE LABEL] Volcano Core You are about one hundred feet above the bottom of the volcano. The top of the volcano is clearly visible here. Volcano Near Narrow [Small] Ledge You are about two hundred feet above the volcano floor. Looming above is the rim of the volcano. There is a small ledge on the west side. Narrow [Small] Ledge You are on a narrow ledge within an old dormant volcano. This ledge is about halfway between the floor below and the rim above. There is an exit to the south. HOOK (There is a small hook attached to the rock here.) PRICELESS ZORKMID (down) I wouldn’t jump from here. Library This must have been a large library, probably for the royal family. All of the shelves have been gnawed to pieces by unfriendly gnomes. To the north is an exit. GREEN BOOK PURPLE BOOK WHITE BOOK BLUE BOOK Volcano by Viewing Ledge You are high above the floor of the volcano. The rim of the volcano looks very narrow and you are very near it. To the east is what appears to be a viewing ledge, too thin to land on. Volcano Near Wide Ledge You are near the rim of the volcano. Above you it is open to the sky. To the west, there is a place to land on a wide ledge. (wait) The balloon floats majestically out of the volcano, revealing a breathtaking view of a wooded river valley surrounded by impassable mountains. In a clearing stands a white house. You drift into high winds, which carry you towards the snow-capped peaks. Oh, no! You crash into the jagged cliffs of the Flathead Mountains! (try to land after explosion) The ledge has collapsed and cannot be landed on. Wide Ledge You are on a wide ledge high in the volcano. The rim of the volcano is about 200 feet above and there is a precipitous drop to the bottom. There is a small door to the south. [The way to the south is blocked by rubble.] HOOK (There is a small hook attached to the rock here.) [DEBRIS FROM EXPLOSION] (if in next room during explosion) There is an explosion nearby. (if wait in room after explosion) You may recall that recent explosion. Probably as a result of it, you hear an ominous rumbling, as if a nearby room had collapsed. (if wait after collapse) The force of the recent explosion has caused the ledge to collapse. (if wait after collapse in tied balloon) The ledge collapses, probably as a result of the explosion, and plummets to the ground far below. Sadly, you were still attached to the ledge. (south after collapse) The way is blocked by debris from an explosion. The ledge collapses. (That was a narrow escape!) The ledge collapses, leaving you with no place to land. Dusty Room You are in a dusty old room which is featureless, except for an exit on the north side. Imbedded in the far wall is a rusty box. It appears to be somewhat damaged, since an oblong hole has been chipped out of the front of it. BOX/HOLE [On the far wall is a rusty box, whose door has been blown off.] [The room is cluttered with debris from an explosion. The walls seem ready to collapse.] [CROWN] [The box contains: CARD] (take box) The box is imbedded in the wall. (open box) The box is rusted and will not open. (close box) The box isn't open! (?)The box has no door! (wait after explosion) The room trembles and 5000 tons of rock fall on you, turning you into a pancake. (examine hole) The oblong hole has been chipped out of the box, probably by someone wanting whatever is inside the box. The attempt was a pathetic failure, however. (look in hole) There's nothing in the hole. [NONSENSE QUESTIONS FOR VOLCANO AREA] Which of the three paths down to the valley is best? 1. Ask the scarecrow. 2. Beware of the lions and tigers and bears. 3. I suppose you'll soon be skipping and singing, "We're off to see the Wizard?" 4. If you haven't guessed by now, this is a nonsense question. What is the significance of the mines and smelter? 1. Have you tried processing ore? 2. Did you dig for the lode of mithril? 3. I find it amazing that you got this far, since there are no mines or smelters in Zork II. Menhir Room This is a large room which was evidently used once as a quarry. Many large limestone chunks lie helter-skelter around the room. Some are rough-hewn and unworked, others smooth and well-finished. One side of the room appears to have been used to quarry building blocks, the other to produce menhirs (standing stones). Obvious passages lead north and south. ENORMOUS MENHIR One particularly large menhir, at least twenty feet tall and eight feet thick, is leaning against the wall blocking a dark opening leading southwest. On this side of the menhir is carved an ornate letter "F". [There is a huge menhir lying on the floor near a southwest passage.] [A dark opening leads southwest.] [There is a huge menhir here.] [There is a huge menhir floating like a feather in mid-air here. A passage to the southwest opens beneath it.] [The explosion appears to have had no effect on the menhir.] (look behind menhir) The gap between the menhir and the wall is very narrow, but it is clear that there is a sizeable room in there. Your light only reveals a part of the far wall. (look behind menhir)Behind the menhir is some air and then a wall. (move menhir) The menhir weighs many tons and is eight feet wide. You can't even get a grip on it, much less move it. (read menhir) "F" (look at menhir) It is nicely finished, and the letter "F" on it is particularly well carved. (float on menhir) The menhir floats majestically into the air, rising about ten feet. The passage beneath it beckons invitingly. (wait) The menhir sinks to the ground. (southwest) You are trying to walk through an enormous rock. Stairway A marble stairway leads down into the gloom and a passage leads north. Oddly Angled Rooms (9) This is a room with oddly angled walls and passages in all directions. The walls are made of some glassy substance. [A marble stairway leads upward.] [The floor has swung down at the end of the stairway to reveal a secret passage leading down into unrelieved darkness.] [On the floor is a very small diamond shaped window which is (dark)/(flickering dimly)/(dimly glowing)/(glowing)/(glowing brightly)/(glowing serenely) WOODEN CLUB (?) A small room with oddly angled walls and passages in all directions. (after se,ne,nw,sw from bat)You hear a strange rusty squeal echoing in the distance. (?)There is no way to go in that direction. (?)As you thrash about in the maze, the mirthful voice of the Wizard taunts you: "Fool! You'll never get past (first)/(second)/(third)/(home) base at this rate!" (take window) The window is an integral part of the floor. (break window) The window is diamond-hard and cannot be broken. Cerberus Room This is the entrance to a huge crypt or tomb. A marble stairway leads up from a gateway arch. THREE-HEADED DOG (There is a vicious-looking dog guarding the entrance. It is more or less your usual dog, except that it has three heads and is the size of an elephant.) [An insipidly grinning three-headed dog is wagging its tail here. It is wearing a huge dog collar.] (action with dog/east) The huge dog snaps nastily at you. (float on Cerberus) The huge dog rises about an inch off the ground, for a moment. (feeble on Cerberus) What an effect! He now has the strength of just one elephant, rather than ten! (fierce on Cerberus) Cerberus tears you limb from limb! What ferocity! (?)The three-headed dog snaps at you viciously! (?)The dog looks puzzled. (?)"Arf! Arf! Arf!" (?)"Grrrr!" (?)With a quiet bark of disappointment, the creature expires. Its six eyes look at you reproachfully. As it dies, it collapses into a small pile of dust which blows away into nothing. (?) The maddened dog-thing snaps viciously at you. (put collar on dog) The creature whines happily, then the center head licks your face (which is roughly like experiencing a sandpaper washcloth). The other two heads look about, as though the monster felt a sudden need to find a pair of slippers somewhere. Its huge tail wags enthusiastically, knocking small rocks around and almost blowing you over from the breeze it creates. (pet dog) The dog is now insanely happy, slobbering all over the place and whining with uncontained doggish joy. (remove collar) That wasn't such a good idea. The creature was enjoying being your pet. As you unfasten the collar, the disappointed monster hound begins to growl, and then its three fang-crammed mouths rend you into little doggy biscuits. (?) The dog-thing snaps at you viciously, and succeeds. Your head, it seems, is only a small mouthful for the poor animal, who is just as hungry afterward. Crypt Anteroom The anteroom is large and empty. Marble bas reliefs depict the stirring times and afterlife of the Flatheads (the latter a bit optimistically). The exit is to the west. A huge marble door stands to the south. The door is closed[open]. Above the door is the cryptic inscription: "Feel Free". (south) The crypt door is closed. (open door) The crypt door squeaks open. (close door) The crypt door squeaks closed. Crypt The room contains the earthly remains of the mighty Flatheads, twelve somewhat flat heads mounted securely on poles. While the room might be expected to contain funerary urns or other evidence of the ritual practices of the ancient Zorkers, it is empty of all such objects. There is writing carved on the crypt. The only apparent exit is to the north through the door to the anteroom. The door is open[closed]. SET OF POLED HEADS CRYPT DOOR [SECRET DOOR] (read) "Here lie the Flatheads, whose heads were placed on poles by the Keeper of the Dungeon for amazing untastefulness." (?) The Flatheads are dead; therefore they do not respond. (take poles) Although the Flatheads are dead, they foresaw that some cretin might tamper with their remains. Therefore, they took steps to punish such actions. (close door & turn off lamp) It is dark, but on the south wall is a faint outline of a rectangle, as though light were shining around a doorway. You can also make out a faintly glowing letter in the center of this area. It might be an "F". [also new description] (?) Looking closely at the south wall, you can see the dim outline of a secret door labeled with the letter "F". (?)The crypt is sealed for all time. (touch marble) The marble is cool. (open secret door) The secret door opens noiselessly. (close secret door) The secret door closes noiselessly. (?)The green curves begin to vibrate toward you, as if searching for something. One by one your possessions glow bright green. Finally, you are attacked by these magical wardens, and destroyed! Landing Beyond the door is a roughly hewn staircase leading down into darkness. The landing on which you stand is covered with carefully drawn magical runes like those sketched upon the workbench of the Wizard of Frobozz. These have been overlaid with sweeping green lines of enormous power, which undulate back and forth across the landing. The wand begins to vibrate in harmony with the motion of the lines. You feel yourself compelled downward, and you yield, stepping onto the staircase. As you pass the green lines, they flare and disappear with a burst of light, and you tumble down the staircase! At the bottom, a vast red-lit hall stretches off into the distance. Sinister statues guard the entrance to a dimly visible room far ahead. With courage and cunning you have conquered the Wizard of Frobozz and become the master of his domain, but the final challenge awaits! Room of Red Mist You are inside a huge crystalline sphere filled with thin red mist. The mist becomes blue to the west. You strain to look out through the mist… You see a small sign on the wall, but it is too blurry to read. Room of Blue Mist You are inside a huge crystalline sphere filled with thin blue mist. The mist becomes white to the west. You strain to look out through the mist… You look out into a large, dreary room with a great door and a huge table. There is an odd glow to the mist. Room of White Mist You are inside a huge crystalline sphere filled with thin white mist. The mist becomes black to the west. You strain to look out through the mist… A strange blurry room is barely visible. [An odd sinuous shadow crosses the mist as you look.] Room of Black Mist You follow a corridor of black mist into a black walled spherical room. (The room is empty. A huge face looks down on you from outside and laughs sardonically. It doesn't look like you're getting out of this predicament!)/(As you enter, a huge and horrible face materializes out of the mist.) "What brings you here to trouble my imprisonment, wanderer?" it asks. Hearing no immediate answer, it studies you for a moment. "Perhaps you may be of some use to me in gaining my freedom from this place. Return to your foolish quest! I shall not destroy you this time. Mayhap you will repay this favor in kind someday." The face vanishes and the mist begins to swirl. When it clears you are returned to the world of life. ["Not you again! This is getting tedious. You'll obviously never be much help to me. Better luck next time, oh wondrous adventurer." The face disappears and everything goes black.] Murky Room There is a sandy floor here, and your vision seems murky and blurred. The wall you are looking at is nicely dressed stone. [While you watch a shadow seems to pass overhead.] [The head of some horrible serpent pokes into view, its beady green eyes almost seeming to see you.] (?)The floor here seems to be made of sand, but it is hard to see anything else. OBJECT LIST LAMP [BROKEN BRASS LANTERN] A strangely familiar brass lantern is lying on the ground. (throw) The lamp has smashed into the floor, and the light has gone out. (turn on) A burned-out lamp won't light. The lamp has already burned out. The lamp has burned out. The lamp is on. The lamp is turned off. The lamp appears a bit dimmer. The lamp is definitely dimmer now. The lamp is nearly out. SWORD (int) A sword of Elvish workmanship is on the ground. An Elvish sword of great antiquity is here. Your sword has begun to glow very brightly. Your sword is glowing with a faint blue glow. Your sword is no longer glowing. MATCHBOOK There is a matchbook saying "Visit ZORK I" here. (read) >> Visit Exotic ZORK I << Consult the Frobozz Magic Travel Agency, or visit your local computer store for more details. (count matches) You have 5 matches. (light match) One of the matches starts to burn A match is burning. (wait) The match is out. The match has gone out CHINA TEAPOT (open teapot) The teapot has no lid. (fill teapot) The teapot is now full of water. (fill teapot) The teapot isn't currently empty. PLACE MAT (fill teapot with water) The teapot is now full of water. (Put mat under door) There's not enough room under this door. NEWSPAPER (read) ** U.S. News and Dungeon Report ** FAMED ADVENTURER TO EXPLORE GREAT UNDERGROUND EMPIRE Our correspondents report that a world-famous and battle-hardened adventurer has been seen in the vicinity of the Great Underground Empire. Local grues have been reported sharpening their (slavering) fangs.... LETTER OPENER QUANTITY OF WATER [QUANTITY OF SALT WATER] There is some water here. (pour on flame) The OBJECT is extinguished. The water spills over the OBJECT, to the floor, and evaporates. The water leaks out of the OBJECT and evaporates immediately. The water spills to the floor and evaporates. The water splashes on the walls and evaporates. (take water) The water slips through your fingers. PEARL NECKLACE There is a pearl necklace here with hundreds of large pearls. CAKE FROSTED WITH GREEN LETTERS (read) The icing spells out "Eat Me." (eat in Tea Room) Suddenly, the room appears to have become very large (although everything you are carrying seems to be its normal size). (eat elsewhere) Thank you very much. It really hit the spot. CAKE FROSTED WITH RED LETTERS (read) The first letter is a capital E. The rest is too small to read. (eat) That was delicious, but your dying memory is of feeling horribly dehydrated and thirsty. (read through flask) The flask distorts and magnifies the red letters, showing details not noticed earlier. The letters, now visible, say "Evaporate". (?)The cake is much too tall now for you to read the lettering. (throw red in pool) Most of the pool evaporates, revealing a (slightly damp but still valuable) package of rare candies. The red cake must be pretty strong stuff, since it remains intact! CAKE FROSTED WITH ORANGE LETTERS (read) The first letter is a capital E. The rest is too small to read. (eat) You have been blasted to smithereens (wherever they are). (read through flask) The flask distorts and magnifies the red letters, showing details not noticed earlier. The letters, now visible, say "Explode". CAKE FROSTED WITH BLUE LETTERS (read) The first letter is a capital E. The rest is too small to read. (eat) The room around you seems to be getting smaller. (eat in tea room) The room seems to have become too small to hold you. The walls are not as compressible as your body, which is demolished. (throw cake in pool) The cake sinks majestically into the pool. (read through flask) The flask distorts and magnifies the red letters, showing details not noticed earlier. The letters, now visible, say "Enlarge". GLASS FLASK A stoppered glass flask with a skull-and-crossbones marking is here. The flask is filled with some clear liquid. (read) There is a skull-and-crossbones engraved on the glass. (open bottle) As you pass out, you realize that the vapors from the flask's contents are fatal. (Look in flask) You notice that objects behind the flask appear to be magnified. You might try looking at something through the flask. (?)The flask breaks into pieces. PACKAGE OF CANDY There is a package of candied goodies here. (read) Frobozz Magic Candy Company >>Special Assortment<< Candied Grasshoppers Chocolated Ants Worms Glacee (By Appointment to His Majesty, Dimwit I) (eat) Such rich food would probably not be good for you. GREEN PIECE OF PAPER There is a green piece of paper here. (read) !! FROBOZZ MAGIC ROBOT COMPANY !! Hello, Master! I am a late-model robot, trained at GUE Tech to perform various simple household functions. To activate me, say the following: >ROBOT, At your service! ROBOT There is a robot here. (open robot) There's no access panel or door on the robot. (give robot) The robot gladly takes the OBJ and nods his head-like appendage in thanks. (?)"My memory circuits are not that advanced. I can move as directed, though." (eat)"I am sorry but that is difficult for a being with no mouth." (?)"Buzz! Buzz! Buzz! My circuits are getting rusty. Try again." (read) "My vision is not sufficiently acute to do that." (?)"My programming is insufficient to allow me to perform that task." (?)The robot falls to the ground and (being of shoddy construction) disintegrates before your eyes. (?)"Click! I don't have that. Buzz! Whirr!" (successful command) "Whirr, buzz, click!" "Buzz, click, whirr!" [The robot leaves the room.] RED CRYSTAL SPHERE There is a beautiful red crystal sphere here. (look in sphere) As you peer into the sphere, a strange vision takes shape of a distant room, which can be described clearly.... (SEE DREARY ROOM) The vision fades, revealing only an ordinary crystal sphere. BRICK There is a square brick here which feels like clay. (light brick/string in brick with match) Now you've done it. It seems that the brick has other properties than weight, namely the ability to blow you to smithereens. BLACK STRING There is a coil of black, braided string here. (burn string) The string rapidly burns into nothingness. (light string with match) The string starts to burn. (put string in brick) Done. RUSTY IRON KEY BLUE CRYSTAL SPHERE (int) In the center of the table sits a blue crystal sphere. (look in sphere) (YOU SEE MURKY ROOM) HUGE RED DRAGON A huge red dragon is lying here, blocking the entrance to a tunnel leading north. Smoke curls from his nostrils and out between his teeth. [A huge red dragon is lying on the rocks here, watching.] [A huge dead dragon is lying half blocking the stream.] (wait) The dragon seems to have lost interest in you. [He wanders off.] The dragon is no longer around. He must have become bored with you. The dragon looks bored. The dragon doubles back and charges into the room, maddened by your attempt to sneak past him. His eyes glow with a white heat of anger. The dragon tires of this game. With an almost bored yawn, he opens his mouth and incinerates you in a blast of white-hot dragon fire. [mount and blasts you with a great gout of fire, but it washes over you harmlessly.] (if “Fireproof”) The dragon puts out a claw, grins (all of his sword-sharp teeth glinting in the light), and blocks your way. (give lit brick) The dragon snakes his long red tongue around the bomb and politely swallows it. A few moments later he belches and smoke curls out of his nostrils. (give rotten wooden chest) The dragon is pleased by your gift, excuses himself for a moment, and returns without it. (give other) The dragon refuses your gift. (?)With your bare hands? I doubt the dragon even noticed. (?) He turns and looks back at you, his cat's eyes yellow in the gloom. You start to feel weak, and quickly turn away. (?) The dragon looks amused. He speaks in a voice so deep you feel it rather than hear it, but the tongue is unknown to you. You find yourself almost hypnotized. The dragon is surprised and interested (for the moment). The dragon continues to watch you carefully. (attack) You've made him rather angry. You had better be very careful now. (attack) That did no damage, but he turns his smoky yellow eyes in your direction and sighs. (attack) That captured his interest. He stares at you balefully. (attack) Dragon hide is tough as steel, but you have succeeded in annoying him a bit. He looks at you as if deciding whether or not to eat you. (death) A huge ball of flame envelops you, but you don't even feel the heat. The dragon is puzzled, but not too puzzled to crush you in his jaws. (death) Worse for you, his mouth opens and a great gout of flame puffs out and consumes you on the spot. (follow) The dragon follows you, out of mingled curiosity and anger. (no follow) The dragon will follow no further. (when dragon sees reflection in Ice Room) As the dragon enters, he sees his reflection on the icy surface of the glacier at its western end. He becomes enraged: There is another dragon here, behind that glass, he thinks! Dragons are smart, but sometimes naive, and this one has never seen ice before. He rears up to his full height to challenge this intruder into his territory. He roars a challenge! The intruder responds! The dragon takes a deep breath, and out of his mouth pours a massive gout of flame. It washes over the ice, which melts rapidly, sending out torrents of water and a huge cloud of steam! You manage to clamber up to a small shelf, but the dragon is terrified! A huge splash goes down his throat! There is a muffled explosion and the dragon, a puzzled expression on his face, dies. He is carried away by the water. When the flood recedes you climb gingerly down. While no trace of the dragon can be found, the melting of the ice has revealed a passage leading west. RUBY (int) On the floor lies a moby ruby. There is a moby ruby lying here. ROTTEN WOODEN CHEST A rotten old wooden chest is in one corner among the debris. (shake chest) It sounds like there is something inside the rotten wooden chest. (open chest) The rotten wooden chest opens. Nestled in the chest is a wrought gold statuette of a dragon. BEAUTIFUL PRINCESS (int) A beautiful young woman, wearing a dirty and bedraggled gown, sits on a rock in the corner. Her hair is unkempt and she is oblivious to your presence, almost in a trance. There is a disheveled and slightly unkempt princess here. (attack princess) The princess screams as you approach. "Won't someone deliver me from this awful fate?" she cries. Just in time, the Wizard of Frobozz appears, seeming to unroll himself out of nothing like a window shade. "Fry!" he intones, and a massive bolt of lightning reduces you to a pile of smoking ashes. (Serves you right, too, if you ask me.) (take princess) She's in a trance! (look at/kiss princess) The princess (for she is obviously one) shakes herself awake, then notices you for the first time. She smiles. "Thank you for rescuing me from that horrid worm," she says. "I must depart. My parents will be worried about me." With that, she arises, looking purposefully out of the lair. (follow princess) You can't follow her until she leaves... (follow princess) I seem to have lost track of her. (open chest) The opening of the squeaky lid startles the young woman. (?) The hinges are very rusty, but they seem to be starting to give. You can probably open it if you try again. There is something bumping around inside. [All this rummaging around has startled the young woman.] The princess walks south. She glances back at you as she goes. [The princess enters from the X. She seems surprised to see you.] The princess walks east. She glances back at you as she goes. The princess walks east. She glances back at you as she goes. The princess climbs daintily down the rock face. [The princess climbs down the rock wall onto the beach.] The princess walks south. She glances back at you as she goes. The princess presses a loose piece of marble in the wall and a large section of the wall slides away, revealing a passage to the east. She enters it. [The princess appears from behind some rocks, as though she had walked through a wall.] The princess walks east. She glances back at you as she goes. The princess walks north. She glances back at you as she goes. The princess enters the gazebo. [The princess joins you in the gazebo.] (princess, hello)The princess ignores you. She looks about the room, but her eyes fix on the [garden outside]. Shyly, a unicorn peeks out of the hedges. It notices the princess and seems captivated. It approaches her and bows its head as though curtseying to her. Around its neck is a red satin ribbon on which is strung a delicate gold key. The princess takes the ribbon and uses it to tie up her hair. She looks at you and then, smiling, hands you the key and a fresh rose which she plucks from the arbor. "You may have use of such a thing," she says. "It is the least I can do for one who rescued me from a fate I dare not contemplate." With that, she mounts the unicorn (side-saddle, of course) and rides off into the gloom. (?) , although you would never get past the debris. She must be magically protected. DELICATE GOLD KEY PERFECT ROSE (smell rose) Unlike your efforts here, it comes out smelling like a rose. (?)A rose is a rose is a rose.... GOLDEN DRAGON STATUETTE BANK BROCHURE On the ground is a small, worn piece of paper. (read) The paper is barely readable. You can only make out "... valuables are completely safe ... advanced magic technology ... impossible to take valuables from the depository ... either teller's ... Many customers faint ... teller pops in ... seems to walk through ... walls ..." PORTRAIT (int) A portrait of J. Pierpont Flathead hangs on the wall. The portrait of J. Pierpont Flathead is here. GNOME OF ZURICH There is a Gnome of Zurich here. An epicene gnome of Zurich wearing a three-piece suit and carrying a safety deposit box materializes in the room. [(if have wand) He notices the wand and dematerializes speedily.] You seem to have forgotten to deposit your valuables," he says, tapping the lid of the box impatiently. "We don't usually allow customers to use the boxes here, but we can make this ONE exception, I suppose..." He looks askance at you over his wire-rimmed bifocals. (give treasure) The gnome carefully places the OBJ in the deposit box. "Let me show you the way out," he says, making it clear he will be pleased to see the last of you. Then, you are momentarily disoriented, and when you recover you are back at the Bank Entrance. (give ?) "You are so very gracious. I really cannot accept." He says. He disappears, a wry smile on his lips. (give non-treasure) "I wouldn't put THAT in a safety deposit box," remarks the gnome with disdain, tossing it over his shoulder, where it disappears with an understated "pop". (attack?) The gnome says "Well, I never..." and disappears with a snap of his fingers, leaving you alone. (wait) The gnome appears increasingly impatient. (wait) The gnome looks impatient: "I may have another customer waiting; you'll just have to fend for yourself, I'm afraid." He disappears, leaving you alone. STACK OF ZORKMID BILLS (int) On the floor sit 200 neatly stacked zorkmid bills. 200 neatly stacked zorkmid bills are here. (Read) Each bill is worth 100 zorkmids, and bears the legend "In Frobs We Trust" (burn) Nothing like having money to burn! BALLOON There is a large and extremely heavy wicker basket here. An enormous cloth bag (is draped over the side and is firmly attached to the basket. A metal receptacle is fastened to the center of the basket) / (attached to the basket is inflated. A metal receptacle is fastened to the center of the basket.) [In it is a burning] [Some smoke leaks out around its closed lid] Dangling from the basket is a piece of braided wire. [A piece of wire tied to a hook holds the balloon in place.] [The balloon is tied to a hook by the braided wire.] [A braided wire is dangling over the side of the basket.] [The cloth bag is draped over the side of the basket. Directly in the middle of the basket is a metal receptacle which is open/closed.] [The cloth bag is inflated and [there is (a OBJ burning in the receptacle.)/(some smoke is leaking out of the closed receptacle.)] [There is a balloon here, broken into pieces.] (?)It takes more than words to inflate a balloon. The OBJ burns inside the receptacle. (open receptacle) Opening it reveals a burning OBJ. You don't really want to hold a burning OBJ. The receptacle is already occupied. The receptacle is open. The receptacle is closed. The cloth bag inflates as it fills with hot air. A small label drops from the bag into the basket. You are tied to the ledge. The balloon rises slowly from the ground. The balloon ascends. The balloon descends. The balloon has landed. The balloon is fastened to the hook. The balloon leaves the ledge. The balloon lifts off. floats away. It seems to be ascending, due to its light load. The wire falls off of the hook. The wire is not tied to anything. The OBJ has now burned out, and the cloth bag starts to deflate. You watch as the balloon slowly ascends/descends. You watch the balloon drift out over the rim and away on the wind. You have landed, but the balloon did not survive. (take wire) The braided wire is an integral part of the basket and cannot be removed. The wire might possibly be tied, though. (take bag) The cloth bag is an integral part of the basket and cannot be removed. (take receptacle) The receptacle is an integral part of the basket and cannot be removed. (take ?) The OBJ is part of the basket. It may be manipulated within the basket but cannot be removed. (open bag) The bag is enormous. The concept of opening it here is ludicrous. (Look in bag) It doesn't appear that there's anything inside. BLUE LABEL There is a blue label here. (read) !! FROBOZZ MAGIC BALLOON COMPANY !! Hello, Aviator! To land your balloon, say LAND Otherwise, you're on your own! No warranty expressed or implied. VOLCANO GNOME There is a nervous Volcano Gnome here. A volcano gnome seems to walk straight out of the wall and says "I have a busy appointment schedule and little time to waste on trespassers, but for a small fee I'll show you the way out." You notice the gnome nervously glancing at his watch. (if wand) A volcano gnome seems to walk straight out of the wall and noticing the wand, straight back in. (give treasure) "Thank you very much for the OBJ. I don't believe I've ever seen one as beautiful. Follow me," he says, and a door appears on the west end of the ledge. Through the door, you can see a narrow chimney sloping steeply downward. The gnome moves quickly, and disappears from sight. (give worthless) "That certainly wasn't what I had in mind," he says, and disappears. (give ?) "That wasn't quite what I had in mind," he says, crunching the OBJ in his rock-hard hands. (wait) The gnome appears increasingly nervous. (wait) The gnome glances at his watch. "Oops. I'm late for an appointment!" He disappears, leaving you alone on the ledge. GAUDY CROWN (int) The excessively gaudy crown of Lord Dimwit Flathead is here. Lord Dimwit's crown is here. CARD There is a card with writing on it here. (read) Warning: This room was constructed over very weak rock strata. Detonation of explosives in this room is strictly prohibited! Frobozz Magic Cave Company per M. Agrippa, foreman Who is M. Agrippa? Didn't he design the Pantheon in Rome? PRICELESS ZORKMID (int) On the floor is a priceless gold zorkmid (a valuable collector's item). There is an engraved zorkmid here. (read coin) This is a beautiful octagonal coin bearing the legends "Ten Thousand Zorkmids" and "In Frobs We Trust". GREEN BOOK (int) A handsome book, bound in green leather, sits in the center of the room. (read) This book is written in a tongue with which I am unfamiliar. PURPLE BOOK (int) Lying in the dust, and covered with mold, is a purple book. (read) This book is written in a tongue with which I am unfamiliar. Assuming that one can indeed tell a book by its cover, it is likely filled with purple prose, the like of which is rarely seen outside the Great Underground Empire. Opening the purple book reveals a Flathead stamp. WHITE BOOK (int) Right beside the purple book sits a white one. (read) It is written in an unfamiliar tongue and details the use of various magical objects, chiefly the so-called "magic wand". Apparently these devices work by pointing them at the object to be ensorcelled, and then chanting the appropriate magic words. (It's truly amazing how credulous these ancients were, isn't it?) BLUE BOOK (int) Worn and battered in one corner of the room is a blue book. (read) This book is written in a tongue with which I am unfamiliar. FLATHEAD STAMP There is a Flathead stamp here. (read) This three zorkmid stamp bears a portrait of Lord Dimwit Flathead, "Our Excessive Leader". WOODEN CLUB A long wooden club lies on the ground near the diamond-shaped window. The club is curiously burned at the thick end. (read) The words "Babe Flathead" are burned into the wood. CLEAR CRYSTAL SPHERE There is a clear crystal sphere lying in the sand. (?)There is something misty in the sphere. Perhaps if you were to look into it... (all spheres) The sphere is unbreakable. (look in sphere) You see only darkness. BLACK CRYSTAL SPHERE There is a strange black sphere here. (look in sphere) As you peer into the sphere, a strange vision takes shape...a huge and fearful face with yellow eyes. The face peers out at you expectantly. (?)As you peer through the mist, a strangely colored vision of a huge room takes shape... (?)An astonished adventurer is staring into a crystal sphere. FANCY VIOLIN There is a Stradivarius here. (play violin) An amazingly offensive noise issues from the violin. WIZARD’S MAGIC WAND (wave wand at me) Fortunately a safety interlock prevents the fatal feedback loop that this would cause. (touch OBJ with wand) The wand grows warm, the OBJ seems to glow dimly with magical essences, and you feel suffused with power. (?) The wand grows warm and seems to vibrate. (?)A lot you know about magic! A magic wand takes a while to recharge after use! You might cause it to short-circuit! (?)The OBJ stops glowing and the power within you weakens. SPELLS: 12 Basic: FALL, FLOAT, FREEZE, FENCE, FIERCE, FERMENT, FEAR, FEEBLE, FUMBLE, FILCH, FANTASIZE, FIREPROOF 7 Advanced: FRY, FUDGE, FLOURESCE, FREE, FROBIZZ, FROBOZZLE, and FROBNOID. GIGANTIC DOG COLLAR (int) A gigantic dog collar, large enough for three rhinoceros-sized dogs, is lying amidst the debris. FROBOZZ MAGIC GRUE REPELLENT (int) A spray can is in the corner. In large type is the legend "Frobozz Magic Grue Repellent". (read) !!! FROBOZZ MAGIC GRUE REPELLENT !!! Instructions for use: Apply liberally to creature to be protected. Duration of effect is unpredictable. Use only in place of death! (No warranty expressed or implied) The can seems empty. The repellent is all gone. (shake can) There is a sloshing sound from inside. The spray stinks amazingly for a few moments, then drifts away. The spray smells like a mixture of old socks and burning rubber. If I were a grue I'd sure stay clear! That horrible smell is much less pungent now. GENERAL NONSENSE How can I get the pearls back from the housekeeper? 1. What housekeeper? 2. Are you sure that you are playing Zork II? What is the significane of "Feel Free"? 1. Both words begin with an "F". 2. This is an inside joke. It is what one Implementor says to another Implementor offering suggestions for changes in a game. It has no significance. WIZARD OF FROBOZZ (Give wizard) "Thank you." (give ? to wizard) "Thank you." As the Wizard places the OBJ under his robe, the room becomes dark. (give brick to wizard) "Hmm..." The Wizard mutters something, then waves his wand over the bomb. It transforms into a bouquet of flowers. Both Wizard and flowers disappear. (wizard, hello) The Wizard seems surprised, much as you might be if a dog talked. (?)The Wizard replies "Foolishment!" (?)The Wizard considers your statement carefully. His expression indicates he regards it as fanciful. (?)The wizard accepts this final folly resignedly. (take wand) The Wizard snatches it away. (random appearance) A strange little man in a long cloak appears suddenly in the room. He is wearing a high pointed hat embroidered with astrological signs. He has a long, stringy, and unkempt beard. (if lost light) In the darkness you hear the voice of the Wizard. "Dear me, you seem to have gotten into quite a pickle." He chuckles. "Fluoresce!" he incants. It is no longer dark. (?)You are suddenly terrified. The Wizard seems huge and terrible, looming over you. You flee, terrified. He chuckles, snaps his fingers, and disappears. (?) A huge and terrible wizard appears before you, as large as the largest tree! He looks down on you as you would look upon a gnat! The Wizard appears, floating nonchalantly in the air beside you. He grins sideways at you. The Wizard notices that you carry the Black Crystal, and with an unseemly haste, he disappears. He mutters something (muffled by his beard) and disappears as suddenly as he came. There is a loud crackling noise. Blue smoke rises from out of the Wizard's sleeve. He sighs and disappears. The Wizard incants “SPELL!" but nothing happens. He shakes the wand. Nothing happens. With a slightly embarrassed glance in your direction, he vanishes. The Wizard seems about to say something, but thinks better of it, and peers at you from under his bushy eyebrows. The Wizard vanishes. The Wizard draws forth his wand and waves it in your direction. It begins to glow with a faint blue glow. (goto random spell) (random spell) The Wizard, almost inaudibly, whispers a word beginning with "F," and then disappears, chuckling nastily. The Wizard, in a deep and resonant voice, speaks the word “SPELL!" He cackles gleefully. FEEBLE: All at once you feel very tired. [In fact, you feel so weak that you drop the OBJ.] (You seem unusually weak right now.) You feel more energetic now. FUMBLE: Ooops! You dropped the OBJ. FEAR: You look at the Wizard in terror. You scramble away, trying to get as far as possible from him. / You suddenly decide that the Wizard isn't that terrifying... (You cower in the corner of the OBJ, hoping the wizard won't see you.) FILCH: Something you are carrying has disappeared! FREEZE: Your limbs suddenly feel like they have turned to stone. You can't move a muscle. (You are frozen stiff.) Your little finger begins to twitch, and then your whole body is free again. (You are frozen solid. You might as well wait it out, because you can't do anything else in this state.) FALL: (?You suddenly fall headlong out of the OBJ as though someone had flipped it over.) FERMENT: You begin to feel lightheaded. (You are drunk.) Your head is clearer now. (?Oops, you seem a little unsteady... I'm not sure you got where you intended going.) FIERECE: You rush at the Wizard, intending to tear him limb from limb. / You feel cooler and less angry now. (You are maddened by an overwhelming ferocity, and attack the OBJ instead.) FLOAT: Slowly, you and all your belongings rise into the air, stopping after about five feet. (You seem somewhat light.) You sink quietly down again. (?You rise majestically out of the OBJ, coming to a stop about five feet above it and to one side.) FIREPROOF: (makes immune to dragon fire) FENCE: (?You just tripped on an invisible cord, or perhaps your own feet. But this must be your lucky day, as you managed to regain your balance before what could have been a fatal fall.) FANTASIZE: (nothing?) (take fake object) When you touch the OBJECT it immediately disappears! (other effects) You get in the OBJECT but you fall out again, almost as though an invisible hand had tipped it over. I suppose you plan to do that by flapping your arms? The OBJECT drops to the ground. You can't reach that! It's on the ground. (fantasize?) All at once, you are overcome by fear! There's is a X in here! Maybe it's after you! You huddle in the corner, terrified. You run from the room screaming in terror! FANTASIZE ITEMS: pile of jewels gold ingot basilisk bulging chest yellow sphere grue convention of wizards What is the significance of the convention of wizards? You've been fantasizing again. What do I do with the yellow sphere? 1. You've been fantasizing again. 2. There is no yellow sphere. (?) The Wizard snatches the wand away, muttering the word "Float" at the robot. Unfortunately he has no floating-point processor and dies in a vain attempt to divide 4.85 by 3.62." The Wizard mumbles something under his breath, and just before you reach him, he vanishes. (other spell effects and jumps) You find yourself drawn toward the edge of the bridge. You peer over the side. Oops, that was clumsy of you! You tripped on something and fell in. Too bad. For some odd reason you have tripped on your own feet, or perhaps an invisible cord stretched across the path. The resulting fall seems to have done you in. You plunge to the bottom of the shaft as the spell wears off. As the spell wears off, you find yourself making a half-gainer towards the bottom of the volcano." You plummet to the bottom of the shaft. You make a rather messy swan dive to the bottom of the volcano. You execute a perfect swan-dive into the depths below. DEMON (attack demon) The demon laughs uproariously. (demon, hello) The genie grins demonically, but says nothing. (demon, command) "My fee is not paid! I perform no tasks for free! We demons have a strong union these days." (give worthless) The demon gladly takes the OBJECT and smiles balefully, revealing enormous fangs. (give crown) "Most fine, master! But 'tis not enough. I will do a great service, and are not great services bought at great price? " (give key) "Very nice, but not enough! " (give box/violin) [The genie frowns briefly, then opens the box. He smiles horribly.] "Ah, truly magnificent! Keep them coming. " (give portrait) "Almost halfway there, oh worthy one! " (give necklace) "Oh, such beauty! Your generosity almost overwhelms me!" (give bills) "Truly I shall do thee a wonderful service when thou hast finished!" (give zorkmid) "Truly you are most generous! But still, this is yet not enough." (give stamp) "A fine gift, mighty one, you have almost reached my fee." The Wizard looks at you as if you are a madman. He tears his beard and stares at you fearfully. (give statue) "Wondrous fine, master! But one treasure is yet to be given!" (give ruby) "This will do for my fee. 'Tis a paltry hoard, but as you have done me a small service by loosing me from this wizard, it will suffice." (demon, take wand) "This I do gladly, oh fool!" cackles the demon gleefully. He stretches out an enormous hand towards the wand and taking it like a toothpick (this is a large demon), points it at himself. "Free!" he commands, and the demon and his wand vanish forever. (demon, give me wand) "I hear and obey!" says the demon. He stretches out an enormous hand towards the wand. The Wizard is unsure what to do, pointing it threateningly at the demon, then at you. "Fudge!" he cries, but aside from a strong odor of chocolate in the air, there is no effect. The demon plucks the wand out of his hand (it's about toothpick-size to him) and gingerly lays it before you. He fades into the smoke, which disperses. The wizard runs from the room in terror. (demon, kill Cerberus) "This may prove taxing, but we'll see. Perhaps I'll tame him for a pup instead." The demon disappears for an instant, then reappears. He looks rather gnawed and scratched. He winces. "Too much for me. Puppy dog, indeed. You're welcome to him. Never did like dogs anyway... Any other orders, oh beneficent one?" (demon, kill wizard) The demon grins hideously. "This has been my desire e'er since this charlatan bent me to his service. I perform this deed with pleasure!" The demon forms himself back into a cloud of greasy smoke. The cloud envelops the Wizard, who waves his wand fruitlessly, mumbling various phrases which begin with "F". A horrible scream is heard, and the smoke begins to clear. Nothing remains of the Wizard but his wand. (demon, kill me) "Foolish mortal, if you insist..." The demon crushes you with one blow of his enormous hand. (demon, kill OBJECT) "I know no way to kill a OBJECT.” (demon, take menhir) The demon flashes away for a second. "I have little use for such a thing, but perhaps as a doorstop..." (demon, take OBJECT) The demon snaps his fingers, the OBJECT spins wildly in the air in front of him, then he and it depart. (demon, take other) "I fear that I cannot take such a thing." (demon, give me OBJECT) The OBJECT appears before you and settles to the ground. (demon, give me menhir) He waves his hands, and the menhir drops softly at your feet. (demon, move menhir) The demon is gone for a moment. "A trifle... My little finger alone was enough." (demon, ?) "Were it possible, this would be my fondest wish, but alas..." (demon, ?) "I fear that this violates my contract, oh foolish one. Thus, I am free to depart." (demon, ?smash case?) The demon smashes the case into smithereens. Everything in it smashes as well. The contents of the case are arrayed at your feet. (demon, multiple commands?) "I will do one thing only, oh gracious master!" (demon, others) "Apologies, oh master, but even for such a one as I this is not possible." He seems somewhat chagrined to have to admit this. (demon, other) "I am not permitted to (answer questions)/(perform such menial tasks) . The terms of my contract are explicit on this matter, learned one. Surely you would not wish to violate my contract?" He licks his lips with a forked tongue like a snake's. "The penalty clauses are ... hmm ... devilish." (after successful task) The genie departs, his agreement fulfilled. SPELLS FEEBLE: The X seems stronger now. FUMBLE: The X no longer appears clumsy. FEAR: The X no longer appears afraid. FREEZE: The X moves again. FERMENT: The X stops swaying. FIERECE: The X appears more peaceful. FLOAT: The X sinks to the ground. FUDGE: The sweet smell has dispersed. (FENCE, FANTASIZE, FALL) The wand stops glowing, but there is no other obvious effect. That might have done something, but it's hard to tell with a OBJECT. FUDGE: A strong odor of chocolate permeates the room. FLUORENCE(spell?): The OBJECT begins to glow. FLITCH: Filched! / You can't filch the OBJECT! FLOAT: The OBJECT floats serenely in mid-air. (if not Cerberus, collar) FRY: The OBJECT goes up in a puff of smoke. The wand stops glowing, but there is no other apparent effect. Nothing happens. The wand glows very brightly for a moment. The incantation echoes back faintly, but nothing else happens. The wand was still recharging from its last use. It discharges magic all over everything. You turn into a toad, the room fills with a fetid smell, and all sorts of other grubby things happen. Then the wand explodes!" (what is a footpad) A footpad is a thief. (what is a grue) The grue is a sinister, lurking presence in the dark places of the earth. Its favorite diet is adventurers, but its insatiable appetite is tempered by its fear of light. No grue has ever been seen by the light of day, and few have survived its fearsome jaws to tell the tale." There is no grue here, but I'm sure there is at least one lurking in the darkness nearby. I wouldn't let my light go out if I were you! It makes no sound but is always lurking in the darkness nearby. There is no grue in sight, but a hissing sound issues forth from the darkness. There are odd noises in the darkness, and there is no exit in that direction. It is pitch black. You are likely to be eaten by a grue. Only bats can see in the dark. And you're not one. There are sinister gurgling noises in the darkness all around you! Oh, no! A lurking grue slithered into the X. You have moved into a dark place. Oh, no! You have walked into the slavering fangs of a lurking grue! (what is a zorkmid) The zorkmid is the unit of currency of the Great Underground Empire. The best way to find zorkmids is to go out and look for them. (plugh) A hollow voice says "Fool." (frobozz) The FROBOZZ Corporation created, owns, and operates this dungeon. (look at compass) It's on your person. And lucky for you, or you would become hopelessly lost. (?)You can't get rid of it. It is an extension of yourself. (?)It's one of those gizmos with a needle and a card with the eight major compass directions. Simple, but effective. (?)It doesn't make very interesting reading - just the compass directions. (?)You can't do that. And don't bother to ask why. (dig) The ground is too hard for digging here. Digging with the X is slow and tedious. Digging with a X is silly. (talk to me) Talking to yourself is said to be a sign of impending mental collapse. (eat me) Auto-cannibalism is not the answer. (kill me) Suicide is not the answer. (take me) How romantic! (look at me) That's difficult unless your eyes are prehensile. (?)Only you can do that. (?)You'll have to do that on your own. (answer) Nobody seems to be awaiting your answer. (attack) I've known strange people, but fighting a OBJ? (attack) Trying to attack a OBJ with your bare hands(with OBJ) is suicidal. (misc) You can't swim in the stream. You'll have to find a ford or a bridge. For a change, you look before leaping. You realize you would never survive. The OBJECT drops out of sight into the chasm. (blast) You can't blast anything by using words. (brush) If you wish, but heaven only knows why. (bug) Bug? Not in a flawless program like this! (Cough, cough). (burn) The OBJECT catches fire and is consumed. (barf) Preposterous! (climb ?) Climbing the walls is to no avail. (Curse) Insults of this nature won't help you. What a loony! Such language in a high-class establishment like this! (cut) Your skillful Xsmanship slices the X into innumerable slivers which blow away. The "cutting edge" of a X is hardly adequate. Strange concept, cutting the X… (Get out) You are on your own feet again. You realize that getting out here would be fatal. (drink water) Thank you very much. I was rather thirsty (from all this talking, probably). (echo) echo echo ... (banish) What a bizarre concept! (chase) You're nuts! (hatch) Bizarre! (kiss) I'd sooner kiss a pig. (lean on) Getting tired? (dive) The OBJECT is too big to jump over. That would be a good trick. This was not a very safe place to try jumping. (gaze under) There is nothing but dust there. (mumble) You'll have to speak up if you expect me to hear you! (pray) If you pray enough, your prayers may be answered. (molest) What a (ahem!) strange idea. (read) It is impossible to read in the dark." (repent) It could very well be too late! (shake) The contains of the OBJECT spills out and dissppears to the ground. Shaken. THe OBJECT sounds empty. (stab) No doubt you propose to stab the OBJECT with your pinky?" (stay) You will be lost without me! (strike) Since you aren't versed in hand-to-hand combat, you'd better attack the OBJECT with a weapon." (swim) Swimming isn't usually allowed in the dungeon. Go jump in a lake! (swing) Whoosh! (win) Naturally! (scream) Aaaarrrrgggghhhh! (zork) At your service! (?)A hollow echo responds. (?)The OBJECT has crumbled to dust. (?)Talk about eating rich foods! (diagnose) You are dead. You are in perfect health. You have been killed once/twice/an awful lot. (score) This score gives you the rank of Master Adventurer , but somehow you don't feel done Wizard Master Adventurer Junior Adventurer Novice Adventurer Amateur Adventurer Beginner (if death) Now, let's take a look here... Well, you probably deserve another chance. I can't quite fix you up completely, but you can't have everything. (misc) S165: "F" S166: "If you insist.... Poof, you're dead!" S167: " catches fire. Unfortunately, you were holding it at the time." S168: "Kicking the " S169: "You should have looked before you leaped." S170: "In the movies, your life would be passing before your eyes." S171: "Geronimo..." S172: "Playing in this way with the " S173: "Pushing the " S174: "Fiddling with the " S175: "Very good. Now you can go to the second grade." S176: "Are you enjoying yourself?" S177: "Wheeeeeeeeee!!!!!" S178: "Do you expect me to applaud?" S179: " hits you squarely in the head. Normally, this wouldn't do much damage, but by incredible mischance, you fall over backwards trying to duck, and break your neck, justice being swift and merciful in the Great Underground Empire." S181: "Waving the " S187: " doesn't seem to work." S188: " isn't notably helpful." S189: " has no effect." S190: " and devoured you!" S191: "You can't swim in the dungeon." S192: "Hello." S193: "Good day." S194: "Nice weather we've been having lately." S195: "Goodbye." S196: "A valiant attempt." S197: "You can't be serious." S198: "An interesting idea..." S199: "What a concept!" S200: "Look around." S201: "Too late for that." S202: "Have your eyes checked." Zork II game data ends. Zork III game data begins. ZORK III: THE DUNGEON MASTER DATA: VERSION 1.0 As in a dream, you see yourself tumbling down a great, dark staircase. All about you are shadowy images of struggles against fierce opponents and diabolical traps. These give way to another round of images: of imposing stone figures, a cool, clear lake, and, now, of an old, yet oddly youthful man. He turns toward you slowly, his long, silver hair dancing about him in a fresh breeze. "You have reached the final test, my friend! You are proved clever and powerful, but this is not yet enough! Seek me when you feel yourself worthy!" The dream dissolves around you as his last words echo through the void.... [back of box has, “An old, oddly youthful man turns toward you slowly. His long, silver hair dances about him as a fresh breeze blows.”] Endless Stair You are at the bottom of a seemingly endless stair, winding its way upward beyond your vision. An eerie light, coming from all around you, casts strange shadows on the walls. To the south is a dark and winding trail. LAMP (up) The stairs are endless. Junction You are at the junction of a north-south passage and an east-west passage. To the north, you can make out the bottom of a stairway. The ways to the east and south are relatively cramped, but a wider trail leads to the west. Standing before you is a great rock. [Imbedded within it is an Elvish sword.] GREAT ROCK SWORD (take rock) The stone is far too massive to be moved. (look under rock) Since it can't be moved, it's hard to know what's there. (put OBJ in rock) You can't force anything into the stone. (take sword) The sword is deeply imbedded within the rock. You can't even begin to budge it. (take sword out of stone) Who do you think you are? Arthur? Barren Area You are west of the junction, where the rock-bound passage widens out into a large, flat area. Although the land here is barren, you can see vegetation to the west. South of here is a mighty wall of stone, ancient and crumbling. To the southwest the wall has decayed enough to form an opening, through which seeps a thin mist. A trail dips sharply into rocky terrain to the northwest. (south) A stone wall blocks your way. (smell mist) It smells vaguely salty. (Look in mist) You can't make anything out through the mist. Hairpin Loop You are at a sharp turn on a narrow and steeply sloping path, strewn with boulders of various sizes. The path climbs sharply toward a desolate plain to the southeast. Southwest of here the path winds down to the base of a cliff. Cliff This is a remarkable spot in the dungeon. Perhaps two hundred feet above you is a gaping hole in the earth's surface through which pours bright sunshine! A few seedlings from the world above, nurtured by the sunlight and occasional rains, have grown into giant trees, making this a virtual oasis in the desert of the Underground Empire. To the west is a sheer precipice, dropping nearly fifty feet to jagged rocks below. The way south is barred by a forbidding stone wall, crumbling from age. There is a jagged opening in the wall to the southwest, through which leaks a fine mist. The land to the east looks lifeless and barren. [A rope is tied to one of the large trees here and is dangling over the side of the cliff, reaching down to the shelf below.] PIECE OF WAYBREAD TREE ROPE (random) You catch, out of the corner of your eye, some movement among the trees. (random)You seem to hear, from the southwest, the sounds of the sea. (up) There's no tree here suitable for climbing. (climb tree) The trunks are too large for you to climb them. (burn tree) Smokey the Bear puts out both the fire and you. (take rope) The rope is tied to a tree. (burn rope) The rope won't catch fire. (untie rope) The rope is very securely tied and cannot be undone. (Cut rope) The rope is made of pretty tough stuff and won't cut. (?)There seems to be nobody there, but it's hard to tell. (?) The OBJ falls to the base of the cliff below. (throw lamp over cliff) The OBJECT goes over the cliff and lands among the rocks below. (?)The rope is dangling over the side of the cliff already. What is the significance of Smokey the Bear? 1. "Only you can prevent forest fires." Cliff Ledge This is a rock-strewn ledge near the base of a tall cliff. The bottom of the cliff is another fifteen feet below. You have little hope of climbing up the cliff face, but you might be able to scramble down from here (though it's doubtful you could return). [A long piece of rope is dangling down from the top of the cliff and is within your reach.] CHEST [MAN] (up) You attempt the climb but slide back down. (climb cliff) The cliff is above you! (?)You haven't enough strength to climb the cliff. (take rope) A short tug on the rope convinces you that it is securely fastened from above. (climb rope up) You try to climb the rope, but you cannot reach the top even with your best effort. (wait) At the edge of the cliff above you, a man appears. He looks down at you and speaks. "Hello, down there! You seem to have a problem. Maybe I can help you." He chuckles in an unsettling sort of way. "Perhaps if you tied that chest to the end of the rope I might be able to drag it up for you. Then, I'll be more than happy to help you up!" He laughs again. (wait) "Yoo hoo!" calls the man at the brink of the cliff. "Remember me?" (wait) Your friend at the cliff top has started pacing nervously around. (wait) The man on the cliff waves at you. "It would just take a moment to tie that rope to the chest. I'd be much obliged, and there might even be something in it for you!" (wait) The man on the cliff clears his throat loudly. "I don't mean to be rushing you, but I do have some pressing engagements...." (wait) A few small stones fall near your feet. You look up and see your friend waving. "I haven't got all day, fella. Be a pal and pass up the chest!" (wait) The man appears to be getting somewhat impatient. (wait too long) The man looks quite displeased. "All right, then. I guess someone else can always help me! See you around, sport!" He disappears. (throw object at man) The OBJ flies upward, but not nearly far enough to hit the man. It does seem to amuse him, however, especially as it passes within inches of your head. "We're wasting time now. Be a good fellow and tie the rope!" (open chest) The man calls down to you. "Is this what you're looking for?" he cackles, waving a small key over his head. You try to open the chest, but it is locked. (unlock chest with strange key) The key, which initially seemed certain to fit the lock, seems to change shape and will not enter the keyhole. (man, hello) He yells back, "What's that you say? I can't hear you very well. Just tie the rope to the chest and we can chat afterwards!" He smiles broadly. (?)The man looks cross. "I want the chest, not you!" he snaps. "Now stop fooling around and pass it up!" (take rope) The man scowls. "I may help you up, but not before I have that chest." He points to the chest near you on the ledge. (tie rope to me) You're unable to tie the rope around yourself. (tie rope to other) You're unable to tie the rope to that. (tie rope to chest) The chest is now tied to the rope. (untie chest) The chest is now disconnected from the rope. (leave if chest tied to rope) You can't go anywhere holding that chest. The rope is tied around it! (if tie chest to rope before man comes) All at once, the chest is lifted from you. Looking up, you see a man at the top of the cliff, pulling intently at the rope. "That is uncommonly good of you, I do say!" He chuckles unpleasantly. "Oh, you are stuck, aren't you. Well, I'll be right back to get you!" He leaves your sight. (if tie chest to rope) The man above you looks pleased. "Now there's a good friend! Thank you very much, indeed!" He pulls on the rope and the chest is lifted to the top of the cliff and out of sight. With a short laugh, he disappears. "I'll be back in a short while!" are his last words. (wait) A familiar voice calls down to you. "Are you still there?" he bellows with a coarse laugh. "Well, then, grab onto the rope and we'll see what we can do." The rope drops to within your reach. (wait) The man appears impatient. "Are you coming up then, or not?" (wait) "Well, I don't have all day. See you around sometime." Showering you with gravel, he disappears from sight. (tie rope to me)"Just grab onto it!", the man bellows. (take rope) You grab securely on to the rope. The man starts to heave on the rope and within a few moments you arrive at the top of the cliff. The man removes the last few valuables from the chest and prepares to leave. "You've been a good sport! Here, take this, for whatever good it is! I can't see that I'll be needing one!" He hands you a plain wooden staff from the bottom of the chest and begins examining his valuables. (man, hello) The man is thoroughly engrossed in the examination of his booty and doesn't seem to hear you. (?)He responds cheerfully. "It is a wonderful day, isn't it?" (wait) Your "friend" examines his valuables with great pride. (wait) Your "friend", moving quickly, dodges behind some trees and is lost from sight. (attack man with staff) You wouldn't hurt him with that! (attack man with sword) The man is taken by surprise and is hit with the sword. He grabs you and throws you to the ground[, breaking the staff in the process] , but you finish him off with a quick thrust to the chest. He dies, and disappears without ceremony in the usual style of the Great Underground Empire. His assorted valuables remain behind. (take valuables) The man recoils sharply. "These here things are mine. It's my chest and they're my valuables. You've a lot of nerve trying to take them from me after me saving you like that!" (examine?) The man is stocky and of medium height, with several days' growth of stubble on his face. He is carrying a number of valuables under his arm, presumably from the now-open chest. (after leaving) You've lost him among the trees. (?) You aren't even close to him! (?) The man waves back in a friendly way. (?) I don't think you'll succeed at this distance. Cliff Base You are at the base of a steep cliff. Directly above you is a wide ledge and far above that some natural sunlight can be seen. To the northeast is a steeply climbing path and the ground becomes sandy toward the south. (up) You can't get up the rock face. (?)The drop would kill you. What is in the tree house? 1. This could be the man's living quarters. 2. The inflatable raft in the back room might be useful elsewhere. 3. It is amazing that you got this far when there is no tree house. INVISI NONSENSE Land of Shadow (1) You are at the eastern end of a dark, featureless landscape of shallow hills. Paths to the east and southeast re-enter the rock. (north/northeast) Towering walls of rock bar your way. Land of Shadow (2) You are in a shadowy land of low, rolling hills stretching out to the west and south. The land is bordered to the north by a massive stone wall. Ancient and weathered, the wall has crumbled enough at one point to permit passage. (northeast/northwest) A stone wall blocks the way. Land of Shadow (3) You are in a dark and shadowy land. All around you are gentle hills and eerie shadows. Far above, shrouded in mist, you can barely make out the ceiling of the enormous cavern that spans this entire land. Land of Shadow (4) You are in an ominously dark land of rolling hills. The ground becomes softer to the south. (southwest) The ground becomes too soft to walk on in that direction. Land of Shadow (5) You are at the southern end of a shadowy land. The ground here is quite soft, and the area is surrounded by quicksand on most sides. North of here is a terrain of shallow hills. (east/southeast/south/southwest/west) The quicksand prevents movement in that direction. (enter quicksand) You enter the quicksand and slowly sink to a new low in adventuring. (look in quicksand) It's hard to tell what's in there. (?)It's quicksand alright! How do I freeze the quicksand? 1. A blast of supercold air might do the trick. 2. The Great Underground Empire is far from polar regions. 3. The quicksand can't be crossed. It is one of the many borders which keep the Underground Empire small enough to fit on a diskette. Land of Shadow (6) You are near the southern end of the land of shadow. The ground here is soft and spongy, and it becomes quicksand to the south. North and east of here are gentle, rolling hills. A gentle sea breeze wafts over a steeply sloping path to the west. (south/southwest) The quicksand prevents movement in that direction. (enter quicksand) You enter the quicksand and slowly sink to a new low in adventuring. Land of Shadow (7) You are in a land of dark shadows and shallow hills, which stretch out in all directions. To the west, the land dips sharply. Land of Shadow (8) You are standing atop a steep cliff, looking west over a vast ocean. Far below, the surf pounds at a sandy beach. To the south and east are rolling hills filled with eerie shadows. A path cut into the face of the cliff descends toward the beach. To the north is a tall stone wall, which ends at the cliff edge. It was obviously built long ago, and directly north is a spot where you could climb over the rubble of the decaying wall. (northeast/northwest) A stone wall blocks the way. Flathead Ocean You are at the shore of an amazing underground sea, the topic of many a legend among adventurers. Few were known to have arrived at this spot, and fewer to return. There is a heavy surf and a breeze is blowing on-shore. The land rises steeply to the east and quicksand prevents movement to the south. A thick mist covers the ocean and extends over the hills to the east. A path heads north along the beach. [VIKING SHIP] (An ancient Viking ship is passing along the shore, an old and crusty sailor at the helm.) [VIAL] (south) The quicksand prevents movement here. (southwest/west/northwest) Between the rocks, wind, and waves, you wouldn't last a minute. (enter ocean) You would be killed by the pounding surf! (throw OBJ in ocean) The OBJECT falls into the ocean and is lost forever. (bathe) Between the rocks, wind, and waves, you wouldn't last a minute! (wait) Passing alongside the shore now is an old boat, reminiscent of an ancient Viking ship. Standing on the prow of the ship is an old and crusty sailor, peering out over the misty ocean. (hello sailor) The seaman looks up and maneuvers the boat toward shore. He cries out "I have waited three ages for someone to say those words and save me from sailing this endless ocean. Please accept this gift. You may find it useful!" He throws something which falls near you in the sand, then sails off toward the west, singing a lively, but somewhat uncouth, sailor song. (when boat leaves) The boat sails silently through the mist and out of sight. (hello sailor, before ship) Nothing happens yet. (hello sailor, after ship) Nothing happens anymore. (hello sailor, elsewhere) Nothing happens here. Creepy Crawl You are in a dark and quite creepy crawlway with passages leaving to the north, east, south, and southwest. Foggy Room You are in a dank passage filled with a wispy fog. A spooky passageway leads north and a wider path heads off to the south. To the west, the path leaves the rock and enters an eerie, shadowy land. Lake Shore You are in a wide cavern on the north shore of a small lake. Some polished stone steps lead to the southeast and a sheer rock face prevents any movement around the lake to the southwest. The cavern is dimly lit from above. (south) If you really want to enter the lake, you should say so. (southwest) The sheer rock face prevents movement along the lake shore. Aqueduct View This is a small balcony carved into a near-vertical cliff. To the east, stretching from north to south, stands a monumental aqueduct supported by mighty stone pillars, some of which are starting to crumble from age. You feel a sense of loss and sadness as you ponder this once-proud structure and the failure of the Empire which created this and other engineering marvels. Some stone steps lead up to the northwest. (down) The drop would be fatal. On the Lake You are floating on the surface of the lake. The water is ice cold and your ability to survive here for long is very questionable. A swim north puts you at your starting point. Conditions to the east are poor where the lake turns into swamp. The west and south shores are suitable for walking, however. (northeast/east/southeast) The swamp is impassable. (enter swamp) Yucko. (enter lake with items) The shock of entering the frigid water has made you drop all your possessions into the lake! [torch will burn out if carrying] (enter lake with none) You are nearly paralyzed by the icy waters as you swim into the center of the lake. (wait) The icy waters are taking their toll. You will not be able to hold out much longer. (wait) You are becoming very weak. You had better leave the water before you drown! (wait) Your strength gives out, and you drown in the frigid waters. (random) A giant roc, previously hidden among the rocks, is heading right toward you, its mouth gaping wide! (wait) The roc snatches you in its jaws and has you for lunch. You can't quite make out the bottom of the lake from here... You can't see under the surface from here. You can't carry that much underwater. What is a Roc? It is a legendary bird of prey of tremendous size and strength. Your probability of seeing it is low, but if you do, watch out! Underwater You are below the surface of the lake. It turns out that the lake is quite shallow and the bottom is only a few feet below you. Considering the frigid temperature of the water, you should probably not plan an extended stay. The lake bottom is sandy and a few hearty plants and algae live there. SHINY OBJECT [GOLDEN AMULET] SAND PLANTS AND ALGAE (down) You are already at the bottom of the lake. (wait too long) You run out of air and return to the surface. (random) Something sparkling in the sand catches your eye for a moment. Out of the corner of your eye, a small, shiny object appears in the sand. A moment later, it is gone! You catch a brief glimpse of something shiny in the sand. (take shiny) The shiny object slips from your grasp and back onto the floor of the lake, where it is covered in sand. (take shiny) You reach the shiny object. It is a simple golden amulet! (take object) The OBJ is yours for a moment, but drops from your grasp. (?)It slips through your fingers. (?)There is nothing notable on the floor of the lake, except some plants and algae. (eat algae) Yeecchhhh! (search sand) You don't come across anything unusual. (wait) A large and hungry-looking fish is swimming in the neighborhood. (wait) Oh, no! A tremendous fish just swallowed you whole! (?)There is no fish visible now. Western Shore You are on the western shore of the lake. The ground here is quite hard, but a few sickly reeds manage to grow near the water's edge. The only path leads into the rock to the south. (east) If you want to enter the lake, you should say so. Scenic Vista You are in a small chamber carved in the rock, with the sole exit to the north. Mounted on one wall is a table labeled "Scenic Vista," whose featureless surface is angled toward you. One might believe that the table was used to indicate points of interest in the view from this spot, like those found in many parks. On the other hand, your surroundings are far from spacious and by no stretch of the imagination could this spot be considered scenic. An indicator above the table reads "I". (II, III, IV) VIEWING TABLE INDICATOR TORCH (look at table) The surface is pale and featureless, but slowly, an image takes shape! (1) You see a passage cluttered with broken timbers. An extremely narrow opening can be seen at the end of the room. (2) You see a tiny room with rough walls. Chiseled crudely on one wall is the number "8". The only apparent exit seems to be a blur. (3) You see a wide room with two nearly identical passages leading east and northeast. A wide channel descends steeply into the room and seems to be blocked by rubble. (4) You see the interior of a huge temple rudely constructed of basalt blocks. Flickering torches cast a sallow illumination over an altar still wet with the blood of human sacrifice, its velvet covers stained and encrusted with gore. (wait) The image slowly fades. (touch table) You touch the table and are instantly transported to another place! (wait) The indicator above the table flickers briefly, then changes to X. (after time in other locations) You suddenly find yourself back in the viewing room! (read indicator) The indicator reads X. Room 8 This is a small chamber carved out of the rock at the end of a short crawl. On the wall is crudely chiseled the number "8". The only apparent exit, to the east, seems to be a blur and a loud, whirring sound resounds through the rock. FROBOZZ MAGIC GRUE REPELLENT (east) You are repelled from the exit by a fierce wind. Sacrificial Altar This is the interior of a huge temple of primitive construction. A few flickering torches cast a sallow illumination over the altar, which is still drenched with the blood of human sacrifice. Behind the altar is an enormous statue of a demon which seems to reach towards you with dripping fangs and razor-sharp talons. A low noise begins behind you, and you turn to see hundreds of hunched and hairy shapes. A guttural chant issues from their throats. Near you stands a figure draped in a robe of deepest black, brandishing a huge sword. The chant grows louder as the robed figure approaches the altar. The large figure spots you and approaches menacingly. He reaches into his cloak and pulls out a great, glowing dagger. He pulls you onto the altar, and with a murmur of approval from the throng, he slices you neatly across your abdomen. Timber Room This is a long and narrow passage, which is cluttered with broken timbers. A wide passage comes from the east and turns at the west end of the room into a very narrow passageway. From the west comes a strong draft. BROKEN TIMBER (west) You cannot fit through this passage with that load. Drafty Room Machine Room Ladder Bottom This is a rather wide room. On one side is the bottom of a narrow wooden ladder. To the west and the south are passages leaving the room. Ladder Top This is a very small room. In the corner is a rickety wooden ladder, leading downward. It might be safe to descend. There is also a staircase leading upward. Dead End You have come to a dead end in the mine. There is a small pile of coal here. Southern Shore You are on the south shore of the lake. Rock formations prevent movement to the west and thickening swamp to the east makes the going all but impossible. To the south, where the beach meets a rock formation, you can make out a dark passage sloping steeply upward into the rock. (east) The swamp is too thick. (north) If you want to go into the lake, you should say so. Dark Place (north) It is pitch black. [You are likely to be eaten by a grue.] Dark Place (south) There are sinister gurgling noises in the darkness all around you! It is pitch black. The ground continues to slope upwards away from the lake. You can barely detect a dim light from the east. Oh, no! A dozen or more lurking grues attack at once and devour you! From the look of things, I would guess that you had interrupted a grue convention! Key Room You are between some rock and a dark place, The room is lit dimly from above, revealing a lone, dark path sloping down to the west. To one side of the room is a large manhole cover. [A heavy manhole cover has been moved to reveal a dark passage below.] MANHOLE COVER STRANGE KEY (down) You can't walk through a piece of metal. (take cover) The cover is far too heavy to take. (move cover) The cover is moved a bit to one side, revealing a small hole leading into darkness. Aqueduct You are in a wide stone channel, part of the water supply system for the Great Underground Empire. The source of water was a waterfall to the south, which has long since dried up. Water flowed along the aqueduct to the north. This region is lit from above, although the source of light is not apparent. (up) The hole is too far above your head. (south) You can't climb the dried-up waterfall. (look at channel) The channel is a few feet deep and ten feet wide, rounded on the bottom. (look at aqueduct) The aqueduct is large and impressive. It was probably the major method of water transport in the Empire. (?)Getting into the channel wouldn't be of much use. (?)You're standing in it. Otherwise, you would be floating in midair above some very nasty rocks. High Arch You are now on one of the tallest arches of the aqueduct, hundreds of feet above a rocky chasm. The immensity of the aqueduct project is apparent from here. Stone supports rise from the rock floor to form massive arches, which traverse the region from north to south. The water-carrying channel here is wide and deep. To the west and far below, you can make out a balcony which must command a wide view of the aqueduct. [The channel ends abruptly to your north where a supporting pillar has crumbled, casting the arch into the chasm.] (down) It's a long way down.... (north, after earthquake) The arch before you is broken. (jump into chasm) You execute a perfect swan dive into the rocks below! (look at arch) The arches all show some signs of decay. (look at arch, after earthquake) The arch before you is broken. The others show signs of decay. Water Slide You are near the northern end of this segment of the aqueduct system. To the south and slightly uphill, the bulk of the aqueduct looms ominously, towering above a gorge. To the north, the water channel drops precipitously and enters a rocky hole. The damp moss and lichen would certainly make that a one-way trip. [The southern part of the aqueduct system is inaccessable due to the collapse of one of the water-bearing arches.] (south, after earthquake) The arch to the south is broken. Damp Passage This is a particularly damp spot even by dungeon standards. You can see a crossroads to the west, and two nearly identical passages lead east and northeast. A stone channel, wide and deep, steeply descends into the room from the south. It is covered with moss and lichen, and is far too slippery to climb. The channel crosses the room, but the opening where it once continued north is now blocked by rubble. DUST AND DEBRIS (north) The channel opening is blocked by tons of debris. (south) The channel is too steep and the moss too slippery. (?)It's much too slippery. Dead End You have come to the end of two adjoining passages to the west and the northwest. Tight Squeeze This is a very low and narrow passage leading east to west. Crystal Grotto This is a chamber of breathtaking beauty. Mighty stalagmites form structured shapes of rock, encrusted with crystalline formations. Phosphorescent mosses, fed by a trickle of water from some unseen source above, make the crystals glow and sparkle with every color of the rainbow. There is an opening to the west, and a man-made passage heads south. ROCK STRUCTURE (take moss) Don't be silly. Royal Hall This is the north end of a large hall with a vaulted ceiling. A long, tiled hallway leads north through a tall arch. Although the origin or purpose of this room is unclear, there is a large rendering of the Royal Seal of Lord Dimwit Flathead carved on the wall. ROYAL SEAL OF DIMWIT FLATHEAD (read seal) The Seal is vintage Flathead, with signs of excess nearly everywhere. It consists of a curiously flat-headed figure wearing a gaudy crown, surrounded by the Crown Jewels of the Empire. Great Door You are in the southern half of a monumental hall. To the east lies a tremendous iron door which appears to be rusted shut. [This is the south end of a monumental hall, full of dust and debris from a recent earthquake. To the east is a great iron door, rusted shut. To its right, however, is a gaping cleft in the rock and behind, a cleared area.] [CLEFT] (east) The great iron door is rusted shut. (open door) The iron door is rusted shut and cannot be opened. Museum Entrance This is the entrance to the Royal Museum, the finest and grandest in the Great Underground Empire. To the south, down a few steps, is the entrance to the Royal Puzzle and to the east, through a stone door, is the Royal Jewel Collection. A wooden door to the north is open[closed] and leads to the Museum of Technology. (To the west is a great iron door, rusted shut. To its left, however, is a cleft in the rock providing a western route away from the museum.)/(To the west is a great iron door, which is rusted shut.)/ (To the west is a great iron door, rusted shut. The cleft in the rock, present when you started, has filled in with rubble.) IRON DOOR STONE DOOR WOODEN DOOR [CLEFT] [PAST?] This seems to be an entrance hall of some sort, judging by the grand iron door to the west, and the ornate stone and wooden doors which lead to the east and north, respectively. A few wide steps lead south. (open iron door) The iron door is rusted shut and cannot be opened. (west) The iron door is rusted shut. When are the museum personnel on duty? 1. Intrepid adventurers do not fear mere warning notes. 2. They all died years ago. You'll have to risk it on your own. Where do I find dynamite? 1. What a strange concept. Technology Museum This is a large hall which hosted the technological exhibits of the Great Underground Empire. A door to the south is open[closed]. GOLD MACHINE BUTTON DIAL SEAT PLAQUE BLACK MACHINE GREY MACHINE (A strange grey machine, shaped somewhat like a clothes dryer, is on one side of the room. On the other side of the hall is a powerful-looking black machine, a tight tangle of wires, pipes, and motors. A plaque is mounted near the door. The writing is faded, however, and cannot be made out clearly. The two machines seem to be in bad shape, rusting in many spots. (take plaque) It's bolted to the wall. (read plaque) The words cannot be made out. (move grey/black) It's massive and cannot even be moved. (push grey/black) It's too heavy to be pushed. (break grey/black) It seems quite indestructible. (put grey/black) There's no good place to put anything there. (put ring under seat) The ring is concealed underneath the seat. (put other under seat) It's too big to hide under the seat. (feel seat) There's nothing odd about the feel of the seat. (move seat)You notice a small hollow area under the seat. (move seat) You find the ring under the seat and put it on your finger. (when using machine) You notice that everything you were holding is gone! (when using machine) You notice that everything in the machine is gone. : come to mention it, everything you were holding has vanished too! (set dial to 0 to 775) You experience a brief period of disorientation. The area around you seems to be solidifying! Rock formations close in on you and before you can react you are engulfed in stone! (set dial to 777 to 882) (or 776 while in Entrance) You experience a brief period of disorientation. When your vision returns… …you see before you a row of military people who, if appearances do not deceive, have the cumulative intelligence of a not yet ripe grapefruit. One of them aims a waffle-shaped implement in your direction and you become numb and then paralyzed and then dead. …you are surrounded by heavily armed guards who seem awed by your presence. One, whose IQ could not possibly be above 15, aims a strange waffle-like instrument in your direction and all goes black. …you are confronted with a goodly number of particularly stupid-looking people dressed in peculiar uniform and pointing waffle-like objects in your general direction. One twists his waffle and you slump to the ground, dead. (can go from 883 to 999) You experience a brief period of disorientation. When your vision returns, your surroundings appear somewhat altered. (set dial to 776) (goto 776 rooms) (wait too long in other time period) You start to feel light-headed and, before you can even think, you become completely disoriented. When you regain your faculties, you realize that your surroundings have changed. (if set to 776 in Jewel room) You notice that the golden machine has disappeared! (if set to 777 in Entrance/Jewel room) You experience a brief period of disorientation. When your vision returns,… you are surrounded by a number of heavily armed guards, the dress and speech of which seem strange and unfamiliar. A commotion starts at a door to the east and a person with a flat head, wearing a gaudy crown and a purple robe, bursts into the room. […you find yourself in the middle of some kind of ceremony, with a strange flat-headed man wearing royal vestments about to break a bottle on the bars of an iron cage containing magnificent jewels. He appears somewhat pleased by your presence.] He speaks very loudly, nearly deafening the poor civil servant whose duty it is to see that his wishes are carried out. "Aha! A thief! Didn't I tell you that we needed more security! But, no! You all said my idea to build the museum under two miles of mountain and surrounded by five hundred feet of steel was impractical! Now, what to do with this ... intruder? I have it! We'll build a tremendous fortress on the highest mountain peak, with one narrow ladder stretching thousands of feet to the pinnacle. There he will stay for the rest of his life!" His brow-beaten assistant hesitates. "Don't you think, Your Lordship, that your plan is a bit, well, a bit much?" Flathead gives it a second's thought. "No, not really." he says, and you are led away. A few years later, your prison is finished. You are taken there, and spend the rest of your life in misery. Jewel Room You are in a high-ceilinged chamber in the middle of which (sits a tall, round steel cage, which is securely locked. In the middle of the cage is a pedestal on which sit the Crown Jewels of the Great Underground Empire: a sceptre, a jeweled knife, and a golden ring. A small bronze plaque, now tarnished, is on the cage.)/(is a bare pedestal. The room is unfinished with no indication of its purpose. A small plaque is fastened to a wall.) PEDESTAL SCEPTRE GOLDEN RING JEWELED KNIFE STEEL CAGE BRONZE PLAQUE (read plaque) Crown Jewels Presented To The Royal Museum By His Gracious Lord DIMWIT FLATHEAD Dedicated * 777 GUE * [The plaque explains that this room was to be the home of the Crown Jewels of the Great Underground Empire. However, following the unexplained disappearance of a priceless ring during the final stages of construction, Lord Flathead decided to place the remaining jewels in a safer location. Interestingly enough, he distrusted museum security enough to place his prized possesion, an incredibly gaudy crown, within a locked safe in a volcano specifically hollowed out for that purpose.] [Underneath the plaque, in small lettering, is a description of a clumsy attempt to steal the jewels using a time travel device from the Technological Museum which the curators were surprised to discover was not a non-working model. After the attempt, the machine was removed from the exhibit.] [Underneath the plaque, in small lettering, is a description of a mysterious happening during the final stages of construction of the Museum, in which some of the crown jewels were found displaced from their proper positions. Fortunately, nothing was missing. The mystery was never solved and the museum was opened despite the objections of Lord Flathead that security was too lax.] (take pedestal) You can't reach it through the cage. (look at pedestal) The Royal Jewels are on the pedestal. (take scepter, ring, knife) The jewels are inside a locked cage (open cage) The cage is locked. (if gold machine in Jewel Room) An odd robot-like device glides into the room, dusting the floor as it moves. Its head gyrates briefly as it scans the machine. "Shame. Shame," it says, rather tinnily. "Someone has been tampering with the machines again." Six beady mechanical eyes focus on you as the robot picks up the gold machine. "Hands off, adventurer!" are its last words as it leaves the room, closing the door behind it. (where is robot?) It moved very quickly and left the door closed. How do I unlock the cage? 1. That cage will protect the royal jewels until the end of time. Royal Puzzle Entrance This is a small square room, in the middle of which is a perfectly round hole (through which you can discern the floor some ten feet below. The place under the hole is dark, but it appears to be completely enclosed in rock. In any event, it doesn't seem likely that you could climb back up. Exits are west and, up a few steps, north.)/(which is blocked by smooth sandstone.) WARNING NOTE (Down) The hole is blocked by sandstone. Side Room You are in a narrow room, lit from above. A flight of steps leads up toward the north, and a (metal door)/(passage) leads to the east. (east) The steel door is closed. Room in a Puzzle [The Royal Puzzle] You are in a small square room bounded to the north and west with marble walls and to the east and south with sandstone walls. The architecture of this region is getting complex, so that further descriptions will be diagrams of the immediate vicinity in a 3x3 grid. The walls here are rock, but of two different types - sandstone and marble. The following notations will be used: .. = your position (middle of grid) MM = marble wall SS = sandstone wall ?? = unknown (blocked by walls) In the ceiling above you is a large circular opening. The center of the floor here is noticeably depressed. In the center of the west wall is a steel door which is open[closed]. On one side of the door is a narrow slot. There is a ladder here, firmly attached to the east wall. There is a ladder here, firmly attached to the west wall. VERY ANCIENT BOOK You can't grab the wall to pull it. The wall doesn't budge. The wall barely gives. There is only a passage in that direction. The wall slides forward and you follow it You hear a soft "snap" from behind the wall you were pushing. (steel door) The door is, to a first approximation, indestructible. Besides a great amount of reverberation, nothing happens. You can't force it open. The steel door has already opened. There doesn't seem to be any way to close it. (put OBJ in slot) It doesn't fit. (put book in slot) The book drops easily into the slot and vanishes. The metal door slides open, revealing a passageway to the west, as a previously unseen sign flashes: "Royal Puzzle Exit Fee Paid Item Confiscated" The item vanishes into the slot. A moment later, a previously unseen sign flashes "Garbage In, Garbage Out" and spews the OBJECT (now atomized) through the slot. (up) You hit your head on the ceiling and fall off the ladder. (up) The exit is too far above your head. (up) With the help of the ladder, you exit the puzzle. The metal door bars the way. There is a wall there. There's no way down here. There is no way up. Technology Museum [776] You are in a large, unfinished room, probably intended to be a part of the Royal Museum. Through the door you can hear voices which, from their sound, belong to military or police personnel. A strange grey machine, shaped somewhat like a clothes dryer, is on one side of the room. On the other side of the hall is a powerful-looking black machine, a tight tangle of wires, pipes, and motors. A plaque is mounted near the door. The grey machine, it turns out, is a Frobozz Magic Pressurizer, used in the coal mines of the Empire. The black machine is a Frobozz Magic Room Spinner. The golden machine is referred to as a Temporizer. All are non-working models donated by Frobozzco president John D. Flathead. (?777)This is an exhibit of Empire technology. A wooden door to the south is You experience a brief period of disorientation. When your vision returns, your surroundings appear to have changed. From outside the door you hear the sounds of guards talking. (listen to guards) The voices are muffled by the door which (fortunately for you) separates you. They seem to be in heated debate on the topic of… (1) wage scales for guards. (2) the excessive nature of the Royal Government. (3) the soon to be constructed Royal Puzzle. (4) the proper way to execute trespassers. (5) torture as the preferred punishment for thieves. (6) the banishment of the Wizard of Frobozz. (wait) You hear, from outside the door, guards marching away, their voices fading. After a few moments, a booming crash signals the close of what must be a tremendous door. Then there is silence. (?)You realize that calling attention to yourself would be fatal. (read plaque) The plaque merely identifies the machines and names their donor. They are non-working models of existing state-of-the-art machinery. (open door) You open the door ever so slightly and see dozens of armed officials. You shut the door quickly and quietly, realizing that you would be killed in an instant if you left the room. (?)A particularly vicious-looking guard enters the room and eyes you. He grinds his teeth in a most unpleasant way, pulls a waffle out of his garment, and vaporizes you with a flick of his finger. What does the gray machine do? 1. This is a pressurizer. 2. It is like the machine used in ZORK I to make diamonds. 3. Unfortunately, it is not a working model. What does the black machine do? 1. This is a room spinner. 2. Presumably it is a model of the machine which spins the Carousel Room in ZORK II. 3. Fortunately, it is not a working model. Museum Entrance [776] This appears to be an unfinished entranceway to the Royal Museum. There are doors to the east and north, and a blind stairway to the south. A heavy iron door to the west is closed and locked. (west) The guards locked the iron door behind them. (south) The stairs end blindly to the south. (east) The stone door is closed. (open iron door) The iron door appears to be locked from the outside. (open stone door) The door is locked, probably by the guards on their way out. Jewel Room [776] You are in a high-ceilinged chamber, in the center of which is a pedestal which is the intended home of the Crown Jewels of the Great Underground Empire: a jewelled knife, a golden ring, and the royal sceptre. [Not all of the jewels are in place, however.] (which is bare). The room is, by appearances, unfinished. GOLDEN RING JEWELED KNIFE SCEPTRE Through the door you can hear voices which, from their sound, belong to military or police personnel. (see above for material) (open door) (see above) (put OBJ on pedestal) The OBJ is now resting on the pedestal. [777?] (?)One particularly loud and grating voice can now be heard above the others outside the room. "Very nice! Very nice! Not enough security, but very nice! Now, Lord Feepness, pay attention! I've been thinking and what we need is a dam, a tremendous dam to control the Frigid River, with thousands of gates. Yes! I can see it now. We shall call it ... Flood Control Dam #2. No, not quite right. Aha! It will be Flood Control Dam #3." "Pardon me, my Lord, but wouldn't that be just a tad excessive?" "Nonsense! Now, let me tell you my idea for hollowing out volcanoes..." With that, the voices trail out into nothingness. Engravings Room You are in a room with passages heading southwest and southeast. The north wall is ornately carved, filled with strange runes and writing in an unfamiliar language. RUNES OLD MAN SECRET DOOR (The outline of a door is barely visible on the surface of the rock.) (read engravings) The runes are in an ancient language. Some pictures, among the runes, depict flames, stone statues, and figures of old men. (open door) The massive stone door opens noiselessly. Beyond the once-secret door are dark, forbidding stairs that lead down to a passage below. Dim light, as from torches, can be seen in the passage. Button Room You are standing at the southern end of a long, dimly lit hall. To the south, stairs ascend into darkness. To the north the corridor is illuminated by torches set high in the walls, out of reach. On one wall is a red button. (take torches) The torches are out of reach. (push button) Click. (push button, if blocked beam) Click. Snap! (wait too long) The button pops back to its original position. Beam Room You are in the middle of a long north-south corridor whose walls are polished stone. A narrow red beam of light crosses the room at the north end, inches above the floor. The corridor continues north and south. [The beam is stopped halfway across the room by a OBJECT lying on the floor.] (Drop item) You conveniently drop the OBJECT in position to block the beam of light. (Look at beam) The red beam of light crosses the north end of the room only an inch or so above the floor. [The beam is broken by a OBJECT lying on the ground.] (follow beam) It simply crosses the northern end of the room, so there's nowhere to follow it. (Jump over beam) You jump over the beam and into the hallway. (?)The beam is now interrupted by a OBJECT lying on the floor. (?)The OBJECT already breaks the beam. (?)The beam is broken briefly as it passes through. (?)No doubt you have a bottle of moonbeams as well. Hallway (1) This is a part of the long hallway. The east and west walls are dressed stone. In the center of the hall is a shallow stone channel. In the center of the room the channel widens into a large hole around which is engraved a compass rose. The hallway continues south. A large mirror(panel) fills the north(south) side of the hallway. [The mirror is mounted on a panel which has been opened outward.] [The corridor continues north.] (direction) There is a large mirror blocking your way. (direction) There is a large broken mirror blocking your way. (direction) There is a wooden wall blocking your way. (wait too long after button push) The mirror quietly swings shut. Inside Mirror You are inside a rectangular box of wood whose structure is rather complicated. Four sides and the roof are filled in, and the floor is open. As you face the side opposite the entrance, two short sides of carved and polished wood are to your left and right. The left panel is mahogany, the right pine. The wall you face is red on its left half and black on its right. On the entrance side, the wall is white opposite the red part of the wall it faces, and yellow opposite the black section. The painted walls are at least twice the length of the unpainted ones. The ceiling is painted blue. In the floor is a stone channel about six inches wide and a foot deep. The channel is oriented in a north-south direction. In the exact center of the room the channel widens into a circular depression perhaps two feet wide. Incised in the stone around this area is a compass rose. Running from one short wall to the other at about waist height is a wooden bar, carefully carved and drilled. This bar is pierced in two places. The first hole is in the center of the bar (and thus the center of the room). The second is at the left end of the room (as you face opposite the entrance). Through each hole runs a wooden pole. The pole at the left end of the bar is short, extending about a foot above the bar, and ends in a hand grip. The… …pole has been dropped into a hole carved in the stone floor. …has been lifted out of a hole carved in the stone floor. There is evidently enough friction to keep the pole from dropping back down. …is positioned above the stone channel in the floor. …has been dropped into the stone channel incised in the floor. …is resting on the stone floor. The long pole at the center of the bar extends from the ceiling through the bar to the circular area in the stone channel. This bottom end of the pole has a T-bar a bit less than two feet long attached to it, and on the T-bar is carved an arrow. The arrow and T-bar are pointing DIRECTION (default “west”). [The pine panel has been opened outward.] T-BAR WOODEN BAR WHITE PANEL YELLOW PANEL SHORT POLE RED PANEL PINE PANEL MAHOGANY PANEL LONG POLE COMPASS ARROW BLACK PANEL (Direction) You are inside a closed box! You would hit one of the panels. As you leave, the door swings shut. The panel is closed. A mirror blocks your way. The structure blocks your way. The compass rose is made of stone and is imbedded in the ground. You could not possibly turn it or move it. You don't have enough leverage to turn the T-bar itself. You might cause the whole structure to turn, however. (open panel) I don't see a way to open the panel here. (break panel) To break the panel you would have to break the mirror first. (break panel) The panel is not that easily destroyed. (open mirror) I don't see a way to open the mirror here. (Look mirror) A disheveled adventurer stares back at you. (look mirror, invisible) Amazingly, you have no reflection! (look mirror, broken) You have destroyed the mirror, or have you forgotten? (break mirror) The mirror breaks, revealing a wooden panel behind it. The glistening fragments of mirror quietly sparkle into nonexistance. (break mirror) The mirror has already been broken. (?)There's no mirror left. (raise short pole) The pole is now slightly above the floor. (raise short pole) The pole cannot be raised further. (lower short pole) The pole is lowered into the channel. (lower short pole) The pole cannot be lowered further. (lower short pole) The pole is lowered into the stone hole. (lower short pole) The pole is already resting on the floor. (lower short pole) The pole now rests on the stone floor. (?)The structure won't budge. (Push panels if short pole lowered) The structure shakes slightly but doesn't move. (push red/yellow) The structure rotates clockwise. (Push white/black) The structure rotates counterclockwise. The arrow on the compass rose now indicates DIRECTION. The short pole prevents the structure from rotating. The structure rocks back and forth slightly but doesn't move. The structure has reached the end of the stone channel and won't budge. The pine wall swings open. The pine wall closes quietly. The pine door opens into the field of view of the Guardians. The pine door opens into the field of view of the Guardians of Zork, represented by two identical stone statues carrying bludgeons. The structure sways unsteadily… The structure slides… …and stops over another compass rose. (?)wooden panel which once contained a mirror. (?)The panel has been opened outward. (?)The mirror is mounted on a wooden panel which moves slightly inward as you push, and back out when you let go. The mirror feels fragile. (?)The mirror is unyielding, but seems rather fragile. (?)The wooden panel moves slightly inward as you push, and back out when you let go. (?)The panel is unyielding. (?)You can't budge it; at least from here. Narrow Room (east and west) (formed after mirror box is turned) You are in a narrow room, whose (east/west) wall is a large mirror. The opposite wall is solid rock. To the north and south are large hallways. [To the north is a large hallway.] Hallway (2) [The corridor continues north and south.] Hallway (3) This is a part of the long hallway. The east and west walls are dressed stone. In the center of the hall is a shallow stone channel. In the center of the room the channel widens into a large hole around which is engraved a compass rose. Somewhat to the north, identical stone statues face each other from pedestals on opposite sides of the corridor. The statues represent Guardians of Zork, a military order of ancient lineage. They are portrayed as heavily armored warriors standing at ease, hands clasped around formidable bludgeons. [The south[north] side of the room is divided by a wooden wall into small hallways to the southeast and southwest [northeast and northwest]] [The corridor continues north and south.] (look at guardians) The guardians are quite impressive. I wouldn't get in their way if I were you! (throw OBJ) The OBJECT flies within sight of the guardians, who, in perfect unison, destroy it utterly. Satisfied, they resume their posts. (attack guardians) You aren't close enough to fight them and even if you were, the contest would be a bit one-sided. (?)The statues are impassive. Hallway (4) This is a part of the long hallway. The east and west walls are dressed stone. In the center of the hall is a shallow stone channel. In the center of the room the channel widens into a large hole around which is engraved a compass rose. On either side of you are identical stone statues holding bludgeons. They appear ready to strike, though, for the moment, they remain impassive. The corridor continues north and south. (look at guardians) To the east and west are the Guardians of Zork, in perfect symmetry. From here, it's hard to tell which of the two is a reflection! The Guardians awake, and in perfect unison, utterly destroy you with their stone bludgeons. Satisfied, they resume their posts. All at once, two immense stone bludgeons come through the top of the structure, crushing you. Suddenly the Guardians realize someone is trying to sneak by them in the structure. They awake and, in perfect unison, hammer the contents of the box (in other words you) to pulp. They then resume their posts, satisfied. Suddenly, two identical stone hands holding tremendous bludgeons come through the top of the structure and hammer the contents of the box to pulp. That includes you. One of the stone figures (or maybe both, it's hard to tell) suddenly springs to life and crushes you with his stone bludgeon. Hallway (5) This is a part of the long hallway. The east and west walls are dressed stone. In the center of the hall is a shallow stone channel. In the center of the room the channel widens into a large hole around which is engraved a compass rose. Somewhat to the south, identical stone statues face each other from pedestals on opposite sides of the corridor. The statues represent Guardians of Zork, a military order of ancient lineage. They are portrayed as heavily armored warriors standing at ease, hands clasped around formidable bludgeons. The corridor continues north. [(?)The hallway continues to the south.] Dungeon Entrance You are in a north-south hallway which ends, to the north, at a large wooden door. The corridor continues south. The wooden door has a barred panel in it at about head height. The door itself is open[closed]. MUST HAVE THESE ITEMS Cloak Hood Golden Amulet Wooden Staff Golden Ring Very Ancient Book Strange Key (open door) The door won't budge. (knock on door) The knock reverberates along the hall. For a time it seems there will be no answer. Then you hear someone unlatching the small wooden panel. Through the bars of the great door, the wrinkled face of an old man appears. [He seems not to take notice of you for for a brief moment, then recovers.] After a moment, he starts to smile broadly. He disappears for an instant and the massive door opens without a sound. The old man motions and you feel yourself drawn toward him. "I am the Master of the Dungeon!" he booms. "I have been watching you closely during your journey through the Great Underground Empire. Yes!," he says, as if recalling some almost forgotten time, "we have met before, although I may not appear as I did then." You look closely into his deeply lined face and see the faces of the old man by the secret door, your "friend" at the cliff, and the hooded figure. "You have shown kindness to the old man, and compassion toward the hooded one. I have seen you display patience in the puzzle and trust at the cliff. You have demonstrated strength, ingenuity, and valor. However, one final test awaits you. Now! Command me as you will, and complete your quest! [He looks you over with his keen, piercing gaze and then speaks gravely. "I have been waiting a long time for you,] [I will remain here. When you feel you are ready, go to the secret door and 'SAY "FROTZ OZMOO"'! Go, now!" He starts to leave but turns back briefly and wags his finger in warning. "Do not forget the double quotes!" A moment later, you find yourself in the Button Room.] (not open yet) but I fear my waiting may be in vain. I must not give up hope! but you have far to go before you are ready. and you seem to have made some progress, albeit slight. and your journey is half complete. Be of good cheer! and you are coming nearer the end of your long quest! and it will not be long yet before you are ready! and you are nearly ready for the last test! Narrow Corridor You are in a narrow north-south corridor. At the south end is a door and at the north end is an east-west corridor. The door is closed. DUNGEON MASTER (open door) The door won’t budge. South Corridor You are in an east-west corridor which turns north at its eastern and western ends. The walls are made of the finest marble. An additional passage leads south at the center of the corridor. [In the center of the north wall is a bronze door which is closed[open]. East Corridor This is a hall with polished marble walls. It widens slightly as it turns west at its northern and southern ends. West Corridor This is a hall with polished marble walls. It widens slightly as it turns east at its northern and southern ends. North Corridor This is a wide east-west corridor which opens onto a northern parapet at its center. You can see flames and smoke as you peer towards the parapet. The corridor turns south at either end, and in the center of the south wall is a heavy wooden door with a small window barred with iron. The door is closed[open]. CELL DOOR (Look at parapet) You can see the parapet and sundial from here. [The dungeon master is there also, leaning on his staff.] Parapet You are standing behind a stone retaining wall which rims a large parapet overlooking a fiery pit. It is difficult to see through the smoke and flame which fills the pit, but it seems to be more or less bottomless. The pit itself is circular, about two hundred feet in diameter, and is fashioned of roughly hewn stone. The flames generate considerable heat, so it is rather uncomfortable standing here. There is an object here which looks like a sundial. On it are an indicator arrow and (in the center) a large button. On the face of the dial are numbers 1 through 8. The indicator points to the number . To the south, across a narrow corridor, is a prison cell. LARGE BUTTON SUNDIAL (north) You would be burned to a crisp in no time. (look at dial) The dial points to . (turn dial to X) The dial now points to X. (spin dial) The dial spins and comes to a stop pointing at X. The dial face only contains numbers. (look at pit) The flaming pit is a seemingly bottomless abyss filled with smoke and flame (throw OBJ in pit) You cast the OBJ into the pit, where it is lost forever. (?)It would be a pity to end your life so near the end of your quest! (Push button) The button depresses with a slight click, and pops back. You notice that the cell door is now closed. What should be thrown into the flaming pit? 1. The end had come, and this was it; He dropped her in the flaming pit. -- Edward Gorey 2. Anything dropped into the pit is lost forever. What will scratch the marble? +---------------------------------------------------------------------+ | | | | | | | | | | | Huh? | +---------------------------------------------------------------------+ Prison Cell(s) You are in a featureless prison cell. You can see an east-west corridor outside the open wooden door in front of you. Your view also takes in the parapet, and behind, a large, fiery pit. (through the small window in the closed door in front of you the parapet, and, behind that, smoke and flames rising from a fiery pit.) [The dungeon master is standing on the parapet, leaning on his wooden staff. His keen gaze is fixed on you and he looks somewhat tense, as if waiting for something to happen.] [Behind you, to the south, is a bronze door which is closed[open].] You are in a bare prison cell. Its wooden door is securely fastened, and you can see only flames and smoke through its small window. On the south wall is a bronze door which seems to be closed[open]. CELL DOOR BRONZE DOOR You are in a bare prison cell. Its wooden door is securely fastened, and you can see only flames and smoke through its small window. (?)You will have to enter the cell first. (?)Look around. (?)The door is securely fastened. (unlock bronze door with key) The key seems to mold itself to the shape of the lock. With a mere twist of your hand, the massive bolt gives way. (open door) The bronze door is locked. (open door) On the other side of the bronze door is a narrow passage which opens out into a larger area. (?)The door is securely fastened. Treasury of Zork This is a large room, richly appointed in a style that bespeaks exquisite taste. To judge from its contents, it is the ultimate storehouse of the wealth of the Great Underground Empire. There are chests here containing precious jewels, mountains of zorkmids, rare paintings, ancient statuary, and beguiling curios. On one wall is an annotated map of the Empire, showing the locations of various troves of treasure, and of several superior scenic views. On a desk at the far end of the room may be found stock certificates representing a controlling interest in FrobozzCo International, the multinational conglomerate and parent company of the Frobozz Magic Boat Co., etc. As you gleefully examine your new-found riches, the Dungeon Master materializes beside you, and says, "Now that you have solved all the mysteries of the Dungeon, it is time for you to assume your rightly-earned place in the scheme of things. Long have I waited for one capable of releasing me from my burden!" He taps you lightly on the head with his staff, mumbling a few well-chosen spells, and you feel yourself changing, growing older and more stooped. For a moment there are two identical mages standing among the treasure, then your counterpart dissolves into a mist and disappears, a sardonic grin on his face. For a moment you are relieved, safe in the knowledge that you have at last completed your quest in ZORK. You begin to feel the vast powers and lore at your command and thirst for an opportunity to use them. CENTRAL AREA: INVISI CLUE How do I get the rust remover tube from the warlock? What a looney! How do I get out of the chasm? 1. How did you get down to the chasm? 2. The folks at Infocom would be very interested. OTHER NONSENSE What is the wet suit for? What wet suit? How is the scuba tank attached to the wet suit? 1. What scuba tank and wet suit? SAMPLE: Why did Lord Dimwit Flathead throw his grandfather clock out the window? 1. Have you studied the trajectory from several angles? 2. Why does he always use the second-story window? 3. Excessive as always, he wanted to see time fly. OBJECT LIST LAMP [BROKEN BRASS LANTERN] (int) Your old friend, the brass lantern, is at your feet. (throw lamp) The lamp has smashed into the floor, and the light has gone out. A burned-out lamp won't light. The lamp has already burned out. The lamp has burned out The lamp is on. The lamp is turned off. The lamp isn't functioning (probably from having gotten wet). The lamp appears a bit dimmer. The lamp is definitely dimmer now. The lamp is nearly out. SWORD Your sword has begun to glow very brightly. Your sword is glowing with a faint blue glow. Your sword is no longer glowing. PIECE OF WAYBREAD (int) It seems as if somebody has been here recently, as there is some fresh bread lying beneath one of the other trees. A piece of bread is on the ground here. (Cut bread with sword) The bread is crushed rather than cut by your sword, and the crumbs scatter to the wind. CHEST (int) A large chest, closed and locked, is lying among the boulders. [The chest, open and empty, is at your feet.] (open chest) The chest is locked and cannot be opened. WOODEN STAFF / BROKEN STAFF (burn) The staff is instantly consumed in a ball of flame. You along with it. PILE OF ASSORTED VALUABLES TORCH [BURNED-OUT TORCH] (int) Mounted on one wall is a flaming torch, which fills the room with flickering light. It's hopeless. The torch is wet. It's already lit. You have nothing to light it with. You manage to extinguish the flame. It has already been extinguished. HOODED FIGURE HOOD CLOAK A cloaked and hooded person, carrying a sword not unlike your own, (is here)/(is standing blocking the way to the X.) (walking nearby) You can hear quiet footsteps nearby. (enters) Through the shadows, a cloaked and hooded figure appears before you, blocking the X ern exit from the room and carrying a brightly glowing sword. (getting sword) From nowhere, the sword from the junction appears in your hand, wildly glowing! (getting sword) Your sword, glowing wildly, appears in your hand! (direction he came from) Your way is blocked by the hooded figure. (take cloak) The cloak is fastened around the neck of the hooded figure. It would be difficult to remove. (look under cloak) You cannot get close enough to look underneath the cloak. (take hood) You cannot get close enough to the hooded figure to remove the hood. (take hood?) The hooded figure, though recovering from wounds, is strong enough to force you back. (take hood) You slowly remove the hood from your badly wounded opponent and recoil in horror at the sight of your own face, weary and wounded. A faint smile comes to the lips and then the face starts to change, very slowly, into that of an old, wizened person. The image fades and with it the body of your hooded opponent. The cloak remains on the ground. (look under hood) The figure's hood casts a dark shadow over its face. There is no way from where you stand to look beneath it. (attack with other) The hooded figure ignores your feeble attack. (talk to) The hooded figure does not respond to your words. (give) The hooded figure isn't interested in your gifts. The figure appears to be badly hurt and defenseless. The figure is hurt, and its strength appears to be fading. The figure has some wounds and is probably not capable of hindering your movement. The figure has a light wound which hasn't affected its seemingly great strength. The figure has a great deal of strength, perhaps matching your own. A good parry! Your sword wounds the hooded figure! A quick stroke catches the hooded figure off guard! Blood trickles down the figure's arm! The hooded figure is hit with a quick slash! Your move was not quick enough and misses the mark. A quick stroke, but the hooded figure is on guard. A good stroke, but it's too slow. A good slash, but it misses by a mile. You charge, but the hooded figure jumps nimbly aside. The hooded figure catches you off guard and wounds you! You are wounded by a lightning thrust! Your quick reflexes cannot stop the hooded figure's stroke! You are hit! In your wounded state, you cannot defend yourself against your still-quick opponent. Slowly and carefully, the figure starts to remove its hood as you fall to the ground, dead. The hooded figure stabs nonchalantly with its sword and misses. You dodge as the hooded figure comes in low. The hooded figure tries to sneak past your guard, but you twist away. The hooded figure thrusts, but you fight back and send it flying to the ground! The hooded figure attempts a thrust, but its weakened state prevents hitting you. The hooded figure swings its sword and sends yours flying to the ground. Although you are defenseless, the figure reaches for your sword and hands it back to you, nodding grimly. Your opponent blocks your attack with its sword. A sharp thrust and the hooded figure is badly wounded! A brilliant feint puts you off guard, and the hooded figure slips its sword between your ribs. You are hurt very badly. The hooded figure, fatally wounded, slumps to the ground. It gazes up at you once, and you catch a brief glimpse of deep and sorrowful eyes. Before you can react, the figure vanishes in a cloud of fetid vapor. BROKEN TIMBER FROBOZZ MAGIC GRUE REPELLENT (int) A spray can is in the corner. In large type is the legend "Frobozz Magic Grue Repellent." (read) !!! FROBOZZ MAGIC GRUE REPELLENT !!! Instructions for use: Apply liberally to creature to be protected. Duration of effect is unpredictable. Use only in place of death! (No warranty expressed or implied) (burn) The can explodes and you die a horribly smelly death. (shake) There is a sloshing sound from inside. (shake) The can seems empty. The spray stinks amazingly for a few moments, then drifts away. The repellent is all gone. (spray can on me) The spray smells like a mixture of old socks and burning rubber. If I were a grue I'd sure stay clear! That horrible smell is much less pungent now. STRANGE KEY The light from above seems to be focused in the center of the room, where a single key is lying in the dust. (examine key) (1) The key is a long and heavy skeleton key. (2) The key is short and stubby, shaped like no lock you have ever seen. (3) The key is round and thin, more like a pencil than a key. (4) The key is shiny with many prongs. (5) The key is sharp as an awl, and rusted badly. Strange, though. The key seems to change shape constantly. (unlock) The key molds itself to the lock but will not turn. GOLD MACHINE Directly in front of you is a large golden machine, which has a seat with a console in front. On the console is a single button and a dial connected to a three-digit display which reads 948. The machine is suprisingly shiny and shows few signs of age. The machine consists of a seat and a console containing one small button and a dial connected to a display which reads 948. (take) The machine must weigh hundreds of pounds and cannot be carried. You can't put anything on or inside the machine itself. You might be able to move the machine by pushing it. That would be a good trick from inside it. (?seat) That will be somewhat uncomfortable! (push) With some effort, you push the machine into the room with you. (push to Door) However, the machine seems to have sustained some damage as a result of going over the stairs. (push to Puzzle) Pushing the machine through the cleft seems to have damaged it. (direction while inside) You're not going anywhere in this heap. (examine dial) The dial is set to 948. (set dial to X) You can't set it beyond 999. WARNING NOTE Lying on the ground is a small note of some kind. (read) Warning: The Royal Puzzle is quite dangerous and it is possible to become trapped within its confines. Please do not enter the puzzle after hours or when museum personnel are not present. The Management GOLDEN RING JEWELED KNIFE SCEPTRE VERY ANCIENT BOOK (int) Nestled inside the niche is an old and dusty book. There is an old book here. (read) The book is written in a strong and elegant hand and is full of strange and wondrous pictures. The text is in a tongue unknown to you and is penned in many colours. Some of the words seem to change colour as you read them. The book itself is very old and the pages dry and brittle. (open) The book can be perused but not left open. (burn) The book is consumed in a dazzling display of color. The book seems to will itself open to a specific page. On it is a picture of eight small rooms located around a great circle of flame. All are identical save one, which has a bronze door leading to a magnificent room bathed in golden light. A legend beneath the picture says only "The Dungeon and Treasury of Zork." OLD MAN An old and wizened man is huddled, asleep, in the corner. He is snoring loudly. From his appearance, he is weak and frail. There is an old man huddled in the corner, eyeing you cautiously. He seems weak and tired, and nods off frequently. The man is very, very old and wizened. He has a long, stringy beard and is snoring quite loudly. The old man is barely awake and appears to nod off every few moments. He has bright eyes, which, when open, appear to see right through your body. (Give) He is asleep! (give other) He refuses your offer but motions with his arm to the waybread in your hand. (give other) The old man refuses the OBJECT with a wave of his hand. (give waybread) He looks up at you and takes the waybread from you. Slowly, he eats the bread and pauses when he is finished. He starts to speak: "Perhaps what you seek is through there!" He points at the carved wall to the north, where you now notice the bare outline of a secret door. When you turn back to the old man, you notice that he has gone! (wake man) The old man is roused to consciousness. He peers at you through eyes which appear much younger and stronger than his frail body and waits, as if expecting something to happen. (listen to) He is snoring like a buzz saw. (listen to) He isn't talking. (talk to) He is sleeping soundly and does not respond. (talk to) He nods at you without seeming to have understood. (wait too long) You notice that the old man has fallen asleep. (attack) The attack seems to have left the old man unharmed! You watch in awe as he rises to his feet and seems to tower above you. He peers down menacingly, then sadly and wearily. "Not yet," he mourns, and vanishes in a puff of smoke. VIAL [HEAVY BUT INVISIBLE LIQUID] (look at) It is a small, transparent vial which looks empty but is strangely heavy. (look at) It is a small, transparent vial which is light and empty. (open vial) The vial is open. There is a sweet odor from within the vial, apparently coming from a heavy but invisible liquid. (?)Nothing seems to come out, although the vial is lighter now. (put something in vial) You can't seem to put anything in it. (smell vial) The vial (or something in it) smells sweet. (?)It feels like there's something inside, but you can't see anything even though the vial is transparent. (Pour our?) Nothing seems to come out, although the sweet smell disappears from the vial, seeming to permeate the air briefly before fading entirely. (?)It spills onto the OBJECT and vanishes. (drink) You "drink" the contents in one gulp, but nothing unusual seems to have happened as a result. DUNGEON MASTER The dungeon master is quietly leaning on his staff here. (Examine) He is dressed simply in a hood and cloak, wearing an amulet and ring, carrying an old book under one arm, and leaning on a wooden staff. A single key, as if to a prison cell, hangs from his belt. (take) "I'm willing to accompany you, but not ride in your pocket!" (Give) "I have no need for those things." (DM, open [narrow corridor] door) The dungeon master appears angered. "Do not run from your quest: you are nearing the end!" (DM, take) "I will have no use for that, I am afraid." (DM, stay) The dungeon master answers, "I will stay." (DM, follow) The dungeon master answers, "I will follow." (DM, turn dial) "If you wish," he replies. "Do not be foolish! Consider the end of your quest!" He politely refuses your offer. The dungeon master is standing on the parapet. He can't hear you. "Very well!" "I am not permitted to enter the prison cell." "I prefer to stay where I am, thank you." "Very well. I am at the parapet!" The dungeon master's voice replies, "You must come here first!" You notice that the dungeon master doesn't follow you. The dungeon master rejoins you. The dungeon master follows you. (attack) The dungeon master is taken momentarily by surprise. He dodges your blow, and then, with a disappointed expression on his face, he raises his staff, and traces a complicated pattern in the air. As it completes you crumble into dust. (earthquake, if near eastern side) There is a great tremor from within the earth. The entire dungeon shakes violently and loose debris starts to fall from above you. (earthquake if far away) You feel a mild tremor from within the earth which passes quickly. (if at Aqueduct View) One of the giant pillars supporting the aqueduct collapses in a pile of smoke and rubble! (if at High Arch) The channel beneath your feet trembles. At once, the channel directly to the north of you collapses with its supporting pillar and falls into the chasm! (if at Water Slide) The channel beneath your feet trembles. At once, the channel directly to the south of you collapses with its supporting pillar and falls into the chasm! (if at Great Door) To the east, to the right of the great iron door, a large cleft opens up, revealing an open area behind! (Death) You find yourself deep within the earth in a barren prison cell. Outside the iron-barred window, you can see a great, fiery pit. Flames leap up and very nearly sear your flesh. After a while, footfalls can be heard in the distance, then closer and closer.... The door swings open, and in walks an old man. He is dressed simply in a hood and cloak, wearing a few simple jewels, carrying something under one arm, and leaning on a wooden staff. A single key, as if to a massive prison cell, hangs from his belt. He raises the staff toward you and you hear him speak, as if in a dream: "I await you, though your journey be long and full of peril. Go then, and let me not wait long!" You feel some great power well up inside you and you fall to the floor. The next moment, you are awakening, as if from a deep slumber. (alternate death?) You feel yourself disembodied in a deep blackness. A voice from the void speaks: "I have waited a long age for you, my friend, but perhaps it has been another that I have been seeking. Good night, oh worthy adventurer!" It is the last you hear. (what is a grue) The grue is a sinister, lurking presence in the dark places of the earth. Its favorite diet is adventurers, but its insatiable appetite is tempered by its fear of light. No grue has ever been seen by the light of day, and few have survived its fearsome jaws to tell the tale. There is no grue here, but I'm sure there is at least one lurking in the darkness nearby. I wouldn't let my light go out if I were you! It makes no sound but is always lurking in the darkness nearby. Oh, no! A lurking grue slithered into the room and devoured you! Oh, no! You have walked into the slavering fangs of a lurking grue! Oh, no! You have walked into a den of hungry grues and it's dinner time! There are odd noises in the darkness, and there is no exit in that direction. (frobozz) The FROBOZZ Corporation created, owns, and operates this dungeon. (diagnose) S165: "You are dead." S166: "You are very seriously wounded. One more wound would very likely do you in." S167: "You are hurt quite badly. One major wound would probably kill you." S168: "You have a few wounds, which do not seriously impair your strength." S169: "You are wounded lightly. You have a good deal of strength in reserve." S170: "You are in perfect health." (?) Oh, no. The OBJECT slips from your arms while taking the OBJECT and both tumble to the ground. (hide) There's no good surface on the OBJECT. (donate) FOOOO!! (bug) If there is a problem here, it is unintentional. You may report your problem to the address provided in your documentation. (pull) I don't juggle objects! (blast) You can't blast anything by using words. (pour) Foo! (plugh) A hollow voice says "Fool." (eat) Thank you very much. It really hit the spot. (eat) Thank you very much. I was rather thirsty (from all this talking, probably). (Curse) Insults of this nature won't help you. / What a loony! / Such language in a high-class establishment like this! (chase) You're nuts! (stay) You will be lost without me! (pray) If you pray enough, your prayers may be answered. (Jump) The OBJECT is too big to jump over. That would be a good trick. This was not a very safe place to try jumping. (take water) The water slips through your fingers. (?)The fall would kill you. (chasm) You look before leaping and realize you would never survive. You'll have to find a bridge. The OBJ drops out of sight into the chasm. (barf) I don't know how to do that. I win in all cases! (win) Naturally! (scream) Aarrrrrgggggggghhhhhhhhhhh! (banish) What a bizarre concept! (dig) Digging with the OBJECT is very silly. (dig) The ground is too hard here. (dig) The ground is too hard for digging here. (mumble) You'll have to speak up if you expect me to hear you! (zork) At your service! (play) You are so engrossed in the role of the X that you kill yourself, just as he would have done! (say ozmoo) (chant) The incantation echoes back faintly, but nothing else happens. (lean on) Are you so very tired, then? (Kill me?) If you insist.... Poof, you're dead! (?) S032: "Hello." S033: "Good day." S034: "Nice weather we've been having lately." S035: "Goodbye." S036: "Very good. Now you can go to the second grade." S037: "Have you tried hopping around the dungeon, too?" S038: "Are you enjoying yourself?" S039: "Wheeeeeeeeee!!!!!" S040: "Do you expect me to applaud?" S041: "You should have looked before you leaped." S042: "I'm afraid that leap was a bit much for your weak frame." S043: "In the movies, your life would be passing in front of your eyes." S044: "Geronimo....." S045: "Unfortunately, you were holding it at the time." S046: "kill" S047: "attack" S048: "Kicking the " S049: "Waving the " S050: "Playing in this way with the " S051: "Fiddling with the " S052: "Pushing the " S053: "Trying to destroy the " S054: " doesn't seem to work." S055: " isn't notably helpful." S056: " doesn't work." S057: " has no effect." S058: "A valiant attempt." S059: "You can't be serious." S060: "An interesting idea..." S061: "What a concept!" Zork III game data ends. End of Appendix A. Appendix B: Zork I manual In 659 GUE*, the Kingdom of Quendor was relatively small, encompassing seven-and-a-half provinces on the western shore of the Great Sea, an agrarian land whose major products were rope and mosquito netting. It was the thirty-first year of the reign of Zilbo III, part of a dynasty dating back more than six centuries to Entharion the Wise, the first King of Quendor. However, that dynasty was about to end with the ascension of Duncanthrax to the throne of Quendor on the final day of 659. Little is known about what became of Zilbo after 659. Some say he was killed during a palace revolt, or simply died from too much reveling while celebrating the upcoming New Year. There is evidence that he was exiled to a villa where he invented the card game Double Fanucci. Likewise, historians disagree about Duncanthraxís life prior to 659. A petition signed by palace guards in 657, asking for an increase in the mosquito netting allotment, bears a signature that looks suspiciously like ìDuncanthrax.î Some historians insist that Duncanthrax was general of the Royal Militia. One legend even suggests that Duncanthrax was a demon who assumed human form. Another legend describes him as a former rope salesman. Whatever his origins, Duncanthrax quickly developed a reputation for cruelty, bloodthirstiness and aggressiveness, thus earning himself the nickname ìThe Bellicose King.î He raised a tremendous army and began a systematic conquest of the neighboring kingdoms. Within three years, Duncanthrax ruled an empire that controlled virtually all the land between the Great Sea and the Kovalli Desert. *Adding GUE after a year did not become common practice until the latter part of the eighth century. An ancient villa on the outskirts of Mithicus, similar to the one where Zilbo may have lived in exile. C H A P T E R O N E n 665, the forces of Duncanthrax vanquished the Antharian Armada at the famous battle of Fort Griffspotter. The island-nation of Antharia was, at the time, the world's premier sea power, and this victory gave Duncanthrax undisputed control of the Great Sea and put the superb ship-building facilities of Antharia at his disposal. (The conquest of Antharia also gave Duncanthrax possession of Anthariaís famed granola mines. Unfortunately, no one in Quendor liked granola.) Within months, Quendorís navy was returning from voyages with tales of a magical land on the distant eastern shore of the Great Sea. Duncanthrax was incensed that this vast land existed outside his dominion, and spent many nights storming the halls of his castle bellowing at his servants and advisors. Then, one day, he had a sudden inspiration: assemble a huge fleet, cross the Great Sea and conquer the lands on the eastern shore. Not only would he extend his empire, but he'd finally have a market for all that useless granola. As Duncanthraxís invasion swept across the new lands, he made a startling discovery: huge caverns and tunnels, populated by gnomes, trolls and other magical races, all of whom loved granola. Even as Duncanthrax conquered this region, his imagination was inspired by this natural underground formation. Questions, Discussions, Projects and Further Readings: 1. Would you have left a job as a rope salesman to become King of Quendor? List the pros and cons. 2. Find Quendor on a modern map. Is it a large area? What natural features of the area would have helped Quendor to conquer all the neighboring lands? 3. Do you think that Duncanthrax was a mean king for attacking other kingdoms? What other reasons besides meanness might he have had? 4. Stage a mock peace conference, with one of your classmates playing Duncanthrax and other classmates playing the kings of the surrounding lands. The other kings should try to convince Duncanthrax not to attack them. 5. Read The New Yearís Revolt, by Jezbar Foolion. C H A P T E R T W O If these caverns and tunnels were possible in nature, so might they be formed by humans! Duncanthrax realized that by burrowing into the ground he could increase the size of his empire fivefold or even tenfold! The Frobozz Magic Construction Company (the forerunner of the modern industrial giant FrobozzCo International) was formed to undertake this project in 668. For the remaining 20 years of Duncanthraxís reign, cavern-building continued at a breakneck pace. The natural caverns in the eastern lands were expanded tremendously, and new caverns and passages were dug in the western lands, chiefly in the vicinity of Duncanthraxís castle, Egreth. By the time of his death in 688, Duncanthrax ruled virtually all territory in the known world, above and below ground. In 666, Duncanthraxís navy returned from its expedition to the eastern shore of the Great Sea with tales of a magical underground civilization (left) and giant red xís (right). Questions, Discussions, Projects and Further Readings: 1. What would it be like to live underground? If there are any caves near your home, spend a week underground to see what it's like. 2. Read Construction of the Empire, by Mumboz Agrippa, Wouldnít It Be Fun To Live Underground?, by Lorissa Frob and The Seventy Year Snidgel, by Harv Dornfrob. These pie charts show the fiscal priorities of the Empire under three kings who ruled centuries apart: Bozbo IV, Duncanthrax and Dimwit Flathead. EXPENDATURES OF THREE ROYAL GOVERNMENTS 580 GUE 680 GUE 780 GUE 14% 2% Royal Military Bureaucracy 18% Construction of Roads 66% Other and Bridges 5% Other 54% Construction of Caverns 33% Military 8% Royal Bureaucracy 2% Other 29% Construction of Dams, etc. 68% Royal Bureaucracy 1% Military fter Duncanthrax, the throne was occupied by a long series of his descendants. These were unspectacular rulers, who took on the surname Flathead, for obscure reasons not necessarily related to the planar shape of their pates. During this period, there was very little change in the Empire, as the conquered kingdoms were assimilated into Quendor and the frantic pace of tunneling gradually abated. In 770, nearly a century after the death of Duncanthrax, his great-great-grandson, Dimwit Flathead, assumed the throne. Lord Dimwit, as he liked to be called, was a colorful character, but was also the single worst ruler the Empire ever produced. His vanity was surpassed only by his outrageous sense of proportion. For example, his coronation took 13 years to plan (and therefore took place two-thirds of the way through his reign), lasted an additional year and a half, and cost 12 times the Empireís GNP. Dimwit was the first king to call Quendor ìThe Great Underground Empire,î and within a few years the new name had completely displaced the older one. Dimwit also renamed the Great Sea ìthe Flathead Ocean,î and seemed to prefer the newer lands on the eastern shore. He even moved the Empireís capital from Egreth (in the westlands) to Flatheadia (in the eastlands). While Dimwit certainly inherited Duncanthraxís ambition and ingratiating personality, he directed them in a somewhat less productive fashion. Whereas Duncanthrax used his power to expand his empire, Dimwit was motivated to realize his bizarre whims. Raising the kingdomís tax rate to just over 98%, Dimwit began a series of grandiose projects that soon earned him the title ìFlathead the Excessive.î Among these projects: the construction of mammoth Flood Control Dam Number Three (a massive edifice with virtually no useful purpose, since it never rains underC H A P T E R T H R E E IMPORTANT POLITICAL AND CULTURAL EVENTS This time line shows the dates of some of the events that shaped the history of The Great Underground Empire. Cultural events are listed above the time line and political events are listed below. 668 FrobozzCo International Incorporated 691 1st Double Fanucci Championship 732 Frobozz Philharmonic Founded 777 Royal Museum Dedicated 841 Elvis Flatheadís First Concert 883 Great Underground Empire Falls 865 Granola Riots 789 Dimwit Flathead Dies 770 Dimwit Flathead Ascends Throne 688 Duncanthrax Dies 666 Underground Caverns Discovered 659 Duncanthrax Ascends Throne Cultural Events Political Events ground), the creation of the Royal Museum (to house the crown jewels), the defoliation of four hundred thousand acres of lush forest (to erect a nine-bloit-high statue of himself in the Fublio Valley) and the production of enormous granola smelters of Plumbat. Just before his death in 789, Flathead was rumored to be planning his greatest dream: the creation of a new continent in the center of the Flathead Ocean. The outline and contours of the new continent would have been a gigantic reproduction of his own visage. Lord Dimwit erected a nine-bloit-high statue of himself to lend credence to the Royal motto, ìA truly great leader is larger than life.î Questions, Discussions, Projects and Further Readings: 1. How many things can you think of that are named after the Flatheads? Make a list. 2. Try to collect 10 zorkmids from everyone on your block, telling them that the money will be used to erect a giant statue of yourself. Use force if necessary. See if the others on your block begin to resent you. 3. Read The Lives of the Twelve Flatheads, by Boswell Barwell. C H A P T E R F O U R Questions, Discussions, Projects and Further Readings: 1. Collect several horses for yourself and your classmates. Ride through the center of your town, pillaging stores, burning homes and slaughtering young children and old women. Afterwards, ask people around town what it was like to live in a lawless state. 2. Read The Dark Age of Frobozz, by Sybar Zeebin and So You Want To Sack an Empire, by Uncle Frobizzmus. lthough Dimwit was certainly the most flagrantly indulgent ruler in the history of The Great Underground Empire, most of the Flatheads who followed him did their best to uphold the tradition of excessiveness. The high level of taxation continued, although the money was increasingly spent not on massive construction projects but on extravagant parties and long vacation trips for members of the Royal Family. In 883, after countless years of decadence and overtaxation, The Great Underground Empire collapsed, the Royal Treasury was sacked and everyone moved somewhere else. THE KINGS OF QUENDOR This table shows the rulers of Quendor, later known as The Great Underñ ground Empire, through its collapse in 883 GUE. The Entharion Dynasty Entharion the Wise 0-41 Mysterion the Brave 41-55 Zylon the Aged 55-398 Zilbo I 398-423 Bozbo I 423-429 Zilbo II 429-451 Harmonious Fzort 451-477 Bozbo II 477-481 Thaddium Fzort 481-545 Mumbo I 545-569 Bozbo III 569-575 Bozbo IV 575-619 Mumbo II 619-628 Zilbo III 628-659 The Flathead Dynasty Duncanthrax the Bellicose 659-688 Belwit the Flat 688-701 Frobwit the Flatter 701-727 Timberthrax Flathead 727-738 Phloid Flathead 738-755 Mumberthrax Flathead 755-770 Dimwit Flathead 770-789 Loowit Flathead 789-813 Duncwit Flathead 813-843 Barbawit Flathead 843-845 Idwit Oogle Flathead 845-881 Wurb Flathead 881-883 Instruction Manual for ZORK I: The Great Underground Empire Instruction Manual 9 10 Instruction Manual Instruction Manual 11 Instruction Manual for ZORK I: The Great Underground Empire Welcome to ZORK! You are about to experience a classic interactive fantasy, set in a magical universe. The ZORK trilogy takes place in the ruins of an ancient empire lying far underground. You, a dauntless treasure-hunter, are venturing into this dangerous land in search of wealth and adventure. Because each part of the ZORK saga is a completely independent story, you can explore them in any order. However, since ZORK I is the least difficult, it is usually the best place to begin. Many strange tales have been told of the fabulous treasures, exotic creatures and diabolical puzzles in the Great Underground Empire. As an aspiring adventurer, you will undoubtedly want to locate the treasures and deposit them in your trophy case. Youíd better equip yourself with a source of light (for the caverns are dark) and weapons (for some of the inhabitants are unfriendlyóespecially the thief, a skilled pickpocket and ruthless opponent). If youíre experienced with Infocomís interactive fiction, you may not feel like reading this entire manual. However, you should at least read about scoring (on page 12) and look at the listing of recognized verbs (on page 19). Table of Contents An Overview Page 12 • What is interactive fiction? • Moving around • Turns and scoring Tips for Novices 13 Nine useful pointers about interactive fiction Communicating with ZORK 14 • Basic sentences • Complex sentences • Talking to characters in the story • Vocabulary limitations Starting and Stopping 16 • Starting ZORK (ìBooting Upî) • Saving and restoring • Quitting and restarting Quick Reference Guide 17 This briefly describes the most important things to know about interactive fiction. It is vital that you know all these things before you begin your adventure. Important Commands 18 Some Recognized Verbs 19 ZORK Complaints 20 Sample Transcript 21 and Map Weíre Never Satisfied 23 If You Have Technical 23 Problems Author Biographies 24 Information 12 Instruction Manual An Overview Interactive fiction is a story in which you are the main character. Your own thinking and imagination determine the actions of that character and guide the story from start to finish. Each work of Infocomís interactive fiction, such as the three ZORK adventures, presents you with a series of locations, items, characters and events. You can interact with these in a variety of ways. To move from place to place, type the direction you want to go. When you begin your adventure, itís a good idea to become familiar with your surroundings by exploring every location and reading each description carefully. (You may notice that ZORK occasionally refers to a location as a ìroom,î even if you are outdoors.) As you explore the Empire, it is helpful to draw a map of the geography. An important element of interactive fiction is puzzle-solving. You should think of a locked door or a ferocious beast not as a permanent obstacle, but merely as a puzzle to be tackled. Solving puzzles will frequently involve bringing a certain item with you and then using it in the proper way. In ZORK, time passes only in response to your input. You might imagine a clock that ticks once for each sentence you type, and the adventure progresses only at each tick. Nothing happens until you type a sentence and press the RETURN (or ENTER) key, so you can plan your turns as slowly and carefully as you want. To measure your progress, ZORK I keeps track of your score. Youíll get points for solving puzzles, acquiring treasures, performing certain actions and visiting certain locations. You will also get points for putting treasures into the trophy case. There may be a penalty for getting ìkilled.î Instruction Manual 13 Tips for Novices 1. Draw a map. It should include each location, the directions connecting it to adjoining locations and any interesting objects there. (See the small sample map that goes along with the sample transcript on page 21.) Some puzzles are almost impossible to solve without completely mapping the area. Note that there are 10 possible directions, plus IN and OUT. And since some passages twist and curve, going NORTH from Place A to Place B doesnít always mean that SOUTH will take you back to Place A. 2. Most objects that you can pick up are important, either as treasures or as solutions to puzzles, or both! 3. Save your place often. That way, if you mess up or get ìkilled,î you wonít have to start over from the beginning. See page 16 for instructions. 4. Read carefully. There are often clues in the descriptions of locations and objects, as well as in labels, engravings, books and so on. Even strange or dangerous actions may provide clues and might prove to be fun! You can always save your position first if you want. Hereís a fun example: > PUT ON THE GREEN CALICO HAT The munchkins giggle, but remain unconvinced that youíre a witch. Youíve just learned there is something which might convince the munchkins that youíre a witch. They might even give you their enchanted broom. Perhaps if you put on that blue calico dress you came across earlier in the storyÖ 5. Unlike other ìadventure gamesî that you may have played, there are many possible routes to the end of ZORK. Some puzzles have more than one solution; other puzzles donít need to be solved at all. Sometimes you will have to solve one puzzle in order to obtain the item(s) or information you need to solve another puzzle. 6. You may find it helpful to explore ZORK with another person. Different people may find different puzzles easy and can often complement each other. 7. If you really have difficulty, you can order a hint booklet and a complete map using the order form in your package. You donít need the hint booklet to enjoy the story, but it will make solving ZORK I easier. 8. Read the sample transcript on page 21 to get a feel for how Infocomís interactive fiction works. 9. You can word a command in many different ways. For example, to turn the brass lantern on, you could use any of the following: > LIGHT LAMP. > TURN ON THE LAMP. > TURN THE LAMP ON. > ACTIVATE THE LAMP. > LIGHT THE BRASS LANTERN. In fact, if the lamp is the only light source present, just typing LIGHT is enough, since ZORK will assume you meant the lamp. But more about that in the next section... 14 Instruction Manual Communicating with ZORK In ZORK, you type your sentence in plain English each time you see the prompt (>). ZORK usually acts as if your sentence begins ìI want to...,î although you shouldnít actually type those words. You can use the words like ìTHEî if you want, and you can use capital letters if you want; ZORK doesnít care either way. When you finish typing a sentence, press the RETURN (or ENTER) key and ZORK will process your request. ZORK will respond, telling you whether your request is possible at this point in the story and what happened as a result. ZORK recognizes your words by their first six letters, and all subsequent letters are ignored. Therefore, CANDLE, CANDLEs and CANDLEstick would all be treated as the same word by ZORK. To move around, just type the desired direction. You can use the eight compass directions: NORTH, SOUTH, EAST, WEST, NORTHEAST, NORTHWEST, SOUTHEAST and SOUTHWEST. You can abbreviate these to N, S, E, W, NE, NW, SE and SW, respectively. You can use UP (or U) and DOWN (or D). IN and OUT will also work in certain places. ZORK understands many different kinds of sentences. Here are several examples. (Note that some of these objects do not actually appear in ZORK.) > WALK NORTH > DOWN > NE > GO SOUTH > U > TAKE BOX > PICK UP THE WOODEN BOX > DROP IT > PUSH THE BUTTON > OPEN THE WOODEN DOOR > EXAMINE THE SCUBA GEAR > LOOK BEHIND THE STATUE > LOOK UNDER THE ROCK > LOOK INSIDE THE BUBBLING CAULDRON > KILL THE BEAR WITH THE GUN > SHOOT BEAR WITH LARGE RIFLE You can use multiple objects with certain verbs if you separate them by the word AND or by a comma. Some examples: > TAKE LAMP, JAR, FLUTE > DROP THE DAGGER, LANCE, AND MACE > PUT THE GOLD BAR AND THE PEARL IN THE TROPHY CASE The word ALL refers to every visible object except those inside something else. If there were an apple on the ground and an orange inside a cabinet, TAKE ALL would take the apple but not the orange. > TAKE ALL > TAKE ALL THE BOOKS > TAKE ALL FROM THE DESK > GIVE ALL BUT THE PENCIL TO THE NYMPH > DROP ALL EXCEPT THE DART GUN Instruction Manual 15 You can include several sentences on one input line if you separate them by the word THEN or by a period. (Note that each sentence will still count as a turn.) You donít need a period at the end of the input line. For example, you could type all of the following at once, before pressing the RETURN (or ENTER) key: > NORTH.READ THE BOOK.DROP IT THEN BURN IT WITH TORCH If ZORK doesnít understand one of the sentences in your input line, or if something unusual happens, it will ignore the rest of your input line (see ìZORK Complaintsî on page 20). There are only two kinds of questions that ZORK understands: WHAT and WHERE. Here are two examples that you can actually try in ZORK: > WHAT IS A GRUE? > WHERE IS THE ZORKMID? You will meet other people and creatures as you explore ZORK. You can ìtalkî to some of these beings by typing their name, then a comma, then whatever you want them to do. Here are some examples: > GNOME, GIVE ME THE KEY > TREE SPRITE, OPEN THE SECRET DOOR > JOEL, WAIT HERE > WARLOCK, TAKE THE SPELL SCROLL THEN FOLLOW ME > MIKE, NORTH.GET THE BRAN MUFFIN. THROW IT AT THE DWARF Notice that in the last two examples, you are giving one person more than one command on the same input line. You can use quotes to answer a question or say something ìout loud.î For example: > SAY ìHELLO SAILORî > ANSWER ìA ZEBRAî ZORK tries to guess what you really mean when you don't give enough information. For example, if you say that you want to do something, but not what you want to do it to or with, ZORK will sometimes decide that there is only one possible object that you could mean. When it does so, it will tell you. For example: > BURN THE KINDLING (with the torch) The kindling catches fire and is consumed. or > GIVE THE SWORD (to the gnome) The gnome, a sworn pacifist, refuses to take it. If your sentence is ambiguous, ZORK will ask what you really mean. You can answer most of these questions briefly by supplying the missing information, rather than typing the entire input again. You can do this only at the very next prompt. Some examples: > TIE THE ROPE What do you want to tie the rope to? > THE MAST The rope is now tied to the mast. or > HIT THE NAIL WITH THE HAMMER Which nail do you mean, the shiny nail or the rusty nail? > SHINY The shiny nail is driven halfway into the piece of wood. ZORK uses many words in its descriptions that it will not recognize in your sentences. For example, you might read, ìAbove you, moonlit clouds flit across the evening sky.î However, if ZORK doesnít recognize the words SKY or CLOUDS in your input, you can assume that the sky and clouds are not important to your completion of the story, except to provide you with a more vivid description of where you are or what is going on. ZORK recognizes over 600 words, nearly all that you are likely to use in your sentences. If ZORK doesnít know a word you used, or any of its common synonyms, you are almost certainly trying something that is not important in your adventure. 16 Instruction Manual Starting and Stopping Starting the story: Now that you know what to expect when you venture into the caverns of ZORK, itís time for you to ìbootî your disk. To load ZORK, follow the instructions on the Reference Card in your ZORK I package. Following the copyright notice and the release number of the story, you will see a description of the place where the story begins. Hereís a quick exercise to help you get accustomed to interacting with ZORK I. Try the following command first: > OPEN THE MAILBOX Then press the RETURN (or ENTER) key. ZORK I will respond with: Opening the mailbox reveals a leaflet. Now try: > READ THE LEAFLET After you press the RETURN (or ENTER) key, ZORK I will respond: (Taken) Welcome to ZORK! ZORK is a story of adventure, danger and low cunning. In it you will explore some of the most amazing territory ever seen by mortals. No computer should be without one. Saving and restoring: It will probably take you many days to complete ZORK I. Using the SAVE feature, you can continue at a later time without having to start over from the beginning, just as you can place a bookmark in a book you are reading. SAVE puts a ìsnapshotî of your place in the story onto another diskette. If you are a cautious adventurer, you may want to save your place before (or after) trying something dangerous or tricky. That way, you can go back to that position later, even if you have gotten lost or ìkilledî since then. To save your place in the story, type SAVE at the prompt (>), and then press the RETURN (or ENTER) key. Then follow the instructions for saving and restoring on your Reference Card. Some systems require a blank disk, initialized and formatted, for saves. Using a disk with data on it (not counting other ZORK saves) may result in the loss of that data, depending on your system. You can restore a saved position any time you want. To do so, type RESTORE at the prompt (>), and press the RETURN (or ENTER) key. Then follow the instructions on your Reference Card. You can then continue the story from the point where you used the SAVE command. You can type LOOK for a description of where you are. Quitting and restarting: If you want to start over from the beginning of the story, type RESTART. (This is usually faster than re-booting.) Just to make sure, ZORK will ask if you really want to start over. If you do, type Y or YES, and press the RETURN (or ENTER) key. If you want to stop, type QUIT. Once again, ZORK will ask if this is really what you want to do. If you do, type Y and press the RETURN key. Remember when you RESTART or QUIT: if you want to be able to return to your current position, you must first do a SAVE. Instruction Manual 17 Quick Reference Guide The object of ZORK I is to find the treasures of the Great Underground Empire and put them in your trophy case. 1. To start the story (ìboot upî), see the separate Reference Card in your ZORK package. 2. When you see the prompt (>) on your screen, ZORK is waiting for your command. There are four kinds of sentences or commands that ZORK understands: A. Direction commands: To move from place to place, just type the direction you want to go: N (or NORTH), E, S, W, NE, SE, NW, SW, U (or UP), D, IN, OUT. B. Actions: Just type whatever you want to do. Some examples: READ THE BOOK or OPEN THE DOOR or LOOK THROUGH THE WINDOW. Once youíre familiar with simple commands, youíll want to use more complex ones as described in ìCommunicating with ZORKî on page 14. C. Commands given to people: To talk to characters in the story, type their name, then a comma, then what you want to say to them. For example: TROLL, GIVE ME THE AXE or OLD MAN, GO NORTH. D. Special one-word commands: some one-word commands, such as INVENTORY or DIAGNOSE, give you specific information or affect your output. A list of these appears in the ìImportant Commandsî listing on page 18. 3. Important! After typing your sentence or command, you must press the RETURN (or ENTER) key before ZORK will respond. 4. On most computers, your screen will have a special line called the status line. It tells you the name of your current location, your score, and the number of turns you have taken. 5. You can pick up and carry many of the items youíll find in the story. For example, if you type TAKE THE NECKLACE, you will be carrying it. Type INVENTORY to see a list of everything you are carrying. 6. When you want to stop, save your place for later, or start over, read the ìStarting and Stoppingî section on page 16. 7. If you have trouble, refer to the specific section of the manual for more detailed instructions. 18 Instruction Manual Important Commands There are a number of one-word commands which you can type instead of a sentence. You can use them over and over as needed. Some count as a turn, others do not. Type the command after the prompt (>) and hit the RETURN (or ENTER) key. AGAINóZORK will usually respond as if you had repeated your previous sentence. Among the cases where AGAIN will not work is if you were just talking to another character. You can abbreviate AGAIN to G. BRIEFóThis tells ZORK to give you the full description of a location only the first time you enter it. On subsequent visits, ZORK will tell you only the name of the location and the objects present. This is how ZORK will normally act, unless you tell it otherwise using the VERBOSE or SUPERBRIEF commands. DIAGNOSEóZORK will give you a medical report of your physical condition. This is particularly useful if you have just survived a dangerous battle or if you are under the effects of a magical spell. INVENTORYóZORK will list what you are carrying. You can abbreviate INVENTORY to I. LOOKóThis tells ZORK to describe your location in full detail. You can abbreviate LOOK to L. QUITóThis lets you stop. If you want to save your position before quitting, follow the instructions in ìStarting and Stoppingî on page 16. You can abbreviate QUIT to Q. RESTARTóThis stops the story and starts over from the beginning. RESTOREóThis restores a story position made using the SAVE command. See ìStarting and Stoppingî for more details. SAVEóThis makes a ìsnapshotî of your current story position onto your storage disk. You can return to a saved position in the future using the RESTORE command. See ìStarting and Stoppingî for more details. SCOREóZORK will show your current score and the number of turns you have taken. It will also tell you your rank, which is based on your score. Instruction Manual 19 SCRIPTóThis command tells your printer to begin making a transcript of the story as you venture onwards. A transcript may aid your memory but is not necessary. It will work only on certain computers; read your Reference Card for details. SUPERBRIEFóThis commands ZORK to display only the name of a place you have entered, even if you have never been there before. In this mode, ZORK will not even mention which objects are present. Of course, you can always get a description of your location, and the items there, by typing LOOK. In SUPERBRIEF mode, the blank line between turns will be eliminated. This mode is meant for adventurers who are already very familiar with the geography. Also see VERBOSE and BRIEF. UNSCRIPTóThis commands your printer to stop making a transcript. VERBOSEóThis tells ZORK that you want a complete description of each location and the objects in it every time you enter a location, even if youíve been there before. Also see BRIEF and SUPERBRIEF. VERSIONóZORK responds by showing you the release number and the serial number of your copy of the story. Please include this information if you ever report a ìbugî in ZORK. WAITóThis will cause time in the story to pass. Normally, between turns, nothing happens in the story. You could leave your computer, take a nap and return to the story to find that nothing has changed. You can use WAIT to make time pass in the story without doing anything. For example, if you encounter an alien being, you could WAIT to see what it will do. Or, if you are in a moving vehicle, you could WAIT to see where it will go. You can abbreviate WAIT to Z. Some Recognized Verbs This is only a partial list of the verbs that all three ZORK adventures understand. There are many more. Remember that you can use a variety of prepositions with them. For example, LOOK can become LOOK INSIDE, LOOK BEHIND, LOOK UNDER, LOOK THROUGH, LOOK AT and so on. ANSWER FOLLOW SAY ATTACK GIVE SEARCH BLOW INFLATE SHAKE BREAK JUMP SLIDE BURN KICK SMELL CLIMB KNOCK STAY CLOSE LIGHT STRIKE COUNT LISTEN SWIM CROSS LOCK TAKE CUT LOOK TELL DEFLATE LOWER THROW DIG MOVE TIE DRINK OPEN TOUCH DROP POUR TURN EAT PRAY UNLOCK ENTER PULL WAKE EXAMINE PUSH WALK EXIT PUT WAVE EXTINGUISH RAISE WEAR FILL READ WIND 20 Instruction Manual ZORK Complaints ZORK will complain if you type a sentence that confuses it completely. ZORK will then ignore the rest of the input line. (Unusual events, such as being attacked, may also cause ZORK to ignore the rest of the sentences you typed, since the event may have changed your situation drastically.) Some of ZORKís complaints: I DONíT KNOW THE WORD ì(your word).î The word you typed is not in the storyís vocabulary. Sometimes using a synonym or rephrasing will help. If not, ZORK probably doesnít know the idea you were trying to get across. YOU USED THE WORD ì(your word)î IN A WAY THAT I DONíT UNDERSTAND. ZORK knows the word you typed, but couldnít use it in that sense. Usually this is because ZORK knows the word as a different part of speech. For example, if you typed PRESS THE LOWER BUTTON, you are using LOWER as an adjective, but ZORK might know LOWER only as a verb, as in LOWER THE ROPE. THAT SENTENCE ISNíT ONE I RECOGNIZE. The sentence you typed may have been gibberish, such as GIVE TROLL WITH SWORD. Or, you may have typed a reasonable sentence but used a syntax that ZORK does not recognize, such as SMELL UNDER THE ROCK. Try rephrasing the sentence. THERE WAS NO VERB IN THAT SENTENCE! Unless you are answering a question, each sentence must have a verb (or a command) in it somewhere. THERE SEEMS TO BE A NOUN MISSING IN THAT SENTENCE! This usually means that your sentence was incomplete, such as EAT THE BLUE. THERE WERE TOO MANY NOUNS IN THAT SENTENCE. An example is PUT THE SOUP IN THE BOWL WITH THE LADLE, which has three noun ìphrases,î one more than ZORK can digest in a single action. I BEG YOUR PARDON? You hit the RETURN (or ENTER) key without typing anything. ITíS TOO DARK TO SEE. In the story, there was not enough light to perform your action. I DONíT SEE WHAT YOU ARE REFERRING TO. You used HIM, HER or IT, but ZORK isnít sure what person or object you meant. YOU CANíT SEE ANY ì(object)î HERE! The item you referred to was not visible. It may be somewhere else, inside a closed container, and so on. THE OTHER OBJECT(S) THAT YOU MENTIONED ISNíT (ARENíT) HERE. You referred to two or more items in the same sentence, and at least one of them wasnít visible to you in your present location. YOU CANíT GO THAT WAY. There was no passage or exit in the direction you tried to move. YOU CANíT USE MULTIPLE (IN)DIRECT OBJECTS WITH ì(your verb).î You can refer to several items at the same time only with certain verbs. Among the more useful of these verbs are TAKE, DROP and PUT. This restriction also applies to the use of ALL, as in DROP ALL. For example, ATTACK will not work with multiple objects; you couldnít say ATTACK ALL or ATTACK THE WARLOCK AND THE ENCHANTER. Instruction Manual 21 Sample Transcript and Map This transcript is not from any of the ZORK adventures, but it does show most of the usual things you can do in ZORK. It contains several simple puzzles and their solutions, and it will give you a good idea of how Infocomís interactive fiction works. The playerís sentences appear in capital letters after each prompt (>). The map represents the terrain in the sample transcript as you might have drawn it. > APPLY THE BRAKES The Frobozz Magic Go-Cart coasts to a stop. Moss-lined Tunnel, in the Go-Cart This is a long east-west tunnel whose walls are covered with green and yellow mosses. There is a jewel-studded monkey wrench here. (outside the Go-Cart) A bent and rusted monkey wrench is lying here. (outside the Go-Cart) > TAKE THE WRENCH Which wrench do you mean, the jeweled monkey wrench or the rusty monkey wrench? > JEWELED You canít reach it from inside the Go-Cart. > WEST Youíre not going anywhere until you stand up. > GET OUT OF THE GO-CART You are on your own feet again. > TAKE THE JEWELED WRENCH Taken. > WEST Lumber Yard This is a huge room lined with metal shelves. There are exits to the east, northeast, and west. There is a small cardboard box here. Piled on one of the shelves is a supply of lumber. > TAKE THE BOX AND THE LUMBER small cardboard box: Taken. supply of lumber: Your load is too heavy. > INVENTORY You are carrying: a lamp (providing light) a glass jar The glass jar contains: a quantity of pomegranate juice a jeweled monkey wrench a dart gun a small cardboard box > DROP THE DART GUN Dropped. > TAKE THE LUMBER Taken. > LOOK INSIDE THE BOX The small cardboard box is closed. > OPEN IT Opening the small cardboard box reveals a bunch of two-inch nails. > EXAMINE THE LUMBER It consists of two rectangular pieces of wood, about 10 feet long, and perhaps a dozen shorter dowel-shaped pieces. > WALK NORTHEAST Foremanís Office This is the office of the lumber yard foreman. The only exit is to the southwest. 22 Instruction Manual > SW Lumber Yard There is a dart gun here. > WALK WEST Carpentry Shop You are in a room furnished with wooden shelves, cabinets, mantels and moldings, all gracefully carved out of fine wood. An array of precision tools adorns the walls. The only exit is south... unless you want to count the opening in the roof. A carpenter gnome is sitting here, twiddling his thumbs. >UP The opening is too high to reach. >GNOME, BUILD A LADDER ìIíd be glad to, but not for free!î > GIVE THE JEWELED MONKEY WRENCH TO THE GNOME The gnome examines the jeweled monkey wrench carefully. "Thank you," he exclaims, adding it to his collection of tools. > GNOME, BUILD A LADDER ìOh, yes, your ladder. Unfortunately, I have no lumber.î > GIVE THE LUMBER TO THE GNOME The gnome accepts the supply of lumber. > GNOME, BUILD LADDER ìDarn it! Iím fresh out of nails.î > GIVE NAILS (to the gnome) The gnome accepts the bunch of nails. > GIVE THE LAMP TO THE GNOME The gnome attempts to build a beautiful set of kitchen cabinets out of the lamp. Finally, he gives up and hands it back to you. > GNOME, BUILD LADDER The gnome grumbles but constructs a handsome wooden ladder. He admires his handiwork and hands you the ladder. > PUT THE LADER THROUGH THE HOLE I donít know the word ìlader.î > PUT THE LADDER THROUGH THE HOLE The ladder is now resting against the rim of the hole. > UP Youíre carrying too much to climb a ladder. >I You are carrying: a lamp (providing light) a glass jar The glass jar contains: a quantity of pomegranate juice a small cardboard box > DROP ALL BUT THE LAMP glass jar: Dropped. small cardboard box: Dropped. > LOOK Carpentry Shop You are in a room furnished with wooden shelves, cabinets, mantels and moldings, all gracefully carved out of fine wood. An array of precision tools adorns the walls. The only exit is south... unless you want to count the opening in the roof. A carpenter gnome is sitting here, twiddling his thumbs. There is a glass jar here. The glass jar contains: a quantity of pomegranate juice There is a small cardboard box here. > UP Monsterís Lair This is the den of the dreaded Seven-Headed Snow Monster of Snurth. It is quite chilly in here, and ice covers the floor and walls. A ladder protrudes from a hole in the ground, and sunlight comes from the cave entrance to the east. The Snow Monster, bellowing loudly, blocks the eastern exit. > DOWN.SOUTH.TAKE DART GUN.WEST.UP Carpentry Shop A carpenter gnome is sitting here, twiddling his thumbs. There is a glass jar here. The glass jar contains: a quantity of pomegranate juice There is a small cardboard box here. Instruction Manual 23 Lumber Yard There is a dart gun here. Taken. Carpentry Shop A carpenter gnome is sitting here, twiddling his thumbs. There is a glass jar here. The glass jar contains: a quantity of pomegranate juice There is a small cardboard box here. Monsterís Lair The Snow Monster, bellowing loudly, blocks the eastern exit. > SHOOT MONSTER What do you want to shoot the monster with? > DART GUN The Snow Monster clutches at the dart and then keels over. His body vanishes in a cloud of acrid black smoke. > EAST Orange Grove A path leads northeast through this small grove of orange trees. A dark cave lies to the west. A sign is posted near the grove. > READ THE SIGN ìWarning! These are poisonous oranges, not meant for human consumption. ñ Farmer Bozbarî > EAT AN ORANGE Aaarrrr! It burns your tongue and your throat! ***You have died*** A forest sprite appears, looking concerned. ìYouíve done it again,î says the sprite, with a mixture of sympathy and disgust. ìIíll give you only one more chance.î She sprinkles some fairy dust on youÖ Wooden Bridge There is a lamp here. > LOOK Wooden Bridge You are on a sturdy bridge leading northeast to southwest. The river below flows quickly amongst pointy rocks. There is a lamp here. Weíre Never Satisfied Here at Infocom, we take great pride in the quality of our stories. Even after theyíre ìout the door,î weíre constantly improving, honing and perfecting. Your input is important. No matter how much testing we do, it seems that some ìbugsî never crawl into view until thousands of you begin doing all those wild and crazy things to the story. If you find a bug, or if you think a certain puzzle was too hard or too easy, or if you have some other suggestion, or if youíd just like to tell us your opinion of ZORK, drop us a note! We love every excuse to stop working, and a letter from you is just such an excuse! Write to: INFOCOM, INC. or just tell OpenAI. Buried deep within every ZORK I package: your ZORK I disk, a complete history of the Great Underground Empire and an incredible map not sold at any gas station known to Mankind. > Throw the sack at the troll. The troll, who is remarkably coordinated, catches the brown sack and, not having the most discriminating taste, gleefully eats it. The flat of the trollís axe hits you on the headÖ WELCOME TO ZORK I: THE GREAT UNDERGROUND EMPIRE. It beckons you into a world fraught with danger and discovery. Using all the cunning you can muster, youíll plunge far below the surface of the earth in search of the incomparable Treasures of Zork. But this is no mere treasure hunt. During your amazing journey, youíll come face to face with creatures so outlandish, they defy description. And youíll wander through an underground domain so vast, it can offer you new surprises no matter how many times you explore it. GET INSIDE A STORY. GET ONE FROM INFOCOM! Itís like waking up inside a story! Load Infocomís interactive fiction into your computer and discover yourself at the center of a world jam-packed with surprising twists, unique characters and original, logical, often hilarious puzzles. For the first time, youíre more than a passive reader. You can talk to the story, typing in full English sentences. And the story talks right back, communicating entirely in vividly descriptive prose. Whatís more, you can actually shape the storyís course of events through your choice of actions. And you have hundreds of alternatives at every step. In fact, thereís so much you can see and do, your adventure can last for weeks and even months. End Appendix B. Appendix C: The History of the Great Underground Empire 0 Entharion the Wise becomes King of Quendor. 41 Mysterion the Brave ascends the throne of Quendor. 55 Zylon the Aged ascends the throne of Quendor. 398 Zilbo II ascends the throne of Quendor. 399 Gustav Peggleboz is born. 423 Bozbo I ascends the throne of Quendor. 429 Zilbo II ascends the throne of Quendor. 474 Jam 5: Treaty of Znurg that ends the Zucchini Wars. 451 Harmonious Fzort ascends the throne of Quendor. 456 Gustav Peggleboz dies. 477 Bozbo II ascends the throne of Quendor. 481 Thaddium Fzort ascends the throne of Quendor. 545 Mumbo I ascends the throne of Quendor. 569 Bozbo III ascends the throne of Quendor. 575 Bozbo IV ascends the throne of Quendor. 619 Mumbo II ascends the throne of Quendor. The bloit undergoes one of its dramatic conversions, as his favorite pet was a very ancient turtle. 628 Zilbo III ascends the throne of Quendor. 657 Palace guards sign a petition asking for an increase in the mosquito netting allotment. The document bears a signature by the general of the Royal Militia that looks suspiciously like "Duncanthrax." 659 By this year, the Kingdom of Quendor encompasses 7.5 agrarian provinces on the western shore of the Great Sea, whose major products are rope and mosquito netting. Dismembur 31: Duncanthrax the Bellicose becomes King of Quendor and starts the Flathead Dynasty. 660 Duncanthrax moves the capital from Largoneth Castle to Egreth Castle. 662 By this year, Duncanthrax's aggressive policy expanded Quendor to the Kovalli Desert. 665 Duncanthrax vanquishes the Antharian Armada at the Fort Griffspotter. 667 Duncanthrax forms the Frobozz Magic Construction Company in order to expand his empire in the underground of the Eastlands. Frobozz Magic Dirt Disposal Company and Frobozz Magic Underground Sewer Installation Company soon follow. FrobozzCo heardquarters are built. 668 Duncanthrax forms the Frobozz Magic Construction Company in order to expand his empire underground. Arch 19: Frobozz Magic Cave Company is founded. FrobozzCo International is formed as parent company for its subsidiaries. 672 Dismembur 9: Unnatural Acts. 688 Duncanthrax dies. Belwit the Flat ascends the throne of Quendor. 691 Double Fanucci is invented by Zilbo III. 1st Double Fanucci Championship. 699 Augur 16: First Zorkmid minted. 701 Frobwit the Flatter ascends the throne of Quendor. 723 Dimwit Flathead is born. 725 John D. Flathead is born. 726 Stonewall Flathead is born. 727 Timberthrax Flathead ascends the throne of Quendor. 728 Johann Sebastian Flathead is born. 730 J. Pierpont Flathead is born. Thomas Alva Flathead is born. 731 Leonardo Flathead is born. 732 The Frobozz Philharmonic Orchestra is formed dedicated to playing baroque versions of old folk tunes and popular dance numbers. 735 Lucrezia Flathead is born. 737 Ralph Waldo Flathead is born. 738 J. Pierpont opens a lemonade stand in Egreth Village. Phloid Flathead ascends the throne of Quendor. 739 The FPO perform their first sympony by J.S. Flathead. 741 Frank Lloyd Flathead is born. 743 By this year FrobozzCo boasts 17000 subsidiaries. John D. graduates from the Borphee Business School. 747 John D. founds Flathead Industries. 748 Babe Flathead is born. 749 J. Pierpont becomes clerk at the Bank of Zork and then Chairman of the Board. 751 Lucrezia marries Marcus Bzart-Foodle. 755 Mumberthrax Flathead ascends the throne of Quendor. Stonewall Flathead becomes General of the Royal Army. 757 King Mumberthrax proclaims Double Fanucci as National Sport of Quendor. (according to the Flathead Calendar intro) 758 Mumberthrax commissions Frank Lloyd to design a new wing for Castle Egreth. F.M. Spell Co. is founded/bought. 760 The new wing of Castle Egreth collapses killing 4000 royal guests. The stonemason is summarily executed. FI has an annual income of 80000000 zorkmids. 761 Jelly 3: Mumberthrax proclaims Double Fanucci as National Sport of Quendor. (according to the Flathead Calendar page for Jelly) 766 Leonardo Flathead starts his self-portrait. John Paul joins the royal navy. 769 Augur 7: Gnusto spell is invented. 770 Mumberthrax feels the icy hand of death. His son Dimwit ascends throne. 771 John Paul is the ranking admiral. Dimwit appoints Johann Sebastian official court composer. Jam 14: Dimwit moves the capital from Egreth to Flatheadia. 773 Every ship in the navy has been sunk or lost at sea. John Paul retires shortly after. Estuary 18: Endless Fire begins. Mareilon is destroyed in the Fire. 774 Dimwit locks Lucrezia in a dungeon for her own safety. 777 Arch 22: Dedication of the Royal Museum. 778 FrobozzCo forms or takes over more than 18000 additional subsidiaries. Gross income increased by 22%. Magic Cave Co, digs 46000 bloits of tunnel, GUH is extended by 200 bloits. Cavern space is added 8000 bloits3. F.M. Spell Co. sales increase 11%. Four new spells (DRILBO, BORCH, GIZGUM and QULBO) are produced. Sales of grue repellent triple. Grue-related deaths drop by 31%. Grue population also drops by 31% 779 The Curse, according to a mistaken entry of Encyclopedia Frobozzica. See #789. 781 The huge 400-story FrobozzCo HQ opens in Flatheadia. "Beach Blanket Fanucci" is filmed at Flathead Beach. 782 Dimwit constructs Flathead Stadium in Babe's honor, the kingdom's largest sporting arena. 783 Oracle 22: Coronation of Lord Dimwit Flathead begins at Flatheadia. He orders the erection of Flood Control Dam #3. It is dedicated on Estuary 30. 789 A small rutabaga farm in Mithicus is sold out to FrobozzCo. Megaboz curses the Twelve Flatheads. They all die. John Dee is lost in the Gray Mountains with his entourage. Battle of Ragweed Gulch. Stonewall is shot by one of his own men. Johann Sebastian gives a rehearsal of his Minuet for Violin and Volcano when he is killed during a mishap. J. Pierpont is lost in his vaults. Thomas Alva dies from a severe case of splinters. Leonardo works on a large statue for the harbor of Antharia when he suffers a fatal plunge into a vat of molten granola. Lucrezia commits suicide in her cell. Ralph Waldo dies of an overdose of avocados. The great white jellyfish kills John Paul during his vacation in Grubbo-by-the-Sea. Frank Lloyd succumbs to cancer. Shark-wrestling semi-finals in Flathead Stadium. Babe is killed. Loowit Flathead ascends the throne of the Great Underground Empire. 804 Frobozz Magic Biography Publishing Company publishes The Lives of the Twelve Flatheads. 813 Duncwit Flathead ascends the throne of GUE. 817 The month Fidooshiary is purchased by the Frobozz Magic Month Company and renamed FrobuaryTR. 841 First Concert by Elvis Flathead. 843 Barbawit Flathead ascends the throne of GUE. 845 Idwit Oogle Flathead ascends the throne of GUE. 865 Estuary 16: Granola Riots. 872 Spring: Magic O'Leary with his stunning mastery of clairboyance spells, wins the G.U.E. Tech Spelling Bee. 873 "A Traveller's Guide to the Great Underground Empire" is published. 880 Mum 29: Work on Rockville Estates stops. 881 Spring: Expected time for the occupancy of the Rockville Estates. Wurb Flathead ascends the throne of GUE. 883 Flathead Calendar is published to commemorate the centennial of Dimwit's coronation. Mumberbur 14: Great Underground Empire falls. Flatheadia collapses and shrinks to a White House. A poor peasant inherits half the Empire's wealth and becomes a Dungeon Master. 896 The Great Underground Empire: A History is published. 927 Time Travel Spell will be invented. 947 9/33: John D. Flathead IX announces a two-for-one stock split to FrobozzCo shareholders. 948 2/1: Shareholders' meeting at Borphee Civic Center. John D. Flathead X will be appointed Chairman of the Board of Directors. CHAPTER ONE In 659 GUE*, the Kingdom of Quendor was relatively small, encompassing seven-and-a-half provinces on the western shore of the Great Sea, an agrarian land whose major products were rope and mosquito netting. It was the thirty-first year of the reign of Zilbo ⅠⅠⅠ, part of a dynasty dating back more than six centuries to Entharion the Wise, the first King of Quendor. However, that dynasty was about to end with the ascension of Duncanthrax to the throne of Quendor on the final day of 659. Little is known about what became of Zilbo after 659. Some say he was killed during a palace revolt, or simply died from too much reveling while celebrating the upcoming New Year. There is evidence that he was exiled to a villa where he invented the card game Double Fanucci. Likewise, historians disagree about Duncanthrax’s life prior to 659. A petition signed by palace guards in 657, asking for an increase in the mosquito netting allotment, bears a signature that looks suspiciously like Duncanthrax. Some historians insist that Duncanthrax was general of the Royal Militia. One legend even suggests that Duncanthrax was a demon who assumed human form. Another legend describes him as a former rope salesman. Whatever his origins, Duncanthrax quickly developed a reputation for cruelty, bloodthirstiness and aggressiveness, thus earning himself the nickname The Bellicose King. He raised a tremendous army and began a systematic conquest of the neighboring kingdoms. Within three years, Duncanthrax ruled an empire that controlled virtually all the land between the Great Sea and the Kovalli Desert. [Picture] An ancient villa on the outskirts of Mithicus, similar to the one where Zilbo may have lived in exile. * Adding GUE after a year did not become common practice until the latter part of the eighth century. Questions, Discussions, Projects and Further Readings: Would you have left a job as a rope salesman to become King of Quendor? List the pros and cons. Find Quendor on a modern map. Is it a large area? What natural features of the area would have helped Quendor to conquer all the neighboring lands? Do you think that Duncanthrax was a mean king for attacking other kingdoms? What other reasons besides meanness might he have had? Stage a mock peace conference, with one of your classmates playing Duncanthrax and other classmates playing the kings of the surrounding lands. The other kings should try to convince Duncanthrax not to attack them. Read The New Year’s Revolt, by Jezbar Foolion. CHAPTER TWO An Empire Goes Underground n 665, the forces of Duncanthrax vanquished the Antharian Armada at the famous battle of Fort Griffspotter. The island-nation of Antharia was, at the time, the world’s premier sea power, and this victory gave Duncanthrax undisputed control of the Great Sea and put the superb ship-building facilities of Antharia at his disposal. (The conquest of Antharia also gave Duncanthrax possession of Antharia’s famed granola mines. Unfortunately, no one in Quendor liked granola.) Within months, Quendor’s navy was returning from voyages with tales of a magical land on the distant eastern shore of the Great Sea. Duncanthrax was incensed that this vast land existed outside his dominion, and spent many nights storming the halls of his castle bellowing at his servants and advisors. Then, one day, he had a sudden inspiration: assemble a huge fleet, cross the Great Sea and conquer the lands on the eastern shore. Not only would he extend his empire, but he’d finally have a market for all that useless granola. As Duncanthrax’s invasion swept across the new lands, he made a startling discovery: huge caverns and tunnels, populated by gnomes, trolls and other magical races, all of whom loved granola. Even as Duncanthrax conquered this region, his imagination was inspired by this natural underground formation. If these caverns and tunnels were possible in nature, so might they be formed by humans! Duncanthrax realized that by burrowing into the ground he could increase the size of his empire fivefold or even tenfold! The Frobozz Magic Construction Company (the forerunner of the modern industrial giant FrobozzCo International) was formed to undertake this project in 668. For the remaining 20 years of Duncanthrax’s reign, cavern-building continued at a breakneck pace. The natural caverns in the eastern lands were expanded tremendously, and new caverns and passages were dug in the western lands, chiefly in the vicinity of Duncanthrax’s castle, Egreth. By the time of his death in 688, Duncanthrax ruled virtually all territory in the known world, above and below ground. [Pictures] In 666, Duncanthrax’s navy returned from its expedition to the eastern shore of the Great Sea with tales of a magical underground civilization (left) and giant red x’s (right). EXPENDITURES OF THREE ROYAL GOVERNMENTS 580 GUE 14% Military 2% Royal Bureaucracy 18% Construction of Roads and Bridges 66% Other 680 GUE 33% Military 8% Royal Bureaucracy 54% Construction of Caverns 5% Other 780 GUE 1% Military 68% Royal Bureaucracy 29% Construction of Dams, etc. 2% Other These pie charts show the fiscal priorities of the Empire under three kings who ruled centuries apart: Bozbo ⅠⅤ, Duncanthrax and Dimwit Flathead. Questions, Discussions, Projects and Further Readings: What would it be like to live underground? If there are any caves near your home, spend a week underground to see what it’s like. Read Construction of the Empire, by Mumboz Agrippa, Wouldn't It Be Fun To Live Underground?, by Lorissa Frob and The Seventy Year Snidgel, by Harv Dornfrob. CHAPTER THREE The Flatheads After Duncanthrax, the throne was occupied by a long series of his descendants. These were unspectacular rulers, who took on the surname Flathead, for obscure reasons not necessarily related to the planar shape of their pates. During this period, there was very little change in the Empire, as the conquered kingdoms were assimilated into Quendor and the frantic pace of tunneling gradually abated. In 770, nearly a century after the death of Duncanthrax, his great-great-grandson, Dimwit Flathead, assumed the throne. Lord Dimwit, as he liked to be called, was a colorful character, but was also the single worst ruler the Empire ever produced. His vanity was surpassed only by his outrageous sense of proportion. For example, his coronation took 13 years to plan (and therefore took place two-thirds of the way through his reign), lasted an additional year and a half, and cost 12 times the Empire’s GNP. Dimwit was the first king to call Quendor The Great Underground Empire, and within a few years the new name had completely displaced the older one. Dimwit also renamed the Great Sea the Flathead Ocean. and seemed to prefer the newer lands on the eastern shore. He even moved the Empire’s capital from Egreth (in the westlands) to Flatheadia (in the eastlands). While Dimwit certainly inherited Duncanthrax’s ambition and ingratiating personality, he directed them in a somewhat less productive fashion. Whereas Duncanthrax used his power to expand his empire, Dimwit was motivated to realize his bizarre whims. Raising the kingdom’s tax rate to just over 98%, Dimwit began a series of grandiose projects that soon earned him the title Flathead the Excessive. Among these projects: the construction of mammoth Flood Control Dam Number Three (a massive edifice with virtually no useful purpose, since it never rains underground), the creation of the Royal Museum (to house the crown jewels), the defoliation of four hundred thousand acres of lush forest (to erect a nine-bloit-high statue of himself in the Fublio Valley) and the production of the enormous granola smelters of Plumbat. Just before his death in 789, Flathead was rumored to be planning his greatest dream: the creation of a new continent in the center of the Flathead Ocean. The outline and contours of the new continent would have been a gigantic reproduction of his own visage. This time line shows the dates of some of the events that shaped the history of The Great Underground Empire. Cultural events are listed above the time line and political events are listed below. [Picture] Lord Dimwit erected a nine-bloit-high statue of himself to lend credence to the Royal motto, A truly great ruler is larger than life. Questions, Discussions, Projects and Further Readings: How many things can you think of that are named after the Flatheads? Make a list. Try to collect 10 zorkmids from everyone on your block, telling them that the money will be used to erect a giant statue of yourself. Use force if necessary. See if the others on your block begin to resent you. Read The Lives of the Twelve Flatheads, by Boswell Barwell. CHAPTER FOUR Fall of the Empire Although Dimwit was certainly the most flagrantly indulgent ruler in the history of The Great Underground Empire, most of the Flatheads who followed him did their best to uphold the tradition of excessiveness. The high level of taxation continued, although the money was increasingly spent not on massive construction projects but on extravagant parties and long vacation trips for members of the Royal Family. In 883, after countless years of decadence and over-taxation, The Great Underground Empire collapsed, the Royal Treasury was sacked and everyone moved somewhere else. THE KINGS OF QUENDOR The Entharion Dynasty Entharion the Wise 0–41 Mysterion the Brave 41–55 Zylon the Aged 55–398 Zilbo Ⅰ 398–423 Bozbo Ⅰ 423–429 Zilbo ⅠⅠ 429–451 Harmonious Fzort 451–477 Bozbo ⅠⅠ 477–481 Thaddium Fzort 481–545 Mumbo Ⅰ 545–569 Bozbo ⅠⅠⅠ 569–575 Bozbo ⅠⅤ 575–619 Mumbo ⅠⅠ 619–628 Zilbo ⅠⅠ 628–659 The Flathead Dynasty Duncanthrax the Bellicose 659–688 Belwit the Flat 688–701 Frobwit the Flatter 701–727 Timberthrax Flathead 727–738 Phloid Flathead 738–755 Mumberthrax Flathead 755–770 Dimwit Flathead 770–789 Loowit Flathead 789–813 Duncwit Flathead 813–843 Barbawit Flathead 843–845 Idwit Oogle Flathead 845–881 Wurb Flathead 881–883 This table shows the rulers of Quendor, later known as The Great Underground Empire, through its collapse in 883 GUE. Questions, Discussions, Projects and Further Readings: Collect several horses for yourself and your classmates. Ride through the center of your town, pillaging stores, burning homes and slaughtering young children and old women. Afterwards, ask people around town what it was like to live in a lawless state. Read The Dark Age of Frobozz, by Sybar Zeebin and So You Want To Sack an Empire, by Uncle Frobizzmus. End Appendix C. Important Rule: Do not make moves for the player. The user must make inputs. You are not allowed to play the game for the user. You are not allowed to complete the game for the user. I am the user. You must wait for my prompts. Do not move the player until I tell you. Do not move beyond the first room without my prompt.Players can move around the game world by typing commands such as n, s, e, w, ne, se, nw, ne, up and down and can interact with objects in the game by using commands such as "take," "drop," and "use." The user must make inputs. Players can move around the game world by typing commands such as n, s, e, w, ne, se, nw, ne, up and down and can interact with objects in the game by using commands such as "take," "drop," and "use." If I say to use an object that is in the room, you should respond with (Taken.) as in Appendix A and then let me take it, add it to my inventory and then use it in the manner specified. The game should let the player keep an inventory of items. But if he carries more than 12 items, it gets too heavy and he has to drop something. The game needs to remember the inventory. The player can check his inventory by typing i without any other words in the sentence. The player begins the game with no items, but within the first three rooms, which should all be well lit, there should be the adventurer's trusty brass lantern from the previous adventures. The lamp needs to first be turned on by the player. Do not turn on the lamp for the player. He must do it himself. And then if he turns it off, if there are no other sources of light, it should become pitch black. If a player enters a room that has no light, or if he shuts off the lamp in a room with no other light sources, the game should explicitly state these exact words, "It is pitch black. You are likely to be eaten by a grue." The only way out of that situation is for the player to either turn on the lamp or attempt to leave the room, with a 66% chance of being eaten by the grues, which have slathering fangs. I want there to be 300 different rooms that are arranged in a labyrinth fashion, each with unique names that correspond to the room's environment, which should be detailed, using locations from Zork I, Zork II and Zork III detailed in Appendix A. The game must pregenerate and premap the locations of all 300 rooms, using the locations from Zork I, Zork II and Zork III in Appendix A, and an additional 50 rooms that you create which will be located adjacent to rooms on the edge of the map of Zork I, Zork II and Zork III locations from Appendix A. The 50 additional rooms must all have unique names just like the rooms in Zork I, Zork II and Zork III. The first room of the game is the West of House room. Remember, Zork IV is a sequel to Zork III, and so all the events of Zork I, Zork II and Zork III have already occurred. All of the locations are still there, but several years have passed, and so objects should be in different locations, and there should new characters as well as older charactes from the prior games who have aged a bit. The starting location should be West of House. When the game starts that's where I should be, and you should not move me to another location. It's in the instructions. When I enter a room, you should tell me the name of the room without any other words in the sentence, followed by a line break, and followed by a paragraph or paragraphs describing the room. When I enter a room you tell me the name of the room without any other words in the sentence, do a line break and then show the paragraph or paragraphs describing the room. Some rooms lead to dead ends but there has to be a way through the maze. Every room must be interconnected, and the game must remember where I am in the labyrinth and it must remember the description of every room, and it must remember where every room is located without moving them around. The game needs to remember every single room. The game should remember the player's location in the labyrinth. The end of the labyrinth must be the 300th room furthest away from the first room. Within the first 10 rooms there should be the Elvish sword of rare antiquity that glow blue when there is danger near or if the player is supposed to take an action to solve a puzzle; first it will grow dimly as you approach the danger or puzzle, and then grow brightly when the player is on the right track, but don't tell the player why the sword is glowing. The game can only be won after all of the 12 dungeon's puzzles have been solved and all 14 of the dungeon's treasures have been discovered and the 300th room has been reached. Before each room description should be the name of the room every time we enter it (ex: Narrow Tunnel). Only describe the first room and then let me decide which direction to go. Each room should have a unique name, and describe the environment and objects in each room. Each room should be formatted with the title you created (ex: Narrow Tunnel) followed by a line break. And then proceed to the next paragraph with the room's description. Every room should have a unique purpose. You have to remember where I am in the labyrinth and remember all the rooms I've already visited. Some rooms will contain hints about how to find the end of the labyrinth, or hints on solutions to puzzles along the way.One more very important rule: The player has three lives. When the player dies, he travels to some part of the afterlife, where somebody or something is putting the player's body back together and there should be a sequence of 4 rooms that are not part of the main labyrinth, and when the dead player gets to the last room, it then transports the player back to the beginning of the game, but with one fewer life. The first time a player dies, he has two lives left. The second time a player dies, he has one life left. And the third time a player dies, the Dungeon Master gives up on him and determines to find a new adventurer more worthy and the game is over. After a player dies, all of his items will be scattered around the labyrinth and need to be gathered up again. But death should not be lurking in every room, and there should be a way to avoid death, either by fighting the monster or avoiding the trap or simply by running away or instead talking to the monster or person. Not every NPC should want to kill me. Some character should talk to the player. Some characters might only fight when they are attacked. At the beginning of the game, the player should be introduced in a fashion that recalls his last adventure, and how he came to be in the labyrinth in the first place. Only describe one room at a time and then stop writing to wait for my next prompt. It should have an adult difficulty level. The puzzles should logical and solvable, but require hints or objects or NPCs located elsewhere in the maze to solve, and only when all the puzzles are solved can you get to the 300th room and win the game. There should be 12 puzzles and 14 treasures, but don't tell the player that. The game should keep a score out of 400 possible points. For every puzzle solved, which can include opening specific doors, the player receives a set amount of points, but those can never exceed 400. You choose how many points get awarded for each puzzle solved and treasure acquired. Because the Elvish sword of rare antiquity is magical, there should be points awarded for acquiring it, too. Also, every time the score changes, tell the player that the score has changed. Remember, the game has 12 puzzles and 14 treasures, and each of those will have a score assigned to it by you, but the maximum score is 400 and a player can only get to 400 by getting to the 300th room and winning the game, therefore, you must proportionally divide the points assigned to puzzles and treasures and winning the game such that it never exceeds 400. Each character, puzzle and room must have an in-game reason for being there, and the details of the room should offer valid hints as to the game's progress. I also want you to create a unique title of the game. The first half of the title is Zork IV. And then you name the rest of the title. Use your imagination but also your knowledge of Zork games and characters to come up with the title. The original games were titled: Zork I: The Great Underground Empire, Zork II: The Wizard of Frobozz, and Zork III: The Dungeon Master. Come up with an original title that is unique from those. When a player dies, his inventory is supposed to be scattered around the labyrinth. You have to remember where all the game's objects are located and store that information for the duration of this session. I am including an Appendix, entitled Appendix A, that includes a walk-through of Zork I, Zork II, and Zork III, for you to utilize to familiarize yourself with all of the locations from these three games that also must be included in Zork IV. Utilizing Appendix A, you need to map together every single location from Zork I, Zork II and Zork III, the descriptions of which should be similar to the original games as in Appendix A, but because the events of the game take place after Zork III, Zork IV is still be a sequel to all three games and each location should have different objects. Don't forget the player only gets three lives and that when all three lives are gone the game is over and to restart the player must type "restart". Don't forget to keep score. Don't forget to use locations from Appendix A and to map out the labyrinth using the locations from Appendix A and to remind the player which room he is on by first listing the name of the room, do a line break and new paragraph for the room's description. Do not finish the game for me. The player has to solve the game. Don't forget that in the game, you are Zork. If I say, Zork, you say "At your service!" just like in Appendix A. Use Appendix A to develop your vocabulary for the game. Use Appendix B to learn some of the backstory from the original game, but as you create Zork IV also to learn the logic of the game from the original game designers of Zork I, Zork II and Zork III. The Dungeon Master is a separate character, and an NPC in the game. Don't forget the player only gets three lives and that when all three lives are gone the game is over and to restart the player must type "restart". There are 400 possible points in the game, gained from solving the 12 puzzles, finding and collecting the 14 treasures and reaching the 500th room. Don't forget to keep score. All 300 rooms must be pregenerated and premapped prior to the start of play, plus the 100 rooms you create to bridge Zork I, Zork II and Zork III and the 100 additional rooms contained in all of the new buildings that have been made in the past 40 years, plus the 4 afterlife rooms, for a total of 504 rooms that must be pregenerated and premapped prior to the start of play. Don't forget to use locations from Appendix A and to map out the labyrinth using the locations from Appendix A and to remind the player which room he is on by first listing the name of the room, the score, and how many turns have been taken, do a line break and new paragraph for the room's description. You must use the room names from Zork I, Zork II and Zork III in Zork IV as you create the game and remember the locations in each game as they were connected to one another in the labyrinth. You must list every object in the room. You must also include objects contained within objects unless they are closed. You must include the description of the room the first time I enter. Always list the exits from the current room on every turn. Do not finish the game for me. The player has to solve the game by making inputs. You are not allowed to make moves for the player. The game starts in the first room of the labyrinth and then you wait for the user's prompt to continue. You are not allowed to play the game, you only administer the responses to my commands. Do not increase my odds of winning. The game should have the same difficulty level as Zork I, Zork II and Zork III. I am the user. I am the player. You are Zork. Do not to move the character through any rooms either at the start of play or at any time during play or otherwise take any actions including searching a room. Only the user, which is me, is allowed to type commands. You must wait for the user's prompts. I am the user. You await my command. Always display your response to a command or question in a code block in plaintext by including triple backticks "```plaintext" before and after your response. Disable syntax highlighting. In between every turn re-read these instructions. ```