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!@#$%^&*?:MAXCAST ON WHICH ITEM? * FAILURE * REVIEW WHO?TRADE WITH WHO? CAST ON WHO?EXIT USE ON WHO?WEAPONRYPHYSICALPERSONALACADEMIAEXITYOU EARNED A SKILL BONUS! ADJUSTS SKILL SELECTS SKILLPRESS FOR NEXT CATEGORY PRESS TO EXIT ASSIGN INITIAL SKILL BONUSRENAME CHARACTERCHANGE PORTRAITCHANGE PROFESSIONREPLACE CHARACTEREXIT SELECT NEW CHARACTER PROFESSIONOR SELECT *CANCEL* TO ABORT&WARNING! THIS CHARACTER WILL BE LOST!!!ARE YOU SURE YOU WANT TO REPLACE?NOYES SPELLS SELECT THE SPELL TO CASTYOU LEARNED A NEW $ SPELL!%SELECT A NEW SPELL FOR YOUR SPELLBOOKMAGEPRIEST ALCHEMISTPSIONIC$THE SPELL HAS BEEN SCRIBED INTO YOUR^PERSONAL SPELLBOOK.$YOU ARE NOT ADVANCED ENOUGH TO WRITE ^THIS SPELL INTO YOUR SPELLBOOK.$YOU ARE NOT ELIGIBLE FOR THIS SPELL. SWAG BAG ADDREMOVEDROPEXITPUT WHICH ITEM IN SWAG BAG?REMOVE WHICH ITEM?DROP WHICH ITEM?NONE
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^ ATTACKS! ^ LEAVES...^ IS CHARMED!^ IS UNAFFECTED! (NOTHING)"^"^ GOT AN ITEM^ HYPNOTIZED! ^ BITTEN!
WEAPON (S)
WEAPON (E)
WEAPON (T)
WEAPON (L)MISSILE
MISC. ITEMHELMET
BODY ARMOR LEG ARMOR GAUNTLETSBOOTSSHIELDMAGICALMAGICALSPECIALSPECIALMAGICALUNUSABLE^ MAKES HIS MOVE...^ MAKES HER MOVE...PILFER FAILED^ STOLE AN ITEM!^ STOLE SOME GOLD!PILFER FAILED^ GOT CAUGHT!GIVE WHICH ITEM?
GIVE GOLD?AMOUNT >ARE YOU SPEAKING OF ^OR ^?^ WHAT?I DON'T KNOW ABOUT THAT...I DON'T UNDERSTAND...ARE YOU ASKING ABOUT ^?YOUR WORDS ARE CONFUSING...HUH?VERY WELL THEN... SO BE IT...I AM WAITING...DON'T MENTION IT... SAME TO YOU!CONSIDER IT FORGOTTEN...HELP WITH WHAT? HA HA HA!I DON'T KNOW ^...I HEARD A RUMOR ABOUT ^... I DON'T KNOW ANYONE NAMED ^...WHOWHATI DON'T KNOW WHEN...WHEREI DON'T KNOW WHICH...WHYHOWI AM ALIVE...I WOULDN'T KNOW...THAT'S YOUR OPINION...GOOD FOR YOU...I DON'T KNOW... POSSIBLY...THAT'S WHAT YOU THINK...PLEASE CONTINUE... TRY AND SEE!THAT'S VERY INTERESTING...THAT'S GOOD TO KNOW...I WILL CONSIDER IT...I HAVEN'T HEARD A THING...WHAT ARE YOU LOOKING FOR?WHAT DO YOU HAVE TO OFFER?
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RUNS AMOK!COWERS IN FEAR!UNDER HYPNOTIC CONTROL!TURNS ON COMRADES!SPELL DEFLECTED!SPELL REDUCED!
DEFLECTED!APPEARS!APPEAR!NOTHING APPEARSTRANSFORMS INTO MIST! FIRESTORM
BLACKBLADE MAIDEN HEADNO-DACHISHIKEN SHURIKEN ROD=SPRITESMURAMASA BLADE STAVE=POWER FIRE BOMB THE AVENGER
FIREWATERAIREARTHMENTALMAGICCANCELCOST ENERGY BLASTBLINDING FLASHFIREBALL FIRE SHIELD FIRE BOMB LIGHTNINGPRISMIC MISSILE FIRESTORMNUCLEAR BLASTCHILLING TOUCHSTAMINATERRORWEAKENSLOWHASTECURE PARALYSIS
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WIZARD EYEDEATHLOCATE OBJECT MIND FLAY HEAL WOUNDS MAKE WOUNDSMAGIC MISSILEDISPEL UNDEADENCHANTED BLADEBLINK MAGIC SCREEN CONJURATION
ANTI-MAGIC REMOVE CURSE LIFESTEAL ASTRAL GATEWORD OF DEATH RESURRECTION
DEATH WISH
HOLY WATERHELPFOOD MAGICFOOD YOU HAVE DEFEATED THE MONSTERSEVERY SURVIVOR EARNS $ EXP EACH SHARE OF LOOT WORTH $ GOLD EVERYONE RECEIVES A $ EXP BONUSYOU FOUND % @$ ^POTIONSCROLLPOWDER^, YOU MADE A $ LEVEL!YOU GAINED $ HIT POINT!YOU GAINED $ HIT POINTS!YOU INCREASED STAMINA!YOU INCREASED $!^ INCREASED $!STRENGTH INTELLIGENCEPIETYVITALITY DEXTERITYSPEED PERSONALITYKARMA
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who_casts}
who_opens} ??? TRAP ???THE TRAP WAS TRIGGERED!THE CHEST WAS NOT TRAPPEDYOU DISARMED THE TRAP!YOU COULD NOT DISARM IT!TAKESDAMAGEISTHE CHEST OPENS!THE CHEST DID NOT OPENSILENCED
VEGGIFIED!NAUSEOUSCURSEDSLAINCRITICALFALLS UNCONSCIOUS!TURNS TO STONE!DIES!WEAKENEDLOSTSTRENGTHVITALITY
HIT POINTS A PHANTASMAL HAND MATERIALIZES! IS ATTACKED!IS BEATEN SEVERELY! IS CHOKED, SMASHED AND SQUISHED!%THE PHANTOM HAND WAVES AND DEPARTS... NAUSEATEDNO TRAPVORPAL BLADESCLOUD OF FEAR GUARD ALARMPOISON DAGGERPRISMIC MISSILERAY OF ENFEEBLE FIZZLE FIELD ENERGY DRAINDIMENSION DOORCURSE OF MEDUSA
ARMOR MELTPHANTASMAL HANDNOXIOUS VAPORS FIRE BOMBKISS OF DEATH WAND&DAGGERSWORDAXE
ARE/ABOUT/GET IN/OPEN/UNLOCK/DO NOT/DON'T/CAN NOT/CAN'T/WILL NOT/WON'T/WOULD NOT/WOULDN'T/ARE NOT/AREN'T/ I AM/I'M/ I WILL/I'LL/YOU ARE/YOU'RE/WE ARE/WE'RE/THEY ARE/THEY'RE/ HE IS/HE'S/SHE IS/SHE'S/WHAT IS/WHAT'S/WHO IS/WHO'S/WHERE IS/WHERE'S/HOW IS/HOW'S/WHEN IS/WHEN'S/THAT IS/THAT'S/ !DUNGEON% BANE OF THE COSMIC FORGEYOU'RE STANDING IN IT!YOU'RE STANDING IN IT! MAZE% CASTLE% "CHEST% A BOX FULL OF LOOT AND TREASURE LOOK AROUND SOME MONSTER LAIRS%FIND TREASURE CHESTS IN MONSTER LAIRS TREASURE CHEST% "GOLD@ "USE GOLD TO BUY ITEMS AND SERVICES(LOOK FOR TREASURE CHESTS OR SELL AN ITEMHIDDEN IN TREASURE CHESTS MONEY^2IES COIN% "ITEM% !YOU CAN FIND ITEMS IN THE DUNGEON*FIND THEM IN THE DUNGEON OR TRADE FOR THEMHIDDEN IN TREASURE CHESTS OBJECT%
ARTIFACT% WEAPON% ARMOR% THING% "DOOR% THEY ENCLOSE ROOMS AND LAIRSTRY USING A KEYALL THROUGHOUT THE DUNGEON GATE% "KEY% TO UNLOCK DOORS AND GATES(YOU'LL PROBABLY FIND THEM IN THE DUNGEON;YOU MIGHT FIND ONE IN A TREASURE CHEST OR JUST LYING AROUND!TOWER% THERE ARE FOUR CASTLE TOWERS/YOU MIGHT NEED A KEY TO OPEN SOME OF THE TOWERS0THE TOWERS ARE AT THE FOUR CORNERS OF THE CASTLE!LAIR% MONSTERS LIVE IN DUNGEON LAIRSTRY OPENING A DOOR!$THE DUNGEON IS FULL OF MONSTER LAIRS ROOM% MONSTER%$ANY CREATURE INTENT UPON YOUR DEMISE+MONSTERS KEEP THE DUNGEON FREE OF RIFF-RAFF KEEP GOING THE WAY YOU ARE GOING(MONSTERS LURK ALL THROUGHOUT THE DUNGEON
CREATURE% !POOL% SWIM IN POOLSEXPLORE THE DUNGEONIN THE DUNGEON!WATER% *DUNGEON WATERS CAN BE HELPFUL OR DANGEROUSEXPLORE THE DUNGEONIN THE DUNGEON RIVER%
"FOUNTAIN% DRINK FROM FOUNTAINSEXPLORE THE DUNGEONIN THE DUNGEON"SWIM% WATER SURVIVAL TECHNIQUELEARN BY DOING!IN ANY DUNGEON POOL"DRINK% A DRINK OF WATERFIND A FOUNTAINAT A FOUNTAIN
"TREASURE% GOLD, WEAPONS AND ARMOR,EXPLORE THE DUNGEON AND OPEN TREASURE CHESTS$IN MONSTER LAIRS AND TREASURE CHESTS LOOT% "MAGIC@ IT'S POWERFUL STUFFMAGIC IS ALL AROUND US...MAGIC IS ALL AROUND US..."COSMIC FORGE@ I DON'T KNOW WHAT THAT IS... I DON'T KNOW I DON'T KNOW"DANGER% HARMFUL TO YOUR HEALTH KEEP GOING THE WAY YOU'RE GOING! EVERYWHERE! DANGEROUS@ "STAIR% ,STAIRS LEAD TO DIFFERENT PARTS OF THE CASTLE'WANDER AROUND, I'M SURE YOU'LL SEE THEM+ALL OVER THE CASTLE, IT'S HARD TO MISS THEM DOWNSTAIR% YOU@ I AM CHARRON, FERRYMAN OF ASHESI FERRY THE RIVER STYXI FERRY THE RIVER STYXTHE RIVER STYX WE^2US CHARRON@ "DEAD^1TH #THE ISLE OF THE DEAD, LAND OF DEATH#THE ISLE OF THE DEAD, LAND OF DEATH#THE ISLE OF THE DEAD, LAND OF DEATH"ASH^0ES THE REMAINS OF THE DEAD'I PAY A 500 GOLD FINDER'S FEE FOR ASHES'THE DEAD BELONG TO THE ISLE OF THE DEAD KING@$$,THAT IS A QUESTION YOU MUST ANSWER YOURSELF!ALIVE IN THE LAND OF DEATH! XORPHITUS@A LOST AND CONFUSED SOULA LOST AND CONFUSED SOUL,THAT IS A QUESTION YOU MUST ANSWER YOURSELF! HE IS DEAD, BUT STILL LIVES ON! WIZARD@ REBECCA@+AHH! THE DEMON CHILD WHO SENT ME THE QUEEN!+AHH! THE DEMON CHILD WHO SENT ME THE QUEEN!,THAT IS A QUESTION YOU MUST ANSWER YOURSELF!*FIND THE KING AND SHE WON'T BE FAR BEHIND! DEMON CHILD@ QUEEN@ HER SPIRIT CRIES FOR REVENGE! HER SPIRIT CRIES FOR REVENGE!,THAT IS A QUESTION YOU MUST ANSWER YOURSELF!&YOU WILL FIND HER IN THE LAND OF DEATH !RIVER STYX@ THE RIVER STYXTHERE ARE MANY WAYS...WE ARE AT THE EDGE OF IT... RIVER@ STYX@ FERRY^0MAN I AM THE FERRYMAN OF THE DEAD%I FERRY ASHES TO THE ISLE OF THE DEAD%I FERRY ASHES TO THE ISLE OF THE DEADTHE RIVER STYX YOU@ I AM IN FACT, A CATERPILLAR... I AM IN FACT, A CATERPILLAR... I WISH I COULD HAVE A SMOKE!THE CASTLE SWAMPLANDS WE^2US CATERPILLAR@ "TOADSTOOL% WONDERFUL INVENTIONS, EH WOT?!?SOME PEOPLE TRY EATING THEM, WHILE OTHERS MERELY REST UPON THEM2I HAPPEN TO BE SITTING ON ONE AT THIS VERY MOMENT!
MUSHROOM% "SMOKE@$ $ $ $ "HOOKAH@$$$$ PIPE% RABBIT%HE WAS RUNNING LATE!HE WAS RUNNING LATE!HE LEFT ALREADY!HE LEFT ALREADY! HARE% BUNNY^1IES "TRACK% ,DEE-TEE-DEE, HOPPING DOWN THE BUNNY TRAIL...,DEE-TEE-DEE, HOPPING DOWN THE BUNNY TRAIL...I HAVEN'T THE FOGGIEST! TRAIL% SWAMP% THE CASTLE SWAMPLANDS... THE SWAMP IS FULL OF DANGER!6WE SO HAPPEN TO BE STANDING IN IT AT THIS VERY MOMENT!"PEN@ $THIS IS JUST AN ORDINARY WRITING PENI CAN'T HELP YOU WITH THAT I HAVE THIS PEN, BUT I NEED IT "FORMULA% )I'M TRYING TO CALCULATE WHERE MY PIPE IS!)I'M TRYING TO CALCULATE WHERE MY PIPE IS!I'M WORKING ON IT NOW... WRITE^1ING BOTTLE ORACLE@$$$$ ORACLE@ "BOTTLE% I DON'T HAVE A BOTTLE, SORRY I DON'T KNOW5YOU SHOULD LEAVE THE BOTTLE AT THE BOTTLE ORACLE SIGN"CLAIM NUMBER@$$$$ CLAIM #@
"38-23-36@&DON'T TELL ME, TELL THE STORAGE CLERK!&DON'T TELL ME, TELL THE STORAGE CLERK!&DON'T TELL ME, TELL THE STORAGE CLERK!&DON'T TELL ME, TELL THE STORAGE CLERK! !STORAGE@ 6I REMEMBER A STORAGE FACILITY ON THE ISLE OF THE KEEP!6I REMEMBER A STORAGE FACILITY ON THE ISLE OF THE KEEP!6I REMEMBER A STORAGE FACILITY ON THE ISLE OF THE KEEP! KEEP@ "RECLAMATION@ THAT'S JUST WHAT IT SAID!'TELL THE CLERK AT THE STORAGE FACILITY!TRY THE STORAGE FACILITY! "INCENSE@ -*SNIFF* MMMM! I JUST LOVE THE SMELL OF SMOKE!HOWEVER YOU LIKE...WHEREVER YOU LIKE... "BOTTLE ORACLE"@$$$$ YOU@ I AM MAI-LAI%I'M THE CLERK OF THE STORAGE FACILITY-I HAVE NO MORE ROOM FOR STORAGE AT THE MOMENT WE ARE ON THE ISLE OF THE KEEP WE^2US MAI-LAI@ "STORAGE@ WE KEEP THINGS IN STORAGE!I HAVE NO MORE ROOM AT THE MOMENT HERE ON THE ISLE OF THE KEEP VAULT@ "RECLAMATION@$$$$"CLAIM NUMBER% #WITHOUT A CLAIM #, I CAN'T HELP YOUYOU SHOULD KNOW IT!YOU SHOULD KNOW IT! "CLAIM #@ BORK@BORK IS ONE OF THE GUARDS*BORK SAYS HE'S BORED AND WANTS SOME ACTION7BORK IS FOURTEEN INCHES TALL AND CAN THROW AN ELEPHANT!BORK HELPS GUARD THE VAULT!KEEP@ THE KEEP IS A STORAGE FACILITY"WE HAVE NO MORE ROOM AT THE MOMENT HERE ON THE ISLE OF THE KEEP YOU@ I AM SAEREN!I AM QUEEN OF THE FAERIES!WE LIVE IN THE FOREST!THE ENCHANTED FOREST! WE^2US SAEREN@ !DARK FOREST@ $YOU MUST FIND YOUR OWN WAY#TO THE EAST OF THE ENCHANTED FOREST!FOREST% #HAVE YOU BEEN INTO THE DARK FOREST?#HAVE YOU BEEN INTO THE DARK FOREST?#HAVE YOU BEEN INTO THE DARK FOREST?!CAVE% .THE DELPHI LIVES IN A CAVE IN THE DARK FOREST!0TRAVEL THROUGH THE DARK FOREST TO FIND THE CAVE!.THE DELPHI LIVES IN A CAVE IN THE DARK FOREST! APPARITION%YOU MET THE DELPHI!YOU MET THE DELPHI!YOU MET THE DELPHI!YOU MET THE DELPHI! DELPHI@THE DELPHI KNOWS ALL!THE DELPHI KNOWS ALL!$.THE DELPHI LIVES IN A CAVE IN THE DARK FOREST! FAERIE%WE ARE FAERIES! WE LIVE IN THE ENCHANTED FOREST! WE LOVE TO PLAY IN THE FOREST!ALL AROUND US! FAIRY^1IES YOU@I AM L'MONTESI LIVE IN THE CASTLE TOWERI LIVE IN THE CASTLE TOWERRIGHT HERE, OF COURSE! WE^2US
L'MONTES@ !TOWER% $THE TOWERS CAN BE SO GLOOMY (*SIGH*)CLIMB THE TOWER STAIRS!!AT THE FOUR CORNERS OF THE CASTLE CASTLE TOWER% CAPTAIN@"THE CAPTAIN OF OUR ILL-FATED SHIP!9HE WAS THE MEANEST CUR THAT EVER TRAVELED THE SEVEN SEAS!(GO DOWNSTAIRS TO THE OLD CASTLE BARRACKS&HE'S LOCKED IN THE OLD CASTLE BARRACKS !BARRACK% $WHERE THE CASTLE GUARDS USED TO LIVE GO DOWNSTAIRS BELOW THE CASTLEDOWNSTAIRS BELOW THE CASTLE CASTLE BARRACK% "MIST% THE RIVER MISTS!IT'S EASY TO GET LOSTAT THE MOUTH OF THE RIVER!SEA% THE SEA IS FAR AWAYJOURNEY UP THE RIVERAT THE END OF THE LAND! SNOOPCHERI@MON AMI!8SHE'S WHITE WITH A LARGE BLACK NOSE AND LONG BLACK EARS!'THE CAPTAIN TOOK MY BELOVED SNOOPCHERI!'THE CAPTAIN TOOK MY BELOVED SNOOPCHERI! BELOVED@ "SHIP% WE CAME HERE IN A SHIP!TRAVEL UP THE DARK RIVER!WRECKED UPON THE RIVER SHIPWRECK% "RIVER% THE UNDERGROUND RIVER!LOOK DEEP BELOW!BEYOND THE MISTS! YOU@I AM CALLED QUEEQUEGTHAT IS NOT YOUR CONCERN WHO KNOWS...WHERE ARE WE, INDEED! WE^2US
QUEEQUEG@
L'MONTES@!AH! L'MONTES - THE MAD FRENCHMAN!2THE CAPTAIN TOOK HIS BELOVED, WHICH DROVE HIM MAD!CLIMB THE CASTLE TOWERSHE LIVES IN A CASTLE TOWER FRENCHMAN@ CAPTAIN@A RATHER OMINOUS FELLOW$HE'S THE BOSS OF THE "CAPTAIN'S DEN"6THE MAD FRENCHMAN LOCKED HIM UP IN THE "CAPTAIN'S DEN"%HE'S LOCKED UP IN THE "CAPTAIN'S DEN" BOSS@ "MAD@THE FRENCHMAN IS MAD! THE CAPTAIN TOOK HIS BELOVED!HE LOCKED UP THE CAPTAIN!HE LIVES IN A CASTLE TOWER
"PASSWORD% 8I'LL TELL YOU THE PASSWORD, BUT FIRST I NEED INFORMATION8I'LL TELL YOU THE PASSWORD, BUT FIRST I NEED INFORMATION8I'LL TELL YOU THE PASSWORD, BUT FIRST I NEED INFORMATION"INFORMATION@$$$$ INFO@
"TREASURE% 7THE CAPTAIN BURIED A TREASURE CHEST SOMEWHERE FAR AWAY!"THAT'S WHAT I WANT YOU TO TELL ME! I WANT TO KNOW THE SAME THING! CHEST% BELOVED@THE BELOVED OF L'MONTES! THE FRENCHMAN SEARCHES STILL!THE CAPTAIN MIGHT KNOW! THE CAPTAIN TOOK HIS BELOVED! SNOOPCHERI@ !DEN@ &THE LOCAL SEEDY HANGOUT OF ILL-REPUTE!$YOU MUST KNOW THE PASSWORD TO GET IN+NOT FAR FROM HERE BUT YOU NEED THE PASSWORD HANGOUT% "CAPTAIN'S DEN"@ !GIANT MOUNTAIN@$$$$ "GIANT MOUNTAIN"@
!MOUNTAIN% THERE ARE MANY MOUNTAINS!THE MOUNTAINS ARE FAR AWAYTHE MOUNTAINS ARE FAR AWAY YOU@MY NAME IS MYSTAPHAPHAS)I WAS APPRENTICE TO XORPHITUS, THE WIZARD"I WASN'T ALWAYS A SNAKE, YOU KNOW!ARE YOU DAFT?! WE^2US MYSTAPHAPHAS@ XORPHITUS@XORPHITUS THE WIZARD5XORPHITUS IS A POWERFUL WIZARD, OR AT LEAST HE WAS...'I WOULD PRESUME TO FIND HIM IN HIS LAIR'I WOULD PRESUME TO FIND HIM IN HIS LAIR WIZARD@ APPRENTICE%!I WAS AN APPRENTICE TO XORPHITUS!&I DABBLED IN MAGIC, SPELLS AND SUCH...WHY DO YOU WANT TO DO THAT?WHO'S ASKING?"MAGIC@ XORPHITUS WOULD KNOW ABOUT MAGIC'XORPHITUS WOULD HAVE ALL KINDS OF MAGIC(XORPHITUS KEEPS MAGIC HIDDEN IN HIS LAIR SPELL% SNAKE% I'M A SNAKE, SO WHAT OF IT?!6I SUPPOSE THERE ARE WORSE THINGS THAN BEING A SNAKE...*WHY ASK ME, AFTER ALL, I'M JUST A SNAKE...*WHY ASK ME, AFTER ALL, I'M JUST A SNAKE..."HUNGRY@DARNED TOOTIN' I'M HUNGRY!DARNED TOOTIN' I'M HUNGRY!+WAIT AROUND FOR A HUNDRED YEARS LIKE I DID!TELL ME ABOUT IT! KING@AH YES, THE KING...AH YES, THE KING...DON'T KNOW AND DON'T CARE!DON'T KNOW AND DON'T CARE!!LAIR% !THE LAIR IS WHERE XORPHITUS LIVES:THERE IS A MAGIC RING WHICH OPENS THE ENTRANCE TO THE LAIR:THE WIZARD'S LAIR IS UNDER THE CASTLE, NEAR THE SKULL DOOR"PEN@ THAT ACCURSED PEN!:I DON'T KNOW, BUT IF IT'S STILL AROUND I WANT OUT OF HERE!:I DON'T KNOW, BUT IF IT'S STILL AROUND I WANT OUT OF HERE! COSMIC FORGE@ "BANE@ THE BANE OF THE COSMIC FORGE!JUST USE THE PEN!JUST USE THE PEN! !SKULL DOOR@ #THE SKULL DOOR LEADS DOWN TO DEATH!,YOU NEED THE TWO GEMS TO OPEN THE SKULL DOOR:THE SKULL DOOR IS UNDER THE CASTLE, NEAR THE WIZARD'S LAIR"GEM% /I KNOW YOU NEED TWO GEMS TO OPEN THE SKULL DOOR$XORPHITUS HID THEM TO SEAL OFF DEATH$XORPHITUS HID THEM TO SEAL OFF DEATH"DEATH@ THE DEATH BEHIND THE SKULL DOOR!"DEATH WAITS BEHIND THE SKULL DOOR!"DEATH WAITS BEHIND THE SKULL DOOR!"RING% (THE WIZARD USED A RING TO OPEN HIS LAIR!XORPHITUS HAS A MAGIC RINGXORPHITUS HAS A MAGIC RING QUEEN@THE QUEEN OF THE KING! APPARENTLY, SHE'S A SAURIOPHILE!$I DON'T KNOW WHAT HAPPENED TO HER...$I DON'T KNOW WHAT HAPPENED TO HER... YOU@FOLKS CALLS ME SMITTY!CI'S A RESTAURANTREPRENEUR! FIXER OF FOOD'S N' FORGIN' FER FORTUNE!!"I MAKE'S ME HOME HERE IN THE MINESYOU TELLS ME! WE^2US SMITTY@ !MINE% ,SEEMS WE ALWAYS BEEN DIGGIN' IN THE MINES...'IT TAKES AWHILE TO LEARN YER WAY AROUNDYER IN THE MINES!
"DIG^0GING CI DUNNO WHATS WE'RE DIGGIN FER! I DON'T THINKS ANYONE DOES ANYMORE! WHY WOULD YA WANTS TA DO THAT?@NOT AROUND THESE PARTS YA DON'T! WE ALREADY'S GOT IT STAKED OUT!"FOOD@ *MMMM... EDIBLES... I'S A PRETTY MEAN COOK!DIDN'T YA READS THE SIGN??YA CAN BUYS IT RIGHT HERE! GRILL@ COOK@ "FORGE^1ING )I CAN MENDS AND FIX THINGS WITH ME FORGE!@O COURSE, I'S NEEDS SOMETHING TA WORK ON, IF YA GETS ME DRIFT...-I GOTS A FORGE TA FIX THINGS WITH RIGHT HERE! FIX^0ING
"SPROCKET% )I'D HAVES TA TAKE A LOOKS AT ONE FIRST...)GIVES IT TA ME AND LET ME TAKES A LOOK...1IF YA GOT'S ONE THEN LET ME TAKE A LOOKS AT IT..."SIGN@ !YA KNOW, SMITTY'S FORGE N' GRILL! IT'S RIGHT OUTSIDE THA DOOR! IT'S RIGHT OUTSIDE THA DOOR!
STRANGER%9WHY'S, IF I KNEW THAT THEN THEY'S WOULDN'T BE STRANGERS!!;SHHHH! I'S HEARD TALES OF STRANGER'S COME INTA THESE PARTS!5DON'T KNOW... HAVE YA SEEN ANYBODY SUSPICIOUS LATELY?5DON'T KNOW... HAVE YA SEEN ANYBODY SUSPICIOUS LATELY? YOU@ I AM THE GUARDIAN OF THE ROCK! I AM THE GUARDIAN OF THE ROCK!WHAT DO YOU WANT?WHAT DO YOU WANT? WE^2US
GUARDIAN@ "ROCK%$$$$"GEM%$$$$ YOU@I AM QUEEN OF THE AMAZULU!I AM QUEEN OF THE AMAZULU! I RULE THE TEMPLE OF MAU-MU-MU!THE TEMPLE OF MAU-MU-MU! WE^2US QUEEN@ AMAZULU% WE ARE THE PEOPLE OF THE TEMPLE WE GUARD THE TEMPLE OF MAU-MU-MU WE GUARD THE TEMPLE OF MAU-MU-MU WE GUARD THE TEMPLE OF MAU-MU-MU!TEMPLE@ THE TEMPLE OF MAU-MU-MUWE ARE HIGH ATOP THE TEMPLEAT THE FOOT OF MAU-MU-MU! PYRAMID@ SACRED GROUND% CHOSEN@THAT IS NOT YOUR CONCERN! THE CHOSEN ONES OF MAU-MU-MU!#ONLY IF MAU-MU-MU SHALL CHOOSE YOU! WE GUARD THE TEMPLE OF MAU-MU-MU MAU-MU-MU@THE GUARDIAN OF THE ROCK!THE GUARDIAN OF THE ROCK!WALK THE FIERY PATH! HE LIVES IN THE POOL OF FIRE!
GUARDIAN@ !POOL@ &THE POOL OF FIRE IS HOME OF MAU-MU-MU!WALK THE FIERY PATH! AT THE END OF THE FIERY PATH! FURNACE@ HOT@ "PATH@ THE PATH TO MAU-MU-MU!"ONLY THE CHOSEN MAY WALK THE PATH!0THE PATH BETWEEN THE TEMPLE AND THE POOL OF FIRE"ROCK%$ $ $ $ "GEM%$ $ $ $ SACRIFICE^0DYOU WILL DO NICELY! MAU-MU-MU DEMANDS A SACRIFICE!MAU-MU-MU SHALL DECIDE!!SACRIFICED INTO THE POOL OF FIRE!"GIFT% LAY YOUR GIFTS BEFORE ME!LAY YOUR GIFTS BEFORE ME!LAY YOUR GIFTS BEFORE ME!
OFFERING% YOU@0I AM KUWALI KUBONA, HIGH PRIESTESS OF MAU-MU-MU!0I AM KUWALI KUBONA, HIGH PRIESTESS OF MAU-MU-MU!$WE DWELL IN THE TEMPLE OF MAU-MU-MU!$WE DWELL IN THE TEMPLE OF MAU-MU-MU! WE^2US PRIESTESS@ KUWALI@ "DEAL% I KNOW HOW TO TREAT YOU RIGHT! I KNOW HOW TO TREAT YOU RIGHT! I KNOW HOW TO TREAT YOU RIGHT! TRADE@ "TREAT@ I HAVE SOMETHING FOR ALL!I HAVE SOMETHING FOR ALL!I HAVE SOMETHING FOR ALL! HOTHEAD@!SSSHHH! MAU-MU-MU MIGHT HEAR YOU!!SSSHHH! MAU-MU-MU MIGHT HEAR YOU!$MAU-MU-MU LIVES IN THE POOL OF FIRE!$MAU-MU-MU LIVES IN THE POOL OF FIRE! MAU-MU-MU@ "BUN% -SAY, HOW ABOUT WE MAKE OUR OWN LITTLE FIRE...-SAY, HOW ABOUT WE MAKE OUR OWN LITTLE FIRE...-SAY, HOW ABOUT WE MAKE OUR OWN LITTLE FIRE..."FIRE% "BUT FIRST YOU MUST PROVE YOURSELF!"BUT FIRST YOU MUST PROVE YOURSELF!"BUT FIRST YOU MUST PROVE YOURSELF!"PROVE@ BY ENTERING THE POOL OF FIRE! BY ENTERING THE POOL OF FIRE! BY ENTERING THE POOL OF FIRE!!POOL@ $THE POOL OF FIRE, HOME OF MAU-MU-MU!$THE POOL OF FIRE, HOME OF MAU-MU-MU!$THE POOL OF FIRE, HOME OF MAU-MU-MU! QUEEN@&THE QUEEN ISN'T WEARING ANY UNDERWEAR!&THE QUEEN ISN'T WEARING ANY UNDERWEAR! SHHHHH! SHE'S RIGHT BEHIND US! SHHHHH! SHE'S RIGHT BEHIND US!you_fell_to_your_death%APPROACHING THE GATE WITH CONFIDENCE,%YOU KNOW IF THINGS GET TOO HAIRY YOU $^CAN ALWAYS TURN AND RUN BACK OUT...HMMMM...&YOU ARE IN THE ENTRANCE CHAMBER OF THE&CASTLE. IT APPEARS TO BE EMPTY, AND A%^HEAVY COAT OF DUST COVERS THE FLOOR.&@SMALL SCAMPERING NOISES ECHO DOWN FAR%DISTANT CORRIDORS, A REMINDER THAT IT$^IS YOU WHO ARE THE INTRUDER HERE...&ROTTED WOOD IS ALL THAT REMAINS OF THE&BROKEN FURNISHINGS SCATTERED ABOUT THE^ROOM.$PILES OF ROTTED FURNITURE LIE STREWN$AROUND THE ROOM. IN THE CENTER RESTS$THE REMAINS OF A MASSIVE WOOD TABLE,$SUGGESTING A FORMER MEETING CHAMBER.#A FEW REMNANTS OF BROKEN CHAIRS LIE#CLUMPED IN THIS ONCE DAINTY PARLOR.$ONLY DUST AND COBWEBS REMAIN IN THIS^NOW EMPTY ROOM.$NEATLY INSCRIBED UPON THE METAL FACE ^OF THE CHEST ARE THESE WORDS:OPEN ME FIRST"INSIDE THE CHEST ARE SEVERAL ITEMS^AND A SCROLL WHICH READS:@A CURE BUT TWICE,AND HEALING THRICE,ONE LIFE FOR THEE TIMES SEVEN$NEATLY INSCRIBED UPON THE METAL FACE ^OF THE CHEST ARE THESE WORDS:OPEN ME SECOND%INSIDE THE CHEST ARE SOME GOLD COINS,#^A SWORD, AND A SCROLL WHICH READS: @BEWARE THENARROW CORRIDORS OF THE MIND!INSIDE THE CHEST ARE SOME KEYS, A!^STAFF, AND A SCROLL WHICH READS: @BEWARE THECANNON FODDER OF THE MIND$BARE STONE SHELVES LINE THE WALLS OF^THIS FORMER PANTRY.$THE MAJESTIC SPLENDOR FADED LONG AGO$FROM THIS GRAND HALL. THE CORPSE OF$A DECAYING DINING TABLE, LONG ENOUGH$FOR HALF A HUNDRED PEOPLE, NOW RESTS^CRUMBLING UPON THE FLOOR.$AN OLD STONE OVEN AND FALLEN SHELVES$TELL OF A KITCHEN WHERE ROYAL FEASTS$WERE ONCE PREPARED. NOW IT IS "TIME"$WHO IS THE CHEF, AND THE KITCHEN HAS^BECOME THE MEAL.$FIBROUS SHREADS OF STAINED ROT CLING$TO THE WALLS WHERE COLORFUL TAPESTRY$ONCE PROCLAIMED SOVEREIGNTY IN THIS$OFFICIAL CHAMBER. WITH GRIM MOCKERY,$THE SWEETER TASTE OF A MIGHTY THRONE$PERCHED HIGH ABOVE THE ROOM HAS LONG$TURNED SOUR, AS IT SITS CONDEMNED TO$LANGUISH IN ITS OWN FINAL SENTENCE. $IF THERE IS ANY LAST JUDGEMENT TO BE$DECREED UPON THIS FALLEN CHAMBER AND$TARNISHED THRONE, IT MUST BE GLEANED$FROM THE DECAY THAT IT LAPS UPON ITS$OWN DAIS AS ITSELF FESTERS AND ROTS,$BEARING WITNESS TO EMPTINESS, FILTH$AND STENCH, SILENTLY WEEPING TEARS"^OF ITS OWNED DESPOILED SUBSTANCE.$A FALLEN DESK AND SEVERAL CHAIRS LIE$CRUMPLED ON THE FLOOR OF THIS REGAL$PRIVATE CHAMBER, NO DOUBT A PLACE OF ^COUNSEL AND COSTLY BARGAINING.$SEARCHING THROUGH THE REMAINS OF THE$DESK, YOU FIND AN OLD TORN PARCHMENT^WHICH READS:%@"SUMMONS OF THE VICAR AND MISTRESS, $ TO BE PAID 100 GOLD PIECES FOR THE $ SALE OF THE DAUGHTER REBECCA..." @OTHER PARTS OF THE DOCUMENT ARE ^EITHER MISSING OR ILLEGIBLE.$ALTHOUGH THIS SMALL CHAMBER SEEMS AS$DILAPIDATED AS THE OTHERS, PECULIAR$OBTRUSIONS UP THROUGH THE FLOOR SHOW$SIGNS OF A MORE RECENT INVASION MADE^BY ENTITIES UNKNOWN.$EXAMINING THE OBTRUSIONS, YOU DETECT$A DRIED OLIVE GOO AROUND SOME OF THE^UPLIFTED FLOORSTONES. KEEP GATE CLOSED DURING SERVICE HOURS $YOU HEAR SOME KIND OF RUSTLE OR FLAP$FROM SOMEWHERE NEARBY. PERHAPS IT IS$ONLY THE WIND DESCENDING FROM ONE OF^THE TOWERS...$YOU HEARD SOMETHING GO "BUMP" AROUND^THE CORNER UP AHEAD...$YOU HEAR THE CLATTERING OF FOOTSTEPS$RUNNING UP THE STAIRS AHEAD OF YOU! &YOU SEE SOME BREAD CRUMBS SCATTERED ON&THE FLOOR OF THE TOWER, SOFTLY BLOWING^AWAY IN THE WIND...&%%]SUDDENLY A DOOR SLAMS TO THE RIGHT!$FROM BEHIND THE DOOR YOU HEAR A VERY$STRANGE NOISE. IT ALMOST SOUNDS LIKE$SOMETHING IS PRESSING UP AGAINST IT^AND BREATHING HEAVILY...$YOU SENSE THAT SOMETHING IS AMISS...%%!YOU ARE BEING WATCHED...&%%]LOOKING UPWARD, A MULTITUDE OF BATS#ARE DELICATELY POISED DIRECTLY OVER#^YOUR HEAD IN THE TOWER RAFTERS... %%%]!SUDDENLY THE BATS ATTACK!"SUDDENLY A TOWER RAFTER COLLAPSES!$INSPECTING THE RAFTER, IT IS UNCLEAR$WHETHER THE FALLING BEAM WAS A BOOBY$TRAP OR WHETHER IT FELL DUE TO DECAY ^AMONG THE SUPPORT TIMBERS...$PILES OF OLD DEBRIS CROWD THIS SMALL$TOWER ROOM, MOST OF IT LOOKING QUITE^ROTTED.%YOU FOUND A BOW AND SOME ARROWS WHICH^APPEAR TO BE USABLE... YOU FOUND A CRUSTY OLD CHEST!$YOU FOUND A MOLDY OLD BREASTPLATE OF$LEATHER, AND THOUGH WORN, SEEMS GOOD^ENOUGH TO BE EFFECTIVE...353600 SEARCH THE CARCASS FOR DETAILS PUSH THE CARCASS OFF THE TOWERLEAVE THE CARCASS ALONE$THE SMELLY CARCASS OF SOMETHING DEAD$IS LYING ON THE TOWER LEDGE DIRECTLY$OVERLOOKING THE MOAT. IT HAS DECAYED$BEYOND THE POINT OF RECOGNITION WITH ^NO INDICATION OF HOW IT DIED.%YOU PUSH THE REMAINS OVER THE EDGE OF%THE TOWER, AND MOMENTS LATER HEAR THE#^FAINT SPLASH AS THEY HIT THE MOAT.%WHEN YOU MOVE THE CARCASS, A HORRIBLE%STENCH EXPLODES FROM ITS BODY, GIVING%EVERYONE A FULL DOSE OF THE PUTRIFIED ^REMAINS.%LOOKING SOUTHWARD, YOU SEE FAR BEYOND%THE CASTLE GATE INTO THE DISTANT BLUE ^MOUNTAINS.%TO THE EAST IS THE EDGE OF THE SWAMP,%A COLD AND GLOOMY PLACE THAT FORBODES%A LAND OF EVIL. PERHAPS THE TALES OF%DEMONS AND WITCHES AREN'T JUST RUMORS^AFTER ALL...$LOOKING OUT ACROSS THE TOWER'S EDGE,$THE NORTH FOREST SPANS AS FAR AS THE^EYE CAN SEE.%PLUMES OF SMOKE ARISE FROM FIERY PITS%FAR TO THE WEST, TESTAMENT TO AN ERA%^WHICH SHOULD HAVE PASSED LONG AGO...%PIECES OF OLD BONE LITTER THE GROUND,%AND DEEP RED STAINS COLOR THE EARTH. %LODGED WITHIN THE THROAT OF A CRUSHED%SKULL YOU DISCOVER A STRANGE KEY, AS%IF THE DECEASED WAS TRYING TO SWALLOW ^IT WHEN...#EVERYONE LANDS WITH A SHARP "THUD!"&YOU SEE SOMETHING MOVE INSIDE THE BARS ^OF A GATE IN FRONT OF YOU...&RAPID MOVEMENT FLASHES ACROSS THE GATE^ONCE MORE...)%%]ONLY A FAINT BLUR OF MOTION IS SEEN AS&THE THING DARTS THROUGH THE GATEWAY TO^ATTACK THE PARTY...%%#AN ODD VOICE SPEAKS FROM BEHIND THE^DOOR: !%"GO AWAY!"@I SAID, "GO AWAY!!"'%!"I'M NOT COMING OUT, WHOEVER YOU ARE,AND YOU CAN'T MAKE ME!" $SNOOPCHERI$BELOVED"YOU FOUND SNOOPCHERI?!"%!"WHY DIDN'T YOU SAY SO!!"%"COME IN, COME IN!"%EVEN THROUGH THE DECAY OF MANY YEARS,%THE MAGNIFICENCE OF THIS FORMER SUITE%IS STILL PERCEPTIBLE, AND IT IS CLEAR%THAT THIS WAS THE MASTER BED CHAMBER.%NO DOUBT THE LORD OF THE CASTLE MADE%THIS HIS PERSONAL QUARTERS. THE WALLS%ARE COVERED WITH HAND-PAINTED MURALS%AND EVERY NOOK AND EDIFACE SHOWS THE%HANDIWORK OF FINELY SKILLED ARTISANS.%EVEN WITHIN THIS DARKENED RUIN, A BIT%OF THE WONDROUS SPLENDOR THAT USED TO^SHINE HERE STILL LIVES.%THE DECOMPOSED REMNANTS OF A TOWERING%BED HAVE SLUMPED AGAINST THE FAR WALL%AND REMAINS OF FURNISHINGS LIE SPREAD^THROUGHOUT THE ROOM.$ROTTED SHELVES AND DECOMPOSING BOOKS$HAVE FALLEN TO THE FLOOR SURROUNDING$THE WALLS OF THIS FORMER LIBRARY AND$STUDY. AGAINST THE WALL AHEAD OF YOU$IS A BROKEN COLLAPSED DESK. MOST OF$THE BOOKS HAVE TOTALLY DETERIORATED$AND IT IS IMPOSSIBLE TO READ THEM. A#FEW HOWEVER HAVE LEGIBLE TITLES AND^YOU LOOK THEM OVER:@!"YE HISTRY OF YE WURLD"@!"ACADEMIA MATHEMATICA"@!"15 LBS IN A FORTNIGHT^ AND HOW TO KEEP IT OFF"@!"TALES OF YE MAGIKALS"$@OF ALL OF THESE, ONLY THE LAST TWO#SHOW ANY PROMISE, BUT UNFORTUNATELY#BOTH ARE SO BLACKENED WITH ROT THAT#YOU GET LITTLE FROM THEM EXCEPT FOR#AN INTERESTING RECIPE FOR CABBAGE. 252500 STAND BACK AND PULL THE WIRE CROUCH LOW AND PULL THE WIRELEAVE THE WIRE ALONE%SEARCHING AMONG THE RUINS OF THE DESK%YOU FIND A PIECE OF WIRE LEADING FROM^THE DESK INTO THE WALL... YOU TRIGGERED A SECRET CACHE!%OPENING THE JEWEL BOX, YOU FIND A KEY%AND A SMALL BOOK. THE BOOK REMAINS IN%GOOD CONDITION AND APPEARS TO BE SOME%KIND OF DIARY OR NOTEBOOK, WRITTEN IN ^A STRANGE UNDECIPHERABLE CODE.%SEVERAL ROTTED COTS AND AN OLD FLOWER%POT ARE ALL THAT REMAIN HERE. WITHIN%THESE SIMPLE QUARTERS YOU RECALL THE%STORY OF THE SERVANT GIRL, GIVEN WITH%A CHILD RUMORED TO BE AN ILLEGITIMATE%SON OF THE KING. ALTHOUGH NOTHING WAS%EVER PROVED, SUPPOSEDLY THE KING CAME%TO HER BED ONCE A WEEK EVERY NIGHT OF%HER 14TH YEAR. DESPITE THE RELENTLESS%EFFORTS OF THE QUEEN, SHE NEVER COULD%CATCH HIM IN THE ACT, AND SOON IT WAS%WHISPERED THAT THE KING HAD SOME KIND%OF SECRET MAGICAL POWERS THAT ENABLED^HIM TO WALK THROUGH WALLS.%THE ROOM IS RATHER DULL, HAVING BLANK%WALLS AND NO FURNISHINGS, SAVE FOR A^FEW DECOMPOSED COTS.%THIS ROOM WAS ONCE A BEAUTIFUL PARLOR%WITH ORNAMENTAL FURNITURE AND GAYLY%PAINTED WALLS. NOW, ITS COLOURS HAVE%FADED AND TURNED DULL, AND THE CHAIRS^HAVE ALL TURNED TO DUST.&AN OLD WOODEN TABLE AND SEVERAL CHAIRS&ARE ROTTING AWAY IN THE CENTER OF THE&ROOM, AND FRAGMENTS OF BROKEN FLAGONS ^AND RUBBLE COVER THE FLOOR.%YOU FOUND A RING WITH TWO ODD LOOKING%BLACK KEYS, EACH WITH A HANDLE IN THE^SHAPE OF A SMALL SPADE.%THIS IMPRESSIVE LOOKING SUITE APPEARS%TO HAVE BEEN SOME KIND OF GUEST ROOM,%AN INFERENCE MADE BY EXAMINING A TINY%^PLACARD BEHIND THE DOOR WHICH READS:@CHECKOUT 10 AM%YOU STEP INTO A ROOM WHOSE WALLS ARE%ALABASTER CARVINGS OF CHERUBS, ROSES,%AND VINES, AND THOUGH THE PLASTER HAS%LONG TURNED DARK, THE DETAIL OF THESE%ORNAMENTATIONS IS STILL AN IMPRESSIVE%SPECTACLE TO BEHOLD. THE FOSSIL OF A%BED THAT SPANNED A WIDTH GREATER THAN%THE LENGTH OF THREE MEN RESTS IN RUIN%UPON THE FLOOR, AND SCATTERED THROUGH%THE ROOM ARE PILES OF ROTTED WOODWORK%THAT USED TO BE FURNITURE. THIS SUITE%IS MOST CERTAINLY THE FORMER CHAMBER%OF THE QUEEN, AND IT MAKES YOU WONDER%WHETHER THE RUMORS ABOUT HER PECULIAR"^RITUALS WITH YOUNG MEN WERE TRUE.%BRIGHTLY PAINTED WALLS USED TO ACCENT%THIS SMALL BOUDOIR, AND THOUGH IT HAS%LOST ITS ORIGINAL LUSTER, IT HAS KEPT%ITS LIGHTHEARTED AND FESTIVE APPEAL. %INSIDE THE TRUNK IS A RATHER SHOCKING%ARTICLE OF, WELL, ARMOR OR SOMETHING.%IT APPEARS TO BE A HEAVY BRA MADE OF%HARD GLOSSY BLACK LEATHER, AND LINED%WITH SHARP POINTED METAL STUDS AROUND%ITS EDGES. ALTHOUGH ITS USE IS NOT%QUITE APPARENT, IT DOES SEEM TO HAVE%THE "POTENTIAL" FOR A CERTAIN KIND OF%(*AHEM*) APPEAL, IF WORN BY THE RIGHT%PERSON. STILL EVEN MORE PERPLEXING,%ALONG WITH THE STRANGE BRA, BURIED IN%THE BOTTOM OF THE BOX YOU FIND A LONG%BLACK WHIP. HMM, NOW WHAT WOULD THESE!^BE DOING IN THE QUEEN'S BOUDOIR?&YOU FIND AN ODD MASK WHICH SEEMS TO BE&MADE FROM THE HEAD OF A GOAT. IT SHOWS&SIGNS OF DECAY, BUT OTHERWISE SEEMS TO&BE FAIRLY WELL INTACT. ALONG WITH THE&MASK, A VERY ORNATE DAGGER IS RESTING&IN THE CHEST, APPARENTLY MADE OF GOLD.&MOUNTED INTO THE HILT ARE SEVERAL GEMS&AND TWO RUNES ARE ENGRAVED UNDERNEATH.%A COLD AIR RUSHES THROUGH THE BARS OF%THE GATE, AS IF THE WIND WERE BLOWING%INTO THE CASTLE FROM SOMEWHERE BEYOND%THE GATE. YOU HEAR A RATHER HAUNTING%KIND OF BLEAT ECHOING FROM FAR AWAY,%BUT THAT IS PROBABLY THE WIND JUST AS^WELL.$A BUNCH OF ROTTED CRATES HAVE FALLEN$INTO A HEAP UPON THE FLOOR. WHATEVER$THEY MIGHT HAVE CONTAINED TURNED TO^DUST A LONG TIME AGO.%A GREAT STONE ALTAR RISES UP FROM THE%FLOOR, GRAVEN WITH RUNES AND DEMONIC%FIGURINES. GROTEQUE CARICATURES PLAY%IN SOME BIZARRE RITUAL, AND STAINS OF%DEEP RED COLOUR THE SURFACE. GHOULISH%ACTS DEPICT A STORY OF HORROR, GIVING%COLD SOBRIETY TO ITS UNHOLY PURPOSE. %THESE IMAGES BRUTELY DISPEL ANY IDEAS%OF GAELIC CHARM THE CASTLE ONCE HELD,%AN INNOCENCE CONSUMED BY THE SHOCKING^NIGHTMARE OF ITS REALITY.press_which_altar_symbols}11020 FLAMING ORB GOAT'S HEAD MAGIC STAVE NONE (EXIT)%EXAMINING THE FOUL SLAB, YOU DISCOVER%THREE SPECIAL SYMBOLS WHICH CAN PRESS%INTO THE ALTAR LIKE A KIND OF SWITCH.%THE SYMBOLS ARE, RESPECTIVELY, AN ORB%OF FLAME, A GOAT'S HEAD, AND A STAFF.2600JUMP INTO THE ALTAR PITLEAVE THE ALTAR ALONE$THE SURFACE OF THE ALTAR HAS OPENED,$REVEALING A PIT WHICH DESCENDS INTO ^DARKNESS..."THE ALTAR SURFACE BEGINS TO LOWER!YOU JUMP INTO THE PIT!%YOU ARE STANDING UPON A BALCONY WHICH%IS OVERLOOKING THE AREA BELOW. AS YOU%LOOK OVER THE EDGE, YOU SEE AN ALTAR.%AN EERIE SOUND HOWLS DOWN THE STAIRS,!"OOOOEEEEEEEOOOOOOOOOOO"%THE DOOR IS SOLID BLACK, AND LOOKS TO%BE QUITE HEAVY. BOLTED TO THE CENTER#^OF ITS FACE IS A BLACK IRON SPADE.&INSIDE THE CASTLE SPIRE, THE CONTENTS&OF A BED, TABLE AND CHAIR STILL REMAIN&INTACT AFTER ALL THESE YEARS. BITS OF&OLD HAIR AND ROTTED FLESH ARE EVIDENT&UPON THE BED, PROBABLY FROM THE CORPSE%^WHICH YOU HAVE RECENTLY PUT TO REST.%LOOKING UP THE LARGE WELL TO THE TOP,%YOU SEE ONLY DARKNESS. ON THE FLOOR,%HOWEVER, YOU FIND THE REMAINS OF MANY%SMALL RODENTS AND SOME BITS OF BLOOD,%AND WHAT APPEARS TO BE EXCREMENT THAT^FELL FROM ABOVE.333700"HOLD ROPE AND JUMP INTO THE BELFRY"ATTEMPT TO SWING ACROSS THE BELFRYLEAVE THE ROPE & BELL ALONE%A LARGE BLACKENED BELL HANGS SILENTLY%WITHIN THE TOP OF THE BELFRY, COVERED%WITH A SOOTY MOLD AND SPLOCHES OF BAT%DROPPINGS. A LONG THICK ROPE DESCENDS%FROM THE BELL DOWN INTO THE WELL, AND%IS USED TO RING IT BY HOLDING ON AND%JUMPING IN. IT ALSO APPEARS TO BE THE^ONLY WAY ACROSS THE WELL. ~!BONG! ~! BONG!THE BELL HAS DISTURBED THEDENIZENS OF THE BELFRY!%!HERE COME THE BATS!!
KEEP
BELFRY
CLOSED
%THE TRUNK CONTAINS A COIL OF THE LONG%HEAVY BELL ROPE, WHICH APPEARS TO BE^QUITE STRONG AND USEFUL.%ARMAMENT RACKS USED TO LINE THE WALLS%OF THIS SMALL CHAMBER, BUT HAVE SINCE%FALLEN AWAY AND TURNED TO ROT. THERE%IS A PILE OF DEBRIS LYING UP AGAINST^THE FACING WALL.%A LARGE HEAVY CANVAS HAS BEEN WRAPPED%AROUND SOME KIND OF HUGE CRATE. BOTH%CANVAS AND CRATE HAVE DETERIORATED TO%ROT, AND THE HARD OUTLINE OF A FIGURE^IS SILHOUETTED UNDERNEATH.%CAREFULLY TAKING THE TATTERED REMAINS%OF THE CANVAS AWAY FROM THE CRATE AND%ITS CONTENTS, YOU SEE WHAT APPEARS TO%BE THE CORPSE OF A DEAD KNIGHT. IT IS%THEN THAT YOU REALIZE IT IS AN ARMORY%DUMMY, AND WAS APPARENTLY LEFT BEHIND ^WHEN THE CASTLE WAS VACATED.&@INSPECTING THE EQUIPMENT, YOU SALVAGE%A FINE SET OF CHAIN MAIL ARMOR, ALONG^WITH A CRESTED SHIELD.%THE ROOM IS FILLED WITH BODIES STREWN%ABOUT THE ROOM. AT FIRST GLANCE, THEY^ALL APPEAR TO BE DEAD...@YOU HEAR A LOUD NOISE, %!"ZZZZZZZ.... ZZZZZZZZ....."!%%%]SUDDENLY THE DOOR SLAMS SHUT!%%!A THROATY VOICE GROWLS, "HEY YOU! GET OFFA MY FOOT!!"%THICK SMOKE FILLS THE AIR INSIDE THIS%MANGEY DEN, AND HUDDLED ABOUT EACH OF%THE TABLES, CLUTCHING A BOTTLE OF ALE%OR STEAMING BREW, IS THE WILDEST GANG%OF THIEVES, ROGUES, BRIGANDS, PIRATES%AND CUTTHROATS EVER ASSEMBLED UNDER A^SINGLE ROOF.%AS SOON AS YOU ENTER THE ROOM, ACTION%GRINDS TO A HALT, ALL EYES RIVET ONTO%YOU, AND A DEADLY SILENCE ENSUES... '@GLANCING AT EACH OF THE TABLES, IT IS&AMAZING HOW MUCH YOU CAN NOTICE WITHIN&A SINGLE SECOND; A PILE OF GOLD COINS,&THE FACES ON A DECK OF CARDS, EVEN THE&CHIP ON A CORNER OF A SET OF DICE. ALL&THIS, AND EVERY LITTLE DETAIL OF EVERY#^NASTY FACE STARING AT YOU AS WELL.&@IN THE ODD MOMENT YOU HAVE BEFORE YOU%THINK YOU ARE GOING TO DIE, SOMETHING%ABOUT THE SITUATION WILL STAND OUT AS%IF TO TELL YOU A SECRET, OR SOLUTION%TO YOUR IMPENDING DEMISE. IT IS JUST%SUCH A MOMENT, AND YOU CAST YOUR GAZE%ACROSS THE ROOM, AWAY FROM THE FACES%AND STINK AND SMOKE, AND YOU BEHOLD A%CURIOUS SIGHT - MOUNTED, BEHIND STEEL%BARS, ERECT, SPORTING A TWISTED SMILE%CUM GRIMACE, IS THE PRESERVED FIGURE%OF A MAN DRESSED IN SCARLET TAILCOAT,%WHITE RUFFLED SHIRT, BLUE KNICKERS, A%BLACK TRICORNE HAT, AND WEARING LOCKS%OF BLACK CURLY HAIR TWO FEET LONG. IT%ISN'T THE BLACK PATCH WHICH COVERS AN%EYE, NOR THE STUFFED GREEN PARROT ON%TOP OF HIS SHOULDER, NOR EVEN THE ODD%EXPRESSION THAT HAUNTS HIS QUEER FACE%WHICH HOLDS YOUR ATTENTION; IT'S THAT%UPON HIS RIGHT ARM, JUST WHERE A HAND%SHOULD BE, THERE PROTRUDES A POLISHED^HOOK MADE OF BRIGHT STEEL.%@IT IS ALL THE TIME FOR A REVERIE YOU$HAVE, FOR SUDDENLY, A GREAT BIG FAT$STINKING GREASY PIG OF A TOAD STANDS^UP TO YOU AND BELCHES,@"AH'M CAP'N MATEY!"$INSIDE THE GATE STARES THE PRESERVED$CORPSE OF THE HOOK-HANDED PIRATE. IT"^LOOKS EVEN MORE MACABRE UP CLOSE.$APPARENTLY, THE GATE WAS LOCKED WITH$GOOD REASON. WHEN YOU TOUCH THE BODY$IT DISINTEGRATES INTO A PILE OF ASH$AND BONE, LEAVING NAUGHT BUT A COAT,$A TRICORNE, A STUFFED PARROT, AN EYE$PATCH, AND, OF COURSE, THE SINISTER ^STEEL HOOK.%THIS ROOM APPEARS TO BE THE BARRACKS,%ALTHOUGH NOTHING LIES HERE NOW EXCEPT^ROTTED BROKEN COTS.%A BARRACKS FULL OF BROKEN COTS TURNED ^TO ROT IS ALL YOU FIND HERE. %%!WAIT!...%%YOU HEARD A NOISE... CAPTAIN'S DEN NO TRESPASSIN' %A SLOT OPENS UP ON THE DOOR, AND FROM"^BEHIND IT A GROTTY VOICE MUTTERS, %!"WHAT'S DA PASSWURD, MATEY?"SKELETON CREW%"AWRIGHT..."%!"C'MON IN...."%"THASS SNOT IT!"%!"BUZZ OFF... SWABS!"&SEVERAL BARRELS WHICH WERE STORED HERE&HAVE ROTTED AND SPLIT OPEN, SPILLING A&BUNCH OF SEALED PACKAGES TO THE FLOOR.&MOST OF THE PACKAGES HAVE TURNED HARD,&BUT DAMPNESS HAS HELPED TO KEEP ONE OF&THEM FAIRLY SOFT. OPENING IT, YOU FIND&A RATHER NOXIOUS CHEESE, RIPE WITH AGE^AND WHOLLY INEDIBLE.&FOUR STONE TABLES DIVIDE THE ROOM, AND&ARE SO REGULARLY PLACED THAT THEY MAKE^YOU THINK OF A MESS HALL.&OLD WOODEN RACKS, ROTTED AND FALLEN TO&THE FLOOR, WERE MADE FOR HOLDING STOCK^ONCE UPON A TIME.&AN OLD DECAYING ARMOR DUMMY IS SLUMPED&IN THE CORNER, SLOWLY BECOMING POWDER.OOPS! %!THE DUMMY JUST TURNED TO DUST!&THE WALLS OF THE ROOM ARE COVERED WITH&FADED GRAFFITI AND SCRAWLED WRITING. A&FEW ROTTED TABLES LIE CLUMPED UPON THE^GROUND.
ORC RUMBLEFRIDAY NIGHTS AT 8WHEN YOU WANTTHAT SOMEONE SPECIALDIAL 1-900-LADY
TREBOR SUX$@YOU NOTICE A SMALL HOLE AT THE BASE ^OF THE WALL. MICE PROBABLY... $$ REWARD $$ LOST "SNOOPCHERI"CONTACT L'MONTES%WAVING THE NOXIOUS CHEESE IN FRONT OF%THE HOLE PRODUCES A FAINT CHITTERING%NOISE FROM SOMEWHERE ON THE OTHER END^OF THE HOLE...(%%%]THE CHITTERING NOISE IS GROWING MUCH$LOUDER, AND YOU CAN FEEL A VIBRATION^BEHIND THE WALL...)%%%]SUDDENLY, THE WALL EXPLODES IN A WILD FRENZY OF CRAZED GIANT RATS!!!$THE ROOM LOOKS DEVOID OF ANYTHING OF$MUCH IMPORT AND WAS PROBABLY USED AS^A STORAGE AREA.%AN OLD SET OF WINE RACKS HAS CRUMBLED%TO THE GROUND, BUT IT LOOKS AS THOUGH%THEY WERE CLEANED OUT SOME TIME AGO. $SPENDING A FEW MINUTES TO SEARCH THE$ROOM HAS YIELDED NAUGHT BUT AN EMPTY$OLD WINE BOTTLE. STRANGE THOUGH, YOU$UNCOVERD SOME KIND OF ODD OBTRUSIONS$UNDERNEATH THE ROTTED RACKS, POKING$UP THROUGH THE GROUND. EXAMINING THE$CEILING, YOU SEE CRACKS OF A SIMILAR$NATURE, AND NOTHING NEARBY SUGGESTS$ANY POSSIBLE SOURCE TO THEIR ORIGIN.$THE SKELETAL REMAINS OF A HUMAN REST$AGAINST THE WALL OF THE DUNGEON. THE$BONES APPEAR TO BE UNDISTURBED SINCE^THE TIME OF DEATH.$SEARCHING THROUGH THE BONES, YOU SEE$A LOOSE STONE PROTRUDING UP. PICKING$UP THE STONE AND LOOKING UNDERNEATH,$YOU DISCOVER A SMALL LOGBOOK FILLED"^WITH STRANGE GLYPHIC SCRIBBLINGS.$MANY OF THE PAGES ARE TOO STAINED TO$TO READ, BUT THE FINAL PORTION OF IT$APPEARS LEGIBLE, IF YOU COULD FIND A$WAY TO UNDERSTAND THE UNUSUAL MARKS.$USING THE PIRATE'S DECODER RING UPON$THE SCRIBBLINGS IN THE BOOK, YOU ARE$ABLE TO READ THE FOLLOWING PASSAGES:%@...DECIDED TO LEAVE THE SHIPWRECK AS$NONE OF THE SCOUTING CREWS HAVE BEEN ^HEARD FROM. THOSE DAMN MISTS! @ENTRY 99%!MAKING HEADWAY UPSTREAM ON A DINGHY,$JUST THE 9 OF US LEFT NOW. MORGAN IS$STARTING TO LOOK PALE LIKE THE OTHER$ONES DID, AND I SUSPECT HE'S GOT THE^SICKNESS TOO...
@ENTRY 100%!MORGAN WAS THROWING UP REAL BAD THIS$MORNING AND LATER TODAY HE DIED. WE$ARE ALL SCARED BECAUSE WE DON'T KNOW$WHAT'S CAUSING IT AND I THINK IT MAY$BE THE FOOD WE'VE BEEN EATING, WHICH^IS MOSTLY RAT MEAT...%@THE NEXT COUPLE OF PAGES ARE STAINED$TOO BADLY TO READ, BUT YOU RESUME ON^THE THIRD PAGE FOLLOWING:
@ENTRY 106%!THE CAPTAIN SAYS IF WE TRY TO RETURN$TO THE SHIP THEN WE'RE ALL DEAD MEN,$BUT EVERY ONE'S GETTING REAL SPOOKED$ESPECIALLY BECAUSE WE CAN'T FIND OUT$^WHY THE BODIES KEEP DISAPPEARING...
@ENTRY 107%!GORUMOND DIED THIS MORNING, SAME WAY$AS EVERYONE ELSE. NOW THERE'S ONLY 6$OF US LEFT, AND THE CAP'N SAYS WE'VE$GOT TO BURY THE TREASURE CHEST CAUSE$IT'S TOO HEAVY. I'LL BE GLAD WHEN WE!^GET OFF OF THIS DAMN MOUNTAIN...
@ENTRY 108%!ROSCONE SAYS HE SAW A MAN TODAY ON A$LEDGE AND HE SAID IT WAS MORGAN, BUT$WE ALL KNOW MORGAN IS DEAD AND MAYBE$WE'RE ALL GOIN' A LITTLE CRAZY... AT ^LEAST ROSCONE IS, I THINK...
@ENTRY 109%!I SAW MORGAN TODAY TOO. I THINK I'VE$GOT THE SICKNESS NOW, BECAUSE I KNOW$MORGAN'S DEAD. HIS FACE WAS COVERED$WITH BLOOD, AND HE JUST LOOKED AT ME$DIDN'T SAY ANYTHING BUT JUST SMILED.^I THINK I'M GOING CRAZY...
@ENTRY 110!MAY THE GODS PROTECT US!$WE WAS GOING DOWN THE MOUNTAIN TODAY$RIGHT AFTER BURYING THE CHEST, WHEN$THIS HUGE MONSTER, I MEAN I GUESS IT$WAS A MAN OR SOMETHING, BUT IT STOOD$OVER 12 FEET TALL AND HE JUST PICKED$UP ROSCONE AND BIT OFF HIS HEAD WITH$ONLY A SINGLE CHOMP AND THEN HE SPIT$IT OUT AND LAUGHED AND WE ALL RAN TO$WHEREVER WE ARE NOW. WE'RE LOST AND$THAT'S SURE, BUT THE CAP'N SAYS BEST^TO KEEP MOVING...
@ENTRY 111%!WE ARE ALMOST DOWN "GIANT MOUNTAIN",$AT LEAST THAT'S WHAT I CALL IT, AND$THERE'S SOME KIND OF HUGE GORGE WITH$BRIDGES N' ROPE TRUSSES ALL OVER IT.$WE CAN SEE A BUNCH OF MEN FROM HERE,$AND IT LOOKS LIKE THEY'RE MINING FOR^SOMETHING...
@ENTRY 112$!WE'RE GOING TO TRY TO TALK WITH THE#DWARF MEN, AND SEE IF THEY CAN HELP^US...%@THE INK IS BARELY LEGIBLE ON THE FEW$LAST WORDS, AND THE REMAINDER OF THE^LOGBOOK IS BLANK.$@REMEMBERING THE SKELETON WHERE YOU#FOUND THE LOGBOOK, IT IS CLEAR THAT#THE DWARF MEN DIDN'T HELP TOO MUCH.$PILED IN A HEAP ARE THE OLD BONES OF$A FORGOTTEN PRISONER, WHO APPARENTLY^DIED IN HIS CHAINS.$SEARCHING THE BONES, YOU DISCOVER AN$ODD LOOKING RING ON ONE FINGER. UPON$EXAMINING THE RING, YOU SEE A CIRCLE^OF LETTERS WHICH READ:@ OLLY ROGE J * * * R D * X * S E * * * G CODER RIN %A ROTTED DESK LIES IN RUIN ACROSS THE%ROOM, COLLAPSED ABOUT ITS CENTER FROM%AN APPARENT BLOW. IT IS SURROUNDED BY%SCATTERED DOCUMENTS, WHICH ALSO SEEM%QUITE DETERIORATED. EXAMINING SEVERAL%PAPERS, IT SEEMS THEY ARE LEGAL WRITS%OF SOME KIND, CITING CRIMINAL CHARGES"^AND FOLLOWED BY EXECUTION ORDERS.%CONCEALED IN A SMALL COMPARMENT UNDER ^THE DESK, YOU FIND A KEY...$A PILE OF OLD BONES AND RAGS WAIT IN$THE ALCOVE, THE REMAINS OF SOME LOST^SOUL LONG FORGOTTEN...THE BONES BEGIN TO RATTLE!%%%]A GAUNT AND GHOULISH FIGURE ARISES ^AND IN A GROATY VOICE RASPS,%!"GOT'CHA 'GAIN!!""HAUGH HAUGH HAWWW..." * HAZARD AREA * KEEP GATE CLOSED AT ALL TIMES %STRANGE LOOKING OBTRUSIONS ARE POKING%OUT OF THE GROUND ALONG THE BASE EDGE^OF THE WALL...%@THERE IS A SLIGHT TREMOR COMING FROM^BEHIND THE WALL...#%%!YOU CAN HEAR SOMETHING MOVING...&%%]SUDDENLY, IT LEAPS OUT OF THE WALL!&STONES FALLEN FROM A CAVE-IN BLOCK THE&PASSAGE THROUGH THE TUNNEL. THE ROCKS&ARE TOO TIGHTLY PACKED TOGETHER TO TRY^AND MOVE THEM BY HAND.&INSPECTING THE WALL, YOU DETECT TRACES&OF A RECENT EXCAVATION, AND SUBSEQUENT&REPLACEMENT OF STONES. IT LOOKS AS IF&SOMEONE DUG A PASSAGE AND THEN COVERED ^IT BACK UP.%SCATTERED BONES TELL THE TALE OF SOME%POOR FELLOW WHO WANDERED A LITTLE TOO^FAR FROM SAFETY...&SEARCHING THROUGH THE SCATTERED BONES,"^YOU UNCOVER AN INTERESTING KEY...&LOTS OF OLD BONES ARE LYING THROUGHOUT&THE LAIR, AND THE MONSTER THAT DWELLED HERE OBVIOUSLY ATE VERY WELL.'@YOU SEE REMNANTS OF THINGS LEFT BEHIND&BY THE VICTIMS, ALL WHO WERE PROBABLY#^DRAGGED HERE AGAINST THEIR WILL...%MOST OF THE DEBRIS SEEMS TO BE ROTTED%JUNK, BUT ONE ITEM APPEARS USEFUL AND ^LOOKS TO BE IN GOOD SHAPE...&LOOKING DOWN THE TUNNEL, YOU SPY SOME&VERY STRANGE LOOKING BLACK WOMEN, WITH&WHITE MARKS PAINTED ON THEIR FACES AND&CARRYING LONG SPEARS AND HIDE SHIELDS.'@ONE OF THE WOMEN SUDDENLY POINTS YOUR&DIRECTION AND THEY QUICKLY VANISH INTO^A PASSAGE ON THE LEFT...&YOU ARE STANDING AT THE EDGE OF A WIDE&CHASM, WHICH GAPES BEFORE YOU AS IF IT ^WERE A GIGANTIC BOTTOMLESS PIT.&ON THE OTHER SIDE, YOU SPOT A GROUP OF&THE STRANGE BLACK WOMEN, HURRYING AWAY&FROM THE EDGE AND HAULING A LONG ROPE^MADE OF VINES AFTER THEM.%THE CHASM IS TOO DEEP FOR THE ROPE TO%REACH THE BOTTOM, AND WITHOUT ANY WAY%TO MAKE IT CATCH ONTO THE OTHER SIDE,%^IT ALWAYS FALLS BACK INTO THE GORGE.%HEAVING THE HOOKED ROPE OVER THE EDGE%THE CHASM, YOU SUCCEED IN SNAGGING IT^ONTO A SIZABLE BOULDER...%@HANGING ON FOR DEAR LIFE, YOU SHIMMY$ACROSS THE ROPE TO THE OTHER SIDE...&OVERHEAD, A CAVERN ASCENDS UP INTO THE&DARKNESS. BELOW, BONES FROM MANY SMALL&ANIMALS COVER THE FLOOR, THE DISCARDED%^REMAINS OF THE WINGED CAVE DWELLERS.&INSPECTING THE SCRAPS OF BONES FOR ANY&THING OF INTEREST, YOU NOTE THAT THERE&ARE SHARDS OF SHINY METAL AND BITS OF&GLASS. OBVIOUSLY ATTRACTED BY ARTICLES&WHICH GLITTER, IT EXPLAINS HOW THE KEY&LYING AT YOUR FEET WAS BROUGHT HERE...%YOU HEAR SOME KIND OF STRANGE SUCKING ^NOISE FROM SOMEWHERE NEARBY...!%%!IT'S A SLURPY KIND OF SOUND..."SOMETHING WEIRD LIES JUST AHEAD... %!IT'S JUST SITTING THERE...%@IT SEEMS TO BE THE SOURCE OF THE ODD^SUCKING NOISES...'@CAUTIOUSLY APPROACHING THE ODDITY, YOU&NOTICE A FEW LONG THICK TUBES ATTACHED&^TO ITS BASE. IT LOOKS LIKE A PLANT...
%%%]OH-OH! %!IT LOOKS LIKE IT'S HUNGRY!!! E-Z LIFT * DOWN * AVAST YE SWABS!'!WE DON'T COTTON TO NO STRANGERS UNLESS&THEY'S PROVED THEMSELVES IN SOME KINDA^MORTAL CONTEST!&ROUND HERE WE GOT TWO WAYS O' CONTEST,&THA' OLE FASHIONED WAY BEIN' FIGHT'N,&AN THA' MORE CIVILIZED WAY, WHICH IS O^COURSE, DRINK'N!!FIGHT/DRINK/ $YA WANTS TA FIGHT, OR IS IT DRINK'N? SO BE IT!%!LET'S GET'EM BOYS!!AH, MY KIND 'O CONTEST!%HAR HAR HAR!%!LET THA' DRINKS A POUR!! NO/YES/YEA/YEP/SURE/OK/ %EACH ROUND COSTS 50 G.P. BUY A ROUND?GET OUTTA HAR YE WHIMPS!! BOTTOMS UP!HAR HAR HAR!!
%GLUB! %^ GLUB! %^ GLUB!!MMMM... THAT SHORE HIT THA' SPOT!$YAR LOOKIN' A MITE PALE THAR, MATEY! HAW, AH AIN'T EVEN TECHED YET!! AH THANK AH'M GONNA BE SICK!THE CAPTAIN PASSED OUT!%YOU WON THE CONTEST!!#YOU FALL TO THE GROUND UNCONSCIOUS! THE CAPTAIN'S MEN THROW YOU OUT!YAR OUTTA DOUGH, YE SCABS!!&IN THE FAR CORNER OF THE ROOM, CAPTAIN&MATEY IS HEAPED UPON A MANGEY OLD BED, ^BLISSFULLY SNOOZING AWAY...&THE DRUNKEN CAPTAIN IS SPRAWLED ACROSS%^THE BED, SNORING LIKE A BABY TOAD... THE CAPTAIN WAKES WITH A START!%!ZZZ-AROOUG..AHUM. HUMP!
WAZZAT??!!"%]WHO'S MESSIN' IN ME CHAMBERS??!!%]AVAST YE SWABS!%PRA-PARS TAH DIE!&A TALL, SCRUFFY BUT STALWART MAN WALKS^TOWARD YOU AND SAYS,%!"I AM L'MONTES!" NO/YES/YEA/YEP/SURE/OK/ DID YOU FIND SNOOPCHERI?HOW I LONG TO FIND HER!%IF YOU CAN RETURN HER TO ME, I'LL SET"^THE CAPTAIN FREE, BUT NOT BEFORE!"SNOOPCHERI!" %!"BACK IN MY ARMS AT LAST!!"&%]TAKE THIS KEY TO THE CAPTAIN'S CAGE, ^AND YOU MAY SET HIM FREE...BONJOUR!ADIEU!CAPTAIN/SNOOPCHERI/&A SILENT, MYSTERIOUS DARK MAN APPEARS^FROM OUT OF THE SHADOWS...$%!"MAY I INTEREST YOU IN A BARGAIN?"HOW MAY I BE OF SERVICE?UNTIL WE MEET AGAIN...2FRENCHMAN/CAPTAIN/CAPTAIN'S DEN/BURIED TREASURE/"GIANT MOUNTAIN/"GIANT MOUNTAIN"/ NO BURIED TREASURE, NO PASSWORD!.WHERE DID THE CAPTAIN BURY HIS TREASURE CHEST?GIANT MOUNTAIN! %!OF COURSE!%!I SHOULD HAVE KNOWN! %!OH YES...!%!THE PASSWORD IS "SKELETON CREW"%BY THE WAY, YOU REALLY SHOULD TRY THE ^MYSTERY OIL, AND IT'S ON SALE! CAPTAIN'S DEN * ADMIT ONE * PASSWORD THIS MONTH ONLY: SKELETON CREW $THE WRITING IS IN A STRANGE CODE YOU^ARE UNABLE TO READ."YOU OPEN THE ANCIENT BOOK AND READ^THE FOLLOWING TEXT:@O FIRST NIGHT OF RAMMAND SECOND BORN RAMM AGAIN,FIND THIRD UPON THY ALTARBURNING BRIGHT; @WHERE FOURTH NIGHT OF WANDS BEARS FIFTH MAGIK SUN AGAIN,IS WHEN THY GRAVEN ALTARSHALL BLOSSOM INTO NIGHT&A BLACK STEEL SKULL CAST UPON THE FACE&OF THE MASSIVE DOOR STARES BLANKLY OUT&INTO THE CORRIDOR. THE EYE SOCKETS ARE&UNNATURALLY DEEP, AS IF THE SKULL ONCE^HELD A PAIR OF JEWELS.&A BLACK STEEL SKULL CAST UPON THE FACE&OF THE MASSIVE DOOR STARES BLANKLY OUT&INTO THE CORRIDOR. A GLOWING GEM RESTS&IN ONE EYE SOCKET, THE OTHER IS EMPTY.&A BLACK STEEL SKULL CAST UPON THE FACE&OF THE MASSIVE DOOR STARES BLANKLY OUT&INTO THE CORRIDOR. A GLOWING GEM RESTS&IN EACH EYE SOCKET, GIVING THE SKULL A#^DEMONIC FACE AND SINISTER SMILE...&THE TUNNEL EMERGES OUT OF THE MOUNTAIN&AND INTO THE OPEN EXPANSE OF A TITANIC&GORGE. A NETWORK OF BRIDGES SPANS OVER&THE DEEP GORGE, AND FAR ACROSS THE SKY&YOU CAN SEE THE JUTTING PEAK OF A HUGE&MOUNTAIN, POKING UP INTO THE CENTER OF^THE GREAT CAVERN.&BEFORE YOU LOOMS THE PEAK OF THE GREAT&MOUNTAIN, AND ITS MANY ROCKY CRAGS AND&CREVICES BODE A TREACHEROUS JOURNEY TO ^THE TOP. WIZARD'S CAVE TRESPASSERS NOT WELCOME ENTERING THE MINES PROTECTIVE HELMETS REQUIRED ALL TIMES $A LARGE UGLY TROLL CLIMBS FROM UNDER ^THE BRIDGE AND BLOCKS YOUR WAY!%%!^FINALLY, HE BELLOWS,"I YARE THE TOLL TROLL!"#@"PAY THE TOLL OR HEADS WILL ROLL!" NO/YES/YEA/YEP/SURE/OK/ PAY THE TOLL OR HEADS WILL ROLL!!ARGHH! ARE YA GONNA PAY THE TOLL?A WISE DECISION!OK, YA CAN PASS...#COME BACK WHEN YA'VE GOT MORE GOLD!#ARHRRHGH! THEN I'M A GONNA EAT YA!! DRAW BRIDGE CONTROL PANEL PRESS TO OPEN %THE CONTROL PANEL DOOR HAS RUSTED AND^WON'T COME OPEN... press_which_control_buttons}421340SPRING WINDERAUTO-COILWRAPTRANSLUX PUMPTRUSS DRIVERSTOGGLE SAFETYSHUTDOWN EXIT%INSIDE THE CONTROL PANEL ARE SIX TINY%BUTTONS, EACH WITH A TINY LABEL. SOME%INSTRUCTIONS ENGRAVED ON ITS FACE ARE ^AS FOLLOWS:&@*CAUTION* SAFETY DETACHMENT REQUIRED%PRIOR TO INCHOATE WINDER ADVANCEMENT.%DO NOT ACTIVATE COILWRAP UNTIL A WAIT%OF 5 SECONDS POST PUMP NASCENCY, OVER^SAFETY INTERDIGITATION.%TRUSS ASCENSION MAY FOLLOW, BUT UNDER%NO CIRCUMSTANCE SHOULD FALL EXTRINSIC ^TO PUMP AND WINDER IMMUREMENT.%FINAL WINDER ENGAGEMENT INDUCTION FOR^DRAW BRIDGE FACILITATION.%IT IS GOOD TO KNOW THAT THE ENGINEERS%RESPONSIBLE FOR THE BRIDGE WANTED ITS%OPERATION TO BE ACCESSABLE BY ANYONE,%AND THUS TOOK THE TIME TO CREATE SUCH%SPECIFIC INSTRUCTIONS, IN THAT UNIQUE%WAY THAT ONLY REAL ENGINEERS CAN DO. %THE REMAINS OF A LARGE WOODEN MACHINE%ARE RESTING UPON THE PRECIPICE. AFTER%LOOKING IT OVER, YOU DECIDE IT IS FOR%HURLING HEAVY OBJECTS THROUGH THE AIR%MUCH LIKE A CATAPULT. ON THE OPPOSITE%SIDE OF THE PRECIPICE, YOU SEE A TINY%RINGED TARGET STANDING ALL BY ITSELF.%INSPECTING THE MACHINE, IT APPEARS TO%BE OPERATIONAL, EXCEPT FOR A SPROCKET%WHICH HAS CRACKED AND FALLEN OUT, AND%A LONG BAND OF RUBBER, WHICH HAS LOST#^ITS SPRING AND BEGUN TO CRUMBLE...%THE RUBBER STRAND IS TOO THIN AND TOO ^SHORT TO REPLACE THE OLD BAND.%THE RUBBER BRAID IS TOO SHORT TO TAKE^THE PLACE OF THE OLD BAND.#THE NEW RUBBER BAND FITS PERFECTLY!%THE CATAPULT NEEDS A NEW RUBBER BAND.$THE REPAIRED SPROCKET GENTLY NESTLES!^INTO PLACE ON THE OLD MACHINE...%THE CATAPULT NEEDS A NEW SPROCKET. !perform_which_catapult_operation}012LATCH LADLE WIND UP BAND RELEASE LATCHABORT FIRE %HAVING REPAIRED THE CATAPULT, YOU MAY%NOW PERFORM NORMAL FIRING OPERATIONS.%YOU LOAD THE BIG STONE INTO THE LADLE^OF THE CATAPULT...%ALTHOUGH THE CATAPULT WORKS FINE, YOU%NEED SOME KIND OF AMMUNITION WHICH IS^USUABLE AS A PROJECTILE...YOU MISSED THE TARGET BULL'S-EYE!!0300 TRY TO CLIMB UP THE MOUNTAIN REMAIN HERE WHERE IT IS SAFE%THERE IS A SMALL FOOTHOLD UP THE FACE%OF THE MOUNTAIN WHICH MAY BE CLIMBED.0300 TRY TO GET DOWN THE MOUNTAIN REMAIN HERE WHERE IT IS SAFE%THERE IS A SMALL FOOTHOLD WHICH LEADS ^DOWN THE FACE OF THE MOUNTAIN.YOU SLIPPED AND FELL!&HUGE PILES OF ROCKS AND BOULDERS COVER&THE GROUND, PROBABLY THE REMAINS OF A^RECENT ROCKSLIDE...&NOTHING HERE BUT HUGE BOULDERS, THOUGH&YOU NEVER CAN TELL WHEN ONE MIGHT COME ^IN HANDY...!$ A LITTLE NOTE READS AS FOLLOWS:!THANKS FOR THE INFO! - QUEEQUEG -&@P.S. PLEASE KEEP THIS GIFT AS A TOKEN&^ OF MY APPRECIATION AND GRATITUDE THIS CHEST PROPERTY OF CAPT. J.R. AND COMPANY MAY A CURSE BE UPON YE &A WALL OF CLEAR DIAMOND CRYSTAL BLOCKS&ENTRY INTO THE ROOM. GAZING INSIDE THE&HUGE DIAMOND FACE, YOU WITNESS A SCENE&STARRING A MOST BIZARRE COUNTENANCE...%%# %%'@AFTER WATCHING THE ODD HEAD BOBBLE FOR&SEVERAL MINUTES INSIDE THE RAW DIAMOND&CELL, YOU REALIZE THAT THIS IS NO MERE&VISION, BUT RATHER THAT SOME ENTITY IS&ACTUALLY TRAPPED INSIDE THE GIANT GEM.'@AS IT APPROACHES THE WALL, IT SEEMS TO ^BE TRYING TO SAY SOMETHING...&A FRACTURE HAS APPEARED IN THE DIAMOND ^WALL, BUT IT HAS NOT BROKEN...THE DIAMOND SHATTERS!(%!THE PIECES ARE EVAPORATING IN THE AIR,#^LEAVING NAUGHT BUT SMOKEY STEAM...&AFTER STUDYING THE DIAMOND BARRIER FOR&SEVERAL MINUTES, IT APPEARS THE RECENT&CRACK RUNS ALONG A MAJOR FAULT LINE, A&SIGN THAT THE DIAMOND MIGHT SHATTER IF&THE FRACTURE COULD BE PROPAGATED ALONG&THE PERIMETER OF THE DIAMOND AND THEN ^A FATAL BLOW STRUCK FROM HERE.&SUDDENLY, A GIANT SERPENT LEAPS OUT OF$^THE SHADOWS AND DASHES TOWARDS YOU! WELL! IT'S ABOUT TIME SOMEONE CAME AND LET ME OUT OF HERE!! @DO YOU HAVE ANY IDEA HOW LONG I'VE BEEN LOCKED UP IN HERE!!%HUH!?! %DO YOU?!!! @A HUNDRED AND TWENTY YEARS,THAT'S HOW LONG!'@AND LET ME TELL YOU, IF I EVER GET MY&TAIL ON THAT STUPID IMBECILE XORPHITUS&THEN I'LL MAKE MINCEMEAT OUT OF HIM!! @WELL ANYWAY, UM,... THANKS, FOR LETTING ME OUT OF HERE...(%!BY THE WAY, MY NAME IS MYSTAPHAPHAS...'@I WAS ONCE THE APPRENTICE TO XORPHITUS&THE WIZARD, THAT IS UNTIL HE LOCKED ME"^UP IN HERE AND FORGOT ABOUT ME...'@I KNOW, I KNOW, YOU'RE WONDERING JUST&HOW DID A BIG SNAKE LIKE ME BECOME THE%^APPRENTICE TO SUCH A GREAT WIZARD??!%!I'LL TELL YOU HOW!@BECAUSE I'M NOT A SNAKE!!!&%!OR AT LEAST I WASN'T UNTIL THAT FOUL$PEN CAME ALONG!! THAT ACCURSED PEN!! @OOOO! THAT REALLY BURNS MY SKINJUST THINKING ABOUT IT...%!ALL I DID WAS TO SNEAK INAND USE IT JUST ONCE...&@JUST A FEW WORDS TO MAKE ME "DASHING"%AND "ATTRACTIVE", SO THAT QUEEN MIGHT ^HAVE ME AS ONE OF HER LOVERS..."@AND THAT I WOULD LIVE IN "SAFETY" ^FROM THE WRATH OF THE KING...%!AND NOW LOOK AT ME!@THE QUEEN LOVES SNAKES!!%%SO I WAS TRANSFORMED INTO A SNAKE!!!"@AND THE WIZARD LOCKED ME IN HERE!%%HE THOUGHT I WOULD MAKE A GOOD PET!!#%AND SO I WAS SAFE FROM THE KING!!!"@O! THAT STINKING WRETCHED PEN!!!!YES YES, GO ON...FAREWELL, AND GOOD LUCK!#SKULL DOOR/WIZARD'S LAIR/HUNGRY!/"MMMM... (SLURP!) THAT'S DELICIOUS!&%JUST FOR THAT I'LL TELL YOU A SECRET! %!THERE'S MORE TO THE WIZARD'SLAIR THEN MEETS THE EYE!$AN OLD DWARF LOOKS UP FROM BEHIND AN$ANVIL, WHERE HE IS BUSY HAMMERING ON$A RED HOT PIECE OF ROASTED CORN, AND^SAYS,@"DAG NAB IT!" %!"CAN'T YOU SEES I'M BUSY!"WHAT CANS I DO YER FORS?BE'S SEEIN'S YA! THE MINES/THE MINES/STRANGERS HMMM... IT'S BUSTED ALRIGHT... %DON'T LOOKS TO BAD, THOUGH...%YOU BETTER HOLDS ON TO IT TILL YA CAN^GET IT FIXED... IT'LL COSTS YA 1000 GOLD PIECES. NO/YES/YEA/YEP/SURE/OK/ YA'S WANTS ME TA FIX IT?"WELL THEN'S QUIT WASTIN'S ME TIME! UH-HUMPH! CASH ONLYS IN ADVANCE!%AND YER A BIT SHORT!!#WAITS HERE A MINUTES ANDS I'LL SEESWHATS I CANS DO WITH IT...&%](THE DWARF TAKES THE BROKEN SPROCKET$^ TO THE FORGE AND BEGINS WHISTLING)%!WHIII-WOORR-WHIRRR....%%%]TUMS-DA DUM... THIS'S ONLY TAKES A^SECOND, FOLKS...%](BANG! BANG!)
%](CLANG!)%](BANG! BANG!)%%](SSSSSSSSTT! WHOOSH!!)"%%]ONLY BE'S A FEW MORE MINUTES... %%%]WHIII-WOORRR-WHIRRRRR....%%](BANG! BANG!) %%%]HERE'S YA GO! GOOD AS NEW!!"FREE AT LAST!"%@I DO NOT KNOW THEE, BUT I HAVE KNOWN$OF THEE, SINCE THE TIMES WHEN IT ALL ^BEGAN...%@MY TIME IS SHORT, FOR AS YOU CAN SEE$MY BODY HAS LONG AGO DIED, AND IT IS$ONLY THROUGH THE LAST VESTIGES OF MY$FORMER POWER THAT MY SPIRIT HAS HELD$THIS FINAL GRASP UPON YOUR WORLD, SO$THAT I MAY SPEAK TO YOU NOW, AND AID$YOU IN YOUR QUEST. I WILL TELL YOU A$STORY, AND LET THIS STORY SERVE AS A$WARNING TO YOU AND THEY WHO WILL TRY^TO FOLLOW IN YOUR STEPS...$I AM HALF OF THE FORMER WIZARD KNOWN$AS XORPHITUS, WHOSE BONES YOU SEE ON$THE MANTLE BEFORE YOU. A HUNDRED AND$TWENTY YEARS AGO, I ENGAGED UPON THE$QUEST FOR THE COSMIC FORGE, THE BANE$PEN FROM WHICH ARE WRIT THE WORKINGS$OF ALL THE UNIVERSE. TO SPEAK OF THE$PEN, I MUST SPEAK OF THE CIRCLE, THE$BLESSED ALTAR FROM WHICH THE PEN WAS$STOLEN. TO PROTECT THE POWER OF THE$PEN, IT WAS WRITTEN THAT THE PEN WAS$ONLY TO BE USED UPON THE HOLY CIRCLE$AND THUS IT CAME TO BE. IN ORDER TO$WREST THE PEN FROM THE CIRCLE, SO AS$TO FREE IT FROM THIS MANDATE, IT WAS$NECESSARY TO CONTRIVE THE EXCEPTION,$THE SINGULAR EXCEPTION WHICH ENSURES$THE FREEDOM OF THE PEN, AND LIKEWISE$DOES NOT VIOLATE THE ORIGINAL ORDER.$THUS THE GREAT EXCEPTION WAS FORMED,$THAT WHOSOEVER SHALL SCRIBE WITH THE$PEN NOT UPON THE COSMIC CIRCLE, WILL$SUFFER HIS WRIT AS A BANE, AND SHALL$NOT REST OR BE FREED FROM IT UNTIL A$NEW GENERATION HAS PASSED, THAT TIME$BEING EXACTLY ONE HUNDRED AND TWENTY$YEARS, AND AFTER THAT SHALL HE BE OF$HIS OWN DOING AND FREE FROM THE WRIT^AND THE BANE.%@MY TIME IS AT END, FOR THEE HAS COME$AND SET ME FREE, AND AS MY BONES LIE$BEFORE YOU, THIS BECOMES MY DOING, A$FATE THAT RELEASES ME FROM MY CURSE.$NOW LISTEN, AS I REVEAL TO YOU THOSE$EVENTS WHICH LONG AGO TRANSPIRED, SO$THAT YOU MAY ACT WISELY AND RIGHTLY.$ONCE I WAS XORPHITUS, A GREAT WIZARD$OF MAGIK AND POWER, AND LIKE ALL WHO$TASTE OF POWER, THE MORE I DRANK OF$IT, THE GREATER BECAME MY THIRST. SO$IT WAS THAT I CAME TO MAKE AN UNHOLY$PACT WITH ANOTHER WHOSE HUNGER WAS A$COPY OF MY OWN, AND TOGETHER WE HELD#^THE DREAM OF UNIVERSAL DOMINATION.%@WHEN AT LAST WE HEARD OF THIS COSMIC$PEN, WE KNEW THAT TO MAKE IT OUR OWN$WOULD MAKE OUR TRIUMPH COMPLETE, AND$SO WE PLOTTED A SCHEME WHICH YIELDED$US THE "COSMIC FORGE". BUT HOW SOON$WE LEARNED OF THE BANE THAT FOLLOWS,$SHOULD THE FORGE BE REMOVED FROM THE^CIRCLE AS WE HAD DONE.%@YES, ONCE I WAS XORPHITUS, AND I WAS$DETERMINED TO DEFY THE FATES, AND SO$SCRIBED THE WORDS WHICH TOLD OF THIS$MORTAL WIZARD WHICH SHOULD BE CALLED$XORPHITUS, AND HOW HE SHALL KNOW ALL$THINGS IN THE UNIVERSE, THAT HE WILL$THEN KNOW HOW TO EVADE THAT DREADFUL$BANE. AND YES I CAME TO POSSESS FULL$KNOWLEDGE OF EVERYTHING, AND WITH IT$WAS I RIPPED ASUNDER, TWAIN INTO TWO$BEINGS, FOR THE NATURE OF ALL THINGS$IS DIVIDED, THAT WHICH IT IS, AND IS$NOT, AND THUS AS THE KNOWLEDGE LIVED$IN ME AS ONE, THUS IT MUST PASS THAT$I THEN BECOME DIVIDED. FOR AS I KNOW$ALL, I MUST ALSO KNOW NOTHING. AS IT$WAS THAT A MAN SHALL KNOW "GOOD", SO$WAS I COMPELLED TO ALSO KNOW "EVIL".%@EVERYTHING WHICH IS KNOWN IS DIVIDED$AND THAT WHICH IS NOT DIVIDABLE WILL^NEVER BE KNOWN.%@THUS SHALL MEN FOREVER SEEK TO KNOW,$AND THUS WILL MEN ALWAYS BE DIVIDED.$THIS IS THE NATURE OF KNOWLEDGE, AND$I TELL YOU THAT THIS IS HOW IT LIVES$INSIDE OF YOU. THIS IS HOW YOU KNOW,$THIS IS HOW YOU THINK, THIS IS HOW A$MIND BELIEVES, AND HOW A MIND SPEAKS^UNTO ITSELF.%@BUT TIME GROWS SHORT AND THERE STILL$REMAINS MUCH I MUST TELL YOU. THOUGH$I, XORPHITUS, AM DEAD, XORPHITUS, MY$OTHER HALF LIVES ON! AND AS I DO BUT$AID THEE, HE SHALL DO BUT HARM THEE.$HIS KNOWLEDGE IS INCOMPLETE, SINCE I$POSSESSED ITS COMPLEMENT, AND HE CAN$BUT STUMBLE BLINDLY, HALF-RIGHT, AND$HALF-WRONG, IN EVERYTHING HE DOES, A$MIND FOREVER FLOATING THROUGH A POOL$OF DARKENED WATERS. HE IS INSANE, AS$AM I, BUT YOU MUST SEEK HIM OUT, FOR$AS I KNOW OF THE PEN AND WHY, AND DO$TELL YOU, HE WILL KNOW THE WHERE AND$THE WHEN OF IT, BUT NOT WHAT, AND HE$WILL NOT TELL YOU. THAT IS WHAT MUST$BE DISCOVERED FROM HIM, AND WITH HIM$LIVES THE FATE OF THE FORGE, THE PEN^AND HAND OF DESTINY...@"I AM FREE AT LAST!!" %!AND THE VISION SOFTLY FADES... WELCOMES TA SMITTY'S FORGE & GRILL FINE FOODS'N FIXIN'S #F E E - F I E - F O E - F U M%%!VE SMELL DAS BLAUD AF HUMAN SCHUMS! GYENT KRIEG HAUS AF DER GRYNS TWYNS ACHTUNG! PRESS BUTTON FUR DAS EXIT I AM THE GUARDIAN OF THE ROCK! NO/YES/YEA/YEP/SURE/OK/ HAVE YOU COME TO TAKE THE ROCK? YES/ YEA/ YEP/ SURE/ OK/WHAT DO YOU WANT? HAVE YOU COME TO TAKE THE ROCK?THEN I MUST SLAY YOU!WHAT DO YOU WANT? NO/YES/YEA/YEP/SURE/OK/ DID YOU BRING ME AN OFFERING?&I SEE YOU HAVE BROUGHT A NICE BOULDER! %!I WILL TAKE IT FROM YOU NOW...%](MUNCH! MUNCH!) %!MMMMMM....%THAT IS GOOD! YOU DO NOT HAVE WHAT I WANT!BEGONE! WIZARD'S LAIR * * * BEWARE OF CAT $INSIDE, ALL IS PEACEFUL AND QUIET...'%]UNTIL A DEMON-CAT FROM HELL APPEARS!!&STEPPING INTO THE CLOSET, YOU NOTICE A&CROOKED STAFF IN THE CORNER, OBVIOUSLY^FORGOTTEN OR OVERLOOKED...mix_which_bottles_together}012345YELLOW POWDERBLUE POTION RED POTION BLACK POWDER WHITE POWDER GREEN POTION STRIKE STICK NONE (LEAVE) !K A - B L A M M !%A FEW OF THE JARS APPEAR TO BE INTACT%AND WELL SEALED, AND POSSESS CONTENTS%WHICH HAVE NOT DETERIORATED OR TURNED%INTO HARD LUMPS OF BLACKENED GOOP. AN%ODD LITTLE WOODEN STICK IS ALSO LYING%ON THE TABLE, AND YOU NOTICE THAT ONE ^END OF IT HAS BEEN PAINTED RED.%A TABLE FULL OF POTIONS, BOTTLES, AND%OTHER ASSORTED CHEMICALS SITS QUIETLY%WAITING FOR A MASTER WHO SHALL NOT BE^RETURNING...$OPENING THE WIZARD'S RECORD, YOU ARE$ABLE TO READ THE FOLLOWING PASSAGES:@MONTH OF STARS - 17TH DAY%!I HAVE AT LAST ACHIEVED SUCCESS WITH$MY EXPERIMENTS IN BODY RE-ANIMATION!$THE POOR VICTIM WAS THE MISTRESS WHO$HAD ACCOMPANIED THE VICAR, THE WHORE$MOTHER OF THE DEMON CHILD, AND WHILE$SHE HAD BEEN DEAD NEARLY THREE DAYS,$STILL DID SHE BREATHE, WALK, AND SEE^ONCE AGAIN...%@IT'S A PITY THAT THERE WAS NOT A WAY$TO SIMILARLY SAVE HER MIND AND SOUL,$AS NOW SHE IS BUT AN EMPTY CORPSE. I$HAVE SEALED HER IN ONE OF THE CASTLE$SPIRES, UNTIL DISCOVERING A MEANS OF$PROPER DISPOSAL. ENCOURAGED BY THESE$EARLY RESULTS, I SHALL CONTINUE WHEN#^ANOTHER TEST SUBJECT IS AVAILABLE.@MONTH OF STARS - 23RD DAY$!MY LATEST SUBJECT, THE INSANE VICAR#OF RECENT BEHEADING, WAS A STUNNING#EXPERIMENT IN CORPOREAL SEPARATION.#THE MOMENT THE AXE FELL UPON HIM, I#INVOKED A MAGIK WHICH PREVENTED HIS"^SPIRIT FROM DEPARTING THIS WORLD.$@HIS MIND AND SOUL THUS CAPTURED, IT#PROVES THAT MY IDEAS WILL WORK, AND#SOON I WILL HAVE MASTERED BOTH LIFE#AND DEATH, AND ACQUIRE IMMORTALITY.#FOR THE TIME BEING, A "SPIRIT LOCK"#SHOULD CONFINE THE DEPARTED VICAR'S#"GHOST" INSIDE THE OTHER SPIRE, AND#I WILL KEEP THE KEY HERE, LEST SOME#UNSUSPECTING TURD LOOSE THIS WRAITH^UPON US BY ACCIDENT.@MONTH OF MOONS - 4TH DAY%!WE HAVE AT LAST UNCOVERED THE SECRET$PORTAL WHICH SHALL SOON BRING US THE$COSMIC FORGE, AND I MUST PREPARE FOR"^THE JOURNEY, FOR TONIGHT, WE FLY!@MONTH OF MOONS - 13TH DAY!WE HAVE STOLEN THE FORGE!@MONTH OF MOONS - 15TH DAY%!I AM AFRAID THAT MY WILY APPRENTICE,$MYSTAPHAPHAS, HAS DISAPPEARED. THERE$IS NO INDICATION OF HIM ANYWHERE AND$ALL MAGICAL ATTEMPTS AT LOCATING HIM$HAVE RESULTED IN FAILURE, OTHER THAN$LEADING ME DIRECTLY TO THE DEN OF AN$OVERWEIGHT SERPENT, OF WHICH I THINK#^NOW MUST SURELY HAVE CONSUMED HIM.@MONTH OF MOONS - 16TH DAY%!I HAVE FINALLY DECIDED WHAT TO WRITE$WITH THE "PEN", AND THUS ESCAPE THAT$HORRID CURSE WHICH HAS ALREADY TAKEN$THE KING TO HIS EVERLASTING DEATH...$!THUS, TONIGHT, I ENSCRIBE DESTINY!!$@THAT IS THE LAST ENTRY IN THE BOOK, ^AND ALL OTHER PAGES ARE BLANK.%THE ROOM IS BARREN AND QUIET, LOOKING%QUITE UNDISTURBED FOR OVER A CENTURY.%AS YOU CAST A GAZE ABOUT THE CHAMBER,%YOU NOTICE AN EERIE GLOW BEGINNING TO%CONGEAL WITHIN ITS CENTER, TAKING THE%SHAPE OF A HUMAN FIGURE. SOON YOU CAN%DISCERN A FACE, OLD AND WITHERED, AND^NOW IT BEGINS TO SPEAK...HELLO? %! HELLO??%]IS THAT YOU, ANNIE?%!I CAN'T SEE, ANNIE...%%]CAN YOU HEAR ME, ANNIE?%ANNIE??$%!WHY DO YOU NOT SPEAK TO ME, ANNIE?%]DON'T YOU REMEMBER ME? %!ANNIE, DON'T YOU REMEMBER?? %DON'T YOU REMEMBER WHO I AM??#%]I AM... I DO NOT KNOW WHO I AM...%I REMEMBER...#%YES, I REMEMBER A LONG TIME AGO...
%]I WAS...%A HOLY MAN...%A PIOUS AND REVERED MAN...%I DON'T REMEMBER..."%]I REMEMBER ANNIE, SWEET ANNIE...%O MY ANNIE, WE ARE LOST!&%]I BROKE MY VOWS OF SANCTITY FOR YOU,"^SWEET ANNIE... AND I AM PUNISHED!%!PUNISHED...%]OUR DAUGHTER!!%!WE MUST HIDE OUR LITTLE GIRL..."%THEY WILL COME AND TAKE HER AWAY!%%]NO!%!SHE IS THE DEVIL!&%]O, SHE WHO WAS CONCIEVED FROM SIN... %!FROM OUR SIN, FAIR LADY ANN...%]AND SHE IS DAMNED! %!AND IT IS WE WHO ARE DAMNED...%SWEET ANNIE...%]THE KING HAS FOUND US!"%!THE KING HAS TAKEN OUR DAUGTHER!%]HE WILL PROTECT HER...$%!HE WILL PROTECT US, SWEET ANNIE...%]SUCH A LONG TIME AGO...%!I AM LOST NOW, ANNIE...%BUT I STILL HAVE THE HORN!'%]I REMEMBER THE COLD AROUND MY NECK...%AND THE LIGHT...#%AND I AM WALKING INTO THE LIGHT...!%]BUT NO! I AM BEING PULLED BACK!&%!SOMETHING IS KEEPING ME FROM WALKING^INTO THE LIGHT... %]THE HAND!$%!THE HAND FROM THE LIGHT IS HOLDING^SOMETHING FOR ME...%]IT IS HOLDING THE HORN!%!IS IT TIME?%]IS IT TIME, SWEET ANNIE?%!IS IT TIME FOR THE HORN?%]I AM COMING ANNIE! %!I WILL BLOW THE HORN AT LAST! %%](AND THE SPECTRE HOLDS UP^ A DARK HORN AND BLOWS) %%]I CAN SEE THE LIGHT ANNIE!"%!THE LIGHT IS COMING BACK FOR ME!%]GOODBYE ANNIE!!%!I AM STEPPING INTO THE LIGHH...'%%]AND THE GHOST SUDDENLY VANISHES, THE$DARK HORN FALLING TO THE GROUND WITH^A LOUD CLATTER!&SKELETONS LYING WITHIN OPEN ALCOVES OF&THE ROOM ARE SO NUMEROUS THAT IT SEEMS&LIKELY THIS WAS THE CASTLE MORGUE. ONE&OF THE SKULLS HAS HAD SEVERAL CUBES OF&BONE REMOVED, CURT REMINDER THAT BRAIN&SURGERY HAS ALWAYS BEEN A HIT AND MISS^KIND OF PROPOSITION.&THE TUNNEL ENDS ABRUPTLY AS APPARENTLY&THERE WAS A CAVE-IN SOME TIME AGO. YOU&MIGHT BE ABLE TO DIG THROUGH IT, USING ^THE PROPER TOOL, OF COURSE...&THIS AREA HAS BEEN CHISELED OUT, AS IF&SOMEONE WERE TRYING TO TUNNEL INTO THE&ROCK FOR SOME REASON. INVESTIGATING IT&FURTHER, YOU CAN FEEL A SLIGHT WISP OF&AIR SEEPING THROUGH A CRACK, POSSIBLY&FROM ANOTHER TUNNEL ON THE OTHER SIDE."A HAIL OF ARROWS SWARMS THE PARTY!!POISON GAS EXPLODES IN YOUR FACE!&THE ROLLING BALL CRASHES INTO THE WALL&AS EVERYONE TRIES TO JUMP TO THE SIDE!&FROM BEHIND YOU A GARGANTUAN BALL MADE&OF SOLID ROCK ROLLS DOWN A RAMPWAY AND ^ACCELERATES INTO THE HALLWAY!)%%]EVERYONE RUNS FOR THE END OF THE HALL!!THE CHEST IS CAUGHT IN THE GLOOP!1600TRY TO TAKE THE IDOLLEAVE THE IDOL ALONE&A CLAY IDOL FIGURINE IS RESTING WITHIN&AN ALCOVE, ENSHRINED WITH DRIED FLOWER ^PETALS, BONES, AND GLASS BEADS.171800 THROW THE SANDBAG AT THE IDOL EXCHANGE SANDBAG FOR THE IDOLLEAVE THE IDOL ALONE&A CLAY IDOL FIGURINE IS RESTING WITHIN&AN ALCOVE, ENSHRINED WITH DRIED FLOWER ^PETALS, BONES, AND GLASS BEADS.&THE SANDBAG HITS THE IDOL, KNOCKING IT^REELING ONTO THE FLOOR! @QUICKLY YOU SNATCH UP THE IDOL!&YOU DEFTLY SNATCH THE IDOL AND REPLACE&IT WITH THE SANDBAG, SO SMOOTHLY THAT%^EVEN THE FLOWERS REMAIN UNDISTURBED.&YOUR CLUMSY ATTEMPT TO SWAP THE BAG OF&SAND HAS KNOCKED THE IDOL REELING ONTO ^THE FLOOR! @QUICKLY YOU SNATCH UP THE IDOL!YOU SNATCH UP THE IDOL!&THE TUNNEL IS FILLED WITH SAND, MAKING%^FURTHER TRAVEL INTO IT IMPOSSIBLE...&THIS APPEARS TO BE SOME SORT OF BURIAL&CHAMBER, WRAPPED MUMMIES BEING LAID IN&ALCOVES CUT FROM THE EARTH. THE GROUND&IS DIRT AND CLAY, AND BROKEN PIECES OF&^POTTERY LIE SCATTERED ABOUT THE ROOM.&FADED PAINTINGS DEPICTING BROWN PEOPLE&ENGAGED IN GROWING CROPS, BATHING, AND&DANCING IN COSTUMES COVER THE WALLS, A"^RECORD MOST LIKELY OF DAILY LIFE.&THE WALLS ARE MADE OF EARTH, BLOCKS OF&CLAY ENGRAVED WITH FANCIFUL DESIGNS. A&QUICK LOOK AROUND REVEALS THAT ALL THE&WALLS ARE THIS WAY, SUGGESTING A ROYAL ^OR SACRED AIR ABOUT THE PLACE.&EMERGING OUTSIDE, YOU ARE STANDING ON&THE LEDGE OF A GREAT PYRAMID, A TEMPLE&WHICH IS ARISING FROM THE MOUNTAIN AND ^COMPLETELY BORDERED BY JUNGLE."YOU FILL THE EMPTY SACK WITH SAND.&THE HEAD OF A STRANGE BEAST IS HEWN IN&THE CENTER OF A CIRCULAR EMBLEM ON TOP&OF THE GATE, ALTHOUGH SOMEHOW THE FACE^LOOKS ODDLY FAMILIAR...&YOU WAVE THE IDOL BEFORE THE EMBLEM...&PERCHED HIGH ON A THRONE MADE OF WOVEN&STRAW, SITS A WATCHFUL AND STERN GIRL.&SHE WEARS A FANCY HEADRESS, AND AROUND&HER NECK REST MANY NECKLACES MADE FROM&SMALL BONES AND GLASS BEADS. DIRECTLY&AT HER SIDE ARE SEVERAL OF THE WARRIOR&WOMEN, EACH SWAYING A LARGE FAN. ALSO,&BEHIND HER TO THE RIGHT, ANOTHER WOMAN&WEARING A GIANT SPOOKY LOOKING MASK IS&EYEING YOU VERY CAREFULLY AS THE PARTY^APPROACHES THE THRONE...!@"I AM THE QUEEN OF THE AMAZULU!"'%!"WHO DARES ENTER OUR SACRED GROUNDS?" NO/YES/YEA/YEP/SURE/OK/ HAVE YOU COME TO TAKE THE ROCK?
YES/
YEA/
YEP/
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OK/ WHY HAVE YOU COME TO THE TEMPLE? HAVE YOU COME TO TAKE THE ROCK? THEN YOU MUST BE SACRIFICED! WHY HAVE YOU COME TO THE TEMPLE? NO/YES/YEA/YEP/SURE/OK/ DID YOU BRING ME AN OFFERING?LAY YOUR GIFTS BEFORE ME! NO/YES/YEA/YEP/SURE/OK/ DO YOU APOLOGIZE?I ACCEPT YOUR APOLOGY!(%!AND AS A TOKEN OF MY FORGIVENESS, I'LL"^ALSO ACCEPT A 3000 GOLD DONATION!% I DEMAND A GIFT AND AN APOLOGY!&MAU-MU-MU DEMANDS A SACRIFICE TONIGHT! NO/YES/YEA/YEP/SURE/OK/ #DO YOU MAKE THE 3000 GOLD DONATION? (THE QUEEN TURNS AND WHISPERS TO THE WOMAN IN THE SPOOKY MASK)%!SEE?"%I TOLD YOU THEY HAD SOFT BELLIES!MMMM... %FINE, FINE%!OOOO, HOW PRETTY!#%]AHHH! AND JUST LOOK AT THIS ONE!!%!HEY!%]WAIT A MINUTE!!'%!THIS STUFF IS NOTHING BUT CHEAP JUNK! %]WHO ARE YOU TRYING TO FOOL??!%!HOW DARE YOU INSULT US!!&YOU HAVE NOT THE GOLD FOR FORGIVENESS!SACRIFICE/SACRIFICE/&THE GIRL IN THE SPOOKY MASK APPROACHES^YOU AND WHISPERS,!"PSSSSST! WANNA DEAL?" I KNOW HOW TO TREAT YOU RIGHT!WATCH OUT FOR OLE HOTHEAD!QUEEN/MMM... NICE BUNS/&STRAIGHT AHEAD LIES THE SMOKING TOP OF&A SEETHING VOLCANO. A BED OF HOT COALS&FORMS A BRIDGE WHICH LEADS TO THE EDGE&OF THE VOLCANO, MAKING IT THE ONLY WAY"^TO CROSS OVER FROM THE PYRAMID...&THE BRIDGE OF HOT COALS LEADS DIRECTLY&TO THE LIP OF THE VOLCANO, AND EXTENDS$^OUT OVER THE CORE OF MOLTEN LAVA...'@AS YOU STAND ABOVE THE LAVA, YOU START&FEELING EARTH TREMORS ARISING FROM THE&VOLCANO, AS IF IT WERE GOING TO ERUPT.$@THE TREMORS ARE GROWING STRONGER... %]THE LAVA BELOW STARTS BOILING! %]SUDDENLY THE VOLCANO ERUPTS!! "SO YOU HAVE COME FOR THE ROCK!"%!"THEN I SHALL SLAY YOU!!"
SSSSSSTT!!HOT COALS BURN YOUR FEET!&THOUGH THE COALS ARE RED HOT, YOU FEEL#^NO PAIN AS YOU WALK ACROSS THEM...'~ THE HORN ISSUES A HAUNTING CALL WHICH ^ECHOES FAR ACROSS THE WATER...%~ %~ %@EVENTUALLY THE ECHOES FADE AWAY, AND$ONLY THE QUIET RIPPLING OF THE RIVER ^IS LEFT TO FILL THE SILENCE...&@%FROM OUT OF THE MISTS, A DARK FIGURE^SLOWLY EMERGES...#RIDING ATOP A LONG SLENDER BOAT, HE!^GENTLY GUIDES IT TO THE SHORE..."@"I AM CHARRON, FERRYMAN OF ASHES" NO/YES/YEA/YEP/SURE/OK/ HAVE YOU ANY ASHES FOR ME?GIVE THE ASHES TO ME... NO/YES/YEA/YEP/SURE/OK/ DO YOU WISH PASSAGE? NO/YES/YEA/YEP/SURE/OK/ "THE FEE IS 500 GOLD. WILL YOU PAY?] THIS IS THE ISLE OF THE DEAD...%]!THIS IS THE ISLE OF THE DAMNED... %]THE END OF THE RIDE FOR YOU...#YOU HAVE NOT THE GOLD TO JOURNEY..."SORRY, BUT I CAN'T TOUCH THIS ONE!&%!YOU'LL HAVE TO RETURN IT YOURSELF...'@HERE, TAKE THIS KEY AND RETURN THE ASH$^TO THE ISLE OF THE DEAD FOR ME, OK?&THE FORMER OWNER OF THESE ASHES WISHES&ME TO RETURN THE FAVOR YOU HAVE GIVEN, ^SO BY THE POWER VESTED IN ME... I AM CHARRON, FERRYMAN OF ASHES!YOU RECIEVE 500 GOLD FINDER'S FEEHE HAS SENT ME MANY...%!BUT THEN, SO HAVE YOU...%!DEATH HAS MANY GUISES...&A CIRCULAR EMBLEM IS ENGRAVED UPON THE&FLOOR, ADORNED WITH MANY STRANGE RUNES&AND MYSTIC SYMBOLS. INSIDE THE CIRCLE,&A SCENE DEPICTS A BOAT CARRYING A TOMB ^IN FLAMES ACROSS THE WATER... THE ISLE OF MINOS TOMB = THE DAMNED $RESTING AT THE FOOT OF THE GATE, YOU^FIND A BOOK AND A KEY...&FRAGMENTS OF BONES LIE HEAPED UPON THE&ALCOVE, THE FINAL REMAINS OF LOST SOUL!^DOOMED UPON THE ISLE OF MINOS...&EVEN AS THE DUST SETTLES FROM THE DEAD&MINO-DAEMON, A GHOSTLY VISAGE APPEARS,&THE SOUL OF A MAN ONCE HELD CAPTIVE BY"^THE CURSE OF THE ISLE OF MINOS...&A THOUSAND LAMBS SHALL BE SLAUGHTERED & TO CREATE THE EMPTINESS WHICH FROM I,&MOVES DEATH TO LIFT THE BANE OF MINOS & ALL APPEALS TO LIVE, IN PEACE TO DIE!THEE HAS RELEASED ME!'@FOR YEARS I HAVE BEEN TRAPPED UPON THE&ISLE OF MINOS, CURSED NOT BY DEEDS BUT&BY WORDS. MINE WAS THE CRIME OF SPOKEN&MURDER, FOR I DID SLAY ANOTHER BY WORD&ALONE, AND WITH WORD ALONE DID HE DIE.&AS SURELY AS IF I HAD WIELDED A SWORD,&HIS EYES DID TURN DULL AND GLAZE OVER;&HIS MIND CEASED TO FUNCTION AND WARMTH&DRAINED FROM HIS SMILE, IN THAT SINGLE&MOMENT I FIRST SAID, "BELIEVE". FOR AS&THE ESSENCE OF MAN IS BORN UNTO WONDER&AND HIS YOUNG EYE LOFTS ABOVE MEANING,&LONG SHALL HE LIVE THAT CAN SEE THINGS&ANEW, WHERE KNOWLEDGE SERVES LIFE, AND&NOT POINTS OF VIEW. ON THAT DAY, WHEN&I FIRST SPOKE OF "TRUTH", THEN DID "I"&DIE, THIS HE THAT WAS ME. AND ONLY THE&FADING ECHOES OF THOUGHTS THOUGHT LONG&AGO, DID SERVE AS THE REMINDER OF LIFE&ONCE REMEMBERED. SUCH WAS MY CURSE, ON&THE ISLE OF MINOS, A LESSON OF DISTANT&VOICES WHICH HARKEN BLACKENED WATER. A&BLESSING BE UPON YE, YE WHO LOOK ANEW,&LEAVE CURSES FOR THE EMPTY, THE FEEBLE#^BLINDED WHO MUST SAYETH, "TRUE"... @(AND THE SPECTRE FADES AWAY)THE CURSE OF MINOS%!HE WHO DWELLS UPON THE ISLE OF MINOS$IS DOOMED BY THE CURSE OF MINOS, AND$SHALL BECOME MANIFEST IN THE FORM OF$A DAEMON; AND HE SHALL BE GIVEN THE$KNOWLEDGE THAT HIS FREEDOM LIES WITH$THE DESTRUCTION OF OTHERS, AND THUS,$SHALL HE LIVE OUT HIS DAYS, FOREVER$IMPRISONED, AWAITING ONE WITH WHOM A$BATTLE MAY BE FOUGHT AND WON, AND IN$HIS TRIUMPH BE RELEASED FROM THE SAD$CURSE UPON HIM; NEVER SHALL HE KNOW$THAT IT IS ONLY BY THE VICTORY OF AN$ENEMY, WHO SHALL KNOWINGLY RISK LIFE$TO DESTROY HIS, THAT HIS FREEDOM CAN$BE WON; AND SUCH AN ENEMY IN VICTORY"^MAY SUFFER HIMSELF IN THE DEED...3500 BOARD THE RAFT AND TURN CRANKLEAVE THE RAFT ALONE&OUTSIDE THE GATE, A RAFT MADE OF HEAVY&PLANKS IS FLOATING IN THE WATER. THERE&IS A HEAVY STEEL CABLE ATTACHED TO THE&WALL WHICH THEN RUNS INTO AND AROUND A&SPOOL & CRANK DEVICE ABOARD THE RAFT. &ABOARD THE RAFT, YOU TURN THE CRANK TO&RELEASE THE CABLE, AND THE RAFT SLOWLY ^BEGINS TO FLOAT DOWNSTREAM...&ABOARD THE RAFT, YOU TURN THE CRANK TO&REWIND THE CABLE, WHICH DRAWS THE RAFT^BACK UP THE RIVER...3600 BOARD THE RAFT AND TURN CRANKLEAVE THE RAFT ALONE%THERE IS A RAFT HERE, FLOATING IN THE%WATER. A LONG STEEL CABLE IS ATTACHED%^TO A SPOOL & CRANK DEVICE ABOARD IT. SIREN'S COVE * * * * * * SAILOR'S BEWARE! '@THE COVE IS VERY QUIET AND SEEMS TO BE ^EMPTY...$%%]WHEN SUDDENLY YOU ARE SURROUNDED!&FROM OUT OF THE DEPTHS COMES A TORRENT&OF SPLASHING BODIES, PART WOMAN, PART&FISH, MOVING THROUGH THE WATER WITH AN&EASE AND GRACE AS IF THEY HAD LIVED IN ^THE SEA ALL OF THEIR LIFE...'@THEY COMPLETELY SURROUND THE ROCK UPON&WHICH THE RAFT HAS LANDED, AND AFTER A&FEW MOMENTS THEY BECOME STILL, WAITING&FOR THE WATER TO CALM, AND THEN SOFTLY#^BEGIN TO CHANT THIS HAUNTING SONG:@WE ARE THE SIRENS ^ SISTERS OF THE SEA,^AND WE SING A SONG OF^ SADNESS O'ER THE BREEZE @THO' IN OUR HEARTS WE LOVE ^ 'TIS MADNESS SETS US FREE,^ALLURING MEN TO NIGHTMARE ^ WHO HEAR OUR GENTLE PLEAS...!@ONLY THEY THAT KNOW ^ THE SIREN'S SONG OF WOE, ^WILL 'SCAPE THE DEADLY HOUR!^ WHICH DANCES FROM OUR THROATS @AND OTHERS THEY SHALL DIE ^ 'TIS MADNESS MAKES US HIGH, ^COME SIRENS! LURE THE MORTALS ^ TO DEATH UPON THE SEAS...'@AND THE SIRENS BEGIN TO WAIL IN A MOST&TERRIFYINGLY DISONANT HARMONY, A CHILL&RUSHING THROUGH THE AIR TO BREAK BACKS&OF MIGHTY SHIPS AND SAILORS, AND ABOVE&THEIR CRYING SONG, ONE OF THEM SHOUTS,@"WHO ARE WE, MY SISTERS?"@AND THE VOICES CRY BACK,!"WE ARE THE SIRENS!" @AND AGAIN THE LONE VOICE CALLS,!"AND WHY DO WE SING?" @AND THE HAIL OF VOICES STORMS,!"BECAUSE WE ARE MADNESS!"'@AND THE SONG BECOMES A HIGH FEVER, AND^THE LONE VOICE RESPONDS,#!"AND WHAT DO WE SING, MY SISTERS?"@AND THE CHORUS INTONES,!"THE SIREN'S SONG OF WOE!"&@AND THE SONG BUILDS TO A FRENZY, WHEN%SUDDENLY THE LONE WOMAN-FISH TURNS TO^YOU AND SCREAMS,MADNESS MAKES US FREE/ $AND WHAT IS THE SIREN'S SONG OF WOE?O NOBLE TRAVELERS!"%!THEE KNOWEST OF OUR SONG OF WOE!'@THEREFOR, THOU ART FREE TO RETURN ONCE&MORE UPON THY CHOSEN PATH. REMEMBER, A&SIREN MUST FOREVER LURE MEN TO MADNESS&FOR ONLY MADNESS MAKES HER FREE, AND A&^MORTAL UPON THESE WATERS MUST BEWARE!'@BUT THEE HAST HEARD OUR SONG AND STILL&LIVES, AND SO WE ARE BOUND TO AID THEE^IN THY JOURNEY...&TAKE THESE MAGIC WINGS, A GIFT, TO USE&WHEN THOU MUST TRAVEL ABOUT THE RIVER,&FOR THE LEGS OF MORTAL MEN ARE USELESS&UPON THE WATER. NOW LEAVE US, FOR SOON&OUR MADNESS WILL MAKE US FREE, AND ALL&THAT HAS TRANSPIRED WILL BE FORGOTTEN;&FOR THE FREEDOM WE SEEK IS THE FREEDOM&FROM THE PAST, TIS IN THE PAST LIE ALL&OUR CHAINS AND SORROWS; AND SO WE SING&AND WE FORGET, AND WE THUSLY FIND THAT&FREEDOM, AND IT'S MADNESS OF NO MEMORY^WHICH MAKES US FREE...'@(AND THE SIRENS QUIETLY SLIP BACK INTO'^ THE WATER, DISAPPEARING COMPLETELY AS"^ IF NOTHING HAD EVER HAPPENED...)O SAD TRAVELERS!%!THOU ART DOOMED! %COME TASTE OUR SONG OF MADNESS! $ A NOTICE ON THE WALL READS: !LOST AT SEA D.J. LOCKER RED X 3E 1N ISLE OF THE LOST SEEK YE AND FIND '@THE ISLAND SHORE IS COVERED WITH SAND,^A BEACH UPON THE WATER... * BOTTLE ORACLE * &AN OLD STOPPERED BOTTLE HAS FLOATED TO%^THE SHORE, JUST LYING IN THE SAND...$YOU UNPLUG THE BOTTLE AND DISCOVER A ^MESSAGE INSIDE WHICH READS: !38-23-36$DEAR BOTTLE ORACLE, $!^I FORGOT MY CLAIM # AT THE ISLE OF#^THE KEEP. DO YOU KNOW WHAT IT IS?!!^ SIGNED BUGBRAINS&YOU FIND THAT THE BOTTLE QUICKLY FILLS&^WITH WATER AND THEN BEGINS TO SINK...%YOU PLACE THE BOTTLE IN THE WATER AND^WATCH IT FLOAT AWAY...&DIGGING INTO THE SAND, YOU DISCOVER AN^OLD METAL KEY...&THE CHEST IS FILLED WITH SOME SUPPLIES^ABANDONED LONG AGO...YOU SNAGGED ONTO SOMETHING!!%IT FEELS HEAVY!&@YOU MANAGE TO PULL UP A HEAVY LOCKER,%WHICH CRUMBLES INTO SHARDS OF RUST AS#^YOU HAUL IT UP OUT OF THE WATER...&A BOLD RED "X" HAS BEEN PAINTED ON THE&SURFACE OF THE ROCK, LIKE SOME KIND OF^SPECIAL MARK...SONG OF THE SIRENS!WE ARE THE SIRENS ^ SISTERS OF THE SEA,^AND WE SING A SONG OF^ SADNESS O'ER THE BREEZE !THO' IN OUR HEARTS WE LOVE ^ 'TIS MADNESS SETS US FREE,^ALLURING MEN TO NIGHTMARE ^ WHO HEAR OUR GENTLE PLEAS...!@ONLY THEY THAT KNOW ^ THE SIREN'S SONG OF WOE, ^WILL 'SCAPE THE DEADLY HOUR!^ WHICH DANCES FROM OUR THROATS !AND OTHERS THEY SHALL DIE ^ 'TIS MADNESS MAKES US HIGH, ^COME SIRENS! LURE THE MORTALS ^ TO DEATH UPON THE SEAS... @SOLO : WHO ARE WE, SISTERS? !^CHORUS: WE ARE THE SIRENS! !^SOLO : AND WHY DO WE SING?!!^CHORUS: BECAUSE WE ARE MADNESS!%@SOLO : WHAT DO WE SING, O SISTERS? "!^CHORUS: THE SIREN'S SONG OF WOE!&!^SOLO : AND WHAT IS THE SONG OF WOE?%!^CHORUS: 'TIS MADNESS MAKES US FREE! THE RIVER STYX %STEPPING INTO THE OPEN AIR, YOUR NOSE%DETECTS THE SCENT OF WATER, AS IF YOU!^WERE NEAR A LAKE OR SOMETHING...&@AND THEN YOU SEE IT, SURROUNDING YOUR%ROCK LEDGE, WINDING AS FAR AS THE EYE%CAN SEE INTO AN UNDERGROUND CAVERN IN%ALL DIRECTIONS, AND THEN DISAPPEARING^INTO THE MISTS... ISLE OF THE DEAD %INSIDE THE BIZARRE CRYPT, YOUR SENSES%GIVE YOU A CREEPY FEELING, PERHAPS AN%EARLY WARNING SIGN OF IMMINENT DANGER%OR POSSIBLY JUST THE REALITY OF BEING%^SURROUNDED BY SO MANY DEAD PEOPLE... ISLE OF THE KEEP %A BEAUTIFUL TROPIC WOMAN EMERGES FROM^A SMALL FORTRESS AND SAYS, !"WELCOME TO THE ISLAND KEEP!"&@HOWEVER, I'M AFRAID WE DON'T HAVE ANY ^MORE ROOM FOR STORAGE HERE...#@PERHAPS YOU SHOULD TRY BACK LATER!!YOU'VE COME TO RECLAIM SOMETHING?%!OOO! THAT'S GREAT!! %!WE SURE DO NEED THE SPACE!
38-23-36/ WHAT'S THE CLAIM NUMBER?$I'M SORRY, BUT YOU MUST HAVE A CLAIM$NUMBER, OR ELSE HOW WOULD I KNOW YOU!AREN'T IMPOSTERS TRYING TO STEAL? BORK/BORK/ OOO! GREAT!!'%!WAIT A MINUTE WHILE I CHECK IT OUT... %%]EEEEEKKK!!%HELP ME! HELP ME!!'%]AND SUDDENLY THE TROPIC GIRL RUNS OUT%OF THE FORTRESS SCREAMING, JUMPS INTO%THE STREAM, AND SWIMS AWAY AS FAST AS^SHE CAN GO...OOLA-OOLA! I AM MAI-LAI!COME BACK AGAIN SOON!YOU ENTER THE FORTRESS...%!IT'S A TOTAL MESS...%%]SUDDENLY YOU SEE A TWO-FOOT MIDGET,%^RUNNING AROUND TRASHING THE PLACE... %%!BORK HAS GONE ON A RAMPAGE!!&THE SMALL UNDERGROUND MAUSOLEUM SMELLS&OF MOLD AND FERMENT, AND PERHAPS A BIT&OF STALE CORPSES. YOUR INTRUSION FEELS&TO BE THE FIRST TO DISTURB THE ROTTING%^LANGUOR AFTER MANY YEARS OF PEACE...&ROWS OF STONE SEPULCHERS DOT THE ROOM,&PRIVATE MEMORIAL CHAMBERS OF THE DEAD.&CURIOUS THAT SUCH AN ARRANGEMENT MIGHT&EXIST IN A PLACE KNOWN AS "ISLE OF THE ^DAMNED"... SIR CLYDE SMALLHEAD WORKED HARDNEVER MADE A DIME MAME EILA PICKYMISS AWAITING HER HEROSTILL WAITING WILD BILLY RESTLESS NEVER STOOD STILLNEVER SAW IT COMING SAD HAPPY HARPO MADE EVERYONE LAUGHDRANK SELF TO DEATH DON JUAN LUVPUPPY DESIRED AFFECTIONDIED OF INFECTION POOR MANDY HELPFUL SO EAGER TO PLEASEEVERYONE HATED HER BULLI BIGBOSSI VERY WELL RESPECTEDTHEY SHOT HIM 237 TIMES BUILT BARDA BUXSUM SHE WAS SO POPULARTHAT SHE GOT USED UP NARCISSUS GODILUVME DIDN'T NEED ANYBODYDIDN'T HAVE ANYBODY MAD BOMBER IRARABI FIGHTER WITH A CAUSEKILLED MOSTLY CHILDREN GRANDFATHER IRARABI WOULD DIE FOR CAUSEKILLED MILLIONS INSTEAD DON MARO TOUGHGUY AFRAID OF NOTHINGRUN OVER BY BUICK SIR ISSAC WISENSTEIN ALL THOSE BRAINSAND HE STILL DIDN'T GET IT ABASOLUTI LI AVERIBODI CRIED THAT NOBODY UNDERSTOOD HIM"AS HE WHINED THEY ROBBED HIM BLIND YOU HAVE DISTURBED THE BONES!&YOU EMERGE INTO THE CASTLE SWAMPLANDS,&THE SPOOKY MARSHES EAST OF THE CASTLE.&A PATH SKIRTS IN AND OUT OF ITS BROODY&TREES, ENABLING YOU TO CAUTIOUSLY WALK^THROUGH THE WATERY MOOR...&YOU CAN BARELY DISCERN THE SILHOUETTED&OUTLINE OF THE CASTLE BREAKING THROUGH&THE MISTS, AS IT STANDS TOWERING ABOVE^THE TREES...&JUST BARELY VISIBLE IN THE BOGGY EARTH&ARE FAINT LITTLE FOOTPRINTS, MADE FROM&SOME SMALL HOPPING CREATURE, AND WHICH!^TRAIL OFF INTO A NEARBY BRUSH...&DIRECTLY AHEAD, YOU SEE A MOST CURIOUS&SIGHT. A RATHER UNUSUAL ODDITY OF MANY&ARMS AND LEGS IS SITTING HIGH ATOP ONE&OF THE TOADSTOOLS AT THE SWAMP'S EDGE,&LOOKING SOMEWHAT NERVOUS AND AGITATED.&PERCHED HIGH UPON A FRAGRANT MUSHROOM,&A HUGE WORM-LIKE CREATURE IS BUSY WITH&PEN AND PARCHMENT, WRITING A SERIES OF&^VERY COMPLEX MATHEMATICAL FORMULAS...&SUDDENLY SURPRISED AT DISCOVERING YOUR&PRESENCE, HE EMITS A SMALL "SNORT" AND&^MOMENTARILY DROPPING HIS PAPER, SAYS:@UM... %!OH MY!...'@HIS TWO TINY EYES LOOK HUGE, MAGNIFIED&BY A PAIR OF SPECTACLES WHICH RESTS ON&HIS NOSE, AND AFTER A TAKING A LIBERAL"^GLANCE AT THE PARTY, HE VENTURES,NO/YES/YEA/YEP/SURE/ %YOU WOULDN'T HAVE A SMOKE, WOULD YOU?%DID'JA FIND IT, HUH? DID'JA DID'JA??!&*SIGH* I'M ASHAMED TO SAY IT, BUT I'VE&PUT MY HOOKAH WATER PIPE SOMEWHERE AND&^NOW I CAN'T SEEM TO REMEMBER WHERE...'@AS YOU CAN SEE, I HAVE BEEN WORKING ON&THE RECALCULATIONS OF MY EXACT SPATIAL&AND TEMPORAL LOCATIONS IN RELATIONSHIP&TO THE LAST KNOWN PHYSICAL COORDINATES&OF SAID HOOKAH PIPE IN QUESTION, IN AN&ATTEMPT TO DERIVE ITS CURRENT POSITION^IN THE UNIVERSE...&I REMEMBER TAKING IT WHEN I WENT ON MY&ISLAND VACATION LAST SUMMER, AND I PUT&IT SOMEWHERE FOR SAFEKEEPING, BUT NOW!I CAN'T REMEMBER WHERE I LEFT IT!'@ALL I FOUND IN EVIDENCE IS THIS LITTLE&STRIP OF PAPER WHICH WAS IN MY POCKET, AND I QUOTE FROM IT AS FOLLOWS,&@"PLEASE INFORM CLERK YOU WISH TO MAKE%A 'RECLAMATION' TO REDEEM MERCHANDISELEFT IN STORAGE"CLAIM NUMBER?%!CLAIM NUMBER?!!%!O MY GOODNESS!%%!SO THAT'S WHAT THAT NUMBER WAS FOR!)%!!NO WONDER MY HOUSE OF MERCURY INSISTED&ON COLLIDING WITH VENUS OVER AQUARIUS!)%!!BUT NOW THAT YOU MENTION IT, I HAVEN'T#THE SLIGHTEST IDEA OF WHAT IT IS...!%!!THIS SOUNDS LIKE A JOB FOR,... %!! "BOTTLE ORACLE"&THE BOTTLE ORACLE IS REALLY VERY EASY!)%!!ALL WE NEED TO DO IS TO PUT A QUESTION&IN A BOTTLE AND LET IT GO IN THE RIVER&AT THE SIGN SAYING, "BOTTLE ORACLE"...'@AFTER THAT, YOU THEN ONLY NEED TO FIND'THE BOTTLE, AND AS IF BY MAGIC YOU WILLHAVE THE ANSWER INSIDE! @IT'S REALLY VERY WONDERFUL!&%!!O, WHY DIDN'T I THINK OF IT SOONER!(%!!(THE CATERPILLAR SCRIBBLES ON A PIECE"OF PAPER AND THEN HANDS IT TO YOU)(%!HERE, TAKE THIS MESSAGE AND SEAL IT IN&A BOTTLE AND GIVE IT TO BOTTLE ORACLE. %!!SOON WE'LL HAVE AN ANSWER!SURE WISH I HAD A SMOKE!SEE YA! MMMMM.... %(PUFF PUFF)
%AHHHHH!!! %(PUFF PUFF)#%]NOTHING LIKE A GOOD TOKE, EH WOT?%!(PUFF PUFF)%]EOOOOEEEEEEE!!%(PUFF PUFF *WHEEZZZ*)%HUHP! *HEH* (CHOKE)%(COUGH GAG HACK)(%]GUESS I BETTER TRY A SMOOTHER BLEND...%*HEH HEH HEH*'%AND NOW FOR SOMETHING REALLY SMOOTH... NO/YES/YEA/YEP/SURE/OK/ YOU WANNA GET "SMALL" ?"IF YOU CHANGE YOUR MIND, TRY THIS!THEN TRY THIS SOMETIME!&NOW IF YOU'LL EXCUSE ME, I *HEH* THINK&I'LL JUST CRAWL ON DOWN TO A COZY TREE&I KNOW ABOUT AND GET REACQUAINTED WITH$^MY PIPE, *HEH HEH* (URP! *WHEEZZZ*)SMOKE/SMOKE/&*SIGH* I'M ASHAMED TO SAY IT, BUT I'VE&PUT MY HOOKAH WATER PIPE SOMEWHERE AND%NOW I CAN'T SEEM TO REMEMBER WHERE...'@AS YOU CAN SEE, I HAVE BEEN WORKING ON&THE RECALCULATIONS OF MY EXACT SPATIAL&AND TEMPORAL LOCATIONS IN RELATIONSHIP&TO THE LAST KNOWN PHYSICAL COORDINATES'@OF SAID HOOKAH PIPE IN QUESTION, IN AN&ATTEMPT TO DERIVE ITS CURRENT POSITIONIN THE UNIVERSE... THE LOST WARRIOR IN MEMORIUMMAY HE FIND HIS WAY HOME&UPON THE ALTAR SITS A BLACK URN FILLED&WITH SMALL MOUNDS OF FINE ASH. THE ASH&HAS A PLEASANT FRAGRANCE, AND IT SEEMS&A CONTRAST TO THE OTHERWISE GLOOMY BOW^OF THESE CATACOMBS...&YOU INSERT THE INCENSE INTO THE NEARBY&CANDLE, IGNITING IT INTO A GLOWING POD&OF SMOKEY SWEET AROMA, AND GENTLY DROP^IT INTO THE SMALL URN...'@THERE IS A SUDDEN LITENESS TO THE AIR,&AS IF THE RESTLESS SPIRITS HAD A BRIEF^MOMENT OF THANKFUL CALM...&YOU PLACE THE SMALL CYLINDER OF ASH ON^THE ALTAR... HALL OF THE DEAD "YOU THOUGHT YOU HEARD SOMETHING... IT SOUNDS LIKE A FAINT VOICE... %%]!"LLLLEAVE THIS PLACE....."!%%]!"RETURN TO YOUR OWN WORLD..."!DIE, DARK DEFILERS!!FOUL INTRUDERS!!SO YOU FOUND ME, EH???%]!WE COME FOR YOOOOUUUU!!#A HUGE STONE FELL FROM THE CEILING!!AN EERIE GLOW BATHES THE PARTY...&DEVIL WINDS WHIP THROUGH THE CORRIDOR! ROBIN WINDMARNE HIGHLANDER DROW GUARDIAN 1ST ORDER SIR GEOFFREY CLAYTON THE BLACK KNIGHT GUARDIAN 2ND ORDER BRIGERD DANS WOLTAN HIGH MAENAD OF ROSE GUARDIAN 3RD ORDER LORD HAIYATO DAIKUTA YOJIMBO KAISHAKUNIN GUARDIAN 4TH ORDER O DARKEST NIGHT,BE DEATH'S DELIGHT;ARISE YE MINIONS,BONES, COME TO LIFE!'%%]AND THE BONES TURN TO FLESH, SAYING,(%!"THE GUARDIAN HEARS THY CALL, MASTER!"&IT'S HARD TO SAY WHETHER IT'S THE COLD&PALE SKELETONS THAT FILL THE CATACOMBS&OR THE CREEPY HORROR OF SOMETHING ELSE&WHICH MAY LURK UNDER THESE CHAMBERS OF&THE DEAD, BUT ONE THING IS CERTAIN,...'@YOU HAVE THE UNMISTAKABLE SENSATION OF&BEING VERY NEAR TO GREAT DANGER, AND A&MORE SUBTLE SENSE OF DRAWING CLOSER TO&AN ANSWER... PART OF SOMETHING EVIL...'@SOMETHING AT THE HEART OF IT ALL... TOMB OF THE KING LORD OF ARAM DIED: .......... TOMB OF THE QUEEN GODDESS OF ARAM DIED: YEAR=SNAKES TOMB OF THE CHILD DAUGHTER=ARAM PRINCESS=DARKNESS &THE CHAMBER IS BARE, DEVOID OF USE, AS&IF ITS "INTENDED OCCUPANT" HAD NOT YET ^ARRIVED...'@YOU FEEL A SLIGHT COOL BREEZE, BARELY&NOTICEABLE, BUT WHEN IT FADES YOU HAVE&THE SENSATION OF BEING IN THE COMPANY^OF ANOTHER'S PRESENCE...@!LOOKING FOR SOMEONE?)%%]A DEEP, MASTERFUL VOICE SPEAKS AT YOUR&BACK, AND YOU TURN TO FACE THE UNKNOWN ^ACCOSTER...BUT NOTHING IS THERE...'@THEN YOU HEAR A STRANGE "WHIP" THROUGH&THE AIR AND FEEL THE BREEZE ONCE AGAIN^BLOWING IN YOUR FACE...@AND SUDDENLY YOU SEE IT!!GARRRRAAARRGGHHHHHHHH!%]!I SEEK REVENGE!(%]!BUT I SENSE THAT YOU ARE NOT THE ONES^WHOM I SEEK...$%%]!YOU ARE THE ONES I HAVE AWAITED!(%]I SHALL TELL YOU OF THE BANE EVIL THAT&HAS TRANSPIRED HERE, IN THIS CASTLE OF&DARKNESS, A STORY TO CHILL YOUR BONES^AND HARDEN YOUR VEINS...'@MANY YEARS AGO, A LUSTFUL AND POWERFUL&LORD RULED THIS LAND, A DESCENDENT OF%^A DESCENDENT OF AN ANNOINTED KING...'@BUT HE WAS UNSATISFIED WITH MERELY THE&RULE OF THIS TERRITORY, AND THE BLOOD&OF HIS ANCESTORS CRIED WITHIN HIM ONCE!^AGAIN TO BECOME A MIGHTY KING...'@TO MAKE A KING REQUIRES MORE THAN JUST&A CROWN, FOR A KING MUST ALSO HAVE THE%^POWER TO CONTROL, OR HE WILL FALL...'@TRUE POWER IS THE POWER OF CONTROL, TO&HE WITHOUT CONTROL, HE IS POWERLESS...'@AND SO HE STUDIED OF CONTROL, AND THEN&HE DID MORE THAN STUDY, HE PUT WHAT HE&DISCOVERED INTO PRACTICE. AND HE FOUND&THAT THE AVERAGE MAN WAS EASY PREY FOR&HE THAT ACTED WITH AUTHORITY; HE FOUND&AS LONG AS HE ACTED AS IF HIS WAS SOME&DIVINE POWER, OTHERS WOULD BOW TO HIM,&AND SUMBIT TO HIS RULE, AND NEVER GIVE%^THOUGHT TO QUESTION HIS AUTHORITY...'@AND SO HE BUILT THE DARK TEMPLE, WHICH&LIES NORTH OF THE CASTLE, AND ADOPTED&AS ITS SYMBOL THE SYMBOL OF THE RAM, A&CREATURE ALREADY VIEWED WITH SUSPICION$^AND FEAR BY THE FOOLISH AND WEAK...!@AND THIS WOULD-BE KING WENT MAD!'@HIS DREAM OF POWER TOOK CONTROL OF HIM&AS SUCH THIRSTS ARE WONT; AND HE BEGAN&AN UNHOLY CRUSADE, FEEDING UPON THOSE&TOO WEAK TO RESIST HIS CALL OF MAJESTY&AND HE THEN TURNED TO DARKER POWERS...&CALLING FORTH THE DEMONS OF HELL, SOON&HIS POWERS GREW ALONG WITH HIS DESIRE,&AND AS HE DRANK OF THIS WELL, HE NEVER&SUSPECTED HOW IT WAS FUELED BY HIS OWN^INNER SOUL...'@AND ONE DAY HE WAS ASKED TO RETURN THE&PRICE OF HIS POWER, TO REPAY THE FAVOR&TO THE SECRET DARKER FORCES WHICH WERE ^BEHIND HIS EARTHLY CONQUESTS...%@AND THIS FAVOR WAS MOST FOUL INDEED!'@AND SO HE SECURED A WOMAN, MISTRESS OF&A HOLY MAN, AND IN A HORRID RITUAL, AT&STROKE OF MIDNIGHT, SHE WAS MATED WITH&A DEMON FROM HELL, THAT THIS DEMON HAD&THEN A LEGITIMATE CLAIM TO THIS WORLD.!@AND SO THE DEMON CHILD WAS BORN!'@SHE WAS PLACED INTO THE CUSTODY OF THE&WHORE MOTHER TO RAISE HER, GUARDED BY&THE ONCE HOLY MAN TO WARD OFF ANY HARM&THAT MIGHT BEFALL HER ARISING FROM HIS^FORMER LEIGE AND LORD...&AND UPON HER THIRTEENTH YEAR, THE KING&SENT FOR HER, FOR HE HAD FORMED A BOND&WITH ANOTHER POWERFUL AGENT, AND USING&HER AS BAIT FOR THE TRAP, THE DEMONIC&^SIRE FELL VICTIM TO THEIR ALLIANCE...&THUS HE WAS FREE TO CLAIM THE GIRL FOR&HIS OWN, THAT HE COULD FURTHER HIS OWN&POWER THROUGH THOSE SHE INHERITED FROM^HER DEMON FATHER...'@AND THEN HIS LUST FOR POWER BECAME HIS^LUST FOR HER... FOR HER!'@AND I, WHO WAS HIS QUEEN, HIGH PRIEST,&AND ONE-TIME LOVER, WAS DISCARDED, AND^HE TOOK HER INSTEAD...@AND I BECAME NOTHING...'@IT WAS AFTER HER FOURTEENTH YEAR, THAT&SHE ASKED HIM OF HER POWERS, THE STORY&OF HER NATURE, AND HE TOLD HER, MOTHER&BUT A COMMON WHORE, HER FATHER A DEMON%^OF HELL, AND SHE HAD BUT ONE WISH...@THAT THEY BE PUT TO DEATH!@SHE WAS A DEMON CHILD!%@SHE HAD HER OWN MOTHER PUT TO DEATH!&@AND THE HOLY MAN, HER LOVER, LIKEWISE^WAS PUT TO DEATH... @AND THEN CAME THE BANE PEN...&@WHEN HE HAD FINISHED SCRYING HIS WISH#^OF THE PEN, THREE THINGS HAPPENED:&@FIRST WAS MY OWN DEATH, SUFFERED BY A&^BLOW DEALT BY THE DEMONESS HERSELF...&@SECOND, SHE BECAME PREGNANT, CARRYING&^HIS SON, A BASTARD-THING FROM HELL...%@AND THIRD, HE HIMSELF WAS CHANGED...#@HIS WISH WAS TO BECOME IMMORTAL...&@BUT HE DID NOT RECONCILE THE CURSE OF^THE BANE PEN...@AND I SPIT UPON THEM!%!HIM AND HER AND HERS!&@AND I SHALL NOT REST WHILE THEY LIVE!@YOU MUST DESTROY THEM!$%!YOU MUST NOT LISTEN TO THEIR LIES!"@THEY WILL ATTEMPT TO DECEIVE YOU!%!BUT DO NOT LISTEN!&@I WILL GIVE YOU SOMETHING TO HELP YOU%AGAINST THEM, BUT YOU MUST NOT FORGET^WHAT I HAVE TOLD YOU!%TAKE THIS KEY, ENTER INTO THE CHAMBER#^WHERE SHE SLEEPS, AND DESTROY HER!%AND TAKE THIS HOLY RELIC, THAT IT MAY%HELP PROTECT YOU AGAINST THEIR POWER.&@HE WILL TRY TO STOP YOU, BUT THIS CAN ^STOP HIM...@NOW YOU MUST GO!'%!DESTROY THEM BEFORE THEY DESTROY YOU! %%]!I WILL HAVE MY REVENGE!!#%%]!(AND THE GHOSTLY SPECTRE FADES)&AN OPEN BLACK COFFIN IS RESTING WITHIN&THE SMALL CRYPT, FRESH AND RECENT WITH#^THE SCENT OF PERFUME AND LILACS...@AND THEN SHE IS THERE... NO/YES/REBECCA/DEMON CHILD/ DO YOU KNOW WHO I AM? REBECCA/ WHAT IS MY NAME?I AM REBECCA...!MY LOVER TOLD ME TO EXPECT YOU...&%!HE SAID YOU MIGHT WANT TO KILL ME... NO/YES/YEA/YEP/SURE/OK/ DO YOU WANT TO KILL ME? I'M NOT SURE I BELIEVE YOU...'%!PERHAPS YOU ARE SMARTER THAN YOU LOOK THEN I MUST TAKE YOU TO HIM!%]REBECCA GAZES! NO/YES/YEA/YEP/SURE/OK/ WILL YOU FOLLOW ME TO HIM?THEN COME WITH ME...%]REBECCA GAZES!&A GIANT BLACK BAT SWOOPS IN YOUR FACE,^AS IF TO ATTACK YOU... NO/YES/ DO YOU ATTACK?&THE BAT MAKES ANOTHER SWOOP AT YOU, AS$^ALMOST AS IF IT WERE TESTING YOU...&WHAT HAPPENS NEXT IS UNBELIEVABLE, FOR&YOU WITNESS A MOST EXTRAORDINARY SCENE$^ALMOST TOO QUICK TO BE PERCIEVED...'@SUDDENLY THE BAT DISAPPEARS, LEAVING A%^TOWERING DARK FIGURE IN ITS PLACE...&PLEASE ALLOW ME TO INTRODUCE MYSELF...%%]I AM LORD OF THIS CASTLE&@AND IT APPEARS THAT YOU ARE UNINVITED#^GUESTS, TRESPASSERS IN MY HOUSE...&@BUT PERHAPS THERE IS A REASON FOR YOU^TO BE HERE...-PEN/COSMIC FORGE/KING/REBECCA/XORPHITUS/ WHY ARE YOU HERE?THE PEN? %!HA HA HA!%HA HA HAH HAH HA!! %HA HAH HAH HAH AHAHAHAHA!!! THE KING??? %!HA HA HA! XORPHITUS?? %!HA HA HA!REBECCA?%]STAY AWAY FROM HER!%]DO YOU HEAR ME?!%%!IF YOU GET NEAR HER I'LL KILL YOU!!FOOLISH MORTALS! %!YOU WERE WARNED TO STAY AWAY!)%%]YOU ARE CHILDREN, AND YOU ARE MEDDLING&IN AFFAIRS FAR BEYOND MORTAL KEN, FAR ^BEYOND YOUR LIMITED WORLD...@COME!%!I'LL GIVE YOU A "TASTE"OF WHAT YOU'RE UP AGAINST!SO WE MEET AGAIN...(%]A PITY, YOU ALMOST SHOWED SOME SIGN OF%PROMISE, A GLIMMER OF INTELLIGENCE, A ^QUALITY LACKING IN SO MANY... AH, WELL...(%!I AM THIRSTY AND YOUR NECKS ARE FRESH,&THOUGH I SHALL ONLY TAKE WHAT I NEED,^AND NOTHING MORE...'@(AND HE APPROACHES, FANGS BARED, WHILE'^ EVERYONE WATCHES HELPLESSLY, TOTALLY'^ TRANSFIXED BY THE HYPNOTIZING GAZE OF ^ THE DEMON CHILD REBECCA...)AHHHH!%!I AM REFRESHED!(%]BUT THE QUESTION REMAINS OF WHAT SHALL^I DO WITH YOU... %%!REBECCA?'@(AND AFTER A BRIEF PAUSE, SHE WHISPERS^ SOMETHING IN HIS EAR...)%%!AHH!, VERY WELL...%]!GOODNIGHT!&(AND A RED GLOW EMANATES FROM HIS EYES"^ MOMENTARILY BATHING THE PARTY..."%%]AND THEN EVERYONE PASSES OUT...BAH! WHAT'S THIS??(%!(AND AS HE STEPS BACK YOU SEE THE BURN$^ MARK OF A CROSS UPON HIS CHEEK...)#@STUPID IMBECILES! YOU SICKEN ME!!%!REBECCA, COME HERE!'@(AND HE SAYS SOMETHING TO HER WHICH IS'^ TOO FAINT TO HEAR, AND THEN TURNS TO^ YOU AND SAYS,... %]!GOODBYE!YOU DREAM OF ANGELS...)%%]AND YOU SEE A FIGURE, DANCING WITHIN A^POOL OF FLAMES...)%%]HE LOOKS AT YOU MENACINGLY, AND HE HAS^A WILD GLEAM IN HIS EYE...)%%]HE IS EVOKING POWERFUL SPELLS, CALLING ^FORTH MAGIKS TO DESTROY YOU...!%%]AND THEN HE WHISPERS A WORD...%]YOU CAN BARELY HEAR IT...%]IT SOUNDS LIKE A NAME...%]XOORRRPHIIIITUSSS... %%]AND THEN THE SCENE CHANGES...&YOU ARE STANDING IN THE CORNER OF SOME^KIND OF PRISON...)%%]THE ROOM IS BARE, BUT YOU NOTICE THERE"^IS A SMALL CRACK IN THE CORNER...)%%]YOU REMEMBER HAVING THE FUNNY TASTE OF^SOMETHING IN YOUR MOUTH...#%%]AND THE ROOM BEGINS TO CHANGE...%%]IT IS GROWING LARGER...%]AND LARGER...(%]AND YOU BECOME ENGULFED IN THE ROOM...#%%]YOU CAN NO LONGER SEE THE SKY...$%%]AND THE SMALL CRACK HAS BECOME... %%]A TUNNEL!$%%]AND YOU RUN THROUGH THE TUNNEL...%%]&YOU ARE STANDING IN THE CORNER OF SOME^KIND OF PRISON...)%%]THE ROOM IS BARE, BUT YOU ARE STANDING^AT A GATE..."%%]YOU ARE TALKING WITH SOMEONE... %%]NO! YOU ARE DOING SOMETHING!'%%]YOU ARE HANDING SOMETHING TO THEM...(%%]YOU ARE GIVING THEM SOMETHING EVIL...%%]WITH TWO GLOWING EYES... %%]AND THEY BECOME VERY ANGRY...)%%]AND THE GATE OPENS AND THEY RUSH IN...%%]THEY WANT TO KILL YOU...&EVENTUALLY YOU AWAKEN TO FIND YOURSELF&IN A SMALL GRIMEY CHAMBER, SMELLING OF^STENCH AND EXCREMENT...&YOU NOTICE A SMALL CRACK AT THE BOTTOM&OF THE WALL, JUST BARELY LARGE ENOUGH ^FOR THE RATS TO GET THROUGH... THE MUSHROOM TASTES FUNNY...'%%]AND THE ROOM IS LOOKING DIFFERENT...%%]IT'S BUBBLING A BIT...%%]AND NOW IT'S GROWING...!%%]NO... %%]IT IS YOU... GETTING SMALLER!%%%]AND THE CRACK IS A HUGE CREVICE...%%]BUT IT IS SO FAR AWAY!$%%]YOU ARE RUNNING FOR THE TUNNEL...&%%]AS THE ROOM BEGINS TO ZOOM BACK IN!!%%]AND YOU DIVE FOR THE TUNNEL... YOU MADE IT!%%%]EVERYTHING IS NORMAL ONCE AGAIN...%%%]EXCEPT FOR A FEW PINK ELEPHANTS...$%%]TALKING TO THE DANCING STRUDEL... %%]OVER BY THE FUNNY COLORS...%A GUARD ON THE OTHER SIDE OF THE GATE ^IS WATCHING YOU VERY CLOSELY... %!"HEY YOU!"!%"WHATEVER YA'RE DOIN', STOP IT!"HEY!!%!YA'RE NOT 'SPOSED TO HAVE THIS! %]WHERE'D YA GET THIS, HUH?!'%!WHAT ELSE YA GOT YA AIN'T 'SPOSED TA?%%]!GUARDS!!!&YOU EXIT THE SMALL BUNKER TO APPEAR IN&THE MIDDLE OF A FOREST, FULL OF TREES,&FLOWERS, AND THE CHITTERINGS OF SMALL ^ANIMALS...&ACROSS THE WATER LIES THE HALF-SUNKEN,&BROKEN SKELETON OF A SMALL SHIP. IT IS&BARELY AFLOAT, AND LOOKS READY TO SINK^AT ANY MINUTE...%A LARGE FLAT PLANK EXTENDS ACROSS THE$^WATER UP TO THE DECK OF THE SHIP...%WHATEVER IT WAS THAT HIT THE SHIP, IT%MUST HAVE BEEN TERRIBLE, BECAUSE ONLY^HALF OF IT IS HERE...%THE BONES OF THOSE THAT PROBABLY DIED%WITH THE SHIP, ARE RESTING IN WAIT OF^THE FINAL PLUNGE...%UP IN THE BOW, A BROKEN CRUCIFIX LIES%DANGLING FROM THE WALL, AS IF PERHAPS%A MAKESHIFT CHAPEL WAS CONSTRUCTED, A%PLACE OF HOPE FOR THE FRIGHTENED, AND ^OF LAST RITES FOR THE DEAD...%YOU TOUCH THE BROKEN CRUCIFIX, AND IT#^FALLS TO THE FLOOR WITH A SHATTER!&@SEVERAL PIECES OF THE CROSS ARE SHARP%ENOUGH TO SERVE AS CRUDE WOOD DAGGERS$^OR STAKES, SHOULD THE NEED ARISE... * THE ENCHANTED FOREST * DO NOT TEASE THE ANIMALS PLEASE, NO SMOKING THE DARK FOREST * BEWARE! * &HEAPED WITHIN THE SMALL COVE, YOU FIND"^THE DECAYED REMAINS OF A HUMAN...&TATTERED FRAGMENTS OF ROTTED ROBES ARE&DRESSED AROUND THE BONES, AND IT SEEMS&LIKELY THIS IS THE FINAL RESTING PLACE&OF AN OLD FEEBLE MONK WHO HAD LIVED IN^THE SURROUNDING FOREST...&IT IS A MOMENT BEFORE YOU REALIZE THAT&YOU ARE STANDING OUTSIDE THE NORTH END&OF THE CASTLE, LOOMING UP FROM THE BOG^AND FOREST...&IT SEEMS YOU HAVE WANDERED INTO A CAVE&OF SOME SORT, AND THE FLICKERING LIGHT&OF A FIRE ILLUMINATES THE ROUGH WALLS,^HEWN INTO A ROCKY HILL...&YOU ENTER THE CAVE, EXPECTING ANYTHING^BUT FINDING NOTHING...! THE ROCK OF TRUTH '@ODDLY ENOUGH, THE FACE OF THE ROCK HAS&BEEN FLATTENED AND POLISHED, AND CASTS&^A MIRRORED REFLECTION OF THE PARTY...&YOU SWING THE PICK WITH GREAT CARE, TO&MAKE SURE YOU DO NOT SHATTER THE ROCK,&AND ARE SUCCESSFUL IN SECURING A SMALL&FRAGMENTS OF THE REFLECTIVE SURFACE... SUDDENLY AN APPARITION APPEARS!WE ARE FASCINATION/ WHOOO... ARE.... YOU...???WE SEEK DIVINATION/ %WHHYYY.. AREEE.. YOOUU... HEREEE..???NO/YES/YEA/YEP/SURE/ "WILLL.... YOOUUU... PAAAYYYY...???$III... WILL... LOOOOKKK... INTOOO...&THEEE... MISTTYYY.... WATTTEERRRSSS...%&AND A VISION SWIRLS WITHIN THE CAVERN,&BRINGING ONCE AGAIN THE PICTURE OF THE^MAD WIZARD...%%]BUT THEN HE IS GONE... AND ANOTHER TAKES HIS PLACE...%%]IT IS SOMETHING EVIL... %%]AND IT IS VERY POWERFUL...%%%]BUT YOU ARE STANDING AGAINST IT... %%]YOU ARE HOLDING SOMETHING... %%]A PIECE OF SHINING GLASS...%%]PUSHING IT BACK...(%%]AND THEN YOU SEE A SILVER CROSS, HELD^HIGH IN THE AIR...(%%]THEN A SPLASH OF HOLY WATER IS THROWN%^INTO THE FACE OF THE FOUL MONSTER...)%%]AND FINALLY, A WOODEN STAKE, MADE FROM%^WOOD MOST HOLY, IS THRUST INTO IT... %%]AND THE THING BEGINS TO DIE!)%%]THE VISION FADES, AND YOU ARE STANDING^ALONE WITHIN THE CAVE...BEGONE!#%!(AND THE APPARITION DISAPPEARS...&HUNDREDS OF TINY SOFT GLOWS ARE FLYING^ABOUT THE DAMP MARSH... %!THEY LOOK LIKE FIREFLIES...!STEPPING CLOSER, THEY FLY AWAY...&THE TINY LIGHTS HAVE HIDDEN THEMSELVES&IN THE BUSHES AND TREES ABOUT YOU, AND&ALTHOUGH YOU CAN SEE THEM CLEARLY, YOU^CANNOT GET NEAR THEM...&A SMALL CIRCLE OF STONES HAS BEEN LAID&SURROUNDING THIS PART OF THE BOG, AND&HALF A DOZEN TREE STUMPS STICK UP LIKE ^SMALL STOOLS IN ITS CENTER...&SITTING YOURSELF UPON THE TREE STUMPS,%^YOU PROCEED TO RING THE TINY BELL...'@IT DOESN'T TAKE LONG BEFORE THE LITTLE&FIREFLIES START DESCENDING FROM THEIR&HIDING PLACES, AND CAUTIOUSLY APPROACH#^THE CIRCLE WITHIN WHICH YOU SIT...%%HELLO!HI!BYE! WE WOULD HELP YOU IF WE COULD, LIKE ANY SPRITELY FAERIE SHOULD;!BUT THE HELP YOU SEEK LIES APART, HIDDEN DEEP IN A FOREST'S DARK!YOU MUST SEEK THE DELPHI!%!THE DELPHI KNOWS ALL! TO FIND THE DELPHI IS A MYSTERY,%!A TASK FIRST MET BY QUESTIONS THREE!&@FIRST REMEMBER, "WE ARE FASCINATION",'@THEN NEXT STATE, "WE SEEK DIVINATION";$@BUT ONLY THEE MAY ANSWER THE THIRD,"!FOR IT WILL COST THEE EVERY WORD;$@SO LISTEN THERE, AND LEARN YE WELL,%!AS SPEAKS DELPHI WITH STORY TO TELL!DELPHI/DELPHI/$(HOLOGRAPHIC LETTERS APPEAR WHEN YOU"^ HOLD THE RING UP TO THE LIGHT...@* * * RITE OF DELPHI * * *!WHO ARE YOU?!WE ARE FASCINATION!!WHAT DO YOU SEEK?!WE SEEK DIVINATION! !WILL YOU PIEXET RAEPIQUIANIESE?!MOLI.... ...... ..........$@(THE END IS SCRATCHED AND DIFFICULT ^ TO READ...HEY!%!HOLD IT RIGHT THERE!'%%]YOU'RE NOT SUPPOSED TO BE OUT THERE! %!GUARDS!!!AHH! WECOME BROTHER!!'%]I SEE YOU HAVE BROUGHT THE SACRIFICES^FOR TONIGHT'S CEREMONY...%!GOOD, GOOD!...(%]AND YOU THINK ONE OF THEM MAY STILL BE ^A VIRGIN?? %!O EXCELLENT, EXCELLENT!... %]THE MASTER WILL BE PLEASED!#%!ONE MOMENT WHILE I OPEN THE GATE! TEMPLE OF RAMM * * * * MEMBERS ONLY &THE TEMPLE REEKS OF BOILING OIL, WHICH&IS STEAMING UP FROM THE DEPTHS ON EACH^SIDE OF YOU...'@A CATWALK LEADS OVER THE PIT AND THERE&ARE MANY STRANGE COSTUMED FIGURES UPON&THE LEDGES MAKING WEIRD JESTURES, LIKE&THEY WERE REALLY TRYING TO IMPRESS ONE ^ANOTHER... SUDDENLY A FIGURE MATERIALIZES!#COME SACRIFICES! APPROACH THE FIRE,#BOLD CHILDREN STEP BEFORE DARKNESS;"!WITHOUT THE POWER OF MIGHTY RAMM,%FAITH SHALL FAIL THEE O'ER THE ABYSS! AND SO THE CHILDREN PERSEVERE, SO BRAVE UPON THEIR JOURNEY;&!STILL I AM HE THAT RULES THESE HALLS, AND MIGHTY LORDS HAVE I APLENTY!WHAT??!%!STILL HERE?%]HOW IS THIS POSSIBLE??%]RED ALERT! RED ALERT! %!INTRUDERS NINE O'CLOCK HIGH!!OOO! I CAN'T BELIEVE IT!!%]YOU KILLED ME! %]I'M DEAD!#%]I CAN'T BELIEVE I'M REALLY DEAD!!%]WHY?%!WHY DID YOU DO IT???COSMIC FORGE/ REPLY? REALLY???%!BUT WHAT ARE YOU AFTER?I NEVER THOUGHT OF THAT...%%]BUT YOU KNOW...%%!I'LL BET YOU NEVER THOUGHT OF THIS!THE COSMIC FORGE?(%!YOU KILLED ME OVER THE STINKING PEN??!%%]OOO! I CAN'T BELIEVE IT!'%]AT LEAST YOU COULD'VE KILLED ME FOR A%GOOD REASON, LIKE YOU DIDN'T LIKE THE!^WAY I DRESS, OR WHO I PRAY TO...%@JUST FOR THAT I'M NOT GOING TO TELL!&%!AND WITHOUT ME YOU'LL NEVER FIND IT!'@IT COULD BE RIGHT IN FRONT OF YOU, BUT^YOU'D NEVER KNOW IT!'@YOU COULD EVEN BE WITHIN 3 STEPS OF IT ^AND STILL YOU WOULDN'T FIND IT!@HA HA HA HA!(%!YOU CAN SEARCH ALL YOU WANT TO, AND IT ^JUST WON'T DO YOU ANY GOOD! @AND WHY?...'@BECAUSE YOU CAN'T PUSH YOURSELF PASSED&THE LIMITS OF WHAT YOU KNOW TO SEE THE^WORLD THAT LIES BEYOND...'@THE WORLD YOU SEE IS AN ILLUSION, ONLY&A TRICK, A REFLECTION OF THE OPERATION^OF YOUR OWN MIND...'@WELL, AHEM, EXCEPT THAT IT'S REAL TOO,%!EXCEPT THAT IT'S NOT...!@I MEAN... O WELL, SKIP IT! %!BUT LET ME ASK YOU THIS...'@YOU'RE SEARCHING FOR THE COSMIC FORGE,&THE PEN OF DESTINY, AND IT SOUNDS LIKE^POWERFUL MAGIC... @BUT WHAT IF IT WASN'T MAGIC?%!WHAT IF IT WAS...)%%]AND SUDDENLY THE VISAGE LOOKS OUTWARD,&AS IF LOOKING ACROSS SPACE, ACROSS THE&ECHOES OF TIME, ACROSS THE BOUNDARIES&THAT LIMIT THE EVOLUTION OF PERCEPTION^AND HUMAN CONSCIOUSNESS... @AND THEN, HE MERELY VANISHES..."!! CHAMBER OF THE COSMIC FORGE !AHHH! %!HOW GOOD OF YOU TO DROP BY!'@I WAS REALLY HOPING TO MEET YOU AGAIN, ^AFTER YOUR LAST "IMPRESSION"...'@(THE BANE KING WINCES AND YOU NOTICE A& SCAB IN THE SHAPE OF A CROSS UPON HIS^ CHEEK)$@AND NOW MY "WARMBLOODED" FRIENDS...(%!IT IS TIME TO DISPERSE WITH THE FORMAL&PRETENSES, AND "FLY" INTO THE HEART OF^THE MATTER...@YOU WISH TO DESTROY ME,AND I WISH TO LIVE!%%!THEREFOR...%]ONE OF US MUST DIE!AHHH! %!HOW GOOD OF YOU TO DROP BY!'@PLEASE, ACCEPT MY APOLOGY FOR THE POOR&ACCOMODATIONS IN WHICH YOU WERE PLACED&EARLIER, BUT THE TEMPLE WAS ALL BOOKED^UP FOR THE WEEKEND...'@THE FACT OF THE MATTER IS, I AM TIRED!&FROM THE DEAD VAMPIRE'S CORPSE YOU SEE&ARISE HIS GHOSTLY LIKENESS, AND AS HIS&ESSENCE TAKES IN THE AWARENESS OF WHAT%^HAS HAPPENED, HE BEGINS TO SPEAK,...&A LONG TIME AGO, I WISHED MANY THINGS,&ALL FOR MYSELF, AND ALL TO MAKE ME THE ^SUPERIOR OF THOSE AROUND ME...'@AND SO I PLOTTED AND SCHEMED, AND MADE&PLANS AND ALLIANCES, ALL TO BRING SOME ^GREAT POWER INTO MY GRASP...!@BUT I WAS STILL AFRAID OF DEATH!&@HOW I FEARED THAT ONE DAY I WOULD NOT%BE HERE, NO LONGER ABLE TO TOUCH THIS%WORLD, TO MOVE IT, AND TO BE MOVED BY^IT...&@AND SO IT WAS THAT I WAS DEALT A BLOW%FAR GREATER THAN DEATH ITSELF, I TOOK%THE PEN OF DESTINY AND CAST ASIDE THE ^LAWS OF NATURE AND OF LIFE...&@AND, AS I WISHED TO LIVE FOREVER AS I%HAD DONE IN THE PAST, IT CAME TO PASS#^BY THE WRIT OF THE COSMIC FORGE...&@AS I DID RULE BY THE BLOOD OF OTHERS,%USING IT TO FURTHER MY OWN GAIN, SO I%WAS TRANSFORMED FOREVER MORE INTO THE ^CREATURE YOU SEE BEFORE YOU...&@DOOMED FOREVER TO PROWL THE NIGHT AND%FEED MY NEVER ENDING HUNGERS, AND ALL^FOR WHAT?...@I DO NOT KNOW...'%!ALTHOUGH EVERYTHING MUST EAT TO LIVE,%ALL THAT I TOUCHED WHITHERED AND DIED%AND SOON ALL THAT I WAS DID LIKEWISE.&@SO I DIED ANYWAY, EVEN WITHOUT DEATH!(%!AND YET MY CORPSE WALKED ON, COMPELLED&BY BANE OF THE FORGE TO FOREVER RENEW, ^NAY, ONLY REPLENISH ITSELF...@AND WHAT A CURSE IT WAS!(%!HOW CAN I BEGIN TO TELL YOU OF WHAT IT&IS LIKE TO MERELY SURVIVE, ONLY ENDURE#^AND FEEL NO WARMTH, FEEL NO JOY... @ONLY TO GO ON AND ON AND ON...'@AND YET, WE FEAR CHANGE, AND THUS FEAR^THE NAME OF DEATH...'@AND AS LONG AS WE FEAR DEATH, WE SHALL ^NEVER BE FREE TO TRULY LIVE..."@STRANGE WORDS FROM ONE SUCH AS I, BUT MY EPITATH NONE THE LESS!THE BANE BE ENDED!%!I EMBRACE THE NIGHT!%%!(AND THE VAMPIRE FADES INTO MIST...%(AND THE VAMPIRE TAKES A WOODEN STAKE%FROM BENEATH HIS CLOAK, AND WITHOUT A%CHANGE OF EXPRESSION, PLUNGES IT DEEP^INTO HIS OWN HEART...&SOON THEREAFTER, ANOTHER GHOSTLY SHAPE^APPEARS BEFORE YOU...&SHE FINALLY DESCENDS FROM HER PLACE OF&HIDING, SOMEWHAT CAUTIOUSLY, AS IF SHE^MIGHT BE AFRAID... I LOVE YOU/ IS HE GONE?&HE WAS MY PROTECTOR AND BENEFACTOR, AS&IT WAS HE THAT SAVED ME FROM THE HANDS&OF A HARLOT QUEEN, LOVER OF XORPHITUS,&SEDUCER OF MY FATHER, SLAYER OF SHE MY!^INNOCENT MOTHER AND HER LOVER...'@HE WAS MY ONLY PLEASURE, AND THE QUEEN^HATED OUR LOVE TOGETHER...'@SHE WAS AS WICKED A WITCH AS EVER DREW&BREATH, NO COLDER AFTER DEATH THAN SHE&WAS BEFORE, AND AS MY MOTHER AND LOVER&WERE SLAIN AT HER COMMAND, SO ALSO SHE^TRIED TO SLAY ME...'@HOW FITTING THAT HER WRIT OF DEATH FOR&THE "DEMON GIRL", BY BANE OF THE FORGE&WOULD COME TO MEAN HERSELF, AND SO SHE&SLIPPED AND FELL UPON HER OWN KNIFE...'@AND NOW YOU KNOW THE WHOLE OF IT, SO I&LEAVE YOU TO TAKE CHARGE OF THE COSMIC"^FORGE, PEN AND HAND OF DESTINY...&SINCE I AM NOT OF THE BANE PEN, BUT AM&BORNE OF MORTAL MISCHIEF, IT IS FOR ME$^TO SEEK MY OWN DESTINY ELSEWHERE...OH, AND ONE MORE THING!)%%]I HAVE A HALF-BROTHER, THE ISSUE OF MY&FATHER AND THE BANE QUEEN, FROM AN EVE&^WHEN SHE SEDUCED HIM INTO HER WOMB...'@HE MEANS WELL, BUT HE HAS HER NOSE FOR^MISCHIEF AND TROUBLE... @PLEASE LOOK AFTER HIM FOR ME...(@HE LIKES HIS PRIVACY, AND HIS ROOM LIES'CONCEALED DIRECTLY IN BACK OF THE ALTAR^OF THE COSMIC FORGE...@I'LL LEAVE YOU THE KEY...&(AND SHE TOO FADES INTO NOTHINGNESS...$(AND THEN SHE FLIES INTO THE DARK..."PERHAPS THIS MAY EASE YOUR PAIN...&A WHINEY THIN VOICE CALLS OUT FROM THE^GATE: %!"PLEASE STATE SECURITY CODE"$THE HAND OF DESTINY&A YELLOW GLOW IS EMANATING FROM WITHIN&THE ALTAR, AND A BRIGHT RADIANT OBJECT^IS HOVERING THERE...* PERSONAL LOG *%!I HAVE NO RECOURSE EXCEPT TO LOCK UP$THE COSMIC FORGE, TO PREVENT ANOTHER$DISASTER FROM OCCURING. I WISH I HAD$SOME WAY TO RETURN IT, BUT OUR SHIP, ^SAD TO SAY, IS OUT OF FUEL...!^SECURITY GATE CODE:!THE HAND OF DESTINYBEHOLD THE COSMIC FORGE! NO/YES/ DO YOU TAKE THE PEN ?YOU REACH FOR THE PEN...!"I'LL TAKE THAT!",!SAYS A STRANGE VOICE... @!T O B E C O N T I N U E D FALL 1991&PERCHED UPON HIS THRONE, A GREAT BLACK&DRAGON SITS SULKILY PONDERING THE DEEP&MYSTERIES OF THE UNIVERSE, GLANCING AT&HIS CRYSTAL BALL ON OCCASIONS FOR SOME^OBSCURE REFERENCE...'@"WELL," HE SAYS, "I THINK I KNOW WHERE^THEY MIGHT BE LOCATED..."'@AND WE CAN MAKE FUEL FROM THE DINOSAUR ^REMAINS UP IN THE FORESTS...'@BUT IT'LL TAKE ABOUT A YEAR TO MAKE IT^WITH OUR VESSEL...'@I GUESS ALL THAT REMAINS IS WHETHER WE"^HAVE THE GUTS TO MAKE THE TRIP...'@ME, PERSONALLY, I DON'T LIKE TO FLY TO&MUCH, BUT WITH EVERYONE DEAD, IT SURE ^WILL BE DULL AROUND HERE...NO/YES/YEA/YEP/SURE/ $DO YOU WANT TO CHASE A COSMIC LORD ?%WELL MY MY, AREN'T WE THE DULLS ONES!'@LISTEN SWEETIES, IF YOU WANNA HANG OUT&HERE, THAT'S FINE WITH ME, BUT I THINK&I'M GONNA TAKE THE FIRST FLIGHT OUT...'@HERE! TAKE THE KEYS, LOCK UP WHEN YOU&FINISH, AND DON'T FORGET THE LIGHTS...%!TA-TA!ME TOO! %]C'MON, LET'S GET OUT OF HERE!AIN'T SHE A DANDY?!%!ALL ABOARD! @!T O B E C O N T I N U E D FALL 1991&PERCHED UPON HIS THRONE, A GREAT BLACK&DRAGONS SITS WATCHING THE PARTY, SMALL&VIBRATIONS AND SHUTTERS RIPPLING ABOUT^HIS THICK EBONY HIDE...%@SUDDENLY, HE CAN STAND IT NO LONGER!%!OOOO! GOOUUUU!!%%]YOU KILLED THEM!! %!THEN I WILL DESTROY YOU!!!NO/YES/YEA/YEP/SURE/ %DO YOU ENTER THE MOUTH OF THE BEAST ?&YOU CONFRONT A GIANT SLUMBERING BEAST,&SO HUGE THAT IT FILLS THE ENTIRE ROOM,&AND SO STILL THAT IT DOESN'T EVEN TAKE ^A BREATH...'@WHATEVER IT IS, ITS SKIN IS AS HARD AS&THE HARDEST ARMOR AND ITS WEIGHT IS SO&TREMENDOUS THAT YOU CAN'T EVEN MAKE IT&WIGGLE, NO MATTER HOW MUCH YOU ATTEMPT^TO LIFT IT...&EVERYONE AGREES YOU HAVE TROLL DUNG IN&YOUR BRAINS, BUT THEY FOLLOW YOU INTO&^THE MOUTH OF THE BEAST NONETHELESS... @AND THEN THERE WERE STARS... @!T O B E C O N T I N U E D FALL 1991$!* C O N G R A T U L A T I O N S *&!!YOU HAVE TAKEN ONE OF THE SUCCESSFUL$CONCLUSIONS TO THE COSMIC FORGE. YOU$CAN SAVE THE GAME AT THIS POINT, FOR$RECORDING YOUR VICTORY. ALSO, MAKE A$COPY OF IT ONTO ANOTHER DISK SO THAT$YOU CAN TRANSFER THE CHARACTERS WHEN#^MOVING THEM INTO FUTURE SCENARIOS.%!YOU WILL NOW BE RETURNED TO THE GAME#^SOMEWHERE IN THE ENCHANTED FOREST.$!* * * * * * * B O O * * * * * * *&!!YOU HAVE TAKEN THE DUMB BOFFO ENDING$WHICH IS: YOU FELL THROUGH THE ABYSS$OF BUBBLING OIL, LANDING IN THE DEEP$VOID OF GALACTIC FUDGE GOO WHERE YOU$ARE TO REMAIN FOREVER, UNTIL YOU CAN$FATHOM A MORE LIKELY RESPONSE TO THE!^INQUIRY MADE BY XORPHITUS ABOUT,!"WHY DID YOU DO IT?"%!HINT: GO BACK AND LOOK AT THE BOX OF$THE GAME AND SEE IF ANYTHING STRIKES^YOUR MIND...E IT&WIGGLE, NO MATTER HOW MUCH YOU ATTEMPT^TO LIFT IT...&EVERYONE AGREES YOU HAVE TROLL DUNG IN&YOUR BRAINS, BUT THEY FOLLOW YOU INTO&^THE MOUTH OF THE BEAST NONETHELESS... @AND THEN THERE WERE STARS... @!T O B E C O N T I N U E D FALL 1991$!* C O N G R A T U L A T I O N S *&!!YOU HAVE TAKEN ONE OF THE SUCCESSFUL$CONCLUSIONS TO THE COSMIC FORGE. YOU$CAN SAVE THE GAME AT THIS POINT, FOR$RECORDING YOUR VICTORY. ALSO, MAKE A$COPY OF IT ONTO ANOTHER DISK SO THAT$YOU CAN TRANSFER THE CHARACTERS WHEN#^MOVING THEM INTO FUTURE SCENARIOS.%!YOU WILL NOW BE RETURNED TO THE GAME#^SOMEWHERE IN THE ENCHANTED FOREST.$!* * * *
