Belgian Amiga Club - ADF Collection/BS1 part 40.zip/BS1 part 40/Doc_disk3.adf/BEYONDZORKbeasts

Text File | 1978-11-16 | 8KB | 183 lines

                          I N S K I P P
                            presents
                THE LORE AND LEGENDS OF QUENDOR
              ( A Bestiary Guide for Beyond Zork )


Within these pages is recorded certain knowledge regarding the
flora, fauna, and locales of the kingdom.  Although this wisdom
has well stood the test of time, I would not wish to see it lost
forever in the uncertain mists of the future.  There fore to our
ancestors, I have writ into permanence the lore and legends of
Quendor.
                                                        -MNG


Grue
    The grue is a sinister, lurking presence in the dark places
of the earth.  Its favorite diet is adventurers, but its
insatiable appetite is tempered by its fear of light.  No grue
has ever been seen by the light of day; few have survived its
fearsome jaws to tell the tale.

Discipline Crab
    Discipline crabs are small, moral crustaceans found in
cellars, fallout shelters and other subterranean lairs.  These
brooding curmudgeons are deeply offended by the slightest
intrusion; if cornered, they employ their razor-edged pincers
with righteous efficiency.

Eldritch Vapor
    Eldritch vapors dwell in cemeteries, moors and other locales
where fog will hide their ever-shifting forms.  Gleeful and
mischievous, they enjoy snatching away the possessions of those
foolish enough to wander into their realm.  Visitors without
possessions are themselves snatched away.

Dornbeast
    Smart adventurers run the other way when they hear "Hurumph,"
the battle cry of the deadly dornbeast.  Its 69 sensitive eyes
can paralyze an unwary explorer with a single glare.  Capture
victims are plastered with round, sticky secretions that never
come off.

Monkey Grinder
    Avoid this nightmare at any cost!  Spawn of a carnival
necromancer, the monkey grinder can blast minds to jelly with its
powerful Sense Organ.  Deceptively eloquent in both manner and
speech, these loathsome creatures actually possess little
intelligence, and suffer an illiteracy rate of 103%.

Implementor
    The Implementors are a race of minor deities who dwell on the
Ethereal Plane of Atrii.  Their ample free time is spent on
costly luncheons where gossip and sweet nectars flow freely.
Implementors do not discourage rumors that the world was created
by them as a plaything.

Giant Corbie
    Corbies are carrion birds with sharp eyesight and sharper
beaks.  Their color vision is so well developed, they can spot a
yellow grotche in a hayfield from 200 bloits away.  Corbies
prefer the taste of the dead, rotting flesh, but have been known
to feast on live, running adventurers.

Christmas Tree Monster
    Vast herds of these luminous vegetables roam freely amid the
glacial valleys of the south.  Residents fear the autumn
migrations, in which the trees cheerfully trample everything in
their path.  Christmas tree monsters are repelled by
caterpillars, but nobody can explain why.

Minx
    Irresistibly cuddly, the minx shares all the most
ingratiating characteristics of kittens, koala bears and piglets.
Minxes are highly prized for their ability to find and root out
chocolate truffles from the ground, and will eagerly devour them
if given the opportunity.

Unicorn
    Most unicorns have fled to the Plane of TransInfinite
Splendor, where they enjoy a carefree existence free from the
cruelty of man.  The unhappy few left behind are eagerly sought
by zoos and private collectors.  It is good luck to kiss a
unicorn's horn; but woe to any fool who harms one.

Froon
    Legends of this magical kingdom date back before the reign of
Entharion the Wise (0-41 GUE).  Said to lie somewhere beyond the
clouds, Froon was the setting for a series of beloved children's
books by L. Frank Fzort, and later became a successful movie
musical starring Judy Garlic.

Hungus
    Part sheep, part hippopotamus, the hungus builds its nest in
jungle swamps and other hot, squishy places.  Normally docile and
eager to avoid conflict or activity of any kind, the hungus is
fiercely clannish, and will instantly charge at anything that
dares to threaten its kin.

Spenseweed
    The healing virtues of this common roadside plant are well
documented.  although it is safe to eat, spenseweed is most
effective when applied directly to wounds as a salve.  Avoid the
cheap commercial preparations, which may contain artificial
coloring and preservatives.

Chocolate Truffle
    Chocolate truffles grow only between the roots of oak trees.
Dark brown when fresh, they decompose rapidly once exposed to
air.  Truffles were a favorite of Lord Dimwit Flathead the
Excessive (770-789 GUE), who ordered the excavation of entire
forests to indulge his bottomless appetite.

Moss of Mareilon
    First classified in 843 GUE by Thwack of Mareilon, this soft,
pale fungus thrives in underground tunnels and public toilets.
When squeezed, the moss releases an invisible cloud of spores
which improves the dexterity of laboratory rat-ants.  Its effect
on other species is uncertain.

Compass Rose
    The stem of this rare annual always droops in the direction
of the prevailing wind.  Rumors that the compass rose can
actually control wind are hotly denied by the Guild of
Meteorologists, who harvested the species to the brink of
extinction in the Rose Riots of 811 GUE.

Morgia Root
    It is a rare enchanter who does not carry morgia root to gnaw
on during a long journey.  The mint-flavored juice improved
stamina, slakes thirst and conceals bad breath.  In domestic
applications, morgia root is often baked into pies, and makes an
excellent platypus stuffing.

Cruel Puppet
    Few creatures are more despised than the cruel puppet.  It
attacks by twisting itself into unflattering caricatures of its
opponent, accompanied by jeers, rude noises and shocking
accusations.  Staunch monarchs have been reduced to tears by
these merciless shapeshifters.

Dust Bunny
    Dust bunnies burrow in obscure corners and under
furniture,and defend their territory by multiplying.  They can
clog a passageway in seconds, filling the air with dark,
suffocating particles.  Static electricity and lemon-scented
sprays are their only natural enemies.

Pheebor
    Ruins of this ancient city are still visible at the
confluence of rivers Phee and Bor.  The reason for its downfall
(circa 400 BE) is unclear, but minstrels sing of a feud between
Pheebor and its sister city Borphee over the naming of what is
now called the Borphee River.

Red Herring
    These common fish patrol the dark recesses of freshwater
pools and streams.  But a handful of granola brings them racing
to the surface, a fact known by every rural schoolboy.  The old
adage about red herrings being "good brain food" has no
scientific basis.

Lucksucker
    Lucksucker feed on good fortune.  Part physical entity, part
mental phenomenon, the sucker's appearance is based on the laws
of probability, and may change without warning.  Good luck charms
provide only a temporary shield against attack.  The best
strategy is to run!

Ur-Grue
    Ur-grues are thought to be the shades of fallen Implementors.
Skilled in black sorcery, the ur-grue can envelope itself in a
personal zone of darkness which neither lamp nor flame can
penetrate.  Sunlight is the only thing it fears.  It is unwise to
even speak of this utterly evil entity.

The Coconut of Quendor
    Though reluctant to dismiss the Coconut outright, most
historians regard its historical existence as dubious at best.
Orkan of Thriff has suggested that if all the "Shards of The One
True Coconut" and "Vials of The Blessed Milk" were gathered in
one place, they would form a stack nine bloits high.