The Lurking Horror II: The Lurkening
by Ryan Veeder (2018)


action: %
response: across campus, you finally return to...

Apparently your roommate moved out today. The room looks pretty bare with only your stuff left in it - not that you had much to begin with. The only decorations that remain are a few of your posters hanging on the walls.

You hear loud noises coming from the hallway to the south. It sounds like your hallmates have begun celebrating the end of the academic year.

You can see your bed and your desk (on which are a medicine bottle and a note) here.
action: You read the note
response: It's from your roommate. "Good luck on your final! I've left you the last of my study pills. I promise you they are perfectly safe, all-natural, and organic - although they may not work exactly like you expect."
action: Y.
response: cheapglulxe quit with exit status: 0
action: %
response: —manage to foul things up again this time, which is a distinct possibility...

The Lurking Horror II: The Lurkening
An MIT Mystery Hunt Puzzle by Ryan Veeder, with apologies to Dave Lebling

Your vision clears, and you're back in the basement of the Alchemy building.

This is one of your favorite haunts on the G.U.E. campus. It's a great place to curl up with a book—but you really don't have time for that right now.

There's a stairway here that leads up to the Department of Alchemy lobby, and a well-lit tunnel leads north.

You'd better start moving if you're going to get anything done this time.
action: Go upwards
response: The Alchemy building feels small and defenseless in the face of the wild thunderstorm outside. Rain and howling wind pound at the doors to the north and east. A stairway leads down to the basement (and the tunnels).

This lobby is especially creepy because there's an informative poster depicting an Elder Horror hanging on the wall.
action: You look at the poster
response: Above the picture of the Elder Horror are the words "IF YOU SEE SOMETHING, SAY RAENFIDHRE." Smaller text below explains: "Elder Horrors are a nuisance—but you don't have to let them inconvenience you. The incantation 'Raenfidhre' sends Elder Horrors right back where they came from. (Don't ask!) When you run into an Elder Horror, just say 'Raenfidhre' and watch it disappear."

For years, students of the arcane arts struggled to find some logic or significance in the forms of these incantations. Eventually the experts reached the consensus that they're just random stupid words.
action: You go north
response: Torrents of rain lash at the earth in blind fury.

This is the future site of the Gentry Antiquarian Center. Right now it's a rectangular pit with concrete walls.

The Alchemy building is south. Another building—a despicable building—is further north.
action: You examine the pit
response: The cyclopean walls of the unfinished Gentry Center are slick with rain, and its muddy basement floor is pockmarked with oily puddles.

Floating in one puddle is a manila envelope.
action: You look at the envelope
response: Hard to tell from way over here, but it looks like campus mail.
action: You enter the pit
response: The slick concrete walls of the pit offer no safe way down.

Then it happens. You hear something huge rousing itself from cosmic sleep. The thing groans, and the entire campus shakes. Ynf-Okh-Omm has awoken. Shortly it will consume G.U.E. Tech—and then the universe.

*** You have failed. ***

If you RESTART, you might be able to fix this, unless you—
action: Go north
response: The forboding building to the east houses the Department of Sorcery, which frequently competes with the Alchemy department for funding and is always reserving the best classrooms before Alchemy can get a chance. The rest of the campus is south from here.

Thunder rumbles nearby.

Then it happens. You hear something huge rousing itself from cosmic sleep. The thing groans, and the entire campus shakes. Ynf-Okh-Omm has awoken. Shortly it will consume G.U.E. Tech—and then the universe.

*** You have failed. ***

If you RESTART, you might be able to fix this, unless you—
action: You go to the north
response: The forboding building to the east houses the Department of Sorcery, which frequently competes with the Alchemy department for funding and is always reserving the best classrooms before Alchemy can get a chance. The rest of the campus is south from here.

Thunder rumbles nearby.
action: Go east
response: You break out in gooseflesh as you contemplate the eldritch experiments performed within these walls on a daily basis. You don't like visiting this place unless you have to. It even smells pretentious.

The department head's office is down the hall to the east. The way back outside is west.

The only person here tonight is a grad student whom you kind of know.
action: You examine student
response: He's a sorcery student you've seen around campus, usually sitting down in a secluded study space you were hoping to use.

He squints at you. "What are you doing here?"

"None of your beeswax," you snap back. "What are you doing
here?"

He curls his lip into an odious sneer. "The department head asked me to help with some research, so I'm on my way to his office."

"Well, great for you," you respond, facetiously.
action: Go east
response: You try to walk past the sorcery student, but he blocks your path: "The department head doesn't need another research assistant—especially not from the Department of Alchemy. He asked for me specifically."

You stare at each other like a pair of housecats that have just been introduced.
action: Hit student
response: Really? Resorting to brute force already?
action: Yes
response: That was a rhetorical question.

Then it happens. You hear something huge rousing itself from cosmic sleep. The thing groans, and the entire campus shakes. Ynf-Okh-Omm has awoken. Shortly it will consume G.U.E. Tech—and then the universe.

*** You have failed. ***

If you RESTART, you might be able to fix this, unless you—
action: You go to the north
response: Before you enrolled at G.U.E. Tech, you had this romantic idea that the tunnels would all be dingy, claustrophobic, and dangerous. But these tunnels—the tunnels that most people see—are really more like hallways with pipes.

This hallway and its pipes lead north and south.
action: Go north
response: You've reached a bend in the tunnel where the lights don't quite reach. You can continue east or south.

But you can't just stand around, because an Elder Horror is flitting through the shadows here, gibbering in little shrieks.
action: Raenfidhre
response: You utter the incantation, the eldritch puissance of its awful phonemes flowing with hideous sweetness over your tongue. The Elder Horror howls in response, as if to drown out your spell with its ululating tongues—but it is no use.

A hole opens in space, and the Elder Horror is dragged by unknown forces back to its native dimension.

Whatever the thing was holding falls to your feet: Looks like somebody's lecture notes.

You hear a hissing noise as a portion of the ambient atmosphere is sucked away before the aperture closes itself.

You can use the abbreviation "R" the next time you want to cast this spell. But not if you travel back in time again. That's how time travel works.
action: You read the notes
response: A few pages of sparsely annotated Powerpoint slides. Is there anything good in here?

The annotator has indicated one slide with a series of exclamation marks: It alludes to the incantation "Jilxube," and describes its applications as "gross."
action: Go east
response: In the middle of this east-west strip of tunnel is an open grate. In the grate is a ladder. The ladder leads down to the sub-basement level.
action: Go east
response: The passage from the west turns here, at the top of a gentle slope leading south. This would be a great place to race office chairs, if other concerns weren't taking precedence.

A hacker is leaning against the wall here, taking a break from hacking.
action: You look at the hacker
response: You can tell she's an accomplished hacker from the unrealistically heavy key ring hanging from her belt loop. Anyone who has that many keys isn't supposed to have all of them.

You wave to each other, and are about to exchange pleasantries when a massive peal of thunder from above shakes the tunnels. The lights go out.

The lights come back on. The two of you grimace.

"Hey," says the hacker. "If the lights ever go out for real, I know a spell that for seeing in the dark. It's 'kulehrif.' You say it just like that."

You nod. "Thanks. I probably should have known that already."

"It's okay. At least you only have to learn something for the first time once."

"That is so true," you say.
action: You ask the hacker about the keys
response: Use >TALK TO to interact with entities.

Then it happens. You hear something huge rousing itself from cosmic sleep. The thing groans, and the entire campus shakes. Ynf-Okh-Omm has awoken. Shortly it will consume G.U.E. Tech—and then the universe.

*** You have failed. ***

If you RESTART, you might be able to fix this, unless you—
action: J.
response: You utter the incantation again. More slime appears. This place is getting more and more disgusting every moment.
action: You look at the slime
response: It is a translucent pudding-like substance of unearthly color. It is disgusting.

Then it happens. You hear something huge rousing itself from cosmic sleep. The thing groans, and the entire campus shakes. Ynf-Okh-Omm has awoken. Shortly it will consume G.U.E. Tech—and then the universe.

*** You have failed. ***

If you RESTART, you might be able to fix this, unless you—
action: You go to the north
response: Before you enrolled at G.U.E. Tech, you had this romantic idea that the tunnels would all be dingy, claustrophobic, and dangerous. But these tunnels—the tunnels that most people see—are really more like hallways with pipes.

This hallway and its pipes lead north and south.
action: Go north
response: You've reached a bend in the tunnel where the lights don't quite reach. You can continue east or south.

But you can't just stand around, because an Elder Horror is flitting through the shadows here, gibbering in little shrieks.
action: You go south
response: At this intersection, the tunnels go north, south—and west, to the chamber of your ill-advised project.

An old graffito is on the east wall.
action: You read the graffito
response: The names of the vandals are lost to campus history. All that we know is: Someone wrote something on a wall; then, before the message could be summarily painted over, someone else prepended an additional word. Now, and since time immemorial, the wall reads:

UP
action: Go west
response: It groans sluggishly. It shrugs its unthinkable head—No. That is not
a
head.

The whitish, loathsome, incomprehensible thing that oozes before you is Ynf-Okh-Omm, the Eldest Horror. It is sleeping, for now. Soon (very soon), it will awaken, and this helpless universe will suffer the consequences.

The way out is east.
action: Raenfidhre
response: You utter the incantation, the eldritch puissance of its awful phonemes flowing with hideous sweetness over your tongue.

A crackle of eldritch power washes over the sleeping hulk, and your spell falls flat. How did it do that? Where is it getting this energy?

Ynf-Okh-Omm stirs. The Eldest Horror rolls over. Some hideous aspect of its body—an eye?—a mouth?—opens, and you are the first to be devoured.

*** You have failed. ***

If you RESTART, you might be able to fix this, unless you—
action: Go south
response: The tunnel turns from north to west here, but the passage to the west is too dark to see where it goes.

You take another step and slip on a piece of paper.
action: You examine paper
response: The paper has disappeared—but you know you slipped on
something.
action: Kulehrif
response: You mutter the incantation, and a greenish haze swims in front of your eyes. Your knees buckle, and for a giddy moment you feel as though you may barf.

But when you regain your faculties, you notice your vision has improved, and you can see easily what lurks in dark corners. You don't notice anything new right here, though.

You can use the abbreviation "K" the next time you want to cast this spell. But not if you travel back in time again. That's how time travel works.

Then it happens. You hear something huge rousing itself from cosmic sleep. The thing groans, and the entire campus shakes. Ynf-Okh-Omm has awoken. Shortly it will consume G.U.E. Tech—and then the universe.

*** You have failed. ***

If you RESTART, you might be able to fix this, unless you—
action: You give up
response: (I really think you ought to RESTART.)

If you RESTART, you might be able to fix this, unless you—
action: Kulehrif
response: You mutter the incantation, and a greenish haze swims in front of your eyes. Your knees buckle, and for a giddy moment you feel as though you may barf.

But when you regain your faculties, you notice your vision has improved, and you can see easily what lurks in dark corners. You don't notice anything new right here, though.

You can use the abbreviation "K" the next time you want to cast this spell. But not if you travel back in time again. That's how time travel works.
action: You go to the north
response: Before you enrolled at G.U.E. Tech, you had this romantic idea that the tunnels would all be dingy, claustrophobic, and dangerous. But these tunnels—the tunnels that most people see—are really more like hallways with pipes.

This hallway and its pipes lead north and south.
action: You go to the south
response: The tunnel turns from north to west here.

You take another step and slip on a piece of paper.
action: You examine paper
response: The paper has disappeared—but you know you slipped on
something.

Then it happens. You hear something huge rousing itself from cosmic sleep. The thing groans, and the entire campus shakes. Ynf-Okh-Omm has awoken. Shortly it will consume G.U.E. Tech—and then the universe.

*** You have failed. ***

If you RESTART, you might be able to fix this, unless you—
action: You go to the north
response: (I really think you ought to RESTART.)

If you RESTART, you might be able to fix this, unless you—
action: You examine the pipes
response: The pipes don't even lead to or from anywhere in particular. They're all the same, all along this level of the tunnels.
action: Go north
response: You've reached a bend in the tunnel where the lights don't quite reach. You can continue east or south.

But you can't just stand around, because an Elder Horror is flitting through the shadows here, gibbering in little shrieks.
action: Go downward
response: These are not the fun tunnels that they show you on campus tours. These are the old tunnels. The evil tunnels.

Ancient pipes clank and hiss, and beneath these noises—you wonder if you're imagining—the sound of something skittering behind you.

The ladder here goes up to the main basement level. Tunnels lead east, south, and west.
action: You go east
response: Oh dear. This is one of those places.

The geometry in here is incorrect. All the surfaces are inside-out. The physical laws of some other dimension must be impinging on this space from somewhere outside space.

Dang.
action: You go to the east
response: You try to move in that direction, but in this particular context the idea of "direction" doesn't really apply, which makes it hard to get anywhere.

Then it happens. You hear something huge rousing itself from cosmic sleep. The thing groans, and the entire campus shakes. Ynf-Okh-Omm has awoken. Shortly it will consume G.U.E. Tech—and then the universe.

*** You have failed. ***

If you RESTART, you might be able to fix this, unless you—
action: You look behind yourself
response: (I really think you ought to RESTART.)

If you RESTART, you might be able to fix this, unless you—
action: Go south
response: Thrumming all around you are hulks of decrepit machinery, sagging under the weight of decades, struggling to supply power to the university above. And twisting through their cables are the insidious tentacles of Ynf-Okh-Omm, worming their way through the ceiling from its chamber above. The Eldest Horror is leeching power from G.U.E.'s electrical system! This is your fault!

The tunnels continue north and south.
action: You examine the machinery
response: Some of these machines date back to the eighties.
action: You turn off the machinery
response: It isn't something you can switch.

Then it happens. You hear something huge rousing itself from cosmic sleep. The thing groans, and the entire campus shakes. Ynf-Okh-Omm has awoken. Shortly it will consume G.U.E. Tech—and then the universe.

*** You have failed. ***

If you RESTART, you might be able to fix this, unless you—
action: You go south
response: The lights have gone out in this chamber, and you can't see your own hand in front of your face, but you can just make out paths to the north, east, and west.

And you can definitely hear something slithering squamously nearby.
action: Kulehrif
response: You mutter the incantation, and a greenish haze swims in front of your eyes. Your knees buckle, and for a giddy moment you feel as though you may barf.

But when you regain your faculties, you notice your vision has improved, and the room does not seem so dark now:

The lights have gone out in this chamber, but you can clearly see the paths to the north, east, and west.

You can also see an Elder Horror near you. Whether it can see you remains to be seen.

You can use the abbreviation "K" the next time you want to cast this spell. But not if you travel back in time again. That's how time travel works.
action: R.
response: You utter the incantation, the eldritch puissance of its awful phonemes flowing with hideous sweetness over your tongue. The Elder Horror squeals in shock and inhuman pain, and its entire form undulates bizarrely as a rent in the universe swallows it up. There is a sharp squelching noise as the interstice sucks away some of this world's air before it closes completely.

Apparently the creature had been coiled around a statuette.

Then it happens. You hear something huge rousing itself from cosmic sleep. The thing groans, and the entire campus shakes. Ynf-Okh-Omm has awoken. Shortly it will consume G.U.E. Tech—and then the universe.

*** You have failed. ***

If you RESTART, you might be able to fix this, unless you—
action: R.
response: You utter the incantation, the eldritch puissance of its awful phonemes flowing with hideous sweetness over your tongue. You hear something squeal in shock and inhuman pain. Then you hear a sharp squelching noise.

Then you hear something clank against the floor. What the heck was that?
action: Kulehrif
response: You mutter the incantation, and a greenish haze swims in front of your eyes. Your knees buckle, and for a giddy moment you feel as though you may barf.

But when you regain your faculties, you notice your vision has improved, and the room does not seem so dark now:

The lights have gone out in this chamber, but you can clearly see the paths to the north, east, and west.

There is a statuette sitting on the floor here.

You can use the abbreviation "K" the next time you want to cast this spell. But not if you travel back in time again. That's how time travel works.

Then it happens. You hear something huge rousing itself from cosmic sleep. The thing groans, and the entire campus shakes. Ynf-Okh-Omm has awoken. Shortly it will consume G.U.E. Tech—and then the universe.

*** You have failed. ***

If you RESTART, you might be able to fix this, unless you—
action: You go to the west
response: This damp tunnel looks like it used to be a sewer, or a pneumatic railroad. The curved floor makes it difficult to walk without keeping a hand on the damp curved walls.

The way back is east. The tunnel continues south, beyond a waterfall-like curtain of slime.
action: Go south
response: You reach tentatively at the curtain of slime, and the acrid substance burns your hand. Apparently walking through this stuff wouldn't just be disgusting; it could be deadly.

So how do you get it to stop flowing?
action: Jilxube
response: You successfully cast the spell, but the slime that you conjure only adds to the curtain of slime that's already flowing down across the passage to the south.

You can use the abbreviation "J" the next time you want to cast this spell. But not if you travel back in time again. That's how time travel works.
action: You examine waterfall
response: The slime falls down in thick, globby rivulets, and the tunnel beyond is difficult to make out.

Then it happens. You hear something huge rousing itself from cosmic sleep. The thing groans, and the entire campus shakes. Ynf-Okh-Omm has awoken. Shortly it will consume G.U.E. Tech—and then the universe.

*** You have failed. ***

If you RESTART, you might be able to fix this, unless you—
action: J.
response: You cast the spell again, and more repulsive slime flows into this universe from without—but it simply flows to join the slime within
the
construction pit. The level of the slime doesn't rise an inch. This is all disturbingly convenient.
action: You move the poster
response: The informative poster is fine right there.
action: You go to the east
response: Normally, this grassy courtyard is a favorite spot for joggers and Ultimate Frisbee players—but what with the rain, and the lightning, there's nobody here right now.

To the west is the Department of Alchemy. East is the Department of Necromancy. North is the Department of Linguistics.

Then it happens. You hear something huge rousing itself from cosmic sleep. The thing groans, and the entire campus shakes. Ynf-Okh-Omm has awoken. Shortly it will consume G.U.E. Tech—and then the universe.

*** You have failed. ***

If you RESTART, you might be able to fix this, unless you—
action: You go east
response: Normally, this grassy courtyard is a favorite spot for joggers and Ultimate Frisbee players—but what with the rain, and the lightning, there's nobody here right now.

To the west is the Department of Alchemy. East is the Department of Necromancy. North is the Department of Linguistics.
action: You go to the east
response: You seem to be in a hallway—but it's too dark to see which way it leads, what it leads to, or what else is in here with you. The only thing you can see is the way outside, to the west.
action: Kulehrif
response: You mutter the incantation, and a greenish haze swims in front of your eyes. Your knees buckle, and for a giddy moment you feel as though you may barf.

But when you regain your faculties, you notice your vision has improved, and the room does not seem so dark now:

Looks like there are no necromancy students here tonight, which is just as well.

This hallway leads north and west.

And there's a dead cockroach on the floor here! Gross.

You can use the abbreviation "K" the next time you want to cast this spell. But not if you travel back in time again. That's how time travel works.
action: You go to the north
response: Lightning flashes, your hair stands on end, and then a hideous peal of thunder shakes the building.

There are about a dozen workstations here for students to practice their necromantic arts upon, but nobody's here right now.

There is, however, a scrap of paper on the floor.
action: You read the paper
response: The top of the page indicates that these are notes from an intro-level Necromancy class. The student has scribbled and crossed out a long list of incantations. The final attempt, "HTERWERBSET," has been circled triumphantly.
action: Go south
response: There are no necromancy students here tonight. The place is as quiet as the—well, it's quiet.

This hallway leads north and west.

That dead bug is still here. Upsetting.
action: Hterwerbset
response: You whisper the incantation, and feel a daemoniac power crystallize in the air, its vertices aligned by the awful syllables as they leave your lips.

The spell's angles align with something invisible and dreadful, and the roach on the floor springs to life. It makes a grateful hissing noise before crawling speedily away.

You can use the abbreviation "H" the next time you want to cast this spell. But not if you travel back in time again. That's how time travel works.
action: Go west
response: Normally, this grassy courtyard is a favorite spot for joggers and Ultimate Frisbee players—but what with the rain, and the lightning, there's nobody here right now.

To the west is the Department of Alchemy. East is the Department of Necromancy. North is the Department of Linguistics.

Then it happens. You hear something huge rousing itself from cosmic sleep. The thing groans, and the entire campus shakes. Ynf-Okh-Omm has awoken. Shortly it will consume G.U.E. Tech—and then the universe.

*** You have failed. ***

If you RESTART, you might be able to fix this, unless you—
action: You go to the north
response: There's not much here—the Linguistics department was organized with a minimalist philosophy in mind. A likely-looking (and heavy-looking) grimoire rests on a pedestal in an alcove.

The way out is south.
action: You examine the grimoire
response: You reach out to inspect the grimoire. Your hand runs into something. Something squishy and invisible.

You hold still for a second: You think you can hear it breathing.
action: You look at your surroundings
response: There's not much here—the Linguistics department was organized with a minimalist philosophy in mind. A likely-looking (and heavy-looking) grimoire rests on a pedestal in an alcove.

The way out is south.

Also, everything here is covered in slime.
action: You look at the grimoire
response: You move your hands around and confirm that the invisible thing is blocking the entire alcove. Great.
action: Raenfidhre
response: You utter the incantation, the eldritch puissance of its awful phonemes flowing with hideous sweetness over your tongue.

Did it work?

You reach out into space—and touch the horrid thing again. Darn.

You can use the abbreviation "R" the next time you want to cast this spell. But not if you travel back in time again. That's how time travel works.
action: Kulehrif
response: You mutter the incantation, and a greenish haze swims in front of your eyes. Your knees buckle, and for a giddy moment you feel as though you may barf.

But when you regain your faculties, you notice your vision has improved, and you can see easily what lurks in dark corners. You don't notice anything new right here, though.

You can use the abbreviation "K" the next time you want to cast this spell. But not if you travel back in time again. That's how time travel works.
action: Hterwerbset
response: You whisper the incantation, and feel a daemoniac power crystallize in the air, its vertices aligned by the awful syllables as they leave your lips.

But nothing else happens, and the abominable polyhedron gradually melts away.

You can use the abbreviation "H" the next time you want to cast this spell. But not if you travel back in time again. That's how time travel works.

Then it happens. You hear something huge rousing itself from cosmic sleep. The thing groans, and the entire campus shakes. Ynf-Okh-Omm has awoken. Shortly it will consume G.U.E. Tech—and then the universe.

*** You have failed. ***

If you RESTART, you might be able to fix this, unless you—
action: Hterwerbset
response: You whisper the incantation, and feel a daemoniac power crystallize in the air, its vertices aligned by the awful syllables as they leave your lips.

But nothing else happens, and the abominable polyhedron gradually melts away.

You can use the abbreviation "H" the next time you want to cast this spell. But not if you travel back in time again. That's how time travel works.
action: You examine the grimoire
response: You reach out to inspect the grimoire. Your hand runs into something. Something squishy and invisible.

You hold still for a second: You think you can hear it breathing.
action: You talk to invisible
response: You can't see the thing. You can touch it, and hear it, but these senses yield no actionable information—only a queasy feeling.

What we have here is an Elder Horror, probably. But is it really
here?
action: Raenfidhre
response: You utter the incantation, the eldritch puissance of its awful phonemes flowing with hideous sweetness over your tongue.

Did it work?

You reach out into space—and touch the horrid thing again. Darn.

You can use the abbreviation "R" the next time you want to cast this spell. But not if you travel back in time again. That's how time travel works.

Then it happens. You hear something huge rousing itself from cosmic sleep. The thing groans, and the entire campus shakes. Ynf-Okh-Omm has awoken. Shortly it will consume G.U.E. Tech—and then the universe.

*** You have failed. ***

If you RESTART, you might be able to fix this, unless you—
action: Raenfidhre
response: You utter the incantation, the eldritch puissance of its awful phonemes flowing with hideous sweetness over your tongue.

Nothing happens.

You can use the abbreviation "R" the next time you want to cast this spell. But not if you travel back in time again. That's how time travel works.

Then it happens. You hear something huge rousing itself from cosmic sleep. The thing groans, and the entire campus shakes. Ynf-Okh-Omm has awoken. Shortly it will consume G.U.E. Tech—and then the universe.

*** You have failed. ***

If you RESTART, you might be able to fix this, unless you—
action: Hterwerbset
response: You whisper the incantation, and feel a daemoniac power crystallize in the air, its vertices aligned by the awful syllables as they leave your lips.

The spell's angles align with something invisible and dreadful, and you hear a low skittering. Something brushes against your foot.

You can use the abbreviation "H" the next time you want to cast this spell. But not if you travel back in time again. That's how time travel works.
action: You take the envelope
response: Reaching the envelope now would require swimming through a pool of slime, which is a no-go.

Then it happens. You hear something huge rousing itself from cosmic sleep. The thing groans, and the entire campus shakes. Ynf-Okh-Omm has awoken. Shortly it will consume G.U.E. Tech—and then the universe.

*** You have failed. ***

If you RESTART, you might be able to fix this, unless you—
action: You talk to the hacker
response: You can tell she's an accomplished hacker from the unrealistically heavy key ring hanging from her belt loop. Anyone who has that many keys isn't supposed to have all of them.

You smile at each other politely, but there isn't really anything else to talk about. You're kind of in a hurry.
action: Go south
response: At this intersection, the tunnels go north, south—and west, to the chamber of your ill-advised project.

An old graffito is on the east wall.

Then it happens. You hear something huge rousing itself from cosmic sleep. The thing groans, and the entire campus shakes. Ynf-Okh-Omm has awoken. Shortly it will consume G.U.E. Tech—and then the universe.

*** You have failed. ***

If you RESTART, you might be able to fix this, unless you—
action: Raenfidhre
response: You utter the incantation, the eldritch puissance of its awful phonemes flowing with hideous sweetness over your tongue. You hear something squeal in shock and inhuman pain. Then you hear a sharp squelching noise.

Then you hear something clank against the floor. What the heck was that?

You can use the abbreviation "R" the next time you want to cast this spell. But not if you travel back in time again. That's how time travel works.
action: Kulehrif
response: You mutter the incantation, and a greenish haze swims in front of your eyes. Your knees buckle, and for a giddy moment you feel as though you may barf.

But when you regain your faculties, you notice your vision has improved, and the room does not seem so dark now:

The lights have gone out in this chamber, but you can clearly see the paths to the north, east, and west.

There is a statuette sitting on the floor here.

You can use the abbreviation "K" the next time you want to cast this spell. But not if you travel back in time again. That's how time travel works.
action: You examine the statuette
response: The statuette, carved in an oddly soft bluish substance, depicts a creature you dimly recognize as appearing in certain dreams from which you awoke babbling and covered in sweat. The base of the piece is carved with an inscription in an alien tongue that you happened to learn in one of those Humanities classes that they made you take. It says: "Yzawnzag."

Then it happens. You hear something huge rousing itself from cosmic sleep. The thing groans, and the entire campus shakes. Ynf-Okh-Omm has awoken. Shortly it will consume G.U.E. Tech—and then the universe.

*** You have failed. ***

If you RESTART, you might be able to fix this, unless you—
action: Yzawnzag
response: You cast the hypnosis-resistance spell again, and steel your mind even more against external influence (possibly to the point of overdoing it).

Then it happens. You hear something huge rousing itself from cosmic sleep. The thing groans, and the entire campus shakes. Ynf-Okh-Omm has awoken. Shortly it will consume G.U.E. Tech—and then the universe.

*** You have failed. ***

If you RESTART, you might be able to fix this, unless you—
action: Go west
response: The tunnel from the east terminates here at a brick wall. There are no lights here because it would seem that there is nothing here to illuminate.

Apparently someone disagreed, and made this into their personal study space: A thick textbook lies forgotten on the floor.
action: Examine textbook
response: The book's cover is immediately recognizable: This is the Necronomicon, by A. Alhazred, an infamous tome of dark magic.
You flip through it a little bit.

Here's a page that jogs your memory: A spell that conjures frigid wind from... It doesn't say where. The incantation is "bheishauph."

Why would someone just leave a Necronomicon lying around?
These books are expensive!

Then it happens. You hear something huge rousing itself from cosmic sleep. The thing groans, and the entire campus shakes. Ynf-Okh-Omm has awoken. Shortly it will consume G.U.E. Tech—and then the universe.

*** You have failed. ***

If you RESTART, you might be able to fix this, unless you—
action: Bheishauph
response: You breathe the incantation, and a breeze of cool air swirls around you. For a moment you feel the supernatural cold of the infinite space between the stars.

You can use the abbreviation "B" the next time you want to cast this spell. But not if you travel back in time again. That's how time travel works.
action: Bheishauph
response: You breathe the incantation, and a breeze of cool air swirls around you.

Crystalline patterns appear in the surface of the pool of slime, spreading across and down through the repugnant morass. The surface of the fluid ceases its undulations: It has frozen straight through.

The manila envelope sits on top of the ice.
action: You read envelope
response: You take a cautious step onto the slime-ice.

It seems to support your weight.

Time being a limiting factor, you scuttle across the ice, snatch up the envelope, and scuttle back to solid ground as fast as you can.

It's definitely campus mail, but the rain has washed away any addresses that were ever written on the outside.

The envelope is closed.
action: You open the envelope
response: You open the manila envelope, revealing a grant application.
action: You look at the application
response: Not long ago you swore you'd never look at another one of these, but such oaths often prove difficult to uphold.

The application proposes an investigation into the little-understood branch of "reparative spatial mechanics." The document is careful not to explain these terms with extraneous clarity, lest the subject appear too comprehensible to warrant investigation.

But the applicant has let one specific detail slip: an incantation, "Vaadignephod," with apparent reparative spatio-mechanical potency.
action: Go south
response: The Alchemy building feels small and defenseless in the face of the wild thunderstorm outside. Rain and howling wind pound at the doors to the north and east. A stairway leads down to the basement (and the tunnels).

This lobby is especially creepy because there's an informative poster depicting an Elder Horror hanging on the wall.

Then it happens. You hear something huge rousing itself from cosmic sleep. The thing groans, and the entire campus shakes. Ynf-Okh-Omm has awoken. Shortly it will consume G.U.E. Tech—and then the universe.

*** You have failed. ***

If you RESTART, you might be able to fix this, unless you—
action: Go south
response: The tunnel from the north comes to an abrupt end here.

On the dusty floor is a pitiful, deflated blob.

"Ooooooh, I'm miiiiserabllllle," it groans, in a voice that makes you wince.
action: You talk to the blob
response: The thing on the floor manages to make eye contact despite your best efforts.

"Hey, um. How're you doing?" you ask.

"Hoooooorribllllle," it responds. "I'm sooooo huuuungry, I can barely moooooove."

You nod. "That's rough."

The blob pouts some more: "Can't you hellllllp meeeeee?".
action: Bheishauph
response: You breathe the incantation, and a breeze of cool air swirls around you. Unsettlingly regular patterns of frost curl across the tunnel walls until they reach the curtain of slime.

The flow of slime slows, and then it stops as the waterfall freezes in place. You hear a crinkling sound.

The frozen curtain of slime shatters and disappears. The way south is open.

You can use the abbreviation "B" the next time you want to cast this spell. But not if you travel back in time again. That's how time travel works.
action: You go south
response: The tunnel is a river of undulating slime, and there are few places where it's safe to set foot. The way out is north.

Someone has written something on the walls.
action: Caerlaev
response: You lock eyes with the grad student as you hiss the incantation. Your vision swims—and then you are staring into your own eyes. They look back with shock, then dawning fear, and then revulsion.

"Why'd you steal my body?" the grad student demands, in your voice. "That's messed up!"

"I don't have time to explain," you grunt, in his voice. "I've got stuff I've gotta do."

"Well," says the grad student, rifling through your belongings, "it looks like I've got your car keys. So..."

He takes off down the hall and out into the storm.

You can use the abbreviation "C" the next time you want to cast this spell. But not if you travel back in time again. That's how time travel works.
action: You go to the east
response: The head of the Sorcery department has an extremely nice office. For example, his desk does not look like it was dragged out of a junkyard. On top of the desk is what looks like a copy of the Book of
Eibon.

The department head rises to greet you.

"Thanks for coming," he says. "I could really use your help with..."

Then, his eyes suddenly afire with evil, he waves his hand and mutters an eldritch invocation at you. Something in your mind disconnects from something else.

"Perfect," says the professor. "Now, would you mind standing inside of that pentagram over there?"
action: Yzawnzag
response: ## y## e## a## h## ,

## y## e## a## h## ,##

## y## e## a## h## ,##  ## n

## y## e## a## h## ,##  ## n## o

## y## e## a## h## ,##  ## n## o##

## y## e## a## h## ,##  ## n## o##  ## p

## y## e## a## h## ,##  ## n## o##  ## p## r

## y## e## a## h## ,##  ## n## o##  ## p## r## o

## y## e## a## h## ,##  ## n## o##  ## p## r## o## b

## y## e## a## h## ,##  ## n## o##  ## p## r## o## b## l

## y## e## a## h## ,##  ## n## o##  ## p## r## o## b## l## e

## y## e## a## h## ,##  ## n## o##  ## p## r## o## b## l## e## m

You step into the pentagram. The professor lifts the Book of
Eibon from his desk and begins chanting in a bizarre,
otherworldly language.

Something else appears in the room. It appears to have a lot of teeth.

Uh-oh!

*** You have failed. ***

If you RESTART, you might be able to fix this, unless you—

(I really think you ought to RESTART.)

If you RESTART, you might be able to fix this, unless you—
action: Caerlaev
response: You lock eyes with the hacker as you hiss the incantation. Your vision swims—and then you are staring into your own eyes.

"Did you just switch our bodies?" the hacker asks, in your voice.

"For the time being, yes," you say.

Your voice sounds disappointed. "That is incredibly rude," she says. "Could I get my key ring back, at least?"

Embarrassed, you awkwardly unclip the heavy ring from the hacker's belt and toss it to your body. The hacker snatches it from the air and starts rummaging through your pockets. Pretty soon she finds your keys, and clips them onto her ring.

"Well, I'm going to go mess with your stuff now," she explains, and she brushes past you on her way down the tunnel.

She's right, you know. That was super rude.

You can use the abbreviation "C" the next time you want to cast this spell. But not if you travel back in time again. That's how time travel works.
action: You go south
response: At this intersection, the tunnels go north, south—and west, to the chamber of your ill-advised project.

An old graffito is on the east wall.
action: Go west
response: It groans sluggishly. It shrugs its unthinkable head—No. That is not
a
head.

The whitish, loathsome, incomprehensible thing that oozes before you is Ynf-Okh-Omm, the Eldest Horror. It is sleeping, for now. Soon (very soon), it will awaken, and this helpless universe will suffer the consequences.

The way out is east.
action: Go east
response: The head of the Sorcery department has an extremely nice office. For example, his desk does not look like it was dragged out of a junkyard. On top of the desk is what looks like a copy of the Book of
Eibon.

The department head rises to greet you.

"Thanks for coming," he says. "I could really use your help with..."

Then, his eyes suddenly afire with evil, he waves his hand and mutters an eldritch invocation at you.

"That's not gonna work," you say. "I cast a Yzawnzag on myself a little bit ago."

He squints. "Why would you do that?"

"Because I knew you were gonna try to hypnotize me! Oh, also, I'm not really your research assistant. I switched bodies with him."

The professor gapes at you in distress. "So—But—Where is my assistant?"

You shrug. He rolls his eyes and grabs his coat. As he rushes out of his office he snaps at you: "Don't touch anything."
action: You look at Book
response: You open the book to a dogeared page. Oh dear.

You turn to another page. This can't be!

You flip wildly through the Book of Eibon, but it's all the
same! It's all in Swedish!

You do not speak Swedish.
action: You examine the desk
response: The department head may in fact be the original user of this desk. The idea of a new piece of furniture in an office at G.U.E. Tech
is almost impossible to contemplate.

On the desk is a copy of the Book of Eibon.

Then it happens. You hear something huge rousing itself from cosmic sleep. The thing groans, and the entire campus shakes. Ynf-Okh-Omm has awoken. Shortly it will consume G.U.E. Tech—and then the universe.

*** You have failed. ***

If you RESTART, you might be able to fix this, unless you—
action: You look at the pentagram
response: It's not that unusual for sorcery professors to inscribe pentagrams in their offices.

Then it happens. You hear something huge rousing itself from cosmic sleep. The thing groans, and the entire campus shakes. Ynf-Okh-Omm has awoken. Shortly it will consume G.U.E. Tech—and then the universe.

*** You have failed. ***

If you RESTART, you might be able to fix this, unless you—
action: Go east
response: A wall of debris makes further progress impossible. The only way out is to go back west.

There's a dead rat on the floor here. Yuckers.
action: Hterwerbset
response: You whisper the incantation, and feel a daemoniac power crystallize in the air, its vertices aligned by the awful syllables as they leave your lips. The spell's angles align with something invisible and dreadful, and the rat on the floor shudders to life.

"That was awful nice of you!" the rat would say, if rats could talk, but they can't; instead, it crawls into a crevice in the debris, kicking a crumpled note out behind it.

You can use the abbreviation "H" the next time you want to cast this spell. But not if you travel back in time again. That's how time travel works.

Then it happens. You hear something huge rousing itself from cosmic sleep. The thing groans, and the entire campus shakes. Ynf-Okh-Omm has awoken. Shortly it will consume G.U.E. Tech—and then the universe.

*** You have failed. ***

If you RESTART, you might be able to fix this, unless you—
action: Hterwerbset
response: You whisper the incantation, and feel a daemoniac power crystallize in the air, its vertices aligned by the awful syllables as they leave your lips. The spell's angles align with something invisible and dreadful, and the rat on the floor shudders to life.

"That was awful nice of you!" the rat would say, if rats could talk, but they can't; instead, it crawls into a crevice in the debris, kicking a crumpled note out behind it.

You can use the abbreviation "H" the next time you want to cast this spell. But not if you travel back in time again. That's how time travel works.
action: You look at note
response: You uncrumple the note. This appears to be... Ooh! You're not supposed to have this!

This note explains a magical formula that allows one to travel to the Dusky Threshold, an eerie plane of existence that exists parallel to the Normal World. It's very similar to—but distinct
from—the
"Upside-Down" from that Winona Ryder show.

Knowledge of the Dusky Threshold is kept under wraps because it's reportedly very dangerous and it's essentially impossible to get back to the Normal World once you're there. Anyway, it looks like the incantation for sending yourself there is "Pheimmeb."

Then it happens. You hear something huge rousing itself from cosmic sleep. The thing groans, and the entire campus shakes. Ynf-Okh-Omm has awoken. Shortly it will consume G.U.E. Tech—and then the universe.

*** You have failed. ***

If you RESTART, you might be able to fix this, unless you—
action: You go to the west
response: Something is wrong with the angles in this passage—if it is a
passage.
Space seems to be turned around, or it's backwards, or... This is giving you a headache.
action: You go east
response: The lights have gone out in this chamber, and you can't see your own hand in front of your face, but you can just make out paths to the north, east, and west.

And you can definitely hear something slithering squamously nearby.

Then it happens. You hear something huge rousing itself from cosmic sleep. The thing groans, and the entire campus shakes. Ynf-Okh-Omm has awoken. Shortly it will consume G.U.E. Tech—and then the universe.

*** You have failed. ***

If you RESTART, you might be able to fix this, unless you—
action: You go north
response: After a little experimentation, you get the impression that movement through  the Dusky Threshold is not possible.

You may be stuck here.
action: You look at the shapes
response: It basically looks like a basement.
action: You touch the shapes
response: Best to keep one's hands to oneself.
action: Raenfidhre
response: You utter the incantation, the eldritch puissance of its awful phonemes flowing with hideous sweetness over your tongue. A hole opens in the non-space of the Dusky Threshold.

It is a big hole, big enough to tear such a hideously massive Elder Horror away from this realm, stretching the alien beast into impossible angles, and sucking great ropes of the caliginous substance of the Dusky Threshold along with the beast into the dimension beyond. Even as vaporous as you are, you feel yourself drawn into the chasm as well—

But the hole shuts itself, and you are alone among the shadows.

You can use the abbreviation "R" the next time you want to cast this spell. But not if you travel back in time again. That's how time travel works.
action: Look around
response: You are in a space behind space. The Normal World is barely visible beyond the veil of shadow: a congeries of silent and near-unrecognizable shapes. You're pretty sure you're still "inside" the Linguistics building.
action: You look at shapes
response: You're pretty sure you're still "inside" the Linguistics building.
action: You go outside
response: After a little experimentation, you get the impression that movement through  the Dusky Threshold is not possible.

You may be stuck here.
action: Kulehrif
response: You mutter the incantation, and a greenish haze swims in front of your eyes. Your knees buckle, and for a giddy moment you feel as though you may barf.

But when you regain your faculties, you notice your vision has improved, and the room does not seem so dark now:

Looks like there are no necromancy students here tonight, which is just as well.

This hallway leads north and west.

And there's a dead cockroach on the floor here! Gross.

You can use the abbreviation "K" the next time you want to cast this spell. But not if you travel back in time again. That's how time travel works.

Then it happens. You hear something huge rousing itself from cosmic sleep. The thing groans, and the entire campus shakes. Ynf-Okh-Omm has awoken. Shortly it will consume G.U.E. Tech—and then the universe.

*** You have failed. ***

If you RESTART, you might be able to fix this, unless you—
action: Mnymnswst
response: As you utter the incantation, the smoky dimness around you is ripped away—in an instant, the Dusky Threshold has become the Normal World.

There's not much here—the Linguistics department was organized with a minimalist philosophy in mind. A likely-looking (and heavy-looking) grimoire rests on a pedestal in an alcove.

The way out is south.

You can use the abbreviation "M" the next time you want to cast this spell. But not if you travel back in time again. That's how time travel works.
action: You examine the grimoire
response: Now you can get a close look at the grimoire.

Its contents are mostly theoretical, concerned with the notion (undoubtedly quite novel, back whenever this was written) that language itself is a kind of contagious disease, propagating itself by transmission from human mind to human mind, but having an origin quite distant from the sphere of human existence.

The applications of this theory are relegated to the end notes, which include a formula that purportedly will "infect" its speaker with a Scandanavian strain of the mind-virus: "Fickordbok."
action: Fickordbok
response: The incantation trips liltingly over your tongue, and instantaneously you feel as though you have a working knowledge of the Swedish language.

You can use the abbreviation "F" the next time you want to cast this spell. But not if you travel back in time again. That's how time travel works.
action: Examine book
response: You open the book to a dogeared page. The Swedish text is inscrutable to your conscious mind, but nonetheless you somehow understand it—well, most of it:

There's a trollformel (incantation) that lets you
stiga (go up) and sjunka (go down) through tak
och golv (ceilings and floors). And the incantation is:
AVITHSKELT. Got it.

Then it happens. You hear something huge rousing itself from cosmic sleep. The thing groans, and the entire campus shakes. Ynf-Okh-Omm has awoken. Shortly it will consume G.U.E. Tech—and then the universe.

*** You have failed. ***

If you RESTART, you might be able to fix this, unless you—
action: Avithskelt
response: You whisper the incantation, and you feel a violent, shuddering change in your bones, or else in your molecular structure. You have the impression of a bizarre untetheredness.

You can use the abbreviation "A" the next time you want to cast this spell. But not if you travel back in time again. That's how time travel works.
action: Go downwards
response: You think of the so-called "Pauli exclusion principle" and roll your eyes as you float down, through the ground.

Something is wrong with the angles in this passage—if it is a
passage.
Space seems to be turned around, or it's backwards, or... This is giving you a headache.
action: You go downward
response: You will yourself downward—but apparently this is literally as low as you can get. Oh well.
action: Go upward
response: Shrugging at the outmoded law of gravity, you float up, through the ceiling.

The tunnel continues further than the light can reach. All you can see is the way back to the east.
action: Go upwards
response: Shrugging at the outmoded law of gravity, you float up, through the ceiling.

Normally, this grassy courtyard is a favorite spot for joggers and Ultimate Frisbee players—but what with the rain, and the lightning, there's nobody here right now.

To the west is the Department of Alchemy. East is the Department of Necromancy. North is the Department of Linguistics.
action: Go upwards
response: You will yourself upward—but apparently there is nowhere up from
here.
Oh well.

Your body shudders again, and you no longer feel so untethered.
action: Avithskelt
response: You whisper the incantation, and you feel a violent, shuddering change in your bones, or else in your molecular structure. You have the impression of a bizarre untetheredness.

Then it happens. You hear something huge rousing itself from cosmic sleep. The thing groans, and the entire campus shakes. Ynf-Okh-Omm has awoken. Shortly it will consume G.U.E. Tech—and then the universe.

*** You have failed. ***

If you RESTART, you might be able to fix this, unless you—
action: Go upwards
response: Shrugging at the outmoded law of gravity, you float up, through the ceiling.

It groans sluggishly. It shrugs its unthinkable head—No. That is not
a
head.

The whitish, loathsome, incomprehensible thing that oozes before you is Ynf-Okh-Omm, the Eldest Horror. It is sleeping, for now. Soon (very soon), it will awaken, and this helpless universe will suffer the consequences.

The way out is east.

Your body shudders again, and you no longer feel so untethered.
action: Y.
response: You cast the hypnosis-resistance spell again, and steel your mind even more against external influence (possibly to the point of overdoing it).

Ynf-Okh-Omm stirs. The Eldest Horror rolls over. Some hideous aspect of its body—an eye?—a mouth?—opens, and you are the first to be devoured.

*** You have failed. ***

If you RESTART, you might be able to fix this, unless you—
action: Raenfidhre
response: You utter the incantation, the eldritch puissance of its awful phonemes flowing with hideous sweetness over your tongue.

A crackle of eldritch power washes over the sleeping hulk, and your spell falls flat. How did it do that? Where is it getting this energy?

You can use the abbreviation "R" the next time you want to cast this spell. But not if you travel back in time again. That's how time travel works.

Ynf-Okh-Omm stirs. The Eldest Horror rolls over. Some hideous aspect of its body—an eye?—a mouth?—opens, and you are the first to be devoured.

*** You have failed. ***

If you RESTART, you might be able to fix this, unless you—
action: Raenfidhre
response: You utter the incantation, the eldritch puissance of its awful phonemes flowing with hideous sweetness over your tongue.

Nothing happens.

You can use the abbreviation "R" the next time you want to cast this spell. But not if you travel back in time again. That's how time travel works.
action: Bheishauph
response: You breathe the incantation, and a breeze of cool air swirls around you. For a moment you feel the supernatural cold of the infinite space between the stars.

The slime crystallizes over a period of seconds, becoming a rigid but no less unwholesome mass of many-faceted ice-slime.

You can use the abbreviation "B" the next time you want to cast this spell. But not if you travel back in time again. That's how time travel works.