Scroll Thief
by Daniel M. Stelzer (2015)
Genres: Fantasy

Not a single spell! After two full years of study! Every Enchanterevery mortal with the power to change very nature of the universe with their wordshas a spell book! Filled with words of power collected over years, decades, generations... and yours is blank after two entire years of study. It is shameful! And now something is wrong. You have seen the Enchanters and Sorcerers discussing it in hushed tones. Magic is failing. And there are rumors that GUE Tech will be closed. That would end your dreams of magic forever. There is only one solution, although it is looking less feasible by the minute. Take your spell book, break into the library, and steal some magic from the Guild of Enchanters. This is a puzzle-heavy game in the Zork/Enchanter universe, meant as an "unofficial sequel" clearing up some of the mysteries of Spellbreaker.

action: %
response: scenes. It is highly recommended if you are new to interactive fiction, as it will teach you many of the commands you should use to progress the story. Would you like to view the tutorial as you
play?
Please type either yes or no.
action: No
response: The tutorial is now off, though you may turn it on at any time by typing TUTORIAL ON. Please note, you will continue to receive occasional help messages about commands specific to this game.

The hour is late, and you lie awake.

Perhaps if you were fully grown, Father would have invited you to join the men in the library for cigars and port. And then colloquies (and colloquies and colloquies) on the means to greater wealth, followed by a rousing game of Tiddledy-Winks. Traces of laughter meander through your bedroom walls, and you bury your ears in your pillow. You can only be thankful you have more growing to do. *
action: About yourself
response: only be thankful you have more growing to do. *What's this? A
tiny woman no larger than your hand alights on your chest. "Young sir. Young sir, you must wake up," she says, hushed but hurried.

"Go away," you say, rolling onto your side. *
"Go away," you say, rolling onto your side. *But the woman is undeterred. Holding her parasol over her head, she is lifted into the air and over your ear. "Young sir, I insist you wake up at once. There is a matter most urgent!" A bold woman, she risks a raised voice.
*
*The Terrible Doubt of Appearances

The following is an introduction to a larger work in progress.
Certain accessible paths touch upon mature themes that may not be suitable for young readers. For ideal viewing, the author recommends keeping the window to the approximate dimensions of a paperback novel. Thank you, and enjoy!



You are in your bedroom, a sacred place filled with your many treasures. You climb out of bed and into the moonlight, glowering at the tiny woman. Who (or what) is she to visit so informally
at such an hour? An unsavory sort, no doubt.

"Good evening," she says. "I am Athena, your guide." You are still much too tired to follow along with the rest of her introduction; something about humanity and granting wishes. "Quickly now, look under the bed," she concludes at long last, shooing you back toward your bed with a lacy glove.

Oh well. A simple task, if it means she will leave you in peace.
action: You check what you're carrying
response: You are wearing your pajamas.
action: You examine the pajamas
response: Your favorite pajamas, imported from British India. You prefer their modernity and comfort to your nightshirts.

Athena watches as you inspect your pajamas. "You seem distracted," she says. "Would you like a hint? I would be happy to provide one for you."
action: About yourself
response: You linger by your reflection in the mirror. No longer a boy, not yet a man. And despite this awkward phase of life, you are still as good looking as ever, a sign of your exceptional breeding.
action: You look under the bed
response: Searching among the dust bunnies, you find the edges of a loose floorboard. A loose floorboard! How long have you been ignorant of such a glorious cranny? Perhaps one or two of your more controversial treasures could be hidden beneath.

"Quite the discovery," says Athena. "This calls for further examination."
action: You ask ATHENA about herself
response: Mother says every conversation should leave the other captivated by your charm, impressed by your wit, and envious of your good looks. And how you practiced your charm, with the hope it would one day be as effortless as the other two.

You conceal your scowl with a warm smile. Mother would be proud. "You are so very unique," you say. A careful compliment. "I'd like to know you better."

Athena looks away. "Your interest is flattering, young sir, but I don't care to discuss myself with you."

A dubious reply. You could flatter her, if you think it would help sweeten her mood. Or you could ask what sort of creature she is, say you have concerns about her existence, ask what she wants from you, or request that she leaves. Though you might let her be.

(When in conversation with someone, you can type ASK or SAY to
discuss various objects, people, places, or subjects, such as ASK ATHENA ABOUT HERSELF. Some of the conversation options relevant to the story are suggested to you, which can be also be reviewed by typing TOPICS. You should try to type the suggestion exactly as mentioned, and note that not every suggestion will begin with the words ASK or SAY.)
action: You take the floorboard
response: You pull, you twist, you heave with all your might. A success! You cast the floorboard aside. The newly revealed cranny exudes a strange glow.
action: You examine the glow
response: You find a pocket watch. It appears to be made of brass, with an open face in the modern style. Strangely, it has a single watch hand, which points to the number one. Even more strangely, it glows of its own accord.
action: Examine watch
response: A glowing pocket watch.
action: You take the watch
response: You tentatively reach under the bed again, and you no sooner touch the pocket watch than find the glow spreading up your arm to surround you; an appropriate moment to panic. Fortunately, the glow either fades on its own, or your immediate rubbing, shaking, rolling, kicking, and blaspheming were a surprisingly effective remedy. *
action: Footnote
response: blaspheming were a surprisingly effective remedy. *And then a
terrible ripping sound as the nearest floorboards begin to fall. A black hole tears into the floor beneath your feet. You leap onto the bed and cling to a post, watching helplessly as your treasures disappear into the widening darkness.

The bed stirs. It pitches to one side. Then another. Oh dear.
*
You had a nightmare of falling once. From where, you couldn't remember, and to where, you didn't know. Down down down you fell, faster and faster. So fast, you couldn't breathe. Then just before you struck the ground, you woke gasping for breath. A strange thing to happen, you had thought, that your mind could conjure such terrible illusions and you believed them, never in doubt.

Later that day, you learned of Uncle Earl's passing. The doctors
said he stopped breathing in his sleep. Mother blamed the doctors of course, saying no man with so robust an appearance should die without any forewarning. Yet you also remembered him a gloomy sort of curmudgeon with a dislike for anything that moved. You couldn't help but think he was happy to depart when he did.

An experiment came to mind. If it was possible to convince
yourself to die, maybe you could convince yourself into becoming someone you're not. *
You fall. The bedroom is gone, a shrinking patch of light swallowed by the nothingness. You dive under the covers, making swift promises to God you'll take no more lemon squares from the pantry if only you'll live.

And then the hard ground, but not as hard as expected (being alive, you're fairly certain). You emerge from the covers amidst a dissipating cloud of dust. Athena descends and hovers by your shoulder. *
Chapter II
Of the uncertainty after all

You find yourself in a clearing surrounded by trees—but no! What you mistook for trees are wooden planks, just as tall and jutting from the gray earth at steep angles. A rocky hill rises beyond the clearing.

"What luck! You appear to be intact," says Athena, looking you over. "Traveling by fall has been known to cause a complication or two when the aiming is poor... Oh! There we are." She directs your attention to where the planks are most dense and a narrow gap invites exploration. "The path should take us safely through the planks to our destination."

"And which way is home?" you ask, squinting into the sky. The moon is brighter here. "I don't see myself going back the way I came."

Athena smooths her gown and gestures once again. "You must follow the path now, young sir. I will be close behind." Another realization, this one much darker. She is not your guide. She is your warden.

(You can type MAP to see a list of directions available for
travel. Also, unless otherwise noted, you may assume Athena is nearby. She will no longer be mentioned when looking.)
action: You examine the bed
response: You had hoped for paisley covers, but Mother sent for garish stripes in crimson and gold.
action: Look around
response: A dearth of planks form a small clearing, which your bed graces with its presence. You could do as Athena asks and follow the path, climb the rocky hill, or escape the forest.
action: Escape
response: Oh, how you hate this place. You feel you must depart at once. But which way? Finding no clear path of escape, you walk directly through the planks, around and around and around, skirting one after the other. It is a welcome relief when the planks begin to thin.

Athena initially expresses her displeasure at going the wrong way, but quickly falls silent. She must have realized your ability to receive a scolding and not hear one word of it. Thank you, Mother.

After a lengthy trek, you approach the forest's edge. A sweet sight, but one that inevitably sours. A mass of some sort blocks the way out of the forest.
action: You examine mass
response: A bizarre pile of colorful things. Dresses and gowns in bold fabrics over wooden torsos. Lace and beads and flowers and dead birds and glittering jewels. Feet in exquisite heels. And all of such a height and breadth; you are surprised you couldn't see it from the clearing. The pile creaks and rustles.
action: Climb pile
response: Only when close enough does the mass acknowledge your presence. A dozen arms of various compositions erupt from within and swipe at you.

By the time Athena coaxes you out from behind a distant plank, the arms have receded back into the pile.
action: You return
response: You return to the clearing and your bed. You could follow the path, climb the rocky hill, or revisit the forest's edge.
action: You climb the hill
response: You leave the clearing along the rising ground. It is a tiresome walk. Uphill, no less. The rocks are large and abundant, and you
even have to put your hands on their dusty surfaces several times to lift yourself over them.

Cresting the hilltop, you stop short. An odd white ball blocks the way down the far side of the hill.
action: You examine the ball
response: How peculiar. It stands nearly double your height and reflects the moonlight off its polished surface.
action: You look around
response: You take in the view from the hilltop. The forest is immense, though you can see where the planks end and the gray horizon begins. Far below, the path cuts a jagged line from the clearing to an ominous black shape.

More instruction. Athena insists you should return to the clearing and avoid the odd white ball that blocks the way down the far side of the hill.
action: You touch ball
response: It feels like fine china.
action: You take the ball
response: The ball is much too heavy to lift, even if you could get your arms around it.
action: Go down
response: You look one way, and then the other. Two routes down. Do you want to return to the clearing or descend the far side of the hill?
action: You descend the far side of the the hill
response: Picking your way down the hill, you reach the bottom. But between the fence-like planks and the impassable ditch, you realize with great annoyance that all of your efforts have brought you to a dead end.

You happen to glance down, and in doing so you notice a pocket watch hanging from a chain around your neck. Quite a shock, considering you didn't put it there yourself. You turn it around in your hands. It appears to be the same one from beneath your bed. The single watch hand points to the number one.
action: You change the clock to 2
response: (Your command was not recognized. You can type COMMANDS for a list
of basic commands.)
action: You climb the hill
response: You sigh and turn back the way you came, tripping over a small mound of dust. Not your most graceful moment. Though the mound was a little too hard, to be only dust.
action: You look at the mound
response: The ground bulges ever so slightly. You imagine there could be something buried.
action: You dig the mound
response: Ugh, why must the ground always be so dirty? This dust is no exception. You search for a small plank to dig with, but find nothing suitable. You look at your hands. Desperate times, desperate measures.

Resigning yourself to filthy hands, you sweep away the dust. Gold! No, merely golden in color. You dig and dig, wincing with every clump of dust that impinges on the delicate space beneath your fingernails. Gradually, a giftbox emerges, wrapped in golden paper and tied with a red ribbon. Not something one usually finds buried. Perhaps there is a treasure inside.
action: Unwrap box
response: The urge is simply too strong. And when the deed is done, you are wielding a pirate's cutlass. Your finest treasure yet! Yes, yours. Someone was clearly wanting to be rid of it. You think about how grand it will look above your fireplace. If you ever get home, that is.

You carefully slide the cutlass into the accompanying leather scabbard, which you belt about your waist.
action: You look at the cutlass
response: You unsheathe the pirate's cutlass, successfully not hurting yourself in the process.

Shiver me timbers! An edged weapon, perfect for cutting things. Or pillaging, if the circumstances are right.
action: Climb hilll
response: You do not see any such thing. Perhaps you meant something else.
action: You climb the hill
response: As you climb, you become aware of an anxious clinking sound, like someone is rattling a jar of pennies, coming from the ditch. You wait. And watch.

Two wooden hands emerge, clawing at the edge of the ditch, followed by another two hands. Followed by two more and then two more. A creature pokes its head out—the same head you rolled down the hill! Except a significant portion of the top is missing and the nose has broken off. It sees you, and smiles. Uh-oh. *
It sees you, and smiles. Uh-oh. *Athena shrieks and ducks
behind you, as you shriek and attempt to hide behind her. Then a moment of spinning in circles and general silliness.

"It has amalgamated!" cries Athena. "Quickly, cut the amalgam to dispatch it at once!"

The creature ascends the hill with incredible speed, snapping planks and dislodging rocks. Rocks that must weigh, well, a great deal more than you.
action: You cut the amalgam with cutlass
response: You wait for the amalgam to near, trying desperately to control your shaking limbs. As it closes in, you shut your eyes, cover your face, and wave your sword around. Father would not be pleased.

Regardless, you strike! And feel as if you smashed through one of the family vases (not that you would know anything about such an event, of course). When you peek from beneath your arm, you see the amalgam shattered into bits of china. Its appendages detach and scatter like roaches under a lifted rock, disappearing behind the planks.

Athena is elated, and talks briefly about the feats of swordsmanship you could accomplish with your eyes open.
action: Go upward
response: The planks are much too sheer to climb. Even if they weren't, you don't suspect you would climb far.
action: You follow the path
response: The planks are too dense directly between here and there. You might return to the clearing first.
action: You follow the the path
response: The way forward is not quite the Sunday stroll. The earth rises and falls frequently, and several stray plank saplings threaten to stub your toes. The path continues deeper into the forest.
action: You follow the the path
response: Without warning, a human-like arm bursts from the ground! Another one of those creatures. It looks to be made of rubber, bending in directions arms don't usually bend. Its hand snatches at the air.

Athena puts herself between you and the arm. "Don't get too close, if you value your life! Make quick use of the cutlass you acquired, then we can continue."
action: You cut the arm
response: You take a couple of hesitant steps toward the nefarious arm, cutlass extended. Then a couple more. Another half step. Maybe it won't notice you.

And then the arm grabs you about the waist! You scream. And whack it with all your might. And whack and whack and whack and whack and whack and—

"It is defeated!" shouts Athena over your whacking. The arm lies flaccid on the ground.

An idea. You want to be cautious, but more importantly, you
want to be honest with yourself—what a fine treasure the arm would make. You pick it up.
action: You check what you're carrying
response: You are wearing your pajamas, a leather scabbard, and a pocket watch, and you are carrying a rubber arm and a pirate's cutlass.
action: Describe the surroundings
response: You are making your way through the planks. You could continue on the path or return to the clearing.
action: You continue on the the path
response: Another walk along the path, and another appendage protruding from the ground. This time a limb, composed of sanded wood and complete with a slippered foot.

"Not again," you grumble, yet you are glad for an appendage less fearsome. In fact, you find its slipper rather lovely.

"We should remove this one as well, while keeping a safe distance," says Athena. You nod in agreement. The wooden limb impedes the way forward, flailing wildly.
action: You cut the leg
response: You swing at the wooden limb, but your blade merely nicks the surface. It seems a different approach will be required.
action: You hit the leg with the arm
response: The rubber arm! What a marvelous invention. Its fingers wrap tightly around the limb's wooden ankle. This ought to hold it in place, you think.

But no, the limb contends! It pulls to the left! You tighten your grip on the rubber arm. It reverses to the right! You follow suit. It attempts a retreat! You dig in your heels.

POP!

It separates at a previously invisible joint, and you are left holding the limp, bare limb. How utterly scandalous. You think you may well have a complete person before the night is done.
action: You continue on the the path
response: You continue onwards, and the path becomes littered with fallen planks. You find yourself scurrying over and under them more often than walking. Not at all the way you are used to traveling. And just before you can bear the journey no longer, you come to stand before a giant peacock plume sprouting from a magnificent black hat the size of a house. It is resting on its side, the top of which faces you.

"We're here," says Athena.

A lilting tenor echoes off the surrounding planks. "Oh! Athena dearest? My sweet sweet sweet savior. Is that you?"

"Yes, Mr Mighty, and I have brought the boy," she replies.

"Splendid! Up up up! Let me have a look-see!"

Athena motions in the direction of the hat. Up up up, it seems.
action: You go upwards
response: Up up up isn't as straightforward as the voice claims it to be. Perhaps there is a way up his hat.
action: Climb hat
response: The hat is tall and steep. You spot a golden hatpin affixed to the lower part of the crown, which might make for a serviceable platform. If only you could reach it.
action: You grab the hatpin with the arm
response: Once again, the rubber arm! Ever the useful tool, it grabs hold of the hatpin. You should like to harvest them and sell them in town. People would come from miles around for one of your extraordinary rubber arms. And Father would be so pleased by your entrepreneurial ambitions.

You clamber up the arm, the hatpin, the collection of giant roses (somehow, sneezing), and the now inward-sloping crown of the hat. One final hop over the front brim, and— *
When you were younger, Father would often share his wisdom with
you as bedtime stories. In one of these stories, he told of a fisherman who worked for an entire day, only to catch one tiny fish. The fish flipped and flopped and begged to be released. "Good sir, kind sir, benevolent sir, do you see how tiny I am? Do not take me away and sell me, for I am hardly worth anything at all. However, if you toss me back into the sea, I shall grow into a mighty fish, bigger than you've ever seen! Then you can catch me again and earn a great fortune!" But the fisherman shook his head and replied "What a fool I would be, if I forego a certain gain for an uncertain profit."

It was an odd lesson from Father, who always praised his more speculative investments. Then one unfortunate day many years later, you overslept and missed a crucial exam. As you tried (unsuccessfully) to convince the teacher your future assiduousness should warrant a second chance, you realized the true moral of the story—that you should never end up the tiny fish. *
action: Look around
response: you stand on the forehead of a wooden countenance, meticulously painted with a delightful expression. The eyes are a starry cobalt, the nose long and proud, the lips nestled below a grand imperial. The rest of the supine figure extends far into the distance, wearing an elegant velvet coat.

"Come come come," the lips speak. "Sit on my nose, so I may see you."
action: You wait
response: Athena comes to rest on your shoulder. "I thought this one would please you the most," she says to the Dandy.

"So I see," he replies. You notice his hesitancy.

You could introduce yourself or continue to remain silent.
action: You remain silent
response: When you offer no introduction, the Dandy continues. "Athena dearest, didn't you say you chose the one who would most please me?"
Athena clears her throat in your ear suggestively.

You could introduce yourself or continue to remain silent.
action: You introduce myself
response: Introductions are a necessary formality. Especially necessary, you assume, when seated on the other's nose.

"Good evening, Mr Mighty," you say. "My name is Henry, and I apologize for my silence. Your largeness was... overwhelming at first. It is an honor to make your acquaintance."

The Mighty Dandy is delighted. "Ho ho ho! And I you, Henry. And I you."

An opportunity for a question or two. You could ask Mr Mighty about himself, ask what he wants, or remain silent.
action: You ask about himself
response: "Mr Mighty," you say, "I take it you are a well-known and respected figure." Obvious flattery, but Athena did say to be generous with it.

"Yes yes yes, I should hope so," says the Dandy, chuckling.
"I was elected to the Mighty Twelve after all."

Ah, a servant of the people. You should have guessed, having met several Congressmen at Father's parties. The similarities are numerous. You could ask what the Mighty Twelve is, ask what he wants, or remain silent.
action: You ask what the mighty twelve is
response: "I'm sure you represent the people well," you say. More flattery. "Is the Mighty Twelve your governing body?"

"Oh, yes! New Pardon is unique compared to many other cities. Twelve wards, each with its own laws, represented by..." Instantly reminded of your history teacher, you drift away from the conversation.

Athena clears her throat, and the Dandy laughs. "Ho ho ho! My poor boy, you nearly had me recounting the entire history of my
great city. Alas, Athena is right. There is much to be done, and you must use your power to help me." He pauses, concern spreading across his face. "...you do have a votum, yes?"

You aren't sure what he is talking about. You have a votum? You could respond truthfully or respond dishonestly. Or, you could ask what he wants, ask what a votum is, or remain silent.
action: You ask what a the votum is
response: "A votum? I don't understand," you say.

"Athena!" gasps the Dandy. "Have you really not told him?"

A guilty pause. "He never asked."

The Dandy rolls his eyes, then crosses them once again. You might have laughed were the situation not so distressing, and your body not so precariously perched. "Humans like yourself can collect vota to acquire unique powers, or use them to grant the wishes of others. They can appear as almost anything, but always with an unusual glow. Even the most fleeting contact will bring one into your possession, usually into a sort of container called an artifact." You look down at the pocket watch, or you should say, your artifact. It must have contained a votum this entire time!

He continues. "Now that you know, you can tell me whether you have found one on your journey."

With the realization you do, in fact, have this seemingly important votum, you could respond truthfully or respond dishonestly. Or, you could ask what he wants or remain silent.
action: You ask what he wants
response: No, you won't respond yet. There are still things you wish to know. "I offer an exchange of information," you say, trying your best to sound like Father. "You answer my questions, and I'll answer yours."

You didn't think the Dandy's smile could grow so wide. It does. "Be still, my heart! Such shrewdness from one so young. I accept this most enticing proposal. Ask then. But remember, I will have my
answers, one way or another."

You nod. "Please, tell me why have you summoned me here. How could I possibly be of use to someone as mighty as yourself?"

The Dandy frowns. "Yes. Well... there's no sense in hiding it, though you may have already guessed I am suffering from a minor embarrassment. You see, the dolls have—how does one say in polite company? They have not been themselves lately. I'm afraid
they have gummed up my inner workings. Gummed them up, I say! Would you be ever so kind, so handsome, so magnanimous, and repair my broken parts?" His expressions dance from shame to anger to supplication.
*
*"Surely you know someone more qualified than I," you reply.

"More qualified?" The Dandy is taken aback. "You are a human.
You have the power to grant wishes." His mustache twitches
back and forth. "And now I ask you again—do you possess a votum?"

Deciding whether you should reveal your votum, you could respond truthfully or respond dishonestly. Or, you could remain silent.
action: %
response: Not a single spell! After two full years of study!

Every Enchanter—every mortal with the power to change the
world—the
very fabric of reality—the very nature of the universe with
their words—has a spell book! Filled with words of power collected over years, decades, generations...

And yours is blank after two entire years of study. It is shameful! The first marks must be made.
action: Inventory
response: The first marks must be made.You pick up the quill. The frontispiece of the book has a space for your name. You may as well fill that out now.

What do you want to write?
action: Wizard mcsmartypants
response: You sign your name with a flourish. Wizard's Spell Book.

The ink shines on the page. You straighten up and look at your reflection in the mirror across from your desk.

Are you a man or a woman?
action: Woman
response: That mirror is said to have a scrying spell on it, but you have never seen it work. You turn back to your book.

The ink on the frontispiece is dry. You turn to the first page. You have practiced casting spells in your classes over and over until your pronunciation is perfect. Frotz. Gloth. Gnusto. Rezrov.

Frotz should be the first page. The simplest spell, causing an object to glow with light. A warmup spell cast in preparation for a journey. Any Enchanter could cast it in their sleep if light were conducive to slumber.
action: You write the Frotz
response: slumber.You write the name across the top of the page. Not bad. Flawless calligraphy, if you do say so yourself.

You turn another page. Gloth should be page two, the second spell you ever cast.

Gnusto...rezrov...you write out the titles in flowing script at the tops of the pages.

But this is not enough. The name of the spell is not enough to cast it—you need the Presence from the scroll. And until you have
your own copy of the gnusto spell, there is no way to transfer it into the spell book. It is used up when cast. Gone.
the spell book. It is used up when cast. Gone.Which is why it has come to this.

Something is wrong. You have seen the Enchanters and Sorcerers discussing it in hushed tones.

Magic is failing.

And there are rumors that GUE Tech will be closed. That would end your dreams of magic forever.
dreams of magic forever.There is only one solution, although it is looking less feasible by the minute.

Take your newly-prepared spell book, break into the library, and steal some magic from the Guild of Enchanters.
action: Look around
response: [First-time players should type ABOUT.]

It was surprisingly easy to get in here—you saw nobody on your way over, and the outer doors recognized your student ring. The hardest part was not talking yourself out of it. So many things could go wrong. What if there is an alarm? What if someone is still in the Library? What if someone comes in and finds you?

No. You have come this far. Only the inner door to the library is keeping you away from the magic you seek. You aren't going to turn back now.
action: You look at door
response: The door to the library itself is closed and barred, with thick metal chains across it. There doesn't even seem to be a keyhole. Clearly the Guild is taking no chances with security.
action: Rezrov door
response: As you cast the spell, the badly-written scroll vanishes.

You stutter slightly in the pronunciation—this is the most
complicated
spell you have yet cast! But the scroll was consumed, so the
Presence has had its effect. There is a slight shudder, and you
can see the chains on the door loosen infinitessimally.

Suddenly, the bar flies back with a loud THUMP and the lock clicks open. The door swings wide with an enormous CLANG.

Well, so much for stealth. But you can't panic yet. Not yet. The
Guild might assume it was a false alarm. Just get in, get the spells, get out.
action: You check what you're carrying
response: You are carrying:
your spell book
the Frobozz Colored Parchment Pack
a quill pen
a magical compass
your identification ring (being worn)
your journal
action: Examine Pack
response: This was the largest package of blank parchment you could buy without looking suspicious. The label on the shiny foil wrapping says it contains four sheets of quality magic-imbued vellum in various colors.
action: You look at the pen
response: You borrowed this from one of your professors, allegedly to practice copying your "gloth" scroll. It's large and deep blue, with a tiny enchanted diamond set in the tip.
action: You look at the compass
response: It's a large gold compass about the size of a pocketwatch, with a spell on the needle to make it always stay level. Most mages carry compasses because of how easy it is to get disoriented in magic-rich areas.
action: You look at the ring
response: A thin band of some silvery metal, with a flat copper disk in place of a stone. It's keyed to the enchanted doors on campus. It would also allow you to check out books here if the library were open.
action: You examine the door
response: The door hangs open, the bar raised and the chains shattered.
action: Go north
response: You've visited the library many times, and this room has never failed to impress you. Sunlight shone in through the circular window in the great domed ceiling, reflecting off the mosaic floor and filling the area with patterns of red and gold. The din of innumerable Enchanters and students made it feel alive.

Now, however, it is dark and silent. A few shafts of moonlight give everything an ethereal silvery glow.

Standing in the middle of the floor is a glass display case, showing off an illuminated scroll.
action: You look at the scroll
response: According to the plaque in the display case, this is one of the three original scrolls made of the "gnusto" spell. The words are surrounded by elaborate decorations picked out in lapis dye and gold leaf.
action: Gnusto scroll
response: You pause for a moment—this is a valuable artifact, after all.
Should
you really burn it up for your own personal gain?
action: Gnusto scroll
response: The glass case shouldn't pose a problem for the gnusto spell,
but you aren't very confident with this spell yet. It would be a lot easier to cast at a scroll in your hand for now.
action: Examine Pack
response: This was the largest package of blank parchment you could buy without looking suspicious. The label on the shiny foil wrapping says it contains four sheets of quality magic-imbued vellum in various colors.

[You might find the command OPEN THE PACK useful here.]
action: You open Pack
response: You tear open the foil pack, revealing four blotchy scraps of dull parchment.
action: You look at the parchment
response: Which do you mean, the 1) yellowish parchment, the 2) greenish parchment, the 3) bluish parchment, or the 4) reddish parchment?
action: 1
response: (the yellowish parchment)
The scroll has nothing written on it.
action: Gnusto scroll
response: Which do you mean, the 1) illuminated scroll, the 2) yellowish parchment, the 3) greenish parchment, the 4) bluish parchment, or the 5) reddish parchment?
action: 1
response: (the yellowish parchment)
You do not know that spell.
action: Gnusto illuminated scroll
response: The glass case shouldn't pose a problem for the gnusto spell,
but you aren't very confident with this spell yet. It would be a lot easier to cast at a scroll in your hand for now.
action: You look at the floor
response: The mosaic in the library antechamber is unlike any other you've ever seen. The tiles range in size from almost a meter across to finer than grains of sand, and seem to pull in and intensify the moonlight. Though the stones around your feet remain in one place, the rest of the floor is constantly shifting and swirling to create new messages or patterns.

The pattern of the mosaic changes: "Welcome, Wizard McSmartypants!
"

The mosaic shifts again: "Library hours: 6:00 AM to 10:00 PM today.
"
action: Go north
response: It is pitch black. You are likely to be eaten by a grue.
action: Go south
response: You've visited the library many times, and this room has never failed to impress you. Sunlight shone in through the circular window in the great domed ceiling, reflecting off the mosaic floor and filling the area with patterns of red and gold. The din of innumerable Enchanters and students made it feel alive.

Now, however, it is dark and silent. A few shafts of moonlight give everything an ethereal silvery glow.

Standing in the middle of the floor is a glass display case, showing off an illuminated scroll.

The tiles in the mosaic create a new message: "The Spell Research Area is to the north.
"
action: You go to the north-east
response: Dust, cobwebs, and not much else. Markings on the floor show that this room once contained some large boxes or trunks, but right now it is empty.
action: You examine the dust
response: Several large squares and a smaller circle are dust-free. Large objects of some sort must have been stored here until fairly recently.
action: Exits
response: The only way to go is southwest.
action: You go southwest
response: You've visited the library many times, and this room has never failed to impress you. Sunlight shone in through the circular window in the great domed ceiling, reflecting off the mosaic floor and filling the area with patterns of red and gold. The din of innumerable Enchanters and students made it feel alive.

Now, however, it is dark and silent. A few shafts of moonlight give everything an ethereal silvery glow.

Standing in the middle of the floor is a glass display case, showing off an illuminated scroll.

The mosaic shifts again: "Storage areas lie to the northeast and southeast.
"
action: You go to the east
response: As your eyes adjust, you see that you are in a simple panelled room, dominated by an orange metal box leaning against one wall. The words FROBOZZ MAGIC SCROLL DISPENSER are stencilled across one side in white, and the other is covered with a large sign explaining the proper usage.

A calendar on one wall is acting as a strange source of illumination.
action: Examine calendar
response: According to the front page, this is an official Frobozz Magic Flathead Royal Family Calendar. There appear to be 12 pages left on it.
action: You get Calendar
response: You tear a page off the calendar, and it disintegrates in your hand. (Shame—it would have made a useful light source.)
The next page reads "Estuary: Lord Dimwit Flathead the Excessive. Dimwit's nickname was given to him after his coronation ceremony, which took thirteen years to plan and lasted for eighteen months."
action: You examine sign
response: == FROBOZZ MAGIC ==
= SPELL DISPENSER =

Operating Instructions:
Press a button to dispense a spell scroll. The Frobozz Magic Spell Dispenser Company, a subsidary of FrobozzCo International, is not responsible for any injuries resulting...(blah, blah, blah)
action: 1
response: (the yellow button)
The Dispenser whirrs, then a beautifully printed square of parchment flies out of the slot at the bottom. You manage to catch it before it touches the ground.

The yellow button makes a slight clicking sound as you release it.
action: You check your inventory
response: You are carrying:
the newly-printed scroll
a yellowish parchment (blank)
a greenish parchment
a bluish parchment
a reddish parchment
your spell book
a quill pen
a magical compass
your identification ring (being worn)
your journal
action: You examine newly-printed
response: The parchment is smooth, the lettering dark and mechanically perfect: "FROTZ: cause something to give off light".
action: 2
response: The Dispenser beeps. "Only one scroll may be printed at a time. Correcting..." The old scroll crumbles to ashes.
The Dispenser whirrs, then a beautifully printed square of parchment flies out of the slot at the bottom. You manage to catch it before it touches the ground.

The blue button makes a slight clicking sound as you release it.
action: You examine the scroll
response: Which do you mean, the 1) Frobozz Magic Scroll Dispenser, the 2) newly-printed scroll, the 3) yellowish parchment, the 4) greenish parchment, the 5) bluish parchment, or the 6) reddish parchment?
action: 2
response: The parchment is smooth, the lettering dark and mechanically perfect: "BLORB: safely protect a small object as though in a strongbox".
action: You blorb yourself
response: As you cast the spell, the newly-printed scroll vanishes.

You experience the most peculiar sensation of being simultaneously shrunken and sucked into what might best be likened to a black hole. The effect is not without its exhilarating aspect; as a way of life, however, it leaves much to be desired.
action: You read the yellow button
response: ~FROTZ~
action: You read the button
response: Which do you mean, the 1) yellow button, the 2) blue button, the 3) green button, or the 4) red button?
action: All
response: Sorry, you can only have one item here. Which exactly?
action: Green
response: ~NITFOL~
action: You read the red
response: (the reddish parchment)
The scroll has nothing written on it.
action: You read the red button
response: ~LESOCH~
action: 2
response: The parchment is smooth, the lettering dark and mechanically perfect: "LESOCH: cause a gust of wind".
action: You read the lesoch
response: (the newly-printed scroll)
The parchment is smooth, the lettering dark and mechanically perfect: "LESOCH: cause a gust of wind".
action: Lesoch
response: As you cast the spell, the newly-printed scroll vanishes.

Slowly, teasingly, a small puff of wind begins to blow. It quickly builds to gale force, then hurricane force, and just as you feel you are about to be swept away, it subsides.
action: You look at what you're carrying with you
response: You are carrying:
the newly-printed scroll
a yellowish parchment (blank)
a greenish parchment
a bluish parchment
a reddish parchment (blank)
your spell book
a quill pen
a magical compass
your identification ring (being worn)
your journal
action: Frotz pen
response: As you cast the spell, the newly-printed scroll vanishes.

There is an almost blinding flash of light as the quill pen begins to glow! It slowly fades to a less painful level, but the quill pen is now quite usable as a light source.

You suddenly hear a loud CLICK from behind you. A magically recorded voice sounds from the Antechamber:

"Hello, footpad! Your after-hours spellcasting within the Library has activated one of the triggers of a Frobozz Magic Alarm Company security system. Please be aware that unless you say the correct passphrase within the next five minutes, the preset alarms will be activated. In the meantime, additional traps and triggers have been activated for your safety. Have a nice day!"

...okay, this is getting worse. But you won't panic. You won't panic. You still have five minutes before the alarms activate.
action: You go to the west
response: You've visited the library many times, and this room has never failed to impress you. Sunlight shone in through the circular window in the great domed ceiling, reflecting off the mosaic floor and filling the area with patterns of red and gold. The din of innumerable Enchanters and students made it feel alive.

Now, however, it is dark and silent. A few shafts of moonlight give everything an ethereal silvery glow.

Standing in the middle of the floor is a glass display case, showing off an illuminated scroll.

The pattern of the mosaic changes: "To the east is the Basic Spells Collection.
"
action: Go southeast
response: (first trying to open the wooden door)
It seems to be locked.

The mosaic shifts again: "Returns are processed to the southwest.
"
action: You go south
response: A spell book can be reasonably well concealed, but it would be hard to explain how you came by the newly-printed scroll.

The tiles in the mosaic create a new message: "Scrying crystals are available to the northwest.
"
action: You go northeast
response: You've visited the library many times, and this room has never failed to impress you. Sunlight shone in through the circular window in the great domed ceiling, reflecting off the mosaic floor and filling the area with patterns of red and gold. The din of innumerable Enchanters and students made it feel alive.

Now, however, it is dark and silent. A few shafts of moonlight give everything an ethereal silvery glow.

Standing in the middle of the floor is a glass display case, showing off an illuminated scroll.

The pattern of the mosaic changes: "The Main Stacks are to the west.
"
action: Go west
response: This is the main area of the library, extending seemingly infinitely to the east and west. The tallest shelves are over twice your height, and some residual light spells bathe everything in a dim yellow glow. It would take a lifetime to read every book.

A book catches your eye: A Brief History of Magic by Gustar
Woomax.

Sitting on a wooden podium near one wall is one volume of the Encyclopedia Frobozzica.
action: You read History
response: ...But, in spite of the rigors of spell casting, the personal rewards are great, and the job of Enchanter remains a popular and well-respected vocation...
action: You keep going
response: ...The problem of imbuing Presence became a deterrent to the rapid growth of magical science. The creation of a single powerful scroll could take literally months for even most creative and productive thaumaturge...
action: You continue
response: ...Bizboz himself wrote what became the seminal work in Thaumaturgy, "On the Presence of Incredibly Weird Stuff Going On," in 473 GUE, in which he claimed to have discovered "for-the-most-part-Natural Rules" by which this Weird Stuff is ordered...
action: Continue
response: ...Berzio, working for years in his own self-made workshop and often going for days without food, drink, or sleep, created the means by which Presence could be transferred from a scroll to a specially impregnated paper by use of a simple spell, which he named after his dog, Gnusto...
action: You examine Frobozzica
response: The volume here is titled "Magical Spells and Effects". It's about 24 inches tall, 18 inches wide, and 12 inches thick. You flip to an entry at random: guncho*: banish the victim to another plane of existence

*note: too powerful for gnusto

[You might find the command LOOK UP (X) IN ENCYCLOPEDIA useful
here.]
action: You look up the gnusto in Encyclopedia
response: gnusto: write a magic spell into a spellbook
action: You look up the yomin in Encyclopedia
response: yomin: mind probe
action: Go east
response: You've visited the library many times, and this room has never failed to impress you. Sunlight shone in through the circular window in the great domed ceiling, reflecting off the mosaic floor and filling the area with patterns of red and gold. The din of innumerable Enchanters and students made it feel alive.

Now, however, it is dark and silent. A few shafts of moonlight give everything an ethereal silvery glow.

Standing in the middle of the floor is a glass display case, showing off an illuminated scroll.

The tiles in the mosaic create a new message: "This mosaic was enchanted by H. Ondricek and M. T. Winter of the Class of 925.
"
action: Go southeast
response: You've visited the library many times, and this room has never failed to impress you. Sunlight shone in through the circular window in the great domed ceiling, reflecting off the mosaic floor and filling the area with patterns of red and gold. The din of innumerable Enchanters and students made it feel alive.

Now, however, it is dark and silent. A few shafts of moonlight give everything an ethereal silvery glow.

Standing in the middle of the floor is a glass display case, showing off an illuminated scroll.

The mosaic shifts again: "Welcome, Wizard McSmartypants!
"
action: You examine the glass
response: In the display case is an illuminated scroll.

"This illuminated manuscript was one of the first three created by the famed magician Berzio in 769 GUE. The gnusto spell is
considered one of the most important discoveries in modern thaumaturgy, as it allows a spell to be cast multiple times without requiring multiple spell scrolls."

The tiles in the mosaic create a new message: "Library hours: 6:00 AM to 10:00 PM today.
"
action: You frotz yourself
response: As you cast the spell, the newly-printed scroll vanishes.

There is an almost blinding flash of light. You are bathed in a shimmering golden glow, bright enough to read by.

The mosaic shifts again: "The Spell Research Area is to the north.
"
You suddenly hear a loud CLICK from behind you. A magically recorded voice sounds from somewhere above you:

"Hello, footpad! Your after-hours spellcasting within the Library has activated one of the triggers of a Frobozz Magic Alarm Company security system. Please be aware that unless you say the correct passphrase within the next five minutes, the preset alarms will be activated. In the meantime, additional traps and triggers have been activated for your safety. Have a nice day!"

...okay, this is getting worse. But you won't panic. You won't panic. You still have five minutes before the alarms activate.
action: Go north
response: This is the area where advanced students can work out variations on old spells or attempt (with close supervision) to create simple enchantments from scratch.

Lying on the workbench is a scribbled spell scroll, probably a student's forgotten experiment.

A long workbench lines one of the walls. Judging from the amount of strange machinery around it, the alarm recording wasn't lying about the traps—magic-users have a tendency to make things overly complicated in case of unlikely eventualities. It might not be a good idea to touch anything until the trap can be deactivated.

The recorded voice speaks again: "Four minutes and thirty seconds."
action: You read scribbled
response: You would need to unroll it before you could read the spell.

"Four minutes."
action: Unroll scribbled
response: As you reach out, your weight falls on the bench for a moment. With a grinding of gears, the bench sinks slightly into the floor. It seems that the additional weight has activated a trap, and before you can dodge backwards a cleesh spell fires at you from a mechanism in the ceiling.
action: You frotz yourself
response: As you cast the spell, the newly-printed scroll vanishes.

There is an almost blinding flash of light. You are bathed in a shimmering golden glow, bright enough to read by.

The tiles in the mosaic create a new message: "Library hours: 6:00 AM to 10:00 PM today.
"
You suddenly hear a loud CLICK from behind you. A magically recorded voice sounds from somewhere above you:

"Hello, footpad! Your after-hours spellcasting within the Library has activated one of the triggers of a Frobozz Magic Alarm Company security system. Please be aware that unless you say the correct passphrase within the next five minutes, the preset alarms will be activated. In the meantime, additional traps and triggers have been activated for your safety. Have a nice day!"

...okay, this is getting worse. But you won't panic. You won't panic. You still have five minutes before the alarms activate.
action: You go to the southeast
response: (first trying to open the wooden door)
It seems to be locked.

The pattern of the mosaic changes: "The Spell Research Area is to the north.
"
The recorded voice speaks again: "Four minutes and thirty seconds."
action: Go south
response: Now that the alarm has been tripped, it is unlikely that you would find it so easy to break in again. You decide not to leave until you've collected...let's say...twelve spells. Yes, twelve sounds good.

The mosaic shifts again: "The Spell Research Area is to the north.
"
The recorded voice speaks again: "Four minutes and thirty seconds."
action: Go southwest
response: This is the room where book returns are processed. It's one of the few areas of the library you've been in before, but you vividly remember the Frobozz Magic Reshelving Device. You placed your book on the mahogany input tray, then watched as it was drawn up a conveyor belt and slid over a series of differently-shaped slots until it fell through the right one.

A purple tome lies on the input tray, ready for reshelving.

The recorded voice speaks again: "Four minutes and thirty seconds."
action: You examine Tome
response: A heavy purple tome, titled the "Tome of Psychological Incantations". The first third of the book is a long treatise on the theory behind mind-affecting spells, and you can only understand about one word in every seven. The second gives background information on various incantations. But the third seems the most promising:
YOMIN: mind probe
SERAGE: force temporary obedience

"Four minutes."
action: You go to the north-east
response: You've visited the library many times, and this room has never failed to impress you. Sunlight shone in through the circular window in the great domed ceiling, reflecting off the mosaic floor and filling the area with patterns of red and gold. The din of innumerable Enchanters and students made it feel alive.

Now, however, it is dark and silent. A few shafts of moonlight give everything an ethereal silvery glow.

Standing in the middle of the floor is a glass display case, showing off an illuminated scroll.

The mosaic flickers to "Hello, footpad!" before resuming its normal cycle.

The mosaic shifts again: "The Spell Research Area is to the north.
"
action: You go to the west
response: This is the main area of the library, extending seemingly infinitely to the east and west. The tallest shelves are over twice your height, and some residual light spells bathe everything in a dim yellow glow. It would take a lifetime to read every book.

A book catches your eye: Legends by P. D. Lebling.

Sitting on a wooden podium near one wall is one volume of the Encyclopedia Frobozzica.

"Three minutes."
action: You go northwest
response: The walls and shelves of this room are lined with mirrors and crystals of all types. Presumably you would have learned to scry in a more advanced Thaumaturgy class, but it wasn't covered in the first or second year of studies.

Almost all of them are deactivated for the night, but if you searched you might find some that had been left on.

A glass cabinet on one of the shelves contains a blue-and-silver book, titled De Evocatio. Books kept in these rooms tend to contain
spells relevant to the equipment there, so presumably it contains spells for scrying.

"Three minutes."
action: Examine book
response: (your spell book)
You have written "Wizard's Spell Book" hopefully across the first page, and added headings for the first few spells, but no magic is yet contained in it.
action: You examine the Evocatio
response: This is a nice spell book, bound in blue cloth with silver stitching on the cover and spine. The title (almost) means "On Evocation" or "On Summoning". It contains the following spells:
ZIFMIA: magically summon a being
VEZZA: view the future

"Two minutes." That voice is getting really irritating.
action: Search scrying
response: The walls and shelves of this room are lined with mirrors and crystals of all types. Presumably you would have learned to scry in a more advanced Thaumaturgy class, but it wasn't covered in the first or second year of studies.

A glass cabinet on one of the shelves contains a blue-and-silver book, titled De Evocatio. Books kept in these rooms tend to contain
spells relevant to the equipment there, so presumably it contains spells for scrying.
action: Search mirrors
response: They come in all different shapes and sizes: a stained mirror and a gilt mirror catch your eye. Most are dark and foggy, but you notice two palantiri (a small red sphere and a small blue sphere) and a wall-sized mirror glowing with inner light.

Strangely enough, there also appears to be a glass aquarium on one of the shelves. It looks rather out of place with no water in it.

"One minute. Please say the passphrase now."
action: You examine the red sphere
response: Instead of a reflection, the small red sphere seems to show a different view, as if it were a window to another world...

The walls and shelves of this room are lined with mirrors and crystals of all types. Presumably you would have learned to scry in a more advanced Thaumaturgy class, but it wasn't covered in the first or second year of studies.

A glass cabinet on one of the shelves contains a blue-and-silver book, titled De Evocatio. Books kept in these rooms tend to contain
spells relevant to the equipment there, so presumably it contains spells for scrying.

You can also see a glass aquarium (closed) (in which is a small transparent sphere) here.

...you step back from the mirror, and take a moment to regain your bearings.

"This is your last chance to deactivate the alarm."
action: You look in the mirror
response: Which do you mean, the 1) stained mirror, the 2) gilt mirror, or the 3) wall-sized mirror?
action: Gilt
response: You see reflected in the mirror one of the most stunningly beautiful women you have ever laid eyes on. You take a moment to adjust your hair. There, that's better.

"The alarms have been activated, and the exits are now sealed. Goodbye." Okay, now might be a time to panic.
action: You examine stained
response: You see reflected in the mirror one of the most stunningly beautiful women you have ever laid eyes on. You take a moment to straighten your student cloak. There, that's better.

You can't hear anyone approaching. Maybe you still have some time.
action: You look ithe wall-sized mirror
response: Instead of a reflection, the wall-sized mirror seems to show a different view, as if it were a window to another world...

You are in a splendid chamber, about thirty feet high. The walls look like rivers of orange stone, magically frozen for eternity around you. An awkward canyon leads to the east, and a slightly larger passage opens out to the west.

In the darkness you see an adventurer holding a bright carbide lamp.

...you step back from the mirror, and take a moment to regain your bearings.

Perhaps all the Enchanters who would have heard the alarm are still asleep.
action: You go southeast
response: You've visited the library many times, and this room has never failed to impress you. Sunlight shone in through the circular window in the great domed ceiling, reflecting off the mosaic floor and filling the area with patterns of red and gold. The din of innumerable Enchanters and students made it feel alive.

Now, however, it is dark and silent. A few shafts of moonlight give everything an ethereal silvery glow.

Standing in the middle of the floor is a glass display case, showing off an illuminated scroll.

The mosaic flickers to "Hello, footpad!" before resuming its normal cycle.

The pattern of the mosaic changes: "Storage areas lie to the northeast and southeast.
"
Still nobody has arrived. Even if it took them a few minutes to wake up, they should be here by now.
action: You go south
response: Now that the alarm has been tripped, it is unlikely that you would find it so easy to break in again. You decide not to leave until you've collected...let's say...twelve spells. Yes, twelve sounds good.

The tiles in the mosaic create a new message: "To the east is the Basic Spells Collection.
"
Something is very wrong—it only takes thirty seconds at most to cast an aimfiz spell, and you probably set off a high-priority alarm.
action: Go southwest
response: This is the room where book returns are processed. It's one of the few areas of the library you've been in before, but you vividly remember the Frobozz Magic Reshelving Device. You placed your book on the mahogany input tray, then watched as it was drawn up a conveyor belt and slid over a series of differently-shaped slots until it fell through the right one.

The Tome of Psychological Incantations lies on the input tray, ready for reshelving.

Perhaps it's because of the meeting in Borphee? Perhaps the people who were supposed to hear the alarm...aren't back yet?
action: You get tome
response: Taken.

Even though it's not yours, you expect you could memorize and cast spells from the Tome of Psychological Incantations or another spell book without much difficulty.

Still nobody has appeared. You can start to relax a bit.
action: Go northeast
response: As the purple tome touches the doorway, it seems to hit an invisible barrier and falls from your hand! A recorded voice sounds from the Reshelver: "This book is not checked out to you. Please wait for the return to be processed."
Library Antechamber
You've visited the library many times, and this room has never failed to impress you. Sunlight shone in through the circular window in the great domed ceiling, reflecting off the mosaic floor and filling the area with patterns of red and gold. The din of innumerable Enchanters and students made it feel alive.

Now, however, it is dark and silent. A few shafts of moonlight give everything an ethereal silvery glow.

Standing in the middle of the floor is a glass display case, showing off an illuminated scroll.

The mosaic flickers to "Hello, footpad!" before resuming its normal cycle.

The mosaic shifts again: "Returns are processed to the southwest.
"
You're starting to think that nobody heard the alarm after all.
action: You go northwest
response: The walls and shelves of this room are lined with mirrors and crystals of all types. Presumably you would have learned to scry in a more advanced Thaumaturgy class, but it wasn't covered in the first or second year of studies.

A glass cabinet on one of the shelves contains a blue-and-silver book, titled De Evocatio. Books kept in these rooms tend to contain
spells relevant to the equipment there, so presumably it contains spells for scrying.

You can also see a glass aquarium (closed) (in which is a small transparent sphere), a small red sphere, and a small blue sphere here.
action: You examine the aquarium
response: In the glass aquarium is a small transparent sphere.
action: You examine transparent
response: Instead of a reflection, the small transparent sphere seems to show a different view, as if it were a window to another world...

Storage Area (on the dented table)
A rusty iron key seems to have been left in the keyhole.

Around the table, strange objects are piled almost four feet high. You don't even recognize what most of it is, much less what might be useful or magical.

...you step back from the mirror, and take a moment to regain your bearings.
action: Go southeast
response: You've visited the library many times, and this room has never failed to impress you. Sunlight shone in through the circular window in the great domed ceiling, reflecting off the mosaic floor and filling the area with patterns of red and gold. The din of innumerable Enchanters and students made it feel alive.

Now, however, it is dark and silent. A few shafts of moonlight give everything an ethereal silvery glow.

Standing in the middle of the floor is a glass display case, showing off an illuminated scroll.

The tiles in the mosaic create a new message: "Scrying crystals are available to the northwest.
"
action: You go to the west
response: This is the main area of the library, extending seemingly infinitely to the east and west. The tallest shelves are over twice your height, and some residual light spells bathe everything in a dim yellow glow. It would take a lifetime to read every book.

A book catches your eye: Total Control by A. Schultz.

Sitting on a wooden podium near one wall is one volume of the Encyclopedia Frobozzica.
action: You examine the total Control
response: ...since then, spells such as serage has been strictly
regulated due to the obvious potential for abuse...
action: You go east
response: You've visited the library many times, and this room has never failed to impress you. Sunlight shone in through the circular window in the great domed ceiling, reflecting off the mosaic floor and filling the area with patterns of red and gold. The din of innumerable Enchanters and students made it feel alive.

Now, however, it is dark and silent. A few shafts of moonlight give everything an ethereal silvery glow.

Standing in the middle of the floor is a glass display case, showing off an illuminated scroll.

The mosaic shifts again: "The Main Stacks are to the west.
"
action: You go northwest
response: The walls and shelves of this room are lined with mirrors and crystals of all types. Presumably you would have learned to scry in a more advanced Thaumaturgy class, but it wasn't covered in the first or second year of studies.

A glass cabinet on one of the shelves contains a blue-and-silver book, titled De Evocatio. Books kept in these rooms tend to contain
spells relevant to the equipment there, so presumably it contains spells for scrying.

You can also see a glass aquarium (closed) (in which is a small transparent sphere), a small red sphere, and a small blue sphere here.
action: You get tome
response: The last time you saw the Tome of Psychological Incantations, it was in your possession.
action: You get the book
response: (De Evocatio)
(first trying to open the glass cabinet)
It seems to be locked.
action: You examine the glass cabinet
response: A simple cabinet with a tiny metal lock on one side.

In the glass cabinet is De Evocatio.
action: You go to the southeast
response: You've visited the library many times, and this room has never failed to impress you. Sunlight shone in through the circular window in the great domed ceiling, reflecting off the mosaic floor and filling the area with patterns of red and gold. The din of innumerable Enchanters and students made it feel alive.

Now, however, it is dark and silent. A few shafts of moonlight give everything an ethereal silvery glow.

Standing in the middle of the floor is a glass display case, showing off an illuminated scroll.

The pattern of the mosaic changes: "This mosaic was enchanted by H. Ondricek and M. T. Winter of the Class of 925.
"
action: You go to the east
response: As your eyes adjust, you see that you are in a simple panelled room, dominated by an orange metal box leaning against one wall. The words FROBOZZ MAGIC SCROLL DISPENSER are stencilled across one side in white, and the other is covered with a large sign explaining the proper usage.

A calendar on one wall is acting as a strange source of illumination.
action: Go west
response: You've visited the library many times, and this room has never failed to impress you. Sunlight shone in through the circular window in the great domed ceiling, reflecting off the mosaic floor and filling the area with patterns of red and gold. The din of innumerable Enchanters and students made it feel alive.

Now, however, it is dark and silent. A few shafts of moonlight give everything an ethereal silvery glow.

Standing in the middle of the floor is a glass display case, showing off an illuminated scroll.

The tiles in the mosaic create a new message: "Welcome, Wizard McSmartypants!
"
action: Go north
response: This is the area where advanced students can work out variations on old spells or attempt (with close supervision) to create simple enchantments from scratch.

Lying on the workbench is a scribbled spell scroll, probably a student's forgotten experiment.

A long workbench lines one of the walls. Judging from the amount of strange machinery around it, the alarm recording wasn't lying about the traps—magic-users have a tendency to make things overly complicated in case of unlikely eventualities. It might not be a good idea to touch anything until the trap can be deactivated.
action: Lesoch
response: As you cast the spell, the newly-printed scroll vanishes.

Slowly, teasingly, a small puff of wind begins to blow. It quickly builds to gale force, then hurricane force, and just as you feel you are about to be swept away, it subsides.
Looking around, the room looks somewhat messier than before. The wind blew various bits of debris off the workbench—including the
scribbled
scroll.
action: You get scribbled
response: Taken.
action: You look at it
response: The scroll reads "rezrov: open even locked or enchanted objects".

The handwriting on this scroll is much neater than on the one you opened the doors with. Hopefully it will work.
action: You get stained
response: The last time you saw the stained mirror, it was in the Scrying Room.
action: You go south
response: You've visited the library many times, and this room has never failed to impress you. Sunlight shone in through the circular window in the great domed ceiling, reflecting off the mosaic floor and filling the area with patterns of red and gold. The din of innumerable Enchanters and students made it feel alive.

Now, however, it is dark and silent. A few shafts of moonlight give everything an ethereal silvery glow.

Standing in the middle of the floor is a glass display case, showing off an illuminated scroll.

The pattern of the mosaic changes: "Library hours: 6:00 AM to 10:00 PM today.
"
action: You go northwest
response: The walls and shelves of this room are lined with mirrors and crystals of all types. Presumably you would have learned to scry in a more advanced Thaumaturgy class, but it wasn't covered in the first or second year of studies.

A glass cabinet on one of the shelves contains a blue-and-silver book, titled De Evocatio. Books kept in these rooms tend to contain
spells relevant to the equipment there, so presumably it contains spells for scrying.

You can also see a glass aquarium (closed) (in which is a small transparent sphere), a small red sphere, and a small blue sphere here.
action: Rezrov case
response: You pause for a moment—you don't know where you might find another rezrov scroll, so you should probably make a copy of this one before you destroy it.
action: You read the book
response: You have written "Wizard's Spell Book" hopefully across the first page, and added headings for the first few spells, but no magic is yet contained in it.

The pattern of the mosaic changes: "Storage areas lie to the northeast and southeast.
"
action: Gnusto rezrov
response: You do not know that spell.

The tiles in the mosaic create a new message: "To the east is the Basic Spells Collection.
"
action: Rezrov case
response: As you cast the spell, the scribbled scroll vanishes.

The case shatters with an enormous CRASH, shards of glass flying everywhere! You shield your eyes until they seem to have settled.

The pattern of the mosaic changes: "Returns are processed to the southwest.
"
action: You look around
response: You've visited the library many times, and this room has never failed to impress you. Sunlight shone in through the circular window in the great domed ceiling, reflecting off the mosaic floor and filling the area with patterns of red and gold. The din of innumerable Enchanters and students made it feel alive.

Now, however, it is dark and silent. A few shafts of moonlight give everything an ethereal silvery glow.

Standing in the middle of the floor is a glass display case, showing off an illuminated scroll.

The pattern of the mosaic changes: "Returns are processed to the southwest.
"
action: You examine the quill
response: You borrowed this from one of your professors, allegedly to practice copying your "gloth" scroll. It's large and deep blue, with a tiny enchanted diamond set in the tip.

The mosaic shifts again: "Scrying crystals are available to the northwest.
"
action: Examine box
response: A wide orange box, with a row of buttons on the front above a long slot.

A large sign attached to the top explains how to properly dispense scrolls.
action: You look at the quill
response: You borrowed this from one of your professors, allegedly to practice copying your "gloth" scroll. It's large and deep blue, with a tiny enchanted diamond set in the tip.
action: You check what you're carrying
response: You are carrying:
a scribbled scroll
a yellowish parchment (blank)
a greenish parchment
a bluish parchment
a reddish parchment (blank)
your spell book
a quill pen
a magical compass
your identification ring (being worn)
your journal
action: You copy the gnusto to the yellowish
response: You meticulously copy the writing from the illuminated scroll to the yellowish parchment.

The tiles in the mosaic create a new message: "This mosaic was enchanted by H. Ondricek and M. T. Winter of the Class of 925.
"
action: You examine yellowish
response: The scroll reads "gnusto: write a magic spell into a spellbook".
The mosaic shifts again: "Welcome, Wizard McSmartypants!
"
action: Inventory
response: You are carrying:
a scribbled scroll
a yellowish parchment (bearing the gnusto spell)
a greenish parchment
a bluish parchment
a reddish parchment (blank)
your spell book
a quill pen
a magical compass
your identification ring (being worn)
your journal

The pattern of the mosaic changes: "Library hours: 6:00 AM to 10:00 PM today.
"
action: Gnusto rezrov
response: As you cast the spell, the yellowish parchment vanishes.

Your spell book begins to glow softly. Slowly, ornately, the words of the rezrov spell are inscribed, glowing even more brightly than the book itself. The book's brightness fades, but the spell remains! However, the scribbled scroll on which it was written vanishes as the last word is copied.

The tiles in the mosaic create a new message: "The Spell Research Area is to the north.
"
action: Memorize rezrov
response: Using your best study habits, you learn the rezrov spell.

The mosaic shifts again: "Storage areas lie to the northeast and southeast.
"
action: You go northwest
response: The walls and shelves of this room are lined with mirrors and crystals of all types. Presumably you would have learned to scry in a more advanced Thaumaturgy class, but it wasn't covered in the first or second year of studies.

A glass cabinet on one of the shelves contains a blue-and-silver book, titled De Evocatio. Books kept in these rooms tend to contain
spells relevant to the equipment there, so presumably it contains spells for scrying.

You can also see a glass aquarium (closed) (in which is a small transparent sphere), a small red sphere, and a small blue sphere here.
action: Rezrov aquarium
response: (first memorizing rezrov)
You complete the spell, but the aquarium refuses to open. It appears to be a solid cube of crystal, and the rezrov spell isn't powerful enough to force it open.
action: Rezrov cabinet
response: (first memorizing rezrov)
The glass cabinet clicks open.
action: You open the cabinet
response: That's already open.
action: You get tome
response: The last time you saw the Tome of Psychological Incantations, it was in your possession.
action: You get the book
response: (De Evocatio)
Taken.
action: Go southeast
response: You've visited the library many times, and this room has never failed to impress you. Sunlight shone in through the circular window in the great domed ceiling, reflecting off the mosaic floor and filling the area with patterns of red and gold. The din of innumerable Enchanters and students made it feel alive.

Now, however, it is dark and silent. A few shafts of moonlight give everything an ethereal silvery glow.

Standing in the middle of the floor is a glass display case, showing off an illuminated scroll.

The tiles in the mosaic create a new message: "To the east is the Basic Spells Collection.
"
action: You copy the gnusto
response: What do you want to copy the illuminated scroll on?
action: Blue
response: Which do you mean, 1) De Evocatio or the 2) bluish parchment?
action: 2
response: You meticulously copy the writing from the illuminated scroll to the bluish parchment.

The pattern of the mosaic changes: "Returns are processed to the southwest.
"
action: You copy the gnusto to the red
response: (the illuminated scroll to the reddish parchment)
You meticulously copy the writing from the illuminated scroll to the reddish parchment.

The mosaic shifts again: "Scrying crystals are available to the northwest.
"
action: Gnusto gnusto
response: As you cast the spell, the reddish parchment vanishes.

Your spell book begins to glow softly. Slowly, ornately, the words of the gnusto spell are inscribed, glowing even more brightly than the book itself. The book's brightness fades, but the spell remains! However, the bluish parchment on which it was written vanishes as the last word is copied.

The pattern of the mosaic changes: "The Main Stacks are to the west.
"
action: Inventory
response: You are carrying:
De Evocatio
a greenish parchment
your spell book
a quill pen
a magical compass
your identification ring (being worn)
your journal

The mosaic shifts again: "This mosaic was enchanted by H. Ondricek and M. T. Winter of the Class of 925.
"
action: You examine the Evocatio
response: This is a nice spell book, bound in blue cloth with silver stitching on the cover and spine. The title (almost) means "On Evocation" or "On Summoning". It contains the following spells:
ZIFMIA: magically summon a being
VEZZA: view the future

The tiles in the mosaic create a new message: "Welcome, Wizard McSmartypants!
"
action: Gnusto zifmia
response: (first memorizing gnusto)
The spell fizzles. Unlike spell scrolls, spell books are magically guarded against the 'theft' of their lore.

The pattern of the mosaic changes: "Library hours: 6:00 AM to 10:00 PM today.
"
action: Gnusto newly
response: (first memorizing gnusto)
Your spell book begins to glow softly. Slowly, ornately, the words of the lesoch spell are inscribed, glowing even more brightly than the book itself. The book's brightness fades, but the spell remains! However, the newly-printed scroll on which it was written vanishes as the last word is copied.
action: Gnusto newly
response: (first memorizing gnusto)
Your spell book begins to glow softly. Slowly, ornately, the words of the blorb spell are inscribed, glowing even more brightly than the book itself. The book's brightness fades, but the spell remains! However, the newly-printed scroll on which it was written vanishes as the last word is copied.
action: Gnusto newly
response: (first memorizing gnusto)
Your spell book begins to glow softly. Slowly, ornately, the words of the frotz spell are inscribed, glowing even more brightly than the book itself. The book's brightness fades, but the spell remains! However, the newly-printed scroll on which it was written vanishes as the last word is copied.
action: 3
response: The Dispenser whirrs, then a beautifully printed square of parchment flies out of the slot at the bottom. You manage to catch it before it touches the ground.

The green button makes a slight clicking sound as you release it.
action: Gnusto newly
response: (first memorizing gnusto)
Your spell book begins to glow softly. Slowly, ornately, the words of the nitfol spell are inscribed, glowing even more brightly than the book itself. The book's brightness fades, but the spell remains! However, the newly-printed scroll on which it was written vanishes as the last word is copied.
action: You hold red button
response: That seems to be a part of the row of buttons.
action: You look at the book
response: Which do you mean, 1) De Evocatio or 2) your spell book?
action: 2
response: GNUSTO: write a magic spell into a spellbook
FROTZ: cause something to give off light
BLORB: safely protect a small object as though in a strongbox
NITFOL: converse with beasts in their own tongue
REZROV: open even locked or enchanted objects
LESOCH: cause a gust of wind
action: Go west
response: You've visited the library many times, and this room has never failed to impress you. Sunlight shone in through the circular window in the great domed ceiling, reflecting off the mosaic floor and filling the area with patterns of red and gold. The din of innumerable Enchanters and students made it feel alive.

Now, however, it is dark and silent. A few shafts of moonlight give everything an ethereal silvery glow.

Standing in the middle of the floor is a glass display case, showing off an illuminated scroll.

The mosaic shifts again: "The Spell Research Area is to the north.
"
action: Go south
response: A spell book can be reasonably well concealed, but it would be hard to explain how you came by the newly-printed scroll.

The tiles in the mosaic create a new message: "Storage areas lie to the northeast and southeast.
"
action: You examine newly
response: The parchment is smooth, the lettering dark and mechanically perfect: "LESOCH: cause a gust of wind".

The mosaic shifts again: "To the east is the Basic Spells Collection. "
action: Go southwest
response: This is the room where book returns are processed. It's one of the few areas of the library you've been in before, but you vividly remember the Frobozz Magic Reshelving Device. You placed your book on the mahogany input tray, then watched as it was drawn up a conveyor belt and slid over a series of differently-shaped slots until it fell through the right one.

You can see the Tome of Psychological Incantations here.
action: You get tome
response: Taken.
action: You go northeast
response: As the purple tome touches the doorway, it seems to hit an invisible barrier and falls from your hand! A recorded voice sounds from the Reshelver: "This book is not checked out to you. Please wait for the return to be processed."
Library Antechamber
You've visited the library many times, and this room has never failed to impress you. Sunlight shone in through the circular window in the great domed ceiling, reflecting off the mosaic floor and filling the area with patterns of red and gold. The din of innumerable Enchanters and students made it feel alive.

Now, however, it is dark and silent. A few shafts of moonlight give everything an ethereal silvery glow.

Standing in the middle of the floor is a glass display case, showing off an illuminated scroll.

The tiles in the mosaic create a new message: "Returns are processed to the southwest.
"
action: You go to the north-east
response: Dust, cobwebs, and not much else. Markings on the floor show that this room once contained some large boxes or trunks, but right now it is empty.
action: Go southwest
response: You've visited the library many times, and this room has never failed to impress you. Sunlight shone in through the circular window in the great domed ceiling, reflecting off the mosaic floor and filling the area with patterns of red and gold. The din of innumerable Enchanters and students made it feel alive.

Now, however, it is dark and silent. A few shafts of moonlight give everything an ethereal silvery glow.

Standing in the middle of the floor is a glass display case, showing off an illuminated scroll.

The pattern of the mosaic changes: "Scrying crystals are available to the northwest.
"
action: Go southwest
response: This is the room where book returns are processed. It's one of the few areas of the library you've been in before, but you vividly remember the Frobozz Magic Reshelving Device. You placed your book on the mahogany input tray, then watched as it was drawn up a conveyor belt and slid over a series of differently-shaped slots until it fell through the right one.

You can see the Tome of Psychological Incantations here.
action: You put scroll on the tray
response: Which do you mean, the 1) newly-printed scroll or the 2) greenish parchment?
action: 1
response: (the newly-printed scroll on the mahogany input tray)
You put the newly-printed scroll on the mahogany input tray.
action: You get tome
response: Taken.
action: Go northeast
response: As the purple tome touches the doorway, it seems to hit an invisible barrier and falls from your hand! A recorded voice sounds from the Reshelver: "This book is not checked out to you. Please wait for the return to be processed."
Library Antechamber
You've visited the library many times, and this room has never failed to impress you. Sunlight shone in through the circular window in the great domed ceiling, reflecting off the mosaic floor and filling the area with patterns of red and gold. The din of innumerable Enchanters and students made it feel alive.

Now, however, it is dark and silent. A few shafts of moonlight give everything an ethereal silvery glow.

Standing in the middle of the floor is a glass display case, showing off an illuminated scroll.

The mosaic shifts again: "The Main Stacks are to the west.
"
action: You examine Device
response: A hulking contraption of bronze and iron, currently deactivated for the night.
action: You turn on Device
response: You don't see any obvious way to do that. You'd need to ask one of the Librarians.
action: You examine Tome
response: A heavy purple tome, titled the "Tome of Psychological Incantations". The first third of the book is a long treatise on the theory behind mind-affecting spells, and you can only understand about one word in every seven. The second gives background information on various incantations. But the third seems the most promising:
YOMIN: mind probe
SERAGE: force temporary obedience
action: Memorize yomin
response: Using your best study habits, you learn the yomin spell.
action: You memorize the SERAGE
response: Using your best study habits, you learn the serage spell.
action: Examine de
response: This is a nice spell book, bound in blue cloth with silver stitching on the cover and spine. The title (almost) means "On Evocation" or "On Summoning". It contains the following spells:
ZIFMIA: magically summon a being
VEZZA: view the future
action: You memorize ZIFMIA
response: Using your best study habits, you learn the zifmia spell.
action: ZIFMIA
response: That enchantment must be cast at something.
action: You look around
response: This is the room where book returns are processed. It's one of the few areas of the library you've been in before, but you vividly remember the Frobozz Magic Reshelving Device. You placed your book on the mahogany input tray, then watched as it was drawn up a conveyor belt and slid over a series of differently-shaped slots until it fell through the right one.
action: Vezza
response: (first memorizing vezza)
You see a startling location of transparent walls, twinkling with reflected light.
action: Spells
response: You have the rezrov spell once, the zifmia spell once, and the yomin spell once and the serage spell once committed to memory.
action: You cast the SERAGE on Device
response: (first memorizing serage)
You cast the spell, but nothing obvious happens.
action: You go northeast
response: As the purple tome touches the doorway, it seems to hit an invisible barrier and falls from your hand! A recorded voice sounds from the Reshelver: "This book is not checked out to you. Please wait for the return to be processed."
Library Antechamber
You've visited the library many times, and this room has never failed to impress you. Sunlight shone in through the circular window in the great domed ceiling, reflecting off the mosaic floor and filling the area with patterns of red and gold. The din of innumerable Enchanters and students made it feel alive.

Now, however, it is dark and silent. A few shafts of moonlight give everything an ethereal silvery glow.

Standing in the middle of the floor is a glass display case, showing off an illuminated scroll.

The tiles in the mosaic create a new message: "This mosaic was enchanted by H. Ondricek and M. T. Winter of the Class of 925.
"
action: Go west
response: This is the main area of the library, extending seemingly infinitely to the east and west. The tallest shelves are over twice your height, and some residual light spells bathe everything in a dim yellow glow. It would take a lifetime to read every book.

A book catches your eye: Field Guide to the Creatures of
Frobozz by S. Meretzky.

Sitting on a wooden podium near one wall is one volume of the Encyclopedia Frobozzica.
action: You go east
response: You've visited the library many times, and this room has never failed to impress you. Sunlight shone in through the circular window in the great domed ceiling, reflecting off the mosaic floor and filling the area with patterns of red and gold. The din of innumerable Enchanters and students made it feel alive.

Now, however, it is dark and silent. A few shafts of moonlight give everything an ethereal silvery glow.

Standing in the middle of the floor is a glass display case, showing off an illuminated scroll.

The mosaic shifts again: "Welcome, Wizard McSmartypants!
"
action: You go to the northwest
response: The walls and shelves of this room are lined with mirrors and crystals of all types. Presumably you would have learned to scry in a more advanced Thaumaturgy class, but it wasn't covered in the first or second year of studies.

You can see a glass aquarium (closed) (in which is a small transparent sphere), a small red sphere, a small blue sphere, and a glass cabinet (empty) here.
action: You look in the red sphere
response: Instead of a reflection, the small red sphere seems to show a different view, as if it were a window to another world...

The walls and shelves of this room are lined with mirrors and crystals of all types. Presumably you would have learned to scry in a more advanced Thaumaturgy class, but it wasn't covered in the first or second year of studies.

You can see a glass aquarium (closed) (in which is a small transparent sphere) and a glass cabinet (empty) here.

...you step back from the mirror, and take a moment to regain your bearings.
action: You look in the blue sphere
response: Instead of a reflection, the small blue sphere seems to show a different view, as if it were a window to another world...

The walls and shelves of this room are lined with mirrors and crystals of all types. Presumably you would have learned to scry in a more advanced Thaumaturgy class, but it wasn't covered in the first or second year of studies.

You can see a glass aquarium (closed) (in which is a small transparent sphere) and a glass cabinet (empty) here.

...you step back from the mirror, and take a moment to regain your bearings.
action: You look ithe wall-sized mirror
response: Instead of a reflection, the wall-sized mirror seems to show a different view, as if it were a window to another world...

You are in a splendid chamber, about thirty feet high. The walls look like rivers of orange stone, magically frozen for eternity around you. An awkward canyon leads to the east, and a slightly larger passage opens out to the west.

In the darkness you see an adventurer holding a bright carbide lamp.

...you step back from the mirror, and take a moment to regain your bearings.
action: You get blue
response: (the small blue sphere)
Taken.
action: Go southeast
response: You've visited the library many times, and this room has never failed to impress you. Sunlight shone in through the circular window in the great domed ceiling, reflecting off the mosaic floor and filling the area with patterns of red and gold. The din of innumerable Enchanters and students made it feel alive.

Now, however, it is dark and silent. A few shafts of moonlight give everything an ethereal silvery glow.

Standing in the middle of the floor is a glass display case, showing off an illuminated scroll.

The tiles in the mosaic create a new message: "Library hours: 6:00 AM to 10:00 PM today.
"
action: You go north
response: This is the area where advanced students can work out variations on old spells or attempt (with close supervision) to create simple enchantments from scratch.

A long workbench lines one of the walls. Judging from the amount of strange machinery around it, the alarm recording wasn't lying about the traps—magic-users have a tendency to make things overly complicated in case of unlikely eventualities. It might not be a good idea to touch anything until the trap can be deactivated.
action: You look at the trap
response: If you had to guess, you'd say it was meant to activate when someone leaned on the workbench.
action: Go south
response: You've visited the library many times, and this room has never failed to impress you. Sunlight shone in through the circular window in the great domed ceiling, reflecting off the mosaic floor and filling the area with patterns of red and gold. The din of innumerable Enchanters and students made it feel alive.

Now, however, it is dark and silent. A few shafts of moonlight give everything an ethereal silvery glow.

Standing in the middle of the floor is a glass display case, showing off an illuminated scroll.

The mosaic shifts again: "The Spell Research Area is to the north.
"
action: You go to the north-east
response: Dust, cobwebs, and not much else. Markings on the floor show that this room once contained some large boxes or trunks, but right now it is empty.
action: Vezza
response: (first memorizing vezza)
You see a dried-up river bed, full of sharp rocks and muddy puddles. A dark cave beckons.
action: You go to the southwest
response: You've visited the library many times, and this room has never failed to impress you. Sunlight shone in through the circular window in the great domed ceiling, reflecting off the mosaic floor and filling the area with patterns of red and gold. The din of innumerable Enchanters and students made it feel alive.

Now, however, it is dark and silent. A few shafts of moonlight give everything an ethereal silvery glow.

Standing in the middle of the floor is a glass display case, showing off an illuminated scroll.

The pattern of the mosaic changes: "Storage areas lie to the northeast and southeast.
"
action: Vezza
response: (first memorizing vezza)
You see a glittering midway filled with garish lights and honky-tonk music, surrounded by a spidery wooden structure.

The tiles in the mosaic create a new message: "To the east is the Basic Spells Collection.
"
action: Vezza
response: (first memorizing vezza)
You see a field surrounded by fortified ramparts. A tattered flag flies atop a tall pole.

The mosaic shifts again: "Returns are processed to the southwest.
"
action: You look at Calendar
response: According to the front page, this is an official Frobozz Magic Flathead Royal Family Calendar. There appear to be 11 pages left on it.
action: You get Calendar
response: You tear a page off the calendar, and it disintegrates in your hand. The next page reads "Frobuary: John D. Flathead. John D. was the founder of Flathead Industries, which produced new companies to sell to FrobozzCo International."
action: You go southeast
response: (first trying to open the wooden door)
It seems to be locked.

The mosaic shifts again: "The Main Stacks are to the west.
"
action: 1
response: (the wooden door)
(first memorizing rezrov)
The door shudders, and there is a clicking sound from the lock, but nothing else happens. Looking closely at it, you see that the key has been left partway in the lock, preventing it from turning.

The pattern of the mosaic changes: "This mosaic was enchanted by H. Ondricek and M. T. Winter of the Class of 925.
"
action: Inventory
response: You are carrying:
two palantiri:
a the small blue sphere
a the small red sphere
De Evocatio
a greenish parchment
your spell book
a quill pen
a magical compass
your identification ring (being worn)
your journal

The tiles in the mosaic create a new message: "Library hours: 6:00 AM to 10:00 PM today.
"
action: You examine the ring
response: A thin band of some silvery metal, with a flat copper disk in place of a stone. It's keyed to the enchanted doors on campus. It would also allow you to check out books here if the library were open.

The tiles in the mosaic create a new message: "Storage areas lie to the northeast and southeast.
"
action: You look up the zifmia in Frobozzica
response: zifmia: magically summon a being
action: Go east
response: You've visited the library many times, and this room has never failed to impress you. Sunlight shone in through the circular window in the great domed ceiling, reflecting off the mosaic floor and filling the area with patterns of red and gold. The din of innumerable Enchanters and students made it feel alive.

Now, however, it is dark and silent. A few shafts of moonlight give everything an ethereal silvery glow.

Standing in the middle of the floor is a glass display case, showing off an illuminated scroll.

The mosaic shifts again: "To the east is the Basic Spells Collection. "
action: Go southwest
response: This is the room where book returns are processed. It's one of the few areas of the library you've been in before, but you vividly remember the Frobozz Magic Reshelving Device. You placed your book on the mahogany input tray, then watched as it was drawn up a conveyor belt and slid over a series of differently-shaped slots until it fell through the right one.

You can see the Tome of Psychological Incantations here.
action: You examine the belt
response: A hulking contraption of bronze and iron, currently deactivated for the night.
action: You examine Tome
response: A heavy purple tome, titled the "Tome of Psychological Incantations". The first third of the book is a long treatise on the theory behind mind-affecting spells, and you can only understand about one word in every eight. The second gives background information on various incantations. But the third seems the most promising:
YOMIN: mind probe
SERAGE: force temporary obedience
action: Yomin yourself
response: (first taking the Tome of Psychological Incantations, then memorizing yomin)
You sense a mind concentrating hard on casting the yomin spell. The recursion gives you a headache.
action: You check your inventory
response: You are carrying:
the Tome of Psychological Incantations
two palantiri:
a the small blue sphere
a the small red sphere
De Evocatio
a greenish parchment
your spell book
a quill pen
a magical compass
your identification ring (being worn)
your journal
action: You look at the compass
response: It's a large gold compass about the size of a pocketwatch, with a spell on the needle to make it always stay level. Most mages carry compasses because of how easy it is to get disoriented in magic-rich areas.
action: You go northeast
response: As the purple tome touches the doorway, it seems to hit an invisible barrier and falls from your hand! A recorded voice sounds from the Reshelver: "This book is not checked out to you. Please wait for the return to be processed."
Library Antechamber
You've visited the library many times, and this room has never failed to impress you. Sunlight shone in through the circular window in the great domed ceiling, reflecting off the mosaic floor and filling the area with patterns of red and gold. The din of innumerable Enchanters and students made it feel alive.

Now, however, it is dark and silent. A few shafts of moonlight give everything an ethereal silvery glow.

Standing in the middle of the floor is a glass display case, showing off an illuminated scroll.

The tiles in the mosaic create a new message: "Returns are processed to the southwest.
"
action: Go southwest
response: You've visited the library many times, and this room has never failed to impress you. Sunlight shone in through the circular window in the great domed ceiling, reflecting off the mosaic floor and filling the area with patterns of red and gold. The din of innumerable Enchanters and students made it feel alive.

Now, however, it is dark and silent. A few shafts of moonlight give everything an ethereal silvery glow.

Standing in the middle of the floor is a glass display case, showing off an illuminated scroll.

The tiles in the mosaic create a new message: "The Main Stacks are to the west.
"
action: 2
response: GNUSTO: write a magic spell into a spellbook
FROTZ: cause something to give off light
BLORB: safely protect a small object as though in a strongbox
NITFOL: converse with beasts in their own tongue
REZROV: open even locked or enchanted objects
LESOCH: cause a gust of wind

The pattern of the mosaic changes: "This mosaic was enchanted by H. Ondricek and M. T. Winter of the Class of 925.
"
action: Blorb key
response: (first memorizing blorb)
A glowing strongbox forms out of the air, carefully enclosing the lock, which disappears from view. It appears solid and secure, but you get the feeling that it would open at your slightest touch.

The tiles in the mosaic create a new message: "Welcome, Wizard McSmartypants!
"
action: Look around
response: You've visited the library many times, and this room has never failed to impress you. Sunlight shone in through the circular window in the great domed ceiling, reflecting off the mosaic floor and filling the area with patterns of red and gold. The din of innumerable Enchanters and students made it feel alive.

Now, however, it is dark and silent. A few shafts of moonlight give everything an ethereal silvery glow.

Standing in the middle of the floor is a glass display case, showing off an illuminated scroll.

The mosaic shifts again: "Library hours: 6:00 AM to 10:00 PM today.
"
action: You look at the wooden door
response: You see nothing special about the wooden door.

The pattern of the mosaic changes: "The Spell Research Area is to the north.
"
action: You examine the spellbook
response: GNUSTO: write a magic spell into a spellbook
FROTZ: cause something to give off light
BLORB: safely protect a small object as though in a strongbox
NITFOL: converse with beasts in their own tongue
REZROV: open even locked or enchanted objects
LESOCH: cause a gust of wind

The mosaic shifts again: "Storage areas lie to the northeast and southeast.
"
action: You examine the lock
response: The last time you saw the lock, it was in the magical strongbox.

The pattern of the mosaic changes: "To the east is the Basic Spells Collection.
"
action: Blorb key
response: (first memorizing blorb)
A glowing strongbox forms out of the air, carefully enclosing the lock, which disappears from view. It appears solid and secure, but you get the feeling that it would open at your slightest touch.

The mosaic shifts again: "Welcome, Wizard McSmartypants!
"
action: Rezrov compass
response: (first memorizing rezrov)
Opening the magical compass is beyond the power of the REZROV spell.

The mosaic shifts again: "Welcome, Wizard McSmartypants!
"
action: Inventory
response: You are carrying:
two palantiri:
a the small blue sphere
a the small red sphere
De Evocatio
a greenish parchment
your spell book
a quill pen
a magical compass
your identification ring (being worn)
your journal

The tiles in the mosaic create a new message: "Library hours: 6:00 AM to 10:00 PM today.
"
action: You examine the key
response: You can't see anything through the keyhole—the key is in the way.

The mosaic shifts again: "The Spell Research Area is to the north.
"
action: You learn the lesoch
response: Using your best study habits, you learn the lesoch spell.

The pattern of the mosaic changes: "Storage areas lie to the northeast and southeast.
"
action: Lesoch keyhole
response: That enchantment cannot be cast at anything.

The mosaic shifts again: "To the east is the Basic Spells Collection. "
action: Lesoch
response: (first memorizing lesoch)
Slowly, teasingly, a small puff of wind begins to blow. It quickly builds to gale force, then hurricane force, and just as you feel you are about to be swept away, it subsides.

The pattern of the mosaic changes: "Returns are processed to the southwest.
"
action: You look at the lock
response: You can't see anything through the keyhole—the key is in the way.

The tiles in the mosaic create a new message: "Scrying crystals are available to the northwest.
"
action: You hit the wooden door
response: Violence isn't the answer to this one.

The pattern of the mosaic changes: "The Main Stacks are to the west.
"
action: You hit the lock
response: Violence isn't the answer to this one.

The tiles in the mosaic create a new message: "This mosaic was enchanted by H. Ondricek and M. T. Winter of the Class of 925.
"
action: You put the ring in the keyhole
response: (first trying to take your identification ring)
You already have that.

The mosaic shifts again: "Welcome, Wizard McSmartypants!
"
action: You remove the ring
response: Several years ago a student used a girgol scroll to steal a classmate's ID ring, sneak into one of the women's residence halls, install small scrying mirrors in several rooms, and return the ring before the spell wore off. He likely would have gotten away with it, except that the occupant of one of those rooms happened to be practicing jindak at the time.

Anyway, after that the rings were magically bonded to the students" fingers. It can't be removed without going through a lengthy and time-consuming process.

You take off your identification ring.

The tiles in the mosaic create a new message: "Library hours: 6:00 AM to 10:00 PM today.
"
action: You wear the ring
response: You're already wearing that!

The pattern of the mosaic changes: "The Spell Research Area is to the north.
"
action: You go to the northwest
response: The walls and shelves of this room are lined with mirrors and crystals of all types. Presumably you would have learned to scry in a more advanced Thaumaturgy class, but it wasn't covered in the first or second year of studies.

You can see a glass aquarium (closed) (in which is a small transparent sphere) and a glass cabinet (empty) here.
action: You look in the mirror
response: Which do you mean, the 1) stained mirror, the 2) gilt mirror, or the 3) wall-sized mirror?
action: Zifmia adventurer
response: (first memorizing zifmia)
All at once, the bedraggled Adventurer appears before you, brightly glowing lamp in hand. His jaw has dropped and his eyes are bulging. His eyes dart this way and that, as if looking for a way to escape.
action: You memorize the SERAGE
response: You have so much buzzing around in your head, though, that it's likely that something may have been forgotten in the shuffle.

Using your best study habits, you learn the serage spell.
action: Spells
response: You have the rezrov spell once, the zifmia spell once, the yomin spell once, and the lesoch spell once and the serage spell once committed to memory.
action: You go northeast
response: As the purple tome touches the doorway, it seems to hit an invisible barrier and falls from your hand! A recorded voice sounds from the Reshelver: "This book is not checked out to you. Please wait for the return to be processed."
Library Antechamber
You've visited the library many times, and this room has never failed to impress you. Sunlight shone in through the circular window in the great domed ceiling, reflecting off the mosaic floor and filling the area with patterns of red and gold. The din of innumerable Enchanters and students made it feel alive.

Now, however, it is dark and silent. A few shafts of moonlight give everything an ethereal silvery glow.

Standing in the middle of the floor is a glass display case, showing off an illuminated scroll.

The tiles in the mosaic create a new message: "Returns are processed to the southwest.
"
action: Go northwest
response: The walls and shelves of this room are lined with mirrors and crystals of all types. Presumably you would have learned to scry in a more advanced Thaumaturgy class, but it wasn't covered in the first or second year of studies.

A bedraggled and weary-looking adventurer stands here, looking panicked and terrified.

You can also see a glass aquarium (closed) (in which is a small transparent sphere) and a glass cabinet (empty) here.
action: Yomin adventurer
response: You sense confusion and fear.
action: Serage adventurer
response: As you complete the spell, the Adventurer's eyes unfocus for a moment. He seems much more willing to listen to you.
action: You look at your surroundings
response: The walls and shelves of this room are lined with mirrors and crystals of all types. Presumably you would have learned to scry in a more advanced Thaumaturgy class, but it wasn't covered in the first or second year of studies.

The Adventurer is standing here, awaiting a command.

You can also see a glass aquarium (closed) (in which is a small transparent sphere) and a glass cabinet (empty) here.
action: Break aquarium
response: The Adventurer turns to listen to you.

The Adventurer motions for you to stand back, then picks up the aquarium and tosses it with effort towards the ceiling. It comes down with a massive crash, but doesn't even seem scratched. The
Adventurer scowls at it.
action: Open aquarium
response: The Adventurer doesn't move. Perhaps there was a problem with your command.
action: You follow you
response: The Adventurer begins to follow you.
action: You go to the south-east
response: You've visited the library many times, and this room has never failed to impress you. Sunlight shone in through the circular window in the great domed ceiling, reflecting off the mosaic floor and filling the area with patterns of red and gold. The din of innumerable Enchanters and students made it feel alive.

Now, however, it is dark and silent. A few shafts of moonlight give everything an ethereal silvery glow.

Standing in the middle of the floor is a glass display case, showing off an illuminated scroll.

The pattern of the mosaic changes: "Scrying crystals are available to the northwest.
"
The Adventurer arrives from the northwest.
action: You push key
response: The Adventurer turns to listen to you.

The Adventurer pushes the lock.

The tiles in the mosaic create a new message: "The Main Stacks are to the west.
"
action: You open the southeast door
response: The Adventurer doesn't respond in any way. Perhaps the serage
spell is preventing his from responding to anything other than commands.

The mosaic shifts again: "This mosaic was enchanted by H. Ondricek and M. T. Winter of the Class of 925.
"
action: You go to the southwest
response: This is the room where book returns are processed. It's one of the few areas of the library you've been in before, but you vividly remember the Frobozz Magic Reshelving Device. You placed your book on the mahogany input tray, then watched as it was drawn up a conveyor belt and slid over a series of differently-shaped slots until it fell through the right one.

You can see the Tome of Psychological Incantations here.

The Adventurer arrives from the northeast.
action: You get tome
response: The Adventurer turns to listen to you.

The Adventurer picks up the Tome of Psychological Incantations.
action: You ask Adventurer,  to go northeast
response: The Adventurer ceases to pursue you.

The Tome of Psychological Incantations falls from the Adventurer's hand as they step through the archway.

The Adventurer goes northeast.
action: You look northeast
response: You see the library antechamber that way.
action: You get tome
response: That seems to belong to the Adventurer.
action: You look at the lantern
response: A small brass lantern, with two compartments connected by a small valve. You learned about these in a history class: the top chamber contains water, and the bottom one calcium carbide. When the valve is open, they react and produce a bright flame.

The carbide lantern is currently switched on.
action: You ask Adventurer,  to inventory
response: The Adventurer looks through his possessions. "I have the Tome of Psychological Incantations, a carbide lantern, a plaited rope, a broken rope, and a map."
action: You examine the MAP
response: It looks like a mess of meaningless lines and arrows. Presumably the Adventurer understands it better.
action: You examine the plaited rope
response: The plaited rope is tied to nothing.

A long rope of some sort. It feels fairly smooth, but it would still hold a knot.
action: You look at the broken rope
response: The broken rope is tied to nothing.

Shorter than the other rope, and frayed at one end, but still capable of holding your weight if necessary.
action: Nitfol adventurer
response: (first memorizing nitfol)
The Adventurer isn't very talkative.
action: Yomin adventurer
response: (first trying to take the Tome of Psychological Incantations)
The predominant thought is the phrase "ADVENTURER, I".
action: You give tome to you
response: The Adventurer looks at the Tome of Psychological Incantations once, then hands it to you.
action: You throw Tome northeast
response: You fling the Tome of Psychological Incantations as hard as you can. It sails northeastward and disappears into the Library Antechamber.
action: You go northeast
response: You've visited the library many times, and this room has never failed to impress you. Sunlight shone in through the circular window in the great domed ceiling, reflecting off the mosaic floor and filling the area with patterns of red and gold. The din of innumerable Enchanters and students made it feel alive.

Now, however, it is dark and silent. A few shafts of moonlight give everything an ethereal silvery glow.

Standing in the middle of the floor is a glass display case, showing off an illuminated scroll.

You can also see the Tome of Psychological Incantations here.

The pattern of the mosaic changes: "Welcome, Wizard McSmartypants!
"
The Adventurer arrives from the southwest.
action: You get tome
response: Taken.

The mosaic shifts again: "Library hours: 6:00 AM to 10:00 PM today.
"
action: You cut the quill
response: Cutting it up would achieve little.

The tiles in the mosaic create a new message: "The Spell Research Area is to the north.
"
action: You put the quill in the keyhole
response: The quill pen cannot fit through the keyhole—the nib is just barely too wide.

The mosaic shifts again: "Storage areas lie to the northeast and southeast.
"
action: You examine the quill
response: You borrowed this from one of your professors, allegedly to practice copying your "gloth" scroll. It's large and deep blue, with a tiny enchanted diamond set in the tip.

The tiles in the mosaic create a new message: "To the east is the Basic Spells Collection.
"
action: Gnusto yomin
response: (first memorizing gnusto)
The spell fizzles. Unlike spell scrolls, spell books are magically guarded against the 'theft' of their lore.

The mosaic shifts again: "Returns are processed to the southwest.
"
action: Y.
response: cheapglulxe quit with exit status: 0
action: %
response: The occupied territories.

Faith, but this has been worse than you could have imagined. You gave no thought when you left the capital; the promise of escape was too tempting and the intention of Jumaht's letter was too clear.

Its contents, however, were less so, and you have had far too much time in far too empty a land to think on their purpose. Over the last weeks of your journey, your worry and your homesickness have worked their way from an ache in your heart to a stone in your stomach.

As if to remind you of his own burden, Huwen brays and nuzzles your shoulder. You place a hand on his nose and whisper a word of thanks, for you are alone here except for him. Alone amongst the once-mad.

The gates of Diahl lie before you. Everything else lies behind. Your journey here is ended. Your work is just beginning.

A Tale of the Apostasy by Veronica Devon

[First-time players should type "info" for instructions. Type "credits" to view the credits.]

Here, the path takes its final turn north, towards the gates of the town. It is as narrow here as you can remember, becoming a slight track clinging to the cliff wall. As such, the view of the valley below is unmarred by any obstruction.

Huwen stands beside you, as ever, heavy under his pack.
action: About yourself
response: You've tried to look the part of a merchant of modest means, and you have mostly succeeded. The deep black of your skin marks you as a southerner, a child of the plains and not the mountains. At least you are not the ochre of a capitaler, for you would not to be trusted on sight.

Still, you do not expect to be welcomed with open arms.
action: You check your inventory
response: You are carrying:
your bag (open)
a letter
The Book of Lies
a grey badge
your notebook
action: You look at the badge
response: The sign of your office, such as it is. Glancing over its smooth, featureless surface, you realize that you must be careful with this. Before anyone sees it, you are simply another stranger or traveller. After, you would be branded an agent of the Apostasy, with all that that title demands.
action: You examine Huwen
response: You've had the donkey for a very long time now. He is everything you could ask for in a travelling companion: good-natured and uncomplaining. He does have a propensity for the sweet, but you can hardly blame him for it, as he is not alone in his vice.

Your pack is settled across his back. He somehow does not seem tired, even after the long journey.
action: You examine the letter
response: Short and to the point, as all Jumaht's missives are.

Darius:
A murder has occurred in Diahl. It is to be investigated
immediately. It is not known by me or by anyone that this is linked to cult or worship activities.

Keep quiet on your journey. Keep to your principles. Keep to your truths. And know always how very proud I am of you.

At the bottom, he has added a personal postscript:

We will speak when this is over. I am sorry about Adar.

It is not what is written that is so disturbing, but what is missing. "It is not known by me or anyone"? And yet it is to be investigated? Some part of you has hoped the postscript was the reason for the speed of your necessary departure - an excuse to get you away from the capital and all that had occurred. But there is more here, and that is more than merely worrisome. For it implies you - specifically you - were chosen for a reason.
action: You look at Book
response: A grammarie given only to initiates, though since it is written in the Tongue, there is little worry of anyone else reading it. On the back is inscribed the Brotherhood's creed: The world deceives. The
world wishes to be deceived. The truth against the world.

Your initiation is not that long behind you, but as Jumaht is fond of saying: the page remembers long after men have forgotten.

[If you find need, you may "consult" the Book about topics or
"look up" topics in the Book.]
action: Consult book about cult
response: You can find no reference to cult in The Book of Lies.

Huwen's ears twitch nervously.
action: Consult book about truth
response: Much of the text of the Book is given over to the subjects of truth and falsehood, in one form or another. The actual entries on both subjects contain treatises of such depth, complexity, and length as to make up almost half of its length.

That said, there is one portion on truth that you have found yourself coming back to again and again:

the ancients and, following his natural disposition, puts his trust in them, but rather the one who suspects his faith in them and questions what he gathers from them, the one who submits to argument and demonstration, and not to the sayings of a human being whose nature is fraught with all kinds of imperfection and deficiency.

Thus the duty of our Order, if learning the truth is our goal, is
to make ourselves an enemy of all that we read, and, applying our minds to the core and margins of its content, attack it from every side. We should also suspect ourselves as we performs our critical examination of it, so that we may avoid falling into either prejudice or leniency.

Huwen suddenly brays at nothing.
action: You examine notebook
response: This one is for official purposes; you left your personal notes in safekeeping before you left the capital. Flipping quickly through the fresh pages, running your fingers over the smooth parchment, reminds you how very far you are from civilization. You would not find its like for a hundred miles, you are certain.

On the notebook's front page, you have made a list of tasks remaining to you:
Find stable for Huwen.
Find local hall of records. (Contact - trustworthy?)
Officially present self to local elder or elders.
Gain housing. (Demand obesance, if necessary?)
(What of Silenus?)

You jotted these down in an attempt to codify the work awiating you in Diahl, a week ago. It was at one of the last inns you passed, the last time you had a bath and a decent meal. You recall writing the last entry with a distinct sense of unease.

You are just about to close the book when your eyes catch on an imperfection: there is writing on the inside cover.
action: You examine the writing
response: of all our desire
will look, lift your face
and say,

Like this.

Adar must have done this. You cannot think of when. You also cannot think which is worse: that he wrote it before things ended, or after.

Huwen wanders up to you, nuzzles you for a moment, then wanders away.
action: Pet huwen
response: Huwen nuzzles closer.
action: You think about Adar
response: [I can't understand your entire command: the first part might be
an action I know, but I didn't expect the word "about" next.]
action: Consult book about silenus
response: Silenus does not have a specific entry in the Book. Nor have you been able to correlate what little you have observed of it with any known entity. Which should make its existence all the more worrying, if you gave yourself pause to think on it.
action: Look around
response: Here, the path takes its final turn north, towards the gates of the town. It is as narrow here as you can remember, becoming a slight track clinging to the cliff wall. As such, the view of the valley below is unmarred by any obstruction.

Huwen stands beside you, as ever, heavy under his pack.
action: You go to the north
response: The path expands here, to a walled courtyard of patterned stone. The gates lead northward, and the town itself is clearly visible behind and above the walls. It seems the mountain it lies upon continues upwards for a good distance.

To one side of the gate is a long, planed piece of ancient stonework.

Huwen obediently follows after.
action: You examine the stonework
response: Four circular depressions of increasing depth are inscribed on its pebbled and worn surface. It takes you a moment to realize that it is a maofas - used in ancient times for the measurement of grain
and cereals. Each depression was precisely sized and standardized, such that fair prices could be charged.

This one seems to be part of the town wall itself, which implies that the foundations of Diahl are centuries old, if not older.
action: You examine the gate
response: The gates lie open. The walls they pierce seem to be made of the same ancient stone as the measurer which lies here. Diahl's defences are older than the town they contain.

Huwen huffs, as if sighing.
action: You go north
response: A shadowed, sheltered plaza just beyond the walls. The city gates lie open to the south. On the far side, the road continues as a staircase continuing up the mountain north into the town proper.

The sides of the square are crowded with the small stone buildings you saw dotting the mountain from below.

Along the eastern side is a wooden structure with a thatched roof. From the look and smell, you would guess it a stable.

At the center of the plaza is a stone basin, filled with rainwater.

Huwen walks beside you.
action: You go east
response: The dimly-lit wooden interior is barely visible, given the only illumination is a lantern on the floor at the center of the room. In the darkness beyond, you can hear the snuffling and shifting of what must be two or three horses.

A woman - clearly the hostler - stands beside the lantern.

"Evening, evening..." says the woman in a cheery voice, turning at the sound of the creaky door opening and then closing behind you. "With you in just a ..."

Her greeting dies in her throat as she sights you. The silence that follows goes on for several moments.

She smiles nervously, taking a deep breath. "Apologies, sir. "Twasn't expecting a stranger, as it were." She blinks. "No offense meant, of course." Another pause. "Just we don't see many come this way from the valley. Sir."

She brushes a non-existent speck of dust from her roughspun clothes, then looks you straight in the eye. "That is where you came from? Sir?"

You could say only that you came from the valley, say you travelled from the capital or ask about using the stables.
action: You ask about using the the stables
response: "I would like to make use of your stables, if I may."

Her eyes narrow as she realizes you have side-stepped her question. Her mouth sets in a frown. "I don't know, sir." She gestures to the shifting figures in the dark behind her. "Considering the time of year, we don't have much room."

You could ask about the cost.
action: You ask about the the cost
response: "What would it cost to leave my friend, Huwen, here?" you ask, patting him on the flank.

Her smile has something feral in it. "Oh goodness - that's not how things are often done here. Sir." She pauses. "But I suppose I could look after this fine boy for...five measures of grain?"

You could say you can pay in coin or identify yourself as a member of the Apostasy.
action: You say i can pay in the coin
response: The journey here was more expensive than you had hoped, and all you have left is a single stater. It is worth far more than even ten measures of grain, you are certain. You slip it from its place in Huwen's pack and show it to the hostler.

She takes the coin and examines it in the light of the lantern. It takes her a moment to recognize what you've given her. "Yes, sir. Certainly, sir. We'll look after your boy here. No problems." The coin swiftly vanishes, and all that remains is the uncertain look on her face.

The hostler leads Huwen to a corner of the stable and places a bit of sweetgrass before him. He begins contendedly munching, taking no further interest in you or anything else. She then takes his pack from his back and hands it to you.

You could ask about the town or identify yourself as a member of the Apostasy.
action: You look at the notebook
response: On the notebook's front page, you have made a list of tasks remaining to you:
Find local hall of records. (Contact - trustworthy?)
Officially present self to local elder or elders.
Gain housing. (Demand obesance, if necessary?)
(What of Silenus?)

There is writing -- Adar's doggerel -- on the inside cover.

You could ask about the town or identify yourself as a member of the Apostasy.
action: You ask about the town
response: "I have never before been to Diahl. Can you tell me anything of it?"

She raises a suspicious eyebrow. "Not much to know, sir. What you looking to know?"

You could ask about the town's elders, ask about the hall of records or ask about the murder.
action: You ask about the the town's elders
response: "Who is in charge in Diahl? Do you have elders here?"

She frowns. "Oh, we've elders. Couldn't say where they are, this late in the evening. Sir."

You could ask about the hall of records or ask about the murder.
action: You ask about Hall of the Records
response: "I've heard tell of your Hall of Records. Where might I find it?"

She begins straightening up, as if she has no time for you. "Oh, further up, sir." She waves vaguely. "Can't miss it."

You could ask about the murder.
action: You ask about the the murder
response: "I heard a rumor on my way here -- something about a death, a murder. Is that true?"

She coughs. "Oh, you know how people can go on, sir. I wouldn't put any trust in rumors."
action: Go west
response: A shadowed, sheltered plaza just beyond the walls. The city gates lie open to the south. On the far side, the road continues as a staircase continuing up the mountain north into the town proper.

The sides of the square are crowded with the small stone buildings you saw dotting the mountain from below.

Along the eastern side is a wooden structure with a thatched roof. From the look and smell, you would guess it a stable.

At the center of the plaza is a stone basin, filled with rainwater.
action: You look at the basin
response: For public use, you presume.
action: Clean
response: [What do you want to clean?]
action: Yourself
response: [Rubbing yourself would have no effect in these
circumstances.]
action: Go north
response: The steps lead upwards, crossing several narrow streets which generally run north through the homes closest to the walls.

This has the feel of a market square, though either the season or the day is wrong as there is not a stall to be seen. The town extends in all directions - narrow streets run further up the mountain to the north, along its slopes to the east and west, and back towards the valley to the south. You do not know the town well enough to say where to go from here.

A particularly striking building lies on square's northeast corner.

As you approach, you notice movement near the building -- a figure moving in the shadowy alcove of its entrance. It is a young lady, locking its front door. She slips the key into her pocket and adjusts the pile of books in her other hand.

As she turns, her eyes catch and hold yours for a moment. Then she smiles slightly, nods, and walks away.

It strikes you suddenly how what you have just seen would have been impossible only a few generations ago: the books, the building's clear use, the woman's ability to hold your gaze, or to walk unescorted.
action: You talk to the woman
response: [That's not something you can see now, or I misunderstood
you.]
action: You look at the woman
response: [The last time you saw the hostler, she was at "The
Stables".]
action: Look around
response: This has the feel of a market square, though either the season or the day is wrong as there is not a stall to be seen. The town extends in all directions - narrow streets run further up the mountain to the north, along its slopes to the east and west, and back towards the valley to the south. You do not know the town well enough to say where to go from here.

A particularly striking building lies on square's northeast corner.
action: You examine the building
response: The building is several times larger than any building you have thus seen in the town, sturdy and ancient, made of stone slabs built around a central arch. The arch's apex, as well as the towers at its corners, were broken off long ago, and the symbols that circled its walls have been carved away. It is a common enough and necessary sight - the conversion of such structures into approved shapes, the roods which graced them long since destroyed. That and the girl you saw earlier tell you that this must be Diahl's Hall of Records.

The door to the Hall is currently closed and locked.

Classes - which either the girl was taking part in or teaching herself - must be over, and the Hall's hours past. You will need to seek out the place's keeper tomorrow. A shame.
action: You examine notebook
response: On the notebook's front page, you have made a list of tasks remaining to you:
Officially present self to local elder or elders.
Gain housing. (Demand obesance, if necessary?)
(What of Silenus?)

There is writing -- Adar's doggerel -- on the inside cover.
action: Go north
response: You do not know which direction to proceed in. You could try wandering blindly, you suppose.
action: You go to the south
response: You pass through the square's entrance and follow the narrow road back to the staircase.

A shadowed, sheltered plaza just beyond the walls. The city gates lie open to the south. On the far side, the road continues as a staircase continuing up the mountain north into the town proper.

The sides of the square are crowded with the small stone buildings you saw dotting the mountain from below.

Along the eastern side is a wooden structure with a thatched roof. From the look and smell, you would guess it a stable.

At the center of the plaza is a stone basin, filled with rainwater.
action: You examine the buildings
response: Diahl seems made of nothing more than narrow streets between crowded buildings, built in tiers one upon the next, all the way to the peak to the north. It will not be as easy to find your way through here as you'd hoped.
action: You go east
response: The dimly-lit wooden interior is barely visible, given the only illumination is a lantern on the floor at the center of the room. In the darkness beyond, you can hear the snuffling and shifting of what must be two or three horses.

Huwen stands here, contentedly munching sweetgrass.

A woman - clearly the hostler - stands beside the lantern.
action: Go west
response: A shadowed, sheltered plaza just beyond the walls. The city gates lie open to the south. On the far side, the road continues as a staircase continuing up the mountain north into the town proper.

The sides of the square are crowded with the small stone buildings you saw dotting the mountain from below.

Along the eastern side is a wooden structure with a thatched roof. From the look and smell, you would guess it a stable.

At the center of the plaza is a stone basin, filled with rainwater.
action: You go west
response: You can't go that way.

[From here, you can go north, south and east.]
action: You look at the notebook
response: On the notebook's front page, you have made a list of tasks remaining to you:
Officially present self to local elder or elders.
Gain housing. (Demand obesance, if necessary?)
(What of Silenus?)

There is writing -- Adar's doggerel -- on the inside cover.

You could ask about the murder.
action: You go to the north
response: You head onward until you reach...

This has the feel of a market square, though either the season or the day is wrong as there is not a stall to be seen. The town extends in all directions - narrow streets run further up the mountain to the north, along its slopes to the east and west, and back towards the valley to the south. You do not know the town well enough to say where to go from here.

The town's Hall of Records lies on square's northeast corner.
action: Go east
response: Unsure how to proceed, you wander the narrow streets blindly, until you come to...

The road crests a particularly steep hill here, pausing as if to rest. You have reached what seems the outskirts of Diahl, even though the walls and mountains continue northward from here. To the northeast, the smooth paved stone gives way to a dirt track which continues along the plateau.

A squat, solid edifice sits to the southwest.

Seated on the steps of the building, a smoking pipe in his hand, sits a grey-haired man.
action: You examine man
response: He looks to have all the time in the world, with nothing more to do than smoke his pipe and watch the clouds and the mountain. The silvered ring on the fourth finger of his left hand marks him as one given auctorias by the empire - colloquially referred to as
an elder.
action: You speak to the ELDER
response: [If you're trying to talk to someone, you might try ASK ELDER
ABOUT something, the traditional conversation syntax. Type ABOUT to see if this story offers more detailed instructions for
conversation.]
action: Greet the ELDER
response: You are already talking to the elder.

You could make small talk, ask about Diahl or officially identify yourself to the elder.
action: You make the small talk
response: "It's a lovely evening," you note.

"It is," he replies, his face and tone expressionless.

You could ask about Diahl or officially identify yourself to the elder.
action: You ask about the diahl
response: "What can you tell me of your lovely town?"

He chuckles. "Lovely? One word of it I wouldn't have thought of." He shrugs. "It's old. It's been here for an age. Will most likely be here for an age longer."

You could ask about a place to stay or officially identify yourself to the elder.
action: You ask about a the place to stay
response: "Do you know a place I could stay for the evening?"

"Not much call for it, to be honest. Visitors usually arrange such with a local house, beforehand. You'll have some trouble finding any, I think."

You could officially identify yourself to the elder.
action: You identify myself
response: You motion to the badge, hold yourself erect and take a deep breath. "By the auctorias invested in me by the empire, I hereby
identify myself officially as an agent of the Apostasy, and demand all rights and assistance to be granted to such."

He blinks at you a moment, then sighs. "Aye. I suppose that's valid. You from the Brotherhood of Disbelief, then? We don't often see your like hereabouts."

"Yes," you reply, "though that is not the official..."

He waves off your protestations. "We're not much for officialdom here, to be honest. It'll do."

You could say you are here because of a murder.
action: You examine notebook
response: On the notebook's front page, you have made a list of tasks remaining to you:
Officially present self to local elder or elders.
Gain housing. (Demand obesance, if necessary?)
(What of Silenus?)

There is writing -- Adar's doggerel -- on the inside cover.

You could say you are here because of a murder.
action: You say i am here because of a the murder
response: "I am here to investigate a murder."

He blinks at that. "A murder? Here? Never heard of anything so..." He trails off.

"Yes?"

He shakes his head. "You must mean Camael. Fell down the mountainside, climbing like a fool." He waves northward at the peak about the town. "'Twas an accident."

"You may think so. Still, I am here to investigate."

He looks as if he will argue for a moment, then sighs and taps his pipe. "I...I'll ask around. I can give you something tomorrow, mayhaps."

You could ask who was murdered or ask about a possible cult link.
action: You look at notebook
response: On the notebook's front page, you have made a list of tasks remaining to you:
Officially present self to local elder or elders.
Gain housing. (Demand obesance, if necessary?)
(What of Silenus?)

There is writing -- Adar's doggerel -- on the inside cover.

You could ask who was murdered or ask about a possible cult link.
action: You ask about the cult
response: "And there was no connection to...worship in this? No evidence of a cult?"

His shock deepens. "A...c....ult?" he stammers. "No. Never. Sir. I swear to you, never would any..."

You raise a hand and he falls silent. "Of course. But I have to ask these things."

He nods and shudders.

You could ask who was murdered.
action: You ask who was murdered
response: "Tell me what you can of Camael."

He sighs. "He was boy - barely a man. Sweet-natured. Never a bother. They'd already lost his mother, poor boy. His father has nothing now." He sighs again. "I'll...I'll ask after him. I'll have something for you tomorrow." His shock at the implication of the boy's death as murder seems genuine.
action: You look around
response: The road crests a particularly steep hill here, pausing as if to rest. You have reached what seems the outskirts of Diahl, even though the walls and mountains continue northward from here. To the northeast, the smooth paved stone gives way to a dirt track which continues along the plateau.

The elder's home sits to the southwest.

Seated on the steps of the building, a smoking pipe in his hand, sits the town's elder.

You could officially identify yourself to the elder.
action: You identify myself
response: You motion to the badge, hold yourself erect and take a deep breath. "By the auctorias invested in me by the empire, I hereby
identify myself officially as an agent of the Apostasy, and demand all rights and assistance to be granted to such."

He blinks at you a moment, then sighs. "Aye. I suppose that's valid. You from the Brotherhood of Disbelief, then? We don't often see your like hereabouts."

"Yes," you reply, "though that is not the official..."

He waves off your protestations. "We're not much for officialdom here, to be honest. It'll do."

You could say you are here because of a murder.
action: You say you're here because of a the murder
response: [You will need to be more specific. Try typing LOOK to get a description of your surroundings.]
action: You say i am here because of a the murder
response: "I am here to investigate a murder."

He blinks at that. "A murder? Here? Never heard of anything so..." He trails off.

"Yes?"

He shakes his head. "You must mean Camael. Fell down the mountainside, climbing like a fool." He waves northward at the peak about the town. "'Twas an accident."

"You may think so. Still, I am here to investigate."

He looks as if he will argue for a moment, then sighs and taps his pipe. "I...I'll ask around. I can give you something tomorrow, mayhaps."

You could ask who was murdered or ask about a possible cult link.
action: You ask who was murdered
response: "I understand. But at least tell me what you can of Camael."

He sighs. "He was boy - barely a man. Sweet-natured. Never a bother. They'd already lost his mother, poor boy. His father has nothing now." He sighs again. "I'll...I'll ask after him. I'll have something for you tomorrow." His shock at the implication of the boy's death as murder seems genuine.

You could ask about a possible cult link.
action: You ask about the link
response: "And there was no connection to...worship in this? No evidence of a cult?"

His shock deepens. "A...c....ult?" he stammers. "No. Never. Sir. I swear to you, never would any..."

You raise a hand and he falls silent. "Of course. But I have to ask these things."

He nods and shudders.
action: You ask about the housing
response: "As an agent of the Apostasy, I may demand obesance, in the form of indefinite housing..."

He nods. "Aye. No need to go on." He rummages in his coat for a long moment, produces a brass key and points to the northeast. "That way, up the track, to the mountainside," he says as he hands the key to you. "It's not much, but it'll keep the rain off."
action: You look at what you're carrying with you
response: You are carrying:
a brass key
your pack
your bag (open)
a letter
The Book of Lies
a grey badge
your notebook
action: Go northeast
response: An open patch of land marks the point where the plateau ends, with the mountains' highest peaks continuing in a continuous wall to the north.

In marked difference to the close-built stone buildings in town, a wooden hut with a thatched roof stands alone.

A pile of stunted stones lies just near the hut.
action: You examine the stones
response: It was once a polylith of some kind - a dolmen, perhaps, at its center with a circle of standing stones about. All that remains are the stunted bases of the original stones, clearly razed and destroyed after the War. Near one of the larger bases sits a loose chunk of stone.
action: You get the chunk
response: You slip the loose stone from the larger pile.
action: You look at the chunk
response: A hunk of stone the size of your closed fist.
action: You check what you're carrying
response: You are carrying:
a stone
a brass key
your pack
your bag (open)
a letter
The Book of Lies
a grey badge
your notebook
action: Unlock hut
response: [What do you want to unlock the hut door with?]
action: Key
response: You unlock the hut door.
action: You open the door
response: You open the hut door.
action: Enter
response: This is little more than four walls and a leaky ceiling set against the elements. It says something of what Dhial thinks of the Apostasy and the Brotherhood that this is where they would place the likes of you.

The bare dirt floor of the hut holds nothing more than a cot, shoved into one corner.

After finally reaching this place after the seeming endless journey up from the valley, then up through the town, you feel a wave of exhaustion wash over you. In its wake, the idea of sleep seems irresistable.
action: Sleep
response: You have not been lucid since your last night in the capital. Part of you wondered if you ever would be again. But as the walls of the hut fade from view, you feel yourself falling to that place that lies at the center of your being. Then, with the smooth transition of a dream, all about you arises the endless expanse of...

It has been grey here for as long as you can remember. You think it was before they taught you of it, when you came here without knowledge of what it was. The featureless expanse reaches from horizon to horizon, the grey above it only slightly lighter than the grey below.

You sense more than see the slight perturbations in the plane, one in each of what you think of as the cardinal directions. Three - north, east, and west - are morphological: an echo of Diahl to the west, a memory of home to the north, and...to the east -- yes, it definitely is. The familiar sensation of Silenus.

To the south lies a grey sea, making itself visible only in its motion. Your true body and the emptiness of sleep lies in its waiting arms.
action: Go south
response: Sleep will be good. To not be for a time will be good. You step into the waves and fall beneath them, slipping from grey to black with a contented sigh.

[Here ends the INTROCOMP version of THE CUCKOLD'S EGG. Thank you
very much for playing.]
action: You go east
response: This was not here the last time. Then again, neither was Silenus...

Here the grey lightens and hardens until it is pure white marble beneath your feet, inlaid with precious stones and pieces of mirror. A raised path, also of marble, leads to the center. Beyond it, to the east, five arches are sketched into perilous existence.

The path ends in a platform of deep red brick, topped in marble. Upon the platform is a wrought iron table.

Seated at the table, as if nothing has happened and no time has passed, sits Silenus, shuffling and laying out a deck of cards.

"Ah here he is now, the good Brother," it says, looking up from its task as you approach. "Following each and every one of Jumaht's commands with the constancy of a trained sheepdog." It gives the impression of a wry smirk. "Good boy. Sit. Stay."

You could insult it back, say to it orders are important or ask where it has been.
action: You examine Silenus
response: A vaguely human shape, as grey as the Quarter itself. Though it has no specific features, you have somehow never had an issue with understanding it, as if the implication of a glance or a frown were enough.

You could insult it back, say to it orders are important or ask where it has been.
action: You ask where it has been
response: "Where have you been, then? I wondered where you had gone!"

It manages to look surprised. "What are you talking about? I've been here. As I always have. It's not like I could go anywhere if I liked!" It returns to its cards.

You know that is not true. Yes, you have not managed to reach lucidity since your last night in the capital, but you lost track of Silenus long before then. The implications of this are disturbing: either Silenus is lying - which is, to your knowledge, impossible - or it cannot remember disappearing.

Still, this is the most coherent you have ever seen Selenus. You do not know if that is a good or a bad thing.

You could ask about this place, ask how it is feeling or ask about the cards.
action: You ask about this the place
response: "And what is this place, then? Did you fetch it and bring it with you?"

It seems surprised at the question, then looks around as if seeing its surroundings for the first time. "It is... it is..." It places a hand to its head. "I know this. I've seen this. It is..." It looks up at you, seemingly proud. "The Palace of Mirrors, of course!" it says, as if giving you the answer you had expected all along.

You have never heard of any such place.

You could ask how it is feeling or ask about the cards.
action: You ask how it is feeling
response: "And how are you feeling?"

"What an odd question. Feeling? That's what your sort do. Or at least, when you're ludic, you do."

You chuckle at its confusion. "Lucid, Silenus. I think you mean lucid."

It manages to blink at you. "Truly? Lucid." It tries the word in its mouth. "Lu-cid. Huh. A shame. Only when you're lucid, then."

You could ask about lucidity or ask about the cards.
action: You ask about the the cards
response: "And what are you doing, then? What are the cards for?"

"I am trying to remember how to play shisheh," it says,
vaguely pushing the cards about. "Four and four and six and ten. Roods and stones and stars and beasts. Lords, ladies, knights, dames. I've all the pieces. But none of them fit."

You could ask about lucidity or ask about shisheh.
action: You ask about shisheh
response: "And what is shisheh?"

It pauses a long moment, then lets the card in its hand drop to the table. It picks it up and looks at it as if it doesn't recognize what it is. Then it places it down and begins shuffling and moving the deck again. "Glass. It means glass. Broken. A game." It sighs. "But I can't seem to remember how to play."
action: You read the notebook
response: [That's not something you can see now, or I misunderstood
you.]
action: You ask about this the place
response: [Most connecting and comparative words are not necessary.]
>ASK ABOUT PLACE
That doesn't seem to be a topic of conversation at the moment.
action: You go west
response: It has been grey here for as long as you can remember. You think it was before they taught you of it, when you came here without knowledge of what it was. The featureless expanse reaches from horizon to horizon, the grey above it only slightly lighter than the grey below.

You sense more than see the slight perturbations in the plane, one in each of what you think of as the cardinal directions. Three - north, east, and west - are morphological: an echo of Diahl to the west, a memory of home to the north, and a structure containing the entity Silenus to the east.

To the south lies a grey sea, making itself visible only in its motion. Your true body and the emptiness of sleep lies in its waiting arms.
action: You go west
response: You are surprised that Diahl has made such a strong impression so quickly as to appear here, even slightly...

It was after watching Adar sketch that first time (the pencils staining his long, thin fingers, the scratch of the nibs being drawn across the parchment) that you realized the structures here were of a like: impregnations of pigment against a blank canvas. The beginnings of a new piece are here: the arch of the town's gate, the long curve of the road into the valley.

You expect this place to fill with memories soon, though not your own. You have not Walked in the ripples of another's wake in some time, but you expect it to become common place once more before this task is ended.
action: Go north
response: When you first began your studies and came to this place, it was cluttered beyond comprehension: certainties, biases, treasures and trash and failures and successes of all kinds. Through long study and a good deal of work, you slowly cleared it all, from the attics down to the deepest sub-basement. Then you began the task of dismantling the building itself...

There is nothing here, really, but the idea of a home. It most closely resembles a hastily drawn sketch of the Brotherhood's Hall, back in the capital. Perhaps someday there will be something more to see here: some memory to turn over and examine, some problem or conundrum to consider. But for now, the emptiness of the place feels like a very good thing, indeed.