The Oracle
by Brandon Allen (2002)
Genres: Fantasy


action: %
response: The drums of war have beaten long throughout the land of your forefathers. At night, the fiendish glow of enemy campfires has shone orange and horrible on the horizon for as many years as you can recall. The warriors of your land have battled long and valiantly against the demon hordes pressing relentlessly forward, assailing your ever-diminishing borders. The fight has been mighty, but the strength of your people has begun to wane. Only a few of the warriors remain to lead the rag-tag brigades of youthful peasants into battle.

The council of elders has seen that it is not long before the invaders will breach the skirmish lines and plunder the farms and villages of your homeland. The council has decreed that after centuries of silence, the voice of the great oracle must be heard once more if this horrible foe is to be repelled.

Barely old enough to follow the warriors into battle, you were filled with great pride when you were selected as the messenger who would be sent to beg the great oracle for her counsel. The elders summoned you into the great hall, admonishing you to stay on the old path leading into the high mountains. After precious few other words of instruction, they sent you on your way.

For many days now, you have trod the ancient trail, winding higher and higher into the rugged peaks of the Black Mountains. Cold, hungry and alone, you somehow sense that you are nearing the oracle's hiding place deep within the great mountain. At last, the crumbling path fades away at the foot of a vast wall of solid rock

Another fine product from Allen MegaCorp (2002)

The greatest peak of the Black Mountains rises sharply before you;
an impenetrable dagger of dark granite jutting high into the clouds above. You stand at the base of an immense cliff, where a deep alcove has been chiseled from the living rock. It almost appears to be the yawning mouth of a great, black cave. As you stand at its entrance you can see steps cut from the jagged stone, leading southward into the bowels of the mountain.
action: You examine the cliff
response: The great mountain soars high above you, its lofty peak disappearing into the clouds overhead. Before you, a great cliff rises abruptly, stretching far up the mountain's northern face. At the very foot of the cliff, a deep alcove has been hollowed out.
action: About you
response: You are tall for your seventeen years, despite your meager existence on the farm. The tattered clothes of a peasant adorn your lanky frame.
action: You check what you're carrying
response: You are empty-handed.
action: You enter the cave
response: The stone steps continue southward, descending deeper into the mountain. Here, the steps are less well defined. The previously smooth stone is littered with rubble that has fallen into the stairway over the centuries. The echoing sound of dripping water fills this place with a sense of dampness and cold. Less light penetrates from the entrance far above and it is becoming more difficult to negotiate the slippery stones.
action: You look at the stones
response: The boulders, like the rest of this dark passage, are mottled granite.
action: You examine the steps
response: Behind you the stone steps climb steeply upward, as if yearning for the pale daylight that spills in through the entrance above. Downward, they quickly decay into an irregular slope of boulders.
action: You go to the south
response: You are in a great, damp cavern, carved from hard granite by the incessant fingers of rainwater trickling down through the heart of the great mountain. Along the cavern's western wall, a small stream emerges from a crevice in the solid rock. The stream splashes downward over the tumble of stones that make up the cavern's floor until it vanishes beneath an iron door. The door is set in a small hollow where the southernmost extremity of the cavern's roof dips down toward the jagged floor. Against the western wall is a pile of loose shale that seems incongruent with the larger stones that make up the balance of the cavern's floor.

As you crawl deeper into the dark cavern, you notice that the amulet hanging about your neck begins to glow with a wan, greenish light. It seems to grow brighter as the fading light from above dwindles to darkness. The amulet provides you with just enough illumination to see by.
action: Inventory
response: You have a golden amulet (being worn).
action: You examine amulet
response: It is the golden amulet the council of elders gave you as you set out on your journey. It is quite finely made, probably well beyond the skills of the smithies of your land, it must have come from some far-off place.

The council commanded you sternly to wear it at all times. One of the most grizzled and ancient of the elders seized your shoulder in an iron grip, his tangled, silver brow knitted in a grim glare. He told you that the amulet was necessary to summon the oracle from her hiding place. "When all is prepared," he growled, "cast the amulet into the heart of the mountain."
action: Drink stream
response: The stream's water is clear, cold and delicious.
action: You examine the stream
response: The stream emerges from a crevice in the wall and splashes southward through the cavern where it disappears beneath the iron door.
action: You examine the shale
response: Heaped against the western wall is a loose pile of stone shards.
action: You search it
response: You rummage through the jagged flakes of rock, the sharp edges biting into your bare hands. Hidden just below the surface, you uncover a rusted iron chain. It is threaded between the stones as if it had been intentionally concealed.
action: You look at the chain
response: The chain is about the thickness of you thumb, and is crusted with brown-red rust.
action: You examine the door
response: The door has been beaten from a single, great slab of iron. It is as tall as a man, and almost equally wide. Its hinges are set in the solid stone of the cavern's walls. It is locked with a great padlock which has rusted terribly over the centuries.
action: You open the door
response: It's locked.
action: You pull the chain
response: You pull at the chain, drawing a portion of its length out from between the boulders that make up the cavern's floor. One end appears to be fastened to the very stone that forms this chamber. The other end is attached to something that rests, concealed, in the stream. It feels as though another sturdy tug on the chain would free it from its hiding place.
action: You pull the chain
response: You pull again at the rusted chain. A long metal box hauls out of the stream and clatters to a rest on one of the stones.
action: Examine box
response: The box is constructed from thick copper plates bound together with iron straps and rivets. It is narrow, perhaps a hand's breadth across, and if stood on end it would probably reach waist height. The iron chain is fastened to a sturdy padeye, riveted to the box at one end.
action: You open the box
response: The metal box creaks open. Resting within is a great sword, badly rusted and decayed.
action: You examine the sword
response: The sword was once a beautiful weapon, but centuries of immersion in the stream have nearly destroyed it. Its once brilliant blade is now pitted with rust. The leather binding of its grip has long since disintegrated. You wonder at how such an exquisite treasure came to rest in this cavern. It must have been hidden ages ago as an offering to the great oracle.
action: You get it
response: Taken.
action: You hit the padlock with the sword
response: You deal the padlock a mighty blow with the ancient sword. The padlock beats against the great door with a resonant clang. The force of the blow sends a painful jolt through your hands and arms. The lock is badly damaged and appears almost ready to fall apart, but the rusted metal still holds the great door shut.
action: You hit the padlock with the sword
response: You deal the padlock a mighty blow with the ancient sword. The padlock's hasp cracks in two and the door's latch swings open.
action: You open the door
response: You push against the door's cold metal with all your strength, but the ancient hinges, caked with rust, hold fast.

Then with a crack, the hinges break free and the great door grinds open with an ear-splitting creak.
action: Look around
response: You are in a great, damp cavern, carved from hard granite by the incessant fingers of rainwater trickling down through the heart of the great mountain. Along the cavern's western wall, a small stream emerges from a crevice in the solid rock. The stream splashes downward over the tumble of stones that make up the cavern's floor until it vanishes through an open doorway at the cavern's southern end. Against the western wall is a pile of loose shale that seems incongruent with the larger stones that make up the balance of the cavern's floor. A rusted iron chain has been exposed among these shards of rock. The chain snakes across the uneven floor and attatches to a long metal box.
action: Go south
response: This space was hollowed out of the solid stone of the mountain, chisel-marks from the ancient laborers can still be seen on its rough hewn walls. The room is slightly oval shaped with a squat, stone altar set on the floor at its southernmost end. A metal chime, heavily corroded after centuries of neglect, hangs from a stand mounted at one of its ends. A rivulet of clear water splashes into the room through a doorway that enters from the north. The stream flows placidly down the room's length and disappears through an iron grate set in the floor just in front of the altar.

An open archway exits eastward.
action: You look at the altar
response: The altar is a waist-high, rectangular block of rough-hewn stone. Its top and sides are dotted and streaked with mineral stains from the water dripping incessantly upon it. Three interlocking rings are carved into its front- perhaps a mystical symbol of some kind. A metal chime, caked with filth and corrosion, is suspended above the altar at one end.
action: You examine the chime
response: The chime is a section of metal pipe, perhaps the length of your forearm. It is crusted with a heavy beard of blue-green scale.
action: You examine the grate
response: The stream disappears down through this heavy, moss-covered, iron grate set firmly into the stone floor.
action: You open the grate
response: The grate is solidly fixed to the stone floor.
action: Ring chime
response: The chime rings out, its tone is sharp, clear and of quite high pitch.
action: You hit the chime
response: The chime rings out. Again the note is clear and bright, but it seems to be of a distinctly lower pitch than before.
action: You hit the chime
response: The chime rings out with a low, throaty tone, surprisingly clear for its apparent decay.

Incredibly, fine lines seem to etch themselves into the altar's smooth top. The lines join to form a rectangle which includes almost all of the altar's upper surface. The stone within the rectangle suddenly vanishes revealing a wide chimney leading down, directly through the altar, into darkness. A few grains of sand, which have crumbled away from the altar's surface, spill down into the chimney and disappear.

As quickly as they appeared, the chimney and the lines in the stone vanish, leaving the altar exactly as it was before.
action: You look at the altar
response: The altar is a waist-high, rectangular block of rough-hewn stone. Its top and sides are dotted and streaked with mineral stains from the water dripping incessantly upon it. Three interlocking rings are carved into its front- perhaps a mystical symbol of some kind. A metal chime, caked with filth and corrosion, is suspended above the altar at one end.
action: Ring chime
response: The chime rings out with a low, throaty tone, surprisingly clear for its apparent decay.

Incredibly, fine lines seem to etch themselves into the altar's smooth top. The lines join to form a rectangle which includes almost all of the altar's upper surface. The stone within the rectangle suddenly vanishes revealing a wide chimney leading down, directly through the altar, into darkness.

You feel the stone vaporize beneath you followed by the terrifying, sickening sensation of falling. Blackness surrounds you, and you continue to fall.

With a crash that sounds like a clap of thunder, you plunge into a frigid, underground lake. You are stung with icy cold as the water quickly soaks your clothing. You break the surface gasping and sputtering, fighting to keep your breath.

Flooded Chamber, Surface of Water
You are treading water in a large chamber that has been almost completely flooded by a waterfall that crashes down from somewhere high above you in the darkness.

You are on the open lake. Dark water surrounds you on all sides.
action: Go east
response: You swim eastward.

Flooded Chamber, Surface of Water
You are near the chamber's eastern wall. The damp stone continues
into darkness toward the north and south. Oddly there seems to be a faint undertow here. The dark water seems to be tugging you softly down, beneath its black surface.
action: Go down
response: You draw in a deep breath and dive below the surface of the ice-cold water.

Flooded Chamber, Underwater
You are near the chamber's eastern wall. The stone wall continues
to the north and south. A submerged passageway opens toward the east. You notice a gentle current flowing past you into the dark opening.
action: Go east
response: You swim eastward into the dark passageway. The force of the current grows stronger and stronger until it sweeps you helplessly along. In the darkness you scrape against the uneven stone walls and are pounded mercilessly into submerged boulders. Your lungs burn with the desire for breath, but the cold water refuses to release you from its icy grip. Consciousness begins to slip away from you. The roaring, black water and jagged stones are fading into warm, gray oblivion...

You are slammed back into wakefulness when your body is hurled over the precipice of a subterranean waterfall and spilled into an underground river flowing swiftly beneath the great mountain. The river's dark channel is not completely submerged, and your head breaks the surface. Frantically, you draw in gasping lungfuls of air.

After being swept along for some distance, the river's course turns suddenly. You are pushed over a cluster of submerged stones near the rocky bank. The great sword at your side somehow catches between the stones, stopping you dead in the raging current. Fighting against the power of the river, you grasp hold of the slippery stones and work yourself free. You scrabble along toward the river's edge and finally haul yourself out of the freezing water. You find yourself in another great, subterranean chamber.

Great Hall, Northern End
This is the northernmost end of a great hall which extends into darkness southward. The underground river rushes past at the hall's northern edge. The water's turbulent churning fills this place with near-deafening noise. An ancient, wooden waterwheel stands alongside the river in a narrow channel carved into the stone floor. A great iron chain hangs down from the ceiling and forms a rusty pile on the floor.
action: You examine the waterwheel
response: The ancient waterwheel is constructed from oaken beams fastened together with thick iron nails. It is far larger than the waterwheels you have seen used to grind grain at home; it is as tall as eight or ten men. The bottom of the wheel dips down into a narrow channel cut in the chamber's stone floor. At the head of the channel is a flow-control gate, which is closed, allowing only a trickle of water to leak past. The wheel can rotate on a massive axle fashioned from the trunk of an ancient and mighty oak. The axle extends outward beyond the wheel's mounting and some holes have been bored through the tough wood there.
action: You open gate
response: You raise the gate along its track and water spills into the sluice, filling the waterwheel's scoops. After a moment, the force of the flowing water builds, and with a low, groaning creak, the great wheel begins to turn.
action: You close the gate
response: You force the gate down into the rushing water, interrupting the flow through the sluice. Once the water ceases flowing, the great wheel comes to a stuttering halt.
action: You examine the chain
response: It is an exceptionally stout piece of ironmongery. Its heavy links are large enough that it would be difficult to wrap both hands around one of them. The chain reaches down from the ceiling, high above, and rests in a rusted pile on the floor.
action: You get the chain
response: You grasp the chain's free end and heft it, a feat requiring considerable strength.
action: You put the chain in the hole
response: Which hole do you mean, the large hole, or the small hole?
action: Large
response: You thread the free end of the iron chain into the large hole bored through the great axle.
action: You open gate
response: You raise the gate along its track and water spills into the sluice, filling the waterwheel's scoops. After a moment, the force of the flowing water builds, and with a low, groaning creak, the great wheel begins to turn. The rotation of the axle allows the iron chain to slip out of the large hole and it falls to the floor with a clank.
action: Look around
response: Great Hall, Northern End
This is the northernmost end of a great hall which extends into darkness southward. The underground river rushes past at the hall's northern edge. The water's turbulent churning fills this place with near-deafening noise. An ancient, wooden waterwheel stands alongside the river in a narrow channel carved into the stone floor. River water flows swiftly through the channel and turns the great wheel. A great iron chain hangs down from the ceiling and forms a rusty pile on the floor.
action: You examine the small hole
response: The hole is round, approximately two fingerbreadths in width and is bored completely through the oaken beam.
action: You look at the beam
response: The great waterwheel is rotating on this massive beam of oak. At one end of the axle, where it overhangs the wheel's mounts, two holes have been bored through: a large hole perhaps twice as broad as your hand and a smaller hole, drilled perpendicular to the larger one, so that the two holes meet at their midpoints.
action: You get the chain
response: You slide the end of the great chain from the axle's larger hole.
action: You put the chain in the small hole
response: It is impossible to put the great iron chain into the small hole.
action: Describe the surroundings
response: Great Hall, Northern End
This is the northernmost end of a great hall which extends into darkness southward. The underground river rushes past at the hall's northern edge. The water's turbulent churning fills this place with near-deafening noise. An ancient, wooden waterwheel stands alongside the river in a narrow channel carved into the stone floor. A great iron chain hangs down from the ceiling and strings across the floor to where you are holding its free end.
action: You open the trapdoor
response: You pull at the trapdoor, but the ancient screw holds it fast.
action: You examine the trapdoor
response: The trapdoor is a rusted plate of iron set in the chamber's floor. It is closed, and held fast by a large screw.
action: You unscrew the screw
response: The screw is set flush with the trapdoor's surface, and you are unable to turn it with your fingers.
action: Go south
response: Great Hall, Southern End
This is the southern end of the great hall which continues into darkness northward. The rumbling hiss of the underground river echoes faintly off the blank stone walls. A giant, rough-hewn block of stone rests against the southern wall.
action: You look at the stone
response: It is a huge slab of solid granite, the height of three or four men.
It appears to be cut from the same stone as that which forms this hall. The block is not so well finished, however. Its surface is rough and uneven, bearing deep chisel marks, and cupped pockets where large flakes of stone were chipped away.
action: You examine the pocket
response: The marks of ancient tools cover this towering stone. They are often deep enough to grasp like handholds.
action: You climb the stone
response: You scramble up the block's rough surface and haul yourself onto its broad top.

Great Hall, On Top of Stone
You are atop the great stone resting against the hall's southern
wall. A great iron chain extends down from somewhere above and is fastened to a huge iron hasp fixed in the center of the stone's top. From this height, the pale light shining from your amulet barely illuminates the hall's floor far below you. A narrow passageway, previously hidden from view, has been carved into the southern wall.
It was clearly an afterthought to the great hall's excavation. It was probably added decades, if not centuries later. The passage leads southward.
You see a rusted metal rod here.
action: You get the rod
response: Taken.
action: You examine the rod
response: The rod is about as long as your forearm. It appears to be hammered from iron and its surface is quite rusted and pitted. One of its ends is bent into a small hook.
action: You go south
response: You are in a burial chamber of some kind. A holy man of antiquity
has had himself laid to rest near the great oracle's hiding place in the heart of the mountain. The chamber is littered with the crumbling remains of the finery he was adorned with at burial. The air, moistened by the flowing river, has destroyed the once opulent treasure over the centuries. A stone sarcophagus, decorated with intricate carvings, rests along the eastern wall. A narrow passageway leads out northward.
action: You look at the sarcophagus
response: It is carved from white marble, streaked with veins of pink and gray. Its lid is intricately carved with mystical symbols and characters, none of which are familiar to you. In the center of the lid, a small rectangular notch has been carved. It appears to be much deeper than the other decorations.
action: You look at the notch
response: It is a small, rectangular recess cut into the stone lid.
action: You examine the amulet
response: It is the golden amulet the council of elders gave you as you set out on your journey. It is quite finely made, probably well beyond the skills of the smithies of your land, it must have come from some far-off place.
action: Open sarcophagus
response: The sarcophagus' stone lid seems to be locked shut.
action: You go north
response: Great Hall, On Top of Stone
You are atop the great stone resting against the hall's southern
wall. A great iron chain extends down from somewhere above and is fastened to a huge iron hasp fixed in the center of the stone's top. From this height, the pale light shining from your amulet barely illuminates the hall's floor far below you. A narrow passageway, previously hidden from view, has been carved into the southern wall.
It was clearly an afterthought to the great hall's excavation. It was probably added decades, if not centuries later. The passage leads southward.
action: You go down
response: Great Hall, Southern End
action: Go north
response: Great Hall, Middle
action: You go north
response: Great Hall, Northern End
action: You put the rod in the small hole
response: You slide the metal rod into the smaller hole until the hooked end rests against the axle.
action: You open gate
response: You raise the gate along its track and water spills into the sluice, filling the waterwheel's scoops. After a moment, the force of the flowing water builds, and with a low, groaning creak, the great wheel begins to turn.
action: You open gate
response: You raise the gate along its track and water spills into the sluice, filling the waterwheel's scoops. After a moment, the force of the flowing water builds, and with a low, groaning creak, the great wheel begins to turn. The iron chain is wound, clanking and scraping, onto the axle by the waterwheel's rotation. The chain draws tight and the waterwheel's speed slows considerably. The wheel continues to turn however, drawing more chain down from some hidden place in the ceiling. The great chain is gradually wound around the great oaken axle as though it were a giant spool of thread. A loud, grinding sound echoes from the southern end of the hall. Finally, the chain stops feeding down from the ceiling and the wheel creaks to a halt. The water in the sluice splashes noisily past the motionless wheel.
action: You go south
response: As you leave, the unsupported flow-control gate slips shut, cutting off the flow of water past the waterwheel. Once the water ceases flowing, the great wheel creaks and shudders to a halt. The iron chain wrapped around the wheel's axle is drawn back up into the ceiling and the wheel begins to turn in reverse, splashing water onto the floor and walls. Again you hear the grinding sound coming from the southern end of the hall. The distant grinding terminates with a resonating thump and the great chain falls slack. The loops of chain wound around the axle tumble noisily onto the floor.

Great Hall, Middle
action: You put the sword in the track
response: You are unable to get the rusted sword to fit into the track. Perhaps if you put something under the gate instead...
action: You put the sword under the gate
response: You plunge the sword down into the flowing water, its point catches against the channel's stone bottom. You tuck the sword's hilt under the gate's lower edge. The arrangement holds, keeping the gate fully open.
action: You go to the south
response: Great Hall, Middle
action: You go south
response: Great Hall, Southern End
This is the southern end of the great hall which continues into darkness northward. The rumbling hiss of the underground river echoes faintly off the blank stone walls. A huge block of granite is suspended near the ceiling directly above an open doorway which leads southward. Immediately in front of the doorway, a rectangular patch of the stone floor is dark with moisture.
action: Go south
response: Spiral Staircase, Top
This is the upper landing of a great spiral staircase that winds its way downward into darkness. Its broad steps have been chopped from the living rock. An open archway leads northward.
action: You go downwards
response: Spiral Staircase, Middle
You are somewhere near the middle of the great spiral staircase deep under the mountain. A small hole has been bored into the wall here. The steps wind their way upward and downward.
action: You look at the hole
response: It is a cavity in the rock wall, perhaps the size of a man's fist. Its edges are smooth, as though it were made with an auger or drill. It appears to be fairly deep.
action: You look in the hole
response: Deep in the hole, you can see something shiny glistening in the amulet's weak glow.
action: You put the amulet in the hole
response: You recall the stern instructions of the council of elders to keep the amulet with you at all times, and decide against it.
action: Go downwards
response: Spiral Staircase, Bottom
This is the lower landing of the great spiral staircase which twists upward into darkness. An open archway leads eastward.
action: You go east
response: This is a great, empty chamber. The floor is covered with fine sand which muffles the sound of your footsteps. The sound of your movements no longer echoes off the stone walls as it has previously, giving this area an almost solemn nuance. Open archways exit to the east and west.
action: You look at the sand
response: It is fine, white sand. It must have come from some distant beach.
action: You dig the sand
response: What do you want to dig in it with?
action: Dig
response: What do you want to dig in?
action: You go to the east
response: This small chamber is floored with clean, soft sand. An open
archway leads westward. To the east a grand, ornately decorated arch leads into a chamber beyond.
You see a smooth blue stone here.
action: You examine the stone
response: The stone is gray-blue in color and has been chipped into a roughly rectangular shape that fits easily in the palm of your hand. Its surface has been polished to a dull luster. It probably had some ritual purpose long ago.
action: You get it
response: Taken.
action: You examine the arch
response: The archway is decorated with hideous gargoyles and serpents which writhe and twist about each other.
action: You go east
response: bronze cherubim, each at least the height of three men. Their mighty wings are swept forward, covering their respectfully downturned faces. The powerful arms of each statue are extended forward: the first grips the axle of a bronze wheel suspended between his clenched fists; the second holds a brass censer; the third cups a copper sphere in his upturned palms. The three seem to be bowing deferentially toward an ornate archway leading southward. Another archway leads back to the west. A ceremonial chest sits in the southeastern corner.
action: You examine the cherubim
response: The cherubim are giant bronze statues of powerful winged men. They stand against the northern end of the hall. The first grips the axle of a bronze wheel suspended between his clenched fists, the second holds a brass censer, the third cups a copper sphere in his upturned palms.
action: You look at the sphere
response: The sphere is made from polished copper. Its surface is etched with mystical symbols. You recognize them as constellations that can be seen in the night sky. A small bronze arrow, an indicator of some sort, points toward one of the constellations on the sphere's surface. It points to the greater bruin.
action: You examine the chest
response: It is a large wooden chest overlaid with lustrous gold leaf. Twinkling gemstones are set in each corner of its heavy lid. It is apparent that this chest contained items of sacral nature, used in ceremonial rites. Three interlocking circles adorn its front and a shiny brass chime is suspended from one of its ends.
action: You examine the censer
response: The censer is a large brass jar with ornate fenestrations cut in its sides to allow the smoke of ritual incense to escape. It appears as though it has not been used for centuries. The censer's lid is closed.
action: You open it
response: The censer's lid swings open.
action: You look at the wheel
response: The first of the great cherubs holds this solid bronze wheel's axle in his clenched fists.
action: Open chest
response: The chest is solidly locked.
action: You get all
response: ceremonial sceptre: Taken.
block of incense: Taken.
action: You examine the latch
response: It is a large mechanism, enclosed within a brass cowl. A stout bolt extends down from the cowl and locks under a heavy loop of iron mounted to the chest's bottom. You realize that it would be impossible to open this chest from the outside. On the back of the cowling, a raised metal stud protrudes conspicuously.
action: You check your inventory
response: You have a golden amulet (being worn), a smooth blue stone, a ceremonial sceptre, and a block of incense.
action: You look at the sceptre
response: It is a ceremonial sceptre, carved from some dark hardwood and topped with a stylized, reptilian claw fashioned from solid silver.
action: You examine the incense
response: It is a small block of brown, compacted vegetable matter. It has a pungent and aromatic odor.
action: You open the censer
response: The brass censer is already open!
action: You put the incense in it
response: Done.
action: Close censer
response: Closed.
action: You look around
response: bronze cherubim, each at least the height of three men. Their mighty wings are swept forward, covering their respectfully downturned faces. The powerful arms of each statue are extended forward: the first grips the axle of a bronze wheel suspended between his clenched fists; the second holds a brass censer; the third cups a copper sphere in his upturned palms. The three seem to be bowing deferentially toward an ornate archway leading southward. Another archway leads back to the west. A ceremonial chest sits in the southeastern corner.
The brass censer seems to contain a block of incense.
action: You look at the wheel
response: The first of the great cherubs holds this solid bronze wheel's axle in his clenched fists.
action: Turn wheel
response: The great bronze wheel refuses to turn.
action: Go south
response: The walls of this chamber are black, as if coated with thick soot.
A polished, copper mirror, easily as tall as yourself, stands atop a massive stone dais at the center of the room. Stylized diagrams of what appear to be constellations have been carved into the chamber's floor and walls. They form a line extending from the center of the northern edge of the dais, across the floor, and up to the top of the chamber's northern wall. The mirror is mounted at its middle so that its reflective surface can tilt forward or back. Presently, the mirror is angled toward the greater bruin etched high on the chamber's northern wall.
action: You look at the sceptre
response: It is a ceremonial sceptre, carved from some dark hardwood and topped with a stylized, reptilian claw fashioned from solid silver.
action: Tilt mirror
response: You try with all your strength to change the mirror's position. It refuses to move.
action: You look at the floor
response: It lies beneath you.
action: You look at the mirror
response: The mirror is an amazing piece of metalwork. It is oval in shape and nearly the height of a grown man. It appears to have been hammered from a large ingot of solid copper. Its surface has been carefully polished to a high sheen. The mirror is mounted at its middle so that its reflective surface can tilt forward or back. Presently, it is angled toward the greater bruin etched high on the chamber's northern wall.
action: Go north
response: The brass censer seems to contain a block of incense.
action: You look at the sphere
response: The sphere is made from polished copper. Its surface is etched with mystical symbols. You recognize them as constellations that can be seen in the night sky. A small bronze arrow, an indicator of some sort, points toward one of the constellations on the sphere's surface. It points to the greater bruin.
action: Turn sphere
response: You grasp the copper ball's smooth surface and attempt to roll it, but the sphere refuses to move.
action: Tilt mirror
response: You try with all your strength to change the mirror's position. It refuses to move.
action: You examine the dais
response: The dais is a large, round platform of carved stone upon which the copper mirror sits.
action: Go north
response: bronze cherubim, each at least the height of three men. Their mighty wings are swept forward, covering their respectfully downturned faces. The powerful arms of each statue are extended forward: the first grips the axle of a bronze wheel suspended between his clenched fists; the second holds a brass censer; the third cups a copper sphere in his upturned palms. The three seem to be bowing deferentially toward an ornate archway leading southward. Another archway leads back to the west. A ceremonial chest sits in the southeastern corner.
The brass censer seems to contain a block of incense.
action: You go to the west
response: This small chamber is floored with clean, soft sand. An open
archway leads westward. To the east a grand, ornately decorated arch leads into a chamber beyond.
action: You put the scepter in the hole
response: You slide the sceptre into the cavity, the claw at its tip seems to catch on something far inside.
action: You get the scepter
response: You draw the sceptre out of the hole, dragging something along with it. The object clatters to the floor. It is a brass tinderbox!
action: You examine the tinderbox
response: It is an open-topped box made of tarnished brass, little enough to fit easily in one hand. A small, soot-stained cup is situated at its bottom, beneath a chip of stone mounted on the box's upper edge. Dangling from a delicate brass chain is a small square of metal. The box's base encloses a tiny drawer which is closed.
action: You go to the north
response: Great Hall, Northern End
This is the northernmost end of a great hall which extends into darkness southward. The underground river rushes past at the hall's northern edge. The water's turbulent churning fills this place with near-deafening noise. An ancient, wooden waterwheel stands alongside the river in a narrow channel carved into the stone floor. River water flows swiftly through the channel and splashes noisily past the stationary wheel. A great iron chain hangs down from the ceiling and is wound tightly around the wheel's great axle.
action: You get the sword
response: Taken.
action: You get rod
response: You grasp the rod's hooked end and try to pull it free, but it is frozen in place by the taut chain.
action: Go south
response: Great Hall, Southern End
This is the southern end of the great hall which continues into darkness northward. The rumbling hiss of the underground river echoes faintly off the blank stone walls. A giant, rough-hewn block of stone rests against the southern wall.
action: Climb block
response: You scramble up the block's rough surface and haul yourself onto its broad top.

Great Hall, On Top of Stone
You are atop the great stone resting against the hall's southern
wall. A great iron chain extends down from somewhere above and is fastened to a huge iron hasp fixed in the center of the stone's top. From this height, the pale light shining from your amulet barely illuminates the hall's floor far below you. A narrow passageway, previously hidden from view, has been carved into the southern wall.
It was clearly an afterthought to the great hall's excavation. It was probably added decades, if not centuries later. The passage leads southward.
action: You go south
response: You are in a burial chamber of some kind. A holy man of antiquity
has had himself laid to rest near the great oracle's hiding place in the heart of the mountain. The chamber is littered with the crumbling remains of the finery he was adorned with at burial. The air, moistened by the flowing river, has destroyed the once opulent treasure over the centuries. A stone sarcophagus, decorated with intricate carvings, rests along the eastern wall. A narrow passageway leads out northward.
action: You put the stone in the notch
response: The smooth, blue stone slips easily into the notch. You hear a muffled clacking sound somewhere within the sarcophagus.
action: Open sarcophagus
response: The stone lid raises easily, revealing the disintigrated remains of the sarcophagus' occupant. The desiccated corpse is draped with yellowed linen sheets that crumble like burned paper. Resting in the general region of the neck is a heavy gold torque.
action: You examine the corpse
response: The ancient corpse has lain so long in death that it is literally turning to dust. The gaunt skin, stretched over crumbling bones, is flaking into powder as are all of the body's other tissues.
action: You get the torque
response: Taken. You lift the shimmering torque away from the crumbling body.
action: You examine the torque
response: The torque is a semicircle of solid, beaten gold which is worn about the neck. It shimmers and glistens lustrously.
action: You go north
response: Great Hall, On Top of Stone
You are atop the great stone resting against the hall's southern
wall. A great iron chain extends down from somewhere above and is fastened to a huge iron hasp fixed in the center of the stone's top. From this height, the pale light shining from your amulet barely illuminates the hall's floor far below you. A narrow passageway, previously hidden from view, has been carved into the southern wall.
It was clearly an afterthought to the great hall's excavation. It was probably added decades, if not centuries later. The passage leads southward.
action: Go north
response: Great Hall, Northern End
This is the northernmost end of a great hall which extends into darkness southward. The underground river rushes past at the hall's northern edge. The water's turbulent churning fills this place with near-deafening noise. An ancient, wooden waterwheel stands alongside the river in a narrow channel carved into the stone floor. A great iron chain hangs down from the ceiling and attatches to the waterwheel's axle.
action: You open the drawer
response: Opening the tiny drawer reveals a wad of floss.
action: You look at the river
response: The underground river runs through the northern end of the great hall, crashing and rumbling its way over numerous submerged boulders. The din from the mighty river drowns out almost all other sound.
action: You close the drawer
response: Closed.
action: You enter the river
response: You leap into the raging river's churning waters and are swept away by the powerful current. Just downstream from the great hall, a small grotto has formed where the river has eroded away the solid stone. You make a futile attempt to swim toward the grotto, but the current is far too swift. Your battle to keep your head above the churning surface ends suddenly when you strike your skull sharply against a submerged rock, and all becomes black...

You awaken suddenly, your head hammering with pain. You have no idea where you are, but you are no longer buffetted by the icy river and your clothing is dry. You have no clear recollection of how you arrived in this place, but you seem to remember a sudden flash of daylight... an arm reaching down, plucking you out of the water, dragging you back into darkness... a grim, bearded face looking down upon you - unmoving... tunnels, passages, twisting, turning, climbing...

This space was hollowed out of the solid stone of the mountain, chisel-marks from the ancient laborers can still be seen on its rough hewn walls. The room is slightly oval shaped with a squat, stone altar set on the floor at its southernmost end. A metal chime, heavily corroded after centuries of neglect, hangs from a stand mounted at one of its ends. A rivulet of clear water splashes into the room through a doorway that enters from the north. The stream flows placidly down the room's length and disappears through an iron grate set in the floor just in front of the altar.

An open archway exits eastward.
Sitting on the stone altar is a rusted sword.
action: Inventory
response: You have a golden amulet (being worn), a ceremonial sceptre, a brass tinderbox, and a gold torque (being worn).
action: You get the chain
response: Which chain do you mean, the tiny, brass chain, or the heavy iron chain?
action: You put the iron chain in the large hole
response: The great chain has been threaded through the large hole and completely occludes it.
action: You put the rod in the hole
response: Which hole do you mean, the large hole, or the small hole?
action: Small
response: The metal rod has already been inserted into the small hole, occluding it completely.
action: You put the sword under the gate
response: You plunge the sword down into the flowing water, its point catches against the channel's stone bottom. You tuck the sword's hilt under the gate's lower edge. The arrangement holds, keeping the gate fully open.
action: You go south
response: Great Hall, Southern End
This is the southern end of the great hall which continues into darkness northward. The rumbling hiss of the underground river echoes faintly off the blank stone walls. A huge block of granite is suspended near the ceiling directly above an open doorway which leads southward. Immediately in front of the doorway, a rectangular patch of the stone floor is dark with moisture.
action: You get the floss
response: As you tear a pinch of the floss away, the tiny drawer snaps firmly shut.
action: You put the floss in the cup
response: Done.
action: You examine the stone
response: The gray stone is mounted to the box's upper edge. It has been chipped into a rectangular shape, and appears to be flint.
action: You examine the metal
response: It is made from what appears to be steel, judging from the rust that covers it. Its edges have been scraped and nicked.
action: You hit flint with metal
response: You strike the stone firmly with the square of metal, a shower of sparks flashes down upon the cup. The wad of floss within the cup begins to smoulder and emit a thin wisp of smoke, then a tiny finger of orange flame leaps up from the burning floss.
action: Light incense
response: You'll have to open the brass censer first.
action: You open censer
response: The censer's lid swings open.

A tiny, orange lick of flame flickers up from within the tinderbox.
action: Light incense
response: The incense begins to glow with heat, and a bit of delicious-smelling smoke slithers up from it. The sweet smoke begins to roll lazily out of the censer's fenestrations and wafts up toward the ceiling. You hear a distant click coming from somewhere behind the wheel-bearing cherub.

A tiny, orange lick of flame flickers up from within the tinderbox.
action: Turn wheel
response: You turn the great wheel, it spins easily. As it spins, you notice a scraping sound coming from beyond the southern archway. After a few rotations, the wheel comes to a sudden halt. You hear a muffled clack coming from somewhere behind the sphere-bearing cherub.

Having entirely consumed the wad of floss, the tiny flame leaping up from the tinderbox winks out suddenly, and sends up a fine wisp of smoke.
action: Turn sphere
response: The sphere rolls smoothly in the cherub's cupped hands. As it turns, a metallic creaking echoes from the chamber southward. The sphere clicks suddenly to a solid stop. The arrow now points toward a different constellation: the hydra.
action: Go south
response: The walls of this chamber are black, as if coated with thick soot.
A faint haze of scented smoke billows in through the archway, filling the chamber with a sweet odor. A polished, copper mirror, easily as tall as yourself, stands atop a massive stone dais near the center of the room. The dais seems to have slid further back into the chamber, revealing a large, open well where the massive stone structure had been. Stylized diagrams of what appear to be constellations have been carved into the chamber's floor and walls. They form a line extending from the center of the well's northern edge, across the floor, and up to the top of the chamber's northern wall. The mirror is mounted at its middle so that its reflective surface can tilt forward or back. Presently, the mirror is angled toward the hydra etched on the northern wall, just above eye level.
action: You examine well
response: It is a large, round hole cut in the chamber's floor. A border of mystic runes ring its edge. Its yawning, black depths open before you.
action: You examine the amulet
response: It is the golden amulet the council of elders gave you as you set out on your journey. It is quite finely made, probably well beyond the skills of the smithies of your land, it must have come from some far-off place.
action: You look in well
response: The well is far deeper than the light from your amulet will penetrate, and you see only blackness.
action: About yourself
response: You are tall for your seventeen years, despite your meager existence on the farm. The tattered clothes of a peasant adorn your lanky frame. About your neck hangs a brilliantly crafted golden amulet.
action: You drop amulet in well
response: The amulet falls into the depths of the well, illuminating its stone sides as it plummets downward. Eventually, the amulet's glow dwindles to a tiny pinpoint and finally, it winks out entirely. You find yourself in total darkness.

The blackness seems to close in upon you, choking the breath from your lungs. Your heart hammers wildly in your chest. The fear of dying, cold and alone deep in the bowels of the earth, suddenly grips you and holds you in its icy claws.

An intensely bright beam of brilliant, white light suddenly blasts upward from within the well, and reflects off the mirror's polished surface. The reflected beam of light illuminates the diagram of the hydra etched on the northern wall, just above eye level. The beam rests there for a moment then disappears, leaving you again in total darkness.
action: You wait
response: Time passes...
action: You go north
response: bronze cherubim, each at least the height of three men. Their mighty wings are swept forward, covering their respectfully downturned faces. The powerful arms of each statue are extended forward: the first grips the axle of a bronze wheel suspended between his clenched fists; the second holds a brass censer from which pungent, sweet-smelling smoke escapes, filling the chamber with an aromatic, bluish haze; the third cups a copper sphere in his upturned palms. The three seem to be bowing deferentially toward an ornate archway leading southward. Another archway leads back to the west. A ceremonial chest sits in the southeastern corner.
The brass censer seems to contain a burning block of incense.
action: Turn wheel
response: You turn the great wheel, it spins easily. As it spins, you notice a scraping sound coming from beyond the southern archway. After a few rotations, the wheel comes to a sudden halt. You hear a muffled clack coming from somewhere behind the sphere-bearing cherub.
action: You examine the sphere
response: The sphere is made from polished copper. Its surface is etched with mystical symbols. You recognize them as constellations that can be seen in the night sky. A small bronze arrow, an indicator of some sort, points toward one of the constellations on the sphere's surface. It points to the hydra.
action: Go south
response: The walls of this chamber are black, as if coated with thick soot.
A faint haze of scented smoke billows in through the archway, filling the chamber with a sweet odor. A polished, copper mirror, easily as tall as yourself, stands atop a massive stone dais at the center of the room. Stylized diagrams of what appear to be constellations have been carved into the chamber's floor and walls. They form a line extending from the center of the northern edge of the dais, across the floor, and up to the top of the chamber's northern wall. The mirror is mounted at its middle so that its reflective surface can tilt forward or back. Presently, the mirror is angled toward the hydra etched on the northern wall, just above eye level.
action: Turn sphere
response: The sphere rolls smoothly in the cherub's cupped hands. As it turns, a metallic creaking echoes from the chamber southward. The sphere clicks suddenly to a solid stop. The arrow now points toward a different constellation: the hunter.
action: Turn sphere
response: The sphere rolls smoothly in the cherub's cupped hands. As it turns, a metallic creaking echoes from the chamber southward. The sphere clicks suddenly to a solid stop. The arrow now points toward a different constellation: the seven sisters.
action: Turn sphere
response: The sphere rolls smoothly in the cherub's cupped hands. As it turns, a metallic creaking echoes from the chamber southward. The sphere clicks suddenly to a solid stop. The arrow now points toward a different constellation: the lesser bruin.
action: Turn sphere
response: The sphere rolls smoothly in the cherub's cupped hands. As it turns, a metallic creaking echoes from the chamber southward. The sphere clicks suddenly to a solid stop. The arrow now points toward a different constellation: the hero's belt.
action: Turn sphere
response: The sphere rolls smoothly in the cherub's cupped hands. As it turns, a metallic creaking echoes from the chamber southward. The sphere clicks suddenly to a solid stop. The arrow now points toward a different constellation: the greater bruin.
action: Go south
response: The walls of this chamber are black, as if coated with thick soot.
A faint haze of scented smoke billows in through the archway, filling the chamber with a sweet odor. A polished, copper mirror, easily as tall as yourself, stands atop a massive stone dais near the center of the room. The dais seems to have slid further back into the chamber, revealing a large, open well where the massive stone structure had been. Stylized diagrams of what appear to be constellations have been carved into the chamber's floor and walls. They form a line extending from the center of the well's northern edge, across the floor, and up to the top of the chamber's northern wall. The mirror is mounted at its middle so that its reflective surface can tilt forward or back. Presently, the mirror is angled toward the greater bruin etched high on the chamber's northern wall.
action: You put the torque in well
response: (Taking off the gold torque first)
The gold torque falls into the well and disappears. You wait for some time to hear it hit bottom, but no sound returns.
action: You put the sceptre in well
response: The ceremonial sceptre falls into the well and disappears. You wait for some time to hear it hit bottom, but no sound returns.
action: You look at the screw
response: The large, iron screw is badly rusted, as is the rest of the trapdoor. Its head bears a shallow slot.
action: You enter river
response: As you leave, the unsupported flow-control gate slips shut, cutting off the flow of water past the waterwheel. Once the water ceases flowing, the great wheel creaks and shudders to a halt. The iron chain wrapped around the wheel's axle is drawn back up into the ceiling and the wheel begins to turn in reverse, splashing water onto the floor and walls. Again you hear the grinding sound coming from the southern end of the hall. The distant grinding terminates with a resonating thump and the great chain falls slack. The loops of chain wound around the axle tumble noisily onto the floor.

You leap into the raging river's churning waters and are swept away by the powerful current. Just downstream from the great hall, a small grotto has formed where the river has eroded away the solid stone. You make a futile attempt to swim toward the grotto, but the current is far too swift. Your battle to keep your head above the churning surface ends suddenly when you strike your skull sharply against a submerged rock, and all becomes black...

You awaken suddenly, your head hammering with pain. You have no idea where you are, but you are no longer buffetted by the icy river and your clothing is dry. You have no clear recollection of how you arrived in this place, but you seem to remember a sudden flash of daylight... an arm reaching down, plucking you out of the water, dragging you back into darkness... a grim, bearded face looking down upon you - unmoving... tunnels, passages, twisting, turning, climbing...

This space was hollowed out of the solid stone of the mountain, chisel-marks from the ancient laborers can still be seen on its rough hewn walls. The room is slightly oval shaped with a squat, stone altar set on the floor at its southernmost end. A metal chime, heavily corroded after centuries of neglect, hangs from a stand mounted at one of its ends. A rivulet of clear water splashes into the room through a doorway that enters from the north. The stream flows placidly down the room's length and disappears through an iron grate set in the floor just in front of the altar.

An open archway exits eastward.
Sitting on the stone altar is a rusted sword.
action: You go east
response: This is the landing of a narrow flight of stairs climbing sharply upward toward the north. The steps are uneven and rough-hewn, as are the walls, evidence of the great antiquity of this place. An open archway leads westward.
action: You go to the north
response: On The Stairs, Rubble
The stairs climb for a short distance, terminating abruptly where a jumble of boulders has collapsed into the narrow stairway, sealing it off completely.
action: You look at the boulders
response: The boulders are the same mottled granite that forms the entire mountain. As you look more closely, you notice that rather than having fallen randomly into the stairway, the stones have been carefully laid in place.
action: You move the boulders
response: You push at the boulders with all your strength. Eventually, you succeed in dislodging one of them perhaps a fingerwidth. The entire pile creaks and grinds as if it were barely stable under its own tremendous weight.
action: You move the boulders
response: You grasp one of the great stones and begin to wriggle it from its place.

With a sound like a clap of thunder, the wall of stones topples down, crushing you to death instantly.
action: You throw the sword at the boulders
response: You miss.
action: You get the sword
response: Taken.
action: Go west
response: As you pass through the archway, a sudden rush of cold wind brushes past from behind you. You feel the stone beneath your feet tremble as a deafening roar blasts from the stairway as if the entire mountain were collapsing upon itself. In an instant you realize what is happening, The wall of boulders...

You are barely able to leap clear as an avalanche of stone pours down the stairway. The thunderous noise subsides after a moment and a thick cloud of choking dust rolls out through the archway.

This space was hollowed out of the solid stone of the mountain, chisel-marks from the ancient laborers can still be seen on its rough hewn walls. The room is slightly oval shaped with a squat, stone altar set on the floor at its southernmost end. A metal chime, heavily corroded after centuries of neglect, hangs from a stand mounted at one of its ends. A rivulet of clear water splashes into the room through a doorway that enters from the north. The stream flows placidly down the room's length and disappears through an iron grate set in the floor just in front of the altar.

An open archway exits eastward.
action: You go east
response: This small space was once the landing of a narrow flight of stairs.
A recent rockslide has entirely covered the stairs in stony rubble. Amazingly, the stairway is still passable, though it appears difficult going.
action: Up
response: On The Stairs, Rubble
The stairs are littered with great boulders, but a passable opening
has been created by the violence of the rockfall. The narrow stairway continues upward and downward.
action: Up
response: preparation room for supplicants who came seeking audience with the oracle - a place to wash, and don ceremonial robes before attempting to summon her. The worm-eaten remains of a small wooden table litter the floor along the northern wall. An ancient washbasin is mounted in the north-eastern corner.

The narrow stairway leads downward.
action: You look at the table
response: The low table has crumbled in the cold, damp of this place. Flakes of black lacquer and bits of polished shell scattered among the fragments of rotten wood demonstrate that it was once beautifully decorated.
action: You look at the basin
response: The basin is bolted to the chamber's wall at about waist height. It is fashioned from copper or some similar metal. Its once bright surface is badly tarnished. Some dried silt has collected at its bottom.
action: You look at the silt
response: It is a small amount of dried sand.
action: You get the silt
response: You sift your fingers through the dry sand, dislodging a small metal object hidden beneath its surface. A shining, smooth edge is visible, it appears to be a coin of some kind.
action: You go north
response: You swim northward.

Flooded Chamber, Surface of Water
You are directly beneath the waterfall that feeds the lake.
Freezing cold drops of water pound down on you. They fall from such a great height, it feels as though you are being pelted with stones.
action: You go to the north
response: You swim northward.

Flooded Chamber, Surface of Water
You are near the chamber's northern wall. The stone wall continues into darkness toward the east and west. The open lake lies southward.
action: Go east
response: You swim eastward.

Flooded Chamber, Surface of Water
You are in the northeastern corner of the chamber. Small waves lap against the dark stone walls.

The water is incredibly cold, you can feel your arms and legs growing numb.
action: Go south
response: You swim southward.

Flooded Chamber, Surface of Water
You are near the chamber's eastern wall. The damp stone continues
into darkness toward the north and south. The frigid water seems to be flowing gently past you, southward.
action: You go to the south
response: You swim southward.

Flooded Chamber, Surface of Water
You are near the chamber's eastern wall. The damp stone continues
into darkness toward the north and south. Oddly there seems to be a faint undertow here. The dark water seems to be tugging you softly down, beneath its black surface.
action: Go south
response: You swim southward.

Flooded Chamber, Surface of Water
You are near the chamber's eastern wall. The damp stone continues
into darkness toward the north and south. The icy water seems to be flowing gently northward.
action: You go to the south
response: You swim southward.

Flooded Chamber, Surface of Water
You are in the southeastern corner of the chamber. Small waves lap against the dark stone walls.
action: You go to the west
response: You swim westward.

Flooded Chamber, Surface of Water
You are near the chamber's southern wall. A small recess has been carved out of the damp stone, just above the water line. The recess appears to form a dry refuge from the icy water. It lies directly southward.
action: You go south
response: You haul yourself out of the frigid water into the alcove. You shiver violently in the cold, damp air, rubbing your numb hands over your aching, near-frozen limbs. Gradually you notice that the amulet is glowing brighter than it did before. It seems to be growing warmer as well. Soon the amulet has filled the entire alcove with a pleasant warmth, and sensation creeps slowly back into your body. The heat then dwindles, and the amulet's glow returns to its previous glimmer.

This is a small, dry alcove beside the great, dark pool of water.
The light from your amulet is reflected off of the black surface of the water in small flickers as tiny waves lap against the chamber's walls.
action: You go to the north
response: You jump back into the icy water with an echoing splash.

Flooded Chamber, Surface of Water
You are treading water in a large chamber that has been almost completely flooded by a waterfall that crashes down from somewhere high above you in the darkness.

You are near the chamber's southern wall. A small recess has been carved out of the damp stone, just above the water line. The recess appears to form a dry refuge from the icy water. It lies directly southward.
action: Go west
response: You swim westward.

Flooded Chamber, Surface of Water
You are in the southwestern corner of the chamber. Small waves lap against the damp stone walls.
action: You go west
response: You have already reached the western wall.
action: Go north
response: You swim northward.

Flooded Chamber, Surface of Water
You are near the chamber's western wall. The damp, gray stone continues into darkness to the north and south.

The water is incredibly cold, you can feel your arms and legs growing numb.
action: You go north
response: You swim northward.

Flooded Chamber, Surface of Water
You are near the chamber's western wall. The damp, gray stone continues into darkness to the north and south.
action: Go north
response: You swim northward.

Flooded Chamber, Surface of Water
You are in the northwestern corner of the chamber. Small waves lap against the gray stone walls.
action: You go east
response: You swim eastward.

Flooded Chamber, Surface of Water
You are near the chamber's northern wall. The stone wall continues into darkness toward the east and west. The open lake lies southward.
action: You go to the south
response: You swim southward.

Flooded Chamber, Surface of Water
You are directly beneath the waterfall that feeds the lake.
Freezing cold drops of water pound down on you. They fall from such a great height, it feels as though you are being pelted with stones.
action: Go east
response: You swim eastward.

Flooded Chamber, Surface of Water
You are near the chamber's eastern wall. The damp stone continues
into darkness toward the north and south. The frigid water seems to be flowing gently past you, southward.
action: You go west
response: You swim westward.

Flooded Chamber, Surface of Water
You are directly beneath the waterfall that feeds the lake.
Freezing cold drops of water pound down on you. They fall from such a great height, it feels as though you are being pelted with stones.
action: You go to the west
response: You swim westward.

Flooded Chamber, Surface of Water
You are near the chamber's western wall. The damp, gray stone continues into darkness to the north and south.

Your entire body is leaden and numb from the cold.
action: Go east
response: You swim eastward.

Flooded Chamber, Surface of Water
You are directly beneath the waterfall that feeds the lake.
Freezing cold drops of water pound down on you. They fall from such a great height, it feels as though you are being pelted with stones.
action: You go south
response: You swim southward.

Flooded Chamber, Surface of Water
You are on the open lake. Dark water surrounds you on all sides.
action: You go south
response: You swim southward.

Flooded Chamber, Surface of Water
You are near the chamber's southern wall. A small recess has been carved out of the damp stone, just above the water line. The recess appears to form a dry refuge from the icy water. It lies directly southward.
action: You go south
response: You haul yourself out of the frigid water into the alcove. You stand, shivering violently for some time. Again the amulet glows with pleasant heat and you are eventually warmed.

This is a small, dry alcove beside the great, dark pool of water.
The light from your amulet is reflected off of the black surface of the water in small flickers as tiny waves lap against the chamber's walls.
action: You go to the north
response: You jump back into the icy water with an echoing splash.

Flooded Chamber, Surface of Water
You are treading water in a large chamber that has been almost completely flooded by a waterfall that crashes down from somewhere high above you in the darkness.

You are near the chamber's southern wall. A small recess has been carved out of the damp stone, just above the water line. The recess appears to form a dry refuge from the icy water. It lies directly southward.
action: You descend
response: You draw in a deep breath and dive below the surface of the ice-cold water.

Flooded Chamber, Underwater
You are near the chamber's southern wall. The remains of a large
mural adorn the otherwise blank stone. Once a stunning work of art, the centuries of immersion have nearly destroyed it, but the image remains discernible. It depicts the legend of your people which tells of the great oracle choosing the tallest of the black mountain as her eternal hiding place. The mural shows her descending into the darkness far beneath the mighty peak. Shining in the heavens high above her is the constellation of the lesser bruin, a symbol closely associated with the oracle's power.
action: Go west
response: You swim westward.

Flooded Chamber, Underwater
You are in the southwestern corner of the chamber. The soft light
from the amulet flickers wanly through the water.
action: You go down
response: You swim deeper into the depths of the ice-cold water.

Flooded Chamber, Deep Underwater
You are in the chamber's southwest corner, deep beneath the surface
of the frigid underground lake.

The water is incredibly cold, you can feel your arms and legs growing numb.

You are finding it difficult to hold your breath.
action: Go north
response: You swim northward.

Flooded Chamber, Underwater
You are near the chamber's western wall. The remains of a large
mural adorn the otherwise blank stone. Once brilliant paint and plaster is fading gradually away, but the image remains discernible.
It depicts the creation of the world as it was taught to you when you were a child. Under command of the gods, shown hovering among the stars, the land is rising up from the vast ocean that covered the world at the beginning of time.

The water is incredibly cold, you can feel your arms and legs growing numb.

You are finding it difficult to hold your breath.
action: Up
response: You swim upward, breaking the surface and gasping for air.

Flooded Chamber, Surface of Water
You are near the chamber's western wall. The damp, gray stone continues into darkness to the north and south.
action: Go downward
response: You draw in a deep breath and dive below the surface of the ice-cold water.

Flooded Chamber, Underwater
You are near the chamber's western wall. The remains of a large
mural adorn the otherwise blank stone. Once brilliant paint and plaster is fading gradually away, but the image remains discernible.
It depicts the creation of the world as it was taught to you when you were a child. Under command of the gods, shown hovering among the stars, the land is rising up from the vast ocean that covered the world at the beginning of time.
action: Go north
response: You swim northward.

Flooded Chamber, Underwater
You are near the chamber's western wall. The submerged stone wall continues into the darkness toward the north and south.
action: Go north
response: You swim northward.

Flooded Chamber, Underwater
You are near the chamber's western wall. The remains of a large
mural adorn the otherwise blank stone. Once brilliant paint and plaster is flaking gradually away, but the image remains discernible. It depicts a legend from the folklore of your people. Great giants are stylistically portrayed, toiling far beneath the ground. They heave up the earth on their mighty shoulders, forming the great mountain ranges of the world.
action: Go north
response: You swim northward.

Flooded Chamber, Underwater
You are in the northwestern corner of the chamber. The soft light
from your amulet shines pale on the submerged stone walls.

You are finding it difficult to hold your breath.
action: Go upwards
response: You swim upward, breaking the surface and gasping for air.

Flooded Chamber, Surface of Water
You are in the northwestern corner of the chamber. Small waves lap against the gray stone walls.
action: Go downwards
response: You draw in a deep breath and dive below the surface of the ice-cold water.

Flooded Chamber, Underwater
You are near the chamber's northern wall. The remains of a large
mural adorn the otherwise blank stone. Once brilliant paint and plaster is gradually washing away in the icy water, but the image remains discernible. It depicts the legend of your people which tells of the creation of the world's many canyons. A great and horrible dragon is shown raking his massive claws through the earth, leaving behind vast furrows through which the mighty rivers begin to flow.

Your entire body is leaden and numb from the cold.
action: Go east
response: You swim eastward.

Flooded Chamber, Underwater
You are in the chamber's northeastern corner. The water here is
cold and still. The dim light of the amulet reflects coldly off the submerged stone walls.
action: Go upward
response: You swim upward, breaking the surface and gasping for air.

Flooded Chamber, Surface of Water
You are in the northeastern corner of the chamber. Small waves lap against the dark stone walls.
action: Go south
response: You swim southward.

Flooded Chamber, Surface of Water
You are near the chamber's eastern wall. The damp stone continues
into darkness toward the north and south. The frigid water seems to be flowing gently past you, southward.
action: You go to the south
response: You swim southward.

Flooded Chamber, Surface of Water
You are near the chamber's eastern wall. The damp stone continues
into darkness toward the north and south. Oddly there seems to be a faint undertow here. The dark water seems to be tugging you softly down, beneath its black surface.
action: Go south
response: You swim southward.

Flooded Chamber, Surface of Water
You are near the chamber's eastern wall. The damp stone continues
into darkness toward the north and south. The icy water seems to be flowing gently northward.
action: Go south
response: You swim southward.

Flooded Chamber, Surface of Water
You are in the southeastern corner of the chamber. Small waves lap against the dark stone walls.

The icy water has drawn away so much of your body's heat that you are almost unable to move. You know that you must get out of the water soon.
action: You go to the west
response: You swim westward.

Flooded Chamber, Surface of Water
You are near the chamber's southern wall. A small recess has been carved out of the damp stone, just above the water line. The recess appears to form a dry refuge from the icy water. It lies directly southward.
action: You go south
response: You haul yourself out of the frigid water into the alcove. You stand, shivering violently for some time. Again the amulet glows with pleasant heat and you are eventually warmed.

This is a small, dry alcove beside the great, dark pool of water.
The light from your amulet is reflected off of the black surface of the water in small flickers as tiny waves lap against the chamber's walls.
action: Go east
response: You swim eastward.

Flooded Chamber, Underwater
You are in the chamber's southeastern corner. The dim light cast by the amulet reflects coldly off the submerged wall.
action: You go to the north
response: You swim northward.

Flooded Chamber, Underwater
You are near the chamber's eastern wall. The remains of a large
mural adorn the otherwise blank stone. Once brilliant paint and plaster is slowly being washed away, but the image remains discernible. It depicts the legend of your people which tells of the great wizard who came from his shining city among the stars. The wizard brought knowledge and magic to your people. The mural shows the mighty sorcerer descending from the sky bearing a book of learning and a magical sceptre.

The water is incredibly cold, you can feel your arms and legs growing numb.
action: You go north
response: You swim northward.

Flooded Chamber, Underwater
You are near the chamber's eastern wall. The stone wall continues
to the north and south. A submerged passageway opens toward the east. You notice a gentle current flowing past you into the dark opening.

You are finding it difficult to hold your breath.
action: You go to the north
response: You swim northward.

Flooded Chamber, Underwater
You are near the chamber's eastern wall. The remains of a large
mural adorn the otherwise blank stone. Once brilliant paint and plaster is dissolving gradually away, moss and muck are covering the exquisite artwork, but the image remains discernible. It depicts the legend of your people which tells of the creation of humans from the clay of the sacred river. The mother-goddess is shown modelling human forms beside a flowing river.
action: Go upward
response: You swim upward, breaking the surface and gasping for air.

Flooded Chamber, Surface of Water
You are near the chamber's eastern wall. The damp stone continues
into darkness toward the north and south. The frigid water seems to be flowing gently past you, southward.
action: You go west
response: You swim westward.

Flooded Chamber, Surface of Water
You are directly beneath the waterfall that feeds the lake.
Freezing cold drops of water pound down on you. They fall from such a great height, it feels as though you are being pelted with stones.
action: Go upward
response: You swim upward, breaking the surface and gasping for air.

Flooded Chamber, Surface of Water
You are on the open lake. Dark water surrounds you on all sides.
action: Go downward
response: You swim deeper into the depths of the ice-cold water.

Flooded Chamber, Deep Underwater
On the pool's sandy floor a large mound of decaying debris has collected. There are objects of all descriptions piled here as though they had been poured down from above. The scarce bits of untarnished metal and unbroken glass among the refuse flash and wink at you, reflecting the amulet's pale glow.
action: You examine metal
response: It is made from what appears to be steel, judging from the rust that covers it. Its edges have been scraped and nicked.

You are finding it difficult to hold your breath.
action: Up
response: You swim upward, breaking the surface and gasping for air.

Flooded Chamber, Surface of Water
You are on the open lake. Dark water surrounds you on all sides.

The icy water has drawn away so much of your body's heat that you are almost unable to move. You know that you must get out of the water soon.
action: You go south
response: You swim southward.

Flooded Chamber, Surface of Water
You are on the open lake. Dark water surrounds you on all sides.
action: You go south
response: You swim southward.

Flooded Chamber, Surface of Water
You are near the chamber's southern wall. A small recess has been carved out of the damp stone, just above the water line. The recess appears to form a dry refuge from the icy water. It lies directly southward.
action: Go downwards
response: You swim deeper into the depths of the ice-cold water.

Flooded Chamber, Deep Underwater
You are near the chamber's southern wall. The submerged stone
surface extends away into darkness toward the east and west.
action: Go north
response: You swim northward.

Flooded Chamber, Deep Underwater
You are surrounded on all sides by ink-black water except for the pool's flat, sandy floor just below you.

The water is incredibly cold, you can feel your arms and legs growing numb.
action: You search the floor
response: There's nothing on the ground.

You are finding it difficult to hold your breath.
action: Up
response: You swim upward, breaking the surface and gasping for air.

Flooded Chamber, Surface of Water
You are on the open lake. Dark water surrounds you on all sides.
action: You go west
response: You swim westward.

Flooded Chamber, Surface of Water
You are near the chamber's western wall. The damp, gray stone continues into darkness to the north and south.
action: Go downward
response: You draw in a deep breath and dive below the surface of the ice-cold water.

Flooded Chamber, Underwater
You are near the chamber's western wall. The remains of a large
mural adorn the otherwise blank stone. Once brilliant paint and plaster is fading gradually away, but the image remains discernible.
It depicts the creation of the world as it was taught to you when you were a child. Under command of the gods, shown hovering among the stars, the land is rising up from the vast ocean that covered the world at the beginning of time.
action: Go downward
response: You swim deeper into the depths of the ice-cold water.

Flooded Chamber, Deep Underwater
You are near the chamber's western wall. The wall before you, as
well as the sandy floor beneath you, extends out of sight to the north and south.
action: Go north
response: You swim northward.

Flooded Chamber, Deep Underwater
You are near the chamber's western wall. The wall before you, as
well as the sandy floor beneath you, extends out of sight to the north and south.
action: You go to the east
response: You swim eastward.

Flooded Chamber, Deep Underwater
On the pool's sandy floor a large mound of decaying debris has collected. There are objects of all descriptions piled here as though they had been poured down from above. The scarce bits of untarnished metal and unbroken glass among the refuse flash and wink at you, reflecting the amulet's pale glow.

Your entire body is leaden and numb from the cold.

You are finding it difficult to hold your breath.
action: You look at the objects
response: The mound consists of ancient and decaying valuables of all descriptions.
action: You search objects
response: You rummage through the objects in the mound. Most of the items crumble to dust with the slightest touch, so great is their state of ruin. In the course of your search, you stir up a nearly blinding cloud of swirling sand. When the sand settles you notice a brilliant ruby among the refuse.

You cannot hold you breath much longer.
action: Up
response: You swim upward, breaking the surface and gasping for air.

Flooded Chamber, Surface of Water
You are on the open lake. Dark water surrounds you on all sides.
action: Go downward
response: You swim deeper into the depths of the ice-cold water.

Flooded Chamber, Deep Underwater
On the pool's sandy floor a large mound of decaying debris has collected. There are objects of all descriptions piled here as though they had been poured down from above. The scarce bits of untarnished metal and unbroken glass among the refuse flash and wink at you, reflecting the amulet's pale glow.
Atop the mound you see a ruby.

The icy water has drawn away so much of your body's heat that you are almost unable to move. You know that you must get out of the water soon.
action: You get the ruby
response: Taken.
action: You examine the ruby
response: It is a large gemstone of deep blood red. Its facets shimmer and flash as you look upon it.
action: Go east
response: You swim eastward.

Flooded Chamber, Surface of Water
You are in the southeastern corner of the chamber. Small waves lap against the dark stone walls.
action: You go to the north
response: You swim northward.

Flooded Chamber, Surface of Water
You are near the chamber's eastern wall. The damp stone continues
into darkness toward the north and south. The icy water seems to be flowing gently northward.
action: Go down
response: You draw in a deep breath and dive below the surface of the ice-cold water.

Flooded Chamber, Underwater
You are near the chamber's eastern wall. The remains of a large
mural adorn the otherwise blank stone. Once brilliant paint and plaster is slowly being washed away, but the image remains discernible. It depicts the legend of your people which tells of the great wizard who came from his shining city among the stars. The wizard brought knowledge and magic to your people. The mural shows the mighty sorcerer descending from the sky bearing a book of learning and a magical sceptre.

The water is incredibly cold, you can feel your arms and legs growing numb.
action: You go to the north
response: You swim northward.

Flooded Chamber, Underwater
You are near the chamber's eastern wall. The stone wall continues
to the north and south. A submerged passageway opens toward the east. You notice a gentle current flowing past you into the dark opening.
action: You go east
response: You swim eastward into the dark passageway. The force of the current grows stronger and stronger until it sweeps you helplessly along. In the darkness you scrape against the uneven stone walls and are pounded mercilessly into submerged boulders. Your lungs burn with the desire for breath, but the cold water refuses to release you from its icy grip. Consciousness begins to slip away from you. The roaring, black water and jagged stones are fading into warm, gray oblivion...

You are slammed back into wakefulness when your body is hurled over the precipice of a subterranean waterfall and spilled into an underground river flowing swiftly beneath the great mountain. The river's dark channel is not completely submerged, and your head breaks the surface. Frantically, you draw in gasping lungfuls of air.

After being swept along for some distance, the river's course turns suddenly. You are pushed over a cluster of submerged stones near the rocky bank. The great sword at your side somehow catches between the stones, stopping you dead in the raging current. Fighting against the power of the river, you grasp hold of the slippery stones and work yourself free. You scrabble along toward the river's edge and finally haul yourself out of the freezing water. You find yourself in another great, subterranean chamber.

Great Hall, Northern End
This is the northernmost end of a great hall which extends into darkness southward. The underground river rushes past at the hall's northern edge. The water's turbulent churning fills this place with near-deafening noise. An ancient, wooden waterwheel stands alongside the river in a narrow channel carved into the stone floor. A great iron chain hangs down from the ceiling and attatches to the waterwheel's axle.
action: You unscrew screw with the coin
response: The screw turns, squeaking dryly, through a few rotations then snaps in two. Its upper half clatters across the iron door.
action: You examine the screw
response: It is the rusty, upper half of a large iron screw. It appears that its ancient has metal twisted in two.
action: You open trapdoor
response: You swing the trapdoor open on its squealing hinges, and let it fall onto the stone floor with a loud clang. Beneath the door a dark passage leads downward.
action: Go downwards
response: This is a small hollow carved into the great chamber's floor. The stone of its walls is rough and unfinished. An opening in the roof leads upward, and a tiny tunnel extends away from the barrow eastward.
action: Go east
response: the great mountain. The tunnel extends away from you eastward and westward.
action: You go east
response: Icy-cold water oozes from the tunnel's solid stone walls here.
Frigid rivulets run down your back as you disturb heavy droplets that form along the low roof. The tunnel extends eastward and westward.
action: You go to the east
response: The cramped tunnel continues on eastward and westward. A faint
breeze brushes past you, cool and fresh. It seems to be blowing from the east.
action: Go east
response: You crawl further eastward along the tunnel. Suddenly, you are blinded for a moment by a brilliant flash of light far down the tunnel, ahead of you. It is there for a moment, then gone again. You crane forward, trying to pierce the tunnel's black depths with your eyes... but you see nothing. After a moment you continue on, and there it is again! But rather than a tiny flash, a glowing beam of light shines down the tunnel toward you. You shade your eyes with your hands, squinting against the stinging brightness.

As your eyes grow accustomed to the light, you realize that what you are seeing is sunlight! You force yourself quickly forward, eager to breathe the air above ground again.

You stand on a narrow balcony carved into a dizzyingly high wall of rock. Just below you, the great river, having coursed through the mountain's darkest depths, spills jubilantly over the cliff's edge with a parting hiss, and plunges into the great valley far below. An incredible landscape sprawls out before you. Thick forests stretch away into the distance, carpeting rolling hills that climb gradually toward another range of mighty peaks which you can just make out, purple-gray in the mid-day haze. The river, having finally tumbled down from its great height, bends southward, winds its way into the dense trees and disappears.

A life-size statue of an armed watchman sits pensively at the far right end of the balcony. The dreary blackness of the tunnel's dark opening leads back into the mountain, westward.
action: Look around
response: You stand on a narrow balcony carved into a dizzyingly high wall of rock. Just below you, the great river, having coursed through the mountain's darkest depths, spills jubilantly over the cliff's edge with a parting hiss, and plunges into the great valley far below. An incredible landscape sprawls out before you. Thick forests stretch away into the distance, carpeting rolling hills that climb gradually toward another range of mighty peaks which you can just make out, purple-gray in the mid-day haze. The river, having finally tumbled down from its great height, bends southward, winds its way into the dense trees and disappears.

A life-size statue of an armed watchman sits pensively at the far right end of the balcony. The dreary blackness of the tunnel's dark opening leads back into the mountain, westward.
action: You examine the river
response: The river, flowing dark an cold from the depths of the great mountain, pours over the cliff casting up a fine mist as it departs; a parting token of joy at once again seeing the light of the sun and the deep blue of the sky. In the valley far below flashes and sparkles gaily as it splashes its way toward the vast forest. Here and there between the mighty trees you catch a twinkle of light reflected from its surface.
action: You look at the forest
response: The vast forest, deep and dark, creeps eagerly over the cascading hills that tumble down from the distant mountains. A standing mist hangs sluggishly among its lofty boughs, giving the mighty branches a shifting, almost lifelike appearance.
action: You look at the statue
response: The stone watchman sits upon a low shelf of rock, his unmoving gaze directed forever at the river as it disappears over the cliff's edge. The statue is incredibly lifelike, to the least details of his long beard and tattered coat of mail. It looks almost as tough an ancient warrior sat himself upon this stony seat ages ago, and remained there until he became part of the great mountain himself. A tall lance stands ready at his side.
action: You look at the lance
response: The watchman's stone spear is tall and straight, with a long, sharp head. His thick fingers seem to grip its shaft tightly.
action: You get the lance
response: You reach across the watchman's broad chest to take the lance from his stony hand.

Quick as a flash his free left hand snaps upward toward your throat, seizing the golden amulet about your neck. You scarcely dare breathe as his stone eyes scrape slowly downward to study it carefully. After a long moment he releases you from his grip.
"At last, you've come," he says, his voice slow and deliberate, as though speaking is a talent he seldom uses. The words grate from his expressionless lips with the sound of millstones grinding against one another.

"A hundred, hundred moons have waxed and waned since last I had
company on my watch. Welcome you are, friend." His eyes roll slowly back toward the river and he resumes his silent vigil.
action: You ask the watchman about the river
response: "The great river," says the watchman, raising his hand in a stiff gesture toward the flowing water, "flows freely from this sacred mountain into the eastern lands." He pauses, "I keep my watch here, and bid her farewell as she departs on her journey."
action: You ask the watchman about the oracle
response: "She is wise," the watchman says softly, his voice seeming somehow
more human. "She has hidden within this mountain since the dawning of the world." His tone grows distinctly sad, "But the sun of Her time is low on the horizon, and soon she will pass from this world."
" Your arrival," he says, his stone eyes boring into you, "is the
last of the prophecies. Her time is close at hand."
action: You ask the watchman about the amulet
response: "Ancient and powerful it is," he replies, "Forged when the world was new. Keep it well."
action: You ask the watchman about the torque
response: The watchman is silent for a long time, then he rocks slightly on
his stony perch as though he were laughing to himself.
action: You ask the watchman about watchman
response: The watchman's stony face seems to attempt a slight frown,
"I know not," he says.
action: You ask the watchman about the lance
response: The watchman continues his vigil in silence.
action: You ask the watchman about the waterwheel
response: "The great wheel," croaks the watchman, his voice trailing away as though he were deep in thought.

"The great wheel," he says at last, "raises the stone. It opens the passage leading down to Her chambers."
action: You ask the watchman about the sceptre
response: "Ah, yes,"he says slowly. "The sceptre of the claw. Helpful it is, for grasping the unreachable."
action: You ask the watchman about the sarcophagus
response: "Axaktor he was," says the watchman, he raises his eyebrows and nods his head as though remembering an old friend, "a great wizard he was.
A great wizard he is still!"
action: Climb wheel
response: You scramble higher and higher up the stout oaken beams until you are at the great wheel's highest point. Seeing nothing of interest, you carefully lower yourself back down.
action: Lower gate
response: You force the gate down into the rushing water, interrupting the flow through the sluice. Once the water ceases flowing, the great wheel creaks and shudders to a halt. The iron chain wrapped around the wheel's axle is drawn back up into the ceiling and the wheel begins to turn in reverse, splashing water onto the floor and walls. Again you hear the grinding sound coming from the southern end of the hall. The distant grinding terminates with a resonating thump and the great chain falls slack. The loops of chain wound around the axle tumble noisily onto the floor.
action: You examine the sphere
response: The sphere is made from polished copper. Its surface is etched with mystical symbols. You recognize them as constellations that can be seen in the night sky. A small bronze arrow, an indicator of some sort, points toward one of the constellations on the sphere's surface. It points to the lesser bruin.
action: Go south
response: The walls of this chamber are black, as if coated with thick soot.
A faint haze of scented smoke billows in through the archway, filling the chamber with a sweet odor. A polished, copper mirror, easily as tall as yourself, stands atop a massive stone dais near the center of the room. The dais seems to have slid further back into the chamber, revealing a large, open well where the massive stone structure had been. Stylized diagrams of what appear to be constellations have been carved into the chamber's floor and walls. They form a line extending from the center of the well's northern edge, across the floor, and up to the top of the chamber's northern wall. The mirror is mounted at its middle so that its reflective surface can tilt forward or back. Presently, the mirror is angled toward the lesser bruin etched on the floor, midway between the well and the northern wall.
action: You put the amulet in the hole
response: The amulet falls into the depths of the well, illuminating its stone sides as it plummets downward. Eventually, the amulet's glow dwindles to a tiny pinpoint and finally, it winks out entirely. You find yourself in total darkness.

The blackness seems to close in upon you, choking the breath from your lungs. Your heart hammers wildly in your chest. The fear of dying, cold and alone deep in the bowels of the earth, suddenly grips you and holds you in its icy claws.

An intensely bright beam of brilliant, white light suddenly blasts upward from within the well, and reflects off the mirror's polished surface. The reflected beam of light illuminates the diagram of the lesser bruin etched on the floor, midway between the well and the northern wall.

The blinding light slowly begins to change. It becomes a softer, blue color, streaked here and there with rays of gold and red. The beam of light illuminates the haze of sweet-smelling smoke that has drifted into the chamber from the north. The billowing smoke seems to gather in upon itself, as though it were attracted to the beautiful light by some unseen force. The smoke begins to swirl and churn within the beam of light, casting weird, sinuous shadows about the room. It coalesces further into a tiny thunderstorm of brilliant color and flashing light.

You notice a low, humming sound that fills the chamber, echoing wildly off the dark stone walls. The humming becomes a loud whirring as the iridescent colors flash faster and faster. The whirring increases to a near deafening roar. The cloud of smoke thrums and pulses with blinding bursts of intensely colored light. You clap your hands over your ears, attempting vainly to shut out the thunderous din, but it is of no use. The tumult of sound and explosion of light seem ready to rend the very stone walls with their fury.

With an incredibly powerful thump that vibrates you to the bone, all falls silent and the maelstrom of light calms to a steady glow. Within the cloud of smoke, a beautiful, feminine face appears. You draw in a sharp breath as you finally behold the oracle.

It is a face of delicate beauty and timeless wisdom. It is a face that has seen the birth of the world, and bears the weighty knowledge of the hour of its death. The oracle regards you contemplatively for a moment.

"You have travelled far to see me," her silken voice rolls forth
like a wave crashing on some distant shore. It is a voice of wonder, of horror. It is the voice of dreams fulfilled.

"I have watched the plight of your people, I know the great peril
that lies before them..." Her voice trails away like the falling of autumn leaves.

"I have not the power to deliver your people from this plight." She says with an expression of pensive sorrow. "A new age is opening in the world, and the age past must fade away; along with it, my power in the world fades as well. Already, you have seen the signs of this changing. Mankind no longer seeks out the wisdom of the great ones.
He has learned for himself the secrets of magic and science. Flames at the altars to the gods burn no longer. The gifts which the immortals once bestowed upon man, he will now obtain for himself. Our time has come to a close."

A wooden staff appears on the floor before the oracle. "Take this," she says softly, her voice beginning to fade, "I cannot deliver your homeland, but with this gift you can set yourselves free."

The wondrous face hangs in the air for a long moment, the features growing less distinct as the cloud of smoke gradually diffuses. The beam of light dwindles away and finally disappears completely.

With a lumbering, scraping sound a doorway opens in the southern wall and a flood of sunlight pours into the chamber.
action: You examine the staff
response: The staff is as tall as yourself with a sturdy grip at its center. It tapers gracefully to a point at both ends, and both ends are notched to receive the sinew string which hangs loosely from one of them. It is a bow, but a bow unlike any you have ever seen before. Its thick limbs are far stronger than the bows your people have used for ages to hunt with. This bow could easily hurl an arrow over incredible distances and pierce even the most impenetrable of armor. As you contemplate the oracle's gift, it becomes clear that this bow is indeed the answer that you seek.
action: Look around
response: The walls of this chamber are black, as if coated with thick soot.
A faint haze of scented smoke billows in through the archway, filling the chamber with a sweet odor. A polished, copper mirror, easily as tall as yourself, stands atop a massive stone dais near the center of the room. The dais seems to have slid further back into the chamber, revealing a large, open well where the massive stone structure had been. Stylized diagrams of what appear to be constellations have been carved into the chamber's floor and walls. They form a line extending from the center of the well's northern edge, across the floor, and up to the top of the chamber's northern wall. The mirror is mounted at its middle so that its reflective surface can tilt forward or back. Presently, the mirror is angled toward the lesser bruin etched on the floor, midway between the well and the northern wall.An open doorway leads southward, into sunlight.
action: You go south
response: You step through the doorway into the brilliant glow of the midday sun, and find yourself on a rock-strewn ridge just above the trail which led you to the oracle's cave. Carrying the oracle's gift, you eagerly begin the long journey home.

In a total of 488 turns, you have achieved a score of 75 points out of a possible 90.

Over the next few months, the tide of the battle turns in favor of your people. Working night and day, hundreds of the great bows are fashioned and distributed. Arrows by the thousands are made, tipped with iron points. Led by groups of archers, your dwindling forces become invincible. Able to rain death upon the invaders from across the battlefield, the enemy is quickly brought to its knees. Peace returns to your people.

Years roll by, and your notoriety among the people refuses to fade.
You are respected, revered, even feared by many. You are known to all in story and song as the last mortal to hear the enchanting, mystical voice of...

The Oracle.
action: %
response: The drums of war have beaten long throughout the land of your forefathers. At night, the fiendish glow of enemy campfires has shone orange and horrible on the horizon for as many years as you can recall. The warriors of your land have battled long and valiantly against the demon hordes pressing relentlessly forward, assailing your ever-diminishing borders. The fight has been mighty, but the strength of your people has begun to wane. Only a few of the warriors remain to lead the rag-tag brigades of youthful peasants into battle.

The council of elders has seen that it is not long before the invaders will breach the skirmish lines and plunder the farms and villages of your homeland. The council has decreed that after centuries of silence, the voice of the great oracle must be heard once more if this horrible foe is to be repelled.

Barely old enough to follow the warriors into battle, you were filled with great pride when you were selected as the messenger who would be sent to beg the great oracle for her counsel. The elders summoned you into the great hall, admonishing you to stay on the old path leading into the high mountains. After precious few other words of instruction, they sent you on your way.

For many days now, you have trod the ancient trail, winding higher and higher into the rugged peaks of the Black Mountains. Cold, hungry and alone, you somehow sense that you are nearing the oracle's hiding place deep within the great mountain. At last, the crumbling path fades away at the foot of a vast wall of solid rock

Another fine product from Allen MegaCorp (2002)

The greatest peak of the Black Mountains rises sharply before you;
an impenetrable dagger of dark granite jutting high into the clouds above. You stand at the base of an immense cliff, where a deep alcove has been chiseled from the living rock. It almost appears to be the yawning mouth of a great, black cave. As you stand at its entrance you can see steps cut from the jagged stone, leading southward into the bowels of the mountain.
action: Go south
response: You swim southward.

Flooded Chamber, Surface of Water
You are in the southeastern corner of the chamber. Small waves lap against the dark stone walls.

The water is incredibly cold, you can feel your arms and legs growing numb.
action: Go downwards
response: You draw in a deep breath and dive below the surface of the ice-cold water.

Flooded Chamber, Underwater
You are in the chamber's southeastern corner. The dim light cast by the amulet reflects coldly off the submerged wall.
action: Go downward
response: You swim deeper into the depths of the ice-cold water.

Flooded Chamber, Deep Underwater
You are in the chamber's southeastern corner.

You are finding it difficult to hold your breath.
action: Go upward
response: You swim upward.

Flooded Chamber, Underwater
You are in the chamber's southeastern corner. The dim light cast by the amulet reflects coldly off the submerged wall.
action: Go upward
response: You swim upward, breaking the surface and gasping for air.

Flooded Chamber, Surface of Water
You are in the southeastern corner of the chamber. Small waves lap against the dark stone walls.
action: You go to the west
response: You swim westward.

Flooded Chamber, Surface of Water
You are near the chamber's southern wall. A small recess has been carved out of the damp stone, just above the water line. The recess appears to form a dry refuge from the icy water. It lies directly southward.
action: You go to the north
response: You swim northward.

Flooded Chamber, Surface of Water
You are on the open lake. Dark water surrounds you on all sides.
action: Go north
response: You swim northward.

Flooded Chamber, Surface of Water
You are directly beneath the waterfall that feeds the lake.
Freezing cold drops of water pound down on you. They fall from such a great height, it feels as though you are being pelted with stones.

The water is incredibly cold, you can feel your arms and legs growing numb.
action: You go to the north
response: You swim northward.

Flooded Chamber, Surface of Water
You are near the chamber's northern wall. The stone wall continues into darkness toward the east and west. The open lake lies southward.
action: Go downward
response: You draw in a deep breath and dive below the surface of the ice-cold water.

Flooded Chamber, Underwater
You are near the chamber's northern wall. The remains of a large
mural adorn the otherwise blank stone. Once brilliant paint and plaster is gradually washing away in the icy water, but the image remains discernible. It depicts the legend of your people which tells of the creation of the world's many canyons. A great and horrible dragon is shown raking his massive claws through the earth, leaving behind vast furrows through which the mighty rivers begin to flow.
action: Go down
response: You swim deeper into the depths of the ice-cold water.

Flooded Chamber, Deep Underwater
You are near the chamber's northern wall. The submerged stone
surface extends away into darkness toward the east and west.
action: Go west
response: You swim westward.

Flooded Chamber, Deep Underwater
You are in the chamber's northwest corner. Clouds of sand burst
upward as your swimming disturbs the sediment that has gathered over the centuries.
Resting upon the sandy floor you see a silver helm.
action: You get the helm
response: You lift the ancient helm from its resting place in the sand.

You are finding it difficult to hold your breath.
action: Up
response: You swim upward.

Flooded Chamber, Underwater
You are in the northwestern corner of the chamber. The soft light
from your amulet shines pale on the submerged stone walls.
action: Up
response: You swim upward, breaking the surface and gasping for air.

Flooded Chamber, Surface of Water
You are in the northwestern corner of the chamber. Small waves lap against the gray stone walls.
action: You look at the helm
response: It is an exquisitely crafted silver helm. It must once have been part of an incredibly beautiful suit of armor. It is remarkably well preserved, considering the ages it has lain upon the lake floor.

Your entire body is leaden and numb from the cold.
action: You examine the helm
response: It is an exquisitely crafted silver helm. It must once have been part of an incredibly beautiful suit of armor. It is remarkably well preserved, considering the ages it has lain upon the lake floor.
action: You wear the helm
response: You place the helm upon your head.
action: Go east
response: You swim eastward.

Flooded Chamber, Surface of Water
You are near the chamber's eastern wall. The damp stone continues
into darkness toward the north and south. The icy water seems to be flowing gently northward.

The water is incredibly cold, you can feel your arms and legs growing numb.
action: Go north
response: You swim northward.

Flooded Chamber, Surface of Water
You are near the chamber's eastern wall. The damp stone continues
into darkness toward the north and south. Oddly there seems to be a faint undertow here. The dark water seems to be tugging you softly down, beneath its black surface.
action: Go down
response: You draw in a deep breath and dive below the surface of the ice-cold water.

Flooded Chamber, Underwater
You are near the chamber's eastern wall. The stone wall continues
to the north and south. A submerged passageway opens toward the east. You notice a gentle current flowing past you into the dark opening.
action: You go east
response: You swim eastward into the dark passageway. The force of the current grows stronger and stronger until it sweeps you helplessly along. In the darkness you scrape against the uneven stone walls and are pounded mercilessly into submerged boulders. Your lungs burn with the desire for breath, but the cold water refuses to release you from its icy grip. Consciousness begins to slip away from you. The roaring, black water and jagged stones are fading into warm, gray oblivion...

You are slammed back into wakefulness when your body is hurled over the precipice of a subterranean waterfall and spilled into an underground river flowing swiftly beneath the great mountain. The river's dark channel is not completely submerged, and your head breaks the surface. Frantically, you draw in gasping lungfuls of air.

After being swept along for some distance, the river's course turns suddenly. You are pushed over a cluster of submerged stones near the rocky bank. The great sword at your side somehow catches between the stones, stopping you dead in the raging current. Fighting against the power of the river, you grasp hold of the slippery stones and work yourself free. You scrabble along toward the river's edge and finally haul yourself out of the freezing water. You find yourself in another great, subterranean chamber.

Great Hall, Northern End
This is the northernmost end of a great hall which extends into darkness southward. The underground river rushes past at the hall's northern edge. The water's turbulent churning fills this place with near-deafening noise. An ancient, wooden waterwheel stands alongside the river in a narrow channel carved into the stone floor. A great iron chain hangs down from the ceiling and attatches to the waterwheel's axle.
action: You open gate
response: You raise the gate along its track and water spills into the sluice, filling the waterwheel's scoops. After a moment, the force of the flowing water builds, and with a low, groaning creak, the great wheel begins to turn. The iron chain is wound, clanking and scraping, onto the axle by the waterwheel's rotation. The chain draws tight and the waterwheel's speed slows considerably. The wheel continues to turn however, drawing more chain down from some hidden place in the ceiling. The great chain is gradually wound around the great oaken axle as though it were a giant spool of thread. A loud, grinding sound echoes from the southern end of the hall. Finally, the chain stops feeding down from the ceiling and the wheel creaks to a halt. The water in the sluice splashes noisily past the motionless wheel.
action: Turn wheel
response: You grasp one of the mighty oaken beams and try with all your might to move the great wheel. It refuses to move at all.
action: Go north
response: You leap into the raging river's churning waters and are swept away by the powerful current. Just downstream from the great hall, a small grotto has formed where the river has eroded away the solid stone. You make a futile attempt to swim toward the grotto, but the current is far too swift. Your body is pummelled brutally. Several times your head is cracked sharply against one of the many submerged boulders strewn along the river bed. Were it not for the proud silver helm you wear, these blows surely would be fatal.

You are spilled once more over the crest of an underground waterfall and your body is caught in a whirlpool. The incredible force of the twisting water sucking you down, deeper and deeper into the black depths. Consciousness slips quickly away, as the breath is squeezed from your lungs...

You awaken suddenly, your head hammering with pain. You have no idea where you are, but you are no longer buffetted by the icy river and your clothing is dry. You have no clear recollection of how you arrived in this place, but you seem to remember a sudden flash of daylight... an arm reaching down, plucking you out of the water, dragging you back into darkness... a grim, bearded face looking down upon you - unmoving... tunnels, passages, twisting, turning, climbing...

This space was hollowed out of the solid stone of the mountain, chisel-marks from the ancient laborers can still be seen on its rough hewn walls. The room is slightly oval shaped with a squat, stone altar set on the floor at its southernmost end. A metal chime, heavily corroded after centuries of neglect, hangs from a stand mounted at one of its ends. A rivulet of clear water splashes into the room through a doorway that enters from the north. The stream flows placidly down the room's length and disappears through an iron grate set in the floor just in front of the altar.

An open archway exits eastward.
Sitting on the stone altar is a rusted sword.
action: Iron
response: The metal rod is locking the chain in the axle's large hole.
action: You go to the north
response: You leap into the raging river's churning waters and are swept away by the powerful current. The great, rusty chain pulls taut and prevents you from being dragged further downstream. Fighting to keep your head above the surface, you notice a small grotto formed where the river has eroded away the solid stone. You flail about in the water, gradually working your way toward it.

You haul yourself out of the river and into the damp, moss-lined alcove.

You are in a small grotto carved out of the stone where the river sweeps sharply northward. Soft green moss lines the walls. A large bronze wheel is mounted on the grotto's rear wall. The river rages past the grotto's northern border, the noise of the churning water is almost deafening. The great iron chain (which you are holding) dangles into the swirling torrent.
action: You look at wheel
response: The wheel is fairly large, and is cast from solid bronze which has developed a rich brown patina during its centuries in this damp grotto. It is mounted on a shaft which extends through the grotto's eastern wall.
action: Turn wheel
response: You grip the wheel, feeling its metal surface cold and damp in your hand, and turn it. The wheel yields with a stiff, grating sensation which becomes progressively smoother as you turn it further. It spins through several rotations and comes to a sudden stop.
action: Go north
response: You plunge back into the river, gripping the chain tightly. The current buffets you wildly as you clamber up the slippery links.
Nearly exhausted, you pull yourself up the rocky bank and out of the water.Great Hall, Northern End
This is the northernmost end of a great hall which extends into darkness southward. The underground river rushes past at the hall's northern edge. The water's turbulent churning fills this place with near-deafening noise. An ancient, wooden waterwheel stands alongside the river in a narrow channel carved into the stone floor. A great iron chain hangs down from the ceiling and strings across the floor to where you are holding its free end.

A doorway seems to have opened in the hall's eastern wall. You are quite certain it wasn't there earlier.
action: You go to the east
response: (Dropping the iron chain.)
Small Chamber
This is a tiny chamber carved out of the solid stone that forms the great hall's eastern wall. Tatters of ancient silk curtains dangle down the bare stone walls. A copper shelf, tarnished with age, has been mounted to the back wall. A doorway leads westward, back into the hall.
Sitting on the copper shelf is a milky-white crystal.
action: You look at the crystal
response: The crystal is about the size of your finger and is a translucent milky-white.
action: You examine the curtains
response: The silken curtains were once a deep, shimmering blue color. The ravages of time have reduced them to slate gray rags that hang sorrowfully on the walls.
action: Go west
response: Great Hall, Northern End
This is the northernmost end of a great hall which extends into darkness southward. The underground river rushes past at the hall's northern edge. The water's turbulent churning fills this place with near-deafening noise. An ancient, wooden waterwheel stands alongside the river in a narrow channel carved into the stone floor. A great iron chain hangs down from the ceiling and forms a rusty pile on the floor.

A doorway seems to have opened in the hall's eastern wall. You are quite certain it wasn't there earlier.
action: You go south
response: You step through the doorway into the brilliant glow of the midday sun, and find yourself on a rock-strewn ridge just above the trail which led you to the oracle's cave. Carrying the oracle's gift, you eagerly begin the long journey home.

In a total of 574 turns, you have achieved a score of 90 points out of a possible 90.

Over the next few months, the tide of the battle turns in favor of your people. Working night and day, hundreds of the great bows are fashioned and distributed. Arrows by the thousands are made, tipped with iron points. Led by groups of archers, your dwindling forces become invincible. Able to rain death upon the invaders from across the battlefield, the enemy is quickly brought to its knees. Peace returns to your people.

Years roll by, and your notoriety among the people refuses to fade.
You are respected, revered, even feared by many. You are known to all in story and song as the last mortal to hear the enchanting, mystical voice of...

The Oracle.