The Malifestro Quest


The room is oppressively hot, and dimly lit by a few tiny windows set high in the walls. A hissing, writhing mass of snakes covers the entire floor.

Syovar hangs from a rope tied securely to his hands. He is suspended only a foot or so above the ground. Sweat pours down his face as snakes hiss and snap at his feet.

Syovar gives a moan of pain. His lips do not move but, somehow, he seems to be speaking:

"Come.... Take the ancient underground route.... Seek the black crystaI sphere.... Hurry...."

His words fade away, and are replaced by a distant pounding. It seems to come from everywhere. The pounding grows louder and louder....

Bill awakens from his nightmare with a start. He sits up in bed, shaking, and tries to get his bearings. He remembers that it is Saturday, the first day of summer vacation. Sunlight is streaming into his bedroom. He realizes that the pounding from his dream is still going on. It comes from the direction of his window. He looks over and sees June outside, banging on the window.

Bill opens the window and June climbs in.

She appears to have dressed in a hurry, and is very out of breath.

"I just had a horrible dream," she pants.

"Syovar was in trouble. He was calling for us. We... "

"I just had a dream exactly like that, too!" Bill interrupts.

Both Bill and June feel guilty. They had adventured through the Land of Zork before. There they had been given the Zorkish names, "Bivotar" and "Juranda," and had been pronounced heroes by their mysterious "uncle," Syovar. They had vowed to return soon to that magical land.

But as Bill and June and their friends made plans for the vacation ahead, thoughts of adventuring faded like the snows of winter.

Now comes this jolting reminder of that other world. Bill opens the top drawer of his chest and removes the Ring of Zork, their gift from Syovar. The ring is pulsing with flashes of vivid light.

"Bill, this can't be a coincidence! The dreams, the ring... we're being summoned for some important reason. Let's go!"

"But I haven't had breakfast yet...."

"Forget about breakfast! Syovar is in trouble."

Bill stares at the flashing ring, beckoning them toward another adventure. Holding June with one hand, he slowly slips the Ring of Zork onto his finger.

With a flash of light and a puff of heavy smoke, they find themselves in a bedroom, but a very different one. This room is large with a very high ceiling, and it is dead silent.

The walls and floors are of polished stone. The bed is large and covered by a woven canopy. A massive oak door, lying open, leads out to a dim corridor. A dead silence pervades the room.

Their clothes have changed also. They are now dressed in adventurers' garb, featuring leather belts, hooded cloaks, and sturdy leather boots. They are now Bivotar and Juranda.

"Well, Juranda, should we look around?" He feels the excitement of adventuring returning.

"Sure, Bivotar, let's have a look around." Juranda says gaily. The danger to Syovar is momentarily forgotten.

They soon discover that they are in a tremendous castle. Long, stone corridors connect bedrooms, banquet halls, guard rooms, and an elegant throne room. The castle seems to be deserted and somewhat neglected.

Eventually, they come to the front gate of the castle. The drawbridge is down, leading out to a wide, grassy plain. Mountains are visible in the distance. The day is gray and overcast.

Across from the gate, a forbidding doorway leads into a darkened room. Several large rats scurry among some skulls and bones scattered near the door.

"What should we do, Biv?" Juranda asks. "The castle looks deserted."

Suddenly they hear a scrambling sound, and turn to see a pair of elves scampering away around a corner.

Here are your options: