Spellbound

Version 1.0 Created 1982.

You stand in the small field behind your family's tiny house, a few last tears running down your face in the morning light. This is a sad morning for you--you have just buried your father, the man who taught you magic and the wisest man you ever knew. You remember the promise you made to him on his deathbed. With his dying words, he asked you to find some way of stopping the evil sorceress Zorcastra, whose dark magic has already enslaved the minds of so many of the kingdom's comely young maidens and handsome young men. You knew for years that this was what he was training you for, but you also knew you were not yet ready. Now, as you stand over his grave, you know that you must go to Zorcastra's tower and find the secret to undoing her decadent rule.

There is a shovel here.

There is a grave marker here.

Exits lie east.

> READ MARKER

It says, "Mentarim. Beloved father, wise teacher, true friend." You choke back another sob as you remember carving it into the wood.

> TAKE SHOVEL

You don't need that.

> E

Mentarim's Home

You are in a small house, just big enough for two. Your bed is in one corner, and your father's in another. There is a small table in the center of the room. A small fire burns in the fireplace, but it is not enough to dispel the chill you feel deep in your heart as you realize that now, your destiny lies elsewhere. The house feels emptier than ever. Your father is already gone, and soon you must go to confront Zorcastra.

There is a spellbook here.

There is a tin cup here.

There is a loaf of bread here.

Exits lie east and west.

> TAKE SPELLBOOK.TAKE CUP.TAKE BREAD

You take the spellbook.

You take the cup.

You take the bread.

> READ SPELLBOOK

This spellbook is your most prized possession, in which you have inscribed all the spells that you have learned over the years. The secrets of magic lie within its pages, and perhaps the secrets to victory.

"Kurbo: Conjure a small quantity of water."

"Froom: Open a portal that has been stuck shut."

"Trilbi: Send a person into a deep, dreamless sleep."

> MEMORIZE KURBO.CAST KURBO

Memorized.

What do you want to cast Kurbo on?

> CAST KURBO ON CUP

You speak the magic words, and the cup instantly fills with water up to the brim.

> E

Front Of House

You stand in front of a small, unimposing house. In front of you, the dusty road heads off into the distance. Many times as a child, you watched adventurers head north towards Zorcastra's castle, preparing to confront the growing power of the evil wizardess and free those whom she'd already snared in her insidious mind control spells. The only ones you ever saw head back south were the ones who'd lost their nerve before getting to the tower. Now it's your turn.

Exits lie north and south.

> N

Northern Road

The road curves here as it slopes upward gradually, heading towards Zorcastra's castle. You don't see anyone else on the road with you; few dare to live this close to the sinister spellcaster without magic of their own to protect them.

Exits lie northeast and south.

> NE

Road Near Hut

You are standing next to a small hut built on stilts to counter the steep slope. The hut has been abandoned; either the inhabitants finally fled Zorcastra's reign, or they finally attracted her attention. Either way, they must have left in a hurry--you see discarded tools and household items here and there, and their dog is still chained up to one of the stilts.

There is a mangy dog here.

Exits lie east and north.

The dog barks at you!

> LOOK DOG

The dog is half-starved, with matted, damp fur that suggests it's been chained out here for quite some time. A few puddles provide it with water, but you can see no food anywhere within the reach of its chain. You wonder why its owners did not set it free before leaving. Perhaps they didn't have the chance.

As your eyes glance over the scattered debris around the pole the dog is chained to, you notice a scroll case! Your trained eyes can see that the seals are intact, indicating the presence of a spell scroll inside. Surely, the inhabitants of this hut must have been captured; nobody would leave something so valuable no matter how great their haste!

The dog snaps angrily at you from the end of his chain!

> UNLOCK CHAIN

As you approach the dog, he snarls and snaps at you, perhaps hoping that your fingers will serve to ease his hunger.

The dog growls at you!

> MEMORIZE TRILBI.CAST TRILBI ON DOG

Memorized.

The dog barks at you!

You speak the magic words, and the dog walks around in a circle briefly, then curls up to sleep.

> TAKE SCROLL

Taken.

> READ SCROLL

You can't do that!

> OPEN CASE.READ SCROLL

Opened.

The scroll reads, "Knast: Makes the speech of an animal comprehensible to you."

> INSCRIBE KNAST IN BOOK.MEMORIZE KNAST.CAST KNAST ON DOG

You take a few moments to inscribe the Knast spell into your spell book. As you do, the words vanish from the scroll, leaving it nothing more than a blank piece of paper.

Memorized.

You speak the magic words, but nothing seems to happen.

> DISPEL TRILBI

The dog suddenly wakes up, and looks at you. "Hungry!" it cries. "Oh, I'm so hungry! This is just terrible! There's dried beef in that hut, I can smell it, but I can't get to it! Oh, please, please get me some food!"

> E

Inside Hut

You stand in a small hut. Whoever lived here left in a great hurry; the shelves are in disarray, many things are missing, and there are muddy footprints everywhere. What little food does remain is all carefully preserved--clearly, the owner expected to have to make a long journey soon.

There is a piece of dried beef here.

Exits lie west.

> TAKE BEEF.W

Taken.

Road Near Hut

There is a mangy dog here.

Exits lie east and north.

The dog shouts, "Oh, please give me that food, human!"

> GIVE BEEF TO DOG

You toss the piece of beef so that it lies at the dog's feet. He gulps it down rapidly and whines in relief. "Oh, thank you! I don't know how much longer I could have lasted! Truly, human, I am in your debt. Um...I don't suppose you could unlock this chain? Only I'm sure I'm going to be hungry again, and I doubt I can rely upon another kind person coming this way..."

> UNLOCK CHAIN

You unlock the chain from around the dog's neck, and it bounds free. "Oh, thank you! Thank you, human, thank you thank you thank you!" it yips excitedly.

> N

The dog follows you.

Road To Castle

You are on a steep path that leads up the mountain to the castle of the evil Zorcastra, just below the ridge that marks the crest of the mountains. Beyond this point, there is no turning back; you remain out of sight of her mindless thralls for only a short distance longer. Any further, and her gate sentry will spot you.

There is a mangy dog here.

Exits lie north and south.

The dog says, "Ooh, this is exciting!"

> N

The dog follows you.

Castle Entrance

You are at the entrance to the castle of the sinister sorceress, Zorcastra. The gates lie wide open; a spellcaster as powerful as Zorcastra needs no mortal defenses. Indeed, she invites adventurers to attempt to defeat her, knowing that every bold hero soon becomes a brainwashed soldier in her armies...or, perhaps, a brainwashed lover in her harem.

There is a sentry here.

There is a mangy dog here.

Exits lie north and south.

The sentry spots you, and hisses angrily.

> LOOK SENTRY

The sentry appears to be one of the feline humanoids that inhabit the distant lands of the South; you can only imagine what dreams of glory must have drawn her so far away from her home. Like so many others, she hoped to defeat Zorcastra; now, you can see from her glazed and vacant eyes that she dreams of nothing but eternal service to the sinister sorceress.

The sentry draws her sword and charges at you!

> SAY DOG, CHASE SENTRY

The dog looks up at you. "Chase a cat? You don't need to ask me twice!" It leaps forward, yowling out a series of fierce barks that only you can understand as, "Run! Run away, cat! Run away from me!" The sentry's feline instincts override her magical obedience, and the two of them disappear over the ridge and into the distance.

> N

Southern Tower

You are in a guard tower. A massive portcullis leads into the inner courtyard, and another leads out to the path down the mountainside. It looks as though an army could pass through here, and you thank the gods that Zorcastra seems more interested for the present in indulging her depraved appetites with those she has already enslaved than in extending her power further south. Still, you know it is just a matter of time before she grows bored with her existing slaves and wishes to take more. You only hope that you can stop her.

Exits lie north, south, northeast, and northwest.

> NW

Southwest Passage

You are in a dimly-lit passage between the main entrance to the castle and one of its defensive towers to the northwest. Scattered torches leave just enough light to see by.

Exits lie northwest and southeast.

> NW

Western Tower

You find yourself in a small library in the room at the base of the northwest tower. The walls are ringed with books on a wide variety of subjects, but it looks as though no-one has read them since Zorcastra first wrested this castle away from her mentor, decades ago. Unsurprising, really; Zorcastra prefers power to knowledge, and the adventurers who have faced her down over the years have been bold rather than wise. And of course, her obedient slaves have only one thought in their minds, that of pleasing their Mistress.

There is a collection of books here.

Exits lie up, northeast, and southeast.

> LOOK BOOKS

You quickly find that most of the texts are abstract and arcane discussions of magical principles, rather than useful spells and practical knowledge. Still, two books of magical lore catch your eye. One discusses legendary magical artifacts, and the other is about useful defensive spells.

> READ BOOK ABOUT ARTIFACTS

You skim through a wide listing of powerful magical items before you come to a description of the Talisman of Anti-Magic. "This legendary magical item is said to be the most feared by all wizards and sorcerers due to its ability to permanently drain their spellcasting powers from them; even the mightiest of all magic-users fear its power. It was lost, however, in the mountains of the distant north, and its very nature prevents it from being found by scrying spells. Legend has it, however, that it was once possessed by the mighty Grayfir the Grim." You gasp in surprise, recognizing the name of the wizard that Zorcastra studied under, then enslaved.

> READ BOOK ABOUT SPELLS

As much as you wish the book could be an actual spellbook, it's merely a strategy guide to fighting a wizard's duel. You flip through to the chapter on enchantresses, and find this entry (under Enchantresses, Sinister): "The usual tactic of the Sinister Enchantress is to simply exert her overwhelming, magically-enhanced charisma to seduce her foes into a magical trance. Once her spells have bewitched the victim into desiring the enchantress above all else, they are helpless to resist her whims. The Marful spell, though, creates a barrier in the mind that the enchantress cannot penetrate, leaving her tactical options greatly reduced."

> U

Prison Tower

You find yourself in one of the stockades used to hold prisoners when this was an active fortress. It's entirely deserted now; Zorcastra's prisons of the mind hold her enemies far more effectively than any iron bars ever could.

There is a locked cell here.

Exits lie down.

> MEMORIZE FROOM.CAST FROOM ON DOOR

Memorized.

You speak the magic words, and the cell door creaks open.

> ENTER CELL

Cell

You are inside a small, cramped jail cell. The only inhabitant perished years, perhaps even decades ago, his body rotted away to nothing more than a collection of bones on the stone floor.

There is a skeleton here.

Exits lie out.

You are beginning to feel hungry.

> LOOK SKELETON

Alas, poor....someone. You didn't know him.

There is a spell scroll clenched between his bony fingers.

> TAKE SCROLL FROM SKELETON.READ SCROLL

The bleached white bones are reluctant to let their ancient grip go at first, but you finally manage to pry the scroll from the long-dead fingers.

The scroll reads: "Antimar: Reverse the effects of your next spell."

> INSCRIBE ANTIMAR IN BOOK

You take a few moments to inscribe the Antimar spell into your spell book. As you do, the words vanish from the scroll, leaving it nothing more than a blank piece of paper.

> O

Prison Tower

There is an unlocked cell here.

Exits lie down.

You are beginning to feel thirsty.

> D

Western Tower

There is a collection of books here.

Exits lie up, northeast, and southeast.

> SE

Southwest Passage

Exits lie northwest and southeast.

> SE

Southern Tower

Exits lie north, south, northeast, and northwest.

You are beginning to feel tired.

> NE

Southeast Passage

You are in a dimly-lit passage between the main entrance to the castle and one of its defensive towers to the northeast. Scattered torches leave just enough light to see by.

Exits lie northeast and southwest.

You are really feeling quite hungry now.

> NE

Eastern Tower

You find yourself in one of the two towers that mark the corners of Zorcastra's fortress. This one appears to have been used as someone's quarters before she took over the castle, probably the commander of the defense forces; the circular room has been sub-divided into an outer office and an inner, private bedchamber. A set of stairs lead up to the top of the tower.

Exits lie up, east, northwest, and southwest.

You feel very thirsty.

> EAT BREAD.DRINK WATER

You tear off a piece of the bread and eat it. There is still most of the loaf left.

You take a long swig of the water. The cup is still two-thirds full.

You feel quite exhausted from your long day now.

> E

Bedchamber

You are in a small, private bedchamber. It is thick with dust, but the mattress looks to have been enchanted with a spell to keep vermin away. The bedbugs will not, in fact, bite.

There is a bed here.

Exits lie west.

> LIE IN BED

It's not safe to do that. Zorcastra's guards might find you while you sleep.

> MEMORIZE ANTIMAR.CAST ANTIMAR.MEMORIZE FROOM.CAST FROOM ON DOOR.LIE IN BED

Memorized.

You speak the magic words, and feel your magic aura invert itself. Your next spell will have the opposite effect it normally has.

Memorized.

You speak the magic words, and the door seals tight shut. No enemy could possibly open it.

You lie down in the bed, and your eyes close almost before your head hits the pillow. You dream of your battle with Zorcastra. She wears a sheer black dress that leaves almost nothing to the imagination, its outlines caressing every inch of her alabaster skin. "Surrender to me," she whispers. "Surrender to me, and I will show you pleasures you have never dreamt of." Her eyes blaze with eldritch fires, and you realize you can't look away. You don't want to look away; deep down, some part of you wants to submit to this beautiful, seductive woman. The loss of your free will is a small price to pay for the sexual bliss she promises... You wake up trembling, shaken by the intensity of the dream, and still more than a little aroused by it.

You get up refreshed and alert, ready to resume your quest!

> DISPEL FROOM

The door swings wide open once more.

> W

Eastern Tower

Exits lie up, east, northwest, and southwest.

> U

It is very dark here. You might get eaten by a grue.

> D

Eastern Tower

Exits lie up, east, northwest, and southwest.

> SW

Southeast Passage

Exits lie northeast and southwest.

> SW

Southern Tower

Exits lie north, south, northeast, and northwest.

> N

South Courtyard

You are in the southern half of the vast inner courtyard of Zorcastra's fortress. A tower rises up from the very center of the courtyard, made of marble, and for a moment you fear that you have made your presence known to Zorcastra's eyes. But looking up, you can see that this tower has been abandoned. Zorcastra, it seems, prefers to while away her hours in the northern tower that serves as a barracks for her guard. It makes sense, in a way; by living in the barracks, she's mere moments away from whichever slave she wishes to see kneeling between her thighs at that moment.

There is a well here.

Exits lie north and south.

> N

Central Courtyard

You are at the base of the marble tower in the center of the courtyard. Whoever crafted the tower must have used magic of some sort; even after decades of neglect, the stones are so smooth as to be slick to the touch.

Exits lie north, south, and in.

> MEMORIZE ANTIMAR.CAST ANTIMAR

Memorized.

You speak the magic words, and feel your magic aura invert itself. Your next spell will have the opposite effect it normally has.

> IN

Central Tower

You find yourself in a vast room, far bigger than the tower could possibly contain. As you surmised, this was crafted by powerful magic. In the center of the room lies a raised pedestal, with a spell scroll on it. On the far end of the room, perhaps five minutes' walk away, lies a door leading upwards into the tower.

There is a sentry here.

There is a scroll here.

Exits lie out.

The sentry speaks, her voice echoing around the chamber. "Come to me, sweet little one. I am lonely, and desire the company of another. You would not deny me, would you?" Something about her voice is strangely compelling. You find yourself walking helplessly towards her.

> MEMORIZE KNAST.CAST KNAST ON SENTRY

Memorized.

The sentry speaks, her voice echoing around the chamber. "That's it, my darling, closer and closer. I am commanded to guard the door to the inner tower, but there is no reason why you cannot join me here. I long to feel your warm body against mine..." You cannot help yourself. You keep walking towards the sound of the voice.

You speak the magic words, and the sentry's voice dissolves into a sibilant hiss.

> LOOK SENTRY

This sentry is one of the legendary naga, the wise and heroic snake-women of the Western Kingdoms. Legend says that their voice is irresistible, yet this one found that the power of Zorcastra was even more irresistible still. Now her eyes stare helplessly at nothing as she endlessly fantasizes about sliding her forked tongue into Zorcastra's enticing pussy. Even so, you have no doubt that her serpentine reflexes are not dulled in the slightest; the massive curved scimitar she carries could easily make mincemeat of you if you approached her.

The sentry hisses at you, but you can't understand what she's saying.

> TAKE SCROLL.

Taken.

The sentry hisses at you, but you can't understand what she's saying.

> O

Central Courtyard

Exits lie north, south, and in.

> READ SCROLL

The scroll reads: "Lumen: Causes an item to glow with magical light."

> INSCRIBE LUMEN IN BOOK

You take a few moments to inscribe the Lumen spell into your spell book. As you do, the words vanish from the scroll, leaving it nothing more than a blank piece of paper.

> S

South Courtyard

There is a well here.

Exits lie north and south.

> S

Southern Tower

Exits lie north, south, northeast and northwest.

> NE

Southeast Passage

Exits lie northeast and southwest.

> NE

Eastern Tower

Exits lie up, east, northwest and southwest.

> MEMORIZE LUMEN.CAST LUMEN

Memorized.

What do you want to cast Lumen on?

> CAST LUMEN ON CUP

You speak the magic words, and the cup glows with a painfully brilliant light. After a moment, it diminishes slightly, leaving you with a glow that brightens the whole room.