Spellbound

> U

Guest Chamber

This room is more ornately furnished than any you have seen so far, and you suspect that it was meant for when Grayfir was feeling un-Grim enough to entertain guests. The windows have been boarded shut, though, giving the room a gloomy, eerie feeling. The shadows almost seem to whisper dark thoughts into your ears.

There is a woman here.

Exits lie down.

The woman sits up on the bed and looks over at you. "Oh, bless you, hero!" she says. "I've been waiting for someone like you," she says. "Someone bold, and brave, who can rescue me from the enchantments of Zorcastra. When she could not enslave my mind, she imprisoned my body here in this tower!"

> LOOK WOMAN

You see a gorgeous, entirely nude woman reclining on the bed. Her body glistens gently, as if lightly oiled, causing the light to gleam on her bronzed skin. The sigils tattooed onto her hands and face mark her as one of the shadowmancers of the eastern realms, explaining her need for darkness. She smiles at you, and for a moment, you find yourself thinking you have discovered an ally...and a comely one, at that. But then you see the glazed stare in her eyes and realize that though they look at you, she is lost in an endless dream of Zorcastra.

"I sense that your power can free me," the woman says. "All it takes to break these enchantments is but a single kiss." She spreads her legs lewdly. "But you need not kiss my mouth, not when there are sweeter places..."

> MEMORIZE ANTIMAR.CAST ANTIMAR

Memorized.

The woman gently runs her fingers over her own breasts, flicking each nipple until it stands up stiffly. "Or perhaps you could kiss here, instead," she says. "We can have so much fun experimenting, finding out just where to place your lips to break the spell. And if the spell does not break, well, then we can while away the hours together. You will find all the time you need between my thighs, I promise."

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

The woman presses her breasts together, and you cannot help but stare at the valley of her cleavage. Indeed, it is becoming impossible to think of anything else. "That's right," she whispers, her voice seeming to tickle your mind into a delightful shiver of lust. "There is no need to fear losing your will to Zorcastra. Give yourself to me, and you will be safe from Her. How can She control your will when I already own your mind and body?" The idea seems suddenly, terrifyingly reasonable.

> MEMORIZE TRILBI.CAST TRILBI ON WOMAN

Memorized.

The woman's pussy looms larger now in your field of vision, and you realize it is because you have stepped closer to the bed without even realizing it. "That's right," she repeats, the words lulling your mind into an aroused, hazy fog. "Just a single kiss...and then another, and another. Each kiss will feel better and better." She dips her finger lightly between her folds. "You'll feel nothing but bliss, I promise. It's so good..."

You speak the magic words, and the woman's eyes lose their glazed, dream-like quality. She abruptly closes her legs, shame and sorrow clouding her features. "This will not last," she says tightly, the strain of fighting Zorcastra evident in her voice. "Your magic is nowhere near strong enough to break Her hold on me, only to loosen it for a moment." She winces, gasping with the effort of resistance. "It amuses Her, the thought of one of Her former enemies enslaving others at Her command. She delights anew every time I bring Her a new slave, defeating another opponent without even lifting a finger of Her own."

Her face is defiant, even as her eyes begin to glaze over again. "Here," she says, reaching into the table by the bed and pulling out a scroll. She thrusts it into your outstretched hands. "It is no great magic; anything truly powerful, I have already given to my M-mistress..." She shudders, her hand once again slipping down to her pussy. "My sleek, gorgeous, powerful Mistress...oh, oh yes..."

She shakes her head in an effort to clear it. "But it may help you. Now please, go, before I lose control of myself again!" Then her eyes glaze over completely, becoming blank once more.

> D

Eastern Tower

Exits lie up, east, northwest and southwest.

> DISPEL LUMEN

The cup goes dark.

> READ SCROLL

The scroll reads: "Zumaz: Gives the caster the power of flight."

> INSCRIBE ZUMAZ IN BOOK

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

You are beginning to feel thirsty.

> DRINK WATER

You take a long swig of the water. The cup is about a third full, now.

> SW

Southeast Passage

Exits lie northeast and southwest.

> SW

Southern Tower

Exits lie north, south, northeast and northwest.

> N

South Courtyard

There is a well here.

Exits lie north and south.

> LOOK WELL

The well is very deep, and filled with brackish water. You can only hope that Zorcastra supplies her slaves with drink via magic, because this disgusting fluid looks like an outbreak of cholera waiting to happen.

> MEMORIZE ANTIMAR.CAST ANTIMAR.MEMORIZE KURBO.CAST KURBO ON WELL

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 water level in the well rapidly dips down as your spell erases the water in it from existence. The well is now only two-thirds full.

> MEMORIZE ANTIMAR.CAST ANTIMAR.MEMORIZE KURBO.CAST KURBO ON WELL

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 water level in the well rapidly dips down as your spell erases the water in it from existence. The well is now only a third full.

> MEMORIZE ANTIMAR.CAST ANTIMAR.MEMORIZE KURBO.CAST KURBO ON WELL

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 water level in the well rapidly dips down as your spell erases the water in it from existence. The well is now completely empty of water. You see the glint of metal from the mud at the bottom of the well; something must be down there!

> D

You don't see any way to climb down safely.

> MEMORIZE ZUMAZ.CAST ZUMAZ

Memorized.

You speak the magic words, and you feel your body become impossibly light as gravity's hold on it diminishes and finally fades away completely.

> D

You float gently downwards.

Bottom of Well

Even though this well has been emptied of water, it still smells damp and unpleasant. Thick, oozing mud covers the bottom of the well, and water is already beginning to seep between the stones. You'd best not tarry here.

There is an object here.

Exits lie up.

> TAKE OBJECT

You gingerly reach down and pick up the muck-encrusted object from out of the black ooze at the bottom of the well. You carefully hold it at arm's length, in order to make sure that none of the slime it drips winds up on your clothes.

> U

You float gently upwards.

South Courtyard

There is a well here.

Exits lie north and south.

> LOOK OBJECT

It's too muddy to really determine what this is. All you can really tell is that it's some sort of metal. Perhaps if you cleaned it off...

> CLEAN OBJECT

You wipe away the mud and filth from the object, to uncover...the Talisman of Anti-Magic! Of course! Grayfir must have thrown it in the well to prevent Zorcastra from finding it and making use of its power! Now, though, you can use it to free Grayfir, along with all the others enslaved by the sinister wizardess.

> N

You float gently northwards.

Central Courtyard

Exits lie north, south, and in.

> U

You float gently upwards.

Outside Tower

You hover in space, just outside of the tall tower that once housed Grayfir's inner sanctum. It is warded against intrusion by those with black hearts, or even those under mystic control--one more cunning strategem by Grayfir the Grim to keep his most powerful secrets from his most treacherous apprentice. But somehow, you sense that the mystic barriers will not keep you out. And look! One of the windows is open just a crack...

Exits lie down and in.

> IN

You float gently through the window.

Inner Sanctum

This is the home of Grayfir the Grim--once one of the mightiest wizards in all the world, but now just another thrall of the seductive Zorcastra. The treasure trove of magical power here will give you something to study for years, once Zorcastra's threat has been eliminated from the land, but for now, you need to focus only on those things that will give you the greatest advantage in fighting her. What good is becoming a powerful mage, if the rest of the world is turned against you by Zorcastra's dark sorceries?

There is a journal here.

There is a scroll here.

Exits lie down and out.

> READ JOURNAL

10/20, Year of the Serpent:

I have taken a new apprentice, Zorcastra. She is truly the most beautiful woman I have ever seen, and a powerful, if untrained mage. She is an eager student (and an eager lover, as well), but I sense great ambition within her. I shall have to treat this one with care.

12/19, Year of the Serpent:

Ye gods, that woman can fuck! I've been using every spell I can to increase my own potency, just to keep up with her appetites. The spirit is always willing, though; the cunt on that woman could squeeze the cum from a eunuch. At this rate, I'll lose my nickname and become, "Grayfir of the Goofy Grin".

Even so, I'm no fool. There are certain secrets I have kept from her...and I'm not fool enough to write them in this journal, either.

1/40, Year of the Rose:

Zorcastra's body is magnificent, and her imagination as a lover knows no bounds. We have tried every sort of bondage, placed magical wards around each other to prevent motion or speech, even shapeshifted into other forms to find new ways to love each other. She has suggested we try what she calls "bondage of the mind," using obedience spells to compel each other into a pleasurable trance. I'm willing to experiment...but I'm also warding my lab. Just as a precaution.

2/29, Year of the Rose:

Zorcastra lets me bind her mind less and less, and binds mine more and more. I'd be lying if I said it didn't worry me, but at the same time, it feels so good when She sends me off into that waking dream of obedient pleasure and uses me as a human fucktoy. I find myself wondering if it would be such a bad thing were She not to wake me. Then I find myself wondering if She planted that thought in my mind while I was entranced.

Then I find myself not caring. Not when she stares at me with those eyes and spreads her legs wide for me to lick her...

There are no more entries in the journal.

> TAKE SCROLL.READ SCROLL

You can't carry all that!

You don't have a scroll to read!

> I

You are carrying:

a spellbook

a tin cup

a loaf of bread

an empty scroll case

a blank piece of paper

a blank piece of paper

a blank piece of paper

a blank piece of paper

an Anti-Magic Talisman

> DROP PAPER.DROP PAPER.DROP PAPER.DROP PAPER

Dropped.

Dropped.

Dropped.

Dropped.

> TAKE SCROLL.READ SCROLL

Taken.

The scroll reads: "Marful: Protect your mind from outside influences."

> INSCRIBE MARFUL IN BOOK

This spell is far too complex for a novice such as yourself to inscribe into your spell book.

You are beginning to tire.

> O

You float gently through the window.

Outside Tower

Exits lie down and in.

> D

You float gently downwards.

Central Courtyard

Exits lie north, south, and in.

> DISPEL ZUMAZ

Your feet settle back onto solid ground.

You feel quite exhausted from your long day now.

> S

South Courtyard

There is a well here.

Exits lie north and south.

> S

Southern Tower

Exits lie north, south, northeast and southeast.

> NE

Southeast Passage

Exits lie northeast and southwest.

Your eyes are almost too heavy to keep open any longer.

> NE

Eastern Tower

Exits lie east, up, northwest, and southwest.

> E

Bedchamber

Exits lie west.

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

Memorized.

You'd better find somewhere to sleep before you collapse!

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 stagger to the bed and fall onto it into a deep slumber. It seems like only moments, though, before you awaken to the sound of axes against wood! Zorcastra's servants hack away at the door, evading its magical protection by simply demolishing it. You try to fight, but there are too many of them. Within moments, they have stripped you naked and held you down onto the bed, helplessly awaiting the arrival of Zorcastra.

She strides into the room, a vision of divine beauty, and crawls onto the bed with you. Her servants gently caress her body and yours as she fixes her gaze onto you. "Such a clever little mage," she whispers. "I love a delectable mind such as yours." She licks your flesh gently, tasting your skin. You feel her breasts brush against you as she kisses her way down your body.

"This is how I enslave you," she sighs out, caressing every inch of your flesh. "You will enjoy it." She runs her hand possessively along your hip. "Then you will desire it." She kisses her way lower down, and you feel a rush of arousal between your legs. "Then you will beg me for it." She looks up and fixes you with a burning stare. "Beg me now, pet..."

You wake up with a start, realizing that your lips quiver with pleas to be enslaved.

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

> W

The door is sealed!

> DISPEL FROOM

The door swings wide open once more.

> W

Eastern Tower

Exits lie up, east, northwest and southwest.

> CAST MARFUL

You speak the magic words, and it feels as though an invisible helmet has settled upon your head. This one guards your mind, though, instead of your skull.

As you cast the spell, the words vanish from the scroll, leaving it just a blank piece of paper.

> 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.

> MEMORIZE LUMEN

Memorized.

> NW

Northeast Passage

You are in a brightly-lit passage leading from the castle's defensive towers to its main barracks in the northern tower. This close to the seat of Zorcastra's tower, the castle is better maintained, and you must tread lightly and not stay long, lest you alert her ever-present guards.

Exits lie northwest and southeast.

> NW

Barracks

This is a large space designed to quarter the castle's troops. Instead of rows of beds, though, the floor is scattered with pillows and silken sheets to form an improvised seraglio. Dozens of Zorcastra's obedient slaves lounge on the pillows, men and women of all races with weapons close at hand but momentarily forgotten while they lose themselves in lustful play. Zorcastra is always pleased by her slaves' pleasure, even when not there to watch it. But for every few that indulge in orgiastic rites upon the cushions, one or two stand alert for intruders, ready to render them helpless and deliver them to their Mistress for conversion.

There are numberless sentries here.

Exits lie up, north, south, southeast and southwest.

The sentries draw their swords and charge at you!

> CAST LUMEN ON PAPER

You speak the magic words, and within instants, all the light in the room has been sucked away into the paper, leaving everything pitch-black. You can't even see your hand in front of your face.

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

The sentries crash about in confusion!

> DROP PAPER

Dropped.

The sentries crash about in confusion!

> U

Zorcastra's Throne Room

You have never seen a room of such great splendour. It seems as though every treasure for a hundred miles has been gathered by Zorcastra's minions to decorate the seat of her power; you spot gorgeous paintings, statues of pure gold and wrought silver, and gemstones scattered across the floor as though they were so many children's baubles. Yet for all the wealth on display here, your attention is drawn to the center of the room, and Zorcastra's throne.

It is not so much a throne as a couch upon the dais; Zorcastra reclines, one slave attending her with magically-conjured grapes while another gently nuzzles at her feet with his tongue. She wears a clinging black robe, currently hanging open to reveal her firm, pendulous breasts and enticing pussy. You have never seen a more beautiful woman in your entire life, and the mere sight of her beauty causes you to gasp in sudden arousal.

Zorcastra is here.

Exits lie down.

Zorcastra sits up and looks at you. "Another champion," she says, her face twisting into a seductive smile. "And tell me, little mage, do you want to conquer me? To take me here, upon my bed?" She idly plays with her own nipples as she speaks. "I will pose no resistance. You may plunder the treasures between my thighs, hero. Simply kneel down before me, and you will find such bliss as you have never imagined."

> USE TALISMAN ON ZORCASTRA

I don't know how to do that!

Zorcastra's hands run over her taut belly, caressing her own body and shivering with desire. "There's no need to be afraid, little one," she says. "I promise nothing but pleasure. What you call slavery, others call fulfillment. You can find it too, an ecstasy long denied and long desired. Give in to me; let your arousal build until your body knows what your mind refuses. It's alright, my sweet pet." Her legs part, and you can't help but stare between her thighs.

> ACTIVATE TALISMAN

I don't know what you mean.

Zorcastra beckons you closer, crooking her finger in a come-hither gesture. "I know, you believe yourself to be protected. I can sense the spell around your mind. But I know a secret that you thought beyond me. That spell only protects your character, your avatar within the game. Your mind is open to my charms, pet." You feel a chill of shock as you realize that Zorcastra is speaking about you, the player! "And I know that already, you dream of submitting. How many false trails did you follow? How many times did you lose this game, watching your character surrender to my will and imagining what it must be like to give in and find such joy in the worship of my body?"

> TURN ON TALISMAN

You can't turn that here.

"How many times did you enter those barracks and allow yourself to be captured, just so you could read of me breaking your will?" Zorcastra continues. She lets the robe slip off so you can see every inch of her flawless body. Her breasts sway gently in the torchlight, so enticing, so arousing... "Or perhaps you let my sentries capture you, sinking into the sibilant hiss of my serpent-girl, letting my shadowmancer seduce you. You can have all that, you know. Just keep reading, keep letting yourself imagine these things, and my words will make them real in your mind."

> LOOK TALISMAN

You hold a pendant on a silver chain, a smooth and flawless piece of wrought silver with a single blue-white gem in its center. There are no markings or inscriptions on its surface.

"Or perhaps you simply used the reversal spell to turn your mental protection into a mental enslavement spell, making it easy for me to control your thoughts?" Zorcastra smiles at you, her eyes dark and endlessly deep. You can imagine losing yourself within them. "So many ways to give in, to submit, to let your will slip away into mine, and I know you found them all. Each time, thinking you were looking for a way to defeat me, when in truth, you were just enjoying all the different ways to be my pet."