Beyond Zork walkthrough

 View: [BEYOND.ZORK.SOL

..,;:!:;,..The Hidden Stronghold GBBS:SuperTAC 3.3+ ..,;:!:;,..

                       Beyond Zork solution 

 

This is one of Infocom's more difficult games, and not simply because of the

puzzles, some of which are very tough. What makes things hard for the player is

the fact that much of the game is random in nature: objects and places are

never quite the same from one game to the next. A staff of Levitation this time

might be a staff of Sayonara the next. The arrangement of rooms in the cellar

is never the same twice. Magic words on scrolls are different each time you

play.

 

Added to this confusion is a multiplicity of solutions to many of the problems

in the game. For example, there are at least five ways of getting off Zeno's

Bridge, and at least two for getting the Unicorn out of the stall. Sometimes,

the difficulty is deciding which method to use to solve a puzzle: you can't

always be sure that the way you're doing it won't put you in a hole later on,

when a magic item is used up (and most magic items have few charges).

 

Yet, some order can be made out of the chaos. While room arrangements change,

the rooms themselves stay the same in type and number. Wands, sticks, staves,

etc. may have different properties, but they will always do one of the same six

things: Annihilate, Levitate, Evert, Dispel, Anesthetize, or Vanish a creature.

Ditto for potions: their effects and colors may change, but only to a limited

degree.

 

Also, items will be found in roughly the same places. For example, a stick or

cane or rod or somesuch will always be found somewhere in the spooky area where

the Eldritch Vapor hangs out, and a potion will always come to light somewhere

in the Ruins.

 

So once you've played the game for awhile, you'll get to know where to look for

various objects. It might not do quite the same thing as the last time, but

eventually you'll be able to collect everything in the game, once you know

where to look for it.

 

Always take new-found items to the Magic Shoppe and have them identified. It

costs nothing, and the only other way to find out what they do is to try them

out, which wastes charges on the rods, and may kill you if it's a potion.

Once an item has been identified, it will not change properties during the

game.

 

Also, there is no way to go through the curtains from this side, but later on

you'll be able to come through from the other side, which is in the astral

plane of Atrii. And you can't steal anything from the shop, either; the old

woman watches you like a hawk (it's probably the same old woman in all three

shops).

 

Several items in the game are there just for the purpose of trading for cash.

These include the bubble gum card, the platinum sextant, the silver ornament,

the gold crown, the gold doubloon, and the diamond snowflake. Exchange them for

zorkmids (or an item of similar value in the shops), so that you don't end up

carrying around excess items in your inventory.

 

Almost anything you buy can be sold back in the shops, but you will get only

half price for them. For instance, the axe costs 40 zorkmids, but if you sell

it back to the old woman, you will get only 20 for it.

 

Character creation does not seem to be as important as one might first expect.

You definitely need a good Stamina score; the more you have, the more damage

you can take and the better your chances of defeating the various monsters you

have to face in the game (although not all monsters are bested with weapons).

Remember that if your Stamina is dropping rapidly in an encounter, you can

always run off and come back another time; there is no difficulty in escaping,

except for those unfortunate times when you're caught in a dead end, and you

have no helpful spells to get you out of trouble.

 

Intelligence, while important, is very easy to increase, so you needn't start

out with too high a score in this attribute. Compassion will also increase

during the game when you help out some of the creatures in difficulty, so a

high starting score here is also not necessary (but do put a few points into

it, anyway).

 

Strength is helpful in several instances, so have a good starting score here.

Luck is harder to gauge; I suspect it helps a bit in combats (which, from my

observations, are not handled in typical RPG style), so you might want to put

a few extra points into this one (the "lucky charms" that you find in the game

will not increase your luck; they have another purpose entirely). Good

dexterity is also useful, primarily again for combat.

 

The actual number of points you put into any attribute is up to you; a

difference of a point or two in any attribute usually won't make that much

difference, expecially as most of your attributes will increase during the game

anyway.

 

Armor and weapons are variable things. I went through almost the entire game

with no armor at all, and with the battle axe as my weapon. For the end game, I

sold back the hourglass, and used the money to buy the plate armor and the

sword, which I found not necessary at all. Armor, in my experience, was not

very helpful; I seemed to take as much damage with it as without it.

 

One more thing to note is that you must defeat, not simply evade, EVERY monster

in the game to complete the adventure with the highest score. While it's

possible to finish without having fought (one way or another) all the monsters,

you won't get to the highest level unless you actually do that.

 

As you read through this walkthru, keep in mind that it will often show only

one or two solutions to a particular puzzle; there may be other ways of

getting something done that aren't mentioned. Remember that if I call something

a stick or wand or rod, that is just for convenience; when you play, these

items may not be the same or do the same thing.

 

Save the game frequently while playing. In the Apple version, the save disk

allows for only three positions (down from the usual four for 128K games), so

have several save disks handy before you start.

 

So you begin on top of a hill, with nothing but a single zorkmid to your name.

The first thing you want is a weapon, so head on down to the Wharf, where a

familiar old sailor is painting a magical ship on his canvas. You can say

"Hello sailor", but nothing happens here. The sailor is not important until

the very end, so just ignore him and grab the shillelagh that's floating

around in the scummy water. Fortunately, you can refer to the shillelagh as

a "club" (no renaming needed); it's a lot easier to type!

 

At this point, you have several options: you can roam around the countryside

for awhile, trying to pick up as many magical items as you can while avoiding

most of the monsters (known as running away), or you can explore the cellar

of the Rusty Lantern. Remember to take the lantern off the hook before you go

inside.

 

The bandits by the fireplace are useful only for mentioning a mysterious

"helmet" north of the River Phee. This is in the Ruins, and you aren't quite

ready for those yet. As the bandits can't be fought or driven away, just ignore

them (the dagger makes a second weapon for you, if you want to take it).

 

In the kitchen you find an ominous locked door and a giant onion. Many people

have been puzzled by its use in the game, but we will come to that eventually.

Talk to the cook about the onion, and sooner or later, he'll offer you the

onion if you'll go down into the wine cellar and retrieve a bottle of rare

wine. Of course, this is not as easy as it sounds, and I ssuggest saving the

game either just before or just after you go down the stairs.

 

The first thing you find down there is a crinkly scroll (one of the few fixed

items in the game). This renews items, such as your lantern (very handy).

However, soon after you pick up the scroll, a rat-ant will scurry into the

room. This is your first encounter.

 

After you've bashed it enough and sent it scurrying back into the darkness,

it's time to look around for the wine. There is one other nasty critter down

here, a discipline crab. However, it doesn't roam around, you'll only find it

in its lair. Naturally, there is no way of knowing where that lair is, and

you may walk into it without realizing it. Let's hope you've found the mold

that increases dexterity first (just squeeze the mold and wait awhile; when

your finger itches, look at it...and you must look at it to get the increase).

 

When the crab has been defeated, it leaves behind its gold crown. If you then

search the nest, you will also find a gold doubloon. Both these items have only

one use: to trade for cash or other objects. Therefore, don't be afraid to sell

them.

 

Also in the cellar is a skeleton with an amulet around its neck. Of course the

moment you reach down to get the amulet, the skeleton comes to life and begins

to strangle you. Fortunately, one good smack with the club should take care of

this bony nuisance.

 

Once the amulet is yours, examine it carefully. There seem to be a lot of red

and green squiggles on it, so if there's anything to read, it's quite

illegible. But we'll be taking care of that shortly.

 

In one room is a stack of crates that is almost a staircase. Now that your

Dexterity has been increased by the mold, you'll be able to climb it quite

easily, and obtain the wine bottle at the top (by the way, in one of the other

rooms you should find a stick or stave or whatnot).

 

Hmm, maybe this wasn't so hard, after all. So you climb back down and return

to the stairs, only to have the door slammed shut in your face! Shades of Zork

I! Now what are you going to do?

 

Well, there aren't any secret ways out, I can tell you that. If you traipsed

around the countryside beforehand, you could use the word of recall to get

yourself out (if you found the scroll with it). Or, if you have the stave of

Sayonara, you could point it at yourself, and get out that way.

 

But, if you don't happen to have anything like that, don't despair! The answer

is right there in your hot little hands! Look at that wine closely: it's RED!

AHA!!! Read the amulet through the wine bottle! Lo and behold, you can see

a magic word (does this remind anyone of Zork II?). Say the secret (err, magic)

word, and your strength is temporarily (1 move) increased to 99! Now you're

strong enough to smash open the door: WHAM!

 

And the amulet is good for two more uses, even. Not a bad little bauble to

have, eh? But anyway, you give the wine to the cook (you can't open it, and it

has no other purpose in the game), and you are now the proud owner of a giant

onion. Doesn't that just make your day? 

So now you have this giant onion (you'll have to roll it to take it with you;

this is a good time to define a function key for ROLL ONION). However, you

can leave it where it is for now; you have to go out into the world and look

around until you find the wand of Annihilation, because your next stop is a

certain nasty lighthouse (and while you're at it, help yourself to some of the

brine drying in the sun...it will make your life easier soon).

 

Once you have the wand (remember it might in fact be a cane or staff or

something else), return to the tavern and get (roll?) your onion. On the way

out, make sure to pick up the scruffy rug on the floor; it will come in handy

later on. Roll the onion to the Ledge, where there a riddle is inscribed.

 

Actually, this one is pretty easy. Tines suggest forks, but forks don't have

much to do with reports. But, there are other things that have tines. For

instance: Lightning. CRAAACK! You say it, and a bolt shoots down out of

nowhere, opening a hole in the cliffside. Now you can get into the lighthouse.

 

Of course, there are a few nasty things lurking around inside it. The first

one is a spider. Bash the critter to make it go away (oh, I would recommend

cleaning the place out before you start rolling the onion up and around).

 

Then comes the giant slug. For this, you don't have to fight at all. Just put

the salt on it (as anyone who lives in the country knows), and that will get

rid of the repellant creature.

 

Now it's dust bunny time. It will be found lurking in the corner of one of the

rooms. If an item happens to be in that same room, don't worry; you can pick it

up safely. Still, you must get rid of the bunny. A quick perusal of the booklet

tells you that only static electricity and lemon-scented sprays have any effect

on it.

 

Well, you don't have a spray can of lemon Pledge handy, but you do have that

scruffy rug. Drop the rug then rub your feet on it a few times. Dust bunny is

getting nervous, isn't he? Poor thing. Touch the bunny, and ZAAAP! The bunny

collapses and coalesces into a strange ring. Get that ring, you'll need it

later.

 

Ok, there is only one more creature to deal with, the dornbeast at the very

top of the lighthouse. Roll your onion all the way up and into the room. You

see a chest with a large plaque on it, with a warning in many languages: "Do

not open this chest!". Of course, your first instinct, in the grand tradition

of all adventurers, is to open the chest. Don't do it....yet.

 

First, make sure that you aren't carrying too many items; that chest is pretty

heavy. Then see to it that you have a sharp item (dagger or axe) in hand, and

that your staff of Annihilation is ready. Ok, now try to get or open the chest.

 

Whoops! The dornbeast appears, and is starting to turn all 69 (interesting

number) eyes in your direction. Now is the time to move fast. Chop the onion!

Sniff..sniff...whew! The onion's strong scent pervades the room, and if you

think you have it bad, just pity the poor dornbeast with all those eyes

watering.

 

Put the critter out of its misery with the staff. Now you can safely pick up

the chest (you can also search the debris for a platinum sextant that's buried

there; it's another item for trading or selling). You really don't want to open

it, but (if you're just dying to know what happens) you can do so safely once.

 

Opening the chest transports you to the Plane of Transinfinite Spledor, where

most of the Unicorns are now living. They resent any intrusions by humans, no

matter how comapssionate (even if you've already freed the Unicorn in the

stall), and will tell you so, in no uncertain terms. If you ever go back, you

will suffer a most ignominious fate.

 

After you have been unceremoniously returned to the lighthouse (or wherever it

is you opened the chest), you can look inside the chest (it's safe for now).

There are two things inside: a scroll and a vague outline. Don't try to look

at the outline, just get all from the chest.

 

Now, close the chest and take it, because you're about to play a nasty trick on

a really nasty critter. Head along to Accardi-By-The-Sea and the Guildhall.

Loafing in the area is a monkey grinder, equipped with the dreaded Sense Organ.

 

He can do some pretty unpleasant things to you with that, and you'll have to

suffer some first. You need to wait until the grinder has crushed the warning

nymph at the entrance to the Guildhall (that's really nasty; I wish they had

come up with something else for this).

 

Once he's done that, present him with the chest. Remember the booklet: monkey

grinders are illiterate. He can't read the warning plaque, so naturally, he

opens the chest. POOF! Goodbye monkey grinder, and it couldn't have happened to

a nicer (?) person. Once he's gone, you can nip into the Guildhall and get the

wand that's there (you'll also notice that the hall has been abandoned long

ago).

 

It's about time now to pay a visit to those almost-mythical beings, the

Implementors. Take the organ (examine it and play around with it for a while if

you like) and leave it at the edge of the Fields of Frotzen where the

billboard is. Read the scroll from the chest, and say the magic word. Whoosh!

You are now in the plane of Atrii!

 

As you walk around, you'll find yourself above a number of familiar places,

including three that have curtains. These are, of course, the three shops. If

you walk through a curtain, you'll be back in Quendor, and you don't want to

do that right now.

 

Instead, move around until you find a vague outline blocking your path. Does

that remind you of anything...like maybe the outline you found in the chest?

Why not check your inventory?

 

Well, look at that! The vague outline from the chest has now been transformed

into a force blade! Use the blade to cut the outline in your way, and before

you know it, you'll be attending (in a manner of speaking) the eternal banquet

(luncheon?) of the Implementors.

 

This, however, does not mean that they are especially pleased to see you,

although they are not quite as reclusive as the unicorns. Just hang around,

and soon they'll be playing catch with the fabulous Coconut of Quendor. Wow!

You mean it's gonna be this easy?

 

Hah! Don't you believe it! The Coconut hits the floor, and before anyone can

get to it, a nasty black spot appears out of nowhere, sucks up the Coconut, and

vanishes. The Coconut of Quendor is now in the hands of the diabolical Ur-Grue!

Uh-oh.

 

The Implementors are not happy about this. They unanimously volunteer you to

bring it back (this is about the time you start wishing you'd stayed home on

the farm). To help you along, one of the Implementors hands you a golden

goblet, then kicks you out to the Fields of Frotzen.

 

Pick up the organ, and set the dial to the eye symbol. With goblet in hand,

walk into the Fields. The magical chalice will keep the lightning away, and

you'll be able to explore this rather drab and dismal area, inhabited only

by three scarecrows, a flock of corbies, a butterfly, and a four-leaf clover.

 

Take the clover when you come to it. The butterfly will eventually come to you

and rest on the rim of the goblet, so there's no need to try and catch it. But

it's the scarecrows that are the really important things here.

 

You'll notice that only one of them has any growing corn. For some reason, the

corbies don't like this particular scarecrow. Of course, to you, it looks just

like the other two, but then, as noted in the booklet, corbies can see color,

even in this drab land, far better than you can.

 

So, play the organ, and for a little while, color spruces up the area. Check

out the color of the scarecrow's rags, and remember it. Also, you must make

sure you have seen all three scarecrows, or nothing else will happen.

 

What you're waiting for is a farmhouse to fall. As soon as you hear it hit

earth, start searching, and get inside immediately. Wait out the storm, which

will transport you to the Land of Oz (err, Froon). Thud!

 

Exit the house. You'll notice a large boot underneath. There is no way to get

the boot (really! you don't need any ruby slippers to get back home). Examine

the flowers, and before long, the happy inhabitants of Froon will be making a

big fuss over you for delivering them from a big heel (grin).

 

The mayor will offer you the key to the city. Actually, there are three keys,

each a different color (they are all cheap styrofoam imitations, too). In fact,

they are the same three colors as the scarecrows. What a coincidence!

 

All you have to do is take the key that's the same color as the scarecrow the

corbies don't like, after which you are once again unceremoniously booted out

(have you tried mouthwash? maybe some deoderant...).

 

With key in hand, you are now able to pass the flock of corbies, and reach the

one other growing thing: a rose bush, with a single compass rose on its

branches. 

So you're back from Froon, and you have the compass rose and the clover and the

butterfly. Of course, most people know that butterflies are just grown-up

caterpillars, so there must be some way of changing that pretty insect back

into its larval form.

 

Some folks try the pool of eternal youth in the forest, but that doesn't work.

The pool only KEEPS things young, it doesn't MAKE them young. A fine

distinction, but a necessary one. No, there is another way to get what you

want.

 

Open the lid of the organ, and put the cup inside (the butterfly will stay on

it). Close the lid, and set the dial to the clock. Now, turn the crank

*backwards*! Pretty horrible stuff, to be sure, but you can live through it.

When you open the lid again, instead of a butterfly, you'll have a creepy

caterpillar crawling on the cup. Get it quickly, before it decides to crawl

off somewhere (in which case, you'll never see it again).

 

Now let's see what we can do about a certain injured pterodactyl (whom most

people like to rename to Terry) in the spooky areas.

 

First you'll have to get rid of the Eldritch Vapor; I know for certain that the

club will do the job. However, don't relax just yet; as soon as the Vapor fades

away, a vicious Guttersnipe will come charging in! You'll have to fight him,

too, before you can do anything else here.

 

With both monsters removed from the scene (there are only two total here), you

can go hunting for Terry. Poor critter, he has an arrow through his wing. And

even though your intentions are only helpful, in his pain he won't let you near

him. This is where you need the rod of Anesthesia.

 

Point the rod at Terry to send him into dreamland. Once he's safely asleep,

pull out the arrow (rip!), and place the limp weed on his wound (it's a

Spenceweed, of course). The injury heals rapidly, and before long Terry is his

old self again. Take the whistle from around his neck, and put it around your

own. You'll be able to call Terry with it for a total of three rides.

 

However, before you can go riding Terry, you'll need a saddle. The only one

available is in the stall with the Unicorn by the Private Way. Head along there

to get the saddle and help out a creature in need.

 

The Unicorn doesn't look too happy, and I suppose you can't really blame her.

However, before giving in to your good impulses, make sure you kiss her horn

to increase your luck.

 

Now, you can either use the amulet and then smash open the stall, or, if you

have used up the amulet by now, you can use the wand of Levitation to raise

both the Unicorn and the saddle (one at a time) out of the stall. Make sure

you take the horseshoe in the corner (a lucky charm).

 

After leaving the stable, use your whistle and summon Terry. Put the saddle

on his back, then get up on him and start flying. The place you want is the

castle (look at the map that comes with the game to see where that is). Use

the compass rose to give you a good tail wind. Remember to point the rose in

the opposite direction from the one in which you're going (for instance, you

want an east wind to fly west). Also, there are some directions in which you

can never go; these are the ones with the clouds in the way.

 

Terry will land you in the castle garden. This is the castle of the Platypus

Queen, who would not be happy to see you. Unfortunately, it sounds like she's

on her way to the garden right now. You'd better find a place to hide real

fast. I wouldn't recommend the statue, but the Morgia bush is bigger than you

think. Squeeze behind it (oof! ouch) and wait.

 

Terry (a coward at heart) will take off when Queenie appears. Don't worry, you

will be able to call him back again. Thinking she's alone, the Platypus opens

a secret compartment in the statue and removes a strange jar (there's no other

way for you to find this, even if you tried examining or searching the statue).

 

From the jar Queenie takes a hoop, and blows through...not a soap bubble, but

a silvery mirror! Too bad the mirror's answer to her question isn't the one

she wanted. After destroying it in a fit of temper, she huffs off, leaving you

alone in the garden.

 

Now you can see the secret compartment and get the jar, which will be needed

for the end game. While you're at it, help yourself to a little Morgia root;

it's good for you.

 

Call Terry again, and fly off to Mizniaport; it's time to go hunting for the

legendary Crocodile's Tear, the only object in the game worth enough for you

to obtain the hourglass in the Magic Shoppe. You'll also be able to save the

good people of Thriff from the depredations (or rather, stompings) of the

fearsome Christmas Tree Monsters (but, one thing at a time here).

 

After reaching Mizniaport, take a ride on the Jungle Skyway (free!). Climb off

at the first support tower, and you're in the jungle, with crocodiles and giant

bloddworms and even hungses (hungi?).

 

The first thing to do is eliminate both the croc and the bloodworm. This will

take some doing, but it's quite possible to beat them enough to send them away

(unless, of course, you prefer to use other methods). If you need a safe place

to heal up inbetween, go to any of the support towers; the monsters won't

follow you there.

 

Once they're both gone, map out the area, locating both the idol and the mother

hungus and baby. The idol mouth, as you know if you've stepped on it before, is

a seesaw arrangement. Whenever you try reaching up for the jewel, the seesaw

overblanaces and dumps you into the bowels of the idol. You need enough weight

on your end to keep the tongue stable so you can grab the jewel. And the only

thing weighty enough is a full-grown hungus. So, once you've located the idol,

return to the quicksand patch, and take a swipe at junior (just make sure you

aren't wearing the cloak from the Armor Shoppe at this point).

 

Oooo....mama didn't like that at all!! Looks like she's coming for you, so

start hustling toward the idol. If mama doesn't show up right behind you, just

wait awhile, she won't be far behind. Keep on going, right up into the idol's

maw. Mama will follow right after you.

 

With her poundage on the tongue, you can reach up and get the Tear. OOps! It

fell down, and mama ate it! Well, at least that seemed to satisfy her for some

reason or other, and she ambles down off the idol. Uh-oh.

 

Swoosh! You're neatly deposited inside the idol's belly. Gee, it's dark down

here; I hope you brought a lantern with you. Of course, you could probably use

a magical spell or somesuch to get out before the grues get to you, but light

is much better at the moment; there's another colony of mold growing on the

walls.

 

Once you've squeezed this mold, you can leave (the word of recall will do

nicely), and then make another trip back to Mizniaport's Skycars. After all,

you still have to get that jewel.

 

The baby hungus and mama will be at the quicksand patch. First, point your

rod of Eversion at mama and give her an unsettling experience. Horrible thing,

the insides of a hungus! However, the jewel hasn't been digested yet, and it

pops out!

 

Now, you can use your rod of levitation to free junior from the quicksand,

thereby adding to your compassion score. Whew! And it's off through the jungle

to the quaint town of Thriff.

 

Actually, there isn't much to see here except the chapel, where Cardinal

Toolbox is moaning and whining about the imminent destruction of the town.

Take a seat in the pew and search it. You find a vial, which the old woman in

the Magic Shoppe will tell you is holy water. Hang on to it, as you'll need it

later.

 

I know you want to get your hands on that reliquary on the altar, but you're

gonna have to work for it first. Leave the chapel, and take the road into the

mountains, which is just packed with Christmas Tree Monsters, singing their

fiendish holiday songs.

 

However, since you have that caterpillar with you, they won't give you any

trouble; in fact, they edge nervously aside as you pass by. Of course, one lone

caterpillar isn't really enough to stop the trees; something more permanent is

needed.

 

Beyond the trees is a small hut. Inside you find a burin (useful for inscribing

glyphs of warding), a diary (useful for historical reading and not much else),

and a black hemisphere. Get the hemisphere and the burin, then leave.

 

Hmmm..there seems to be a snowdrift blocking the way further up the mountain.

Then again, maybe it isn't a drift...it's Snow Wight! (What, no dwarves?).

Yes, another monster to do battle with. Just bop on him (it?), and after he's

gone, the way to the top of the volcano will be clear.

 

The dome across the mouth of the volcano looks like pretty heavy-duty magic.

Only what you'd expect, to keep the volcano from erupting. But that's what we

want right now...a nice hot flood of lava to go roaring down the mountainside.

So, point your wand of Dispel Magic at the dome.

 

That certainly did the trick, and if I were you, I'd be running like heck down

the mountainside and all the way back to Thriff. Whew! Don't worry, the lava

won't quite reach the town. And you can bet it sure did a number on those

Christmas Tree Monsters!

 

But there's still the problem of keeping them away permanently. Lava, when it

dries (?), is pretty permanent stuff. I'll bet if you could inscribe the glyph

of warding before the lava becomes to hard, the good people of Thriff would be

very grateful.

 

Of course, the lava is pretty hot right now, so put on your dust bunny ring

before you go back to what used to be the snowy clearing. Yep, that lava is

still pretty torrid, but it's cooling fast. At the right time, inscribe the

glyph of warning into the lava. Thriff has been saved!

 

The happy residents come out to greet you, with Toolbox leading them. The sneak

tries to hide the reliquary behind his back (not as generous as the mayor of

Froon, is he?), but if you ask him for it, he'll give the reliquary to you.

You're almost done here, all you need to do now is get yourself a minx. 

Trek off to the northwest, where hunters are combing the area for something or

other. In fact, it's a poor little Minx they're looking for. Just wait where

you are, and the Minx will come bounding along to hide behind a tree. You can't

get the Minx just yet, but you do have to protect her from her cruel owner.

 

Notice the tracks in the snow? They lead right to the Minx's hiding place. All

you need to do is "hide footprints" (nothing fancy, and don't say "hide

footprints with snow" or anything similar).

 

A nasty-looking young man will come along, and ask if you've seen the Minx. Lie

and say no, then just wait until he leaves. Give the Minx a rub on the head,

and you have a friend for life. If you wait some more, she'll dig up a truffle.

There are three in the game, and since you need only one, it's ok to let her

eat it.

 

With the Minx in tow (she'll follow you anywhere), make your way back to Gurth

City and the Magic Shoppe, where you can trade the Tear for the hourglass, if

you haven't already. Then hike off to the Forest area.

 

You'll have to dispose of the cruel puppet and the hellhound, if you didn't do

that earlier in the game (the hellhound is tough, and a good candidate for the

rod of Annihilation). When they're both removed from the scene, go to the

oak tree in the Twilight area, and wait until the Minx digs up a truffle.

 

This time, don't let the Minx eat it. Take the truffle, and walk over to the

Clearing, where a second riddle awaits you. The answer to this one is as simple

as the first: Youth. When you say that, a pool of eternal youth appears! It

won't do you much good, but it will do wonders for the truffle, namely keep it

preserved for all time. Step into the pool with the truffle.

 

Now call Terry for the last time, and have him fly you over to the Ruins across

the river (make sure you have the Minx in your arms before boarding Terry!).

You can't cross by Zeno's Bridge, which is just a trap. When you arrive, a

ghoul is sure to pop up from somewhere, and Terry, as usual, won't hang around.

 

No sooner have you dealt with the ghoul, then an Undead Warrior appears. He's

tough, but easy to get rid of: just hit him with the holy water, and that will

be the end of him.

 

You'll find a potion somewhere in the ruins, but what you really want is the

archway in the plaza. Its most obvious feature is an hour-glass shape, a sure

tipoff that the hourglass you have is needed here (this is a good time to

define a macro for TURN HOURGLASS).

 

Stand under the arch and turn the hourglass. ZOOM! You've created a magical

timeline, that allows you to move forward and backward in time, and see the

events, past and future, that occured or will occur in the plaza area. Of

these, only two are of interest to you.

 

The first is in the past, where a prince wearing a remarkably gaudy helmet has

his head cut off. The helmet rolls into a trench, but before you can do

anything, the prince's horse is killed and falls partway into the ditch. There

is no way to stop this, or enter the trench beforehand, or move the horse (in

fact, a bug in the game causes the program not to recognize the horse after

it's dead).

 

However...you CAN still throw things into the trench! So, pop the truffle into

it. Because it's been in the pool of eternal youth, it will not decay, but

stay fresh and palatable through all the eons to come.

 

Now, move forward in time, noting how the plaza area becomes covered with

rubble, a new ice age sets in, a new race emerges, and finally, all things end

in Desolation, where the work of time, having first covered all, now reverses

itself, and uncovers.

 

Not enough for you to find anything, but the instincts of the Minx are

something else. Sure enough, she sniffs out the presence of the truffle, and

digs it up from the loose earth. And in the hole...the helmet! Whew!

 

It's that time: time to pay a visit to your friendly neighborhood Ur-Grue.

First, of course, return to the present and step out from the arch. Gather

up the Minx (it really wouldn't be nice to leave her behind in a place like

this) and leave the Ruins (with the word of Recall or through the plane of

Atrii).

 

Now, put on the helmet (which gives your Intelligence a boost), and join the

black hemisphere and the white one. Together, they spin rapidly and become a

gray sphere, which gives you a vision of a secret door in a wall, and the magic

word needed to open the door.

 

Now you know where the Ur-Grue is and how to get there, so hop along, Cassidy,

because there isn't much more left to do in the game. Of course, you're

wondering how to deal with the Ur-Grue, since it isn't afraid of any kind of

light except sunlight, and the sword Grueslayer doesn't happen to be available

in the game (make sure you have the rabbit's foot, clover, and horseshoe before

entering the lair).

 

Don't worry; you'll be able to get along quite nicely, thanks to the jar you

lifted back in Queenie's garden. Once inside the secret door (DO NOT turn on

your lantern here!), open the jar and blow a mirror. Now, position the mirror

so that the light will reflect off it from this room to the next (Physics

students will easily recognize the principle involved here).

 

Walk into the next room, and do the same thing. In essence, you are setting

up a chain of reflected sunlight through the caves (as you may have guessed,

the position of the caves is random). Try not to waste any moves as you go

through the rooms; the mirrors have only limited lifespans, after which they

will pop and disappear. If the mirror in the first one pops out before you're

through, you'll be in BIG trouble.

 

Somewhere about now, the Lucksucker will show up. It has various appearances:

a black cat, an umbrella, a ladder, a number 13, etc. This is where your lucky

charms come into their own. Use one (any one) and hit the sucker (grin). It

will run off...for awhile. Then it comes back again, so use another of your

charms. All told, the Lucksucker will make three tries at you, so you do need

all three lucky charms to get past it.

 

Eventually you will come to a junction of rooms, and there is no way of knowing

for sure which one the Ur-Grue is in. Explore each of them, and hope you're

lucky. You'll know you've found the right one, as it will have a mound of

treasure in it, and a creepy shadow in one corner.

 

You have no time to waste here; create another mirror, and angle the shaft of

light at the shadow in the corner. THAT did the trick! Or did it? As you

approach the Ur-Grue, it grabs you tight! Oh-oh! After all this work, are you

going to fail in the end?

 

Well, maybe not! As you strangle in the Grue's grip, it begins to absorb all

that compassion you've built up through the game! Filled with remorse, the

Ur-Grue releases you, and goes off to who knows where. But he does allow you to

take whatever you want from his treasure horde.

 

As you might expect, the only thing you can really take is the Coconut of

Quendor. So grab that and start making tracks (if the mirrors have popped by

now, it's ok to use your lantern...there are regular grues lurking here),

because an earthquake is about to commence.

 

Ooops! You didn't quite make it out, but you're saved anyway! (Although being

buried under fettucini is still not the most fun experience in the world). The

old woman from the shop (see? it really was one old woman after all) and the

sailor rescue you, and take you for a voyage on board the magical ship. Where

to? Who knows? We'll have to wait for Beyond Beyond Zork for that! (grin)..re

[ST/73]: