!---------------------------------------------------------------------------! ! ! ! This is the Inform source code for a menu-driven z-code version of: ! ! ENCYCLOPEDIA FROBOZZICA (Abridged Edition) ! ! Ported by Digby McWiggle (digby_mcwiggle@hotmail.com). ! ! ! ! Encyclopedia Frobozzica is copyright 1993, 1999 Activision, Inc. ! ! Used with permission. ! ! Zork and all other game names are registered trade marks of Activision. ! ! ! ! Release 990128 ! ! ! !---------------------------------------------------------------------------! Global standard_interpreter; Global pkey; Global screen_width; Global screen_height; Array the_string table 512; Property emblazon; Property select; Property description; [ Main; standard_interpreter = $32-->0; CheckScreenWidth(); EncyclopediaFrobozzica.select(); ]; [ CheckScreenWidth width obj; screen_width = 0->33; width = 0; objectloop(obj ofclass Item) { @output_stream 3 the_string; print (name) obj; if (the_string-->0 > width) width = the_string-->0; @output_stream -3; }; if (screen_width < width+4) { print "^^^^WARNING: Your screen is only ", (number) screen_width, " characters wide. The names of some menu items contain up to ", (number) width, " characters, so some text may not be visible. It is recommended that you enlarge your screen size, if possible, before continuing.^^[Press any key]"; @read_char pkey; } ]; [ PrintFormatted what inhdr bol und rev fon c; if (what == 0) return; @output_stream 3 the_string; switch (metaclass(what)) { String : print (string) what; Object : print (name) what; }; @output_stream -3; if (inhdr==1) rev=1; for (c=2 : c<(the_string-->0)+2 : c++) { if (the_string->(c) == '{' && the_string->(c+2) == '}') { switch(the_string->(c+1)) { 'B' : if (bol==0) bol=1; else bol=0; c=c+2; 'U', 'I' : if (und==0) und=1; else und=0; c=c+2; 'R' : if (rev==0) rev=1; else rev=0; c=c+2; 'F' : if (fon==0) fon=1; else fon=0; c=c+2; default : print (char) the_string->(c); } style roman; if (und~=0) style underline; if (bol~=0) style bold; if (rev~=0) style reverse; if (fon~=0) font off; else font on; } else print (char) the_string->(c); }; style roman; if (inhdr==1) style reverse; font on; ]; Class Item with emblazon [ bar_height page pages temp; screen_width = 0->33; @erase_window $ffff; @split_window bar_height; @set_window 1; @set_cursor 1 1; style reverse; spaces(screen_width); if (standard_interpreter == 0) @set_cursor 1 1; else { the_string-->0 = 128; @output_stream 3 the_string; print (name) self; if (pages ~= 1) print " [", page, "/", pages, "]"; @output_stream -3; temp = (screen_width - the_string-->0)/2; @set_cursor 1 temp; } PrintFormatted(self,1); if (pages ~= 1) print " [", page, "/", pages, "]"; return the_string-->0; ], with select [; self.emblazon(1, 1, 1); @set_window 0; font on; style roman; @new_line; if (self provides description) { if ( metaclass(self.description) == Routine) { self.description(); } else { PrintFormatted(self.description); @new_line; } } else print "[No text written for this item.]^"; print "^[Press any key]^"; @read_char pkey; return 2; ]; Class Menu class Item with select [ count j obj pkey line oldline top_line bottom_line page pages options top_option; screen_width = 0->33; screen_height = 0->32; if (screen_height == 0 or 255) screen_height = 18; screen_height = screen_height - 7; options = 0; objectloop (obj in self && obj ofclass Item) options++; if (options == 0) return 2; pages = 1 + (options-1)/screen_height; top_line = 6; page = 1; line = top_line; .ReDisplay; top_option = (page - 1) * screen_height; self.emblazon(7 + count, page, pages); @set_cursor 2 1; spaces(screen_width); @set_cursor 2 2; print "N = next item"; j = screen_width-17; @set_cursor 2 j; print "P = previous item"; @set_cursor 3 1; spaces(screen_width); @set_cursor 3 2; print "ENTER = select item"; j = screen_width-17; @set_cursor 3 j; if (sender ofclass Item) print "Q = previous menu"; else print " Q = quit program"; style roman; if (pages > 1) { if (page > 1) { j = top_line - 1; @set_cursor j 4; print " (more)"; } if (page < pages) { j = screen_height + 6; @set_cursor j 4; print " (more)"; } } count = top_line; j = 0; objectloop (obj in self && (obj ofclass Item)) { if (j >= top_option && j < (top_option + screen_height)) { @set_cursor count 4; PrintFormatted(obj); count++; } j++; } bottom_line = count - 1; oldline = 0; for(::) { ! Move or create the > cursor: if (line~=oldline) { if (oldline~=0) { @set_cursor oldline 2; print " "; } @set_cursor line 2; print ">"; } oldline = line; count = 0; objectloop (obj in self && obj ofclass Item) { if (count == top_option + line - top_line) { @read_char 1 -> pkey; break; } count++; } if (pkey == 'N' or 'n' or 130) { line++; if (line > bottom_line) { line = top_line; if (pages > 1) { if (page == pages) page = 1; else page++; jump ReDisplay; } } continue; } if (pkey == 'P' or 'p' or 129) { line--; if (line < top_line) { line = bottom_line; if (pages > 1) { if (page == 1) { page = pages; line = top_line + ((options-1) % screen_height); } else { page--; line = top_line + screen_height - 1; } jump ReDisplay; } } continue; } if (pkey=='Q' or 'q' or 27 or 131) break; if (pkey==10 or 13 or 132) { count = 0; objectloop (obj in self && obj ofclass Item) { if (count >= top_option + line - top_line) break; count++; } switch(obj.select()) { 2: jump ReDisplay; 3: return 2; } } } if (sender ofclass Item) return 2; font on; @set_cursor 1 1; @erase_window $ffff; @set_window 0; @new_line; @new_line; return 2; ]; Menu EncyclopediaFrobozzica "Encyclopedia Frobozzica (Abridged Edition)"; Item -> "{I}Credits" with description " Final Edition, Revised^ Second Printing^ Copied Right, 966 GUE^ All Rights Reversed ^^ Based upon:^ {I}Encyclopedia Frobozzica{I} by Nino Ruffini^ Copyright 1993, 1999 Activision, Inc.^ Used with permission.^^ Zork and all other game names are registered trade marks of Activision. ^^ Ported to z-code by Digby McWiggle (digby_mcwiggle@@64hotmail.com)^ Thanks to Joe Mason for typological corrections"; Menu -> "{B}A{B}: Accardi to Ardis"; Item -> -> "Accardi-by-the-Sea" with description "{B}Accardi-by-the-Sea{B} is a small village in the Westlands by the coast of the Great Sea, near Borphee Harbor. Accardi's most famous geographic feature is the nearby Razor Gorge, a deadly chasm carved by a branch of the Borphee River. Because most enchanters prefer the quiet of a town such as Accardi over the hustle and bustle of a larger city, Accardi has become a center of the magic industry. The Accardi Guild of Enchanters is one of the most influential in the entire land, and has given rise to such famous magic-users as the Wizard of Frobozz and Belboz."; Item -> -> "Agrippa, Mumboz" with description "{B}Mumboz Agrippa{B} was, at one point, a foreman for the Frobozz Magic Cave Company. Heavily involved with the hollowing of an ancient volcano in the Eastlands, his job was related to the safety factors involved in constructing caverns over very weak rock strata. He also authored the book {I}Construction of the Empire{I}."; Item -> -> "Alexis, Queen" with description "{B}Queen Alexis{B} was, according to the Legend of Wishbringer, the wife of Anatinus, and Queen of Misty Island in ancient days. The legend tells that Queen Alexis' daughter, cursed by fate and prophecy, was born blind. To ease her heavy heart, Alexis kidnapped the peasant girl Morning-Star, and raised her as the Princess. When Morning-Star came of age, Alexis' awful envy caused her make six tough Love-Quests to the knights seeking to marry Morning-Star, and eventually to decree that her daughter ~must remain unmarried and virgin all her days.~ This Edict caused Morning-Star's heart to harden into the magic stone Wishbringer."; Item -> -> "Amathrodonis" with description "{B}Amathrodonis{B} was a terrible giant who terrorized Accardi-by-the-Sea for many centuries. He was finally vanquished by Belboz the Necromancer in 952 GUE, when the enchanter used showy pyrotechnical magic to destroy the giant."; Item -> -> "Amulet of Aggthora" with description "The {B}Amulet of Aggthora{B} was a legendary jewel renowned for its powers of augury. In the year 957 the Amulet was in the possession of Belboz, and is known to have glowed when near his location. This property of the Amulet was crucial in the defeat of Jeearr."; Item -> -> "Anatinus, King" with description "According to the legend of Wishbringer, the platypus {B}Anatinus{B} was once the King of Misty Island, and husband to Queen Alexis. Anatinus is best-noted for his decree that anyone claiming the hand of his daughter must fulfill a Love-Quest of Alexis' choosing. This decreed led to the death of six young knights. ^^It is also known that a King Anatinus, presumably a descendant of the original King, reigned on the island during the time of The Evil One. Princess Tasmania, the king's daughter, was twice rescued from dangers by a human postal worker. The most important event of the reign of this Anatinus was his generous award to the postal worker who saved his daughter. By bestowing the human with a wizard's hat, Anatinus helped him to bring about the downfall of The Evil One in the nearby village of Festeron."; Item -> -> "Antharia" with description [; PrintFormatted("{B}Antharia{B}, the Island Province, is 959 square bloits of beautiful land right in the middle of the Great Sea. The weather in Antharia is picture-perfect, except for an occasional hurricane in late summer. Tourists to Antharia bring in a remarkable business. No trip is complete without a visit to the shipbuilding factories of South Anthar, the marble mines in the Peltoid Valley, the port of Marba, and the Bella Quease. Mid-spring in Antharia brings the Marble Pageant, followed in the summer by shark-wrestling in the Flathead Stadium."); PrintFormatted("^^Antharia became a part of the Great Underground Empire in 665, when the forces of Duncanthrax vanquished the Antharian Armada at the famous battle of Fort Griffspotter. Up to that time the island-nation of Antharia was the world's premier sea power, and this victory gave Duncanthrax undisputed control of the Great Sea, and put the superb ship-building facilities of Antharia at his disposal. The conquest of Antharia also gave the kingdom access to Antharia's famed granola mines. Unfortunately, no one in Quendor liked granola."); PrintFormatted("^^For many years now Antharia has been ruled by a council of four ~Elders~ - one from the Shipbuilding Guild, one from the Granola Miners Guild, one from the Marble Cutters Guild, and one from a popular waterfront pub called ~Emu's~. Spenseweed is the official flower of Antharia, and the island's motto is ~Hieya wizka,~ which translates to ~Hello sailor.~ The capital of Antharia is Anthar.^"); ]; Item -> -> "Antharia University" with description "{B}Antharia University{B}, Ralph Waldo Flathead's alma mater, is known for an academic program specializing in obscure degrees such as Doctor of Idyllic Poetry, Doctor of Excellent Elegies, and Doctor of Octameter Odes. This University is possibly one of the elite Moss-League colleges, but our research team is not yet positive about this."; Item -> -> "Antharian Cave Witches" with description "{B}Antharian cave witches{B} live in dark holes high in the mountains of Antharia. These witches, usually very antisocial, can sometimes be summoned by coughing."; Item -> -> "Aragain Brothers Circus" with description "The {B}Aragain Brothers Circus{B} employs a trainer of real, live grues. Obviously, this Circus is a big purchaser of Grue Protection Kits from the Frobozz Magic Grue Accessories Company."; Item -> -> "Aragain Falls" with description "The {B}Aragain Falls{B} is the most breathtaking and awesome waterfall in the known lands. It lies at the end of the Frigid River, where it flows from its underground source near Flood Control Damn #3. The Falls were a favorite honeymoon spot during the 8th and 9th centuries, often called the Honeymoon Capital of the GUE. The Falls are quite dangerous and, despite a warning buoy, many adventurers raft off the falls to their deaths."; Item -> -> "Aragain Village" with description "Please see the entry on {B}Flatheadia{B}."; Item -> -> "Ardis" with description "{B}Ardis{B} was a member of the Guild of Poets in 966. He gave a speech to the Final Conclave of enchanters about the failure of magical rhyming and spelling aids."; Menu -> "{B}B{B}: Balhu to Bzart-Foodle"; Item -> -> "Balhu, Saint" with description "{B}Saint Balhu{B}, the patron saint of circus performers, has a holiday in his honor on 11 Arch of each year."; Item -> -> "Barbel of Gurth" with description [; PrintFormatted("{B}Barbel of Gurth{B}, son of Delbor, was an arbiter and diplomat from the tenth century. His greatest skills were arbitrating and speaking in tongues, but he also invented the GOLMAC spell. He held two positions of authority: President of the Gurth Arbiters Congress, and Guildmaster of the Gurth City chapter of the Enchanters' Guild, a position he attained in 933. With his authority, he was able to restore high enchantment dues."); PrintFormatted("^^Barbel was a noted critic of his fellow Enchanters. He is most remembered for proclaiming that, ~When I was a boy, I was told that any Enchanter could become a Guildmaster. Now I'm beginning to believe it.~ Barbel was also quoted in the 957 issue of Popular Enchanting as stating that, ~There's too much showing-off, too much one-upmanship between the chapters, and no cooperation.~ This comment came after the 115th Convention of Enchanters and Sorcerers of the same year.^^Incidentally, Barbel of Gurth's Double Fanucci handicap is 42.^"); ]; Item -> -> "Barsap" with description "Appointed Royal Magician in 875 GUE by Idwit Oogle Flathead, {B}Barsap{B}, whose greatest skills are juggling and creative accounting, first performed before royalty in 850 GUE. The last book he read was {I}Magic with Mirrors{I}. His favorite saying is, ~The hardest trick is making it look easy,~ and his Double Fanucci handicap is 19. Barsap's Guild membership was revoked for dues evasion in 960, a little before he reached his untimely end.^^His fate is a matter of some controversy. Some sources hold that he was turned into a newt in 972, but as it is commonly believed that the Age of Magic ended in 966, this seems a bit unlikely. The truth will probably never be known."; Item -> -> "Barwell, Boswell" with description "{B}Boswell Barwell{B}, the official biographer of the Flatheads, is the author of such notable works as {I}Mumberthrax: The Man Behind the Legend{I}, and {I}The Lives of the Twelve Flatheads{I}, which was published in 804 GUE by the Frobozz Magic Biography Publishing Company. Excerpts from Barwell's famous book were published in the Flathead Calendar of 883 GUE."; Item -> -> "Bats" with description "This large monster is quite a nuisance to adventurers. Found in several caverns in the Eastlands, these {B}giant bats{B} seem to amuse themselves chiefly by grabbing a person, flying away, and depositing them elsewhere, thoroughly lost."; Item -> -> "Beeble, Nanny" with description "{B}Nanny Beeble{B} was the governess to the Twelve Flatheads when they were children. Her vivid memories of the experience include the fact that many of the children had teams of slaves exclusively to move their larger building blocks."; Item -> -> "Belboz" with description [; PrintFormatted("{B}Belboz{B}, born in 757 GUE during the reign of Mumberthrax Flathead, was the eldest of six brothers all left orphaned near the Aragain Falls. The guardian uncle of the siblings, a cave digger by trade, tried to get young Belboz interested in construction work, but the child talked and read only about magic. Eventually the uncle relented and sent Belboz to Borphee Harbor, where he was tutored by a master magician for 20 years. According to Belboz himself, his magical training was little understood by his family. In an interview on his 200th birthday, Belboz stated, ~My uncle thought thaumaturgy was a communicable fish disease, and fancied I sat on a dock for 20 years telling carp to open wide and say 'ah'.~"); PrintFormatted("^^Belboz's initial training was followed by a 30-year apprenticeship in the Accardi Chapter of the Guild of Enchanters, after which he became a full-fledged Enchanter in 820 GUE. He decided to spend his time traveling south to Gurth and Mithicus, where he pioneered research on anti-caking additives to magic potions. His success in perfecting dozens of spells, notably the LOBAL spell (~sharpen hearing~) and the CONBAK spell (~build strong bodies 12 different ways~) brought him interprovincial fame, and heralded his advancement to Sorcerer after a mere 25 years."); PrintFormatted("^^Unlike his peers, Belboz criticized the decadence of the royal family and foretold the collapse of the Great Underground Empire. Most fellow Sorcerers thought Belboz's warnings were shrill or foolish, but when the Empire did collapse in 883, Belboz said ~I told you so.~ Belboz then returned to Accardi where, in 910, at the age of 153, he became Guildmaster of the Accardi Chapter. Perhaps his greatest success - certainly his most publicized - came in 952, when he destroyed the evil giant Amathrodonis. Later that year he became the kingdomwide Secretary of the Guild of Enchanters, a post which he held for two terms."); PrintFormatted("^^With a life expectancy of 175 years, almost three times that of a layperson, most Sorcerers retire from the Guild and become Magicians Emeritus or Conjuration Consultants long before they become bicentenarians. At the age of 200, Belboz was the oldest member of the Circle of Enchanters, and was the oldest guildmaster ever. During that time-period speculation ran rampant as to whether the master Sorcerer had any plans to retire. During his 200th birthday interview, he told reporters to ~Ask me about my retirement again when I turn 300.~"); PrintFormatted("^^Unfortunately for Belboz fans, that opportunity would never present itself. In 957 the famed Jeearr incident led Belboz to completely rethink his future career in magic. He became involved in a series of dangerous exploratory experiments to look into dangers posed by the existence of Jeearr. Undertaking these experiments alone to shield the Circle of Enchanters from the perils involved, Belboz eventually succumbed to the powers of Jeearr, and was kidnapped by Jeearr as part of his plan to gain world domination. Luckily for Belboz, the same Enchanter who defeated Krill was able to find Jeearr's lair, destroy the evil demon, and save the life of Belboz. After this incident, Belboz decided that his time in the spotlight had come to an end, and he retired to the peace and quiet of an Enchanters' Retreat in the Flathead Mountains. He was not heard from again until 966, when he played a minor role in the events leading up to the end of the Age of Magic.^"); ]; Item -> -> "Bella Quease" with description "{B}Bella Quease{B} is a very famous glass-bottom boat, perhaps the only one in all of Quendor, that is stationed in Antharia. It frequently takes tourists on a trip around the island, and sometimes to the Eastlands or Westlands. According to many, no trip to Antharia is complete without such a cruise on the Bella Quease, or at least the purchase of souvenirs from said cruise."; Item -> -> "Belwit the Flat" with description "{B}Belwit the Flat{B}, the second king of the Flathead Dynasty, ruled the kingdom from Egreth Castle during the years 688 - 701 GUE. Belwit's reign is noted mainly for the minting of the first zorkmid, bearing his likeness, in 699 GUE."; Item -> -> "Berknip" with description "{B}Berknip{B} was a necromancer of the seventh, eighth, ninth, and tenth centuries who led a life designed to confound all attempts at explanation. Born in 662, his life paused temporarily in 750, only to be resumed again in 841. He was survived in 750 GUE by seven children and 39 grandchildren, but he has since out-relived them all. Berknip is an odd man, inexplicably afraid of swords and powdered milk. His greatest skill is assisting historical biographers, and his hobbies include making and collecting antiques. Being a vegetarian, he is noted for his adaptation of the NITFOL spell for raw oysters and crispy whole fish. This man's Double Fanucci handicap is unmeasurable, due to his odd life, and his favorite saying is ~No one weeps for a necromancer.~"; Item -> -> "Berzio" with description "In 769 GUE {B}Berzio{B} was an obscure, little-known thaumaturge who had lived for years in his own self-made workshop, often going for days without food, drink, or sleep, but in that year he made a discovery that would change the world. He created the means by which magical Presence could be transferred from a scroll to a special impregnated paper by use of a simple spell, which he named after his dog, Gnusto. Berzio quickly gained a reputation as a great thaumaturge, and was honored by being the source of the name of the first magic potion, the BERZIO potion."; Item -> -> "Bizboz" with description "{B}Bizboz{B} was a 5th century GUE student of the mystic arts who thoroughly examined ancient writings on such mystic subjects as Thaumaturgy. He wrote what became the seminal work in Thaumaturgy, {I}On the Presence of Incredibly Weird Stuff Going On{I}, in 473 GUE, in which he claimed to have discovered ~for-the-most-part Natural Rules~ by which this ~Weird Stuff~ is ordered. This work was ridiculed by the leading scholars of the time, leading to Bizboz's removal from the faculty at Galepath University, and, eventually, to his tragic suicide in 475 GUE. However, his work encouraged others in the pursuit of magical knowledge."; Item -> -> "Blattus, Zorbius" with description "{B}Zorbius Blattus{B}, greatest of the modern philosophers, was a popular debunker of Brogmoidism, and other strange religious sects. For instance, he is fond of asking, ~If a giant Brogmoid were holding up the world, where would he stand?~"; Item -> -> "Bloit" with description "The {B}bloit{B} is the Empire's most common unit for measuring distances. The bloit is defined as the distance the king's favorite pet runs in an hour. As the discerning reader can tell from this definition, the length of the bloit changes dramatically from ruler to ruler. (Rarely more dramatically than in 619 GUE, when Bozbo IV -- who adored his windcat -- died, and was succeeded by Mumbo II -- who was equally enamored of his very, very ancient turtle.)^^Land is usually measured in square bloits. It is possible to convert bloits to miles, using the measurements of Fublio Valley by Boswell Barwell and Froboz Mumbar. According to this conversion one bloit is approximately 3,529 feet, or two-thirds of a mile. However it is important to note that this bloit-length may not correspond with other bloit-lengths given in this book."; Item -> -> "Bloodhound" with description "Lord Dimwit Flathead kept a kennel full of royal {B}bloodhounds{B} of immense size. It is quite probable that the bloodhound was the basis of Lord Dimwit's measurement of the bloit."; Item -> -> "Bloodworms" with description "{B}Bloodworms{B} live in shallow underground pools of water and are often mistaken for mossy boulders. Their pointy, retractable fangs can extend up to 32 inches during an attack. They are repelled by the smell of boiled chives; always carry some if venturing near known bloodworm spawning ground. One such spawning ground is the Miznia Jungle, where the local variety of bloodworm have pairs of fangs that measure in at an astounding three feet."; Item -> -> "Booblort, Winifred" with description "{B}Winifred Booblort{B} ran the Flatheadia Castle Preservation Society in 883 GUE."; Item -> -> "Boot Patrol" with description "The {B}Boot Patrol{B} was the police organization employed by The Evil One in Witchville. Headed by Sergeant MacGuffin, the Boot Patrol was literally a group of very large, living boots that arrested curfew violators."; Item -> -> "Bor River" with description "The {B}Bor River{B} joins with the Phee River to form the Borphee River in the Westlands. At the confluence of the Phee and the Bor lies the ruins of the ancient city-state of Pheebor."; Item -> -> "Borphbelly Stew" with description "{B}Borphbelly stew{B} is a popular lunchtime meal in the province of Fenshire. Made from fox, fowl, and earthworm, proper preparation mandates the simultaneous addition of the ingredients to a boiling cookpot."; Item -> -> "Borphee" with description [; PrintFormatted("{B}Borphee{B}, a large industrial city in the Westlands, is the capital of the Greater Borphee Province. A total of 1,107,810 people live in this huge province, and the city of Borphee itself is the largest in all of Frobozz. In fact, Borphee Harbor is the busiest port on the Flathead Ocean. This is only one of the several geographic features that help make Borphee the single most accessible vacation spot in the world. From anywhere in the Borphee River valley, travel by ferry is easy and inexpensive. By land, the Coast Road connects Borphee with the ancient cities to the north as well as the populous southlands."); PrintFormatted("^^Thanks to the nearby ocean, Borphee has a very moderate climate. The rainy season lasts most of the winter, and summers tend to be humid. During the first week in autumn, Borphee is the site of the Double Fanucci Championships, an annual event since 691 GUE. In late spring, G.U.E. Tech holds their annual Spelling Bee, which is free and open to the public. Every winter, the hills of Borphee come alive with the sounds of the most dreadful singers in the land. This event, aptly named The From Bad to Worst Songfest, happens to coincide to the time of year when most hillside residents schedule trips abroad. On the official first day of summer, thousands gather at the Borphee Harbor for the G.U.E. Festival of Small Ships."); PrintFormatted("^^Greater Borphee, nicknamed the Industrial Province, encompasses 754 square bloits. Government in this region is quite a baffling system. The city of Borphee itself is run by an elected mayor, while the province is administered by a staff of part-time volunteer managers, whose decisions are ratified at least three times a year, but not more than every other week, by a series of local forums. Those who purport to know say that these forums have resulted in Greater Borphee County Penal Codes, the recitation of which could bore a listener to death."); PrintFormatted("^^Those who are not busy volunteering for the local government are probably involved in one of Borphee's fine educational institutions. Borphee Business School and G.U.E. Tech both have excellent reputations. In fact, many G.U.E. Tech graduates have gone on to start their own magic companies, thus contributing to Borphee's standing as the center of the spell scroll, potion, and infotater industries. In the 9th century GUE, Spellbound and United Thaumaturgy both had extensive facilities in Borphee, and by 947 GUE FrobozzCo International had relocated its massive headquarters to Borphee as well. The prominence of the magic industry in Borphee is undoubtedly related to the fact that the city is home to the Great Meeting Hall of the Enchanters' Guild, the site of the Final Conclave in 966 GUE."); PrintFormatted("^^The recorded history of Borphee goes back to approximately 400 years before the time of Entharion, when Borphee, along with Pheebor, was one of the great city-states that lay near the Borphee River. Borphee defeated Pheebor in a massive battle that was caused by a feud over the naming of what is now called the Borphee River."); PrintFormatted("^^Recorders of meaningless historical facts might be interested in the following:^ A Borphee baker makes Frobolli Cakes by flinging bits of dough into a hot oven.^ The flower of Borphee is the compass rose.^ The Borphee motto (~Borphee - fixum rixa poo nastik.~) translates to ~Borphee - better than you think.~^"); ]; Item -> -> "Borphee Business School" with description "{B}Borphee Business School{B} is known as the alma mater of the most successful businessman of all time, John D. Flathead."; Item -> -> "Borphee Metropolitan Opera and Ballet Companies" with description "The {B}Borphee Metropolitan Opera and Ballet Companies{B} are the most prestigious organizations of their kind in the world."; Item -> -> "Borphee River" with description "The {B}Borphee River{B}, formed by the joining of the rivers Phee and Bor, flows from near the ruins of Pheebor to the Great Sea near Borphee Harbor. Travel by ferry from anywhere in the Borphee River Valley is easy and inexpensive, helping to make Borphee probably the single most accessible vacation spot in the Empire. Over a thousand years ago the Borphee River was called the One River, until the outcome of a war between Borphee and Pheebor helped to give us the present name."; Item -> -> "Bovus, Saint" with description "{B}Saint Bovus{B}, the patron saint of those who design fine slate patios, has a holiday in his honor on 6 Augur of each year. Due to a slight mix-up concerning the etymological origin of the name ~Bovus,~ the 883 edition of the Flathead Calendar was responsible for giving the impression that Bovus was the patron saint of those who raise meat animals, a role that actually belongs to Saint Wiskus."; Item -> -> "Bozbarbo Village" with description "{B}Bozbarbo Village{B} is an underground settlement in the Westlands, near Egreth and Bozbarland, by the western branch of the Second Great Underground Highway."; Item -> -> "Bozbo I" with description "{B}Bozbo I{B} was the fifth king of the Entharion Dynasty. He came to the throne in 423 GUE, after Zilbo I, and was succeeded by Zilbo II in 429 GUE."; Item -> -> "Bozbo II" with description "{B}Bozbo II{B} was the eighth king of the Entharion Dynasty. He came to the throne in 477 GUE, after Harmonious Fzort, and was succeeded by Thaddium Fzort in 481 GUE."; Item -> -> "Bozbo III" with description "{B}Bozbo III{B} was the eleventh king of the Entharion Dynasty. He came to the throne in 569 GUE, after Mumbo I, and was succeeded by Bozbo IV in 575 GUE."; Item -> -> "Bozbo IV" with description "{B}Bozbo IV{B} was the twelfth king of the Entharion Dynasty. He came to the throne in 575, after Bozbo III, and was succeeded by Mumbo II in 619. The change in rulers made for a profound readjustement of the bloit system of measurement, when Mumbo II chose a turtle as the standard of measurement, rather than a windcat, Bozbo IV's animal of choice."; Item -> -> "Brogmoid" with description [; PrintFormatted("In rare cases, these squat creatures can achieve the intelligence level of a three-year-old human. Domesticated {B}brogmoids{B} are tame and can even be taught to perform simple tasks. In the wild, they can be seen in huge packs sorting through rock piles looking for edible rocks. From this fact it is not difficult to see why brogmoids live considerably longer in captivity."); PrintFormatted("^^The tenets of Brogmoidism, a religion originating in the fourth century GUE, state that a Great Brogmoid supports the world upon his shoulders, and that this Great Brogmoid keeps us from falling into the Great Void. Nowadays this belief is commonly ridiculed, and has lost most of its adherents, but nevertheless it is quite true. In 883 GUE the first Dungeon Master explored the depths of the Eastland's caverns and actually came out on the bottom of the earth to gaze upon a brogmoid that was tremendous beyond description. A rough estimate puts this Great Brogmoid at a zillion times larger than any brogmoid ever seen before. Its mere shoulder hairs were like mighty trees."); PrintFormatted("^^On the same day as this remarkable discovery, Curse Day 883, the first Dungeon Master also hiked to the top of Mount Foobia and discovered the foot of another Great Brogmoid. Apparently, not only does a brogmoid hold up the world, but upon the world is standing another brogmoid, which can only be presumed to support yet another world."); PrintFormatted("^^Chroniclers of history have always been puzzled by the fact that the Brogmoid Hypothesis has traditionally been given less credit than the so-called Turtle Theory, and the Troll Postulate, both of which were the subject of some research by Leonardo Flathead.^"); ]; Item -> -> "Burfle" with description "{B}Burfle{B} is a game of chance played mainly in the Bozbarland Casino."; Item -> -> "Bzart-Foodle, Marcus" with description "{B}Marcus Bzart-Foodle{B}, a very rich nobleman from Gurth, was the first husband of Lucrezia Flathead. Bzart-Foodle died at a ripe old age after Lucrezia over-excited his weak heart."; Menu -> "{B}C{B}: Camel to Cyclops"; Item -> -> "Camel" with description "A {B}camel{B} is a desert animal."; Item -> -> "Caves of Vision" with description "The {B}Caves of Vision{B} are the source of crystal of legendary quality. Crystal from the Caves of Vision is used by the Frobozz Magic Equipment Company to make crystal balls, or magic monitors."; Item -> -> "Cerberus" with description "{B}Cerberus{B} was the three-headed dog guarding the gates of Hades, but in recent years he has been employed as the guardian of the tomb of the Twelve Flatheads."; Item -> -> "Chaos" with description "{B}Chaos{B} is the cat of the owner of Festeron's Ye Olde Magick Shoppe. This cat, all black save a white spot on its forehead, was kidnapped by The Evil One as a part of her plan to control Wishbringer, the Stone of Dreams. To do this, The Evil One turned Chaos into a stone sculpture, and the only way to bring the cat back to life was to insert Wishbringer into the sculpture's forehead. A heroic Festeron postal employee accomplished this task, managed to resist The Evil One, and returned Chaos to its rightful owner."; Item -> -> "Chess" with description "{B}Chess{B} is an ancient game of warfare, played on a checkered field of 64 squares. The noted architect Zylo Pickthorn used the chessboard as the basis for his Rockville Estates construction plan. It is also known that Lord Dimwit Flathead had a magical life-size chess set that could be accessed by donning a magic robe."; Item -> -> "Chocolate Truffles" with description "{B}Chocolate truffles{B} grow only between the roots of oak trees. Dark brown when fresh, they decompose rapidly once exposed to air. Truffles were a favorite of the kings of the Flathead Dynasty, particularly Lord Dimwit Flathead the Excessive, who ordered the excavation of entire forests to indulge his bottomless appetite. Chocolate truffles have been found mainly in the Westlands, in forests near Gurth City and Thriff."; Item -> -> "Christmas Tree Monster" with description "Vast herds of these luminous vegetables roam freely amid the glacial valleys of the south. Residents fear the autumn migrations, in which the trees cheerfully trample everything in their path. {B}Christmas tree monsters{B} are repelled by caterpillars, but nobody can explain why. The most recent sighting of these creatures was in 966 GUE, when a horde of 69,105 of the creatures descended on Thriff village. For a few days the village was protected by magic glyphs designed by the enchanter Orkan, but then a nearby volcanic eruption caused the entire horde to burn to death."; Item -> -> "Coast Road" with description "There are actually two {B}Coast Roads{B} in the Great Underground Empire. The first one, in Antharia, is a very famous and well-traveled thoroughfare, just north of Anthar. It leads into the capital and passes by famous Flathead Stadium on the western coast of Antharia. The Coast Road in the Westlands connects Borphee with the ancient cities to the north as well as Gurth and Mithicus to the south."; Item -> -> "Coconut of Quendor" with description [; PrintFormatted("For many years historians, though reluctant to dismiss the {B}Coconut of Quendor{B} outright, regarded its historical existence as dubious at best. Orkan of Thriff has suggested that if all the ~Shards of The One True Coconut~ and ~Vials of The Blessed Milk~ were gathered in one place, they would form a stack nine bloits high. "); PrintFormatted("Orkan and Gustar Woomax, the leading chronicler of Coconut lore, was one of the privileged few who were on hand in 966 GUE when the existence of the Coconut was actually verified. For years the Coconut had been in the possession of a group of Implementors on the Ethereal Plane of Atrii. In 966 an ur-grue, whose motives are not entirely understood, stole the Coconut and secreted it deep under the Mithicus Mountains. An obscure peasant was able to recover the Coconut, which was then used to store the sum of all human knowledge from the Age of Magic. It is believed that the shell of the Coconut is impervious to the passage of time, and thus the knowledge of Magic will survive the Age of Science, and be rediscovered by generations in the distant future.^"); ]; Item -> -> "Compass Rose" with description "Compass Rose: The stem of this rare annual always droops in the direction of the prevailing wind. It is a proven fact that the {B}compass rose{B} can indeed control the wind. This is hotly denied by the Guild of Meteorologists, who harvested the species to the brink of extinction in the Rose Riots of 811 GUE. The only known surviving bush of the species is somewhere in the Fields of Frotzen. This species of rose is often confused with another type of compass rose, a stone or metallic carving depicting all of the cardinal directions like a compass. These ~roses~ often have magical properties, and are usually found in remote underground caverns."; Item -> -> "Corbies" with description "Giant {B}corbies{B} are carrion birds with sharp eye-sight and sharper beaks. Their color vision is so well developed, they can spot a yellow grotch in a hayfield from 200 bloits away. Corbies prefer the taste of dead, rotting flesh, but have been known to feast on live, running adventurers. However, it is now known that corbies are intensely afraid of certain colors. Anybody garbed in the appropriate color will be safe from the threat that is present in places such as the Fields of Frotzen, where packs of corbies are always seen circling low in the skies."; Item -> -> "Crisp, ~Corky~" with description "{B}~Corky~ Crisp{B} was once the chief of the Festeron Postal Service. Crisp was an ugly man with a harsh temper. When Festeron was transformed into Witchville by The Evil One, Crisp was put to work torturing The Evil One's prisoners. It is known that ~Corky~ was romantically involved with Violet Voss, the town librarian."; Item -> -> "Cruel Puppet" with description "Few creatures are more despised than the {B}cruel puppet{B}. It attacks by twisting itself into unflattering caricatures of its opponents, accompanied by jeers, rude noises and shocking accusations. Staunch monarchs have been reduced to tears by these merciless shapeshifters. Residents of Gurth City have been warned away from the forest to the north, a known home to cruel puppets."; Item -> -> "Cubes of Foundation" with description [; PrintFormatted("When the foundations of the world were laid down, the elemental powers and forces were symbolized during the making by small, white {B}cubes{B}. The cubes and the forces were merged in a way that our knowledge no longer comprehends. When the making was done, the cubes were hidden away so that their powers could not be tampered with."); PrintFormatted("^^Unfortunately, in the year 966, the evil ~shadow~ of the Head of the Circle of Enchanters gained access to several of these cubes. Almost immediately he was able to affect great changes in the workings of magic. In order to seize control of the universe, he was able to trick the Head of the Circle to unknowingly gather these cubes from all corners of the known world, and beyond. This shadow-being then attempted to meld all of the cubes into one, in order to give him power over the forces of the universe. The Head of the Circle was able to prevent this from taking place, but he was unable to prevent the alteration of the cubes in such a way that destroyed the fabric of magic."); PrintFormatted("^^It is hoped that no future generations will choose to gain control over the Cubes of Foundation. The first such attempt, described already, brought an end to the entire Age of Magic. The next attempt might lead to the destruction of the entire universe as we know it.^"); ]; Item -> -> "Curse Day" with description "{B}Curse Day{B} is the anniversary of the death of Lord Dimwit Flathead the Excessive on the 14th of Mumberbur. On that date in 779 GUE the great wizard Megaboz cast a mighty Curse. This Curse killed the Twelve Flatheads and eventually, in 883 GUE, brought about the collapse of the Empire and the destruction of Flatheadia. The Curse Day of 883 GUE marks the last day of the reign of Wurb Flathead, and the beginning of the influence of the first Dungeon Master."; Item -> -> "Cyclops" with description "A {B}cyclops{B} is a one-eyed giant. Although fairly rare in the Great Underground Empire, they presented quite a problem when encountered. The average cyclops would quite willingly devour an average human, and love every bit of it. So much of a nuisance were cyclops, that quite often one could find advertisements in Popular Enchanting posted by people looking for enchanters for cyclops eradication work. Throughout the years only two methods of avoiding a cyclops have proven effective. One could either feed it something other than oneself, or trick it into believing that you are Odysseus, its race's ancient nemesis. One of the few cyclops specimens found in the wild was one that had taken residence in the Great Underground Empire in the Eastlands after the fall of the Empire."; Menu -> "{B}D{B}: Davmar to Dust"; Item -> -> "Davmar" with description "{B}Davmar{B} was the great Thaumaturge who discovered that the power of magic spells could be stored on paper. This breakthrough, storing Incantation on special Presence-imbued paper, eventually led to the widespread use of magic. Davmar, working in the early years of the reign of King Mumberthrax Flathead, was also known for spending six years of his life as a zucchini farmer, despite the fact that he was allergic to zucchinis, and could not eat them himself!"; Item -> -> "Delbor" with description "{B}Delbor{B} was advisor to Lord Dimwit Flathead, and father of Barbel of Gurth."; Item -> -> "Demon" with description "A {B}demon{B} is an evil spirit of great power. The Wizard of Frobozz had imprisoned a demon inside a magic sphere, but the second Dungeon Master made it possible for the demon to escape and kill the Wizard of Frobozz. An obscure historical legend tells that King Duncanthrax was a demon who assumed human form, although little credence is given to this notion. One of history's most famous demons is the evil being Jeearr, who came close to gaining control over the entire world in 957 GUE."; Item -> -> "Diablo Massacre" with description "The {B}Diablo Massacre{B} occurred at the Zorbel Pass in 666 GUE when the invading armies of King Duncanthrax met a native militia of trollish warriors. The invaders were outnumbered but well-armed; the natives were equipped only with wooden clubs and a large piece of very strong garlic. Military historians consider the routing of the native militia as a key moment in the conquering of the Eastlands."; Item -> -> "Dimithio of Borphee" with description "{B}Dimithio of Borphee{B}, known as The Cheerful Sorceror, was the founder of the Borphee Enchanters' Guild. A student of Yooman, the Musician Mage, Dimithio was tremendously well-read and good-natured, despised only by Holnac the Cynic. Dimithio was also a great animal lover, and he adapted the NITFOL spell for egg-laying mammals. His greatest skill was fireworks displays, and he was often quoted as saying, ~Magic doesn't have to be great to be useful, nor does magic have to be useful to be great.~ His Double Fanucci handicap was 127."; Item -> -> "Dinbar" with description "{B}Dinbar{B} was a 5th century GUE student of the mystic arts who thoroughly examined ancient writings on such mystic subjects as Thaumaturgy."; Item -> -> "Dinge, Lake" with description "{B}Lake Dinge{B} is a frozen lake in the Gray Mountains. Those who purport to know say that skating on the slanted frozen surface of Lake Dinge is an exhilarating experience."; Item -> -> "Discipline Crab" with description "{B}Discipline crabs{B} are small, moral crustaceans found in cellars, fallout shelters, and other subterranean lairs. These brooding curmudgeons are deeply offended by the slightest intrusion; if cornered, they employ their razor-edged pincers with righteous efficiency. Discipline crabs live in nests made of random bits of ocean debris, and are fond of jewelry such as gold crowns. These creatures need to stick close to the water, and the only known discipline crab lair is in Grubbo-by-the-Sea."; Item -> -> "Dornbeast" with description "Smart adventurers run the other way when they hear ~Hurumph,~ the battle cry of the deadly {B}dornbeast{B}. This monster should be avoided at all costs - its 69 sensitive eyes can paralyze an unwary explorer with a single glare. (Range: about three feet for young beastling to about 20 feet for full-grown dorns.) Captured victims quickly lose their strength and are plastered with round, sticky secretions that never come off. Dorns usually live in crags and shadows near cliff bases. Known dorn lairs include the cliffs near Egreth, and a lighthouse near Grubbo-by-the-Sea."; Item -> -> "Dornfrob, Harv" with description "{B}Harv Dornfrob{B} wrote the famous novel {I}The Seventy Year Snidgel{I}."; Item -> -> "Double Fanucci" with description "For a partial description of this famous card game, see Appendix C."; Item -> -> "Dragon" with description "A {B}dragon{B} is a monster, a large, winged reptile that breathes out fire and smoke. Apparently fairly common in the old days, the species encountered a little problem in the form of Dimwit Flathead, who took it into his head to hold a feast on the meat of 300 slaughtered dragons. Since that event, there has been only one reported dragon-sighting, underground in the Eastlands in 948 GUE. An ancient tale, the Legend of Wishbringer, tells of a dragon called Thermofax that had an appetite for careless knights. Although quite intelligent, dragons are also notoriously naive, this being clearly demonstrated by the fact that the dragon found in 948 was killed when it was startled by its own reflection."; Item -> -> "Dryad" with description "{B}Dryads{B}, also known as tree sprites, are beautiful and shy. Many never leave the shade of the tree they were born under. If coaxed, dryads can reveal the location of forest treasures. They are only dangerous in large numbers, and then only if threatened. Angered dryads have been known to crush attackers under tons of rose petals."; Item -> -> "Duncanthrax the Bellicose" with description [; PrintFormatted("{B}Duncanthrax the Bellicose{B}, the first king of the Flathead Dynasty, took the throne from Zilbo III during a palace revolt on the last day of 659 GUE. He expanded the kingdom by conquering Antharia and most of the Eastlands. He also moved the capital from Largoneth to Egreth."); PrintFormatted("^^Historians disagree about Duncanthrax's life prior to 659. A petition signed by palace guards in 657, asking for an increase in the mosquito netting allotment, bears a signature that looks suspiciously like ~Duncanthrax.~ Some historians insist that Duncanthrax was general of the Royal Militia. One legend even suggests that Duncanthrax was a demon who assumed human form. Another legend describes him as a former rope salesman.^^Key events in the reign of Duncanthrax are the battle of Fort Griffspotter in 665, which gave Quendor complete control over the mighty Antharian navy, and the Diablo Massacre of 666, the decisive battle in the conquest of the Eastlands. "); PrintFormatted("As Duncanthrax's invasion swept across the new lands in the east, he made a startling discovery: huge caverns and tunnels, populated by gnomes, trolls, and other magical races. Even as Duncanthrax conquered this region, his imagination was inspired by this natural underground formation. If these caverns and tunnels were possible in nature, so might they be formed by humans! Duncanthrax realized that by burrowing into the ground he could increase the size of his empire fivefold or even tenfold! Founding the Frobozz Magic Construction Company to carry out his project, he became responsible for what his great-great-grandson, Dimwit Flathead, would call the Great Underground Empire. By the time of his death in 688, Duncanthrax ruled virtually all territory in the known world, above and below ground.^"); ]; Item -> -> "Dungeon Master" with description [; PrintFormatted("There were in fact two of these mysterious people who inhabited the caverns in the Eastlands in the ninth and tenth centuries GUE. These {B}Dungeon Masters{B} were, in a manner of speaking, the successors to the throne of the Great Underground Empire after its collapse in 883."); PrintFormatted("^^The first Dungeon Master was the descendant of a servant from the court of Lord Dimwit Flathead. That servant, present on the day that Megaboz cursed the kingdom, was able to save a piece of parchment that contained hints on how to stop the Curse. The parchment became a family heirloom, eventually making its way into the hands of the person who would become the first Dungeon Master."); PrintFormatted("^^On 14 Mumberbur 883, that man, in an attempt to forestall the Curse, came face to face with Megaboz himself. Despite his efforts, the Curse was fulfilled and the Empire was destroyed. However, for reasons that are not entirely understood, Megaboz felt it necessary that someone be left as a guardian or inheritor of the vast underground territory. Megaboz thus made the would-be Curse-buster into the first Dungeon Master, giving him total control over the Eastland caverns, not to mention powerful magical abilities, and half the wealth of the kingdom."); PrintFormatted("^^As the years passed and the underground caverns became the stuff of legend, the existence of the Dungeon Master was forgotten. In 948 a brave adventurer dared to enter the caverns near the former site of Flatheadia. Vanquishing a thief, many monsters, and the Wizard of Frobozz, this adventurer eventually found his way to the home of the Dungeon Master himself, who, unbeknownst to the adventurer, had been following him and guiding him on his quest. Apparently the first Dungeon Master grew old and weary of his powers, and had chosen this young adventurer as his successor."); PrintFormatted("^^Thus began the reign of the second Dungeon Master, which presumably lasted until the end of the Age of Magic in 966. It is interesting to note that the circumstances of the arrival of the second Dungeon Master exactly match the old legend of Zork, a tale that was once considered to be nothing more than a folk-myth.^"); ]; Item -> -> "Dust Bunnies" with description "{B}Dust bunnies{B} burrow in obscure corners and under furniture, and defend their territory by multiplying. Due to the nature of dust bunnies, they multiply actually by dividing themselves in half. They can clog a passageway in seconds, filling the air with dark, suffocating particles. Static electricity and lemon-scented sprays are their only natural enemies. To date the only known dust bunny lair is in a lighthouse near Grubbo-by-the-Sea."; Menu -> "{B}E{B}: Eastlands to Evil"; Item -> -> "Eastlands" with description "The {B}Eastlands{B} comprise those provinces which lie on the eastern shore of the Great Sea, such as Flatheadia, and the Fublio Valley."; Item -> -> "Egreth Castle" with description [; PrintFormatted("{B}Egreth Castle{B} served as the seat of royal power from the reign of Duncanthrax (who moved the capital from Largoneth in 660 GUE) through the reign of Dimwit (who moved the capital to Flatheadia in 771 GUE). Egreth was, and still is, reputed to be the most dangerous locale in the kingdom. Protected from hostile invaders from the sea by Fort Griffspotter, Egreth also happened to be the major sight in the Westlands of the vast tunneling project implemented by Duncanthrax to move the Empire underground. In the caverns near Egreth can be found the famous Glass Maze, Bozbarland, and the Great Underground Highway #2."); PrintFormatted("^^It is of slight historical interest to note that Egreth was best remembered in the magical community for the famed Coal-Walkers of Egreth, a troupe who used magical aid to protect themselves while carrying out their stunts.^"); ]; Item -> -> "Eldritch Vapors" with description "{B}Eldritch vapors{B} dwell in cemeteries, moors, and other locales where fog will hide their evershifting forms. Two areas known to be frequented by eldritch vapors are the Festeron Cemetery and the marsh to the south of Grubbo-by-the-Sea. Gleeful and mischievous, the vapors enjoy snatching away the possessions of those foolish enough to wander into their realm. Visitors without possessions are themselves snatched away."; Item -> -> "Elves" with description "{B}Elves{B} are a mysterious race of magical humanoids. It is reasonable to assume that elves are natives of the Eastlands, but none have ever been encountered there. The only definitely known elvish relic is a magical sword found in the Eastlands that glows when evil is nearby. However, rumors about elves abound. One Accardi weapons shop also claims to sell swords of elvish make. The authenticity of these claims have not been verified."; Item -> -> "Enchanters' Guild" with description [; PrintFormatted("The {B}Enchanters' Guild{B} can trace its roots to the reign of Entharion, over 900 years ago. It was in that era that scholars penned the first writings on the mystic subject of magic. Throughout the centuries the advancement of Thaumaturgy suffered many setbacks. (See Appendix D on Magic) One of these setbacks, King Duncanthrax's Unnatural Acts, indirectly led to the foundation of the Enchanters' Guild."); PrintFormatted("^^When the ban on magic decreed by Duncanthrax was loosened towards the end of the seventh century, the great thaumaturge Vilboz was able to form a legitimate organization to aid the scientific approach to the study of magic. This organization was the first chapter of the Guild of Enchanters, founded in the tiny hamlet of Accardi-By-The-Sea. Since that day, additional chapters have usually been located in similar small villages, since the bustle of city life interferes with an Enchanter's work (~Excuse me, I locked my keys in my house. Could you please rezrov my door?~)."); PrintFormatted("^^From the earliest days of the Guild, Enchanters have been bound by a series of governing tenets. The first tenet states that Enchanters may never use their talents to aid evil. The second points out that an Enchanter's duty is to the Guild and to the Kingdom, not to the individual. Lesser tenets include rules for conducting votes at meetings, guidelines for passing dishes at Guild banquets, and penalties for revealing the Guild's secret handshake."); PrintFormatted("^^Thanks to the spread of the Guild, use of magic by lay people became more prevalent. One such lay person made a mistake that caused the devastating Endless Fire of 773 GUE. To ensure that such mistakes would never happen again, Lord Dimwit Flathead issued a series of edicts that entrusted all use of magic to the various Guilds of Enchanters, thus preventing magic use by the common person. These Guilds, whose elders comprised the so-called Circle of Enchanters, was empowered to form schools for the training of new Enchanters."); PrintFormatted("^^This official sanctioning of the Guilds led to the formation of numerous other chapters, with membership in various Guilds in excess of 2000 by the year 800. Only one example is Dimithio, who single-handedly founded an Enchanters' Guild in the huge metropolis of Borphee. By this time the old chapters in Thriff and Accardi had become highly influential, and helped to bring stability to the land following the turbulence created by the collapse of the Great Underground Empire in 883."); PrintFormatted("^^However, when the tenth century rolled around the Guild began to face some problems. Although it was underwriting many philanthropic foundations and running many accredited thaumaturgical universities, not everybody was pleased with the way things were going. For instance, the 115th Convention of Enchanters and Sorcerors in 957 GUE was plagued with pranks and magical one-upmanship between various chapters. Barbel of Gurth, a Guildmaster and elder member of the Circle of Enchanters, commented that he was ~disgusted~ with the state of affairs in the Enchanters' Guild."); PrintFormatted("^^Many complained of a lack of communication between the chapters, while some junior enchanters grumbled about ~leadership stagnation.~ These complaints were directed at Barbel, who had been a Guildmaster since 933, and Belboz, who had led the Circle of Enchanters since 952, and had been a Guildmaster for 47 years. These people felt that the lifetime appointment of Guildmasters was far too long."); PrintFormatted("^^However, the year 957 saw events that many interpreted as a rebirth for the Guild. One junior guildmaster, who had defeated Krill only a few years before, rescued Belboz from the clutches of the demon Jeearr, and became the new Head of the Circle. Unfortunately, this period of rebirth was short-lived. In 966 the new Head of the Circle set in motion a chain of events that brought about the end of the Guild, and the end of the Age of Magic. As these events were unfolding, a Final Conclave of the Guild of Enchanters in Borphee acted to preserve the sum of all knowledge of the Guilds forever in the famed Coconut of Quendor. Thus, although the Enchanters' Guild has come to an end in this Age, another age after the fall of Science will be able to make use of their powers.^"); ]; Item -> -> "Enchanters' Retreat" with description "The {B}Enchanters' Retreat{B} is an old stone structure perched high in the Flathead Mountains. For generations, retired (or even burnt-out) enchanters have gone there to breathe the clean mountain air, watch the stars, and rest from their exertions. The appointments are simple, the fare in unsophisticated, and those there are always content. After the defeat of Jeearr in 957, the famous mage Belboz himself sought refuge in the Retreat."; Item -> -> "Encyclopedia Frobozzica" with description "The {B}{I}Encyclopedia Frobozzica{B}{I}, a publication of the Frobozz Magic Encyclopedia Company, is the finest of its kind in the known world. All entries are meticulously compiled by the Frobozz Magic Encyclopedia Research Company, the illustrations are faithfully reproduced by the Frobozz Encyclopedia Illustration Company, and the facts are all double, triple, and quadruple-checked by the Frobozz Magic Encyclopedia Accuracy and Verification Company. No library should be without one! We heartily congratulate you on your purchase of this latest edition of the {I}Encyclopedia Frobozzica{I}. Earlier editions are perfect, but not as perfect as this, the definitive collection of the knowledge of the Age of Magic."; Item -> -> "Endless Fire" with description "The {B}Endless Fire{B} destroyed the city of Mareilon in 773 GUE, after raging for 4 weeks. It was later found out that the fire had been started by a civil servant on 18 Estuary, who thought he was casting the ZEMDOR spell (~turn original into triplicate~) but who, instead, cast the ZIMBOR spell (~turn one really big city into lots of tiny, little ashes~). The Fire led Lord Dimwit Flathead (the Excessive) to issue a series of 5,521 edicts over the following few weeks, which had the effect of severely limiting access to magic, and, incidentally, lawyers. Henceforth, all magic was entrusted to the various Guilds of Enchanters."; Item -> -> "Engravings" with description "The peoples of the world tend to be illustrative by nature, and seem to prefer the use of art rather than writing to express ideas. This art takes the form of statues, frescoes, and particularly {B}engravings{B}. These engravings can be found almost everywhere one chooses to look. The most famous example of wall carvings is located underground in the Eastlands. It is there that members of the cult of the Land of the Dead expressed the major tenets of the cult via cave engravings. Engravings were also used to tell tales, such as the carvings depicting the Dungeon Master, found near his underground realm. The noted scholar I. Q. Roundhead wrote ten volumes discussing these and other cave engravings of the Great Underground Empire, and concluded only that the ancient inhabitants of those caverns were very strange people."; Item -> -> "Entharion the Wise" with description "{B}Entharion the Wise{B} united many warring tribes, including the rival city-states of Galepath and Mareilon, thus forming the kingdom of Quendor. As the first king of Quendor, Entharion built the castle Largoneth, near the ancient cities of Galepath and Mareilon, and ruled over a kingdom which was little more than what is currently the province of Frobozz. According to earlier, erroneous entries in the {I}Encyclopedia Frobozzica{I}, Entharion and his legendary blade Grueslayer eradicated grues from the face of the world. Unfortunately for many adventurers, this is not true. Our current calendar dates from the first year of Entharion's reign, which ended in 41 GUE. He was succeeded by Mysterion the Brave."; Item -> -> "Ethereal Plane of Atrii" with description "The {B}Ethereal Plane of Atrii{B} is an alternate plane of existence that has specific locations that coincide with the same locations in the real world. However, the geometry and very nature of space in the Ethereal Plane is different in an indescribable way. Those who have mastered transcendental physics can easily jump back and forth from the Ethereal Plane to the real world via magic curtains called Dimension Doors, or through the use of a Scroll of Gating. These transcendental voyagers report that solid objects from the Ethereal Plane appear only as vague outlines in our world, and vice versa. The Plane of Atrii, home of the Implementors, is also the way of Orkan of Thriff was so easily able to transport his entire village anywhere he desired in our world. It has been discovered that a transcendental traveler, upon magically entering the Plane of Atrii, can easily return to the real world via magic curtains specially designed to provide a one-way trip."; Item -> -> "Evil One" with description "The {B}Evil One{B} is the sorceress responsible for the magical transformation of the Antharian village of Festeron into the dismal nightmare known as Witchville. It is known that The Evil One and others like her sought Wishbringer, the Stone of Dreams, known to be in possession of the proprietor of the local Magick Shoppe, who also happened to be The Evil One's sister. In order to gain control of the Stone, The Evil One kidnapped her sister's cat, Chaos, and held her ransom. Thanks to the bravery and cunning of a local postal service employee, The Evil One's plan was foiled. The cat Chaos was returned to its rightful owner, Witchville was transformed back into Festeron, and Wishbringer was kept out of the hands of The Evil One forever."; Menu -> "{B}F{B}: Fanucci to Fzortbar"; Item -> -> "Fanucci" with description "For a partial description of this famous game, see Appendix C."; Item -> -> "Feeb" with description "{B}Feeb{B} is a derogatory term often used by Implementors, among others, to describe a particularly stupid and dense individual."; Item -> -> "Feepness, Lord" with description [; PrintFormatted("{B}Lord Feepness{B} was the voice of sanity and moderation among Lord Dimwit's advisors. Three examples clearly prove this point. In 777 GUE Dimwit planned to build a Royal Museum under 2 miles of mountain and surrounded by 500 feet of steel. Historical evidence suggests that Feepness deterred Dimwit from this extreme plan, but was less successful in other matters."); PrintFormatted("^^When Dimwit conceived of a massive underground flood control dam with thousands of gates, Lord Feepness asked the king, ~Wouldn't that be just a tad excessive?~ These words of wisdom were ignored, and the history books say nothing more of Lord Feepness until the 14th of Mumberbur, 789 GUE. On this day, hours before Dimwit died, the king conceived of a plan to construct a new continent, whose outline and contours would be a gigantic reproduction of his own visage. However, the empire simply did not have enough money to build it, and Lord Feepness pointed out that raising the tax rate from 98% to 100% simply would not be a wise political move.^"); ]; Item -> -> "Fenshire" with description "{B}Fenshire{B} is a swampy region which stretches east of the Flathead Mountains to the edge of the world. The summer castle of the Flatheads was located in a remote section of Fenshire."; Item -> -> "Fernap, Barbazzo" with description "Please see the entry under {B}Jesters{B}."; Item -> -> "Festeron" with description "{B}Festeron{B} is a small village on the east coast of Antharia. A quiet town, Festeron is intensely proud of its history, dedicating statues and minting coins in the memory of its founding fathers and military heroes. Previously noted only for its exemplary postal service, Festeron found its way into the annals of history sometime during the tenth century during the reign of The Evil One. This mysterious sorceress magically transformed the innocent town of Festeron into an evil, hideous place called Witchville, where every normal person or place became a twisted and wicked version of itself. Luckily for Festeron, The Evil One was vanquished by an employee of the aforementioned postal service, and everything was returned to normal."; Item -> -> "Fibbsbozza" with description "{B}Fibbsbozza{B} is a leading manufacturer of magic scrolls and potions."; Item -> -> "Fields of Frotzen" with description "The {B}Fields of Frotzen{B}, fertile farmland in the heart of Gurth province, produce an annual bounty of grain and are frequently referred to as the Breadbasket of Quendor. These Fields are home to packs of giant corbies, and the last known specimen of the compass rose grows there. The area surrounding the Fields is prone to frequent storms, which makes travel in the area very difficult. The location that is equivalent to Frotzen in the Ethereal Plane of Atrii is the home of the Implementors. Those that are obsessed with trivia might like to know that the distance between signposts in Frotzen is 120 bloits."; Item -> -> "Final Conclave" with description [; PrintFormatted("The year 966 saw the failure of the very fabric of Magic. The reasons leading to the end of the Age of Magic make a very confusing tale. It seems that every time an enchanter casts a spell, a shadow of that enchanter is created. The more powerful the enchanter, the more powerful this shadow becomes. In 966 the leader of the Circle of Enchanters, who vanquished Krill and Jeearr, was a very powerful enchanter indeed, and his shadow had taken a real form."); PrintFormatted("^^This Shadow had a dream: to hold sway over all of the world. To accomplish this goal he needed the Cubes of Foundation, which he could only obtain with the assistance of his human counterpart. When the Shadow began to tamper with the force of Magic via the few Cubes already in his possession, the Head of the Circle was unwittingly drawn into the Shadow's game. The unreliability of Magic caused by the Shadow lead to an emergency Conclave of Enchanters to discuss the situation."); PrintFormatted("^^This {B}final Conclave{B}, held on 14 August 966 in Guild Hall at Borphee, was attended by every guildmaster and major enchanter, including Orkan, Gustar Woomax, and Y'Gael. Several laypeople, such as Sneffle, Hoobly, Gzornenplatz, and Ardic, were also present to discuss the failure of Magic. The course of this discussion was interrupted when the Shadow of the Head of the Circle enterred the Hall and turned everyone except his human counterpart into various amphibious creatures. This sent the Head of the Circle venturing out into the world to seek some answers."); PrintFormatted("^^Meanwhile, the newly-created newts and toads were able to continue their discussion. They quickly realized that the Age of Magic was coming to a close. The sorceress Y'Gael suggested using the Coconut of Quendor as a container in which to preserve all of the knowledge of Magic for a later Age. A local peasant was soon sent on the dangerous task of finding the Coconut."); PrintFormatted("^^The Head of the Circle managed to recover most of the Cubes of Foundation, which eventually led him to the stronghold of his Shadow. Before this conflict with the Shadow, the Coconut of Quendor was found, and the Enchanters at the Conclave, who had used their powers to return to human form, were able to store the knowledge of the Age of Magic inside the Coconut. Meanwhile the Head of the Circle had finally encountered his evil double. In this final conflict the Cubes of Foundation were destroyed, and this drew the Age of Magic to a close.^"); ]; Item -> -> "Fisha" with description "{B}Fisha{B} is a small wand producer in Foozle, specializing in Wands of Inanimation. Their wands tend to have a very limited life."; Item -> -> "Flamingo" with description "A {B}flamingo{B} is a common garden animal."; Item -> -> "Flathead, Abraham" with description "{B}Abraham Flathead{B}, a great statesman from an unknown time period, is best noted for his famous quote, ~A home that's cut in half usually falls over.~"; Item -> -> "Flathead, Babe" with description [; PrintFormatted("{B}Babe Flathead{B} (748 - 789 GUE): Often called the flattest of the Flatheads, Babe, the youngest of the twelve, was born with an aptitude for sport. He demonstrated his dexterity and coordination early on, throwing baby blocks at his older siblings with impressive speed and accuracy."); PrintFormatted("^^As a youth, he was always captain of the Little League teams, thanks in part to pressure applied by his uncle, Mayor Fiorello Flathead. Even as a teenager, he was something of a lady's man and a party animal, and his older brother Dimwit would frequently have to bail the Babe out of jail following one infraction or another. By all accounts, Babe and Dimwit, despite their 25-year age difference, were closest of all the Flathead siblings."); PrintFormatted("^^When he reached college age, Babe selected Mithicus Province University from amongst many eager suitors. At MPU, Babe was a 43-letter man, leading his team to championships in every existing college sport and several non-existent ones as well. (Many experts feel that Babe's teams would have won these championships even if every competing school had NOT had their QCAA memberships revoked.)"); PrintFormatted("^^Throughout the Babe's professional sports career, he excelled in everything he tried: bocce, tag-team kayaking, full-court furbish. There was only one exception. Try as he might, Babe could not master Double Fanucci. Even the unexplained disappearances of the 339 leading Double Fanucci players failed to get Babe into the championships. Fanucci experts believe that Babe's difficulty with the game could be traced to one weakness: his failure to remember that three undertrumps after an opponent's discard of a Trebled Fromp is an indefensible gambit."); PrintFormatted("^^By 782 GUE, the Babe was such a phenomenal drawing card that Dimwit constructed the kingdom's largest sporting arena, Flathead Stadium, in his honor. It was there, during the shark-wrestling semi-finals in 789 GUE, that the youngest of the Twelve Flatheads met his end.^"); ]; Item -> -> "Flathead, Barbawit" with description "{B}Barbawit Flathead{B} was the tenth king of the Flathead Dynasty. He came to the throne after Duncwit, and was succeeded by Idwit Oogle. He reigned from Flatheadia in the years 843-845."; Item -> -> "Flathead, Lord Dimwit the Excessive" with description [; PrintFormatted("{B}Lord Dimwit Flathead the Excessive{B}, the great-great-grandson of King Duncanthrax, ruled the Great Underground Empire from 770 GUE to 789 GUE. He was the seventh king of the Flathead Dynasty, coming to the throne after Mumberthrax, and before Loowit. Born in 723 GUE, Dimwit was Mumberthrax's firstborn, and grew up as heir to the throne of Quendor. A tad spoiled, little Dimwit was fond of torturing his nannies in the Egreth castle dungeon."); PrintFormatted("^^Dimwit spent most of his early adulthood vacationing (with 40,000 attendants) in the sparsely populated Eastlands across the Great Sea. Dimwit despised the outdoors, and he was petrified of rain, which puddled embarrassingly on his level pate. He soon became enthralled by the underground caverns in those areas, an interest that was to change the course of the Kingdom."); PrintFormatted("^^When Mumberthrax felt death's icy hand in 770 GUE, Dimwit began his reign. Described by Boswell Barwell as ~vibrant,~ Dimwit has also been portrayed as ~the single worst ruler the Empire ever produced.~ ({I}The Great Underground Empire: A History{I}, by Froboz Mumbar) Dimwit moved the capital of Quendor from Egreth in the Westlands to Aragain in the Eastlands on 14 Jam 771. Aragain, a small village, was transformed and renamed Flatheadia. Another indication of Dimwit's vanity was his renaming of the Great Sea to the Flathead Ocean. Dimwit also decreed that Quendor be called ~The Great Underground Empire.~ These names are now used interchangeably."); PrintFormatted("^^Lord Dimwit's vanity was surpassed only by his outrageous sense of proportion. For example, his coronation took 13 years to plan (and therefore took place two-thirds of the way through his reign), lasted an additional year and a half, and cost 12 times the Empire's GNP. This incredible ceremony quickly earned him the nickname Lord Dimwit Flathead the Excessive. More evidence of his excessiveness came in 783 when, on a whim, he ordered the erection of Flood Control Dam #3, an underground project whose uselessness (it never rains underground!) and its cost (37 million zorkmids!) did not diminish its magnificence. He also had huge granola smelters built near the Antharian Granola Mines of Plumbat."); PrintFormatted("^^Dimwit also developed an incredible urge for odd candies. He commissioned the Frobozz Magic Candy Company to make him candied grasshoppers, chocolate ants, and worms glacee. His love for these was only surpassed by his desire for rare chocolate truffles. In order to indulge his bottomless appetite, he ordered the excavation of entire forests where the truffles grew. Another of Lord Dimwit's accomplishments was the creation of the Royal Museum to house the crown jewels. Built in 776 GUE and dedicated the next year, this Museum had incredibly tight security that actually showed restraint on the part of the king. He had originally planned to build the museum under two miles of mountain, and surround it with 500 feet of steel. This rare moment of self-control was probably due in some part to the sound advice of one of his chief advisors, Lord Feepness. His other advisor, Delbor of Gurth, was probably too frightened to give his opinion in the matter."); PrintFormatted("^^Some bitter chroniclers have described Dimwit's castle at Flatheadia as his biggest folly. It covered 8600 square bloits, and housed, at one time, over 90% of the empire's population. At this point, discerning readers will have noted that all of Dimwit's acts seemed to have been to gratify his ego. This, however, is not true. When the Endless Fire of 773 destroyed the city of Mareilon, Lord Dimwit Flathead issued over the following few weeks a series of 5,521 edicts severely limiting access to magic, and, incidentally, lawyers. These edicts resulted in the blossoming of the highly successful institutions of the Guilds of Enchanters."); PrintFormatted("^^Lord Dimwit gave all of his underground projects to the Frobozz Magic Cave Company, chiefly because his brother, John D. Flathead, was President of FrobozzCo International, the Magic Cave Company's parent company. Another of Dimwit's projects that involved the Cave Company was his plan to quench and then hollow out a mighty volcano near Flatheadia. Dimwit was fond of this idea, and personally reviewed the plans at each stage."); PrintFormatted("^^After the volcano project was finished, the king conceived of two more stupendous projects. The second idea, never to be realized, was the creation of a new continent in the center of the Flathead Ocean. The outline and contours of the new continent would have been a gigantic reproduction of his own visage. Fortunately for mapmakers, Dimwit passed away in 789 before he could accomplish his final goal. Not surprisingly, his vanity would bring about the end of his Empire, and his life."); PrintFormatted("^^In 789 Dimwit ordered the defoliation of 1400 square bloits of lush forest in the Fublio Valley to erect a nine-bloit-high statue of himself, lending credence to the Royal motto, ~A truly great ruler is larger than life.~ One resident of Fublio Valley was not impressed. The matter came to a head at a banquet thrown by Dimwit to celebrate his new statue. This banquet, a minor affair that used 300 dragons to feed a few thousand guests, saw the conception of the last two royal proposals of Dimwit's reign. Wishing to have a dedication for his statue, he suggested giving everyone in the Kingdom a year off, and inviting them to Fublio Valley. The second main topic of discussion at the banquet was Dimwit's idea for a new continent. The empire simply did not have enough money to build it, and Lord Feepness, the voice of sanity in the realm, pointed out that raising the tax rate from 98% to 100% simply would not be a wise political move. "); PrintFormatted("Lord Dimwit, never satisfied, proposed adopting everyone in the Kingdom and telling them that he'd cut off their allowances.^^Just at that moment, the great mage Megaboz appeared amidst a cloud of smoke. Furious at the statue darkening his home of Fublio Valley, he cursed Dimwit's life, family, and Empire. In only a few moments, Lord Dimwit and his eleven siblings came to a sudden death, thus ending one of the most colorful chapters in the history of Quendor. The court magicians were able to postpone the other effects of Megaboz's Curse for quite some time. Ninety-four years later, on 14 Mumberbur 883, in the reign of Wurb Flathead, the Empire came to an end. Flatheadia was destroyed, and the age of the Flathead Dynasty was over.^"); ]; Item -> -> "Flathead, Duncwit" with description "{B}Duncwit Flathead{B} was the ninth king of the Flathead Dynasty. He came to the throne after Loowit, and was succeeded by Barbawit. He reigned from Flatheadia in the years 813-843."; Item -> -> "Flathead, Elvis" with description "{B}Elvis Flathead{B} was a hit singer who lived during the ninth century GUE. He is best known for his hit songs, ~Love Is Blind,~ and ~Hellhound,~ as in ~You ain't nothing but a - .~ His first concert was in 841 GUE."; Item -> -> "Flathead, Ernie" with description "{B}Ernie Flathead{B} was the manager of numerous coal mines in the Great Underground Empire, most notably Coal Mine #502, located close to the Great Underground Highway #2, near Egreth. He most likely lived during the reign of King Duncanthrax in the seventh century GUE."; Item -> -> "Flathead, Fiorello" with description "This man, alive in the 8th century GUE, was the brother of King Mumberthrax. {B}Fiorello Flathead{B} is not an example of an honest, moral citizen. This is best shown by the pressure he exerted on the coaches of various Little League athletic teams in order to ensure that his nephew, Babe Flathead, was always captain of the team. It is also known that Flathead attained the office of Mayor, although it is uncertain in which city he did so."; Item -> -> "Flathead, Frank Lloyd" with description [; PrintFormatted("As children, all the Flathead siblings adored playing with blocks. (Nanny Beeble, governess to the children, recalls that many had teams of slaves whose exclusive job it was to move the larger blocks.) However, only {B}Frank Lloyd{B} (741 - 789 GUE) drew plans before building."); PrintFormatted("^^Frank Lloyd got his big break at the tender age of 17, when his father, King Mumberthrax, commissioned him to design a new wing for Castle Egreth. The resulting wing was breathtakingly impressive. As Frank Lloyd himself wrote, ~the conjunction of space and time seems to interface in a pre-subjected instantiation of the underrepresented whole.~ Frank Lloyd became, overnight, the hottest architect in the Kingdom. (The fact that the new wing of Egreth collapsed two years later, killing over 4,000 royal guests, was credited to a miscalculation on the stonemason's part. He was summarily executed.)"); PrintFormatted("^^His reputation established, Frank Lloyd designed virtually every important Quendorian building during his three decades as Official Court Architect. His designs ranged from his vacation chalet in the Gray Mountains to the Great Meeting Hall of the Enchanters' Guild in Borphee, but Frank Lloyd is best known for his most ambitious work: the 400-story FrobozzCo Building in Flatheadia."); PrintFormatted("^^Overlooking exaggerations such as ~on a clear day you can see the FrobozzCo Building from anywhere in the world,~ it is still the most ambitious building ever designed or built. A FrobozzCo Building address is most prestigious, and Frank Lloyd himself had a penthouse office, until a slight case of acrophobia forced him to relocate to a nineteenth-story office with a pleasant southern exposure."); PrintFormatted("^^The carcinogenic chemicals used in the eighth century to create blueprints finally took their toll on Frank Lloyd, and he died in 789 GUE.^"); ]; Item -> -> "Flathead, Idwit Oogle" with description "{B}Idwit Oogle Flathead{B} was the eleventh king of the Flathead Dynasty, and father of Wurb Flathead. Idwit came to the throne after Barbawit, and reigned from Flatheadia in the years 845-881, when he was succeeded by his son."; Item -> -> "Flathead, J. Pierpont" with description [; PrintFormatted("As a child, {B}J. Pierpont Flathead{B} (730 - 789 GUE) demonstrated both the flair for capitalism and the resourcefulness which would make him the most successful banker in all of Quendor. The enterprising eight-year-old opened a lemonade stand in the center of Egreth Village, using the royal militia to force citizens to buy the lemonade. At spearpoint, most people were willing to pay little J. Pierpont's exorbitant price of 300 zorkmids per glass. Ice was extra."); PrintFormatted("^^He also used the militia to quash the other lemonade stands in the city, and later to shut off all other beverage sources as well. As the prices at his lemonade stand soared into quadruple digits, J. Pierpoint quickly realized the benefits of monopolies. In 749, at the age of nineteen, J. Pierpont became a clerk at the Bank of Zork. Six weeks later, following a rash of disappearances of his successive bosses, J. Pierpont became the youngest Chairman of the Board in the bank's history, a testament to his financial acumen."); PrintFormatted("^^As Chairman, he used his royal connections to eliminate all competing banks, increasing the Bank of Zork's market share from 99.2% to 100%. (He was later able to increase this number to 131% by encouraging customers to deposit their money several times.) He also supervised the installation of the latest magic-based security techniques to guard the bank's vault and deposit box areas. For unknown reasons, J. Pierpont hired exclusively gnomes to fill his teller and security positions."); PrintFormatted("^^J. Pierpont Flathead served as the Chairman of the Board until his odd disappearance in 789 GUE, when he entered one of the bank's vaults and never re-emerged. Although gone, he is not forgotten; reproductions of his portrait still hang in every branch of the Bank of Zork.^"); ]; Item -> -> "Flathead, Johann Sebastian" with description [; PrintFormatted("In 732 GUE, the Frobozz Philharmonic Orchestra was formed. Because of the woeful lack of orchestral music in existence, the FPO usually settled for playing baroque versions of old folk tunes and popular dance numbers. Seven years later, the FPO performed their first symphony. The piece was notable because of the age of its author, a precocious eleven-year-old named {B}Johann Sebastian Flathead{B} (728 - 789 GUE)."); PrintFormatted("^^As he matured, Johann's symphonies increased in length, while his audiences mysteriously decreased in size. (No reasonable postulation has been made to explain Johann's lack of popularity. It is the belief of this author that the short attention span of the general public precluded it from sitting still for the whole of one of his symphonies.) His Symphony #981, the so-called Infinite Symphony, contained over 60,000 movements; over the course of its only performace, several members of the orchestra retired and were replaced by their children or grandchildren."); PrintFormatted("^^Dimwit recognized a kindred spirit in his younger brother, and appointed him official court composer in 771. Later that year, he wrote his famous ~Flatheadia Overture for Rack and Pendulum~ to celebrate the dedication of Dimwit's new dungeon. He spent his latter years composing music for ever more grandiose instruments, such as his Concerto for Woodwinds and Waterfalls. Johann was killed in 789 when a mishap occurred during a rehearsal of his Minuet for Violin and Volcano.^"); ]; Item -> -> "Flathead, John D." with description [; PrintFormatted("King Duncanthrax formed the Frobozz Magic Construction Company in 667 GUE to enlarge the underground caverns of the Eastlands. Affiliated companies, such as the Frobozz Magic Dirt Disposal Company, and the Frobozz Magic Underground Sewer Installation Company, soon followed. The next year, FrobozzCo International was formed as a parent company for the burgeoning subsidiaries."); PrintFormatted("^^By 743, there were more than 17,000 subsidiaries of FrobozzCo. That same year, a young entrepreneur named {B}John D. Flathead{B} (725 - 789 GUE) graduated from the venerable Borphee Business School. At age 22, John D. founded Flathead Industries. FI's business was inventing other companies, which it would then sell to FrobozzCo. Within three years, FI had an annual income of 80,000,000 zorkmids. Eventually, the conglomerate decided to buy FI, renaming it the Frobozz Magic Company Company. John D. became one of FrobozzCo's 39,000 vice-presidents."); PrintFormatted("^^It didn't take John D. long to parlay his business acumen and royal connections into the chairmanship of FrobozzCo. Years of heady growth followed. When John D.'s older brother Dimwit became king, FrobozzCo received every contract for Dimwit's incredible projects. Hundreds of new subsidiaries were formed daily; in 781 a huge 400-story headquarters opened in Flatheadia."); PrintFormatted("^^John D.'s long-time goal was for FrobozzCo to control every single zorkmid of commerce in the Great Underground Empire. The lone holdout, a small rutabaga farm in Mithicus, finally sold out to FrobozzCo in 789. John D. never heard the news, however. He disappeared, along with a huge entourage, while touring the factories of the Frobozz Magic Snowmaking Equipment Company in the Gray Mountains.^"); ]; Item -> -> "Flathead, John D. II - X" with description "{B}John D. Flathead II - X{B} were all descendants of the original John D., and were, like him, all chairmen of FrobozzCo International at one time or another. The only specific date we have on file is that John D. X took over the Chairmanship of the Board from his father on the first of February, 948."; Item -> -> "Flathead, John Paul" with description [; PrintFormatted("All the Flathead aunts and uncles predicted early on that {B}John Paul{B} (738 - 789 GUE) would find his destiny at sea. He loved boats so much that the royal carpenters were ordered to produce a flotilla of 1,400 vessels for his bathtub. (His bathtub had to be consequently enlarged; a large inland sea resulted.)"); PrintFormatted("^^From an early age, John Paul suffered from an inferiority complex derived from being the second ~John~ among the Flathead children. (In his autobiography, Mumberthrax explains that when he named John Paul he ~simply forgot about John D.~) This complex made John Paul determined to become a world-famous seafaring adventurer."); PrintFormatted("^^At sea, his feats ranged from the courageous (he was the first person to traverse the Great Sea in a one-man ship) to the curious (he set a new record for the most circumnavigations of Antharia on a raft towed by groupers)."); PrintFormatted("^^In 766 GUE, at the age of 28, John Paul joined the royal navy; by 771, he was the ranking admiral; by 773, every ship in the navy had been sunk or lost at sea. John Paul retired shortly thereafter."); PrintFormatted("^^He spent his latter days touring the Flathead Ocean, collecting curious and unusual pets from all corners of the world. Among the most interesting: a large blue toad named ~Otto~ who was known for his extraordinary appetite and his curmudgeonly personality."); PrintFormatted("^^John Paul died in 789 GUE, during a vacation in Grubbo-by-the-Sea, when his old nemesis, the great white jellyfish, finally caught up with him.^"); ]; Item -> -> "Flathead, Leonardo" with description [; PrintFormatted("Little notice was taken of {B}Leonardo Flathead{B} (731 - 789) as a child. He was shy and quiet, and quite overshadowed by his aggressive older brothers. It wasn't until his arrival at Galepath University that his genius blossomed and the world began to take notice."); PrintFormatted("^^While at the University, Leonardo wrote several major treatises which revolutionized scientific thought. The most famous of these disproved the hoary myth that the world sits on the back of a giant turtle, proving instead that the world actually rests on the head of an enormous troll."); PrintFormatted("^^After his University days were over, Leonardo turned from science to art. He became the most famous painter in the land: noblemen from every province were escorted to his studio by Dimwit's personal militia to have their portraits painted."); PrintFormatted("^^Unfortunately, during his later years Leonardo became quite senile, and his painting style deteriorated. He took to flinging paint at his canvases in much the same way that a Borphee baker flings bits of dough into a hot oven to make Frobolli Cakes. His studio became caked with layer upon layer of splattered paint. It was during this period that his famous incomplete work, ~Obstructed View of Fjord,~ was lost."); PrintFormatted("^^Leonardo made a final, feeble attempt to recapture his former greatness by moving to other media beside paint, but these efforts led to his tragic end. In 789, while working on a large statue intended for the harbor of Antharia, he suffered a fatal plunge into a vat of molten granola.^"); ]; Item -> -> "Flathead, Leo ~The Lip~" with description "{B}Leo ~The Lip~ Flathead{B} was a renowned card-shark."; Item -> -> "Flathead, Loowit" with description "{B}Loowit Flathead{B} was the eighth king of the Flathead Dynasty. He came to the throne after Dimwit, and was succeeded by Duncwit. He reigned from Flatheadia in the years 789-813."; Item -> -> "Flathead, Lucrezia" with description [; PrintFormatted("Of all the Twelve Flatheads, it is most difficult to separate history from legend when studying {B}Lucrezia{B} (735 - 789), the only sister to eleven aggressive brothers. Showing a total lack of understanding for her delicate position, detractors have cruelly tried to claim that Lucrezia had a warped mind. At the tender age of sixteen, Lucrezia married a very rich but very old nobleman from Gurth, Marcus Bzart-Foodle. Ten-and-a-half months later, he died in bed with his bride. Afterward, Bzart-Foodle's doctor could not recall whether he had warned Lucrezia to avoid over-exciting her husband's weak heart."); PrintFormatted("^^Lucrezia's second husband, a wealthy land baron from Mareilon named Oddzoe Glorb III, was found dead just five weeks after the wedding, his body mangled by hellhounds. It was quite understandable that Lucrezia had her multi-volume hellhound training manual removed from the house at once; the sight of it must have brought back tragic memories."); PrintFormatted("^^Five days later, Lucrezia sought consolation in a third marriage, to the Governor of Antharia, Hirax Mumbleton. Only two days after that, Antharia was without a governor. Hirax had been discovered in his office, smothered under a ton of raw granola. His sobbing widow immediately cancelled delivery of her daily truckloads of granola, in order to avoid any similar tragedies."); PrintFormatted("^^After her next fifteen husbands, all wealthy lords, died in their wedding nights, royal insiders reported that she was so distraught by her tragic string of bad luck that she was becoming dangerously suicidal. Elder brother Dimwit was finally forced into action, and had her locked up in a cell in the dungeon for her own safety. She languished in that cell for the remaining fifteen years of her life. During this period, some 1,800 prison guards were mysteriously poisoned. Some legends say that her own death, in 789, was self-induced.^"); ]; Item -> -> "Flathead, Mumberthrax the Insignificant" with description "{B}Mumberthrax Flathead the Insignificant{B}, the sixth king of the Flathead Dynasty, ruled the kingdom from Egreth Castle during the years 755-770. Historians note that Mumberthrax's reign was significant for exactly thirteen, and only thirteen, reasons. The first reason was his royal decree that made Double Fanucci the National Sport of Quendor. As for the other reasons, Boswell Barwell writes that ~Mumberthrax's place in history was secured by the one thing at which Flatheads tended to excel: procreation.~ Mumberthrax was the father of the famed Twelve Flatheads."; Item -> -> "Flathead, O'" with description "{B}O'Flathead{B}, the great humorist, would have quite probably gotten a chuckle out of the Double Fanucci rule suspending the game when one player leads by more than 1241 points. The irony involved in playing so long without a decision is the same type of humor O'Flathead was noted for."; Item -> -> "Flathead, Oliver Wendell" with description "{B}Oliver Wendell Flathead{B}, a great jurist, handed down his decisions from the bench of the court in Flatheadia."; Item -> -> "Flathead, Phloid" with description "{B}Phloid Flathead{B} was the fifth king of the Flathead Dynasty. He came to the throne after Timberthrax, and was succeeded by Mumberthrax. He reigned from Egreth Castle in the years 738-755."; Item -> -> "Flathead, Ralph Waldo" with description [; PrintFormatted("An unspoken Flathead family motto was ~quantity over quality,~ and no one demonstrated that tenet better than {B}Ralph Waldo{B} (737 - 789). During his 40-plus years of putting pen to parchment, he wrote 912 novels, 4,000 short stories, and an incredible 87,000 sonnets. His essays have never been successfully counted."); PrintFormatted("^^Ralph Waldo spent eleven years at Antharia University, collecting a chestful of degress, including three doctorates: Doctor of Idyllic Poetry, Doctor of Excellent Elegies, and Doctor of Octameter Odes. He was very proud of his academic accomplishments, and always signed his name ~Ralph Waldo Flathead, D.I.P., D.E.E., D.O.O.~"); PrintFormatted("^^Fresh out of college and flush with the enthusiasm of youth, Ralph Waldo wrote a series of lengthy essays which he hoped would uplift the human spirit. Sadly and inexplicably, these essays lifted little more than the profits of the Frobozz Magic Writing Paper Company. The essays from this period include {I}On the Benefits of Keeping Ears Clean{I} and {I}Why Doorknobs are Necessary{I}. Also during this period, he wrote {I}On the Discoloration of Roadside Slush{I}, but the manuscript was lost before it could be published, leaving Ralph Waldo disconsolate for years."); PrintFormatted("^^During his middle years, Ralph Waldo spent nearly half a decade living in the granola mines of Antharia. It was during this period that he wrote his longest work, a 60,000-verse epic about the varieties of moss that one finds in granola mines. Toward the end of his life, Ralph Waldo specialized in exploring related themes, as brilliantly demonstrated by the four sonnets found by his deathbed: Sonnet #87,177 {I}Ode to a Tiny Moist Avocado Pit{I}; Sonnet #87,178 {I}Ode to Another Tiny Moist Avocado Pit{I}; Sonnet #87,179 {I}Ode to Two Tiny Moist Avocado Pits{I}; and Sonnet #87,180 {I}Ode to Two Still-Tiny-But-Less-Moist Avocado Pits{I}.^^Ralph Waldo died in 789 GUE. An autopsy revealed that the cause of death was an overdose of avocados.^"); ]; Item -> -> "Flathead, Thomas Alva" with description [; PrintFormatted("Many have mastered the magical arts; few applied them to the creation of practical devices as masterfully as the great inventor {B}Thomas Alva Flathead{B} (730 - 789)."); PrintFormatted("^^His brilliance was evident even in childhood. Thomas Alva, the sixth son in his family, was constantly tormented by his siblings: no sooner would he get a toy to play with than some older brother would snatch it away. Thomas Alva quickly remedied the situation by inventing powerful steel traps which, at first glance, looked exactly like toy boats or stuffed dornbeasts."); PrintFormatted("^^As an adult, Thomas Alva produced a seemingly endless stream of inventions from his laboratory, Froblo Park. His most useful inventions include the magic room spinner and the magic compressor, but he is probably best-known as the inventor of the battery-powered brass lantern."); PrintFormatted("^^Thomas Alva also made a number of breakthroughs in the area of personally-ingested magic. His most famous invention in this area was a yellowish-green potion which allowed humans to talk to plants."); PrintFormatted("^^All of these inventions were marketed by FrobozzCo International, providing Thomas Alva with generous royalties. But he spurned wealth, living in a small room behind his laboratory and sleeping on an unfinished wooden board. Thomas Alva died in 789 GUE from a severe case of splinters.^"); ]; Item -> -> "Flathead, Timberthrax" with description "{B}Timberthrax Flathead{B} was the fourth king of the Flathead Dynasty. He came to the throne after Frobwit, and was succeeded by Phloid. He reigned from Egreth Castle in the years 727-738."; Item -> -> "Flathead, T. J. ~Stonewall~" with description [; PrintFormatted("{B}T. J. ~Stonewall~ Flathead{B} (726 - 789) received his celebrated nickname while serving as a Squire in the Royal Army during the famous Battle of The Stonewall in 747 GUE. The Stonewall was a strategically vital locale, commanding the two most important caverns of the Eastlands. When reports arrived that rebellious natives had captured The Stonewall, T.J. Flathead and his garrison were assigned the mission of retaking it."); PrintFormatted("^^After a battle lasting seven weeks, during which T.J.'s men suffered a casualty rate of nearly 75%, the garrison stormed The Stonewall. Once in command of it, they discovered that the reports had been erroneous: The Stonewall was completely undefended, and the supposedly rebellious natives were actually all vacationing in the Gray Mountains. Nevertheless, T.J.'s tactics and strategies during the battle were brilliant, and he would henceforth be known as Stonewall Flathead."); PrintFormatted("^^Stonewall rose quickly through the ranks, and in 755 GUE he became General of the Royal Army. During his 34 years in command, he squelched three provincial rebellions and over 12,000 tax riots. Fortunately, his unlimited conscription powers helped mitigate the 98% casualty rate his army suffered during these difficult battles."); PrintFormatted("^^Stonewall died in 789 GUE during the Battle of Ragweed Gulch, when he was accidentally shot by one of his own men.^"); ]; Item -> -> "Flathead, Ursula" with description "{B}Ursula Flathead{B}, the Miss Miznia of 878 GUE has been called the ~Sex Goddess of the Great Underground Empire.~ The editors would be hard-pressed to disagree with the phrase, especially considering a series of posters showing Ursula in a suggestive pose, wearing minimal cover."; Item -> -> "Flathead, Vanna" with description "{B}Vanna Flathead{B} is one of few members of the Flathead family who could be called a sissy. Her name has become a part of the vernacular due to Double Fanucci players who invoke her name to mock their opponent's impotence."; Item -> -> "Flathead, Wurb" with description "{B}Wurb Flathead{B}, son of Idwit Oogle Flathead, was the twelfth and final king in the Flathead dynasty. Born on Oracle 3rd, he assumed the throne in 881, and his reign came to an abrupt end on the 14th of Mumberbur, 883, when the Curse of Megaboz, delayed for 94 years, finally succeeded in destroying the reign of the Flatheads.^^Wurb has been given bad press by those who feel that his remarkable feeble-mindedness was responsible for the fall of the Empire. The truth of the matter is that Dimwit Flathead's bad policies caused Megaboz to cast his Curse, while Wurb did his best to fight off his inevitable downfall. His most notable act as king was to offer one half of the wealth of the kingdom to anyone who could forestall the Curse. When this did nothing to prevent the Empire's downfall, Wurb lost his throne and moved somewhere else."; Item -> -> "Flatheadia" with description [; PrintFormatted("{B}Flatheadia{B} was the capital of the Great Underground Empire from 770 GUE, when Lord Dimwit Flathead built his castle there, to the fall of the Empire in 883. (The former seat of royal government was Egreth, in the Westlands. Dimwit's love of the Eastlands has always been given as the main motive behind the capital's relocation.) Before 770, Flatheadia had been called Aragain. In a surprisingly short amount of time, that small village was transformed and renamed, quickly becoming the center of civilization as it was then known."); PrintFormatted("^^At its peak, the castle at Flatheadia housed 90% of the Empire's population. The nearby village-turned-metropolis was home to the Underground Revenue Service, the Postal Service, and various temples and courts of law. The dominating feature of the Flatheadia landscape after 781 was the 400-story FrobozzCo World Headquarters Building, designed by Frank Lloyd Flathead. Much like Egreth, its counterpart in the Westlands, Flatheadia was the focus of all new underground tunneling and exploring in the area."); PrintFormatted("^^It is a well-known historical fact that splendor never lasts, and this was indeed the case with Flatheadia. The population of Flatheadia steadily declined after Dimwit's death in 789, due to fears of the Curse of Megaboz. These fears became reality when, in 883, the Curse that had been postponed 94 years succeeded in destroying the Empire, and Flatheadia along with it. All that remains of Flatheadia today is a simple white house.^"); ]; Item -> -> "Flatheads, the Twelve" with description [; PrintFormatted("As every student of history knows, the {B}Twelve Flatheads{B} were the greater part of the Thirteen Significant Accomplishments of King Mumberthrax the Insignificant. In the immortal words of Boswell Barwell, the royal biographer: ~Mumberthrax's place in history was secured by the one thing at which the Flatheads tended to excel: procreation. He sired twelve amazing children; twelve offspring who would transform the kingdom. As these magnificent siblings grew in notoriety, as their vast achievements became legendary, they became known as The Twelve Flatheads.~ The first of the twelve, Dimwit, was born in 723, 25 years before the birth of the youngest, Babe. All of the twelve were killed on 14 Mumberbur 789 as a result of the Curse of Megaboz. "); PrintFormatted("Although several of the twelve bodies were never recovered, an underground crypt in the Eastlands is advertised as holding the mortal remains of the Twelve. This archaeological dilemma has never been adequately solved, but it is commonly believed that the crypt merely holds accurate models of the heads of the Flatheads. Falsehood-in-advertising charges are currently being investigated against the author of the following sign over the crypt: ~Here lie the Flatheads, whose heads were placed on poles by the keeper of the Dungeon for amazing untastefulness.~^^More information on each of the Twelve can be found in the following specific entries: Dimwit, John D., T.J. ~Stonewall~, Johann Sebastian, J. Pierpont, Thomas Alva, Leonardo, Lucrezia, Ralph Waldo, John Paul, Frank Lloyd, and Babe Flathead.^"); ]; Item -> -> "Flathead Fjord" with description "The beautiful {B}Flathead Fjord{B} is an ocean inlet which divides the great mountains of the Eastlands into two ranges: the Gray Mountains, on the north side of the fjord, and the Flathead Mountains, south of the fjord. Leonardo Flathead love to paint near the Fjord in his later years, and it is here that he worked on his famous incomplete work, ~Obstructed View of Fjord.~"; Item -> -> "Flathead Mountains" with description "This towering range in the Eastlands runs north to south, forming the eastern border of the Frigid River Valley. Beyond the mountains, the Fenshire Swamp extends to the edge of the world. Near the southern end of the range, the Zorbel Pass permits passage to the Fublio Valley. If mountain climbing turns you on, the {B}Flathead Mountains{B} offer one of the best challenges anywhere."; Item -> -> "Flathead Ocean" with description "The {B}Flathead Ocean{B} divides the world into the Eastlands and the Westlands. It was called the Great Sea until the time of Dimwit Flathead, and it is still known by its earlier name in many parts of the land. This Ocean has a very unusual feature - its western shore basks in the sunlight, while its eastern shore lies far underground."; Item -> -> "Flathead Stadium" with description "{B}Flathead Stadium{B}, located just to the north of Anthar, is supposedly large enough to hold every man, woman, and child in Quendor. The Stadium is often referred to as ~The House That Babe Built,~ a tribute to Babe Flathead's popularity as a gate attraction. In fact Dimwit Flathead ordered the construction of the stadium in 782 in Babe's honor. From that year onward a whole range of sporting events were held in the stadium, including Double Fanucci tournaments, dragonfights, and shark-wrestling, which led to Babe's death in 789. This tragedy did not prevent the continuation of shark-wrestling every weekend during the summer."; Item -> -> "Flathead, the urban planner" with description "{B}Flathead{B}, the urban planner, helped design the plans for The Evil One to transform Festeron into Witchville."; Item -> -> "Flood Control Dam #3" with description "{B}Flood Control Dam #3{B} is a staggering engineering feat that must be seen to be believed. It was constructed in year 783 of the Great Underground Empire to harness the mighty Frigid River. This work was supported by a grant of 37 million zorkmids from the local omnipotent tyrant of the era, Lord Dimwit Flathead the Excessive. This impressive structure is composed of 370,000 cubic feet of concrete, is 256 feet tall at the center, and 193 feet wide at the top. The lake created behind the dam has a volume of 1.7 billion cubic feet, an area of 12 million square feet, and a shore line of 36 thousand feet. A popular legend indicates that Lord Dimwit had originally intended to name the dam FCD #2, an entirely random designation, since there were no other such dams in existence."; Item -> -> "Foo, Prince" with description "{B}Prince Foo{B} was the last ruler of Pheebor and owner of the Phee Helm, about 400 years before the reign of Entharion. When Foo was beheaded by someone he called an ~eastern fop~ from Borphee, the glorious age of Pheebor ended, and Borphee rose to the prominence it now enjoys."; Item -> -> "Foobus of Galepath, Saint" with description "{B}Saint Foobus of Galepath{B}, a legendary man said to have power over lowly insects, has a holiday in his honor on 4 Oracle of each year. One of the most obscure spots in the Great Underground Empire is a cleverly hidden shrine to Foobus, deep underground in the Eastlands. This shrine holds a statue of the saint carved out of the wall of the cave. The sculptor of the statue obviously spent a lot more time on the statue than the saint deserved. It is now known that Foobus achieved his powers over insects with the aid of a magical elixir deadly to humans."; Item -> -> "Foolion, Jexbar" with description "{B}Jezbar Foolion{B} wrote a history of Duncanthrax's ascent to power called {I}The New Year's Revolt{I}."; Item -> -> "Foozilbarmumboz, Lester" with description "{B}Lester Foozilbarmumboz{B} is noted for his well-read book, {I}G.U.E. on Nine Zorkmids A Day{I}, published in 873. This book is the source of many population and distance figures quoted in this Encyclopedia."; Item -> -> "Forburn the Wiley" with description [; PrintFormatted("{B}Forburn the Wily{B}, Double Fanucci champion, raised the level of play in Double Fanucci championships the moment he was dealt his cards. With a handicap of only 0.01, his greatest skill was drawing Trebled Fromps."); PrintFormatted("^^Forburn never formally studied magic, but won a spell book from an unsuspecting G.U.E. Tech student in a 902 GUE Fanucci match. Bringing new meaning to the word ~chiseler~ wherever he went, his most famous saying was, ~The {I}Encyclopedia Frobozzica{I} calls Double Fanucci a 'game played with cards.' I don't play games; I don't play anything.~"); PrintFormatted("^^People acquainted with Double Fanucci know that there is a 79 point play named after Forburn himself, called the Forburn Chisel.^"); ]; Item -> -> "Fort Griffspotter" with description "{B}Fort Griffspotter{B} once guarded the lands near Egreth Castle from attack by sea. The Fort was equipped with parade grounds, barracks, an armory, and remarkable cast-iron cannon emplacements. In 665 the forces of Duncanthrax vanquished the Antharian Armada at the famous battle of Fort Griffspotter. This battle gave Duncanthrax undisputed control over the Great Sea."; Item -> -> "Four Fantastic Flies of Famathria" with description "The {B}Four Fantastic Flies of Famathria{B}, each bigger and more succulent than the last, is a legend fabricated by a race of toad creatures who once lived somewhere beyond the oceans of the world. Seafarers reports that these toads were ugly, cantankerous, and eternally hungry. Like most legends, the tale of the Four Flies has its roots in fact. Four Flies matching that description were known to exist in the Eastlands in 883 GUE, but were eaten by Otto the Toad."; Item -> -> "Fox" with description "A {B}fox{B} is a common animal."; Item -> -> "Frigid River" with description "The {B}Frigid River{B} has the most severe currents and dangerous rapids known to man, and is without a doubt the mightiest river in the Great Underground Empire. It forms at the spill-off of Flood Control Dam #3, pours over Aragain Falls, and finally empties into the Great Sea at the southern end of the Frigid River Valley. The total length, from dam to river delta, is over 150 bloits. On the first day of summer in the days of the Empire, crowds lined the banks of the Frigid River for a spectacular sight: the annual opening of the floodgates of FCD #3."; Item -> -> "Frigid River Valley" with description "The {B}Frigid River Valley{B}, a province of the Great Underground Empire with a population of 98,330, encompasses the 15,322 square bloits which form the runoff basin of the Frigid River. Considered the backwater of the Great Underground Empire, this province is difficult to get to, has very unpredictable weather, and has virtually no local government to speak of. However, this province is notable for the Flathead Mountains, the Aragain Falls, the Royal Museum, Flood Control Dam #3, and the location of Flatheadia, the former capital of the Empire."; Item -> -> "Frob, Lorissa" with description "{B}Lorissa Frob{B} wrote a book called {I}Wouldn't It Be Fun To Live Underground?{I}"; Item -> -> "Frobar" with description "{B}Frobar{B} is the most loyal and hard-working member of the Accardi Guild of Enchanters. However, he is somewhat dull and lacks imaginations. He will most likely never become head of the Circle of Enchanters."; Item -> -> "Frobizzan Moss" with description "{B}Frobizzan Moss{B} is the official flower of the Gray Mountains Province."; Item -> -> "Frobizzmus, Uncle" with description "{B}Uncle Frobizzmus{B} is the author of a history of the fall of the Great Underground Empire called {I}So You Want To Sack an Empire{I}."; Item -> -> "Froblo Park" with description "{B}Froblo Park{B} was the laboratory of Thomas Alva Flathead, located near Flatheadia Castle in the Eastlands. It was here that he invented a seemingly endless stream of devices, including a magic room spinner, a magic compressor, a magic shape-changer, and a battery-powered brass lantern."; Item -> -> "Frobolli Cake" with description "{B}Frobolli Cakes{B} are a popular Borphee dessert made by flinging bits of dough into a hot oven."; Item -> -> "Frobozz" with description "{B}Frobozz{B}, an ancient province in the northern part of the Westlands, is the site of many historic settlements such as Galepath, Mareilon, and the Castle Largoneth. This province of Frobozz corresponds roughly to the Kingdom of Quendor during the reign of Entharion. After the downfall of the kingdom in 883, the entire area came to be referred to as the Land of Frobozz, after its largest province."; Item -> -> "Frobozz, J. B." with description "Although history tells us that FrobozzCo has its origins in a company formed by King Duncanthrax, it is popularly believed that it was really founded by a {B}J.B. Frobozz{B}, whose motto was ~Sell Good Magical Aids.~"; Item -> -> "FrobozzCo International" with description [; PrintFormatted("{B}FrobozzCo International{B} is a vast conglomerate of thousands upon thousands of companies. It can trace its origin to the Frobozz Magic Cave Company, which was formed at the behest of King Duncanthrax in 668 GUE. (Please see entry on J.B. Frobozz) Affiliated companies, such as the Frobozz Magic Dirt Disposal Company, and the Frobozz Magic Underground Sewer Installation Company, soon followed. The same year, FrobozzCo International was formed as a parent company for the burgeoning subsidiaries. By 743, there were more than 17,000 subsidiaries."); PrintFormatted("^^That same year, a young entrepreneur named John D. Flathead graduated from the venerable Borphee Business School. John D. founded Flathead Industries to invent other companies, which it would then sell to FrobozzCo. Within three years, Flathead Industries had an annual income of 80 million zorkmids. Eventually, the conglomerate decided to buy FI, renaming it the Frobozz Magic Company Company."); PrintFormatted("^^Once John D. became one of FrobozzCo's 39,000 vice-presidents he was quickly able to become Chairman of the Board, as eventually would nine generations of his descendants. When John D.'s older brother Dimwit became king, FrobozzCo received every contract for Dimwit's incredible projects. Hundreds of new subsidiaries were formed daily; in the year 778 18,000 additional companies were formed or taken over. FrobozzCo, whose company motto is ~You name it, we do it,~ was able to proclaim that it produced everything from aardvarks to zwieback. John D. Flathead's longtime goal was for FrobozzCo to control every single zorkmid of commerce in the Great Underground Empire. This was realized in 789 when the lone holdout, a small rutabaga farm in Mithicus, finally sold out to FrobozzCo."); PrintFormatted("^^This financial explosion led to the construction by the Magic Cave Company of a huge 400-story company headquarters in Flatheadia in the year 781. This building, designed by Frank Lloyd Flathead, was easily the tallest, most impressive building in all of Quendor. However, it would not stand forever. In 883 the Curse of Megaboz destroyed Flatheadia, forcing FrobozzCo to relocate their headquarters to Borphee."); PrintFormatted("^^It is interesting to note that the first Dungeon Master, who indirectly caused the destruction of the Flatheadia headquarters, was rewarded by Megaboz with a controlling share of FrobozzCo's stock. Despite this puzzling political situation FrobozzCo thrived right up through the end of the Age of Magic. In fact the company made a killing in the fall of 966 by issuing a Special Crisis Edition of their Magic Catalog to convince people that even at a time when magic was failing, FrobozzCo wouldn't fail them. In this catalog they proclaimed the official FrobozzCo business philosophy: ~Sell good magical aids at a reasonable profit, treat your customers like super enchanters, and they'll always come back for more.~^"); ]; Item -> -> "Frobwith the Flatter" with description "{B}Frobwit the Flatter{B} was the third king of the Flathead Dynasty, ruling the kingdom from Egreth Castle during the years 701-727 GUE. Frobwit's reign is noted mainly for a flourishing of the Thaumaturgic science. During this period the first reliable magic wand was produced."; Item -> -> "Fromps" with description "{B}Fromps{B} are a suit of cards in the game of Double Fanucci."; Item -> -> "Froon" with description "Legends of this magical kingdom date back before the reign of Entharion the Wise (0-41 GUE). {B}Froon{B} was the setting for a series of beloved children's books by L. Frank Fzort, and later became a successful movie musical starring Judy Garlic.^^In the year 966 a humble peasant-turned-adventurer discovered that there is truth behind the Froon legend. This adventurer had the odd experience of being transported by a tornado to Froon, a place where apparently no one is taller than two feet. Quite by accident the adventurer won the gratitude of the natives by killing the Heeled One, a boot who had tormented the people of Froon for over 300 years. For accomplishing this feet, Grope, Mayor of the City of Froon, offered the adventurer one of three of the keys to the Kingdom of Froon. These sparse details are all that is known of this strange, hidden land."; Item -> -> "Frostham" with description "{B}Frostham{B} is the capital of the Gray Mountains Province."; Item -> -> "Frotzwit, Quizbo" with description "{B}Quizbo Frotzwit{B} was the Managing Foreman of the Rockville Estates."; Item -> -> "Fublio Valley" with description [; PrintFormatted("{B}Fublio Valley{B} was once a richly verdant area at the southern tip of the Flathead Mountains that was defoliated in the eighth century. In the year 789, Lord Dimwit Flathead ordered the destruction of 1,400 square bloits, or 400,000 acres, of Fublio Valley forest to make way for an immense nine-bloit-high statue of himself. Only recently has the area begun to return to normal because of this."); PrintFormatted("^^Fublio Valley is also noted for a rock quarry, and the fact that for some odd reason it has always been a favorite spot for wizards (such as Megaboz, Gumboz and Korboz) who enjoy a hermitic lifestyle. These wizards have used the Valley as a site to practice their magical/religious rituals involving stone cairns. Fublio Valley was also probably the home of the painter Frobesius Fublius.^"); ]; Item -> -> "Fublius, Frobesius" with description "{B}Frobesius Fublius{B} was a painter who specialized in rebuses. A mysterious figure, he reputedly lived near Zorbel Pass and vanished toward the end of the eighth century. Recent historians have speculated that Fublius and the enchanter Megaboz were one and the same. Both lived near Zorbel and vanished in the same time period. Even more compelling is the discovery that Fublius' rebuses revealed facts about Megaboz that only Megaboz himself could have known."; Item -> -> "Fungus" with description "{B}Fungi{B} are a class of saprophytic parasitical plants which lack chlorophyll and are frequently found in the less hygienic cavities of brogmoids."; Item -> -> "Furbish" with description "{B}Furbish{B} is a professional athletic sports game played by Babe Flathead."; Item -> -> "Fzort, Harmonious" with description "{B}Harmonious Fzort{B} was the seventh king of the Entharion Dynasty, reigning from Largoneth in the years 451-477. He came to the throne after Zilbo II, and was succeeded by Bozbo II."; Item -> -> "Fzort, L. Frank" with description "{B}L. Frank Fzort{B} is the author of a series of beloved children's books set in the magical kingdom of Froon."; Item -> -> "Fzort, Thaddium" with description "{B}Thaddium Fzort{B} was the ninth king of the Entharion Dynasty, reigning from Largoneth in the years 481-545. Thaddium was also the one-time owner of the Crocodile's Tear. He came to the throne after Bozbo II, and was succeeded by Mumbo I."; Item -> -> "Fzortbar, S." with description "{B}S. Fzortbar{B} drew the blueprints to the Rockville Estates in the year 880 GUE."; Menu -> "{B}G{B}: Gabber to Gzornenplatz"; Item -> -> "Gabber Tumper" with description "{B}Gabber Tumper{B} is a corrupt and simplified form of Double Fanucci, popular in taverns, and frequently played for stakes."; Item -> -> "Galepath" with description "{B}Galepath{B} was one of the ancient cities united by Entharion the Wise to form the Kingdom of Quendor. Galepath is the site of Galepath University, one of the prestigious Moss-League colleges. In the fifth century the scholar Bizboz was on the faculty at Galepath University, and Leonardo Flathead himself would attend the University in the eighth century."; Item -> -> "Garlic, Judy" with description "{B}Judy Garlic{B} is star of several movie musicals, including a successful production based on L. Frank Fzort's tales of the kingdom of Froon."; Item -> -> "Glass Maze" with description [; PrintFormatted("Duncanthrax built the {B}Glass Maze{B} on a whim, to amuse his friends, and torture his enemies. A labyrinth of 27 cubicles, it is full of devilish pitfalls and is located underground near his castle, Egreth, just off the western branch of the Great Underground Highway. Since the abandonment of Egreth, the maze lies unused. It is said that there are secret controls that change the position of the walls, ceilings, and floors, or that a sufficient magical force could to the same thing, but only once, in the struggle to thwart the demon Jeearr, has such a thing been recorded."); PrintFormatted("^^The entrance to the Glass Maze was a magnificent Hall, graced with a wonderful statue of King Duncanthrax himself. The base of this statue was engraved with the words: ~I, Duncanthrax, King of Quendor and all its subjugated outlands, invite you to sample the delights of my Glass Labyrinth.~^"); ]; Item -> -> "Gloop" with description "The {B}gloop{B} is the chief unit of liquid measurement in the Great Underground Empire, named for the sound that liquid makes when being poured from a glass container. The holding capacity of flasks, vials, beakers, and the like are measured in gloops."; Item -> -> "Glorb, Oddzone III" with description "{B}Oddzoe Glorb III{B}, a wealthy land baron from Mareilon, was the second husband of Lucrezia Flathead. He was found dead five weeks after the wedding, his body mangled by hellhounds."; Item -> -> "Glurz" with description "Fried {B}Glurz{B} is a popular and delicious dinner dish."; Item -> -> "Gnome" with description "A {B}gnome{B} is a type of dwarf who dwells underground, guarding its treasures. Occasionally these gnomes were employed by agencies such as the Bank of Zork, the Great Underground Highway Toll System, and Bozbarland. Gnomes make efficient workers, due to their stubbornness and will-power."; Item -> -> "Goobar" with description "{B}Goobar{B} was a construction worker for the Rockville Estates."; Item -> -> "Granola Riots" with description "The granola mines in northern Antharia once supplied seemingly limitless quantities of granola. Since the {B}Granola Riots{B} of 16 Estuary 865 GUE, the causes of which are not clearly known, the output of the mines has fallen sharply."; Item -> -> "Gray Mountains" with description "The {B}Gray Mountains{B} refer to both a mountain range and a province. Lying in the far northern part of the eastlands, the Gray Mountains are a harsh environment, but a mecca for winter sports enthusiasts, who use the Great Underground Highway system to flock to the ski resort called Grayslopes.^^The Gray Mountains Province, whose capital is Frostham, is noted for several tourist attractions: the hot springs that warm the underground caverns in the region, Grayslopes, and the frozen surfaces of Lake Dinge and Mirror Lake, near a vacation chalet designed by Frank Lloyd Flathead. The 18,370 inhabitants of the province are ruled from Frostham by a tyrannical governor who is chosen once a month by lottery. At 13,441 square bloits, the Gray Mountains Province is larger than Antharia and Borphee Provinces put together.^^The ~Fire and Ice Province~ has chosen the Frobizzan Moss for its official flower, and its motto, ~Mekie zimbuz,~ translates to ~Maybe tomorrow.~"; Item -> -> "Great Sea" with description "Please see the entry on the {B}Flathead Ocean{B}."; Item -> -> "Great Underground Empire" with description [; PrintFormatted("Formerly known as Quendor, the {B}Great Underground Empire{B} reached its height under King Duncanthrax, began declining under the excessive rule of Dimwit Flathead, and finally fell in 883 GUE. The area is now called the Land of Frobozz, after its largest province."); PrintFormatted("^^Many centuries ago Entharion the Wise united the warring city-states of Galepath and Mareilon, forming the Kingdom of Quendor. As the first king of a long dynasty, Entharion ruled from Castle Largoneth over a kingdom which was little more than what is currently the province of Frobozz. Our current calendar dates from the first year of Entharion's reign."); PrintFormatted("^^Little is known about the early years of the kindgom, save that it was ruled by a string of obscure rulers who did little to merit history's recognition. Eventually the war-like nature of the early city-states was forgotten, and they all united for good under the brown and gold flag of Quendor."); PrintFormatted("^^Centuries later, in 659, the kingdom of Quendor was still relatively small, encompassing seven-and-a-half provinces on the western shore of the Great Sea, an agrarian land whose major products were rope and mosquito netting. It was the thirty-first year of the reign of Zilbo III, the last king of the Entharion Dynasty, which abruptly came to an end with the ascension of Duncathrax to the throne of Quendor on the final day of 659."); PrintFormatted("^^After removing Zilbo, Duncanthrax quickly developed a reputation for cruelty, bloodthirstiness and aggressiveness, thus earning himself the nickname ~The Bellicose King.~ He raised a tremendous army and began a systematic conquest of the neighboring kingdoms. Within three years, Duncanthrax ruled an empire that controlled virtually all the land between the Great Sea and the Kovalli Desert. It was during this period that the new king moved the seat of power from Largoneth to Egreth."); PrintFormatted("^^In 665, the forces of Duncanthrax vanquished the Antharian Armada at the famous battle of Fort Griffspotter. The island-nation of Antharia was, at the time, the world's premier sea power, and this victory gave Duncanthrax undisputed control of the Great Sea and put the superb ship-building facilities of Antharia at his disposal. After this stunning victory, the Bellicose King turned his attention to the vast domain of the Eastlands. In 666 he swept across the territory with a large invading force, dealing the natives a key defeat with the Diablo Massacre at the Zorbel Pass."); PrintFormatted("^^As he absorbed the new territory into the kingdom, Duncanthrax made a startling discovery: huge caverns and tunnels existed in the Eastlands. These underground realms inspired Duncanthrax's imagination; he soon realized that by burrowing into the ground he could increase the size of his empire fivefold or even tenfold! He put this plan into motion in 668 with the creation of the Frobozz Magic Construction Company. The natural caverns in the eastern lands were expanded tremendously, and new caverns and passages were dug in the western lands, chiefly in the vicinity of Duncanthrax's castle, Egreth. By the time of his death in 688, Duncanthrax ruled virtually all territory in the known world, above and below ground."); PrintFormatted("^^After Duncanthrax, the throne was occupied by a long series of his descendants. These were unspectacular rulers, who took on the surname Flathead, for obscure reasons not necessarily related to the planar shape of their pates. During this period there was very little change in the Empire, as the conquered kingdoms were assimilated into Quendor and the frantic pace of tunneling gradually abated."); PrintFormatted("^^The beginning of the end for the immense kingdom came during the reign of Lord Dimwit Flathead during the eighth century. During his colorful reign, Dimwit became the first to call Quendor ~The Great Underground Empire,~ a designation now popularly preferred to Quendor. He also renamed the Great Sea ~the Flathead Ocean.~ Preferring the Eastlands, he moved the Empire's capital to Egreth (in the Westlands) to Flatheadia (in the Eastlands). In a raw act of excessiveness, Dimwit ordered the construction of a nine-bloit-high statue of himself, an act that angered the powerful mage Megaboz, and eventually led to the destruction of his empire. (Please see the entries on Lord Dimwit Flathead and Megaboz.)"); PrintFormatted("^^The rulers following Dimwit did their best to uphold his tradition of excessiveness. The high level of taxation continued, although the money was increasingly spent not on massive construction projects but on extravagant parties and long vacation trips for members of the Royal Family."); PrintFormatted("^^During the feeble-minded reign of Wurb Flathead in 883, after countless years of decadence and overtaxation, the Great Underground Empire was destroyed by the great Curse of Megaboz. The underground caverns fell into disuse, coming under the power of the first Dungeon Master; the Royal Treasury was sacked, and everyone moved somewhere else.^"); ]; Item -> -> "Great Underground Highway" with description "The {B}Great Underground Highway{B} is a system of toll roads stretching throughout both the Eastland and Westland provinces. The standard Highway toll is one zorkmid, but tolls can run as high as Zm 3 depending on your point of departure. Toll gates are usually manned by hired gnomes. To date at least four branches of the GUH are known to exist: Number 2, near Egreth, goes from Bozbarland to the Glass Maze; Number 90 runs from the White Cliffs Beach to Port Foozle; Number 95 spans an immense distance from Flatheadia to Fublio Valley; and one branch even extends all the way to the Gray Mountains."; Item -> -> "Great Void" with description "The infinite empty space that surrounds the world. It is one of the major tenets of Brogmoidism that the Great Brogmoid ~saveth us from plunging into the {B}Great Void{B}.~ One of the major discoveries of the year 883 was the fact that the Great Void is not entirely empty. Other worlds do indeed exist below and above this one, supported by a presumably infinite string of Brogmoids. Those who have attempted to jump off the bottom of the world have reportedly fallen to a new, wondrous world where purple forests surround lakes of molten rock, volcanoes belch green-blue smoke into the sky, and enormous slug-shaped creatures, a bloit long, engage in fierce combat. This other world is most likely the same bizarre place visited by the Head of the Circle of Enchanters. In the year 966 he found a strange environ filled with living rocks that devoured metal for nourishment."; Item -> -> "Great White Jellyfish" with description "{B}Great white jellyfish{B}: This incredible monster was the nemesis of John Paul Flathead, and was responsible for his death near Grubbo-by-the-Sea in 789 GUE."; Item -> -> "Grope" with description "{B}Grope{B} is the Mayor of the City of Froon."; Item -> -> "Grouper" with description "A {B}grouper{B} is a large fish found in warm seas such as the Flathead Ocean. Groupers will willingly eat almost anything. One obscure fact of vague historical interest is that John Paul Flathead set a record for the most circumnavigations of Antharia on a raft towed by groupers. Of slightly more importance is the fact that a grouper nest on the bed of the Flathead Ocean was a hiding place for one of the Cubes of Foundation."; Item -> -> "Grubbo-by-the-Sea" with description "{B}Grubbo-by-the-Sea{B} is a village on the coast of the Westlands, near Gurth, Mithicus and Miznia provinces. The Broken Lantern, a pub in Grubbo, is noted for its fine parrot stew and morgia root pie, along with other local delicacies. Grubbo is essentially a decrepit village, inhabited by bandits and swarming with rat-ants and discipline crabs. However, when the Coconut of Quendor was discovered in 966, Grubbo was the departure point for a vessel carrying the Coconut to its glorious destiny."; Item -> -> "Grue" with description [; PrintFormatted("The {B}grue{B} is a sinister, lurking presence in the dark places of the earth. Its favorite diet is either adventurers or enchanters, but its insatiable appetite is tempered by its horrible fear of light. No grues have ever been seen by the light of day, and only a few have been observed in their underground lairs. Of those who have seen grues, few ever survived their fearsome jaws to tell the tale. Grues have sharp claws and fangs, and an uncontrollable tendency to slaver and gurgle. They are certainly the most evil-tempered of all creatures; to say they are touchy is a dangerous understatement. ~Sour as a grue~ is a common expression, even among themselves."); PrintFormatted("^^In former days it was believed that all grues were eradicated from the face of the world during the time of Entharion, many by his own hand, and his legendary blade Grueslayer. It is now known that uncountable hordes of grues escaped the blade of Entharion and lurked in the bottomless pits of the underground, until they were accidentally released in 883 by a peasant who would eventually become the first Dungeon Master. At this time the grues quickly spread to every part of the Great Underground Empire, including passages underneath Festeron, Antharia. It is there that a Festeron postal worker stumbled into the nesting place of a family of grues. A close call on the part of this postal worker demonstrated that only the mother-instincts of a female grue are strong enough to overcome a grue's fear of light."); PrintFormatted("^^Grues play a minor role in the tale of the demon Jeearr. During his control of the area surrounding Egreth Castle, Jeearr was using infernal machines to breed mutated grues that were not afraid of light. Luckily for mankind, these grues were never released into the world at large."); PrintFormatted("^^An interesting historical footnote concerning grues is the fact that one grue lair was, for many eons, the resting place of one of the Cubes of Foundation. In order to recover this cube, in 966 the Head of the Circle of Enchanters was forced to temporarily turn himself into a grue as a part of a quest that would eventually result in the end of the Age of Magic.^"); ]; Item -> -> "Grueslayer" with description "{B}Grueslayer{B} was the legendary blade of Entharion the Wise. With this sword he single-handedly slew many ravenous grues. Although the blade itself is long lost, the Sheath of Grueslayer survived at least until 966, when it was seen on sale in an Accardi weapons shop. The Sheath, as probably with the Blade as well, had magical powers: he who wears it is blessed with wondrous powers of recuperation. If the blade Grueslayer were to resurface, it would definitely worth at least half the wealth of the kingdom of Quendor."; Item -> -> "Guard Lizards" with description "{B}Guard lizards{B} are creatures whose exact nature remains a mystery. They appear to be nothing more than the head of a lizard attached to a door, but they are quite alive and will bite the hand of anyone who reaches for the door they are attached to. The only way to pass a guard lizard is to feed it something it likes, such as insects. It will go to sleep, and appear to be just another stuffed lizard."; Item -> -> "Guardians of Zork" with description "The {B}Guardians of Zork{B} are a military order of ancient lineage."; Item -> -> "G.U.E. Tech" with description [; PrintFormatted("{B}G.U.E. Tech{B} is the most prestigious engineering school in the land. Located in Borphee, the newest of the Moss-League Colleges produces the young Enchanters of tomorrow. Students in the School of Enchantment either take classes in well-known Enchanter Hall or go through a 12 week {I}Learn-at-Home{I} course. According to recent statistics, over 70% of GUE Tech graduates find careers in magic-related guilds. Many even go on to start their own magic companies, and have become an identifiable subculture known as ~Yuppies,~ or ~Young Underground Professionals.~"); PrintFormatted("^^G.U.E. Tech's resident researchers have always been on the cutting edge of magic technology. In 957 the university's Spell Science Lab was heavily involved in research with highly GNUSTO-receptive paper which it hoped would be sensitive enough to allow even the most ancient and mighty spell to be copied. The results of this research were never revealed."); PrintFormatted("^^G.U.E. Tech is also well-known for its MDL degree in Paper Shuffling, which is advertised as a program that could lead its graduates to really big zorkmids.^^In late spring, G.U.E. Tech holds its annual Spelling Bee, which is free and open to the public.^"); ]; Item -> -> "Gumboz" with description "{B}Gumboz{B} was a very obscure hermit enchanter who lived in a small shack in Fublio Valley. Apparently he had a very sick sense of humor, as he protected his valuables with a spell that would cause anybody incapable of halting the magic to starve to death."; Item -> -> "Gurth City" with description "{B}Gurth City{B} is the capital of Gurth Province. Nestled in between mountains, a forest, and the Fields of Frotzen, Gurth City is noted mainly for massive markets, where one can find anything from spell scrolls to fish cakes stuffed with morgia root. Research has shown that the best lodging in Gurth City is at the King Zilbo Hotel."; Item -> -> "Gurth Province" with description [; PrintFormatted("{B}Gurth Province{B}, which lies to the north of Miznia and Mithicus, is chiefly woods and farmland. The Fields of Frotzen, in central Gurth, are known as the Breadbasket of Quendor. The capital of the province is Gurth City, home of the King Zilbo Hotel, and a local branch of Ye Olde Magick Shoppe. This magic shop carried, at one time, one of the few remaining relics from the city of Phee, the Hourglass of Phee, which is known to give control over time itself by manipulating it in the proper location in Phee. Gurth is known for its fine artisans, and Gurth City is the site of the Gurth City Crafts Fair, held every weekend during the spring. Since the weather is absolutely wonderful most of the year, Gurth is a popular vacation spot, and in fact its nickname, along with Mithicus, is the Vacation Province. Gurth and Mithicus combined have a population of 2,883,190, and together encompass 21,545 square bloits. "); PrintFormatted("These two provinces are governed by an informal board of 13,000 citizens that meets three times each day.^^The forest to the north of Gurth city is a known hideout of hellhounds and cruel puppets, but those willing to brave those dangers may be able to answer one riddle, and discover the Pool of Eternal Youth.^"); ]; Item -> -> "Guttersnipe" with description "A {B}guttersnipe{B} is a dangerous bird of prey seen only in the marshes near Grubbo-by-the-Sea. This bird has a needle-sharp beak that is up to a foot in length, that it can use with deadly accuracy once it has found a victim."; Item -> -> "Gzornenplatz" with description "{B}Gzornenplatz{B}, a tall, gruff man, was a member of the Guild of Huntsmen in 966. He gave a speech to the Final Conclave of Enchanters detailing the failure of the FRIPPLE spell. This spell protected towns and villages from wild beasts, but when it failed, large troops of rat-ants encroached upon human settlements."; Menu -> "{B}H{B}: Hades to Hungus"; Item -> -> "Hades" with description "{B}Hades{B}, the Land of the Dead, is the central focus of an ancient religion deep underground in the Eastlands. The tenets of this religion state that trespassers in the temple and breakers of the commandments will be sent to the Land of the Dead. Adventurers in the region have described Hades as a desolation, with one corner filled with a pile of mangled bodies, the last remains of less fortunate adventurers. These lost souls cry with thousands of voices lamenting a hideous fate. The gateway to Hades, inscribed with the words ~Abandon every hope all ye who enter here!~ was once guarded by evil spirits and wraiths. However, the adventurer who would become the Second Dungeon Master used the power of the local religion to call upon an unearthly force to exorcise the spirits, allowing anyone free access to the Land of the Dead."; Item -> -> "Helfax" with description "{B}Helfax{B} was a magician-philosopher, well-known for his opinions on the Implementor legend. He proclaimed that, ~A creation of this kind is morally and logically indefensible, and the [Implementor] theory is colossal claptrap and kludgery.~"; Item -> -> "Helistar" with description "{B}Helistar{B} is an old and powerful member of the Circle of Enchanters. Although a skilled and experienced magic user, she is humorless to the point of being grim. Despite this personality flaw, Helistar was the most likely candidate to become the next Guildmaster of the Circle, until the Jeearr incident."; Item -> -> "Hellhound" with description "When you spot a {B}hellhound{B}, run in the other direction as fast as you can! Hellhounds are fast, fierce, and capable of devouring a human 12 times their size in 3.5 seconds. They normally inhabit burnt-out or enchanted woods and rarely venture beyond their turf, even in pursuit of prey. Hellhounds are known to inhabit forests near Egreth and Gurth, and they are kept by the Prevaricons and Veritassi, who keep them fed with unwanted visitors. When Festeron was transformed into Witchville by The Evil One, a poodle named Alexis became a ravenous hellhound."; Item -> -> "Holnac the Cynic" with description "{B}Holnac the Cynic{B} is the only person known to despise Dimithio of Borphee."; Item -> -> "Honko, Saint" with description "{B}Saint Honko{B}, the patron saint of people who play very odd musical instruments, has a holiday in his honor on 31 Mage of each year."; Item -> -> "Hoobly" with description "{B}Hoobly{B} was a member of the Guild of Brewers in 966. He gave a speech to the Final Conclave of Enchanters detailing the failure of the magic that brews beer. One of the more volatile speakers at the Conclave, his pronouncement that without magic there could be no beer gave rise to a great concern. Some present that day even went as far as to call Enchanters ~traitors.~"; Item -> -> "Hungus" with description "Part sheep, part hippopotamus, the {B}hungus{B} builds its nest in jungle swamps such as the Miznia Jungle and other hot, squishy places. Normally docile and eager to avoid conflict or activity of any kind, the hungus is fiercely clannish, and will instantly charge at anything that dares to threaten its kin."; Menu -> "{B}I{B}: International to Inquisition"; Item -> -> "International Business Magic" with description "{B}International Business Magic{B} is trying to transfer the ~safety net~ properties of GNUSTO to a new spell that would work on magic potions."; Item -> -> "Implementors" with description [; PrintFormatted("The {B}Implementors{B} are the subject of much religious and philosophical discussion. Ancient legends tell of the creation of the world by these Implementors, who directed the running of great engines which produced this world and others strange and wondrous, as a test or puzzle for others of their kind. These legends go on to state that these beings stand ready to aid those entrapped within their creation. It is known that the Implementors are a race of minor deities who dwell on the Ethereal Planes of Atrii. Implementors do not discourage the legends that the world was created by them as a plaything, but the idea has been hotly criticized by the magician-philosopher Helfax, who says ~A creation of this kind is morally and logically indefensible, and the theory is colossal claptrap and kludgery.~"); PrintFormatted("^^Despite these remarks, worship of the Implementors has become quite common. Four Implementors in particular, Dave Lebling, Marc Blank, Brain Moriarty, and Steve Meretzky, also known as The Bearded Oracle of Yonkers, are all extremely well-loved by the populous. In fact, another part of the legend calls the four Implementors mysterious magi who live in the lands beyond the borders of the world. All that is specifically known about these deities is that their ample free time is spent on costly luncheons where gossip and sweet nectars flow freely."); PrintFormatted("^^In 966 GUE it was discovered that the Implementors were once in possession of the fabled Coconut of Quendor, until it was stolen by an Ur-Grue. This fact gives added credence to the Legend of Wishbringer, that tells of a knight slain by the Implementors in search of that Coconut.^"); ]; Item -> -> "Infocom" with description "{B}Infocom{B} is a leading manufacturer of magic scrolls and potions. One of their most popular products was the Home Sorceror's How-To Library, Volume One of which was the Build-Your-Own Medieval Village set. This set has been advertised in the Popular Enchanting magazine."; Item -> -> "Infotaters" with description "{B}Infotaters{B}, which popular legend says were invented by Entharion the Wise, are the best way to store data ever discovered. Borphee Infotaters, Inc. is a chief producer of infotaters, including the {I}Field Guide to the Creatures of Frobozz.{I}"; Item -> -> "Inquisition" with description "Please see the article on the {B}Inquisition{B} in Appendix E on religions."; Menu -> "{B}J{B}: J.C. to Jewel"; Item -> -> "J.C. Zorkmids" with description "{B}J.C. Zorkmids{B}, a shopping mall, often has sales associated with Dimwit Flathead's birthday."; Item -> -> "Jeearr" with description [; PrintFormatted("The ancient and evil force called {B}Jeearr{B} once spread pestilence and terror across many lands. Only the combined magic of many kings and wizards stopped him, even as he was preparing his final assault. He was imprisoned in the void beyond our world. His jailors warned future generations that his exile might not be permanent; this warning was proved to be accurate when Jeearr returned to the Westlands in 957 GUE."); PrintFormatted("^^The first indications of Jeearr's return can be found in the diary of the mage Belboz. He wrote in his notebook that the demon Jeearr's power could endanger the Circle and possibly the entire kingdom. Without consulting any others, Belboz decided to conduct some dangerous experiments, operating alone to shield the Circle from the perils involved."); PrintFormatted("^^These experiments left Belboz open to the power of Jeearr. This monstrous creature used Belboz's body as a host, intertwining himself throughout Belboz's mind. In visual terms Jeearr could be described as a giant spider with millions of legs, feasting on the body and spirit of Belboz. It was in this pathetic condition that Belboz was forced by Jeearr to leave the Council Hall in Accardi and travel to Egreth, where he would become the physical embodiment of the demon as he furthered his plans."); PrintFormatted("^^Fortunately for the world, the same Enchanter who defeated Krill found Jeearr's lair and exorcised him from the body of Belboz. At this point the demon became a wispy translucent shape that warned the Enchanter in a deep voice of the inevitability of his epoch of evil, a reign of terror that would last a thousand thousand years. Jeearr claimed that he had stolen all of the knowledge and secrets of Belboz and was ready to put them to use. His plan was foiled when the VARDIK spell prevented him from entering the body of the Enchanter. Without a host to feed on, Jeearr could not survive. Thanks to the cleverness of the Enchanter, Jeearr was left without such a host, and is gone for all eternity.^"); ]; Item -> -> "Jesters" with description "{B}Jesters{B} employ physical, verbal, and magical tricks, usually for the entertainment of king and court in the days of the Empire. The last Royal Jester, the favorite of Lord Wurb Flathead, Barbazzo Fernap is now known to have been one of several identities assumed by the mage Megaboz to ensure the success of his Curse to overthrow the Empire."; Item -> -> "Jewel of Jerrimore" with description [; PrintFormatted("The legend of the accursed {B}Jewel of Jerrimore{B} can trace its origins to the third century Before Entharion in the northlands of Frobozz. This jewel, which in most versions of the legend is a star sapphire, is said to have been cursed by the Mage of Jerrimore as he lay upon his deathbed. As he sickened, this powerful but twisted wizard became convinced that his enemies had poisoned him to gain possession of his greatest treasure, the Jewel of Jerrimore. With his dying breath, he loosed a great and evil curse upon the Jewel and all who would possess it."); PrintFormatted("^^After the Mage's death, each of his heirs took possesion of the jewel; each held it jealously, mistrusting any who might look upon it; each became obsessed with the greed and treachery they perceived around them; and each came to early and horrible deaths. Thus grew the legend of the cursed Jewel. Although the legends vary, all versions say that the Jewel travelled through many lands, always leaving a wake of misery and death, and became lost for many years in an iron mine near the Flathead Fjord. The entrance to the iron mine is marked by a warning of inevitable death to anyone who takes the Jewel."); PrintFormatted("^^In the year 883 a daring adventurer entered the iron mine to take the sapphire, using it as part of a complex plot that would eventually result in the fall of the Great Underground Empire. The final fate of the Jewel is not known.^"); ]; Menu -> "{B}K{B}: Kaluzniacki to Krill"; Item -> -> "Kaluzniacki" with description "{B}Kaluzniacki{B}, the inventor of the NONAV spell, was responsible for the modernization of navigation via magical aids."; Item -> -> "Kobolds" with description "{B}Kobolds{B} are very capable fighters. If attacked, they will fight back; if not attacked, they will fight back anyway. They look very similar to the less aggressive paskalds, but can be easily identified because their middle toe is slightly shorter than the toes that flank it. Kobolds live in small tribes in caverns or in very dark forests."; Item -> -> "Korboz" with description "A moderately famous hermit enchanter who lived in a hovel in Fublio Valley. Apparently {B}Korboz{B}' ego far excelled his reputation, as a sign outside his tiny shack proclaimed: ~Korboz the Magnificent.~"; Item -> -> "Kovalli Desert" with description "The {B}Kovalli Desert{B} lies beyond the mountains that formed the western boundary of ancient Quendor. It is an uncrossable wasteland believed to stretch to the edge of the world."; Item -> -> "Krill" with description "{B}Krill{B} was a powerful warlock who plotted to overthrow the Circle of Enchanters and enslave the kingdom. He almost achieved his goal, but was banished to another plane of existence by a young Enchanter in the 940s. Krill, a master magician, always wore black. His yellow eyes were the only visible part of his body. He launched his evil plan from the castle Largoneth, where he and his misshapen followers built a huge, primitive temple to a demon. Krill would regularly engage in human sacrifice to this demon, and it is possible that this demon was the source of his immense powers. Whatever the source of his magic, it now seems that he was too powerful for his own good. The mage Belboz knew that a powerful Enchanter would easily be detected and destroyed by Krill, so the Guild of Enchanters sent a novice to vanquish their foe. Krill, in his arrogance, overlooked the source of his eventual downfall."; Menu -> "{B}L{B}: Lake to Lucksucker"; Item -> -> "Lake Flathead" with description "{B}Lake Flathead{B} is a large and handsome lake that lies underground, entirely within the caverns near the former location of the royal castle at Flatheadia. To the west of the lake lay the Royal Zoo; to the south was the Great Underground Desert, to the north was the Frobozz Philharmonic Orchestra Hall; and to the east was the Great Underground Savannah. The lake could be crossed via a magnificent royal vessel that never left that lake."; Item -> -> "Largoneth Castle" with description [; PrintFormatted("{B}Largoneth Castle{B} was built by Entharion the Wise back in the misty times at the dawn of the Kingdom of Quendor. It served as the capital of the kingdom for the duration of the Entharion Dynasty, up to 660 GUE. Located on the coast of Frobozz, at the western shore of the Great Sea, Largoneth is near the Lonely Mountain, a local village, and the Old Lingolf House. As it was the seat of power in Quendor for almost seven centuries, the Castle is full of items of historical interest. It has a remarkable library and portrait gallery, and it is magically connected to other parts of the kingdom. The dungeon at Largoneth was the holding place of the Unseen Terror for many years."); PrintFormatted("^^After the capital was moved to Egreth by King Duncanthrax in 660, Largoneth stood deserted for many years, until the evil warlock Krill assumed residence there. Krill and his minions planned to use Largoneth as a base from which to assume world control. During this period Krill made several structural changes in the castle and used magic to ruin its once-beautiful appearance. Krill's control over Largoneth ended in the tenth century, when a novice magician defeated at his stronghold in the castle.^"); ]; Item -> -> "Lenko Cavern" with description "{B}Lenko Cavern{B} is located in North-South City, somewhere in the Great Underground Empire."; Item -> -> "Lonely Mountain" with description "The {B}Lonely Mountain{B} is a solitary peak to the west of Largoneth Castle. It is quite tall, and its summit often lies shrouded in low-hanging clouds. However, in olden days, mariners had named it Signal Mountain, for its odd glistening white peak reflected the pale moonlight, providing an unmistakable landmark on unclouded nights."; Item -> -> "Longnir" with description "{B}Longnir{B} was once the Guildmaster of the Guild of Cartographers."; Item -> -> "Lucksucker" with description "{B}Lucksuckers{B} feed on good fortune. Part physical entity, part mental phenomenon, the sucker's appearance is based on the laws of probability, and may change without warning. Good luck charms are the only effective weapons known to work against these creatures. Without several such charms, the best strategy is to run!"; Menu -> "{B}M{B}: MacGuffin to Mysterion"; Item -> -> "MacGuffin, Sergeant" with description "{B}Sergeant MacGuffin{B} is the chief of the Festeron Police. Festeron's finest is noted for his love of chocolate and his tendency to fall asleep on duty. When Festeron was transformed to Witchville by The Evil One, MacGuffin became the head of the dreaded Boot Patrol that arrested curfew violators."; Item -> -> "Magicland" with description "{B}Magicland{B} is a leading manufacturer of magic scrolls and potions."; Item -> -> "Marba" with description "{B}Marba{B} is a port in Antharia. The 20-bloit conveyor belt at Marba is a famous tourist attraction."; Item -> -> "Mareilon" with description "{B}Mareilon{B} was one of the ancient cities united by Entharion the Wise to form the Kingdom of Quendor. Mareilon was destroyed in 773 GUE when the so-called Endless Fire was started. This fire burned Mareilon for 4 weeks after a civil servant who thought he was casting ZEMDOR (~turn original into triplicate~) instead cast ZIMBOR (~turn one really big city into lots of tiny, little ashes~). The destruction of Mareilon caused Lord Dimwit Flathead (the Excessive) to issue a series of 5,521 edicts over the following few weeks, which had the effect of severely limiting access to magic, and incidentally, lawyers."; Item -> -> "Megaboz" with description [; PrintFormatted("{B}Megaboz{B} was a mysterious, powerful wizard who lived a hermit's life in Fublio Valley. His unassuming shack was adorned with wall hangings and poems. He was one of the few enchanters whose talent measured up to his ego. According to one of his tapestries, we should ~Forget the rest; Megaboz is the best.~ Megaboz and his ego wrote themselves into the history books in 789 GUE when he appeared in the midst of Lord Dimwit Flathead's banquet hall, surrounded by a ball of smoke. Survivors of the occasion remember the gaunt, bearded man fuming in anger at ~the statue [of Lord Dimwit] that now darkens [his home of] Fublio.~ Unaware or unimpressed with Dimwit's importance, he proclaimed that ~No man, be he peasant or king, crosses Megaboz the Magnificent,~ and proceeded to curse Dimwit's life, his family, and his Empire. Dimwit and his siblings all died instantaneously, but the court magicians managed to postpone the rest of the Curse for 94 years."); PrintFormatted("^^The story of Megaboz does not end here, however. When he disappeared in a ball of fire, he was assumed dead. It is now known that he took the guise of a Royal Jester in the court of Wurb Flathead, 94 years later, and also magically assumed the identity of the famous painter Frobesius Fublius. Oddly enough, Megaboz, in the guise of the jester, chose to assist one of the people who attempted to halt the Curse in 883 GUE. This unnamed individual was the descendant of a servant of Lord Dimwit who had managed to come across a parchment that hinted at how to stop the Curse. The servant of Wurb Flathead used the parchment, now a family heirloom, to attempt to halt the Curse. Megaboz, whose motives are extremely unclear, provided assistance to this servant, who successfully found the items necessary to stop the Curse. However, Megaboz had the last laugh."); PrintFormatted("^^His Curse was apparently much more complicated than had been assumed; the Empire was destroyed anyway, and Flatheadia along with it. However, Megaboz awarded the unknown servant with half the riches of the kingdom, and awesome magical powers. This servant assumed control of the Great Underground Empire, and became known as the Dungeon Master. To this day it is not clear why Megaboz chose to aid someone who was attempting to halt his Curse, nor is it known why this individual was rewarded by Megaboz for his actions. In any case, Megaboz was responsible for the downfall of a kingdom that had survived for over 800 years, since the age of Entharion the Wise.^"); ]; Item -> -> "Memboob, Wilbar" with description "{B}Wilbar Memboob{B} co-authored {I}The Granola Riots{I} with Gustar Woomax."; Item -> -> "Mendon, Mines of" with description "Although the location of the {B}Mines of Mendon{B} is a mystery, it is an Antharian legend that one brave knight who sought the hand of Princess Morning-Star entered the mines to slay a grue but, lost without a lamp, the knight himself was soon devoured."; Item -> -> "Minx" with description "Irresistably cuddly, the {B}minx{B} shares all the most ingratiating characteristics of kittens, koala bears, and piglets. Minxes are highly prized for their ability to find and root out chocolate truffles from the ground, and will eagerly devour them if given the opportunity. It is well known that some peasant hunters in the Thriff area keep minxes as pets, although they do not always treat them as well as they deserve."; Item -> -> "Mirror Lake" with description "{B}Mirror Lake{B} is a legendary spot in the Gray Mountains that few have visited since the fall of the Empire. While not all aspects of this frictionless frozen ~lake~ are fully known, it is believed that the lake has certain powers, not the least of which is its ability to reveal the true magical nature of certain objects. Frank Lloyd Flathead's chalet lies somewhere to the west."; Item -> -> "Misty Island" with description "{B}Misty Island{B} lies on a lake near the eastern coast of Antharia, a brief trip from Festeron. Misty Island is the site of the platypus kingdom of Anatinus, whose castle lies nestled among the cliffs of that island."; Item -> -> "Mithican Chameleon" with description "A {B}Mithican chameleon{B}'s skin is said to be able to imitate any color the eye can see... and more."; Item -> -> "Mithicus" with description "{B}Mithicus{B} is a small, mountainous province sandwiched between Gurth and Miznia in the Westlands. This province is well-known for its fine artisans, and is a popular vacation spot. The Mithicus Mountains separate Quendor from Kovalli, and are home to a thriving settlement of platypi. The provinces of Gurth and Mithicus are governed jointly from Gurth City by an informal board of 13,000 citizens that meets three times each day to settle disputes and ratify the provincial budget. Research has shown that the best place for lodging in Mithicus is the No-Frill Inn."; Item -> -> "Mithicus Province University" with description "{B}Mithicus Province University{B}, Babe Flathead's alma mater, is probably a Moss-League college, but is better known for athletic prominence in the Quendor Collegiate Athletic Association."; Item -> -> "Miznia" with description "{B}Miznia{B} is a chiefly jungle province, located at the southern fringe of the Westlands. The capital of this province is Mizniaport. A noted tourist attraction in Miznia is the Miznia Jungle Skyway. Built in 882, this skyway flies over the Miznia Jungle. This jungle is a dangerous breeding ground of hellhounds, crocodiles, and hungi. The Miznia Jungle was for many years the resting place of Y'Syska's Crocodile's Tear."; Item -> -> "Mizniaport" with description "{B}Mizniaport{B} is the capital of Miznia Province. Near the Miznia Jungle and the Great Sea, Mizniaport is noted for its fashion boutiques, a Skyway tourist route, and former unicorn stables."; Item -> -> "Monkey Grinder" with description "Avoid this nightmare at any cost! Spawn of a carnival necromancer, the {B}monkey grinder{B} can blast minds to jelly with its powerful Sense Organ. These creatures seem to have powerful control over energy and space, allowing them to come and go as they please. Extremely arrogant, monkey grinders will not hesitate to destroy a lowly peasant with the help of its Sense Organ and a magic hurdy-gurdy. Deceptively eloquent in both manner and speech, these loathsome creatures actually possess little intelligence, and suffer an illiteracy rate of 103%. This stupidity is, in fact, their Achilles' Heel. By tricking the creature into thinking it is receiving a gift, one could actually give it a one-way portal to the Planes of TransInfinite Splendor, banishing it forever."; Item -> -> "Morgia Root" with description "It is a rare enchanter who does not carry {B}morgia root{B} to gnaw on during a long journey. The mint-flavored juice improves stamina, slakes thirst, and conceals bad breath. In domestic applications, morgia root is often baked into pies, and makes an excellent platypus stuffing. This root grows only in the Westlands, and specifically in the platypus kingdom of the Mithicus Mountains. The morgia is the official flower of Gurth and Mithicus, where a tavern in Grubbo-by-the-Sea serves exquisite morgia root pie. An entry in an earlier edition of this Encyclopedia describes morgia as a beautiful and exotic plant that is well-known for its susceptibility to magic spells."; Item -> -> "Morning-Star" with description "{B}Morning-Star{B}, according to the legend of Wishbringer, was a daughter of a peasant home on Misty Island. Queen Alexis, jealous of Morning-Star's beauty, caused her home to burn. Morning-Star's parents were killed, and she was raised as Alexis' daughter. As Morning-Star grew up, Queen Alexis vowed in secret that none could have her hand, and gave all of Morning-Star's suitors difficult Love-Quests to fulfill. After the death of six suitors, the Edict of Alexis decreed that Morning-Star must die a virgin. The legend states that the heart of Morning-Star hardened, turned to stone and became the magic stone Wishbringer."; Item -> -> "Moss League" with description "The league of distinguished colleges for Yuppies, or Young Underground Professionals. Galepath University and GUE Tech are both {B}Moss League{B} schools."; Item -> -> "Moss of Mareilon" with description "First classified in 843 GUE by Thwack of Mareilon, this soft, pale fungus thrives in underground tunnels and public toilets. When squeezed, the moss releases an invisible cloud of spores which improve the dexterity of laboratory rats and certain humans. Its effects on other species is uncertain. {B}Moss of Mareilon{B} can be found in the cellar of the Broken Lantern in Grubbo-by-the-Sea, in the underground stomach of the Crocodile Idol, and in caverns in the Mithicus Mountains, to name only a few locations."; Item -> -> "Mount Matter-Horn" with description "{B}Mount Matter-Horn{B} is described in the Legend of Wishbringer as a mountain peak close to the spirits in the sky. A knight, seeking the hand of Morning-Star, attempted to climb the Mount to seek advice from the spirits, but instead fell to his death.^^As the names of mountains are changed throughout the ages, it is not now specifically known which peak was formerly known as Matter-Horn, but in recent years scientists have speculated that this peak, as described in the Legend, would be as large as Mount Foobia, and is very likely the place where the Great Brogmoid standing on our world would place his other foot."; Item -> -> "Mumbar, Froboz" with description "{B}Froboz Mumbar{B} is the author of the well-known book, {I}The Great Underground Empire: A History{I}, published in 896 GUE. This book is the source of many historical details quoted by this Encyclopedia."; Item -> -> "Mumbleton, Hirax" with description "{B}Hirax Mumbleton{B}, the Governor of Antharia, was the third husband of Lucrezia Flathead. He died two days after the wedding, smothered under a ton of raw granola."; Item -> -> "Mumbo I" with description "{B}Mumbo I{B} was the tenth king of the Entharion Dynasty. He came to the throne in 545 GUE, after Thaddium Fzort, and was succeeded by Bozbo III in 569 GUE."; Item -> -> "Mumbo II" with description "{B}Mumbo II{B} was the thirteenth king of the Entharion Dynasty. He came to the throne in 619 GUE, after Bozbo IV, and was succeeded by Zilbo III in 628 GUE. Mumbo II's favorite pet was a turtle."; Item -> -> "Mysterion the Brave" with description "{B}Mysterion the Brave{B} was the second king of the Entharion Dynasty. He came to the throne in 41 GUE, after the death of Entharion, and was succeeded by Zylon the Aged in 55 GUE."; Menu -> "{B}N{B}: Nabiz to Nymph"; Item -> -> "Nabiz" with description "{B}Nabiz{B} are mostly mouth, which is mostly teeth. They instinctively sense their enemy's weakest point when attacking. Contrary to folklore, they cannot fly, but they can leap tremendous distances. Nabiz are repulsed by the color blue, which explains that color's popularity in adventurers' garb."; Item -> -> "Nate" with description "{B}Nate{B} was the owner of a discount scroll house located at 308 Besnap Road, in Borphee. For what it's worth, Nate's scroll house advertised in the well-known magazine Popular Enchanting in the year 957."; Item -> -> "Nimbus, Lord" with description "{B}Lord Nimbus{B} is mentioned in the Legend of Wishbringer as being an unsympathetic and violent God of Rain who caused the death of one of the suitors of Morning-Star."; Item -> -> "North-South City" with description "{B}North-South City{B} is located underground near Lenko Cavern somewhere in the Great Underground Empire."; Item -> -> "Nymph" with description "{B}Nymphs{B} are small, spritelike creatures that are employed for all various sorts of labor throughout the Great Underground Empire. Many different types of nymphs exist: guard nymphs employed at Bozbarland, warning nymphs employed by certain Enchanters' Guilds, serving nymphs, and even dancing nymphs. Nymph labor is so valuable that nymph referral services have been created to assist short-handed employers."; Menu -> "{B}O{B}: Ogres to Ozmar"; Item -> -> "Ogres" with description "An {B}ogre{B} is a hideous giant that resides in dark caves filled with fur. It is known that ogres reside in the Flathead Mountains, and it is also known that some ogres are acutely allergic to ragweed."; Item -> -> "Old Lingolf House" with description "The {B}Old Lingolf House{B} is a monument near the Lonely Mountain and Largoneth."; Item -> -> "Orcs" with description "Once a fearsome race of warriors, the {B}Orcs{B} were civilized by their fondness for magically-created computerized adventure games. Although a small segment (the Hi-Res Orcs) enjoy graphic adventures, the vast majority (the Orcs of Zork) prefer interactive fiction."; Item -> -> "Orkan of Thriff" with description [; PrintFormatted("{B}Orkan of Thriff{B} was a mage with a large bear-like appearance. He was the Guildmaster of Thriff's enchanters for several years in the tenth century GUE, and he was responsible for the frequent moving of the village of Thriff in order to find a more benevolent climate for his terrible hayfever. He accomplished this feat by gating Thriff to another location via the Ethereal Plane of Atrii. This is only one example of his pride in himself and his disdain for the commoners."); PrintFormatted("^^Orkan kept a diary which tells of his departure for the Final Conclave in Borphee. His diary records his hope that Y'Gael was wrong in her belief that the Age of Magic was ending. Eye-witnesses of the Conclave report that Orkan was very skeptical of Y'Gael's plan to store their knowledge in the Coconut of Quendor, due to the difficulties involved in actually locating the Coconut.^^It is of slight interest to note that Orkan only used spellbooks bound in Cheveaux Mithican leather.^"); ]; Item -> -> "Otto" with description "Please see the entry under {B}Toads{B}."; Item -> -> "Ozmar" with description "{B}Ozmar{B} was a renown historian who wrote a history of magic in 821 GUE. Ozmar's words would be used a century later, in 927 GUE, by Gustar Woomax, in his {I}A Brief History of Magic.{I} For more information, please see Appendix D on magic."; Menu -> "{B}P{B}: Palimpsest to Pterodactyl"; Item -> -> "Palimpsest" with description "A {B}palimpsest{B} is a very powerful tool of magic. One of the best known examples of a palimpsest, dealing with transcendental physics, is a Scroll of Gating that takes the caster to the Ethereal Plane of Atrii. This palimpsest, although not as robust as a Dimension Door, is one of the very few known ways to contact the Implementors, and is extremely powerful indeed."; Item -> -> "Paskalds" with description "{B}Paskalds{B} are similar to kobolds, except they are less aggressive and their middle toe is of equal length to the toes that flank it."; Item -> -> "Peggleboz" with description "{B}Peggleboz{B}, a popular game of jumping pegs, is named after its creator, Gustav Peggleboz (399 - 456 GUE)."; Item -> -> "Peltoid Valley" with description "{B}Peltoid Valley{B} is the site of huge marble mines in Antharia."; Item -> -> "Phase Blade" with description "A {B}phase blade{B} is a tool useful to those who travel in the Ethereal Plane of Atrii. This blade can be used to cut through particular routes of travel on that Plane, but in this Plane of existence a phase blade is virtually useless, and appears as nothing more than a vague outline."; Item -> -> "Phee River" with description "The {B}Phee River{B} joins with the Bor River to form the Borphee River in the Westlands. At the confluence of the Phee and the Bor lies the ruins of the ancient city-state of Pheebor. The Phee River is spanned by one of Zeno's magic bridges."; Item -> -> "Pheebor" with description "Ruins of this ancient city are still visible at the confluence of the rivers Phee and Bor. Founded well over a thousand years ago, {B}Pheebor{B} started out merely as a collection of huts in a forest clearing, and gradually grew over the years until it was a magnificent city with mighty aqueducts and beautiful marble and stone spires. The beginning of the end for this great city-state came when a controversy arose between Pheebor and its sister city Borphee over the naming of what is now called the Borphee River. The population of Pheebor reasoned that they controlled the source of the One River, so they deserved the right to name it. Unsurprisingly, the citizens of Borphee disagreed. About 400 years before the reign of Entharion the conflict was resolved by a massive battle between the forces of the two cities. Pheebor was vanquished when a young knight from Borphee beheaded Prince Foo, Pheebor's ruler. All that is left now of the great city-state are ruins."; Item -> -> "Pheehelm" with description "The {B}Pheehelm{B} once belonged to Prince Foo, ruler of Pheebor circa 400 BE. This ancient relic was lost when Prince Foo was killed, only to be recovered over 1300 years later by a humble peasant. Those who have seen the Helm report that it is a dazzling treasure, so heavily crusted with jewels it is hard to see the precious metals underneath. Wearers of the Pheehelm are granted the wisdom of kings, and the power to see the unseeable."; Item -> -> "Phee Hourglass" with description "The {B}Phee Hourglass{B} is a relic of the ancient city-state that it is named after. This beautiful miniature hourglass, wrought of brass and crystal, and filled with fine, white sand, has been sold for 1000 zorkmids, but its true value is incalculable. It was once thought that the Hourglass would remain forever a mystery, part of a greater, unknowable Magick. However, in the year 966 GUE a humble peasant-turned-adventurer discovered that with the Hourglass you could travel in time, back to the days of the founding of Pheebor, and forward to the Final Conflagration."; Item -> -> "Phlog" with description "{B}Phlog{B} is an alcoholic beverage frequently indulged in by enchanters in celebratory moods."; Item -> -> "Pickthorn, Zylo" with description "{B}Zylo Pickthorn{B} was an architect of the ninth century, well-known for his underground condominium complexes. Pickthorn is an avid enthusiast of jousting, chess, and tiddlywinks, and has been known to incorporate some or all of these themes into his designs."; Item -> -> "Plane of TransInfinite Splendor" with description "The {B}Plane of TransInfinite Splendor{B} is a magical realm where unicorns enjoy a carefree existence free from the cruelty of man. The following is a completely trivial fact related to the Planes of Splendor: In 966 a humble peasant became the first person in recorded history to defeat a monkey grinder. He did so by magically banishing the grinder to the Planes of Splendor, where the unicorns presumably kept him in captivity for all eternity."; Item -> -> "Platypus" with description "The {B}platypus{B} is a small, aquatic, intelligent, egg-laying mammal with webbed feet and a bill like a duck's. It is a well-kept secret that in two separate locations, groups of platypi have clustered together into kingdoms governed from magnificent castles. These two platypi kingdoms can be found in the Mithicus Mountains, and on Misty Island in Antharia. Historical trivia tells us that these platypi played an indirect role in the respective defeats of The Evil One, and a monstrous Ur-Grue. Generally the platypi remain separate from mankind, but occasionally a platypus tale enters the lore of man. To this day it is not known if the Legend of Wishbringer concerns humans or platypi."; Item -> -> "Plumbat" with description "{B}Plumbat{B} is the site of enormous granola smelters in Antharia near the granola mines of that island."; Item -> -> "Polar Gumffbeast" with description "The {B}Polar Gumffbeast{B} is a creature, possibly mythical, said to live in the extreme northlands of Quendor."; Item -> -> "Pollibar" with description "{B}Pollibar{B} is the prized pet parrot of Belboz, the great mage. The parrot is a native of the jungles of Miznia, but was brought to live with Belboz in Accardi."; Item -> -> "Popular Enchanting" with description "{B}{I}Popular Enchanting{B}{I} was the most widely circulated magazine among enchanters, featuring editorials, interviews, book reviews and advertisements. The magazine's standard cost was 3 Zm, but was priced at 5 Zm for sale outside of Frobozz."; Item -> -> "Port Foozle" with description "{B}Port Foozle{B}, which lies nine bloits west of Flatheadia, is the primary seaport of the Frigid River Valley, and is a common departure point for ships to Antharia. Hard times hit Port Foozle in 883 GUE when the panic concerning Curse Day grew. The wharfs and the world-famous Port Foozle Casino were deserted. Foozle became the center of a lunatic religious fringe called the Inquisition (See Appendix E), which understandably led to Port Foozle's decline in popularity. Incidentally, chroniclers of magic remember Foozle as the home of the Fisha wand company."; Item -> -> "Potions" with description "{B}Potions{B} are the most accessible form of magic for the masses, since they are simply drunk like water. No lessons in complicated spellcasting are required. These liquids and powders are of great interest, although their limitations (you can only use them once) have prevented them from supplanting scrolls as the primary method of magical Incantation. Discovered several years after Berzio created the GNUSTO spell, the first of these potions, which obviates the need for food and drink, was named after Berzio himself. A partial list of potions can be found in Appendix D."; Item -> -> "Prevaricons" with description "The {B}Prevaricons{B}, who dwell underground near Port Foozle, have two interesting quirks: They always lie, and they feed unwelcome visitors to ravenous hellhounds."; Item -> -> "Priggin" with description "A Master Bookbinder and authorized dealer of CHEVEAUX leather binding, {B}Priggin{B}'s dealership was based in Miznia, and advertised in the well-known magazine {I}Popular Enchanting{I}, in the year 957."; Item -> -> "Psychic Storms of Gomar" with description "The Frobozz Magic Magic Equipment Catalog refers to this unknown place in a vague manner. The Catalog states that not even the {B}Psychic Storms of Gomar{B} can deflect a FrobozzCo flying carpet from its course."; Item -> -> "Pterodactyl" with description "A {B}pterodactyl{B} is a flying reptile having wings of skin with a span of up to 20 feet. Sometimes these beasts are targets for archers, which is unfortunate because, as seen in 966 GUE, they can be beneficial to humans. In that year a humble peasant found a pterodactyl that could be summoned by a whistle, and would agree to fly the peasant anywhere on three, but only three occasions. This beast, along with presumably its entire race, was intelligent and could communicate telepathically. However, it was incredibly afraid of wild monsters. Pterodactyl are, on the whole, rather rare. The only other known sighting was in 883 GUE, when a pack of the beasts were seen taking nest on the top of the statue of Dimwit Flathead in Fublio Valley."; Menu -> "{B}Q{B}: Q to Quizbo"; Item -> -> "Q" with description "Temperature in the Great Underground Empire is measured in degrees {B}Q{B}. It is believed that the temperature at which water freezes is 57 degrees Q."; Item -> -> "Quakko, Saint" with description "{B}Saint Quakko{B}, the patron saint of people who aren't sure of things, may or may not have a holiday in his honor on 25 Jelly of each year."; Item -> -> "Quendor" with description "Please see the entry on the {B}Great Underground Empire{B}."; Item -> -> "Quilbozza Beach" with description "{B}Quilbozza Beach{B}, just south of Port Foozle, is considered the nicest beachfront in the Eastlands, if not all of Quendor."; Item -> -> "Quizbo" with description "{B}Quizbo{B} was a construction worker for the Rockville Estates."; Menu -> "{B}R{B}: Ragweed to Royal"; Item -> -> "Ragweed" with description "{B}Ragweed{B} is a variety of weed known to produce violent allergic reactions in some ogres. The only ragweed plants reported have been in the Eastlands, specifically found in Ragweed Gulch."; Item -> -> "Ragweed Gulch" with description "{B}Ragweed Gulch{B} was the site of a famous battle in 789 GUE, notable for the death of T.J. ~Stonewall~ Flathead, when he was accidentally shot by one of his own men on 14 Mumberbur."; Item -> -> "Rat-Ants" with description "{B}Rat-ants{B} are vicious, fierce creatures that, oddly enough, have the characteristics of both a rat and an ant. When magic began to fail in 966 packs of these creatures headed into human towns and villages, most notably Grubbo-by-the-Sea."; Item -> -> "Razor Gorge" with description "{B}Razor Gorge{B} is a famous chasm, spanned by a remarkable bridge, between Accardi and the local Enchanters' Guild Hall."; Item -> -> "Rebus" with description "A {B}rebus{B} is an illustration whose component pictures spell out a word or words, usually through the addition and subtraction of sounds or letters. The most famous creator of rebi was Frobesius Fublius, whose works were on display in Flatheadia Castle."; Item -> -> "Red Herring" with description "These common fish patrol the dark recesses of freshwater pools and streams, but a handful of granola brings them racing to the surface, a fact known by every rural schoolboy. The old adage about {B}red herrings{B} being ~good brain food~ has no scientific basis."; Item -> -> "Roc" with description "A {B}roc{B} is a legendary bird of prey of tremendous size and strength. Rocs are known to live in the Eastlands, both underground and high in the Flathead Mountains. They are fiercely protective of their young. A word to the wise: if you are captured by a roc and brought to its nest, do not threaten its egg!"; Item -> -> "Rockville Estates" with description "{B}Rockville Estates{B} was an upscale housing complex planned by the Frobozz Magic Construction Company for a piece of prime cavern space on the Great Underground Highway near Flatheadia. It was advertised as ~The new, prestigious address for the discriminating Young Underground Professional.~ Occupancy of its 64 units began in spring 881 GUE. The Rockville Estates was designed by the renowned architect, Zylo Pickthorn, and the Managing Foreman for the project was Quizbo Frotzwit."; Item -> -> "Rooster" with description "A {B}rooster{B} is a common barnyard animal."; Item -> -> "Rose Riots" with description "The {B}Rose Riots{B} of 811 GUE were the result of rumors that the compass rose can actually control the wind. These rumors were hotly denied by the Guild of Meteorologists, who harvested the species to the brink of extinction during these Rose Riots."; Item -> -> "Rotgrub" with description "Less than an inch long, the {B}rotgrub{B} lies waiting in food. Once ingested, the rotgrub heads straight for its victim's brain and begins feeding. Rotgrub death is excruciatingly painful and lasts years before a welcome demise. They are totally impervious to all forms of magic, and, even worse, smell like very old cheese."; Item -> -> "Roundhead, I. Q." with description "{B}I.Q. Roundhead{B} wrote ten volumes discussing the engravings in the caves of the Great Underground Empire, and concluded only that the ancient inhabitants of those caverns were very strange people."; Item -> -> "Royal Museum" with description "The {B}Royal Museum{B}, built by Lord Dimwit Flathead in 776 GUE, and dedicated by him the following year, houses the crown jewels, a technology display, and a famous royal puzzle in the form of a sandstone and marble maze. The technology display contains items generously provided by FrobozzCo International, such as a Temporizer, Pressurizer, and Room-Spinner. It is of slight historical interest that the adventurer who would eventually become the second Dungeon Master used the Royal Museum's Temporizer to travel back in time to 776 GUE to steal one of the crown jewels. This resulted in a dramatic increase in security measures by Dimwit Flathead. He had originally intended that the museum be built under 2 miles of mountain and surrounded by 500 feet of steel, but had to settle for a less excessive construction plan. The theft of his royal ring no doubt led to a greater eccentric excessiveness on his part."; Menu -> "{B}S{B}: Scrystone to Surmin"; Item -> -> "Scrystone" with description "The {B}scrystone{B} is a magical grey orb fashioned out of black and white hemispheres. This sphere grants visions of things yet to be to those who are gifted enough to understand them."; Item -> -> "Sea Lion" with description "The {B}Sea Lion{B} is a deadly creature known to inhabit the Sea of Mithicus."; Item -> -> "Sea of Mithicus" with description "The {B}Sea of Mithicus{B} is known to be a great place to scuba dive, but at your own risk. The sea lions in the area can be quite dangerous."; Item -> -> "Sea Serpent" with description "{B}Sea serpents{B} are a rare breed of dangerous aquatic predators. It is known that the Wizard of Frobozz actually kept a baby sea serpent as a pet."; Item -> -> "Shadowland" with description "The {B}Shadowland{B}, also known as the Land of Shadows, is a barren area of rolling hills, south of Flatheadia and deep underground. It lies near the point where the Great Sea's eastern shore dips underground, and has frequent patches of quicksand as a result."; Item -> -> "Slugs" with description "Giant {B}slugs{B} are essentially immense versions of the tiny garden slugs we all know and love. One giant slug encountered in the ruins of a lighthouse near Grubbo-by-the-Sea was as long as a human is tall. These slugs defend themselves by spraying their attacker with vile ichors."; Item -> -> "Snarfem" with description "{B}Snarfem{B}, a two-player game of removing pebbles, originated in Mithicus and comes from an ancient Mithican word meaning ~to collect pebbles or small stones.~ The purpose of snarfem is to remove the correct amount of pebbles during each turn that will force the opponent to take the last pebble."; Item -> -> "Sneffle" with description "{B}Sneffle{B} was a member of the Guild of Bakers in 966. He gave a speech to the Final Conclave of enchanters detailing the failure of the GLOTH spell. Sneffle, dependent on magic, was overwhelmed by the prospect of a world where the pastries have to be handmade."; Item -> -> "Snow Wight" with description "A {B}snow wight{B} is a vicious monster that hides in snowdrifts waiting for a victim. Armed with long, sharp teeth and claws, a wight is quite a menace, and any poorly-equipped adventurer is advised to stay away from one. The only recent snow wight sightings have been in the southern mountains near Thriff."; Item -> -> "Spenseweed" with description [; PrintFormatted("There has been much controversy about the true nature of this plant. {I}The Lore and Legends of Quendor{I} has this to say: ~The healing virtues of this common roadside plant are well documented. Although it is safe to eat, {B}spenseweed{B} is most effective when applied directly to wounds as a salve.~ This publication also advises us to ~avoid the cheap commercial preparations, which may contain artificial coloring and preservatives.~ A plant matching this description has been found in the Westlands, growing among the ruins of Pheebor, and near the village of Grubbo-by-the-Sea."); PrintFormatted("^^However, early editions of the {I}Encyclopedia Frobozzica{I} call spenseweed ~a deep-rooting underwater plant.~ Once established, it can usually only be removed by using certain spells of wilting. The 883 GUE edition of this publication stated that the misconception of spenseweed as a roadside weed is grossly inaccurate. Spenseweed of the underwater variety has been seen flourishing in the western edge of the Great Sea, and in a fish tank in Flatheadia. The truth about spenseweed is not yet known, although it is suspected that the underwater spenseweed might simply be another name for the morgia plant.^"); ]; Item -> -> "Spiders" with description "Giant {B}spiders{B} are dangerous creatures sometimes found in abandoned buildings. They are identical to their smaller cousins in every respect except for their tendency to feed on careless peasants."; Item -> -> "Squid" with description "{B}Squids{B} are bottom-dwelling aquatic creatures."; Item -> -> "Stonewall" with description "The {B}Stonewall{B} was the sight of the Battle of The Stonewall in 747 GUE. According to military historians, The Stonewall was a strategically vital locale, commanding the two most important caverns of the Eastlands. T.J. ~Stonewall~ Flathead earned his nickname and his reputation at the Battle of The Stonewall. When reports arrived that rebellious natives had captured The Stonewall, T.J. and his garrison were assigned the mission of retaking it. After a battle lasting seven weeks, during which T.J.'s men suffered a casualty rate of nearly 75%, the garrison stormed The Stonewall.^^Once in command of it, they discovered that the reports had been erroneous: The Stonewall was completely undefended, and the supposedly rebellious natives were actually all vacationing in the Gray Mountains. Nevertheless, T.J. Flathead's tactics and strategies during the ~battle~ were considered brilliant, and he would henceforth be known as Stonewall Flathead."; Item -> -> "Surmin" with description "From their malodorous breath to their lice-ridden fur, {B}surmins{B} are utterly repulsive creatures. If they get close enough, they can bore their victims to death by reciting Greater Borphee County Penal Codes."; Menu -> "{B}T{B}: Tasmania to Twenty"; Item -> -> "Tasmania, Princess" with description "{B}Princess Tasmania{B} is the daughter of the platypus King Anatinus of Misty Island. Tasmania, much beloved by her people, was twice rescued by a heroic employee of the Festeron Postal Service. This hero, also responsible for the defeat of The Evil One, saved Tasmania after she had both fallen in a pit and been captured by ~Corky~ Crisp, a henchman of The Evil One. The story of the rescue of Tasmania will live in platypus legend forever."; Item -> -> "Temporal Travel Technology" with description "{B}Temporal travel technology{B}, though in existence for many centuries, is still considered to be experimental by the magic industry. Several government agencies are currently looking into its potential long-term effects.^^As this is written, magic companies are using temporal travel to deliver products before they are ordered, and there is also a time travel spell called GOLMAC. Also, the ancient Hourglass of Phee allows travel backwards and forwards in time, although only in Phee itself. It is also known that another hourglass of time travel is mystically connected to one of the Cubes of Foundation. This hourglass allows travel to the early days of an age-old castle in the Eastlands. Another time travel spell is GIRGOL, which stops time but allows the caster to move about as normal for a brief amount of ~time.~"; Item -> -> "Thaumaturgical Institute" with description "The {B}Thaumaturgical Institute{B} produced the first reliable Hyperbolic Incantation Concentrator (magic wand) in 723 GUE."; Item -> -> "Thriff" with description "The strange wandering village of {B}Thriff{B} has, at one time or another, been located in most of the provinces of the Westlands. Rumor has it that Orkan, Guildmaster of Thriff's enchanters, constantly moves the town in an attempt to find a more benevolent climate for his terrible hayfever. In 966 Thriff was located just south of the Miznia jungle, and Orkan had recorded in his diary that he moved the village on July 26 by gating it through the Ethereal Plane of Atrii, because he hated the northern climes they were in previously. Here the village probably remained forever, because eighteen days later the Final Conclave of enchanters, of which Orkan was one, helped to bring the Age of Magic to a close, thus putting an end to Thriff's wanderings."; Item -> -> "Thwack of Mareilon" with description "{B}Thwack of Mareilon{B} classified the Moss of Mareilon in 843 GUE."; Item -> -> "Toads" with description "A race of these creatures live somewhere beyond the oceans of the world. Seafarers report that these {B}toads{B} are ugly, cantankerous, and eternally hungry. The only specimen of these of these toads ever brought back to civilization was a pet of John Paul Flathead. This toad, named Otto, was not only ugly, but bright blue and as large as a small shack. In 883 Otto had the good fortune to eat the Four Fantastic Flies of Famathria, the objects of utmost culinary lust among his species."; Item -> -> "Toolbox, Cardinal" with description "{B}Cardinal Toolbox{B} was the spiritual guide of the Thriff religious community in the year 966 GUE. The most important event during his time as Cardinal was the invasion of the Christmas tree monsters. Toolbox went for days during this dangerous time without any sleep, leading a silent prayer vigil in hopes that the monsters would be destroyed by mightier powers."; Item -> -> "Tower of Bozbar" with description "The {B}Tower of Bozbar{B}, an ancient game of unknown origin, consists of three pegs and a pile of weights. The goal is to move the pile from one peg to another, moving one weight at a time, with the constraint that no weight can ever be placed atop a smaller weight. Many people say that the Tower of Bozbar is a superb method of mental relaxation."; Item -> -> "Treaty of Znurg" with description "The {B}Treaty of Znurg{B}, signed on 5 Jam 474 GUE, ended the Zucchini Wars."; Item -> -> "Trolls" with description "A {B}troll{B} is a large, stupid monster that lives underground, in caves, or under bridges. One of the few specimens of a troll found in the wild was one that had taken residence in the Great Underground Empire in the Eastlands after the fall of the Empire. The Evil One also used a troll to guard the entrance to Witchville. Readers acquainted with the writings of Leonardo Flathead will undoubtedly be aware of his major treatise proving that the world actually rests on the head of an enormous troll, rather than the back of a giant turtle."; Item -> -> "Tunnels of Love" with description "The {B}Tunnels of Love{B} are a favorite among the Kingdom's honeymooners, located a stone's throw from Aragain Falls. The Tunnels are well-known for their vast honeycomb of passageways, and couples have been known to raise entire families just trying to find their rooms. In 873, the only year on record, rates ranged from Zm 2 for a room to Zm 10 for a Honeymoon Suite."; Item -> -> "Turtles" with description "In the Great Underground Empire {B}turtles{B} can grow to enormous size and have incredible longevity. One such turtle, residing on the beach near Largoneth, was once the favored pet of King Mumbo II. This turtle helped an enchanter defeat the Warlock Krill in the 940s, and was particularly proud of his rainbow-colored shell, an enchantment cast on him in the 860s."; Item -> -> "Twenty Treasures of Zork" with description "The {B}Twenty Treasures of Zork{B} are a well-known part of the story of Zork. In 948 GUE a brave adventurer traveled through the tunnels of the Eastland Underground, and on his way to becoming the second Dungeon Master, one of his tasks to prove his worth was to acquire the Twenty Treasures. These treasures were a jewel-encrusted egg, a clockwork canary, a beautiful painting that was probably one of the lost works of Leonardo Flathead, a brass bauble, a pot of gold, a platinum bar, an ivory torch, a gold coffin, an Egyptian sceptre, a trunk of jewels, a crystal trident, a jade figurine, a sapphire bracelet, a huge diamond, a bag of coins that were probably zorkmids, a crystal skull, a jeweled scarab, a large emerald, a silver chalice, and an ancient map. It is not quite clear whether the treasures were created by the first Dungeon Master, or were all relics of the Great Underground Empire."; Menu -> "{B}U{B}: Ugh to Ur-Grue"; Item -> -> "Ugh" with description "The unit of weight in the Great Underground Empire. A 100-{B}ugh{B} weight is, for the normal person, quite heavy, and it is necessary to drop everything to carry it."; Item -> -> "U-Mart" with description "{B}U-Mart{B}, a shopping mall, often has sales associated with Dimwit Flathead's birthday."; Item -> -> "Unicorn" with description "A {B}unicorn{B} is a magical horselike animal with a single horn in its forehead. Most unicorns have fled to the Plane of TransInfinite Splendor, where they enjoy a carefree existence free from the cruelty of man. The unhappy few left behind are eagerly sought by zoos and private collectors. One such private collector in Mizniaport actually had his last unicorn freed by a peasant who was on a quest to recover the Coconut of Quendor.^^Unicorns are sometimes used as combat mounts against their wills. It is also known that a royal princess in the Eastlands of the Great Underground Empire was able to charm a unicorn so that she was the only one who could approach and ride it.^^It is good luck to kiss a unicorn's horn, but woe to any fool who harms one."; Item -> -> "Unnatural Acts" with description "The {B}Unnatural Acts{B} were written by King Duncanthrax on 9 Dismembur 672 GUE. These acts provided stiff penalties for those convicted of selling ~Unnatural or Supernatural substances.~ The motivation for this legislation lay in charlatans who regularly fooled the gullible population into buying potions which claimed to do such things as ~reverse hair loss~ and ~draw Trebled Fromps in Double Fanucci.~ The restrictions of the Unnatural Acts were eventually loosened, allowing the foundation of the first chapter of the Guild of Enchanters by the great thaumaturge Vilboz."; Item -> -> "Unseen Terror" with description [; PrintFormatted("The {B}Unseen Terror{B} is a shapeless and formless manifestation of evil. Many centuries ago, this Terror was disturbed from millenia of sleep. It was so powerful that it required the combined wisdom of all the leading enchanters of that age to conquer it. A book of legends found in the Largoneth Library tells how these enchanters lured the Terror ~to a recess deep within the earth~ by placing there a powerful spell scroll. When it had reached the scroll, the enchanters trapped it there with a spell that encased it in the living rock. The Terror was so horrible that none would dare speak of it, and because of this, many years later this tale was considered to be quite fanciful. No other chroniclers of the age mention the Terror in any form."); PrintFormatted("^^However, in the 940s GUE, a novice enchanter exploring Largoneth with the intention of defeating Krill found the location of the Terror's prison underneath the Largoneth dungeon. This enchanter managed to retrieve the GUNCHO spell that had lured the Terror underground, while still keeping the Terror entrapped. It is known that during the final hours of the confrontation, Krill pondered the idea of using the Terror for his own purposes, but the plan came to naught.^"); ]; Item -> -> "Ur-Grue" with description "{B}Ur-Grues{B} are thought to be the shades of fallen Implementors. Skilled in black sorcerory, the ur-grue can envelop itself in a personal zone of darkness which neither lamp nor flame can penetrate. Sunlight is the only thing it fears. It is unwise even to speak of this utterly evil entity.^^What little we know about ur-grues is based on a random encounter in the year 966. A humble peasant stumbled into the lair of this creature deep under the Mithicus Mountains, and was able to discover that an ur-grue is actually an Implementor (resembling nothing more than an old man) who had assumed control of the body of a grue, and was using it as his guise. This particular ur-grue was noteworthy for his theft of the Coconut of Quendor from his former companions, the Implementors. Although his motives are unclear, it is possible that this ur-grue hoped to seize control of the entire world."; Menu -> "{B}V{B}: Veritassi to Voss"; Item -> -> "Veritassi" with description "The {B}Veritassi{B}, who dwell underground near Port Foozle, have two interesting quirks: They never lie, and they feed unwelcome visitors to ravenous hellhounds."; Item -> -> "Vilboz" with description "{B}Vilboz{B}, a great thaumaturge, was the founder of the first and most famous of all Enchanters' Guilds, in the tiny hamlet of Accardi-by-the-Sea."; Item -> -> "Voss, Violet" with description "{B}Violet Voss{B} was the Curator of the Festeron Free Public Library for several years in the tenth century GUE. Violet lived to see the transformation of Festeron into Witchville by The Evil One. In fact, Violet was romantically involved with ~Corky~ Crisp, a servant of The Evil One."; Menu -> "{B}W{B}: Westlands to Worm"; Item -> -> "Westlands" with description "The {B}Westlands{B} comprise those provinces which lie on the western shore of the Great Sea, such as Borphee, Gurth, Frobozz, etcetera."; Item -> -> "White Cliffs" with description "The {B}White Cliffs{B} are remarkable underground cliffs near the origin of the Frigid River at the Flood Control Dam #3. Next to the Cliffs is the scenic White Cliffs Beach. In the days of the Great Underground Empire, this area was home to a tourist motel called the Cliff House."; Item -> -> "Windcat" with description "The {B}windcat{B} is the fleetest land animal, and was the favorite pet of Bozbo IV."; Item -> -> "Wings of Icarus" with description "The Legend of Wishbringer tells of the fabled {B}Wings of Icarus{B} that give the ability of flight to their owner. The last person to fly with the Wings was devoured by Thermofax, a dragon, and the Wings have vanished."; Item -> -> "Wishbringer" with description [; PrintFormatted("It should be made clear at the outset that it is not known whether the Legend of {B}Wishbringer{B} is a tale about humans or platypi. Ancient texts depict human figures, and yet the tale supposedly takes place in the Kingdom of Misty Island, a known platypi home."); PrintFormatted("^^In the reign of King Anatinus of Misty Island, a beautiful peasant girl named Morning-Star was born. The legend of her beauty spread all throughout the kingdom, and Queen Alexis grew jealous. Alexis caused the kidnapping of the beautiful child, who was then raised as the Princess of Misty Island. Morning-Star grew, and her beauty blossomed. At the arrival of her seventeenth birthday, Anatinus decreed that anyone desiring of her hand in marriage must fulfill a Love-Quest of the Queen's choosing, according to the custom of the kingdom. Alexis, envious of the horde of knights who descended on Morning-Star, devised horribly difficult quests that resulted in the death of six young suitors."); PrintFormatted("^^Alexis concluded that no one was fit to wed her daughter, and declared, in the Edict of Alexis, that Morning-Star must remain unmarried and virgin her entire life. The princess suffered through life as her beauty faded away. Many kingdoms after, when the whole incident had faded into legend, a scholar exploring Misty Island came across the tomb of the princess. All that was left of her mortal remains was her heart, which, hard and shrunken in the grave, was shining brightly with the stifled wishes of her lifetime."); PrintFormatted("^^This magic stone, said to grant seven wishes to its bearer, passed through many hands, and eventually came into the possession of the proprietor of Festeron's magic shop in the tenth century GUE. The Evil One, desiring power over Wishbringer, magically turned the village of Festeron into Witchville in order to capture the stone. The Festeron postal employee who succeeded in defeating The Evil One magically altered Wishbringer by transforming it into one facet of a mysterious cat known as Chaos. Thus the stone Wishbringer, and all memory of Morning-Star, passes into history.^"); ]; Item -> -> "Wishyfoo" with description "The {B}Wishyfoo{B}, who live underground in the vicinity of Port Foozle, alternately tell the truth and tell a lie with every successive statement they make. Sometimes they start with a lie, sometimes with a truth, but they always alternate thereafter."; Item -> -> "Wiskus, Saint" with description "{B}Saint Wiskus{B}, the patron saint of all those who raise meat animals, has a holiday in his honor on 6 Ottobur of each year. Due to a slight etymological misunderstanding, the 883 edition of the Flathead Calendar made a typographical error that is responsible for a certain amount of popular confusion between Saint Wiskus and Saint Bovus."; Item -> -> "Witchville" with description "Please see the entry on {B}Festeron{B}."; Item -> -> "Wizard of Frobozz" with description "The {B}Wizard of Frobozz{B} was once a member of the influential Accardi chapter of the Enchanters' Guild. This Wizard was a strange little man, usually wearing a long cloak, a high pointed hat with astrological signs, and a long stringy beard. Once a court wizard, he was exiled by Dimwit Flathead after accidentally turning Flathead's castle into a mountain of fudge.^^This blunder on the part of the Wizard was probably caused by his senility and his inability to utter a spell that did not start with the letter F (~Fudge~). Almost two centuries after this incident, in the year 948, the adventurer who would eventually become the second Dungeon Master ordered a demon to kill the Wizard, thus bringing to a close the life of a confused and befuddled soul who had confounded other adventurers for years."; Item -> -> "Woomax, Gustar" with description [; PrintFormatted("{B}Gustar Woomax{B}, known as the Chronicler of Magic, was the author of a great number of books in the ninth and tenth centuries GUE. The fact that his favorite author was Bizboz probably inspired his writing on magic and history, which include {I}A Brief History of Magic, Bizboz at Galepath, Mage versus Archmage, Revenge of the Dornbeasts, The Granola Riots{I} (co-authored by Wilbar Memboob), and {I}The Coconut of Quendor: Reality or Illusion?{I} At least one of these works, {I}A Brief History of Magic{I}, was published by Popular Enchanting, in the year 927 GUE. (For a reprinting of this work, please see Appendix D on magic.)"); PrintFormatted("^^Born in Greater Borphee in 880 GUE, Gustar Woomax attended G.U.E. Tech from 907 to 911 GUE. His Double Fanucci handicap is 620, and his favorite saying is: ~If history can teach us the difference between good and bad magic, it can teach us anything.~"); PrintFormatted("^^Woomax was present at the Great Conclave of Guildmasters in 966 GUE, when it was decided to preserve the knowledge of Magick in the Coconut of Quendor. Despite his familiarity with Coconut lore, Woomax was skeptical of Y'Gael's plan involving the Coconut, due to the sheer improbability of the plan's success.^"); ]; Item -> -> "Worms" with description "A {B}worm{B} is a low form of ground-dwelling animal life."; Menu -> "{B}Y{B}: Yellow to Y'Syska"; Item -> -> "Yellow Grotch" with description "{B}Yellow grotch{B}, small creatures who prefer to live in hay-fields, are one of the favorite prey of Giant Corbies."; Item -> -> "Y'Gael" with description "{B}Y'Gael{B} was an Enchantress present at the final Conclave of Enchanters in Borphee in 966. When the Guildmaster departed on his quest, Y'Gael realized that the Age of Magic was coming to a close. She proposed storing all of the knowledge and heritage of the Age of Magic in the Coconut of Quendor. When an obscure peasant was sent to recover the Coconut, Y'Gael was able to assist the peasant in his quest by following him via the Ethereal Planes of Atrii. She assumed the role of a shopkeeper in several cities in order to keep track of his progress. It is now speculated that she might have assumed the role of shopkeeper once before, in Festeron, Antharia, to combat The Evil One, who might have been her sister. Once the anonymous peasant found the Coconut of Quendor, Y'Gael used her abilities to ensure that, with the help of the Coconut, the Age of Magic would never be forgotten."; Item -> -> "Yiggam" with description "The glassmaster of the Antharia Guild in the year 966. A resident of the Peltoid Valley, {B}Yiggam{B} was commissioned by the Frobozz Magic Equipment Company to handblow beakers, tubes, and swizzle sticks."; Item -> -> "Yipple" with description "The {B}yipple{B} is a master of disguise, able to alter form to match its surroundings. If disturbed in the wild, some yipples may bite. They make wonderful pets, but should never be allowed to rest in the cookie jar if guests are expected. Yipples are violently allergic to many kinds of animal wastes."; Item -> -> "Yooman" with description "{B}Yooman{B}, the Musician Mage, was the teacher of Dimithio of Borphee."; Item -> -> "Y'Syska" with description "An evil sorceress whose collection of gems and minerals was without compare. At one time she owned the Crocodile's Tear, which she protected by hiding it in the Miznia jungle. Survivors of the jungle came back to report that the Crocodile's Tear rested on a large idol. This idol, possibly a construction of {B}Y'Syska{B}, but more likely a remnant of a forgotten religion, was in the shape of a Crocodile the size of a subway train. Anyone wishing to steal Y'Syska's jewel would have to climb the idol without sliding into its mouth, and becoming trapped. It is rumored that the same peasant who recovered the Coconut of Quendor also successfully stole the Crocodile's Tear, but this is not a confirmed report. Y'Syska's final fate in unknown."; Menu -> "{B}Z{B}: Zeebin to Zylon"; Item -> -> "Zeebin, Sybar" with description "{B}Sybar Zeebin{B} is the author of a history of the fall of the Great Underground Empire called {I}The Dark Age of Frobozz{I}."; Item -> -> "Zeke" with description "{B}Zeke{B} ran an underground appliance store that was an official outlet for all Frobozz Magic Appliances. Zeke's store was located just off Great Underground Highway # 2, near Egreth."; Item -> -> "Zeno" with description "{B}Zeno{B} was a builder of magic bridges, who lived during an unknown period. A moderately well-known bridge built by Zeno is one that crosses the Phee River. This bridge confounds many travelers with the odd fact that when you attempt to cross it, you only travel half the distance you want to go, and hence you never get where you are going."; Item -> -> "Zilbeetha" with description "This is one of the oldest and dearest legends in the annals of Quendor. {B}Zilbeetha{B}, a beautiful maiden, somehow angered an evil mage, and was placed under enchantment and turned into a crystal orb on the very day that she was to be wed. The heart-broken groom, who is always depicted holding a fragile bloom, sought help from the wizard's goodly twin. The good wizard turned the groom to stone, that he might stay young until the day Zilbeetha was returned to him. The legend also has an ominous note; returning a false orb would result in death.^^In the year 883 this legend was revealed to be true fact, and was concluded on a happy note. The adventurer who would eventually become the first Dungeon Master was able to find the orb of Zilbeetha deep underground in the Eastlands, and return it to the groom's statue, near the Flathead Fjord. The loving couple was finally reunited, and lived happily ever after."; Item -> -> "Zilbo I" with description "{B}Zilbo I{B} was the fourth king of the Entharion Dynasty. He came to the throne in 398 GUE, after Zylon the Aged, and was succeeded by Bozbo I in 423 GUE."; Item -> -> "Zilbo II" with description "{B}Zilbo II{B} was the sixth king of the Entharion Dynasty. He came to the throne in 429 GUE, after Bozbo I, and was succeeded by Harmonious Fzort."; Item -> -> "Zilbo III" with description "{B}Zilbo III{B} was the fourteenth and final king of the Entharion Dynasty. He came to the throne in 628 GUE, after Mumbo II, and was succeeded by Duncanthrax the Bellicose, the first king of the Flathead Dynasty, on the last day of 659 GUE. Little is known about what became of Zilbo after 659. Some say he was killed during the palace revolt, or simply died from too much reveling while celebrating the upcoming New Year. There is evidence that he was exiled to a Mithican villa, where he invented the card game Double Fanucci."; Item -> -> "Zorbel Pass" with description "This wide pass through the Flathead Mountains, at the southern end of the range, connects the Fublio and Frigid River Valleys. The {B}Zorbel Pass{B} was the site of the Diablo Massacre in 666 GUE."; Item -> -> "Zork" with description "{B}Zork{B} is a classic folk myth about a treasure-hunting adventurer who became a master of magic. It has been translated into novels, theatricals, giant wall murals... almost every imaginable medium. Like most myths, Zork has its basis in reality. In 948 an unknown adventurer near the former sight of Flatheadia ventured underground, claimed the Twenty Treasures of Zork, defeated the Wizard of Frobozz, and became the second Dungeon Master."; Item -> -> "Zorkmid" with description "The {B}zorkmid{B} was the unit of currency of the Great Underground Empire, and is still used in most parts of the kingdom today. The first zorkmid was minted on Augur 16, 699 GUE, during the reign of Belwit the Flat. This coin bore the likeness of Belwit, the year, and the coin's value on the front, while on the back it had a picture of Egreth Castle, with the motto ~In Frobs We Trust~ stamped in two different languages. Zorkmids of different denominations were issued, including the 500 and 10,000 zm coins, and the 100 zm bill. The largest issue was a 100,000 zm bill. Only one of these was ever printed, at the request of J. Pierpont Flathead."; Item -> -> "Zucchini Wars" with description "The {B}Zucchini Wars{B}, which devastated seven provinces during the fifth century, were finally ended by the Treaty of Znurg in 474 GUE."; Item -> -> "Zurfs" with description "{B}Zurfs{B} are a suit of cards in the game of Double Fanucci."; Item -> -> "Zylon the Aged" with description "{B}Zylon the Aged{B} was the third king of the Entharion Dynasty. He ruled Quendor for the remarkably long period from 55 to 389 GUE."; Item -> "{I}Appendix A:{I} Dates" with description "Today's system of numbering years started with the first year of Entharion's reign as king of Quendor, which marked the start of recorded history. However, legends and ancient tales lead historians to believe that highly advanced settlements existed on both sides of the Great Sea around the fifth or sixth century Before Entharion, and that humanity began to make its mark on the land as long as two millennia ago."; Menu -> "{I}Appendix B:{I} Music"; Item -> -> "Classical Music" with description [; PrintFormatted("In 732 GUE the Frobozz Philharmonic Orchestra was formed. Because of the woeful lack of orchestral music in existence, the FPO usually settled for playing baroque versions of old folk tunes and popular dance numbers. Seven years later, the FPO performed their first symphony. The piece was notable because of the age of its author, a precocious eleven-year-old named Johann Sebastian Flathead."); PrintFormatted("^^As the years went by, the history of the FPO, and of classical music itself, became more and more entwined with the life of Johann himself. The public attendance of the FPO mysteriously declined as Johann's symphonies increased in length. Now considered to be the definitive piece in classical music, his Symphony #981, the so-called Infinite Symphony, contained over 60,000 movements; over the course of its only performance, several members of the orchestra retired and were replaced by their children or grandchildren."); PrintFormatted("^^Eventually, classical music moved out of the concert hall and into nature. Johann spent his later years composing music for ever more grandiose instruments, such as his Concerto for Woodwinds and Waterfalls. Johann was killed in 789 when a mishap during a rehearsal of his Minuet for Violin and Volcano. Fatalities like this probably explain the general decline in popularity of classical music.^"); ]; Item -> -> "Popular Music" with description [; PrintFormatted("Popular music reached its peak during the life of Elvis Flathead. For years following his first concert in 841, fans would flock to see ~the King~ sway back and forth to smash hits such as ~You Ain't Nothing But a Hellhound,~ and ~Love Is Blind.~"); PrintFormatted("^^Naturally, Elvis imitators abound, and those aspiring stars who cannot sing quite as well as Elvis did can be found in Borphee every winter, where the hills come alive with the sounds of the most dreadful singers in the Kingdom. This event, aptly named The From Bad to Worst Songfest, allows those truly terrible singers to gain recognition while vying for the much-coveted prize of a pair of 18K gold earplugs."); PrintFormatted("^^The following is a list of several holiday tunes likely to be performed during that Songfest:^^~Plover the River, and Frotz the Woods~^~Dornbeasts Roasting on an Open Fire~^~Winter Bozbarland~^~Dwaarnyn the Dark Nosed Ur-Grue~^~I'm Dreaming of a Black Cavern~^~Good King Flathead~^"); ]; Item -> "{I}Appendix C:{I} Double Fanucci" with description [; PrintFormatted("Legend has it that Double Fanucci (or Fanucci) was invented by the deposed Zilbo III in the late seventh century. A game of tremendous complexity and almost infinite rules, King Mumberthrax proclaimed it the national sport in 757 GUE. This proclamation merely gave official approval to those who had been holding annual Fanucci tournaments since 691 GUE. These Championships, held in Borphee during the first week of autumn, frequently leave thousands homeless."); PrintFormatted("^^Despite years of research, our team from the Frobozz Magic Appendix Compilers has been unable to get a complete grasp of this game. Fanucci is in fact so complicated that some who do not wish to waste the time required to learn the rules simply play a corrupted version of the game, known as Gabber Tumper. Those who do elect to brave the dangers of Fanucci are immediately faced with an immense deck of 174 cards."); PrintFormatted("^^This deck is divided into face cards and suits. The 15 suits (Mazes, Books, Rain, Bugs, Fromps, Inkblots, Scythes, Plungers, Faces, Time, Lamps, Hives, Ears, Zurfs, and Tops) each have eleven cards, valued at 0-9 and Infinity. The face cards are as follows: Granola, Death, Light, Snail, Beauty, Time, Grue, Lobster, and Jester."); PrintFormatted("^^At the start of the game a player is dealt four of these cards, and at any point during the game when the player has less than four cards, he can take another card from the top of the discard pile. Play progresses with players taking one turn after the other, either drawing or discarding a card or using one of their current cards to execute a special play. These possible plays are as follows: Combine, One-Play, Two-Play, Pass, Over-pass, Trump, Undertrump, Reverse, Muttonate, Divide, and Ionize."); PrintFormatted("^^This is where our comprehension of Double Fanucci becomes a little vague. Doing certain plays with certain cards can either cause you to gain or lose points, or cause your opponent to gain or lose points. Clearly, some plays are to your advantage, while others can be quite detrimental. Over the years, Fanucci players have developed fond names for certain of these plays, and a few of them are listed here. Plays that are to a player's advantage are marked as positive, and the number represents the number of points that the play is worth..."); PrintFormatted("^^ Full Foozle Progression +4^ Borphee Bluff +10^ Oddzio Gambit +10^ Zibble Ploy +10^ Fublian Gambit -11^ Frotzen Ploy +12^ Accardi Variation +15^ Golden Fromp Clause -15^ Unlimited Singleton Bids +16^ Balsawood Convention +17^ Zilbo Standard +18^ Porridge Variation -20^ Unrejuvenated Slamboozle +22^ Doubleton Duck +21^ Singleton in the 3rd Frame -22^ Inside Duo-Trick +25^ Royal Bid +28^ Shy Openers -34^ Egreth Convention +35^ Grand Slam Clause +37^ Festeron Feint +41^ Segmented Shuffle +42^ Bloodworm Defense +54^ Zilbo's Half-Renege +56^ Fanuccimeister +60^ Frotz Factor +64^ Kovalli Hustle +78^ Forborn Chisel -79^ Antharian Attack -81^ Festeron Finesse +95"); PrintFormatted("^^It should be pointed out that to accurately describe the conditions necessary to execute these plays is completely out of the question. An updated edition of the Fanucci rule book is quite probably larger than even the Unabridged Version of this Encyclopedia. For now, all we can offer the reader are a few minor points."); PrintFormatted("^^Fanucci players at the Port Foozle Casino typically play with the Revised Miznian Rules, 7th-Level Amendments, with the following exceptions: No side-handling after an underfunded discard, two draws after a Skybreaker, and an extra muttonation if the conditions of Rule 17.4.1.B are met."); PrintFormatted("^^Other Fanucci house rules were adopted by the Fanucci Casino Rebuilding Act of 817 GUE."); PrintFormatted("^^By Rules Committee Amendment #493, the game is suspended when one player's lead exceeds 1241, and the game must be replayed in its entirety, except during a Frotz Moon or in a 6-player game where at least 3 players are of Mithican ancestry."); PrintFormatted("^^Professional Fanucci players make use of a handicapping system in which the better the player is, the lower his handicap number. Forburn the Wily, possibly the greatest Fanucci player of all time, had a handicap of a mere 0.01. Because this system of handicapping runs contrary to other systems, it is believed that a player's handicap is the number added to his score at the start of the game. Thus a poor player with a high handicap would start off with a high score."); PrintFormatted("^^Three undertrumps after an opponent's discard of a Trebled Fromp is an indefensible gambit, and is the only known way to win at Double Fanucci.^"); ]; Menu -> "{I}Appendix D:{I} Magic"; Menu -> -> "A Brief History of Magic"; Item -> -> -> "Introduction" with description "We are grateful to Popular Enchanting for their permission to reprint the following {I}A Brief History of Magic{I}, written in 927 by Gustar Woomax.^^The history of magic can be broken down into four distinct periods: the Empirical Age, the Scientific Age, the Industrial Age, and the Age of Guilds. Each of these will be explored in some depth in order to give the reader a sense of the course of events which has shaped the use of magic in today's society."; Item -> -> -> "The Empirical Age" with description [; PrintFormatted("Primitive cultures had naturally assumed that the disorderly nature of our world was due to such supernatural causes as magic. With the founding of the ~natural~ sciences, however, nature was increasingly viewed as being orderly. As the sciences progressed, the knowledge and lore of magic largely disappeared. As early as the 5th century GUE (Great Underground Empire), however, such students of the mystic arts as Bizboz and Dinbar thoroughly examined ancient writings on the subject. Bizboz himself wrote what became the seminal work in Thaumaturgy, {I}On the Presence of Incredibly Weird Stuff Going On{I}, in 473 GUE, in which he claimed to have discovered ~for-the-most-part Natural Rules~ by which this ~Weird Stuff~ is ordered."); PrintFormatted("^^This work was ridiculed by the leading scholars of the time, leading to Bizboz's removal from the faculty at the Galepath University, and, eventually, to his tragic suicide in 475 GUE. His work, however, encouraged others in the pursuit of magical knowledge, with mixed results. Charlatans, claiming to have created magical potions and powders, regularly fooled the gullible population into buying potions which claimed to do such things as ~reverse hair loss~ and ~draw Trebled Fromps in Double Fanucci.~ Such appeals to public ignorance led King Duncanthrax in 672 GUE to write the Unnatural Acts, which provided stiff penalties for those convicted of selling ~Unnatural or Supernatural substances.~^"); ]; Item -> -> -> "The Scientific Age" with description [; PrintFormatted("While the charlatans were at work, serious students took up the cause of magic, attempting to explain the natural world as a by-product of the interrelated workings of the sciences of Physics, Medicine, Chemistry, Mathematics, and Thaumaturgy. Their success in demonstarting the so-called first principles of Thaumaturgy, namely Presence, Incantation, and Unusual Effect, led to a loosening of the Unnatural Acts to allow what became known as Scientific Thaumaturgy. During this period, the first chapter of the Guild of Enchanters was founded at the tiny hamlet of Accardi-by-the-Sea by the great thaumaturge, Vilboz."); PrintFormatted("^^During the reign of Frobwit the Flatter (701-727 GUE), the art and science of Thaumaturgy flourished. The first reliably Incantation Device, known to scholars as the Hyperbolic Incantation Concentrator, was produced at the Thaumaturgical Institute in 723 GUE. The long, thin, portable device, nicknamed the ~magic wand~ by the lay press, became an instant sensation among the populace, and gained a certain measure of respect for the fledging science."); PrintFormatted("^^A major advance in Thaumaturgy occurred when Davmar, working in newly-crowned King Mumberthrax Flathead's laboratory, discovered a means by which Incantation could be stored on special Presence-imbued paper. These so-called scrolls were found, however, to be destroyed during the spells' Incantation. Nonetheless, scrolls soon replaced the temperamental and poorly-understood ~wand~ as the primary means of Incantation."); PrintFormatted("^^The problem of imbuing Presence became a deterrent to the rapid growth of magical science. The creation of a single powerful scroll could take literally months for even the most creative and productive thaumaturge. This roadblock prevented the widespread use of magic for generations.^"); ]; Item -> -> -> "The Industrial Age" with description [; PrintFormatted("The Industrial Age dawned in 769 GUE with a discovery by a little-known thaumaturge named Berzio. Berzio, working for years in his own self-made workshop and often going for days without food, drink, or sleep, created the means by which Presence could be transferred from a scroll to a specially impregnated paper by use of a simple spell, which he named after his dog, Gnusto. This paper, in turn, held the Presence even after the Incantation had been finished, solving the major problem in spell production. The euphoria which greeted this discovery was tempered by the finding that very powerful spells could not be transferred in this way. Nevertheless, spell ~books,~ which were capable of holding dozens of spells, were produced in great number, leading to the founding of a new industry."); PrintFormatted("^^Another advance in Thaumaturgy occurred with the finding that certain liquids and powders could be imbued with the magical Presence. Such potions are of great interest, although their limitations have prevented them from supplanting scrolls as the primary method of Incantation. The first of these potions, which obviates the need for food and drink, was given the name BERZIO, in honor of the great thaumaturge.^"); ]; Item -> -> -> "The Age of Guilds" with description [; PrintFormatted("As the use of magic became more prevalent, so did the problems inherent in its use. Since magic had become available to people in all professions, conflicts arose. One famous issue involved the question of whether the plumber's FIZMO spell (~cause stopped-up pipes to unclog~) could be sold as a digestive aid by physicians. The issue came to a head in the aftermath of the Endless Fire of 773 GUE, so named because it burned for 4 weeks after destroying the city of Mareilon. It was later found to have been started by a civil servant who thought he was casting the ZEMDOR spell (~turn original into triplicate~) but who, instead, cast the ZIMBOR spell (~turn one really big city into lots of tiny, little ashes~)."); PrintFormatted("^^This led Lord Dimwit Flathead (the Excessive) to issue a series of 5,521 edicts over the following few weeks, which had the effect of severely limiting access to magic (and, incidentally, lawyers). Henceforth, all magic was entrusted to the various Guilds of Enchanters, which by now existed in many small communities. Each Guild, whose elders comprised the so-called Circle of Enchanters, was empowered to form schools for the training of new Enchanters. This official sanctioning of the Guilds led to the formation of numerous other chapters, with membership in the various Guilds in excess of 2,000 by the year 800 GUE. Despite the fall of the Great Underground Empire in 883 under the feeble-minded reign of Wurb Flathead, the Guild of Enchanters remains virtually unchanged in character today.^"); ]; Item -> -> -> "Today's Enchanter" with description [; PrintFormatted("Since the fall of the Empire, magic has again become a mysterious art, practiced primarily by trained Sorcerers, although a few spells, such as UMBOZ (~obviate need for dusting~) and NERZO (~balance checkbook~), have been approved for over-the-counter sale. Upon graduation from an accredited Thaumaturgical College, an Enchanter is given a spell book with a few spells, none of which has great power. As an Enchanter continued his or her studies, new spells may be obtained; these may be copied into a spell book for use whenever the occasion warrants."); PrintFormatted("^^The Enchanter's job is not as easy as is commonly thought. An Enchanter must memorize a spell written in a spell book before casting it. (Spells on scrolls and those which have been permanently etched in the memory by training needn't be memorized.) Moreover, if an Enchanter needs to use a particular spell twice, it must be memorized twice, since the effort of casting it makes it a jumble in one's memory. In fact, even a night's sleep will make an Enchanter forget any memorized spells. But, in spite of the rigors of spell casting, the personal rewards are great, and the job of Enchanter remains a popular and well-respected vocation.^"); ]; Item -> -> -> "An Afterthought" with description [; PrintFormatted("The most fitting words regarding the history of magic were written over a century ago by the renowned historian Ozmar in 821 GUE. He wrote: ~The greatest irony is this: that the ancients of our kind were nearer to knowing the truth about Science than those who called themselves Scientists. Science has taught us much and given us new words for old mysteries. But beneath these words are mysteries, and beneath them more mysteries. The pursuit of Magic has given these mysteries meaning and provided for our people great benefits unrealized as yet by Science. One day, perhaps, a great union will be formed between Magic and Science, and the final mysteries will be solved.~"); PrintFormatted("^^Ozmar's optimistic predictions will not be realized in our time. In 966 GUE, the Age of Magic came to a sudden and unexpected demise. At the climax of an intense struggle against an evil ~twin~, the Head of the Circle of Enchanters was forced to permanently alter/destroy the Cubes of Foundation upon which the force of Magic depended. The Age of Magic came to a close, and the reign of Science began. However, the knowledge of magic was not lost forever. In the Final Conclave of Enchanters, Y'Gael was able to use the Coconut of Quendor to store the sum total of the knowledge of the Age of Magic. It is hoped that the Coconut, impervious to the passage of time, will outlast the Age of Science and survive to an age when Magic can thrive again."); PrintFormatted("^^For a more complete understanding of the events leading up the end of the Age of Magic, please see the following entries: Cubes of Foundation, Coconut of Quendor, Final Conclave, and Enchanters' Guild.^"); ]; Item -> -> "Spells and Potions" with description [; PrintFormatted("Our team of researchers has been able to compile a partial list of known magical spells and potions, listed below. The exact nature of many of these magics remain unknown.^^"); PrintFormatted("{B}Spells:{B} (Spells marked with a * are so powerful that they cannot be GNUSTOed into a spellbook).^ * aimfiz - teleport caster to someone's location^ bayala - bodily deformation^ blorb - safelt protect a small object as though in a strong box^ blorple - explore object's mystic connections^ caskly - causes perfection^ cleesh - change a creature into a small amphibian^ conbak - build strong bodies 12 different ways^ espnis - causes sleep^ exex - make things move with greater speed^ faift - change appearance to look younger^ * filfre - display gratuitous fireworks^ fizmo - cause stopped-up pipes to unclog^ foblub - glue audience to seats^ fripple - erect a magic barrier around a town^ frotz - cause object to give off light^ fweep - turn caster into bat^ gaspar - resurrect^ * girgol - stops time^ gloth - fold dough 83 times^ gnusto - copies spells into a spellbook^ * golmac - travel temporally^ gondar - extinguish fire"); PrintFormatted("^ grigpo - ??? * guncho - banish someone to another plane of existence^ imali - worsen eyesight^ izyuk - fly^ jindak - detects magic^ krebf - repair willful damage^ * kulcad - dispel a magic spell^ lesoch - cuase gust of wind^ liskon - causes living things to shrink^ lobal - sharpen hearing^ malyon - bring life to inanimate objects^ meef - wilt plants^ melbor - protect magic users from harm by evil beings^ musdex - bodily deformation^ nerzo - balance checkbook^ nitfol - converse with beasts^ nonav - navigation and boat-guiding aid^ onkik - ???^ otsung - erase spell written in book with GNUSTO^ ozmoo - circumvent death^ pulver - dry liquid^ quelbo - ???^ rezrov - opens locked or enchanted objects^ stegaw - turn eggs into ripe guano^ swanzo - exorcise an inhabiting presence^ throck - causes plants to grow^ tinsot - freeze water^ tossio - turn granite to fettucini^ umboz - obviate need for dusting"); PrintFormatted("^ vardik - mind shield^ vaxum - make a hostile creature your friend^ vezza - view future^ yimfil - ???^ yomin - mind probe^ * yonk - augment the power of certain spells^ zifmia - magically summon a being^ zemdor - turn original into triplicate^ zimbor - turn one really big city into lots of tiny, little ashes^ zooka - turn eggs into overripe cabbage^^"); PrintFormatted("{B}Potions{B}^ berzio - obviate need for food and drink^ blort - see in dark places^ fooble - increase muscular coordination^ flaxo - exquisite torture^ ignatz - ???^ knalb - ???^ onbit - ???^ sirano - speak in poetry^ vilstu - obviate need for breathing^ waldoe - ???^"); ]; Menu -> "{I}Appendix E:{I} World Religions"; Item -> -> "Introduction" with description "There are many varied and unique religions in the Great Underground Empire. Some of these are ancient and obscure, while others are simply strange and confusing. The following is a description of the known systems of faith, followed by various rituals of unknown origin."; Item -> -> "Brogmoidism" with description "The followers of the tenets of Brogmoidism believe that ~Thou shalt worship the Great Brogmoid to thine utmost, for upon his shoulder rests the world -- thus he saveth us from plunging into the Great Void.~ Having originated sometime in the fourth century, the belief had lost most of its adherents by the ninth century, when an adventurer was able to visit the underside of the world, and actually witnessed the existence of the Great Brogmoid. Apparently, a similar Brogmoid stands on this world, supposedly supporting a world above us. Unfortunately for Brogmoid faithful, the last known worship site, in Flatheadia, was destroyed in 883. Like many religions, Brogmoidism was exposed to much ridicule, particularly by Zorbius Blattus. For more details, please see the entry on Brogmoids."; Item -> -> "The Accardi Town Temple" with description "In the tenth century certain temples were used for prayer and certain other religious ceremonies. All that is known about these temples and the beliefs of the worshippers within is that those who intruded in a sacriligious violation of the ceremonies would be killed by priests bearing dangerous sacred ornaments."; Item -> -> "Demonism" with description "The followers of the evil Krill who assumed control of Largoneth castle held religious ceremonies in a huge primitive temple. Krill was known to use the altar in the temple as a site for human sacrifice to a hideous statue that represents some unknown demon."; Item -> -> "Implementors" with description "A loyal cult has built up surrounding the ancient legends telling of the creation of the world by these Implementors, who supposedly created this world and others like it as a test for others of their kind. The Implementors, known to reside on the Ethereal Plane of Atrii, do not discourage these rumors that the world was created by them as a plaything, but they do not seem to the overly creative types. On the contrary, these minor deities spend all of their ample free time on costly luncheons where gossip and sweet nectars flow freely. For more information, please see the entry on the Implementors."; Item -> -> "The Land of the Dead" with description [; PrintFormatted("This very strict religious sect centered near the former location of Flatheadia possibly has its origins in a local religion already in existence before Duncanthrax's invasion of the Eastlands. The major tenets of this faith have been written down in a large black book, a sort of Bible, and engraved in the walls of the underground caverns where worship took place. Followers of this religion seem to have been very restricted in what they were free to do. For instance, Commandment #12,592 strictly forbids merely speaking the words, ~Hello Sailor.~ (Interestingly enough, that phrase is the motto of Antharia. Some historians believe that Eastland natives, fearing Duncanthrax's Antharian-based invasion, wrote that particular commandment to prevent the natives from contacting the invaders.)"); PrintFormatted("^^Punishment for this offense, and for trespassing in the temple, the place of worship, was to be sent to the Land of the Dead for eternity. Conveniently enough, the Land of the Dead, also known as Hades, was actually quite close to the temple itself, deep underground. A horrible desolation filled with mangled bodies, Hades was once guarded by evil spirits and wraithes. A daring adventurer was able to perform a powerful ceremony involving certain noises, lights, and prayers called upon an unearthly power to exorcise the spirits."); PrintFormatted("^^Other tenets of this cult include the belief that praying would get rid of small insects, absent-mindedness, and the picking up and dropping of small objects.^^For more information, please see the entry on Hades.^"); ]; Item -> -> "Heaven, Saints, and Angels" with description [; PrintFormatted("If we look at several seemingly unrelated sites around the world, it seems that the last few centuries of the Age of Magic might have seen the development of a monotheistic belief system. The first indication of the existence of this religion is a fresco found in the Fenshire summer castle of the Flatheads. This fresco depicts the death of Duncanthrax in an optimistic light: the first king of the Flathead Dynasty is shown rising to heaven accompanied by a host of angels. This theme is repeated in engravings that mark the tomb of the Twelve Flatheads."); PrintFormatted("^^Another aspect of this specific religion is that particularly holy men were elevated to the status of Saint. Known examples are Saints Balhu, Foobus, Honko, Quakko, Bovus, and Wiskus, all patron saints of various aspects of daily life (see individual entries). Some of these saints were greatly admired by the populace. Saint Foobus for instance had a beautiful shrine in his honor built deep underground. Complete with a stone statue of the saint, this shrine was probably more than Foobus deserved."); PrintFormatted("^^Shrines like this were not the only site of worship for the believers of this faith. At least two churches existed in the last century of the Age of Magic. However, the church in Festeron, Antharia, did not have as faithful a congregation as the church in Thriff. For example, when Thriff was threatened by Christmas Tree Monsters in 966 GUE, the church was filled day and night by believers engaged in silent prayer to their god."); PrintFormatted("^^Services at this church were performed at an altar and led by Cardinal Toolbox. The nature of the rank Cardinal suggests that this religion was governed by an extensive hierarchy, with Cardinal being at or close to the top of a pyramid of people dedicated to serving their god. It should be noted that the nature of this god is still not understood.^"); ]; Item -> -> "The Oracle of Bargth" with description "Previous editions of this publication have described the Oracle of Bargth as a silly little legend. It is now known that deep underground, near the former site of Flatheadia, lies an enormous serpent's head, with a huge mouth hanging open in an expression of insatiable hunger. The Oracle has four glowing eyes, and an enormous ruby in the center of its forehead.^^In earlier days this Oracle offered bits of wisdom to believers, and even today those who command the power of Bargth can be transported to either Fublio Valley, Antharia, the Frigid River Delta, or the Gray Mountains."; Item -> -> "The Inquisition" with description "The Inquisition was a crackpot religious sect that briefly flourished and died in 883 GUE. Centered in Port Foozle and several other sites around the world, the followers of this sect believed that the impending doom of the Curse of Megaboz was caused by widespread sinning, and the only way to appease the gods was to execute every person in the Empire. For obvious reasons, the Inquisition never enjoyed a widespread popularity. To this day it is not known how many people lost their lives to this horrible cult. Oddly enough, the vicious executioners in Foozle did allow the victims one final wish. If the wish could not be granted, the person was beheaded. If the wish could be granted, it was, and the person was subsequently hanged."; Item -> -> "Rodent/Serpent Worship" with description "The ruins of an age-old castle in the Eastlands are home to one of the strangest discoveries of our time. Deep inside this castle lies a ruined temple to a forgotten god. Black basalt pillars line the way to a tall basalt idol in the form of a huge rodent. This idol, about twenty feet tall, has sharp fangs and one staring opalescent eye. Chroniclers of magic have noted that this crudely carved idol was the hiding place for one of the Cubes of Foundation.^^This idol might have also been the object of animal sacrifices fed to a temple snake. An interesting facet of this religion is that the temple snake was too well fed. Its pride grew, and in declaring itself the greatest of snakes, it was forced to swallow its own tail in mimicry of the true master of serpents."; Item -> -> "Unrelated Fragments" with description [; PrintFormatted("There are many random relics and assorted historical notes that hint at the existence of complete religions that remain unknown to us. What follows is a list of these fragments."); PrintFormatted("^^1) The 883 GUE edition of this Encyclopedia, in the entry on the Four Fantastic Flies of Famathria, mentions a flyswatter as a ceremonial object from circa 671 GUE."); PrintFormatted("^^2) Fublio Valley, home to dozens of enchanters, is the site of a cairn, or rock pile, of mysterious magical or religious significance."); PrintFormatted("^^3) Lord Nimbus is the unsympathetic God of Rain described in the platypus Legend of Wishbringer."); PrintFormatted("^^4) Idolism: The Miznia Jungle in the Westlands is the location of a stone idol, carved in the likeness of a giant crocodile. This monstrous idol is approximately the size and shape of a subway train, not counting the limbs and tail. The maw hangs wide open, its lower jaw touching the ground to form an inclined walkway lined with rows of stone teeth. Attempting to traverse this walkway will cause the mouth to close, leaving the victim inside the idol, without an exit. There are two possible explanations for the existence of the idol. It could have been a sacrificial tool to an ancient god, or, according to an old legend, it could have been built by the evil Y'Syska as a trap to guard the Crocodile's Tear, which rested on the idol until 966 GUE."); PrintFormatted("^^5) Flatheadia: None of the Flatheads were particularly religious, but that did not stop Dimwit from building the largest chapel in all of Quendor. Our researchers have not yet been able to discover exactly what the faithful at this chapel were supposed to be worshipping.^"); ];