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Indexing tasks...Shards of Memory



And then I was awake. It didn't happen gradually, with a slow realisation of my whereabouts coming to the fore, but suddenly, as if I had been pummelled into consciousness.

I came awake: coughing, spluttering, gasping. My heart thundered in my chest. My eyes felt like needles had been driven into them. My head My God! My head! It hurts with the fires of hell and damnation itself. I feel it will EXPLODE

I'm calmer now. More collected. I feel weak but more in touch with my whereabouts than I was before. And where am I?

A beach. To one side a pale sea, to the other a forest of choking trees. The beach extends away from me, dizzying into the distance. I am alone. I am utterly, utterly alone.
...press a key...
If this is the first time you have played this game, the command "remember" can be used at various intervals to reveal clues as to your past.
...press a key...

Intro
But before my adventure begins, one question: am I male or female?

   1)  Male
   2)  Female

 1
Male I am.
...press a key...
  
Beach
Stretching away north and south, the beach is equally featureless in both directions. West lies a pale expanse of sea; east a choking forest. Footprints in the sand lead from where I awoke to the northern extremity of the beach. A cool wind blows from the sea, chilling me to the bone.

 e
As I leave the beach, I hear an almighty groan. Turning, I see the sand heave upwards where I awoke as something huge rises to the surface. I catch sight of a gaping maw... and then I am running as fast as I can towards the trees.
...press a key...
I plunge into the forest, the branches whipping my naked body as I force my way past them. At my back I hear a thunderous crash as a tree trunk is thrown to one side as easily as if it were a twig. The behemoth, or whatever the beast that awoke on the beach as I left, is pursuing me. It moves slowly, but whereas I am forced to duck around the trees that block my path, and leap over the ones that have fallen, this thing is able to merely swat them aside with fists as large and powerful as battering rams. And, too, I feel weariness creeping over me. I know I cannot flee for much longer. The beast will soon catch me and then-
...press a key...
And then I am falling, the ground giving way beneath my feet and hurling me downwards into the shadows. I have no time to try and cushion my fall and the wind is knocked from my lungs as I slam into the ground below.
...press a key...
  
Pit
The pit is little more than ten feet in diameter, the walls made of hard-packed earth that is faintly damp to the touch. It is cold down here, the wind somehow finding its way along the long tunnel above and blowing lightly across the rubble-strewn floor. The top of the pit is lost in shadow but I am sure it cannot be too far up there; after all, I survived the fall did I not? I fail to find an exit aside from the one I entered the pit by.

 x floor
The floor of the pit contains several skeletons, perhaps of animals that fell from above and died in the fall (or, worse, that fell down and were unable to escape. A worrying thought in my current predicament.) As well as these grisly reminders of my own mortality, there are broken pieces of rock. One I take with me, figuring that the sharp edge will be a serviceable weapon if the need arises.  

 wait
Time passes...

 wait
Time passes...


As my eyes adjust to the dim light in the pit, I realise that it is not as dark as it should be. I can see no source of light and yet I can see. Doubtless I would be amazed at this strange occurrence if not for the gravity of the situation.

 wait
Time passes...

 wait
Time passes...

 wait
Time passes...


Somewhere, perhaps to my east, I hear the sound of footfalls as someone moves about. Strange. All I see that way is the featureless wall of the pit.

 smash east wall with flint
Raising the flint, I bring it slamming down onto the east wall with all my strength. My first blow has little noticeable effect, but my second punches a hole in the wall large enough to put my fist through. Invigorated by my success, I slam the flint down a third, fourth, fifth time, and the wall crumbles to dust before me.
...press a key...
Before I can move through the opening I have created, I notice a figure standing in the shadows beyond. As I watch, the figure takes a step towards me and raises something. Light flashes. A shocking pain tears through me. And then, once more, I feel myself losing consciousness.
...press a key...
I drift through varying stages of unconsciousness. At times I seem wholly out of it; at others I can hear voices, whispering a name; at one point someone cries out in unbearable pain; at another I hear a roar, as of something huge (the behemoth from the beach perhaps?) destroying things in its rage; but most of the time I hear nothing.

Gradually, consciousness returns
...press a key...
  

I am at the side of a road, actually little more than a dirt path running from one horizon to the next. At its northern extremity I see a walled fortress; seen from this distance, little is visible of it aside from its sheer size. Southwards, the path leads into a shadowy wood while eastwards extends an open plain. Something about the trees unsettles me. They emanate a feeling of menace.
   Lying at my feet I see several items.

 n
I move north.

Before the Fortress
The fortress looms before me, its spires reaching into the darkening sky like clutching fingers. Its size is daunting and I stare, awestruck, at it before telling myself I have more pressing business here than sightseeing. Before me to the north is the entrance to the fortress - a portcullis of gigantic dimensions - flanked on either side by stone figures wielding swords as tall as trees. The wasteland lies at my back, to the south.

 n
I step forward into the shadows of the portcullis - and, instantly, I find myself surrounded. Figures, cloaked and masked, emerge from the shadows. I hesitate, wondering if perhaps I should turn and attempt to flee, but the figures merely stand there. They are frightful in appearance but do not seem hostile. For now at least...
   "You come unarmed?" queries one of the figures. "Is that wise?"
   "Let him pass," says another. "Without a weapon he is no threat."
   The figures step aside. The route into the city is open to me.
...press a key...
  
Cadmina Square
I stand at one edge of a paved square by a fountain. Tall buildings, lifeless structures of stone, are arrayed around the outskirts of the square; all are dark. If they are inhabited, I am unable to see their inhabitants. Away from the square, cobbled roads lead both east and west; to the east stands a fortress, one that bears a distinct similarity to the one I saw from the wasteland outside when I first awoke. Morose figures clad in dark robes and appearing ghostlike wander back and forth across the square in small groups.

 w
I move west.

Ackor Junction
Several roads meet here: a wide, open plaza with several stalls erected where hawkers are selling their wares in loud, roaring voices. Each seem to vie with the others for the largest audience. Overlooking all this chaos and confusion is a tower of jet black stone which rises high into the sky. A light shines from the top of the tower - similar in manner to lighthouses - but red in colour. There does not appear to be a door leading inside.
   Roads leads off to the southwest and east.

 sw
I move southwest.

Vandamma's Plaza
Despite the grandiose name, Vandamma's Plaza is actually just a small strip of baked earth before a temple to the south. Several men in the robes of priests - cheap dyed cloth for the most part with no thought given to keeping the wearer warm - stand before the entrance to the temple; perhaps guards? The road I followed to reach the Plaza heads back to the northeast.

 in
I move in.
  
Temple of Vandamma
The main hall of the temple is a bleak affair: bare walls, dusty floor, cracked ceiling. Statues of the Blessed One - Vandamma - lie in various stages of completion around the room as if the sculpture was interrupted before he could finish even one of them. A row of pews lead back from a central podium; atop this, rather than a place for the priest to stand during sermons, is a mask some seven feet tall. Smaller masks, all built on a similar design, litter the floor. A door leads out.  Father Marhon stands by the podium, regarding me with wary eyes.  
   "A visitor?" murmurs Father Marhon, his eyes looking at mine. "Ah, greetings, child. I get so few" he considers the word " visitors these days. Well, well. Come to worship at the Mask of Vandamma, have you?"
   "I-"
   "Bah!" He waves a hand in dismissal. "Go! Leave me be. No one ever comes to the temple of Vandamma anymore."

 talk to marhon
"You think I have the time to waste on you?" sneers Marhon. "Bah! Ask your questions, fool. But expect no answers from me."

   1: "Tell me about Vandamma."
   2: "I want to join the church of Vandamma."

 2
Marhon snorts. "You? What reason could you have for wanting to join the church of Vandamma? It's a joke. Only fools care about religion these days. Fools and madmen. Are you a fool and a madman?" He looks away, curses under his breath for a few seconds. "Leave me be, fool. Leave be me, madman."

 talk to marhon
"Again you bother me. What is it time this?"

   1: "Tell me about Vandamma."
   2: "I want to join the church of Vandamma."

 2
"You're determined, I'll give you that," says Marhon. "Fine. You want to join the most holy glorious church of Vandamma and be inducted into the Celestial Legion? So be it. You'll need to pass a little 'induction' test beforehand. You see the worshippers outside? Failures the lot of them. You'll end up like that if you fail. Still interested? Find the Cult of Shadows and steal from it the deacon's staff."
   "And that qualifies me to join your church?" I ask, somewhat confused by the request.
   Marhon shrugs. "You want in? That's what you do. Doesn't bother me either way."

 out
I move out.

Vandamma's Plaza
Despite the grandiose name, Vandamma's Plaza is actually just a small strip of baked earth before a temple to the south. Several men in the robes of priests - cheap dyed cloth for the most part with no thought given to keeping the wearer warm - stand before the entrance to the temple; perhaps guards? The road I followed to reach the Plaza heads back to the northeast.

 ne
I move northeast.

Ackor Junction
Several roads meet here: a wide, open plaza with several stalls erected where hawkers are selling their wares in loud, roaring voices. Each seem to vie with the others for the largest audience. Overlooking all this chaos and confusion is a tower of jet black stone which rises high into the sky. A light shines from the top of the tower - similar in manner to lighthouses - but red in colour. There does not appear to be a door leading inside.
   Roads leads off to the southwest and east.

 e
I move east.

Cadmina Square
I stand at one edge of a paved square by a fountain. Tall buildings, lifeless structures of stone, are arrayed around the outskirts of the square; all are dark. If they are inhabited, I am unable to see their inhabitants. Away from the square, cobbled roads lead both east and west; to the east stands a fortress, one that bears a distinct similarity to the one I saw from the wasteland outside when I first awoke. Morose figures clad in dark robes and appearing ghostlike wander back and forth across the square in small groups.

 in
I move in.

Building
I find myself in a perfectly circular room, the walls curved in a such a way as to reflect the maximum amount of light back to the glowing sphere in the centre. Several figures, robed in black, congregate around the outskirts of the room, their chanting lending an air of the surreal to the proceedings. A doorway in one wall leads out. There appears to be nothing else in the building.

 pray
The idea to pray suddenly occurs to me and I sink to one knee, my chanting joining that of the other figures. For a few seconds we chant together, then, one by one, the other figures cease their chanting until only I continue. One raises his hand and I stop.
   "You observe our rituals, stranger," says the man. "We are pleased at this. It is seldom others of this world have time for our ways."
   "I-" I start to say but the man cuts me off.
   "We know why you are here. The heretic - the one you call Marhon - has bid you visit us and steal the deacon's staff, the item which allows access to the Nether Plane."
   I see little point in denying this. The man clearly knows it to be the truth.
   I nod.
   "So be it, the staff is yours." The man gestures and one of the other figures steps forward and hands me a staff of black steel. Surprised I take it, noticing as I do that it is perfectly balanced for combat. "Go now. Give our 'gift' to the heretic."
   I leave.
...press a key...
  
Cadmina Square
I stand at one edge of a paved square by a fountain. Tall buildings, lifeless structures of stone, are arrayed around the outskirts of the square; all are dark. If they are inhabited, I am unable to see their inhabitants. Away from the square, cobbled roads lead both east and west; to the east stands a fortress, one that bears a distinct similarity to the one I saw from the wasteland outside when I first awoke. Morose figures clad in dark robes and appearing ghostlike wander back and forth across the square in small groups.

 sw
I fail to find an exit in that direction. However, I can go east, west and in.

 w
I move west.

Ackor Junction
Several roads meet here: a wide, open plaza with several stalls erected where hawkers are selling their wares in loud, roaring voices. Each seem to vie with the others for the largest audience. Overlooking all this chaos and confusion is a tower of jet black stone which rises high into the sky. A light shines from the top of the tower - similar in manner to lighthouses - but red in colour. There does not appear to be a door leading inside.
   Roads leads off to the southwest and east.

 sw
I move southwest.

Vandamma's Plaza
Despite the grandiose name, Vandamma's Plaza is actually just a small strip of baked earth before a temple to the south. Several men in the robes of priests - cheap dyed cloth for the most part with no thought given to keeping the wearer warm - stand before the entrance to the temple; perhaps guards? The road I followed to reach the Plaza heads back to the northeast.

 in
I move in.

Temple of Vandamma
The main hall of the temple is a bleak affair: bare walls, dusty floor, cracked ceiling. Statues of the Blessed One - Vandamma - lie in various stages of completion around the room as if the sculpture was interrupted before he could finish even one of them. A row of pews lead back from a central podium; atop this, rather than a place for the priest to stand during sermons, is a mask some seven feet tall. Smaller masks, all built on a similar design, litter the floor. A door leads out.  Father Marhon stands by the podium, regarding me with wary eyes.

 talk to marhon
His eyes brighten. "Ah, I see you have the staff! Give it to me, child, and I shall initiate you into the worship of Vandamma Himself."

   1: Give the staff to Marhon.
   2: Refuse.
   3: Warn him of the deacon's words.

 3
"A trap, is it?" Marhon peers at the staff. His former elation upon seeing I carried it fades. "Ah," he says. "I see. Very cunning of them. This isn't the staff at all, but merely one ensorcelled to appear so. Try to unlock its power..." He shakes his head. "And death becomes your companion. Cunning indeed. I hadn't thought the Cult to use such methods." He turns away. "Take it and go. I have no use for it."
   I stand where I am. "You promised a reward if I fetched you this."
   "I promised a reward for the deacon's staff, not that fool's gold," Marhon retorts. "That is worthless! It is nothing..." He shakes his head again. "Ah, but why not make you an Initiate of Vandamma? Why not indeed? Few would even care for such a title these days and here I have one who asks for it." Marhon chuckles. "So be it, stranger. I shall make you what you want, and all the untold benefits that come with it."
...press a key...
Before I can do anything, Marhon whispers a few words that I cannot understand and a sickening force hits me, knocking me several feet and leaving me winded, gasping, unsure of what has just occurred.
   "It is done," Marhon says. "You are now an Initiate of Vandamma, a God either dead or forgotten. I hope you are pleased with yourself."

 out
I move out.

Vandamma's Plaza
Despite the grandiose name, Vandamma's Plaza is actually just a small strip of baked earth before a temple to the south. Several men in the robes of priests - cheap dyed cloth for the most part with no thought given to keeping the wearer warm - stand before the entrance to the temple; perhaps guards? The road I followed to reach the Plaza heads back to the northeast.

 ne
I move northeast.

Ackor Junction
Several roads meet here: a wide, open plaza with several stalls erected where hawkers are selling their wares in loud, roaring voices. Each seem to vie with the others for the largest audience. Overlooking all this chaos and confusion is a tower of jet black stone which rises high into the sky. A light shines from the top of the tower - similar in manner to lighthouses - but red in colour. There does not appear to be a door leading inside.
   Roads leads off to the southwest and east.

 e
I move east.

Cadmina Square
I stand at one edge of a paved square by a fountain. Tall buildings, lifeless structures of stone, are arrayed around the outskirts of the square; all are dark. If they are inhabited, I am unable to see their inhabitants. Away from the square, cobbled roads lead both east and west; to the east stands a fortress, one that bears a distinct similarity to the one I saw from the wasteland outside when I first awoke. Morose figures clad in dark robes and appearing ghostlike wander back and forth across the square in small groups.

 e
I move east.

Vulharen Way
I stand in the shadows of a fortress which occupies most of the skyline. Gargantuan as the structure is, I find my attention drawn more to the building off to one side of it; a small, squat structure constructed from blocks of blue-veined stone. Something about it - I cannot say what - strikes me as very relevant in a way the fortress itself does not. A guard stands in the shadows of the fortress.
   The fortress lies east, the small structure north and Cadmina Square west.

 n
I move north.
A sheltered courtyard surrounds me; at its centre a fountain, cloaked in shadow, with cool water pouring from the stone mouth of a nymph. A darkened doorway in the far wall of the courtyard leads inside though little of the interior is visible.
   As I step into the courtyard, I feel a cool breeze rise out of nowhere, stirring the leaves which litter the ground. When the wind dies down, I am not alone.
   "Greetings, First of Tempest," says the central of the three robed figures. "You have returned."
...press a key...
The following hours contain many revelations, some welcome, some not. Secrets are revealed to me - of my past, my very being - yet, frustratingly, others are kept from me. Like sweets from the grasp of a small child.
   "We can tell you only what you need to know," Gadrin says at one point. He was the one who spoke to me in the courtyard. I remember him, though not well. We were friends, I believe, many moons ago. "Nothing more is allowed."
   I raise an eyebrow. "Allowed? By whom?"
   "By you," is Gadrin's strange response, and on the subject of this he will say no more. But I discover some useful information from him all the same.
...press a key...
  My name is Tyrone Asmerian and I am the First of Tempest (First is my title as the elite of the warrior forces of the God of War, Tempest). I have strived for many years to hold back the tide of an invasion from the goblin hordes of the east, acting as field commander of the armies of Tempest and also as tactician to His Majesty, King Hedron IV. The war was going well - to a point. That point changed when the old goblin king, Padrek the Bold, was slain and a new king, known only as Sithian, came to the throne.
   "Sithian is unlike most goblins," says Gadrin. "He possesses intelligence far beyond that of any other goblin. And he dabbles in the dark arts of necromancy besides. They say he has raised an army of the dead to fight for him and this army is unstoppable - for who can stand against those who are already dead?"
...press a key...
Clearly a plan was needed. I devised it myself: a strike into the very heart of the goblin empire, an assassination attempt to rid the goblins of their new leader. I would perform the deed myself, accompanied by the Second and Third of Tempest - Golodon and Shimeera respectively. We would take ship at Narborian Harbour and travel from there to the neutral city of Pashang whereupon we would make our way to the goblin fortress city of Grimhold and there
   "But something went wrong," says Gadrin. "We heard the ship was sank and you were slain. We despaired."
   "The ship did sink," I say. The details are still hazy in my mind but I am sure that is indeed what happened. "But I am back now. Fill me in on what has happened in my absence, Gadrin. I have a war to fight."  
...press a key...
The war has turned badly against the forces of King Hedron IV since the arrival of Sithian on the scene. The goblins win more battles than not and even when they are defeated, it is at great loss. And their numbers seem limitless. Gradually, we are being beaten back, our eastern domains now in goblin hands and our armies being forced to give ground every day. Many months still remain until the King's capital at Drakesmore will be under threat but it is a telling sign of the goblin victories over our forces that plans are even now underway to evacuate the royal family to the mountains, an occurrence unheard of in recorded history.
   "But now that you are back," says Gadrin, a light in his eyes. "We shall see how long the goblins withstand us now."  
...press a key...
The next morning, Gadrin leads me to the armoury where I retrieve my weapons: the Blade of Ashes (my enchanted long sword); a suit of plate armour magically enhanced to be as light as simple robes.
   "Now you are ready," says Gadrin.  
...press a key...
And then I am out in the streets again, the memory of how I arrived here a rapidly fading blur. I struggle to recall my parting with Gadrin but I cannot. The memory is gone.
...press a key...
  
Vulharen Way
I stand in the shadows of a fortress which occupies most of the skyline. Gargantuan as the structure is, I find my attention drawn more to the building off to one side of it; a small, squat structure constructed from blocks of blue-veined stone. Something about it - I cannot say what - strikes me as very relevant in a way the fortress itself does not. A guard stands in the shadows of the fortress.
   The fortress lies east, the small structure north and Cadmina Square west.

 e
The guard's eyes go wide. He takes a step back and bows before me.
   "Milord!" he cries. "You have returned!"
   Stunned, I wonder what to say. But it seems words are not necessary. The guard takes a whistle out of his tunic and blows it. A few seconds later a page boy emerges from the fortress. A few whispered words pass between the two.
   Then the guard turns to me. "Milord, allow Mital to show you to your chambers. Your return is welcome indeed."
...press a key...
  
My Chambers
The chambers I have been assigned are simple but comfortable: a bed, a table and chair; one wall contains an opening showing a garden below full of flowers and tall trees. The south wall holds an open door, a flight of steps beyond.

 s
Hall of Knowledge
A lengthy area comprises the Hall of Knowledge. The seats of three people stand in the direct centre of the Hall; beyond, shadows encroach and render the rest of the Hall a murk through which I am unable to discern any kind of detail. Torches flicker in the depths of the murk, but who carries them, or what, is something I cannot see.  

"It is good to have you back, Master Asmerian," says Highlord Vaskel. "We had feared the worse."
   "We had feared you dead," says Highlord Morrakin. "Lost to us."
   "But here you are," says Highlady Ilona. "Apparently unscathed."
   My head spins. These three are familiar, and yet, at the same time, unfamiliar. I have met them before although something is affecting my memories and I cannot recall where.
   "You seem confused," says Highlord Vaskel. "Good. Everything goes according to plan."
   "Plan?" I say, my thoughts spinning.
   "But of course," says Highlady Ilona. "For how else would you breach the Fortress of the Demon and slay the evil that lurks within?"
...press a key...

   "Not even the First of Tempest could fight his way into such a place," says Highlord Morrakin. "But a disguise, a clouding of the mind, and perhaps such a thing could be achieved."
   I shake my head. None of this makes sense. I try to say that but the words remain unspoken.
   "We have kept it for you, milord," says Highlord Vaskel. "Awaiting your return."
   "It?"
   "The Lightstone," says Highlord Morrakin. "Here is where you placed it, milord."
   I look past them and see a pedestal; resting atop this pedestal is a glowing orb, perhaps the size of my hand.
   "Take it," urges Highlady Ilona. "And venture into the depths of the Forest of the Lost."
   "Retrieve the Grimm from the Lost," says Highlord Vaskel. "Use it against the Demon."
   Without even thinking, I step forward and my hand reaches out. I take the Lightstone.
   At once I am elsewhere
...press a key...
  
Road
I am at the side of a road, actually little more than a dirt path running from one horizon to the next. At its northern extremity I see a walled fortress; seen from this distance, little is visible of it aside from its sheer size. Southwards, the path leads into a shadowy wood while eastwards extends an open plain. Something about the trees unsettles me. They emanate a feeling of menace.   A sword, a leather jerkin and a red coin lie by my feet.  

So I have returned here again, to the place I awoke at following my hurried flight from the behemoth. The city to the north appears the same as before and yet I sense that something about it - something indefinable - has changed; the walls seem more worn than before, as if many years have passed since last I ventured there.
   I shake my head. Confusion reigns. Since I awoke on the beach, oh so very long ago, my life has changed so many times I feel I cannot keep track of the many changes.
   Am I really Tyrone Asmerian, the First of Tempest?
   The name certainly rings a bell deep in my mind, yet at the same time I sense that I am not he. That I am someone else. The details are vague, foggy, muddled; deliberately so I suspect.
...press a key...
But one thing remains clear throughout. In the lands of the east, an enemy awaits me. An enemy who lurks within the Fortress of the Demon. There, perhaps, I shall have some of the answers I seek.

 s
I... am not sure that is a wise course of action. Something about the trees stir echoes in my memory, echoes that speak of fell things best forgotten.
   The revelation leaves me shaken but I fear that to enter the forest would be a bad idea indeed.

 s
I move south.
It is as if I have stepped into another world: the forest is eerily silent. I can hear nothing aside from my own breathing and the thudding of my heart in my chest. No animals call out. The trees I see before me appear dead, their bark a black, decayed colour. Thick sap oozes from many of the trees like festering wounds. Path to the southeast and southwest lead deeper into the forest while the outside world lies invitingly to the north.
   As I stand there, unsure of which path I should take, I hear something move in the undergrowth off to one side. Turning I see
   Something which has stepped straight from realms of nightmare. A corpse with a festering wound in the side of its head crouches atop a fallen tree, a bloodied, gore-stained mace gripped in its cold, dead hands.
   "Fool to trespass in the domain of the Lost" it breathes. At my back I hear others moving but am unable to withdraw my eyes from the being before me. "Death shall be your punishment"
...press a key...
The thing, whatever it is, lunges at me, its clawed hands reaching for my throat - and then, without warning, it is sent crashing back as if it had hit an invisible barrier. I feel the Lightstone hum with power in my hand and instinctively I raise it high. The corpses closing in around me hiss with pain as the holy power of the Lightstone sears their dead flesh. Several explode as the light washes across them; others try to flee but fall in burning fragments to the forest floor; a few - those furthest away from me at the time - flee into the depths of the forest, their limbs aflame.
   I flee myself, taking this opportunity to escape the clutches of the undead who have survived the Lightstone's attack. I plunge into the forest, my footfalls sounding loud to my ears, but the screams of the undead are louder still...
...press a key...
  
Outside Crypt
A stone building, ancient and fallen into ruin, lies before me. Partly hidden by the encroaching trees, the building looks to be some kind of crypt though the design is not one I am familiar with. Screaming, inhuman faces are carved into the door of the crypt; their expressions speak of unbearable torment. Westward lies the path I approached this place by while a doorway leads inside.

 in
Steeling my nerves, I step inside the crypt.


Crypt
I find the inside of the crypt surprisingly empty. I had expected coffins, perhaps containing the remnants of those interred here long ago. Maybe urns carrying ashes. But I see nothing of the sort. No coffins, no urns. No mouldering corpses.
   Instead an empty room presents itself to me; a tapestry, smothered with cobwebs, adorns one wall; the floor is dusty and clearly no one has set foot here in a long, long time.

 x tapestry
It depicts a scene of battle; figures, some wearing armour, others wreathed in shadow, fight at the edge of a vast chasm; a fortress looms massively in the background; watching over this is a shadowy face, one inhuman in appearance. As I stare at it, my attention becomes drawn to its eyes, pits of burning fire, in which lurks a malevolent intelligence. And more besides. Much more
   And then, shockingly, the thing turns its head and looks at me!
...press a key...
  A harsh voice roars at me: "Asmerian - you LIVE!"
   I stagger back, the force of its voice striking me a blow akin to a hammer.
   "I had thought you ashes, Asmerian," the voice continues, emanating from the shadowy face in the tapestry. A cowl obscures the thing's features yet I experience a jolt of surprise that it looks familiar. "I had thought you long since departed this realm. I regretted your death for I had longed to slay you myself. Well, well, now we shall have a reckoning shall we not, First of Tempest? Here is my Chosen. I trust your meeting shall be a brief one."
   The face fades back into the tapestry and I become aware of a presence in the crypt. Turning, I see the floor buckling as something forces its way out of the ground.

 throw lightstone at demon
Remembering what effect the Lightstone had on the undead in the forest outside the crypt, I raise it high and hurl it at the beast just as it bursts free from the floor. The Lightstone disappears into the thing's maw as it swallows my offering whole - then the beast convulses, roaring in mindless rage and agony; ichor erupts from its many eyes; blinding light burns holes in its carapace; the thing roars once more then retreats into the floor, leaving burning parts of its body behind...

Lying on the ground where it fled I see a sphere about the size of my hand. It is dark in colour yet seems to emit a kind of light. Knowing this to be the Grimm I was told to fetch, I quickly take it and retreat from the crypt, never looking back.
...press a key...
  
Desolate Plain
A desolate plain stretches for many miles around me. While all directions are theoretically open to me, the north is blocked by large mountains, the south by an impassable swamp; only east and west are viable. Lying on the western horizon is a city while to the east the plain stretches on and on.  

 e
I move east.

Rocky Ground
The ground rises here as a range of mountains break the eastern horizon into fragments. All about the land is desolate and bleak with nothing growing for as far as the eye can see. The path I follow leads eastwards into the mountains to where a large gate has been constructed which blocks off all movement further that way.  

 e
I move east.
I stand before a gate which has been built in this narrow mountain pass, completely blocking off the way further eastwards. Several figures stand around the gate, grotesque inhuman creatures wearing scraps of armour and carrying rusty, pitted weapons. Their eyes follow me and they look unfriendly in the extreme. A doorway has been built into the gate but this is closed, no doubt fastened from the other side. The mountains hereabouts look unclimbable.  

"Ho, traveller," calls a voice.
   I turn to see a man with a hideous scar across his face limping towards me. He carries a gore-stained axe and his armour, though battered, looks perfectly capable of fending off powerful blows.
   "Who approaches the black gate on this fair day, traveller?" he calls. "I am called Aldorik. I would know your name."

   1: "My name is my own concern."
   2: Tell him.  

 2
Aldorik's eyes open wide in surprise. "Tyrone Asmerian, eh? The First of Tempest. And what say you, First of Tempest, if I were to tell you that the gate is closed to all who approach it from the west?"
   "I would say you are a brave man to tell the First of Tempest anything of the sort."
   Aldorik laughs. "Indeed, indeed. And I'm not a brave man. Open the gates!" he cries. "Pass through, warrior. I have better things to do than die here at your hand."
   I step through the gate.  
...press a key...
I emerge on the far side of the gate - and find myself in the heart of the Darkhaven Mountains. My memory returns slightly as I catch sight of the impressive peak of Mount Vhulholm where, it is said, the last of the elder Dragons has its home. A place few venture near to for fear of disturbing the slumbering creature, it is also reputed to be a treasure trove of items, both magical and otherwise from the fall of the Kaldrin Empire. Another time I would perhaps have liked to climb up there and see if the rumours are true. But now I have other business to attend to.
   My path lies east.
...press a key...
As I make my way gradually east, I pass several villages where rumours of war are ever present. An army of goblins has arisen and attacked the city of Vengmeer, an old man informs me. With them are a horde of creatures no one has seen the like of before: tall, spindly, clad in robes that mask their true appearance, yet they move with frightening speed and ferocity and normal weapons seem unable to leave a mark on them. Demons, I think. My memories are troubled. I see a chamber where I believe I was imprisoned, and my captor - a ghastly inhuman being with eyes like pits of fire - looming over me, telling me of the plan it had formed
   Disturbed, I leave the village and continue eastwards.
...press a key...
Signs of war are apparent the further eastwards I venture. The roads are thronged with fleeing refugees, some seemingly carrying their entire belongings in huge rucksacks on their backs. All seem almost dead on their feet, putting one foot before the other in a weary procession; casting frightened glances backwards as if they expect to be attacked again at any moment. A rumour reaches me as I survey the refugees. The city of Goloron, Gem of the North, has been attacked and the goblin army dwells there. It would seem fate has brought the enemy leader to within several days travel of where I currently am, and not several weeks.
   It is here I find myself. The road leads both east and west but the west I have already been. From the east trek a stream of refugees, weary and stumbling with exhaustion. A few amongst them look to be soldiers, their uniforms torn and bloodied, their weapons broken; pain and depression wracks their faces.  

 e
The road I have been following reaches an end ahead of me, at the gates of the ruined city of Goloron. Once this fortified town was known as the Gem of the North, but now it has fallen into chaos. The cries of ravening bands of goblins - and worse - can be heard from within and, from time to time, the screams of captured citizens rise above them. I shudder to think what it is occurring within but it is not hard to guess at the cause of the screams.
   Determined, I enter the walled city.
...press a key...
  
City Of Goloron
The rest of your adventure takes a slightly different turn from what has gone previously. Before you lie a list of destinations you can travel to in the ruined city of Goloron. Type the number of your choice to travel where you wish.

(1)  Royal Park
(2)  Metricles Harbour
(3)  Duke Faraaz's Palace
(4)  Houses Of Law
(5)  Gungador Prison
(6)  The Mage Halls  

 2
Metricles Harbour
The harbour named after one of the city founders (the others being Goloron and Gungador) is a smouldering ruin. The corpses of city soldiers and goblins lie smouldering on the ground while in the water itself float the ruins of dozens of ships. Flames still lick at a large building close to the water's edge, perhaps the harbour-master's fort. I see not a living soul anywhere. The harbour-master's fort is in while out leads to the map.  

 in
I move in.
  
Harbour-Master's Fort
Several piles of books and scrolls have been set alight in the middle of the main room of the fort, the pungent odour they emit filling the whole building with eye-watering smoke. A battle has recently taken place here: the corpses of goblins and the harbour-master's guards lie on the floor amidst a pile of broken weapons, the smell of spilt blood adding to the unpleasant stench. A doorway leads out to the harbour.  

The moment I step into the fort, a movement in the shadows catches my eye and I throw myself to one side as a squat, darkly-dressed figure strikes at my head with a length of fallen timber. The blow narrowly misses, the timber smashing itself against a fire-scorched wall, and the figure throws it down before fleeing past me, through the door and out into the harbour.  

 out
I move out.
  
Metricles Harbour
The harbour named after one of the city founders (the others being Goloron and Gungador) is a smouldering ruin. The corpses of city soldiers and goblins lie smouldering on the ground while in the water itself float the ruins of dozens of ships. Flames still lick at a large building close to the water's edge, perhaps the harbour-master's fort. I see not a living soul anywhere. The harbour-master's fort is in while out leads to the map.  

I see no sign of the figure who attacked me in the harbour-master's fort. Clearly he - or she (or it) - has long since fled. I will endeavour to be on my guard from now on.  

 out
City Of Goloron
The rest of your adventure takes a slightly different turn from what has gone previously. Before you lie a list of destinations you can travel to in the ruined city of Goloron. Type the number of your choice to travel where you wish.

(1)  Royal Park
(2)  Metricles Harbour
(3)  Duke Faraaz's Palace
(4)  Houses Of Law
(5)  Gungador Prison
(6)  The Mage Halls  

 1
Royal Park
Goloron Park - often called the Royal Park due to a statue of the king in the centre - occupies a few square miles on the southern edge of the city. In truth, it is not so much a park as an area of wildland within the city walls which the authorities maintain. Paths lead through it to the south, southeast and northeast, while out leads back to the map of the city.  

 kneel
I kneel. Strangely, nothing happens.
   The statue's right hand is barely an inch from my face, the palm outstretched as if to receive a gift.  

 kiss hand
I lean forward and press the cold stone of the statue's hand. For a brief moment, nothing seems to occur. Then, shockingly, the statue's eyes open!
   (Ah, the First of Tempest,) speaks a voice in my mind. (You have returned to the city in its time of greatest peril.)
   I stumble back, my own eyes looking at those of the statue. They look almost human. "Who"
   (Call me Hedron IV if you will,) says/thinks the statue. (It will suffice for the time being although the current form you see before you is more the work of my chief wizard, Tardrin, than any of my own doing. But, listen, my champion, there is much you must know.
...press a key...

   (A great evil has come to the city, a demon of fire and darkness known only as the Fallen. The goblins you see in the city believe they fight a war for their ruler, Sithian, unknowing who Sithian really is.)
   "I had heard the Fallen was trapped in its fortress prison," I say.
   (It is. Only a portion of its intelligence resides in the goblin king, all that it was able to squeeze through the barrier encircling its prison, but that portion is more than enough for it to control Sithian like some form of puppet. It has manipulated him into doing its bidding and if any of his subjects suspect there is something wrong, the Fallen destroys them utterly.
...press a key...

   (It has come to the city of Goloron for one purpose and one purpose alone. Beneath the palace of Duke Faraaz, there lies a gateway to a dimension of devils and demons known as Toronon. In Toronon, is enslaved a race of nomadic people called the Hellborn who have the knowledge to shatter magic, whatever form that magic may take. Their very presence alone is enough to unravel even the mightiest of spells and no form of protection exists against them. If freed, they would bring down the walls of the Fallen's prison in minutes.)
   "And the demon would be free"
...press a key...

   It must be my imagination but the statue seems to nod ever so slightly. (That is why it has come here. The city itself it does not care for and doubtless the goblin armies will be destroyed shortly when my forces - even now on their way from all the neighbouring cities - converge here. But we cannot wait for that to happen. The first of the armies will not be here for many days and even then it will not be a swift task to retake the city from their hands. The Fallen is now in the palace seeking entrance to the gateway. It must be stopped. You must stop it.)
...press a key...

   "Tell me what I have to do."
   (The Fallen must be destroyed, the body it inhabits torn asunder so its essence flees back to its fortress and is once more imprisoned there. But it possesses great power, power even you might have trouble overcoming. However, aid is perhaps at hand
   (Another demon, a being known as the Reaper, is trapped within the depths of Gungador Prison. It is a ferocious beast of great power intent only on death and destruction, but it can be bound to serve you, for a time at least, and may be the only thing that can give you the edge. You must free the Reaper and gain its aid.
...press a key...

   (Also, powerful magics remain in the Mage Halls though those who fought in the city's defence are now dead. Seek there, and elsewhere, and proceed to the palace when you are ready, but do not delay for too long for there is no telling how long it will take for the Fallen to gain access to the gateway)
   The eyes close and, a moment later, the statue becomes nothing more than a statue again.  

 se
I move southeast.
A fire has recently torn across the path here, setting alight the bushes and trees and reducing them to little more than burnt remnants. The skeleton of a hut sits at the end of the path, the door and two of the walls burnt away to ash. A path leads back to the northwest.  

A movement from the corner of my eye alerts me and out of the burnt undergrowth bursts a figure. I have a brief moment to recognise the one who attacked me back at the harbour-master's fort before he is upon me, a dagger of vicious black metal scything for my throat. However, the figure, while fast, lacks my strength and it is a simple matter to throw him to the ground.
...press a key...

   "Speak!" I order.
   The figure groans. "I didn't mean any harm," he mutters. He appears younger than I had at first thought, little more than a teenager.
   "You attacked me," I say. "First in the harbour-master's fort and now here. I'd say you meant a lot of harm."
   "No," says the figure. "It wasn't like that. I thought" He trails off.

   1: "Tell me why you attacked me."
   2: (Attack him)  

 1
"I've been here since the goblins attacked," the figure says. "I didn't fight. I hid." He shakes his head. "I ain't ashamed o' that. I ain't no fighter. The soldier boys, they fought and look where it got 'em. So I hid 'round the harbour. Goblins is easy to avoid. You just keep an eye out for 'em and run if they see you. They ain't fast at runnin' an' it ain't hard to get away from 'em when you knows the streets and they don't. But there ain't just goblins here."

   1: "What else?"  

 1
"Don't know what they are. Freaky-lookin' things. They look a bit human till you sees 'em up close an' they you see all these wounds they gots." The figure shakes his head. "Horrible stuff. They look dead."
   "Zombies?"
   He shakes his head. "Nah. Least not like any zombies I've ever 'eard of. They move fast 'n' they can climb walls like nobody's business. An' they're damn good at trackin'. Man, four times they almost caught me an' I reckon they only let me go 'cos I ain't worth killin'."

   1: "Is that why you attacked me in the harbour-master's fort?"  

 1
"I knew you weren't one of them. I mean, I didn't get a good look at you but they smell something rotten an' you can always tell it's 'em a mile off."
   "Then why?"
   "'Cos you're the first person I've seen in the city since the goblins came that hasn't tried to kill me. We ain't the only two humans here but the others" He shakes his head. "They've all gone mad. Stab you as soon as look at you. So you might not be one of them but I didn't want to take the chance you was good."

   1: "And now?"  

 1
He shrugs. "Dunno. I jus' been survivin' day by day, y'know. Runnin' to stay outta the way o' the goblins an' the other things."

   1: "Why not leave the city?"  

 1
"An' go where? This is me 'ome! An' from what I seen, it won't be long till the goblins an' the other things get the other cities as well. Nah. I'm stayin' 'ere."
   He seems to have nothing else to say for the moment.  

 talk to youth
He peers at me suspiciously, as if unsure of whether I am friend or foe.
   "What?" he grunts.

   1: "What do you plan to do?"
   2: "I need help. If you know the streets of the city well enough, perhaps you can help me."
   3: "Where do I find the enemy leader, the goblin called Sithian?"
   4: "I'm not sure I believe everything you told me before. You've stayed for a reason. Tell me what that reason is."  

 4
"No reason," he says, but he avoids my eyes as he does. "Just like it 'ere. Don't wanna run off an' leave... leave the city."

   1: "Let me ask you something else."  

 1
He peers at me suspiciously, as if unsure of whether I am friend or foe.
   "What?" he grunts.

   1: "What do you plan to do?"
   2: "I need help. If you know the streets of the city well enough, perhaps you can help me."
   3: "Where do I find the enemy leader, the goblin called Sithian?"
   4: "I'm not sure I believe everything you told me before. You've stayed for a reason. Tell me what that reason is."  

 4
He looks about to lie to me again, but instead sighs deeply. "You really wanna know?" he asks, the pleading quality in his voice fairly begging me not to ask him.
   I nod.
   "Me dad..." He shakes his head. "He worked at the Mage Halls. He was a guard - nothin' fancy, he just 'elped the mages out when they didn't wanna use their magics an' stuff. Anyway... Few weeks ago he said they brought somethin' into the city, something they shouldn't 'ave."
   "They?"
   "The mages. He said they'd dug it outta the ground in a place where lots o' ancient kings were buried. He said it was evil, it was, an' anyone who touched it was cursed."
   "What was it?"
   "A weapon!" the youth blurts. "A sword! He said it was forged to kill demons but... but it killed the wielder, too! It turned 'em evil, messed up their mind... Me dad didn't want the mages to have it 'cos he knew they'd use it. He told 'em it was evil but they didn't listen. They said they were gonna use it..."
   "What happened?"
   The youth laughs suddenly. "The goblins attacked. The goblins attacked an' the mages had to fight 'em an' they all died an' so the sword ne'er got used."

   1: "Where is this sword now?"  

 1
"Me dad took it from the Halls," says the youth, pale-faced. "He said... he said he was gonna use it against the goblins..."
   He says no more but it is easy to piece together what happened.
   "Where did he put the sword?"
   "He... he..." The youth pushes past me suddenly, surprising me with his speed. Before I can grab him, he has sprinted past me and along the path.
   I am alone once more.  

 1
Unknown command.

 nw
I move northwest.

Royal Park
Goloron Park - often called the Royal Park due to a statue of the king in the centre - occupies a few square miles on the southern edge of the city. In truth, it is not so much a park as an area of wildland within the city walls which the authorities maintain. Paths lead through it to the south, southeast and northeast, while out leads back to the map of the city.  

 out
City Of Goloron
The rest of your adventure takes a slightly different turn from what has gone previously. Before you lie a list of destinations you can travel to in the ruined city of Goloron. Type the number of your choice to travel where you wish.

(1)  Royal Park
(2)  Metricles Harbour
(3)  Duke Faraaz's Palace
(4)  Houses Of Law
(5)  Gungador Prison
(6)  The Mage Halls  

 6
Mage Halls
Once the Mage Halls were doubtless a magnificent set of structures, but the recent goblin invasion has seen them reduced to a smouldering ruin. The towers which once comprised the Halls themselves are in ashes; cowled figures (the Mages perhaps) lie on the ground, magical blast marks around them indicating they did not die easily. One body in particular strikes me as worthy of note: a man clad not in the robes of the Mages but instead in the uniform of a guard.There is nothing for me to see here. Outwards lie the map of Goloron.  

 x guard
Suspecting this to be the father of the youth I encountered in the Royal Park, I approach him warily, remembering the youth's comments about the weapon this man carries. Sure enough, trapped beneath his body I come across a sword of dark metal; mystic runes are carved into its surface and I detect something unnatural about the blade, even before I touch it.
   I know this weapon. It is the fell sword known as the Giver of Sleep, a blade which makes even my own weapons seem meagre by comparison. Originally forged by the Archdemon Malevo over five hundred years before, it is a cursed weapon capable of slaying anything it touches, even other demons. Thought lost for centuries, it has now reappeared. Is this coincidence - that such a weapon would appear at a time when a mighty demon is once more at loose in the world? Or is it fate?
   Either way, I have a choice to make, bearing in mind as I do that every previous wielder of this dark weapon has died as a result of the inherent evil it carries:

(1)  Take the Giver of Sleep.
(2)  Leave it where it is.  

 1
I reach out my hand - and clasp the Giver of Sleep.

At once, a hideous pain strikes through me, a bone-jarring crunch that shakes my very soul. I stagger, fall to my knees. Blood erupts from my nose in an explosion which leaves me weak and shaking.

When the awful sensation has passed, I find myself gripping the Giver of Sleep in my hand. Something about this weapon, something in the way I find myself craving its very touch, lets me know in no uncertain terms that I well never be without it until the day I die.
   However long that may be...  

 out
I move out.

City Of Goloron
The rest of your adventure takes a slightly different turn from what has gone previously. Before you lie a list of destinations you can travel to in the ruined city of Goloron. Type the number of your choice to travel where you wish.

(1)  Royal Park
(2)  Metricles Harbour
(3)  Duke Faraaz's Palace
(4)  Houses Of Law
(5)  Gungador Prison
(6)  The Mage Halls  

 4
Houses of Law
The Houses of Law are where the Council of Goloron sit during sessions to decide on the laws that are passed, and those that are revoked. A gallows is positioned on the front steps, a reminder that in ancient times, disputes in the Houses were often bloody affairs. A set of impressive double doors lead inside the Houses of Law while the way to the map lies out.  

 in
I move in.

Law Chamber
Here is where criminal cases are tried. A circular platform in the centre is where the accused stands; arrayed around the edges of the room are the seats where the jury and witnesses sit. Overlooking all this, from a balcony hanging over the door leading out, is the judge's stand, from where sentence is passed. A further door, set in the north wall, leads to the judge's chambers.  

 n
I move north.

Judge's Chamber
Musty law tomes line the shelves of the judge's chambers, most little more than moth-eaten parchment. It seems like years since this place was last used although I imagine little more than a few days have passed. A large oak desk occupies a place near the window, allowing anyone seated in the lavish armchair beside it an excellent view out of the window to the law gardens down below. To the south is a door leading back to the law chamber.  

 x desk
As I move around the desk to get a better look at it, I hear a shuffling sound from behind it and an elderly fellow comes scuttling out.
   "Don't hurt me!" he wails, lashing out at me ineffectually with aged hands.
   I ward off his blows easily, pushing him away from me. He stops when he gets a good look at me and I can almost see the tension flow out of him.
   "Human," he breathes, "you're human. Thank Tempest! I thought you were a goblin then. Or one of..." He shakes his head. "But I see you are human. My name is Cedrik," he adds as if as an afterthought.  

 talk to cedrik
"Ye-es?" he asks, glancing timidly at me.

   1: "Who are you?"
   2: "What are you doing here?"
   3: "What happened to the houses of law?"
   4: "What does that key open?"  

 4
"This? The key opens - or allows one access to anyway - Gungador Prison. A terrible place."

   1: "Cedrik, I need that key."  

 1
"Ah, you have the Grimm," murmurs Cedrik.
   I look at the sphere I took from the crypt in the Forest of the Lost.
   "You know of this?"
   "Aye. It holds tremendous power, both offensive and defensive. It also serves as a ward against demonkind. With that, you may just survive the thing that controls the prison now. Here, take the key."
   Cedrik hands over the key to Gungador Prison, a small piece of seemingly ordinary metal which, nevertheless, feels chillingly cold to the touch.
   "Touch the wheel with the key if you still wish to enter the prison," says Cedrik. "The magic will act a few seconds later and draw you inside. Once inside, dropping the key will teleport you back outside, but the key will be destroyed in the process."  

 s
I move south.

Law Chamber
Here is where criminal cases are tried. A circular platform in the centre is where the accused stands; arrayed around the edges of the room are the seats where the jury and witnesses sit. Overlooking all this, from a balcony hanging over the door leading out, is the judge's stand, from where sentence is passed. A further door, set in the north wall, leads to the judge's chambers.  

 out
I move out.

Houses of Law
The Houses of Law are where the Council of Goloron sit during sessions to decide on the laws that are passed, and those that are revoked. A gallows is positioned on the front steps, a reminder that in ancient times, disputes in the Houses were often bloody affairs. A set of impressive double doors lead inside the Houses of Law while the way to the map lies out.  

 out
City Of Goloron
The rest of your adventure takes a slightly different turn from what has gone previously. Before you lie a list of destinations you can travel to in the ruined city of Goloron. Type the number of your choice to travel where you wish.

(1)  Royal Park
(2)  Metricles Harbour
(3)  Duke Faraaz's Palace
(4)  Houses Of Law
(5)  Gungador Prison
(6)  The Mage Halls  

 5
Gungador Prison
The gates of the Prison stand before me, massive structures of steel that have stood for countless years. Magical runes engraved on their surface foretell great pain and suffering for any who dare try and free those imprisoned within. A smaller door in the prison wall, perhaps leading to the controls for the gates, lies to the northwest. The gates themselves, impassable right now, are west. Out takes me back to the map.  

 in
I move in.

Gate Control
This small room contains nothing in the way of decoration aside from a wheel, set into the wall. A guess would be that this somehow operates the opening and closing of the prison gates, although common sense would indicate some kind of protective measure on them. A door leads out to the prison gates.  

 touch wheel with key
I raise a hand to it - and then howl in pain as a thunderous blast of lightning strikes me, throwing me across the room. The shock leaves me winded; smoke rises from my skin where the blast struck me.
   The wheel appears the same as before.  

 touch key to wheel
I hold the key out until it touches the cold metal of the wheel. For a second or two, nothing happens. Then I feel a slight sensation of movement, my surroundings blur, and, a moment later, I am elsewhere
...press a key...
  
Ward A
The primary Ward of the prison is little more than an extremely long and wide corridor, ill lit by luminous panels set into the ceiling. Cells - each blocked by steel bars several inches thick - line each wall. The inhabitants of most appear either dead or dying. As far as exits are concerned, there appear to be none, but a flight of steps at the far end of the Ward lead down to the next level.  

"Hey!" cries a voice. "Hey! Get me outta here!"
   I look over to one of the cells and notice that a figure I had originally mistaken for a corpse rises to its feet. The prisoner is strange to the eye. Seven feet tall, emaciated to the point of starvation, and with a head several times too large for his body. The man's (if man he is) hands end in spikes and a multitude of bone-shards which perhaps serve as fingers.
   "Get me outta this damn cell!" the prisoner hisses. "The Warden's gone mad! He's leaving everyone to die!"  

 touch cell with key
The cell springs open as I raise the key. The prisoner grunts "finally!" and stalks out. He takes a glance at me, his eyes narrow to fine points, then he says, "you expect thanks for getting me outta that cell? Forget it. I never shoulda been locked up there in the first place."
   "What happened here?" I ask.
   "What? You think I'm tellin'? Forget it. Shikana doesn't you a damn thing."
   I would disagree but Shikana, whatever manner of creature he might be, lunges away from me, disappearing down the steps at the far end of the Ward without a further word.  

 d
I move down.

Ward B
Little of this Ward is as I would expect. It comprises mainly a large open area with several smashed cages littering the ground. Flickering panels fitted into the walls provide a kind of light, though it is far too dim to illuminate more than a few feet in any direction, leaving large areas of the Ward in darkness. A sense of deep menace hangs in the air. This is a not a place I am eager to spend much time in. 
   Steps at either end of Ward lead up to Ward A and down to Ward C.  

 d
As I move for the steps leading down to the next area of the prison, a roar from what I had thought was an empty cell surprises me. Without warning, a large, heavily-muscled fellow surges from the cell. His hands, which are little more than club-like fists, lash out for my head - and then the fellow is staggering backwards, his face a bloodied mess. Shikana, the prisoner I freed upstairs, goes charging past me. His arms whir about himself as he attacks the other prisoner, slamming one hammer blow after another into the other's body. The second prisoner does not last long.
   "You saved me," I say.
   Shikana looks at me. His face is bloodied although none of the blood appears to be his own.
   "I ain't owin' a human nothin'," he snaps. "Got that? We're level now. Level. You're on yer own now, human."
   With those words, he turns and lurches away, leaving me alone in the Ward with the dead prisoner.  

 d
I move down.

Ward C
This Ward seems quite a bit smaller than the previous one, consisting of little more than a single room. And a room lacking in all but the most basic features. Indeed, aside from the strange door set, of all places, into the floor there is precious little here apart from the steps leading back up to Ward B.  

 x door
It is an unusual door in the sense that it appears to be made not from wood or steel, as are most doors, but from a shiny, reflective substance which is difficult to focus the eyes on: its surface seems to continually warp and twist; at some times it seems almost clear, at others I find myself able to see through it to the room below this one.
   A depression is set in the exact centre of the door, roughly the size of my hand.  

 touch depression with key
I place my hand in it. Nothing happens.  

 touch key to depression
I place my hand in it. Nothing happens.  

 i
I am wearing some magical plate armour, and I am carrying the deacon's staff, the Giver of Sleep, the Blade of Ashes, the Grimm and a key.  

 use key
The key flares brightly for a second and then a wrenching sensation envelopes me as I am dragged through the door into the Ward below.
...press a key...
  


Ward D
Ward D contains just one cell, although the word 'cell' is a misleading one here. Chains of burning metal are wrapped around something, some invisible entity which resides in the centre of this area. Vaguely, I make out the presence of some creature but what shape it is, or what manner of beast it is, I cannot determine. Of exits I fail to find any at all.  

"TYRONE ASMERIAN," remarks a voice from out of nowhere. "WELL, WELL, I DID NOT EXPECT TO SEE THE LIKES OF YOU DOWN HERE. COME TO VISIT THE REAPER IN HIS LAIR, HAVE YOU? MY, SUCH BRAVERY."
   The voice emanates from the invisible entity and holds an undercurrent of rage and concealed menace such as I have never heard before. I also sense power. Great power. Whatever this thing is, the strength it possesses is well beyond anything human.
   "NOT SAYING ANYTHING? DO MY WORDS SCARE YOU INTO SILENCE, WARRIOR? GOOD. I SWORE YOU AND I WOULD HAVE A RECKONING ONE DAY. PERHAPS THAT DAY SHALL BE THIS ONE."  

 talk to reaper
"AH, YOU SPEAK AFTER ALL," mocks the voice. "I HAD THOUGHT YOU STRICKEN DEAF. TALK THEN. BUT EXPECT NO ANSWERS FROM THE REAPER."

   1: "Who are you?"
   2: "Why are you down here?"  

 2
"I AM A PRISONER. IS THAT NOT OBVIOUS? DO YOU THINK I WOULD BE HERE IF I HAD ANY CHOICE?" The chains shake furiously. "BUT I SENSE MY CAPTIVITY WILL NOT CONTINUE FOR MANY MORE MOONS. THE ENTITY THAT CONTROLS THIS PRISON SEEMS TO BE WEAKENING AND, SOON, I SHALL BE FREE. THE CITY ABOVE WILL FEEL MY WRATH THEN. VENGEANCE WILL BE MINE."

   1: "The city has been attacked by goblins. Thousands lie dead."  

 1
"AH, I HAD SENSED A CHANGE." Maniacal laughter rips through the chamber. "AN ATTACK, YOU SAY? THOUSANDS DEAD, YOU SAY? GOOD. I SENSE" Another laugh. "AH. THE FALLEN HAS RETURNED. WE WERE ENEMIES ONCE, HE AND I."

   1: "Who is the Fallen?"  

 1
"YOU DO NOT KNOW? CALL HIM A PRINCE AMONG DEMONS, CALL HIM THE DEMON REGENT. HE HAS MANY NAMES. FALLEN IS THE ONE HE GOES BY MORE OFTEN THAN NOT. ARE YOU GOING TO FIGHT HIM THEN, FIRST OF TEMPEST? AH, NOW THAT WOULD BE A BATTLE TO WATCH. DO YOU HAVE A PLAN, WARRIOR, FOR BESTING THE FALLEN? OR DO YOU JUST INTEND TO CHARGE AT HIM AND SEE IF YOUR STRENGTH IS GREATER THAN HIS?"

   1: "Brute force will work against the Fallen just the same as any other Demon. Even you."
   2: "I need your aid, Reaper. I propose an alliance."  

 2
Dead silence greets my announcement.
   "AN ALLIANCE?" the Reaper says finally. It sounds surprised. "YOU WOULD SEEK AN ALLIANCE WITH A DEMON?"

   1: "No. I've changed my mind. No alliance."
   2: "I am serious, Reaper. I need your help, you need mind."  

 2
"INTERESTING. OF ALL THE THINGS I EXPECTED YOU TO SUGGEST, THIS WAS NOT ONE OF THEM. VERY WELL, HUMAN. NAME YOUR TERMS."

   1: "Lend me your strength to defeat the Fallen and I will petition the entity that commands the Prison to release you."
   2: "Lend me your strength to defeat the Fallen and I will free you from your chains."
   3: "I will free you from your chains and you accompany me as I fight the Fallen."
   4: "Tell me what I need to do to defeat the Fallen and I will free you."  

 2
"PERHAPS." The invisible being become visible for a moment and I get an impression of fangs and claws and hate-filled eyes. "SO BE IT. AN ALLIANCE BETWEEN THE FIRST OF TEMPEST AND THE REAPER. AH! SUCH A TALE THE BARDS WILL SING OF THIS DAY! FREE ME, WARRIOR, AND MY AID IS YOURS."
   "First swear an oath," I say.
   The Reaper laughs. "A CUNNING ONE YOU ARE! YOU EXPECT TREACHERY FROM ME. AYE, MY OATH. I SWEAR BY THE SEVENTH CIRCLE OF HELL ITSELF, ON THE LIFE OF MY MOTHER, THE UNBORN, AND MY FATHER, THE SCION OF DESPARA, TO AID YOU IN VANQUISHING THE FALLEN AND TO TAKE NO ACTION AGAINST YOU UNLESS YOU FIRST TAKE ACTION AGAINST ME. SATISFIED?"
   I nod.
   "THEN FREE ME. I GROW TIRED OF THIS PRISON."
...press a key...
  I step forward, raise the Blade of Ashes high and then bring it slashing down on the nearest chain. The Blade scythes through the binding.
   Whatever spell keeps the Reaper hidden fails at that moment and I experience a lurching horror in the pit of my stomach at the sight of it: it stands fifteen feet tall and has the appearance of a bloated corpse; its mouth is a gaping wound in the ragged flesh; its eyes are sunken pits; its arms, of which it has six, end in claws that look easily capable of rending armour as easily as flesh.
...press a key...

   "FREE!" roads the Reaper. "FREE AT LAST! HAHAHAHAHAH!"
   It snaps the remainder of its chains and hurls them against the walls, driving them deep into the stone by sheer brute force.
   Then it turns to look at you. Burning hot steam shoots from its nostrils. "SHALL WE FIGHT, CHOSEN OF TEMPEST? YOU AND I? A DUEL TO THE DEATH TO SEE WHICH OF US IS THE MIGHTIER?"
   "We had a deal," I say, suddenly unsure if freeing this thing was a good idea. "You swore an oath."
   "AYE," says the Reaper. It extends one clawed hand to me. "SO WE DID." The hand wavers before my face for a moment. Then withdraws. "AND AN OATH SWORN BY A DEMON IS AN OATH TRUE AND PROPER. VERY WELL. GO, WARRIOR, FIND THE ONE YOU SEEK AND WHEN YOU FIND HIM, THE REAPER SHALL BE AT YOUR SIDE. TOGETHER WE SHALL SEND THE FALLEN BACK TO THE DARKEST PITS OF HELL. BUT UNTIL THEN"
   The form of the Reaper ripples then fades away.
   I am alone once more.
   Seeing little point in remaining in this dank pit any longer, I drop the key I was given and, a moment later, find myself back outside the prison. Alas, the key has not arrived with me.
...press a key...
  
Gungador Prison
The gates of the Prison stand before me, massive structures of steel that have stood for countless years. Magical runes engraved on their surface foretell great pain and suffering for any who dare try and free those imprisoned within. A smaller door in the prison wall, perhaps leading to the controls for the gates, lies to the northwest. The gates themselves, impassable right now, are west. Out takes me back to the map.  

 out
I move out.

City Of Goloron
The rest of your adventure takes a slightly different turn from what has gone previously. Before you lie a list of destinations you can travel to in the ruined city of Goloron. Type the number of your choice to travel where you wish.

(1)  Royal Park
(2)  Metricles Harbour
(3)  Duke Faraaz's Palace
(4)  Houses Of Law
(5)  Gungador Prison
(6)  The Mage Halls  

 3
Duke Faraaz's Palace
The steps leading up to the palace of the ruler of Goloron are stained with dried blood. The rotting corpses of many of the palace guard lie here, some smouldering from the after effects of whatever fire magic was used to slay them. Above you rises the palace itself; the scars of battle mar its front faade and five of the seven towers that used to rise so prominently above the city skyline now lies in ruin. The gates of the palace stand open.  

 n
I move north.

Entrancehall
A titanic battle has taken place here recently: the corpses of palace guards and goblins lie on the floor, their armour torn, their weapons broken. The bodies of other creatures lie here as well, robed inhuman things I have never seen the like of before. Before me to the north a wide passage leads deeper into the palace while at my back, to the south, lie the steps leading up to the palace.  

 n
I move north.

Hall of Greeting
This one splendid hall has been reduced to a rubble-strewn ruin after the events of recent days. More corpses lie here - palace guards, goblins, as well as a few trolls. Around the circumference of the hall stand an array of statues. Most seem to have been shattered during the fighting although a dozen or more remain intact. North leads me deeper into the palace while south leads me back to the entrancehall.  

 n
I move north.

Approach to the Throne Room
Before me stand a pair of large, impressive double doors: the entrance to the throne room of Duke Faraaz, ruler of the city of Goloron. The remainder of his imperial retinue lie dead before the doors, their forms twisted hideously by the fell magic that killed them. North lies the throne room; south the Hall of Greeting.  

 n
I step into the throne room.

Only once before have I visited the throne room of Goloron and it has changed greatly since that time. A pit has been dug in the centre of the room. The Duke's throne, supposedly built from indestructible stone, lies broken in the corner. The crown jewels have been tossed carelessly across the floor and many lie shattered, crushed underfoot.

I suddenly become aware of a presence near the pit, one that I was not aware of as I first entered the room: a shimmering in the air coalesces into a robed figure, standing some eight feet tall. At a glance it could be mistaken for human, but this being is no human.
   "First of Tempest," the Fallen hisses. "My nemesis. Ah, so sweet that you would return after all this time. I had thought you lacked the courage to face me."
   "You do not frighten me, Fallen," I say, though the quavering in my voice no doubt gives lie to the words. "Let us get this over with."
   "I would be disappointed if I did, First. You were always my greatest enemy. And you have come to stop me at the moment of my greatest victory. How apt."
   "Where is the goblin king Sithian?" I ask.
   "Sithian? He is no more. He served his purpose - to bring the city of Goloron to its knees and allow me access to what I need - and then he was discarded. His corpse numbers one of the many who fell outside this edifice. But no more talk..." The Fallen takes a step towards me, the floor crunching beneath its cloven hooves. "Come then: destroy me if you can. We both know there can be only one end to this day."  

 call reaper
Knowing I need its aid now more than ever, I call the Reaper, the demon I freed from the depths of Gungador Prison. At first nothing seems to happen, but then the air before me shimmers and a gateway opens. Out of it steps the terrifying form of the Reaper.
   "I HAVE ANSWERED YOUR CALL, FIRST OF TEMPEST," it thunders. It turns to the Fallen. "FALLEN, HAVE YOU A BETTER OFFER TO MAKE THAN THIS HUMAN?"
   Before I can say anything, the Fallen says "we are kin, you and I, Reaper. We should be allies, not enemies."
   "PERHAPS. BUT THE CHOSEN OF TEMPEST CARRIES THE GRIMM. I SUSPECT HE HOLDS THE ADVANTAGE." The Reaper pauses for a second, then barks, "SO BE IT!" and launches itself at the Fallen.
...press a key...

   The impact as the two slam into each other shakes the very stones of the throne room and knocks me from my feet. The Reaper's claws gouge deep and hideous looking wounds in the demonic flesh of the Fallen, yet if these injuries bother the Fallen it does not show them. It lashes out, dark magic and its cursed broadsword hacking at the Reaper. Several seconds pass in which the combatants move so fast it is impossible to see what is happening.
   Then, abruptly, the form of the Reaper is thrown to the floor of the throne room. Two of its arms are shattered. It struggles to rise, its inhuman face contorted in pain, but the Fallen is swifter; down comes the broadsword, burying itself deep in the Reaper's back. My demonic ally gives a roar of agony and then fades from view.
   The Fallen looks at me. "Impressive, that you would seek to use the services of a demon such as the Reaper. But little good it has done you. Fight me, Chosen of Tempest."  

 kill fallen with giver of sleep
The Giver of Sleep: the fell weapon I found outside the Mage Halls. Never before have I needed its aid as much as I do now. As I raise it before the Fallen, is it my imagination that it eyes narrow for a moment in uncertainty?
   "You will die," the demon hisses. "Come, Asmerian. Meet your end!"
   The Fallen rushes across the throne room to me, moving faster than the eye can see. Before I know it, its cursed broadsword is striking for my head. I dodge; the blade misses me by a frighteningly small amount. Pivoting, I strike out and plunge the Giver into the Fallen's demonic flesh. It meets greater resistance than I would have thought - striking the Fallen is like plunging a sword into a solid block of stone - but the keen edge of the Giver proves equal to the task.
   Cursing in agony, the Fallen backs away. A wound the size of my fist gushes ichor. The Fallen roars in rage and pain, staggers towards me, but drops to its knees. It lands heavily. Then pitches forward. It is dead before it even strikes the floor.
...press a key...
I stand in the throne room of the ruler of Goloron. My body aches fiercely from my combat with the Fallen, yet it was he who died in the end and I who survived. My quest is complete. I am the victor. I have vanquished my foe. Peace has once more returned to the world

So why do I feel as if I am missing something? My memories are still fragmented and often what I recall of my past makes little or no sense. The body of the Fallen, lying before me on the floor of the throne room, seems as it should, and yet, at the same time, something tells me that this story has not ended, that there is more to be discovered, more to be revealed, more to be known.
...press a key...
  
VICTORY
My adventure has ended, and in victory besides. Right now, I am standing in the throne room of the ruler of Goloron, my foe lying vanquished before me. If this is the first time I have been here, I doubtless have missed much of what lies within Shards Of Memory. Perhaps I should type "restart" to play again, this time trying different things and seeing what I have missed this time.
   Or, perhaps, it is time I moved on to my next adventure...  
