z6manual.txt

Instruction Manual for

Archmage

Welcome to the world of the Enchanter saga -- a world founded on magic,

where guilds of magicians have mastered the powers of sorcery; a

world now threatened with destruction.

	You distinguished yourself among the young Enchanters by

defeating the evil warlock Krill, whose attempt to subjugate the land

was thwarted by your cleverness, as your inexperience allowed you to

succeed where others might have failed.  This earned you a place on the

Circle of Enchanters, second only to the great Belboz the Necromancer.

Then Belboz himself was nearly destroyed, and your rescue of him from

the evil demon Jeearr earned you the ultimate honor given a mage, the

leadership of the Circle of Enchanters.

	Now, a crisis has befallen the kingdom.  Magic itself seems to

be failing.  Spells fail to work or go strangely awry, the populace is

confused and restive, and even the Enchanters Guild is baffled.  A great

conclave of the Guildmasters is ordained, and it is at this conclave

that the final conflict between good and evil begins to unfold.

	If you're familiar with Infocom's interactive fiction, you may

not feel like reading this entire manual.  However, you should at least

read about the use of magic (on page x).  Also look at the appendix of

recognized verbs (on page x); some of the verbs listed are found in all

Infocom stories, while others are included especially for Archmage.  All

wizards will want to familiarize themselves with this list.

Table of Contents


An Overview								Page N

   *What is interactive fiction?
   
   *Moving around
   
   *Turns and scoring

Tips for Novices							Page N

   Nine useful pointers about interactive fiction

Communicating with Archmage				  		Page N

   *Basic sentences
   
   *Complex sentences
   
   *Talking to characters in the story

   *Vocabulary limitations


Spell Casting							        Page N

   *Using your spell book

   *Memorizing spells

   *Casting spells


Starting and Stopping						        Page N

   *Starting Archmage ("Booting up")
   
   *Saving and restoring
   
   *Quitting and restarting

Appendix A: Important Commands						Page N

Appendix B: Some Recognized Verbs					Page N

Appendix C: Archmage Complaints						Page N

Appendix D: Sample Transcript and Map					Page N

Appendix E: We're Never Satisfied					Page N

Appendix F: If You Have Technical Problems				Page N

Appendix G: About the Author						Page N

Appendix H: Copyright and Warranty Information				Page N

Appendix I: Quick Reference Guide					Page N

   This briefly describes the most important things to know about
   
   interactive fiction. It is vital that you know all these things before 
   
   you begin your adventure.

                     An Overview


Interactive fiction is a story in which you are the main character.

Your own thinking and imagination determine the actions of that

character and guide the story from start to finish.


   Each work of interactive fiction, such as Archmage, presents you with

a series of locations, items, characters, and events. You can interact

with these in a variety of ways.


   Some wizards have the power to transport themselves with a mere

twitch of the toes. Most of the others, alas, must walk. To move from

place to place, type the direction you want to go. When you find

yourself in a new location, it's a good idea to become familiar with

your surroundings by exploring the nearby rooms and reading each

description carefully. (You may notice that Archmage occasionally refers to

a location as a "room," even if you are outdoors.) As you explore, it is

helpful to make a map of the geography.


   An important element of interactive fiction is puzzle-solving. You should

think of a locked door or a ferocious beast not as a permanent obstacle,

but merely as a puzzle to be tackled. Solving puzzles will frequently

involve bringing a certain item with you, and then using it in the proper

way.


   In Archmage, time passes only in response to your input. You might

imagine a clock that ticks once for each sentence you type, and the story

progresses only at each tick. Nothing happens until you type a sentence

and press the RETURN (or ENTER) key, so you can plan your turns as slowly

and carefully as you want. 


   To measure your progress, Archmage keeps track of your score. You

may get points for solving puzzles, performing certain actions, or

visiting certain locations. A perfect score is to be strived for, but of

course a true Enchanter is above such mundane considerations and will

consult the score only to measure progress toward more worthy goals. 

                     Tips for Novices


1. In bygone days, Enchanters could recall even the tiniest events in

their lives and project them upon the clouds to the great amusement of

the populace. Since you do not currently possess that skill, it's a good

idea to draw a map. It should include each location, the directions

connecting it to adjoining locations, and any interesting objects there.

(See the small sample map that goes along with the sample transcript on

page N.) Note there are 10 possible directions, plus IN and OUT.


2. Examine all objects you come across. Most objects in the story that you can 

pick up are important for solving one or more of the puzzles you'll run into. 


3. Save your place often. That way, if you mess up or get "killed,"

you won't have to start over from the beginning. See page N for instructions.


4. Read the story carefully. There are often clues in the descriptions of

locations and objects, as well as in labels, engravings, books, and so on.

Even strange or dangerous actions may provide clues, and might prove to be

fun! You can always save your position first if you want. Here's a silly

example:

   >GIVE THE MAGIC GERANIUM TO THE WOLF

   The wolf considers, for a moment, eating the geranium instead of you.

   Then he decides the better of it. He comes closer and closer.


In addition to learning something about the culinary preferences of

wolves, you have a clue that perhaps feeding something else (a steak?)

to the wolf would be more useful.


5. Unlike other "adventure games" you may have played, there are many

possible routes to the end of Archmage. Some puzzles have more than one

solution; other puzzles don't need to be solved at all. Sometimes you

will have to solve one puzzle in order to obtain the item(s) or

information you need to solve another puzzle.


6. You may find it helpful to go through Archmage with another

person. Different people may find different puzzles easy and can often

complement each other.


7. If you really have difficulty, you can order a hint booklet and a complete

map using the order form in your package. You don't need this

booklet to enjoy the story, but it will make solving the puzzles easier.


8. Read the sample transcript on page N to get a feel for how Infocom's

interactive fiction works.


9. You can word a command in many different ways. For example, if you

wanted to pick up a dusty scroll, you could type in any of the following:

   >GET SCROLL

   >TAKE THE SCROLL

   >PICK UP THE DUSTY SCROLL
 

In fact, if the scroll is the only thing in sight that you can take,

just typing TAKE would have been enough. But more about that in the next

section ...



               Communicating with Archmage

In Archmage, you type your sentence in plain English each

time you see the prompt (>). Archmage usually acts as if your

sentence begins "I want to...," although you shouldn't actually type

those words. You can use words like THE if you want, and you can use

capital letters if you want; Archmage doesn't care either way.


   When you have finished typing a sentence, press the RETURN (or ENTER) key

and Archmage will process your request. Archmage will then respond,

telling you whether your request is possible at this point in the story,

and what happened as a result.


   Archmage recognizes your words by their first six letters, and all

subsequent letters are ignored. Therefore, SILVER, SILVERsmith, and

SILVERware would all be treated as the same word by Archmage.


   To move around, just type the desired direction. You can use the eight

compass directions: NORTH, SOUTH, EAST, WEST, NORTHEAST, NORTHWEST,

SOUTHEAST, and SOUTHWEST. You can abbreviate these to N, S, E, W,

NE, NW, SE, and SW, respectively. You can use UP (or U) and DOWN (or D).

IN and OUT will also work in certain places. 


   Archmage understands many different kinds of sentences. Here are several

examples. (Note some of these objects do not actually appear in

Archmage.) 
	
   >WALK NORTH
	
   >DOWN
	
   >NE
	
   >GO UP
	
   >TAKE THE SPELL BOOK

   >READ THE SCROLL

   >LOOK UNDER THE BED

   >GO OUT

   >DROP THE NEWT INTO THE POT

   >EXAMINE THE LARGE RED DEMON

   >PUSH THE BLACK BUTTON

   >SHOOT THE DEMON WITH THE LOADED GUN

   >GIVE THE MAGIC WAND TO THE FROG

   >LOOK UNDER THE STATUE

   >READ THE CRUMBLY YELLOW SCROLL
     


   You can use multiple objects with certain verbs if you separate them

by the word AND or by a comma. Some examples:
	
   >TAKE SWORD AND MAGIC KNIFE

   >DROP THE SPRIG OF IVY, THE MISTLETOE, AND THE SPOTTED FROG

   >PUT THE BAT'S FEET AND THE BLUE BUBBLY LIQUID IN THE BOWL 
	

   You can include several sentences on one input line if you separate them

by the word THEN or by a period. (Note that each sentence will still

count as a turn.) You don't need a period at the end of the input line.

For example, you could type all of the following at once, before pressing

the RETURN (or ENTER) key:
	
   >READ THE SCROLL. WRITE "BROKEN" ON IT. OPEN THE GARBAGE CAN THEN
   
   DROP THE SCROLL INTO THE GARBAGE CAN

If Archmage doesn't understand one of the sentences on your input line, or

if something unusual happens, it will ignore the rest of your input line

(see "Archmage Complaints" on page N).

   The words IT and ALL can be very useful. For example: 

   >TAKE THE SCROLL. READ IT. PUT IT IN THE BOX

   >CLOSE THE HEAVY METAL DOOR. LOCK IT
        
   >TAKE THE SILVER HELMET. SHINE IT. PUT IT ON

   >TAKE ALL
	
   >EXAMINE ALL THE DUSTY SCROLLS
	
   >TAKE ALL EXCEPT THE WET EGG AND THE KEY
   
   >TAKE ALL FROM CABINET

   >DROP ALL BUT THE PENCIL 
	

The word ALL refers to every visible object except those inside

something else. If there were an apple on the ground and an orange

inside a cabinet, TAKE ALL would take the apple but not the orange.


   There are three kinds of questions that Archmage understands: WHO IS 

(someone), WHERE IS (something), and WHAT IS (something). For example:  
	
   >WHO IS ORKAN?  
	
   >WHERE IS THE SPELL BOOK?

   >WHAT IS A GRUE?


   You can use quotes to say something "out loud."  For example:
	
   >SAY "HELLO" 


   You can write a word on an object in the game if you want: 

   >WRITE "GARLIC" ON THE BAG

   >WRITE "VALUABLE" ON THE ANCIENT SCROLL

   
   You will meet other people and creatures in Archmage. You can "talk"

to some of these beings by typing their name, then a comma, then

whatever you want to say to them. Here are some examples: 

   IMP, WHERE IS MY SPELL BOOK?

   HENCHMAN, FOLLOW ME

   ADVENTURER, KILL THE MONSTER THEN GIVE ME THE SWORD

   SQUIRE, GIVE ME THE WAND. CLEAN OFF THE SANDALS

Notice that in the last two examples, you are giving a person more than

one command on the same input line.


   Archmage tries to guess what you really mean when you don't give enough

information. For example, if you say that you want to do something, but

not what you want to do it to or with, Archmage will sometimes decide that

there is only one possible object you could mean. When it

does so, it will tell you. For example:

   >UNLOCK THE DOOR

   (with the key)

   The door is now unlocked.


   If your sentence is ambiguous, Archmage will ask what you really mean. You

can answer most of these questions briefly by supplying the missing

information, rather than typing the entire input again. You can do this

only at the very next prompt. For example:

   >SLICE THE SCROLL

   What do you want to slice the scroll with?

   >THE SCIMITAR

   The scroll is reduced to paper dolls.

or

   >TAKE THE SCROLL

   Which scroll do you mean, the evil enchanted scroll or the lovely

   vellum scroll?
   
   >ENCHANTED

   The evil in the scroll flows inexorably up your arm. It seems to be

   seeking out your heart!
   
   
   Archmage uses many words in its descriptions that it will not recognize in

your sentences. For example, you might read, "The bright-red sun sets

slowly into the horizon." However, if Archmage doesn't

recognize the words SUN or HORIZON in your input, you can assume

they are not important to your completion of the story, except to provide

you with a more vivid description of where you are or what is going on.

Archmage recognizes over 900 words, nearly all that you are likely to

use in your sentences. If Archmage doesn't know a word you used, or

any of its common synonyms, you are almost certainly trying something that

is not important in continuing your adventure.

                        Spell Casting

Spells are a way of performing magic. Each spell is known by the

one-word name through which the spell can be used. Magic spells usually

have a duration and sometimes a delay before they can be used again.

Remember: Magic spells are dangerous things, particularly to wizards.

Wizards' heightened abilities in this realm carry the penalty of

heightened sensitivity to spells cast by others. Sometimes a spell which

a mundane person would not even notice will have a profound effect upon

you. 


   As a certified wizard, you have a personal spell book,

in which you record the spells you are capable of using. Your book

contains a few spells before the story begins; others may be added

during your travels.


   You may find spell scrolls here and there. These are extremely

valuable objects. They may be used directly to cast spells, but so doing

uses up the spell and scroll permanently, so it is much better to write

them into your spell book. Then, you can use them many times.


   You may write newly found spells into your spell book by using the

GNUSTO spell ("writes magic"), which you learned early in your career.

Once a spell is written in your spell book, it may be used again and

again. (Some spells are too powerful to be written into a spell book.

Such spells may still be used if they are found on

scrolls, but the spell will be gone after it is used.)


   Reading your book lists the spells you have written, along with their

meanings. You might experiment with the spells already in your book to

learn their uses.


   Before a spell in your book can actually be used, it must be

memorized. Only a small number of spells can actually be memorized at

one time, and when you use a spell you have memorized, you forget it.

You must relearn a spell to use it again. The SPELLS command lets

you know which spells are memorized and how many times each one has been 

memorized. (This is helpful because a spell memorized twice can be used 

twice before being forgotten.)


   You can use spells either by saying CAST (the spell's name) AT/ON

(something) or, more simply, by saying: (the spell's name) (something).

Some spells are so general in application that they require no object --

just typing the spell name is enough.


   For example, suppose there were a spell named BOZBAR that you had

written in your spell book or were carrying on a spell scroll. Both

LEARN BOZBAR and MEMORIZE BOZBAR would make the spell available for

immediate use. Then BOZBAR HORSE or CAST BOZBAR AT HORSE or CAST THE

BOZBAR SPELL AT THE HORSE would all have the same effect: BOZBAR the

poor horse.


   Magic takes other forms besides classic spell casting. Magic potions,

for instance, usually found in vials, work their magic when ingested.

Many items throughout the land are imbued with magical qualites that can

be revealed to the brave and inquisitive wizard.


                     Starting and Stopping


Starting the story: Now that you know what to expect in Archmage,

it's time for you to "boot" your disk. To load Archmage, follow

the instructions on the Reference Card in your package.


   The story will begin with a description of the Council Chamber, the

opening location.  Then the prompt (>) will appear,

indicating that Archmage is waiting for your first command.


   Here's a quick exercise to help you get accustomed to

interacting with Archmage. Try the following command first:
	
   >GO SOUTH
   
Then press the RETURN (or ENTER) key. Archmage will respond with:

   Annoyed guildmasters make way grudgingly.  You hear muttering about

   "arrogant enchanters" as you try to leave the chamber.  Finally,

   Orkan of Thriff, one of your colleagues, says "Stay.  Be quiet.

   Don't embarrass us."

Then Sneffle of the Guild of Bakers will speak for a while.  Try:  
	
   >LOOK AT SNEFFLE
   
After you press the RETURN (or ENTER) key, Archmage will respond:

   Sneffle is a small doughy gentleman whose person is splotched here

   and there with flour.
   

Saving and restoring: It will probably take you many days to complete

Archmage. Using the SAVE feature, you can continue at a later time without

having to start over from the beginning, just as you can place a bookmark

in a book you are reading. SAVE puts a "snapshot" of your place in the

story onto another disk. If you are cautious, you may want

to save your place before (or after) trying something dangerous or tricky.

That way, you can go back to that position later, even if you have gotten

lost or "killed" since then.


   To save your place in the story, type SAVE at the prompt (>), and then

press the RETURN (or ENTER) key. Then follow the instructions for saving

and restoring on your Reference Card. Some computers

require a blank disk, initialized and formatted, for

saves. Using a disk with data on it (not counting other Archmage saves) may

result in the loss of that data, depending on your computer.  You can

save your position as often as you like by using additional blank disks.


   You can restore a saved position any time you want. To do so, type

RESTORE at the prompt (>), and press the RETURN (or ENTER) key. Then 

follow the instructions on your Reference

Card. You can then continue the story from the point where you used the

SAVE command. You can type LOOK for a description of where you are.


Quitting and restarting: If you want to start over from the beginning,

type RESTART and press the RETURN (or ENTER) key. (This is usually

faster than re-booting.) Just to make sure, Archmage will ask if you

really want to start over. If you do, type Y or YES and press the RETURN

(or ENTER) key.


   If you want to stop entirely, type QUIT and press the RETURN (or ENTER)

key. Once again, Archmage will ask if this is really what you want

to do.


   Remember when you RESTART or QUIT: if you want to be able to return to

your current position, you must first do a SAVE.
                        

Appendix A

Important Commands


There are a number of one-word commands which you can type instead of a

sentence. You can use them over and over as needed. Some count as a

turn, others do not. Type the command after the prompt (>) and press the

RETURN (or ENTER) key.


AGAIN - Archmage will usually respond as if you had repeated your previous

sentence. Among the cases where AGAIN will not work is if you were just

talking to another character. You can abbreviate AGAIN to G.


BRIEF - This tells Archmage to give you the full description of a location

only the first time you enter it. On subsequent visits, Archmage will tell

you only the name of the location and the objects present. This is how

Archmage will normally act, unless you tell it otherwise using the VERBOSE

or SUPERBRIEF commands.


DIAGNOSE - Archmage will give you a medical report of your physical

condition, and will tell you whether you're tired, thirsty, or hungry. 


INVENTORY - Archmage will list what you are carrying. You can abbreviate

INVENTORY to I.


LOOK - This tells Archmage to describe your location in full detail.

You can abbreviate LOOK to L.


OOPS - If you accidentally mistype a word, such that Archmage doesn't

understand the word, you can correct yourself on the next line by typing

OOPS and the correct word.  Suppose, for example, you typed PUT THE BOOJ

ON THE DUSTY SHELF and were told "[I don't know the word 'booj.']"  You

could type OOPS BOOK rather than retyping the entire sentence.


QUIT - This lets you stop.  If you want to save your position before

quitting, follow the instructions in the "Starting and Stopping" section

on page N. You can abbreviate QUIT to Q.


RESTART - This stops the story and starts over from the beginning.


RESTORE - This restores a position made using the SAVE command. See

"Starting and Stopping" on page N for more details.


SAVE - This makes a "snapshot" of your current position onto your

storage disk. You can return to a saved position in the future using

the RESTORE command. See "Starting and Stopping" on page N for more details.


SCORE - Archmage will show your current score and a ranking which is

based on that score. 


SCRIPT - This command tells your printer to begin making a transcript of

the story as you venture onwards. A transcript may aid your memory but is not

necessary. It will work only on certain computers; read

your Reference Card for details.


SPELLS - This command lists the spells you currently have memorized from

your spell book.


SUPERBRIEF - This commands Archmage to display only the name of a place

you have entered, even if you have never been there before. In this mode,

Archmage will not even mention which objects are present. Of course,

you can always get a description of your location, and the items there, by

typing LOOK. In SUPERBRIEF mode, the blank line between turns will be

eliminated. This mode is meant for players who are already very familiar

with the geography. Also see VERBOSE and BRIEF.


TIME - This gives you the current time of day in the story. You can

abbreviate TIME to T.


UNSCRIPT - This commands your printer to stop making a transcript.


VERBOSE - This tells Archmage that you want a complete description of each

location, and the objects in it, every time you enter a location, even if

you've been there before. Also see BRIEF and SUPERBRIEF.


VERSION - Archmage responds by showing you the release number and the

serial number of your copy of the story. Please include this information

if you ever report a "bug" in the story. 


WAIT - This will cause time in the story to pass. Normally, between turns,

nothing happens in the story. You could leave your computer, take a nap,

and return to the story to find that nothing has changed. You can use

WAIT to make time pass in the story without doing anything. For example,

you can wait for a specific time, or wait for an event to happen, etc. 

You can abbreviate WAIT to Z.

Appendix B

Some Recognized Verbs


This is only a partial list of the verbs that Archmage understand.

There are many more. Remember you can use a variety of prepositions

with them. For example, LOOK can become LOOK INSIDE, LOOK BEHIND, LOOK

UNDER, LOOK THROUGH, LOOK AT, and so on.


ASK

ATTACK

BOARD

BURN

CAST

CLIMB

CLOSE

COUNT

CROSS

CUT

DESTROY

DIG

DISEMBARK

DRINK

DROP

EAT

ENTER

EXAMINE

EXIT

EXTINGUISH

FILL

FIND

FLY

FOLLOW

GIVE

JUMP

KICK

KILL

KISS

KNOCK

LAUNCH

LIE

LIGHT

LISTEN

LOCK

LOOK

MEMORIZE

MOVE

OFFER

OPEN

POINT

POUR

PULL

PUSH

PUT

RAISE

READ

SEARCH

SHAKE

SHOUT

SHOW

SLEEP

SLIDE

SMELL

SPRAY

STAND

SWIM

TAKE

TELL

THROW

TIE

TOUCH

TURN

UNLOCK

UNTIE

WAKE

WALK

WAVE

WRITE

Appendix C

Archmage Complaints


Archmage will complain if you type a sentence that confuses it completely.

Archmage will then ignore the rest of the input line. (Unusual events, such

as being attacked, may also cause Archmage to ignore the rest of the

sentences you typed, since the event may have changed your situation

drastically.) Some of Archmage's complaints:



I DON'T KNOW THE WORD "________". The word you typed is not in the

story's vocabulary. Sometimes using a synonym or rephrasing will help.

If not, Archmage probably doesn't know the idea you were trying to get

across.


YOU USED THE WORD "________" IN A WAY THAT I DON'T UNDERSTAND.

Archmage knows the word you typed, but couldn't use it in that

sense. Usually this is because Archmage knows the word as a

different part of speech. For example, if you typed TURN ON THE LIGHT,

you are using LIGHT as a noun, but Archmage might know LIGHT only

as a verb, as in LIGHT THE LAMP.


THERE WAS NO VERB IN THAT SENTENCE! Unless you are answering a

question, each sentence must have a verb (or a command) in it somewhere.


THERE SEEMS TO BE A NOUN MISSING IN THAT SENTENCE. This usually means

your sentence was incomplete, such as EAT THE BLUE or PUT THE BOOK IN THE.


THERE WERE TOO MANY NOUNS IN THAT SENTENCE. An example is PUT THE SOUP

IN THE BOWL WITH THE LADLE, which has three noun "phrases," one more

than Archmage can digest in a single action.


I BEG YOUR PARDON? You pressed the RETURN (or ENTER) key without typing

anything.


IT'S TOO DARK TO SEE! In the story, there is not enough light for you to

perform your action.


YOU CAN'T SEE ANY ________ HERE. The object you referred to was not

accessible to you. It may be somewhere else, inside a closed container,

and so on.


THE OTHER OBJECT(S) THAT YOU MENTIONED ISN'T (AREN'T) HERE. You referred

to one or more objects in the same sentence, some of which aren't

present or accessible.


I CAN'T USE MULTIPLE (IN)DIRECT OBJECTS WITH "________" You can use

multiple objects (that is, nouns or noun phrases separated by AND or a

comma) or the word ALL only with certain verbs. Among

the more useful of these verbs are TAKE, DROP, and PUT.  An example of a

verb that will not work with multiple objects is EXAMINE; you couldn't

say EXAMINE ALL or EXAMINE THE BOWL AND THE SWORD.


YOU CAN'T GO THAT WAY. There is no passage or exit in the direction you

want to move.


I DON'T UNDERSTAND THAT SENTENCE. The sentence you typed may have been

gibberish, such as TAKE ROPE WITH READ. Or, you may have typed a

reasonable sentence but used a syntax that Archmage does not recognize,

such as WAVE OVER THE MOUNTAIN. Try rephrasing the sentence.


Appendix D

Sample Transcript and Map


This transcript is not from Archmage, but it does show most of the

usual things you can do in the story. It contains several simple puzzles

and their solutions, and it will give you a good idea of how Infocom's

interactive fiction works. The player's sentences appear in capital

letters after each prompt (>). The map represents the terrain in the

sample transcript as you might have drawn it.


[diagram 1 goes here]


Road Near Brook

You're standing on a wide, bumpy north-south road.  An impenetrable

forest lies to the east, and a babbling brook runs along the road to the

west.  A sign is leaning against a pile of pebbles and small stones.


>READ THE SIGN

The sign has two arrows: one pointing north marked "To Greener

Pastures," and one pointing south marked "To Gornforb's Grocery."


>GO NORTH

Road Near Bridge

A small wooden bridge to the west spans the brook and leads (you can

see) to sunny, open pastures, where birds sing and swoop playfully.  A

wide road leading south runs parallel with the brook and disappears into

the dark shadows.  An impenetrable forest lies to the east, and north of

here is a marsh.


On the far side of the bridge is a troll, either dead or sleeping.


Guarding the bridge here is a buck-toothed cyclops weilding a mace.  He

scowls as you approach.


>WEST

The cyclops roars at you, swings his mace, and tries to bite you.  You

jump out of the way.


>INVENTORY

You are carrying:

	your spell book

	a pouch containing several gold nuggets


The cyclops spits out a horrible assortment of syllables that you barely

decipher as a demand for all your valuables.


>READ THE SPELL BOOK

My Spell Book

gnusto spell: write a magic spell into your spell book

frotz spell: cause an object to give off light

urbzig spell: turn a dangerous object into a harmless one


The cyclops again utters some threatening sounds, this time louder.


>SPELLS

The gnusto spell is yours forever.  Other than that, you have the urbzig

spell committed to memory once and the frotz spell committed to memory

once.


The cyclops raises his mace above his head and leans back, preparing to

leap at you and strike you full force with the mace!


>CAST THE URBZIG SPELL ON THE CYCLOPS

The cyclops is replaced by a moth, which flutters away.  The mace falls

to the ground.


>TAKE THE MAXE

I don't know the word "maxe".


>OOPS MACE

The mace is much too heavy for you to lift, let alone carry.


>WEST

Bridge

You're standing on a small wooden bridge spanning a babbling brook.  You

can see sunny, open pastures west of here, where birds sing and swoop

playfully.  As you cross the bridge, the boards creak loudly.


The troll wakes up and pulls a long nasty knife out his shabby clothes. 

He points the knife in your direction as he hisses, "Gold!  Give me your

gold!" 


>MEMORIZE URBZIG

urbzig spell: Using your best study habits, you commit the urbzig spell

to memory.


The troll jabs the knife in your direction, his blood-red eyes dripping

with greed.  "Give me your gold, and maybe you'll live!" he hisses.


>URBZIG TROLL

You speak the words of the spell perfectly, but nothing happens!


The troll seems surprised. "Your magic fails you, eh?  Ha!"  He adjusts

his grip on the long nasty knife and walks slowly toward you, looking

for the most vulnerable part of your throat.


>GO EAST THEN SOUTH

Road Near Bridge

There is a mace here.


Road Near Brook

A sign is leaning against a pile of pebbles and small stones.
 

>WEST

Just as you're about to step into the babbling brook, you see giant

electric eels light up in anticipation of electrocuting and devouring

you.  You step back away from the brook.


>SOUTH

Road Outside Gornforb's

The wide, bumpy road continues north and south here.  Nestled among the

thick forest foliage is a stone building with a closed black door and no

windows.  Above the door is a sign.


>READ THE SIGN

"Gornforb's Grocery 

Open Every Day

(Proprietor May be Napping -- Knock Several Times)" 


>KNOCK ON THE DOOR

You knock on the door.


>AGAIN

You knock again on the door.


>AGAIN

You knock again on the door.


Suddenly the door opens, and you hear a voice inside say "Come in, come

in!" 


>GO INTO THE HUT

As you step into the hut, the door shuts quickly behind you, leaving you

in total darkness.  You can't see a thing.


Darkness

A voice in the dark mumbles something about not being able to find a

match.


>FROTZ THE SPELL BOOK

There is an almost blinding flash of light as the spell book begins to

glow!  It slowly fades to a less painful level, but the spell book is

now quite usable as a light source.


Gornforb's Grocery

You're standing in a nearly empty store.  A closed black door leads

north.   Several empty glass jars, an empty bag, and a pencil are all

you see on the dusty shelves.


Gornforb, the storekeeper, continues to look in all the empty jars.  "I

think there's a match in here SOMEWHERE."


>TAKE THE EMPTY BAG

"No, no,"  says Gornforb.  "No bag unless you buy something."  Gornforb

looks about and picks up the pencil.  "Here.  This will cost you 100

gold nuggets."


>OFFER 1 GOLD NUGGET

"2 gold nuggets, and not a zorkmid cheaper!"  says Gornforb sternly.


>BUY THE PENCIL

Gornforb takes 2 gold nuggets from you, hands you the pencil, and opens

the door.  "Thank you, come again, come again."


>GORNFORB, GIVE ME THE PAPER BAG

"Help yourself, take it if you want it, thank you, come again, come

again."  He stands by the door, impatiently waiting for you to leave.


>TAKE THE BAG

Taken.


"Good day, good day," says Gornforb impatiently.


>LEAVE THE STORE

As you step outside, the black door slams shut behind you.


Road Outside Gornforb's


>NORTH

Road Near Brook

A sign is leaning against a pile of pebbles and small stones.


>TAKE PEBBLES THEN PUT THE PEBBLES IN THE BAG

Taken.


Okay, the pebbles are now in the bag.


>WRITE "GOLD" ON THE BAG

Okay, the bag now has "gold" written on it.


>N.W

Road Near Bridge

There is a mace here.  


Bridge

As you cross the bridge, the boards creak loudly.

The troll hears you coming and quickly puts his long nasty knife to your

throat.  "This time you shall not live!"


>SHOW THE BAG TO THE TROLL

The troll's blood-red eyes bulge disgustingly when he sees the

word "gold" on the bag.  He drops his knife and reaches for the

bag. 


>PUT THE BAG INTO THE BROOK

"Gold!" shrieks the troll with pleasure, as he dives into the brook

after the bag.  Suddenly you hear another shriek, this time of agony;

some thrashing in the water below you; and then all is quiet, save for

the singing of the birds to the west.


>GO WEST

Greener Pastures, Near the Bridge

This is the edge of one of the most idyllic spots in the land.  Rare and

beautiful birds quickly encircle you, sensing no maliciousness in your

heart.  They look at you with curiosity and wonder, and then hundreds

of them grab hold of your clothes and lift you up up up over magnificent

fields of green and gold to a destination not discussed in this sample

transcript.    


Appendix E

We're Never Satisfied


Here at the Cambridge-by-the-Sea chapter of the Infocom Game Writers

Guild, we take great pride in the quality of our stories.

Even after they're "out the door," we're constantly

improving, honing, and perfecting them.


   Your input is important. No matter how much testing we do, it seems

some "bugs" never crawl into view until thousands of you begin doing all

those wild and crazy things to the story. If you find a bug, or if you

think a certain puzzle was too hard or too easy, or if you have some

other suggestion, or if you'd just like to tell us your opinion of the

story, drop us a note! We love every excuse to stop working, and a letter

from you is just such an excuse! Write to:

   Infocom, Inc.

   125 CambridgePark Drive

   Cambridge, MA 02140 

   Attn: ORKAN


Appendix F

If You Have Technical Problems


You can call the Infocom Technical Support Team to report "bugs" and

technical problems, but not for hints to solve puzzles, at

(617) 576-3190. If your disk develops a problem within ninety (90) days 

after purchase, we will replace it at no charge. Otherwise, there is a

replacement fee of $5 (U.S. currency). If you call to report a bug,

please provide your release number, which you can find by typing

VERSION. Please return your registration card if you'd like to be on our

mailing list and receive our newsletter, The New Zork Times.


Appendix G

About the Author

Dave Lebling was born in Washington, D. C. and grew up in

suburban Maryland.  He attended the Massachusetts Institute

of Technology, and worked at MIT's Laboratory for Computer

Science, where he developed an interest in computer

entertainments.  He was a co-author of the original mainframe

Zork.  He has co-authored Zork I, Zork II, Zork III, and Enchanter,

and written Starcross and Suspect on his own.  He is married and

lives in a suburb of Boston, where his appetite for the printed

word is restrained only by the volume of his house.


Appendix H

Copyright and Warranty Information


Limited Warranty

This software product and the attached instructional materials are sold

"AS IS," without warranty as to their performance. The entire risk as to

the quality and performance of the computer software program is assumed

by the user.


   However, to the original purchaser of a disk prepared by Infocom and

carrying the Infocom label on the disk jacket, Infocom, Inc. warrants

the medium on which the program is recorded to be free from defects in

materials and faulty workmanship under normal use and service for a

period of ninety (90) days from the date of purchase. If during this

period a defect on the medium should occur, the medium may be returned

to Infocom, Inc. or to an authorized Infocom, Inc. dealer, and Infocom,

Inc. will replace the medium without charge to you. Your sole and

exclusive remedy in the event of a defect is expressly limited to

replacement of the medium as provided above. This warranty gives you

specific legal rights and you may also have other rights which vary from

state to state.



   THE ABOVE WARRANTIES FOR GOODS ARE IN LIEU OF ALL WARRANTIES, EXPRESS,

IMPLIED, OR STATUTORY, INCLUDING, BUT NOT LIMITED TO, ANY IMPLIED

WARRANTIES OF MERCHANTABILITY AND FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE AND

OF ANY OTHER WARRANTY OBLIGATION ON THE PART OF INFOCOM, INC. SOME

STATES DO NOT ALLOW LIMITATIONS ON HOW LONG AN IMPLIED WARRANTY LASTS,

SO THE ABOVE LIMITATION MAY NOT APPLY TO YOU.  IN NO EVENT

SHALL INFOCOM, INC. OR ANYONE ELSE WHO HAS BEEN INVOLVED IN THE

CREATION AND PRODUCTION OF THIS COMPUTER SOFTWARE PROGRAM BE LIABLE FOR

INDIRECT, SPECIAL, OR CONSEQUENTIAL DAMAGES, SUCH AS, BUT NOT LIMITED

TO, LOSS OF ANTICIPATED PROFITS OR BENEFITS RESULTING FROM THE USE OF

THIS PROGRAM, OR ARISING OUT OF ANY BREACH OF THIS WARRANTY. SOME STATES

DO NOT ALLOW THE EXCLUSION OR LIMITATION OF INCIDENTAL OR CONSEQUENTIAL

DAArchmageS, SO THE ABOVE LIMITATION MAY NOT APPLY TO YOU.


   N.B. After the warranty period, a defective Infocom disk may be returned to

Infocom, Inc. with a check or money order for $5.00 U.S. currency for

replacement. 


Copyright

The enclosed software product is copyrighted and all rights are reserved

by Infocom, Inc. It is published exclusively by Infocom, Inc. The

distribution and sale of this product are intended for the use of the

original purchaser only and for use only on the computer system

specified. Lawful users of this program are hereby licensed only to read

the program from its medium into memory of a computer solely for the

purpose of executing the program. Copying (except for one backup copy on those 

systems which provide for it -- see Reference Card), duplicating, selling, or

otherwise distributing this product is a violation of the law.


   This manual and all other documentation contained herein are copyrighted

and all rights reserved by Infocom, Inc. These documents may not, in

whole or in part, be copied, photocopied, reproduced, translated, or

reduced to any electronic medium or machine-readable form without prior

consent, in writing, from Infocom, Inc.



   Willful violations of the Copyright Law of the United States can result

in civil damages of up to $50,000 in addition to actual damages, plus

criminal penalties of up to one year imprisonment and/or $10,000 fine.

Zork is a registered trademark of Infocom, Inc.

Archmage, Enchanter, Starcross, and Suspect are trademarks of Infocom, Inc.

(c) 1985 Infocom, Inc.


Printed in U.S.A.

Appendix I

Quick Reference Guide


1. To start the story ("boot up"), see the separate Reference Card in

your Archmage package.


2. When you see the prompt (>) on your screen, Archmage is waiting

for your input. There are four kinds of sentences or commands that

Archmage understands:


A. Direction commands: To move from place to place, just type the direction

you want to go: N (or NORTH), E, S, W, NE, SE, NW, SW, U (or UP), D, IN, OUT.


B. Actions: Just type whatever you want to do. Some examples: READ THE

BOOK or OPEN THE DOOR or LOOK THROUGH THE WINDOW or MEMORIZE THE BOZBAR SPELL.

Once you're familiar with simple commands, you'll want to use more complex 

ones as described in "Communicating with Archmage" on page N.


C. Commands given to other characters: To talk to characters in the

story, type their name, then a comma, then what you want to say to them.

For example: ADVENTURER, GIVE ME THE AXE or OLD MAN, GO WEST.


D. Special one-word commands: Some one-word commands, such as INVENTORY or

DIAGNOSE, give you specific information or affect your output. A list of

these appears in the "Important Commands" appendix on page N.


3. Important! After typing your sentence or command, you must press the

RETURN (or ENTER) key before Archmage will respond.


4. On most computers, your screen will have a special line called the status

line. It tells you the name of your current location, your score, and 

the number of turns you have taken.


5. You can pick up and carry many of the items you'll find in the story.

For example, if you type TAKE THE FLASK, you will be carrying it.

Type INVENTORY to see a list of the items you are carrying.


6. When you want to stop, save your place for later, or start

over, read the "Starting and Stopping" section on page N.


7. If you have trouble, refer to the specific section of the manual

for more detailed instructions.