W7-NewCity

Wizardry VII - New City

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1.	->from Beginning, entering New City An ominous figure suddenly appears before you. Halt! By order of the Imperial Legions of the Savant Empire. Access to New City is restricted. What business have you in New City? ->answer Paluke's Armory Destination confirmed. You may pass.
2.	There is a cold dullness to the town of New City. As you pause and listen to the howl of the wind, whistling through the alleyways of the city, you can almost hear faint whispers from behind the drawn shuttered windows. And the clatter of footsteps underneath the rustle of scattering leaves. As if some dark cloud had descended upon the place, choking from it the sparkle of life that perhaps it once possessed.
3.	A vivid red emblem has been attached to the door, the significance of which is not clear. (inside) The bunker is crude and dirty, apparently serving as a small guard station for the Savant Legions.
4.	Paluke's Armory, Mail & Fine Leathers Naked wooden dummies which once carried various suits of armor stand barren in random disarray about the shoppe. A few old, ratted garments of mail and leather droop lifelessly from the walls. It is hardly an enticing display. A poster above the door proclaims: If you don't want to lose it, cover it with Palukes'! The floor is unswept, covered with the footprints of many recent visitors, and a well worn path leads into the back. Suddenly, a stout looking creature appears from behind one of the empty dummies and charges to meet you. Ort! I am Paluke, Armorer of New City! This is your lucky day! I have a few remaining pieces which I am sure can be easily fitted to suit your needs! Sorry I don't have more to offer right now, but it seems everyone is preparing for war! ->you can trade with Paluke
5.	The Conquerer Inn & Tavern All is quiet as you enter the inn, and it seems that you are the only likely customers. The main room is cluttered with junk, and several scratchy paintings hanging askew adorn the walls. Stacks of plates and half-finished meals still remain from prior days. A testament to the general tidiness of the Innkeeper. Soon, a rumpled grumpy man makes his way from the back of the messy room. Pardon the clutter, but we don't get many visitors these days. You need lodging for the night? As long as you don't bring any of those filthy T'Rangs with you. But don't just stand there, come on in! You look like you could use a good round of ale! Just make yourself at home, we're all family here. Now will that be for two nights or just three? ->you can trade with Dungore
6.	T'Rshieches House, Property of the T'Rang Empire, Entry Strictly Forbidden
7.	You stand inside a large courtyard, serene and calm, and it is a welcome change from the otherwise gloomy city. There is an arched gazebo in the center of the courtyard fountain, and within it is housed an ancient statue.
8.	Standing at the statue, it appears much larger than before. The stone looks fresh, as if it were carved only yesterday, although a thick layer of rust around its base suggests it has bee here a long time. Gazing up into the face of the majestic figure, you detect a faint smile and its eyes seem to almost twinkle. ->search Scraping off the thick dust, you unearth a metal plate at the foot of the statue engraved as follows: FATHER PHOONZANG. Oddly enough, while cleaning the plate you noticed that the middle of the second ""O"" in the engraving seemed to move out of alignment. It indeed swings open, pivoting at the top, and underneath you find a small opaque stone, apparently concealed here a long time ago. ->get [MOONSTONE]
9.	Welcome All, Thesminster Abbey Though the cathedral lacks the kind if elegance most often associated with a membership of profitable patronage, it nonetheless seems to possess that tranquil reverence which can momentarily soothe the troubled soul. It is empty now, the floors swept clean, and only the slow deliberate motions of a lone figure standing at the end of the temple serve to break the stillness. The distant priest has given no sign that he is aware of your presence, continuing in his ritual as if no other matters held any import.
10.	Drawing near the priest, he turns to face you. Welcome my children! Do you seek healing for body, or guidance for the spirit? ->answer healing, stairs lead to healing fountain showed (11) ->answer guidance Slay not he that cannot hear! Go now, and repeat these words to Brother Tshober who guards the bridge to the Holy City of Munkharama. Your journey shall be long, but you have taken the first step. Now you must prepare to make the second! ->answer Holy Sacrament (message from Xen Xheng in Dojo of Munkharama) Thy virute doth shine as a radiant sun. Enter herein, and follow the path before you! ->stairs to dungeon showed (s1) ->you can trade with Father Rulae
12.	New City Library A vivid red emblem has been attached to the door, the significance of which is not clear. (inside) Cautiously you look around, wary of the foreboding emblem which marked the front of the library door. The interior of the library is quite dusty and cluttered, being filled with shelves of books and old scrolls. It would require days to search through them all, and even then it is unlikely that anything here would be of much use. For some reason you turn and cast a glance sideways, toward the north end of the room, and there, perched slightly apart from the volumes around it, you spy a dark red book. But suddenly you are startled by the gaunt figure of one of the ghoulish Savant Guards, unearthly still, uncannily poised in the corner beside the shelf on which the book rests. Ready to jump into action, yet still frozen where you stand, before you can react your senses tell you there is something peculiar about the situation. Within the heartbeat of the next moment, you can see that the dreaded Guardian is not reacting, nor making motions of any kind. Whether it is entranced, or dead, or asleep you cannot tell. Perhaps there is some secret power of weakness to which it has succumbed. Whatever has affected it, you start breathing again, and find that it is totally oblivious to your presence.
13.	Silently cursing yourselves as fools, you carefully approach the dormant Savant Guard. Sure enough, it seems to be deactivated in some fashion. And there, on the shelf before you, the dark red book beckons. ->try to take the book Deftly, you sneak the book from the shelf. Not even a breeze. The Savant Guardian remains in its somnolent state. (if sneak fails, the guard will attack you) ->get [BOOK OF FABLES]
14.	Behind a flutter of papers inside the inner chamber of the library, you surprise an old and grey rat-like creature, who apparently does not like surprises. EEECH! Who are you?!! Why can't you leave me to work in peace? Besides, I gave the city blueprints to the strangers that were here just before you, if that's what you're looking for. Now leave me alone! ->ask history to Prof. Wunderland The history of Old City! That's what I've been researching. Listen, and I'll tell you what I've learned. A long time ago, everyone lived together here. All in the same city. Old City. Life war simple for our ancestors, there was a common purpose. To fulfill the law of something called the Sacred Stone! But as time went on, there was disagreement upon the meaning of the sacred writing. Everyone began having different ideas. And they began to fight amongst themselves. Different groups were formed, each claiming to represent the one true interpretation of Sacred Stone. In time, each faction created their own version of the Sacred Stone, rewriting it to conform to their own reliefs. The original Sacred Stone was lost, obscured, and forgotten. Eventually, all anyone knew was dependent upon the beliefs of the faction unto which they were born. Naturally, the different factions began to separate. Soon, newer cities were constructed in the surrounding regions. And Old City was abandoned. All evidence of our original common ancestry disappeared. There were wars. The simple life had come to an end. And each faction began to evolve in an entirely different way. Some believed that this was bad. Others claim that it was all foretold. And a few others yet say that this is all as it should be. Hundreds of years passed. Then, one day, a strange thing occurred. A group of strangers appeared, calling themselves the Higardi. They said they came from the mountains, where they had been living in the ages since the fall of Old City. They had achieved great scientific wonders. And they wished to share their knowledge with all. A common ground was needed for all the differing factions to meet with the Higardi, and so New City was constructed. And it was built on top of Old City. Then, as suddenly as they had appeared, the Higardi vanished! No one knows exactly what happened. There must have been some purpose. But no one knows what it is! And so then, at last, here we are. ->ask Old Archives (message from Barlone' in Funhouse) Mmmm, let me think a moment. There were some archives in the Old City. When New City was built the archives were sealed off and covered over. Years ago, I went there to study records of our history. I think I may still have the key, one moment. I hope this helps with what you are looking for. The access to the Old City is on the south side of New City. It's been locked up for years. Be careful! ->get [OLD CITY ACCESS KEY]
15.	Arms of Argus, Weaponry Shoppe The inside of the shoppe is dimly lit, and faint outlines can be seen upon the walls where various implements of destruction were once displayed. The store seems quite bare, other than a few scattered crates, some open, which are resting on the floor. Tacked upon the back wall are several illustrations of items not immediately identifiable and whose use and purpose is not readily apparent. A large horned creature approaches you, brandishing an ominous sword and a strange barrel shaped object, waving them in a threatening exhibition of possible conflict. Haut! What do you want? This shoppe is closed. PERMANENTLY! Who sent you? ->answer Black Market Shhhh! Spies are everywhere! Come in and be quick about it! ->you can trade with Rossarian
16.	The bunker is crude and dirty, apparently serving as a small guard station for the Savant Legions. In the quiet of the aftermath, just barely audible, you can hear a continual "Eeep Eeep" sound coming from somewhere in the room.
17.	You find a thin flexible wafer which had apparently fallen to the floor sometime earlier, the source of the faint tone. It is inscribed as follows: ETX: BYYR. It might be an identification tag of some kind, but what a very odd name indeed. ->get [BLACK WAFER]
18.	Umpani Detache, Military Personnel Only
19.	Bank & Loan, Closed Holidays Apparently every day is now a holiday, the bank being quite bare and obviously vacated long ago.
20.	Vault Room The vault room appears to be empty, save for a slight gleam in the corner of the room which catches your eye. ->search Wedged within a crack of the floor, you pry up a paltry coin. ->get [COPPER PENNY]
21.	Curio Museum, Amazing Oddities The colorful cartoon of a grinning jester adorns the door of the museum. A metal tongue is protruding from a small hole in the mouth of the jester, and in the tongue is a narrow slot. You discover that the tongue is taut and springy, and when you depress it and quickly release, it flaps up and down, making an odd twanging kind of sound. ->use [COPPER PENNY] Inserting the copper penny into the slot, you depress and release the tongue, the coin flips into the grinning jester's mouth and disappears. (door unlocked) (inside) Cobwebs hang like fine tapestry from the ceiling and walls of the dark museum, creating the illusion of a gossamer maze, gradually your eyes adjust to the dimness, and strange silhouettes can be seen in the shadows of the room.
22.	The great Sea of Sorrows spans before you like a vast and dense space flattened unto the sky, spreading into the far distant horizon as a desolate plain of shimmering ether. Its deep waters chant a thousand silent tales, and its unseen borders but hint of far distant lands. How universal such a compelling motion, as if behind every veil of boundless unknown lay cloaked an invisible beacon, endlessly calling. Such solace these sights bring, as if a reminder that though the trappings of mortal man be forever enshrouded in a sea of passing discords, he has but to open his eyes that he may bear witness to some greater existence of which he is only a momentary traveler.
23.	New City Dock & Marina Old nets and a few stuffed trophies of gruesome looking aquatic creatures drape the walls of the small marina. An old munk, quietly working in the corner, seems so immersed in the block he is carving that he fails to take notice of you, looking back at the trophies in detail, any thoughts of taking a little dip in the sea are quickly followed by thoughts of being ripped to shreds. The old munk giggles, looks up, and then goes back to work. On the far wall you notice an empty trophy plaque, though it is too far to read from here, as you turn back to address the munk, he is standing before you. Thinking of sea faring, are we? Beware the dangers of the deep! ->ask Sea Monster to Sogheim Brombadeg, the Demon of the Sea! Many a ship has set sail, only to never return, tis rumored that when the moon is full, he rises from the deep in search of human blood, but none who have met him have lived to tell the tale, aye, he's taken many a sailor to watery grave. And if Brombadeg doesn't get you, then the birds probably will! ->ask ship to Sogheim There's a tale that in early times ships traveled freely across the seas, but that was before the times of Brombadeg! I lost my last vessel to that creature you see hanging on the wall over there, no one dares set sail anymore, and I don't blame them! I've been working on another ship, but she's not yet sea worthy. Maybe one day, when I've seen enough of this world, I'll finish her and set out to meet Brombadeg, maybe one day.
24.	A lonely plaque devoid of trophy hangs from the wall, it reads: BROMBADEG.
25.	Spanning the room, suspended by hoists and beams, the skeleton of a small sailing vessel awaits completion, looking closely at the unfinished ship, discoloration in the wood of various sections suggest the small boat has probably been under construction for several years, possibly more. It is evident that at this rate of progress, it could be a decade before the ship is ready to sail the open seas, clearly, there is little hope of it being of any use in your current endeavor.
26.	Keep Out, Condemned Area The building is old and crumbling away, completely empty save for a few broken crates and a somewhat liberal spread of rodent droppings.
27.	d C ty c es. This is all you can glean from a sign too faded to read. ->use [OLD CITY ACCESS KEY], wall removed
28.	Belcanzor's Magik Emporium (morning) Inside the shoppe, the room is empty, its walls bare, and a thin veil of dust covers the floor. (night) Inside the shoppe, the air is filled with smoke and the heavy scent of burning powders, it is unusually dark, and a spooky sense of enchantment fills the room. Shelves along the walls of the eerie boutique are filled with dusty bottles and ancient books, and peculiar trinkets and artifacts can be seen perched in between. From out of the shadows a tall pale figure emerges. Welcome, visitors. I am Belcanzor. How may I be of service? ->you can trade with Belcanzor (after trade) In a sudden billow of smoke, the entire contents of the room vanishes, leaving only bare empty walls with no trace of its prior occupancy.
29.	Pssst! Get me out of here!!
30.	Peering through the window, you see a group of the bizarre Savant Guardians. Cold and without emotion, they are deadly serious, and are poised to repel any possible attempt at invasion.
31.	Forbidden Zone Two vivid emblems, one red and one black, have been attached to the door, the significance of which is not clear.
32.	An elaborate device with tiny blinking lights has been implanted into the heavily steeled door, only a thin slot at the base of the device displays any hope of an access into its internals. ->use [BLACK WAFER] You insert the small wafer into the slot. An alarm rings soundly! (encounter several Savant Troopers, a good place for training) ->use [CONTROL CARD] You insert the small wafer into the slot. (door unlocked)
33.	New City Constabulary, Restricted Area A vivid red emblem has been attached to the door, the significance of which is not clear. (inside) Inside the constabulary, a host of the elite Savant Guardians stand ready for battle. Moving swiftly, silently, and with perfect precision, they assume a massive attack formation. (win) The battle over, the vaporized bodies of the mysterious guards have left no trace or clues. It is all inhumanly efficient.
34.	A small black box with three blinking buttons is attached to the wall. It appears to be patiently awaiting instructions that were presumably lost with the demise of the guards. ->press BLUE, YELLOW, YELLOW, RED The colored buttons blink three times and then go out. (door unlocked)
35.	The prison, like all cages and chambers of confinement, is desolate and somber, and the air is thick with the stale odor of unhealthiness. Its construction is simple and plain, but quite adequate to be effective nonetheless, serving all too well its ultimate intent, to slowly drain the life of those who are deemed threatening or undesirable to the currently prevailing powers that be.
36.	You find a key hanging upon the wall. ->get [PRISON KEY]
37.	The prison cell is occupied by a very rotund and somewhat unattractive creature, although his demeanor does not appear hostile. I am in your debt. I was betrayed by a gang of assassins, spies that were searching for Orkogre Castle, our secret fortress hidden in. Oops! Perhaps we should get out here before more of the guards arrive! ->ask assassin to Capt. Boerigard The location of Orkogre Castle is a well kept secret, known only by a handful of outsiders. But now I have need of your help and must reveal it to you. You must swear never to tell it to anyone! Will you vow never to reveal what I tell you? ->answer yes A plot has been unleashed by those who would envisage the destruction of the mighty Gorn Empire, We survived the years of war with the Dane and Munk because we were stronger, but now new forces have appeared that seek to sway and enflame our old enemies. I will attempt to find the traitors who deceived me before they can reveal the location of Orkogre Castle. But you must travel to the Castle and warn the King! Tell him this, the Dartaen Alliance is broken! He will understand its meaning and know what to do. East of New City, if you follow the road that forks northward, you will enter our lands. The border is guarded by a special division of the Gorn Army, under the command of the great Lord Galiere. He is loyal to the King and will allow you passage, if you present him with this letter. ->get [LETTER OF BOERIGARD] From there, make your way westward through the forests, Be on the lookout for the entry in a small clearing. It is a difficult journey, but you should be able to reach it in a day or so. Uggbah be with you! [LETTER OF OBERIGARD]: The bearer of this letter keeps urgent news of the empire for Ulgar, King of the Gorn. Grant them safe passage. By Order Of: Capt. Boerigard Commander 2nd Division
38.	Leaving New City ->to Link(1)
39.	Inside the window, a grimey gooey brown substance slowly drips along the walls.
40.	Petrified Homonculous A large crystal dome sits upon a tarnished metal stand, attached and sealed quite hermetically. Peering inside the dome, you spy a small gargoylian figure, apparently made of stone or some other hard material. The quality of the workmanship is exquisite, so perfect to the last detail that one might almost swear the tiny figure was real. Whatever it is, it doesn't appear too tasty.
41.	Twisted Heads An elaborate mural cast in metal hangs from the wall, and sticking out from it in gross profile are bronzed heads of three little caricaturish imps. While there does not appear to be any particular meaning to the abstract background of the relief, you discover that the small burlesque heads can be twisted around. You are surprised to learn that when a head is oriented in one direction it appears to convey a certain emotion, and by turning it upside down, the original face reverses and then extols an opposite expression. You wonder if perhaps there is some meaning in this madness. ->push buttons in the order: [SCARED IMP], [ANGER DEMON], [LAUGHING DEVIL], [SILENT DEVIL], [SURPRISED IMP], [HAPPY DEMON], then wall at left removed (according to the message in *BOAT* map)
42.	Do not touch! Wand Majestik Hovering above a marble pedestal are four glowing balls. The balls are aligned in the form of a pyramid, three at the base in the shape of a triangle, and the fourth on top as the peak. The balls do not appear to be connected to pedestal in any way, and you cannot readily explain how it is that they remain suspended above it. Of even more interest however, is that within the pyramid floats an ornate and dazzling wand, which bathes the area with a radiant aura. ->touch one of the balls Your hand passes through the ball as if it was not there! ->try to take the wand As your hand reaches into the pyramid it disappears! Although you cannot see your hand, it is still connected to you, and it feels as if you have reached inside a vat filled with oozing slug-like worms, crawling all over your digits. ->leave your hand inside Feeling around inside the invisible vat of slugs, your fingers detect something hard, round and slightly heavy. As you grasp the object and retract your hand, something gives you a small burn. (one member get diseased) Quickly pulling your hand from the pyramid, you are relieved to find it still there. The mysterious wand appears quite unaffected by your actions, and continues to hover and glow. ->get [REBUS EGGE]
43.	->cast 'Knock-Knock' to unlock door
44.	->a healing fountain
45.	->to Old City
46.	Afloat within the shallows of the water is a peculiar looking vessel, a boat, but unlike any other that you have ever seen.
47.	Stepping aboard the strange craft, you see that while it appears to be made of wood and steel, further investigation reveals it is actually built of an unknown hard glossy material. Tough, resilient, and obviously waterproof. It makes you wonder about the origin of the boat, and how long it has been harbored here. The most interesting feature of the craft, however, is the tall oven-like barrel which sits at the rear of the ship, the purpose of which is not clear. It then strikes you that there is no visible means for propelling the small skiff. Only the rudder pole, a banking oar, and a strange handle attached to the side of the barrel. ->use [WIKUM'S POWERGLOBE] Placing the black globe onto the tripod in the center of the odd canister-barrel, you gasp as it starts to glow. After a few moments, you can hear water rushing up through the tubes inside the barrel, and soon see a rush of water emerging out the rear of the craft. Grabbing the rudder and pulling the handle on the side of the large can, you are ready to head out upon the open sea. (the boat can move now)
48.	->push button to remove wall ->to Sea of Sorrows
49.	Entering the area known as the Forbidden Zone, you confront a few of the icy Savant Guardians at work behind a strange machine, its panel aglow with rows of blinking colored lights. Upon seeing you, one Savant Guard quickly snatches something from the panel in front of him, and the lights on the machine go out. The other Guards methodically and mechanically turn to attack. ->encounter SV. Controllers & Savant Troopers (win) The powerful Controller eliminated, you are dismayed by the fact that he vaporized without leaving behind the object that was attached to the odd machine.
50.	You stand at the helm of the blank machine, trying to comprehend its purpose and operation. On the side of its box-like head, you note the slot from which the Savant Controller removed the device responsible for its deactivation. (Strange Machine 1) ->use [COMM-LINK DEVICE] You insert the Comm-Link Device into the side of the machine. Activation Sequence Initiated. Terminal Linkage Connect. Remote Access Operational. Server: (input 023@41A2). Server 023@41A2 Accepted. Host Module: (input Black Ship Command). Host Module: Black Ship Command Loaded. Host: Black Ship Command Options: S)tatus L)og F)iles E)xit ->Status: show Black Ship status ->Log: access restricted ->Files=>Personnel=>Name: (input Vi Domina) Name: Domina, Vi Class: Humanoid-Female Clan: Unknown Age: 24 Personality: Volitile, avoid provocation Overview: Expert, Extremely Dangerous Features: Eye-patch/Right, Chroma Powerglove Comments: Subject possible link to Pz. - Survival impera. If there's something you want, why don't you ask? Shocked at the sudden voice, you wheel around to face a panting young woman with cropped raven hair, black patch over one eye, electric blue arcs sparking across one hand and a white sword whisking in the other. Not very subtle in your attempts at espionage are you. I was monitoring the system when you accessed the files. You shouldn't be in here. But then. Neither should I. Ha ha ha. I have come from the Black Ship, the ship of the Dark Savant! He's gone completely mad, calling himself a divine lord of the universe or something. He keeps talking about destiny and strange prophecies. And about an all powerful globe that will transform him into a kind of god. The As-Trel-Dah-Me-Nay. He said that he needed me to help him find it. That I'm supposed to know something about it. At first, it seemed like a chance for real adventure. Cruise the galaxy in style, you know. But he's become more and more obsessed lately. And it's starting to get a little too spooky for me. Do you think you could give me a lift off of this burg? (Dark Savant showed) Before you have time to consider a reply, the mysterious dreadnaught himself materializes within the room. RETURN TO THE SHIP AT ONCE! Immediately the young whip-like girl jumps into action, unleashing a powerful bolt of energy at the titanic figure from her glowing hand of blue-white metal. In a dazzling display of fireworks, the Dark Savant returns a blast likewise from his outstretched arm, hurling a blistering arc of thunder into her shuddering body. As she slumps to the floor, you notice a flurry of sparks and smoke emerging from around his helmet, and he instantly starts clutching at his throat. With a strength surpassing anything human, he hefts up her collapsed form in one hand and heaves her into the back chamber, the door of which slams shut as he chokingly vanishes inside a shimmer of blue. The forgotten machine beeps impatiently behind you. *TIMEOUT* No Response From User. Auto-Disconnect Sequence Initiated. Terminal Linkage Disconnect. Remote Access Terminated. (leaving) Upon the door of the room where the girl was so tossed like a handful of feathers, a red light blinks on and off.
	(after Vi Domina captured) ->use [COMM-LINK DEVICE] You insert the Comm-Link Device into the side of the machine. Server: (input 018@67C1). Server 018@67C1 Accepted. Host Module: (input Central Security Access). Host Module: central security Loaded. Location: Remote Operation Station #2 Host: Central Security Options: S)tatus C)ontrol E)xit ->Status: show security cell is currently secured ->Control=>Security device: (input security cell) DEVICE DEACTIVATED (door at '51' unlocked)
51.	(after Vi Domina captured) Upon the door of the room where the girl was so tossed like a handful of feathers, a red light blinks on and off. (after deactivate Security Device) You notice the light on the doorway of the Security Cell has turned off.
52.	(after Vi Domina captured) Peering in through the window, you can see the fallen body of the one-eyed warrior-woman crumpled in the corner. You cannot tell whether she is dead or alive. And if alive, how much longer she will remain so.
53.	The Security System apparently disabled, you enter the room with the unconscious girl. After a few minutes, she groans and awakens. Uunnnnghhh! My head! What happened? Oh, I remember. He'll be coming back for me. He can't get his precious orb without me. I need a ship! And now that he's seen us together, he'll be looking for you as well. Our only chance is to find the Astral doo-dad before he does. And try to make some kind of deal. Assuming he's not totally insane by now. I heard him say that is was located beneath a morgue on a small island somewhere. Here, take this. It's a small transmitter, so I can keep track of you. If you can find the stellar globe then perhaps we can kiss this chunk of asteroid goodbye. I should go back to the ship and try to soften him up. I'll tell him I was attempting to stop some thieves, and he misunderstood. In the meantime, see what you can discover. And if you locate the As-Trel-Da-Men-Ah. Press the button on the transmitter. It will signal me and I'll beam down to join you. And see if you can get us a ride on another spaceship somewhere. But don't trust the tarantula-heads. They'd sell us out for sure! By the way, my name is Vitalia. But everyone calls me Vi. Vi Domina. You watched transfixed as the electric girl touched her wrist and shimmered away into nothingness. It will take some time before among your discussions you are able to piece together exactly what the young girl was talking about, but the essence of her meaning was clear. The Dark Savant is a dangerous threat, and time seems to be running out. She mentioned an island somewhere, and a morgue. And at the bottom, perhaps the fabled sphere of power. Of immediate concern, however, is getting out of here before the armored juggernaut can return. ->get [VITALIA'S DEVICE]
c1	potions and throw items
c2	Inside the vault rests a heavy chest, sealed and locked securely. (unlock) Buried in the chest, wrapped in a dark sequined shroud, the body of something once human met a horrible end. The corpse has long turned putrid, and seeing it within such a perverted coffin speaks a tale of graven past deeds, and fills your head with images of a crime most foul. There is no clue as to the identity of the remains, but gauging from the soggy squish of its moldered flesh, you can guess it has been here for at least several months. Mistakenly, you take a breath. ->get [POISON DAGGER], [DEATH SHROUD], [DEADMAN'S HAIR] (+2500 EXP)
c3	Lt. Crossbow and bolts
c4	Breast Plate, Chamois Skirt, Feathered Hat
c5	The chests lies covered with a thick coat of dust, and you wonder if it is as old as Father Rulae himself. (open) Alas, the chest is filled with naught but glittering dust. (or *LEGEND* map inside)
	[BOOK OF FABLES]: The Witch's Tale Once upon a time there was a goodly witch by the name of Hilynda, who was very powerful and beautiful. She lived high upon a mountain top, and ruled all the lands below her as far as the eye could see. Being a fair and just witch, she was provider and benefactor to all the animals dwelling within her domain, and often appeared to passing strangers in times of need. She had been borne of parents who also were witches, and had inherited the power to foretell the future, a very rare and special gift, even for a witch. But coming from a family of witches, she was not an only child. Four sisters, envious of her beauty and jealous of her power, also lived in the mountains. And as every day passed, they became more and more resentful of her popularity and her goodness. So the four sisters banded together, and decided that they would undo all the good that Hilynda had done, and torment her, and be just as nasty as they could. And the four sisters took upon themselves the names of the North, the South, the East, and the West, so that they would cover all the lands around them and insure that no foul deed would go undone. But for every dirty trick, for every heinous crime, for every little bit of badness that they could do, Hilynda was always there to thwart them, and turn their horrible deeds into good ones. For remember, Hilynda could see into the future and always knew what her sisters were going to do, even before they themselves knew! And so the day finally came when the four sisters said enough was enough and the time had come for them to put a stop to Hilynda once and for all. One night, while Hilynda lay sleeping, dreaming of good things, they sneaked into her chamber and invoked a terrible magic spell upon her; they cast a spell to steal her face! Her beautiful face, her nose, her mouth, her ear and her enchanted eyes, were severed and plucked from her; and each of the sisters took a part of Hilynda's face, so that then they would all have a share of their sister's magical power, and of her beauty. But Hilynda was wise to them, and had foreseen what her sisters had been planning to do, and that night, before she slept, she anointed herself with a special potion, which turned her face into gold! And when her mouth, her nose, her ears, and her eyes were stolen, it did not hurt her and she did not die; and because her features were no longer of flesh and blood, each of the four sister's own face was replaced with a part of gold. But Hilynda was cut off from the outside world, alone, and with no face. The four sisters now rule the mountains, and terrorize the surrounding lands, and do all kinds of horrible things. And to repay Hilynda for her cleverness, and cursing them with a feature of gold, every night they torment her, sending demons and spooks and ghouls and fiends to poke and tear at her, and make her fell just awful. They say that the five sisters still live in those mountains, and that every night, just before the witching hour, if you look through a witching glass, you can see the spirits come down into the forest, dancing their dance of torture, cruelty and pain around Hilynda. And that to this very day she still roams the mountains, waiting for someone to make her whole and beautiful again, waiting for someone to bring back her face. The End