DR. MARC "THE WIZARD" BLANK

Marc Blank is one of the four most powerful Implementors, and extremely well-loved by the populous and hailed throughout the lands as an Artist of movable type. It is unknown whether he was originally a human that was promoted to the status of Implementor, or one of the original created by Eru. Regardless, a legend tells that Journeyman Marc Blank was the son of a woodcutter, who early in life turned his talents to woodblocks. He apprenticed to a xylographer by had the foresight to venture boldly into the new art of parchment printing. In adddition to his renown in the craft of printing, he has also gained wealth from his share of a distant antimony mine.

Dr. Blank was quoted on the back of a GUE Tech matchbook in regards to the exciting field of paper shuffling. "Ten short days ago all I could look forward to was a dead-end job as a doctor. Now I have a promising future and make really big Zorkmids."

Joining up with Dave Lebling in 956 GUE, the two heeded the call of Mistress Quickly and rejuvenated their weary frames in local games of skill every Gruesday night at the Guild Hall. It is rumored that thereafter, he took a wife for himself and she bore him a daughter.

Marc Blank authored "History of the World" sometime before 949 GUE.

The Museum of Illusion was dedicated to the memory of the Great Implementors where a row of delicately crafted porcelain busts of these immortal greats once stood. Legend has it that so lifelike were these busts, that they would seem to talk among themselves, discussing history, the arts, music, and philosophy, much as those mythic figures did in the Golden Age of Text Adventures. But years of neglect and the ravages of time have toppled most from atop their finely-wrought pedestals. In 1066 GUE, when the ancient Museum of Illusion was excavated by the Second Inquisition, the only two that remained were those of Marc Blank and Mike Berlyn (bloodied, but unbent; battered, but unbroken; shaken, but not stirred), who had been relegated to the roles of lesser deities over the years. Worse than the physical desecration of this shrine, an attempt was made to commercialize what remains, for when it was uncovered, a sign above the busts read, "Consult the Oracles - 10 Zorkmids" with a coin-sized slot beneath the sign. Although the two Implementors gave obscure advice to passing adventures, unless they ponied up for his advice, Marc was unlikely to pay them any mind, as years of being alone and saddled with Mike tended to make him ornery. Regardless, they were willing to help and unknown inquisition guard escape from the confines of the caverns.


ANOTHER MARC OR MERELY THE SAME?
There are reports of possibly another Marc, although many seem to believe that the two are the same, called the "localization dude" who was paired with Mason, King of the Scripters, in the lair of the Development Team (said to be a dark and foreboding world where even grues feared to tread). Upon entering, their unblinking, bloodshot eyes seemed to burn right through any intruders. A chilling whisper softly sounds from the shadows. "The pain... End the pain!..." All strangers were beheaded by Mason's bloody sword and Marc's maniacal cry of "Timmmmberrr!" as he pushed the headless body over.

SOURCE(S): Dungeon, Zork I, Enchanter (folio), Zork: The Undiscovered Underground, Zork: Grand Inquisitor, misc