Cellar East of Chasm Gallery Leonardo Flathead's Studio Troll Room Temple of Zork Flood Control Dam #3 White Cliffs Beach Maze Grating Room Cyclops Room Strange Passage The Thief's Treasure Room East-West Passage Chasm Deep Canyon North-South Passage Round Room Loud Room Damp Cave Narrow & Cold Passages Mirror Room Cave Winding & Twisting Passages South of Reservoir Atlantis Room Slide Room Mine Entrance Coal Mine Shaft Room Ladder Top Ladder Bottom Dead End Timber Room Drafty Room Machine Room Maze: Skeleton Frobozz Magic Well Alice Area Bank of Zork Oddly-Angled Room Wizard of Frobozz's House (A) / (B) Somewhere on Level 2 or 3 Scenic Vista Above Aqueduct Parapet

DUNGEON OF ZORK

The Dungeon of Zork is a large labyrinth deep in the bowels of the earth beneath the White House near the former site of Flatheadia. This ancient portion of the Great Underground Empire is reputed to contain adventure, danger and low cunning, with some of the most amazing territory ever seen by mortals to explore. Since dungeons are often dark, it is advised for those wishing to venture within to bring a source of light (brass lanterns are recommended) and weapons since dungeons often have unfriendly things wandering about. Reading material is scattered around the dungeon as well, telling tales of the Great Underground Empire prior to its collapse.

This dungeon was formed in 883 GUE when the curse of Megaboz reduced the entire city and castle of Flatheadia into a simple White House and became the dwelling place of the First Dungeon Master (and the Wizard of Frobozz and many other subterranean dezizens). As the dungeon is composed of the conglomerate remnants Flatheadia, the jumbled ruins reflect the tastes and preferences of the particular Flathead king who was in power during the building of each section (no one seemed to have made any records concerning who did what, nor would it be feasible to dissected the blended mess).

In the late ninth/early tenth century, Syovar the Strong had victory over the forces of Krill when they fought amongst these caverns. After these days, the Frobozz Corporation had the Frobozz Magic Implementation Company excavate the ruins while the Frobozz Magic Dungeon Company began brief reconstruction work within the caverns that paused by the 940s.

Spreading rumors of fabulous treasures long hidden from prying eyes dwelling within the dungeon, drew flocks of adventurers from all over the world. Filled to the brim with fearsome monsters and diabolical traps, hardened adventurers would run screaming from the terrors contained within. Lucien Kaine was one of the many adventurers that stumbled across the dungeon, and obtained many treasures. Gaining mastery over the snares and dangers of the dungeon, he protected his valueables by killing other adventurers that dared to enter, thus earning the infamous title, "The Thief."

In those days, the Dungeon of Zork consisted of three main levels (or sections): the large top region which included a coal mine, a maze of twisty little passages and was bordered on its eastern end by the Flood Control Dam #3 and the Frigid River; the middle region, which included Smaug's lair, the volcano which Dimwit Flathead had hallowed out, the Bank of Zork, a topiary, the Wizard of Frobozz's workshop, was claimed as the wizard's territory where he continuously picked on other adventurers; and the lower region, including the Shadowlands, the Royal Museum, and the Dungeon Master's personal dungeon.

The three levels at one time were more closely connected (the thief's hideout having a passage to the Royal Museum, a passage near the cellar to the Bank of Zork, a tunnel leading upstream from Flood Control Dam #3 to the volcano, just to name a few). But by 948, many of these tunnels had collapsed, perhaps from underground earthquakes, one of which destroyed a lovely aqueduct in level three. While no longer directly connected to the first level, the second level was accessed by entering a Stone Barrow on the surface near the White House.

948 GUE saw the birth of one of the most famous tales of history, the Legend of Zork. A world-famous adventurer descended into the bowels of the Dungeon, defeated the Thief (Lucien Kaine) and claimed the Twenty Treasures of Zork from the first level, defeated Smaug and the Wizard of Frobozz on the second level, and overcame the First Dungeon Master's trials and passed on to a higher plane of existence as the Second.

But the vast territory did not remain empty forever. New monsters and new heroes began to repopulate this portion of ancient Quendor. Morgrom the Essence of Evil, one of the many pseudo-gods and former member of the Supernatural and Fantastic Wayfarers Association, attained to position of File Restore. This seat of power allowed him to “restore” the elements of any “files” to his liking. He cared nothing for the faceless ranks of average people, but had horrible plans for one certain file: the Dungeon of Zork. He purchased the White House and quickly set forth to renovate the elements of the entire underground region, overseeing a workforce of zombies that labored on his behalf.

Morgrom planned to restore the Great Underground Empire to its former glory, and he began by stocking it with new traps and new monsters and a few new, not very expensive treasures. Some of his renovations included the complete renovating of the White House (including the installation of an elevator in the living room, and lining its path with rocks), installing vending machines and zorkmid changers, revising the maze (for example, furnishing its central hub with a matching maroon sofa, loveseat, and wing chair, and enslaving the minotaur as a guard in the grating room), reconstruction of the Bank of Zork, restoration of the dusty room which had been demolished by the Second Dungeon Master, and much much more. New treasures included: Flathead Beer, a year’s supply of Tortle Wax, a freezer with a year’s supply of Inuit Pies, etc. He intended to use the Frobozz Magic Temporizer to prevent the bungling and mismanaging of the file of men known as the Flathead Dynasty. His scheme was to replace Dimwit Flathead on the throne. (For more information regarding this scheme, please see: "Morgrom the Essence of Evil")

But one element kept his plan from fruition: the Golden Dipped Switch, used to operate the temporizer, had been stolen, and he knew that it could be anywhere in the Empire. Thus he needed a pawn to seek it for him: Mirakles of the Elastic Tendon, the illegitimate son of Desiphae and Thrag. This was difficult, because Morgrom had earned a portion of his infamousness because of his slaughter of the pseudo-god Thrag. This barbarian, along with Glorian of the Knowledge and Spike the Protector searched the Dungeon of Zork and uncovered the Golden Dipped Switch. During the quest, the Autoexec revealed his true wicked character, seeking to acquire the Switch for his own purposes. Mirakles and his companions defeated the Autoexec and secured the Golden Dipped Switch. Afterward, due to Mirakles' oath, the Switch was brought to Mirakles. The Control Character deleted Morgrom before the time machine could be put to use. Thus the Dungeon of Zork was freed from Morgrom's rule.