 Juranda (A) / (B) / (C) / (D) Bivotar and Juranda... ...find the Sword of Zork (A) ...find the Sword of Zork (B) ...with the Ring of Zork ...bearing the Ring of Zork ...meet a troll in the Castle of Zork ...in their adventurer garb ...embrace their uncle ...and Syovar outside Cavern of Doom ...with Grum ...with Logrumethar and Syovar ...with magic bead ...explore the underground ...before the sick Syovar ...within a cloud of magic |
Juranda and Bivotar, two famous adventurers that frequented the company of each other, were the niece and nephew of Syovar the Strong. The two inseperable companions commonly dressed in the adventurer's garb, featuring leather belts, hooded cloaks, and sturdy leather boots.
THE FORCES OF KRILL
Circa 738~755, Bivotar and Juranda were kidnapped by the forces of Krill. Because of Syovar's absorption into the isolation and intrigues of the royal Quendoran life, it took him several years before he found out. The two were imprisoned for nearly two hundred years, when they finally escaped the clutches Krill's servants in the late ninth century. The two were instantly plunged into the war between Krill and the Aragain Province as Syovar and Sir Ellron were desperately trying to counter the invasion.
The two adventurers stumbled across the Sword of Zork. In the Foothills of Frobozz, they met with Sir Ellron and the rest of the Knights of Frobozz on the provincial road who were marching towards the White House to collect with Syovar's forces. He had no time to spare them the details of occurrences during their imprisonment. Thus he directed the pair to an ancient man still dwelling in a nearby village within the folds of the foothills, who explained to them all the doings in the kingdom from the fall of the Empire to the current campaign against Krill. They departed the village to bring the Sword of Zork to Syovar at the campsite in the Dark Forest. Their arrival was belated, for the knights had been forced to move on to engage with Krill’s forces that were again amassing beyond Flood Control Dam #3. A letter attached to a signpost updated them on the campaign:
Bivotar,
Juranda,
It
brings joy to my heart to hear that you have returned. Sir Ellron tells
me that
he met you in the foothills and that you have the Sword of Zork. We
must hurry
off to battle; the armies of Krill are massing again beyond the dam,
and I fear
they will attack before nightfall. We will go to Ellron's house as soon
as
possible; meet us there with the sword.
Syovar
The two adventurers headed down the forest trail toward the White House. At the fork in the trail, Juranda climbed a tree were she spotted a bronze key amidst a birds nest. All of the doors and windows of the White House were boarded shut, save one window behind the house which Juranda found that was slightly ajar. They entered through it. In the living room, the two adventurers found an inscription upon a trophy case: “Only when the Three Palantirs of Zork are returned to this case can the evil be driven from the land and the Great Underground Empire rise once more.” The two were determined to recover the Palantirs. Juranda accidentally found a trapdoor hidden beneath a heavy oriental rug, which was opened once the bronze key she had found was inserted into the lock. They added a brass lantern to their inventory and descended. Some mysterious ill-willed being firmly shut the trapdoor behind them.
Along a dark tunnel they were ambushed by a lurking troll. Wielding the Sword of Zork, Bivotar dispatched the troll and the two followed a passage to a flat ledge overlooking the massive reservoir of Flood Control Dam #3. A torn map once leading to the location of the three Palantirs was found on the skeleton of a deceased adventurer. They followed the ledge lining the reservoir east towards the dam until the path before them was broken by a huge gap. Hopelessly looking for a way to cross, one of the many gnomes of the region appeared, willing to help them, as long as they relinquished the Sword of Zork into his hands. Refusing to handover the precious artifact, Bivotar cleverly tricked the gnome to form a magical bridge free of charge, and the two adventurers continued their journey.
Upon their arrival at Flood Control Dam #3, a bloody and disheveled Ellron met them astride his mount. The army of Krill had beaten the Knights of Frobozz in battle that day and they were in retreat. Syovar had fled to the underground base in the nearby coal mines where the survivors were rendezvousing to form a last defense against Krill. At this moment, a letter from Syovar arrived via gray owl, informing Ellron that the armies of Krill had amassed for battle once again. He reasoned that if the armies of Syovar lost this round, that it would be their final defeat. But even if the knights were able to defeat Krill on this day, Ellron knew that without the three Palantirs, it would only be a matter of time before Krill was victorious. After bidding Juranda and Bivotar goodwill, warning them of Krill’s shape-shifting powers, and mentioning that Syovar never removed his Ring of Zork, Ellron departed to reunion with Syovar in the coal mines.
After a brief meeting with Harlon the Hermit, the two friends were interrupted by an enchanted frog near the base of the dam, who, before hopping away, suggested that the two climb the stairs to the top. Concerned that the frog might have been a minion of Krill only trying to guide them into his grip, the two reluctantly ascended the dam.
At the top, they entered the control room and opened the floodgates with the push of a button. A second button on the control panel malfunctioned, causing the pipes to burst. Fortunately, the burst broke open a hollow in the walls, revealing the three Palantirs of Zork. Unfortunately, the room was flooded with brown water and swept the Palantirs deep beneath it. Desperate to recover the spheres that he believed was their only source of salvation, Bivotar dove under the water and obtained the three Palantirs. The two adventurers were swept out of the control room by the rising water and onto the top of the dam. Now that the floodgates had been opened, the water no longer crossed the lip of the dam, thus they crossed to the far side where a path led them into the coal mines.
In the meantime, just as Ellron had arrived at the mines, Krill had discovered the hideout and forced all of the Knights of Frobozz to withdraw to the White House. The two knights who met Bivotar and Juranda upon their entrance were Krill’s lizard warriors who had been polymorphed into the likeness of men. Krill himself had assumed the form of Syovar with the same spell. This pseudo-Syovar welcomed them with stew and informed them that Ellron had already told him of their quest for the Palantirs and the recovery of the sword. But when something tugged the back of Bivotar’s mind, he recalled the advice of Ellron (that Syovar never removes his ring) and thus he was not fooled by the naked fingers of Krill’s disguise.
At Bivotar’s refusal to hand over the relics to the pseudo-Syovar, Krill reverted his appearance and the surrounding knights returned to their lizard forms. Bivotar and Juranda escaped the coal mine, sliding down a chute that returned them to the cellar of the White House. Climbing up the rickety stairs they met with Ellron, Syovar and other knights in the living room. Bivotar handed over the sword of Zork and the three Palantirs into the hands of Syovar.
Krill’s pursuing army of at least ten thousand strong surrounded the house. Syovar quickly placed the Palantirs into the trophy case, read the inscription on the case and recited a spell. An arc of light leapt between the three spheres and grew to encompass the entire room. It flashed blindingly bright, and as the light faded, so did their surroundings—the house was gone, and instead they all stood on a hill in the center of a vast plain. Before them, like a foul black sea, stood the armies of Krill. Krill himself towered above them, larger than life, a horrible dark cloud before the sun. Behind them, stretching to the horizon, summoned by the power of the Palantirs, stood the legendary Warriors of Zork, clothed in white tunics and shiny battle armor. Syovar mounted his mighty steed and commanded the summoned warriors to rid his kingdom of the evil scourge. With a cheer that echoed across the plain, the warriors charged forward, engulfing the armies of Krill. After an eternity of chaos, the armies of Krill lost both ground and strength. The Warriors of Zork pressed on, seemingly tireless and invincible. Syovar vanquished Krill by plunging the Sword of Zork deep into his heart. The evil warlock’s body disappeared in a giant puff of unwholesome smoke and his disembodied spirit fled elsewhere. Unfortunately, the middle of the tenth century would see the resumption of the evil sorcerer’s deviousness.
Syovar was wounded in the battle but it was not serious. Now that the three Palantirs had served their purpose, they vanished in black smoking piles of ash, only to be magically relocated back to the Great Underground Empire beneath the White House. Before sending Bivotar and Juranda back to their homeland, Syovar gifted them with the Ring of Zork. Whenever they wished to return, they only had to place the ring upon their finger to be teleported instantly to the Castle of Zork.
THE MALIFESTRO QUEST
The legends of Bivotar and Juranda’s bravery and their defeat of Krill spread all across the kingdom, although the tales were distorted. One of such warped versions, which omitted the roles that any of the others had played in the ordeal, making it seem that Bivotar and Juranda were two powerful wizards who alone had defeated Krill, made its way beyond the kingdom to Malifestro. This evil wizard lived on the east side of the Flathead Mountains where he was in preparation for world conquest. Malifestro conjured a powerful spell to capture Syovar and held him for ransom in his Fenshire castle. Weak and desperate, the imprisoned king contacted Bivotar and Juranda via magic which came to them in the form of a dream.
That night, the two were both troubled with images of Syovar’s imprisonment above the potent slithering reptiles. Their uncle implored them to come to his aid, to take the ancient underground route, and to seek the black crystal sphere. Then the dream dispersed.
That morning, Bivotar and Juranda met together to share their identical dreams. Fearing the worst, Bivotar placed the Ring of Zork upon his finger and the two companions were transported to the Castle of Zork, which was almost entirely deserted and somewhat neglected. Rats had even invaded the once thriving walls. They befriended Max and Fred, the two frightful elves who told them of the tyranny of Malifestro and the capture of Syovar. Though the elves begged the adventurers to remain at the castle, Bivotar and Juranda were determined to rescue the king. They gathered gear for the journey and set out from the castle for the Flathead Mountains hoping to cross it to Malifestro’s castle on the opposite side. With them, they brought a sack of magical devices, which included vials of potions.
After an hour from the Castle of Zork, the four companions noticed a band of thieves on horseback in the distance. Two accounts currently circulate on how they evaded the band: one states that huddled together behind a large invisibility cloak to shield them from wicked eyes. Another tells that Fred cast a friendliness spell upon the thieves. Despite the variations, both accounts agree that the thieves moved on without any conflict.
After an unsuccessful attempt at magic by Fred to teleport them to Malifestro’s lair (eating hard and bitter cakes and the elf chanting a spell, which only moved them four feet towards the mountains), Juranda pulled a Frobozz Magic Carpet from the sack. The four companions squeezed onto the rug and set off. Unfortunately, the abrupt propulsion flung the two elves off the rug. Juranda and Bivotar had already forgotten the magic word to bring the rug to a halt and were unable to go back. When they finally recalled this word, they had almost reached the base of the mountains and the two elves were nowhere in sight.
As no means could be found to restart the carpet, they sought shelter at a tiny cabin at the base of the mountains, where they were greeted by Vengrallior, a wizard who had been banished from the kingdom by Dimwit Flathead. He fed them bland and lumpy porridge before issuing a prophecy:
Turn
not away from the one-eyed beast,
and
pass ye through the gates of despair.
Vengrallior informed that only the meek and innocent would be able to approach Malifestro without detection. Then he vanished with a wild laugh. While pondering these words, Bivotar and Juranda slept within the cabin.
The next morning, Bivotar and Juranda awoke and started on their journey to cross the mountains. Recalling the advice Syovar gave through their dream, the two adventurers forsook traveling the mountain paths and entered the “ancient underground route” which had a cavernous opening at the mountain base. Entering into darkness, they would have been consumed by a pack of grues had not Bivotar opened a jar of Frobozz Magic Sunlight, putting all the grues to flight.
The labyrinthine passageways brought them to the Prince of Kaldorn, who had been exiled from his own kingdom. In his despair he had been selling magic sneakers, but the Malifestro epidemic had almost killed his entire business. Just for listening to his misery, his awarded the two adventures with free magic sneakers and set them off. Soon afterward a Frobozz Magic Wizard Escape Potion was added to their inventory.
When the two reached the door of Walter M. Smith, a cyclops, they were dubious if it was wise to enter. But recalling Vengrallior's prophecy, “Turn not away from the one-eyed beast” they risked entrance. The eager cyclops invited them inside to prepare them for his dinner. Juranda knew, as all common adventurers do, that the mere mention of the cyclops-blinder Odysseus would instill fear into this giant. Thus with the utterance of the name, the terrified Walter fled, leaving a cyclops-sized hole in the wall for them to follow.
This passage led them to the Temple of Zork. After packing their inventory with abandoned religious material the two adventurers followed a stairway at the far end of the temple which descended to the Gates of Hades. Bivotar quickly recognized this at the second half of Vengrallior's prophecy “Pass through the gates of despair.” The gates were barred by a horde of translucent spirits. Using the book of exorcism and other religious trinkets gathered from the temple, Bivotar banished the spirits and they were able to pass through.
Traversing the forbidden land, Juranda quickly found another passage leaving Hades. As the tunnel became steep and treacherous, Bivotar and Juranda donned the magic sneakers that had been given by the Prince of Kaldorn; and just in time. A giant toad began to pursue them. The sneakers gave them both the traction and speed to escape the monster.
They emerged from the tunnels on the eastern side of the Flathead Mountains. Before them, rising out of a forest of twisted trees, was the pinnacle of Malifestro’s castle. Surprisingly, they found Max and Fred here, who had crossed the mountains on their own and had been anxiously awaiting them. The four treaded the depths of the forest to the walls of the castle. They climbed some thick vines on the side of the castle and entered through a small window.
On the floor in the center of the room was a pentagram, and sitting near the window was a black crystal sphere upon which was entrapped a demon. Recalling their dream, Bivotar knew that this was the sphere that Syovar had spoken of. When he threw the sphere on the pentagram, the demon was released and appeared before them. It informed them that Malifestro had already disposed of Syovar and was in preparation to invade the Kingdom of Zork. The demon bargained, that in exchange for the adventurer’s bottle of Wizard Escape Potion, he would grant them any wish that was within his power to fulfill. Sensing their distrust, the evil spirit was willing to grant their wish before requiring the payment of the potion.
It is here that Bivotar made one of the most foolish decisions. Although the elves protested for him to retain the potion and not barter with a demon, he was not warded by their attempts. By requesting that the demon bring Syovar back to life, Juranda followed him on the path of folly, for any bargain with a demon is sickening and immensely evil and hideous. The demon granted their request, and revived Syovar from the dead, and unfortunately, was freed when Bivotar handed over the Wizard Escape Potion in exchange.
Syovar knew that if he was able to meet with Malifestro in the throne room of his own castle, the evil wizard would be unable to summon additional help. It would be just his magic and wits against Syovar’s. The king teleported them all into the throne room where Malifestro appeared to confront him in a cloud of acrid smoke.Syovar defeated the evil wizard in magical combat by trapping him in a black crystal sphere. With a wave of Syovar's arm, Bivotar, Juranda and the two elves were back in the Castle of Zork with their uncle.
By the next morning, word had spread of Malifestro’s defeat. Throngs began to gather on the meadow outside the castle. Syovar was hailed by the returning people and the two adventurers were honored with surnames: Bivotar the Brave and Juranda the Dauntless. After the celebration, Bivotar and Juranda said their farewells and departed from the kingdom.
THE CAVERN OF DOOM
The Great Underground Empire began to rise once more following the imprisonment of Malifestro. Each week, new areas of the old underground caverns were rediscovered, explored, and settled. A new section of the Great Underground Empire was discovered, a region that Syovar would later entitle the Cavern of Doom. Over fifty adventurers and treasure hunters flocked into the vast new area, many of them wise and brave, but none returned. Max and Fred were amongst the missing. Wishing to prevent further disappearances, and with utmost reluctance, Syovar was forced to forbid access to that section of the Underground Empire. For Logrumethar, Syovar's son, who was still under Grawl’s curse and in the form of the hideous monster Grum, dwelt in the Cavern of the Rainbow Mosses in that region. Although Grum was happy when people first began to come to the cavern, he hid himself from view and warned others that they would be sorry if they entered. Anyone that did not heed his words and looked upon him were instantly turned to stone.
Syovar could only glean a vague feeling that the one able to enter the enchanted cavern and return was someone completely innocent and pure of heart. His first thought was of Bivotar and Juranda. Concurrently, that moment was when the two young adventurers found themselves transported to the throne room of the Castle of Zork. Syovar picked up the Ring of Zork that dropped into the room after them.
The abundance of celebration and feasting had not ceased since the freedom that had been ushered in after the defeat of Malifestro. While Syovar hinted that he preferred if they talked with him, the excitement of these events caused them to forsake listening to his tales. Somberly, Syovar accompanied Bivotar and Juranda to the craftsfair, the jousting finals, and a banquet followed by a play before the king took them to their bedroom for the night.
The following morning, both were guilty that they had bathed in the jubilation of the festivities and neglected the king. Syovar informed them of his past, his late wife, lost son, and the conditions of the Empire since the fall. The most important information was the details of the recently discovered “Cavern of Doom.” In response to the tales, Juranda was convinced that both she and Bivotar were the ones spoken of that were completely innocent and pure in heart. For both this reason, and that their friends Max and Fred were numbered amongst the missing, the persistent Juranda was able to convince the hesitant Bivotar to accompany her.
Syovar was easily persuaded that they might possibly be the pure and innocent ones. He felt that they would succeed where so many brave adventurers and mighty warriors had failed and teleported them to the entrance of the Cavern of Doom.
The king removed the ward on the door with a lengthy spell, and gave them rations of food and water, a lamp, and a powerful talisman that would glow in the presence of evil. He additionally enchanted them with his strongest protection spell, then resealed the doorway behind them to continue to prevent unauthorized access.
The forbidden region yielded the hut of Grawl. Believing that the abode was deserted, Bivotar and Juranda entered. When they descended into the cellar, they realized that the hut belonged to Grawl. The talisman Syovar had given them glowed, warning of danger. With only enough time to nab a NITFOL scroll, they left the hut just prior to Grawl’s return. Unbeknownst to them, the wizard, having discovered the intrusion, planned to track them down.
After handing over some newly acquired treasures to a greedy toll gnome, they passed through a cavern where a glacier had formed a giant wall of ice that was smooth and shiny like an enormous mirror. The adjacent room was the lair of Leblong the Dragon. Bivotar recited the NITFOL spell scroll, and now understanding dragonese, was warned by the dragon that all passage through his lair was forbidden. In the past, Leblong had made an oath with Grawl to guard this cavern in exchange for killing his twin brother Berlong.
With haste planning, the two adventurers deceived Leblong into believing that his brother was possibly still amongst the living, and led him to the icy mirror to prove this to him. Thinking that his own reflection was his still-living brother, Leblong faced “Berlong” with flaming breath that melted the mirror. Torrents of water began pouring off the glacier that washed the two adventurers away in a massive wave. The dragon was nowhere in sight. In his absence, they quickly passed beyond the lair. Unfortunately, the water had damaged their lamp, causing it to die.
Grues quickly surrounded them, but the two young adventurers narrowly escaped into a patch of light before being devoured. This was the Cavern of the Rainbow Mosses, where they were greeted by the grating voice of Grum. Noticing that the amulet that Syovar had given them was not glowing, Bivotar and Juranda ventured into the cavern that was filled with petrified victims. From afar, Grum told them a hazy tale of his past. Bivotar, moved by compassion, opposed Grum’s warnings and approached the creature. Grum was indeed ugly beyond belief, but Bivotar ignored the ugliness, only looking into Grum’s compassionate eyes. Both Juranda and Bivotar encouraged Grum, telling him that he was beautiful, because he was willing to live within the cavern for so long in isolation, even warning others not to enter, rather than to risk harming them. This was true inner beauty.
Grum was heartbroken with tears. Never had he imagined that someone would describe him as beautiful. When the suggestion was made that Syovar would be able to break the enchantment, Grum became willing, but would return to the cavern should another be turned into stone. Before departing, the statues of Max and Fred were sorrowfully discovered.
The light source was renewed with the discovery of an ivory torch that provided them with guidance to the Hall of Mirrors where a gigantic mirror filled the cavern. Through it, a reflection of the banquet hall of the Castle of Zork could be seen. Bivotar reached out to touch the surface, and when he did, a tremor tossed all three of them to the floor. Magic had transported them to the true banquet hall.
But instead of the hideous beast, they found Logrumethar. The enchantment that had imprisoned him in the form of Grum had been broken. In fact, the enchantment had begun to break when Bivotar and Juranda demonstrated that their feelings for him as a person were more important than their feelings about his appearance. But it was not until they touched the mirror and were transported back to the Castle of Zork that the last of the curse was broken. Logrumethar’s memories were restored with his appearance. Hearing the rumble, Syovar came to investigate. Weeping with tears for his long-lost son, Syovar embraced him.
That evening, the king held a mighty banquet to celebrate the return of Logrumethar. Noblemen and enchanters from every township in the kingdom were present. Syovar and his son sat at the head table, flanked by Bivotar and Juranda. Syovar “tested his abilities” during the banquet by casting a spell so powerful that the very air in the room seemed to crackle. And when he was finished, standing in the hall were a hundred or more explorers, treasure hunters, and knights. Syovar had returned all the stone figures to flesh and transported them back to the castle. Max and Fred were amongst the restored. The jubilant reunion with the elves was short. Syovar thanked both adventures one more for saving his son, handed the Ring of Zork to Juranda, and again sent them off.
THE RETURN OF JEEARR
It was an amazing decade for all known kingdoms. Syovar’s plea for a unified Kingdom of Zork was being considered by all leaders of the lands. Dreams of peace and unity were no more translucent vapors, but nearly solidified forms. In several days, all of the leaders of the surviving city-states, as well as representatives from Kovalli, Kaldorn and Antharia agreed to meet at the old city of Quendor in the northlands. If everything went according to plan, the treaty would be signed proclaiming a union between the lands. As the conference approached, a truce between all the warring neighbors had been observed—but instead of working toward peace, the nations had merely used this time to build huge armies, poised to attack should the treaty not be signed. If Syovar was not present at the conference, the treaty would not be made and Quendor would be merely the prelude to the worst bloodshed that the Land of Frobozz would have ever seen.
This was where Jeearr surfaced his ugly feline head. The evil demon planned to lure Syovar into a trap that would prevent him from attending the Conference of Quendor. The bait was his dear Bivotar and Juranda. The evil force prepared a wicked spell which heralded a dark, black storm cloud across the sky above where Bivotar and Juranda were. With an explosion of lighting, the cloud changed shape until it knotted into the form of an enormous hand. The giant hand reached down from the sky and closed around the two, plucking them away. The two adventurers were deposited in a shallow pit in the ancient castle which was being used by the evil warlock Grawl. After helping each other out of the pit, the demon Jeearr appeared before them and recited a cryptic riddle:
Poor Bivotar
will be dead soon,
unless he finds
the silver spoon.
Sharp fangs
await
the one who dares
to climb and climb
these winding stairs.
The plea for help was received by Syovar. He presumed that Grawl had imprisoned Bivotar and Juranda out of revenge for having rescued Logrumethar from the Cavern of Doom and formulated a rescue plan. Taking the two elves, Max and Fred with him, Syovar set out for the ancient castle now occupied by Grawl. Wishing for the elves to be placed in the dungeon alongside Bivotar and Juranda, Syovar purposefully sent them alone into the enchanted woods surrounding the castle. Without any magical protection, they were captured.
Bivotar and Juranda were awakened from their restless sleep when Max and Fred were tossed into the dungeon. The two elves informed the adventurers of the situation. Suddenly, a wall of the dungeon exploded into a cloud of smoke and mortar, and sunlight poured through the newly formed gaping hole. Outside of the castle, Syovar and Grawl were locked together, the magical battle climaxing with a wall of fire leaping across the dungeon. At first there was abundant joy when the flames dispersed and Grawl was lying motionless on the dungeon floor. But the cheer died in their throats when they saw a burned Syovar staggering. Jeearr again appeared, this time above the body of Grawl. Its eyes betrayed a hint of anger as it spoke directly to Syovar:
My servant
Grawl lies
here
defeated by your hand
but soon you’ll see the
end
of everything you’ve
planned.
It was then that Logrumethar knew that he had been wrong about why Bivotar and Juranda were snatched away to the dungeon prison. Jeearr had deceived them into thinking it was Grawl seeking revenge for breaking the enchantment of Grum, but the real reason was to ensure Syovar’s absence from the Conference. And it seemed that Jeearr had won, until Logrumethar recalled the Helm of Zork, a magical headpiece that allowed the wearer to impersonate anyone he chose. With the helm in possession, Logrumethar knew that he would be able to attend the Conference by impersonating his father.
Since its location was unknown, it seemed that the Helm would be impossible to find. Despite this, Bivotar and Juranda were determined to do anything they must to restore Syovar. Logrumethar presented them with equipment for the journey, a brass lantern and a magic bead that when broken would return them to the castle. Then with an AIMFIZ spell, the prince teleported the two somewhere near the vicinity of the Helm.
The young adventurers found themselves at the base of the Aragain Falls. The usual breathtaking rainbow arched high above the falls, ending at the riverbank just before them. The familiar voice of Jeearr intoned:
It bobs and
sways upon
the spray
warning sailors—stay
away!
Walk upon the rainbow
mist
but not before the
scepter’s twist!
After crossing they ventured into an underground tunnel. This entrance to the Dungeon of Zork was guarded by Cerberus, who had previously been stationed as the guardian of Hades. The weak tunnel collapsed behind them, forcing them with no choice but to face the three-headed dog. Jeearr spewed one of his riddles again:
You will
always be a
winner
if you give a puppy dog
his dinner!
Leaving it behind, the two adventurers passed through the ruins of Leonardo Flathead’s studio. An attempt was made to enter the Loud Room and gather a bar of platinum, but the acoustics of the room were too treacherous and they retraced their steps without claiming it. The tunnel began to slope steeply downward and became covered with loose pebbles and other rubble. Bivotar lost his footing on a patch of gravelly ground, and when grabbing Juranda for support, caused her to lose balance as well. They slid down the corridor and landed at the bottom. The brass lantern was damaged in the fall; the bulb flickered.
The giant rectangular room they had landed in had wooden walls. After pushing the wooden panels on the walls, the entire room turned and the doorway was no longer set before walls, but before an open corridor. There the lamp sputtered and died. But they were not plunged into darkness. Light streamed down from above, for the two landed inside the bottom of an old volcano, the one which Dimwit Flathead had hollowed out. And in the center was a hot-air balloon. The demon briefly returned for another cryptic message:
One of
nature's quaint
surprises
is that hot air always
rises.
Within these
ruins lie
the object of your quest
but to cross the moat
you must
pass one final spelling
test!
The last place to check was the tower. Peering through the door at the top, Bivotar spied the Helm of Zork through a mirror on the far wall. The keyhole was blocked by the key, but on the interior side. Using the common adventurer technique of slipping the doormat under the door and then pushing the key through with a letter opener, Juranda soon had the key and the door unlocked. Juranda picked up the Helm, admiring its beauty. But suddenly a cold wind blew through the room and the wooden doors slammed shut behind them. Jeearr was floating in the air behind them. For once its face was unsmiling, frozen in a mask of cold hatred. It spoke in a voice dripping with malevolence.
Your victory
now turns
sour
the Helm's not yours for
long
'Twill be buried with
this tower
when the whirlwind sings
its song!
Logrumethar was surprised at their discovery of the Helm, but Syovar’s condition had been worsening hourly. Now he was almost as pale as his white silk bedsheets and his breathing was shallow and irregular. Taking the Helm, Logrumethar left at once, for Quendor was a day’s journey and the Conference would began on the following midday. He was fortunate, for the Hell of Zork fooled everyone at Quendor; they had really thought he was Syovar. Thus the Treaty of Quendor was signed, resulting once again in the unification of the entire area under one unified Kingdom of Zork.
Logrumethar returned to find that the healer and his assistant alchemists had used experimental procedures upon Syovar. And within half-an-hour he was on his way to recovery. The king regained consciousness the next day for first time since his battle with Grawl. Logrumethar told him all that had transpired during his illness. Syovar called Bivotar and Juranda to his bedside. Beaming, he humbly thanked them for their courageous help. Bivotar and Juranda departed from the Castle of Zork with invitations to return again to see the blossoms of the seed that had been planted. Unfortunately, this period of harmony between the providences would not last forever. Further uprisings and conflicts were on the horizon.
THE FORBIDDEN LANDS
In 947, Bivotar departed for the Forbidden Lands on a secret mission from Syovar apart from Juranda. While away, he attached a letter to his journal which was later found after his death, which mentions her:
17
Arch 948
To
His Royal Highness King Syovar-
I doubt that I will live to know whether or
not this report will ever reach your hands. This mission has been a
dangerous
one in the extreme, as we knew it would be. I am not well. I fear for
my health
and sanity, and yet I feel that I must remain in this place a few weeks
longer,
in hopes of learning the truth.
I have entrusted this packet to a friend who
is utterly beyond reproach. Please show him the kindest hospitality
available
to you. I pray he makes it out alive. Your orders, my lord, were vague,
because
the situation is vague. The Forbidden Lands have been a private hell
for me
these last months. I have included in this packet parts of my own notes
and
diary, with particular attention to the words of the survivors. It is
imperative that we find the truth behind the four missing alchemists if
this
land is ever to be cured. I remain behind in an effort to learn more.
Give my love to Juranda, and may the best of
success be yours.
Bivotar
A lone female pilgrim, with Bivotar's journal in possession, set foor in the Forbidden Lands to ascertain the fate of Syovar's missing servant. Some have theorized that this unknown female was Juranda herself, in search of her long lost Bivotar. These claims are unfortunately nothing but conjecture and all attempts to discover the identity of this pilgrim apart from sex have returned void.