ZORK: NEMESIS - DESIGN DOCUMENT: UNFINISHED BACKGROUND MATERIAL
(possibly authored by Nino Ruffini)

Sartorius: Expelled by Enchanters’ Guild
Disillusioned with Magic
Pure Alchemy: Bad Alchemy
Goal of Alchemy

Malveux: discovers Temple of Ancients
Disillusioned with Magic
Goal of Alchemy

Text themes of the game
Good vs. Bad Alchemy
Good Alchemy: power of music; power of love (Sartorius, Sophia)
Bad Alchemy: murder of purity, spill the blood of good.  (Sartorius)
The nature of the philosophers stone: what it is you get (Kaine)

Lessons of Alchemy
It is true without lie, certain and without doubt, that what is below is like what is above, and what is above is like what is below, the accomplish the miracles of the One thing. ----The Emerald Tablet of Hermes

V.I.T.R.I.O.L ( Visits interiors terrae;rectificando invenies occultum lapidem)
Visit the interior of the earth; through purification thou wilt find the hidden stone).

Definition of Alchemy
Alchemy is not merely an art or science to teach metallic transmutation -- it is a true and solid science. I t teaches how to know the centre of all things, which in the magical world, is called the Elixir of Life. The philosophy of alchemy is based on the belief that all matter in this world is interconnected, that the rock, the planets, and man share an essential pure element which can be found through an intense process of purification. It is through the process of distilling and purifying that the essence of life, the Elixir can be discovered.

History of Alchemy
The art of alchemy is of great antiquity. It was practiced in a time before Duncenthrax and the beginning of the Great Underground Empire. We have found these symbols etched into rocks and they are believed to be the first alchemical markings. We do not know what they mean.

It is clear that transforming lead into gold was one goal of early alchemy. Metalworking was a very important part of Alchemy and it is believed that much of what we know today in chemistry is because of advancements in alchemy.

Goal of Alchemy
Many in the empire believe that the goal of alchemy merely is to transform the baser metals into gold. But that is only the superfice. The true goal of this magical science lies far beyond mere gold; it lies in discovering the key to eternal life.

The key to eternal life is called the Elixir of Life and sometimes the Philosopher's Stone. This is the highest most pure perfection of matter. The Philosopher's Stoone has the power to transform other matter with which it comes in contact and to raise it to its own perfection.

Throughout this empire's great history, alchemists have struggled to create this elixir, without success. Before obtaining the Elixir, the alchemist has to triumph over all the obstacles and difficulties in the process which creates the Philosopher's Stone.

Creating the Philsopher's Stone
Creating the Philosopher's Stone is a dangerous, time consuming and complex process and develop a sophisticated knowledge of the workings of the baser metals. The six metals of Alchemy are, Iron, Tin, Lead, Copper, then Silver and Gold.

The goal of Alchemy is to always move from the impure to the pure. Therefore, the first step in Alchemy is distilling and purifying each metal into its virgin, unformed and passive state. Through numerous, time-consuming and dangerous practices this First Matter can be transformed into the Philosopher's Stone.

The primary operations of the metalworking involve the extraction of the the pure metal from the impure ore through smelting and refining, alloying or mixing two metals, and the creation of agents to dissolve or purify or treat the metals to add hardness, fusibility or color.

Using the Four Elements to Purify
But creating the Philosopher's Stone is difficult. One must first start by purifying the inferior metals. The purification must occur with the four elements. But the final stage of purification cannot occur without the fifth essence. It is only by subjecting the raw metal to this elusive essence, that the Elixir of Life can be formed.

The Four Elements are an important part of Alchemy. Our world is composed of four basic ideas, four archetypal forms of enery; Fire, Water, Earth, Air. But the most important and elusive of these elements is the Fifth Element, the Quintessence, which is the element of the Spirit. Many discoveries have been made with the four elements --- but the Quintessence has never been discovered. It is hypothesized that when this Fifth Essence is found, the Elixir of Life will be created.

In order to purify the metal, the metal must be subjected to the four elements and undergo stages of transmutation. For this purpose, Alchemists have created complex athanors or ovens. There is no one way to create the athanor. Each must be created to fit the alchemist. What is most important is to learn the individual pathway in which the metal is subjected to heat, fire, water and air.

Joining of the Metals with the Fifth Essence
When the metals are joined with the fifth essence, a magical event will occur and a golden glow with bathe the soul in a shroud of purity and perfection and eternal life. The Elixir of Life will be born.

On the Nature of the Fifth Essence

True and False Alchemy

The Four Elements
It is well known that it

But the Elixir can only be had through an arduous process. It is only by purifying the lesser and the gross,

The goal of Alchemy
The Elixir will not only cure all ills by uprooting the causes of disease, but it will rejuvenate and finally transmute the human body into an incorruptible body of light.

Transmuting Metals
But no one has ever been heard to have reached this goal. And the road to this goal is hard. It is only by

Alchemy is the Royal Art, the magical science. Alchemy is the symbolic description of the transformation from the dark leaden physicality of our earthbound consciousness to the refined gold of the spiritually illuminated being. Alchemists for centuries were concerned with the transformation of the metals-- changing lead to gold.

The Fifth Essence can only be created when the four metals become one.

The process: Transmuting of the metals

The alchemical correspondences

Power of music

Politics of the Zork Empire
Place of Magic and Alchemy in the Empire Power of Syovar threatened
Magic guilds opppressive
Persecution of Alchemists

The Four Characters Motivations
Sympathetic
What each has done
Their quest
Misdirection of the Nemesis
Love Story: ok

Clues

The Temple
Temple of the Ancients
Earliest Alchemists: C. Agrippa, Satchmoz Frobozz Magic Tunneling Company Discovered or built by Chief engineer

Kaine's World: The Castle
1. Learn about Sophia's love
2. Learn about Alexandria's love for Lucien
3. Lucien's resentment for father
4. Military political situation in Zork: instability
5. Kaine's love of Sophia
6. Some history of Zork

Letters from the Magic Guilds to Dr. Sartorius (should reak of Mafia/Disney) Enchanters Guild



SOME NOTES ABOUT THE INSTRUMENTS
  1. Violin - normal violin
  2. Miana - stringed instrument played by hitting the strings with a stick
  3. Fleezle - a wind instrument sort of like a clarinet
  4. Pooperkeg - gives a thunk sound when you hit you hand with it; can change the pitch by moving the position of the ring
  5. Nambino - has resonating overtone; playing this steel drum can affect the overtone, causing a droning sound
  6. Gederaglini - weird horn sound, played by two players at once; players hold their thumbs over the holes and vary pitch by uncovering more of less of the hole
  7. Wertmezer - an accordion-like instrument played by two players, one to play the keys and one to pump the bellows; as a result, the music sounds very disjointed
  8. Frobophone - twisted sounding French horn
  9. Verni - sounds a little like a banjo sound, except the instrument is not strummed, only plucked
  10. Oomba - wind instrument with a slow fluttery sound
  11. Chokophone - can play two melodies, one bass and one treble, at once; horn instrument