# A clever game from the nid-morning of personal computing. **URL:** \ **Category:** The Game Room\ **Created:** [July 19, 2013, 3:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-clever-game-from-the-nid-morning-of-personal-computing/663903 "2013-07-19T03:24:36Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 2\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![dropzone](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dropzone/32/7515_2.png) [@dropzone](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dropzone)\ **Post date:** [July 19, 2013, 3:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-clever-game-from-the-nid-morning-of-personal-computing/663903/1 "2013-07-19T03:24:36Z")
Deucedly clever idea, like Make Your Own Adventure, except played in a text editor. Classic open-source, “public domain, but don’t be a jerk.” Fun on my Tandy Model 102, which this file was formatted for, but through the miracle of ASCII text, 27 years you can still play it on anything. ETA: Except, it appears, in Firefox, because its FIND function hates the hyphens. > [@](#): > > \*\*\* THE BLOODY DOOR TO DELOS \*\*\* > _A CHOOSE-YOUR-OWN-DUNGEON ADVENTURE_ > by Mary Ezzell > > ``` > ******** > > ``` > > Here is something new! - a public- > domain text adventure which can be > played on > \* ANY COMPUTER! \* > Because it runs as a TEXT FILE under > your OWN text editor. > > You just use the ‘Search’ function of > your editor to search for your choice. > The format to enter is GO-YOUR-CHOICE. > (If your editor can’t find it by > ‘searching forward’, try searching > backward.) > > To: Search for GO- > > Begin play START-GAME > > Read more info INFO > > GO-INFO \* GO-INFO > > This story is copyrighted by me, > Mary Ezzell, September 1986. > > You are welcome to copy this story > for your friends, upload it to Bulletin > Boards, etc. Or to adapt the traps to > use in your own FRP dungeon. Just don’t > make mass reprints or sell it or use it > for any commercial purpose without my > permission. > > All the files for this game will be > named DOOR.PT1, DOOR.PT2, etc. If you > don’t have all the files, or if you > would like to read other stories of > mine, please write to: > > Mary Ezzell > 1805 - 14th St, # 1502 > Boulder, CO 80302 > > P. S. I can’t get E-Mail! Please write > by the Post Office. And please enclose > stamps for reply, otherwise I can’t > promise to reply. > Happy gaming to you! > > GO-START-GAME \* GO-START-GAME > > While hiking in the American Rockies, > you notice an odd, pointed Hill > covered thickly with old, twist-rooted > pines. > The ground ferns which grow in the > lichen-covered rocks are > unusually green (especially for > so late in the summer). The air is > strangely clear around the Hill and > seems to shimmer - almost like heat > waves, except that near the Hill it > feels much COOLER than the surrounding > meadows. > From the top of the Hill you see a > thin, blue column of smoke rising. > But instead of > slowly spreading in the air like smoke, > it just goes up and vanishes > > - like steam. > As you climb the Hill to investigate, > you hear faint > noises coming from inside(!) the Hill. > Rhythmic noises, tapping… At the top > you find the smoke and the noises are > both coming from a tall, narrow crevice > (taller than YOU are!) in a rock that > sticks above the soil of the hill. The > smoke smells of honey, spices, hay > and flowers … and of something like > pipe tobacco, but MUCH nicer… > Very slowly and carefully you step > into the crevice - but not slowly > enough! The debris was spread over a > thin netting that suddenly “gives” > - and you fall (in a shower of > fragrant rotted leaf-mold and pine > needles) to land in dusty dimness > far below! > Luckily your fall is broken by a pile > of pine-wood > shavings. Through the swirling dust, > you see that you are in an underground > chamber, partly excavated and supported > by timbers, partly natural gray flinty > rock. > All around there seem to be faces! > Strange, funny, distorted, shrunken, > little faces… Knotty little > faces… > Blinking, you see that the faces are > all carved on objects hung on the wall, > or piled in boxes or heaps. Meerschaum > pipes with faces on them, big > beer mugs with faces on them, cookoo > clocks with faces, bed-steads with > faces, cross-bows and long-bows with > faces… > Dust is swirling, all of the clocks > are ticking, their cookoos peeping and > pendulums swinging in all different > rhythms. The ‘tapping’ noise is coming > from behind a swinging door (made of > shutters), which is also swinging from > the vibration of the whole place. > Suddenly the tapping stops and the > door swings open and a little Gnome > trots in. He is wearing a carpenter’s > apron and carrying a chisel in one hand > and a half-carved cross-bow in the > other. He trots all around the pile of > shavings you are in, staring > at you. Then he falls down on his knees > and starts to pray! > “Oh, thankee, thankee, Lord Vulcan, > thankee! This 'un he looks just about > right, thankee Sir! Very well 'e will > do to decorate me new cross-bow, > thankee, very well! So young and strong > too, 'twill be a bow to last many years > aweel, thankee!” > > To: Search for GO- > > Jump up and run away JUMP-AND-RUN > > Explain that you do > not want to be a > face on a cross-bow EXPLAIN > > GO-JUMP-AND-RUN \* GO-JUMP-AND-RUN > > You don’t get very far! Muttering > about the name of Vulcan, the Gnome > grabs a measuring tape from his belt, > twirls it like a lasso, and ropes you > with it! The thin tape is obviously > magickal! The Gnome lets go of it, and > it keeps wrapping itself till you are > tightly bound as in a strait-jacket. > > To: Search for GO- > > Continue game GNOME-SAYS > > GO-EXPLAIN \* GO-EXPLAIN > GO-GNOME-SAYS \* GO-GNOME-SAYS > > “Tk-Tk,” the Gnome clicks his tongue, > pulls out a new tape-measure (in a > carved wood case with a face on it) and > starts to measure your face. “Weel, tis > too bad, but fortunately ye have no say > in the matter. Tis me hereditary Troll- > Hill ye have fallen into (me being 1/3 > Troll on me Mother’s side, ye see). And > by Delian Law whoever falls into me > Troll-Hill falls into me clutches, ye > see. Tis all according to Law writ in > the Domesday Book! So befell it to all > the faces ye see here, ye see, mighty > kings and princes and programmers they > were in the strange Techno world above. > But they fell into me power, ye see, so > here they be as ye see them, em-bedded > and em-bowled and em-bowed and em- > mugged!” > “But I don’t want to be, er, em- > bowed!” you protest. > “Tis no choice ye have! Tis mine ye > are by the Domesday Book! – Unless ye > be foolish enough to choose t’ Ordeal!” > “What is the Ordeal, then?” > “By Delian Law all who fall into me > Troll-Hill must have one small chance > t’ escape me power. ‘Tis tax me family > must pay to the Delian for power of t’ > Troll-Hill, belike. All who fall into > me domain I may use, except for > those few fools who choose t’ try t’ > Ordeal o’ t’ Bloody Door!” > “What happens to them?” > “Eaten, most-like! Or lost in t’ > Dungeon t’ neer be seen again, ye see! > Tis fates far worse than em-bowment or > em-bowlment, ye see! (Such as dis- > embowelment, fer one!) An’ very slight > few Fools ‘tis who Win through t’ > Ordeal…” He falls silent, measuring > the distance from your ear-lobe to the > top of your ear. “Demned short round > ears ye Humans have…” > “What happens to those who win?” you > ask, scratching your short round ear. > All this is beginning to seem too real > to be a dream or a hallucination caused > by concussion… > “Escape to Delos, of course! To t’ > Real world, o’ which t’ Earth be just a > Shadow. T’ world of rich Mana and > Magick and Gods. T’ world o’ t’ > Hesperides an’ t’ Forests o’ t’ Night > an’ so forth an’ so on. Tis a DANGEROUS > world, Delos is, tis better ye be to > see ‘t f’m t’ safety of being em-bedded > in this Cross-bow. Tis fates worse FAR > than em-bowment…” > > To: Search for GO- > > Agree to be the face > on the bow AGREE > > Demand the Ordeal ORDEAL > > GO-AGREE \* GO-AGREE > > The Gnome beams with kindness. “I > knew ye’d see reason! Gud-by an’ gud > luck, lad! An’ don’t be too cross, > now!!!” > From a pocket in his leather apron he > pulls a squirt-bottle and “mists” you > with something that smells like horse- > sweat and feels like shellac. You > stiffen, shrink, lose consciousness… > > Your next sensation is of a rag > soaked in pine-oil being rubbed on your > (stiff and wooden!) face. “A bit green > behind the ears,” a weapons-merchant is > saying, “but a good Bow for the > price…” > In the hands of the doughty Barbarian > who has bought you, you see many > interesting oddities of the World of > Delos… till finally he wins such > reknown that you are placed in the Graf > Posvalsky’s Museum, where many of the > interesting oddities of Delos can see > YOU! > But always you wonder what it would > have been like to adventure Delos for > yourself, and you always do feel rather > cross, because > YOU ARE EM-BOWED > AND > THE GAME IS OVER! > > GO-ORDEAL \* GO-ORDEAL > > “Aweel, aweel,” the Gnome sighs. “If > ye so demand, tis yer Right f’m t’ > Domesday Book. --Now, what ye mun do, > ye see, is find the Key to t’ Bloody > Door, an’ get all it needs to work, an’ > afterward Win your way through t’ Door. > Fer if ye return to t’ Door but canna > Open it, then ye be Mine w’ no more > discussion!” > “And if I Win through the Door–?” > “Then ye be Free Citzen o’ Delos! > Tis reward worth a’winnin’, gorgeous > place tis the Real World. But safer > ye’d be to see it f’m solid mount in me > Bow, well an’ tight I’ll glue ye, I > vow…” > You say firmly: “I’ll try the > Ordeal!” > “Aweel, aweel!” says the Gnome. > “Sooner started, sooner failed an’ back > t’ me! Come ye on, then!” He leads you > thru the swinging door into a hallway > of undressed gray flinty stone. You > pass the door to his Workroom, filled > with antique tools and flickering with > hearth-fire, hazy with sweet-smelling > pipe smoke. At the dark end of the hall > a big wrought-iron Grill-gate (shaped > into faces) is standing open. Just > before the gate hangs a wrought-iron > Bird-cage with a black Mynah-Bird > preening itself inside. Beyond the > Grill you hear the rush and feel the > mist of falling water (rather warm and > smelling faintly of sulphur). > “Borborigmi,” the Gnome says to the > Mynah, “here be a Fool fer t’ Bloody > Door. Watch ‘im weel, ye see, an’ > squawk t’ me when he returns.” > The Bird nods his long neck and > squawks in agreement, and the Gnome > steps back and gives you a kick in the > rear of your knees! This sends you > stumbling through the open gate, past a > dimly-seen waterfall and down a flinty > slope. Finally the slope levels and you > are able to gain your balance and look > around. > > To: Search for GO- > > Continue game DOOR-CHAMBER > > GO-DOOR-CHAMBER \* GO-DOOR-CHAMBER > > You are in a large chamber with a > sandy floor, lit by feverishly > flickering torches mounted on the wall. > The chamber is full of > giant uncut flinty rocks. Into the > largest, solidest boulder by > the east wall, is set a massive black > iron door! It is enormous, ornate, > clumsy. The designs on it are > sophisticated, with some influence of > Celtic, some of Renaissance/Baroque. > The construction is totally primitive! > The Door looks like something out of a > bad movie about the Spanish > Inquisition… > In the center of the Door is one > handle (a massive black ring), a large > keyhole, and a small plaque with > something written on it in ornate, > flowing, Italinate script. > Except the iron gate you were kicked > through, the only two exits from this > area are a dark, open passage leading > South and the black iron Door leading > East (if indeed it IS an exit…). > > To: Search for GO- > > Examine Iron Door EXAMINE-IRON-DOOR > > Try to open Iron Door TRY-IRON-DOOR > > Exit by South passage SOUTH-PASSAGE > > GO-TRY-IRON-DOOR \* GO-TRY-IRON-DOOR > > The Door is totally tight, massive > and solid. It feels MORE solid than > matter - as though some magickal force > of immobility is holding it closed. You > realize there is NO HOPE of opening > it except by using its own Key. > > To: Search for GO- > > Continue game DOOR-CHAMBER > > GO-EXAMINE-IRON-DOOR \* > GO-EXAMINE-IRON-DOOR > > Trying to read the fine Italianate > script on the plaque twists your eyes > (and mind!) in a strange, morbid > manner. But you finally make out at > least part of the inscription: > > THOSE WHO WISH TO PASS THROUGH ME > THEY MUST USE MY BLOODY KEY > BLOODY THOSE WHO PASS THROUGH ME > > BRIGHTFIND SEEKS MY BLOODY KEY > BLOODY THOSE WHO PASS THROUGH ME > > Trying to look through the Keyhole > you see nothing but blackness! A warm, > damp draft comes out of it, and a smell > of - garlic?!? Putred meat?!? > > To: Search for GO- > > Continue game DOOR-CHAMBER > > GO-SOUTH-PASSAGE \* GO-SOUTH-PASSAGE > > The passage leads downward and then > upwards and winds. It is rough natural > stone, and in most places the floor is > covered with sand which muffles your > footsteps. It gets darker, but by using > your cigarette lighter you are able to > make your way along. > Soon, at a steep slope up, you come > to a heavy stone door that opens away > from you. Or, rather, that almost does > NOT open! There is no lock, but the > door is so heavy that you must lean > your back against it and use all the > strength of your legs to push it open. > Ooofff! > You barely squeeze through the door > before it falls shut again with a > crash! From the uphill side, where you > are now, it is impossible to lift the > door open again. There is no going back > now! > > From the winding passage ahead you > hear a rhythmic, “creaking” kind of > noise. As you approach a bend to the > right, you see a door leading to your > left, from which the noise comes. The > noise gets louder, uneven - and you > recognize it as SNORING! Someone - or > SOMETHING! - is sleeping behind that > door… > > Closer, you see a large sign over the > door, which says: > > ``` > "THIS WAY TO THE EGRESS"* > > ``` > > As you approach the door your > footsteps ring on solid stone! > The snoring noise ceases, and from > behind the door an indistinct > voice calls: > “What do I hear? Is it the Cycycal > Hero? Help me, I’m trapped, to my > assistance, please!” > > To: Search for GO- > > Explore side passage > where voice is calling FOLLOW-VOICE > > Ignore voice and continue > along main corridor MAIN-CORRIDOR > > GO-FOLLOW-VOICE \* GO-FOLLOW-VOICE > > The door from which the voice is > calling is unlocked. The side passage > behind it is muddy and slopes sharply > downward - so sharply that > you slip and slide and finally land on > your butt in a small room that is > dimly lit by dusty sunshine coming > through cracks in the roof. > Besides the steep passage you just > slid down, there are two doors out of > this room (both closed). One door > (which leads in the same general > direction you just came from) is > un-marked. The other door, on the far > side of the room, has a big sign over > it saying: “EGRESS”. > > “Ah, you have come, Cycycal Hero!” > says the creaking Voice - from > somewhere near your feet! “Careful > where you step! One of the Illusions > may be covering me!” > “What Illusions?” you ask, looking > for the source of the Voice. The floor > of this room is covered with smooth, > unmarked mud - your own footprints show > up plainly! - and mostly uncluttered… > There is a rusty Techno machine in one > corner, miscellaneous Techno equipment > hanging from the ceiling (including a > still-working acetyline lamp that > brightly illuminates the whole room). > All the equipment is in disrepair, > and a big bird-nest has been built on > top of a bank of computers. The floor > is littered with broken Techno > artifacts, sticks and feathers. > “The Illusions which P. T. Barnum put > here as part of the Ordeal of the > Intelligence… Careful, careful!” > creaks the Voice - and at last you see > its source - a little wooden Face > mostly buried in the mud, as though > water had receeded and left the mud to > settle around it. > Gently you remove the mud from around > the Face - and find it is part of a > miniature Meerschaum Pipe. He is > obviously a previous victim of the > Gnome! The Face on the Pipe looks > sardonically intelligent… > But you have no time for > conversation! No sooner have you taken > the Pipe from the mud, than you hear > behind you a belligerent > “SQUAWWWWWKKKK!” > A giant Eagle has just appeared in > front of the unmarked door! > It is shrieking, waving its wings and > menacing you with its claws and > beak! You would obviously be no match > for it in a fight… > > To take the unmarked door would mean > walking straight into the Eagle’s > raking claws and beak! > But as you turn toward the door > marked “EGRESS”, the Pipe shouts: “NO, > you fool, that way Madness lies…!” > > To: Search for GO- > > Run for the door > marked “EGRESS” EGRESS-DOOR > > Run for the unmarked > door UNMARKED-DOOR > > GO-EGRESS-DOOR \* GO-EGRESS-DOOR > > You run away from the Bird, straight > to the door marked “EGRESS”. It > isn’t locked! > You throw it open, dash through, and > slam it behind you. Only then do > you take time to look around… > For a moment it is too bright to see > anything. Then your eyes adjust > and you recognize - a gravel parking > lot at a trailhead in the Rockies. > You are back in America in the 80’s! > From this side, the door you just > exited leads to a Port-a-Potty - and > has just locked itself behind you! > “You Fool!” says a hoarse, slow > voice from the Pipe. “The Bird was > just an illusion… The REAL danger > was the EGRESS… Don’t you know .. > that EGRESS … > just means … > “EXIT” …?” > Like a tape recorder running out of > battery power, the voice slows and > stops. The Face on the Pipe freezes > into a dry, disgusted grimace, forever > immobile in this mana-poor world of > Terra, where you are now trapped, > and… > > ``` > THE GAME IS OVER! > > ``` > > GO-UNMARKED-DOOR \* GO-UNMARKED-DOOR > > Surprised at your own trust of this > unknown Face in the Pipe, you find > yourself following his advice! > Confidently you walk straight toward > the Eagle! > And straight THROUGH it! The Eagle > is illusion! The lights and shadows > that make up its flapping wings > continue to play on your hands as you > fumble with the latch on the unmarked > door, just like walking into a hologram > or the beam of a movie projector. > Soon the door opens and you go > through, into a cool, quiet stone > passage littered with clean sandstone > boulders. > “Ah!” says your new companion. “Just > the appropriate location for bit of a > smoke, wouldn’t you say?” > Hastily you remove the Pipe from your > pocket, as it has just begun to burn > and sputter, all of its own accord! > “My appreciation,” the Face says. > “Ah, tis well to return to the dry air! > –Now, my companion, let us sit upon > this convenient boulder and converse. > How may I assist you?” > You tell the Pipe your story so far, > and ask for his advice. > “Ah, yes, the Gnome! --I failed the > Ordeal, you know. Searched but found no > Key, so here I am as you see me. But > since then I have picked up a few > scraps of information, the unlikely > augary here and there…” He puffs > rapidly in concentration… > “Ah, yes! It has come to me in a > dream, too late for my own use, of > course. USE THE DEMON TO ESCAPE THE > GNOME, THE GNOME TO ESCAPE THE DEMON. > If that’s any help to you!” > You thank him politely. > After several puffs the Pipe > continues: “Did you read the poem on > the Bloody Door? BRIGHTFIND SEEKS MY > BLOODY KEY, and all that? I’ve heard > talk of something by that name - ‘a > self-glowing star that glows through > all the 13 colors of the Delian > rainbow…’” > The Pipe’s coals grow dim, and he > begins to snore again. Stowing him > carefully, you proceed along this > passage, which soon rejoins the main > corridor you left earlier. > > To: Search for GO- > > Continue game MAIN-CORRIDOR > > GO-MAIN-CORRIDOR \* GO-MAIN-CORRIDOR > > The main corridor rises, dips, > darkens. You notice a strange smell… > Or perhaps it is an ABSENCE of smell? > Because this is one of the few places > in the Dungeon that does NOT smell of > sulplhur-water… > The walls are strangely blackened - > but far ahead you see a tiny light that > seems to change from one Rainbow-colour > to another… > > ``` > < to be continued > > > ******* > > ``` > > You are finished with file > DOOR.PT1. To continue your > adventure, use your text editor to > call up file DOOR.PT2. > > If you don’t have DOOR.PT2, or if you > would like to read other stories of > mine, please write to: > > Mary Ezzell > 1805 - 14th St, # 1502 > Boulder, CO 80302 > > P.S. I can’t receive E-Mail! Please use > the Post Office. And please enclose > stamps for reply, otherwise I can’t > promise to reply. > > For more information Search for GO- > > ``` > INFO > > ``` > > Now, let’s get on with the game! > See you in Chapter 2! I believe I have tracked her down and she seems to still be at it. Maybe she’ll drop by and say hello. ---
**Author:** ![dropzone](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dropzone/32/7515_2.png) [@dropzone](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dropzone)\ **Post date:** [July 19, 2013, 3:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-clever-game-from-the-nid-morning-of-personal-computing/663903/2 "2013-07-19T03:30:38Z")
Proof she’s still at it: [http://www.dragontreepress.com/](http://www.dragontreepress.com/) And that title should say MID-morning, not NID-morning. :mad: