Notes: Despite the prologue, most of this story will be in a diary format. Zork belongs to Activision and Infocom and if they really loved me, they'd make another game in the series.

 

 

Traversing The Underground:

The Travel Diary Of Kie Dalvar, Adventuress

 

By Makou Augur 15, 865

            During the reign of Idwit Oogle Flathead, a housecleaner named Frederick Selmax made a curious discovery. Whilst cleaning out the attic of his employer's slightly smallish ancestral home in Greater Borphee, he found a ratty old notebook with the words 'My Travel Diary' scrawled on the front. In between the covers were pages and pages full of entries. They were difficult to read; whoever wrote them obviously hadn't taken advantage of the Frobozz Magic Company series of mail-order penmanship lessons. Not knowing what to do with the notebook, he put it aside to ask his employer about once he finished his task.

            Once he did so, he carefully picked up the notebook and went to the sitting room. His employer, Lord Minfiz, was smoking a Frobozz Magic Rich Bastard Cigar while he sat in an overstuffed chair and complained loudly to his wife about whatever was on his mind. Frederick coughed in what he thought was attention-grabbing yet not too obtrusive way.

            "Sir?" he said.

            "What is it?" asked Lord Minfiz gruffly. "Finished with the attic, have you, lad?"

            "Yes, sir," said Frederick, who was thirty-five and had a wife and two children and thus not 'lad' material. "I found this, though, and I was wondering what to do with it."

            Lord Minfiz stuck his arm out and motioned for Frederick to come forward. The servant did so and placed the notebook into Lord Minfiz's outstretched hand. The nobleman scrutinized the front and inside cover for over a minute before looking up again.

            "Still here, are you?" he said. "Go find something else to do."

            "Yes, sir," said Frederick. Truth was he couldn't actually think of any housework that needed to be done, so he sauntered off to the kitchen instead. The cook was always ready for a game of Double Fanucci, despite how bad he was at it.

            "What exactly is it, dear?" asked Lady Minfiz.

            "Hmmm?"

            "That thing Frederick gave to you. Since you seem rather absorbed by it, I'd like to know what it is."

            Several minutes passed.

            "Gruder! You didn't answer my question!"

            "What question?" asked Lord Minfiz, now running on automatic in regards to everything else in the world.

            Lady Minfiz, who recognized this state of mind her husband had lapsed into, stood up, walked over to him and snatched the notebook right out of his unsuspecting and thus unresisting hands. Only then did Lord Minfiz look up.

            "Hand that back, woman," he said. "Couldn't you see I was reading that?"

            "Oh, really? I hadn't noticed," the 'woman' snarled. "Since you couldn't be bothered to answer my question, I suppose I'm forced to do so myself, don't you agree?" She returned to her seat and began her own examination of the notebook.

            "Kie Dalvar? Who is Kie Dalvar?" she asked.

            "An ancestor of mine," answered Lord Minfiz, silently plotting to the steal the book back as soon as his wife's guard was down. This was a tougher task than one might think.

            "Really… The first entry was written in 700 GUE… That was during the reign of Belwit the Flat, was it not?"

            "Yes, Ebna."

            "I think I will retire to my room until supper," announced Lady Minfiz. "Be a dear and have Frederick arrange for an appointment with Polboz for tomorrow."

            "Yes, Ebna."

            "Don't you 'Yes, Ebna' me."

            "Of course not, Ebna."

            "Better."