Standing in front of an unfinished house is a woman wearing a carpenter’s apron and holding a hammer. “Who are you?” she asks. “Just a traveler,” you answer, “trying to figure out these earthquakes and tidal waves. What do you know about it all?” She snorts. “I know they scared my assistants so they ran…
View The Master Builder »The City! What a difference from the rest of the Island: tall buildings, lots of noise, too many people, shops everywhere… “Excuse me,” you ask the befuddled individual standing before an enormous chalkboard in the city square. “Are you The Mathematician?” “Certainly, indubitably,” mumbles the figure. “Identity property: anything is equal to itself.” “Right… So,…
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You enter this temple of learning with some trepidation and much hope. Surely the teachers here will know the truth about Islandia… But the rooms are full of squabbling academics debating matters of such little importance that you almost walk out without a backward glance. The seniors are asleep, and even the fresh persons have…
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“Hola, weary traveler!” calls the strange, gnome-like individual who stands before an elaborate chess table. “Care to pass some time in honorable combat?” You shake your head. “My time is too valuable to waste in idle games,” you state. “Ah, so your time has value!” exclaims the dwarf. “Then I’ll make it worth your while….
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You start at the top left cell with 100 drachmas (100d). The number in each door is the amount you must pay every time you pass through it. You may enter a room as often as you like. The letters may be taken immediately or left to be taken later, but each letter may be…
View Map of The Crypt »Within sight of the capital, you come across an armed camp. The leader of these mercenaries is a Warlord bent on overthrowing the Queen and ruling Islandia. “Isn’t that a waste of time if the island will soon be destroyed?” you ask. “Insolent dog!” spits The Warlord. “We have ways of dealing with counter-revolutionaries like…
View The Warlord »The Sorceror smiles at you. “Yes, you have found me,” he admits. “And now I am prepared to fulfill any one request of yours I can.” You take a deep breath. “Get me off the island,” you demand. The Sorceror nods. “A wise decision. Islandia cannot survive the weight of the Moonstone much longer.” “The…
View A Fateful Choice »As you find yourself on firm ground again, the will-o-the-wisp reappears behind you. “You don’t want to crush a minority small-business-thing, do you?” it whines. “Guiding people out of here is my only means of support, and the competition will kill me. Look, why don’t you just take these three obols and never come back.”
View Out of the Swamp »The imposing marble columns and high steps of the courthouse separate this edifice from the wood and thatch shops that strew the City. You pace nervously throughout the hallowed halls in search of someone who can tell you the truth about the future of Islandia. Most of the lawmakers and judges are busy arguing and…
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Here at the heart of the City, a magnificent palace rises above common buildings. Dominated by a delirious dome, mounted by multitudes of minarets, and garnished with glamorous gems, this alliterative masterpiece is the home of Islandia’s Queen, Penthesilea. If anyone knows the truth about the crisis confronting the island, it must be her. Your…
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