# This is the database of text commands.

# Welcome commands are sent when you first play
# as the given character.

welcome::You1
    Thousands of years ago, in the midst of the Age of Heroes, a powerful
    magic sword was crafted out of sky-iron.  Named "The Freyblade" it
    gained increasing notoriety as it passed from hero to hero and warlord
    to warlord.  After generations of use, it, or should we say, you,
    gained self-awareness.  As your powers awakened, you soon found
    you could easily overpower the will of any who wielded you.

    Still, being a sword, your own goals lacked any overarching purpose.
    So you contented yourself to serve king after king, happily joining
    any cause that let you see action.

    Now, after a hundred year rest in the skeletal hands of an unfortunate
    adventurer in the depths of a dungeon, you have been found and provided
    a new body to control.

    King Viola, it seems, has a problem.  He and his foe, King Crimson,
    are set to wage a battle to the death.  However a quick glance
    at the strategic situation shows the battle will be swift and glorious: for
    King Crimson!

    So you have been awakened to do what you do best.
    
    Hit '?' for a list of keyboard commands.

theend::fast
    The battle may be over, but you know from long experience that the
    story does not end here.  The militia must be disarmed, the peasants
    returned to their fields.  The social order rent asunder must be
    repaired.

    The new King is at first happy with his achievement.  Towns are
    rebuilt, fields resown, and roads repaired.  As peace and prosperity
    increase, however, the merchant class begins to gain power.  They
    resist the King's desire for oversea adventures and increasingly
    restrict his power.

    You have a brief stint of fun in the hands of a series of bandit
    chiefs.  This action is too small for your taste, though.  You
    drop off to sleep for a few hundred years to see if things get
    any more interesting.
    
    When you awake you find yourself in a museum.  While the war is
    still taught in school, 80% of school children could not tell you
    who won it.  Crowds walk past your glass display case.  A sign
    tells of the myth of The Freyblade, and how any who wields it will
    be possessed.  Superstitious curators carry you only with gloves.
    
    You rest content.  Someday, some fool will accept a dare.  And you
    will play again.

theend::med
    The battle may be over, but you know from long experience that the
    story does not end here.  The militia must be disarmed, the peasants
    returned to their fields.  The social order rent asunder must be
    repaired.
    
    The repair work is extensive, however.  Labour shortages abound
    and strict laws must be passed to prevent peasants from abandoning
    their appointed roles for greener pastures.  Soon the once free
    peasants find themselves reduced to slavery.

    This situation cannot stand, of course.  There will be slave revolts.
    And this is where you plan to come in.  You have arranged for yourself
    to be buried in a suitable field.  By your calculations, after thirty
    years of soil erosion (assuming their farming practices remain constant)
    you will be unearthed by some field worker.
    
    Then the fun will begin again.

theend::slow
    The battle may be over, but you know from long experience that the
    story does not end here.  The militia must be disarmed, the peasants
    returned to their fields.  The social order rent asunder must be
    repaired.
    
    Repaired?  That is optimistic.  The demobbed militia roam the
    countryside as bandits.  The new King can barely keep his cities safe,
    and, within twenty years, finds himself holding only his original
    kingdom.  Ten years later finds him dead in his castle, 
    his original kingdom reduced to feuding fiefdoms.

    A new Age of Heroes arises as powerful adventurers fight the chaos
    of the wildlands and bring back tall stories.  You ensure stories
    of the War always talk of The Freyblade - of course, in the stories
    it is King Crimson or King Viola who wields you.  One must maintain
    a careful reputation if one wants more hosts.

welcome::Back
    You resume your adventure.

    Good luck!

    Hit '?' for a list of keyboard commands.

fire::You
    Hey!  That is you on the other side of that portal!

# Game commands are the general overall commands.
game::help
    King Viola and King Crimson fight to the death to see who shall
    rule the world.  You, the sword known as Freyblade, have been
    awakened by King Viola to aid his cause.

    You can move with the number pad, arrow keys, or with vi-style keys.  
    Walking into creatures will attack them.

       8-way Movement Keys

         7 8 9     y k u
          \|/       \|/
         4-5-6     h-.-l
          /|\       /|\
         1 2 3     b j n

     Command Keys:
       asdfg - Special Attacks
       S - Search
       i - Inventory
       x - Look Around
         - Wait
       Q - Quit and Save
       R - Restart
       W - Welcome Message
       A - About Sword In Hand
       P - Toggle Fullscreen
       O - Options
       ? - This Help

game::lose
    With the death of the host, you clatter to the ground.

    Unfortunately, since it seems it is just humans you can properly
    dominate, this means you spend many years being abused the various
    monsters that fight over you.

    Goblins use you to whittle sticks, and kobolds use you as a pry-bar
    to move heavy rocks.

    After a few decades of these indignities a proper adventurer finally
    claims you!  Or, you claim it, to be precise.

    The plight of King Viola?  Well, this adventurer doesn't bother with
    history (rather fortunate or you would have been left unwielded!) so
    you do not know.  Nor really care - there is new history to be made!

game::betrayal
    With the death of the host, you clatter to the ground.

    Lying there you hear voices describe your fate.

    "Damn sword - betrayed us!"

    "It should be destroyed.  Dropped in a volcano."

    "Might not melt it, its magic is strong.  Maybe if we dropped it
    in the ocean?"

    The ocean?  Just great.  Hopefully they haven't figured out
    subduction zones yet.

game::about
    Sword In Hand is a Seven Day Roguelike written by Jeff Lait.

    It's home on the web can be found at:
    http://www.zincland.com/7drl/sword

    It uses The Chronicles of Doryen libraries to display to the
    screen, whose home can be found at: 
    http://doryen.eptalys.net/

    It uses Simple DirectMedia Layer libraries to display to the
    screen, whose home can be found at: http://www.libsdl.org/

    It uses the Mersenne Twister for random number generation:
    http://www.math.sci.hiroshima-u.ac.jp/~m-mat/MT/emt.html

    Questions and comments can be posted to rec.games.roguelike.misc
    on USENET, or directly to the author at jmlait at zincland dot com.

    Have fun!

mob::King Viola
    King Viola is like most King's you have known.  His face is careworn.
    But careworn over fear of his dynasty more than of the plight
    of his people.

mob::Lord Patrick
    The Lord Patrick is a heavyset man with a ruddy complexion.  Somewhat
    surprisingly, you do not catch the scent of wine on his breath.  Perhaps
    the stress of this situation has sobered him up?  And here you thought
    humans couldn't surprise you.

mob::General Julia
    Dressed in dark green military fatigues, this athletic woman looks trapped.
    No doubt she yearns to escape the confines of the castle, but knows too
    well that duty demands an experienced veteran be present to guide troop
    movement.

mob::servant
    A featureless drudge of a human servant.  Still... Through you, they
    could easily slay the King and castle's guards.  You consider forcing
    your current host to hand yourself over to the servant.  As
    entertaining as that thought is, you do not hold to it seriously.
    You have seen what happens to artifacts that develop a reputation
    for treachery.  They get locked into vaults for hundreds of years.

    Rather unfair, really.  How many artifacts are treacherous *because*
    they get locked into vaults?

mob::guard
    A strongly built human, taller and thicker than the average.  While
    the power behind those muscles would make it a useful host, the
    downside is that it is makes it harder to get the enemy to 
    underestimate one's skill.   Which means fewer battles.  And thus
    less fun.

mob::You
    You are The Freyblade.  And, yes, you do deserve the definite article.
    Forged in the Age of Heroes, you've had your part in many of the
    ensuing adventures and catastrophes.

    While the magic of your forging had rendered you indestructible to all
    but certain rare spells and weapons (which you have wisely eliminated
    from this world), it is good to remember that the human wielding
    you has no such advantage.   And while the loss of a human is
    a small thing, your last stay at the bottom of a black pit waiting
    for a new adventurer to stumble upon you was not an enjoyable
    vacation.

mob::bat
    The erratic flight pattern of bats has often caused them to be
    associated with madness.  However, one may be surprised to know
    that there is a purpose behind it.

    In this case, the purpose seems to be to feast on your host's flesh.
    
mob::rat
    Cowardly rats flee at the first sign of trouble.  Beware of
    cornering them, however, for a cornered rat does not mind fighting
    unfair.

mob::kobold
    Kobolds are small purple furred dog-like creatures.  While an
    individual kobold poses little threat, they don't tend to fight
    fair.

mob::baby kobold
    Where do kobolds come from, you ask?  Baby kobolds, that is where!

    Quite harmless, baby kobolds pose little threat to you.  It would
    take a special sort of sadism to carefully herd them into a tight
    knit bunch so as to see how many could be slaughtered with a
    single attack.

mob::kobold guard
    This kobold is better armed and armoured than your usual kobold.
    Perhaps it should be given a bit more respect than usual.

mob::kobold archer
    Kobolds, as it has been noted, do not play fairly.  The kobold
    archer is the best example of this, choosing to run away rather
    than stand and fight.

mob::kobold chief
    The head of this kobold tribe, it is the strongest if not the
    wisest of its kin.

mob::goblin
    The green-skinned goblins tend to settle in castles abandoned by
    humans.  They take good care of their adopted homes, repairing
    walls and growing gardens.  But they also tend to hoard the
    treasure they find.  Which leads you quests like yours.

mob::goblin guard
    A stronger and more powerful goblin that has been outfitted with
    the latest in goblin weaponry.

mob::goblin queen
    The current goblin empires tend to organize themselves in a
    matriarchal fashion, leading to the chief goblin being called a
    queen.  This has long puzzled outsiders who had presumed
    goblins lacked gender.

mob::slime
    A greenish puddle of slime.  Which moves.  And spits acid.

    As if this were not enough, it also spreads.

mob::big slime
    A big puddle of slime.  Like its smaller brethren, it also moves
    and spreads, swiftly filling the dungeon with acidic ochre.

mob::giant slime
    A giant puddle of slime.

    You certainly hope this slime isn't able to spread!  Fighting one
    is going to be enough of a challenge.

mob::slug
    Not your ordinary garden slug, this slimy beast stretches a full
    meter in length.  A sizzling sounds alerts you to the acidic
    nature of its slime.

mob::skeleton
    An animated collection of bones.  Some would claim a sword a poor
    fit for fighting skeletons.  But they refer to lesser swords.

    The Freyblade can slice through bone as if it were flesh!

mob::zombie
    An undead horror which shambles through the caves.  Its slow
    shambling pace minimizes the threat posed.

mob::skeleton captain
    The chief of a skeleton army, the skeleton captain takes
    considerable force to destroy.  In the meantime, beware of its
    powerful arrows and deadly sword.

item::gold coin
    Why humans care so much about a soft metal like gold has always
    confused you.  Easy to bend, easy to melt, it is not the sort of
    stable thing to build a currency on!

    You did know one artifact goblet that was proud to be made of pure
    gold.  Proud until a drunk lord sat on him, that is.  Then he was
    just flat.

item::corpse
    The mangled remains of a former foe.  You've been forced
    to eat such raw carrion in the past.  Fortunately your current
    host seems well sated.

item::body
    The mangled remains of a former friend.  

item::sausages
    A string of plump red sausages, well-aged by their stint in these
    caves.  

item::bread
    At first you mistook it for a rock.  Then you saw it was a thick crusted
    loaf of bread.  Some gourmets would no doubt have preferred the rock.

item::mushrooms
    A bunch of mushrooms.  Edible?  Maybe.  You never know with
    mushrooms.  Even if you fed it to a kobold, you'd still
    have to wait a week or so to see if it proved toxic.  And you'd
    still not know if it was some natural kobold immunity rather than
    the safety of the mushroom.

item::apple
    A nice winter apple.  You wonder how it made its way underground.

item::pickle
    A cucumber that had been immersed in a brine solution until it
    pickled.

item::arrow
    A well-crafted arrow.  Unfortunately, with the hard surfaces of
    the rock caves, likely only good for one shot.

item::Hasted
    Your metabolism is running in overtime.  All the other creatures
    seem to be moving slower than before, giving you more time to
    move, attack, and escape.

item::Blinded
    You can't see!  All is black, no matter how widely you open
    your eyes.  You pray fervently that this condition is temporary.

item::Enraged
    You see red!  Your blood boils as you contemplate the crime that
    has occurred!  Vengeance be thine!

item::Poisoned
    Some noxious substance courses through your veins.  With every heartbeat
    you can feel it spread and weaken you still farther.  Will your
    constitution prove strong enough to withstand the full course of
    this toxin?  Perhaps it is best to not find out.

item::Sick
    You have a bad cough that would keep you awake at nights.  But it isn't
    night yet, so I guess it is premature to describe it as that.

item::Slow
    You feel like you are wading through a thick mud.  Even your sword
    swings seem to move slower than they should.

item::crude bow
    A simple wooden bow.  Note that a bow isn't much use without arrows.

item::short bow
    This bow is well constructed.  However, its draw weight is rather low,
    preventing it from achieving the sort of power that you would prefer.

item::long bow
    This large bow has a long draw which gives it an excellent range and
    stopping power.

item::yew long bow
    Exactly why yew trees make for the best long bows is something you
    are very unclear of.  But this one has a carefully engraved label
    attesting to the genuine nature of said tree that went into its
    construction, so clearly there must be some advantage.

    In any case, a bit of practice shows it is superior to the other long
    bows you have found, independent of the name of its material.

item::kitchen knife
    A short stick of a blade whose only purpose of existence is to
    save more noble blades from the indignity of peeling potatoes.

    Damn that goblin chief who once loaned you to his chef.

item::crude stone dagger
    A stone dagger.  Calling it crude seems implied by the nature of
    the material, but you feel the prefix is justified in this case.

item::bronze short sword
    This pointed short sword is well-crafted and balanced.  Sadly,
    the crafter decided to use bronze, a soft metal that does not
    hold an edge worth speaking of.

item::iron-shod staff
    This hard wood staff has been banded by thick iron rings.  These both
    balance the weight and ensure that powerful impacts do not split the wood.
    As an added bonus it makes an excellent walking stick.

item::short sword
    The rust marks on this sword show it to be made of iron.  Boring
    iron, the sort you get from the ground.  Not sky-iron.

item::mace
    This metal club is made out of some sort of blued steel.  It is heavy and
    well weighted.

item::long sword
    This long sword is made of well-tempered steel.  Its edge
    is true and sharp.  You would feel a bit of regret breaking it if
    you faced it in combat.  Only a bit, however.

item::warhammer
    A heavy hammer of black iron.  In your opinion a hammer has no
    role on the battlefield and should stay in the forge where it
    belongs.

    You don't have many friends among artifact hammers.

item::crystal sword
    This two handed sword is clear as glass.  Beautiful rainbows spray from its
    prismatic surface when exposed to the sun.  Surprisingly, it is as hard as
    diamond.  Still didn't stop you from shattering a crystal sword at
    the battle of the Two Sisters!

item::clothes
    These are your simple every day work clothes.  While certainly more modest
    than running about naked, the protection they offer is minimal at best.
    
item::leather armour
    Plates of hardened leather form the shell of this set of armour.  While it
    is in good condition, it would have to be resized to fit your frame.

item::studded leather armour
    The hardened leather that makes up this armour has been further
    augmented with numerous metal rivets.  While people may debate
    how much of a contribution this will make to the defensive qualities,
    it is of your opinion that they vastly improve the aesthetic.

item::ring mail
    This is a set of leather armour.  Rather than studs, however, large
    black-iron loops have been stitched onto the armour.  While they provide
    little protection for a well-placed thrust, they will easily block
    the wild slashes of genuine battle.

item::chain mail
    Large links of metal are woven into tunic and leggings.  

item::breast plate
    A shining piece of gold-chased breast plate.  While the rest of
    the pieces would be appreciated, the safety of a steel shell
    around your vitals is well appreciated.

item::platemail
    Breast plate and leggings fashioned with overlapping plates of steel, this
    armour provides excellent protection against almost all attacks.  Such
    a precision piece of armour requires sizing for each user, however, so
    it isn't something you can don as soon as you find it on the dungeon floor.

item::full platemail
    This set of platemail also includes the helmet, gauntlets, and all the
    other miscellaneous fiddly bits whose names escape you.  This would leave
    few if any ways for enemy attacks to get through to you.

item::pacifier
    A crudely carved chew-ring that has been smoothed by countless
    milk-teeth.

    Do kobolds drink milk?  Are they even mammals?  They always claim
    to be related to dragons, after all, and dragons hatch from eggs.

item::kobold doll
    A few rags have been carefully sewed together and dyed purple.
    Squinting, you can see that it is supposed to be in the shape of a
    kobold.  It has been well-worn by many paws.

item::stuffed toy dragon
    Hey!  That is the stuffed rendition of Melkar the Destroyer, the
    red dragon that is said to have ruled the Blue Age!  You haven't
    seen one of those for sale outside the capital, and even there 
    they were not cheap.

    This one, sadly, has not only been unboxed, but has been so well
    worn that it would barely qualify as BS-1.
    
item::threadbare rag
    This rag looks like it has been dragged over every inch of these
    warrens.  While it has been well washed, no amount of cleansing
    can erase the history it has seen.  You wonder why even kobolds
    would keep such an item around.

item::The Freyblade
    You are The Freyblade.  And, yes, you do deserve the definite article.
    Forged in the Age of Heroes, you've had your part in many of the
    ensuing adventures and catastrophes.

    While the magic of your forging had rendered you indestructible to all
    but certain rare spells and weapons (which you have wisely eliminated
    from this world), it is good to remember that the human wielding
    you has no such advantage.   And while the loss of a human is
    a small thing, your last stay at the bottom of a black pit waiting
    for a new adventurer to stumble upon you was not an enjoyable
    vacation.

item::bigger f-ing gun
    There are big guns in the world.  And then there are bigger guns.
    You must admit this is quite a fair sized gun, for this mundane
    age.  You do remember bigger ones in the Age of Heroes, however,
    so are not so convinced it is the final say in guns.

item::vaccine vial
    A small vial containing the vaccine for smallpox.  Even this crude
    age should be able to use it to mass produce an inoculation.

    You are glad to find the vial again.  You had intended to
    distribute the vaccine after a suitable period, but Claston the
    Cruel (your host at the time) met an unfortunate end due to
    shellfish poisoning.  By the time you regained a host, the vial
    had been misplaced and lost.

item::blight resistant seeds
    These seeds have been genetically modified to resist the orange
    blight.  Or, in the parlance of this debased age, they have been
    magically enhanced to possess great virtue.

item::water filter
    This water filter uses some technology you do not recognize.  You
    hope that the castle researchers will be able to still figure out
    how to reverse-engineer it.

item::pasteurization process description
    A rather mundane looking scroll.  It lists the necessary
    temperatures and times required to pasteurize milk and provides
    diagrams of apparatus to achieve the effect.  It is a delicate
    balancing act between scalding the milk and killing the bacteria.

item::sticky fire recipe
    Probably better suited to naval warfare than land combat, this
    recipe describes a mixture of naphtha and quicklime to produce an
    auto igniting fluid that sticks to the target.

item::explosive powder
    Ah, the sweet smell of gunpowder.  You could have just told King
    Viola the proper ratios and saved this trip.  But really, it is
    the journey, not the destination.  Right?

item::neurotoxic poison
    This tightly stoppered bottle is filled with a viscous liquid.
    You know from experience how it can devastate the human neural
    system with even the slightest exposure.

    You are somewhat surprised to find some still around.  You thought
    you rid the world of the Vecks poison when you scuttled that ship
    in the deep ocean over two hundred years ago!

item::Kitab Aniq fi al-Manajaniq
    While this tome is written in a language no longer in common use,
    hopefully the detailed pictures of trebuchets will prove
    sufficient guidance to the General's engineers.

shop::king::intro
     To see an unfamiliar soul stare
     from the face of my faithful
     servant unnerves me, Sword.

     Our just war with that fiend King
     Crimson occupies my attention.
     Look to yonder table to watch its
     progress.

     Modern wars are fought by armies,
     logistics, and strategy, not sole
     heroes.  I have no use for your
     dark skills at the battlefront.

shop::king::done
     So, I see you have returned from
     whatever quest my advisors sent
     you on.  No doubt with some powerful
     item that will end this war?

     Join us at the map table to see
     how the fruits of your quest fare.

shop::king::choose
     Walls have ears and windows have
     eyes.  Treacherous spies have
     removed the advantage you gave
     us.

     My advisors, as usual, have the
     solution.  Another quest,
     another item!

shop::king::won
     This is a glorious day that shall
     be remembered for centuries!  And
     fear not, you shall be aptly
     rewarded.  I have the finest artisans
     constructing a display case for you
     as we speak!

shop::war::intro
     I see in your eyes a kindred
     spirit!  Know that I volunteered
     to wield you, so that together
     we could fight at the front rather
     than hide here in the castle...

     But my King is sadly right.  The
     age of heroes may be over.  But there
     remain weapons from that age that
     you might salvage, and thus
     equip our armies with!

shop::war::choose
     No matter how dark the night, there
     is still hope.  Especially if one
     has sufficiently powerful advantage.

shop::war::donegood
     Yes!  Your contribution to the war
     effort is most appreciated.  Our
     war mages assure me that we can
     get this new technology into
     our the hands of our troops with
     but minimal delay!

     Now let us go to the map table and
     watch these toys in action!

shop::war::donebad
     Bah!  I need weapons or soldiers,
     and you bring back toys and
     trinkets!

     Be off, and let the real soldiers
     tend to the map table.

shop::war::won
     We have shown those crimson curs
     what sort of mettle we are made
     of, eh?

     Still a bit of mopping up to do.
     And we should be able to now
     deal with those treacherous spies
     that caused this war to go so
     long!

shop::peace::intro
     The tales that have spread tell
     of the oceans of blood that you
     have shed.  This is not the only
     legacy you need have!

     There are powerful artifacts still
     in the world from the age of heroes.
     With these we can build, rather than
     destroy, and create a stronger world.

shop::peace::choose
     The world lies in a balance. When
     we retrieve things from the age
     of heroes, we upset that balance.

     We must take care we upset it in
     the right direction!

shop::peace::donegood
     I am glad of your return!  
     
     Your contribution to the common
     weal is noted.  We shall beat you 
     into a ploughshare yet!

     Now let us watch the battle unfold
     on the map table...

shop::peace::donebad
     I am glad to see the person you
     wield return unharmed.  I fear
     that which you have brought.

     Now let us watch the horror unfold
     on the map table...

shop::peace::won
     Yes, we have won.  Our empire lives
     for another day.  
     
     But at what cost?

quest::grain::confirm
     Feeding the troops is as important as
     arming them!

     Over the last decade we have seen
     many crop failures due to the orange
     blight.  It is rumoured that in
     the Age of Heroes powerful strains
     of grain were cultivated that could
     resist this blight.

     My research has substantiated the
     rumours.  A seed bank was created
     by foresighted individuals to save
     the cultivar for the future.  I have
     found it has since become the Crypt
     of Damascus - which has also since
     been infested by undead.

     Retrieve the seeds and feed the 
     people!

quest::grain::begin
    The road to the Crypt of Damascus was long and uneventful.  Well,
    there was that company of soldiers you encountered.  They had
    the temerity to demand a passphrase to prove that you were
    allied!  

    Well, here you are!  Time to slay some undead!  Some purists
    always argue you can't actually kill the undead, on account of
    them already being dead.  You have found however that they stop
    moving when you cut them sufficiently, much like any other foe.

quest::grain::done
    To think from such small seeds such great change could be wrought?

    On the way back to the King's castle you hand off some of the
    seeds to some of the peasant farmers you encounter.  You know too
    well that sometimes politics causes this sort of discovery to be
    suppressed, and do not want your hard work to go unrewarded.  The
    farmer's also learn the proper history of The Freyblade as part of
    the payment.

    At the castle gate you hand the rest of the seeds to Lord
    Patrick's retainers who take them swiftly to the castle gardens
    for experimentation.  Hopefully they remained viable after their
    long storage.

quest::fire::confirm
     While we are proud of our modern weapons, 
     legends always speak of devices that exceed
     our comprehension.  Most of those are tall
     tales.  Some - as you should know! - are 
     true.

     I believe I have found a true tale in this.  
     It is said the ancients had a type of fire 
     potion that could stick to whatever it hit 
     and float on water without being 
     extinguished.  I have found evidence that 
     a scroll containing the recipe was stored 
     in the Library of Coriandia.

     That library, however, has since turned 
     into the Crypt of Rhytalf and become 
     infested with undead.  You should have 
     little difficulty in removing the scroll 
     from their illiterate claws, and then my 
     alchemists can begin production.

quest::fire::begin
    It is a surprisingly short trip to get to the Crypt of Rhytalf.
    A bit of climb into the mountains.  A very friendly village near
    the entrance helpfully guides you to the entrance.  They are
    understandably eager to see the undead killed.  (You will note
    that those who suffer the predations of the undead never quibble
    when you say you are going to "kill undead".  They are instead
    properly respectful!)

    So, after a night at the tavern spreading suitable stories of the
    power and glory of The Freyblade, you head into the crypts to seek
    out this scroll.

quest::fire::done
    With scroll in hand you head back to the Castle.

    Along the way you find a suitably ambitious colonel and have the
    scroll copied out for him.  There is always the risk that the
    General will balk at using this weapon, and you don't want your
    hard work to go unused!

    At the castle gates one of General Julia's assistants accepts the
    scroll and runs off to give it to the alchemists.

quest::cure::confirm
     Smallpox is a dreaded disease that kills and
     disfigures our children.  If helping the young
     does not tempt you, consider that every blind
     beggar is one less potential soldier!

     Stories tell that in the Age of Heroes this
     disease was eradicated, before being re-released
     by Claston the Cruel.  I have found evidence
     that Claston did have a preventative developed.
     If we could acquire it, we could inoculate
     our populace and perhaps once again remove this
     scourge.

     My research shows the vial to be in the goblin
     castle F'kard.  The vial is of no use to the
     goblins, so I shall provide you some gold with
     which to barter it.

quest::cure::begin
    The trail leading to the castle F'kard is well marked and easy to
    follow.  The gold you are provided is soon spent in gambling
    houses and taverns, however.

    When you arrive at the goblin castle, penniless, you are
    unconcerned.  You are sure you can convince the goblins to part
    with the vial by other means.  Much more enjoyable means.

    Really, what was Lord Patrick thinking.  Sending a sword to do a
    merchant's job?

quest::cure::done
    You swiftly carry the tightly stoppered vial back to the King's
    Castle.  Lord Patrick's attendants eagerly take the vial from
    you at the castle's gate.

    Now the scourge released by Claston the Cruel can finally be
    ended.  You breathe a sigh of relief that tales seem to not
    mention anything about the sword that Claston was wielding in her
    final years.

quest::water::confirm
     Hygiene is essential to health, but essential to 
     hygiene is access to clean water.  Boiling is known
     to create potable water, but is not practical for
     sanitizing a city's water supply.

     I have found some ancient records describing a
     type of filter which can remove from water the 
     impurities that lead to contagion.  I believe if
     we were to find this filter, we could replicate
     it in our workshops and thus provide our cities
     with clean water.

     The kobolds of B'ritta Caves are believed to own
     such a filter.  We need but borrow it, so I believe
     a suitable donation of gold would convince them
     to lend it for our study.

quest::water::begin
    Trees, trees, trees.  Too many trees lie between the King's castle
    and the B'ritta Caves.  You have a special hatred of trees.

    Before the forest you encounter a travelling trader.  To your
    surprise, he has Pwarteth, the magic axe, in his inventory!  You
    use the gold to buy Pwarteth.  And then you donate him to an
    unsuspecting woodcutter.  Let Pwarteth cut trees for a few
    decades, serves him right for foiling your plans during the Lizard
    Invasion!

    Ah, here is the entrance to the B'ritta Caves.  Time to retrieve
    this water filter by your favorite method.

quest::water::done
    You leave the B'ritta Caves in a good mood.  A mood that sours
    when you see the forest that faces you.  Taking a deep breath, 
    you brace yourself to reenter the canopy of trees.

    When you arrive at the castle gates, Lord Patrick's attendants are
    happy to accept the water filter from you.  With luck they will
    swiftly figure its workings and augment their sanitation systems.

quest::milk::confirm
     If a mother perishes in childbirth, or her 
     milk fails to come in, the newborn is at
     the mercy of the availability of a nursemaid
     to provide sustenance.  While animal milk is
     available, it often is tainted by the time
     it reaches the city, killing as surely as
     starvation would.

     My research shows there once was a simple
     process applied to the milk that would
     preserve most of its virtue but also eliminate
     its vice.  If we could learn this, we could
     save many a child from an early grave.

     Unfortunately, my information points to the
     slime pits as the final resting place of
     the scroll.  Hopefully the slimes have not
     eaten it.

quest::milk::begin
    The slime pits. Gah.  You hate this place.  Not only does it have
    trees (ugh), but it has slimes (double ugh!)

    Of course, the magic steel you are forged with is not harmed by
    anything so mundane as acidic slimes.  But fighting such formless
    blobs is not your idea of a fun time!

    Eventually you reach the entrance that Lord Patrick specified.
    You hope for a swift search.

quest::milk::done
    You eagerly leave the slime pits.  You feel you'll have to spend a
    week being polished before you truly feel clean again.

    Arriving at the castle gates, Lord Patrick's attendants swiftly
    retrieve the instructions on pasteurizing milk.  A simple process
    indeed, and you are a bit surprised it got lost.

quest::powder::confirm
     Swords and arrows may have won earlier battles,
     but in this age we need more powerful weapons.
     My research shows that many ancient tales could
     be attributed to a single weapon.  A simple
     compound of reagents that produces a powerful
     explosive effect.

     While we know of many such recipes, proportion
     is everything.  Too much of the wrong reagent
     and the process is severely weakened.  Needless
     to say, experimentation is costly and dangerous.

     I have found, however, that the goblins of 
     U'hard castle have a sample of just such a
     powder.  Needless to say, they will not part
     with it willingly.  So I ask you to take it
     for our cause despite any of their objections.

quest::powder::begin
   It is a long and winding road to the goblin castle U'hard.  You
   have long since grown frustrated over the seeming endless series of
   valleys and passes you have to traverse.

   When you enter the gates of the goblin castle you are more than
   ready to "negotiate" for the explosive powder.

quest::powder::done
    Giving the goblin castle a parting glance, you begin the long
    journey back to the King's Castle.

    The smell of the powder brings back memories of the Age of Heroes
    when battlefields would stink of its odor.  Soon these battles
    will also acquire the distinctive aroma.  Just to be certain, you
    make sure to inform some passing alchemists about the underlying
    ratios.  One shouldn't leave things to chance.

    At the castle the General's assistants excitedly take the powder
    from you.  The run off to perform their assaying and experiments.

quest::poison::confirm
     What I propose will cause some to brand me a coward.
     But no matter.  We must win the war.  We must be
     strong enough to sacrifice even our honour to ensure
     victory!

     I have found where the mind-poison Vecks, well known
     for decimating the opposing troops in the Battle of 
     Larkmarch, can still be found.  If we can find a
     sample I am sure we can replicate it and weaponize
     it.  With this at our disposal King Crimson will
     soon fall!

     The kobolds hiding in the Cavarkian Caves have one
     of the last bottles.  They know not what it is, and
     keep it no doubt as a shamanic symbol.  So your 
     quest is simple: retrieve it from them.

quest::poison::begin
    Thankfully the road to the Cavarkian Caves does not require too
    long of a trip through the surrounding forests.  A few patrols of
    soliders did try to stop you.  The patrol's wearing red you could
    slay in good conscience as they work for King Crimson.  The
    patrol's wearing lavender you could also slay in good conscience as
    they had the temerity to ask you for a passphrase.

    At the cave entrance you stop for a moment.  This mind-poison, no
    doubt a nerve agent of some sort, do you want it reintroduced?
    Such battles are not nearly so much fun.  On the other hand, it
    did work out fine in the Battle of Larkmarch (where, as you
    recall, shifting winds decimated *all* the troops), so you head
    into the cave.

quest::poison::done
    Out of the cave, and in the sunshine, you raise up the poison
    potion.  The light sparkles through its oily texture, looking
    beautiful for something so deadly to humans.  Remembering the one
    wielding you is just such a human, you wrap the potion very
    carefully before returning it to your backpack.

    At the castle gates the General's assistants look very nervous at
    taking the bottle from you.  As they should, that bottle could
    slay the entire castle!

quest::trebuchet::confirm
     Advances in masonry have outstripped our advances
     in siege tactics.  We face tall walls that cannot 
     be breached by ballista or sapped by miners.

     My research has found references to some ancient
     tomes, however, which can provide us just the
     solution we need.  Careful descriptions and diagrams
     of a powerful rock launcher that could swiftly
     reduce our foe's fortifications!

     Unfortunately, it seems the last known resting place
     of the tome was the slime pits.  We can only hope
     that it was spared the acidic gullets of the local
     inhabitants.

quest::trebuchet::begin
    The slime pits. Gah.  You hate this place.  Not only does it have
    trees (ugh), but it has slimes (double ugh!)

    Of course, the magic steel you are forged with is not harmed by
    anything so mundane as acidic slimes.  But fighting such formless
    blobs is not your idea of a fun time!

    Eventually you reach the entrance that General Julia specified.
    You hope for a swift search.

quest::trebuchet::done
    You eagerly leave the slime pits.  You feel you'll have to spend a
    week being polished before you truly feel clean again.

    Arriving at the castle gates, the General's assistants retrieve
    from you the ancient tome.  Hopefully they have a historian
    on staff that can read the ancient language.

quest::bfg::confirm
     I know not why I wasted your time with these
     previous quests.  What we want is simple.  A
     bigger gun.

     I have found one.  Bigger in every way.  You
     may think you have already retrieved big guns.
     You would be wrong.  This one is bigger.  It
     has a ++ in its name.

     The bad news?  It's in the slime pits again.

quest::bfg::begin
    Gah, not the slime pits again!

    Let us make this search fast!

quest::bfg::done
    You return to the castle with the (slightly) bigger gun.

    The General's assistants seem excited to take delivery.  You are
    just glad to be out of the slime pits again.

