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Key & Compass presents:
Hildy
by J Michael

Hildy is a Glulx interactive fiction game written with Inform 7 and is © 2024 by J Michael. It was an entry in IF Comp 2024 where it took 7th place.

In this Zorkian fantasy game, you play as Hildy, a twenty-year-old apprentice enchantress at the Accardi Guild of Enchanters, but your unorthodox ways make it difficult for you to fit in. Master Frobar brings you to the Forest of Berlyn to have a few hours to relax and think. But when a spectral coyote brings you a receipt from an abandoned underground shopping mall, you just have to investigate.

This solution is by David Welbourn, and is based on Release 1 of the game.

SPOILERS AHEAD. Reading a walkthrough prematurely can sometimes diminish one's enjoyment of an interactive fiction game. Please make an honest effort to play the game before reading this walkthrough.


Maps

Map 1: Accardi Guild of Enchanters

Dorm Room(Mabella-beth's Side) Hallway Dorm Room(Your Side) ApprenticeQuarters Alcove Bath Female Dormitory Lobby to seniorenchanters'quarters to maledormitory to storeroom to otheralcoves to otheralcoves to Accardi-by-the-Sea d u to seniorenchanters'quarters to library

Map 2: Forest of Berlyn

CaveEntrance Cave Foothills(F) DenseWoods(D2) DenseWoods(D3) DenseWoods(D1) Woods(W3) DenseWoods(D4) Woods(W2) Woods(W1) Woods(W4) DenseWoods(D5) Lobby Woods(W5) DenseWoods(D6) DenseWoods(D7) DenseWoods(D8) D5 D3 (via Frobar) out u D4 D8 D5 F D1 in d D6 D7 F D1 F

Map 3: Caves

MallEntrance GreatBridge(West) Bridge(West ofCollapse) Bridge(East ofCollapse) GreatBridge(East) SpiralStaircase(Bottom) SpiralStaircase(Top) PavedPassage(West) PavedPassage(East) Fissures CaveEntrance Cave TightSlope TightSlope whip beamsthen east d run east d out d whip beamsthen west u run west u in u (blockedby cave-in)

Map 4: Shopping Mall

SharperMage Theater Dressing Rm Maintenance Quen.Phoenix Bab-Witches CinemaLobby JC Zorkmid They B Toys Rectangles in office are portals;destinations-by-color are randomized. Manager'sOffice OutsideManager'sOffice BackStairway Abyss LittleFlatheads Restroom FoodCourt Bab-Witches UpperLevelNorth UpperLevel Top ofPile UpperLevelSouth They "B"Toys West Hall Theater CinemaLobby Will CallWindow LowerLevelNorthwest LowerLevelNorth LowerLevelNortheast SLIME TheSharperMage Mainten-ance Walden-scrolls LowerLevel MallEntrance GreatBridge(West) LowerLevelSouth QuendorianPhoenix DressingRoom JCZorkmid TinyAdventure (enter appropriate color) (after someturns) (shrink wears off) to concession u plumdo pile plumdo s u d entergold x mirror plumdo n plumdo pile d push button to booth

Map 5: Tiny Adventure

Centerof Rubble (all exits but inor south blockedby rubble) On the Floor(Lower LevelSouth) towerto south near exit tower farto SW DarkSoftness poletowersover you towerto west tower farto west towerto north towerto NW tower farto NW On the Floor (JC Zorkmid) JCZorkmid anywhere* *except fromCenter ofRubble in in pushbutton out out (shrink wears off)

Walkthrough

Part 1: Wash up. Get dressed. Get equipped.

You are apprentice Hildegund, covered in troll blood and gore. Master Frobar (who is also your godfather) wanted you to subdue a cave troll, and you used plumdo to transport into his belly. They're upset with you but you're even more upset with not fitting in.

Frobar has an idea. He asks you to clean up, get your gear, and meet him in the lobby at ten o'clock.

Hallway

> footnote 1. (can be shortened to F)

> x me. i. x robes.

> x book. (Plumdo was altered.)

> f 2. (more about plumdo)

> s. nw. sw. d.

Bath

> x alcoves. (Each alcove is a private bathing area.)

> w.

Alcove

> remove robe. (You hear the Accardi Lucksuckers outside.)

> f 3. f 4.

> put robes in chute.

> put book on shelf.

> wash me. (+5)

> take towel. dry me. wear towel.

> take book.

> e. u.

Female Dormitory

> open door. (locked)

> learn rezrov.

> f 5. (can abbreviate MEMORIZE to MEM)

> rezrov door. n.

Dorm Room (Your Side)

An expected package is missing.

> open closet. (no clean clothes, denim berzio jacket, and bullwhip)

> x gloves. wear gloves. (Now you can carry as much as you like.)

> take all from closet. take all from desk.

> x headband. wear it. (Memorized spells are stored in the headband until you remove it.)

> x glasses. f 6. wear glasses. (You will now automatically copy spells from scrolls into your spell book just be reading a scroll.)

> n.

Dorm Room (Mabellabeth's Side)

> x Mabellabeth. x magazine.

> ask her about package. (She produces it, saying the postal nymph left it on her bed.)

> take package. s.

Dorm Room (Your Side)

> open package. (You have a scarlet scroll.)

> x scroll. (+5. noogle: dress the target in an outfit perfect for his or her personality)

> learn noogle. remove towel. noogle me.

> i. x tops. x leggings. x shorts. x shirt.

> x jacket. wear it. (While worn, you don't need to eat or drink. There's 10 zorkmid coins in the pocket.)

> x coins. x whip. f 7.

> s. (You drop the towel into the chute.)

Female Dormitory

> f 8. close door. e. se. (+5)

Lobby

Frobar is delighted you're early. He has a brass lantern. He checks that you have everything. As you clutch his elbow, he recites a complicated spell of transportation.


Part 2: Follow a coyote to a cave.

Woods (two locations)

Frobar explains where you are and gives you the lantern. He tells you to walk around and think things through and he'll meet you here in a few hours. Then he poofs away.

> f 9. f 10. x lantern. (already on)

> z. z.

A spectral coyote arrives and drops something.

> x coyote. x parchment. take it.

The coyote goes north. Follow it.

> n. e.

Dense Woods (two locations)

Continue to follow the coyote.

> se. e.

Foothills

Coyote goes up.

> u.

Cave Entrance

Coyote goes inside.

> in.


Part 3: Find an underground shopping mall.

Cave

Coyote fades away, its task done.

> learn plumdo. learn rezrov.

> se. d. d. n. w.

Paved Passage (West)

> f 11. (You fear bats.)

> x bats.

> w. (no, but maybe run?)

> run west.

Spiral Staircase (Top)

Remember that "run" trick. That could be useful again later.

> d. w. w.

Great Bridge (East of Collapse)

CAUTION: If you try to plumdo west over the gap, you won't make it and you'll fall to your death.

> whip beams. w.

Great Bridge (West of Collapse)

> w. w.


Part 4: Explore Lower Level North. Turn the power on.

Mall Entrance

> x sign. f 12. ("SHOPPING MAUL")

> x portrait. (ick)

> w.

Lower Level

> x ceiling. (of The Twelve Flatheads)

> f 13.

> x store. (Waldenscrolls scrollstore)

> w.

Waldenscrolls

> x shelves. (You find and pick up a book, while a puff of smoke appears briefly.)

> x dusty book. (re temporal thaumaturgical semiotics)

> x display. (Sign says the Flaro spell was here.)

> e. (You walk into an invisible barrier.)

> plumdo east. (You can't go through walls.)

> drop dusty book.

> e. n.

Lower Level North

> x fresco. f 14. x being.

> x debris. x elevator.

> n.

Cinema Lobby

> x posters.

> n. (Yellow smoke. The booth appears empty.)

> w. (Blue smoke. Nothing at the stand.)

> e.

Will Call Window

Pink smoke becomes an ancient elf. She asks what name your tickets are under.

>> Hildy

She has no tickets under that name; you step away.

Cinema Lobby

> nw.

West Hall

> x ad. (for Diddlebucker popcorn)

> e. (Green smoke becomes a huge cyclops. He asks if you have a ticket.)

>> no

You return to...

Cinema Lobby

> s. e.

Lower Level Northeast

> x slime. (It can melt armor.)

> plumdo east. (no: the slime covers more than ten feet)

> w. w.

Lower Level Northwest

> x bot. x placard.

> rezrov door. s.

Maintenance

> x panel. (Nine buttons. The columns go from A to C; the rows are numbered 1 to 3. Some buttons are lit; others are dark.)

> read label. (explains how to operate the panel)

> x scratches. (hint at the solution)

> x machines.

Okay, let's solve this:

> push c1. push a1. push b3.

> push c3. push c2. (success!)

> x machines. (all better)

> n.

Lower Level Northwest

The now-powered Vendbot says it needs a new personality matrix, and a slot opens for it.

> e. s. s.


Part 5: Explore Lower Level South. Kill a lurking ghoul.

Lower Level South

> x rubble. x sparkling. (A scroll is inside the rubble, but out of reach.)

> s.

JC Zorkmid

> f 15. f 16.

> x machine. (Frobozz Magic Jewelry Loupe; a silver notice falls)

> x notice. (Don't use on highly reflective items.)

> x red dial. (settings: 2X, 4X, and 6X.)

> x green dial. (settings: 1/2 min, 1/4 min, and 1/6 min)

> x tray.

Come back to this later.

> n. e.

Quendorian Phoenix

> e. (A ghoul attacks you!)

> whip ghoul. g. g. (+5; it dies; its body is removed by black fog.)

> f 17.

> e.

Dressing Room

> take scroll. read it. (+5; rella: mend torn fabric)

> x vial. (dysmu: temporarily change one's appearance to that of another; four doses)

> take vial. (a slip of paper falls)

> take slip. x it.

> learn rella.

> w. w. n. n. u.


Part 6: Explore Upper Level.

Upper Level North

> x store. ("Bab-Witches")

> w.

Bab-Witches

> x cartridge. take it.

> e. s.

Upper Level

> x sign. f 18. x pile.

> plumdo pile.

Top of Pile

> plumdo south.

Upper Level South

> x sign. (It's fifteen feet from here.)

> s.

They "B" Toys

> x box. take it. open it. (The box disappears, leaving the doll.)

> x doll. (Its nightshirt glows in the dark.)

> take nightshirt.

> f 19. f 20.

> n. plumdo pile. plumdo n. n. n.

Food Court

> ne.

Little Flatheads

> x chalkboard. ("This Month's Special: The Famous Garlic Lover's Pizza!")

> x portrait. (of pretty teen girl; "Employee of the Month")

> x chalk. take it.

> sw. w.

Restroom

> x mirror. ("Gash hovor Zava Dreden")

Unfortunately, the phrase echoes in your mind for the next few turns,...

> e. e. e. e.

And now you are at ...


Part 7: Explore the abyss.

Abyss

You can't get anywhere in this abyss by walking.

> plumdo chest.

Abyss (Near Chest)

> rezrov chest. open chest.

> take all from chest.

> x manuscript. (You don't know the language.)

> x magenta vial. (shisa: comprehend other languages)

> drink it.

> x manuscript. (A vampire lord named Zava Dreden was imprisoned here but he escaped.)

> x linen. (hundreds of pieces with markings on them)

> rella linen. (It's now a linen scroll!)

The darkness encloses you and you're back in...

(random location in the lower level hallway)

> x scroll. (+5. aometh: sanctify a place)

Because I don't know where you are now, please make your own way to Lower Level Northwest.

> DIRECTION. (as applicable)


Part 8: Meet Rufus One-Eye.

Lower Level Northwest

> put cartridge in slot. (+5)

The Vendbot now calls himself Rufus One-Eye and talks like a pirate. He heads south around the corner.

> e. s.

A horrible voice promises you will die and soon.

Lower Level

I'm assuming Rufus stops here long enough for you to interact with him here. If necessary, follow him.

> noogle Rufus. (He now wears an eyepatch and tricorn hat.)

> buy compact from Rufus.

>> yes.

> open compact. (dry dust falls out)

> x mirror. x top lid. x bottom lid.

Return to JC Zorkmid:

> s. s.


Part 9: The Incredible Shrinking Hildy.

JC Zorkmid

If you experiment with the machine, such as by putting the chalk into the tray, you learn that it normally enlarges the item in the tray for a fraction of a minute.

However, if you put the open compact into the tray, the enlarging ray is transformed by the mirror into a shrinking ray that shrinks whatever the mirror is aimed at for two to six minutes.

Yeah, you can AIM THE MIRROR at something. I had no idea whatsoever that AIM was a supported verb! This was not covered in the INTRO! And what if you aim the mirror at yourself?

Make sure the compact is open and that the nightshirt is off the doll. Set the machine for one-sixth size for six minutes.

> put compact in tray.

> set red to 6X.

> set green to 1/6 min.

> aim mirror at me.

> push button. (You get smaller and drop everything.)

Dark Softness

You're now naked and without any spells. The doll's nightshirt provides modesty and light. Do not waste time looking around.

> wear nightshirt. out.

On the Floor (JC Zorkmid) (two locations)

Remember that earlier puzzle in the caves where you had to RUN? You must RUN to save time! Every second counts!

> run ne. run n.

On The Floor (Lower Level South)

> in.

Center of Rubble

If you mistime this, you'll be trapped inside the rubble when you grow back to normal and die days later.

> take scroll. out.

Back at normal size and naked, you race back to...

JC Zorkmid

...where you immediately get dressed with your outfit.

> wear gloves. (You can carry lots again.)

> take all.

> wear jacket. (Hunger and thirst stop.)

> wear headband. (To remember spells again.)

> wear glasses. (So auto-gnusto works again.)

> x scroll. (+10; embrow: "send caster backward temporally by seventy-five years for five minutes")

> x nightshirt. (It's torn.)

> spells. (You have nothing memorized.)

> learn rella. rella nightshirt. (mended)

You probably should learn all your other spells.

> learn plumdo. learn rezrov.

> learn noogle. learn aometh. learn embrow.

That was intense. What's next?

> n. n. w.


Part 10: Time-travel in Waldenscrolls.

Waldenscrolls

During your visit here, you'll hear the horrible sound of Rufus being destroyed.

> x shelves. x dusty book. (You learn that embrow needs to be cast onto a certain type of temporal rune to activate.)

> x rune. learn rune.

> embrow rune.

Waldenscrolls (Evening, 75 years ago)

> take citrine. (A gnome tells you it costs 5 zm.)

>> yes

> x citrine. (+5. flaro: "cause a burst of sunlight to appear")

> z. z. z. (embrow wears off)

Waldenscrolls

> drop dusty book.

> learn flaro. flaro. (A bright sphere of light now hovers up int the air.)

> x light.

> e. n.

Upper Level North

I'm assuming this is where you'll find what used to be Rufus One-Eye.

> x pile of scrap. (You acquire some zorkmids.)

> f 21.

> take all. (eyepatch and tricorn hat)

> u. n. w.


Part 11: Bless the restroom. Time-travel in Little Flatheads.

Restroom

> aometh. (The unpleasant symbols are replaced with little ducks, and the mirror is now clean and shiny.)

> x mirror.

> e. ne.

Little Flatheads

> draw rune. (using up all the chalk)

> embrow rune.

Little Flatheads (Evening, 75 years ago)

> x counter. z. (A boy from the back tells you they're closed and to come back tomorrow.)

> z. z. z. (embrow wears off)

Little Flatheads

> drink vial. x portrait. (You now look like the girl in the portrait.)

> embrow rune.

Little Flatheads (Evening, 75 years ago)

> z. z.

The pimply boy calls you Theophania and shows you a garlic pizza with "PROM?" written in pepperoni.

>> yes (+5; the flat box is yours.)

> x box.

> sw. (The wet floor makes crossing it perilous.)

Your transformation wears off.

> z.

Embrow wears off.

Little Flatheads

> open box. take envelope. (You shut the box.)

> x envelope. open it. take all from it.

> x flower. x letter. (Tickets under Aleryc; lotus is a symbol of purity and faith.)

> sw. s. d. n.


Part 12: Get a movie ticket. Kill ghouls.

Cinema Lobby

> e.

Will Call Window

>> Aleryc (You get a ticket.)

Cinema Lobby

> x ticket.

CAUTION: Entering the theater as yourself is fatal. You need to disguise yourself as Zava, using the viridian vial, but the portrait in the main entrance is too far away. But remember, he's also in the ceiling fresco.

> s.

Lower Level North

> drink potion. x being. n. nw.

West Hall

> e.

>> yes (The cyclops takes your ticket and bullwhip and locks the door behind you.)

Theater

The ghouls do not attack their master.

> aometh. (The ghouls are gone and a twill scroll is now here.)

> take scroll. (You hear violent destruction above you.)

> x scroll. (+10; usgo: undo a deliberate transformation or alteration)

> learn usgo.

> rella screen. (It's fixed!)

> x screen. f 22.

> rezrov door. (fail: Doesn't work on this door.)

> ne. u.

Outside Manager's Office

> x sign. ("MALL MANAGER")

> n.

Manager's Office

> x rectangles. x broken. x safe.

> x display. (number is randomized)

> rezrov safe. f 23. open safe.

> take pass. x it.

Remember which color shows an unfamiliar store; the room-to-color assignments are randomized.

> x red. x orange. x yellow.

> x green. x blue. x purple.

> x silver. x white. x black.

You're about to enter a to-the-death battle with a vampire. You must be directly carrying the pizza box, the lotus flower, and the open compact. You must have flaro, aometh, usgo, and plumdo pre-memorized.

> save.

> enter COLOR. (for unfamiliar store)

>> yes

If you enter the wrong rectangle, UNDO or RESTORE or use the pass you got from the safe.


Part 13: Kill a vampire. Escape.

The Sharper Mage / Darkness

Your lantern and nightshirt are destroyed and the lights go out.

> flaro.

> f 24. (Use "diagnose" to track your condition.)

While Zava can talk, he can stop you from casting any spells. Use other attacks. Meanwhile, you have no defenses against his attacks against you. Ouch.

> open flat box.

> aim mirror at Zava.

> give flower to Zava.

Now's your chance to cast a spell before he regnerates!

> aometh.

Finally, Zava is damaged so badly that you have two turns before he regenerates and casts a final spell at you!

> usgo spellbook. (Your spellbook is restored back to how it was this morning.)

> x spellbook. (Plumdo is back to its original unaltered form.)

> plumdo Zava.

He's gone. You wake up later with most of your stuff on the floor.

> x me. (You have rags and the gloves on.)

> diagnose. (You need serious medical attention.)

> take all. wear jacket. wear headband. wear glasses.

> x tube. open it. x gold.

Hm. Same dimensions as the rectangles in the manager's office.

> put gold on wall. (+10)

> enter gold.

Mall Entrance

You pass out. Three days later...


Part 14: Epilogue with breakfast.

Dorm Room (Your Side)

> x me. x nightshirt. x desk.

> stand. (What's for breakfast?)

> open closet. wear gloves. wear headband.

> wear glasses. take spell book.

> x it. (noogle is back)

> remove nightshirt.

> learn noogle. noogle me.

> i. x socks. x bathrobe. x teal pajamas.

> put nightshirt in closet.

Leave the jacket and other stuff in the closet.

> close closet. s.

Female Dormitory

> close door. e.

Apprentice Quarters

> sit at bench.

A plate of toast and bacon, and a cup of Antharian coffee appear.

> x plate. x toast. x bacon.

> x cup. x coffee.

> eat bacon. (A delivery nymph leaves a package for you.)

> eat toast. drink coffee.

> x package. take it. open it.

> x whip. take it.

> take letter. read it.

Belboz got your bullwhip back from the cyclops. He also hopes you agree to stay in the guild.

> z.

A boy wearing an identical outfit as yours plops down at the bench and starts eating. His name is Cuthbert, but call him Cutty. You soon become fast friends.

*** Congratulations! You have won! ***


Extras

Artwork

Most of this isn't ASCII art in the usual sense of the term; it's text with omitted characters to show age and decay. I've taken the liberty of filling in the blanks with what you're most likely supposed to infer the text originally said.


Characters

Mentioned:


Credits

Type ABOUT, select Thanks, Acknowledgements, Citations and Credit from the menu, then press ENTER. Omitting the hint-numbering notations, the text of the three submenu items is:

First, I would like to thank my wife and our two children. Your support, encouragement and beta testing has been invaluable to me as I worked on this project. I couldn't have done it without all three of you. I cannot describe how much fun it is for me to watch each of you smile as you play one of my games.

Next, I would like to thank the following volunteer beta testers from intfiction.org: Lance Cirone, Matt Devins, Mel Jason, Robert Eglleston, Garry Francis, Virtuadept, and Andrew Schultz. Your suggestions and advice made my game much better than it would have been otherwise. Mel Jason also gets full credit for the footnote joke about the Pajama Party Barbarian doll. Thanks! I would also like to thank all of the other contributors to intfiction.org who have answered my many questions. There are far too many of you for me to acknowledge individually, but know that I am very grateful for your help.

Of course I would also like to thank all of the players who gave Hildy a chance. My hope is that you had as much fun going on this adventure with Hildegund as I did writing it.

Many thanks are also due all of the tireless volunteers who run the Interactive Fiction Competition (IFComp). Thanks!

Finally, I would like to acknowledge the original Infocom Implementors who created the Great Underground Empire, a vast playground that I have visited countless times as a child and an adult. Adding my own contribution to that world has been a dream come true.

The image of the female figure in the cover art was adapted from an image by Gordon Johnson.

The original image was used under the Pixabay content license and can be found at the following site:

https://pixabay.com/vectors/lady-woman-female-girl-swing-2747261/

The font used in the cover art was from the following web site under the terms provided there:

https://www.textstudio.com/logo/space-retro-text-effect-1187

The background image used in the cover art was from the following web site under the terms provided there:

https://www.vecteezy.com/vector-art/5266448-vector-retro-futuristic-background

Hildy was created to be a work of fanfiction and is believed by its author to have been created under the terms of fair use due to the fact that it is transformative, it is non-commercial, it appropriates little of the original material and it does not reduce the value or potential market of the original work. The world of Zork is the creation of the Infocom programmers and others. Certain minor passages in this game quote or refer to passages in their original creations.


Endings


Inventory

Containers
Readables
Scrolls

Examine each scroll while wearing your glasses and holding both the scroll and your spell book. This copies the scroll's spell into your spell book. The scroll itself vanishes when the copying is complete.

Vials
Wearables
Other items

Score

This is the response to SCORE:

You have so far scored your-score out of a possible 75, in several turns.

Points are awarded as follows:


Spells

A couple spells are in your spell book; all other spells are from scrolls. To put a spell from a scroll into your spell book, you must be directly holding both the scroll and book and be wearing your special gnusto glasses; now just read the scroll to copy the spell over. The now spell-less scroll disintegrates.

Before you can use a spell, you must first LEARN it or MEMORISE it. The command SPELLS shows you a list of the spells you currently have memorized. Normally, an enchanter can only remember a few spells at a time, but if you're wearing your headband when you learn a spell, you can remember as many as you like. CAUTION: If the headband comes off, you will likely forget all your memorized spells.

The headband also lets you remember a spell after you cast it. Normally you would have to re-learn a spell to cast it a second time.

To cast a spell with an area effect, just say the spell's name; eg: AOMETH.

To cast a spell on a target, use the spell's name as a verb: eg: REZROV DOOR to unlock a door.

The spells in this game are:


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