In this lengthy unfinished game divided into chapters, you'll be playing as various characters, but mostly as Dr. Marcus Philbrook, a man who petrifies himself into a statue in 1997 and wakes up in a museum in 9236. Unbeknowst to Marcus, the world now uses magic, and an evil mage named Noric the dark will soon threaten everyone with his power.
This solution is by David Welbourn, and is based on Release 100 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.
They ask for a story. The game interrupts to tell the player about the MENUSPEAK (or MS or MSPK) optional command for menu-based conversation when the input prompt is doubled.
Fortunately for me, MS options turn into conventional ask/tell commands which I can just show here instead.
>> tell story. tell three pigs story.
>> tell conquering lord story.
>> ask Kylina about preferred story.
>> tell children statue story.
> SPACE
Prologue (circa 9223)
Museum, Statue ExhibitCylest
> x me. x dress. i. x pin. x case.
> x statue. x box. x coat. x pocket.
> put pin in pocket.
Your father's aide orders you to get out of the case.
> SPACE
Chapter I (circa 1997)
The game banner is displayed.
Coffee NookDr. Marcus Philbrook
> x pot. x me. put pot in maker. n.
Boardroom
> x kitten.(Malcolm attaches Petrian device's electrode to kitten's paw.)
> x device.(There's another in the testing lab. The kitten becomes a new eikon.)
The investors are about to ask you some questions. It's simplest to leave the room before they do.
> w.
Hall
> x scanner. w.
Malcolm's office
The existence of the mailing package is puzzling. Marcus is unwilling to take the package or put anything into it, so why is it here in the game? Was there a plan to use it in a future unwritten chapter? There is a mail slot in the lobby, so someone has to mail this package, yes?
> x desk. x package. e. s.
Lobby
You don't really want to talk to Teresa either.
>> w.
My Office
> x window. x desk. x rabbit. x frame.
> open drawer. x badge. take it.
> e. n.
Hall
> put badge on scanner. n.
Monitoring Lab
> put badge on scanner. n.
Testing Lab
You mustn't hesitate, or Malcolm will stop you.
> take device. attach electrode to me. push button.
You are somewhere else, in a breaking glass case, and a boy is backing away from you.
> SPACE
Chapter II (circa 9236)
Mirrored Hall, Bottom of StairsPuck
> x me. i. x bag.
> open bag. x corpse.
> n.
Mirrored Hall
> knock on door.(The guard Siedmeur opens it.)
> n.
Altar Room
> take Limech. put Limech on altar.
The master casts levitation and immobility spells on you.
> x master.(The master kills Puck for his heart.)
You are now playing as the guard Siedmeur.
Altar RoomSiedmeur
> x Puck. x altar.
Noric orders you to put Puck into the bag and take him away. CAUTION: If you take too long to do this, Noric will incinerate you with a fireball.
> take Puck. put Puck in bag. s.
> SPACE
Chapter III (circa 9236)
Note that the geography of the museum's exhibits is determined by how you (as Nortoche) explore the place. For example, whichever way you first go from the Peace Exhibit (other than north) leads to the War Exhibit, and then that path is fixed. The map shows the arrangement that this walkthrough uses.
Museum StepsNortoche
> x me. x orb. take orb.(You can do SPELLS.)
> spells.(You know dysparsen, which dispells magik.)
> x door. x bushes.
> nw. ne.
North of Museum
> x moon. s.
Museum Garden
> x window. open window. s.
Museum, Peace Exhibit
> close window. x book. read book.
> read plaque.("Rehsif-Mij" is, of course, "Jim Fisher" backwards.)
> x field. exits. se.
The museum's geography is variable. You'll find the new rooms in a fixed order regardless which directions you choose.
Museum, War Exhibit
> x weapons. x device.
> x symbols. x workings. x pegs.(The lower peg is missing a gear.)
> x plug. x panel. x button.
> w.
Museum, Industrial Exhibit
> x tools. x case. x box.
> x funnel. x engraving. x tray. x panel.
> w.
Museum, Art Exhibit
> x art. x case. x junk.
> x frog. x river. x umbrella.
> se.
Museum Lobby
> w.
Museum, Statue Exhibit
> x case. x statue. x field.
> dysparsen field —or— throw orb at field.
> open case. enter case.
> x statue.
Marcus awakens. Nortoche thinks he's a dark mage about to kill him and backs away.
> SPACE
Chapter IV (circa 9236)
Museum, Statue ExhibitDr. Marcus Philbrook
> x me. x coat. look in pocket. x pin.
> i. x device. x badge. x mug. x coffee.
> x glass.
> e.
Museum Lobby
You're restricted to the inside of the museum.
> open door.(locked)
> nw.
Museum, Art Exhibit
> x case. x junk. open case.
> x field. touch field.(No resistance.)
> take umbrella. x it.(It's a satellite dish with a scoket.)
> x river. search washers. take washer. x it.
> e.
Museum, Industrial Exhibit
> x case. x box. x engraving. x funnel. x tray.
> open case. open panel.(Has a battery; needs another.)
> x battery. read it.("Everlast")
> e.
Museum, War Exhibit
> x case. x machine. x symbols.("S.P.P.U.S.")
> x opening. x upper pegs. x lower peg.(Needs a gear.)
> x plug. x square button.
> open case. open panel.(Has two batteries; needs another.)
> take battery.
> nw.
Museum, Peace Exhibit
> x book. read it.(A new weapon not only caused vast destruction, but also charged atoms with a new power that wyzurds could manipulate.)
> x plaque.(You can't read it.)
You won't be willing to leave via the window just yet. You're determined to turn the machine in the war exhibit on first.
> se. w.
Museum, Industrial Exhibit
> put battery in panel. put washer in funnel.
> x tray. x washer. take it.(It's now grooved like a gear.)
> take batteries.(You take both of them.)
> e.
Museum, War Exhibit
> put washer on lower peg.
> put dish on plug.
> put batteries in panel.
> push square button.(A "unity space" doorway is created but will only last for two seconds.)
If you don't enter the doorway, guards will find you and beat you senseless, and the story ends.
> enter doorway.
> SPACE
Chapter V (circa 9236)
Museum LobbyDunamei
You are now playing as Dunamei, the green mage, the Principal Mage, investigating the missing statue.
> x mages. i. x robe. spells.
Dunamei had the following spells at his disposal:
thespia (Communicate with the inanimate world about recent events)
dysparsen (Dispell magik)
frerquoe (Cast fireball)
> w.
Museum, Statue Exhibit
> thespia.
Dunamei sees a vision of Nortoche throwing the orb, entering the case, the statue animating and becoming flesh, the boy smashing through the glass, the security spell teleporting the boy away, and the statue walking and somehow immune to magic.
> e. nw.
Museum, Art Exhibit
> thespia.(You see the statue take a dish.)
> e.
Museum, Industrial Exhibit
> thespia.(You see the statue put something into the machine and take something out.)
> e.
Museum, War Exhibit
> thespia.(You see the statue putting things into the "kompeutre" and a doorway made without a spell.)
> nw.
Museum, Peace Exhibit
An energy door opens, via the Thurais spell, and a messenger mage in scarlet addresses you. He tells you the council urgently needs you, concerning Limech, a friend and fellow member of the green order. Weeks ago, Noric the Dark sent Limech's heart to the council.
NOTE: I believe this door opens one turn after you've cast thespia at each of the statue, industrial, and war exhibits. Those three exhibits are the critical ones.
> enter door.(The messenger mages follows you through to...)
Outskirts of Darisia
> e.
Fringe of Darisia, behind gates
The council mages are overcome with horror at Limech, now a zombie acting as Noric's messenger. Only the imperial guard, Cedreght, is showing any backbone and defiance.
>> x Limech. x heart.
>> ask Limech about news from Norioure.(Noric is raising an army.)
>> ask Limech about Noric's army.(Everyone who died in wars past. He's raising them all.)
>> ask Limech about sutures.
>> ask Cedreght about Limech.("a demon!")
>> tell Cedreght to kill Limech.(The sword does not kill him.)
>> x ooze.
>> tell Cedreght to kill Limech. g.(An arm falls off, but the zombie doesn't fall.)
>> frerquoe Limech.(The fireball destroys the zombie.)
You tell the other mages to inform the Overseer.
>> SPACE
Chapter VI (circa 9236)
Stone TerraceConrad
> x Noric. take parchment.(It's just out of reach.)
> spells.(You know maesmur: Mesmerize a creature.)
> maesmur bird.
> bird, land.
> bird, drop parchment.
> take parchment. read it.
You get confirmation that the ancient statue has awakened, but decide it doesn't matter. The empire will fall, and the exiled mages will return to Darisia.
> SPACE
TO BE CONTINUED
> SPACE
> quit
Extras
Characters
From 1997:
Marcus Philbrook is the main player-character. He and his business partner, Malcolm, develop a device that can petrify organic matter for a pretermined time. Unhappily, after Marcus's wife Karen dies, the despondent Marcus petrifies himself and is a statue for thousands of years. When he finally reanimates, the world is very very different. However, we know from the introduction that his story will end happily.
Malcolm is Marcus's best friend and business partner.
The investors in the boardroom are eager to hear the details about eikonization.
Teresa is the efficient secretary at Marcus's and Malcolm's office.
A kitten is used to demonstrate how the device works to the investors.
From Darisia in the far future, the good guys:
Kylina is Marcus's six-year-old daughter and Mathen is Marcus's four-year-old son in the introduction. Both of them want to be told the statue story.
Cylest is Marcus's wife and mother of the children. In the prologue, she's a seven-year-old princess.
Cylest's father's aide calls her away at the end of the prologue.
Nortoche is a suitor of Princess Cylest, who tasks him with retrieving a promise pin she left in the ancient statue. Unwittingly, his actions awaken the statue.
Dunamei the green is the Principal Mage, and presumably the head of the Council of Mages. He must discover a way to answer the threats posed by the living statue and by Noric the dark.
Other mages and siontysts at the museum hover in the background during Dunamei's investigations there. Dunamei believes the siontysts are charlatans pretending to be mages.
A messenger mage in scarlet arrives in the museum to return Dunamei to the Council because Noric has sent an undead Limech to them as an envoy.
The Council of mages (including Caulor the brown, Taudorn, and Bremech the grey) hover in the background during Dunamei's meeting with Limech the zombie. The mages are horrified and seem unable to act.
Cedreght, an imperial guard with sword, shows backbone and courage when faced with an undead corpse.
From Norioure in the far future, the bad guys:
Noric the dark is the greatest and most feared of the exiled mages, and for good reason. Noric has discovered how to reanimate a corpse to do his bidding and is now raising every dead body he can find for his zombie army.
Puck is a short, ugly, and deformed man who works for Noric in the hopes that he will be noticed and healed. Unhappily for Puck, when Noric does notice him, it's only to kill him for his heart.
Limech the green was a good mage working as a mole, a spy, within Noric's domain. Unfortunately, he was discovered and killed and his heart was sent back to his widow. Later, Noric turned Limech into a zombie, using Puck's heart. Dunamei was forced to incinerate the re-animated corpse of his friend with a fireball.
Siedmeur is a guard in the employ of Noric. He is sickened by Noric's descent into necromancy, but can see no option but to continue to obey his orders.
Conrad the dark is another mage in exile. He admires Noric's abilities while wondering if Noric is losing bits of his sanity with every zombie he raises.
A messenger bird arrives at Conrad's terrace with a parchment.
Numerous zombies are being created by Noric. All are in agony, and some even remember parts of their former lives or understand what's been done to them.
Mentioned:
Karen was Marcus's beloved wife until her tragic death.
Brandon is Malcolm's son. There's a package addressed to Brandon on Malcolm's desk.
A rabbit was petrified as it was dying.
A turtle was petrified somewhat more recently.
The Overseer is a high-ranking office in the future, but what exactly they oversee is never mentioned.
The King of Darisia is mentioned, but an empire is also mentioned, which confused me.
Other exiled mages, besides Noric and Conrad, are implied to exist.
Rehsif-mij wrote the ancient book on view in the peace exhibit.
Credits
This is the Acknowledgements section of the menus accessed via ABOUT:
Author: Jim Fisher
Compiler and code base: The Z-machine version of this game (particularly the version release for the IntroComp 2003) was compiled using Graham Nelson's Inform compiler and associated standard library.
It selectively leverages the ORLibrary which can be found at www.OnyxRing.com. The ORLibrary is fairly massive but includes code originating from a variety of authors such as Roger Firth and Irene Callaci as well as the library's organizer, Jim Fisher.
Beta testers: I'd like to extend my sincere appreciation to those that assisted in the beta-testing process. Their help was invaluable as they were able to identify numerous bugs and missing scenery objects as well as offer insightful suggestions. The quality of this game has been substantially increased due to their priceless input:
Jessica Knoch
Doug Roberts
Martin Bays
Stephen Robert Norris
Scott Hardwick
Endings
[Game Over (Care to try again?)]
if, in chapter 1, Marcus delays long enough in the testing lab for Malcolm to stop him and send him home. Your children complain that's not the way the story really happened.
if, in chapter 4, Marcus doesn't enter the energy door before it closes. Guards beat him into unconsciousness with batons. Your children complain that's not the way the story really happened.
Congratulations! You've just completed the first six chapters of "The Mage Wars: Statue." Look for the completed game sometime before March 2004!
when you complete chapter six.
Inventory
Marcus's inventory (introduction in children's bedroom)
Mathen and Kylina. You're carrying your two young children.
Put Mathen in his bed and put Kylina in her bed. The order matters to them but not to you.
Cylest's inventory (prologue in museum)
a promise pin. You're carrying it. It's a light source.
Put the pin in the statue's pocket. It is found in chapter 4 by Marcus; see chapter 4's pin.
Marcus's inventory (chapter 1 in office)
a white lab coat. You're wearing it.
Ignore it and leave it on.
a coffeepot. You're carrying it.
In the coffee nook, put the pot back into the coffeemaker.
a coffee mug containing some coffee. You're carrying it.
Feel free to drink some. Or ignore it.
my ID badge. It's in the drawer of your desk in your office.
In the hall, put the badge on the scanner to unlock the door to the monitoring lab.
In the monitoring lab, put the badge on the scanner to unlock the door to the testing lab.
a stone rabbit statuette. It's on your desk.
Examine the gruesome thing, but don't take it.
CAUTION: The game may crash with "Frotz Fatal Error: Illegal opcode" if you attempt to take the rabbit with you into the future. The error may happen either at the end of chapter 1 when you push the button, or at the end of chapter 3 when the statue wakes in front of Nortoche.
a picture frame. It's on your desk.
Look at it, but you probably want to leave it where it is.
a Petrian device. It's in the testing lab.
Quickly, before Malcolm can stop you, take the device, attach its electrode to yourself, then push the button. You'll petrify yourself and wake centuries later inside a museum.
Put Puck's corpse into the bag and carry it south from the altar. You'll automatically take the bag when you insert the corpse.
Puck's corpse. It's on the floor of the altar.
Put Puck's body into the bag and carry it south from the altar.
Nortoche's inventory (chapter 3 in museum)
a golden orb. You dropped it at the museum steps.
When you pick it up, you now know the dysparsen spell for a single use. To cast the spell (which dispels all magic in the room), throw the orb at something magical.
At the statue exhibit, throw the orb at the field. The magic field surrounding the case will vanish, but unexpectedly, the statue de-petrifies and becomes a living man!
Marcus's inventory (chapter 4 in museum)
a white lab coat, a Petrian device, my ID badge, and a coffee mug containing some coffee. Marcus still has these items from chapter 1.
Look in the coat's pocket to find the promise pin.
Otherwise, just hold onto these things for now.
a promise pin. It's in his lab coat's pocket.
Marcus obtained this pin unknowingly from Princess Cylest during the prologue.
Just keep it for now.
a satellite dish. It's the "umbrella" in the junk art scene in the art exhibit's case.
At the war exhibit, put the dish on the plug of the machine there.
When the batteries, washer, and satellite dish are all properly placed, push the square button to create a energy door to somewhere else.
a washer. It's part of the washer river in the junk art scene in the art exhibit's case. Search the washers to find the one that's loose.
At the industrial exhibit, after putting two batteries inside the machine's panel, put the washer into the machine's funnel. The washer will fall into the tray, now serrated with grooves. It's now effectively a gear.
At the war exhibit, put the gear-like washer on the lower peg of the machine there.
When the batteries, washer, and satellite dish are all properly placed, push the square button to create a energy door to somewhere else.
three metallic cubes. There are two of these batteries in the war exhibit's machine, and one of these in the industrial exhibit's machine. Open the panels of the machines to find them.
Take one of the batteries from the war exhibit's machine and put it in the panel of the industrial exhibit's machine so it has two in total. Now you can use the industrial exhibit's machine to turn a washer into a gear.
Put all three of the batteries into the war exhibit's machine.
When the batteries, washer, and satellite dish are all properly placed, push the square button to create a energy door to somewhere else.
Dunamei's inventory (chapter 5 in museum)
a robe. You're wearing it.
It's a green robe, appropriate for a member of the green order. Ignore it.
Conrad's inventory (chapter 6 on stone terrace)
a messenger bird. It's flying near you, just out of reach.
Maesmur the bird, then order it to land and drop the parchment.
Read the parchment to get confirmation that the ancient statue is now alive and awake.
Score
There is no true score in this game, but the response to SCORE does tell you which chapter you're in:
[You have barely begun the story of six total chapters in this IntroComp 2003 version of "The Mage Wars: Statue."]
[You are in the prologue of six total chapters in this IntroComp 2003 version of "The Mage Wars: Statue."]
[You are in chapter [one to six] of six total chapters in this IntroComp 2003 version of "The Mage Wars: Statue."]
Spells
There are several spells in this game, but they're usually only available to mages, and no mage in this game (except maybe Noric the dark) has more than three at a time.
The mechanics of how a mage acquires a spell has not been shown. However, in chapter 6, if you try to go down from the terrace, you're told that Conrad had not prepared the appropriate spells for flying. This suggests that a mage must choose and prepare spells somewhat in advance.
From Dunamei's frequent use of thespia in chapter 5, we learn that a mage can use their prepared spells over and over again without losing them.
Here are the spells mentioned by name:
dysparsen (Dispell magik)
In chapter 1, Nortoche, with the aid of the golden orb he obtained from Princess Cylest, could cast dysparsen one time at the statue exhibit.
In chapter 5, Dunamei has this spell. If he attempts to dysparsen Limech, his spell fails, with Noric's zombification spell remaining dominant and active.
frerquoe (Cast fireball)
In chapter 2, Noric incinerates Siedmeur if the guard takes too long to remove Puck's corpse from the altar room.
In chapter 4, if Marcus fails to enter the energy door, a red mage casts frerquoe at him, but the fireball passes through Marcus without any effect!
In chapter 5, Dunamei incinerates Limech the zombie.
levios (Levitate something)
In chapter 2, Noric levitates Puck into midair.
maesmur (Mesmerize a creature)
In chapter 6, Conrad mesmerizes a messenger bird. He can order the bird to do anything, but the bird will only obey as literally as possible.
strictum (Immobilize a creature)
In chapter 2, Noric paralyzes Puck.
thespia (Communicate with the inanimate world about recent events)
In chapter 5, Dunamei casts thespia at several of the exhibits to try to learn what Nortoche and the statue did inside the museum. The information is conveyed through visions of the past that everyone in the room can see.
thurais (Create a doorway to another place)
In chapter 5, a messenger mage in scarlet casts this to create a two-way energy door from the council to the museum. Various gestures and personal stamina are needed to keep the door open, and the difficulty is exponentially greater with increasing distance. The spell is not often used because of the cost.
In chapter 4, the door that the war exhibit's machine makes may be another application of the thurais spell except without any invocation of magik. If Dunamei examines the red mage's silver door, he makes this comparison.
Other unnamed spells include:
the illumination spell in the children's bedroom,
the field spell that surrounds each glass case in the museum,
the flying spell(s) that Conrad thinks about in chapter 6 if you try to go down from the terrace,
the security spell that teleports Nortoche into a holding cell when he breaks the glass case of the statue exhibit,
the zombification spell that Noric uses to raise Limech and hundreds more.
