Shades of Gray: An Adventure in Black and White is a MS-DOS interactive fiction game written with the Chemically Altered Adventure Game Toolkit adapted from AGT 1.32 and is © 1992, 1997 by Mark Baker, Steve Bauman, Liz Ellison, Cindy Yans, Mike Laskey, Judith Pintar, and Hercules (a CIS GAMERS Forum SysOp). Affectionally also known as SOGGY, this game won the Special Group Effort category in the 6th Annual Softworks Adventure Game Toolkit (AGT) contest in 1992.
This large game, co-written by seven authors, begins with you waking up amnesiac and running away from vampires. What's happening? Are you in a city or in a medieval story? Can the gypsy kabbalist really restore your memories? This game heavily features the American Civil War, the legend of Robin Hood, and the politics and spirit loa of Haiti.
This solution is by David Welbourn, and is based on the 1997 updated version of the game. I used DOSBox to play this game in 2021. Special thanks to Mathbrush for helping me get past a puzzle I was stuck on.
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.
A few notes before we begin:
Would you like to read the instructions? yes —or— no.
You wake surrounded by three vampires. The swarthy one wants to kill you. The Count says you've already tasted blood and are one of them. The small blond one is the most dangerous and says you'll give him information.
You'll never see Hilary again. Who? You run out the door to...
Dark Woods
>> i. (You're too afraid. Wolves are chasing you.)
If you go any direction, you don't get anywhere.
>> scream.
You scream, collapse, fall asleep, and wake up in a gutter.
You are now in a city where every location has a normal and a fantasy version. Likewise, the people and objects also have this weird dual nature. The city will initially appear normal, but every now and then, at random, you will feel dizzy and the city will change to its other version.
Because this flipping of realities is randomized, this walkthrough will attempt to show locations and commands in parallel, so you can act as appropriate wherever you are.
Also, at one point early on, the moon will descend so far that everything will be completely dark for about four turns. When you find yourself "In Darkness", it's best to not move around but just wait it out. Type LOOK, WAIT, or I repeatedly until you can see again.
Gutter / Forest Glade
>> take nickel —or— take key. (You can't reach it.)
>> i. (You have a leather wallet or a leather scrip.)
>> x wallet —or— x scrip. ("A.G.")
>> open wallet —or— open scrip.
>> x clipping —or— x censure.
>> read it.
>> x photo —or— x portrait. (of a pretty girl with short black hair)
>> x wrapper —or— x vial.
>> w.
Sidewalk (west) / Warehouse
>> x rack —or— x chest.
>> read rack —or— read chest.
>> open rack —or— open chest. (rack needs five cents; chest needs a key)
>> n.
Optician's / Courtroom
If outside optician's:
Else if in the courtroom:
Either way:
>> n.
Dark Alleyway / Gladiators' Stadium
>> x mugger —or— x gladiator.
>> x crowbar —or— x club.
>> x crates —or— x cages.
>> take crowbar —or— take club.
>> s. (The mugger or gladiator stops you.)
>> attack mugger with crowbar —or— attack gladiator with club.
Your opponent falls, and you drop your weapon. The mugger runs away; the gladiator is dead.
>> look.
Your opponent dropped a blade and some money:
>> x knife —or— x sword.
>> x dollars —or— x coins.
>> x body. (if it's here)
>> take all. (You take the blade and money, but guilt stops you from re-taking your weapon.)
>> s. s. s.
Flophouse / Monastery
>> x parcel. take it.
>> open parcel. (using either the knife or sword)
>> open parcel. (to actually open it)
>> x string —or— x rope.
>> x clothes —or— x chain mail.
There may be a tramp or a monk here, but you can't really interact with either:
>> x tramp —or— x monk.
>> talk to tramp —or— talk to monk.
>> n. e.
Gutter / Forest Glade
The wrapper/vial is in your wallet/scrip.
>> take wrapper —or— take vial.
>> open wrapper —or— open vial.
>> x gum —or— x bucket.
>> chew gum —or— fix bucket.
>> put gum on string —or— put bucket on rope. (+10)
You acquire either the nickel from the drain or the key from the well, but in the process, you also trigger a childhood memory.
Garden / Orchard
If you're in the garden:
Else, if you're in the orchard:
Regardless, the exit is to the east.
>> e.
You run out into the road or enter the gate, and your dad crashes his car to avoid hitting you.
Cemetery
You're now at your father's grave. This location never changes. Note the information on this tombstone; this is where you learn your first and last name.
>> x grave. read stone.
>> x coffin. cry.
>> n. (or any other direction.)
Your memory ends and you return to...
Gutter / Forest Glade
>> w.
Sidewalk (west) / Warehouse
>> put nickel in rack —or— open chest with key. (+10. You take either a Washington Post newspaper or a yellowed scroll.)
>> read newspaper —or— read scroll.
If you have the newspaper, note the date: October 8, 1957. Also, you can read the articles in the newspaper in more detail:
>> e. e.
Middle of the Road / Tournament Yard
Don't stop and stand here. I never was run over by a car or trampled by the jousting knights when I played, but why risk it?
>> e.
Sidewalk (east) / Medieval Fair
If your'e at the fair, there's lots to look at:
But the sign is what's important, and it doesn't change:
>> read sign.
Unfortunately, you're not quite ready to meet Magdalena. Indulge me a little, and head north:
>> n.
Theater / Acropolis
If you're outside the theatre, you may see a tramp here, possibly the same one at the flophouse. If you're at the Acropolis, you'll overhear lines from the play. Similar posters are in both versions of this location.
>> read posters. (for "Antigone")
>> s. s.
Sidewalk (southeast) / Cemetery
You may see a tramp in this location too; ignore him.
>> x cans. —or— x headstones. (empty)
>> e.
Telephone Booth / Church
If you're in the church, you can try a few things without much success:
For this next bit, you must be in the phone booth. If you're in the church, waste turns doing something like WAIT or INVENTORY over and over again until the dizziness transition happens and church turns into the phone booth:
Telephone Booth
>> x book. read book. (+10. Something silver falls out.)
>> look. x silver. take it. (It's a silver charm.)
>> w. n.
Sidewalk (east) / Medieval Fair
Again, you need to be in the real world, where the sidewalk is, not the medieval fair. If you try to enter Magdalena's door in the fair, a genie with a scimitar will deny you entrance since you're obviously not right in the head.
Sidewalk (east side)
I assume you've read the newspaper by now; it has today's date on it. Both the newspaper and phone book told you which city you're in, and your father's tombstone told you your name.
>> e.
The door starts asking you questions!
WHAT CITY ARE YOU IN? >> WASHINGTON
WHAT MONTH IS IT NOW? >> OCTOBER
WHAT YEAR IS IT NOW? >> 1957
WHAT IS YOUR FIRST NAME? >> AUSTIN
WHAT IS YOUR SURNAME? >> GARRIOT
+100. With the last correct answer, the door opens and you enter...
Magdalena's Office
>> x lady.
>> talk to lady. (She says you're a golem. You've lost your soul.)
>> ask lady about soul. (She offers a Tarot reading that she guarantees will restore your soul — for $20.)
>> ask lady about charm. ("Silver is a catalyst for the Gift.")
>> ask lady about gift.
>> ask lady about golem.
>> ask lady about tarot. ("...cross my palm with silver.")
>> give charm to lady. (This acts as payment.)
She hands over a deck of cards, tells you to shuffle it and think of love.
>> x deck. (only the Major Arcana)
>> think of love. (scent of orchids)
>> shuffle deck. (You think of Hilary, the woman in your photo.)
Having A Card Reading
A box-character diagram of the 11-card spread is shown. Do a quick scan of all the cards and ask Magdalena about all of them:
>> x hermit. ask lady about hermit.
>> x fool. ask lady about fool.
>> x moon. ask lady about moon.
>> x devil. ask lady about devil.
>> x lovers. ask lady about lovers.
>> x tower. ask lady about tower.
>> x judgment. ask lady about judgment.
>> x world. ask lady about world.
>> x justice. ask lady about justice.
>> x magician. ask lady about magician.
>> x wheel. ask lady about wheel.
That's all very interesting, but what exactly do we need to do here?
>> ask lady about cards. (concentrate on one card.)
Aha. That's the command-verb we need: CONCENTRATE or THINK. Again, run through the cards in numerical order.
>> concentrate on hermit.
You see a vision of yourself in your study, researching, prefering to stay home instead of meeting your friends. Magdalena says now we know you like to read, then tells you to open your eyes.
>> open eyes —or— look. (The card spread is re-displayed.)
>> concentrate on fool.
You see a man (yourself?) in a phone booth, saying he can't read the phone book because he's damned, guilty of heresy. This makes more sense if you tried to read the registry in the church earlier.
>> look.
>> concentrate on moon.
You relive the game intro: vampires discussing your fate and you howling at the moon afterwards. But what made you crazy?
>> look.
>> concentrate on devil.
In a courtroom, Senator McCarthy interrogates you about being a member of the Community party. You admit attending only one Communist party meeting, because of your studies, and refuse to name anyone. McCarthy cites you for contempt of Congress. (You may have already seen a version of this scene in the courtroom.)
>> look.
>> concentrate on lovers.
You are on a sofa, kissing a beautiful dark-haired woman, the love of your life. Magdalena quickly yanks you away from this scene.
>> look.
>> concentrate on tower.
This time, instead of seeing a simple vision, you'll be exploring a complex scenario set during the American Civil War. If you "die" during this section of the game, you'll return to Magdalena and the tarot reading, and you can try concentrating on the Tower again, replaying this section again and again until you get it right.
A Battlefield
>> x rocks. x soldier. (He's building a barricade to hide behind.)
>> i.
>> open knapsack. (has small shovel and bullets.)
>> load rifle.
>> x watch. (your grandfather's; stuck at 11:59)
>> take shovel. dig ground. (Hole has dirt in front.)
>> move rocks. (You create a crude barricade.)
>> enter hole. (+10.)
CAUTION: Keep your rifle loaded. Don't shoot anyone or anything until a Union soldier gets behind the barricade.
>> wait. (Repeat waiting or otherwise wasting turns until the Union soldier is here.)
>> shoot soldier. (He screams and dies.)
A Desolate Field
>> i. (You no longer have the rifle, shovel, or hat.)
>> n. n.
A Dead Field
>> x soldier. x bulge.
You find a timepiece with a bullet through it; stopped at 11:59. You try to put it back, but then the dead soldier grabs you and asks why you did it. You say you were a child, it was an accident; I assume you're referring to your dad's death here?. In response, the dead soldier sinks a knife into your chest.
But I guess you were just dreaming, because now you're in...
Your Tent
CAUTION: Don't change into your civvies here. If you leave the tent wearing them, Colonel Snopes thinks you're deserting.
>> i. (Same as before.)
>> x clothes. (civvies packed by your mother)
>> take clothes. put clothes in knapsack.
>> n.
Outside Your Tent
Avoid the campfire at first. Instead, explore everywhere else and grab up all the loose objects you find.
>> w.
Tent (west)
>> x torch. take it.
>> e. ne.
West River Bank
By the way, if you try to go east, a voice yells at you to get out of the water.
>> x rag. take rag.
>> sw. e.
Storage Tent
>> x crowbar. take crowbar.
>> x keg. (has hole in top)
>> put rag in hole.
>> w. n.
Main Camp
Colonel Snopes is makng a speech, but he stops at your approach, waiting for something. If you fail to SALUTE in the next couple turns, you'll find yourself leading tomorrow's charge on the battlefield.
>> salute.
>> wait. (Or any other command. The colonel berates you for lateness.)
The colonel finishes his speech and everyone is dismissed.
CAUTION: You now need to work quickly. If Colonel Snopes finds you wandering around the camp, he'll order you back to your tent and you'll have lost your chance to escape.
>> open box. (with crowbar; find strong rope)
>> take rope.
>> light torch.
>> s. e.
Storage Tent
>> light rag with torch.
Long story short: When the BOOM happens, you're beside the campfire and you drop everything.
Main Camp
>> take all. e. e. e. e. e.
Train Tracks
>> enter train. (+25. You think you see someone slip into a car behind yours before you sleep.)
In a Boxcar
You wake and hear voices getting closer. You must not be seen as a deserter. Quickly change clothes and hide your uniform inside your knapsack. If you try to put your uniform under the straw, you're told there's not enough straw to hide it.
>> remove uniform. wear clothes.
>> put uniform in knapsack. close knapsack.
>> wait. (Repeat until the boxcar is opened.)
+10. The men beat you up, but if they had seen the uniform, they would have killed you.
Train Platform
>> n.
Office
In at least one of my game sessions, the rope somehow ended up in here instead of staying in inventory. If that happens, just pick up the rope again.
>> x glass. x sign. read sign.
>> s. (A paper blows past you into the office.)
Train Platform
I think you'll want to see that paper.
>> n.
Office
>> take paper. read it. ("Stevie, It's under the plant. Mom")
>> s. se. e. s. e.
Front Porch
>> knock on door. (An 8-yr-old boy: "Tag, you're it". Door's locked again.)
>> s.
South of House
>> x plants. take plant. take key.
>> w.
Front Porch
>> unlock door. e. (+10)
Living Room
The door slams shut and locks behind you.
>> x furniture.
>> i. (The key is gone.)
>> u.
Upstairs
>> x boy. talk to boy. (He wants you to jump across the hole.)
>> tie rope to beam. swing rope. (+10)
Other Side of the Hole
You drop everything, and the beam falls into the basement.
>> talk to boy. (+100)
He says this war wasn't worth fighting for and asks why you didn't say 'no'? Then he pushes you into the hole.
You wake in the battlefield. Your head is bleeding. You black out.
The Back of Your Mind
Magdalena says the boy was you. Something happened when you were young makes you see the world in black and white.
>> look.
Having A Card Reading
>> concentrate on judgment.
Another vision: You're in a crowded room. You need to choose something. A dark-haired woman stands beside you. You look down to something you're holding.
>> look.
>> concentrate on world.
In this scenerio, you're playing as Robin Hood. If you "die" during this section of the game, you'll return to Magdalena and the tarot reading, and you can try concentrating on the World again, replaying this section again and again until you get it right.
Camp
>> x myself. i. (You are Robin Hood, carrying nothing.)
>> x Marion. x fire. x twigs. x Nazir.
Pay attention to the fire. If it isn't burning as bright, put more twigs into the fire.
>> put twigs in fire. (The fire is bright again.)
>> talk to Nazir. (He has nothing to say.)
>> talk to Marion. (She has nothing to say.)
Will Scarlet arrives. He's brought a woman who is shivering.
>> x woman. talk to woman. (She's too cold to speak.)
>> x Will.
>> put twigs in fire. (The fire is revived.)
>> talk to Will. (He has nothing to say.)
>> talk to woman.
The woman, Katherine of Newark, thanks you for saving her life. Her mother, Elizabeth, was captured by Sir Guy of Gisburne. The ransom he demands is Katherine, else Elizabeth will be tortured to death. Can you help?
Sorry, but I had to look up hints here: look at Katherine's eyes. Although her eyes are mentioned, there's no real emphasis on them. I didn't register that her eyes were significant in any way; I was concentrating on what Katherine said! That's a real guess-the-command bottleneck puzzle.
>> x eyes. (+10. You get a vision from Herne the Hunter, god of woodlands. He tells you to travel alone and weaponless and persuade your friends to leave.)
>> tell Will about vision. (+10. Marion, Nazir, and Will leave. Katherine says she had a vision also, to lead you through the forest.)
>> follow Katherine.
Path
Katherine leaves you here.
>> w. s.
Woods (near shack)
>> e.
Shack
>> x glass. (reflective) take it.
>> x shovel. take it.
>> w. s. s. s.
Woods (southeast corner)
>> x tree. climb tree. (+10)
Tree
>> x rope. (50 feet long)
>> take rope. (You automatically climb down as well.)
Woods (southeast corner)
>> n. w.
Woods (clearing with fountain)
>> x fountain. take key.
>> push fountain. (Hole revealed.)
>> x hole.
CAUTION: Don't enter the hole immediately. You need to setup the rope first or you will fall to your death.
>> tie rope to fountain. put rope in hole.
>> climb rope —or— d. (+10)
Entrance
>> d.
Tunnel (by steps)
Without light and with few inventory items, mapping these tunnels is difficult unless you use LIST EXITS with every step. However, I know which way to go:
>> s. sw. n. d. se. e.
Tunnel (by landslide)
>> dig landslide with shovel. (This works but destroys the shovel.)
>> x rocks. take rock.
>> e. (+10)
Stream
>> x stream. x portcullis. x door. (has keyhole)
>> unlock door with key. e. u. e.
East Cell Block
>> throw rock at guard. (Misses, but you take him out anyway.)
The guard's body doesn't exist; forget about him.
>> take keys. unlock door. s. (+10)
Prison Cell
>> talk to Elizabeth. x Elizabeth.
Elizabeth will try to follow you wherever you go, but I'll tell you right now that she can't climb a fifty-foot rope. You'll need to find another way out.
>> n. n.
Hallway
CAUTION: Guardsmen are to the east; avoid them.
>> u.
Stairs
CAUTION: Sir Guy is further up the stairs; avoid him.
>> w.
Privy
>> x box. push box. (You push it against the door.)
>> signal companions. (+25; using the glass)
>> w. (Your signaled friends return arrow fire to the castle, and you and Lady Newark reach the safety of the woods.)
Outside the Castle
Katherine waits for her mother to the south.
>> s. (+100)
The Back of Your Mind
Magdalena says that made the boy happy: a story with heroes, villians, and even a god.
>> look.
Having A Card Reading
>> concentrate on justice.
In this scenerio, you're now playing as the Sheriff of Nottingham, and therefore Robin Hood will be portrayed as the villain. If you "die" during this section of the game, you'll return to Magdalena and the tarot reading, and you can try concentrating on Justice again, replaying this section again and again until you get it right.
Castle Great Hall
>> x myself. (You are the Sheriff of Nottingham.)
>> i. (carrying nothing)
>> x curtain. move curtain. (passageway revealed)
Looks dark in there. Let's get some light.
>> s.
Guardhouse
>> take torch. n. n.
Treasury
>> x chest. open chest. x coin. take coin.
>> s.
Castle Great Hall
>> move curtain. (passageway is now hidden again)
>> s. w.
Cell Block
This location is also dark without the torch.
>> x cell.
>> e. s.
Drawbridge
>> w. (You can't take the torch into the woods.)
>> drop torch. (It goes out.)
>> w. w.
Village
CAUTION: Be very careful that you don't enter the undergrowth, the lake, or the marsh while wandering around the forest. If this happens, you'll be stuck, and Robin will kill you with an arrow.
While wandering through Sherwood Forest, you may sometimes automatically hide if you see one of Robin's friends approaching. This is fine.
You will be gathering things to make three traps, one for each of Robin's friends. Then you'll set one trap at a time, hide and wait for your victim, then take him or her into one of your prison cells.
>> x shovel. take it.
>> n. w. w.
Woods (east of northwest corner)
>> x sticks. take sticks.
>> se. se. se. s.
Woods (southeast corner)
>> x leaves. take leaves.
>> w. w. w. n. n.
Cavemouth
>> x rope. take rope.
>> s. e.
Lakeside
>> x fisherman. talk to fisherman.
>> buy net —or— give coin to fisherman. (You now have the net.)
>> x net.
>> w. sw.
Woods (southwest corner)
Willows are only in this corner of the woods.
>> pull branches. (springy!)
>> tie rope to willow. pull rope. (+25)
>> hide.
Now the hard part: waiting. Don't leave your hiding spot or fiddle with your trap, otherwise your potential victim may instead catch you and kill you. Yes, this can happen.
>> wait. (Repeat until Marion, Nazir, or Will is your prisoner.)
Don't dilly-dally. Go directly to the cells with your prisoner, else they might be rescued by Robin Hood or one of the others. They'll each make a weird noise at the edge of the forest, obviously alerting Robin Hood, but you can't do anything about that.
>> ne. ne. ne. e. e. n.
Guardhouse
>> take torch. w.
Cell Block
>> put FIRST-PRISONER in cell. (+10)
>> e. drop torch. s. w.
Woods (entrance)
I prefer to set two of the traps here because it's closest to the castle.
>> dig hole. (with the shovel, which breaks)
>> put sticks in hole.
>> put leaves on sticks. (+10. The trap is complete.)
>> hide.
>> wait. (Repeat until you have a prisoner.)
>> e. n. take torch. w.
Cell
>> put SECOND-PRISONER in cell. (+10)
>> e. drop torch. s. w.
Woods (entrance)
>> climb tree.
Up a Tree
>> wait. (Repeat until you see someone on the trail below.)
>> drop net. (+10. You have a prisoner.)
Woods (entrance)
>> e. n. take torch. w.
Cell Block
>> put THIRD-PRISONER in cell. (+10)
When you have three prisoners, they will boast that Robin Hood will rescue them and kill you. Let's see about that.
>> e. n.
Castle Great Hall
Robin may attack you as soon as you enter the hall. If he's not here, go south and north to re-enter the hall. (By the way, the drawbridge is now up, so you can't leave the castle, but who's trying?)
The only thing you need to do is hit Robin with the torch over and over again until he falls. He might fall after just one hit, but be relentless. You're the hero in this story, not him.
>> hit Robin with torch. (Repeat until he is defeated: +100.)
The Back of Your Mind
Magdalena laughs and asks, "So who's the hero and who's the villain?"
>> look.
Having A Card Reading
>> think about magician.
This scenario is different from the others. You are yourself, and you will be visiting the loa, spirits who are like gods. Really visiting them, not just in a dream or vision. If you "die" during this section of the game, you'll return to Magdalena momentarily but she'll immediately send you back into the Plain White Room, and nothing else will be reset. It's entirely possible to make the entire game unwinnable in this section.
Plain White Room
>> i. (carrying nothing)
>> x floor. (A veve, a Haitan symbol to invoke a loa/spirit.)
>> read floor. ("Legba, Lord of the Crossroads, Master of the Gate")
>> x post. x mirror. x table. x candle. x drum.
>> x box. x matches. x jug. read jug. x paper.
>> read paper.
>> take matches. take jug. take paper.
>> light candle. (+10)
>> open jug. (A clear liquid is inside.)
>> pour liquid on floor. (+10. The jug is now an empty jug.)
>> play drum. (+10)
An elderly gentleman arrives via the pole and white light.
>> talk to Legba. (+10)
>> speak words. (+25)
The paper crumbles to dust. Light flows from Legba to the mirror. He tells you to look at the mirror once more.
>> x mirror. (It's now a portal to a garden.)
>> ask Legba about mirror.
>> n. (Legba comes with you.)
Clearing (mirror to south)
It's not immediately obvious, but you've just entered a maze of twenty-one nearly identical clearings. The basket and the fruit are there for you to help you map the maze. If you're done mapping, feel free to eat the fruit.
CAUTION: Sometimes you will have random encounters with various people, like an aviatrix or Hercules. When these cameos interrupt your travel, please understand that you haven't traveled to a new location in the maze and you will need to re-issue your command.
>> take basket. x basket. open it. look in it.
>> x orange. x lemon. x banana.
>> x mirror. (back to white room)
>> x blossoms. list exits. (all compass directions)
>> sw.
Clearing (cigarette case's initial location)
>> take case. x case. (has stylized G and death's head; empty)
>> e.
Clearing (building to south)
All the buildings in this maze look identical from the outside except for which way the entrance is. Try not to confuse Ghede's building with Erzulie's building.
>> x building. s.
Courtyard of Expensive Villa
>> x fellow. x carving. read writing. ("Ghede, Master of the Abyss, Eternal Guardian, Eater of Souls")
>> x fountain. ask Legba about Ghede.
>> give case to Ghede.
In thanks, he shows you some of his favorite home movies. Via the fountain, you see a series of death-filled scenes set in Haiti. In the last of these, government bullets tear your chest during a noisy demonstration in Port-au-Prince demanding the return of Daniel Fignole.
Then Ghede tells you that he's torturing an evil man who died recently and who you also know. Would you like to see him again?
Please answer Yes or No: Y (+10)
You again face Senator Joseph McCarthy in a courtroom. Again, you only admit to one meeting with Communists, and refuse to name anyone else. Again, you are cited with contempt and dismissed.
And then you're back in Ghede's courtyard.
> n. nw.
Clearing (shiny weapon's initial location)
> take weapon. x weapon. (unloaded pistol)
> n.
Clearing (building to west)
> w.
Military Command Post
> x officer. x painting. read painting. ("Ogoun Feraille, Eternal Warrior, Prince of Power, Lord of Fire")
> x monitor. ask Legba about Ogoun.
> give weapon to officer.
Ogoun accepts the Beretta and asks if you know about the statesman Francois Duvalier. Since you don't know, he shows you a scene of Duvalierville, a prosperous city. Everyone loves Papa Doc, president for life.
Ogoun asks if you'd like to see what his monitor can show about yourself?
Please answer Yes or No: Y (+10)
You see yourself in Washington's Library of Congress writing about the Lend-Lease Act of 1941. Two men (one swarthy, one blond) are uncomfortably near you, and then you see two other men (in gray) approaching but they are intercepted by a fifth man (tall, thin, and in black). The chair holding your briefcase is jostled before they all leave.
Then you're back with Ogoun.
> e. nw.
Clearing (creamy orchids' initial location)
> take orchids. x orchids. ask Legba about orchids.
> nw. nw.
Clearing (building to south)
> s.
Elegant Boudoir
> x beauty. x carpet. read carpet. ("Erzulie Maitresse, Muse of Beauty, Spirit of Love")
> ask Legba about Erzulie.
> give orchids to beauty.
Erzulie accepts them and gives you a vision of being a proud Mandingue hunter, enslaved and shipped overseas, to explain why love and beauty are so important to her people.
Then Erzulie offers a vision of your own past in her mirror.
Please answer Yes or No: Y (+10)
You see yourself quickly pack up your briefcase for your date with Hilary at her place. The date itself is quite pleasant. But now you notice that at the end of the evening, you left your briefcase behind.
> n. n.
Clearing (silver dagger's initial location)
> take dagger. x dagger. read dagger. ("For SB")
> ask Legba about dagger. (magical; would disappear if used on something mundane)
> ask Legba about SB. ("Loves stories, but can't abide dragons.")
> e.
Clearing (muslin sack's initial location)
> take sack. x sack. read sack. ("Laskey's Feed and Grain Store")
> open sack. look in sack.
> x corn. ask Legba about corn. ("good for a chicken")
> e.
Clearing (white hen)
> x hen. x nest. (hen pecks you instead)
> give corn to hen. (Legba stops you; you'd get too close.)
> throw corn. (+10. She eats it.)
> x nest. take egg. x egg.
> ask Legba about egg. (Damballah's favorite snack.)
> ask Legba about Damballah. (The eldest.)
> e.
Clearing (building to north)
> n.
Ancient Grove
> x serpent. x pool. x soil. read soil. ("Damballah Wedo, Good Serpent of the Sky, Steward of the World Egg")
> give egg to serpent.
He thanks you. He wants you to know about Daniel Fignole, who recently suffered a grave injustice. His vision shows Fignole making a pro-democracy speech in a poor Haitian neighborhood.
Damballah then asks if you'd like him to help you regain the memory of an injustice?
Please answer Yes or No: Y (+10)
You see yourself returning home from Hilary's. You are assaulted and wake, chair-bound, in a warehouse. Your captors begin to beat you. They demand to know where your briefcase is. But you don't know. You only remember last seeing it in the library.
> s. e.
Clearing (conch shell's initial location)
> take shell. x shell.
> ask Legba about shell. ("Agwe might like it. Blow in it.")
> blow in shell. (sea melody)
> ask Legba about Agwe. (He's the water loa.)
> n.
Clearing (building to east)
> e.
Captain's Cabin
> x drawing. read it. ("Agwe, Sovereign of the Seas")
> x porthole. x seaman.
> give conch to seaman.
Agwe thanks you and shows you a future vision that troubles him, people at sea in a little boat, fleeing the intolerable conditions in Haiti.
Agwe offers you a vision of you harmed by tainted water.
Please answer Yes or No: Y (+10)
You see yourself chair-bound in a warehouse. You see the blond man untying you and drugging you with serunim-tainted water. You drift off and wake: the warehouse now appears to be a dungeon. Your captors now look like vampires. Satisfied that the serumin is working, the "vampires" leave you, and eventually you stagger out into the night.
> w. n. n. n. n. n.
Plain White Room (with barrier)
> x barrier. read message. ("Maitreya Magic Company, Ltd. / D. M. S. Binder, President")
> ask Legba about barrier. (new, magical, and not theirs)
This is your last chance to ask Legba about anything, such as random people you might've encountered while walking around the gardens:
> ask Legba about aviatrix.
> ask Legba about Hercules.
> ask Legba about entomologist. (or about Judith)
This won't work until you've seen all five visions from the other loa:
> hit barrier with dagger. (+100)
It shatters, revaling a night sky. Legba bids you adieu.
The Back of Your Mind
Magdalena says you're no longer a golem. You know what happened to you.
> look.
Having A Card Reading
> think on wheel.
Legba tells you that you are a piece of the wheel. That is, your actions will have significant consequences regardless of what you do, and that isn't your fault. Your father's death wasn't your fault, but that's the day you lost your "ti bon ange". But now that you know that, you are whole.
Magdalena tells you that you'll be all right. You leave the shop. It's now night.
Sidewalk (east)
Note that a taxicab is driving down the road. Or if it isn't there yet, wait around for it.
> i. (You should have most of your old inventory except for the old clothes.)
> wait. (Repeat, if necessary, until you see a taxicab.)
> hail cab. (You're off to Hilary's.)
Taxicab
The cab ride takes a variable amount of turns. He'll let you know when you're there.
> x cabbie. talk to cabbie.
Also, a car followed you here. Of course it did.
> wait. (Repeat, if necessary, until the cabbie says we're there.)
> give dollars to cabbie.
Outside Apartment
> knock on door. (Hilary lets you in, very concerned.)
Living Room
Unfortunately, you can't really talk to Hilary about anything.
> x Hilary. kiss Hilary. x briefcase. x telephone.
> call police. call FBI.
> take briefcase. open it.
> x papers. (You find a folder.)
> x folder. (You find documents.)
> read folder. ("Operation Jaguar")
> x documents. (CIA; "Eyes Only")
> read documents.
You learn of a CIA operation to assassinate the foreign minister of Haiti, Col. Louis Raimone. The Field Supervisor is R. Davis. The assassin is Charles Calthrop. His Washington contact is Michel Matalas. The overall goal is to overthrow Haitian President Francois Duvalier and replace him with M. Daniel Fignole.
During all this, four men should have all have arrived by now: David Thomas (the tall thin man) of the CIA, Charles Calthrop (the blond man), and Terry Smith and Arthur Wesson of the FBI.
> x David. x Charles. x Smith. x Wesson.
Smith and Wesson are interchangable, so just deal with Smith.
> talk to David. talk to Charles. talk to Smith.
This is the scene fortold by the Judgment card. You must decide to give the folder either to the CIA or to the FBI. And you must make an informed decision by first asking David, Charles, and Smith about the topics raised by the documents.
I don't know which of these topics are required or if you just need a reasonable quota. But considering how important this decision is, you should get all the info you can.
> ask David about Haiti. ask Charles about Haiti.
> ask Smith about Haiti.
> ask David about Fignole. ask Charles about Fignole.
> ask David about Charles. ask David about FBI.
> ask Charles about David. ask Charles about FBI.
> ask Smith about David. ask Smith about Charles.
> ask David about documents. ask Smith about documents.
> ask David about Duvalier. ask Charles about Duvalier.
> ask Smith about Duvalier.
> ask David about Michel. ask Charles about Michel. ("He's waiting outside.")
> ask Smith about Michel.
> ask David about Shibley. ask Charles about Shibley.
> ask Smith about Shibley.
> ask David about Raimone. ask Smith about Raimone.
> ask David about serumin.
> s.
Outside Apartment
> x Michel. talk to Michel. ask Michel about Haiti.
> ask Michel about Shibley. ask Michel about Raimone.
> ask Michel about Duvalier. ask Michel about Fignole.
> ask Michel about documents. ask Michel about FBI.
> ask Michel about David. ask Michel about Charles.
> n.
Living Room
It's time to decide. Who gets the folder? Which future will Haiti have?
The men accept your decision, then leave. You're now alone with Hilary.
> kiss Hilary.
> ask Hilary about marriage. (She says "yes".)
You're told how history unfolded because of your decision. You marry Hilary and even get a wedding gift from Legba, although the gift is different based on who you gave the documents to.
*** YOU HAVE WON THE GAME !!! ***
This game uses some ASCII art, including box-characters, in a few places in the game:
From the introductory instructions in the game:
THE CREATION OF THIS GAME
Shades of Gray was conceived, written and coded by seven people: two from England, two from the East Coast of the United States and three from the West. (That's why we sometimes spell the title "gray" and sometimes "grey"). We have never met each other, never, in fact, spoken to each other on the phone, nor even corresponded by mail. The entire project was managed through Electronic Mail, from within a private CompuServe Gamer's Forum.
Shades of Gray is freeware. If you enjoy the game please write and tell us so. You can also write if you are hopelessly stuck and would like a hint. Our names and email addresses are as follows:
- Mark Baker
compuserve email redacted- Steve Bauman
compuserve email redacted- Liz Ellison
compuserve email redacted- Cindy Yans
compuserve email redacted- Mike Laskey
compuserve email redacted- Judith Pintar
compuserve email redacted- Hercules/SysOp.
compuserve email redacted
Note: Deaths or losing endings in the Civil War and Sherwood Forest sections are merely failed attempts at them. You automatically return to the tarot reading and must try that section again. Unless, of course, you saved your game before making a fatal error, in which case you can restore your game from there.
Note: You can make the game unwinnable by eating the corn meal. I don't know any way you can get more and the Loa section doesn't fully reset. Without the corn meal, you can't get the egg, and without the egg, you can't get the memory from Damballah, and without that memory, you can't ever complete the Loa section and continue to the Wheel card and the endgame.
Note that most things in the city tend to have two versions: a normal version and a fantasy version when you're having a delusional spell. Once you're cured of your delusions by Magdalena, you won't see the fantasy versions any more.
The response to SCORE is:
You have seen number locations (out of 180), in several turns.
Your score is your-score out of a possible 1000 points.
(This game was saved number times and restored number times.)
Points are awarded as follows:
This walkthrough was funded via Patreon with
Ko-Fi is a way to send me small one-time donations. Every little bit helps, and thank you!