Well, you've come a long way since you first stood by the mailbox outside the house in the forest. You've defeated the thief, outwitted the wizard of Frobozz, and now, you stand at the foot of the endless stairs, ready to embark on the final part of your journey. So, pick up the LAMP, turn it on, and head along due South until you come to the shore of the lake. Drop the LAMP and jump into the lake. Brrrr! Pretty cold! So, don't stay in there long! Swim West and then go South.
Get the TORCH, and wait for the number to change to II. Then, touch the table. My oh my! You're in a room from Zork II... Room 8, as a matter of fact. However, you don't have much time to sight-see, so get the CAN OF GRUE REPELLANT, then try moving East, and you will find yourself back in Scenic Vista again. Now wait for the number to change to III, then touch the table again. This time, you're in a damp passage. Drop the torch, and just wait there until you're pulled back to Scenic Vista. O.K., you're finished here, so move along North to the shore, and again jump in the lake.
Splash! It hasn't gotten any warmer. In fact, you just dropped the CAN OF GRUE REPELLANT. So, go down, and you will be on the lake bottom. Ah, there it is! But, could there be something else there, too? GET ALL, and you will have not only the REPELLANT but also an AMULET. This is one of those wonderful variable things, It may take more than one try on your part to get both items. In the meantime, you can't stay in the icy waters too long, and sooner or later a hungry fish will come looking for you. Therefore, it's best to save the game before you jump in from the western shore, so if you die in the water, or get eaten by the fish, or picked up by the roc (while you're swimming on the surface), you don't have to start all the way back at the beginning. By the way, this is the only one of the Zorks where you don't lose points if you die. But, all the items you've collected so far get scattered all around, and it's time-consuming to go looking for them again!
O.K., now you have the CAN and the AMULET, so head up to the surface, then South to the southern shore. You can see a cave to the South, and it looks kind of dark. In fact, it IS dark in there, which is why you have the REPELLANT. So, spray the smelly stuff on yourself, and go South, and you will find yourself in a dark place. Again go South and then East, and you will be in the key room. Whew! At least there's some light in here! You can see a strange key. Get the KEY, then move the manhole cover and go down. Here you are on an aqueduct. Since you can't go back (the GRUE REPELLANT wouldn't have lasted that long), you might as well go forward. So, just head along North and you will come to the water slide.
Go North down the slide, and guess where you are? You're in the damp passage! There's the TORCH, so pick it up, because you're certainly going to need a light source... especially when you think of where you're going next. So, from the damp passage, hike along West to the junction (you can't get the sword out of the rock, so don't even try). Then go South into creepy crawl, and Southwest into the shadow land. Here we come to another variable portion of the game. You will have to wander around in the shadow land until a cloaked and hooded figure appears. When that happens, the SWORD will suddenly materialize in your hand, and you will be able to fight. However, since there's no way of telling when that will happen, you just have to keep moving around until it does.
At least you will get a chance to practice some elementary map-making! This is also the most dangerous part of the game, as the figure is quite capable of killing you, too! So, best to save before you enter shadow land. When the mysterious figure finally appears, attack him with your SWORD until he is badly wounded and cannot defend himself. At that point, get his HOOD. The figure will then disappear, leaving the CLOAK behind. Get that also. Now, you have to get out of here, and the original author couldn't tell you exactly how, since there's no way of knowing exactly where you were when the fight started. However, if you go eastwards, you will exit the shadow land at either the creepy crawl or the foggy room. From either place, go North to the junction. From the junction, it's West through the barren area, and West again.
You just can't wait to climb down the rope, huh? Well, pick up the bread first, then go down to the ledge. Well, well, a chest! Too bad you don't have a key to open it. In fact, there's no way for you to open it at all. But don't despair, there's a way of doing it. Just wait around and someone will come along the top of the cliff. You may not really trust him, but tie the rope to the chest when he asks, and wait around some more. Eventually, he will return and help you back up the cliff. He will also give you a STAFF, which is what you're really after here. Take the STAFF, then go back down to the ledge, and from there, to the base of the cliff.
Trek South to the Flathead Ocean, and do a little more waiting. Sooner or later, a ship will appear. O.K., now go West three times, North three times, and East twice. Now push the south wall twice. From there, go West, South twice, East twice, and North. Push the west wall twice. Now go South and West, and push the north wall until it won't move any more. Then go West and North. Finally! You have maneuvered the ladder under the hole (which was the purpose of all this pushing and running around), and now you can just go up and out! Whew!
O.K., you've solved the royal puzzle and you have the book, so go North to the museum entrance. Next open the east door and get your other stuff from the jewel room. Then it's back West to the great door, and from there back to the junction. Now go East into the damp passage, and Northeast to the engravings room. Well, we have here yet another of those variable events: sooner or later, an old man will be sleeping here. If he isn't here the first time you arrive, walk around a little and return. When you finally do see him, wake him up and give him the BREAD. He will eat it and then make visible to you a secret door. He will then vanish.
O.K., you're getting closer to the end! Open the door, and go into the button room, then North to the beam room. Put the sword in the beam, then go back to the button room and push the button. Now, back North to the beam room and North again into the mirror room. There will be an opening in the mirror, so go North once more, and you will be inside. Now, don't let the long and complicated descriptions scare you! It's not really as bad as you think (it's worse! heh heh heh.., just kidding!). First, raise the short pole. Next, push the white panel twice. Now, push the pine panel, and go North.
O.K., so here you are, standing a little too close for comfort to the guardians of Zork. If I were you, I wouldn't try going past them quite yet! Open the vial, then drink the liquid. While nothing seems to have happened, you have in fact become invisible. Now you can walk North until you come to the locked door. Knock on the door, and the dungeon master will open it and let you in. All right, hang in there, you have reached the end game! Go North, then West, then North again. The dungeon master will be following you. Go North to the parapet, set the dial to four, and push the button. Now, go South, open the cell door, and step inside. The dungeon master will not follow you in.
Once inside, you will notice a bronze door in one of the walls. However, you can't open it yet! Something else has to be done, and it will have to be done by someone else. So, first tell the dungeon master to go to the parapet. Then tell him to turn the dial to one, and then tell him to push the button. All right! The magic moment has arrived! Unlock the bronze door with the key, open the door, and go South! Zork is finished! You have survived all the perils, pitfalls, and puzzles, and now, you are the new dungeon master.
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