Disenchanted - Joseph S Licari
        (AGT text adventure for PC, ST and Amiga)

        Reviewed by "Kedenan" on an Amstrad PC1512

Without warning you feel a terrible wrenching from your insides.
It's as if you were being pulled, only not in any real direction;
at least none that you have ever encountered before. Then, just as
you are struck with horrible nausea, everything fades to white and
you pass out.

When you finally awaken, you find yourself in the centre of a
large inscribed circle surrounded by about a dozen old men all
joining hands.  All of the old men are looking at you with shocked
expressions on their faces. Finally, after a long pause, the
oldest looking one speaks.

"There appears to have been an error," he says. "How could this
have happened?" inquires another member of the circle. The eldest
replies, "I do not know. Perhaps it is due to the very object we
seek to have returned to us.  But that is unimportant at the
moment.  For better or worse we must make do with what we have."
As he says the last sentence he looks at you very disapprovingly.

Then he begins to speaks to you. "You see, the object that was
stolen was perhaps the most powerful of all the artifacts ever to
exist.  We of the Circle were to guard the Artifact from ever
being misused.  We do not even know its full power since such
knowledge could easily corrupt the best of men. The Artifact was
stolen from us by the evil wizard, Vartok. He was once a trusted
member of the Circle but he betrayed us and took the Artifact for
his own foul purposes.  In a very short time he will unlock all of
its secrets and the world will fall into darkness."

He continued, "We had hoped to summon a Hero, a man of legendary
deeds and valour; a champion of the ages.  Unfortunately, there
was a mistake (sigh) and we summoned you.  Believe me when I say
that if we could return you and try our summoning again we would,
but we have neither the power nor the time. Like it or not, you
are our only hope. You must return the Artifact to us.  If you
succeed we will gladly return you home. If you fail, however,
there will be no one left to return you home". There is a surge of
power and you are sent......

You are standing at a crossroads, at the intersection of a
north-south and an east-west road in a peaceful wooded area.  The
roads stretch out and wind out of sight.  Far to the north,
however, you can just make out some sort of building at the top of
a high mountain.

It seems that the only thing you can do to start with is explore
with caution in each direction. One way will get you lost in a
complex maze; another will lead you to a dragon's lair as you
enter a grand canyon. One of the first things that will catch your
eye is the huge mound of gold and gems and other priceless
treasures that lie in the centre of the cavern. The other thing to
catch your eye is a huge, very old, very mean-looking red dragon
that is on top of the mound. You notice an opening of the cavern
and as you decide to proceed in that direction the dragon glares

at you and smoke begins to come out of its nostrils. Maybe you
shouldn't go that way just yet.

Another direction takes you to the Temple of Athena.  When you
enter the temple an elder cleric calls "You. You must be the one
who was been called to save us." He will give you a phial of Holy
Water.  When you look around the temple gardens you see a fountain
with a statue of Athena in the centre. Any coins in the fountain?

You can also end up in the village square where there are exits in
all directions, including a bakery selling pastries and cakes; a
tavern with three customers, a fighter in armour, a cleric, and
wizard; a magic shop, selling all kinds of special magical items;
a general store which sells all kinds of basic dungeoneering type
of equipment, and an inn with bedrooms for guests.

You can also visit a warlock's cave which is filled with all kinds
of bizarre-looking devices. The many tables and shelves are
cluttered with all kinds of potions, scrolls and magical items.

The warlock is sitting at one of the tables looking expectedly for
business.

As you start to go up the mountain towards the building, you come
across an oak tree containing a bird's nest. In the nest is a
vicious-looking bird and a gold coin. The bird will not let you
take the gold coin; as you try it snaps at your hand.  The bird
looks very hungry.  Perhaps if you were to buy a cake at the
bakery and feed the bird, it might let you get the gold coin?

Proceeding up the mountain, on a plateau, you come across an old
castle.  You can search part of the castle and find that some of
the rooms are dark. You can move a large wall tapestry and look
behind where you find a dark passage and other locations, but it
is pitch dark. Seems as though you need a lamp or torch or
something which will enable you to see!

This is a good cheap text adventure available from "Syntax PD" for
PC on 3.5" or 5.25" disk on PD 328, ST version on PD 183, Amiga
version due soon, at œ2.50p post paid.