Threnody
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 Adventure  Comedy  Fantasy  Fort |
Explore a large keep filled with puzzles, treasures, magic, and talking cats.
| Threnody | |
|---|---|
| |
| Author(s) | John Schiff |
| Publisher(s) | n/a |
| Release date(s) | 2005 |
| Authoring system | TADS 2 |
| Platform(s) | TADS 2 |
| Language(s) | English |
| License(s) | Freeware |
| Multimedia | |
| Color effects | none |
| Graphics | optional |
| Sound/Music | none |
| Ratings | |
| Cruelty scale | Cruel |
How It Begins
PROLOGUE: You are a baby in your mother's womb, about to be born. When you try to leave and the cord starts to strangle you, you must choose the Lion, Dragon, or Ferret to start your path towards becoming a warrior, mage, or rogue, respectively. Then you must choose either the blue or pink blanket from the midwife to determine your sex.
Eighteen years later, you are standing outside Eselatem's Keep in the middle of a large marsh. You are carrying an empty backpack and an amulet of perception which can warn you of danger.
- If you are a warrior, you also carry your longsword "Sidesplitter" and a shield. You are here on Major Belette's orders to enter the keep.
- If you are a mage, you also carry your staff and wear nine rings on your fingers. The route to getting the tenth ring—the Orbis Sapientia, symbol of the Archmage—is inside the keep.
- If you are a rogue, you also carry your dagger "Backbiter". You want to enter the keep and carry off its riches.
Notable Features
- The status line keeps track of your health (100 of 100), treasures found (0 of 27), victims released from magical bondage (0 of 18), and your turns.
- Because you can play as either a warrior, mage, or rogue, many of the puzzles have multiple solutions.
- The main NPC of the game is a nine-tailed talking cat named Threnody, and will act as your companion and as a source of hints in the game. There is also a help menu, plus solutions in separate text files.
- The tone of the game is lighthearted. Much of the scenery is of the "vague luxury" variety. Several puns are used in the game, particularly in the naming of the treasures. There are red herrings in the game.
- The game is somewhat buggy in places, and it is this that makes the game "cruel". It was not the author's intention to make the game unwinnable if you do things in the wrong order or in the wrong places, but it can happen.
Versions
Competition version
- Threnody (John "Doppler Schiff; 31-Mar-2005; TADS 2).
- Version 1.0b
- IFID: TADS2-7C3ED35250647511BD54DF7964679BF3
IFID links: IFDB - Spring Thing 2005: 3rd place of 6 games.
- Download Threnody.zip from the IF Archive
- Files included in the zip file:
- Threnody.gam - the story file.
- Threnody.rs1 - the multimedia resource file, for title art, dark wood status line background, and images of each treasure.
- MageSolution.txt, RogueSolution.txt, and WarriorSolution.txt are the walkthroughs, one per player character class.
Links
General info
- Threnody (archived) - at Baf's Guide
- Threnody - at IFDB.
- Threnody - at ifwizz interactive fiction (in German).
Reviews
- Threnody - at IF Ratings
- SPAG review by Mike Harris for SPAG #44.
- Review by Dan Shiovitz.
- Review by Emily Short.