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From: sjs28257@uxa.cso.uiuc.edu (Steve Stelter)
Subject: Re: The Quendor World
Date: Fri, 23 Apr 1993 17:14:25 GMT
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Well, after some serious and painstaking research that even Lord Dimwit
himself would have considered excessive, I've complied this...


     ALMOST BUT NOT QUITE COMPLETELY ALL-ENCOMPASSING TIMELINE OF THE
                          GAMES OF INFOCOM



                   1.  The Great Underground Empire


c. 400 BE: Destruction of the city of Pheebor.

0 GUE: Beginning of the reign of Entharion the Wise.

473: The mage Bizboz publishes "On the Presence of Incredibly Weird Stuff
     Going On," the first serious study of the laws of magic, and is 
     immediately laughed out of Galepath University.
474: Treaty of Znurg signed.
659: The obscure figure Duncanthrax becomes King of Quendor following the
     equally obscure death of Zilbo III.
665: The forces of Duncanthrax destroy the Antharian Armada at Fort
     Griffspotter, giving Quendor undisputed control of the Great Sea as
     well as Antharia's granola mines.
666: Underground caverns discovered in the lands across the sea.
668: Formation of Frobozz Macig Construction Company, later to become
     FrobozzCo International.
672: Duncanthrax passes the Unnatural Acts, outlawing the sale of "unnatural
     or supernatural substances."
688: Death of Duncanthrax.
691: First Double Fanucci Championship held.
723: Invention of the Hyperbolic Incantation Conentrator, or magic wand.
732: Frobozz Philharmonic founded.
747: Battle of the Stonewall.
757: Birth of Belboz.
761: Double Fanucci becomes national sport of Quendor.
769: Invention of the GNUSTO spell by the mage Berzio signals the beginning
     of the Industrial Age of Magic.
770: Ascension of Lord Dimwit Flathead the Excessive to the throne of Quendor
     (later renamed the Great Underground Empire) following the death of
     Mumberthrax.  Planning for Lord Dimwit's coronation ceremony begins.
771: Lord Dimwit moves the capital of the Empire to Flatheadia.
773: The city of Mareilon destroyed by the Endless Fire through accidental
     use of the ZIMBOR spell.  Lord Dimwit restricts the use of magic to the
     Guilds of Enchanters.
776: Golden ring stolen from Lord Dimwit's partially completed Royal Museum
     by unknown footpad.  (ZORK III, Temporizer puzzle)
777: Dedication of Royal Museum.
781: Construction of huge 400-story FrobozzCo International Headquarters.
782: Construction of Flathead Stadium.
783: Beginning of Lord Dimwit's coronation ceremony.  Construction of Flood
     Control Dam #3.
785: End of Lord Dimwit's coronation ceremony.
789: FrobozzCo International purchases the last profitable organization in
     the GUE, a small rutabega farm in Mithicus.  The Curse of Megaboz is
     cast, causing the death of Lord Dimwit and his siblings.  (ZORK ZERO,
     introduction)
811: The Rose Riots.
820: Belboz becomes a full-fledged Enchanter.
843: Moss of Mareilon classified by Thwack of Mareilon.
845: Belboz achieves the rank of Sorcerer.
883: Collapse of Great Underground Empire, prompting Belboz's famous quote
     "I told you so."  Creation of mysterious white house; inauguration of
     first Dungeon Master.  (ZORK ZERO)
910: Belboz becomes Guildmaster of the Accardi Chapter of the Guild of 
     Enchanters.
927: Invention of the GOLMAC spell.
948: The legend of Zork; inauguration of second Dungeon Master.  (ZORK I, II,
     and III)
c. 950: Defeat of the warlock Krill by then-unknown Enchanter, who is then
        promoted to the rank of Sorcerer.  (ENCHANTER)
952: Belboz destroys the evil giant Amathradonis.  He then becomes Secretary
     of the Guild of Enchanters.
957: Defeat of the demon Jeearr by the Sorcerer, who replaces Belboz as head
     of the Circle of Enchanters.  (SORCERER)
966: Rebuilding of the universe and end of the Age of Magic.  Coconut of
     Quendor recovered from the Implementors.  (SPELLBREAKER, BEYOND ZORK)




                         2.  The Galactic Union


1716 GY: Fall of the Second Galactic Union.

8747: Treaty of Gishen IV signed, under which all adventure game players
      must be given another chance after dying.

11203: Establishment of Third Galactic Union following the Great Treaty
       between the Empires of Tremain and Gallium.  Tremain becomes the
       capital world of the Union.  Creation of the Stellar Patrol.
11205: Intergalactic Commerce Act passed, strengthening the Planetary
       Commerce Act.
11210: Slow glass, a light deceleration process, invented by glazier named
       Arnold Guunuf.
11339: Stellar Patrol Omnibus Form and Paperwork Policy Book published.
11344: Lowly Stellar Patrol Ensign Seventh Class single-handedly revives
       the dead planet of Resida.  (PLANETFALL)
11347: Treaty of Gishen IV amended slightly following the Battle of Sorkin 
       III.
11349: Lowly Stellar Patrol Lieutenant First Class single-handedly saves the
       civilized universe from certain destruction by alien pyramids.
       (STATIONFALL)





                                3.  Earth 


c. 1983: Brash archaeologist disappears in apparently ill-fated search for
         lost Egyptian pyramid.  (INFIDEL)

c. 1986: American sleuth solves crime in Cornwall Castle in England.
         (MOONMIST)

2186: Black hole prospector discovers, and brings to Earth, gigantic alien
      spacecraft.  Technology from the artifact results in development of
      first stardrive.  (STARCROSS)

3123: Birth of human who would later be placed in suspended animation and
      subsequently save the population of the planet Contra from disaster.
      (SUSPENDED)



     Okay, now how do these fit together?  Beats me.  But I'll speculate
anyway: The world of Quendor is not Earth, but it is in the same galaxy.
The Artifact from STARCROSS arrived at Quendor at some point (presumably
after the Age of Magic), where it picked up some grues, rat-ants, and
unicorns, and eventually made it to Earth.  The subsequent development of
interstellar travel by humanity caused the creation of the First, Second, 
and Third Galactic Unions as described in PLANETFALL AND STATIONFALL.

     Personally, I doubt that AMFV, INFIDEL, DEADLINE, WITNESS, SUSPECT,
MOONMIST, and SUSPENDED are part of the Quendor universe, but we don't
really have any way of knowing.  However, note that the library book on
ghosts in the MOONMIST package is taken from the Festeron Public Library --
could it be the same Festeron as in WISHBRINGER, which *is* in the Quendor
universe?  And what about that glowing violet stone that Y'Gael holds up
in the introduction to BEYOND ZORK -- could it be Wishbringer itself?
Inquiring minds want to know!


                                            --Steve Stelter
                                              sjs28257@uxa.cso.uiuc.edu
