Chzo Mythos

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Chzo Mythos
File:5DaysaStranger screen1.kmt.PNG
Developer(s)Ben "Yahtzee" Croshaw
Designer(s)Ben "Yahtzee" Croshaw
EngineAdventure Game Studio (AGS)
Platform(s)Windows
Release2003 (5 Days), 2004 (7 Days), June 26, 2006 (Notes), January 25, 2007 (6 Days)
Genre(s)Adventure
Mode(s)Single player

The Chzo Mythos is the collective title given to a series of four amateur adventure games created by Ben "Yahtzee" Croshaw using the Adventure Game Studio development tool. The games are, in order of release, 5 Days a Stranger, 7 Days a Skeptic, Trilby's Notes and 6 Days a Sacrifice.

The series is also sometimes called the DeFoe series, after one of the primary antagonists, the Trilby series, after one of the primary protagonists, or the X Days a Sauerkraut series after the naming scheme of three of the four games. The author commentary for 6 Days a Sacrifice confirms that Chzo Mythos is Yahtzee's intended title.

In 5 Days a Stranger, the player controls the shady cat burglar Trilby, who stumbles across a demonic force that manifests itself as a masked killer in the tradition of Jason Voorhees or Michael Meyers, while finding himself one of a group of strangers thrown together in an abandoned mansion and being picked off one by one. 7 Days a Skeptic emulates the claustrophobic horror of Alien, following a spaceship crew that finds artifacts from the first game floating in space, four hundred years after the events of 5 Days a Stranger. Trilby's Notes, set in a hotel which exists in both the real world and a horrific alternate dimension in the style of Silent Hill, goes back to flesh out the origin of the cursed African idol from the other games. While the first two games use the point and click interface typical of recent adventure games, Trilby's Notes requires the player to move with the keyboard and type commands with a text parser, similarly to early Sierra On-Line games like King's Quest I-IV. 6 Days a Sacrifice completes the set, sitting in the timeline exactly halfway between 5 Days and 7 Days.

The games have featured on various PC magazine cover disks, and were mentioned as an "excellent series" and given a brief review in an article on Adventure Game Studio in the February 2006 edition of PC Gamer. 5 Days a Stranger is mentioned as a good example of a game created with Adventure Game Studio in the book Gaming Hacks published by O'Reilly Media[1]

The author has also made available special editions of all his games. The $5 (US) deluxe editions have DVD-style author's commentary, Easter eggs, outtakes and other extras.

5 Days a Stranger

5 Days a Stranger is an adventure game created by Ben Croshaw. It chronicles the story of a gentleman thief known as Trilby and four others fighting an unknown terror in DeFoe Manor. The story progresses over 5 days, with more story being revealed each day. Dream sequences typically space out the transitions between the events of different days, it has an intuitive version of the AGS interface that ties in with the unique feel of the game. The game has been translated into German, Finnish, Hungarian and Turkish[2].

The game was created in 2003 with the Adventure Game Studio (AGS) engine and won awards for best game created with the AGS engine in 2003, best gameplay, best dialogue scripting, best puzzles, and best scripting[3]. The game has also had many good reviews on adventure game sites[4][5][6][7].

The Special Edition includes author commentary and an easter egg scene, accessible from the menu, which shows Simone Taylor interviewing Croshaw, represented by a dog. It also includes scans of some pieces of pencil concept art and midi files of the music used in-game.

Recently it has been announced by a group of fans, and confirmed by Croshaw himself, that there is a Source engine adaptation of 5 Days A Stranger. Croshaw has said that he is closely involved with it: supervising design, okaying changes and possibly writing new dialogue and puzzles.[8] Despite the use of an FPS engine, 5Days3D is intended to be a first-person adventure game.

Story

The last of the DeFoe heirs have died under mysterious circumstances. Because of this, Trilby the Gentleman Cat Burglar decides that he should go looting in the old DeFoe Manor. However, upon entering the house he finds that all exits have been blocked.

After exploring the house, he meets up with a few other people: Philip Harty: a self proclaimed treasure hunter who entered to scavenge artifacts, Jim: a student of a boarding school who entered on a dare, Simone Taylor: A TV reporter who entered to do a special on the house, and A.J.: an investigator looking to see what the true cause of the deaths occurring in the house is.

After the first day, Trilby starts having nightmares of finding his companions killed off by a strange figure wearing a welding mask and a bloody apron. Whenever the character unmasks, it's Trilby that's under the mask. Strangely, every night that he has such a dream, someone else dies. First it's A.J. and later it's Philip.

In time, Trilby starts to unravel the secrets of the place: Years ago, the builder of the Mansion, Sir Roderick Defoe, had built it to impress his new wife Belinda. However, Belinda died while giving birth. It was commonly believed that she only gave birth to her son Matthew but Trilby later learns that she gave birth to twins (the second remained unnamed. It was while giving birth to the second son that she died. The death of his wife, combined with the deformity of the child drove Roderick to madness and he chained his second son in the basement. In time, Matthew learned of his brother's existence. This eventually threw Roderick into a rage and on the fifteenth anniversary of his wife's death; Roderick took a wooden idol and beat his unnamed son to near death. Matthew tried to help his brother but failed to save him. Angered by his father's actions, the unnamed son took up a welding mask, a machete and a leather apron and killed his family. He died afterward from his injuries. The spirit of the unnamed son remains in the idol and now seeks to trap and kill everyone who comes near the mansion.

Upon learning the truth about the murders, Trilby eventually finds a way to rid the mansion of the spirit. Using a ritual to return the ghost to its decayed body, he gives his two remaining companions: Simone and Jim, artifacts belonging to Roderick and Matthew. They are possessed by the spirits of the murdered men and "Roderick" kills off the spirit of his unnamed son. It is under this ritual that the manor catches fire and eventually burns down. The trio escapes the house, but Trilby disappears into the shadows, reasoning that it would not be wise to follow his companions, since they have ran out onto a field full of policemen. Trilby watches the house burn for a moment and departs, vowing to punch his "fence" in the face.

7 Days a Skeptic

File:7daysscreen3.jpg
Dr Somerset in his office on the Mephistopheles from 7 Days a Skeptic

7 Days a Skeptic is a freeware adventure game created by Ben "Yahtzee" Croshaw. It is the sequel to the adventure game 5 Days a Stranger. The game takes place nearly four hundred years in the future, on the spaceship Mephistopheles, by which time mankind has begun to further explore the universe. The game chronicles the story of a veteran psychiatrist, Dr. Jonathan Somerset, and five others on board as they face the same mysterious entity that haunted the protagonists of the first game. By this time the events of the original game have become an urban myth and no-one knows what really happened back at DeFoe Manor[9]. 7 Days a Skeptic draws several parallels with its predecessor, using elements such as dream sequences between each day as well as using similar plot revelations.

The game was created in 2004 with the Adventure Game Studio (AGS) engine. 7 Days has received numerous awards[10] and good reviews[11][12][13][14][15] as a whole.

The Special Edition includes author commentary, a 'blooper reel' consisting of several scenes where the characters make mistakes as if they were actors forgetting their lines, and a menu option to view the easter egg scene that normally occurs when the standard edition is played on Croshaw's birthday. A new feature not present in the normal version is that you are warned via an on-screen message if your pursuer is going to appear in a room during the chase sequences. This SE also includes the music as midi files.

Story

The game takes place 392 years after 5 Days a Stranger on the spaceship Mephistopheles. The game begins with a conversation between the ship's physician William Taylor and the counselor Jonathan Somerset. After the counseling has ended the entire crew is called to a briefing by the captain Barry Chahal.

During the briefing Barry tells the crew about the discovery of an unidentified object there is floating in the route of Mephistopheles. He also tells that it is his plan to bring the object on board to examine it. Jonathan is asked to be present when the object is examined as the rules for contact conjunctures requires a present counselor.

After the object is brought on on board the crew finds out that it is in fact a locker. On the side of the locker Jonathan findes an inscription that tells it belongs to a person named 'John DeFoe' and it also tells not to "disturb his sleep". The only signature on inscription is a little drawing of a hat. After this discovery, the officer Angela Garrett concludes that the coffin contains human remains and therefore should be left alone until later.

The same night Jonathan has a nightmare about a hand coming out of the coffin. He then wakes up only to hear the silence from the tuned-off engines. After a closer inspection he finds out that the elevators also have stopped working. In the canteen he finds his friend Adam Gilkennie who is the ship's engineer. Jonathan notes that Adam seems very scared of something. Since Adam is unwilling to do anything about the broken elevators Jonathan decides to try to fix the problem himself.

In the elevator shaft Jonathan finds out that the elevators have been jammed by a large knife apparently covered in blood. He removes the knife and take the elevator downstairs only to be told by Angela and Serena the ship's helmsman that Barry is missing. They also tells Jonathan that the radio is down since something is blocking the masts. Adam is once again unwilling to move from the canteen and tells Jonathan to remove the blockade. On his way down to the airlock Jonathan passes the coffin and he notes that it has been opened and after a closer examination it shows to be empty. After putting on a EVA suit and having climbed to the top of the ship Jonathan discovers to his horror that it is the body of Barry, impaled on the masts, that is causing the blockage.

The next day Jonathan is asked to remove Barry's body so the crew can be able to send a distress signal to the Earth Federation. But as Jonathan makes it to the masts again the body is gone. As he reports this to Serena he is cut off by the sounds of struggle and then silence. After recovering Barry's codebook Jonathan and Angela however are able to send a distress signal. The signal is picked up by the EFS Charisma, but it will take them 5 days to arrive.

While waiting for the Charisma Jonathan takes a visit to the canteen to order some food. When going to the elevator he catches a short glimpse apparently of Serena. Later at the canteen all the food Jonathan orders from the dispenser is covered in blood. After having examined the dispenser he finds a human hand. He guesses that is must be Serena's. He then shows the hand to William in hope of finding Serena's body. William then gives Jonathan a UV ray emitter. By using the emitter Jonathan finds Serena's body hidden in the walls. The body is missing its head, arms and legs. He suddenly sees Serena coming out of door again in a short vision. Angela then enters the room and sees Jonathan with the body of Serena.

After this sight is Angela convinced that Jonathan is the killer of Barry and Serena. She therefore places him in the ship's detention and stands guard outside. Then suddenly a reanimated Barry staggers in wearing a bloodstained uniform and breaks Angela's neck. He then attempts to kill Jonathan but is stunned with Angela's weapon. Barry then chases Jonathan through the entire ship. The chase ends with Jonathan killing Barry by pushing him down the reactor shaft. Afterwards Jonathan meets up with Adam and William to plan their escape. They agree upon using the escape pod which William has the access card to.

The next day Jonathan and Adam are waiting at the escape pod bay for William. As he doesn't show up Jonathan starts to investigate. He then finds blood under the door to William's room and assumes the worst. He then uses the captain's console to hack the computer system controlling William's door. As he enters William's room he sees a horrific sight. All over the room is there blood and body parts from the dead crew members and on the floor lies an abominable creature that has been sewn together from many different body parts. Jonathan comes back and tells Adam what he found in William's room. Adam then shows him a letter he found in the coffin. The letter is from Trilby who explains how he sent the possessed idol and other artifacts of the murderous DeFoe brother (Who Trilby calls 'John DeFoe') into space to keep it safe from human contact. Adam then tells Jonathan that he had a nightmare about something evil in the coffin and just to be safe he opened it and found the letter from Trilby and the DeFoe artifacts. He then explains that he checked on the coffin the next day and just as Jonathan, he found it empty.

Adam and Jonathan now try to escape with the escape pod. As they open the hatch the escape pod is however missing and Adam is instantly sucked out into space. Jonathan succeeds in closing the hatch after some struggle and passes out from the ordeal.

Jonathan wakes up to find himself strapped to a chair in the ship's infirmary. He is greeted by William who reveals that he helped John DeFoe all along. He then asks Jonathan about forgiveness. William then prepares to make Jonathan a part of the new body he is building for John DeFoe. Jonathan is however able to free himself and he stabs William in the leg with a scalpel that was within his hands reach.

Hiding in the air shaft Jonathan hears a sound. It shows to be William with no eyes and stab wound in his stomach. William tells him that John DeFoe stole his eyes, stabbed him and left him to die. He then reminds Jonathan about the sharp radio masts and then he dies. Jonathan again use the captains console to operate the radio masts. He then lures John DeFoe outside. Using quick thinking is Jonathan able to kill John with the radio masts. He then takes John DeFoe's old wooden idol from the body. He then throws the idol at the ship's exhaust where it is burned to ashes together with John DeFoes soul. The EFS Charisma finally arrives having received the distress call. Jonathan now goes inside to greet the crew of the Charisma.

Here it is being told that the real Jonathan Somerset was killed before the Mephistopheles even departed. The fake Jonathan Somerset is then taken away while yelling that he "didn't mean to hurt anyone" indicating that he most likely murdered the real Jonathan Somerset and assumed his identity. Having been found an impostor and with no real proof of what happened the fake Jonathan is taken away to be held responsible for the carnage that took place throughout the game.

Trilby's Notes

File:Tn-bar.gif
Trilby in the 'Dark World' Hotel from Trilby's Notes

Trilby's Notes is the third game released, but second in order of game chronology, in Ben Croshaw's popular free amateur adventure game tetralogy. It stands as a true sequel to the events of his first game, 5 Days a Stranger, and a prequel to the events of the second game, 7 Days a Skeptic.

The story follows the gentleman thief Trilby to an isolated Welsh hotel, seeking the idol which wreaked supernatural havoc in the first game. Believing that there is more to the story of Defoe Manor than he had previously thought, Trilby wishes to destroy the idol once and for all, but is suddenly caught up in a series of strange and gruesome events at the hotel that cause him to start shifting randomly between two parallel worlds.

Trilby's Notes was nominated for 9 AGS Awards and won 4 (Best Game, Best Story, Best Animation and Best Non-player character).[16] This brings the total number of AGS Awards for the series to 11 and nominations to 29.

Trilby's Notes is superficially similar to Croshaw's previous efforts, but instead of the previous games' point-and-click interfaces it instead relies on a text parser and keyboard directional control, in the style of early Sierra Entertainment games such as Police Quest and Quest for Glory.

Like the two previous entries in the series, Trilby's Notes is available for free download from Croshaw's website, while an extended special edition has been made available for a small fee.[17]. The extras include the usual author commentary and an extended version of the ending scenes. The SE also comes with the soundtrack in midi and mp3 formats, and a Word file containing the complete text of two of the Books of Chzo, fictional holy (or unholy) works within the series.

Croshaw has stated that the game was intended as both a form of continued high-level experimentation with the AGS engine and a complete product within itself. Trilby's Notes is the most graphically violent of the four games, an effect achieved with an extremely modest pixel-palette. Croshaw said of his main character's rather basic graphical representation: "[He] is not shaded at all because he was drawn after the GFW period when I realised that most people didn't give a toss and just wanted a fun game." [18]

Story

The game takes place four years after the events of 5 Days a Stranger. Trilby is now working for a secret government agency known as the Special Talent Project. When rumours surface about killings similar to those carried out by people possessed by the spirit of John DeFoe, he goes to check on Simone Taylor, who was also trapped in the manor in the first game, only to find that she has been murdered, apparently by the Welder. Determined to find out more about the cursed idol responsible, he tracks down an antiques dealer giving a show containing several artefacts recovered from the burned down DeFoe manor.

Assuming a fake identity, Trilby travels to the Clanbronwyn hotel and meets up with Professor Abed Chahal and his assistant, Siobhan O'malley. He also finds out that another investigator named Lenkmann has been assigned to the same case by another department dealing with the paranormal.

As Trilby conducts his investigation, he and the hotel begin to shift between the real world and a nightmarish, blood-stained 'dark world'. Through a sequence of visions showing the history of the idol and the wood it was carved from, Trilby learns of the twin worlds of Technology and Magick, and of the pain elemental named Chzo who rules over the latter. Chzo's servant, known as the Tall Man, repeatedly appears in the dark hotel to try and kill Trilby, who discovers that the tree the wood came from is the remains of the monk, Cabadath, who became the Tall Man after attempting to summon Chzo.

In a cave beneath the hotel Trilby finds the stump of the tree from which the wood was taken. He is then greeted by Lenkmann who reveals that he is a member of an old cult called the Order of the Blessed Agonies that worships Chzo. The Order has a prophecy that Trilby will play the role of the 'Guide' in their rituals to summon Chzo into the world of Technology. Lenkmann also tells Trilby that John DeFoe plays the part of the 'Bridgekeeper' in the prophecy. And if all his three aspects named: the Body, the Mind and the Soul is destroyed then a bridge between the realm of Technology and Magick will open and Chzo can then desend upon the humankind. Trilby now realizes that by destroying the last remains of John DeFoes body back in DeFoe manor he has helped the cult with the destruction of the Body aspect.

Lenkmann then stabs Trilby with a knife, lays him down on the stump, and starts a ritual to summon The Tall Man, but Trilby dies before the Tall Man can reach him. This displeases the Tall Man, who kills Lenkmann, then retreats, taking Trilby's bloodstained coat with him. After a series of visions involving a bald man in red robes hinting at his role in the grand scheme of things, Trilby is revived from the brink of death, apparently by Siobhan, who is surprised that it worked as she's never been good at CPR.

The game ends with the idol in Trilby's possession as he wonders how best to get it as far away from human reach as possible. Meanwhile, the remaining members of the Order of Blessed Agonies, with The Tall Man now present to lead them, continue their plans.

6 Days a Sacrifice

File:6 days a sacrifice.jpg
Theo DaCabe in the infirmary from 6 Days a Sacrifice

6 Days a Sacrifice is the fourth and final game in order of release, and 3rd in order of the game series's timeline, placed 196 years after 5 Days and Notes and 196 years before 7 Days. You play Theo DaCabe, a council surveyor who is trying to run a health and safety assessment on the headquarters of a fictional fad religion called Optimology (a not-too-subtle dig at Scientology) and gets embroiled in the machinations of the overarching series plot.

The Special Edition includes author commentary, an "expanded, slightly less ambiguous ending", the soundtrack in midi format, and character profiles on most of the characters in the series, in the guise of dossiers from the Ministry of Occultism.

The game also has a series of accompanying interactive fiction games, called the Countdown Trilogy, which were used as teaser trailers for the release of the point-and-click graphical adventure itself. They used the Zmachine language for implementation and need an interpreter such as WinFrotz to run. These games were developed using the Inform7 development system. Each of the three text adventures is named after and represents one of the three Blessed Agonies, an important plot element in the second half of the main series.

Story

6DaS takes place precisely half way between the events of 5 Days a Stranger and 7 Days a Skeptic. It follows Theodore (Theo) DaCabe, a buildings inspector sent to investigate the headquarters of Optimology, a fad religion. The game begins when he is pushed down an elevator shaft by a memeber of the group. When he wakes up, he is in a small medical room, with a doctor called Samantha Harty (most likely a decendant of Phillip Harty from 5DAS)and a guard who bears an uncanny resemblence to Trilby, who in theory should be long dead, or at least 200 years old (Theo does not recognize him, but notes his "absurdly" old-fashioned clothes). The Tall Man (or the Prince) eventually appears and kills the Trilby-guard. Theo realises that optimology is just a front to cover the up the real organisation; The order of the blessed agonies (see Trilby's notes). Sam then goes on to explain to Theo that she and another prisoner, Janine, have escaped from their cells and are planning to hold Canning, the only remaining cultist, hostage to gain their release. When they do so, Trilby appears again, apparently ressurected, and the group are apparently caught again.

However, they are rescued by a mysterious man in torn red robes, who describes himself as the "caretaker". With this, the three prisoners barricade themselves into the sleeping quarters and the first day ends.

After a dream sequence where his head transforms into a welder's mask, Theo distracts the Trilby-guard from the door of Canning's office. He leads him to the storage room where there is a strange distrubance in the air. Upon seeing the disturbance, the guard pauses to investigate when the Prince again arrives and violently kills the Trilby guard by tearing out his abdomen. Sam and Theo then confront Canning for the second time, this time succeeding in taking the cultist hostage and put him in the secure prison cell. Canning goes on to tell them that the elevator in the hall can only be called from the top by a high-ranking acolyte. The only way out is in the "Hub" (which may or may not be a trap to get them to go in there). When the trio manage to get the Hub open, Sam goes in to investigate. When she returns, blood pours from a throat wound and she dies. Theo then moves her body to the sick bay. Janine then tells Theodore that some evil force is trying to take her over, and that Theo should leave her alone.

Following a mysterious vision involving both the tall man and the man in the red robes, the second day ends and Theo falls asleep in the medical bay. The following morning, Theo visits the medical storage room, after noticing a few 'minor changes' in the main corridor, in the form of blood appearing on the walls. However, to his suprise he comes face to face with the triby guard. After the initial shock, Theo askes how the Trilby guard survived the attack. Trilby reveals that he has no memory of the events or of working for the order. Theo then confronts Canning and announces that Dr Harty was a cloner, and that she had been helping the order create dozens of clones of Trilby to act as guards for the complex. Canning then tells Theo that the order worship the pain god Chzo and that their king will soon descend upon humanity through the realm of Magic. Theo then convinces Janice that the only way they can escape is by finding out what's inside the hub.

With the help of the Trilby clone, Theo and Janine finally manage to enter the hub. Here they make a shocking discovery; The group find themselves in a reanimated version of DeFoe Manor (see 5DAS), controlled by the tortured mind of John DeFoe. The tall man then appears, and kills Trilby. John DeFoe spirit suddenly arrives, and attacks Theo. Theo escapes, and once again runs into the caretaker. He reveals to Theo that the laboratory complex was built around the remains of DeFoe Manor, and that what's left of John DeFoe's soul still clings to the ruins. Theo realises that DeFoe has feared Trilby ever since the events of DeFoe manor, and that the Trilby clones were created in order to keep John DeFoe's powers at bay. The mysterious individual leaves, and Theo heads to the sleeping quarters to tell Janine of the revelation. He then comes face to face with the sinister Prince, but is rescued at the last minute by Janine. The two embrace, then kiss and make love. The third dayis over.

During the night, Theo has a dream where he slays Canning with a knife. When he awakens, Canning is dead and Janine is no-where to be found. The main corridor suddenly transforms before his very eyes and a posessed Janine wearing a welding mask tries to kill him. She follows him into the kitchen (also a manifestation of DeFoe's crazed mind) where Theo is saved when the tall man arrives and kills Janine. The kitchen then returns to normal except for a stain of Janine's blood. Theo now realizes that his is alone and says goodbye to Janine and falls asleep.

The story now jumps forward in time and follows the fake Jonathan Somerset from 7DAS who is imprisoned in an asylum accused for the carnage that took place on board on the Mephistopheles. Through a conversation outside his cell it is revealed that he is in fact Malcolm Somerset son of the real Jonathan Somerset. Malcolm killed Jonathan before the departure of the Mephistopheles and took his identity. The men outside the cell moves on and Malcolm is now contacted by the Caretaker. Malcolm now accuses the Caretaker for making him killing his father. The Caretaker however tells Malcolm that he only helped him accomplish what he always had wanted to do. The Caretaker is now preparing to leave Malcolm for the last time and tells Malcolm that he has found a way for him to escape. The Caretaker disappears and a package is dumped in the cell only monuments later. Malcolm opens the package and findes a mystic blade. Suddenly he notes something about a part of the wall in the cell and opens it to find a door made of flesh with a keyhole in wich the blade fits. Through the door he findes a staircase covered in blood. As Malcolm walks down the staircase he is haunted by visions and slowly his clothing becomes torn and bloodstained and his hair falls off, making him bit by bit resemble the Caretaker. He now enters a cave made of flesh and findes a old man strapped to the wall. The old man is Trilby (or another clone). Trilby tells Malcolm that the whole cave is the body of Chzo. He now asks Malcolm to kill him with the blade because his lifeforce is needed to revive a younger Trilby that appears as a ghost image on the floor. Malcolm now kills the old man and gives his lifeforce to the dying Trilby from Trilby's notes. Chzo now awakes and Malcolm tries to escape. A strange figure blocks the way however and he is forced to jump into a nearby hole. Malcolm is now truly free and realizes that he now is the Caretaker. Back in the cell has two guards discovered Malcolm's body, he have slit his throat with the blade.

On the sixth and final day, Theo awakes and is greeted by the Caretaker. He tells Theo that Janine was possessed by John DeFoe because of her intercourse with Theo wich broke the last barrier between her and DeFoe's mind. The Caretaker then tells Theo that if he is to escape, he must go into the basement of DeFoe Manor in the hub. Enough clones of Trilby will remain to provide an escort to keep the forces of John DeFoes mind at bay. The Caretaker then leaves.

With help from the Trilbies, Theo enters the mansion and finds John DeFoes mask, knife and apron, which is necessary to breach the barrier that blocks the entrance to the cellar. Despite the Tall Man repeatedly appearing and killing the Tribly clones, Theo manages to breach the barrier. As he walks through the entrance, he is surrounded by darkness and hallucinations. He then awakes in the Mephistopheles's cargo bay. This is however, another hallucination. Seconds later, he finally finds himself in the cellar. Just as he appears, he sees the Tall Man interacting with a cub-shaped object which is covered in a tarp and has note attatched. When Theo lifts the tarp, the object turns out to be a heatsensitive nuclear bomb, meant to destroy John DeFoes mind.

When Theo attempts to defuse the bomb, he discovers that someone already deactivated it. Meanwhile, the last surviving Trilby clone is contacted by the Caretaker, who convinces him to burn down the last remains of the DeFoe manor. Simultaneously, Theo is about to leave the cellar when fire comes cascading down the stairs. The flames cause the the bomb to detonate, wich kills Theo and creates a bridge between the realm of Chzo and that of mankind.

When Chzo doesn't wreak havoc and darkness upon mankind, it becomes clear that his plan wasn't to cross the bridge, but to take something from our realm. Meanwhile, in the other world, Theo's corpse is ressurected by Chzo and transformed into a monsterous apparition, a floating man wrapped in bandages and wearing a helmet similar to John Defoe's welding mask. The 'New Prince' then slays Cabadath by forcing him down a huge shaft and takes his place as Chzo's servant.

References

  1. ^ O Reilly's Gaming Hacks index: 5 Days a Stranger cited 15 December 2006
  2. ^ 5 Days a stranger site cited 15 December 2006
  3. ^ AGS Games page for 5 Days a Stranger, showing that it won 5 AGS Awards cited 15 December 2006
  4. ^ adventurelantern.com review of 5DAS cited 15 December 2006
  5. ^ adventuregamers.com review of 5DAS cited 15 December 2006
  6. ^ popmatters.com review of 5DAS cited 15 December 2006
  7. ^ Game Hippo 5DAS review cited 15 December 2006
  8. ^ http://www.fullyramblomatic.com 25/1/07: Icey Sacrificey Nicey
  9. ^ fullyramblomatic.com: 7 Days a Skeptic (cited 13 December 2006)
  10. ^ AGS Games page, showing the 2 AGS Awards the game won (cited 13 December 2006)
  11. ^ 7DAS Review at adventuregamers.com (cited 13 December 2006)
  12. ^ acid-play.com 7DAS review (cited 13 December 2006)
  13. ^ A-for-adventure 7DAS review (cited 13 December 2006)
  14. ^ 7DAS Adventure Lantern review (cited 13 December 2006)
  15. ^ Osiris Games Freeforall 7DAS review (cited 13 December 2006)
  16. ^ AGS Awards for 2006 winners (cited 13 February 2007)
  17. ^ http://www.fullyramblomatic.com/ 5/7/06: Special School
  18. ^ http://www.fullyramblomatic.com 3/7/08: The Two-Faced Thief

External links

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