Plateau of the Past

Zytek Ltd 1986

Language:: English
Authors:: Chuck Jager, Jim O'Keefe
Systems:: Assembler
Platforms:: TRS-80 CoCo
Genres:: Multiple Choice
Entered by:: Alastair
Added:: 11-02-2016
Edited:: 15-02-2016

Synopsis

Plot

Robert J. Scott, the esteemed tycoon, has offered a two million dollars reward to anyone who can find and return his missing brother William, the well-known explorer and adventurer. William's last expedition was to a treacherous and unexplored jungle, but months have passed without any word from William or any of his six companions. However part of William's journal has recently been discovered and sent to Robert, the pages tell of a mysterious plateau that rises out of the jungle, its upper reaches permanently wrapped in a mist that renders it undetectable by air.

Being an adventurer yourself you have decided to travel to this unknown land, both to sate your curiosity and to rescue William and his companions. At the foot of the plateau you hear a blood-curdling scream emitted by some unknown beast. Looking up you see a figure of a man descending a vine, again the beast roars and at the same moment the frail, torn body of the man drops at your feet. The experience panics the rest of your party and they run off, leaving you alone with the unconscious man.

You revive the man and he tells you his tale, that they came to a valley on the north end of the plateau where they were greeted by a village of friendly natives. That a long rope bridge connects the village to the plateau. On hearing that the superstitious natives had placed three gold idols in the valley as protection against some evil he and two friends betrayed the others and stole the idols. After escaping and becoming lost in the jungle they came to a foul marsh where they were attacked by enormous flying reptiles. One friend, Frank, fled with the idol of the moon, another, Jake, carrying the sun idol was seized by huge talons and carried off, and a day later he was caught by a hostile tribe. They took the idol he had stolen, but he somehow managed to escape and make his way to where you found him.

He then tells you that if you reach the river you must follow it north to the village where Scott and the others are trapped, and that you need all three idols to gain entrance to the village. With that he draws a last, feeble breath and dies.

Notes

Before the game starts your character's aspects are randomly determined. Ability determines your skill in battle, stamina shows your current strength, and fate measures your luck.

Stamina will decrease during your journey and is recovered by eating but may never exceed 18 points. Each time you eat one c-ration your stamina will increase by two points.

There is only one true path to complete the game.