The Boy and the Bard
The Boy and the Bard | |
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◄Eamon adventure #183► | |
Author | Sam Ruby |
Released | September 1989 |
Revised |
18 September 1989 (DOS) 10 April 1993 (ProDOS) |
EAG number | 183 |
EDX number | 09-14 |
EDX set | The Sam Ruby Adventures |
Native format | Apple DOS 3.3 |
Files |
Eamon 183 - The Boy and the Bard.dsk Eamon 183 - The Boy and the Bard (ProDOS).dsk |
The Boy and the Bard is an Eamon adventure written by Sam Ruby released by the EAG in September 1989. The adventure tells the story of a boy's quest to collect important possessions that belonged to a bard who befriended him, and use them to bring justice to the ruffians who killed him. It features a mix of combat and puzzles and is difficult enough that Ruby included a walkthrough. It's also unique in that the player controls a special character created just for the adventure, not an adventurer from the Main Hall.
Background
Ruby described the adventure in his author's notes:
This is a simple, self-contained chapter of an epic storyline that I may develop in future adventures, but for now it stands alone as a sort of fairy tale, in which your character (a new one, not the one you brought from the Main Hall) will rely on his wits, his courage, and a little luck to get by. You should feel satisfied by the end of the game, but if you still have a few questions... good! I suggest that you use this character only for Boy and the Bard sequels.
Rather than developing sequels to Boy and the Bard, Ruby instead focused on a new adventure titled Sanctuary which was released by the EAG a year later. Had he pursued sequels, Ruby says he probably would have written a trilogy, and that "there would have been revelations about the bard and dark things afoot in the wider world (which the "boy" would have gotten involved in)."
Premise
Rather than letting you play as your own adventurer, Ruby's adventure casts you as a young boy growing up in an isolated town far south of the kingdom, living a peaceful and boring life enlivened only by a mysterious traveling bard named Torin who periodically passes through town and entertains the patrons at the local tavern. You love the bard's tales and admire his skill with musical instruments; the bard for his part recognizes that you have a gift and decides to train you.
In your training, Torin reveals that his three instruments — a triangle, pipes, and a lute — can produce magical effects when played correctly: the triangle can open locks; the pipes can summon small animals; and the the lute can put men to sleep. Torin teaches you how to produce the effects, but one day on your way to the tavern to meet him you see a crowd has gathered and learn that the bard has died, for reasons unknown. Shortly thereafter, soliders appear in town asking for him; you hear the tavernkeeper tell them of the bard's death, and that a couple of mysterious dark figures had been seen in the area — possibly tied to a band of ruffians southwest of town led by a villain named Kroger. Thirsty for revenge, you gather Torin's instruments, buy a sword, and set out to confront Kroger, but you're accosted by his men who steal your instruments and send you back to town defeated.
Six years pass, and life worsens for the townsfolk as Kroger's band becomes bolder and more belligerent. One day at the tavern two of his ruffians come in for a drink and you happen to overhear them talking about Torin's instruments, with one revealing where he hid them. You once again resolve to settle your score with Kroger, and set out to find the magical instruments.
Full introduction |
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Walkthrough
Ruby in his notes writes that "this game isn't so easy" and so includes on the disk a solutions file that gives hints and instructions for how to find and obtain the missing musical instruments and defeat the villain Kroger. See The Boy and the Bard notes for Ruby's step-by-step walkthrough.
Before the story begins, the adventure prompts you to set up a new character different than the one you entered with, an unusual step that Ruby added in order to preserve the integrity of the narrative. Your original character is saved, and both are returned to the Main Hall when you complete the adventure.
Additional tips
Though Ruby's instructions are thorough and helpful, there are a handful of places where the necessary steps or commands can be unclear. Below are some additional tips that may be helpful for players following the author's walkthrough:
Save
your progress frequently. If at any point the game crashes, typerun
to restart the game, then useresume
to return to your saved state.- When you're finding your way into the lizard people's lair, first
examine stump
, thenput
your rope on the root that's revealed, and finallyenter
the stump. - Use the
enter
command to go into the pond, the cabin, and the cave. - Be sure to
examine bookshelves
to reach the final chamber.
Kroger's final words reveal a double meaning in the adventure's title, referring both to the boy and his bard mentor, but also to the boy growing over the course of the story to become a bard in his own right.
Reviews
Tom Zuchowski reviewed The Boy and the Bard in the September 1989 issue of the EAG Newsletter and gave it a very favorable rating of 8.5 based on its detail, special features, and "overall high quality". Zuchowski praised the challenging puzzles and the encumbrance system, noting that "puzzle fanciers will love this one" but that fans of hack'n'slash-style adventures might be disappointed.
Location
The adventure is set far south of Evenhold in a small country town surrounded by rolling grasslands and forests. The areas west and south of town are wild and dangerous, but small farms and a neighboring village lie to the east. The town was originally built as an outpost of what the locals refer to as the "Northern Empire" and is connected to it by a long road, now infrequently traveled.
The introduction states that "rumors spread of terrible wars and dark times in the north"; Ruby gives no clues about the nature of these conflicts or their belligerents, but we can imagine how they might square with documented events in the larger world of Eamon, such as the wars against the forces of the Darklord.
See also
External links
- EAG Online: Master List
- The Interactive Fiction Database: The Boy and the Bard
- Interactive Fiction Reviews: The Boy and the Bard
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