Tarturian

About

Tarturian casts you as a hero in a frostbitten world where a cursed ice age forced humanity underground. Your goal is to reclaim the stolen Eternal Flame of WAU by infiltrating the Tarturian’s caverns, a labyrinth of traps, ancient riches, and hostile creatures. You build a party of characters, scavenging invisible weapons and treasures protected by magical puzzles. Every item you need is hidden, but only visible if you’ve already claimed one of ten key artifacts. The twist? Your squad operates like a fragile chain, each character class must be fully equipped before advancing, and a single weak link derails the whole mission. The final showdown is a no-escape death march where preparation is the only thing separating victory from instant defeat. This 1980 Apple II title leans into its retro charm with a dense narrative about lost civilizations and a survival-focused resource system. The caverns feel alive with danger, from slave traders to the Tarturian’s own haunting cries echoing through vents. While its text-heavy approach and punishing difficulty may test patience, diehard adventurers will appreciate the layered strategy required to outwit invisible hazards and chain together a winning party. A relic of early RPG design that rewards careful planning over brute force.

Storyline

Many centuries ago the land of Merin was a lush and fertile place full of happy and prosperous people. Then, as though they had been cursed, a great ice age began. Soon all the inhabitants and creatures of Merin were forced to seek shelter in the great underground caverns of the terrible Tarturian. Generations passed and slowly the great ice glaciers receded and the survivors returned to the above ground, but the only source of light and heat, the eternal flame of WAU, had been taken by the Tarturian. Many parties, such as yours, have returned to the caverns in search of the flame, but none have succeeded. Often the moans and cries for help are heard filtering up through air passages, crevices and volcano vents from the caves, coming from parties that have grown to weak or lack enough survivors to continue. They are doomed to wandering aimlessly or meeting their fate at the hands of creatures, slave traders or the Tarturian. Many of the earliest inhabitants of the caves hid their gold and treasures for safekeeping; then they becam entries on the scrolls of fate. Many other search parties left weapons scattered about the caves. The weapons and gold coins are protected by forces that make them invisible, except to those carrying any or all of the ten treasures of Merin. You must find these treasures and enough weapons to outfit your party for your final attack on the Tarturian, attempting to recover the flame of WAU - unprepared will result in your swift termination. Your party is like a string chain and at least one fully-equipped member of each type must be present in order to hopefully succeed in the attack. There is no way to leave the Tarturian's chmaber once you enter...