I found Maur the most interesting to talk to because the conversation with him was more like a game than a simple chatterbot. With Eliza, Julia, and other characters I found that I could tell too easily that they were not real people, and thus it wasn't very interesting for me to keep up a coherent conversation for long. With Maur I had a goal (to get out alive) which gave some incentive. Of course despite that it was sometimes obvious that Maur was a computer, as in my many attempts I discovered some of the possible paths through the conversation not because I had thought of them, but because Maur misinterpreted something I said and gave a respone which clued me in. I wasn't actually able to find the way to survive in the amount of time that I could put into the conversation, but below is the longest intelligible conversation I could manage:
It seems like you have been wandering through these dark tunnels for years. They hadn't seemed so bad when you and your companions had entered the deserted mine, led by a rumour that the Hero's Crown might have come to rest here. But you have been seperated from your friends by a rockslide, and have ended up following narrow passages and shafts leading forever downwards. You are out of food, too, and your stomach is grumbling. You break out of your thoughts, noticing that the light from your torch is no longer reflecting off of damp, rough-hewn walls. Instead, the flickering light of the torch is swallowed up by the darkness of some sort of large cavern. You glance back over your shoulder, and realize you can no longer tell where you entered the cavern. Putting aside your misgivings, you begin to stride forwards once more. All at once a sibilant voice comes out of nowhere, filling your head without a sound being made. The voice says: Well, well, a visitor. It has been a long time since anyone has come down this way. You say: Who's there? The voice says: Long ago my name would have meant something to you. Whole villages fled at my coming; at least they tried... my name is Maur. You say: Where are you? Maur says: See for yourself. (About ten meters into the gloom, ahead of you and to the right, two huge red reptilian eyes flick open. In the faint light of your torch, you see what you thought to be a huge black boulder, as tall as you and half again as wide, raise itself from the rocky floor of the cave. You realize now that it is the head of an absolutely enormous dragon. The dragon turns his head towards you. Twin columns of steam rise from his nostrils, and occasionally you catch a glimpse of a broad, forked, tongue flickering in and out of his immense jaws.) You say: Oh. Hello. Maur says: Greetings, human... or perhaps I should call you... lunch. You say: Why would you want to eat me? Maur says: I had a few giant mountain goats last week, and I am beginning to feel hungry again. You say: I'm not very filling. Maur says: Ah yes, the plea for mercy. Tell me, what reason can you give me that might convince me NOT to eat you? You say: I can bring you even more food. Maur says: Thanks to Karithol, I have plenty of food. You cannot aid me in that way. You say: Who is Karithol? Maur says: Karithol is my mate. She is out hunting. You say: Why don't you hunt with her? Maur says: Because I cannot yet fly again! (The dragon sounds annoyed. You hear an ominous creaking, rustling noise.) Ah, my wings are almost better... soon, soon... You say: Why not? Maur says: Because I cannot yet fly again! (The dragon sounds annoyed. You hear an ominous creaking, rustling noise.) Ah, my wings are almost better... soon, soon... You say: What happened? Maur says: (After letting out a great, sibilant breath) Gorthold did this to me... but he paid for my injury, ah yes... You say: Who is Gorthold? Maur says: Gorthold? (You hear an angry hiss.) Gorthold, that accursed warrior, tried to attack me, after killing Crendenor and my sister Razimtheth... You say: Who is Crendenor? Maur says: Crendenor was another dragon, now dead, killed by Gorthold. You say: Who is Razimtheth? Maur says: She was another dragon, now dead, killed by Gorthold. You say: And what happened to Gorthold? Maur says: When we fought, we both injured each other gravely - but his wounds were mortal and mine were not. So I am here, alive, and he has been dead for centuries. You say: It's a shame that you are still unable to fly. Perhaps I can help you. Maur says: How do you think you could help me, human? What could you do that might possibly benefit me? You say: I could help to heal your wings. Maur says: Now that would be very helpful... how could you heal my wings? You say: I could make a cast. Maur says: I don't think you have the materials to make that, do you? You say: Um... no, but... Maur says: Enough of your ceaseless chatter, human! I begin to long for silence! (You hear a great inrush of air, and take a few steps backwards. Maur's eyes stay fixed on you, and then, before you can turn to run, he opens his mouth and exhales. A great wind buffets you, hot enough that you can feel your hair begin to crinkle and your skin begins to sting. The air smells hard and metallic. Then there is a great blast of heat and flame, flame white as lightning and hotter than any forge, enveloping you. Then an explosion of pain hits you, and you know no more...) (You have died.)