[from archaic English verb for `shudder', as
with fear] The grue was originated in the game Zork (Dave
Lebling took the name from Jack Vance's "Dying Earth"
fantasies) and used in several other Infocom games as a hint
that you should perhaps look for a lamp, torch or some type of
light source. Wandering into a dark area would cause the game to
prompt you, "It is very dark. If you continue you are likely to
be eaten by a grue." If you failed to locate a light source
within the next couple of moves this would indeed be the
case.
The grue, according to scholars of the Great Underground Empire, is
a sinister, lurking presence in the dark places of the earth. Its
favorite diet is either adventurers or enchanters, but its
insatiable appetite is tempered by its extreme fear of light. No
grues have ever been seen by the light of day, and only a few have
been observed in their underground lairs. Of those who have seen
grues, few have survived their fearsome jaws to tell the
tale. Grues have sharp claws and fangs, and an uncontrollable
tendency to slaver and gurgle. They are certainly the most
evil-tempered of all creatures; to say they are touchy is a
dangerous understatement. "Sour as a grue" is a common
expression, even among themselves.
