Ye Flask

Ye flask in yon dungeon.

Ye flask is a Florence flask (or round-bottomed flask) that appears in every game in the Thy Dungeonman series. Its importance in each game varies somewhat. It plays a comparatively minor role in Thy Dungeonman II, but obtaining it is the goal of the whole game in Thy Dungeonman 3.

Ye flask's history

Graphics shmaphics... for sooth!

Ye flask is introduced in the Strong Bad Email video games, wherein Strong Bad describes what he would be like if he were in several different types of video games, one of which is a text adventure. Ye flask is mentioned as an example of the quirks of the text adventure genre — attempts to get ye flask resulted only in the message, "You can't get ye flask", even though it is explicitly mentioned as part of the surroundings by the game, leaving the player wondering why on earth they can't get ye flask, because, as Strong Bad says, the game certainly is not going to tell.

Ye flask later becomes part of the Thy Dungeonman games. It is somewhat of a fixation for the character Thy Dungeonman, as he has been searching for it for years in hundreds of dungeons.

Thy Dungeonman I

You can't get ye flask!

Thy Dungeonman first meets ye flask in the first Thy Dungeonman game. In it, ye flask looks as if it can "quaff some serious mead". Just like in video games, ye flask is (at least at first) impossible to obtain. However, there is at least an explanation for why the player can't get ye flask, so the player isn't left wondering why on earth they can't get ye flask; it is firmly bolted onto to a wall (which is bolted to the rest of the dungeon which is probably bolted to a castle). However, upon trying the third time to get ye flask Thy Dungeonman is able to unbolt it, which results in the collapse of the dungeon because it was a "load-bearing flask". Oddly enough, ye flask in this game is never actually referred to by its name. Instead it is called "a FLASK", "the FLASK", "yon FLASK", and "a load-bearing FLASK".

Thy Dungeonman II

HEY WAIT! Give us that back!

Ye flask plays a very minor role in Thy Dungeonman II. For the first two times the command "GET YE FLASK" is used, the game says "Ye wish! If there was a flask in this game, we'd know about it.", but every time the player tries to get ye flask after that, the game proclaims, "You pluck up the flask and examine of it. HEY WAIT! Give us that back!", and the player earns two points. Getting ye flask is not necessary to win the game.

Thy Dungeonman 3

You unbolt ye flask and hold it aloft.

In Thy Dungeonman 3, the entire game is based around trying to get ye flask, which resides in a mysterious dungeon. It is impossible to grab ye flask without a proper flask-grabbing glove, because otherwise Thy Dungeonman is simply transported back to the crossroads at the beginning of the game.

Upon getting ye flask and winning the game, it becomes Thy Dungeonman's favorite companion and drinking flask. He ends up choosing it over maidens several times, and lives a fulfilling life with his ye flask friend by his side.

In the beginning of the game there is another instance of ye flask being referred to without the "ye" attached; it is called "a flask".

Other References

Yes, he'd better run!

In the first bonus email for strongbad email.exe Disc One, E-mail Birds, Strong Bad begins playing a text adventure game similar to the Thy Dungeonman games, called Text Quest, after answering three emails in a row. Before playing, Strong Bad says "I hope I find some scrolls. Or maybe a flask." Also, although the game makes specific mention of not one, but two daggers, when Strong Bad types "get dagger" the game asks "What is 'dagger'?", a forerunner to the original ye flask joke in video games.

The phrase "Ye Flask" is seen in an animated form in web comics, being chased by the word Dennis.

In the Strong Bad's Cool Game for Attractive People episode 8-Bit is Enough, Strong Bad can find ye flask at the Peasantry Inn. If clicked, Strong Bad will try to get it, but he will be unable to reach it for unspecified reasons. He can also talk to The Innkeeper about it, but he answers with phrases such as "You probably WISH you could get that." and "You can't get ye flask."

In Trogdor!! The Board Game, there is an item called "Ye Flask of Dennis" that allows burninated peasants to add to Trogdor's health. It recharges when Trogdor visits the lake.

Trivia

• In Early Modern English, "ye flask", as Strong Bad pronounces it in video games, would actually mean "you flask". "Ye" was occasionally used to mean "the", representing the word þe using the letters available to printers; however, this was still pronounced as "the".

Thy Dungeonman
Games	Volume One, Volume II (responses), Volume 3 (commands, responses, walkthrough)
Miscellaneous	Thy Dungeonman (character), Ye Flask, Dongrel, Longrels, Hongrels, and Mongrels, Dennis, Minor Characters, Instruction Manual