All text will now be saved to the script file. Type UNSCRIPT at any time to discontinue scripting. >x bench A thin slab of unfinished pine held with haphazard nails to four dowels. >look under bench There's nothing under the wooden bench. >search bench There's nothing on the wooden bench. Voices intrude on your solitude, entering from around the corner of the alcove, near the door to the outside world; one voice is male, weary and rumbling, the other is female, querulous and liquid. >listen to voices I don't know the word "listen". >x male I don't know the word "male". >x door Which door do you mean, the oak door, or the outside door? >oak Shut and latched somehow. You weren't really paying attention as you were led into this iniquitous jail. Female: She's resting at the moment. We can surely wait a little while longer. Male: Not much. The warden will be back anon. I want her gone before then. He's got enough without this to worry him, too. >i You have an ivory medallion. Treble: I'll wake her in a bit. Bass: I'll stand guard while you search her. >x medallion A large oval disc carved out of now yellowed ivory. On one side is a pastoral depiction of mountains, trees, and a woman staring out into the distance; on the other side, an inscription worn soft and dim. In the heart of many a trial and tumult you'd observe your mother roll this token in her hand with a smooth kneading, as she kept her peace. Just before they took you away, she slipped it into your palm, an unwonted look in her eyes. Smooth: Where will you take her? Rough: To where she belongs: with the other disloyal subjects. >rub medallion What do you want to rub it on? >bench There's no point in rubbing the ivory medallion on the wooden bench. Thin: For such a young girl, that's rather strong. Thick: Anyway, it's the only place where we have room: early last morn, our friend Mortison took care of a few former trespassers. >rub hands on medallion There's no point in rubbing your arm on the ivory medallion. Inward: Best get her ready. Outward: Careful of this one. Looks like she might bite. While the outside door closes off the previously unnoticed breeze into the chambers, Demora, the matron who presides over the orphanage, the fallen women workhouse, and other frail miscreants, opens your cage and coos at you like at a spooked horse, "Darling...let's take this easily and calmly. Then you can rest as much as you want." Bowed and docile, you shuffle into her waiting hands. Warden's Office Narrow window slits dimly admit light that slash across the desk and the few other furnishings. Dominating the sparse surroundings, Demora scrutinizes you, twitching her knobbed fingers as if silently estimating the number of years you will spend here. >read medallion You're clumsy fumbling catch Demora's eye. "What do you have there? Hand it over." ~ Reluctantly, you give the medallion to her, which she promptly disposes upon herself. "Now, my dear Logastra, despite what they've been saying about you, I believe you wish to be a good girl. If so, your time here will be fruitful--yes, I assure you, this is true. So dear, will you be a good girl?" >[Eeeagh! "You're"! (should be 'your')] In a glint, she turns dark and forboding. Paying no heed to your stifled protests, she searches you thoroughly. When she's done with you, she calls in Klove. Klove ushers you out into the courtyard. Courtyard The enclosing walls extend so high, especially along the side where the bulk of the fortress rises, that you feel like you're stuck in the bottom of a deep well. The entrance to the castle is mysteriously inviting, although the two corner doors flanking it are less so. And the tunnel across the square, leading to the gate and beyond, could not possibly be more seductive. Raising your eyes to the cloud-flocked sky, the world inverts vertiginously and you find yourself staring into a pit that opens on an endless void. The cleaning boy wanders aimlessly, occasionally scraping up a bit of detritus with his hand shovel and tossing it into his pushcart ladened with debris. Without moving his eyes, Klove absorbs all that happens around him. >restart Are you sure you want to start over? (YES or NO) > y Do you wish to read the introduction? (Y/N) > n STONE CELL By Middle Edge Developed with TADS, the Text Adventure Development System. First-time players should type "about" for information about this game. Holding Pen This alcove, bare but for a creaky wooden bench, was stolen of late from the warden's chambers by means of narrowly set, heavy oak beams, and a matching door. Your only thought is, you shall never see your mother or father again. >i You have an ivory medallion. >eat medallion The ivory medallion doesn't appear appetizing. >x medallion A large oval disc carved out of now yellowed ivory. On one side is a pastoral depiction of mountains, trees, and a woman staring out into the distance; on the other side, an inscription worn soft and dim. In the heart of many a trial and tumult you'd observe your mother roll this token in her hand with a smooth kneading, as she kept her peace. Just before they took you away, she slipped it into your palm, an unwonted look in her eyes. Voices intrude on your solitude, entering from around the corner of the alcove, near the door to the outside world; one voice is male, weary and rumbling, the other is female, querulous and liquid. >x bench A thin slab of unfinished pine held with haphazard nails to four dowels. Female: She's resting at the moment. We can surely wait a little while longer. Male: Not much. The warden will be back anon. I want her gone before then. He's got enough without this to worry him, too. >get bench It's hard to lift while lying on it. Treble: I'll wake her in a bit. Bass: I'll stand guard while you search her. >get up In getting to your feet ever so gingerly, the bench inevitably creaks in relief. Drawn by the sound, Demora, the matron of this keep, steps over to the bars. "Well, you're awake. Good. This shouldn't take much of our time." She opens the pen and draws you out. You catch a glimpse of Klove before he shuts the door on the two of you. Warden's Office Narrow window slits dimly admit light that slash across the desk and the few other furnishings. Dominating the sparse surroundings, Demora scrutinizes you, twitching her knobbed fingers as if silently estimating the number of years you will spend here. >restart Are you sure you want to start over? (YES or NO) > y Do you wish to read the introduction? (Y/N) > n STONE CELL By Middle Edge Developed with TADS, the Text Adventure Development System. First-time players should type "about" for information about this game. Holding Pen This alcove, bare but for a creaky wooden bench, was stolen of late from the warden's chambers by means of narrowly set, heavy oak beams, and a matching door. Your only thought is, you shall never see your mother or father again. >get up In getting to your feet ever so gingerly, the bench inevitably creaks in relief. Drawn by the sound, Demora, the matron of this keep, steps over to the bars. "Well, you're awake. Good. This shouldn't take much of our time." She opens the pen and draws you out. You catch a glimpse of Klove before he shuts the door on the two of you. Warden's Office Narrow window slits dimly admit light that slash across the desk and the few other furnishings. Dominating the sparse surroundings, Demora scrutinizes you, twitching her knobbed fingers as if silently estimating the number of years you will spend here. >restart Are you sure you want to start over? (YES or NO) > y Do you wish to read the introduction? (Y/N) > n STONE CELL By Middle Edge Developed with TADS, the Text Adventure Development System. First-time players should type "about" for information about this game. Holding Pen This alcove, bare but for a creaky wooden bench, was stolen of late from the warden's chambers by means of narrowly set, heavy oak beams, and a matching door. Your only thought is, you shall never see your mother or father again. >x bench A thin slab of unfinished pine held with haphazard nails to four dowels. >x beams Hewn from trees felled on the surrounding hillsides. You used to run wild through those trees, on those rare days you'd complete your chores before nightfall. >x outside door You can't quite see the door to the outside from your present position. Voices intrude on your solitude, entering from around the corner of the alcove, near the door to the outside world; one voice is male, weary and rumbling, the other is female, querulous and liquid. >drop medallion Dropped. Female: She's resting at the moment. We can surely wait a little while longer. Male: Not much. The warden will be back anon. I want her gone before then. He's got enough without this to worry him, too. >x it A large oval disc carved out of now yellowed ivory. On one side is a pastoral depiction of mountains, trees, and a woman staring out into the distance; on the other side, an inscription worn soft and dim. In the heart of many a trial and tumult you'd observe your mother roll this token in her hand with a smooth kneading, as she kept her peace. Just before they took you away, she slipped it into your palm, an unwonted look in her eyes. Treble: I'll wake her in a bit. Bass: I'll stand guard while you search her. >read it You can't reach that from the wooden bench. >undo (Undoing one command) Holding Pen, on the wooden bench This alcove, bare but for a creaky wooden bench, was stolen of late from the warden's chambers by means of narrowly set, heavy oak beams, and a matching door. You see an ivory medallion here. >undo (Undoing one command) Holding Pen, on the wooden bench This alcove, bare but for a creaky wooden bench, was stolen of late from the warden's chambers by means of narrowly set, heavy oak beams, and a matching door. You see an ivory medallion here. >undo (Undoing one command) Holding Pen, on the wooden bench This alcove, bare but for a creaky wooden bench, was stolen of late from the warden's chambers by means of narrowly set, heavy oak beams, and a matching door. >read medallion The light does not reach deeply enough into this stockade to clarify the words. Female: She's resting at the moment. We can surely wait a little while longer. Male: Not much. The warden will be back anon. I want her gone before then. He's got enough without this to worry him, too. >drop medallion Dropped. Treble: I'll wake her in a bit. Bass: I'll stand guard while you search her. >l Holding Pen, on the wooden bench This alcove, bare but for a creaky wooden bench, was stolen of late from the warden's chambers by means of narrowly set, heavy oak beams, and a matching door. You see an ivory medallion here. Smooth: Where will you take her? Rough: To where she belongs: with the other disloyal subjects. >get nail You'd need a tool to pull out one of the nails. Thin: For such a young girl, that's rather strong. Thick: Anyway, it's the only place where we have room: early last morn, our friend Mortison took care of a few former trespassers. >z Time passes... Inward: Best get her ready. Outward: Careful of this one. Looks like she might bite. While the outside door closes off the previously unnoticed breeze into the chambers, Demora, the matron who presides over the orphanage, the fallen women workhouse, and other frail miscreants, opens your cage and coos at you like at a spooked horse, "Darling...let's take this easily and calmly. Then you can rest as much as you want." Bowed and docile, you shuffle into her waiting hands. Warden's Office Narrow window slits dimly admit light that slash across the desk and the few other furnishings. Dominating the sparse surroundings, Demora scrutinizes you, twitching her knobbed fingers as if silently estimating the number of years you will spend here. >x demora Heavily boned with limbs that have a nearly graceful arch to them, she has stood her ground for untold seasons as the heralds of change would lead another upheaval that charged across the lands. Her grey blouse and floor-length wool skirt hang upon her like she was a statue not yet unveiled. "Now, my dear Logastra, despite what they've been saying about you, I believe you wish to be a good girl. If so, your time here will be fruitful--yes, I assure you, this is true. So dear, will you be a good girl?" >no In a glint, she turns dark and forboding. Paying no heed to your stifled protests, she searches you thoroughly. When she's done with you, she calls in Klove. Klove ushers you out into the courtyard. ~ You leave the heirloom from your mother behind. Courtyard The enclosing walls extend so high, especially along the side where the bulk of the fortress rises, that you feel like you're stuck in the bottom of a deep well. The entrance to the castle is mysteriously inviting, although the two corner doors flanking it are less so. And the tunnel across the square, leading to the gate and beyond, could not possibly be more seductive. Raising your eyes to the cloud-flocked sky, the world inverts vertiginously and you find yourself staring into a pit that opens on an endless void. The cleaning boy wanders aimlessly, occasionally scraping up a bit of detritus with his hand shovel and tossing it into his pushcart ladened with debris. Without moving his eyes, Klove absorbs all that happens around him. >undo (Undoing one command) Warden's Office Narrow window slits dimly admit light that slash across the desk and the few other furnishings. Dominating the sparse surroundings, Demora scrutinizes you, twitching her knobbed fingers as if silently estimating the number of years you will spend here. >yes I don't know the word "yes". >say yes I don't know the word "yes". >say "yes" You realize that if you need to speak, you should address your words respectfully and properly to the person concerned. "Now, my dear Logastra, despite what they've been saying about you, I believe you wish to be a good girl. If so, your time here will be fruitful--yes, I assure you, this is true. So dear, will you be a good girl?" >yes "Fine. We'll work together and show the others what we're capable of. Well: decree has it that all residents of the dungeons must be searched and may not take with them anything other than the clothes on their backs. With that in mind, please disrobe. Don't fret: I'll keep safe any articles you cherish." >disrobe I don't know the word "disrobe". >take off clothes Your preference for working in abstraction stops your short: you don't know whether to start with your shirt, breeches, undershirt, underpants, or shoes. She waits expectantly. >take off shoes Demora takes your brogans. She waits expectantly. >take off breeches Demora takes your breeches. She waits expectantly. >take off shirt Demora takes your shirt. While the cold air prickles your naked limbs, Demora runs your clothes through her hands from one end to the other, as if squeezing the life out of them. She then shoves her hand into each shoe in turn. Finally, she turns you around, inspecting you from crown to sole. "Get dressed." When you do, she opens the door to admit Klove. Klove ushers you out into the courtyard. ~ You leave the heirloom from your mother behind. Courtyard The enclosing walls extend so high, especially along the side where the bulk of the fortress rises, that you feel like you're stuck in the bottom of a deep well. The entrance to the castle is mysteriously inviting, although the two corner doors flanking it are less so. And the tunnel across the square, leading to the gate and beyond, could not possibly be more seductive. Raising your eyes to the cloud-flocked sky, the world inverts vertiginously and you find yourself staring into a pit that opens on an endless void. The cleaning boy wanders aimlessly, occasionally scraping up a bit of detritus with his hand shovel and tossing it into his pushcart ladened with debris. Without moving his eyes, Klove absorbs all that happens around him. >restore Failed. >restart Are you sure you want to start over? (YES or NO) > y Do you wish to read the introduction? (Y/N) > n STONE CELL By Middle Edge Developed with TADS, the Text Adventure Development System. First-time players should type "about" for information about this game. Holding Pen This alcove, bare but for a creaky wooden bench, was stolen of late from the warden's chambers by means of narrowly set, heavy oak beams, and a matching door. Your only thought is, you shall never see your mother or father again. >x clothes They're the clothes you usually wear: a shirt your brother's outgrown, breeches from the market, an undershirt your mother sewed for you, underpants from your long-gone sister, and brogans your father presented to you. Back home you also have the dress that you should have worn to church, and a couple of more ragged outfits that barely fit you anymore, which you only don long enough to wash your workaday outfit. >put medallion in undershirt I don't see any undershirt here. >put medallion in underpants I don't see any underpants here. >[Arr!] I don't understand the punctuation "[". >hide medallion I don't know the word "hide". >put medallion in clothes Your preference for working in abstraction stops your short: you don't know whether to start with your shirt, breeches, undershirt, underpants, or shoes. >put medallion in shoes Done. Voices intrude on your solitude, entering from around the corner of the alcove, near the door to the outside world; one voice is male, weary and rumbling, the other is female, querulous and liquid. >undo (Undoing one command) Holding Pen, on the wooden bench This alcove, bare but for a creaky wooden bench, was stolen of late from the warden's chambers by means of narrowly set, heavy oak beams, and a matching door. >x shoes Heavy leather boots that you wear all day; gives off a rather musty smell. Voices intrude on your solitude, entering from around the corner of the alcove, near the door to the outside world; one voice is male, weary and rumbling, the other is female, querulous and liquid. >x breeches Rough dark leather with lacing that runs up one leg, wraps around the waist, and down the other leg to hold it in place. Female: She's resting at the moment. We can surely wait a little while longer. Male: Not much. The warden will be back anon. I want her gone before then. He's got enough without this to worry him, too. >take off breeches You see no reason to take your clothing off at this point; certainly, you don't plan to change into something they consider more appropriate just to avoid their wrath. Treble: I'll wake her in a bit. Bass: I'll stand guard while you search her. >put medallion in undershirt I don't see any undershirt here. >take off shirt You see no reason to take your clothing off at this point; certainly, you don't plan to change into something they consider more appropriate just to avoid their wrath. Smooth: Where will you take her? Rough: To where she belongs: with the other disloyal subjects. >wear medallion You can't wear the ivory medallion. Thin: For such a young girl, that's rather strong. Thick: Anyway, it's the only place where we have room: early last morn, our friend Mortison took care of a few former trespassers. >put medallion in shirt Your shirt is closed. Inward: Best get her ready. Outward: Careful of this one. Looks like she might bite. While the outside door closes off the previously unnoticed breeze into the chambers, Demora, the matron who presides over the orphanage, the fallen women workhouse, and other frail miscreants, opens your cage and coos at you like at a spooked horse, "Darling...let's take this easily and calmly. Then you can rest as much as you want." Bowed and docile, you shuffle into her waiting hands. Warden's Office Narrow window slits dimly admit light that slash across the desk and the few other furnishings. Dominating the sparse surroundings, Demora scrutinizes you, twitching her knobbed fingers as if silently estimating the number of years you will spend here. >x demora Heavily boned with limbs that have a nearly graceful arch to them, she has stood her ground for untold seasons as the heralds of change would lead another upheaval that charged across the lands. Her grey blouse and floor-length wool skirt hang upon her like she was a statue not yet unveiled. "Now, my dear Logastra, despite what they've been saying about you, I believe you wish to be a good girl. If so, your time here will be fruitful--yes, I assure you, this is true. So dear, will you be a good girl?" >yes "Fine. We'll work together and show the others what we're capable of. Well: decree has it that all residents of the dungeons must be searched and may not take with them anything other than the clothes on their backs. With that in mind, please disrobe. Don't fret: I'll keep safe any articles you cherish." >take off shirt Demora takes your shirt. She waits expectantly. >take off breeches Demora takes your breeches. She waits expectantly. >take off shoes Demora takes your brogans. While the cold air prickles your naked limbs, Demora runs your clothes through her hands from one end to the other, as if squeezing the life out of them. She then shoves her hand into each shoe in turn. Finally, she turns you around, inspecting you from crown to sole. ~ She grabs your hand and snatches the gift your mother gave you only an hour earlier. "Don't hide anything from me," she snarls. "Get dressed." When you do, she opens the door to admit Klove. Klove ushers you out into the courtyard. Courtyard The enclosing walls extend so high, especially along the side where the bulk of the fortress rises, that you feel like you're stuck in the bottom of a deep well. The entrance to the castle is mysteriously inviting, although the two corner doors flanking it are less so. And the tunnel across the square, leading to the gate and beyond, could not possibly be more seductive. Raising your eyes to the cloud-flocked sky, the world inverts vertiginously and you find yourself staring into a pit that opens on an endless void. The cleaning boy wanders aimlessly, occasionally scraping up a bit of detritus with his hand shovel and tossing it into his pushcart ladened with debris. Without moving his eyes, Klove absorbs all that happens around him. >restart Are you sure you want to start over? (YES or NO) > y Do you wish to read the introduction? (Y/N) > n STONE CELL By Middle Edge Developed with TADS, the Text Adventure Development System. First-time players should type "about" for information about this game. Holding Pen This alcove, bare but for a creaky wooden bench, was stolen of late from the warden's chambers by means of narrowly set, heavy oak beams, and a matching door. Your only thought is, you shall never see your mother or father again. >open shirt Opened. >x undershirt A grey cotton bib. Your mother insisted that you wear this "for your protection", but you haven't the need for it, yet. >put medallion in undershirt Done. Voices intrude on your solitude, entering from around the corner of the alcove, near the door to the outside world; one voice is male, weary and rumbling, the other is female, querulous and liquid. >close shirt Closed. Female: She's resting at the moment. We can surely wait a little while longer. Male: Not much. The warden will be back anon. I want her gone before then. He's got enough without this to worry him, too. >z Time passes... Treble: I'll wake her in a bit. Bass: I'll stand guard while you search her. >z Time passes... Smooth: Where will you take her? Rough: To where she belongs: with the other disloyal subjects. >z Time passes... Thin: For such a young girl, that's rather strong. Thick: Anyway, it's the only place where we have room: early last morn, our friend Mortison took care of a few former trespassers. >z Time passes... Inward: Best get her ready. Outward: Careful of this one. Looks like she might bite. While the outside door closes off the previously unnoticed breeze into the chambers, Demora, the matron who presides over the orphanage, the fallen women workhouse, and other frail miscreants, opens your cage and coos at you like at a spooked horse, "Darling...let's take this easily and calmly. Then you can rest as much as you want." Bowed and docile, you shuffle into her waiting hands. Warden's Office Narrow window slits dimly admit light that slash across the desk and the few other furnishings. Dominating the sparse surroundings, Demora scrutinizes you, twitching her knobbed fingers as if silently estimating the number of years you will spend here. >x demora Heavily boned with limbs that have a nearly graceful arch to them, she has stood her ground for untold seasons as the heralds of change would lead another upheaval that charged across the lands. Her grey blouse and floor-length wool skirt hang upon her like she was a statue not yet unveiled. "Now, my dear Logastra, despite what they've been saying about you, I believe you wish to be a good girl. If so, your time here will be fruitful--yes, I assure you, this is true. So dear, will you be a good girl?" >yes "Fine. We'll work together and show the others what we're capable of. Well: decree has it that all residents of the dungeons must be searched and may not take with them anything other than the clothes on their backs. With that in mind, please disrobe. Don't fret: I'll keep safe any articles you cherish." >take off shoes Demora takes your brogans. She waits expectantly. >take off shirt Demora takes your shirt. She waits expectantly. >take off breeches Demora takes your breeches. While the cold air prickles your naked limbs, Demora runs your clothes through her hands from one end to the other, as if squeezing the life out of them. She then shoves her hand into each shoe in turn. Finally, she turns you around, inspecting you from crown to sole. ~ At the sight of the odd lump, Demora yanks up your undershirt and catches the ivory token with her other hand. As your straighten your shirt, she whitely glares at you in caustic hatred. For a moment, you fear her more than you've ever feared anyone or anything. "Get dressed." When you do, she opens the door to admit Klove. Klove ushers you out into the courtyard. Courtyard The enclosing walls extend so high, especially along the side where the bulk of the fortress rises, that you feel like you're stuck in the bottom of a deep well. The entrance to the castle is mysteriously inviting, although the two corner doors flanking it are less so. And the tunnel across the square, leading to the gate and beyond, could not possibly be more seductive. Raising your eyes to the cloud-flocked sky, the world inverts vertiginously and you find yourself staring into a pit that opens on an endless void. The cleaning boy wanders aimlessly, occasionally scraping up a bit of detritus with his hand shovel and tossing it into his pushcart ladened with debris. Without moving his eyes, Klove absorbs all that happens around him. >restart Are you sure you want to start over? (YES or NO) > y Do you wish to read the introduction? (Y/N) > n STONE CELL By Middle Edge Developed with TADS, the Text Adventure Development System. First-time players should type "about" for information about this game. Holding Pen This alcove, bare but for a creaky wooden bench, was stolen of late from the warden's chambers by means of narrowly set, heavy oak beams, and a matching door. Your only thought is, you shall never see your mother or father again. >open breeches Opened. >put medallion in underpants Done. >close breeches Closed. Voices intrude on your solitude, entering from around the corner of the alcove, near the door to the outside world; one voice is male, weary and rumbling, the other is female, querulous and liquid. >z Time passes... Female: She's resting at the moment. We can surely wait a little while longer. Male: Not much. The warden will be back anon. I want her gone before then. He's got enough without this to worry him, too. >z Time passes... Treble: I'll wake her in a bit. Bass: I'll stand guard while you search her. >z Time passes... Smooth: Where will you take her? Rough: To where she belongs: with the other disloyal subjects. >z Time passes... Thin: For such a young girl, that's rather strong. Thick: Anyway, it's the only place where we have room: early last morn, our friend Mortison took care of a few former trespassers. >z Time passes... Inward: Best get her ready. Outward: Careful of this one. Looks like she might bite. While the outside door closes off the previously unnoticed breeze into the chambers, Demora, the matron who presides over the orphanage, the fallen women workhouse, and other frail miscreants, opens your cage and coos at you like at a spooked horse, "Darling...let's take this easily and calmly. Then you can rest as much as you want." Bowed and docile, you shuffle into her waiting hands. Warden's Office Narrow window slits dimly admit light that slash across the desk and the few other furnishings. Dominating the sparse surroundings, Demora scrutinizes you, twitching her knobbed fingers as if silently estimating the number of years you will spend here. > You must do something. >z Time passes... "Now, my dear Logastra, despite what they've been saying about you, I believe you wish to be a good girl. If so, your time here will be fruitful--yes, I assure you, this is true. So dear, will you be a good girl?" >yes "Fine. We'll work together and show the others what we're capable of. Well: decree has it that all residents of the dungeons must be searched and may not take with them anything other than the clothes on their backs. With that in mind, please disrobe. Don't fret: I'll keep safe any articles you cherish." >take off boots Demora takes your brogans. She waits expectantly. >take off breeches Demora takes your breeches. She waits expectantly. >take off shirt Demora takes your shirt. While the cold air prickles your naked limbs, Demora runs your clothes through her hands from one end to the other, as if squeezing the life out of them. She then shoves her hand into each shoe in turn. Finally, she turns you around, inspecting you from crown to sole. ~ She points at the fullness in your underpants and says, with curiously little venom, "Take that out." You retrieve the concealed medallion and give to her. From this moment on, she seems to see you as no more the most irredeemable whore. "Get dressed." When you do, she opens the door to admit Klove. Klove ushers you out into the courtyard. Courtyard The enclosing walls extend so high, especially along the side where the bulk of the fortress rises, that you feel like you're stuck in the bottom of a deep well. The entrance to the castle is mysteriously inviting, although the two corner doors flanking it are less so. And the tunnel across the square, leading to the gate and beyond, could not possibly be more seductive. Raising your eyes to the cloud-flocked sky, the world inverts vertiginously and you find yourself staring into a pit that opens on an endless void. The cleaning boy wanders aimlessly, occasionally scraping up a bit of detritus with his hand shovel and tossing it into his pushcart ladened with debris. Without moving his eyes, Klove absorbs all that happens around him. >[hmmm.] I don't understand the punctuation "[". >restart Are you sure you want to start over? (YES or NO) > y Do you wish to read the introduction? (Y/N) > n STONE CELL By Middle Edge Developed with TADS, the Text Adventure Development System. First-time players should type "about" for information about this game. Holding Pen This alcove, bare but for a creaky wooden bench, was stolen of late from the warden's chambers by means of narrowly set, heavy oak beams, and a matching door. Your only thought is, you shall never see your mother or father again. >help I don't know the word "help". >hint Stone Cell, Version 1. The right-hand side of the status line shows the visible exits for the room. If it is a door that is closed, it will be enclosed in parentheses, i.e., "(SW)". Please be aware that not every direction listed will take you to another location. In some cases, you might be always be prevented from passing through. Also, hidden exits won't be displayed, or at least until they are found. In this game, there are three puzzles that can be skipped without affecting your ability to complete the game; I think they are fairly difficult, so you may want to finish first, then return to them afterwards, time permitting. When you pass the point that these puzzles are rendered impossible to solve, a tilde ("~") will be displayed to inform you. Also, there is at least one point where the game can be rendered unwinnable. I tried to place a cue to indicate when you are heading down that path, but, of course, you should save your game at strategic places. And finally, there is also a radically different ending to the game. You will know when you found it because it'll be marked with a number sign ("#"). So, with many thanks to Mike Roberts for the TADS system, you can return to the game. >open shirt Opened. >open breeches Opened. Voices intrude on your solitude, entering from around the corner of the alcove, near the door to the outside world; one voice is male, weary and rumbling, the other is female, querulous and liquid. >put medallion in underpants Done. Female: She's resting at the moment. We can surely wait a little while longer. Male: Not much. The warden will be back anon. I want her gone before then. He's got enough without this to worry him, too. >x underpants White cotton shorts your wear to keep your breeches from chafing you. A noticeable lump is formed by the medallion within it. Treble: I'll wake her in a bit. Bass: I'll stand guard while you search her. >move lump I don't know the word "lump". >move medallion Moving the ivory medallion doesn't reveal anything. Smooth: Where will you take her? Rough: To where she belongs: with the other disloyal subjects. >move underpants Moving your underpants doesn't reveal anything. Thin: For such a young girl, that's rather strong. Thick: Anyway, it's the only place where we have room: early last morn, our friend Mortison took care of a few former trespassers. >close breeches Closed. Inward: Best get her ready. Outward: Careful of this one. Looks like she might bite. While the outside door closes off the previously unnoticed breeze into the chambers, Demora, the matron who presides over the orphanage, the fallen women workhouse, and other frail miscreants, opens your cage and coos at you like at a spooked horse, "Darling...let's take this easily and calmly. Then you can rest as much as you want." Bowed and docile, you shuffle into her waiting hands. Warden's Office Narrow window slits dimly admit light that slash across the desk and the few other furnishings. Dominating the sparse surroundings, Demora scrutinizes you, twitching her knobbed fingers as if silently estimating the number of years you will spend here. At the sight of your open shirt her eyes narrow. "What have you been doing? Are you trying to hide something?" She grabs you and roughly examines you. ~ Upon discovery of the ivory disk, she takes it as her own. Afterwards, before you've even begun to recover, she knocks on the door and Klove enters. Klove ushers you out into the courtyard. Courtyard The enclosing walls extend so high, especially along the side where the bulk of the fortress rises, that you feel like you're stuck in the bottom of a deep well. The entrance to the castle is mysteriously inviting, although the two corner doors flanking it are less so. And the tunnel across the square, leading to the gate and beyond, could not possibly be more seductive. Raising your eyes to the cloud-flocked sky, the world inverts vertiginously and you find yourself staring into a pit that opens on an endless void. The cleaning boy wanders aimlessly, occasionally scraping up a bit of detritus with his hand shovel and tossing it into his pushcart ladened with debris. Without moving his eyes, Klove absorbs all that happens around him. >restart Are you sure you want to start over? (YES or NO) > y Do you wish to read the introduction? (Y/N) > n STONE CELL By Middle Edge Developed with TADS, the Text Adventure Development System. First-time players should type "about" for information about this game. Holding Pen This alcove, bare but for a creaky wooden bench, was stolen of late from the warden's chambers by means of narrowly set, heavy oak beams, and a matching door. Your only thought is, you shall never see your mother or father again. >put disc in shoes Done. >open shirt Opened. >get up In getting to your feet ever so gingerly, the bench inevitably creaks in relief. Drawn by the sound, Demora, the matron of this keep, steps over to the bars. "Well, you're awake. Good. This shouldn't take much of our time." She opens the pen and draws you out. You catch a glimpse of Klove before he shuts the door on the two of you. Warden's Office Narrow window slits dimly admit light that slash across the desk and the few other furnishings. Dominating the sparse surroundings, Demora scrutinizes you, twitching her knobbed fingers as if silently estimating the number of years you will spend here. At the sight of your open shirt her eyes narrow. "What have you been doing? Are you trying to hide something?" She grabs you and roughly examines you. ~ Upon discovery of the ivory disk, she takes it as her own. Afterwards, before you've even begun to recover, she knocks on the door and Klove enters. Klove ushers you out into the courtyard. Courtyard The enclosing walls extend so high, especially along the side where the bulk of the fortress rises, that you feel like you're stuck in the bottom of a deep well. The entrance to the castle is mysteriously inviting, although the two corner doors flanking it are less so. And the tunnel across the square, leading to the gate and beyond, could not possibly be more seductive. Raising your eyes to the cloud-flocked sky, the world inverts vertiginously and you find yourself staring into a pit that opens on an endless void. The cleaning boy wanders aimlessly, occasionally scraping up a bit of detritus with his hand shovel and tossing it into his pushcart ladened with debris. Without moving his eyes, Klove absorbs all that happens around him. >restart Are you sure you want to start over? (YES or NO) > y Do you wish to read the introduction? (Y/N) > n STONE CELL By Middle Edge Developed with TADS, the Text Adventure Development System. First-time players should type "about" for information about this game. Holding Pen This alcove, bare but for a creaky wooden bench, was stolen of late from the warden's chambers by means of narrowly set, heavy oak beams, and a matching door. Your only thought is, you shall never see your mother or father again. >x shoes Heavy leather boots that you wear all day; gives off a rather musty smell. >search shoes There's nothing in your brogans. >put disc in mouth I don't know the word "mouth". >eat disc The ivory medallion doesn't appear appetizing. Voices intrude on your solitude, entering from around the corner of the alcove, near the door to the outside world; one voice is male, weary and rumbling, the other is female, querulous and liquid. >open shirt Opened. Female: She's resting at the moment. We can surely wait a little while longer. Male: Not much. The warden will be back anon. I want her gone before then. He's got enough without this to worry him, too. >put medallion in undershirt Done. Treble: I'll wake her in a bit. Bass: I'll stand guard while you search her. >x undershirt A grey cotton bib. Your mother insisted that you wear this "for your protection", but you haven't the need for it, yet. Smooth: Where will you take her? Rough: To where she belongs: with the other disloyal subjects. >[Should mention lump, right?] I don't understand the punctuation "[". >take off bib You see no reason to take your clothing off at this point; certainly, you don't plan to change into something they consider more appropriate just to avoid their wrath. Thin: For such a young girl, that's rather strong. Thick: Anyway, it's the only place where we have room: early last morn, our friend Mortison took care of a few former trespassers. >open pants Opened. Inward: Best get her ready. Outward: Careful of this one. Looks like she might bite. While the outside door closes off the previously unnoticed breeze into the chambers, Demora, the matron who presides over the orphanage, the fallen women workhouse, and other frail miscreants, opens your cage and coos at you like at a spooked horse, "Darling...let's take this easily and calmly. Then you can rest as much as you want." Bowed and docile, you shuffle into her waiting hands. Warden's Office Narrow window slits dimly admit light that slash across the desk and the few other furnishings. Dominating the sparse surroundings, Demora scrutinizes you, twitching her knobbed fingers as if silently estimating the number of years you will spend here. At the sight of your open shirt her eyes narrow. "What have you been doing? Are you trying to hide something?" She grabs you and roughly examines you. ~ Upon discovery of the ivory disk, she takes it as her own. Afterwards, before you've even begun to recover, she knocks on the door and Klove enters. Klove ushers you out into the courtyard. Courtyard The enclosing walls extend so high, especially along the side where the bulk of the fortress rises, that you feel like you're stuck in the bottom of a deep well. The entrance to the castle is mysteriously inviting, although the two corner doors flanking it are less so. And the tunnel across the square, leading to the gate and beyond, could not possibly be more seductive. Raising your eyes to the cloud-flocked sky, the world inverts vertiginously and you find yourself staring into a pit that opens on an endless void. The cleaning boy wanders aimlessly, occasionally scraping up a bit of detritus with his hand shovel and tossing it into his pushcart ladened with debris. Without moving his eyes, Klove absorbs all that happens around him. >restart Are you sure you want to start over? (YES or NO) > y Do you wish to read the introduction? (Y/N) > n STONE CELL By Middle Edge Developed with TADS, the Text Adventure Development System. First-time players should type "about" for information about this game. Holding Pen This alcove, bare but for a creaky wooden bench, was stolen of late from the warden's chambers by means of narrowly set, heavy oak beams, and a matching door. Your only thought is, you shall never see your mother or father again. >open pants Opened. >undo (Undoing one command) Holding Pen, on the wooden bench This alcove, bare but for a creaky wooden bench, was stolen of late from the warden's chambers by means of narrowly set, heavy oak beams, and a matching door. >open shirt Opened. >put medallion in undershirt Done. >close shirt Closed. Voices intrude on your solitude, entering from around the corner of the alcove, near the door to the outside world; one voice is male, weary and rumbling, the other is female, querulous and liquid. >get up In getting to your feet ever so gingerly, the bench inevitably creaks in relief. Drawn by the sound, Demora, the matron of this keep, steps over to the bars. "Well, you're awake. Good. This shouldn't take much of our time." She opens the pen and draws you out. You catch a glimpse of Klove before he shuts the door on the two of you. Warden's Office Narrow window slits dimly admit light that slash across the desk and the few other furnishings. Dominating the sparse surroundings, Demora scrutinizes you, twitching her knobbed fingers as if silently estimating the number of years you will spend here. >x demora Heavily boned with limbs that have a nearly graceful arch to them, she has stood her ground for untold seasons as the heralds of change would lead another upheaval that charged across the lands. Her grey blouse and floor-length wool skirt hang upon her like she was a statue not yet unveiled. "Now, my dear Logastra, despite what they've been saying about you, I believe you wish to be a good girl. If so, your time here will be fruitful--yes, I assure you, this is true. So dear, will you be a good girl?" >yes "Fine. We'll work together and show the others what we're capable of. Well: decree has it that all residents of the dungeons must be searched and may not take with them anything other than the clothes on their backs. With that in mind, please disrobe. Don't fret: I'll keep safe any articles you cherish." >take off shoes Demora takes your brogans. She waits expectantly. >take off pants Demora takes your breeches. She waits expectantly. >take off underpants "You can keep your underpants on," she says. She waits expectantly. >take off shirt Demora takes your shirt. While the cold air prickles your naked limbs, Demora runs your clothes through her hands from one end to the other, as if squeezing the life out of them. She then shoves her hand into each shoe in turn. Finally, she turns you around, inspecting you from crown to sole. ~ At the sight of the odd lump, Demora yanks up your undershirt and catches the ivory token with her other hand. As your straighten your shirt, she whitely glares at you in caustic hatred. For a moment, you fear her more than you've ever feared anyone or anything. "Get dressed." When you do, she opens the door to admit Klove. Klove ushers you out into the courtyard. Courtyard The enclosing walls extend so high, especially along the side where the bulk of the fortress rises, that you feel like you're stuck in the bottom of a deep well. The entrance to the castle is mysteriously inviting, although the two corner doors flanking it are less so. And the tunnel across the square, leading to the gate and beyond, could not possibly be more seductive. Raising your eyes to the cloud-flocked sky, the world inverts vertiginously and you find yourself staring into a pit that opens on an endless void. The cleaning boy wanders aimlessly, occasionally scraping up a bit of detritus with his hand shovel and tossing it into his pushcart ladened with debris. Without moving his eyes, Klove absorbs all that happens around him. >about Stone Cell, Version 1. The right-hand side of the status line shows the visible exits for the room. If it is a door that is closed, it will be enclosed in parentheses, i.e., "(SW)". Please be aware that not every direction listed will take you to another location. In some cases, you might be always be prevented from passing through. Also, hidden exits won't be displayed, or at least until they are found. In this game, there are three puzzles that can be skipped without affecting your ability to complete the game; I think they are fairly difficult, so you may want to finish first, then return to them afterwards, time permitting. When you pass the point that these puzzles are rendered impossible to solve, a tilde ("~") will be displayed to inform you. Also, there is at least one point where the game can be rendered unwinnable. I tried to place a cue to indicate when you are heading down that path, but, of course, you should save your game at strategic places. And finally, there is also a radically different ending to the game. You will know when you found it because it'll be marked with a number sign ("#"). So, with many thanks to Mike Roberts for the TADS system, you can return to the game. Halting you with a formidable outstretched arm, Klove takes a moment to talk to the child. "Hoy, Matthew." The boy eventually finds Klove with his slow eyes. "Do see you clean the warden's quarters before he returns." The lopsided smile would seem to indicate assent. >restart Are you sure you want to start over? (YES or NO) > y Do you wish to read the introduction? (Y/N) > n STONE CELL By Middle Edge Developed with TADS, the Text Adventure Development System. First-time players should type "about" for information about this game. Holding Pen This alcove, bare but for a creaky wooden bench, was stolen of late from the warden's chambers by means of narrowly set, heavy oak beams, and a matching door. Your only thought is, you shall never see your mother or father again. >drop medallion Dropped. >z Time passes... >z Time passes... Voices intrude on your solitude, entering from around the corner of the alcove, near the door to the outside world; one voice is male, weary and rumbling, the other is female, querulous and liquid. >stand In getting to your feet ever so gingerly, the bench inevitably creaks in relief. Drawn by the sound, Demora, the matron of this keep, steps over to the bars. "Well, you're awake. Good. This shouldn't take much of our time." She opens the pen and draws you out. You catch a glimpse of Klove before he shuts the door on the two of you. Warden's Office Narrow window slits dimly admit light that slash across the desk and the few other furnishings. Dominating the sparse surroundings, Demora scrutinizes you, twitching her knobbed fingers as if silently estimating the number of years you will spend here. >z Time passes... "Now, my dear Logastra, despite what they've been saying about you, I believe you wish to be a good girl. If so, your time here will be fruitful--yes, I assure you, this is true. So dear, will you be a good girl?" >no In a glint, she turns dark and forboding. Paying no heed to your stifled protests, she searches you thoroughly. When she's done with you, she calls in Klove. Klove ushers you out into the courtyard. ~ You leave the heirloom from your mother behind. Courtyard The enclosing walls extend so high, especially along the side where the bulk of the fortress rises, that you feel like you're stuck in the bottom of a deep well. The entrance to the castle is mysteriously inviting, although the two corner doors flanking it are less so. And the tunnel across the square, leading to the gate and beyond, could not possibly be more seductive. Raising your eyes to the cloud-flocked sky, the world inverts vertiginously and you find yourself staring into a pit that opens on an endless void. The cleaning boy wanders aimlessly, occasionally scraping up a bit of detritus with his hand shovel and tossing it into his pushcart ladened with debris. Without moving his eyes, Klove absorbs all that happens around him. >restart Are you sure you want to start over? (YES or NO) > y Do you wish to read the introduction? (Y/N) > n STONE CELL By Middle Edge Developed with TADS, the Text Adventure Development System. First-time players should type "about" for information about this game. Holding Pen This alcove, bare but for a creaky wooden bench, was stolen of late from the warden's chambers by means of narrowly set, heavy oak beams, and a matching door. Your only thought is, you shall never see your mother or father again. >x hair Your hair is close-cropped, your skin is burnished by the sun and the wind. >x me You, known as Logastra, are slender and wiry from helping your father all day in the fields and helping your mother with chores when you get home, and, as you do every summer, you've cropped your hair close so that it wouldn't impede your labors. The clothes you wear are the selfsame ones that got you in trouble in the first place. >x clothes They're the clothes you usually wear: a shirt your brother's outgrown, breeches from the market, an undershirt your mother sewed for you, underpants from your long-gone sister, and brogans your father presented to you. Back home you also have the dress that you should have worn to church, and a couple of more ragged outfits that barely fit you anymore, which you only don long enough to wash your workaday outfit. Voices intrude on your solitude, entering from around the corner of the alcove, near the door to the outside world; one voice is male, weary and rumbling, the other is female, querulous and liquid. >x breeches Rough dark leather with lacing that runs up one leg, wraps around the waist, and down the other leg to hold it in place. Female: She's resting at the moment. We can surely wait a little while longer. Male: Not much. The warden will be back anon. I want her gone before then. He's got enough without this to worry him, too. >x lacing I don't know the word "lacing". >x brogans Heavy leather boots that you wear all day; gives off a rather musty smell. Treble: I'll wake her in a bit. Bass: I'll stand guard while you search her. >x shirt Slightly soiled linen, dark green, smelling of freshly tilled earth. Smooth: Where will you take her? Rough: To where she belongs: with the other disloyal subjects. >take off shoes You see no reason to take your clothing off at this point; certainly, you don't plan to change into something they consider more appropriate just to avoid their wrath. Thin: For such a young girl, that's rather strong. Thick: Anyway, it's the only place where we have room: early last morn, our friend Mortison took care of a few former trespassers. >open shirt Opened. Inward: Best get her ready. Outward: Careful of this one. Looks like she might bite. While the outside door closes off the previously unnoticed breeze into the chambers, Demora, the matron who presides over the orphanage, the fallen women workhouse, and other frail miscreants, opens your cage and coos at you like at a spooked horse, "Darling...let's take this easily and calmly. Then you can rest as much as you want." Bowed and docile, you shuffle into her waiting hands. Warden's Office Narrow window slits dimly admit light that slash across the desk and the few other furnishings. Dominating the sparse surroundings, Demora scrutinizes you, twitching her knobbed fingers as if silently estimating the number of years you will spend here. At the sight of your open shirt her eyes narrow. "What have you been doing? Are you trying to hide something?" She grabs you and roughly examines you. ~ Upon discovery of the ivory disk, she takes it as her own. Afterwards, before you've even begun to recover, she knocks on the door and Klove enters. Klove ushers you out into the courtyard. Courtyard The enclosing walls extend so high, especially along the side where the bulk of the fortress rises, that you feel like you're stuck in the bottom of a deep well. The entrance to the castle is mysteriously inviting, although the two corner doors flanking it are less so. And the tunnel across the square, leading to the gate and beyond, could not possibly be more seductive. Raising your eyes to the cloud-flocked sky, the world inverts vertiginously and you find yourself staring into a pit that opens on an endless void. The cleaning boy wanders aimlessly, occasionally scraping up a bit of detritus with his hand shovel and tossing it into his pushcart ladened with debris. Without moving his eyes, Klove absorbs all that happens around him. >restart Are you sure you want to start over? (YES or NO) > y Do you wish to read the introduction? (Y/N) > n STONE CELL By Middle Edge Developed with TADS, the Text Adventure Development System. First-time players should type "about" for information about this game. Holding Pen This alcove, bare but for a creaky wooden bench, was stolen of late from the warden's chambers by means of narrowly set, heavy oak beams, and a matching door. Your only thought is, you shall never see your mother or father again. >open shirt Opened. >x undershirt A grey cotton bib. Your mother insisted that you wear this "for your protection", but you haven't the need for it, yet. >stand In getting to your feet ever so gingerly, the bench inevitably creaks in relief. Drawn by the sound, Demora, the matron of this keep, steps over to the bars. "Well, you're awake. Good. This shouldn't take much of our time." She opens the pen and draws you out. You catch a glimpse of Klove before he shuts the door on the two of you. Warden's Office Narrow window slits dimly admit light that slash across the desk and the few other furnishings. Dominating the sparse surroundings, Demora scrutinizes you, twitching her knobbed fingers as if silently estimating the number of years you will spend here. At the sight of your open shirt her eyes narrow. "What have you been doing? Are you trying to hide something?" She grabs you and roughly examines you. ~ Upon discovery of the ivory disk, she takes it as her own. Afterwards, before you've even begun to recover, she knocks on the door and Klove enters. Klove ushers you out into the courtyard. Courtyard The enclosing walls extend so high, especially along the side where the bulk of the fortress rises, that you feel like you're stuck in the bottom of a deep well. The entrance to the castle is mysteriously inviting, although the two corner doors flanking it are less so. And the tunnel across the square, leading to the gate and beyond, could not possibly be more seductive. Raising your eyes to the cloud-flocked sky, the world inverts vertiginously and you find yourself staring into a pit that opens on an endless void. The cleaning boy wanders aimlessly, occasionally scraping up a bit of detritus with his hand shovel and tossing it into his pushcart ladened with debris. Without moving his eyes, Klove absorbs all that happens around him. >x boy If ever there was a boy that needed cleaning himself, he was the one. Grime, dirt, filth, soot, crumbs, all commingle on his face. His shirt, breeches, and boots are covered with a layer of grey dust. Halting you with a formidable outstretched arm, Klove takes a moment to talk to the child. "Hoy, Matthew." The boy eventually finds Klove with his slow eyes. "Do see you clean the warden's quarters before he returns." The lopsided smile would seem to indicate assent. >matthew, hello Klove interrupts you. "I'm the one who gives the orders." Klove directs you straight across the courtyard through a dark arch. Dungeon Access This is really just the uppermost reach of a square shaft, cut into the side of the mountain, that plunges straight down, with a dubious wooden staircase winding its way to the bottom and with the periodic torch clamped to the wall to provide the needed light for the descent. Facing the entrance is a large tapestry, faded and dappled with soot. Peering down the middle of the stairway spiral, through the undulating light and the smoky haze of the fires, gives you the impression of plumbing the murky depths of the lake. >x tapestry Though the colors are muted, the scene vividly depicts lost souls being tossed into perdition: the tangle of limbs, the voiceless screams, the eyes cast upwards in a vain search for Heaven. The conviction of the imagery is only marred by its faulty hanging: while seemingly stretched flat on the rock, the center still bevels inward. In these damned creatures, as with the evildoers described and reviled in Prucine's sermons, you can find the likeness of many of your fellow villagers, and more than one that resembles yourself. With the choices essentially limited to descent, you and Klove take many turns down the staircase, until you reach a platform. First Dungeon Sublevel At the landing, a heavy wooden door, held secure by a crossbar, allows raucous conversations to seep out, enough so that you can understand the intent, if not the sense. When you were younger, your father came close, more than once, to being locked up in there himself. During those times, you had little to eat beyond what you could scavenge from the forest. >x door Although slightly warped by dampness, the door manages to be fairly imposing, especially with its thick crossbeam in place. Klove pauses to pound on the door. "Keep quiet in there." The voices are silenced, until the two of you continue down the steps. Many windings later, you reach a lower level. Second Dungeon Sublevel A cast-iron door spotted with rust is the one thing to break the monotony of the shaft along this section. >x door The door just has a latch to keep it locked. Also, set high in center is a small grille which would allow a view inside if you were taller; the ominous grunts and the vexed moans that sporadically exit through the grate cure your curiosity in any case. Pushing his face close to the grate, he speaks to an unseen person on the other side, "Good morn, Timothy. How's your tenants?" A friendly voice returns through the metal slots, "Not too terrible. Good since the last clearance below." Klove snorts. "We're only halfway finished, and now I've got to go and start loading up the bottom slots again. Keep awake." He leads you to still greater depths. Third Dungeon Sublevel The bottom of the shaft, where the air is clear of smoke and chilled like spring water. Overhead, the tortuous staircase ascends in a miasmal miracle, ready to be dispelled by the first step. In ponderous contrast, the huge stone door defends in perpetuity the very portal from which it was cut. Zane leans on the rock, drawing his slight strength from its density. >x door A monolith that would dwarf the monument to many a warrior-king, it appears to be engraved by an unknown hand with the shapes of fantastic creatures that form a tableau to match the tapestry above. The image is only marred by a deep, angled groove that runs at shoulder-height for you, and five large hinges the fasten the block to one side of the passage. "So," Klove remarks, as if to himself, "it's Zane today." He replies in a similar vein, "It's Zane ever day. And most the night, too." Klove turns more formal, "Please open the door. I have a prisoner to add." After eyeing you for a moment, Zane, with a grunt, pulls free a shale wedge jammed at the bottom of the door, then grasps the notch cut into the granite. After some straining the door swings slightly, although not enough to permit entry. He huffs, "Can help, Klove? Felt weak this early day." Klove clutches the rock and, with a smooth movement, tosses the door aside. >x zane Cast into an eternal wait, his features, which may have been sharp during his lighter days, have been rounded and smoothed. The shag of his hair would not be out of place on a damp sheepdog and the bristle of his beard could match that of a shorn goat. While Zane stands as straight as a stela, Klove ushers you into a passage much narrower than the door that protects it. Dungeon Passage, East A pinched, somewhat uneven hallway that begins with a gap left by the massive door standing ajar, and continues past several niches along one wall, each closed off by a metal door, to a further stretch of corridor. Affixed to the opposite wall, braziers hold glowing coals which cast the passage in a copper light. >x braziers Held by a metal bracket, the brass pan is filled with coals that give off as much warmth as illumination. He pushes you from behind--his shoulders come close to spanning the sides of the corridor--pushes you deeper into the mountain. Dungeon Passage, Center Along this portion of the corridor, during the excavation of the niches there must have been a terrible accident: a wall of rock has dropped down, obliterating two of the hollows, while leaving one intact. >x hollows I don't know the word "hollows". >x wall The granite squeezes upon you from either side. Halting you with a heavy hand, you hear the rattling of metal, then, using one of the keys on a ring as large as an ox's nose ring, Klove unlocks the door and opens it. >x keys I don't know the word "keys". >x key I don't know the word "key". >x door Wrought from pig iron, the door has a lock near the upper edge with a large round keyhole, a slot in the middle with a latched shutter, and a larger panel, also latched, near the bottom. With surprising gentleness, Klove corrals you into your cell. Dungeon Room Smaller than a horse's stall, the harsh solidity of the floor, the walls, and the ceiling exude coldness. The ceiling is so low that the normal adult would have to stoop; you can stand straight, but the rock seems to press upon your head with the weight of the mountain. From the light of the open door, you can discern a straw mat in one corner and a metal chamber pot in another. Nothing else. This is a sepulcher for the living. You are ensconced in the tomb where you shall surely perish, with no one to anoint your body, no one to assuage your throes, no one to hear your final lament. >n Klove blocks your attempt to leave. He shuts the door, leaving you alone. >cry I don't know the word "cry". >x mat A weaved pallet for sleeping. Even for you, the length of the mat is too short to allow you to stretch out upon it. >search it There's nothing on the straw mat. >x pot A corroded brass urn with a handle. Empty, although splotched with deposits. >x handle I don't see any handle here. >get pot You have no urge to use it. Your prospects appear more limited than ever. >x door Basically an unadorned slab of metal. There are two panels visible, an upper and lower one, but no means of opening them. The gaps at the top and bottom of the door are too small to allow even one of your fingers to reach through. >x upper panel Basically an unadorned slab of metal. There are two panels visible, an upper and lower one, but no means of opening them. The gaps at the top and bottom of the door are too small to allow even one of your fingers to reach through. >hit panel You hurt your hand on the metal door. >move mat You can't move the straw mat. The situation seems so hopeless, you'd like to just give up. >search mat There's nothing on the straw mat. >z Time passes... >i You are empty-handed. >l Dungeon Room Smaller than a horse's stall, the harsh solidity of the floor, the walls, and the ceiling exude coldness. The ceiling is so low that the normal adult would have to stoop; you can stand straight, but the rock seems to press upon your head with the weight of the mountain. From the glow that oozes from the top and bottom of the closed door, you can discern a straw mat in one corner and a metal chamber pot in another. Nothing else. You feel limp, lifeless. >x glow I don't know the word "glow". >x ceiling Totally unbreachable. >x walls Perfectly impenetrable. >x floor Utterly impregnable. >g Utterly impregnable. Fatigue weighs you down. >x pot A corroded brass urn with a handle. Empty, although splotched with deposits. >search it You have no urge to use it. >move it You have no urge to use it. >lie on mat Okay, you're now lying on the straw mat. You can do nothing without some rest first. >sleep Sleep fills your senses with lampblack, and you find temporary escape from your interment. When you awake, after many unmarked hours, you renew your determination to change the situation, without compromise. Dungeon Room >l Dungeon Room, on the straw mat You slept in this corner. You see a straw mat here. >get up Okay, you're no longer on the straw mat. >x mat A moldy piece of weaved straw, once golden, now grey. >search it There's nothing on the straw mat. >move it Moving the straw mat doesn't reveal anything. >x pot Some sort of metal pot. >search it It's too far away. >l Dungeon Room You slept in this corner. You see a straw mat here. >n Dungeon Room >verbose Okay, now in VERBOSE mode. Dungeon Room One side of the room. >e You can't go that way. >s Dungeon Room You slept in this corner. You see a straw mat here. >s You can't go that way. >w Dungeon Room The deepest side of the room. >w Dungeon Room The corner farthest from the door. >n Dungeon Room A side of the prison. >x wall Almost escaping notice, on the wall near the floor is some sort of mark carved into the stone. >x mark A series of letters have been carved into the stone near a crack at the base of the wall. In the days leading up to when Frederick broke with father and became an apprentice stone cutter, your brother told you tales of how masons would secretly leave their personal imprints on their work so that they too would be as immortalized as the overlords they served. >read letters Simply a series of initials: "S of G", "DH", and others of people gone and forgotten. >x crack A slight crack concealed in the meeting of wall and floor. >search crack There is nothing in the breach. >n Dungeon Room The corner where the chamber pot is. >x pot An unadorned basin with a long handle, made from spun brass--probably a discard from the lordly cookery. While not clean by any means, it is empty. >look in it You have no need to make use of this befouled container. >get it You have no need to make use of this befouled container. >x handle A rounded length of brass that flattens as it joins the side of the pot. >get handle The handle is attached to the chamber pot. >bend handle You bend the handle upwards. >g You straighten out the handle again. >g You bend the handle upwards. >g You straighten out the handle again. >g You bend the handle upwards. >g The shaft breaks off in your grip. >s Dungeon Room A side of the prison. >i You have a chamber pot handle. >put handle in crack You wedge the thin end of the broken handle into the gap in the stone. >move handle Moving the chamber pot handle doesn't reveal anything. >dig What do you want to dig in? >crack What do you want to dig in it with? >handle I don't know how to dig in the crack in wall. >s Dungeon Room The corner farthest from the door. >x wall The rough gray of the rock is speckled with lighter flecks. >e Dungeon Room The deepest side of the room. >x wall After staring at the wall for a piece, a fine crack becomes apparent. >x crack A fine, almost imperceptible fracture runs the crooked line of a lightning stroke diagonally across the ceiling, and partway down the wall. >put handle in crack I don't see any handle here. >nw Dungeon Room A side of the prison. >get handle Taken. >se Dungeon Room The deepest side of the room. >put handle in crack You can't put anything into the fracture. >x fracture A fine, almost imperceptible fracture runs the crooked line of a lightning stroke diagonally across the ceiling, and partway down the wall. >touch it Touching the fracture doesn't seem to have any effect. >blow it I don't know the word "blow". >e Dungeon Room You slept in this corner. You see a straw mat here. >x wall After staring at the wall for a piece, a fine crack becomes apparent. >x crack A fine, almost imperceptible fracture runs the crooked line of a lightning stroke across the face of the two walls. >put handle in crack You can't put anything into the fracture. >n Dungeon Room One side of the room. >x wall After staring at the wall for a piece, a fine crack becomes apparent. >x crack A fine, almost imperceptible fracture runs the crooked line of a lightning stroke diagonally across the ceiling, and partway down the wall. >x ceiling Rubbing your hand on the granite, you take comfort in the hairline fracture you can feel but not see. >x floor Cold and rough, and without apparent defects. >n Dungeon Room The corner where the door is. >x door A flat metal door with no protrusions. A couple of rectangular panels are inset, and gaps at the top and bottom allow light in, while precious little can go out. >put handle in gap You jam the piece of brass between the metal and the stone. >bend handle Distorting the length of metal itself proves to be none too easy. >push handle Pushing the chamber pot handle doesn't do anything. >open panel Which panel do you mean, the upper panel, or the lower panel? >upper The upper panel can't be opened while it's latched. >open lower I don't know how to open the lower gap. >open lower panel The lower panel can't be opened while it's latched. >get handle Taken. >put handle in lower gap You jam the piece of brass between the metal and the stone. >lift handle I don't know the word "lift". >raise handle I don't know the word "raise". >w Dungeon Room The side nearest the corridor. >x wall The rough gray of the rock is speckled with lighter flecks. >x floor Cold and rough, and without apparent defects. >x ceiling Accustomed as you are to thatched roofs, the rock above you has the unsettling aspect of permanence. >se Dungeon Room One side of the room. >e You can't go that way. >s Dungeon Room You slept in this corner. You see a straw mat here. >get mat Taken. >nw Dungeon Room The heart of the cell. >x floor Cold and rough, and without apparent defects. >w Dungeon Room A side of the prison. >x wall Almost escaping notice, on the wall near the floor is some sort of mark carved into the stone. >x mark A series of letters have been carved into the stone near a crack at the base of the wall. >read mark Simply a series of initials: "S of G", "DH", and others of people gone and forgotten. >x crack A slight crack concealed in the meeting of wall and floor. >look in crack There is nothing in the breach. >put handle in crack I don't see any handle here. >se Dungeon Room The deepest side of the room. >ne Dungeon Room One side of the room. >n Dungeon Room The corner where the door is. >get handle Taken. >sw Dungeon Room The heart of the cell. >w Dungeon Room A side of the prison. >help I don't know the word "help". >hit handle on wall When you strike the rock with the brass rod, sparks fly in every direction. >drop mat Dropped. >hit handle on wall When you strike the rock with the brass rod, sparks fly in every direction, showering the mat, which abruptly catches fire. >ne Dungeon Room The side nearest the corridor. The flames rise up higher from the straw. >x wall The rough gray of the rock is speckled with lighter flecks. The waves of heat fill the cell. >e Dungeon Room The corner where the door is. The inferno reaches its apogee. >hit door with handle It's deflected off the metal door. The fire begins to die down. >z Time passes... The fire is finished, never to rise again. >sw Dungeon Room The heart of the cell. >w Dungeon Room A side of the prison. >x fire I don't see any fire here. >l Dungeon Room A side of the prison. >x wall Almost escaping notice, on the wall near the floor is some sort of mark carved into the stone. >x mark A series of letters have been carved into the stone near a crack at the base of the wall. >read mark Simply a series of initials: "S of G", "DH", and others of people gone and forgotten. >x crack A slight crack concealed in the meeting of wall and floor. >s Dungeon Room The corner farthest from the door. >n Dungeon Room A side of the prison. >se Dungeon Room The deepest side of the room. >n Dungeon Room The heart of the cell. >n Dungeon Room The side nearest the corridor. >w Dungeon Room The corner where the chamber pot is. >x pot An unadorned basin, made from spun brass--probably a discard from the lordly cookery. While not clean by any means, it is empty. >undo (Undoing one command) Dungeon Room The corner where the chamber pot is. >undo (Undoing one command) Dungeon Room The side nearest the corridor. >undo (Undoing one command) Dungeon Room The heart of the cell. >undo (Undoing one command) Dungeon Room The deepest side of the room. >undo (Undoing one command) Dungeon Room A side of the prison. >undo (Undoing one command) Dungeon Room The corner farthest from the door. >undo (Undoing one command) Dungeon Room A side of the prison. >undo (Undoing one command) Dungeon Room A side of the prison. >undo (Undoing one command) Dungeon Room A side of the prison. >undo (Undoing one command) Dungeon Room A side of the prison. >undo (Undoing one command) Dungeon Room A side of the prison. >undo (Undoing one command) Dungeon Room A side of the prison. >undo (Undoing one command) Dungeon Room A side of the prison. >undo (Undoing one command) Dungeon Room The heart of the cell. >undo (Undoing one command) Dungeon Room The corner where the door is. >undo (Undoing one command) Dungeon Room The corner where the door is. >undo (Undoing one command) Dungeon Room The corner where the door is. >undo (Undoing one command) Dungeon Room The side nearest the corridor. >undo (Undoing one command) Dungeon Room The side nearest the corridor. >undo (Undoing one command) Dungeon Room A side of the prison. You see a straw mat here. >undo (Undoing one command) Dungeon Room A side of the prison. You see a straw mat here. >x wall Almost escaping notice, on the wall near the floor is some sort of mark carved into the stone. >hit wall with handle When you strike the rock with the brass rod, sparks fly in every direction, showering the mat, which abruptly catches fire. >put handle in crack You wedge the thin end of the broken handle into the gap in the stone. The flames rise up higher from the straw. >z Time passes... The waves of heat fill the cell. >z Time passes... The inferno reaches its apogee. >z Time passes... The fire begins to die down. The heat must have enlarged the brass shaft because you hear a snap, like a switch lashed on the haunch of a mule, emanate from the stone. >x crack A deep incursion that seems to run under the wall, perhaps reaching another room. A length of brass juts from it. The fire is finished, never to rise again. >x incursion I don't know the word "incursion". >yell You release a bellow that reverberates in the cell; when it dies down, you hear a voice coming from the fissure near the floor. A man's voice, speaking in almost a whisper. He says, "You don't have to shout, I can hear you through this crack you made--how did you--? Really, you shouldn't shout: there's holes in the ceiling outside; I think they listen above. My name's Pietro." "I'm Logastra." "So, what did they put you in here for?" You briefly explain your situation. The unseen old man clucks his tongue. "It's come to this...an innocent little girl. I suppose you couldn't call me 'innocent': I did indeed dare suggest that Ruecoult and his advisers might have dealt better with the Belrona uprising, but only to close friends, one of whom must have passed it on to a less reliable sort." A sigh breathes from the fissure. "Now, young lady, if the damage you've done so far is any indication, you wish to escape. I can't blame you; I myself entertain the notion more than is good for me. Perhaps I can give you, at least, some slight bit of help. I've been here long enough to know that the most opportune moment is when Zane brings the food--in a few hours, I guess. When you think the moment is right, say 'now' and I'll distract him by pretending to be ill. Obviously, you'll only have one chance at this, but it will be much more than most down here ever get. Well, is this plan acceptable?" You can't offer any better idea, so you agree. Leaning against the wall, you begin your vigil. Your sense of the day's rhythm, so strong all your life, has already dimmed by the brief stint in this shut-off cave. Are there weeds to be pulled, piglets to be weaned, clothes to be scrubbed, herbs to be gathered? These mundane objects burdened your every waking moment up until now, and yet, bereft of them, you turn weak and unsteady, feeling the way the monks must feel when they stumble from the winery. To regain your place, you turn to the task before you, and make it into a labor to be endured, a yoke to be worn... A length of quiet, indistinguishable from any other such piece, is at last broken by the slight scrape of a hook undone. The upper panel in the door slides open, revealing a void. Carefully, eyes approach the slot, searching the cell. Zane states, "Just stay there while I give food." >say "now" A pained cry comes from the rift and from the corridor, which causes Zane to jolt in reaction. He closes the viewing slot and you can hear no more. >undo (Undoing one command) Dungeon Room A side of the prison. >undo (Undoing one command) Dungeon Room A side of the prison. >undo (Undoing one command) Dungeon Room A side of the prison. >speak After you give voice to your thoughts, another voice responds--not an echo, but an old man's voice--originating from the crack along the floor. The voice says, "Hello, there. I was wondering who made this crack. I guess it was you." "Yes," you admit. "It's good this way. You may have noticed the holes in the ceiling outside; they probably listen for people attempting to communicate, and, believe me, they won't stand for it down here. My name's Pietro." "I'm Logastra." "So, what did they put you in here for?" You briefly explain your situation. The unseen old man clucks his tongue. "It's come to this...an innocent little girl. I suppose you couldn't call me 'innocent': I did indeed dare suggest that Ruecoult and his advisers might have dealt better with the Belrona uprising, but only to close friends, one of whom must have passed it on to a less reliable sort." A sigh breathes from the fissure. "Now, young lady, if the damage you've done so far is any indication, you wish to escape. I can't blame you; I myself entertain the notion more than is good for me. Perhaps I can give you, at least, some slight bit of help. I've been here long enough to know that the most opportune moment is when Zane brings the food--in a few hours, I guess. When you think the moment is right, say 'now' and I'll distract him by pretending to be ill. Obviously, you'll only have one chance at this, but it will be much more than most down here ever get. Well, is this plan acceptable?" You can't offer any better idea, so you agree. Leaning against the wall, you begin your vigil. Your sense of the day's rhythm, so strong all your life, has already dimmed by the brief stint in this shut-off cave. Are there weeds to be pulled, piglets to be weaned, clothes to be scrubbed, herbs to be gathered? These mundane objects burdened your every waking moment up until now, and yet, bereft of them, you turn weak and unsteady, feeling the way the monks must feel when they stumble from the winery. To regain your place, you turn to the task before you, and make it into a labor to be endured, a yoke to be worn... A length of quiet, indistinguishable from any other such piece, is at last broken by the slight scrape of a hook undone. The upper panel in the door slides open, revealing a void. Carefully, eyes approach the slot, searching the cell. Zane states, "Just stay there while I give food." >cough I don't know the word "cough". >pretend to be ill I don't know the word "pretend". >moan I don't know the word "moan". >cry I don't know the word "cry". >z Time passes... The upper panel is closed, followed by the scrape of a latch being engaged. >x ceiling Accustomed as you are to thatched roofs, the rock above you has the unsettling aspect of permanence. There is a pause--Zane must be doing something outside. >choke I don't know the word "choke". >z Time passes... Another hook must have been released, because the lower panel shunts aside. >z Time passes... Zane dumps a bowl into your cell and slams the panel shut. >undo (Undoing one command) Dungeon Room A side of the prison. >undo (Undoing one command) Dungeon Room A side of the prison. >say "now" A pained cry comes from the rift and then, the only sound you hear is your own breathing. >ne Dungeon Room The side nearest the corridor. >e Dungeon Room The corner where the door is. >open lower panel The lower panel can't be opened while it's latched. >open upper panel The upper panel can't be opened while it's latched. >open door It's locked. >undo (Undoing one command) Dungeon Room The corner where the door is. >undo (Undoing one command) Dungeon Room The corner where the door is. >undo (Undoing one command) Dungeon Room The corner where the door is. >undo (Undoing one command) Dungeon Room The side nearest the corridor. >undo (Undoing one command) Dungeon Room A side of the prison. >undo (Undoing one command) Dungeon Room A side of the prison. >undo (Undoing one command) Dungeon Room A side of the prison. >undo (Undoing one command) Dungeon Room A side of the prison. >undo (Undoing one command) Dungeon Room A side of the prison. >undo (Undoing one command) Dungeon Room A side of the prison. You see a straw mat here. >undo (Undoing one command) Dungeon Room A side of the prison. You see a straw mat here. >hit wall with handle You have to be holding the handle to strike with it. The fire begins to die down. The heat must have enlarged the brass shaft because you hear a snap, like a switch lashed on the haunch of a mule, emanate from the stone. >put handle in crack The chamber pot handle is already in the crack in wall! The fire is finished, never to rise again. >undo (Undoing one command) Dungeon Room A side of the prison. You see a straw mat here. >undo (Undoing one command) Dungeon Room A side of the prison. You see a straw mat here. >undo (Undoing one command) Dungeon Room A side of the prison. You see a straw mat here. >undo (Undoing one command) Dungeon Room A side of the prison. You see a straw mat here. >undo (Undoing one command) Dungeon Room A side of the prison. You see a straw mat here. >x mat The mat is wracked with fire. The flames rise up higher from the straw. >undo (Undoing one command) Dungeon Room A side of the prison. You see a straw mat here. >put handle in crack You wedge the thin end of the broken handle into the gap in the stone. The flames rise up higher from the straw. >z Time passes... The waves of heat fill the cell. >z Time passes... The inferno reaches its apogee. >z Time passes... The fire begins to die down. The heat must have enlarged the brass shaft because you hear a snap, like a switch lashed on the haunch of a mule, emanate from the stone. >say "hello" After you give voice to your thoughts, another voice responds--not an echo, but an old man's voice--originating from the crack along the floor. The voice says, "Hello, there. I was wondering who made this crack. I guess it was you." "Yes," you admit. "It's good this way. You may have noticed the holes in the ceiling outside; they probably listen for people attempting to communicate, and, believe me, they won't stand for it down here. My name's Pietro." "I'm Logastra." "So, what did they put you in here for?" You briefly explain your situation. The unseen old man clucks his tongue. "It's come to this...an innocent little girl. I suppose you couldn't call me 'innocent': I did indeed dare suggest that Ruecoult and his advisers might have dealt better with the Belrona uprising, but only to close friends, one of whom must have passed it on to a less reliable sort." A sigh breathes from the fissure. "Now, young lady, if the damage you've done so far is any indication, you wish to escape. I can't blame you; I myself entertain the notion more than is good for me. Perhaps I can give you, at least, some slight bit of help. I've been here long enough to know that the most opportune moment is when Zane brings the food--in a few hours, I guess. When you think the moment is right, say 'now' and I'll distract him by pretending to be ill. Obviously, you'll only have one chance at this, but it will be much more than most down here ever get. Well, is this plan acceptable?" You can't offer any better idea, so you agree. Leaning against the wall, you begin your vigil. Your sense of the day's rhythm, so strong all your life, has already dimmed by the brief stint in this shut-off cave. Are there weeds to be pulled, piglets to be weaned, clothes to be scrubbed, herbs to be gathered? These mundane objects burdened your every waking moment up until now, and yet, bereft of them, you turn weak and unsteady, feeling the way the monks must feel when they stumble from the winery. To regain your place, you turn to the task before you, and make it into a labor to be endured, a yoke to be worn... A length of quiet, indistinguishable from any other such piece, is at last broken by the slight scrape of a hook undone. The upper panel in the door slides open, revealing a void. Carefully, eyes approach the slot, searching the cell. Zane states, "Just stay there while I give food." >z Time passes... The upper panel is closed, followed by the scrape of a latch being engaged. >ne Dungeon Room The side nearest the corridor. There is a pause--Zane must be doing something outside. >e Dungeon Room The corner where the door is. Another hook must have been released, because the lower panel shunts aside. "I told you," he states, with practiced authority, "Stay back. For this, no food." The slot is closed off with finality. >undo (Undoing one command) Dungeon Room The side nearest the corridor. >say "now" When you enunciate "now", you hear the faint reply, "Did you say something?" Another hook must have been released, because the lower panel shunts aside. >say "now" When you enunciate "now", you hear the faint reply, "Did you say something?" Zane dumps a bowl into your cell and slams the panel shut. >undo (Undoing one command) Dungeon Room The side nearest the corridor. >undo (Undoing one command) Dungeon Room The side nearest the corridor. >undo (Undoing one command) Dungeon Room A side of the prison. >z Time passes... There is a pause--Zane must be doing something outside. >z Time passes... Another hook must have been released, because the lower panel shunts aside. >say "now" A pained cry comes from the rift and from the square panel comes a mutter that begins, "Damnation. No rest for me...", before the panel closes, cutting off the words. >ne Dungeon Room The side nearest the corridor. >e Dungeon Room The corner where the door is. >open lower panel You slide the lower panel aside, revealing an opening. From further down the hall comes the sound of another panel being pushed aside. >out You can't go that way. Zane's voice: "What the problem?" >enter lower panel I don't know how to enter the lower panel. >enter opening I don't know the word "opening". >n You'll have to open the metal door first. "I get help," says the unseen Zane. >undo (Undoing one command) Dungeon Room The corner where the door is. >undo (Undoing one command) Dungeon Room The corner where the door is. >undo (Undoing one command) Dungeon Room The corner where the door is. >undo (Undoing one command) Dungeon Room The corner where the door is. >undo (Undoing one command) Dungeon Room The corner where the door is. >undo (Undoing one command) Dungeon Room The side nearest the corridor. >e Dungeon Room The corner where the door is. >open lower panel You slide the lower panel aside, revealing an opening. From further down the hall comes the sound of another panel being pushed aside. >x opening I don't know the word "opening". >put head in lower You can't put your head anywhere. Zane's voice: "What the problem?" >undo (Undoing one command) Dungeon Room The corner where the door is. >put hand in lower panel You can't put your arm anywhere. Zane's voice: "What the problem?" >undo (Undoing one command) Dungeon Room The corner where the door is. >search lower panel You find nothing of interest. Zane's voice: "What the problem?" >x lower panel A square opening cut into the lower portion of the door. >enter it I don't know how to enter the lower panel. "I get help," says the unseen Zane. >undo (Undoing one command) Dungeon Room The corner where the door is. >undo (Undoing one command) Dungeon Room The corner where the door is. >undo (Undoing one command) Dungeon Room The corner where the door is. >undo (Undoing one command) Dungeon Room The corner where the door is. >undo (Undoing one command) Dungeon Room The corner where the door is. >undo (Undoing one command) Dungeon Room The side nearest the corridor. >undo (Undoing one command) Dungeon Room A side of the prison. >undo (Undoing one command) Dungeon Room A side of the prison. >undo (Undoing one command) Dungeon Room A side of the prison. >speak It occurs to you that this is not the time for talk, but for action. Another hook must have been released, because the lower panel shunts aside. >undo (Undoing one command) Dungeon Room A side of the prison. >undo (Undoing one command) Dungeon Room A side of the prison. >undo (Undoing one command) Dungeon Room A side of the prison. >speak It occurs to you that this is not the time for talk, but for action. The upper panel is closed, followed by the scrape of a latch being engaged. >undo (Undoing one command) Dungeon Room A side of the prison. >say "now" A pained cry comes from the rift and from the corridor, which causes Zane to jolt in reaction. He closes the viewing slot and you can hear no more. >ne Dungeon Room The side nearest the corridor. >e Dungeon Room The corner where the door is. >open upper panel You slide the upper panel aside, revealing an opening. From further down the hall comes the sound of another panel being pushed aside. >unlock lower panel You push your arm through the top slot and unlatch the hook. Zane's voice: "What the problem?" >open lower panel You slide the lower panel aside, revealing an opening. >close upper panel You slide the metal across the opening. "I get help," says the unseen Zane. >lock upper panel You reach up through the lower slot and hook the latch. The clank of the panel being closed fills the corridor. >close lower panel You slide the metal across the opening. The view slot opens and eyes appear again; they narrow at you standing nearby. "What you over here for? Nero's fiddle! I don't have time for this. I give food later." He closes and latches the panel. >open lower panel You slide the lower panel aside, revealing an opening. Suddenly, Zane reappears in the corridor. "Hannibal's eye! I thought I heard something. You're a devilish little girl, aren't you?" He closes the lower panel on you and locks what you worked so hard to open. >undo (Undoing one command) Dungeon Room The corner where the door is. >z Time passes... >open lower panel You slide the lower panel aside, revealing an opening. >unlock door What do you want to unlock it with? >handle I don't see any handle here. >sw Dungeon Room The heart of the cell. >w Dungeon Room A side of the prison. >get handle Taken. >ne Dungeon Room The side nearest the corridor. >e Dungeon Room The corner where the door is. >unlock upper panel Slipping your arm out the square slot and up the outside of the door, you free the view panel hook. >open upper panel You slide the upper panel aside, revealing an opening. >unlock door with handle After much fumbling, you decide that the chamber pot handle doesn't fit the lock. >unlock door (with the chamber pot handle) After much fumbling, you decide that the chamber pot handle doesn't fit the lock. >enter upper panel I don't know how to enter the upper panel. >n You'll have to open the metal door first. >undo (Undoing one command) Dungeon Room The corner where the door is. >undo (Undoing one command) Dungeon Room The corner where the door is. >undo (Undoing one command) Dungeon Room The corner where the door is. >undo (Undoing one command) Dungeon Room The corner where the door is. >undo (Undoing one command) Dungeon Room The corner where the door is. >undo (Undoing one command) Dungeon Room The corner where the door is. >undo (Undoing one command) Dungeon Room The side nearest the corridor. >undo (Undoing one command) Dungeon Room A side of the prison. >undo (Undoing one command) Dungeon Room A side of the prison. >undo (Undoing one command) Dungeon Room The heart of the cell. >undo (Undoing one command) Dungeon Room The corner where the door is. >undo (Undoing one command) Dungeon Room The corner where the door is. >undo (Undoing one command) Dungeon Room The corner where the door is. >undo (Undoing one command) Dungeon Room The corner where the door is. >undo (Undoing one command) Dungeon Room The corner where the door is. >undo (Undoing one command) Dungeon Room The corner where the door is. >undo (Undoing one command) Dungeon Room The corner where the door is. >undo (Undoing one command) Dungeon Room The corner where the door is. >undo (Undoing one command) Dungeon Room The corner where the door is. >undo (Undoing one command) Dungeon Room The corner where the door is. >undo (Undoing one command) Dungeon Room The side nearest the corridor. >undo (Undoing one command) Dungeon Room A side of the prison. >undo (Undoing one command) Dungeon Room A side of the prison. >undo (Undoing one command) Dungeon Room A side of the prison. You see a straw mat here. >x mat The mat is wracked with fire. The fire is finished, never to rise again. >say "hello" After you give voice to your thoughts, another voice responds--not an echo, but an old man's voice--originating from the crack along the floor. The voice says, "Hello, there. I was wondering who made this crack. I guess it was you." "Yes," you admit. "It's good this way. You may have noticed the holes in the ceiling outside; they probably listen for people attempting to communicate, and, believe me, they won't stand for it down here. My name's Pietro." "I'm Logastra." "So, what did they put you in here for?" You briefly explain your situation. The unseen old man clucks his tongue. "It's come to this...an innocent little girl. I suppose you couldn't call me 'innocent': I did indeed dare suggest that Ruecoult and his advisers might have dealt better with the Belrona uprising, but only to close friends, one of whom must have passed it on to a less reliable sort." A sigh breathes from the fissure. "Now, young lady, if the damage you've done so far is any indication, you wish to escape. I can't blame you; I myself entertain the notion more than is good for me. Perhaps I can give you, at least, some slight bit of help. I've been here long enough to know that the most opportune moment is when Zane brings the food--in a few hours, I guess. When you think the moment is right, say 'now' and I'll distract him by pretending to be ill. Obviously, you'll only have one chance at this, but it will be much more than most down here ever get. Well, is this plan acceptable?" You can't offer any better idea, so you agree. Leaning against the wall, you begin your vigil. Your sense of the day's rhythm, so strong all your life, has already dimmed by the brief stint in this shut-off cave. Are there weeds to be pulled, piglets to be weaned, clothes to be scrubbed, herbs to be gathered? These mundane objects burdened your every waking moment up until now, and yet, bereft of them, you turn weak and unsteady, feeling the way the monks must feel when they stumble from the winery. To regain your place, you turn to the task before you, and make it into a labor to be endured, a yoke to be worn... A length of quiet, indistinguishable from any other such piece, is at last broken by the slight scrape of a hook undone. The upper panel in the door slides open, revealing a void. Carefully, eyes approach the slot, searching the cell. Zane states, "Just stay there while I give food." >say "now" A pained cry comes from the rift and from the corridor, which causes Zane to jolt in reaction. He closes the viewing slot and you can hear no more. >ne Dungeon Room The side nearest the corridor. >e Dungeon Room The corner where the door is. >open upper Which upper do you mean, the upper panel, or the upper gap? >panel You slide the upper panel aside, revealing an opening. From further down the hall comes the sound of another panel being pushed aside. >unlock lower panel You push your arm through the top slot and unlatch the hook. Zane's voice: "What the problem?" >open lower Which lower do you mean, the lower gap, or the lower panel? >panel You slide the lower panel aside, revealing an opening. >close upper Which upper do you mean, the upper panel, or the upper gap? >panel You slide the metal across the opening. "I get help," says the unseen Zane. >lock upper Which upper do you mean, the upper panel, or the upper gap? >panel You reach up through the lower slot and hook the latch. The clank of the panel being closed fills the corridor. >close lower Which lower do you mean, the lower gap, or the lower panel? >panel You slide the metal across the opening. The view slot opens and eyes appear again; they narrow at you standing nearby. "What you over here for? Nero's fiddle! I don't have time for this. I give food later." He closes and latches the panel. >undo (Undoing one command) Dungeon Room The corner where the door is. >undo (Undoing one command) Dungeon Room The corner where the door is. >undo (Undoing one command) Dungeon Room The corner where the door is. >undo (Undoing one command) Dungeon Room The corner where the door is. >undo (Undoing one command) Dungeon Room The corner where the door is. >undo (Undoing one command) Dungeon Room The corner where the door is. >undo (Undoing one command) Dungeon Room The side nearest the corridor. >undo (Undoing one command) Dungeon Room A side of the prison. >undo (Undoing one command) Dungeon Room A side of the prison. >undo (Undoing one command) Dungeon Room A side of the prison. >undo (Undoing one command) Dungeon Room A side of the prison. You see a straw mat here. >z Time passes... The fire is finished, never to rise again. >say "Hello" After you give voice to your thoughts, another voice responds--not an echo, but an old man's voice--originating from the crack along the floor. The voice says, "Hello, there. I was wondering who made this crack. I guess it was you." "Yes," you admit. "It's good this way. You may have noticed the holes in the ceiling outside; they probably listen for people attempting to communicate, and, believe me, they won't stand for it down here. My name's Pietro." "I'm Logastra." "So, what did they put you in here for?" You briefly explain your situation. The unseen old man clucks his tongue. "It's come to this...an innocent little girl. I suppose you couldn't call me 'innocent': I did indeed dare suggest that Ruecoult and his advisers might have dealt better with the Belrona uprising, but only to close friends, one of whom must have passed it on to a less reliable sort." A sigh breathes from the fissure. "Now, young lady, if the damage you've done so far is any indication, you wish to escape. I can't blame you; I myself entertain the notion more than is good for me. Perhaps I can give you, at least, some slight bit of help. I've been here long enough to know that the most opportune moment is when Zane brings the food--in a few hours, I guess. When you think the moment is right, say 'now' and I'll distract him by pretending to be ill. Obviously, you'll only have one chance at this, but it will be much more than most down here ever get. Well, is this plan acceptable?" You can't offer any better idea, so you agree. Leaning against the wall, you begin your vigil. Your sense of the day's rhythm, so strong all your life, has already dimmed by the brief stint in this shut-off cave. Are there weeds to be pulled, piglets to be weaned, clothes to be scrubbed, herbs to be gathered? These mundane objects burdened your every waking moment up until now, and yet, bereft of them, you turn weak and unsteady, feeling the way the monks must feel when they stumble from the winery. To regain your place, you turn to the task before you, and make it into a labor to be endured, a yoke to be worn... A length of quiet, indistinguishable from any other such piece, is at last broken by the slight scrape of a hook undone. The upper panel in the door slides open, revealing a void. Carefully, eyes approach the slot, searching the cell. Zane states, "Just stay there while I give food." >say "now" A pained cry comes from the rift and from the corridor, which causes Zane to jolt in reaction. He closes the viewing slot and you can hear no more. >ne Dungeon Room The side nearest the corridor. >e Dungeon Room The corner where the door is. >open upper panel You slide the upper panel aside, revealing an opening. From further down the hall comes the sound of another panel being pushed aside. >unlock lower panel You push your arm through the top slot and unlatch the hook. Zane's voice: "What the problem?" >close upper Which upper do you mean, the upper panel, or the upper gap? >panel You slide the metal across the opening. >sw Dungeon Room The heart of the cell. >w Dungeon Room A side of the prison. >z Time passes... Though muffled, Zane's words can be heard: "God's wounds! I left the peephole unlocked. Best check other... Mary's sister! Both!" The scrape of two latches being secured follows. "Must hurry. Give food later." Then you hear nothing more. >undo (Undoing one command) Dungeon Room A side of the prison. >undo (Undoing one command) Dungeon Room The heart of the cell. >undo (Undoing one command) Dungeon Room The corner where the door is. >undo (Undoing one command) Dungeon Room The corner where the door is. >undo (Undoing one command) Dungeon Room The corner where the door is. >undo (Undoing one command) Dungeon Room The corner where the door is. >undo (Undoing one command) Dungeon Room The side nearest the corridor. >undo (Undoing one command) Dungeon Room A side of the prison. >undo (Undoing one command) Dungeon Room A side of the prison. >undo (Undoing one command) Dungeon Room A side of the prison. >undo (Undoing one command) Dungeon Room A side of the prison. You see a straw mat here. >say "Hello" After you give voice to your thoughts, another voice responds--not an echo, but an old man's voice--originating from the crack along the floor. The voice says, "Hello, there. I was wondering who made this crack. I guess it was you." "Yes," you admit. "It's good this way. You may have noticed the holes in the ceiling outside; they probably listen for people attempting to communicate, and, believe me, they won't stand for it down here. My name's Pietro." "I'm Logastra." "So, what did they put you in here for?" You briefly explain your situation. The unseen old man clucks his tongue. "It's come to this...an innocent little girl. I suppose you couldn't call me 'innocent': I did indeed dare suggest that Ruecoult and his advisers might have dealt better with the Belrona uprising, but only to close friends, one of whom must have passed it on to a less reliable sort." A sigh breathes from the fissure. "Now, young lady, if the damage you've done so far is any indication, you wish to escape. I can't blame you; I myself entertain the notion more than is good for me. Perhaps I can give you, at least, some slight bit of help. I've been here long enough to know that the most opportune moment is when Zane brings the food--in a few hours, I guess. When you think the moment is right, say 'now' and I'll distract him by pretending to be ill. Obviously, you'll only have one chance at this, but it will be much more than most down here ever get. Well, is this plan acceptable?" You can't offer any better idea, so you agree. Leaning against the wall, you begin your vigil. Your sense of the day's rhythm, so strong all your life, has already dimmed by the brief stint in this shut-off cave. Are there weeds to be pulled, piglets to be weaned, clothes to be scrubbed, herbs to be gathered? These mundane objects burdened your every waking moment up until now, and yet, bereft of them, you turn weak and unsteady, feeling the way the monks must feel when they stumble from the winery. To regain your place, you turn to the task before you, and make it into a labor to be endured, a yoke to be worn... A length of quiet, indistinguishable from any other such piece, is at last broken by the slight scrape of a hook undone. The upper panel in the door slides open, revealing a void. Carefully, eyes approach the slot, searching the cell. Zane states, "Just stay there while I give food." >say "hello" A worried voice rises from the fracture, "What do you mean by 'hello'?" The upper panel is closed, followed by the scrape of a latch being engaged. >undo (Undoing one command) Dungeon Room A side of the prison. >say "now" A pained cry comes from the rift and from the corridor, which causes Zane to jolt in reaction. He closes the viewing slot and you can hear no more. >ne Dungeon Room The side nearest the corridor. >e Dungeon Room The corner where the door is. >open upper Which upper do you mean, the upper panel, or the upper gap? >panel You slide the upper panel aside, revealing an opening. From further down the hall comes the sound of another panel being pushed aside. >unlock lower panel You push your arm through the top slot and unlatch the hook. Zane's voice: "What the problem?" >open lower Which lower do you mean, the lower gap, or the lower panel? >panel You slide the lower panel aside, revealing an opening. >close upper panel You slide the metal across the opening. "I get help," says the unseen Zane. >lock upper panel You reach up through the lower slot and hook the latch. The clank of the panel being closed fills the corridor. >close lower Which lower do you mean, the lower gap, or the lower panel? >panel You slide the metal across the opening. The view slot opens and eyes appear again; they narrow at you standing nearby. "What you over here for? Nero's fiddle! I don't have time for this. I give food later." He closes and latches the panel. >z Time passes... >undo (Undoing one command) Dungeon Room The corner where the door is. >sw Dungeon Room The heart of the cell. >w Dungeon Room A side of the prison. >get handle Taken. >ne Dungeon Room The side nearest the corridor. >e Dungeon Room The corner where the door is. >open lower Which lower do you mean, the lower gap, or the lower panel? >panel You slide the lower panel aside, revealing an opening. >unlock upper Which upper do you mean, the upper panel, or the upper gap? >panel Slipping your arm out the square slot and up the outside of the door, you free the view panel hook. >open upper Which upper do you mean, the upper panel, or the upper gap? >panel You slide the upper panel aside, revealing an opening. >x opening I don't know the word "opening". >unlock door with bone I don't see any bone here. >undo (Undoing one command) Dungeon Room The corner where the door is. >undo (Undoing one command) Dungeon Room The corner where the door is. >undo (Undoing one command) Dungeon Room The corner where the door is. >undo (Undoing one command) Dungeon Room The corner where the door is. >undo (Undoing one command) Dungeon Room The corner where the door is. >undo (Undoing one command) Dungeon Room The side nearest the corridor. >undo (Undoing one command) Dungeon Room A side of the prison. >undo (Undoing one command) Dungeon Room A side of the prison. >undo (Undoing one command) Dungeon Room The heart of the cell. >undo (Undoing one command) Dungeon Room The corner where the door is. >undo (Undoing one command) Dungeon Room The corner where the door is. >undo (Undoing one command) Dungeon Room The corner where the door is. >undo (Undoing one command) Dungeon Room The corner where the door is. >undo (Undoing one command) Dungeon Room The corner where the door is. >undo (Undoing one command) Dungeon Room The corner where the door is. >undo (Undoing one command) Dungeon Room The corner where the door is. >undo (Undoing one command) Dungeon Room The side nearest the corridor. >undo (Undoing one command) Dungeon Room A side of the prison. >undo (Undoing one command) Dungeon Room A side of the prison. >undo (Undoing one command) Dungeon Room A side of the prison. You see a straw mat here. >z Time passes... The fire is finished, never to rise again. >say "Hello" After you give voice to your thoughts, another voice responds--not an echo, but an old man's voice--originating from the crack along the floor. The voice says, "Hello, there. I was wondering who made this crack. I guess it was you." "Yes," you admit. "It's good this way. You may have noticed the holes in the ceiling outside; they probably listen for people attempting to communicate, and, believe me, they won't stand for it down here. My name's Pietro." "I'm Logastra." "So, what did they put you in here for?" You briefly explain your situation. The unseen old man clucks his tongue. "It's come to this...an innocent little girl. I suppose you couldn't call me 'innocent': I did indeed dare suggest that Ruecoult and his advisers might have dealt better with the Belrona uprising, but only to close friends, one of whom must have passed it on to a less reliable sort." A sigh breathes from the fissure. "Now, young lady, if the damage you've done so far is any indication, you wish to escape. I can't blame you; I myself entertain the notion more than is good for me. Perhaps I can give you, at least, some slight bit of help. I've been here long enough to know that the most opportune moment is when Zane brings the food--in a few hours, I guess. When you think the moment is right, say 'now' and I'll distract him by pretending to be ill. Obviously, you'll only have one chance at this, but it will be much more than most down here ever get. Well, is this plan acceptable?" You can't offer any better idea, so you agree. Leaning against the wall, you begin your vigil. Your sense of the day's rhythm, so strong all your life, has already dimmed by the brief stint in this shut-off cave. Are there weeds to be pulled, piglets to be weaned, clothes to be scrubbed, herbs to be gathered? These mundane objects burdened your every waking moment up until now, and yet, bereft of them, you turn weak and unsteady, feeling the way the monks must feel when they stumble from the winery. To regain your place, you turn to the task before you, and make it into a labor to be endured, a yoke to be worn... A length of quiet, indistinguishable from any other such piece, is at last broken by the slight scrape of a hook undone. The upper panel in the door slides open, revealing a void. Carefully, eyes approach the slot, searching the cell. Zane states, "Just stay there while I give food." >say "now:" A worried voice rises from the fracture, "What do you mean by 'now:'?" The upper panel is closed, followed by the scrape of a latch being engaged. >undo (Undoing one command) Dungeon Room A side of the prison. >say "now" A pained cry comes from the rift and from the corridor, which causes Zane to jolt in reaction. He closes the viewing slot and you can hear no more. > NE. E OPEN UPPER PANEL UNLOCK LOWER PANEL OPEN IT CLOSE UPPER PANEL LOCK IT CLOSE LOWER PANEL W. SW Dungeon Room The side nearest the corridor. I don't see any open upper panel here. >undo (Undoing one command) Dungeon Room A side of the prison. > NE. E. OPEN UPPER PANEL. UNLOCK LOWER PANEL. OPEN IT. CLOSE UPPER PANEL. LOCK IT. CLOSE LOWER PANEL. W. SW. Dungeon Room The side nearest the corridor. Dungeon Room The corner where the door is. You slide the upper panel aside, revealing an opening. From further down the hall comes the sound of another panel being pushed aside. You push your arm through the top slot and unlatch the hook. Zane's voice: "What the problem?" You slide the lower panel aside, revealing an opening. You slide the metal across the opening. "I get help," says the unseen Zane. You reach up through the lower slot and hook the latch. The clank of the panel being closed fills the corridor. You slide the metal across the opening. The view slot opens and eyes appear again; they narrow at you standing nearby. "What you over here for? Nero's fiddle! I don't have time for this. I give food later." He closes and latches the panel. Dungeon Room The side nearest the corridor. Dungeon Room A side of the prison. >get handle Taken. >ne Dungeon Room The side nearest the corridor. >n You can't go that way. >e Dungeon Room The corner where the door is. >open lower Which lower do you mean, the lower gap, or the lower panel? >panel You slide the lower panel aside, revealing an opening. >unlock upper panel Slipping your arm out the square slot and up the outside of the door, you free the view panel hook. >open it You slide the upper panel aside, revealing an opening. >x wall The rough gray of the rock is speckled with lighter flecks. >se You can't go that way. >e You can't go that way. >s Dungeon Room One side of the room. >x wall After staring at the wall for a piece, a fine crack becomes apparent. >follow crack I don't know how to follow the fracture. >x crack A fine, almost imperceptible fracture runs the crooked line of a lightning stroke diagonally across the ceiling, and partway down the wall. >x ceiling Rubbing your hand on the granite, you take comfort in the hairline fracture you can feel but not see. >s Dungeon Room You slept in this corner. >x ceiling Accustomed as you are to thatched roofs, the rock above you has the unsettling aspect of permanence. >w Dungeon Room The deepest side of the room. >x ceiling Rubbing your hand on the granite, you take comfort in the hairline fracture you can feel but not see. >ne Dungeon Room One side of the room. >se You can't go that way. >s Dungeon Room You slept in this corner. >x crack A fine, almost imperceptible fracture runs the crooked line of a lightning stroke across the face of the two walls. >follow it I don't know how to follow the fracture. >w Dungeon Room The deepest side of the room. >x crack A fine, almost imperceptible fracture runs the crooked line of a lightning stroke diagonally across the ceiling, and partway down the wall. >follow crack I don't know how to follow the fracture. >w Dungeon Room The corner farthest from the door. >x crack I don't see any crack here. >n Dungeon Room A side of the prison. >follow crack I don't know how to follow the crack in wall. >x crack A deep incursion that seems to run under the wall, perhaps reaching another room. >crack, hello You have lost your mind. >n Dungeon Room The corner where the chamber pot is. >x crack I don't see any crack here. >s Dungeon Room A side of the prison. >s Dungeon Room The corner farthest from the door. >s You can't go that way. >se You can't go that way. >e Dungeon Room The deepest side of the room. >e Dungeon Room You slept in this corner. >n Dungeon Room One side of the room. >x crack A fine, almost imperceptible fracture runs the crooked line of a lightning stroke diagonally across the ceiling, and partway down the wall. >x ceiling Rubbing your hand on the granite, you take comfort in the hairline fracture you can feel but not see. >s Dungeon Room You slept in this corner. >x crack A fine, almost imperceptible fracture runs the crooked line of a lightning stroke across the face of the two walls. >x ceiling Accustomed as you are to thatched roofs, the rock above you has the unsettling aspect of permanence. >w Dungeon Room The deepest side of the room. >x crack A fine, almost imperceptible fracture runs the crooked line of a lightning stroke diagonally across the ceiling, and partway down the wall. >x ceiling Rubbing your hand on the granite, you take comfort in the hairline fracture you can feel but not see. >ne Dungeon Room One side of the room. >n Dungeon Room The corner where the door is. >x crack I don't see any crack here. >n You'll have to open the metal door first. >s Dungeon Room One side of the room. >w Dungeon Room The heart of the cell. >x crack As evidenced by the fissure overhead, the collapse of the bedrock that destroyed two other cells must have also ran through part of this one, but here they were able to excavate the space again. Projecting from the fissure is a bone. >get bone Taken. >x bone A piece of desiccated bone, perhaps from a man's forearm. One end has two knobby protrusions, the other has the jagged edge of a violent fracture. You've caught people finishing up stories you've never manage to hear started, stories of workers dying while they labored to build this jewel of a castle. One of your father's brothers met his death here; how, you don't know, since the children are prohibited from raising questions within the family. >n Dungeon Room The side nearest the corridor. >e Dungeon Room The corner where the door is. >unlock door with bone Squeezing your arm through the narrow slot, you slide the bone along the outside of the door, trying to find the lock. >g This time, you locate the keyhole, but are unable to insert the forearm bone. >g You manage to catch the lock and insert the knobbed end into the hole; however, the bone refuses to turn. >g In this attempt, the bone turns but does not engage the bolt. >g Again you try, and you manage to pull the bolt partway, before it slips back. >g Finally, you twist the bone shank, unlocking the door. >open door Opened. >n Queasy from uncontrollable shivers, you leave the cell, one step closer to freedom. Dungeon Passage, Center Along this portion of the corridor, during the excavation of the niches there must have been a terrible accident: a wall of rock has dropped down, obliterating two of the hollows, while leaving one intact. A bucket and other utensils sit by your door. >w Dungeon Passage, West Although, after a set of three more recesses, the hall ends in solid granite, the stone shows the first signs of further excavation: more room for more prisoners. >unlock door Which door do you mean, the first door, the second door, or the third door? >first What do you want to unlock it with? >bone When you unlock the door, the bone breaks apart into small, useless splinters. >open door When you open the door, Pietro leaves his grotto with deliberate steps and a thankful grin. >x pietro Perhaps as old a man as you've ever seen, his frailty is the tenuousness of all life, made visible. With a mischievous wink, he says, "No point in dawdling. Let's get out of here." He shuffles along the corridor. >e Dungeon Passage, Center Along this portion of the corridor, during the excavation of the niches there must have been a terrible accident: a wall of rock has dropped down, obliterating two of the hollows, while leaving one intact. A bucket and other utensils sit by your door. The old man proceeds toward the door. >get all I don't see what you're referring to. >get bucket You aren't hungry at the moment and you'd might as well leave the serving to Zane. >x utensils In his haste, Zane left behind a wooden pail filled with cooked barley meal, along with a serving ladle and three wooden bowls. >get ladle and bowls bucket of mush: You aren't hungry at the moment and you'd might as well leave the serving to Zane. bucket of mush: You aren't hungry at the moment and you'd might as well leave the serving to Zane. >e Dungeon Passage, East A pinched, somewhat uneven hallway that begins with the massive door which essentially forms another wall, and continues past several niches along one wall, each closed off by a metal door, to a further stretch of corridor. Affixed to the opposite wall, braziers hold glowing coals which cast the passage in a copper light. The old man breathes with a slight wheezing. >e You'll have to open the stone door first. >open stone door With the old man's help, you begin to move the door aside, until it no longer resists your efforts and turns on its own, leaving the shaft wide open. >e Third Dungeon Sublevel The bottom of the shaft, where the air is clear of smoke and chilled like spring water. Overhead, the tortuous staircase ascends in a miasmal miracle, ready to be dispelled by the first step. In ponderous contrast, the huge stone door defends in perpetuity the very portal from which it was cut. Rather unsteadily, the old man follows you out of narrow corridor. >u Second Dungeon Sublevel A cast-iron door spotted with rust is the one thing to break the monotony of the shaft along this section. >open door You know full well that many of the people on this level would be likely to inflict harm upon you, including the guard inside. >u First Dungeon Sublevel At the landing, a heavy wooden door, held secure by a crossbar, allows raucous conversations to seep out, enough so that you can understand the intent, if not the sense. >listen I don't know the word "listen". >open door You could release all these thieves, drunkards, and tax-shirkers--they very well might not deserve this treatment--but you are unable to accept the mantle of justice as yours alone. >u Dungeon Access This is really just the uppermost reach of a square shaft, cut into the side of the mountain, that plunges straight down, with a dubious wooden staircase winding its way to the bottom and with the periodic torch clamped to the wall to provide the needed light for the descent. Facing the entrance is a large tapestry, faded and dappled with soot. As you reach the top of the stairs, you can see Zane, and another man, draped with a heavy black cloak, approach from across the courtyard. >w Courtyard During your time underground, time has passed as if you were here to witness it; the world has fallen into the drowse of deep night, without the least concern for your whereabouts. At this moment, a realization holds you captive: all shall continue as it always has, long after you have expired and returned to the loam. Although the silence seems pervasive, nevertheless, hints of restlessness intrude upon this open square. From behind the warden's door comes mutters and complaints, and from the gate at the other end of the tunnel, a couple of dimly apparent guards amuse themselves with twice-told jokes. And while the entrance to the castle stands wide open, the two nearby doors are sealed shut. And above you, upon a luminous midnight black, the splatter of celestial bodies glitter like the flecks of metal on the smithy's work floor. Once again, a distant land beckons you to where you cannot go. Zane escorts a disheveled man, who holds the tools a doctor would use. With unexpected alacrity, Zane snatches your arm and proceeds to pull you along bodily. "You escaped. Because of me, maybe? Never again." So disoriented you are that you don't realize at first that you've been thrown into another cell. Dungeon Room Much like the prison cell you were in before, but this one has nothing in it: no container to relieve yourself in, no mat to sleep on, nor is there any crack in the stone that surrounds you on all sides. >undo (Undoing one command) Dungeon Access This is really just the uppermost reach of a square shaft, cut into the side of the mountain, that plunges straight down, with a dubious wooden staircase winding its way to the bottom and with the periodic torch clamped to the wall to provide the needed light for the descent. Facing the entrance is a large tapestry, faded and dappled with soot. >undo (Undoing one command) First Dungeon Sublevel At the landing, a heavy wooden door, held secure by a crossbar, allows raucous conversations to seep out, enough so that you can understand the intent, if not the sense. >undo (Undoing one command) First Dungeon Sublevel At the landing, a heavy wooden door, held secure by a crossbar, allows raucous conversations to seep out, enough so that you can understand the intent, if not the sense. >undo (Undoing one command) Second Dungeon Sublevel A cast-iron door spotted with rust is the one thing to break the monotony of the shaft along this section. >undo (Undoing one command) Second Dungeon Sublevel A cast-iron door spotted with rust is the one thing to break the monotony of the shaft along this section. >undo (Undoing one command) Third Dungeon Sublevel The bottom of the shaft, where the air is clear of smoke and chilled like spring water. Overhead, the tortuous staircase ascends in a miasmal miracle, ready to be dispelled by the first step. In ponderous contrast, the huge stone door defends in perpetuity the very portal from which it was cut. >resatart I don't know the word "resatart". >restart Are you sure you want to start over? (YES or NO) > y Do you wish to read the introduction? (Y/N) > n STONE CELL By Middle Edge Developed with TADS, the Text Adventure Development System. First-time players should type "about" for information about this game. Holding Pen This alcove, bare but for a creaky wooden bench, was stolen of late from the warden's chambers by means of narrowly set, heavy oak beams, and a matching door. Your only thought is, you shall never see your mother or father again. >get up In getting to your feet ever so gingerly, the bench inevitably creaks in relief. Drawn by the sound, Demora, the matron of this keep, steps over to the bars. "Well, you're awake. Good. This shouldn't take much of our time." She opens the pen and draws you out. You catch a glimpse of Klove before he shuts the door on the two of you. Warden's Office Narrow window slits dimly admit light that slash across the desk and the few other furnishings. Dominating the sparse surroundings, Demora scrutinizes you, twitching her knobbed fingers as if silently estimating the number of years you will spend here. >open shirt You don't feel comfortable opening your shirt where anyone can see. "Now, my dear Logastra, despite what they've been saying about you, I believe you wish to be a good girl. If so, your time here will be fruitful--yes, I assure you, this is true. So dear, will you be a good girl?" >no In a glint, she turns dark and forboding. Paying no heed to your stifled protests, she searches you thoroughly. ~ She finds the ivory disk and puts it upon her own person. When she's done with you, she calls in Klove. Klove ushers you out into the courtyard. Courtyard The enclosing walls extend so high, especially along the side where the bulk of the fortress rises, that you feel like you're stuck in the bottom of a deep well. The entrance to the castle is mysteriously inviting, although the two corner doors flanking it are less so. And the tunnel across the square, leading to the gate and beyond, could not possibly be more seductive. Raising your eyes to the cloud-flocked sky, the world inverts vertiginously and you find yourself staring into a pit that opens on an endless void. The cleaning boy wanders aimlessly, occasionally scraping up a bit of detritus with his hand shovel and tossing it into his pushcart ladened with debris. Without moving his eyes, Klove absorbs all that happens around him. >z Time passes... Halting you with a formidable outstretched arm, Klove takes a moment to talk to the child. "Hoy, Matthew." The boy eventually finds Klove with his slow eyes. "Do see you clean the warden's quarters before he returns." The lopsided smile would seem to indicate assent. >z Time passes... Klove directs you straight across the courtyard through a dark arch. Dungeon Access This is really just the uppermost reach of a square shaft, cut into the side of the mountain, that plunges straight down, with a dubious wooden staircase winding its way to the bottom and with the periodic torch clamped to the wall to provide the needed light for the descent. Facing the entrance is a large tapestry, faded and dappled with soot. Peering down the middle of the stairway spiral, through the undulating light and the smoky haze of the fires, gives you the impression of plumbing the murky depths of the lake. >z Time passes... With the choices essentially limited to descent, you and Klove take many turns down the staircase, until you reach a platform. First Dungeon Sublevel At the landing, a heavy wooden door, held secure by a crossbar, allows raucous conversations to seep out, enough so that you can understand the intent, if not the sense. When you were younger, your father came close, more than once, to being locked up in there himself. During those times, you had little to eat beyond what you could scavenge from the forest. >z Time passes... Klove pauses to pound on the door. "Keep quiet in there." The voices are silenced, until the two of you continue down the steps. Many windings later, you reach a lower level. Second Dungeon Sublevel A cast-iron door spotted with rust is the one thing to break the monotony of the shaft along this section. >z Time passes... Pushing his face close to the grate, he speaks to an unseen person on the other side, "Good morn, Timothy. How's your tenants?" A friendly voice returns through the metal slots, "Not too terrible. Good since the last clearance below." Klove snorts. "We're only halfway finished, and now I've got to go and start loading up the bottom slots again. Keep awake." He leads you to still greater depths. Third Dungeon Sublevel The bottom of the shaft, where the air is clear of smoke and chilled like spring water. Overhead, the tortuous staircase ascends in a miasmal miracle, ready to be dispelled by the first step. In ponderous contrast, the huge stone door defends in perpetuity the very portal from which it was cut. Zane leans on the rock, drawing his slight strength from its density. >z Time passes... "So," Klove remarks, as if to himself, "it's Zane today." He replies in a similar vein, "It's Zane ever day. And most the night, too." Klove turns more formal, "Please open the door. I have a prisoner to add." After eyeing you for a moment, Zane, with a grunt, pulls free a shale wedge jammed at the bottom of the door, then grasps the notch cut into the granite. After some straining the door swings slightly, although not enough to permit entry. He huffs, "Can help, Klove? Felt weak this early day." Klove clutches the rock and, with a smooth movement, tosses the door aside. >z Time passes... While Zane stands as straight as a stela, Klove ushers you into a passage much narrower than the door that protects it. Dungeon Passage, East A pinched, somewhat uneven hallway that begins with a gap left by the massive door standing ajar, and continues past several niches along one wall, each closed off by a metal door, to a further stretch of corridor. Affixed to the opposite wall, braziers hold glowing coals which cast the passage in a copper light. >z Time passes... He pushes you from behind--his shoulders come close to spanning the sides of the corridor--pushes you deeper into the mountain. Dungeon Passage, Center Along this portion of the corridor, during the excavation of the niches there must have been a terrible accident: a wall of rock has dropped down, obliterating two of the hollows, while leaving one intact. >z Time passes... Halting you with a heavy hand, you hear the rattling of metal, then, using one of the keys on a ring as large as an ox's nose ring, Klove unlocks the door and opens it. >z Time passes... With surprising gentleness, Klove corrals you into your cell. Dungeon Room Smaller than a horse's stall, the harsh solidity of the floor, the walls, and the ceiling exude coldness. The ceiling is so low that the normal adult would have to stoop; you can stand straight, but the rock seems to press upon your head with the weight of the mountain. From the light of the open door, you can discern a straw mat in one corner and a metal chamber pot in another. Nothing else. This is a sepulcher for the living. You are ensconced in the tomb where you shall surely perish, with no one to anoint your body, no one to assuage your throes, no one to hear your final lament. >z Time passes... He shuts the door, leaving you alone. >z Time passes... >lie on mat Okay, you're now lying on the straw mat. >sleep Sleep fills your senses with lampblack, and you find temporary escape from your interment. When you awake, after many unmarked hours, you renew your determination to change the situation, without compromise. Dungeon Room >get up Okay, you're no longer on the straw mat. >get mat Taken. >x crack A fine, almost imperceptible fracture runs the crooked line of a lightning stroke across the face of the two walls. >x ceiling Accustomed as you are to thatched roofs, the rock above you has the unsettling aspect of permanence. >nw Dungeon Room >x ceiling A crack meanders across the ceiling, at one point widening into a gape. >x gape As evidenced by the fissure overhead, the collapse of the bedrock that destroyed two other cells must have also ran through part of this one, but here they were able to excavate the space again. Projecting from the fissure is a bone. >get bone Taken. >nw Dungeon Room >w You can't go that way. >verbose Okay, now in VERBOSE mode. Dungeon Room The corner where the chamber pot is. >x pot An unadorned basin with a long handle, made from spun brass--probably a discard from the lordly cookery. While not clean by any means, it is empty. >bend handle You bend the handle upwards. >g You straighten out the handle again. >g You bend the handle upwards. >g You straighten out the handle again. >g You bend the handle upwards. >g The shaft breaks off in your grip. >s Dungeon Room A side of the prison. >drop mat Dropped. >hit wall with handle When you strike the rock with the brass rod, sparks fly in every direction, showering the mat, which abruptly catches fire. >put handle in crack You wedge the thin end of the broken handle into the gap in the stone. The flames rise up higher from the straw. >z Time passes... The waves of heat fill the cell. >z Time passes... The inferno reaches its apogee. >z Time passes... The fire begins to die down. The heat must have enlarged the brass shaft because you hear a snap, like a switch lashed on the haunch of a mule, emanate from the stone. >save Saved. >x crack A deep incursion that seems to run under the wall, perhaps reaching another room. A length of brass juts from it. The fire is finished, never to rise again. >get brass The handle is too hot to grasp. >z Time passes... >x brass An unexpectedly shiny piece of brass that flattens to a thin, ragged edge. >get it The handle is too hot to grasp. >say "hello" After you give voice to your thoughts, another voice responds--not an echo, but an old man's voice--originating from the crack along the floor. The voice says, "Hello, there. I was wondering who made this crack. I guess it was you." "Yes," you admit. "It's good this way. You may have noticed the holes in the ceiling outside; they probably listen for people attempting to communicate, and, believe me, they won't stand for it down here. My name's Pietro." "I'm Logastra." "So, what did they put you in here for?" You briefly explain your situation. The unseen old man clucks his tongue. "It's come to this...an innocent little girl. I suppose you couldn't call me 'innocent': I did indeed dare suggest that Ruecoult and his advisers might have dealt better with the Belrona uprising, but only to close friends, one of whom must have passed it on to a less reliable sort." A sigh breathes from the fissure. "Now, young lady, if the damage you've done so far is any indication, you wish to escape. I can't blame you; I myself entertain the notion more than is good for me. Perhaps I can give you, at least, some slight bit of help. I've been here long enough to know that the most opportune moment is when Zane brings the food--in a few hours, I guess. When you think the moment is right, say 'now' and I'll distract him by pretending to be ill. Obviously, you'll only have one chance at this, but it will be much more than most down here ever get. Well, is this plan acceptable?" You can't offer any better idea, so you agree. Leaning against the wall, you begin your vigil. Your sense of the day's rhythm, so strong all your life, has already dimmed by the brief stint in this shut-off cave. Are there weeds to be pulled, piglets to be weaned, clothes to be scrubbed, herbs to be gathered? These mundane objects burdened your every waking moment up until now, and yet, bereft of them, you turn weak and unsteady, feeling the way the monks must feel when they stumble from the winery. To regain your place, you turn to the task before you, and make it into a labor to be endured, a yoke to be worn... A length of quiet, indistinguishable from any other such piece, is at last broken by the slight scrape of a hook undone. The upper panel in the door slides open, revealing a void. Carefully, eyes approach the slot, searching the cell. Zane states, "Just stay there while I give food." >say "now" A pained cry comes from the rift and from the corridor, which causes Zane to jolt in reaction. He closes the viewing slot and you can hear no more. >ne Dungeon Room The side nearest the corridor. >e Dungeon Room The corner where the door is. >open upper panel You slide the upper panel aside, revealing an opening. From further down the hall comes the sound of another panel being pushed aside. >unlock lower panel You push your arm through the top slot and unlatch the hook. Zane's voice: "What the problem?" >open it You slide the lower panel aside, revealing an opening. >close upper panel You slide the metal across the opening. "I get help," says the unseen Zane. >lock it You reach up through the lower slot and hook the latch. The clank of the panel being closed fills the corridor. >close lower panel You slide the metal across the opening. The view slot opens and eyes appear again; they narrow at you standing nearby. "What you over here for? Nero's fiddle! I don't have time for this. I give food later." He closes and latches the panel. >sw Dungeon Room The heart of the cell. >w Dungeon Room A side of the prison. >get handle Taken. >ne Dungeon Room The side nearest the corridor. >e Dungeon Room The corner where the door is. >open lower Which lower do you mean, the lower gap, or the lower panel? >panel You slide the lower panel aside, revealing an opening. >unlock upper panel Slipping your arm out the square slot and up the outside of the door, you free the view panel hook. >open it You slide the upper panel aside, revealing an opening. >unlock door with bone Squeezing your arm through the narrow slot, you slide the bone along the outside of the door, trying to find the lock. >g This time, you locate the keyhole, but are unable to insert the forearm bone. >g You manage to catch the lock and insert the knobbed end into the hole; however, the bone refuses to turn. >g In this attempt, the bone turns but does not engage the bolt. >g Again you try, and you manage to pull the bolt partway, before it slips back. >g Finally, you twist the bone shank, unlocking the door. >open door Opened. >n Queasy from uncontrollable shivers, you leave the cell, one step closer to freedom. Dungeon Passage, Center Along this portion of the corridor, during the excavation of the niches there must have been a terrible accident: a wall of rock has dropped down, obliterating two of the hollows, while leaving one intact. A bucket and other utensils sit by your door. >w Dungeon Passage, West Although, after a set of three more recesses, the hall ends in solid granite, the stone shows the first signs of further excavation: more room for more prisoners. >unlock first door with bone When you unlock the door, the bone breaks apart into small, useless splinters. >open first door When you open the door, Pietro leaves his grotto with deliberate steps and a thankful grin. >save Saved. >e Dungeon Passage, Center Along this portion of the corridor, during the excavation of the niches there must have been a terrible accident: a wall of rock has dropped down, obliterating two of the hollows, while leaving one intact. A bucket and other utensils sit by your door. Pietro shuffles along after you. "Don't wait for me. I can keep up." >e Dungeon Passage, East A pinched, somewhat uneven hallway that begins with the massive door which essentially forms another wall, and continues past several niches along one wall, each closed off by a metal door, to a further stretch of corridor. Affixed to the opposite wall, braziers hold glowing coals which cast the passage in a copper light. Following you as best as he can, the old man coughs as he reaches the door. >open door With the old man's help, you begin to move the door aside, until it no longer resists your efforts and turns on its own, leaving the shaft wide open. >e Third Dungeon Sublevel The bottom of the shaft, where the air is clear of smoke and chilled like spring water. Overhead, the tortuous staircase ascends in a miasmal miracle, ready to be dispelled by the first step. In ponderous contrast, the huge stone door defends in perpetuity the very portal from which it was cut. Rather unsteadily, the old man follows you out of narrow corridor. >u Second Dungeon Sublevel A cast-iron door spotted with rust is the one thing to break the monotony of the shaft along this section. >u First Dungeon Sublevel At the landing, a heavy wooden door, held secure by a crossbar, allows raucous conversations to seep out, enough so that you can understand the intent, if not the sense. >u Dungeon Access This is really just the uppermost reach of a square shaft, cut into the side of the mountain, that plunges straight down, with a dubious wooden staircase winding its way to the bottom and with the periodic torch clamped to the wall to provide the needed light for the descent. Facing the entrance is a large tapestry, faded and dappled with soot. As you reach the top of the stairs, you can see Zane, and another man, draped with a heavy black cloak, approach from across the courtyard. >move tapestry You can't move the tapestry. Steadily, the pair comes closer. >search tapestry You pull back the wall hanging, uncovering a space in the rock large enough to hold a person. After examining the niche, you let the tapestry drop back. Although slightly startled at your presence, as soon as Zane sees you, he grabs you by the sleeve. "You make fool of Zane, yes? Not again." He drags you along behind him, and before you realize where you are going, he has thrown you into another cell. Dungeon Room Much like the prison cell you were in before, but this one has nothing in it: no container to relieve yourself in, no mat to sleep on, nor is there any crack in the stone that surrounds you on all sides. >undo (Undoing one command) Dungeon Access This is really just the uppermost reach of a square shaft, cut into the side of the mountain, that plunges straight down, with a dubious wooden staircase winding its way to the bottom and with the periodic torch clamped to the wall to provide the needed light for the descent. Facing the entrance is a large tapestry, faded and dappled with soot. >e You push aside the tapestry, revealing a niche, and step into the hole. Niche A flaw in the mountain caused this shallow, irregular depression in the rock, which the builders concealed with a tapestry. Over the stately pace of hollow footsteps on the wooden platform, two voices interchange. The one, recognizable as Zane, "Didn't know who else to tell. Sorry to bother you." The second voice, rattling with phlegm, "Don't be silly. I'm the physician here, after all. But I must confess wondering if we really need to bother: Pietro is set to be executed in the morn, I believe, so wouldn't it be just as good, if not better, if he expires under Nature's demand, rather than by an act of Man? Perhaps you should summon the pastor." "Prucine?" >z Time passes... The unfamiliar voice bubbles with a touch of irritation, "No, not the king's priest. The chaplain who lives in the muck of the valley, I forget the name." Sheepishly, "Pardon me, Sir Wexor." "Never mind, Zane. Let's just get this done before daybreak." The voices finally die to indistinct murmurs, the footsteps, to a soft tapping. >w You slip out past the tapestry. Dungeon Access This is really just the uppermost reach of a square shaft, cut into the side of the mountain, that plunges straight down, with a dubious wooden staircase winding its way to the bottom and with the periodic torch clamped to the wall to provide the needed light for the descent. Facing the entrance is a large tapestry, faded and dappled with soot. You can make out far below, two people descending the staircase. >w Courtyard During your time underground, time has passed as if you were here to witness it; the world has fallen into the drowse of deep night, without the least concern for your whereabouts. At this moment, a realization holds you captive: all shall continue as it always has, long after you have expired and returned to the loam. Although the silence seems pervasive, nevertheless, hints of restlessness intrude upon this open square. From behind the warden's door comes mutters and complaints, and from the gate at the other end of the tunnel, a couple of dimly apparent guards amuse themselves with twice-told jokes. And while the entrance to the castle stands wide open, the two nearby doors are sealed shut. And above you, upon a luminous midnight black, the splatter of celestial bodies glitter like the flecks of metal on the smithy's work floor. Once again, a distant land beckons you to where you cannot go. >s With all the guards lurking around the exit to the castle, you can be certain that you would be caught and subdued ten times over. >n Castle Entrance A wide and steep marble staircase leads up to the heart of the castle where several oil lamps sputter their golden light down upon you. Slipping past one side of the steps is a narrow, dark corridor, while on the other side is a wide door. >save Saved. >x corridor I don't see any corridor here. >x door A door more than twice the width of most doors you've seen. >ne At the end of the passage is a swinging door which you push your way through. Servant's Quarters This long, low room manages to be darker than your dungeon niche. The only things you can perceive are two row of narrow beds arranged along the side walls, with each crumpled mattress occupied with the blanket-wrapped form of a snuffling, wheezing body deep in slumber. Otherwise, the only other observable features are the two exits, one through a swinging door, the other at the bottom of some steps. >x beds Arranged like rows of graves, the bunks extend from the walls on either side, forming a narrow aisle down the middle of the room. >x servant Arranged like rows of graves, the bunks extend from the walls on either side, forming a narrow aisle down the middle of the room. >enter bunk I don't know how to enter the servant's beds. >lie on bunk That would be a foolish thing to do. >n A narrow spiral staircase cut into the mountain face takes you to the room above the sleeping quarters. Kitchen In this compact and pungent space, all the necessities of a kitchen are tightly arranged: the hefty wooden block table, cleared and cleaned of all food; the utensils, locked in the cabinets; the food storage containers, closed and lined up on the shelves; and the hearth, having only cold ash to offer. From the smallest snack to the annual harvest feast, every meal eaten by Ruecoult is prepared in there, whereas the food for the prisoners is most likely made in a cauldron by the stables. >x hearth A large fireplace where all the cooking is done. >enter it The flue is too narrow to pass through. >x fireplace A large fireplace where all the cooking is done. >open flue I don't know how to open the hearth. >x shelves Regimented on the shelves are enormous jars, voluminous jugs, and sizable tins. The ones that aren't transparent are labeled, so that, as you scan the containers, particular ones strike your fancy: dried apples, potatoes, carrots, currants, plums, string beans, eggs, hazelnuts, chanterelles, molasses sticks. With such open access, there must not be any shortage of food here...as opposed to in the valley. >get food As soon as you have some food in hand, you are unable to resist immediately eating it. >eat food As soon as you have some food in hand, you are unable to resist immediately eating it. >l Kitchen In this compact and pungent space, all the necessities of a kitchen are tightly arranged: the hefty wooden block table, cleared and cleaned of all food; the utensils, locked in the cabinets; the food storage containers, closed and lined up on the shelves; and the hearth, having only cold ash to offer. >x table The thick slab of wood is scored by innumerable slashes from knives chopping and slicing, and stained by the blood of fresh meats and the juices of vegetables and fruits. The only thing on the table is a wine flask. >x flask A leather pouch with a cap that allows, when filled, a person to squirt wine into his mouth to sate his thirst. The bag is collapsed and crumpled. >get it Taken. >look in it The features of the wine flask are mainly on the surface. >fill flask What do you want to fill it with? >water I don't see any water here. >l Kitchen In this compact and pungent space, all the necessities of a kitchen are tightly arranged: the hefty wooden block table, cleared and cleaned of all food; the utensils, locked in the cabinets; the food storage containers, closed and lined up on the shelves; and the hearth, having only cold ash to offer. >x cabinets Indicative of the distrust regarding the servants, every spoon, fork, knife, skewer, tongs, ladle, spatula, pan, griddle, pot, broiler, plate, dish, cup, glass, crystal, each and every one is locked securely in the cabinets. >x ash A thick layer of ash blankets the floor of the fireplace. >get ash The ash appears to be useless. >search ash You find nothing of interest. >s A narrow corridor leads to the... Dining Room This is where Lord Ruecoult and his family take their meals, he presiding at the head of the oval table. When she was alive, his wife--her name escapes you at the moment--would hold court at its foot. His son and heir, Trevine, would sit at his right hand, and any guests would filled the other places. You have to smile at this depiction of your imagination. The most you've seen of the family is a glimpse or two through the gauzy window shade of the carriage as it passed by Losilte on its way to some obscure foreign realm for some secret dealing. >x door The rich swirls of the wood grain is enhanced by the sculpted relief of the heraldic bearings of your lord. >open door You open one of the two doors. >s Castle Stairway Landing Directly in front of the top of the staircase is a set of double doors, with the coat of arms carved into each one. Adjacent to the stairwell is a pair of separate doors, a plain one, which is open, and a smaller one, which is closed, while opposite to them is an entrance to a room where another set of steps rises even higher. Circling around either way on the landing above the castle entrance leads to what appears to be a small chapel. Every step you take brings you closer to discovery, and to punishment greater than you've ever known. >u You can't go that way. >open se It's locked. >x se It looks much like the door next to it, only slightly smaller. >x chapel I don't see any chapel here. >n Dining Room This is where Lord Ruecoult and his family take their meals, he presiding at the head of the oval table. When she was alive, his wife--her name escapes you at the moment--would hold court at its foot. His son and heir, Trevine, would sit at his right hand, and any guests would filled the other places. >undo (Undoing one command) Castle Stairway Landing Directly in front of the top of the staircase is a set of double doors, with the coat of arms carved into each one. Adjacent to the stairwell is a pair of separate doors, a plain one, which is open, and a smaller one, which is closed, while opposite to them is an entrance to a room where another set of steps rises even higher. Circling around either way on the landing above the castle entrance leads to what appears to be a small chapel. >e Dark Hallway A suffocatingly dark passageway that leads to a lighter corner at one end and an open door at the other. >e Hall Corner The dark hall meets a turning toward a lighter passage which bends at a sharp angle to a well-lit room, while in the other direction is a dingy alcove. >n Alcove The first thing you notice as you enter is the acrid stench, much like in your family's outhouse. This small, dark nook has only a small ledge on the floor along one wall, with a space between to form a channel that runs at an angle down to a hole on one end. The wall behind this gutter is splattered with unwholesome whitish residues and slimy stains. >x residues I don't know the word "residues". >x gutter The nexus of the foul odors. It contains moist substances you'd rather not inspect closely. >s Hall Corner The dark hall meets a turning toward a lighter passage which bends at a sharp angle to a well-lit room, while in the other direction is a dingy alcove. >sw Room With the Large Guard When you enter the glow of the room, your eyes are forcibly drawn to the gigantic figure of a man as he stands, back to you, in an open doorway to the outside. He must be another guard: his size makes Klove seem modestly proportioned. >x guard He could hold up this castle all by himself. For some reason, as he looks over the balustrade outside, he shakes his head and sighs. >z Time passes... He begins to stir... >z Time passes... He slowly turns around and blinks at you. "Who are you?" he asks, his voice softened by bewilderment. Then, his face hardens when he figures out who you must be. With a single stride, he's upon you. Roughly, he grabs and carries you out, leaving you unable to see anything with your face pressed against his chest, until, finally, he tosses you to the ground and a door is slammed shut. Dungeon Room Much like the prison cell you were in before, but this one has nothing in it: no container to relieve yourself in, no mat to sleep on, nor is there any crack in the stone that surrounds you on all sides. >undo (Undoing one command) Room With the Large Guard The imminent danger of the guard turning around and discovering you blinds any perusal of the room. >sw You push past the guard, politely saying "Excuse me", and step out through the doorway. Balcony You've just begun to enjoy the crisp breeze that sweeps up the mountain face, when you feel a huge paw clamp onto the collar of your shirt. The entrails of the castle draw around and away from you, until you're swallowed in the pit of its stomach. Dungeon Room Much like the prison cell you were in before, but this one has nothing in it: no container to relieve yourself in, no mat to sleep on, nor is there any crack in the stone that surrounds you on all sides. >undo (Undoing one command) Room With the Large Guard The imminent danger of the guard turning around and discovering you blinds any perusal of the room. >ne Hall Corner The dark hall meets a turning toward a lighter passage which bends at a sharp angle to a well-lit room, while in the other direction is a dingy alcove. The guard begins to leave the room. >w Dark Hallway A suffocatingly dark passageway that leads to a lighter corner at one end and an open door at the other. The enormous figure enters the corner of the corridor. >w Castle Stairway Landing Directly in front of the top of the staircase is a set of double doors, with the coat of arms carved into each one. Adjacent to the stairwell is a pair of separate doors, a plain one, which is open, and a smaller one, which is closed, while opposite to them is an entrance to a room where another set of steps rises even higher. Circling around either way on the landing above the castle entrance leads to what appears to be a small chapel. Through the open door, you spy the guard as he makes his way toward you. >n Dining Room This is where Lord Ruecoult and his family take their meals, he presiding at the head of the oval table. When she was alive, his wife--her name escapes you at the moment--would hold court at its foot. His son and heir, Trevine, would sit at his right hand, and any guests would filled the other places. ~ You hear a door being closed and locked. >undo (Undoing one command) Castle Stairway Landing Directly in front of the top of the staircase is a set of double doors, with the coat of arms carved into each one. Adjacent to the stairwell is a pair of separate doors, a plain one, which is open, and a smaller one, which is closed, while opposite to them is an entrance to a room where another set of steps rises even higher. Circling around either way on the landing above the castle entrance leads to what appears to be a small chapel. >z Time passes... When he happens upon you, his eyes enlarge with rage. "Who the hell let you go?!" He grabs hold of you so tightly, you black out. When you awaken later, you find yourself alone. Dungeon Room Much like the prison cell you were in before, but this one has nothing in it: no container to relieve yourself in, no mat to sleep on, nor is there any crack in the stone that surrounds you on all sides. >undo (Undoing one command) Castle Stairway Landing Directly in front of the top of the staircase is a set of double doors, with the coat of arms carved into each one. Adjacent to the stairwell is a pair of separate doors, a plain one, which is open, and a smaller one, which is closed, while opposite to them is an entrance to a room where another set of steps rises even higher. Circling around either way on the landing above the castle entrance leads to what appears to be a small chapel. >d Castle Entrance A wide and steep marble staircase leads up to the heart of the castle where several oil lamps sputter their golden light down upon you. Slipping past one side of the steps is a narrow, dark corridor, while on the other side is a wide door. ~ You hear a door being closed and locked. >u Castle Stairway Landing Directly in front of the top of the staircase is a set of double doors, with the coat of arms carved into each one. Adjacent to the stairwell is a pair of separate doors, a plain one, which is closed, and a smaller one, also closed, while opposite to them is an entrance to a room where another set of steps rises even higher. Circling around either way on the landing above the castle entrance leads to what appears to be a small chapel. You walk straight into the guard's awaiting grasp, which doesn't make him treat you with any particular gentleness. You are glad when he, at last, throws you into some room and shuts the door, which will keep him out, at least. Dungeon Room Much like the prison cell you were in before, but this one has nothing in it: no container to relieve yourself in, no mat to sleep on, nor is there any crack in the stone that surrounds you on all sides. >undo (Undoing one command) Castle Entrance A wide and steep marble staircase leads up to the heart of the castle where several oil lamps sputter their golden light down upon you. Slipping past one side of the steps is a narrow, dark corridor, while on the other side is a wide door. >ne At the end of the passage is a swinging door which you push your way through. Servant's Quarters This long, low room manages to be darker than your dungeon niche. The only things you can perceive are two row of narrow beds arranged along the side walls, with each crumpled mattress occupied with the blanket-wrapped form of a snuffling, wheezing body deep in slumber. Otherwise, the only other observable features are the two exits, one through a swinging door, the other at the bottom of some steps. >n A narrow spiral staircase cut into the mountain face takes you to the room above the sleeping quarters. Kitchen In this compact and pungent space, all the necessities of a kitchen are tightly arranged: the hefty wooden block table, cleared and cleaned of all food; the utensils, locked in the cabinets; the food storage containers, closed and lined up on the shelves; and the hearth, having only cold ash to offer. >n You follow the twirl of the steps downward. Servant's Quarters This long, low room manages to be darker than your dungeon niche. The only things you can perceive are two row of narrow beds arranged along the side walls, with each crumpled mattress occupied with the blanket-wrapped form of a snuffling, wheezing body deep in slumber. Otherwise, the only other observable features are the two exits, one through a swinging door, the other at the bottom of some steps. >n A narrow spiral staircase cut into the mountain face takes you to the room above the sleeping quarters. Kitchen In this compact and pungent space, all the necessities of a kitchen are tightly arranged: the hefty wooden block table, cleared and cleaned of all food; the utensils, locked in the cabinets; the food storage containers, closed and lined up on the shelves; and the hearth, having only cold ash to offer. >s A narrow corridor leads to the... Dining Room This is where Lord Ruecoult and his family take their meals, he presiding at the head of the oval table. When she was alive, his wife--her name escapes you at the moment--would hold court at its foot. His son and heir, Trevine, would sit at his right hand, and any guests would filled the other places. >s Castle Stairway Landing Directly in front of the top of the staircase is a set of double doors, with the coat of arms carved into each one. Adjacent to the stairwell is a pair of separate doors, a plain one, which is closed, and a smaller one, also closed, while opposite to them is an entrance to a room where another set of steps rises even higher. Circling around either way on the landing above the castle entrance leads to what appears to be a small chapel. >w Leaning Room Between the steep staircase and the opposite wall that follows its incline up, this room seems to be in a perpetual states of toppling. Even the door facing the entrance is tilted. >restore Restored. Castle Entrance A wide and steep marble staircase leads up to the heart of the castle where several oil lamps sputter their golden light down upon you. Slipping past one side of the steps is a narrow, dark corridor, while on the other side is a wide door. >n You can't go that way. >ne At the end of the passage is a swinging door which you push your way through. Servant's Quarters This long, low room manages to be darker than your dungeon niche. The only things you can perceive are two row of narrow beds arranged along the side walls, with each crumpled mattress occupied with the blanket-wrapped form of a snuffling, wheezing body deep in slumber. Otherwise, the only other observable features are the two exits, one through a swinging door, the other at the bottom of some steps. >n A narrow spiral staircase cut into the mountain face takes you to the room above the sleeping quarters. Kitchen In this compact and pungent space, all the necessities of a kitchen are tightly arranged: the hefty wooden block table, cleared and cleaned of all food; the utensils, locked in the cabinets; the food storage containers, closed and lined up on the shelves; and the hearth, having only cold ash to offer. From the smallest snack to the annual harvest feast, every meal eaten by Ruecoult is prepared in there, whereas the food for the prisoners is most likely made in a cauldron by the stables. >x table The thick slab of wood is scored by innumerable slashes from knives chopping and slicing, and stained by the blood of fresh meats and the juices of vegetables and fruits. The only thing on the table is a wine flask. >get flask Taken. >s A narrow corridor leads to the... Dining Room This is where Lord Ruecoult and his family take their meals, he presiding at the head of the oval table. When she was alive, his wife--her name escapes you at the moment--would hold court at its foot. His son and heir, Trevine, would sit at his right hand, and any guests would filled the other places. You have to smile at this depiction of your imagination. The most you've seen of the family is a glimpse or two through the gauzy window shade of the carriage as it passed by Losilte on its way to some obscure foreign realm for some secret dealing. >open door You open one of the two doors. >s Castle Stairway Landing Directly in front of the top of the staircase is a set of double doors, with the coat of arms carved into each one. Adjacent to the stairwell is a pair of separate doors, a plain one, which is open, and a smaller one, which is closed, while opposite to them is an entrance to a room where another set of steps rises even higher. Circling around either way on the landing above the castle entrance leads to what appears to be a small chapel. Every step you take brings you closer to discovery, and to punishment greater than you've ever known. >w Leaning Room Between the steep staircase and the opposite wall that follows its incline up, this room seems to be in a perpetual states of toppling. Even the door facing the entrance is tilted. >u Top Landing Directly before the stairs is a beautiful, arched door that promises more splendors inside. Almost as gorgeous, set next to the central doorway, is the gilt door, glowing with a layer of true gold. To the other side is a relatively modest door, which, as you look more closely, has splattering of various paint colors. Judging by the layout of the castle, this appears to be its highest level, which must mean, Lord Ruecoult is near. >open nw Opened. >nw Gold Room When you first enter, the light strikes you from every direction the way the air does when you've floated at the bottom of the lake until the breath in your body prickles and tears at your chest and you clamber to the surface and gasp. Yet, abundant though the light may be, you cannot locate its source. You don't ponder this for long because you are surrounded by a greater wonder: gold. It may be intricately fashioned into tiny trinkets or bulk molded into smooth rods, yet always it remains the inviolable. The gold pieces, large and small, clutter the floor as if they are trivial concerns, while the silver-mirrored walls multiply the space so that the treasures stretch farther than any plain. A small waist-high fence surrounds the entrance, a minor barrier that keeps you from the riches, although a polished gold tray hangs from the ceiling by a golden chain, tantalizingly close to your reach. The fence also serves the more welcomed function of keeping two huge dogs from you. Upon your arrival, they spring erect on their hoof-like paws with the fur on their backs raised like thorns, and they both growl at you with sneers on their mottled lips. The lord must show this room whenever he has visitors, to dazzle them with the wealth of his dominion. Much more impressive than taking them into the valley. >x dogs The brutes stand at attention, incessantly alert for any movement, thick muscles rippling under the shine of their coats. Their ample jaws would not be denied if they seek your neck. Each stands by a pile of misshapen gold articles. While you might be mistaken, you thought you saw a glint of gold on their fangs. >x tray Beautifully wrought from gold, the rectangular serving tray dangles from the gold chain. From a distance you can see that it has an unusual engraving. >read it The words are too fine to read from the distance. >touch it Touching the gold tray doesn't seem to have any effect. >push it Pushing the gold tray doesn't do anything. >look on it The features of the gold tray are mainly on the surface. >i You have a chamber pot handle and a wine flask. >put handle on tray You refuse to serve anyone in this castle anything. >get tray The danger is too great while the dogs are watching you. >n You'd rather not get attacked by the dogs. >s Top Landing You are confronted by an arched door, with a gilt door next to it, while a painted door is off to the side. >open east Opened. >e Portrait Room When you step into the room, you are surrounded by dozens of people staring down at you. Your breath returns when you consider that not only are these merely paintings of people, but further, most of those depicted are probably dead. After recovering from your initial shock, your attention falls to the center of the room, where a painting on an easel is covered by a white sheet. >move sheet Moving the white sheet doesn't reveal anything. >get sheet Taken. >x painting On the unframed canvas, the shallow room and the clutter of its objects appears to be finished, while for the inhabitants of this painting, a man and a boy, much work remains. Under the circumstances, you assume that the man is Lord Ruecoult, who has no feet and only one arm. The small boy, evidently Trevine, the lord's son, fares worse, being only a torso and a head with only a hint of mouth for a face. >get it It's not of any particular value at the moment. >x easel On the unframed canvas, the shallow room and the clutter of its objects appears to be finished, while for the inhabitants of this painting, a man and a boy, much work remains. Under the circumstances, you assume that the man is Lord Ruecoult, who has no feet and only one arm. The small boy, evidently Trevine, the lord's son, fares worse, being only a torso and a head with only a hint of mouth for a face. >l Portrait Room The walls are hung with many portraitures, while in the center of the room, on an easel, is an uncompleted portrait. >x portraits Each framed painting presents one, or occasionally several subjects, dressed in full regalia and posed awkwardly against a rather flat background. >search portraits You find nothing of interest. >w Top Landing You are confronted by an arched door, with a gilt door next to it, while a painted door is off to the side. >open north Opened. >n Lord Ruecoult's Abode This vast room contains more wonders than seeds that have been sown in Ordis Valley. In the distance, sparkling crystal ornaments vie for attention, bizarre birds preen in huge cages, mechanical contrivances move of their own accord, fountains flow with everything wet except water, foreign plants sprout from every nook, while, in this humble corner, reclining on a divan before a stoked fireplace is Lord Ruecoult. Hanging near his hand, notably, is a cord that connects to something in the ceiling, and standing behind him is a life- size statue of a woman. Upon your entrance, Ruecoult sits up straight on the couch. He inspects narrowly, after which he gives his assessment: "Judging from your shabby clothes, you are nothing more than a drifter. How ever you managed to invade my castle, I could not care less. You are plainly not worthy of my interest, nor even of my disdain." He pulls the nearby cord, and within seconds, a group of guards jumps you from behind and wrestles you to the ground. As one, they carry you away and dispose of you, leaving you far from any hope of salvation. Dungeon Room Much like the prison cell you were in before, but this one has nothing in it: no container to relieve yourself in, no mat to sleep on, nor is there any crack in the stone that surrounds you on all sides. >undo (Undoing one command) Top Landing You are confronted by an arched door, with a gilt door next to it, while a painted door is off to the side. >undo (Undoing one command) Top Landing You are confronted by an arched door, with a gilt door next to it, while a painted door is off to the side. >d Leaning Room Between the steep staircase and the opposite wall that follows its incline up, this room seems to be in a perpetual states of toppling. Even the door facing the entrance is tilted. >open west It's locked. >e Castle Stairway Landing Directly in front of the top of the staircase is a set of double doors, with the coat of arms carved into each one. Adjacent to the stairwell is a pair of separate doors, a plain one, which is open, and a smaller one, which is closed, while opposite to them is an entrance to a room where another set of steps rises even higher. Circling around either way on the landing above the castle entrance leads to what appears to be a small chapel. >e Dark Hallway A suffocatingly dark passageway that leads to a lighter corner at one end and an open door at the other. >e Hall Corner The dark hall meets a turning toward a lighter passage which bends at a sharp angle to a well-lit room, while in the other direction is a dingy alcove. >n Alcove The first thing you notice as you enter is the acrid stench, much like in your family's outhouse. This small, dark nook has only a small ledge on the floor along one wall, with a space between to form a channel that runs at an angle down to a hole on one end. The wall behind this gutter is splattered with unwholesome whitish residues and slimy stains. >x ledge A narrow length of the floor is raised to form a slight step. >enter ledge I don't know how to enter the ledge. >s Hall Corner The dark hall meets a turning toward a lighter passage which bends at a sharp angle to a well-lit room, while in the other direction is a dingy alcove. >sw Room With the Large Guard When you enter the glow of the room, your eyes are forcibly drawn to the gigantic figure of a man as he stands, back to you, in an open doorway to the outside. He must be another guard: his size makes Klove seem modestly proportioned. >undo (Undoing one command) Hall Corner The dark hall meets a turning toward a lighter passage which bends at a sharp angle to a well-lit room, while in the other direction is a dingy alcove. >save Saved. >z Time passes... >z Time passes... >x guard I don't see any guard here. >s You can't go that way. >sw Room With the Large Guard When you enter the glow of the room, your eyes are forcibly drawn to the gigantic figure of a man as he stands, back to you, in an open doorway to the outside. He must be another guard: his size makes Klove seem modestly proportioned. >x guard He could hold up this castle all by himself. For some reason, as he looks over the balustrade outside, he shakes his head and sighs. >z Time passes... He begins to stir... >ne Hall Corner The dark hall meets a turning toward a lighter passage which bends at a sharp angle to a well-lit room, while in the other direction is a dingy alcove. The guard begins to leave the room. >n Alcove This small, dark nook has only a small ledge on the floor along one wall, with a space between to form a channel that runs at an angle down to a hole on one end. The wall behind this gutter is splattered with unwholesome whitish residues and slimy stains. The enormous figure enters the corner of the corridor. >z Time passes... The guard suddenly halts. His body fills the doorway of the alcove as he peers at you. "Is that you, Zane?" >say "yes" Before you can say three syllables, he pounces on you and together you two roll like a boulder down the castle until you bottom out, alone. Dungeon Room Much like the prison cell you were in before, but this one has nothing in it: no container to relieve yourself in, no mat to sleep on, nor is there any crack in the stone that surrounds you on all sides. >undo (Undoing one command) Alcove This small, dark nook has only a small ledge on the floor along one wall, with a space between to form a channel that runs at an angle down to a hole on one end. The wall behind this gutter is splattered with unwholesome whitish residues and slimy stains. >s Hall Corner The dark hall meets a turning toward a lighter passage which bends at a sharp angle to a well-lit room, while in the other direction is a dingy alcove. You walk straight into the guard's awaiting grasp, which doesn't make him treat you with any particular gentleness. You are glad when he, at last, throws you into some room and shuts the door, which will keep him out, at least. Dungeon Room Much like the prison cell you were in before, but this one has nothing in it: no container to relieve yourself in, no mat to sleep on, nor is there any crack in the stone that surrounds you on all sides. "Wait a second. You're that girl that they put in the dungeon this morning. You'll have a lot of explaining to do." Before you can offer an excuse, he hauls you out of the alcove and takes you back to the dungeon, the return journey seeming much shorter than your original ascent. Dungeon Room Much like the prison cell you were in before, but this one has nothing in it: no container to relieve yourself in, no mat to sleep on, nor is there any crack in the stone that surrounds you on all sides. >restore Restored. Hall Corner The dark hall meets a turning toward a lighter passage which bends at a sharp angle to a well-lit room, while in the other direction is a dingy alcove. >i You have a chamber pot handle, a wine flask, and a white sheet. >put sheet on me The white sheet is already on yourself! >wear sheet You wrap the white sheet around your thin neck, letting it drape your entire body and drag on the floor as you walk. >sw Room With the Large Guard When you enter the glow of the room, your eyes are forcibly drawn to the gigantic figure of a man as he stands, back to you, in an open doorway to the outside. He must be another guard: his size makes Klove seem modestly proportioned. >sw You push past the guard, politely saying "Excuse me", and step out through the doorway. Balcony You've just begun to enjoy the crisp breeze that sweeps up the mountain face, when you feel a huge paw clamp onto the collar of your shirt. The entrails of the castle draw around and away from you, until you're swallowed in the pit of its stomach. Dungeon Room Much like the prison cell you were in before, but this one has nothing in it: no container to relieve yourself in, no mat to sleep on, nor is there any crack in the stone that surrounds you on all sides. >undo (Undoing one command) Room With the Large Guard The imminent danger of the guard turning around and discovering you blinds any perusal of the room. >n You can't go that way. For some reason, as he looks over the balustrade outside, he shakes his head and sighs. >ne Hall Corner The dark hall meets a turning toward a lighter passage which bends at a sharp angle to a well-lit room, while in the other direction is a dingy alcove. >n Alcove This small, dark nook has only a small ledge on the floor along one wall, with a space between to form a channel that runs at an angle down to a hole on one end. The wall behind this gutter is splattered with unwholesome whitish residues and slimy stains. >z Time passes... The enormous figure enters the corner of the corridor. >z Time passes... At the sight of your shrouded figure, the guard freezes. Never would you think to see such a huge man be frightened by a little creature such as yourself. "Are you flesh, or are you...vapor?" He forces the words out of his throat as a strangled whisper. Then, gathering his nerve, he pounces upon you and receives a second rude shock: the sheet falls away to reveal a very mortal being. As he leads you into the earth, the guard attempts to explain his reaction : "I think little of will-o-wisps and black cats and unquiet tombs. But with the recent removals, as it were, of some of the prisoners, one would have trouble avoiding the notion of those departed deciding to return, so to say, and wreaking vengeance upon the living." By the time his excuse is finished, he has guided you into a new dungeon, and he can close the door on you with aplomb. Dungeon Room Much like the prison cell you were in before, but this one has nothing in it: no container to relieve yourself in, no mat to sleep on, nor is there any crack in the stone that surrounds you on all sides. >undo (Undoing one command) Alcove This small, dark nook has only a small ledge on the floor along one wall, with a space between to form a channel that runs at an angle down to a hole on one end. The wall behind this gutter is splattered with unwholesome whitish residues and slimy stains. >s Hall Corner The dark hall meets a turning toward a lighter passage which bends at a sharp angle to a well-lit room, while in the other direction is a dingy alcove. You walk straight into the guard's awaiting grasp, which doesn't make him treat you with any particular gentleness. You are glad when he, at last, throws you into some room and shuts the door, which will keep him out, at least. Dungeon Room Much like the prison cell you were in before, but this one has nothing in it: no container to relieve yourself in, no mat to sleep on, nor is there any crack in the stone that surrounds you on all sides. >undo (Undoing one command) Alcove This small, dark nook has only a small ledge on the floor along one wall, with a space between to form a channel that runs at an angle down to a hole on one end. The wall behind this gutter is splattered with unwholesome whitish residues and slimy stains. >yell You think better of making such noise. At the sight of your shrouded figure, the guard freezes. Never would you think to see such a huge man be frightened by a little creature such as yourself. "Are you flesh, or are you...vapor?" He forces the words out of his throat as a strangled whisper. Then, gathering his nerve, he pounces upon you and receives a second rude shock: the sheet falls away to reveal a very mortal being. As he leads you into the earth, the guard attempts to explain his reaction : "I think little of will-o-wisps and black cats and unquiet tombs. But with the recent removals, as it were, of some of the prisoners, one would have trouble avoiding the notion of those departed deciding to return, so to say, and wreaking vengeance upon the living." By the time his excuse is finished, he has guided you into a new dungeon, and he can close the door on you with aplomb. Dungeon Room Much like the prison cell you were in before, but this one has nothing in it: no container to relieve yourself in, no mat to sleep on, nor is there any crack in the stone that surrounds you on all sides. >restore Restored. Hall Corner The dark hall meets a turning toward a lighter passage which bends at a sharp angle to a well-lit room, while in the other direction is a dingy alcove. >w Dark Hallway A suffocatingly dark passageway that leads to a lighter corner at one end and an open door at the other. >w Castle Stairway Landing Directly in front of the top of the staircase is a set of double doors, with the coat of arms carved into each one. Adjacent to the stairwell is a pair of separate doors, a plain one, which is open, and a smaller one, which is closed, while opposite to them is an entrance to a room where another set of steps rises even higher. Circling around either way on the landing above the castle entrance leads to what appears to be a small chapel. >s You choose one of the ways around the stairwell and enter the chapel. Castle Chapel Although rather compact, with, on either side of the center aisle, five rows of pews that face a bare altar and a lectern on a raised platform, the chapel has the freedom of a ceiling that rises to insurmountable heights, providing space for a set of towering stained glass windows. To one side of the entrance, poorly illumed by the thin candlelight is a confessional booth, and along the opposite wall is doorway covered with a maroon velvet curtain. And, sitting on the edge of the one of the rear pews, turned toward you as if expecting you all along, is Prucine. Despite the shadows painting his face, you can still make out a smile as he says simply, "Ah, child. You've come to visit me. Please take your time in here. I'll be glad to lay to rest any doubts and questions you may have." >ask prucine about lord "It is when confronted by people like Ruecoult that I have my gravest doubts: where does prudence end and cowardice begin?" >ask him about me "Before you bemoan your predicament, remember that many people are in situations that are not of their own choosing." >ask him about mother "They attend mass faithfully. That the most I can say about them." >ask him about guard "I'm afraid that is beyond my knowledge." >ask him about zane "He doesn't see particularly devout." >ask him about pierre I don't know the word "pierre". >ask him about pietro "I'm afraid that is beyond my knowledge." >tell him about pietro It doesn't look as though Prucine is interested. >ask him about prudence I don't know the word "prudence". >ask him about him "I try to give as much hope as possible to the lowliest beings--without leading them to folly." >ask him about servants I don't know the word "servants". >ask him about matron "A valiant woman, she tries to save other women from the common pitfalls." >ask him about medallion "I'm afraid that is beyond my knowledge." >ask him about wexor "Can he extend life beyond God's will? I should expect not." >ask him about physician "Can he extend life beyond God's will? I should expect not." >ask him about chaplain I don't know the word "chaplain". >ask him about valley "Much of the valley is my diocese." >ask him about kitchen "I'm afraid that is beyond my knowledge." >ask him about ghosts I don't know the word "ghosts". >z Time passes... >z Time passes... >l Castle Chapel Although rather compact, with, on either side of the center aisle, five rows of pews that face a bare altar and a lectern on a raised platform, the chapel has the freedom of a ceiling that rises to insurmountable heights, providing space for a set of towering stained glass windows. To one side of the entrance, poorly illumed by the thin candlelight is a confessional booth, and along the opposite wall is doorway covered with a maroon velvet curtain. And, sitting on the edge of the one of the rear pews, turned toward you as if expecting you all along, is Prucine. >x booth A special place to unburden yourself. Yet you never felt completely free to tell all that was inside you. >enter booth "We can talk face-to-face," suggests Prucine. >ask him about booth He shakes his head with a sad chuckle, "I've heard such tales in that cabinet...which, if you'll pardon me, I'm not allowed to relate." >s You can't go that way. >e Prucine warns you off, "That's just my little rectory, where I live." >ask him about rectory "I just try to stay out of sight when I'm not performing my duties." >show sheet to him Prucine isn't impressed. >show flask to him Prucine isn't impressed. >prucine, fill flask What do you want Prucine to fill it with? >wine "God--and I--helps those who help themselves." >i You have a chamber pot handle, a wine flask, and a white sheet. >[Should be 'help' since it's 'God & I'.] I don't understand the punctuation "[". >l Castle Chapel Although rather compact, with, on either side of the center aisle, five rows of pews that face a bare altar and a lectern on a raised platform, the chapel has the freedom of a ceiling that rises to insurmountable heights, providing space for a set of towering stained glass windows. To one side of the entrance, poorly illumed by the thin candlelight is a confessional booth, and along the opposite wall is doorway covered with a maroon velvet curtain. And, sitting on the edge of the one of the rear pews, turned toward you as if expecting you all along, is Prucine. >x altar It is from here that Prucine says Mass every Sunday for Lord Ruecoult and his family, and those who are, for the moment, in good graces with him. >x platform It is from here that Prucine says Mass every Sunday for Lord Ruecoult and his family, and those who are, for the moment, in good graces with him. >x lectern It is from here that Prucine says Mass every Sunday for Lord Ruecoult and his family, and those who are, for the moment, in good graces with him. >x windows During the day, the glass must glow with brilliant colors, but at this late hour, the glossy, rippled surfaces seem like nothing more than newly formed scabs. >look through windows You can't see anything through the stained glass windows. >open windows I don't know how to open the stained glass windows. >open curtain Prucine warns you off, "That's just my little rectory, where I live." >x pews Fairly plain benches, with padded kneelers. Prucine is perched on the edge of one. >x kneelers Fairly plain benches, with padded kneelers. Prucine is perched on the edge of one. >search pews You find nothing of interest. >look under pews There's nothing under the church pews. >x prucine At mass, he stands above you on the pulpit, fierce and vibrant, his voice strong enough to rattle the trees. Here, you look down on him as he sits, soft-spoken, vulnerable, and curiously unafraid. >talk to prucine Having nothing particular to ask or tell, you refrain from starting a conversation. >n As you turn to leave, from the cover of the confessional's shadows steps Klove. You willing put your slight hand in the meat of his outstretched palm. Prucine stands and speaks to you almost plaintively, "This is not my wish. I'd rather that you were free. The decision, however, is not mine to make." Quietly, the burly guard leads you away to.... Dungeon Room Much like the prison cell you were in before, but this one has nothing in it: no container to relieve yourself in, no mat to sleep on, nor is there any crack in the stone that surrounds you on all sides. >i Somehow, without your awareness, you were stripped of your possessions on the journey down here. >undo (Undoing one command) Dungeon Room Much like the prison cell you were in before, but this one has nothing in it: no container to relieve yourself in, no mat to sleep on, nor is there any crack in the stone that surrounds you on all sides. >undo (Undoing one command) Castle Chapel Although rather compact, with, on either side of the center aisle, five rows of pews that face a bare altar and a lectern on a raised platform, the chapel has the freedom of a ceiling that rises to insurmountable heights, providing space for a set of towering stained glass windows. To one side of the entrance, poorly illumed by the thin candlelight is a confessional booth, and along the opposite wall is doorway covered with a maroon velvet curtain. And, sitting on the edge of the one of the rear pews, turned toward you as if expecting you all along, is Prucine. >enter confessional "We can talk face-to-face," suggests Prucine. >x confessional A special place to unburden yourself. Yet you never felt completely free to tell all that was inside you. >restore Restored. Hall Corner The dark hall meets a turning toward a lighter passage which bends at a sharp angle to a well-lit room, while in the other direction is a dingy alcove. >w Dark Hallway A suffocatingly dark passageway that leads to a lighter corner at one end and an open door at the other. >w Castle Stairway Landing Directly in front of the top of the staircase is a set of double doors, with the coat of arms carved into each one. Adjacent to the stairwell is a pair of separate doors, a plain one, which is open, and a smaller one, which is closed, while opposite to them is an entrance to a room where another set of steps rises even higher. Circling around either way on the landing above the castle entrance leads to what appears to be a small chapel. >n Dining Room This is where Lord Ruecoult and his family take their meals, he presiding at the head of the oval table. When she was alive, his wife--her name escapes you at the moment--would hold court at its foot. His son and heir, Trevine, would sit at his right hand, and any guests would filled the other places. >x table The lustrous wood is dustless and bare, excepting a flowerpot centerpiece. >x flowerpot A squat, wide-mouth alabaster vase holds a considerable quantity of water into which a sheaf of ornamental flowers are placed. >fill flask with water After removing the cap, you dip the bag into the water and pull on its sides so that the water rushes into it. You finish by replacing the cap. >get flowers They are bothersome to carry around; you would feel like some sort of silly princess. >x coat of arms The emblem of Lord Ruecoult. Upon the escutcheon is the common charge of a trippant, regardant young horse. >get vase You can't have the flowerpot. >s' I don't know the word "s'". >s Castle Stairway Landing Directly in front of the top of the staircase is a set of double doors, with the coat of arms carved into each one. Adjacent to the stairwell is a pair of separate doors, a plain one, which is open, and a smaller one, which is closed, while opposite to them is an entrance to a room where another set of steps rises even higher. Circling around either way on the landing above the castle entrance leads to what appears to be a small chapel. >w Leaning Room Between the steep staircase and the opposite wall that follows its incline up, this room seems to be in a perpetual states of toppling. Even the door facing the entrance is tilted. >u Top Landing You are confronted by an arched door, with a gilt door next to it, while a painted door is off to the side. >nw Gold Room The gold pieces, large and small, clutter the floor as if they are trivial concerns, while the silver-mirrored walls multiply the space so that the treasures stretch farther than any plain. A small waist-high fence surrounds the entrance, a minor barrier that keeps you from the riches, although a polished gold tray hangs from the ceiling by a golden chain, tantalizingly close to your reach. The fence also serves the more welcomed function of keeping two huge dogs from you. >throw handle to dogs You throw the handle between the two dogs. They both look at the shiny object, then each grabs an end. Back and forth they pull the handle, rasping and snarling at each other. >get tray Taken. The dogs are locked in combat over the handle. >s Top Landing You are confronted by an arched door, with a gilt door next to it, while a painted door is off to the side. >n (Opening the arched door) Lord Ruecoult's Abode This vast room contains more wonders than seeds that have been sown in Ordis Valley. In the distance, sparkling crystal ornaments vie for attention, bizarre birds preen in huge cages, mechanical contrivances move of their own accord, fountains flow with everything wet except water, foreign plants sprout from every nook, while, in this humble corner, reclining on a divan before a stoked fireplace is Lord Ruecoult. Hanging near his hand, notably, is a cord that connects to something in the ceiling, and standing behind him is a life- size statue of a woman. Upon your entrance, Ruecoult sits up straight on the couch. He inspects narrowly, after which he gives his assessment: "Judging from your shabby clothes, you are nothing more than a drifter. How ever you managed to invade my castle, I could not care less. You are plainly not worthy of my interest, nor even of my disdain." He pulls the nearby cord, and within seconds, a group of guards jumps you from behind and wrestles you to the ground. As one, they carry you away and dispose of you, leaving you far from any hope of salvation. Dungeon Room Much like the prison cell you were in before, but this one has nothing in it: no container to relieve yourself in, no mat to sleep on, nor is there any crack in the stone that surrounds you on all sides. >undo (Undoing one command) Top Landing You are confronted by an arched door, with a gilt door next to it, while a painted door is off to the side. >i You have a wine flask, a white sheet, and a gold tray. >wear sheet You wrap the white sheet around your thin neck, letting it drape your entire body and drag on the floor as you walk. >n (Opening the arched door) Lord Ruecoult's Abode This vast room contains more wonders than seeds that have been sown in Ordis Valley. In the distance, sparkling crystal ornaments vie for attention, bizarre birds preen in huge cages, mechanical contrivances move of their own accord, fountains flow with everything wet except water, foreign plants sprout from every nook, while, in this humble corner, reclining on a divan before a stoked fireplace is Lord Ruecoult. Hanging near his hand, notably, is a cord that connects to something in the ceiling, and standing behind him is a life- size statue of a woman. The lord perks up at your appearance and grasps the cord. Then, with further consideration, he slumps back onto the cushions. "You'll have to forgive my posture: my gout is in full bloom, and the good doctor Wexor is off taking care of a less fortunate soul." "So...what have we here?" He rubs his chin with his fingertips. "My first impression was that you are a corporeal being. Yet you have a look about you... And how to explain your sudden appearance? You passed by guards unseen, or through the rock of the castle walls?" He smiles. "Ah, but you had to open the door to enter." He shakes his head sadly. "No, I'm not convinced. The guards are but humans, able to fooled by choice words. Perhaps if you could show your power over the mute beast..." >show tray to lord His face turns ashen as he takes the gold tray from you. "How could this be?" A spark of rage alights upon him. "Did you kill my precious dogs?" He yells, "Sparta! Athena!" Through a hidden panel in the wall, the two giant dogs push their way through, and sit facing their master, tails wagging. His gladness at their presence is tempered by a new astonishment. "You truly have remarkable powers!" He falls silent, pondering what he witnessed. "Even the lowliest animal has passions, and these can be used to bend its actions to a cunning person's needs." He raises a rueful smile to you. "I'm afraid the challenge has not been met. To gain my trust, you will need a bona fide miracle. Perhaps show your mastery over an object, perhaps bringing it to life..." >x statue The white marble has been sculpted in the shape of a frail young woman in a long dress. With her palms raised outward and upward as if to shield herself from the tribulations that will soon rain down upon her, still, her head is lifted even higher, looking over and beyond the coming storm. Oddly, despite the attitude and the pedestal it stands atop, the sculpture yields to its surroundings. >pour water on statue I don't know the word "pour". >put water on statue Surreptitiously, you squeeze a stream of water onto statue. "Behold," you intone, "I cause this marble lady to cry!" When he sees the drops running down the stone face, Ruecoult begins quivering. "I beg your forgiveness. I shall comply with your wishes. You can ask me about whatever you wish, and if there is someone I've wronged, someone in prison that I can pardon, please just say so." >lord, pardon pietor "Ah, yes, Pietro, that mulish old man. Well, if that is your wish, then so I shall do." After slowly drawing the velvet cord down, he continues, "I've summoned a few guards to perform the errand. I trust that they won't interfere with your manifestation." >lord, pardon me We shall deal with the person we've agreed upon first. Once that one is settled, I'll be glad to consider more pardons." >undo (Undoing one command) Lord Ruecoult's Abode This vast room contains more wonders than seeds that have been sown in Ordis Valley. In the distance, sparkling crystal ornaments vie for attention, bizarre birds preen in huge cages, mechanical contrivances move of their own accord, fountains flow with everything wet except water, foreign plants sprout from every nook, while, in this humble corner, reclining on a divan before a stoked fireplace is Lord Ruecoult. Hanging near his hand, notably, is a cord that connects to something in the ceiling, and standing behind him is a life- size statue of a woman, while the two dogs sit before him. >undo (Undoing one command) Lord Ruecoult's Abode This vast room contains more wonders than seeds that have been sown in Ordis Valley. In the distance, sparkling crystal ornaments vie for attention, bizarre birds preen in huge cages, mechanical contrivances move of their own accord, fountains flow with everything wet except water, foreign plants sprout from every nook, while, in this humble corner, reclining on a divan before a stoked fireplace is Lord Ruecoult. Hanging near his hand, notably, is a cord that connects to something in the ceiling, and standing behind him is a life- size statue of a woman, while the two dogs sit before him. >lord, pardon me "Although I can release you from my sentence," he pauses to clear his throat, "I regret that I cannot undo the punishment already visited upon you. Perhaps this is sufficient to return you to your mortal remains?" He watches you closely, then turns crestfallen as your bodily presence persists. >who am I? I don't know the word "who". >x me You, known as Logastra, are slender and wiry from helping your father all day in the fields and helping your mother with chores when you get home, and, as you do every summer, you've cropped your hair close so that it wouldn't impede your labors. The clothes you wear are the selfsame ones that got you in trouble in the first place, although now concealed by the sheet that swaddles you. >lord, pardon logastra "Very well, I shall release this Logastra." He slowly pulls the cord. "In a few moments, some guards will arrive and I'll give them the orders." >s Top Landing You are confronted by an arched door, with a gilt door next to it, while a painted door is off to the side. Hearing voices below, you look down and see guards marching out through the opened door and climbing the steps toward you. >z Time passes... The guards swarm over you and imprison you within their numbers. One says, "I'll check on the lord," and passes through the arched doorway. >z Time passes... The guard who went to Ruecoult must have returned because you hear him speak: "I've got the orders. You fellows may laugh at this, but he wants Logastra freed." The men push you to the front where the head guard waits. "I don't know what you said to the lord, but it must've been good." With a curt pull on your wrist, he leads you out of the castle. You're sure that people stared at you as you passed, but you can remember none of it. Front Gate Somehow, you've reached the palisade protecting the front of the castle. The droll guard opens the gate, and, while lingering idly by, he sends you through it. When you step outside the fence, the wide-open range of the land explodes in upon you, saturating you, filling you so completely that you are consumed by its weight... At last, when everything dies down, you again open you eyes: there before you, as if they had been waiting an eternity for this moment, is your mother and father. While your father sits and stares at you, unable to comprehend what he sees, your mother jumps up and throws her arms around you and begins to sob. Then, coming to life, your father clasps the both of you in his strong arms, and presses his face between the bowed crowns of your heads, and murmurs, "Never again, never again, never again,..." ~ And you know that, in truth, you are safe from the overlords. But the question remains: with all the others, here and elsewhere, here and to come, how will anything change for them? *** You have concluded the story *** Do you wish to (R)ESTORE a saved game, RE(S)TART from the beginning, (Q)UIT, or (U)NDO the last command. r Hall Corner The dark hall meets a turning toward a lighter passage which bends at a sharp angle to a well-lit room, while in the other direction is a dingy alcove. >w Dark Hallway A suffocatingly dark passageway that leads to a lighter corner at one end and an open door at the other. >n You can't go that way. >w Castle Stairway Landing Directly in front of the top of the staircase is a set of double doors, with the coat of arms carved into each one. Adjacent to the stairwell is a pair of separate doors, a plain one, which is open, and a smaller one, which is closed, while opposite to them is an entrance to a room where another set of steps rises even higher. Circling around either way on the landing above the castle entrance leads to what appears to be a small chapel. >n Dining Room This is where Lord Ruecoult and his family take their meals, he presiding at the head of the oval table. When she was alive, his wife--her name escapes you at the moment--would hold court at its foot. His son and heir, Trevine, would sit at his right hand, and any guests would filled the other places. >fill flask What do you want to fill it with? >water After removing the cap, you dip the bag into the water and pull on its sides so that the water rushes into it. You finish by replacing the cap. >s Castle Stairway Landing Directly in front of the top of the staircase is a set of double doors, with the coat of arms carved into each one. Adjacent to the stairwell is a pair of separate doors, a plain one, which is open, and a smaller one, which is closed, while opposite to them is an entrance to a room where another set of steps rises even higher. Circling around either way on the landing above the castle entrance leads to what appears to be a small chapel. >w Leaning Room Between the steep staircase and the opposite wall that follows its incline up, this room seems to be in a perpetual states of toppling. Even the door facing the entrance is tilted. >u Top Landing You are confronted by an arched door, with a gilt door next to it, while a painted door is off to the side. >n (Opening the arched door) Lord Ruecoult's Abode This vast room contains more wonders than seeds that have been sown in Ordis Valley. In the distance, sparkling crystal ornaments vie for attention, bizarre birds preen in huge cages, mechanical contrivances move of their own accord, fountains flow with everything wet except water, foreign plants sprout from every nook, while, in this humble corner, reclining on a divan before a stoked fireplace is Lord Ruecoult. Hanging near his hand, notably, is a cord that connects to something in the ceiling, and standing behind him is a life- size statue of a woman. Upon your entrance, Ruecoult sits up straight on the couch. He inspects narrowly, after which he gives his assessment: "Judging from your shabby clothes, you are nothing more than a drifter. How ever you managed to invade my castle, I could not care less. You are plainly not worthy of my interest, nor even of my disdain." He pulls the nearby cord, and within seconds, a group of guards jumps you from behind and wrestles you to the ground. As one, they carry you away and dispose of you, leaving you far from any hope of salvation. Dungeon Room Much like the prison cell you were in before, but this one has nothing in it: no container to relieve yourself in, no mat to sleep on, nor is there any crack in the stone that surrounds you on all sides. >undo (Undoing one command) Top Landing You are confronted by an arched door, with a gilt door next to it, while a painted door is off to the side. >nw Gold Room The gold pieces, large and small, clutter the floor as if they are trivial concerns, while the silver-mirrored walls multiply the space so that the treasures stretch farther than any plain. A small waist-high fence surrounds the entrance, a minor barrier that keeps you from the riches, although a polished gold tray hangs from the ceiling by a golden chain, tantalizingly close to your reach. The fence also serves the more welcomed function of keeping two huge dogs from you. >throw bar to dogs I don't see any bar here. >throw handle to dogs You throw the handle between the two dogs. They both look at the shiny object, then each grabs an end. Back and forth they pull the handle, rasping and snarling at each other. >get tray Taken. The dogs are locked in combat over the handle. >s Top Landing You are confronted by an arched door, with a gilt door next to it, while a painted door is off to the side. >d Leaning Room Between the steep staircase and the opposite wall that follows its incline up, this room seems to be in a perpetual states of toppling. Even the door facing the entrance is tilted. >e Castle Stairway Landing Directly in front of the top of the staircase is a set of double doors, with the coat of arms carved into each one. Adjacent to the stairwell is a pair of separate doors, a plain one, which is open, and a smaller one, which is closed, while opposite to them is an entrance to a room where another set of steps rises even higher. Circling around either way on the landing above the castle entrance leads to what appears to be a small chapel. >i You have a wine flask, a white sheet, and a gold tray. >wear sheet You wrap the white sheet around your thin neck, letting it drape your entire body and drag on the floor as you walk. >wear tray You can't wear the gold tray. >put tray on head There's no good surface on your head. >x tray Examined closely, this gold serving tray has a finely etched inscription. >read it It reads: To My Dearest Lady: Air, Blessing, Claret, Dance, Egret, Fire, God, Harvest, Iron, Justice, Kiss, Lark, Mountain, Nest, Ocean, Peach, Quill, Rime, Scribe, Thyme, Union, Voice, Weal, Youth, Zeal. All are important to me, but because of you, much more two of these mean. Lord Ruecoult. >e Dark Hallway A suffocatingly dark passageway that leads to a lighter corner at one end and an open door at the other. >e Hall Corner The dark hall meets a turning toward a lighter passage which bends at a sharp angle to a well-lit room, while in the other direction is a dingy alcove. >w Dark Hallway A suffocatingly dark passageway that leads to a lighter corner at one end and an open door at the other. >x wall The walls guide you through the darkness. >touch wall Touching the wall doesn't seem to have any effect. >e Hall Corner The dark hall meets a turning toward a lighter passage which bends at a sharp angle to a well-lit room, while in the other direction is a dingy alcove. >n Alcove This small, dark nook has only a small ledge on the floor along one wall, with a space between to form a channel that runs at an angle down to a hole on one end. The wall behind this gutter is splattered with unwholesome whitish residues and slimy stains. >x ledge A narrow length of the floor is raised to form a slight step. >x chanel I don't know the word "chanel". >x channel The nexus of the foul odors. It contains moist substances you'd rather not inspect closely. >x hole The nexus of the foul odors. It contains moist substances you'd rather not inspect closely. >x wall On the lower part of one wall is a malodorous deposit. >x deposit I don't know the word "deposit". >x ceiling A hovering darkness. >x floor A small ledge rises from the floor here, running close to one wall. >s Hall Corner The dark hall meets a turning toward a lighter passage which bends at a sharp angle to a well-lit room, while in the other direction is a dingy alcove. >x ceiling A hovering darkness. >x floor An indistinct surface. >x wall The walls guide you through the darkness. >w Dark Hallway A suffocatingly dark passageway that leads to a lighter corner at one end and an open door at the other. >x ceiling A hovering darkness. >x floor An indistinct surface. >w Castle Stairway Landing Directly in front of the top of the staircase is a set of double doors, with the coat of arms carved into each one. Adjacent to the stairwell is a pair of separate doors, a plain one, which is open, and a smaller one, which is closed, while opposite to them is an entrance to a room where another set of steps rises even higher. Circling around either way on the landing above the castle entrance leads to what appears to be a small chapel. >x floor Polished marble lays beneath your feet. >x marble Using the finest Italian marble available, these steps allows one to climb the side of mountain with relative ease and in the comfort of the indoors. >save Saved. >quit Do you really want to quit? (YES or NO) > y You leave Stone Cell behind...