All text will now be saved to the script file. Type UNSCRIPT at any time to discontinue scripting. >[OK, new attempts. I read the next command in the walkthrough:] I don't understand the punctuation "[". >cut arm on nail You cut a slight gash on your arm. A small drop of blood forms. >put blood on medallion You rub a smudge of blood onto the ivory medallion which leaves an inconspicous stain. A new drop forms on the wound. >read medallion The light does not reach deeply enough into this stockade to clarify the words. 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 blood on medallion You rub a smudge of blood onto the ivory medallion which leaves an inconspicous stain. A new drop forms on the wound. 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 blood on medallion You rub a smudge of blood onto the ivory medallion which leaves an inconspicous stain. A new drop forms on the wound. Treble: I'll wake her in a bit. Bass: I'll stand guard while you search her. >read medallion The light does not reach deeply enough into this stockade to clarify the words. Smooth: Where will you take her? Rough: To where she belongs: with the other disloyal subjects. >open pants Opened. 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 blood on underwear I don't know the word "underwear". >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. 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 breeches 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. >cut arm on nail You cut a slight gash on your arm. A small drop of blood forms. >open pants Opened. >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. >put blood on underpants You smear blood onto your underpants, creating a dab of red on the dingy white. Blood wells up again from the cut. 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. >g While you're not sure it makes a difference, you underpants are already besmirched with blood. Treble: I'll wake her in a bit. Bass: I'll stand guard while you search her. >put medallion in underpants Done. Smooth: Where will you take her? Rough: To where she belongs: with the other disloyal subjects. >close pants Closed. 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. >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 pants Rough dark leather with lacing that runs up one leg, wraps around the waist, and down the other leg to hold it in place. 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. >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 underpants White cotton shorts your wear to keep your breeches from chafing you. A bright ruby stain marks it. A noticeable lump is formed by the medallion within it. 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 pants 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 shoes Demora takes your brogans. She waits expectantly. >take off pants 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. Noticing the bump in your shorts caused by the concealed medallion, Demora hangs on the verge of anger until she also notes the blood stain. She speaks softly to you, "So, you've started... Maybe this is the cause of your confusion. You must realize, you're entering womanhood now; you can no longer play these games." "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. >[wow] I don't understand the punctuation "[". >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. >x matthew 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. 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. >e In a moist blur, Klove grabs hold of you. "Just stay with me, please." 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. >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. >move tapestry "Don't do anything," he grumbles while restraining you. 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. >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. >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. >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... >z Time passes... >enter mat I don't know how to enter the straw mat. >open pants Opened. Your prospects appear more limited than ever. >get medallion Taken. >read it In flowing cursive letters, it speaks: The mountains are more than stone, The woods, more than portioned tree, When you dare leave me alone, I am more than you can see. >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. >enter mat I don't know how to enter the straw mat. The situation seems so hopeless, you'd like to just give up. >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 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. >n Dungeon Room >verbose Okay, now in VERBOSE mode. 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. >w Dungeon Room The heart of the cell. >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. >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. >get it Taken. >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. 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 it Simply a series of initials: "S of G", "DH", and others of people gone and forgotten. >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. >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. >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. >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 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. >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. >n You can't go that way. >e Dungeon Room The corner where the door is. >open lower 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 You close up your pants on your way out. 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 sw door What do you want to unlock it with? >bone When you unlock the door, the bone breaks apart into small, useless splinters. >open sw Which sw do you mean, the third door, or the third cell? >door Opened. >undo (Undoing one command) 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. >undo (Undoing one command) 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. >undo (Undoing one command) 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 What do you want to unlock it with? >bone When you unlock the door, the bone breaks apart into small, useless splinters. >open first Which first do you mean, the first door, or the first cell? >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. >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. Stopped before the huge rock door, he seems rather intimidated. >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. >save Saved. >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. >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. >move tapestry You can't move the tapestry. Steadily, the pair comes closer. >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. >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. Steadily, the pair comes closer. >enter niche I don't see any niche here. >e You push aside the tapestry 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. >x people I don't see any people here. >save Saved. >d 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. The two distant figures reach the bottom of the shaft. >d Second Dungeon Sublevel A cast-iron door spotted with rust is the one thing to break the monotony of the shaft along this section. Jolting into action, Zane approaches the dungeon entrance. >d 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. The doctor keeps one eye on you while continuing with his fingers to prod and test Pietro's slack body. Zane is uncharacteristically awake and alert. 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) 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) 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) 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) 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) 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) Niche A flaw in the mountain caused this shallow, irregular depression in the rock, which the builders concealed with a tapestry. >undo (Undoing one command) Niche A flaw in the mountain caused this shallow, irregular depression in the rock, which the builders concealed with a tapestry. >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) 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) 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) 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. >w 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. >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. Pietro sits slumped on the lowest tier of the staircase that towers over his bowed head. >x pietro Perhaps as old a man as you've ever seen, his frailty is the tenuousness of all life, made visible. >pietro, u "I'll just follow your lead. After we've escaped the castle, then we'll work on a detailed plan, maybe we can leave the country." The old man hesitates. "You do have way to escape from the castle, right?" You turn away, embarrassed. >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. >x pietro I don't see any pietro here. >d 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. Pietro sits slumped on the lowest tier of the staircase that towers over his bowed head. >get pietro You can't have Pietro. >pietro, follow me "I'll just follow your lead. After we've escaped the castle, then we'll work on a detailed plan, maybe we can leave the country." The old man hesitates. "You do have way to escape from the castle, right?" You turn away, embarrassed. >pietro, hide I don't know the word "hide". >x pietro Perhaps as old a man as you've ever seen, his frailty is the tenuousness of all life, made visible. >touch pietro Touching Pietro doesn't seem to have any effect. >kiss him I don't know the word "kiss". >hug him I don't know the word "hug". >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. >z Time passes... >z Time passes... >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. >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. Steadily, the pair comes closer. >e You push aside the tapestry 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. >d 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. The two distant figures reach the bottom of the shaft. >d Second Dungeon Sublevel A cast-iron door spotted with rust is the one thing to break the monotony of the shaft along this section. Jolting into action, Zane approaches the dungeon entrance. >z Time passes... Below you, Zane vanishes into the shaft. >d 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. The doctor keeps one eye on you while continuing with his fingers to prod and test Pietro's slack body. >x doctor His face is pale, but shot-through with an interlacing of fine ruddy lines. A dark cloak covers his wrinkled nightshirt, which in turn covers the hunched bulk of his body. Set next to him on the step are a small silver plate and a curved knife of almost unbearable sharpness. >get knife Wexor sneers, "You wouldn't know what to do with either of them." >get plate Wexor sneers, "You wouldn't know what to do with either of them." >hit wexor You have no reason to hit Wexor. >i You have an ivory medallion and a chamber pot handle. >throw handle at wexor You toss the chamber pot handle at Wexor, but you miss. >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. The doctor keeps one eye on you while continuing with his fingers to prod and test Pietro's slack body. >throw medallion at wexor You throw the disk at Wexor, but it misses and lands on the ground. >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. The doctor keeps one eye on you while continuing with his fingers to prod and test Pietro's slack body. >x pietro Perhaps as old a man as you've ever seen, his frailty is the tenuousness of all life, made visible. >close door Trying to swing it back closed by yourself, it hardly wants to budge. >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. >d 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. The doctor keeps one eye on you while continuing with his fingers to prod and test Pietro's slack body. >x doctor His face is pale, but shot-through with an interlacing of fine ruddy lines. A dark cloak covers his wrinkled nightshirt, which in turn covers the hunched bulk of his body. Set next to him on the step are a small silver plate and a curved knife of almost unbearable sharpness. >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. >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. >nw You'll have to open the left corner door first. Zane approaches. >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. >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. >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. >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. >n You travel a dark passage which helps conceal from view the... 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. >s As quietly as you can, you slip past the swinging door. 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. >s Courtyard 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. Zane is uncharacteristically awake and alert. 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) 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. >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 (Opening one of the doors first) 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. >e (Opening the painted door) 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. >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. >x portraits Each framed painting presents one, or occasionally several subjects, dressed in full regalia and posed awkwardly against a rather flat background. >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. >nw (Opening the gilt door) 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. >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. >se You can't go that way. 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. >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. >save Saved. >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. >squirt water on guard All you can think about is the guard standing before you. For some reason, as he looks over the balustrade outside, he shakes his head and sighs. >give flask to guard The giant guard rejects the offer. 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 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. The enormous figure enters the corner of the corridor. >squirt water at wall I don't recognize that sentence. >pour water on wall I don't know the word "pour". >put water on wall You spray the soiled wall with water; it is too far away to maintain a steady stream, however. The guard suddenly halts. His body fills the doorway of the alcove as he peers at you. "Is that you, Zane?" >put water on wall You spray the soiled wall with water; it is too far away to maintain a steady stream, however. "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. >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. >say yes I don't know the word "yes". >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 an ivory medallion, 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. >take off sheet You unfurl the cloth from your body. >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. >put water in gutter You can't put anything into the gutter. >squirt >squirt water in gutter You spray the soiled wall with water; it is too far away to maintain a steady stream, however. >n You can't go that way. >e You can't go that way. >stand near gutter I don't know the word "near". >go to gutter I don't know how to enter the gutter. >enter ledge I don't know how to enter the ledge. >stand on ledge With care, you step up on the ledge, facing the noisome wall. >off There's no verb in that sentence! >out You can't go that way. >get up You're already standing! >s First stepping off the ledge, you leave the alcove. 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. >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. >stand on ledge With care, you step up on the ledge, facing the noisome wall. 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?" >squirt water on wall Squeezing the flask, you squirt a steady stream of wall on the sullied wall, which eventually runs down the gutter and disappears into the hole. You can sense the guard's considerable body relaxing. "Oh, it's you, Matthew. Up late playing with Klove again, huh? Just see that it doesn't interfere with you work." >['with you work' -> 'your'] I don't understand the punctuation "[". >z Time passes... "I'll leave the door open. Really, I shouldn't, but who can get up here anyway?" He turns and proceeds down the dingy hall. >z Time passes... >s You stop spraying water and get off the ledge, then leave the alcove. 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. >s You can't go that way. >sw Chart Room The outer walls curves as it follows the outer contour of the castle; on a straight inner wall is a large and colorful drawing, lit by a single candle. Otherwise, the only noteworthy thing is an exit that leads to a balcony. >x drawing The large sheet of slightly crinkled paper is mounted to a board. On the paper is colorful depiction of shapes that do not seem to correspond with anything you've ever seen. Although something about it captures your attention... >g The large sheet of slightly crinkled paper is mounted to a board. Considering the shapes on the paper again, you realize that, much as when you used to play with friends and you'd draw a simple picture of the woods, the streams, and the lake to show where everyone should start at the beginning of your game, this was a picture of the entire land, to the sea in smooth blue where the port of Belrona was marked, across the jagged grey of the mountains, and centered on the castle and the village, and its surrounding verdure, where you lived. >g The large sheet of slightly crinkled paper is mounted to a board. The paper shows a unimaginable extent of the surrounding countryside with all its natural features. However, strange black lines cut up the earth like patchwork, this castle in middle of one such patch. For some unknown reason, you are reassured by arrows drawn outward from your little section. >g The large sheet of slightly crinkled paper is mounted to a board. The paper shows a unimaginable extent of the surrounding countryside with all its natural features. However, strange black lines cut up the earth like patchwork, this castle in middle of one such patch. For some unknown reason, you are reassured by arrows drawn outward from your little section. >get it You would hate to tear the paper and the board itself is fastened firmly to the wall. >get board You would hate to tear the paper and the board itself is fastened firmly to the wall. >sw Balcony When you step out onto the balcony, your body seems to swoop over the view: this must be the vision of a falcon as it soars aloof over lowly earthbound creatures. The humble village of Losilte appears deserted except for the throbbing glow of scattered torch flames; the crop fields look like quilted comforters draped on the hillocks; a bright patch on the horizon lays under the gibbous moon, which you dare not imagine to be the sheen of the sea. And by the gate of the palisade that circles the front of the castle, you take note of a pair of people who wait there. On other occasions, you've seen small groups of bedraggled strangers who would wait for days, enduring rain from the sky and taunts from the villagers, in the hopes of gaining an audience with their lord. Unlike those previous supplicants, you recognize these two despite the distance: they are your parents. >x parents They sit huddled on a log, heads down and close together, perhaps dozing fitfully, or commiserating with each other. The sight of their distress rives your heart: you understand, they didn't want this, they didn't even expect this level of punishment. Your mother, she treated you so much better than most mothers treated their daughters; she would praise heaven and earth if you could return to her bosom. And your father, he wants you back, too, not merely for another hand to help in the field, but because he dearly misses you; you recall how, so many times, despite himself, his face would brighten at your approach. >throw medallion at parents They're too far away. >x parents Your father and mother, shrunken by distance, are plainly at the mercy and whim of this castle's lord, like lambs allowed to thrive until one day, when they will be led away... >[The 'Your mother, she' and 'your father, he' are not-so-great constructions. I'd get rid of the 'she' and 'he'.] I don't understand the punctuation "[". >x gate A huge wooden fence surrounds the unprotected front of the castle. The gate is the first obstacle for any prospective visitors. >l Balcony This platform gives you a broad overlook of Ordis Valley, including the village, the hills, and the front gate, where your mother and father bide their time. >x village All the people down there are curled up in their hovels. Soon, when the day breaks, they will stir. >x hills Instead of the usual, when, as you till the earth, you become part of the land, now you can gaze upon the fields, and the land becomes part of you. >jump Lofting into the air, you feel an instant of pure freedom. >ne Chart Room The outer walls curves as it follows the outer contour of the castle; on a straight inner wall is a large and colorful drawing, lit by a single candle. Otherwise, the only noteworthy thing is an exit that leads to a balcony. >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. >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. >se You'll have to open the small door first. >open small door It's locked. >i You have an ivory medallion, 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. >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. 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..." >squirt 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." >nw The strained tenor of Ruecoult's voice freezes your movement as he says, "Behind that door is where my son rests. You can visit him, but only after, for one last time, you demonstrate your merit." Ruecoult reclines onto the divan as he embarks upon his tale, "You see, Trevine is my only child, and with my wife dead for over a year and with little chance for a second marriage, he might never have a sibling. So, as you would expect, I dote upon him, perhaps to a fault. He complains that he has no tree he can climb. I oblige and plant a tree in the courtyard. He falls out of the tree and curses it. I have the tree chopped down and burned. If it was within his power, any father would do as much. But how does one burn the ephemeral, the phantasmagorical? For a long time now, his sleep has been troubled by nightmares, which would not be a surprise if Trevine knew the precariousness of his position. I protect him from all the talk about jealous pretenders across the land who wish he was gone. Still, he will not rest easy. So, someone stays with him while he sleeps, someone with whom we both feel secure. Tell me the name of this person and you may go." >>> demora "He's safer without a guard in the room with him. You can't be too sure with these kind of people." Ruecoult gazes at you, waiting for your next answer. >>> kane Ruecoult interrupts you. "I take it you are abandoning any attempt to gain admittance. Fair enough." >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. >nw The strained tenor of Ruecoult's voice freezes your movement as he says, "Behind that door is where my son rests. You can visit him, but only after, for one last time, you demonstrate your merit." Ruecoult reclines onto the divan as he embarks upon his tale, "You see, Trevine is my only child, and with my wife dead for over a year and with little chance for a second marriage, he might never have a sibling. So, as you would expect, I dote upon him, perhaps to a fault. He complains that he has no tree he can climb. I oblige and plant a tree in the courtyard. He falls out of the tree and curses it. I have the tree chopped down and burned. If it was within his power, any father would do as much. But how does one burn the ephemeral, the phantasmagorical? For a long time now, his sleep has been troubled by nightmares, which would not be a surprise if Trevine knew the precariousness of his position. I protect him from all the talk about jealous pretenders across the land who wish he was gone. Still, he will not rest easy. So, someone stays with him while he sleeps, someone with whom we both feel secure. Tell me the name of this person and you may go." >>> say "demora" "He's safer without a guard in the room with him. You can't be too sure with these kind of people." Ruecoult gazes at you, waiting for your next answer. >>> say "kane" Ruecoult interrupts you. "I take it you are abandoning any attempt to gain admittance. Fair enough." >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. >squirt 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." >ask him about son His aspect turns to the gravest you've yet seen. Indicating the closed, dark door behind him, Ruecoult proceeds carefully, "In that room, my son, Trevine, sleeps. You can visit him, but only after, for one last time, you demonstrate your merit." Ruecoult reclines onto the divan as he embarks upon his tale, "You see, Trevine is my only child, and with my wife dead for over a year and with little chance for a second marriage, he might never have a sibling. So, as you would expect, I dote upon him, perhaps to a fault. He complains that he has no tree he can climb. I oblige and plant a tree in the courtyard. He falls out of the tree and curses it. I have the tree chopped down and burned. If it was within his power, any father would do as much. But how does one burn the ephemeral, the phantasmagorical? For a long time now, his sleep has been troubled by nightmares, which would not be a surprise if Trevine knew the precariousness of his position. I protect him from all the talk about jealous pretenders across the land who wish he was gone. Still, he will not rest easy. So, someone stays with him while he sleeps, someone with whom we both feel secure. Tell me the name of this person and you may go." >>> read tray Ruecoult interrupts you. "I take it you are abandoning any attempt to gain admittance. Fair enough." >read tray The words are too fine to read from the distance. >nw "So you wish to try again," Ruecoult marvels, "Fine. You merely have to give the name of the person who lays in vigil with my son as he sleeps, then you may enter the room." >>> claretrime When you say aloud the name of the lady, Ruecoult sits straight up and stares at you. "That name has not been spoken in this castle since her passing on. It is enough that you should break the spell. You may proceed. Just be quiet. Make sure not to wake my child." Fighting a strong urge to flee, you approach the dark door. Trevine's Bedroom Within the darkened room, a four-poster bed, large enough to hold three full-grown men comfortably, takes up most of the space, while various toys are piled up along the walls. >x bed The capacious bed is draped with thick fleece comforter under which, like a lone cloud in the sky, lays Trevine. >x trevine His head sinks into the down of his pillow, so you can't see him well, but from his size, you guess that his years number seven. The gentle, regular rhythms of his sibilant breathes indicate that you have not awaken him by your presence. You then notice a doll next to him, also under the covers and laying close as if partaking in the boy's slumber. >x doll Drawing nearer, you realize that the doll is rather large; in fact, it is larger than the boy who snuggles against it. Leaning over the doll, you can see that it is not a doll but a person. The long hair: it is a woman. The necklace: it is Claretrime. The silence: it is dead. You quail from the bed as the complete vision assaults you like a lightening flash: her milky, smooth, soft skin now is dark, wrinkled, leathery; her eyes, once dazzling bright, now shriveled and mean; her lips, rosy and plump, now draw back from the teeth in a screeching grin. "He couldn't live without her." You turn to the doorway where Ruecoult now stands. "He couldn't live without her," he begins again, "and I couldn't live without him. So, when she died, I took the body while they buried a casket weighted with stones, and I personally, not allowing a single soul to witness it, soaked her remains in a vat of tanning baths until she became incorruptible." He hobbles over to the bed and clings to one of its posts for support. "What else could I do? She never returned like you did, and he needed her long-suffering breast to lay his head upon, to soak up his troubles. And I could very well understand his longing: this was all he knew, from his first keening gasp, and it will be all he can know, to his final dulcet expiry." After a long pause, he hums a little lullaby, to his son, to his wife, to himself. The melody softens to the point that its coda is unheard. Becoming aware of you again, the lord tries to explain, "In my family, they have this saying, 'Life is its own mandate.' The grass must grow, the rain must fall, and we are in between. Can you tell me any different?" Taking him by the arm, you lead him to the door. You shall attempt to articulate... You shall try and make... You shall. *** 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. >read tray 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. >read medallion The gloom conceals the meaning of the words. >[Wait! I think I get it!] I don't understand the punctuation "[". >restore Restored. 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. >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. >restore Restored. 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. >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. >s You can't go that way. The old prisoner plants himself on the lowest step. >w 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. >s You'll have to open the second door first. >w 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. >s You can't go that way. >sw Dungeon Room The corner where the door is. >w Dungeon Room The side nearest the corridor. >w Dungeon Room The corner where the chamber pot is. >s Dungeon Room A side of the prison. >x mark A series of letters have been carved into the stone near a crack at the base of the wall. >read it Simply a series of initials: "S of G", "DH", and others of people gone and forgotten. >[nope. thought that was it.] I don't understand the punctuation "[". >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 an ivory medallion, a wine flask, a white sheet, and a gold tray. >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. >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 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. >stand on ledge With care, you step up on the ledge, facing the noisome wall. >z Time passes... 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?" >squirt water on wall Squeezing the flask, you squirt a steady stream of wall on the sullied wall, which eventually runs down the gutter and disappears into the hole. You can sense the guard's considerable body relaxing. "Oh, it's you, Matthew. Up late playing with Klove again, huh? Just see that it doesn't interfere with you work." >z Time passes... "I'll leave the door open. Really, I shouldn't, but who can get up here anyway?" He turns and proceeds down the dingy hall. >z Time passes... >s You stop spraying water and get off the ledge, then leave the alcove. 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 Chart Room The outer walls curves as it follows the outer contour of the castle; on a straight inner wall is a large and colorful drawing, lit by a single candle. Otherwise, the only noteworthy thing is an exit that leads to a balcony. >x drawing The large sheet of slightly crinkled paper is mounted to a board. On the paper is colorful depiction of shapes that do not seem to correspond with anything you've ever seen. Although something about it captures your attention... >g The large sheet of slightly crinkled paper is mounted to a board. Considering the shapes on the paper again, you realize that, much as when you used to play with friends and you'd draw a simple picture of the woods, the streams, and the lake to show where everyone should start at the beginning of your game, this was a picture of the entire land, to the sea in smooth blue where the port of Belrona was marked, across the jagged grey of the mountains, and centered on the castle and the village, and its surrounding verdure, where you lived. >g The large sheet of slightly crinkled paper is mounted to a board. The paper shows a unimaginable extent of the surrounding countryside with all its natural features. However, strange black lines cut up the earth like patchwork, this castle in middle of one such patch. For some unknown reason, you are reassured by arrows drawn outward from your little section. >x black lines I don't know the word "black". >w You can't go that way. >sw Balcony When you step out onto the balcony, your body seems to swoop over the view: this must be the vision of a falcon as it soars aloof over lowly earthbound creatures. The humble village of Losilte appears deserted except for the throbbing glow of scattered torch flames; the crop fields look like quilted comforters draped on the hillocks; a bright patch on the horizon lays under the gibbous moon, which you dare not imagine to be the sheen of the sea. And by the gate of the palisade that circles the front of the castle, you take note of a pair of people who wait there. On other occasions, you've seen small groups of bedraggled strangers who would wait for days, enduring rain from the sky and taunts from the villagers, in the hopes of gaining an audience with their lord. Unlike those previous supplicants, you recognize these two despite the distance: they are your parents. >x parents They sit huddled on a log, heads down and close together, perhaps dozing fitfully, or commiserating with each other. The sight of their distress rives your heart: you understand, they didn't want this, they didn't even expect this level of punishment. Your mother, she treated you so much better than most mothers treated their daughters; she would praise heaven and earth if you could return to her bosom. And your father, he wants you back, too, not merely for another hand to help in the field, but because he dearly misses you; you recall how, so many times, despite himself, his face would brighten at your approach. >ne Chart Room The outer walls curves as it follows the outer contour of the castle; on a straight inner wall is a large and colorful drawing, lit by a single candle. Otherwise, the only noteworthy thing is an exit that leads to a balcony. >get candle The hot wax deters your attempted grasp, and farther below, the holder is bolted to the floor. >x candle The luminous head devours the thin taper body, dripping tallow down its sides and onto the metal holder. >i You have an ivory medallion, a wine flask, a white sheet, and a gold tray. >burn sheet I don't know the word "burn". >put sheet in candle You can't put anything into the candle. >read tray 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. >x tray Examined closely, this gold serving tray has a finely etched inscription. >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. >[why 'C R I don't understand the punctuation "[". >[Why 'C R'? Hmm.] I don't understand the punctuation "[". >i You have an ivory medallion, a wine flask, a white sheet, and a gold tray. >read medallion The gloom conceals the meaning of the words. >sw Chart Room The outer walls curves as it follows the outer contour of the castle; on a straight inner wall is a large and colorful drawing, lit by a single candle. Otherwise, the only noteworthy thing is an exit that leads to a balcony. >read medallion In flowing cursive letters, it speaks: The mountains are more than stone, The woods, more than portioned tree, When you dare leave me alone, I am more than you can see. >w You can't go that way. >sw Balcony This platform gives you a broad overlook of Ordis Valley, including the village, the hills, and the front gate, where your mother and father bide their time. >rub medallion What do you want to rub it on? >me There's no point in rubbing the ivory medallion on yourself. >x gate A huge wooden fence surrounds the unprotected front of the castle. The gate is the first obstacle for any prospective visitors. >ne Chart Room The outer walls curves as it follows the outer contour of the castle; on a straight inner wall is a large and colorful drawing, lit by a single candle. Otherwise, the only noteworthy thing is an exit that leads to a balcony. >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. >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. >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. >w You'll have to open the tilted door first. >open door It's locked. >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. >i You have an ivory medallion, 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. >save Saved. >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. >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. ~ 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. >u Suddenly, while Klove is busy, you dash up the steps, leaving him behind. Second Dungeon Sublevel You see Klove hurrying up the stairs after you. >u First Dungeon Sublevel Klove lags a little behind you. >u Dungeon Access Klove pauses far below to catch his breath. >w Courtyard 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. >enter cart In desperation you dive into the muck. Matthew hesitates. "What have you done with Klove?" "Nothing," you insist as you wallow deeper. After a pause, apparently to calculate his loyalties, he helps cover you up. In Pushcart The ordure covers you from all sides, hindering your sight. You feel more than hear the rumble of the rough wheels on the rutted ground. The cart travels for so long you think you might be nearing the ends of the earth, when at last you are abruptly dumped, along with the encasing filth, onto the ground. It takes several moments, as you stand, brush some of the debris off your clothes, and gaze about, to determine where you've been taken. Ravine You step to the edge of the ravine and observe the familiar sights around you with fresh regard. The forest behind you and before you follows the brinks on both sides of the cleft, standing as close as you dare to, a few trees even leaning out over the chasm. Through a small gap in the foliage, you can see the pale castle wrapped in the daybreak mist, unconcerned with your disappearance. The other way along the ravine, the ground slopes down, leading to the port of Belrona, somewhere beyond the trees, under the sun-brightened morning sky. >d You can't go that way. >w Despite appearances, you would not be welcomed back to the castle, nor can you return to your home. Several have attempted escape from the dungeon before, and were executed within the hour of their capture. You have to leave Ordis Valley, and you will have to stay away for a long time. >sw Although you would love to take a stroll through the forest, the fear of discovery would sour its palliative effects. >se Although you would love to take a stroll through the forest, the fear of discovery would sour its palliative effects. >s Although you would love to take a stroll through the forest, the fear of discovery would sour its palliative effects. >e # You proceed down along the rim of the crevasse, and ponder your future. People who've come from Belrona say that ships set sail every week from the harbor and that their captains can always use another deckhand. It'll be months of hard work and drudgery, much like the life you've always known, except that, at the end, you will be in a new land. *** 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. q You leave Stone Cell behind...