Against All Things Ending by Ryan Vessels

Against All Things Ending

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"Against All Things Ending"




Instead of examining the player:
    say "You look exactly as you always have."

A thing has some text called printing. The printing of a thing is usually "blank".

Understand the command "read" as something new. Understand "read [something]" as reading. Reading is an action applying to one thing, requiring light. Check reading: if the printing of the noun is "blank", say "Nothing is written on [the noun]." instead. Carry out reading: say "You read: [printing of the noun][line break]". Report reading: do nothing.

Understand "play [something]" as playing. Playing is an action applying to one thing.




When play begins, say "FUTILITY IS THE DEFINING CHARACTERISTIC OF LIFE."

When play begins, say "AND YET WE STAND - "

When play begins, say " - you wake up."




The Child's Bedroom is a room. "This is obviously a child's bedroom. The walls are cream-colored and spotlessly clean, devoid of the handprint stains so commonly found in houses with bare walls. The carpeting is plush and thick, a deep, earthy green in color." 

The child's bedroom lamp is a device in the child's bedroom. "The room is lit only by a dim electric lamp, which sits at the head of the bed." The child's bedroom lamp is switched on.

The description of the child's bedroom lamp is "The lamp is a simple, tall white lamp plugged into a single outlet on the wall. It rests on the carpet at the head of the bed."

Instead of taking the child's bedroom lamp:
     say "The lamp is too unwieldy to carry."

Carry out switching off the child's bedroom lamp: now the child's bedroom is dark; place the child's bedroom lamp in scope.

Carry out switching on the child's bedroom lamp: say "Something about the darkness seems wrong. There is no sound but the beat of your heart and the rustle of your breath, and yet you cannot shake the feeling that you are not alone. You hurriedly switch the light back on."; now the child's bedroom is lighted.

The child's bed is in the child's bedroom. "The bed you are sleeping in is too small for you. It is a child's bed, but elegant and expensive-looking. You have always slept here."

The description of the child's bed is "The bed is a small, elegant one, carved from dark oak and with soft, silken sheets. It is too small for you."

Instead of taking the child's bed:
     say "The bed is too large for you to move easily."

The child's desk is in the child's bedroom. "There is a small, oaken desk with a single drawer set against one wall." The child's desk drawer is part of the desk. The child's desk drawer is a closed openable container. 

The description of the child's desk is "The desk is a simple oaken affair, carved from dark wood and with a single, closed drawer. The drawer does not appear to be locked."

Instead of taking the child's desk:
    say "The desk is too heavy for you to take."

In the child's desk drawer is the child's notebook. The description of the notebook is "A small, gray, spiral-bound notebook of high quality." The printing of the child's notebook is "The notebook is almost entirely blank, save for a few lines of text in small, neat handwriting scattered, apparently without pattern, throughout the pages: [line break][line break][italic type]They serve the Angel. They teach me to[line break]is no higher calling[line break]Better eternal servitude than oblivion[line break]I have seen the other side. There is NOTHING THERE.[line break]the gospel of order and servitude[line break]We stand against all things[line break]And we sing the praises of the Angel for eternity"

A collection of figurines is on the child's desk. "Several strange figurines sit on the desk."

The description of the collection of figurines is "The figurines appear to be stylized representations of chess pieces, arranged into the starting position despite the lack of a board and carved from white and black marble and inlaid with gold and silver filigree. The 'pawns' appear to be strange, curved pillars of something which seems to flow in the dim light. The rooks are emaciated, ghoul-like figures with elongated claws for fingers. The knights are mounted on birds. The bishops appear to be two children, a boy and a girl. The queen is a tall, slender figure with no discernible features.[line break][line break]The 'kings', however, are missing."

Instead of taking the collection of figurines:
    say "You cannot carry them all, and none of them look particularly useful."

The child's bookshelf is in the child's bedroom. "There is a small bookshelf, no more than waist-high, beside the desk."

The description of the bookshelf is "The bookshelf itself is unremarkable, though of high quality. "

Instead of taking the child's bookshelf:
    say "The bookshelf is too unwieldy for you to carry."

The collection of books is on the child's bookshelf. 

The description of the collection of books is "The books appear to be extremely old, and many are written in foreign languages. A few of the others seem to have titles which have faded away with age. One or two seem to resist your attempts to examine them; your gaze slides away with each moment."

Instead of taking the collection of books:
    say "You cannot carry them all, and none of them seem particularly useful."

The child's bedroom window is fixed in place in the child's bedroom. "There is a small picture window set into the wall opposite the door."

The description of the child's bedroom window is "The picture window is closed, with no apparent way to open it. Outside, there is only absolute darkness."

Instead of opening the child's bedroom window:
    say "You cannot see any way to open the window."

The child's bedroom door is a closed door. "The child's bedroom door is set into one wall."

The description of the bedroom door is "The door is a simple white wooden door with a single bronze-colored doorknob."

The child's bedroom door is east of the child's bedroom.

After deciding the scope of the player when the location is the Child's Bedroom:
place the child's bedroom lamp in scope; place the child's bedroom door in scope.



The Upstairs Hallway is a room. "This is a hallway with a wooden floor covered in various rugs, lit by a few dim overhead light bulbs. The walls are cream-colored, but there is wallpaper, patterned in flowers, from the halfway point of the wall upwards." 

The hallway painting is fixed in place in the upstairs hallway. "There is a large still-life painting on one wall."

The description of the hallway painting is "The still-life painting is a large, ornately-framed oil painting. It depicts a high-backed, plush-looking chair against a gray backdrop. In the chair is a formal suit, positioned as though someone is wearing it."

The hallway plaque is fixed in place in the upstairs hallway. "Underneath the painting is a small brass plaque."

The description of the hallway plaque is "A simple brass plaque, affixed to the wall by some means not immediately apparent. There are several words engraved upon it, but some of the letters seem strangely hard to make out. The eye slips away from them. You can make out 'TA--- STARE --TRA OM--A -S--E'.[line break][line break]Underneath the letters is a small symbol: two equilateral triangles, one on top of another, each pointed towards the other so that their points are set against the other's base."

The child's bedroom door is west of the hallway.

The upstairs bathroom door is a closed door. "There is a door set into the wall opposite the child's bedroom. It leads to the bathroom."

The description of the upstairs bathroom door is "The door is a simple white wooden door with a single bronze-colored doorknob."

The upstairs bathroom door is east of the upstairs hallway.

The study door is a closed locked door. "The study door is set into the wall beside that one." The bronze key unlocks the study door.

The description of the study door is "The door is a simple white wooden door with a single bronze-colored doorknob. There is a small keyhole on the end of the doorknob."

The study door is southeast of the upstairs hallway.

The master bedroom door is a closed door. "The master bedroom door is set into one wall here."

The description of the master bedroom door is "The door is a simple white wooden door with a single bronze-colored doorknob."

The master bedroom door is south of the upstairs hallway.

The trapdoor is a closed door. "There is a trapdoor allowing entrance and exit from the attic." The pull cord is part of the trapdoor.

The description of the trapdoor is "The trapdoor is set into the ceiling. A simple pull-cord allows for easy access."

The trapdoor is above the upstairs hallway.

Instead of pulling the pull cord:
    move player to Attic.




The Attic is a room. "The attic is large and spacious near the floor, but the ceiling is low and sloping on both sides, coming to a point in the center of the room."

The trapdoor is below the attic.

The bare bulb is a fixed in place device in the attic. "A bare light bulb hangs from the ceiling, casting just enough light to see by." The light chain is part of the bare bulb.

The description of the bare bulb is "The light bulb is old and dim, and its light flickers weakly on occasion. It is operated by means of a short, rusty chain hanging from one side." The bare bulb is switched on.

The description of the light chain is "A short, rusty length of metal used to operate the light bulb."

Instead of pulling the light chain:
    if the attic is dark begin;
        say "Something about the darkness seems wrong. There is no sound but the beat of your heart and the rustle of your breath, and yet you cannot shake the feeling that you are not alone. You hurriedly switch the light back on."; 
        now the attic is lighted;
    otherwise;
        now the attic is dark;
    end if.

Carry out switching off the bare bulb: now the attic is dark.

Carry out switching on the bare bulb: say "Something about the darkness seems wrong. There is no sound but the beat of your heart and the rustle of your breath, and yet you cannot shake the feeling that you are not alone. You hurriedly switch the light back on."; now the attic is lighted.

The high window is fixed in place in the attic. "There is a small, circular window set into the wall at the far end of the room."

The description of the high window is "The window is only a foot or so across, and has a small latch which allows it to swing open to the outside. But there is nothing visible through the glass. There is only darkness."

Instead of opening the high window:
    say "You throw the latch and push the window open. Instantly, a deep chill settles over the room, and the feeble light of the bulb behind you flickers again, more pronouncedly. A high, thin, keening sound pierces your eardrums, immeasurably distant, but with an insistent edge, as if growing closer by the moment. You shut the window hurriedly, and everything returns to its previous state."

The musician's chair is in the attic. "There is a small, antique wooden chair sitting at the far end of the room, near the window."

The description of the musician's chair is "The chair is small, almost too small to be used comfortably. It is obviously antique, and quite valuable, but closer inspection reveals that the wood has been scratched and chipped in several places."

Instead of taking the musician's chair:
    say "You cannot carry that with you."

The violin is on the musician's chair. "There is a small, beautiful-looking violin on the chair, with an equally-beautiful bow next to it."

The description of the violin is "The viol is a small one, but the wood and finish are exquisite, and a quick pluck of the strings proves that it is perfectly in tune. The bow is likewise rosined, ready to be used, and the horse-hair is immaculately clean."

Instead of playing the violin:
    say "Your fingers stumble clumsily over the strings, and your attempts at maneuvering the bow are spastic and jagged. And yet, despite your lack of ability with the instrument, Beethoven's 'Moonlight Sonata (First Movement)' fills the air with brilliant, beautiful music.[line break][line break]Then, after a few moments, your music is joined by a high, piping sound. It has the peculiar quality of seeming to be very loud and very far away while simultaneously seeming to emerge from the air immediately beside you. It is a strangely chilling sound - but, when you stop to listen, it stops as well."

The music stand is in the attic. "There is a metallic music stand set just in front of the chair."

The description of the music stand is "The music stand is a cheap, collapsible metal implement, with no real value. The metal clasps which allow it to be disassembled have rusted, becoming immobile."

Instead of taking the music stand:
    say "The music stand is too unwieldy to carry."

The sheet music is on the music stand. "A few sheets of music have been left on the stand."

The description of the sheet music is "A few sheets of old, yellowed, wrinkled paper, printed with the violin music to several famous pieces. Beethoven's 'Moonlight Sonata (First Movement)', Pachelbel's 'Canon in D', Bach's 'Violin Concerto in E Major'.[line break][line break]The margins of the pages have been written on." The printing of the sheet music is "The writing on these sheets is jumbled, erratic, in a hand that indicates a lack of care for neatness, perhaps out of a desire for speed. Many of the lines are illegible. Those that can be read are:[line break][line break][italic type]The Angel of Peace waits for our embrace.[line break]Yet we stand-[line break]we can never find release[line break]EAT the SILENCE or the ARCHANGEL[line break]alone for eternity with only your thoughts in the midst of oblivion[line break]chaos cannot stand against[line break]we serve. we stand against all things"

After deciding the scope of the player when the location is the Attic:
place the bare bulb in scope; place the trapdoor in scope.




The Master Suite is a room. "The master suite is large and spacious, with thick, plush carpeting and soft lighting from overhead."

The master bedroom door is north of the master suite.

The parents' bed is in the master suite. "Most of the room is taken up by a large four-poster bed with wine-red velvet hangings and thick, soft sheets."

The description of the parents' bed is "The king-sized bed is more than large enough for two people to share comfortably. Its four-poster frame is hung with thick, wine-red velvet hangings, and its sheets are thick and soft. Its dark wooden frame is obviously quite expensive and sturdy."

Instead of taking the parents' bed:
    say "The bed is too large for you to move."

The nightstand is in the master suite. "A nightstand with a single drawer is next to the bed." The nightstand's drawer is part of the nightstand. The nightstand's drawer is a closed, openable container. The bronze key is in the nightstand's drawer. The triangle ring is in the nightstand's drawer.

The description of the nightstand is "The nightstand is a simple wooden table with a single drawer set into the front."

Instead of taking the nightstand:
    say "The nightstand is too unwieldy for you to carry."

The description of the nightstand's drawer is "A simple wooden drawer with a knob on the front."

The description of the bronze key is "A small bronze key."

The description of the triangle ring is "A large, silver ring engraved with an intricate geometric pattern. A single sapphire is set in the center of the band, upon which has been engraved a symbol: two equilateral triangles, one on top of another, each pointed towards the other so that their points are set against the other's base."

The blank photograph is on the nightstand. "A small, framed photograph is on the nightstand."

The description of the blank photograph is "The small photograph is framed, but has no subject. It is simply a photograph of a gray backdrop."

The angel book is on the nightstand. "A small, red-leather-bound book rests on the nightstand."

The description of the angel book is "A small, leather-bound book with no title or author listed. The only design on its cover is a symbol: two equilateral triangles, one on top of another, each pointed towards the other so that their points are set against the other's base."

The printing of the angel book is "Much of the book is blank. Only a few lines remain, scattered throughout the book apparently at random.[line break][line break][italic type]servitude above oblivion. enter the embrace of PIPER and stand.[line break]PIPER stands against all things ENDING. we grant it our lives so that we and all things may continue forever.[line break]NG is the ultimate failure, the rendering of all existence meaningless, the erasure of all of our futile worth. an eternity of servitude above oblivion."

The master window is fixed in place in the master suite. "There is a large bay window set into one wall."

The description of the master window is "The window is large and lacks blinds; it is obviously meant to overlook a sweeping view of some sort. Now, however, there is only darkness beyond."

Instead of opening the master window:
    say "The bay window cannot be opened."

The light switch is a fixed in place device in the master suite. "There is a small light switch by the door." The light switch is switched on.

The description of the light switch is "A simple light switch."

Carry out switching on the light switch: now the master suite is lighted.
Carry out switching off the light switch: say "Something about the darkness seems wrong. There is no sound but the beat of your heart and the rustle of your breath, and yet you cannot shake the feeling that you are not alone. You hurriedly switch the light back on."; now the master suite is dark.

After deciding the scope of the player when the location is the Master Suite:
place the light switch in scope; place the master bedroom door in scope.